Bleacher Report - Articles by Luke Miller

Marvin Harrison, Cedric Benson—Too Quick to Judge?

Luke Miller — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:56:56 -0400

Quick! What do Marvin Harrison and Cedric Benson have in common? Well, aside from taking the field for Super Bowl XLI, not much. However, these NFL stars find themselves mired in legal issues.

Well that doesn't really separate them from the rest of the NFL either, does it? There have been plenty of NFL players to run afoul of the law recently.

Pacman Jones. Chris Henry. Jared Allen. Cedrick Wilson. Tank Johnson.

These are names that come to mind when thinking about those lovely times when the NFL and the law meet. However, Benson and Harrison are different from these players.

How? There's a good chance that Harrison and Benson did nothing wrong.

First, let's look at the shorter, and less complicated story: Harrison's.

Harrison and another man get into an argument at a bar. They elect to "take it outside." They fight outside the bar. The next morning we come to find that the man has a gunshot wound to the hand, a boy was injured by shattered glass, and Harrison's gun is found at a car wash.

Marvin has quietly put together a very nice Hall of Fame career. He is arguably the quietest, and inarguably the best, receiver from the 1996 draft. He never talks to reporters, never makes flashy moves on the field, and doesn't need to have a different touchdown dance every time he scores.

Now, in about three years Harrison has twice been accused of very violent acts. (This incident, and the 2005 Pro Bowl incident.) Does Marvin have a bit of a temper? Maybe, but good luck finding out. Even Peyton doesn't really know much about him.

Thanks to the five names listed above being guilty (or involved) to some degree, all NFL players that have a run-in with the law are now considered guilty until proven innocent. Plus, their reputations never really recover.

After the incident, people were ready to write Harrison right into prison for assault. There were three articles on this site demanding that Harrison fess up, talking about how much respect they had lost for him, how suprised they were, and how they could never trust an NFL player again.

At that point in the investigation of the incident, Harrison had been interviewed by police. He had not been arrested, or charged, or even named as a suspect in the shooting. The gun had not been positively identified as Harrison's gun, either.

Harrison had been thrown under the bus, and there wasn't even any evidence against him!

We still don't know much more about it yet, due to the fact that later that week a police officer was killed in a bank robbery gone bad. The police department's best efforts have been focused on this much more important incident.

We do know that the gun has now been identified as the same kind of gun that Harrison owns, and that Harrison has fully cooperated with police in the investigation. He still has not been charged or named as a suspect in the case.

This case could be an aberration, though. So I came prepared with another case.

Cedric Benson was also involved in an incident on his boat. He was stopped for a safety check, and supposedly reacted violently. He failed sobriety tests both on the boat and on land. He again got violent, had to be pepper-sprayed by police, and was arrested for boating under the influence.

Open and shut case, right? It's the word of the cops against the word of an athlete. Who has more credibility?

Except for one thing: it may not have happened as the police said it did.

Witnesses have now come out saying that Benson was not drunk, and did not resist police.

What really happened? The truth probably falls somewhere between the witnesses' versions and the account of the police. After all, you have to have a darn good reason to pull out the pepper spray.

So, what do Cedric Benson and Marvin Harrison have in common? They both deserve the right to have people reserve judgment on them. The breaking news is not always right or complete.

When all the facts have come in, I think that we as fans will owe these two a
big apology.

In Response to OJ Mayo Debacle, What Can Be Done to Improve College Athletics?

Luke Miller — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:14:52 -0400

The recent news about two former USC Trojans receiving benefits from agents has brought the issue to the forefront. The question now is what can we do about it?

First, we have to decide if it's even important. I don't know the details of the OJ Mayo or the Reggie Bush case. Often, where there's smoke, there's fire, but I don't know for sure exactly what, if anything, they got outside of NCAA regulations.

I do know that NCAA regulations become an issue if a father coaches his son. The son, as a player receives housing, money, food, and other benefits from the father, as a coach. This was a case actually considered by the NCAA! They considered fining the school and the coach because he took care of his son!

