Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 508 of 1503)

      Merriman voices displeasure after being tendered

      March 1, 2010 /

      Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman expressed his displeasure via his Twitter page after the team told him he’d be tendered at the first and third round level. Merriman will make $3.3 million in 2010.

      From the San Diego Union Tribune:

      That means another team would have to give the Chargers a first- and third-round pick in this year’s draft if it signed Merriman. The sides could also work out a deal for less, but the high tender means it will at least take some high picks.

      Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd are also expected to get the first-and-third tender.

      Merriman will make more than than Jackson’s $3.268 million and Floyd’s $3.168 million, because he is due 110 percent of his 2009 salary. That will put him slightly over $3.3 million.

      On his Twitter page, Merriman wrote that he was “speechless” over the Chargers’ decision and that, “Business is Business but some things just aren’t right.”


      I recently spoke with Merriman      , who was in good spirits about his health and the offseason. He also said that he would love to “wear a Bolt the rest of my career,” but also noted that the Chargers hadn’t made him an offer yet. Considering he’s completely healthy after bouncing back from major knee surgery in 2008, it must be frustrating for him not to receive a new deal from the Chargers. But then again, the team wants to protect itself in case Merriman struggles with injuries again next year.

      Hopefully Merriman plays well next season and receives a long-term deal, whether it comes from the Chargers or another team.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Will Peppers have a new home by Friday?

      March 1, 2010 /

      In the rumor section on ESPN.com, the site speculates that Julius Peppers could have a new team by Friday, which is when teams can officially start signing free agents.

      Julius Peppers will have a new team, and it could happen as quickly as this Friday. We continue to hear him linked to different teams, with varying degrees of certainty.

      The Eagles and Patriots have been considered the front-runners for some time now, and the Bears also appear to be one of the front-runners for Peppers, given the fact that they have no picks in the first two rounds to find a new pass-rusher; in other words, any big personnel improvements will have to come from free agency. Bears LB Brian Urlacher seemed very pleased with the possibility of adding Peppers in recent comments to the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, at the scouting combine, leader of the Browns’ world Mike Holmgren discussed the Peppers possibility to the media, per NFL.com.

      I think where Peppers will land will ultimately come down to two things: Money and whether or not he wants to play OLB in a 3-4. I’m sure he wants to play for a competitor too, but Peppers can also be lazy at times and if he has the chance to be a one dimensional pass rusher in a 3-4, then he may jump on the opportunity by signing with the Patriots or Browns.

      The Bears have been linked to Peppers multiple times over the past week, but I can’t envision Jerry Angelo opening the team’s wallet in order to bring the defensive end to Chicago. The Bears could definitely use a pass rusher (really, what team couldn’t?), but if history is any indication, then there’s no doubt Angelo will once again go shopping in the offseason bargain bin to fill needs.

      Another team I think we can safely cross off the potential candidates list is the Falcons, who are very familiar with the fact that Peppers will disappear during games and take plays off. The concept of adding Peppers to the same line as John Abraham and Jonathan Babineaux is enticing, but GM Thomas Dimitroff’s philosophy is to build via the draft. Plus, the Falcons already have younger, cheaper options than Peppers already on the roster in Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury, the latter of which is raw but has the size and speed to develop into a solid pass rusher.

      If I were to make an official prediction as to where Peppers will land, my guess would be the Eagles. He wouldn’t be able to play OLB, but I think Philly would be willing to throw the money at him and he’d be intrigued by the possibility of helping the Eagles get to a Super Bowl.


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      NFL

      NFL to change overtime format for playoffs?

      March 1, 2010 /

      The NFL is considering a change of its overtime format for future playoff games.

      From ESPN.com:

      Under the new format, both teams would get the ball at least once unless the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown, Greg Aiello said. If the first team to get the ball makes a field goal and the other team ties the game, action would continue until a team scores again.

      The debate about the rules gained steam after the NFC championship game, when New Orleans beat Minnesota 31-28 in overtime and Brett Favre’s Vikings never got the ball in the extra period. Under the proposed rule, Minnesota would have gotten another possession because the Vikings didn’t allow a touchdown.

