2013 NFL Preseason News

[TFM_Dale]

Michael Vick had a disappointing season in 2012, but new Eagles coach Chip Kelly doesn’t think that’s Vick’s fault.

Kelly told WIP in Philadelphia that injuries along the Eagles’ offensive line were the biggest problem Vick had in 2012, and there’s every reason to think that Vick can play as well in 2013 as he did in 2010, if the Eagles can protect him.

“The one thing I think with a quarterback is they get too much blame when things don’t go well and they get too much praise when things do go well,” Kelly said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “But which Michael Vick do you have? The guy in 2010 who is the comeback player of the year and is running all over the field making great decisions? A lot of that because he’s clean in protection, he’s not getting hit immediately after he’s getting the snap. The one thing, when I watched the film and I saw Michael last year, you just kind of almost felt bad for him, is you lost four lineman to season ending injuries.”

The return of tackle Jason Peters, who missed all of 2012 with an Achilles injury, and the arrival of first-round draft pick Lane Johnson, should make a big difference for Vick.

“There is a comfort level when you are playing quarterback when Jason Peters is your left tackle,” Kelly said. “There is not as much of a comfort level if I’m playing left tackle. So when you’re worried about a guy coming off the edge before you can get to the top of your drop and make a throw, then that’s a tough thing to do. The one thing I’ll give Michael, when you watch Michael Vick on film and no one, there’s absolutely no one that can question his toughness. As he stands in there with people bearing down at him and still is trying to throw the ball and deliver the ball. He can throw the ball, it comes off his hands, he can make people miss, but no one, there’s no quarterback in the NFL, there’s no quarterback in any level of football that can function when you are missing four of your offensive lineman. So a lot of things that happened when you watch the film last year, it isn’t all Michael’s fault.”

The Eagles’ offensive line will almost certainly be better in 2013 than it was in 2012. And a better line should lead to a better quarterback.

[TFM_Dale]

The Lions lost last year’s starting left tackle Jeff Backus to retirement and lost last year’s starting right tackle Gosder Cherilus to free agency. So it was surprising that they didn’t draft an offensive tackle.

But Lions coach Jim Schwartz says last year’s first-round draft pick, Riley Reiff, is ready to step in and protect Matthew Stafford’s blind side.

“We drafted him as a left tackle,” Schwartz said of Reiff, via the Detroit Free Press. “Probably with the way things ended up here, we’ll probably start him off there. We have a lot of confidence in him. I mean, that’s why we drafted him last year.”

Reiff started one game at left tackle last year when Backus was hurt. Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard (who have each started five NFL games) will compete to start at right tackle. Throw in rookie Larry Warford as a starting guard, and the Lions will have three very inexperienced starters on the offensive line.

And so as the Lions prepare to give Stafford a nine-figure contract, they’re not investing a lot in the linemen who will protect him.

[TFM_Dale]

The Lions lost last year’s starting left tackle Jeff Backus to retirement and lost last year’s starting right tackle Gosder Cherilus to free agency. So it was surprising that they didn’t draft an offensive tackle.

But Lions coach Jim Schwartz says last year’s first-round draft pick, Riley Reiff, is ready to step in and protect Matthew Stafford’s blind side.

“We drafted him as a left tackle,” Schwartz said of Reiff, via the Detroit Free Press. “Probably with the way things ended up here, we’ll probably start him off there. We have a lot of confidence in him. I mean, that’s why we drafted him last year.”

Reiff started one game at left tackle last year when Backus was hurt. Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard (who have each started five NFL games) will compete to start at right tackle. Throw in rookie Larry Warford as a starting guard, and the Lions will have three very inexperienced starters on the offensive line.

And so as the Lions prepare to give Stafford a nine-figure contract, they’re not investing a lot in the linemen who will protect him.

We did draft him to play LT so I do agree with that part of it. I wasn't the biggest Cherilus fan but I would like to see a veteran RT with starting experience replace him. The O-Line will make or break our season, wouldn't mind a few more signings to drum up some competition for the starting lineup and without a doubt to improve depth.

[TFM_Dale]

Prior to the draft, there was talk that the Eagles liked Geno Smith so much that they could take him with the No. 4 overall pick. As it turned out, not only did the Eagles pass on Smith at No. 4, but they passed on him with their second-round pick, No. 35 overall, too.

But Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who worked Smith out in West Virginia and then brought Smith to Philadelphia for a visit, says the interest was legitimate.

“First off, it wasn’t a smoke screen,” Kelly said on WIP-FM, via Philly.com. “We were as thorough with Geno as anyone else with our evaluation.”

Kelly said he wouldn’t take his time to visit with a player just to give other teams a false impression of his opinion of that player.

“Is it a smoke screen to other people? I think that intrigue and that part of it, I kind of get a kick out of,” Kelly said. “We don’t have enough time to go out there and say, ‘Hey, let’s bluff the other 31 teams in the league by going to do this.’ If we are, we’re wasting our time.”

So the Eagles really did take the time to evaluate Smith. And their evaluation was that not only was he not worth their first-round pick, but he wasn’t even worth their second-round pick.

[TFM_Dale]

Tuesday saw quarterback Tim Tebow become a free agent, after no team claimed his contract on waivers. It also saw the parade of teams not interested in Tebow grow by at least two.

Appearing on XTRA 1360 in San Diego, G.M. Tom Telesco faced the Tebow question.

“Tim Tebow is out there,” one host said. “Would you guys ever?”

“Ever what?” Telesco said with trepidation in his voice, sparking laughter from the two hosts.

The host then explained himself. “Would you guys think about it, possibly bring him in for a visit?”

“We’re really happy with the two quarterbacks we have, and we drafted one in the seventh round that we think has developmental upside, so we’re happy with our three quarterbacks right now,” Telesco said.

