Bart Hubbuch's NFL Blitz

Jets create Ring of Honor with six inductees led by Namath

July 20, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

This is what happens when you finally get a stadium to call your own.The Jets went about correcting a long-overdue aspect of the franchise today by announcing the creation of a Ring of Honor and its... Read on

This is what happens when you finally get a stadium to call your own.
	 
The Jets went about correcting a long-overdue aspect of the franchise today by announcing the creation of a Ring of Honor and its first six designees, a list headed by -- who else? -- Joe Namath.
	 
Also set to be inducted are coach Weeb Ewbank, offensive tackle Winston Hill, defensive lineman Joe Klecko, wide receiver Don Maynard and running back Curtis Martin.
	 
The induction ceremony is set for halftime of the first-ever game at New Meadowlands Stadium, an Aug. 16 preseason matchup with the Giants on ESPN, and the players will be enshrined in both end zones.
	 
“This organization has always had a deep appreciation for and admiration of those who have worn this team’s uniform,” Woody Johnson said in a statement. “These six men span generations of Jets football, all embodying the best of this game and what it means to truly be a Jet. With this new stadium we now have a proper way to salute those who have helped make this franchise what it is today.”

Johnson had final approval over the inductees, who were nominated by an internal committee. The Jets plan to add members to their honor ring each season, with no minimum or maximum.
	 
The Jets, of course, were merely renters at Giants Stadium for nearly the past three decades and could not alter it for their own hall of fame. The new stadium solved that problem.

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Unga, Price-Brent taken in today's supplemental draft

July 15, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

The Giants and Jets once again watched from the sidelines today during the annual supplemental draft as BYU's Harvey Unga and Josh Price-Brent from Illinois were taken in the seventh and final round... Read on

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All eyes on Unga in tomorrow's NFL supplemental draft

July 14, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

The NFL's annual supplemental draft is tomorrow, with four eligible players but just one highlight: Brigham Young power back Harvey Unga.Unga, who is in the draft after being kicked out of school for... Read on

The NFL's annual supplemental draft is tomorrow, with four eligible players but just one highlight: Brigham Young power back Harvey Unga.
	 
Unga, who is in the draft after being kicked out of school for an honor-code violation (reportedly the pregnancy of his girlfriend), is BYU's all-time leading rusher and is considered a potential short-yardage weapon at 6-feet-1, 245 pounds.
	 
Unga also held an impressive workout in Provo, Utah, last week that prompted serious interest from the Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams and Steelers. The Rams will have the first pick in each round after compiling the league's worst record last year.
	 
Also eligible are running backs Quentin Castille (Northwestern State by way of Nebraska) and Vanness Emokpae (Truman State) and defensive tackle Joshua Price-Brent (Illinois).
	 
Teams that take a player in the supplemental draft must surrender a pick in the corresponding round of the next year's regular draft.
	 
Of the two New York teams, the Giants were the last to participate in the supplemental draft when they took defensive back Tito Wooten in the fourth round in 1994.
	 
The Jets' last stab at the supplemental draft -- wide receiver Rob Moore in 1990 -- was also one of the most productive in the draft's 33-year history.

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Owners' case still murky after release of Packers' financials

July 14, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

It's difficult to tell just how much the NFL owners helped their labor case (if at all) with today's announcement of the Packers' financials from the 2009 season.The Packers are the league's only... Read on

It's difficult to tell just how much the NFL owners helped their labor case (if at all) with today's announcement of the Packers' financials from the 2009 season.
	 
The Packers are the league's only publicly owned team, a status that requires them to release their numbers. Those numbers were hotly anticipated because the owners so far have refused to divulge the financials from the 31 other teams to the NFL Players Association as part of the ongoing labor dispute.
	 
Green Bay's numbers were a mixed bag, and they didn't really appear to bolster the owners' case that player costs have gotten out of control.
	 
The club reported that its operating profit declined to $9.8 million from $20.1 million the year before, in large part because of sharply rising salary costs ($161 million, compared to $139 million the previous year).
	 
But at the same time, the Packers reported all-time record revenue of $258 million in 2009 (up $10 million from the previous year) and an increase in net profit to $5.2 million from $4.8 million in 2008.
	 
As we said, a mixed bag.
	 
Packers team president Mark Murphy, a former NFL player himself who is now part of the owners' 10-member negotiating committee, said in a conference call with national writers this afternoon that the player costs prove the league's contention that the current model is "non-sustainable."
	 
The players obviously disagree, with NFLPA exec George Atallah immediately tweeting in response that: "The rate increase of player costs over the past 10 years remains lower than the rate increase of [team] revenues."
	 
The only thing that seemed to be clear from today's developments is that the owners will probably need to release the financials from more teams if they want to use player costs as a reason to lock out the NFLPA next year. The Packers' numbers hardly justified the league's case.

