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McNabb's Options Dwindle As Age Creeps Up On Him

Donovan McNabb was not the answer in Washington after Philadelphia deemed his usefulness to them was over. Now it seems the team in the town he calls home officially is closing the door on any possibility of a trade.

The Arizona Cardinals, who have said they are in the market for a veteran quarterback, indicated on Thursday they had no interest in McNabb.

From the Arizona Republic:

The Redskins are expected to release McNabb this off-season, but the Cardinals aren't interested. Despite his unknown future, McNabb said this has not been a stressful time for him. "The next couple years, we'll see what happens," he said. "Who knows where I'll be anyway? I'm looking forward to that and when that time comes, step in there and be ready to go . . . "

McNabb is not stressed out because he signed a new contract after his benching last fall, and even in a worst-case scenario where he gets cut, he should be financially set for life.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

Besides, at some point some team in the league will be desperate for a quarterback, and they will come knocking on McNabb’s door.

At age 34, though, McNabb’s best years definitely are behind him and his work ethic has been questioned. Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid did not trade McNabb away last year on a lark, he knew it was time to move on.

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Toronto Wants An NFL Team, League Would Like That As Well

The NFL has been trying to move into the Toronto market for a few years as the Buffalo Bills have had to sacrifice one home game the last few years to play a "home" game in Toronto.

The NFL believes Canada is an untapped market and that Toronto is the city to invest in.

Over the last few years, whenever relocation talk comes up, the focus is on two cities, Los Angeles first and Toronto second.

Reports today indicated Toronto was interested in obtaining the New Orleans Saints franchise, which may have been an attempt to get more intention because the Saints are not going anywhere.

From Profootballtalk.com:

"Reports about the Saints as a potential team moving to Toronto are completely false. The New Orleans Saints are committed to the city of New Orleans,” said Greg Bensel, Saints Vice President of Communications.

As Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune pointed out, the Saints are locked in to New Orleans.  They recently signed a 20-year deal with Louisiana.

The NFL has a problem right now because they have two cities they think need teams but only one of which really deserves a team.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

Los Angeles is not a football town. It already has lost the Rams and the Raiders, so why the NFL thinks a third franchise will be successful there is a mystery.

The NFL wants a team located in one of the largest television markets in the country, so do not look any further than that when it comes to a “why.”

Toronto always looked like a good town, but the NFL stubbornly keeps putting it behind L.A.

The NFL will not expand again any time in the near future and perhaps ever again. A league of 32 teams is plenty, and that is the reality of the situation.

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Newton-Clausen Battle Stacked In Newton's Favor

Jimmy Clausen never stood a chance. Between a questionable attitude, poor coaching and an offense that was terrible, Clausen had the deck stacked against him in 2010.

Now that the Carolina Panthers have drafted Cam Newton, it says two things. The new coaches do not have confidence Clausen can mature into the franchise quarterback and they believe they can coach Newton up quickly.

For all the talent Clausen has, he never won a lot and his attitude always has been characterized as terrible. Clausen was in a very simplistic offense in 2010 and still could not seem to keep up with the speed of the game or make good decisions.

While blame for his poor performance can be spread around, Clausen's poor numbers do not help his standing.

Enter Newton and his natural athletic talent and charisma.

From ESPN.com:

Clausen clashed with volatile receiver Steve Smith. Media and teammates described Clausen as self-centered, aloof and not the kind of guy who commands respect in a locker room or a huddle. The Panthers swear they haven’t given up on Clausen and still think he can turn into a decent NFL quarterback.

But they were saying that after they had drafted Newton, and logic says you don’t go out and use an early pick on a quarterback if you think you have one on your roster.

There are a lot of stories featuring quarterbacks who have all the talent in the world but just fail to make the transition to the pros. Sometimes it is the coaches, or lack thereof.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

With Clausen, he always seemed to find ways to make the wrong decision on the field, and former Head Coach John Fox certainly had no confidence in him.

That tells you a lot, plus the fact no one on the team is sticking up for Clausen at the moment.

Clausen still could redeem himself and become a dominant force in the NFL, but it also looks like he will be doing that in another city.

