National Football Post Diner News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Nov 2008

QUOTE: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” MARTIN LUTHER KING

FROM ADAM SCHEFTER OF NFL.COM…Oakland captured the NFL’s attention when it fired Lane Kiffin and hired Tom Cable. Now it is about to do it again — in a far more stunning fashion. The Raiders are on the verge of releasing Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall on Wednesday, according to multiple NFL sources. If they do — and the team was planning on doing it Tuesday before it held off — Oakland will have paid Hall $8 million for eight games and Atlanta a second-round pick for the cornerback’s services. Oakland is planning to waive him now so as to avoid paying Hall the $16 million worth of injury-guaranteed bonuses in his contract. It is too much of a risk for a Raiders team that still needs to do more rebuilding. If Oakland follows through, Hall would be placed on waivers, leaving playoff contenders with the question of whether they should put in a claim for him. If Hall goes unclaimed, he would be free to sign with any team. Last off-season, when the Falcons shopped Hall, the teams most interested in the cornerback were the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Washington Redskins. The New England Patriots also have been in search of cornerback help. Any one of those teams could put in a waiver claim for Hall, but it would be obligated to pick up his contract. If no one claims Hall, he could sign with the team of his choosing. But this much is known: Hall’s time in Oakland has been brief and looks to be coming to a close. The curtain could drop Wednesday, if not Tuesday night.

Logic never was a strong suit in the Hotel.  It was not logical when they signed Hall, it was not logical to give up a HIGH second round pick for a marginal player, and it was not logical to then pay that player (when no one was competing for his services) based on each one of their ridiculous bids.  (And by the way, EVERYONE in the NFL wanted nothing to do with Hall and viewed him as a bad apple in the locker room) But this is what happens when you have a dictator running a company.  Logic does not prevail and never will.  At what point does Raider nation stop and say what everyone in the Hotel says each day—“when is he going to let someone do it?”  “When is he going to allow someone to handle the job?” “When is the retirement coming?”  The answer is never.  Even when he makes mistakes like Javon Walker and De Angelo Hall, no one has the power or the ability to reason with him and get him to stop hurting the team and the franchise.  I bet those Wall Street investors are wondering what happened to their money as they watched the dictator throw it out the window to players that were not worth it and did not have another offer on the table that remotely came close to what they got in Oakland.  In the past two years, he has gone from burning a second round pick on Hall, releasing a high third round pick in Quintin Moses, and getting nothing back for his wasted spending.  It’s a good thing he owns the team because he would be fired in a Fantasy League, let alone an NFL team.  The one thing we have learned about life is that we tend to stay too long or we are too late to react to situations.  And the legacy that was created in the 60’s 70’s and early 80’s has been badly tarnished. Much of what I learned about football in my formative years came from studying the methodology he used.    No one outside the “REMEMBER WHEN” section of the Hotel will care about those times—all what they will remember is WHAT HAS HAPPENED NOW.  And now is very bad. 

On a side note here, if the Raiders do release Hall and another team claims him, the Raiders would need to have enough cap room to handle all of his signing bonus acceleration.   And the rights of an NFL vested veteran, no matter what team claims him, would mean he would have to go, but would not have to honor the remaining portion of his 2009 contract.  He could opt out and become a free agent–which would be very unlikely, since he has 16 million coming to him in an option bonus.  And on another side note, the Raiders can forget about EVER getting another agent to take just the skill portion of a guarantee.  The reason teams don’t guarantee skill and injury contracts is because the league demands you fund that money when it has both guarantees.  Clubs can successfully argue that they are going to pay the money, since they have given the player so much of a signing bonus that it would be illogical to cut him—BUT not where logic does not exist in the Hotel California….

