Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 18 (Thursday, May 7th)
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Hi Folks,
Welcome to Friday as we wrap another week. This is the time of year where the news is not usually earth shaking, but still important. We'll continue to sort through the mountains of stories out there each day to bring you the relevant nuggets you need to stay on top of everything. Thanks to our Cecil Lammey for helping put these together and for covering for me last night. Let's get to it. JINSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. IND - OC Tom Moore considering retirement?2. BAL - TE Heap could be limited at minicamp
3. NFL - WR Marvin Harrison not planning to retire per agent
4. CHI - Bears believe Forte would play better with less carries
5. MIA - Pennington remains No. 1 quarterback
6. TEN - RB White shedding weight
7. TEN - QB Young working hard to improve
8. PHI - Eagles to run more in 2009?
9. DEN - RB Darius Walker signed
10. MIN - Vikings will not sign Favre
11. NYJ - WR Cotchery would welcome WR Plaxico Burress
12. NYJ - QB Clemens still believes he will be starter Week 1
13. DEF - CIN - SS Roy Williams agrees to terms
14. DEF - IND - Colts believe DT Moala will be able to rush as tackle
15. DEF - CLE - Browns talking with CB Ty Law
16. DEF - KC - DE Hali excited about possibly playing LB
17. DEF - TEN - DE Kearse limited while recovering from surgery
IND - OC Tom Moore considering retirement?
Source: Phil Richards, The Indianapolis Star
Phil Richards, of The Indianapolis Star, reports Larry Kennan, executive director of the NFL Coaches Association, said Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore is strongly considering retirement.
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The Colts already lost OL coach Howard Mudd over dissatisfaction with the league's revised pension plan for coaches. According to the report Moore is also fed up and "just about" to retire. If he were to retire you'd have to think the offensive system would stay pretty similar with Peyton Manning running the offense. It's not like a new guy is going to tell Peyton Manning to hand it off 40 times a game. That being said, this would be a major blow for the Colts as Moore is obviously a key part of the offense. Not to mention, they've already lost Tony Dungy and Howard Mudd to retirement.
BAL - TE Heap could be limited at minicamp
Source: Jamison Hensley, The Baltimore Sun
Jamison Hensley, of The Baltimore Sun, reports Baltimore Ravens TE Todd Heap (back) could be limited during the team's upcoming minicamp.
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Todd Heap's playing time is already going to be reduced because the Ravens added L.J. Smith in the offseason. He needs to prove that he can stay healthy before we can get excited about him as a fantasy factor.
NFL - WR Marvin Harrison not planning to retire per agent
Source: Steve Wyche, NFL.com
Steve Wyche, of NFL.com, reports Tom Condon, agent for unrestricted free-agent WR Marvin Harrison (Colts), said Harrison's knee is not an issue, and Harrison plans to play for a team this season.
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Always take positive news from an agent like this with a hefty dose of salt. Condon clearly has motivation to try and get some buzz going for his client. It's been very silent on the Marvin Harrison front and he may have to wait for injuries to hit in camp before he is signed by a new team.
CHI - Bears believe Forte would play better with less carries
Source: Brad Biggs, Chicago Sun-Times
Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner believes RB Matt Forte could be more effective if he were rested more during the season. Forte was on the field for nearly 84 percent of the team's offensive plays last season.
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It's an amazing percentage for a player in his rookie season. He did not have 100-yard rushing day after week 12 in 2008, but that may have partly been due to the ineffective passing game which allowed defenses to stack the box to stop him. Kevin Jones, Garrett Wolfe, and the other Adrian Peterson shouldn't be a threat for too much of his playing time. The addition of Jay Cutler will keep defenses honest and open up running lanes for Matt Forte.
MIA - Pennington remains No. 1 quarterback
Source: Armando Salguero, The Miami Herald
Armando Salguero, of The Miami Herald, reports while all of the talk of the Miami Dolphins quarterbacks has surrounded the drafting of Pat White and how second-year QB Chad Henne is slated to take over as the starter in 2010, it has been overlooked that QB Chad Pennington remains the starter in 2009.
