The NFL Offseason/Pre-Draft Thread

[Brett Favre 0]

Chargers | Ball Itching to Return - from www.KFFL.com

Thu, 21 Apr 2005 22:07:00 -0700

 

San Diego Chargers DE Dave Ball (foot, back) hopes to be completely recovered from offseason back surgery in time for the team's minicamp sessions in May, reports Tom Shanahan of Chargers.com. "I feel good," Ball said. "I can feel the difference in my back. I feel like I'm 100 percent. I'm hoping to get back for minicamp." Ball added the broken bone in his foot that landed him on Injured Reserve midway through last season has also completely healed

[MrRant 0]

Seahawks signed Jerome Pathon.

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/221185_hawk22.html

 

That should mean they don't NEED to draft a WR unless someone realy good drops.

[Red Baron 0]

Seahawks signed Jerome Pathon.

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/221185_hawk22.html

 

That should mean they don't NEED to draft a WR unless someone realy good drops the ball again and again.

edited for accuracy

[MrRant 0]

You could have fixed my mistake of spelling "really" while you were at it.

[Red Baron 0]

i thought about it, but i didn't think it was necessary.

[Guest Shadow]

For those with AIM

 

Invite yourself to

 

TSMDRAFTDAYHQ

[Guest Vitamin X]

I felt this was probably the best thread to put this in:

 

Former Vol Munoz decides to quit football

By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS, AP Sports Writer

April 25, 2005

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee offensive tackle Michael Munoz decided to quit football after he was not chosen in the NFL draft over the weekend, his father, NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz said Monday.

 

The All-American started 46 games in his career despite injuries, including a torn rotator cuff that ended his senior year before the Southeastern Conference championship game in December.

 

Anthony Munoz said his son has not yet decided what he plans to do now.

 

``When you're not drafted, I think that's a pretty clear indication as Michael has said,'' Anthony Munoz told The Associated Press. ``He'll tell you one door was closed and there's four or five other doors being opened at the same time. It's kind of a divine intervention here.''

 

Michael Munoz, visiting with his family in Ohio, declined to be interviewed by telephone.

 

He told WNOX radio in Knoxville he is ready to move on.

 

``I had fun playing football. But I never found my identity playing football,'' he said. ``Football isn't who I am. I knew the day would come when I'd have to walk away from the sport and I'm fine with that. Some people are so wrapped up in it they can't walk away because that's who they are. It's time to make a clean break.''

 

Michael Munoz of Mason, Ohio, was one of the most highly regarded recruits in the country coming out of Moeller High School in Cincinnati.

 

He graduated early from Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in political science and started working on a master's in public administration last season.

 

He was awarded the Draddy Trophy as the nation's top scholar-athlete in December and received $25,000 in scholarship money. He is considering getting an MBA, his father said.

 

Michael's wife Emily will graduate from Tennessee nursing school this spring.

 

``The amazing thing about it is how well Michael and Emily are doing even as tough a blow as that was,'' Anthony Munoz said.

 

The elder Munoz believes injuries hurt his son's chances.

 

Michael Munoz, a team captain for two seasons, had to redshirt his second year at Tennessee because of a knee injury. He has missed some games with other injuries and played through pain at times.

 

``We were totally shocked that he did not get drafted. He started four years at Tennessee,'' Anthony Munoz said. ``Knowing as many people in the NFL as I do, there was no inkling that that was going to happen.''

 

Anthony Munoz, also an offensive tackle, was the Cincinnati Bengals' No. 1 pick out of Southern California in the 1980 draft.

 

Jarrett Payton must be kinda pissed off seeing that. However, Michael seems to have done very, very well for himself academically speaking, and made the most out of his football scholarship by graduating early and working on an MBA already. But if he really wanted to stick with it, there's no reason he couldn't try signing on with a team as a FA like so many others are trying to do at this time, especially with the contacts his father could hook him up with.

