Extra Points: NFL Free Agency Preview

Ray Lewis to Dallas? Shortly after the conclusion of Super Bowl XLIII rumors began to fly about Ray Lewis becoming a Dallas Cowboy. With free agency set to open in 72 hours, these rumors could easily become a reality. Baltimore has made it clear that they want Lewis back. However, the team is also dealing with resigning fellow linebackers Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs. Suggs was given Baltimore’s franchise tag, but the Ravens would ultimately love to lock him up long term. The team is also said to be working on a multi-year deal with Scott. When the offseason began Baltimore had designs on signing all three, hoping Lewis would give them a hometown discount. Lewis made his position on that pretty clear at the Pro Bowl, saying, “I don’t play less. If you don’t play less, you don’t take less. That’s just life.” With Baltimore expected focus on locking up their young linebacker tandem; Lewis’ days as a Raven seem numbered.

Prediction: Expect Jerry Jones to swoop in an offer Lewis a deal that Baltimore simply can’t match. Jones will hope that Lewis’ presence in the league’s most dysfunctional locker room will be enough to get his Cowboys back on track.

Show Me The Money The one player entering free agency who stands to gain the most is Albert Haynesworth. The Tennessee Titans have been working feverishly to try and keep the 6-6, 320 lbs beast off the market. Good luck. The former Tennessee Volunteer is expected to become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. Tennessee’s initial offer was rumored to be $36 million, over four years, with $20-$25 million guaranteed. Haynesworth’s camp rejected it swiftly. Tennessee countered but the two sides appear far from a deal. The Titans vigorous attempt to keep their defensive centerpiece must be applauded, but their efforts could be for naught as it’s expected that Camp Haynesworth will sign with the highest bidder.

Prediction: Like in Ray Lewis’ case, if all things were equal Haynesworth would stay with his current team. But all things are far from equal. Haynesworth’s agents were reportedly spotted dining with Daniel Synder at the NFL Combine, and rumors are floating all over the web that the Redskins are preparing an outrageous offer for the standout defensive tackle. Expect Synder to once again open his wallet and lure one of the best defensive players in the NFL to Washington, possibly with a staggering offer in the neighborhood of $100 million dollars.

McNabb to Harrison? Donovan McNabb wants to return to Philadelphia. And, more importantly, Philadelphia wants Donovan McNabb. After a recent clearing-of-the-air meeting between the two sides, both parties appear ready to move forward. But not before McNabb gets some help. Donovan publically announced that he wants Philadelphia to add some firepower before agreeing to a long-term deal. Aside from the T.O. experiment, Philadelphia has a long-standing position of being frugal when it comes to spending money on wide receivers. However, with their franchise QB openly asking for some added weapons, expect the Eagles to finally become players when free agency opens Friday.

Prediction: The Eagles know they need to get McNabb some help, but will do so in a fiscally sound way. I expect them to pass on giving a big contract to T.J Houshmandzadeh and instead pursue the recently released Marvin Harrison. Not only is Harrison from Philadelphia, but he would fit in perfectly opposite DeSean Jackson in the Philly offense. Donovan McNabb will get his help, but within Philly's budget.

Housh Heading West? Last season Cincinnati appeared to have a special 1-2 punch at wide receiver, with Chad Johnson and T.J Houshmandzadeh. It goes without saying that things didn’t go according to plan. Ocho Cinco was terrible after failing to broker an offseason trade out of Cincinnati. His status as an elite NFL wide receiver took a huge hit after a paltry 53 catch, 540 yard effort that yielded only four touchdowns. The person who benefitted the most from Johnson’s demise was T.J. Houshmandzadeh. In a light year for free agent wide receivers, Houshmandzadeh has clearly established himself as the best player avaliable. After finishing 2008 with his third straight 90+ catch season, there is little doubt that Housh is a #1 wide-out. Cincinnati’s surprising decision to use their franchise tag on kicker Shayne Graham, instead of on Houshmandzadeh, basically ensures that he will be bringing his game to a new NFL city in 2009.

