Joe Delaney: A tribute

It's been 25 years since Joe Delaney lost his life. Though his death was felt keenly by many at the time, he is hardly a household name these days. In an era where young guys such as Pacman Jones, Chris Henry et al tarnish the reputation of their fellow players, now is a good time to reflect on someone who's life took a very different road.

For those who don't know the name, we forgive you. His contribution to the NFL was cut short after just two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs - one of which was strike shortened. That he made the Pro Bowl as a Rookie is testament to Delaney's athletic ability, but it was his character that will be the enduring memory of the man.

On June 29th, 1983, Joe Delaney, while resting in a park, Joe Delaney heard screams. When he reached the source of those screams, he found that three young children had fallen into a water hole on a recently excavated construction site. Despite having, according to wife Carolyn 'never having stuck a toe in the water', Delaney dived in. The water was 20 feet deep, and despite saving one of the boys, Joe Delaney never re-surfaced after diving a second time for the two others. He was just 24 years old.

In today's NFL, perhaps we get so used to those who have wasted natural talent, those who's only desire is money, and of course, those who indulge in the kind of extra-curricular activities that incur the wrath of the local law, that we forget there are plenty of players who are doing justice to Joe Delaney's memory in their own ways.

In his last interview, Delaney told the Ruston Daily Leader that he wanted "...to be remembered as a good person, a family man."

Hopefully this article goes some way to helping Joe achieve his goals, and if it brings his name into the conciousness of a few more fans, it is the least that Joe deserves.

Mooch agrees with us on Millen

You may remember this article we posted last week. If not, hey, may want to see a Doctor about the old short term memory.

But we digress...

Steve Mariucci, former coach of the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and lately an analyst on NFL's 'Gameday' program, has spoken out regarding Matt Millen, and his fruitless attempts to rejuvenate one of the NFL's worst franchises.

"Matt Millen has changed 58 coaches already, and he's now finally changing players,"
- Steve Mariucci

In an interview with the Marquette Mining Journal, a Michigan based paper, Mooch lets fly, breaking what has been a relatively dignified silence since he was sacked after a Thanksgiving day defeat against Atlanta three years ago. "Sure I've stayed in touch with some of (the players) and some of the coaches, and on occasion Bill Ford Jr. I respect the heck out of Bill, he'll take that team over some day." says Mariucci, who also reveals that his future in coaching will be limited to the Bay Area - even though he is aware that could mean he never works in the NFL again.

We (obviously) agree with Mooch. Matt Millen is onto his fifth coach in seven years as Lions President - yes, he's even worse at picking Head Coaches as he is picking players in the draft.

Report: NFL has tickets of mass destruction, but only for 90 minutes.

The league announced yesterday that 15,000 extra tickets that went on sale last week sold out in just 30mins. Coupled with the 40,000 sold in May, this means that the vast majority of tickets available publicly have now been snapped up for the San Diego Superchargers @ New Orleans Saints @ Wembley game this October. You can expect a very small final sale of any confiscated or unsold tickets as we head towards the home stretch.

We have one gripe with the league on this one, and that was the original claim that those 40,000 tickets sold out in just 90mins. Whilst we are right behind NFLUK's efforts to promote the London series, and we'll come out and say it right now:

It's questionable at best.

If 40,000 tickets went on sale at 10am, and were sold out by 11:30am, then why were we able to buy tickets at 12:30pm?



The NFL released a further 5000 tickets sometime on the 29th May. If that is the reason, then it is interesting that tickets were still being sold at around 22:30pm on that night, according to many customers. Some have expressed the feeling that because the extra tickets were not publicised as well, people were not trying to buy the extra tickets, but that doesn't make any sense at all, and here's why:

Consider that between 11:30am and 22:30pm, just 5000 tickets were sold. Many fans purchased multiple tickets too, so, to put a conservative estimate on it, around 2-3,000 people bought tickets in a 12hr span, during which the NFL sent out emails to all members, and released a press statement at 1pm.

It's that fact that makes us doubt the original claim of 90mins. If that was the case, why, then, were we able to purchase four on a whim, after the 90mins, but before the extra 5000 were released? We imagine that there were plenty of people who did likewise, and forums were inundated with people

What annoys us most about this, is that there is no shame in selling out your ticket allocation over the course of a whole day. The sport is thriving in Britain, and frankly, the ability to pretty much guarantee that you'll sell all available tickets is all the NFLUK team need to be able to present to the NFL when they make their case to host a third consecutive game next season.

We think that this is a carefully planned strategy by the NFLUK marketing team to exaggerate popularity and convince those in two minds about purchasing tickets to splash the cash. Again, we really don't want to knock the NFL, nor the chances of the UK staging future games, but it's important to retain integrity and honesty - especially with the fans.

Weekend News Roundup

The Bucs gave Earnest Graham a new deal, thus enduring that Earnest goes to camp. Here all week folks.

Pittsburgh released backup RB Najeh Davenport. The writing was on the wall for Davenport when the Steelers drafted Illinois back Rashard Mendenhall in the first round of this year's draft.

New England's Wes Welker took a shot at departed CB Asante Samuel:

"Asante's a great player, so it hurts not to have a guy like that. But then again, it's part of the business of the game... He chose money over championships, and that's the way it goes sometimes."
- Wes Welker during a football camp at Oklahoma University

Interesting, but perhaps it's easier for Welker - who would have had a one year deal with Miami had New England not stepped in last year - to talk about such things, because New England was essentially his only option when he was in the same situation.

Kevin Jones update: Despite reports to the contrary late on Friday, Jones worked out for four teams (The Dolphins, Steelers, Packers and, of course, the team that knew best what he could do, the Lions) on Saturday afternoon. The Cleveland Browns also asked for a video of the workout, which suggests at least a partial interest.

Following the off-season pattern, the Titans signed Tackle David Stewart to a long term deal. The money being thrown at the offensive lines of many franchises (The Bills and Jets for example) is indicative of a shift in strategy around the league. We think that many teams are now focusing not just on the glamour Left tackle position, but on cohesion. Linemen depend on each other, and many teams now seem to recognise that having a consistent group of starters is better than 1-2 great players.

Shaun Alexander claims to be in contact with seven different teams. For now at least, the main starting gig going seems to be in Detroit. At least, it's the only one going for someone who goes down as easily as Shaun Alexander.

Jags very, very set at Defensive End

Despite spending two high draft picks on Defensive Ends during the 2008 NFL draft, Jacksonville have secured 7.5-sack Paul Spicer, who has had a relatively productive couple of years, despite spending the majority of his career as a backup. Spicer is 32, and brings some much needed experience to what will be a young D-line considering the additions of Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, ostensibly signed to be his and Reggie Haywards' replacements in the next two years.

One thing that puzzled us during the draft was Spicer's status. He was certainly productive for long stretches of last season, yet the Jags still felt that not one, but two new starting Defensive Ends were neccessary. Clearly Jack Del Rio believed that a pass rush is the missing piece of the Jaguars' Superbowl puzzle, but perhaps the loss of Marcus Stroud on the inside will be felt more keenly than anticipated.

Lynch Loses License

Buffalo Running Back Marshawn Lynch pleaded guilty to 'failure to exercise due care toward a pedestrian' today, finally ending the saga that has lasted for a whole month, despite being something that could probably have been cleared up in two days.

Lynch lost his driving license for an unspecified amount of time, something that should technically prohibit him from making a similiar mistake. One thing that seems to have become clearer is why this took so long. It seems that Lynch was genuinely unaware that he clipped 27yr old Kimberly Shpeley. She suffered a bruised hip and required 7 stitches to a wound on her thigh, and has stated that she is considering a civil lawsuit against Lynch.

Is it possible to hit someone, even in a Hummer, and not know about it? Perhaps a reader who owns one could let us know.

Commisioner Roger Goodell, who has been in New York State all week, has said that the league will "... wait and see what the facts are and then we'll decide whether it's a violation or if it has any involvement in our personal conduct policy."

It is doubtful that Lynch will serve a suspension, though he will likely be fined.

Commissioner has his say on Rookie contracts

With the NFL on collision course with the NFL Players Association over... well over pretty much everything, Commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken out on a few issues during a symposium at the Chautauqua Institution, N.Y.

Goodell calls the current C.B.A "financially unworkable", and says that he hopes a new deal will be reached by next March. One group of young men who should follow the negotiations closely, are those College students intending to declare for next year's draft in April. Today Goodell spoke at length on the spiralling contracts being handed out to high draft picks:

"There's something wrong about the system... The money should go to people who perform. (A First Round pick) doesn't have to play a down in the NFL and he already has his money, now, with the economics where they are, the consequences if you don't evaluate that player, you can lose a significant amount of money.

- Commissioner Roger Goodell

Goodell's words echo that of NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, who called rookie deals such as the $72m deal Matt Ryan signed with Atlanta 'disheartening'. Dolphins kicker Jay Feely concurred, and said that '90% of current players' are against the current system. With this in mind, surely this is one issue that will be easily resolved when the CBA talks start? Well, no actually.

