Favre and Pack Must Part
The possibility of seeing Brett Favre in a Green Bay Packers uniform this season lasted just one day. After Favre bashed the team yet again after arriving in Green Bay for training camp, it’s clear that he and the team cannot continue this relationship. Head coach Mike McCarthy has again endorsed Aaron Rodgers as the Packers’ quarterback, saying Favre didn’t arrive in the proper mindset. As of this morning, there is a lot of talk of Favre being traded to Tampa Bay, a window that seemed to have closed but is being revisited.
It was hard to imagine Favre and the Packers just burying the hatchet after the verbal assaults each side had launched this offseason. Now it’s evident that the relationship will not be repaired and both sides appear ready to part ways. It seems that Favre now knows that there is no way he can finagle his way into a Minnesota Vikings uniform and will consider moving to the Bucs. The Bucs are Favre’s best option as far as the potential to win goes. He and Joey Galloway might form the oldest touchdown tandem since Rich Gannon was throwing to Jerry Rice in Oakland (also under Jon Gruden), but they’re both still capable of playing at a high level. The saga continues.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Boller Named Ravens Preseason Starter
Kyle Boller has been named the starter for the Ravens’ first preseason game against the New England Patriots. Rookie head coach John Harbaugh said his decision to give Boller the nod was based on seniority and experience. Boller has started 42 NFL games in his six-year career, all of which has been spent in Baltimore.
This blogger still believes that Boller could be a quality starter in the NFL. He’s shown flashes in the past but hasn’t been able to remain consistent enough to keep his job. His competition for the starting gig in Baltimore consists of second-year QB Troy Smith and rookie Joe Flacco. The Ravens took Flacco in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft and figures to be Boller’s primary competition for the job. Boller has the physical tools to be an NFL quarterback, there’s no doubt about that. Where Boller has struggled is in making sure the little things are taken care of and in his mental makeup. His decision-making has been questionable at times and he’s had a habit of letting little things go wrong, like fumbling the snap. Boller has a good opportunity to make his claim to the starting role thanks primarily to the inexperience of both Smith and Flacco, but it could be his last.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Open Season
The newest twist in the Brett Favre saga now has Favre reporting to Packers training camp with an opportunity to compete for the starting job. It has been reported that Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy will announce that he’ll hold an open competition for the job between Favre and Aaron Rodgers.
This story has been a wild ride so far. First Favre wanted to comeback, then he wanted a trade, then he was on the verge of accepting $20 million not to play and now he’s coming to camp to compete for the job he’s held for the past 15 years. It’s hard to imagine Favre being beat out for the gig by Rodgers, as the 38-year-old threw for more than 4100 yards last season and tossed 28 touchdowns. And while Rodgers has shown promise and poise, his inexperience will have to come into play. It’s hard to picture Favre standing on the sidelines with a clipboard while Aaron Rodgers is running the offense. That doesn’t seem like Favre’s style. If Rodgers somehow wins the job, what will Favre do? Will he demand a trade, become a team distraction, publicly sulk? There’s no way to really know, but this month should be interesting.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
49ers QB Battle
The San Francisco 49ers look like they’re prepared to allow the battle for the starting quarterback position rage on deep into the preseason. The team is undecided between former first overall pick Alex Smith and the undrafted Shaun Hill. Smith hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations that come along with being the number one pick in the draft. The Utah product had a really rough start to his career, throwing 11 interceptions to just one touchdown pass in the nine games in which he played in his rookie season. But under the tutelage of former offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Smith shined in 2006, throwing 18 touchdowns and raising his completion percentage to 58 percent.
Last year Turner departed and Smith took a step back, throwing just two touchdowns in an injury-plagued season and completing only 48 percent of his passes. Hill played in just three games last season towards the end of the year, but looked good. He tossed five touchdowns to just one interception and netted a 101.3 quarterback rating. With new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, whoever the starter is will be throwing the ball often. Conventional NFL wisdom points to Smith as the starter because he makes much more money, but Head Coach Mike Nolan’s job might hang in the balance of this decision.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Favre Rumors Too Juicy to Avoid
This blogger has done everything in his power not to get wrapped up in the Brett Favre rumors, but there are two floating around today that are just too good to pass up. There have been rumblings that the Packers have offered a sum of approximately $20 million, to be paid over a few years, to Favre to stay retired. Another rumor has the Pack considering trading Favre to a rival team, potentially the Vikings or Bears, if all else fails.
Supposedly the Packers have found suitors in the form of the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but have not been able to convince Favre to accept them as destinations. Understandably, Favre wants to go to a contender, but he can’t be this choosy. If the team did, in fact, offer him a large sum of money to stay retired, it shows the utter desperation of the club at this point. This kind of offer feels like a last-ditch effort before they’re forced to trade him to a rival. Can you imagine Brett Favre in a Vikings or Bears uniform? As far as the division goes, the Pack would probably rather deal Favre to the Bears. With Favre, the Vikings would become the favorite in the NFC North, as the 38-year-old would join all-world running back Adrian Peterson and one of the league’s best defenses. Even this blogger must admit that he’s intrigued by the possibilities.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Dolphins QB Situation
The Miami Dolphins are looking for a fresh start this season after last year’s 1-15 debacle. Cam Cameron was fired after just one year as coach and new football operations boss Bill Parcells brought in Tony Sparano as his replacement. The Dolphins haven’t had a franchise quarterback since the days of Dan Marino, which seems like just a distant memory more with every passing year. The club currently has three starting quarterbacks on their roster in rookie Chad Henne, second-year guy John Beck and journeyman Josh McCown.
