According to many sites, the Braves have acquired left-handed pitcher, Wilfredo Ledezma from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for left-handed pitcher, Macay McBride. I don't really know what this does for the Braves because the pitchers are both having similar seasons...but maybe a change of scenery will do them both some good.
ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting that the Houston Rockets have agreed to trade forward, Juwan Howard to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for point guard, Mike James.
"We expect for the deal to be officially consummated as early as tomorrow," James' agent, Billy Duffy told Houston television station KRIV.
James is hopeful the deal will happen.
"Even Houston thinking about me is a blessing but until I see it on the ticker I won't believe it. I'm so excited. It would give me that chance to retire in Houston," James told the television station.
I suppose this is the NBA's way of getting back into the headlines because the finals have sucked so far, and with the Spurs already up 3-0, a sweep looks like it will happen.
Green, who turns 37 in July, will be allowed to participate in this weekend's Dolphins minicamp that begins on Friday, where he will battle it out with Dolphin's quarterback, Daunte Culpepper for the rights as the teams starting QB. It seems as though Culpepper isn't completely healthy from his knee injury and if that is true then Green would be the starter with Cleo Lemon as his backup and Dolphin's second round draft pick, John Beck serving as the third string option.
Culpepper is not going to be happy about this news, as just a few days ago he told reporters that if the Dolphins did indeed add Green to their roster he would ask to be traded or released. He also came out publically saying that he is the quarterback of this team until someone tells him otherwise.
"I hear things but it doesn't really matter who says what," Culpepper said in response to the umpteenth question about Green possibly becoming a Dolphin. "For anybody to come in here and think this is going to be peaches and cream, it's not. "They've told me the same thing they've always told me: Do your job. I'm the quarterback of this team until somebody tells me different."
The Atlanta Braves have traded worthless 4th outfielder, Ryan Langerhans to the Oakland A's in exchange for a Player To Be Named Later or cash considerations.
From David O'Brien of AJC.com:
There must really be some serious shit going on in Oakland if they would trade for Langerhans. Langerhans, after finally breaking an 0-29 slump, well once you go 0-29 is it really considered a slump? Anyways, back to what I was saying, Langerhans sucks, he's a great outfielder but he makes Rafael Belliard look like, oh I don't know, someone who doesn't suck balls. Anyways, this is definitely addition by subtraction. Now we just need to find a way to lose Chris Woodward. Oh well, oh and on a side note, we lost today, Bob Wickman fell apart again and Holliday hit a walk-off 2-run shot off of Colyer in the 11th. But we got the Phillies coming to town so that should be fun and Woodward....go play in the street.LANGERHANS TRADED TO OAKLAND.
For cash or a player to be named. Braves are bringing up Willie Harris, who’s batting .362 with a homer and seven RBIs in 17 games at Richmond, and .412 vs. right-handed pitchers.
Bobby says doesn’t know how he’ll use him when I asked if it’d be platoon. But I think it will be.
According to ESPN and NFL.com's Adam Schefter, the Oakland Raiders have agreed to send Pro-Bowl receiver, Randy Moss to the New England Patriots in exchange for their 4th round pick today. There are still details that will need to be completed, including Moss taking a physical and restructuring his contract. Moss' current contract calls for him to be owed $21 million over the next two years, and he has agreed to re-do it for the Patriots. I mentioned that the two teams resumed trade talks yesterday and I speculated that the deal was done last night when they Patriots sent their 3rd pick to the Raiders but that was proven to be just for a Raiders' draft pick next season.
"The Raiders have resumed trade talks with the New England Patriots over disgruntled receiver, Randy Moss. The Patriots offered the Raiders a second-day pick in this years draft, which Al Davis immediately shot down, but now he may be reconsidering it. The Raiders do NOT want Moss on their team no longer and it seems like the only team Moss wants to play for is the Patriots. The Raiders asked Moss to restructure his contract in order to make it easier to trade the Pro-Bowler, but he quickly declined. He did say that he will be more than happy to restructure his contract which calls for him to make $9.75 million this season, for the Pat's, he said the only thing he wants to do right now is win a Super Bowl and he believes the best place for him to succeed in that journey is in New England."
This latest move caps off an already stunning offseason for the Pats and in my opinion has vaulted them to the number one choice for the Super Bowl this season.
