Category: NFL (Page 380 of 1282)

      Favre denies sending text message to Vikings – will play if healthy

      August 4, 2010 /
      CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 20: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 20, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      According to ESPN.com, Brett Favre has denied sending text messages to Vikings officials and teammates telling them that he had decided to retire and also told Ed Werder that if he’s healthy, he will play this season.

      Favre also insisted that the decision isn’t about money, even though Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Vikings have offered Brett a raise that would increase his 2010 base salary from $13 million to $16 million.

      Favre responded to a Star Tribune report that the Vikings were prepared to offer him more money for the 2010 season if he would play by insisting that his salary is not a factor in the decision. “It’s not about money,” he said.

      Well, I would hope it’s not about money considering he’s made over $100 million during the course of his career (which doesn’t include the millions more he has made through endorsements). Money has played a factor in everyone’s decisions at some point or another, but it would be asinine to think that he would play next season for $16 million, but not $13 million.

      Here’s the part of the story that I don’t get:

      On Tuesday, Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said Favre texted his teammates and told them he plans to retire. Shiancoe added he did not receive any direct messages from Favre, but learned of the texts from several teammates.

      “He told a couple guys on our team he’s going to retire,” Shiancoe said after practice on Tuesday. “He hasn’t told me yet. I’m going to check my phone right now, but it hasn’t been said publicly yet so I don’t know what to believe.”

      So did Favre send the text messages or not? Because if he didn’t, why did Shiancoe say that Favre told some of his teammates via text messages that he was going to retire? Something doesn’t add up here. Either Brett is a lying windbag or there’s a bad game of telephone going on inside the Vikings’ locker room.

      Regardless, this report proves that this situation is far from over. As reported all day yesterday, Favre has yet to make up his mind about whether or not to return. Shocking.

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 Fantasy Football Preview: PKs

      August 3, 2010 /
      GLENDALE, AZ - AUGUST 28: Mason Crosby #2 of the Green Bay Packers kicks a field goal during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 28, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

      All 2010 Fantasy Football Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

      Ah, the kicker. This is always the last part of our annual preview that I write because, honestly, it’s the last thing I’m thinking about on draft day. In most leagues, it doesn’t matter who your kicker is, as long as he’s decent. And if you don’t find a decent kicker on draft day, you’ll surely have an opportunity to pick one up as the season wears on.

      I generally look for two things when selecting a kicker:

      1. He kicks for a team with a good offense.
      In each of the last three seasons, six of the top 10 fantasy kickers played for teams that finished in the top 10 in yards per game. More yards generally means more opportunities for the kicker, be it field goals or extra points. Moreover, 23/30 (77%) of the top 10 kickers over the same span have been on teams that finished in the top 15 in yards per game.

      In the last three years, only three teams have had a kicker make the top 10 every season: Tennessee (4th, 4th, 2nd), New England (9th, 1st, 7th) and Green Bay (6th, 10th, 1st). Of those three, only the Patriots and the Packers made the top 10 in each season in yards per game. Tennessee was 12th in 2009, 21st in 2008 and 21st in 2007. For whatever reason, Tennessee’s strong running game coupled with a quality kicker (Rob Bironas) leads to a lot of made field goals.

      Four teams — Philadelphia, Minnesota, New York Giants and Denver — have had a kicker make the top 10 in each of the last two years.

      2. He kicks indoors or in a warm weather city, especially in the fantasy playoffs.
      Looking at the aforementioned list of teams with consistent kicking success, nice weather has nothing to do with it. New England, Green Bay, Philadelphia, New York and Denver are hostile in December, while Tennessee is pretty iffy.

      This is just a personal preference. I have been willing to give up a few points during the season if it means my kicker has nice weather to kick in during the fantasy playoffs. I don’t want to be looking at a goose egg when my guy has to go out into below freezing weather and a 32 MPH crosswind.

      But, thinking about it a little more, if it comes to that — why not just change kickers? There are always guys out there on the waiver wire with good matchups, so if you have Mason Crosby and he’s about to kick in terrible weather, you have options. Looking ahead, I’m going to put more of an onus on #1 than on #2.

      The most important rule to remember on draft day is that you don’t want to draft your kicker too early. A good rule of thumb is to wait until 8-10 kickers are already off the board before scooping up the best of what’s left. I’d rather use those 12th, 13th and 14th round picks on a few RB or WR flyers, the last part of my QBBC or the start of my DTBC.

      With that in mind, here are a few players going in round 15 or later that look to be good values on draft day. ADP data from Antsports.com.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Camp Notes: Favre, Maclin injured & Babineaux suspended

      August 3, 2010 /
      PHILADELPHIA - AUGUST 27: Jeremy Maclin #18 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

      Favre has yet to tell Childress that he’s retiring
      Despite reports that state he won’t return, Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress insisted on Tuesday that Brett Favre has not told him he’s retiring. Minnesota still considers the situation “fluid” and Viking players have told the media that nothing has changed in regards to Favre’s status with the team. A “family source” also tells the Biloxi Sun Herald that Brett has not decided whether to play this year. With over a month left before the season starts, it’s doubtful that Brett has made any concrete plans about whether or not to come back – even though many media outlets are reporting that he’s likely done.

