akshaz

I would love to pick up an inside mauler like Johnson in the 3rd or 4th. Not sure if he'll still be there. But, I'd like the pick.

First, the squirrels/chimpmunks line was used to articulate a point. Obviously, you got it. But, only got pissed when I lumped dogs/cats in there with their other non-human kin. But in regards to your main point, I found some info that would show that even the new commissioner Goodell has been a bit selective on who he decides to suspend. Now, I'm not one to argue about how bad NFL players are. I'm just saying that everything hasn't been all equal and squeaky clean as you are suggesting. There are a lot of arrests that don't make the front page or end up with suspensions. Check this out. Most of from the first few months of 2008. You are making it seem like everything I'm talking about happened under Tags but not under Goodell. 4/26/2008 Kalvin Pearson Detroit S_ Arrested, charged with felony aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and domestic battery by strangulation in Florida. 4/21/2008 Kenton Keith Indianapolis RB Arrested, charged with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting law enforcement after police said he refused to leave nightclub parking lot. 4/21/2008 Rocky Bernard Seattle DL Arrested, charged with misdemeanor charge of domestic violence assault. Police said he struck ex-girlfriend at nightclub. 4/13/2008 Donald Strickland San Francisco CB Arrested, charged with misdemeanor public intoxication, resisting arrest in San Jose. 4/11/2008 Reagan Mauia Miami FB Charged with punching man in the face and knocking him out in a restaurant parking lot in Florida. 4/3/2008 Kenny Wright Cleveland DB Arrested, charged with misdemeanor unlawful restraint, evading arrest and marijuana possession in Texas. 3/31/2008 Chris Henry Cincinnati WR Charged with assault and disorderly conduct after police said he punched man in the head and threw beer bottle threw car window. Released by team same week. 3/19/2008 Cedrick Wilson Pittsburgh WR Arrested and charged with simple assault, harrassment and disorderly conduct after allegedly hitting his former girlfriend in the face at bar. Team terminated his contract the next morning. 3/16/2008 Jacoby Jones Houston WR Arrested in Houston on suspicion of DWI. 3/15/2008 LenDale White Tennessee RB Cited with three misdemeanor charges in Denver, including destruction of property and resisting a police officer at party thrown in his honor. 3/11/2008 Dwayne Jarrett Carolina WR Arrested on DUI charge in Charlotte after being pulled over around 3 a.m. Blood-alcohol level was 0.12. 3/8/2008 James Harrison Pittsburgh LB Arrested on charges of simple assault and criminal mischief after police said he broke down a bedroom door at girlfriend's home after she locked herself in. Dropped after alleged victim decided not to pursue case and Harrison completed anger management counseling. 3/1/2008 Marcus Thomas Denver DT Arrested in Florida after police found cocaine and a gun in his truck. 2/26/2008 Kevin Faulk New England RB Issued a misdemeanor summons for marijuana possession in Lafayette, La., after routine search turned up four cigarettes. 2/24/2008 Bryant McKinnie Minnesota OT Arrested and charged with aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after street brawl outside Miami club. June 2 trial date 2/19/2008 Fabian Washington Oakland CB Arrested on domestic battery charge in Florida. Girlfriend had red marks on her neck, according to a report. Deferred prosecution, 26-week intervention program. 2/19/2008 Andre Hall Denver RB Turned himself in and was booked into jail after arrest warrant was issued in Florida for failing to appear in court Feb. 5. The court appearance was for a charge of driving with a suspended or revoked license after traffic stop Jan. 11. Paid $513 bond 2/18/2008 Jerome Mathis Houston WR Arrested on charge of choking his common-law wife in Manvel, Texas. 2/17/2008 Roscoe Parrish Buffalo WR Arrested on DUI charge around 4:30 a.m. in Miami. 2/16/2008 Mike Patterson Philadelphia DT Arrested arrested and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams. Officers smelled it coming from his car. Fined $189 for careless driving. Other charges dropped. 2/13/2008 Antonio Pierce N.Y. Giants LB Summons issued for charge of neglecting one of his pit pulls. Pleaded guilty, $1,300 fine 2/5/2008 Willie Andrews New England CB Two days after Super Bowl, he was charged with possession of a half-pound of marijuana, with intent to distribute, and driving an unregistered Crown Victoria in Lowell, Mass. 2/1/2008 Adrian Awasom N.Y. Giants DE Arrested on extreme DUI charge in Phoenix at 3 a.m., two days before team played in Super Bowl. Sent home by team before Super Bowl. 2/1/2008 Matt Roth Miami DE Arrested on public intoxication charge stemming from incident at bar in Iowa City, Iowa. Pleaded guilty, $182 fine. 1/14/2008 Brent Hawkins Jacksonville DE Arrested on DUI charge around 2:30 a.m in 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. He told police had had three vodka and orange juice drinks. 1/11/2008 Daniel Graham Denver TE Arrested on suspicion of criminal mischief and harassment of former girlfriend after argument about sale of their home. Dropped the next week Scott, who was arrested around 3:30 p.m., was booked into Hennepin County jail on one count of assault, one count of assault/domestic and one count of malicious punishment of a child. A news release from the Eden Prairie police said the "case is currently under investigation" and a spokeswoman for the department said no further information would be made available Wednesday. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Ahmad Brooks has been accused of punching a Florence woman in the left eye. Brooks case will be heard June 6.. KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was arrested during the weekend for investigation of drunken driving. The three-time Pro Bowler was stopped early Saturday, Kirkland police said. An arrest report said Tatupu had breath tests of .155 and .158 -- the legal limit is .08. Charles Grant DE for The New Orleans Saints..Charged with Manslaughter..For his involvement in a fight outside a nightclub in Feb. that resulted in someone shooting and killing a pregnant woman. ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- Arizona Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington was among five people arrested after a fight at a nightclub in North Carolina. Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse has been arrested for DUI, WTVF-TV reported. Metro Nashville police said Kearse was seen speeding and swerving several times while travelling west on West End Avenue. #37 Geoffrey Pope...New York Giants CB Arrested in Detroit after allegedly hitting a man over the head with a champagne bottle. Brandon Marshall.... Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall was arrested March 6 on a misdemeanor battery charge, his third arrest in 12 months and second involving a domestic dispute. ...New England Patriot defensive back..Willie Andrews, 24.... A New England Patriots defensive back is accused of pointing a gun at his fiancee's head in Mansfield on Monday after she accused him of cheating on her. I can keep going. But, I think you get the point. Now how many of these guys have been suspended? A few. How many have lost everything and faced lifetime bans? Zero. There are some serious charges on this list. To suggest that Roger Goodell has made everything all nice and even is not accurate.

