Punt, pass and Judge : CBSSports.com Blogs

49ers should pass on Manning

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:25:30 EST

Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice this week suggested that the San Francisco 49ers should join the lineup of suitors for Peyton Manning, and it's an interesting idea.

But it's not a good one.

Hiring Manning would mean tearing up your offense, and, frankly, I don't know that Jim Harbaugh is up for that. But let's go a step farther: Hiring Manning would mean junking quarterback Alex Smith, and I went down this road before with Baltimore in 2001 when the Ravens jettisoned Super Bowl quarterback Trent Dilfer for Elvis Grbac.

Now before we go farther let's get something straight: I'm not trying to equate Grbac to Manning. But at this point of his career I don't know what Manning has left. At least Grbac wasn't hurt, was a Pro Bowl quarterback and was in the prime of his career.

Manning victim of NFL's cold, cruel world

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:42:30 EST

The Colts' annoucement that they will release Peyton Manning comes as no surprise. We've expected it for weeks. Now they make it official.

I understand pro football is a business, but this is also Peyton Manning. There was no way the Colts were ... or are ... going to look good with this story. So they do what they think they must and move on.

It's a cold, cruel business, and the sad truth is that the Colts probably had no choice here. I don't know what Manning's future is or whether he's an injury waiting to happen again, and neither do the Colts.

I spoke to one coach at the NFL scouting combine who said he would have paid him just to tutor first-round draft pick Andrew Luck, but that's a huge investment in someone who would count heavily against your salary cap, cost millions this season and may not play again.

Now, when will Saints, Williams be penalized?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 8:13:53 EDT

OK, now that New Orleans coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis have taken "full responsibility" for Bounty Gate, it's time for the NFL to swing the hammer and penalize them, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and the Saints organization.

I know that commissioner Roger Goodell wants to get this right because, essentially, what the Saints and Williams, Payton and Loomis fostered was a program that flies in the face of the player-safety push that Goodell has made a mantra of his last three years.

But it's more than that, of course. It's outright disrespect for Goodell, his office, the league's constitution and by-laws and, frankly, common sense. So look for Goodell to drop the hammer on everyone.

The only question is: When?

Brees' move could have repercussions for Nicks

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:57:29 EST

The Saints' designation of Drew Brees as a franchise player isn't a big deal in and of itself. If there are two things that are certain it's that Drew Brees will remain with the New Orleans Saints and that he's going to be making a lot of money for them.

Nope, the problem here isn't with Brees and what the franchise designation means for him. It's what it means for another unrestricted free agent, All-Pro guard Carl Nicks, and what it means is that the Saints risk losing him.

There had been speculation that the Saints could re-sign Brees to a long-term deal, freeing the franchise tag for Nicks, but that can't happen now. Unresolved negotiations with Brees necessitated this move, with the Saints basically forced to choose between Brees and Nicks as the player they protect.

Jackson move makes sense for Eagles

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 13:29:32 EST

Keeping DeSean Jackson was smart for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the club should figure out a way to sign him to a long-term deal.

Granted, Jackson was inconsistent last year and had too many drops. But he came around and, after the season, apologized for allowing his contract to be a distraction. That's a start.

All I know is that he's the team's most explosive player, a playmaker who can stretch the field, make big plays and is a perfect fit in any offense run by Michael Vick. When Vick scrambles, he's looking downfield for open receivers, and the speedy Jackson is often a deep target.

Of course, it's inside the locker room where some critics worry about the guy. But people close to the Eagles believe that Jackson is not a character risk; that he can be the complete player -- the team player -- he was before 2011.

Rams should be content to sit still

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:59:31 EST

Just as you might expect, the value of the Rams' first-round pick -- the second overall -- keeps climbing.

I spoke to one general manager Thursday with knowledge of the situation, and he cautioned me against believing St. Louis is anywhere close to lining up a deal. In his estimation, the Rams simply play all potential suitors against each other -- with the price for their choice climbing as time expires.

The question, of course, is when do you pull the trigger? And he believes the Rams could take their pick into the week preceding the draft before making a move. The reason: There is so much demand for Robert Griffin III that they can afford to proceed cautiously.

Like others, he believes the ground floor to a deal begins with two first-rounders, but he said he could see someone offering three ones and a third-day pick -- a fourth, perhaps -- to make sure it acquired RG3.

Manningham likely done with Giants; Bucs next?

