Category: NFL (Page 395 of 1282)

Eagles have options if they eventually decide to dump Michael Vick

July 5, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

Over the weekend, the Associated Press reported that the Eagles were seriously considering dumping Michael Vick, although the rumor was quickly denied by reputable NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN, as well as the team itself.

But what if the Eagles decided to part ways with Vick in wake of his latest off-field situation? Would they be comfortable releasing him with no veteran to backup the inexperienced Kevin Kolb next season?

Considering Vick was mostly used out of the Wildcat formation last year, the answer to that question is easy. Jeff Garcia, the veteran QB who has history with the Eagles, would be the most logical option if Vick were released. Garcia is already well versed in Andy Reid’s offense and despite his weak arm strength, he’s a better passing quarterback than Vick, who may have a rocket attached to his left shoulder but whose accuracy remains a major issue.

Another option the Eagles might have is one that was brought up by ESPN and that’s Troy Smith, who probably could be had for the right price. The former Heisman Trophy winner is rotting behind Joe Flacco in Baltimore and would like the opportunity to start somewhere else. Kolb is entrenched as the starter right now in Philly, but that doesn’t mean Smith wouldn’t have the opportunity to unseat him if he starts to struggle at any point during the season.

The point is that Vick isn’t worth the trouble for the Eagles. Reid’s experiment with him in the Wildcat last year often produced poor results and at 30 year’s old, it’s not like the former No. 1 overall pick has regained his lightening-quick speed. (He’s reportedly in better shape than he was last year, but that doesn’t mean he’s the athlete he once was.)

I would stop short of calling Vick expendable, but he’s certainly not worth the headache if he gets into even an ounce of trouble with the league over the Quanis Phillips shooting. And truth be told, the Eagles missed out on a golden opportunity to trade him this offseason by asking for a second round pick (which was way too high) in exchange for his services.

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Chargers not actively shopping V-Jax now?

July 5, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

Despite a report by the San Diego Union-Tribune last week that stated the Chargers had put Vincent Jackson on the trade block, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is now stating that the team is not shopping the restricted free agent. Schefter even goes as far as to say that any trade is a “real longshot” at this point.

There’s no reason to doubt Schefter, but maybe GM A.J. Smith is trying to throw the media off while he continues to discuss Jackson with other teams. Or maybe the Chargers are serious and Jackson really isn’t going anywhere.

If it’s the latter, then V-Jax isn’t going to be too happy. The Chargers have already replaced his one-year tender of $3.268 million with a new, hard-stance figure of $583,000. He’s looking for a long-term deal, but Smith doesn’t want to invest big money in a player with two DUIs on his off-field resume and an upcoming three-game suspension. That’s not to suggest that Jackson is the Bolts’ version of Pacman Jones or even Brandon Marshall, but it’s hard to blame Smith for wanting V-Jax to stay out of trouble and produce on the field this year before giving him a multi-year deal heading into 2011.

Let’s not forget that the CBA situation is still in flux and that it’s restricting what teams can do in terms of giving players new deals. Look no farther then Indianapolis with Peyton Manning and Tennessee with Chris Johnson for more examples of teams wanting to wait until a new CBA deal is struck before handing out long-term contracts.

In the end, Jackson may have to bite the bullet and play on his tender (the first one for $3.268 million, which the Chargers could adjust back to once he agrees to play) this year before seeking a long-term deal after the season. I know he’d rather set his face on fire than do that, but what are his options if the Chargers don’t intend on trading him? Holdout for most of the season? How would that look to other teams and why would they want to invest big money in a player that basically says that his contract is more important than playing? (I know it’s more complicated then that, but that’s how some teams would view the situation.)

Jackson’s hands looked like they’re tied.

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Talks between Colts, Manning going slowly

July 5, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

While catching the Red Sox-Orioles game on Saturday night, Colts’ president Bill Polian admitted that contract talks between the team and quarterback Peyton Manning are going slowly because of the uncertainty of the new CBA deal.