You see, the NFLPA Union is represented by Gene Upshaw, who (providing Matt Stover hasn't had him replaced) will be the man in charge of negotiations with the owners. Unfortunately, Upshaw is dead against a rookie wage scale, and made this clear during the furore over Ryan's deal:

"we're dealing with such short careers with our rookies and with our players that if you entered into some type of scale or some type of structure for a rookie, it wouldn't make any sense in our business."
- NFLPA Chief Gene Upshaw

Upshaw seems to want to drive a hard bargain, securing not only rookie deals, but also veteran contracts at the current inflation-busting momentum. This makes no sense, as despite the 'rookie pool' that Upshaw uses to support his argument (Each team has a limited amount of the salary cap to spend on rookies per year), veterans are still being short changed compared to the top 10 guys coming into the league each year, many of whom will prove to be completely unworthy of such money.

We think that this could be a big issue when the NFLPA decides what it is doing with Upshaw. 49ers representative Walt Harris declares that he thinks Upshaw "...has done an exceptional job", and cites the current C.B.A as proof. Hold on a second Walt, you're suggesting that Upshaw did a good job on that? The league opted out of the agreement at the earliest possible opportunity, less than two years after the agreement was signed. All Upshaw did was give the owners every reason to hold out for a better deal this time around. The fact that when Matt Stover made public his desire to see Upshaw replaced, the idea was not completely rejected, suggests that there may be those within the NFLPA who are open to the idea of having Upshaw replaced before negotiations start.

And if you were a veteran who's union boss seemed intent on keeping your salary down at the expense of untested Rookies, wouldn't you feel the same?

NFL International Practice Squad Program - Class of 2008

In the past week the NFL have announced the players who will be part of the 2008 International Practice Squad Program.

The International Practice Squad Program (IPSP), setup in 2004, has seen a total of 22 players join the practice squads of various NFL teams for one season.

While practice squad players are ineligible to partake in regular season games, the experience gained is invaluable to the player's development (even more so now NFL Europa has ceased operations).

Rolando Cantu is currently the only player from the program to go on and feature in a regular season game after the Arizona Cardinals signed him from their practice squad on 29th December 2005. His one and only appearance came in the last game of that season against the Colts. Having retired from the game he now is the Cardinal's Manager of International Business Ventures.

For 2008 a record number of 16 players from 7 countries will join up with teams from across the league.


United Kingdom (5)

Jermaine Allen - New Orleans Saints

The 24 year old, 6'0, 230lb Running Back previously spent the 2007 season on the Chicago Bears' practice squad.

Scored a 33 yard TD run for the Hamburg Sea Devils as they won World Bowl XV. Spent 2006 and 2007 with the Sea Devils recording a total of 179 rushing yards for 4 Touchdowns. Spent 2006 with the Amsterdam Admirals.

Marvin Allen - Pittsburgh Steelers

25 year old 5'10, 185lb Wide Receiver returns for his second spell at the Steelers having spent the 2006 season there.

Spent 2007 with the Miami Dolphins in 2007, Four NFLE seasons - 2005 and 2006 at the Frankfurt Galaxy and 2006 and 2007 with the Rhein Fire.

Jason Brisbane - San Diego Chargers

24 year old 238lb Linebacker was the 2004 British American Football League player of the year.

Holds numerous London Blitz records including Longest Int return (88 yards) and 7 blocked kicks.

Aden Durde - Kansas City Chiefs

28 year old 6'1, 240lb Linebacker spent 2005 as member of the Carolina Panthers but left after testing positive for a banned steroid on August 1st 2005.

Five seasons in NFLE - 2003 and 2004 at the Scottish Claymores while 2005, 2006 and 2007 at the Hamburg Sea Devils.

Shaun Smith - Carolina Panthers

26 year old Linebacker has spent two years in NFLE, 2006 for the Rhein Fire and 2007 for the Berlin Thunder.


Mexico (5)

Eduardo Castañeda - Arizona Cardinals

25 year old 6'2, 248lb Linebacker out of Tecnológico de Monterrey (four of the five Mexican players come from the same college).

Spent 2007 on the Houston Texans' practice squad. Assigned to the Rhein Fire for the 2007 NFLE season.

Mauricio Lopez - Oakland Raiders

28 year old 6'1, 329lb DT.

Spent the 2007 pre-season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Spent 2005 with the Amsterdam Admirals and 2006 and 2007 for the Cologne Centurions where he recorded one sack for a nine-yard loss.

Manuel Padilla - Denver Broncos

24 year old 6'3, 245lb Middle Linebacker. Two-time Mexican All-Star selection.

Ramiro Pruneda - San Francisco 49ers

25 year old 6'6, 317lb OT.

Named best offensive lineman by the Mexican ONEFA three times, won four National Championships with Tecnológico de Monterrey, five-time selection to the Mexican All-Star team which partakes in the Aztec Bowl.

One season in NFLE with the Cologne Centurions but was forced to miss the season after a knee injury. Spent 2007 on the practice squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Salomon Solano - Baltimore Ravens

22 year old (will turn 23 in Sept) 6'3, 321lb DT, the only Mexican player in this years class to not come from Tecnológico de Monterrey - College was Tamaulipas.

Spent 2007 with the Detroit Lions. One season with the Rhein Fire included one sack for a six-yard loss.


Germany (2)

Samuel Gutekunst - Seattle Seahawks

24 year old 6'6, 317lb OT.

Spent 2006 with the Ravens and 2007 with the Jaguars. Spent 2005 and 2006 with the Frankfurt Galaxy and 2007 with the Berlin Thunder.

Christian Mohr - Cleveland Browns

28 year old, 6'6, 265lb DE.

Spent 2004 with the Seahawks and 2006 with the Eagles. A 3 year period (2004-2006) with the Berlin Thunder resulted in nine sacks while his 2007 season with the Rhein Fire resulted in three.


France (1)

Sébastian Sejean - St. Louis Rams

24 year old 6'2, 223lb Safety. Attended the Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada.


Russia (1)

Sergey Ivanov - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20 year old 6'2, 193 lb Safety/Corner.

Spent 2005 and 2006 with the Berlin Thunder and 2007 with the Amsterdam Admirals.


Sweden (1)

Carl-Johan Björk - Cincinnati Bengals

26 year old 6'0, 253 lb Linebacker.

Spent 2006 with the Dallas Cowboys and 2007 with the Green Bay Packers. Spent three seasons in NFLE all with the Amsterdam Admirals.


Japan (1)

Noriaki Kinoshita - Atlanta Falcons

25 year old, 5'10, 179lb Wide Receiver will be a Falcon practice squad player for the second year running.

Was the only one out of the nine Japanese players invited to IPSP trials to make the final sixteen. In three seasons in the NFLE, all with the Amsterdam Admirals, has clocked up 37 receptions for 568 yards and two Touchdowns, 46 kick returns for 1155 yards and 15 punt returns for 233 yards and two Touchdowns.

One in the eye for Jason Peters

The Buffalo Bills have announced they have finally re-worked the contract of one of their standout offensive linemen.

But it's not Jason Peters.

Guard Brad Butler has put pen to paper on a new deal today, and while no information regarding the terms of the deal are available as yet, it is likely that Peters will feel slightly aggrieved that his Pro-Bowl performance last season has yet to be rewarded with a new deal.

Peters is seeking parity with fellow linemen Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker, who are both scheduled to make almost double Peters this season. At 26, he is tied into a contract well below his open market value that he signed in 2006, and it is perhaps understandable that he feels his performances merit another look at the deal.

Five Quarterback battles - and who will win them

With Mini-Camp over, the next time we see the NFL players at organised team activities will be in August, as they enter Training camp. It's also where many teams will decide who wins battles on the depth chart, and there is little controversy as enthralling as a good ol' Quarterback battle.

Here are five teams with questions under centre, and our thoughts on who will win in the end. We deliberately left Miami out because we went into that in some depth in the team preview. On with the show!

San Francisco

The contenders: Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, J.T. O'Sullivan

The most wide-open battle ironically occurs in a city that has a tradition of consistency at the position over the last 30 years. From Montana, to Young, and even to Garcia, there has rarely been a question mark coming into Training Camp. In true bus fashion, they've made up for it by having two at the same time.

Alex Smith looks like the obvious favourite to the casual observer. His 'first-overall' status has yet to wear off completely, and the financial commitment that the 49ers have made in him is not inconsiderable. With this in mind, it is a gauge of how far Smith's stock has dropped that he faces a competition with a journeyman backup and a young QB who has yet to start an NFL game.

Shaun Hill held all of the momentum coming off the end of last season. Two wins in the final two games in place of the decrepit Trent Dilfer emphasised the poor play at the position by both previous incumbents. Unfortunately for Hill, that momentum has faltered since the hiring of Mike Martz as Offensive Co-ordinator for the coming season. Martz favours the big arm of Hill, and has worked with O'Sullivan in Detroit last season. From the noises that Martz and Nolan have made, the competition is still open, but it is Smith's to lose.

Who will win?

More than likely, Smith. He is coming off a shoulder injury that hampered his progress last season, and he arguably showed that he is capable of getting the job done during 2006 under Norv Turner.

Chicago

The contenders: Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton

Bears coach Lovie Smith must wonder how things have got back to this stage. In 2005, Kyle Orton led Chicago to 10 victories, before being replaced at half-time by Grossman, who himself inspired the week 15 comeback against Atlanta. Grossman was then named starter, and consequently took the team to the Superbowl in 2006, falling to Indianapolis on the biggest stage.

