NFC East: Tiger Woods
Breakfast links: The DeSean question
But free agency starts a month from today, and I know that's on your mind along with that little "draft" thing they have planned for late April, so let's kick off a real solid week of offseason coverage with some fresh, hot links.
New York Giants
So, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz showed up in L.A. on Sunday night to present a Grammy. But Jason Pierre-Paul will not be appearing Monday night for TNA wrestling. This was apparently a possibility from which Pierre-Paul (or someone very wise who's close to him) changed his mind.
Mike Garafolo has a look at the superstitions that the Giants carried with them to and through Super Bowl XLVI. It was impossible not to notice the Christmas decorations still up in their offices in the final week of January, but I was not aware that John Mara was wearing the same tie to every game or that David Diehl had to talk to a four-year-old before games.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jeff McLane explains why it's a sure thing that the Eagles will designate DeSean Jackson as their franchise player, and why that won't end their decision-making process on Jackson, who still could be traded to a different team after the franchise tag is applied. The most important thing to remember here is that every single decision the Eagles make between now and September will be for the purpose of helping the 2012 team reach the Super Bowl. For the people running the franchise, there's nothing beyond next season right now.
Asante Samuel is another Eagle whose future is in question, and Samuel has no idea where he'll be playing next season. He says he wants to be back in Philadelphia, but it feels unlikely at this point.
Dallas Cowboys
Because I know how much you guys love your Tony Romo golf updates: Romo and Tiger Woods finished tied for 17th at Pebble Beach after Tiger fell apart Sunday. But Romo says Tiger's close to putting something special together. Tiger didn't weigh in on whether Tony is.
Blogging the Boys posits that at least part of the Cowboys' Jerry Jones problem is that Jones hasn't connected with a head coach since Jimmy Johnson, then goes on to examine whether Jason Garrett can fill that void. I'll say this: I feel pretty confident that Jones will give Garrett every chance to succeed. He's invested in Garrett in a number of ways.
Washington Redskins
Mike Jones looks at the reasons why Matt Flynn might not make sense for the Redskins as a free-agent quarterback solution. I don't think, based on what little I know about it, that Flynn is very high on the list. I'd rank him behind Kyle Orton, Peyton Manning and Robert Griffin III on the list of likely Redskins starting quarterbacks in 2012. But I have been wrong before.
John Keim has a look at Orton and whether he makes sense. He's an imperfect solution, to be sure, but if they can't trade up for Griffin or be completely convinced Manning is healthy, they're not going to find a perfect solution. Mike Shanahan likes Orton but didn't want to deal picks for him when he was available last summer. Now that it's just money ... just don't be surprised, is all.
New York Giants
It turns out that not one but two Giants tight ends tore ACLs in the Super Bowl. The Giants announced Travis Beckum's during the game and Jake Ballard's on Tuesday while they were parading up the Canyon of Heroes in downtown Manhattan. It's unlikely either will be ready for the start of the 2012 season, so expect this to be an area the Giants address in the draft or in free agency.
Osi Umenyiora says he plans to "party for a month" and not worry about his own Giants future. With a year left on a deal about which he was so publicly sour a year ago, you'd have to think he'd want out. But in the wake of his second Super Bowl title, Umenyiora's saying all the right things, including, "It is not going to be on me," which made me wonder if he means he's done complaining about his contract and asking for trades or if he's just speaking literally to the fact that he's under contract for another year and it's up to the team to decide what to do with him.
Philadelphia Eagles
Trent Cole says the Eagles were "inches away from being great, being a dominant team" in 2011, and that he thinks "some teams are going to be worried about" playing the Eagles in 2012. Any or all of those things could be true, but in this humble reporter's opinion, it might be a nice idea for the Eagles to have a quiet offseason from a talking standpoint.
If the Eagles part company with DeSean Jackson, I think it'd make some sense for them to take a wide receiver with the 15th pick in the draft. Sheil Kapadia examines the wisdom of such a move and takes a look at the recent success (or lack thereof) of first-round wide receivers.
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo will be playing in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this weekend with Tiger Woods, who thinks highly of the Cowboys' quarterback as a golfer. I put this in here because I know how much you guys like to read about Tony Romo's golf game.
In case you missed it the other day, SportsCenter had a debate about which team that missed the 2011-12 playoffs has the best chance to win Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans next February. Tim Hasselbeck said the Cowboys, Herman Edwards said the Eagles. It begins!