Unless Newton completely flops, which is possible, Clausen will be shipped out of town by the beginning of the 2012 season.

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Denver Broncos Will Have To Make A Decision This Year On Tebow

Tim Tebow was a lightning rod for controversy and debate long before the Denver Broncos traded back up into the first round to get him last year.

Now with a year and a handful of starts under his belt, Tebow's biggest cheerleader, Josh McDaniels, is gone and John Elway is calling the shots again in Denver.

The battle in training camp will be for all the marbles as Kyle Orton will square off with Tebow whether the Broncos disclose that to the fans or not.

Tebow has a lot of potential, and while his starts at the end of the season showed promise, it is not enough to say "he's the guy."

But Denver is not he only team with competing quarterbacks. The Chicago Bears are going into the season with Jay Cutler as their No. 1 quarterback, but right behind him are Caleb Hanie and rookie Nathan Enderle.

From The Chicago Sun-Times:

“We didn’t draft [Enderle] to be the third quarterback,” Martz said. “If that was the case, then there was no reason to draft a quarterback.

“You have to be good at that position to win, and one just isn’t enough. We feel really good about Caleb, but what if Nate is better? Who knows? I don’t know that he is or isn’t.”

Keep this in mind, Cutler took a beating last year and really was not overwhelmingly good when he was on the field. Then the “incident” happened during the NFC Championship game where his leadership abilities and heart were questioned.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

If Cutler falters early in the season, the calls for his benching will be loud and long. The Bears have to prepare for that possibility.

Hanie looked good in relief, but the Packers had no tape on him and would not have spent any time preparing to defend against him. While Hanie should be commended for keeping his head in the game and not panicking, you have to keep that performance in perspective.

The Bears have to figure out if Hanie can move up the depth chart on a more permanent basis, or if he really is just a backup.

With Enderle, they not only want to see if he can be an effective backup, but which of the two quarterbacks might be able to slide in and start if Cutler goes down, or is ineffective.

Back to the Broncos, they have to determine if Tebow still is getting better, or if he has plateaued. If he still is getting better, then they have to figure out what to do with Orton.

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Players Call Goodell A 'Turd' While Owner Calls Smith a 'Psycho Ex-Girlfriend'

The NFL Lockout has caused a lot of hard feelings on both sides of the table. Labor disputes always do.

The problem is, neither side appears ready to grow up, sit down, and negotiate an end to all of this. Instead, each side now appears ready to battle it out in court to an end that will make everybody losers. In the interim, they just call each other names.

If this were the third grade, I am sure the spitballs would be flying.

Players have taken an aggressive stance, calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell everything from a "joke" to a "turd."

The players all blame Goodell for the lockout in their public statements, always forgetting the fact Goodell works for the owners and it is the OWNERS who are locking the players out.

Could Goodell be doing a better job?

Yes, Goodell could have reasoned with the owners more in the last year to get a better deal on the table, even though I believe the players were going to reject any deal that was not exactly like the deal they had in the last agreement. That is my opinion, and if you do not agree with it, I really do not care.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

But the best volley in all of this comes from an unnamed owner while referring to the difficulty in dealing with NFLPA Chief DeMaurice Smith before the decertification.

From Yahoo! Sports and Michael Silver:

It’s not particularly noteworthy that a high-stakes labor dispute would trigger heated rhetoric on both sides, and it’s fair to say that many or all of the 32 owners are as embittered toward Smith as some of the 1,800-plus NFL players are toward Goodell. The owner to whom I spoke insisted that Goodell’s efforts to establish a better working relationship with Smith – and to keep the lines of communication going even as the matter plays out in the courts – have not been reciprocated.

“Roger is trying to do business, and De is like a psycho girlfriend who doesn’t know what he wants, doesn’t understand what he’s involved in and [who] you can’t reason with,” the owner said. “With psycho girlfriends, at least you can move on eventually. But Roger is stuck with him right now.”

I am going to go ahead and say the unnamed owner is Jerry Jones. That is purely my opinion and based on nothing more than what we all just read.

Calling Smith a psycho ex-girlfriend just sounds like something Jones would say.

