Matt Cassel

News, Notes and Rumors

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By Bill Smith

News:

Five US Senators have introduced legislation to eliminate NFL Blackouts.

The NFL has announced that they will play 13 Thursday night games next season.  The games will continue after the traditional Thursday night league kickoff and run through week 15.

The league also announced that every NFL team will get at least 1 prime time game.

The Eagles announced they will plan to put the franchise tag on WR DeSean Jackson.  They will try to work out a trade.  That would mean if he signs the tender he would get around 9.5 million dollars for 2012.  He has said he would accept the tender but the tag cannot be placed until Feb. 26th.  The Eagles would get two first round picks from any team that signed him as a tagged player.  The Eagles will try to trade him this offseason for a first and another player.

The Jags have named Mark Lamping as their team president.  He will oversee all non-football operations.

 

Notes:

Agent Tom Condon has said “Peyton’s not done.”  Peyton Manning has been medically cleared to play by his doctors in 2012.   However, he has not been cleared by the team.  … Read more at FryingPanSports

A different view of Stanford QB Luck’s decision and the “Cutlering” of Miami coach Spirano.

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There has been a lot of talk about why Andrew Luck and his golden arm will stay at Stanford for another year when every NFL draft analyst agrees he would be the #1 selection in the 2011 draft.

Some believe that he just really likes the college life style.

Some think he wants to work a little more on his game. He is a redshirt sophomore and has 2 more years of eligibility. He has only started 2 years for the Cardinals.

I have no idea why he decided to stay but it raises a HUGE red flag to me.

I have serious doubts about how important his NFL career is to Luck. If I was the owner of the Carolina Panthers, I would not want to spend 50 million dollars on a guy that may or may not be committed to the game and the team. Payton Manning went back for a final year at Tennessee but it was clear that his goal was to beat the Gators for once in his career.

This will be the last draft in which the first pick will get 50+ million dollars guaranteed. As soon as there is a new Collective Bargaining … Read more at FryingPanSports

Tuesday Morning QB Analysis: Key issues of Week 3 PS

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NFL

Why hasn’t QB Vince Young developed in Tennessee?

Young’s biggest problem is that he hasn’t developed the vision and anticipation for both his receivers and the coverage. Part of that is because he played in the spread at Texas. There he had wide open receivers running all over the field. He has to spend more time in the film room and understand that the NFL definition of “open” is about 1/8th the separation of the college version of the the same thing.

On the pick that Browns LB Hall ran in for the TD, Young never saw Hall. That is a perfect example of his lack of vision and recognition of coverage. On the next drive 5 plays 80 yards, the biggest single play was Young’s scramble. He can make plays with his feet. That will win some games in the regular season but not AFC South titles or Super Bowls. And those are the things that the Titans want most of all. The Titans need a passing QB that can run rather than a runner that passes a little.

This explains why Young has double the number of INTs than TDs. As you get closer to the endzone, … Read more at FryingPanSports

The Chiefs' Plan in 09—Build around their Cassel

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Kansas City GM Scott Pioli has bet a lot on QB Matt Cassel but didn’t give up an arm and a leg to acquire him. Even though Cassel never started at USC and had one good year behind a group of pro bowl players, Pioli had very little to lose. The Chiefs needed a QB and Cassel’s question marks are far fewer than any rookie he could have gotten in the second round.

Cassel is a slightly above average QB in the Pat style O that KC will implement. However, he needs to be more accurate in the red zone to help the pathetic O of the 08 Chiefs claw its way to the middle of the pack. He will need an improved running game and a lot more protection from the line to make the Chiefs competitive.

The success of the running game depends on RB Larry Johnson staying healthy and focused all year. He is still capable of pro bowl level play but injuries and demands for a new contract or a trade have prevented him from showing it over the last two seasons. There is nothing behind him comes close to quality depth.

Cassel will miss the … Read more at FryingPanSports

Bronco Owner Bowlen shoots his team in the leg.

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Fryingpan Sports

Bronco Owner Bowlen shoots his team in the leg.

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By Bill Smith

Thanks to Plaxico Burress, there is new term around the NFL. “Burress” – A verb describing shooting yourself in the leg. Yesterday, Bronco owner Pat Bowlen Burressed his own team—he announced that his was being forced to trade their starting quarterback because he clearly refuses to play for the Broncos. WHAT?

This is just one more stupid move by the Broncos in a Circus de Stupid off season that makes the Dallas Cowboys look organized.

First, as I said in my column The media has missed the point of the Cutler vs. McDaniels spitting contest Bowlen blew it firing Mike Shanahan and blew it again in hiring the 32 year old Josh McDaniels.

But what was Bowlen thinking when he authorized his newbie coach to dangle a relatively proven Jay Cutler in a deal to get the unproven Matt Cassel? Perhaps the real question is was Bowlen thinking at all? Personally I wouldn’t trade Cutler for Cassel and a first round draft choice.

Cassel has had one good year with one of the best defenses in the league and outstanding receivers like Randy Moss and Wes … Read more at FryingPanSports

The media has missed the point of the Cutler vs. McDaniels spitting contest.

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Fryingpan Sports

The media has missed the point of the Cutler vs. McDaniels spitting contest.

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By Bill Smith

As usual, the media have totally missed the most important fact in the QB Jay Cutler vs. new Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. The antique media call Cutler a cry baby. Others say that McDaniels has all the power because Bronco team owner Pat Bowlen backs his new guy. That is not the key story here. The key story is that Bowlen blew it when he fired Mike Shanahan and blew it again in hiring the 32 year old McDaniels. McDaniels is not mature enough to be a head coach in the NFL. It was a bad hire and this is only the first screwup for which McD will be responsible.

To go back to the beginning, McDaniels and GM Brian Xanders committed an unforgivable sin—trying to trade a somewhat proven young franchise QB for another somewhat proven older QB Matt Cassel. McD thought that word of the failed deal would never get out. How stupid was that? In this era of 24 hour sports channels, there is no way on earth or any alternative universe that someone wouldn’t blab. Even when … Read more at FryingPanSports