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He is the 11th leading rusher in NFL history. From AP-
The Edgerrin James experiment in Seattle is over.
The struggling Seahawks cut ties with James on Tuesday, releasing the backup running back who never provided the pop Seattle hoped to get when it signed the 31-year-old in late August.
James’ release was one of a handful of moves Seattle made two days after a lackluster 38-17 loss that dropped the Seahawks to 2-5. Seattle also released safety C.J. Wallace and cornerback Travis Fisher.
The two-time NFL rushing champ signed with Seattle near the end of training camp hoping to revitalize a career that fell flat after moving from Indianapolis to Arizona. After getting benched for the first time last season, James provided a spark the Cardinals needed in their run to the Super Bowl. But he was released by Arizona in the offseason, and remained unemployed until the Seahawks came calling. Before his release by the Cardinals, James had one year and $5 million remaining on the four-year, $40 million deal he signed with Arizona before the 2006 season.
James had gained only 125 yards rushing this year. I think his productive years in the NFL team are over but I wouldn’t be surprised if another NFL gives James a shot.
He has only nine receptions so far for the 2009 NFL season. From ESPN-
The San Diego Chargers have waived veteran wide receiver Chris Chambers.
Chambers must clear waivers in order to play for another team. Each team will have chance to claim him by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Chargers coach Norv Turner said the Chargers released Chambers because of the emergence of Malcom Floyd and the need to sign a linebacker because of an injury to Tim Dobbins on Sunday. If another team claims Chambers, the Chargers won’t have to pay the $2.25 million they owe him.
Chambers had one catch for 20 yards Sunday against Oakland. He has only nine catches for 122 yards and one touchdown this season.
The Chargers acquired Chambers from the Miami Dolphins in 2007. Would Miami be interested in Chambers services? The rumors have already begun. Miami has a young and inexperienced receiving corps. If I were Dolphins management, I’d sign Chambers.
Run Ted Run! From AP-
Ted Ginn Jr. was angry, his ego bruised by an embarrassing benching.
The Miami wide receiver took out his frustration on the New York Jets, returning two long kickoffs for touchdowns in the third quarter, and the Dolphins’ defense held on for a 30-25 victory Sunday.
Ginn was the first player since Green Bay’s Travis Williams in 1967 to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same quarter.
One of the most questionable moves Tony Sparano has made since becoming the Dolphins coach, has been his use of other players than Ginn as return men. Ginn has always been explosive on kick returns, including when the Dolphins were stinking up the NFL at 1-15 in 2007. There is no other Dolphin who is threat to bust one for a touchdown. So why doesn’t Sparano always have Ginn returning kicks?
I think Sparano is letting his other assessments of Ginn color his judgment when it comes to his use on special teams. Ginn has problems as a receiver, he wasn’t your personnel decision, but benching him for kick returns in favor of people like Davonne Bess and Brandon London is not puzzling but idiotic instead.
Miami really was fortunate to pull out a victory yesterday.
Maybe so, especially when the Jets’ defense shut down the Dolphins’ wildcat formation and held Miami to just 104 yards of total offense compared to New York’s 378.
*****
Miami’s second-ranked running attack rushed for just 52 yards, and Chad Henne was 12-of-21 for 112 yards and a late touchdown to Joey Haynos.
Miami’s other touchdown was a Jason Taylor fumble return.
Next up for Miami is the New England Patriots. I will be surprised if the Dolphins win 9 or more games this year.
Note- In 2007 at least two Ginn returns for touchdowns were called back by penalties.
It may not be long before NFL teams have clauses in player contracts to regulate what they can and can’t tweet. From AP-
Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson issued his second apology in 12 months Tuesday and was told to stay away from the team while the NFL and the Chiefs complete their investigation into his use of a gay slur.
As Johnson was releasing his apology, a national gay rights advocacy organization called on the league and the team to take disciplinary action against the two-time Pro Bowler.
The latest chapter in Johnson’s stormy career began Sunday night when he questioned coach Todd Haley’s football credentials on his Twitter account.
He used the slur during an exchange with one of his Twitter followers. A day later, he used it again as he brushed off reporters and told them he would not comment, according to the Kansas City Star, which recorded the comment.
Haley refused to address the matter Tuesday, saying it was still being investigated.
“I’m just not going to comment any further because there is some stuff going on,” Haley said.
A player misbehaving off the field and not producing on the field can expect to be released very quickly. The only thing holding back the Chiefs is whether they would remain financially obligated for the rest of Johnson’s salary.
Last spring, an arbitrator ruled that the Chiefs could release the running back and not owe him $3.5 million in guaranteed money because he had violated contract conditions by pleading guilty to disturbing the peace in another incident.
The issue became moot when the team elected not to cut him and until he began tweeting on Sunday night, the often-volatile Johnson had been on good behavior.
So even if Johnson survives this storm, I wouldn’t expect him back in a Chief uniform for 2010.
I have seldom watched a wilder football game in my life than the one played yesterday afternoon in South Florida. The outcome was depressing for Miami Dolphin fans. How could it be anything else? The team was up 24-3 but were outscored 44-10 over the last 30 minutes and five seconds of the game.
A couple of comments on the game.
With five seconds left in the first half and the score 24-3, New Orleans was about two feet from the end zone. The Saints sent their kicking crew on the field. So what does Dolphin Coach Tony Sparano do?
He calls a time out! I always thought icing the kicking is a dumb strategy and this really backfired on Miami. Given time to re-consider what they wanted to do, New Orleans sent their offense back on the field. Drew Brees sneaked it into the end zone to make the game 24-10 instead of 24-6 at halftime.
