Random thoughts from a cluttered mind...
This weekend is the beginning of Training Camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars and all the other NFL teams. The Jaguars come into the season having made changes in their coaching personnel AND their playing personnel.
Head Coach Jack Del Rio enters his fourth season with EIGHTEEN COACHES on his staff! Is that ridiculous? Someone please tell me! Anyway, Del Rio brought in former college coach Dirk Koetter from Arizona State to be the Offensive Coordinator. They also now have former Alabama Head Coach Mike Shula to school the QB’s. With this roster, you’ll see changes. Some guys left the team to sign elsewhere, including TE Kyle Brady, S Deon Grant, and P Chris Hanson. Also, veteran S Donovin Darius is gone, having been released by the team. Meanwhile, the Jaguars brought in free agents like OT Tany Pashos from the Ravens and WR Dennis Northcutt from the Browns. They also drafted Gator S Reggie Nelson, who will likely start.
While the team is solid, there are questions left to be answered. Who is going to be starting at WR? Will it be Reggie Williams and Matt Jones, or will we see Northcutt, Ernest Wilford, and even rookie Mike Walker take a lot of snaps? With TE Brady gone, will we see production from last years’ #1 pick, TE Marcedes Lewis? And of course, what are we going to see from QB Byron Leftwich? He is slated to return after being out for most of last season, with David Garrard filling in for most of it.
On Defense in 2006, Jacksonville finished 2nd overall in the NFL. However, they come in having lost both starting Safeties. That will be a major concern for the team, and a lot will be expected of the rookie Nelson. Look for Gerald Sensabaugh to be the other Safety.
So, it should be an interesting Training Camp for sure, with a lot of questions that will need to be answered before the Jags start the regular season in September.
While the Atlanta Falcons begin their Training Camp this weekend in Flowery Branch (who made up THAT name?), Michael Vick will be in Virginia, where he will be indicted for his part in this crazy dog-fighting ordeal we’ve heard so much about. There’s no question this situation is not going to go away, and it looks as if a trial will not start until next year. If Michael Vick plays for the Falcons this season, he and his teammates will be subjected to every kind of harassment and scrutiny you can imagine, every single day for the rest of the season, whether by fans, media or other players.
That’s why Vick should seriously consider taking a leave of absence this year. It would behoove Falcons owner Arthur Blank to sit down with Vick and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to play out the scenarios and explain the vast negatives and probabilities. Whether it’s anger or being made fun of, Vick will no doubt be under heavy pressure. But if he were to lay low and not play, that scene would dissipate quickly. I’m sure Vick would not want this to be the case. I’m sure Goodell and Blank feel the same. Its possible Vick wasn’t even involved in the whole dog-fighting operation. But the fact that he owned the property means he is attached, and there’s no way he COULDN’T have known what was going on. That in itself puts him right in the middle of the case. So, obviously Michael Vick has some tough dealings ahead of him, and the Falcons certainly won’t be the same team without a damn good QB on the field.
With Padraig Harrington winning the British open last Sunday, we now have three guys who have beat Tiger Woods in the Majors, which I think is quite surprising to most golf fans.
It’s about time people realized that Tiger is human and that there are golfers who indeed CAN beat him. It seems people have expected Woods to win EVERY tournament he plays, but that would be an impossible feat. Tiger hasn’t had a bad year, winning three tournaments this year. He was competitive at The Masters and the U.S. Open. At the British, his shots were errant, causing problems he’d rather not deal with. Even during Jack Nicklaus’ career there were plenty of times in which he did NOT win a Major tournament, yet he is still considered one of the best ever. Tiger needs to be viewed in the same terms, realizing that there are a host of very talented players who can beat him.
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Lonnie Marts, Eugene Chung, and Ron Duguay on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
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