Friday, February 27, 2009

Those free-spending Redskins

Hopefully, fans of the Washington Redskins are good multitaskers. Because on the first day of free agency, the team's supporters find themselves both rejoicing and scratching their heads.

The long-rumored deal with Albert Haynesworth got done, with the All-Pro defensive tackle inking a contract reportedly worth $100 million over seven years, with $41 mil guaranteed. There are questions about how much desire Haynesworth will bring to the table after being paid so handsomely, but there's little question that if he plays up to his potential, he'll live up to the contract as much as any player could.

Meanwhile, NFL observers from coast to coast are doing a collective spit-take over the money the Skins gave DeAngelo Hall...reported as $54 million over six years, including a whopping $22.5 million guranteed. This for a guy that couldn't even last the 2008 season on a Raiders team that paid a major price tag just to be rid of him. Yes, Hall played better football in a half-season with Washington last year, but he's a terrible teammate, has a notoriously bad attitude, and is prone to being beaten deep as any cornerback in the league. Mark my words...the Redskins will live to regret this move.

Bucs land TE Winslow in trade

Save for Albert Haynesworth's expected signing with the Redskins, the first day of free agency hasn't generated a whole lot of big buzz so far. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just added some spice to the mix, however, acquiring talented tight end Kellen Winslow from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a package of yet-to-be revealed draft choices.

The trade not only provides a dangerous weapon for whomever replaces Jeff Garcia at quarterback, but Winslow's addition also gives a needed boost to a Tampa fan base that's still in shock over Wednesday's massive player purge that included franchise icon Derrick Brooks.

It also signals a change in philosophy for the Browns under new GM George Kokonis and further illustrates that head coach Eric Mangini means business. Winslow's maturity issues and penchant for nagging injuries during his rocky five-year tenure in Cleveland clearly didn't sit well with the no-nonsense Mangini, who's reportedly already clashed with nose tackle Shaun Rogers, the Browns' best defensive player.

With more than $60 million of salary cap room, the Bucs were expected to be major players in free agency. It's now almost certain that some of that money will be used towards working out a new deal for Winslow, who's signed through 2010 but has grumbled to Browns management in the past about his contract status.

Speculation now will exist as to whether these teams will be making another big trade in the near future, with the Buccaneers having an unresolved situation at quarterback and Derek Anderson seemingly on the block.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Haynesworth a Redskin?

I'll have a full recap on the Scouting Combine, which finally wraps up this afternoon, sometime tomorrow. But with free agency about to begin on Friday, the rumor mill is beginning to churn out in full force and I thought I'd share some of the things I've read.

One very interesting story just came out in today's Houston Chronicle concerning Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. According to columnist Lance Zierlin, the All-Pro lineman will sign a mammoth deal with the Washington Redskins in the coming days that would make him the league's highest-paid defensive player. Zierlin reports the deal would average somewhere between $15 and $16 million per year and eclipse $100 million in total value, which would dwarf the six-year, $72.4 million pact defensive end Jared Allen signed with the Vikings last summer.

With the Redskins releasing oft-injured linebacker Marcus Washington on Monday and reportedly restructuring the contracts of Chris Samuels, Antwaan Randle El and Andre Carter, there's some reason to believe the team is gearing up for a run at Haynesworth. And when Dan Snyder sees something he wants, you know he's going to do everything in his power to try to get it.

The Chronicle also delivered an interesting bit of information on Monday, reporting that the Texans and Vikings have reached an agreement that would send veteran quarterback Sage Rosenfels to Minnesota in exchange for a fourth-round pick in this year's draft. Per league rules, the teams cannot officially consummate the trade until the free agency period begins on Friday.

Look for the Vikes to work out a contract extension with Rosenfels, who figures to supplant the erratic Tarvaris Jackson as the team's starting signal-caller, sometime soon. The seven-year pro is currently signed through the 2009 season.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Combine news and notes -- Feb. 21

It's been quite an eventful day so far at the NFL scouting combine, here's a few highlights:

Of course, the biggest news out of Indianapolis today concerns Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, the consensus choice as the top wideout among this year's draft class. NFL.com reported this morning that the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner has a slight stress fracture in his left foot and will soon undergo surgery that will likely prevent him from working out prior to the draft.

Crabtree's recovery time is initially expected to be at least 10 weeks, which shouldn't hurt his availability for training camp provided all goes well. Whether the talented 21-year-old's draft stock -- he had been considered a lock as a top-five overall pick before the news -- is affected will hinge on his progress from the surgery.

