Every now and then during the offseason something will happen or some thought will enter my head that allows me a few pleasant moments to ponder the upcoming NFL season. If I’m lucky, they’ll even allow me to start up a conversation.
Here is a list of a few of them.
1. The Texans had the 31st ranked defense in the NFL for the `03 season. They also strengthened their D line and lost depth at the LB position during this offseason. They obviously lack the personnel to make the 3 – 4 work, so why do they stick with it?
2. One of the stated reasons for a possible decline by the Denver Broncos is that Rod Smith just isn’t his old self. He only had 74 catches for 845 yds with just 3 TDs.
The problem is that the very same people ragging on Smith also state that Denver will have problems because they’re losing Ed McCaffery.
Yet Easy Ed played in just 12 games, started only 7, made just 19 catches for 195 yds and had 0 Tds.
3. Why is Eli Manning automatically assumed to be the “next big thing” at QB? I’ve actually heard people say unequivocally that he will be better than Peyton. Based on? He’s already proven to lack Peyton’s maturity (though he did get a healthy dose of Peyton’s selfish streak).
4. All this talk of Eli makes me remember things like Trent Dilfer being branded the most prepared QB to ever come out of college, Ryan Leaf being hailed as a sure-fire superstar, Tommy Maddox and then Jeff Lewis being the next John Elway, and Rick Mirer being the next Montana.
The only sure-fire thing there is about any rookie QB is that his chances of failure are a lot higher than his chances of success, regardless of college stats and last names.
5. How is Tim Couch viewed as a near ideal replacement for Brett Favre, yet Brian Griese get’s his chops busted when he’s named as the likely replacement for Brad Johnson?
6. How did Dennis Green get run out of Minnesota for making the playoffs year after year – even with some questionable QB talent – , but Mike Tice’s job is secure with a losing record when he has Dante Culpepper throwing the ball to Randy Moss?
7. After watching tape of the Pats’ mini camp it’s clear that Corey Dillon runs slow and stiffly. That is to say, he moves like an old man. So why is it that even with him being a known locker room cancer, anyone is speaking of him as the reason the Pats will be back on top in `04?
8. Kurt Warner is a proven loser over the past two seasons. In a “what have you done for me lately” league, why do we keep hearing nothing but “yeah, but before that . . . MVP, blah blah blah, SB, blah.”?
And why would the NJ Giants want a selfish (continuously allowed his injuries to seriously hurt his team) loser to “tutor” their new young stud “QB of the future”?
9. If the NFL-E is really All That, then why does the NFL refuse to add any American teams (or rather, an American counterpart)? In fact, they intentionally dismantled ALL their American teams when it was still called the World League.
But they spent this just finished NFL-E season heavily promoting the NFL-E to an American fan base. Why the half measures? Why not just give Americans some homegrown teams and then let our best team go up against Europe’s best team?
If it’s all they say it is, they should step up and prove it. If not, then they should shut up, go away, and let this testament to mediocrity and underachieving go the way of the dinosaurs.
10. What the heck is up with Blake Brockermeyer?
He’s a talented, powerful LT. He’s got plenty left in his tank. He’d be valuable insurance should Matt Lepsis falter in his move from RT to LT.
Yet he isn’t signed and it doesn’t seem that he’s even being looked into by other teams. S’up wit dat?
11. It’s always a good thing to see the Cowpatties falling apart from the inside, which is why I was overjoyed when they brought cancer WR Keyshawn Johnson on board.
Keyshawn is already working his special magic, infecting his teammates with rabid discontent. Fellow WR Antonio Bryant chucked his jersey at Coach Parcell’s head, after Parcells “mediated” an argument between the two by taking up Keyshawn’s side of the squabble.
Way to let the cancer spread, Bill.
Nice to see you haven’t lost your touch, Keyshawn.
Keep up the good work, guys.
GOOD MOVES
Buffalo’s firing of Kevin Gilbride as OC
Kevin doesn’t have it anymore and hasn’t for several years. He won’t change his philosophy, so he needs to ride into the sunset or . . . .
NJ Giant’s Hiring Gilbride as QB coach
Or he needs to take a position more in line with his ability. This hiring fits both Gilbride and the Giants perfectly.
Steelers cutting Zereoue
They already have one RB not worth a damn in Bettis (and I said last year that even if Bettis is washed up, Zereoue isn’t fit to sniff his jock). They don’t need two.
STUPID MOVES
Colts Overpaying Manning
What good is it to retain the best player in the league, if doing so prevents you from maintaining the remainder of the team in a manner that will allow to you contend? And what kind of a selfish jerk is Manning to knowingly cripple his team like this? Would he, his family or even his freaking grandkids have starved if he was “only” making 8 or 9 million per year?
Eagles over-paying Jevon Kearse.
Kearse, though a remarkable physical talent, is too fragile to play out an entire season. It doesn’t make sense to pay Kearse superstar money when he won’t even be on the field for all 16 games.
The Giants firing of Jim Fassal:
A fine coach who accomplished more than he should have been expected to with a lot of questionable talent. He shouldn’t have been fired, he should have been canonized.
Dolphins Demoting Dave Wannstedt from Coach / GM to Coach:
Unlike that old fraud, Don Shula, Wannstedt isn’t single handedly restricting the success of the Dolphins. Unlike Shula, Wanny has made good personnel move after good move. He just hasn’t gotten some of the breaks that say, Dick Vermeil has gotten.
Football is a game of luck as well as a game of guts and talent and the consistent success that Wannstedt has brought to the Dolphins’ organization should be rewarded, not punished.
In addition to this, any coach hated by that simpleton Dan Hampton has got to be a damn fine coach and a stellar human being.
5 replies on “Offseason Talking Points”
number 3 Another prime example of our endless debate, the third statement. I understand that there are no facts to support ppl’s opinions on Eli, but the fact is that the numbers he put up at Old Miss and the maturity he did show while in college would lead some to think that he is a born leader…im not sold yet. Its his past accomplishments and his potential that drives ppl’s opinions
Eli Ok, I can buy that. My beef is that there have been myriad “sure things” come out of college and then fail, some miserably. I’d think by now most people would be just a little cautious when making predictions like some I’ve heard about Eli.
When I hear people claim — seriously and with seeming authority — that he WILL be better than P. Money, I have to wonder if they’ve been beaten with the stoopit stick. These people aren’t simply talking about potential, they’re all but purchasing their tickets for his induction into the Hall.
The idiots of our world yes, there are some ppl out there who believe that Eli will be one of the greatest ever. Those imbeciles are the ones who arent even worth debating to. We shouldnt even bother with ppl like that, they are ignorant and no zippo about sports. Ppl like us, who are actually intelligent human beings, know not to jump to the gun and start makimg radical and sensational statements such as “Eli is better than Peyton hands down”. Let those idiots rant about their pathetic ideals at least we have half a brain as to wait before jumping the gun like that.
Thoughts Good piece. I liked it.
WTF? What made your comment show up in light blue and divided into sections? The same thing happened with I let the site autoformat my this article. I had to go back and reformat in html by hand.
And thank you.
In what respect do you think Fassell quite on the team?
I don’t actually think Kearse will flop. I just don’t believe he’ll spend enough time healthy to justify his salary. When he is on the feild, he’ll be excellent. It’s the playing time he misses that will severely reduce his value and production. I’d love to be wrong and it ends up he’s seen the last of his significant injuries. It just doesn’t seem likely.
You make a valid point about Wanny. A lot of people are leery about any coach holding the GM position, too. It just seems that he’s done a quality job in both roles, so it doesn’t make sense to punish him.