Month: March 2011

Daring the NFL to Disappear

Here’s a heaping load of truth brought to you courtesy of Dan McNeil, writing for the Chicago Tribune:

“You don’t need the NFL. You only think you do.”

“I’m daring the NFL to disappear.”

So am I.

I’m old enough to have been around for the last NFL labor stoppage.  You know what happened?  I found other things to do on Sunday afternoon.  So did millions of others.  And that’s what will happen if NFL games are lost due to a lockout.

As much as I enjoy the NFL, I’m not too worried about missing it.  In fact, I’m very ambivalent and I find myself growing more so every day as I consider the big picture.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’ll still be blogging and I’ll be waiting.  But I’m going to guess that many casual fans are going to find that life without professional football isn’t a big deal.  If that doesn’t scare the NFL, both players and owners, it should.

Wonderlic Scores Are Meaningful. Kind of.

ESPN’s Chris Mortenson posted some of the Wonderlic scores for the quarterbacks* entering the NFL draft:

Alabama’s Greg McElroy: 43
Missouri’s Blain Gabbert: 42
Florida State’s Christian Ponder: 35
Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi: 30
TCU’s Andy Dalton: 29
Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett: 26
Auburn’s Cam Newton: 21
Washington’s Jake Locker: 20

Both Mortenson and NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert wonder what these scores mean.  The test is supposed to indicate a players mental aptitude for football but that’s certainly debatable.

Having said that, what these scores indicate to me is something totally different.  Now a days, agents supply players with plenty of information about this test.  A lot of practice takes place before a potential draftee goes in to take it.  In fact, I’ve heard rumors that many of them have the questions.  Certainly it is evident and that a player can significantly enhance his score through smart preparation.  And smart preparation is a large part of what the NFL is about, especially if you are a quarterback.

I’m not saying that this is a major indicator of NFL success nor do I think a Wonderlic score should play a huge role in taking a player off of a teams board.  But I look at those on the bottom of that list and I wonder just how much of what I see is a lack desire to do the little things to be the best you can be.  And if, as I suspect, it translates to the NFL, then teams need to take the score seriously.

*For those who are wondering, Jay Cutler scored a 26 in 2006.

Replay Still Needs Reform and Other Points of View

Bears

“Most NFL teams would not want a fourth-year pro as their No. 3 quarterback. It’s a situation where if the team didn’t believe in him as a No. 2 after that much time, it’s never going to be comfortable with the player in that role.”

“The most logical scenario would be to make him the No. 2 or allow him to compete with another veteran. If he doesn’t win the job, it would be time to move on.”

  • Biggs also reports that the Bears are looking at running backs, another low priority.  Cal’s Shane Vereen is on the radar.
  • With only two linebackers on the roster, the Bears would appear to be thinking about that position as well.  The Bears are reportedly working out Syracuse linebacker Doug Hogue.
  • Amongst the players at the higher priority categories, Biggs says that the Bears are hosting Boise State wide receiver Austin Pettis for a workout and offensive line coach Mike Tice was at Florida’s pro day to watch what seems like their entire offensive line workout.  That would include guard/center Mike Pouncey who I’m sure the Bears would love to take in the first round but who is unlikely to be there for them.  Tice and Martz were also taking a good look at likely first round offensive tackle Gabe Carimi at Wisconsin’s pro day (via Vaughn McClure at the Tribune).  Biggs reports that the Bears are also bringing in Northwest Missouri State corner Ryan Jones for a workout.
  • And finally, Dan Pompei at the Tribune had an article focused on the Illinois pro day where three highly regarded draft picks attract almost every team in the NFL.  These are defensive tackle Corey Liuget, linebacker Martez Wilson and running back Mikel Leshoure.  The Bears would be most interested in Liuget but Biggs reports that Tim Spencer, the Bears running backs coach, had “a long chat” with Leshoure.
  • ESPN‘s Todd McShay released another mock draft.  This one is two rounds.  He has the Bears taking Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod in the first round and North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin in the second.  This would be a reach for Sherrod with guards Danny Watkins from Baylor and Orlando Franklin from Miami still on the board.  McShay has Watkins going in the second round to the Lions and Franklin going to the Steelers at 31.

