Channing Crowder thinks he’s underpaid?

by | Jul 9, 2008 | NFL News

I about choked up the mini brownie bite I shouldn’t have been eating this morning when I came across a headline saying Channing Crowder and his advisers think he’s underpaid.

At a million bucks a year, Crowder is tied for being the fourth-highest paid linebacker on the Miami Dolphins roster, prompting his agent to ask the team for a new contract, according to the Miami Herald.

Okay, I grant you, these guys have a limited lifespan and have to maximize their earnings while they can. And it’s not like Crowder’s numbers are bad. He’s played 43 games, starting 37 since joining the team three seasons ago and he’s amassed 78, 103 and 84 tackles during that timespan, according to NFL.com.

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Personal seat licenses getting out of hand

by | Jul 7, 2008 | Business of Football

I meant to post about the concept of personal seat licenses – ransoms charged by teams for the right to attempt to get season tickets, especially in new stadiums – last week but I ran out of time. But it seems as though Zoneblitz isn’t the only football fan getting turned off by the degree to which this trend is pricing the average fan out of the game.

The most recent announcement – and the one that sent ZB over the edge – came from Dallas where Jerry Jones announced that fans would have to pay up to $150,000 for the right to purchase duckets for his billion dollar toy in Arlington.

Fox Sports rightly points out that this is on top of the $300 million in public financing the Cowboys received to construct what is supposed to be a wonder of an arena. Yes, $150,000 – not for the tickets, but for the right to have a chance to later buy the tickets.

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Top pick long destined for right tackle?

by | Jul 7, 2008 | NFL News

Apparently the Miami Dolphins and other league experts are starting to wonder if top draft pick Jake Long would be better suited to play right tackle instead of left tackle.

Nobody is doubting that Long will be a solid-to-excellent tackle wherever he ends up. But NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock says Long struggled in college some against the top speedy pass rushers with NFL skills while projecting that he can be a star road grader of a right tackle. He went as far in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel as suggesting that the Dolphins keep Vernon Carey at left tackle for awhile as Long adjusts to the rigors of the NFL.

Zoneblitz endorsed taking Long as the top pick in April, figuring that if there is no clarity as to who the top pick should be it’s hard to go wrong solidifying yourself in the trenches. And while it would be better if Long developed into a franchise left tackle, if he’s better on the right side and solidifies himself as a stud run blocker, the Dolphins will still be better off.

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Favre “coming out” of retirement???

by | Jul 2, 2008 | Fantasy Football, NFL Breaking News

In perhaps the least stunning news of the offseason, Brett Favre has apparently been in touch with the Green Bay Packers about “coming out” of his retirement.

First of all, we predicted this when he announced his retirement back in March that Favre would quarterback the Packers to a comeback win over Minnesota at some point during the 2008 season.

Second, he has only missed a couple mini camps. Since it’s only been four months and he typically misses a couple of those anyway, it hasn’t been long enough to call it “coming out” of retirement.

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Taylor nixes Packer talks

by | Jun 23, 2008 | NFL News

When he was being ignored by the higher-ups in Miami and appeared destined to stay stuck with the Dolphins in 2008 it was easier to feel for defensive end-linebacker Jason Taylor. However, when his posse leaked to the media his lack of interest in going to Green Bay because the market isn’t big enough he risked losing some goodwill.

Sure, the Packers reside in middle America. And sure, Brett Favre retired this offseason, making the season ahead much more murky.

But this is a team coming off a 13-3 season during which it surprised the league by reaching the NFC Championship game. Aaron Rodgers, while unproven, comes with a decent enough pedigree to think the team will at least be competitive during the season ahead.

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