NFL Free Agency Has Begun... 3 Days Early!

So, apparently the rules about tampering no longer apply in the NFL.  We had heard that certain free agents had been talking to teams for weeks, even though they technically weren't allowed to, but I digress.  There has been a ton of action already, and the FA period doesn't officially start until the 10th.  Here are some of the more interesting tidbits in my opinion-

- Suh to South Beach- The Dolphins defense suddenly got even better, albeit for a ton of money.  Ndamukong Suh is going to anchor their D-line for $114 million, $60 mil guaranteed.  I love the signing for two reasons.  First, he was the #1 free agent on the market, and will instantly help a team whose main goal is to make sure Tom Brady doesn't win games.  Second?  I love that the Redskins didn't sign him.  I know, it has nothing to do with the Dolphins or Suh, but in years past this would be the big splash the Skins would make.  This would be Albert Haynesworth.  Instead, the Redskins signed Ricky Jean-Francois, a very good 3-4 DE/DT coming off his best year for a total of $9 million.  They need all the help they can get, and signing one player for the price of five or six wasn't the answer.

- The Eagles are going crazy- First, there was the rather shocking trade of LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for Kiko Alonso.  The Eagles traded their best player for an injured linebacker.  I know that Alonso is very talented, and an Oregon guy, but I still haven't figured this one out.  Next, the Eagles have agreed to sign Byron Maxwell, CB from Seattle, for $63 million which instantly helps their secondary.  Philly then agreed to a deal with 49ers all-time leading rusher Frank Gore.  Personally, I would have liked to see Gore end his career in San Fran, but when a team is offering you a 3 year deal with two of those years guaranteed for a 31 year old running back is far too good to turn down.  And finally (for now) the Eagles brought back Mark Sanchez on a two-year $16 million contract, which is money more for a transitional player than a backup.  The question now is what becomes of Nick Foles, and do the Eagles try to trade up for Marcus Mariota?

- The two obvious destinations for Foles are the teams that hold the #5 and 6 picks in the NFL Draft, the Redskins and the Jets.  Everybody except the owner of the Skins knows that RG3's time in DC should be over.  Both he and the franchise are ready for a new start.  I think that a trade which involves the Eagles swapping #1's this year with the Skins, throwing in a 2nd, Foles and next year's #1 to move ahead of the Jets would be a fair asking price.  Foles' value isn't exactly high now that the Eagles brought back Sanchez.  I think Jay Gruden could do great things with Nick Foles, who is more talented than I thought he would be coming out of Arizona.  The other option, of course....

- The New York Jets, who suddenly have wide receivers!  Why exactly did the Bears trade Brandon Marshall for a 5th round pick?  This is a massive pickup for the Jets, but they still need a QB.  The same exact trade could come to the Jets if the Skins don't move back and take a Shane Ray or Randy Gregory at #5.  Throwing to Marshall and Eric Decker would make a decent QB look really good.  I think Foles would enjoy that, especially if the system fits him better than the Chip Kelly system.  Anyway, the overall feeling is that Mariota somehow ends up in Philly, and I am not one to disagree.

- Some franchise faces are going to be finding new homes.  This is the unfortunate part about sports, when we see that it really is a business.  It will be sad that Andre Johnson will no longer be on the Texans.  He is easily the best offensive player they have ever had, and before JJ Watt rose to fame, was the only recognizable name on the entire team.  Similarly, while Big Ben has been the leader of the Steelers offense, it was Troy Polamalu who was the leader of the entire team.  The flowing locks will no longer be in the black and yellow, and its a shame.  Then Reggie Wayne, the main holdover from the Super Bowl champion Colts, will be leaving Indy, meaning that Andrew Luck will be in need of another target.  While all of these moves make sense for the teams they are leaving, the nostalgic sports fan in me hates to see them go.