Elsewhere

  • Kevin Seifert, ESPN‘s NFC North blogger, tries to get a handle on the Vikings draft.  He says the first thing the Vikings have to do is decide if they want to target a quarterback and if Jake Locker is their guy.  If so, look for them to trade down into the twenties.  They could try to trade up for Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert but it would likely be a long, costly climb.  The knock on Locker is his accuracy.  He never managed a completion percentage better than 58.2 percent in his career.  Statistically, quarterbacks with a completion percentage of less than 60 percent in college don’t do well.
  • McShay has the Vikings picking Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo in the first and Dalton in the second.  That would certainly work.  He also is giving Lions fans wet dreams by projecting Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara to still be there for them in the first with Watkins in the second.
  • Tom Sorenson at the Charlotte Observer says that there are lots of indications that the Carolina Panthers are planning to take Newton as the first overall pick.
  • The New York Jets are on the clock:

  • Chad Ochocinco will be trying out to play professional soccer during the lockout according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Whatever.
  • The NFL isn’t the only one on the other end of a lawsuit from Tom Brady.  Poor baby’s had a rough week.

One Final Thought

Farmer also reports that the competition committee will be recommending changes to instant replay.  they took some steps in the right direction but they didn’t make the change we all know should be made.  Challenges should be completely eliminated and the decision to review should be made in the booth.  The NFL is the only league where the burden of making sure the calls are right falls upon the head coaches. The whole system is ridiculous.

Is Brian Urlacher the Best #9 Pick? And Other Points of View

Bears

  • Bears guard Roberto Garza did a nice interview with George Vondracek at Corpus Christi Caller Times.  Interestingly, he thinks his job might be in jeopardy:

“‘Anytime you give up more than 55 sacks a year obviously there are some changes that are going to have to take place, and we’re ready for that,’ Garza said. ‘Obviously, my job’s going to be up for grabs. So I have to go out there and prove to them that I’m going to continue to be the starting right guard.'”

  • Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times says that the competition committee will not change the rule that resulted in an incomplete pass to Lions receiver Calvin Johnson in the first game against Detroit last season:

“If you read the rule, it’s not a catch,” [Giants president and competition committee member John] Mara said told the paper. “The reason it’s not a catch is you’ve got to control the ball when you hit the ground. It makes it easier to officiate. It’s a bright line that you can draw.”

Though its not a popular decision, I’ve made it clear that I’m with Mara on this one.  If Calvin Johnson or anyone else doesn’t like it, all I can say is get up and hand the referee the ball next time.  That’s what receivers on good teams are coached to do.

“Orlando Franklin | OL | Miami (Fla.)

“Although GM Jerry Angelo might prefer to find a replacement for Tommie Harris with this pick, the board could be more favorably filled with OL talent. Franklin could be the most physical blocker in this year’s draft and perfectly fits the nasty disposition that OL coach Mike Tice seeks in the trenches.”

Elsewhere

  • The Green Bay Packers are on the clock:

  • And so are the Pittsburgh Steelers:

One Final Thought

Is Brian Urlacher the best #9?  Pro Football Weekly provides an answer:

The Martz Offense Will Be Hit Hard by the Labor Stoppage

Steve Rosenbloom at the Chicago Tribune looks at the bright side of a labor stoppage.  In his own way:

“Most of their important players remain the same, as does the coaching staff, which means the Bears don’t lose as much as teams with new administrations (Ron Rivera in Carolina, hello) or teams without a starter at the most important positions (Vikings quarterback, hello).”

Truth.  The Bears franchise is reasonably stable overall personnel-wise right now, especially on defense.  For sure there are improvements that we all want to see (as below).  But it isn’t like they’ve hired a new defensive coordinator who is bringing in a new scheme like the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bears have a quarterback – a pretty good quarterback all things considered – and he knows the system within the limits of what was accomplished in one year.  Indeed, everyone important player knows the system on both sides of the ball and the worst thing that can happen is that you bring in a couple offensive linemen, one of whom will likely be a veteran, and they have to learn fast before a season starts.

That all makes the Bears better off than a pretty good percentage of the league.

