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

Rat Boy wrote:

Trey Wingo thinks Jay Cutler should "Get over it"

And he's right. Ironically, Cutler may be hurting his chances to get traded by not handling the situation very gracefully. He needs to show up to offseason activities, tell the press he's happy to remain a Bronco, and get to work.

If he still wants to push for a trade, he needs to stop making the same mistake McDaniels did, and do all the talking behind closed doors.

As a Chiefs fan, it just makes me grin thinking that both Cutler and McDaniels are big crybabies that will never get past this. If it wasn't perfect enough that McDaniels has pissed off their franchise QB, it just got better now that Cutler is acting like a douche that can't be traded.

I'm guessing that somebody in Denver wish they had Shanahan back right now. It's beginning to border on Raider level idiocy at this point.

Since the draft and Mel Kiper keep coming up in my daily football reading, I was reminded of this story that Vic Ketchman wrote last year after Kiper ripped the Jaguars for not trading their 1st round pick (#8) to Miami to get Jason Taylor.

If Ketchman started writing his "Ask Vic" column for the Detroit Lions instead of the Jaguars, it would still be the first football thing I read every weekday morning. And Kiper? Well, for a guy so focused on the draft, you'd think he'd know better than to throw away draft picks on aging veterans (who get cut a year later and go a month - so far - without so much as a sniff)

trowan wrote:

Good times for Browns fans, I'm going to pay to see a college team play against pros this year.

I shared this comment with a Lions fan. The response: "boo f*cking hoo!"

*Legion* wrote:
trowan wrote:

Good times for Browns fans, I'm going to pay to see a college team play against pros this year.

I shared this comment with a Lions fan. The response: "boo f*cking hoo!" :D

At least he can see a crappy game in December indoors.

Niners cut Jonas Jennings, who was a good tackle for Buffalo but has been chronically injured in San Francisco. (Would make a good backup, but teams are so tackle-starved that I wouldn't be shocked to see him land in another starting gig).

49ers also apparently unveiling new jerseys on draft day.

PFT says they are supposed to be an '80s throwback. I hope so!

IMAGE(http://images.wikia.com/openserving/sports/images/3/31/Jmontana.jpg)

The day the Niners added that damned drop-shadow to the jersey numbers is the day I knew for certain that the 49ers of my childhood were gone.

If they really wanted to channel some positive mojo, they should have gone with the throwbacks they wore during their last Super Bowl run.

Rat Boy wrote:

If they really wanted to channel some positive mojo, they should bring Montana out of retirement.

Fixed.

I was about to do a "fixed" post like that, except the bold part read, "throw John York off a bridge".

Did Jerry Rice just call David Spade a "talking little chihuahua?" Awesome!

Well, it is now official. Cutler is on the trading block. This is an unbelievable screw up by the Broncos. I could kind of see firing Shanahan, but getting rid of Cutler is a bad decision. I had him ranked as the top up and coming QB. I really thought he was starting to put it together last year. Lots of teams should be interested.

Atlas wrote:

Well, it is now official. Cutler is on the trading block. This is an unbelievable screw up by the Broncos. I could kind of see firing Shanahan, but getting rid of Cutler is a bad decision. I had him ranked as the top up and coming QB. I really thought he was starting to put it together last year. Lots of teams should be interested.

It was a screw-up when they tried to get Cassel instead, and it was a bigger screw-up letting that cat out of the bag.

It's not a screw-up now. It's the best option they have. It's a train-wreck of their own making, but keeping a disgruntled Cutler isn't a better idea. The trade market will yield something that the new regime can use to rebuild.

Hopefully he goes to the NFC somewhere.

On the topic of Cutler and teams' interest:

PFT wrote:

The Jets, Buccaneers, Bears, Lions, 49ers, and Browns already have been identified. Per Robinson and Cole, the Jaguars have shown interest as well.

As much as I like David Garrard and think he will play very well behind a line that isn't starting scrubs, he's 31 and Jay Cutler is 25 and has the skillset of an elite QB.

But I don't expect the Jaguars to truly compete in the open bidding war, and I expect Denver will prefer sending him to the NFC if at all possible (much like the Packers moved Favre to the AFC last year - and the 49ers back in the day with Montana, for that matter). You don't want the guy competing against you for playoff spots and facing you in the early playoff rounds every year.