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Rookie signings running ahead of recent pace

July 09, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

Despite no first-rounders being under contract and just one second-rounder (the Jets' Vladimir Ducasse), NFL teams are still ahead of their recent pace when it comes to signing draft picks.According... Read on

Despite no first-rounders being under contract and just one second-rounder (the Jets' Vladimir Ducasse), NFL teams are still ahead of their recent pace when it comes to signing draft picks.
	 
According to the league, almost 50 percent of picks are signed with training camps set to start two weeks from today. That's better than the 39-percent rate two weeks prior to camp last year and the 29-percent rate in 2008.
	 
Even so, the lack of any movement with the first-rounders and almost all of the second-rounders has to be a concern. In fact, this could be "The Summer of the Holdout" because agents realize a hard rookie salary structure in 2011 is likely to be part of any new labor agreement, and those agents will want to make one last big score.
	 
Here is a list of the picks under contract as of July 9:
	 

	 
Club Player Pos College Rd
	 
ARZ Dray, Jim TE Stanford 7
	 
ATL Johnson, Mike G Alabama 3
	 
ATL Peters, Corey DT Kentucky 3
	 
ATL Hawley, Joe C Nevada-Las Vegas 4
	 
ATL Franks, Dominique DB Oklahoma 5
	 
ATL Schillinger, Shann DB Montana 6
	 
BLT Pitta, Dennis TE Brigham Young 4
	 
BLT Reed, David WR Utah 5
	 
BLT Harewood, Ramon T Morehouse 6
	 
BUF Easley, Marcus WR Connecticut 4
	 
BUF Wang, Ed T Virginia Tech 5
	 
BUF Batten, Danny LB South Dakota State 6
	 
BUF Moats, Arthur LB James Madison 6
	 
BUF Brown, Levi QB Troy 7
	 
BUF Calloway, Kyle G Iowa 7
	 
CAR Norwood, Eric LB South Carolina 4
	 
CAR Gettis, David WR Baylor 6
	 
CAR Hardy, Greg DE Mississippi 6
	 
CAR Pike, Tony QB Cincinnati 6
	 
CAR Pugh, Jordan DB Texas A&M 6
	 
CAR McClain, Robert DB Connecticut 7
	 
CAR Stanford, R.J. DB Utah 7
	 
CHI Wright, Major DB Florida 3
	 
CHI Wootton, Corey DE Northwestern 4
	 
CHI Moore, Joshua DB Kansas State 5
	 
CHI Lefevour, Dan QB Central Michigan 6
	 
CHI Webb, J’Marcus T West Texas A&M 7
	 
CIN Hudson, Otis G Eastern Illinois 5
	 
CIN Briscoe, Dezmon WR Kansas 6
	 
CLV Geathers, Clifton DE South Carolina 6
	 
DEN Walton, J.D. C Baylor 3
	 
DEN Cox, Perrish DB Oklahoma State 5
	 
DEN Kirlew, Jammie LB Indiana 7
	 
DEN Thompson, Syd’Quan DB California 7
	 
DET Spievey, Amari DB Iowa 3
	 
DET Fox, Jason T Miami 4
	 
DET Toone, Tim WR Weber State 7
	 
DET Young, Willie DE North Carolina St 7
	 
GB Newhouse, Marshall T Texas Christian 5
	 
GB Starks, James RB Buffalo 6
	 
GB Wilson, C.J. DE East Carolina 7
	 
HST Mitchell, Earl DT Arizona 3
	 
HST Sharpton, Darryl LB Miami 4
	 
HST McManis, Sherrick DB Northwestern 5
	 
HST Holliday, Trindon KR Louisiana State 6
	 
HST Smith, Shelley G Colorado State 6
	 
KC Lewis, Kendrick DB Mississippi 5
	 
MIA Edds, A.J. LB Iowa 4
	 
MIA Carroll, Nolan DB Maryland 5
	 
MIA McCoy, Chris LB Middle Tennessee 7
	 
MIA Spitler, Austin LB Ohio State 7
	 
MIN Triplett, Nate LB Minnesota 5
	 
MIN D’Imperio, Ryan RB Rutgers 7
	 
NE Price, Taylor WR Ohio 3
	 
NE Hernandez, Aaron TE Florida 4
	 
NE Mesko, Zoltan P Michigan 5
	 
NE Larsen, Ted C North Carolina St 6
	 
NE Welch, Thomas T Vanderbilt 7
	 
NYG Jones, Chad DB Louisiana State 3
	 
NYG Dillard, Phillip LB Nebraska 4
	 
NYG Petrus, Mitch G Arkansas 5
	 
NYG Tracy, Adrian LB William & Mary 6
	 
NYG Dodge, Matt P East Carolina 7
	 
NYJ Ducasse, Vladimir T Massachusetts 2
	 
NYJ McKnight, Joe RB Southern California 4
	 
NYJ Conner, John RB Kentucky 5
	 
PHI Te’o-Nesheim, Daniel DE Washington 3
	 
PHI Clayton, Keenan LB Oklahoma 4
	 
