So much NFL news, I love it. This time of year is great. Here are a few recent observations from around the league and elsewhere.
-As I’m sure you’ve heard (especially if you watched HBO’s “Hard Knocks” Wednesday night. By the way, love that show), Mr. Priest Holmes is back with the Chiefs after having his neck injured in 2005 by the Chargers biggest steroid user, Shawne Merriman. What do you think the odds are that he really plays? Busted necks aren’t anything to joke about, especially at his age. If Carl Peterson wasn’t the GM, I probably wouldn’t think anything of it. Is it possible that this is a negotiating ploy for Larry Johnson? I don’t want to think that, but we’ll see if he starts banging around in there at camp, and to what extent..
-Pacman Jones: How stupid are you? I lifted these quotes from USAToday.com from Pacman:
"I haven't been arrested six times. I've only been arrested twice. [Editor’s Note: Is that all? Boy, we are all way out of line] I've been accused and people have put warrants out on me numerous other times, but as of today I'm on no probation, I haven't been charged with anything, so I'm just keeping my head up and make sure I'm doing everything to make sure I'm all right with myself."
Ahem, haven’t been charged with anything? Are you paying any attention whatsoever to what is going on around you? This guy doesn’t just need a publicist, he needs a team of them. He needs publicists that are on the level of OJ’s legal defense team. Even then, it might not work. More from the dufus:
"I don't know what you all want me to do. Just sit in the house and be miserable all day? I can't do that. I have to keep my spirits up high. I have a whole family to take care of."
Yes, Pacman! Yes, be miserable! You did this to yourself. I’m supposed to feel badly for you because you can’t handle leaving the house? This guy makes my brain hurt. He made quotes earlier in the week that indicated that he thought wrestling was real. I’ll let you guys add the punchline to that.
-Checking in with my favorite sports network: Apparently ESPN didn’t notice that Barry Bonds broke the all-time HR record. I haven’t seen them do one single story on it yet.
-G Cobb’s reporting on Trotter doesn’t look good. This is a major concern. If this defense is no better than last year, you can put all of that Super Bowl talk into file cabinet labeled “Trash.” But, it’s not just Trotter that worries me.
Dawkins has a sore Achilles heel, and that is just not good news. This team has depth a lot of positions, but safety isn’t one of them. We still don’t know what the Eagles have with Takeo Spikes and Chris Gocong at LB, so there are questions there. Broderick Bunkley, while all accounts so far seem positive, is still a first-year starter.
I’m not sure about everyone else in Philly, but I’m not in love with the defensive ends either. Kearse was nasty last year when he was healthy – for a whole two games. He hasn’t lived up to that contract that he signed back before the 2004 season, and now he’s coming off of injury. I like Trent Cole, but he seems to fizzle out and can’t handle the down-to-down grind of a season. Darren Howard, Juqua Thomas, Jerome McDougle….yeah, it gets worrisome. I don’t know if I can handle another season of watching this team get the run stuffed down their throat.
I will say this, if Patterson, Bunkley and somehow DE Victor Abiamiri can play well, there won’t be nearly as much concern. Great tackle play helps a ton. Ask Brian Urlacher.
