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The final preseason game is often nothing to write home about. The starters won’t play much, if at all, and coaches strip down the playbook to the point that they resemble middle school playbooks.Since the game as a whole isn’t much to watch, you have …
Week 10 RB Player Rankings
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Rankings for QBs, WRs, and TEs
1. Adrian Peterson (@ Chi) – Purple Jesus has played six games against the Bears in his career. In those six games, AP28 has averaged 122.2 yards an…
News Flash: the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t like to change head coaches.
With the new contract in the pocket of Mike Tomlin, the Steelers continue tradition, effectively assuring that they will go at least 44 years with only three head coaches.
What could this mean?
It means that Mike Tomlin gets it.
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2009 season, there were many rumors that Bruce Arians was going to be fired. As it turns out, he wasn’t.
This immediately raised the question of the future of the coaching staff in Pittsburgh.
Was it Tomlin that insisted Arians stay?
The Steelers normally sign their head coach to an extension with two years remaining on their current contract. Mike Tomlins’ contract was set to expire after the 2010 season, with a team option for 2011.
Tomlin’s future and it’s link to Arians’s were was the subjects of a lot of talk, and it was even rumored that if Arians chose not to conform to the Steelers’ way, both would be shown the door at the end of 2010.
With the resigning of Tomlin, their futures are NOT linked and if Arians does not break out the Offensive Coordinators for Dummies handbook and actually learns how to call plays, there will only be one coaching vacancy in 2011.
Could a new CBA be coming?
One of the signs that so many people were quick to point out in relation to the NFL – CBA, was that most coaches contracts are set to expire after the 2010 season.
Much of the reasoning centered on the fact that teams wouldn’t pay coaches when there were no players to coach.
With Tomlin under contract through the end of 2010, there is no reason to force the issue right now as long as they sit on Tomlins’ rights until the end of the 2010 season, They can worry about an extension at the end of the year.
Winds of change could be blowing for the defense.
I have said this before, and will say it again. Dick LeBeau is a genius. There is no question about that. As long as he chooses to be the Steelers’ defensive coordinator, in my opinion, the job is his.
But, let’s be honest, LeBeau is getting old. OK, not getting old, he is old. I only hope and pray that when I turn 60 I look as good as he does at 72.
The reality though, is that at some point LeBeau is going to want to stop coaching and no one will be able to blame him. He has been a member of the NFL for 51 years.
Flash Back: It’s April’s NFL Draft and Pittsburgh was going to address the eventual replacement for Casey Hampton. In order to run the 3-4 defense you have to have that anchor in the middle of the field. The Steelers did not draft a single player that could play NT in the 3-4.
Why?
Once LeBeau retires, Tomlin is going to switch to the 4-3.
The Steelers spent four draft picks in the 2010 NFL Draft on potential 4-3 defenders.
Jason Worilds (second round) and Thaddeus Gibson (fourth round) are both potential 4-3 defensive ends. Doug Worthington (seventh round) played DT at Ohio State. In the 3-4, Worthington would have to move to DE. In the 4-3, he would play his natural position.
Do you know who else had to move to DE, away from his natural position of DT? 2009 first round pick, Ziggy Hood.
Two years ago, most teams stated that Tomlin was one of the best coaches in the NFL. Last year, they said that he was overrated.
The Steelers obviously believe he is worth it, and if they are right, more “Sticky” Lombardis could be on the way.
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Reports have surfaced that New England star receiver Wes Welker’s recovery from knee surgery is going well, although there is still no certainty that he will be ready for the 2010 NFL season.
Add that fact to Randy Moss recently suggesting that the Patriots “don’t pay,” and that 2010 is almost certainly his last season with the team, and suddenly what was once a strength for New England could quickly become a weakness.
Even after Tom Brady went down in the first game of the 2008 season, Welker and Moss still maintained great chemistry within the offense, and kept things together, both ending with their third straight season of 1,000+ receiving yards.
Flash forward to Welker’s injury in Week 17 of 2009, and suddenly the Patriots are looking at entering 2010 with Randy Moss and Julian Edelman as their top two receivers, in addition to the recently signed David Patten.
Patten is simply a guy who knows the offense and hopefully can find a role, but he’s really not even a lock to make the team.
Edelman, a converted quarterback, has shown great speed and quickness, and has filled in admirably in the slot when Wes Welker has been out.
In Week 17, he caught 10 passes for over 100 yards, and then followed it up with two scores in the Patriots’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.
Still, Edelman filling in and producing, and not having Welker for the start of a season (or an entire season), is a whole different story.
Considering all of this, there’s a very good possibility that Bill Belichick and Co. will look for a wide receiver (and maybe two), who can mirror the style of play that they’ve grown accustomed to.
There has been talk that once Moss leaves after this season, the Patriots would just play more reserved football, run the ball, and control the clock.
That may be true, but there’s still nothing wrong with obtaining explosive players on the field. With four picks in the first 53 selections, New England could easily get two elite talents at receiver, while also addressing two other needs.
Here’s a look at some guys that would be a strong fit in New England, and why:
Arrelious Benn (Illinois)
If Moss is going to go, grabbing a guy who can be a consistent deep threat and make plays down the field will be a definite mission for the Patriots. The thought here as well is that, even if Moss stays, he’s still 33 and not getting any younger.
I’m still not sold the Patriots use their first-rounder on a wide receiver, but if they do, Dez Bryant has a decent chance of being gone (otherwise they could grab him), and if they wait too long, Benn could be gone, as well.
The question here is, are the Patriots more worried about replacing a potentially departing Moss, or just want more slot depth behind the injured Wes Welker?
Golden Tate (Notre Dame)
Tate is another guy who has a great chance of being a first-rounder (and should be), with the only real question about him being his size.
The Patriots work wonders with anything close to talent at the receiver position, so to land a small, explosive talent like Tate would mean they could groom a guy that could be Welker 2.0, and in the best way possible.
However, Tate should be gone before the end of the first round, so it will come down to how early the Patriots pull the trigger on the position.
If these guys are gone, my guess is New England will wait on a receiver until the second round, where they have three picks to do some work with.
Jordan Shipley (Texas)
Shipley is the dark horse for New England, and because of his vastly under-rated speed, agility, and versatility, he’s the “dark horse” for several teams.
He’s been pigeon-holed a bit as a slot guy at the next level, but the tape doesn’t lie. Shipley may be on the smaller side, but he did show at Texas (against good competition), that he can be a consistent deep threat and an elite play-maker.
However, while still possessing the talent to be a true No. 1 receiver, he’s best viewed as an elite slot receiver (Welker replacement, perhaps?) because his size and skill set would make him unstoppable across the middle, and his quickness would allow him to abuse mismatches.
Shipley also adds a dimension few of the other receivers have, and that’s an elite return game, along with excellent vision.
If New England waits until the second round to go after a receiver and Shipley is still waiting to hear his named called, he’s their guy.
Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)
Thomas is going to miss some time due to a broken foot, and this could easily have a negative impact on his draft status.
New England is smarter than to let a fluke injury affect their decision-making, and even if they spend their first second-rounder on Shipley or another receiver, there’s a decent chance they bite on Thomas if he’s still available.
That, or they can test their luck and see if he keeps falling into the third round.
While his foot injury is a slight concern, his size, bulk, and speed could be just too tempting to pass up.
Thomas caught just 46 balls in 2009, but turned those balls into over 1,100 receiving yards and eight scores, showing a gaudy 25.1 yards per catch.
Randy Moss replacement, anyone?
Eric Decker (Minnesota)
Decker is another fine talent who could slip a bit, as he’s currently recovering from a Lisfranc injury, and could be dropping down draft boards.
However, in his career at Minnesota, he routinely destroyed the Big 10, displaying elite possession receiver skills, and was a fantastic red-zone threat.
Decker has fantastic size and body control, and could have one of the best sets of hands in the draft. He runs every route in the route tree almost perfectly, and while he doesn’t have blazing speed, he’s still got enough speed to make some plays in the open field.
He’s not Randy Moss or Wes Welker, but in turn, he’d offer the Patriots their first true possession receiver in some time. He’s too big to man the slot, and not fast enough to be a true deep threat. But getting first downs and scoring touchdowns? Well, he shouldn’t have a problem.
This article was originally published here .
For more focus on the New England Patriots and other team’s draft needs, head over to NFL Soup . Still missing fantasy football? Head over to www.fantazzle.com to get your fix on a variety of fantasy games .
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Randy Moss doesn’t envision himself as a Patriot for very long-at least according to an interview he did following a recent charity softball game hosted by Heath Evans in Jupiter, Florida.
Moss says that the Patriots “don’t pay”, and makes sure to add that he doesn’t mean that in a negative manner. He goes on to say that this is just simply their way, they believe in their system and in bringing guys up through it. He says this is just the organizational philosophy, and that while there’s no animosity on either end, he believes he’ll be looking for a new team when his current contract runs out.
Moss is probably right. In addition to Moss, both Matt Light and Tom Brady’s contracts expire after next season (as well as a few other players of less consequence). When it comes down to it, resigning what will be a 34 year old receiver seems like it would be pretty far down the list of priorities-if it’s on that list at all.
Another factor that could be weighing in on the Patriots’ decision at this time next year is the fact that the Free Agent market after the 2010 season is slated to be loaded down with talent at the WR position. With players like Anquan Boldin, Sidney Rice, and Santonio Holmes whose contracts are also expiring, if one was to spend big money on a WR, it seems logical that it wouldn’t be Moss.
One sign that might be encouraging to Moss is that the Patriots seem to draft players that might fill the shoes of a player whose contract is about to expire (further evidence to support the system theory). Sebastian Vollmer and Ron Brace last year, perhaps in anticipation of Light and Wilfork wanting big money. With no WR in waiting to take his spot, no one with a similar skill set in the wings already on his way through the system, Moss may be the only option that is financially reasonable.
As to how the Patriots’ organizational philosophy applies to Tom Brady, Randy Moss said simply this: “if you ask me personally, I think that Tom Brady is going to be a New England Patriot”. He went on to add “As for me I don’t really know. I know I would like a new contract. I think I’ve done enough to earn a new contract”. Unfortunately in the world of professional sports, it’s not typically what you’ve done, but what those with the checkbooks believe you can do that earns you that contract.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
