Jaguars on the road to success
If you’re looking at Jacksonville as being one of the bad teams in the NFL, stop it. Any team finishing second in run defense, combined with having a stud running back, a promising quarterback and a good offensive line can do damage.
Did you know the Jaguars outgained their opponents by more than 700 yards? Were you aware only five teams allowed fewer yards than Jacksonville? Do you realize Byron Leftwich threw more than one touchdown pass per start despite being a rookie and having below-average wide receivers?
Take a closer look at Jacksonville’s 5-11 record. This is a team that went 4-4 in its final eight games, and outgained six of its last seven foes. The Jaguars are not a public team. They are beneath the radar screen, so they can hold some value on the betting line.
Jacksonville has, however, drawn future book play already. The Jaguars have been bet down from around 50-1 into the 35-1 range. I’m not advocating them as any kind of Super Bowl contender this year. They are in a strong division with Indianapolis, Tennessee and improved Houston. But the Jaguars certainly could be a winner for those looking to go over Jacksonville’s over/under regular season win total of 7 1/2.
Leftwich is far from being a finished product, but he now has had a full year running the offense. He looked good during the team’s mini-camps. During the offseason, the Jaguars upgraded their receiving corps and added depth to their offensive line. No longer is Matthew Hatchette their No. 1 wideout like he was at the start of last season.
Defensively, the Jaguars revamped their secondary, which should be decent. If veterans Hugh Douglas and Tony Brackens can provide a pass rush, something they failed to do last year, the Jaguars could have an elite defense because their run defense is that good. Marcus Stroud and John Henderson are the most underrated defensive tackle tandem in the NFL. Jacksonville held opponents to just 3.2 yards per rush.
What the Jaguars need to do is learn how to win and improve their special teams. Punter Chris Hanson, a Pro Bowler two years ago, has to come back from a freakish leg injury. This is not a given. Coach Jack Del Rio also must come up with a reliable place-kicker. Seth Marler was the worst kicker in the NFL last season. He missed a staggering 13 field goals, barely converting 60 percent. It got so bad the Jaguars actually stopped attempting field goals.
Still, the Jaguars are dangerous enough to spring upsets. Even if they don’t, they’re a threat to go over their posted 7 1/2-win total just on winnable games. Jacksonville hosts the Lions, Bears, Steelers and Texans. Among their road games are matchups against the Bills, Chargers, Texans and Raiders.
Fred Taylor could be the most dangerous player to take in fantasy football. Taylor has first-round talent, but owners are still leery of taking him that high. Prior to last year, Taylor had played in only 65 percent of his team’s games. Healthy for once, Taylor accounted for 1,942 yards from scrimmage last season.
Taylor does figure to go second round. The question is, do you want to be the one pulling the trigger on him? The Jaguars are a run-first team and they have the offensive linemen to make it work. Despite the Jaguars drafting powerful running back Greg Jones, who could vulture touchdowns away from Taylor, taking Taylor midway through the second round is good value strategy. Running backs are just too valuable.
Jimmy Smith still has some speed and is worthy of being a No. 2 wide receiver on your fantasy team. He shouldn’t be your lead wide receiver anymore, though. Leftwich is too risky to start as your fantasy quarterback. He’s strictly a fantasy backup for now. The rest of the Jaguars aren’t worth considering.
Jacksonville is a team devoid of flashy stars. The Jaguars are a tough, defensive-minded type team. They remind me of the Tennessee Titans of 1998, who went 8-8. The following year the Titans improved their defense and a young, emerging Steve McNair rode them to the Super Bowl.
posted by Anonymous @ 1:04 PM
Texans go long!!
OK, so NFL plays are a little more complex than that. But the strong-armed Carr needs to use whatever Texans jargon is needed to send speedsters like Andre Johnson and Corey Bradford streaking down the field.
Carr insists offensive coordinator Chris Palmer's playbook is wide open this year, after two seasons of moderation.