Great move Coach Sparano. NOT! I blame Sparano for last night’s defeat. He overcoached at just the wrong moment. His excuse of “We wanted to be in the right personnel, and we called a timeout to bring in the right personnel” doesn’t work in my opinion. The referees had just taken a touchdown away from the Saints, the kicking crew was on the field. Don’t ever give a team a 2nd chance to score a touchdown should be drummed into Sparano’s head by Dolphin fans for the rest of 2009.
Another duh moment happened late in the game but this time it involved the officiating crew. Joey Porter got called for a personal foul after a short gain by New Orleans. Why the flag? He pushed off on a Saint player after the play ended. That’s a personal foul? Porter didn’t level the guy or throw a punch or anything. Besides the Saint player had first pushed off Porter. The NFL and its officiating crews seem hell bent to keep the game colorless(don’t celebrate a touchdown or turnover by spiking a football or we throw a flag! Then why didn’t the officials throw a flag on the Saints after a player heaved the ball in the stands after a touchdown? Isn’t that another form spiking?) and wuss like if players deviate in the slightest from the sanitary football you want played.
Additional bad news- Cornerback Will Allen suffered a knee injury last night and will miss the rest of 2009. The Dolphin pass defense which is poor already is about to get worse.
Last night’s game was so aggravating on many levels. Miami is 2-4 and has New England up next. This is no time to rest.
He may play in this weekend’s game. From AP-
Browns cornerback Eric Wright was back at practice hours after flipping his car on a wet highway entrance ramp. He may play Sunday against Green Bay.
Wright rolled his car early Friday when his vehicle slid on wet pavement. He was examined and released at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. The Browns sent him for more tests and Wright was back at the team’s training facility in Berea, Ohio, in time for practice.
Coach Eric Mangini was hopeful Wright would be able to play in Sunday’s home game against the Packers.
Wright rode a stationary bike during the 30-minute period he was observed by reporters. The Browns listed him as questionable for Sunday with a shoulder injury.
Wright felt fortunate to suffer no significant injury. I concur, he was more than lucky.
There may soon be 2 games a year played in London. From AP-
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expects the league to start playing multiple regular-season games in Britain in the next few years — an expansion that could lead to putting a franchise in London.
Goodell said Friday that “every indicator” shows the British market can support more games and that having a franchise here is of “tremendous interest” to the league. But he stopped short of giving a timeline for expanding the NFL’s overseas presence.
“The interest and the enthusiasm for our game continues to grow, and we want to feed that,” Goodell said. “We want to respond to that by hopefully bringing more to the UK.”
Goodell spoke at a sports conference Friday ahead of Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium. It’s the third year in a row the NFL is staging a regular-season game in London, and the league is now looking into playing at least two games a year in Britain, he said.
The Miami Dolphins and New York Giants played the inaugeral London game in 2007. I have intensely disliked these European games from the get go. NFL teams only get to play 8 home games a year and one is being taken away from their fans. In Miami’s case, it was a rare opportunity for them to play the New York Giants in South Florida. The Giants have only played twice in Miami ever during the regular season. Many South Floridians, including myself, are from New York originally and grew up rooting for sports teams there before our move south. We now root for the home team, and especially enjoy the games against the teams we grew up watching as kids. The NFL then takes one of these rare games away from us. Goodell isn’t a football fan and doesn’t know how much I hate him for these dumb London games and I’m sure there are many other U.S. based football fans who feel the same.
He was the team’s leading tackler. From AP-
Cleveland Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson will miss the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury.
Cleveland placed its leading tackler on injured reserve Tuesday, two days after he damaged his shoulder during the first half of a 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.
“It’s disappointing any time you lose a player for the season, and this is especially true with someone like D’Qwell, who has proven to be an outstanding leader for us both on and off the field,” Browns coach Eric Mangini said in a statement.
Jackson got hurt in the second quarter on Sunday. He faces possible surgery.
Though undersized at 6-foot, 240 pounds, Jackson has been one of Cleveland’s best defenders over the past three-plus seasons.
Jackson led the NFL with 188 tackles last season and was chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate.
He is eligible for free agency after this season. The loss of Jackson is another blow for the Browns. Will Eric Mangini still be head coach when the 2010 season rolls around?
He had played in just three games this season after the Patriots signed him last off-season. From ESPN-
The New England Patriots have released wide receiver Joey Galloway, the team announced Tuesday. The Patriots also re-signed linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, a team source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Banta-Cain was unexpectedly cut loose on Monday.
Galloway, a 15-year NFL veteran, has seven receptions for 67 yards this season. He has not been on the Patriots active roster for the last three weeks.
For his career, Galloway has 689 catches for 10,777 yards and 77 touchdowns in 188 games with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Patriots.
Galloway looks washed up in my opinion. I will be surprised if he lands a starting job in the NFL again. Update- The Boston Globe reports the Baltimore Ravens may be interested in Galloway
This for a hit he made in a game against Tampa Bay yesterday. From AP-
The NFL suspended Carolina Panthers special teams player Dante Wesley one game without pay Monday for launching himself into defenseless Tampa Bay returner Clifton Smith.
Wesley left his feet and hit Smith in the neck and head with his forearm and shoulder as Smith waited to field a punt late in the second quarter on Sunday. Smith sustained a concussion and both benches emptied onto the field. Wesley was immediately ejected.
Smith had not signaled for a fair catch and Wesley said he mistimed hitting him. But NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson called the act a flagrant violation of player safety rules.
“The prohibited contact in this case went well beyond simply interfering with the receiver,” Anderson wrote in a letter to Wesley. “Instead, by striking your defenseless opponent in the head and neck area, you committed an unnecessary and unnecessarily dangerous act that is specifically prohibited by the rules.
Carolina coach John Fox said the hit wasn’t malicious or intentional. It was brutal for sure and I don’t think the NFL was wrong in suspending Wesley.
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