Beantown Sports Guys

NFL Network says good bye to Gumbel, I say THANK GOD

It took two seasons, but Bryant Gumbel has stepped down from the NFL Network play-by-play announcer.

It's coming two seasons too late.

I've written on here many times about how awful he is at it, and how he needs to move on. Perhaps he's read the blog? Who knows. More importantly, who cares. As long as he's gone, I'm happy.

I vote the NFL Network should bring back the dream team of Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire, and Joe Theismann. Some people laugh and think Theismann is a chump but they are morons. The trio had an excellent dynamic and watching football hasn't been the same without them.

Patriots re-sign Gaffney, sign Webster, and some thoughts

One day after the Patriots re-signed Randy Moss, they brought back another key piece to their receiving corps by signing WR Jabar Gaffney to a one-year, $2 million contract.

The Patriots also shored up a small part of their secondary by signing CB Jason Webster. The 5-foot-9-inch, 187-pound cornerback may be small in stature but he makes it up with his play. He should be a nice fit for the Pats and should replace Randall Gay quite nicely, especially if he stays healthy.

Even after these moves, I can't help but think the Patriots are far from done in free agency.

Looking at the free agency market, here are a few of linebackers I think that could wind up in a Patriot uniform:

• Michael Boley - Falcons - Boley is experienced, athletic, and very versatile. He's an every-down player who is strong, but best in when is in space and rushing the passer. Think a poor man's Adalius Thomas. Because he's a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), the Patriots would have to give something up to get him.
  
  
• Clark Haggans - Steelers - Haggans is a converted Defensive End out of college, and excels in the 3-4 defense, which the Patriots run. He is also an 8 year veteran, which could be appealing to the Patriots. He is a high-motor guy and is very strong. Because he is a UFA he wouldn't cost the Patriots anything other than the cost of the contract.
  
  
• Junior Seau - Patriots - Seau knows the system with the Patriots and should he come back, he would be a great veteran for a young drafted linebacker to learn from. Playing in the NFL for 18 years, Seau can still hit and rush, although he has lost a step he does his best to make up for it with his heart.

The Patriots look to have a nice mix of the veteran leadership with skillful, young, athletic players. Their # 7 pick overall in the upcoming Draft could be very interesting, and it is all dependant upon the other teams in front of them as to what the Patriots do.

The way I see things today, the top 7 picks should go like this:

1. Miami - Chris Long - DE - Virginia - Some are saying Matt Ryan goes here, and I can see that, but the Dolphins just signed QB Josh McCown. Perhaps the Big Tuna is going to stick to his word and not let go of Jason Taylor...but if he trades him for a QB he can get a much younger version of Taylor and still get a QB. Long has the pedigree and genetics to be a freak in the NFL. The Combine solidified those feelings.
   
   
2. St. Louis - Jake Long - OT - Michigan - Marc Bulger needs protection and Jake Long provides it. He's a huge beast of a Tackle and is super strong. The Rams hope Jake Long doesn't go to Miami, but if he does I am sure they are fine taking the "other" Long.
   
   
3. Atlanta - Matt Ryan - QB - Boston College - Falcons owner Arthur Blank needs some good news, and no one is crossing their fingers more than Arthur in hoping Ryan doesn't go # 1 to Miami. Ryan has the tools to excel at the next level, and should be a solid QB for years to come. He has a tendency to sometimes force balls into tight spaces sometimes, but a guy that just retired had a knack for that as well...
   
   
4. Oakland - Darren McFadden - RB - Arkansas - If there is one thing that Al Davis loves it's making a splash. He loves taking McFadden here, and although he could go with Dorsey to replace freshly retired Warren Sapp, McFadden is the sexier pick. And Al Davis likes sexy. Just look at those glasses!
   
   
5. Kansas City - Aqib Talib - CB - Kansas - Big corner with a lot of speed, but is still pretty raw. With a defensive minded coach in Herm Edwards I don't see that being a problem. And running a 4.4 40-yard dash is never a problem either. It makes sense, especially after Ty Law is gone now.
   
   
6. New York Jets -  Glenn Dorsey - DT - LSU - Signing Kris Jenkins means nothing other than providing depth. Dorsey was originally projected as a # 1 overall, but has slipped a bit due to concerns about his health. At the same time, I would not be surprised if Mangini decided to grab Vernon Gholston here, especially since everyone is talking about how a great fit for the Patriots he would be. Yes, Mangini would take Gholston here out of spite (and need, of course).
   
   
7. New England - Vernon Gholston - DE - Ohio State - Gholston is a beast: he has speed, size, and versatility. He is a DE by nature, but would fit really well as an OLB in the Patriots' 3-4 defense. He has the work ethic as well and is extremely strong. It also helps that he was rated very high by many scouts, and not just on the physical side.

It's still very early to tell how things will pan out, but that is part of the fun of this, right?

Let the Combine begin!!! Sorta...

The NFL Combine is ready to begin tomorrow in Indianapolis, Indiana at the RCA Dome.

For some very odd reason it won't be shown on TV as it is happening, with the sessions that are scheduled for tomorrow to be aired on Saturday.

Maybe it's because they want more viewers? I'm not quite sure, but last year when it was live I basically ran home to tune in after work.