[Guest guerillagenius]

I'd like to see him as a Packer since William Henderson is getting on in years, and Luchey looks to be the solid replacement for him, but having some depth in the form of a hybrid runner (and they'll probably lose Davenport after this season anyways) would be nice. Either way, he'd be a second day draft pick. I owe him a lot and would have owed him even more had I not fucked up my ankle since he got the coaches to look past my size and use me as a third-down back and #2 on the depth chart right behind him in high school.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft0...am%3Fteam%3Dwas

 

Incase you didnt know, he went to Washington in the 4th Round.

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

Watching ESPN News or whatever the hell, and Brock Berlin signed with the Dolphins. I guess he didn't want to move.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Browns will be sporting a very interesting lineup for next year:

 

Offense:

 

QB - Trent Dilfer

RB - Lee Suggs, Reuben Droughns

FB - Terrelle Smith

WR - Braylon Edwards, Andre' Davis, Antonio Bryant, Dennis Northcutt

TE - Kellen Winslow

LT - Ross Verba

LG - Joe Andruzzi

C - Jeff Faine

RG - Cosey Coleman

RT - Ryan Tucker

 

Thoughts:

That's the best offensive line the new Browns have ever sported and I'd argue the best receiving core they've had since their last Super Bowl run. Suggs and Droughns will make an excellent backfield and Terrelle Smith is one of the best blocking FB's in the league. I'm not thrilled with Dilfer at QB but he can't be worse than what this team has had over the last few years. At least he'll be protected.

 

Defense:

 

DL - Kernard Lang, Jason Fisk, Orpheus Roye

OLB - Chaun Thompson, Andra Davis

ILB - Ben Taylor, Matt Stewart

CB - Gary Baxter, Daylon McCutcheon

SS - Sean Jones

FS - Brian Russell

 

Thoughts:

Not sure what I think about switching to a 3-4. Chaun Thompson is going to be a definate weak link if they don't address that spot. Hopefully newly drafted Nick Speegle turns out to be a servicable enough player to fix that hole. The secondary looks a lot different so I can't really say how they'll perform.

[Guest El Satanico]

As long as the offensive line stays healthy, our offense will be fine. Dilfer won't be throwing up amazing numbers, but KWII is set up or a huge year and he should be able to get Edwards enough balls to keep him happy. Of course, this all depends on the line staying healthy.

 

The defense is still a work in progress, but we all knew this rebuild would take more than a single season. Our defense will be alot like New England's, where they shift players in and out. I believe they will pick up some bargain vets to help with the 3-4 for a season. Guys like Roman Phifer and maybe Chad Brown if he's cheap enough.

 

They may want to keep a veteren starting at one safety spot, but I wouldn't be surprised if Brodney Poole beats out Brian Russell. I like Chaun Thompson, but I'd like to see them pick up a veteren for him to play behind for another season.

[sfaJack 0]

Texans release Aaron Glenn and he agrees to a deal with the Cowboys. Good signing as the revamping of Dallas's D continues.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'm not as worried about the line's health. Coleman and Andruzzi have both been extremely healthy throughout their careers. I'm worried most about Winslow's health. They're paying him a lot and he needs to play 16 games and get over 1000 receiving this season to please me as a fan.

 

I like the defensive line mostly because they ditched all the dead weight. Matt Stewart, Ben Taylor and Andra Davis should be one of the better linebacking groups in the league if they all stay healthy.

[Guest Vitamin X]

EDIT: Deserves its own thread.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Did anyone see Gary Plumber on OTL, mention a highly respected team leader and fan favroite LB for the San Diego Chargers had steroids in his home frig? About has close as you can get, without saying Junior Seau.

[Guest Vitamin X]

That wouldn't surprise me at all, seriously.

[teke184 0]

Prospective Saints lineup for 2005:

 

QB Aaron Brooks

RB Deuce McAllister

FB Mike Karney

WR Joe Horn

WR Donte Stallworth

TE Boo Williams

LT Wayne Gandy

LG Kendyl Jacox

C LeCharles Bentley

RG Jermaine Mayberry

RT Jammal Brown

 

 

The only changes are in the O-line. The addition of Brown and Mayberry should help Deuce break open the running game. That'll take pressure off of the butterfingers QB they kept.

