Tag: Anthony Stalter (Page 3 of 133)

      Three factors that could derail the Eagles in 2011

      August 9, 2011 /
      Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick leaves the field after the team lost to the Green Bay Packers in their NFC Wild Card NFL playoff football game in Philadelphia, January 9, 2011. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Word has it that the Eagles loaded up this offseason. BIG TIME.

      They added Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown, Anthony Hargrove and Vince Young to a roster that already included Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel. In other words: CHAMPIONSHIP!

      Following their huge offseason, there’s no doubt that the Eagles should be favored to win the NFC East, but let’s pump the breaks for a second and play devil’s advocate. Just like any team at this point of the year, they have question marks. Below are three factors I believe could make Philly fail to live up to the hype.

      (For those wondering why I didn’t include DeSean Jackson’s contract situation: I fully believe that the Eagles will pay D-JAX at some point, which is why I chose to focus on other factors.)

      1. Michael Vick
      Last season, Vick compiled career-highs in completion percentage, touchdowns and QB-rating, while posting a career-low in interceptions and interception percentage. Now let’s see if he can do it again. Talent has never been the issue with Vick – consistency has. When he set a then career-high for completion percentage in ‘04 with Atlanta, he regressed as a passer in ‘05 and ‘06. He’s also injury-prone and has a habit of forcing the action when his team is trailing in the fourth quarter and counting on him to make a play. (One example of this came in last year’s playoffs against the Packers in which he was picked off in the end zone on the Eagles’ final drive.)

      There’s no doubt Vick has matured as a player and a person. Prison and not being coddled by an owner (Arthur Blank) and head coach (Jim Mora) will do that for an athlete. But let’s see if Vick can put together back-to-back successful seasons before we anoint him a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. He has a habit of getting complacent in his situation, especially when he has nobody behind him to push him. Granted, Andy Reid is 10-times the coach Mora was, but it remains to be seen whether or not Vick will stay hungry for 16-plus games. Remember, he’s 2-3 as a starter in the playoffs and 0-3 in postseason games in Philly.

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      External Sports, NFL

      What exactly is Osi Umenyiora’s game plan?

      August 5, 2011 /
      Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman is hit by New York Giants Osi Umenyiora during second half of their NFL football game in Landover, Maryland January 2, 2011. The Giants failed to make the playoffs due to the Green Bay Packers victory over the Chicago Bears. REUTERS/Molly Riley (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Are Braylon Edwards and Osi Umenyiora in a competition to see which one could destroy his own value more? Because if so, there’s some major sister-kissing going on, although Umenyiora is threatening to take the lead.

      Umenyiora, who is pissed at the Giants for not giving him a new contract or trading him to a team that will, is now claiming that he is sitting out of practice due to a sore knee. But the story gets better because according to the Wall Street Journal, the injury may require surgery.

      Something tells me that if Umenyiora was traded to Seattle on Monday, his knee would be strong enough for him to do flips in training camp. But because he’s stuck in New York and those good-for-nothing Giants have the audacity to ask him to play out the remainder of his contract, all of a sudden his knee is bothering him.

      Either way, what he or his representatives don’t realize is that they’re sinking his trade value. He thinks he’s hurting the Giants with this stunt, but he’s actually hurting his overall goal, which is to be traded so that he can land a long-term contract.

      The Giants are cap-strapped right now. Whether they promised to pay Umenyiora like a top-5 defensive end or not is rather moot because they can’t pay him due to lack of cap room. Period, end of story.

      If Umenyiora wants to hold out in order to force the Giants’ hand in hopes that they’ll reduce their asking price of a first round pick, so be it. But the bottom line is that a) the Giants aren’t going to pay him more money because they can‘t, b) no team wanted him at the price of a first round pick and c) no team is going to want him period if he has to have surgery. Thus, if the goal for Umenyiora is to receive a long-term contract, faking a knee injury isn’t helping. In fact, it’s rather detrimental to his overall cause.

      If the Giants promised Umenyiora more money and they’re now reneging, then shame on them. But clearly no agreement was in writing and once again, the Giants can’t pay him because of they’re salary cap situation. So the smartest thing for Umenyiora to do is to avoid taking a shotgun to his own value. He has to remain attractive to other teams and the only way to do that is to stay healthy. Plus, the fact that the Giants don’t have any cap room is actually a bonus for Umenyiora because they may ultimately feel they need to trade him to free up money. (It’s not like they need the defensive end depth.)

