New Beginnings at FSU

This piece of the news brought a smile to my face :-)

FSU does have a lot of new staff for this upcoming season, but the one that a lot of Noles fan will be looking for is the new offensive coordinator, Jimbo Geathers, formerly of LSU.

Mr. Geathers, sir, if you bring us back the pre-Jeff Bowden days, a lot of Noles would run naked around Doak Campbell :-)

And not forgetting an old friend, Chuck Amato, formerly of NC State, who is back as linebackers coach.

Ahh .. I will be following spring practice more closely this season :-)

Colts lose June and Harper

Since the NCAA playoffs are now running, NFL's taken a backseat but this news is significant..

• LB Cato June goes to Tampa Bay Bucs, as shown here
• CB Nick Harper goes to the Titans, the news link here

Losing two starting vets from your defense isn't a piece of good news, but I hope the Colts know what they are doing. Granted, they are focused on keeping Feeney but Cato's loss could hurt 'em in the long run as he was their LB playmaker. Harper goes to a division rival which could help the Titans in knowing the ins and outs of Indy's defense.

2001 draft trivia

- do you know that out of the 31 first round picks, only two are not playing in NFL

10th pick - Jamal Reynolds - Green Bay - out of the football
24th pick - Willie Middlebrooks - Denver - FA since 2005

My Take On FA Deals And ...

The last few days, the free agency transactions have been quite interesting. A few involve my favorite teams, Skins and Raiders, so let's have a look at some key transactions


1) Pats signing of Adalius Thomas, Kyle Brady and Sammy Morris

In one shot, this was a shrewd move by the Pats. In signing Thomas, it showed that they were looking for someone to replace Willie McGinest, a hybrid defender, who can do everything in the box. Look for him to play end / lb positions all over the line. When the Pats spend money, be assured that they really need the player. Brady is a short term replacement for Daniel Graham whom they lost to the Seahawks, more known for his blocking. As for signing Morris, Pats have Maroney, vets Faulk and Morris. The Pats may rush more this season ;-) .... looks like RB tandems could be the trend this season.

2) The lineman are getting their blings2

So far this offseason, the lineman are getting serious dough ..

- Kries Dielman with the Chargers
- Leonard Davis with the Cowboys
- Steinbach with the Browns

Hmm.. I am a bit surprised about the Davis signing. What do the Boys see in him ? ...when he was drafted, the potential was enormous, but he didn't do much, in my opinion, to warrant that kind of money. Oh well, it is the market. Luckily, Skins didn't take him even though they could.

3) Raiders getting some running help

The Raiders still kept Lamont Jordan, by restructuring his contract. And what they did next was taking in the real Super Bowl MVP, RB Dominic Rhodes and FB Justin Griffith. And they got OL Jermaine Newberry earlier.

I was not suprised by this move, being the offseason, but what surprised me was the moves all made sense. They needed a young vet on the line ( Newberry ), a running back to complement Jordan ( Rhodes ), and a bruising blocking fullback, Griffith.

The backfield looks like Jordan - Rhodes, Griffith, and Newberry anchoring the line.

Maybe Al got some sense after all

4) RB moves

Have you guys seen the movement of the backs ? ... McGahee to Ravens, Droughns to Giants, Henry to Broncos, Thomas Jones to Jets, Jamal Lewis to Browns

These guys were starters with their respective teams yet ended being released / traded away. In a way, the Colts success in the last Super Bowl showed that a RB tandem could do a better job, so it is interesting to see how the concept develop next season.

PS / What's up with Class of 2001 NFL Draft ... how are they ?

Skins News + 2001 Draft Ebook

Allegiance

I am raising up my hand and tell you where my allegiance lie in football ;-)

NFL - Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders
NCAA - Florida State Seminoles, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The links to those teams are under my Pigskin Links

Ok, now that is out of the way .... ;-)

Skins News

1. London Fletcher and Fred Smoot Signing

As now announced, Skins have signed up FA LB London Fletcher, to a 5 year, 25 million contract. He is expected to man the MLB spot that was problematic last season, and upgrade the defense that was ranked near bottom in the NFL.

On a nicer note, Fred Smoot is coming back after leaving the Skins a few years ago. He went to the Vikings for the money, had a tough time, off and on the field and was let go. He is not a shutdown corner like Champ, but he is still a good corner, so welcome back, Smooter !

2. Derrick Dockery Leaving For the Bills

It was kind of neat, Skins and the Bills exchanged players ;-) you give us Fletcher, we'll give you Dockery :-) .... Dockery was a good lineman but the price was too much. So, all the best Derrick, and thank you for the service

So far, I am happy the way Skins have been conducting the free agent offseason. Not as splashy as the last few years, but they are going after positions of need. I do think that their first pick in the upcoming draft will be on defense. Rumor has it that the team have their eyes on Gaines Adams of Clemson. Looks like a stud on the D-Line ;-)

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There is no significant news on the Raiders. My one message to Al is simply, It's Time To Really Honor The Commitment To Excellence :-| ... this franchise is fast becoming ( if not already ), the Tampa Bay of the 80s.

2001 Draft Free Ebook

Yes ;-) The cat is out of the bag. I am drafting an ebook based on the 2001 draft. I cannot divulge the details yet, but rest assured, the developments will be updated here.

Free Ezine

At my personal blog, there is a free ezine offer. Go check it out, you know where the link is. :-)


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