"I think I'm just more comfortable with everything that's going on," Carr said. "I've been around this place so much and I know the guys. And there's a real good feeling when I go into the huddle that I know what I want to get done."
Of course, just because everyone is on the same page and all the plays are at their fingertips doesn't mean the Texans won't stay conservative. It does mean they should have every opportunity to flash their deep threats to keep defenses honest.
You know. Go long.
It all starts with the run, as most offenses do, and for the first time the Texans have reason to be confident in that department heading into training camp. A cohesive and talented offensive line plays in front of two quality fullbacks and 1,000-yard rusher Domanick Davis.
Naturally, linebackers and defensive backs will start creeping up if Davis - or speedy backup Tony Hollings - is running well. Carr and Palmer can make them think twice.
Just go long.
"I just feel like it's time to win some football games," Carr said. "I'm tired of being average, I'm tired of being called an expansion team. I just want to go out and compete for wins, championships, everything." posted by Anonymous @ 11:32 AM
Packers trade Reynolds to Colts
The Green Bay Packers traded defensive end Jamal Reynolds to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday for a future draft pick, getting at least a measure of compensation for one of the biggest miscalculations in their history.
The Packers thought they were getting a much-needed pass rusher when they selected Reynolds out of Florida State with the 10th overall pick in 2001. Reynolds was bothered by a knee injury his first two seasons but was ineffective even when healthy last year and was deactivated for 11 games.
Altogether, he recorded just 17 tackles and three sacks in 18 games over three seasons.
Reynolds, who has two years left on his contract, showed slight improvement during two minicamps this offseason, displaying more quickness off the line and an ability to beat inexperienced offensive tackles in one-on-one drills. But that wasn't enough to extend his stay in Green Bay.
By trading Reynolds, due a $217,250 roster bonus on July 15, the Packers will take a $663,750 hit on this year's salary cap but will write him off their books for next year.
"We are taking our medicine this year," said Packers chief negotiator Andrew Brandt.
He declined "out of respect to the Colts" to reveal the year or round of the pick the Colts gave up or even to say whether it was conditional on Reynolds' performance in Indianapolis.
Few people in the NFL expected the Packers to get any compensation for Reynolds. Had he been released this month and claimed by another team, the Packers would have taken the same salary-cap hit as they did with the trade. This way, at least they got a draft pick in return.
Brandt and Colts president Bill Polian first discussed a trade last month, when they served together on a panel discussion at Stanford University on contract negotiations and salary-cap management.
Although Reynolds was a bust in Green Bay, he's still young and relatively cheap.
At the Packers' minicamp last month, Reynolds insisted he still could be a star in the NFL if he could just get more playing time.
"I never doubt my ability," Reynolds said at the time. "I know what I can do and I've been great on every level, so I don't see any reason I shouldn't be great on this level. And I know I will be - it just hasn't happened yet.
"Some people are late bloomers and some people start off early. It's just happening a little later for me. But eventually it's going to happen for me."
posted by Anonymous @ 11:24 AM
MSU Football player shot to death.
The shooting death of a Midwestern State University football player is a "devastating blow" to the team and school, the coach said.
Michael Erokwu, an offensive tackle at MSU, died from gunshot wounds early Sunday morning after an argument at a Dallas gas station, police said. The disagreement involved damage to a car struck by Erokwu's car as it left a nearby nightclub, authorities said.
Erokwu, 22, would have been a senior this fall at MSU, an NCAA Division II school in Wichita Falls that competes in the Lone Star Conference. He was 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 365 pounds, according to the team's roster.
"This is going to be a devastating blow to these kids," MSU football Coach Bill Maskill told the Wichita Falls Times Record News for a story in Monday editions.
Several other players were in the area when the shooting happened, Maskill said.
Erokwu, who played at Tyler Junior College before transferring to Midwestern State, was from Nigeria and attended high school in Coppell, a Dallas suburb.