 

Boo Williams' position isn't necessarily safe, as the Saints have brought in Shad Meyer from Tennessee to fight for that spot against Williams, Lamont Hall, and Ernie Conwell.

 

If the Saints go to a three-receiver set, don't be surprised to see former LSU standout Devery Henderson take some balls downtown for a TD. He only had 3 completions in last year's pre-season but averaged about 40 yards a touch.

 

 

Defense-

 

DE- Will Smith

DT- Howard Green

DT- Brian Young

DE- Darren Howard

LB- Sedrick Hodge

LB- Courtney Watson

LB- Derrick Rogers

CB- Fakhir Brown

CB- Mike McKenzie

S-Dwight Smith

S- Steve Gleason?

 

 

This unit is still under construction but, by having a healthy Darren Howard and getting Mike McKenzie more experience in the Saints' system, things should be looking better than last year. Frankly, they couldn't get THAT much worse than last year.

 

The front four will be pretty good, as Howard, Smith, and Green are all good at what they do.

 

The backfield should be shaping up now that McKenzie is getting settled in.

 

The real question is at linebacker, as they're thin there and have been unable to trade for a playmaker. (A busted attempt to trade Darren Howard to Dallas fell apart because Dallas didn't want to give up LB Dat Nguyen as part of the deal.)

 

 

Overall, the offense should be better than last year and Aaron Brooks has no more excuses for bad play. The defense should be better than last year, but not great by any means.

[Guest Vitamin X]

The backfield should be shaping up now that McKenzie is getting settled in.

Erm, you know he's pulling the same shit he did last year with Green Bay, right? I think I mentioned it on the last page, actually.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh, and speaking of Mike McKenzie.. MORE GOOD NEWS FOR GREEN BAY~

Walker begins contract holdout

Todd Korth - Scout.com

April 26, 2005 at 11:43pm ET

 

Wide receiver Javon Walker does not plan to participate in the Green Bay Packers' mini-camp this week, according to reports. With a breakout season under his belt, Walker wants the Packers to break the bank and reward him with a new contract.

 

Walker was selected by Packers in first round of 2002 NFL draft (20th overall). His five-year, $7.5 million deal expires in 2006. He is scheduled to receive a base salary of about $515,000 this season, which is clearly less than his value.

 

This off-season, Walker dropped his agent, David Ware, in favor of super-agent Drew Rosenhaus, which was a strong indication that he wants a new contract. Rosenhaus has represented a number of big-name players, including ex-cornerback Mike McKenzie .

 

"I'd like to be a Packer for the long-term," Walker told ESPN today.

 

Walker finished third in the NFC in receiving yards in 2004 with 1,382. Officially designated as the team's third receiver behind Donald Driver and Robert Ferguson , Walker played in all 16 games, making 12 starts. He led the team with 12 touchdown catches and was named to the NFC squad in the annual Pro Bowl.

 

Walker's holdout, combined with Ferguson's status after he was injured in a game last December, may have been the reason that the Packers selected two wide receivers in the NFL draft. Texas A&M's Terrence Murphy and UCLA's Craig Bragg are expected to join the veterans in practice on Friday.

 

Last year, McKenzie held out of the off-season mini-camps and training camp before reporting during Week 2. McKenzie also was disgruntled over his contract and unhappy with coaching moves made by Mike Sherman . McKenzie ultimately was traded to the New Orleans Saints last October for a second-round draft pick and backup quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan .

Please, for the love of god guys, get him signed. If McKenzie had stayed on board last year the secondary would have been MUCH better. Don't fuck up the offense now as well.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Drew Rosenhaus is such a cocksucker. I can't stand that guy. Still, Walker deserves a new contract. that $515,000 is about as close to an insult as you can get in the NFL as far as contracts go. Walker is, in my opinion, one of the best WRs in the NFL right now, I'd say top 5 without actually thinking about who might be better.

