Around The NFL (4 UPDATES)

The New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms of a trade that would send former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush to Miami, according to FoxSports.com.

With the Saints gaining Mark Ingram and having pretty decent back ups (Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas). Miami has a few questions surrounding the RB situation Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown may not be back, so having a good receiving option can help alleviate some pressures.

The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a five-year, $41 million contract with wide receiver Sidney Rice, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

A 6-4 WR never would hurt whoever is playing QB for Seattle.

***UPDATE***

We will do the same thing we did yesterday and just keep updating this post with all the moves made around the NFL...

- SF have told Nate Clements that he will released after not being able to work out a contract. Could be a nice fall back option for whoever loses out on Asomugha.

- Cardinals continue to try to rebuild that offense line scooping up fomer Packers offensive lineman Daryn Colledge for 5 years 27.5 million.

- Most people seem to think the Viking will heavily go after Braylon Edwards now that they lost Sidney Rice to the Seahawks.

- Steve Smith will no longer asked to be traded out of Carolina, which I think is a huge mistake on his part. Even with their draft and resignings by the time they are good he will be all washed up.


***UPDATE 2***

- Redskins have reached an agreement with former Cowboys DE Stephen Bowen (5 years $27.5 million $12.5 signing bonus). This could mean Cullen Jenkins could be making his way back to the Packers.

- Arizona Cardinals have asked Joey Porter to take a pay cut from his $5.75 milliion salary. If he declines, he'll be released.

***UPDATE 3***

- Kevin Kolb is about to traded to the Cardinals for Rodgers-Cromartie and a draft choice (rumored to be a 2nd round pick).

- Saints have signed IT Jermon Bushrod to a 2 year deal.


***UPDATE 4***

- Bills have signed WE Brad Smith to a 4 year $15 million deal.

- Kolb is getting a 5 year deal from the Cardinals worth $63.5 million, $21 guaranteed.

Why Not?

Why not watch this cat's reaction to the Seahawks getting a home playoff game?

Patriots Branch Out

The Patriots sent a 4th round pick to Seattle for the services of Deion Branch. And everyone who bought a discount Branch jersey from the Pro Shop feels great about it. Although, he'll likely have to wear a different number, as Welker currently owns his old digits.

The critics/haters/morons-who-think-they're-smart out there will deride this deal. "You replace Moss with Branch, just to move up 30 picks in the draft?"

Yes. Because how many problems has Branch created in his career? Branch and the Patriots didn't part on great terms after '05, but there wasn't much animosity. And unlike Moss, there's no wake of destruction left behind him.

Branch is no Randy Moss. He's 7 inches shorter, has never had a 1,000 yard season (had 998 in '05), has never averaged over 15 yards per catch, and only has 20 career TDs.

Branch has only caught 13 passes for Seattle this season, for 139 yards. He'll contribute as a 3rd or 4th option in certain plays. He'll catch a few passes, but won't disrupt defenses the way Randy Moss did.

Nor will he disrupt the locker room. You can pretty much guarantee that. And while Randy hadn't yet disrupted the Patriots locker room, I challenge even the most anti-Moss-trade people out there to attempt to guarantee that for Randy Moss.

Source:
ESPN

-The Commodore

Your Yearly Deion Branch Rumor (UPDATED)

We seem to get this rumor every year, so it comes as no surprise that it is back in the news since the Moss trade...

"Tom Curran of CSN New England reports that it won't actually be a new face, it'll be a familiar one.

The knee-jerk speculation is that this familiar face belongs to Deion Branch, rumored to be on the block since the offseason. The Pats balked at that point, but the landscape has obviously changed. We're thinking the Seattle Seahawks probably won't get a first-rounder back, however, which was the price they paid to the Pats for Branch back in 2006 (ESPN)."

On paper it makes sense. Brady has always had a soft spot for Branch and was none too happy when he was traded. Plus, the Patriots probably get him for cheap (nothing better then a 4th rounder and that could be pushing it). Still, I just don't see it happening. I really believe the Patriots are going to do nothing. I don't think there is an ace up their sleeve, and they are going to do with the guys they have, but I guess we will see. Like I have said before IF they were going to do a deal it would most likely happen over the this bye week.

***UPDATE***

Maybe this time the rumor actually has some legs to it....

"The source also told the Globe that Brady had been in touch with Branch during the past week because he knew the Moss trade was in the works. And according to the Boston Herald, the Patriots and Seahawks have had preliminary talks about the possibility of a Branch trade.

