Category: NFL (Page 64 of 1282)

      Report: Browns inquired about Rams’ Sam Bradford

      March 28, 2012 /

      ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi reported earlier today that the Browns inquired about a trade for Sam Bradford before eventually attempting, and failing, to acquire the No. 2 overall pick.

      The Browns asked the Rams about trading for quarterback Sam Bradford before turning their attention to Robert Griffin III, sources said at NFL meetings this week.

      The Rams said no.

      “His name came up, not from us,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday morning. “Clubs inquired. But there was no consideration whatsoever on our part (to trade Bradford).”

      Fisher would not confirm the Browns were one of the teams.

      “I prefer not to get into specifics about the conversations. I can say there were teams that inquired,” Fisher said.

      This would be the second time the Browns tried to snatch Bradford. Prior to the 2010 draft, President Mike Holmgren made a last-ditch offer to move up from No. 7 to No. 1. The Rams – under a different regime – held the top pick and wouldn’t budge.

      In a text response, Shurmur declined to comment on whether the Browns tried to trade for Bradford.

      I think it’s a little odd that both Fisher and Shurmur either denied or declined to talk about whether or not the Browns tried to trade for Bradford and yet Grossi still wrote, “The Browns asked the Rams about trading for quarterback Sam Bradford,” in the first sentence of his article. I don’t doubt that Grossi has other sources but it’s funny how both head coaches washed their hands of the report and Grossi ran with it anyway.

      But I digress. I’m not surprised to hear that the Browns allegedly tried to trade for Bradford this offseason. He and Shurmur had success working together in St. Louis two years ago and he’s a perfect fit for what Cleveland is trying to do offensively. But while I’m not surprised that the Browns inquired about Bradford, I’m even less surprised that the Rams turned them down.

      Bradford is coming off a bad season but he has the makings to become a great quarterback under the right tutelage. His rookie year was comparable to Matt Ryan and Dan Marino’s first seasons (at least statistically) and he has the intangibles to develop nicely under Fisher (who must see Bradford’s potential or else he would have traded him when he had the opportunity). Last year Bradford tried to learn a complicated Josh McDaniels offense in a lockout-shortened offseason and wound up getting hurt under the Rams’ shoddy protection. I’m more inclined to think that 2011 was the aberration and not 2010.

      What’s interesting to me about Grossi’s report is whether or not Mike Holmgren has tipped his draft hand here. He’s allegedly made two attempts this offseason to try and upgrade the Browns’ quarterback situation so does that mean that Cleveland will take Ryan Tannehill at No. 4? That seems too high for Tannehill but hey, it’s the NFL draft – you just never know.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Don’t buy what Irsay is selling – Luck will be the No. 1 pick.

      March 27, 2012 /

      Colts owner Jim Irsay said on Tuesday that it isn’t a foregone conclusion that his team will take Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft. Irsay also suggested that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are in fact real, and Tiger Woods is a virgin.

      Here’s what Irsay said: “It’s up in the air. We have to look at this thing completely open-minded. You have two outstanding athletes, two great pure passers, two great guys from families that are incredible.”

      Every year around this time an owner, general manager, head coach, or talking head from the media reports that the sure-thing-No.1-overall-pick isn’t such a sure thing at all. I remember last year the Panthers weren’t going to take Cam Newton because they wanted to upgrade their defense. Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson, and even Da’Quan Bowers were thrown around as potential choices for Carolina at No. 1. But when the rubber met the road, the Panthers took the obvious choice in Newton.

      And so will Irsay and the Colts. (The obvious choice, that is – not Newton.) Irsay is right when he says that Luck and RGIII are two outstanding athletes and two pure passers. But Luck has been a slam-dunk to the Colts for months now and outside of the Stanford QB opting to join the Peace Corps or something, he’ll hold a blue and white No. 1 Indianapolis jersey come April 26.

      That said, even though I don’t believe a word of what Irsay is saying, by no means do I think he’s going about this situation the wrong way. Even if what you’re going to do is already a foregone conclusion, you still don’t tip your hand when it comes to the draft. Ever. Outside of hammering out a contract with Luck to ensure that he gets to camp on time, there’s no benefit for the Colts to announce their intentions at No. 1. And now that the NFL has a rookie salary structure, the negotiation process has become simplified, so the Colts have less to worry about when it comes to being able to sign Luck.

      Thus, if you’re Irsay, why not give the Redskins and other teams something to think about by suggesting that Luck won’t be your pick? It’s a benefit to keep everyone else on the back of their heels.

      But again, Andrew Luck will be an Indianapolis Colt come next month. I don’t care what Jim Irsay is saying right now.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Bill Parcells would be the ultimate coup for the Saints

      March 26, 2012 /

      Leave it to Sean Payton to call the right audible at the line of scrimmage to put the Saints into scoring position.

