Kaspers Korner

San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, and former head coach Marty Schottinheimer never got along.  The reason became clear as day after his comments on Kassim Osgood wanting a trade.

Osgood has made the Pro Bowl twice as a special teams player, and had only two receptions all of last year.  With that Osgood expressed his dissatisfaction with the team over his lack of opportunity to play wide receiver, and asked for a trade.

in his response to Osgoods comments Smith said this, which appeared in an article in San Diego Union-Tribune, “Originally, I was unaware of Kassim’s unhappiness,” Smith said. “Now that I fully understand his position, I’m sure after his contract expires his agent will do everything possible to make his client happy by finding a team that wants Kassim as a wide receiver first, special teams (player) second. He will not be traded, and we fully expect him to honor his contract. Kassim has made a career and business decision and I respect that. He’s a great kid, and I wish him the best.”

Seriously, Smith is an ass, and thank god he left Buffalo with John Butler, because Bills fans would not put up with crap like that.  It is not like it is an unreasonable request, especially after Smith traded for wide receiver Chris Chambers.  Also, Osgood is not even the kickoff or punt returner on the team, but Smith comes off as he is too valuable to replace.

In his comments he stated that he did not know that Osgood was dissatisfied, untill he said so publicly.  Holy dumbass Batman, but that takes the cake.  How the hell does a general manager not know how his players feel.  The answer is a person who comes off as an a**hole, who nobody wants to talk to if they do not have to.

In the end it is only a matter of time before Smith finds himself on the unemployment line, especially if the Chargers were to have a really bad season.

New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush was almost the first overall pick in the draft in the 2006 National Football League draft.  However, after two mediocore seasons with the Saints it is now make or break for Bush.

Bush had one question about him that still lingers to this day, and that is can Bush be a fulltime running back in the NFL.  Now, the only reason why that remains a question is that the Saints also had running back Duece McCallister.

Bush became the feature running back after McCallister tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in week three.  Also, with Bush being the second pick in the draft the Saints have millions of dollars of guaranteed money tied up with Bush.  If Bush cannot break the 600 total yards rushing mark, like in his previous two seasons, then the Saints would have no choice, but to cut him.  If that were to happen then the Saints would have millions of dollars on their books in dead cap space.

According to Mike Tripplet of the Times-Picayune, Reggie Bush said this at the start of Offseason Team Activities, “Now I’ve got to come out and have an equal or better year.  I’ve got to get the crowd chanting M-V-P.”

He has to be just that this upcoming season, or close to it.  The type of comparisons that Bush was receiving leading up to the draft was to that of former Bill running back OJ Simpson. 

If Bush were to fail he would easily out shadow former quarterback Ryan Leaf.  Leaf had only one good season, and no trophies.  Bush on the other hand has wone the Heisman Trophy, and was apart of a National Championship team.

Bush may have faced adversity before, but this is the NFL, and as former head coach Jerry Glanville stated to a referee one time, “You know what the NFL stands for.  Not for Long if you keep on making calls like that.”

Tennessee Titan defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is the franchise player for the Titans this year, and is seeking a long term deal.  However, that is not the area they need to be proactive with, and that is being his anger management.

It has been a year and a half, since Albert Haynesworth stepped on Dallas Cowboy Andre Gurode.  Now, he has to deal with divorce proceedings as his wife has filed for a divorce.  According to the Tennessean, “Court documents filed Monday in Williamson County Chancery Court, Stephanie Haynesworth alleges irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as the reason for the divorce.”

Obviously, when I read the news, on Pro Football Talk.com, I wondered the same thing is if Haynesworth has beaten up his soon to be exwife.  Also, how bad has it gotten between them, as if a weapon has been brought out by Haynesworth.  Afterall, he stepped on the forehead of Gurode.

Haynesworth asked for privacy in a email released through his agent Chad Speck.  First, let me just laugh at that.  One of the first questions for Haynesworth will be about the divorce.  It is going to be a circus fir him until the divorce is done.

So what does that mean?  It means that another incident on the field is coming our way via Haynesworth.  If the Titans do not get proactive about this, then Hayneswoth is nothing more than a time bomb waiting to go off. 

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards is a person that is not shy to give his opinion.  One of them on Monday just threw a whole gas can onto the fire.

It is not a well kept secret that teams do not follow the rules when it comes to pending free agents.  However, the employees of National Football League teams have had a mutual understanding, untill now, not to tell on each other.  Some how Herm Edwards seemed to not get that memo.