Washington Redskins
Mike Jones believes the Redskins are interested in a pursuit of Peyton Manning, assuming he's healthy. But he ponders the question of whether Manning would want the Redskins back. Mike Shanahan has talked a lot about the importance of improving the group around the quarterback -- in particular wide receiver and the offensive line. If he's planning to try and woo Manning, he should be ready to show him how he plans to do that.
Brian Mitchell remembers the days when the Redskins didn't take pride in beating the eventual Super Bowl champion but rather in being the eventual Super Bowl champion.
Using E-Poll Market Research, Forbes found that 69 percent of the 1,100 respondents from across the nation said Vick was someone they "dislike a lot," "dislike" or "dislike some." Tom Van Riper, who authored the report, thinks Vick will become more likable once he has more success on the field. Obviously, the nature of his crime still resonates with folks.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones checks in at No. 5 on the "Disliked" list, one spot behind Tiger Woods. Jones is one of the most likable guys you could ever be around, but he's still a villain in the eyes of many Cowboys haters. Former Eagles and Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens checked in at No. 7 on the list despite the fact that he's currently not on an NFL roster.
So if you guys had to come up with a "Most Disliked" list for the NFC East, how would it look? Based on the current landscape of the NFC East, here's how I think the rankings would go:
1. Albert Haynesworth, Redskins DT
2. Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner
3. Dan Snyder, Redskins owner
4. Tony Romo, Cowboys QB
5. Osi Umenyiora, Giants DE
6. DeAngelo Hall, Redskins CB
7. Clinton Portis, Redskins RB
8. Brandon Jacobs, Giants RB
9. Roy Williams, Cowboys WR
10. Patrick Crayton, Cowboys WR
By the way, Philly.com conducted its own poll with the 10 sports figures from the Forbes.com poll. Jerry Jones finished first and Ben Roethlisberger was a close second. But I sort of think that even the most ardent anti-Jerry voters secretly wish he was their owner.
What, you don't think some Eagles fans would trade the stuffy Jeff Lurie for Jones in a heartbeat?
Thursday Beastlines: Barber on the block?
Cowboys
- DallasNews.com columnist Todd Archer ponders a Marion Barber trade scenario.
- Dallas Morning News draft czar Rick "Goose" Gosselin thinks Barber would only command a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
- In his weekly newsletter, Jean Jacques Taylor says fans should stop worrying about Doug Free at left tackle. Just relax, says Taylor.
- So what will become of the plot of land surrounding Texas Stadium?
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com takes a look at Idaho guard Mike Iupati.
- Stephen A. Smith calls the Eagles the "Tiger Woods of the National Football League." For more, click here.
- Sam McNabb makes a very uncomfortable comparison involving his son.
- Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times talks about Nick Cole signing his tender.
- Les Bowen of the Daily News tracked down Kevin Kolb's parents in Flatonia, Texas.
- Ralph Vacchiano has a list of local prospects who are stopping by the Meadowlands for a workout.
- Scotland native and Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes was honored at a New York penthouse Tuesday night.
- Jason Reid of the Post says he's hearing coach Mike Shanahan might ask for some of that Albert Haynesworth bonus money back. Good luck on that, Coach.
- Rick Maese finds an interesting passage from a book that's instructive of Shanahan's hard-line approach with Haynesworth.
As we speak, the owners are in a general session during which they'll be able to ask NFL commissioner Roger Goodell questions. Only two representatives per team are allowed to be in the room. For example, Jerry Jones and son Stephen are representing the Cowboys while co-owners Steve Tisch and John Mara are looking out for the Giants. Someone who just left the meeting room told me that Goodell would be briefing the owners on the labor negotiations for the next hour or so.
So while we wait for the owners to make their exit, let's see what's on your mind. If you were allowed to ask either the coaches or owners a question this week, what would it be? Let's stick with the NFC East since that's sort of the point of this blog. Leave your questions in the "comments" section and I'll try to ask a few of them over the next couple days.
Across the hall, ESPN's Tom Rinaldi continues to discuss his exclusive interview with Tiger Woods. Not far away, Adam Schefter will be conducting live hits for the next 72 hours. The man's collection of pin-striped suits is the stuff of legend.
We've spotted Jerry Jones' wife, Gene, several times but the Cowboys owner has kept a low-profile this morning. So far, Arthur Blank wins the award for being the most visible owner. His commitment to the John Waters mustache is pretty impressive.
