April 2012
14 posts
Blog Programming Note
If you notice a lack of activity on the blog in the coming days, it won’t be because of a lack of content, but rather just the platform that my work is published on.
I’ll encourage all of you to check out three websites, each of which I’m contributing to with regularity.
SBNation.com is a fast-growing site with an incredible number of staffers dedicated to staying on top of...
Chiefs re-sign Travis Daniels
Author’s note: this post can also be seen at the Bleacher Report.
It likely won’t draw the same exuberance from fans as landing Eric Winston or Peyton Hillis did, but the Chiefs re-signed an important veteran on Wednesday, coming to terms with defensive back Travis Daniels.
Daniels, originally a fourth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2005, has been with Kansas City since 2009....
The Arizona Cardinals are on the clock
Author’s note: this post can also be found over at NFL Spin Zone.
In baseball, batting .500 is virtually impossible.
When it comes to NFL personnel moves, batting .500 on your two most important transactions of a given offseason isn’t so hot.
Based off of what we saw in 2011, that’s precisely what Arizona Cardinals GM Rod Graves did, as Kevin Kolb – who the team traded...
Demetrius Bell to Philly?
Author’s Note: this post can also be found at the Bleacher Report.
The Eagles will likely be without star left tackle Jason Peters for much or all of the 2012 season after he tore his Achilles’ during a recent offseason workout, but the team is closing in on tabbing a potential replacement for him, as according to a report, Philadelphia is the “frontrunner” to...
Big Tuna to the Twin Cities?
Author’s note: this piece can also be found at the Bleacher Report.
Just when we thought the 2012 NFL offseason couldn’t get any zanier, a report has surfaced that Vikings Owner Zygi Wilf is pursuing current ESPN analyst Bill Parcells to both coach his team and oversee his personnel department.
Parcells – as many are aware – is reportedly contemplating...
Ranking the NFC North head coaches
Author’s note: this piece can also be found at the Bleacher Report.
Entering the 2011 season, there was some concern surrounding the fact that the Packers players didn’t organize a team workout during the lockout, unlike many of their counterparts throughout the NFL.
Turns out it didn’t matter so much, as the Packers nearly finished the 2011 season without a regular season loss. ...
Will Jonathan Vilma be the odd man out in New...
Author’s note: this post can be read at the Bleacher Report.
It doesn’t even require reading between the lines, really; Jonathan Vilma’s future in New Orleans – his punishment from the Bountygate fallout notwithstanding – is in doubt.
The Saints made yet another addition to their linebacking core late this afternoon, signing former Seattle inside backer David...
The Seattle Seahawks are on the clock
Author’s note: this post can be found over at NFL Spin Zone.
As Josh can attest to, the Seahawks will be making some major changes to the way they’ll look this season, and I’m not talking about roster transactions.
That’s right, Seattle appears to be the team most impacted by the NFL’s decision to adopt Nike as its official uniform and apparel provider, ending its previous...
Ranking the NFC East head coaches
Author’s note: this post can also be seen at the Bleacher Report.
When it comes to evaluating players and coaches in the NFL, it’s a what have you done for me lately league.
Perhaps no division highlights that fact better than the NFC East.
Rewind back – if you will – to the tail end of the 2011 regular season. Tom Coughlin, the veteran Giants head coach,...
What to make of Mo Claiborne's woeful Wonderlic...
Author’s note: this post can also be read at the Bleacher Report.
Before Browns, Buccanneers and Rams fans send themselves into a tailspin over the report that LSU cornerback Mo Claiborne scored just a four (out of 50) on his Wonderlic test, let’s take a moment to step back and re-examine the significance of this news.
Claiborne, a top-flight cornerback with shutdown...
Ranking the AFC West head coaches
Author’s note: This post can also be seen at the Bleacher Report.
It’s not often a head coach gets a second chance in the NFL; just don’t tell the teams in the AFC West that.
Norv Turner, John Fox and Romeo Crennel – of the Chargers, Broncos and Chiefs respectively – sputtered in their final seasons as head coaches prior to their current gigs, but that didn’t prevent...
What the Kansas City Chiefs should do at pick 11
Author’s Note: This post can also be found at NFLSpinZone.com.
Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel recently suggested that his team had filled most of its roster gaps via free agency. I don’t necessarily disagree.
Kansas City’s major coup was an effort to bring prized free agent right tackle Eric Winston in for a visit and not let him get away without a contract.
Mission...