The following passage appeared in the Kansas City Star, and the article was written by Adam Teicher, “There were probably some deals done before (the start of the league year),” Edwards said when asked why the Chiefs didn’t get in the game with either player. “We didn’t cheat. We abided by the rules. That’s how you’re supposed to do it, and that’s what we did.”  Edwards was commenting on why they did not sign kick Josh Brown and center Jeff Faine.  Faine signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Brown sign with the Saint Louis Rams.

Edwards comments could be the last straw that broke the camels back, and confirm the obvious that teams talk to players agents.  That is usually at the combine when all the scouts, and general  managers get together to hold testing on potential NFL draft picks. 

The funny thing is that the Chiefs are probably not going to be the ones that get compensation for the loss.  Faine was with the New Orleans Saints, and Brown was with the Seattle Seahawks, and those are the teams that actually will receive compensation for the tampering.  Afterall, they are still the property of their teams until the new year starts.

Unfortunately, Edwards will come off as a cry baby, after everything is said and done, but the real winners could be the fans.  If Commisioner Roger Goodell does really follow thru on this, then teams will have a better chance of retaining their own players. 

Several days ago Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall cut his arm in an accident at home.  Now, some details have come out as to how severe the injury was, and it is not good.

Marshall severed an artery, a vein, a tendon to five muscles, and a nerve.  The early time table of recovery is three months, and is expected to be ready for training camp in July.  However, in the wake of the Kevin Everett injury that is hard to believe.

Nerves just do not come back overnite, and to have a nerve completely severed makes me doubt he will even play in 2008.  Fortunately, he injured a peripheral nerve, which is all the other nerves besided the brain and spinal column, and those nerves regenerate, unlike the central nervous system.

According to Robert B. Grahams lecture, which I found surfing the net, “In a few, unusual circumstances, motor control suffers greatly. Usually when a motor neuron regenerates through a randomly selected sheath, little harm is done since all the motor axons in most peripheral nerves go to the same muscle, but if the nerve that is regenerating carries axons for several different muscles, then the results can be catastrophic.”  In other words if the surgeon did not do a good job on reconnecting the nerves, and putting them back to almost where they were then there will be problems.

So, in other words only time will tell to how severe the injury to Marshall really is.  Afterall, catching a ball with one hand is already hard on its own, and add in the pressure and speed of the National Football League, and you have “Mission Impossible.” If you like to read Mr. Graham’s lecture then here is the link.

http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/grahamr/DW_3311Site/LectureF/Lect1.5.html

The New York Giants are coming off a mind blowing Super Bowl win this past year, and along with it comes the raiding of the team of its free agents.  However, with the offense set for many years to come the Giants will address their defense this year.

The only real losses the team suffered was the loss of linebacker Kiwika Mitchell, and safety Gibril Wilson.  Wilson has already been replaced with saftey Sammy Knight, and signed linebacker Danny Mitchell. 

Other area of concern is if defensive end Michael Strahan will come back this season to play.  However, if they do retire they will be fine there thanks to Justin Tuck.  They also let defensive tackle William Joesph walk away by signing with the Oakland Raiders, but he has been a dissapointment as he has been riddled with injuries.

So, where will the Giants go with their first round pick.  That is anyones guess at this point.  Teams at that point in the round usually keep their options open.  That is due in part to picks at this stage are usually back ups, and have very little immediate impact on a team.

Usually, teams that are consistently in the playoff hunt have their picks to step up in the starting lineup in their third year.  The first and second years they usually spell the starter.

With free agency quiting down more likely news will be coming soon as to what direction general manager Jerry Reese will do with the pick.  Afterall the roster is already pretty much set.

The Philadelphia Eagles were once a dominant team in the NFC conference going to four straight NFC Championship games, and one would end up in a trip to the Super Bowl.  Now, the Eagles have aged, and their quarterback has been outspoken in getting weapons for a run at the playoffs.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb, and Eagle fans, want one thing, and that being a big top notch wide receiver for the offense.  It is the one area that the Eagles for some reason have not addressed through the draft over the past several years.  The Eagles have not taken a wide receiver in the first two round, since the 2005 when the took  Reggie Brown in the second round.  The have not used a first round pick on a wide receiver, since the 2001 draft.

However, with with the recent rumours that McNabb will be traded, and Kevin Kolb taken in the second round, it will be a matter of time before McNabb is gone.  Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News said this on the situation, “Now that the Randy Moss flirtation is over, along with the Fitzgerald fantasy, if McNabb cannot beg himself a wideout this spring - somebody, anybody; Bryant Johnson, come on down - does the quarterback have any juice at all within the organization anymore?”