Prediction: A lot of teams around the NFL will express interest in one of the best possession receivers in the game. Philadelphia, Seattle, Jacksonville, Oakland, Chicago, Kansas City, San Francisco and Tampa Bay can all use help at wide receiver. Donovan McNabb’s recent cry for help may turn Philadelphia into serious players. But at the end of the day, I expect the Seattle Seahawks to land T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Seattle desperately needs help at the position and will feel way more comfortable spending their money on a known commodity like Houshmandzadeh, instead of on a hit-or-miss first-round draft pick like Michael Crabtree. After playing college ball at nearby Oregon State, expect T.J to be making a return to the Pacific Northwest.

Free Agency Gets Windy
One: He’s 28 years old.
Two: He’s never been a starting tailback.
Three: He only has 342 NFL carries.

Yet, despite his age and inexperience Derrick Ward is hitting free agency as one of the league’s hottest commodities. Fresh off a 1,000-yard season, Ward is viewed by many as this year’s version of Michael Turner. Making up 1/3 of the New York Giants Earth-Wind-and-Fire backfield, Ward, the wind, was nothing short of spectacular when given a chance to play last season. His 5.1 career yards-per-carry average, coupled with his 228 pound frame, have him poised to cash in big time and finally become a feature back at the NFL level.

Prediction: The Giants understand Ward’s value better than anybody. Unfortunately for them, there’s only so much money to go around, and Brandon Jacob’s new contract virtually assures that Ward's time in New York is over. Last season’s rookie class was one of the best in NFL history, thus limiting the amount of teams looking to shell out big bucks for a running back. One team that has already expressed interest is the Cleveland Browns. The usually tight-lipped Eric Mangini recently mentioned Ward’s name among players he would love to sign. Ward followed that cue by telling Sirius Radio’s NFL channel that he wants to play in Cleveland. The rebuilding Browns will be active and I suspect Derrick Ward will be at the top of their shopping list.

A Reunion By The Sound: Is Seattle's Biggest Star Coming Home?

For as long as baseball has been played great nick-names have been part of the game: The Babe; The Georgia Peach; The Say Hey Kid; The Mick; The Yankee Clipper; The Big Unit; The Bash Brothers; Hammerin’ Hank; Charlie Hustle; Stan the Man; The Splendid Splinter; The Wizard of Oz; Mr. October; The Rocket; we can go on forever.

That brings me to my personal favorite: The Kid. One of the first things I remember about baseball, or sports for that matter, was Ken Griffey Jr. I grew up in New York, a place where the West Coast sports scene gets about as much attention as European soccer. However, The Kid was a different story. He may have been playing closer to Alaska than Brooklyn or Queens, but it was almost like he was a Yankee or Met.

He arrived on the baseball scene when the soon-to-be alternative-rock generation was just becoming teenagers. It wasn’t long before his majestic homeruns and youthful exuberance captivated the country, just like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

Fast forward two decades and things have flip-flopped. Now I live in Seattle and The Kid is a 39 year old outfielder without a job. Boy, it’s funny how time has a way of changing things.

Long gone are the back-to-back 56 homerun seasons. Or the slide at home plate in the ’96 playoffs that toppled Mattingly’s Yankees. Still, it’s impossible to forget a time when a 19-year-old kid from Donora, Pennsylvania came to the Pacific Northwest and lit baseball on fire.

From 1996-99 Griffey hit 209 homeruns. Ten years later and not a single steroid allegation, ever. It was probably the greatest half decade of homerun hitting baseball has ever seen. And it was clean. No horse steroids or anabolic steroids or HGH or the Cream or the Clear.

Yes, injuries may have ultimately reduced his numbers, but at least history will show that they weren’t inflated by performance-enhancing drugs. In a very dark period of Major League Baseball history, Ken Griffey Jr. did things right.

As the 2009 baseball season bears down on us, I think it’s a travesty that Ken Griffey Jr. can’t find a job. Last season, he played on only one and a half legs and was still productive, hitting 18 homeruns and 71 RBI’s. Two years ago, when the 37-year-old Griffey was healthy, he hit 30 homeruns with 93 RBI’s. The year before that; 27 homeruns and 72 RBI’s. The year before that; 35 homeruns and 92 RBI’s. It may be a far cry from those Seattle days, but it’s still pretty good.

