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Hi Folks,
Welcome to Sunday, hope you're having a great weekend. We're rolling along here with the news and notes you need so let's get to it.
J
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said RB Maurice Jones-Drew is not doing himself any favors by skipping organized team activities, especially with a new offense in place. 'It's not helping him by not being here, he'll have a lot of learning to catch up on,' Bratkowski said. 'But yet, he's a gifted and talented player and I'm sure he can get caught up. It's certainly not helping him. Whether it's hurting him or not, that remains to be seen.'
Footballguys' view: This boycott of offseason workouts is due to the fact that Jones-Drew is unhappy with his current contract. Full playbooks are not handed out until training camp, but the veteran back will have a little catching up to do when he gets back to the team facility.
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said he isn't taking any of franchise free-agent QB Drew Brees' recent complaints about the slow pace of contract negotiations personally; however, Loomis added a new deal must benefit both sides. 'I feel for him. I feel with him. He wants to be here right now. I want him to be here right now and we'll work hard to get that accomplished,' Loomis said. 'It's important to Drew, but it's important to our team. The magnitude of this contract is going to impact our team for a long period of time, so we've got to get it right. It's got to be right for Drew, but it's got to be right for our team as well.'
Footballguys' view: This contract situation seems dire at this time, but we feel they will eventually reach a mutually advantageous agreement. As of now the two sides have made no progress in talks, but that could change as the July 16th deadline to sign Franchise Players to long-term extensions gets closer.
New England Patriots WR Wes Welker said it was a bad choice of words to say negotiations had gotten worse, as well as tweeting he was taking a leap of faith.
Footballguys' view: Welker plans to be at OTAs which start Monday, May 21st. His comments certainly didn't sit well with the franchise and we're unlikely to hear much from his camp regarding negotiations from here on out.
San Diego Chargers RB Edwin Baker is expected to see some playing time as a third-down back this season.
Footballguys' view: Baker has a low center of gravity and runs with good balance and lateral quickness. He's not proven as a receiver out of the backfield with only 15 career receptions from his college days at Michigan State.
The San Diego Chargers likely will sign a veteran free-agent running back this offseason to add depth at the position but are willing to wait until players are willing to accept the veteran minimum.
Footballguys' view: The Chargers could look for help from veterans like Cadillac Williams or Jackie Battle, but are in no hurry to add another back.
Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall said he believes the team can make it to the Super Bowl this season and win the championship.
Footballguys' view: Marshall is excited to be reunited with QB Jay Cutler. During their time together in Denver the two combined for 206 receptions from 2007-2008. Marshall averaged about 175 targets each of those years and could be in line for a similar number this year.
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was not on some teams' draft board because he measured only 5-foot-10 5/8 at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Footballguys' view: Short QBs are always compared to Drew Brees, but rarely do they work out in the pros. Wilson could be the exception. He's smart, has a strong arm, is very mobile, and he's got good downfield accuracy. Wilson will be competing with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson for the Seahawks starting job.
The New England Patriots likely will not sign free-agent TE Dallas Clark (Colts) after meeting with him earlier this week.
Footballguys' view: The Patriots were doing their due diligence with the veteran TE and could consider signing Clark if one of their Tight Ends get injured in training camp.
Mary Kay Cabot, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, believes second-year WR Greg Little has the chance to become a Pro Bowler in 2012 if rookie QB Brandon Weeden wins the starting job. Little had 61 receptions for 709 yards last year as a rookie.
Footballguys' view: Little dropped too many passes as a rookie and wasn't the threat after the catch that he was in college. Weeden can throw into tight windows, but isn't known to throw his WRs open. We like Little's skill set but he has a lot of work to do before he's named to any Pro Bowl team.
John Glennon, from the Tennessean, reports Titans WR Nate Washington envisions a "pretty explosive offense" in 2012. "We're excited," Washington said. "Coach Palmer has been in the lab all offseason. He's been licking his chops to get back to us so you can tell on his face that he has some different things up his sleeve."
Footballguys' view: The Titans added another explosive weapon to the passing game when they selected WR Kendall Wright (Baylor) with the 20th overall pick. Wright can get on top of the defense in a hurry and has good downfield ball tracking ability. He is also elusive in the open field and very dangerous after the catch.
Bill Williamson, from ESPN.com, reports San Diego Chargers FB Le'Ron McClain gives the team options because of his versatility. Chargers head coach Norv Turner recently said in a radio interview "He's a good runner, he's got good catching skills and I think he'll be a big addition."
Footballguys' view: The Chargers lost Mike Tolbert in free agency to the Panthers and need a complementary ball carrier behind Ryan Mathews. McClain is proven as a runner, but hasn't received significant carries since the 2008 season when he was with the Ravens. That year he had 232 carries for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said during a radio interview that WR Michael Crabtree has the best hands he has ever seen. 'Crab's got the best hands I've ever seen on a wide receiver,' Harbaugh said.
Footballguys' view: Crabtree has the physical ability to be a big impact WR in this league, but has not yet played up to his potential. Concentration seemed to be a problem for him early on last year. We'll see if a full offseason of work at the team facility will help Crabtree be more consistent in 2012.
New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said the team has not been approached by HBO to take part in the 'Hard Knocks' reality series. 'It has not been offered to us, so right now we're on the sidelines, and we don't know who's going to be asked at the end of the day,' Tannenbaum said. 'But what I can say ... is NFL Films, HBO Sports - they all did a great job. It was a great experience for us, it was good for our organization. I think those organizations are real pros and it was a good experience for us.'
Footballguys' view: Hard Knocks would have a sure fire hit if they featured the Jets again. Between Antonio Cromartie's antics and the Tim Tebow circus it would be must see TV.
Free-agent WR Terrell Owens (Bengals) said during a radio interview that he wants to play for the San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders. The Raiders in particular, according to Owens, would be a good fit. 'There's really only one team left in the Bay Area who I haven't played for that really at this point in time is a viable option and that's the Oakland Raiders,' Owens said. 'Given the opportunity if that's on their radar for me to come in and help them win some ball games and ultimately help them try to win a championship then I'll take that challenge on. I definitely feel I have a lot of football left in me. I think Carson knows that.'
Footballguys' view: The Raiders already have a jam packed WR corps with emerging young talents like Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore, and rookie Juron Criner. The 49ers don't have room for Owens either after adding Randy Moss and Mario Manningham through free agency, and drafting A.J. Jenkins in the first-round of the draft.
Cleveland Browns DT Billy Winn could start at defensive tackle this season while DT Phil Taylor (pectoral) is out of the lineup.
Footballguys' view: Winn is position versatile and can play both Defensive End and Defensive Tackle. He gets too upright against the run and can be pushed out of the play. The Browns rush defense was already poor, but will really suffer without Taylor in the lineup.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great rest of your weekend and thanks for reading. We'll see you tomorrow with the update.
Peace,
J