Criticisms of Grossman's error-prone 'boom or bust' style continued to dog Smith, and after an average start to 2007, backup Brian Griese took over. Griese proved that he had very little to offer in either the short or long term, and thus the Franchise used it's third QB of the season for the last three games of '07, as Orton returned, and finished the season with two victories.

This battle could go either way. Counting in Grossman's favour are both his status as a high draft pick, and that Smith seems enamoured with his potentially brilliant skills. You kind of get the impression that if it wasn't for the constant speculation in the media, Smith would have persevered longer with Grossman.

Who will win?

Grossman. Put simply, he still fascinates the coaches in Chicago. He really is on his last chance as a starter, but his potential upside far outweighs that of Orton, who has proved to be a capable backup. Realistically though, it is very concievable that both will start at some point through 2008.

Arizona

The contenders: Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner

Ironically, heading into the 2007 season, there was very little question about this battle being won by Leinart. Thanks to a combination of injury, poor off-field decision making, and Warner's strong play in place of him, the former first-rounder finds himself under pressure. The ageing Warner proved that he is still effective, throwing an impressive 27 TD's and almost 3,500yds, and this has in turn put coach Ken Whisenhunt on the spot. Does he go with the short term option - Warner - and try to win a championship at the expense of his Franchise quarterback's progression? Or does he give Leinart the reigns, and hope that his play justifies keeping Warner out of the equation.

Who will win?

It's hard to imagine Leinart losing the job completely, but it's also impossible to discount some kind of time-share arrangement that we saw before Leinart went down last year. The latter would keep neither man happy, but would also allow Whisenhunt the option of putting Warner in more liberally than if he actually committed to Leinart. Remember that Arizona is entering a small window with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Edgerrin James in the same lineup.

However, we'd hazard a guess that Leinart will start, if only because annoying Warner has far less repercussions down the road for the franchise.

Baltimore

The contenders: Kyle Boller, Joe Flacco and Troy Smith

While there can be no doubt about Flacco's place as the Raven's long term starter, the question of who will open in week one could be intriguing. Boller, let us not forget, was in a similiar situation when he was drafted by Baltimore in 2003. In fact, it could be argued that as a first rounder, he has never been given the chance that he may have expected. Rarely has he had the confidence of the coaching staff through his time with the team, and the signing of Steve McNair in 2006 must have been a bitter blow. Still, the team have not quite given up on Boller, and since McNair's retirement he has another shot at trying to convince another team that he can start in the NFL.

The wild card is Troy Smith, who - despite winning the Heisman trophy in 2006 - was drafted in the fifth round last season. Smith saw some time last year as the Ravens season ended, but it is debateable whether losing to Miami can be considered something you want on a C.V.

Who will win?

As we say, it's clear that Flacco is the long term starter. Just for the record though, Boller was drafted with the 19th pick in 2003, and Flacco was pick 18. There has been positive noises from the coaches regarding the possibility of Flacco starting immediately, but despite his physical gifts, it is a huge risk, and one that did not come off with Boller. Smith would be considered if the team decide that they can still get a return on Boller via a trade, but this is unlikely.

If we had to pick one now (and starting this article means we have little choice), we'd pick Boller, but the calls for Flacco will start roughly 4mins into the first drive of the regular season.

New York Jets

The contenders: Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens

We know, we already covered this, but it is definately worth re-visiting, as this is probably the most even matchup we will see this August. Chad Pennington is the most accurate Quarterback in NFL history, a fact that really doesn't tell the whole story. Arguably one of the most talented players of his draft class, Pennington has suffered through injuries and now faces the most difficult challenge to his tenure in New York. Indeed, he was replaced for a good portion of the 2007 season by Clemens, who showed little with the opportunity he had.

The Jets are the most talked about franchise in this situation, inevitably, after their pre-season spending spree. Whoever does win will inherit a much better Offensive line to protect them, anchored by the $40m man, Alan Faneca, at Left Guard. Pennington certainly deserves the shot, when you consider the relatively poor O-lines he has played behind over the first 6 years of his career, but Clemens has an unknown quantity that Eric Mangini may be tempted by.

Who will win?

This one will probably go down to the wire. Mangini himself does not seem to have much conviction in either man, and it will be interesting to watch both players' stock fluctuate over the course of the pre-season. Pennington probably edges it, in our opinion, purely because of the clear desire to win now, as opposed to down the line.

That's all for Quarterbacks - we'll have the other key positional battles over the next few days.

New York Jets: Season Preview 2008

The New York Jets

The past few seasons have not been kind to the Jets; despite the continued failings of the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins, the emergence of a New England Patriots dynasty within the NFL (and more significantly to the Jets, the AFC East) has done little to cheer a franchise whose last (and only) SB visit was in 1968.

The hiring of Eric Mangini - a former Patriots employee - as Head Coach in 2006 resulted in almost immediate success, however a 10-6 regular season record only led to a 37-16 Wild Card playoff defeat to 'you know who'. Was it possible that fans of the Jets could get any more irked by the Patriots in 2007? It turned out it was, as after the Week One 38-14 loss to "you know who" the Spygate soap opera debuted.

The Coach

Entering his 3rd season, The Mangenius might start to see questions about his role (if not his nickname) within the franchise raised should the Jets succumb to another 4-12 season. Upstairs Mike Tannenbaum will be entering his 3rd season as General Manager and will be adding Executive Vice President to his ever-growing list of responsibilities (he will also be sitting on the newly formed NFL GM committee). Kevin O'Dea has been named Special Teams Coordinator after the excellent Mike Westhoff was forced to step down from the role due to medical reasons. Bill Callahan joins as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach while, to the surprise of some, Bob Sutton remains as Defensive Coordinator.

2007 season

2007 was a season to largely forget for the Jets. A lackluster running game (19th in rushing yards a game, tied 22nd in yards per carry), a defence who couldn't stop the run (29th in Yards allowed per game), and the lingering question of if Clemens really is the Jets' QB of the future. On the plus side the 4-12 record did result in the 6th overall pick in the draft (Vernon Gholston), Cotchery had another productive season while the standout rookie season of David Harris should minimise the effect of the departure of Jonathan Vilma in the off-season.

Draft class of 2008

Round 1 - Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Round 1 - Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Round 4 - Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State
Round 5 - Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee
Round 6 - Marcus Henry, WR, Kansas
Round 7 - Nate Garner, OT, Arkansas

New York's draft effectively started on February 29th when they traded away their 3rd and 5th round picks for monster DT/NT Kris Jenkins.

Draft day picks Gholston and Lowery add further dimensions to what was a poor 2007 defence and Keller should have a chance to start at TE. The offensive line wasn't addressed till the 7th round, but that was partly due to the 2008 free agent acquisitions of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody.

Strong side

With the talent available to Mangini the 2008 season shouldn't be a repeat of 2007. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Faneca and Woody should provide a more than adequate offensive line. The 3-4 defence received significant upgrades in Gholston and Jenkins, the play of David Harris after Vilma suffered a season ending injury in week 7 was extremely encouraging and Kerry Rhodes is becoming one of the best safeties in the league - This team, on paper, isn't a 4-12 team.

Weak side

Despite a strong off-season there is still one position above all in which doubts may remain - Quarterback. Through a combination of injuries and the rest of the league figuring out how to deal with his game, James Chadwick Pennington has never managed to repeat his 2002 season. One of the brightest young QBs in 2002 was one of the highest paid backup QBs for much of the second half of the 2007 season. Kellen Clemens, the 2nd round pick in 2006, didn't do much to impress when he played and while it was only his first season (and only half a season at that) as starter 2008 might be the last chance either QB gets with the Jets.

On the TE front Chris Baker is aggrieved at his contract situation and has asked to be traded. Bubba Franks came off an injury plagued season at Green Bay and at 30 years old might only see limited action in a Jets uniform. A lot may be expected of Keller in his rookie year.

Major transactions

In:
TE Bubba Franks
OG Alan Faneca
OG Damien Woody
DT Kris Jenkins
LB Calvin Pace

Out:
WR Justin McCareins
LB Jonathan Vilma
DT Dewayne Robertson

2008 Schedule

2 Thu, Aug 7th, 2008 at Cleveland 07:30 PM Cleveland Browns Stadium
3 Sat, Aug 16th, 2008 Washington 07:00 PM Meadowlands
4 Sat, Aug 23rd, 2008 NY Giants 07:00 PM Meadowlands
5 Thu, Aug 28th, 2008 at Philadelphia 06:30 PM Lincoln Financial Field

1 Sun, Sep 7th, 2008 at Miami 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
2 Sun, Sep 14th, 2008 New England 04:15 PM Meadowlands
3 Mon, Sep 22nd, 2008 at San Diego 08:30 PM Qualcomm Stadium
4 Sun, Sep 28th, 2008 Arizona 01:00 PM Meadowlands
5 Bye
6 Sun, Oct 12th, 2008 Cincinnati 01:00 PM Meadowlands
7 Sun, Oct 19th, 2008 at Oakland 04:15 PM McAfee Coliseum
8 Sun, Oct 26th, 2008 Kansas City 01:00 PM Meadowlands
9 Sun, Nov 2nd, 2008 at Buffalo 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
10 Sun, Nov 9th, 2008 St. Louis 01:00 PM Meadowlands
11 Thu, Nov 13th, 2008 at New England 08:15 PM Gillette Stadium
12 Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 at Tennessee 01:00 PM LP Field
13 Sun, Nov 30th, 2008 Denver 01:00 PM Meadowlands
14 Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 at San Francisco 04:05 PM Monster Park
15 Sun, Dec 14th, 2008 Buffalo 01:00 PM Meadowlands
16 Sun, Dec 21st, 2008 at Seattle 04:05 PM Qwest Field
17 Sun, Dec 28th, 2008 Miami 01:00 PM Meadowlands

Fan view

Jets fan Iain Bartholomew's (rather lengthy!) view on why the 2008 season is “Kellen or Bust”.