If reports are accurate, then Griffey will be entering 2009 healthy. In my mind, that translates into a 25 homerun, 75+ RBI season---just sitting there---waiting to be had.

So how about a reunion in Seattle? How great would it be to see Junior come back to where it all began? How many times do we actually get the chance for a perfect ending in sports? Answer: Not that often. And, make no mistake; this would be the perfect ending.

With that said, I believe it’s time for Seattle’s new GM Jack Zduriencik to step up. At this point, Griffey could be had for a bag of balls and a rosin bag. Offer a one-year, five million dollar deal and he’s almost certainy yours. Even for a team trying to keep payroll down, money isn’t an obstacle.

Anybody following Zduriencik’s first offseason in Seattle is aware of the team’s new direction. He’s at the beginning stages of a full-blown youth movement, similar to the one he head-manned in Milwaukee. But the case can be still be made that Griffey would only help that process.

First of all, the current opening day left fielder on the Mariner’s depth chart is Endy Chavez. Chavez was a throw-in in the J.J. Putz deal. Griffey’s arrival would allow Chavez to slip into his more familiar role as a utility outfielder. Or even if Griffey played DH the majority of the time, he would not, in any way, impede the progress of the organization's youth movement.

Secondly, it’s not like a team who won 61 games last season, and who lost Raul Ibanez in free agency, can’t use the added production. This lineup is in dire need of some pop, even if we’re only talking about 20-25 homeruns.

And finally, the move would make Jack Zduriencik a hero among Mariner fans. It’s the single easiest way for this first-time GM to win an avalanche of fan support. Plus, it makes baseball sense. Not to mention the added revenue Griffey’s arrival would surely generate at the box office. All around, from every angle, this would be a win-win for Zduriencik and the Mariner’s.

As baseball waits for a new ambassador to carry the torch out of the Steroid Era, maybe it’s time to hand that torch back to Ken Griffey Jr. The Kid had a firm grasp on it before this era fully engulfed the sport. Now, twenty years later, baseball should be smart and once again turn to Griffey in their time of need. He’s one of the very few untainted giants of the game remaining that can somewhat validate this very awkward era.

Thank you, Ken Griffey Jr., for giving us all hope that this game can still be played the right way…clean. And hopefully fate brings you back to a place where a 19-year-old teenager earned the simplest and most fitting nickname you’ll ever find: The Kid.

If anybody in this era deserves to go out in style, it’s you.

Faced With A Decision: Will Fred Wilpon Bring Manny to Flushing?

Every Met fan from Staten Island to Queens; Long Island to Westchester are all collectively thinking the same thing: We want Manny!

They think about the current Mets batting order: Reyes-Murphy-Beltran-Wright-DelGado-Church-Castillo-Schneider. It’s not that bad and probably good enough to win between 87-92 games. With the additions of J.J Putz and K-Rod the Mets, as currently constituted, could win the NL East. But realistically the Phillies are still better.

Now add Manny Ramirez. Add Manny being Manny. And more importantly, add the .330 average, the 30 homeruns and the 100+ RBI’s. Now take a look at Jerry Manuel’s lineup: Reyes-Beltran-Wright-Manny-DelGado-Church-Castillo-Schnieder. At the press conference you become better than Philadelphia and Chicago. Oh, and that little collapse issue everybody likes to talk about, well it would be forgotten, like the Dallas Green years. With Manny Ramirez this is a new team. The added payroll Fred Wilpon would need to sign off on would not only buy the best cleanup bat in the game, buy also some much needed distance from the team’s recent past.

So, if it’s such a great fit, what’s the delay? His name is Scott Boras. God only knows what he has Manny thinking these days. For starters, Manny was quoted towards the end of last season saying, “The price of oil is up and so am I”. Boras’ brainwashing was well underway. He entered this process with Manny thinking that $25-$30 million over 5 years, in the heart of a recession, was actually feasible. Boras is the ultimate conqueror of landmark contracts, and in the twilight of this off-season he’s trying to stir up another masterpiece. This time he’s selling the best right-handed hitter of a generation. Like a real generation, say 25-30 years. Not one of those commonly tossed around generations that only go back 10-15 years.