 

 

Actually:

 

1. T.O.

2. Moss

3. Walker

4. Muhammad (sp?)

5. Chad Johnson

 

So yeah I can't really think of anyone else that deserves to be above him right now.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

You're insane if you think Walker is better than Chad Johnson.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

2003 C Yards YPC TDs

Johnson, Chad 90 1355 15.1 10

Walker, Javon 41 716 17.5 9

 

2004

Walker, Javon 91 1409 15.5 12

Johnson, Chad 95 1274 13.4 9

 

2 Year Total:

 

Johnson, Chad 185 2629 14.2 19

Walker, Javon 136 2125 15.6 21

 

 

I only went back two years because Walker only really came into his own in 2003, going back further would skew the stats pretty strongly in favor of Johnson. After looking at these stats, Johnson would have to be considered the better WR. Taking in the fact that the team Johnson plays on is one of the worst franchises in all of sports and yet he still (barely) outperforms Walker I'd say that you are right.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

It'd skew it horribly since in 2002 Johnson got almost 1200 yards when having 3 different QBs throwing at him all season. It's hard to gauge Green Bay receivers. They have a nasty habit of becoming painfully average when they leave to play elsewhere.

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Anyone see this? I found it in the CNNSI Truth and Rumours page.

 

Broward County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office detectives are investigating an exotic dancer's allegation that an NFL player sexually assaulted her at a Pompano Beach strip club. The dancer, whose name is being withheld, told investigators she was assaulted by Green Bay Packers cornerback Al Harris at The Cheetah Pompano. The alleged incident took place April 17 in the private Champagne Room of the club.

-- Miami Herald

 

So the RB beats up women, the starting corner sexually assaults women, they lost most of their O-line and their top WR is holding out. Did you kill a baby or something, VX?

[therealworldschampion 0]

Man, even off the field Al Harris is getting flagged for illegal use of the hands. I guess that's what you call "staying true to form"...

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh, we can add this one too:

 

Tight end a no-show

Todd Korth - Scout.com

April 27, 2005 at 10:36am ET

 

Bubba Franks, who has not signed the transition tender that the Green Bay Packers placed on him in February, will not participate in this week's mini-camp, his agent says.

 

Franks has until July 22 to field contract offers from other teams or sign the tender of $2.095 million. At this point, it is unlikely that Franks will receive any offers, but there is a possibility that he will not participate in the post-draft minicamp, June mini-camp, or training camp practices until he gets a long-term deal from the Packers.

 

"It's doubtful (he'd play for the tender), but you never know," Franks agent Gene Mato told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

 

Franks has yet to receive any contract offers from other teams. If he receives another offer, the Packers have the right to match it. If the Packers do not match, they receive nothing in return.

 

Franks has been the team's top tight end since he was drafted in the first round (14th overall) by the Packers in 2000. He became only the second Packers' tight end to be named to three straight Pro Bowls (2001-03) since Paul Coffman, 1982-84). Franks was a Pro Bowl alternate last season after catching 34 passes for 361 yards and seven touchdowns.

 

Why did you bother coming back, Brett? You don't deserve this.

[MrRant 0]

The tears are so sweet and tasty.

[Sass 0]

Favre should join the Ravens.

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Favre throwing it out there for Moss would be absolutely bizarre/hilarious/cool. It must happen.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Here's an interesting article on the Packers' meltdown which is summed up nicely in this thread already, and, most interestingly, a part on Drew Rosenhaus that is something of an argument against pinnacle's "Fuck the owners, support the players" claim:

Offseason notebook: The Packers' downward spiral

By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports

April 28, 2005

 

Headshot

Logo

Slowly and surely, the Green Bay Packers' grip on playoff berth in 2005 is loosening.

 

Arguably no team in the NFL has endured as much turmoil and talent fluctuation since the end of the regular season – from free-agent losses to legal clouds and even a looming holdout. If next season is indeed the Brett Favre retirement tour, the wheels fell off the bus disturbingly early.

