Only 29 more days till Opening Day. Oh hell yes. Anyway, with the free agent signing period of the NFL off and running, some interesting moves have been made. A few teams are making aggressive moves (Patriots, 49ers) and looking to spend a lot to get them to the next level. For the 49ers that level would be legit respectability and the playoffs - looking like a real possibility, especially in the wide open NFC West. For the Patriots, it is clear they will be satisfied only with a fourth ring in seven years, also a distinct possibility.
The 49ers dropped a 10 year, $80 million contract on cornerback Nate Clements. Now don't get me wrong, Clements is a very good player, and his numbers back that up, but Jesus, that is a lot of money. It makes him the highest paid defender of all time. In 96 career games (that's six seasons without missing a game) he has recorded 23 interceptions and forced 13 fumbles, impressive numbers indeed. But I'm not sure anyone is worth that. That being said, the Niners had a lot of cap room to work with and whoever signed Clements was going to have to overspend.
The Niners also signed former Iggle Michael Lewis, who for some reason lost his starting job this year despite making the Pro Bowl in 2004. Lewis was a legit liability in coverage, but the Eagles were terrible against the run this year and that is where he excels. So why was he benched? I have no idea. But that's why they don't pay me the big bucks. Anyway, the Niners, who made major strides forward this season with the emergence of QB Alex Smith and Pro Bowl RB Frank Gore, will be good. Are they good enough to dethrone Seattle atop the NFC West? Hard to say. Depends on how good Shaun Alexander will be next year, as well as how far Smith continues to elevate his game. But they should at least be a wild card team.
Now there's the issue of the Patriots. Fuck the Patriots. They can all go to hell. Sign Adalius Thomas will you? Release Corey Dillon to allow for the beastly emergence of Lawrence Maroney eh? Thinking about Donte Stallworth or Randy Moss are you? Die. Just fucking die already. You guys made me cheer for Peyton Manning. I hate Peyton Manning. And I hate the Patriots. But I will never say they aren't a beautifully run organization, probably the best run one in all of U.S. pro sports. Consider them my current pick to win the Super Bowl. Those fucks.
The Bucs signed Jeff Garcia. Attention Eagles fans who wanted him to stay: you're fucking morons. Look, it would have been nice to keep him around for next to nothing as a security blanket. It's clear he knows how to run the west coast offense. But Tampa Bay gave him $5 million a year. No way in hell the Eagles pay a back-up that kind of money. Also, Philadelphia sports fans are notorious for turning on athletes and creating controversy when there shouldn't be one. The last thing we need is for arrogant, self-absorbed loudmouths calling for Garcia when McNabb throws his first interception of 2007. So, sorry if the cold shoulder you got offended and hurt you Jeff. We really do appreciate the great work you did in your short tenure here. But the Eagles brass did the right thing. Too bad we can't say the same thing about how they handled that faggot to whom you used to throw.
And, last but not least, the Rams gave Drew Bennett, white wide receiver Drew Bennett, a 6 year, $30 million deal. Um, WHAT? Look, Drew Bennett is good. But he isn't that good. Maybe the Rams were worried about their token white wide receiver quota not being met now that Kevin Curtis will probably be leaving via free agency. You know St. Louis, you probably could have gotten Ricky Proehl back for a lot less. I hear he isn't doing much with his time these days.
Oh well. That's it for now on the NFL. I want Joey Porter on the Eagles. I don't understand the contract Ryan Howard signed, or didn't sign, but I do think he will hit 113 home runs this year, give or take a few. If he ever plays a game for anyone other than the Phils, I'm stabbing hundreds and hundreds of people. Only 29 days. Deep breath. Deep breath.
No comments:
Post a Comment