The Trent Richardson Trade

I was all set to write about the Hall of Fame and the progress certain players have made towards it, but then the Browns went out and decided to hijack this post by trading Trent Richardson to the Colts for the Colts first round pick in the 2014 draft.

To say this trade surprised me would be a major understatement. While I was never a big fan of Richardson, he was a solid player and one of the pieces I thought the Browns could build around in years to come. Clearly, the organization had other ideas. Every piece of information I got from the press conference the Browns had was that they clearly valued Richardson less than the previous regime and the fans did. I can understand, since the previous regime and many fans believed that Richardson was a do-it-all elite level running back. I found him to be overrated in that regard. I view his as a quality power back with enough moves to get by, but also reliant on dominant blocking to make big plays down the field. I thought he was closer to a Steven Jackson type than an Adrian Peterson type, who he was compared to at times going into the draft. That’s hardly a bad thing, just not as good as many think.

For the Colts, this does work out to a great trade. They get a back who can be a workhorse and bring a sense of toughness to the running game for only a first round pick. Considering he was the third overall pick in the same draft that they got their franchise quarterback in, a first round pick feels like a steal. Especially if they can keep him and Andrew Luck together for the next ten years.

For the Browns, it’s the equivalent of throwing the towel in for this season. Richardson was the most consistent weapon they could count on offensively. While Jordan Cameron has played well, he’s a big question mark going forward. There’s just no way to tell how his numbers are going to be affected by the return of Josh Gordon or if he will remain a viable option as the season unfolds. Brandon Weeden has been terrible, which is hardly surprising to me. Just too much change and not enough time to acclimate to the NFL for him to really have a chance to be successful. Combined that with the suspension to Josh Gordon and the inconsistent play of the other receivers, not to mention the horrible play of Oniel Cousins, who is currently playing right guard, it’s not surprising the Browns field one of the worst offenses in the NFL right now.

The next question for the Browns really is who is next? The idea that Brian Hoyer starting the next game could spell the end for Brandon Weeden in Cleveland sounds to me like a fairly accurate assessment. They want to see what they have in Hoyer and if he’ll be a viable option at quarterback going forward. If he fails, then he’ll likely be out the door with Weeden. But what about Cameron, Alex Mack or Josh Gordon? All were products of the previous regime and are not as close to the fans hearts as Richardson was. 

Personally, I think they should re-sign Mack and let other players play out their contract. Cameron might be a candidate for the franchise tag, but I think it’s totally based on whether or not there is a better option in free agency or the draft. I understand wanting to get more players who fit the system, but I am not a fan of giving up quality players just for the sake of fit. They did it once with Richardson, and they really can’t afford to do it too much going forward. Though I think Greg Little could be playing for his job long-term right now. 

HOF Report; Week 1

Building Legacies

 Peyton Manning:  He tied Brett Favre with his 23rd game with 4 plus touchdown passes as well as tying the all-time single game touchdown record, the first one to do so in 44 years. Hard to do better than that. There’s nothing left for him to do to make himself a Hall of Famer, but in the annals of the all-time greats, this performances is just another benchmark by which his statistics are marked.

The Aaron Hernandez Situation

        Tight End Aaron Hernandez’s arrest on the charge of first degree murder has sent major ripples through the NFL. On the one hand, the Commissioner’s office will need to make a decision on how to punish Hernandez, which regardless of his guilt or innocence in this matter is going to happen. On the other, the Patriots have to deal with the loss of their one, relatively reliable receiver and the ramifications his cutting him.

        I’ve never been a fan of Roger Goodell and I will continue to not be a fan of his heavy-handed, openly bias management of the Commissioner’s office. That being said, he is probably the perfect man to handle this situation. The severity of the charges cannot be understated and if Hernandez is found innocent and cleared of all charges, it would still be difficult for him to find a place on an NFL roster. As it stands, the NFL should take a similar tact to Michael Vick. Suspend Hernandez indefinitely, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. If he is found guilty of the most serious crime, first degree murder, then there’s almost no point to lifting the suspension, as he’ll likely spend the rest of his playing days in prison.

Should he be found not guilty of that charge, the far trickier problem of punishing him comes into play. There are still five other gun-related charges against him. My opinion is, should he be found not guilty of all of these in addition to the murder charge, the suspension should be extended to at least the next full season, following the end of the legal proceedings. I admit I don’t know the full extent of those charges nor what their severity his, but I definitely think that whether or not he is found guilty of those charges should play a role in determining how much time he misses, should he be found not guilty of the murder charge.

