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February 2009
Stafford should work out at Combine
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How’s everybody been doing? Been away from the blog for a little while to take some offseason down time.
But it’s time to get things cranked back up!
The position-by-position series is up and rolling. Next, I’m off to the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.
Can’t start packing until I tighten up my Valentine’s Day plans. Got a good dinner date with Mrs. Led set up, but I balked at the $180 for tickets to see LaBelle Saturday night at the A-town Civic Center. I haven’t been to a concert in awhile. Didn’t know the prices had gone through the roof. I thought I could drop $50 large (per ticket) and be in the front row.
So, I’m still working on the V-Day plan.
But once I can get that squared away, THE NFL COMBINE awaits!!! I’ll be blogging live from Indy, dropping by frequently to answer questions in between writing two stories each day and executing my duties as the new 2nd Vice President of the Pro Football Writers of America. So, we’ll have plenty of Combine info for you all next week.
There is a deep Georgia Tech and Georgia contingent this year. Looking to chatting with them.
The word is Matthew Stafford isn’t going to work out. I hope he changes his mind. The league wants to see him handle a big NFL stage, not some controlled workout at his Pro Day in familiar surroundings. You want folks to drop millions in your pocket and you don’t want to work out?
In recent years, some of the top players went to the combine and worked out. Tech’s Calvin Johnson didn’t have to work out, but he got there, borrowed some sneakers and worked out. That impressed executives league-wide.
Come on Stafford, tell your agent to go get a steak at St. Elmo’s, and then wander out to the drills and start throwing it around. Show they NFL folks why you are the No. 1 pick in the draft. Agents want teams to Show me the Money!!! They should make their players Show them the Skills!!!
The list of Georgia Tech players includes: Defensive end Michael Johnson; cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels; tackle Andrew Gardner; defensive tackle Vance Walker and defensive lineman Darry Richard.
The list of Georgia players, in addition to Stafford, include fullback Brannan Southerland; defensive tackle Corvery Irvin; defensive end Jarius Wynn; cornerback Asher Allen; wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi; linebacker Dannell Ellerbe; and running back Knowshon Moreno.
Here’s the link to the entire list:
http://www.nflcombine.net/players/official-invite-list
I want to see this kid Sammie Lee Hill from Stillman College. The NFL is listing him as a DE. But Big Sammie is 6-4, 330-something-pounds. He could be this year’s small college sleeper at DT.
Likely before the combine starts, the Falcons will make some moves with their free agents. Free agency starts later this month on the 27th and issues with linebacker Keith Brooking and safety Lawyer Milloy could be settled.
Also, they can re-sign a couple of guys to keep them off of the market. Linebacker Coy Wire doesn’t figure to hit the market and defensive end Chauncey Davis could return, if he doesn’t think he can get “starter” money out on the open market. Punter Michael Koenen is set to make more next season than he made over the first four seasons if they slap the franchise tag on him, as expected.
After they take care of things in-house, they’ll start courting free agents. Remember - last season, they acted swiftly and decisively in getting the Michael Turner deal done. If they are going for Albert Haynesworth, look for it to go down quickly. (Don’t know why some of you want Julius Peppers. He seems to lack the sense of urgency that Mike Smith depends on. Don’t think he’d fit here.)
So with the combine, internal and external free agency, we’ll have plenty to blog about over the rest of the month and into March.
Who do you want to see at the combine? Will you watch the NFL Network’s 25 hours of live programming? Do you have the NFL Network? (I don’t. I’d never sleep.) Should Stafford work out for the NFL? What’s going to happen with Brooking and Milloy? Like the idea of franchising Koenen and keeping Wire and Davis off the market?
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Falcons lose a real pro
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NFL offensive linemen, because of their job description, get a bad rap.
But there was not a finer person in the Falcons locker room than Todd Weiner.
It’s a sad day for Falcons fans as Weiner arrived at the facilities in Flowery Branch around 9:30 a.m. Thursday to turn in his cleats.
He was set to retire. He battled through last season like an old-school heavyweight fighter going 15 rounds after coming back from microfracture surgery. He played in all 17 games and had 11 starts.
The real pros don’t play the game for money. They play for the love of the game.
Weiner was a real pro.
He’s leaving because he thinks his time is up. He could have tried to stick around and cash some more checks. He was set to make another $11 million if he somehow could have finished out the last three years on his contract.
The Falcons will pick up $4.75 million under the 2009 salary cap with the retirement of Weiner. He was set to make base salaries of $3.25 million in 2009, $3.75 million in 2010 and $4 million in 2011. The effect on future salary caps are not certain because under the current labor impasse 2010 is set to be an un-capped year.
Weiner’s salary cap number for 2010 was set, before the labor impasse, to be $5.25 million and $4 million in 2011.
Weiner’s retirement also leaves the Falcons thin behind starters Sam Baker and right tackle Tyson Clabo. The remaining tackles on the rosters are veteran Wayne Gandy, Renardo Foster, who’s coming off a knee injury, and reserves Quinn Ojinnaka and Pat McCoy.
I always thought Weiner did a great job of Carolina’s much-hyped Julius Peppers.
What are some of your thoughts on his retirement? How will the Falcons replace his toughness and skill? Do they need to get some insurance in the draft or free agency?
Let’s wish one of the swell guys in the NFL a happy retirement, as he plans to spend more time with wife Sunny, coaching his kids and working in the banking industry.