*Legion* wrote:

On the topic of Cutler and teams' interest:

PFT wrote:

The Jets, Buccaneers, Bears, Lions, 49ers, and Browns already have been identified. Per Robinson and Cole, the Jaguars have shown interest as well.

As much as I like David Garrard and think he will play very well behind a line that isn't starting scrubs, he's 31 and Jay Cutler is 25 and has the skillset of an elite QB.

But I don't expect the Jaguars to truly compete in the open bidding war, and I expect Denver will prefer sending him to the NFC if at all possible (much like the Packers moved Favre to the AFC last year - and the 49ers back in the day with Montana, for that matter). You don't want the guy competing against you for playoff spots and facing you in the early playoff rounds every year.

I see the Jags, Browns and Bears being the "front-runners" of the interested teams, they have a potentially decent QB to work into the trade (Maybe the Niners too, but I don't like any of their QBs in the least). With the Broncos getting rid of Cutler, they're going to need a starting QB. I'm not familiar with their backup, but I'm pretty sure he'll not cut it. Getting a Kyle Orton, Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn, or David Garrard plus something in the way of picks wouldn't be a bad move (considering they "have" to deal him).

*Legion* wrote:

It was a screw-up when they tried to get Cassel instead, and it was a bigger screw-up letting that cat out of the bag.

It's not a screw-up now. It's the best option they have. It's a train-wreck of their own making, but keeping a disgruntled Cutler isn't a better idea. The trade market will yield something that the new regime can use to rebuild.

Hopefully he goes to the NFC somewhere. :)

I'm wholly with you on the "best option they have", but I can't really see where they screwed up with the first two points. McDaniels and Cassel have a history, and while I think Cutler has more raw talent than Cassel, Cassel has (even before this meltdown) much more maturity and leadership. So I would say pursuing Cassel was a risky move, but an understandable one. Even knowing that Cutler can be a bit of an ass, no management team in professional sports should feel a need to get permission from a player they have under contract. I'm sure everyone would like to be told when they might be looking at a different job, but business has been done this way for a while - Cutler should have just taken this as a challenge, his team will be playing Cassel's team twice a year at least - plenty of chances to show McDaniels that Cassel isn't that great without Moss and Welker. I'm a Patriots guy, but I always liked the Broncos, too, so this whole situation is just depressing.

Hopefully he goes to the NFC somewhere.

Trade Hasselbeck and pick #4 for Cutler and some later round picks. The draft this year is weak and probably won't yield good value for Seattle, while it might for Denver.

kaostheory wrote:

With the Broncos getting rid of Cutler, they're going to need a starting QB. I'm not familiar with their backup, but I'm pretty sure he'll not cut it. Getting a Kyle Orton, Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn, or David Garrard plus something in the way of picks wouldn't be a bad move (considering they "have" to deal him).

The Broncos have all ready signed Chris Simms as the backup. I know he had his problems with the Bucs before he got injured, but the Titans staff had nothing but great things to say about him during all of last year. There were also thoughts of him competing for the starting job with Vince Young had they not been able to resign Collins. I had also heard that is arm strength had improved. I have a feeling he will be starting again in the NFL at some point.

Being a fan of the Lions and Cutler (even after the cry babyish debacle), I'd like for him to end up in Detroit. In reality, I don't see it happening without the Lions offering a lot because, like kaostheory pointed out, Detroit doesn't have a QB to offer that Denver would be interested in. I see Cutler going to Cleveland and Anderson going to Denver.

Atras wrote:

I'm wholly with you on the "best option they have", but I can't really see where they screwed up with the first two points.

You have a 25 year old QB, fresh off a Pro Bowl season, right there on the roster, and you've got to get rid of him.

Football is a results business. That outcome right there is a massive screw-up.

Matt Cassel has promise, but he's been so ridiculously overrated by virtue of being the "best" QB available to change teams this offseason (until now with the Cutler situation). Cassel proved that the Patriots offensive line, receivers, and overall system is so good that even a guy that had no college football starting experience was able to step in and get something done. As Aaron Schatz put it, Cassel took the wheel for one of the greatest offenses in NFL history and managed not to crash the car. And he was helped along in this by playing one of the NFL's easiest schedules (only 3 games against winning teams). And despite the excellent protection, Cassel led the league in times sacked, from holding onto the ball for an eternity.

