Beantown Sports Guys

Graham caps off latest signings

Free Agency is in full swing at the moment with mega-stars swapping teams faster than you can imagine.

• Daniel Graham signed a multi-year deal with the Denver Broncos. This significantly upgrades their Tight End position, and makes their running game even more dangerous.

• Stud Defensive End Patrick Kerney agreed to a 6 year deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

• In one of the most underrated moves, Thomas Jones was traded from the Chicago Bears to the New York Jets. No longer searching for a stud back to replace Curtis Martin, the Jets can now concentrate on other areas, rather than stocking up on Running Backs hoping that one of them will pan out.

• Budding young Linebacker Napoleon Harris signed with Kansas City to play the middle for Herm Edwards' defense that needs some all the help it can get. This is a step in the right direction.

• Luke Petitgout signed with the Bucs, hoping to get a little more protection for whoever they have at the helm, whether it is Chris Simms, Jeff Garcia or Jake Plummer.

• Former Patriots Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain signed with the 49ers, another defensive signing that is sure to help out a team that is doing everything it can to reshape their defense.

• Special Teams Captain Larry Izzo resigned with the Patriots. He is in on almost every Special Teams tackle and keeps a strong veteran presence on the squad.

• The Vikings snagged Bobby Wade, which will help them out once they set on a Quarterback after trading Brad Johnson.

• Ravens resign Musa Smith to a 1 year deal. This helps give them some flexibility in case they can't resign Jamal Lewis.

• The Oakland Raiders restructured the contracts of Lamont Jordan and Ronald Curry in order to create some much needed cap room.

• Former New Orleans Saint Joe Horn brings some sure hands to the Falcons, who had a receiving corps that dropped as many balls as they caught all year.

Day 1 of Free Agency - NFL Signings, Trades, Rumors: Part II

A quick rundown of some big movers and shakers today, as the first full day of free agency comes to a close.

• As posted before, the Patriots have gone big and snagged Adalius Thomas out of the free agent pool. They also have signed Sammy Morris, Kyle Brady, and could end up with Wes Welker when all is said and done.
  
  
• Tampa Bay signed Jeff Garcia to a two year deal, and traded for Jake Plummer. Even if Plummer retires, it is a Conditional Draft Pick they've traded so they essentially lose nothing if he does. Denver gets rid of Plummer who could easily have flip flopped in a few months, unretired, and gone on to play for former offensive coordinator (now Head Coach) Gary Kubiak in Houston, a team that desperately needs a Quarterback right now. With Chris Simms on the shelf and potentially out for a long period of time, it's a win-win for both teams.
  
  
• Denver is also a team that has been busy, trading for Dan Wilkinson, Montrae Holland, and offering contracts to Patrick Kerney, Daniel Graham, and Travis Henry.
  
  
• Detroit is doing everything they can to reshape their offense as they struggle to figure out which QB to use: Jon Kitna, Josh McCown, or Dan Orlovsky? Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz will have a much easier task of figuring that out as the Lions signed some help for whoever will steer the ship that is the Lions. Running Back Tatum Bell and Right Tackle George Foster will help out big time.
  
  There is rumor they could trade their # 2 pick overall, but with studs like Wisconsin Tackle Joe Thomas and Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson projected to be top 5 picks, it seems they could help themselves out if they hang on to it, especially since they have four 5th rounders. With the issues with receivers and Detroit, it is understandable they will want to look the other way when Calvin Johnson is available, as it looks like Oakland will snag JaMarcus Russell with the # 1 pick, but Johnson is a once every 5-10 year type of receiver. He is compared favorably to Randy Moss and Terrell Owens as far as skill and talent, but more like Marvin Harrison when it comes to playing attitude and demeanor.
  
  
• Washington is doing what it can to add some big names to their defense, signing London Fletcher-Baker and Fred Smoot, both to five year deals. They could also bolster their offensive line if they get their way and sign massive Tackle Leonard Davis, who is trying to work Dallas (division rival of Washington) against the Redskins in his contract negotiations.
  
