SB Nation - Willie McGinest

Lambasting the cheaters: More from Colts win over the 49ers

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:23:32 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

about 1 month ago: San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary watches from the sidelines in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Well gosh, it looks Colts radio announcers Bob Lamey and Will Wolford weren't the only ones who caught the San Francisco 49ers cheating on Sunday. From Niners Insider, the San Francisco Chronicle's special section devoted to 49ers football, and their writer Kevin Lynch [emphasis mine]:

Colts Drive: Joseph Adai just threw a TD pass to Wayne. Great play by Wayne with a diving catch which looked good and the 49ers aren't challenging. Manning missed on the two-point conversion. Jeff Ulbrich made the trip. Nate Clements is out with a shoulder contusion. The last time they said shoulder contusion, it was Tony Pashos who's on injured reserve with broken scapula. The 49ers might have just faked a cramp by Parys Haralson to prevent being in the wrong defense

...

Colts drive: Another fake of a cramp, this time by veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes. Big pass play to Dallas Clark, 40-yarder. The Colts did the same thing that the Texans did last week on a 42-yard TD pass to Owen Daniels - play action with a throw across the field. This time Clark just beat Michael Lewis on man coverage I believe.

I wonder if some of the same people who were "disappointed" with me and others in this thread will saunter on over to Kevin Lynch's place and tell him he shouldn't write such things unless he has full, definitive proof... like, I guess, a signed confession from Mike Singletary, or a player acting as a "Deep Throat" informant, providing quotes from the early week meetings: "OK guys, if Peyton and their offense start getting on a roll, we want you to CHEAT!"

Honestly, folks. That's now two separate sources, both covering two different sides of the game (one the Colts announcers, the other a writer for the SF Chronicle) who saw the same thing: Cheating. If you need more proof than that, then I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you think the Earth is flat as well.

Mike Singletary is a cheater. Thousands of fans at Lucas Oil saw him cheat, and booed. Three members of the media are on record as seeing him do it. He did it. He tried to cheat to win a football game. Say that to yourself, and if you are STILL defending the actions of the 49ers head coach, then you are someone who lacks any kind of moral compass.

Obviously, if the "cramps" were real, then I will apologize to Singletary and the 49ers and take my lumps accordingly. However, the "cramps" didn't look real to me. They didn't look real to thousands of fans at The Luke. They didn't look real to Lamey and Wolford. They didn't look real to the SF Chronicle.

Here at Stampede Blue, we have no tolerance for cheating. None. And I defy anyone who says "It's part of the game." No, it isn't. People who cheat belittle and demean the game. Cheaters spit in the faces of John Unitas, Bart Starr, and the greats of the great. More importantly, we fans do not pay over $100 a seat, $30 for parking, and ungoldly amounts for hot dogs, popcorn, beer, and soda just so we can watch cheating.

We pay to watch football. REAL football. And real football does not involve cheating, like what we saw Singletary attempt Sunday.

Again, if you don't have the stomach to read this blog when we call a spade a spade, read something else. I'm serious. I am not someone who will hold your hand and softly explain why we chose to call an NFL head coach a "bum." If you don't get the reasons by now, I really can't help you. At this blog, we call it as we see it. We don't hold back, ESPECIALLY when cheating is involved. And since Kevin Lynch saw what Lamey and Wolford saw, 49ers fans can't simply dismiss the claim, saying "it's only the other side that's saying it." Hell, I heard even one commenter say that it wasn't Singletary who cheated, but it was likely the 49ers defensive line coach.

Really? I mean... honestly?

Make no mistake about it people, and loyal readers of this blog know this is true, if Jim Caldwell had tried to do what Singletary did during this game, I would call him a bum as well. I'd call my friends at West 56th Street and scream at them "WHEN DID IT BECOME OK TO HIRE BUMS AS THE HEAD COACH!"

Thankfully, Jim Caldwell is not a bum. He is someone who believes in the integrity of the game. Mike Singletary doesn't. Throw him in the same category as Bill Belichick, a man we Colts fans lambasted for years because he used to do the same cheap tactics with the New England Patriots. If Belichick was a cheater for doing that (and other things), then so is Singletary. If Belichick is a bum for instructing Willie McGinest to take a dive in the 2003 regular season game at Indy, then Mike Singletary is a bum for doing the same (or allowing the same) to happen yesterday with Takeo Spikes.

A spade is a spade.

Don't like it me writing that? Read something else. We call it as we see it here. If you'd prefer something else on the Internet that dodges or glances away from the truth, kindly venture to Google.com, type in "Colts blog," and have fun. I'm sure you'll find something that suits you. For everyone else here, we prefer our truth honest and without pretense. No sugar coating. No white washing. A spade is a spade.

And yes, Mike Singletary is indeed still a bum. Go Colts!

NY Jets Are Sniffing Around Willie McGinest’s Door?

Xander Diaz — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:14:57 -0000

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So much for this talk about Vernon Gholston getting a chance to strut his stuff during Calvin Pace’s suspension. Rumor mill has the New York Jets looking at former N.E. Patriot defensive staple, linebacker Willie McGinest.

Apparently, Vernon Gholston’s reported improvment at position under Rex Ryan, may be some what exagerated as the organization is rumored to be looking to add veteren linebacker to the roster so he can cover Calvin Pace’s 4 game suspension by the NFL.

Pace will be serving a 4 game suspension for violating the leagues banned substance policy. Pace will still play out the pre-season, his suspension is for the first 4 games of the regular season.

A vested veteran, McGinest would be entitled to receive his full salary as termination pay, if he’s on the opening-day roster and if he’s cut after Pace returns.

I said it before and I will say it again…is the clock ticking on Vernon Gholston’s career?

I admit that I am hoping the kid makes me eat every word and proves Rex to be everything they says he is...but I'm not holding my breath right now based on this news. It just doesn't say much about your skill and proficiency when the staff is talking about some old retired guy being a better option.

Here’s a look at Willie McGinest’s career highlights;

2× Pro Bowl selection (1995 & 2002)
Most Career Postseason Sacks (16)
3× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, & XXXIX)
Tackles – 582
Sacks – 86.0
INTs – 5

Xander Diaz is Editor-In-Chief at AFCBeast.com

Willie McGinest as a Patriot...again?

MaPatsFan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:41:49 -0000

via bostondirtdogs.boston.com

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I must own up to a soft spot for Willie McGinest. Joining the Cleveland Browns for the 2006 season, Willie spent 12 years prior on the Patriots. He was a monster at OLB, in the prime of his career and eating dirt long before Belichick arrived. He paid his dues and when he got his rings and decided to cash in, I had no problem with that. He deserved every good thing that came to him because he always gave everything to us fans.