"He's going to be missed because of his friendship and the leadership he provided, and he did that as a part-time starter. As a person, he was very well accepted. As a player, he was still learning, and we were looking for big things from him this fall," Maskill said.
The player nicknamed "Big Mike" dreamed of playing in the NFL and was popular on campus.
"He was the definition of a teammate," quarterback Rahsaan Bell said. "He was inspirational. He was the type of teammate everyone would like to have."
posted by Anonymous @ 10:56 AM
Elway and Reeves leave the past behind to live life with no regrets.
The healing began after Elway invited Reeves to the induction ceremony Aug. 8.
"It never crossed my mind not to invite him," Elway told The Denver Post. "Time heals everything. Those types of things, those little problems, you just can't let them linger. They add up. Bitterness is no way to go through life. There are absolutely no ill feelings on my part toward Dan. I'm looking forward to seeing him."
Reeves coached Elway for 10 of the quarterback's 16 seasons in the NFL, but their relationship was strained after three Super Bowl losses from 1987 to 1990.
posted by Anonymous @ 9:57 AM
Peyton Manning of the Colts feels the pressure on for this season.
After making it to the AFC title game in 2003, there's plenty of excitement and expectations are very high. The Colts realize they have a crack in the championship window that they must break through. There's a lot of positive chemistry here, but also outside pressure for Peyton Manning to get to the Super Bowl and avoid becoming the AFC's Donovan McNabb.
You can't pinpoint one position within their passing attack as the sole strength. Peyton Manning and all his targets blend together into the NFL's most explosive passing attack. Marvin Harrison remains a dangerous threat any time he touches the ball. Reggie Wayne is developing into a more consistent No. 2 man. Brandon Stokley is one of the league's top targets from the slot — when healthy. Aaron Moorehead could see more time on the field, especially inside the red zone. His natural size and tools make him a scoring threat inside the 20. Don't forget the tight end combo of Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark. Both create several favorable matchups for the Colts. posted by Anonymous @ 9:47 AM
Murphy from the Bucc's leaves bar withot paying.
Murphy tried to leave with outstanding bar bills totaling $1,670, causing an argument with employees, police said. The doorman, Michael Garvin, said Murphy tipped the waitress $40. When Garvin told Murphy he should leave more money, Murphy struck him in the face, Garvin said. Garvin said he was treated at Town 'N Country Hospital for a gash on the head.
Murphy was re-signed to the Bucs after previously playing for the team in 2000 and 2001, before being cut before the 2002 season. His most notable play came in a 2002 preseason game, Coach Jon Gruden's first with the Bucs. Murphy returned a kickoff for a touchdown. That feat has happened a few times during preseason games, but no Buccaneer has returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the regular season. posted by Anonymous @ 8:26 AM
Starting a Keepers League.
Every day, people ask us which players they should "keep" on their fantasy football rosters. It looks like keeper leagues are the "in thing" because they're popping up everywhere. But the question that comes up just as often as "Who to keep?" is "How do I go about starting a keeper league?" If that's your question, then this article's for you.
I've been playing fantasy football with the same group of guys for years, probably since 1997. Maybe a few folks have come and gone but for the most part, our league has had the same cast of characters. Before the 2001 season, one of the owners floated the idea of making our league (referred to here as the FFL) a keeper league. It sounded good to me, but the rest of the league wasn't so hot for it, so we kept it keeper-free for another year.
In 2002, that all changed. We had 12 guys who wanted to play together for a long time, so it made sense to alter our league. Starting then, we made the FFL a keeper league. The difference is amazing -- it almost feels like we're somewhere in between a basic one-year fantasy league and the real NFL. The rules we have set up for ourselves actually engulf every owner in a gushing fantasy football tidal wave! It sounds extremely nerdy to my wife, but as a fellow fantasy geek I am sure you understand how I feel.
