Monthly Archives: February 2007
Looks like ESPN FINALLY set up their 2007 NFL Free Agent Database. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good…
With the Combine all wrapped up, here are some opinion articles on winners and losers of the Combine. (Keep in mind that Mike Mamula was once a “big winner” at the Combine.)
- Tony Pauline – SI.com
- Bill Wiliamson – MSNBC
- John Clayton – ESPN/ABC
- John Murphy – Yahoo!
- Ryan Wilson – AOL
I saw Curtis Martin last night at the Combine talking with Jamie Duke of NFL Network. Here’s some nuggets from the conversation. I don’t really feel the need to comment, his words (as always) say it all.
On the state of his playing career and visiting the Combine
“Yeah, at the end of my career, and I’ve never had a chance to see the Combine from this perspective. I’m not out there, I’m not the talent anymore, I’m just observing now, I wanted to see it from this angle. So I flew out for a day, I had the day off, so I flew out here.”
On what’s next
“Well just running my businesses. I have two that I’m really working on. Some of it’s confidential because we are in the middle of signing contracts. But I’m sure you will hear about it some time shortly.”
On coaching
“Uhhh, not really … not really …. I am not a huge X and O guy. I know that I wouldn’t want to put in the time it takes to be a coach. I don’t love the game enough as far as the Xs and Os go to get involved in that way?”
On mentoring
“CM Well that’s something I always do. I do that now, and I’ll do that forever. That probably what I’ll spend most of my life doing. Not only mentoring, but just trying to impact people’s lives for the better. That’s what I enjoy doing, that’s my true passion.”
On his writing
“Yeah, I think I will end up publishing a few of them. Not just one … in it’s due time and at the right time that will happen … for sure.”
On highly touted RB Adrian Peterson
“I am not a football fan, I rarely watch the game, I’ve only watched two SuperBowls from beginning to end. I am just becoming more of a fan of the game, when I am not out there playing.”
On success as a running back in the NFL
“First of all a RB needs to learn to read his blocks and needs to learn how to be patient. You know, cause most people want to get the ball and run, but it’s not all about that. I’m definitely not the fastest guy, strongest guy, probably not the quickest guy. But at the same time I can learn through experience how to read the blocks, that would be Number One.”
On what he would do if he was commisioner for a day
“I would probably do something with the discipline in the league because right now we’re just having too much going on and we want to keep the league reputable. I would implement more stipulations that would govern how we are off the field.”
Last night, Rich Cimini wrote on his blog that he expects the Jets to either trade or release Patrick Ramsey and Kimo Von Oelhoffen in the coming days before the new cap year. First the info on Ramsey:
With a $1.4 million roster bonus due Saturday, Ramsey is an obvious candidate to be jettisoned. The Jets are trying to trade Ramsey before the deadline. Failing that, they will release him and clear $2.1 million in cap space. For obvious reasons, they don’t want to pay the roster bonus.
Although this organization miraculously managed to trade Brooks Bollinger, as far as KVO, it doesn’t look like they are going to be able to do the same thing:
I’m also hearing there’s a good chance that DE Kimo von Oelhoffen, 36, will be released by the weekend. He’s due a $600,000 roster bonus Friday, and it’s believed the Jets are trying to get him to swallow a pay cut. If they keep him at his current contract, he’d make about $2.5 million in 2007, a ridiculous amount for a one-dimensional player (if that) who should consider retirement.
As far as Clement, it sounds like his agent has been in contact with the Jets, but they are letting him test the market, which I would have imagined. Although it might look bad that the Jets are going to release guys they just brought in last year, hindsight is always 20/20. At the time the Jets brought in Ramsey, they needed a vet to back up an unknown quantity in Pennington. If the organization thinks that Clemens is ready to be the two, then Ramsey served his purpose in the interim, and accumulated less yardage in green and white than Bent and I have combined for the Jets at QB (0 yards). For a sixth round pick, the deal was a steal, they also renegotiated his contract while leaving it cap friendly where they now look to save an extra $2.1 million in 2007 if they do release Ramsey.
As far as KVO, I don’t take their willingness to release him as a sign of weakness, it’s the contract they gave him, that I consider a weakness. At the time though they were desperate to find a replacement for Abraham who would fit the 3-4 scheme. It’s clear the Jets thought they could get two years of starting out of the aging lineman, but that just hasn’t worked itself out as his play has declined rapidly, in a system where, let’s face it, he didn’t have the support of an excellent system that had been in place for years. My friend Henigin (rabid Steelers fan) who posts here from time to time was shocked by the money the Jets gave him last year, and he was right. Although the initial move was questionable, getting rid of KVO is a clear sign that this organization is doing the right things, and is recognizant and accountable of their own mistakes.
Although burning the money on the cap always hurts, at least it wasn’t in a year when we really could have used it.
So will our little Diamond in the Rough Defensive End Adam Carriker go as high as #11 to the Niners? It could happen, according to the SacBee.
The 49ers also are showing interest in Nebraska defensive end Adam Carriker, who met with the coaching staff Saturday night.
“They liked me because of my size,” Carriker said.
So how unfair would it be if the Niners add both Carriker and AD in the offseason to their defense? Should that happen, the Niners could be a nasty team in the next few years. Carriker has also expressed interest in playing wherever suits the team he gets drafted by in the NFL
“Just looking at my size and weight, I’m the prototypical 3-4 defensive end,” he said. “But I can play in the 4-3, if you factor in my speed. I don’t have a preference. Whatever team drafts me, that’s the defense I’ll play in. Obviously, I’ve already played in a 4-3 in college.”