- The moves of some other FA receivers have been interesting.  The Ravens are letting both Jacoby Jones (who is signing with the Chargers) and Torrey Smith (49ers rumored to be a favorite there) go to free agency.  I am not sure who they think will catch passes from their $100 million QB Joe Flacco, but it has become their #1 need, even over secondary.  Look for them to draft from this deep class in the 1st round.  Next, Randall Cobb passed over a massive payday from a bad team in order to stay with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.  The best QB keeps his #1 target.  Nelson, Adams and Cobb might be the best WR corp in football.  And THIS JUST IN- as I am typing this, ESPN is reporting that Jeremy Maclin will leave the Eagles in order to reunite with Andy Reid in KC.  More madness and turnover in Philly.


I am sure I will write another post or two about free agency once it picks up even more.  Until then, enjoy the ride.

Super Bowl XLIX Pick

The big day is here.  After months of great plays, controversies, and off the field nonsense, the Super Bowl happens today.  It is a bittersweet day for us, really.  First, it means there is no more football to be played for a while (though pitchers and catchers report in 18 days).  Second, it means that we have to go into work tomorrow despite how hungover and stuffed we all are from party food and drink.  But I digress.

Thankfully, we get to move past Deflate-Gate and Marshawn Lynch's anti-media stance and finally play some football today.  There are some great matchups in the game itself, the main one being Gronk vs Kam Chancellor.  The best tight end in football going up against one of the best safeties.  The Seahawks could, of course, just double team Gronk with another corner and hope that Edelman or Amendola doesn't burn them, but they may be too confident to do that.  If the officials feel like throwing flags today, then Gronk will have the advantage.  If not, look for the Legion of Boom to dominate the air.

A more intriguing matchup for me is that of Seahawks OT Russell Okung vs. Patriots DE Chandler Jones.  The Pats will be looking to stop the run all day, but it needs to make sure Russell Wilson doesn't get out of the pocket and hurt them.  Jones' job will be to rush and pressure Wilson all day, and is talented enough to completely change the game.  If Okung can't handle him, the Hawks will have to put an extra blocker over there, which will impact their passing abilities.

Last year, I said that every stat, logistic, and measurable favored the Seahawks... and then I picked the Broncos cause my gut told me too.  It is the most wrong I have ever been about anything in my life.  I don't really expect a repeat of that.  The Patriots are great, truly the most consistent franchise over the past 15 years.  But they aren't as physical as the Seahawks.  They aren't as fast as the Seahawks.  They aren't as mad as the Seahawks.  It will take an epic coaching job by Belichick and a stellar game all around for the Pats to win, which still may happen...

But give me the Seattle Seahawks to repeat, 27-24

My 2015 NFL Hall of Fame Ballot

Hello there friends.  Welcome back.  The 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class will be revealed tonight at the NFL Awards show.  I felt it was a bit necessary for me to share my ballot for the Modern Era players.  I say players because I do not like that the coaches are put into the same group.  They should have their own spot, or be in with the contributors like GMs and owners.  My ballot will feature no coaches, since there are an abundance of deserving players.  So, here are the 5 I have chosen:

- Junior Seau, LB, Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots
Seau is the only sure fire slam dunk of the class.  He is easily one of the best defensive players of the 1990s, and made a continuous impact all the way until he retired in 2009.  Sadly, he took his own life, the result of depression from numerous concussions.  I am sure his family will give a wonderful speech on his behalf.

- Orlando Pace, OT, Rams/Bears
It is surprisingly rare that a #1 Overall pick actually pans out, much less becomes a Hall of Famer.  Over the past 20 years, there have been more than a few busts, and a few that will never reach Canton.  But in 1997 the Rams drafted Orlando Pace, who anchored their line and allowed the Greatest Show on Turf to flourish.  The 5-time All Pro shouldn't have to wait a year to get into the Hall.

- Jerome Bettis, RB, Rams/Steelers
I am not entirely sure why Bettis has yet to get into the Hall of Fame.  He was a dominant running back, a 6-time Pro Bowler, and is #6 on the all-time rushing list.  Plus, he was the leader and inspiration of the Steelers team that won Super Bowl XL. It is time to let The Bus drive to Canton.