The state of the Jets is, to put it simply, unknown. There are so many things that should work, but if they all do work it will be remarkable. Adding two new pieces to the offensive line ought to shore up the unit and allow whichever QB starts the time to be effective and opening up holes for the running game. In theory the offense should be above average, no matter who the QB is. Kellen Clemens, by the way, should be the QB. We know what we have in Chad Pennington and what we have is a great guy who will never be an elite QB in the NFL. In Clemens there is a chance that he flames out. Big deal - At least then we know he’s not a QB.As a fan I want to be excited by the offense and Clemens is the QB with the potential to be explosive (as opposed to Chad whose shoulder has the potential to explode).

For what it’s worth, I believe that Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum are on the right track here. They have a clear plan and are executing it. They clearly misjudged matters last year and failed to shore up the offensive and defensive lines. They clearly don’t know whether Kellen Clemens is the QB he was drafted to be, else Chad Pennington would no longer be on the roster.

Jets fans do appear to be somewhat split between those who have seen too much to retain any real sense of optimism and those who believe we’re going in the right direction. For me, this seems to be a win-now team without a win-now QB. If neither Chad nor Kellen can step up and take the job then we’re in a lot of trouble. By the time a replacement is groomed or integrated it will be too late for the likes of Faneca, Woody, Barton, Jones, Ellis, Jenkins and Coles. That’s a lot of key elements to replace. That’s also why it has to be Kellen or bust in 2008.

Wide-Right's view

2008 could go either way for the Jets. A repeat of 2006 (10-6 and a Wild Card playoff appearance) is not totally out of the question, but then neither is a 5-11 season.

A lot will depend on the form of Clemens and/or Pennington and how well rookies (most notably Gholston) quickly adapt to life within the NFL. While New England aren’t going to implode any time soon, the fortunes of Buffalo and Miami will be a big factor in the Jets season.

Prediction for 2008

The Jets won’t finish first in the AFC East, nor in all likelihood will they finish last,a fairly average 8-8 season may be on the cards. A week 1 matchup at Miami may set the tone for the whole season and a surprise week two win against NE could do wonders for the whole season. A 0-2 record however heading into week 3 could be a sign of a long season to come.

Mangini survives the 2008 season, but the fortunes of 2009 offer no less uncertainty...

Useful links for Jets fans

Official site
Depth chart
TheGangGreen - fansite

Steven Jackson - Just suck it up

Steven Jackson is probably one of the least tactful - and most entertaining - players in the league today. One of the more intelligent players in the game, Jackson is like a rent-a-quote machine set to 'stun', and in his recent interview with Michael Silver for Yahoo Sports, he does not disappoint...

"I had a colonic," Jackson said, referring to the trendy colon-cleansing therapy that is akin to an extended enema on steroids. "My girlfriend had the bright idea: 'Let's go get your system cleaned out.' It lasted about 45 minutes, and by the end, I (expletive) wanted to cry. Let's just say I got stabbed in the (rear) six times."
- Rams RB Steven Jackson to Michael Silver of Yahoo

It gets so much better though. Not content with revealing the hosing his ass has taken, Jackson goes into detail, along with Girlfriend Supriya Harris. Here are the best quotes of a thoroughly penetrating article:

"My hands were covered in sweat, and the (colon therapist) lady comes in and starts talking my ear off. There's this thin hose-type-thing that you put up there that shoots water into you and sucks everything out, but I had trouble getting it in, and then it kept coming out. The lady had to come back six different times and put it back in there. It was brutal."
- Jackson again

"Trust me, she didn't mind. I was having mine done in the next room, and she kept coming in to tell me how fine he was. I was like, 'Could you please stop hitting on my boyfriend while you're cleaning out my colon?' When we got done and he walked out to the waiting room, I said, 'Steven, are you OK?' He said, 'I don't want to talk about it.' I swear to God, he looked like a kid who'd been in there with R Kelly."
-Supriya Harris

That last quote may force us to go against all prior evidence, and accept that women can be funny in an intentional manner. Despite the sheer horror of making love to a hosepipe, the man known as S-Jax to absolutely nobody seems converted, saying 'Once you get it all out of you, your body feels great. You get a boost of energy, and you feel like you can accomplish anything' Actually, a colonic irrigation company would be a great sponsor for any franchise named 'The Rams'.

Let's just hope Jackson hits the hole slightly better than last year.

The Miami Dolphins: Season 2008 Preview

The Miami Dolphins

Recent history has been bittersweet for the Miami Dolphins. Traditionally one of the NFL's most popular franchises, the 'fins have not won a championship for nearly 35 years, and despite having one of the most prolific passers of the modern era, they did not convert several opportunities to win the big one during his Hall of Fame career. The Dan Marino era is long since departed, though, and as with almost all great Quarterbacks, his shoes have proved incredibly difficult to fill. We could list the assorted journeymen, high draft choices and complete bums who have attempted to follow Marino, but it would hurt the keyboard to do so.

Although generally a trendy 'sleeper pick' at this time of year, the Dolphins have not actually made the Playoffs since 2001, when they were destroyed by the Ravens 20-3. A revenge of sorts was exacted in 2007 - though probably not in the way owner Wayne Huizenga would have hoped for. Huizenga himself has half of his stake in the Dolphins, and it will soon be time for one of the more philanthropic owners in the NFL to leave behind his dream of winning sports championships in South Florida.

The Coach
Tony Sparano enters his first season as head coach with a great deal more support than most could expect from 'Vice President of Team Operations' Bill Parcells. Forget everything that title suggests - Parcells is pulling the strings here, and it won't be long before his protegé is wondering just whether the Tuna is quite ready to give up coaching.

One advantage Sparano has over almost any other person who could have taken the job, is that he was Parcells' choice no matter what. He made that clear when negotiating a similiar position with Atlanta owner Arthur Blank. Sparano was Quarterbacks coach at Dallas when Parcells coached their last season, but despite his relative anonymity, is highly regarded in league circles, perhaps even more so that Cowboys Assistant Jason Garrett, the successor to Wade Phillips.

2007 season
It's not always easy judging whether a team failed, met expectations, or punched above it's weight when you analyse a season. However, with the Miami Dolphins 2007 season, we can safely use the term 'debacle' to describe events. Despite a QB situation that seemed like some kind of terrible idea for a sitcom - including a starting QB one concussion shy of retirement (Trent Green) - the 'fins were everyone's trendy sleeper pick. Looking back, it's easy to laugh, but remember that Green was brought in to help veterans like Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas finally get that elusive championship ring by then coach Cam Cameron.

What transpired was laughable - unless you were a Dolphin fan. The team started well, and were unlucky to lose in Overtime to the Redskins in week one. Losing to the Texans in week 5 also saw Green go down with what turned out to be the final concussion of his Dolphins career, and the loss of Running back Ronnie Brown in week 7 effectively ended any outside hopes of a recovery.

With the team visiting London 0-7, the media were forced to reconfigure their predictions for the Dolphins. Just winning a game now looked an almighty task for a team playing with a backup QB and RB tandem, and with arguably the team's best WR Chris Chambers, shipped off to San Diego. The onus fell on Cleo Lemon - who was widely consider a placeholder for 2nd round pick John Beck - to lead a demoralised team in the Wembley mud. A sloppy game, probably more remarkable for it's location and the quality of streaker, ended in a Giants victory.

Naught much need be said about a team that was headed for the first 0-16 season in NFL history. That dubious distinction will fall to another set of cork-popping veterans, however, as the 'fins finally chalked a win (and revenge) up against the equally terrible Baltimore Ravens. It should be noted that they only managed a win in overtime, and that the Ravens had a pretty good shot at winning the game on their last drive, but had to settle for a field goal.

Expected losses at New England and against the Bungles followed, both under the gaze of new VP of Footballing operations (we still hate that term, he's just 'the VP' from now on ok?) Bill Parcells. Byt this point it seemed unlikely that Cam Cameron could save his job, and so it turned out, as he was unceremoniously sacked after one of the worst seasons in Dolphins and NFL History.

Draft class of 2008

1 - Jake Long T Michigan
2 - Phillip Merling DE Clemson
2 - Chad Henne QB Michigan
3 - Kendall Langford DE Hampton
4 - Shawn Murphy G Utah State
6 - Jalen Parmele RB Toledo
6 - Donald Thomas G Connecticut
6 - Lex Hilliard FB Montana
7 - Lionel Dotson DT Arizona

Parcells, a respected practitioner in the field of the NFL draft, has come up trumps in 2008. First of all, he eschewed the vocal majority who called for Chris Long, Matt Ryan, or Glenn Dorsey. All three are good players, but an offensive line that consisted of just one Tackle was the major concern. With Brown expected to be rehabilitated early from his torn ACL, he will need Jake Long to anchor his left side, and Long will also be critical in the development of either John Beck or Chad Henne at Quarterback. Henne is one of the better prospects from the 2008 class. He shows poise, leadership, and all the physical skills to become one of the best signal-callers in the NFL. That may sound like a wild exaggeration, but the guy is a leader of men. He comes from Michigan, along with his fellow rookie OT too, so it's difficult to imagine the questionable Beck keeping him out for long.

