Cassel is Chief

Free agency is taking in effect in full swing already with the signing of Haynesworth and many other trades around the league. We saw Bart Scott signed with the Jets and the Jets have also got a new corner for next season in former Eagle, Lito Sheppard for two future draft picks sent to the Eagles. Also, it was announced officially that Brian Dawkins signed with the Denver Broncos. Most surprisingly in the day was the trade between the Patriots and Chiefs. The New England Patriots sent QB Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs gave up their second round draft pick (34th overall) for Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel.

This trade between the Patriots and Chiefs caught me by surprise. I knew ahead of time that Mike Vrabel was going to the Chiefs a day ago. Then I heard Matt Cassel was going too, it really got me off guard. I was not expecting that at all. I would have thought that the Patriots would’ve kept Cassel as an insurance policy if Brady was not ready by next season or couldn’t perform like he did before he got hurt. Maybe the Patriots believe that Brady will be ready by then and will be able to perform at a 100% level when the season starts. Let’s hope they got a new insurance plan.

When I thought about this trade, I could see why the Chiefs got Cassel and Vrabel…Scott Pioli. Pioli was the director of personnel with the Patriots and he knew the players very well. He knew of their work ethic and that they could play well on the field. “I have a long history with both players,” Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli -- and former Patriots personnel director -- said in a statement. “Mike and Matt are men that I respect both personally and professionally. I look forward to having them as new members of the Chiefs family.” So the trade made sense. The Chiefs needed a linebacker and got a great one in Vrabel who can fill in the leadership role that the Chiefs defense lacks. He can even play a little offense too at tight end. Getting Matt Cassel helps the Chief’s QB situation as well. Before the trade the starter looked like it was going to be Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen can play and has showed that last season, but he’s not a quarterback you’re too sure about as of yet. Now the Chiefs’ have two decent quarterbacks on the roster with Thigpen and Cassel who will compete for the job, but I believe Cassel will get the job come September. So they have some wiggle room in the QB position. If Cassel can’t play like he was in New England, they can bench him and move on with Thigpen. Let’s remember that Cassel was good because of the coaches in New England and the supporting cast on offense. So there is no real 100% guarantee on how this deal will work out as of now. On paper this looks like a great deal, but that could change when he begins to play come next season.

Overall, I think this deal will help the Chiefs out tremendously. They got a QB and a LB where they needed some help on their roster. With that set, they can focus on getting some help for Cassel at the wide receiver position. They already have Dwayne Bowe, but they should add another wide receiver that will compliment Bowe in the offense. A good option could be to get one from free agency. Maybe get Lance Moore or Laveranues Coles. If not in free agency, draft one in the late rounds. Or if LB Aaron Curry is taken before the third pick in the first round, then draft a wide receiver in Crabtree or Maklin, but I believe Curry will be there at that spot and they should take him. There are other options at wide receiver that will be available by the second/third round like Hakeem Nicks, Brandon LaFell, Jauquin Iglesias, or Derrick Williams. Hopefully Tony Gonzalez is happy with the moves the Chiefs are making this off season.

Weapon X to the Broncos?

Aside from the Albert Haynesworth deal on Friday, the Broncos made a splash too. The Broncos made some deals in free agency. They went out and got running backs J.J. Arrington (ex-Cardinal) and Correll Buckhalter (ex-Eagle). In addition to the running backs, the Broncos also got safety Renaldo Hill who was a Dolphin last year. They even beefed up their offense by adding wide receiver Jabar Gaffney to the team from the Patriots. The biggest move has yet to be made. Brian Dawkins is meeting with the team and could be signed by this weekend with the team.

Man, what an impact has first time head coach Josh McDaniels has made so far. He has gotten a WR in Gaffney from his Patriots offensive play calling days. I think Gaffney will be a great slot deep threat in the Broncos passing game. With corner’s locking up with Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall as the number 1 and 2 WR’s, Gaffney will make the big plays like he did in New England (let’s hope he catches them). Plus, head coach McDaniels knows how to use Gaffney properly and will use him in the offense well. Let’s not forget about Tony Scheffler, the guy can catch. So they have weapons on offense. In addition to the passing game, the Broncos added some running backs where last year they were thin in the position losing many to injuries. Buckhalter was a great player when Westbrook was hurt last season for the Eagles, and played well in the games when he was called upon. I think I can see Buckhalter as the number one running back with Selvin Young as the number 2 running back. Also the guy is from Nebraska, there is something I love about Nebraskan running backs. Ahman Green and Brandon Jackson are Nebraska alumni who have played well for the Packers. You just can’t go wrong with a running back from Nebraska in my opinion.

