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Vern Gagne

The official off season NFL thread

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Interesting article on Philip Rivers

 

What do you guys think of him? I haven't seen much, but he does seem impressive. Is he this year's guy who flies up the boards for no apparent reason? Something more? Who should be looking to draft him?

 

Before, I read the Dolphins were interested. In that article, they said that he might go to Steeltown. Is there anyone else that needs a QB? Maybe Washington will grab him (hah).

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If Rivers doesn't go to the Steelers, I think he ends up as Brett Favre's heir apparent.

 

And if he moves up the draft board, it isn't a Kyle Boller "What the fuck is he being mentioned in the top 10 for" type of deal. He is good enough to be considered in the top tier.

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A sad day for college football...Mike Williams is entering the NFL Draft. Flood gates are now open.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who feels this way.

It's terrible for the NFL AND College football.

 

God knows basketball has been decimated by players leaving way too early. The college game is blah thanks to less talented players and the NBA is almost unwatchable.

 

I still don't get how rules agreed to do by BOTH sides can possibly violate anti-trust law.

-=Mike

 

Because it doesn't, and that's why the NFL and the Players Union was confused. They agreed on it, the Union because their top players agreed that the extra years allows a player to mature physically and mentally for the NFL and get some form of education since your career can end in an instant in this league.

 

The ruling will be overturned on appeal but that will be too late for Clarett and Williams, although I think Williams will be fine since he's already a big man and seems to be on the maturity level of Fitzgerald.

 

Clarett seems to think he's the Lebron James of football. AND before any more sports reporters say it, Willis McGahee worked his ASS off to get into shape from that injury while Maurice Clarett spent a year doing NOTHING with no injuries. To compare the McGahee workout to Clarett choosing not to work out is a joke and an insult to the hard work Willis put in.

 

As for Phillip Rivers, I still think he was a better QB than Manning. He can move, he has a strong arm, he's accurate and he is a team leader. Whoever gets him is getting a steal.

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Guest FrigidSoul

Clarett is going to be (at best) a third down back. LBers are going to kill him for the first 3 years. I wouldn't be surprised if he's still available in the 5th round.

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Guest Flyboy
As for Phillip Rivers, I still think he was a better QB than Manning. He can move, he has a strong arm, he's accurate and he is a team leader. Whoever gets him is getting a steal.

Eh, I don't know about that. Rivers had about the same if not more help from NC State this year than Manning did, and Manning still had his team playing in the SEC Championship.

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As for Phillip Rivers, I still think he was a better QB than Manning. He can move, he has a strong arm, he's accurate and he is a team leader. Whoever gets him is getting a steal.

Eh, I don't know about that. Rivers had about the same if not more help from NC State this year than Manning did, and Manning still had his team playing in the SEC Championship.

 

NC State had no defense and Rivers single handed tried to pull them back into it against Ohio St. Hell, he DID pull them back into it against Ohio St.

 

I saw Manning play a few times and didn't see once why he's considered the best QB in the draft other than his dad and brother played QB. He's good, but at the most I would have said late first/early second for Manning.

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Guest FrigidSoul
Rumor has Alexander traded to Redskins for Bailey

MIKE SANDO; The News Tribune

 

INDIANAPOLIS - Player-for-player trades are rare in the NFL, but this one makes too much sense to ignore. Both teams would benefit in big ways.

 

The Seattle Seahawks would receive a Pro Bowl cover cornerback to pair with youngster Marcus Trufant. The Washington Redskins would get the running back Joe Gibbs needs to make his offense take off, plus ample salary-cap relief to sign more players.

 

 

Champ Bailey for Shaun Alexander, straight up.

 

 

The notion sprang to life Saturday while Gibbs, in his second tenure as Redskins coach, brushed off questions about pursuing Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon.

 

 

"As to who we'd be interested in, right now that's something we want to keep to ourselves," Gibbs said during a break at the college scouting combine.

 

 

Bailey, 24, is on the trading block because Gibbs' team has salary-cap problems, too few draft choices and a glaring need at running back. He stands to collect $6.8 million as Washington's franchise player, a figure that would vanish from the payroll if Bailey were traded.

 

 

Alexander is entering the final year of his contract with Seattle. The odds of him returning in 2005 seem slim, so why not get the NFL's best cover corner in return?

 

 

The salary cap often makes such deals prohibitive, but trading Alexander would come at little cost to Seattle because so little of his contract remains on the books.

 

 

The team is already some $15 million beneath the revised cap of $80.5 million. That's more than enough wiggle room to sign Bailey to a long-term deal even if left tackle Walter Jones played for the franchise-player value of nearly $7.1 million.

 

 

Why trade a 26-year-old runner as talented as Alexander and with no history of injuries?

 

 

Let us count the reasons.