Setting it up
The key factor in starting a keeper league is making sure you have dedicated owners (read: friends) who not only love playing fantasy football but will play with the same owners without any problems for the forseeable future. There's nothing worse than losing a sore-loser owner in a keeper league and having to fill his or her spot because the new person coming in will have to play with what the old owner left behind -- not the scenario most fantasy fans like.
When pitching the idea to friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and whoever else will listen, mention that no matter what they will have a fantasy league to play in year after year. Plus, if they draft wisely, they can keep certain players year after year.
Once you have your owners set up, elect one or two of them to be commissioner. Pick people who are fair and honest, and who the majority of the league respects. The commissioner(s) should create the league's rules and scoring system, as well as the basis for how to keep players. I happen to be the co-Paul Tagliabue of my FFL, which is a double-edged sword. It's fun to be the guy who organizes the league and keeps things as fair as possible, but there are headaches that come with it. Not everyone sees a trade or a scoring rule the same way. Sometimes two owners will make a trade that the rest of the league will deem unfair, and I have to help decide what to do about it. If you're not good with conflict or angry friends, then maybe you should let someone else do the dirty work.
Setting up the keeper by-laws
This is it -- the difference between a one-year league and a keeper league. These rules will determine not only who everyone will keep, but how long they will keep them. Make sure that these keeper by-laws are established well ahead of time so that there's no arguing or loopholes that could come up down the line. And in case you've never played in a keeper league, or want some suggestions on how the players should be kept, here are some ideas:
It would be nice to keep LaDainian Tomlinson for years and years.
•The no-frills rule
You can keep any players you want on your roster, and it will cost you nothing. No draft picks, no draft order slots, nothing. Some keeper leagues out there allow each owner to keep only one player without any penalty. Others will let owners hoard their entire roster if they want to.
Example: I had LaDainian Tomlinson in 2003. I can keep him in 2004. The end.
While this rule is great for those who build successful fantasy teams, it could end up draining the player pool for the draft, thus taking away one of the best parts of the fantasy season. It's strongly recommended that if this rule is adopted, make it a minimum of one player kept per owner.
•Keep a player, lose a pick
I think that the majority of keeper leagues follow this simple system: If you choose to keep one player, you lose your first pick; if you keep two players, you lose your first two picks, and so on.
Example: I had Tomlinson and Tom Brady in 2003. I can keep both of them and give back my No. 1 and No. 2 picks.
It works because even if a team has great players to keep, they lose their top picks, thus creating a balance among the teams. It also means that there will only be a select few players kept, most likely those that would be first-round picks anyway. A team would have to have three or more really great players in order to lose picks into the third round and beyond.
•The two-round rule
This is easy, and it makes drafting more important than ever. In this idea, you can keep any player on your roster but it will cost you a draft pick two rounds higher than the original draft round of that player.
Example: I drafted Tomlinson in the third round last year, Brady in the fourth round and Domanick Davis in the 11th round. It would "cost" a first-round pick to keep Tomlinson, a second-rounder to keep Brady and a ninth-rounder to keep Davis. Those who are kept would then be considered drafted in the round in which he was kept for next year. So using the above example, Davis would be a ninth-round pick, and would thus be a seventh-rounder in 2005.
However, there needs to be specific rules for those players picked in the first two rounds. Either have them cost multiple picks, or don't allow players from the first two rounds to be kept. Or whatever works for your keeper league.
•The vulture system
This one is not only fun, but it's tricky and you can hinder your opponents in the process. And let's face it, nothing's better than chop-blocking a pal! The worst team in the league can either keep one player from his team or one player from the team that finished in first. The same goes for the second-to-last place team and the second-place team, and all the corresponding teams in between in the standings. Once the lower-half of the league decides their keepers, the top half gets to return the favor with those bad teams.
Example: I finished in last with Tomlinson, but the first-place team has Jamal Lewis. I can steal Lewis from their team or keep Tomlinson.
