NFL > From The Jets To The Steelers, Jerricho Cotchery Says It Was Time To Move On

~ Jerricho Cotchery didn’t see himself fitting into the long-term plans of the New York Jets anymore. He didn’t even see himself fitting into their short-term plans. That’s when Cotchery decided it was time to move on. The Jets former wide receiver signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to find success away from Gang Green.

 “It was time for a change, time for a change of scenery for myself and the organization as well,” Cotchery told the Pittsburgh media. “It was time to move on. Future-wise, I didn’t really see myself fitting in …

 “People on the outside looking in might say, ‘Well, you been there that long, you’re part of the future,’ but I didn’t really see it that way. I think it would have been beneficial for both sides to move on.”

 Cotchery was expected to be apart of the wide receiver group that the Jets would put on the field in 2011. However he now becomes the 3rd Jets receiver to move on to another team. Free Agent Brad Smith signed with Buffalo and the Jets basically let Free Agent Braylon Edwards end up in San Francisco without so much of a thank you card for his tenure.

 The Jets went out and signed Plaxico Burress, then they signed Derrick Mason and all of a sudden Cotchery was in a familiar position that he was hoping to break away from, the number 3 or number 4 receiver on the team.

 Cotchery has not really had the chance to prove he is a top receiver or even a really good number 2 over a long peroid of time. He’s also coming off back surgery. He’s had breakout years in 2006 and 2007, however his numbers since were on a decline and that reflects the changes the Jets have made on offense during that time.

 The back surgery took away any leaverage Cotchery may have had as a free agent and he ends up in Pittsburgh as the 3rd receiver behind Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. Right now it’s hard to envision anything more from him than being a good possession receiver who can move the chains.

 Cotchery is going to have to come up big if he wants to get a piece of the spotlight he feels had no room for him in New York.

NFL > Former NY Jet Shaun Ellis Signs w/ New England

~ The border wars over the years between the Patriots and Jets have produced some pretty good headlines The border wars may not have the steam they had in previous years, however the rivalry between the two teams is as strong as ever. Long-time New York Jet Shaun Ellis knows about the border wars and that’s what makes him signing with New England all the more interesting.

According to reports, Ellis and the Patriots agreed to a one-year deal that left Jets head coach Rex Ryan to respond in typical Rex Ryan fashion …

“The fact that he chose them … there’s no way I’m going to wish him well. There’s no chance of that.” … Rex Ryan

Ryan wasn’t completely serious about that, he did wish Ellis to have a healthy season. However, the Jets-Patriots has no love-lost to it at all. Once you crossover to the other side, you’re offically the enemy.

 The Jets are going to miss what Ellis brought to the table on defense. He was well respected on the team. Ellis is 34 years old and the Jets recently drafted Muhammad Wilkerson as his potential replacement. Wilkerson is reportedly having a pretty good camp and is expected to be the starter at defensive end.

 The Patriots were thin at the defensive end position and Ellis could be a great short-term fit for them.

NFL > Randy Moss Decides To Retire From The NFL

~ Plaxico Burress is now a New York Jet. Chad Ochocinco is now a New England Patriot. Randy Moss is now … retired. Randy Moss has apparently decided that he’s ready to move on. Moss is a 7-time pro bowler and is known for his controversy as much as he is for being one of the great receivers to play the game. Moss is now ready to call it quits and retire after reportedly receiving an array of underwheling offers from teams. If the 34-year old actually goes through with it remains to be seen.

The Jets Big-Time Investing While Looking For The Ultimate Return

~ The wild NFL free agency bonanza of 2011 has produced plenty of winners and losers so far. It’s been unpredictable at times trying to figure out which teams are coming out ahead with their new investments or not showing enough at the table to put their bids in. The Jets as expected have been active investors and it’s been in their usual controversial way.

NFL > Nnamdi Asomugha Ends Speculation & Signs w/ Eagles

~ The Philadelphia Eagles were already an early favorite to win their division and now they have pulled off the stunner of the free- agency signing season. In a move that no one appeared to really see coming, the Eagles have signed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha to a reported 5-year deal for $60 million with $25 million guranteed. Asomugha was the top free agent on the market and it’s the Eagles who land him.

 The Asomugha situation has been compelling to watch play out on ESPN and throughout other sports outlets. No one could seem to figure out where the former Oakland Raiders cornerback was headed. Slowly yet surely, the dominoes began to fall.

