Jets vs. Giants: The classic battle for the Crown of NY-Even if it's only pre season Football( or how i learned to become a Football Writer/Scout)-By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Football Reporters Online

For years growing up lots of fans of the "older" generation(read: my late Father and his cronies) would blast the notion of "wasting time" on attending a pre season NFL game. My dad would always say "this is your only chance this season to take your friends" or "I'll give you some money for each of the pre season seats you sell, and you can afford to go and have a good time"(i was a teenager and it was the 1970's).

He has his subliminal reasons. My dad used to publish something he called "The Sheet" or the "Game Sheet." Since he was one of our street's "involved" parents, he was the "Football Coach/Scout" of our block, and for the most part, our development (we grew up in NYC Housing back when it wasn't a "stigma" or considered urban blight). "The Sheet" consisted of his observations on the up coming game and some briefs about the match ups between the teams. He typically passed them out at his workplace( a Federal Law Enforcement agency where he would eventually become a supervisor).

This was in no way intended for gaming purposes. It was strictly for your enhanced enjoyment of the game. My father never dreamed of being a writer of any type. "Half these clowns writing about the teams for the papers don't know squat anyway" he would always say. " I know more about the team from one day a year at practice" would always be his next line. It was also my "duty" as his first born son to "help" him by "taking those seats off his hands," since he went to "every other game they were going to loose that season." I would also have to take notes for him at those games, and since my handwriting stunk as a teenager, I would have to come home and type them (remember typewriters?) so he could read them.

My dad was fortunate enough that in his job he would have enough vacation time each year to take off a month, which was usually from the first or second week of August right through labor day. This was so we could attend the training camps of the Giants (first at Fordham University, then at Pace University's main campus in Westchester, and later on we'd add a day trip out to Long Island for the Jets Camp).

This was so my father could "Scout" the teams, but little did i know he was also teaching me about the game. "Watch and Learn" he would say "and try not to run your mouth too much while i take notes." Such was his manner, being an ex-soldier as well as a Fed. What he was really teaching me was how to evaluate a player's skill, and improve my communication skills at the same time. He was also teaching me that even though it wasn't worth the extra time on his Saturday night in August to actually go to the Jets-Giants game when he "could stay home and watch it on his color TV and not spend extra money on concessions," It was still important.

Tonight's game has never been more important for both teams then it is this year, although Coach Coughlin will tell you as he told a group of reporters in training camp " It's the Third Preseason game, That's what it is," as his way of downplaying the importance.

Both teams have a slew of unanswered questions coming into the regular season. The Jets have a new Head Coach, a new defensive scheme, and as of right now, a new starting QB. Questions abound with regards to weather this is the right choice. Some may think that the "we need to win now" theory applies here, but I'm not so sure. I also wonder if the Jets would have still made the trade for Sanchez if Brett Farve were still in N.Y. and Healthy enough to get through this season. The Jets still have two other QB's on their roster(three if you count WR Brad Smith, who only threw for well over 5,000 yards at in four seasons at Missouri). The Jets are also 0 for the preseason again thus far, and last week the Wonderkid didn't exactly look that good against the Raven's first team.

The Giants have plenty of receivers to "pick up" the mantle so to speak, from Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, but no veteran depth at the position unless you count in David Tyree, who is on the brink of being released from the squad. They also have lots of gaps on the defense right now because of injuries, even though they had a very busy off season. Also missing from tonight's line up for the G-Men are Antonio Pierce(foot), Chris Canty (hamstring), Michael Boley (Hip/ placed on Pup), Jay Alford (knee), DB's Aaron Ross (Hamstring), and Stoney Woodson (ankle) and on the offense, Tyree (hamstring), RB Andre Brown (Achilles Tendon), and OL Orrin Thompson (Strained Quad).

While the Giants are Playing it down, we can be sure the Jets are playing up the rivalry, and looking for a confidence booster of a win tonight.

