http://[h3]
[h3]How many carries will Jones steal?[/h3]
4:23PM ET
[h5]Thomas Jones |
Chiefs [/h5]
[h5]Jones in his 30s[/h5]
- 2008 (30 years old): 290 carries, 1,312 yards, 13 TD. 36 receptions, 207 yards, 2 TD.
- 2009 (31 years old): 331 carries, 1,402 yards, 14 TD. 10 receptions, 58 yards.
The first free agent visit for
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2138Thomas Jones was with the Chiefs, and it ended up being his only visit, as
he's signed a two-year deal. This is an interesting twist, given the emergence of
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11307http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11307Jamaal Charles in 2009, but in the modern NFL, a team needs (at least) two solid options at running back.
Speaking at the NFL owners' meeting on Tuesday, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley
expanded on that point, per ESPN's Bill Williamson.
We'll be interested to see how OC Charlie Weis divvies up the carries between Jones and Charles, since the latter had been penciled in as a possible Top 10 fantasy pick for 2010 given his performance down the stretch.
[h5]Adam Schefter[/h5]
Jones a better buy than Taylor
"After the Bears paid $7 million in guaranteed money to
Chester Taylor, the Chiefs landed Thomas Jones for two seasons for $5 million. Talk about value. The $5 million also was $800,000 less than Jones was scheduled to earn this season in New York before the Jets released him. Taylor was a solid pickup, but Jones' signing topped it."
[/h3]
http://[h3]Seattle the best fit for Pitts?[/h3]
4:17PM ET
[h5]Chester Pitts |
Texans | Interested:
Bengals?,
Seahawks?,
Dolphins?,
49ers?,
Lions? [/h5]
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=3578Chester Pitts is recuperating from a knee injury, but is one of the most active players currently wading through free agency. Previously, he listed four teams that were showing interest in him: Detroit, Seattle, Cincinnati and Miami. He visited with the Lions last Wednesday, and the Niners this past weekend.
Next up are the Seahawks, and they could be the best match for Pitts, according to ESPN NFC West blogger Mike Sando:
[h5]Mike Sando[/h5]
Pitts comfortable with Seattle's OL coach
"Pitts was previously an athletic guard and well-suited for the zone blocking schemes [Alex] Gibbs is installing in his first year coaching the Seahawks' offensive line. Gibbs and Pitts were together with the Texans, so there's a comfort level already. The key issue is whether Pitts' knee injury will prevent him from becoming a durable and effective guard for years to come."
http://[h3]Who's pouncing on Maurkice?[/h3]
4:15PM ET
[h5]Maurkice Pouncey | Interested:
Vikings? [/h5]
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/search/nfl_draft_110.gif[/img]
Standing 6-foot-5, weighing somewhere north of 300 pounds, Maurkice Pouncey will be one of the top interior offensive linemen taken this April (really, it's down to him and Mike Iupati for that honor, with good arguments for either man). Pouncey spent his final season at Florida clearing swaths of field for Tim Tebow, and he could find himself on another contender, depending how things shape up.
One contender that has some big holes on the interior line is the
Minnesota Vikings, and it's quite possible that they will run, not walk, to the podium if he's still available at No. 30 overall.
[h5]Football Outsiders[/h5]
Major upgrade necessary
"The Vikings will be reliant on the draft for help. The team is mostly complete, with no obvious deficiencies for the 2010 season. A long-term strategy could focus on finding replacements for some of the Vikings' aging core, such as defensive tackle
Pat Williams or cornerback
Antoine Winfield. For 2010, however, the biggest impact would be drafting an interior offensive lineman in the early rounds. The fact that this team will likely sink or swim based on Favre's status makes playing for the moment a sensible solution."
- Ned Macey
http://[h3]Lito the Lion?[/h3]
3:47PM ET
[h5]Lito Sheppard |
Jets | Interested:
Lions?,
Bears? [/h5]
Following
Lito Sheppard's release from the
New York Jets, league sources told
Pro Football Talk that the Lions and Bears had expressed interest in Sheppard. As we know, the Bears need to keep adding free agents since they won't be able to make their first draft pick until the third round this year. Since that report, the Lions made a trade for
Chris Houston, and Tom Kowalski of
MLive.com had word that they were no longer pursuing Sheppard.
