# 2008 NFL Mini Camps and Offseason Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 6, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354 "2008-05-06T22:22:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/161 "2008-08-20T04:15:54Z")
All the title said was “The Bengals have resigned…”, and for the briefest of moments I had hoped that they had decided to pack it in, submit to reality, and fold. Alas, it was not to be. Yet when I opened it, knowing that the Bengals had re-signed one of their fun-loving criminals my heart leapt with joy, because that’s one more year that my beloved Steelers don’t have to worry about the Bungles because they fucked it up again all on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/162 "2008-08-20T09:16:56Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] That’s not quite true. He ran a very pass-heavy offense in college, yet averaged 7.76 YPA as a senior, which is a very good number for a _college_ quarterback. [/quote] I watched almost every single one of Drew Brees and Kyle Orton’s games in college and it was very rare to see either throw a ball deep. It was especially obvious with Orton, it’s largely why he was drafted as late as he was even though he had great overall numbers. That offense as designed was essentially a method to create extended hand-offs to 4 and 5 wide receiver sets to get them into space. All those numbers were YAC. However this philosphy is largely why Orton is pretty safe with the ball and accurate at short yardage. Still, the guy has never been asked to go over the top. > [@](#): > > He certainly didn’t ever seem to attempt a pass over 20 yards in his seasonish as the starter in Chicago, but since he was a rookie and probably under strict instructions from the coaching staff anyway I’m not sure you can read much into that. He and Grossman were running the same offense and had essentially the same level of experience. The coaching staff had them both on pretty tight leashes but Grossman was always able to find chances to go deep while Orton wasn’t. It’s largely why he was replaced at the end of their Super Bowl run, the coaching staff felt that Orton simply couldn’t extend a defense even if he was much safer with the ball. They knew to challenge in the playoffs and Super Bowl the offense had to produce and it didn’t under Orton. > [@](#): > > Still, I think this is a mistake (starting Orton). _Somewhere_ inside Grossman is a Pro Bowl quarterback. We saw that clearly in his first half-dozen games of 2006. I just don’t know where that guy is hiding. The problem with Grossman is that he’s stupid. Simple as that. He doesn’t prepare well enough and he doesn’t think well enough to respond under pressure. He’s got a great arm and can be very accurate with all the NFL throws but he’s incapable of adjusting mid-game. When he was lighting teams up it was because the Bears had a great gameplan and other teams had no film on him. Once they got tape and made adjustments neither the coaches or the QB were able to adjust. It’s now 2 years later and he still hasn’t learned a thing. Combine that with the fact that he can’t seem to handle the snap from center and is going to drop a couple every game and you have a recipe for disaster. I actually think Grossman might have a good chance to succeed with the right OC. Maybe a Martz or a Norv Turner type that know how to take the decision making out of the QBs hands. Maybe if he went out of a shotgun or pistol set every down with simple progressions he could rely on his arm and feet and light things up. The trick is taking away the thinking. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/163 "2008-08-20T09:51:47Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] All the title said was “The Bengals have resigned…”, and for the briefest of moments I had hoped that they had decided to pack it in, submit to reality, and fold. Alas, it was not to be. Yet when I opened it, knowing that the Bengals had re-signed one of their fun-loving criminals my heart leapt with joy, because that’s one more year that my beloved Steelers don’t have to worry about the Bungles because they fucked it up again all on their own. [/QUOTE] Ah, but you see, if, IF, IF Chris Henry can stay on the field, you should tremble with fear…he tears you guys up! Granted, we generally lose those games, but he gets those stats, I tell ya! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/164 "2008-08-20T10:07:57Z")
Will Anquan Boldin please SHUT UP! I’m really sick of hearing about his contract. Drew Rosenhaus is truly the scum of the earth as I’m sure he’s calling Boldin every day and telling him, “Don’t let them jerk you around, man.” The Cardinals don’t need this. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/165 "2008-08-20T12:10:05Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] Will Anquan Boldin please SHUT UP! I’m really sick of hearing about his contract. \*\*Drew Rosenhaus is truly the scum of the earth \*\* as I’m sure he’s calling Boldin every day and telling him, “Don’t let them jerk you around, man.” The Cardinals don’t need this. [/QUOTE] Hear hear. He certainly was whispering into the ear of Mr Chad Johnson this offseason, filling his head full of imaginary dollar signs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/166 "2008-08-20T12:21:54Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Mods, I forgot about the NFL preseason thread in here, if you can merge this with that one, that would be great. [/QUOTE] Done. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/167 "2008-08-20T18:50:40Z")