The news comes one day after Crabtree was measured at 6-feet, 1 3/8 inches, shorter than his 6'3" listing in the Texas Tech media guide.

Some other tidbits:

*The Dustin Keller award goes to South Carolina's Jared Cook. The early entrant tight end was officially clocked in a blazing 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash while also producing the top vertical jump ('41) and broad jump (10'3") at his position. Cook, a converted wide receiver who's bulked up to 246 pounds, also hoisted an impressive 23 reps of 225 pounds in Friday's bench press and is the hands-down star of today's activities. His performance could land him in the first round and possibly make the ex-Gamecock the first tight end taken.

*Other tight ends who helped their stock on Saturday with strong 40 times were Southern Miss' Shawn Nelson (4.56) and Cal junior Cameron Morrah (4.66). Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, considered the top tight end prospect entering the combine, was timed in a disappointing 4.85 seconds, although he'll have a chance to redeem himself at the Cowboys' pro day next month.

*Another Gamecock who showed well in this weekend's drills is offensive tackle Jamon Meredith, who bench-pressed 31 reps of 225 lbs. on Friday and had the third-best 40-time (5.04) at his position. With Alabama's Andre Smith's value on a major free-fall, Meredith could find himself among the glut of linemen receiving first-round consideration.

*Cal's Alex Mack, a candidate to be the first center chosen in April, has pulled out of the combine after spraining his ankle while preparing earlier in the week. The injury isn't serious and shouldn't affect Mack's status as a late-first to second-round pick, as he gets high marks from scouts for his intelligence (he won this year's Draddy Award honoring college football's top scholar athlete) and technical skills. He expects to be ready for Cal's pro day on March 18.


Tackling the Combine

The nation's most highly-publicized job fair -- AKA the NFL Scouting Combine -- officially began on Thursday, but the real action of the week-long event gets underway today, when players start participating in physical drills. The offensive lineman and tight end groups will be on display today.

The offensive tackles figure to take center stage in this afternoon's sessions. Remember that eight tackles were selected in the first round of last year's draft, with six of them earning starting jobs on the coveted left side in 2008. This year's crop appears just as talented, with Virginia's Eugene Monroe, Baylor's Jason Smith, Mississippi's Michael Oher and Alabama's Andre Smith all considered potential top-20 picks, while Arizona's Eben Britton and Connecticut's William Beatty could jump into the first round as well with strong showings.

One player who's already seen his stock plummeting is Andre Smith. Once viewed as a candidate for the No. 1 overall selection, the former Crimson Tide standout showed up in Indianapolis overweight and out of shape, then balked at participating in the combine drills to cast further doubt on an otherwise questionable work ethic.

Jason Smith, on the other hand, appears to be a player on the rise. A former tight end, he hoisted an impressive 33 reps of 225 lbs. in Friday's bench press, the most of the elite tackle prospects (Monroe put up 23 and Oher 21 in their workouts), and will be a lock to be taken among the top five overall picks if he excels in the agility drills.

A pretty good group of tight ends is headed by Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, a likely first-rounder. The 40-yard dash, scheduled to be run later today, will reveal whether there's a Dustin Keller among this year's contingent. I'm referring to the former Purdue tight end who entered last year's combine viewed as a third or fourth round choice, then blew everyone away by running a 4.53 in the 40 and wound up being taken by the Jets with the 30th overall selection.

One of the most intriguing prospects in this year's class is Rice tight end James Casey. He spent three years pitching in the Chicago White Sox system before coming to the Owls and will be 25 years old in September, but has terrific hands and caught 104 passes this past season. He's also a bit undersized for the position at 6'3, 246-pounds, but showed great strength in benching 28 reps yesterday.

Check back later on for further updates on today's proceedings.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Franchise Frenzy

Finally.

The annual lull following the Super Bowl has begun to subside, with the Scouting Combine about to take place in Indianapolis over the coming days and the free-agency period soon to follow. And with today being the deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players, we're finally starting to see some worthwhile news emerge that doesn't involve Brett Favre.

A few more teams got into the act on Wednesday, with the Baltimore Ravens slapping the tag on pass-rushing terror Terrell Suggs for a second straight year, San Diego designating running back Darren Sproles as its franchise player, Tampa Bay taking wide receiver Antonio Bryant off the market and the Rams doing the same with emerging free safety O.J. Atogwe.

Five others -- Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby, Bengals kicker Shayne Graham and Falcons punter Michael Koenen -- had previously been deemed franchise players by their respective teams.