But of course it wouldn’t be Rosenbloom without at least a little sarcasm:

“But the second benefit, especially if this goes into what used to be training camp, is that [offensive coordinator Mike] Martz will not be able to insist on running the Martz offense. There simply won’t be time or capable bodies. Martz tried to run his deal last year, and finally had to be sent to his room without dessert during the bye week. The longer this goes, the less chance Martz has of finding new ways to kill the quarterback by failing to recognize how limited the Bears are in other areas. The fact that this has to be pointed out to him is embarrassing enough, but the fact that he can’t call a play right now is wonderful salvation.”

Actually, though most fans would probably agree with him, I’m going to disagree with Rosenbloom’s underlying point here.  You don’t tell Martz not to try to run his scheme (within reason).  I think the goal for the Bear offense is to get the personnel and experience to run that scheme the way its supposed to run.

Everyone in Chicago wants a run-first oriented offense and that’s fine.  Martz has shown that he can do that.  But this team also needs to be able to pass and they need to be able to do it Matz’s way.  Those seven step drops that everyone hates are going to keep re-appearing.  That’s who he is and what he does.  That’s what he was hired to do.  Blaming him for trying to do it is like blaming the Chicago weather for being cold.

Martz’s offense can work, especially if a good running game continues to be a part of it.  The fact that he couldn’t run it the way he wants last year should be considered to be a failure on an organizational level.  Though they have a quarterback and everyone in key positions has a year of experience under their belt, the Bears still didn’t get enough of the right offensive personnel in place and they still didn’t do a good enough job of coaching up the personnel they have.  They need better offensive linemen and they need better play at wide receiver.  With the offseason headed in the direction it is, that isn’t going to change.  And that’s where the labor stoppage hits the Bears hard.

Devin Hester Will Be Using His Time Off Well and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Pete Williams at The Bleacher Report released his latest mock draft.  I found this one of interest not because I think its at all accurate (or even realistic) but because there were some new names on it to consider.  The Bears take a guard off the board in this one but because its one I didn’t expect:  Stefan Wisniewski out of Penn State.  Most drafts have former Baylor lineman Danny Watkins as the first guard going off the board in the first round after Florida’s Mike Pouncey, who might not last until the Bears pick.  In fact, Williams doesn’t even have Watkins in the first round.  He has Jason Pinkston as his next guard going to the Steelers.
  • In what’s probably a more realistic assessment, Dan Pompei, writing for The National Football Post, has the Bears taking defensive tackle Corey Liuget out of Illinois.
  • But Mel Kiper at ESPN thinks that the Bears should go offensive line instead and wait to address the defensive line:

“You can definitely get players in the second round area at the defensive tackle spot that could be a factor for you.  At offensive tackle, not as much.”

  • Despite using pick after pick on the defensive line and despite spending a fortune to sign Julius Peppers to help them, Matt Williamson at Scouts Inc. still deservedly ranks the Bears pass rush last in the division.  There is no more shameful statement I could make about the Bears draft record than that.

“When Jim Harbaugh came to the Bears as a rookie in 1987, he wasn’t good enough to step in at quarterback and improve the team. But he still made the team better by raising the level of competition on the practice field, in the weight room and in the meeting rooms with his hunger, his intensity and his work ethic.

“What I remember is that the Bears locker room a little less comfortable place to be in with Harbaugh around.

I fully expect he’ll have the same effect as a rookie head coach in 2011 for the 49ers.”

  • I thought this was a nice profile of George Halas from ESPN.  It obviously not recent but its interesting:


Elsewhere

“The combine medical re-check will be big for Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers. Front office men I’ve talked with have serious concerns about his knee.”

There’s also a reminder that teams won’t be able to sign undrafted free agents in there as well.

“Rookies take more effort and time to groom, and by teaching rookies at the same rate you’ll invest less over the course of time, and possibly receive a greater upside. It almost guarantees that someone will elevate themselves, somehow. And sometimes you get lucky and both players – think Sean Smith and Vontae Davis – turn out to be studs.

“It’s a genius approach that I think other NFL teams will soon adapt.”

  • I don’t know how I missed this but apparently Luke Driscoll, a St. Louis Rams scout, was arrested during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis for exposing his genitals to a female police officer (via the Huffington Post).  According to Pro Football Weekly Driscoll’s job likely isn’t in any danger.  When describing his attitude toward the job, one insider described him as being “very passionate”.  Perhaps the visible evidence of that had something to do with why she arrested him.

