The NFL off season is like a dog fight, Michael Vick please excuse the analogy. So many teams have a short period of time to bulk up their roster and try to make the team as competitive as possible.
The teams that are always the most successful are the teams that live by high risk, high reward. Great teams draft well and let their over valued free agents leave. Just look at the Pittsburg Steelers, for years they have been letting players go like Hugh Hefner sends away cheap women.
The Vikings have paid a visit to their prize diva of the off season and the rest of the NFC North is trying to keep pace. Well, except the Lions who could make the three biggest moves of the off season and still not win the CFL.
In the past week many moves have happened and many more are to come in the orgy that is the NFL off season.
We Must Protect This House
The Chicago Bears have a rich tradition of Defense and with Brian Urlacher aging they went after stud DE Julius Peppers. Peppers was clearly the prize free agent of this off season. The only problem is that the Bears didn’t need defense, they need a WR. Jay Cutler needs a legit WR before he throws another five year old tantrum and gets traded.
The Bears also picked up a couple of nice complimentary offensive players in RB Chester Taylor and TE Brandon Manumaleuna. These guys are like the third topping on a pizza, if I only get pepperoni and sausage I won’t be made if I don’t have black olives.
Sticking in the NFC North the Packers let DE Aaron Kampman go to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last season when Dom Capers took over the defense, Kampman disappeared like the body of Jimmy Hoffa.
Brad Childress made a visit down to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to see the old gun slinger, Brett Favre. Childress says this wasn’t to see if he has made up his mind yet, but to see how his body was feeling. Keep sucking up to Favre and he will definitely return, he was on Leno this past week and loves the rock star treatment he receives everywhere he goes.
Boldin Got a New Bird Sticker
WR Anquan Boldin is the player that I thought the Bears would target. Instead the Baltimore Ravens added him to a rising offense.
Ravens QB Joe Flacco needed this addition the same way I needed to cut my mullet in the third grade, it was vital to my growth as an individual.
Boldin is leaving the Arizona Cardinals where he has enjoyed a great amount of success. With the retirement of Kurt Warner and possible QB job being given to Matt “I should be a gym teacher” Leinart, it’s a good time to fly East.
Many people thought that he was the number two to Larry Fitzgerald, not me, Boldin is a great WR and with the big arm of Flacco he will shine.
You May Only Kick Field Goals
The Jets had the best defense in the NFL last season and with the return of Kris Jenkins to the middle it’s only going to get better.
The Jets traded a late round draft pick and some old gym socks for Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie.
Cromartie has had his problems off the field and struggled slightly on it, but this guy is a star lock down corner. The Jets new head coach Rex Ryan is a master at maximizing potential on defense.
The Jets feature shutdown corner Darrelle Revis a.k.a. “Revis Island”. With the Addition of Cromartie teams may not throw to anyone but backs and tight ends leaving them in field goal range at best.
Carroll Loves Drama
Newly hired Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll left USC amongst the swarming controversy of paying players to play. If you don’t think that USC paid some of its athletes you probably still think the WWF is real.
It has been rumored that the Seahawks are interested in putting together a package including a draft pick for Denver Broncos talented but troubled WR, Brandon Marshall.
This seems like a perfect guy to break away from if you’re trying to avoid controversy. I don’t know him but he appears to be an idiot, the kind of guy who would attack a waitress at a Chinese restaurant for not severing fried chicken and cornbread.
Marshall is a highly talented guy but needs to play for a stronger personality than Coach Carroll. Let’s face it; Coach Carroll is the equivalent of Zack Morris among NFL coaches.
The Cincinnati Convicts, sorry I mean Bengals, are reportedly interested in Marshall as well. Come on, do you guys really need to continue to ruin Carson Palmers career with over paid cry babies.
You Just Don’t Get It
The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the most productive franchises over the last ten years. In large part that success is thanks to the play of Donovan McNabb and his off the field character.
The Eagles have to be planning to let him go; I say that because the one thing they needed over that time was a top WR. The one time they had a premiere WR in Terrell Owens they went to the Super Bowl.
This off season not only did they let his back field partner go but they recently re-signed no name, average WR Jason Avant to a 5 year contract.
Now unless Avant is the Captain of special teams with a contract that equates to the salary of a bus driver and some free food, I don’t get it.