eagle eye Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Browns new head coach Hue Jackson was quoted as saying that RGIII is "...a great talent." This appears to be coach-speak for we looked at him during his visit over the weekend and we think he's a good player. Complimentary but non-committal. The Question is whether or not RGIII will appreciate mentoring a rookie who will likely be drafted with the 2nd pick in the draft this April. Is RGIII a mentoring type? RGIII is young enough to be a franchise QB and he may not want to be a guy who gets another guy ready to take his job. It's a little inexplicable that Griffin hasn't already been signed by someone. The Browns GM has said the team is not in negotiations with the 49ers for Colin Kaepernick. Maybe the Browns could throw a monkey in the wrench by signing Griffin if he will accept a team friendly deal and turn around and use the draft pick on a position player instead of a QB. Something might go down like a turd in a punchbowl for the long suffering Browns fans. A couple Patriot notes; > The Pats are hosting a visit by NT/DT Nick Fairley. Nick Fairley came out of college one of the most highly touted DL in the country. However in 4 seasons with the Lions and 1 season with the Rams he's been inconsistent when on the field and a bit prone to be injured as well. If anyone can turn a sow's ear into a sick purse it would be the Patriots. > Patriots owner Robert Kraft has sent a letter to the NFL league office and Roger Goodell in particular petitioning them to consider reinstating the first round draft pick that Goodell stripped the Patriots of because of the deflate-gate affair. Kraft was given the right to appeal the suspended draft pick if new information came to light. Kraft pointed out that the league did not take the ideal gas law into consideration, something the league has admitted to, and Kraft hopes that it's enough to give Goodell a reason to reinstate the Patriots first round draft pick. Personally, besides all the other issues in this case, Goodell was overly penal to the Patriots and I really believe the Patriots should get their pick back. > Chargers president, John Spanos, called the Patriots signing of RB Donald Brown a perfect Patriots signing. Despite the fact that the Chargers released Brown earlier this month Spanos indicated that Boston may be the perfect place for Brown to resurrect his career. It's not like he's over-the-hill, he's only 28 but he's been stuck as the 3rd option in San Diego's 3 deep RB situation. The first year he was behind Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead and last year he was behind 1st round draft pick Melvin Gordon and Woodhead. In New England the Patriots have let LeGarrett Blount and Stephen Jackson walk but there are a lot of guys still in the mix. Brown is the most experienced guy by far and the guy who sort of broke out that season was Dion Lewis who's season was cut short on Nov 8 when he tore his ACL. Brown and Lewis could be a really good 1-2 punch for the Patriots IF Brown isn't really washed up and IF Lewis recovers from the ACL. At the NFL owners meetings in Florida there are reports that there could be NFL games in Germany in 2017 and China in 2018. The trip to China is 20 hours minimum and I can't imagine anyone on an NFL team would like to make that trip. Germany is about the same distance time-wise as London, maybe an extra hour or so, but that still means that the teams that travel will get a bye week the next week. Teams going to China may want back-to-back bye weeks. If they go to Beijing they want were gas masks because the air pollution in the Chinese capital is brutal. It's probably just good business trying to push the NFL's boundaries outside the continental US but the logistical nightmares are hard on the coaches and players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted March 24, 2016 Author Share Posted March 24, 2016 RGIII is not unemployed any more. He came to terms on a deal with Cleveland this morning. It is a 2 year deal worth $15MM. Griffin will make $7.5MM in 2016 and he got a $3.5MM as a signing bonus. According to NFL.com's Mike Mayock signing RGIII should not affect the Browns in the draft. It has been widely expected that Cleveland, who has the 2nd pick in the draft will take either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. Considering Wentz is a big athletic QB like Griffin it would make more sense to draft him if QB is the way the Browns go. For the first time in his career RGIII will play for a coach who is a perfect fit for him. Hue Jackson has done wonders for every QB he's coached. But, according to ESPN player guru Greg Cosell Jackson will need to really work some special magic on Griffin because of the troubles he's had with former coaches Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden, the beatings he's taken trying to run the read-option offense and the humbling experience he faced being benched and most inactive on game days last season when he never played a single down. Having a full year off to heal show handle the injury concerns but his mental state of mind and his confidence has been called into question. That is why drafting Goff or Wentz with the 2nd pick is still very much on the table. Goff is the most NFL ready of the two QB's who Cleveland could draft which is okay if Griffin falls flat in training camp but Wentz, who most experts say could use a couple of years to sit and learn the pro game, would benefit if Griffin does do okay which would enable Wentz to sit and learn. If Cleveland then doors open wide for the Cowboys at pick 4. They could take Wentz and allow him to sit and learn behind Tony Romo or they would have the means to trade down with a team who wants a QB. Trading back would mean Dallas would still get a good player and also get extra draft picks. Either way it's win-win for Dallas. The owners meetings in Florida this week have yielded some rule changes and some could make for some interesting discussion. 1. For certain unsportsmanlike fouls, after the 2nd time a player is flagged for one or more of the infractions, it means the player will automatically be ejected. 2. The spot of the ball after a touchback on a punt or kickoff will be the 25 yard line. 3. The chop block is illegal in all cases. It doesn't mean that you can't block low if you are facing the opposing player it eliminates hitting low when an opposing player is already engaged with a blocker. A lot of defensive linemen have been hurt when locked up on a block with someone and a 2nd player comes in a "chops" the guy at his knees. 4. The horse collar tackle extends to the name plate on the back of jerseys. (I think this is bullsquat.) 5. A team will be flagged for delay of game if they try to call a time out when they are not allowed to. This situation came up last season in a game Dallas was playing. They were deep in the opposing team's territory with a 3rd and less than 5. The defense, to avoid being called for an illegal substitution called for and was erroneously granted a time out. After some discussion the play was a do-over because the illegal substitution penalty went away with the time out call. Dallas failed to get the first down and had to settle for a field goal. If the same circumstance occurs next season either the illegal substitution penalty would be called or the delay of game penalty will be called. Either way Dallas gets a first down and continues their drive. 6. Formerly if a receiver goes out of bounds and re-establishes himself inbounds and he touches a pass he would get flagged for illegal touching and his team would be penalized 5 yards. Now the 5 yard penalty goes away and it is a loss of down. 7. The NFL has eliminated "multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession." (I don't know what this means) 8. Communication between the QB or the defensive captain on the field can be either from the sideline or the coaches booth. Previously, all communication with the players on the field could only be done from the sideline. 9. Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay announced Wednesday a tweak to the injury reserve-designated to return rule. Now, teams do not have to designate a player to return when they place him on injured reserve. Players still have to be on IR for at least six weeks before they can come back and play. The draft is still 35 days away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted March 31, 2016 Author Share Posted March 31, 2016 There is a wide receiver you have never heard of who could be the biggest sleeper in the this year's NFL draft. The guy is a physical beast at 6'4" tall and 225 lbs he can run the 40 in 4.39 seconds. Do I have your attention? The guy is young, 22 years old, and he's raw because he's only played football for 4 years. Last season he was rookie of the year in his first professional season. The guy's name is Moritz Boehringer and he's a German who played in the German Football League last season. What he did was totally unexpected because the coaches for his team told him they would bring him along slowly. Boehringer caught 70 passes for 1,461 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 19 game GFL season. He had a 20.9 YPC average and he lined up at both WR and TE. He has been working out in Boca Raton, Fla with guys like Anquan Bolden and Pierre Garcon at the XPE Sports Academy in preparation for his pro day that will happen today at Florida Atlantic University. In February a countryman, Anthony Dable, was signed by the New York Giants after a single workout. Dable is 27 and was not eligible for the NFL draft. Dable's measurables are: 6'5" tall and 215 lbs and he was impressive enough that the Giants snapped him up. Check out the video in this article which also feature's a nice cover of the old Ten Years After tune, "I'd Love to Change the World". Notice in the video that Boehringer catches the ball with his hands, he's not a body catcher. He also is comfortable lining up in different spots. He lined up wide, in the slot and at tight end. He is not afraid to go over the middle and he's good with YAC. He even went up on a jump ball and he got the ball at it's highest point and made the catch. He looked like a man amongst boys in the video and it would be interesting to see if he can do the same against NFL caliber talent. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000648990/article/german-wide-receiver-one-of-nfl-drafts-biggest-sleepers There are two guys in this year's draft who are considered to be elite level talent but issues make them very questionable. The first is Myles Jack the LB from UCLA. He's still considered a top 5 talent but that could change after his April workout. Jack is coming off a major knee injury that cost him all of last season at UCLA. He dropped out of school to concentrate fully on his rehab which he is still ongoing. If his physical is good in April and his private workout is good he will be a top five pick. IF. The next guy is Mississippi State DL Robert Nkemdiche. He's a guy who is touted at being another top 5 talent but concerns over him have nothing to do with an injury. Nkemdiche fell out of a 4th floor window at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta at Buckhead hotel this past December. In his room was found marijuana and he was eventually charged with possession of drugs. Nkemdiche wasn't injured in the fall but he was taken to a nearby hospital for observation. Nkemdiche was suspended by the team and did not play in the 2016 Sugar Bowl. You wonder just what the hell is going on with college players these days and their infatuation with weed. Randy Gregory was a highly touted DE in last year's draft when he failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine of all things when they found mary jane in his system. Since the draft last year when Dallas took a chance on Gregory in the second round Gregory has failed 3 more drug tests, all for marijuana use, and will be suspended the first 4 games of the upcoming season. Teams see that and they will not take a chance on wasting a 1st round pick on a guy they maybe can't trust. Nkemdiche, like Gregory before him, has cost himself a lot of money because he can't leave the weed alone. Can Nkemdiche turn himself around like Arizona Cardinals S Tyrann Mathew did. The Honey Badger was kicked off the LSU football team for repeated drug violations. The Cards took a chance on him and he's proven to be a good NFL player and he hasn't had any more issues with failed drug tests. Or will Nkemdiche go the way of Gregory and continue to shoot himself in the foot. Gregory is a couple of violations away from being suspended 10 games and if that doesn't do it the next violation will an indefinite suspension that will be at least one year. It's hard to fathom how a guy can just throw away a lucrative dream job to smoke weed. That's the dilemma teams face when looking at Nkemdiche. It's only 28 days until the NFL draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 1, 2016 Author Share Posted April 1, 2016 Yesterday I posted some info on a WR named Moritz Boehringer from Germany who played in the German premiere football league. He's 6'4" and weighs 225 lbs and runs a 4.3 forty. He has lined up all across the front line from WR to TE to the slot. After working out in Florida and participating in Florida Atlantic's pro day he is no longer a mystery he worked his way into a full fledged prospect. It was thought that because of his superior workout yesterday he has vaulted himself to as high as the fourth round of the NFL draft. Check out his article from NFL.com's Andy Fenelon. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000649267/article/incredible-pro-day-puts-german-moritz-boehringer-on-nfl-radar The Patriots have signed veteran nose tackle Terrence Knighton to a one year $4.5MM deal. Knighton will fill the hole left by Vince Wilfork when he left for Houston as a free agent last year. At 6'3" and 355 lbs Knighton will plug the middle of the Patriots defense. He was a 3rd round pick by Jacksonville in 2009 and he spent 4 seasons with the Jags. In 2014 he played with Denver and last season he was with the Washington Redskins. This offseason the talk is that Denver had interest in getting Colin Kaepernick from the 49ers but the main requirement Denver had was that Kap had to agree to restructure his contract and take a pay cut. That is something Kaepernick refused to do. Yesterday was the deadline for funding the guaranteed money due Kaepernick. The deadline passed and he will get all the money due him in 2016 which is $11.9MM and he will still be a 49er. RGIII signed with Cleveland earlier this month and it has come out that a major supporter of Griffin was his former head coach Mike Shanahan. This is the same Mike Shanahan who benched Griffin after a disappointing 2013 season which caused a major rift between the coach and player. Disfunctional is a mild way to describe how their relationship ended up. However, as free agency progressed it was Shanahan who was one of Griffin's majors supporters saying that under a system similar to the one run in Washington when Griffin was a rookie RGIII could be a resounding success. Griffin appreciates Shanahan's support and is grateful for his endorsement during his free agency. Now, all that remains to be seen is if Griffin and Hue Jackson can forge a relationship. Already Jackson has made comments about Griffin that indicate he has confidence in Griffin. In other words it may be the first time as a pro RGIII has had a coach who had his back and wanted him. Shanahan didn't necessarily want Griffin when Washington drafted him and Kirk Cousins back in 2012 draft. Griffin was Rookie of the Year in 2012 but things started going downhill on him after the injuries started piling up. Kirk Cousins has become the #1 guy in Washington and Griffin and new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden didn't see eye to eye and Gruden elected to go with Cousins over Griffin. Cousins led a surprising Redskins team to a 9-7 record and the NFC title with a home playoff game. This was amazing considering the Redskins were forecast to finish dead last in the division in the preseason. Griffin has a new opportunity in Cleveland under a head coach who actually wanted him. Don't be surprised if RGIII isn't the comeback player of the year for 2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 Colin Kaepernick got his 2016 fully guaranteed by the 49ers last week when the date came and went which looked like the Niners and Chip Kelly were going to try to make a go of it. The rumors of a deal with Denver would just not go away though and the last thing reported was the Broncos and Kaepernick had come to terms on a deal but the 49ers were not going to agree to pay $4.9 MM of the guaranteed part of Kaepernick's deal. Kap is scheduled to make $11.9 MM all of which is guaranteed this year. The Niners could lose $7 MM off their salary cap by agreeing to the trade but they don't want to pay that $5 MM and get nothing for their money. I don't blame the Niners especially if Kaepernick clicks in Kelly's offense. If he does then the 12 mil will not be an issue. The Niners don't have to eat anything if they don't want to and Denver is the one who only has Mark Sanchez to play QB this season. Even if the Broncos end up with a top QB in the draft, Paxton Lynch the most likely to fall to Denver, Lynch won't come in a lead the defending Super Bowl champs in the defense of their title. Rookies just don't do that. The Broncos have lost a lot of their players to free agency this off season and I believe it's in no small part because they know they don't have a QB going into the 2016 season. The Broncos are in deep do-do and could end up last in the AFC West if they are not careful. First to worst is not what you want to happen--ever. TE Scott Chandler was let go by the Patriots this off season because he will need yet another surgery on his knee. Now, NFL.com is reporting that Chandler is afraid that his career may be over. Chandler showed flashes of being an elite level tight end all the way back to his days with Buffalo but injuries have kept him from reaching his potential. Chandler tore his ACL during the 2015 season with the Patriots and he admitted over the weekend that he will miss the 2016 season as a result of the surgery and rehab. It is his second torn ACL in this knee, the first coming in 2012 while with the Bills. Chandler is 30 and won't be available to play again until he is 32 which means teams will not be looking for an aging free agent tight end to sign. Michael Vick will be turning 36 years old soon. Hard to believe isn't it? NFL.com reported that Vick wants another crack at playing in the NFL this coming season even though the odds aren't great he will get the chance. Last season he was the backup in Pittsburgh and he actually got to play until he was injured and Landry Jones came in an outplayed Vick. If was as if the handwriting was on the wall, Vick was done as an NFL QB. Vick had to wait until late August before being signed by New England and it may be a situation of a team needing an experienced backup before Vick gets his chance to play. If he doesn't he says he's not going to lose sleep over it because he's had a good career despite losing several years because of his arrest and conviction for participating in dog fighting. Vick seems to have turned his life around and he also seems to come out the better for the experience. This may have been better posted on the Cowboys thread but the Jets have signed a one year deal with former Cowboys and Jets LB Bruce Carter. Carter was good in spurts for Dallas and he was a serviceable enough LB for him to get a free agent deal with Tampa Bay last season. Carter's deal with Tampa was for 4 years and $17 MM but he was cut March 6th and will save the Bucs $4.25 MM in cap space this season. Carter became expendable when he lost out to rookie sensation Kwon Alexander and his price tag was just too big for a backup player. The reason why Dallas didn't resign Carter was pretty much the same reason, his play wasn't worth paying him the money he received from Tampa as a free agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 The deal that was reportedly so close between the Broncos and Colin Kaepernick has hit the skids again. Kaepernick won't take a pay cut and San Francisco won't pay a portion of the guaranteed money Kap is slated to make and the Broncos are determined not to overpay for the guy. So, until further notice Kaepernick is a 49er. Jameis Winston QB of the Tampa Bay Bucs says he will take a pay cut to have the opportunity to play with his former college teammate Jalen Ramsey. It's not going to happen unless the Bucs mortgage their whole draft to move up from #9 to #1 to guarantee they will get Ramsey. Mock drafts have Ramsey going anywhere from #1 to #4 in April's draft and there is not even a snowball's chance in hell he will fall to 9. It was certainly nice of Winston to talk up his former teammate though. Winston was the first pick in last year's draft and it would be a major coup for Florida State to have a second alum of the school go #1 in this year's draft. People criticize Jerry Jones for players