Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 435 of 1503)

      Winslow undergoes fifth knee surgery

      May 18, 2010 /

      According to the Pewter Report, Bucs tight end Kellen Winslow was held out of the start of OTAs Monday after undergoing his fifth knee surgery in the last six years.

      The report states that the knee surgery was a minor arthroscopic procedure, or a “clean up” of the knee. That said, this was Winslow has already had two knee operations since undergoing microfracture surgery in 2007. At 26 he may be able to recover without much problem, but how long will he be able to play after having all these surgeries? The body obviously breaks down with age, so this isn’t a good sign for the tight end’s long-term health.

      The Bucs need a healthy Winslow heading into the season so young quarterback Josh Freeman has a primary weapon he can use in the middle of the field. If not, the team will have to count on rookie Arrelious Benn or a hodgepodge group of receivers in Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall, Mario Urrutia, Reggie Brown and Mark Bradley.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Is Tim Tebow the next John Elway?

      May 17, 2010 /

      Denver Post columnist Woody Paige walked the line of comparing Broncos’ rookie quarterback Tim Tebow to legend John Elway in one of his recent articles, including this one:

      “Elway could be Joe Namath with good knees, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He won’t be reserved a spot in the Hall of Fame just yet, but just wait.”

      Critics charged then that Elway would not become a great pro quarterback, was a loser and an inaccurate thrower in college and wasn’t worth the money ($5 million over five years) or the waste of draft picks. His controversial stand, his hairstyle and even his teeth were disparaged, and it was said he couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t start in the league for several years.

      Duh.

      The spectacle lasted for 16 seasons.

      And this one:

      When Elway reported for rookie camp in July, his every movement — well, almost every movement — was chronicled. “Media Stalk Each Of Elway’s Steps.” More press than players attended workouts in Greeley. Dan Reeves bubbled about Elway, calling him the best young quarterback he had ever seen. Elway, Reeves said, had the star-quality personality — an, if you will, “it” factor. One day at a country club “Ben Hogan walked in. Nobody had to tell us he was Hogan. Elway has the same thing, that charisma. I felt it the first time I ever saw him.”

      Reeves said Elway could play right away (although the Broncos had a veteran incumbent). Elway started the opening game.

      “Boy Scout Will Lead,” a headline declared.

      Hmm. Any of that sound familiar?

      It’s remarkable that people either love or hate Tebow (the football player – not the person). Listening to the way people talk about him, one would think that he’s either Hall of Fame bound or that he won’t even be able to tie his shoes before games. There doesn’t seem to be an in-between with him.

      I’ve maintained all along that I thought it was stupid to trade three picks for Tebow in last month’s draft and I won’t sway from that opinion. I think he’s a massive project and I don’t see him getting many meaningful snaps under center this year unless the Broncos grow impatient. To think he’s going to start this year as a rookie seems far-fetched, especially if Denver doesn’t wind up trading Kyle Orton at some point before the season. But I’ve been wrong before (many times) and I’ll be wrong again, so who knows.

      In terms of Tebow becoming the next Elway……………uh……………


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Will the Texans be forced to re-work Andre Johnson’s contract?

      May 17, 2010 /

      Wide receiver Andre Johnson skipped the start of the Texans’ organized team activities on Monday because he’s unhappy with his contract. With five years remaining on his current deal, he may have a tough time convincing Houston to up his pay grade.

      Although Larry Fitzgerald certainly has a say in the discussion, Johnson is arguably the best receiver in the NFL. Yet his contract isn’t as lucrative as the one the Dolphins just gave Brandon Marshall or even the one the Cowboys signed the under-performing Roy Williams to a couple of years ago. So while he still has five years remaining on his current deal, there’s no question that Johnson is underpaid given his production value in the NFL.

      The problem is that he doesn’t have much leverage. If he were to become a free agent at the end of the year, then the Texans would be more pressed to re-work his deal knowing that he could bolt once the season is over. But with five years remaining on his current contract, all he has is the threat of a holdout. Even though he’s their best player, the Texans could essentially say, “All right, you don’t want to play? Then you won’t get paid.”

      Either way, this isn’t how the Texans wanted to kick off OTAs and holdouts can get awfully nasty between the team and the player. And if Johnson doesn’t show up for training camp, then the Texans really have a problem.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Peter King releases his 2010 NFL Power Rankings

      May 17, 2010 /

      SI.com’s Peter King released his first NFL power ranking for the 2010 season and has more than a handful of surprises, most notably at No. 1.

      1. Green Bay. It’s not just the maturation of Aaron Rodgers. It’s the carryover from a fluky end to 2009 (the weird playoff loss at Arizona) and the fact that only one team in football — New Orleans — had a better point differential than the Pack’s plus-164 last year. I like Jermichael Finley to become a great player in his second starting season. I don’t trust the pass-rush (where Clay Matthews is the only real thing), and I worry about two of the top three corners coming off ACL surgery, and aging. But the defensive front is formidable, and a very good match for the good run teams of the AFC North. I also like Weeks 2 through 5 on the schedule (Buffalo, at Chicago, Detroit, at Washington), which sets up for a strong start.

      This should make my colleague John Paulsen extremely happy. The Packers’ offense is explosive, although the offensive line will once again be the focus. Rodgers endured a ton of hits last season and those blows eventually catch up with a quarterback. His O-line must do a better job of protecting him for them to get back to the playoffs.

      With Green Bay ranking first, King must have the Saints at No. 2, right? Wrong.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Redskins sign Holliday; Haynesworth trade still a possibility?

      May 17, 2010 /

      The Redskins have made it clear that they won’t sit by the phone until Albert Haynesworth eventually calls them back. In signing defensive end Vonnie Holliday on Monday, they’re sending a message that they’re preparing for the possibility that their $100 million man won’t be around once the regular season kicks off.

      Granted, Holliday is already 34 and probably wasn’t given more than a one-year contract. He’s hardly a game changer at this point in his career, but he doesn’t represent just another camp body either. Behind the 49ers’ Justin Smith and the Dolphins’ Randy Starks, Holliday was one of the most effective 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL last year. He gave the Broncos’ a solid pass-rush and was steady against the run as well. He finished the season with 33 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles.

      As Haynesworth mulls over whether or not to show up to OTAs, the Redskins are readying themselves in case he never shows up again. In Phillip Daniels, Andre Carter, Adam Carriker, Kedric Golston, Maake Kemoeatu, Howard Green and now Holliday, Washington has no shortage for defensive linemen. And while none of those players listed have the talent of Haynesworth, the Redskins could certainly get by with them if they had to.

      The Redskins foolishly front-loaded Haynesworth contract, so there’s not a whole lot of incentive for him to show up for voluntary workouts. He already got paid, so maybe he won’t show up until training camp. If the Redskins don’t want to wait that long, they could still try to trade him in hopes of getting something, anything, in return. Of course, it stands to reason that they won’t get fair value in a trade and therefore it might be in their best interest to wait him out in hopes that he’ll eventually show before the season starts.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

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