One Final Thought

Bears wide receiver Devin Hester’s first column on raising kids will appear in Chicago Parent Magazine in April. Hester will write about places he takes his son in Chicago.  Via the Associated Press:

“There can be so much negative as far as growing up and being on the streets. When you get a father figure in your life, kids shy away from that stuff, they’re not staying on streets, skipping school.

“This is something real important and a way I can set an example. I have a newborn kid and I have that mentality. Maybe it will affect others positively.”

Angry Birds NFL Style and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times tracks 25 mock drafts to see who they have the Bears picking.  It seems clear that a lineman of some type would be the ideal.  He quotes ESPN‘s Mel Kiper on why the Bears should take an offensive tackle instead of a defensive tackle in the first round:

“You can get defensive players in the second round area at the defensive tackle spot that can be a factor for you.  At offensive tackle, not so much. … It’s just slim pickings. You have a better chance to getting a defensive tackle than an offensive tackle at that point.”

  • Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune documents the (somewhat belated) response of wide receiver Johnny Knox to criticism that former NFL runningback Marshall Faulk leveled at him last month:

“‘I do understand what he was trying to say: There are things I can do a better job of in terms of protecting myself and Jay,’ Knox said. ‘I honestly see what he was talking about.'”

Elsewhere

  • ESPN‘s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert goes over how a work stoppage will affect teams in the NFC North in terms of football-related issues.  He thinks it will be disastrous for the Vikings.  They will have no offseason with a new offense, a new quarterback and no NFL monetary commitment towards a new stadium.  This entry is a good read.
  • Darin Gantt at the Charlotte Observer thinks the labor stoppage could actually help Panthers quarterback Matt Moore.  Moore is the most experienced quarterback on the roster and a long lockout could prevent them from upgrading in free agency.  Any drafted quarterback might not be NFL ready.
  • Charlie Sheen responds to the NFL labor stoppage.
  • Seifert wonders if fans will be renewing their season tickets.  Renewing on time basically contributes towards the owner’s lockout fund.
  • Gary Myers at The New York Daily News points out that if franchise tags are not determined to be valid in court, Peyton Manning is set up to become one of the most lucrative free agents in history.
  • Prominent sports agent Gary Wichard died Friday morning.
  • Former Cincinnati Bengals star Cris Collinsworth and 82 others were rescued from a seafood barge eatery on that broke free from gangplanks and floated down a flooded Ohio River.
  • Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather provides further evidence for the adage that nothing good happens when you are out at two o’clock in the morning.
  • On a related note, rumor has it that former Bear and current Patriots safety Brandon McGowan will be a free agent.  Via Pro Football Weekly.
  • Former NFL safety Matt Bowen breaks down the four verticals versus the cover two.  He uses the Bears defense of the Patriots at the end of the first half of their game last season as an example of how not to defend it.  As you can see from the diagram, right corner Charles Tillman fails to re-route the receiver inside at the line of scrimmage.  Free safety Major Wright also bites on an inside pump fake.

  • Bob Sturm at the Dallas Morning News is breaking down big Cowboys special teams plays.  In this entry he also highlights the almost impossible job that special teams coaches all over the league have.  Really good stuff.
  • Omar Kelley at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel explains why the Dolphins are “overpaying” Paul Soliai.  If the 3-4 has done one thing it has made nose tackle the hardest position to find outside of quarterback.  That will show during the draft as teams scramble to find them.
  • Former Colorado tackle Nate Solder had his pro day last week.  Matt Russell, who is Denver’s director of pro scouting and who played for the Buffaloes before being drafted by Detroit in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL draft took on Solder.  The results weren’t pretty:

One Final Thought

The Sports Pickle has designed an NFL version of Angry Birds.  Here’s a screen shot:

    Labor Stoppage Disrupts Bears Offseason Personnel Moves

    The always thoughtful ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert breaks down how the impending labor stoppage will affect the the teams in the division in non-financial ways.  His view of the major problem for the Bears corresponds with my own:

    “Instead of knowing what offensive line positions they’ve filled via free agency, they’ll have to jump into the draft cold. Ultimately they’ll have free agency as well, but their draft strategy might have to change.”

    The fact that the draft will likely precede free agency this year is an issue.  How much of an issue varies with the point of view.  I’ve heard it said that some teams may find it to be an advantage.  I’d say the Bears won’t.

