What were you thinking, Da’Quan Bowers? Or, more to the point, why weren’t you thinking?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end was arrested at LaGuardia Airport Monday after it was discovered that he was illegally carrying a loaded .40 caliber handgun, according to NBC News 4 New York.

Bowers was about to board a plane from New York to Raleigh, N.C., when he alerted ticket counter employees to the gun in his carry-on bag, according to USA Today’s Mike Garafolo.

This brings up another question: How did Bowers get to New York with the gun in the first place? The Tampa Bay Times reported that Bowers flew from North Carolina to New York with the gun unknowingly stowed in his bag. He had hoped by alerting the ticketing employees that he would be allowed to return to North Carolina in the same fashion.

Read More »14

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin is unhappy. What else is new?

Harvin wants a long-term deal with the Vikings, and to get it he’s ready to stay away from all offseason workout programs and training camp to force Minnesota’s hand, according to NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk.

Instead of giving him the kind of contract he’s expecting (an ESPN source believes Harvin may ask for a contract comparable to Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald), Minnesota may trade the wide receiver and be done with the headache.

And it’s been a headache.

Last year Harvin, on 1500 ESPN Radio, said he wasn’t happy in Minnesota and later asked to be traded. He’s also been plagued with an injury history that includes a shoulder problem and chronic migraine issues.

Read More »25

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma is scheduled to make a base salary of $4.8 million in 2013 and will cost the New Orleans Saints approximately $8.68 million because of some dead money and bonuses brought forward.

Since the Saints are close to $20 million over the cap, there’s no way he’s going to be able to stay in Who Dat Nation, right?

According to Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune, head coach Sean Payton told Sirius/XM NFL Radio Tuesday that there’s a spot for Vilma in the 2013 defense.

What Vilma did last year was flail about as he tried to adjust to playing on the outside as Curtis Lofton played in the middle of the Saints defense.

Read More »45

It’s a very popular sentiment right now to cast Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner out like last night’s trash.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently posted that the Falcons have to make a tough decision on Turner, who is set to make $6.9 million in 2013. Will Atlanta cut him or ask him to restructure his contract?

Dan Pompei wrote on National Football Post that the Falcons were in the market for a running back and would look for a younger option.

There are a slew of other hypotheses from every corner of the sports world. Most people believe Turner should be cut.

Read More »51

The Carolina Panthers have 31 days to make some serious decisions regarding free agency.

On March 12 the Panthers have to be below the cap, which the NFL set at $121.1 million for 2013. Educated estimates have Carolina at about $15 million over the cap right now. Some maneuvering is going to have to be done.

There are 14 players on the roster that are headed to free agency, but only three (Sherrod Martin, Captain Munnerlyn and Dwan Edwards) who were starters in 2012.

To get below the cap figure and have a little wiggle room to speak with free agents not currently on the Carolina roster, the Panthers are going to have to make some difficult changes. New general manager Dave Gettleman is likely going to have to cut some of the fattier contracts and talk about restructuring a few deals.

Read More »27

The real winner, the true benefactor of Saturday’s big defensive coordinator hire in New Orleans was not the Saints, as it should be, but Rob Ryan, who was hired.

On Saturday the Saints announced two coaching hires. New Orleans landed Stan Kwan as the assistant special teams coach and Ryan as defensive coordinator. In a release by the team, head coach Sean Payton said:

One of the games Payton was referring to was a 2010 beatdown handed to the Saints by the Cleveland Browns. In Week 7 of that season, with Ryan as the Browns ‘ defensive coordinator and Eric Mangini as Cleveland’s head coach, the Saints lost 30-17 as quarterback Drew Brees was sacked three times and picked off four times.

But Payton gives too much credit for that win to Ryan, who was handed his job with the Saints even though there were at least two more viable candidates available.

Read More »22

Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott stated recently on an in-house radio show produced by the Panthers’ web staff that the team might experiment more with a 3-4 defense in 2013.

McDermott said the Panthers showed the 3-4 some on third down last season, and he liked how it created different pressure looks and situations for his defense to attack opposing offensive lines.

"Let's face it, we're all creatures of habit, and offensive linemen are used to looking for jerseys with 90 on them," McDermott said on Panthers Pulse. "When you can hide that fourth and fifth rusher, and those rushers come with a 50 number on, or a 40 number or 20 number at times with our pressure packages, that's where you create problems and confusion."

While being able to disguise the identity of multiple would-be pass-rushers is a key advantage to the 3-4, it’s not the only reason the scheme would favor the Panthers.

Read More »24

The Atlanta Falcons fell just 10 yards shy of a trip to the Super Bowl in 2012. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but in the NFL, you must regroup and build again every offseason to make sure that your team stays on top.

The Falcons finished the year with a 13-3 record and finally got the Mike Smith-Matt Ryan playoff monkey of their backs. Now, with no more questioning of when Smith and Ryan are going to get their first postseason win, all focus can be put on making sure that this team doesn’t fall short again.

Atlanta has some obvious needs and big questions for its 2013 roster. If Tony Gonzalez does indeed retire, what will the Falcons do at tight end? How will the Falcons enhance their offensive line? Also, is running back Michael Turner done as a member of the Falcons?

These questions, and more, will have to be addressed either via free agency or in the upcoming NFL draft.

Read More »17