- Messages
- 79,278
- Reaction score
- 45,636
Schaub back on the market?
The Atlanta Falcons haven't begun to seriously listen to offers for restricted free agent quarterback Matt Schaub, the three-year veteran said to be coveted by several teams, and maybe they never will. But here's a hint that the Atlanta brass is at least thinking about the possibility of moving Schaub in a trade: Team officials in recent days began informally kicking around names of available backup quarterbacks, potential candidates to supplant Schaub as the No. 2 guy behind Michael Vick.
If the Falcons do decide to trade Schaub -- the alternative is to keep him for 2007, then watch him depart as an unrestricted free agent after the season, while getting nothing in return for him -- they will not lack for interested suitors. But what's a fair price for Schaub, who has started in only two games and didn't win either one of them, and who carries a compensation level of first- and third-round draft choices according to the level at which the Falcons tendered him his $2.3 million qualifying offer? It has been suggested that Atlanta has to get at least a first-rounder out of any Schaub trade. But even that is a pretty steep price for a guy whose skills are still unknown, whose reputation has benefited immensely from not having to play very much, and who is still all about potential. So the whispers in recent days are that the Falcons might consider a pair of second-round picks, one this year and the other in the 2008 draft, as compensation.
It's also said that, while Bobby Petrino has been pleasantly surprised at the acumen of Vick in starting to assimilate the new offense being installed, he really doesn't want to part with Schaub at this point. Vick has reportedly proven better than anticipated at the dry-erase board, in drawing up plays. But Petrino likens Schaub to Brian Brohm, his quarterback at Louisville, and a guy the coach feels will be a star at the NFL level. Stay tuned on this one.
Archuletta on way out?
In a move that can't augur well for his future in Washington, the Commanders convinced safety Adam Archuleta to push back the payment on a $5 million option bonus he was due this week. Because the bonus is fully guaranteed, Archuleta is going to collect it no matter what happens to him, but the delay will provide the Commanders time to see if they can find a team willing to trade for the overrated six-year veteran.
Archuleta, 29, was one of the most disappointing and ill-advised unrestricted free agent additions in the entire league in 2006, when the Commanders made him one of the highest paid safeties in history. The feeling was that Skins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would conjure up a way to turn Archuleta, a big hitter with next to zero coverage skills, into a playmaker. But Archuleta isn't a ball athlete, as evidenced by the lack of takeaways he has authored in 88 games (three interceptions, three forced fumbles and five recoveries), and he has to play close to the line of scrimmage to be effective. Unfortunately, for the Commanders, they already had an in the box safety in Sean Taylor, and the two weren't exactly complementary. After starting the first seven games, Archuleta was benched in favor of Troy Vincent, who can't run, either. So it's going to be difficult for Washington to locate someone to take Archuleta, even for a low-round draft choice.
Copper market heating up:
Terrence Copper, by the way, is beginning to generate pretty solid interest, from teams like Miami, in the restricted free agent market. And why not? The three-year veteran is the kind of resourceful player most teams like to have around and, since he originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent in 2004, he would not cost any compensation for a team that successfully executed an offer sheet with him. Copper averaged an impressive 16.7 yards per reception in 2006 and scored a touchdown every 7.6 catches. He can return kickoffs, might be able to return punts in a pinch, and plays on all the special teams coverage units. The restricted market has been fairly active so far -- Wes Welker was traded from Miami to New England, and three other restricted free agents have signed offer sheets, with the results of two of them pending -- and figures to become increasingly so in the next week or two. Keep an eye on Copper as a guy who could be pursued by several teams.
Change to pass interference?
In advance of the annual league meetings, which begin in Phoenix on March 25, the powerful competition committee huddled in Naples, Fla., this week, and among the several proposals it considered was one from the San Francisco 49ers that would change the rule on defensive pass interference. Under the San Francisco proposal, there would be two levels of interference, one severe and the other minor. The harsher penalty would be a spot foul, meaning it would be administered at the point of the infraction, as it is now. The lesser penalty would be for 15 yards. Word is the proposal received a lukewarm reception from the competition committee, which means it probably doesn't have much chance of passing muster with the full league membership at the Phoenix meetings.
The list:
Forbes Magazine published its annual list of the world's richest individuals last week and the analysis featured a record 946 billionaires, including 11 NFL owners or co-owners. Here is the roster of the NFL's richest owners and their net worth: Paul Allen, Seattle, $16 billion; Wayne Huizenga, Miami, $2.1 billion; Stan Kroenke, St. Louis, $2.1 billion; Malcolm Glazer, Tampa Bay, $2.0 billion; Randy Lerner, Cleveland, $1.5 billion; Bob McNair, Houston, $1.5 billion; Arthur Blank, Atlanta, $1.3 billion; Jerry Jones, Dallas, $1.3 billion; Bob Kraft, New England, $1.3 billion; Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore, $1.1 billion; and Alex Spanos, San Diego, $1.1 billion.
