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Email Update 7/22/02 Volume 3 Issue # 38
Today's E-Mail is brought to you by FFChamps.com, Winner's of the
2001 FF Index Magazine's Experts Poll and sponsor's of the 2002
$5,000 Champ's Challenge. They are good guys, and know what they're
talking about, check them out! Here's what they have to say today:
Johnny Morton or Rod Smith?
Morton is an excellent receiver who has been in a bad situation. Rod
Smith has been one of the premier wide receivers in all of football
the last two years. What about this year? To see who the Champs
would draft first click here. FFCPI.com
Joe
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Footballguys.com Haiku Contest
2. August 1st Subscription Reminder
3. Darnay Scott a Jaguar Now
4. Redskins head to camp with plenty of unanswered questions
5. Bill's O-line unsettled heading into camp
6. Coslet on the `Boys new Offense
7. Giants plan to utilize rookie TE Shockey extensively
8. Tom Brady: Nothing will keep me from improving
9. `Skins face long list of rookie holdouts
10. Raven's O-line being juggled
11. Harrington and Lions close to pact
12. Browns Training Camp Primer
13. Steelers training camp preview
14. Tomlinson's lead blocker holding out; Fonoti not in Camp
15. Quote of the Day: Jon Gruden on Trash Talk and the Bucs
16. Texans open camp without Boselli
17. Browns sign rookie WR Andre Davis, Green still negotiating
18. Love-fest in San Diego between Brees, Flutie
19. "Beer Man" gets one-year deal in New Orleans
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Footballguys.com Haiku Contest
Footballguys dot com
Haiku contest begins now,
Enter, if you dare.
Free shirts and Haiku books to the best three selected. See the
Footballguystalk.com Message Boards to submit your entry. Or simply
mail in your haiku to [email protected]
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August 1st Subscription Reminder
Not much time left to ensure you will not miss a single day of
coverage at Footballguys.com. On August 1st the website will require
you to have purchased a subscription for access to all content posted
from August 1st on. The cost is $20 for the entire NFL season (about
$1 a week).
Here is the link:
Buy Now
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Darnay Scott a Jaguar Now
Clipped from Jay Glazer's cbssportsline article posted on 7/22/02
"The Jacksonville Jaguars and free-agent wide receiver Darnay
Scott on Monday agreed to a contract, SportsLine.com has learned.
Terms were not immediately available, but sources say it is a league-
minimum-type agreement with the ex-Bengals receiver, who has had
lingering leg problems. He is the third receiver from the old AFC
Central to join the Jaguars, who also added Bobby Shaw from the
Steelers and Patrick Johnson from the Ravens.
Scott, who turned 30 on July 7, was a 1,000-yard receiver in 1999
before breaking his leg two years ago. He is still feeling the
effects, including soreness. He met with doctors in the offseason,
but they decided to not remove the rod inserted in the leg."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Obviously the Jags are concerned that Shaw and Johnson aren't the
answers. Watch and see if Scott can perform well during training
camp � he may not be the answer, either, if the problems with the
old break continue to plague him.
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Redskins head to camp with plenty of unanswered questions
Clipped from the Mark Maske article posted 7/22/02 on
washingtonpost.com.
"Spurrier must piece together an offensive line and get by with a
set of wide receivers lacking in star power. He has tailback Stephen
Davis, but goes to camp without his starting quarterback determined.
The focus of camp promises to be Spurrier's decision about whether to
start holdover Sage Rosenfels, rookie Patrick Ramsey or one of his
former Florida quarterbacks, Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
There are a lot of questions that remain to be answered in
Washington, and the `Skins group of receivers and quarterbacks
aren't exactly exciting prospects. If the line allows a bunch of
sacks, the passing game will be highly suspect in 2002, no matter
what fancy schemes Spurrier dreams up.