  
• St. Louis helped themselves out a bit by signing Wide Receiver Drew Bennett to a 6 year deal. This will help Torry Holt even more, and Bennett's numbers should return to what they were before this season.

Patriots picking up steam

In only the first real day of free agency, the Patriots have already made some big moves. It appears they aren't quite finished yet either.

It's being reported the Pats have signed Running Back Sammy Morris to a deal, and are courting Miami Dolphin restricted free agent Wes Welker. Since he was already offered a 1 year, $1.3 million deal, if the Pats were to sign him and the Dolphins don't offer him another contract, the Pats would have to surrender a 2nd round draft pick.

By all indications, it seems the Patriots are gearing up for a defensive draft in April, working on contracts for Fullback Heath Evans, Tight End Kyle Brady, Running Back Sammy Morris, and Wide Receiver Wes Welker. Addressing the offensive needs now at good prices for these players plays well for the Pats come April, as they can take more chances on some other players, whether they are offensive or defensive.

Their has been speculation the Patriots could put together a package to acquire Oakland Raider receiver Randy Moss, but right now it's nothing but talk. At this point, nothing the Pats did would surprise me, as I didn't expect this much to happen from New England this early into free agency.

Breaking News: Thomas agrees to 6 year deal with Patriots

It is being reported by ESPN that Baltimore Ravens Free Agent Linebacker Adalius Thomas will sign a 6 year deal with the New England Patriots upon passing his physical this weekend.

This would be a huge signing for the Patriots, as they'll finally have a linebacker who is a sack artist as well. With his speed and versatility, it now allows the Patriots to address other needs in the draft, while still snagging a linebacker later in the draft.

The signing of Thomas doesn't change the Patriots needs in the draft as drastically as one might think, as the aging Tedy Bruschi just recently said he would return in 2007, and Mike Vrabel turns 32 this year. The Patriots have solid offensive and defensive lines, both some of the youngest lines in the league. They need a little help at the Running Back position after granting the requested release to Corey Dillon, but it is doubtful they would pick a RB in the first round. Instead, they've brought in Sammy Morris to have a look at him and may address their rushing needs through free agency. They also resigned Fullback Heath Evans, which could also point to them not going after backs in the 1st round.

Although they could improve at Wide Receiver through the draft, unless they got a game breaker like Calvin Johnson, I doubt they would chance a 1st rounder on an unproven Wideout. Too many times young players coming into the league are extremely raw and don't pan out, and 80% of the time, these are Wide Receivers. They did a great job last year snagging Jabar Gaffney after he was cut by the Houston Texans, and they still have Reche Caldwell. NFL-bust Charles Rogers could be intriguing as a free agent, as the Patriots had him in for workouts last year. The injury and slow progress to Chad Jackson almost reinforces the idea that the Patriots may skip on a WR in the first round as well.

It seems more and more likely the Patriots will address some defensive needs in the first round, particularly at Cornerback, Safety, and Linebacker. The Patriots are one of those teams that go for high value and the best player at the position at that point in the draft so it will be interesting to see what players fall in the draft to them.

The Patriots have both the 24th and 28th picks in the 1st round of the NFL Draft, which happens April 29th and 30th. They are the only team to have 2 picks in the 1st round, giving them considerable leverage if they were interested in moving up.

Can the Dolphins turn around their QB situation in Miami?

The Dolphins are going through probably one of the toughest offseasons in their franchise. Losing their head coach Nick Saban to college program Alabama is probably one of the heaviest blows, as he seemed to have Miami headed in the right direction.

Alas, you cannot trust a liar, and maybe that’s the best thing for the team. Leadership in the form of a head coach that knows what he is doing needs to come first and foremost, before other issues can be addressed. Personally, I think Mike Martz would make a great fit in Miami. He’s very cerebral, works very closely with the Quarterback, and loves to air it out.

