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Big Changes Coming!

post from Big Cat Country on 19 April 2008 07:49:46 PM. © Big Cat Country

I've alluded to some big changes coming down the pipeline for Big Cat Country.

Monday Morning, it happens.

When you check the site first thing Monday, things will be just a little bit different.

We'll look more like this http://www.fishstripes.com, there will be a TON more features (Stats! Wigets! FanPosts!), things that will make Big Cat Country more interactive! You'll love it, I swear.

There is a slight "re-registration" process, but what it does is allow you to post on all the SB Nation blogs without having to register for each and every one. In essence, when the Colts blog says something condescending about the Jaguars, we can quickly (but tactfully) defend ourselves!

I can't wait!

-Chris

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/story/2008/4/19/184946/881

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Dallas Cowboys retain negotiating rights with
Barber, Canty

post from Cowboys football blog on 19 April 2008 07:13:26 PM. © Cowboys football blog

With the passing of Friday's deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with other clubs, the Cowboys retained negotiating rights with running back Marion Barber and defensive end Chris Canty. The team tendered a one-year, $2.562 million offer...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cowboysfootballblog.com/2008/04/dallas-cowboy-3.html

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Vikings Make Second SBNation Mock Draft Selection

post from Daily Norseman on 19 April 2008 06:08:51 PM. © Daily Norseman

While getting caught up in all this Jared Allen excitement, it appears as though I forgot to mention that the Vikings have made their second-round choice in the 2008 SBNation Mock NFL Draft. And by "the Vikings," what I mean is "me."

Who did the Beloved Purple take in the second round? Have a look for yourself, and then tell me what you think!

And, since I know why you're really here anyway. . .no, there have been no further updates to the Jared Allen story. Access Vikings is reporting that there's still a big ol' limo parked in front of the offices at Winter Park, but nothing has come out of there yet as far as news. But stay tuned right here just in case something breaks!

On a final note, thanks to the Jared Allen news, yesterday was the biggest day in terms of hits in the history of the Daily Norseman. We had 2,187 visitors to the site overall, and between the hours of 8 AM and midnight, only two of those hours brought less than 100 hits to the site. . .and those two hours gave us 97 and 96 hits. Because of yesterday. . .and today as well, it appears. . .we're on the verge of crossing the 200,000 hit mark before the NFL Draft. Right now, since the site went live in July of 2006, we've registered 198,273 (which includes the 1,337 we've registered today thus far).

It's just another opportunity for me to thank each and every one of you for the opportunity to bring my thoughts, rants, and insight to your computer as a part of your Minnesota Vikings internet experience. This site wouldn't be here without the support of all of you, and I appreciate it all a great deal.

Like I said, keep it tuned here for any new Jared Allen developments, and keep enjoying your weekend!

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/story/2008/4/19/17851/4995

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More info on why McNair retired: He's too fat

post from Stampede Blue on 19 April 2008 03:02:10 PM. © Stampede Blue

I had some people, who quite frankly don't know what they are talking about, question my assertion that Steve McNair was a lazy practice player who did not condition himself well in the off-seasons, which was a major reason why he was always hurt. Pete Prisco brought this to light last year, and recently the Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston offers an opinion on why McNair retired. It's because new coach John Harbaugh wanted him to work out more in the off-season. From AOL Fanhouse:According to the Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston, the oft-injured 35-year-old had every intention of coming back for 2008, but new head coach and resident hard-ass John Harbaugh might've had other ideas. Indirectly, anyway:

Harbaugh scheduled minicamps almost every other week throughout the summer. He wanted regular attendance by players during the offseason weight-lifting program. He wanted McNair to lose weight because he had ballooned to 250 pounds since the season ended.

There is a new work ethic on the Ravens, and McNair basically said yesterday, thanks, but no thanks.I bring this up because some people just don't get it. Football, especially PROFESSIONAL football, is about working hard all the time, not just on Sundays. Marvin Harrison has a great quote (which I'm paraphrasing here) about how Sundays are the work you'd do for free. What the NFL pays you for is all the other days. That is when you do your work.

Apparently, Steve McNair didn't agree with that philosophy, which is why Steve McNair will never sniff the Hall of Fame and Marvin Harrison will likely be a first ballot choice when he retires.

Now, does this mean McNair is a "bad guy" or a jack hole or or anything like that? No, of course not. He was a good player who was over-hyped by ignorant media. I've never had anything against him, and have often written some very favorable posts about him. He is, however, a player that never fully lived up to his potential, and a leading factor into that was his crappy work ethic. Maybe if his coaches, like Jeff Fisher, had ridden his butt a bit and DEMANDED he get in shape during the off-season, the Titans might have a few Super Bowls. This acceptance of laziness from star players has bled over into the Vince Young era, as Pete Prisco talked about last year.

Listen folks, NFL prices are very high. It costs a lot of money to watch games. Concessions are a flat out robbery, and don't get me started on parking. Knowing all this, as a fan I have absolutely no tolerance for laziness of any kind from players or coaches or anybody in professional sports. Our hard earned money pays these guys lottery money. For them to take that money and not work like madmen to become as great as possible is completely unacceptable.