Elsewhere the Dolphins focused on Defensive ends, taking Merling and Langford in early rounds. Merling looked a steal in round 2, but keep an eye also, on rookie RB Jalene Parmele. Despite being third on the depth chart, he has to know that both Brown and Ricky Williams have health issues. He did not have a fumble in his career at Toledo, and was one of the quickest RB's at this year's combine.

Strong side

After such a weak season, it's not easy to characterise this team's strengths. The running game is healthy - when it's primary sources are healthy - and the addition of Long should give hope to Dolphins fans everywhere. Brown looked exceptional last year even behind a weak line, and was on course to finish at the top of the yardage list if not for his injury.

Elsewhere the depth at Linebacker and along the Defensive line is good, but the aging Joey Porter could well be the weak link alongside Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele.

Weak side

Where do you start? the secondary is a good place. Jason Allen, a first rounder in 2006, needs to start fulfilling his potential. He is currently number three on a depth chart that is bereft of stars, and with the loss of Michael Lehan to injury, Allen will be forced to play CB this year, rather than at Free Safety, where the Dolphins have eased him into the defensive scheme. Ex-Dallas SS Keith Davis will likely supplant Yeremiah Bell, while Renaldo Hill will likely line up next to him.

On the offensive line questions still need to be answered. The lack of depth at tackle is particularly worrying, and that is after the addition of Long. One bright spot could be that Guard Justin Smiley, a Free Agent aquisition from the 49ers, will be able to nurture Long through the initial trials of his career.

The main question though, is in the passing game. At both WR and QB, the team is lacking identity. First of all, look at both Chris Chambers and Wes Welker. Both left the Dolphins last season, and we saw what happened. Welker produced a brilliant (yet not completely surprising) season for the Patriots, and the Chargers got something close to the best out of Chambers. Ted Ginn Jnr now leads the Receiving unit, but Ernest Wilford will hardly set the fans pulses racing (in the good way) heading into this year.

Couple that with the complete uncertainty regarding the QB situation, and you have a farce waiting to happen. Our guess? Josh McCown will start in week one, but expect Henne to beat out the other two by week four. Beck will need to show that he can play during pre-season or not at all. We wouldn't be surprised to see a Charlie Frye-esque trading of Beck before week six.

Major transactions

In:
WR Ernest Wilford
LB Akin Ayodele
DT Jason Ferguson
SS Keith Davis
LB Charlie Anderson
TE Anthony Fasano
OG Justin Smiley
DE Randy Starks
QB Josh McCown

Out:
QB Trent Green
OT L.J Shelton
WR Marty Booker
DT keith Traylor
LB Zach Thomas


2008 Schedule

1 Sun, Sep 7th, 2008 NY Jets 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
2 Sun, Sep 14th, 2008 at Arizona 04:15 PM University of Phoenix Stadium
3 Sun, Sep 21st, 2008 at New England 01:00 PM Gillette Stadium
4 Bye
5 Sun, Oct 5th, 2008 San Diego 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
6 Sun, Oct 12th, 2008 at Houston 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium
7 Sun, Oct 19th, 2008 Baltimore 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
8 Sun, Oct 26th, 2008 Buffalo 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
9 Sun, Nov 2nd, 2008 at Denver 04:05 PM Invesco Field at Mile High
10 Sun, Nov 9th, 2008 Seattle 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
11 Sun, Nov 16th, 2008 Oakland 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
12 Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 New England 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
13 Sun, Nov 30th, 2008 at St. Louis 01:00 PM Edward Jones Dome
14 Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 at Buffalo 04:05 PM Rogers Centre - Toronto, Ontar
15 Sun, Dec 14th, 2008 San Francisco 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
16 Sun, Dec 21st, 2008 at Kansas City 01:00 PM Arrowhead Stadium
17 Sun, Dec 28th, 2008 at NY Jets 01:00 PM Meadowlands



Fan view

Miami fan Jay Rowell on whether the Dolphins can rebound in '08...

Yes! They can. Obviously, last year it was a very bad year for Miami. Tony Sparano worked under Bill Parcells as an Assistant head coach, so they already have this connection between them that could prove beneficial for the Dolphins. Hopefully he can re-build the bond between (the front office) and Jason Taylor... I think Parcells is the best thing that's come to Miami this year - that could really make the Difference.

My prediction is that they will make a huge comeback. They won't make the play-offs but I think they just need to make sure, they do a hell of a lot better than they did last year.

Wide-Right's view

'Desperate optimism' may be the order of the day in South Florida this year. The Solphins are a real mess, and even with Bill Parcells at the helm, they have a fight on their hands. We're not for one second suggesting that Parcells won't make the Dolphins better in the long run, but short term, his goal has to be to prevent a youthful coaching and playing staff from becoming shell shocked. When you've gone 1-15, you may think the only way is up, but countless franchises have spent considerable years without success because a young, core group of players developed losing habits early in their careers.

With this in mind, Tony Sparano needs to be strong enough to stand up to the Tuna and stamp his own identity on this team. Sparano is no walkover, nor is he Parcells' puppet, but everyone is aware that it is unlikely he would have his job were it not for the VP's insistence.

A bonus is the expected return of Ronnie Brown. Brown was a monster over the first half of last season, and if he returns anywhere near full speed, Miami have a shot at winning games. Brown is critical as he brings safe hands to a thin receiving corps, and his ability could be the crucial factor in developing one of the two young Quarterbacks on the Miami roster.

The Jason Taylor situation continues to fester, but realistically it's Miami or bust for the 2006 Defensive player of the year. Taylor is the face of this defence, and his loss would be a huge blow, no matter what renumeration the team received. The rumours of a trade to Green Bay, we dealt with in this article. In short, it's a risky trade that we don't see makes sense for either team. With Taylor's new-found love affair with the media likely to be a talking point all year, perhaps the Front Office would be wise to cash in on Taylor before he retires (as he has stated an intention to do so) next year. On the other hand, if the team actually believes they have any shot at winning, losing the two emotional leaders -Thomas and Taylor - in the same offseason, would likely put paid to those hopes.

Prediction for 2008

The Dolphins won't finish 0-16, but it's likely that the team will have another offseason rebuilding program come 2009. The opening games against the Jets and Cardinals provide ample opportunity to exorcise the demons of last year before the Patriots loom large in week 3. It is critical that one of those games is won, if only to avoid driving us all insane with Jason Taylor trade talk.

At a guess? 4-12. One step at a time for Bill and Co.

Useful links for Miami fans

Official site
Depth chart
Bitchin' Dave

The Hefty Lefty is unemployed

Jared Lorenzen, the mammoth backup Quarterback of the New York Giants, has been released. The move brings about the end of a sterling career, in which Jared's main (non-eating) achievement was that classic first-down two seasons ago awhen he was brought out on 3rd and 1 instead of Eli Manning against the Eagles. Of course, there's very little way of stopping Jared getting a yard, providing he doesn't collapse under his own weight before the snap.

Like a human bowling ball, 285lb (yeah, right) Lorenzen is affectionately known by about 562 nicknames, but of course, 'The Pilsbury Throwboy' must get an honourable mention.

Despite our mockery, Lorenzen should really catch on somewhere. He's a role model for people everywhere, someone who literally doesn't care at all about their weight and yet still played QB in the NFL, despite being bigger than most of his linemen.

Just how bad is Matt Millen?

While reading an interview with Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Lem Barney earlier, it was difficult not to have a spot of sympathy for the beleaguered Matt Millen, General Manager of the franchise.

I think he has the capability to be a good general manager. He's just had some ups and downs. ... You can't just blame Matt. Players have to want to win, too. You have to be hungry enough. Look at what Boston did -- (the Celtics) were hungry. One guy can't do it by himself. That's why it's called a TEAM. Together ... everyone ... accomplishes more.
- Lem Barmey

Which illicited this response from a Lions fan who commented on the site:

When a player as classy and intelligent as Lem Barney speaks, sometimes you have to listen to what he didn't say as opposed to what he did say.
He didn't say "Matt Millen is a great GM" or even "Matt Millen is a competent GM."
That is really all we need to know about his opinion of Millen.

FIRE MILLEN. HIRE DUNGY.
- outlawsrock

Obviously, getting away from the aforementioned user's clear intelligence issues, it's a widespread view amongst Detroit fans that Millen in fact is to blame for their woes, and has been ever since he took over in 2001. Even the most obviously culpable defendants still have the right to a fair trial (Like I say, we're based in Britain), so in the interest of impartiality, here are the findings of our arduous (and trust me, there is no horror like a Lions draft study) investigation into Matt Millen's (mis)management of the Detroit Lions:

He's really really bad at evaluating talent.

The numbers are staggering, frankly.