 

 

Alexander covets a stage bigger than Seattle currently offers. Never mind that Cortez Kennedy earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors on the 1992 Seattle team that finished 2-14. Alexander seems resigned to second-class status in Seattle.

 

 

What better place to shine than the nation's capital? Unable to crack 1,500 yards in any of his first four seasons, Alexander could conceivably eclipse 1,800 with Gibbs calling the plays.

 

 

"He doesn't get the credit he deserves because he's playing in the late game or at time when other games are going on with other featured backs," an NFC personnel director said late last season.

 

 

Alexander would understandably prefer an offense centered on his considerable running skills, not the pass-oriented attack coach Mike Holmgren has installed to great effect. Besides, scouts privately note that Alexander's obvious disdain for pass blocking could prove costly for quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

 

 

Put Alexander in a run-oriented offense, hand him the ball 25 times a game and suddenly his blocking wouldn't matter so much. He might also become more amenable to polishing his game.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Redskins would be getting the most prolific prime-time runner in the game. Alexander's Sunday night résumé features a 266-yard game and a five-touchdown first half. In 2003, he topped 110 yards rushing four times in the final seven games as Seattle nailed down its second playoff berth in 15 years.

 

 

Only Kansas City's Priest Holmes (61) has more touchdowns than Alexander (50) since 2001.

 

 

"Everybody says, even myself, that I need 25 carries to be at my best," Alexander once said.

 

 

"Without tooting my horn or being arrogant about it, I've been blessed to make plays with less than 25 carries. But I still believe if I have 25 carries, it's going to be crazy."

 

 

Might Washington be willing to find out? On the surface, Alexander appears to be precisely the kind of marquee player Redskins owner Daniel Snyder can't resist.

 

 

Would the Seahawks explore such a trade? A chance to land Bailey would surely pique their interest, particularly because Alexander is probably gone in 2005 anyway.

 

 

The team would have to find another running back, a much simpler task than finding a shutdown corner.

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The Seahawks are stupid if they go with that trade, but that would be good for the Redskins.

 

If they had stuck with Ramsey, upgraded to Offensive line (which, if it doesn't get upgraded is just going to mean than Brunell is going to be the one getting killed instead of Ramsey) and make this trade, I would think that they could contend for at least a Wild Card.

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oh man I totally agree with that skins o-line point

 

ive said the same thing to many people and some just dont get it

 

if they dont shore up that o-line brunell and portis will be in for tough times.. gibbs may try to improve with the little breathing $$ room the skins have since he is a big believer in a strong OLine

 

denver will be fine griffin can handle it every denver rb can behind their oline/their system i mean those rb's are only good for one or 2 years but they are fine for now :)

 

that shaun alexander one would not happen IMO seattle already has a much improved and still gettign better secondary

 

this morning i heard my hometown team the patriots may get a very very good backup: jay fielder after he is cut..thats a damn good number 2 if it happens and i can continue to laugh at miami because fielder was not the reason they missed out the past few years

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Guest FrigidSoul
this morning i heard my hometown team the patriots may get a very very good backup: jay fielder after he is cut..thats a damn good number 2 if it happens and i can continue to laugh at miami because fielder was not the reason they missed out the past few years

That would be pretty funny since former Dolphins starting QB Damon Huard was our back-up for the previous 3 seasons.

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I could see them trading for Bailey and a pick and then getting a RB in the draft or a capable one in FA. Maurice Morris is a pretty good back himself.

 

Having Bailey + Trufant + Hamilton makes teams a bit more wary of passing and that means that all Seattle would need to do is beef up the run D a bit and they should be at least a good to very good overall D.

 

Also Alexander would be better than Portis IMO because Denver's offense is designed for the run that you can plug anyone in while Alexander had good success with a passing offense.

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I don't know if the Skins O-line needs to be upgraded that much. They certainly need to play better than last year, but they have talent (especially at the tackles with Samuels and Jansen). Let's see how they play this year when the defense has to respect the run and can't just tee off on the pass rush. Everyone and their mother knew Spurrier wasn't committed to the run, so it is hard for the O-line to play well when the defense doesn't respect you.

 

The Eagles went through the same thing this year. The O-line looked terrible those first couple of games when teams were just teeing off on the rush with no respect for the running game. Once the running game was established, the O-line looked better, because the defense couldn't just go all out pass rush without risking Westbrook gashing them for 60 yards.

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Guest MikeSC
Is AJ Feeley really that much of an upgrade over Fiedler? Is there's going to use AJ for a year, they might as well move up in the draft to land their QB of the future.

AJ looked good when he had to start a few games for the Eagles two years ago --- but Rob Johnson looked good when he had his start for the Jaguars.

 

I get a real Rob Johnson vibe out of AJ.

-=Mike

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this morning i heard my hometown team the patriots may get a very very good backup: jay fielder after he is cut..thats a damn good number 2 if it happens and i can continue to laugh at miami because fielder was not the reason they missed out the past few years

That would be pretty funny since former Dolphins starting QB Damon Huard was our back-up for the previous 3 seasons.