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Bill's O-line unsettled heading into camp
Clipped from the Allen Wilson column posted at buffalonews.com on
7/22/02
"Perhaps the biggest issue facing the Bills this summer is their
young offensive line. Gilbride said it's imperative that group comes
together quickly if the offense is going to function properly.
Aside from six-time Pro Bowl left guard Ruben Brown, the line has
plenty of question marks."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Drew Bledsoe isn't noted for his scrambling abilities. If the
Bills want to return to respectability this season, a lot of
improvement in the O-line's play will be required. Remember,
Kevin Gilbride is installing a new offense during training camp, too.
Sounds like a storm warning to me.
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Coslet on the `Boys new Offense
Clipped from the Ray Buck column posted 7/22/02 on dfw.com.
"Coslet was hired off the golf course/unemployment line in
January to make a difference.
His challenge is to design an offense to take advantage of blazing
speed at wide receiver (read: Joey Galloway, Raghib Ismail and rookie
Antonio Bryant) as well as create running lanes for Emmitt Smith with
a consistent, high-percentage passing attack. The passing attack is
centered on a starting quarterback (Quincy Carter) with only eight
NFL starts and a backup (Chad Hutchinson) with none.
In this hybrid offense, moving the chains is as important as trying
to hit the occasional home run. And vice versa.
Coslet doesn't claim to carry a torch for the West Coast offense.
Like many other NFL coaches, he simply has tried to tap into Walsh's
knowledge and copy from his scheme to stay ahead of the evolutionary
curve.
"Let me tell you something about the West Coast offense," Coslet
said. "In Philadelphia, Andy Reid says he runs the West Coast. In
Dallas, Coslet does not. In Seattle, Mike Holmgren is doing something
else altogether..."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
We'll see if the trio of Galloway, Ismail and Bryant get a chance
to score more often with Coslet calling the shots. Of course, it'd
be very hard for them to score less, considering last year's
pathetic performance.
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Giants plan to utilize rookie TE Shockey extensively
Clipped from the Buster Olney column posted on nytimes.com 7/22/02.
"�Once Shockey is signed and in camp � and it appears there
will be a contractual resolution in the next few days � the
Giants need him to become an integral part of their offense.
He will get the chance. "We threw the ball more to the tight end in
minicamp alone than we did in the other years I've been here," said
linebacker Mike Barrow, often assigned to cover Shockey in
practice. "I was shocked, because he was running deep routes, routes
for wide receivers."
Giants General Manager Ernie Accorsi said: "I really didn't draft him
because we needed a tight end. We drafted him because we needed a
playmaker�"
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
A very revealing glimpse into Shockey's future with the team. If
you're in a keeper or dynasty league that requires TE's, you
should pay attention to Shockey's progress in camp.
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Tom Brady: Nothing will keep me from improving
Clipped from the Michael Felger column on bostonherald.com posted
7/22/02.
"The only thing I know,'' said Tom Brady, ``is that nothing is
going to get in the way of me becoming a better football player.''
We're about to find out. After a whirlwind spring, Brady will report
to Patriots training camp at Bryant College this week as one of the
most scrutinized players in the NFL. All eyes will be on the 24-year-
old former sixth-round pick who came out of nowhere to lead the Pats
to the Super Bowl last season.
Everyone will be wondering how he responds to the pressure - the
pressure of being ``The Guy,'' the pressure of being a cover boy, the
pressure of what are sure to be unrealistic expectations.
Will Brady experience a sophomore slump? He's determined not to. By
all accounts - his and others - Brady worked just as hard this
offseason as he did last year. There are stories floating around of
team officials walking through empty Foxboro Stadium a few weeks
after the Super Bowl only to find Brady working out alone in the
weight room. Brady was once again an attendance leader at the
offseason conditioning program�"
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
What a great attitude. It's really refreshing to see. Now
let's see if the offense is more wide open during camp, or more
of the same old dinking and dunking.
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`Skins face long list of rookie holdouts
Clipped from the Jody Foldesy article posted 7/22/02 on washtimes.com.