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Chad Pennington's job is fairly safe. Unless Pennington were to go down with an injury it doesn't sound like Chad Henne is ready to be the starter. Pat White may be the perfect Wildcat QB, but he may have to be listed as a WR to see action on Sundays as #3 QBs can only enter games in emergency situations and are listed as inactive.
TEN - RB White shedding weight
Source: Terry McCormick, The Nashville City Paper
Terry McCormick, of The Nashville City Paper, reports Tennessee Titans RB LenDale White weighed in at 238 pounds when he reported to the Titans' offseason program. That is the lightest White has been since joining the Titans. He said he weighed in at 261 pounds last October. 'I feel amazing,' White said. 'I don't really care if I have an ab or not,' White said. He is using a fumble in the playoffs as motivation. 'I'm beyond motivated,' White said.
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White has attended a few Nuggets games in Denver and reportedly looked "rocked up." Well, as rocked up as a fat man can be. With the Titans drafting Javon Ringer in the 5th round it could signal the end of White's career in Tennessee come 2010 if he doesn't become more productive with the carries he gets.
TEN - QB Young working hard to improve
Source: Terry McCormick, The Nashville City Paper
Terry McCormick, of The Nashville City Paper, reports Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young said he told head coach Jeff Fisher earlier this year that he does not want anything given to him while he tries to reclaim the starting quarterback job. 'Whatever I'm given, I want it to be what I earn,' Young said. He said he has been watching a lot more film, working on his mental game, studying defenses, and watching what other teams have tried to do against him. Young also said he is spending time just getting in shape. He attributes his new approach to just growing up.
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He's talking the talk, now let's see if he can walk the walk. His cap number is huge in 2010 ($14 million) so anything he can do to convince the Titans that he's worth keeping around is a good thing. Kerry Collins is no spring chicken and we may see Vince Young back in the starting lineup in 2009 - provided he can beat out Patrick Ramsey for the #2 job.
PHI - Eagles to run more in 2009?
Source: Rich Hofmann, Philadelphia Daily News
Rich Hofmann, of the Philadelphia Daily News, reports Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid said the offseason additions the team has made to the offensive line and backfield does not necessarily mean they will run more in 2009. 'Not necessarily,' Reid said. 'We try to run it efficiently every year, and we run our offense. We do what we do and we're going to do what's best to win the game. That's not what these moves were necessarily for, no.'
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The Eagles are geared to have a very high powered offense in 2009. Traditionally Philadelphia is a team that loves to air it out. Now with better protection for Donovan McNabb and more weapons in the passing game it should be business as usual for the Eagles.
Source: Mike Klis, The Denver Post
Mike Klis, of The Denver Post, reports the Denver Broncos have signed unrestricted free-agent RB Darius Walker (Texans). Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
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How many RBs do the Broncos need? It's hard to imagine Walker making the team after training camp. He is buried on the depth chart behind Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan and Peyton Hillis.
MIN - Vikings will not sign Favre
Source: Rick Schwartz, Yahoo! Sports
Rick Schwartz, of Yahoo! Sports, reports the Minnesota Vikings will not sign retired free-agent QB Brett Favre (Jets) after Favre informed head coach Brad Childress that he wanted to remain retired, according to a source. Favre is expected to publicly explain his decision in the near future.
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John Clayton from ESPN is reporting that Favre's answer may be "no - for now." We have a funny feeling that this won't be the end of Favre Watch 2009.
NYJ - WR Cotchery would welcome WR Plaxico Burress
Source: Bob Glauber, Newsday
Bob Glauber, of Newsday, reports New York Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery said he would welcome unrestricted free-agent WR Plaxico Burress (Giants) to the team if they decided to sign him. 'I would welcome him,' Cotchery said. 'I know a lot of guys would welcome him because they know what kind of player he is. He's a good guy. I enjoy watching him play.'
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With only Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith, and David Clowney directly behind him on the depth chart Cothchery would certainly welcome another receiver that could command a defenses attention. The Jets and Ravens could be interested in signing Burress but will more than likely wait until his legal situation clears up before entering contract talks.
NYJ - QB Clemens still believes he will be starter Week 1
Source: Bob Glauber, Newsday
Bob Glauber, of Newsday, reports New York Jets QB Kellen Clemens said he still expects to be the starter Week 1 despite the team drafting QB Mark Sanchez with their first-round pick. 'I'd be lying if I said I don't think drafting Mark changed things. There's a reality there ... I'm going out this year and my expectations haven't changed since the draft. I fully expect to be under center opening day against [the Houston Texans],' Clemens said.