Ranking the AFC South Head Coaches
Author’s Note: This post is part of an eight-part series that can be seen over at the Bleacher Report.
We continue on with our rankings of the NFL head coaches, moving on today to the AFC South.
In terms of experience, it’s hard to find a division with less of it than this one.
Two franchises are starting fresh with new coaches this season – Jacksonville...
Ranking the AFC North Head Coaches
Author’s Note: This post is part of an eight-part series that can be seen over at the Bleacher Report.
On Friday I began my list of head coach rankings, broken down by division.
Up first was the AFC East, headlined by a guy that few other coaches in NFL history – much less in today’s game – stack up to in Bill Belichick.
In the AFC North, our next stop on the tour,...
March 2012
92 posts
The Bills are on the clock
Draft chatter is picking up with amazing speed, and that means we’re further capable to understand teams’ plans.
In most cases, that means filling in holes left during free agency. For the Buffalo Bills, the number of holes dramatically reduced with the signing of Mario Williams.
Williams, an elite rusher, immediately transforms the identity of Buffalo’s defense,...
Ranking the AFC East head coaches
Author’s note: This piece can also be seen at the Bleacher Report.
Effective Sunday, Sean Payton will be suspended as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. That’s led to a lot of discussion about how much his absence – along with that of assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games – will matter as it relates to the on-field...
Predictions on five remaining NFL free agents
Editor’s Note: This piece can also be seen at the Bleacher Report.
It appears as though we’ve finally turned our attention from free agency to the NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean there’s not quality players still available for the taking on the open market.
Restricted free agents aside, there remains a handful of impact players on either side of the football that...
Detroit a possible landing spot for Samuel?
Editor’s Note: This post can also be seen at the Bleacher Report.
As speculation persists that Asante Samuel could end up in Tennessee, another team – the Detroit Lions – may too be a landing spot for his services.
Samuel remains on the trading block as Philadelphia attempts to reallocate resources, facing the prospect of having to pay a trio of corners –...
Antonio Garay Re-Signs With Chargers
Editor’s Note: this piece can also be found at the Bleacher Report.
Antonio Garay, who revitalized his career in 2009 with the Chargers, has agreed to a new deal with San Diego, according to Pro Football Talk.
Originally a 2003 sixth round draft pick of the Browns, Garay found himself out of football for the entirety of the 2008 season after the Bears opted to cut ties with...
Titans in on Samuel?
A year ago, the Eagles looked to be log-jammed at the cornerback position, with Asante Samuel being joined by both Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha.
The trio may soon be no more, as a report has emerged that the Titans could acquire Samuel for a conditional third round draft choice.
His name has been floated in trade rumors since last offseason as Philadelphia...
Buck the Trend? Unlikely in New England
Nobody knows with certainty how the 2012 NFL draft will play out, but we can often help ourselves by looking back in time to trace patterns and trends.
Take, for example, the string of trade backs conducted by the Patriots. Swap a first round pick in year 20XX for a second round pick in 20XX and a first round pick in 20XX+1.
Check it out, they’ve done it...
Rams, Browns looking to deal?
The Rams didn’t exactly swindle the Browns earlier this offseason, but team President Mike Holmgren was less than enthused that St. Louis accepted the Redskins offer for the second overall pick in favor of the package that Cleveland reportedly offered.
Evidently, the friction manufactured in that transaction hasn’t entirely soured the relationship between Cleveland and St....
Morning Recap: Lawson, Samuel, Hoyer & More
Catching up on a few items from around the league…
The Bengals have re-signed outside linebacker Manny Lawson (at least according to Lawson): Lawson’s 2011 season – his first as a Bengal – wasn’t sexy (78 tackles, 1.5 sacks), but he’s one of those players in which only his own team understands his true value. The Bengals know he’s capable to stuff the run, set the edge,...
The Tim Tebow trade will come down to wins and...
It’s societal, really. Our need to make mountains out of ant holes, that is.
We analyze and over analyze details so far from relevant we send ourselves into process overload, paralyzing our ability to think clearly.
The world of sports is the most consistent victim of this complex.
Take the Tim Tebow trade to the Jets, for instance. You take a player more polarizing than a...
Why the Browns now have to start Colt McCoy in...
There was a time earlier this offseason when I applauded the efforts of the Cleveland Browns for inking LB D’Qwell Jackson – amongst the feel good stories of 2011 – to a five-year extension in a move that made sense for both sides involved.
That day was merely a month ago, but it feels something like an eternity past.