OK, I have to continue the stakeout for NFC East types.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Since the Beast is taking the Fourth of July off (without permission) from management, I'm posting the mailbag a day early. Many of you guys thought I was nuts to suggest Eli Manning could become the first $50 million (guaranteed) quarterback in the history of the league. I'll give you a chance to sound off in today's mailbag -- minus the expletives of course. So let's get the fireworks started:
Jeff in New York is concerned about my Thursday column on Eli: Mr. Mosley, yes I am a hardcore Steelers fan but I feel I am being unbiased here: I just read your piece on Eli Manning and you had mentioned you could argue that Eli is better than Ben Roethlisberger... can I ask how you can argue that? Unless you are basing your argument on one game (one unbelievable performance, I'll admit), it is not even close. Roethlisberger has two rings, more fourth-quarter comebacks, more regular-season wins, more playoff wins, more TDs career and less INTs career.
The one edge I can safely give Eli is his arm strength. He has a much better feel for the deep ball than Roethlisberger and while Ben tends to scramble and extend plays, Eli is much more comfortable standing in the pocket and delivering the ball. Eli is a very good quarterback and I am waiting to see when he has that explosive 30-TD year because I believe he will get there. I am just not ready to put him on Roethlisberger's level. Plus, I think he needs a weapon or two on the wide-receiver side this year because it is simply not fair to put all the pressure on him to perform at such a high level with mostly young, unproven receivers. Can he handle the load?
Mosley: First off, Jeff wins the award for longest question this week -- and he's obviously pretty knowledgable. But to suggest a Steelers fans can be "unbiased" in an Eli vs. Big Ben debate seems like a stretch. I don't think it's fair for people to suggest that Manning's career can only be measured by his performance in the Super Bowl, although he was outstanding that day. Both quarterbacks have been helped by strong running games and excellent receivers. It remains to be seen what Manning can do without Burress, but let's wait and give him a chance.
Jeff, you're sort of obsessed with numbers, but let me point out to you that Manning has succeeded over the past five seasons against superior competition. I know the Ravens were solid last season, but they haven't played like that throughout Big Ben's career. The Bengals are the Bengals (except for the one season) and the Browns had one decent season during the Roethlisberger era. Manning has spent his career in the best division in football (no bias) and that interception total is inflated because of getting thrown into the fire his rookie season. In Roethlisberger's first Super Bowl run, he wasn't asked to do nearly as much as Manning in his first Super Bowl run. And Roethlisberger played poorly in the Steelers' first Super Bowl appearance of the decade. Any arguments?
Manning and Roethlisberger have played almost the exact same amount of games since 2004 (73-72) and yes, Big Ben has thrown five fewer interceptions (69). But the number that bothers me about Roethlisberger is that he takes too many sacks. You can say that Manning's had the better offensive line (and you'd be right), but early on, Big Ben's line was better. He's taken 72 more sacks than Manning, which sort of adds up. Roethlisberger holds the ball longer, which helps account for his 192 sacks taken. Manning has 120 sacks, and he's much more willing to throw it away and not put his offense in a long-yardage situation. I understand that both fan bases are completely happy with their quarterbacks -- as they should be. But in the long run, I think Manning will prove to be the better player. Geez, we're already about 600 words in and we've "answered" one question.
Jeff from Beaumont, Texas, has a Redskins question: Matt, I always knew that Jason Campbell had to learn a new offense every year in the NFL, but I just recently read that he's in his seventh new offense in the last eight years (the exception being this year with Jim Zorn). Do you think Jason Campbell steps up to Pro Bowl/playoff level play or do you see him holding on to the ball, still hesitant to make the big play?
Mosley: There is no bigger defender of Jason Campbell on the Internet today than the Beast, but the "new offense" angle is getting a little old. Yes, it's relevant. But at some point you have to play the hand you're dealt in order to succeed. The other three teams in the division don't have sympathy for Campbell because of all the changes, so he has to find a way to overcome everything. In some ways, it's a little overblown. If a guy's talented enough to quickly process information, go through his reads and deliver the ball in traffic, he should be able to do it in any system. I think Campbell's poised to have a solid season, but there are too many good quarterbacks in the Beast for him to jump into the Pro Bowl. To address your last question, I think he'll be far less hesitant in his second year under Zorn. But if Stephon Heyer and Co. can't give him any time, it might not matter.