Football Scientist KC Joyner emailed in on this one -- check out his thoughts down below --noting that Sheppard's play wasn't actually that far off in 2009 in spite of the lack of big plays. Furthermore, Ned Macey of the Football Outsiders listed cornerback as the Lions' biggest need, and thinks that going after Sheppard is their best option:
[h5]Football Outsiders[/h5]
This would fill a need
"Lito is a talented but absurdly inconsistent cornerback who has fallen out of favor with teams two years in a row. Sheppard is a good upside play, and the Lions should continue to pursue that avenue. Otherwise, the Lions will remain extremely thin at cornerback in 2010." - Ned Macey
[h5]KC Joyner[/h5]
Sheppard should find a new home soon
"The big question regarding Sheppard is why the Jets would let him go after he posted a very solid 6.6 YPA mark for them. The answer may be that they were looking for Sheppard to be a ballhawk and when that part of his game didn't pan out the way they expected, the Jets thought it best to move on. Coverage has never been Sheppard's specialty but given the dearth of quality free agent CBs out there, the odds are good that there will be leaguewide interest in retaining his services."
http://[h3]Holt to the Bears still possible[/h3]
3:40PM ET
[h5]Torry Holt |
Jaguars | Interested:
Bears? [/h5]
Free agent wide receiver
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1757http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1757Torry Holt has been
lobbying for a potential return to the system he played in with the
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=stlSt. Louis Rams ever since an appearance on ESPN 1000 in Chicago in February. At that time, he said, "absolutely I would consider coming to Chicago because of Coach Martz. I have kept in contact with him over the course of the years. That's my guy."
Holt
lobbied for a reunion once again during a spot on the ESPN Radio affiliate in Los Angeles earlier this month. ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert
doesn't see a problem with bringing Holt in, even if he wouldn't ultimately replace any of the current receivers.
Adding more support for the "Sign Torry Holt" crowd is Ned Macey of Football Outsiders, who brings up another veteran that resurrected his career (for one season, at least) by reuniting with Martz:
[h5]Football Outsiders[/h5]
Bruce did it, so maybe Holt can too
"Holt, at age 34, has clearly lost a step, and most teams are wisely avoiding him. The Martz factor, however, makes the potential signing somewhat intriguing.
Isaac Bruce, another former Rams great, reunited with Martz in 2008 and amassed 835 yards and eight touchdowns. His performance ranked a very respectable 25th in Football Outsiders' DYAR, which measures total value. The last Bears receiver to rank that high was
Marcus Robinson in 1999."
- Ned Macey
http://[h3]Browns might trade up for McCoy[/h3]
3:32PM ET
[h5]Colt McCoy [/h5]
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/search/nfl_draft_110.gif[/img]
Earlier,
we considered Mike Holmgren's comments relating to the Browns' search for a QB to draft this April, making note of the fact that Holmgren has never drafted a QB higher than the third round during his career.
Well, that might change this year. ESPN AFC North blogger James Walker got word from a source that the Browns are interested in Texas QB Colt McCoy, and reported Monday that the team
will host him for a two-day visit on April 12-13. Given McCoy's stock, the Browns might have to snag him with their pick near the top of Round 2. There are some size concerns with McCoy, but he had one of the better interviews amongst the QBs at the combine, and is expected to go somewhere in the second round.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the Browns' interest in McCoy is "real," and that it's quite possible they'll use that high second-round pick to take him, or package some picks together to
move into the bottom of the first round to snag him. Cleveland currently has three third-rounders and four fifth-rounders to play with, and Browns coach Eric Mangini hinted to
the Cleveland Plain Dealer that another deal (possibly involving the pick they acquired for
Kamerion Wimbley) could be forthcoming.
[h5]Todd McShay[/h5]
He's not first-round material
"[McCoy] does not have prototypical size at just 6-1 and one-eighth and 216 pounds. McCoy worked primarily out of the shotgun at Texas, and his height raises concerns about his ability to scan the field when dropping from under center."
http://[h3]Bills to take McCluster?[/h3]
3:21PM ET
[h5]Buffalo Bills [/h5]
This week, we've been re-considering the possibilities of the
Buffalo Bills trading running back
Marshawn Lynch. The main problem is:
Who wants him?
But instead of talking about deletions to his roster, Bills head coach Chan Gailey
brought up an addition he'd like to make this offseason in comments made to ESPN's AFC East blogger Tim Graham. "The guys that are coming out now, there's a bunch of those 5-9, 185-pound or 195-pound, quick-as-a-cat water bugs that are running backs-slash-receivers that might give you a little bit of a punch on the field, maybe make a big play." It's one of these "water bugs" that Gailey would like to see the team acquire at some point this April.