- Tim Brown, WR, Raiders/Buccaneers
Tim Brown has to get in this year.  He is the current biggest snub, and his time has come.  Cris Carter is in, Andre Reed is in.  Brown is a member of the 1990s All-Decade team, he is 5th in receiving yards, and was a 9-time Pro Bowler.  He did all of that with the likes of Jeff Hostetler, Jeff George and Jay Schroeder throwing to him.  This is Tim Brown's year.

- Will Shields, OG, Chiefs
Guards don't get the love they deserve.  It isn't easy blocking every play, especially when you have to face tackles, blitzing linebacks, and occasionally pull on running plays.  Will Shields is one of the greatest guards of all time.  A 12-time Pro Bowler, he spent his entire 14-year career with the Chiefs, starting 223 of a possible 224 games with the franchise.  He is a member of the 2000s All-Decade team.  I don't know why he has had to wait, because it is very clear he belongs in the Hall of Fame.


These are my 5.  I am not saying that there are other players that do not deserve to be enshrined in Canton.  There most certainly are.  But, for this year, I will take these 5 legendary players over the rest.

Enjoy the Awards show, and I will be back later with my Super Bowl prediction.

My 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

Happy New Year everyone.  Welcome back.  Tomorrow morning, at 11 am EST, the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame class will be announced... and I am terrified.  I am not terrified that the esteemed group of voters (the BBWAA, Baseball Writers Association of America) will once again moronically go a year without inducting anyone.  Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez are sure-fire no-doubters their first year on the ballot.  No, this time I am afraid they simply won't induct anyone after those two, which is idiocy of the highest degree.  There is a great backlog of more than worthy HoF candidates, but the voters never seem willing to put all of them in.  This is the same group, of course, that insists that no one can be a unanimous pick just cause Babe Ruth wasn't.  Petty, childish, and engaging in conduct unbecoming of professionals in any field, the HoF voters continually get it wrong year after year.

So, this year, I figured I'd help them out.  I tweeted like mad at many of them that revealed they had ballots...  Ok, that isn't much, but it isn't like they listen anyway.  I humbly suggested that they all straighten up, fly right, and elect a big class, or we will riot.  Each voter gets 10 spots, and there are over 10 guys worthy, so big class should happen.  Here is who I would vote for, in alphabetical order:

1. Jeff Bagwell
2. Craig Biggio
3. Randy Johnson
4. Edgar Martinez
5. Pedro Martinez
6. Mike Mussina
7. Mike Piazza
8. Tim Raines
9. Curt Schilling
10. John Smoltz

Obviously, the first thing you will notice is that I didn't include anyone who has admitted to PED use, or been tied with evidence to PED use.  So, no Bonds, Clemens, McGwire or Sosa.  It isn't that I don't think they should be in the Hall one day.  They should, down the line, once baseball has come to accept that it played a complicit part in the use of PEDs, and once those players accept some kind of mention of said use on their plaque.  Until then, they shouldn't be on the ballot, but keep their full remaining years of eligibility.  They will get in one day.  I am also not one who will go around proselytizing that I know who did steroids and who didn't when there is no evidence.  Jeff Bagwell and Mike Piazza are Hall of Famers, and have no tie to PEDs with any kind of proof.

Next, there is the Edgar Martinez issue.  I, with no shame, will say I am biased because Edgar Martinez is one of those guys I loved to watch hit when I was younger.  The problem, of course, is that he is primarily a DH.  Well, the DH is part of baseball, isn't it?  Sure, I'd love it if the AL got rid of the DH and played pure baseball like my beloved National League.  But, that isn't the case at the moment.  Edgar Martinez has Hall-worthy numbers as a batter.  Also, if Martinez doesn't get in because he is a DH, then I want the same people to keep David Ortiz out when he is eligible. Oh, and Ortiz failed a PED test in 2003, which everyone forgets about.