I guess we would agree to disagree about the severity of each offense. I believe that driving drunk, because of the severely high margin for error, is worse than fighting dogs. Again, I prioritize human life over dog/cats/squirrels and chipmunks. Players get DUIs all of the time. Nobody cares. Not many are suspended. When driving drunk, sometimes you hurt someone. Sometimes, you damage others' property. But, any damage that you may cause would, very likely, affect another human being drastically. In the NFL or not, domestic violence happens all of the time. Nobody cares. Nobody gets suspended. To the NFL to a good portion of society, the dog's life and safety outweigh those of the women with the black eyes. This is the case in and outside of the NFL. Rapes, robberies and murders happen each day and people yawn. But, if anything happens to a dog, all hell breaks lose.

I clearly agree that getting paid millions to play a game that many would play for free is a privilege. Surely, he has no "right" to play in the NFL. However, if you are going to give him a lifetime ban, you should check the presedent for what it takes to get someone banned for life. Again, I'm not trying to minimize Vick's crime. But, let's keep it in perspective. It is clearly poor judgement to fight/harm dogs. But, it is better to fight women? Against an NFL player, I would honestly say that a pit bull may put up a better fight. Are women less deserving of our protection than mere pets? You can do a quick Google search on "NFL player arrested" and find countless of crimes against PEOPLE that, IMHO, are worse than any crime against an animal. DUIs kill people and have long-term affects on families. A guy can be drunk, drive and literally kill someone but not get a lifetime ban. But, in many folks' eyes a human life isn't worth the life of a dog.

Fair enough. I think there is also value in considering whether or not the whole circus that would surely accompany the singage of Vick would be worth it. Nothing wrong with that. It's the whole double standard thing that bothers me. This guy would have paid his debt to society and would have been given a far greater punishment than anyone in the NFL has ever had. If his services are wanted, then he should be able to use his talents to legally provide for his family.

Reeks of a double standard. There is another topic on this board addressing the value in bringing in a twice offended crack-head. Nobody does the whole "the kids are watching" routine with him. Players can beat their wives, beat their kids, kill people, coke themselves into a stuper, shoot folks, run over people while drunk, spit on opponents. But, nothing deserves expulsion like dog-fighting?? Gimme a break. One could argue about his potential deteriorization in skills. That's fair enough. But, this "holy-when-convenient" attitude is paper-thin at best.

Sure, I could have left the "idiot" or "joke" part out. But dude, this is clear race-baiting, which is idiotic by nature.

That's a legitimate question. Vick's game is based a lot on speed and quickness. Not sure if prison took that away. I'd say it's worth it to at least work him out though.

