Noodly Arm

Peyton Manning has a noodly arm.  Peyton Manning can’t throw to his left.  Peyton Manning had a fourth surgery that was previously undisclosed for undisclosed reasons.  Peyton Manning is almost a year past his Best If Used By date.

Or…

Peyton Manning will lead the Arizona Cardinals to Super Bowl XLVII.  Unless he renegotiates that $28,000,000 bonus and remains with the Indianapolis Colts team that is in full on rebuilding mode and probably finishes 8-8-0 and out of the playoffs in 2012.  Does Peyton Manning really want to finish his last home game as a Colt listening to a crowd chanting “We want Luck!  We want Luck!”?

Free Agency Ain’t Free…

So, a few more thoughts/names for Patriots’ fans to dream about…

Pittsburgh WR Mike Wallace is a restricted free agent and generally speaking restricted free agents strike me as more trouble than they’re worth but in this case, the Steelers cap issues might make taking a run at a true deep threat that is just 25 years old might be a good idea.  Prognosis: The Patriots will likely be outbid for Mr. Wallace’s services but until that happens I’m going to imagine Tom Brady lining up with Wallace, Welker, Hernandez and Gronkowski in 2012.

New Orleans WR Marques Colston may not be the burner that Mike Wallace is but he has worked successfully in a complex passing offense, he’s still on the right side of 30 and the Saints may not be able to afford him.  Prognosis: The Patriots may not be able to afford him either and besides I’m still pining for Mike Wallace.

Arizona DE Calais Campbell could be a poor man’s Mario Williams.  It isn't hard to think he could be quite a lot better than that.  He’s 6’ 8” (you can’t teach height), 300 pounds and just 25 years old.  He’s gotten better every year and finished the 2012 season with 72 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 INT, 10 passes defended and 3 blocked kicks.  Just think about those 10 passes defended and 3 blocked kicks for a minute.  I’m guessing most of those 10 passes defended were passes blocked at the line of scrimmage.  He is 6’ 8” tall, after all.  Ditto for the blocked kicks.  Blocked kicks are usually game-changing plays.  I live for blocked kicks and it seems like a long time since the Patriots blocked a kick.  Prognosis: Somebody please tell Bill Belichick to sign this guy while everyone else is throwing cash at Mario Williams. 

Dallas WR Laurent Robinson might be worth taking a run at.  He’s knocked around a bit (Atlanta, St. Louis, Dallas) but posted impressive numbers as the third option for Tony Romo in 2011.  His 54 catches generated 36 first downs and 11 TDs while averaging 15.9 yards per catch.  I suppose that’s a small data sample but still, 47 of 54 seems like interesting numbers.  87%.  Wes Welker caught 122 passes for 9 TD and 77 first downs.  70%.  (Gronkowski – 90/17/69/96%.)   Prognosis: Hard not to think of this guy as a consolation prize (when you consider fellow free agents DeSean Jackson, Wallace and Colston) but he also seems like a way safer bet than a draft pick.

St. Louis WR Brandon Lloyd has a history of success with Josh McDaniels in both Denver and St. Louis.  He’s also 30 years old but he does represent a little bit of an upgrade over Deion Branch (a little bit younger, a little bit taller, a little bit faster).  Because of the previous relationship with McDaniels this one has been cast as an inevitability by most Pigskin Pundits and Bobbleheads.  Prognosis: I’d rather have Laurent Robinson and I’ll probably feel that way until Lloyd’s first 100-yard 2-TD game for the Patriots.

Tennessee S Michael Griffin was touted as a possible Patriot on the ESPN Boston blog.  He plays a position of need, he’s durable (yet to miss a game in 5 years in the league) but he had his best year two years ago.  Prognosis: Probably affordable but I like Chung and McCourty at safety.

Arizona CB Richard Marshall is a solid defender who will never be confused with Darrelle Revis but he does come to play every Sunday (for 6 years).  Based on his tackling numbers, it appears he isn’t afraid to stick his nose in the pile, a prerequisite for Patriots defensive backs.  Prognosis: I know the Leigh Bodden experiment didn’t turn out all that well but are we really counting on Ras-I Dowling staying off IR next year?  Wasn’t he considered injury-prone before he got injured?

Previously Considered: Mario Williams (too expensive), Brandon Carr (too expensive), DeSean Jackson (too crazy), Ray Rice (too perfect), Tyvon Branch (add his first name to your spell check now), Jeremy Mincey (classic Belichick guy), Pierre Garcon (thanks for everything Deion!), Marshawn Lynch (meh), Anthony Spencer (no!).

Maybe this GM Thing isn’t that Hard…

In my previous post, I named Wes Welker, Mark Anderson, Andre Carter, Matthew Slater, Dan Koppen, Dan Connolly and Kyle Love as my top in-house free agent priorities to re-sign.  A recent ESPN Boston post named its Top Five: Welker, Anderson, Slater, Connolly and Love.  Koppen and Carter did not make the list due to age/injury concerns and because theirs was a Top Five list and not a Top Seven list. I like to think it might help make them cheaper and easier to sign and I’m not all hung up on the Five/Ten thing so I went with seven and also apparently I like guys named Dan.  Anyway, no real surprises.  How boring!

Apropos Nothing

How about a little Ry Cooder?