he chooses to sign but what about the Raiders who keep signing absolute nut job Aldon Smith to deals. Smith is an incident waiting to happen and the Raiders keep giving him a platform to mess up from. Get this, Smith is currently serving a 1 year suspension for substance abuse violations and he won't even be eligible for reinstatement until November. NOVEMBER! That hasn't stopped the Raiders from office from giving Smith a 2 year $19 MM contract. I guess when you are good any and all sins can and will be forgiven. Smith is worth the investment to Raiders because he recorded more sacks in the first two years of his career, 33.5, than any player in NFL history. That is why Oakland is willing to take a chance on Smith now. Smith's suspension stems from an incident last August when he was charged with hit and run, DUI and vandalism. This fool is bat-crap crazy but double digit sack men don't grow on trees. Like for most businesses Oakland must feel like the ends justify the means. We'll see. The incident recently that involved Bills RB LeSean McCoy in relation to two off duty Philadelphia police officers being beaten up pretty severely has been thrown out because there wasn't enough evidence to file charges on McCoy. Both officers were knocked to the ground and beaten and kicked resulting in both officers suffering broken ribs, broken nose, lacerations and sprained thumb. It's too bad nothing has come from this incident because it's just wrong to have a person or persons, much less cops, getting the hell beaten out of them and nothing coming from it. Mark Sanchez can read and I'm sure his hearing is pretty good too but that hasn't stopped him from acting like the Broncos #1 QB. He has organized the receivers from the Broncos and is holding his own QB camp as he tries to build an on-field relationship with the likes of Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and the signed receivers for Denver. QB Trevor Siemian is there to throw with the Broncos receivers. This is something Sanchez had done when he was with the Jets and Eagles so it's nothing new to Sanchez even though it is a very Peyton Manning-like thing to do. In fact it's just the same thing Peyton did when he came to Denver and, like Sanchez, it's the same thing he did in Indianapolis. Good habits are just good habits. I know a guy who thinks Sanchez isn't a bad QB at all. He will certainly be given a chance to show what he can do with the high caliber of players he has to throw to in Denver. After all Sanchez did lead the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship games. He had to have something going for him, right? Right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 The Saints and players and coaches around the NFL after DL Will Smith was murdered by a piece of shit after that piece of shit rear ended Smith's vehicle hitting him hard enough for Smith's vehicle to bash into the car ahead of him. After exchanging words after the accident the piece of shit, who was driving a Hummer, pulled out a gun and shot Smith multiple times and he also shot Smith's wife a couple of times. Smith was dead at the scene and his wife was taken to the hospital with 2 gun shot wounds to the leg. Smith was a 9 year NFL veteran who was liked and respected around the league and he was a pillar of strength both for the Saints and in the New Orleans community and Smith's foundation Where There's a Will There's a Way provided opportunities to women and children in the community. The piece of shit's name is Cardell Hayes who is 30 years old and he has been booked on 2nd degree murder. I hope his final sentence is being beaten to death with baseball bats. It's incidents like this that makes gun control people go crazy and I'm not sure I disagree. Like the Lynard Skynard song "Saturday Night Special" says, handguns are made for killing, they ain't good for nothing else. I have thought for a long time that anytime a crime is committed with a gun it is automatic death penalty if the perp is caught. I'm sorry if this offends anyone but a man with a wife and 3 kids should not die in a city street after a guy initiates a wreck and doesn't like to hear what an idiot he is. Fuck Cardell Hayes. I change my mind, I hope he goes to prison and he's beaten up every single day by the inmates until he finally dies of the beatings hopefully after a few years of abuse. This could happen because the Saints are like Gods in the New Orleans area especially after they won the Super Bowl in 2009 after all the hardship because of Hurricane Katrina. Smith was a big part of that team and the recovery from Katrina. My thoughts and prayers go out to Smith, his wife and family as they deal with senselessness. I wish nothing but suffering and pain for Cardell Hayes and I hope he dies bloody and suffers in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 I almost threw up in my mouth when I heard earlier this week that Cardell Hayes killed Saints DL Will Smith last week in self defense. The police reported that a gun was found in Smith's SUV and another gun was found in Hayes vehicle but police said neither gun had been fired. An eye witness to the killing said that Smith had his back to Hayes trying to protect his wife when Hayes shot smith 8 times in the back. Smith's wife, Rachel, was hit in the leg two times by gunfire and also had the femur bone in her leg shattered. The witness said Smith never removed his weapon, which he was licensed to carry, from it's spot in his vehicle and he definitely was not brandishing a gun as a passenger in Hayes vehicle had claimed. Hayes has been arrested and arraigned on 2nd degree murder and his preliminary hearing will take place on April 28th. Hayes is currently being held on $1MM bond. The penalty for being found guilty of 2nd degree murder in Louisiana is life in prison without hope of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. 1st degree murder is the same as 2nd degree murder with the death penalty on the table as well. Unfortunately, the definition of both types of murders dictates that Hayes be charged with 2nd degree murder. The only way this can result in the death penalty is if there are inmates who loved the Saints enough to exact a little "prison justice" on Hayes. One can only hope. This week's sign the apocalypse is upon us. (Thanks Sport Illustrated for the inspiration) Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon failed yet another drug test last month but he still had the gall to make a request for reinstatement to the NFL. The NFL rejected the request because Gordon can't seem to leave the weed alone. He is eligible to reapply for reinstatement in August which, in all likelihood, will again be rejected. Gordon is currently a minimum one year ban placed on him last spring. Not only is he not clean he isn't even smart enough to lay off weed for the 30 days it stays in your system so he can pass a drug test. The kicker here is that it has been reported that even more troubled player, Johnny Manziel, is living with Gordon. Wait, what? A guy with substance abuse issues and behavioral issues is living with a guy with substance abuse issues when he's supposed to be cleaning up his life so he can play in the NFL? Really? Wow. The Patriots have signed RB LeGarrett Blount to a 1 year deal. In another move the Pats have cut former 1st round pick DT Dominque Easley. The Pats first round pick in 2014 has been a very effective, maybe the best, player on defense the last two seasons when he's healthy. With in college Easley tore the ACL in both knees and in 2014 his season was cut short with a knee injury. Last season Easley missed time due to a torn quadriceps muscle in his leg. This move is being called "a stunner" by NFL.com who sees a really good player when healthy so much so that it's hard not to believe there is more to this story than has been made known to the public. The Cincinnati Bengals have exercised the 5th year option for TE Tyler Eifort. Eifort is a huge weapon for Andy Dalton and the Bengals but the trouble is he can't seem to stay healthy. At least before 2015 when Eifort did stay healthy and earned his first pro bowl nod as he combined with AJ Green to give the Bengals a formidable 1-2 receiving punch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 OMG! The face of this draft was changed dramatically this morning when the LA Rams traded up from #15 to get the #1 pick in this year's draft. It's a situation where the Rams got fleeced in much the same way they fleeced the Redskins 5 years ago who the 'Skins traded up so they could draft RGIII. The Rams have struck a deal with the Tennessee Titans in which the Rams get the first pick in the draft as well as the Titans fourth and sixth round picks. This is where the Rams get hosed because they give Tennessee their former pick at 15, they give the Titans 2 picks in the second round and a 3rd round pick in this year's draft and the Rams 1st and 3rd round pick in 2017. This puts enormous pressure on Jeff Fisher and the Rams to get this pick right because they won't have a draft pick worth talking about for the next two years. The Rams have made a move to draft their franchise QB in Carson Wentz or Jared Goff by all outward appearances and judging by the prevailing opinions of Wentz and Goff the Rams will pick Goff because he is considered the most NFL ready QB in this draft. This is a major move for both the Rams and Titans. The Titans have enough great draft picks this year and next they could lay the foundation for the Titans franchise for the next 10 years. This has to be a major coup for new Titans GM Jon Robinson who inherited his franchise QB Marcus Mariota whom the Titans acquired in last year's draft. The Titans need help at just about every other position so this will help their front office kick start their rebuilding program. Super agent Drew Rosenhaus has represented a lot of very successful athletes in a lot of different sports but today he cut ties with one of his clients, Johnny Manziel. Rosenhaus said in a statement that, "I don't think I can express it enough -- it's a life-and-death situation," Rosenhaus said. "I'm not talking about football anymore. I'm talking about a young man who's in trouble." --- quote from article from NFL.com --- as Rosenhaus will no long facilitate Manziel's self destructive ways by representing him. It goes a long way in expressing just how far gone Manziel is and what Manziel does next could be a literal life and death decision. Rosenhaus is actually the 2nd agent this year to cut ties with Manziel. His previous representative cut ties with Johnny January after an incident involving domestic violence allegations were filed by his girlfriend. The case has gone to the Grand Jury who decide if charges will be filed against Manziel. This kid is a dumpster fire who has made partying, and drug and alcohol abuse the goes with it, the most important thing in his life. You know you're screwing up when a father that has enabled and entitled Johnny his whole life says he needs to get help before he literally kills himself. It's really sad to see a kid as talented and exciting as Manziel is on the football field throw it away like this. Back to the Rams-Titans draft trade, here is a link to an article from one of NFL.com's draft experts, Daniel Jeremiah and how he believes this deal will reshape the first round picks. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000652854/article/mock-draft-for-first-6-picks-of-round-1-after-ramstitans-trade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 Which QB will the Rams draft now that they've put themselves in position to draft the one they want? Goff or Wentz? Goff has been projected as the most starting ready of the two while many feel Wentz has the most upside in the long haul. Fortunately, we only have to wait 12 more days to find out. A day that will live in Infamy: It was 16 years today that Bill Belichick drafted Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL draft. For every non-Patriots fan this was a dark day indeed because he was not drafted until the 6th round meaning every single team passed on him at least 5 times. Tony Romo has been fully throwing for the past two weeks since he had the surgery to shave down his collar bone to allow more movement of the joint which is supposed to help him avoid further injuries to the area. Cowboys fans have their fingers crossed. The Texans have exercised their fifth year option for DeAndre Hopkins. This means he will be a Texan through the 2017 season. Hopkins has emerged as the lead dog in the Texans receiving corps and is is work every cent of the money Houston will pay him. I wouldn't surprised if prior to the 2017 season Houston doesn't try to get a long term deal done to avoid letting Hopkins even get a whiff of free agency. Remember Kevin White. The Star WR from West Virginia who was drafted with the 7th pick in last year's draft. Don't worry if you don't because he's been on the down-low since the draft. He missed the entire 2015 because he needed surgery to correct a stress fracture in his leg. White will expected to be full go when the Bears and the rest of the NFL begin offseason work on Monday. It will be nice for the Bears to have White to pair with current star Alshon Jeffrey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 I thought I'd put this post here since not everyone is a Cowboys or Texans fan and it may be interesting to have a guide to players you may not be completely familiar with. First, DallasCowboys.com beat writers have put together their 2016 Draft Guide issue of their Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. They preview over 100 players and list 500 prospects in the draft. They also give their own 1st round mock draft and many other features. In the link below you find where to subscribe to the magazine either in print or as a digital issue or you can buy individual issues including the draft guide. Or, if you are in the Parkdale Mall area the Dallas Cowboys Fan shop located near the food court where you can buy the draft guide as well as your favorite Cowboys merch. http://www.dallascowboys.com/star Another resource is the most comprehensive draft on the market researched and published by CBSSports.com writer Dane Brugler. Dane is a regular on "The Draft Show" on DallasCowboys.com but he is well versed on the needs of all 32 teams. It is only available online for the price of 6.99 reduced from 9.99. You can print out a hard copy as a PDF file or just view it online. It covers over 400 prospects and includes a top 100 draft board. If there's anything you want to know about a player in this draft this is the place to go for the info. The link below is from myfootballnews.com and if you are a draft aficionado you won't pass up this draft guide. http://www.myfootballnews.com/product/2016-Guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 19, 2016 Author Share Posted April 19, 2016 There has been some NFL news this week as teams prepare for the draft next week. Denver has signed RB Ronnie Hillman to a one year deal. Hillman had a breakout season a couple of years ago as he finally was able to remain healthy for the entire season. He has actually been the main running back for the Broncos despite them drafting Montee Ball and later CJ Anderson. Hillman actually led the Broncos in carries and rushing yards last season but late in the season Hillman just wasn't as effective running the ball as Anderson who took over as the lead back. Hillman was totally ineffective in the playoff run to their Super Bowl victory gaining a meager 1.7 YPC in the playoffs. Hillman was a free agent this off season but his poor showing late in the season probably scared off potential interest in him. The deal Hillman signed was worth $2MM with $600K in guarantees. The appeal to the NFL of the player tampering case by the Kansas City Chiefs was denied yesterday meaning the penalties levied by the NFL, a loss of this year's 3rd round draft pick and next year's 6th rounder was upheld. Fines levied on the Chiefs and on head coach Andy Reid were reduced slightly from $250K to $200K for the Chiefs and from $75K to $60K for Andy Reid by commissioner Roger Goodell. The case stems from the accusation that the Chiefs illegally recruited WR Jeremy Maclin in March of 2015 while Maclin was still a Philadelphia Eagle. Former NFL players lost the appeal of the $1 Billion settlement of concussion law suits by the NFL in a federal appeals court in Philadelphia. The plan was to compensate NFL players suffering from concussion related injuries over the next 65 years. There is a clause granting a $4MM settlement for prior deaths but the cutoff date for such settlements was April of 2015. The thinking behind this clause was to not incentivize suicide. In more pleasant news, the Miami Dolphins have claimed DL Chris Jones, who was released by the Patriots in a surprise move last week, off waivers. This move bolsters an already tough defensive front that includes Ndomukong Suh, Cameron Wake and newly signed free agent Mario Williams. The Rams have already made their first QB move of the off season. They made a 1st round tender offer to RFA QB Case Keenum and yesterday he signed the offer sheet making him an LA Ram. The Rams have made the biggest off season splash by orchestrating a deal with Tennessee to move from #15 to #1 in the draft and speculation is they will be taking either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff with that 1st pick. My signing the tender Keenum with be paid in the neighborhood of $3.6 MM for his services this season. The fact the Rams have invested so much in Keenum and given the fact that the Rams will likely draft a QB, this sort of makes Nick Foles sort of the odd man out. And still the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick have not reached an agreement on a new deal. With this in mind, despite the fact the Jets under new head coach Todd Boles had a really nice season last year, you could project that the Jets could be in the market for a QB like Paxton Lynch. This adds some drama to the already crowded list of teams who could be interested in a QB. Certainly the Broncos need a QB but a team like Arizona with an aging QB Carson Palmer might be looking for their QB of the future. Dallas is in the same boat but they have advantage the Broncos and Cardinals don't have--the 4th pick in the draft. If Dallas covets their QBOTF (QB of the future) enough I wonder if they would take Lynch even though he is projected late 1st round, early 2nd in the draft. It's the only way Dallas can guarantee they will get a top flight QB in the draft. Finally, on a lighter note, the Tennessee Titans held a movie night on the field of their home stadium Nisson Stadium for their season ticket holders. The problem was the Titans ground crew forgot to turn off the sprinkler system and a boat load of season ticket holders and their families were drenched! For a team in extreme rebuilding mode it's not good community relations to soak the fans that help pay for that rebuilding effort. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000653740/article/titans-host-movie-night-forget-to-shut-off-sprinklers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 The Eagles have made a deal with Cleveland to move up to the 2nd pick in the draft from their present spot at #8. Details in the link below. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000654501/article/eagles-acquire-no-2-overall-draft-pick-from-browns IMO this a great deal for the Browns and a risky as heck move for Philly because of all they sacrificed to move up. If the #2 pick is a bust the Eagles are screwed for several years to come. The Browns look to have made out better than the Tennessee Titans who traded their #1 overall pick to the Rams last week. The Browns get a higher first round draft pick and they get another 2 picks in this draft besides as well as a 1st pick in 2017 and a 2nd rounder in 2018. If the #2 pick is a bust then Philly will be like the kid whose parents went to Hawaii and all he got was that damn T-shirt. Since yesterday the San Diego Chargers have let it be known they are shopping their #3 pick in the draft so the pre draft wheeling and dealing may not be over. It's almost a certainty the only taker would be somebody wanting to draft Jalen Ramsey. I wonder if Dallas is listening to calls wanting a trade up to #4? Dallas just may feel it's worth it to trade down and take Paxton Lynch. This draft is going to be quite interesting for sure. In another WTF move in the NFL today the Carolina Panthers rescinded the franchise tag designation on CB Josh Norman immediately making him an unrestricted free agent. The reason for the Panther's move is being reported that Carolina sees no hope in signing Norman to a long term deal and rather than pay what amounts to very expensive rent for the player they decided to cut bait on Norman. Anyone need an All Pro caliber CB? Yeah, that's what I thought. Let the feeding frenzy begin. Here is NFL.com's assessment of the winners and losers as a result of today's Eagles-Browns deal. Some I agree with and some I don't. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000654640/article/winners-and-losers-from-eaglesbrowns-trade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 It didn't take long for CB Josh Norman to find work after he was made a free agent by the Carolina Panthers earlier this weed. Yesterday Norman was signed to a contract by the Washington Redskins. He didn't get chump change either after he declined to sign the franchise offer sheet offered by the Panthers which was for $13.9 MM cashed in big after the Panthers rescinded the offer on Wednesday. The Redskins agree to pay Norman $75 MM over 5 years with $50 MM guaranteed. Norman is now the highest paid CB in the NFL. Norman is 29 so this is the big payday and it makes the Redskins pretty formidable as he will pair with Beshaud Breeland with Will Blackmon and Quinton Dunbar as added depth. Giants WR Victor Cruz who didn't play a down in 2015 as a result of torn patellar tendon and a nagging calf injury that required surgery has said he will be ready for training camp 100% guaranteed. It's great news for the Giants who had Odell Beckham have a breakout season in 2015 because it gives the G-men a scary 1-2 WR punch. With the Eagles making a deal for the 2nd pick in the draft going along with all the deals they have made this off season and with Dallas having the 4th pick in the draft and an early round pick in every round it looks like the NFC East is making a bid to get back to being the toughest division in the NFL. The thing about being an average QB there is always a market for his services. Since he was released by Houston this past week his name has been linked to the NY Jets and Denver Broncos. Whether or not he is signed by either of the teams remains to be seen. The Jets are balking on making a deal with Ryan Fitzpatrick who led the Jets out of obscurity to a respectable 10-6 record and just missed the playoffs. Fitz also developed and good chemistry with his receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. At last report the Jets and Fitz are a long way off in contract negotiations. Hoyer, quite frankly would be a poor substitute for Fitz but the Jets new GM is playing hardball over his contract most likely because of Fitz's age 33 but a 3 or 4 year deal may not be out of the question. The Cleveland Browns have been purging their roster of aging players as they begin rebuilding the team under new GM Sashi Brown and new head coach Hue Jackson. For the first time in a long time an owner, in this case Jimmy Haslam, has bought into the new direction Brown and Jackson want to take the team. This included making a deal this past week with the Eagles that allowed the Eagle to move up to the 2nd pick in the draft while the Browns will now pick at #8 to go along with the 5 additional draft picks they got in the deal. Besides a draft pick windfall the Browns got a bit of good news at the Brown opening press conference when the off season program began on Monday. Barkevius Mingo, the 6th pick in the 2013 draft has been a major disappointment for the Browns to this point. But, in the off season Mingo began training with a very special trainer in Dallas. Here is a link to the NFL.com article about Mingo's transformation. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000655235/article/bodybuilding-granny-helps-browns-mingo-get-jacked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 San Diego wants to keep their Chargers. Chargers players want to stay in San Diego. Over the weekend there was a rally in the San Diego that include such players as Phillip Rivers and former Charger LaDanian Tomlinson trying to rally support to keep the Chargers from leaving for LA. Even the commish, Roger Goodell said he thinks San Diego ought to stay put. Goodell even said that a new stadium in San Diego would make this southern California town a prime location to host a Super Bowl. To back up this statement the NFL has committed to a $300 MM contribution for a stadium solution in the downtown area of San Diego. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000655495/article/roger-goodell-the-chargers-belong-in-san-diego I am all for this. I still call the Baltimore franchise the Colts sometimes. While I love the Texans I wish Houston still had the Oilers and after a long time displaced from LA the Rams are moving back and it alleviates my sense of how wrong it's been to call the Rams the St Louis Rams when in my heart they have been the Los Angeles Rams. I don't like it when franchises move. The Arizona Cardinals never has sounded right to me. They are the St Louis football Cardinals. Any Cardinal team has to be from St Louis. I'm not against Arizona having a team or Indianapolis, for that matter, but they should have their own name. I'm old enough that the Colts really and truly belong in Baltimore. I think the Ravens should move to Indy and the Colt go back to Baltimore where they began. The Arizona Prospectors would be a great name for that team in tribute to the gold and silver mines that flourished in the old west. There is one other name that needs to go back to it's original incarnation and that's the Patriots ought to go back to being the BOSTON Patriots. Just because they moved to Foxborough which is roughly 38 minutes from Boston they included all of New England in the name? It's a suburb of Boston for goodness sake. The Cowboys didn't rename themselves the North Texas Cowboys when they moved to Irving and recently to Arlington did they? Hell no. Why are you people trampling on my sense of serenity by changing the traditional names of our franchises? It drives me crazy. Why did Seattle have to sacrifice the Super Sonics to become the Oklahoma City Thunder? Way back in the day New Orleans lost their franchise to Utah, name and all. In the Mormon dominated state of Utah how does "the Jazz" fit? Now NOLA has a team and they're called the Pelicans, maybe the ugliest bird and mascot ever. Gangs and violence caused the Washington franchise to change it's name from the Bullets to the Wizards which, when you think about it, is appropriate considering how fast the politicians in DC can make our money disappear. The Astros are an American League team now and that still rubs me the wrong way. There is the ongoing debate over the Washington football franchise's name. If the Native Americans have their way and get Washington to abandon the name it's another change that is going to drive me crazy. I hate change. Most people do. Change upsets people's sense of security and wellbeing. So why am I rambling on about this? Because, I want to take my mind off the draft that begins Thursday because I am so ready for something positive from the NFL. The Rockets and the Astros both stink right now and there's nothing else to fill the void. Last year the Astros were flying high exceeding all expectations but this year they are falling way short of where most folks thought they'd be. The Rockets are a mess. It seemed like the Game 3 win over Golden State was enough for them and they are ready to fold up their tents and head into the off season. The flat out quit in the 2nd half of yesterday's game, especially with Steph Curry going down with a knee injury, spoke volumes about the lack of heart this team has. So there is only the draft and there is so much cause for hope for the Texans and Cowboys you can't help but get excited. It will be a glorious 3 days as the jumping off point to 3 months of nothing NFL until training camp begins in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 There is no justice in this world, none whatsoever. The deflate-gate has come full circle as the US 2nd Court of Appeals has overturned the US District Court ruling that the NFL and Roger Goodell's 4 game suspension of Tom Brady in the deflate-gate incident in the AFC Championship game 2 years ago will be reinstated. The district court ruled that the commissioner acted within the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. It doesn't say what a toolbag Goodell was in such a harsh punishment for an equipment violation. The harshest punishment for an equipment violation prior to deflate-gate was $10K. For the Patriots it cost them their first round pick in this year's draft and a $1MM. For Tom Brady it cost him 4 games, his reputation and untold cash for the lawyers to fight the case. Rich as Brady is he can't fight the mega millions the NFL has for it's war chest. Follow the money, wasn't it inevitable that the NFL won? Brady can still appeal but the Goodell it seems has been on a witch hunt for the Patriots for years. Some of his vindictiveness is warranted because of the cheating Bill Belichick did filming Jets practices but the extent to which Goodell persecuted Brady and the Patriots is a clear abuse of his power and to do something like this and cost the NFL and the Patriots and Brady millions of dollars over such a trivial matter is beyond reprehensible. Hell, the Patriots have successfully refuted the claims the ball were even deflated artificially by using science to prove the air pressure in the balls were subject to extreme temperature conditions between the warm locker room and the frigid field temps. This is such a crock of bull squirt. This comes down to a pissing contest between two rich guys and the richer of the two won. Excuse me, I believe I'm going to be sick. What I love is The Donald, Mr Trump to you and me, was in New England and he was quoted as saying, "First of all, let's start by saying, leave Tom Brady alone! Leave him alone. Leave him alone," Trump said, drawing wild cheers from New England-area supporters. "He's a great guy. It's enough, it's enough." For once Don I completely agree with you. It took a few days for Sam Bradford to decide on a course of action after his team, the Philadelphia Eagle mortgaged their short term future to move up to the 2nd pick in the draft with the apparent goal of draft the left over between Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. The deal by Philly was crazy from one standpoint. In March they signed Bradford to a deal as well as signing career backup Chase Daniels to a healthy deal. If the Eagles do draft a QB at #2 they will likely have as much as $22+ MM tied up in QB's. Now Bradford has announced that he will no longer participate in the Eagles voluntary off season program because he wants a trade. He sees the writing on the wall and he doesn't want to be a stop-gap QB while the Eagles groom his replacement. I'm sure the Broncos have taken note of the deal and could be quite interested in Bradford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 NFL PRE-DRAFT COVERAGE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. Just a matter of hours now and the Christmas in April begins! The anticipation