NFL Quick Hits

By:  Bobby Shores

Welcome to the weekly (until I get bored, or busy, whichever comes first) column giving my opinion (which should be read as fact) on the stories around the NFL the last week (or however long I decide to go back, it's mine and I will do with it what I please....that's what she said....too old? Never!).

Only pic I could find w/both MJD & Revis

--Players Unhappy With Contracts - This is the same old story every single year, Player "X" (Typically Darrell Revis or formerly Greg Ellis) talks to media about withholding his services because he is unhappy with his contract, team talks to media and says they expect all players to honor the contract they signed. Neither party talks to each other, which is problem #1.

Problem #2 is that the current state of NFL contracts are so far slanted in one direction (teams), and fans seem to pile on the players for not honoring their contracts, that players end up looking like the bad guy they aren't. I don't have a whole lot to say on this subject (actually I do and may write an entire article on it), but the problem is due to players having no choice but to withhold services when they have outperformed a contract they signed as they have no other recourse. Teams on the other hand can cut a player if they feel the player is under performing, even though they signed the same contract that they expect the player to uphold.

NFL owners and General Manager's are ruthless, they regularly squeeze TV Networks for new MAX deals,  taxpayers for MAX money when it comes to stadium deals, and they use every bit of leverage they can in seemingly every situation where they can stand to make a dollar or two. With all that said, I enjoy watching a couple of high profile players use the leverage they have against the team. MJD is without a doubt the most valuable member of the Jaguars (both on and off field) and it seems that he has the most leverage and needs to use it to his full advantage. Revis on the other hand is arguably the most valuable player on the Jets, and his leverage comes from the fact that he WILL withhold services and I think he would sit out an entire season if need be. There are only a few players in the league that have this sort of leverage, and it's kind of nice to see them turn the tables on the teams every now and then because we know that the teams regularly "put the squeeze" on the players.

--Chad OchoCinco Joins the Dolphins - While most "analysts" talk about how OchoCinco is washed up and not worth a 90-man roster spot as he only had 15 catches for like 260 yards (it's close....I'm just to lazy to look it up), no story has gotten more traction this week than that. So if he isn't even a lock to make it through training camp, why is it the top story on NFL shows everyday? Because as fans, we love us some Ocho!! I was listening to NFL Total Access yesterday (or was it Tuesday, who cares) when they were going over the most popular stories on NFL.com, and guess what was #1.....by a LARGE margin...."OchoCinco lands in Miami". In fact the poll they did showed that 57% of fans were most interested in the Ocho, and only 9% cared about Tebow QB battle in New York. (I hope that by mentioning both Teblow and OchoCinco in the same column blows up this site!!!!!)

--Mike Jenkins shows up for Mandatory MiniCamp in Dallas(DUH!) - Really I don't know how this is a story at all, the guy is making a paltry (really?) $1 million salary in a contract year. Did anybody really think that he was going to risk getting fined like $60,000 for missing a mandatory camp, especially since he can't participate because of his recovery from shoulder surgery? Of course not, he is basically getting paid to show up and sit around. While Jenkins is in a bad spot, after he played his heart out last year for the team while injured and then watched them bring in two high profile players to replace him, it's in the Cowboys best interest to keep him around. The bad part is that he will be the 3rd corner at best, and probably the 4th corner (Has never played slot in his career so probably won't start now) which means he will have less opportunities to showcase his skills to the other teams for that big contract he wants. Of course, if he wins the battle for no worse than 3rd corner he will play the majority of snaps since teams usually run 3+ receiver sets. Look for Jenkins to sign a 1-year "prove it" deal next year and then cash in the year after, because I believe that he is a top 15 corner in this league.

--OTA's....Who Cares? - There I said it, nobody cares about practices in shorts and t-shirts, it tells us absolutely nothing about how good the rookies or free agents are looking. Notice how ALL the reports out of these things are about players "looking good", cause guess what? I would look good out there running routes in shorts. There is no hitting (at least not much), the only thing you can tell is if players are jogging to the right spot at the snap of the ball. Nobody cares about these things, yea I read the reports and listen to the podcasts though too....It's the NFL, I need my fix....no matter how I get it.

--Texans HC Gary Kubiak gets Contract Extension - This is how the NFL should work, it seems too often nowadays that coaches do not get long enough to prove themselves, in this league of "win now", new coaches are often on the "hot seat" after only their second season. Some of the greatest coaches in the history of the NFL would've been fired if they coached today. It took Tom Landry 6 years to get his first .500 season and Chuck Noll's first winning season wasn't until his 4th year. I think Bob McNair has done this the right way, give the coach plenty of time to make the roster and coaching staff entirely his, now there is no excuse for him not to perform. The organizations that constantly change (Raiders) are also the teams that are constantly rebuilding and starting over, because every time you change the coach you change the culture, system, players, staff, etc.

