Jackson reporting to camp

by | Aug 20, 2008 | Contract Squabbles, Fantasy Football, NFL News

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson clearly reads Zoneblitz.com.

After Zoneblitz posted a story saying he had fallen short of earning the right to holdout for a new contract, the potential superstar back ended his holdout, reporting to camp as his agent attempts to negotiate a new contract for him.

Okay, I don’t really expect that Jackson gives a crap about my opinion, nor need he or should he.

But while Jackson is a budding superstar who has clearly been productive he has yet to put up numbers reflecting his status for an entire season. In 2006, his best season, he put up 16 touchdowns, but 10 came in the final four weeks of the season after the Rams were out of the race.

The holdout may be affecting his fantasy status as well. It’s a small sample – actually a minute one – but my brother and I participated in our first fantasy draft of the season tonight. And Jackson, who by conventional wisdom is a top five pick, fell into the second round before being picked (who knows – maybe it reflects on us and our league-mates more than his overall status, but still…).

Jackson probably does deserve a new contract, or at least deserves it as much or more than most of the other guys out there that are whining and crying for new deals. But I respect the Rams’ stance on this particular issue – come into camp and we can talk. Otherwise, go ahead and hold out.

After all – as Zoneblitz said the other day – the Rams are just as capable of missing the playoffs without Jackson as they have been of missing the playoffs with him.

Favre likens Coles to Driver

by | Aug 20, 2008 | Fantasy Football

Laveranues Coles didn’t like how the New York Jets jettisoned Chad Pennington after acquiring Brett Favre a couple weeks back, but Favre hasn’t let Coles’ loyalty to his predecessor affect his relationship with his new teammate.

Favre told the New York Post that he had a conversation with Coles during which he likened the receiver to Donald Driver, his long-time teammate in Green Bay – and the recipient of 84, 86, 92 and 82 passes the last four seasons.

Driver was less Favre’s deep threat in Green Bay than guys like Greg Jennings, who had 920 yards and 12 touchdowns last season on just 53 catches. So if the situation plays out as it did in Green Bay, Coles will get a lot of catches and teammate Jerricho Cotchery might become the deep touchdown guy. Clearly a one-for-one translation is unlikely but it probably lends a clue into what might happen in the Meadowlands during the season ahead.

Choice to bring Henry back was owner’s, not coach’s

by | Aug 20, 2008 | NFL Random Thoughts

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said twice in the last month he was not interested in bringing wide receiver/jailbait Chris Henry back to the team but owner Mike Brown overruled Lewis, signing Henry to a two-year deal announced Tuesday.

“At the end of the day the owner has the final say-so whether or not he wants to give a guy an opportunity,” Lewis is quoted as saying in the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Mike has wanted to give Chris this opportunity, and asked we do the best job we can do to prepare him …”

So Marvin Lewis is now stuck with a guy he doesn’t want on a team he apparently doesn’t have the authority to run as he sees fit. It’s being speculated in various media accounts throughout the Web that this might be the issue that ultimately splits Lewis and the Bengals. It’d be hard to blame the coach, who already reportedly was on the hot seat, for leaving the team, which he appeared a few years ago to be pulling out of  decades of dysfunction.

But since drafting David Pollack, whose career ended due to a neck injury, Henry, and Odell Thurman, a stud linebacker who was cut this offseason after having almost as many run-ins with the law as Henry, in 2005, this team has slowly spiraled downhill again.

It’s the guess here that the Bengals tumble further this season and Lewis takes a walk at the end of the season – if he makes it that far – and that this team heads back into the abyss for another extended period of bad, losing football.

Why the Bengals are the Bengals: Henry about to re-sign

by | Aug 19, 2008 | NFL News, NFL Random Thoughts

Four months ago it looked as though the Cincinnati Bengals might be ready to make a point. After five arrests, the last one coming when he allegedly pummeled a University of Cincinnati student, breaking his car window with a beer bottle.

A jury couldn’t come to a decision on that case but the Bengals did. Enough was enough. They were moving on, releasing the thug and selecting three wide receivers in the April draft.

(more…)

Orton chosen lesser of three evils

by | Aug 18, 2008 | NFL News

Kyle Orton will stick his hands under Olin Kreutz’ butt for the Chicago Bears on the season opening Sunday night in Indianapolis, as the Bears attempt to repeat their 2007 fourth place performance, according to the Associated Press.

He beat out Caleb Hanie, a free agent rookie who probably isn’t ready to challenge for the job, and Rex Grossman, who probably isn’t good enough to challenge for the job on a team with any qualified starting quarterbacks.

The Bears lack offensive parts, which will handicap any quarterback that takes a snap this season. Orton is probably the right choice given that he is (slightly) less apt to give away easy scores through turnovers than Grossman, who has 33 interceptions to 31 touchdowns in 30 starts.

Coach Lovie Smith selected Orton following Grossman’s less than inspiring performance against the blitz-happy Seattle defense last weekend. Orton, on the other hand, led a two-minute drive that resulted in a field goal, receiving praise from the coach after the game.

If I were these two quarterbacks I’d scour the desks of any scouts that might be hanging out at training camp to see if there are any round-trip plane tickets to Tampa hiding anywhere. The Bucs have about 30 quarterbacks on their roster and former starter Chris Simms A) played last weekend and B) apparently looked competent, though C) he isn’t expected to have much chance to stick on the final roster.

If I was the Bears, I’d be thinking of making those Bucs an offer. The spleen-free Simms would be an immediate step up – though you still have no wide receivers.