Pedro and Unit are, of course, in the Hall.  John Smoltz, who in my mind is a no-doubter considering his career as a starter and a shut down closer for Atlanta, looks poised to join them.  It seems like Biggio and Piazza will be in also based on known ballots.  Tim Raines should be able to make a late push to get in, and he of course deserves it.  I hope he then comes to DC, where his Expos are now my Nationals, so we can honor him properly.

Moose was and is one of my favorite pitchers ever.  He was a model of consistency in the toughest division in baseball for the time he played, was an ace for the O's and the driving force behind the Yankees.  Google his numbers, they are worthy.  Schilling I put in begrudgingly, not because his numbers aren't worthy, but because he has turned his media position into a pulpit for idiocy.  But I digress...

There is my ballot.  I will be watching at 11 tomorrow to see who joins Pedro and Unit in the Class of 2015.  Hopefully it is at least Smoltz, Biggio, and Piazza.  If I had my way, it would be a whole lot more than that.

What If The Redskins Never Drafted RGIII?

Well, I think the experiment may be just about over.  After a surprising rookie of the year campaign, capped off by a NFC East title and a torn ACL, I believe it is time to put Robert Griffin III out to pasture.  Are there other issues with the Washington Professional Football Team?  Sure.  But this team beat the Tennessee Titans and the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas (who were in 1st) with Colt McCoy, because of McCoy's play, and McCoy isn't even that great.  What he can do, however, is play smart, fast, and unselfish.  Colt McCoy understands that, if the pass rush is getting to him, he needs to throw the ball faster.  He gets that forcing a ball into triple coverage probably isn't the best idea.  He seems to know that the Redskins have very talented position players, so all he has to do is get them the ball and watch them work.  Yet it seems like the franchise QB in Landover, Maryland doesn't get any of that.  His play speaks for itself.  RGIII has regressed because he doesn't have that speed anymore.  He isn't a true rushing threat because his knees are gone, and if he gets hit he will just get hurt once more.  At least when Derrick Rose gets hurt and comes back, he plays well.  Griffin is lost, and has lost his team and the fans.  I don't think he ever had the coach.  Pretty soon, he will lose the owner too.  Then all he will have is his Subway commercials to rock himself to sleep at night.

So, looking back on it, was it worth it to trade three 1st round picks and a 2nd round pick for a guy that gave you one good season?  Hey, I liked RGIII coming out of college.  But I also believe in building through the draft, and not trading up often.  That many picks for one guy?  Quite a hefty haul for a QB with an injury history.  Also, because no one seems to remember this, Heisman trophy winners haven't been that good in the NFL recently.  Cam Newton? Regressing very quickly.  Mark Ingram?  Just now becoming a true feature back.  Bradford? Nope. Tebow? Ha! Bush? Nice complimentary back.  Palmer? Hurt again.  You'd have to go back to Ricky Williams or (a better example) future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson to get a true impact player who won the Heisman.  So, knowing RGIII had an injury history, and knowing that Heisman winners didn't do well, what if the Redskins had decided to stay at the #6 pick and keep all those future selections?  What if the Redskins never drafted Robert Griffin III?  Let's break it down by draft.  Note- I am not going to come in and say that the Skins would have reached for late round picks that turned out to be good.  Russell Wilson wasn't going in the Top 10, so he isn't getting picked there.  I will work off of comparably graded players to the spot or the round in which the pick was made.  So, let's start with the scene of the crime, the 2012 NFL Draft.

