NFL 2004

[Aggie87]

Just wanted to start up a thread for this year's NFL, if anyone's ready to start talking about football! I know it's early, but the AFL & NFL Europe just aren't cutting it for me.

So here's a little tidbit about the 2004 schedule, and a couple of "minor" revisions to team names

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The New NFL (National Football League)

The New National Football League recently announced a new era. From now on, no politically incorrect team names will be permitted. While the owners of the teams rush to change uniforms and such, the New National Football League announced, yesterday, its name changes and schedules for the 2004 season:

The Washington Native Americans will host the New York Very Tall People on opening day.

Other key games include the Dallas Western-Style Laborers hosting the St. Louis Wild Endangered Species, and the Minnesota Plundering Norsemen taking on the Green Bay Meat Industry Workers.

In Week 2, there are several key matchups, highlighted by the showdown between the San Francisco Precious Metal Enthusiasts and the New Orleans Pretty Good People.

The Atlanta Birds of Prey will play host to the Philadelphia Birds of Prey, while the Seattle Birds of Prey will visit the Phoenix Male Finches.

The Monday night game will pit the Miami Pelagic Percoid Food Fishes against the Denver Untamed Beasts of Burden.

The Cincinnati Large Bangladeshi Carnivorous Mammals will travel to Tampa Bay for a clash with the West Indies Free Booters later in Week 9.

And the Detroit Large Carnivorous Cats will play the Chicago Large Mountain Mammals.

Week 9 also features the Indianapolis Young Male Horses at the New England Zealous Lovers of Country.

[Jim Dye]

It's not the 'Washington Native Americans' anymore.

It's the 'Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons**'.

**Thanks to Gregg Easterbrook.

[ajf67]

I'll lay my cards on the table right up front: Go Steelers!

[Aggie87]

Okay, here's my take on the Cowboy's offseason so far:

Things that needed to be addressed:

1. Running Game

2. QB Position, maybe.

3. O-Line

4. Wide Receivers

5. D-Line

6. Cornerback

What they've done so far:

1. RB - Drafted Julius Jones, who should immediately be an upgrade over last season's RB, Troy Hambrick (now of the Oakland Raiders, heads up to RainyDay!). I don't think they got the best RB in the draft, and they had their pick of the litter. But either way, Jones should make the running game better.

2. QB - Traded for Drew Henson, and picked up Vinny Testaverde in free agency. Parcells says the position is currently open, and he'll select the starter after the 2nd preseason game. I'm guessing Carter has a head start, and personally I want to see him develop on his reasonably good season last year. I like him and am rooting for him, but think he's still got some improving to do. Testaverde (how old is he now, about 63?) should be the stop-gap guy in case Carter falters. And Henson appears to be the QB of the future; I hope they don't throw him in too early like they did with both Carter and Hutch.

3. O-Line - Larry Allen appears to be healthy and working hard (at least for now), so if he can be better than he was last year, that's a plus. Drafted two linemen early (Jacob Rogers & Stephen Peterman) who should be able to contribute. Flozell Adams had a good year last season, and should continue to dominate. And they guy they drafted last year to play center (Al Johnson) is back and healthy, after missing the whole season, so hopefully this group can put it together.

4. Traded Joey Galloway straight up for Keyshawn Johnson. KJ is hopefully the possession receiver the 'Boys have lacked since the days of Michael Irvin, which should help Carter out. Terry Glenn and Antonio Bryant look to be the other primary receivers, and can both stretch the field. Bryant needs to improve his catching ability. They also have two solid TE's in Dan Campbell and Jason Witten, so they appear set there.

5. D-Line - Finally dumped the failure that was Ebenezer Ekuban. And appeared to upgrade the position by picking up free agent Marcellus Wiley. Hopefully he gives the Cowboys a pass rush that they've sorely lacked. Greg Ellis and LaRoi Glover are both back and solid players, and Willie Blade seems to have turned into a fairly decent tackle as well. Should be a better D line than last year.

