Pro Bowl players prepare for free agency
KAPOLEI, Hawaii - Sun, surf, sand ...
And dollar signs.
It isn't fun and games for every Pro Bowl player soaking in the beauty of Hawaii before Sunday's all-star game. NFL free agency begins Feb. 27 - a fact that weighs on the mind of the 11 participants set to hit the market.
It's not only the high-powered agents here who pump their clients with visions of wealth during poolside conversations. Players, too, chat among themselves wondering if the logo on their helmets being worn Sunday will be different next season.
"It's part of the business," Carolina left tackle Jordan Gross said after Friday's Pro Bowl practice. "We definitely talk about it a lot to see what everybody is thinking, what they're going to do and maybe get some advice from guys who have been in this situation before.
"If you like where you're at, try to get (a contract) done there. If not, the sky is the limit in free agency. Every situation is different. Guys are looking for different things."
Gross knows the drill.
At this time last year, Gross' representatives were unable to reach a long-term deal with Panthers management. Carolina, though, kept his services through use of a franchise tag.
The same fate is likely to befall Gross and some of the other standout players who don't strike extensions by Feb. 19, which is the last day NFL teams can use the franchise designation. The tags discourage any potential suitor from signing a franchised player to an offer sheet because of the high level of compensation (two first-round draft picks).
For a tagged player, the positive is a high salary guaranteed as soon as the tender is signed. New England already has used its tag on Matt Cassel, whose $14.65 million salary is based on the top five quarterback contracts from 2008. The franchise salary of every position group is determined that way.
On the flip side, multiyear deals offer players better guaranteed money and job security. Those are especially important in a game with such a high injury risk.
For example, Cincinnati had offered right tackle Stacy Andrews - its franchise player in 2008 - an extension with $15 million guaranteed. Andrews declined the deal in hopes of receiving an even bigger one in 2009 from the Bengals or another team if he wasn't tagged again. Andrews, though, suffered a major knee injury in the season-finale that destroyed his market value and will likely sideline him for at least one year.
Andrews' situation isn't lost on Gross.
"It would be nice to get something done long-term (in Carolina) because you never know what the next play holds," Gross said.
Gross believes the Panthers will sign him to a new deal this offseason even if he is initially declared a franchise player. However, use of a franchise tag on Gross would allow Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers to walk. Not only is his particular franchise number a sky-high $17 million if the tag were used, Peppers already has publicly said he wants out.
Tennessee can't use a tag on defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth because of a clause in his contract. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning handed Haynesworth a Colts helmet earlier this week in a good-natured pitch to join his team (Indianapolis would have to clear significant cap space to make it happen).
With its tag, Baltimore may have to decide between Pro Bowl linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs (not to mention fellow starter Bart Scott). Lewis discussed the possibility of joining Dallas or the New York Jets during an interview on NFL Network. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and punter Shane Lechler give Oakland the same potential headache as the Ravens if a new deal with one of them can't be struck.
"For a lot of us, we're in a pretty good position," Eagles free safety and potential free-agent-to-be Brian Dawkins said Friday. "Coming off a Pro Bowl and being a free agent is not a bad thing. It's an exciting time to not only be here but to know that at some point in the future you'll be blessed to make some money."
How much? Here's a ranking of the 11 Pro Bowl selections set to become free agents based on projected availability (i.e., likelihood of a franchise tag) and demand for their services.
1. Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth
Big-bodied defensive tackles are at a premium because they usually aren't available in free agency. Cleveland, Buffalo and the New York Jets had to swing trades last offseason to address their needs at the position by acquiring Shaun Rogers, Marcus Stroud and Kris Jenkins, respectively.
While Rogers and Jenkins made the Pro Bowl, Haynesworth is in a whole other league. Not only is he strong enough to dominate interior offensive linemen, the 6-6, 320-pound Haynesworth is so nimble that he effectively shifts outside as a pass-rushing end.
The biggest knock on Haynesworth is a concern that he will become complacent once he gets a big-money contract. But if the Titans don't act quickly to get a deal done, Tennessee may rue not trying harder to re-sign Haynesworth last offseason when his price tag was lower.
It also should be noted that former Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is now head coach in Detroit. The Lions desperately needs defensive line help (among plenty of other things).
2. Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers
While it would greatly hurt their salary-cap situation, the Panthers have to give strong consideration to using their franchise tag on Peppers. Defensive ends of his caliber are rare and the Panthers don't have an heir apparent on the roster. Peppers rebounded from a poor 2007 campaign with 14.5 sacks last season.