That said, right now the QB position poses a huge issue for the Fins. They have the injured Daunte Culpepper who everyone is wondering if he can return to his Pro Bowl form, Joey Harrington (former Detroit QB), and a rookie in the form of a “lemon” (yes, awful pun intended here). If I were the Fins, I wouldn’t be happy with their options really, but wouldn’t be so down on them. It is a huge ‘if’, but IF Culpepper can return to form, he will do just fine for them. IF Harrington can get coaching that he can actually work with, he could also be a great QB down in Miami.

If the Dolphins decided to trade for a QB, the Falcons have Restricted Free Agent Matt Schaub to throw out there. Then again, they might shy away from that, since Michael Vick is a ticking time bomb in Hotlanta right now. Hell, if they didn’t want to trade Schaub, maybe they would want to swap QBs: Michael Vick for some picks and Daunte Culpepper.

I don’t see why that wouldn’t be a great deal for both teams. Atlanta would be able to use Schaub now exclusively, get some Wide Receivers that can actually hold onto the ball, and have a potentially great backup in Culpepper if he is healthy again. If not, at least they get some picks out of it. Plus they would rid themselves of the distraction that Vick has become.

On the other side of it, Vick might be more comfortable in Miami, throwing to his brother, Marcus, who plays Wide Receiver. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad fit for him. Then again, it could be awful, with Marcus being the bad influence he has in the past and Michael the way things have been going. Miami Beach would never be the same.

Miami will get back Running Back Ricky Williams this year, fresh off a terrible campaign in Canada with the CFL; however that isn’t really fair to Ricky, as the RB in Canada isn’t what it’s like here in the States, and the game is a lot different from the NFL. If he can stay away from the gorilla fingers and other temptations, and comes into camp in shape, he could help breathe new life into the Dolphins.

Miami’s defense can retool a bit, but for the most part they are solid. Their have a fairly old defense, so they’ll have to start drafting now for the future. Don’t sell the farm just yet, they’ll still be a good defensive unit for at least a few more years, even if they don’t replace any of the current starters now.

Looking back, Saban made a mistake that most definitely led to him leaving Miami: he went after the wrong Quarterback. At a time when he had the pick of the litter between Drew Brees and Daunte Culpepper, he chose Culpepper.

And he chose wrong.

Culpepper is still rehabbing his bum knee, whereas Brees just finished his season, losing to the Bears in the NFC Championship game. Not bad for a team that hasn’t had many winning records this decade.

Maybe that sort of decision and messing up so terribly would have led me to flee Miami, maybe it didn’t. Either way, Saban left the Dolphins beached and in serious trouble. For their sake, I hope the Dolphins brings in the right pieces so they’ll actually be competitive again.

Where would Michael Vick fit in?

I talked very briefly in one of my previous posts about Michael Vick potentially being a decent fit for the Dolphins. There are a few teams out there that I think he could actually thrive, if he were to be traded. That all depends on him though.

Raiders:

Who is their QB right now? Aaron Brooks or Andrew Walter? Does it matter? Brooks hasn’t been the same since he had that tough luck injury in New Orleans, and I don’t think he will be able to bounce back in a starting role anytime soon. Walter is just awful. Just terrible. I have nothing good to say about him whatsoever.

So is this a good fit for Vick? It all depends what you have to give up to get him. The first overall pick? I wouldn’t. Randy Moss? Sort of makes sense if he wants out of there, but if he knew Vick was coming would that make him change his mind? If yes, I say keep him. If Lamont Jordan can bounce back and be as good as he was two years ago, this team has the makings of a halfway decent offense, but they need to look carefully at the Tight Ends out there and either draft a couple (ala the Patriots) or trade for a proven veteran. They have decent WRs in Doug Gabriel, Ronald Curry, and of course Randy Moss, but they need a smaller Deion Branch type of receiver. Someone smaller and quick that can get lost in traffic, especially with those big targets in Moss and Gabriel. Like I said, it all depends on what Oakland needs to give up to get him. If it’s minimal, I don’t see why the risk would be greater than the reward.

Philadelphia:

This might sound insane, but I’d be surprised if Jeff Garcia is back with the Eagles next year. Too many teams have a need for a great veteran QB and who wouldn’t want Garcia?? Detroit was stupid and passed on him, letting him jet to Philly, and Houston opted not to sign him and keep riding Carr until his wheels fell off.

