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NFL teams need to look at the free agent market, especially those that need receivers, because there are two guys who I think are really talented and if they can stay healthy will be outstanding additions. The first is Javon Walker who was released by the Denver Broncos and the other is D.J. Hackett who is an unrestricted free agent. Both are coming off seasons where they were expected to contribute big but faced injuries.

Javon Walker is a tall receiver with good speed who had two great seasons for the Green Bay Packers before injuries and one good season for the Broncos before and injury. If he can keep the injury bug away, Walker makes a great target for quarterbacks and has potential to be a 10 touchdown guy. There are a lot of teams that can use an upgrade in receivers and he is a gamble worth taking.

D.J. Hackett has plenty of talent but has had mediocre seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He is only in his fourth year in the league but has shown flashes of potential in games where he dominated. He has the height and speed and 2007 was supposed to be the year where he broke out but an injury hampered that and the end result was another mediocre season. I still think he has the talent to be a Plexico Burress but needs the right fit which makes him a great sleeper pick. I see more upside to Hackett than Bryant Johnson who is also available on the free agent market.

No team has yet offered a deal to Randy Moss that has peaked his interest and the rumor mills are going crazy of where he could go. One of the ones I found most interesting was the possibility of Moss going to the Greenbay Packers which was also the take a year ago. The Packers had a chance to get Moss last year and Brett Favre was upset at the team not making a move for him. This time around it could be different.

Moss would give the Packers the best receiving corps in the league and the best one Favre has had to throw too. Their lineup would be Moss, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones. That is a talented group and if Ryan Grant can do what he did in the 2007 season, the Packers would definitely be front runners. Signing Moss could definitely affect Favre returning as well so the Packers front office should definitely take a look at signing Moss and quickly.

The Minnesota Vikings made a great move by signing Bernard Berrian to a 6 year $42 million dollar deal. This not only adds talent to their non-existent receiving corps, with the exception of Sydney Rice, but also takes away from a division rival. Berrian had 71 receptions for 951 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2007. Berrian is a speedy receiver but he has a mental issue and has some key drops. In a free agency market that is full of receivers, Berrian is one of the top available but his numbers are still up in the air because the Vikings passing game is not very powerful. With Adrian Peterson running like crazy over everyone, you would think their passing game would pick up. Hopefully adding Berrian will improve their passing attack.

Minnesota also needs to get a good defensive end and a quarterback as well because the ones they have now are not cutting it. Taking a receiver in the draft would be a great addition as there is some talent in the 2008 draft. The team couldn’t sign DE Justin Smith so there is still a big hole there to fill.

The New York Jets have finally done something right by picking up outstanding players that will definitely contribute to the team. This off-season has been good so far for the Jets by trading for Pro Bowlers Kris Jenkins and signing free agent Alan Faneca to enhance both defense and offense.

Kris Jenkins, a three time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, will improve the 3-4 defense which requires three outstanding tackles up front that can plug up holes and put pressure on the quarterback. The Jets are lacking in defense and with the trade of Jonathan Vilma, they had to pick up someone upfront and Jenkins makes a solid choice.

Alan Faneca, currently one of the games best left guards, will be a major upgrade for a younger Jets offensive line. Faneca has been protecting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks and helping the running game for over 10 years and will definitely help a Jets offensive that struggles in both offensive passing and running. Thomas Jones should see an increase in his number of touchdowns and yardage and whoever is at quarterback will get better protection from the left side. The Jets signed Faneca to a 5 year, $40 million dollar contract and it is well worth it as finding a Pro Bowl guard is very valuable, especially for a team like the Jets who need the help.

The Jets are still making some moves including the possibility of signing tackle Damien Woody, another free agent, who would man the left side. They definitely have to get him because this will provide great protection for whoever is under center. Woody is a pretty good tackle who played under Mangini in New England. Jet fans should be excited about these pickups but should still be worried about the passing game as a good quarterback is still missing. Hello Jets, Derek Anderson was available.

The Philadelphia Eagles score a huge free agent pick up by signing the best cornerback in the market right now in Asante Samuels. The Patriots are known for getting rid of play-makers on defense in the secondary and Samuels is another casualty of the system. He is a great play maker and one of the better cover corners available although Patriot fans are still reeling from his easy pick that would have won them the Super Bowl.