I have not been shy about my opinion on the lockout and my belief Smith is in over his head and was a terrible choice to head the union. This is not to absolve the owners of any blame, but it is pointing out the players did themselves no favors by electing a guy who I feel is not up to the job.

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Romo Now Is A Quarterback And A Golfer

If Tony Romo never wins that elusive Super Bowl, he will have golf to fall back on. Romo once again is trying to qualify for the U.S. Open.

Romo, who once was known as much for dating Jessica Simpson as anything else in his life, now has left the tabloids behind. It appears to have been a good decision as he was having a great 2010 season prior to his collarbone injury.

Whatever the Cowboys problems were in 2010, and there were many, Romo really was not one of them. Now in 2011 he has organized team workouts during the lockout and will begin his attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open in a tournament this weekend.

From ESPN:

Romo will take part in the local qualifier May 9 at McKinney's Stonebridge Ranch Country Club's Dye Course. If he moves on, the sectional qualifying is at Dallas Athletic Club.

The U.S. Open will be held June 16-19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

While many Cowboy fans get upset with Romo for taking part in the U.S. Open during the offseason, it is important to remember it is the offseason.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

Romo withdrew from qualifying last year because a weather delay put the tournament in conflict with a minicamp. Romo rightly said his obligations to the Cowboys comes first, even in the offseason.

With a lockout, playing golf is a good thing. It will keep Romo focused and occupied. It certainly is better than doing things that get you in the tabloids.

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If The Season Is Lost, Indianapolis Stands To Lose The Super Bowl

One casualty of a lost season would be the City of Indianapolis. With no season, there would be no Super Bowl, and Indianapolis was set to host the big game this season.

Having spent a lot of time in Indianapolis, this is terrible. It's a great city, and if you have not had the pleasure of dinner and beer at The Ram a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium, you are missing out.

If the season is lost, it already is being speculated the league would make it up to Indianapolis by putting the Super Bowl there in 2015.

From The Indianapolis Star:

"I do feel strongly that we made a commitment to the city of Indianapolis,'' Goodell responded when asked if the city might lose its Super Bowl if the labor situation forced cancellation of the 2011 season. "We look forward to being there. We look forward to playing in Indianapolis and we'll stand behind that commitment.''

The ramifications of a long lockout are huge, and not just to Indianapolis. Lost revenue from empty stadiums and Sports Bars will affect the economy in several ways.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

With the lockout in the hands of attorneys and judges, the prospects for a 2011 season look pretty grim at this point.

The legal system moves at its own pace, and it is the pace of maximum payment to the lawyers. The longer this drags on, the more money they make.

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Error By Police Results In Hines Ward Being Handcuffed At Gunpoint

Hines Ward had a very interesting evening where a mistaken report resulted in Ward being handcuffed at gunpoint when it was believed he was a passenger in a stolen car.

The whole incident was a huge misunderstanding, but Ward went through some very scary moments while the cops tried to sort the whole thing out.

From TMZ.com:

Law enforcement sources tell us cops had run the license plate and noticed the car had been reported stolen.  We're told police drew their weapons ... and ordered both Hines and the female driver out of the car and placed them both in handcuffs.

It turns out the driver of the car was the one who reported the car stolen in a prior incident but forgot to tell the police she had gotten the car back. Everyone went home without further incident.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

I know all these situations are different, and cops never know who is behind the wheel, but immediately drawing their guns and escalating the stop to that level is something I just can not condone.

The cops could have politely asked first before deciding to draw their weapons. I just know if this had happened to me I would be contacting my lawyer first thing in the morning. Give me a chance to cooperate peacefully before deciding to be Dirty Harry.

Ward did the right thing and everyone is glad this did not become a bigger issue.

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Bryant Absent On First Day Of Team-Organized Workouts

Our long national nightmare is over, Dez Bryant has showed up for team-organized workouts.

Bryant, who has found himself in the headlines for everything but offseason workouts, reportedly no-showed the first day of the activities organized by Tony Romo.

Bryant's attitude and actions have come under heavy scrutiny, and the Dallas media has been very harsh on Bryant for acting like a child in many situations and just not showing up to places he said he would be.