Branch told the Boston Herald earlier this year he would welcome a return to New England.

"That'd be interesting to see," Branch said. "You know what, I talk to guys all the time. I never wanted to leave, nor did coach [Bill] Belichick and his staff and the organization want me to leave, either. We just couldn't get the contractual part down. We just couldn't come to an agreement. And that stuff happens.

"I still love Coach Belichick and if the opportunity presents itself to come back, I would love to be there (ESPN)."

I guess I should start believing this, but I have been fooled by these rumors every year, so I am going to be stubborn and stick with not believing.

Marshawn Lynch Traded To Seahawks

With the Moss deal blinding everyone else, the Seattle Seahawks made a decent move in trading for disgruntle runningback Marshawn Lynch from Buffalo for a 2011 4th round pick and maybe a 2012 6th round pick.

I refuse to believe that Marshawn is done and isn't good anymore. He was terrific a couple years ago but then has been splitting the ball with Fred Jackson and now CJ Spiller.

Seattle wasn't happy with the production they were getting from Justin Forsett and Julius Jones (they cut jones after the deal) so they traded for the back. Marshawn is still 24 and should be a great addition for the Seahawks. I'm surprised GB and NE struck out with him.

Vicent Jackson Rumors Heating Up

Vincent Jackson's suspension could go down to 5 games if he is traded by Wednesday. With that in mind, rumors are all over the place. There are a couple that really make sense to me.

The one that seems to make the most sense is the Vikings trading for Jackson. They are need of a replacement with Sidney Rice out for at least 8 weeks, Harvin still dealing with headaches, and Bernard Berrian looking more and more like he is just never going to catch on. The Vikings know this is their last year with Favre, and after they are most likely going to have to start over, so it would make sense to make a deal for a guy who can help them win this year. Jackson could be a huge difference maker.

Other teams that are being rumored are the Seahawks, Browns, Redskins, and Rams.

Aaron Schobel Deciding Between 3 Teams

I reported last week that the Bills cut Patriots killer Aaron Schobel last week. I right off the bat said the Patriots should make a run at this guy, and according to ESPN it seems that is exactly what they are going to do.

ESPN states that there are 3 teams fighting for his services (Houston Texans, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks). The Patriots obviously make the most sense. They have been looking for a strong pass rusher for years now, and although Schobel is getting older, he still had 10 sacks last year.

Problem is the Texans are rumored to be out in front, and most reports seem to think he'll end up there. The Patriots (as always) don't want to spend the money. I still don't understand why, since it is an uncapped year and we are one of the riches franchises. I hope I'm wrong, but everything I'm reading suggests Houston will be his new home soon.

2010 NFL Preview: NFC West

So we have finished all the NFC West teams. This is how we see the final standings for this division...

1. 49ers: 9-7
2. Cardinals: 8-8
3. Rams: 5-12
4. Seahawks: 4-12

NFL Breakdowns: Seattle Seahawks

2009 Record: 5-11

Key Additions:
Chris Baker, TE, New England
Chris Clemons, DE, Philadelphia
Ben Hamilton, G/C, Denver
Robert Henderson, DE, Detroit
Ruvell Martin, WR, St. Louis
Matt McCoy, LB, Tampa Bay
Sean Morey, WR, Arizona
Kevin Vickerson, DT, Tennessee
Leon Washington, RB, N.Y. Jets
Charlie Whitehurst, QB, San Diego

Key Losses:
Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit
Deon Grant, S, N.Y. Giants
Justin Griffith, FB, Houston
Walter Jones, LT, Retired
Patrick Kerney, DE, Retired
Lance Laury, LB, N.Y. Jets
Ken Lucas, CB, Free agent
Cory Redding, DE, Baltimore
Rob Sims, G, Detroit
Darryl Tapp, DE, Philadelphia
Seneca Wallace, QB, Cleveland

Offense:

Matt Hasselbeck is nearing the end of his career, but if you take away his 2 terrible games in December he actually didn't have as bad of a year as his numbers suggest. He threw 17 picks last year, but if you take those 2 games he would've had 15 TDs and 9 Ints, not good, but not as bad as a lot of people thought. The problem with this team is their offensive line has just been awful. Hasselbeck is a guy who needs a solid pocket around him, so that he can read the defense and look down field. Now you have to wonder if he has confidence in his line, which will just cause more picks. The Seahawks only hope is Justin Forsett having a big year, and guys like Golden Tate steeping up and being a #2 to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. I'm not holding my breathe.

