Thursday, July 31, 2008

Could Garcia Injury Change the Game in TB?

That Brett Favre-to-Tampa Bay talk looked set to heat up once again when it was reported Thursday morning that Bucs starting quarterback Jeff Garcia had been carted off the field with a leg injury.

The Tampa Tribune is now reporting that the injury, to Garcia's calf, is not believed to be serious, though you have to wonder if it will get head coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen thinking.

Garcia played generally well last season, but he's 38 and missed a handful of games due to injury during his first season in Tampa. Brian Griese, Luke McCown, and Chris Simms are all nominally vying for backup duties behind Garcia, but due to the team's selection of intriguing project Josh Johnson (San Diego) in the fifth round of the April draft, it would seem that two members of the Griese/McCown/Simms triumvirate will be odd-men-out if they fail to nail down backup duties. (Simms, who has publicly fueded with Gruden, has as much a chance of winning a job as I do.)

Thus, though the Bucs might look to be deep at the QB position at present, they could end up with a depth chart including two journeyman 30-something quarterbacks (both of whom have an injury history), and a rookie who isn't ready to play.

Favre might be pushing 40, but he's also more durable and dependable than any QB the team currently employs. Could Thursday morning's events spark a re-evaluation of the depth chart in Tampa?

Forgot about Peters

My first fumble of the season.

In Tuesday's post where I gave an overview of some of the major camp holdouts, I neglected to mention the absence of standout offensive tackle Jason Peters from the Buffalo Bills' training facility. The fifth-year pro, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl last season, is seeking a contract extension that would make him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the game.

Peters, a former college tight end and practice squad member who has developed into one of the league's premier left tackles, did sign a five-year, $15 million extension prior to the 2006 season, but that's a below-market value for a top-tier player at such an important position. In comparison, the Titans signed Vince Young's personal protector Michael Roos to a six-year, $43 million deal with $15 million guaranteed in April, and Roos isn't quite in Peters' class.

No. 1 overall pick Jake Long got a five-year, $57 million contract, with $30 million in guarantees, by the Dolphins prior to this year's draft before even playing a down in the NFL.

This standoff has the potential to linger deep into August and possibly beyond, as it seems the two sides are far apart in negotiations and the Bills have refused to resume talks until Peters reports. Plus Peters' agent, Eugene Parker, is a very busy man these days, as he's also the representative for current camp no-shows Steven Jackson and Ryan Grant.

On the positive side, Buffalo has shown a willingness to lock up key players this offseason. The club worked out long-term extensions for defensive tackle Kyle Williams and right guard Brad Butler in recent months and has had preliminary discussions with wide receiver Lee Evans on a new contract. The Bills have playoff aspirations in 2008 and are fully aware that Peters is an essential element towards the team reaching those goals.

Meanwhile, there's a controversy brewing in Denver regarding longtime safety John Lynch. The Rocky Mountain News reported that the perennial Pro Bowler skipped out on a team meeting Tuesday night as well as Wednesday's practice, and his four-year tenure with the Broncos may be coming to an abrupt end in a matter of days. The 36-year-old is running behind free-agent signee Marlon McCree and fourth-year pro Hamza Abdullah at the two safety spots during camp, and appears unwilling to embark on a 16th NFL season while playing a reduced role.

Lynch had been mulling retirement before agreeing to a one-year contract at a lesser salary in February. That may be an option for the engaging Stanford grad, who could get a jump-start on an possible broadcasting career. If Lynch decides to keep playing, I wouldn't be surprised if he garners strong interest from the Redskins. Washington could use an in-the-box run stopper in the defensive backfield, and he'd be a perfect tutor for 2007 first-round pick LaRon Landry and fellow youngster Reed Doughty.

I'll have more on the Redskins later on in the day with a look at Sunday's annual Hall of Fame Game, in which Washington and Indianapolis will kick off the 2008 exhibition season.


Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A Glenn-Parcells reunion?

Here's a little tidbit from our friends at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

The paper reported on Tuesday that recently-released Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn will likely soon be heading to Dallas East -- aka the Miami Dolphins. The veteran wideout, who's still working his way back from a serious knee injury that limited him to just two games (including Dallas' playoff loss to the eventual champion Giants) a year ago, was finally cut loose by the Cowboys last week following a lengthy dispute over an injury waiver related to his troublesome right knee.