From ProFootballTalk.com:

We don’t think Bryant’s presence (or absence) is a huge story, but it was interesting to see the reaction in Dallas. Following his absence on Tuesday, the Dallas Morning News reported Bryant would not have been cleared to participate anyhow because of the fractured right fibula that ended his 2010 season.

So either that a bogus excuse was unnecessarily floated to the media to cover for Bryant or the kid is going against team orders by practicing again.  We’d bet on the former.

I have to concur with the good people at ProFootballTalk.com. Everything Bryant has done in the past few months has been self-serving. Missing Tueesday's practice just seems like another instance of Bryant not caring enough to show up and be where he said he would be.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

Peer pressure most likely is the only thing getting through to him right now and is the only reason he finally showed up.

While just showing up is half the battle, the quality of his workout can not be determined by anyone except the people who were there.

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Michael Vick Stays On Everyone's Good Side With Recent Comments

Michael Vick knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of an angry public. Therefore, he did not take the tactic of saying anything negative about the U.S. taking out Osama Bin Laden like Rashard Mendenhall did.

First, Vick avoided Twitter, where 140 characters or less have caused more than one unnecessary controversy.

Second, when he was asked his thoughts in a recent radio interview, Vick had nothing but populist things to say.

From ProFootballTalk.com:

“It was about time,” Vick told 102.1 FM and 1490 AM The Game in Virginia Beach.  “What he so-called did to our people, took so many innocent lives.  Hey, he deserved every bit of it.”

Whether you agree with Vick or not is beyond the scope of this piece. Vick said something the majority of Americans feel, if you read the most recent polls.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

Since I try to do everything I can to avoid politics in this blog, I just want to mention the actual subject matter of his blog is not the point, the point is Vick will not stir controversy with his comments.

Mendenhall did stir controversy and now he will have to deal with it.

My opinion always has been I do not care what rock stars and pro athletes have to say about sociopolitical subject matter any more than they care what I think about their songs or the way they play.

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Barber Hoping To Have A Contract Offer When League Year Starts

Tiki Barber still is working out, harboring hopes of a comeback, preferably with a team with a chance to contend for the playoffs in 2011.

Barber has not played in five years after retiring from the New York Giants. His talk of a comeback has been linked to his divorce and a need for a serious infusion of cash since he also lost his job as a commentator for NBC.

What Barber has to offer the NFL is unknown. On one hand he is 36 years old, but he has not played since 2006 and therefore has missed five years of wear-and-tear.

However, that does not mean the last few years have been kind to Barber.

From The New York Post:

It wasn't long ago when Barber was successful at everything. He completed 10 storybook years as the leading rusher in Giants franchise history and then walked away from the final year of his contract, which would have paid him $4.125 million. He irked Giants fans by criticizing coach Tom Coughlin's player relations and Eli Manning's early attempts at leadership, but didn't seem to care. He was so assured he was going to make it big in the TV world that he turned down considerably more money (a four-year, $13.2 million deal) from FOX to take a three-year, $5.7 million offer from NBC. Barber figured he would more than make up the difference as his star-power grew.

The dual sports-and-entertainment role carved out for Barber at NBC never fully clicked. His contract with NBC Sports last year was not renewed, during the summer he was dropped from his contributor's role on "The Today Show," and recently he was canned when the network cited a morality clause that barred Barber from involvement in any public scandals.

Barber announced he was divorcing his then-pregnant wife, and it was alleged the divorce happened because of an affair with a 23-year old former NBC intern.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

Barber is on the road to a comeback, but it is up to a team to to give Barber a roster spot so he can fulfill that comeback.

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Mallett Believed The Dolphins Were Going To Draft Him, Wants Revenge

Ryan Mallett is not happy about not getting drafted until the third round and now being stuck behind Tom Brady in New England.

Mallett wants to be a starter, and the chances of that happening in New England are slim outside of catastrophic injury to Brady at this point.

While his enthusiasm for starting is a good thing, if he views being in New England as a bad thing, he has serious problems.

From the Boston Herald:

Before Belichick called, Mallett was almost a Dolphin, as the team informed the family they were interested in trading for him.