3. Baltimore inside linebacker Ray Lewis
If Brett Favre can wear a Jets jersey, it's plausible to see Lewis in other colors than black, white and purple. Lewis isn't happy about the lack of progress with his contract, which is understandable considering how much the future Hall of Famer has meant to this franchise for 13 seasons. But from the team's perspective, the Ravens can't be blamed for being hesitant to sign Lewis - a soon-to-be 34-year-old player that has taken a physical beating - to the kind of contract he is seeking. Lewis has said he won't be giving the Ravens a "hometown discount" for his services, which makes re-signing him even tougher.
4. Oakland punter Shane Lechler
Ray Guy should be proud. Lechler has carried on Guy's punting legacy with the Raiders by reaching six Pro Bowls. But who could blame Lechler for trying to leave a dysfunctional team that has lost at least 11 games for an NFL-record six consecutive seasons? Lechler will have the chance to escape if the Raiders use their franchise tag on Asomugha as expected.
5. Philadelphia safety Brian Dawkins
Like with Lewis, the wear-and-tear of 13 NFL seasons as well as age (he turns 35 in October) are factors in the kind of contract Philadelphia is willing to offer. Dawkins is a strong candidate for a franchise designation that would pay him $6.34 million in 2009. That's a modest price compared to how much it costs to tag players at other positions.
6. Baltimore outside linebacker Terrell Suggs
Of the three Ravens linebackers set for free agency, Suggs is the most valuable because of his pass-rushing prowess. He also is seven years younger than Lewis. Suggs seems more likely to receive the franchise designation than Lewis if the Ravens are unable to re-sign one of the two before Feb. 19.
7. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner
Although his contract is expiring, Warner essentially removed himself from the free-agent market by saying he only wanted to play for the Cardinals. If a new deal isn't cemented by Feb. 19, the Cardinals could take Warner at his word, continue negotiations and instead use the franchise tag for a second straight year on linebacker Karlos Dansby. There also is the possibility that Warner will retire regardless of what kind of salary the Cardinals offer.
8. Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins
Like Warner with the Cardinals, Collins has said he only wants to play for Tennessee. Both clubs may be inclined to use the franchise tag as insurance that there isn't a change of heart. Collins proved a great fit in Tennessee, where his limited mobility wasn't an issue playing behind arguably the NFL's best offensive line. And at age 36, Collins understandably has little interest in leaving for a lesser team.
9. Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha
He isn't a household name, but Asomugha is arguably the NFL's best cornerback. Oakland was so scared of losing Asomugha in free agency last year that the Raiders used an exclusive franchise designation that kept him off-limits to all other teams. Asomugha seems headed for the same fate again in 2009.
10. Carolina left tackle Jordan Gross
Elite left tackles never hit the free-agent market and Carolina isn't about to change that trend. Gross would be guaranteed a 2009 base salary of $8.45 million if designated a franchise player again.
11. New York Giants kicker John Carney
Carney capitalized on the opportunity created by a preseason knee injury to incumbent Lawrence Tynes. He was so solid that the Giants kept him even after Tynes had recuperated. Carney ranked third in field goal percentage at 92.1, having made 35 of his 38 attempts. But the 44-year-old Carney has limited range, which became evident when he missed kicks of 46 and 47 yards in New York's 23-11 playoff loss to Philadelphia.
With Tynes under contract for four more seasons, New York will let Carney walk. Age will keep Carney from landing a big-money deal, but he would be a good one-year solution for a team with kicking woes.
(c) 2009 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC
Pittsburgh Steelers will win the Super Bowl
It is more than a cliche used when building a team. In the last 12 seasons, the Super Bowl champions have boasted a top-10 defense nine times. On the flip side, only four winners in the past 12 years have had a top-10 offense.
The Arizona Cardinals may boast a high-flying offense, but more often than not, it is the elite defense that gets the upper hand in these sorts of games.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers may no longer have their fearsome Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s, this defensive unit is still quite formidable. They led the league in total defense by a wide margin, were in the top-10 in total takeaways and were second overall with 51 sacks.
They also boast the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in outside linebacker James Harrison, who had 16 sacks to go along with seven forced fumbles.
A common adage in football to describe this sort of match-up is that of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object; something has to give, and in this case, that will be the Cardinals' offense.
During the regular season, the Cardinals faced six of the NFL's top-10 defenses. They lost five of those match-ups by an average score of 38-17. Their only victory came in overtime over the Dallas Cowboys after quarterback Tony Romo broke his pinkie and the Cards' special teamers blocked two crucial kicks.
The Arizona Cardinals have not seen anything like what Steelers' defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will throw at them on Sunday. With one of the most complex defensive schemes and an attacking mentality, Pittsburgh will turn the Super Bowl into a display of defensive muscle that will leave Arizona wondering what hit them.