The State of the 2009 NY Jets-By T.J. Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online

The 2009 Jets season started on the second play of Monday night's 2nd preseason game. Against one of  the NFL's best defenses in history,  rookie bonus baby Mark Sanchez, whom Jet faithful  hope is the next coming of Joe Namath, dumped off a rushed screen pass under pressure from future hall of famer Ray Lewis. Suddenly daydreams changed from Sanchez as the next Broadway Joe to nightmare flashes of onetime 1st rounder and disappointment Browning Nagle. The ball floated seemingly in slow motion into the hands of lineman Hloti Ngata who ran it in for a 25 yard TD.  This on a night where the future was supposed to start.  Jets rookie head coach Rex Ryan seemed poised to crown Sanchez the new king, despite a shaky start that almost led to a 2nd interception on the next possession.  A slant route that Lewis jumped at midfield was dropped, and had TD written all over it , Sanchez  then showed some resiliency. The former  USC star threw a TD on his 5th possesion to Leon Washingtonm the teams biggest threat  (yds) to cut the Ravens  lead to 14-7. A TD that by the way, happened while Lewis ad all pro Ed Reed watched from the sidelines. Nonetheless, 4th year backup Kellen Clemens, did little to sway things in his favor, throwing a dumb pick for a TD on the Jets own 15 with :30 left in the half.

So the Jets ,who lost the game 24-23 after a failed two point conversion by then signall caller and 3rd string QB Eric Ainge , are three weeks from the opener and are shaping up like this: A team whose new coach knows from his Raven experience and will try to implement,  running the ball  and tough defense as the winning formula. The 1-2 punch of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington at RB with the touted 3rd rounder Shonn Greene  will find holes thanks to a seasoned offensive line that may one of the leagues best. Former 1st round pick the 6' 7"  D Brickshaw Ferguson, former Steeler all pro 11 year vet  Alan Faneca, and all pro C Nick Mangold are versatile and athletic. Emerging pass catching  TE Dustin Keller  has star potential but a rookie QB and no true number one WR may tighten coverage around him . 

The potential for a mean tough defense is apparent especially with the addition of former Raven, the collision style LB Bart Scott, but  this unit will have to get through the first 4 games while star LB Calvin Pace gets through a league suspension. Baltimore's 2nd year phenom Joe Flacco moved the ball  well on the Jets , playing without killer run stopper NG, 360 lb Cris Jenkins, and Darrele Revis , a shutdown corner who returns next weekand  against the Giants. Revis is the star of a secondary that hopes to a play an aggressive  ball hawk style resembling Ryan's former unit, that very Raven defense that smothered Sanchez and the Jets offense early on Monday night. Pressure will come from all places. It will need to come from 2008 bust Vernon Gholston who will step into Pace's shoes while Pace sits. Gholston was invisible last night and better imrpove from the meek 5 tackles he made all of last season. Ryan says he's thinking not reacting out there. That's not a good sign for a guy taken with the 8th pick in 2008.

Rex Ryan the new coach with the loudmouth brash attitude, embodies the brutally honest manner of his dad, the former legendary creator of the Bears 1985 46 defense, and Eagles head coach from 1986-1990 Buddy Ryan.  The guy who once punched his own coach mate Keven Gilbride in the face for ruining his defense's shutout in the final regular season game in 1992 against guess who? The Jets. The new air around Florham Park is a  far cry from the secretive martial law like approach of the ousted Eric Mangini, now in Cleveland.

The son of one of the Jets Super Bowl III assistants has been quoted as saying "I'm not here to kiss Bill Belichecks rings." This an  attempt to erase the complacent culture that has permeated the Jets organization for too long. The last Jet teams to play with wreckless abandon ( I don't mean winning  a few playoff games for those Herm Edwards supporters out there. i mean flying around the field like a bunch of "crazed dogs"to quote the great Giant LB Lawrence Taylor) may have been the 1998 Bill Parcells led squad that fell a game short of the Super bowl thanks to another John Elway  second half comeback. Before that, perhaps the early 1980's Sack Exchange Jets of Joe Klecko and sack dancing Mark Gastineau.  Unfortuantely for those Walt Michaels/Joe Walton era teams, abandon became lack of discipline, which resulted in sad playoff exits. Remember Gastineau's moronic ill advised late hit on Browns QB Bernie Kosar that kept a hopeless Cleveland drive alive leading to an OT loss in the 86 playoffs?. Ugh.

