On Its Surface, This Trade Seems Weird.

Apparently Randy Moss has received his ticket out of Oakland, and he's headed to....New England?!?

Yes, that's right. Apparently the Hobo Genius has decided to take on the outspoken/troubled/what-have-you receiver for a fourth round pick, but not without some obvious changes, both financial and otherwise. Moss will renegotiate his contract to fit with the Patriots' priorities, but there is this paragraph:

Far more important to coach Bill Belichick than any financial concessions by Moss, though, are the promises by the nine-year veteran receiver that he will fit into the Patriots' culture, an atmosphere in which players are expected to subjugate personal performance for team goals. Moss has long been one of Belichick's favorite players, in part because of his competitive nature and desire to step to the forefront at critical junctures of games, but the Pats' coach would not have made the deal without being comfortable that it is a good fit for everyone.

Apparently the rest of the front office (GM Scott Pioli) and locker room (Tom Brady, probably Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour) leaders have signed off on this, and that there will be enough leadership in the locker room to mitigate any sort of "threat" Moss poses to team chemistry, if his word isn't good.

My judgment is that most of Moss' on-the-field shortcomings have come because he's played for organizations that aren't as stringent, structured, and disciplined as the Patriots (also mediocre organizations) -- where there aren't really any organizational (rather than PR) consequences for admitting that you slack off, etc. However, he can't fuck around on the Hobo. It's a good trade for a fourth-round pick. Moss is not T.O., not by a long shot, and the Hobo has had players before that had reps as malcontents (see Dillon, Corey.)

Ricky And The Rams?

It sounds like Rams coach Scott Linehan is highly interested in Ricky Williams if the running back is reinstated by the NFL after his suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy (although he probably shouldn't have said so publicly.)

But by all rights, he ought to be. Williams is a capable backup, and that's what St. Louis needs in a league largely going to two-back systems to cut down on wear and tear. While having Stephen Steven Jackson as your starter cuts off any need for alternating series, carries, etc., it's always good to have an insurance policy. We don't really know where and or if Ricky fits in with Cam Cameron's new regime down in South Florida. Linehan knows Williams, having served as the Dolphins' O-coordinator under Nick Saban prior to leaving for St. Louis.

It completely depends on what Miami management would want in exchange for him, however, because he's still under contract with the Dolphins. To more practical matters, let's note that Ricky is 30 -- not completely gone, but this is the age where running backs usually lose a bit more in the tank. Still, perfect capability for a backup RB, and the Rams could probably land him for a late first-day draft choice. Anything higher than third round pick wouldn't be worth the trouble, though.

Also, expect a nice letter from Big Rog about the whole spiel, Coach Linehan -- that would be called "tampering."

Giving Up Without Even Trying.

That is pretty much all you can say about the trade that will send Atlanta's backup QB Matt Schaub to Houston, and basically end David Carr's career in Houston before it even got a chance to develop.

David Carr has been royally screwed in several years with the Texans, bearing the brunt of the front office's inability to build an actual offensive line to give him some decent time to throw the ball instead of getting pounded and placed on his ass for at least 30 something times per season with the ball still in his hands. He had to continue to tolerate bad offensive lines and the Houston fanbase's screaming for Reggie Bush and Vince Young instead of Houston's drafting of Mario Williams (when your second round pick at LB outplays your first round DE when it comes to getting in the backfield and making plays, then maybe you might consider that you made a bad call there.)

Either way, some NFL team with an O-line will be happy to have Carr when, not if, he's put on the trade market. Pacifist Viking is probably still dying for the Minny front office to get on this like white on rice.

Schaub will get the chance he has long deserved after sitting behind Michael Vick as an insurance policy if the erratic quarterback ever fell completely out of favor in Atlanta, but Bobby Perino wants to put it all on Vick (rightfully so) and to do that, you have to stop the QB controversy for the time being. However, Schaub has no wins as a starter, and if Houston does nothing with their O-line again, he'll be looking for a while until he gets that win.

UPDATE: Schaub just got PAID IN FULL, people -- $48 big large over six years from his new team, and ESPNews is saying that Carr will be on the way out in the next couple of days. Brad Childress, please have your GM pick up the goddamn telephone!)

ink and wheels NFL #3.

