Category: NFL (Page 1007 of 1282)

Dolphins signing of Chad Pennington makes little sense

The Miami Dolphins signed former New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington to a two-year, $11.5 million contract. Pennington was cut by the Jets after they acquired Brett Favre via a trade with the Green Bay Packers.

“I have enjoyed it,” Pennington said Friday in his first public comments since his release. “I’ve learned a lot, become a better professional and a better man because of my experience and my time in New York. I don’t regret or feel ashamed about anything that happened to me in my time in New York.”

One of the hardest-working and most cerebral quarterbacks in the league, Pennington is the perfect fit to tutor the youngsters on the Dolphins’ roster who could eventually become a successor.

That’s a pretty expensive tutor. Far be it for me to question anything Bill Parcells does, but this signing makes little sense. Word out of Miami is that John Beck and Chad Henne haven’t looked good this summer, but it’s only mid-August. Wouldn’t the Dolphins (a team that probably won’t compete for two years at the earliest) be better served if they got their young quarterbacks some playing time and used the $11.5 mil to upgrade their defense or skill positions?

Ryan Torain has surgery, may miss three months

Broncos rookie RB Ryan Torain was having a terrific camp before injuring his elbow. Now, he might be out for three months.

His recovery time could be as long as three months, which means the Broncos will have to make a decision by the end of training camp on whether to place him on injured reserve, which would make him ineligible to play this season.

If they think his recovery may be slightly quicker and that he may be able to get back on the field by late October, they could use a roster spot when final cuts are made to 53 players, but they would have to release a healthy player to do it.

Torain suffered a fractured bone near his left elbow Wednesday and was taken for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam as well. That test showed ligament damage that Torain needed repaired Thursday morning.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has called Torain “one of the most gifted running backs I’ve been around, and I’ve been around for a long time, very similar to Terrell Davis when he came in.”

That’s high praise coming from Skeletor, who has a history of jerking his running backs around. Torain was pushing Selvin Young for the starting job, but now it looks like it is Young’s job to lose. He’s a nice pick in the middle rounds when you’re trying to find a third RB. This is Mike Shanahan, so if you want to play it safe, go with someone like LenDale White or Rudi Johnson.

Should AP be drafted over LT?

THE FANTASY FOOTBALL SPORTS FORUM has drummed up 10 fantasy football questions facing the upcoming season, including whether or not dynamic second year back Adrian Peterson should be drafted over super stud LaDainian Tomlinson.

1. Should Adrian Peterson be drafted before LaDainian Tomlinson?George: As good as AP is, let’s not forget this is just his second season. LT is the cream of the crop when it comes to fantasy running backs. Not to mention, he doesn’t have to worry about Michael Turner taking away some of his carries, where as Chester Taylor will indeed take away carries from AP. The Chargers will also play a much easier schedule then Minnesota. LT at number one in a standard league is a no brainer to me.

Terry: Football is a young man’s game, and historically, running backs have their best years in their early to mid twenties. I’m not saying that LT is old, but Peterson has undeniable talent and is on his way up. Keep in mind that he totaled 1,341 rushing yards and missed two games with a knee injury. He returned in week 13, but he was clearly not 100% the rest of the season. He plays behind a great offensive line and the passing game now has a deep threat with the addtion of Bernard Berrian to keep defenses from stacking the box with safeties. If he plays in 16 games, 2,000 rushing yards is attainable. AP will have more yards and TDs than LT – draft him first.
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I’d be incredibly apprehensive about taking AP over LT with the sophomore slump looming large. LT was producing 1,200-yard/15-touchdown seasons when Peterson was still a junior in high school.

Bears have offensive line issues

The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that rookie first round pick Chris Williams underwent surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disc in his back. The left tackle could potentially be lost for the entire season.

The Bears are considering adding a veteran, including ex-Bear Fred Miller, and have already cleared a roster spot by placing running back Matt Lawrence on injured reserve.

Williams was injured July 24 in the second practice of training camp, a non-contact drill. The team said it was a muscular issue but when that issue calmed down, they detected the disc issue. Team physician Mark Bowen and Dr. Srdjan Morkovic performed the surgery late Wednesday night.

The Bears went the entire offseason without addressing the offensive line, and then took Williams over more highly touted o-line prospects Branden Albert and Gosder Cherilus. Now they’re faced with contacting Miller, who often represents a turnstile on Sunday afternoons.

Maybe Devin Hester can play left tackle.

Win a signed Jason Witten mini-helmet

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Still upset over HBO’s cancellation of “Inside the NFL”? Don’t put down the beer and chips just yet. “Hard Knocks,” the first sports-based reality series, returns on August 6th with an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League. In conjunction with the start of the show’s new season, Bullz-Eye is giving three lucky winners a Dallas Cowboys mini-helmet signed by Jason Witten. Enter now to win!

Not a fan of the Cowboys or Witten? Well, sign up anyway. Surely somebody you know could use a signed Witten mini-helmet. Don’t be selfish.

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