I don't know if you feel the same way, but for me this is a big deal. I don't shell out X amount of dollars a year so my team's QB can show up to off-season workouts weighing 250-300 pounds.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/19/14210/8559

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The Browns Are Ready for Prime Time

post from Dawgs By Nature on 19 April 2008 02:00:28 PM. © Dawgs By Nature

The Browns' 2008-2009 NFL schedule was released on Tuesday, and I think the overall consensus is that we're ready for the test. In the poll I ran the past few days, 82% of you were ecstatic about the team receiving five primetime games, 17% of you were indifferent about it, and one lonely person was disappointed (if you were that one person, please feel free to elaborate).

Those five primetime games don't even include the fact that our Week 1 game against the Cowboys will be nationally televised on FOX. I feel like the Browns should be the underdogs heading into Week 1, despite going 7-1 at home last season -- after all, Dallas is still "America's Team", and they still have one of the most complete teams in football. It's a perfect evaluation for the Browns right off the bat to either prove that we're contenders...or if we still have a lot to work on.

Last season, we faced three of our division rivals within the first four weeks of the season. The same holds true this season, as we face the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals, respectively, from Week 2 to Week 4. After a bye in Week 5, we'll have another big test in the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants on Monday Night Football. This will arguably be our best Monday Night game since our return to the league, since it'll take place in Cleveland Browns Stadium (and, I think we've only had one Monday Nighter since our return to the league vs. St. Louis).

The next interesting part of our schedule takes place from Week 10 to Week 11. We face the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football on November 6, just four days after we play the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9. In Week 11, we face the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, which is the longest possible break you can have between two weeks beyond the bye week portion of the season. After the Buffalo game, we play the Texans only six days later in Week 12. To say the very least, our feeling of being used to seeing the Browns play every Sunday will be altered significantly.

Flex games can occur between Week 11-17 this season. The maximum number of primetime games a team can have during a season is six, and that's why the league has only scheduled teams like the Browns, Cowboys, and Colts for five primetime games (so each has the option to be flexed at least once).

Let's take an early look at possible flex games for the Browns:

Week 11: We face the Bills on MNF, so it's not an option.
Week 12: The Texans will still be looked at as an expansion team.
Week 13: I'd love to play the Colts with Madden and Michaels calling the action. And, if the Colts don't get flexed in Week 11 or Week 12, they will certainly be an attractive option here if both teams are contending.
Week 14: I see more worthy games on the schedule than Browns vs. Titans.
Week 15: We face the Eagles on MNF, so it's not an option.
Week 16: "The Bengals aren't ready for primetime."
Week 17: This is the one with the best chance in my opinion. As much as I hate the Steelers, they still obviously have the best chance at being our toughest competition in the division. Unlike last year, we may have a chance in the final week of the season to determine the winners of the AFC North.

Basically, it seems like the games against the Colts and the Steelers have the highest probability to be flexed, giving us six primetime games. That's more than 1/3 of our schedule that will be showcased to the country. Are the Browns ready for that type of hype though? Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer doesn't think so:

Palmer wondered what the Browns did to deserve all the prime-time exposure.

"I was as shocked as anybody to see that because they're still a ways away from being a ..."

Palmer's voice tailed off.

"They weren't even in the playoffs," he said.

"I think it's a lot of hype early," Palmer said. "Just like every year, there's hype around one or two teams early. It'll fizzle out once they start playing games."
-Springfield News-Sun

I'm sure part of Palmer's words are in spite of the Browns. On the same note though, if you look at his statement in a "general" sense, he may have a point. In the past couple of years, teams like the Raiders and Dolphins were hyped as the darlings of the NFL, only to see them fall flat on their face. There's a significant difference between those hyped teams that Palmer talked about and the Browns though. The Raiders were hyped when they got Aaron Brooks and Randy Moss in the offseason. The Dolphins were hyped when they got Daunte Culpepper and several other new additions in an offseason. Neither team had performed significantly well in their previous season though.

The Browns went 10-6. And, if the Colts had played seriously in Week 17, we would've been in the playoffs. I still have bitterness towards the Bengals because they also played a role in ending our playoff hopes last season (with help from Derek Anderson). We also face the Bengals in Week 16 this season.

Every game seems to have a back-story this season. Whether or not that benefits the Browns on gameday remains to be seen, but I know it'll make everything that much more exciting from a fan's perspective.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dawgsbynature.com/story/2008/4/19/13028/8188

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Colts Homer's Mock Draft

post from Stampede Blue on 19 April 2008 12:07:25 PM. © Stampede Blue

Via Pro-Colts Stuff:There is nothing really to explain. The Colts have 9 picks, and here's what I think they will do with them come draft weekend. I will not give us Chris Long, Darren McFadden, Keith Rivers, etc. This will be realistic.