First up, the team has only four of it's eight first round picks still on the roster. Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams, Ernie Sims, and Jeff Backus. Charles Rogers and Kevin Jones are both out of work, while Joey Harrington and Mike Williams will likely never start in the NFL again. That's a 50% attrition rate, something which makes you wonder if Millen makes picks with the flip of a coin...

Only two starters (Cory Redding and Roy Williams) are still with the team from four drafts (2002-05). That's an astonishing number. Consider also, that only one player is still active on the Lions roster from the 2002 draft (John Owens). He's not even a starter. The Lions seemed to have faired slightly better in the second round, but this off-season Shaun Rogers, Kalimba Edwards, Teddy Lehman and Boss Bailey all departed Ford Field. six of Millen's ten second round picks are still with the team, however, making it easily his best statistic.

The really serious problem arises when we get to later rounds. Many teams talk about getting a steal on day two of the draft, a Tom Brady or Marques Colston who surprises everyone. For some teams, such as the Colts, the second day is just as important as the first - and they have the rings to prove it. Of Millen's thirty second day picks, only six players are still on the Lions' roster. That's a mere 20% of the players drafted since 2001.

Also of note are the number of draft choices traded away. Since 2001, Millen has given away thirteen draft choices (including nine in last year's draft) in a frivolous disregard for the conventional wisom of today's NFL. In an age where most front offices spend copious amounts of time desperately attempting to secure even late round picks, it is baffling - especially considering the players that the Lions drafted with the picks that they secured from all of those trades.

We haven't included any stats from the 2008 draft in this. It's impossible to judge who will be a star from that class, and maybe if they've learned their lesson... what's that? Already traded away their fourth round pick in 2009?

Actually outlawsrock has a point...

Bills casually sabotaging local market

If you read our season preview of the Bills earlier, you might be aware that we expressed concerns over the future plans for Buffalo in New York state. With the Buffalo market looking increasingly stifled, and the economy in the area still suffering, the team's future is in some doubt, more so than any other franchise in fact.

In one of those 'moves that make you go "hmmmm"', the Bills have gotten rid of their local cleaners. Of course, let's not JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS here, but it's another shot in the eye of a local economy that can ill afford it. Of course, let's not get started on Michigan's economy, or the fact that this is a small drop in the financial ocean...

Regardless of that, it's a tactless manoeuvre on behalf of the organisation, especially in light of the public's recent show of support. Bills fans recently snapped up tickets at the highest rate since 1993, in the middle of one of the best streaks in franchise history.

Jumping to conclusions

The guys at Profootballtalk are what could be described as 'sound'. There's generally always something readable on the site, and we have very little gripes with the way things are written. It's one of the sites that we casually browse every so often in the never ending quest for something interesting to write about.

There is one problem though, that we think they need to work on.

Today Mike Florio posted the following article regarding disgraced Radio presenter Don Imus. Imus was the fool who referred to the Rutgers' womens basketball team as 'Nappy-headed Ho's', and subsequently lost his CBS radio gig as a result. It was a stupid remark to make, and it's not easy to have sympathy with someone who is stupid enough to make such a comment.

Unfortunately, PFT have jumped to the conclusion that Imus is 'at it again'. The audio clip that we heard seemed to not reveal Imus as a big daft racist, but as someone who was making a point that African-Americans are much more likely to be stopped. If PFT are so certain of the racial connotations, they should ask themselves this: Why did Imus set up the question by asking the host what colour Adam Jones is? In our view, only a member of the KKK would have set up a comment like that live on the radio. Imus has only ever apologised for his Rutgers comments, and perhaps it's the British sense of irony and sarcasm that lets us take things at other than face value.

Even if your website is run by a lawyer, you should be careful of who you categorise as 'overtly and blatantly racist'

Apart from that, good job guys.

UPDATE
If you enjoy a good laugh, how about the article's comments section.

Still having a hard time deciding which is the funniest thing about this story: PFT not grasping sarcasm when it hears it, or people being 'overtly and blatantly racist' in the comments section.

NFL puts players in jeopardy.

NFLPA Union president Kevin Mawae has sounded off again, but the victim of his ire is not Ravens kicker (and possible secessionist) Matt Stover, it's just the NFL.

As reported on ESPN.com, Mawae rips the league for disclosing information regarding fellow Titan Ryan Fowler, who is under investigation for apparently buying steroids from David Jacobs, who commited suicide two weeks ago. Shortly before his death, Jacobs fingered (not like that) the Titans MLB as one of his clients from 2006, something that Fowler denies.

Mawae has a point here, and the league say so too:

"We agree with Kevin," Aiello said by e-mail. "Unfortunately, information that has to be shared with individuals outside of our office is sometimes given to the news media improperly."
- NFL spokesman Greg Aiello

It is worrying that, when you consider what is at stake, the league couldn't keep their findings under wraps whilst investigating serious allegations of steroid use. Looking at the bigger picture though, it is more worrying that these leaks occurred when Jacobs made this stark warning just days before his death::

"The kinds of people I have information about, they're the kinds of people who can put a bullet in the back of my head."
- Steroids Dealer David Jacobs

For the NFL to allow a person under investigation to be named like this is troubling. Surely they must be aware that even with Jacobs out of the picture, anyone implicated in the whole episode would be at risk from those looking to cover their tracks? If not, Jacobs's suicide should have been the wake up call they needed.

Buffalo Bills: Season Preview 2008

The Buffalo Bills

It's been a long time since fans of the Buffalo Bills had much to cheer about. The last time the team won a playoff game was 1995, and since the team cut Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed at the end of the 2000 season, the Bills have been a franchise with no faces. The glory days of the early nineties, when the Bills made four straight superbowl appearances (let's not dwell on the four straight losses...) have been replaced with a barren, playoff-free wilderness. In fact, their last playoff appearance was probably one of the more memorable - the music city miracle.

The Coach

Dick Jauron has quietly risen into one of the NFL's better coaches over the last two years. Since taking over in Buffalo, he has overseen the drafting of several key players, but perhaps his biggest asset - GM Marv Levy - has now retired. The enigmatic Levy brought much needed stability to the team, and Bills fans will be hoping that, as Levy's guy, Jauron is able to continue the progress made in recent seasons. Offensive co-ordinator Steve Fairchild left, and former QBs coach Turk Schonert will be hoping to do better than the predictable Fairchild as he enters his first job as an OC in the NFL.

2007 season

The Bills finished 7-9 last season. Although they finished second in the AFC East, they missed out on a playoff place after losing their last 3 games. The most important move of the season was the replacing of J.P. Losman with rookie Trent Edwards at the Quarterback position. Losman rarely looked like turning into the QB they envisaged when the Bills invested a first round pick on him back in '04, and his cards were marked even before he sustained an early season injury. Edwards, who was selected in the third round last year, but already looks more likely to cement the position as his own - something that Losman never achieved in 3 years.

Draft class of 2008

Round 1 - Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Round 2 - James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Round 3 - Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech
Round 4 - Reggie Corner, CB, Akron
Round 4 - Derek Fine, TE, Kansas
Round 5 - Alvin Bowen, OLB, Iowa State
Round 6 - Xavier Omon, RB, Northwest Missouri State University
Round 7 - Demetrius Bell, OT, Northwestern State University
Round 7 - Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
Round 7 - Kennard Cox, DB, Pittsburgh

The Bills have done a good job in recent seasons of building through the draft. This year, they addressed most of the key needs on the team, and got a couple of steals in the process. Primarily, the Bills will be happy with the raw talent that Leodis McKelvin brings to the table at the cornerback position, which has been a problem area since the departure to San Francisco of Nate Clements. James Hardy should finally give Lee Evans a compliment at WR. Hardy is a big, bruising WR but also has the speed that could see him one day become an elite receiver in the league.

The only position that stands out on the Bills roster as a potential problem is Tight End. When Kevin Everett went down with his career ending injury, it was not only a sickening blow to the team's mental state, but yet another mid round TE prospect (see also: Tim Euhus) that would fail to challenge current incumbent Robert Royal. Royal is a serviceable TE, but the Bills have not used the position for receiving much in the last few years. Derek Fine should add the blocking ability that has been sorely missing from the Bills TE corps, but Royal will need to show he can catch the ball reliably, or his days in Buffalo may be numbered.

Strong side

Without doubt coach Dick Jauron has several talented players, probably more than the 7-9 record of last year would have people believe. The Offensive line is certainly looking formidable. Langston Walker and Derrick Dockery have both been succesful acquisition, and Tackle Jason Peters (alongside Dockery) give the Bills a very solid left side.

On the defensive side of the ball, the addition through Free Agency of ex-Jags DT Marcus Stroud is a crucial addition that could well help DE's Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay focus on the pass rush. It will also give young DT John McCargo a perfect role model as he looks to cement a starting role this year. The front four is formidable, and with MLB Paul Posluzny returning from injury, the linebacker group looks stronger than it has for many years. When Posluzny went down early last season, his replacement - John DiGiorgio - proved that he is more than capable of playing at this level, and gives the team depth that few others can match. Alongside another Free Agent, Kawika Mitchell, and with Angelo Crowell manning the strong side, the Bills are spoiled for choice in almost every position amongst the front seven.

Weak side

The Tight End situation aside, Buffalo also has question marks at the other offensive skill positions.