In other words, “No.”

Vikings G.M. Rick Spielman addressed the Tebow topic during a visit to PFT Live.

“Other teams are saying they’re not interested,” I explained to Spielman. “This is your chance to say you’ve got no interest in Tim Tebow.”

“He is a great individual,” Spielman said. “I spent some time with him when we came out in the draft but we’re very satisfied where we’re at with our roster right now.”

In other words, “No.”

Still, 31 teams can say, “No.” They can shout, “No!” followed by “way” and perhaps a profane word in the middle.

All it takes is one team to whisper, “Yes.” Now that Tebow is a free agent, any team can.

[TFM_Dale]

Jets General Manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan were busy men on Tuesday, giving interviews to just about everyone this side of Jerry Springer.

As you’d probably imagine, the majority of the questions were about the menagerie of quarterbacks the team has accumulated over the years. Somewhere amid the goodbyes to Tim Tebow and promises of a competition between the remaining players, there was some discussion of other spots on the team as well. One of them was wide receiver, a spot the Jets did not address during the draft even though they are currently relying heavily on a full recovery from Santonio Holmes and rapid improvement from Stephen Hill.

Idzik was specifically asked about the possibility of a return from Braylon Edwards, who played the final three games of the season with the Jets after getting waived by the Seahawks. Idzik was in Seattle last year, knows Edwards and said that the veteran was on the radar for a third spin with the Jets.

“I know [Edwards] very well. Guys like that would be under consideration as we go forward, for sure,” Idzik said, via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

Edwards, who had 10 catches after arriving back with the Jets, isn’t the only option. Mike Garafolo of USA Today reports that the team has had conversations with former Giant Ramses Barden about coming on board as a free agent. Barden had 29 catches in four years with the Giants — nine of them in one 2012 game — and hasn’t seen much interest in his services so far this offseason.

[TFM_Dale]

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell repeatedly has explained that the league must constantly try to find ways to improve.

Here’s something for the suggestion box: Get rid of rules that are regularly broken but rarely enforced.

There are several rules like this. The paperwork says one thing, the teams routinely do something else, and the league office never does anything about it.

When it comes to negotiating with potentially undrafted players before the draft has ended, the rule is clear: Teams can’t do it. But they regularly do, and the NFL does nothing about it.

The Chargers did it last year, according to quarterback Chandler Harnish, whose verbal deal with San Diego was interrupted by the Colts making Harnish the last pick in the draft.

This year, receiver Russell Shepard has boasted that he “took [himself] off the draft board during the draft” after striking a deal with the Eagles in round six.

Shepard has since reiterated that the Eagles negotiated with him before the draft ended by pointing out via an unverified (but apparently legitimate) Twitter account that “[i]t was just a agreement calm down people didn’t become official till the next day actually.”

Under the rules, it doesn’t matter that it wasn’t “official” during the draft. The land rush for free agents can’t begin until the draft ends. In Shepard’s case, a verbal deal was in place with Philly during the sixth round. At some point (and that point could already be now), teams will have agreements with undrafted players in place before the draft even begins.

While any team could have disrupted the agreement between the Eagles and Shepard by drafting the player, the violation comes from the fact that the Eagles got a head start on the process. The reality is that most teams do.

It will continue until the NFL enforces the rule. And if the NFL isn’t going to enforce the rule, then the NFL should just get rid of it.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

she made maxim..

gty_ht_manti_teo_dm_130509_wmain.jpg

[PETE'S BROTHER]

not ugly...

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/5/14/4329820/minnesota-vikings-stadium-unveil-plans-designhttp://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/5/14/4329820/minnesota-vikings-stadium-unveil-plans-design

[PETE'S BROTHER]

chuck muncie passed away at 60

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGdVK9a5JRdCEAn0BXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByZWgwN285BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkAw--/SIG=14hj7kfkl/EXP=1368579133/**http%3a//www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2013/05/14/chuck-muncie-former-saints-and-chargers-running-back-dies-at-60/

[Matt White]

RIP CHUCK

Fucking loved those CHARGERS!!!

[PETE'S BROTHER]

Brian Urlacher is deciding between the Broncos and Vikings. The latest report says that he is leaning toward the Vikings.

[conmee]

RIP CHUCK

Fucking loved those CHARGERS!!!

Growing up in San Diego, I remember going to a couple games as a kid during the Air Coryell years baby! Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Kellen Winslow, Wes Chandler, and Muncie baby!!!!

At least the current regime is keeping Teo hidden from the press, unlike the circus around Tebow in NYC... I think the Maxim list will help Teo, who has a Top 100 hot girlfriend... you know, if she weren't dead and imaginary. But a posthumous award is an award by any definition...

GO CHARGERS!

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[conmee]

MELVIN INGRAM TEARS LEFT ACL - SAN DIEGO

Linebacker Melvin Ingram suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the San Diego Chargers announced in a statement. The left knee injury was suffered during the Chargers' organized team activities Tuesday morning. Ingram was San Diego's first-round pick in the 2012 draft. He had 41 tackles (21 solo), one forced fumble and one sack for a young, developing linebacking corps.

The Chargers saw veteran edge rushers Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes leave in free agency and had been expecting Ingram, who came on strong toward the end of last season, to provide a strong rush. With Ingram presumably lost for the season, San Diego is bringing in free agent Dwight Freeney on Wednesday for a visit, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

San Diego's new general manager, Tom Telesco, spent the past 15 seasons in Indianapolis, where the Colts drafted Freeney.

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Teo better step up...

Mind The Gap!©®™

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[WARF]

More proof of the Junior Seau Death Hoax©®™

Exhibit A:

Crisis Actor: No Tears, and no redness around the eyes!