by Joe Tailgate on July 8, 2009
in NFL News
- Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez will catch his share of passes in the Falcons offense this season. However, with the offense built around RB Michael Turner, Gonzalez will be relied upon to be a productive blocking tight end. “Tony will help our offense in a number of ways,” offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said. “One thing he’s going to do is that he’s a productive blocker and that’s important in our offense … As successful as he’s been as a receiver, he’s a good blocker too and he really doesn’t get the credit that he should.”
- Falcons WR Roddy White will be looking to become the second player in team history to post three straight 1,000-yard seasons, joining Andre Rison (1992 to 1994) in the exclusive club. There’s that small matter of White’s contract extension that could get in the way. White’s camp had to like the three-year, $27 million extension that Greg Jennings signed with Green Bay recently).
- Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said he would like to see second-year RB Matt Forte improve on his yards per carry and yards per catch. Spencer believes both will improve for Forte this season. Spencer said he is not concerned about a sophomore slump. “He’s going to do well,” Spencer added. “We have some new players and we’ve improved on our offensive line. I see no reason why Matt shouldn’t improve this season.”
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defended Tony Romo from criticism by Troy Aikman, who said that because success has come so quickly for the undrafted Eastern Illinois product that Romo “hasn’t fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about.” “I’ve always been so amused about any talk of Tony and his focus on football and his work ethic,” Jones says. “Tony’s boring. He won’t talk about anything but football and the Cowboys and how to move the ball and what plays we should run. “I don’t know (that) I’ve been around anybody who’s just that into football. I wish he would talk more about spicy things, but I can’t get him to.”
- Browns RB Jamal Lewis should have plenty of opportunities to carry the ball within the team’s new offense. Head coach Eric Mangini wants to control the clock with a power running game, which would seem to suit Lewis. Last year Lewis had 279 carries for 1,002 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
- Browns QB Brady Quinn holds a slight lead over QB Derek Anderson (calf) in the competition for the team’s starting quarterback job. Quinn had a decent, albeit not spectacular, minicamp, while Anderson struggled most of the way through before missing the final two practices with a calf injury. The coaching staff, however, will not make any premature decisions and they will wait until both quarterbacks perform in preseason games, so it is still very much an open competition.
by Joe Tailgate on July 2, 2009
in NFL News
- The New York Giants may have lost a pair of veteran wide receivers, but the team believes quarterback Eli Manning will be able to make up the different with experience, the New York Post reported. “We’re going to put more of the onus on him,” Giants GM Jerry Reese said. And how did Manning respond? “I think you got a quarterback going into his sixth year and . . . some young receivers,” Manning told The Post Tuesday. “It’s my job to make sure those guys are on the same page and my job to be a leader and take control of the offense and the passing game. “As a quarterback you’re always going to be a leader, but now I’m one of the older guys on the offense.”
- Free agent RB Edgerrin James‘ agent, Drew Rosenhaus posted on his Twitter page that James has been training hard and as a result is in great shape. “I can tell you that Edgerrin James is in great playing shape. He weighs 216lbs and is training hard. He is excited about this season!”
- The Redskins drafted Kevin Barnes in the third round out of Maryland to compete with Fred Smoot at nickel corner, and the local product was impressive during OTAs, snagging several interceptions and winning the defense’s competition on the final day of the practices with four picks. Barnes projects confidence and immediately declared he was ready to compete with anybody on the roster, and his size may help him match up against some bigger wide receivers in the NFC East. But Barnes is coming off of an injury, and he’ll have to prove himself in the preseason.
- Texans Wide receiver Kevin Walter put together a career season in 2008, finishing with 60 catches for 899 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a fantasy football goldmine. This season, he plans to boost those stats by increasing his yards after the catch. “Each year I have improved. Last year, I worked on my yards after the catch and I think I continue to do a better job with that. This year, I really want to work on my stiff arm and other moves that get you a few more yards after the catch. Once you get the ball in your hands, you have to do something special with it. Obviously, protecting the ball is the most important thing; turnovers can change the momentum of a game. But I do want to improve my yards after the catch.”
- In the weeks following the Falcons trade for 10-time Pro Bowler Tony Gonzalez few details emerged on how he’ll integrate into the team’s offense. He’ll catch passes, but the Falcons built the offense around Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner. ”Tony will help our offense in a number of ways,” Mularkey said at the close of June organized team activities. “One thing he’s going to do is that he’s a productive blocker and that’s important in our offense… As successful as he’s been as a receiver, he’s a good blocker too and he really doesn’t get the credit that he should.” At 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, Gonzalez has size to push people around but his ability to shake defenders and soft hands made him the most prolific pass catcher at his position. “If you double team somebody, someone’s going to get open,” Gonzalez said. “If it’s one-on-one, we have to get open. Do I think I’ll catch 100 balls? I don’t have to. This is something we’re all going to work together on. I’ve been fortunate to have such a good career. It’s not about breaking records and all that stuff. It’s about going out there and moving those chains… I’m going to help those guys. I feel like I’ve got some stuff they can learn and I’m going to learn from them. I don’t mind putting in the work, I never have, and hopefully they feel the same way I do.”
Tight end Tony Gonzalez made a strong first impression with the Falcons, arriving in town quickly to begin the process of developing chemistry with quarterback Matt Ryan. ”Any time that you get a new toy,” the former Boston College quarterback said, “you want to try it out.”
Chicago Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo has essentially ruled out pursuing veteran wide receiver Plaxico Burress, reiterating that the Bears are not likely to go after the former New York Giants starter. Burress’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, recently said that two NFL teams are seriously interested in signing Burress. “Are we one of those two teams?” Angelo told the Chicago Tribune. “No.”
The Rams don’t want him either.
Saints running back Reggie Bush says that he’s ready to take a leadership role with the club.
Browns NT Shaun Rogers finally put away his crying towel.
Chiefs DE/DT Glenn Dorsey participated only in individual drills at practice because of what he called a shin injury. “I’m taking it day by day,” said Dorsey, the Chiefs’ top draft pick last year. “I’m going to try to pick it up a little more every day. It’s just sore. It’s nothing major. I don’t want to take chances with it, set myself back for the season. I’ll be doing the whole practice in no time.”
The NFL Network is furious with Jon Gruden for jilting the network after he’d verbally agreed to a deal to work there. The former Bucs coach had been very good on the NFL Network, colorful and opinionated, at the NFL scouting combine and the NFL draft, and the network had finalized everything but the signature on the paper for Gruden to begin working there immediately.
Comcast and the National Football League on Tuesday ended nearly three years of vituperative hostilities with a deal that will make the NFL Network available to 10 million of the cable operator’s subscribers at a significantly lower price than the league has long demanded.
Dolphins Running back Ricky Williams said he would like to play this season and in 2010 and then call it a career.