for the draft for NFL fans is on a par with the excitement you had when you were a kid waiting on Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, isn't it? It is for me. I honestly have that attitude. Christmas isn't nearly as exciting as an event to me as it was when I was a kid. I still love Christmas for what the true meaning is but I don't get geeked up about it like I did when I was a kid waiting on opening presents on Christmas morning. The draft is the most anticipated day of the year, maybe even more than opening day of each season because it when teams open their presents and fans get to enjoy the process. Sometimes you get a great gift that you have been wanting all year and sometime you get a pair of socks or some underwear. Sometimes you get a crappy gift but unlike Christmas when you have to be polite and act happy, in the draft you don't worry about politeness. If you get a player you consider a lump of coal you can just vent as much as you want. Either way you get an emotional release and sometimes that lump of coal is actually a diamond in the rough and you are happy again. It may be a year or two later when the diamond emerges but it's enough time to have plausible deniability about ever doubting the pick! Like Christmas, the drafts gives us another excuse to throw a party or go to a sports bar and be a part of the social event. You get to drink, eat nachos and raise hell. It's now 9:50 AM which means it is less than 9 hours away. Like Flounder in "Animal House" says with barely concealed glee, "Oh boy! Is this great!". Other news that flying a bit under the radar right now is the possibility that Oakland could move to Las Vegas pending an aye vote for a new stadium. I had a post last week bitching about how I hate change. I don't mind expansion but I don't want the teams I have associated with a particular city to move. It upsets my sense of order and to do that to an OCD type like me is almost cruel. I never did get used to calling the Raiders the Los Angeles Raiders when they moved for a short time to LA. They are the freaking OAKLAND Raiders dammit! I really think if the Raiders ownership wants to move to greener pastures, go for it. I think the Oakland community ought to do what Cleveland did when their franchise moved to Baltimore, force the team to leave the franchise name behind. If the Raiders move to Las Vegas they should leave their name and logo in Oakland because there will be a new owner cartel rise up and bring a new franchise to Oakland the old name and logo will be there like it was when Cleveland got a new franchise. If the Raiders morph into the Las Vegas Prospectors, or the Gamblers, or the Desert Rats I'm all in. New is new and I can handle that but there is no room for a pirate logo like the Raiders works in the desert. What is the deal with rich people with bad haircuts? Trump's hair is the poster child of a bad rich guy doo but there are plenty more. How about Mark Cuban's doo? Not good for a billionaire who can definitely afford a better barber. Shoot, you have the money for a hair transplant so a really obviously bad comb over shouldn't be necessary. Then you have the guy who is the owner of the Raiders Marc Davis. What's up with that guy. Is he going for a little dutch boy look? Or is it a Moe Howard Three Stooges look? His old man, Al Davis had his own unique look with the slicked down, 50's do-wop doo but, it wasn't hideous like this!!! This isn't a bad comb over, the man has hair. When he gets ready for his day and he looks in the mirror does he think, "Man, I am killing it today!"? Are rich people this delusional? wow. http://i.imgur.com/fEJRjwM.jpg You know that the draft process is ready to begin when a story surfaces yesterday that Ohio State CB Eli Apple has no life skills because he doesn't know how to cook. Apple is a first round talent that has had mud thrown on him because it was a slow day prior to the draft. I think most draft people will ignore this load of crap put out there by NFL.com because it is just that, a load of crap. I can't believe the folks at NFL.com who edit their content didn't roll their eyes and ask the reporter, "Really? -- Really?". So it was talked about long enough to point out this is a load of crap story and Eli Apple's draft stock shouldn't be affected by this story. Sheesh, somebody was bored to tears to think this was a real story. Now less than 8 hours to Christmas--I mean the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 Well, Brian Hoyer didn't stay unemployed long. Sunday da Bears signed Hoyer to a one year $2MM deal to back up Jake Cutler in Chicago. Good move for them. Hoyer isn't good enough to be a full time starter but he is a good backup. It's no shame to be a backup. A lot of guys have made a good living being career backups. The Redskins cut CB Chris Culliver who was a year into a 4 year $32MM deal. Things didn't go well for Culliver since he signed his deal. He lost his guaranteed money when he was suspended for violations of the NFL personal conduct policy and he tore his ACL and MCL in November which ended his season. The Redskins originally said they would bring Culliver back for his 2nd year until they signed CB Josh Norman from Carolina in free agency. Culliver parlayed a good 2014 season with the San Francisco felons-er-49ers into a deal with the Redskins last year. Culliver is a very big risk at this point as he is coming off ACL, MCL and the dreaded microfracture surgery. He has been cleared medically but recovering from microfracture surgery takes every bit of two years meaning Culliver won't be his old self until 2017. In March of 2014 Culliver originally was charged with misdemeanor hit and run and felony possession of brass knuckles for his involvement in an incident, in which he hit a bicyclist and fled the scene, and he subsequently threatened a citizen with brass knuckles. His attorneys argued for the felony charge be reduced to a misdemeanor. In June of 2015 Culliver pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors to resolve the case. The NFL league office decided Culliver had violated the league personal conduct policy and suspended him for one game without pay. Culliver was on the same team with other 49ers who got into altercations with the law since 2012 like Aldon Smith, Bruce Miller, Ray McDonald, Daniel Kilgore, Al Netter and Demarcus Dobbs. Smith has been arrested 5 times on various charges and Ray McDonald twice. Tampa Bay cut kicker Connor Barth after drafting the best kicker in the draft this past weekend. The Bucs drafted Robert Aguayo from Florida State which meant that Barth knew he would soon be unemployed. Barth will get a chance somewhere because the guys in the good-old-boys-kickers-club always seem to end up on their feet. The Chiefs exercise their 5th year option on 2013 draftee OL Eric Fisher. Fisher was the 1st pick that draft and he finally came into his own last season. Good for him. Here's an article from NFL.com listing all 32 draft picks in the 2013 draft who are eligible for teams to exercise that 5th year option. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000659379/article/fifthyear-option-tracker-for-2013-firstround-picks Do you think that Rex Ryan and Bills signing Rob Gronkowski's little brother Glen is a little tweek to Bill Belichick? Uh, maybe! Lamar ex-WR Reggie Begelton will be brought in to try out at Atlanta's rookie camp. Reggie was a UFA for Atlanta last year. Also Lamar ex Cody Elenz was signed as a UFA by Atlanta. Nice job guys and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 The Bills have signed OT Cordy Glenn to a 5 year deal worth up to $65MM. Glenn is the first NFL player who was tagged with the franchise player designation to signed to a long term deal. S Keanu Neal is the first 1st round draft pick from this year's draft to agree to his contract. He scheduled to officially sign the deal tomorrow. Neal, a former Florida Gator was drafted with the 17th pick in the draft by Atlanta. Depending on which draft ranking board you looked at going into the draft Neal was either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd best safety in the draft and it's a shame that a lot of pundits accused Atlanta of reaching for the player by drafting him too soon. Since the draft the Falcons GM Thomas Dimitrov has spent most of his time defending the pick. Neal is a 6'1" 211 lbs hitting machine. He is said to be better working downhill toward the line of scrimmage rather than in coverage but that is all sour grapes when you consider that CBSSports.com had him ranked as the top SS in this class. I have seen nothing but "F's" for Cleveland's draft class. After Cleveland traded back with the Rams and gave up the #1 pick in the draft to stock up on draft picks as the new regime in Cleveland looked to jump start their rebuilding effort. I can't explain it but I have soft spot in my heart for the Browns and I'd like to see them climb out of the muck and make some noise in the AFC North. So, I decided to judge their draft myself to see if I agree. Rd 1 - WR Corey Coleman (Baylor) - The Browns are getting ripped for this pick since Josh Doctson, Will Fuller and Lequan Treadwell were still available. Coleman is fast and he makes plays. I see no issue with this pick. A Rd 2 - DE Emmanuel Ogbah (Okla St) - One of the top ranked pass rushers in the draft many felt was very underrated going in. Not a bad pick at all. B+ Rd 3 - DE Carl Nassib (Penn St) - This is a guy you can plug in on the strong side opposite Ogbah. Pass rushers were at a premium in this draft and while he may have gone a little high it's still a good pick. B+ Rd 3 - OT Shon Coleman (Auburn) - Great back story as a he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010. He is a feel good story of a cancer survivor but he's not a bad OT. He has experience at both tackle positions and he can step right in and contribute. B+ Rd 3 - QB Cody Kessler (USC) - There were a lot of higher ranked QB's in the draft but new head coach Hue Jackson loves him some Cody. RGIII is the guy but if Griffin is unsalvageable for one reason or another Kessler will be Jackson's QB of the future. Cleveland actually has 5 QB's on the roster now but RGIII and Kessler are the clear favorites going forward. Kessler completed 67.5% of his passes as a 3 year starter at USC and ran a pro style offense so his transition should be easier than for guys like Wentz and Lynch who went in the 1st round. The downside to Kessler is he's only 6'1'' but not being the prototypical height hasn't mattered to Russell Wilson yet. C+ Rd 4 - LB Joe Schobert (Wisconsin) - I have looked at this guy doing