Weekly NFL Column 09/08/09 Edition

Weekly NFL Column 09/08/09 Edition  I am not sure what the Lions did to make the Saints less than happy, but the coaches are taking a unique angle for the

Weekly NFL Column 09/08/09 Edition

 

• I am not sure what the Lions did to make the Saints less than happy, but the coaches are taking a unique angle for the Saints on this game. Asking their players if they want to be the laughing stock of the league giving them their first win after 0-16. 
• Jerry Jones has essentially told the league if you want my board moved, then you pay for it. The NFL is tentative with the Cowboy’s owner and don’t want a fight. They will look at it again in 2010, but for 2009, it will stay.
• Big props to Brian Hoyer. He paid his dues, kept his mouth shut and earned the respect of the entire Patriots team. When you have Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Bill Belichick singing your praises, you did something right.
• The Jets are out on the Brandon Marshall sweepstakes. Not because they don’t like his talent. They just don’t see with the high price the Broncos are asking that he can learn enough of their system with the season starting this week to justify the cost.
• Speaking of Marshall, Jay Cutler wants him in Chi Town bad. He has lobbied that Marshall and he know each other so well that the adjustment to a new system won’t be difficult. The Broncos don’t seem inclined to allow two of their stars to move to Chicago, but it doesn’t mean the Bears aren’t trying.
• The Patriots once again proved why they are who they are. They totally fleeced the hapless Raiders on a trade for aging Richard Seymour. They got a 2011 first round pick for a guy with at most two years in the tank. They bought the car and rode it while it was under warranty and traded it in for a better model for essentially nothing. Great move by the Pats and yet another reason to ask God why you were born a Raider fan.
• Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was back at practice albeit not practicing. He is tentative on his injury, but is at least up.
• More Raiders drama. Tom Cable allegedly struck another coach on his staff. The issue is not dead yet and imagine if he is suspended for their first game? One member of a team’s management told me, “They have to. If there is any proof they have to deal with him or they have zero credibility with the players. I mean zero.” Harsh words, but words I agree with.
• I am not sure if Eric Mangini is a good coach with bad luck, or a bad coach with even worse luck. I do know this. I know folks with his team and they aren’t impressed. He better win quick.
• Donovan McNabb has been known to be, shall we say, touchy. The Eagles without a certain WR with the initials T.O. haven’t lived up to expectations in his time with the birds. Well Michael Vick has, “Done everything right as far as keeping his mouth shut and just balling,” since he arrived. He has also played well for a guy away from the game as long as he was. If McNabb struggles and he always seems to at some point, this could not be good for birds fans. If McNabb pouts he could lose this team fast as guys call for Vick and for the first time, the drama around Vick could truthfully be someone else’s fault.
• Be patient Chiefs fans. Your ship is moving in the right direction and you have reason to be happy as they clean house and learn what they have.
• Super Bowl hero David Tyree will probably end up in KC. They are a fit both on and off the field and it will give Pioli a nice add and let Tyree prove he can be part of the future.
• Brett Favre is fitting in nicely in Minnesota. He spent some time with teammates over the holiday along with family and is learning that he doesn’t have to do it all. That is a huge weight off of his shoulders.
• I talked with three NFL scouts in the last week about CMU QB Dan Lefevour. I also spent time with Lefevour on Labor Day also. The consensus of the scouts is that in the right system he can play in the league. One of them whose team is watching him close said, “The performance against Arizona last week dropped him a peg or two for us. They are a very fast defense and he struggled some. He did well against a better D last year in Athens, so maybe it was just first game jitters. Saturday in East Lansing will say a lot.”
• Bucs fans have to be shaking their head. New head coach Raheem Morris is showing signs of being way over his head. I am not even talking about the firing of OC Jagodzinski. He has made a lot of questionable decisions that have made a lot of people shake their heads. Keep a keen eye on the Bay people.
• And with their first pick in the 2010 NFL draft the Lions select: Ndamukong Suh, DT from Nebraska. 
• Mike Crabtree WR, is still the only unsigned draft choice. There are concerns in San Fran that other teams have tampered with him and that is why he is holding out for stupid money. The league will take a look and if any of it can be proven (that is the key in the NFL, it happens and we all know it, but can you prove it) then there will be GIGANTIC penalties. Goodell is not a happy man and Singletary is ready to move on and let him reenter the draft. If Crabtree sits, and comes back, and one of those teams that allegedly whispered in his ears lets him pass then he could sing to the NFL. I had one player in San Fran tell me, “He was here for the pre camp stuff and he was not a well liked guy. At least to me. Selfish.” If that is true and I don’t know Crabtree, he would sing about how he stayed out because teams told him what they would pay and didn’t. This situation is not good, but it doesn’t make the Niners look bad, just Crabtree and any other NFL teams if they are truly talking.