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Patriots Draft Blog2010 |
Sacred IdiotBy TOM He lies, then sends us off to die in the desert sun, unprepared. He breaks us. The desert turns red and scared, like a petulant field of poppies swaying in the dead’ning rain. We are left wounded and consumed by pain. He takes my broken brethren, and plies us with poppies, then sends us home, bereft, with our barren sacred trust. But we never really leave, poppies come home and swirl on our plates. Soon we’re out of our dulling opiates? We withdraw, sweat, and shake. We are the fallen, forgotten, and tawdry. Soon he sends more copies of our coterie, for he has no more use for us, a chicken-hawk’s debauchery. Our brothers and sisters still in his war, but he’ll acknowledge us nevermore, it’s the brave he must abhor. So many cease to be. “If they bled oil, what profits that would be, my little soldiers,” says the hero’s foil. We fought the despotism of invasion, we respected no laws to establish a statewide religion, free to speak, we expelled them with curses. But who would have sought out the tyranny hiding in the Bushes? Who thought they’d steal our States, kill our bravest, unsecure our persons and liberty, just to fatten their purses? We’ve failed, and made all of our compatriots idiots. o |
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Drafting warrantless plots, dodging all justice: they mock our gravest
needs, they will let the bells toll forever, and give no peace entry.
Roses grow on shadows, pale and cold shades of a once great Country.
Violets grow above caskets, the silent signs of soldiers now unseen.
Lilies in dead fields grow splendid in the well-oiled Earth’s cover.
A rose weeps by an open gate crying, “come in, the graves are free.”
Violets warn, “there is no rest, no galloping best, nothing serene.”
Young lilies open and say, “Come in my countrymen, nothingness
awaits." Fear not the brilliant dreams of the poppy-fields hopelessness.
Nor the stark wanderings of our broken brave. Nor the unsighted.
Only the cold forevermore silence of the unrequited,
and the broken promises of the Sacred Idiot.”
I wrack, I wrack my brain but I cannot understand his distain.
Is this the world we want for our children?
I ran, I ran to pray, but propaganda would repeat the pain.
Where has our forefather’s bold wisdom been?
I rage, I rage against war for profit, and killing our bold young.
Whose warmongering god of hate is this?
I wrack, I wrack, I wrack my brain, but I can’t find peace to be sung:
no psalms, no hymns, no requiems, no bliss.
I ran, I ran, I ran into that dark night to find our truth quit.
So I chose an opiate bush and fought.
I raged, I raged, I raged against the drear deceased dreams left unlit,
only to find that I’ve been turned into an idiot.
o
The Unknown Soldier
By TOM
I
have no money,
I’m
sorry to say;
which
is a crime in
My
boots, just like my
wisdom,
are ripped and torn.
Just
as even my hope
has
gone beyond Just worn.
I
had wants once in life
and love and women too.
When
dreams become a curse...
How
does one work it through?
In
the woods there are no funds,
resurrections,
or house calls:
Lack
of insurance is called
an
“Untreatable Withdrawal”.
I
hear some deposit their racism,
but they know not what they mean.
Because
justice has become blind
except
of course to the color green.
It’s
Just that I cannot check the hunger.
The
hunger for love, the hunger for life.
or
the hunger to buy any damn thing
any
damn time I damn well want. Damn it.
No,
it is Just the damn hunger.
No
it’s Just that I cannot check the thirst.
The
thirst for respect, the thirst for my self.
the
thirst for self-respect. The thirst to feel
normal
... for one damn minute. For one
damn
second of normalcy, I damn well
thirst
for that damn moment of normalness.
No,
I think it is just the thirst.
There’s
a little grey fox I call Charlie. He lives about
half
a click down river on the bank, in a little hole.
I
give him a little piece of bread I try to save each day.
every
piece buys back forgiveness, every bit buys back a piece of my soul.
I
watch him with such interest, sometimes, that it scares me, but
I
have to give him credit, at any rate, he’s as quick as
a
mongoose. He hops and bops with such a quaint and curious
passion
for life. Charlie shows me how to set my spirit loose.
I
am hoping that one day if I can live and breath again
Charlie will make me whole, and
on that day, maybe, finally...
I’ll
go home.
Trades that Can't Happen
April 16th, 2010
4/15 This Draft is loaded with glamorous offensive players, and I think we all fall into the trap of wanting glamour over defense. I would love for the Pats to take Ryan Mathews, Golden Tate, Rob Gronkowski, and Tony Moeaki with their first 4 picks. Brady's career is running out of gas, and these four guys would add a lot of nitrous to the Pat's offense tank. However, the Pats defense probably needs more help than the offense. BB is basically a defensive coach, and when he looks at this Draft, there are some serious issues that have to be addressed. Number one is a passrusher, but what is their next biggest need? And how many offensive players can they take without jeopardizing the defense. I think their Draft needs start at Brandon Graham, and well Sergio Kindle. When asked about Graham and Kindle BB had an interesting answer at his pre-Draft press conference, "You want to get into a lot of specifics? Both of the players you mentioned are outstanding players. I think they are both outstanding players. I think they're both going to play in the league." BB has never drafted a player he has mentioned by name in the pre-Draft press conference, and he interestingly did say either player's name;-)
If Brandon Graham is gone, where do we go from here? I read this on ESPN the other day, the Pats ranks Forth in the NFL in Average Yards per Carry Allowed. Which means Running Backs averaged 4.3 YPC against the Pats defense last season, which was the forth worst in the league. Since the excommunication of Richard Seymour, the run defense has gotten worse and worse. The Pats were especially getting gashed on the right side of the
D-Line. In fact, it got so bad that BB started putting NT Vince Wilfork over to Seymour's old Right D-End spot to stop the bleeding during games, which open problems in the middle. I think their second biggest need is not a WR or a RB (TE might be a good debate), but the Pats defense is currently lacking nasty. There second biggest need in this draft is a big nasty run stuffing leader.
The Jets and Miami have really improved themselves this off season, and first and foremost the Pats have to build a team that can beat them and win the division. So how do all these moves effect the Pats? "I think the biggest focus for us right now is trying to improve our football team," BB said. "Look, every team is going to improve by next weekend. Whatever teams draft and whatever moves they make they will be a better team than they were right now. That's obvious. I think the big thing for us is to focus on our team. We all know teams make moves in the offseason to bring players onto their team and how those will work out, a lot of times, we ourselves don't know until all the pieces come together and everything gets put in and you have a body of work to evaluate - preseason games, practices, some regular season games, whatever it is. So I think right now, for anybody to try to project how all that is going to turn out other than the way it looks on paper is stretching it quite a bit." I agree (I know big surprise that I, King of all BB suck ups, agree with him;-)
So what do they need to improve to help them beat the Jest and Miami next season? We are in a strange position in the new pass first and ask questions later NFL. It was no coincidence that the two best QB's last season, and the two best passing attacks played in the Super Bowl last season. With all do respect to Tom Brady, Drew Brees was the best QB in the NFL last season, and Payton Manning had a better season than Brady. However, the Jets lead the NFL in Yards Rushing Per Game last season with 172.2. Plus, the basis the Miami attack is the "Wildcat", which is a running based offensive. The Pats have to be able to stop the Jet's rushing attack and Miami's rushing attack if they want to win the division. Right now, that ability is in serious doubt. Right now, there are two glaring holes on the defense. First, Left OLB opposite Tully Banta-Cain, and the second, and the one that is troubling me currently, Seymour's old spot Right D-End. Maybe Ron Brace can step into that spot? Maybe Myron Pryor can step into that spot? Maybe Damione Lewis can step into that spot? I'm not so sure.
If BB thinks Mike Wright, one of the two young guys, or the new veteran can step into that spot and stuff the run, than we don't have a problem. If they want to win the division they have to stop the run. Run defense starts on the D-Line. If you look at BB's record, he has taken a D-Tackle who fit the 3-4 scheme in the 1st Round 3 out of his 9 Drafts with the Pats, and hasn't taken one since Wilfork 5 Drafts ago. So when BB looks at players what does he see? "I think it's a combination," BB said when asked about value verse need. "It starts with value and you value the players, however you put a grade on them - you value them. And then within that there's a draft strategy, maybe where you think that players going to go in the draft, what the league thinks of him relative to what your individual team thinks of him and needs can factor into that, too, or maybe the compilation of your roster. I shouldn't necessarily say need, but a player that you see having a bigger impact on your team because of whatever the circumstances are on your team versus another one who may, for the same value, for lack of a better word, duplicate something that you already have and maybe make it less valuable for your team at that particular point in time."
When he looks at at Jerod Odrick what do you think he see? Does he see a Richard Seymour type player, a Ty Warren type player, or a player with out the needed value to take at pick 22? "We have a standard for every position - height, weight and speed," BB said about Linebackers at his press conference. "Some players exceed that standard, some players fall below it. It doesn't say that players that don't meet that standard aren't good players. Barry Sanders was short for a running back. I don't think there're any complaints about the way Barry Sanders played. I think when you draft a player like that you just understand that you are drafting a player that is shorter than average for his position or he's slower than average for his position or he has longer arms than average for his position - whatever it happens to be. In the end, that's not the final grade on the player, but it's just something you recognize when you take a player. If we're getting a player at this position it's going to be amongst the fastest player at his position in the league or it's going to be below average at his position, so we identify that with the player. But we do have a standard at every position, absolutely. So when the scout goes to grade a player, he's either average in height, above average in height or whatever happens to be."
When I try and look at Odrick through BB's eyes, I see a 6-5 DT with 34" arms, who is as physical as any D-Linemen in this year's Draft. He is a tall D-End who can dominate when he stays low. He will lose leverage sometime because of his height, and will get pushed around. Plays all out all the time. Loves the fight, and it takes a lot of violence to stalemate him. He likes to use his hands to come under to OT and shove him up and backwards. He can blow up a play with his interior rush. He has played the 5-Technique on both sides of Penn ST's 3-4 defense last season. He is not going to spring up field for ten Sacks in a season, but he is going to stout against the run, and was constantly double teamed last season. Penn State had a lot of NFL talent on last years defense and still the player the offenses choose to double team consistently was Odrick, and still he garnered 43 T, 11 TFL, and 7 Sacks. In 2008 he garnered 41, 9.5, and 4.5. He really does a nice job using his long arms and strong hands to fight off blockers. He is also a better athlete than given credit, and can burst through the line and hit the QB. He has an excellent Spin move to either side. He has an excellent Chop, a quick Swim, and can Rip around the corner. He is a guy who hustles, pursue, and works laterally down the line to make tackles outside. He is team player, who is constantly taking on multiple blockers and allowing his teammates to come in and make the play. His main problem is that he sometimes gets to high, doesn't always play in balance, and doesn't always make the play once he fight into the backfield. Reminds me a Richard Seymour in training, and needs to get more upper and lower body strength to match him fight. However, I think he can step in and play the 5-Technique for the Pats next season, and sometimes it's just about filling a big hole in the roster.
The problem is they have to get a passrusher. When they pick at 22, it looks like there is going to be four OLB/ Passrushers available. First, Sergio Kindle who was better against pass than the run in 2008, and better against the run than the pass last year. Second, is Jerry Hughes, who is a non stop motor on NOS on the outside. He has more sacks than anybody in college over the past two years (26), and can Set the Edge. The other two are Emerson Griffin, is was more promise than production at USC, but might be the combo of power and speed of the four. And Sapp who is the only one of the four that perfectly fits BB's infamous measurements of 6-4, 260, and runs a 4.6, but lacks nasty.
If they take Odrick here, they will lose Kindle and Griffin. I think Sapp would still be available at 53, and definitely available at 44 and 47. The question is, will Hughes fall to 44, and is he doesn't can BB live with Sapp? There is a lot of danger points in this Draft from to the end of the 1st Round. Five other teams play a 3-4, and the Eagles, the Colts, and the Saints are looking for D-Ends. I have Kindle dropping to the Cards at 26, and Griffin dropping into the 2nd Round. However, Hughes is rising, and I'm not sure the Jets, Colts, and Saints will pass on him come next Thursday. Plus, even if he drops into the 2nd Round, the Buccs, and Chiefs, the Eagles, the Browns, and the Buccs are looking for a DE/OLB/Passrusher. Can the Buccs and Eagles pass on Hughes twice? It would take a lot of luck. A process that needs Earl Thomas to slide the Philly in the 1st, and Griffin to slide the Philly in the 2nd. Demaryius Thomas to slide to the Rams in the 2nd. Taylor Mays to slide to the Buccs. Kareem Jackson to slide the Browns. Man, that's a whole lotta slidin' goin' on;-)
The Pats are looking into trades as we speak. "It's not so much the specific trade of I'll give you this, you give me that," BB said. "It's more of a, would you be interested in moving this pick or would you be interested in moving up or moving down in the first round or whatever it happens to be. It's more in that nature than it is, I'll give you this for that and that type of deal." If they take Odrick at 22, they are going to have to trade up to still snag Hughes or Griffin.
The problem is that they can't package two of their 2nds (just too much value in this deep Draft to lose a player in the 2nd Round), and have no 3rd. Everyone is talking about the Raider's 1st next year. The Raider's 1st next year isn't worth squat in this year's Draft, and could be the mother load in next year's Draft. What they do have to trade is: this years 1st, Matt Light, and the Pats 1st next year. It looks to me like of those is going to have to be sacrificed if they want Odrick.
How about Matt Light to the Raiders for pick 39? Then maybe a 4th Round pick gets BB up to pick 36 (KC) or 37 (Philly). This would allow the Raiders to take a super impact defensive player like Joe Haden, Eric Berry, or Derrick Morgan with there 1st Round pick, instead of a 2nd Round talent like Bruce Campbell. Sometimes have an aging Pro Bowl OLT is better than having a 2nd Round pick.
If they can be more patient than I can possibly be, they could trade next years 1st, because they'll have the Raiders 1st next year, and pick up another 2nd. Maybe Philly who is stacked with picks in this years Draft, and don't need Donovan McNabb being compared to whoever the would take at pick 37. This would be a risky proposition, but one they could make if Hughes were still on the board, and they felt secure about losing their extra 1st next year. This would also give them even more flexibility in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds, and allow them to maybe trade out of the 2nd Round with pick 53, maybe for two 3rds from Cleveland.
I hate convoluted trade scenarios, like Matt Light, pick 44, and the Raider's 1st next year for the Raiders pick. Never going to happen. The Raiders would never do that, essentially trading a top ten pick for three 2nd round picks. However, here I go. The Pats could trade down to any pick ahead of the Jets, pick 30. Maybe they could trade down with the Cowboys (again I'm trying to stick with the teams that the Pats have connections with) who really need Anthony Davis. They pick up the Cowboy's 3rd and 4th round picks (90 and 125), and at 27 they take Odrick, or give up a 4th and move up with Philly or Baltimore to take Odrick. Then they can use the 3rd to move up from 44 to snag Hughes. I know, too convoluted right;-)
So if all things go well, and the Pats take Odrick in the 1st, and somehow snag Hughes in the 2nd, this could start out to be one of their all time best Drafts. The problems is can they take that risk? Is Sergio Kindle just too good to pass up at 22? Most likely. What if Graham and Kindle are both gone? They would have to Hughes at 22. If they take Kindle in the first, they could easily end up with Jahvid Best or Rob Gronkowski with their first pick in the 2nd, Tyson Aluala or Vlad Ducasse with their second pick in the 2nd, and Brandon Spikes or Toby Gerhart with the final pick in the 2nd.
I think they should trade down from 22, for a 3rd and maybe a 4th or 5th as well. And then use the extra picks to trade up from 44 and grab Golden Tate or Hughes. Is they take Graham, Kindle, or Hughes at 22, they could trade up for Tate. If they take Odrick, then trade up for Hughes or Griffin in the 2nd.
Is any of this silly speculation going to happen? Who Knows! However, it is less than a week away now;-)
Comparing the Passrusher
April 12th, 2010
The Pats have a bit of a quandary here come Draft day. They will be looking at 10-12 players on the board who could step in and help them next season. So a trade down would be an east decision, especially with no 3rd Round pick. Only now, I'm not so sure. I would love to see them get a super impact offensive player with their first pick like: Ryan Mathews, Golden Tate, or Jermaine Gresham. However, their need for Passrushers is so great that I think they might just have to bite the bullet and take Brandon Graham or Jerry Hughes here. As we get closer to the Draft I am starting to wonder if Graham is going to be on the board at 22, and if he is not I would sit here and take Jerry Hughes. I am starting to suspect, that Hughes is going to be a 1st Round pick, even though he smells like a 2nd Round pick to me.
The quandary facing the Patriots is that of the ten teams picking behind them six of them are 3-4 teams, who will put more value on 3-4 type players than other teams. This is an extremely talented Draft, with 1st Round talent extending well into the 2nd Round. The Pats will pick up 1st Round talent with their first three picks, and maybe even their forth pick #53. But, they have to get a passrusher or two. In a perfect world they pick up a couple of impact offensive players, and two impact OLB/Passrushers. In extremely talent filled Drafts like this one, the great GM's like Bill Walsh and Jerry Jones trade down and pick up extra picks. However, there is inherent risk in doing this, you could lose the guy you need the most. If Brandon Graham, Jerry Hughes, Sergio Kindle, Ricky Sapp, Terrence Cody, and Jared Odrick are all still on the board, the Pats could look to be sitting pretty. However, all 6 of those players could be gone by pick 28 if all the 3-4 teams decide to address their needs for unique 3-4 players. So BB will have to be careful here.
The biggest problem with an extremely talented Draft is that everybody wants to trade Down. However, the Pats are in a very unique position of being the first of the 3-4 teams. Teams will be trying to trade up for players. San Diego has to get a starting NT, and with Terrance Cody on the board Smith has to be looking at him with inordinate interest. Smith has a habit for trading up form player he likes who fit his needs. I believe the Pats will be looking for a 3rd to trade down. That is not a steep price. However, if SD takes Cody at 22, GB takes Kindle at 23, the Eagles take Graham at 24, the Ravens take Hughes at 25, the Cards take Carlos Dunlap at 26, and Cowboys take Jared Odrick at 27. We'll be sitting there at 28 with no choice but to take Ricky Sapp. Okay so all six teams taking 3-4 defense-type players in a row is highly unlikely, especially with: GB needing a young OT, the Ravens looking to help Flacco, and the Cowboys talking O-Line, but runs happen. Now I like Sapp more than I remembered after reviewing his tapes. However, he comes with a big risk in that he doesn't always appear to know what he is doing. I blamed that on the coaches, but it just as easily could be a lack of football instincts on his part. All of these guys come with at least one big question.