Since then, the Browns have been virtual non-players in the game of...
Check out NFL Spin Zone!
Editor’s Note: Starting today, I’ll be contributing over at NFLSpinZone.com. It’s a growing website with a strong readership, so keep checking back there for quality NFL content.
I’ll be sure to link all my posts to the blog, and of course I’ll be updating the blog as the NFL off season continues.
As always, thanks for reading Thoughts From The Field!
Sean Payton reportedly reaches out to Bill...
Because it’s the NFL offseason, which, by the way, simply means games aren’t being played – there’s been no shortage of news – there’s yet another report that will shake media circles for the foreseeable future.
ESPN has reported that Saints head coach Sean Payton – who has been suspended by the NFL for the 2012 season, effective April 1st – has reached out to...
On the dichotomy of the Saints offseason
Editor’s note: this piece can also be seen over at BleacherReport.com.
There was a time this offseason the New Orleans Saints’ grandest issue was trying to finalize a contract extension with free agent wide receiver-to-be Marques Colston.
The team was resigned to slapping QB Drew Brees with the exclusive rights franchise tag, but as the hours waned leading up...
NFL players from Final Four schools
With the Final Four set (congratulations to all 68 NCAA Tournament teams by the way), here’s a look at the NFL players from each of the schools that will play in New Orleans next weekend in the national semifinals: Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and Ohio State.
All information and images below are courtesy of ESPN.com’s player search database:
Total: 7
Best Player: Aqib Talib
...
Ochocinco restructures, and a look at the Patriots...
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has long been known for his dedication to building a roster through the draft. As some will be quick to note, two anchors of Belichick’s three Super Bowl winning teams were drafted just one round apart, all the way back in 2001, when New England snagged both DL Richard Seymour and OT Matt Light.
Neither was a sexy pick at the time, but few can argue...
Bills re-sign Choice, Chiefs targeting nose...
Finally the NFL offseason seems to have slowed down, although one shouldn’t bank on that remaining the case for long, as the owners meetings will commence next week near Palm Beach, Florida.
A slow start to the weekend likely correlates with execs and coaches taking a moment to breathe after what has been arguably the busiest start to a free agency period in league...
Why Stephen Ross and the Dolphins are failing to...
There’s a balance that NFL teams – and any professional organization, really – aim to strike, and that is one of pleasing those they serve while keeping business matters and strategy in-house.
One team, the Miami Dolphins, is failing with that this offseason, and it starts at the top with Owner Stephen Ross.
The team has come under fire after an offseason based around the defection...
News and notes from Friday
Catching up on the Friday afternoon that was:
Marion Barber III, whose 2011 will be remembered for running out of bounds in the closing moments of the Bears contest versus the Broncos (a move that would afford Tim Tebow one last chance to make a comeback. You guess what the outcome was), has retired.
It’s a surprising move – he’s only 28 – and although Barber...
Packers Sign Jeff Saturday
Lost in the shuffle of, well, the quarterback shuffle of the 2012 NFL offseason is the revolving landscape of NFL centers.
Such notable names as Chris Myers, Scott Wells, Jeff Saturday, Dan Koppen and a host of others were amongst those potentially available for signing, and as of Friday, many of them have found a home.
While many assumed Saturday would end up in Denver to...
Joel Dreessen Signs With Denver
Acquiring Peyton Manning was step one for Denver, finding the offensive cast to support him was soon to follow suit.
On Friday, the Broncos landed one piece of the puzzle, signing free agent TE Joel Dreessen, who previously has played for the Jets and Texans.
Dreessen adds value as a two-way tight end for Denver, capable to hold his own as a blocker and dynamic enough in the...
Five quarterback situations examined
Unsurprisingly, a lot has been made about the soon-to-be-official dynamic between Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. What we know, or at least what the Jets are leading us to believe, is that Sanchez is the unquestioned starter, while Tebow will land in the huddle for specific assignments (i.e. in the red zone, short yardage situations, etc.).
It’s risky business the Jets are...
Patriots rework Brady's contract: what it means
Before Tebowmania landed in New York, the news surrounding Jets quarterbacks was the curious extension that GM Mike Tannenbaum signed Mark Sanchez to. Truth be told, however, it was a money saving maneuver in the best interest of the team, at least for 2012.
Out in Oakland, QB Carson Palmer was similarly greeted with a contract tweak, except his didn’t involve the addition...
Chicago Signs Michael Bush
As it turned out, the free agent running backs had to wait their turn before earning their keep this offseason, as a run on pass rushers, receivers and whatever was available in a slim quarterback market preceded their pay days.