This one is tough to prepare for because you have to look at two rosters for potential keepers. Moreover, if you finish well, you could lose one of your best players to a competitor. This makes for a very challenging and very personal long-term league.
•The salary-cap system
Break out your fantasy football cheat sheets, depth charts, roster grid, lucky rabbit's foot, a calculator and a ledger if you're going to try this! If you use a salary-cap system, you're going to acquire your players via an auction, then "sign" them to contracts based on how much you spent to get them (most leagues use a point-spending system for auctions). Once that player is "signed," he must stick to his contract. Furthermore, each owner must stay below the league-mandated salary cap. It's a funny-money version of the NFL -- you could even use franchise tags and sign-and-trades. Once a player's contract expires, he gets auctioned off again.
Example: I spent 50 points on Shaun Alexander, then signed him to a four-year deal at 50 points per year. Every year, he will cost my salary cap 50 points unless I trade him or release him.
Your head might be spinning by now. Think of it like a real NFL team complete with a salary cap except you use points instead of dollars (because $70 million is too much to spend on fantasy football). You can't overspend, you must consider using balance to keep your team competitive and you have to decide whether you want to keep a player for a few years or a long time. Of course, the real cha-ching is made in this league when you win the rights to a player like Anquan Boldin for one point and sign him to a 10-year deal. Then you're set at one position for a long time without it straining your salary cap. And trust me, Boldin won't come to you for a "raise."
A final word on rules for keeper leagues: Ultimately, every league can cast their own guidelines on how many players can be kept and for what. Any or all of these ideas are solid foundations for fantasy leagues, even if you make your own guidelines.
Cons of keeper leagues
So why would anyone not want to partake in a keeper league? As a die-hard fantasy football fan, I have no reasons personally, but I do know why others are not as crazy about it as I am:
No clean slate: Every year, there are repercussions from both good picks and bad picks. Imagine if you drafted Rich Gannon, Anthony Thomas and Peerless Price last year. You'd want to lose those picks as soon as possible.
Never a "full" draft: In keeper leagues, don't expect to see Priest Holmes, Michael Vick or Ricky Williams around every year.
Not as "into" it: Some people choose not to be consumed by fantasy football (don't ask me why) and don't want to deal with the logistics of maintaining a keeper league.
Too complicated: Not everyone is as smart as you and me. People might not "get" the concept of a keeper system and would rather play in a one-year league.
Fortunately, fantasy football has become popular enough for people to dedicate themselves to a keeper league. It removes the problem of finding a fantasy league to play in every year and completely changes the way you look at fantasy football. If you're already in a keeper league, we wish you nothing but the best of luck for the next 10 years. And if you're not in a keeper league ... well, what are you waiting for? Call some friends, do some talking and make the fantasy game you love even more exciting.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:41 AM
How the NFL Offseason was then and is now.
It's the beginning of summer and NFL teams are in the middle of a slew of minicamps and OTAs (on-field team activities), which we examined recently. Players come in for practice, learn the new nuances and vernacular, bond with teammates and ultimately begin preparing for the 2004 season.
But the NFL offseason was not always this way.
In June 1960, players on the Dallas Cowboys weren't running routes or learning playbooks. They were probably selling concrete or working somewhere for the summer. That's because before the days of year-round workouts, players had to get a part-time job in order to supplement their football income.
So much has changed between my early days with the Cowboys and today. The entire offseason -- from the end of the draft until the first week of games -- has changed considerably. Camps were run differently, games were held all over the country, and even contracts weren't put together the same way (and certainly the money involved has increased).
Nowadays you'll hear about players going to quarterback school, or minicamp, or whatever non-voluntary practice a team is holding. The players are physically fit, knowledgeable of the playbook, and in some cases are entitled to receive salary bonuses just for participating. Most players live right in town and could come to practice and then head home each night.
In the '60s, there were no late-spring workouts. Instead, while our players worked their offseason jobs, we asked them to work out on their own. Not all of our players lived in town, so one way we kept up with their progress was by having them send us postcards with their weight and such. We would also send them postcards to guide them through their workouts, which was mainly running since weightlifting wasn't as popular as it is now.
