I don’t know what the Chargers are asking for him now. Marshall cost 2 second round picks in consecutive years, and I can see holding out for a second and a third or even just a second for VJ. Sure his value goes down, but he’s out for at the very least 3 games already, so it’s not like teams are going to get him to suit up on Sunday.
Well, his value also depends largely on whether his new team can get him signed. If he’ll sign for $40 million for 5 years, you’d give up a #2 in a second. If he really wants $30 million guaranteed, you’re not giving up much because you’re going to let him become a free agent a la Santonio Holmes.
ETA: Marshall only got $24 million guaranteed, and he led the league (or finished #2) in receptions for three straight years.
No, teams just can at that point.
The Cowboys didn’t with Miles Austin and he’ll be playing for his $3.5 million this year, after which his extension starts.
He signed his offer sheet on time, didn’t he?
Can we please re-direct this thread to its purpose, which is the Bengals awesomeness?
Thxkbye.
The Buccaneers first home game of the season is blacked out. First blackout in 15 years. 
I think we are going start seeing a lot of those in smaller markets or even larger ones with shitty teams. The teams owners have actively been engaging in eliminating their core fanbase in terms of season ticket holders for awhile now. Prices are going through the roof, seat licenses are becoming the norm, concession prices are utterly ridiculous and yet the NFL rakes in TV money like the machine it is.
Its not a sustainable business model for people wanting to watch on TV without having to pay a premium to watch…not to mention a possible impending lockout…
Sure it’s sustainable. Ticket revenues are a tiny fraction of TV revenues. The difference is that ticket revenues don’t have to be shared.
As to the first part - I wouldn’t be surprised if VJ’s relationship with AJ effectively ended the day he A) got arrested for driving a car with expired tags while he himself had a suspended driver’s license, and B) got a lovely little 15 yard penalty for kicking a penalty flag during the playoff loss to the Jets. And yes, that happened on the same day. I think they’d love to trade him, but they also know he’ll get them at worst a 3rd round comp pick, so they won’t simply give him away.
And I completely agree with the 2nd quote. AJ may be a complete hard-ass, but if you play well and don’t rock the boat you WILL get paid. You didn’t even mention the 7 year, 98 million dollar contract he gave Philip Rivers. And anyone who thinks that leverage will be lost or gained depending on how the Chargers play out of the gate absolutely does not understand AJ Smith. There is no leverage. Either VJ and McNeill sign their tenders or they’ll never play for the Bolts again. Love him or hate him, AJ is, first and foremost, honest. He says what he means and he means what he says.
Yahoo will send an official yahoo e-mail a day before the picks are due if that’s how you set it up - but you can easily adjust the settings not to send you anything.
HOME TEAM in CAPS. Middle number is the spread, favorite is first, under dog is second. Last number is the Over/Under.
I don’t have all day so these won’t be as wordy as I’m used to, but I wanted to get it done before Sundays games and then I want to get back to the HHM Recaps.
SAINTS 5 Vikings 49½
Didn’t have a chance to get this done before the first game but I picked the Saints. I still haven’t had time to watch the game. but it’s a push so it doesn’t really matter. That it was so far under is a real shocker though. Here’s what I would have predicted.
The Pick: Saiints 30 - Vikings 17
NY GIANTS 6 Carolina 40
Vegas doesn’t appear to be giving the Matt Moore any credit whatsoever. The Giants have been a long ways from dominant lately and I wasn’t particularly impressed with what I saw this preseason, especially up front on both sides of the ball. Those are two positions where the Panthers have looked excellent. They don’t appear to be missing Peppers much and we know they will run the bballl successfully.
The Pick: Panthers 23 - Giants 21
Miami 3 BUFFALO 39
Ladies and gentlemen, the Bills suck royally. The Dolphins are going to be very good this year and last time I checked it won’t be a subzero blizzard in Ralph Wilson. I wish I could figure out how to bet online because this is free money.