Chris Gasper of The Boston Globe reports:

A source close to McGinest said today that the veteran linebacker would like to return for a 16th season and maintains a relationship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, but there have been no formal talks aimed at bringing McGinest back to New England and no offer from the Patriots.

Willie is the man, no doubt. But this would largely be a sentimental move. Think Troy Brown and ask yourself, "Would Willie McGinest be good for the team?"

Poll

Should Belichick bring back Willie McGinest?

Yes

533 votes

No

147 votes

680 votes | Poll has closed

Free Agent LB Willie McGinest Looking to Play in a 3-4 Defense

Joel Thorman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:50:47 -0000

via Boston Globe

Former New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns LB/DE Willie McGinest has his sights set on one more year in the NFL. If the free agent had his way, it would be in a 3-4 defense. Considering the jump his sack totals took in the first year he moved from defensive end to linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 (5.5 to 9.5), this is the best move for him statistically.

A long-time veteran of the 3-4 defense in New England and Cleveland, McGinest said he would be interested in playing for someone from the Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick coaching tree. When asked by Albert Breer of The Sporting News what he wants in a team for final NFL season, he said familiarity with the defense is a must.

But a familiar situation— where I know what I'm getting and what I'm going to be a part of, where I know what to expect of the coaches, and they know what to expect of me, where I have a familiarity with the defense, knowing that 3-4 inside and out—would be great. Those are places where I can see things before they happen and where I could help younger guys.

Hmm...the Kansas City Chiefs run a 3-4 and Todd Haley is very clear of what he expects of his players. Let's see how he might fit with the Chiefs:

Belichick and Parcells coaching tree? Check.
Knowing the 3-4 "inside and out"? Check.
Helping younger guys? Check.

There are plenty of downsides including age (37) and ability (One sack in '08) but those same concerns have been brought up with other acquisitions by the new regime this offseason namely Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel.

The potential snafu in this plan would be whether Pioli's former colleagues in Foxboro, MA would be interested in him. According to McGinest, going back to the team that drafted him 15 years ago "wouldn't be a bad way to finish up."

Why wouldn't you want to go to a really good team, which is always close to the Super Bowl, which was in one a couple years ago, was a game away from another one, which has great coaching and is a great organization with a well put-together roster?

Considering Scott Pioli's affinity for veterans that can teach the youngsters the ropes and players with whom he's familiar, I wouldn't be surprised if the Chiefs were one of the teams McGinest said he's had a "few talks" with. Whether McGinest gets a better offer is the question.

Will the Pioli/Parcells/Haley Connection Bring Any Remaining Free Agents to the Chiefs?

Joel Thorman — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:37:19 -0000

Note: Primetime did the leg work on the tables and I did the writing. -Chris

If you're been reading Arrowhead Pride for a little while now, you know that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley are big on bringing in coaches and players that they've worked with before. Which makes perfect sense. It's a natural human instinct to take the known over the unknown.

It's gotten to the point where as soon as we hear of a new player the Chiefs have signed or are interested in, we look for the Pioli/Parcells/Haley connection and it's inevitably there.

Why look for a Bill Parcells connection in addition to a Pioli/Haley connection?

Well because the legendary coach has had some big time influence on the Chiefs current GM and head coach.

Todd Haley began his career as the New York Jets' wide receivers coach under Parcells in 1997. Haley also coached under Parcells from 2004 to 2005 as the wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, while Parcells was the head coach.

Todd is the son of Dick Haley, who is the current Player Personnel Analyst for the Miami Dolphins and former Director of Player Personnel for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Haley, his father Dick and Parcells all worked together in New York from 1997 to 1999. Haley was the Jets wide receiver coach; Parcells was the head coach; and Dick Haley as the Personnel Director.

Haley and Scott Pioli worked together from 1997 to 2000, when Pioli was the Director of Pro Personnel for the New York Jets.

As far as Parcells and Pioli go, both worked together in New York for the Jets in the late 1990s while Parcells was the head coach there. Oh, and Scott Pioli also married Bill Parcells' daughter. They're probably pretty tight.

So it's one big happy family over there at One Arrowhead Drive nowadays.

Every single coach hired by the new Kansas City Chiefs' brass has had some sort of Scott Piloli/Todd Haley/Bill Parcells connection.

Special teams coach Steve Hoffman (Parcells)
WR coach Dedric Ward (Haley, Parcells and Pioli)
Defensive quality control coach Pat Perles (Haley)
Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast (Haley)
Offensive line coach Bill Muir (Pioli and Haley)
LB coach Gary Gibbs (Parcells and Haley)
Joel Collier (Pioli)

It's the same thing with the free agents the Chiefs have signed this off season:

LB Monty Beisel - Played for Arizona in 2008 under Chiefs' DC Clancy Pendergast
QB Matt Cassel - Former New England Patriot under Pioli
WR Terrance Copper - Signed to the Cowboys by Bill Parcells when Todd Haley was working with the wide receivers
CB Travis Daniels - Former Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel, who coached under Belichick and Pioli in New England, traded for him prior to the 2008 campaign
WR Bobby Engram -Played for the Bears when Todd Haley worked with wide receivers
LB Darrell Robertson - New England practice squad in 2008 and a former Georgia Tech player under Chan Gailey
TE Sean Ryan - Played last year in Miami for Bill Parcells and for Haley and Parcells in Dallas from 2004 to 2005
TE Tony Curtis - Played for Haley and Parcells in Dallas from 2005 to 2006

Is that enough evidence that these guys prefer working with people they've worked with before?

It makes sense to take a look at who the top remaining free agents and see where the Pioli/Haley/Parcells connection is. It's likely that any future free agent signings will come from this group.

The top offensive and defensive free agents connected to Pioli, Haley and Parcells are after the jump.

Offense
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Pioli	Haley	Parcells
Rex Grossman	QB	6'1"	222	28		CHI 03-04
Lorenzo Neal	FB	5'11"	255	39		NYJ 97	NYJ 97
Marty Booker	WR	6'0"	212	32		CHI 01-03
Kelley Washington	WR	6'3"	218	29	NE 07-08
Jerame Tuman	TE	6'4"	255	33		AZ 08
Brandon Gorin	RT	6'6"	308	30	NE 03-05
Rob Petitti	RT	6'6"	347	26		DAL 05	DAL 05
Terrence Metcalf	G-T	6'3"	325	31		CHI 02-04
Evan Mathis	G	6'5"	304	27			MIA 08
Grey Ruegamer	G-C	6'4"	310	32	NE 00-02
Matt Lehr	G-C	6'3"	300	30			DAL 03-04
Edgerrin James	RB	6'0"	219	30		AZ 07-08

Back on Monday, I asked you what was the biggest positional need for the Chiefs after the draft. You responded by saying that wide receiver, offensive tackle and outside linebacker were the Chiefs' biggest needs.