For the Eagles, this means a talented secondary in Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, and Asante Samuel. Sheppard’s status with the team is still up in the air as he is reported as being unhappy about his contract and may look to be traded. If the Eagles keep him, they would have to move him to another position but would also give them great multi-receiver pass coverage. This is a great free agent signing for the Eagles. Now only if they can pick up some offensive talent. Hey Eagles, I think Chad Johnson is being shopped around.

Wow. What a rumor this has to be and as a Dallas fan I love hearing it. With Moss not yet coming to contract terms there is speculation that Moss could be going to a number of teams but to see him as a Dallas Cowboy would be amazing. We all know how talented Moss is under a good quarterback and that he will only play for a Super Bowl contender and the Cowboys are definitely contenders. Could it be so hard to image Jerry Jones dishing out some money and meeting the salary cap to get Moss? No it’s not and by acquiring Moss he could get rid of Terry Glenn and even Patrick Crayton, the drop machine.

Adding Moss would mean a team up with Terrell Owens which would likely be the best wide receiver tandem in NFL history and would be fun to watch. How do teams stop such talent on both sides. The only drawback would be in quarterback Tony Romo who has not developed enough to be a Tom Brady. It would be a better show to have Owens go to the Patriots and Moss re-signing. Still, it sounds like a great idea that Jerry Jones should ponder and see if he can fit into that cap.

Signing Moss would mean no Darren McFadden for you guys who want it all. There is no way to get him and Moss but hey you always have that Barber guy who isn’t half bad.

Just when Spygate was starting to settle down the rumor of the Patriots possibly cheating by recording the St. Louis Rams’ final walk-through in the Superdome before Super Bowl XXXVI. This is starting to become a bad time for the NFL as the report was printed before the Super Bowl and the Patriots have set several records, have an undefeated season, and are noted as one of the best football teams ever. This can all be tarnished if the team is proven to have cheated in a Super Bowl.

There have been many articles released about possible suspicions, play calling in that Super Bowl, and other related topics but there are two that really caught my eye. First was an ESPN article about Matt Walsh who was a video assistant during that time. According to ESPN, Walsh could “expose where and how they gained advantages and, perhaps even, turn over video proof.” This is another great statement “Walsh said he is fearful of possible legal action against him by either the league or Patriots if he details what he knows. He refused to provide evidence of potential wrongdoing unless ESPN agreed to pay his legal fees related to his involvement in the story, as well as an indemnification agreement that would cover any damages found against him in court.” Read the rest of this entry »

Dave Campo could be returning to the Dallas Cowboys soon.

The Dallas Cowboys have received permission from the Jacksonville Jaguars to interview the team’s former head coach for an assistant spot.

Back Where It All Started

In 1989, Dave Campo was hired by the Dallas Cowboys to be their defensive backs coach. He had followed Jimmy Johnson up from the University of Miami.

Dave Campo was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator after Butch Davis left the Dallas Cowboys to become the head coach at the University of Miami.

He filled that role for 5 years before being promoted to head coach after Chan Gailey left the team.

In his 2 years as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he was widely praised for his leadership skills. However, he was also widely criticized for his decision making as a head coach. Dave Campo was fired by the Dallas Cowboys as owner Jerry Jones made the decision to pursue coaching legend Bill Parcells.

Vacancy

The Dallas Cowboys have a vacant spot on the coaching staff with the departure of several assistant coaches, many of whom left to join the Miami Dolphins a few days ago.

Best to Move On

Right now, Dave Campo is the assistant head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he were to join the Dallas Cowboys, it would be as the defensive backs coach.

In case you didn’t know, that is a demotion. That means that the Jacksonville Jaguars could deny Dave Campo permission to leave if they wanted to.

However, that doesn’t appear to be what head coach Jack Del Rio (a former linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, by the way) wants.

Jack Del Rio recently hired Donnie Henderson (former defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and New York Jets). He hasn’t been given a title just yet, but his specialty is with defensive backs. It appears as if Jack Del Rio hired a replacement for Dave Campo before he actually left.

Owners’ Choice

Jerry Jones has stated that he would allow head coach Wade Phillips to choose assistant coaches to fill the void on his staff. However, the potential hiring of Dave Campo appears to be a move that Jerry Jones is choosing.

Wade Phillips has been looking for a defensive backs coach who has experience with the 3-4 defense. Dave Campo does not fit that bill since he’s been coaching under the 4-3 defense.

Last week, Wade Phillips hired Todd Grantham to coach the defensive line. Todd Grantham had previous served as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, and he does have experience with the 3-4 defense.