The biggest need for the Redskins entering into the 2012 Draft was quarterback.  No question about it.  However, there are 4 QBs graded with 1st round talent.  So, with Luck and RGIII going in the Top 5, the Redskins select Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M.  The inside word was that the Shanahans wanted Tannehill over Griffin anyway, but Mr. Snyder instead decided that star power was more important than draft picks.  Ryan Tannehill has started every game since he was drafted, and has progressed in his play.  He holds almost all the rookie records for passing in Dolphins history, which is saying something considering Marino played there.  He currently has the Miami Dolphins at 6-3, has thrown 17 touchdowns and only 7 picks this year.  He would fill the need at QB.  Then, we move on to the second round, where the Redskins have options.  They needed some secondary help, and Janoris Jenkins is available.  They could take a very talented WR from South Carolina named Alshon Jeffery, though they went on to sign Pierre Garcon, so WR wasn't a huge need.  They also need some offensive line help.  I think they would take a very talented tackle/guard from Stanford, Johnathan Martin.  Now, imagine if Martin had never gone to the Dolphins.  He would have never met Richie Incognito.  He would have gone to a team that, instead, had a bit of veteran leadership in the form of London Fletcher, Trent Williams and Mike Shanahan.  He could be plugged in at their guard or right tackle, and could have easily replaced the oft-injured Jamaal Brown.  The Skins address their biggest two needs with their first two picks, and keep their 1st rounders in 2013 and 2014.

Moving on to the next season, the Redskins may or may not have been just as good with Tannehill over RGIII, so they could have won the division.  Even if they didn't, though, they would have been much improved from that team that was drafting #6 overall.  So, we'll say they would pick in roughly the same spot.  Coming into the 2013 Draft, the biggest need for the Skins was secondary.  They needed corners, safeties, and backups for both.  So, lucky for them, Desmond Trufant is available.  Trufant is a starting corner for the Atlanta Falcons, and set a franchise record for most passes deflected by a rookie in the 2013 season.  This also allows for more flexibility with the Skins' 2nd round pick.  They could draft David Amerson (like they really did) or they could have drafted DJ Swearinger, the safety from South Carolina.  Considering how well the other safeties Washington drafted later turned out (Baccari Rambo is no longer on the team, and Phillip Thomas is always hurt), a combo of Trufant and Swearinger would have been preferable.  You get a solid young corner and a hard-hitting safety, addressing your biggest needs, and (ta da!) have your first round pick for 2014!

With the combo of RGIII and Kirk Cousins at the helm, the Skins had an abysmal 2013 season, and ended up with the #2 pick overall in the draft.  It is entirely possible that could have happened with Tannehill as well.  I, however, am willing to guess they would have picked at least 10th, thus eliminating everyone picked 1-9 instead of just eliminating Clowney from the Skins options.  The big needs for the actual Redskins were O-line, secondary, pass rushing and a replacement for London Fletcher.  For my hypothetical Redskins, Johnathan Martin is still solid on the line, so right tackle or guard can be addressed in later rounds.  Trufant and Swearinger are both NFL starters and are doing well, so secondary becomes a secondary need.  That means that the pass rush or middle linebacker is the top need.  There is CJ Mosley, Aaron Donald, Ryan Shazier, and numerous others.  It is a little too early to tell who the Skins could have gotten around there that would have been the best case scenario, but the point is they would have had fewer needs to fill and more options to take.

The best franchises in football tend to build through the draft.  They either get almost all their impact players from it, kind of like the Ravens and Seahawks, or they pick the right guys to compliment big free agents, like the Broncos.  For many years, the Redskins have just not done that.  So, was trading all of those picks for RGIII the right thing to do?  I think its pretty clear it wasn't.  Yes, hindsight is 20-20.  Yes, its possible that the Skins are so cursed that all of these players would have been garbage anyway.  Yes, it is true that the Skins don't understand what the draft is all about.  But I am not picking guys that are instant Pro Bowlers with these picks.  Its not like I am taking Andrew Luck.  I am just giving them solid players that were available where these picks were slotted.  Instead of one injury prone QB, you end up with a starting QB who hasn't missed a game, a starting RT/RG, a starting CB that means you can take a starting safety with your second round pick, and a first round talent on the defensive front 7, whoever it could have been (I probably would have taken Mosley).  That is a boatload of talent.  That's the core of a perennial contender.  It could be rubbing salt in the RGIII-shaped wound in the heart of DC fans, but with every skipped pass, every interception in triple coverage, and every time that injury cart is driven onto the field, we are reminded what could have been if the Redskins had not traded for the #2 pick, and had not drafted Robert Griffin III.