With the reports that Dawkins is meeting with the team and could become a Bronco by this weekend, will help the team which didn’t play well on defense last season. The defense will get a big boost with Champ Bailey at cornerback and with the additional help from Dawkins and Hill. Along with Dawkins, comes his leadership ability and the way he motivates his team. I think that leadership mentality will help the Broncos next season play well on defense and not give up. The guy plays tough and never gives up on any play. The man is a true wolverine. If he does join the Broncos, it will be very odd seeing him in anything else, but Eagle green. Also, I’m just saying, if Dawkins comes to the Broncos…is there a possibility that Ray Lewis might not be far behind? The defense will be stacked with Bailey, Dawkins, and Lewis. With the draft coming in about 2 months, I think the Broncos should draft a defensive tackle in BJ Raji or a linebacker in Rey Maualuga or Everett Brown, but if Aaron Curry is still available and falls to them at that spot, take him, but that will be very unlikely.

A lot of money[Haynes]worth to the Redskins

It wasn’t long for Albert Haynesworth to find a new home. Haynesworth found a new home in Washington, as the Redskins offered the big guy a 7 year $100 million dollar deal. In the deal, $41 million is guaranteed with incentives as well. It was a day ago, where the Redskins also gave CB DeAngelo Hall a six year deal worth up to $54 million.

Was this a good move? I don’t know. I was surprised that the Redskins offered him a deal after a couple hours into free agency. The Redskins did need an interior tackle and they got him, but they could’ve gotten someone else without spending so much. The Skins are known for being big spenders with Dan Snyder at the helm. That is what they did, by spending $100 million worth on Haynesworth. I know the guy can play and he is a monster for opposing lineman to cover, but there are some uncertainties with him. The guy hasn’t even played an entire NFL season due to injuries and has been known to take plays off. What if the Skins lose Haynesworth in the middle of the season due to another injury for a few weeks or even the entire season? What do you do now? You’ve invested so much money on the guy and in return he won’t be on the field. You won’t be getting you monies worth from the guy.

To me, the Redskins mentality is “we want to win a Superbowl and we want to win it now” type of mindset. I understand that, every team wants to win the Superbowl. That’s what you’re competing for every season, but it’s their approach in how they’re pursuing it, which I do not like. The Redskins are buying their way to the Superbowl. This isn’t the first time where the Redskins have paid a large sum of money for a player. Dan Snyder is known for spending a lot of money in free agency. I’m a true believer in building the team from drafting young talent and developing them over a time period. I’m not saying don’t get free agents, but it has been a trend with the Redskins year in and year out. Being a Packers fan, the Packers have drafted well for the past 2/3 years and are developing their younger guys. Their first round draft picks have been questionable at first, except for Aaron Rodgers. Last year the first player they selected in the second round was Jordy Nelson, the year before it was Justin Harrell in the first round and Hawk in 2006. The Packers are building their team via the draft. Greg Jennings was drafted as a second rounder in the 2006 draft along with Johnny Jolly and Will Blackmon. Now Jennings is the second WR on the depth chart and a very good one along with Donald Driver. The Packers usually don’t spend too much in free agency because they building their team with young talent instead paying big contracts for big name players like the Redskins and Cowboys.

Top 5 Free Agents by Position

Top 5 Free Agents by Position:

QB:
1. Bryon Leftwich
2. Kurt Warner
3. Kerry Collins
4. Jeff Garcia
5. Dan Orlovsky

RB:
1. Derrick Ward
2. Fred Taylor
3. Correll Buckhalter
4. Warrick Dunn
5. Maurice Morris

WR:
1. TJ Houshmandzadeh
2. Jabar Gaffney
3. Marvin Harrison
4. Laveranues Coles
5. Lance Moore

OL:
1. Jeff Saturday
2. Mark Tauscher
3. Matt Birk
4. Jon Runyan
5. Jason Brown

DL:
1. Albert Hanyesworth
2. Chris Canty
3. Bertrand Berry
4. Rocky Bernard
5. Jovan Haye

LB:
1. Ray Lewis
2. Monty Beisel
3. Derrick Brooks
4. Kieth Brooking
5. Cato June

CB:
1. Chris McAlister
2. Jarrett Bush
3. Dre’ Bly
4. Joselio Hanson
5. Ricky Manning Jr.

What the Buc Man?

On Wednesday, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released 11 time Pro Bowl Linebacker Derrick Brooks and four other players from their roster. Along with Brooks, the Bucs also released; Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, and Cato June. All men were first round picks with the exception of Cato June who was selected in the sixth round by the Colts. Brooks spent his entire NFL career playing for the Bucs (13 seasons) and Dunn played for the Bucs from 1997-2001, before he played for the Falcons, and then back with the team in 2008. To Brooks, his release came by surprise. “Right now, like all of you guys, I’m just trying to get a feel for it all, trying to come to grips with it,” the 11-time Pro Bowl selection said by telephone. “I don’t even know what to think.”

