Quick-Hits: Like thieves in the night, the Eagles steal Nnamdi Asomugha Posted by Anthony Stalter (07/30/2011 @ 10:12 am) Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (L) breaks up a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks receiver Golden Tate during the first quarter of their NFL football game in Oakland, California October 31, 2010. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL) In Saturday’s Quick-Hits, the Eagles shock the masses by signing Nnamdi Asomugha, the Phillies get more bang for their prospects than the Giants, and the Bears’ questionable decision regarding Greg Olsen. – Where did that come from? Just when it looked like free agent Nnamdi Asomugha was headed to New York to team with Darrelle Revis to form the greatest cornerback duo known to man, the Eagles swoop in and pull off a stunner. Asomugha’s deal is for five years at $60 million, which also includes $25 million guaranteed. There were a lot of people who questioned Andy Reid’s decision to make former offensive line coach Juan Castillo the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator, but now it might not matter who’s calling the shots on that side of the ball. After acquiring Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie this offseason, the Eagles shouldn’t have as many problems in the red zone as they did in 2010. NFL.com’s Mike Lombardi reports that Philly is willing to trade Asante Samuel, which would be a mistake in my eyes. The Eagles are legit Super Bowl contenders now. There’s no reason to part with any talent at this pointt. – One of the reasons I was so conflicted on the Carlos Beltran trade was because of whom the Giants gave up (top prospect Zach Wheeler) in exchange for the former Met. Granted, Beltran is good and there’s no doubt they needed him. But look at what the Phillies just did in acquiring Hunter Pence from Houston. They parted with two good prospects but landed a 28-year-old outfielder that remains under team control through 2013 – not a 34-year-old outfielder who might not be around in three months when he becomes a free agent. I think the Giants deserve credit for “going for it.” But when the Phillies “go for it” by giving up their top prospects, they land Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Pence – players whom they knew were going to be around a while (or thought they knew when it came to Lee, who was traded in order to acquire Halladay). It seems like the front office philosophy of the Giants is to get a player it likes no matter what the cost. Seeing as how they’re currently defending a World Series title, it’s hard to knock said philosophy. But after reviewing the trades that the two teams made this past week, I can’t help but to think the Phillies made the better overall deal. – The fact that the Bears traded former first round pick Greg Olsen this offseason is hardly surprising. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz doesn’t use tight ends in his passing game, so the fact that Olsen racked up 41 catches last year was pretty impressive. But giving up a young talent just because your offensive coordinator doesn’t have much need for the player’s position is a risky proposition. For starters, what if Martz isn’t around in a year? Then what do the Bears have to show for Olsen besides a third round pick? It cost them a first round pick to draft him in the first place, so GM Jerry Angelo didn’t get good value here. (After all, it’s not like Olsen can’t play and the Bears were looking to get anything in exchange for him.) Granted, that third rounder could turn out to be a Pro Bowler someday (Angelo is good at finding gems in the middle rounds), but presently the deal doesn’t make sense when you get past Martz’s desire to exclude tight ends. Seeing as how he’s a receiver in a tight end’s body, if I were Angelo I would have rather seen my offensive coordinator try to work with Olsen instead of shipping him to Carolina for a third round pick. – One player that continues to lose money by the hour is free agent defensive end Cullen Jenkins. The former Packer is a solid player, who that is scheme-versatile in that he can play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3. But after the Panthers re-signed Charles Johnson, the Eagles landed Jason Babin, the Patriots acquired Albert Haynesworth, the Cowboys inked Kenyon Coleman and Marcus Spears, and the Falcons got a steal in Ray Edwards, there aren’t a lot of teams that are a fit for Jenkins. Granted, teams always need pass-rushers, but my guess is that Jenkins will wind up back in Green Bay on the cheap. – The Rams made two moves on Friday that I really liked. The first was signing nasty offensive guard Harvey Dahl away from the Falcons. I keep reading how Sam Bradford will love the addition of