Thu, 10 May 2012 3:34:55 EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- While New York Giants' general manager Jerry Reese refused to speculate on the future of Super Bowl hero and soon-to-be-free-agent Mario Manningham, sources at this weekend's NFL scouting combine said there is virtually no chance he is back with the Giants.

Instead, they said, Manningham is expected to follow former Giants assistant Mike Sullivan to Tampa Bay. Sullivan, who was the Giants quarterbacks coach, took a job as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator.

Manningham was the Giants' third leading receiver last season with 39 catches, but he recently told The Vindicator of Youngstown, Ohio, there was a "75 percent chance" he wouldn't return to the Giants and that he "wants the ball more." With Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz each producing over 1,000 yards in receptions last season, that is unlikely to happen in New York.

Polian: Say it's so, Joe

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 0:50:05 EST

Baltimore's hiring of Jim Caldwell is nothing but good news for quarterback Joe Flacco. That's not me talking. That's former Indianapolis president Bill Polian, who worked with Caldwell when the two were with the Colts.

Caldwell is the Ravens' quarterbacks coach, which means he's in charge of the development of Flacco -- and, according to Polian, that will be nothing but a plus for the young quarterback.

"I know this," said Polian. "Jim Caldwell is as good a quarterbacks coach as I've ever been around. He's going to provide three things: He's going to provide incredible preparation. Nobody will be more prepared than Jim Caldwell in terms of helping a player get ready to go and play.

"Secondly, he's going to provide great fundamental foundation, and he'll drill fundamentals every single day. There's a reason why Peyton Manning -- aside from his own incredible work ethic -- was as fundamentally sound as he was. It was because Jim Caldwell drilled it into him every single day.

Sanchez should be worried

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:01:29 EST

INDIANAPOLIS -- Rex Ryan thinks he put too much pressure on last year's Jets by saying too much, but now he's put heat on his quarterback, Mark Sanchez, now by not saying enough.

I'm talking about what Rex said ... or did not say ... at Thursday's NFL scouting combine. When he was asked about the possibility of the Jets landing Peyton Manning if and when he becomes a free agent, he didn't pledge allegiance to his current quarterback.

All he said he was that the Jets "will look at all possibiliities."

Ryan said that wasn't unusual; that the club does that with all positions. But that's not the point. When he had a chance to support his embattled quarterback, he did not. Instead, he said that the club "will look at everything."

Read Irsay's comments carefully

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:27:38 EST

Jim Irsay's comments to the Indianapolis Star that he would "love" to have Peyton Manning are intriguing, but they're not exactly earth-shaking -- and that's because of what he had to say afterward. And what he said afterward is where we need to pay attention.

"I would love to have him back here if he can get healthy." he told the Star, "and we can look at doing a contract that reflects the uncertainty of the doing the healing process with the regeneration of the nerve."

Well, now that's always been the crux of the problem, hasn't it?

I mean the question has never been about anything but Manning's health. I mean, when I was at Super Bowl XLVI, a source close to Irsay told me the Colts' owner would have no problem paying Manning "if he believed he was healthy and could play again."

Time to call a truce on Brady, Gisele

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:02:35 EST

First there was the Tom Brady backlash. Now there's the Mrs. Tom Brady backlash, and time to call a truce, people. Neither deserves the hammering they're taking.

First of all, Brady did not lose Super Bowl XLVI. I know, he wasn't Tom Terrific. But last time I checked the Patriots' defense failed to stop the Giants from scoring a touchdown in the last minute of a Super Bowl ... for the second straight time, no less.

And for that Brady is responsible? Please.

One more thing: If Wes Welker holds on to that pass with four minutes left, we're asking if Brady and coach Bill Belichick are the game's greatest at their jobs. Instead, Welker misses, and he, Brady and Belichick are bums.

Time to give Accorsi a nod

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:13:27 EST

I'll tell who deserves more credit than he's gotten for what just happened to the New York Giants: Ernie Accorsi.

He was the general manager who engineered the 2004 draft-day trade that sent Eli Manning from San Diego to New York, a deal that was criticized after the Chargers went 14-2 in 2006 behind Philip Rivers and Shawne Merriman, two of the principals in that deal.

Another was kicker Nate Kaeding, and, like Rivers and Merriman, he was named to the AFC's Pro Bowl team.