A few more should come before today's 4 p.m. (et) deadline, with The Contra Costa Times reporting last night that the Raiders are expected to apply the franchise tag on All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and the Titans about to choose tight end Bo Scaife, according to NFL.com's Adam Schefter.

Scaife's retainment isn't the biggest news coming out of Nashville, however. The Tennessean reported on Wednesday that the Titans and Albert Haynesworth are far apart in contract talks and that the game-changing defensive tackle will almost certainly enter the market when the free agency period begins on February 27. Due to an agreement put in place after Haynesworth was franchised by Tennessee last year, the team was not able tender him this time around after certain performance-related conditions were met.

This greatly reduces the Titans' chances of retaining the two-time All-Pro, who could be the most coveted defensive player of this year's free-agent class. Haynesworth is reportedly seeking a contract that would eclipse the six-year, $72-million deal defensive end Jared Allen got from the Vikings last summer, and there already are rumors that the Buccaneers, who have a ton of cap space at the moment, will make a strong play for the interior anchor.

There's also quite a situation brewing regarding another star defensive lineman in Carolina, where impending free agent Julius Peppers has publicly declared his intentions of playing in another city in 2009. The Panthers have the option of franchising Peppers and subsequently trading him in order to not come away empty-handed, the exact same tactic Kansas City did to Allen a year ago, when the Chiefs shipped the disgruntled pass rusher to Minnesota for first and third-round draft picks.

There are two potential wrenches in that scenario. First off, Peppers has an undisclosed list of only four teams he'd be willing to sign a long-term contract with, as The Charlotte Observer reported on Wednesday. Secondly, the Panthers still need to work out a deal with All-Pro offensive tackle Jordan Gross very soon or run the risk of losing him to free agency as well.

Carolina is reportedly close to an agreement with Gross, and if the parties can reach an accord by today, that would allow the team to franchise Peppers with the intention of dealing him.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE (2:25 p.m.): Gross and the Panthers have agreed on a six-year contract. Also, NFL.com has just reported that the Raiders and Asomugha have agreed on a three-year deal worth at least $45 million.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Breaking down the (Patriots) game

The New England Patriots fired the first salvo of the pre-free agent period by placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel on Thursday, the first day the team was able to do so.

While the move was hardly unexpected, it does reveal a couple of things. First off, the Patriots are clearly concerned about Tom Brady's slow recovery from major knee surgery and the superstar signal-caller's availability for the 2009 season opener. Second, it's a pretty clear sign that New England will attempt to capitalize on Cassel's sky-high value in an offseason market devoid of desired quarterback options by trying to work out a trade in the coming months.

Cassel will earn a salary of $14.65 million as the Pats' designated franchise player. Combine that number with Brady's $14.62 million cap charge in 2009, and New England would have over $29 million invested in two players at the same position next season, not to mention little flexibility to sign free agents. If Brady isn't quite ready to go by September, and there have been conflicting reports as to whether or not that will be the case, then the Patriots have a nice insurance policy and the luxury of giving the former league MVP all the time he needs to heal. If Brady is 100 percent by the opener, however, that leaves the team stuck with an overpaid and unused asset on the bench.

How this situation plays out naturally depends on how Brady's rehab progresses over the next few months, so don't expect the Patriots to be making any hasty decisions. As draft day approaches, however, expect plenty of rumors -- many involving the Chiefs and Vikings -- to be flying around regarding Cassel's future.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Before the Game

We're a little less than two hours from game time at Super Bowl XLIII, and there's not a heck of a lot to report at the moment.

I'm sitting in the media tent at Raymond James Stadium, and have just enjoyed a delectable early dinner of chili cheese dogs and chicken fingers. This should tell you everything you need to know about the NFL's attitude toward the media...they want us to die where we're sitting. Just kidding, they only want non-TV rightsholders to die where they're sitting.

I will soon be making my way to my seat, which if the past four Super Bowls I've covered are any indication, will be covered by a game program, complimentary boxed lunch/dinner, and a ton of other useless promotional garbage that will clutter the space from which I'm attempting to work. I know, "Whaaaaaaaaaa, I have to cover the Super Bowl for a living, woe is me". You're right, I'm too young and haven't endured nearly enough pay cuts to be this jaded. I am indeed grateful to be here, and am looking forward to an entertaining game.

And hey, even if the game stinks, I did get to hang out with boyhood idol Cal Ripken. Jr. at an otherwise empty Tampa bar last night. True story. See you after the game.