Defense:

This defense is just awful against the pass. Seattle’s pass defense ranked 30th in ’09, which was two spots better than in ’08. A lot of their problems come from injuries to top cornerback Marcus Trufant, and the lack of depth behind him. Their safties could've improved with the drafting of Earl Thomas, but next to him is our old friend Lawyer Milloy, but he can't have much left in the tank. The best part of this defense is their linebackers, but with a weak defensive line I think this could be another rough year for Seattle's defense.

Overall:

This is a team that should've sold off everyone and rebuilt. They are in an odd spot now where they have a lot of older guys, who aren't good enough to get them in the playoffs. Plus Pete Carroll sucks.

2010 Record: 4-12

Leigh Bodden Leaves Texas Without A Contract

There had been reports that Bodden was down in Houston working on a deal. If that was true it must have fallen through, because he left there without a contract, and most rumors seem to indicate the the Patriots are getting closer to hammering out a contract (some rumors say the deal may already be done).

Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks are the two other teams that are rumored to have interest. I really hope the Patriots are able to bring this guy back. He might not be a shutdown corner, but he is serviceable, and there isn't much out there in terms of free agents, so I don't see any harm in bringing him back for the right price.

Branch Coming Back To Patriots?

There are a lot of rumors going around that Branch's days in Seattle could be over. This beings up an interesting question. Would the Patriots be interest?

Branch is very injury prone, and hasn't done much during his time with Seattle. Still, this would make sense. Why? Well, for one thing the Patriots are a little weak at WR (I know hard to believe). Welker is going to miss time, and who knows if he'll be the same player. Moss is a another year older, and in the last year of his deal, and the 3rd WR spot was really not settled until Edleman got some playing time.

Branch already knows the system. He is actually only 30 years old, and he could kind of take some of the spot that Welker is going to leave in the Patriots offense.

It is just a thought, but something to keep an eye on anyways...

Pete Carroll Going To Seattle

Pete Carroll has reached an agreement in principle with the Seahawks on a deal to be their next head coach, multiple NFL sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter early Saturday morning.

A Seahawks spokesman confirmed Saturday night that team CEO Tod Leiweke will fly to Los Angeles on Sunday to interview Carroll for the coaching position and that the talks could last into Monday morning. ESPN

I take two things from this, the first is that Pete Carroll has decided to make the jump back to the pro's because he feels it's time and he has already accomplished so much at USC, and the second is that USC's football program is about to go down hard. I personally am leaning towards the second one. USC just recently threw O.J. Mayo and the basketball team under the bus and controversial RB Joe McKnight has decided to go pro, when he really should have stayed another year. I think Carroll has started to feel the heat of the NCAA, and like Calipari, decided to leave before the shit hit the fan:

It will be interesting to see how Pete Carroll does for Seattle, and what happens to USC from this point forward.

Seahwaks Fire Jim Mora

"The Seattle Seahawks fired Jim Mora after just one season, leaving the former NFC West champs without a coach, general manager and president less than four years after they appeared in the Super Bowl. The team confirmed the move Friday in a news release, less than a week after Mora finished 5-11 after taking over his hometown team at the end of Mike Holmgren's coaching contract (CBSSports)."

This seems dumb to me. Why not hire a GM first, and then let him decide oh what to do with the coach. I also hate when teams fire a guy after 1 year, because the guy really hasn't had the chance to bring in "his guys", or get the team comfortable with his style.

Chris Johnson Going For NFL Rushing Record

"The Tennessee Titans may try to get Chris Johnson the single season rushing record on Sunday, especially if his teammates have a say. Johnson needs 234 yards to eclipse the record of 2,105, but for now the goal may be 2,000 yards. After all, you can't just hope for 234 yards any given game.

But they play the lowly Seahawks and, as Titans WR Kenny Britt told the Tennessean, "We know when his name goes in the history books, ours does too." So the players may be pushing Johnson to aim for the record, but Seattle coach Jim Mora was more realistic: "That's a lot of yards for one game (ESPN)."

It will be hard to get 234 yards, but with how bad the Seahawks have been playing anything is possible. At least this gives Titans fans a reason to watch. Also, it will be interesting to see how Vince Young bounces back after an awful game against the Chargers.

Prediction: Johnson falls 50 yards short of the record, but Titans win in a blowout.

Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell Quits

"The Seattle Seahawks are expected to announce general manager Tim Ruskell's resignation at a news conference Thursday, sources said on Wednesday. The team called a news conference for 1 p.m. ET. Ruskell is in the final year of a five-year contract. Recent reports suggesting Ruskell would be fired apparently led him to push ownership for a yes-or-no answer about his long-term tenure, according to sources (ESPN)."

I blame a lot of the struggles of Seattle on the health of their players, but going 8-19 since the beginning of last year is unacceptable. They have made bad choices in free agents, and have done a piss poor job creating an offensive line to protect their once Pro Bowl QB.

Seattle is going to need to get younger and start rebuilding that could mean getting rid of Hasselbeck and starting fresh, but at least they may have found something at RB with Forsett.

Edge Experiment Over In Seattle

The struggling Seahawks cut ties with James on Tuesday, releasing the backup running back who never provided the pop Seattle hoped to get when it signed the 31-year-old in late August.
James failed to provide the punch Seattle hoped for when it cut T.J. Duckett to make room for James. He gained just 125 yards on 46 carries with no scores. He averaged just 2.7 yards per carry. ESPN

I think this was pretty obvious when he signed with Seattle. James was obviously at the tale end of his career, and even though with the Cardinals last year he was in the superbowl, he only had 4 decent games. James passed Marcus Allen as 10th on the runningback rushing record, and that's probably where he will end.

Hasselbeck Injury Update

"Matt Hasselbeck is expected to be back at practice on Wednesday, after fracturing some ribs in Seattle's second game, the Seattle Times reports. Coach Jim Mora made no promises that Hasselbeck could be available this week against Jacksonville, but the Seahawks are 0-2 without their starting QB. We'll keep you updated on his progress throughout the week, and whether he might start (ESPN)."

It sounds like he could play this week. The Seahawks looked like a dangerous team before Hasselbeck went out, but if they don't find a way to protect him he is not going to be on the field for long. Seattle is 0-2 when he is on the sidelines, so it is really going to come down to that offensive line keeping him on the field if Seattle wants to have any shot at the playoffs.

Matt Hasselbeck Injury Update

"Medical tests have determined that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who took a hard hit in the first half of Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, has a fractured rib, a league source said Monday. It is not clear whether the injury will sideline Hasselbeck for Seattle's Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears, but the Seahawks are encouraged that the injury was not more severe, the source said (ESPN)."

This is really too bad for the Seahawks and Hasselbeck. Seattle finally got some WRs to put around Hasselbeck, but he just can't stay on the field. Last year it was his back, and now he has some broken ribs. It doesn't sounds to serious, but I wouldn't expect him on the field this coming Sunday...

NFC West Preview

The Cardinals were just inches from a Super Bowl Championship. And that's sad. They're better than average, and in this division that's pretty good. So they'll win the West, but won't win much more.

ARIZONA CARDINALS
Prediction: 9-7, Division Winners
Arizona's offense is pretty star-studded. 50 year old QB Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald is finally getting recognized for his greatness, Anquan Boldin's no slouch, and they drafted Beanie Wells. Not so stacked on defense. They didn't do much to improve a unit that allowed 40+ points in three games. That will be their undoing. They'll be eliminated in the first round.



SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Prediction: 7-9
Frank Gore rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, and they're going to ride him until he gets hurt. Shaun Hill threw 13 TDs and 8 INTs last year. Alex Smith also sucks. Their defense is actually good, which kept most of their games close last year and should do the same again. They might just even pull out a game or two against Arizona and win the division.



SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Prediction: 5-11
Seattle added Edgerrin James and TJ Houshmandzadeh to their offense. But James is past his prime, and Hasselbeck is strictly mediocre without a strong running game to support him. Their games should have a lot of offense, for both sides, so they'll be moderately entertaining to watch. Unless, of course, you're a Seahawks fan.



ST. LOUIS RAMS
Prediction: 4-12
Steven Jackson rushed for 1,042 yards in only 12 games last year. But the Rams offense elsewhere was simply dreadful. Bulger's QB Rating the last two seasons: 70.3, and 71.4. The defense isn't awful, but it's not capable of winning games for them. And the offense simply cannot come from behind, so the defense has to stop EVERY drive, even from scoring field goals.



-The Commodore

Edgerrin James Signs With Seahawks

The deal is supposedly worth about 2 million. Edge is tough to figure out because he was a shithead all last year for Arizona, but he did show some signs of life in the play-offs. Him, teamed up with Julius Jones, and TJ Duckett looks good on paper, but they are all under achievers. The Seahawks can surprise people coming out of the NL West if Hasslebeck and Housh stay healthy.