Let's not forget that a 35-year-old Randall Cunningham was able to go from scrub to Pro Bowler (and back afterwards) by playing "throw it up to Moss" in Minnesota. (Not to mention Daunte Culpepper). Cassel got plenty of mileage by throwing it to Moss and trusting him to bail him out of any bad throws.

That's not to say that Cassel isn't a hot prospect. That's exactly what he is: a prospect who showed good promise in a gift-wrapped situation. He's not in the same conversation as Cutler. A lot of warts and rawness to Cassel's game has been overlooked.

I understand McDaniels' pre-existing relationship with Cassel, but he needs to understand that he's not an offensive coordinator now. He's a head coach, and a head coach can't become infatuated with their old players. Unless they're Bill Parcells. The head coach has to maximize the talent available on the roster. And destroying the relationship with Cutler - regardless of how large of the share of fault lies with Cutler - is a big, massive failure to do that.

The biggest shame is that an offense like McDaniels runs is tailor made for a gunslinger like Cutler. The hiring of McDaniels seemed like a golden match. Both guys lose.

Minase wrote:
Hopefully he goes to the NFC somewhere.

Trade Hasselbeck and pick #4 for Cutler and some later round picks. The draft this year is weak and probably won't yield good value for Seattle, while it might for Denver.

If I'm a Seattle fan, and St. Louis really does prefer Jason Smith and takes him, I'd be tickled pink at the opportunity to take Eugene Monroe at pick #4. (Of course, if Detroit gets Cutler, that might not happen)

*Legion* wrote:
Atras wrote:

I can't really see where they screwed up with the first two points.

You have a 25 year old QB, fresh off a Pro Bowl season, right there on the roster, and you've got to get rid of him.

Football is a results business. That outcome right there is a massive screw-up.

What I'm saying is that the result here is not on McDaniels, it is on Cutler. It can be argued that McDaniels screwed up initially, but from all accounts it sounds like he has made every effort to fix things and now Cutler has made things much worse for everyone.

*Legion* wrote:

Matt Cassel has promise, ... a prospect who showed good promise in a gift-wrapped situation.

I've always liked Cassel, but I was shocked that he didn't get cut after the preseason. I honestly don't think he would be a good fit in Denver, with the exception of McDaniels being there - he's only really shown effectiveness from the shotgun, where Denver tends to thrive on the running backs.

*Legion* wrote:

The head coach has to maximize the talent available on the roster. And destroying the relationship with Cutler - regardless of how large of the share of fault lies with Cutler - is a big, massive failure to do that.

I think the head coach has to win, and make their team as good as they can to accomplish that. McDaniels thought Cutler for Cassel was the way to do that (even though I disagree) and that should be the end of it. Vince Young gets a big steaming pile of crap for being a crybaby about actually losing his starting job, but Jeff Fischer gets a pass because Kerry Collins proved effective. If Collins was as washed up as it seemed like he would be, would Fischer be totally to blame if Young was hiding to get a trade?

*Legion* wrote:

The biggest shame is that an offense like McDaniels runs is tailor made for a gunslinger like Cutler. The hiring of McDaniels seemed like a golden match. Both guys lose.

Yeah, big time.

*Legion* wrote:

And he was helped along in this by playing one of the NFL's easiest schedules (only 3 games against winning teams).

Huh? I count five winning teams (2 of those twice) and two 8-8 teams, including both teams that played in the Superbowl.

*EDIT* Oh, you meant they only won 3 of those games. I guess that's somewhat fair.

Atras wrote:

What I'm saying is that the result here is not on McDaniels, it is on Cutler. It can be argued that McDaniels screwed up initially, but from all accounts it sounds like he has made every effort to fix things and now Cutler has made things much worse for everyone.

One of the biggest part of a head coach's job is handling player personalities. Very few QBs take well to being linked to failed trades, especially ones that make the newspapers. Cutler is oversensitive, no doubt, but it is McDaniels' job to handle the players, including the oversensitive ones, in a way that gets them to perform for their team. Cutler's oversensitivity is Cutler's fault. The sequence of events that led to Cutler's oversensitivity becoming a team problem that pretty much necessitates trading their franchise QB away is McDaniels' fault.

Vince Young gets a big steaming pile of crap for being a crybaby about actually losing his starting job, but Jeff Fischer gets a pass because Kerry Collins proved effective. If Collins was as washed up as it seemed like he would be, would Fischer be totally to blame if Young was hiding to get a trade?