And this one's a biggie. The Ravens just dealt draft picks (two this year, one next year) to the Bills and nabbed Willis McGahee, and they're already cranking on a contract extension (as seems to be the universal practice these days).

Baltimore is again the favorite in the AFC Central until further notice. You have no idea how much it hurts to type that, but of course, this is a serious upgrade. Why Buffalo wanted to shop him over comments about having the team move to Toronto and working out in Miami in the off-season (when you draft someone from the U, you ought to expect this by now) is a mystery.

as the ink dries and the wheels turn.

NFL offseason update, most info courtesy of the Big Lead (NFL Bukakke Party? Works for me!) and the rest cribbed from around the web, like this Yahoo column:

LB Joey Porter to the Dolphins -- Like Miami's D-line and linebacking corps isn't nasty enough already. Chad Pennington and J.P. Losman are gonna see some turf against the Dolphins next season.

RB Thomas Jones traded to Jets - At least one of those three sitting on the J-E-T-S hoard of no-name running backs will be cut. Jones gets what he wants, but remember that despite the improvements, the Jets got into the playoffs courtesy of an easy back-half schedule. Thomas may miss Chicago very soon.

QBs Jeff Garcia (free agency) and Jake Plummer (trade) to Tampa Bay - Plummer's retired, Garcia will win the starting job from Simms -- which won't really matter because TB won't have an O-line to speak of, so he'll look bad too.

QB Brad Johnson to the Cowboys - replace one non-mobile backup with another.

QB Joey Harrington and TE Randy McMichael released from Miami -- Fins, please note risk taken with a highly touted QB who couldn't win the big game, and keep that in mind if Brady Quinn falls to your draft spot at #9.

Patrick Kerney to the Seahawks - Atlanta loses another defensive player when it can't afford to; I'm pissed the Broncos didn't lock him up.

CB Nate Clements to SF - We all know the 80 million is backloaded. Walt Harris would like to talk about his contract, Mr. York...

OT Leonard Davis to the Cowboys - Failing upwards. Goes from the weak link in a very weak Cardinals offensive line to receiving the biggest signing bonus in Cowboys history.

FB Ovie Mughelli to the Falcons - Good fullback. Not exactly Lorenzo Neal, just look at Jamal Lewis 3.6 yards per carry (lowest among the top free agent RBs.) Lo earns his $5 mil in signing bonus. No one ought to be getting paid more than Lo in the fullback category.

who should be the next member of the Factory?

That is, Mike Shanahan's Tailback Factory. The Broncos have addressed the secondary with the Dre Bly deal, but doing so requires nailing down a stud at RB to replace the fumble-prone Tatum Bell -- this is of utmost importance because said RB will be responsible for pounding holes in order to score and take pressure off Jay Cutler to win games with his arm alone. The Broncos have not had a serious feature back since Clinton Portis was dealt for Champ Bailey (and the Broncos got the better of that deal given Portis' injury problems -- if he doesn't get hurt as often, everyone wins.) Most observers note that the Denver O-line can be counted on to produce a 1,000 yard rusher every year, but it's instructive that the team has rarely advanced past the first weekend of the playoffs post back-to-back titles without Terrell Davis (and, of course, John Elway, but we're talking RBs here.)

Ahman Green has inked with the Texans, so he's out. Fortunately, there are five good options possible (old Denver Post article, but mentions these four names)-- two by trade, three* (please see the update/correction below) by free agency. They are profiled in my personal preferred order:

1. Willis McGahee, Buffalo Bills -- if he can be stolen from Buffalo (and the Broncos are willing to ditch lower draft picks), then he's the man to grab for a contract year and try to nail down for an extension. Only 25, with a couple of full seasons under his belt, he's young enough to run as much as the Broncos like to, and still got just under 1,000 yards this season while missing two games. I still question why Buffalo is even shopping him.

2. Travis Henry, cut by Tennessee Titans - 28 with a 3rd 1,000 yard season out of six total years in the league. Suffered bouts of fumble-itis in Buffalo -- part of why Buffalo got McGahee in the first place, but revived himself on the Titans by giving VY a back to go to. Probably the best back currently on the free agent market -- might not be coming cheap.