As I post this column, Boras and Ramirez appear steadfast in their desire to get big bucks over multiple seasons. Yesterday the Dodgers offered Manny a one-year, $25 million dollar deal. They instituted a 48-hour deadline and Manny rejected it. Now Los Angeles appears content moving on without him. What else can they do? Team Boras didn’t respond to LA’s previous 2-year, $45 million dollar offer from earlier this offseason. Man, would they to have that one back. But LA took it off the table. Then they offered salary arbitration. That was just a formality. Now they get rejected, in swift fashion, on a deal that would have made Manny the second highest paid player in baseball next season behind A-Rod. Dodger fans can’t say that Ned Coletti didn’t try. He just refused to get Borased.

New reports have LA turning to Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson. They can sign both of those guys combined for less than Manny. With Spring Training a stone’s throw away, LA looks to be kicking Boras and Manny to the curb.

So where does this leave Ramirez? Last season, when negotiations started going south with the Yankees, Alex Rodriguez traded in Scott Boras for a group of Goldman Sachs execs and Warren Buffett. This year, Manny seems content letting Boras run the show. Though it must be asked: Does Manny have any say in this? Can he say, “Hey Scott, let’s take the Dodger deal, I like it in LA.” Or does his future soley rest in Scott Boras’ hands? Does Scott Boras EVER do what’s right for his clients?

Their strategy seems bizarre considering the suitors waiting in line for Manny’s services appear nonexistent. Boston is a non-factor for obvious reasons. The Yankees just spent half a billion dollars on three players. And even they have a limit, we think. The Angeles firmly stated they want nothing to do with this mess. Albert Pujols made his public cry for help, but that fell on deaf ears. Who’s left?

Well, the Giants were hoping for the Manny market to plummet to 1-year at around $15-$20 million. That doesn’t appear to be the case with Manny refusing LA’s latest offer. Manny would certainly help replace the draw Barry Bonds brought to Pac Bell, but not at Boras dollars.

Again, who’s left?

Meet the Mets. After signing Oliver Perez on Monday, their 2009 payroll sits at about $140 million, an all-time high. That’s despite the recent Bernie Madoff ponzi-scheme debacle, which saw the Wilpons lose millions. That’s despite recent news that Citigroup is considering rescinding their 20-year, $400 million dollar naming-rights deal for the Mets new ballpark, currently called Citi Field. The Wilpons publicly claim that the Mets and the Madoff mess are two completely separate money streams, and the $70 million spent on K-Rod and Perez suggests that’s true. With their offseason pitching needs now fully addressed, the Mets are nose-to-ceiling with the Wilpon’s self-imposed player budget.

So the question become this: Can Omar Minaya convince Jeff Wilpon to bump that budget up over $160 million for the next 2-3 years? We know Omar Minaya has a man crush on Manny dating back to his Expos days. We know he sees the obvious impact Manny would have on this team. Can Omar find a way to pull one more gigantic rabbit out of his hat? It would take one hell of a sales pitch, and Met fans don’t want anybody else in that room with Fred Wilpon except Omar.

The time has come for the conservative Wilpons to make a splash. Loosen your collar, untuck your shirt, kick off the penny loafers and get Manny Ramirez to Flushing, Queens. ASAP. We know the cost: Two years guaranteed, with a club option or incentives tied to a third. Financial impact: Between $60-$75 million. You’re in a new ballpark. You have a team poised to compete for the whole ball of wax. They need one more serious bat in the middle of the lineup. They need a fresh start. Jerry Manuel has spoken. The fans have spoken. Fred Wilpon, the message is clear: Go get Manny Ramirez.

We are firmly entrenched in the final hours of this off-season saga.The balls in your court Fred. Manny Ramirez is a phone call away. The World Series might be a phone call away. Are you content being good, or do you dare to be great?