Dahl, which is true. But he might not love it as much as running back Steven Jackson. Dahl is an absolute mauler in the run game and brings a much-needed nasty demeanor to St. Louis’ offensive line. The other signing I like was Mike Sims-Walker, who only received a one-year deal because the Rams want to make him prove himself. When healthy and motivated, he’s the big receiver that Bradford sorely needs. But if he winds up being a free agent bust, hey, no problem: he’ll be gone in a year. Posted in: NFL Tags: 2011 NFL Preview, Anthony Stalter, Carlos Beltran, Chicago Bears, Cullen Jenkins, Greg Olsen, Harvey Dahl, Hunter Pence, Mike Sims-Walker, NFL free agency, Nnamdi Asomugha, Nnamdi Asomugha contract, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants
Packers avoid costly mistakes, somehow still lose to the Bears Posted by Anthony Stalter (09/27/2010 @ 11:59 pm) Two turnovers, 18 penalties (for 152 yards), horrendous special teams play and poor ball security late in the game were just some of the things the Packers accomplished in their 20-17 loss to the Bears on Monday night. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought Green Bay wanted to lose tonight. It was undisciplined football at its best and yet, the Pack still had an opportunity to win the game in the end as long as they continued to move the ball down field (as they had done for most of the night) and not turn it over. But with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the scored tied 17-17, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs knocked the ball out of receiver James Jones’ grasp after a short reception. Then, by the grace of George Halas himself, somehow the ball tight roped down the sideline and Chicago cornerback Tim Jennings was able to recover it at the Green Bay 38. Thanks to a holding penalty, the Bears were backed up to their own 44-yard line, but soon thereafter Jay Cutler made an outstanding throw to Greg Olsen, who made an even better catch for a 21-yard gain down to the Green Bay 35. Two plays later, Morgan Burnett was called for molesting Earl Bennett on a pass interference penalty and the ball was moved inside the 10-yard line. Four plays later Robbie Gould kicked the 19-yard game-winner to propel Chicago to victory. You may not witness an uglier loss by a Super Bowl contender all season. And not all the ugliness was due to the players either, as the Green Bay coaching staff shares in the misery too. Why didn’t the Packers instruct punter Tim Masthay to kick the ball away from Devin Hester? He sent a bullet at him late in the second quarter and Hester almost broke it for a touchdown. Then, with his team only up a field goal early in the fourth quarter, the genius once again tempts fate by kicking it straight to Hester, who promptly returns it 62-yards for the go-ahead score. Read the rest of this entry » Fantasy Quick-Hitters: Welker, Mendenhall, Forsett and more Posted by John Paulsen (09/23/2009 @ 1:45 pm) 
Bill Belichick: Wes Welker “was inactive because he wasn’t able to play.” Thanks for the information, Bill. Welker owners should absolutely have Julian Edelman on their roster, especially in PPR leagues. He’s also worth a look for non-Welker owners who have a spot open on their bench. If Welker’s injury lingers, Edelman is startable on a weekly basis. On Sunday, he ran all the same routes that Welker usually does and racked up 98 yards on eight receptions. He was targeted 16 times by Tom Brady. The Pats play in the first round of games on Sunday, so you’ll know early on whether or not to put Edelman in your lineup. Mendenhall’s role to grow? HC Mike Tomlin insinuated that it will. Mendenhall had a 39-yard run in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Bears, and showed a burst that neither Willie Parker nor Mewelde Moore seem to offer right now. The original plan was some sort of committee, so don’t expect Mendenhall to take over and become a featured back. Even if Parker were to go down, Moore would be in on all third downs at a minimum. The Seahawks planning to be without Hasselbeck in Week 3. Hasselbeck has a fractured rib and may not be able to play. Seneca Wallace isn’t a bad backup and has been a productive fantasy player in the past. He wouldn’t be a bad start for fantasy owners in two-QB leagues or for those owners that are in dire straits in standard leagues. Cutler: Olsen “might have a 10-catch game coming up.” Don’t panic and cut ties with Olsen. He is still one of the most gifted pass-catching TEs in the league and his numbers will recover. He could have had a big game against the Steelers if not for a great hit along the sideline on a 20-yard catch (that jarred the ball loose) and a slip in the endzone on a sure-TD. Justin Forsett coming on. I added him to my list of waiver wire acquisitions. Julius Jones is all right, but Forsett is gaining, and clearly outplayed him on Sunday. The Seahawks aren’t married to Jones, as evidenced by the Edgerrin James signing. Since he has big upside, Forsett is a good guy to roster and is worthy of flex/bye week starts in PPR formats. Bucs fire offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski Posted by Anthony Stalter (09/03/2009 @ 2:30 pm) 
