2011 NFL Offseason: 7 Sunday Thoughts

Thought 1

Congratulations to former New England Patriots great Mike Vrabel. Set to become a free agent in 2011, Vrabel has opted out of the NFL and rejoined his alma mater, Ohio State, as an assistant coach.

I would have liked to have seen what kind of an impact Vrabel could have had on the Patriots linebacking corps, but it wasn't to be.

Ohio State could certainly use Vrabel—a respected and knowledgeable voice—as the school tries to rebuild its reputation following the Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor scandals.

Thought 2

One has to wonder how Vrabel's departure from the NFL will impact labor negotiations.

He was a key voice for the NFLPA in the CBA talks, and the players lost a true leader when he decided to make the trip back to college football.

They will need a strong veteran voice to step up in his absence.

Thought 3

 I wrote earlier this week about Kevin Faulk's possibilities in free agency. It would be ideal if the Patriots could find a way for him to return to the team as a running back coach.

With four young backs on the roster and free agents in Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris, keeping Faulk should be a priority, but who knows if there will be a roster spot for him. Bringing him on as RB coach would allow for him to impart his vast knowledge to the young backs without sacrificing a roster spot.

Of course, he may feel slighted by this, as he has spent the past 10 months recovering and rehabbing a torn ACL for a comeback attempt. 

Thought 4

Kerry Collins officially announced his retirement on Thursday, marking the end of his storied, 16-year NFL career.

I have voiced my opinion on what this means for the future of the Titans in a separate column, but I couldn't help but agree with several points made about Collins' career by Cold, Hard Football Facts “armchair quarterback” Jonathan Comey.

What has contributed most heavily to Collins' image as a great quarterback are both inflated yardage numbers and, to some degree, celebration of mediocrity. As we see more and more great college quarterbacks bust out in the NFL, the perception has become that being anything but terrible is good enough. 

Thought 5

Adam "Pacman" Jones finds his name on the wrong end of the headlines, once again, after he was arrested Saturday night in a bar.

This is far from Jones' first run-in with the law; he has been suspended for a full year in the past for several violations of the league's personal conduct policy.

One has to wonder if this recent incident could spell the end for Jones' comeback attempt.

Thought 6

In other crime-related news, Hines Ward was arrested on suspicion of DUI Friday night. His agent Andrew Ree issued a statement via Ward's Facebook fan page, stating that they are trying to ascertain all the facts of the incident.

This blemish doesn't look great for Ward, but he has had an otherwise sterling reputation off the field. That reputation should earn him some leeway from the fans, but it remains to be seen what sort of leniency he'll receive from the usually relentless Rooney family.

Thought 7

The longer the lockout drags on, the better the situation looks for the New England Patriots on all fronts.

The Patriots are one of the better equipped teams to handle a lockout because they have a system that's been in place for awhile, and they have very few key free agents.

Only Matt Light comes to mind, and it seems that the longer the lockout drags on, the more likely he is to re-sign with New England at a hometown discount. Teams wouldn't want to bring on a 33-year-old left tackle unless they are certain to be making a Super Bowl push and need that tackle to complete the puzzle.

The New York Jets, on the other hand, are poorly equipped to handle a prolonged lockout because the longer it drags on, the more likely it is that we'll have a frenzied free agent period.

NFL.com Senior Writer Steve Wyche points out that free agency could be insane, and a shotgun-wedding-style free agency period could basically rob the Jets of several key free agents, including Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, and others.