That said, with Donovan McNabb coming back from a severe knee injury, the Eagles may sign Garcia to a two year deal, just for insurance purposes. If they don’t, would it make sense for them to go after Vick?

I think it could definitely be intriguing. Don’t get me wrong, I love McNabb, but he’s always McHurt, and you need other options (ie: Garcia) in case he misses another huge portion of a season. He was off to an MVP like season before he got hurt, which is incredibly aggravating for him and the Eagles fans. Garcia filled in quite nicely down the stretch though, so who knows.

Detroit:

This move really hinges on whether Mike Martz is staying put. The Lions have 3 good QBs on their roster in John Kitna, Josh Mcown, and the little known Dan Orlovsky from UConn, who was coincidentally drafted where I guessed he would be, but just not by the right team (I guessed the Patriots would snag him in the 6th round, but they traded that pick to…the Lions).

All of them are good QBs, but the MO for Kitna is the same: can throw up gaudy numbers on both sides of the ball (passing yards, completions, but always too many interceptions). Mcown lined up at WR during the last couple games last season and gave the Lions an intriguing threat. Orlovsky never sees any playing time except for preseason, even though I’ve heard that Mike Martz is in love with the kid, as he compares him favorably to Marc Bulger. Personally I think Orlovsky should play in NFL Europe this season, especially if they think he won’t have a legit shot at winning the starting job this year. It’s too draining really to play NFL Europe, then Training Camp, then a 16 game season for the NFL. Who knows though, maybe the Lions have bigger players for him than just Europe?

Detroit probably has a decent combination of talent at Wide Receiver and draft picks the Falcons could really sink their talons into. Having extended Mike Furrey’s deal, the Lions could deal Mike Williams and some picks to Hotlanta for Vick. Is this a deal they should make? I don’t think so, but then again, Matt Millen is the worst GM in the business, so he probably would if he could.

Houston:

I understand being faithful to a franchise Quarterback (please see Brett Favre in Green Bay, Kansas City putting Trent Green back into the starting lineup after Damon Huard helped them keep things going, etc.). But sometimes you have to know when to do something to spark said franchise QB’s competitive juices.

If a player thinks he has no danger of losing his job, he’ll do just enough to not lose it, and won’t go all out. That is the situation in Houston.

Charlie Casserly screwed up royally when he opted to draft Mario Williams over Reggie Bush, or even Vince Young. Young would have been a great fit because David Carr just hasn’t been able to get it done down in Houston. With him being a local kid too and graduating from the University of Texas, you’d instantly have an even bigger fan base. Drafting Williams is just dumb, as I outlined here for numerous reasons. The Texans should have spent some money on a proven DE before drafting Williams, because they could have had a legit franchise QB in Young or RB in Bush, both who surely would have filled the seats in Proliant Stadium.

The Texans could actually make up for the drafting blunder of last year by working a nice little package to get Vick. Since he never stays in the pocket for long anyways, it wouldn’t matter if he wants to take off running on every other play rather than going through his progressions and being able to stand in the pocket tall and make a good pass.

Cleveland:

Every Quarterback that goes to Cleveland seems destined to fail. Ever heard of Tim Couch? Do you think that Charlie Frye can lead the Browns to the playoffs?

Nope.

They have numerous pieces that fit perfectly on their team as far as defense goes, but a lot of the credit there lands on Romeo Crennel. He knows what he has defensively, what he needs, and he’s not afraid to shake things up a bit, which is why I think if they ever did trade for Vick, it would center around a pick or two and a defensive player or two as well, because he could replace a defensive player much easier than an offensive.

Would Vick thrive in Cleveland? Most likely not, but I can’t think of too many QBs that would at this point. Cleveland is a team that is kept in most games by it’s defense for half the game and then lose it because their offense doesn’t bail them out, at which point they give up 5 TDs in the second half.

