Feb

28

Falcons Free Agent LB Brooking Signs with Dallas

Filed Under 2009 Free Agency, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys | Leave a Comment


Long time Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking is on the move, as the now free agent is going to play in Dallas in 2009, as sources at the National Football Post report Brooking is going to sign with the Cowboys. The site is reporting that Brooking is signing a three-year deal with Big D.

The signing is a blow for the Falcons, who drafted Brooking in the first round back in 1998, and he’s been a leader on the defensive side of the ball for them over the past 11 seasons. Brooking has played in 161 games over the past 11 years, all with Atlanta, and has a whooping 1139 tackles and 17 sacks with 12 interceptions.

In last years playoff season, Brooking, in 16 starts last season, put up 102 tackles. The coming aboard of Brooking could mean that Zach Thomas could be on his way out of Dallas after just one season. No word on the money that is involved with bringing Brooking aboard.

Feb

28

Broncos QB Cutler Dangled in Trade Talk Involving Cassel

Filed Under Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Bucs | 5 Comments


There’s another part of the trade of Pats QB Matt Cassel that is now coming out that has one Pro Bowl AFC quarterback right out peeved off at his team. That QB is Broncos thrower Jay Cutler, who was almost part of a mega three-way deal that would have sent him to Tampa Bay with Cassel ending up playing for his old offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Denver.

The deal, according to sources, would have had Cutler going to Tampa Bay, Cassel to Denver and picks involved as well. The report says that the Broncos actually thought about it (with McDaniels likely being at the head of the pack to pull the deal off), but in the end didn’t have anything to do with the deal.

Then there was the Lions, who also talked to Denver about a deal for Cutler, and they also talked about Cassel maybe then heading to Denver, but again, nothing came of it. Three clubs other than the Chiefs – Tampa, Detroit and Denver all were talking to the Pats about Cassel, who of course ended up going to Kansas City.

Cassel ended up going to the Chiefs for the 34th overall pick in the 2009 Draft. Mike Vrabel is also heading to play for the Chiefs as well. Denver, trying to make Cutler feel loved, say that they never intended to move Cutler, but now it seems like the emotional QB is upset that his name was involved in trade talks with anyone. This could be a powder keg ready to explode, and the Broncos had better do whatever they can to make sure Cutler stays happy with his current team.

Feb

28

Texans Ink Cardinals Free Agent DE Antonio Smith

Filed Under 2009 Free Agency, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans | Leave a Comment


The Texans made a move to bolster their defensive line on Saturday, as the team signed Cardinals free-agent defensive end Antonio Smith. NFL.com’s Adam Schefter reports that Smith signed a five-year, $35 million deal that includes $12.5 million in guarantees.

Smith had been with the Cardinals for all four years of his NFL career. He was picked in the 5th round of the 2004 NFL Draft by Arizona, and in his rookie season started 11 games. Overall in four seasons he played in 59 games, going for 126 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He’ll team up with Mario Williams on that Texans D-line to look to put more pressure on QB’s in 2009.

Feb

28

New Orleans Looking at the Chance to Get Chargers RB Tomlinson

Filed Under New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers | 1 Comment


Rumors continue to float around the league about the movement of some big name players, and one big name that could easily be on the move soon is Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Reports today from the National Football Post state that one team has a close eye on the situation with L.T., and they would have interest if he’s available.

That team – the Saints.

Even with a roster with players that can run the ball like Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, the Saints are going to take a look at Tomlinson, a player that could come cheap after his worst season stat wise in San Diego.

The Chargers have already put the franchise tag on fellow running back Darren Sproles, and with tension still between GM A.J. Smith and Tomlinson, it might be time for the two to part ways, and for the Chargers to get a pick or two for L.T.

Tomlinson has been with the Chargers for the past eight years, and last season he rushed for 1,110 yards and racked up 12 total touchdowns in 2008. Last season was the lowest yardage output of his career.