The difference is that Cutler is a Pro Bowl franchise QB and Vince Young is a marginal QB at best right now. If Fisher damaged the relationship with Steve McNair in his prime to the point where McNair wanted to trade, it would be just like the Cutler situation. But a guy who doesn't perform and ends up on the bench, if he cries and wants a trade, nobody cares because it doesn't really damage the team. It's all about the impact it has on the team.

*EDIT* Oh, you meant they only won 3 of those games. I guess that's somewhat fair.

Yeah, I guess I left out a word in there. And it's only Miami's unexpected success that made the schedule even that good. Based on 2007 win/loss percentages, New England was to play, by far, the easiest schedule in the NFL. Theirs was like .387 and the next lowest was in the .400s. Miami's success helped boost that out of the gutter into just "one of the easiest", instead of "junior college league"

*Legion* wrote:
PFT wrote:

The Jets, Buccaneers, Bears, Lions, 49ers, and Browns already have been identified. Per Robinson and Cole, the Jaguars have shown interest as well.

Ah, but who, I ask, who has the better shot? Fortunately for Denver, none of the above are in the AFC West, so even though they might not like the fact that they could conceivably send him to a conference rival, at least he'd be out of their division. In terms of interest, I think the Jags are long-shots at best. I know Jack del Rio has said he wanted to shake things up after what happened to Jacksonville last season, but I don't think throwing David Garrard under the bus again is the solution, unless he's the one they send to Denver. In terms of who has what to give up, the only things going for Detroit and San Francisco right now is draft picks; edge to the 49ers, since I doubt Denver would want to pay #1 draft pick dollars for one of this year's class of quarterbacks whom I don't think warrant that level of money. And there's the chance that if the Niners part with their pick for Cutler, it's still a gamble for Denver since they don't know if one of their targets will still be on the board by then. Plus, there's also the fact that Mike Singletary has made it clear he wants a run first offense, so at best their quarterback will be called upon for short yardage situations. Not the ideal spot for Cutler.

That leaves New York, Tampa, Chicago, and Cleveland. The Jets desperately need a quarterback of some note after the Brett Favre debacle and I think they could be frontrunners in the contest if not for the fact they're in the AFC. Tampa seems to have a revolving door around the position, so I wouldn't discount them. The Bears need to get out of this funk they've been in at the position and I think they could be strong contenders. Cleveland I think are also long shots, unless the Mangenius really wants Anderson and Quinn out of the picture, but then again they're in the AFC.

So where does Jay Cutler go? I'm heavily leaning towards Chicago at the moment.

Edit: Or, Denver could do what PFT suggested and let her have him:

IMAGE(http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8900/cutleradoption.jpg)

I'm just hoping whoever does deal for Cutler screws Denver hard.

I bet Shanahan is laughing his ass off right now. Denver would be in a hell of a lot better shape with a competent head coach right now, instead of some wonderkid that got caught up in egos. His firing was the first mistake in the entire ordeal.

Rat Boy, apparently someone not on that list - Washington - may be the front-runner.

It makes sense. Washington has pick #13 in the draft and it's the franchise's M.O. to do everything in their power to make as few draft selections as possible. They already don't have a 2nd or a 4th round pick. They need to get rid of pick #13 so that they can completely skip the Day 1 selection process altogether.

*Legion* wrote:

Rat Boy, apparently someone not on that list - Washington - may be the front-runner.

It makes sense. Washington has pick #13 in the draft and it's the franchise's M.O. to do everything in their power to make as few draft selections as possible. They already don't have a 2nd or a 4th round pick. They need to get rid of pick #13 so that they can completely skip the Day 1 selection process altogether.

So it does.

MIAMI -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth was charged Wednesday with killing a pedestrian last month while driving drunk after a night out at a swank South Beach nightspot.

An arrest warrant charging Stallworth, 28, with DUI manslaughter was filed in the March 14 accident that killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes. If convicted, Stallworth would face up to 15 years in prison.

Stallworth's blood-alcohol level after the crash was .126, well above Florida's legal limit of .08, according to results of a blood test. Stallworth will also be charged with DUI, which carries a possible six-month sentence plus fines and community service for first offenders.

no real comment to add. I'm just not surprised anymore.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/s...

Rat Boy wrote:

I'm heavily leaning towards Chicago at the moment.