For THESE Jets, it will be about  buying into Ryan's aggression. The former Ravens coordinator brings with him the swagger. Letting the" fur fly" as Ryan likes to say will be the Sunday approach as Jet fans can expect the  blitzes and the  pressure will come from all places. The more that success happens on the field during the regular season, the greater the swagger will become.  As for now and the dog days of summer, Ryan is providing energy, and fun. He's big . He's loud. He's what a football coach ought to be. He's at times Parcellian, rolling his eyes after mistakes, shouting profanity from his lips so easily deciphered on the sidelines even for the novice lip reader. Soon however, it will be about results. Wins and losses.

September is a stone's throw away but for the Jets, the first quarter of the 2009 season will have to be a war of attrition.  Sanchez will need more development on the fly behind center.  A wide out has to either emerge opposite the dependable Jerricho Cotchery, or else the organization has to bring someone in and get them up to speed quickly. Plaxico Burress could've been that guy, but a two year prison sentence for shooting himself in the leg last winter
has ended that dream for Jet fans. Maybe disgruntled Bronco star WR Brandon Marshall can fall out of Denver and into our laps somehow.  Dreams are what Jet preseasons are all about right? On the other side of the ball, Ryan's favorite side of the ball, the  defense will have to start to develop a killer attitude while at the same time chomping at the bit for Pace's week 5 return. 

Let's also not forget that the already fierce AFC East has gotten even better. Tom Brady is back in New England. TO in Buffalo makes the Bills a different threat. The Dolphins were division champs in 2008 and will be playing with a new confidence out of the gates. Jet fans should hope that the team can get through October  and the first eight games at 4-4 so that big games in December are possible. Too often, the faces change with Gang Green,  but the story remains the same. The Rex Ryan era is upon us. Let's see what happens. At worst it will be entertaining.

Sanchez brings a flare, a dynamic of excitability that has been the missing intangible for this franchise since Joe Namath left. Big shoes to fill. Even bigger expectations. New York city swallows up the meek and the thin skinned. The learning curve doesn't go over well around here. That said, Ryan has ot believe that above everything,  Sanchez gives the Jets the best chance to win. The Jets open the season at Reliant Stadium Sept 13 at Houston.

Could Taylor Mays Be Picked Number One in the 2010 Draft?-By Will Osgood For Football Reporters Online

“Thud… Whack… Bam…Ouch!” That is an edited version of what you will hear when on the field at a USC practice or game when Taylor Mays is playing safety. Mays is the hardest hitting safety to play for the Trojans since Steelers’ All Pro Safety Troy Polamalu wore Cardinal and Gold at the beginning of Pete Carroll’s magical run atop the College Football world.
Some wonder if Mays is actually a better version of Polamalu. Right now, I will tell you flat out… NO!
But, almost as interesting, is he better than Tennessee’s Eric Berry? And are either capable of being the number one pick in 2010’s NFL Draft?