Jackson to the Niners
This is also news, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to send receiver Darrell Jackson to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their 4th round pick.
Jackson, 28, caught 63 passes in 2006 for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns -- all team-leading totals. At the time of his toe injury, Jackson was leading the league in touchdown catches. He's exceeded 1,000 receiving yards three times in seven seasons.
However, Jackson and Seahawks management reportedly have been at odds following negotiation of the six-year, $25 million contract extension Jackson signed in March 2004, his decision to skip voluntary workouts in 2005, and the manner in which the team handled his knee injury last season.
According to ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions are currently discussing becoming possible trade partners. The Lions hold the second pick in this year's Draft and they are looking to trade down and the Bucs have the fourth pick and desperately want the best overall player in draft, Calvin Johnson. There are currently two possible scenarios right now.
1st scenario:
The Lions want to trade their second selection to the Bucs for their fourth selection and both of their second round picks(#35 and #64). If you look at the trade value chart then it's just about even and makes sense, but the Bucs are reluctant to pull the trigger. They have their hearts set on rebuilding with the draft and to do so they need to keep at least one of their 2nd round picks. Maybe if the Lions would be happy with one of the 2nd round picks then the deal would get done, but it's not a guarantee.
2nd scenario:
The second scenario and probably the best scenario for both teams(in my opinion) would involve a swap of draft rights just like in 2004 with Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. The Detroit Lions would select Calvin Johnson at #2 and then the Bucs would select Gaines Adams at #4 then the two teams would swap the rookies and along with the Bucs sending Adams they would also send disgruntled cornerback, Brian Kelly and possibly a later draft pick as well.
It also has been recently released that the Lions have every attention on drafting Calvin Johnson and holding onto him. They would draft him, but still be open to listening to trade proposals. This would make the 4th wide receiver taken by Matt Millen in the past five years if they would do this.
The saga that is the Oakland Raiders
What to do, what to do? The NFL Draft is less than 20 hours away right now and it still up in the air what the Raiders will do. Will they take JaMarcus Russell? Will they take Calvin Johnson? Or will they trade down? All three are very possible and smart choices, let's face it, the Raiders have a lot of problems more notably on offense and trading down to get more draft picks would certainly help out. They are going to trade Randy Moss, that is cetain, teams have been calling Al Davis asking what will it take to get Moss and it isn't going to be much, probably a mid-round pick and the rights to take over his contract. So taking Calvin Johnson would be a good move seeing as how they won't have a true #1 receiver. But when it comes down to it, the guy they absolutely need to pick is JaMarcus Russell. Russell has the best potential at quarterback and we all know how much Al Davis loves his arm strength. If they don't take Russell then we will all be asking the same questions next April, "what will the Raiders do with the #1 pick?". Oh and if they do take Calvin Johnson I guarantee you they will either trade for the guy Russell is being compared to, Daunte Culpepper, or they will look to sign free-agent, Josh McCown. But I still think they are going to take Russell.
Brady Quinn or Adrian Peterson?....Or Joe Thomas???
The Cleveland Browns have a tough choice at the number 3 pick. They could go with the golden boy, Brady Quinn, who is the best quarterback right now in the draft. Yes, I think he's better than Russell, but Russell has more potential. The second choice for them right now would be Adrian Peterson. They traded away their starter for the past few years, Rueben Droughns, and they did sign former 2,000 yard rusher, Jamal Lewis, to a 1-year contract. But Lewis is in the decline and they don't have another option right now at runningback. And Peterson is an amazing prospect with a great mixture of power and speed, he could be the next Eric Dickerson. But there are concerns about his health, he broke his collar bone and missed the second half of Oklahoma's season but he did play in their bowl game agaisnt Boise State and it was just released a few days ago that he re-aggravated the injury and could miss the start of training camp so this could scare a lot of teams away. But what it's going to come down to is, first are the Browns willing to give Charlie Frye and or Derek Anderson another year to see if they can develop? They have to answer that before they even think about drafting Quinn/Peterson. To add more questions, now Joe Thomas' name is apparently now in the mix. I don't think they will take Thomas, but who knows.