In a surprising move, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, who was hired in January. From NFL Fanhouse.com: Jagodzinski spent the last two seasons as Boston College’s head coach, but he was fired early this year after he interviewed for the New York Jets’ head coaching job against the wishes of the BC athletic department. He didn’t get the Jets job, but new Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris hired Jagodzinski as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator shortly after. But now Morris has fired Jagodzinski and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Greg Olson. It is not clear why Morris fired Jagodzinski, but the big story in Tampa Bay’s training camp this year has been the quarterback competition between Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown, and there’s already speculation that Morris and Jagodzinski butted heads over the decision to start Leftwich.
It’s important to keep in mind that the offensive terminology will stay the same as Olson takes over, so it’s not like the Bucs are going to have to learn a completely new offense. That said, this is not an ideal situation just 11 days before the start of the regular season. If his coaches aren’t on the same page, Morris has the right to jettison one of them so that the rest of his staff can be cohesive. But this is a stunner and it’ll be interesting to see if any more details are released. I guess Jags shouldn’t have flirted with the Jets last year (which led to his ousting at Boston College). Matt Jones a Bear? Don’t count on it. Posted by Anthony Stalter (05/28/2009 @ 11:00 am) 
Although rumors persist that the Bears could be interested, Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune writes that the team is unlikely to pursue troubled free agent wideout Matt Jones. “He was a first-round draft pick and he is a very talented player,” Angelo said, “but it’s case by case. We’re not quick to move on any player.” No doubt the Bears are concerned about Jones’ checkered past, one that included an arrest for cocaine possession last July. Jones, 26, served a three-game league suspension after losing an appeal. After violating terms of a court-mandated drug program by consuming alcohol, he was arrested again and faced further disciplinary action for the 2009 season. But the league decided not to impose another suspension, although Jones was fined $50,000. In recent years, the Bears cut ties with two players due to off-the-field concerns: running back Cedric Benson and defensive lineman Tank Johnson. “Guys make mistakes, move on, and become better people,” Angelo said. “Some guys have patterns of bad behavior and continue to have those patterns. I’m not saying that about Matt Jones. What I’m saying is we have to do our homework. And then you have to look at what value that person brings to your football team irrelevant of his off-the-field issues.”
According to a report by ESPN.com, the NFL has already notified Jones that he will not be suspended for violating a court-mandated drug program in March. At 26 years old, Jones is the best receiver left on the market. But even though he’s coming off a productive season (he caught 65 passes in 12 games last year for the Jags), he missed three games last year due to suspension and his motivation and focus have always been questioned. I would be surprised if the Bears go after Jones given that they made little to no effort to try and sign Torry Holt this offseason before he agreed to terms with the Jaguars. I realize Holt is six years older than Jones is, but he’s obviously less of a risk and he still has a productive season or two left in him. So maybe Angelo already feels that his wide receiver corps is set with Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Brandon Lloyd and rookies Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox. Granted, none of those players will strike fear into an opposing defense outside of Hester’s deep threat ability, but there still is some potential among the group and don’t forget that Greg Olsen is the best receiver on this team. (He just happens to play tight end.) Posted in: NFL Tags: Bears rumors, Brandon Lloyd, Chicago Bears, Devin Hester, Greg Olsen, Jerry Angelo, Johnny Knox, Juaquin Iglesias, Matt Jones, Matt Jones rumors, Rashied Davis
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