Regardless whether or not Michael Vick goes anywhere, you can rest assured the Falcons will quietly shop him, especially after his recent headline making antics with a Poland Spring bottle and marijuana (read: bong). Coupled with flipping off the entire Falcon Faithful this season, it just doesn’t look like Vick is long for the Falcons. Then again, maybe owner Arthur Blank deems him untradeable.  Who knows. It will be interesting seeing where he could land to say the least.

J.D. Who???

It’s been over six weeks since the Red Sox and J.D. Drew supposedly struck a deal…

And yet, where is he?

The sticking point is his bum shoulder, the #1 reason why we shouldn’t have come to an agreement with him. I believe we can still technically get out of the deal, but Theo is doing his best to honor that preliminary agreement by changing the language in the contract in case he misses (and he will, don’t worry) a boatload of time.

If the Sox want to play the waiting game, it will only work to their advantage. We still have Manny, we still have Coco, and we still have Eric Hinske under contract for another season. If I were Theo, I would use this leverage to my advantage, and change all the language to being highly incentive based, mostly around the “games played” category.

If it falls through, perhaps the Sox can resign Trot Nixon on the cheap. He’s a hometown favorite, he plays through injuries until he physically can’t do it anymore, and people rarely say a bad thing about him. Personally, J.D. Drew doesn’t impress me much, especially if you take his best season out of the mix, he’s wildly average, if that.

Hopefully Theo isn’t just hanging around to honor this contract because Drew’s agent is Scott Boras and he doesn’t want to mess up possible future negotiations with some of his other players (ie: Varitek, Papelbon, Matsuzaka). Boras is basically telling Theo he has no reason not to sign him and to “trust him, his shoulder is fine”. Agents are lawyers, and anyone that trusts a lawyer based on them telling you to trust them is about as dumb as they come.

I hope this gets resolved quickly so I don’t need to hear this story another hundred thousand times.

A Gatlin Gun(ner)

Earlier this month the Houston Texans worked out world record sprinter Justin Gatlin. Gatlin recently accepted an 8 year ban for testing positive for steroids during his illustrious sprinting career. The next logical step for him? The NFL.

Although he hasn't played football since the 10th grade, Gatlin has something you cannot teach: raw speed.

Probably the only two positions he could play are likely wide receiver and cornerback. If he has any hands whatsoever, he can play receiver. If he is serious about making this his livelihood, and puts everything he has into it physically and more importantly mentally, he could be something special.

I am not sure why he hasn't worked out for any other team, especially teams that are hurting for wideouts. Lord knows the Patriots should take a look at him, with an aging, albeit solid as a rock, Troy Brown, and unproven players in the likes of Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson. Don't get me wrong, I love both Gaffney and Jackson, I think they had wonderful collegiate careers and just need some time in the right scheme and system (especially Gaffney as he was previously in Houston), but talent is talent, and Bill Belichick is the master at recognizing talent, whether you've had football experience or not (ahem, Stephen Neal).

In the end, it doesn't hurt teams to bring him in on Tuesdays for the free agent try out and give him a look. It could be the best "free" free agent move they make that season.

Dice-y situation

Last year when the Texas Tech Knights didn’t play up to their potential Bobby Knight gave back his yearly salary to the school. He said he felt like he stole it from them and didn’t deserve it.

Some might say he did deserve it, he did his job, he should be paid, but the sports world would be a much better place if it had a few more people like Bobby Knight.

I hate beating a dead horse, but Scott Boras is absolutely everything that is wrong in sports today. He jacks up the price of players he is shopping, without being reasonable, and asks for all sorts of concessions (such as not letting the player show his stuff for the team that wants him so much) that normal agents don’t ask for.

Scott Boras is drastically messing up Daisuke Matsuzaka’s life right now. It’s his dream to play in the United States, in Major League Baseball. It’s the Seibu Lions’ dream to let him explore that, while taking over $50 million from the Red Sox, and it’s Boston’s dream to not this player slip through the cracks.

But it’s Boras’ dream that is turning all of these dreams into nightmares.