WR Marty Booker has already had a workout with the Chiefs and left without a contract offer (We assume).

Former 3rd round pick Kelley Washington is an option too I guess, although I'm not sure what he would bring to the table considering his poor career numbers.

At best, I think any of the offensive line free agents out there would be back ups to our current crop of linemen.

The defensive free agents are pretty slim pickings as well. Check them out.

Defense
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Pioli	Haley	Parcells
La'Roi Glover	DT-NT	6'2"	285	34		DAL 05	DAL 03-05
Chris Cooper	DT-DE	6'5"	275	31		AZ 07	DAL 04
Vonnie Holliday	DT-DE	6'5"	290	33			MIA 08
Rosevelt Colvin	DE-LB	6'3"	250	31	NE 03-08	CHI 01-02
Ebenezer Ekuban	DE	6'3"	265	32			DAL 03
Derek Smith	ILB	6'2"	245	34			MIA 08
Junior Seau	ILB	6'3"	250	40	NE 06-08
Willie McGinest	OLB-DE	6'5"	270	37	NE 00-05
Mike Brown	S	5'10"	210	31		CHI 01-04
Rodney Harrison	S	6'1"	220	36	NE 03-08
Lawyer Milloy	S	6'0"	210	34	NE 00-03
Roy Williams	S	6'0"	235	28		DAL 05-06	DAL 03-06
Keith Davis	S	5'10"	193	30		DAL 05-06	DAL 03-06
Terrence Holt	S	6'2"	208	29		AZ 07
Cameron Worrell	S	5'11"	199	29		CHI 03-04
Mike Green	S	6'0"	195	32		CHI 01-04
Deltha O'Neal	CB	5'11"	194	32	NE 08
Jason Webster	CB	5'9"	187	31	NE 08
R.W. McQuarters	CB	5'10"	198	32		CHI 01-04
Lewis Sanders	CB	6'1"	190	29	NE 08
Aaron Glenn	CB	5'9"	185	36		NYJ 95-00, DAL 05-06	NYJ 97-99, DAL 05-06
Roderick Hood	DB	5'11"	198	27		AZ 07-08
Travis LaBoy	DE	6'3"	250	27		AZ 08

Considering that the top remaining linebackers are all over 34-years old and that the Chiefs have already signed two veteran LBs, I don't see the Chiefs signing Junior Seau, Willie McGinest or Derek Smith. McGinest could theoretically fill at defensive end in addition to linebacker but his age prohibits most investments in him.

S Keith Davis left KC without a contract offer after a private visit to KC back in March.

DE Travis LaBoy, like Primetime wrote this morning, really does seem to be the most viable option for the Chiefs on this list, although I'm not sure what the odds of him coming to KC truly are.

Last year, we would have crossed off any one on this list that was over the age of 27 but that's no longer the case. Now, with the draft over and compensation for many of these players at a minimum, we could be looking at more signings.

Would you like to see any of these free agents signed by the Kansas City Chiefs?

Poll

How many of these free agents will the Chiefs sign?

0

52 votes

1

108 votes

2

212 votes

3

154 votes

4

71 votes

5+

86 votes

683 votes | Poll has closed

The Art (and Science) of Drafting: IV. 49er vs. Patriot Regimes in the Salary Cap Era

Florida Danny — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:17:03 -0000

In Part 3 of this series, I compared the 49ers' overall draft strategy in the Salary Cap Era to that of the Patriots. Obviously, the problem with my analysis in Part 3 is the same one we encountered in Part 1. Namely, evaluating 15 years worth of picks, whether for SF or NE, and comparing two teams with respect to those picks, is akin to putting apples and oranges (i.e., different regimes and team contexts) into one basket and then comparing that basket to one containing bananas and grapes. So Part 3, in reality, was just a way of uncovering general differences between the Niners and Patriots that might explain their overall differences in winning percentage and playoff success.

The better analysis is to look at specific regimes under similar contexts. Because we're technically still in the McNolan regime until the 2009 draft, it's probably of most interest for you (and I) to see how McNolan compares to specific Patriot regimes. Beginning with the 1994 draft, there have been 3 such regimes:

Bill Parcells, 1994-1996
Bobby Grier, 1997-1999
Scott Pioli, 2000-2008

As I mentioned during the introduction to Part 3, it turns out that NE has had overall team contexts similar to those of SF. All that's different are the dates on the calendar. Specifically, Parcells was the Bill Walsh I of NE, transforming a hapless franchise into a consistent contender. Grier was a combination of Policy and Donahue in that he unwound the pristine ball of yarn spun by Parcells. Finally, Pioli was a mixture of Walsh II and McNolan. He was charged with returning a once-proud franchise to its winning ways.

So the question is, "Which of the 3 NE regimes has McNolan been most similar to regarding draft strategy?"

But before I move on, I need to make one additional regime distinction. Further inspection of the Pioli regime makes you realize that it has actually encompassed two different team contexts, i.e., it's 2 different regimes rolled into 1. Pioli's drafts from 2000-2003 were of the dynasty-building variety, whereas his drafts from 2004-2008 were of the dynasty-sustaining variety. As my discussion of the Policy and Donahue regimes vis-à-vis the Walsh regime suggested, rebuilding drafts look a lot different than sustaining drafts. So when attempting to compare McNolan to the NE regimes, we have to consider Pioli as having had 2 different regimes (Pioli I & Pioli II) from 2000-2008. In other words, my question above revises to, "Which of the 4 NE regimes has McNolan been most similar to regarding draft strategy?"

To refresh your memory, here is the McNolan draft strategy I detailed in Part 2d of this series:

Stockpile picks when your team sucks, but trade away picks when (you think) your team is good.
Draft for need on Day 1, especially when your team sucks.
Use Day 2 to take a lot of bites at the apple.
BCS or die!
We're Goldilocks (aka Vanilla McNolan).

After the jump, I'll compare McNolan's draft strategy from 2005-2008 to 1 of the 4 Patriot regimes of the Patriots. Keep reading to find out which one. The lucky winner might surprise you...

OVERALL REGIME COMPARISON

My preparation for this article put me in one of those pesky scientific situations wherein you expect one result and get an entirely different one. Anyone who does research of any kind always has to guard against what's called "confirmation bias," which, as the name implies, is the tendency to cherry-pick evidence or construct your research in a way that confirms what you were hoping to find in the first place. Plenty of researchers fall into this trap - especially when money and professional prestige are at stake - which actually is antithetical to the scientific method. The whole point of top-down research is to develop a hypothesis and try to prove it wrong, not right.

