Lonestar
07-15-2009, 06:43 PM
1. First and foremost, what the heck is going on in Denver these days?
Sure seems like things have gone a bit bananas up in Colorado, right? The Josh McDaniels era hasn't exactly started off with a quiet run-of-the-mill offseason. What's going on in Denver reminds me of "The Office" when young Ryan Howard took over for Jan in corporate. New kid in town, new ballgame. The results? Well, we'll have to wait and see. At 32, McDaniels has come in and made an immediate impact. He's also made a few headlines along the way.
The Jay Cutler fiasco was a disaster, and no, Denver is not — regardless of what Broncos fans and beat writers might tell you — better off for it. Some other unorthodox happenings? Well, the Broncos went out and signed former Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington to a four-year, $10 million deal back in March. Then they released him less than three months later, citing a failed physical and a balky right knee. On the move, McDaniels told reporters, "It just got to the point where we realized and he realized that it wasn't going to work out for him this year with the injury. He was great for us when he was here, had a great attitude and great approach." All 60 days?
The latest noteworthy player personnel move? Boss Bailey, Champ's brother and a six-year veteran linebacker, was released a week ago. Coming off microfracture surgery, the move is understandable and you can't fault McDaniels if the guy's not healhty enough to go. But you can't help but think Bailey would have been a nice OLB piece for the Broncos 3-4 defense.
Then there are the unhappy parties. First it was Cutler, who took a beating in the media for being a "prima donna" and overly sensitive. Now it's the Broncos No. 1 wideout, Brandon Marshall. Nicknamed "Beast" for his superhuman physical skills and the recipient of 100-plus catches the past two seasons, Marshall has demanded a trade. His reasons? Well, money, of course. Then there were the trust issues with the Broncos medical staff. Marshall, naturally, went to his blog with his complaints and thoughts. "The hardest thing was hearing Mr. B (Broncos owner Pat Bowlen) wish me luck in the future, but we both came to the conclusion that this is probably the best thing for me to grow on and off the field," Marshall wrote last week.
Huh?
Beneath all this are countless front-office departures this offseason that the media hasn't given nearly as much attention to: de facto general manager Jim Goodman, his son assistant GM Jeff Goodman, and scout Tyler Goodman were all shown the door. West Coast scout Bobby Beers is gone, too.
The black clouds hovering over Denver this offseason are evident.
But it's easy to take a glass half-empty approach. No one takes kindly to mass changes. Perhaps there are some positives in all this. After all, Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler's Broncos hadn't gone to the playoffs in three seasons. It's not like McDaniels is retooling and tinkering a Super Bowl champion team. No, this was a below-average squad the past few years. McDaniels was hired for a reason. Change was needed.
Additions Correll Buckhalter, Lamont Jordan and Knowshon Moreno will all make immediate impacts on the offense. The defense adds veterans Brian Dawkins, Andra Davis, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman and Darrell Reid. Rookies Alphonso Smith and Robert Ayers should see action next season in the 3-4.
When Ryan took over in "The Office," the young kid eventually buckled under the pressure and sent the company down the tubes.
Broncos fans can only hope what happened in Scranton won't happen in Denver.
2. Is Al Davis nuts for giving a CB franchise QB money?
Okay, let's first go over just how much freaking money this is. Astronomical, really. Asomugha signed a 3-year deal for an unheard of $45.3 million in February. Close to $28 million of that is guaranteed. Asomugha's now the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. By a landslide. Sure seems like a lot for a six-year veteran who's never played in a postseason game, has never lost less than 11 games in a season, and who is rarely among the league leaders in interceptions.
The sick part? I think he's worth every penny.
Asomugha's the best corner in the game. Hands down. The reason his interception numbers are so unimpressive (one INT in 2008) is because quarterbacks avoid him like the plague. DeAngelo Hall, Oakland's big free-agent pickup last offseason, got picked on mercilessly last year. He was eventually released by midseason. Opposing quarterbacks had no choice, though. They couldn't risk throwing the ball near Asomugha.