Fiedler > Huard. I never really liked having Huard behind Brady, and felt safer when Davey was the 2nd stringer. And when you're viewed as less able than Rohan Davey, your time's come to an end. I wish Huard good luck playing elsewhere, but I'm really glad it's not going to be in New England.

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Is AJ Feeley really that much of an upgrade over Fiedler? Is there's going to use AJ for a year, they might as well move up in the draft to land their QB of the future.

AJ looked good when he had to start a few games for the Eagles two years ago --- but Rob Johnson looked good when he had his start for the Jaguars.

 

I get a real Rob Johnson vibe out of AJ.

-=Mike

 

But AJ has a hot girlfriend.

 

Also, Mike Williams may NOT enter the NFL Draft now.

 

Come on Mike, stay in college. One more year man, one more year!

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Guest FrigidSoul

ESPNews says the Titans will not give Kearse the franchise tag and instead let him become a FA

 

Good move for Tenn since Kearse is a high priced injury. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go to Pittsburgh since their Pass Rush/Defense sucks.

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Guest FrigidSoul

Sad Day for College Football

 

Sophomore Williams leaving USC

ESPN.com news services

LOS ANGELES -- Southern California sophomore receiver Mike Williams will enter the NFL draft, the first player to take advantage of the court ruling in the Maurice Clarett case.

 

 

"Mike made his decision that he wants to go to the NFL," USC coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. "We're disappointed that we're losing him because he's had a terrific two years for us. ... But we're anxious to watch him in the NFL."

 

 

Several sources told ESPN.com last week that Williams, who is expected to join receivers Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh and Roy Williams of Texas as a first-round pick, had decided to forego his remaining two seasons of college eligibility. He had 1,226 receiving yards and 16 touchdown receptions last season.

 

 

Williams, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound wide receiver, indicated after USC beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl that he planned to remain in school. The Trojans were The Associated Press national champions.

 

 

Clarett, a star Ohio State running back, went to court to challenge an NFL rule preventing players less than three years out of high school from entering the draft. Williams, 20, is actually 3½ months younger than Clarett.

 

 

The NFL is appealing the Clarett decision but, because of the ruling, the league re-opened its draft deadline and players now have until March 1 to petition for early entry into the 2004 lottery April 24-25.

 

 

Because he is not yet three years removed from his high school class graduation date, Williams would not have been eligible under the NFL's former rules. Williams said after the Clarett ruling that he had no intention of leaving the Trojans, the defending co-national champions.

 

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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"Oh my god....Mike Williams is a dead man"

 

 

The Players Union has NO respect for the players leaving before their junior season and they beat him and Clarett harder than they beat and mess with other rookies.

 

I was hoping he'd hang around at USC and go for it next year.

 

Good luck going across the middle Mike, cause if you get hit by a man with the name R. LEWIS on a Ravens jersey then we'll make sure they have your coffin size right.

 

He'll be a top five pick but this is just sad. The one thing that college football and the NFL had right was keeping these guys in school.

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Guest FrigidSoul

Mike Williams may be the only under classman who is physically and mentally mature enough to go in. He's a big man, and I think he'll be fine. Clarrett is going to be destroyed though.

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"Oh my god....Mike Williams is a dead man"

 

 

The Players Union has NO respect for the players leaving before their junior season and they beat him and Clarett harder than they beat and mess with other rookies.

 

I was hoping he'd hang around at USC and go for it next year.

 

Good luck going across the middle Mike, cause if you get hit by a man with the name R. LEWIS on a Ravens jersey then we'll make sure they have your coffin size right.

 

He'll be a top five pick but this is just sad. The one thing that college football and the NFL had right was keeping these guys in school.

Mike Williams will be fine, he has too much athletic talent to no tbe respected by teammates.

 

And as long as a player is wearing a uniform that isn't the Ravens', Ray don't care how old you are, his mentality will be the same.

 

I do kind of wished he would have gone back too, and break some of Keyshawn's records.

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Someone update me, has the Galloway - Keyshawn deal been finalized yet?

 

And don't tell me to look it up, I can't.

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Guest FrigidSoul

I don't know if its true, but somebody told me if Portis goes to the Redskins the Redskins will in turn trade Portis to New England for their 2 first round picks. They said it was stated on ESPNews

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i live in mass and havent heard anything about that portis wash-ne deal on sports radio or anything

 

not saying its not true just havent heard anything yet

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Guest FrigidSoul

I can't see it happening because the draft is full of young quality RBs.

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"Portis will sign an eight-year deal that is worth $50.5 million and includes $17 million in combined signing and option bonuses, several league sources confirmed for ESPN.com."

 

Do the Redskins understand the idea of a salary cap? Where are they getting all this room to spend money?

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