We’re Back ………. !

We’re Back !

Well it appears all is back to the norm within the NFL with the lockout apparently ended , the league hierarchy, owners and union reaching an accord that allows for a decade of peace , goodwill amongst all the parties concerned . NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell comes off smelling of something but I’m not quite sure it’s of roses ! More in line with some form of fecal matter and the same could be said of the NFLPA as they now seek to re-certify and once again become a fully fledged union. I can’t help but wonder how the retired veterans feel about this all being that they were in essence shut out for the most part during the course of the deliberations. But ah well it simply takes the death of a number of aged NFL players before both the NFL and union actually show some form compassion as to their grievances all along !

================================================================================================

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

===============================================================================================

Slide show for your perusal .

Now with many of the owners simply glad to have their teams back at work there’s a great deal of money to be made ! And made it will be by hook or by crook as they simply have done their best to portray themselves as the wronged party and the victim ! The players for their part are no doubt happy in particular union President Kevin Mawae who having retired from the league will leave his position as president once his term is over . Mawae along the union’s Executive Director DeMaurice Smith may well have gotten all that they wanted and perhaps a great deal more but now comes the hard part for a number of players returning back to the team facilities . The bloodletting is about to begin as coaches and general managers make the unkindest cut of all and that’s the shedding of talent they believe to be obsolete to their needs . Granted , there are a number of players who became free agents over the course of this four month standoff and it is to be expected many of them may well be resigned by their respective teams but in large the vast majority will be kicked to the curb. Let’s put it this way the carnage is about to become a feast and famine for some players.

In the midst of this all stand the agents who will be looking to secure the best possible deal for their clients . Drew Rosenhaus , Eugene Parker , Tom Condon who heads the Football division of sports agency CAA Sports , Mark Bartelstein and Leigh Steinberg will be handsomely rewarded for their endeavors , as too will some of their clients . Especially those thought to be amongst the marquee free agents thought to be the prime recipients of the contracts that will be on offer for their very special skillset. That being said there are bound to be several players who will be in receipt of contracts that simply do not measure up to the presumed expectations .

With there being varying rumors that the Washington Redskins’ much maligned quarterback Donovan McNabb said to be interested in leaving the team to ply his trade elsewhere and it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Minnesota Vikings are said to be interested in the player . Call me naive but after the Brett Favre debacle this past season why go down that road once again with McNabb whose best years are in his rear view mirror ? At the same time Redskins’ coach Mike Shanahan , himself , has been about as productive a coach in his tenure with the organization as the seated members of the 112th Congress since they returned to session after the midterm elections . And that’s saying a fu_king lot considering that they have not produced one meaningful piece of legislation over that entire period !

Now inasmuch I welcome the return of the NFL my problem with the whole scenario that now arises is seeing the number of teams simply shedding players in order to acquire replacements quite possibly cheaper or in some cases simply overpaying even if we’re led to believe it’s at market related prices . Somehow if Peyton Manning is on the way to becoming the league’s first salaried player at $20 million a season then for all sense and purpose the NFL hierarchy has simply lost their god damn mind ! Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay , GM & Vice Chairman Bill Polian and the team’s coach Jim Caldwell may well feel that the player is well worth such a deal and the very fact that he’s coming off an offseason surgery I can’t say that such a decision would be a prudent one . But I think that it’s not necessarily the player determining this deal but more so the sway and power held by his agent Tom Condon who is amongst the most powerful men in all of sports .

FILE – In this Feb. 6, 2010, file photo, Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning, left, talks with then-offensive coordinator Tom Moore during practice in Davie, Fla,. The Jets have hired Moore as a consultant, according to a person familiar with the situation. Moore, credited for helping Manning develop into a four-time NFL MVP, will work during the season from his home in South Carolina, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the hiring. AP Photo/Eric Gay …..

It would be be remiss to suggest that the Colts won’t be amongst the contenders for the Superbowl this upcoming season . But until we see Manning in full flight , displaying his vast array of skills then many of us will be wondering whether or not the $20 million was actually worth it ! And as of now the jury is still out on the matter .