Do keep in mind that teams often try to create buzz around players they have no intention of picking and keep tip lips around players they are very excited about. But bottom line, it will be a miracle if Carriker is still around at 25. Good thing that this is a bumper crop of the DEs …
Thanks to Dan Fox for the tip…
The Manhattan Project, Human Genome Research and the Jekyll Island Club are nothing compared to what TJB is about to unleash on you … for real.
Secretly during Super Bowl weekend, the co-conspirators of TJB met in seclusion, far from the festive and prying eyes of the NFL glitterati. Prepare yourself for the second annual Meeting of the Minds. Today, Drack and Prince discuss the Jets’ Wide Receivers.
Bassett: Hi R in CT! How are you doing? Kids all shackled to their posts for the night?
R_in_CT: Yes — the older one had a bit of drama, but I think he’s sleeping it off now! I swear, if I could figure out how to invent chloroform pillows for kids, I’d be rich!
Bassett: (Laughing) now that’s a worthwhile invention! OK … talk to me Goose… what do you think about those Jets’ running backs?
R_in_CT: First off, obviously continuing to improve the o-line will be important. Clement was a nice stopgap, but the right side needs some help. As I see it, we’re down to two — Blaylock and Barlow won’t be back, I don’t think, so that leaves Houston and Washington as the starters. And if the Patriot playoff game gave us any indication, it looks like it could just be Leon carrying the load. I think Houston got just one carry in the game, which, considering how Washington improved down the stretch, really shouldn’t have been all that surprising.
Bassett: Right, Blaylock was lame duck for the better part of the season, as far as Barlow, adios. As far as Washington carrying the load alone, I just don’t know if he can yet. I need to see more.
R_in_CT: I saw that Barlow talked about wanting to come back and being willing to re-negotiate, but I’m not sure if that was sincerity or a negotiating ploy.
Bassett: Which ended up just being bluster.
R_in_CT: I think there are plenty of other guys out there with less mileage and more upside than Barlow — Chris Brown, for example.
Bassett: Brown is a tough guy to figure out, he has had success but since he is so tall, he runs rather high, which i think helps him get hurt more. Are there others out there that might be a better fit? Leon certainly is the “change of pace” speedy guy, but does he had the skills to be an everydown back? a lot of pepole didn’t think Tiki could do it, or even Curtis Martin …
- Cimini files a good team report for the Sporting News
- ProFootballTalk.com noted last night that the Niners and AD already have a deal in place. Time will tell.
- Football Outsiders gives their quick reviews of the Combine: Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Adam Schefter has reported that due to Fred Smoot’s $2 Million roster bonus, he might be cut by week end. Other than his off the field antics last year on the “Love Boat,” I have always thought that Smoot was a gritty player who plays hard, could he be someone that the Jets look into signing to bolster their backfield?
- USA Today writes about how the wealth gap is widening for NFL teams.
- Leberfeld writes about Miami TE Greg Olsen’s workouts.
- Jesse Kaye comments on the Wisconsin QB at the Combine.
- Jets WR Brad Smith was present during the tragic death of Broncos RB Damien Nash.
- Adam Schein sat down with Tannenbaum at the Combine
- Jets to fly under free agent radar?
- Want to work for the Jets as a Media Relations Grad Assistant?
I apologize for the delay — I had domestic drama, including a debilitated wife and diseased offspring. (It’s difficult being a dad some days — D‘oh!) Now that all are doing better, we continue our ongoing review/preview of all things Jets with the letter D, meaning it’s time for DE-FENSE! [*clap clap*] DE-FENSE [*clap clap*]! Oh and a dab of everyone’s dearest topic of debate, the draft, too. . .
Not sure why the reversal, but yesterday at the Combine, Mangini announced Chad Pennington as the starter for the 2007 Jets training camp. First here’s what he said the day after the loss to the Patriots in the playoffs:
“I think that Chad has done a terrific job. To come back from the things he came back from, to lead us the way he did, to be as effective as he was, is a real testament to who he is. He won a lot of games for us this year. I thought he did a great job. . . . But I essentially believe, as a core philosophy, competition is a positive thing.”
I mean, we all knew, even if he was the wink-wink-nod-nod starter, but check out what Mangini said at the Combine to a group of reporters.
“Chad did an outstanding job for us as the starter and he is the starter,” Mangini said. “Kellen has a better understanding of what it takes to be a starter in the NFL after spending a year in the system.
“As with every position we have, each week you have an opportunity to move forward and each year you have an opportunity to move forward. That is going to take a lot of hard work.
“Chad has done an outstanding job and he’ll be the starter going into camp.
What’s with the change of the company line? Mangini just doesn’t seem to be the guy to “let things slip.” I don’t want to overthink this too much, but I do think that Mangini has reserved the right to change his mind should the season warrant. I look forward to seeing how Chad performs next year when he doesn’t have to worry about any off-season rehab, or how to eat his Wheaties left-handed … should be interesting.
Word was out yesterday that RB Corey Dillon wanted to leave the Patriots, but apparently the story was somewhat misunderstood:
Dillon’s agent, Steve Feldman, told ESPN.com’s John Clayton on Friday that he will be talking to other teams about their interest in the veteran running back. Feldman said he and Dillon talked to Patriots coach Bill Belichick about Dillon’s role in 2007 and how Dillon doesn’t want to be a back getting only seven to 10 carries a game.
Danger Will Robinson! Any time an agent is talking to the coach about a player’s role … yeah …
Hmm, what team just cut a “hammer” style running back, has a good deal of cap space to absorb, and could probably offer more than 7-10 touches per game to Dillon? My one thought is that the Jets don’t seem to be an organization that will be dictated to the number of touches their player will get in a given game…
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