You are a joke. Your race-baiting is crazy, silly, nonsense. Giving a human being a second chance in life has nothing to do with race or skin color you idiot. I don't condone what Vick has done. Who can? But, after losing his freedom, his career and almost all of his assets, don't you think he has paid his debt to society? What punishment will be enough to quench your thirst for revenge? There are murderers of PEOPLE who don't have to pay the cost he has paid. There are people roaming our country who have destroyed lives of thousands and won't spend a day in jail. Yet, you are all lathered up in defense of dogs. I just don't understand the PETA-type folks who love animals far more than people. They are more kind and show more love and forgiveness to a freakin' chihuahua than they would their fellow man. Although he would have clearly paid his debt to society, as expressed by the courts, I know you would prefer to keep him down and punish him over and over again. I guess it's your skin color. (Tongue in cheek, to underline a point.)

These are all very good points IMHO. However, it will be very tough to gauge any of their success until we get the QB position solidified. If the best WR was a deep threat type, why would we get him? What difference does it make to have another blazer at WR when our QB can't get him the ball? Do we take this into consideration and go for the slower, possession type? It's very tough to talk about potential WRs unless we keep the realities of the position in mind. Some of these guys may be very good players in this league. A guy may be the best player on the board at the time. But, it may not be smart for us to draft them because of our own deficiencies.

I'll trade this year's first pick and next year's second for Cutler. Bringing in a young, Pro-Bowl QB would surely be worth it.

I have a nephew that is playing college ball next year. Last year, he made the rounds at all of the camps/scouting combines. Nike's Sparq training doesn't use the bench press anymore as an indicator of football skills. They have a new "medicine ball throw" that, according to them, simulates game action much better. Now, I can understand AzBearfan's point about not being prepared for the biggest "interview" in his life. That does speak somewhat to character. However, those in Alabama say that he is an exceptional kid on and off the field. He comes from a good family etc. Surely, he's worth taking a chance on IMHO. Heck, I'd even trade up a few spots to get him.

Uhhh, we ARE in desparate need of help at the WR position. If Boldin is once again available, that is very relevant. It may take a king's ransom to get him though. I'd love to have him. But, does anyone believe that we'll actually pay that type of money?

You guys are right. Agreed 100%. I wonder how many of his critics have actually watched the kid play. I have seen plenty of Alabama games. They absolutely LOVE this kid over there. He's a beast. Some folks say that he was the best player in the entire SEC last year. Of course, that's a mouthful. I honestly don't put too much stock in a boxed workout. I'll take a "gameday warrior" over a "workout wonder" any day. However, I still think it's funny that he only did 19 reps at 225.

Agreed! Also, once a team has a big-time offensive lineman, they rarely leave until they already have one foot out of the league. They are just like QBs. How many big-time FA LTs can anyone come up with? I'd bet the list to be very short. They are almost as rare as a big-time QB being available on the open market. You plug in a big time OL (LT especially) and he's your guy for the next 10 years.

I'm tired of trading down. It's usually just a monetary move anyway. Let's trade UP and take a chance at getting a big-time player for a change. Or, we can stay put and take the best player available. You say the Giants need a WR, OLB and another RB. Heck, WE need those guys too!!

Just bring in somebody that can help us!! The way it looks, JA is content with Orton as the unquestioned starter. This infuriates me!! After the season, JA sounded like he was serious about improving the position. I guess he changed his mind after they had their meetings. Without a solid QB, we'll never be consistently good. We may have a good year or two. But, until we get this position settled, we'll be mired in mediocrity. It's frustrating that the team doesn't understand.

Okay a few points. First, I watch a ton of Cowboys games. I have a brother that is a Cowboy fan, so I have to keep up with them in order to squash any hopes he has (same goes with Chargers and Colts). IMHO, I think that T.O. is one of those players that needs a change of scenery every few years to keep him sharp. It prevents him from being content. I would attribute any drop in production to a lack of concentration more than any deteriorization in skills. That's why you still see the high-end production in the red zone. He's a playmaker. Also, he keeps himself in tip-top physical shape. He may be 32. But again, I'd put his skills up there with anyone in the league...... ...which leads to my next point. How could you possibly say that guys like Marques Colston, TJ Housh, Dwayne Bowe, Roddy White, Calvin Johnson, Gennings etc are "absolutely better" than TO? Gimme a break dude. Really?? TJ may be debatable. But, what have the others done to justify such lofty status? Most of these guys are only a couple years out of college and have done very little in this league. Maybe they had ONE better than average season. But, c'mon. Better than TO??!! Clearly, I think you are reaching in order to justify your point. A point that I would agree with you on is how he would respond to Orton's failures. He will cut him very little slack when he leaves plays on the field. But hey, that may work to our advantage by forcing us to get serious about the QB position. How frustrating was it to watch Orton over/underthrow Devin Hester all last year? JA talked a good game after the season. But, now it looks like he's content to go back into next year with Orton as the unquestioned starter. Unbelievable. T.O. is a longshot. But, he could help our team. We'd immediately be a better, more competitive team. That's really all that I care about. What makes T.O. so "out there"? Media interviews?? Gimme a break. Heck, I say bring him in and go hire a counselor if coaching/management can't take the other stuff.