There's always sleepers, and here's mine
Ben Grubbs, OG(AUB)- Ben Grubbs is the highest ranked offensive guard in the entire draft and if he was a tackle, he'd be a top 15 pick this year. He's an outstanding athlete that has played tight end and defensive tackle before settling on offensive guard in 2004. He has great quickness and is very smart and strong. He is still developing and has a ton of upside.
Projected round: Late 1st early 2nd.
Josh Beck, QB(BYU)- Josh Beck is one of the most underrated quarterbacks this year. He didn't get a lot of headlines partly because he went to BYU, but he's been for the past three years and had a huge year last season, throwing for 3,885 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions while completing almost 70% of his passes. He is very accurate but his arm strength is only a little above average, a true leader that steps up under pressure and can hurt a defense with his feet.
Projected round: 3rd or 4th round.
Ben Patrick, TE(DEL)- Although he has recently seen his stock rise considerably, he is still a sleeper that could turn out to be one of the best tight ends in this year's class. He's a smooth route runner with outstanding hands and good size at 6'3" 250. Very smart and puts a lot of effort at being a blocking TE just as much as a pass catching TE. He has all the intangibles to be a successful tight end for many years to come and the team that does draft him is getting an Alge Crumpler clone. In my opinion, no matter where he is drafted, he will turn out to be one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Projected round: Mid to late 2nd
Anthony Spencer, DE(PUR)- At one time he was a 1st round projection but has recently fallen to the 2nd round, but don't let that fool you, Anthony Spencer is going to be one of the top defensive ends this season. He racked up 26.5 tackles for loss(led the nation), 93 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He could end up as an Adalius Thomas type player, a defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid. He's a big time playmaker with great speed off the snap and is a solid tackler and is very productive against the run.
Projected round: Early 2nd.
Tarell Brown, CB(TEX)- I have said before that I think he could become one of the better corners this year, I loved how he played at Texas, he has good size, very fast, hits like a safety and plays the game angry. He's a solid tackler and plays the run well too. He does have some character issues that he needs to work through, he was arrested on marijuana and weapon charges in September of 06' and then again charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in March of 07'. He was highly regarded as a top Pro prospect before he ran into law trouble, but if he can work through these issues he could be very a productive NFL corner.
Projected round: 4th round to 5th round
Justin Durant, OLB(HAMP)- A very underrated linebacker out of Hampton University, he's been constantly around 100 tackles the past three seasons, including 124 in his junior year. He is a smooth athlete with good speed and quickness. He very strong and closes in quickly, he's a big hitter and is good in coverage as well. He is a little undersized at 6'0" 230 but he makes up for it in his play and fiery demeanor. He's a three-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and will make an excellent weak-side linebacker in the NFL.
Projected round: Late 2nd round early 3rd
Calvin Johnson is a by far the best player in the draft
Let me first start off by saying, Calvin Johnson is the best receiving prospect I have seen coming out of college in some time. He is truly a freak of nature, seriously, he's 6'5" 240 and runs a sub 4.40 in the 40 yard dash he has some of the softest hands and runs routes to a tee. He's has been compared to players like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, but I think he's going to be better than both. Experts have said he has the body type and strength of Owens and the speed and catching ability of Moss. But first of all he's way bigger than the 6'3" 225 Owens, but overall I feel that comparison is pretty good, but he's way faster. And the speed and catching ability of Moss is also a pretty good comparison, but you know, with out the attitude of both guys. He has the body of a tight end but the speed and hands of a receiver, people 6'5" 240 aren't supposed to be able to run that fast, it's just not fair. He's going to make a hell of a pro.
Former Virginia Tech standout, Bruce Smith, will announce the Bill's first pick.
The NFL's career sacks leader and former Bills star defensive end Bruce Smith will announce Buffalo's first-round pick in the draft. Bruce Smith, former Virginia Tech star, will announce the pick as part of a "Salute to Virginia Tech" following last weeks massacre in which 32 students and professors were murdered. Smith played college ball at Virginia Tech, and was drafted first overall by the Bills in 1985. Others with Virginia Tech connections to take part in the draft are Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick and cornerback, DeAngelo Hall and Virginia Tech head coach, Frank Beamer.
"All of us in Hokie Nation are heartbroken," said Smith, who retired after the 2003 season. "As far as the league asking me to announce the Bills' pick, I consider it to be an honor."
