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Category: NFL (Page 987 of 1282)
Rotoworld.com (via WEEI) is reporting that New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady might have a broken bone in his foot.
WEEI in Boston says that they are “hearing” that people familiar with an MRI taken on Tom Brady’s foot says there is a crack in Brady’s foot.
Before everyone gets excited, consider that the radio hosts admit in the preamble that they have no way to confirm that the news is remotely true and that it’s third-hand information. Then they also point out Brady will play this week and if the Patriots were more concerned, they would have signed another veteran quarterback. Another foot injury is a concern for Brady, but a salacious “report” on WEEI isn’t.
I too agree that nobody should get crazy with assumptions regarding Brady’s possible injury. And like the radio hosts on WEEI said, it’s easier to break into Fort Knox than it is to get injury information out of Bill Belichick and the Patriots, so drawing conclusions on this would be silly.
But usually when there’s smoke, there’s fire, so something tells me this story might grow some legs.
After bolstering their backfield by signing former Bengals running back Rudi Johnson, the Detroit Lions informed Tatum Bell of his release. Shortly after that, Johnson informed Matt Millen that someone had made off with his bags:
Johnson left his bags outside CEO Matt Millen’s office while he met with team officials and, ultimately, worked out a deal with the team.
So when Johnson came back to get his bags, they were nowhere to be found. Johnson and Millen were stumped.
Enter the eye in the sky.
The team checked the videotapes generated by the team’s in-house surveillance system, and they quickly identified the culprit.
So who might it have been? None other than Tatum Bell, who lost his gig with the Lions after Rudi arrived.
Per the source, Bell took the bags to the house of a female acquaintance. When confronted on the matter, Bell offered up some cockamamie story that he thought the bags belonged to someone he knew. The girl, however, said that she hadn’t seen Bell in several months and he showed up out of the blue and asked her to keep the bags for a while.
Johnson eventually retrieved his bags and, reportedly, charges were not filed.
Times are undoubtedly tough for Bell right now. Jobless and with a reputedly poor work ethic, it may be quite some time before he lands another NFL gig. He was understandably desperate. And pissed. But the silver lining here is that Bell solidified his legacy with this one brilliant decision. He’ll no longer be remembered as an over-hyped, underachieving fumbler. Now, he’s the guy who stole Rudi Johnson’s luggage. How sweet is that?
Meanwhile, Lions fans should be grateful that Rudi didn’t have to pursue Bell on foot, since recent history suggests his hammy wouldn’t have survived the chase. In which case the Lions may have once again been in the market for a running back, and since Tatum Bell already knows the system….
In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I break down the Buffalo Bills and their promising linebacker corps.
When the Buffalo Bills drafted Paul Posluszny in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, they had hoped they found their middle linebacker of the future. After averaging over 8.5 tackles in his first three games as a rookie, Posluszny was making the Bills’ hopes turn into reality.
But in late September, Posluszny went down with a broken forearm and missed the rest of the 2007 season. Fellow ‘backer Angelo Crowell suffered a similar fate last year, tearing a triceps muscle in the final game of the season.
With both Posluszny and Crowell on the mend, as well as adding productive free agent Kawika Mitchell formerly of the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, the Bills’ linebacker corps appears to be the strength of their defense heading into 2008.
Even though he only played in three games as a rookie, many believe that Posluszny is on the cusp of a breakout season. He’s not the most athletic linebacker in the league, but he’s physical at the point of attack and plays with a mean streak.
The same can be said for Crowell, who is perhaps the most underrated linebacker in the AFC. Even though his main responsibilities are to stop the run, Crowell has also shown a knack for getting pressure on the quarterback and has shown above-average skills in pass coverage. In 2007, Crowell led Buffalo in tackles with 126 total stops.
Even though Mitchell might be a more natural fit at strong-side linebacker given his size (6’1”, 253 pounds), he should fit Buffalo’s defensive scheme well. Mitchell is fast, athletic and can be a sideline-to-sideline player.
While there is plenty to like about the Bills’ linebacker corps heading into 2008, obviously both Posluszny and Crowell have to stay healthy. Given that neither suffered an injury that would take a long recovery time (i.e. a knee injury), both should bounce back in ’08. While the Bills’ young offense will be a focal point in whether or not this team can make the playoffs this year, the defense is slowly starting to come together. And at the core of the unit is a talented trio at linebacker.
Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I’ll use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire of at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a player or two that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters.
QUARTERBACKS
Jeff Garcia (28.6) was QB19 last season, which isn’t great, but it’s solid enough to earn a roster spot. Plus, his early schedule is pretty easy and he doesn’t have a tough passing matchup until Week 7, when the Bucs face the Seahawks… Chad Pennington (13.2) leads a pretty bad Miami team that should be trailing most of the time. The Dolphins do have a decent running game and an up-and-coming receiver (Ted Ginn), so Pennington has a few weapons to work with… J.T. O’Sullivan (10.3) is worth a flier (and a roster spot) in bigger leagues just because of the upside of playing in Mike Martz’s offense… Joe Flacco (2.7) was just named the starter in Baltimore, so if you’re desperate at QB, at least he’s a starter.
RUNNING BACKS
Steve Slaton (28.1) is worth a roster spot in most leagues. Ahman Green is semi-healthy, but Slaton figures to see some time even with Green in the starting role. He’s speedy and slight, but if he earns a larger role, he can help fantasy owners… Andre Hall (9.8) should get some goal line carries since Selvin Young isn’t really built for short yardage work. Hall is a good way to make a small gamble on the Denver running game, which is always very productive. If Young falters, Hall is next in line… Antonio Pittman (1.4) is Steven Jackson’s backup, and with Jackson’s holdout, there’s a decent chance that he’ll miss some time with injury this season. Pittman stands to benefit the most if that were to happen.
WIDE RECEIVERS
DeSean Jackson (48.4), Vincent Jackson (47.9) and Ronald Curry (35.9) should all be rostered in most leagues. DeSean Jackson may not start, but Donovan McNabb likes to spread the ball around and Jackson has already earned a prominent role in the slot. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Chargers use V. Jackson. Is Chris Chambers truly WR1 in San Diego or will Jackson make a push this season? Ronald Curry is the best that JaMarcus Russell has to throw to in the Raider passing game… Eddie Royal (13.9) is a rookie, but he’s listed as the starter opposite Brandon Marshall, so he should have a productive season… Chris Henry (12.6) would become a solid WR2 (as solid as Henry can be, anyway) if Chad Johnson’s shoulder becomes a problem… Justin Gage (12.4) is a sleeper in bigger PPR leagues. He can make the tough catch in traffic and the Titans are hurting for playmakers in the passing game… The Eagles plan to start Hank Baskett (2.2) at split end, so he will have the opportunity to make a name for himself.
TIGHT END
L.J. Smith (25.0) isn’t getting much love this preseason, but when he’s healthy, he’s a top-flight backup and a borderline starter… Zach Miller (16.3) is athletic and has great hands. Given Oakland’s dearth of options in the passing game, JaMarcus Russell should look his way early and often… Dustin Keller (13.7) saw his stock rise with the arrival of Brett Favre, who loves to throw to his tight end. Keller isn’t physical, so he’ll probably be used as a receiver, especially around the goal line… Last time I checked, Desmond Clark (4.6) is still the starting tight end in Chicago, and given the Bears’ sketchy receiver corps, Clark may have the best hands of them all.
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