I think we are far enough into the preseason to definitively declare: Rams suck…again. The team has a lot of potential talent, but the coaching is worthless. And the S & C coach needs to be dragged into the street and hung like Mussolini. Two linemen down for the count already… On the bright side, WHOO HOO 1st overall draft pick here we come! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/168 "2008-08-20T19:18:32Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Hear hear. He certainly was whispering into the ear of Mr Chad Johnson this offseason, filling his head full of imaginary dollar signs. [/QUOTE] Johnson wasn’t looking for more money. He never complained about his contract once- just about the team. Anyway, Boldin is getting screwed. He’s been there longer than Fitzgerald, has been equally productive, never whined, and his reward is to be paid 1/5 of what Fitzgerald is getting. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/169 "2008-08-20T19:57:59Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Anyway, Boldin is getting screwed. He’s been there longer than Fitzgerald, has been equally productive, never whined, and his reward is to be paid 1/5 of what Fitzgerald is getting. [/QUOTE] I think the Cardinals aren’t going to want to, or afford to, pay him what he is worth on the open market. Keeping both Fitzgerald and Boldin would be very expensive, at the cost of other players. So they decided to keep Fitzy, and will try and get either 1) his last year under contract; or 2) good value in a trade. While I think it kinda sucks for Anquan, it’s just a reality of the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/170 "2008-08-20T20:31:15Z")
[QUOTE=Hamlet] I think the Cardinals aren’t going to want to, or afford to, pay him what he is worth on the open market. Keeping both Fitzgerald and Boldin would be very expensive, at the cost of other players. So they decided to keep Fitzy, and will try and get either 1) his last year under contract; or 2) good value in a trade. While I think it kinda sucks for Anquan, it’s just a reality of the NFL. [/QUOTE] He’s actually under contract for _three_ more years. I think that’s the crux of his displeasure- that, if he doesn’t do something now, the Cardinals will be more than happy to have him play out the contract. I’m not saying Arizona ought to pay him - $60 million over four years on two wideouts is a bit much- but they should certainly be considering trades in good faith. I’d _love_ to have him as a Buc. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/171 "2008-08-20T20:59:19Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Johnson wasn’t looking for more money. He never complained about his contract once- just about the team. Anyway, Boldin is getting screwed. He’s been there longer than Fitzgerald, has been equally productive, never whined, and his reward is to be paid 1/5 of what Fitzgerald is getting. [/QUOTE] Ah, money was indeed a big part of it. I’d heard him on the radio with Jim Rome during his Superbowl Prima Donna Tour 2008 say as much, but to be fair, he also alluded to Cincy not “having the pieces in place” and referring to his own production in glowing terms and then pouting that yet “somehow he was the scapegoat”. I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson opted for some quasi-necessary surgery on his injured shoulder that would dramatically shorten or end his season, thus he’d get paid and “not have to play another down in Cincinnati”, like he “promised”. Doesn’t Boldin get hurt more often that Fitz? I agree that they are both stellar. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/172 "2008-08-20T21:00:59Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] He’s actually under contract for _three_ more years. I think that’s the crux of his displeasure- that, if he doesn’t do something now, the Cardinals will be more than happy to have him play out the contract. I’m not saying Arizona ought to pay him - $60 million over four years on two wideouts is a bit much- but they should certainly be considering trades in good faith. I’d _love_ to have him as a Buc. [/QUOTE] Scratch that…you _need_ to have him as a Buc. You guys are almost as bad off in the WR/QB department as the Bears are! I know, I know, at least you have a defense! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/173 "2008-08-20T21:04:32Z")