The Pick: Dolphins 33 - Bills 10
Atlanta Falcons 1½ PITTSBURGH 38
The Dixon experiment is going to start off rocky and the Pittsburgh faithful will be fidgeting nervously for the next 4 weeks. Atlanta needs to play mistake free and stay within themselves keeping the ball on the ground and letting Turner dictate the game. So far the QB situation in Pitt has been so sketchhy that I can’t see them sustaining much offense regardless of how well Mendenhall plays.
The Pick: Falcons 17 - Steelers 13
CHICAGO 6½ Detroit 44½
I don’t want to talk about it.
The Pick: Lions 28 - Bears 23
NEW ENGLAND 4½ Cincinnati 45
I’ve been reading quite a bit of positive press on the Bengals lately. It’s almost as if they were first overhyped, then there was so much backlash they became undervalued, and now they are creeping back up the hype-o-meter. I’m a little more bullish on them than most and I think I like them over the Ravens in the division if their running game holds up. But, and it’s a big but, I think the Patriots are going to flat out explode offensively this season. I suspect this game will be a shootout but finally I am going to pick a home team, but not to cover.
The Pick: Patriots 34 - Bengals 30
TAMPA BAY 3 Cleveland 37
Which team sucks worse? I was listening to the ESPN Football Today Podcast and they did their power rankings and they had the Bucs shockingly high, like 23rd oor something. This my friends is crazy talk, I think I have them 31st just barely above the Bills. Unless I’ve missed something this preseason, they haven’t improved dramatically. They are starting 2 rookie WRs and a 2nd year QB. They have a rookie RB platooning with a perpetual injury risk. All in all, I don’t see them scoring much even on the Brownies. But damn, can I really pick Jake Delhomme? On the road? You know what, I think this is a game that has SenorBeef masturbating furiously into his Jerome Harrison jersey.
The Pick: Browns 20 - Buccaneers 13
JACKSONVILLE 3 Denver 40
Wow, have the Broncos really fallen this far? They are actually a dog to a team with David Garrard at QB? The knee issue with MoJo worries me but not nearly as much as the hamstring on Knowshon and this is one of those ugly games that Del Rio wins early in the year to actually keep him in the conversation in the AFC South. Denver is going to have to rely on their passing game but on the road they will fall just short in an ugly one.
The Pick: Jaguars 24 - Broncos 20
Indianapolis 2 HOUSTON 48
Lunacy! Absurdity! More free money! Peyton will not lose the first game of the season to a division rival. The Texans are a nifty little upstart and that passing game will make a game of this but the 4th quarter Peyton will put a bow on this one. Arian Foster fans/owners tread lightly, the bubble could burst at any moment.
The Pick: Colts 26 - Texans 21
TENNESSEE 6 Oakland 40½
I hope this is the start to a 2500 yard season for my boy CJ, but Oakland’s defense has looked positively spunky this preseason and I think that Vince Young is in for a very long day. If the Raiders had Michael Bush available for this game I’d be picking them confidently, but without him I’'m left to ask if I trust Campbell to win this one on his own with a shaky group of pass catchers. I like Oakland to surprise a lot of people this season but not against Jeff Fisher unless Vince absolutely gags, which he might.
The Pick: Titans 20 - Raiders 16
Green Bay 3 PHILADELPHIA 47½
Did someone miss the memo that the Eagles are starting a new QB who has all of 130 career passing attempts? They are at home and the Packers defense is shaky to say the least, but there’s zero chance that Kolb out plays Rodgers in the opener. It’s just too crazy to even consider. McCoy isn’t Westbrook and he’s nott good enough to win this game on his own, and the Packers defense is much better against the run than the pass. Blow out.
The Pick: Packers 32 - Eagles 9
San Francisco 3 SEATTLE 37
I really need a online bookie. Pete Carroll! Mike Williams! Justin Forsett! Monster game for Frank Gore and the San Fran defense.
The Pick: 49ers 28 - Seahawks 0
Arizona 3½ ST LOUIS 39½
Finally I get a chance to pick a home team and it’s the Rams, yikes. Either Vegas is crazy or my radar is way off this week. I think this Derek Anderson experiment will have the Cards faithful pining for Leinart’s noodle arm and Fitzy will gladly get hung out to dry versus getting flat out airmailed by DA. Sam Bradford has his coming out party today and Steven Jackson has a nice little 2 TD game.