      John Paulsen and I recently debated what the best way would be to revamp the NFL overtime system, which you can check out here. He likes the idea of a blind auction, which would certainly be fair for both sides and add more intrigue than the coin toss. I wrote that I would be all for it as long as the process didn’t turn into a game show at midfield.

      That said, I’m also fine with a coin toss. Is it thrilling? No. Is it fair that one team can win without the other team even touching the ball? Probably not. But it’s simple and it’s tradition. The game is the thrilling part – I don’t need anything more elaborate than a coin toss to determine which team gets the ball first. And if more defenses rose to the challenge and stopped their opponent from scoring (which is the whole point of a defense in the first place) on the first possession in the extra quarter, then we might not be having this debate at all.

      If the NFL wants to change its overtime format, then I won’t be appalled or angry. But just make a decision and be done with it, because this is beginning to be a tired topic. I have a bigger issue with the fact that it took Brett Favre not getting a possession in last year’s NFC title game for the league to sit down and talk about a rule change. Why doesn’t the NFL just change its name to the Brett Favre League and be done with it. The “BFL” it is.


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      NFL

      Are the Browns targeting Joe Haden?

      March 1, 2010 /

      Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that Florida cornerback Joe Haden could be a perfect complement to Eric Wright in the Browns’ secondary. ESPN’s Mel Kiper agrees.

      ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. predicts the Browns will take Haden in his current mock draft, compiled before the Combine.

      “Joe Haden makes the most sense, in terms of value,” Kiper said on a conference call. “We don’t know if he’s going to be Darrelle Revis [of the Jets] or [Oakland’s] Nnamdi Asomugha. They’re the two best cover corners in the NFL right now. They didn’t [get drafted] in the top 10. But Haden will.

      “Haden has potential to be an elite corner. He’s a complete corner, effective on the blitz, outstanding in coverage.”
      “I haven’t done a lot of work on him yet, but obviously he’s highly regarded, so we’ll look seriously at him,” Browns coach Eric Mangini said at the Combine.

      Browns General Manager Tom Heckert has studied him enough to be impressed.

      “He’s a heckuva football player,” said Heckert. “He’s one of the top corners, if not the top corner in the draft. He’s played at a big-time program and they won a lot of games. He’s going to go early.”

      Some people absolutely love Haden and say that he’s the safest pick in the top 10. Others, like the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, believe he’s a borderline top-ten pick and that there’s some concern about Haden’s forty time. (Haden ran a 4.34 in high school, but Mayock says that he might only run a 4.52 or 4.55.)

      That said, there’s no question that Haden is the top corner in this year’s draft and reminds me of Darrelle Revis. He racked up a ton of experience playing against top competition while at Florida and he has the ability to be a shutdown corner if he can develop. While having a good forty is important for defensive backs, it’s not everything and I doubt that teams would pass on him just because he ran a slower time (although if molasses beats him, then there could be a problem).

      He seems like a perfect fit for the Browns.


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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Cromartie to be traded to Lions soon?

      March 1, 2010 /

      Chargers beat writer Kevin Acee wrote on his Twitter page that Antonio Cromartie “has almost certainly played his last game for the Chargers” and also notes that the cornerback could be traded to the Lions soon.

      It’s been rumored for a little over a week now that the Bolts would want a running back in return for Cromartie, which would make the Lions an odd fit seeing as how they don’t have any outside of Kevin Smith. And Smith isn’t going anywhere, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Lions would give up in return for the 25-year-old cornerback.

      Cromartie isn’t a fit for the zone scheme, which is what the Chargers used most of last year. The Lions use more press coverage under defensive coordinator Gunter Cunningham, which would allow Cromartie to use his strengths more by getting his hands on receivers early. But what the compensation would be for Cromartie is the question. He’s also only signed through 2010, so the Lions might try to work out a long-term deal before they acquire him.

      Another issue that has come under question is Cromartie’s character. He’s only 25-years old, but has at least seven children with six different women in five states. He hasn’t played as well over the past couple of years for the Chargers to put up with his baggage, so the Lions (or any other team for that matter) might get the corner on the cheap.

      We’ll see if this story develops.


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      NFL

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