That's all for now, more will come as the draft nears. I am going to be live blogging the NFL Draft tomorrow, which starts at 11 AM.
UPDATE:
According to NFL.com's Adam Schefter, the Lions have settled on who they will pick tomorrow with their 2nd overall pick.
" The Detroit Lions organization met Friday and concluded that, unless a blockbuster trade offer comes their way, they will draft Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson."
He also goes on to say that if the Raiders do select LSU quarterback, JaMarcus Russell with the 1st pick, then they have no choice to go with the best player available. If they do get Johnson and don't trade him, they have a scary trio of wide-outs, Roy Williams, Mike "Furreyous" Furrey and now Calvin Johnson, Jon Kitna will have plenty of targets to throw to. Now if they can just fix their defense and running game.
Also in that article it mentions that a "long-time employee" of the Raiders said that "I'm hearing the Raiders might not take (JaMarcus) Russell." And said that he heard them say that they will be taking Calvin Johnson.
The Kansas City Chiefs are dumb, like really dumb. According to NFL.com's Adam Schefter, the Chiefs are considering moving Pro-Bowl runningback, Larry Johnson. Johnson, who in my opinion, is the second best runningback in the NFL, behind only LaDainian Tomlinson and has rushed for 3,539 yards and 37 touchdowns in the past two seasons.
What would prompt the Chiefs to officially put the 27-year old runningback on the trade block? Well he is on the final year of his contract and with the salary-cap "skyrocketing", Johnson asking price, and rightfully so, would be far more than the Chiefs to bare. But seriously, I mean the guy is amazing, he is a premier power-back with breakaway speed and although he only has 28 starts under his belt, he does have 892 rushes but he has proven that he is plenty capable of still rushing the ball 25+ times each game without tiring. And the back-to-back 1700+ rushing yards isn't too shabby. What i'm basically saying is, he is the type of player that you break the bank for. I'm sure his asking price will far surpass the 8-year $60 million that was granted to the reigning MVP, but Johnson is worth it.
The Chiefs have reportedly contacted many teams about acquiring LJ, including the Cleveland Browns, the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans, the Buffalo Bills and possibly other teams as well. But they have yet to find someone willing to meet their demands and willing to give him a huge contract. One NFL general manager went as far as to say that Johnson was "untradeable-- who will pay that contract demand?" Trust me, if they are serious about parting with Johnson, someone will bite, no doubt about it.
Also, Kansas City is reportedly looking to draft a running back in the first day of the draft, some players at the top of their list are:
1. Marshawn Lynch CAL (I expect him to be gone by #12 but he is a great combo of speed and power and has teams like the Bills and Packers drooling. He could become a hot commodity this weekend, meaning teams trying to trade up once Adrian Peterson is gone[which shouldn't be later than 9])
2. Antonio Pittman OSU (He could be a sleeper this draft, right now he is projected to go in the 2nd round but his value is rising fast. He is a power guy and was the go to guy, yes over the Heisman winner, when Ohio State needed a big play.)
3. Lorenzo Booker FSU (At one time he was the top rated running back coming out of High School but he's hasn't proven he can carry the load and was more of a dual back. He's very fast and is a pretty good receiver out of the backfield ala Brian Westbrook, but not quite is good right now.)
4. Kolby Smith LOU (Kolby Smith was behind star RB, Michael Bush until Bush broke his leg in the first game of the season and he shined with 862 yards and 7 TDs.)
Takeo spikes has been quietly requesting a change of scenior and on Monday night he was granted his wish. The Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to a trade that would send Bills linebacker, Takeo Spikes and quarterback, Kelly Holcomb to the the Eagles in exchange for defensive tackle, Darwin Walker and a 2008 draft pick(believed to be a late round selection).
"This is something that has been brewing," Bills general manager Marv Levy told The Associated Press. "Takeo is a good person, but we wanted to strengthen our defensive tackle. They've been looking for a linebacker and I think they wanted an experienced backup quarterback."
This is a great deal all around, the Bills had a glaring need at defensive tackle and the Eagles desperately needed a playmaking linebacker and the addition of a solid backup quarterback doesn't hurt either. Spikes is expected to replace Dhani Jones as a starter at strong side linebacker.
Late Friday, the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals completed a deal that would send Braves' infielder, Tony Pena Jr. in exchange for for the Royal's pitcher, Erik Cordier. Pena is an excellent defender that over the past few weeks has showed some pop in his bat. He will likely battle the Royal's current shortstop, Angel Berroa for the starting role. Erick Cordier is a hard throwing starter that can top 98 MPH, but has missed a lot of time due to injuries. He missed all of the 2005 season and then needed to have Tommy John surgery in 2006, but when he returns(Probably in 2008, to be safe) he has the potential to be a very good starter.
"With this deal, we acquire a real power arm," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "He's a pitcher who -- before his Tommy John surgery -- was ranked near the top of [the Royals'] prospect list."
From the Braves Journal:
Erik Cordier is a bit more than a miscellaneous live arm; he was the Royals’ second-round pick in 2004 out of a Green Bay high school. However, he’s had a number of injuries, arm and otherwise, which have limited him to 21 career starts. He missed all of 2005 and needed Tommy John surgery during 2006. He won’t be able to throw for awhile. However, when he could throw he allegedly hit 98 on the radar gun, and next season he’ll be all of 22 years old.
According the Palm Beach Post, all that stands in the way of the Miami Dolphins acquiring veteran quarterback, Trent Green, is a restructured contract. If all sides can work out a deal then the former Pro-Bowl QB will be sent to Miami in exchange for a 2007 7th round draft pick. The 36-year old QB was injured in the Chiefs' first game against the Cincinnati Bengals when he collided, head first, with Bengal's defensive end, Robert Geathers. He sat out majority of the season with that severe concussion and in his absence emerged Damon Huard. Huard threw for 1,878 yards, 11 touchdowns and just 1 touchdown. I know, impressive right? That hell of half season earned him the nickname "Meast" given to him by a huge group of followers(ok, just two people and Meast is short for Man/Beast, yeah, sounded much better right before I went into )
Trent Green was less than spectacular in his return, throwing for just 1,342 yards, 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 8 games. The Dolphins want Green for another insurance policy for Daunte Culpepper, who rushed back from his injury(tore ACL, MCL, PCL and all the other "CL's") and was finally benched after 4 miserable games. It is still a suspect on whether Culpepper will be ready to go at the start of the 2007 season, and he should, I mean he's had almost two full years to recover. Green would likely get the starting job if he isn't ready to go over Cleo Lemon who started the Dolphin's final game.
The NFL Network's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to trade quarterback, Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans in exchange for second-round draft pick, and maybe other compensation, most likely money.
"By day's end, the Atlanta Falcons will trade backup quarterback Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans, according to NFL sources. The Texans will surrender a second-round draft pick, and there could be other compensation involved.
The trade has massive ramifications. The Texans have their quarterback of the future, which David Carr no longer is. The Falcons are reaffirming their faith in Michael Vick, who now also needs a new backup. And the Texans are out of the Brady Quinn derby, leaving the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins as possible landing spots."
Not only does this trade prove that the Falcons are indeed loyal to Michael Vick, this trade is surely to shake up the top-10 in the draft yet again. Over the past few weeks, reports that the Texans were heavily scouting Notre Dame's Brady Quinn and they were leaning towards taking him with their 8th overall pick come April. Well Obviously they will no longer have a need for him and will instead turn their focus on upgrading the secondary, runningback or the offensive line. Possibilities on who they will choose are Adrian Peterson, running back out of Oklahoma, Levi Brown, offensive tackle out of Penn State and LaRon Landry, safety out of LSU.
According to ESPN's, John Clayton, the Washington Redskins have agreed to deal safety, Adam Archuleta to the Chicago Bears for a 2007 6th round draft pick. Chicago is a great fit for Archleta primarily because of head coach Lovie Smith, who has coveted Archuleta ever since he took over as the Bears head coach in January 2004.
Lovie Smith was Archuleta's defensive coordinator while in St.Louis and the two have always had a good relationship. The Bears hope that the versatile safety can return to form and be as productive as he once was.
Just moments ago, the Baltimore Ravens acquired runningback, Willis McGahee in exchange for 2007 3rd and 7th round draft picks and 2008 3rd round draft pick. The Bills reportedly traded McGahee over a contract dispute, McGahee wanted an extension before the year started and Buffalo wasn't willing to provide him with that quite yet. McGahee has $2.155 remaining and 1 year left on his current contract and league sources say McGahee and the Ravens have already began discussions on an extension.