If his football skills were the whole story, I might be skeptical of the money. But Asomugha's the rare player — the once in a generation guy — who transcends the sport. His philanthropy efforts and community presence, well documented this offseason in a Sports Illustrated profile, are beyond impressive. He takes Oakland area kids on college campus tours in cities all along the East Coast, sets up scholarship funds that pave ways for new opportunities, and has been an active partner and leading voice for the Clinton Global Initiative University. This past offseason, Asomugha appeared on a few ESPN pre-draft specials. He blew me away. Far more impressive, insightful and interesting than fellow panel members Marcellus Wiley and James Hasty. Asomugha made for Must-See TV.
Raiders fans know what they have in Asomugha. The rest of the nation might not. He's certainly not a household name yet (frankly, his ain't the easiest name, am I right people?).
This isn't the head-scratching Javon Walker deal of '08. This one is completely sensible. Asomugha is worth every cent of that $45.3 million.
He just needs to break that damn six-win mark.
3. What's LaDainian Tomlinson have left in the tank?
When I penned my "Top 99 players of '09" piece two weeks ago, I got bombarded with all sorts of e-mails. Some were predictable. I was surprised, however, with the backlash I got for slotting Tomlinson in the top 30.
"He's washed up!" wrote Jen Hamers of Silver Springs, Md.
"Tomlinson? Really? He might not be a top-99 player this year, let alone top 30. Hell, I'd put Darren Sproles over him this year," wrote Jeff Jones of Manhattan, Kan. (Yes, I know Sproles went to Kansas State)
I was blown away by all the "hate" around Tomlinson. As recent as last August, he was the top pick in every fantasy football draft in America and a preseason favorite for MVP. Now? To critics like Jen and Jeff, he's apparently just another 30-year-old running back with his best seasons in his rearview mirror.
To be certain, 2008 marked career lows for Tomlinson in carries (292), rushing yards (1,110) and 100-yard rushing games (two). He was a non-factor for the second postseason campaign in a row.
But Tomlinson was banged up last season. He's healthy now. After some minor deliberation, the Chargers restructured the former MVP's contract, exhibiting their faith in the highly paid back. From all accounts, Tomlinson's all healed up, recharged and playing with something you can't value — a desire to prove his doubters wrong.
He will. Expect a big year out of Tomlinson and the Chargers.
Regardless of where he's taken in your fantasy football draft this August.
4. Will the Chiefs have something that at least almost resembles a defense this year?
It sure was a sight for sore eyes, huh? The 2008 Chiefs had less quarterback sacks than any team in NFL history (since the league began calculating the statistic, at least). The Kansas City defense had just 10 sacks in 532 passing plays, or one every 53.2 plays. Ugh. Horrifying factoid, right there.
They also gave up the third-most rushing yards per game, the second most total yards, and finished last in the league in third-down defense. Not fun.
So there were changes. Lots of them. Herm Edwards got the boot. Clancy Pendergrast, formerly of the NFC champion Cardinals, replaced Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator. Gary Gibbs, a former defensive coordinator in New Orleans who worked with Pendergast in Dallas, is now coaching the linebackers. Player personnel-wise, the Chiefs made significant upgrades across the board. Kansas City spent its first three 2009 draft picks on defense and brought in noted veterans Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas. Travis Daniels joins the cornerback corps.
Will the 2009 Chiefs defense be among the league's best? Probably not. Will they be one of the worst of all time? No.
At least I don't think so.
5. Jeff Garcia or JaMarcus Russell? Who's it going to be opening day vs. San Diego?
Coach Tom Cable has gone to great lengths to reconfirm that there is not an open competition at quarterback in Oakland — it's Russell's job. But Garcia's never been one to just sit and quietly watch from the sidelines.
Veteran safety Keith Davis shared his thoughts with Sirius Satellite Radio last week: "If I had to play right now, I'd take Jeff Garcia because I know what he's going to bring to the table and I've watched him bring it to the table. "A month from now, two months into the season, my answer may be different. But if I had to play right now, it would be Jeff Garcia. That's no knock against JaMarcus at all."
Nope, not at all.
My gut? Russell starts opening day vs. the Chargers on Sept. 14. Come Week 2, Sept. 20 at Kansas City?
Well, that's another story.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9716592#afcwest
Sure seems like things have gone a bit bananas up in Colorado, right? The Josh McDaniels era hasn't exactly started off with a quiet run-of-the-mill offseason. What's going on in Denver reminds me of "The Office" when young Ryan Howard took over for Jan in corporate. New kid in town, new ballgame. The results? Well, we'll have to wait and see. At 32, McDaniels has come in and made an immediate impact. He's also made a few headlines along the way.
The Jay Cutler fiasco was a disaster, and no, Denver is not — regardless of what Broncos fans and beat writers might tell you — better off for it. Some other unorthodox happenings? Well, the Broncos went out and signed former Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington to a four-year, $10 million deal back in March. Then they released him less than three months later, citing a failed physical and a balky right knee. On the move, McDaniels told reporters, "It just got to the point where we realized and he realized that it wasn't going to work out for him this year with the injury. He was great for us when he was here, had a great attitude and great approach." All 60 days?
The latest noteworthy player personnel move? Boss Bailey, Champ's brother and a six-year veteran linebacker, was released a week ago. Coming off microfracture surgery, the move is understandable and you can't fault McDaniels if the guy's not healhty enough to go. But you can't help but think Bailey would have been a nice OLB piece for the Broncos 3-4 defense.
Then there are the unhappy parties. First it was Cutler, who took a beating in the media for being a "prima donna" and overly sensitive. Now it's the Broncos No. 1 wideout, Brandon Marshall. Nicknamed "Beast" for his superhuman physical skills and the recipient of 100-plus catches the past two seasons, Marshall has demanded a trade. His reasons? Well, money, of course. Then there were the trust issues with the Broncos medical staff. Marshall, naturally, went to his blog with his complaints and thoughts. "The hardest thing was hearing Mr. B (Broncos owner Pat Bowlen) wish me luck in the future, but we both came to the conclusion that this is probably the best thing for me to grow on and off the field," Marshall wrote last week.
Huh?
Beneath all this are countless front-office departures this offseason that the media hasn't given nearly as much attention to: de facto general manager Jim Goodman, his son assistant GM Jeff Goodman, and scout Tyler Goodman were all shown the door. West Coast scout Bobby Beers is gone, too.
The black clouds hovering over Denver this offseason are evident.
But it's easy to take a glass half-empty approach. No one takes kindly to mass changes. Perhaps there are some positives in all this. After all, Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler's Broncos hadn't gone to the playoffs in three seasons. It's not like McDaniels is retooling and tinkering a Super Bowl champion team. No, this was a below-average squad the past few years. McDaniels was hired for a reason. Change was needed.
Additions Correll Buckhalter, Lamont Jordan and Knowshon Moreno will all make immediate impacts on the offense. The defense adds veterans Brian Dawkins, Andra Davis, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman and Darrell Reid. Rookies Alphonso Smith and Robert Ayers should see action next season in the 3-4.
When Ryan took over in "The Office," the young kid eventually buckled under the pressure and sent the company down the tubes.
Broncos fans can only hope what happened in Scranton won't happen in Denver.
2. Is Al Davis nuts for giving a CB franchise QB money?
Okay, let's first go over just how much freaking money this is. Astronomical, really. Asomugha signed a 3-year deal for an unheard of $45.3 million in February. Close to $28 million of that is guaranteed. Asomugha's now the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. By a landslide. Sure seems like a lot for a six-year veteran who's never played in a postseason game, has never lost less than 11 games in a season, and who is rarely among the league leaders in interceptions.
The sick part? I think he's worth every penny.
Asomugha's the best corner in the game. Hands down. The reason his interception numbers are so unimpressive (one INT in 2008) is because quarterbacks avoid him like the plague. DeAngelo Hall, Oakland's big free-agent pickup last offseason, got picked on mercilessly last year. He was eventually released by midseason. Opposing quarterbacks had no choice, though. They couldn't risk throwing the ball near Asomugha.
If his football skills were the whole story, I might be skeptical of the money. But Asomugha's the rare player — the once in a generation guy — who transcends the sport. His philanthropy efforts and community presence, well documented this offseason in a Sports Illustrated profile, are beyond impressive. He takes Oakland area kids on college campus tours in cities all along the East Coast, sets up scholarship funds that pave ways for new opportunities, and has been an active partner and leading voice for the Clinton Global Initiative University. This past offseason, Asomugha appeared on a few ESPN pre-draft specials. He blew me away. Far more impressive, insightful and interesting than fellow panel members Marcellus Wiley and James Hasty. Asomugha made for Must-See TV.
Raiders fans know what they have in Asomugha. The rest of the nation might not. He's certainly not a household name yet (frankly, his ain't the easiest name, am I right people?).
This isn't the head-scratching Javon Walker deal of '08. This one is completely sensible. Asomugha is worth every cent of that $45.3 million.
He just needs to break that damn six-win mark.
3. What's LaDainian Tomlinson have left in the tank?
When I penned my "Top 99 players of '09" piece two weeks ago, I got bombarded with all sorts of e-mails. Some were predictable. I was surprised, however, with the backlash I got for slotting Tomlinson in the top 30.
"He's washed up!" wrote Jen Hamers of Silver Springs, Md.
"Tomlinson? Really? He might not be a top-99 player this year, let alone top 30. Hell, I'd put Darren Sproles over him this year," wrote Jeff Jones of Manhattan, Kan. (Yes, I know Sproles went to Kansas State)
I was blown away by all the "hate" around Tomlinson. As recent as last August, he was the top pick in every fantasy football draft in America and a preseason favorite for MVP. Now? To critics like Jen and Jeff, he's apparently just another 30-year-old running back with his best seasons in his rearview mirror.
To be certain, 2008 marked career lows for Tomlinson in carries (292), rushing yards (1,110) and 100-yard rushing games (two). He was a non-factor for the second postseason campaign in a row.
But Tomlinson was banged up last season. He's healthy now. After some minor deliberation, the Chargers restructured the former MVP's contract, exhibiting their faith in the highly paid back. From all accounts, Tomlinson's all healed up, recharged and playing with something you can't value — a desire to prove his doubters wrong.
He will. Expect a big year out of Tomlinson and the Chargers.
Regardless of where he's taken in your fantasy football draft this August.
4. Will the Chiefs have something that at least almost resembles a defense this year?
It sure was a sight for sore eyes, huh? The 2008 Chiefs had less quarterback sacks than any team in NFL history (since the league began calculating the statistic, at least). The Kansas City defense had just 10 sacks in 532 passing plays, or one every 53.2 plays. Ugh. Horrifying factoid, right there.
They also gave up the third-most rushing yards per game, the second most total yards, and finished last in the league in third-down defense. Not fun.
So there were changes. Lots of them. Herm Edwards got the boot. Clancy Pendergrast, formerly of the NFC champion Cardinals, replaced Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator. Gary Gibbs, a former defensive coordinator in New Orleans who worked with Pendergast in Dallas, is now coaching the linebackers. Player personnel-wise, the Chiefs made significant upgrades across the board. Kansas City spent its first three 2009 draft picks on defense and brought in noted veterans Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas. Travis Daniels joins the cornerback corps.
Will the 2009 Chiefs defense be among the league's best? Probably not. Will they be one of the worst of all time? No.
At least I don't think so.
5. Jeff Garcia or JaMarcus Russell? Who's it going to be opening day vs. San Diego?
Coach Tom Cable has gone to great lengths to reconfirm that there is not an open competition at quarterback in Oakland — it's Russell's job. But Garcia's never been one to just sit and quietly watch from the sidelines.
Veteran safety Keith Davis shared his thoughts with Sirius Satellite Radio last week: "If I had to play right now, I'd take Jeff Garcia because I know what he's going to bring to the table and I've watched him bring it to the table. "A month from now, two months into the season, my answer may be different. But if I had to play right now, it would be Jeff Garcia. That's no knock against JaMarcus at all."
Nope, not at all.
My gut? Russell starts opening day vs. the Chargers on Sept. 14. Come Week 2, Sept. 20 at Kansas City?
Well, that's another story.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9716592#afcwest