Why Sharper wasn’t wanted on the open market
Posted by Anthony Stalter (05/04/2010 @ 9:32 am)
One of the bigger mysteries of the NFL offseason is why safety Darren Sharper, who essentially transformed the Saints’ defense last year with his playmaking ability, didn’t receive more attention on the open market. Even at 34, Sharper proved last year that he still has plenty of game left in his veteran legs.
But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sharper had limited market value because he had microfracture surgery, which is believed to have taken place in early March. The procedure was originally announced as an arthroscopic surgery, which is much less serious than microfracture.
According to Schefter, Sharper’s status for Week 1 is in jeopardy and he may be limited in training camp. Combine that little fact with his age and it’s no wonder Sharper lasted so long on the open market before re-signing a one-year deal with the Saints on Monday.
I’m a little surprised that Sharper expected to sign a lucrative long-term deal knowing that his status for Week 1 was up in the air. Parlaying a great season into a new contract is one thing, but hoping to cash in big despite being a 34-year-old safety coming off major knee surgery is another.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
The Saints are playing Sharper perfectly
Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/29/2010 @ 11:00 am)
When it comes to old fashion standoffs, the Saints are taking it to free agent Darren Sharper.
After racking up 71 tackles and nine interceptions (including three INTs for touchdowns), it was apparent last season that Sharper hadn’t lost a step, which is why he wanted to parlay his 2009 season into a big pay day this offseason. He took a modest deal last year to sign with the Saints, but wasn’t about to do it again with those numbers.
The problem is that the Saints knew Sharper had to have arthroscopic knee surgery in the offseason, thus limiting his worth on the open market. The team also knew that he would love to re-sign with them, but that he was also looking for more money then the team was willing to spend on a 34-year-old safety. So what do they do? They made him another modest offer (details haven’t been released yet, but an offer is on the table and it must be modest because Sharper hasn’t signed it yet) and are now banking on him not finding a better deal anywhere else.
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Darren Sharper upset with Saints
Posted by Anthony Stalter (02/23/2010 @ 7:45 pm)
Darren Sharper, who is an unrestricted free agent, is a little miffed after the Saints told him that they wouldn’t use their franchise tag on him this offseason.
From NFL.com:
“They said they want me back, but if you want someone back, why are you going to let them test the market?,” Sharper said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I don’t know how much they want me back if they’re allowing other teams to bid for my services. Being in this situation before, if a team is willing to let you test the market, they’re willing to let you go.”
Sharper did say that he hopes things will work out with the Saints, but also noted that he won’t come as cheap as he did last year ($1.7 million). He didn’t have many suitors last offseason, but he’s coming off a Pro Bowl season and says that he has “a couple of good years” left in him.
Personally, I think Sharper is being a little too sensitive here. Had the Saints used their franchise tag on him, they’d have to pay him $6.455 million next season, which is way too much – even for a player as productive as Sharper was. It’s not that they don’t want him back, they just don’t want to pay a 34-year-old safety over six million when he was clearly motivated last year while playing on a one-year deal. It just doesn’t make much sense financially.
Chances are, Sharper will wind up back in New Orleans as long as the Saints offer him a fair deal. Like Sharper said, he knows the system and the Saints were much more successful with him in their defensive backfield than they were without him. But he has to step into their shoes and understand that they’re not going to shell out upwards of $6.5 million to retain an aging safety.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
Super Bowl XLIV Preview: 5 Potential MVPs not named Manning or Brees
Posted by Anthony Stalter (02/05/2010 @ 8:00 am)
As part of our ongoing coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, here are five potential MVP candidates outside of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.
1. Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts
Wayne only caught three passes for 55 yards in the AFC title game, but that was because he was locked up with stout corner Darrelle Revis, who has a habit of limiting a receiver’s impact. But Wayne caught eight passes for 63 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens in the Divisional Round and Revis won’t be anywhere near the field come Sunday. Wayne has five 100-plus yard receiving efforts this season and one more could earn him the Super Bowl’s highest achievement (outside of a ring of course). He only caught two passes against the Bears the last time he played in the NFL title game, but they went for 61 yards and a touchdown. If his quarterback doesn’t yank the award away from him, then Wayne could be taking home the MVP hardware come Sunday night.