It just doesn't make sense to me when the results will be posted on ESPN and NFL.com throughout the day.

The Future Tom Brady

The NFL Draft is one of the most exciting events during the course of the year. Ranked higher are the Super Bowl and Week 1.

How did the Draft become that big of a deal? When did it become that big of a deal?

ESPN spends an obscene amount of time and money analyzing every pick and player and scheme and situation that could arise during Draft Weekend. And why? Does anyone care?

Actually, yes.

More and more, fans are craving to feel more of a part of their favorite team. This brings them a step closer to that.

The NFL owes the resounding success and popularity of the event that is the NFL Draft to ESPN, 100%. Mel Kiper Jr. put on the map the concept of Mock Drafting. The man gets paid to live, eat, and breathe football, both college and NFL. And he’s damn good at it.

The Draft has steadily gathered serious momentum over the last few years, and it will continue to do that, especially because the NFL Network is now in more households than ever and they will have their own spin on the Draft as well.

It’s so hard to figure out which Quarterbacks in the Draft will be something big. Look at Akili Smith. Ryan Leaf. Tim Couch.

So how do you find the next Tom Brady?

Looking at the type of person and character of said player is often more important than the entire body of work for said player. Look at Tom Brady. Never had the strongest arm, wasn’t the most accurate, wasn’t the fastest. But he was smart. He could read defenses. He was a better person than he was a football player. And he was driven. That is why he wasn’t selected #1 overall, and instead was snagged at # 199 overall, at the end of the 6^th round.

The Patriots could have pulled another “Tom Brady-esque” pick two years ago when they selected Matt Cassel, QB from USC who backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. He’s shown flashes of brilliance and I have no doubt he would shine for the Pats if Brady ever went down for any extended period of time. We just won’t know. Not unless something horrible happens.

If other teams figure out the formula the Pats used to get Brady and Cassel, perhaps they’ll have better luck finding the diamond in the rough that is the franchise QB. Not many times will you find teams that have QBs that were drafted very high that are leading their teams still. Just look at the recent history: Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, David Carr, Daunte Culpepper, Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch. Believe me, there are many more.

No one drafts like the Patriots, that’s for sure. Even though everyone projected them to take a linebacker and for one of their 1^st two picks in the 1^st round (myself included) they opted for a Safety and to trade their next two picks, even though there were still high quality linebackers left at those points. People will question them. And then they’ll win another Super Bowl. And then another.

It always seems to happen that way, doesn’t it?

King Samuel the Greedy

Yet another over priced professional sports athlete wants to get paid and demands a trade if he won't get his fair market value.

Shocking.

Not really though, and that is the sad thing.

Even sadder is the fact that the player in question is one that dons a New England Patriot uniform.

Asante Samuel, who tied the league in interceptions this past season, is due to make $8 million after he was slapped with the franchise tag by the Patriots. Barely a month after he had the tag placed on him, which guarantees him a one year deal that averages the top 5 salaries at his position, and Samuel is using the media to get "what he is owed". That worked out awfully well for Deion Branch, didn't it?

I cannot stand athletes that think they are owed millions of dollars and threaten to not play or demand trades. If it was in the Collective Bargaining Agreement for players to hand back money to teams when they under perform then I would understand, but they don't, and so they believe they have vast amounts of leverage and clout. It sours the fans and the organization when people start using the media to try and gain the upper hand in contract negotiations.

What players like Branch and Samuel and even former player Ty Law fail to understand is that for the Patriots it really is the system and the schemes and the coaches that make it work. Without Branch, the Patriots were well on their way to the Super Bowl to play the Chicago Bears with their makeshift receiving corps before they let up on the Colts. Without Ty Law before, they went to the Super Bowl and won. They've taken players and put them where they need to be and won. And they'll do it again.

With or without Samuel.

Worst commentator ever

After watching 1 game on the NFL Network, I was sold on the fact that Bryant Gumbel was the worst commentator ever.

After having seen every game on the NFL Network now (at least 6 now), I am even more convinced of this.

I don't mean he is the worst play by play guy, he is downright the worst commentator in any sport actually (ok, Tim McCarver is the worst, but I digress). This is tough, as Dan Dierdorf was previously my number 1 worst commentator, but he shot past him before the 1st quarter of the first game he called was over.

Gumbel is awful. He is so monotone, you don't know if he is calling a high school graduation or a funeral. It's terrible. Someone could break a 99 yard run and the inflection in his voice would still be nonexistent.

He constantly gets calls totally wrong. When the Raiders were punting tonight on 4th and 12 against the Chiefs, he said the "Raiders turned the ball over on downs".

He tries to sound like he knows football way too much. You can tell he doesn't, and it's painful to listen to. You know when your fiancée points out how awful it is it is already worse than you can imagine.

Trying to end this update on an almost decent note, Dick Vermeil is a great color commentator. He seems like he has been doing it for years, and he understands all aspects of the game. When his voice went out during the game last week, the NFL Network was very smart to bring Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk up to the booth to help out. I felt bad for him because he couldn't go on, and it was tough listening to him, as he was straining with every word.

As bad as he was that one time, he was and always will be a thousand times better than Gumbel ever will be.

And sadly, the NFL Network will not realize this for quite some time.