2nd-Chris Johnson/RB/ECU
3rd-John Greco/OT/Toledo
4th-Rudolph Hardie/DE/Howard
5th-Arman Shields/WR/Richmond
6th-Joey Haynos/TE/Maryland
6th-Titus Brown/DE/Mississippi State
6th-Kory Lichtensteiger/C/Bowling Green
7th-Bernard Morris/QB/MarshallIt's funny that another mock draft has a similar first three rounds to my most recent. I think that if Colts Homer and I had proposed such a similar mock a month ago, we'd have been laughed out of the blogosphere or berated with "Are you f*&king nuts! We need pass rushers, not a f*7king back-up RB or TE you &%$ing &#@head!" Or, something along those lines.

Now, with guys like Greco, CJ, Forte, Keller, and maybe even Early Doucet being available in Rounds 2 or 3, the need to take a player like Marcus Howard or Cliff Avril is not as pressing; especially with guys like Hardie, Brown, and Carlton Powell available in later rounds.

It is entirely possible the Colts go all offense for the first 3 or 4 picks, and then scoop up a bunch of late draft DEs and LBers. It all depends on who is there.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/19/11725/5143

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Pro Football Talk Comes Up With a Pretty Good
Idea For the Vikings

post from Daily Norseman on 19 April 2008 12:01:55 PM. © Daily Norseman

From their Rumor Mill tidbit about the ongoing discussions between the Vikings and the Chiefs concerning Jared Allen:

The Minneapolis Star Tribune suggests that the Vikes would have to give up at a minimum first-round pick and a third-round pick in 2008. Charley Water (sic) of the St. Paul Pioneer Press suggests that the Vikes will offer their first-round pick this year and a second-round pick in 2009.

Neither package is much less than the two first-round picks that the Vikes would have to surrender if they deal directly with Allen and sign him to an offer sheet.

And even though coach Brad Childress says that the team wouldn't give up two first-round picks for Allen, we think that the Vikings should strongly consider signing Allen to an offer sheet after the 2008 draft. If the Chiefs don't match (a poison pill might be necessary to ensure that they won't), the Vikings would give up their first-round picks in 2009 and 2010. And if Allen's presence helps get the Vikings to the next level, the picks sacrificed in 2009 and 2010 would be low in round one.

It would be the biggest trade risk that the Vikings have taken since 1989, when they gave up three first-round picks, three second-round picks, a sixth-round pick, and five players for Herschel Walker, two third-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and a tenth-round pick. In comparison, however, a first-round pick in 2009 and a first-round pick in 2010 for the best defensive end to wear purple and gold since Chris Doleman would seem to be a small price to play.

And you know something? That idea is so damn crazy that it just. . .might. . .work.

I'd have to put a little more thought into the whole thing, but looking at it on the surface, I don't think I'd be completely opposed to this. If the Chiefs don't want to come to terms on a deal, then we keep all our picks in this year's draft, load up on talent/depth, and sign Allen to a contract on Monday, 28 April after the draft is over.

Also, I'm sure that if a poison pill were to be inserted like there was in the Hutchinson contract a couple of years ago, the whining from the national media would be damn near unbearable for a while. . .but, like I said with the Hutchinson contract, Zygi Wilf isn't running a charity. He's not putting together an update of "How to Make Friends and Influence People." He's attempting to make his football team the best that it can be. Getting Jared Allen onto this roster would be a huge step in making that happen.

What say you, folks? If a deal isn't worked out prior to the draft, would you be adverse to that scenario?

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/story/2008/4/19/11155/4662

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1 more year isn't enough for Urlacher

Brian Urlacher said in an Internet report Friday that the Bears have offered him a one-year extension of the nine-year, $56.65 million deal he signed in 2003. But it apparently isn't enough for the Pro Bowl middle linebacker.

Urlacher, who will turn 30 in May and still has four years remaining on his deal, is boycotting the Bears voluntary offseason workout program and contemplating a training-camp holdout in search of a multiyear deal. Urlacher refuted a Sun-Times story Friday detailing the strong-arm tactics he and his agents have employed in an effort to get more money, telling Chicagotribune.com the story was ''a gossip column'' and insisting ''I never said I was going to quit.'' Continue

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bearsfootballblog.com/2008/04/1-more-year-isn.html

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Bears' Urlacher: 'I never said that I was going
to quit'

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher disputed a report that he has threatened to retire if the Bears don't reward him with more guaranteed money. "I never said that I was going to quit," Urlacher told the Tribune on Friday morning. "That's just a gossip column. Reports like that is why I choose not to speak to the media."

Urlacher, who is seeking a multiyear contract extension that would pad the nine-year, $57 million contract he signed in 2003, has not attended the Bears' on-going voluntary workouts and said he is unsure if he will attend the team's mandatory mini-camp May 30-June 1 if a new contract agreement is not reached. He also cited the opportunity to spend more time with his children as a reason for staying in Arizona. Continue

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bearsfootballblog.com/2008/04/bears-urlache-1.html

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Mock Drafts: Tell me who to pick

In the next couple days, I’ll be participating in a couple mock drafts. First, there’s the ongoing MVN writers mock draft. This has been going on for a while, and has currently run through pick #20, where the Bucs took WR Devin Thomas, right after Limas Sweed went off the board to the [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://mvn.com/nfl-titans/2008/04/19/mock-drafts-tell-me-who-to-pick/

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