McGahee was very public with his trade demand, and it was widely thought that he would be dealt to the New York Giants who had shown keen interest in the former first-round selection. Baltimore was late to the party so-to-speak, they had wanted to try and re-sign Jamal Lewis but he signed with Cleveland last night and without anyone who could shoulder the load on their current roster, Baltimore quickly pulled the trigger before anyone else could make a serious offer.
Buffalo's 1st-round pick out of Miami in 2003, had a down season in which he rushed for a career-low 990 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Daniel Graham is getting paid by the Broncos.
After Daniel Graham left the New England Patriots for more of a starting job and a bigger payday, well he has received both from the Denver Broncos. Late Tuesday night, the Broncos locked up the talented tight end with a 5-year $30 million and that includes $15 million in guaranteed money. Although Graham is very talented and is a good route runner and can be very useful in the redzone he hasn't had the "break-out" season quite yet. I am a fan of Graham and I think he will be great in Denver, because one of the biggest reason for him not having great numbers was the system he was in, in New England they run a two tight end system and sharing time with an unbelievable athlete like Ben Watson it's no wonder why he hasn't quite had his coming out party so to speak.
Minnesota is hoping Bobby Wade can solve their receiving problems.
Bobby Wade has been getting a lot of attention after entering free-agency and the Minnesota Vikings have locked up this young talented receiver before anyone else really got the chance to court him. Wade has agreed to a 5-year $15 million deal and he will likely start with the possibility of having some returning responsibilities. Included into is deal is $4 million in guaranteed money.
The Miami Dolphins and Trent Green are kinda into each other.
According to league sources, ever since the Kansas City Chiefs inked Damon Huard to a 3-year deal Green has been expressing his interest in being traded. And according to those same sources, the Miami Dolphins are extremely interested in acquiring the veteran quarterback. Green in all likely hood would be an insurance option in case Dante Culpepper isn't ready to go. And if he isn't then their is something seriously wrong with him, because that would give him almost two years to recover from his torn ACL, MCL, PCL and any other "CL's" he may have torn while in Minnesota.
The NFL Fanhouse is reporting that the New England Patriots and Donte' Stallworth have agreed to a 6-year $32 million deal that would give the 25-year old wide receiver almost $12 million guaranteed. Although they did update with reports that the deal is premature.
I had mentioned earlier that the Patriots were still desperately searching for the elusive "#1 receiver" and if this deal has legs, they may have just found him. Although Stallworth only played in 12 games last season, he racked up 725 yards on just 38 receptions, 5 touchdowns and an impressive average of 19.1 per catch. Meaning he is a HUGE big play threat and if he can stay healthy he can be an All-Pro wide out and then add Tom Brady in the mix, the Patriots are going to be awfully hard to beat, no matter what Davey says.
The New England Patriots have been very busy during the past week, here's their moves.
Added:
1. Adalius Thomas- Outside Linebacker(BAL)
2. Wes Welker- Wide Receiver(MIA)
3. Sammy Morris- Runningback(MIA)
4. Kyle Brady- Tight End(Jacksonville)
Lossed:
1. Corey Dillion- Runningback
2. Daniel Graham- Tight End
Newly acquired widereceiver, Wes Welker has agreed to a 5-year $18.1 million deal that includes a $9 million signing bonus with New England. Welker was acquired via trade yesterday from the Miami Dolphins for the Patriots 2007 2nd round and 7th round picks.
Welker is a fantastic return man, one of the best in the NFL in fact and last year he emerged as a viable pass catching threat as he caught 67 balls for 687 yards and 1 touchdown. Welker also added 1,064 kick return yards and another 378 on punt returns.
He will add depth to a depleted receiving core in New England that had to rely on guys such as Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell to make their playoff run. Welker isn't the #1 option that the Patriots still seek but he is someone that can stretch the field, provide a deep threat that the Patriots don't currently have and take over returning duties for rookie Laurence Maroney so he can focus on becoming the premiere runningback in New England.
After the Broncos trade Tatum Bell, they sign runningback Travis Henry.
