The Five Most Intriguing NFL Storylines for the 2009 Offseason

As if the Cardinals possibly winning the Super Bowl this Sunday wasn't intriguing enough, the NFL still has a ton of surprises in store for us fans starting next Monday.

1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." That Bible verse leads me to the most interesting story of this offseason:

1.  The Next Chapter in the Michael Vick Saga

Don't take this the wrong way. I do not in any way support dog fighting, or anything associated with it. I think it is inhumane, and just plain immature. However, as politically incorrect as it is, it's not unforgivable. We have all made mistakes, just like Michael Vick has. His sins are no greater than any of ours.

In the coming months, we will hear a ton about Vick, and his potential reinstatement. Feel free to disagree all you want, but letting Vick back into the league would be a very, very smart decision. 

In this economic state, the NFL is going to need all the revenue it can get, and any team who adds Michael Vick to their roster is going to put butts in the seats, and you all know it. We're talking about a guy who is quite possibly the most electrifying and versatile player the league has seen in the last decade.

People seem to hinge on the bad things, which is understandable. But what Vick did on the field was phenomenal, and he would be an asset to any of the 32 teams right now.

He could be a perfect fit in Miami's "wildcat" offense, Minnesota, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, Tampa Bay, etc.

One player who would not be a fit in any team's locker room brings me to my next offseason headline that is sure to consume 50 percent of ESPN's airtime:

2.  The Fallout of Terrell Owens in Dallas

I think the term "cancer" is thrown about a bit loosely in the NFL, but if there is any one player who deserves that title it is wide receiver Terrell Owens. We all know that he thinks Jeff Garcia is gay, that he doesn't like Donovan, and that Tony Romo and Jason Witten aren't including him in their "club," but what we don't know is that no NFL player can truly say that they "like" T.O.

The Dallas Cowboys have a "cancer" in their locker room, and they are slowly beginning to fade because of it. I know it's cliche, but the artists formerly known as America's Team have become America's Most Annoying Team.

What would be best for the Cowboys is getting rid of Owens. That is, if they are truly serious about winning. 

Adam Schefter of NFL Network and Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com both said earlier today that they would not be surprised if Owens is out of Dallas as soon as Feb. 27.

The question then is, where would he land? The first team that comes to mind when I think of an attitude like T.O. has is the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis doesn't care about his history of ruining teams, and as a Denver Broncos fan I would love nothing more than to see two press conferences a year featuring Terrell Owens crying about why JaMarcus Russell didn't get him the ball enough when really it was because he had been absolutely shut down by Champ Bailey.

The other 50 percent of ESPN's airtime will be spent trying to figure out the third most intriguing offseason storyline:

3.  What Is Going On with Brett Favre

When it comes to the NFL, ESPN would rather talk about the Cowboys and Brett Favre over any two subjects in sports. But for what reason?

Nobody cares what Brett Favre is doing for lunch, or with whom he had it! Nobody wants to see Brett in that faux jersey-shirt wearing his Wrangler jeans playing football in the mud. Nobody wants to hear about Brett Favre wanting to "stick it" to his former team, the Green Bay Packers by playing for the Vikings.

Consider this the very last time you ever read a post of mine featuring the state of Brett Favre as a relevant story. I will simply leave it at this: If Brett Favre doesn't retire before the draft, and ESPN insists on covering his life, I will personally boycott watching that television station for the rest of the offseason.

Ultimately, if Favre plays football in 2009 it will be for the Minnesota Vikings. If I had to bet on it, I would give the chance of that happening about 10 percent. Brett Favre will retire this offseason.

Finally.

One player who could be interesting to watch this offseason is the No. 4 most intriguing offseason story:

4. Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles

To me, it is absolutely preposterous that any Eagle fan would want this guy out. Maybe this whole situation is being blown up by the media, but as a fan of the game in general, I would love to see the Eagles and their fans without Donovan McNabb, just so they know how good they have it.

How many other quarterbacks take their team to what, four NFC Championship games? His numbers are off the charts. He is the greatest quarterback to ever play in Philly, and if you disagree and say Ron Jaworski I would love a copy of your birth certificate. 

I have always respected Donovan McNabb, and I always will. He is a stand up guy who puts up with more than almost any other quarterback in the league, and yet he still performs at the high level that he does every single week. 

When final decisions are made, I think Eagles brass will opt to keep McNabb as the starter. Kevin Kolb is horrific. If Philadelphia lets him go, it will be a long season of booing in the City of Brotherly Love.

Sticking with the topic of quarterbacks, how's this for a headline?:

5. Could Matt Cassel Compete for the Patriots' Starting Quarterback Job in 2009?

Any true fan of the game knows the answer to this question is no, but despite the fact that Cassel would back up Tom Brady, he would still be paid more! The only way the Patriots can keep their floating device on board is by slapping him right across the face with the franchise tag, arguably the most unfair rule in the NFL.

If hit with the tag, Cassel would have to sign a one year contract in which he gets paid the salary of the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. It's also possible that he doesn't even take a snap.

The smartest thing the Patriots could do would be to franchise tag Cassel and dangle him as trade bait. Team's like Minnesota, San Francisco, and maybe Detroit would be willing to give up the draft picks for him. The most likely of those three are Detroit and Minnesota, both in need of a franchise quarterback.

I can't say for sure, but if I had to guess I would say that the Patriots would demand something close to what the Texans had to give up to the Atlanta Falcons for Matt Schaub. If memory serves me right, that would mean a first and third in this year's draft, and a second round pick in the 2010 draft.

For the Detroit Lions, who have two first-round picks and two third-round picks, that seems like a very logical trade to make. Yes, they need to begin to rebuild, but with so many extra draft picks it just makes sense.

Watch for Matt Cassel to wind up in the NFC North in 2009, in one capacity or another.

There you have it NFL fans, a fun-filled offseason that promises to keep us on the edge of our seats even though the players won't be putting on the pads.