The main weapons of the Eagles offense is tightend LJ Smith, and running back Brian Westbrook.  Outside of them the Eagles do not have another target that they can depend on to score.

The other issue with the Eagles is the age of offensive tackle Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas, along with safety Brian Dawkins.  Runyan is 34 years old, and Thomas is 33, and with no for sure replacement the Eagles will probably address the issue again in the second round.  The Eagles can thank New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyoira for destroying the confidence of tackle Winston Justice, who the Eagles took in the 2006 NFL draft.

Dawkins is 34 as well, and eventually will need replacing soon also.  They also needed a cornerback, but they addressed that with the signing of Asante Samuel.  They have not taken a safety to replace Dawkins, but you can expect them to address the issue in the third round, or next year in the first or second round.

For Eagle fans it will be a long day when the first day of the draft starts, afterall the future of their beloved Donovan McNabb might hang in the balance.

The Saint Louis Rams had an awful season last year, because of a lot of injuries as well including starting quarterback Mark Bulger, and running back Steven Jackson.  With that the Rams will pick second overall in the National Football League draft, and will most likely trade down.

The second spot in the draft will most likely be a hot commodity.  Thanks in part to the top players in the draft being close in talent, and the drop off in guaranteed money. 

Rams VP of personnel Billy Devaney was on Bernie Miklasz’s radio show, and said that he expects to field calls before the draft, and on day of draft, for teams looking to move up that No. 2 pick, and will listen.  As positive as Devaney sounds it is actually hard to trade now, due to the top picks receiver such high guaranteed money.

Devaney went on to mention that they do need an offensive lineman.  With offensive tackle being so deep expect one to be taken in the second, or possibly third rounds.

The Rams will definately not use their first pick on a defensive tackle.  Devaney cited that defensive tackles have to change systems, and used Dwayne Robertson as an example. 

The Rams will take DE Vernon Gholston if they trade down, and if they are stuck at number two then they will take OT Jake Long, which Devaney called a B+ athlete.

In the end the Rams will have to hit on a lot of picks if they are going to get back to the level they were at earlier this decade.

The Chicago Bears this past year had a dissapointing season thanks to a bunch of injuries.  However, the Bears could have a bright future ahead of them with already having four draft picks in the first three rounds, and even can accumulate more.

The Bears already have two third round picks due to a trade with the San Diego Chargers last year.  That could increase due to the Bears losing free agents last year, and only signing one, which means that the Bears will most likely get a compensartory pick.  Also, if commisioner Roger Goodell thinks that the San Francisco 49ers tamered with linebacker Lance Briggs they could pick up another pick in the first three rounds.

According to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, “Lest anyone think those compensatory picks are meaningless, consider this: there has been a direct correlation to compensatory picks and winning over the last decade.”  Pompei went on to point out that over the past decade the Bears are one of the 11 teams to have the most compensatoro picks awarded to, which is also the reason for their recent success.

This draft will most likely have direct coroalation to the replacement of some veterans that are getting up there in age in football terms.  Starting middle linebacker Brian Urlacher is 30 in May, and has arthritis in his back.  Left tackle John Tait is 33, center Olin Kruetz will turn 31 in June, and left Guard Terrence Metcalf is 30.  Also, defensive end Adewale Ogunleye is 31 in August.  Also, add in the possiblity of having to replace running back Cedric Benson, and quarterback Rex Grossman.

The life span of a football player is in his mid 30s.  Good teams have a sense when a player has seen his best days past, and when that happens the team will either cut players with really high cap numbers, or let players walk after their contract expires.

If the Bears are going to have success in the near, and distant future, the Bears will have to have a really good draft.

It has become common place today in the National Football League for player to look for only the big payday.  So, when Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu took less money it put him in a class with only one other.

A player taking less money in the NFL has become just as rare as a Honus Wagner baseball card.  The only other superstar to take less money is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and Tatupu did it for the same reasons as Brady.  Those being to sign other teammates.

He took less money, so the team can sign linebacker Leroy Hill, and cornerback Marcus Trufant to long term deals.  Without Tatupu’s help signing Trufant would be almost impossible thanks to the DeAngelo Hall contract, aong with the contract of Asante Samuel.

Not only should Seahawk fans should be smiling over the news all NFL fans should be smiling about it.  To hear that there is guys like Tatupu out there gives hope to everyone that the league can one day change for the better.  After all with Spy Gate out there we all need a little hope.

Not only is the Seahawks better for resigning Tatupu, but everyone is better for having him in the league.  Cause now parents when they see him play can point out to their own children that there really are players that they can look up to out there besides the Pacman Jones of the world.

Thanks Lofa you made everyones day.