 

Consider what the Packers have endured since their unceremonious collapse in the playoffs four months ago:

 

# Head coach Mike Sherman was stripped of his general manager title.

 

# For the first time, Brett Favre seriously contemplated retirement.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

# Roster attrition included the likes of Mike Wahl, Marco Rivera and Darren Sharper.

 

# Cornerback Al Harris was involved in a sexual assault investigation.

 

# Ahman Green was arrested for disorderly conduct.

 

# A holdout by wide receiver Javon Walker looms.

 

Oh, and their chief rival in the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings, might be having the best offseason in the NFL.

 

Someone should check and make sure the "b" hasn't fallen off the Lambeau Field sign hanging over the stadium entrance.

 

Sherman pooh-poohs the tumult.

 

"We've always had issues," he says. "There are 101 players that are going to be here on Friday [for minicamp]. To assume that we're not going to have issues come up – we've been very fortunate in the past that we haven't had very many.

 

"I know these things come up. They come up among family. You raise kids to do certain things, and sometimes they make bad decisions. … This is part of it."

 

Sherman's "bad decisions" reference could be in response to any number of players on the Packers roster.

 

Maybe it's a jab at Walker, who wants a new contract and isn't expected to show up when the team kicks off its mandatory full-squad minicamp on Friday. Or maybe it's a reference to Green, who was arrested after his fourth domestic "incident" since 1999. Or Harris, who hasn't been charged by police, but is being investigated due to sexual assault allegations by an exotic dancer in Florida.

 

From a talent standpoint alone, Green Bay lost significant ground this offseason when its two starting guards, Wahl and Rivera, inked lucrative deals with the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, respectively. Sharper had to be cut loose for salary cap purposes – and landed with the Vikings. While the first round of last weekend's draft delivered Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the balance of the Packers' picks aren't likely to improve the NFL's 25th-ranked defense.

 

Instead, that responsibility will fall completely on new defensive coordinator Jim Bates, the highly regarded Miami Dolphins castoff who will install a new set of schemes.

 

"There's a big adaptation," Bates admitted this week. "Our total package, especially up front for the linemen and linebackers, is a tremendous change."

 

Bates and that front seven might have the easy part. Green Bay's biggest challenge in the coming months will be figuring out a way to solve Walker's contract issues, and healing the public relations black eye created by Harris and Green's personal problems. Neither fix looks easy at this stage.

 

Walker – who notched 89 catches for 1,328 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl – has essentially one year left on his current contract at an embarrassingly reasonable $515,000. He and agent Drew Rosenhaus want a new deal, which isn't a huge shock considering the portfolio of torn-up contracts Rosenhaus has been collecting.

 

As for Green and Harris, both issues will likely have been sorted out in the legal realm. Police are investigating claims from an exotic dancer that Harris sexually assaulted her in a private room last week in a Pompano Beach strip club. Meanwhile, Green will have to appear in court in May, stemming from his Monday arrest on disorderly conduct. The arrest occurred after a 911 call ended with a hang-up and police suspected a domestic dispute.

 

Green said Wednesday that he wanted the press to know that "there's two sides to the story – and not to take something out of context and run with it. … The people that love me, my family and friends that love me, they know what type of person I am."

 

"Things happen," Green added.

 

After this offseason, the Packers understand that better than anybody.

 

WIND SPRINTS

 

# Speaking of Rosenhaus: He's not a very popular guy around the NFL these days. More and more, personnel people are grumbling about Rosenhaus' clients wanting to tear up contracts.

 

Beyond Walker, Rosenhaus is seeking new pacts for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens and Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns. While Owens has established himself as a top-tier wideout, Droughns has just recently rounded into a productive player. After rushing for 97 yards on 40 carries his first three seasons in the NFL (two at fullback), Droughns switched to running back and rushed for 1,240 yards this past season with the Denver Broncos.

 

"I'm sure the complaint is the position switch and the contract being a [fullback] contract," said a source in an NFC front office. "But [Droughns has] shown one good year. Is it unrealistic to expect consistent performance before throwing [his last deal] out the window? … Take Javon Walker. [Rosenhaus] can't expect teams to get marginal return during developmental years, and then to just hop up and pay someone like they've been a Pro Bowler from Day 1. That's what a second contract is for."

 

# The drafting of running back Eric Shelton should have made it clear what the Carolina Panthers think about the continuing rehabilitation of Stephen Davis. While the Panthers have been publicly supportive – and Davis' agent has guaranteed his return – word is circulating around the NFL that the Panthers' organization doubts Davis will ever be able to effectively recover from last season's microfracture surgery.

 

# It's dumbfounding that the Buffalo Bills weren't willing to pull the trigger on a deal with running back Travis Henry around draft time. Bills general manager Tom Donahoe had been remarkably stubborn about receiving some kind of second-round compensation for Henry, despite there being no market for running backs and no team in the NFL willing to surrender that much for the former 1,000-yard rusher. What's most odd about this situation is that the longer Henry remains with the Bills, the more his value diminishes. But it seems Donahoe isn't the only person in this equation who needs to wake up.

 

If the Bills do trade Henry, he hopes to get a lucrative new deal. But that won't happen – not with other prime backs, such as Indianapolis' Edgerrin James and Seattle's Shaun Alexander, on the market. And not with another strong running back class in next year's draft (depending on some underclassmen declaring early, that is).

 

# More detail has emerged on a few guys who surprisingly went undrafted.

 

Scouts thought Michigan safety Ernest Shazor (who landed in Arizona) was hiding something when he didn't work out at the combine, then were tremendously disappointed in his 4.7-second speed at his pro day. But what really hurt the former Thorpe finalist's value was his inability to get his body turned quickly in deep coverage. That, combined with Shazor's speed, made him appear as a serious liability against the NFL's faster players.

 

As for Heisman winner Jason White, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, it wasn't simply arm strength that hurt his value. Apparently some teams weren't pleased with the way his knees looked after his college surgeries. One team said a training camp with White was "an injury settlement just waiting to happen."

 

And finally, Oregon State cornerback Brandon Browner, who left school after just two seasons, was thought of as too long (he's 6-foot-4) and a step too slow to play cornerback in the NFL. While he fared well in college, some teams thought his skills and size translate poorly to the pros. In short, they had no idea where they could play him effectively.

 

Now we'll see if the Denver Broncos, who signed Browner as an undrafted free agent, can figure it out.

 

Now, I can understand Javon Walker demanding getting a bigger contract. This certainly isn't like the Mike McKenzie situation (and guess who his agent is as well!) where McKenzie was entering the second to last year of his contract, didn't really do anything way outstanding to merit a new contract, held out, and became a major dark spot in the locker room. In fact it wasn't until he was traded the Packers turned around from a 1-4 start and finished 10-6. But anyways, Walker deserves to get paid like an elite receiver being that he established himself as one.. However, this is where something interesting comes into play, where an argument was being made that players deserve to hold out for more money since an NFL team can turn right around and cut them when they're 30 or when it financially benefits them. This is where the complete opposite is happening, where agents like Rosenhaus are making life extremely difficult for cap-strapped franchises like the Packers, or hell even smart thrifty ones like Philadelphia. How can you expect a team to want to pay a player for one good season where he can go off and keep slacking with his cash instead of playing like a million dollar player, when the million dollar player doesn't think he's getting paid enough either, and doesn't feel like honoring his contract?

 

It's not just a case of teams not honoring their contracts with players, it's the players themselves who are pulling this shit as well, and neither side deserves that kind of treatment. Although if you look at a typical NFL contract which is usually back-loaded and a portion of it is guaranteed (signing bonuses as well), it's not like a player will be making 1.6 million and then get cut and be completely fucked. Boohoo.

 

Warren Sapp said it best when he mentioned that they're paid a king's ransom to play a child's game. The bad part in it all is when the players then act childish about it. I mean, come on.. Reuben Droughns? And why does Owens STILL want even MORE money? Doesn't he get enough of it on the side from merchandising, advertising and the like as well? I mean, fuck.