mock drafts and I like this player. He's productive and he has size and speed and will be a good fit in a 4-3 defense or 3-4 on the inside. For the value and the spot where he was taken it is a very nice pick. A- Rd 4 - WR Ricardo Louis (Auburn) - A very fast and athletic guy who is very raw. He needs work on his route running and he drops way too many balls. He is a project guy who was taken way too early with better receivers still on the board. D+ Rd 4 - S Derrick Kindred (TCU) - Got to give respect to a guy who played the entire season with a messed up collar bone. You know the kid is tough as nails and he's going to give you everything he has on the field. He played pretty well injured and he should be healthy going into the season. C+ Rd 4 - WR/TE Seth Devalve (Princeton) - Another reach at WR. Because of his size he will likely be a TE in Cleveland. He had so-so production at Princeton because of foot issue that required surgery to correct. As he goes into training camp he should literally be feeling better than he has in his life physically. Still a reach with much better players available. D Rd 5 - WR Jordan Payton (UCLA) - This is a much better pick and a good value as well. Peyton is a possession receiver who just makes plays. He's reliable and he's not afraid to go over the middle. In the past two seasons Payton had 151 catchable balls and only 6 drops. Holy crap! He is the all time leader in receptions at UCLA and he will add a lot to the Browns. A+ Rd 5 - OT Spencer Drango (Baylor) - Good pick and a great value at the end of the 5th round. He needs to work on his pass blocking but he is a really good run blocker and in Cleveland with the wind whipping off Lake Erie in November and December you need to run the ball. B+ Rd 5 - WR Rashard Higgins (Colo St) - Very productive receiver in college leading the Buffs all time in rec yards, TD's and catches in his career there. Higgins was ranked much higher and therefore is a very good value here. A- Rd 5 - CB Trey Caldwell (Louisiana-Monroe) - A small school guy who is small in stature (5'9'', 188 lbs). Cleveland needed CB help in the draft and they passed in the 3rd and 4 rounds on better players than this. I root for small school guys but Caldwell has a huge mountain to climb. F Rd 7 - ILB Scooby Wright (Arizona) - Again, for the spot he was drafted Wright is pretty good value. At 6'0'' and 239 lbs he's undersized to play in the middle of an NFL team but he was the 5th ranked ILB according CBSSports.com. Wright is a better player than athlete because he has exceptional instincts and anticipation. He is coming off a meniscus tear similar to Myles Jack's so you can't be sure of what you are going to get from him but in the 7th round he's at least a good value pick in this spot. C- That's it. 14 draft picks. It seemed like every time you turned around Cleveland was on the clock. I like most of their picks but I also think they wasted a lot on questionable receivers. Depending on your point of view Cleveland drafted either 4 or 5 WR's. No RB's and no DT's and their linebacker picks weren't great at all. They did try to give RGIII some weapons to work with receiver-wise but the actually swung and missed with their 3rd and 4th round picks. I have to scratch my head a little over how they used the many 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks they had. I don't think they scored an F but I'd have to say they only got a C in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 6, 2016 Author Share Posted May 6, 2016 Man there is all kinds of stuff going on in the NFL right now so lets take a look at some of those things. 1. CB Vernon Hargreaves has signed his contract with Tampa Bay. Hargreaves was the 11th pick overall in the draft by Tampa Bay. 2. OT Laremy Tunsil signed his deal with Miami. Tunsil was the 13th pick in the draft. 3. #17 pick S Keanu Neal signed with the Falcons. 4. #18 pick C Ryan Kelly signed with the Colts. New England WR Danny Amendola has reportedly accepted a pay cut to remain with the team. He was slated to make $12MM over the next two years but he agree to restructure his deal and now he will make $7.5MM over the next two years with another 3/4 of a million dollars in incentives. This must be the week for players to throw teammates or coaches under the bus. Cases in point are; > Giants C Weston Richburg threw his fellow O-linemen under the bus by telling reporters that he's been working out at the O-Line Performance Center in Chandler, Arizona run by former NFL lineman LeCharles Bentley, the facility is aimed at reversing a disturbing lack of teaching for O-linemen at the pro level. Richburg and fellow lineman from Chicago Kyle Long say that being offensive lineman makes you a member of the "mushroom club" meaning the NFL coaches put you in a dark closet and hope something blooms. That means that the offensive linemen around the league are woefully under coached. Richburg went on to say that none of his fellow linemen from New York are at the training facility, in effect, saying they are just content to be in the NFL and didn't feel they needed extra coaching. We'll see how that plays out in the Giants locker room. > Titans OL Chance Warmack has called out his former O-line coach Bob Bostad who was hired by former Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt. "I had one dude (coach) who played D-III football at linebacker," Warmack said during a roundtable discussion with Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. "And he's teaching me how to play offensive line? If there's nothing wrong with that, you tell me. I play offensive line. I don't play linebacker. I definitely didn't play D-III football. Warmack was the 10th overall pick in the 2013 draft by Tennessee apparently feels the man didn't fit the job. Sounds like Mr Warmack and his fellow Titans linemen should have gone to the O-Line Performance Center mentioned about. It may be a validation of what Chris Long and Weston Richburg meant when they claimed they were under coached. One sidebar, Dallas emerged as a line that one of the best in the NFL two years ago but they seeming took a huge step back last year. The difference being in 2014 the O-line coach was Bill Callahan. Callahan left to coach the O-line in Washington and Frank Pollack, who worked under Callahan while he was in Dallas, took over. That's the only common denominator that changed. If I'm Jason Garrett there would certainly be no harm in encouraging my line to go to the LeCharles Bentley training site during the offseason. No disrespect to Frank Pollack but any time you have an opportunity to get better why not take a chance? Same with the Texans. If the attention on coaching in the NFL for O-linemen is that sparse why wouldn't you trying something that has proven to make players better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 7, 2016 Author Share Posted May 7, 2016 Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has officially ended the party over their sixth round draft pick from Germany Moritz Boehringer. Boehringer was the first non American to be draft from Europe and he is a feel good story in the way he came to play American football. Or is was. According to Zimmer the story is over and it's time to go to work. Here's an article from NFL.com about Boehringer's and the rest of the Vikings draft picks and UFA's in their first practice. Notice that Boehringer got a severe initiation to our football after getting sick on several occasions in unseasonably hot weather. He will learn what it means to be in NFL football shape right quick and in a hurry. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000660613/article/zimmer-on-moritz-boehringer-feelgood-story-is-over John Elway of the Broncos stated yesterday that their first round draft pick QB Paxton Lynch will play sooner than people expect. The reason? "He's a young guy with tremendous athletic ability," Elway said. "He's got the strong arm, can make all the throws, he's smart, and he's a guy that can fit into this offense real well." Here's the link to the article on NFL.com about the Broncos rookie QB which includes a video report on Lynch at the Broncos rookie mini camp. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000660532/article/elway-lynch-will-be-ready-sooner-than-people-think Arizona's 1st round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche has signed his deal with the team as the 1st round picks continue to sign their first NFL contracts. DeForest Buckner has also signed his deal with San Francisco. The wife of slain New Orleans DL Will Smith was in Miami to accept her late husband's MBA from the U. Racquel Smith was there in a wheel chair as she is recovering from 2 gun shot wounds to her leg suffered in the same incident that claimed her husband's life. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000660450/article/wife-of-will-smith-accepts-mba-on-his-behalf In one of the most disturbing things I've heard in a long time rookie QB from Ohio State Cardale Jones said he thought his new head coach, Rex Ryan of the Buffalo Bills, "...might be my long, lost Dad." http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000660418/article/cardale-jones-rex-ryan-might-be-my-long-lost-dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Adrian Peterson is epitome of the ultimate running back in the NFL combining power, speed and balance into a nearly unstoppable juggernaut raging through NFL defenses almost at will. The only thing that has held him back is an anemic offensive cast surrounding him. It's this fact that makes his accomplishments even more impressive. Peterson shocked the NFL world by returning in mere months after an ACL tear which, in the past, had kept a player sidelined for a year or more. There was no end to his beastliness when he came back after that ACL injury to lead the NFL in rushing and earned him Comeback Player of the Year in 2012. The list of his awards and achievements are too long to list here and everyone knows all that. The reason for this preamble is in the offseason Peterson resides in Houston. He is, after all, a Texan boy born and bred. It seems like AP is looking past his NFL career as he and a partner have opened a workout facility in Houston called O Athletik which will be detailed in the article linked below from ESPN via the Bleacher Report. http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/18907/adrian-petersons-new-houston-gym-has-mma-classes-an-obstacle-course-and-organic-juice-bar Sam Bradford's hissy fit is over and he's back at the Eagles facility preparing for the upcoming season. Sometimes a guy just needs a little time out to think things through. It won't be long before his tantrum is forgotten at least until Carson Wentz is named the starter at the end of training camp. The Redskins have signed their 1st round pick Josh Doctson. Cowboys fans are overjoyed --- not. Another draft pick signed and that would Titans RB Derrick Henry. BTW DeMarco Murray said he's thrilled that the Titan drafted him. Murray signed in the offseason is probably just tickled pink his carries will be smaller with Henry in the house. I wonder if Murray is happy with that big money contract he got when he left the Cowboys? He got crapped on by Chip Kelly and the Eagles and now the Titans have already put him on the back burners by drafting the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner. The Cardinals head coach was asked what advice he would give his newest first round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche and he replied he needed him to back off a little in practice. This is probably a good thing to get a guy to throttle the intensity back a little. Arians was quoted as saying, "He was killing people in walk-through," Arians said, according to The Arizona Republic. "I had to slow him down. It's a walk-through, and he bench-pressed a lineman already."