Archive for January, 2009

The Detroit Free-Press says the Lions have narrowed their coaching search to two or three names, none of which is Leslie Frazier.  Nicholas J. Cotsonika writes: The Lions could be close to naming a head coach. They should be, anyway. This is the time, and their list of candidates appears down to two or three — Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Miami secondary coach Todd Bowles and perhaps San Diego defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. This means it’s St. Louis or nowhere for Frazier, whose competition reportedly includes Steve Spagnuolo, another guy the Lions crossed off their list, Rex Ryan, Jason [...]

The big noise around the NFL the last couple days is that the Dallas Cowboys are fed up with Terrell Owens‘ negative impact on team chemistry and are debating whether to release the future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver.  “I think some of people want to just cut our losses and get rid of all those guys … T.O., Tank [Johnson], Pacman [Jones],” a source told ESPN.  That’s the kind of stuff people start throwing around when you follow up two disappointing early playoff bootings with an even-more-disappointing late-season choke-job that leaves you out of the tournament altogether.  I personally doubt the [...]

Titans QB Kerry Collins has followed the example of our own (for now) Gus Frerotte by announcing that he will either start at quarterback for someone next season or he will shuffle off into the sunset.  “I made my case known, that I’d like to be here and feel that I can be a part of several more good seasons.  I have several good years left in me, I know that,” the 36-year-old Collins told the Tennessean.  “I will pack up and go somewhere else. I don’t want to, but that’s the reality of this business. . . .  I am [...]

As of yesterday I would’ve put the odds of Leslie Frazier returning to the Vikings at no more than 5%, but the more news comes out about coaching hirings and potential hirings, the higher that number goes.  This is no reflection on Frazier I’m sure, it’s just that teams appear to be moving in different directions.  The Broncos, for example, were reportedly interested in Frazier right up until the moment they announced they were hiring Josh McDaniels instead.  The next best opportunity appeared to be in St. Louis, but now numerous candidates have surfaced for that job, including an alleged [...]

The odds of Leslie Frazier returning to be the Vikings‘ defensive coordinator next year would look to be about zero, at least going by the number of reports linking his name to head coaching vacancies around the league.  The most likely landing spot for Frazier, as of this moment anyway, would appear to be Denver.  The Broncos have reportedly placed Frazier at the top of their candidates list, along with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and at least one NFL head coach, the Ravens’ John Harbaugh, has gone on record saying the Broncos should definitely choose Frazier.  Harbaugh said of [...]

Cris Carter made small little ripples in the great big media pond last week by apparently advocating gun-violence as a solution to Dallas‘s little Terrell Owens problem.  “If I got a gun I got one bullet in it, I shoot T.O. right now,” Carter said.  “Right on the spot. I have a press conference my first day they hire me, I have him come, I put a bullet right there sitting in him.”  I’m pretty sure Carter was speaking figuratively there, but obviously, it was still a poor choice of words (never mind the fact that “I put a bullet [...]

Four Vikings were named today to the All-Pro first team:  Steve Hutchinson, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams and, yes, Jared Allen, who must feel slightly vindicated after not being named an NFC starter for the Pro Bowl.  Antoine Winfield, a Pro Bowl starter, was named to the second team at cornerback.

The Seahawks were dismal this year, finishing the season 4-12 despite being picked by some as a playoff contender, and a big reason for this was the play of Matt Hasselbeck who spent much of the season hurt and didn’t exactly burn it up on those rare occasions when he was able to get in a game.  Further damaging Hasselbeck’s stock with the team was the play of Seneca Wallace who was in there for three of Seattle’s four wins and at least earned himself a shot as the starter next season for new coach Jim Mora, Jr. Now, Mora [...]

Brad Childress held his highly-anticipated season ending press conference today, but in true Chilly fashion, didn’t say a whole hell of a lot.  Naturally, the most pressing questions concerned the quarterback situation, which would seem up in the air after the way Tarvaris Jackson finished in the playoffs.  Chilly said this about Jackson: It’s really kind of a whole offseason study. I’m not going to pass judgment right at this particular point. I think you owe it to everybody here in the organization, just like we always have, to turn over all the rocks and see what you have there. [...]

The Vikings have three shots at a Hall of Famer this year, with Cris Carter, Randall McDaniel and John Randle all making the final 15 (Chris Doleman was also a semi-finalist but failed to make the cut).  I’ve made my feelings about these guys known in the past – I think all three deserve enshrinement in Canton.  I’d like to see McDaniel make it this year as he’s been waiting the longest.  None of these three are a lock to be elected this year, however.  The only dead-solid picks among the finalists are Bruce Smith and Shannon Sharpe, and perhaps [...]