What the Buc? Some fans in Tampa might feel surprised by the releases. I’m not at all. I’m not saying that I saw this coming, but I’m not surprised. The players that they released are in their mid thirties, except for Cato June who is still 29, a year younger than the head coach Raheem Morris. So age is becoming a factor for these guys, but that is still not the reason why they were released. The real reason why they were booted out, is because of a new blue print. The Bucs are rebuilding developing their future talent. “You never replace a guy like Derrick Brooks. This was not a money issue or a youth movement. This is a direction change. We are moving forward, we’re going to play some people that were behind these guys and let them compete.” Have you noticed how since 2002, (when they won the Superbowl) the Bucs haven’t been making a big splash. Since the 2002 playoffs, the Bucs have not won a playoff game. They made two playoff appearances after their Superbowl win, but lost in the wildcard round to the Redskins in 2005 and then to the Superbowl winners Giants, in 2007. Also, their record in regular season games after the 2002 Superbowl win, has been 40-42. Even since the Superbowl win, the team has been playing with the same old blue print with the same players.

Gruden thought that he could win another championship with the same team like he did with his old 2002 Bucs’ team, but with a new older QB. No way, not at all. During free agency, the team got Warrick Dunn and then they got Jeff Garcia and other QB’s in their stable of QB collection. Gruden didn’t even get a big time WR for his QB’s in his time with the Bucs. Galloway who is now 37, was almost approaching his middle thirties after his Superbowl win with the Bucs. The only WR help they got Jeff Garcia was Antonio Bryant. Aside from WR, who was the real QB of the team? Was it Chris Simms, Garcia, Brian Griese, or McCown? The Bucs never had a real set QB. I believed they should’ve developed Chris Simms and built the team around him.

Now with a new head coach and Monte Kiffin gone, there are going to be some shake ups. Now they are switching defenses from the Tampa 2, to now the 4-3 under Morris’s new regime. In the Tampa 2 defense, speed was what the defense relied on along with great tackling ability where they need fast front lineman unlike the big bulky strong lineman many are accustom to in the 4-3. The LB’s on this scheme needed to quick enough to be able to cover the middle, along with the CB’s and SS and FS. Now switching to the 4-3 defense, you need top notch players on every position, but more emphasis on the DE and LB positions which need to be quick to pressure the QB. The front line has to be fast but more importantly bigger and stronger to execute this defense well. With the MLB, his job is to stop the run/blitz and drop back into his zones on pass plays. With a new coach and staff in place for the new blue print for the Bucs, changes needed to be made. That is why they made the releases that they made on Wednesday. The Bucs’ higher level people saw that the Gruden’s blue print wasn’t working and ripped that apart by firing him from his head coaching position. The Bucs saw something in Raheem Morris that many of us might not, which is why hired him to become the new head man in Tampa. His blue print can work or it can fail. We will need to wait and see in due time.

Andre Smith: To Draft First or not to Draft First?

Many of you might already know about Andre Smith leaving his Combine workout this past weekend. What caused the first rounder to leave? He was not prepared to workout. He showed up out of shape at the combine and decided to leave. In the draft alone, Smith was considered to be the best tackle in the entire draft board. With his actions, this hurts him a lot. This will hit him in his wallet (costing him around $23 million dollars). Now GM’s are looking at other potential left tackles to be taken before Smith. Tackles such as Eugene Monroe (Virginia), Jason Smith (Baylor) and Michael Oher (Mississippi) are all first-round left tackles who can be taken as the first tackles in the draft before Smith. Last season, Smith was the All-American for 2008 and won the Outland Trophy playing for Alabama under Nick Saban.

The guy was a guaranteed first rounder to be drafted within the first five draft picks. With his recent actions of not working out at the combine, hurts him a lot. Even his interviews were very iffy. Andre Smith was unprepared for the biggest job interview of his entire life. His life depended on his combine day, and he didn’t show the scouts and GM’s anything. Would a guy applying for a job at Microsoft, right out of college not be prepared for his interview? The guy would practice at home in front of a mirror and work at it with family or friends. That guy would also wear a tie and shirt too. You’re not gonna get that job wearing a regular polo shirt and blue jeans, my friend. To get a job at Microsoft, you’re going need a collar shirt with a tie and nice slacks. No one is going to hire a guy who doesn’t show how much he cares about working for a future employer. Smith pretty much went into the combine unprepared and then left without showing his employers anything. This was his biggest job interview and he dropped the ball big time. Smith even knew he messed up big time, “If I had the chance to do it all over, I wouldn't have handled it the way I did. 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.”

Can Smith redeem himself? Yes he can, by working his tail off to be back in shape in time for Alabama’s Pro Day (March 11) and perform well for the scouts. Even if he does well at the Pro Day, he still is a liability. Scouts, GM’s, and Owners won’t be sure of his trust and loyalty to his future team and employer. What if the guy quits on the team next season? I’m just saying it could happen, but I don’t think it will. The guy lasted through seasons of losing games at Alabama before last season where Alabama got a Sugar Bowl Bid, which he didn’t even play in. I’m sure that people will take a second look before drafting Smith in April.

DTO: The Next Zidane?