2. Marques Colston, WR, Saints
In an era dominated by diva receivers, Colston is one wideout that is easy to root for. He’s quiet, unselfish and brimming with talent. He’s also reliable and if he gets enough opportunities, he might explode on Sunday and earn the MVP award in his first ever trip to the Super Bowl. In the Divisional Round, Colston hauled in six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, and seems to save his best performances for top competition. In Week 6 of the regular season against the Giants, he caught eight passes for 166 yards and a touchdown, and in Week 12 against the Patriots he hauled in four passes for 121 yards and a score. Even in a losing effort against Dallas in Week 15, he caught five passes for 86 yards, including a 35-yard strike that led to a Saints’ field goal early in the second quarter. Outside of Brees, the only reason Colston might not have a fair opportunity to win the MVP award is because he’s on a team that is loaded with other receiving weapons. This is where the aforementioned unselfishness comes in, because there’s no doubt that Colston would rather catch one pass for 10 yards and win, than catch 10 passes for 150 yards and lose.
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Posted in: NFL, Super Bowl
Tags: 2010 Super Bowl, 2010 Super Bowl MVP, 2010 Super Bowl Preview, Dallas Clark, Darren Sharper, Drew Brees, Headlines, Indianapolis Colts, Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints, Peyton Manning, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Wayne, Saints Colts Super Bowl, Saints vs. Colts, Super Bowl MVP candidates, Super Bowl XLIV, Super Bowl XLIV MVP, Super Bowl XLIV MVP candidates, Super Bowl XLIV Preview
NFL Week 16 ROY Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (01/03/2010 @ 9:00 am)
Lots of rookies this year keep reminding us why they were drafted so high, making this a very difficult race to predict. But we’ll try our best……
1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—He hasn’t had an interception in a few weeks, but he’s still tied with Asante Samuel and Darren Sharper for the NFL lead with 9.
2. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos—He leads all rookies with 897 rushing yards, with an outside chance of reaching 1000 yards Sunday against the Chiefs.
3. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—Yes, he plays for the Rams, and yes, a good linebacker who doesn’t rack up a ton of sacks isn’t one of those sexy picks for MVP or Rookie of the Year. But Laurinaitis’ 102 solo tackles ranks behind only Patrick Willis, Jon Beason and Curtis Lofton.
4. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants—46 catches for 795 yards and 6 scores is a good stat line for any receiver. But when you consider how big a question mark the Giants were at the position, this rookie has stepped up nicely and immediately contributed.
5. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—He’s battled migraines recently, but this explosive game-changer is a dual threat as a receiver and as a kick returner.
Honorable mention: Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Beanie Wells, Cardinals; Jeremy Maclin, Eagles; Brian Cushing, Texans; LeSean McCoy, Eagles; Michael Oher, Ravens
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Beanie Wells, Brian Cushing, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Curtis Lofton, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, Hakeem Nicks, Houston Texans, interceptions, Jairus Byrd, James Laurinaitis, Jeremy Maclin, Johnny Knox, Jon Beason, Kansas City Chiefs., kick returner, Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, linebacker, Michael Oher, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, NFL rookie of the year, NFL rookie of the year power rankings, Patrick Willis, Percy Harvin, Philadelphia Eagles, Ryan Succop, St. Louis Rams, wide receiver
NFL Week 16 MVP Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (01/03/2010 @ 7:00 am)
It’s been two weeks since we last did these rankings, and while not much has changed at the top, the teams our top two guys play for have been very shaky. In fact, Philip Rivers’ Chargers are the only one on a roll heading into the postseason.
1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—If Jim Caldwell benching his starting quarterback in the third quarter against the Jets proved anything, it’s that Manning is clearly and unequivocally valuable. His numbers (4405 yards, 33 TDs) don’t suck either.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—There is no question that Brees hasn’t been the same since DeMarcus Ware terrorized him two weeks ago in the Superdome. But the MVP race is not based on a few games and Brees still has a league-high 109.6 QB rating, and leads the NFL with 34 touchdown passes.
3. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans—This guy was racking up yards even before the Titans started winning games this season. And he’s so far ahead of the pack right now, with his sights on 2000 yards and even Eric Dickerson’s record of 2105 yards for a single season. That’s saying something.
4. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—Yes, he has numbers — 4155 yards, 27 TDs to 9 picks, second to Brees in QB rating with 104.5. But here is why Rivers belongs on here—because all he does is win games.
5. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Favre brought his Vikings back from a 17-point deficit in chilly Chicago before losing in OT. His season has been and continues to be bordering on magical.
Honorable Mention— DeSean Jackson, Eagles; Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Cedric Benson, Bengals; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Wes Welker, Patriots; Darrelle Revis, Jets; Andre Johnson, Texans; Dallas Clark, Colts; DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Andre Johnson, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chicago Bears, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Clark, Dallas Cowboys, Darrelle Revis, Darren Sharper, DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos, DeSean Jackson, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, Eric Dickerson, football, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jared Allen, Jim Caldwell, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patrios, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL Most Valuable Player, NFL MVP, NFL MVP power rankings, NFL MVP rankings, Peyton Manning, Philadelphia Eagles, Philip Rivers, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Superdome, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Wes Welker
NFL Week 14 MVP Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (12/19/2009 @ 7:00 am)
The first four names on here, all quarterbacks, did nothing to hurt their MVP chances in Week 14. Each won their game, and helped their team win. Especially Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, who continue to roll along without a loss this season.
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Against Atlanta, in what turned out to be another game too close for Saints’ fans comfort, Brees still completed 31 of 40 (77.5%) passes for 296 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero picks. His case for MVP keeps getting stronger.
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Manning uncharacteristically threw three interceptions against Denver last weekend, but he still racked up 220 yards and 4 TDs, leading his Colts to victory again. Then he went ahead and threw for 308 yards, four more scores and 1 pick that wasn’t his fault Thursday night against Jacksonville.
3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—This guy throws one of the best deep balls in the game, he’s extremely accurate and he just wins. Don’t think Rivers’ Chargers can’t upset the Colts again in the postseason too.
4. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—Not a great game against the Bengals, but the Vikings still won, and at this point in the season, that counts for something.
5. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans—The NFL’s leading rusher just keeps racking up yards and touchdowns. Johnson has 1626 rushing yards, with a realistic shot at 2000 and an outside shot at Eric Dickerson’s record of 2105 yards in a single season. He also has 42 catches for 391 yards and 13 total TDs.
Honorable Mention— DeSean Jackson, Eagles; Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Cedric Benson, Bengals; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Wes Welker, Patriots
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, DeSean Jackson, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, Eric Dickerson, football, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL MVP, NFL MVP power rankings, Peyton Manning, Philadelphia Eagles, Philip Rivers, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Week 14, Wes Welker
Coaching staff not getting enough credit for Saints’ run at perfection
Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/13/2009 @ 6:02 pm)
Do you know why the Saints are currently 13-0 right now? No, it’s not because of their high-powered offense, Drew Brees or their remade defense. It’s not because of their outstanding receiving corps, Darren Sharper’s playmaking ability or a trio of running backs.
Actually, it’s because of all those things. But one thing that seems to be taking a backseat in the Saints’ run at perfection is their coaching staff, and I’m not only referring to coach of the year candidate Sean Payton either.
There were two plays in the Saints’ 26-23 victory over the Falcons in Week 14 that had more to do with coaching and less to do with the players on the field.
The first play came early in the third quarter when the Saints were up 16-9. The Falcons had been getting pressure on Brees by sending multiple defenders throughout the game, and with the Saints facing a 3rd and 19 from Atlanta’s 21-yard line, the Falcons decided to blitz a bevy of players in order to disrupt the play. But the Falcons played right into Payton’s play call, because Reggie Bush took a 21-yard screen pass into the end zone untouched.
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Posted in: NFL
Tags: 2009 NFL Week 14, Atlanta Falcons, Chris Redman, Darren Sharper, Drew Brees, Jason Snelling, Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints, Reggie Bush, Saints beat Falcons, Saints coaching staff, Saints Falcons Week 14 score recap, Saints undefeated season, Sean Payton
NFL Week 13 MVP Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (12/12/2009 @ 7:00 am)
The way the Saints have been winning each week has been like a gift to their fans. That is, it’s been a SURPRISE each week. Sometimes they dominate, sometimes they make it more interesting than it should be, and sometimes they flat out get a, well, gift, from the opposing team. Last Sunday it was the latter against a Washington team that let the Saints back in the game by missing a chip shot field goal. Drew Brees and company took care of the rest, and that’s why our man remains atop this list, with Peyton Manning right there behind him.