Looking over the options for this type of player, there's one name that screams out at us: Dexter McCluster. McCluster has been drawing comparisons to
Darren Sproles for some time now, and although he disappointed some folks with his performance at the combine, he might be the best fit for what Gailey is after.
http://[h3]Ravens big in the kicker market[/h3]
2:45PM ET
[h5]Baltimore Ravens [/h5]
Tuesday morning, we learned that the
Baltimore Ravens might
show some gold to
Shayne Graham. But they're not limiting their options to the former
Cincinnati Bengals kicker, as Aaron Wilson of
National Football Post reported on Tuesday afternoon that the team has also reached out to
Neil Rackers, who is still negotiating on a new deal with the
Arizona Cardinals. The Cards are also talking with
Jay Feely, who is leaving the
New York Jets.
Here we were thinking the QB carousel was the hottest market; meanwhile, the movement of placekickers has been just as exciting this offseason, and we haven't even gotten into the
Mike Nugent's,
Shaun Suisham's and
Steven Hauschka's of the world yet.
http://[h3]Intriguing team works out Snead[/h3]
2:33PM ET
[h5]Jevan Snead [/h5]
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/search/nfl_draft_110.gif[/img]
Earlier this week, we
discussed how the draft plans were being affected (or not) for the
Pittsburgh Steelers in the wake of
Ben Roethlisberger's latest brush with off-field malfeasance. The word from Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert was that the team wasn't going to go after any of the elite QBs in the draft this year.
ESPN's Bruce Feldman tweeted on Tuesday that the Steelers QB coach was at Ole Miss to
work out QB Jevan Snead, and we have to ponder whether or not they'll be taking a "non-elite" QB this April. We heard earlier from ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the team seemed fine going with
Dennis Dixon should anything happen to Big Ben, and that
Charlie Batch and
Byron Leftwich were being considered for new deals. If that's the case, this is probably just getting a good scout on the options available in later rounds, should things not work out with Batch and/or Leftwich.
[h5]Todd McShay[/h5]
Snead will be available as a midrounder
"To his credit, Snead displayed good arm strength and above-average accuracy during passing drills [at the combine]. It's certainly not enough to overcome the game tape that NFL teams are studying from Snead's junior season, but at least he was able to showcase enough upside to warrant midround consideration."
http://[h3]Where does White fit in?[/h3]
2:16PM ET
[h5]Pat White |
Dolphins [/h5]
Tony Sparano has announced that the No. 1 QB for the
Miami Dolphins is
Chad Henne, and that the No. 3 QB is
Chad Pennington, but hasn't officially named his No. 2. This sure reminds us of a
certain type of underground businessmen.
As Edgar Thompson of
the Palm Beach Post writes, Sparano doesn't have to name his No. 2; we all know it's
Tyler Thigpen. So where does that leave
Pat White, the team's second-round selection last season?
It's possible that White will try to switch to a different position if he can't continue to make strides to stay with the other QBs; alternatively, he can just be used in the special WildPat formation. Either way, it seems as of right now that the Dolphins are not getting a ton of return on their investment from a year ago.
http://[h3]Who is Flozell's replacement?[/h3]
2:00PM ET
[h5]Flozell Adams |
Cowboys [/h5]
Many in the
Dallas Cowboys organization are sticking with the company line that
Doug Free is the future of the left tackle position in Big D. Within a column on Tuesday, ESPN "Beast" blogger Matt Mosley notes that
it's even possible he takes over this season if 34-year-old
Flozell Adams struggles.
But there's also the possibility of either staying at the No. 27 spot in the first round and trying to draft a tackle, or even moving up a few spots if a guy they like drops into the 20's. Either way, it's looking like the Flozell Adams era is in its final stages in 2010:
[h5]Matt Mosley[/h5]
Flozell's days are numbered
"This transition could take place a lot sooner than most folks think."
http://[h3]Gaither still on the market[/h3]
1:20PM ET
[h5]Jared Gaither |
Ravens [/h5]
One of the more intriguing players to receive the first-round RFA status this offseason is
Baltimore Ravens tackle
Jared Gaither, who started on
Joe Flacco's blind side ahead of the dude whose story Michael Lewis told in "The Blide Side."
