Daily Roundup- Friday, February 27th

As of 12:01, teams were able to officially negotiate with free agents and the Washington Redskins and Daniel Snyder didn’t waste any time letting the world know that they don’t’ know the meaning of recession as they signed Albert Haynesworth to a 7 year 100 million dollar deal that guarantees him 41 million. Ok, start breathing again folks.

This is going to be the biggest deal given to any player but again the concerns are there and as usual Daniel Snyder didn’t listen to them. The guy is 28 and he’s never played a full season in an NFL uniform. He’s known to coast on some plays which in the NFC East you can’t do.
Those are the negatives but the positives are that he’s a force. He’s a presence in the middle of that defensive line that will be needed with the NFC East being littered with power backs like Brandon Jacobs and Marion Barber. He’s a good signing but not at the money that they signed him up to. Oh and they resigned DeAngelo Hall to a ridiculous contract too. Oh boy.
By the way, I would love to have Adam Schefter’s Blackberry for a day and start making calls. The guy’s rolodex is probably a who’s who in football. During a taping of NFL Live on the NFL Network, he was looking at his Blackberry and he always looks like he’s gotten about 3 hours of sleep every night and mind you he just had a brand new child just a few months ago.

In the meanwhile, our local teams are headed in two different directions. The Jets released a few popular fellows in Laverneus Coles and Brandon Moore who was a very good guard to save up to 36 million in cap space. You figure they are going after one of the Baltimore LB’s and the one they will have an easier time getting is Ray Lewis. The Ravens and Bart Scott were closing in on a long term deal to keep the young LB with the Ravens. Now that doesn’t automatically mean that the Ravens are willing to part ways with Ray Ray. In fact the owner of the Ravens has said in published reports that he is willing to match any lucrative offer that he will get in free agency if they are not able to do a deal before then and you figure the Jets, and the Cowboys will be involved in the bidding which could drive up the price.

There’s no link for this story but the rumors have been out there about the Jets releasing several veterans like Chris Baker the Tight End they had trouble with during the beginning of last year when he had a contract hold out. But the most surprising one was Brandon Moore, a very good guard who started 73 consecutive games in a salary shedding move that might come back to haunt them because they aren’t stocked at that position and now will have to shift people around. Laverneus, while a fan favorite, has seen his production dip and I fully agreed with the cutting seeing it purely from a production stand point, there was no way the Jets could justify giving him 6 million this year.
However, the Jets might end up losing out on both Bart and Ray Ray because the Ravens intend on dealing out top dollar to keep both of them within the rank and file of the Baltimore defense. They are both important cogs. The Jets have an advantage having their former defensive head coach and the finances to get into any bidding as evidenced by last year, they are not afraid to throw a few dollars around. But with Jerry Jones in the bidding and Ray doing some lobbying to drive the bidding up its going to be a murky situation and the Jets have to show some restraint on how much they drive up the pricing. They have to replace Brandon Moore and try and fill some other holes like perhaps a defensive end that can wake up Vernon Ghoulston. Chris Canty anyone?

Meanwhile, the Giants continue to be held up by the gun toting WR himself, Plaxico Burress. He remains a huge presence in the lockerroom with Brandon Jacobs continuing to proclaim that only with Plax will the Giants be able to go on a Super Bowl run.

That was true in 2007 but I thought what Mike Tomlin said post Super Bowl was interesting in the sense that he talked about this team, and stressing this particular unit won the Super Bowl and said that regardless of how they do it next year, it will be with a different team and with a different identity. He wasn’t referring to offensive philosophy or defensive philosophy, but just overall faces in the room would be different and that’s how you win in the NFL. The core guys remain and the rest of the guys are interchangeable parts that come in and help a smooth machine remain that way.
Plax has shown himself to be an interchangeable part until he can stop being immature with his life. I still want him back no matter what. He’s just had some behavioral issues in terms of showing up late sometimes but he’s always come out to play and his playing on a bad wheel during the Super Bowl run was one of the best performances by a receiver. He attracts attention like very few receivers can and helps the Giants.
Obviously the Giants have options in the draft with Mike Britt from Rutgers and Hakeem Nicks from UNC all big, tall receivers with the ability and potential to be possible Plaxico’s but if you can get the real McCoy in camp, that would be beyond helpful.
The Giants need help at LB but as per Jerry Reese’s model, they won’t go crazy. Speaking of crazy, $20 mil per year for Eli? Whoa. That would be crazy and I hope that’s not true. He doesn’t deserve $20 mil per and I would come to question that decision unless of course Eli delivers a few more titles along the way.


While the Mets were tinkering with their line up and beating up the Marlins with the new look, many were distracted by the news that Johan was scratched for soreness in his elbow. Joel Sherman writes, they can’t afford to lose Santana.

I’m about as pessimistic as they come and I started to hyperventilate when I heard the news. Now, with that said, he’s been pitching every other day because the Mets needed to know he was healed from the surgery he had done to fix the knee during the offseason and thus his load in February was a bit more than he had ever had. He just needs some rest.
I heard Michael Kay, the biggest Yankee homer on the planet, talking about the Mets are in big trouble and ringing the alarms because he heard the report. I can’t begin to tell you the frustration level that rose within me when I heard that. Michael Kay is a bad broadcaster and also a horrible radio personality and that’s just my personal understanding from listening to him on several occasions. He passes along bad opinions and backs up on a lot of stuff. He also throws out big words for no apparent reason to I guess impress an audience filled with sports fanatics who probably average a beer gut and a 81 IQ while dressed up in their A-Fraud jersey at home eating some buffalo wings.
Enough already! The guy was talking about how he had this look at Alex Rodriguez and how they shared this moment and when he went to talk to him, he turned his back to him. Guess what Mike, he doesn’t want to talk to you and neither does NY. At least hearing Mike Francesa who also comes with his Yankee homerisms, is a bit more soothing. But Mike F. needs someone to battle with. His show is not the same since Mad Dog left.
But did I hear anything about Yuri Sucarat driving A-Rod away in a car? No, because Kay is A-Rod’s personal radio spokesman and is on the payroll.
Ok, I know I should be nicer on a Friday but I just can’t help it.
I’ll have an article up tomorrow. Till next time ladies.