FROM LES BOWEN OF THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS…What’s gone right: DeSean Jackson, the defensive line. Donovan McNabb has been reasonably healthy and productive. Sav Rocca. Hank Baskett. Run-stopping, most of the time. Stewart Bradley in the middle. What’s gone wrong: The tight-end position, before Sunday. Short-yardage rushing, and rushing overall, really. David Akers in those early games. The Shawn Andrews back injury. The Kevin Curtis groin surgery. Offensive consistency and rhythm. The fullback follies. Covering tight ends, until recently. Brian Westbrook hasn’t been as healthy as the Eagles are going to need him to be, down the stretch. Fans’ eyes glaze over when you talk about how the Eagles could be this or that. Last year gave everyone their fill of that sort of talk, the three games the team gave away to take itself out of playoff contention (Green Bay, Chicago and Seattle), a circumstance some fans felt led management to a sort of false confidence in the offseason, a refusal to deal ruthlessly with the team’s flaws. So nobody wants to hear this Eagles team could very well be 7-1, just like the Giants, given a fully healthy, productive Westbrook in those losses to the Bears and the Redskins, or even given a little better performance from Akers in those games. Is this pie-in-the-sky thinking? That’s what we’ll find out in the second half.

I am not sure what to make of the Birds.  Right now, they are coming off a very easy win against a Seattle team that was clearly undermanned.  That game is not a good judging point and this week will be the game to really evaluate the Eagles.  Have they improved their run defense to the point of being able to handle the best rushing team in the NFL?  Is their offensive line up to the challenge to be able to block the Giants front?  I suspect the Eagles will move the ball and the ability of Donovan McNabb to make plays will be the key component of putting them in position to win the game.  This game will come down to the Eagles ability to protect, as they have enough skill players to make plays on the Giant secondary.   What is the most compelling factor of the game is can the Eagles match the physical size and toughness of the Giants? 

FROM PAUL SCHWARTZ OF THE NEW YORK POST…There’s nothing going wrong with the GiantsNew York Giants  but there’s plenty going on. Here’s a sampling:  The game: It might be hard to convince Eli ManningEli Manning that a trip to Philly is as menacing as it’s cracked up to be. He’s won his last three regular-season starts at Lincoln Financial Field and achieved two of his top five yardage performances there. In 2006, he came back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Eagles 30-24 in overtime.  “We have played in those tough games before when it comes to the fourth quarter,” Manning said. “You have to make some plays. We know that it is going to be a tough battle. But I think we are going to be as prepared as we can for it.”

One thing for certain is that Eli Manning knows how to deal with the Eagles defense, as he sees it every day in practice.  And the Giants offensive line has seen all the blitzes and the different stunts each day in practice.  The Birds have seen the same thing, so both teams will be very familiar with one another.  The game won’t be decided by scheme, but by the execution and the talent of the players.  The Giants seem to have this sense of calmness that comes with winning tough games and no matter how fast they Eagles start, they know that the longer the fight goes, their size and toughness will always give them a chance. 

FROM JEFF DARLINGTON OF THE MIAMI HERALD…Midway through training camp, Dolphins wide receiver Derek Hagan seemed destined to have a breakout year in Miami. Midway through the season, however, those plans have changed. Hagan has been released from the team, multiple sources said Tuesday night. The third-year receiver, who was drafted in the third round of the 2006 draft, never managed to translate success during the offseason into success when it counted. Despite his potential, Hagan started just one game during three seasons with the Dolphins. He caught 53 passes for 645 yards — only three of which occurred this year. Hagan was inactive for four games this season.  His release opens the door for the possible addition for another receiver, although coach Tony Sparano endorsed his current corps of pass-catchers by noting the group has been the most pleasant surprise of this season. Greg Camarillo has become a consistent target, while Ted Ginn Jr. is still growing. Davone Bess has fulfilled a role as a third-down slot receiver and a punt returner, while Brandon London is a key special-teams player and a budding receiver. Ernest Wilford, who has also often been inactive alongside Hagan, still remains with the team.

Hagan’s biggest problem is his inability to be consistent catching the ball.  His inability to consistently catch, along with his lack of special team play hurt his ability to stay on the team.  Look at all the Dallas wide receivers when Parcells was crafting that team.  They all had size, they were all tough and they had to play in the kicking game.  Sam Hurd and Miles Austin first had to make plays and demonstrate an ability to play in the kicking game before they got a chance to catch the ball.  Not everyone can be a scorer and teams need good coverage men.  It does not matter where you are drafted, it matters how you play in the NFL. 