The fact that a team must surrender its first-rounder to the Ravens in exchange for Gaither -- in addition to likely doling out a massive contract for him -- has kept the market slow thus far. But there's still a chance a move is made, as Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times tweeted on Tuesday that
Gaither has yet to sign his tender and join the offseason program. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter does throw some water on this developing fire in a Tuesday tweet, saying, "Despite the fact that Ravens OT Jared Gaither has not signed his tender,
he is planning to be at team's off-season program by next week." The insinuation is that he'll sign his tender before joining the team's activities.
Considering that most of the gentlemen that project to being NFL left tackles will be off the board by the end of the first round, teams in the high 20s (as well as the Colts at No. 31) might be considering a contract offer for Jared, but based on Schefter's report, they'd better act fast.
http://[h3]New formations for Colts?[/h3]
9:57AM ET
[h5]Indianapolis Colts [/h5]
With
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=10476Anthony Gonzalez returning to the mix next season, the
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=indIndianapolis Colts have a bit of a problem: There's too many useful receiving assets on the roster.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2578Reggie Wayne is obviously slotted in at the top spot, but
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11439Pierre Garcon and
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12561Austin Collie both showed during the 2009 season that they can be relied upon to play a vital role, which sheds some doubt on how much playing time Gonzalez will get. Oh, we almost forgot, they have one of the most prolific TEs in the game in
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4482Dallas Clark, too.
In order to maximize the production of their assets, the Colts might come out with some
four-WR sets next season, according to what coach Jim Caldwell told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Tuesday morning. Not sure how much of this formation "some" equals out to, but it's a scary thought given the guy that'll be distributing the ball around. ESPN AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky concurs:
[h5]Paul Kuharsky[/h5]
This is a matchup nightmare for any team
"I automatically started thinking of secondary depth in the division and how it would stack up against that. Nobody in the league has the kind of corner and secondary depth needed to stand up to that personnel grouping with
Peyton Manning at the controls."
http://[h3]Third-rounder for Smiley?[/h3]
9:56AM ET
[h5]Justin Smiley |
Dolphins [/h5]
The
Miami Dolphins chose to open Pandora's box with their signing of
Richie Incognito last week. Allegedly one of the NFL's dirtiest players, he's certainly one of the more penalized, but he also brings a certain nasty streak to the field. As with any move, it appears that a chain reaction has been set off, and according to Edgar Thompson of
the Palm Beach Post, veteran
Justin Smiley is now on the trading block.
Thompson relays word that Smiley has been instructed to stay away from team activities in light of the possibility of a trade, and the team should receive some good offers for the 28-year-old. When healthy, Smiley is effective in both pass- and run-blocking. Sources have told Armando Salguero of
the Miami Herald that the Dolphins' asking price is likely a third-rounder, and he tweeted some possible destinations on Monday afternoon:
Atlanta, Seattle, Cincinnati and San Francisco. San Fran would be interesting, given that he started his career there.
http://[h3]Teams interested in Leftwich?[/h3]
9:41AM ET
[h5]Byron Leftwich |
Buccaneers | Interested:
Steelers? [/h5]
Yesterday, we considered the ramifications of
Ben Roethlisberger's latest off-field incident on the
Pittsburgh Steelers'
plans for the QB position moving forward. The verdict seems to be that the team won't be drafting one of the elite QBs this year, but that might be more of a reflection on the dearth of true blue-chip talent available than anything else.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN's Chris Mortensen tweeted an update on the Steelers' QB situation from the NFL owners' meetings: "Steelers are prepared to go with Dixon, if necessary;
not ready to jettison Ben even though their concerns are real; Maybe Leftwich."
Byron Leftwich? The guy that went 0-3 last season as a starter? Well, the Steelers did win the Super Bowl the last time Leftwich was on the roster, so maybe he's a good luck charm. Or maybe they can add "Big Ben chaperone" to his list of duties in addition to clipboard-holding and headset-wearing.
http://[h3]O.J. is too expensive for Bears?[/h3]
9:22AM ET
[h5]Oshiomogho Atogwe |
Rams | Interested:
Cowboys?,
Bears?,
49ers? [/h5]
The market for restricted free agents has begun to heat up, but one big target still hasn't moved:
St. Louis Rams safety
Oshiomogho Atogwe. Atogwe drew the lowest tender (just giving the team the right to match any incoming offers), but there is a clause that requires the Rams to pay him $7 million if he's still on the roster in June.
