"TUNNEL OF PRIDE" AT OSU, VY TO PHILLY, MORE NFL TRANSACTIONS & A REVIEW OF A FEW QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS
The wounded pride at Ohio State is beginning to show in a major way. Many of the Buckeye greats of old have gotten together to show the current team they're behind them. John Hicks, a former All-American tackle from the mid-70's is the current spokesman for their proposed "Tunnel of pride." It's a tradition saved for the Michigan game at season's end every year. Considering how bad things have gone in Columbus recently, they plan to use the motivational exercise opening day against Akron. Hicks said they hope to have 1,500 to 2,000 former players form a corridor from the tunnel to midfield for the current team to run thru on the first Saturday in September. In the press release several former Buckeyes talked of Jim Tressel getting "shafted by some of his current players". Fellas, fellas, fellas, the only person who shafted Jim Tressel was Jim Tressel. have your tunnel of pride & anything else you want to do, I thinks that kind of pageantry & tradition is a big part of what makes college football so great, but don't bend the facts to create an atmosphere of outrage, it cheapens what you're trying to do.
I said yesterday morning Vince Young would go to Philly to serve as Michael Vick's backup, word tonight is he will in fact do just that. I'm 4 for 4 in QB predictions & if Kyle Orton winds up in Miami, make it 5 for 5.
Cornerback Eric Wright, formerly with the Browns, has agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions. Wright has had a roller coaster type of career, but the kid from UNLV can play, the Lions made a good pickup.
In other cornerback news, the secondary-starved Houston Texans made another acquisition for the cornerback position. Having already signed Pro Bowler Jonathan Joseph, the Texans offered Danieal Manning a 4-year deal & he jumped from Chicago to South Texas. Along with Kareem Jackson, drafted #1 in 2010, this should shore up this position for Gary Kubiaks' defense. Much improved safety play as well as increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks is still up in the air. The Texans are officially out of the Nnamdi Asomugha derby. It's down to the Jets, Niners, Cowboys & Raiders.
Carolina continued to resign their own free agents, this time it was middle linebacker Jon Beason. The deal is for 5-years, $50 million, half of it guaranteed. Considering Beason has over 100 tackles every season he's been with the Panthers, it seems like a prudent move.
The Cowboys released disappointing wide receiver Roy Williams right after things got started on Tuesday. No speculation arose about where he could be headed, until now. His former offensive coordinator, Mike Martz, is said to be lobbying for Chicago to sign the receiver who had his best season playing under Martz in Detroit.
Revisiting Matt Leinart's decision to stay in Houston should tell you everything you need to know about the former USC quarterback. He was on the verge of signing with his old college coach, Seattle's Pete Carroll. Might have an edge with the head coach & your competition is Tavaris Jackson & Charlie Whitehurst. If you stay in Houston, you can make about the same money & have almost zero chance of playing because Matt Schaub is the absolute starter. You'll have to compete with Dan Orlovsky & rookie T.J. Yates for a roster spot. Another point to ponder....is Seattle trying to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes? Trying to sign Leinart to go with Jackson & Whitehurst makes me think they are.
Stanford's Andrew Luck
Luck's former coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh, isn't off to a great start as a professional coach. The three main threats in his Forty-Niner offense aren't currently available for practice. Quarterback Alex Smith just signed a 1-year contract & is ineligible to participate with the team until the NFL year begins next week on August 4th. Running back Frank Gore is holding out for a new contract & is boycotting the Niner training camp. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be placed on the PUP(physically unable to perform)list because of his chronic foot injury. He missed camp because of a holdout his rookie season, missed every preseason game last year with a neck injury & now he looks to be shelved for about the next ten weeks. Coupled with the loss of one of his best defenders, Takeo Spikes, Harbaugh's first season may put him in the Luck derby as well.
Another team that could end up being in the running for Andrew Luck is the Washington Redskins. I have a number of friends who are diehard fans of Washington, but their trio of quarterbacks makes me wonder what the hell they're up to as well. John Beck, Rex Grossman & Kellen Clemons makes for a difficult choice as to who the starter will be. Ones as bad as the next. They made some good defensive acquisitions, so they are more in the range of 4-6 wins, taking them out of the Luck Sweepstakes.