Now the bad part about the Texans is the core that Kubiak built might be near the end, in fact, it has already started. Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels are breaking down, they were forced to replace much of their offensive line, Matt Schaub is in the final year of his deal and still cannot stay healthy for a full season. On defense they lost their on and off field leader in Demeco Ryans, arguably their biggest impact player and #1 overall draft pick in 2006, Mario Williams (overrated in my opinion) left via free agency,  their 2007 1st rounder (10th overall) didn't pan out for them, their 2004 1st rounder (also 10th overall) left. Filling these holes largely with free agents is why they are in the salary cap hole they are currently in.....(I think I can do a whole article on this...I have to many article ideas and not enough time!)

--NFL Monitoring Contact at OTA's - I think this is the biggest crock I have seen in a while (ok now that I think about "BountyGate", Lockout, Concussions, maybe not), but the NFL randomly reading some tweets and deciding to review tapes of some OTA workouts for "too much contact" is stupid. You have to either look at every team's practices or none of them, none of this "playing favorites" that the league tends to do. Mainly though, why should the team lose practices if the players are having to much contact? If the coaches are constantly telling the players, "Don't hit", "Slow Down", etc and yet the 88th player on the roster is trying to make an impression and blows up a receiver against the coach's wishes, how is that the fault of the team?

You know what? Sometimes it just can't be helped! When you have a bunch of young testosterone filled guys battling it out for 1 of only 53 spots on a team, you are not going to be able to stop them from getting physical or going to hard. Much like the stupid NCAA rules that punish people for the sins of years past, don't punish the entire team because a couple guys who probably aren't gonna be in the NFL 3 months from now are trying to make a name for themselves!

--Timeout Cause TO Needs a Tryout - (See what I did there with all the "TO" references? Clever I know) Why can't Terrell Owens get even a tryout with an NFL team? Not only is he going to be in shape because...well TO is ALWAYS in shape, and before his knee injury he was having a great year for the Bengals with 72 catches for over 900 yards and 9 touchdowns. Heck, even with the Bills (whose offense sucked then) he had 55 catches for over 800 yards and 5 touchdowns!

Now he surely hasn't helped himself lately with appearances on Dr. Phil and the publicity surrounding his money problems (Allen Wranglers appears to be on them using his reputation against him). While he does have a history of locker room problems, by all accounts he was not a distraction with the Bengals or Bills (why is Carson Palmer still working out with him). I believe that he can be a solid player on a team with a strong locker room like the Ravens (I know he burned his bridges there most likely when he forced a trade to them not to happen). But the Ravens have been bringing in veterans for years that haven't worked out, one thing TO always does is put up the numbers that help you win games!

--Rob Gronkowski Cashes In - After only 2 years in the NFL, Gronkowski has cashed in with a what amounts to an 8-year $54 million extension, and from what PFT says it is basically a 4-year deal with 4 1-year options after that (I am not getting into anymore details). Here is how I see this playing out:  I think Gronk is happy now because of his back injury history that threatens to derail his career IF it goes out again. But when/if he continues to put these amazing/record breaking numbers he will be wanting to renegotiate (ala Darrell Revis & the majority of Eagles players) this deal in just a few years, and with all his off-field antics I could really see him becoming a distraction.....

--Tim Tebow - I really have nothing to say about him, but since it seems that not a day can go by without some report about how he went 1-2 and "walked on water" at Jets OTA, I figured I better mention him also....If I want to be a "real sports journalist", so here it goes. He sucks as a quarterback, is one of the worst teammates I have ever seen (even worse than Owens), is a media whore, and owes his success to a Marion Barber III fumble, a great kicker in Matt Prater, a defense that played well during his time starting and some dumb luck....not The Man upstairs or "divine" power/intervention. If the Jets use him as a personal protector and maybe a lead blocker, than he could have a somewhat successful run, nothing more, and maybe a lot less.

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Quick Hits on Top 10 Picks

By:  Bobby Shores

Wow! What a first round! While most of the picks in the top 10 were not much of a surprise, but this was probably the most exciting first round I have ever witnessed. There were an unprecedented number of trades, with only the Colts not moving in the Top 10, while picks were coming in at a rapid fire pace. I loved not waiting the full 10 minutes for each pick, and I must admit I was getting quite frustrated with the “worst commissioner in all of sports”, Roger Goodell, as I was quickly spoiled and wanted the picks to be made much faster, it seemed he was the bottleneck. I loved the fans continually booing Goodell, it shows that we are not happy with his approach to fundamentally changing the game of football (Editor’s Note:  I will take repeated blows to the head for millions of dollars, FYI), while also abusing his power with his constant fines and suspensions of players.

With no further ado, here are my first impressions of the first 10 picks. Editor’s Note: I am typing this on a plane with broken WiFi (Thanks American Airlines), so these are not in the correct order and I may get a name misspelled or a fact just slightly off (I guess if it’s off, then it’s not a fact), but my opinion is the important part, and you will understand the gist of what I am trying to say.

