Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre looks to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of a NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)
Quarterback Contracts
The ink is still wet on Phillip Rivers' new six-year, $92 million contract and Eli Manning signed a six-year, $97 million deal last week. That leaves Tom Brady, who has two years left on a six-year, $60 million deal. Brady says he isn't focused on a new deal, but instead is concentrating on preparing for the upcoming season and a highly anticipated return after recovering from knee surgery.
As you have undoubtedly heard, Michael Vick and Brett Favre have both found new teams, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, respectively. We can expect to be bombarded with non-stop coverage of their exploits. Maybe this will finally take some of the attention away from Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, which can only be a good thing.
Speaking of Wide Receivers ...
As we've come to expect, wideouts have garnered their share of chatter around the league this year. Pro-Bowler Brandon Marshall has started to criticize the Denver Broncos organization, saying he has ''trust issues" with the team. Marshall's offseason included an arrest for disorderly conduct and trade demands. Marshall, who is in the last year of his contract, is dissatisfied with the $2.2 million he is slated to make this year.
Highly touted rookie receive Michael Crabtree continues to sit out the preseason due to stalled contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers. Crabtree, who many believe is the most talented rookie in the league, slipped in the draft to the 10th overall pick. The source of conflict between Crabtree and the 49ers may be his desire to receive more than the seventh overall pick, wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bey.
Super Bowl winner Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty last week to criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment as part of a deal that will send him to prison for two years, followed by a two-year supervised release. Burress has reportedly hired a "prison consultant" to prepare him for life on the inside.
Position Battles
As usual, this year's offseason is rife with quarterback competitions. In New York, rookie Mark Sanchez won the starting spot from Kellen Clemens. Clemens, who started in place of Brett Favre at the end of last year,
was named the starter for the first preseason game, but is burdened by
his poor performance in his eight pro starts. Sanchez, out of USC, looked OK in his two preseason appearances, which included a game against the tough Baltimore Ravens defense. First-year head coach Rex Ryan defended the controversial decision, noting that he was one of the biggest supporters of the decision to name Joe Flacco the Ravens' starter last year.
In Cleveland, the Browns are looking to pair a quarterback with their talented wide receiving corps headlined by Braylon Edwards. Derek Anderson had a breakout season two years ago, but regressed last year in a season marred by injuries and a 66.5 quarterback rating. Promising young QB Brady Quinn is a fan favorite in Cleveland, but will still have to impress new head coach Eric Mangini, who has said only that the competition is still "very close."
-- Christopher Handel, Clear365 Sports
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