      Eagles’ Maclin suffers hyperextended knee injury
      Second-year receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered a hyperextended left knee injury during practice today. According to some reports, he looked to be in serious pain on the field and his teammates even huddled for a prayer after practice. He’ll undergo an MRI on the knee to determine how much camp time he’ll miss. Hopefully the injury wasn’t serious and he’ll only miss a week or so.

      Falcons’ Babineaux suspended one game
      The Falcons won’t have their best interior pass-rusher when they take on the Steelers in Week 1, as defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux has been suspended one game for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. (The suspension stems from Babineaux’s 2009 arrest for possession of marijuana.) Kudos to GM Thomas Dimitroff for having the wherewithal to know Babineaux was likely to be suspended and to select DT Corey Peters in the third round of April’s draft. Non-kudos to Babineaux for the arrest.

      Haynesworth skips conditioning test again
      Another day, another skipped conditioning test for Albert Haynesworth. Mike Shanahan says that Haynesworth’s knee is still bothering him and that when he’s ready to take the test again, “he’ll take it.” Shanahan is standing firm that Haynesworth is not allowed to practice until he passes the test (which some media members have reportedly attempted and passed over the last coupe of days).

      External Sports, NFL

      Let’s keep Rivers and Gates’ comments about LT in context

      August 3, 2010 /
      SAN DIEGO - JANUARY 17: Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 and running back LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers celebrate a play against the New York Jets during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Qualcomm Stadium on January 17, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

      Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates made some interesting comments to the San Diego Union-Tribune yesterday about former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson.

      If you read between the lines, it would appear as though the Chargers are relieved LT is making his home in the Big Apple now instead of San Diego.

      “I don’t know how everyone feels or if they felt it,” said Rivers, who answers questions about Tomlinson the way someone walks through a minefield. “Maybe it was a little bit of a relief. Maybe it’s a feeling of, ‘I can do a little more without wondering what he thinks.’ ”

      “Sometimes you would get the sense that people felt bigger than the team,” Gates said. “Not to say it was an issue, but we know it’s not an issue for sure now.”

      “Me and LT had a wonderful relationship too. But sometimes you got the sense of stardom status and you can only take it so far. With Philip, I never feel that.”

      Some may read Rivers and Gates’ comments and think that they’re glad to be rid of LT or are even unappreciative of what Tomlinson did for the San Diego organization. But it’s important to keep what they said in context and remember that players don’t often get together to sing Kumbaya in a circle in the middle of their locker rooms. A football team is comprised of 50-plus players from all walks of life. Race, age, personality and financial status separate each player, so not everyone is going to have a great relationship.

      Tomlinson is among the best players to have ever wore a lightning bolt on the side of his helmet and will always be known for being an intense player. It appears as though he may have created some tension between he and his teammates with his intensity, but that’s to have been expected given the circumstances. It wouldn’t have been easy for any competitive athlete to have been the superstar for almost a decade and then be relegated to backup duties once the team didn’t think they had what it took anymore.

      When asked to give his response to what Rivers and Gates said, this is what LT had to say:

      “It doesn’t hurt me, but nothing surprises me because guys want to speak their opinion on things. Junior Seau went through the same thing with guys when he was the big star and he left the team and guys said how they felt about him. It’s the same situation. Good luck to those guys,” Tomlinson told the Post.

      I wouldn’t have blamed LT if he vented his frustrations about what was said about him, but the fact that he took the high road showed his class.

      It appears as though all parities have moved on.

      External Sports, NFL

      A mock conversation between Brett Favre and Brad Childress

      August 3, 2010 /
      EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - AUGUST 18: Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress (L) walks with Brett Favre #4 after finishing a passing drill during a Minnesota Vikings practice session on August 18, 2009 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Favre has reportedly agreed to play for the Vikings, a reversal of his announced retirement. (Photo by Scott A. Schneider/Getty Images)

      Since the news of his (latest) possible retirement broke, the one thing that keeps popping into my head is what the conversation would have sounded like between Brett Favre and Brad Childress if Brett had ensured Childress that he was coming back this season but wanted to string the media along.

      (When reading the Childress parts, think of a cross between a really excited Will Ferrell and Butters from “South Park.”)

      “Hey Brad, it’s Brett.”

      “Brett!!! OMG Brett, OMG! It’s soooo good to hear from you – how’s the offseason going? You ready to return?”

      “Oh yeah Brad, I’m coming back. But hey listen, I wanted to know if you could help me out with something?”

      “For realsies?! Yes! Of course – ANYTHING!”

      “Well, first and foremost I don’t want to go to training camp. So you can suck it if you think I’m showing up.”

      “Oh, don’t worry about it. Training camp is totally not cool and I wouldn’t expect somebody as wonderful and as awesome as you are to attend.”

      “Cool. Secondly, I want to pull a prank on the media again this year. First, I’m going to string them along like I usually do and not tell them what my plans are. What I need you to do is string them along from your end, too.”

      “Got it – done. This is so cool…”

      “Then, I’m going to slip Peter King some information that my ankle isn’t healing well and how I’m still not decided about whether or not to come back.”

      “Oooooh – I love Peter King!”

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

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