Henne to Baltimore?
In his latest column, Sports Illustrated's Peter King raises the possibility of the Baltimore Ravens selecting Chad Henne in this weekend's NFL Draft, either after trading down in the first round or with an early second-round pick. Although the Michigan ties to the current Ravens organization are numerous, I don't see Henne in purple-and-black when it's all said and done. Frankly, he has no intangibles that scream "immediate starting QB," and although I think he may have a decent pro career, he's not worth first-round or even second-round money, especially if he loses the open QB competition and has to sit for a year or two.
That same logic applies to my desire to pass on Matt Ryan, should he be available with the 8th overall pick. At the end of the day, the bottom line IS the bottom line; the Ravens simply can't afford to pay a high draft pick at QB to sit on the bench IF this really IS an open competition for the starting job. The risks are too great, both financially and otherwise. Joe Flacco, as a lower-profile name, is the safer bet, as he is a "project" that could yield the greatest long-term gain.
Spygate Finally Unraveled?
In a developing story, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with former New England Patriots videotape assistant Matt Walsh on May 13th to discuss Walsh's employment with the team from 1997-2000, particularly activities that may be the most damning evidence in the Spygate ordeal.
Honestly, I'm sick of the attention this has gotten. Everyone cheats in professional sports these days -- it's almost become a fact of life. It's sad, but there's so many respected athletes in so many sports whose legacies are now tarnished or in question because of things like this. The only thing I'm afraid of is the potential skeletons in OTHER NFL teams' closets that might be revealed. I'm hoping this won't put an even bigger black-eye on the league, and that Walsh's "evidence" is unfounded or irrelevant.
Teams Not Giving In?
Despite the best efforts of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins, neither the Cardinals nor the Bengals will part with their disgruntled star receivers. The Arizona Cardinals reportedly rejected trade offers for Anquan Boldin, one day after the Cincinnati Bengals had done the same with Chad Johnson.
My take? It's stupid of the clubs to reject either one of the offer(s), mainly because they were willing to give up so much for either one of the Pro Bowl wideouts. I have no knowledge of what the Eagles were willing to offer, but it was likely a package deal that also included disgruntled Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard. The Redskins, meanwhile, were willing to give up first-round picks from this draft and the next, as well as additional early-round picks. I know that, when dealing with spoiled children, a parent must stand firm. Though Johnson and Boldin may be airing their grievances inappropriately, they are far from children. Dollars and cents is the only thing that makes sense here, as this is still a BUSINESS.
Bad business move on the part of both the Cardinals and the Bengals.
More to come later...
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