The concept of training camp has changed dramatically, mostly because guys come to camp in shape rather than going to camp to get into shape. That you probably knew already, but what you might not have known is that the schedules and locations of training camps have changed a lot.
Nowadays players like Champ Bailey are already in game shape months before training camp.
The Cowboys' first training camp was on the campus of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. We chose that locale because the weather was nice, the people were friendly, the school was accommodating, and it was far from Dallas so there wouldn't be any distractions. This was the kind of thinking most teams had when deciding where they would practice before the season. In 1963, we moved to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and stayed there until 1989. Ironically, the Cowboys are going back there this year.
Still, some clubs prefer to travel to nearby college campuses for training camp. For instance, the Packers have been going to St. Norbert's College in De Pere, Wis., for years -- probably longer than any team has travelled to any school for camp. But the trend has been for teams to build state-of-the-art facilities for year-round practice in their home town. These gargantuan buildings have multiple practice fields, a gigantic weight room, roomy locker rooms, a five-star cafeteria, a game room and basketball courts.
In 1960, we arrived at training camp on July 9. Our first preseason game was on Aug. 6, and our first regular-season game was on Sept. 16. So instead of having 10 days before our first preseason game like teams have now, we had three weeks. That was so our players could get into football shape. Now the players arrive to camp in shape.
Teams also used to play six preseason games from 1961 through 1967, when teams played five preseason games. Then from 1968 through 1977, we went back to six games, which was wild since that was nearly 50 percent of our regular-season schedule (12 games). Once, Pittsburgh played in the College All-Star Game in Chicago, so it played seven games. Now everybody plays four preseason games, five if you play out of the country or in the Hall of Fame Game.
We would also play games all over the map. Promoters in smaller towns would guarantee teams a fee if they would play a preseason game there. For instance, we were guaranteed $25,000 to play a game in Pendleton, Ore. Back then, that was a nice chunk of change, so we went and played there. Teams also played games in Sioux Falls, S.D., Bangor, Maine, and Portland, Ore.
It was a win-win: The teams got paid well to play one of their preseason games, the place would sell out and fans would enjoy watching pro football in their hometown. It widened the popularity of the game and proved that football fans weren't just in big cities.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:38 AM
June Cuts in the NFL
Early June signifies a time when some teams release players in an effort to conserve salary-cap space. The names often include seasoned veterans. For instance, two of last year's cuts were QB Brian Griese and CB Ray Crockett.
Marcus Bell, DT With Bell out, the team's primary remaining defensive tackles will be Russell Davis, Kenny King, Wendell Bryant and rookie Darnell Dockett.
Steve Bush, TE Bush appeared in all 16 games last season, catching 11 passes for 71 yards. His lone touchdown was a diving two-yard catch on fourth down during the Cardinals' late rally to beat Minnesota in the season finale.
Justin Lucas, DB Lucas played in 11 games a last season, but only saw action mostly on special teams.
Preston Parsons, QB Parsons became the odd QB out when the team drafted John Navarre out of Michigan in the seventh round of the 2004 draft. The team already has starter Josh McCown and backup Shaun King on the roster.
Barron Tanner, DT The six-year veteran started just two games last season, but played in 14 games, recording 17 tackles.
Tim Couch, QB After failing to work out a trade, Cleveland decided to release its former franchise cornerstone outright. After four years as a starter, Couch lost his job to Kelly Holcomb last summer. The Packers signed Couch following his release.
Daryl Gardener, DT In trouble with coach Mike Shanahan all season, Gardener was finally let go just one season after he was supposed to be one of the team's biggest free-agent pickups before the 2003 campaign.
Eric Crouch, S The former Heisman Trophy winner couldn't crack the lineup with the Packers. He was on and off the reserved/retired list over the course of the past year.
