Offseason News

With all do deference to Pearl Jam, yes I’m still alive. Just because I’ve been down and out doesn’t mean there hasn’t been anything happening around the NFL.

And while there are many items I’ll touch on (including a dog-fighting ring with Mike Vick playing the role of Don King, Roger Goodell’s own brand of NFL justice, and Ocho Cinco vs. Mr. Ed), I’d be remiss if I didn’t open with the Eagles, and Donovan McNabb’s surprising return to the huddle at this week’s mini camp.

McNabb surprised many by taking part in non-contact drills yesterday and running plays with the first team offense a mere seven months after having surgery to repair a torn ACL. McNabb had been tracking towards a return by the opening of training camp on July 27th, but got a clean bill of health from the Eagles team doctors and participated in most of the practice. By all accounts, he looked as sharp as ever:

"He's where we'd hoped he would be. He's worked very hard to get to this spot . . . I thought he did a nice job. He looked strong." – Eagles head coach Andy Reid

"He was good; everything went smoothly, from my point of view…brought a little bit of normalcy back to practice. You're used to having Don back there every play, and just having him back kind of sets you on your way [preparing for the season] . . . He seems like the same Don to me" – Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown

"I thought he looked great, he looked awesome. He definitely had some kick in his step. The ball was coming out pretty good." – Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb

"Just having him out there is a great feeling. Our leader, that's our captain - he's back." – Eagles wide receiver Hank Baskett

You can’t overemphasize the impact McNabb’s presence has on the offense specifically and on the football team as a whole. The players said as much - he’s the man, he’s the leader, it’s his team. With any luck, McNabb will stay healthy, have a successful training camp, and regain his pro bowl form while leading the Eagles to the playoffs and beyond.

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In other news…

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been under scrutiny for his alleged involvement in a dog-fighting ring that was being run out of a house that was his property but not his residence in Virginia. Vick, of course, has denied all knowledge and involvement, despite the fact that anonymous sources place Ron Mexico at fights as early as 2001, when he was still an employee of Virginia Tech (I say "an employee" because he is rumored to have been throwing down twenty large at a dog fight, which is pretty good scratch for a college sophomore). Anyway, now that the Feds are involved, Mexico could be indicted, arrested, or incarcerated. He’s likely the next target in commissioner Roger Goodell’s crosshairs. A suspension of any length would usher in the Joey Harrington era in Atlanta. Yikes.

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Speaking of suspensions, Chicago Bears Man of the Year candidate Tank Johnson will miss the first eight games of the year, as Goodell suspended Johnson in the wake of his serving nearly two months in prison on weapons charges. In case you’re counting, Goodell’s body count now reads as follows:

Adam "Pac Man" Jones (TEN) – 16 games for being interviewed by police ten times, most recently for inciting a brawl at a Las Vegas strip club when he "made it rain" to the tune of $81K.

Chris Henry (CIN) – 8 games for being arrested four times in the last fourteen months. This is actually Henry’s second suspension, as he sat for two games last season.

Tank Johnson (CHI) – 8 games as described above.

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Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, tagged as the team’s franchise player, has vowed to sit out until Week 10, as the Patriots have not signed him to a long-term deal. Samuel led the league in interceptions last season and established himself as a top-flight corner. Samuel was tendered a one-year $7.79 million deal, which he hasn’t signed. The Patriots have dealt with this type of stuff before and have proven to be unrelenting. Perhaps Samuel can ring up Deion Branch in Seattle to see what he has to say about this type of negotiating ploy.

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The Dolphins and Chiefs finally negotiated a trade sending Trent Green to Miami, meaning one-time NFL MVP candidate Daunte Culpepper is on his way out of South Beach. The Dolphins will attempt to trade or simply release Culpepper, leaving him free to sign anywhere. Some possible destinations being mentioned include Baltimore (which kind of makes sense) and Jacksonville (which makes less sense). Here are four teams not being mentioned where I think Culpepper could fit:

Minnesota – a quick peek at the Vikings depth chart makes this a no-brainer. I know Vikings brass likes Tavaris Jackson, but he’s young and unproven. Culpepper had a lot of success in the NFC North. Besides, I think I can beat out Brooks Bollinger and Tyler Thigpen for the back-up job in Minnesota.

Oakland – they just drafted JaMarcus Russell, who looks like Daunte Culpepper Jr., and the guy who will be keeping the seat warm for him (Andrew Walter) is on the shelf with a knee injury. Rather than risk Russell’s future by throwing him out there opening week, the Raiders could use Culpepper as that stopgap until Russell is ready.

Dallas – This is less about Culpepper and more about Tony Romo. After a hot start, teams got the book on him and he came back to Earth with a thud. Now that Drew Bledsoe has retired, Romo’s primary back up is 62-year old Brad Johnson. And, Culpepper has plenty of experience dealing with an egotistical, prima donna wide receiver who is all about himself.

One more thought on Culpepper. Why wouldn’t the Dolphins keep him as something of an insurance policy for Green? Green is 37 and coming off a disappointing year highlighted by a major concussion. How reliable is he? Are the Dolphins really better off with Cleo Lemon and John Beck lined up behind Green? That should tell you how far Culpepper has fallen.

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Bengals wide receiver Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson recently raced a horse named "Restore the Roar" for charity. Ocho Cinco won the raise, even talking trash to "The Roar" afterwards. Forget about the fact that the horse ran 200 meters while Ocho Cinco only ran 100. What if Johnson would have injured himself? Robert Edwards playing beach football at the Pro Bowl thinks this was a bad idea.

Nevertheless, Ocho said he wants to take on the best at other sports, for charity of course. He says he wants to spar with Floyd Mayweather, play one-on-one against Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, and race Jeff Gordon for a few laps. Somewhere a FOX television executive is salivating.

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And now, barring any major developments, I’ll be taking my annual summer hiatus, returning somewhere in August with the 2007-08 Season Preview. In the meantime, I’ll be busy with the family, my hobbies (golf and hockey), and my guilty pleasures (sudoku, XBox, and fantasy baseball). Talk to you during training camp.