Football: The Offseason

[Dis]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Philly was only a little better with him than without him. There was a lot of **** going on with him on the side lines. People don't like him and they don't want to play with him. That affects the team.

wrong again. T.O. has been quiet this year. You are thinking of Moss. Moss is immature, and it shows on the playing field (giving up in plays, not participating in running plays etc.). T.O. puts out a little more effort.

[Frozzy]

Hmm... this is VERY interesting. At first glance it may seem like belated Rams whining which is 3 years late, but there are a plethora of clips to back up their whining.

Take a look.

http://www.stlouisrams.net/x/

[-Jrabbit]

Yeah, the Pats have played rough in the post season (Indy receivers a year ago) and seem to benefit from the occasional mystery call (Brady's QB "tuck").

But this is obsessive. Impressively so.

Sadly, it overlooks the most likely scenario (crooked refs) in favor of a grand conspiracy theory.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ming




McNabb finally had a real target to throw to. In addition, he "woke" the other lame receivers out of their stupor... as they tried to prove they were worth throwing too. By just having him on the field, they finally had a receiver who would require double coverage... making Westbrook that much more effective on the run, and as a receiver out of the backfield.

What he said.

[Imran Siddiqui]

wrong again. T.O. has been quiet this year. You are thinking of Moss. Moss is immature, and it shows on the playing field (giving up in plays, not participating in running plays etc.). T.O. puts out a little more effort.

And yet Moss has the better numbers over his career. Moss is a better reciever than T.O., and perhaps is one of the best of all time... already. The only reason he didn't catch 90+ balls is because for the first time in his career he was hurt. Btw, he was still 4th in recieving TDs last year anyway.

Oh, and he's also 4 years younger than T.O.

Can Kerry Collins still throw the deep ball?

Yep, he showed it against Denver on Monday night in that amazing snow game. He can air it out when he needs to. Maybe they'll go back to that 70s air it out attack .

[Dis]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

wrong again. T.O. has been quiet this year. You are thinking of Moss. Moss is immature, and it shows on the playing field (giving up in plays, not participating in running plays etc.). T.O. puts out a little more effort.

And yet Moss has the better numbers over his career. Moss is a better reciever than T.O., and perhaps is one of the best of all time... already. The only reason he didn't catch 90+ balls is because for the first time in his career he was hurt. Btw, he was still 4th in recieving TDs last year anyway.

Oh, and he's also 4 years younger than T.O.

Can Kerry Collins still throw the deep ball?

Yep, he showed it against Denver on Monday night in that amazing snow game. He can air it out when he needs to. Maybe they'll go back to that 70s air it out attack .

those numbers are worthless if he brings down the running game because he can't/doesn't block. And he doesn't even go full speed on his routes during running plays to give the illusion that it could be a pass play.

[Imran Siddiqui]

those numbers are worthless if he brings down the running game because he can't/doesn't block.

Minnesota's rushing attack hasn't suffered from it. Frankly, the fact of it is that MANY WRs don't block or run whole heartedly on running plays. Most people didn't seem to notice until Moss said he didn't! If you watch football, you'll know the WRs that do play every down hard aren't in the majority.

[pchang]

See Pittsburgh. All their WRs play hard and block hard on every play. I can't think of any other team that can say that.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yep, it is more common that WRs loaf on the running plays.

[Kidlicious]

Marshall Faulk took a pay cut to give the Rams an extra $1.5M of salary cap room. So he will probably retire as a Ram.



Faulk

I don't think Moss or TO would ever do anything like that.

Now a backup, Faulk takes a cut in salary
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
02/24/2005

Rams running back Marshall Faulk (28) has accepted a cut in salary as he is expected to back up Steven Jackson next season.
( Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)



INDIANAPOLIS - By signing what is believed to be a two-year, $6 million contract, running back Marshall Faulk is literally taking one for the team.

It's not as if Faulk needs the money. After 11 seasons in the NFL, he has made millions over the course of his career. But as Rams coach Mike Martz said Thursday night at the NFL scouting combine, taking less money shows, "that's who the guy is, and why it's hard not to have great admiration for him. Even with all the money he's made, (a pay cut) can still be a bitter pill to swallow for anyone of his stature."