But nearly eight years after the trade, look what's happened: The Giants have two Super Bowl victories, Manning has been named Super Bowl MVP twice and the Chargers have squat. They have one championship game appearance, and that was 2007, the same year that Eli and the Giants conquered New England in Super Bowl XLII.

Deserving Parcells' HOF candidacy takes a hit

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:20:39 EST

INDIANAPOLIS -- Bill Parcells belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he may not get there -- especially if Tom Coughlin wins Super Bowl XLVI.

Think about it. With a victory, Coughlin will have won as many Super Bowls with the Giants as Parcells (2). Plus, he has the added attraction of leading the expansion Jaguars into two conference championship games.

That will enhance Coughlin's chances, but it could work to undercut Parcells, who did not make the cut from 10 to five Saturday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection.

Parcells' record includes three Super Bowl appearances, two Lombardi Trophies and playoff appearances with four different teams. That should count for something, but, apparently, it doesn't count enough for Parcells' inclusion. Not yet, anyway, and it sure looked as if this year might be his best shot to get in.

Thursday night expansion needs one caveat

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:57:19 EST

Commissioner Roger Goodell's announcement that the NFL will expand from eight to 13 Thursday-night games this season is great for TV and fans, but it's not so great for NFL players and teams ... unless, of course, the league does what is reasonable and necessary.

And that's to make Thursday-night games available only to teams coming off byes.

Having teams play two games in five days is not only cruel and unusual punishment; it's wrong. Yet the NFL this season had the San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers play three times in 11 days. Now it's going to 13 in weeks 2-15.

Fans like Thursday-night games because they can't get enough of the NFL. The NFL Network likes it because it's good for ratings. But players and coaches? Ask them how much they enjoy playing twice in five days. It's tough on coaches' game plans, and it's tougher on players' bodies.

Super Bowl, Take II; 246 are going

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:00:41 EST

It was shortly after last year's Super Bowl seating snafu that the NFL stepped forward to offer disgruntled and displaced ticket holders a chance to go to another league championship game ... only this time with the NFL picking up the tab.

Now we know what happened. There are 246 who accepted their offer to attend Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, the league said.

While that seems like a significant number, keep in mind that there were over 3,200 people the NFL cited as potential applicants to future Super Bowls. One group included 2,800 persons from Super Bowl XLV who were in temporary seating and were either delayed in gaining pre-game access to their seats or who were relocated.

They had the option of receiving the face-value of their tickets or tickets to a future Super Bowl.

Schiano a surprise ... and a risk

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:45:49 EST

Next Christmas, I'm giving the Tampa Bay Bucs a compass, a sextant, a GPS ... something, anything, to steer them in the right direction.

I didn't know how badly they needed one until Thursday when they hired Greg Schiano from Rutgers to replace Raheem Morris.

Now, Schiano may turn out to be the next Jim Harbaugh ... and he may not. All I know is that guys who went through the interviewing process told me the Bucs were insistent that they wouldn't go for an unproven coach again and wanted someone with experience; someone who was older, wiser and smarter to run them this time.

So they hire a guy who's never been an NFL head coach.

Another tough loss for Ravens

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:39:11 EST

Baltimore's loss is Indianapolis' gain.

When I called a source within the Ravens Wednesday and asked how he was doing he didn't sound so good.

"I assume you're calling about Chuck Pagano," he said.

I was.

Goodell will be around for long, long time

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:45:10 EDT

Roger Goodell should get a five-year extension. In fact, he should get an extension for life. The only way he's leaving his job is when he ... and only he ... decides it's time to go.

Of course, I'm being flippant, but the reality is that Goodell just proved why he's qualified to be NFL commissioner. He faced the biggest hurdle of his tenure and navigated it deftly.

I'm talking, of course, about the lockout that ended in late July with a 10-year CBA. Goodell held firm when critics said he could not or must not, and stared down the opposition -- first winning in court before winning at the bargaining table.

I know, I know, both sides claimed victory, but look at the new TV contracts and tell me who's the winner there: Anyone who owns an NFL club.

Don't blame Flacco for this one

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:26:28 EST

Joe Flacco didn't lose this game. Billy Cundiff did.

Flacco made all the right throws on what should have been a tying drive late in the AFC championship game, setting up Cundiff for a 32-yard field goal that would send the game into overtime. Only Cundiff missed, pulling the kick wide left as astonished Ravens collapsed to the field.

