According to a report in the Chicago Sun Times, Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo is giving the idea of trading for Brandon Marshall a big fat “no,” but signing Plaxico Burress still remains an option.
Smith, who can’t comment on players under contract with other teams, harshly said ”no” when Brandon Marshall’s name was brought up. Marshall has requested a trade out of Denver, and a reunion with Cutler is a natural storyline, but Marshall has a checkered off-field history, is coming off hip surgery and would require substantial compensation to acquire. Go ahead and rule him out.
Burress, though, remains a possibility.
”Plaxico Burress is a good football player,” Smith said. ”Of course, we all know that. We keep all of our options open. We’re constantly evaluating all the players who are out there. But I feel good about our team that we have right now, and I feel good about the receivers we have right now.”
I doubt that the Bears would be interested in one malcontent (Burress), but not the other (Marshall). Chances are, they’re interested in both, but there are more factors involving trading for Marshall, including putting together enough trade compensation to lure him out of Denver.
If they signed Burress, it would probably only be to a one-year deal for a minimal amount of money. If he acts up or goes to jail, then Chicago could part with him at the end of the ’09 season and not have to worry about carrying his baggage into 2010.
Brandon Marshall’s agent has confirmed that his client requested a trade from the Broncos and has said that the team will do everything in its power to accommodate the receiver’s wishes.
This news doesn’t mean that the Broncos will go through with a trade, of course, but it might offer a glimpse into their thought process regarding this potentially ugly situation with Marshall.
Denver certainly doesn’t want to lose another key piece to its offense after trading quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago a couple of months ago, but it might have little choice. Marshall has a history of off-field incidents and if the team doesn’t want to risk paying him what he wants, a trade might be in everyone’s best interest.
The problem is getting max value for Marshall, who certainly is productive on the field but as previously noted, is a major liability off it. He’s a Pro Bowl caliber player but the Broncos might not get Pro Bowl caliber compensation for him when they pick up the phone and see who’s interested.
Speaking of which, Rotoworld speculates that the Ravens could be interested if the Broncos eventually do trade Marshall. Baltimore did nothing to upgrade its receiver corps this offseason and if they’re willing to pay, Marshall could be a nice addition. Don’t forget that the Ravens were the team that traded for Terrell Owens a couple years ago before he made a stink and eventually wound up in Philadelphia, so clearly GM Ozzie Newsome isn’t afraid to take a risk.
So you still want to draft a running back with your number one pick after we crunched the numbers to find that quarterbacks have become equally or more valuable in fantasy football? Well, I can’t blame anyone that goes the traditional route here, especially with guys like Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson looking like legitimate #1 picks. Here are last season’s Top 10 running backs in fantasy points, keeping in mind that this is based on my league, and stats vary from league to league:
1. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers—I know some players take a few years to develop, but I live in Tennessee and saw Williams play on TV a lot when he was with Memphis. I drafted him in 2006 because I knew what not everyone knew—his upside was tremendous. Of course, he had 501 yards and a TD that year. But once DeShaun Foster was gone, Williams exploded, and last year racked up 1639 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. Potential realized, and there’s more where that came from despite Jonathan Stewart sharing the load.
2. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons—Turner “The Burner” finally got out from under LT’s shadow in San Diego and showed with his new team that he can be a #1 RB—in a big, big way. In fact, Turner out-rushed LT by almost 600 yards. Take that, AJ Smith.
3. Thomas Jones, New York Jets—Jones had a big year, with 1519 total yards and 15 scores. But something tells me to expect a substantial drop-off this year. I mean, this is the same guy who scored 1 rushing TD in 2007.
4. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears—A rookie in 2008, Forte was a pleasant surprise and was basically the Bears’ entire offense. Now they have Jay Cutler at QB, which could mean just a bit less focus on the running game. Still, it’s the Bears, and plus Forte is just as valuable a receiver as he is a runner. Don’t expect a re-run of 2008 (1715 yards and 12 total touchdowns) but don’t expect a crappy season either.
5. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings—He may be frequently injured but AP is about as explosive as any player in the NFL. In fact, he may be what everyone expected Reggie Bush to be. Who? Yeah, I know. Anyway, Peterson had 1885 all-purpose yards but only 10 TDs. This season, I’m looking for 2400 yards from scrimmage and 15-20 scores. I can feel it.
6. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles—Off-season surgery is either going to hamper Westbrook or make him better. I’ll still take a Brian Westbrook at 70% than, say, a Willis McGahee at 100%. When Westbook is on the field (1338 total yards, 54 catches, 14 total TDs in ‘08), he’s fantasy money.
7. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants—Jacobs seemed to perform best when he shared carries with Derrick Ward, who is now in Tampa. Jacobs will still share carries, but with Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs had his second straight 1000-yard season (Ward also topped 1000 yards) with 15 touchdowns, and there is no reason to believe he’ll fall short of that in ’09. Well, unless the injury bug bites again.
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers—I’m still sick about drafting LT #1 last season in my league. I know that having the top pick doesn’t happen too often, and this guy just killed my season and probably everyone else’s that picked him first or second.
I mean, 1536 yards from scrimmage and 12 scores is not bad, but consider LT’s 2006 season—2323 overall yards and 31 TDs. Last year, LT was more like Thomas Jones in a good year.
9. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars—Streaky yes, but a solid player who can run and catch passes effectively. MJD had 824 rushing yards, and 62 receptions for 565 with 14 total touchdowns. With Fred Taylor in New England, expect those numbers to jump this season.
10. LenDale White, Tennessee Titans—This guy was the touchdown bogart for Chris Johnson, with only 773 yards but 15 scores. Should we expect an encore? It’s hard to say, but Jeff Fisher is definitely a creature of habit.
I know Cutler already has alienated enough small pockets of fans at various appearances in Chicago to produce a flurry of furious e-mails, such as the one from a guy at Wrigley Field last week who criticized the quarterback for waving off autograph seekers. “His lack of appreciation for fans will be his undoing in Chicago,” Glen. R. wrote me.
We’ll see, but if Cutler experiences an undoing in Chicago it will have more to do with the people on the field than in the stands. Generally speaking, the same folks complaining about Cutler’s insouciant behavior will be cheering him on his first 350-yard Sunday.
Sure, Cutler could do himself some favors by exuding more charm or suffering the occasional fool with a little less outward disdain. But those who have been Bears fans for two decades, or two generations, need to remember Cutler has been here for two months. There will be — and has been — a degree of culture shock. Denver isn’t Chicago. Eventually, Cutler will adjust because he will learn life is easier that way in this tradition-rich football city. If he doesn’t, then he will get what he deserves.
But it’s too early in his tenure to predict that.
Cutler isn’t the first athlete who shunned autograph seekers and he won’t be the last. Unless it’s obvious they’re being outright pricks to fans, I try not to let it bother me when athletes don’t sign because we have no idea what kind of schedule they’re on. For all we know they’re running late as it is. Sure, it would be nice if they signed autographs until the last person is gone, but that’s not reality.
As far as Cutler is concerned, Chicago fans are going to embrace him if he performs well. And actually, they’ve already embraced him because they’ve been dying for a quarterback for decades. As long as he performs, it’s going to take a lot for him to ruin his image in Chicago. He’s safe for now – I don’t care what a handful of people say.
Remember when we were instructed to draft running backs with our first two, and in some cases, our first four, fantasy football picks? Yeah, that was so 1999. Heck, that was so 2004 or 2005 when LT and Shaun Alexander were dominating the gridiron. But a funny thing has happened. Running backs by committee are not only keeping legs fresh, they are wreaking havoc on fantasy rosters. Also, a recent trend toward pass-happy offenses is making quarterbacks and receivers more valuable. Last season, QBs were dominating — here is how the Top 10 QBs finished fantasy-wise in 2008 (your league may have scored differently than mine) and what you can expect from them in 2009:
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Brees fell 15 yards short of Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record, finishing with 5069 yards, along with 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Is he going to match that? There’s no reason to believe he won’t.
2. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—I had LT last year and one of the reasons his stats suffered was because this guy kept throwing the damn ball. Rivers threw for 4009 yards with 34 TDs and just 11 picks. This year, will they go back to more of a run-first offense? Probably not — not with LT a year older.
3. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals—Ah, the Fountain of Youth is a beautiful thing. Warner drank from it often, and of course when you have guys named Boldin and Fitzgerald to throw to, it can make you look good and feel ten years younger. Still, who expected 4582 yards and 30 touchdowns with 14 picks and a trip to the Super Bowl? Not me. This year, Warner may not have Boldin, who just keeps whining about his contract, but don’t think the QB’s numbers will suffer all that much.
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—Brett who? You certainly won’t hear anyone blaming the Packers’ 6-10 season on Rodgers. It was in fact their defense that failed them, because Rodgers passed for 4038 yards with 28 TDs and 13 interceptions. And just for kicks, Favre’s numbers with the Jets were 3472 yards, but 22 TDs and league leading 22 picks. Going into 2009, Rodgers’ stock has to be even higher.
5. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos—On what planet does 4526 yards and 25 touchdown passes get you run out of town? In Denver, where new coach Josh McDaniel screwed up and tried to trade for Matt Cassel. Oops. Cutler is now in Chicago, so that means his fantasy stock automatically drops a few notches.
6. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—The Colts got off to a horrible start and in fact didn’t win the division for the first time in years. But Manning finished strong, with 4002 yards, 27 TDs and just 12 picks. Marvin Harrison is no longer catching his passes, but that doesn’t mean Manning doesn’t have weapons.
7. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles—It was a roller coaster season in 2008, but the Eagles came within about a quarter of reaching the Super Bowl. Somehow McNabb held it together (what, they have ties in the NFL?) and wound up having a great season, passing for 3916 yards with 23 TD passes and 11 picks. He only had 147 rushing yards and 2 rushing scores, but that’s what Philly has Brian Westbrook for. McNabb is getting long in the tooth, but he’s smarter and as accurate as ever.
8. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys—Okay, so there may be trouble in paradise and there is no T.O. anymore, but Romo is still a very good fantasy QB. His 3448 yards and 26 TDs were a bit off his 2007 pace (4211, 36 TDs), but part of that is because he missed a few games with a thumb injury.
9. Matt Cassel, New England Patriots—With zero pro experience and almost zero college experience, who would have thought Matt Cassel could come in for Tom Brady and have the season he did? Okay, so he is no Brady, but Brady is in a class of his own anyway. Cassel’s 3490 yards with 21 TD passes and just 10 interceptions were good enough to land him the starting job in Kansas City. How that will affect his fantasy stats remains to be seen, but don’t expect too much of a drop-off on an improved Chiefs’ team.
10. Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins—You know Chad is still gloating after being pushed out of New York by Brett Favre, and then leading his Dolphins to the division title. Pennington is always risky as a fantasy QB because of injuries and inconsistency, but 3653 yards and 19 TDs is not shabby, nor was his microscopic total of 7 picks. If he stays healthy, Chad should have another good season.
The other name you’ll have to consider in 2009 is Brady. He missed the final 15 ¾ of the season after getting knocked out of the opener against Kansas City, but early reports are that Brady is looking and feeling great and will be at full strength in 2009. Randy Moss is salivating, and so will fantasy owners, though they will do so skeptically.
Are you ready for some football? I know I am and feel great just talking about it!
Although rumors persist that the Bears could be interested, Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune writes that the team is unlikely to pursue troubled free agent wideout Matt Jones.
“He was a first-round draft pick and he is a very talented player,” Angelo said, “but it’s case by case. We’re not quick to move on any player.”
No doubt the Bears are concerned about Jones’ checkered past, one that included an arrest for cocaine possession last July. Jones, 26, served a three-game league suspension after losing an appeal. After violating terms of a court-mandated drug program by consuming alcohol, he was arrested again and faced further disciplinary action for the 2009 season. But the league decided not to impose another suspension, although Jones was fined $50,000.
In recent years, the Bears cut ties with two players due to off-the-field concerns: running back Cedric Benson and defensive lineman Tank Johnson.
“Guys make mistakes, move on, and become better people,” Angelo said. “Some guys have patterns of bad behavior and continue to have those patterns. I’m not saying that about Matt Jones. What I’m saying is we have to do our homework. And then you have to look at what value that person brings to your football team irrelevant of his off-the-field issues.”
