In a news item that surprised no-one, Adam 'Pacman' Jones, CB for the Dallas Cowboys, has been fully reinstated into the NFL, and is free to train and play as standard this season.
Pacman appears to have turned over a new leaf since moving West to Texas, primarily on the basis that he is yet to even be in the vicinity of trouble. His reinstatement immediately boosts the Cowboys, as both defence and special teams gain a top class player. Wide-Right imagine that Jones will likely start the season as nickelback, working his way into the starting lineup in time for the final run at the postseason. Is he good enough to send them over their recent playoff hump?
Quite probably.
Friday, 29 August 2008
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Merriman to play, Chargers to let him.
In an act of complete lunacy, San Diego LB Shawne Merriman (he of the torn PCL and LCL) has opted to play this season, foregoing surgery on his injured knee until next season, or as he puts it 'when it's time to deal with it'.
The team is apparently allowing him to play. despite the risk to Merriman's long term health. He has previously been warned that playing on the knee could end his pro football career if he injures it again. Of course, as The Union-Tribune put it, 'Take this to the bank: Merriman will not be a Charger after his contract expires at the end of the 2009 season.'
Put's another spin on the team allowing him to play doesn't it? San Diego's future is not intertwined with Merriman, and the team is already considering life without him, so it makes sense for the team to get as much as possible out of one of the best pass rushers in the league, before they lose him for nothing.
The team is apparently allowing him to play. despite the risk to Merriman's long term health. He has previously been warned that playing on the knee could end his pro football career if he injures it again. Of course, as The Union-Tribune put it, 'Take this to the bank: Merriman will not be a Charger after his contract expires at the end of the 2009 season.'
Put's another spin on the team allowing him to play doesn't it? San Diego's future is not intertwined with Merriman, and the team is already considering life without him, so it makes sense for the team to get as much as possible out of one of the best pass rushers in the league, before they lose him for nothing.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Strahan Update
Further to yesterday's post on Michael Strahan's $8m-$10m return to the New York Football Giants, it appears that he will make his final decision on Friday, and it looks increasingly likely that it will signal another broken retirement as FOX have given him permission to take a year's sabbatical from the broadcast booth.
Unlike Favre, Strahan's (possible) decision is not based on idle determination, nor is it based on throwing his toys out of the pram. Instead, it's putting his (former) team first, as they are desperate for a top DE.
Any worries about the shape he's in should disappear providing he's maintained a workout regime, as last year he was absent from a significant portion of the Giants training camp.
Wide Right are now taking bets on when Warren Sapp will unretire, and resign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
Unlike Favre, Strahan's (possible) decision is not based on idle determination, nor is it based on throwing his toys out of the pram. Instead, it's putting his (former) team first, as they are desperate for a top DE.
Any worries about the shape he's in should disappear providing he's maintained a workout regime, as last year he was absent from a significant portion of the Giants training camp.
Wide Right are now taking bets on when Warren Sapp will unretire, and resign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
Bengals shopping Rudi?
According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Bengals are actively shopping previous star running back Rudi Johnson. After 6 years in the NFL, Rudi struggled with injuries and performance last year, regularly being shown up by backup Kenny Watson.
Mort takes the line that the Bengals are seeking a receiver as an emergency backup to the Chad Johnson shoulder situation, but we can't see the Bengals obtaining a player of the standard of Chad or TJ in a player for player trade. Throw in a top 3 round draft pick, and you may get someone to bite, although with the Bengals having already announced Chris Perry as their starting RB, they've automatically reduced Johnson's value on the open market.
Mort takes the line that the Bengals are seeking a receiver as an emergency backup to the Chad Johnson shoulder situation, but we can't see the Bengals obtaining a player of the standard of Chad or TJ in a player for player trade. Throw in a top 3 round draft pick, and you may get someone to bite, although with the Bengals having already announced Chris Perry as their starting RB, they've automatically reduced Johnson's value on the open market.