Colts & Redskins – We have known for months that Luck and RG3 were the picks, they have been analyzed and discussed to death, I have nothing new to add or anything to just make up so that I can be different and pretend to have a new thought like the no less than 500 NFL talking heads at ESPN….

Browns – Trent Richardson(RB) – I did not think they needed to move up one spot because I do not believe there was any team trying to trade up for Running Back Trent Richardson. Yes, he was far and above the best prospect at his position, but this is a passing league, and in 6 months we will be talking about some random late round pick that is leading all rookie running backs in yards and touchdowns. But with 13 picks in this draft, there is no way they could use them all, if they did there is little to no chance that they would all make the team. Remember the Cowboys 2009 “Special Teams” draft, they had 12 picks, like 6 of them were cut before the season ended and there were no real contributors taken.

Vikings – Matt Kalil(OT) – I give them credit, they were aggressive in moving back and getting what they could while still landing the guy they would have most likely taken at number three. I think they will be very pleased with Matt Kalil as they now have their franchise left tackle to protect their franchise quarterback which will give him more time to throw which will take pressure off of their franchise running back. Luckily for them wide receivers like Stephen Hill and Rueben Randle are still there and if they can grab one of them at the top of the 2^nd round I believe they can make a dramatic jump this year.

 

Jaguars – Justin Blackmon(WR) – In my opinion, Blackmon wasn’t even the best receiver in this draft, but I understand what they were trying to do. Their problem now is that they have nobody to get the ball to him, Gabbert is a complete and total bust and hopefully they will realize that sooner rather than later, otherwise Blackmon’s development could be greatly stunted.

Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill(QB) – They haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino left, they have wasted probably seven 2^nd round picks trying to find one, I understand what they were doing and I can’t really argue with it as I am a Tannehill fan. Joe Philbin is known for developing quarterbacks just like Tannehill, and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman is already very familiar with him from their time together at A&M, if he can be successful anywhere it will be in Miami. Now the Dolphins just have to get some receivers for him to throw to.

Cowboys - Morris Claiborne(CB) – Read my article here on my Morris Claiborne thoughts. The only thing I will add is that I am a big fan of 2^nd round picks and I don’t like giving them up. I also feel that cornerback is the deepest position in the draft and that there are multiple great ones that are still on the board and will be when they pick in the 2^nd & 3^rd round (Janoris Jenkins, Brandon Boykin, Casey Heyward, etc). The only thing that would have made me happier was taking Mississippi State Defensive Lineman Fletcher Cox, I feel that he is this year’s JJ Watt, a 5-technique DE that is dynamic enough to rush the passer.

Buccaneers – Mark Barron(S) – They were desperate for Safety help and they were desperate to stop the run, so having the best Safety in the draft, who specializes in stopping the run is not a horrible choice. I am probably the last holdout who still does not see Mark Barron as anything other than average in pass coverage, and with my thoughts of Safety being a dying breed, picking him before the 20’s was a reach. I think he will have a short career and in 5 years they will wish they had gone a different direction. I think he will help against the run heavy teams like Panthers and Falcons in his division, but Drew Brees will exploit him.

Bills – Stephon Gilmore(CB) – The Bills have completely revamped their defense in basically one calendar year, they have a solid front seven with Mario Willams, Mark Anderson, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus and Kelvin Sheppard and adding Gilmore to McKelvin and George Wilson will definitely give them a better chance to slow down the Patriots aerial attack and his size should help him against the run heavy teams like the Jets and Dolphins. I am not a big fan of Gilmore’s cover skills, and he is one of those guys who shot up draft boards AFTER the college season, which means that people became enamored with his measurables. His film was average in my opinion and the Bills should have gone either offensive line (DeCastro or Martin) or gone with the best wide receiver in the draft in Michael Floyd. Both options would have upgrade their offense and helped out quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, which should have been their top priority.

Panthers – Luke Kuechly(ILB) – Another team that could have gone in numerous directions, they might wish they had taken Floyd to give Cam Newton a weapon to grow with as Steve Smith is near the end of his career. The Panthers are weak in the middle of their defense, starting with Defensive Tackle and continuing on through MLB and Safety. Obviously there was no safety in this draft worthy of a Top 10 pick (even Barron) and I can’t argue with taking Kuechly over Cox. Kuechly is going to be a tremendous  linebacker in this league, I think we will look at him as a slightly weaker hitter but far superior in coverage in 10 years. He can play in any scheme, and would be one of the top MLB’s in any one (I think he would be excellent playing Urlacher’s position in a Cover-2 scheme). The Panthers have found the leader of their defense for years to come, he will work hard, make everybody else work harder, call the plays and get the defense lined up; all while making plays and earning All-Pro nods.

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