! Great, that all the NFL needs is for the Cardinals to get better on defense. There has been another shooting that has resulted in the death of a football player. Former Notre Dame RB and future Alabama-Birmingham RB Gregory Bryant was found in his car in West Palm Beach Florida on Sunday after the shooting occurred Saturday night. Here is the article about the death of the 21 year old this past weekend. Man, when are we going to stop solving problems with a gun? This kid had his whole life ahead of him and now it's over. What a waste. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000660771/article/uab-rb-gregory-bryant-declared-brain-dead-day-after-shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 10, 2016 Author Share Posted May 10, 2016 The San Diego Chargers got the second best RB in the 2015 according to the "experts". Trouble was they didn't know Melvin Gordon wasn't going to play like the 2nd best RB in the draft. To say Gordon was a disappointment I believe a San Diego fan would say with supreme sarcasm, "Ya think?". Imagine how the Chargers faithful feel now that it has been released that Gordon had microfracture surgery at the conclusion of the 2015 season. It's being reported that the recovery window for Gordon is 4-6 months which would put him able to go around the 1st of July. All I can say is he must have had a less severe injury than either the Texans Jadeveon Clowney or Dallas' Anthony Spencer. Clowney had his surgery in 2014 and only showed flashes of potential at the end of the 2015 season. Spencer had his surgery in late 2013. He only showed flashes of his potential late in the 2014 season. He signed with New Orleans in 2015 but spent the season on injured reserve after injuring himself in training camp. His status for 2016 is unknown. Good luck to Gordon as he tries to make it back this season but the odds plus the history of microfracture surgery say he won't be himself until 2017. We'll see, but in the meantime San Diego drafted a lot of guys but RB wasn't a position addressed in their draft. As a result San Diego has what they have and we'll see what that gets them. Former OC for the Broncos and new head coach of the Miami Dolphins gets you a little extra perk or two. One of those perks was that former Bronco QB Peyton Manning is available for favors and apparently Gase called in a big favor. While he is installed his offense in Miami Gase felt it was beneficial to have Manning come down in the offseason and do a little tutoring in the fine points of the new offense with 5th year QB Ryan Tannehill. It sure as heck can't hurt to have the all time leading passer in NFL history do some one-on-one with your starting QB! There's no doubt that Manning was able to jump start Tannehill's initiation to Gase's offense. Man, you'd think a 2nd round draft pick would not need frequent flyer miles because of changing teams so much but as the #50 pick overall in the 2013 draft Jon Bostic is getting a tour of the NFL in the least agreeable way, by changing teams. First he's drafted by the Bears then dealt to New England and 8 months later he goes to Detroit. The fact is the new GM of Lions is the former Director of Pro Scouting for the Patriots. He left New England on good terms with the team and Bill Belichick in particular so there are positive lines of communications between Quinn and the Patriots which no doubt facilitated this deal. Here's a link to an article from Chris Wesserling of NFL.com about 10 things learned from this past weekend's rookie mini camps around the NFL. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000660975/article/ten-things-we-learned-from-nfl-rookie-minicamps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle eye Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share Posted May 16, 2016 Man, you know you've hit rock bottom when you lose your job to Matt Cassel. Brandon Weeden felt that sting last year when he lose his job to Cassel in Dallas. Cassel wasn't great going in but he flat out stank in Big D. Now, Zack Mettenberger has to feel the cold hand of fate as he has now lost his job backing up Marcus Mariota in Tennessee to Cassel. Mettenberger has been sort of bad since he came to the Titans in the 6th round of the 2014 draft but some consideration has to be given to the fact the Titans sucked the big one the last 2 seasons. Mettenberger is only 24 and at 6'5" and 224 lbs equipped with a strong arm he should find work somewhere else hopefully with better coaching and a better team around him. This gets me to thinking what is going to become of the New York Jets QB Bryce Petty. He was highly touted coming out of Baylor as a guy with loads of talent that needed to learn how to play under center and read defenses since he came from the Baylor offense that doesn't depend on either skill. Petty is 6'3'' and 230 lbs and he can throw a ball a country mile so you wonder why the Jets decide to draft Christian Hackenberg in the 2nd round of this year's draft. Of the 3 QBs on the roster none except Geno Smith has any experience. The Jets seem miles away from a deal with last year's starter Ryan Fitzpatrick who would be a great mentor to either of the Jets QBs. As for Smith he seems to have the least amount of upside going forward as he was considered a huge reach by the Jets when they drafted him 2nd round of the 2013 draft. The Jets seemed to be under a more stable organization after Rex Ryan was fired and Todd Boles was hired to replace him but the impasse with Fitzpatrick doesn't make sense with absolutely they either have no experience at QB or a QB worth a damn. I'm sure the Jets want Fitz back but they don't want to pay an arm or leg for his services. Here's a feel good story. Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald made good on his promise to his mother and completed his college degree. Fitzgerald was a student at the University of Pittsburgh when his mother was suffering from breast cancer. He made a promise to her before she died in 2003 that he would finish his degree. This past weekend Fitzgerald earned his Bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Phoenix 13 years after making that promise to his mom. After the 2003 season spending only 2 non red shirt years in college Fitz petitioned the NFL for the right to enter the 2004 draft which was granted. He was drafted with the 3rd pick in the draft in 2004 and he has been great ever since. He never forgot his promise to his mother and he graduated on Saturday fulfilling that pledge. Speaking of graduations, Russell Wilson was asked to give a commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin this past weekend. Wilson earned his graduate degree at Wisconsin after getting his Bachelor's at North Carolina State. During his speech among all the life advice he gave the students there he added some humor in a self deprecating style, "Of course, I'm also here to share some things I've learned," Wilson said, via ESPN.com. "Things like, if you're dating a woman that's way out of your league, ask her to marry you. If you can throw a football 80 yards, for some reason, people think that's pretty cool. And if you're playing the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, and you've got 26 seconds left and you're down by four, and it's second and goal on their 1-yard line, try not to throw an interception. That's purely, purely hypothetical though, of course." After a rocky end to his college career because of failed drug tests Arizona took a chance on "The Honeybadger" and drafted Tyrann Mathieu in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft. Ever since he came to the NFL he has flown the straight and narrow. Not only that he proved a 5'9'' 189 lb guy can be a player in the NFL. He came in an under head coach Bruce Arians envisioned Mathieu as a safety and he was right, he's been better than good. At the end of 2015 Mathieu was named to his first Pro Bowl and also named All Pro. Unfortunately, Mathieu's 2015 didn't end on a high note because he tore is ACL in December ending his season. The injury also casts some doubt as whether he'll be ready for the start of this season but it hasn't hurt his chances of getting a huge contract extension. NFL.com's Ian Rappaport has reported that Mathieu could get a contract extension this summer making him one of, if not THE highest paid safeties in the NFL. If he does it's an admission by the Cardinals of how important he is to them. After 47 years in coaching and the last 20 years as a head coach in the NFL for Jacksonville and the NY Giants Tom Coughlin was fired, or resigned, or something from the Giants after the end of the 2015 season. You'd think Coughlin would be happy to walk off into the sunset with Super Bowl rings and the respect of the whole sport. Not so much. Coughlin says the coaching juices are flowing again and he's itching to get another chance to coach, I'm assuming head coach, of an NFL team. Right now there are no jobs to be had in the NFL and Coughlin is almost 70 years old. A team hoping to rebuild isn't looking for a septuagenarian to be their coach of the future. The Giants did that man wrong and he's been under the gun to be fired for years but he always proved the media and fans wrong. It really sucks to get old and nobody wants you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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