We've heard reports that the Cowboys are interested, and read opinions that the Bears
should be interested, although Sean Jensen of
the Chicago Sun-Times thinks O.J. might not be in the budget for Chicago. Some have suggested that teams like the Jets, Dolphins and Chiefs should also be interested, given their needs. So why haven't there been any offers yet for such an allegedly desired commodity? ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter fills us in:
[h5]Adam Schefter[/h5]
Not worth it if Rams are going to match
"Teams are leery that if they draw up a contract, the Rams retain the right to match. So even though teams don't have to give out a first-round pick for him, they think they'd just be doing the Rams' work for them, signing him to a contract. Plus he battled injuries, and the Rams thought no one would pay him huge money. So far they're right."
http://[h3]Culpepper as the Bills QB?[/h3]
8:59AM ET
[h5]Daunte Culpepper |
Lions | Interested:
Bills?,
Saints? [/h5]
On Monday afternoon, we learned that
Daunte Culpepper was marketing himself to potential new teams down at the NFL owners' meetings, and we found out that the
New Orleans Saints might be interested, given the apparent interest that Sean Payton took to Daunte in a brief conversation. Culpepper would obviously serve as the backup down in the Bayou.
But there's a team that needs a
starting QB, and Daunte thinks he could be their man, according to what he told ESPN AFC East blogger Tim Graham. Give up? It's the
Buffalo Bills, and Culpepper notes the team
hasn't yet made any moves to bring in an option to compete with
Trent Edwards,
Ryan Fitzpatrick and
Brian Brohm, a triumvirate
we discussed earlier today.
We're not sure Culpepper has too much left in the tank -- although from most accounts, he appears to still be quite the physical specimen -- but then again, he's likely a better option than what's currently on the Bills' roster. Even so, according to what Bills head coach Chan Gailey told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, we have to consider this one a dead end: "Chan Gailey didn't sound like a HC ready to sign Daunte Culpepper. Asked about Culpepper, Gailey said
he hasn't seen him play in a long time."
http://[h3]Eagles ready for Kolb Time?[/h3]
8:55AM ET
[h5]Kevin Kolb |
Eagles [/h5]
Some time ago, we heard some rumors that the
Philadelphia Eagles were asking for two first-rounders in exchange for
Kevin Kolb, while they were also asking for one first-rounder and a little more for
Donovan McNabb. Seemed a little strange given Kolb's inexperience, but perhaps that's just how highly teams value potential over performance these days.
Houston Chronicle football writer John McClain usually covers the
Houston Texans, but he has a special interest in Kolb going back to the QB's days at the University of Houston. We're not saying he is being fed any inside info from Kolb, but we found a tweet of his on Tuesday morning quite interesting. "Eagles are still committed to Kevin Kolb. If somebody made them an offer they liked for McNabb,
he'd be gone and Kolb would be The Man."
Did you hear that,
San Francisco 49ers? Sounds like No. 5 could be available at the right price.
http://[h3]Brown will have competition?[/h3]
8:48AM ET
[h5]Kris Brown |
Texans [/h5]
Down at the NFL owners' meetings, Tuesday is breakfast with the AFC coaches, so we've been hearing little snippets of information all morning. The latest comes from Houston Chronicle scribe John McClain, who tweeted: "Gary Kubiak said at coaches breakfast that K
Kris Brown will have competition beginning in OTAs and not just training camp and preseason."
Shayne Graham might be a possibility, as well as
Shaun Suisham. But we think you know by now that we'd prefer to see the Texans get some cat scratch fever at the kicking position.
http://[h3]Graham could be golden elsewhere[/h3]
8:31AM ET
[h5]Shayne Graham |
Bengals | Interested:
Ravens?,
Bengals? [/h5]
Recently, we've been considering whether
Shayne Graham fits in the
Cincinnati Bengals' plans as they
sort out their options at the position. The feeling is that the door hasn't closed completely.
But if the Bengals do want to bring Shayne back, they might have some competition. Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun tweeted on Tuesday morning that "Ravens coach John Harbaugh confirms he has talked to" Graham, and that
a new kicker could be signed before the draft next month.
Could turn into an interesting bidding war in comparison to the ho-hum negotiations that usually go on in the world of placekickers. Whichever team loses out on Graham might be forced to take a good long look at
Mike Nugent.
http://[h3]Update on QB battle[/h3]
8:20AM ET
[h5]Brady Quinn |
Broncos | Interested:
Broncos? [/h5]
We've been taking a look at the
Brady Quinn vs.
