Category: NFL (Page 693 of 1282)

      NFL draft will now be a three-day event

      July 24, 2009 /

      In one of the dumber moves in Roger Goodell’s tenure as NFL commissioner, the draft will now be a three-day event.

      The 2010 NFL Draft will now start on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and only the first round will be held on that day. The second and third rounds will resume on Friday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. and Rounds 4-7 will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

      “We continue to look for ways to make the draft more accessible to more fans,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Moving the first round to prime time on Thursday night will make the first round of the draft available to fans on what is typically the most-watched night of television.”

      I get what Goodell is trying to do. The first round is what most people care about, so he’s trying to get maximize the number of viewers he can attain for that round by having it on a popular TV night.

      That’s fine, but the draft to me is about getting together with a bunch of buddies on the weekend, kicking a few back and gushing (more like ranting on most occasions) over who our favorite teams selected. Two years ago you could kill a Saturday watching the first three rounds and making it into a big event. Now I feel that Goodell is turning the draft into the Emmys with having the first round be on a Thursday night and then kicking the other rounds to the side by having it on Friday night and Saturday morning.

      Maybe it’s just me and I’m making a bigger deal out of this than I should be. But I hate the thought of not being able to get up on a Saturday morning all pumped up for the first two rounds of the draft.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Report: Vick to be suspended four games for 2009 season

      July 23, 2009 /

      According to a report by ESPN.com, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to suspend Michael Vick for four games of the 2009 season, but said the free agent quarterback is free to sign with any team and can attend training camp. ESPN states that Goodell is expected to wait until early next week before officially announcing the decision.

      So much for some folks thinking that Vick was going to be suspended for eight or even 16 full games this season. Everyone has the right to have their own opinion on whether or not Goodell let Vick off easy, but don’t forget that the former Falcon has already spent 23 months in jail, which is something Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson never did before serving their suspensions from the commissioner.

      Now the waiting game for Vick begins. Which team will ultimately decide to sign Vick and all of his baggage? Will he even be signed? To some, it’s already a foregone conclusion that some team will take a flier on him, but don’t forget that with signing Vick, a team also opens the door to immense criticism from their fan base, not too mention the media attention that inevitable circus that will follow him once he’s signed.

      Personally, I still like the Raiders, Seahawks or 49ers as his possible landing spots. The Raiders because Al Davis is clinically insane (he has to be right?) and could care less about what people think. The Seahawks because new head coach Jim Mora personally held Vick’s jock strap for him on the sidelines when he was in Atlanta. And the 49ers because if there’s one person that could truly help Vick turn his life around, I think it’s Mike Singletary. (Oh, and because Shaun Hill is expected to start at quarterback for San Fran…not that he’s not good…eeeh.)

      NFL

      Surprises and Busts: Trying to predict the unpredictable in fantasy football

      July 23, 2009 /

      Most fantasy owners draft a running back in the first round and oftentimes their season depends on how that player fares. If he misses a few games with an injury and is bothered by it for a few more, his production will suffer and it will put his fantasy team in a tough spot. This can be offset if his owner is savvy enough to draft one of the “surprise” backs that inevitably crash the top 10 every season.

      But how does one pluck one of these backs out of the middle rounds? Better yet, how can we avoid drafting an early round bust in the first place?

      As a forewarning, this is not a tight article. I ponder, deliberate and meander as I go along. Trying to predict the future is nebulous at best and futile at worst, so please bear with me as I muddle my way through this topic.

      Here’s a list of the top RBs from 2008…

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      ESPN: Favre conflicted about whether or not to play this season

      July 23, 2009 /

      Here’s a shocker: Brett Favre is unsure about something.

      According to a report by ESPN.com’s Ed Werder, Favre is conflicted about whether or not to play this season.

      With Minnesota Vikings players scheduled to report to training camp in less than a week, Brett Favre remains anguished about whether he should come out of retirement and join the team. That decision, according to sources, has become more difficult in recent days because of the efforts of Vikings players including Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen and Steve Hutchinson, all of whom have now begun calling and texting Favre in an attempt to convince him to become Minnesota’s starting quarterback.

      “If it weren’t for the involvement of the Vikings players directly telling Brett they want him on their team, I think he might have already decided against playing again,” a source said.

      A source said that Favre is beginning to feel a sense of obligation, not only to Vikings players but to a coaching staff that has been recruiting him since the moment the New York Jets released him in April. According to sources, Favre has been communicating regularly with Vikings head coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who was Favre’s offensive coordinator in Green Bay for three seasons.

      Money is not an issue, as a source says that Favre and the Vikings have negotiated a one-year contract worth approximately $10 million. But the quarterback has not decided whether to sign it.
      What seems unresolved in Favre’s mind is whether, at age 39, he can reasonably expect to be healthy enough to play 16-plus games for the Vikings while maintaining the standard of performance he expects of himself.

      Hey Brett, do you want to play or not? You’re 39 years old – of course there’s a chance you might not be able to make it through an entire season. You didn’t technically make it through last season as you essentially had your biceps duct taped to your arm for the final couple weeks of the year. But again, do you want to play or not?

      Favre shouldn’t feel like he has an obligation to the Vikings to play this season because ultimately, it’s his decision. But he does have an obligation to the Vikings to make a damn decision one way or another, especially considering we’re in late July now and not April. Minnesota has been patient this entire time with Brett, so he needs to make a decision so the Vikes can move on either with or without him.

      He said he was going to make a decision by July 30. Then he said he should know by this Friday. All indications were that he was going to tell the Vikings yes, now he’s conflicted. It never ceases to amaze me how this guy can draw every last bit of drama out of a situation both for the good and the bad.

      NFL

      Ravens optimistic Mason won’t retire

      July 23, 2009 /

      Even though it appeared a week ago that he had made his final decision, the Ravens remain optimistic that wide receiver Derrick Mason won’t retire.

      After speaking with Mason on the phone Tuesday night, Harbaugh maintained hope that Mason would have a change of heart soon after the start of training camp next week.

      “I think it’s real honorable what he’s doing in the sense that it would be easy for a guy to just come in and go through the motions. Derrick does not want to go through the motions,” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “He wants to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind to compete at the level he’s competed at his whole career, which is a warrior-type level.

      “He’s ready physically. He’s in good shape and he’s healthy. He just wants to decide if he’s mentally ready,” Harbaugh said. “It’s really open right now. I’m optimistic and hopeful that he’ll be there, but if he’s not there, we’ll be support and respect his decision either way.”

      This just shows how thin (and desperate for that matter) the Ravens are at receiver. Mason had a solid season last year (80 receptions, 1,037 yards, 5 TDs) and has always been productive, but one would think that a team wouldn’t be too broken up about losing a 35-year-old receiver coming off shoulder surgery.

      But then you look at Baltimore’s depth chart and understand why. The Ravens have a good young quarterback in Joe Flacco and a solid running game thanks to the trio of Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain. But their top three receivers (Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams and Yamon Figurs) are severely lacking in playmaking ability so they either need Mason to play or they need to get creative and go after a guy like Anquan Boldin.

      NFL

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