This should be a more profitable for the Pats than last year's Draft. However, I think BB is going to be facing some harder decisions. The question is how does BB rate the five passrusher who should still be on the board when the Pats pick? Here they are listed in the order I have rated: Brandon Graham, Jerry Hughes, Sergio Kindle, Ricky Sapp, and Carlos Dunlap. Here are the questions: Graham, can he do to NFL OT's what he did to college OT's with his lack of height and short arms; Hughes, can he set the edge in a 3-4; Kindle, can he rush the passer on his own without a Brain Orakpo opposite taking all the attention, and 5.5 Sacks as a Senior; Sapp, what did he disappear from games so much; and Dunlap has too many question to bother with, not to mention, how the hell do you get so drunk that you drive your car into an apartment building?
If BB has Kindle and Sapp rated as similar Passrushing prospects as Graham and Hughes then trading out of the 1st Round shouldn't be a problem, as Hughes and Sapp should be 2nd Round picks. However, the more I study Hughes, the more I like him. I think he has the best burst off the line of any of these guys. So I have to conclude that he has the most passrushing potential of these guys. Now I know Kindle had 10 Sacks as a Junior, and Graham is one Sack short of averaging 10 Sacks a season over the past 3 seasons (29 Sacks for those of you bad at math;-), but Hughes is just more explosive off the edge. Now we all know BB's criteria for an OLB: 6-4, 260, run a 4.6, and can Set the Edge. Well, that is not any of these players. Kindle is 6-2 5/8, which is only about a 1/4 inch taller than Hughes. Kindle ran a, Unofficial time of 4.65 at the combine, but Hughes ran 4.59. The problem with Kindle is inconsistent effort. Nobody, and I mean nobody can accuse Hughes of inconsistent effort. He is an all-out, all-hustle, all-the-time player. Plus, despite the great season he had in 2008, Kindle only had only 5.5 Sacks his Senior year, and too often was running around like chicken with his head cut off. That has to troubling even to the biggest Kindle supporters.
Graham has a serious lack of height, but I felt I showed how I thought he would be able to get around his lack of height. Graham can definitely Set the Edge better than Hughes, and he can match Hughes nonstop motor. Graham often looks as good against the run as he does against the Pass. His production over the past 3 seasons is impressive: 135 Total Tackles, a staggering 55.5 TFL loses, 7 FF, and the 29 Sacks. That is an average of 45 TT, and nearly 20 TFL and 10 Sacks a season. Graham continued his domination at OT at the Senior Bowl, which is a step up from the college regular season, which was important do to his lack of height. However, Hughes is just more explosive off the edge. Hughes can't match Grahams 3-year production, but he comes close to matching to matching Graham's 3-year production in the past 2 seasons: with 100 T, 36 TFL, 8 FF, and an impressive 26 Sacks. He beats Graham in every statistical category over the past two seasons except TFL. Graham is almost an inch taller and ran the fastest of the Unofficially Forty times at the Combine of the four at 4.59. Plus, he ran ran the fastest Short Shuttle of all the D-End in the entire Draft, an amazing 4.15. The SS is one of the drills I like at the Combine, because it is one few if only ways to try and quantify quickness. The SS measures quickness and Change of Direction as accurately as the Forty measures straight line speed. Now some people don't think a Forty is an accurate measurement of Speed. I disagree, and I say the SS is an accurate measure of the always hard to define Quickness of player, for what it's worth. I'm not going to debate that now. However, when it looks like to me on film like Hughes is the most explosive player around the edge in this Draft, runs that fastest SS and the fastest forty of the top four OLB/DE prospects in the Draft, I feel much more confident in that assessment.
Sapp has the closest measurements that fit BB criteria of the Four. He is 6-4, 252, with 34.5" arms (the longest of the Four), and ran an Unofficial times of 4.61 and 4.62, so you know Sapp is on BB's radar. However, he does not Set the Edge as well as the other three players, and he only had 6 Sacks last season. He has a good a burst off the LOS as Kindle, but like Kindle, he appears to be chicken with his head cut off to often to make me comfortable. I have no problem with Kindle or Sapp as our top pick if BB thinks he can focus them into football NFL football player, especially in the Passrush. However, I know he can focus Hughes into an elite Edge Rusher, and that is what we need more than anything else. So Sapp is the wildcard he could could still be on the board when the Pats pick at 53. And if BB thinks Hughes will drop into the 2nd Round, or he can harness Sapp's vast potential, you could see the Pats take one of the three impact offensive players, Jared Odrick, or trades out of the 1st Round.
Which brings us back to the problem of trading down. Officially, Hughes ran the fastest forty of the four: Hughes-4.69, Sapp-4.70, Kindle-4.71, and Graham-4.72. For years the Combine ran smoothly. The Official times were pretty close to the Unofficial times, and everybody was happy. Then came, dud-duh-duuh, Bill Polian. With the building of the new stadium in Indy, Polian was suddenly right in the middle of setting up the new accommodations for the Combine, and he did what any weaselly cheater would do, he screwed it all up to his advantage. I noticed last year that there was something seriously wrong with the Forty times. They were not only inconsistent and in some cases flat out wrong, they seemed to be specifically wrong. So fine, they had a new laser at the finish line to help with accurate measurements, and it was clearer malfunctioning. This year the malfunctioning seemed to become even more specific. The electronic 40-timemachine nearly blew up trying to change reality when Taylor Mays ran his Forty time. It got so bad even the NFL channel was showing the Unofficial times rather than the Official times, for weeks after the Official time were out. Then it got so bad that even the NFL corporate commentators where saying that some of the Official times, where just plain wrong. Then suddenly all the Unofficial times disappeared from the channel and commentary died, as though it was mandated that all is fair in Candyland. Now I know Polian may or may not have had anything to do with discrepancies with the integrity of the Combine, but it is much funnier to put it that way for a Patsfan;-)
Okay, there was a third player who had a tenth of a second discrepancy in his forty from what he ran and what the Official time was, Jerry Hughes. He officially ran a time of 4.69, Unofficially he ran a time of 4.59. That is another large discrepancy in a player at another huge need position for the Colts. Now we know Indy is looking for a Safety, a Corner, and a Passrusher in this years Draft. Taylor Mays will most likely be gone, but what if McCourty or Hughes are still on he board at 31? I can guarantee you Po-lyin is going to take McCourty or Hughes at 31. McCourty might be gone, leaving him with his third option of Hughes. So if BB wants Hughes, he is not going to be able to trade down past the Colts. Hey, it's not paranoia if I'm right!
I can't wait for Draft day. I can't wait to see if BB trades out of the 1st Round. I can't wait to see which Passrusher he snags, and most importantly I can't wait to see if I'm paranoid, or if Po-Lyin really did have something to do with the obviously wrong Forty times.
Tebow for President!
April 9th, 2010
Okay guys get ready for some fun! I have been comparing Tebow to Steve Young. Young had to sit and learn how to play QB from Bill Walsh (maybe the best offensive football mind in NFL history), while watching and studying Joe Montana (the best QB in the history of the NFL). By his third season Montana was beat up and had trouble staying healthy, as most 35+ year old QBs do. So Young was able to step in and put the principles he learned from Walsh and the QB skills he stole from Montana to the test.
Tom Brady is closer to end of his career than the beginning. Remember Pats fan's, as much as it has be a joy to watch Tom Brady lead this team his career will end, as everybody's career will end. He will be 35 in August after the Lockout, that is just two short years away. QB's who are over 35 don't win Super Bowls. The only QB to win a Super Bowl that late in his career is John Elway. Brady will be a force in the NFL for the next three seasons. Then his body will start to break down more, and will miss more games than he has in the past. By the 2012 season his back up will become more and more important. Do you remember Joe Montana's last couple years in San Francisco? He barely played at age 36, and at age 37 he was traded to KC. Age is vicious reality that catches us all in its' cold fingers.
Young took the long way around in becoming a legit NFL starter. In truth, it took him 6 years of pro football to be come a legit NFL starter (2 Years in the USFL). He started 3 games when Montana was 33. He started 10 games when Montana was 35. He started 16 Games when Montana was 36 and won the NFL MVP. I think Tebow is going to have to take a similar path. In 3-6 years he will be a legit NFL QB. However, he needs the right situation to become a success in the NFL. He needs to sit and study, learn, and practice throwing properly behind the best the NFL has to offer if he is to become a success.
BB is maybe the best football mind in NFL history. Tom Brady will go down as one of the best QBs in the history of the NFL. Learning from and behind these two guys would be the best thing that could happen to him in his NFL career. Studying Brady, and how he throws the ball would be a godsend to a guy like Tebow. Listening learning and working with BB every chance he gets can only increase the viability of his transition to an NFL QB. Just like Young needed to be mentored by Walsh and Montana to become a great NFL QB, I believe Tebow needs the same situation as Young Benefited from. He needs to be mentored by BB and Brady to be a greet QB in the NFL. If he is drafted by the Pats, there is no way he sees the field in a regular season game for a minimum of three years. And he needs that time more than anything else.
Now Montana and Young weren't really friends. In fact, it was reported over and over that Montana hated hated Young. However, Young was smart enough to study everything Montana did and listen to everything he said, like Brian Hoyer did with Brady and Julian Edelman did with Wes Welker last year. Tebow is irritating like Young, ultra religious like Young, and has a bit of a Jesus complex like Young. However, he also is smart enough to realize that getting an opportunity to study Brady's every move for the next 3 to 6 years is the opportunity of a life time.
Will the Pats take Tebow, I doubt it. Is this kind of crazy unexpected thing the mad Scientist Belichick would do, absolutely. BB has to think about life after Brady if he wants to continue to be the Man in Foxboro. The life of a QB is a little different now than it was back in the 80s and 90s. QBs are playing longer and getting hit a lot less. So Brady will most likely be in better shape when he is 36 and 37 than Montana was. However, in 5 years Brady will be 38, and he will not be the same guy he is now. His body will be breaking down, and if he doesn't get a serious injury he will be missing start due injuries he wouldn't miss starts for now. Enter Tim Tebow;-)
Getting drafted by the Patriots would be the best thing for Tebow and hie football career, I'm just not sure how good it would be for the Pats?
What about the 49ers?
March 29th, 2010
Singletary
won't pass up Bulaga...he would've taken Oher last year, but Crabtree fell
to him. OL is his biggest off-season priority. With his #17
pick, it won't be Thomas...for contrary to what you wrote, he's happy w/Goldson's
development at FS. He also has 3rd year S Reggie Smith poised to
replace SS Michael Lewis and 2nd year S Curtis Taylor for depth. Coach
could go a couple of different ways...go ahead and get his OG in the big
Somoan, Iupati or one of the top DE. He needs a stud at RDE to bookend
Justin Smith.
My
favorite 49er fan
I'm still sorting out all the bugs. I was thinking about those young Safeties as more SS, and thinking that Thomas is just soooo good in coverage he could add a dimension those guys don’t have. Plus, I think Earl Thomas is a top 15 pick, but were does he fit? This is such a deep draft! There are so many players I'm trying to fit in early, but are going to fall further than expected, especially RB and TE. This Draft is so deep at RB and TE, that a lot of team are looking at the 3rd Round and thinking I can pick up a starter in the 3rd Round why take one in the 1st or 2nd. As for Bulaga, I found some notes on him that I am going to add this week. I forgot how much I liked him. He is a mean SOB. He is looking more and more like a top ten pick. I think he looks the best of all the OLT moving backwards. I have some good news however, I finally finished my cursed 2nd Round;-) and I gave the 49ers Roger Safford III. This is such a deep Draft. Safford would have a 1st any other year. I’ll also drop Thomas out of that pick, but how far down can this guy go? Of course that is interesting, what if they take Bulaga at 13, is 17 too early for Jared Odrick, or how about OLB/PassR like Kindle or Graham? It going to be a fun month;-)
Trade Down!
March 17th, 2010
Okay Patsfans here I go again, trying to be the most hated man in Patriot's Nation;-) When it's time for the Pats to pick, I think the Pats should trade down. There is so much value in this Draft. With no 3rd Round pick, trading down in the 1st to pick up a 3rd makes a lot of sense. I say this with the caveat that Brandon Graham or Mike Iupati are not on the board. It is starting to look more and more like Graham will not be on the board. With Seattle, Titans, and Falcons, all openly looking for D-End passrushers and picking just before the Pats. Miami and 49ers (twice), openly looking for OLB/PassR and picking before the Pats, and don't forget the Jets who love to trade up for a targeted player, all these teams could be picking before the Pats. In fact, in my next Mock Draft I will probably be giving Graham to Atlanta. The reason is, and even if Graham and Mike Iupati are on the Board, there is so much talent between 22 and 50, that they can pick up an impact player and still get an extra pick. Most so-called Draft experts have been saying that most teams have 1st Round grades on 50 players, as compared to less than 20 last year. Well let me just say that I have been saying since December that this is one of the best Draft's I have seen in a while. I was the first to say this is a great Draft (thank you, thank you, thank you very much;-) So what does that mean to the Pats? It means, what if at 22 there are ten guys BB has rated just about equal? That means they could trade down at least ten spots and still get one of them.
Remember, it was trading down that garnered BB 4 picks in the 2nd Round last year, and 3 picks in the 2nd this year. That is a lot of talent to spread around. I have heard complaints that they should have taken Michael Oher at 23 last year. I disagree. Would you rather have Michael Oher or Sebastian Vollmer? Remember, Vollmer was Drafted at the end of the 2nd rather than near the end of the 1st, and receives millions less on the Salary Cap. Plus, the Pats traded down twice from 22. First with the Ravens to 26, and received a 5th round pick. They next sent both picks the received from the Ravens to Green Bay for pick number 41 (Darrius Butler), pick #73, and pick number 83 (Brandon Tate). This gave them 4 picks in the 2nd Round and four picks in the 3rd Round. Because they had four picks in the 3rd they were able to trade pick 89 to the Titans for the #48 pick in this years Draft. BB then traded pick #73, he received from Atlanta, for pick 232 (Julian Edelman), and the Jags 2nd Round Pick this year Draft, #44. Okay, I think that's it. So because BB knew he could get Vollmer with his last pick in the second round, remember Vollmer was BB's guy. BB went and watched him at the East-West Shrine game, and decided he was the guy he wanted in the Draft. Since no one had Vollmer rated above the 3rd Round, he new he could get him at the end of the 2nd. Eugene Chung was Nick Caserio's guy, as he explained to us at his post draft talk at the Hall at Patriots Place last May, about both Vollmer and Chung. They knew on one had him rated above the 2nd Round and they could get him with the 34th pick. So they were able to trade out of the 1st Round, still get the two players they coveted, Vollmer (a starting OLT talent, who once the the Matt Light situation is resolved, will be starting at OLT for a long time for this team) and Chung (A special Teams Maven, and a player who I think is going to take a huge step forward, and will be hard to keep out of the starting line up next season), and picked up Darius Butler (who should be starting for this team next season and for a long time), Brandon Tate (a dynamic playmaker with a bum knee), Julian Edelman (as long as Wes is limping Julian is starting;-), and two 2nd Round Picks in this years Draft #44 and #48. Those two picks could turn into Jerry Hughes and Jahvid Best, or Golden Tate (please) and Ryan Mathews (please), or Jared Odrick and Jermaine Grisham (okay not so likely with those two;-).
Okay so the question about whether you wanted Oher or Vollmer and all the players who cam along with him was a little disingenuous, because there is no real choice. The real question is would you take Clay Mathew over Darius Butler, Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, and picks #44 and #48 in this years Draft? Okay, I admit I am torn. However, I certainly didn't think Clay Mathews was going to be as good as he was last season. Plus, because of the quality of the quantity, two starters (Butler and Edelman), an injured WR who I still think is more of an impact player than Edelman, and two 2nd Round picks in an impact player laden Draft (and who I think BB will get two starters out of these two picks), I have to go with the trade down. Now it's close, if we had Mathews on one side and TB-C on the other, we wouldn't have traded for Burgess (3rd Round), and who knows how good our defense would have looked with another passrusher opposite TB-C. Tough Call, and we really won't be able to say until April 26th or 27th. Of course if they stayed at 26, there is no guarantee that they take Mathews. I'm telling you Eugene Chung was the guy they really liked, and they could have very easily taken him at 26. I think they were all set to Larry English at 22, and Chung at 34, and when English was ripped from their grip, they decided no on else fit their system and decided to trade down. So in the short run it probably hurt them last year, but in the long run it could turn into 4 fulltime starters and two part-time starters, for one starter and a 3rd Round pick. So in the long run you have to go with the 6 players/4 starters, even though the passrush was so bad last year that my balls still hurt;-)
Okay, so why trade down now? Well, because of all the trading down they did last year and the quality of players in this years Draft, BB is in position to get 4 impact players. Wouldn't it be nice to have a shot at 5 or 6? If the Pats have fifty players on the board rated as 1st Round talent they are in line for a big score. Now I can't say they do for certain, but 50 players seem to be the consensus through out the League. Remember that each team rates players different, and the likely hood of all 50 players the Patriots have rated as 1st Round talents going 1 though 50 is simply not possible. The Pats will have players they see as 1st Round talent available in the 3rd, and maybe even in the 4th (Tony Moeaki;-). An average team hits about 50% of the time, so if you Draft 6 player you think are impact players, most likely 3 are going to work out, if you have four or more, like last year's horrible trade-down-Draft, you had a great Draft. So if the have four pick they need to turn into at lest 2 picks. I would take the risk with the extra players. Especially if you consider the depth of this Draft, and who they will be looking at. When they are picking at 22, Brandon Graham, Mike Iupati, Jermaine Gresham, Golden Tate, Ryan Mathews, Jahvid Best, Jared Odrick (My top rated 3-4 D-End), Brandon Spikes, Devin McCourty, Maurice Pouncey (OG/OC), Mardy Gilyard, and Jerry Hughes. If you trade down ten picks, you are still guaranteed to get one of these impact players, and pick up a 3rd or another 2nd, and still get one of these player a #44, and maybe #48. Suppose the Graham and Iupati are gone, and Demaryius Thomas is still on the board, the Cowboys think the Ravens or the Cards are going to grab him? So BB trades down with the Cowboys to 27 and get their 3rd (I think #92) in return. They take Thomas, as they are desperate for a WR to put across from Miles. Then Jared Odrick (Plus, Golden Tate and Jermaine Gresham) drop to #27. Jerry Hughes drops to #44. Jahvid Best drops to #48. Marty Gilyard (WR) drops to #53. And maybe Tony Moeaki (my 2nd rated 3-4 T-End) drops to #92, and Sheffield O'Brien (another passrushing DE/OLB who hurt his knee at the Senior Bowl) drops to #118. Is it worth the risk? Is it even a risk? I think if there are still ten to twelve players you could happily take a 22 still on the board, you have to trade down.