Rare is the day when two safeties dominate so much of the talk involved in the NFL Draft. To think that it’s even worth mentioning either as a potential number one pick is really mind-boggling. 2006 is the first year in which two safeties have been drafted in the top-10. They were Michael Huff, drafted by the Raiders out of Texas, and Donte Whitner, from Ohio State drafted by Buffalo. Neither of those two players had nearly the fan fare or anticipated stock heading into their final years in college as Mays and Berry.
To be real honest, though, the better comparison, at least stylistically is Polamalu and Ed Reed. Mays compares to the former Trojan, while Berry compares favorably to the current Baltimore Raven, Reed.
Berry is always making plays on the ball and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. It is not to say he won’t hit someone, but he’s not as well known for that as Mays.
Mays even compares to Rodney Harrison a bit, in that he’ll hit you so hard, and sometimes illegally, that he’ll literally knock you out. He nearly did that to his teammate Kevin Thomas in the Rose Bowl game against Penn State this past season. Of course, Jordan Norwood of Penn State was down for quite awhile as well.
And that is exactly what Mays does, he makes you fall over as you see just how much talent God blessed him with. The guy is 6 foot 3 inches tall and 230 pounds, yet he runs like a cornerback. If the guy was playing running back, no one would want to tackle him. If he were playing receiver he’d be like Terrell Owens. He has a recorded 4.47 40-yard dash. A lot of corners and running backs don’t even run that fast. Here’s a linebacker-type doing that. The guy is absolutely ridiculous.
When you add in Mays’ football intelligence, you have a guy who automatically projects to being an elite safety at the NFL level. Why you ask? He’s always in good position. He keeps the ball in front of him at all times. He takes good angles to the football, both versus the run and the pass. He reads plays and breaks on them very quickly, most of the time he gets to the ball just in time to knock it away from the receiver.
He may not always be around the football, but remember he played with eight guys on that defense who are now in the National Football League. They were making plays, and that’s also partially because offenses tried to keep the ball away from Taylor Mays. They knew what would happen if they attacked him too often; they’d have an injured player or two.
So why would Taylor Mays not be a top-five pick if he has so much talent and is so intelligent? Well, unlike Berry, he hasn’t shown an ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. That is what makes a great safety in today’s NFL. That’s why in my books, Berry is slightly ahead of Mays at this point. Mays has more talent, but Berry has produced more. If Mays can produce equally, he will go ahead of Berry next April because of his size and ferocity. He plays the game with an attitude and defensive coaches love that. Mr. Mays could be the number one pick next year if he can just turn all that ability into production. “Thud…Bam…Whack…Ouch” needs to be accompanied by “Mays picks that ball off and takes it 50 yards to pay dirt for a pick-six”.

Unrestricted Free Agency Period Ends; 86 Re-sign, 128 Switch Teams
08/04/2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/4/09

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY PERIOD ENDS;
86 RE-SIGN, 128 SWITCH TEAMS

Eighty-six unrestrictedfree agents re-signed with their old teams this year during the free-agencysigning period, while 128 signed with new teams, the National Football Leagueannounced today. The five-month UFAsigning period, under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement betweenthe league and players, ended July 27.

The Denver Broncos signed the most unrestricted free agentsfrom other teams (14), followed by the Detroit Lions with nine.

As per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, players without2009 contracts who had four or more seasons of free agency experience qualifiedto be "unrestricted free agents" and were free to sign with any clubbetween February 27 and July 27.

There were a total of 336 unrestricted free agents thisyear. The total player pool isapproximately 1,700.

If an unrestricted free agent’s prior club made a 110percent tender on or before June 1, the prior club retained exclusivenegotiating rights if the player did not sign with another club during the UFAsigning period. If the player and clubare unable to negotiate a contract by the 10th week of the regular season(November 17), the player may not play the remainder of the season. If the player sits out the season, he becomesan unrestricted free agent next year.

The 128 unrestricted free agents whoswitched teams represent only 7.5 percent of all NFL players. Of the 400 players who were free agents inthe various categories of the system, 275 signed new contracts with either newteams or their old clubs. An additional44 players with fewer than four seasons of free agency experience received noqualifying offer or minimum tender from their prior clubs.

Restrictedfree agents are those players who have threeseasons of free agency experience and are subject to compensation and/or rightof first refusal.

For the first time since the current CBA went into effect 17seasons ago, none of this year's 55 restricted free agents signed with a newteam and 54 restricted free agents returned to their former clubs. The period for restricted free agents toaccept offers from other teams ended April 17.

A transitionplayer is a designated restricted or unrestricted free agent whose teammust tender a one-year contract at the average of the 10 highest-paid playersof 2008 at the transition player's position, or a 20 percent increase,whichever is greater. A franchise player is a designated restrictedor unrestricted free agent whose team must tender a one-year contract at theaverage of the five highest-paid players at the franchise player's position in2008, or a 20 percent increase, whichever is greater.