The Pick: Rams 20 - Cardinals 10
Dallas 3½ WASHINGTON 40
Another road favorite. This will be the 11th road team I “wager” on. This is screwed up, but I just can see any way the Redskins get it together to beat the Pokes. McNabb gets ass raped generally by Wade Phillips’ defense and I see little reason to think that the porous Redskins O-line and their no-name WRs will help change that trend. The Pokes haven’t exactly lit it up this preseason and I think their running game will struggle mightily, Haynesworth will play and play well by the way, but Romo will do enough to out last McNabb’s impending implosion.
The Pick: Cowboys 23 - Redskins 12
Monday, Sep. 13
NY JETS 2 Baltimore 36
The Sanchise is going to see the bloom come off the rose this week and the pressure of Super Bowl expectations within the NY media will get turned up to a hard boil come Monday night. I think these are two dramatically over rated teams. The Ravens are solid but for all the hype about the passing game they essentially have 3 old, slow possession receivers taking the field. Ray Rice will be solid and Flacco will move the chains but this Jets defense is no joke. Still, the Jets offense will let them down time and time again.
The Pick: Ravens 17 - Jets 16
San Diego 4½ KANSAS CITY 45
Yup. Another road team. This second west coast MNF game has a horrible tendency to suck and I don’t see much reason that will change. We’ll get a preview of the new look Chargers offense and they get a pretty easy test against the Chefs. The Chargers defense is all bark and no bite and they are going to give up some points but Rivers dominates Matt Cassel in every conceivable way and even without VJax the Chargers weapons outstrip the Chefs totally and completely. The most interesting thing about this game might be for fantasy owners seeing who between Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones gets the carries.
The Pick: Chargers 31 - Chiefs 23
:eek:
How’s Kevin Smith?
But he does have a right to be pissed. Harrison has been their best RB for a couple years now and its like they don’t want to use him. With the injury to…ah I can’t remember his name, a second round RB pick I believe…Hardesty, something like that?.. the Browns will have to give significant carries to Harrison now almost by default.
Wait…Jamal Anderson’s not still on the roster, is he?
I think they made Harrison put on weight and he’s lost some quickness because of it, I’m a little concerned.
Still will be jerking it though.
Well, he’s not going to be able to hold up as a featured back at 205 pounds. I’d have thought you’d be pleased by the implications of a weight gain program.
You have to take the little things away from the games when your team blows. As a longtime Bengals fan, I certainly can empathize.
Hopefully you’ll start seeing some improvements. Quite honestly I’ve never really been someone that’s hated the Browns like many Bengals fans do. Historically and in name they are tied together by one NFL pioneer, Paul Brown.
That and I just don’t have enough hatred to go around after I expend my finite supply on the Steelers, Ravens and most recently, the Jets.
Heh. For the last six years, all I’ve been able to take from Buccaneers games is the sense of wonder that Cadillac Williams has worked through three “career-ending” knee injuries.
Even when we made the playoffs in 2007 everyone knew we’d be one-and-done.
He played around 210-215 last year. I don’t know why it’s assumed someone can’t hold up - isn’t MJD pretty similar? Along with probably 5 other recent great backs that I could double check the wieght on if I wasn’t going out the door.
I don’t think adding an extra 10-15 pounds necesarily makes you that much more injury proof. Some guys are good at avoiding injury through agility.
Agreed. I have a slight fondness for the Bengals, and I look at them almost as a retarded younger brother.
Edit: That didn’t mean to sound as mean as it does. Maybe retarded isn’t the right word…
MJD is generously listed at 5’7". I’ve met him and I could just about have stepped on top of his head.
I don’t think it’s a player’s actual weight that matters, but his stockiness. MJD is nearly as wide as he is tall. Conversely, Cadillac Williams is exactly my height (5’11" and three quarters), and at 215 lbs. he looks kind of lanky. Fred Taylor looks much the same at 6’1" and 225, or at least he did in his prime. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him in person.
Granted, this isn’t really a scientific sort of thing, but I didn’t see Harrison as a shifty kind of guy anyway.