The Five Most Important Plays of Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII was one to remember. The Steelers came to Tampa looking to become the most decorated team of the Super Bowl era. Mission accomplished. After pulling out a thrilling 27-23 last-minute victory for the ages, Pittsburgh has separated themselves from the pack. The new benchmark: 6 Lombardi trophies. Here are the five most important plays from the latest chapter of Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl history:

1Q---14:16---PITT BALL---2nd & 8---PITT 30
How are Ben Roethlisberger’s ribs? Can Hines Ward contribute? The second snap from scrimmage of Super Bowl XLIII went a long way in answering both questions. The play saw Ben Roethlisberger roll to his right to avoid pressure and then fire an off-balance strike to Hines Ward. Ward was practically uncovered, finding a hole in Arizona’s zone. The play resulted in a 38 yard catch-and-run that brought the ball down to Arizona’s 32 yard line. Pittsburgh would go on to open the scoring with a field goal. But more importantly, the questions surrounding Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward where answered emphatically. They were here to play.

1Q---4:09---PITT BALL---3rd & 10---ARI 44
At the conclusion of this drive Pittsburgh would score their first touchdown. First, they needed to convert a third and long from the Arizona 44. The play epitomized how creative and elusive Ben Roethlisberger can be in the pocket. He seemed dead from the onset (think Eli Manning on the Tyree play). Big Ben was flushed to his left, he looked, nobody was open. Cardinals converged around him as he spun and sprinted for open real estate to his right. Then he stopped and fired a strike, across his body, back to the left sideline to Heath Miller. First down Pittsburgh. If Arizona prevented this broken play, the Steelers punt. Instead of it being Arizona’s ball, down 3-0; moments later it was 10-0 Pittsburgh.

2Q---:18---ARI BALL---1st & G---PITT 1
Welcome to the play that will go down in Super Bowl infamy. With :18 seconds left in the half, and no timeouts, Arizona realistically had two, maybe three, shots at the end zone. At a minimum, the Cardinals were poised for an extra-point field goal to tie the score at 10. Considering the early 10-point hole Arizona found themselves in, Ken Whisenhunt would have been ecstatic to be up four or tied at the half. Instead, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year made the play of the year. As Warner dropped back throw he scanned left and fired a pass intended for Anquan Boldin. James Harrison read the play perfectly, stepping in front of Boldin for the interception. He then started rumbling downfield, a convoy emerged and 100 yards later he authored the longest play in Super Bowl history. Instead of Arizona putting points on the board, this stunning turn of events had Pittsburgh running into the half with a 17-7 lead.

3Q---7:41---PITT BALL---1st & 10---50
This drive was a classic example of Pittsburgh Steelers’ football. Sixteen plays, 79 yards, 8:39 elapsed, with important points added to the scoreboard. It was also helped significantly by three personal fouls against Arizona. You didn’t read that wrong, Arizona actually committed three personal fouls, on one drive, IN THE SUPER BOWL!?!? The worst of the three came on a first and ten from midfield. Karlos Dansby was called for roughing the passer after a Ben Roethlisberger pass fell incomplete. The call was borderline, but acceptable. In addition to the deflating affect it appeared to have on Arizona’s defense; Pittsburgh now had the ball 1st & 10 from the Arizona 35, instead of 2nd & 10 from midfield. The play symbolized the feeling of the game at the time, as everything was going right for Pittsburgh and poorly for Arizona. The Arizona comeback attempt would soon follow, but not before this personal foul ridden drive put them even further behind the eight-ball.

4Q---:42---PITT BALL---2nd & 6---ARI 6

Last year we had a play that will never be forgotten—Manning to Tyree. The deciding play of Super Bowl XLIII was just added to the list. Pittsburgh could have been conservative and played for the game-tying field goal. It would have been the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. However, overtime wasn’t on Pittsburgh’s mind. They went for the win. The drive as a whole was fantastic. Facing 1st & 20 from their own 12, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes went to work. Ben to Holmes for 14. Ben to Holmes for 13. Ben to Holmes for 40. And then came the dagger. Out of the shotgun, with the end-zone 6 yards away, Roethlisberger dropped back to throw. He cocked and fired a rocket towards the back of the end-zone. Three Cardinals were standing right there, but the throw was perfect. Perfect. And the catch by Santonio Holmes was equally mind blowing. He stabbed it from thin air, tapped both feet, and held on to the ball as he fell to the Raymond James grass. It officially launched the Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh. And this era will be remembered, like Bradshaw to Swann, for all of the memories Roethlisberger to Holmes left engrained in our minds during this drive. Especially the last one.