A comparison of free agent movement sincethe current CBA went into effect 17 seasons ago:

NFL FREE AGENCY MOVEMENT
(VeteranFree Agents Who Signed With New Teams)

Category
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Unrestricted
108
121
171
99
85
110
115
107
93
Restricted
8
7
6
4
2
4
2
4
4
Transition
4
4
2
2
2
1
1
0
0
Franchise
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
TOTALS
121
132
179
105
89
117
118
111
97

Category
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Unrestricted
130
111
124
104
149
126
132
128
Restricted
1
5
1
3
4
4
3
0
Transition
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
Franchise
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
TOTALS
131
117
126
107
154
130
135
128


FINAL2009 NFL UNRESTRICTED & RESTRICTED FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
(Basedon official notification to NFL office)
1) 128 UNRESTRICTED free agents have signed with a NEWteam:

TEAM
PLAYER
FORMER TEAM
DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals
CB Bryant McFadden
Pittsburgh
3/11

RB Jason Wright
Cleveland
3/18
Atlanta Falcons
LB Mike Peterson
Jacksonville
3/11

C Brett Romberg
St. Louis
3/10
Baltimore Ravens
C Matt Birk
Minnesota
3/5

CB Chris Carr
Tennessee
3/18

CB Dominique Foxworth
Atlanta
2/27

TE L.J. Smith
Philadelphia
3/20
Buffalo Bills
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Cincinnati
2/28

C Geoff Hangartner
Carolina
3/2

G Seth McKinney
Cleveland
4/8

RB Dominic Rhodes
Indianapolis
4/20

LB Patrick Thomas
Kansas City
3/20
Chicago Bears
S Josh Bullocks
New Orleans
3/12

T Frank Omiyale
Carolina
2/28
Cincinnati Bengals
WR Laveranues Coles
NY Jets
3/5

DT Tank Johnson
Dallas
4/8

QB J.T. O’Sullivan
San Francisco
3/10
Cleveland Browns
LB Eric Barton
NY Jets
3/16

CB Corey Ivy
Baltimore
3/19

DE C.J. Mosley
NY Jets
3/9

CB Hank Poteat
NY Jets
3/10

T John St. Clair
Chicago
3/18

T Floyd Womack
Seattle
3/16
Dallas Cowboys
LB Keith Brooking
Atlanta
3/2

DE Igor Olshansky
San Diego
3/9

S Gerald Sensabaugh
Jacksonville
3/11
Denver Broncos
RB JJ Arrington
Arizona
3/5

RB Correll Buckhalter
Philadelphia
2/28

LB Andra Davis
Cleveland
2/28

S Brian Dawkins
Philadelphia
3/2

NT Ronald Fields
San Francisco
3/3

WR Jabar Gaffney
New England
2/28

CB Andre’ Goodman
Miami
3/3

T Brandon Gorin
St. Louis
4/17

CB Renaldo Hill
Miami
2/28

RB LaMont Jordan
New England
3/4

LS Lonie Paxton
New England
2/28

DT Darrell Reid
Indianapolis
2/28

QB Chris Simms
Tennessee
3/5

G Scott Young
Cleveland
3/13
Detroit Lions
CB Phillip Buchanon
Tampa Bay
3/5

TE Will Heller
Seattle
3/17

DT Grady Jackson
Atlanta
3/5

WR Bryant Johnson
San Francisco
3/2

T Daniel Loper
Tennessee
3/11

CB Eric King
Tennessee
2/28

RB Maurice Morris
Seattle
2/28

RB Terrelle Smith
Arizona
4/16

LB Cody Spencer
NY Jets
3/9
Green Bay Packers
C Duke Preston
Buffalo
3/30
Houston Texans
NT Shaun Cody
Detroit
3/30

QB Dan Orlovsky
Detroit
3/2

G Adrian Jones
Kansas City
5/18

DE Antonio Smith
Arizona
3/2
Indianapolis Colts
LB Adam Seward
Carolina
3/20
Jacksonville Jaguars
S Sean Considine
Philadelphia
2/28