According to a report by ESPN.com, the NFL has already notified Jones that he will not be suspended for violating a court-mandated drug program in March. At 26 years old, Jones is the best receiver left on the market. But even though he’s coming off a productive season (he caught 65 passes in 12 games last year for the Jags), he missed three games last year due to suspension and his motivation and focus have always been questioned.
I would be surprised if the Bears go after Jones given that they made little to no effort to try and sign Torry Holt this offseason before he agreed to terms with the Jaguars. I realize Holt is six years older than Jones is, but he’s obviously less of a risk and he still has a productive season or two left in him.
So maybe Angelo already feels that his wide receiver corps is set with Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Brandon Lloyd and rookies Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox. Granted, none of those players will strike fear into an opposing defense outside of Hester’s deep threat ability, but there still is some potential among the group and don’t forget that Greg Olsen is the best receiver on this team. (He just happens to play tight end.)
According to Yahoo Sports, the NFL has begun an investigation on if the Washington Redskins tampered with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth prior to the start of the free agent signing period.
The Tennessee Titans filed charges with the league in late March stating they were interfered with their efforts in re-signing Haynesworth after the 2008 season. The Washington Post reported:
Haynesworth is among the people expected to be interviewed by NFL officials possibly as early as this week regarding allegations that the Washington Redskins violated league tampering rules, according to league sources.
NFL investigators have been reviewing information relating to the Redskins’ pursuit of Haynesworth, who formerly played for the Tennessee Titans, and whether his representative was improperly contacted before free agency officially began at midnight Feb. 27. The Redskins and Haynesworth agreed to terms of a deal by 5:30 a.m. Feb. 27.
League investigators are interested in obtaining all communications between Haynesworth’s agent, Chad Speck, and Redskins officials in the weeks before free agency opened. Part of the difficulty, though, in determining the subject matter of the contact is that Speck also represents Redskins wide receiver Malcolm Kelly.
If convicted, the Redskins could lose a pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Last year, the NFL stripped the San Francisco 49ers of a fifth-round draft pick after they ruled the team violated the league’s tampering rules by having an improper conversation with Drew Rosenhaus, agent for Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, about the player’s upcoming free agent status.
Neither the NFL nor Speck commented on the report or the current investigation.
Cutler has reached out to Burress, and agent Drew Rosenhaus recently said at least two teams are seriously interested in signing the former New York Giant. The Jets are likely one of them.
“Are we one of those two teams? No,” Angelo said.
Burress, released by the Giants on April 3, has a June 15 hearing stemming from felony gun charges. He accidentally shot himself in the thigh in November at a Manhattan nightclub. He could face jail time and if not, at least a league suspension.
“He could help any team,” Angelo said. “His play, his production speaks for itself. Everybody would love to have him on their team, including the New York Giants.
“But obviously, they are things that have to happen now for him to play in the league, get on with his life. There are a lot of hurdles to cross before you can really seriously sit here and use that as a viable option.”
Cutler should back off and let Angelo do his job. He’s the quarterback – not the GM.
The Bears’ wideout situation looks bleak on paper, but it might not be as hopeless as some make it out to be. Devin Hester isn’t a No. 1 receiver, but he’s a legit deep threat and his speed will always create opportunities in the passing game. Angelo also drafted Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox and don’t forget that Greg Olsen is essentially another receiver at the tight end position. (He’s arguably the Bears’ best receiver.)
The wild card is 2008 third round pick Earl Bennett, whom Cutler had a great on-field relationship with at Vanderbilt. Bennett didn’t catch a pass last year, but is expected to start over incumbent Rashied Davis and could blossom if he ever learns the playbook.
The bottom line is that the Bears have options and therefore signing Plax shouldn’t be a priority. Plus, nobody knows how his legal situation will play out and he could still face a suspension even if he is allowed to play next season. A team would have to be awfully desperate to sign Plax and despite popular belief, I don’t think the Bears fit that category.
According to the Arizona Republic, the Eagles offered the Cardinals cornerback Sheldon Brown and a third round pick in exchange for receiver Anquan Boldin on draft day, but Arizona quickly rejected it. Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo also admitted that he offered the 49th overall pick in exchange for Boldin, but obviously was turned down himself.