The Denver Broncos are going to try something new this season. Instead of taking a random runningback and turn him into a 1000 yard rusher, they are going to sign a known 1000 yard rusher and see what happens. After they traded starter, Tatum Bell to the Lions, the Broncos had a bit of a hole at RB, a hole that will be filled quite nicely by Henry. The deal is reportedly a 5-year deal that includes $12 million guaranteed.
The New York Jets rape the Bears of their starting runningback.
In a shocking move Monday, the Chicago Bears agreed to trade Thomas Jones and their 2nd round pick(63rd overall) to the Jets in exchange for one of their 2nd round draft picks(37th overall). Jones was frustrated when Cedric Benson started receiving more and more carries as the season went along. That prompted the 1,210 back to request a trade as soon as the offseason started. So just a quick breakdown, the Bears give up a Pro-Bowl like runnningback who still has many years ahead of him just to move up in 26 spots in the 2nd round. I am still not seeing the point of this trade, if you could be so kind, explain it to me. Please?
According to the Boston Globe the Patriots are reportedly very interested in acquiring the services of Seattle wide receiver, Darrell Jackson. Last year, the Patriots sent disgruntled wide receiver, Deon Branch to the Seahawks in exchange for Seattle's 2007 first round draft pick.
Despite missing the final three games of the season last year, Darrell Jackson still made 63 catches for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns. Just for a little comparison, the leading receiver for the Patriots last season was Reche Caldwell, who had 61 receptions for 760 yards and 4 touchdowns. Jackson would be a huge upgrade over the pass catchers that are currently in Boston right now. New England went the entire season without a #1 receiver and still made it to the AFC Championship game, which they lost for among other reasons because their WR kept dropping balls. With possibly adding Darrell Jackson and them already signing Adalius Thomas this offseason and not to mention their two 1st round picks in this year's NFL Draft the Patriots are going to be looking might difficult to beat next year.
Dallas adds size and strength to their offensive line.
The Dallas Cowboys and offensive lineman Leonard Davis agreed to a deal worth $50 million over the next 7-years and would give Davis $18 million guaranteed. The offensive line was one of the Cowboy's biggest problem area coming into the offseason and adding the former #2 overall pick in 2001 will surely help keep Tony Romo on his feet. It still isn't known which position Davis will be playing in 2007, but whether it be a tackle or a guard. The Cowboys are currently working hard on trying to lock up Marc Colombo long term and if they do do that it is very likely that Davis will play right tackle.
Hey, I got another one right; Lions sign defensive end, Dwayne White.
Just a day after shipping DE James Hall to the St.Louis Rams for a 5th round pick, the Detroit lines signed one of the top defensive ends on the free-agent market. Although White has just 14 career sacks in his short career, he is expected by man to make a huge jump this season in his production and possibly even rack up double-digits in sacks this year. The deal is reportedly a 5-year $29 million. Dwayne White will definitely add some talent to a stale defensive line in Motown.
Travis Henry has become more popular in the past two days than my entire existence.
Recently released Travis Henry has been getting a lot of interest from many different teams over the past two days. Some teams that have contacted the resurgent runningback are the New York Jets, the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos. After having back-to-back disappointing seasons, Henry stormed back onto the scene with the Titans gaining 1200 yards and 7 touchdowns. All four of the teams interested in Henry have significant need at runningback, Green Bay released Ahman Green, Tiki Barber retired leaving the Giants searching for a replacement, Denver traded Tatum Bell and the Jets went with a RB by committee last year and it didn't really work out to say the least.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Denver Broncos have agreed to a deal that would send veteran quarterback, Jake Plummer to the Bucs for a 4th round pick in this years draft. The Buccaneers have been looking for someone that could back-up Chris Simms and if he isn't ready to go, start in his place.
After Mike Shanahan benched Plummer in favor of rookie Jay Cutler last season it has been reported that Plummer has been looking to be traded or released so he could have the opportunity to start else where. Look for the Bronco's to look to sign Jeff Garcia to back up Cutler now.
Bonus Pic time:
Update: The "stache" (NFL version) may not be heading to Florida after all, the trade between the Broncos and Buccaneers is currently on hold after Jake Plummer said " I may just retire". He also said he didn't want to move to a different city.