With that said, I was fully expecting that, given its mediocre record since 2005, McNolan's drafts would be somewhere in the middle between the least successful Patriot regime (Grier) and the most successful (Pioli). Also, given the disparity in team success despite similar contexts, I was expecting there to be a vast difference between the McNolan and Pioli I drafts. Needless to say, this wasn't the case.

Here is a table showing the differences in various draft categories between McNolan and the other regimes that have drafted for SF and NE in the Salary Cap Era:

	DIFFERENCES WITH MCNOLAN
CATEGORY	POLICY	WALSH II	DONAHUE	PARCELLS	GRIER	PIOLI I	PIOLI II
Picks per Round
Picks per Day
Picks per Position
Picks per Unit
Picks per Conference	✓	✓✓		✓	✓
BCS Rate	✓	✓✓✓✓		✓			✓✓
Starter Rate
Pro Bowl Rate	✓✓			✓
Picks per Unit on Day 1		✓✓✓		✓
Picks per Unit on Day 2				✓	✓
BCS Rate on Day 1					✓
BCS Rate on Day 2	✓✓✓	✓✓✓✓		✓✓	✓✓✓		✓✓
Starter Rate on Day 1
Starter Rate on Day 2			✓✓✓		✓
Pro Bowl Rate on Day 1
Pro Bowl Rate on Day 2	✓✓✓					✓
BCS Rate on OFF		✓✓					✓
BCS Rate on DEF	✓✓	✓✓✓
Starter Rate on OFF
Starter Rate on DEF		✓		✓✓
Pro Bowl Rate on OFF
Pro Bowl Rate on DEF	✓			✓
Starter Rate from Non-BCS				✓	✓✓
Starter Rate from BCS		✓✓✓		✓
Pro Bowl Rate from Non-BCS	✓
Pro Bowl Rate from BCS				✓✓
✓	4	1	0	8	4	1	1
✓✓	2	2	0	3	1	0	2
✓✓✓	2	3	1	0	1	0	0
✓✓✓✓	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
Total ✓s	14	22	3	14	9	1	5

Each check mark (✓) indicates a statistical difference between McNolan and a given regime with respect to a given category. The number of check marks indicates the size of the statistical difference:

✓ = There's an 80% likelihood that the regime's drafts were statistically different.
✓✓ = There's a 90% likelihood that the regime's drafts were statistically different.
✓✓✓ = There's a 95% likelihood that the regime's drafts were statistically different.
✓✓✓✓ = There's a 99% likelihood that the regime's drafts were statistically different.

Looking at the totals for the 49er regimes, it's pretty depressing that (a) McNolan has been least similar to Walsh II, (b) McNolan has been most similar to Donahue, and (c) the only statistical difference between McNolan and Donahue is that Donahue was actually better at finding starters on Day 2 (Donahue = 29.6%; McNolan = 8.6%). Stewardess, can you please get me a barf bag?

Looking at the totals for the Patriot regimes, however, paints an entirely different picture. In this case, it turns out that McNolan has actually been most similar to the rebuilding half of the Pioli regime (i.e., Pioli I); to an even larger extent than McNolan's similarity to Donahue. Of the 26 categories, the only area in which McNolan has differed from Pioli I has been the latter's relative effectiveness in finding Pro Bowlers on Day 2, which we all know by now is a little skewed because of the better team having a built-in advantage for getting players selected to the Pro Bowl.

Some of you might notice that there seems to be an "era trend." The Policy regime and Parcells were equally different from McNolan, and they happened to be drafting during the same period of time (the beginning of the Salary Cap and Free Agency Eras). Also, McNolan has been most similar to Donahue and Pioli (both I and II), who happen to be the closest in proximity with respect to draft years. However, I'd caution against this interpretation because, as the table shows, Walsh II and Pioli I were polar opposites with respect to their McNolan differences despite overlapping draft years (Walsh = 1999-2001; Pioli I = 2000-2003) and similar draft contexts (i.e., rebuilding). And if you're wondering whether this discrepancy is due to the fact that Walsh II focused on rebuilding the DEF, whereas Pioli I and McNolan focused on rebuilding the OFF, just look at the table categories involving team units: only 4 of Walsh II's 22 check marks are due to unit differences with McNolan. This means that the unit-adjusted difference for Walsh II is 18 check marks, which is still the largest of all regimes, and dwarfs Pioli II's 1-check-mark McNolan difference.

So, the moral of the table is that, despite my (and probably your) expectations to the contrary, McNolan's drafts have actually been most similar to Pioli I's. Given this result, I'll be using the rest of the article to compare McNolan's draft strategy to Pioli's. Odds are, of course, that their draft strategies are quite similar. However, there might be specific areas in which the 2 regimes have differed, with these differences shedding light on the answer to our now-more-important question, "Why was Pioli I so much more successful than McNolan despite being so similar in the draft?" I'm sure you've already developed an opinion or two.

PIOLI I IN CONTEXT

When Bill Belichick hired Pioli in time for the 2000 draft, the Patriots had seen a Donahue-esque decline in team wins during the previous 3 seasons. Although they didn't exactly nosedive like Donahue's, the Patriot win totals during Grier's tenure nevertheless got worse each season (10 in 1997, 9 in 1998, and 8 in 1999). Essentially, just like Donahue's squandering of Walsh II's success, Grier squandered Parcells' success. And just like McNolan was charged with cleaning up Donahue's mess, Pioli I was charged with cleaning up Grier's mess.

I've already told you that Pioli I focused primarily on rebuilding the NE OFF - and with good reason. Below are the specific contexts of each NE draft during the Pioli I regime:

2000 Draft - Key Losses: RB Terry Allen (free agency), WR Shawn Jefferson (free agency), TE Ben Coates (free agency), OL Heath Irwin (free agency), OL Zefross Moss (released), and DB Steve Israel (free agency). Weak 1999 Stats: 22^nd in OFF DVOA.¹ Lingering Issues: Still hadn't found a worthy replacement for RB Robert Edwards; major injury to LB Ted Johnson. Needs: RB, WR, TE, OL, DB, LB depth.

2001 Draft - Key Losses: FB Tony Carter (free agency), OL Bruce Armstrong (retirement), DL Chad Eaton (free agency), and LB Chris Slade (free agency). Weak 2000 Stats: 20^th in OFF DVOA; 20^th in DEF DVOA. Lingering Issues: Still hadn't found worthy replacements for RB Robert Edwards and TE Ben Coates; Ted Johnson missed 3 games with minor injury; DB Otis Smith now 35 years old. Needs: RB, FB, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB depth.

