Category: NFL (Page 415 of 1282)

      Favre undergoes ankle surgery, ready to torture everybody

      May 22, 2010 /

      ESPN.com is reporting that Brett Favre had ankle surgery and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune thinks he could be sending a message about his possible return.

      Brett Favre has yet to inform the Vikings whether he will return in 2010, but his actions have made it clear he has every intention of playing a 20th NFL season.

      The quarterback underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle Friday in Florida to clean up scar tissue and other elements of the joint to allow for a better range of motion. ESPN reported that noted surgeon James Andrews performed the procedure at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze. Andrews repaired the partially torn biceps in Favre’s throwing arm last spring.

      Although Favre is well-known to be averse to any type of surgical procedure, it does not come as a surprise he had this done considering the success he had last season in his first year in Minnesota. Favre, who spent 18 years with the Packers and played for the Jets in 2008, led the Vikings to a 12-4 finish and the NFC title game at New Orleans, throwing for 4,202 yards with 33 touchdowns and a career-low seven interceptions.

      So:

      Surgery + Favre = Return.

      Got it.

      He was always coming back. The Vikings have shown zero panic over their quarterback situation since the season ended and the media in Minnesota isn’t hounding Brad Childress daily on whether or not he’s playing this year, so that’s a big indication that he is. In Washington, Mike Shanahan can’t walk past someone in the hallway without being asked if Albert Haynesworth is going to be at training camp. You don’t think they would be doing the same to Childress if everyone didn’t have a good indication already that he was coming back?

      Brett is coming back. Thrilling.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Top 10 active NFL receiving yardage leaders

      May 22, 2010 /

      The NFL has become a pass-first league, and with that, wide receivers and tight ends have become more important than ever—not just in west coast style offenses but in all offensive systems. Here we take a look at the current active leaders in receiving yards. Being that most of the guys on this list are nearing the twilight of their respective careers, you shouldn’t use this as part of your fantasy football research. Instead, just read and enjoy…..

      1. Isaac Bruce, free agent (15,208)—He doesn’t have the flash or the mouth that some of these other guys have, but it didn’t hurt that Bruce played on those great Kurt Warner/Mike Martz Rams’ teams about a decade ago. And he still has skills, so someone is bound to sign the guy.

      2. Terrell Owens, free agent (14,951)—This guy DOES have the mouth but the skills to back it up. I’m kind of surprised he is team-less right now, but that should also change soon.

      3. Randy Moss, New England Patriots (14,465)—That season he and Tom Brady put together in 2007 was absolutely ridiculous (1423 yards, NFL record 23 TD catches). And Moss is only 32!

      4. Torry Holt, New England Patriots (13,382)—Sure, he’s getting up there in age and fell off a lot numbers-wise in Jacksonville, but he’s still got something left. It should be especially interesting to see Holt and Moss playing in the same offense.

      5. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons (11,807)—Arguably the greatest tight end to ever play the game. Gonzo has four seasons with over 1000 yards, almost unheard of for a TE.

      6. Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina Panthers (11,438)—Like Bruce and Holt, Muhsin Muhammad has quietly put up numbers for years, and his 2004 season for the Panthers remains his best (1405 yards, 16 scores).

      7. Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens (11,089)—All Derrick Mason has ever done in his career with Tennessee and Baltimore is get open. He’s topped 1000 yards three straight seasons on the run-first Ravens, and is the epitome of toughness and durability despite being just 5-10, 190.

      8. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers (10,947)—He’s consistently one of the game’s Top ten receivers, but how will he fare with Big Ben out for a few games to start the 2010 season?

      9. Joey Galloway, Washington Redskins (10,777)—Galloway resurrected his fine career with Tampa from 2005 to 2007, and is really in the twilight of his career after struggling in Tampa and New England the last two seasons, respectively. Now he’s trying to latch on with the new-look Redskins.

      10. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals (9952)—One of the game’s most animated players is also one of its best receivers year in and year out. And it’s always good to be able to back up the talk.

      Source: Pro Football Reference

      External Sports, NFL

      Williams Wall likely to avoid suspension again?

      May 21, 2010 /

      Back in 1874, the NFL suspended Vikings’ defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams four games each for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. But with the help of a Minnesota state judge who apparently loves himself some Minnesota Vikings, the Williamseseseses appear likely to once again avoid their suspensions.