      Roger Goodell is trying to punish the Saints for their “bounty program” and Payton is about to turn the entire situation into a positive for his team. How so? ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported earlier today that Payton has approached Bill Parcells about coaching the Saints during his year-long suspension, which starts April 1. While the NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora considers a Parcells-Saints union “unlikely,” FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reports that Payton will meet with Parcells this week. Parcells has been out of the league since 2006, but he’s known as one of the best talent evaluators the NFL has ever seen.

      Parcells and a ready-made Super Bowl contender? So much for being punished.
      In Parcells, not only would the Saints land a Super Bowl-winning head coach to fill in for Payton, but they’d also have a tremendous talent evaluator study their roster for a year. If you’re a musician, that would be like having Mozart playing your songs while simultaneously giving you helpful hints to improve your music for years to come.

      While there are probably a number of hurdles that the Saints would have to jump to bring Parcells in, it seems like a great fit for both sides. After all, Parcells’ skin starts to crawl if he’s in one place too long, so knowing that this is just a one-year stint he could try to win one more Super Bowl before calling it quits for good. Hey, why not if you’re him? He’s one of those guys that need to stay busy and he’s constantly looking for the next big thing.

      That next big thing could be the New Orleans Saints, who would essentially cancel out the punishment that was levied by Goodell last week if they can land the “Big Tuna.”

      External Sports, NFL

      Saints claim they’re not getting rid of Vilma but their actions say otherwise

      March 25, 2012 /

      Mickey Loomis says that middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma is “still
      a big part of our team,”       but the Saints’ latest signing would suggest that the GM is blowing smoke.

      The Saints signed free agent middle linebacker Curtis Lofton to a five-year deal on Saturday night and while the financial terms have yet to be released, chances are the former Falcon is being paid like a starter. (After all, he was the defensive captain for the past four years in Atlanta.)

      My point is that the Saints didn’t sign him as an insurance policy for Vilma, or for emergency starts. Some have suggested that new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could use Lofton on the outside, but that’s a dangerous proposition for the Saints. L0fton is a solid two-down “thumper” in the middle of a 4-3 and that’s where he needs to play in order to be successful. Granted, he has improved his coverage skills since his rookie year in ‘08, but pass defense will never be one of his strengths. Thus, to expect him to hang with tight ends and running backs as a strong-side ‘backer isn’t a realistic option. (To strengthen my point, let me point out that the Falcons have been re-signing their own players left and right this offseason and yet decided to let Lofton walk. That’s because they plan to play more nickel under new DC Mike Nolan and thus, Lofton wasn’t worth the money to essentially be a two-down run-stuffer.)

      Which leads me back to Vilma. Despite what Loomis says, there’s still a very good chance that Vilma has played his final down in New Orleans. The Saints will probably wait until they know the severity of his punishment for his involvement in the team’s “bounty program” before they do anything. But I doubt we’ll see Vilma and Lofton lining up in the same linebacker corps next season.

      If Vilma is suspended for half the season, the Saints could try to trade him for a late round pick. I doubt another team would bite with Lofton already on the roster, but it’s worth it for the Saints to try and see. And if he’s only suspended four games, Vilma’s trade value obviously goes up, so there’s no reason to release him now.

      But either way, Lofton is the team’s long-term answer at middle linebacker. Don’t let the Saints fool you into thinking otherwise.

      External Sports, NFL

      Jets wise to create competition for Mark Sanchez

      March 24, 2012 /

      Tim Tebow might not be able to hit the ocean if he threw a rock while standing on shore. But he certainly serves a purpose for the New York Jets.

      Some have criticized the Jets for parting with 2012 fourth and sixth round picks to acquire a quarterback in Tebow, who isn’t really a quarterback at all. From a passing efficiency standpoint, Tebow ranked among the league’s worst passers in 2011 at ProFootballFocus.com. But the Jets don’t need him to be Peyton Manning to benefit from the trade. In fact, they’re already benefiting from the deal.

      The Jets made a mistake by signing Mark Sanchez to a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension last week. The guy hasn’t earned an extension and given his current skill set, he’s not likely to live up to the contract. But at least the Jets didn’t compound the mistake by not finding a backup that wants to compete for the starting job.

      Tebow wants to start and if this New York Daily News report is accurate, he believes he can unseat Sanchez as the starter. He’ll push Sanchez from the start, which is something Sanchez has yet to experience since he was drafted in 2009. Even someone lacking in as much self confidence as Sanchez knew that Mark Brunell wasn’t a serious threat to take his job. But Tebow, who despite his lack of passing skills, proved that he can win last year. And the moment he arrives in the Big Apple he’ll put his hand on Sanchez’s shoulder and say, “I’m going to be right here, kind sir.”

      No, Tebow isn’t a good passer and he may never become one. But his arrival to New York means that Sanchez will be pushed like he’s never been pushed before. Competition in general is a good thing in sports, and Sanchez is about to receive his stiffest challenge since entering the league. Take Tebow’s lack of quarterback skills out the picture and the Jets did well here.

      External Sports, NFL

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