Category — NFL Links

The NFL Minute launched April, 2007 hoping to make an impact and inform fantasy footballers with the latest news and advice. Since then, it has gone through several distinct periods of development. First, the news/analysis period in which I took it upon myself to break down every bit of news that hit the wire. Second, the opinionated columns and editorials period during which I told readers how I feel about the Patriots cheating, Brett Favre’s MVP candidacy, and the Giants winning the Super Bowl. Third, was the “I need to rethink this site and what it’s all about period,” in which almost no updates were made from February to April, 2008.

This is the fourth stage of development.

Continue Reading

The past several seasons it’s been a question whether or not Tony Dungy will continue coaching. Dungy, someone who has never considered himself a football “lifer” and expected himself to be retired at age 50 (he’s currently 53), seriously pondered retirement after coaching the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl win last year. But after meeting with owner Jim Irsay and talking the entire situation through with his wife, Dungy decided to instead coach another season before re-evaluating the situation.

Rumors of his retirement heated up this week when it was learned that Dungy’s children have transferred schools from Indianapolis to the Tampa area.

The Colts, however, are doing whatever is necessary to sway Dungy’s decision towards continuing the legacy he has built in Indianapolis. Recent reports from ESPN indicate that the team has offered him “tremendous options” and “flexibility.”

With coaching vacancies around the NFL — Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, most notably — the hot name on everyone’s list is, once again, Pete Carroll. The current head coach of USC, arguably the hottest college football team in the nation, despite letdowns, always seems to be in talks this time of year as teams search for the next big NFL head coach.

The problem? Carroll is a god in Southern California. Perhaps the most widely recognized coach in college football, Carroll has built a legacy and put SoCal back on the map in a big way. Year in and out his teams enter the season ranked first in the nation and find themselves in the middle of a BCS Bowl.

When the NFL season comes to a close, another begins. It may be called the offseason, but as any fan knows, the NFL is a year-round sport that doesn’t end when the games cease to be played.

Among the notable attractions of the offseason is free agency. It’s where teams will rebuild before the draft and some can become almost instant winners by acquiring the right set of playmakers on offense and defense or else fill needs with veteran players.

Whatever your team needs, it starts with free agency. With that in mind, here are the top running backs who will be either unrestricted free agents (UFA) or restricted free agents (RFA) following the 2007 season.

The Top 5

When the NFL season comes to a close, another begins. It may be called the offseason, but as any fan knows, the NFL is a year-round sport that doesn’t end when the games cease to be played.

Among the notable attractions of the offseason is free agency. It’s where teams will rebuild before the draft and some can become almost instant winners by acquiring the right set of playmakers on offense and defense or else fill needs with veteran players.

Whatever your team needs, it starts with free agency. With that in mind, here are the top quarterbacks who will be either unrestricted free agents (UFA) or restricted free agents (RFA) following the 2007 season. (Edit: Philip Rivers is also an unrestricted free agent, but because there is an almost 0% chance he leaves the Chargers, he has been left off the list.)

As the Baltimore Ravens inch closer to a top five pick in the NFL Draft, questions concerning Brian Billick’s job security are raised. The Ravens coach has one of the longest tenures with one team in the current NFL — eight seasons (T-4th) — but after the Ravens endured perhaps the most painful loss this season, dropping a game to the previously winless Miami Dolphins, Billick has slid deeper onto the hotseat.

But are the team’s lack of successes as of late enough to can the coach who led the Ravens to a 13-3 record and a first round bye in the postseson?

No. At least not in my mind. And I’m sure the Ravens front office feels the same.

We’re not even through the 2007 season and we’re already beginning to discuss his plans for 2008. At least one AP reporter isn’t afraid to speculate about what’s going on in Favre’s head:

Favre at least hinted that the Packers’ successful season makes him more likely to return next year.

“If last season gave me hope, if I felt optimistic after our Chicago game last year at 8-8 and not making the playoffs, sure, I obviously have to feel a little bit better — especially individually,” Favre said.

Don Shula has an idea. New Englanders are going to hate it, and why not? After all, it’s associated with cheating, scandal, and *gasp* Barry Bonds.

“The Spygate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished,” Shula said in an interview with the New York Daily News. “You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They’ve got it.

“That tells you the seriousness or significance of what they found,” Shula said of the stiff penalty the NFL handed down ($500k fine to both Belichick and team and loss of first round draft choice, according to the Daily News. “I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds’ home run record.”

Believe it or not, there was more to take from Sunday’s game than you may know. At least, we learned a lot more than “New England is the NFL’s best team” — though I should note that tidbit did almost make the list.

8. Penalties can kill a team — The Patriots nearly lost Sunday’s game because of penalties. Several got the attention of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady — Brady really lost his cool after a non-pass-interference call — and New England suffered. It was out of character for the Belichick-coached team to act so undisciplined.

7. Randy Moss can catch anything — His athleticism is simply amazing. Watching him snatch passes out of the air with one hand was alone worth the price of admission to Sunday’s game.

Every season we expect some things. The Colts will be good. So will the Patriots. The AFC West will be a tight race and LaDainian Tomlinson is going to have a great season.

Those predictions are easy to make. But there are other teams who emerge each season, seemingly from nowhere, and force fans — and opponents — to take notice. They might not dominate like the Patriots and they might not get that kind of media attention, but they get victories. And it isn’t until about halfway through the season that we care.