NFL 2008-2009 Off-Season Post-Draft Catch-All

Mike Honcho wrote:

If they could get a half season out of Torain and Buckhalter this season their ground game would be pretty solid...Of course Torain will be on the PUP for the first half of the year (unless of course he gets cut before then); and both of those guys are extremely injury prone (so is Lamont Jordan)...JJ Arrington or Walker may be their only healthy options by week 4...

There's also that Knowshon Moreno guy they drafted...

Darius Walker and J.J. Arrington are most likely competing for the same job: 3rd down back.

Buckhalter and Jordan are probably in the same situation with each other. They're the change-of-pace back with power. The Sammy Morris.

Torain tore his knee in November. He hasn't been able to participate in minicamps and it's highly unlikely he'll be in the neighborhood of 100% when training camp comes. He is, however, practice squad eligible. So that's a possible destination for him. If not there, then definitely the PUP and after that, either IR or activated to the #4 tailback spot.

Also in the mix is undrafted free agent Kestahn Moore, who'll probably be competing for that practice squad spot with Torain if Torain can get on the field.

You can count on 5 running backs making the 53-man roster, and presumably one of those will be fullback Peyton Hillis (or a different fullback). So maybe something like:

TAILBACKS:
Moreno - starter
Buckhalter - change-of-pace / goal-line
Walker - 3rd down
Arrington OR Jordan - gameday inactive

FULLBACK:
Hillis

PRACTICE SQUAD:
Torain OR Moore

Has anyone heard if the new regime in Denver is looking to keep the zone blocking scheme in place?

With the breed of linemen they have collected and worked with, moving away from it may be a real limiting factor for their rushing attack.

gizmo wrote:

Has anyone heard if the new regime in Denver is looking to keep the zone blocking scheme in place?

Unlikely. Denver has been mum on the topic, but it's almost certain that a spread variation like McDaniels ran in New England will be in the cards.

With the breed of linemen they have collected and worked with, moving away from it may be a real limiting factor for their rushing attack.

It's not as bad as it used to be. Back in the day, they had starting lines without a single player 300 pounds or over. Three of their starters hit or exceed the 300 mark now: RT Ryan Harris lists at 300, RG Chris Kuper at 302, and the line's pride and joy, LT Ryan Clady is a beefy-yet-agile 325 lbs. They've got a number of 300+ pounders behind the starters too. It's not quite the featherweight line it was back in the prime Shanahan days.

It's still not a power running road grader line like, say, Jacksonville's, with 320-330 pound linemen all over the place. But there's enough bulk there to line up in a spread offense. We'll see if the skill is there too.

Happy news: Colts lose offensive guru Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd.

Looks like Jim Caldwell is chasing every good coach he can find out of the building. The rest of the AFC South thanks you, Mr. Caldwell, for sparing us from ever having to deal with defending against a Tom Moore gameplan ever again.

(OK, it sounds like the NFL pension plan had something to do with the retirement, not just Caldwell chasing people around with a caveman club. But it's also been clear that Caldwell has been cleaning house, and none of the old regime is being given the red carpet treatment)

Get ready for Vickapalooza!

This is what you signed up for, Schefter!

What's the deal with the pension and Indy coaches? Link?

This USA Today story covers the basics.

Both Moore and Mudd have now made their retirement official. Although there is chatter that Moore may be using the pension as a convenient scapegoat: he was ready to bolt after Dungy left. And there's little indication that the Colts lifted a finger to try and keep them.

Tom Moore not in Indy. Uh oh. Well, I guess they can just name Peyton as the OC now.

Good news! The Bungles are going to be featured on this year's Hard Knocks and NFL Films President Steve Sabol calls it "the perfect story for our times." More like a sign of the times, perhaps.

This might actually make MNF worth turning on the sound for!
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30807317/

Atras wrote:

This might actually make MNF worth turning on the sound for!
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30807317/

Cool. I didn't watch much of the draft coverage, but I liked Gruden and what he had to say.

Someone who's actually been in football sitting in the third chair? Took them long enough to figure that out.

Edit: Apparently ESPN had a little memory lapse

Jon Gruden in 2007 wrote:

"I don't watch ESPN. I don't believe half the [expletive] people on the channel, personally – no disrespect. But if Bruce Gradkowski is throwing games in Toledo, how in the hell does he lead the NCAA in passing percentages? That is a crock. You know, these reports make me sick – really. I don't believe [there is] any truth to it, and I'll go to my grave believing that. I hope ESPN 3 or 4 has real sources behind this story, because it has nothing to do with the kid. He's a great kid. He wants to be great. This is very uncharacteristic, in my opinion, of 'professional' journalism."