The addition of Hardy via the draft has given the team another option at receiver, but it is still a unit that lacks depth. Hardy and Lee Evans may be a tandem to strike fear into many secondaries, but if one of the two were to go down, the Bills are back to square one, somewhere they've been for the last three years. A question mark still hangs over the Running Back position too. Marshawn Lynch enters his second season as starter, and has shown the talent and durability to carry the load. Fred Jackson, too, looks to have talent. The release of veteran Anthony Thomas shows that Jauron and Schonert certainly have faith in him as a backup.

The question? Lynch's upcoming guilty plea for mowing down a Buffalo area girl at 3am. Wheras the charge is likely to be a misdemeanour, it will put Lynch on a very short leash with the league. In this age of Pacmans and Tanks, he will need to be extra careful to avoid problems with the law. It's a huge test of maturity for a young man, and his reaction to the original investigation into the incident didn't reflect positively on his current mindset. One of the problems an NFL player faces is that automatically, you become a potential target for the law, the media, and the average guy on the street. They're all going to try and take advantage of you, and often, it's the star that gets penalised. The last thing this team needs is it's most consistent offensive performer of 2007 to be hit with a suspension of any kind.

And finally, of course, there is young signal-caller Trent Edwards. Despite gaining the starting role for this season, Edwards must be concious that the Bills' decision to keep former first rounder J.P. Losman around is not the 100% faith that you'd like as a Quarterback. Edwards' play in 2007 showed a propensity for taking sacks and throwing interceptions, two things that no offence can afford to do on a regular basis. indeed, in the game against the Giants last December, Edwards threw three interceptions, two of which went back for scores (One, in fact, by Kawika Mitchell, then of the Giants.). Such a meltdown at a critical phase of the season is something that Edwards could have done without as he makes his case for being the franchise quarterback that Buffalo have not had since Jim Kelly.

Major transactions

In:
LB Kawika Mitchell
DT Marcus Stroud
TE Courtney Anderson
CB Will James
DT Spencer Johnson

Out:
WR Peerless Price
LB Coy Wire
RB Anthony Thomas
CB Jerametrius Butler
LB Kevin Harrison
DT Larry Tripplett

2008 Schedule

2 Sat, Aug 9th, 2008 at Washington 07:00 PM FedEx Field
3 Thu, Aug 14th, 2008 Pittsburgh 07:30 PM Rogers Centre - Toronto, Ontar
4 Sun, Aug 24th, 2008 at Indianapolis 08:00 PM Lucas Oil Stadium
5 Thu, Aug 28th, 2008 Detroit 06:30 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium

1 Sun, Sep 7th, 2008 Seattle 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
2 Sun, Sep 14th, 2008 at Jacksonville 01:00 PM Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
3 Sun, Sep 21st, 2008 Oakland 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
4 Sun, Sep 28th, 2008 at St. Louis 04:05 PM Edward Jones Dome
5 Sun, Oct 5th, 2008 at Arizona 04:15 PM University of Phoenix Stadium
6 Bye
7 Sun, Oct 19th, 2008 San Diego 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
8 Sun, Oct 26th, 2008 at Miami 01:00 PM Dolphin Stadium
9 Sun, Nov 2nd, 2008 NY Jets 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
10 Sun, Nov 9th, 2008 at New England 01:00 PM Gillette Stadium
11 Mon, Nov 17th, 2008 Cleveland 08:30 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
12 Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 at Kansas City 01:00 PM Arrowhead Stadium
13 Sun, Nov 30th, 2008 San Francisco 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium
14 Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 Miami 04:05 PM Rogers Centre - Toronto, Ontar
15 Sun, Dec 14th, 2008 at NY Jets 01:00 PM Meadowlands
16 Sun, Dec 21st, 2008 at Denver 04:05 PM Invesco Field at Mile High
17 Sun, Dec 28th, 2008 New England 01:00 PM Ralph Wilson Stadium

Fan view

Buffalo fan Philip Rolfe on whether the team is at risk of falling behind in the AFC East race:

Miami worries me more than the Jets do, but in general I don’t think there’s much danger. Teams can go and get whichever players they want to, and most teams will be able to offer more attractive packages both financially and in location than Buffalo can, which just means the team has to focus on its own strategies, principally developing its own talent and not making a free agency splash. They’ve done that most of this decade, and yeah, no playoff place since 2002 to show for it, but it’s not that far off.

Wide-Right's view

After years of building through the draft, it's a critical juncture for the Buffalo Bills in 2008. Not only have they suffered the indignity of missing the playoffs since 1999, but the franchise finds itself under the microscope regarding it's viability as a financial concern. The 2008 season sees the first in a series of five games that will be played in Toronto, and with the South Ontario market and it's 5m residents clearly of some appeal to the NFL, it is critical that the Bills have some form of success in the next 2-3 years that generates a slew of new revenue from the current Rochester market. Even now, it is difficult to see the Toronto games as anything other than a trial seperation, and we all know how they end...

On the field, it is vital that Trent Edwards starts well. The Bills can ill afford another QB project to fail, and Edwards needs to step up and build on a solid, yet unspectacular 2007. Buffalo have been perenially 'almost there' as far as their rosters, but the free agency additions of the last two seasons seem to be paying dividents. Having stability on your line is the first building block of any successful franchise, and they certainly have that much. It remains to be seen whether new Offensive coordinator Schonert can 'revamp the passing game' as he claims.

Another cause for concern is that despite this improvement, the Bills still slid to 7-9 in a year where both the Jets and Dolphins were abysmal. Nobody expects the Patriots to be anything other than dominant in the East, but the competition underneath them has hotted up this offseason. New York made several big money moves into free agency, and the Dolphins used the draft wisely under new GM Bill Parcells. Both teams are trying their hardest to win, and it remains to be seen whether the Bills could have fallen from 2nd to 4th in the AFC East rankings.

Prediction for 2008

Ah predictions. Can't go wrong with these! Let's see, heads = winning season, tails = losing season. Coin says tails I'm afraid, but in all seriousness, we think the Bills could be a surprise package. A lot will depend on how they match up in the division, but we're going for second place again for Buffalo. if the receivers stay healthy, they could even make the playoffs.

You heard it here first.

Useful links for Buffalo fans

Official site
Depth chart
Billsinsider - fansite

Charger set to benefit from Parker's release.

The news that the San Diego Superchargers (as they shalt forever be known on this site henceforth) has got PFT worked up.


One factor in all of this that seems to have flown under most people's radar, is backup WR Kassim Osgood. Osgood has been named to two straight pro-bowls as a special teams player, but was unhappy this offseason regarding the Chargers' plans for him as part of the offence.

“There is no reason to come to the (offseason coaching sessions) and run routes all day and run my body down and not be a receiver
”
- Kassim Osgood, March 2008

Osgood has a modest 32 receptions, but a 19.7yd average over his career. He was also quoted in 2006 as saying he would '...be a great receiver - just probably not in San Diego' The fifth year veteran has certainly shown a willingness to throw his body on the line as part of his special teams role, but has never seriously had a shot at competing for a job on offence. With Parker out of the mix, Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, and Craig Davis all figure to be ahead of Osgood on the depth chart. If he can edge out Malcolm Floyd and newly signed return man Mark Jones, Osgood might finally have a chance to get some serious playing time.

In the meantime, he can concentrate on that acting career.

Buffalo QB racking up air miles

Buffalo Bills starting QB Trent Edwards has taken a novel approach to the non-appearance of two of his top receiving threats during minicamp:

He's taking camp to them.

Edwards, who replaced J.P. Losman last season, will fly out to play catch with speedster Lee Evans, and TE Robert Royal. Edwards clearly feels that Training camp is not the place to be ironing out little flaws, and wants the team to be as prepared as possible this August. The snag? Edwards is based in California, Evans in Florida, while Royal works out in Arizona.

"I don't want July 25th to be the first workout I've had with those guys since last season," said Edwards. "I need to get out with those guys whether it be here, whether it be out where they are. I'm willing to go wherever they go so that's kind of my offseason plan right now." says the former Stanford player on the team's official website.

While the situation is refreshing from the point of view of Bills fans, you can bet your bottom dollar that coach Dick Jauron would prefer to have both Evans and Royal at OTA's, and - while he might let it go this year - will probably make it clear to Edwards in future that this kind of thing doesn't encourage players to head to New York state.

We'll be taking a close look at the Bills later today in the first of our team previews.

Read the full article on Edwards here

Jevon Kearse arrested

Jevon Kearse, the Tennessee Titans Defensive End who returns to Nashville this year after a career hiatus in Philadelphia, has beeen arrested for DUI.

Kearse actually appeared on local radio last Thursday, where he made the grand claim that he will get double digit sacks in 2008/9. While there's no knock on his ability to get to the QB, his penchant for the physio room will likely rule out that achievement.

Kevin Jones

The Detroit Lions cut starting RB Kevin Jones earlier this year. A multitude of injuries had left Jones's career looking about as stable as a CBS production meeting.

Jones worked out for reporters this week, and while the reports are impressive, a few quotes from the man himself are slightly worrying. Regarding contract offers from the Patriots and Titans, Jones says:

“I’m not trying to break the bank, but I’m not about to go anywhere just to go, just because there’s a team out there and I haven’t gotten picked up yet,” Jones said. “I know my worth. A lot of the teams know my worth, but they figure, ‘OK, you’re hurt right now. We’ll bring you in.’ They’re just going to lowball you. But that’s not happening with me."