      Umenyiora would benefit from going back to the drawing board and coming up with a new game plan. Because as the situation currently stands, he’s working backwards from his main goal.

      External Sports, NFL

      Braylon Edwards is single-handedly destroying is own value

      August 4, 2011 /
      New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards celebrates after he caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Mark Sanchez in the first half of their National Football League game against the Atlanta Falcons in East Rutherford, New Jersey, December 20, 2009. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Braylon Edwards is 6’3” and 214 pounds, he’s only 28 and has been to one Pro Bowl after racking up 80 receptions for 1,2890 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2007.

      Given those factoids, the current free agent should be in camp right now after signing a multi-year contract with one of the many wide receiver-needy teams in the NFL. But because he continues to prove that a career in football isn’t among his top priorities, he remains in NFL purgatory. And given this latest incident, he may be there a while.

      According to the Birmingham Eccentric, Edwards could end up facing legal trouble for his role in a fight that broke out at a bar in Michigan over the weekend. Apparently two members of his entourage assaulted bar employees with knives and forks and while Edwards wasn’t arrested, two of his cousins have been charged with felonious assault. The bar also claims that Edwards was involved and may have been an instigator.

      That sound you just heard was the incineration of any multi-year deal that Edwards was hoping to land this offseason.

      Now, let me cover my basis and be diplomatic for a second. Edwards wasn’t arrested, nor was he charged with committing a crime. And in this country, you’re thankfully innocent until proven guilty. Thus, Edwards is innocent at the moment.

      But this is also the same man who is already on probation in Cleveland after he reportedly punched a local party promoter in the face outside of a nightclub in 2009. In September of last year, Edwards was also arrested on a drunken driving charge in New York, so there’s a history here. At this point, he doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt from anyone.

      Teams were already concerned about his stone hands and his questionable desire. If he winds up being suspended because of this latest incident, Edwards will be lucky to accept a one-year deal at the veteran minimum. In fact, even if he isn’t charged with anything, this incident may be enough for teams to avoid him completely.

      I think it’s telling that the Jets were more willing to sign Plaxico Burress, who is five years older and is fresh out of prison, than Edwards this offseason.

      Update: Edwards has signed a one-year deal with the 49ers, but the contract is only for $1 million. He will receive $3.5 million if he catches 90 passes and makes the Pro Bowl.

      Again, considering he’s only 28 and has a Pro Bowl under his belt, $1 million is chump change. He done screwed up.

      External Sports, NFL

      Five potential landing spots for Giants DE Osi Umenyiora

      August 2, 2011 /
      New York Giants Osi Umenyiora reacts on the bench in the second half against the New York Jets in week 1 of the NFL Preseason at The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 16, 2010. UPI /John Angelillo

      At the start of the week, the Giants gave Osi Umenyiora permission to seek a trade but have since reneged on their decision. That has reportedly left the defensive end “fuming,” so it’s unclear what the next step is in this ongoing drama.

      But if he is eventually traded, here are five potential landing spots for Umenyiora, and why they may or may not be a fit for the 29-year-old.

      1. Seattle Seahawks
      ESPN’s John Clayton has already reported that Umenyiora wants to go to Seattle, so maybe if the Giants came down from their asking price of a first-round pick then he’ll get his wish. Perhaps the biggest weakness on Seattle’s defense is its cornerbacks, so it would be wise for Pistol Pete to load up on pass-rushers. That said, linebacker is a potential weakness as well so much like the Rams, the Hawks may not want to part with a future pick in order to address a position that’s not a huge need.

      2. Denver Broncos
      The Broncos won’t, nor should, give up a first round pick to acquire Umenyiora. They’re a rebuilding team and rebuilding teams don’t need to part with first round picks in exchange for soon-to-be 30-year-old defensive ends (even when they’re as good as Umenyiora). That said, if the Broncos could acquire him for a third round selection (I’m not saying they could), he would certainly be worth the price. Denver doesn’t know how quickly Elvis Dumervil will make an impact after missing all of 2010 with a pectoral injury and former first round pick Robert Ayers may not develop like the Broncos hope. There’s no doubt that Denver’s defense could use Umenyiora (what defense couldn’t?), but at what price?