Splash!
March 16th, 2010
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Now I know when teams resign their players most pundits don’t think that’s a big splash, and I am the foremost culprit in that opinion. I usually don’t list Free Agents who were resigned by their own teams in the Key F.A. Signing section of my mock. However, when a team resigns their three best defensive players from last season, with all due respect to Meriweather and Guyton, you have to stand up and clap.
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Vince Wilfork was without question the best defensive player on the team. His ability to stuff the run and control the middle of the field is paramount to the Pats defense. The NT position is such a difficult position to fill, and when you have a great NT it makes the 3-4 defense works better. Some say by resigning him the team hasn't really moved forward, but what if you lost him? The team would be in desperate need of a NT, so desperate that if Terrence Cody was still on the board at 22 they would be forced to take him. That could end up being a disaster.
One of the reasons Wilfork got so much money is that there is really only one legit NT prospect who will be drafted in the first three rounds of this Draft. This Draft is filled with DTs in the first three rounds, but I don't like any of them as NT. Suh, McCoy, Brian Price, Dan Williams (who looks like a NT, but doesn't play like one), Jared Odrick (3-4 DE), Lamarr Houston, D'Anthony Smith, Geno Atkins, and Tyson Aluala. The other DT prospect who is likely to be drafted in the first three rounds, and is also a NT prospect is Cam Thomas, and he is very overrated. In my current Mock I have Cody off the board, which means the Pats would be forced to take Dam Williams at 22, or Cam Thomas at 53. I would not be happy with either pick, as Williams is better against the pass than the run, and Thomas doesn't really do a lot on the field. If Cody is on the board, they would have to pass on the top passrusher, Tight End, Wide Receiver, or Running Back on the board. So while the signing of Wilfork seems like the status quo, it isn't, as it increase the value and flexibility of our 1st.
-
I love the Tully Banta-Cain signing. I mean, who is this guy? His ten Sacks last season where a revelation. He developed into a descent passrusher here way back when. He then went to San Fran and by everybody’s estimation was a disappointment. Then he come here and by the second half of the season was the Pats best passrusher, and was excellent against the run. The thing that surprised me the most was when he left he was terrible setting the edge, RBs got outside of him all the time, and suddenly last season He was a warrior out there on the edge. Fighting, scraping, and scratching on the outside, and consistently not allowing the RB to get outside on him. He was not just okay against the run, he was excellent? Again the signing of TB-C is not the status quo, because if BB didn't sign TB-C I think he would have had to take two OLB/Passrusher. One in the 1st, and one in the 2nd. This signing allows them multiple choices in the 2nd Round. So now maybe they address, RB, WR, and DE in the 2nd rather than BB being forced to take two OLB/Passrushers within his first four picks. Although, I certainly wouldn't complain if BB took Graham in the 1st, and Jerry Hughes in then 2nd;-)
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Leigh Bodden may not be the best Corner in the league, but he fits BB’s system, and losing him would have left a huge hole in our defense. I don’t think they will even look at DBs until the Third day of the Draft, but if the lost Bodden BB would be forced to spend a 2nd Round pick on a Corner for the third year in a row, and maybe forced to take Kyle Wilson or Devin McCourty in the 1st. Now, if they spend their 1st on a passrusher and their 4th on a TE (Tony Moeaki who is dropping for some reason), that leaves their three 2nd Round picks to figure out a WR, RB, DE, and maybe another OLB/PassR. They won’t have to spend a pick on a DB, with their first four picks. And now, I'm not sure they take a DB at all in this Draft.
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I have been saying for years, for some unexplainable reason when Neal is out of the lineup the O-Line falls apart, and I know everybody laughs at me. However, it is true, and the reason is that there was always a bigger discrepancy between his back up and the backups of other starters. With that being said, there are some very interesting OGs in this years Draft. Starting with Iupati (who BB would have to think about in the 1st if he lasts) and Poncey. There is a distinct possibility that Poncey could be around when they pick in the 2nd Round.
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Kevin Faulk is a valuable warrior who has given everything to the team. This signing was particularly important given the state of the Patriots WRs. Faulk is the only receiving option they have where you know what you are getting. Their top four WRs could all be excellent, or complete failures, or anywhere in between. To say anything other than BB has no idea what he is going to get from his top four receivers nest season is madness. Has Moss announced that he has already quit on this team, like he did to the Vikings and the Raiders, and the Pats when Brady got injured, and the Pats last season when he got injured (okay that was a little unfair). The truth of the matter is that he has quit on every team he has played for, and then last month he announces announced that he is prepared to leave the team. I seriously hope I am wrong, but if history is the judge, I see some serious danger ahead in trusting Moss. Wes Welker didn’t have one surgery this off season, he had two. Even the most wildly optimistic Patsfan can’t tell me he can be counted on in the first half of the season, and with two major surgeries like the ones he has, counting on him next season is a big risk. Julian Edelman was a nice story, but he is going to have a sophomore slump or take a giant step forward as BB always says players usually take from their first year into their second, or will continue to get injured and miss half the season. I don't know, do you? Brandon Tate would have been a great draft pick if they had just Redshirted him last year like I predicted they would. They could had taken a 3rd Round Pick let him rest, rehab, and study, and essentially had a free 1st Round pick in this years Draft (remember he had a 1st Round grade before he blew out his knee). Instead, they rushed him back and he re-injured his surgically repaired knee, and now we have no idea what he will do next season. Now I know adding a rookie WR to this volatile situation will hardly create some stability, but if Golden Tate is still somehow on the board at 44, how can they pass on him? Faulk also gives them some insurance at RB, not lot but a little. If Faulk is gone, could they take a passrusher at 22? Or would they be forced to choose between Golden Tate and Ryan Mathews?
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I would love a defense heavy draft this year. However, I see the most volatile situations on the offensive side of the ball. Receiver, Running Back, and Tight End will have to be addressed in this Draft. So did they move forward with these signings or is the quo status? I believe they moved forward. BB would have had to use their first four picks fighting between a: NT, OLB/PassR, CB, OLB/PassR, WR, RB, and OG. Now, they can fill these needs more judiciously. They don't have to address NT, OG, or CB in this Draft at all (though getting an ROG later on in the Draft would be nice;-). If they identify a guy they like later in the Draft at WR, RB, TE, and/or a second OLB/PassR, they can wait. These resigning give them the flexibility to take Jermaine Gresham, Ryan Mathews, Golden Tate, or Mike Iupati in the 1st or just take the best passrusher available and sort out the other needs in the 2nd. That is not the status quo.
Full Of Kraft.
March 10th, 2010
Okay, I am now going to make myself the most hated man in Patriots Nation;-) Okay, first of all I never claimed Bob was cheap. I feel I’ve been lumped in with Randy Moss. I also didn’t criticize Bob, or at least it wasn’t my intention. I just told a story of my experiences at PP, and my concerns. I feel people have taken my 5 part exposé (I like that word, exposé;-) as criticism of poor Bobby. I honestly don’t think I criticized him at all, and I don’t really think it was an exposé. I don’t think I really exposed anything. In fact, I did just the opposite. I was asking questions about PP, and I don’t think I answered any of them. The only things I exposed was retail businesses are having a tough time in a Recession. It that was a surprise to you than I would like to tell you a little story called pure socialism in the NFL.
Well, if I am going to take the heat, let the criticisms begin;-) In case you hadn’t noticed there is a war going on between Owners and Labor in this country. The NFL has joined the fun. I like to talk about football, and most importantly the NFL Draft. I get excited over the personal moves franchise makes, and I tend to look at football form a GM’s perspective. I don’t want to write about the business of football. I don’t want anyone to think I’m attacking poor Bobby Kraft, because he saved the New England Patriots, my favorite team. However, I keep getting madder and madder at the propaganda currently being perpetrated against the working men and women in this country. “I’m not going to do politics, I’m not going to do politics. I’m not going to do politics!”
And now back to our regularly scheduled program. I
listen to Bobby
Kraft on WEEI this week, and I must say I was shocked. “The facts are
we made a bad deal in ’06.” No you didn’t. That is a complete,
absolute, and utter lie. Everybody in the NFL is prospering beyond what
“we the people” have prospered in the past four years, and that
certainly includes the Owners, who are making HUGE
profits every year (Over 31 million on average not counting all the
intertwined companies used to hide profits from the Player’s
The Owners are not paying a bigger percentage to the players, the pie just keeps growing. The owners have profited on average 31 million dollars a year, and that is not
While “we the people” have not prospered at all. The average salary for Labor has stagnated since ’06, and is actually going down. Now I don’t want to make this a referendum on the ridiculous salaries professional player make, because I don’t believe they are overpaid. They are in the entertainment business, and deserve every cent they get, and that includes the Owners. What I am saying is that I’ve learned a few truths in life about bullshit. First, when politicians start talking about “family values”, run screaming, because they have none. The more a talk-show host tells you how they are “telling the truth”, the more they are lying. And most important of all, when billionaires businessmen are crying poverty, never believe a single word that comes out of their mouth about business, negotiations, and lawyers, because they only want more.
“About
2/3 of the NFL money come from the TV deal[s]. The players get about 2/3
of team revenue.” The Salary Cap is based on sharing all the revenues the NFL makes, so the player receive about 60% of
all revenues? This is not true! Blatantly untrue! The players essentially
receive 60% (it changes) to the TV money and the ticket sales. They do not
receive part of the 30$ parking fees, the “12 dollar hot dogs”, the 10
dollar Dixie cups of watered down beer, and of course the Luxury Boxes. The
Players receive approximately, “59
percent of what’s called total football revenue.” I have read other
reports it’s about 60 of the total revenues, but since the Owners
blatantly refuse to open their books, we really don’t know what percentage
of total revenues the
The Owners want to “Partner” with the Players Union
by cutting their share of the revenue 18% or from 59% to “41
percent” of total football revenue. I have read multiple reports that
the owners want to use this salary cut across the board and use it as a
kitty to build infrastructure in the NFL. I have read from other sources
they want to cut the players share by 15%, and use it to build stadiums,
because they are “Partners” with the Player’s
Of course they aren’t “Partners” and they never will be “Partners”. The Player Union can never agree to the kitty clause, and that’s why there will be a lockout. Okay, get this sport’s fans, the Owners want the players to subsidize their new stadiums? But they sure as hell don’t want them to be partners in their business, or part Owners. Can you imagine if the Player Union said okay, but we want 18% ownership of any stadium built with our money? The owners would laugh in their face and call them idiots, because they only want more.
Then there was Petey
King on WEEI (20:20), who is known to be a mouthpiece of Ownership. He
said, in no uncertain terms, that the Player’s Union’s thinking was out
of whack, and that they had to come back to reality, “The players who I
have talked to, and De Smith, believe that is it is preposterous to take
financial responsibility for the building of stadiums.” Of course it’s
preposterous! They are the employees and not the owners? “That the Owners
have taken on… You know since the mid-90’s, I think 21 teams have new
stadiums…. The players say in no sport in the history of sports [I say in
no business in the history of the world], have players [employees] been
responsible for any of the infrastructure of the game itself, and we’re
not going to start here now. It’s a horrible precedent to set. And the
Owners say, the world has changed. We do not have the support of local
governments, who once paid 75% of all the costs for stadiums, and now their
paying less than half in almost every new stadium that’s built [So
subsidizing half of billionaires’ building billion dollar toy stadiums
isn’t support? I don’t understand?]. So, they’re saying we need help,
and you guys are benefiting from us growing the game, and these tremendous
luxury boxes [which create multi-millions in profits each year for Owners,
and the Player’s
Yo Petey, can you imagine your Owner coming up to you and saying, “Hey, Petey, have I got a deal for you. We are going to make you a “Partner” in Sports Illustrated. We are going to make everybody in our company partners with us Owners. We are going to cut every bodies salary by 25%, and use most of that money to build a parking garage. Nice huh? Now you will benefit from it because you can park in it. Now, we want you to finance the whole thing, but we don’t want to pay any interest. In fact, LOL, we won’t even pay it back, but now we are “Partners”. I mean, you don’t own any part of Sports Illustrated or a percentage of anything. That would be ridiculous, LOL. I mean, we are the owners and you are the Employees…I mean, “Partners”. Now, when the garage is finished you won’t get your pay cuts back, or a percentage of ownership of the Garage, and certainly not a percentage of ownership of the company, and well, when we’re done with you, we’ll fire your ass and you’ll still get nothing. So how about it retards, I mean “Partners?”
You have to be kidding me! Where did the NFL Owners get their playbook from, Goldman Sacks? No it had to be JP Morgan. I can just see it now, JP in the White House. “Now listen, you are going to give us billions of dollars, but we refuse to pay any interest, we will give you ZERO percent of the company, you will own no stock or bonds in the company, and I demand that there is a complete lack of oversight, responsibilities, and consequence for stealing (“Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.”), I mean, accepting your billions.” Then Bush turns his head back and looks up at JP, “Okay,” he says with a smile, “but can I stop bending over now.” (for those fans of Fox Fake-news Network, it was Bush who did the Bank Bail out, not O’Bama ).
In all my time I have never heard of two such lopsided ideas. The Bank Bail out, the Recession, and the economic disaster we are still trying to struggle through is all a result of when morons trust businessmen. When businessmen are left to their won devices we get: Wall Street and all its inglorious bastards, Massive thieving banks who are “to big to fail”, and a non stop redistribution of wealth from the working men and women of this country to the massively wealthy. The greed never ends. How much is enough? Nothing. Nothing is ever enough. “In the end,” Krafty-Kraft says in full bridge the gap mode, “you can’t build relationships or do business without doing a deal, that’s good for both sides. And when it’s too one-sided, in the end it’s going to cause problems. Right now, the ownership made a bad deal, and we gotta fix it.” If you expect the NFL Players Union to except a 25% cut in pay across the board for all its members so they can pay to build capital in your business, but not share in ownership, then please don’t tell me it’s fair or anything but completely one-sided in your favor. That is an insult to my intelligence, and an insult to all the courageous players who risk life and limb to make you profits every week.
The NFL is built upon TV revenues. It’s estimated
that 2/3 of all moneys flowing into the NFL is from TV, so the TV revenues
must be slowing down. That’s what has the Owner’s in such a panic.
“Look at the Super Bowl this year,” Bobby says. “
Kraft kept claiming that he would do anything to help bridge the gap, but instead he kept trying to undermined DeMaurice Smith’s credibility. It was positively insulting. “With all due respect to all the great lawyers out there,” Bobby said (with all good intentions;-), “you can never let lawyers run your business or Run a negotiations, without the business people stepping in, because you know, sometimes lawyers collect bigger fees when there is litigation.” Now call me a cynic, but who was he talking to? When he said that, he was talking to the players, to Tom Player, Player Rep. He was telling the football player not to trust their lawyers, but to trust him, and the owners who claim cutting the players piece of the pie from 59% to 41% is an 18% pay cut, which I as I have shown above, sounds nice but is a straight up lie. It is a 30.5% cut in pay across the board for all players.
Now, you can take what I’m saying as an insult to Bobby, but it is quite the contrary. Robert Kraft is a business genius, and as such cannot be trusted in negotiations, that’s just a fact of life. Football players have made millions of dollars playing football. Our dear friend Krafty-Kraft has made millions of dollar negotiating deals that make him money. If Brady and Krafty-Kraft sat down at a table and negotiated a deal, who do you think would get the better of the deal? Kraft would wipe the floor with him, as badly as Tom would wipe the floor with Krafty-Kraft on the football field. That is how much of mismatch negotiations are between players and Owners.
The only chance the players have is to put their plight into the hands of their lawyers. What are the two things Owners fear the most, Lawyers and Agents. Businessmen make their money negotiating deals. Lawyers make their money zealously arguing for their clients. When it comes to negotiations lawyers tend to beat businessmen. As K-K clearly knows, because businessmen are more likely to compromise than lawyers, so they can make a deal and start making money. So he continued his assault on the only chance the Players have to make a fair deal, Mr. Smith going to negotiation. When asked how DeMaurice Smith, NFL Player’s Union Chief was working with the Owners “I think he [Smith] is working well,” Bobby said in full bridging the gap mode. “You know he comes once again… [from a lawyers’ perspective]. I hope, in the end, he’s a businessman [not a lawyer]. You know his background is … he a brilliant speaker [that’s how he got the job] and very capable, but he’s a litigator [a lawyer who can’t be trusted], and a lawyer. And now he’s in an environment where he has to be a businessman. He’s got a lot of lawyers, you go to a negotiating table, and I think their like eight lawyers there. I’m looking for the finance people… and they have a lot of older players there… Life at this point is about doing deals, understanding both sides, understand one-another, and concluding a deal when you got something good going.”
Everybody is making millions, and the Owners are making billions, and of course the owners want more. K-K talked about being fair. The Owners need help, because player’s salaries have gone up 500% in the past 16 years. But when you look at the facts, the Owners have profited at over twice that rate. The real figure is player salaries have gone up 367%, and by definition the Owners profits have gone up 367% as well. Yes I know inflation will cut into Owners profits a little, but also the Owners make more profits than they shared with the players. However, Owners don’t like to talk about Capital Gains. NFL Franchises are now worth over One Billion Dollars. K-K paid 175 Million for the Patriots 16 years ago. That is a gain of over 571%. That is a gain in K-K’s wealth of over 938% in the past 16 years, which is almost triple the increase in player salaries of 367%. But that is not enough.
Okay, so I was little rough with our pal Bobby. Now I purposely chose ridicule, because Kraft and his WEEI Inglorious Bastards chose to undermine the players by ridiculing DeMaurice Smith. Kraft started out by cynically attacking Smith for being a Lawyer, and viciously recommending the players not listen to their lawyers. Then explaining that the only way this deal could get done is if Smith stopped being a lawyer and be Businessman, which of course I cynically interpreted, as him saying surrender to be a businessman meant he had to accept a pay cut of 25 to 30.5% for the players. I was personally insulted when Krafty-Kraft kept insinuating that he was Smith’s friend and that he wanted to bridge the Gap, while constantly trying to undermine his integrity. Here is a small sample of my point. Now remember what I wrote up top, three god damn days ago (this article is killing me), about how the biggest problem with the negotiations if that DeMaurice Smith is a lawyer:
Big O: I got a kick-outta-you talking about the lawyers [he was not talking about lawyers, he was talking about a specific lawyer], because your right, in the end those are the guys that make all the money…. If this thing’s extended out, their the ones who get all the billable hours. Having said that…
Krafty-Kraft: Be careful though. I love love lawyers, I really do. What Shakespeare said doesn’t matter [the first thing we do, let’s kill all lawyers (Smith)].
Beach Ball: Noooo, Lawyers (Smith) would do that? Especially divorce lawyers [now Smiths akin to a divorce lawyer].
The perpetually moronic Fred: They’re wonderful.
Big-O: but how do you prevent that [Smith helping the players], you’ve done a million deals… How do you finally get to that point where both side finally say. “we got to do a deal.” Other than the lawyers [Smith] making all the money as you said.
Krafty-Kraft: Well, there’ll be a lot posturing, and that’s okay, it a process. But in the end there’s enough here … that I’ll be shocked if we can’t come to some kind of resolution. I know I’m personally going to do everything I can do, to try and be a bridge builder, and bring the sides together, because I believe the problems are solvable… And it’s not like were in a dying industry. Where in an industry where people want to see our product. People want to be a part of it. You can’t forget that. We can’t abuse that. That’s sort of what’s sad about this [Smith not surrendering]… We all have problems that come up, and you gotta deal with ‘em, and you gotta put it on the table, and you gotta make it happen… Somehow I feel deep down, with all due respect to the posturing [Smith not surrendering], that both sides, as long as business people [not evil lawyers like Smith] are looking at the facts we’ll make the decisions, and we’ll get a resolution to this. [so being a bridge builder is undermining the integrating of the Player’s representative?]
Now
on the surface that is pretty harmless stuff, but when taken in context,
that he wasn’t ridiculing lawyers, he was ridiculing a specific Lawyer,
and the man in charge of zealously arguing for the Player’s
Now I’m not a stranger to ridicule. My theme when I write about Republicans is ridicule. I do this on purpose. When I write to republicans I have two goals: first to attempt to tell the truth, and second to mockingly ridicule Republicans. I do this, because as I stated above, three years ago, I quoteth myself, “What I am saying is that I’ve learned a few truths in life about bullshit. First, when politicians start talking about “family values”, run screaming, because they have none. The more a talk-show host tells you how they are “telling the truth”, the more they are lying. And most important of all, when billionaires businessmen are crying poverty, never believe a single word that comes out of their mouth about business, negotiations, and lawyers, because they want more.” The forth truth of bullshit is that there is nothing Republicans love to do more with their pants on, than ridicule Democrats. However, there is nothing republicans hate more than when you ridicule them back.
This is not an opinion, the Republicans not only state that ridicule is their top strategy regarding Democrats, they brag out it. Their entire strategy in the past year was to ridicule everything the Democrats tried to do to help the working men and women of this country. And of course no one does this better than Junkie Limbaugh. What’s the thing all junkies have in common? Ask Beach Ball, he knows. Limbaugh has made his money ridiculing democrats, but when democrats ridicule Republicans back they freak out and act like it is a crime against humanity, and get so upset their faces turn red and they start whining like little school girls.
Oh, what do all Junkies have in common? They are pathological liars. That means that when it comes to telling the truth, their first instinct is to lie. They have to concentrate to tell the truth, because it is unnatural for them. And this is the leader of the Republican Party, a self-professed Junkie/pathological-liar who makes money by lying and ridiculing Democrats. I may not know much, but I do know that if you believe anything that comes out of junkie’s mouth than you are a fool. It’s like I always say, “Who is worse? The fool, or the fool who follows the fool.” In this case the worse fool is the fool who follows the Junkie.
I only write that last paragraph to defend myself against the fools who are offended by my mocking and ridiculing republicans like Junkie Limbaugh ridicules and mock democrats, and if you listen to Junkie Limbaugh than you are a self-professed fool. It was not intention to ridicule or mock Krafty-Kraft, like Junkie Limbaugh. I just listened his disrespectful attack on DeMaurice Smith and decided to write about it. However, when someone is disrespectful to a well respected man, than they cannot complain is someone is disrespectful back to them, even if they are a respectful man.
This is a very complicated issue, and I have gone to
great length to try and show the players side, and how the Owners are trying
to trick them and us, Patsfans. I have reached seven pages and still
haven’t really come up with a happy conclusion. So in conclusion, don’t
believe the hype of billionaire business men when they cry poverty. They are
being purposely deceitful. The players cannot concede to the “Kitty
Clause”, or taking a 25-30.5% pay cut to pay for the Owners buildings,
infrastructure, and stadiums with any compensation, benefit, or future
reimbursement. This is not a fair deal. It is a compete, absolute, and utter
one-sided deal. The Owners are making money hand over fist, and have made
billions in the past 16 years, but that is not enough. For billionaire
business Owners nothing is ever enough, and the Player’s
Team Needs
March 1ST, 2010
The pats needs starts at Pass Rushers, but it doesn't end there. Nose Tackle is a huge hole in the Defense right now, that hopefully will be filled by Wilfork. Inside Linebacker is another vast hole right in the middle of their line up, especially when you realize the Gary Guyton is a Free Agent, that leaves Alexander and Tyrone McKenzie as the only other ILB next to Mayo.
BB likes to carry at least three Tight Ends, and with Watson a FA, that leaves us with only Chris Baker right now. The OLB/Passrusher is a bigger hole than I thought. Burgess and Woods are FA, and it looks like Adalius Thomas has bamboozled his way out of town. This leave the remarkably resurrected Tully Banta-Cain on one side, no problem. However, it also leaves Crable and Ninkovich as the only another two OLB/PassR, yikes!
I actually like their CB situation right now. If they had any kind of consistent Passrush the CBs would have looked a lot better last season. However, Leigh Bodden is a FA, and his loss would hurt a lot. Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal are FA. I believe Mankins is in the same situation as Wilfork, he was suppose to be Unrestricted after this season, but because of the CBA issues he is now Restricted. That leaves Rich Ohrnberger, Bussey, and Connolly as the only other OG currently on the Roster for the Pats. The Pats have as good a set of WR as anyone. However, I hate there WR situation. Bad back Moss is not the hardest working WR to ever play the game, and he is slowing down by the end of every season because of it. Wes Welker has a speed problem, and reconstructive knee surgery is not going to help. I really like Brandon Tate, but two knee surgeries in two years makes it impossible to judge what his contribution could be. Julian Edelman did a truly amazing job imitating Welker on and off the field last season, but he still makes me nervous. Kevin Faulk, there only consistent RB is a FA. Laurence Maroney is a terrific RB, who just can't seem to get out of his own way. Just as it looks like he is going to put it all together, again, he starts fumbling? I'm an unabashed Maroney fan, and I have been telling my buddies I'm the last member of the Maroney Fan Club;-) And then he starts fumbling? WTF? I am almost ready to see him go (I'll probably rescind that statement by Draft time, once the bitterness of the fumbles wear off). Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor can't stay healthy, BenJarvus can't get on the field. Plus, to make matters worse, super impact RBs Jahvid Best, CJ Spiller, and Ryan Mathews could all be on the board when the Pats pick in the 1st, and one or two of them should still be on the board for the Pats first two picks in the 2nd, and one could still be around their third pick in the 2nd Round. Jarvis Green is an UFA, and has already talked about go home to play in New Orleans, and you really can't blame him;-)
Mike Iupati:
Almost John Hannah.
By TOM
March 5th, 2010
Okay, so I went a little crazy. He has a long way to go before he is John Hannah. However, he is the best blend of size, athleticism, and power I have seen at OG. His ability to pull is the best I have seen in College Football, and can only be compared to Hannah.
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My favorite memory of John Hannah was way back in the early 80s. I was watching a game on TV, and the Commentators were comparing Hannah to the great OC for the Miami Dolphins, Dwight Stephenson. The commentator kept going on and on about how great Stephenson was, "Blah-blah-blah-one of the best. Blah-blah-blah, dominates interior Linemen. Blah-blah-blah, maybe the best in the NFL..." It was positively a Dolphin love fest. They started this new feature where they would show replay, and break down the play. They said they were going to compare the two, but they showed Stephenson 3or 4 times before they compared Hannah. Stephenson was a good player, who would dominate the man in front of him, but it was all one-on-one blocking. He would naturalize, much to the over-hyped glee of the commentator. Then it was Hannah's turn;-)
It was a sweep to the left, with Hannah pulling to the outside. Now the commentator would go through this with their new fangled technology of slow-motion replay;-) Hannah hopped around OLT Brian Holloway, who was blocking Miami's Right-DE, Hannah chipped. For those of you who never saw Hannah play live, when he was on the move he would come in low and hard, drive into a defender with both arms on the shoulder pads, and bam, shoot his neck out like a turtle and drive his head right into the defenders chest. The Right-DE dropped like a drunken stone. Hannah kept going, and after knocking the DE down, the FB got past him. The FB grabbed the OLB, and Hannah hit the OLB in typical Hannah fashion, clubbing him with his hands, and bam shooting his head out of his shoulder pads right into the poor guys chest, and boom he was on the ground like Hannah just threw out a rioting sack of hog parts. Hannah kept going over the broken remains of his second victim, but that didn't seems to bother him as he dived head popping out first in the DB, and smacked him about ten yards back. Unfortunately, he didn't get the third TKO. Then it was time for the blah-blah-blahing commentator to blah-blah-blah about how much better Stephenson was than Hannah.... The guy who couldn't shut up about about Stephenson was suddenly silenced.... I think he was an ex-Miami Dolphin, at least he sounded that way when he talked about the Dolphins.... And nothing.... Then a hoarse, weak, and stunned moan escaped, "Wow." was all he said.
Every time he focused in on Stephenson, Dwight did a nice efficient job of naturalizing whomever his assignment was, I'm not knocking Stephenson at all. He focused on Hannah three times. All three times, were sweeps to the left. All three times he dominated three defenders. TKOing two twice, and one once. He was never able to get the third TKO. After the commentator starting out as saying Stephenson was the best O-Lineman in the NFL, he finished by saying John Hannah was the best Offensive Lineman to ever play the game. I couldn't agree with him any more.
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I tell this tale because I call Hannah the Best Offensive Linemen to ever play the game. I have never seen anybody else come close to blocking three players on one play to this day. Until now. Iupati never got the third guy, but I saw him come close twice. I like to judge O-Linemen by who has the ability, quickness, power, hustle, and smarts to block two defenders on one play. The last guy I saw do that consistently was Jake Long when he was at Michigan. I said two years ago he was best run blocker in the Draft because of his ability to block two defenders on one play, and he has developed into one of the best run blockers in the NFL. Iupati actually blocked multiple defenders with greater consistency than Long. Of course, Iupati played at a lower level of competition, which was my main concern with him.
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Iupati is the best run blocker in this Draft, and will develop into one of the best run blockers in the NFL. However, like Hannah I see him mainly as a OLG. He struggled on the right side at the Senior Bowl, giving up a Sack to Dan Williams, and generally looking slightly off every. He give up a Hold (0:58) and a another Sack (2:17) to Geno Atkins. Although he played better at Right Guard than I remember, looking at the highlights. Still, he had all three of his mistakes at ORG. He has the athletic ability to step out to OLT, but I don't see him as a great OLT prospect.
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Where Iupati really excels is when he is pulling to the Right. In one play, I watched him pull to the Right, and chip on the Left D-End, effectively take him out of the play with his heavy hands. His punch allowed the Right Tackle to swing around and seal the LDE to the inside. He then popped out to the Corner, and even though he paused to punch the D-End he still beat the FB to the Corner. He bounced out and crushed the OLB, and I really thought the OLB was going down, and Iupati was already glancing at the DB coming up, in Hannah like anticipation. However, the OLB held his ground, and so Iupati had to drive him all the way out to he sideline. That was a truly dominate double block on one running play, and I become a fan;-)
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Iupati plays with terrific power. He has hands as heavy as a sledgehammer. He has great quickness inside. He bursts off the line on run plays, and gets into position quicker than any O-Linemen I've seen this year. His quickness is really on display when he is pulling outside on sweeps to the right. Sometimes it looks like he gets outside too quickly and overruns the play, something that is usually exclusively a defensive problem;-) He pulls and gets down the line quicker than O-Linemen I've seen since John Hannah. He beats the FB to the Point of Attack, and he hits his target every time. He not only knocks them backwards, he keeps attacking. He keeps pushing, shoving, and sustaining the block until the whistle blows. He will hit multiple targets on the way outside as well. His speed, quickness, and athleticism is astonishing for a 331 pound man.
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He uses his long arms, hands, and feet in great combination in pass protection. I love how how chips in pass protection. He was so dominate against Bowling Green that the Right DT started to run away from him, and refused to rush the passer. I have only seen D-Linemen refuse to rush against an O-Linemen twice before, once against Ryan Clady thee years ago, and Mark Tennant this season against USC (Tennant thoroughly dominated number 44 on USC). He has amazing feet and quickness in pass protection. When I first saw him pull to the Right, on a passing down, I thought I was hallucinating. However, three times I saw him pull to the right in pass protection, all three times he reached outside the ORT, who chipped in on the Left DT, and Iupati crushed the Left D-End like he was a rotting tomato. Let me say that again, he pulled from the Left Guard position, and ran down the line with the suddenness and quickness of the Roadrunner;-) Now, pulling on pass play is different from pulling on a running play because the OC, ORG, and ORT are all retreating into your path like they just saw a crazy ex-girlfriend, so he had to dodge them as well. He met the Left D-End outside the ORT's shoulders and hit him with all the weight of a sledgehammer thrown by a God of Thunder. He is the ORG here, but there appear to be Seven O-Linemen on the field, FIRST PLAY he pulls in PP. I have never seen anything like that before, and he did it successfully three times in the Second Half.
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I love the way he pulls forward on running downs. He fires off the line and gets to the second level like a rhino charging a camera man, and just runs over the ILB. He does an amazing job chipping/punching the DT and allowing his OLT to seal the DT, and still reaching the second level almost too quickly. He is the best O-Lineman I've seen impacting LB and DBs on the second level since Jake Long. He just keeps driving his leg mercilessly and punching, shoving and driving Linebackers backwards. He has as heavy a right hand as I have seen (check out at about the 1:31). Technically marvelous feet. His feet always get him in perfect position. I love how he chips on the DT on his way out to annihilate the Linebacker (check out at 1:26). Damn, after watch the highlight reel of the Senior Bowl, I think he can play on the right side.
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On one run up the middle, he punched his right hand right into the LDT's left shoulder (to Iupati's right). He sustained his block with his left hand on LDT's chest, and with his amazingly strong legs, and left arm, drove him back and turned him. He pushed the LDT with just his left hand, and drove him into the MLB. Then he punched the MLB with his right hand into the MLB's left shoulder (to Iupati's right), and with his left hand in the chest of the DT, and his right hand in the chest of the MLB, and his powerful legs moving like a a rhino on steroids, he turn both men, and sealed them to his left. It was one of the most impressive things I have seen on a football field. (Check out 1:36 Amazing! Slow-Mo at 1:43 and 1:48) -
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Okay, his negatives. He played at lower level of competition, and I don't think he will be able to drive a DT backwards with one hand as he is turning the MLB with the other in the NFL (Although 0:05, he shoves off two DBs, one with each hand;-) He will sometime lunges in pass protection, and that is usually a disaster in the NFL. He has to show better patience in pass protection. Of course, when I saw him lunge, it was because the DT looked like he was afraid to rush, and instead of exploding off the line he was meekly hanging around the LOS. My oddest criticism of him is that I never saw him pull to the Left? He is so dominate pulling to the right in both pass protection and run blocking that I can't see it as a problem, but I am telling you he just doesn't pull to the left? I saw him pull to the left once in the Senior Bowl on a pass play (sort of 1:27), and once on a Screen against Utah (I think it was Utah), but he missed that block and fell down. He had shoulder surgery two years ago, and as we have seen with Stephen Neal, and John Hannah for that matter, shoulder problems are the worst injuries for O-Linemen. They are taught to impact defenders with their arms extended, so their shoulders take the brunt of the impact all game, every game. Now he had a single shoulder surgery in 2008, and has had no reported problems since than, and that does not make shoulder problems a guarantee, but the potential problems usually begins with a single shoulder surgery. I think his best position in the NFL will Offensive Left Guard. He struggled at the Senior Bowl out at Left Tackle, but it was his first attempt at OLT. Also, it you put him out at Left Tackle, you take away what he does best, which is pull to his right. However, after watching his highlight reel from the Senior Bowl Game, I no longer question if he can play Right Guard.
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Iupati is a big, amazingly powerful, O-Linemen, with amazingly quick feet. He was voted Team Captain. He played 807 snaps without letting up a Sack. He garnered: 49 knockdowns, 21 pancakes, gave up only five pressures, and graded at 90% or better every game. - Idaho football. He gave up his three worst plays in the Senior Bowl at Right Guard, and didn't seem to be as naturally explosive, but he did show he can make the conversion with more experience, which is good news for Pats fans. I seriously doubt we will take an O-Linemen in this years Draft, after taking three last year. Two of whom are OG prospects Ohrnberger and Bussey, and are all still on the Roster. However, if the Pats do take an O-Lineman it will be an Offensive Right Guard prospect.
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If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Ndamukong Suh:
The Best I've Ever Seen.
By TOM
March 1st, 2010
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about who is the best player in the Draft. I am shocked, shocked I tell you, shocked. Both Mike Mayock and Todd McShay have been saying that Gerald McCoy is their top rated player? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you, shocked! I'm sorry, call me Mr. Grumpy, but that is ridiculous. I am a big fan of both Mayock and McShay, I download or DVR everything I can find that they do, and they do a great job, but come-on!
