Wes Welker heads to Denver
Whatever the breakdown in the relationship between the New
England Patriots organization and Wes Welker, that breakdown turned out to be a
benefit for the Denver Broncos.
According to reports Welker will be a new target at the price of 12
million over 2 years. Not a bad deal for
a guy who has been one of the top 5 receivers in the league for the last
several years. You think Peyton Manning
had a great year last season just wait and see what Peyton does with Tom Brady’s
ex-favorite target.
Danny Amendola Replaces Welker in New England
Amendola has been compared to Wes Welker and the comparisons are abit uncanny. Both went to Texas tech University, started their NFL careers as talented Special Team return specialists who were converted in talented Wide Receivers who led their former teams in receptions. And, of course, both guys are under 6 feet tall. But at 27 years of age, Amendola was considered to be more valuable to the Patriots compared to the 31 year old Welker. Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh Daniels featured Amendola when he was head coach in St. Louis so it is easy to think that McDaniels told management that Amendola could replace Welker in their offense.
Reggie Bush enhances the Lions offense
The Detroit Lions made a major upgrade by signing Reggie
Bush to a 4 year, 16 million dollar contract.
The Lions, who have been in search of a talented, consistent running
back since the retirement of Barry Sanders, have finally landed a talented
running back with a track record. The
last couple seasons Bush has grown as a player on the field and in the locker
room showing his value as starting NFL running back. The Lions have upgraded their offense by
gaining a balanced offense and taking pressure off QB Matthew Stafford and
record-breaking WR Calvin Johnson.
Mike Wallace gets paid in Miami
Watching Mike Wallace’s press conference was comparable to
listening to a guy who is exciting about getting a nice, new car for his
birthday: “Im excited to be here”, “I love the south”, “This offense is going
to be exciting”, “Good, young group of guys”, and my favorite “next season is
going to be exciting”. With his new
money, Wallace should definitely buy a Theasaurus. Meanwhile, this is a solid move for the
Dolphins in get one of the top speed receivers in the NFL who can stretch the
field and has a track record of scoring touchdowns. But losing Reggie Bush means the Dolphins
need help at running back but whether they address that need through free
agency or the draft, only time will tell.
Buffalo Bills show Ryan Fitzpatrick the door
After giving him a chance as a starting quarterback the last
couple seasons the Bills were dissatisfied with the Harvard graduate who had
almost double the interceptions compared to touchdowns during his tenure in
Buffalo. The irony is that Fitzpatrick had
trouble with consistency while playing for an offensive minded coach in Chan
Gailey. Ultimately, their new head coach
Doug Marrone wanted to start fresh so expect the Bills to draft a quarterback
in this years draft and don’t be surprised if that QB drafted is a guy who ran
Marrone’s offense at Syracuse: Ryan Nassib.
Meanwhile, expect Fitzpatrick to have a future as a solid backup QB
somewhere in 2013.
Chip Kelly sends a message in his first NFL offseason
After releasing Nnamdi Asomough, Cullen Jenkins, and Mike
Patterson, the Eagles have signed Nose Tackle Isaac Sopoaga, Cornerback Bryant
Fletcher, Safety Patrick Chung, and Tight End James Casey. What do all of these new Eagles have in
common? Versatile and talented players who
did not demand big money while being willing to buy into Kelly’s vision for the
2013 Eagles. After leaving the
University of Oregon the big question was how would Chip Kelly handle the NFL
and the simple answer is he is taking a page out of Patriots playbook concerning
free agency. Kelly, who was brought in
many years ago to consult the Patriots on the best way to utilize their hurry up
offense, seems to have taken some tips; especially the idea that big name stars
are not important to be a winning team.
Converting a roster to compliment Kelly’s offense and defense systems is
always a process that takes some bold moves to make happen.
Is it “Culture Change” or “Rebuilding” in Baltimore after
winning the Super Bowl?
Ray Lewis and Matt Birk retire, Danelle Ellerbe and Paul
Kruger bolt for “greener pastures”, Anquan Boldin was traded away for low value
draft pick, and Ed Reed is testing his value in the free agency market. We hear all the time from the sports media
about how “great” and “smart” Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome is and his
track record shows he is a good talent evaluator in the NFL draft. But Ravens fans have to wonder “what is the
plan” because the Ravens have been unloading players as opposed to
rebuilding for another run at the Super Bowl.
If the Ravens miss the playoffs next season the fans and media will
point at Joe Flacco’s 6 year, 120 million contract as the reason why the team couldn’t
afford any talent that was needed to win football games.So who is left in free agency
Well as of early Wednesday night, there is still a plethora of
talent to be signed in free agency. 2012
St Louis Rams Steven Jackson and Brandon Gibson are seeing what is out there
for them away from the team that drafted them.
Multiple time Pro Bowlers James Harrison and Charles Woodson looking for
new teams as their careers begin the reach the “twilight years”. Talented young cornerbacks Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie and Sean Smith are seeing how much teams value their
services. Menawhile talented veterans
with some miles on their careers, Dwight Freeney, Adrian Wilson, Bernard
Pollard and John Abraham, all looking for new homes after their old teams
considered them “expendable”. And of
course, Greg Jennings and Ahmad Bradshaw are two former Pro Bowlers who have
had injury issues in the past that are hanging over their heads as they search
for new football homes. The NFL landscape is constantly changing as the balance of power shifts as players pick new homes and teams have to worry about salary cap restrictions.