Feb

28

Detroit Deals QB Jon Kitna to Dallas

Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions | 1 Comment


Reports are coming in from The National Football Post that state that the Cowboys are giving up “late picks” in exchange for Lions quarterback Jon Kitna. He would come in and be the backup for Tony Romo, who as of right now does not have a true backup QB after the team dumped Brad Johnson earlier this week. Kitna has been in the league since 1997, and has played for the Seahawks, Bengals and Lions.

Last season with Detroit he started the first four games of the season, and had a QB rating of 72.2 with five TD’s and five picks. He fell out of favor with the coaching staff, and then was put on IR with a back injury. Kitna’s best season was 2003, when he started all 16 games for the Bengals, throwing for 26 TD’s and 15 interceptions with a QB rating of 87.4.

Feb

28

Denver Signs Browns Free Agent LB Andra Davis

Filed Under 2009 Free Agency, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos | Leave a Comment


The Broncos, who have been rebuilding their roster over the last 24 hours with a number of signings, have grabbed now former Browns linebacker Andra Davis. Davis was a fifth-round draft pick in 2002, the same year the Browns created considerable confusion for their fan base by selecting receiver Andre’ Davis in round two.

Davis had played in 105 games over the course of his seven years in Cleveland to go along with 8.5 sacks and eight interceptions. In 2008 Davis played in all 16 games with 90 tackles and one pick. With the amount of players that the Broncos dumped on defense last week, the signing of Davis does not come as much of a surprise.

Feb

28

Pats QB Cassel Moved to Kansas City in Trade

Filed Under Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots | Leave a Comment


Pats QB Matt Cassel, who came out of nowhere to have a huge 2008 season, is on the move according to Adam Schefter of NFL.com. The reporter states that Cassel is on his way to being the starting QB of the Chiefs, a team that is now led by former Pats front office guru Scott Pioli, who is the Chiefs GM.

Cassel, the 6-4 QB who started 15 and a half games last season thanks to the Chiefs, who knocked out Tom Brady eight minutes into the season opener in New England, threw for 3693 yards last season and 21 touchdowns with a QB rating of 89.4. He was a big reason why the Pats were 11-5, but they did miss the playoffs.

The Boston Globe has confirmed the trade, although no details were available of what New England would get in return. Most likely the Pats would get the Chiefs first round pick (3rd overall), and a possible other pick. KC also acquired LB Mike Vrabel from the Pats on Friday in a deal that could be related to this one.

Cassel, who was designated as the Patriots’ franchise player earlier this month, is guaranteed $14.65 million. Look for KC to get him a new multi-year deal as the starting QB for the club. This means that Tyler Thigpen will shift to being the backup, and could mean the end for Brodie Croyle in KC.

Feb

28

Giants Close to Landing LB Michael Boley

Filed Under 2009 Free Agency, New York Giants | Leave a Comment

According to multiple media outlets, the Giants are on the verge of signing linebacker Michael Boley to a deal. The deal, according to the reports, would be a five year contract worth about $25 million, and more than $10 million of that guaranteed.

Boley, last of the Falcons, would solidify an outside linebacker spot that has seen a lot of turnover the past couple years. Last season, Boley had 73 tackles, and 1 interception. This is the scouting report for Boley, from ESPN’s Scouts Inc.:

“Boley is athletic, versatile and experienced. He’s an every-down player who has good functional strength, but he’s at his best in space and rushing the passer. He has good instincts, anticipating and reacting well to blocking patterns. He can slide and move well laterally. He has sideline-to-sideline range and good speed in the box. He is fluid when getting depth in his zone drops. He can bend and stay in control in space. He shows good awareness in zones and closes quickly. He also closes well and shows quickness off the edge when rushing the passer. But he isn’t an strong take-on player. He isn’t explosive with his hands and he struggles to stack and shed to get off blocks. He doesn’t match up often in man-to-man. He needs some refinement as a pass rusher off his combinations. Boley is a fast-flow linebacker who must be well-protected to excel, but he’s versatile and can be productive in the right system.”