[QUOTE=Death of Rats] On the bright side, WHOO HOO 1st overall draft pick here we come! 😃 [/QUOTE] Careful now…take a look at [the Rams’ schedule](http://www.stlouisrams.com/schedule/). Yes, you start out with a monsterous lineup, and will probably be 1-6 through October. You’ll start dreaming of who you’ll get next April with that coveted 1st pick. But then, November/December comes along and may just fuck everything up for you: Cardinals @Jets @49ers Bears Dolphins @Cardinals Seahawks 49ers @Falcons I don’t care _how_ bad they play…the very worst they can do there is 3-6. That adds up to a basement record of 4-12, _if_ they play as badly as they possibly can. Maybe the #1 pick, maybe not. And with that creampuff ending, there’s nothing stopping them from finishing 6-10, 7-9, and windup up out of the top 10. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/174 "2008-08-20T22:11:29Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Doesn’t Boldin get hurt more often that Fitz? I agree that they are both stellar. [/QUOTE] Yes, but I don’t think you can really hold that against him. It’s not like he’s brittle; in five seasons, he’s played all 16 games twice, and missed 4, 2 and 6 games in the other three. Moreover, he’s ridiculously productive when he’s on the field. Despite the missed games, he’s averaged 1,100 yards or so per season and slightly under 6 touchdowns, despite playing in the usually less than stellar Cardinals offense. > [@](#): > > Scratch that…you need to have him as a Buc. You guys are almost as bad off in the WR/QB department as the Bears are! > > I know, I know, at least you have a defense! I wouldn’t say that. Garcia played very well last year, and Luke McCown (who I’m guessing will be the #2, and probably play a few games given Garcia’s injury history lately) really impressed me in what were effectively his first starts last year; he had 91.7 passer rating. Admittedly, his three starts were against New Orleans, Houston and Carolina, but two of those games were on the road, and the other was against our fiercest division rival. Our receiving corps is admittedly a question mark. We’ve got Grandpa Galloway, who seems to be getting faster with age, and then a bunch of who-dats, has-beens and never-weres. Heck, Ike Hilliard came out of nowhere to be our leading receiver last season. That said, there are some excellent young players on the depth chart. Maurice Stovall, a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame two years ago, may start opposite Galloway, and has almost unlimited upside. Michael Clayton has already proved (as a rookie) that he can be a #1 NFL receiver; he’s never recaptured that form, but presumably it’s in there somewhere. We also picked up Antonio Bryant, who’s always been a productive guy when he can keep it together off the field. I’m really excited to see what he can do, especially after his highlight-reel night against the Pats. As I said, though, I’d take Boldin in a heartbeat. I’d even give up a first-round pick for him, particularly if I thought he’d sign for less (than Fitzgerald) with another team. It’s not like we don’t have the cap space; the team went into the offseason with $36 million unallocated, and our only non-minimum signings were Jeff Faine and Warrick Dunn. Faine’s getting a lot of money for a center, but center money is hardly going to break the bank, and Dunn’s getting something like $10 million for three seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/175 "2008-08-25T17:46:31Z")
One of the saddest times of the offseason is coming up this week, with NFL rosters getting trimmed. They have to cut 5 guys by tomorrow, and then get down to 53 by Saturday. Teams have some flexibility in naming guys to their practice squads, PUPs, and picking up other castoffs. I thought I’d give the lowdown on the Packers, and if anyone else wants to jump in, that would be great. The Packers cut: DeShawn Wynn, Ryan Powdrell, Chris Francies, and Ryan Consindine. They put Justin Harrell on the PUP (meaning he won’t be eligible to play for the first 6 weeks of the season). My thoughts: Wynn has a boatload of talent, but little to no desire and is CONSTANTLY injured. He shows flashes of greatness, but after 2 years, the Pack are sick of waiting for him to get healthy and for the light to come on. The other three were pure backups who wouldn’t be anything special on any team. Harrell was the Packers first round draft pick last year and has never, ever been healthy and in game shape. He’s the poster boy for why you shouldn’t draft a injury risk in the first round. The Pack put alot of faith in him, going so far as to trade away a good player in Corey Williams, to give Harrell a shot to shine. And now they’re weak as hell at DT. Needs: The Pack will be looking to sign a DT, and will probably take a look at other teams’ castoffs. If anyone knows a good guy, let me know. They may also be looking at a veteran QB because now they only have 2 rookies as backups. Battles: With the big cuts coming Saturday, the Packers have some tough choices. They have great depth at LB, and will likely cut one of these guys: Desmond Bishop, Abdul Hodge, or Tracey White. White is a special teams STUD but is the 3rd best LB of these three. Hodge and Bishop are both great backups and servicable starters (Hodge’s upside is better though), and Hodge is coming back from an injury and making it a real fight. There will be some talent there to grab for another team that needs a LB. The other intriguing battle is who will be the #3 RB. Grant is the starter, Brandon Jackson is clearly the #2, but Noah Herron, Vernard Morency, and Kregg Lumpkin are battling for the #3. Morency does everything adequately, but nothing special, Herron knows the system but isn’t really exciting, and Lumpkin was a rookie free agent pickup this year. Lumpkin intrigues me most, because he’s got great pedigree but is coming off an injury. He’s looked in the preseason and could develop into t special player…if healthy. Finally, in going down to 53, the Pack may only keep 2 QBs which puts Matt Flynn at risk. The only problem is that Flynn, a 7th rounder, has been outplaying Brian Brohm, their 2nd rounder. And, to be honest, I’m nervous that our only backups for Aaron Rodgers are rookies. The rest of the cuts will be the usual, nobody really outstanding. So, if your team needs a LB or a backup RB, there’s some talent on the Packers. And if you have a DT getting cut, look our way… Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/176 "2008-08-25T17:59:06Z")