William B. from Beaverton, Ore. writes: I was wondering if you wanted to have a debate about the outlook of the NFC East in your comments section because, personally, I think you lost the debate on Eli Manning and Philip Rivers and I could win on any topic.
Mosley: More than 12,000 readers (possibly inflated) disagreed with you, William. But set up the debate and I'll join you in the comments section during training camp. I've been meaning to spend more time in the "comments" section. You'll recognize me by our exciting "nfceastadmin" tag.
Steve W. from Anchorage has a beef with our Tiger-Romo coverage: Matt, would be nice if for a day you left Tony Romo out of your reports. Who cares if he went golfing with Tiger? I went golfing with a couple buddies the other day. NO ONE CARES. The Pope doesn't talk about Jesus as much as you talk about the Cowboys! It's the NFC East, not the Cowboys blog -- since the Cowboys can't win the division or a playoff game, move on and become a reporter, not a Dallas insider.
Mosley: Steve, it takes guts to compare a round with your buddies in Achorage with a round including Tony Romo and the most popular golfer on the planet. And let's leave religion out of this! :)
Mike from Sedita, Ga., sent this message via fax: Matt, great piece on Eli's contract. My question is, after you write something like that, do you sit back and actually read the dribble of comments? I mean you're writing for every team generates almost the same response; here is the formula: insert any team in the article and the other three division foes for responses. Positive article about the Giants and then the Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins fans tank it while the Giants fans praise it -- as I did here.
N
egative article about the Giants, and the Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins fans LOVE it and the Giants fans bash it. Then there is the random AFC West guy who did a search for Rivers who chimes in. I usually read about three, laugh and go to your next note. I personally like most of it either way. Great work!
Mosley: Mike, stop giving away my secrets. Honestly, that's what makes writing the blog so fun. I realize that I'm going to get accused of being biased toward all four teams at times. That comes with the territory. For some reason, though, one team seems to come up more than any other! But yes, I sit back and read all the comments -- even the negative ones. You guys have made the Beast a huge success, and that's why I embrace the haters -- and the handful of supporters.
Programming note: I'll try to add a few more answers throughout the weekend, so please hit "refresh" every five hours or so. And have a wonderful Fourth of July!
Live report from the Woods-Romo foursome
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
One of our favorite golf writers, ESPN.com's Jason Sobel, woke up at 5 ET this morning to follow a foursome that included Tiger Woods and Tony Romo -- oh and House Minority Leader John Boehner. Woods had invited Romo to play with him in Wednesday's Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am, which precedes the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. Here's Sobel's from-the-scene account of what took place this morning:
 | |
| AP Photo/Rob Carr | |
| Tiger Woods and Tony Romo played together in Wednesday's pro-am. |
"A funny thing happened when Tony Romo showed up at the 10th tee at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday for a tee time with Tiger Woods in the pro-am for the AT&T National here in the heart of Redskins country," writes Sobel. "He was greeted with ... applause.
"Throughout his round with tournament host Woods, Congress Minority Leader John Boehner and Dallas-based automobile broker Tom Dundon, the Cowboys quarterback was treated as if this was a home game by the gallery members, a few dozen of whom were adorned in navy, silver and white No. 9 jerseys.
"Oh sure, there were a few who stayed loyal to the local team, including one 10-year-old who audibly admonished Jessica Simpson -- not present at the time -- for "settling" on beau Romo, who was "getting chubby." Another spectator wore a T-shirt that read, "Romo wuz NOT built in a day," which may have been more factual than adversarial. When the scratch handicapper flubbed a fairway wood approach shot on No. 9, there were a few lighthearted catcalls, but nothing of real disdain. And during the tournament's opening ceremony, Romo received a smattering of boos, as Redskins stars Jason Campbell and Antwaan Randle El were met with boisterous cheers.
"As for the golf, Romo actually stepped it back and played the final 17 holes from the tournament tees alongside Woods, even outdriving his partner on a few occasions. Though his putting stroke left something to be desired, the quarterback acquitted himself well, helping the team to an overall score of 9-under-par.
"It may not have been the kind of performance that would equate to a game-winning drive at FedEx Field, but it was hardly an ill-timed interception, either."