(c) 2008 Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc
Paying tribute to long-ago Super Bowl homes
TAMPA -- Super Bowl famous faces - where are they now?
Not quarterbacks or coaches. The stadiums. Some sites of unforgettable moments have vanished from history, like old Las Vegas casinos. Others are just forgotten.
- It was home to Vince Lombardi's last championship, Joe Namath's guarantee, the Super Bowl that the Baltimore Colts won despite seven turnovers, and two Steelers-Cowboys classics.
The Orange Bowl.
Now it's a vacant lot near Little Havana, razed in 2008, its seats and exit signs and lockers where the champions once dressed put up for auction. The idea now is to build a new baseball park for the Florida Marlins on its grave. But the political and financial fight is like the Hundred Years' War.
Some suggest the Orange Bowl left a curse on the teams who deserted it. Hell hath no fury like a stadium scorned. The Dolphins bolted the Orange Bowl in the 1980s and have yet to return to another Super Bowl. The Miami Hurricanes departed in 2007. In their last game in the Orange Bowl, they lost to Virginia 48-0.
- None of its three Super Bowls were especially memorable, but it had the damp honor of hosting the two coldest Super Bowls in history. Dallas and Miami kicked off in 39 degrees in VI, Pittsburgh and Minnesota at 46 degrees in IX.
Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.
The Steelers beat the Vikings 16-6 in arguably the drabbest Super Bowl of them all. It was 2-0 at halftime.
Tulane Stadium came down in 1980, made obsolete by the Superdome, but not without one last surprise. In a tiny room beneath the bleachers were found two mummies, one man and one woman, stored and forgotten from a long-ago display.
Got Thothi Aunk and Nefer Atethu are the only Egyptians from 900 B.C. to ever attend a Super Bowl.
Where the Steelers dynasty began now sits student dorms, a parking garage, intramural fields and a recreation center.
- It was home to one Super Bowl - Miami's last championship in 1974. How long ago was that? A ticket cost $15.
Rice Stadium in Houston.
It still stands, a downsized version, home to the Rice Owls, drawing 20,179 a game. A long way from a glitzy Super Bowl.
Its most famous moment was an autumn day in 1962, when President John Kennedy used the stadium for a speech challenging America to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. "Why?" he asked that day of overcoming obstacles, "does Rice play Texas?"
- It has been left behind so often in a short, star-crossed life. An NFL team and an NBA team and a USFL team, and two bowl games. And once, a quarterback-coach combo destined for the Hall of Fame - Joe Montana and Bill Walsh - won their first Super Bowl.
The Pontiac Silverdome.
You can still see its white roof from a distance in the northern suburbs of Detroit. Officials have tried to make various uses of the forlorn land, from drive-in movies to plans for a race track. They have tried to sell the site at bargain basement rates.
Suitors come and go, but the deal always falls through. Once, Joe Montana made the place roar. Now the Pontiac Silverdome looks so lonely, standing there largely unused, unloved, unwanted. Somehow a symbol of the economic wreckage of its home state.
- Its first Super Bowl was the last title for the Raiders. Its second played in the shadows of the Gulf War in 1991, with the New York Giants edging Buffalo 20-19 - still the only one-point Super Bowl.
Tampa Stadium.
The place was built for Tampa University's football team, but the school doesn't even play the sport anymore.
Later would come the Bucs. "The Big Sombrero," their home was dubbed in tribute to a design that made it look like it could go on someone's head.
Eventually, the Bucs would want fancier digs, as all teams do. Now Tampa Stadium is a parking lot, where the limos for next Sunday's Super Bowl can dispense their riders for Raymond James Stadium to see the Steelers play the Cardinals.
Time moves on. For Super Bowl players. For Super Bowl playgrounds.
Copyright 2009 USA TODAY
Graham closing in on Super Bowl spot
Former Geelong AFL captain Ben Graham appears headed to the Super Bowl.
Graham's Arizona Cardinals have a commanding 24-6 lead at half-time against the Philadelphia Eagles in today's National Football League (NFL) conference title game to decide who goes to next month's Super Bowl.
The game is an historic one for Australia, with another AFL-turned gridiron punter convert, Sav Rocca, a member of the Eagles.
Graham or Rocca will become the first Australian to play in a Super Bowl.
Both players had just one punt in the first half, with former Collingwood and North Melbourne star Rocca the more impressive.
Graham had a shaky start, spraying his punt in the first quarter just 34 yards and out-of-bounds, leaving the Eagles in favourable field position.
Rocca's towering 58 yard punt came late in the second half, successfully pinning the Cardinals near their goal line.