That's ridiculous, so when rules like that are broken, it's not a big deal to me. Most NCAA regulations border on craziness anyway, so they don't really concern me.

Should we just outright pay college athletes? No, they already get paid. If you think a college athlete on scholarship ever has to pay for any necessities, you are mistaken. They get everything paid for. All they have to do is have the patience to wait on extras until they go pro.

However, these are young, impressionable men. Most 18-22 year olds I know don't always make wise choices. If they are guided by selfish agents and money-hungry parents, bad decisions will be made.

There are a lot of factors in these situations.

Yes, the kids have to take some blame.

Yes, the rules are stupid.

Yes, they will be influenced by bad, money-hungry people.

Yes, they already get a lot for free.

However, in my opinion, it's not really important. Sports is a big money business, and no one will be totally clean. It's not that important to me. I already know it's all about money. As long as the agents don't buy drugs and hookers for the kids, I think I'm okay with it.

Chicago Football: Could Brady Quinn Be The Answer To The Bears' QB Problem?

Luke Miller — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:25:07 -0400

The Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns have a very similar problem. Both teams have fans that want to see another starting QB next season.

Bears fans have a legitimate gripe. Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton are terrible. Let's just clear that up in case anyone thought that Rex could be decent.

Browns fans are being ridiculous though.

Seriously, you have a Pro Bowl QB in Derek Anderson. To top it off, a Pro Bowler in the AFC, where Peyton Manning and Tom Brady take the top two spots every year. Yet the fans still clamor for Brady Quinn. I understand the whole "hometown hero" thing, but look at what you've got in front of you.

Take emotions and names out of the equation and ask yourself who you would rather have as your starting quarterback: A Pro Bowl player who has already developed a relationship with your key offensive talent, or a second year player who has seen no meaningful playing time since being walloped by LSU in a bowl game two years ago.

Here's where the two teams should meet up. The Bears need a quarterback, and the Browns have two. Browns management likes Anderson, and would like to keep him, but have a financial obligation to Quinn.

So here's the offer. The Browns send Quinn to Chicago for a 2009 first-round pick and Rex Grossman. The Bears get Quinn, and don't have to face the pressure of whether or not to draft a QB next year after the Grossman/Orton pupu platter falls on their face. The Browns get the pick they invested in Quinn back, and they get a back-up quarterback for Anderson.

Grossman also gets a change of scenery, which many feel could jump-start his career. Quinn gets his own team. Anderson gets some job security. Phil Savage gets to have a purpose on the first day of the draft. Chicago fans finally rid themselves of "Sexy Rexy." Everyone wins.

Again, I have heard nothing that suggests that this would happen, but it makes sense, right?

Mike Pollak and Mike Hart Headline Quiet Colts Draft Class

Luke Miller — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:53:31 -0400

As usual, the Colts made few headlines with their draft. Team President Bill Polian and Coach Tony Dungy clearly had the offensive line in mind, as they took three interior linemen and two tight-ends.

The defense got a couple contributors as well, but the offense got seven of the nine picks after their depth was tested at all positions due to injuries in 2007.

Second Round: Mike Pollak—G/C Arizona State

A very typical Colts O-Lineman. He's a smart, heady player and uses his technique more than his power to get the job done. He's also versatile. He played both guard and center in college. He needs to hit the weight room and get a little stronger to handle the better defensive tackles in the league.

Pollak will more than likely start at the RG spot opened up after Jake Scott left via free agency, and Dylan Gandy was cut. He will also serve as C Jeff Saturday's primary back-up.

Third Round: Philip Wheeler—LB Georgia Tech

Wheeler could play a number of positions for the Colts. He's a good blitzer and pass rusher, which leads me to believe me may play some DE. As a LB at Georgia Tech, he had a tendency to be over-aggressive and overrun plays.

He also plays a little soft, and doesn't like to take on blockers. Wheeler often gets pushed around too easily. He also lacks good coverage instincts. In the Colts Tampa-2, the LBs have to be good in coverage.