FROM MIKE REISS OF THE BOSTON GLOBE…“He really had a good sense of timing as far as the pass rush was concerned,” said McDaniels. “That’s something that we’ve been working hard on in terms of trying to feel the right time to either leave the pocket or stay in the pocket.”He did a nice job waiting for the route to unfold or develop, didn’t leave the pocket unnecessarily, and then he made some plays where he did scramble out of the pocket where it was necessary to do so. I think that’s improving every week.” Cassel has been sacked 26 times this season, with a high of six against the Broncos Oct. 20. His improved pocket presence and feel for the rush opened up other areas for the passing game Sunday. “It gives you that added extra second to keep your eyes down the field and see the coverage,” McDaniels said. “People that might be coming open a little later in your progression, you have an opportunity to [find them]. Over the last two or three weeks, it’s really started to pay some dividends for him.”

I thought that Matt Cassel played his best game last week.  I realize that it was against the Colts defense, but his poise, his timing and his confidence was very impressive.  He was accurate and it appeared to me that the team was responding to him and had confidence in his ability to perform.  As the offensive line gets better and he gets more reps, he is going to be able to work the ball down the field and make big plays.  All they need to do is make one or two big plays and this will open up the inside passing game for Welker.  As I have written about all year, teams that do the same thing each week and are fundamentally driven, as opposed to scheme driven, get better as the season goes along. 

FROM MARY KAY CABOT OF THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER…Yes, I wish I could’ve caught that pass,” he said. “Should I have caught that pass? Yes. Have I thought about it? Yes. But if I catch that pass, is D.A. still the starter? I mean, what kind of question is that?”  In general, if more guys had made plays, would Anderson still be the guy?   “I don’t know if it’s just making plays to help Derek,” Edwards said. “I mean, if [coach] Romeo [Crennel] felt like that was the move to make, then that’s the move to make.  “Who knows why he made the move? Who cares, to be honest. It’s the move that he made and Brady’s our guy.”  Edwards said the Browns support Crennel’s decision “to change things up, to try some kind of dynamic. We stick by D.A. and that’s still our guy, but now we’ve got to stick by Brady and bring him along and try to help him on Thursday.”  Asked how Anderson was playing, Edwards said: “I think he’s playing OK. I don’t think as a whole we’re playing where we need to play to finish games or win games. We all were playing up and down.”  He said Quinn isn’t easily rattled.  “He has a great huddle presence. I think just his natural calm and confidence will help him a lot on Thursday.”   Like everyone else, Edwards didn’t see it coming “but it happened, so what do I do now? Move forward.”

I think Edwards is an amazing talent, but his hands are so inconsistent it is scary.   He has to get his eyes checked because it is not just the deep balls that he drops, it’s passes from every angle.  He does not discriminate against which balls he drops and he will certainly drop passes from Quinn as well.  Quinn is not ever going to put the ball on him in the right spot and he will make Edwards work for the ball down the field.  Both Quinn and Anderson are not accurate, but Anderson is much better on the third level in terms of accuracy than Quinn.  Quinn throws the ball out of bounds too often and he needs to become more accurate down the field.  But I agree with the change and if the Browns can do what the Giants did last year and start catching the ball, they will be able to fix this offense. 

FROM JIM WYATT OF THE TENNESSEAN…In four straight games, the Titans have either been led in receptions by a tight end or a running back. That’s not all bad — during the team’s successful run earlier this decade, tight end Frank Wycheck was regularly the team’s leading receiver. But this isn’t good: Justin Gage has just one catch for 6 yards in the past two games, and the Titans have struggled to find consistency at the position. If they’re going to keep winning, some guys are going to have to step up. Brandon Jones and Justin McCareins have shown positive signs of late.The Titans can’t seem to do enough with Johnson, and the more of him the better. Johnson proved early he can run, but in the past couple of weeks we’ve all seen him catch a lot more passes — he had six catches for 72 yards in Sunday’s win over the Packers. The Titans ought to milk the rookie for all he’s worth. He’s an explosive player who can go the distance on any play and unless he’s tired, he should be on the field.

From here on out, the Titans will face more and more press coverage and be challenged to make throws on the outside.  The teams doing this won’t necessarily be talented at corner.  It will require the Titans to use all of their pick plays and bunch formations to allow their wide outs the ability to have free access down the field.  The one thing the Titans have with Mike Heimerdinger as their offensive coordinator as opposed to Norm Chow, is a complete play book.  Heimerdinger’s system has enough scheme to be able to handle this problem and give the players who may not have the most talent a fighting chance to succeed.  The best way to handle the tight press man to man is to run bunch cluster formations and pick plays.  This is like screening in basketball to create shots, and the Titans have to become effective in this phase. 