 Houston dropped out of the race, and then the New York Jets became the favorites with Dallas getting into the mix. The thought of pairing a lockdown cornerback like Ashomugha with fellow all-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis was a scary image for everyone in the league and could have been the missing piece for the Jets. The Jets went as far as to restructure the contracts of some of their biggest names on the roster in order to help grab Asomugha. The Eagles apparently knew better and were doing their homework.

 Philadelphia now adds on to an already impressive team. They went into the off-season knowing they had to make some moves with their defense. They recently traded quarterback Kevin Kolb away to Arizona and were able to get back great value in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at cornerback.

 Logically no one would expect the Eagles to be in the hunt for Asomugha and the Jets appeared to be a lock to get him until it became obvious there was a holdup in the deal. It’s easy to speculate on what was behind Asomugha’s reasoning for picking the Eagles. What is clear right now is that with Rodgers-Cromartie on one side of the field and Asomugha on the other, the Eagles will be a headache for NFC east teams like Eli Manning and the Giants to gameplan for.

 ESPN’s Adam Schefter has done a great job of covering every move throughout the Asomugha chase and did say that he had a feeling a mystery team perhaps could be making a power move to land Asomugha. It turns out that the Eagles were that mystery team flying under the radar.

NFL News & Notes: Free Agent Moves, Trades & Head Scratchers

~ The NFL is not only in full swing now that the lockout has come to an end it is on full tilt and it’s the fast and furious. Moves, moves, and more moves have dominated the headlines as teams are scrambling to fit all of their needs into the new salary cap that is one of the results of the lockout.

 It’s an exciting time right now to be a free agent in the league and it’s an even more exciting time for the fans to see what moves their respective teams are willing to make to get the best possible chance to win.  It’s impossible to breakdown every move that has been made recently and there are still more moves to be made. However here are some notable moves that have been the talk of the town so far with the league where they pay to play …

The Potential Impact Of The New NFL Salary Cap

~ As the NFL gets closer and closer to the end of the lockout, teams are getting closer to the madness that will come once free agency starts. How the teams pick and choose through their list of free agents will be largely impacted by how much flexibility they’ll have with the 2011 salary cap of $120 million. There are quite a few teams who are presently over the cap or not too far under it. This means only one thing, there is going to be quite a few big name cap casualties.

According to John Clayton of ESPN, quite a few high profile names are going to be up for discussion when it’s time for teams to decide who stays and who leaves.

The New Orleans Saints are actually $11.7 million under the cap. They also have a high profile running back on their team named Reggie Bush who is scheduled to make $11.8 million this year. Bush might be saying all the right things lately to help assure himself of staying in New Orleans however he could very well be on his way out the door.

A change of scenery might actually do Bush some good. The Saints drafted him with high expectations after his electrifying college career at USC. That was six years ago though and the old saying goes that the real definition of the NFL is NOT FOR LONG.

 Bush has shown flashes of what he can do and he’s also been injury prone. The Saints went out and drafted running back Mark Ingram and that was an early sign that they maybe ready to withdraw from their investment in Bush.

 Bush is only 26 years old and quite a few teams could be in a position to add him and for the money that he may no longer be able to get in New Orleans.

 Bush should strongly consider moving on to another team. In this league with the way the salary cap is now going to be structured, players like Bush are going to have to maximize the best out of their long term contracts. He may only have one more left to get and it’s looking like it wont be in New Orleans.

 Where quarterback Vince Young ends up could depend on if he has matured any during his time away from the field. He couldn’t get on the same page with his former coach Jeff Fisher and that led to the  his placement on the potential cap casulaty list.

 If Young’s tenure with the Tennessee Titans is over (and all signs point to that being the case), it could clear up close to $12.8 million in cap room for the team. The Titans are currently $10.3 million under the cap.

 Young is in the same boat as Bush, he’s still young and came into the league with a lot of hype based off a succesful college career. He just has not been able to turn that hype into professional success yet. Young has shown flashes, now it’s time for him to show consistency.

 Just like in the case of Bush, there might not be room for another long term contract with the only pro team he’s played for. He’ll most likely have to do this with another team.

 

 There are some other interesting storylines to watch for that will result from teams who are already over the cap.

