NFL happenings while I was getting my butt kicked in Florida

This past weekend was a blast and certainly deserves its own post so I'll hold off on talking about it too much. For now I give you the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the first weekend of free agent signings in the NFL. It should be noted that I am an unabashed homer.

I would first like to link to this story that came out this weekend about the 4 people (2 of them being NFL players) who went missing in the Gulf of Mexico when their boat capsized. One of the men was found clinging to the boat but the other 3 are still missing. My thoughts go out to all three men; the thought of being alone on open water is too scary to think about.

The Good

• After the Broncos hired Josh McDaniels, people in Denver knew change was imminent (not necessarily a bad thing); within two weeks, McDaniels had seemingly cut half the team so I was pretty anxious to see what the Broncos would do this weekend. On Saturday I arrived at our hotel after a brutal day in fairly intense heat and popped open my laptop to check out who the Broncos signed that day. Brian Dawkins was the first name I saw and that's really all I needed to read. The Broncos had gaping holes in the secondary and that was before they cut Dre Bly last month. They finished out the weekend with most of those holes filled (Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman) and they signed LB Andra Davis and a couple of potential nose tackles as well. Former Brian Westbrook fill-in, Correll Buckhalter was also signed and should get a shot as the feature back or part of a platoon.
• Kansas City picked up Matt Cassel (and Mike Vrabel) in a trade which serves as a tell-tale sign that Tom Brady is looking like he will be ready for the 2009 season. Good for KC although it still remains to be seen whether Cassel is a great QB or just a product of the New England system.
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Seattle. Great pickup for Matt Hasselbeck who should experience a resurgence after an injury-filled 2008 campaign.
  

The Bad

• Dan Snyder once again shows that he is filthy rich and will throw money at anything with football skills. The Redskins kicked-off free agent season with a 7-year, $100 million offer to Haynesworth. Yes this is the same guy who stomped on CU grad Andre Gurode's head. He's a game-changing player when he's healthy and playing within his head but with a giant contract and a coach who has already been having problems with superstar players, this could spell disaster in D.C.
• Brandon Marshall was arrested again, this time in Atlanta. No word yet on why but this doesn't look good as he has already been suspended by the league for off the field behavior.
• Vonnie Holliday after being cut, "There's no loyalty in this league." True. The NFL is notoriously bad about chewing players up and spitting them out. Contracts are not guaranteed so NFL teams can cut healthy players at any time without paying out the remainder of their deal. It is truly a business, at least more so than the other 3 major U.S. sports organizations (NBA, MLB, NHL). Sadly, nothing will change though as the NFL is currently in the best shape out of the 4 partly because teams aren't ever truly locked into weighty contracts and guys are forced to play hard or they will be unceremoniously released.

The Ugly

The Jay Cutler situation in Denver. In one corner we have Jay Cutler, the Broncos' rocket-armed quarterback; centerpiece of Denver's high-octane offense. The man in the other corner is Josh McDaniels, the recently hired head coach of the Denver Broncos and former disciple of Bill Belichick. It is being alleged that McDaniels has been shopping Cutler in the past couple of weeks in an effort to attain Matt Cassel, the quarterback he tutored last year in New England. It is no secret that Cutler has been less than thrilled with the Broncos' direction this off-season. Cutler was close with fired coach Mike Shanahan as well as departed offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and it is being reported that he asked to be traded after Bates' departure. Scary times. I love Cutler but I think he needs to grow some thicker skin. He's not the quarterback he thinks he is but with McDaniels' help he could be the best.

I leave you with a message from Brian Dawkins:



-PSon

It's Good To Be King

The Broncos have hired a new coach, and that man is Josh McDaniels, former Patriots OC. I haven't had time to discuss my thoughts on the Shanny firing but I do wish him well. He's a great coach and offensive mind, there's no doubt that he will catch on somewhere else and achieve success. The Broncos have been stuck in a rut for years where they were good enough to barely make or barely miss the playoffs. A new direction was needed and I think this move will make the Broncos strong contenders in the next couple of years. I don't think we can expect huge things from the Broncos next year (not to say they can't succeed quickly) but this should be a solid team in 3-4 years.

It is currently being reported by a very trustworthy Broncos source that Mike Nolan will be Josh McDaniels' D coordinator. I couldn't be happier with this decision as Nolan has been with the Broncos in the past and has attained a great amount of success in turning Baltimore into a defensive powerhouse. He was fired as San Francisco's coach last year but for a couple of years he managed to pluck them from the dregs of the NFC where at one point they were thought to be a team that was a couple of years away. The Broncos will no doubt take a long look at their defensive personel as it has been said that Nolan will bring in a 3-4 defense. Denver's D line has been porous of late so change is iminent. As for free agents, if the Broncos bring in Albert Haynesworth I will be extremely happy, if they bring in Nnamdi Asomugha, I will shed tears.