Well, since you've already kicked it off with your guess, let's all play a game of "guess where Cutler goes".

Washington is interesting, but right now their free salary cap space amounts to... wait for it... $200,000. Seriously. (Again, this is why PFT and ESPN make me mad when they claim Jason Taylor was cut because he didn't agree to the stipulations of a workout bonus. That's a fairy tale. He was cut because the team needed the $8.5 million, $8.3 million of which is already gone).

One thing to understand about the feasibility of trading Jay Cutler: his cap figure for 2009 is very low - $1.035 million. His rookie deal involved very little signing bonus, using roster bonuses instead. He's due a $4 million roster bonus next season, allowing anyone to acquire him cheaply (contract-wise) now and let him play out a year before having to put any real financial investment in him.

Jason Campbell's cap figure is $1.8 million, about $1 mil of which are (non-signing) bonuses - I'm guessing workout or roster bonuses that may not have been paid out yet, and then most of the rest is salary. Assuming those bonuses are still yet unpaid, getting rid of Campbell would free up enough room to slide Cutler in.

The latest story on Cutler indicates that the Broncos want "more than a 1st and a 3rd" for Cutler. I don't think that happens. The Broncos have no leverage to drive the price, only the teams competing against each other for Cutler do. I see a 1st and a 3rd as the upper bound to a potential deal, and a 2nd plus a conditional pick as the lower bound. I think a 1st or maybe a 1st and a late round or conditional pick as the more likely final price.

Washington has a 1st and a 3rd and oh how sweet it would be to have them wipe out their entire draft up until the 5th round!

But I think I'm going with Detroit. There have been reports that even without Cutler, Detroit was thinking very hard about taking Jason Smith instead of a quarterback with pick #1. I don't think they're infatuated with any of the rookie QBs. And remember, Detroit not only has pick #1, but pick #20 (the brilliant result of pawning off Roy Williams to Dallas). Not only that, but they also have an extra 3rd round pick. They've got the chips to bargain with. They can deal pick #20 plus one of their thirds to Denver, get Cutler, and still have a complete draft, which they kick off by taking their franchise left tackle with pick #1.

Pick #20 and an extra 3rd, along with the picks they already own (including pick #12), would be plenty for Denver to move up into the top 10 and draft Stafford or Sanchez if they want one of them. I also think it's entirely possible that Denver drafts a QB after round 1 and signs a veteran free agent to fill out their roster, rather than trying to solve the "franchise QB" problem immediately. Byron Leftwich and Jeff Garcia are both there for the taking, either one would at least be a competent one-year starter, Leftwich possibly more than that if the (very good) Broncos line can keep him from shattering.

I think Tampa Bay is looking at Antonio Bryant and their new toy Kellen Winslow, and imagining what a show it would be having Cutler throw to them instead of Luke McCown. But they already are short in this draft, having no 2nd round pick (gone in that Winslow trade), so I don't know if they go getting rid of the rest of their top draft picks.

I think Chicago is interested but, believe it or not, Kyle Orton progressed last year. The need to replace him isn't quite as dire as before. Although I think given a good opportunity, they'd jump to replace him with someone like Cutler, but Detroit's QB situation is far worse and they have the extra picks to deal. Chicago does have two 3rd round picks (one compensatory, which they can't trade, but they can get rid of their other one), so they do have a little bit extra to play with in this deal.

I think the fact that Denver is specifically talking about draft picks as compensation speaks to them wanting picks instead of actually acquiring a QB from someone. I think that pushes Cleveland and Jacksonville further out of the picture. Cleveland only has 5 picks in this draft (though 3 in the first two rounds), but more importantly, both teams would really have to move their existing QB (at least one of them, in Cleveland's case) to reasonably fit Cutler on the roster.

Chiefs may be trying to cut Larry Johnson

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/sto...

At issue is $3.75 million of guaranteed money Johnson is due from the Chiefs in the contract extension he signed in August 2007. The contract calls for $3.5 million of Johnson’s 2009 salary and $250,000 of his 2010 salary to be guaranteed regardless of whether he plays for them or not.

The Chiefs claim the one-game suspension he received from the NFL last year for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy is a breach of his contract and frees them from having to pay the guaranteed money.

A source familiar with the situation has said the Chiefs would probably release Johnson if they prevail, suggesting the team wouldn’t be going through the trouble if it didn’t intend to free him from his contract.