The Cardinals have certainly had an interesting training camp with the Boldin and Leniart episodes. We must keep 3 QBs this year. Anquan Boldin was the 3rd string quarterback last year when Leinart and Warner both got hurt. St. Pierre has done a decent job in preseason, so we should keep him along with Warner and Leinart. Cards also look good at running back this year. Edge will be fine and Hightower looked good as well. The offensive line is thin. One injury and we will be scrambling to replace someone. Neil Rackers needs to be more consistent this year. He can’t blow kicks like he did last year against San Francisco. Poor special teams play in both kicking and punting hurt the Cardinals all of last year. The Cards defense will be outstanding this year. Everyone is healthy now after all the injuries last year. The Cardinals will easily win the NFC West and return to the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/177 "2008-08-25T18:02:34Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Careful now…take a look at [the Rams’ schedule](http://www.stlouisrams.com/schedule/). Yes, you start out with a monsterous lineup, and will probably be 1-6 through October. You’ll start dreaming of who you’ll get next April with that coveted 1st pick. But then, November/December comes along and may just fuck everything up for you: Cardinals @Jets @49ers Bears Dolphins @Cardinals Seahawks 49ers @Falcons I don’t care _how_ bad they play…the very worst they can do there is 3-6. That adds up to a basement record of 4-12, _if_ they play as badly as they possibly can. Maybe the #1 pick, maybe not. And with that creampuff ending, there’s nothing stopping them from finishing 6-10, 7-9, and windup up out of the top 10. [/QUOTE] You can schedule 2 losses to the Cardinals in that last half of the season. The Cards destroyed the Lambs 48-19 in the last game of the season. We’re going to do it again twice this year! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/178 "2008-08-25T21:51:14Z")
Here’s my quick and dirty look at the Bears roster decisions. I haven’t watched nearly as much preseason football this season as I’d like and have only seen all of one Bears so I’m basing it mostly on media coverage. They already cut wide receiver **Marcus Monk** , safety\*\* Josh Gattis\*\*, wide receiver **Ryan Grice-Mullen** and cornerback **Leslie Majors** to get to the 75 player limit. Linebacker **Rod Wilson** broke his arm and was put on the IR last week, this is the second season he’ll end upon the IR and out for the year. Of these only Marcus Monk is worth noting. He was the Bears final draft choice in the 7th round and was a guy who really had nice measurables, however they simply didn’t translate to the field. It’s not a major setback and I hope he finds a way onto their practice team to have a chance to learn and develop but any dreams of him being the next Colston were pure fantasy. I’ll borrow this [blog post](http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2008/08/decision_time_nears_for_bears.html) from the Sun-Times Bears beat writer to cover the rest of the potential cuts. > [@Brad Biggs](#): > > A look at how the roster could shape up come the weekend. Possible cuts are in parentheses: > QUARTERBACK (2)–Orton, Grossman, (Hanie). Comment: The Bears have said all along they are considering going with two quarterbacks and keeping one on the practice squad. The way the numbers add up, it makes sense. Caleb Hanie would become a free agent if he clears waivers, likely, and knows signing on to the practice squad would be a good career move. He’d be an injury away from having the chance to be promoted. > > RUNNING BACK (4)–Forte, Jones, Wolfe, Peterson, (Pope). Comment: Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe have definite roles on special teams. Wolfe has really excelled in that area of late. > > FULLBACK (1)–McKie, (Polite). Comment: Tough break for Lousaka Polite, who could probably start for some teams. Perhaps he would be worth a conditional draft pick. > > WIDE RECEIVER (6)–Hester, Lloyd, Bennett, Booker, Bradley, Davis, (Hass, Rideau). Comment: As concerned as Marty Booker was last week about his standing, he looks safe. The group needs a veteran presence. > > TIGHT END (3)–Clark, Olsen, Davis, (Mines, Stone). Comment: This is a real area of strength. > > OFFENSIVE LINE (9)–Kreutz, Beekman, Metcalf, Garza, Tait, St. Clair, Williams, Barton, Adams, (Oakley, Poles, Balogh, Reed). Comment: It might be a difficult decision between veteran Anthony Oakley and seventh-round pick Chester Adams. Cody Balogh has been a nice surprise as an undrafted free agent too. > > TOTAL OFFENSE: 25 > > DEFENSIVE LINE (9)–Harris, Adams, Dvoracek, Idonije, Harrison, Brown, Ogunleye, Anderson, Bazuin, (Toeaina, Baldwin, Clermond, Osborn). Comment: The real decision that needs to be made here is whether to retain Dan Bazuin, an end, or Matt Toeaina, a tackle. There are four tackles and a swing man in Izzy Idonije that are locked in. That and Bazuin’s draft status could win out but Toeaina should get extensive playing time at Cleveland and can use it as a final audition. > > LINEBACKER (6)–Urlacher, Briggs, Hillenmeyer, Williams, McClover, Roach, (LaRocque, Okwo). Comment: The Rod Wilson injury doesn’t help. I looked and looked and looked for a way for Mike Okwo to make the team. I just don’t see Angelo giving up on a third-round pick. It could come down to a decision between him and cornerback Trumaine McBride, a seventh-round pick last season. The deciding factor? The team has gone with six linebackers, actually even five before. It’s unlikely to keep less than five cornerbacks. This could be one of the final decisions. > > SAFETY (5)–Brown, McGowan, D. Manning, Payne, Steltz, (Peters). Comment: Leonard Peters might warrant a spot on the practice squad if he isn’t scooped up. He’s made a few plays on special teams. > > CORNERBACK (5)–Tillman, Vasher, Graham, Bowman, McBride, (T. Brown, R. Manning Jr.). Comment: Looks like Ricky Manning Jr.'s ship has sailed. It’s left this port, at least. > > TOTAL DEFENSE: 25 > > SPECIALISTS (3)–Gould, Maynard, Mannelly, (Gafford, Atterberry). Comment: No surprises here. I think that sticking with 2 QBs is probably the right choice. **Caleb Hanie** has been fine and is worth a spot on the practice squad but there’s no chance he plays a regular season game without an injury to the other guys and he would waste a roster spot. I disagree with him on the Fullback position. **Lousaka Polite** has flat out-played **Jason McKie** this preseason and McKie has been sitting out practices with a banged up knee. They should keep him and cut McKie if it comes down to choosing between the two. The Bears running game will really need solid lead blocking and the QBs are going to be desperate for a reliable check down WR and McKie has proven himself to be merely average. Frankly I think there’s room for both if you factor in special teams contributions. At the WR position it’s been a mess. Part of the issue is the inconsistency at the QB position and the uncertainty during the competition but I was hoping we’d have seen more of the WRs stepping up and standing out. That hasn’t happened. The best looking guy so far has been **Rashied Davis** so he’s locked up a spot along with Bennett, Lloyd and Hester but everyone else is vulnerable for good reason. I suppose Booker will make it but that’s more or less based on his contract, not his performance. **Mark Bradley** simply hasn’t regained the form he had in his rookie season and it’s getting close to time to give up on him. **Brandon Rideau** made some nice plays in garbage time and should get a long hard look this week at practice. Part of me thinks we should bail on all of them and grab the best available guys from other teams cuts. The O-Line is even worse than the WR position and I have nothing to contribute as far as insights. They are all bad. I have to imagine that there are some castoffs from other teams that could outplay these guys. The frustrating part is that the Veteran guys making all the money in Kreutz and Tait have been every bit as disappointing as the young guys fighting for jobs. The rookie Williams had back surgery and who knows if he’ll contribute at all this season, he’s still projected to be out for 7 more weeks. I just hope they keep the best 9 or 10 guys regardless of draft status, contract and preseason expectations. The defense is essentially set. I’d be glad to see **Ricky Manning Jr.** go, he can play but his personality issues outweigh his value as a nickel/dime guy. Plus he’s making too much money. **Mike Okwo** hasn’t been good enough to knock another guy off the roster and we can’t afford to wait for him to blossom any longer. Both these guys will probably be picked up by other teams if cut so it’d be nice to get something for them, though I figure that’s a longshot at best. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/179 "2008-08-26T12:45:47Z")
Am I the only one who thinks the ‘injuries’ to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are BS? They’re not going to play in the preseason because neither team wants to risk an injury to their QB. So, they exaggerate an injury to try to fake out the other teams and also have an excuse for not playing the person that the fans paid money to see. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354/180 "2008-08-26T13:10:37Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] Am I the only one who thinks the ‘injuries’ to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are BS? They’re not going to play in the preseason because neither team wants to risk an injury to their QB. So, they exaggerate an injury to try to fake out the other teams and also have an excuse for not playing the person that the fans paid money to see. [/QUOTE] I wouldn’t say that. If the teams didn’t want them to play so they wouldn’t get hurt, they’d say so; Tony Dungy in particular has never been shy about sitting his starters if he doesn’t feel like risking them. After all, LaDanian Tomlinson has something like six preseason carries for his entire career, and the Chargers have never apologised for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2008-nfl-mini-camps-and-offseason-thread/448354.md?page=10)