While Kevin Jones is clearly talented enough to play somewhere, it's a ridiculous assumption on his part to think that he will get anywhere near starter money right now. We find it particularly interesting that if the Patriots offered him a deal of any sort, he rejected it. The Pats' pass happy offensive scheme has given perrenial backups like Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris decent numbers, so a proven back like Jones could potentially ressurect his career behind Tom Brady.

Regardless of who is offering the deal though, we definately think Jones's hand is short. In fact, he's holding a Joker and 'The rules of Gin Rummy'. A solid one year deal (in the Jamal Lewis mould) would see Jones entering Free Agency next year aged just 26. For one thing, it's unlikely that any team will sign someone as injury-prone as Kevin Jones to a multi-year deal anyway.

If we were Jones, we'd take less money now and prove we could get it done next season, putting him in a very strong position this time next year.

The Offseason

As any fan will tell you, the period after the football season finishes is often a time where grown men cry like little girls at the prospect of the NFL being taken from their lives for another 7 months. In fact, with the draft in April, there is actually something to focus on to break up the monotony of your stinking, Football-less life.

The real killer is this time we're entering into now. As Lovie Smith says, now is the time that even the front office, the coaches and players go on holiday or try to stay away from anything to do with football. We don't begrudge them it, especially not with the stress and pressure that comes with micro-managing franchises these days.

We'll be filling the time by previewing each team's chances next season. The vast majority of personel decisions have already been made now, and we feel confident that, despite the inevitable arrests and cuts that come in the next few months, that any huge trades and cuts are unlikely. As such, expect something approaching the Network's '32 teams in 32 days' piece, only not at all, and probably finishing up on the eve of the regular season opener.

We'll still be bringing our thoughts on all the inevitable fluff that the media manages to dredge up at this time of year. Lucky you.

A True Sporting Hero

Once in a while we'll take the time to salute those who's dedication to sport is truly special, and we'll start this off today with an athlete beyond compare:

Me.

Sunday may be your 'day of res't, but it's also the day 50% of Wide-Right plays the rounder, gayer version of 'Football'. Inevitably, Sunday is also hangover day, and frankly I've had 3hrs sleep, the last of which was spent with my eyes wide open, whilst I lay muttering 'This cannot be happening, this CANNOT be happening!'

Still, I'm going, and I think that's the main thing. Half an hour before the game, and I've had 2 slices of cold pizza, a banana, and a couple of painkillers.

So I salute me. If only more athletes took their proffession so seriously.

Spygate: a stance

Senator Arlen Specter is still not giving up on this one just yet, so if we're going to have to talk about this INSANELY tedious story in the future, it's only right that you know which side of the fence we're on.

Now first of all let's clarify one thing: We're primarily football fans here. We aren't out to back up one side of the argument, merely to give opinions. If someone does wrong, we'll call them out on it, but at the same time, we have to be rational.

Wheras the Patriots are culpable - and this is not a defence of them - some of the media coverage has been atrocious. The most obvious and glaring example, John Tomase's Boston Herald article on the eve of the Superbowl was an obvious attempt by both writer and newspaper to grab the national headlines, especially at a time when the eyes of every beat writer in the U.S was on the Patriots. Tomase and the Herald will long be held responsible for what happened in the game, whether right or wrong, you should never put yourself in a position to be the scapegoat for someone else's failure.

My personal (and I won't include Fran in this, as he may have his own thoughts) opinion is that the issue should be left alone now. Regardless of whatever anyone says, the Patriots were punished. Imagine if Miami had lost it's first round pick this year? Does anyone think that wouldn't have been a punishment? I've read hundreds of comments that suggest that the Pats got off lightly regarding Spygate, simply because they already had a good team and had less need of the draft choice than some teams.

Rubbish.

If you'd have said to Belichick et al, that 3-4 years down the line this would blow up like it has, and they'd lose their first round pick in 2008, do you think they'd have carried on? Do you think they'd even have risked it even if they thought the chances of getting caught were slim? My opinion is that they wouldn't. The Patriots haven't built a dynasty out of throwing away draft choices, and I'm fairly certain that whatever was gleaned from those tapes was not as important as the ability to add first round talent down the line.

The effect on the Patriots' legacy is a big question. Of course, in time we may forget, but right now, every bitter fan in the country has all the ammunition they need to asterisk the Dynasty of the early 2000's. Do I blame them? No, not particularly. Like I say, I'm no Patriots fan and I don't mind seeing them lose.

But the fact is they didn't win those championships based on that film. We've all seen it now, and it's hardly anything that anyone with eyes couldn't second guess anyway. Most of the signals are blatant, signalling 4 fingers for 4-deep coverage is a prime example. Even players and coaches from the losing sides have been quick to say that blaming these tapes is a cheap get out clause for the way they played. As Mike Martz put it: "Let me make this clear: we lost to the New England Patriots in the Superbowl because we turned the ball over three times."

So my final thoughts? The Patriots did wrong, and in this situation they deserve to be punished, if only for having the sheer brass balls to send a man to videotape an ex-employee during a road game. On the other hand, it's over and done with (until the aforementioned Senator recovers from his Chemotherapy at least), and perhaps a better sign of class would be for opposing fans to stop using the tabloid slang - 'Belicheat' etc - that has become prevalent these days.

Hall of Fame 2013 class

With the retirements of a few marquee players this offseason, many outlets have questioned who the likely odd men out are in the equation. Every season five new inductees are voted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. There are also up to two members inducted via the 'Seniors committee' which, to put it simply, means that players who finished their careers 25 years or more ago aren't forever excluded.

So that's 7 Hall of Famers in total every year. Maximum.

Here's a list of finalists from this year (Bold denotes inducted this year)

Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
Fred Dean – Defensive End – 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-85 San Francisco 49ers
Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
Marshall Goldberg – Back – 1939-1943, 1946-48 Chicago Cardinals
Randy Gradishar – Linebacker – 1974-1983 Denver Broncos
Darrell Green – Cornerback – 1983-2002 Washington Redskins
Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
Ray Guy – Punter – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
Randall McDaniel – Guard – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Art Monk – Wide Receiver – 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles
Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
Emmitt Thomas – Cornerback – 1966-1978 Kansas City Chiefs Andre Tippett – Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots
Gary Zimmerman – Tackle – 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-97 Denver Broncos

A hefty list and one that contains some big names. However, we're not sure of a few things regarding this supossed stud batch of players in 2013. First, let's clarify: Brett Favre and Michael Strahan are locks in their first year of eligibility. Warren Sapp is almost certain to be in there too. He's been one of the most dominant interior DT's ever, and deserves to be mentioned as one of the primary catalysts in the Bucs' championship team.

The other two - Priest Holmes and Steve McNair - are trickier. Holmes had a relatively short career at the top, and despite his success, might struggle for votes. McNair is the real wild card. He was the face of a franchise for nearly 15 years, transcending the Houston and Tennessee Oilers, and eventually the Titans. He undoubtedly has big numbers, but he is missing a ring. Of course, Championships don't mean you're guaranteed anything, but put it this way: Would Strahan or Sapp be considered such locks without their rings? Sure they'd get in, but it's difficult to imagine McNair getting in in 2013.

Incidentally, a lot has been made of people like Ray Guy needing to be inducted - Guy will be eligible as a Senior member by the time Favre et al are up for nomination. In fact, three of the players in last year's list of finalists will have qualified for such entry to Canton by 2013.

Update: As a reader kindly points out, Larry Allen will likely retire, and what about Jonathan Ogden? Both have been rocks on their respective lines for the last decade, and would arguably supercede both Holmes and McNair in any Hall of Fame ballot.

Reactions in the press: Tommie Harris deal

The best takes on Harris's record deal with the Bears:

...Harris’ well-deserved contract extension provides a well-timed breath of fresh air that should carry into training camp in late July. Unlike teammate Brian Urlacher, Harris never considered holding out of training-camp activities due to contract concerns and even passively acknowledged the strong possibility that he could have been franchised down the road. - Pro Football Weekly

...Harris, 25, will hit free agency again at the age of 29. If he can avoid recurring knee injuries, Harris should get three huge contracts, including his rookie deal. It's also a good move for the Bears, who are locking up arguably the league's best "three technique" defensive tackle. - Rotoworld

Locking up Hester well beyond 2009, when his rookie contract expires, is paramount. The Bears have ongoing discussions with agent Eugene Parker, but nothing is imminent. It's a complicated matter. There never has been a returner like Hester, and his skills as a receiver remain unknown.

Hester, who has scored more touchdowns over the last two seasons than anyone else on the team, probably would like to work off the six-year, $42 million contract that Rosenhaus got for Bernard Berrian with the Minnesota Vikings.
- Brad Biggs, Chicago Sun-Times

Five years ago this month, Urlacher stood in the same room Harris did Friday and signed a similarly lucrative contract promising generational wealth of which most people only dream. Like Harris, Urlacher had just turned 25 and already had made three Pro Bowls.

Urlacher probably still has a few more Pro Bowls left to make and still deserves the relatively modest new contract he has lobbied for since last winter. But it's time, symbolically, to remove the crown that always fit a little awkwardly atop his helmet and let Harris wear it.

Harris was born to lead, a natural, national emblem for a Bears organization that wants to represent all that Harris stands for on and off the field. - David Haugh, Chicago Tribune