2002 Draft - Key Losses: QB Drew Bledsoe (trade), WR Terry Glenn (trade), TE Rod Rutledge (free agency) and DL Brandon Mitchell (free agency). Weak 2001 Stats: -3.7% (14^th) OFF DVOA. Lingering Issues: Still hadn't found worthy replacements for RB Robert Edwards and TE Ben Coates; DL Willie McGinest missed 5 games with minor injury; Otis Smith now 36 years old. Needs: RB, WR, TE, DL, QB depth, DB depth.

2003 Draft - Key Losses: FB Marc Edwards (free agency) and DB Tebucky Jones (trade). Weak 2002 Stats: None. Lingering Issues: Major injury to Otis Smith, who is now 37 years old; DL Anthony Pleasant and LB Roman Phifer now 34 years old. Needs: FB, DB, DL depth, LB depth.

In this case, the specific needs accurately reflect the general: NE primarily needed to rebuild the OFF. However, looking at these draft contexts, our first difference emerges. Namely, Pioli I had to replace 4 starters per draft, whereas McNolan had to replace about 7 starters per draft. Media accounts of both regimes (here and here) invoked the proverbial "out with the old, in with the new" theme. Looking back, it's more accurate to say that McNolan had much more old and new to take out and bring in, respectively.

So how did Pioli I replace their 16 departed starters? Here's how:

RB Kevin Faulk (1999 Grier pick) for Allen
WR Troy Brown (1993 Parcells pick) for Jefferson
Rutledge (1998 Grier pick) for Coates
OL Joe Andruzzi (2000 Pioli I free agent signing) for Irwin
OL Grant Williams (2000 Pioli I free agent signing) for Moss
Otis Smith (2000 Pioli I free agent signing) for Israel
Marc Edwards (2001 Pioli free agent signing) for Carter
OL Matt Light (2001 Pioli pick) for Armstrong
DL Anthony Pleasant (2000 Pioli I free agent signing) and DL Bobby Hamilton (2000 Pioli I free agent signing) for Eaton (after switching to a 4-3 defense)
LB Mike Vrabel (2001 Pioli I free agent signing) for Slade
QB Tom Brady (2000 Pioli I pick) for Bledsoe
WR David Patten (2001 Pioli I free agent signing) for Glenn
TE Christian Fauria (2002 Pioli I free agent signing) for Rutledge
Hamilton for Mitchell (after moving him from DE to DT)
TE Daniel Graham (2002 Pioli I pick) for Marc Edwards (after switching to a 2-TE offense)
DB Eugene Wilson (2003 Pioli I pick) for Tebucky Jones

Adding it all up, Pioli I rebuilt the starting lineup with 9 traditional free agents, 4 draft picks, and 3 players originally acquired by previous regimes. As compared to McNolan's first two drafts, which required a similar 15 replacements, Pioli I used free agency nearly twice as much, and had a holdover rate (20.0%) that was half as large. Therefore, we've found a second difference between the two regimes: Pioli I liked free agency and cleaned house more.

Now, let's move on to the point-by-point draft strategy comparison. Again, although McNolan and Pioli I drafts are similar, there are nevertheless important differences.

STRATEGY #1

Stockpile picks when your team sucks,

but trade away picks when (you think) your team is good.

As I reported in Part 2d, McNolan has had 35 picks in its 4 drafts. In comparison, Pioli I had 36 picks in its 4 drafts; very similar indeed. So, the way to evaluate this strategy is to compare the two regimes' draft picks by year after matching up the number of draft picks at identical junctures during their respective regimes. The table below shows McNolan's and Pioli's pick totals during their first, second, third, and fourth drafts:

Remember that Pioli I drafts followed seasons with 5 wins (1999), 8 wins (2000), 11 wins (2001), and 9 wins (2002). Regarding number of draft picks, Pioli I's totals did seem to ebb and flow with team wins. Indeed, Pioli I's number of draft picks was lowest in Year 3, which followed an 11-5, Super-Bowl-winning 2001 season. Where a difference emerges relates to my placement of "(you think)" in the McNolan strategy. In true Vanilla McNolan form, SF had only 6 picks in Year 4 presumably because they thought the disastrous 2007 season was a mere aberration; the Niners were actually good in McNolan's mind, only requiring a new OC and a few draft picks to return to their 7-9 "glory" of 2006.

Contrast this with the much-more-realistic Pioli I approach. That regime only got rid of picks after winning the Super Bowl. Furthermore, they returned to the "stockpile picks" approach after a winning season. In other words, what I see here is Pioli I having a much higher threshold than McNolan for "your team is good." It seems that McNolan viewed a 5-11 season as only requiring some roster- and assistant-coach-tweaking, whereas Pioli I responded to a 9-7 season by amassing 10 picks in the 2003 draft. I guess the easiest way to put this is that, to Pioli I, 9 wins meant "we suck," but, to McNolan, 5 wins means "we're good."

STRATEGY #2

Draft for need on Day 1, especially when your team sucks.

OK, so I just established that "when your team sucks" meant "less than 10 wins" to Pioli I. Therefore, let's look at Day 1 of NE's 2000, 2001, and 2003 drafts. Referring back to the team needs I detailed earlier, the 2000 draft required Pioli to fix the OFF; specifically, RB, WR, TE, and OL. Their Day 1 picks? An OL (Round 2) and a RB (Round 3). In fact, their first 4 picks were an OL, a RB, an OL (Round 4), and a TE (Round 5). Not to mention that they stumbled upon a certain unassuming, jelly-legged QB from the University of Michigan in Round 6. Of course, that was luck more than anything attributable to Pioli I, but it's still worth mentioning. Anyway, addressing needs on Day 1 in 2000? Check.

In 2001, most of the needs were still on OFF. The positions they took on Day 1 of that draft were DL (Round 1), OL (Round 2), and DB (Round 3). So, did Pioli I address needs on Day 1 in 2001? No. One thing I will say though is that, if you're not going to address needs on Day 1, it helps to draft a Pro Bowl DE (Richard Seymour) and a Pro Bowl LT (Light) with your top two picks, and then snag your 2002 starter at RT (Kenyatta Jones) with your first pick on Day 2.

In 2003, the needs shifted to DEF because of advancing age and increasing proneness to injury. Specifically, NE needed to replace a starting DB, and needed depth at DL and LB. What did they take during Day 1 of the 2003 draft? Round 1: a DL. Round 2: a DB. Round 3: a WR. And just for good measure, they took another DL in Round 4. Addressing needs? Check.