The Atlanta Falcons haven't begun to seriously listen to offers for restricted free agent quarterback Matt Schaub, the three-year veteran said to be coveted by several teams, and maybe they never will. But here's a hint that the Atlanta brass is at least thinking about the possibility of moving Schaub in a trade: Team officials in recent days began informally kicking around names of available backup quarterbacks, potential candidates to supplant Schaub as the No. 2 guy behind Michael Vick.
If the Falcons do decide to trade Schaub -- the alternative is to keep him for 2007, then watch him depart as an unrestricted free agent after the season, while getting nothing in return for him -- they will not lack for interested suitors. But what's a fair price for Schaub, who has started in only two games and didn't win either one of them, and who carries a compensation level of first- and third-round draft choices according to the level at which the Falcons tendered him his $2.3 million qualifying offer? It has been suggested that Atlanta has to get at least a first-rounder out of any Schaub trade. But even that is a pretty steep price for a guy whose skills are still unknown, whose reputation has benefited immensely from not having to play very much, and who is still all about potential. So the whispers in recent days are that the Falcons might consider a pair of second-round picks, one this year and the other in the 2008 draft, as compensation.
It's also said that, while Bobby Petrino has been pleasantly surprised at the acumen of Vick in starting to assimilate the new offense being installed, he really doesn't want to part with Schaub at this point. Vick has reportedly proven better than anticipated at the dry-erase board, in drawing up plays. But Petrino likens Schaub to Brian Brohm, his quarterback at Louisville, and a guy the coach feels will be a star at the NFL level. Stay tuned on this one.
Archuletta on way out?
In a move that can't augur well for his future in Washington, the Commanders convinced safety Adam Archuleta to push back the payment on a $5 million option bonus he was due this week. Because the bonus is fully guaranteed, Archuleta is going to collect it no matter what happens to him, but the delay will provide the Commanders time to see if they can find a team willing to trade for the overrated six-year veteran.
Archuleta, 29, was one of the most disappointing and ill-advised unrestricted free agent additions in the entire league in 2006, when the Commanders made him one of the highest paid safeties in history. The feeling was that Skins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would conjure up a way to turn Archuleta, a big hitter with next to zero coverage skills, into a playmaker. But Archuleta isn't a ball athlete, as evidenced by the lack of takeaways he has authored in 88 games (three interceptions, three forced fumbles and five recoveries), and he has to play close to the line of scrimmage to be effective. Unfortunately, for the Commanders, they already had an in the box safety in Sean Taylor, and the two weren't exactly complementary. After starting the first seven games, Archuleta was benched in favor of Troy Vincent, who can't run, either. So it's going to be difficult for Washington to locate someone to take Archuleta, even for a low-round draft choice.
Copper market heating up:
Terrence Copper, by the way, is beginning to generate pretty solid interest, from teams like Miami, in the restricted free agent market. And why not? The three-year veteran is the kind of resourceful player most teams like to have around and, since he originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent in 2004, he would not cost any compensation for a team that successfully executed an offer sheet with him. Copper averaged an impressive 16.7 yards per reception in 2006 and scored a touchdown every 7.6 catches. He can return kickoffs, might be able to return punts in a pinch, and plays on all the special teams coverage units. The restricted market has been fairly active so far -- Wes Welker was traded from Miami to New England, and three other restricted free agents have signed offer sheets, with the results of two of them pending -- and figures to become increasingly so in the next week or two. Keep an eye on Copper as a guy who could be pursued by several teams.
Change to pass interference?
In advance of the annual league meetings, which begin in Phoenix on March 25, the powerful competition committee huddled in Naples, Fla., this week, and among the several proposals it considered was one from the San Francisco 49ers that would change the rule on defensive pass interference. Under the San Francisco proposal, there would be two levels of interference, one severe and the other minor. The harsher penalty would be a spot foul, meaning it would be administered at the point of the infraction, as it is now. The lesser penalty would be for 15 yards. Word is the proposal received a lukewarm reception from the competition committee, which means it probably doesn't have much chance of passing muster with the full league membership at the Phoenix meetings.
The list:
Forbes Magazine published its annual list of the world's richest individuals last week and the analysis featured a record 946 billionaires, including 11 NFL owners or co-owners. Here is the roster of the NFL's richest owners and their net worth: Paul Allen, Seattle, $16 billion; Wayne Huizenga, Miami, $2.1 billion; Stan Kroenke, St. Louis, $2.1 billion; Malcolm Glazer, Tampa Bay, $2.0 billion; Randy Lerner, Cleveland, $1.5 billion; Bob McNair, Houston, $1.5 billion; Arthur Blank, Atlanta, $1.3 billion; Jerry Jones, Dallas, $1.3 billion; Bob Kraft, New England, $1.3 billion; Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore, $1.1 billion; and Alex Spanos, San Diego, $1.1 billion.
Exactly what i was thinking. Where's the midget? I can hear the spin from Art the idiot now.