With all of the expectations coming this season it will be interesting to see how Cam Newton steers his way through the professional ranks of the NFL , given the fact that he was coddled for much of his career with Auburn . The Carolina Panthers coming off a disastrous 2010 schedule , great deal of discontent amongst the coaching staff and front office saw the departure of John Fox . Team owner Jerry Richardson and GM Marty Hurney brought in Fox’s successor Ron Rivera and an upheaval in the assistant coaching staff with a view turning things around for a team that posted a 2-14 record last season.

There’s not said to be a quarterback controversy brewing but I am sure that Jimmy Clausen knows that if he’s not able to prove himself worthy of the starting position then for all sense and purpose he will be spending the greater part of the season holding a clip board , showing his support for his teammates and Cam Newton , as the latter is given his baptism of fire within the NFL . The player has a great deal to prove not just to the fans in general but also to himself because if he fails to any signs of maturity and ability to play within the NFL then much of that perceived hype about him will be considered to be just that ………. nothing but hype !

====================================================================================================

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

===================================================================================================

Picture gallery for your perusal and by clicking on an individual frame you can entity in its original formatted size .

It took four months of mayhem , madness for the NFL and union to reach an accord . Over the next 72 hours the events that will take place will make the league’s deliberations seem somewhat miniscule by comparison . Was it really all said to be worth it in the end ? The NFL at this juncture should be careful what it actually wished for because if this is what they had to do to reach a peaceful accord I would hate to think what they may well seek to do when they realize that their own perception of tranquility was nothing but a fairy tale !

With all of the upheaval that will now undoubtedly take place with the teams around the NFL how do you think that things will pan out for the franchises as they embark on the upcoming season ? Simply chime in with a comment .

Alan aka tophatal ……….. https://tophatal.wordpress.com

Picture and slide show details below .
————————————————————————————————————————–

(1) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth catches a pass during warmups before an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic …..

(2) EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 21: Santonio Holmes (10) of the New York Jets scores a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the third quarter of their game on November 21, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) …..

(3) Donovan McNabb (5) of the Washington Redskins passes the ball against the New York Giants apply pressure during their game on December 5, 2010 at The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Jersey. According to reports July 27, 2011, there is an preliminary agreement in place for the Washington Redskins to trade McNabb to the Minnesota Vikings. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images …….

(4) Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after a score in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints during the 2011 NFC wild-card playoff game at Qwest Field on January 8, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. According to reports July 28, 2011, Hasselbeck reached an agreement with the Titans for a multiyear contract. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) ……

(5) In this Sept. 2, 2010 file photo, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson throws a pass during an NFL pre-season football game against the Denver Broncos in Minneapolis. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, that Jackson has agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks and is expected to sign a contract Friday. AP Photo/Andy King …….

(6) FILE – This Sept. 19, 2010, file photo shows Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (21) at an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif. The challenge: taking more than 1,000 players and sorting them onto 32 rosters , working out contracts that must be signed and then processed by the league office , with every deal from rookies to free agents fitting under the salary cap and falling within the other boundaries of the new, still-being-understood labor agreement _ and getting all this done in time for the start of the preseason , preferably by the start of training camp. AP Photo/Paul Sakuma …. ………

(7) FILE – In this Feb. 6, 2010, file photo, Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning, left, talks with then-offensive coordinator Tom Moore during practice in Davie, Fla.,. The Jets have hired Moore as a consultant, according to a person familiar with the situation. Moore, credited for helping Manning develop into a four-time NFL MVP, will work during the season from his home in South Carolina, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the hiring. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File …….

(8) NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 28: Cam Newton receives a hug from his mother Jackie on stage after he was round selected #1 overall by the Carolina Panthers during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images …..

(9) Panthers’ GM Marty Hurney (left) is seen here with team owner Jerry Richardson and team president Danny Morrison , far right . AP Photo /Chuck Barton …..

(10) Former San Diego Chargers’ assistant Ron Rivera is introduced to the convened press as the Carolina Panthers new head coach by team owner Jerry Richardson . Charlotte Observer/ Jeff Shiner …..

———————————————————————————————————————————————

NFL News

Top NFL free agents thought to be amongst the most desired coming to the market

NFL transactions