Agreed! We have to keep in mind where we're at in regards to that position. Sorry, but Marvin Harrison at 70% is better than anything we have already. He'd immediately be our best WR. Obviously, the same goes for Holt. Now, I would probably prefer to try to let Hester and Bennett develop. But, if we signed two Holt and Harrison, I'd get over that real quick. We know that it's a pipe dream though. JA would never do it.

That's an incredible statement. You cannot be serious. I don't care what the guy does off the field, there isn't a corner in this league that can cover T.O. one-on-one. One run plays, he's easily one of the top 2-3 blocking WRs in the game. Yes, he may drop more balls than his team likes. But, what he does after the catch is better than anything we've ever had around. EVER. If you attempt to name 20 WRs in the league that are better than him, if you were honest, you would soon realize how silly that statement is. He'll make Orton look better. He'll make Olson one of the better TEs in the league. He'll make Matt Forte's like much, MUCH easier. He'll immediately make our team better and possibly add 2-3 more Ws to the schedule. We always have this debate about character guys on the team, whether they can help us or not. I can't believe that a bunch of you guys would rather lose a ton of games with a team full of choir boys, then win the Super Bowl with the like of Tank Johnson, T.O. or Michael Vick. Some of you would rather have folks that go to church with Lovie than guys that would be at the Super Bowl with Goodell. Personally, I'm for bringing in anyone that can help our team win more games. I would prefer not to have the distractions. But, that's not the most important issue. Neither is "protecting" Orton from any criticism that T.O. may levy. Heck, maybe he'll make us get serious about the QB position!! You don't have to let him marry your daughter. We just need him to torch his man for a few hours on Sundays and help us win games. The other factors are secondary.

I've been very surprised that JA has been so quiet in free agency. I never expected us to break the bank and bring in one of the premier talents. But, you couldn't have told me in January that we wouldn't have another QB by now. In Kurt Warner and Cutler, you have both extremes. You have the old veteran with only a year or two left. Then you have the young QB with a rocket arm and years to go in this league (barring injury of course). One of these guys needs to be our guy. Orton does not deserve to go into next season as the unquestioned starter. We have to bring in some serious competition in FA or find a way to get a premier signal caller in the draft. Now, I don't think that JA is sabotaging Lovie. I think their fates are inter-twined. If we have a bad year in 2009, they are both gone.

Rex has all of the tools, but no polish. He can make all of the throws. But, also makes too many mistakes. He has heart, moxie and a good attitude though. With the right QB coach and Offensive Coordinator, he can tear it up in this league. However, he would never be any good in Chicago. The BEARS DO NOT DEVELOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS!! That goes even more so for QBs here. What they are when they come is what they will be when they leave, if not worse. If you put Rex with somebody like Mike Martz or Holmgren, you can expect to see much better performances from Rex. Good luck to him.

Not bad. No worries about the baseball stuff. Thanks Flea!

Thanks Flea. Greatly appreciated. If it's not too much, can you check these too? Mike Ditka 1962 TCG Jim Brown 1962 TCG Johnny Unitas 1962 TCG A-Rod 1994 Upper Deck Mark McGwire 1995 Donruss Ken Griffey 1990 Leaf A-Rod (prospect card) 1994 Upper Card John Stockton 1988 Fleer Ricky Henderson 1980 Topps Hank Aaron 1978 TCMA Ted Williams 1978 TCMA Warren Spahn 1979 TCMA Bob Gibson 1978 TCMA Roberto Clemente 1979 TCMA He has a ton of them. These are some of the names I recognized. Thanks again for the help.

Not fair. Mike Brown played every game for a few years in the NFL at a very high level before he caught the injury bug. Clearly, not the same thing. In regards to our safety position, I'm not sure what we're going to do. But, I can assure you that it is a mistake to pencil Steltz in as the starter at Free. I don't think he has the speed or takes the right angles to be an effective FS. Moving Bowman over there couldn't hurt. He can cover. He has the speed. Plus, this gets him on the field right away. Not sure why that cannot be a viable option. At least, let him compete. Has anyone heard what we're going to do with McGowan? He can be labled as "brittle". But he's definitely better than Payne or Steltz at FS.