Last question: "Did Pioli I also draft for need on Day 1 of the 2002 draft, i.e., when NE was good?" Even in their Super-Bowl-winning season of 2001, NE was still a below-average offensive team (See above OFF DVOA). At the very least, their 14^th-ranked OFF was worse than their above-average DEF (DVOA = -6.3%). Therefore, their needs were on OFF. So what did Pioli I do on Day 1 in 2002? He took a TE in Round 1 and a WR in Round 2, and then, for good measure, took a QB with NE's first pick of Day 2. Addressing needs? Check.

So, taken together, Pioli I seems to have been very similar to McNolan regarding the draft strategy of interest in this section.

STRATEGY #3

Use Day 2 to take a lot of bites at the apple.

My identification of this McNolan strategy in Part 4 was based on its tendency to take a lot of WRs, DLs, and DBs on Day 2. In addition, I argued that their reliance on Day 2 talent at these positions might be one reason why they haven't found many good ones. Hey, but at least they're trying.

From the table showing regime differences that I presented at the beginning of this article, you can already surmise that Pioli I didn't differ from McNolan with respect to team units on Day 2. Therefore, there's no general trend. It's still useful to look at the specific position-by-position draft day totals, as well as the actual unit-by-unit results. Here's the relevant table:

Pos	Day 1	Day 2	Total
QB	0	3	3
RB	1	2	3
FB	0	0	0
WR	2	1	3
TE	1	4	5
OL	2	3	5
DL	2	5	7
LB	0	3	3
DB	2	4	6
K	0	1	1
P	0	0	0
OFF Total	6	13	19
DEF Total	4	12	16
ST Total	0	1	1
Total	10	26	36

From this table, it's clear that Pioli I didn't have a unit bias between draft days: he split his picks 60/40 between OFF and DEF on Day 1, and basically split them 50/50 on Day 2. Nevertheless, there are two (albeit shaky) pieces of evidence of a Day 2 "bites at the apple" strategy having been used by Pioli I. First, they sure had a lot of picks on Day 2, meaning that they were taking a lot of bites at the apple all over the field. Of course, it makes you wonder how NE won a championship during Pioli I with all that Day 2 talent on the roster. Oh yeah, I forgot. Two words: free agency. OK, well, 5 words: free agency and Tom Brady. Second, you might recall from Part 2d that McNolan has had 21 picks on Day 2 in their 4 drafts, i.e., 5 fewer than Piol I. So how did Pioli I use those extra picks? How about at those needs on OFF? Specifically, Pioli I used 4 of the 5 extra Day 2 picks on OFF (and the 5^th on a K), while taking the exact same number of DEF picks on Day 2 as McNolan.

So, in general, I'd say the differences between McNolan and Pioli I are pretty subtle with respect to this strategy, if they exist at all. One thing I will add, though, is that, unlike McNolan, Pioli I found 3 Pro Bowlers at need positions on Day 2: Brady, OL Dan Koppen, and DB Asante Samuel. Indeed, the table of regime differences shows that Day 2 Pro Bowl rate was the only category in which a regime difference actually emerged between McNolan and Pioli I. In this sense, I suppose it was a good thing that NE had 15 Day 2 picks - almost 2 extra per round than normal - in the 2000 and 2003 drafts.

STRATEGY #4

BCS or die!

This one's a pretty easy nut to crack. Pioli I used 28 of his 36 picks on players from BCS conferences, which is pretty similar to McNolan using 31 of 35 on such players. The only slight difference between the two regimes - certainly not large enough to be statistically significant - has been with respect to draft days. Whereas their Day 1 BCS rates were pretty similar, Pioli's Day 2 BCS rate (23.1%) was more than double McNolan's (9.5%). Again, this difference isn't statistically significant, but it is a practically important difference nevertheless.

STRATEGY #5

We're Goldilocks (aka Vanilla McNolan).

As this strategy is more about attitude than statistics, it's not surprising that this is where McNolan and Pioli I seem to differ the most. Remember that my Goldilocks argument was based on the fact that McNolan has had perennial needs that it continues to leave unaddressed (i.e., pass rusher and QB). Essentially, once McNolan thinks it has addressed a position in the draft, say, by taking Alex Smith with their 1^st pick, it doesn't feel an urgent requirement to reassess whether, perhaps, they adequately addressed the need. Pioli I was the exact opposite in this regard.

The dirty secret about NE's 2000 draft is that it was pretty (site decorum) bad. Their 2^nd-round pick, OL Adrian Klemm was a certified bust. Their 3^rd-round pick, Redmond, was basically a strikeout swinging. Their 4^th-round pick, OL Greg Randall, only ended up being a regular starter for 1 season. Of their remaining 7 picks, all Pioli I got out of them in terms of starters and/or Pro Bowlers was Brady; granted, he certainly makes up for the rest of the Day 2 garbage. Essentially, only the Policy regime's 1995 and 1997 drafts are in the same solar system in terms of being bad from top-to-bottom.

The difference, though, is that Pioli I realized really quickly the enormity of his 2000 disaster. After failing with his OL picks in 2000, he took another 2 OL with his first 4 picks in 2001. After failing with his DL picks in 2000, he took a DL with his first pick in 2001. This trend continued in subsequent drafts, as Pioli I took a TE with his first pick in 2002 after missing on 2 TEs in the previous 2 drafts. You get the idea. The point here is that there seems to have been an honest reassessment of previous draft failures at need positions. In essence, you don't just wait for a pick to be what you thought he would be. Rather, you quickly say, "he sucks," and address the need again immediately.

The second example of Pioli I not being "vanilla" is something I mentioned earlier. Namely, he didn't settle for mediocrity after NE went 9-7 in 2002. Rather, that 2003 draft ended up being what took the Patriots to the next level, allowing them to escape the mire of mediocrity. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. With their first 6 picks, NE found 4 starters (DL Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, Samuel, and Koppen), the latter 2 of which made the Pro Bowl with NE. And what did the Patriots do in 2003 and 2004? They won two championships, of course. So the point here is that, whereas McNolan looked at a 5-win team and made a few changes to get back to 7-9, Pioli I looked at a 9-7 team and made a whole host of changes to get back to the Super Bowl. If this isn't the difference between vanilla and mint chocolate chip, I don't know what is.

Here's one last thing about this. Although I'm focusing on Pioli I here, his commitment to excellence (rather than mediocrity) is an identifiable trait because of how consistently he's acted on it. Specifically, not settling for mediocrity continued well into the Pioli II regime of 2004-2008. Here are a few examples:

He amassed 10 picks in the 2006 draft after a Divisional Round exit in 2005.
Despite being minutes away from reaching another Super Bowl in 2006, he traded for WR Randy Moss and signed WR Wes Welker after realizing that NE's mediocre WRs were holding them back.
He realized that a certain Bay Area team was not as good as they thought they were, and traded NE's late-1^st-round pick in 2007 in exchange for that team's earlier 4^th-round pick and sure-to-be-earlier 1^st-round pick in 2008. All this trade produced was NE having the #7 pick in the draft coming off of an undefeated regular season.