According to team sources, Faulk is scheduled to make $2 million in base salary in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He gets a signing bonus of $2 million.

Before the restructuring, Faulk had just completed the third year of a seven-year deal. He was to have made $6 million in base salary and workout bonuses in 2005 under the old contract, and was to have counted $7.527 million against the cap.

Including unamortized signing bonuses from past contracts, money which must be counted into the cap figures for the new two-deal, the Rams still save about $1.5 million in cap money this season.

"This really helps with the cap," Martz said. "This puts us in position for free agency."

It also all but ensures that Faulk will retire as a Ram, whether it be at the end of the 2005 season or at the conclusion of the '06 campaign.

"It's important to all of us, obviously, that this ends up the right way," Martz said.

Martz said he met with Faulk a few weeks ago in San Diego to discuss the contract restructuring, and also the reduced role for Faulk in the backfield behind Steven Jackson.

"I wanted to make sure he was very clear about what was going on," Martz said.

Interestingly, Martz said Faulk actually approached him during the 2004 season about moving Jackson into a more prominent role in the backfield.

"He said, 'I can see where this is going, Steven needs to have a larger role,'" Martz said. "But he also thought that it could lengthen his career and help him have more of an impact."

Faulk's production has dropped steadily since the Rams' 2001 Super Bowl season. His rushing yards have dipped from 953 in 2002 to 818 yards in '03 to 774 yards last season. At the same time, his yards per catch as a receiver has dropped from 6.7 in '02; to 6.4 in '03; to 6.2 in '04.

But Martz feels that Faulk, who turns 32 Saturday, can still be an effective back if used properly.

"If he had had (knee) surgery at the end of the year, maybe not," Martz said. "But he's healthy for the first time in four years. He feels great. Hopefully, we can keep him in that mode."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, but Moss and T.O. are actually good at this point in their careers

[Koyaanisqatsi]

And don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Patriots part ways with cornerback Law
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Cornerback Ty Law, who helped the New England Patriots win two Super Bowls but watched with a broken foot when they won their third, was released Friday so the Patriots wouldn't have to pay him a salary-cap-busting $12.5 million next season.

A 10-year veteran with four Pro Bowl appearances, Law holds franchise records with 36 interceptions and six regular-season touchdowns on interceptions. He also scored on an interception when the Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in 2002 for their first NFL title.

Law took the news of his release by the Patriots with mixed emotions.

"This is bittersweet," he told ESPN.com's John Clayton. "I always wanted to retire a Patriot. I've been around here for a lot of years. But unfortunately, a lot of players don't get a chance to finish their careers with their teams. I'm looking forward to what's ahead."
What's ahead is free agency and a chance to score a rich contract. The Patriots released Law, 31, because he was in the final year of a seven-year, $51 million contract and his cap number was huge. There was no wiggle room.

"Ty Law had a tremendous career as a New England Patriot," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We wish him well in the future."

Even before he broke his foot and missed the Patriots' last 12 games, the cap-conscious team was not expected to bring him back at his full salary; Law had said he wasn't inclined to restructure his deal. To restructure his contract, Law would have had to take a significant pay cut because New England's philosophy is more geared toward players having contracts in the $2 million and $3 million range.

To give the Patriots cap relief, Law couldn't add years and subtract dollars.

Law is in the supposed prime of one of the best cornerback careers of his era. Like Drew Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy and some others who were Patriots before their three Super Bowl seasons, Law knew it was time for him to go.

"I enjoyed my years here," he said. "I'll look forward to my next stop."

One of the potential early landing spots for Law is the Cleveland Browns, who hired former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel as their head coach.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Btw, Muhammed who was released by Carolina has been signed by the BEARS.

And Clarett ran a 4.85 40 yard dash in a combine this weekend!

[dudemanjack]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Marshall Faulk took a pay cut to give the Rams an extra $1.5M of salary cap room. So he will probably retire as a Ram.



Faulk

I don't think Moss or TO would ever do anything like that.

T.O. and Moss won't be 2nd string next year.

[Frozzy]

And Clarett ran a 4.85 40 yard dash in a combine this weekend!

So did Aaron Stecker when he ran the 40.

The 40 is the most overrated stat in football.