Re-Charged

The Broncos achieved a thrilling victory yesterday against their bitter rivals, the San Diego Chargers. In probably the most controversial finish since "The Tuck Rule" game, the Broncos did their best to choke a 31-17 half time lead.

It was truly a tale of two halves. Cutler threw most of his 350 yards and notched 3 TDs in the first half but Denver's offense went cold in the second. Up by one point late in the 4th, Cutler threw an ill-advised 3rd down pass on the goal line for his only INT. It set up a long receiving TD by Darren Sproles who continues to destroy the Broncos every time they play.

Down by 7, Cutler led the Broncos the length of the field. This is when the controversy began. After rolling out on a bootlegged play, Cutler attempted to fire the ball into the end zone. The ball slipped out of his hand before his hand started its forward motion. The nearest referee blew his whistle and signalled an incomplete pass while a Chargers defender recovered the loose ball. Replays indicated it was a fumble but because the ref blew his whistle, it was a dead ball the second it hit the ground. Bronco ball. 3rd down. Draw play to the 2. Cutler fires to Royal on 4th down. Touchdown. Shanny signals for the gutsy 2-point conversion, Cutler again threads one to Royal for the 1 point lead. Heartbreak for the Chargers.

My take on the play and the game in general? The Broncos win and take a gigantic 2 game lead in the division. Should they have won? Probably not. Cutler said it himself in the post game press conference, "Fumble I think...". What can you do, the official got the play wrong on the field but Ed Hochuli (in all his beefy glory) made the correct interpretation. The Broncos got lucky twice (earlier in the game they won a replay because of equipment malfunction) and won the game. It happens. Luckily it was in the Broncos favor this time.

Cutler had a monster game once again and he acknowledged that his two blemishes almost cost the Broncos a game. He learned a valuable lesson without having to lose the game. Brandon Marshall came back from his one game "personal conduct" suspension and caught 18 balls for 166 yards against one of the best corners in the league. Cutler threw 50 balls. Marshall and Royal had a touchdown apiece. Scheffler had 2. The high octane Broncos are back. Terrible defense, terribly exciting offense. Can't wait for the next one.

-PSon

The Ascension of Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is a man. He has answered the question as to who is the best quarterback from the 2006 NFL draft. Matt Leinart (drunk) and Vince Young (crazy) were both drafted ahead of Cutler but he seems to be the only one of the three who both cares about football enough to work to make himself better and has the mental fortitude to stand in the face of detractors and ball like he should.

Cutler put on a clinic Monday while playing without his best receiver. He hit guys in stride on tough routes and systematically picked apart the much lauded tandem of Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall. Yeah I know it was the Raiders but his real test comes this weekend against the San Diego Chargers and resident toolbox, Philip Rivers. You might remember the shit-talking clinic Rivers tried to put on Cutler as the seconds were waning in the Chargers drubbing of the Broncos. Hey Phil, Cutler is back and his swagger is more pronounced than ever.

The reason for Cutler's rise can be attributed to shedding his horribly debilitating meth addiction. The unkempt hair and mammoth bags under his eyes are clear signs of a meth-head and much like my hero Hammie, Jay has risen from the depths to take his rightful place next to John Elway in Bronco lore. An heir to the throne has surfaced.

Note: While looking for pictures of Cutler, I could only find pictures of this guy. This is the picture that made we want to vomit the least.

Lightning Rod

News came down the wire yesterday that surefire Bronco Ring-of-Famer and legendary Blackjack Pizza pitchman Rod Smith was officially retiring from the NFL. Smith came into the league in 1994 as an undrafted free agent. He spent 1994 on Denver's practice squad before earning a roster spot in 1995. Rod Smith's first great Bronco moment came on September 17th against the Washington Redskins. Smith found a seam and Elway hit him with a 43-yard bomb as time expired. Smith hit NFL-lifer and perpetual Pro Bowler Darrell Green with the brutal teabag to announce himself to Bronco faithful as the next big thing.

Over the years, Rod cemented himself as a perennial All-Pro and one of the most solid receivers in the NFL. Rod never had the flashy persona (evidenced by his robotic Blackjack commercials) but he always let his play do the talking. Because of this, he was often overshadowed by other pass catchers but Broncos fans loved his blue collar approach to the game. Replacing Ed McCaffrey was an impossible task (second only to replacing John Elway) but Smith proved to etch out his own spot in Bronco lore. Here's to you Rod, you will be missed.

Why Rod Smith should be in the Hall of Fame:

1. Broncos franchise record holder for career receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389), touchdown catches (68) and overalltouchdowns (71).
2. Posted 70 or more receptions for nine consecutive seasons (1997-2005), a streak that tied for the second longest in NFL history.
3. One of seven players in NFL history to record back-to-back 100-catch seasons (2000-01).
4. 3-time Pro Bowler, 2-time First Team All-Pro, 2 Super Bowl titles
5. In the Broncos' 34-19 win in Super Bowl XXXIII, Smith had 5 receptions for 152 yards (the fourth highest total in Super Bowl history), including an 80-yard touchdown reception.