This last example was the difference between vanilla and mint chocolate chip in a nut shell.

GENERAL ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

To wrap things up, below is a table summarizing ways in which Pioli I's draft strategy was similar to and different from McNolan's:

MCNOLAN STRATEGY	PIOLI I SIMILAR?
Stockpile picks when your team sucks, but trade away picks when (you think) your team is good.
Draft for need on Day 1, especially when your team sucks.
Use Day 2 to take a lot of bites at the apple.
BCS or die!
We're Goldilocks (aka Vanilla McNolan).	X

As I said during the introduction, what I found out in my regime comparisons was not what I expected. The first thing that surprised me was that McNolan and Pioli I have been pretty similar. More accurately, though, I was shocked that McNolan's drafts have been most similar to a regime that won 10 more games and 1 more Super Bowl in the same context and period of time. This revelation implied an unexpected finding that was even more shocking to me. Namely, that NE's success during Pioli - and Pioli II for that matter - was minimally attributable to their draft success. Rather, from a personnel perspective, NE won in 2001 for 2 reasons:

Tom Brady
Free agency

Although this is certainly arguable, I'm sure the vast majority of you - and a plurality of Patriot fans - would agree that there is no Patriot dynasty without NE discovering what NFL Network deemed the greatest "diamond in the rough" in NFL draft history. It's pretty clear that their other draft picks in 2000 were pretty useless, so it stands to reason that, without Brady, NE's upset over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI never happens (p.s. I'm ignoring the Tuck Rule here). Same goes for all those free agent acquisitions following the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Where the draft has helped NE the most has been in sustaining their success past 2001. Without that 2003 draft supplementing a few free agent acquisitions (e.g., DB Rodney Harrison), I'm pretty sure the Patriots don't win rings in 2003 and 2004.

The bottom line is that, whether through free agency or the draft, NE hasn't sat on its laurels and accepted mediocrity. Basically, 9-7 has meant "we suck." That is the lesson that Donahue never learned, and it seems to be the modus operandi for McNolan thus far. Simply put, Pioli I was mint chocolate chip, not vanilla.

So, based on everything I've discussed in this article, here's the way forward for our beloved 49ers if they truly want to emulate NE's recent success:

Solidify the QB position once and for all. If that means hiring a shaman to do a good-luck "diamond in the rough" dance, so be it.
Use free agency a little more, and perhaps replace Director of Pro Personnel Tom Gamble, who only seems to target false hopes (e.g., WR Bryant Johnson, OL Jonas Jennings, DL Justin Smith, and LB Tully Banta-Cain) and old fogies (e.g., FB Moran Norris, WR Isaac Bruce, OL Larry Allen, OL Marvel Smith, LB Takeo Spikes, DB Walt Harris, and DB Michael Lewis).
Quit being vanilla! Honestly reassess your failures, and correct them immediately. Don't think a 5-win team only requires a little nibbling around the edges. Hell, as it relates to this year, the same goes for a 7-win team.

That's it for the series. I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for sticking around through 7 (lengthy) parts. At the very least, I hope you learned a couple of things about 49er draft history that can be assimilated into your opinions of current and past 49er regimes.

¹ DVOA statistics used to produce this article were obtained from Football Outsiders.

Poll

Assuming that McCloughan, Singletary, and Jed will be around for the foreseeable future, which of the following adjustments is MOST necessary for the Niners to become a consistent winner ala the Patriots?

Solidifying the QB position

97 votes

Getting better at free agency

44 votes

Stop living in la-la-land thinking this mediocre team is actually good

73 votes

214 votes | Poll has closed

ROTB Community Mock Draft: With the Fifth Overall Pick, the Cleveland Browns Select...

Hawkwind — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:30:07 -0000

Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, University of Texas

6'3", 263

The Cleveland Browns have their fair share of needs but improving a defense that ranked 26th in 2008. Micheal Crabtree would have been a tempting option but the Seahawks took care of that delimna. The Browns are left with a decision between the best defensive/nose tackle in the draft, B.J. Raji and the best pass rushing DE/OLB, Brian Orakpo. The Browns registered just 17 sacks last year and one of their starting linebackers is 37 year old, Willie McGinest. Taking all of that into account Orakpo is the best option and he makes an immediate impact on a defense that seriously lacks play makers.

Positives: Orakpo's got great height and a solid build. He's got experience playing with his hand off the ground and plays the run as well as he rushes the passer. He's got good instincts and the physical ability to chase plays down from the backside as well as make plays from side line to side line. Though he's not terribly experienced in coverage, his hips look fluid when he drops back and he should be able to handle small zones.

Negatives: Might fit into the "workout warrior" category and his durability is a big concern. He doesn't have a great repertoire of pass rush moves and has the tendency to run hot and cold at times. Was a bit of an underachiever early in his career and didn't record more than 5.5 sacks until his senior season when he broke out with 11.5.

Many thanks to our very own Cardinal_Fang for submitting this pick. The Bengals and LACardsfan are now on the clock (e-mail to revengeofthebirds@gmail.com), with the Raiders and ianbbc02 on deck. If anyone needs to refresh their memory on the draft order, check it here.

Workout Warrior?

HIghlights

Quiet Free Agency Period in Store for Browns?

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:01:15 -0000

Former Browns general manager was known for starting free agency off with a bang the past several years. During his tenure (spread over a couple of years), he made splashes with acquisitions such as:

C LeCharles Bentley
WR Joe Jurevicius
DE Robaire Smith
LB Antwan Peek
DT Shaun Rogers
DE Corey Williams
WR Donte Stallworth

Thus far, only Rogers, Smith, and Jurevicius have been productive. Nonetheless, most fans were largely ecstatic at the time of the signings. Even analysts would praise some of the bold moves that Savage made. Savage is no longer here though, and that means the tone of free agency could change dramatically this year under George Kokinis and Eric Mangini.

Will the new duo make a splash right away like Savage did, or just stand by and pick through the scraps after a week or so has gone by? First off, it's important to look at what starting positions from last year we lost in free agency:

Safety (Sean Jones)
MLB (Andra Davis)
OLB (Antwan Peek; Willie McGinest)

These are the positions that may need upgrading, and are not listed above:

RB (Jamal Lewis had a decline in production last year)
WR (Donte Stallworth will stick around, but will JJ be our No. 3?)

I could also make a case for quarterback to be listed, because if our plan is indeed to trade Derek Anderson, then we'll need a quarterback. However, a trade would likely come later on down the road, so it's not an immediate position I expect the Browns to address.