Earlier this week, Eagles coach Andy Reid told a Philadelphia radio audience that the price for Boldin was too high, both in terms of trade compensation and a new contract. As a baseline, Reid threw out trade terms of first, third and fifth-round picks, in addition to a new contract worth $10 million or so a year.
Maybe Reid was trying to spin the situation to satisfy Eagles fans, some of whom have long clamored to trade for Boldin. In the radio interview, Reid went on to say that he didn’t think the Cardinals ever really wanted to trade Boldin. Of course, it would be hard to determine that when the best offer is Brown and a third rounder.
Maybe the Eagles figured they would take a stab at stealing Boldin for a pittance. No harm in that.
The Eagles never offered more than the third round pick and Brown, a seven-year veteran who is unhappy with his current contract. The Cardinals didn’t have a need for a starting cornerback after signing Bryant McFadden in free agency.
Sheldon and a third round pick for Boldin? I thought I heard laughter off in the distance on draft day – turns out it was Cardinals’ GM Rod Graves after talking with the Eagles.
Hey, it was worth a shot for the Eagles. If nothing came out of it, so be it. But if the Cards were at all desperate to relieve themselves from the Boldin situation, maybe they would have pulled the trigger on Philly’s offer. (And then would have been rightfully lambasted by their fans and media in the process.)
I wonder if Graves would have done a deal with Angelo for a second and a third, although the third would have had to been for 2010 because Chicago had already traded that pick to Denver for Jay Cutler. Still, if Angelo was able to pull a deal off for Boldin, then the Bears would have went from perennial NFC North favorites to legit Super Bowl contenders.
Smartest: Detroit using the first pick of the draft on a QB
There are a lot of things wrong with Detroit, starting with the automobile industry and the Tigers’ bullpen, but the Lions finally got something right: They picked the best quarterback in the draft. Bad teams need to start rebuilding from the ground up, and the Lions started with the most important position. Smart move. They haven’t had a Pro Bowl quarterback since 1972. There was a lot of talk about Jason Smith or Aaron Curry at the top, but let’s face it: You fix the most glaring hole while you can, and if you have a shot at Matthew Stafford you take it. Daunte Culpepper isn’t the solution; Stafford might be. Let’s find out. Give the Lions credit for doing what they should have done.
Boldest: Chicago trading for Jay Cutler
The question for me is this: Will Cutler handle the winter winds in Chicago better than he handled this spring’s trade rumors? If not, get ready for more whining. I also want to see who serves as Brandon Marshall. I mean, Eddie Royal. How about Brandon Stokley? I smell trouble. Second City has a lot of third receivers.
Scariest: Kansas City acquiring Matt Cassel
I know what he did with New England. But that was the Patriots, and tell me where you find Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Richard Seymour and Bill Belichick in the 816 area code. Cassel was surrounded by a raft of talent on the field and on the sidelines in New England, and I’m still looking for that support group here. So he produced a couple of 400-yard passing games and won 10 of 15 starts. That was nice. But I want to see him reproduce it here. OK, I know what you’re thinking: What do the Chiefs have to lose — especially when all they surrendered for Cassel and Vrabel was a second-round draft pick? Try this: They’re paying Cassel $14.65 million in guaranteed salary. If he turns out to be the next Scott Mitchell I know some bean counters in red suits who will demand explanations.
How Cassel fares in Kansas City will be incredibly interesting because of the system he played in New England. Pioli wouldn’t have traded for him if he didn’t believe Cassel couldn’t hack it outside of NE, but it remains to be seen if he isn’t just a product of the Pats’ offensive system. At least he has some weapons around him in Larry Johnson (if he isn’t released, that is) and Dwayne Bowe, although the offensive line is still a work in progress and Tony Gonzalez is now in Atlanta.
Peter King of SI.com ranked all 32 teams in the NFL based on how they look after minicamps wrapped up and he had a bit of a surprise in his top 5.
4. Chicago
I may not like how Jay Cutler babied his way out of Denver, but by Labor Day, the football world will have forgotten, and by Thanksgiving, the most popular baby name in Chicagoland will be Jay. (Unless it’s Jerry, as in Angelo, the man who stuck his neck out and made this deal.) Cutler’s a big-time player, and I suspect we’ll find out over the next few years if he has nerves of steel and can win the big game.