Kyle Orton QB contest out in Denver recently. ESPN AFC West scribe Bill Williamson provided a
tale of the tape a day after the trade, and noted that
there's less pressure on Quinn in Denver than in Cleveland, with the thought that this might aid in his pursuit of NFL success.
For what it's worth, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels did call Orton on Sunday night after the deal was announced to tell him he's still the team's No. 1 quarterback, per
a tweet from Sports Illustrated's Peter King. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen enhanced that idea to
the Denver Post this weekend, saying, "Kyle's still our quarterback, absolutely. Quinn hasn't beaten Kyle out. He hasn't thrown a football." Head coach Josh McDaniels
added his Orton support on Monday, and we assume he gets to make the final decision.
Even so, Williamson thinks the trade is a bad sign for the Broncos' true feelings on Orton:
[h5]Bill Williamson[/h5]
Orton's days numbered?
"There is no timeline for Quinn to take over, but Denver clearly sees something in the 25-year-old slinger. Again, Orton is not in immediate trouble, but teams who are completely sold on their 27-year-old quarterbacks usually don't trade for younger ones."
http://[h3]Henne getting some WR help?[/h3]
8:13AM ET
[h5]Chad Henne |
Dolphins [/h5]
The
Miami Dolphins have needed to address the wideout position for a while now. They tried with
Ted Ginn Jr. -- he was a high first-rounder -- but he seems to have hit his ceiling, and that ceiling is on a floor or two below the "No. 1 NFL wideout" level. There have been rumors this offseason that the team might go after
Brandon Marshall or
Terrell Owens, or that they were considering taking a WR as early as their first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in the draft.
You can cross two of those options off the list, according to coach Tony Sparano. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel tweeted on Tuesday morning that "When asked about Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said
he doesn't think they would be a good fit for his team."
Given the
Richie Incognito signing, character concerns on players don't seem to be an issue, so we suppose Sparano must be insinuating that Marshall and T.O. aren't a match based on their performance on the field. Dolphins fans will probably agree to disagree on that contention.
http://[h3]McKinnie not on the block[/h3]
8:06AM ET
[h5]Bryant McKinnie |
Vikings [/h5]
Following
Bryant McKinnie's wild adventure at the Pro Bowl -- he was essentially a no-show due to injury, but didn't pull out soon enough, was fined by the NFL, and it was an embarrassment for all involved, relatively speaking -- there were some flimsy rumors that the
Minnesota Vikings were going to trade the LT.
We didn't think much of those rumors then, and we certainly don't think much of them now, since Vikings owner Zygi Wilf dismissed them emphatically down at the NFL owners' meetings, according to
the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Wilf did admit to some organizational stress because of the incident, but added, "We'll move on and we'll find a way to work it through."
http://[h3]York: Smith's still our guy[/h3]
7:21AM ET
[h5]Alex Smith |
49ers [/h5]
On Sunday, Tim Kawakami of
the San Jose Mercury News noted that QB
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=8416Alex Smith's job security might be threatened now that Scot McCloughan -- his main supporter in the
San Francisco 49ers organization -- was likely gone. This made us re-consider the rumors about
Donovan McNabb possibly being traded to the team, owing to their status as the prohibitive favorites to take the NFC West crown this season, and the fact that they'd need a strong veteran to guide them there.
With the official "
mutual parting of ways" taking place on Monday night, that feeling may have initially intensified; however, during the conference call with reporters, 49ers president Jed York addressed the rumors, saying, "Alex is our guy."
We don't consider this one completely dead yet, since comments to the press aren't always in line with what's actually going on behind the scene. But given the tumult within the team's front office, a bold move such as trading a high draft pick for a new franchise QB has to be considered unlikely.
[h5]Mike Sando[/h5]
Pressure still high on Alex
"This was going to be Smith's make-or-break year, anyway. If they replace him before the season, they'd better have somebody demonstrably better. Otherwise they wasted the second half of the 2009 season and, arguably, the past five years."
http://[h3]Brohm's potential to start[/h3]
6:57AM ET
[h5]Brian Brohm |
Bills [/h5]
During Super Bowl week, ESPN AFC East blogger Tim Graham ran into "Papa" John Schnatter, a big-time Louisville fan and booster, who opined that
Buffalo Bills QB
Brian Brohm (a Louisville alum) just needed "
a little confidence" in order to find success at the NFL level. In other words, Brohm's got mostly "better ingredients," he just needs that little extra something in order to make a "better pizza," i.e. an NFL career. Perhaps some garlic butter dipping sauce will do the trick?