6. Cornerback - They let Mario Edwards get away in FA to the Bucs, which probably wasn't a major loss. But they didn't pick anyone else up, and appear to be hoping that Pete Hunter turns into a player. My fingers are crossed. I still wonder if they've got a secret plan to pick up either Mike McKenzie or Ty Law somehow. If they can do that, their defense should be even better than last year's #1 rating. If not, they should still be fairly solid.

Finally, they kept their coaching staff intact, after almost losing Mo Carthon and Sean Payton. I think that will only help the offense's (and Carter's) development, and should make them a solid playoff contender. Not ready to make it to the big game yet, but if they can repeat last year's 10-6 record, I think they're headed in the right direction (especially with two 1st round picks in next year's draft).

Enough musing...

-Erik

[Aggie87]

It's not the 'Washington Native Americans' anymore.

It's the 'Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons**'.

LOL - I like that even better!

[Brandon Burke]

I hate to distract from an otherwise playful thread with something heavy but this shit about naming teams things like the "Indians" and "Redskins" is seriously f*cked up, man. Anyone who's spent time around Native Amercians (work, school, etc) will tell you the same thing. It's not a matter of being PC, it's a matter of not not being a dick about it.

You guys are all bright enough to laugh at this stuff for the right reasons, so please know that I'm not directing this post to any of you in particular. It's the whole scenario in general that pisses me off and sends me into storming rampages like this one. (Sorry, by the way.)

Reminds me of an add that appeard in Sports Illustrated in the 80's:

[PHILLYQ]

I hate to distract from an otherwise playful thread with something heavy but this shit about naming teams things like the "Indians" and "Redskins" is seriously f*cked up, man. Anyone who's spent time around Native Amercians (work, school, etc) will tell you the same thing. It's not a matter of being PC, it's a matter of not not being a dick about it.

You guys are all bright enough to laugh at this stuff for the right reasons, so please know that I'm not directing this post to any of you in particular. It's the whole scenario in general that pisses me off and sends me into storming rampages like this one. (Sorry, by the way.)

Reminds me of an add that appeard in Sports Illustrated in the 80's:

What if we had teams called the Dagos or the Micks(I'm Italian/Irish, so I picked those)? No question it would offend people of that ethnic/racial group. Why do we put up with that nonsense- there's a whole universe of great names that do not degrade a people such as Braves, Indians, Chiefs, Redskins, etc.

[Brandon Burke]

No shit. Strangely, my team growing up was the Chiefs (since I'm from Kansas City). I used to work at Arrowhead Stadium too. Speaking of which.....are they supposed to be any good this year? I slowly fell off the NFL wagon so I'm pretty well out of the loop by this point. It's mostly just baseball and NCAA hoops for me.

[ajf67]

You are so right about those names.

There was some talk last year about this when the Redskins adopted a new home uniform with a new helmet that had a spear or something like that on it. Somebody did a piece in the Washington Post that Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, wanted to get rid of the name and that the new uniform was step one in the process, but nothing ever seemed to come of it. The thoiught was they were going to call themselves the Washington Warriors or something like that. I hoppe that happens but I'm not holding my breath.

[ajf67]

To add: "Warriors" isn't exactly perfect either, but much improved over the overtly racist "Redskins"

[MartyJazz]

Jet fan here (please don't laugh). Season ticket holder since '67 and I retain the rights even though I moved to southeast Florida (Dolphin country) at the end of '93.

So do we have a chance this year? Or will it be the Pats again with the hated Fins in the chase?

This is the must cut it or get cut year for Terry Bradway (GM) who was nearly fatally scalped by the Redskins' management (am I being politically correct? Guess not) last year when they signed away Laverneus Coles, Randy Thomas, Chad Morton, and John Hall. Also, if our clock management skills don't improve considerably, we'll be in the outhouse again. With so much parity, the difference between a win or a loss often comes down to game management tactics in the last two minutes of the half and the game.

An aside: Glad to see Vinny go and hope he does well in whatever capacity Parcells decides in Big D. Class act but long since outlived his usefulness in green.