T Tra Thomas
Philadelphia
3/9
Kansas City Chiefs
LB Monty Beisel
Arizona
3/17

WR Terrance Copper
Baltimore
3/17

CB Travis Daniels
Cleveland
3/10

WR Bobby Engram
Seattle
3/17

G Mike Goff
San Diego
3/26

C Eric Ghiaciuc
Cincinnati
4/30

TE Sean Ryan
San Francisco
4/21

LB Zach Thomas
Dallas
4/13
Miami Dolphins
G Joe Berger
Dallas
2/27

CB Eric Green
Arizona
3/12

C Jake Grove
Oakland
3/3
Minnesota Vikings
CB Karl Paymah
Denver
3/19
New England Patriots
DT Damane Duckett
San Francisco
3/23

C Al Johnson
Miami
3/16

LB Paris Lenon
Detroit
5/27

S Brandon McGowan
Chicago
5/5
New Orleans Saints
TE Darnell Dinkins
Cleveland
3/23

FB Heath Evans
New England
3/12

CB Jabari Greer
Buffalo
3/5

DE Tony Hargrove
Buffalo
5/18

C Nick Leckey
St. Louis
3/18

S Pierson Prioleau
Jacksonville
3/25

S Darren Sharper
Minnesota
3/24
New York Giants
DT Rocky Bernard
Seattle
3/2

LB Michael Boley
Atlanta
2/28

S C.C. Brown
Houston
3/4

DE Chris Canty
Dallas
3/2
New York Jets
DT Howard Green
Seattle
3/16

LB Larry Izzo
New England
3/11

S Jim Leonhard
Baltimore
3/3

LB Bart Scott
Baltimore
2/28

CB Donald Strickland
San Francisco
3/25
Oakland Raiders
T Khalif Barnes
Jacksonville
3/16

DT Ryan Boschetti
Washington
4/1

S Keith Davis
Dallas
5/21

QB Jeff Garcia
Tampa Bay
4/6

T Marcus Johnson
Minnesota
4/6

RB Lorenzo Neal
Baltimore
5/8
Philadelphia Eagles
T Stacy Andrews
Cincinnati
2/28

S Rashad Baker
Oakland
3/11

S Sean Jones
Cleveland
3/9

RB Leonard Weaver
Seattle
3/23
Pittsburgh Steelers
WR Shaun McDonald
Detroit
5/1

CB Keiwan Ratliff
Indianapolis
4/27
St. Louis Rams
TE Billy Bajema
San Francisco
3/31

QB Kyle Boller
Baltimore
4/6

C Jason Brown
Baltimore
3/10

S James Butler
NY Giants
3/12
San Diego Chargers
LB Kevin Burnett
Dallas
3/12
San Francisco 49ers
DE Demetric Evans
Washington
3/10

LB Marques Harris
San Diego
5/1

WR Brandon Jones
Tennessee
2/28

RB Moran Norris
Detroit
3/3

T Marvel Smith
Pittsburgh
3/30
Seattle Seahawks
DT Colin Cole
Green Bay
3/2

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Cincinnati
3/3

TE John Owens
Detroit
3/5

LS Bryan Pittman
Houston
5/18
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
LB Angelo Crowell
Buffalo
3/23

QB Byron Leftwich
Pittsburgh
4/14

K Mike Nugent
NY Jets
3/4

RB Derrick Ward
NY Giants
3/3
Tennessee Titans
CB DeMarcus Faggins
Houston
4/2

DT Jovan Haye
Tampa Bay
3/3

WR Mark Jones
Carolina
3/20

QB Patrick Ramsey
Denver
4/6

WR Nate Washington
Pittsburgh
3/3
Washington Redskins
DT Albert Haynesworth
Tennessee
2/28

P Hunter Smith
Indianapolis
4/27

DE Renaldo Wynn
NY Giants
3/24




2) 86 UNRESTRICTED free agents have re-signed withtheir OLD team:

TEAM
PLAYER
DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals
DE Bert Berry
3/20

G Elton Brown
3/25

CB Ralph Brown
3/27

P Ben Graham
3/2

LB Clark Haggans
3/17

QB Brian St. Pierre
3/2

QB Kurt Warner
3/5
Atlanta Falcons
DE Chauncey Davis
3/4

LB Tony Gilbert
2/27

DT Jason Jefferson
3/3

LB Coy Wire
2/27
Baltimore Ravens
QB Todd Bouman
4/6

LB Ray Lewis
3/9
Buffalo Bills
T Kirk Chambers
3/4

RB Corey McIntyre
3/3
Chicago Bears
RB Kevin Jones
3/9
Cincinnati Bengals
RB Cedric Benson
3/4