The move comes as no surprise, and not just because the Dolphins are in desperate need of some established depth at the wide receiver position. Glenn, of course, has a long history with Miami czar Bill Parcells that dates all the way back to 1996, when he was a rookie in New England and the Big Tuna was still the head coach of the Patriots. Plus there's the fact that virtually every Cowboys castoff during the offseason has found his way onto the current Dolphins' roster.

Continuing with the Cowboys, there's been plenty of talk that the team is on the lookout for an upgrade over the aging Brad Johnson as quarterback Tony Romo's primary backup. A name that has often popped up is that of former University of Texas star Chris Simms, who's presently buried as the fourth-string signal-caller for the quarterback-heavy Buccaneers. Simms hasn't played since 2006, but he's still young (will be 28 on Aug. 29) and shown he can be a serviceable starter in the past.


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Holdout update

While The Waffle King (what Mr. Favre will be referred as in this and subsequent posts) continues to dominate the headlines, a few other NFL teams are currently dealing with a few camp distractions of their own, primarily in the form of player holdouts. The most significant one is taking place in St. Louis, where Rams running back Steven Jackson's sit-out of training camp reached its fourth day on Tuesday. The fourth-year pro is campaigning for a substantial upgrade of the $1.71 million salary he is slated to receive in the final year of his rookie deal.

Jackson's ploy is similar to the one used by Chicago Bears receiver/return man Devin Hester, who staged a two-day protest that resulted in a four-year, $30 million extension. Interestingly, Jackson and Hester are both represented by agent Eugene Parker.

Rams fans shouldn't sweat this one, as all indications are that there's no acrimony between player and management and the team appears willing to negotiate a long-term agreement. At worst, Jackson will probably play out his final year and hit unrestricted free agency in 2009, where the 25-year-old will surely strike gold on the open market.

The Favre soap opera has overshadowed another brewing controversy in Titletown -- the absence of Ryan Grant from Packers camp. The second-year running back, who's due to make just $370,000 this season, is also seeking a multi-year deal after his breakthrough 2007 campaign. This impasse has the potential to get downright nasty, as Grant and his representative were reportedly quite miffed at Green Bay's proposed signing bonus that apparently was sizeably less than the one the team recently doled out to linebacker Brady Poppinga, a player who isn't even guaranteed a starting job in 2008.

As if Packers GM Ted Thompson doesn't have enough headaches right now, considering the Waffle King's situation and a looming felony drug case hanging over defensive tackle Johnny Jolly's head.

Grant's clearly deserving of a raise after rushing for more than 900 yards over the final 10 regular-season games last year, but he also doesn't hold a whole lot of leverage. He's not eligible for free agency for another two years, and word out of Green Bay is that Brandon Jackson, the Pack's second-round draft pick last year and a more physically gifted player than Grant, has been extremely impressive in the early stages of camp.

The other notable veteran holdout resides in Philadelphia, where All-Pro guard Shawn Andrews remains an mysterious MIA. Andrews' issues don't seem to be financially related -- he signed a seven-year, $40 million extension in 2006 -- but rather some sort of unexplained personal matter. Speculation here is the guy known as "The Big Kid" will get a clear head once the grueling two-a-days reach a close, a la Michael Strahan.

Eagles head coach/vice president Andy Reid is also having to deal with a couple of unhappy campers in running back Brian Westbrook (contract) and cornerback Lito Sheppard (playing time), although both players reported on time.

A trio of top 10 overall choices -- Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (#7), Jaguars defensive end Derrick Harvey (#8) and Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers (#9) -- also remain unsigned in the opening week of camps. All three are viewed by their respective organizations as potential Week 1 starters.

UPDATE: The Saints agreed to terms with Ellis on a five-year contract on Tuesday night. I would expect both Harvey and Rivers to fall in line relatively soon.

Kicking things off

Greetings, NFL fans! We here at The Sports Network have officially launched our blog for the 2008 season (and beyond), and I've been designated as the primary caretaker of this long-overdue venture. We believe this feature will enhance our expanding NFL coverage and give our readers a more in-depth look at the daily goings-on around the league, along with (hopefully) providing some useful, interesting and informative analysis as well. Believe it or not, the drawn-out saga of a certain now-unretired quarterback in Green Bay isn't the only storyline coming out of team camps right now.

I'll be posting daily with breaking news and offering my commentary on the hot topics from time-to-time as well. Once we get the ball rolling, I'd also love to hear what you all think -- suggestions are always welcome. You can email me at sgarabini@sportsnetwork.com.

Let's get started!