Tag: Anthony Stalter (Page 103 of 133)

      Albert Haynesworth starting to irk teammates

      May 10, 2010 /

      Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder signed Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million contract in February of last year. It was the biggest payday for a defender in league history and so far, Snyder has undoubtedly not gotten what he paid for.

      But then again, Snyder is used to not getting what he paid for when it comes to signing free agents. It’s Haynesworth’s teammates that have been affected the most by his salty attitude this offseason, which includes him being a no-show at voluntary camp this past weekend.

      For the first time this offseason, some of the Redskin players are starting to show their frustration with Haynesworth. In a recent column by Mike Wise of the Washington Post, several of Haynesworth’s teammates spoke out about his absence at camp.

      “From what I’m told, he can play the end spot,” Daniels said. “I’ve called him and told him that. The thing is, we have 100 percent participation if he is here. It’s now 99. He’s got to be here.”

      “There is no room for negotiation at 4-12,” he added, speaking of the team’s woeful record last season. “I’m here, [London] Fletcher’s here, everybody’s here,” Daniels added. “He’s got to understand that. We need him to come here, be here and show these young guys that the veterans have bought in and that we want to win games.”

      “It says this is voluntary, but for us, what we went through last season after a 4-12 season, it’s mandatory,” Daniels said. “He should definitely be here. And it’s a shame he’s not.”

      While his teammates aren’t necessarily bashing him, their message is clear: Haynesworth needs to get his large frame to camp so that he and the rest of the Redskins can be on the same page heading into the season. If he’s not, then he’s not only hurting himself, but the entire team as well.

      Some have suggested that Haynesworth has a right to be angry. After all, when he signed his $100 million contract, the Redskins were playing the 4-3 – the defensive scheme that he prefers.

      But isn’t that the point? It shouldn’t be about what he prefers – it should be about what’s best for the team. Mike Shanahan has more than enough wins in this league to have proven that he knows what he’s doing and should be trusted. Haynesworth is proving that he’s a selfish player and if he wants to change that perception, then he needs to grow up and start earning his paycheck both as a player and as a teammate.

      External Sports, NFL

      Should Colts take a flier on JaMarcus Russell?

      May 10, 2010 /

      In his recent “2 Minute Blitz” video, Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz suggests that the Colts should take a chance on JaMarcus Russell. Kravitz lists the lack of options that the team has behind Peyton Manning and the possibility of Russell “seeing the light” while learning in a great organization as some of the reasons why the former No. 1 overall pick would be a fit in Indy.

      On the surface, the idea isn’t as far-fetched as some may think. Curtis Painter did nothing in his limited time last year to suggest that he could be a capable backup for Manning, nonetheless someone that the Colts could actually count on to win a came if Peyton were ever to get injured. (Throw on game film of Painter’s effort against the Jets last year if you disagree.) Plus, Manning and Russell are polar opposites, so maybe JaMarcabust could learn something from the hardest working quarterback in the game.

      That said, I’m one who believes that Russell will never get it. I think he wanted to parlay his junior season at LSU into a big payday in the NFL and that’s exactly what he did. With the backing of Al Davis, I think he knew he could do whatever he wanted and the checks were still going to come in the mail. I don’t think he wants it, nor do I think he ever will want it.

      If the Colts did sign him, I wouldn’t pooh-pooh their decision because Russell could stand to learn a lot from Manning. He needs to be in that kind of structured environment if he ever has a shot to make it in the NFL. In fact, Indianapolis might just be the best spot for him.

      But at the end of the day, a person can be in the right situation and still not change for the better. It would be up to Russell to make fundamental changes to improve his work ethic and I just don’t think he has the will, desire or dedication to do that.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Should the Broncos trade Kyle Orton?

      May 10, 2010 /

      Before trading three picks in order to select Tim Tebow in the first round of last April’s draft, the Broncos acquired Brady Quinn in a trade with the Browns and already had veteran Kyle Orton and developmental quarterback Tom Brandstater on the roster. With all four of the signal callers listed on its depth chart, Denver now has a freaking mess surplus at the position.

      The most likely scenario is that Orton will be the starter this year, while Quinn serves as his backup. Tebow will probably be worked into the offense in specialty packages and Brandstater will likely spend most of the season on the practice squad. Then, once Orton’s contract expires at the end of the year, Quinn and Tebow will battle for the starting job in 2011, while Brandstater assumes the No. 3 role.