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Even they know it is ridiculous, as they both start backtracking the moment they say it. Sighting the fact that Suh has more Sacks, and McShay, "Now notice I said disruptive", Yeah, I noticed;-) With Mayock you expect that, because he is a contrarian. He likes to spark conversation by going against the grain. But McShay even said that Suh performance in the Nebraska/Texas game was the best performance by a defensive player he had ever seen. They both say the exact same thing, "McCoy is more disruptive than Suh in the passing game." Okay, don't call me Mr. Grumpy, because that is just plain wrong, and I am not "splitting hairs" . I have never seen a D-Lineman who could as disruptive as Suh, ever. Ndamukong Suh is not only the best Defensive player I have ever seen play, he is the best college football player I have ever seen, period.
A "disruptive" play in the passing game can be called a "Splash play". The idea of the "Splash play" was designed specifically to judge how "disruptive" a college player was against in pass defense, "A splash play is when a defender does something that negatively affects the quarterback and/or the ball on a pass play. It can range from sacks to knocking down passes to drawing holding penalties", to a: pressure, hurry, INT, Pass Defended, causing QB to scramble out of pocket, etc.
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Coming into Draft Season this year (or rather last year;-) my top three rated players were: Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, and Marvin Austin (Austin stayed in school). Last week I discover some guy who writes for ESPN named K.C. Joyner? He has replaced the late great Joel Buchsbaum as my favorite Draft expert, sorry Mel (my favorite since Joel died, and yes I know you read my site Mel, so why don't you show me an email). His Draft Lab series is wonderful. In his series, "As lights out as his [Suh's] run totals were, it was his consistent impact against the pass that stood out the most. ... Gerald McCoy had 10 splash plays in five games and Marvin Austin had three splash plays in five games; ... Suh had 25 splash plays in his six games, or double the combined total of McCoy and Austin over a 10-game period. As insanely impressive as the overall total is, what was most amazing was Suh's per game consistency in this metric. He posted three splash plays against Texas Tech, four against Iowa State, five against Oklahoma, two against Kansas, five against Kansas State and six against Colorado." Now I've watched all three of these players play last season, and I didn't need statistics to tell me Suh is clearly more disruptive against the pass than McCoy or Austin. However, statically speaking Joyner proved that Suh had significantly more "Splash Plays" than McCoy last season. Okay just to rub it in, he also concluded, "The Football Scientist Lab Result: Suh is hands down the best player I have graded in the Draft Lab series. It is said that this is one of the deepest defensive line drafts in NFL history and the metrics say Suh is head and shoulders above his positional competition." I couldn't agree with him more! The funny part, was he had to stop comparing Suh to other D-Linemen because Suh's numbers were Ndominating. He started comparing the other D-Linemen to McCoy to make it reasonable.
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McCoy's stat don't even come close to Suh's stats. Suh's 12.5 Sacks led all D-Tackles this year, and really any year I can remember. Suh had 10 PBU, which places him, "fifth in the Big 12, but he is tied for 22nd in the nation. A spot normally dominated by defensive backs doesn’t see another lineman crack into the top 100 until Broderick Binns from Iowa cracks it at 79". He also had at least 24 QB Hurries ( I've seen it listed as high as 27). And just for fun, he also blocked 3 Kicks last season. He also had at least 24 TFL (I don't know why Suh's stats are hard to find I saw TFL and Hurries from 19-27). McCoy's Stats? 6 Sacks, 12 Hurries, 15.5 TFL, 2 PBU, Kicks blocked Zero, and 34 Tackles. Can someone explain to me how McCoy is more disruptive than Suh?
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I remember reading an article by the late great Joel Buchsbaum, a long time ago. He was talking about Tony Mandarich. He was wrong about Mandarich in the NFL, because Tony destroyed his lever with steroids, but he was right about what he did in college. He talked about how Mandarich was the highest rated player he had ever rated, and was almost apologizing for rating him that high. I always remembered that odd moment. Mel Kiper Jr. always says the best player he ever saw was John Elway. Well I had my Mandarich/Elway moment when I watch the VT-Nebraska game (I lost my note for that game, of course!!!). I had never seen a Defensive player like that before. He was the most dominating football player I have ever seen. |
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The only person I can compare him to is the late great Reggie White, who was the most dominate D-Lineman I ever saw play in the NFL. I never saw him play in college, but I can only imagine it must have looked a lot like watching Suh last season. In the NFL, Reggie's combination of power, quickness, and speed, is still unprecedented to this day, and his ability to use in his hands and feet in combination with power and balance was beautiful. I have never seen anybody with better hands in the NFL. He could grab O-Lineman by the shirt and just throw them aside like shells shooting out of a tommy-gun. Who could forget him shrugging off Max Lane in the Super Bowl. Suh has the best hands I have ever seen in a college football player. He has the strongest hands I have ever seen. He has the most violent hands I have ever seen. Plus, his ability to use his hands and feet in combination with power and balance is truly Reggie-like. In the NFL, inline play is becoming more and more hand fighting. Suh is already one of the best hand fighters in the NFL. |
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It is not only his hand strength, it is strength in body. He has the strongest low base of any college football player I have ever seen. Plus, his core and upper body power is more explosive than any player I have ever seen. All these: core strengths, power, and conditioning, allow him to wear down and outlast O-Linemen, and never come out of the game. He was on the field for over 95% of Nebraska's defensive plays, that is a remarkable stat for a DT (read Joyner's article on Terrence Cody if you really want to understand how amazing that stat is).
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Now, McCoy primarily played Undertackle. His one and only responsibility was to shoot the G-C gap, and he excelled at that. Now, I don't want to turn this into McCoy bashing, because that is not my intention. I love McCoy. He is my second rated player in the Draft. Plus, I am one of the few who think he can play the 5-Technique as a Left DE in the 3-4, as he did repeated in Oklahoma's hybrid 3-4. What I am saying is that almost every year there are one or two DTs who come out as top five picks. McCoy fits that rating. Two years ago Glenn Dorsey and Sed Ellis came out. I liked Ellis over Dorsey, but I would have easily rated McCoy over both, and I am a big fan of Sed Ellis. However, Suh is a generational player. He is a "once every ten years" type player, not a once every two or three years type player (Does that make sense? I just confused myself;-).
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The play that really shocked me was a against VT way back in September (Virginia Tech highlight reel, watch this highlight, and then tell me his is not disruptive, and that wasn't even his best game against the pass, his most disruptive game was Nebraska vs. Texas). The play I am talking about wasn't on that highlight for some reason. The ball was hiked, and Suh fell into that odd LOS Spy that he played a lot against running QBs (none of the plays Suh played the LOS-Spy were on the highlight?). Tyrod Taylor is certainly a running QB. Taylor dropped, and Suh danced at the LOS watching his eyes. Suh is so Ndominating that both the ORG and OC stayed close to the LOS, double team him even though he wasn't rushing. They both danced right in front of Suh watching him like he was a wolf circling the fence around their turkey coop. A big hole open up on Suh's right as Crick charged up field. Taylor looked around for a second, than saw the hole and charged. Suh saw Taylor start, and charged the hole. The Center and Right Guard, who were double teaming Suh with their eyes, shuffled to Suh's right. The OC got in front of him and tried to hit him. Suh reached out, grabbed his shirt, and threw him to his left right into the right OG who was trying to double team him. I call this a Shrug move (I think most call it a Push-Pull), were you punch the O-Lineman, and then pull the shirt in the opposite direction your going, and use the leverage to help you go towards the ball carrier, and shrug the guy off your body. Suh didn't just Shrug him, he threw OC into the ORG, and Suh was suddenly in the hole. Taylor saw him, stop quickly, and actually started back pedaling like he just took the snap and was doing a seven step drop. Suh stopped, and back out, as he was playing the odd LOS-Spy. The OC and OG, recovered from their Three Stooges routine, and started eyeing him again, and slide back over to Suh's right, and got between him and the QB. At which point Taylor, who was still panicking, saw the hole the ORG and OC had just left, and charged again. Suh saw him and charged the hole now on his left. The Right Guard and OC saw Suh charge and shuffled back to Suh's left. The Right Guard got in front of Suh, impacted him, and Suh Three Stooges' him right back into the OC. Taylor saw Suh again, and tried to backpedal again, but Suh abandoned his LOS-Spy responsibilities and attacked, like wolf smelling turkey blood. Taylor tried, but Suh reached him, and slapped him to the ground with the most impressive Sack I have ever seen. His ability read and react, and throw O-Lineman aside, and burst to the QB is unbelievable.
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My second favorite play by Suh, I think it was his second Sack of the Texas game? He explodes off the line with his head up. watching the QB, and his arms and magnificent hands extending into the Right Guard's shoulders. It is a play-action pass. He reads run and shuffles instantly to his left into the running lane. With the OG still in his chest, he drags him left and smashes into the RB. He instant sees the RB doesn't have the ball. He looks up to sees Colt McCoy has the ball. He instantly shoves the RB to his left, off his body, with his left hand, and then Shrugs the Right Guard right down to the ground with his right hand, as he instant redirects to McCoy. McCoy panics and scrambles to Suh's right, but Suh is too quick and he grabs McCoy from behind and Sacks him. The power, quickness, and hand strength he displayed on this play is ridiculous. Plus, in the forth quarter Suh was still dominating the Texas O-Line, and harassing McCoy on almost every play of the final drive. Showing his amazing stamina.
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The scariest part of how Suh plays the game is that he does not charge up field on every play, like McCoy, he is coached to read and react. He grabs the O-Linemen in front of him and start the hand fighting, he reads what the Offensive is doing, shuffles around to get into position, and when he gets into position he Shrugs the O-Lineman aside and charges the ball carrier. So McCoy will appear more explosive and disruptive, because of the they way he is coached. McCoy is not as concerned with the run, as he is with disrupting the QB. Suh is Nebraska's main run-stopper. The most amazing aspect of Suh's game is that he didn't even rush the pass on every passing down. He would drop into that odd LOS-Spy (Look at about 1:25), were he wouldn't even try and rush the passer. Now, he did intercept two ball playing the LOS-Spy and returned both for TDs (about the 1:35). However, seemed in half the games I watched Suh wasn't rushing a quarter of the time. It also started to become a trend late in the year, as Kindle, Emerson Griffen, and Jerry Hughes were all dropping into a LOS-Spy.
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The only real problem I see with Suh is that he doesn't have a lot of Passrushing variation. Derrick Morgan is the most skilled Passrusher in the Draft. I have seen him string together a dozen moves in different combinations. A remarkable number. Suh relies almost exclusively on his great hands, power, and hustle to rush the QB. He has a vicious punch that just shocks O-Linemen. His Bullrush is legendary. He needs to develop a wrist and shoulder Chop, with his strong hands it would be devastating. He needs to develop his Rip and Swim, and improving his Spin move wouldn't hurt either.
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Of course the best news about Suh is that I haven't even talked about him as a run defender. He is the best run defender in the Draft, period. McCoy, Brain Price, and Terrence Cody don't even come close. He cannot be moved out when he is anchored. His ability to press through the double team block is unprecedented. His ability to hold off an O-Lineman with one hand, and grab a 200+ pound RB by the shirt and pull him to the ground is amazing. His ability to shove O-lineman after O-Lineman straight backwards into the Running play is scarily consistent. The biggest difference between Suh and McCoy is shown here, Watch this from 1:49 on. Watch how often he is shove the O-Lineman backwards with his head up watching the backfield and locating the ball, and then using the O-Lineman anyway he wants so he can crush the RB.
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So I guess my point is that not only is Suh the best run stuffer in the Draft, he is not only the most disruptive player against the pass I have ever seen, he is the best college prospect I have ever seen.
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If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry
for
Republic
Terrorist.
I hate to do this again, but when the Obstructionist Party attacks again, what am I to do? I never posted online during Senior Bowl week or Combine week, because I have too much scouting to do. However, When Republican Terrorist Jim Bunning attacks Americans, what am I to do?
Evil has overtaken the Republicans in everything they do: from the racist ravings of the Teabagging, Klux, Klan, to the pure hatred of Junkie Limbaugh; from the disgusting, diabolical, and pernicious assault of the “Life Panel”, to the loud and proud ignorance of our nation’s top quitter Sarah Palin; The cry of the “stupid and evil” has gone beyond partisan mocking.
There is a difference between my partisan
ridiculing of Republicans by calling them out when they act “stupid
and evil”, and what just happened in
He used a rarely used, because it’s ridiculous,
procedure to prevent the much needed Bill to be past Thursday night, because
most of the Senators had left
Over 400,000 Americans, who are just trying to feed their families had their Worker Comp benefits stopped. It also stops Healthcare benefits for hundreds of thousands of other Americans. It also hurts thousands of small businesses all over the country. Over “2,000 federal workers furloughed because the federal highway trust fund stopped paying for inspectors on 41 transportation projects nationwide”. If that isn’t pernicious enough for you, it also disrupts payment to doctors who get paid by Medicare to treat the American children who don’t have healthcare; That is just pure Evil.
I won’t go into the Evil praise by the Evil conservative commentators, other than to show you a few of their pernicious articles. Why do republicans hate people who need help so much? What would Jesus say? Help the money lenders, or help those who need help the most? For fans of Fox Fake-news Network, that is not a real question:
41'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
I am always shocked when Republicans claims to be “the party of Morals”. The above sentiment is the sentiment of all that is good in this mean and foolish world, and in direct contradiction to the beliefs of the “stupid and evil” people who run the Republican Party (check out Santa Fe_Conservative), and the teachings of Mathew is clearly the enemy of the alleged Senator from Kentucky.
If
you are a republican, and still have a soul, or are from
Entry
for
I
Told You So.
I hate to say I told you so, but (actually that’s not true I love to say I told you so;-) I told you so. I gar-oon-teed the Pats would Tag. It is irrelevant what anybody believes or doesn’t believe, as I wrote earlier, there were two possible outcomes before the February 25th Franchise Tag deadline: Long-term deal 5% or Franchise Tag 95%.
So what does the Tag mean. Nothing really, and no matter what the Wilfork’s said before the tag, it is standard operating procedure, and they understand that. I think it is actually good news.
First, the Patriot’s explanation of the Tag:
A
statement from the Patriots: "A long-term agreement with
Vince Wilfork has been the team's top contractual priority for some
time. Unfortunately, despite numerous conversations and proposals, the
goal has not yet been realized. Vince is a tremendous player for our
team and remains a significant part of our future plans. It is because
of Vince's importance to this organization that we have assigned the
franchise designation as we continue to work toward a long-term
agreement. We are hopeful that Vince will remain a Patriot for many
years to come." Now how can this be anything other than good news?
Signing Wilfork, BB’s best defensive player, to a long-term contract is
the Pat’s top priority. That is what I have been whining about for the
best month! As long as BB sees the signing of Wilfork as his top offseason
priority, I have no complaints, and neither should any other Patsfans. The problem is the ridiculous stigma the Franchise Tag
has from the players prospective. I understand getting Franchised sucks, but
it is not an insult nor the final destination. The Pats and the Wilforks now
have until July 15th to work out a long-term deal, like
the ones I outlined. It is starting to look more-and-more like this is a
Dwight Freeney Tag situation. The Colts tagged Freeney, not because they
want to loch him in for one year, but because they were in the middle of
negotiations and couldn’t work out all the contract minutia in time for
the tag deadline. If a team doesn’t Franchise an More good news is coming out of the Wilforks’ end.
They have not responded with anger or insult, but a realization that the Tag
was inevitable and now the real work begins. Here
is a slightly correct copy and paste from their
twitter account: In
regards to the many calls and emails I am receiving in response to the
franchise tag we figured this would be the easiest way to addr[ess these]
... With
that being said it is my hope that the tag is applied for its true purpose For
the purpose of allotting more time for us to continue our talks and be able
to reach along term agreement. Only
time will tell what the final result will be. The Franchise Tag is protection for the Teams, so they
don’t lose their best player to The Tag was used on Freeney to finish up a long-term
contract they were right in the middle of negotiating. It appears this is a
similar situation. The Pats and the Wilforks have been negotiating for the
past few weeks, and it was even reported that a deal had been worked out and
Wilforks back out after further consideration. So they are close, very
close. So don’t be surprised if a deal is work out before the Draft. I
wrote an article three or four years ago called, “if
you can’t beat ‘em, defeat ‘em…” (In which I was also
the first to predict the Pats had a chance at 19 and 0;-). The article
outlined the five or six rule changes that were made as a direct
result of the Pats embarrassing the Bill Po-lyin’ led Colts. I
received many anti-conspiracy theory emails, which I so proudly
responded, “it ain’t paranoia if it’s true”. The NFL now has a serious problem. Their top
Referee has come out and said that Bill Po-lyin’ used his position
as head of the NFL Competition Committee to cheat. He needs to be
removed immediately. The Competition Committee is responsible for
grading out the referees! Do you understand what this means? Pay
increases are a result of tenure and how well an official is
officially graded (by Po-lyin’). It means Po-lyin’ used his power
to control pay raises and bonuses to manipulated the NFL referees to
change the way the game is played to benefit his team.
The referees get pay increase and playoff games
allotted to them as a direct result of how the Competition Committee/Bill NFL referees garner from 25,000 to
70,000 per season, but I can’t find- “the
bonus pay for playoff games listed anywhere”, either. I looked all over
the internet, but I can’t find a single report on how much NFL referees
get to do playoff games. I wonder why the NFL is keeping this suppressed. Okay, I found something, “The pay depends on the
amount of tenure each referee has in the NFL. The estimated pay for each
official during
the Super Bowl is $11,900.” So, the playoff-payoff for calling the
Colts games Po-lyin’ correct, is (Max payoff/Max Salary) approximately 17 percent of
a referees regular salary. So if you repeated call fifty yard pass interferences calls
against Colt’s opponents, “You too can get a 17 percent pay bonus, and
an all expenses paid trip to the Super Bowl.” Okay, a slight exaggerations;-) But do you see the
trend here? Do you remember the 2006 season? When just touching a colt WR or
Payton Manning was serious penalty: 3. Pats
have every right to be upset Though the
Patriots got out of Indy with a 24-20 win, the NFL's lone remaining unbeaten
team has every right to be livid about the quality (or lack thereof) of the
officiating. The worst calls
Sunday involved cases of pass interference. It started
when Colts tight end Dallas Clark mauled Patriots safety Rodney Harrison in
the end zone on a ball Harrison might have been able to intercept. No call.
