8 Puzzling NFL Offseason Headlines
The NFL offseason is a time of great change throughout the league, from the madness of free agency to the rush to get under the salary cap before deadline. Here are 8 pre-draft headlines that made me stop and think- ranging from the downright absurd (Matt Cassel) to comical (Andre Smith).
1. Matt Cassel franchised by the Patriots, then traded to the Chiefs for a second-round pick.
We all know the story. Tom Brady’s knee gets introduced to Bernard Pollard’s helmet and ends his season after about 7 minutes. Matt Cassel, a 7th round pick who hadn’t started since high school, leads the Patriots to within a half-game of the playoffs. The Patriots promptly franchised Cassel and he signed the tender worth $14.65 million for 2008, setting off a flurry of discussion about his trade value to other teams in need of a quarterback. Draft guru Mel Kiper fueled the fire by saying he would rather trade for Matt Cassel than take a quarterback out of the 2008 class in the first round, and most settled on at least two first-day draft picks in 2008 and probably another in 2009 as fair compensation.
It was announced that Cassel was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs under ex-Patriot General Manager Scott Pioli, and the immediate details of the trade were not made public. Patriots fans rubbed their hands together with glee, thinking that with the Chiefs’ 3rd-overall pick along with their own late first round and two second-round choices, some youth would finally get injected into an aging defense and offensive line.
Somehow Pioli managed to get Bill Belichick and company to part with Cassel for the Chiefs’ second round pick alone. Not only that, but to sweeten the deal the Patriots also included outside linebacker / Super Bowl tight end Mike Vrabel as well.
2. Derrick Brooks unceremoniously released from the Buccaneers
One of the only remaining starters from Tampa Bay’s 2002 Championship season remaining on the roster, Derrick Brooks is a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer and probably the best weakside linebacker in league history. He never missed a start in his 14-year career, was selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times, and made the All-Pro team 9 times.
But apparently this didn’t sit well with the Bucs, who released him late in February. In a team statement, the Bucs’ brass wanted to move in “a different direction.” While Brooks showed signs of slowing down in 2008, he was still considered an above-average starter especially with the lack of dominant tight ends league-wide.
What makes the situation a little more puzzling is that Tampa Bay also released Cato June, who started 14 games at strongside linebacker. Meanwhile Ronde Barber is still on the roster, who has quite obviously lost the speed that made him so dangerous in the past. What are the Bucs doing?
3. Terrell Owens released from the Cowboys, signs with the Bills
It’s not so surprising that the Cowboys released 36-year old Owens, but more that the Bills signed him to a 1-year deal worth $6.5 million. Buffalo is a team in dire need of a spark after three consecutive 7-9 seasons under newly re-signed head coach Dick Jauron. Whether or not Owens can manage to hold his tongue long enough for 3rd-year quarterback Trent Edwards to develop a chemistry with him remains to be seen.
Head coach Dick Jauron recently expressed concern that Owens was not attending the Bills’ offseason workout program, but honestly- whose fault is that? They could have added a clause to the contract to get him started on the offense and getting acquainted with his teammates.
4. Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall sign massive offers with Redskins.
Albert Haynesworth became the highest-paid defensive player in league history as well as one of the highest-paid players in the league when he signed a massive $114 million contract with the Washington Redskins. Owner Dan Snyder returned to his roots off offseason spending sprees and also inked cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a multi-year deal.
The only problem is that both these players have baggage. Haynesworth is arguably the most dominant defensive tackle since Warren Sapp. He’s huge, powerful, and impossible to block one-on-one. That is, when he feels like it. The Titans franchised Haynesworth two years in a row, to which he responded with his best seasons as a pro. The big question mark is whether or not Haynesworth will play with the same motor he showed in 2007/2008 now that his bank account is overflowing.
DeAngelo Hall made the highlight reel in 2007 most notably for getting into a shouting match with Bobby Petrino on the sidelines of a [score] home loss to the [team]. Traded to the Raiders in the offseason, his debut appearance in the Black and Silver saw him getting burned by Broncos rookie Eddie Royal on Monday Night Football. He lasted 8 games before being released, after which he was picked up by the Redskins and apparently played well enough in 7 games to earn a 6-year, $55 million contract. We’ll see if he becomes a difference maker in the tough NFC East.
5. Shaun Rogers wants out of Cleveland despite being owed a $5 million roster bonus.
I don’t even know how to categorize this one. Shaun Rogers, the massive defensive tackle for which the Browns traded cornerback Leigh Bodden last season, reportedly wants out of Cleveland due to differences with new head coach Eric Mangini. He’s so adamant that he’s willing to waive a $5 million bonus to get out. This is a breath of fresh air from the normal holdout situations (Lance Briggs in 2006, Chad Johnson in 2007) in which players make a lot of noise about wanting a trade, but ultimately money does the talking and the players show up when they have to. Props to Rogers for putting his money where his mouth is.
6. Vikings trade for Sage Rosenfels
The only question about the Vikings’ acquisition of Sage Rosenfels is whether or not they traded for him as a starter or as a backup. Despite Gus Frerotte and the woeful Vikings passing game, they managed to get into the playoffs behind the Williams Wall and Adrian Peterson. Brad Childress admitted that his hand-picked draft choice in Tarvaris Jackson was a mistake by benching him in week 2. Of course the danger with Rosenfels is that he is exactly the opposite of what the Vikings really need, in short, he’s a turnover machine. Rosenfels fumbles or throws interceptions at the worst possible times, and while turnovers are bad, they’re especially bad for ball-control, run-first offenses that need to make the most of their possessions. For the Vikings to make a serious run at the Super Bowl, neither Rosenfels nor Jackson appear to be the answer.
7. Oakland Raiders making smart moves in free agency.
A breath of fresh air from Oakland breezed through the league as it was announced that several of the Raiders’ oft-questioned free agency signings in the previous offseason were released. Not only that, but Al Davis awarded shutdown cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha with a 3-year, $45 million contract to stay with the Raiders and also franchised and resigned punter Shane Lechler. You can call Al Davis many things, but he’s not cheap. The difference is that this time his high-spending ways are on the right players.
8. Andre Smith leaves the combine without telling anyone.
A huge offensive tackle from Alabama, Andre Smith was in running for being the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Then some questions began to pop up about his character, work ethic, and basic physical fitness during the combine. He responded by jumping ship, leaving days before the event ended and without informing anyone. This is in addition to interviews that reportedly did not go particularly well, and the impressive performances of the other top tackles in this year’s draft such as Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe. He still figures to be a first-rounded selection, but his poor decision making most likely cost him a top-5 selection.
Do you have any other offseason headlines you thought were unusual? Leave a comment!
Technorati Tags: NFL, offseason, draft, football, Matt Cassel, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Scott Pioli, Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Tom Brady, Bernard Pollard, Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bucs, Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, free agency, Dick Jauron, Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall, Vinny Cerato, Washington Redskins, Dan Snyder, Shaun Rogers, Cleveland Browns, Eric Mangini, Sage Rosenfels, Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson, Oakland Raiders, Nnamdi Asomugha, Al Davis, Shane Lechler, Andre Smith, NFL Combine