A Thought on the Arizona Cardinals' QB Situation

Somehow, even with Carson Palmer being hurt twice this season (and now out for the year), the Arizona Cardinals are the best team in the NFC.  They have a great defense, excellent offensive weapons, and have gotten fairly good play out of both Palmer and backup Drew Stanton.  Stanton will be playing out the rest of the season since Palmer tore his ACL Sunday afternoon.  While Palmer just signed a 3-year $50 million extension, the Cardinals eyes have to now be shifting to a time without their oft-injured QB.  And no, I don't believe Logan Thomas is the future of the franchise.  So, it seems to me that while Stanton will be playing for the starting spot at the beginning of next year, and that it may be time for Arizona to research this year's deep crop of talented college quarterbacks.

Since the Cardinals are doing well this season, it is not likely they will be picking in the top 20 of the 2015 NFL Draft.  So Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and possibly Bryce Petty could be off the table.  If Petty happens to be there in the late 1st, I think the Cardinals should pick him, but let's just assume he won't be.  The next QBs expected to be around are UCLA's Brett Hundley, Michigan State's Connor Cook, and Oregon State's Sean Mannion.  While Mannion has the size, I don't think he has the consistent talent that an NFL team would be looking for in a QB of the future.  Cook has played very well at times, but other times his defense has saved him.  He will only be a junior, and may want that one more season in East Lansing in such a deep QB class.

Finally there is Hundley, who could have been a 1st Round pick last season in my opinion.  Almost all of his numbers are up this season from last year, and he has the Bruins sitting at 8-2.  While his mobility would be a great asset to any team, his most impressive stat is a 72% completion rating, and that is with an a yards per attempt average of 8.4.  He isn't just dumping off passes to his check-down all game to inflate that number.  Add in the fact that Brett Hundley just happens to be from the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona, and I think the pick makes perfect sense.  Assuming Hundley comes out this year, I think the Cardinals have to take him.  Carson Palmer will be 35 before the start of next season, and will be coming off his 2nd ACL tear of his career.  The Cardinals are a team that is talented and young enough to be in Super Bowl contention for a couple seasons.  The time could be right to take a dynamic young playmaker like Brett Hundley.

WWE Network Pick of the Week

Hello all.  Now that I am done going to way too many weddings, I have been able to catch up on some old school wrestling.  My pick for this week is WCW's Beach Blast 1992.  Rather old school I know.  I picked this for three matches in particular, which I find highly entertaining.

The first is a match between Scotty Flamingo (later to be known as Raven) and the late Flyin' Brian Pillman.  It is a great match between two men whose careers went in very different directions.  Before his untimely death, Pillman had gone from a high flying cruiserweight to a tag team champion with Stunning Steve Austin in the group known as the Hollywood Blondes (ignoring the fact that neither was from California) in WCW.  He then went to WWE and feuded with Austin, establishing Stone Cold as one of the faces of the infamous Attitude Era.  Flamingo, of course, went to ECW and established his hardcore persona known as Raven, who had successful runs in ECW, WCW and WWE.  Their Beach Brawl match shows two future stars still learning their way around the ring in a very entertaining match.

The second match pits two men who were already stars, but would go on to be extremely popular in the business.  Sting, the longtime face of WCW, competes in a Falls Count Anywhere match against Mick Foley's hardcore persona, Cactus Jack.  Extraordinarily entertaining match, and one that Foley said was his favorite during his entire time in WCW, and one of his favorites overall.

Finally, for a good old fashioned wrestling match, it doesn't get much better than Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude in a 30 minute Iron Man match.  I don't even think I have to explain that anymore.  If you don't like that match, then you shouldn't call yourself a wrestling fan.

There are some other fun parts of this early 90s event, such as the bikini contest between Missy Hyatt and Madusa, The Steiners defending their tag team titles, and a 6 man tag featuring (among others) Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes and Paul Heyman on the outside.  So, watch it, enjoy it, and if you don't have the WWE Network, GET IT!