Now, there’s two things we don’t know about Cutler and this offense. There’s not a great receiver in the house and no promise of one on the way (Angelo should have guaranteed Torry Holt more money to get him to come to the Windy City). So Cutler’s going to have to make do with the Devin Hesters and Rashied Davises, apparently. (Not that there’s anything wrong with Hester. But he should be a third receiver, using his speed to game-break.)
Two: How good of a leader can Cutler be, coming in with the knock that he chafes on some teammates. It’ll be interesting to see if he meshes well with Brian Urlacher; I don’t take for granted that he will. Because of the Cutler factor and because I don’t love the defense the way I did two or three years ago, I didn’t want to leap the Bears over so many other teams. But then I went back and looked at their 2008 numbers. The bedrock stats for a good defense, I’ve always thought, are opponents yards per rush, turnovers forced and opponents’ yards per pass. The yards per rush, 3.4, was excellent, third-best in the league. Turnovers forced, 32, was very good, second in the league. And yards per pass play by foes, 6.20, was eighth in the league. All good. If Cutler can lead an offense that puts up 400 points, only a point and a fraction more than a year ago, the Bears should win 12.
People seem to forget to mention Greg Olsen when they crap on the Bears’ receiving corps. Olsen wasn’t drafted a couple years ago to block – he’s the best receiver Chicago has on its roster. He has outstanding hands, great athletic ability and is fast enough to line up in the slot. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner just needs to find more ways to use Olsen in the passing game.
Another thing to remember is that Earl Bennett played with Cutler at Vanderbilt and the Bears are extremely high on the second year wideout, despite him going o’fer in the catch department last year. The knock on Bennett is that he struggled learning the offense as a rookie and the Bears just couldn’t get him onto the field. If Cutler can help his old Vandy teammate pick up the offense, Bennett could be a wild card for the Bears.
I wouldn’t put the Bears ahead of the Colts or Eagles as King did, but there’s a ton of optimism in Chicago these days.
What constitutes a second day steal in the NFL draft? Well, opinion of the evaluator above all else, I guess. But if a player was projected to be taken higher than he was, then that plays into the notion that a team got somewhat of a steal for that selection. Below are five players that were selected on Day 2 of this weekend’s draft that I thought were decent steals.
1. Carolina Panthers No. 163, Round 5: Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma
I was flat out flabbergasted that Robinson fell to the fifth round. Not that this holds much water because I’m not a scout, but I projected Robinson to go to the Steelers with the last pick in the first round in each of my three mock drafts. He was arguably the best guard prospect in the draft and instead of being a first day lock, he fell all the way to No. 163 for reasons unbeknownst to me. He has the talent to be a future starter and maybe sliding this far will motivate him to succeed.
2. Chicago Bears No. 119, Round 4: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
The only reason Moore slipped to the fourth round is because of his size (5’8”, 192 pounds) – or lack thereof. If he were two inches taller and 10 pounds heavier, he would have been a second round pick and maybe the fourth corner taken overall in this draft. Moore has tremendous athleticism, good speed and is an aggressive player. Nathan Vasher has struggled the past two seasons for the Bears and I wouldn’t be surprised if Moore challenges for the starting cornerback job opposite Peanut Tillman in training camp. If he doesn’t start, he’ll certainly see some time in nickel packages as a rookie.
The NFL released the 2009 NFL Schedule today, so I’ll do what the 4,000 other websites do and list some of the more juicier matchups of the year. (Although in the sake of being at least a little creative, I’ll list one interesting matchup for each of the 17 weeks on the schedule.)
Before we get to the matchups though, let me state for the record that it’s a complete farce that the Cowboys get six nationally televised games next year despite not making the playoffs last season. I guess “America’s Team” opening a brand new stadium is worth major national exposure…six times a year.
Week 1: Bears at Packers, 8:20PM ET
Jay Cutler’s first game in a Bears uniform will be at Lambeau against the rival Packers on Sunday Night Football. How much will John Madden overplay the, “The Bears finally have a quarterback” angle after every pass Cutler completes?