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Understand that Clemens really has no choice but to say this. Reports have been very positive about Mark Sanchez coming out of the recent Jets minicamp. Clemens has the experience but Rex Ryan has seen what a rookie QB can do when you put him in the right situation. The Jets should keep this battle an open competition all the way until the end of the preseason. Unless Sanchez really struggles it's hard to imagine this unfolding any other way.
DEF - CIN - SS Roy Williams agrees to terms
Source: Todd Archer, The Dallas Morning News
Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports the Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent SS Roy L. Williams (Cowboys). Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
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NFL.com is confirming this as well. His best years in Dallas were under Mike Zimmer who is now the Bengals Defensive Coordinator. However, Williams has lost his confidence in coverage and will only be on the field to help stop the run.
DEF - IND - Colts believe DT Moala will be able to rush as tackle
Source: John Oehser, Colts.com
John Oehser, for Colts.com, reports Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian said he believes DT Fili Moala's size will help him become an effective pass rusher from the tackle position. 'He's a long-armed, long-limbed guy,' Polian said. 'That aids him in the pass rush. He really has a chance to get upfield and get on the outside of a guard and do some damage in the pass rush.... This guy isn't necessarily the 'Big Guy' in the middle. He's a bigger guy than we've had. We still need length. We still need athleticism. We still need change of direction. The under tackle is still a guy that has to be able to get through the gap and disrupt.'
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Fili Moala gives the Colts a big body to stuff the run. In addition to clogging up rush lanes, Moala should be able to keep Guards and Centers from reaching the 2nd level of the defense. This allows the smaller Linebackers to stay clear from opponents where they can make a play. This was a great pick, and he can disrupt an offense in several different ways.
DEF - CLE - Browns talking with CB Ty Law
Source: Rich Cimini, New York Daily News
Rich Cimini, of the New York Daily News, reports the Cleveland Browns are talking with unrestricted free-agent CB Ty Law (Jets) about possibly playing for them this season, according to New York Jets CB Darrelle Revis.
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The Mangini/Jets/Browns connection continues. The Browns were able to get CB Abram Elam in the trade that sent the #5 pick to the Jets where they selected QB Mark Sanchez. Law isn't the same player he used to be, but could have value as a veteran leader as a guy that knows the system.
DEF - KC - DE Hali excited about possibly playing LB
Source: Adam Teicher, The Kansas City Star
Adam Teicher, of The Kansas City Star, reports Kansas City Chiefs DE Tamba Hali said he is excited about the possibility of playing at outsude linebacker this season. 'I can rush the passer and play the run while I'm playing linebacker. That's basically what I did at Penn State, so I'm excited about that,' Hali said.
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"I don't really need to be 275 pounds. I don't even need to be 260. Maybe I can be 250 like (Pittsburgh's) James Harrison or (San Diego's) Shawne Merriman," Hali said, referring to top pass-rushing 3-4 linebackers. "I'm more comfortable at that weight anyway. I was 275 only because that's what (former defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham) wanted. The Chiefs wanted Hali to take over for Jared Allen after he went to the Vikings. The position change didn't go very well, and Hali was moved back to his normal spot at LDE. We'll see if he can regain the sack totals that he had his first 2 years in the league.
DEF - TEN - DE Kearse limited while recovering from surgery
Source: Jim Wyatt and Gary Estwick, The Tennessean
Jim Wyatt and Gary Estwick, of The Tennessean, report Tennessee Titans DE Jevon Kearse (knee) had arthroscopic knee surgery and did not take part in the team's workouts Wednesday, May 6. He has been limited the last few weeks due to the procedure. Head coach Jeff Fisher said it was minor and Kearse has been doing rehab work with the team. Kearse is expected to be ready for minicamps later this month.
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"It was minor,'' Fisher said of the procedure. "(Doctors) just cleaned it out.'' Injuries have held Kearse back in recent years, so we'll have to see if he can stay off the operating table once the regular season rolls around.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Friday and we'll see you tomorrow with the update.
J