3. Thomas Jones, Chicago Bears - two straight 1,000 yard seasons, age 27. Probably can thrive as a feature back, but I'm not sure the Bears will take him for an offer that doesn't knock their socks off (likely something requiring a stud defensive player or place where they can draft one), especially because rumor in Chicago is the players prefer him to his tag-team mate Cedric Benson.

4.. Jamal Lewis, cut by Baltimore Ravens - 27, only one season w/o a 1,000 yard season, but yards-per-carry dropped dramatically post 2003-season (well, they had to, 2,000 yard seasons don't exactly come every year). 3.6 yards per carry last year**. Prone to off-field troubles. Ravens probably cut him to try and re-sign him for less money more than anything else.

UPDATE: Forgot one. (**This addition also removes the "lowest yds per carry of the group" from Jamal Lewis.)

5. Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts -- Has had a 1,000 yd season on his own, but most of last year's highlights belonged to Joseph Addai, and I suspect Indy would be OK with letting him go after his recent DUI arrest. Got 3.4 a carry last year. Not bad with the receiving stats. Should have split the Super Bowl MVP with Addai, but not exactly what you think of when you think of "franchise running back," and despite recent plug-and-play backs in the past few years, the Broncos could use one if they're going to stand a decent chance of another Super Bowl.

If you want someone teaming up with Mike Bell, you probably take a flyer on Lewis first and then try Rhodes. I'm not sure the Bears will get rid of Jones. Henry is visiting soon, and while inconsistent in other venues, the OL turns mediocre backs into 1,000 yard rushers. McGahee is the prize, though.

It's also highly likely that none of them will be a Bronco, as Shanahan may just pluck another back out of the draft and throw him in with Bell.

is there an NFL term for "hot stove league"?

Because the NFL's is on at midnight tonight. The WWL provides a handy-dandy list of the 30 big free agent names for teams to lap up this offseason.

Meanwhile, my Broncos have found their replacement for the dearly and sadly departed Darrent Williams by dealing RB Tatum Bell and OT George Foster to Detroit for CB and ball-hawker extraordinaire Dre' Bly -- one of the few bright spots on those Lions teams. T. Bell is coming off a thousand-yard season, but has problems with fumble-itis and may actually want a semi-fresh start, as Williams was his close friend and teammate going back to their OK State days.

This automatically turns the Broncos into one of the top corner teams in the league, and even though safety John Lynch is getting older and losing steps, he's still one of the nastiest bastards when it comes to hitting. (I was one of those who would bet that D-Will was going to have a monster year in '07, so I thought the Broncos would be a nasty secondary regardless.)

Teams won't want to pass against these guys come next season. Would have been nice to take a stab at the Bills' Nate Clements, but Shanahan likes to get his guys for cheap on the free agent market or through trade and extension signing (see Champ Bailey, Javon Walker.)

Presumably, the departure of Tatum means the starting job is Mike Bell's to lose again, although it's safe to say that the Rat Fink will have a stable of runners for the the Halfback Factory once again.

another reason hockey is the balls.

Because unlike the NBA, the trade deadline in the NHL means at least one blockbuster trade damn near every year (as well as a bunch of smaller ones) as GMs get ready to make their Cup runs. My personal and sentimental favorite has always been when the Avs snagged Patrick Roy from the Habs. This year's last-second biggie is Bill Guerin heading from the Blues to the Sharks, who clearly want to go all in for the run against Nashville (who dealt for Peter Forsberg a week ago) and Anaheim in the Western Conference (already loaded with the Brothers Niedermayer, Selanne, and Chris Pronger.)

Source rumor on Yahoo that has not officially been confirmed: Oilers' Ryan Smyth to the Islanders -- Smyth and Edmonton couldn't work out an extension and he's in a contract year; if true and confirmed, good for the Isles. They're one point out of a playoff spot behind Carolina at this point, and offensive help is a good idea.

Also worth noting: The Red Wings bring in Philly's Kyle Calder and the douchebag Todd Bertuzzi; the Avs are still having bad luck with goalies and have dealt for another one.

running back wheeling and dealing.