      The Minnesota Star-Tribune shares new details of this never-ending story:

      Judge Gary Larson recently ruled that the Williamses must serve their four-game suspensions after testing positive for a banned diuretic. But Larson granted the injunction Friday that will allow the Vikings to play during the appeals process.

      This obviously is good news for the Vikings. Essentially, nothing has changed for the team because the Vikings will have their Pro Bowl defensive tackles while the legal process continues to play out.

      The only question now is, how long will the appeals process take? Will it be resolved before the season or drag on for many more months?

      Here’s the deal, their case would have to pass through both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court before the two players served their suspensions. Judge Gary “the Viking” Larson knows that the process would probably take quite a while, so the chances of the Williams Wall playing this year are very high.

      As I’ve written before, this is a tricky situation. If the U.S. Supreme Court overrules Larson’s decision, then it looks as if the NFL has more power than state courts. But if the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t overrule the decision, then maybe more players will look for loopholes when they fail drug tests.

      When I do posts about this story, I feel like I’m writing an episode of “The Dukes of Hazzard.” All right, in this scene, we’ll have the Williams boys get away from Roger Goodell. Then in the next scene, we’ll have Goodell almost catch them, but then they get away again. We’ll do this over and over and over again until the end of the show. Cool?


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Butkus defends Sayers in war of words with Urlacher

      May 21, 2010 /

      Things are getting interesting in the “Windy City.” After Gale Sayers ripped his former team earlier in the month for their poor play last season, current Bear Brian Urlacher discredited Sayers by pointing out that the running back never won in his career.

      Now Dick Butkus is getting into the mix.

      From the Chicago Tribune:

      On Thursday, Butkus responded from his Southern California home, telling the Tribune: “It’s a real reach to say: ‘What did Gale do?’ (Shoot), Urlacher wasn’t even born yet, what does he know?

      “I say things to other people, too, about the Bears. It’s total frustration. You think (Sayers) is saying it because he hates the Bears? You get so tired of sitting there watching them.”

      “Gale is absolutely right when you talk about a linebacker who has played nine years and he is coming back off an injury,” Butkus said. “There should be some concern whether he can reach his ability again.

      “I’ve gone through it. To go nine years and come out with knee injuries … you know your ability is going to be hampered a little bit. (Urlacher) is dead wrong right there. Maybe that’s why he was trying to deflect that part of it by saying: ‘Well, what does he know? He never won.’

      “It’s a little defensive move on his part. His pride got hurt.”

      Urlacher looks like a child here. He didn’t like what Sayers had to say, so he decided to make this situation into a Sayers-vs-the-Bears thing. It’s not. Sayers was asked about the Bears, he gave his honest opinion and that should have been the end of it. Whether Urlacher, Jay Cutler or Lovie Smith agreed with him or not, there’s nothing for them to say. Urlacher should have viewed the situation as if Sayers was a part of the Chicago media and was just voicing his displeasure with the way the Bears played last season (which, by the way, wasn’t very good).

      Butkus is right – Urlacher is being defensive because he was called out and his pride hurts. Instead of proving his mettle on the field, he jumped into a war of words with a former Chicago great, which wasn’t too smart.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      On surface, 49ers’ power structure is sound

      May 21, 2010 /

      The 49ers have announced that interim general manager Trent Baalke, who oversaw the team’s draft last month, has been named vice president of player personnel. Joel Patten, who was with the Rams and worked with Baalke in the Redskins’ organization, is now the new director of college scouting.

      Team president and CEO Jed York has made it clear that Baalke won’t have as much control over budget matters as former GM Scot McCloughan did, but that might be a good thing in the end.

      On paper, this is a structure that should work. Patten will have the opportunity to concentrate on the scouting, while Baalke can focus on draft day decisions and Singletary can control the roster. With notable exceptions like the Cowboys, Redskins and Bengals, most teams’ front offices are set up this way and it’s a system that seems to have success.

      That said, Baalke and Singletary have to constantly be on the same page in terms of personnel decisions or else the entire structure will fall apart. Everyone saw what happened in Oakland when Lane Kiffin couldn’t get along with Al Davis (or more specially, the decisions Al made on draft day) and while the 49ers aren’t the circus that the Raiders are, they could be if the marriage between Baalke and Singletary doesn’t pan out. Hopefully San Fran never has to worry about that though.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

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