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—He’s got a 111.3 QB rating to lead the NFL—3536 passing yards, 69% completion percentage and 29 touchdowns to 10 picks. Oh, and yeah…his team is 12-0 and has already clinched the NFC South.
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Not much different from Brees’ numbers—3685 passing yards, a ridiculous 70% completion rate, 25 TDs and 11 interceptions…and the same 12-0 record for his Colts, with a clinched AFC South.
3. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—A much more human game for Favre against Arizona Sunday night, but despite those 2 interceptions, he still threw for 275 yards and two scores. It just wasn’t enough, and even worse, the Cardinals may have gotten into the Vikings’ collective head.
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—Despite being sacked a league high 45 times, Rodgers had led his team to four straight wins and has them in position for a wild card berth. And he probably hates this comparison, but his numbers are very Favre-esque: 3399 yards, 25 TDs, 7 picks.
5. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals—After missing a few starts due to injury, Cedric returned (albeit against Detroit) and promptly carried 36 times for 110 yards. Sure, there are two RBs with more yards per game (Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson), but Benson is making more of an impact for his team…the definition of MVP.
Honorable Mention—Chris Johnson, Titans; Philip Rivers, Chargers; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Randy Moss, Patriots; Wes Welker, Patriots
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, AFC South, Arizona Cardinals, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, football, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jared Allen, Maurice Jones-Drew, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFC South, NFL, NFL MVP, NFL MVP power rankings, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Washington Redskins, Wes Welker
NFL Week 12 MVP Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (12/06/2009 @ 7:00 am)
Well, we can’t ignore what Drew Brees did to the Patriots on Monday night, can we? It doesn’t even really matter what Mr. Manning and Mr. Favre did. Oh, those guys are all bunched up here, but consider that in their biggest game of the season so far, the Saints’ Brees threw for 371 yards, 5 TDs to five different receivers, and zero picks in leading them to a 38-17 dismantling of New England in the Superdome. Yikes.
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—See above. Brees now leads the NFL in both QB rating (112.6) and touchdown passes (27). He’s even rushed for 2 scores for good measure. And oh yeah, the Saints are 11-0 and starting to think about Miami in February.
2. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—Funny how Favre is not getting the love he should from sportswriters in the MVP conversation. Well that’s ridiculous, and you can count this writer among those who think he is extremely deserving. Against Chicago last Sunday, Favre threw for 392 more yards, with 3 TDs and no picks. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s 24 TDs to 3 interceptions on the season, and his team sitting at 10-1 and in line for a first round bye.
3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Our apologies for dropping Peyton from #1 to #3 here, but he keeps flirting with disaster each week before bringing his team back. Sure, they are 11-0 just like the Saints, but we don’t feel particularly happy about those 11 interceptions so far.
4. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans—800 yards in the month of November. 800 yards. Are you freaking kidding me? Apparently LenDale White was not in uniform against Arizona last Sunday because of being late to a meeting. I think it was more like Jeff Fisher didn’t want to make the mistake of putting White in the game for any reason, so he kept the guy in street clothes. And how about this sick run by the Titans?
5. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—His numbers are damn near close to the guy he replaced in Green Bay, Mr. Favre…a.k.a. #2. 3136 yards, 22 TDs, and just 5 interceptions. Imagine if Rodgers (44 sacks) wasn’t running for his life most of the time.
Honorable Mention—Philip Rivers, Chargers; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, Reggie Wayne, Colts; Cedric Benson, Bengals; Jared Allen, Vikings; Tom Brady, Patriots; Randy Moss, Patriots; Miles Austin, Cowboys; Vince Young, Titans; Andre Johnson, Texans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Andre Johnson, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chicago Bears, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, football, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jared Allen, Jeff Fisher, LenDale White, Maurice Jones-Drew, Miami, Miles Austin, Minnesota Vikings, Most Valuable Player, MVP, National Football League, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL MVP power rankings, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl, Superdome, Tennessee Titans, Tom Brady, Vince Young
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