    In the past the team has had a very well defined approach to personnel moves in the offseason:

    1. Determine their needs.
    2. Go immediately and hard at any high profile free agent they believe to be a good fit to fill a need (e.g. Julius Peppers).  Often they have skipped this step as there has been no one that they really desired to add at the going price.
    3. Wait until the initial furor has died down and sign lower profile free agents with good value to fill the other needs.
    4. Having filled most or all of their major needs, the team takes the best players available at the top of the draft at any position (within reason).

    With the draft still in front of them, the Bears were able to take or leave free agents on the market.  Though they certainly would prefer to fill those needs before the draft, and usually did, they didn’t have to and free agents knew that.

    This order of operation will be completely disrupted this year.  The Bears likely will be going into the draft not knowing which needs they will be able to fill in free agency.  They can still go after the best players available in the draft.  However that gives the potential free agents significant bargaining power after the draft because they will know that the Bears have to sign someone to fill a position of need.  The team will be more desperate.

    How the Bears will approach this problem will be interesting to see.  The obvious implication is that they may have to pay more attention to positions of need in the draft.

    Fortunately that might not be a huge problem this year.  They likely would have drafted along the line of scrimmage at the top of the draft anyway and that’s what I’d expect them to do.  Even though its not an ideal situation, they can then negotiate with free agents knowing that they could go into the season starting rookies at those spots if they absolutely have to.

    A Couple Quick Notes

    Just a few quick items of information:

    I’m back from my time off from the site.  I usually try to post at least one item every day.  However, I’ve been posting on and off for the last few weeks.

    First I took a ten day vacation with the family on a cruise ship.  Anyone who has been on these ships knows that Internet access costs an arm and a leg. The vacation was followed almost immediately by a week one business trip for my real job.

    Collecting all of the information that goes into posts for the site usually means more or less getting up at 2 AM for me.  This is OK when I’m at home in Chicago and can go to bed early.  However, when I’m on the road I often don’t have that choice nor do I have the option of gutting it out by walking around like a zombie for 24 hours. So posting during those times is sporadic at best.

    Fortunately those trips are over for a while – probably until at least July.  Unfortunately these trips appear to have ended just in time for a labor stoppage.

    Which brings me to my second point.  If you are looking for a lot of posts on this situation, don’t bother.  They won’t be here.  Except as they affect the every day business of the league in the offseason, I will have no comment.  And you certainly won’t see me taking sides since, as a fan, I dislike them both.  As Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune put it this morning, “If you’re unhappy with the situation, spend your money accordingly.”

    Beyond that, please enjoy the posts,

    Tom Shannon

    Mike McCarthy Is Not the Genius I Thought He Was and Other Points of View

    Bears

    “The Bears did it by changing Peppers’ $10.5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus so they could prorate that $10.5 million over the life of the contract, which runs through 2015. The restructuring should give the team options once free agency finally begins, while allowing the team to re-sign some of its own free agents.”

    Obviously the Bears wanted this initially in the form of a roster bonus so they wouldn’t have to pay it if Peppers had less impact than expected last season.  Now that they know that’s not the case, they can pay it and simultaneously spread the cap hit out.

    In fairness to Mullin, you could argue that Martz single handedly destroyed the Rams with his personnel moves.

    Elsewhere

    • ESPN‘s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert points out that with the resigning of A.J. Hawk,  the Packers have a glut at linebacker.  This gave them leverage but now that the negotiation is over, something is likely to have to give.  It sounds like Nick Barnett might be the odd man out.
    • Judd Zulgad at the Minneapolis Star Tribune says that the Vikings have failed to offer a tender to Tarvaris Jackson, making him a free agent.  Wise move.  No one knows what the Vikings answer at quarterback is going to be but I think its safe to say Jackson, who was wildly inconsistent, wasn’t it.
    • Philip Zaroo at mlive.com gets points to originality but little else as he argues that a lockout would be a good thing.
    • For those of you who still care to read anything other than “We’ve come to a settlement”, here’s Michael Silver‘s rather optimistic report at Yahoo Sports which details the goings on yesterday behind the scenes.

    One Final Thought

    OK, maybe there’s hope for Bears fans after all: