dogfish
01-23-2008, 07:16 AM
i'm obviously a fan of the broncos specifically, but i'm also a fan of the NFL and the game of football in general, and as such i always enjoy watching the drama unfold over the offseason. . . i like watching the movement of players and coaches almost as much as the games themselves-- the activity is a few concentrated bursts separated by long, slow periods when you yearn for some football, but honestly with the amount of coverage and discussion now available, i enjoy the offseason almost as much as the regular season. . . and i try to keep up with what every franchise is doing-- in today's age of parity, almost every year at least one team goes from doormat to contender over the course of the offseason. . . with that in mind, here are some of the storylines i'll be paying close attention to over the next few months (in no particular order)-- some of them may be resolved quite soon, and others may linger through training camp. . . i did avoid a few regarding coaching vacancies and a few top names still on the market, because those may be settled by this time tomorrow. . . i considered some others, but these are the ones i settled on-- feel free to chime in and remind me what i missed, or speculate as to how any or all of these may play out. . .
1. WILL THE EAGLES TRADE DONOVAN MCNABB?
they've obviously been through some ups and downs with him, but the ups have really been higher than the downs have. . . some of the drama has been needless crap manufactured or blown out of proportion by the media-- a lot of the TO junk, a few minor racial remarks, speculation about his future after the drafting of kolb, etc etc. . . injuries have been the real problem, but even with those taken into account mcnabb's tenure in philly has been very successful as a whole, and he's done it with odds and ends at receiver-- they haven't been able to land that elusive championship, but four straight trips to the conference championship game with a super bowl appearance is still nothing to sneeze at. . . there are an awful lot of franchises that would take that in a heartbeat, and with mcnabb at the helm the team has achieved a remarkable level of consistency-- they're competitive every year, and they dominated that division until recently. . .
if they deal him, all of that potentially changes-- they've played relatively well when he's been hurt, and there's more to that organization than D-Mac, but a 2nd year QB with no pro experience isn't exactly the same situation as bringing in a veteran pro bowler like jeff garcia. . . mcnabb has been the leader and the face of this team for a decade, and when he's healthy he is still one of the league's best quarterbacks. . . on the flip side he is not getting any younger, he has ended something like three of the past five years on IR, and he has a massive salary. . . he has also become a bit of a polarizing figure over the past year or so, though i blame that more on the media than on mcnabb himself. . . i wouldn't do it, but it does make some sense for them to possibly trade him while he still has some value-- given the scarcity of good, proven quarterbacks, there will unquestionably be a strong market for mcnabb, injury concerns and salary notwithstanding. . . if teams will take guys like trent green, and even vinny testaverde, you can bet your ass mcnabb would be in serious demand! think what he could do for a team like chicago, baltimore or minnesota. . . :shocked: if he is traded, it could potentially affect the balance of power in that division, or even across the league. . .
2. WILL THE PATRIOTS RE-SIGN RANDY MOSS?
last year the fade practically gave moss away because he looked very much like a washed up malcontent, and despite his fantastic history of production teams weren't exactly lining up to pay big and take a risk on him-- this year, things will be a different story! moss showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is still a gamebreaking talent when he wants to be-- and although that caveat may prevent some teams from pursuing him, he will quite clearly be one of the top names on the free agent market if they let him get that far. . .
it's going to be interesting to see how new england handles it, as they have a history of being unwilling to pay top dollar to aging names-- in the past they have been content to let other clubs take their aging stars while they themselves build through the draft and selective free agent signings. . . but moss made a drastic impact and took their offense to a different level, and early reports are that the team is intent on re-signing him. . . it's possible that he may give them a bit of a discount to play for a winner, but moss has been pretty self-centered in the past-- how will they handle it if he asks for the moon? this is another player who can make a potentially huge impact if he changes teams, so keep a close eye on how this one plays out. . . i suspect they end up compromising and he stays there, but you never know. . .
3. WILL THE BEARS OR RAVENS FIND SOME OFFENSE?
this one is a recurring theme-- a broken record in the ravens' case-- but it's still a question worth asking, because if either of them actually did they could be a menace. . . everyone knows that these teams have perennially strong defenses that are loaded with talent, but neither ever has an offense that a respectable college program would be happy with. . .
the "offensive genius" brian billick finally ran out of rope in baltimore, so we'll see whether he just sucked, or the franchise is cursed to always be one of the worst O's in the league. . . we'll also see how much longer lovie can get by without making some attempt to find a legitimate starter instead of retreads like griese and retards like grossman. . . both teams are desperate for a quarterback that can actually move the ball and put some points on the board-- if one of them happens to find that guy, the rest of the pieces could be in place for a deep playoff run. . . although they both need more help on that side of the ball than just a signalcaller, don't forget that the ravens went 13-3 just last year, while the bears were in the super bowl. . . the vultures do have some decent (not great) skill position players to work with, and some solid young offensive linemen to build around-- the bears have jack squat, but devin hester by himself can change the course of games. . . of course this isn't a question that can be fully answered until well into the season, but the moves made over the offseason should give us some indication, as well as setting the groundwork for the actual storyline to play out. . .
4. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MARVIN HARRISON AND SHAUN ALEXANDER?
these guys have been league icons, among the best and most consistent producers at their respective positions year after year-- guys who could be counted on for 1,200+ yards and double digit TDs every season, as inevitable as death and taxes. . . their teams have easily been the class of their divisions recently, and both players have had a huge hand in that success. . . harrison has been on a pace to challenge all of rice's records, and alexander has been the smoothest scoring machine since wilt chamberlain :heh: . . . .
the truth is, both franchises are potentially in position to proceed without these star players, but it would be wrong to assume that either can just march on without losing a beat. . . although the colts offense was beset by injuries and was missing more than just harrison, it's clear that they were a different unit without him. . . reggie wayne was able to take his place as the go-to guy, but that left a huge drop-off in production from the #2 spot, and wayne isn't quite the same big play threat that harrison has been over the years. . . dallas clarke will help take up some of the slack, and anthony gonzalez will develop into a fine WR in their system with manning throwing him the ball-- still, you don't replace a hall of famer just like that, and the chemistry between manning and harrison will be difficult to replicate anytime soon if harrison's balky knee forces him into retirement. . . everyone assumed that indy would end up facing new england in the AFC championship game, but their loss to san diego raises the question of whether they should be viewed as quite the same powerhouse without one of their top stars-- i personally think they're the type of organization that can meet that challenge, but there's no doubt that having harrison come back strong next year would be the best scenario for them. . .
alexander isn't facing the same health problems as harrison, but he has been slowed badly by nagging injuries the past two years, and he is reaching the age where most RBs start to go downhill fast. . . add his lack of production to a monstrous salary, and you're looking at a very likely cap casualty unless he takes a serious pay cut. . . the seahawks are still the class of the NFC weak, but the other teams are stock-piling young talent and threatening to close the gap in a hurry. . . the hawks showed this year that they can win with a pass-heavy offense directed by matt hasselbeck, but their O was clearly at it's most potent when they were running a balanced attack with alexander racking up TDs-- they haven't been quite the same since stupidly letting hutchinson go, and losing mack strong doesn't help either. . . if they lose alexander they lose by far their best red zone weapon. . . also, without a proven veteran in the backfield, holmgren is even more likely to abandon the running game and let their offense become completely one dimensional. . . the squawks are in luck, though-- this year's draft class is loaded with RB talent, and with a very solid roster they don't have a ton of particularly pressing needs-- i think there's a very good chance we could see a back like felix jones or maybe jamaal charles go to seattle with their top selection. . .
1. WILL THE EAGLES TRADE DONOVAN MCNABB?
they've obviously been through some ups and downs with him, but the ups have really been higher than the downs have. . . some of the drama has been needless crap manufactured or blown out of proportion by the media-- a lot of the TO junk, a few minor racial remarks, speculation about his future after the drafting of kolb, etc etc. . . injuries have been the real problem, but even with those taken into account mcnabb's tenure in philly has been very successful as a whole, and he's done it with odds and ends at receiver-- they haven't been able to land that elusive championship, but four straight trips to the conference championship game with a super bowl appearance is still nothing to sneeze at. . . there are an awful lot of franchises that would take that in a heartbeat, and with mcnabb at the helm the team has achieved a remarkable level of consistency-- they're competitive every year, and they dominated that division until recently. . .
if they deal him, all of that potentially changes-- they've played relatively well when he's been hurt, and there's more to that organization than D-Mac, but a 2nd year QB with no pro experience isn't exactly the same situation as bringing in a veteran pro bowler like jeff garcia. . . mcnabb has been the leader and the face of this team for a decade, and when he's healthy he is still one of the league's best quarterbacks. . . on the flip side he is not getting any younger, he has ended something like three of the past five years on IR, and he has a massive salary. . . he has also become a bit of a polarizing figure over the past year or so, though i blame that more on the media than on mcnabb himself. . . i wouldn't do it, but it does make some sense for them to possibly trade him while he still has some value-- given the scarcity of good, proven quarterbacks, there will unquestionably be a strong market for mcnabb, injury concerns and salary notwithstanding. . . if teams will take guys like trent green, and even vinny testaverde, you can bet your ass mcnabb would be in serious demand! think what he could do for a team like chicago, baltimore or minnesota. . . :shocked: if he is traded, it could potentially affect the balance of power in that division, or even across the league. . .
2. WILL THE PATRIOTS RE-SIGN RANDY MOSS?
last year the fade practically gave moss away because he looked very much like a washed up malcontent, and despite his fantastic history of production teams weren't exactly lining up to pay big and take a risk on him-- this year, things will be a different story! moss showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is still a gamebreaking talent when he wants to be-- and although that caveat may prevent some teams from pursuing him, he will quite clearly be one of the top names on the free agent market if they let him get that far. . .
it's going to be interesting to see how new england handles it, as they have a history of being unwilling to pay top dollar to aging names-- in the past they have been content to let other clubs take their aging stars while they themselves build through the draft and selective free agent signings. . . but moss made a drastic impact and took their offense to a different level, and early reports are that the team is intent on re-signing him. . . it's possible that he may give them a bit of a discount to play for a winner, but moss has been pretty self-centered in the past-- how will they handle it if he asks for the moon? this is another player who can make a potentially huge impact if he changes teams, so keep a close eye on how this one plays out. . . i suspect they end up compromising and he stays there, but you never know. . .
3. WILL THE BEARS OR RAVENS FIND SOME OFFENSE?
this one is a recurring theme-- a broken record in the ravens' case-- but it's still a question worth asking, because if either of them actually did they could be a menace. . . everyone knows that these teams have perennially strong defenses that are loaded with talent, but neither ever has an offense that a respectable college program would be happy with. . .
the "offensive genius" brian billick finally ran out of rope in baltimore, so we'll see whether he just sucked, or the franchise is cursed to always be one of the worst O's in the league. . . we'll also see how much longer lovie can get by without making some attempt to find a legitimate starter instead of retreads like griese and retards like grossman. . . both teams are desperate for a quarterback that can actually move the ball and put some points on the board-- if one of them happens to find that guy, the rest of the pieces could be in place for a deep playoff run. . . although they both need more help on that side of the ball than just a signalcaller, don't forget that the ravens went 13-3 just last year, while the bears were in the super bowl. . . the vultures do have some decent (not great) skill position players to work with, and some solid young offensive linemen to build around-- the bears have jack squat, but devin hester by himself can change the course of games. . . of course this isn't a question that can be fully answered until well into the season, but the moves made over the offseason should give us some indication, as well as setting the groundwork for the actual storyline to play out. . .
4. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MARVIN HARRISON AND SHAUN ALEXANDER?
these guys have been league icons, among the best and most consistent producers at their respective positions year after year-- guys who could be counted on for 1,200+ yards and double digit TDs every season, as inevitable as death and taxes. . . their teams have easily been the class of their divisions recently, and both players have had a huge hand in that success. . . harrison has been on a pace to challenge all of rice's records, and alexander has been the smoothest scoring machine since wilt chamberlain :heh: . . . .
the truth is, both franchises are potentially in position to proceed without these star players, but it would be wrong to assume that either can just march on without losing a beat. . . although the colts offense was beset by injuries and was missing more than just harrison, it's clear that they were a different unit without him. . . reggie wayne was able to take his place as the go-to guy, but that left a huge drop-off in production from the #2 spot, and wayne isn't quite the same big play threat that harrison has been over the years. . . dallas clarke will help take up some of the slack, and anthony gonzalez will develop into a fine WR in their system with manning throwing him the ball-- still, you don't replace a hall of famer just like that, and the chemistry between manning and harrison will be difficult to replicate anytime soon if harrison's balky knee forces him into retirement. . . everyone assumed that indy would end up facing new england in the AFC championship game, but their loss to san diego raises the question of whether they should be viewed as quite the same powerhouse without one of their top stars-- i personally think they're the type of organization that can meet that challenge, but there's no doubt that having harrison come back strong next year would be the best scenario for them. . .
alexander isn't facing the same health problems as harrison, but he has been slowed badly by nagging injuries the past two years, and he is reaching the age where most RBs start to go downhill fast. . . add his lack of production to a monstrous salary, and you're looking at a very likely cap casualty unless he takes a serious pay cut. . . the seahawks are still the class of the NFC weak, but the other teams are stock-piling young talent and threatening to close the gap in a hurry. . . the hawks showed this year that they can win with a pass-heavy offense directed by matt hasselbeck, but their O was clearly at it's most potent when they were running a balanced attack with alexander racking up TDs-- they haven't been quite the same since stupidly letting hutchinson go, and losing mack strong doesn't help either. . . if they lose alexander they lose by far their best red zone weapon. . . also, without a proven veteran in the backfield, holmgren is even more likely to abandon the running game and let their offense become completely one dimensional. . . the squawks are in luck, though-- this year's draft class is loaded with RB talent, and with a very solid roster they don't have a ton of particularly pressing needs-- i think there's a very good chance we could see a back like felix jones or maybe jamaal charles go to seattle with their top selection. . .