[Aggie87]

Cowboys off-season, take 2 (tying into Brandon's comments above):

1. Parcells makes a racist comment. Said the offense's creative play calling during practice was "Jap plays". Apologizes afterwards (and prefaced it by saying "no disrespect for the Orientals"), but I'm personally somewhat dismayed to see comments like these - about any ethnic subgroup - from someone like Parcells. The fact I was born in Japan may have something to do with it, but it seems insulting and derogatory, no matter how I look at it. I remember last offseason when Shockey called Parcells a "homo"; seems like Parcells is forever in the headlines.

2. WR Antonio Bryant got thrown out of practice on Tuesday, after griping about his role as the 3rd WR. Started by arguing with Keyshawn, then the WR coach. After that he threw off his jersey & shoulderpads. Parcells intervenes, picks up the jersey and threw it back at Bryant, who then threw it BACK in the face of Parcells. Other players had to jump in between the two, and Bryant was then escorted by security out of the practice. He may not be on the team much longer...

Detroit - I think the Lions got the best RB in the draft in Kevin Jones. I've read that he's looked impressive so far. He was clearly the best RB named Jones in the draft (Greg, Kevin, & Julius). I think that Jerry Jones ended up wanting Julius so there could be a "J. Jones" on the field.

Anyone else want to share/vent about their team's offseasons so far? I don't know enough about the Chiefs or the Jets to offer anything.

Edited June 9, 2004 by Aggie87

[Brandon Burke]

Jet fan here (please don't laugh).

Perhaps my favorite helmet in the sport.

[connoisseur series500]

I'm a well-known Pats fan.

I believe they've improved themselves in the offseason. Picking up Corey Dillon and drafting Vince Wilfolk and Ben Watson should get the government to investigate the team as some kind of anti-trust violator...

The Pats added to their cornerback depth significantly by signing veterans Terrell Buckly, Jeff Burris and Otis Smith. Ty Law was disgruntled but he is signed for the season and will play.

I did believe that they might unload Law during the first day of the draft, but nothing happened.

Owner Bob Kraft, called Ty Law one of his favorite players. He'll be there for another year.

The offensive line lost an important starter when Damien Woody signed with the Lions, but it should be noted that Woody didn't play in either the AFC Championship game nor the Super Bowl. We can certainly win without him.

On balance, though, the Pats don't have much depth on the offensive line. They need to pick up a couple of veterans before the season starts; otherwise that will be a major weakness, especially if a starter goes down.

Other than that, we are looking meaner than last year. Free agent plum, LB Roosevelt Colvin is returning from a hip injury after playing in only two games last year; and starter WR David Patton returns after missing most of last season as well.

We are definitely much better on paper, which should be a scary thing for the rest of the league, but there is that intangible called "hunger" which is an absolute necessity if the team is to repeat.

Do they have it?

We'll have to see; the jury is out right now on that. All the players in the world won't help the team if the hunger isn't there...

[connoisseur series500]

One area I forgot to bring up deals with New England's incredible depth on the defensive line.

Our starters will probably be veteran Keith Traylor at DT in the 3-4, with Richard Seymour on one end and perhaps second year player Ty Warren on the other end.

Traylor will be replaced by Vince Wilfolk during games and during the season, while pass russ specialist Jarvis Green (who had 3 sacks on Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship game) will get his turns along with free agent signing, Rodney Bailey, who is an emerging star at the end position.

The Pats also drafted a good DE in the second round. The name escapes me now because I'm old and can't remember shit any more. But he will be good!!!

[Aggie87]

I see where the Packers signed Tim Couch the other day. Is he their QB of the future, or just an insurance guy in case Favre goes down sometime during the season?

Cowboys signed WR Dedric Ward, who used to play for the Jets. Not sure if this means Antonio Bryant has played his last game for the 'Boys or not. Ward isn't a spread the field guy, and is probably best suited for the type of game that Keyshawn Johnson already plays, across the middle, 3rd down receiver, etc. So I'm not sure I really understand why they nabbed Ward. I guess the fact that he played for Parcells, and is therefore a "Parcells guy" is what did it. Cowboys have alot of those guys now - KJ, Terry Glenn, Ward, Richie Anderson, Testaverde. Interestingly, they're all offensive players. The defense has been pretty much left alone in the hands of Mike Zimmer (who also spurned the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the off-season to stay with the Cowboys).