But the time has come for running backs to cash in, and the best available running back has found a new home: Michael Bush signed a four year, $14...
Buffalo adds Mark Anderson, more pass rush punch
The NFL is an evolving league. The days of running to set up the pass are numbered – quarterbacks are now shattering passing records to the point that we must reconsider what statistical benchmarks even matter anymore.
As a result of the changes, the premium placed on effectively rushing the passer has grown to astronomical heights – just ask Tom Brady and the Patriots, twice the...
Why Tim Tebow To Jacksonville Is Right For The...
It’s fitting on a day that NFL news took the country by storm again that the deal to send Tim Tebow to the New York Jets has hit a snag, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Fitting because we’ve learned that as it relates to sports and America, football is papa bear and there is no close second.
But I digress.
Schefter has gone on to say that as the talks between New York and...
Tebow Traded, Saints Punished
In an attempt to break Twitter, two major NFL stories broke concurrently earlier this afternoon: the New York Jets have acquired Tim Tebow in a trade, and Roger Goodell handed out his stiffest punishment yet with sanctions placed on the New Orleans Saints in relation to the recent bounty matter.
To start with Tebow: the Jets have shipped a 4th and 6th round pick in this year’s draft for Tebow and...
Checking In On The Chiefs' Offseason
Editor’s Note: This piece can also be seen over at the Bleacher Report.
While the full court press of the John Elway-led Denver Broncos brass paid off in luring Peyton Manning to town, there’s been another AFC West team quietly going about its business and assembling one of the more productive offseasons in all of football.
The Chiefs, who stumbled to a 7-9...
Early Offseason Grades: AFC West
In some ways, the mediocrity of the AFC West was what shined through brightest about the division in 2011 … minus the whole Tebowmania phenomenon. But putting the soon to be former Bronco aside, it was in fact the overall averageness of Denver, San Diego, Oakland and Kansas City that will be most remembered. Heck, the teams combined to finish 31-33 last year, two games shy...
Early Offseason Grades: AFC South
On now to the AFC South, also known as the least exciting division in football this offseason, what with the Colts standing pat and all that. Oh wait…
Houston Texans: GM Rick Smith walked into the offseason with a specific goal in mind: retaining his own free agents. Mission accomplished. Sort of. Houston’s offseason is really a matter of taste, as although the team shored up two...
Early Offseason Grades: AFC North
Our plan to continue with our early evaluations of each team’s offseason was temporarily derailed by Peyton Manning’s decision to take his talents to Denver. But now that the buzz surrounding his move has tempered, at least in part, let’s press forward with our look at the AFC North, and how each team has fared so far this offseason.
Baltimore Ravens: Getting under the cap was the...
Peyton's New Place: Denver
Hold your breath no more Broncos fans, Peyton Manning is coming to town.
Contract specifics are not yet in place, but Manning has elected to join the organization that put the full court press on him the moment he became available, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.
To ask what it means is to open up a narrative that could stretch on for hours, but we’ll...
Early Offseason Grades: AFC East
You wouldn’t think it based on the flurry of activity surrounding the opening six days of NFL Free Agency, but the offseason is far from over. In fact, in many ways it’s still getting started. Nonetheless, the dust seems to have effectively settled on the first wave of free agent signings, creating a natural checkpoint for us to take a look at who has done what.
Here’s a look at...
Chiefs Sign Eric Winston: A Massive Coup For KC
It’s not often we’re mesmerized by the pursuit of a free agent right tackle, but it’s even less common for a 28-year old strong side protector in the prime of his career to become available for signing.
That’s what happened when the Houston Texans blindsided Eric Winston earlier this week by parting ways with their 2006 third round...
NFL Free Agency: Where Do We Stand Now?
Assuming your head hasn’t entirely spun out of control through the first 72 hours of NFL Free Agency, you’ve likely been able to see that the landscape of a league built on competitive balance can seemingly shift instantly.
That’s not to say that teams like the Giants, Patriots and Packers – the best in football a year ago, but virtually silent thus far in free agency –...
Super Rich (And Important) Mario
It’s about time for two things to change in the NFL: the moniker for Mario Williams (let’s evolve it to Super Rich Mario), and our perceptions about the Buffalo Bills franchise.
Williams, the latest athlete to join the fabled $100 million club (ok, he’ll never meet the clauses necessary to earn all that dough, but it sounds nice), represents so much more to...