Week 2: Giants at Cowboys, 8:20PM ET
One of the ‘Boys six nationally televised games, Dallas will open up their new stadium against division rival New York on Sunday Night Football. How much will John Madden overplay the, “Tony Romo and Wade Phillips must win now because Jerry Jones built this brand new stadium and he wants a contender” angle?
Week 3: Falcons at Patriots, 1:00PM ET
The over/under on the number of times Matt Ryan is compared to Tom Brady in this game has officially been set at 800,994,990.
Week 4: Chargers at Steelers, 8:20PM ET
AFC Divisional Round rematch in Pittsburgh – let’s see if the Chargers can hold onto the ball for more than 17 seconds in the third quarter unlike the last time these two teams met.
Week 5: Patriots at Broncos, 4:15PM ET
If Bill Belichick shakes Josh McDaniels’ hand at midfield after this game, I’m calling shenanigans on the behalf of Eric Mangini.
Week 6: Bears at Falcons, 8:20PM ET
Here’s hoping the Bears’ secondary figured out that they have to cover the out pattern when that’s the only route Matt Ryan can look for when there’s 11 seconds on the clock and he needs to get his team into field goal range.
In their latest ‘toon, the guys from Bang! Cartoon illustrate the mass confusion that ensued when Jay Cutler arrived on the Bears’ doorsteps and what was really behind Josh McDaniels and Pat Bowlen’s decision to trade the “snot-nosed” quarterback.
- ON 205TH (?) lists 11 reasons why the Broncos had to get rid of “emo quarterback” Jay Cutler.
- SPORTSBYBROOKS has footage from the “most amazing golf hole on the planet.” It is pretty cool.
- THE SPORTZ ASSASSIN discusses the domino effect that happens when elite coaching jobs open up in college basketball.
- DEADSPIN has video of Dana White’s non-apology apology. Great job, Dana.
- DEADSPIN also unearthed video of Norm MacDonald’s monologue from the 1998 ESPY’s. I think it’s safe to say that he wouldn’t get away with some of his jokes now that ESPN is even more mainstream. (And the last joke is a doooooozy.)
Shortly after sending multiple draft picks and quarterback Kyle Orton to the Broncos to acquire Jay Cutler, the Bears signed former Rams’ left tackle Orlando Pace to help protect their new signal caller.
Pace will sign a two- or three-year contract and will be inserted as the starting left tackle meaning that 2008 first-round draft pick Chris Williams will have to stave off newly signed veteran Kevin Shaffer to claim a starting job at right tackle. Pace, 33, missed 25 games over the last three seasons but started 14 last season and cleared a physical when he visited the team on Monday. Agent Kennard McGuire praised the visit and it led to quick negotiations.
Pace is considered a better pass blocker, and that will allow the Bears to perhaps get a better run blocker in Williams or Shaffer on the right side. A lot of teams are right-handed when it comes to running the football. The depth chart looks much different than it did when minicamp ended two weeks ago and free-agent pickup Frank Omiyale, originally signed to play left guard, was running at right tackle with Williams on the left side. There were no backups in place.
This is a great signing for a couple of reasons. One, if Pace can stay healthy he offers an immediate upgrade at the left tackle position for the Bears. Although aging, Pace still has enough left in the tank to give Chicago one or two quality seasons until they can secure a more long-term answer. The Pace signing also allows the youngster Chris Williams to move to right tackle, which might be a better position for him because he doesn’t have to worry about protecting the quarterback’s blind side. Lastly, Omiyale isn’t a tackle. I don’t know why the Bears signed him to be a tackle, but at his size and quickness he’s more suitable for guard. With Pace now on board, Omiyale can shift down to guard and now as a unit, Chicago’s offensive line has been completely upgraded. (It’s not spectacular by any means, but they’re in better shape now than they were at this point last season.)
You have to give the Bears a ton of credit. They played possum all offseason, waited for their time to strike and then stole Cutler and Pace away from other teams. I know fans are probably waiting for their next signing to be Torry Holt, although he seems destined to land in Tennessee. Then again, I wouldn’t count the Bears out of anything right now.
Yahoo! Sports reported last week that the Bears called the Broncos expressing interest in Cutler should Denver decide to deal him. They have been reported as one of at least 10 teams to do so, and one league source said the number is higher than that.