Forgive me if I’m being a bit presumptuous in assuming that Dice-K isn’t the one behind all of this posturing, but it’s the nature of the beast that is Boras and it sticks of him to high heaven. He’s a leech, and would suck the lifeblood out of his own mother in order to survive. I heard today that he has not sent back a counter proposal to the Red Sox in over 10 days. It sounds like he is holding the Sox hostage here, knowing they won’t make the deadline and forcing them to play chicken until the last second.

Let’s get this straight: Boras wants the Sox to pay $15-18 million, while the Sox are interested in something in the vicinity of $7-9 million. Yes, Boras wants double. He wants double for someone that is unproven in the majors here in the States. He wants double for a pitcher that traditionally has never had a pitch count and could have a dead arm within 3 years. He wants double for someone he won’t even let come to Boston to meet with the Sox brass.

A little more about this deplorable agent you might not know. Boras won’t let teams have Eric Gagne, a stud closer from a few years back before he had two major arm surgeries, pitch for any teams so they can see he is back up to snuff. Not only that, but he wants a disgusting amount of money too, as if the teams are supposed to take a leap of faith with Boras.

Yes, he’s the same agent that took the Sox to the dry cleaners and signed J.D. Drew to a $70 million contract, at $15 million a year, $3 million more than it would have supposedly cost the Sox to keep beloved Johnny Damon.

It looks by all indications that Boras will win the war here and keep Dice-K in Japan. That’s sad, as Dice-K has no idea how manipulative Boras is and how that can actually hurt him. I’m not looking for the Sox to get any deal signing Dice-K, just reasonable value. It’s sad, but I’d hate to think D-Mat could figure out Boras isn’t the way to go all too late. If he’s smart he will dump his agent either today or tomorrow and snatch up a decent agent and do what it takes to get him in the big leagues.

Otherwise, he can have fun playing in Japan, where he doesn’t want to play any more, for a team that doesn’t want him anymore that will say goodbye to essentially a free $51.1 million.

Boras is scheduled to speak to the media in 15 minutes, but I have a feeling he'll be spewing copious amounts of verbal diarrhea that will attempt to make it look/seem like he is doing everything he can to get Dice-K into Boston, and how they aren't doing anything to meet them halfway. Not surprising.   

Merry Christmas to you too, Scott Boras.

Worst mistake for Dice-K? Choosing Boras as an agent

The Red Sox have reached the point of no return as far as signing Diosake Matzusaka. It sounds like agent Scott Boras is doing all he can to keep Dice-K from signing a reasonable deal, and he just may get his wise; however, if Dice-K is half as smart as he should be, he’d dump his agent a couple days before his signing deadline if he doesn’t have a deal, and take one of the deals the Sox have offered him, and here is why:

Scott Boras is using him as a pawn. If he lands an amazing deal, he could easily be “the” Japanese baseball player agent. This deal isn’t just about the money for Dice-K, this is for Boras’ future.

I’m not entirely sure of the contract language, as many different things are being reported, but supposedly one source says if Dice-K isn’t signed by the deadline his rights will be owned by the Red Sox for two years, preventing Boras from throwing him out there as a free agent of sorts. I’ve also heard that he would be a free agent immediately after this season, and could sign with any team.

Regardless of the rumors, Dice-K needs to sign this season. He’s not getting any younger, and more talent will be pouring our of Japan and other countries like the Dominican as each season passes. Teams don’t mind taking a shot on foreign players if they are proven. He has said openly he wants to play in the Majors, so this is his soonest/best shot at that right now.

I understand Boras is trying to get the Sox to offer a 3 year contract to him so he will be a free agent before he turns 30, and he’s trying to go above and beyond the money he should get right now. I am fine for agents working to help their clients get what they feel is deserved and what they should earn. I just can’t help but wonder if Dice-K knew what he got into when he signed Boras as an agent. And for that, I truly feel bad for him, especially if he is somehow convinced to play true hardball and sit the entire season out. Then that is a lose-lose-win situation, with Dice-K and the Sox losing, while Boras is the only winner.

I just hope he has advisors helping him out during all of this rather than just being in the spin zone with Boras.