That's why they got Adam Schefter. So that there's someone on the network that knows what the [expletive] they're talking about.

Respectable sports journalism, here we come! Right? ..... right?

*Legion* wrote:

That's why they got Adam Schefter. So that there's someone on the network that knows what the [expletive] they're talking about.

Respectable sports journalism, here we come! Right? ..... right?

I wouldn't know; other than Sunday Night Baseball, I haven't watched ESPN since before the Super Bowl.

Rat Boy wrote:

I wouldn't know; other than Sunday Night Baseball, I haven't watched ESPN since before the Super Bowl.

Right. Like I'm supposed to believe you haven't been watching E:60.

IMAGE(http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/files/images/ESPN-E60-team.jpg)

*Legion* wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

I wouldn't know; other than Sunday Night Baseball, I haven't watched ESPN since before the Super Bowl.

Right. Like I'm supposed to believe you haven't been watching E:60.

IMAGE(http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/files/images/ESPN-E60-team.jpg)

Crap, I forgot that was on. I guess I'd better read my DVR manual on how to set up reminders.

Kornheiser explains his departure from MNF on PTI. Am I the only one who finds it hard to believe his fear of flying was the sole reason?

Rat Boy wrote:

Kornheiser explains his departure from MNF on PTI. Am I the only one who finds it hard to believe his fear of flying was the sole reason?

I like him on PTI but on MNF it sounded like he was trying to recite a column he was writing in his head live that really didn't have much to do with the game. Long winded obscure points that just left me going wtf is he going on about. I think everyone involved probably realized it wasn't working out and Kornheiser said f*ck it I don't really need to do this anyways.

Vince Young continues to prove the results of his Wonderlich test by makin' it rain at a Nelly concert.

Not that it matters for the Jaguars anymore, but Matt Jones won't be suspended by the NFL for his "two beers on the golf course" violation of his substance abuse probation.

Will be interesting to see who picks him up. He caught a ton of passes last year and was starting to be a capable big bodied possession receiver. One of the few highlights in last year's "take-the-snap-and-run-away!" dysfunctional passing game last year.

Any body want to bet against Dallas?

Unique athlete with questionable background who played at Arkansas. Yeah, Jerry is going to take good look at Jones.

gizmo wrote:

Any body want to bet against Dallas?

No. That's been the rumor for a long time, for the reasons you said as well as the state of the team's WR depth chart, which as of right now would put either Patrick Crayton or Miles Austin at starter opposite Roy Williams. Crayton's a better fit at the slot, and Austin has all of 18 career receptions. And Roy Williams hasn't proven himself to have a grip on the other starting spot, either, what with an amazing 19 catches in 7 whole starts.

Ok, how about this one, just for fun.

Cowboys sign Jones and trade Roy Williams for Chad Johns...errrr Ocho Cinco

**As an Eagles fan, I enjoy thinking of new ways for the Cowgirls to implode**

Baldinger out, John Lynch in at FOX.

Niners strike a stadium deal with Santa Clara, deal to go before the city council.

Good, because Candlestick is the most miserable place I've ever gone to watch a sporting event.

*Legion* wrote:

Niners strike a stadium deal with Santa Clara, deal to go before the city council.

If the council approves the deal on Tuesday, it'll still have to go before the voters in March. That Santa Clara doesn't have to pay a dime for it and gets a boatload of money in return is a plus, but I wonder how the residents feel about having a giant stadium springing up in their midst.

How can you say they don't have to pay a dime? What I read said it is $114,000,000 of tax payer money. Just what California should be paying for when it has a budget deficit measured in billions.

LeapingGnome wrote:

How can you say they don't have to pay a dime? What I read said it is $114,000,000 of tax payer money. Just what California should be paying for when it has a budget deficit measured in billions.

Sorry, practically nothing. Here are the specifics:

SF Chronicle wrote:

The parameters of a complex deal hashed out between the city and team, released late Friday, call for Santa Clara to contribute $79 million toward the $937 million project, a major reduction from the $222 million in public contributions the team had sought in 2007.

There would be no new taxes or money taken from the city's general fund. Instead, the bulk of the city's contribution would come from $42 million in redevelopment funds, which can be spent only on specific types of projects.

Basically it's money already on the table that would have to go somewhere, anyway, and that $79 million would be paid back fairly fast.

Good, because Candlestick is the most miserable place I've ever gone to watch a sporting event.

It's no Qwest Field, but I've never had a problem at Candlestick. Of course, I only go once a year and only buy seats at or near the 50... I could see how having crappy seats could really suck.