Cowboys need more help at RB, since one of their backups, Eric Bickerstaff, went out for the year with a torn Achilles. They're apparently looking at Antowain Smith or perhaps Stacey Mack, to be the main backup to Julius Jones. Also still out there are Trung Canidate, James Stewart, and Dorsey Levens. I'd also like to see Dominic Rhodes get some consideration, but I'm not sure if he's resigned with the Colts or not.

[Jim Dye]

Dallas needs to be courting Eddie George if they want an RB. Today is the first day of Titans mini camp and the press is all a flutter about what Eddie is going to do. He's pretty pissed that he still has no deal, and the longer the Titans wait to sign him, the harder it's going to be for him to find a job elsewhere. Silly salary cap.

[Aggie87]

I like Eddie George, and think he has a warrior's heart. Sorry to hear the Titans and George have not ironed out their issues - I thought that was over.

I don't see George being a good fit in Dallas, if only because I think he's still got some tread left on him, and wouldn't handle being a backup very well. I think he'd want a situation where he was the focus of the running game. Jones is ostensibly the RB in Dallas for now, though I don't know whether he'll succeed or not.

If Dallas had been able to get George prior to draft, then I think it would have been great. I'm sure he would have had a chip on his shoulders and would want to show the Titans what they were giving up on. Under that scenario I could see Dallas drafting an RB a round or two later than they did, and groom him to take over for George in a year or two.

That's the reason I think they're looking at Smith & Mack, because I think those guys would be able to come in and accept being a backup, but still be able to perform when it was their turn.

If George isn't the Titan's RB this year, who is? I used to like Rodney Thomas, before they drafted George, and thought he never really got fair shake. Though he was an Aggie, so I may have been biased.

[Aggie87]

Just read that Emmitt Smith has reclaimed the starting RB job in Arizona!

Has he really outperformed Shipp, or is this some sort of marketing thing? Surely they would have a better scheme to sell tickets than to feature Smith at 35 years old, especially after bringing in a good coach in Denny Green, and drafting Larry Fitzgerald?

[chris olivarez]

When the Patriots added Corey Dillon it made the Patriots that much stronger.Until proven otherwise I'd say New England has a great shot at defending their title.

[PHILLYQ]

When the Patriots added Corey Dillon it made the Patriots that much stronger.Until proven otherwise I'd say New England has a great shot at defending their title.

They also had a lot of draft picks from previous deals, so they will be one of the few teams with some depth to deal with injuries. Because of the cap, most teams must be rather thin in some spots, so one or two injuries can be devastating to a team's chances. I saw somewhere that the Jets lead the league in 'dead money', money that counts against the cap for players no longer with the team. Dead money also is a huge drag on a team,as it has severely hampered the efforts of the Jets to improve the team. I'm not crazy about Bradway as GM of the Jets, but I think Herm Edwards is a very good coach- he actually admitted that his clock management skills are not too good and sought help from Parcells in the offseason.That alone may be worth a victory or two this season. I have to admire a guy who's willing to admit to a fault and try to improve on it.

[chris olivarez]

Thats interesting to know about Edwards for his honesty,professionalism to do better. He'll probably wind up taking the fall for all that dead weight but I doubt that he'll be out of work for too long.

[connoisseur series500]

When the Patriots added Corey Dillon it made the Patriots that much stronger.Until proven otherwise I'd say New England has a great shot at defending their title.

Obviously, I agree with you, Chris!

On paper, the Pats are even stronger than they were last year; and the defense is even better.

Watch out league!

Still, will the hunger be there? You can have all the players in the world, but if they're happy with their two titles in three years, then they won't win it all.

They've got to show me the goods; just as they must for the rest of the league.

[chris olivarez]

Hey Conn if the Steelers,49ers and Cowboys can do it there's no reason to believe that the Pats couldn't do likewise.

[connoisseur series500]

Hey Conn if the Steelers,49ers and Cowboys can do it there's no reason to believe that the Pats couldn't do likewise.

Very true, Chris.

I think the coaching staff plays a huge role here.

Bill Belichick will have to keep his team focused game by game. He's proven to be kind of good at that.