From WEEI.com:

“It’s bound to have some effect,” Polian told WEEI.com. “What we don’t know is what the system is going forward. It makes it really difficult working out a deal that makes sense for everybody because you don’t know what the [salary] cap will be, what the ramifications are, how things count. All of that makes it a little difficult. We’ve been going slowly along with [Manning’s agent] Tom Condon because we’re trying to formulate some things that will fit no matter what the system is.”

Signing Manning to a new contract is only a matter of time for the Colts, much like the owners and NFLPA agreeing on a new CBA deal. It appears as if one won’t happen until the other gets done, but they both will happen.

But what’s interesting is the potential domino effect that will transpire once the new CBA deal is signed. Manning would probably be the first to get a new deal and it’ll likely be the biggest contract in NFL history. Then the Patriots, in typical Patriot fashion, will wait until the parameters of Manning’s deal are in place so that they can give slightly less to Tom Brady, who is also playing in the final year of his contract. Then, once Tom Terrific is signed, Donovan McNabb can get the contract extension that he’s seeking from the Redskins.

Once all of that happens and the entire state of Alaska melts, I’ll finally get my millions. I’ve put together a diagram below to show the sequence of events that I just wrote about, just in case things were a little confusing above.

It’s science.

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Bears aren’t pursuing Vincent Jackson

July 4, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

You can cross the Bears off the potential list of trade candidates for Vincent Jackson, assuming the Chargers want to deal the receiver.

From the Chicago Tribune:

A source familiar with the Bears’ thinking told the Tribune on Wednesday the team has no plans to pursue a trade for Jackson at this time. Strings attached to Jackson — compensation and a new contract — are factors the Bears do not want to burden themselves with a month before training camp.
The Bears, like many teams, would love to have a 6-foot-5, 230-pound target such as Jackson to throw to, particularly in the red zone. However, Jackson is unhappy with the one-year, $3.268 million tender extended to him by the Chargers and wants a deal closer to the four-year, $47.5 million contract the Dolphins gave Brandon Marshall — a price tag way too high for the Bears.

I’ve heard some people suggest that Jackson wouldn’t be a good fit for Mike Martz’s offense because he doesn’t need a No. 1 for his system to be successful. While he might not need a No. 1 for his system to be successful, suggesting that Martz wouldn’t want a highly productive and multi-faceted Jackson in his offense is re-donkuluss.

That said, I can’t imagine that the Bears would want to give up their first round pick in 2011 after giving up their 2009 and 2010 first rounders for Jay Cutler. It’s even less likely that they would want to pay Jackson as much as Marshall is making after shelling out for Julius Peppers.

This past offseason was the anomaly and not the norm. Let’s keep in mind that this is generally a cheap organization.

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Vick to be released? Eagles say no.

July 3, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

Despite a report by the Associated Press on Saturday morning that stated otherwise, the Eagles are not considering releasing quarterback Michael Vick according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer also denied the rumor.

Earlier today, the AP reported that a person familiar with the “team’s thinking” said that the Eagles were strongly considering releasing Vick. The report even went as far as to say that Vick would be released, “no matter what police conclude during their investigation of a shooting that followed the quarterback’s birthday celebration in Virginia Beach last week.”

But the only thing the Eagles released was a statement that denied the report.

“Any report or speculation that suggests the Eagles are considering releasing Vick are not true.”

Truth be told, if the Eagles eventually do release Vick (maybe they’re waiting to see what the outcome of this investigation is before deciding anything either way) nobody would blame them. They don’t need this one month before training camp opens, especially when it involves a backup player with a history of off-field issues. That said, it sounds as if the AP released a bogus report thanks to an unreliable source and we’ll just see what happens.

For now, Vick’s job seems safe in Philadelphia.

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Category: NFL (Page 395 of 1282)

Eagles have options if they eventually decide to dump Michael Vick

Chargers not actively shopping V-Jax now?

Talks between Colts, Manning going slowly

Bears aren’t pursuing Vincent Jackson

Vick to be released? Eagles say no.

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