LB Darryl Blackstock
3/2

S Chris Crocker
3/5
Cleveland Browns
S Mike Adams
3/6
Denver Broncos
DT Kenny Peterson
3/10

TE Jeb Putzier
3/16
Detroit Lions
RB Aveion Cason
3/9

G Damion Cook
3/5

WR Keary Colbert
5/7

T George Foster
4/6
Green Bay Packers
DE Mike Montgomery
3/23
Houston Texans
S Nick Ferguson
3/12

C Chris White
2/27

CB Eugene Wilson
2/27
Indianapolis Colts
S Matt Giordano
4/17

LB Tyjuan Hagler
4/8

C Jeff Saturday
2/27
Jacksonville Jaguars
C Brad Meester
2/27

CB Scott Starks
2/27
Kansas City Chiefs
S Jon McGraw
3/6
Miami Dolphins
S Yeremiah Bell
2/27
Minnesota Vikings
LB Heath Farwell
3/6

DT Jimmy Kennedy
3/11

TE Jim Kleinsasser
2/28

S Benny Sapp
3/10
New England Patriots
P Chris Hanson
3/5

G Russ Hochstein
3/2

S James Sanders
3/5

DT Kenny Smith
4/22

S Tank Williams
3/16

DE Mike Wright
3/16
New Orleans Saints
QB Joey Harrington
3/30

WR Devery Henderson
3/4

T Jon Stinchcomb
3/3

LB Jonathan Vilma
3/3
New York Jets
CB Ahmad Carroll
3/16

K Jay Feely
3/9

TE Bubba Franks
5/12

RB Tony Richardson
3/3
Oakland Raiders
G Cooper Carlisle
3/3

LB Isaiah Ekejiuba
3/3

NT William Joseph
3/16

CB Justin Miller
3/16

TE Tony Stewart
3/3

LB Sam Williams
4/1
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Charlie Batch
4/16

CB Fernando Bryant
3/18

T Trai Essex
3/17

LB Keyaron Fox
4/6

LB Andre Frazier
3/16

G Chris Kemoeatu
3/12
St. Louis Rams
CB Ron Bartell
3/5

G Adam Goldberg
3/23

DE Eric Moore
3/16
San Francisco 49ers
CB Allen Rossum
3/11

LB Takeo Spikes
3/4
Seattle Seahawks
LB Leroy Hill
5/1

LB D.D. Lewis
3/16

T Ray Willis
3/9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
S Will Allen
3/3

WR Michael Clayton
3/2

WR Cortez Hankton
3/5

S Jermaine Phillips
3/6

TE Jerramy Stevens
3/5
Tennessee Titans
QB Kerry Collins
2/28

S Vincent Fuller
3/2

P Craig Hentrich
3/6
Washington Redskins
DE Phillip Daniels
4/2

LB Alfred Fincher
3/10

CB DeAngelo Hall
3/4
3) 0 RESTRICTED free agents have signed with NEWteams:

TEAM
PLAYER
FORMER TEAM
DATE REPORTED




4) 54 RESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLDteam:

TEAM
PLAYER
DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals
TE Leonard Pope
3/31

