How to go 4-12 every year

by | Mar 5, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency

The Oakland Raiders are conducting a clinic on how to build a losing franchise. Here are some of the lessons.

First, hire a new coach every other season.

Second, re-sign a good, not great, injury-prone defensive tackle (Tommy Kelly) to a $50 million, seven-year deal with $18 million guaranteed as he recovers from an ACL tear.

Third, sign a solid, but injury-prone safety (Gibril Wilson) to a six-year, $39 million deal with $16 million in guaranteed money.

Fourth, there’s the deal with the underachieving tackle from San Francisco (Kwame Harris), another $16 million over three years.

Finally, sign a wide receiver with multiple knee issues who caught seven passes in the last five games of the season last year after missing most of it due to the injury and who reportedly still might need microfracture surgery (Javon Walker) to a $55 million, six-year deal with $16 million guaranteed.

Any questions?

It’s almost as though the Raiders are trying to find as many injury prone dogs as possible to force Lane Kiffin into an unwinnable situation so they can replace him too. Hmmm.

No damn way!!!

by | Mar 4, 2008 | NFL Breaking News

After listening to the media coverage and thinking about it myself throughout the day I’ve decided I don’t believe Brett Favre is retiring. It’s just not going to happen.

First off, the team went 13-3 last year and, despite Favre, was the youngest team in the league. Few predicted such a run heading into the season and this team overachieved its way into the NFC Championship game. (more…)

Favre to retire? For real?

by | Mar 4, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, Fantasy Football

For the first time since the third game of the 2002 season someone besides Brett Favre will quarterback the Green Bay Packers’ next game.

In a move that will have sportscasters from John Madden to Dan Dierdorf crying in their Wild Turkey ‘til training camp starts, Favre has informed the team that he’s hanging up his cleats after 17 seasons, 16 of which were with the Packers, according to FoxSports.com and the Biloxi Sun Herald.

No word yet on whether Madden will further discuss his man-crush on Favre. But Packers GM Ted Thompson, acknowledged Favre in a mid-morning statement at www.packers.com. “The Packers owe [Favre] a tremendous debt of gratitude,” he said. “He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever. Brett’s many accomplishments on the field are legendary.”

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Moore inks deal with Pittsburgh

by | Mar 3, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency

In another move that makes no sense to me former Vikings running back Mewelde Moore has reportedly inked a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Moore has shown flashes of being a decent, albeit injury-prone player. Moore ran for 662 yards on 155 carries in 2005, so he is capable of putting up decent numbers. But his style is similar to Parker’s so I don’t see him as a complementary back such as the larger Najeh Davenport. So I see him as no better than the Steelers’ third option at running back in 2008 and I don’t see him getting any more playing time on Heinz Field than he did the Metrodome the last two seasons.

The cerebral running back likely will get a chance to contribute on special teams. The Steelers lost Allen Rossum to San Francisco over the weekend. Moore has two touchdowns as a punt returner and a 19.3 average on kickoff returns during his NFL career. But I think he sold himself short. With teams such as Chicago, Seattle and Houston sporting unsettled running back situations he had a chance to hook on with a team where he could potentially compete for a starting job. I don’t think that happened for Moore this time around.

Winners and losers

by | Mar 3, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, 2008 Trades

It’s too early to grade teams’ free agency performances. But with many big names now off the board there are a couple clear winners and losers thus far.

Winners:
I’ve been especially impressed with the moves Cleveland has made. They had huge problems stopping the run last season so they went aggressively after two defensive tackles, picking up Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams from the NFC North in separate trades. Both of these guys have question marks. Williams is more of a pass rusher than a run stuffer. And Rogers sometimes plays as if he can’t wait to hit the post-game buffet table.

But both players are upgrades, and if the Browns can motivate Rogers, the defense should be much improved.

Mix in the addition of big-play receiver Donte Stallworth, who will complement Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards, and the Browns could have made themselves the team to beat in the AFC North. If Derek Anderson can duplicate his 2007 exploits this should be a fun team to watch this season.
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