There's a great opportunity for Brohm (and
Trent Edwards) to start over with the new Chan Gailey regime taking over in Buffalo. Edwards is who we thought he was, but although he's not the most exciting choice, it seems as though he'll wind up as the man under center this fall. That said, Brohm will have the chance to make his case this summer.
ESPN's John Clayton might not have the culinary cache of Schnatter, but he does agree that confidence could be the issue with Brohm:
[h5]John Clayton[/h5]
Destined for the UFL?
"It was pretty clear in Green Bay that
Matt Flynn, a seventh-round choice, looked better than Brohm. That was noticeable from the first minicamp in Green Bay. It's hard to say what went wrong so far with Brohm. He seemed to lack confidence in the opportunities he has had. That's one of the problems in the NFL. If you don't grab those opportunities, they'll get away from you, and all of a sudden you find yourself on a UFL roster hoping to get back into the NFL."
http://[h3]Broncos to slash Marshall price?[/h3]
6:36AM ET
[h5]Brandon Marshall |
Broncos | Interested:
Buccaneers?,
Jets?,
Dolphins?,
Cowboys?,
Patriots?,
Seahawks? [/h5]
[h5]Destinations for Marshall[/h5]
The
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=seaSeattle Seahawks are still the only team to have hosted RFA
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9705Brandon Marshall for an investigative visit, and we've heard creative ways that they're trying to obtain him while retaining the No. 6 overall pick. Recently, ESPN AFC West blogger Bill Williamson pointed out that the
Charlie Whitehurst deal
leaves them with fewer assets, but Mike Klis of
the Denver Post thinks that the way the Whitehurst deal was done actually provides a framework from which a Marshall plan can be built.
Meanwhile, one of the other teams that we've always thought made sense -- the
Dallas Cowboys -- is rumored to be quite interested in Oklahoma State product Dez Bryant, enough that they've scheduled a private workout with him in the hopes that he'll fall to their pick at No. 27 overall. It's also possible that they like Bryant so much they would trade up to make sure they could draft him. Well, if that's the case, Williamson wonders,
why don't they go after Marshall instead? The "head case" allegations against both are a wash, Marshall is not much older and he is a proven commodity at the highest level.
Dallas, Seattle, Miami ... all of these teams might want Marshall, but they don't want to relinquish a first-round pick. They might be in luck, according to ESPN's John Clayton:
[h5]John Clayton[/h5]
Broncos might slash the price later on
"I think the best value for Marshall at this time is a No. 2, a No. 4 and maybe another lower pick in 2011. The Broncos will hold out for a first-rounder until the start of the draft, but after that they have to make some major concessions if they are going to get value for him."
http://[h3]Pierce still out there[/h3]
6:31AM ET
[h5]Antonio Pierce |
Giants [/h5]
The last we heard on
Antonio Pierce, the
St. Louis Rams were kinda-sorta interested -- owing to the Steve Spagnuolo connection -- but that with the Rams,
Pierce would be a backup.
Originally, there was some thought that Pierce might be a valuable commodity for 3-4 teams in need of some ILB help, such as the
New England Patriots,
Dallas Cowboys and
Miami Dolphins, but the Dolphins grabbed
Karlos Dansby, and the other two teams haven't been movers and shakers in terms of going after other teams' free agents at all. We suppose they'd still be considered possibilities, but it's likely that Pierce will have to wait a while longer -- if not until after the draft, when teams fill in the gaps -- to find his new NFL home.
[h5]John Clayton[/h5]
Three issues for Pierce
"Free agency is only two weeks old. The pace has been much faster than anyone anticipated, but veterans toward the end of their careers usually have to wait three or four weeks into free agency to find a market. The Rams still could do something with him, but they don't seem to be in a rush. The other problem is salary. Pierce might be reluctant to accept a deal for less than $1 million and that might be his market coming off last season. Pierce is also caught in the increasing change to a 3-4 defense, which is leaving fewer jobs for pure middle linebackers in 4-3 schemes."
http://[h3]One more year for Hasselbeck?[/h3]
6:21AM ET
[h5]Matt Hasselbeck |
Seahawks | Interested:
Bills?,
Jaguars?,
Rams?,
********? [/h5]
As far back as early January, there had been rumors that the
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=seaSeattle Seahawks would be open to trading
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1575Matt Hasselbeck. Eric D. Williams of
the Tacoma News Tribune brings them back front and center this week, owing to the pricey acquisition and contract of
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9667Charlie Whitehurst.