My guess is that Wheeler plays a lot of special teams and provides depth at defensive end and as a situational pass-rusher.

Fourth Round: Jacob Tamme—TE Kentucky

After cutting Bryon Fletcher, the Colts had only one TE on the roster, so they drafted two. Tamme is very undersized, and will more than likely be a Chris Cooley-type H-back or move out to WR.

He's not a very good blocker, and he also has durability issues. He is a good receiver, runs good routes, and has good hands. I don't see Tamme developing quickly enough to fill the No. 2 TE spot.

As often as the Colts run two TE sets, he could see the field a lot this year. I expect him to be a good special teamer as well.

Fifth Round: Marcus Howard—DE/OLB Georgia

Another typical Colts pick—very fast and a bit undersized, Howard fits right into the Robert Mathis mold. He will have to add some bulk to play defensive line after being a LB in college.

Howard will provide good depth at DE, which proved to be the weak link in the Colts' defense after Dwight Freeney went down in 2007. He'll also play on coverage teams.

Sixth Round: Tom Santi—TE Virginia

Another TE, since the Colts only have one on the roster. He's a better blocker than Tamme, but not as good of a receiver. Santi has good hands and is a good route runner, but lacks top-end speed. At 6'4", he provides a big target for Peyton Manning to go to when he's in trouble. He reminds me a lot of Ben Utecht, who left via free agency, though Utecht was a better blocker.

I think Santi will beat out Tamme for the No. 2 TE spot in two TE sets with Dallas Clark.

Sixth Round: Steven Justice—C Wake Forest

Justice is a good pass blocker, but struggles in run blocking. He doesn't show much lower body strength, and isn't much of a drive-blocker. As a center, he will get manhandled by bigger DTs. He may actually be a bit of a project player.

Justice will provide depth at G/C.

Sixth Round: Mike Hart—RB Michigan

Hart is a hard runner who lacks top end speed. He'll get the tough yards, and isn't afraid to take a hit. The former Wolverine has good hands out of the backfield, and is a good route runner as a RB. Though vastly undersized to be the kind of workhorse back he was at Michigan, he has been compared to former Colts RB James Mungro.

Hart will fill the backup spot behind Joseph Addai, and will be a an improvement over Kenton Keith, who will slide to the No. 3 spot.

Sixth Round: Pierre Garcon—WR Mount Union

Garcon is a good jump-ball receiver, despite being a little short. He's also a good route runner who adjusts well to bad passes, and will run over the middle. He also has experience as a returner, adding to his ability to make things happen after the catch. makes things happen after the catch. The major flag is that he played DIII ball, and could have problems adjusting to the speed of the NFL.

Garcon could battle T.J. Rushing for return duties, but will probably end up on the practice squad for a year.

I think he has a chance to be a good slot receiver eventually, as WRs often have the biggest learning curve from the college-to-NFL jump. Think Brandon Stokely.

Seventh Round: Jamey Richard—C Buffalo

The Colts end their draft the same way they began it—with an interior lineman. Richard has some technique issues, like keeping his pads too high, but Line Coach Howard Mudd will take care of those. Richard has adequate size, but needs to work on lower body strength. I think he will be a solid player if he improves his strength and technique.

For now, he will provide depth along the interior O-line, if he makes the roster. There's a chance he could sit on the practice squad for a year.

Overall, it was a solid draft. Howard, Richard, and Garcon could be diamonds in the rough. I think that Tamme was drafted too soon. I like that they took three offensive linemen, but I would have liked to have seen a tackle drafted, as they have little depth behind Tony Ugoh and Ryan Diem at OT.

At least two opening day starters came from this draft (Pollak, Santi/Tamme). Howard and Wheeler will also play in the D-line rotation. I could also see three of the draftees being cut in camp.

The draft is also a main source for special teams guys. The Colts drafted at least three, possibly six players who won't play special teams. Little was done to improve the coverage teams, which are an annual weakness for the Colts.