The timing makes sense. The Broncos want ample opportunity to create a frenzied market and ensure they receive a king’s ransom for Cutler, who turns 26 this month. They also need time to prepare for the draft, and they’ll likely be looking for a package of multiple draft picks and possibly multiple players.
If the Bears are serious, they might have to part with two first-round picks and a player or additional picks. It likely will require creativity. Other teams that have been linked to Cutler include Tampa Bay — which would have gotten him in the proposed three-way trade with New England — Detroit, Minnesota, San Francisco, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina and the New York Jets. Washington also can’t be ruled out.
Two first round picks is a steep price to pay, but you figure Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo is going to botch those selections anyway so they might as well get a young quarterback out of the deal. (I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Okay, no I’m not…)
As the article points out, the Broncos have done a nice job of creating a market for Cutler with so many teams reportedly being interested in the young QB. And why wouldn’t a team like the Bears be interested? Cutler is young and experienced, has a strong arm and the Bears haven’t had a reliable quarterback since Jim McMahon. But if they do wind up pulling off a trade for Cutler, the Bears better get the kid some receivers.
If Pace signs, the Bears probably would start him at left tackle and shift Chris Williams to the right side. Pace was selected to seven Pro Bowls at left tackle and is destined to be a Hall of Famer. He likely would have been the Rams’ starting left tackle for the 2009 season had they not opted to save $6 million in cap space.
Williams is versatile enough to play either tackle spot, which is why the Bears would be willing to move him to the right side.
The Bears have already signed veteran Kevin Shaffer, and he could compete to start at right tackle regardless. Adding the 33-year-old Pace would push newly acquired Frank Omiyale back into the mix at guard.
Although age and injuries are a concern, signing Pace makes a lot of sense for the Bears, who have been trying to rebuild their offensive line since last year’s draft. I was shocked when I read that the team was counting on the undersized Omiyale to play right tackle next season. He’s a better fit at guard and really only makes sense at tackle in a zone-blocking running scheme, which the Bears don’t run. Signing Pace would allow Chicago to move Omiyale inside and although it wouldn’t be the most feared O-line in the league, it would be an upgraded unit.
Former Rams’ wideout Torry Holt is done vacationing and is now ready to visit NFL teams, with his first stop coming Thursday in Jacksonville.
To wit, league sources told the Post-Dispatch on Wednesday evening that Holt will be paying a free-agent visit to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday. Jacksonville is in dire need of receiving help.
The team cut Jerry Porter and had no plans to re-sign free agent Reggie Williams. On March 16, the Jaguars released wide receiver Matt Jones following his arrest earlier this month on a probation violation stemming from drug charges last summer. Jones led Jacksonville with 65 catches for 761 yards last season.
Holt has no reason to go to a team that can’t guarantee him a starting job because there are plenty of them out there. The Jags’ current starters are Mike Walker and Dennis Northcutt, so even though Holt has shown signs of slowing down, he would still be an immediate upgrade to that unit. Another team that should pick up the phone and dial Holt’s agent is the Chicago Bears, who currently have Devin Hester and Earl Bennett tabbed as their starting wideouts.
ESPN.com’s John Clayton brings up an interesting debate about whether or not the NFL should change the current way it does its draft seeding.
There is one idea that came from last year’s 8-8 Chargers season that does have merit. The Chargers defeated the Colts in overtime in the wild-card round and advanced to the divisional round. Yet, in the draft seedings, the Chargers select 16th, the Colts 27th.
Under a competition committee proposal, playoff teams would be reseeded based on how deep they go in the playoffs. Teams eliminated in the first round would be seeded from 21 to 24 based on their record. Also, non-playoff teams wouldn’t suffer at the expense of playoff teams in the draft, the tool that is vital for improving the talent base of a team.
This rule is broken. Having the Chargers draft before 9-7 non-playoff teams such as the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers isn’t right. Chargers fans enjoyed a playoff game, while the Jets’ poor finish left fans heartbroken. Those fans shouldn’t have to see the Chargers get a pick before them.
Couldn’t agree more. If the Chargers were good enough to get past the Colts in the first round of the playoffs, then technically they’re the better team and should have a lower draft seeding. It doesn’t make sense to reward the Chargers in the draft when they were already good enough to get the second round of the playoffs.
