Tag: Anthony Stalter (Page 112 of 133)

Would the Lions be interested in Haynesworth?

According to NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora, the Redskins are willing to “unload” defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth after unsuccessfully trying to trade him to Philadelphia as part of the Donovan McNabb deal. Apparently, Haynesworth didn’t make a good impression on new head coach Mike Shanahan, so the Redskins are ready to part ways with the massive DT, even though he just signed a seven-year, $100 million deal with Washington in 2009.

Canfora writes that several executives believe the best and most likely option for Haynesworth is Tennessee, “where he played his best football and where he remains close with defensive line coach Jim Washburn.” The problem is that Haynesworth signed for $42 million in guaranteed money and other teams will be hesitant to put a bullet in their financial situation in order to acquire him. (Apparently other owners aren’t like Daniel Snyder, who gives away money like it’s Skittles.)

While a return to Tennessee does make sense, I wonder why Canfora didn’t mention Detroit as another possible landing spot for Haynesworth. Lions’ head coach Jim Schwartz built his defense around Haynesworth in Tennessee and Detroit needs a DT seeing as how they’ve been linked to Ndamukong Suh at No. 2 in this month’s draft. If they acquired Haynesworth, then they could use their first round pick to address their need at offensive tackle.

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What’s next for Campbell and Clausen now that McNabb deal is done?

Donovan McNabb wasn’t the only quarterback affected by Easter Sunday’s trade between the Eagles and Redskins, as Jason Campbell has now lost his starting job and Notre Dame prospect Jimmy Clausen could freefall in this month’s draft.

There’s no doubt that the Redskins will look to move Campbell this offseason, but the question is whether or not they’d be willing to take a mid-round pick for him. Obviously teams know that with McNabb now on board, Campbell is expendable. The Redskins would be fooling themselves if they believed they could recoup the second round pick they gave to Philadelphia and should be willing to take a mid-rounder (a third, fourth or even a fifth round selection) just to get something in return for an unhappy Campbell.

What teams would be interested in Campbell? The Rams, Raiders and Bills all need quarterbacks and depending on whether or not Mike Holmgren believes Campbell could be a long-term fit in Cleveland, the Browns might be interested as well. Campbell spent the last couple seasons in the West Coast Offense, so the Browns make sense (even though they added Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace this offseason), but again, only if Holmgren sees him as a long-term solution and as of right now, there’s nothing to suggest that he does. And with the Rams presumably set to take Sam Bradford at No. 1, which leaves the Raiders and Bills as the most likely trade suitors when it comes to Campbell.

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Donovan McNabb traded to Redskins for two draft picks

In a deal that will not only shake up the dynamics in the NFC East but also this month’s draft, ESPN is reporting that the Eagles have traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins in exchange for Washington’s second round pick this year and either a third or fourth round pick in 2011.

It’s unclear at this point whether the Redskins are working on extending McNabb’s contract, which expires at the end of the 2010 season. If he were traded, McNabb said that he wanted to play for a contender and considering he’s familiar with the NFC East, he might be comfortable finishing his career in Washington. He may also relish playing the Eagles twice a year, too.

It’s a little perplexing why the Eagles would trade him within the division – especially given the importance of McNabb’s position. There’s an unwritten rule that states that teams shouldn’t trade within their division because it could wind up haunting them in the long run. But maybe this was the best deal Philadelphia was offered and they jumped on it before the opportunity passed them by.

Now that the Redskins have their starting quarterback, what happens to Jason Campbell? The Skins will likely try to trade him, but they might not find many suitors considering other teams now know Washington doesn’t need him. Still, if they can get a mid round pick for Campbell, it would be better than releasing him and getting nothing in return. (Or keeping an unhappy Campbell on the roster.)

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Five new playoff contenders for the 2010 MLB season

While some enthusiasts will argue otherwise, there’s usually not a lot of change from one year to the next in baseball. Most pundits expect the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Angels, Cardinals, Twins, Dodgers and Rockies (all eight teams that made the playoffs in 2009) to be good again this year. MLB isn’t like the NFL where teams make unexpected playoff runs every year.

That said, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of sleepers to watch out for in 2010. Below are five clubs that didn’t make the postseason last year that have the best odds (in my estimation) of making the playoffs this season.

1. Chicago White Sox
If you read the 2010 MLB season preview, you’re not surprised to see the White Sox at the top of this list. As long as Jake Peavy stays healthy, Chicago arguably has the best starting rotation one through five in the American League. (Boston fans may argue otherwise, but Boston fans can also shove off…just kidding…although not really.) But the key to the Chi Sox’s success this season lies in their offense. Yes, I’m banking on veterans Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, Mark Teahen, Paul Konerko and Mark Kotsay to have productive years and yes, that may be asking a lot. But Gordon Beckham looks like a star in the making and the addition of Juan Pierre gives the Sox a solid leadoff hitter. I’m well aware that Chicago could finish third in a three-team race in the AL Central, but their pitching is going to keep them competitive all season and I’m willing to bet that their offense won’t be as bad as many believe.

2. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have all the pieces in place to not only compete for the AL Wild Card, but also unseat the Angels in the AL West. Along with Felix Hernandez, the acquisition of Cliff Lee now gives Seattle the best 1-2 punch in the American League outside of Boston’s Josh Beckett and John Lackey. The problem is that the lineup lacks major punch. Chone Figgins and Ichiro give the M’s quality bats at the top of the order, but can this team score enough runs on a nightly basis? The club has been built on pitching and defense but if they want to make the postseason, the Mariners will have to prove that they can overcome a powerless lineup.

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Dolphins’ interest in Dez Bryant heating up

After dealing with Keyshawn Johnson and Terrell Owens at separate times throughout his coaching career, one would think that Bill Parcells would pass on taking another receiver with diva potential. But the Dolphins’ interest for Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant continues to grow.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Bryant is in Miami for a visit with Parcells, after he was already wined and dined by head coach Tony Sparano and GM Jeff Ireland. Granted, the visit could wind up being a smokescreen by the Dolphins, but why would Parcells go as far as to meet with him if the team wasn’t truly interested?

Many draft pundits believe that Bryant will still be on the board when the Dolphins select at No. 12. But there’s a possibility that the Jaguars (No. 10) and the Broncos (No. 11) could snag him before he reaches Miami, as could the Raiders at No. 8 if Al Davis is feeling frisky again for a receiver.

That said, if Bryant is there at No. 12, there’s no doubt the Dolphins could use a receiver with No. 1 potential. Miami has all but completely given up on Ted Ginn Jr. and while the team did draft USC’s Patrick Turner and Ohio State’s Brian Hartline last year, neither is expected to develop into a true No. 1 for quarterback Chad Henne.

We’ll continue to track the Bryant-Dolphins connection leading up to the draft.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

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