      But what if the Broncos shook things up right now? What if the team traded Orton and then Quinn, whom Josh McDaniels and his staff think very highly of, started? That would mean that Tebow would get more reps in practice (it’s easier for teams to give players more reps if they’re the backup than the No. 3) and the Broncos also wouldn’t have to worry about possibly losing Brandstater to another team. (Other teams can sign taxi squad players at will, as long as they put them on the active roster.)

      As Woody Paige of the Denver Post writes, Orton isn’t the long-term answer in Denver. He merely serves as a bridge between now and whenever Tebow is ready to start, so why not trade him now? Quinn might not give the Broncos the best chance of winning, but it’s not like Orton is Peyton Manning.

      McDaniels and the Broncos made it clear on the opening night of the draft that Tebow was their future. Seeing as how they traded for Quinn (who has starting experience, mind you), it might not be a bad idea for them to deal Orton if they can find any suitors. He’s going to leave after the season anyway, so it’s worth it for Denver to get compensation for him now if they can.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Should Cushing be stripped of his ROY award?

      May 10, 2010 /

      Brian Cushing claims that it wasn’t steroids that caused him to fail a positive drug test last September. He’s not saying what it was exactly and unless he confesses, we may never know the real reason why he was suspended for four games next season.

      But either way, he did take something and whatever it was, it may cause him to lose his 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award according to AP advisor Dave Goldberg.

      Per Goldberg, the AP may hold a re-vote for the award in light of Cushing’s failed drug test. If there is a re-vote and Cushing loses, then Bills’ safety Jarius Byrd would likely be given the trophy seeing as how he finished second in the voting last year.

      But would that be fair? What if Cushing accidentally took a supplement that contained something that was banned by the NFL? In other words, what if it wasn’t steroids? Have you ever seen the list of substances that are banned by the league? Players can’t even take cough medicine without having it approved by a team doctor or trainer. So while we can speculate all we want about what Cushing took, there’s a possibility that he will lose his ROY award (not to mention incentives based on rookie-year accomplishments) over something minor.

      That said, if he was suspended for steroids, then there’s a strong argument to be made that he should lose the award. After all, if he knew back in September that he had failed the test and played virtually the entire season knowing that he’d eventually be suspended, then maybe he should be stripped of the award. Some fans want all of the records during baseball’s steroid era to be stricken from the books, so why shouldn’t Cushing lose his award too? Cheating is cheating.

      Personally, if Cushing was caught using steroids, then Byrd should be the rightful winner of the award in my eyes. But if Cushing used a supplement that could be bought over the counter by any one of us at GNC, then I’m sorry, but I think the award should stay with him. The league is already punishing him with the four-game suspension, so that should be enough if he was simply careless about checking with a team doctor before using a potentially banned substance. Why take his hard-earned award away too?


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Will this be Lewis’ last year in Cincinnati?

      May 10, 2010 /

      Chick Ludwig of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote an interesting piece today about head coach Marvin Lewis’ future with the Bengals. With Lewis’ contract expiring at the end of the year, Ludwig predicts that the head coach will be gone after the 2010 season.

      But Ludwig’s reasoning is perplexing. He writes that since Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Paul Brown only coached the Bengals for eight seasons, that his son (and owner) Mike Brown won’t allow Lewis to coach behind that time span. (Lewis is heading into his eighth year with the Bengals.)

      If that’s true, then the Bengals are more screwed up organizationally than I originally thought. The idea makes sense on the surface, but allowing a good coach’s contract to expire because you don’t want to see his tenure go longer than your dad’s is ridiculous. I realize Lewis has yet to win a playoff game in Cincinnati, but considering the situations that the front office puts him in sometimes in regards to personnel, I think he’s done a decent job. He will likely have suitors ready and willing to hire him if he isn’t re-signed by the Bengals, which is a testament to him as a coach.

      I just don’t understand the thought process of not re-signing a coach other than he simply couldn’t get the job done on the field. If they decide not to retain him because they don’t like the direction that the team is heading in or feel as though things are getting stagnant that’s fine, but don’t let him walk because of the number of years he has been there.

      Of course, these are the Bengals that we’re talking about here. Everyone likes to bash Al Davis for making stupid decisions, but Mike Brown is right behind him in that category. So I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Bengals do allow Lewis to walk for reasons outside of his win/loss record.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

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