"�Unsigned as of yesterday evening were Ramsey, the club's first-
round selection, as well as second-round running back Ladell Betts
and both third-round picks, cornerback Rashad Bauman and wide
receiver Cliff Russell. All four were in danger of being absent when
camp opens tomorrow morning at Dickinson College in Carlisle,
Pa�."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Holdouts generally greatly reduce the effectiveness of rookie
players. Betts is the biggest worry from a fantasy viewpoint, most
especially if Stephen Davis goes down (Ki-Jana Carter is backing up
Ahman Green in Packer-land this season). Davis owners should keep an
eye on the length of the stalemate.
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Raven's O-line being juggled
Clipped from the Brent Jones article posted on sunspot.net 7/22/02.
"Ravens coaches view the offensive line as the most seasoned
squad on the team as a starting group.
That assessment, though, is limited to the individual components that
make up the whole and not their work at their respective positions.
Four of the five players were starters last year. But while left
tackle Jonathan Ogden and right guard Bennie Anderson will open
training camp, which begins Friday, at the positions they played last
season, the rest of the line may have some adjustments to make.
�"
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
The Ravens are a team in flux with a starting running back (Jamal
Lewis) coming back from a second ACL injury, an unsettled line and an
inexperienced quarterback (Chris Redman) currently atop the depth
chart. Ray Lewis and company are going to be on the field a lot.
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Harrington and Lions close to pact
Clipped from the Tom Kowalski article posted on mlive.com 7/22/02.
"�Contract negotiations between the Detroit Lions and their
first-round draft pick, quarterback Joey Harrington, are heating up,
however.
The Lions negotiating team of Tom Lewand and Kevin Warren had face-to-
face contract talks Sunday with Harrington's agent, David Dunn, in
Detroit.
"The meeting was very productive," Warren said Sunday
evening�."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
McMahon or Harrington, Harrington or McMahon? Stay tuned for training
camp before even thinking about drafting one of these two � and
then think twice before drafting a player on the woefully bad Lions.
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Browns Training Camp Primer
Clipped from the article by Tony Grossi posted on cleveland.com on
7/22/02.
"Can the offensive line stay healthy? Who will start at free
safety? Will Tim Couch get rid of the ball quicker? Browns beat
writer Tony Grossi answers these questions and more�
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
A solid preview of the Brown's upcoming training camp. Go read it
if you're interested in any Browns.
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Steelers training camp preview
Clipped from the Jerry DiPaola article on pittsburghlive.com 7/22/02.
"For the first time in many years, there will be few questions
surrounding the Steelers when they arrive for training camp Wednesday
at St. Vincent College.
With 19 of 22 starters returning � only right guard Rick Tylski
(New England Patriots), inside linebacker Earl Holmes (Cleveland
Browns) and fullback Jon Witman (out of football) are gone �
Steelers fans and critics can see little reason why the team can't
approach its 13-3 record of a year ago."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
The only worries are Jerome Bettis (his sore groin and his level of
conditioning), and whether Ex-Falcon receiver Terence Mathis and
Stewart can create some chemistry at the #3 wide-out spot.
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Tomlinson's lead blocker holding out; Fonoti not in Camp
Clipped from the Jim Trotter article on signonsandiego.com 7/22/02
"The Chargers signed three more draft picks yesterday, but
Quentin Jammer and Toniu Fonoti were not among them.
So, for the second year in a row the club will open training camp
today at UCSD without either of its top two draftees. .."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Not a big deal for Tomlinson, yet. Keep an eye out to make sure that
Fonoti gets into camp within the next week or so, though. He's
expected to start in 2002, and is a major part of the team's
plans on offense.
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Quote of the Day: Jon Gruden on Trash Talk and the Bucs
Clipped from the Jim Brockman article posted 7/22/02 on bradenton.com.