Joe Johnson, DE Plagued by injuries the past couple of seasons, Johnson was a bust in Green Bay after signing as an unrestricted free agent following eight seasons in New Orleans.
Marcus Spears, OT Spears was pushed aside by a good crop of younger players on Kansas City's line. He played in 79 games across seven seasons, but only started 18 contests.
Vinny Testaverde, QB The 19-year veteran lost his starting job to Chad Pennington in 2002 and eventually dropped to No. 3 on the Jets depth chart. He quickly found a new home in Dallas under one-time head coach Bill Parcells.
Jason Gildon, LB After playing all 10 of his seasons in Pittsburgh, Gildon knew his fate a month ago as he was not invited to minicamp and his backup, Clark Haggans, was signed to a four-year contract. Gildon will land with another team soon.
Zack Bronson, S Held to 17 games over the past two seasons due to injury, the price was too high for a former Pro Bowler that saw limited action, and fill-in Ronnie Heard is ready to take on a starting role.
Kurt Warner, QB Warner entered the 2003 season as the Rams' starter but was quickly replaced by Marc Bulger, who was recently given a contract extension. With Bulger clearly not giving up the top job anytime soon, Warner was made expendable. Less than 48 hours after his release, Warner signed with the Giants.
Trung Canidate, RB Acquired for a draft pick last year, Canidate totaled 671 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage. The team dealt also dealt for Clinton Portis, who will be the starting running back.
Dave Fiore, OL The veteran offensive lineman only played in three games before a knee injury sidelined him for the season.
Jeremiah Trotter, LB Despite racking up over 200 tackles in two seasons, Trotter only amassed 1.5 sacks. The team signed ex-Giant Mike Barrow during the offseason already and told Trotter to pursue a trade. With no deals agreed upon, the Redskins simply let go.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:28 AM
Gage vs. Terrell
Chicago Bears
Gage came on strong as a rookie last season, and has the team excited about his play. He had a 100-yard game against Arizona in late November on four catches. He doesn't run as well as those numbers suggest, but he found a way to make plays down the field. In the new offense under coach Lovie Smith, Gage should be even more effective. David Terrell has been a major disappointment after being a first-round pick in 2001. He had his best season in 2002, catching 43 passes, but he averaged only 8.4 per catch. That's not what the Bears hoped he'd bring. Maybe the change of offense will help him, and he's been committed this offseason to being a better player. He has the tools, but if he doesn't do it this year, the word flop will go next to his name.
Edge: Terrell. He's been around longer, even if both players are learning a new system.
Opening-day starter: Terrell. You'll be surprised how different he looks.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:25 AM
Dallas Cowboys Offseason!!
In only one year under head coach Bill Parcells, the Cowboys recovered from three consecutive 5-11 seasons to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. So what does Dallas do for an encore?
To continue their upward trend, the Cowboys will try to improve an offense that scored just over 18 points per game in 2003, lowest among the 12 playoff teams. The first step in that direction was taken with the acquisition of quarterback Drew Henson, a former star at Michigan who has spent the past three years out of football playing baseball in the New York Yankees organization. The team also made another significant move by landing Keyshawn Johnson in a wide receiver swap with Tampa Bay, who received Joey Galloway in return. Quarterback Quincy Carter made strides in 2003 but still has room from improvement, while backup QB Chad Hutchinson will refine his skills in NFL Europe. In the draft, the Cowboys traded out of the first round and ended up taking Notre Dame running back Julius Jones in the second round.
The task on defense will be to keep together a core that sent three players to the Pro Bowl (La'Roi Glover, Roy Williams and Dexter Coakley) and finished No. 1 in the league in total defense.
Unsigned free agents
Unrestricted: Michael Bates, WR; Gennaro DiNapoli, G
Restricted: Willie Blade, DT; Javiar Collins, OT; Lynn Scott, S; James Whalen, TE
posted by Anonymous @ 7:20 AM