DT Gabe Watson
3/31
Atlanta Falcons
T Tyson Clabo
6/2

G Harvey Dahl
4/15
Baltimore Ravens
P Sam Koch
3/27

S Dawan Landry
4/2

TE Quinn Sypniewski
4/9

WR Demetrius Williams
4/9
Buffalo Bills
LB Keith Ellison
3/23

S George Wilson
3/31
Carolina Panthers
LB James Anderson
4/17

TE Jeff King
3/18

S Nate Salley
4/20
Cincinnati Bengals
LB Brandon Johnson
4/16

LB Rashad Jeanty
4/17
Dallas Cowboys
WR Miles Austin
4/23

DE Stephen Bowen
4/6

WR Sam Hurd
4/21

G Cory Proctor
4/2
Green Bay Packers
S Atari Bigby
4/17

CB Jarrett Bush
3/16

DE Jason Hunter
3/16

RB John Kuhn
4/17

WR Ruvell Martin
4/17
Houston Texans
WR David Anderson
3/13

T Rashad Butler
4/7

TE Owen Daniels
6/15

TE Joel Dreessen
3/4
Kansas City Chiefs
C Rudy Niswanger
4/24

S Jarrad Page
5/29

WR Jeff Webb
4/20
Minnesota Vikings
DT Fred Evans
4/6

RB Naufahu Tahi
3/27
New England Patriots
LB Pierre Woods
4/21
New Orleans Saints
G Jahri Evans
4/21

WR Lance Moore
4/22

T Zach Strief
4/13

CB Leigh Torrance
4/13
New York Giants
CB Kevin Dockery
4/13
New York Jets
S Abram Elam
3/17
Oakland Raiders
LB Ricky Brown
3/16
Philadelphia Eagles
WR Hank Baskett
4/23

C Nick Cole
3/31
Pittsburgh Steelers
T Willie Colon
3/10

S Anthony Madison
3/20

TE Sean McHugh
3/2
St. Louis Rams
DE Victor Adenyanju
4/20

G Richie Incognito
5/1
San Diego Chargers
WR Malcom Floyd
5/15

CB Cletis Gordon
4/14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
T Donald Penn
4/14
Washington Redskins
DT Kedric Golston
4/10

DT Anthony Montgomery
3/25

K Shaun Suisham
3/16
5) 0 FRANCHISE players have signed with NEWteams:

TEAM
PLAYER
FORMER TEAM
DATE REPORTED




6) 7 FRANCHISE players re-signed with their OLDteam:

TEAM
PLAYER
DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals
LB Karlos Dansby
3/4
Baltimore Ravens
LB Terrell Suggs
7/15
Carolina Panthers
DE Julius Peppers
6/24
Cincinnati Bengals
K Shayne Graham
4/30
St. Louis Rams
S Oshiomogho Atogwe
7/16
San Diego Chargers
RB Darren Sproles
4/28
Tennessee Titans
TE Bo Scaife
4/28
# # #

Change in NFL Draft: Draft moves to Three Day format with first round on Thursday Night in Primetime.

The NFL might have done the smartest thing ever in the eyes of real draft fans when they announced a change ton the format of the draft broadcast a short time ago. By moving the draft's first round to thursday night's prime time slot you draw even more viewers and even more of the "casual" football fans then ever before. you also cut a few days of late hype off of the week leading up to the start of the draft because you have the actual first round selections taking place on a weeknight. Then Rounds 2-4 on Friday and 5-7 on Saturday.

What this does for the fan is to also involve them more in the broadcast. For the People working for the teams and the media this gives them(us) an extra Day off/travel day in Sunday, so that people can file their monday stories sooner and grab some relaxation before returning to the grind. In fact, anyone looking for the draft to be shortened should be happy with the reduction in time per pick on 2008 and the format change for 2010. Even if it means one more day of coverage, it's less time on each day.

The big winners here are ESPN and NFLNetwork, because they get to add an extra day of broadcasting to their schedules. So we get an extra Day of Mel Kiper proclaiming that some other front office doesn't know how to handle their business or another chance to hear some more drivel about what some player is going to do with his bonus money instead of real football journalism like "Why did that team pass on that Runningback and take the guy who looks like he'll be packing bags at walmart next month" or how horrible that owner really is, instead of what we really want to know.

Today (Sunday 8/2/2009)

We will Broadcast two Games Live on UStream.tv at 5pm (Westchester Nighthawks vs Bergen Bears) and 7pm (Orange Sprit vs Rockland Rattlers) all times eastern. The Games will also be shown on Verizion Fios ch. 32 in most east coast states. On Tuesday night don't forget to catc the CDFL Review and coaches show at www.Blogtalkradio.com/Football-Reporters at 7:30 pm Eastern

The CDFL Broadcast team is Tammy Prince & John Kelly on Play by Play and Dr. Bill Chachkes on color commentary.