"What you say, you better be able to back up," Gruden said. "This is
not golf. You're not hitting all the shots. This is a team game. We
want to let our shoulder pads do the talking."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Warren Sapp, are you listening? Yes, let's do see if the Bucs can
walk the walk this year. They certainly haven't done so in recent
memory.
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Texans open camp without Boselli
Clipped from an AP article on espn.go.com posted on 7/22/02.
"�Practice was a little sloppy,'' Carr admitted. "You'd like to
pick right up where you left off in June but that's not realistic.
It's just exciting to get out there with shoulder pads on and get
started.''
As expected, left tackle Tony Boselli did not participate. He is
still recovering from shoulder surgery and was replaced at left
tackle by second-round pick Chester Pitts.
"I told our players not to get hung up about the depth chart,''
Capers said. "There are going to be a lot of changes before the games
begin. We've got to find a way to get the 11 best players on the
field.''
Pitts could be one of the best.
"He's proven he has the athletic ability,'' Capers said. "We're going
to give Chester a lot of work and see what happens�.''
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Sounds like the Texans are prepared to play ball with or without
Boselli. If Pitts pans out, the Texans line may be the most solid
unit on the team. He's a rookie though, so keep an eye on the
situation if you are considering James Allen or David Carr as
possible sleeper material.
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Browns sign rookie WR Andre Davis, Green still negotiating
Clipped from an AP story on bopbi.com on 7/22/02.
"The Cleveland Browns signed second-round draft pick Andre Davis
and third-round pick Melvin Fowler on Monday.
Davis and Fowler, both 23, are expected on the practice field Tuesday
at the Browns training camp.
Davis signed a four-year deal. At Virginia Tech, the speedy wide
receiver made 39 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns last
season. He is expected to compete for the job of punt returner.
Fowler, an offensive lineman who played for Maryland, agreed to a
three-year deal.
Talks were also held Monday regarding top-pick William Green. "
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
More pieces for head coach Butch Davis's puzzle. Davis could be a
gem for those in dynasty leagues, and everyone is intrigued by
Green's potential. We'll keep you posted.
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Love-fest in San Diego between Brees, Flutie
Clipped from an AP story on bopbi.com on 7/22/02.
"Flutie, who's 39 and heading into his 18th season of
professional football, said there's no friction with Brees, 23, who's
played just more than one half of one NFL game.
``We've talked about it,'' Flutie said. ``No matter what happens
we'll accept it and go forward. I really respect Drew. I love the way
he works and he is a hell of a quarterback.''
Flutie said he appreciated Brees' attitude last year, when fans and
the media started calling for Brees to replace Flutie. Although then-
coach Mike Riley suggested he might take a look at Brees late in the
season, he never did, even as the losses--nine straight to end the
year--and Flutie's interceptions--he had 18--piled up.
``When the pot started to stir a little there, Drew said the right
things. He was first-class the whole way,'' Flutie said."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Sounds to me like Flutie is preparing to gracefully step aside for
the youngster. I've been a big Brees believer all pre-season, and
this doesn't do anything other than reinforce my notion that
Brees will be the starter in San Diego by opening day.
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"Beer Man" gets one year deal in New Orleans
Clipped from an AP newstory on gopbi.com posted 7/22/02
"�The Saints also signed free agent wide receiver Michael Lewis
to a one-year contract�.
Lewis is a former beer truck driver who never played college ball. He
started his football career with semi-pro and Arena League teams
before joining the Saints last season.
Sometimes referred to by fans as ``Beer Man'', Lewis played in eight
games in 2001 and was second on the team with 32 kickoff returns for
762 yards. He also returned 14 punts for 81 yards.
Lewis was relegated to the practice squad because he was fumble-
prone, a problem that coaches said he appears to have corrected."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ WIMER'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]
You've got to pull for a long-shot player with the nickname
"Beer Man". Congratulations Michael Lewis!
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That's it for now! Later, Mark Wimer
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