Diner Morning News

FROM MICHAEL LOMBARDI:

23 February 2009

QUOTE:  “All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.”  ~ John Kenneth Galbraith, U.S. economist, “The Age of Uncertainty”

FROM RICH CIMINI OF THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS... On a day in which the Jets released one offensive stalwart, tight end Chris Baker, and moved close to unloading another, guard Brandon Moore, the ever-confident Rex Ryan predicted greatness for Gang Green's defense in 2009. The new coach, speaking Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, said the defense is only one or two players away from becoming as good as the vaunted unit he left behind in Baltimore.  One of those players could be Ray Lewis. The Jets are interested in pursuing the Ravens' aging star as a free agent, according to league sources. The free-agent signing period begins Friday.  Comfortably under the salary cap, the Jets are prepared to splurge for a big-ticket free agent, especially with sources claiming the team has no immediate plans to make a big investment at quarterback. Lewis is one of the most accomplished linebackers in history, but he comes with a "buyer beware" sticker.

The Jets have been very busy getting under the cap and have made several moves to accomplish this.  I’ve been on the record saying the Jets were $34 million over the cap, and now they’re below the cap and in position to make moves at a few Baltimore linebackers. 

Here’s what they did:

CUTS:

Brett Favre – saved $13 million of their ‘09 cap. 

David Barrett – saved $5.1 million of their ‘09 cap

David Bowens – saved $2.6 million of their ‘09 cap. 

Chris Baker -- saved $2.1 million of their ‘09 cap.

Brandon Moore -- saved roughly $5 million of their ‘09 cap. 

These savings represent $27.8 million of their 2009 cap. 

RENEGOTIATED:

Calvin Pace – saved $4.7 million on a restructured deal.  

Kerry Rhodes – saved $4.9 million on a restructured deal. 

These two renegotiated deals allowed the Jets pick up almost $10 million of cap room. 

They had two deals that increased in value, probably due to an earned escalator:

Darrell Revis – increased by $5.7 million.

Dustin Keller – increased by $170,000.

Now that they have cap room, the Jets can make a move for Bart Scott and possibly Ray Lewis.  While in Indy, I learned that all indications are that the Jets will sign Jim Leonhard, the safety from the Ravens, as soon as the free-agent market opens.  This year, the Dolphins and the Jets will battle once again over a player, as reports from Indy suggest that both teams will “go to the mat” to obtain the services of Scott. 

In addition, the word from Indy seems to suggest the Jets are happy with their quarterback situation and will allow Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff to compete for the starting position.  All this cap room they created had many wondering if the Jets would go after a quarterback, but there seems to be very little indication that will happen. 

Now that the Jets have the room, they need to fix some the areas of concern.  It will be an interesting week of free agency. 

FROM JASON LACANFORA OF THE WASHINGTON POST... The Redskins met with the agent for cornerback DeAngelo Hall, Joel Segal, Friday during the Combine at Indianapolis and were expected to continue talking throughout the week, a league source said. A deal was not imminent after the initial meeting, but the Redskins remain interested.  Re-signing Hall is among the organization's top priorities. Owner Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, would prefer to get a deal done before Hall is permitted to consider offers from other teams, beginning Friday when the free agent market opens. We figure it would take something in the range of $15 million guaranteed to get it done. Considering how eager Snyder and Cerrato are to bring back Hall, he could get exactly what he wants. As always, stay tuned.

After talking to people with knowledge about what the ‘Skins might do, we were told they will probably trade Shawn Springs and are willing to allow teams to talk to his agent in an effort to redo his current contract.  The ‘Skins seem willing to invest in DeAngelo Hall and get rid of Springs, thus allowing Hall to get on the field. 

The ‘Skins are going to go after one major free agent and appear ready to spend a little money in the free agent market.  Is it Albert Haynesworth? Is it Khalif Barnes from Jacksonville?  It seems clear from doing research in Indy, the ‘Skins want to improve both lines. 

FROM ADAM SCHEFTER OF NFL.COM... Adam Schefter of NFL.com is reporting that Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree has a slight fracture in his left foot. The injury, however, hasn't affected his running and there is still a chance he could run the 40-yard dash at the Combine. If he does injure his foot, he will have surgery immediately to insert screws. He could be out for 10 weeks. Crabtree plans to avoid that and have surgery on March 26. 

I really don’t believe this will hurt Crabtree’s draft status.  As long as he can run and rehab his injury before camp, most teams will overlook the injury and realize that when camp starts, he’ll be ready.  There are no games today or tomorrow, so why overreact to the injury?  Once he runs and undergoes surgery, he’ll be invited back to Indy in April for another exam and progress report.  The critical concern here is a long-term injury, and that doesn’t seem to be the case. 

FROM THE NFL COMBINE....  Andre Smith: “I had the chance to do it all over, I wouldn't have handled it the way I did," Smith said Saturday afternoon in his first public comments on the incident. "I should have told my group leader that I was leaving, and I didn't. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers or step on any toes. I didn't mean to grandstand anyone at the Combine. That was not my intention at all, and I apologize for my mistake."

One thing you expect from offensive linemen is consistent behavior and work habits.  Offensive linemen have to be tough, they have to be self-starters, and they have to be hard workers.  Smith is showing the NFL he has some off-the-field concerns.  Making mental mistakes off the field is not the right way to show your potential employers that you’re committed to being the best lineman in the NFL.  Smith needs to grow up and realize this is a business, and he must act accordingly. 

This latest episode will not take him out of the first round, but it might take him out of the top 10.  When picking in the top 10, you must draft a player with as few off-the-field issues as possible. Smith seems to have let everyone in the NFL know he has some red flags.  His agent, and Smith himself, must redefine him and start working hard to prove he loves the game, not just the perks. 

Comments

Add a Comment