http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=4058242
Five moves treasured, five trashed.
By Jeffri Chadiha; ESPN.com
We've had stunning trades, surprising releases, the annual slew of coaching firings and the first defensive player in NFL history to receive a $100 million contract in free agency (Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth). Talk about your nonstop news. The stories have been flying so fast and furiously it's been hard to take time to make sense of them.
We'll sort things out now. There have been so many interesting moves this offseason that it's worth sorting out the good and the bad before the draft begins in two weeks. And I'm not talking about no-brainers like the Oakland Raiders' making Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha the highest-paid defensive back in football, or the Detroit Lions' firing head coach Rod Marinelli after an 0-16 season. I'm more focused on the decisions that entail a lot more risk, mainly because they're the ones we'll likely be talking about in the fall.
So here are the five smartest and dumbest moves up to this point:
The Smartest
1. The New York Giants release Plaxico Burress: ...
2. The Kansas City Chiefs trade for New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel: ...
3. Kurt Warner re-signs with the Arizona Cardinals: It's hard to know how seriously Warner considered leaving the Cardinals when free agency arrived. What we do know is that he didn't need long to realize that Arizona was the best place for him to be. He's coming off a Pro Bowl season that nearly ended with the Cardinals upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. For a man who maybe has two good seasons left in him, it was best for him to stay loyal to the franchise that allowed him to revitalize his playing career.
4. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dump Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen: ...
5. Ray Lewis stays with the Baltimore Ravens: ...
The Dumbest
1. The Denver Broncos trade quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears:...
2. The Bucs make Kellen Winslow the highest-paid tight end ever: ...
3. The Detroit Lions don't clean house: ...
4. The Dallas Cowboys keep Wade Phillips as head coach: ...
5. Marvin Harrison asks for his release from the Indianapolis Colts: ....
Senior writer Jeffri Chadiha covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
Five moves treasured, five trashed.
By Jeffri Chadiha; ESPN.com
We've had stunning trades, surprising releases, the annual slew of coaching firings and the first defensive player in NFL history to receive a $100 million contract in free agency (Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth). Talk about your nonstop news. The stories have been flying so fast and furiously it's been hard to take time to make sense of them.
We'll sort things out now. There have been so many interesting moves this offseason that it's worth sorting out the good and the bad before the draft begins in two weeks. And I'm not talking about no-brainers like the Oakland Raiders' making Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha the highest-paid defensive back in football, or the Detroit Lions' firing head coach Rod Marinelli after an 0-16 season. I'm more focused on the decisions that entail a lot more risk, mainly because they're the ones we'll likely be talking about in the fall.
So here are the five smartest and dumbest moves up to this point:
The Smartest
1. The New York Giants release Plaxico Burress: ...
2. The Kansas City Chiefs trade for New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel: ...
3. Kurt Warner re-signs with the Arizona Cardinals: It's hard to know how seriously Warner considered leaving the Cardinals when free agency arrived. What we do know is that he didn't need long to realize that Arizona was the best place for him to be. He's coming off a Pro Bowl season that nearly ended with the Cardinals upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. For a man who maybe has two good seasons left in him, it was best for him to stay loyal to the franchise that allowed him to revitalize his playing career.
4. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dump Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen: ...
5. Ray Lewis stays with the Baltimore Ravens: ...
The Dumbest
1. The Denver Broncos trade quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears:...
2. The Bucs make Kellen Winslow the highest-paid tight end ever: ...
3. The Detroit Lions don't clean house: ...
4. The Dallas Cowboys keep Wade Phillips as head coach: ...
5. Marvin Harrison asks for his release from the Indianapolis Colts: ....
Senior writer Jeffri Chadiha covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