“They took another guy,” Jim Mallett said. “Ryan said, ‘Payback.’ He remembers it all.”

The story does not stop being interesting as the family also insists their son never failed a drug test, contrary to what they say are media reports otherwise.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

In my research, I never found a reliable piece stating Mallett failed a drug test. I found reports of allegations of drug use, and Mallett's response always has been, "I never failed a drug test."

Long is the list of athletes who answered drug allegation questions with that line, and longer is the list of said athletes who later were found to be doing drugs of all kinds.

Mallett way want payback against the Dolphins, but he really should be focusing on just getting playing time, worry about payback later.

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Edwards May Have Taken A Shot At Santonio Holmes

Braylon Edwards does two things real well, drop passes and run his mouth. Edwards defied his usual mode of play by actually catching passes down the stretch of the 2010 season, but he still runs his mouth with the best of them.

Edwards is just one of about 100 free agents the Jets have to try and re-sign once the league year starts. That is a slight exaggeration, but the Jets have a lot of free agents this year.

Edwards has said he will consider less money to re-sign with the Jets, which makes sense because Edwards always wanted to play in a big market like New York, considering Cleveland a backwater town who did not appreciate him.

This coming from a guy born and raised in the State of Michigan.

From ProFootballTalk.com:

“It depends on the discount. I’m not asking for the moon. If it’s close, let’s do it,” Edwards said via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Edwards also took a shot at Santonio Holmes, noting egos were going to come into play when it became time to sit down and sign contracts.

MUST READ: Power-Ranking All 32 Teams Post Draft

I am not an Edwards fan, and his sudden ability to catch the ball last year down the stretch most likely will disappear once he inks a new deal. Everyone has seen this drama before where a talented but inconsistent player finds their groove in a contract year only to lose it as soon as he cashes his first check.

Holmes may have an ego as big or bigger than Edwards, but Holmes catches the ball a lot more consistently than Edwards does.

Holmes has more off-field issues than Edwards, but why split hairs?

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Ryan Clark Admits Mendenhall's Tweets Were Not Good

Ryan Clark spoke on the controversy stirred up by Rashard Mendenhall's Tweets this week. While not directly defending Mendenhall, Clark pointed out the role social media plays in the world today.

Mendenhall put out some unpopular Tweets questioning U.S. reaction to Osama Bin Laden's death and the way Sept. 11 unfolded on Monday, which he then tried to clarify and defend in a blog on Wednesday.  

Clark admitted the comments could have a negative impact on Mendenhall's future with the team.

From Sirius XM Radio via ProFootballTalk.com:

“We play a game where contracts really only have to be honored by the players signing them,” Clark said.  “The teams that you play for do not have to honor those contracts.  So it would be nothing that we could do.  We’d have to accept and respect the Rooneys’ thought process in that and their decision.  I would be extremely disappointed if that is the case.  I don’t see this as a legal issue.  Rashard Mendenhall wasn’t the guy on those planes.  Rashard Mendenhall was not wreaking havoc and terrorizing our American people.  Rashard Mendenhall made an unpopular comment.  Rashard Mendenhall had an opportunity to tweet something because of the way social media works that maybe wasn’t in the best interests of him or our organization.”

The Rooney Family has close ties with President Obama, so Clark's fears are well-founded. The truth is the Rooney's could say Mendenhall's comments embarrassed the organization and they feel it is best to move on.

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It is not a matter of free speech, as many will scream. The right to free speech means Obama and the government will not do anything to Mendenhall, a private business is allowed to do anything it wants. If a private business feels Mendenhall has to go, then Mendenhall gets to go look for another team to play for and that is the end of the discussion.

Clark pointed out "social media is ruining the world," which is a fair, if somewhat misguided, opinion. Social media allows people to express their thoughts, many times uncensored.

So it is what it is, and that is the reason most of my facebook posts are inane and meaningless. If you want a good "Ghostbusters" quote, my facebook is the place for you. If you want thoughtful social commentary, you would be coming to the wrong place.

My Tweets, when I remember to do them, are even more vanilla. It's a link or the promise of a link.

The Steelers will have a discussion on Mendenhall's future when normal business resumes, it could be a very quick meeting.