It was a kick Cundiff has made hundreds of times in practice and during games -- but he missed it, pure and simple, taking down Baltimore's chances of appearing in a Super Bowl with it.

In truth, Cundiff shouldn't have had to make the kick. Lee Evans failed to come down with a perfectly thrown Flacco pass for what could have been a winning touchdown only two plays before -- but lost the ball when Sterling Moore ripped it loose.

Spags' hire good for Saints, not Eagles

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:45:53 EST

The Steve Spagnuolo hire is big for New Orleans, not only because he's going to a Saints team that needs him but because he's not going to Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia hire made so much sense I thought it was a slam dunk. Then I spoke to a coach a week ago who told me if there was a question it was how Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Jim Washburn might ... or might not ... co-exist. I don't know what the implication was, but he suggested that maybe they couldn't be on the same staff.

Well, they won't be.

Granted, there's no opening on the Eagles ... not yet, there's not. But there's a feeling that sooner or later coach Andy Reid shuffles his defensive staff, with coordinator Juan Castillo sacrificed. The Eagles already dismissed secondary coach Johnnie Lynn, and the expectation was that Castillo couldn't be far behind.

Caldwell firing no surprise

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:32:11 EST

Funny, I was on a radio show this morning saying this is the next move I expected the Colts to make, and for all the right reasons: They have a new GM; they could have a new quarterback; they're starting over; and they seem headed in a new direction.

So why would Ryan Grigson retain a coach he did not hire, especially after that coach just finished a 2-14 season? Answer: He wouldn't.

I know, Peyton Manning didn't play. But are you going to tell me the Colts were that bad? I don't think so. Caldwell went because the Colts think there's someone better out there ... or, at least, Grigson does, and I'd agree.

Essentially, what Caldwell demonstrated this season is that without Manning he couldn't succeed. Well, I know a coach in New England who lost his quarterback and still finished 11-5. I know a coach in Houston this season who lost his star defensive player, his top two quarterbacks and his top wide receiver for much of the season ... yet still made the playoffs and won a game there.

Fisher move a no-brainer

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:42:37 EST

It took Jeff Fisher days to make a decision where he would coach next, but he made the right one. In fact, Fisher to the Rams was a no-brainer.

And here's why: The Rams have a young quarterback who can be the foundation of the club. They have the second pick in this year's draft. They have cap room. And, most important, they don't have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in their division.

Who wouldn't want that? In Miami, there's a question about who quarterbacks the team next; the ownership is, at best, questionable, with last year's mishandling of the Jim Harbaugh/Tony Sparano situation Exhibit A; and the club is in the AFC East where nobody but New England wins until Brady retires.

In the NFC West, Fisher's world is wide open. The 49ers won the division this season. The Seahawks won it last. Arizona won it the year before. I think you can see where I'm going: It's anybody's division.

Can't imagine Mularkey hire a popular one

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:12:42 EST

I'm not sure how you sell Mike Mularkey to Jacksonville fans. Not now.

Mularkey is the former offensive coordinator for Atlanta who bombed out last weekend with a 24-2 finish vs. the New York Giants in a game where the only points scored by Atlanta were scored by the Giants' offense.

He couldn't convert two fourth-and-1s. He couldn't convert a third-and-1. And he wouldn't throw the ball downfield ... even though he Roddy White and Julio Jones in the lineup. Let's just say it wasn't one of his best afternoons of work.

Bad enough that the Falcons missed one quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1. Mularkey called it again. And he failed.

Maybe Jackson move isn't so bad after all

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:52:30 EST

Every year there's one firing of a head coach that qualifies as a surprise, and Hue Jackson is that surprise.

At least it was to people outside the Bay Area.

Those who follow the team, however, tell me the guy was unpopular with players, which probably counted for something. His failure to close out the AFC West when Denver lost its last three couldn't have helped, either. Nor can I imagine the team's NFL record for penalties boosted his cause. That's the sign of an undisciplined team.

Plus, Jackson's rant following the season-ending defeat to San Diego, where he basically threw his players under the bus, wasn't such a great idea. If you're the head coach, you're acountable for your team's successes and failures, and Jackson should have been accountable.

Crennel: No-brainer of a choice

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:32:45 EST

Romeo Crennel is the right coach at the right time for the Kansas City Chiefs for a couple of reasons: 1) The team responded to him the last three weeks of the season, with the Chiefs inflicting the only loss on Green Bay, and 2) he gets along with general manager Scott Pioli.

I'm not sure which is more important, but I know that the issues that were apparent this season when there was friction between coach Todd Haley and the front office will not be there with Crennel. The two know what to expect of each other, which makes life a lot easier for the organization as a whole.

Now, will that translate to victories? We'll just have to wait and see, but the early returns were encouraging. Not only did Kansas City win two of its three starts under Crennel, it hung the only defeat on Green Bay in its last 22 games. The Chiefs also knocked off AFC West champion Denver ... in Denver, no less ... and could've beaten Oakland before succumbing in overtime.

Now come questions for Falcons

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:22:21 EST

The New York Giants didn't just beat Atlanta. They destroyed the Falcons, and I can already hear the second-guessing of Mike Smith and his quarterback, Matt Ryan.

Both were involved in critical plays that sent Smith and the Falcons hurtling to another playoff loss. Twice Smith had the Falcons go for the first on fourth-and-1 when a field goal could have been tried... and made ... and twice it was Ryan who failed on quarterback sneaks.

Then, on third-and-1, Atlanta tried something ... or someone ... else, calling on Michael Turner, and the result was the same. He was thrown for a one-yard loss.

In essence, the Falcons never showed up for this one. In fact, their only score was produced by the Giants' Eli Manning, called for a safety when he intentionally grounded a pass in the end zone. The Falcons were outscored, outplayed and outclassed in every phase and deserve the criticism they'll absorb.

Bucs looking for stern disciplinarian

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 3:56:23 EST

Discipline is the password to the next head-coaching hire in Tampa Bay.

Sources said the Bucs are -- and will be -- insistent in interviews that their next head coach run a tight ship to make all associated with the Bucs accountable on and off the field. The feeling, they said, is that former coach Raheem Morris lost control of the club, players became undisciplined and the Bucs suffered for it.

Their record is the best evidence. Not only did they lose their last 10 straight to finish 4-12; they committed the fourth-most penalties, with 123, and led the league in turnovers with 40. In 2010 they had 19.

They also had the league's worst takeaway-to-turnover differential at --16.

Lynn out in Philadelphia?

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:49:11 EST

In the first of what could be a series of offseason moves, it appears that secondary/cornerbacks coach Johnnie Lynn is out in Philadelphia. In fact, a source I trust told me he's been fired.

The Eagles have not made an announcement, but the club is expected to make sweeping changes in the wake of a disapppointing 8-8 season -- made possible only when the Eagles won their last four games.

While the Eagles ranked 10th vs. the pass, and opposing quarterbacks completed only 58 percent of their passes against them, they did allow 27 touchdown passes. Nevertheless, that was four fewer than 2010.

Lynn was hired prior to last season after coaching the secondary in San Francisco.

Looks like Pagac next out Vikings' door

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 0:07:15 EST

Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is out in Minnesota, and defensive coordinator Fred Pagac can't be far behind.

The team hasn't announced the firing of Pagac, but all signs point in that direction. In fact, a league source I trust said that the Vikings have four candidates lined up to interview for the coordinator's job -- Raheem Morris, formerly head coach of Tampa Bay; Steve Spagnuolo, former head coach of St. Louis; Mel Tucker, interim head coach and defensive coordinator at Jacksonville; and Mike Singletary, the linebackers coach and assistant head coach with the Vikings.

His take? Spagnuolo could be the frontrunner. Of course, he could be the frontrunner in a lot of places, too, including Philadelphia, where the Eagles almost certainly shake up their defensive staff.

No shocker that Turner, A.J. back

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:38:26 EST

Dean Spanos' decision to retain Norv Turner and A.J. Smith wasn't exactly a surprise. There were rumblings following last weekend's defeat of Oakland that Spanos was considering retaining them, with one source on Monday telling me he thought both would be back.

And that's precisely what happened.

Turner had two more years left on a contract that pays him $3 million per, and Smith has three more years left on a deal that pays him $2 million annually. But money was not the consideration here, I was told. Spanos is simply resistant to change, reluctant to make a sweeping overhaul unless he feels he must, and with the Chargers winning four of their last five he believed Turner deserved another chance.

It couldn't have hurt, either, that star quarterback Philip Rivers spoke out in favor of retaining his coach after the Chargers finished the season. Rivers is not only the club's best player; he's the spokesman for the team. And when he defended Turner, he had to make an impression with Spanos.