Jerry Jones also sought permission from the Atlanta Falcons to interview Emmitt Thomas. He was denied, and the Atlanta Falcons promoted Emmitt Thomas to assistant head coach (he had previously served as interim head coach when Bobby Petrino ran away).

Closing Thoughts

Dave Campo is an experienced coach is pretty good when he’s just allowed to teach defensive players. Good move for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys have let down in the playoffs again by losing to the New York Giants in the Divisional playoff game. This proves once again that you can have the franchise best winning season but if your not prepared for the playoffs your going to lose. There was some high expectations for the number seed in the NFC and they were not anywhere near their goals and as a Cowboys fan it makes me wish we were still in the Jimmy Johnson era. There were a lot of reasons for the lost and what I want to focus on is Romo and the weak offensive showing.

All the drama of the Cowboys team towards the end was not drawn to Terrell Owens but rather to Tony Romo who has been horrible in the last few games with more interceptions than touchdowns. I am not going to blame Jessica Simpson, his cockiness, or his trip to Mexico to prepare for a playoff game. He is a good quarterback who has won some key games but what people rate you on is clutch time and he did not show up today. Against a wounded Giants secondary, who were definitely going to bring a pass rush, Romo did nothing to lead the team. He seemed to have no rhythm, seemed to rush plays, and just was indecisive. He missed some easy passes that would have gained major yards and missed some key passes that would have lead to touchdowns. If I were Owens, I would be pissed off as well.

Romo also had some key sacks towards the end of the game when the Cowboys were driving. These sacks were horrible to watch and had me yelling at the screen for him to throw the ball away. I know he is good at escaping from the sack but come on, when there are four guys coming at you just throw it away. What is even worse is that on a key drive with good field position, Romo decides to throw it away. Yes I said he should have thrown it away the previous play but here he got flagged for intentional grounding because he as in the pocket and no Giant player was even close to hitting him. I watched the game and the closest Giant player was like 8 yards away yet his dumb-ass throws the ball away. It is so frustrating when your quarterback does these crazy things. If Romo wants to be an elite quarterback on the league then he better improve his game by not making crappy decisions and hitting open receivers.

There were some other keys to the loss including penalties and the Giant pass rush but I place all the focus on Romo who should be the leader and if he gets knocked down 10 times he should get up all 10 and say bring it on. The comparisons to Brett Favre are not there during clutch time. As a Cowboys fan I hope Romo improves for next year, or doesn’t date during the playoffs, and Jason Garrett can get more experience in playoff games.

The Baltimore Ravens could be bringing back a familiar face to fill their vacant head coaching spot.

Experience

The Baltimore Ravens would prefer a new head coach with experience.

Bill Cowher would be great. A lot of teams have expressed interest in the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he has constantly insisted that he’s not ready to get back into coaching just yet.

Pete Carroll is another coach that the team could be interested in. However, his yearly flirtation with the NFL has always led to him staying in the college ranks.

Right now, Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has stated that his team is not at the point where they’re willing to trade draft picks in exchange for a head coach with experience.

Familiar Face

Marvin Lewis isn’t your typical head coaching candidate, though.

From 1996 to 2001, Marvin Lewis was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. He was the architect of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense, which is still considered one of the best defenses of all time. Fans in Baltimore still think fondly of Marvin Lewis.

That success led to Marvin Lewis becoming one of the most coveted assistants in the league. The Cincinnati Bengals received nearly unanimous praise from around the league for hiring Marvin Lewis to resurrect their franchise.

Five years later, though, and Marvin Lewis finds himself with a bit of heat on him. He’s in the hot seat despite having 4 winning season and only 1 losing season. Expectations were raised this past season, and a 7-9 record wasn’t nearly good enough for the team.

It’s no secret that Marvin Lewis would love to have the head coaching job in Baltimore. There, he would be able to mold a defense that has two of the best players in the NFL in linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed. There’s very few coaches in the league who don’t find that to be appealing.

Plus, Marvin Lewis would be able to command respect from the players faster than other coaches. His familiarity with the organization makes him that much more appealing of a candidate.

However, the problem for the Baltimore Ravens is that Marvin Lewis has 3 years left on his contract. The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t going to allow him to leave without compensation.

Closing Thoughts

There’s a lot of good candidates out there, but Marvin Lewis seems to be the best fit for the Baltimore Ravens.