McCown has the best shot of winning the starting job, initially. He’s known for being a good practice player and has fared decently in the opportunities he’s had to start for teams, but he’s not the long-term solution. He’s fooled coaches into thinking he was a solid starter in the past and he might have it in him one more time. But everyone knows that McCown is not part of the team’s long-term plans. The quarterback of the future is either Chad Henne or John Beck. Henne probably has the better chance between the two. Beck was a Cam Cameron guy and he looked absolutely terrible in the playing time he received last season. Parcells and Sparano have no attachment to Beck and obviously have their doubts about his ability or they wouldn’t have used a second round pick on Henne.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Leinart’s Time to Shine
This is a big season for Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart. Leinart is key to the team’s success, this season and in the future. After a shoulder injury ended his season after just five games in 2007, Leinart watched veteran signal caller Kurt Warner throw 27 touchdowns in his absence. The team drafted Leinart with their first-round pick in 2006 to be their starter and signed Warner to be his backup, but their respective performances haven’t reflected their perceived roles to this point. Leinart hasn’t looked like the franchise quarterback that many thought he would be and Warner has performed well in every opportunity he’s had to play since joining the team.
This season, Leinart needs to step it up. The starting gig has been handed back to him and it’s time to perform. He’s got two of the best wide receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and an offensive line that is now capable and improving. The last thing the franchise wants is to have to insert Warner midseason. The club wants the younger player that they’re paying first-round money to lead them to the playoffs and not have to depend on a 37-year-old guy who would be essentially serving as a stopgap. Leinart is used to playing with pressure, so he’s prepared to handle this situation better than most players at his age.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Chiefs Ink Dorsey
In an effort to avoid the Brett Favre situation until something significant occurs, let’s focus on something else. The Kansas City Chiefs have signed defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, to a five-year deal worth more than $50 million. The club selected Dorsey, who was at one time viewed as a candidate for the top selection, fifth overall. The LSU product was the leader of the team that won the National Championship last season.
Remember these words…Glenn Dorsey will be the best player from the 2008 draft class. In five years, people are going to wonder how the Chiefs got him at five. Kansas City got a steal here. Dorsey’s stock was hurt by an injury following his senior season that prevented him from working out much and resulted in his not being in the best of shape. But make no mistake about it, when healthy, Dorsey is a dominant player. He commanded double teams for the bulk of his collegiate career and still looked like a man among boys in the trenches. There are some questions about his durability, but his ability to take over games is incredible. The Chiefs might have had the best draft of any team in ’08 and it all started with Dorsey falling into their laps.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Favre Coming to Camp?
Brett Favre has said that he plans to report to Packers camp on Sunday. Nobody is quite sure if this is merely an idle threat by Favre in an attempt to expedite his release or trade from the team. In the meantime, the New York Jets have reportedly been cleared by the Packers to talk with Favre. The Jets, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have expressed interest in the future hall-of-fame quarterback. There has also been much speculation about Favre being interested in playing for the Vikings, though the Packers are highly unlikely to let that occur.
What will happen if Favre shows up to camp on Sunday? Talk about awkward. If he does, I’d say Aaron Rodgers demands a trade. How could he not? What is the team going to do, bench Favre and play Rodgers ahead of him? I can’t see it happening. Rodgers has waited patiently since his extended stay in the green room on draft day, and now is his time. As far as Favre being traded, I’m sure the Packers would love to ship him to the Jets. He’d be out of the conference and on a team that probably wouldn’t be a threat to face the Pack in the Super Bowl were they to reach it.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.
Bears QB Battle
It appears that Kyle Orton has the upper hand as far as securing the Bear’s starting quarterback position. Orton is finally getting a fair shot at the job now that head coach Lovie Smith is off of his “Rex is our quarterback” kick and Brian Griese is out of town. Grossman is still very much in the mix for the starting job, but is by no means guaranteed the spot. The team surprised a lot of people when they didn’t select a quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft.
I think Orton gives the Bears a better chance to win than Grossman does. Orton doesn’t have the arm to sling the ball all over the field and make spectacular throws, but he is careful with the football and throws accurately on short and intermediate routes. Grossman is a human turnover when he’s on the field. Between fumbles and interceptions, Grossman gives the ball away to the opposing team at an alarming rate. He does have ability, but it doesn’t seem like he’s got the mind for the position. The Bears need to make sure their talented defense plays up to its ability. If that unit excels, then Orton’s ability to manage games will prove to be extremely valuable.
To get NFL Tickets, go to Stubhub.com.