McCarthy didn’t like Rodgers in San Fran?

by | Jul 30, 2008 | NFL Random Thoughts

We here at Zoneblitz are huge fans of Pro Football Weekly. It’s 30 issues annually are among our favorite NFL fodder and it’s because the Arkushes and the rest of its writers get people to tell them things that other reporters either don’t get or won’t write.

In the August issue’s Audibles section PFW quotes an anonymous NFL figure saying that when he was in San Francisco, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was the leading proponent for drafting Alex Smith ahead of Aaron Rodgers because he didn’t think his current quarterback was a leader.

McCarthy thought Rodgers “was too ‘into himself,” according to the source, who speculated that was why old-timer Brett Favre never warmed up to him.

People change and three years of maturity gained while sitting on the bench has likely left Rodgers  in a better spot than Smith. He’s probably more ready to play than Smith was when forced to take the helm almost immediately – in fact he could very well become the poster child for why a rookie quarterback should sit for a year or three before being thrust into the starting job.

But Rodgers’ statements to Sports Illustrated about how Packers fans should “Get on board or shut the hell up” show he’s still got a ways to go in the maturity department. That’s not to say he’s going to be  a bad quarterback or a good one. But those words coupled with the thoughts of the PFW source definitely lend an eye into why Rodgers dropped on draft day.

Packers also dealing with “livid” Grant

by | Jul 28, 2008 | NFL News

While the Brett Favre headlines have dominated the Green Bay Packers headlines the last few weeks, regular Zoneblitz reader “The Gun” reminded us that the team is also dealing with another potential hornet’s nest in the holdout of exclusive rights free agent running back Ryan Grant.

Grant, according to the La Crosse Tribune, is “livid” over the Packers’ contract offer that reportedly included only $1.75 million in guaranteed money for a six-year contract.

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Jordan to New England hurts Maroney’s status

by | Jul 27, 2008 | Fantasy Football

Does it seem to anyone else that New England coach Bill Belichick just doesn’t trust Laurence Maroney?

During the 2007 season’s last seven games and the playoffs, Maroney seemed to come into his own. He had four 100 yard rushing games the second half of the season and generally established himself as a solid threat, as long as two factors are in play: he has to be healthy and Belichick has to want to run the ball.

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Toe injury limiting Stewart

by | Jul 27, 2008 | Fantasy Football

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Stewart is being limited to one practice a day while he nurses a toe injury.

Stewart also apparently has some catching up to do after missing the team’s 16 organized team activities.

While he’s expected to ultimately wrest the starting job from DeAngelo Williams, it might be wise for fantasy players to have some alternatives, at least through the season’s first handful of games.
Williams isn’t really seen as an every-down back and that’s why Stewart was drafted. But Williams likely will handle the heavy load at least for a month or so if it takes Stewart longer than camp just to catch up.

“Certainly for Jonathan this is very new to him,” quarterback Jake Delhomme told the Associated Press. “This is minicamp to him. He did not have the 16 practices that we’ve had already.”