The Cardinals duo of veteran quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Larry Fitzgerald were unstoppable in the first half combining for three touchdowns, including a booming downfield pass leading to a 62 yard touchdown.
The Eagles went into the game as short-priced favourites.
The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens later this afternoon for the other Super Bowl spot.
The Super Bowl will be played at Tampa Bay, Florida, February 1.
Copyright (c) 2008 Fairfax Digital
Forget Madden: "Manning" Curse Strikes Again, Giants Fall to Eagles
New York -- In another game showcasing a team that no one gave a chance of winning, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants 23-11 Sunday afternoon, sending Eli Manning to join older brother Peyton on the outside looking in.
Older brother Peyton was the first to fall, losing to the surprising San Diego Chargers 23-17 in the wild card round. Peyton threw for 310 yards and a touchdown in that effort, but got no support from his running game.
The Colts defense was also taken aback by the diminutive Darren Sproles, who racked up a career-high 238 all-purpose yards en route to the Chargers' victory.
Eli was as bad as his brother was good, completing only 15-of-29 passes for a pedestrian 169 yards and two interceptions. The Eagles defense repeatedly held on third and fourth down, holding the Giants to 18 and 33 percent respectively.
The only scoring in the game for the Giants came from kicker John Carney, and even that wasn't easy to come by. Carney missed two of five attempts, missing from 46 in the second quarter and 47 in the third.
New York got on the board first with a 22-yard boot by Carney to take a 3-0 lead. But Philadelphia answered two series later after an Eli Manning interception, and the Eagles took a 7-3 lead.
Donavon McNabb provided the Giants the only two points that Carney didn't score when he was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone early in the second quarter. Both teams provided a field goal apiece as the half drew to a close, and the teams went into the seventh-inning stretch with a score of 10-8.
Excuse me there; I got a little confused by the score. For a second I thought I was watching the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
Back to football: both teams struggled offensively in the third quarter, with each team only able to score a field goal apiece as the defenses stepped in to keep the game close. Philadelphia opened the fourth quarter with a one-yard strike by McNabb to Brent Selek, and suddenly the Eagles were in control.
David Akers put three more points on the board to run the score to 23-11, and the Giants were through. One interception and one fumble later - again, a game where late turnovers destroyed scoring opportunities - and Philadelphia sent the defending champion Giants into the offseason.
Touted most of the year as "the best team in the NFL," the Giants at times looked inept. There is no solid data to show the impact of Plaxico Burress's absence, but without his go-to guy Eli Manning was a non-factor. Even a combined 138 rushing yards from Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward couldn't overcome the defensive effort by the Eagles.
Philadelphia's effort mimics that of the Arizona Cardinals in showing that come playoff time, everybody starts at 0-0. There is no margin of error in the playoffs. One loss and your season is over.
Philadelphia wanted it more, plain and simple. Now they get to go prove it again against the Cardinals, a team that with a mascot that is, according to David Letterman, "the fiercest robin-sized bird" in existence.
Come next Sunday we get to see who's talons are sharper.
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Miami Dolphins fall to Baltimore Ravens
It will be remembered as arguably the greatest turnaround in NFL history. It will be remembered by the hard-fought wins and the storybook success. It will be remembered for many things.
It just won't be remembered for the playoffs.
The Dolphins' magical 2008 season came to an anticlimactic conclusion Sunday, as Miami failed to carry over all of the elements that previously made this team successful in a decisive 27-9 win by the Ravens.
One aspect of this loss surely won't sit well with coach Tony Sparano as he concludes his first season: The same team that set an 18-year-old NFL record for least amount of turnovers in a season (13) added another five turnovers in four quarters Sunday.
Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington threw four interceptions -- including one that was returned 64 yards by Baltimore safety Ed Reed -- while running back Patrick Cobbs also coughed up a fumble after taking a tough hit near the sideline.
Pennington, who has been so sensationally efficient this season, struggled severely to carry that same poise into the playoffs. The quarterback completed 25 of 38 passes for 252 yards, one touchdown.
While the Dolphins' defense was generally successful when it came to minimizing the number of long drives by the Ravens, the unit's task became even more difficult as a result of the badly timed turnovers by Miami's offense.
Although a demoralizing way to conclude the season in front of a record-breaking playoff crowd at Dolphin Stadium, the 2008 campaign will undoubtedly go down as one of the most magical regular-season performances in the team's storied history.
Unfortunately for Miami, the pride of the past 16 games will simply need to be enough.
The focus will now shift toward how the Dolphins will continue their turnaround -- namely whether vice president of football operations Bill Parcells will remain with the team beyond this year.
