The Front 7
1. It doesn't matter who the Rams take if it's Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, just as long as it's one of them, and not a Quarterback. The Rams need to stop teams first. They can always trade for Michael Vick or pick up someone like Colt McCoy of Texas in the 2nd or 3rd round.
2. Who will pay Julius Peppers? He wants a heck of a lot of money...maybe too much. Is Belichick gonna call him this year? It's hard to say really, he's been given the rep of someone who only gives 100% half the time and teams might not want to gamble on a player like that.
3. The Bengals signing of disgraced former Jaguars Quarterback-turned-Wide Receiver Matt Jones turned heads. He reportedly had a poor workout but was still picked up. Rumours today are suggesting he could be moved to Tight End as his size could be valuable to the Cedric Benson led run game. I have no problem with that, Jones surely knows the Bengals will be looking at another Wideout anyway to go opposite no.85.
4. Baltimore picking up Donte Stallworth was a good move for both sides. Stallworth is looking to redeem himself with a good comeback year, and he can be a home run threat for the Ravens.
5. Where will the T.O. show land? All signs (one being held at Cincinnati airport by Chad Ochocinco) point to a move to the Bengals, but I wouldn't rule out Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville or St. Louis. With Chicago not picking until 74th at the earliest, they will be looking at the likes of Torry Holt as the Bears lack an veteran receiver.
6. Michael Vick will be traded, just not yet. Expect the Eagles to keep him until just before training camp opens. There will be a team out there like St. Louis or even Oakland that will give him a look. Whoever the team is, they need Vick in training camp. For Vick to play his best football, like a lot of players he needs to have his head buried in the playbook, learning the offense from the get-go. If he's serious about being a good starting Quarterback in the NFL, he needs to be 'less lazy' as he put it this past week (on his days in Atlanta).
7. Attention Mike Holmgren: Pay Josh Cribbs already.
8 Players That Should Be Traded
1a. Antonio Cromartie (CB) of San Diego to Baltimore for Willis McGahee (RB)
As everyone now knows, Cromartie is on the trade block and the Chargers are seeking a Running Back. Despite a report by NFL.com reporter Jason La Canfora, stating that Baltimore 'love the McGahee/Rice tandem', this could simply be a move by the Ravens to chalk up how 'valuable' McGahee is to them. It's the kind of move that could sway San Diego into throwing in a draft pick to make the trade more sweet.
RESULT: San Diego have a Sproles/McGahee tandem in the backfield that will take the pressure off Rivers. The Ravens finally have someone that can help against Ben Roethlisberger. Cromartie's play is exceptionally better when his defense has a pass-rush as he is a very high-risk corner. The Ravens have a great pass rush and Ed Reed to stand next to him. Cromartie is a big upgrade over the current slew of Ravens Conerbacks.
BOTTOM LINE: The deal makes alot of sense, but I trust the Ravens to keep McGahee.
1b. Antonio Cromartie (CB) of San Diego to Dallas for Tashard Choice (RB)
Despite some reporters already claiming this will happen, this deal is less likely to come to fruition.
RESULT: Dallas don't need too much help in the defensive backfield, and Choice isn't all that different to Darren Sproles.
BOTTOM LINE: No go for either team.
1c. Antonio Cromartie (CB) of San Diego to Pittsburgh for Willie Parker (RB)
'Fast' Willie Parker is no longer that fast, but he showed flashes of what he used to be late on in the season (91yds on 12 attempts at Miami). Pittsburgh could always do with another corner after Ike Taylor and William Gay only combined for one interception all season and were horribly mismatched against the pass when Troy Polamalu was out..
RESULT: The one-two punch of Parker and Sproles would look very nice, and the addition of Cromartie to the Steelers D is similar to the Ravens logic. He gets to play on a team with a great pass-rush and stand next to another one of the best safeties of the last 10 years in Polamalu.
BOTTOM LINE: Total win-win trade.
2a. Donovan McNabb (QB) of Philadelphia and a 3rd round pick to Cleveland for Shaun Rogers (DT) and a 2nd round pick
Mike Holmgren will install the West Coast offense, even if it takes a little time. Mangini will have to if he wants to keep his job. The best player to run that offense is Donovan McNabb, and luckily for Cleveland, it's the perfect time to go and get him. The Eagles are to pay McNabb $11.2m if he stays for 2010, and then his contract runs out. The Eagles also have Kevin Kolb waiting in the wings.
RESULT: McNabb instantly upgrades the Browns offense. With the arrival of a few receivers McNabb will be sitting pretty. The Eagles would go with Kolb calling the signals and upgrade their blitz-happy defense with one of the most dominating Defensive Tackles of the past decade, a man that kept his mouth shut this past season in an attempt to get a trade, that man being Shaun Rogers.
BOTTOM LINE: A risky trade for the Eagles, but could be worth it in the long run.
2b. Donovan McNabb (QB) of Philadelphia to Minnesota for a 1st round pick
This pick is only relevant if Brett Fravre actually retires, and I actually think he comes back. Some revenge at New Orleans next season will be playing on his mind, and let's face it, he had one hell of a season.
RESULT: If Favre does retire, many will pick the Vikes to go all the way this time, with the reasoning being McNabb is younger and more mobile (think about that awful interception at New Orleans). Once again, the Eagles go with Kolb and wind up with 3 draft picks in the first 55 in a very deep draft according to scouts.
BOTTOM LINE: If Favre calls it a day, Chilly needs to make the call to his old boss Andy.
3. Reggie Bush (RB) of New Orleans to Seattle for a 2nd round pick
This has been floated about ever since Pete Carroll was sworn in back on January 11th. Carroll coached Bush into one of the greatest players to ever play the college game. Bush stands to make $8m in 2010, but is likely to stay after the Super Bowl triumph due to his beloved status.
