Never fear football fans. The sports wasteland that is July is almost over. That sound you hear is the creak of training camp doors opening. The NFL’s army of journalists and has-been player analysts are back to work pumping out endless streams of league news and another year of football is right around the corner. Before it’s time to get serious about ’09 prospects for the orange and black, I’m going to blow off some steam on a few of the “top” stories that have been and probably will remain in the forefront of topics covered this off-season. When and where will Michael Vick resume his NFL career? What impact will T.O. have in Buffalo? And last but absolutely not least, what was Brett Favre feeling as he ate breakfast this morning?
Where will Vick land?
As has been painstakingly chronicled Michael Vick is out jail and on the prowl for a job. Discussions went back and forth as the former phenom awaited Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision on his league reinstatement: He’s served his time, let him in! He’s a liar and a criminal, send him back into exile! First of all, Goodell’s job is to protect the league. It’s all about risk vs. reward. He should figure out the option he thinks is going to generate the least negative publicity and go that direction. Second of all, it doesn’t matter when Vick gets reinstated or who might take the risk of signing him. This time of year most teams are going to be hesitant to even bring him in as a backup QB. That leaves a best-case scenario of sitting on the bench as a third-stringer and running the occasional circus-stunt third down play. The real answer is, Vick should put off jumping back into the NFL pressure cooker and step right up to the United Football League. Meant to be a developmental league for the NFL anyways, the UFL will start in October and consist of a six game season that lasts until Thanksgiving. Preparing for their inaugural season, they would welcome the publicity Vick brings with opens arms. Stepping right in as a starter, not only would Vick get the repetitions necessary to shake off two years of rust, but playing against professional players a cut below the talent level of the NFL would be the perfect place to remind everyone how freakish he is athletically. To top it all off, when the league breaks in November, he’d have the option to sign on with an NFL team at right about the time when people are getting desperate to make something happen. If he plays it right he has a good shot at parlaying half a years play into a pretty decent contract for 2010.
What will happen with T.O. this year in Buffalo?
Exactly what you think will happen. He’ll be a boy scout for six weeks or so. About the time three or four losses pile up, it will start. He’ll realize Lee Evans has more catches than him and start to hear the whispers about how he’s lost a step. Then he’ll find a reason he doesn’t like what the coaches are doing or how the quarterback is playing…and the rest is history. You can’t blame the Bills for trying. After all, receivers with his talents don’t exactly grow on trees, and usually Owens puts one good year in before he blows up. For a franchise dying to make something happen, what’s the harm in signing the guy up for a year? Unfortunately, he is just too much, and I have a feeling it will be one and done in Buffalo. I hear Joey Galloway plans on leaving New England next year for the Senior Tour, so I imagine the Patriots will be in the market for a 36 year-old receiver. It’s probably the only place that could come close to containing him. I’d at least like to see them try.
What is Brett Favre Feeling?
Better yet, what was Minnesota thinking? People keep clamoring how if Favre signed with the Vikings, they transform from a playoff team to a Super Bowl team, but what I can’t figure out is how these journalists/analysts can justify collecting a paycheck. I thought people were nuts to criticize Green Bay last year for turning over the reins to Aaron Rodgers, but the sentiment could at least be condoned based off the decent momentum the Packers had from the ’08 season. Favre then moved on to the Jets and proceeded to run out of gas mentally and physically again (this time in the regular season instead of the NFC Championship game), and people still somehow think this guy can step in with a new team and deliver. I don’t care what running back or defense he has for support, Favre can no longer win three playoff games in a row. The Vikings are better off with Sage Rosenfels as their starting QB because a one in a million chance of winning the Super Bowl is still greater than zero.
Alright, I feel better. I’ll try to check back in shortly with some Bengals chatter.