With the sale of the remaining portion of the team expected to occur Tuesday, when owner Wayne Huizenga is scheduled to transfer most of his remaining 50 percent to new owner Stephen Ross, a clause in Parcells' contract will kick into effect.
If a change in ownership occurs -- and it will -- Parcells is entitled to collect the remaining $12 million of his contract without fulfilling his final three years. Ross has said he wants Parcells back, but it will ultimately be up to Parcells.
For now, at least, the Dolphins will instead focus on the magic of 2008. Be assured, though, that the attention will soon shift to 2009.
Copyright 2008 Miami Herald Media Co
Marshall QB legend Pennington set to lead Dolphins to playoff berth today
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington denies his return to the Meadowlands is about retribution or redemption or reliving the past, even if he was cast aside by the New York Jets like a leaky football.
Instead he says the game's solely about the future: whether the Dolphins will be in the playoffs next week for the first time since 2001.
With a victory Sunday over the Jets, the Dolphins (10-5) win the AFC East. With a loss, Miami falls short of the playoffs and must settle for the considerable consolation of a remarkable turnaround from last year's 1-15 fiasco.
The Jets (9-6) are also in contention to win the division, compounding the drama. And a compelling subplot is the chance for Pennington to beat the team that released him in August in favor of Brett Favre.
"They say revenge is a dish best served cold," Dolphins receiver Brandon London says. "I hear it's going to be pretty cold in New York."
Pennington appreciates the appeal of a script that might be rejected by Hollywood as too corny, and he says he always expected the final game of the regular season to be important. But he says it's less personal than the opener, which the Jets won in Miami despite Pennington's two touchdown passes.
"As fate would have it, this is how sports always works out," he says. "This situation doesn't surprise me; I pretty much banked on it. ...
"Will there be some emotions? Sure. You're going back to the Meadowlands, where you played eight years. But I just don't think it will be to the magnitude of the season opener, when the situation was so fresh."
Pennington became the Jets' starter in 2002 and led them to three playoff berths. But he was criticized for his arm strength and durability, had a on-again, off-again relationship with Jets fans and lost his job at midseason last year.
When Favre became available, Pennington, the former number one draft pick from Marshall, became expendable. He welcomed a fresh start under a new Dolphins regime led by former Jets coach Bill Parcells, the man who originally drafted him out of college, and quickly became a leader on a team desperate for direction.
Teammates affectionately refer to him as coach Pennington. His cerebral demeanor is a counterbalance to the Dolphins' other locker-room leader, fiery linebacker Joey Porter. And his work ethic set the standard for a team that has come to pride itself on a no-frills, no-stars, blue-collar approach.
Coach Tony Sparano was in his office on the team's day off last week when he tried to reach Pennington.
"I needed to get in touch with him, and I called him and he says, 'I'm downstairs in the film room,'" Sparano says. "When it's Week 16 and your quarterback is there at 4 o'clock on his day off, that tells me an awful lot."
Pennington has done much more than set an example and is a leading contender for the league's most valuable player award. Working with an ordinary receiving corps, he ranks second in the NFL to San Diego's Philip Rivers in passing and directs an offense that has committed only 12 turnovers - two fewer than the NFL record for a season.
He's coming off one of his best games, throwing for three scores in frigid, windy weather and directing an 8 1/2-minute touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to win Sunday at Kansas City, 38-31.
"Under the conditions that he played last week, that's one of the best performances I ever saw," says Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning.
Pennington, who will play in all 16 games for only the second time, has thrown for a career-high 3,453 yards with only seven interceptions. It's well-documented in Miami and New York that Favre has thrown for fewer yards in more attempts with a league-high 19 interceptions.
As the Dolphins' 13th starting quarterback since Dan Marino retired, Pennington is easily the best. More to the point this week, at age 32 he's playing better than the 39-year-old Favre.
And Pennington's team has one more win, which is his bottom line.
"I've never seen anything mean so much to someone as winning means to him," Dolphins center Samson Satele says. "He wants to show everybody the Jets made a mistake. He wants this team to win so bad. The guy works like he's fighting for a job."
With a contract that runs through 2011, including a team option year, Pennington is entrenched as Miami's starter regardless of the outcome Sunday. As the Dolphins prepare for their first meaningful season finale in six years, they know where they'd be without him.
"We'd probably be counting the days until the season was over, getting ready to hit the beach," nose tackle Jason Ferguson says. "Look at us a year ago, and look at us now. Chad has helped change the culture. Guys respect winning. And he's a winner."
A victory at the Meadowlands would hammer home the point.
Copyright (c) 2008 Williamson Daily News
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