FROM MEGAN MANFULL OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE…“I have been a backup for eight years,” Rosenfels said. “So if there’s 32 teams in the league times eight years, that’s 256 times that teams have said this guy is not our starter. So yeah, I think there are some (naysayers) out there.” In the offseason, there were rumors that Rosenfels might be traded to Minnesota. Had such a deal happened, he likely would have replaced Tarvaris Jackson in Week 3 and been close to his family, which is still back in Iowa.  But the Texans never delved seriously into discussions because of the uncertainty surrounding Schaub’s durability. And it was clear Monday that Rosenfels’ teammates were glad he wasn’t sent anywhere else.  “We are one of the very lucky teams in the league that has another quarterback on the roster who can play,” right guard Chester Pitts said. “Sage is going to step in and do a great job like he always does. It’s not the worst. It’s not like Andre (Johnson) or somebody where we don’t have somebody who can step in and play just as well. “Sage has so much natural poise. He’s real smooth out on the field. He can dissect what the problems are in a hurry. He can get us all on the same page. He’s a good player — a very good player. It’s (bad) for Matt to go down, but in the same breath, we should be fine, because Sage can play.”

I felt so bad for Sage when he lost the Colts game, because deep down I really believe he gives the Texans the best chance to win consistently.  He is tough, he has something to prove and the system of offense seems to highlight his overall talents.  He just needs to realize that he does not have to make all the plays and that he is not going to get pulled because the team believes in his talent.  The Texans have too much skill on offense to not be successful, but I am afraid they are like the Broncos and need to become more physical in their offensive line because when they go on the road, they cannot control the line of scrimmage. 

FROM THE AP…Former Cincinnati Bengals coach Sam Wyche is again an authority figure. The coach who led Cincinnati to a Super Bowl 20 years ago was elected councilman With all but three precincts reporting, the Republican had 80 percent of the vote to Democrat Wesley Burbage’s 20 percent. Wyche promised better roads, improved schools and more jobs. The Atlanta native recently moved to the county where his wife was born. He played quarterback at nearby Furman University in Greenville. In 1984, Wyche took over at Cincinnati where he went 61-66 in eight seasons. The Bengals won the AFC Championship in 1988 before losing the Super Bowl to the San Francisco 49ers on Joe Montana’s touchdown pass in the final minute.

Many of us don’t always have our careers headed in the direction we thought or want, but it is up to us to make the best of each day and the most of what we do.  I really believe jobs/careers are not what you are hired for, but rather what you make of them.  Don’t you love the passion for life that Sam brings each day?  He could easily retire and rest on his accomplishments, but he is about helping the people.  I love this story and hope Sam does a great job. 

FROM AARON WILSON OF THE CARROLL COUNTY TIMES…The drive was perhaps another signal that Flacco is emerging as a legitimate NFL quarterback. “Obviously, it didn’t look great,” Flacco said regarding the 27-13 disadvantage. “But there was a ton of time left in the game and you have to look your guys in the eye and tell them, ‘We’re going to go out there and we’re going to get this done.’” And they did as Flacco completed six of his next seven passes for 85 yards during the Ravens’ epic rally. The towering first-round draft pick completed 17 of 29 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 109.6 quarterback rating. While this was a strong performance, it wasn’t an aberration under center. It’s rapidly becoming a trend. Over his first five NFL starts, Flacco threw one touchdown with seven interceptions as he completed 62.5 percent of his throws for 844 yards and a paltry 60.6 rating.

I was not a big Flacco fan coming out because I thought he was too slow and too late to react to things on the field.  But they Ravens have done a great job of managing his talents and making sure he is in the right position to help them win.  Since the turnover fest in Indy, they have roped in Flacco and made sure he is not the reason they lose.  Self analysis is the key in the NFL and the teams that don’t get too high from wins and too low from losses are the teams that improve.  Cam Cameron may not be a great head coach or personnel director, but he is one fine offensive coordinator.