It continued
when Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel was flagged for interfering with
Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez on a ball that was simply not catchable. It happened
again when New England cornerback Ellis Hobbs was flagged for interference
after Indy wideout Reggie Wayne literally tackled him. The worst
call was made in the fourth quarter, with the Patriots driving and trailing
by 10. From the Indianapolis 3, Brady threw to Randy Moss in the end zone.
When the dust settled, Moss was flagged for offensive pass interference,
even though he did nothing that would classify as offensive pass
interference. While New England overcame the 10-yard penalty to score, the
victory was a lot more difficult than it should have been because of the
questionable decisions of the officials. So what
gives? Was it sheer incompetence? Or have the Patriots become the equivalent
of the old Raiders in the eyes of the NFL and those who officiate their games? These pernicious rule changes not only favors the Colts
Offense, but the Tampa Two is a zone specific defense design so the CB never
touch the WR. I saw Tony Dungy say in a press conference a while ago, “A Corner should
never get a pass interference call in a Tampa Two defense.” I
quoteth Myself: “The Colts play the Tampa Two Defense, a heavy zone
scheme. The Safeties and Corner retreat to a specific area they are to
defend. They play Off-Man. They make no attempt to impede the progress of
the WR, and rarely put their hands on the WR. The Pats mix up their
coverages, but mostly use aggressive Press Coverage whenever possible to
disrupt what the WR is trying to do. They Jam, chuck, and physical the WRs
to death.” Press man was made illegal by Po-Lyin'. So Mike Pereira come out and admits Po-lyin’s
realignment of the NFL game was an overt act of manipulation and cheating.
So what is the NFL going to do? Let me guess, nothing. I was listening to the Felger show on 98.5, I missed
the actual interview. However, I caught the recap. He was talking with Maz
right after the interview, and playing clips on his show. I can’t listen
to the damn interview now because the Sports Hub's crappy website won’t let
me download the podcast. So I have to do this from memory. Believe me if I
could download the damn podcast I’d type up a manuscript of this
wonderfully indicting interview. He was asked point blank (thanks Vince) by Felger at
the Super Bowl if Po-lyin’ cheatingly changed the rules of the game
because of how the Pats beat up his team? He responded, “Yes.” Then he
stumbled a little and backtracked a little, but his unfiltered first
response, which is usually the mistakenly honest response, was “Yes.” Like I said I can’t listen to the damn interview in
it’s entirety, but here is an article pilfered from NFLtalk.com which sums
up the trouble. Here
is the article: “Several of you have
forwarded to us the link to a Super
Bowl week Radio Row interview of now-former NFL V.P. of officiating Mike
Pereira, who sat down with Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti of 98.5 The
Sports Hub in Boston.Entry
for February 19th, 2010
Among other things, Pereira
"It was difficult for us," he said. "You always tried to officiate the game advantage-disadvantage. And so it didn't seem logical . . . to me at the time. I probably wouldn't be saying this if I didn't have just four quarters left to go in my career. But it didn't seem logical to me that you would take advantage-disadvantage out of the equation, that just a touch became a foul whether or not it had an affect or not."
But his broader point is an eye-opener. Not only did Pereira make it clear that Po-lyin’ pushed the "point of emphasis" through the Competition Committee, but Pereira also was refreshingly candid regarding his disagreement with the requirement that any contact with a receiver after five yards mandated a five-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
That is strike three for Po-lyin’, and the NFL has to step in and give him his dishonorable discharge. Po-lyin’ has been caught overly cheating by the NFL three times now, and still skates off like his yellow snow doesn’t stink.
When he was GM of Buffalo, he helped them cheat there
way to four Super Bowl appearances. He iced down the
It became and kind of NFL insider joke, how Po-lyin’ would Ice down the field. In another shocking development, when asked about the icing down of the field he lied, and said he didn’t do it, LOL.
Of course, there was one small problem with his denial, everybody had seen him do it. Chris Berman went inside the dark Buffalo Stadium and did a live remote with ESPN, with the sprinklers on behind him the night before the last two AFC Championship games. He laughed, and whirled his hand around, and said something like, “The Bills are doing final preparations for the game.” You’ll have to pardon me if I can’t remember exactly what he said, it was over fifteen years ago.
I always remembered that scene, because when I heard that they “iced-down the field”, I pictured some field maintenance guy with a hose icing down the field. I was shocked to see the all the sprinklers on, blasting ice all over the field. So Po-Lyin’ was asked if they iced-down the field before playoff games, after everyone had just witness it on ESPN. He of course denied his cheating. His response when questioned on his cheating. He gave the response all the truly corrupt give, “It wasn’t me. It was the-other-guy. Yeah, Mr. D. Ah-derguy.”
Do you remember back in 2007 when the Pats played the Colts? The crowd noise is so loud the announcers are forced to yell in the booth. I never heard crowd noise so loud before or after that game, period. It was in the beginning of the 4th quarter. Moss catches a pass, and the crowd noise tweaks, cuts out, and “there appeared to be a vibration in the sound while the crowd was cheering”. It was the sound like an audio CD skipping. Anybody who has heard a CD skip knows what it was that was skipping in the Dome that day.
The
Colts clearly piped in crowd noise, we all witnessed it. The
microphones they use on the sidelines even picked up Welker
cussing. And, this
wasn’t the first time teams have accused Po-lyin’ of illegally
pumping in sound to cheatingly disrupt opposing offenses. Pittsburgh
accused them in 2005.
The skipping
audience noise is what
everyone remembers. However, what happened after was just as damning, the decibels
of the crowd noise didn’t stop, it was cut in half, and remained at a much more
normal/halved level for the rest of the game. The crowd sound never came
close to reaching the ridiculous decibel levels of the first three quarters.
The announcers no longer had
to raise their voices over the crowd. You can say whatever you want, you can
say, “it’s raining while your pissing on my head,” but I heard what I
heard, and everyone, even Colts fans and NFL executive know they heard the
audio skip and the crowd noise instantly shrunk to a normal level for the
rest of the game, period. And surprise-surprise, without the piped-in
noise to disrupt the Pats offense the Pats rallied in the 4th quarter to win
the game.
As BB himself said after the game, “Basically, we didn’t have a coach-to-quarterback operation, so we had to signal in all of the plays, which is unusual, but that’s the way it was. What-all was going on, I can’t tell you, but I can tell you that, from a functional standpoint, the coach-to-quarterback was basically useless.” The Krafts even filed a complaint with the NFL VP of Security, and it was promptly ignored, or should I say a deal was worked out, because you can't have the guy who judges and reprimands the referees caught cheatin'! So Po-Lyin' promised never to cheat again, and the President of the NBC Propaganda Department took the blame, Mr D. Ah-derguy.
So why wasn’t anything done about it? Because the guy who is in charge of: making the game fair, the grading system that raises, or doesn't raise, the referees salaries, and assigns the big bonuses/playoff games to the referees; he has to be beyond reproach. He cannot be caught piping crowd into a dome when opposing offenses are on the field, which is an undisputable act of overt cheating. So when he gets caught red-handed, they bring in Mr. D. Ah-derguy, and NBC takes the fall, even though the crowd noise never raised up to the ridiculous levels it reached before the 4th quarter of the Pats-Colts game, and has never reached it since.
The thing that struck me the most about watching the AFC title game this year was how little effect the crowd noise had on the broadcast. There were no announcers yelling? The announcers in the booth never had to project their voices over crowd noise? In fact, the crowd noise sounded about the same as it did in the 4th quarter of the 2007 Pats-Colts game. Wow, what a surprise.
Then a few weeks ago, strike three, or rather four (who
could forget the 2006 AFC title game when the temperate in the Indy Dome
suddenly went up 20 degrees at halftime) is thrown to Polian, as the NFL’s
Head Referee comes out and throws out the undisputable accusations that
Polian cheated his way into changing the rules of football to help his team
win. He has to be removed. If the NFL cares at all about the integrity of
the game, Polian has to be given his dishonorable discharge from the
Competition Committee for overt cheating, period.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for February 16th, 2010
All’s
not Quiet on the Western Front
There is finally some good news in Foxboro, and I needed some good news this week. After two kids puking on two different nights, I spent Sunday night puking myself, yeah! It appears BB is trying to sign Wilfork before the February 25th Franchise Tag deadline. I predicted they had about a 5% chance of signing Wilfork before the deadline.
I could not be happier to be wrong. Wilfork is an essential part to the recovery of this defense. I am glad BB sees his signing as the top off season priority. Thank goodness. I was worried we were walking into another Assante Samuel situation.
According to Mike Felger on 98.5, on his radio show last week, he stumbled through an alleged quote from his source in the Patriots organization of 27 million in the first three years, and according to Karen Guregian, 23 Million in gar-oon-tees. So Vince is looking at 23 million in guarantees and 27 million in the first three years. Is it what he wanted, no.
However, Vince, buddy, you really don’t have much choice here. They will tag you come February 25th, and with the lockout looming. You could be looking at 7 mil. Over the next two years. If you sign the deal, you’ll get a nice signing bonus and a nice salary this year. That’s money in the bank.
If you choose not the negotiate, the Pats have no choice but to tag you, you could be looking at 7 mil over the next two years, and then getting tagged again in 2012/2013, or worse, you gain too much weight for someone to offer you a long term deal like the Pats are offering you now.
The timing of your
These are not the option you should have had to face, but it is what it is. Here is the only advise I have left for you, other than sign a long term deal and get as much in the first year as possible, stop thinking about being an UFA. Because of the conflicting CBA agreement, you are not now nor ever will be, this year, an Unrestricted Free Agent. Your Agent knows it, BB know its, and me, a fat guy sitting in front of a computer, knows it.
Now in the negative, guarantees are vastly overrated. If the guarantees are in the first two seasons, then they are meaningless.
Teams can’t cut players in the first season because of the signing bonus, and even if you get hurt bad enough in the first season to be career threatening, they can’t cut you the second year as long as you are rehabbing your injury. Guarantees garner more meaning and value the deeper they are in the contract. Guarantees in the third, forth, and fifth years are worth their weight in Twinkies.
If they are offering Vince a five million dollar in signing bonus, and guaranteeing the first two years completely, then that is crap. To say they have offered him a fair deal is unfair to Wilfork.
My worry is that when BB starting leaking stuff, he has a reasons for it. I worry that the reason is that he doesn’t think Wilfork will sign their offer. A worry that is being justified by the Pats releasing the ridiculous propaganda about repaying the Cap. They are saying that teams that go over the Cap, even though their isn’t one, will have to repay every cent they went over the imaginary 2011 Cap. So, if there is a lockout, every cent a team goes over the imaginary 2011 Cap will be subtracted from their 2012 Cap.
Yeah right! That is ridiculous propaganda worthy of the anti-Recovery/Stimulus Act by the Obstructionist Party. There is no way the New York
Also more information is coming out on the owners plans
for the Uncapped 2010 season. Rumors are flowing that many of the smaller
city owners like the Jags, KC, and
This crap about not going over the imaginary 2010 Cap for fear of retribution of the new CBA is another sign of the financial apocalypse happening at Foxboro. It is completely untrue, unforeseeable, and unbelievable. There is no way the owners are going to screw themselves that badly. Sign Peppers! Sign Dansbury! And for all that is good about the New England Patriot's Franchise sign Vince Wilfork!
That is why I went over all the concerns I have for the financial concerns of the Krafts. We have BB, Tom Brady, and every opportunity to buy the other pieces we need to win a Super Bowl. There are NO RESTRICTIONS, other than the financial concerns of the team owner. They could sign the top three Unrestricted Free Agents without a single Cap concern: Vince Wilfork, Julius Peppers, and Karlos Dansbury. My list of the top is the opposite of the Sporting News, because my list is better;-)
There is a change to my contract proposal, the PFW in Progress boys, said on their 2/18 podcast that in an NFL contract a salary cannot be over 50% less than the year before. So if the Pats give Wilfork a 10 Million dollar salary in 2010, the 2011/2012 salary cannot be less then 5 Mil. Here are the changed proposals:
Okay sign Vince, give him a 9 million Signing Bonus bonus and 9 million in 2010 salary 2 Million guaranteed, and a Guaranteed salary of 4.5 mil in 2011/2012, and a Guaranteed salary of 4.5 mil in 2012/2013. Plus, two or three years after in salaries of 9 Mil a year, with 1.5 million guaranteed in 2014/15 and 2015/2016. This is a fair contract that satisfies the parameters of: 27 Million in the first 3 years (though that is a low figure), 23 million in guarantees and bonuses (though that is a low figure), it gives Vince 18 million in the first year (which gives him lockout protection), extremely low salaries in the following two years (lockout and CBA protection for the Krafts), averages 9 million a year (2 mil over the 7 mil Tag), and hopefully adds a couple of years at 9 million per year to protect both parties. This is an over simple example of a 3, 5, or 6 year contract that could work, because it offers Wilfork nearly three times the 7 mil in the first year for protection for his family incase of the lockout, which is a figure he has to consider. Plus, the Krafts get him on the cheap, and get lockout CBA protection in years two and three.
However, that example is using the Pats propaganda leaks as the model for the contract. Vince, seriously, you cannot expect to get more than this: 30 mil in guarantees, and 37 mil in the first three years. A contract with a 15 million bonus (with 5 mil a roster bonus so more counts on the 2010 Cap, and the rest is spread over the contract), and a 10 mil salary in 2010, and a non-guaranteed salary of 5 mil in 2011/2012, and a Guaranteed salary of 7 mil in 2012/2013, and a salary of 9 mil in 2013/2014 with 3 mil guaranteed. Plus, one or two years after with non-guaranteed salaries of 9 Mil a year.
The biggest problem is the initial bonus. What is best for the Pats and the Cap is a 15 million dollar Roster Bonus, so the whole Bonus is counted against the 2010 unCapped year. What is best for Vince is a 15 million dollar Signing Bonus, so it is prorated over the contract and helps protect the last two years of the contract. So if he is released in 2013/2014, it would leave 12 million (the original 9 mil from the prorated bonus, plus 3 mil in guaranteed salary in the new proposal) in Dead money on the Cap in a 5 year deal, and 13.5 million in a six year deal. It would also leave 3 mil in dead money in 2014/2015 in a five year deal, and 5 mil in dead money in a six year deal. And, no one thinks he would see the sixth year in a six year deal (okay 2.5 Mil in dead money).
In the first deal the Cap hit is much less after three years. In a five year deal it would a 3.6 million Cap hit to release him, and 4.5 million in a six year deal. That is not much protection for Vince.
I used and exaggeratedly high 2010 Cap figure for commonsense Cap reasons, and an exaggeratingly low 2011/2012 Cap figure for commonsense Cap reasons. Both these exaggerations should be used, but of course in this new business sports world commonsense is so rarely used.
These contracts protects both parties the same time. So working out a compromise to these two proposals is not really all that hard. The Krafts need to realize they are in a unique position to release all of the Salary Caps problems big long-term contracts come with in the the first year, and Wilfork has to realize that he is stuck between a rock and a Lockout. The only other outcome is a 7 mil Franchise Tag. This hurts both parties. Of course the good news is that when the Tag is slapped on Wilfork, the negotiation don't end. They can keep on negotiating up to the deadline, I believe in June (July 15th, I finally looked it up;-).
The only real question is can you get Julius Papers or/and Dansbury for similar contracts as Vince’s? Because the time for excuses is over, the Cap is gone, and the Super Bowl is waiting to be bought!
Entry for February 15th, 2010
The
“stupid
and evil” List continues.
The lies of the “stupid and evil” continue mercilessly, as fans of Fox Frauds continue to repeat the misinformation of the “stupid and evil” propaganda network. For those of you who don’t know, the Fox Frauds fake-News Network not only doesn’t report the news, they brag about it. They are proud they don’t tell the truth and distorts the fact. So if you get your news from Fox Frauds Fake-News Network than you are “stupid and evil”.
The Recovery Act/Stimulus Bill was the first assault on the massive destruction created by the “Spend But Don’t Pay” policy the Republicans committed on us for six years. They had complete control of our government on all three levels and inflicted their Conservative Dreams on us. The Deficient, the massive spending, and the unemployment problems are all result of six years of the Republican policies of Tinkle-Down economics.
In case you don't know, Tinkle-down economics means you do everything in you power to help only the richest, wealthiest, and biggest corporations, and then you villanize anybody who really does need help. The idea is that the wealthiest of the wealthy and the giant corporation will share their money with all of us, and tinkle down what they don't need onto our heads. Because, if you study history, the filthy rich through out all of history are most well known for sharing their money with the poor (For those of you who watch Fox Fraud Fake-News Network, that is called sarcasm).
Now that the Democrats are cleaning up the Republican-made Tinkle-Down economic-mess, the Republicans are now trying to change history, the facts, and the truth. They are lying, cheating, and stealing, their way onto Fox Frauds Fake-News Network to try and change history for enough voters so they can get reelected.
Why is it that when Republicans create massive, pork laden, and bloated bills that attack us, the Middle Class, all you brainwashed zombies turn on Fox Frauds and jump for joy? Then spout in a moment of clarity, “Who cares how much it costs? We won’t pay the bills anyway". However, when Democrats send out any bill, like “Cash for Clunkers” and the “Jobs Bill” (that actually help us, the Middle Class), and of course the massive, pork laden, and bloated “Stimulus Package”, (which has provided and saved millions of jobs) it becomes a propaganda war of Nazi proportions. Lie to everyone about how it won’t help anyone, cheat the process behind the scene to add your pork, and then steal the credit in you district for all the money, jobs, and projects the Stimulus Package has produced. Just make sure you never tell the truth or they won’t let you on Fox Frauds Fake-News Network.
Here are some of the high lights, “GOP leaders took great pride in the fact that every House Republican voted against the $787 billion economic-stimulus bill and that all but 16 opposed the spending bill. They battered Mr. Obama and other Democrats, saying the spending bill increased outlays by 8% over the 2008 fiscal year. They also criticized its numerous earmarks, the special items inserted by lawmakers for their districts.” And, every single one of them went back to their distract and bragged openly, unashamedly, while swimming in a sea of hypocrisy about the pork, projects, and jobs they secured for us, the Middle Class Working People of American, every single “stupid and evil” Republican Rep.