He sounds like a player who could thrive with the Giants, because of their great pass rush. At 26, he has a ton of time to get better, and could be hitting his prime.

Feb

28

Dolphins Have Plenty of Options at Wide Receiver

Filed Under 2009 Free Agency, Miami Dolphins | Leave a Comment


There have been recent rumors surrounding the possibilities at the wide receiver position for the Miami Dolphins. Recently released receivers such as Marvin Harrison, and Laveranues Coles are surrounded by speculation that link them to the Dolphins.

The same goes for T.J. Houshmanzadeh, although he is linked to far more teams than just the Dolphins. These receivers all are on the other side of 30 that tends to make the Dolphins brass shy away from them, but they all have a skill that the Dolphins desperately need, they can catch the ball with ease.

The Dolphins currently have 5 receivers on their current roster including Greg Camarillo, Ted Ginn Jr., Davonne Bess, Ernest Wilford, and Brandon London. Most, if not all of these guys would be considered either #2 or slot receivers. Coles and Harrison would come in and be the #1 guy right away, but they have huge downsides to the Dolphins signing them. Coles, is only 5′11. That’s close to the same size as Ginn.

So, even though Coles has tremendous chemistry with starting quarterback Chad Pennington, there is the question of where he would fit in. Last time I checked, the Dolphins needed a big red-zone threat receiver like Harrison, not a guy that is the same size as all of our current receivers.

Coles is only 31, which would give the Dolphins a little bit of room to produce other receivers such as Ginn and Bess to replace him, but also at the same time you have to wonder if the addition of a guy like Coles or Harrison would inhibit the growth of Ginn as the #1 receiver that Cam Cameron envisioned him when he drafted him #9 overall two years ago.

Harrison would not give us as much time as he is 36 and soon will be turning 37 before the season starts. He also has bad knees and looks like he will be injury prone the rest of his career. That is not what the Dolphins need right now, and this is why they are shying away from Harrison. Out of these two guys, they prefer Coles, and there have even been rumors that Coles was in South Florida at the end of the week! Keep in mind that Bill Parcells drafted Coles back in 2000. He also has tremendous chemistry with Pennington and would welcome a reunion between the two.

Then, there is the DEEP draft class this year that the Dolphins could get their receiver out of. With the 25th pick in the draft, the Dolphins could easily pick up a quality receiver such as Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks, or Darius Howard-Bey. All of these guys could still be on the board when the Dolphins are ready to make their selection in the first round, and 6-6 freak of nature Ramses Barden could still be there in the 3rd round, so all of the workouts at the Combine and Pro Days are important for the Dolphins to evaluate these guys.

The wide receiver position should look a lot clearer after we figure out if we will make a move for Coles, or Harrison, or even Houshmanzadeh. After missing out on center Jason Brown, the Dolphins will also look to draft a center in the draft as well, so it is crucial for them to figure out what they want to do.

Feb

27

Bengals Still Trying to Work Out a Deal for WR Houshmandzadeh?

Filed Under 2009 Free Agency, Cincinnati Bengals | Leave a Comment


Despite a visit to Seattle, free agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is still in talks with the Bengals according to teams official website:

Even as wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and his wife and children visited the Seahawks on Friday on what one Seattle media observer called “a chamber of commerce day,” it’s believed the Bengals are still negotiating in a bid to retain their third all-time leading receiver.

The contract to keep an eye on may be the one Houshmandzadeh mentioned last week in Indianapolis, the $8 million per year inked by Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams. Seahawk observers say the club hasn’t indicated where they are on how much they’ll pay Houshmandzadeh.

There was a report on Thursday that said that T.J. was close to coming back to the Bengals. Of course it could also be posturing to try and get more money on the market from Seattle or elsewhere. Stay Tuned.

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