Join me in thanking the official golf analyst of the Beast, Jason Sobel. His live blogs during the majors the last couple years have been brilliant. And in case you missed the news, Woods has asked Romo's girlfriend, Jessica Simpson, to sing the national anthem before Thursday's first round. I didn't realize anyone sang the national anthem before golf tournaments, but it sounds like a nice touch. We'll continue to bring you Woods-Romo updates throughout the day. That's what you guys have demanded.
Skins fan gets in Romo's head early in round
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Tony Romo and Tiger Woods should be wrapping up their round in the Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. soon and hopefully we'll have some updates for you. I know you'll be waiting on the edge of your laptops.
One humorous note from this morning: According to the Washington Post's Barry Svrluga's Twitter feed, someone wrote "Go Redskins!" in Romo's yardage book. I'm sure he appreciated the encouraging note. By the way, Skins quarterback Jason Campbell is playing in the group behind Romo with wide receiver Antwaan Randle El.
We'll be filing updates throughout the day. Don't go anywhere. I'm serious!
Romo invades Skins country to play with Tiger
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
At 6:30 a.m. ET today, Tiger Woods and Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo were set to tee off together at Congressional Country Club in the Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am. The pairing has caused some (mild) controversy because Woods chose Romo over Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, who just happens to be playing in the 6:40 a.m. group.
According to Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog, at least one member of the prestigious Congressional CC has vowed to boo Romo.
|
Campbell will play in a group with Redskins wide receiver Antwaan Randle El and former Masters champion Mike Weir. If Romo's taking too much time on the greens, there's always the chance that Campbell hits into him, although I wouldn't bet on it. Steinberg asked PGA Tour pro Paul Goydos what he thought about the prospect of people booing Romo.
"Do I think they should interfere with the round of golf? No," said Goydos, a Rams fan. "Do I think they should give him some [stuff] if they get the opportunity? That's part of life. He gets paid very well. I don't know that you should be hassling Tiger because he's got Romo out there. But a Cowboy coming into Redskin or Eagle or Giant territory has to expect that a little bit. For me to tell them it's inappropriate is not fair. Those people are nuts."
I'm told that ESPN.com golf writer Jason Sobel, who did a superb job at the U.S. Open, will be following the Woods-Romo pairing this morning. We'll try to update you on the round. My prediction: Woods shoots 66, Romo posts a 77. And honestly, 6:30 a.m. is way too early for booing. I'd be surprised if anyone actually wakes up early enough to heckle Romo.
Here's what Romo told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday about the opportunity to play with Woods:
"I love talking to individuals who have success in their field," Romo said. "Obviously he's done that so it'll be a very enjoyable experience for me to figure out the way he thinks and some of the things he focuses on to improve as a player and continue to grow and get better.
"I've always felt golf for me allows me to work on the mental side, being in a competitive situation. People are kidding themselves if they don't think you can improve in football if you play other sports. You put yourself in a competitive environment where you're not sure you'll have success or fail, the more times you do that it's a benefit. The more times you trust your instincts or trust your preparation it can only help."
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
At 6:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, Tiger Woods and Tony Romo will be teeing it up in the Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. We'll talk more about it as the day unfolds, but Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El will be playing with former Masters champ Mike Weir in the group behind Woods-Romo.
Should make for an interesting round. Romo's told me for years that his dream is to play with Jack Nicklaus. But for now, Woods will have to do. My prediction: Woods shoots a 66, Romo fires a 77. On Thursday, Woods will begin his pursuit of the AT&T National.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo failed in his bid to advance in U.S. Open qualifying Monday and then he came up short in an HP Byron Nelson Championship qualifier Tuesday. Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News documented both rounds and quickly pointed out that Romo worked out at Valley Ranch both days.
Some people wonder if Romo's playing too much in the offseason, but honestly he's probably playing about the same amount as any other avid golfer/NFL player. We just notice him more because he attempts to qualify for professional events. I think the folks who run Nelson (the Salesmanship Club of Dallas) are missing a golden opportunity by not granting Romo a special exemption. He's a scratch golfer, so it's not like he's going to embarrass himself too badly. And it would help bring more people to an event that has lost some of its luster since Nelson died -- and Tiger Woods no longer shows up.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dan Graziano
Graziano joined ESPN.com in 2011 after two years as a Senior NFL Writer for AOL FanHouse. He covered Major League Baseball, the Olympics and various other sports during his time at the Star-Ledger and the Palm Beach Post. A New Jersey native and author of two published novels, he now lives in Ridgewood, N.J., with his wife and two sons.