My favorite of course is the “stupid and evil” Rep from Ohio Boehner, who voted straight down the line for the “Spend But Don’t Pay” policy of the Republicans for eight years. Now he comes out telling all member of the new Obstructionist Party “Vote No”. Then after the bill comes out and the money is saving jobs and creating projects which creates jobs all over the country. He asks the obvious question, “Where are the Jobs?” He asks this question after an unveiling in his home State of a project that will create over 300 jobs, which he took create for, despite the fact that played every dirty trick in the book to try and defeat it.
So Boehner happily takes the Recovery Act money, Proving how he voted against a bill that was best for the people of Ohio. He takes the money back to his distract, and takes credit for it. “With Ohio’s unemployment rate the highest it’s been in 25 years,” Boehner brags, as he takes credit for more projects the Stimulus money created in his district. “I’m pleased that federal officials stepped in to order Ohio to use all of its construction dollars for shovel-ready projects that will create much-needed jobs”, 1,138 jobs. Then he continued his assault on the Stimulus Package for political gain, despite the facts, the truth, and what is best for this country.
Now that 57 million in job creating projects in his state has been unleashed, against his will, on the working people of Ohio, he continues to misinform the nation. “[Boehner] repeatedly derided the legislation as “generational theft,” and declared, “When it comes to slow-moving government spending programs, it’s clear that it doesn’t create the jobs.”
But please, let's forget the eight years of Boehner and Republican Pissing-Down economic policies that destroyed millions and millions of jobs in this country. How dare the fiscally irresponsible Democrats create jobs in this country without cutting the taxes of the wealthy and the giant corporations. Who cares if those “stupid and evil” policies of Tinkle-Down economics pissed on all of us for eight years, we need to get back to them!
“The Council of Economic Advisers, in a report released earlier this month, called the Recovery Act the “boldest counter-cyclical fiscal stimulus in American history” and concluded that the stimulus added nearly 500,000 jobs to the economy in the second quarter of 2009 that would not have been there without it. Unfortunately, people like Boehner and Gingrich are more interested in stoking opposition to Obama rather than grounding their arguments in the truth.” In other words, it counteracted the always disastrous Pissing-Down Economics that nearly bankrupted this country. Now the economy is finally trending up, after the Republican led downward spiral we have been suffering through for the past few years. Wake up American!
In a happy coincidence, the day after I wrote this article The Wall Street Journal, a Conservative Institution, wrote a much more informative article about the same topic. Through the Freedom of Information Act, a Conservative Nightmare, they obtained letters from seventeen Republican Reps, who begged for money in their districts despite voting Nay, and bashing the Recovery Act before, during, and while grabbing the money and running home.
As more-and-more facts flow in, the Republicans look stupider and eviler by the minute. "About $180 billion of the funds allocated to various projects has been paid out. Tax cuts worth about $93 billion have also taken effect, according to agency records published on the government Web site recovery.gov. An additional $320 billion in spending hasn't yet been handed out. A further $195 billion in tax cuts are due to flow through tax returns.
"More than a dozen Republican lawmakers supported stimulus-funding requests submitted to the Department of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Forest Service, in letters obtained by The Wall Street Journal through the Freedom of Information Act."
Let’s bask in the glow of obstructing the government by lying, cheating, and stealing:
Lets start with the fiscally insane Paul Ryan. He thinks destroying Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare (the three programs that help American citizen who need help the most) is a good idea, so he can help those who need help the least. "Rep. Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who called the stimulus a 'wasteful spending spree' that 'misses the mark on all counts,' wrote to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in October in support of a grant application from a group in his district which, he said, 'intends to place 1,000 workers in green jobs.' A spokeswoman for Mr. Ryan said the congressman felt it was his job to provide 'the basic constituent service of lending his assistance for federal grant requests'."
“Rep.
Cliff Stearns (R.,
Here's a good one: "Republican Reps. Sue Myrick of North Carolina and Jean Schmidt of Ohio sent letters in October asking for consideration of funding requests from local organizations training workers for energy-efficiency projects." These projects are job creating and very worth while for the working men and women of America. She must have had some extremely nice things to say about the Recovery/Stimulus Act that provide such great opportunities for her constituents! "In November, Ms. Schmidt said in a statement, 'It is time to recall the stimulus funds that have not been spent before the Chinese start charging us interest.' Aides to the congresswomen said they had always supported local organizations in their requests for federal funding." Oops!
Can I take the hypocrisy to the next level? “Rep.
Mario Diaz-Balart (R., Fla.) also opposed the omnibus bill,” even
though he knew it was what was best for the people of his district. “After
it passed, he announced that it included $570,000 for hybrid-fuel trolleys
in Miami
The next level, "Mr. Diaz-Balart said in an interview, ‘The omnibus was too much money, too much spending, too much borrowing, too much debt, and no accountability'." It's amazing how big those bills appear when actually plan to pay them back. "'Now, I have stuff in that bill, but I still voted against it. But what I have in there, I am very proud of’.” Then he continued his assault on the Stimulus Package for political gain, while continuing to praise his ability to take funds to Florida.
Here is a well advertised email from Sen. John Cornyn to President Barack Obama, "Do not, I repeat DO NOT try to pass another stimulus bill. I don't care if you're trying to hide it's true identity by calling it a jobs bill, I don't want it,... The first stimulus didn't create any jobs ... this one isn't going to do anything either." Ouch, he really hated the Recovery/Stimulus Act didn't he.
"The Environmental Protection Agency received two letters from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas asking for consideration of grants for clean diesel projects in San Antonio and Houston. Mr. Cornyn is the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee." So he kind-ah sort-ah almost liked the Recovery/Stimulus Act?
"One of the letters was signed jointly with [Sen. John Cornyn and] Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, also of Texas. The letter said that the Port of Houston Authority 'has informed me of the positive impact this grant will have in the region by serving as a foundation for PHA's Clean Air Strategy Plan, creating jobs, and significantly reducing diesel emissions." Okay, so Houston received millions of dollars in diesel funding/"creating jobs" projects. Yet, "No jobs were created"? That is an utter, “stupid and evil” lie of the worst kind.
There are so many to choose from “Rep. Howard Coble (R., N.C.) issued a news release on March 11 boasting that ‘six Coble earmarks’ were in the omnibus bill, including $855,000 to extend an airport runway.” He voted against the spending bill, even though he knew it was what was best for the people of his district.
Mr. Coble acknowledged he had opposed the spending bill. "I would be in favor of earmark reform," he said in the statement. "But as long as earmarks remain part of the legislative funding process, I would be doing a disservice to the people of the 6th District by not seeking funding for worthwhile projects." Okay, so he can spell h-y-p-o-c-r-a-c-y.
Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama is a Socialist. He is (LOL) the ranking Republican on the Senate (LOL) Banking Committee. Yeah, we should listen to this guy (LOL). Like Lawrence Summers said, "Those who presided over the last eight years -- the eight years that brought us to the point where we inherit trillions of dollars of deficit, an economy that's collapsing more rapidly than at any time in the last 50 years -- don't seem to me in a strong position to lecture about the lessons of history," Summers told ABC's "This Week"." LOL.
Okay, here is Shelby in action, "Republican Richard Shelby, the state's senior senator, called the stimulus package "the socialist way" while it was being debated." So he would never try to gain politically from, duh-duh-duuh... "the socialist way". No, not a chance, "The entire congressional delegation of Alabama, including its two Republican senators, wrote to then-Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell asking for $15 million for cogongrass eradication and control programs in the state. The state ended up getting a $6.3 million grant." Oops, he used duh-duh-duuh... "the socialist way" to secure jobs for Alabamians. Then continued to attack Obama and the Recovery/Stimulus Act as not creating jobs, though he knows with 100% certainty that the Recovery/Stimulus Act created jobs in his State.
So while the Democrats continue to try and help you and me, the Party of Obstructionism, with the help of the Fox Fraud Fake-News network, continues it’s assault on us. The Recovery/Stimulus Act has created over 500,000 jobs for the working men and women of America, and still have job-creating funding left to give. The Recovery/Stimulus Act saved millions of jobs, including important jobs like police, firemen, and teachers. Recovery/Stimulus Act did not receive one single vote, or a single bit of help from the Party of Obstructionism.All the while the Fox Fraud Fake-News network, attacks the truth and what is best for the Middle Class, because it not what is best for the wealthiest of the wealthy and the giant corporations. If you laugh every time someone mentions the Stimulus Package, then you are “stupid and evil”. Just ask the over two million, and counting, Americans who are working now because of the Recovery/ Stimulus package.
Oh, and just for the record corporations aren't people!
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for February 12th, 2010
And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program:
So what does all this talk about the Kraft's PP have to do with anything? It has to do with everything. Finances affect everything. Why are there no Coordinators? There are multiple reasons, obviously. BB is a genius, and geniuses don’t make decisions like this without multiple reasons. There are multiple reasons not to name them, like: they aren’t quite ready, he wants to keep them under wraps so he can use them for another year, because he doesn’t want to loss another Coordinator to a Head Coaching job for a few more years, he does want to piss off Pepper Johnson or Matt Patricia, and of course he wants to save the organization a few million.
My favorite reason is that the NFL decreed that Coordinators must give weekly press conferences. Now there are no Coordinators to give weekly press conferences. So again there is “a single voice coming out of Foxboro”. Come on Patsfans, you gotta love that!
I was watching a sports show Sunday night and the guest was Mike Reiss. Mike is a nice guy, but just as the PFW in Progress boys are the shills for the Krafts, Reiss is the shill for BB. Now I’m not saying that as some kind of insult, quite the contrary. I’m a self professed Patriot’s shill. I am a fan of PFW and Reiss because they right positive things. Too much sport reporting now-a-days has mutated into a Bizarro world, page 6, jealous celebrity writing. The negative story overwhelms everything now in the sports world.
Reiss is the best
So how much do Coordinators make? “According
to an NFL source, coordinator salaries range from $450,000 to $3
million. The average NFL defensive coordinator makes about $850,000 with
offensive coordinators at about $800,000.” Hell, even college Coordinators
make more than the Pat’s officially unofficial Coordinators.
I heard one
Okay, I’ll even accept your semantic argument and
still dismantle you (well, that sounded a little arrogant;-). It is a matter
of semantics. A Coordinators job in the NFL is not just a title,
it’s a position. It is a very
important, very prestigious, and highly coveted position.
There are only 32 HC titles of the
NFL in the entire world (but since HC is a title,
so it doesn’t really matter), and only 64 Coordinator positions (96 if you
include Special Teams coach). These men spend their lives trying to achieve
their dream of become HC of any NFL-T. Being named HC of any NFL-T, is like
being given the title of President
In Charge Of Operations of a fortune 500 company. Does that title matter? Being given the position
of Coordinator in the NFL, is like being given the position of vice-president of operations in a fortune 500 company,
and one step away from realize your dream of becoming president. It matters.
It matters more to these man than anything except family.
The truth is the Patriot’s organization will save multi-millions of dollars over the next two years by not naming Coordinators. Remember 2011 will be locked out. You’ll have to pardon me if I’m not optimistic about the CBA negotiations. If you haven’t seen one of these professional sports negotiations before, you are in for a show of true ugliness. Especially with all the ranker starting already. This CBA will not be easy, especially when you consider the stance the Owners are taking about the players getting too much money already. I believe it is going to be ugly, even uglier than the scab season.
The Pats are Guar-oon-teed to save well over a million dollars this season alone. If you add another year of salaries, the salaries for their Coordinators in 2011, they are kind-ad sort-ah Guar-oon-teed to save over three million dollars over the next two years. I am basing this on the belief that players will not be paid in a lock out, but coaches, GMs, and front office personal usually are still paid. However, I cannot say for certain, whether they will be paid or not.
Bill, I know you come to my website. I have heard you quote me in one of your press conferences (thank you for that by the way, is was a pathetically giddily geek moment for me). Now I am going to repay the favor. Just give these men their positions. Do you remember when you were first given the meaningless title of DC for the NYG? It was not meaningless to you. It was one of the greatest days of your life (excluding family stuff of course). You spent what, 20-30 years working your ass off towards achieving that amazing goal, and now you’re saying the titles of DC and OC of the NEP are meaningless? That is simply not true, and you of all people know that. You so desperately wanted to be Head Coach of the New England Patriots that you once wrote on a napkin, "I resign as HC of the NYJ", and allowed yourself to be ridiculed by the New York Media. Now, I get why you did it. It was such a betrayal by Parcells, that you had no choice. Remember how all that felt?
Bill, I also want to tell you that it makes you look a
little crazy from the outside when you do something like this. You know you
have a tendency to get a stressed out and a little crazy when you don’t
delegate enough, remember Cleveland? I know it’s not easy for you to
delegate. You have one of the best football minds in
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for February 11th, 2010
What is the Patriot’s biggest problem?
Part Five:
So what does this have to do with anything? It has to do with everything. Finances affect everything. Why are there no Coordinators? There are multiple reasons, obviously, BB is a genius, and geniuses don’t make decisions like this without multiple reasons.
My favorite reason is that the NFL decreed that Coordinators must give press conferences every week. Now there are no Coordinators to give press conferences every week, so again there is “a single voice coming out of Foxboro”.
I was watching a sports show Sunday night and the
guest was Mike Reiss. Mike is a nice guy, but just as the PFW in
Progress boys are the shills for the Krafts, Reiss is the shill for
BB. Now I’m not saying that as some kind of insult, quite the
contrary. He is the best
He does this by never saying a negative thing about the Pats, and believing every single word he is given with one hundred percent certainty, and we all appreciate it. However, when he was asked if it was about the money, his response was so vitriolic, sudden, and cranky, and his emphatic dismissal of such a ridiculous belief convinced me that the money they saved by not naming a Coordinator was clearly part of the equation. This is another sign of the finical apocalypse at Foxboro.
So how much do Coordinators make? “According
to an NFL source, coordinator salaries range from $450,000 to $3
million. The average NFL defensive coordinator makes about $850,000 with
offensive coordinators at about $800,000.” Hell, even college Coordinators
make more than the Pat’s officially unofficial Coordinators.
I heard one
The truth, the Patriot’s organization will save multi-millions of dollars over the next two years by not signing Coordinators. Remember 2011 will be locked out. If you haven’t seen one of these professional sports negotiations before, you are in for a show of true ugliness. Especially with all the ranker starting already. This CBA will not be easy, especially when you consider the stance the Owners are talking about the players getting too much money already. I believe it is going to be ugly even more ugly than before.
The Pats are Guar-oon-teed to save well over a million dollars this season alone. If you add another year of salaries, the salaries for their Coordinators in 2011, they are kind-ad sort-ah Guar-oon-teed to save over three million dollars over the next two years. I am basing this on the belief that though players will not be paid in a lock out, coaches, GMs, and front office personal usually are still paid. However, I cannot say for certain, whether they will be paid or not.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for February 8th, 2010
What is the Patriot’s biggest problem?
Plus, Political Sidetrack?
Part Three and Four added below!!
There is a crisis down in Foxboro, and it is called Patriot’s Place. The real question is, is Patriot’s Place becoming the Kraft’s Michael Jackson Tour? It sure smells like a financial albatross to me.
All the decisions over the past two years have the stench of financial worries to them. In the 2007 off season the Pats spent money like a king with no conscious, signing multi-years deals with multiple players in their prime. BB almost turned those signing into the greatest season in NFL history.
In the 2008 off season, the Pats spent significantly less on retreads, reclamations, and reruns, as the economy spiraled out of control, because of the fiscal irresponsibility, Trust Fund Economics, and spending practices of our Republican run country. I call it Trust Fund Economics because Republicans always spend our money without regard for morals or consequence because they are used to their daddy’s bailing them out when they can’t pay their bills.
Then the adults get elected to pay all the Republican’s bills, and they complain that the Democrats, who are paying their bills, are spending too much. It’s like watching “stupid and evil” Mean Girls berate an innocent child to death. And just for the record 3 out of the past 4 presidents have spent and added to the Deficient at historic levels! Those three are: Ronny, King Bush, and Bush the Second. Clinton was the only fiscally responsible President we've had in the past 30 years, and he was crucified for coming in and paying all the Republican bills, again.
Although the good news is that I finally agree with something that the stupidest and evilest Republican, Bill O-Reilly, believes, if you believe that O’Bama: is a Socialist, should be Impeached, hates white people, and/or the insanely ridiculous wasn’t born in this country propaganda, than you are “stupid and evil”.
Okay, enough of politics, I’m just tired of the Tea-bagging, Klux, Klan pretending like they are the anything other than a full-of-shit corporate funded propaganda mouthpiece for the fiscally insane Republican party, and O’Bama is a socialist because he was saddled with trillions in Republican bills that we now need to pay.
Okay, enough of politics part two, oh by the way, have you heard the newest insane Republican plan to balance the Budget? They want to eliminate Social Security and Medicare. “Ryan [the Republican Rep who was charged with giving a republican budget, such as it is] doesn’t have a plan to control those exploding costs. Instead, his plan is to refuse to pay the bill. This saves a ton of money.” (Trust Fund Economics explained to perfection, LOL). “If instead of paying for old people’s health care you just . . . don’t pay for their health care, then you reduce expenditures...” Yeah! let’s destroy any semblance of social justice for the elderly in our country so we can protect the wealthy, who don't need any protection. Sounds like genius, or insanity, depending on which side of reality you are standing on.
Okay, I apologize for my political rant. That is, I apologize to the sports fans who come here for sports not politics. As for the republicans who were offended by my political commentary, than I apologize for you being offended by the truth;-). And for the record, when I say Republicans (with a capital "R") I mean the elected Republican officials and TV and radio propagandist, and not the average republican subject. Believe it or not, I have friends, whom I respect and sometimes even agree with, who are actual card carrying members of the Republican Party.
Entry for February 9th, 2010
What is the Patriot’s biggest problem? Part Three:
Okay, enough of politics part three (really!). I always thought the idea of PP was a boondoggle to begin with. I mean, malls, whether stripping or not, are based on Customer traffic. Gillette stadium was built on the broken remnants of Foxboro stadium. The stadium was built there not because it is an urban free-flow of constant traffic, but because it is a super-cheap middle-of-nowhere trafficless wasteland. A great place to build a stadium at the lowest cost possible, but not a great place to build a shopping mall that needs thousands of customers to flock there each and every day in order to produce a profit.
The Kraft’s brilliant plan for building Patriot’s Place was an old, old-money belief that you never build with your own money. This plan works great in the best of times. But in the worse of times the effects can be devastating. They built that giant strip mall by borrowing millions at the height of the market, right before one of the worst economic disasters this country has seen. They leveraged millions, and are now paying the interest. That is called over leveraged
PP is based on the idea that the Patriot games will produce enough traffic to ensure the financial viability for all the corporate chain stores fr the year. The problem is that there are only ten games guaranteed to drag in customers. That is approximately one hundred thousand customers dragged through the Bunker Mall, that now encases Gillette Stadium, ten days a year, or 3.65% of the year (Yes, I know there were 11 games if you include the Play Off game, but the math or easier and obvious when dividing by 10. I’m not a math wiz;-). What about the other 96.35% of the year? Interest is accruing every day of the year, not just during the Patriots season.
The part that really bugs me about PP, is they built it on the best parking around Gillette. They created a giant castle around the stadium that looks like the walls to a bunker, right in the prime gametime parking spots. Plus, all the parking around the castle walls are now for the strip mall only. They had to use Stimulus money to build a walk bridge over the damn highway, because all the parking is now across the damn highway from the castle. Making it a mile or more walk to the bunker walls. .
I visited Patriot’s Place in May, just before the
2009 season started. There were two scheduled events being held there: One-
the High School Combine, and two- Nick Caserio was giving a presentation on
the Pat’s Draft from last season. (Which do you think I attended;-) His
presentation was great by the way, and I recommend it to all PatsDraft fans.
Despite all the people at the stadium, PP was empty. We walked up into the
CBS Scene at
A couple of weeks ago, about a week or so after the patriots were eliminated from the Play Offs, one of the PFW in Progress boys were discussing a recent lunch where he walked all the way through the Bunker Mall to the fishing store and just like me, didn’t encounter another human being in the 400 mile walk. He went into the store, and didn’t encounter another human being, including employees of the store, for fifteen minutes. Apparently the only person working at lunchtime. the time when people who are working might have a chance to step in, was the store manager. It sounded like a financial disaster waiting to happen to me.
The PFW in Progress boys produce a great show, and I am a big fan of their magazine and their podcast. It is an absolute must listen if you are a Patsfan, but they are essentially shills for King Kraft. I have rarely heard such insincere worship and bootlicking of a person than when they are praising King Kraft and the son of a King (I’m really trying to be comical, and not trying to be disparaging to the PFW in Progress boys, though it sounds a little mean even to me as I read this. I can honestly say that if I wrote for Patriots Weekly I’d be kissing the Krafty Krafts’ butts as well, believe me). One of them, we’ll call him Fat P, to protect the guilty, actually started to reveal some of his concerns about the financial viability of Patriot’s Place as the reason why the Pats aren’t spending as much money on Free Agents. But then he quickly regained his senses and shut up. When your own shills are concerned, it has become a financial disaster waiting to happen.
The shills also mistaking revealed that the rent at PP is performance based. So as the interest increases on PP, the revenues continue t decline. That is definition of a dying business. One of the benefits in building with other peoples money is that you can abandon it if financial disaster ensues. The problem is that as long as King Kraft owns the Patriots he cannot abandon his PP. It is his self-imposed castle around his freshly polished stadium.
I was nearly sort-of almost an owner of a business in a strip mall for a short while. I was a coffee roaster in a coffee shop. The one thing I learn from that business is that the rent in those places is as relentless, merciless, and ceaseless as death. You pay for every minute you occupy every square foot of that place, or you die. The overhead of the rent alone was thousands of dollars each month that had to be paid, and unlike Republican economic geniuses, we had to pay bills each and every month regardless of profit. That requires thousands of customers each week and every week, if you actually wanted to produce a profit. That’s hundreds of Customers each and every day of the year, or you are becoming a now deceased business.
That is not hopefully thousands of Customers ten days a year, and a barren wasteland the other 320 days of the year (if you give them far more credit than they deserve for other functions held at Gillette, and the preseason practices which pull in other people into the Bunker). I just don’t see how the math works (and yes I know I already admitted I am not a math wiz)?
The carrion stench of a dying strip mall was already prevalent in Foxboro, before the 2009 season started. Then came the sixth sign of the Apocalypse, the Patriots Lotto cards. King Kraft had always steadfastly, and somewhat snootily, refused to participate in the Lotto. He believed, as I do, that professional sports and gambling is a dangerous and illegal mixture.
Then suddenly one finically filled morning, when the pretty blue jays were echoing their beautiful songs off the morning dew, he decided that lotto tickets and the NFL could coexist in peaceful harmony. That gambling and the Patriots was a match made in heaven. That all the world's cruel and foolish follies could be cured by lotto cards, if they just had the right sponsors. “GENTLEMEN, START YOUR PROMOTION!”
Sell-sell-sell. You can no longer go into Gillette without being sold-sold-sold. Promotion-promotion-promotion, and they laid it in on thicker than cold honey for their new universe saving lotto cards. The finical disaster has arrived. But, it’s okay Patsfans, I have the solution.
What the Krafty Krafts need is more foot traffic in PP,
right? So my solution, and the one true solution that will cause more cars
to drive into their park lots than any other form of reality is: put a Foxy
Lady right in the middle of the Bunker Parking Lot. No more PP Customers
driving to
They certainly could fit it, right there in the middle of what used to be the best gametime parking at Foxboro. A Foxy Lady in Foxboro! Tell me it doesn’t fit? Foxboro’s finest strippers bring financial stability to Foxboro’s biggest boondoggle. I like it!
Entry for February 10th, 2010
What is the Patriot’s biggest problem? Part Four:
My articles yesterday seemed to have been e little more grumpy than I intended. I asked my wife and she said calling Bob King Kraft was pushing it. I natural handled it like mature husband and whine for half an hour about how wrong she was and than slept on the couch (just kidding sports fans;-)
In my defense, I was using a theme of King Kraft building castle Gillette and turning PP into the crumbling castle walls. I am a fantasy writer after all. Than, as you can see during the article, the idea of the bunker theme popped into my head. The bunker theme was just more apropos, as I have a Patriots Draft website. For the uninitiated, draftnics like to call the teams Draft rooms war rooms, or sometimes bunkers. BB is usually associated with a Bunker, as in BB went into the Bunker and won’t be heard from again until after the draft. So I switched the theme to Bunker, but still had the King of the castle theme meandering through my brain.
More reports on the apocalypse, I believe it is wrong to talk about another mans wife. I guess they call it man-code know, but you just don’t talk about another mans wife other than to say isn’t she lovely. With that being said I am going to talk about King Kraft’s wife.
Not is a negative way of course, just more anecdotal. I am familiar with her amazingly generous work at Children’s Hospital and breast cancer. However, what I am talking about is the base of the Kraft’s fortune started with her inheritance. Her trust fund was the beginning of King Kraft business genius. It was the sentimental starting point for King Kraft saving the New England Patriots, bringing in BB and Tom Brady, and bring three Super Bowl victories to Foxboro.
So what is a trust fund? A trust is a giant pile of dough that is translated into stocks and bond to produce a stead increase in capital as a source of consistent and future income. Like all giant piles of dough that where in the stock market at the end of the great Republican reign of economic terror, the old borrow to spend like drunken sailors but don’t pay back the dough philosophy of the new Republican party, they took loses. Most reports coming out now are sayin most people lost between 25-50% of their dough.
Now I’m not saying the Krafts are in desperate straights because of that, but it had to hurt. Symbolically and sentimentally, that giant pile of dough was the base of their wealth. Plus, what hurts the wife hurts the husband.
Now, it is being reported, by Dale and Holly on WEEI, that a business magazine reported that the Kraft box company had 45% less business than a year ago. The box company is now the actual base of their wealth. All their other businesses flow off from their box/paper company.
So at a time when the sentimental base of their business and the actual base of their business are struggling, their plans to make PP solvent in 15-20 years is turning into a natural disaster in the worst of times.
So with all these sign of the financial apocalypse in Foxboro, Patsfans have to be cognizant of these concerns. If Kraft is having the financial troubles the Sullivans had after the Michael Jackson Tour, it is trouble for this franchise. This will have an affect on the Pats off season. This will have an affect on the Wilfork negotiations. This will have an affect on the FA signing of Julius Peppers.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for January 30th, 2010
Okay Pats Draft fans, here is another question from another concerned Patsfan: Will they sign Wilfork?
Okay, here is a problem that is close to every Pat fan’s heart. I have heard more differing opinions about this problem than a dragon has scales. I even hear one beyond ridiculous opinion that because he is the pats best defensive player, and their defense stinks, they should just let him go. Excuse me? So the best way to repair their weak defense is to let their best defensive play go? What do you say to such a ridiculous statement? I really don’t know?
Okay, reality time. Vince Wilfork will be on the Patriots next season, I Guar-oon-tee-it. He is their best defensive player, at one of the most important positions in the 3-4. Okay, so maybe I can’t Guar-oon-tee-it, but it is over 95% likely that he will be on the team next season, unless they somehow work out a trade. I don’t see that happening.
Okay, Vince, if your out there in Internet Fantasyland and you are reading this (it could happen), I can say with 100% certainty the Pats are going to Franchise you. This is a guarantee (yes, I can spell Guar-oon-tee correctly). If you don’t understand this, or your agent hasn’t told you this, get a new agent. The only possibility the Patriots don’t Franchise you, is if you can work out a multi-year deal before the Franchise Tag deadline. You and I both know that is not going to happen. So, the Patriots will have absolutely no choice but to Franchise you. Please don’t take this as a slight, it is unfair, unjust, and unfortunate. However, in the system you are correctly working in, it is also undeniably not a decision for the Patriots; They have no choice but to Franchise you, period. Anyone who says anything different to you is lying.
The tag for Wilfork is just over seven million, which is a bargain for a teams best NFL defensive player. Also, for the fans out their, I really don’t want to hear any whining about what he is making, it is ridiculous. The NFL is an entertainment business watched by millions of people. If millions of people wanted to watch you do your boring job, then you would be making millions of dollars as well, but they don’t, and I don’t, and even you don’t, so stop whining like you don’t understand why NFL players make millions.
Wilfork is Guar-oon-teed to make 7 million next year (yes I know he hasn’t been Franchised yet, but we have established that he is 100% Guar-oon-teed to be Franchised). He should being signing a contract that is worth 20-30 million guaranteed. Let me ask you this Miss/Mr. whining sports writer/fan, what if your company said they where going to cut your salary by 60-80%? What would you say? Shut up and take the money? Yeah right. You’d be whining, kvetching, and sabotaging your boss as much as possible. If you had his talent and had the chance to financially secure the future of your children and grandchildren, are seriously pretending you would be fighting for every cent your amazing talent would provide?
Is it a Fantasyland? Yes. Are you jealous you don’t have the talent to live in their Fantasyland? Yes you are! Am I jealous I don’t have the talent to live in their Fantasyland? Yes I am. But, it-is-what-it-is. His contemporaries are making 20-30 million guaranteed, and that is what he wants to be paid, and so would you and I.
Okay, Vince, you also have to understand that between last season and next season you will be making over 13 Million dollars. That is not an insult, a slight, or the plight of an abused man. The system that you are working in, that allows you to make millions, also has you caught in its’ web of restrictions. It is not the Patriots fault, and is not their decision, they have no choice but the Franchise you, as you are their best defensive player. The 20 to 30 million Guar-oon-teed will be waiting for you in a year or two (can you say, “Lockout”?), I Guar-oon-tee-it;-)
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for January 21st, 2010
Okay Pat's fans here is a question from a concerned reader of my site: Are you going to do a Second Round? Hmm, let me see:
I am in the process of making a Second Round. The problem is that there are just too many factors to factor in right now. I am working on getting my player ratings up to 118. I have also been delayed, because of Senior Bowl week. I very rarely post anything during Senior Bowl and Combine week, there is just too much to watch, study, and take notes on.
I was also being delayed, because my novel “Shadow Stalker” was accepted by a publisher, and is being prepared for release. I have been searching for an agent and dealing with the business side of writing, which I am terrible at. I am very excited that my novel is going to be published, but since the announcement I have been spending all my spare time dealing with publishing my book rather than the Draft.
According to my math the Pats don’t have a 3rd Round pick, and their pick in the 4th will be approximately 118, depending on how many 3rd Round Compensation picks there are. It is my goal to reach the Pats pick in the 4th. Plus, the actual order of the Draft is not set yet.
I have a tendency to not do the 2nd and 3rd Rounds until March, after the Senior Bowl, after the Combine, and after the Draft order is set. I know the Pats have three 2nd Round picks, so the 2nd Round is going to be the meat of the Pat's draft, and the first two picks in the 2nd Round should be similarly rated players as their 1st Round pick.
The main problem is the ripple effect. I am a strong believe in mapping out a draft according to team needs. If a team's top needs an OT, and they take an OT in the 1st, they are not going to take an OT in the 2nd. However, if they don’t take an OT in the 1st, they are very likely to take an OT in the 2nd. I spend a lot of time researching each team and their team needs. This is how teams draft, they rate players and fill holes. As infinitely complicated as that can be, it is also just that simple, find players who fit your system and fill the needs.
The ripple effect happens whenever I change a pick in my Mock. Each change effects every picks behind it. The more Rounds I do the more teams it effects. If I change one pick in the 1st Round, it might effect one or more picks the rest of the 1st, but it will effect multiple picks in the 2nd, and god knows how many picks in the 3rd and 4th Rounds.
So I am much more conservative when it comes to doing the 2nd Round. However, I do understand the importance of this year’s 2nd Round to Pat’s fans, and I will am endeavoring to get a 2nd Round up by Combine time. However, I first have to fix my horrible 1st Round;-)
Also, if you look in my Player Ratings page, I put the corresponding player rated, that matches the number of the Pat’s pick in red, so you can get an idea of the players I like when the Pat’s will be picking, and the players that might still be on the board around the Pat’s pick.
Unfortunately, it looks like the highest rated players on the board when the Pats pick will be Offensive players. I think they will be looking at Passrushers and Linebackers for their defense, and on Offense a TE, WR, RB, and then maybe an OG.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for January 14th, 2010
The latest on ridiculousness in the Bosom media. First, there are multiple idiots in the media saying that this past season was Brady's second best season, statistically speaking. To imply that this past season was his second best season in any way shape or form is just simply beyond stupid. Have any of you idiots ever watched Brady play?
His play in the forth quarter was abysmal. How many interceptions did he throw in the forth quarter? How many Interceptions did he throw overall? How many times did he lead his team to forth quarter disasters?
Now, it was not a deficiently in Brady, so much as it was mostly a matter of injury' a broken finger, a broken rib, recovering from knee surgery. He was often wildly off target, and the offense seemed uncharacteristically out of sorts. It seemed time-after-time and game-after-game the offense was discombobulated on the road, and as the unequivocal leader of the offense he has to take the lions share of the blame.
The other bugaboo up my butt is the constant assault of the Pats Draft in recent years. The players the Pats have drafted over the past few years was not the reason for the decimation of the Patriots Way down at Foxboro. The decimation was caused by player and coaching loses.
Josh McDaniels was a bigger loss then anyone could have predicted. The offense was not well run, well coached, or well received by anyone. It seems we lost the wrong Coordinator this off season. However, in Bill Bradley's defense McDaniel wasn't particularly perfect his first season either.
The real main reason for the decimation of the Patriot way is retirement. Okay, and trades. The loss of Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, and Mike Vrabel was a vacuum of leadership that the defense could not replace. You are talking four Hall-Of-Famers. Okay, so maybe only Patriots Hall-Of-Famers. But the unequivocal core of their Championship Defenses, gone, in one off season.
no matter how many times you say this wasn't a transition year, there is no rational explanation to say it wasn't. This was a team and a defense in transition from Championship Veterans to faster younger players, who are not quite there yet. If you cannot see that then you are not watching.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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Entry for January 11th, 2010
I cannot believe it is 2010. Anyway this Draft has a ton more upper level talent than last years Draft. I don't know if it has the depth yet, but have four picks in the first two Rounds is going to create quite a haul for the Pats. I have had a feeling for the past few months that when the Pats pick the top rated player on the board is going to be WRs or or a TE. I think that premonition is looking like it's coming true.
When you look at pick number twenty-two, there are some familiar Wide Receivers who keep coming up right around our pick. Names like Golden Tate (who has work in for three seasons, and fits perfectly in, our system), Dez Bryant (who is the top WR in this Draft as far as skill and talent goes, but has not been able to finish the past two seasons because of injury and a criminal decision by the NCAA's), Brandon LaFell (who I don't trust, but he has played well every time I watched him this season), and Mardy Gilyard (a super-dynamic WR/KR/PR who fits our system, but was a locker liability for most of his career at Cincinnati. However, he really seemed to have turned around his immature attitude this past season).
The other four interesting names the keep falling into the Pats range is Emerson Griffen (A monstrous 3/4 OLB prospect from USC, please don't twinge, who reminds me of a bigger Adalius Thomas), Jermaine Gresham (the best receiving TE in College football two years ago), Brandon Spikes (a force in the middle of the defense, whose athletic abilities come close to rivaling McClain, but mentally is still trying to put it all together, and when he does he could be a Ray Lewis like ILB), and Jerry Hughes (Who has as much potential as a passrusher as any player in this years Draft, and the Pats number one need, and maybe their number two need as well, is a PassR).
Plus, there are three Juniors who have not yet declared, and who are my personal favorite diamonds in the rough: Von Miller (an absolute dynamo at OLB/DE. Reminds me of Dwight Feeney when he was a Syracuse, who was a 240 DE who could run a 4.5), Tony Moeaki (a monstrous blocking TE, with exception receiving abilities as well), and Ryan Mathews (who probably has the best combination of size, speed, strength, and average yards per carry of any RB in the Draft).
It probably sounds criminally ridicules to say something this concrete this early, but I don't see how the Pats could possible get away from one of these players in the First Round. I would be shocked if they don't come away with one of these eleven players in the First, and maybe even steal another couple in the Second.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
Patriots Draft Blog 2009
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