NFL 2004

[chris olivarez]

The results so far have spoken for themselves.

[Jim Dye]

If George isn't the Titan's RB this year, who is?

The Titans drafted Chris Brown out of Colorado last year. He looked pretty good in the few games he played last year. Injury kept him out for much of the season.

On the Eddie George front, things have cooled down a bit. Most people are now expecting Tennessee to cut the deal and be able to sign him in a few weeks. That would be great. I would love to see him finish his career as a Titan. Also, Eddie is getting married on Sunday, so most of the press around here has kept off his back.

[Aggie87]

up....

Eddie George rejected Tennessee's offer on Monday of $1.5M, and expects to be a free agent very shortly. The top 3 teams he's interested in? Dallas, Philly, and Tampa Bay. Will be interesting to see what happens to him. I hope he can play like the George of old as well.

[connoisseur series500]

It's a sad thing to say about a brave warrior, but...

Eddie still looks like a stud, but he's completely washed up.

He ran bravely against the Pats in the playoffs last year, but the truth is that he's a below-average running back in the NFL.

[connoisseur series500]

Tennesse drops George and signs Antoine Smith. This is an upgrade, in my opinion. Smith is a power runner who hasn't been worn out with lots of carries over the years. He's got some yards left in him. This is a canny move by an excellent football team.

The Titans will challenge again this year. If only New England didn't exist...

[Jim Dye]

Yeah, Smith is going to be a GREAT addition to the Titans.

George spent the day talking with Dallas. Reporters say that he'll be a Cowboy by this time tomorrow. Funny thing is that the deal he'll sign is just about exactly what Tennessee offered. Looks like there was more to the negotiations than just money. Pride cometh before the fall.

I wish him well. He was a great player for this franchise for many years.

This local opinion piece sums it up well.

Eddie has only Eddie to blame for his release

By Greg Pogue / Columnist

Ripples of emotion evoked from the Titans’ release of Eddie George will widen and inevitably diminish as time goes by.

But like the initial splash, the turbulence is greater at the epicenter as it carries waves to their eventual disappearance.

One day this will all be history. The Titans will bring the retired franchise’s all-time leading rusher back to The Coliseum for a halftime proclamation, surely to be bolstered by a roar of “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.”

But if old No. 27 should ever return to The Coliseum in another team’s uniform, then the chant should be “Greedy, Greedy, Greedy.” Or, better yet, “Foolish, Foolish, Foolish.”

Because what happened Wednesday did not need to go down that way. Instead, those whispering nonsense into the former Heisman Trophy winner’s ear have done him a great disservice.

We’re talking about agent Lamont Smith, whose shenanigans throughout the process have bordered on the comical. Maybe he needs to move out of Denver because he’s getting light-headed breathing all that mountain air.

The Titans did everything within sound business reason to allow George to finish his career as a Titan. Then again, when you’re Tennessee general manager Floyd Reese and bargaining with fools whose concept of reality is way out of whack, then what’s the surprise?

So, when Eddie returns for his post-retirement acknowledgment, then praise will come from this corner. In the meantime, let’s call it like it is.

To wit:

• George’s claims the reason his production diminished in recent years is directly related to his role in the offense. But in the Super Bowl season of 1999, George carried the ball 320 times. Last season, he was still getting his touches, carrying the ball 312 times.

• Smith suggested George’s reduced yards per carry in recent years was because problems on the offensive line had not been addressed. We didn’t hear that from Eddie the last five years. While there has been rotation at center, the inside guard tandem and outside tackle duo helped produce a top-10 NFL offense last season.

• Smith said his client was stereotyped because of age, which reaches 31 in late September. But that’s like saying two people who buy the same car on the same day — with one driving only to church on Sundays and the other roaring cross country on a weekly basis — still have the same car.

You might fix it up to look nice — and Eddie has always passed the look test — but it’s more about what’s under the hood. Furthermore, his upright running style allows more pounding than a juking back who’s hard to hit. Can you say high mileage?

This is not to say there shouldn’t be much appreciation for the way Eddie George went about his business as a Titan, both on and off the field. He has been the heart and soul of the team, even while the offense has become more about NFL MVP quarterback Steve McNair.

But as Eddie is lured by misguided hopes of greener grass elsewhere, he carries with him an unrealistic expectation level from fans who’ll be looking for the Eddie of old. But back home with the Titans, he would be placed in the best situation to succeed.

One day, I’ll get around to thanking Eddie for the good times. But not today.

He should still be a Tennessee Titan ... and it’s his fault he’s not.

[Aggie87]

"The Dallas Cowboys and George agreed on a one-year contract Friday, reports ESPN's Ed Werder. The base salary is $660,000 with a signing bonus of $1.54 million. With incentives, the deal is worth up to $3 million."

What are y'all hearing up in Dallas about this, Jim? Or anyone else for that matter. I think it's a good signing if George can be the change of pace back, otherwise it may mess up Julius Jones' development. But that could potentially be one heck of a 1-2 combination!

edit: the more I think about it, he might be a REALLY good back for Parcell's grind-it-out on offense and play strong defense philosophy. Might take a little more pressure off Carter to do great things at QB as well...

Edited July 23, 2004 by Aggie87

[Big Wheel]

Ricky Williams is quitting the game. I'm not sure what to make of it. I mean, if I were in Ricky's shoes, you bet I'd take the money and run when the alternative is getting the crap beat out of you day in and day out by defenders. In a sense the whole NFL is crazy and Ricky seems like the only sane one--is getting your body destroyed worth millions more dollars, when many players already have enough cash to live a comfortable life for the next 300 years? I can see how many want a championship badly enough to risk their bodies, but winning it all in the NFL is dependent on a lot of things and many great players never get a ring.

On the other hand, I can't help but wonder if the chemicals in Ricky's brain have been acting up again....traveling the world and getting away from it all is great, but the guy still has responsibilities to be with his children if nothing else.

[Soulstation1]

ricky likes the weed too much, almost as much as rasheed

maybe he was pissed that shaq has taken over miami in a week

ss1

Edited July 27, 2004 by Soulstation1

[Soulstation1]

anyone involved in fantasy league football?

i just picked up the fantasy football index magazine.

i've bought this mag up for the past 5/6 years.

ss1

[Aggie87]

Cowboys cut Quincy Carter today!! Rumors are that he failed some sort of drug test. I liked Carter's attitude, and he seemed to work hard at getting better. Be interesting to see what really happened as more info becomes available.

This comes as quite a shock to me. Testaverde is now the clear cut starter, with Henson in the wings.

[PHILLYQ]

I did see a report that said that carter tested positive for cocaine- his career went up his nose!