Monday, 25 August 2008
Whisenhunt: 'Nothing has changed'
Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt has lambasted ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen (and by proxy, everyone who reported the story) for the report yesterday citing 'an unamed source' that the team planned to make Kurt Warner the starting Quarterback over Matt Leinart.
- Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt, The Arizona Republic
Poor Mort. It's quite obvious, based on Whisenhunt's non-denial, that the Cardinals probably will switch to Warner, but that they simply aren't playing ball in case it looks like a knee-jerk reaction after Leinart's poor showing in the pre-season game against Oakland on Saturday, in which he was intercepted three times.
Whisenhunt went on to say that "...One thing I learned from (former Steelers coach) Bill Cowher is, you don’t want to make an emotional decision based on a half of football.". Again, rather than dispelling any rumours, that kind of statement is basically an admission that the team is actively considering making the chance. Besides which, as Whisenhunt himself mentions, they will base any decision on the overall pre-season performance - something that does little to enhance Leinart's prospects.
Now it looks like the team will hold off from making their choice for a few days, in an effort to make the move look slightly more considered.
“I haven’t read the paper today or seen the Internet... Do we have a quarterback?... It seems like Chris Mortensen is making the decision on our quarterback for our football team... But nothing has changed.”
- Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt, The Arizona Republic
Poor Mort. It's quite obvious, based on Whisenhunt's non-denial, that the Cardinals probably will switch to Warner, but that they simply aren't playing ball in case it looks like a knee-jerk reaction after Leinart's poor showing in the pre-season game against Oakland on Saturday, in which he was intercepted three times.
Whisenhunt went on to say that "...One thing I learned from (former Steelers coach) Bill Cowher is, you don’t want to make an emotional decision based on a half of football.". Again, rather than dispelling any rumours, that kind of statement is basically an admission that the team is actively considering making the chance. Besides which, as Whisenhunt himself mentions, they will base any decision on the overall pre-season performance - something that does little to enhance Leinart's prospects.
Now it looks like the team will hold off from making their choice for a few days, in an effort to make the move look slightly more considered.
Strahan 'open to return' - Source
According to various reports, in the wake of Osi Umenyiora's season ending injury, the New York Giants will have discussions with retired DE Michael Strahan about a possible return to action.
Does retirement mean nothing to ANYONE anymore?
Anyway, the most obvious question, apart from whether he wants to come back, is has Strahan kept in football shape? If the answer is negative, then with only two weeks until the season starts, he likely doesn't have the time to recover from a serious loss of conditioning.
If the answer is yes, there doesn't seem to be much stopping Strahan from coming back. Unlike Brett Favre, his return would be more than welcome in New York, and if the matter is purely financial, we don't think that the Giants will balk at offering around the $10m mark that would seal the deal.
Does retirement mean nothing to ANYONE anymore?
Anyway, the most obvious question, apart from whether he wants to come back, is has Strahan kept in football shape? If the answer is negative, then with only two weeks until the season starts, he likely doesn't have the time to recover from a serious loss of conditioning.
If the answer is yes, there doesn't seem to be much stopping Strahan from coming back. Unlike Brett Favre, his return would be more than welcome in New York, and if the matter is purely financial, we don't think that the Giants will balk at offering around the $10m mark that would seal the deal.
No confirmation of Warner move yet
With 'Broadway Matt' Leinart allegedly demoted to backing up Kurt Warner last night, we had a good think about the situation last night and weighed up the pros and cons of the move. As yet, there has been no confirmation of the move, unlike in Atlanta, where Mike Smith held a press conference last night to confirm Matt Ryan as starter.
In Arizona, there is some debate as to whether Warner is enough of an upgrade over Leinart to justify effectively ending his chances of leading the team. It seems unlikely that Warner will retire after this season, and so it could end up being 2010 when Leinart reclaims the starting role, assuming that Warner maintains a decent level of play and is not injured.
Such a scenario would leave Leinart taking the reigns in his contract year, something that can affect a player's performance in very different ways. Some players respond to the challenge, while others crumble under the pressure of playing for their livelihoods. His confidence has not seemed as infallible at the NFL level as it did during his USC days, and the latest developments are sure to have him questioning whether he will ever get a 'fair shot' in Glendale.
Of course, it could be argued that he has already had a 'fair shot', and that his inability to beat out the 37yr old Warner is not a ringing endorsement of his talent. Leinart (in theory) should hold the better hand, having a high draft stock, being 12 years younger than Warner, and having a high profile outside the game that keeps the Cardinals in the nation's concious - somewhere they have staunchly avoided since their move to Arizona in 1988.
Another thing that counts in Leinart's favour is that Warner has generally regressed when named the unequivocal starter in Arizona. In 2005 he was patchy before he was injured, allowing Josh McCown to take over as starter, and in 2006, his poor play in the first four games of the season gave Leinart the chance to start in his rookie year. Warner has played more effectively either in relief of Leinart or when he is named temporary starter because of injuries.
However, it seems that Warner's impressive performances in 2007 have been enough to convince coach Ken Whisenhunt that he is the better option - at least short term - than Leinart. It should not be forgotten that Leinart was drafted by Dennis Green, not Whisenhunt, and that Whisenhunt does not have his own coaching legacy intertwined with the former USC Quarterback. There were rumours when Whisenhunt joined before the '07 season that he was not enamoured with Leinart's arm, mobility, and the fact that he is a left hander.
Right now, it looks like the Cards are prepared to move in another direction. The 2009 draft may be too soon to take another Quarterback early, but if Warner looks like he could retire after the 2009 season, it may force Arizona's hand if they don't believe Leinart can get it done.
*update*
Warner is only signed through the 2008 season, so another sticking block for the Cards could be whether to offer him a new deal (potentially multi-year), or whether to hope that Leinart has grown into the job during this season.
Oh, and we feel that this picture probably doesn't help Matt's case:
In Arizona, there is some debate as to whether Warner is enough of an upgrade over Leinart to justify effectively ending his chances of leading the team. It seems unlikely that Warner will retire after this season, and so it could end up being 2010 when Leinart reclaims the starting role, assuming that Warner maintains a decent level of play and is not injured.
Such a scenario would leave Leinart taking the reigns in his contract year, something that can affect a player's performance in very different ways. Some players respond to the challenge, while others crumble under the pressure of playing for their livelihoods. His confidence has not seemed as infallible at the NFL level as it did during his USC days, and the latest developments are sure to have him questioning whether he will ever get a 'fair shot' in Glendale.
Of course, it could be argued that he has already had a 'fair shot', and that his inability to beat out the 37yr old Warner is not a ringing endorsement of his talent. Leinart (in theory) should hold the better hand, having a high draft stock, being 12 years younger than Warner, and having a high profile outside the game that keeps the Cardinals in the nation's concious - somewhere they have staunchly avoided since their move to Arizona in 1988.
Another thing that counts in Leinart's favour is that Warner has generally regressed when named the unequivocal starter in Arizona. In 2005 he was patchy before he was injured, allowing Josh McCown to take over as starter, and in 2006, his poor play in the first four games of the season gave Leinart the chance to start in his rookie year. Warner has played more effectively either in relief of Leinart or when he is named temporary starter because of injuries.
However, it seems that Warner's impressive performances in 2007 have been enough to convince coach Ken Whisenhunt that he is the better option - at least short term - than Leinart. It should not be forgotten that Leinart was drafted by Dennis Green, not Whisenhunt, and that Whisenhunt does not have his own coaching legacy intertwined with the former USC Quarterback. There were rumours when Whisenhunt joined before the '07 season that he was not enamoured with Leinart's arm, mobility, and the fact that he is a left hander.
Right now, it looks like the Cards are prepared to move in another direction. The 2009 draft may be too soon to take another Quarterback early, but if Warner looks like he could retire after the 2009 season, it may force Arizona's hand if they don't believe Leinart can get it done.
*update*
Warner is only signed through the 2008 season, so another sticking block for the Cards could be whether to offer him a new deal (potentially multi-year), or whether to hope that Leinart has grown into the job during this season.
Oh, and we feel that this picture probably doesn't help Matt's case:
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