      3. St. Louis Rams
      The Rams are the most logical fit for Umenyiora because his former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is the head coach. Under Spagnuolo’s guidance in 2007, Umenyiora racked up 13 sacks and a career-high five forced fumbles as the Giants went on to ruin the Patriots’ undefeated season. The problem is that the Rams have already invested first round selections in Chris Long and Robert Quinn, and James Hall is coming off an 11-sack season. While teams can never have too many quality pass-rushers, the Rams might not be willing to sacrifice a second or third-round pick to acquire Umenyiora when they have more pressing needs to address (i.e. defensive tackle).

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      External Sports, NFL

      Quick-Hits: The two players that cost the Rockies Ubaldo Jimenez

      August 1, 2011 /
      Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez waits on the mound just before being pulled from the game in the fourth inning of their MLB National League baseball game against the New York Mets in Denver May 12, 2011. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      In Monday’s Quick-Hits, I discuss the two players that cost the Rockies their ace, Randy Moss’s decision to retire, yet another perplexing decision by Giants general manager Brian Sabean, and Braylon Edwards’ shrinking market.

      – If Rockie fans are upset with the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, they might as well direct their anger at the club’s flubbed selections in the 2006 and 2007 MLB drafts. Colorado selected Greg Reynolds with the second overall pick in the ’06 and Casey Weathers with the eighth overall pick in ’07. Neither right-hander has developed and while there’s plenty of hope for LHP Tyler Matzek, he’s not projected to help the big league club until 2013. That’s why when GM Dan O’Dowd received an offer from the Indians of Alex White and Joe Gardner in exchange for Jimenez, the deal was too good to pass up. The Rockies aren’t rebuilding their farm system: they’re restocking. Granted, Jimenez may right the ship while White and Gardner fail in Colorado, which would obviously make O’Dowd look like a fool. But at the end of the day, this is a deal O’Dowd felt he had to make after blowing the first rounds in ’06 and ’07. He’s essentially trying to make up for past mistakes.

      – I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Randy Moss is now the posterchild for what not to do when you’re seeking a new contract in the NFL. Early last season, Moss whined about how the Patriots hadn’t discussed giving him a new contract. When New England told him to be patient, he pouted even more and became a distraction. Worst of all, he stopped playing hard, which is always a fast ticket out of New England with Bill Belichick running things. So he winds up in Minnesota, where he’s a distraction there, too. Finally he lands in Tennessee, where the coaching staff apparently realized that he was done as an NFL-caliber receiver. And now? Instead of continuing his career as a role player, he has decided to retire. Moss has been one hell of a player. He ranks eighth in career receptions, fifth in receiving yards and second only to Jerry Rice in touchdowns. But there will be a debate about whether or not he’s voted into the Hall of Fame after he quit on the Raiders and got himself traded out of New England and Minnesota. It’s amazing what kind of numbers Moss could have put up if had possessed Rice’s attitude.

      – SF Giants GM Brian Sabean has some explaining to do after the Phillies and Braves landed younger outfielders under team control (Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, respectively) without giving up their top prospects, while he traded for a 34-year-old free agent-to-be and had to give up his best farm arm. Oh, and Orlando Cabrera for Thomas Neal? Does Sabean have to overpay for every veteran talent that he wants? It’s like if he walks into an electronic store, sees a TV he likes and then asks the salesman if he could purchase said TV for triple the cost. Meanwhile, competing general managers walk into the same store and purchase newer models with comparable features for three-fourths of the price. I just don’t get Sabean’s philosophy when it comes to trades but then again, he has a World Series ring and I don’t so maybe I should shut my mouth. (Of course, when he overpays to keep Beltran this winter, I’ll be sure to open it again.)

      – It took a while, but teams are finally starting to stay away with Braylon Edwards. At 6’3” and 214 pounds, he certainly looks the part of a No. 1 receiver. But his inconsistent hands coupled with the fact that football isn’t real high on his priorities list makes teams stay away. He’s on the verge of signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals because the receiver market is essentially dried up. Considering he’s only 28 and once caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and scored 16 touchdowns in one season, he shouldn’t be accepting one-year deals. But teams aren’t stupid and know he’s a huge risk.

      External Sports, MLB, NFL

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