The logic is pretty straightforward: If the front office and coaches truly feel that Whitehurst is capable of being a franchise QB, then everyone should get behind him now, and that might be more difficult with a player of Hasselbeck's stature around. There's also the theory that starting a rookie QB from the start of his first season (as was the case with
Matthew Stafford and
Mark Sanchez in 2009) is the right move, development-wise; we can think of Whitehurst somewhat as a rookie, given his usage thus far in his NFL career. Remember too that Hasselbeck was inherited from the prior regime, and Pete Carroll and his crew might want "their guy" instead. More importantly, as Williams argues, although the Seahawks do have the No. 6 and No. 14 pick in the draft, they did have to trade away a slew of picks to acquire Whitehurst, so perhaps they'd be able to recover some other picks.
We're still not buying this trade rumor yet, although given the amount of movement amongst QBs already, anything is possible. Williams lists the ********, Bills, Rams and Jaguars as potential trade partners.
[h5]John Clayton[/h5]
He should get one more year in Seattle
"The clock is ticking now that the team has acquired Whitehurst, but at least Hasselbeck has this year to be the starter."
http://[h3]Bengals feeling Golden?[/h3]
6:10AM ET
[h5]Golden Tate [/h5]
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/search/nfl_draft_110.gif[/img]
[h5]WR-needy teams[/h5]
After signing Antonio Bryant, there were some who thought the Cincinnati Bengals might be done acquiring receiving help behind Chad Ochocinco. This flies in the face of some mock drafts that have the team going with Aaron Hernandez of Florida, or another tight end.
But there's another option for the team, and that's Notre Dame's Golden Tate. Tate put up some great numbers in Charlie Weis' offense in 2009, and also brings value as a returner. Mike Kurtz of
the Football Outsiders thinks that Tate might be the perfect addition to the Bengals' receiving corps as a complement to Bryant and Ochocinco, and he's likely to fall to them at the No. 21 pick in the first round this April.
Of course, some doubt that Tate will be able to handle the rigors of the NFL, including Scouts Inc.'s Kevin Weidl and Todd McShay. Here's their take from a few weeks back:
[h5]Insider Draft Blog[/h5]
Tate doesn't have high ceiling
"Tate was remarkably productive in 2009 and that might lead to him being overdrafted. The biggest concerns are his lack of explosiveness and strength, which leads to trouble getting off press coverage. Tate also has a body type that reminds us of former LSU WR Josh Reed, who has struggled to stay healthy with the Buffalo Bills. We believe Tate can be a good No. 3 receiver and maybe help in the return game, but we're hearing whispers about him being a first-round pick and that seems a bit rich for a guy who will have to develop just to become an adequate No. 2 receiver."
http://[h3]Holmgren's potential QB plan[/h3]
6:09AM ET
[h5]Cleveland Browns [/h5]
Earlier this month, Terry Pluto of
the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that Mike Holmgren has a plan in mind for the QB position -- and it likely includes picking one guy and sticking with him. Things are starting to take shape a bit, but the wild rumors remain concerning an attempt to move up and take Sam Bradford in the draft. Holmgren himself has said
he will not rule out trading up to get Bradford, or snagging him at no. 7 if he somehow drops that far (but let's face it, neither of those are probably happening).
On Sunday, Holmgren confirmed to the Plain Dealer that
the Browns will draft a QB at some point this April -- no surprise there -- but it likely won't be Bradford for the reason above, and he's unimpressed with Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen, for intangible reasons. "You know how you have a type of player that you like? It's not scientific. People like him a lot. He'll go high. But it would be hard for me [to take him]." Holmgren also dismisses the idea of drafting Tim Tebow, because a second-round pick might be better used on a player that can help right away.
In 17 years with the Packers and Seahawks, the Big Show has never taken a QB in a round higher than the third. If that trend continues, the Browns might be looking at players like Tony Pike or Dan LeFevour.
[h5]Football Outsiders[/h5]
Help needed at QB and WR
"Cleveland has spent a lot of time and effort amassing 12 picks in the upcoming draft with which to start the rebuilding process. A few good picks could turn Cleveland's offense from miserable to merely ineffective, especially if the Browns can get good value at wide receiver. But they'll need a better quarterback to rise anywhere higher than that." - Mike Kurtz