The other part of this is the Patriots and how they move forward. To begin with, they’ve lost arguably their most reliable receiving weapon. While Rob Gronkowski is the best receiver on their team, his injury problems made Hernandez the more reliable option. With Hernandez gone, the Patriots are relying more than ever on Gronkowski to be the main receiving option. While Danney Amendola, Donald Jones or second-round pick Aaron Dobson could become big time receiving threats and pick up the slack left by the departure of Hernandez, the Patriots have to be looking hard at the remaining free agent receivers and tight ends.

The other major part that the Patriots end of this mess is the salary cap situation. Last August, the Patriots signed Hernandez to a 7-year 39.5 million dollars contract. With his release earlier today, they only have two years of that contract to worry about, this year and next year. This year, there isn’t too much to worry about. The dead money the Patriots have to deal with this season is only 4 million (to the best of my knowledge). While that’s not a small sum, the Patriots have taken care of their free agent and draft signings for the most part. However next year is when things are going to get stickier. Dead money from Hernandez’s contract jumps to 8.6 million, in the 2014 league year, which could seriously hamper their ability to re-sign players like Brandon Spikes, Aqib Talib and Rob Ninkovich. While the Patriots are the Patriots and can find ways to move on, an 8 million dollar hole in their salary cap is not going to help. 

2013 Mock Draft

Kansas City Chiefs – Tavon Austin – WR – West Virginia

        Bear with my logic for a moment here. I’m in no way saying that they should rate Austin higher than Joeckel or fisher. But, Austin fits what Andy Reid likes from receiver and would bring something to this offense that it has sorely needed, a big play spark in the passing game. The Chiefs don’t have a true slot receiver or another major receiving threat outside of Dwayne Bowe. Austin provides both and will make an impact as a returner. He gives the Chiefs offense a ton of options and would be the perfect luxury pick for a team with no true major need.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Dee Milliner – CB – Alabama

        While the Jaguars pass rush continues to be an issue, their defensive lne wasn;t hit as hard as their defensive backfield. The release of Aaron Ross combined with Reshean Mathis and Derek Cox leaving in free agency has left the Jaguars without their top three cornerbacks. To this point they’ve made no signing that would indicate that they intend to address this issue in free agency, which leaves a major hole in their defense. With Milliner’s solid performance at the combine, he’s almost guaranteed to go in the top 10, making it unlikely that a first round talent will slide into the second where the Jaguars can pick them up. So I see them grabbing the top corner on the board early a addressing their pass rushing need later in the draft. Plus, shoring up the pass coverage will give the pass rush more time to get to the opposing quarterback. So in an indirect manner, this pick would help the pass rush.

2012 Team Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What Went Right: New Arrivals

        Bucs general manager Mark Domenik made some brilliant decisions this past offseason, bringing in big time free agents and landing on of the best draft classes in recent memory. Everyone is aware of his move to land top free agents Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks, both of whom earned their big contracts with their play this year. Nicks helped open up big holes for another new arrival, Doug Martin, while Jackson led the team with over 1500 receiving yards. He also added Dallas Clark in a shrewd one-year contract and Clark quickly became Josh Freeman’s security blanket. Martin, one of three big time rookies on the Bucs this year, finished the season with over 1400 yards rushing, good for fifth in the NFL and established himself as one of the offensive keys for years to come. Defensively, Lavonte David and Mark Barron make a big impact in run defense, ranking first and third respectively on the tea in tackles. With this core of young players in place, the Bucs look like a team on the upswing in the coming years.

2012 Team Review: Miami Dolphins

What Went Right: Defense

        While the statistics might tell you different, you could see a marketed improvement in the Dolphins defense this year. They improved in the run game and in the red zone, ranking 13^th in rush defense and 7^th in scoring defense. Their secondary, while allowing a lot of yards, tightened up a lot in the red zone. Cameron Wake had an All-Pro season with 15 sacks while line-mates Oliver Vernon and Jared Odrick had solid seasons, combining for 10.5 sacks over the year. Sean Smith came into his own as a cornerback while Reshad Jones made some noise at the safety position. Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett each had over 100 tackles and young Nolan Carroll got a lot of playing time. They still need to improve their overall pass defense, but with another year of bringing in talent and solid coaching, they could become one of the better defenses in the NFL.