Considering the positions above, here are the top free agents the Browns are either rumored to be looking at, or I would like them to look at with free agency underway (the list is ranked in order to my preference):

1. JIM LEONHARD - S - BALTIMORE RAVENS:

Leonard was very good last year with Baltimore. Because he only started for one year in Baltimore, the Browns might be able to acquire him for cheaper than Sean Jones. It's probably too early to look at someone playing multiple positions, but Leonhard has experience returning punts. If anything happens to Joshua Cribbs, we wouldn't have to carry a backup (like Syndric Steptoe or Gerard Lawson) on the roster merely for insurance purposes.

More important than that though, Leonhard was all over the field last year, showing impressive versatility, especially in the postseason. Jones is an attractive free agent to bring back too, but how confident can we be that his health won't become an issue again? Kokinis knows all about Leonard from Baltimore too.

2. NATE WASHINGTON - WR - PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

This is an interesting one. Washington quietly developed into a consistent threat for Ben Roethlisberger. The past two years, the shining of Santonio Holmes has prevented Washington from being showcased more. Washington has been healthy for every game the past three years, and has Tim Carter speed with much better hands. Born in Toledo, OH, Washington would be the productive third/fourth-receiver we've been missing since losing Dennis Northcutt. The Examiner has a report that the Browns, Titans, and Eagles might be interested in him.

3. DERRICK WARD - RB - NEW YORK GIANTS:

I'm not so high on Ward as a few other people are. The Giants' offensive line was very good, as was Ward last year. However, it almost seems as if the Giants could plug William Green into their system and see positive results.

On top of that, I'm still hopeful that Jerome Harrison can see an expanded role this season based on the fact that Leon Washington was used effectively with the New York Jets last year. Still, with Jamal Lewis' productivity level in question, I can't argue about addressing the position. Doing so in the draft, like many other teams have done the past few years (Indianapolis, Carolina, etc) might prove to be a better option.

4. BART SCOTT - LB - BALTIMORE RAVENS:

The reason I have Scott ranked lower is because I feel this would be an ambitious signing. Scott will be high on many team's radars, and I expect Mangini to make more of a splash in the draft or bring in one of his former linebackers. Scott's production projection also has a lot of variability. Will he turn out like Adalius Thomas did when he went "solo" to New England?

With so much doubt, why did I even bother putting Scott on the list? Because I'm still intrigued with having a solid veteran amidst our linebackers -- someone the rest of our young linebackers can look over to for leadership. Scott might have been more productive in Baltimore's system, but I'd expect his leadership to be superior to Andra Davis'.

NOTE: For the moment, this will be an open free agent discussion thread. Talk about any pending deals with other teams, or rumored deals with the Browns.

Gold Star for Mangini's and Kokinis' First Transactions

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:30:53 -0000

As most of you know by now, the Cleveland Browns released several players on Monday. Monday was the first day that teams were allowed to start disposing of their players, and Eric Mangini and George Kokinis made moves towards improving the future of this team. In other words, they didn't get it "wrong".

QB Ken Dorsey: After his performance at the end of the season, I don't think anybody would argue against Dorsey's release (except for Bernie Kosar, perhaps). He was only considered a mentor to Brady Quinn at first, but I think we're past the point of mentoring for him now.
QB Bruce Gradkowski: He had a limited amount of time to show what he was capable of. Unfortunately for Bruce, he failed miserably.

OL Eric Young: These type of guys come and go, with their only real chance of hanging on being if the head coaching position remains consistent.
LB Antwan Peek: By far, this is the toughest cut to brush off, but it was a necessary one. Peek has been plagued by injuries almost more than Courtney Brown was. On top of that, Peek was never a Pro Bowl caliber player in the first place. This cut also means that focusing on OLB in the draft and in free agency remains a high priority, since the chances of Willie McGinest being retained are not too strong.
CB Terry Cousin: The veteran defensive back definitely underachieved last year, as he was not the answer we had hoped for when DB Daven Holly went down. It's good to see Mangini dump him, considering he did take a crack at veteran DB Ty Law last season.
K Jason Reda: Who knows; you might see him back in training camp.
P Mike Dragosavich

SB Nation is in the process of compiling the most complete and accurate list of free agents in the NFL, as many sites have outdated or inaccurate reports. When that becomes available, I'll post it for everybody to see and discuss.

2008 NFL Playoffs: Final thoughts before today's games

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:07:52 -0000

The NFL playoffs start today! Hope you are excited. Remember, this team was 3-4 and left for dead back in October. Now, our guys are in the playoffs, and our QB just won his 3rd MVP. Life is good. Here are some bullets:

Great write-up of the Chargers v. Colts game over at Behind The Steel Curtain by ncoolong. The Steelers sitting this weekend out because of a first round bye, and they are anxious to see who wins the AFC games this weekend.
On NFL Network, Rod Woodson, Jamie Dukes, and Deion Sanders all thought Peyton Manning should give his MVP to DeMarcus Ware. Even if they were joking (and it sounds like they weren't), Rod, Jamie, and Deion are all f*cking idiots.
Bob Sanders' impact on the Colts defense.
The Colts are not about revenge.
Bill Simmons is now firmly on the Colts bandwagon. I feel dirty.
On ESPN, Rodney Harrison spoke about the upcoming game against the Chargers. He sounded very smart, and did a nice job breaking down the match-ups. Looks like he is auditioning for life after football. He also likes the Colts. I feel even dirtier.
Willie McGinest offers tips on how to beat Peyton Manning. Since Willie hasn't beaten the Colts in over 3 years, I'm not quite sure his "tips" count as current news. Likely, one of those tips is "fake an injury."
Bill Belichick thinks Indy is the best team in the playoffs. No really. I'm not kidding. Go here and listen at about the 19:30 mark. He also says Indy plays great defense! Now I feel really, really dirty.
What is with all these Patriots liking us this year? Do they secretly root for us?
DaBolts offers a great preview on the game, per usual. I'm so glad we have a Chargers blog this year, and to have DaBolts there running it makes it even better.

And finally, there is a reason why playoffs are great and the BCS Bowl system (and college football in general) sucks. The Utah Utes went down to New Orleans last night and surprisingly kicked the crap out of Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. Utah is the only undefeated team in the country, but for some dumb reason the Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners are playing for the BCS Championship. If they had a playoff system, such embarrassments to their association like this one would be less frequent. But, that aside, congrats to the Utes! They seem like the real champions of college football, and this dumb Florida v. Oklahoma game is simply an after thought.

We'll post an open thread prior to the 4pm Eastern game between the Falcons and Cardinals. The playoffs are here folks! Take my advice and enjoy them.