 The New York Jets have made the AFC championship game two seasons in a row. They’ve done well to surround their young quarterback Mark Sanchez with the right amount of pieces on offense. Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Brad Smith played large roles in their passing attack and on special teams and all three of them are up for new contracts. That’s a problem for a team that is $1.2 million over the cap and also have other roster signings to make.

 Most likely one of those three are going to be making big plays for another team. Edwards and Holmes are going to want to test the market to see if they can land a big money offer from another team. Smith’s stock is rising because of his versatile skills set.

 With the season just around the corner from starting, the Jets will have to move quickly and move smart. Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress are looming as potential free agent targets who could replace either Edwards or Holmes at an affordable price.

 The team that shares the same stadium with the Jets are also going to be in a race to get under the cap. The New York Giants are $11.3 million over the cap and still have to decide what to do with their running back free agent to be Ahmad Bradshaw.

 Bradshaw is reportedly getting interest from the Miami Dolphins which also happens to be where his agent is based and where he’s been training. How quickly the Giants can execute their plans to get under the cap could impact what happens with Bradshaw.

 I couldn’t help notice the Tampa Bay Bucs when looking at the list of teams that are under the salary cap. Being under the cap by a good amount could lead to an exciting time for a team’s fanbase. The Bucs are $59.2 million UNDER the cap. The Bucs should be big time players in free agency once the lockout concludes.

Media: Chad Pennington To Take 2011 Off & Work For FOX Sports

~  FOX Sports continues to upgrade their product in the play by play booth with NFL quarterback Chad Pennington recently letting it be known he will be working with the network for the upcoming season.

 Pennington has specialized in the art of the comeback throughout his NFL career as a quarterback with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. It just hasn’t been the kind of comebacks he may want to be remembered for when he looks back on his playing days.

He’s had four shoulder injuries suffered during his 11-year NFL career and is currently rehabbing from a ACL injury he suffered in a pickup basketball game. That’s definitely more than enough to make anyone re-evaluate if they want to continue a professional football career at 35 years old.

 Because of Pennington’s latest shoulder injury along with the ACL injury, he wasn’t expecting to play football in 2011 and he’s not exactly ready to retire either. It’s a good time for Pennington to explore a possible new career that he has the potential to excel at.

 “I’m actually going to take this year off, get healthy and do some work for Fox Sports,I’m going to evaluate things and see where I am physically.”

Throughout his playing career, Pennington has always been an insightful and interesting interview. He’s passionate about the game and is very articulate. This could be the beginning of something so good for him, he may just decide to close the door on his playing career.

NFL > Plaxico Burress Leaves Prison & Begins A 2nd Chance

~ After spending nearly 2 years in prison on a gun charge, Plaxico Burress is a free man. The former New York Giant and Super Bowl MVP was recently released 3 months early for good behavior. The speculation will now begin as for where Burress will go to resume his NFL career. More importantly though, Burress gets a second chance at life with his family.

Burress pleaded guilty in August 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to two years in prison. He’s come a long way since that night in a NYC nightclub when he  had a concealed handgun in the waistband of his pants. The weapon slipped down and discharged when he grabbed for it, injuring himself. The life as Burress had knew it, changed from that point on.

He has now paid his debt to society and gets to resume his career. There will definitely be a market available to him as soon as the NFL ends it’s Lockout status.

 He’ll be 34 years old when (and if) the season starts. The market for wide receivers this year is an interesting one. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are available and now Burress is thrown into the mix. He says he has kept in shape while incarcerated and of course he’ll need to get in NFL game shape as well.

The buzz is strong that the Eagles are the front runners to land Burress. That would make for a very dangerous passing attack for Michael Vick. DeSean Jackson on 1 side and Burress on the other. The Giants appear to be moving away from any interest in bringing Burress back even though Eli Manning could still use that big target that helped him so much in their Super Bowl Run.

The two teams that I think will make strong pushes for Burress are the Jets and the Rams. They are also the most logical in my opinion.

The Jets are a big market team, Burress may still want to play in the New York area. The Jets are also a team that isn’t afraid to make a controversial free agent signing. They have questions to address at the wide receiver position. Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes are both up for new contracts. 

The Rams could be a good fit for Burress. St. Louis isn’t New York City, and maybe that’s what he needs at this point in his life. The Rams have a young quarterback on the rise in Sam Bradford. They need to get Bradford a big name wide receiver to throw the ball to. The head coach of the team would be someone Burress knows pretty well, Steve Spagnuolo. (Defensive Coordinator of the Giants 2008 Super Bowl Team)

Burress now returns home to his wife, his son, and a daughter that was born while he was in jail. He has to do right by them and should be thankful that he has this second chance.

AFC & NFC Championship Games Are Set

 

~ The road to the Super Bowl is narrowed down to four teams as the AFC and NFC Championship games are now set. The Green Bay Packers will head into Chicago to face the Bears for the right to represent the NFC. The New York Jets will look to continue what has been one of the great post season runs  in recent history as they head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers for the right to represent the AFC.  Seeding has played a very small factor this season as 2 of the 4 #6 seeded teams (Jets & Packers) are now 1 game away from the big game in Dallas.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t Tom Brady or Peyton Manning when it comes to flash or style on the football field. I give the guy respect though because he just goes out and gets it done and sometimes it’s not pretty. In the Steelers playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger led his team back from a 21-7 Ravens lead with that blue collar-like approach that represents his style of play. It’s been a long and tough season for the Steelers’ quarterback. He was suspended the first four games of the season following sexual assault allegations that weren’t prosecuted. His image was badly damaged from it, however he has come back to help lead Pittsburgh to 12 wins this season and securing a 1st round bye in the playoffs and now his team is 1 game away from a Super Bowl berth. In a season where so much of the focus has been on Michael Vick and his performance on the field for the Eagles, Roethlisberger’s story has been mostly under the radar. It’s been that way for him since he was drafted actually. The talk of the draft that year was Eli Manning, then the draft day trade of Manning for Phillip Rivers. Somewhere within all of that the Steelers drafted Roethlisberger and he’s proven to be a winner with 2 Super Bowl rings as proof. The win over Baltimore was Roethlisberger’s 7th straight over them and for the Ravens this one had to hurt the most. Costly turnovers dropped passes and not enough big plays when it mattered most took the Ravens out of this game in the second half.

How about those Jets?  2 years for Rex Ryan as head coach and 2 years in the AFC championship game, not bad at all. If you would have told me a couple of weeks ago that the Jets were going to beat Peyton Manning and the Colts then Tom Brady and the Patriots, both on the road … I would have just sat there in front of you with a Bill Bellichick facial expression. Well, the Jets did just that and are now 1 game away from the Super Bowl. People can say what they want about the Jets back dooring into the playoffs this season or being a 6th seeded team. Do they talk a lot? Yes … they talked so much heading into New England, it would have been a major setback had they came out of there without a win. I give credit to Rex Ryan for what he’s done as Head Coach the last 2 weeks for the Jets. Ryan put the spotlight on him,  he told the media that the Colts game was “personal”. Ryan then tells the media the Patriots game is “Rex Ryan vs. Bill Bellichick”. It was a bold strategy that took the spotlight off the team and allowed them to go out and just play. As much as Rex the Promoter is known for his talking, Rex the Coach has put in some of his best work the last couple of weeks in stopping Manning and Brady. The fact of the matter  is not many NFL teams are going to beat the Colts and the Patriots in consecutive weeks on the road. They head into the AFC title game playing with house money. I’m not making the mistake of putting Ben Roethlisberger under the radar. Between the Jets and Steelers, I have to give momentum to New York right now.

Over in the NFC, I was never really convinced that the Atlanta Falcons were for real & I’ve grown more and more convinced that the Green Bay Packers are for real. There is no other starting quarterback among the 4 left in the playoffs that is playing as well as Aaron Rodgers is right now. The Packers have found a running game to go along with Rodgers and the passing attack and it’s defense has been making big plays throughout the playoffs. The latest big play  by cornerback Tramon Williams was a 70 yard touchdown run after intercepting a Matt Ryan pass that ended the first half and bascially the season for the Falcons. This Green Bay team is dangerous and I still can’t believe I didn’t take them seriously during the regular season. The Chicago Bears put the Seahawks away early, and while it was good while it lasted for Seattle’s playoff run, Green Bay-Chicago is a much more attractive game. Two teams that don’t really like each other in the oldest rivalry in the NFL.

Two good games for the right to go to the Super Bowl and I’m going to go with the two teams who are playing the best football right now. The Jets and Packers are heading to Dallas after this weekend.