For whatever unfathomable reason, the Buffalo Bills are apparently interested in shopping around franchise RB Willis McGahee (likely to the Giants), afraid that he will walk after his contract year and they won't get anything in return. Unless it gets desperate, why would you even attempt to do this? It betrays every instinct to protect J.P. Losman, who has this year to prove he's a half-decent starter instead of an inconsistent wreck from week to week. The Bills put up a good fight last year in a division with two playoff teams -- there is absolutely no reason to throw it away now. What incentive or message does that send to Losman and the rest of the team, when they will likely have to live or die by his arm, since any replacemetn will be sub-McGahee quality? Running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL at times, but it makes no sense to toss a good one out there for trade offers at this point.

The Bears are ahead of the game when it comes to completely disassembling an NFC champion: letting D-coordinator Ron Rivera go, being chintzy about paying head coach Lovie Smith what he's worth, franchising LB Lance Briggs instead of paying up, and now, it looks like Thomas Jones wants out instead of splitting time with Cedric Benson. While Jones' desire to be the featured back for an organization is understandable, he's probably going to run into this situation again, as more and more teams go to the running back duo as the preferred trend in order to maximize looks and keep backs from getting too banged up too quickly. Why you would want out of a Super Bowl team (and one with a decent chance to go back so long as the NFC North is the mess that it is) is beyond me, but that hasn't stopped any pro athlete from thinking he'd be better off in another venue. Jones used to play for Arizona, and maybe he ought to ask Edgerrin James how that aiming for money and individual work turns out sometimes.

a rocky road out of town.

The Rockies are looking to unload the last tie with any aspirations of being a winning franchise, and rumor has it that first baseman Todd Helton is headed for the Red Sox, of all places (they need to amass more talent like I need a hole in the head; Boston fans, your baseball team is acting like the fucking Yankees).

(Note: originally, the opening sentence noted Helton was a tie with the Wild Card team, and that's been corrected, as he was drafted in '95 but didn't play until '97.)

Helton is probably still what Denver fans think of when they think of the Rockies (which is probably barely, and when they don't think "losers" and "fuck Coors" for overpricing every concession in the damn stadium.) Outfielders Larry Walker and Dante Bichette were the other two (and more famous) of what local announcers commonly called the "Blake Street Bombers", but Helton was the home-grown deal for a new franchise; a University of Tennessee alum (fun fact: he was the Vols' QB pre-Peyton) brought up from Triple A in the Springs. After that season, Helton was one of the few reliable hitters, always in the All-Star discussion if not the team's sole rep each year while Bichette and Walker fought injury (Walker was dealt to St. Louis and Bichette gave up the ghost; I think I still have a "Bichette Happens" T-shirt in a box somewhere -- not one of my prouder moments) and the team suffered while giving up millions to pitchers who saw their ERAs inflate at Coors Field (e.g., Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle.)

If and when he is dealt, the Rockies will officially become the NL's version of the Royals, or, more accurately, les Expos nouvelles (I'm guessing on the French) -- a team consisting of castoffs and young players that will be poached or sold off at the earliest opportunity, and it's sad to see a team that I had good times with fall into that sort of drudgery, especially in a very weak division.

Raider schadenfreude.

Someone please tell me that hiring Lane Kiffin as the Raiders' new head coach wasn't a decision along the lines of, "Well, we couldn't get our preferred USC O-coordinator, so let's hire the other one!" It's not a bad hire by any stretch, but as much as I hate the Raiders, I've always thought they should suck it up and make Rob Ryan the head coach. The guy looks like he ought to be the head coach of the Raiders.

I wish Kiffin well; he'll need it.

For more possibly questionable actions by the Raiders, WBRS Sports Blog is all over the rumor posted on Ben Maller yesterday that suggested Al Davis wants to deal the #1 pick plus both Randy Moss and Jerry Porter to Atlanta for Ron Mexico. Most people would call such an idea highway robbery in the Falcons' favor; I'd say such a deal would be akin to robbing three casinos Ocean's Eleven-style with every security guard giving you the keys.