RESULT: If it were to happen, it definitely upgrades the Seattle offense, and New Orleans can look at replacing some guys on defense that may leave (Fujita, Sharper, etc).
BOTTOM LINE: It won't happen. New Orleans and Bush are married and on their honeymoon. Saints GM Mickey Loomis will keep paying the man whose jersey is constantly being bought by the New Orleans faithful.
4a. Brandon Marshall (WR) of Denver to Baltimore for a 1st round pick
Baltimore signed veteran receiver Donte Stallworth this week. That doesn't change a thing as the Ravens have a pretty horrible receiving corps that could still lose Derrick Mason to retirement. Joe Flacco has a massive arm and Brandon Marshall is the guy that could propel this Ravens team to Super Bowl glory, 10 years on from their last.
RESULT: The Ravens could always go with Dez Bryant, Golden Tate or Demaryius Thomas in the draft, but then again, why develop a young talent when you could just use that same draft pick on a player as proven and polished as Marshall? No.15 is coming off three 100 catch seasons and is a true no.1 receiver, something the Ravens haven't had since, well, Derrick Mason a few years back. The extra pick for the Broncos would be a step further towards Coach McDaniels' rebuilding process.
BOTTOM LINE: It's the perfect trade. McDaniels gets a rival off his team, and after all, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome isn't afraid to go after a 'diva receiver' (see: Owens, Terrell).
4b. Brandon Marshall (WR) of Denver to Miami for a 1st round pick
This is similar to the previous trade, but is far less likely to happen. Bill Parcells has had a 'diva receiver' before in T.O. before (or in his case 'the player') and Miami will more than likely looking to draft on the defensive side of the ball with the imminent release of LB Joey Porter.
RESULT: The move would certainly help the Miami offense, but it's more likely the Dolphins will draft a Wide-out in the 2nd or 3rd round, if that.
BOTTOM LINE: Miami won't take it. They pick at #12 and can get the defensive play maker they desperately need.
5. Anquan Boldin (WR) of Arizona to Washington for 2nd and 4th round picks
The emergence of Early Doucet and Steve Breaston in the passing game has made Boldin an afterthought, and with the retirement of Kurt Warner and the reigns being handed over to Matt Leinart, the Cardinals will move out of a spread offense with more Tight End sets. As for Washington, Shanahan needs play makers that aren't named Chris Cooley/Fred Davis or Santana Moss (when he plays Dallas).
RESULT: Whoever Quarterbacks the Redskins is gonna need some help and Boldin is a great possession receiver.
BOTTOM LINE: I doubt it happens. Shanahan will use as many draft picks as he can, and after some horrible drafts under his watch in Denver, he'll be looking for redemption with a great first draft in Washington.
6. Tony Scheffler (TE) of Denver to Arizona for a 2nd round pick
This is a follow up to the Boldin trade, with the idea that the Cardinals will be using the Tight End more. Arizona's current Tight Ends are Anthony Becht, Ben Patrick and Stephen Spach. Becht has never had more than 40 receptions in a season, and Patrick and Spach have limited experience. Scheffler on the other hand, benched in the season finale by McDaniels in Denver, has shown a lot of promise as a receiving Tight End with blocking abilities and is still only 28 years old.
RESULT: Scheffler can be used for blocking and receiving assignments, something Leinart will love. He'll have an extra blocker in the pocket, will help Wells and Hightower in the run game, and he can be Leinart's safety net on 3rd down.
BOTTOM LINE: If McDaniels sees no use for Scheffler in his New England style offense (that only uses the Tight End sparingly), this is a great trade for both sides. Denver can continue rebuilding with another high draft pick and Arizona can make the transition from Warner to Leinart a smooth one.
7. Willie Parker (RB) of Pittsburgh to New England for one of their (3) 2nd round picks
Though the Steelers will likely use Parker more than last season as they plan to return to a run-first offense, the general consensus in Pittsburgh is that Parker is past his best. Luckily for the Patriots, that's still better than any Running Back on their roster. Laurence Maroney has proven to be a bust, and Parker serves to be a big upgrade.
RESULT: The Steelers can use the extra pick on either an OT or LB (depending on which they don't pick in the 1st round) and New England gets a reliable runner.
BOTTOM LINE: It's probably dead in the water. Pittsburgh will want Parker to be the one-two punch it hasn't had since Jerome Bettis was driving the bus and probably won't want to trade to a top AFC rival.
8. Marshawn Lynch (RB) of Buffalo to Houston for a 2nd round pick
The only cog missing in Houston's offense is a hard-nosed runner. Steve Slaton had the sophomore slump (rushing for only 437yds with a 3.3avg) and he needs competition. Rookie Arian Foster finished the season well, but the Texans can't just count on him and Slaton for them to finally make the plunge into the playoffs.
RESULT: The Bills have found a potential starter in Fred Jackson and Lynch has proven to be somewhat of a bust (off the field too). The Bills can use the extra pick on a change-of-pace RB (think Toby Gerhart of Stanford or Ryan Matthews of Fresno State).
BOTTOM LINE: It has potential to happen, but with Chan Gailey putting an emphasis on running the ball, he likely won't change his personnel too much.
Quote of the Week
“Combine interviews were always entertaining... Some coaches ask really stupid questions, "have you ever lost a fight?" What's he gonna say??”
Daniel Jeremiah, former Baltimore and Cleveland scout of MoveTheSticks.com
Throw The Flags
Throw them at Rutgers OT Anthony Davis. He already has scouts worried he's going to show up to the Combine looking like Andre Smith, and we all know how delightful that show was...