When you desperately need a speed receiver to stretch defensive coverage, why would you trade for a slowing, 33-year old has-been? I get the fact Bill Belichick has a history of successful reclamation projects, but I don't get this one. The patriots went into the off-season with two major needs, pass rushers & a speed receiver. They have acquired neither & it's getting late. Albert Haynesworth makes a lot more sense to me, he's already made his money from Washington, if he doesn't work out, cut him & you're only out a fifth round pick in 2013. Ochocinco can be such a distraction & he won't beat anyone deep, I just don't get it.
Everytime someone gives up a lot for a backup quarterback, the question is always the same, "is he another Scott Mitchell?" I have first hand knowledge of precisely what that means. Scott Mitchell was Dan Marino's backup in Miami & after Marino was injured, Mitchell played well enough to get a hefty free agent contract with the Detroit Lions. He was injured his first season in Detroit but he later guided the Lions into the playoffs twice. But soon his run in Detroit was over when he was beaten out for the starting job by rookie Charlie Batch. This Detroit team had an in-his-prime Barry Sanders, 4-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Herman Moore as well as WR Brett Periman. All Mitchell had to do was "not lose the game." He couldn't consistently do that & was gone in quick fashion. A QB rating of 75.3 doesn't get it done, neither does just 95 TD passes to 81 interceptions, a horrible ratio. I know all this because Mitchell was my fantasy football starting quarterback in 1994. When Matt Schaub was attempting a similar move, this time from Atlanta backup to Texan starter, people asked if he was the next Scott Mitchell? He wasn't, but now the questions have begum again with Kevin Kolb's trade to Arizona. Like Mitchell & Schaub, Kolb did well in a handful of starts, but the bottom line is we really don't know. My problem with this trade is there's a helluva difference between playing for Ken Whisenhunt & Andy Reid, a known QB guru. If Kolb doesn't come out smokin', look for Larry Fitzgerald to start rumbling about leaving the desert. maybe he'll move to the Midwest & play for his old O-coordinator too.
There has been zero whispers about a few of the biggest names in this current free agent class. Oakland tight end Zach Miller, NYG RB Ahmad Bradshaw & Frisco nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin haven't made a ripple so far. These are 3 of my top-10 free agents & no one has even mentioned their names, well except me. I've been so hot for Franklin for months, could it be I was wrong about this monster in the middle? Nah, I know he would make a huge difference if he became the Chiefs' NT. Huuuuuge!
Chiefs Rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin said yesterday he wants #89 on his uni. Better be an impact player, that number was worn by Andre Rison, Henry Marshall, Keith Cash & my favorite Chief of all-time, Otis Taylor. Big number to wear, let's hope he'll make us proud wearing it.
The Otis Taylor Andre Rison
I said yesterday morning Vince Young would go to Philly to serve as Michael Vick's backup, word tonight is he will in fact do just that. I'm 4 for 4 in QB predictions & if Kyle Orton winds up in Miami, make it 5 for 5.
Cornerback Eric Wright, formerly with the Browns, has agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions. Wright has had a roller coaster type of career, but the kid from UNLV can play, the Lions made a good pickup.
In other cornerback news, the secondary-starved Houston Texans made another acquisition for the cornerback position. Having already signed Pro Bowler Jonathan Joseph, the Texans offered Danieal Manning a 4-year deal & he jumped from Chicago to South Texas. Along with Kareem Jackson, drafted #1 in 2010, this should shore up this position for Gary Kubiaks' defense. Much improved safety play as well as increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks is still up in the air. The Texans are officially out of the Nnamdi Asomugha derby. It's down to the Jets, Niners, Cowboys & Raiders.
Carolina continued to resign their own free agents, this time it was middle linebacker Jon Beason. The deal is for 5-years, $50 million, half of it guaranteed. Considering Beason has over 100 tackles every season he's been with the Panthers, it seems like a prudent move.
The Cowboys released disappointing wide receiver Roy Williams right after things got started on Tuesday. No speculation arose about where he could be headed, until now. His former offensive coordinator, Mike Martz, is said to be lobbying for Chicago to sign the receiver who had his best season playing under Martz in Detroit.
Revisiting Matt Leinart's decision to stay in Houston should tell you everything you need to know about the former USC quarterback. He was on the verge of signing with his old college coach, Seattle's Pete Carroll. Might have an edge with the head coach & your competition is Tavaris Jackson & Charlie Whitehurst. If you stay in Houston, you can make about the same money & have almost zero chance of playing because Matt Schaub is the absolute starter. You'll have to compete with Dan Orlovsky & rookie T.J. Yates for a roster spot. Another point to ponder....is Seattle trying to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes? Trying to sign Leinart to go with Jackson & Whitehurst makes me think they are.
Stanford's Andrew Luck
Luck's former coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh, isn't off to a great start as a professional coach. The three main threats in his Forty-Niner offense aren't currently available for practice. Quarterback Alex Smith just signed a 1-year contract & is ineligible to participate with the team until the NFL year begins next week on August 4th. Running back Frank Gore is holding out for a new contract & is boycotting the Niner training camp. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be placed on the PUP(physically unable to perform)list because of his chronic foot injury. He missed camp because of a holdout his rookie season, missed every preseason game last year with a neck injury & now he looks to be shelved for about the next ten weeks. Coupled with the loss of one of his best defenders, Takeo Spikes, Harbaugh's first season may put him in the Luck derby as well.
Another team that could end up being in the running for Andrew Luck is the Washington Redskins. I have a number of friends who are diehard fans of Washington, but their trio of quarterbacks makes me wonder what the hell they're up to as well. John Beck, Rex Grossman & Kellen Clemons makes for a difficult choice as to who the starter will be. Ones as bad as the next. They made some good defensive acquisitions, so they are more in the range of 4-6 wins, taking them out of the Luck Sweepstakes.
When you desperately need a speed receiver to stretch defensive coverage, why would you trade for a slowing, 33-year old has-been? I get the fact Bill Belichick has a history of successful reclamation projects, but I don't get this one. The patriots went into the off-season with two major needs, pass rushers & a speed receiver. They have acquired neither & it's getting late. Albert Haynesworth makes a lot more sense to me, he's already made his money from Washington, if he doesn't work out, cut him & you're only out a fifth round pick in 2013. Ochocinco can be such a distraction & he won't beat anyone deep, I just don't get it.
Everytime someone gives up a lot for a backup quarterback, the question is always the same, "is he another Scott Mitchell?" I have first hand knowledge of precisely what that means. Scott Mitchell was Dan Marino's backup in Miami & after Marino was injured, Mitchell played well enough to get a hefty free agent contract with the Detroit Lions. He was injured his first season in Detroit but he later guided the Lions into the playoffs twice. But soon his run in Detroit was over when he was beaten out for the starting job by rookie Charlie Batch. This Detroit team had an in-his-prime Barry Sanders, 4-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Herman Moore as well as WR Brett Periman. All Mitchell had to do was "not lose the game." He couldn't consistently do that & was gone in quick fashion. A QB rating of 75.3 doesn't get it done, neither does just 95 TD passes to 81 interceptions, a horrible ratio. I know all this because Mitchell was my fantasy football starting quarterback in 1994. When Matt Schaub was attempting a similar move, this time from Atlanta backup to Texan starter, people asked if he was the next Scott Mitchell? He wasn't, but now the questions have begum again with Kevin Kolb's trade to Arizona. Like Mitchell & Schaub, Kolb did well in a handful of starts, but the bottom line is we really don't know. My problem with this trade is there's a helluva difference between playing for Ken Whisenhunt & Andy Reid, a known QB guru. If Kolb doesn't come out smokin', look for Larry Fitzgerald to start rumbling about leaving the desert. maybe he'll move to the Midwest & play for his old O-coordinator too.
There has been zero whispers about a few of the biggest names in this current free agent class. Oakland tight end Zach Miller, NYG RB Ahmad Bradshaw & Frisco nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin haven't made a ripple so far. These are 3 of my top-10 free agents & no one has even mentioned their names, well except me. I've been so hot for Franklin for months, could it be I was wrong about this monster in the middle? Nah, I know he would make a huge difference if he became the Chiefs' NT. Huuuuuge!
Chiefs Rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin said yesterday he wants #89 on his uni. Better be an impact player, that number was worn by Andre Rison, Henry Marshall, Keith Cash & my favorite Chief of all-time, Otis Taylor. Big number to wear, let's hope he'll make us proud wearing it.
The Otis Taylor Andre Rison
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