PHI Harbor, Clay TE Missouri State 4
	 
PHI Kafka, Mike QB Northwestern 4
	 
PHI Lindley, Trevard DB Kentucky 4
	 
PHI Sapp, Ricky DE Clemson 5
	 
PHI Scott, Charles RB Louisiana State 6
	 
PHI Chaney, Jamar LB Mississippi State 7
	 
PHI Coleman, Kurt DB Ohio State 7
	 
PHI Owens, Jeff DT Georgia 7
	 
PIT Sanders, Emmanuel WR Southern Methodist 3
	 
PIT Gibson, Thaddeus LB Ohio State 4
	 
PIT Butler, Crezdon DB Clemson 5
	 
PIT Scott, Chris T Tennessee 5
	 
PIT Sylvester, Stevenson LB Utah 5
	 
PIT Brown, Antonio WR Central Michigan 6
	 
PIT Dwyer, Jonathan RB Georgia Tech 6
	 
PIT Worthington, Doug DE Ohio State 7
	 
SD Stuckey, Darrell DB Kansas 4
	 
SD Crompton, Jonathan QB Tennessee 5
	 
SD Epps, Dedrick TE Miami 7
	 
SEA Thurmond, Walter DB Oregon 4
	 
SEA Wilson, E.J. DE North Carolina 4
	 
SEA Chancellor, Kam DB Virginia Tech 5
	 
SEA McCoy, Anthony TE Southern California 6
	 
SEA Davis, Dexter LB Arizona State 7
	 
SEA Konz, Jameson WR Kent State 7
	 
SF Dixon, Anthony RB Mississippi State 6
	 
SF Williams, Kyle WR Arizona State 6
	 
SF Adams, Phillip DB South Carolina St 7
	 
SL Murphy, Jerome DB South Florida 3
	 
SL Gilyard, Mardy WR Cincinnati 4
	 
SL Davis, Hall DE Louisiana-Lafayette 5
	 
SL Hoomanawanui, Michael TE Illinois 5
	 
SL Sims, Eugene DE West Texas A&M 6
	 
SL Hull, Josh LB Penn State 7
	 
SL Johnson, Marquis DB Alabama 7
	 
SL Selvie, George DE South Florida 7
	 
TB Lewis, Myron DB Vanderbilt 3
	 
TB Williams, Mike WR Syracuse 4
	 
TB Bowden, Brent P Virginia Tech 6
	 
TB Lorig, Erik DE Stanford 7
	 
TB Watson, Dekoda LB Florida State 7
	 
TEN Verner, Alterraun DB UCLA 4
	 
TEN Rolle, Myron DB Florida State 6
	 
TEN Smith, Rusty QB Florida Atlantic 6
	 
TEN Howard, David DT Brown 7
	 
TEN Mariani, Marc WR Montana 7
	 
WAS Riley, Perry LB Louisiana State 4
	 
WAS Morris, Dennis TE Louisiana Tech 6
	 
WAS Austin, Terrence WR UCLA 7
	 
WAS Capers, Selvish T West Virginia 7
	 
WAS Cook, Erik C New Mexico 7

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OTAs are latest battleground in NFL labor war

June 17, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

The NFL Players Association keeps turning up the heat on the league in the ongoing labor dispute.The NFL today was forced to dock the Lions and Jaguars practice days from their organized team... Read on

The NFL Players Association keeps turning up the heat on the league in the ongoing labor dispute.
	 
The NFL today was forced to dock the Lions and Jaguars practice days from their organized team activities (OTAs) because of complaints from unspecified players on those teams that the voluntary workouts had been "too intense."
	 
Including the Raiders and Ravens, who were slapped earlier, that makes four teams this offseason who were required to cut their OTAs short because of player complaints.
	 
The players have that right to complain -- and the league must act on that right -- because the OTAs are part of the collective bargaining agreement.
	 
Player complaints about OTAs this year are no doubt on the rise because it gives the union another stick to use in its so far fruitless talks with the NFL on a new collective bargaining agreement that would stave off an expected lockout in 2011.

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NFL's push for 18-game season a bust with players

June 16, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

As if the NFL's labor talks weren't contentious enough already, the league injected another thorny issue -- an 18-game regular season -- into the proceedings this morning in Manhattan.NFL negotiators... Read on

As if the NFL's labor talks weren't contentious enough already, the league injected another thorny issue -- an 18-game regular season -- into the proceedings this morning in Manhattan.
	 
NFL negotiators, meeting with their union counterparts for the first time since February, didn't exactly clear a path for a new collective bargaining agreement by pushing commissioner Roger Goodell's plan to "enhance" the season by adding two games to the current 16-game slate while subtracting two exhibition contests.
	 
That push didn't go over well with the NFL Players Association, which is concerned about the increased risk of injury, too-small roster size and no hint of bigger salaries when it comes to adding two regular-season games.
	 
The union immediately issued comments from Tom Brady and Ray Lewis critical of the plan to lengthen what the players consider an already grueling regular season.
	 
“I’ve taken part in several postseason runs where we have played 20 games," Brady said, according to the NFLPA. "The long-term impact this game has on our bodies is well documented. Look no further than the players that came before we did. Each player today has to play three years in order to earn five years of post-career health care.”
	 
Added Lewis: "If fans want to show their love, they should let everyone know that we are not machines. I know our fans may not like preseason games and I don’t like all of them, but swapping two preseason games for two end-of-season games -- when players already play hurt -- comes at a huge cost for the player and the team."
	 
Packers president Mark Murphy, a former player himself who is on the league's negotiating committee, tried to calm the union by floating the idea of a developmental league starting in 2012 to supplement rosters in an expanded season.
	 
The league also would add a bye week to an 18-game schedule while looking to shorten training camp and eliminate two-a-day workouts.
	 
Murphy countered the union's contention that the players would be playing two games for free by saying an enhanced season would grow overall revenues, of which the NFLPA gets a set percentage.
	 
"It's an opportunity to work together and grow the game and part of it is providing more value to our fans," Murphy told reporters in a conference call. "The quality of our preseasons has really deteriorated over time."

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League, players set for first labor talks since February

June 15, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

Perhaps spurred on by several recent developments not in their favor, the NFL will sit down with the union Wednesday morning in Manhattan for their first face-to-face labor talks since February.The... Read on

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Ten RFAs press the issue, refuse to sign their tenders

June 15, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

Just how tense the NFL labor fight is getting was obvious early this morning when 10 players who are restricted free agents refused to sign the tender offer from their current teams.Three of those 10... Read on

Just how tense the NFL labor fight is getting was obvious early this morning when 10 players who are restricted free agents refused to sign the tender offer from their current teams.
	 
Three of those 10 players didn't sign the tender even though the financial penalties in their respective cases can be severe -- Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins, Chargers offensive tackle Marcus McNeill and Chargers wideout Vincent Jackson. Under the rules, the team can now cut their offer by as much as half.
	 
Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, Saints offensive tackle Jamal Brown and Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers cannot have their offers reduced, while the offers for offensive tackle Donald Penn of the Buccaneers and safeties Atari Bigby of the Packers and Jarrad Page of the Chiefs can be reduced less than $100,000.
	 
The players are upset because the lack of a new collective bargaining agreement caused the lifting of the salary cap, which in turn required players to have six years NFL experience to become unrestricted free agents instead of the usual four years.
	 
The players' options are limited, though: They can hold out as much as the first 10 weeks of the regular season, but anything more than that would make them ineligible to return in 2010.

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Big crop of NFL RFAs still balking at their tender offers

June 14, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

In another sign of the chaos caused by the lack of a new collective bargaining agreement, the NFL confirms that a hefty 15 restricted free agents had yet to sign their tender offers before tonight's... Read on

In another sign of the chaos caused by the lack of a new collective bargaining agreement, the NFL confirms that a hefty 15 restricted free agents had yet to sign their tender offers before tonight's midnight deadline.
	 
All of the holdouts are upset because they would have been unrestricted free agents under the old rules, but the absence of a new CBA lifted the salary cap and caused them to become restricted free agents -- i.e., still beholden to their current team.
	 
Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins, one of the most prominent of the 15 holdouts, told Boston reporters today that he won't sign the team's tender offer and wants to be traded.
	 
If a player doesn't sign by tonight, the team can reduce its offer to 110 percent of the player's 2009 base salary. For most of them, that would be a huge cut. And if the player doesn't sign the tender by Week 10, he can't play at all in 2010.
	 
Aside from Mankins, here are the other 15 holdouts:
	 
Atary Bigby, SS, Packers

Jammal Brown, OT, Saints

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins

Roman Harper, SS, Saints

Vincent Jackson, WR, Chargers

Johnny Jolly, DE, Packers

Marcus McNeill, OT, Chargers

Shawne Merriman, OLB, Chargers

Lance Moore, WR, Saints

Jarrad Page, FS, Chiefs

Donald Penn, OT, Buccaneers

Carlos Rogers, CB, Redskins

Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints