Jags not giving into Jones-Drew

Jones-Drew isn’t happy but doesn’t have much leverage

Maurice Jones-Drew has expressed displeasure with his current contract, but the Jaguars are not willing to give into his wishes for a raise. Jags general manager Gene Smith said, “He has expressed that he would like to renegotiate and we have expressed, again, that we feel he has a contract with two years left and we expect him to fulfill those obligations.”

MoJo has 2 years left on his current deal and is due a salary of $4.45 million this season. While he certainly has outperformed his current contract, he is a running back with a lot of mileage on shaky knees and the Jags are apprehensive to commit to him long term.

The Jags mini-camp begins on Tuesday and if Jones-Drew decides to skip the camp he can be fined up to $60,000. When GM Gene Smith was asked about fining the teams best offensive player he said, “That’s a decision that certainly is the head coach’s decision, And I would support that.” It remains to be seen if Jones-Drew will holdout, and it also remains to be seen if the team would be willing to fine their star. Things could get interesting if Jones-Drew gets serious about a holdout.

Roethlisberger to be a father

Big Ben has a little one on the way

Big Ben used to make headlines for his sexual acts that caused many to refer to him as “Rapelisberger”. He has since cleaned up his act and settled down with a wife. Well the man they used to call that cruel nickname announced on his website that he is going to be a father in a few months. This is another step in the right direction for cleaning up his once tarnished image, and good for Big Ben bringing a child into this world. Best of luck to Mr. and Mrs. Roethlisberger and hopefully they can have a happy and healthy child.

You can tell it is a slow news day when this is a story that gets posted..

Schaub declares himself 100 percent

Schaub has been plagued by injuries with Houston

Matt Schaub has flashed the ability to be an elite quarterback when he takes the field. The thing that has plagued Schaub throughout his tenure in Houston has been his inability to stay healthy. He and the Texans were rolling and a favorite of many for the Super Bowl before a Lisfranc injury cost him his season. The Texans managed to make the playoffs but clearly missed him after being eliminated earlier than hoped.

Schaub has not taken part in any OTAs and will sit out mini camp but has declared himself 100 percent healthy and “ready to go”. If the Texans are to build upon the success of last season, he will need to stay healthy for a complete season. If he is able to do that, the Texans could be looking at the first Super Bowl berth in team history. They certainly have the talent around him to compete with anyone.

Ochocinco to work out with Dolphins this week

The Ocho show might be headed to South Beach

Jason La Canfora reports that Chad Ochocinco will work out for the Miami Dolphins this week. The receiver was just cut by the Patriots after showing an inability to learn the playbook. Ochocinco attended Miami Beach High School and has ties to the area, so it makes sense that he wants to play there. What remains to be seen is how legitimately interested the Dolphins are in the 34 year old flamboyant receiver who had only 15 catches all of last season. He still appeared to have athleticism however, so he is at least worth a look.

The Dolphins have a very weak and inexperienced wide receiving core, so there is a place for Ocho to fit in with the team. If he shows enough in his workout, he conceivably could be a starting receiver for a team that seriously lacks palymakers. The Dolphins are also the team featured on Hard Knocks this season, and Ocho’s presence would surely liven up the show as he did back when he was on the Bengals. He likely will have to settle for a contract with barely any guarantees that is heavily incentive based, if he can even manage to get any offers. Where ever Ocho goes, he is sure to add some personality to the team, but not sure to add production.

Bar owners take note; Gronk signed to $54 million dollar extension

Didn’t think Gronk’s life could get better, but it has

Rob Gronkowski had the most prolific season for a tight end in NFL history last season. The team decided to reward Gronk with a six year, $54 million dollar extension that locks him up until he is 30 years old. The contract is actually very team friendly, as he is due only 13.23 million over the first three years and the contract is heavily back-loaded with money that is not guaranteed.

Gronkowski underwent surgery on his ankle right after the Super Bowl (well not righttttt after, we all saw his infamous dancing) but the team is obviously confident in his health after handing him this extension. It is not known how Wes Welker feels about the younger Gronk getting an extension before him, but the Patriots have their own way of doing business. The notorious party animal who proclaimed “yo soy la fiesta” has plenty of dinero to blow now. I didn’t think it possible, but Gronk’s life just got even better.

Ochocinco’s lack of football smarts led to his demise

The flamboyant WR may be out of chances

Chad Ochocinco struggled to pick up the Patriot’s extensive playbook, and it ultimately cost him his job. The Pats gave Ochocinco many chances to master the teams playbook and contribute to the team, but he was never able to do so. He struggled mightily in his first year in New England and was extremely unproductive. The team gave him another chance to come into camp and show what he had learned and were not impressed. Even after restructuring his contract to a reduced salary, it wasn’t enough to save his job.

The Boston Globe reported that Ochocinco constantly ran the wrong routes. In a precise offense like New England, running the wrong route costs you your job. The team ultimately paid him $5.75 million for just 15 catches in his lone season on the team. Bengals.com also reported that the 34 year old used to have to have T.J. Houshmandzadeh tell him where he was supposed to line up. At this stage of his career, he could no longer rely on only his athletic ability. He will likely be greeted by a very thin market and have to settle for a low contract that is heavily incentive based.

Ronnie Brown signs with Chargers

Brown’s days of being an effective runner are over

Former first round pick Ronnie Brown has signed a one year contract with the San Diego Chargers. Brown was a productive back with the Miami Dolphins but injuries sapped his explosiveness. He played for the Eagles last season and was unproductive in his limited touches. He will now back up Ryan Matthews and likely will have a similar role to the one he had last season. He managed only 42 touches last year and has only averaged 3.1 yards per carry in his last 24 games played. It probably is safe to say his days of being a productive NFL back are over, but he does pick up the blitz well and provide depth to a team short on running backs. Go nowhere near Brown in fantasy leagues.

Eli Manning ranked only 31st on NFL Networks top 100 players of 2011-12

Manning had himself an elite season

Eli Manning was disrespected greatly by last years top 100 players list by not even being on it. He went on to proclaim that he is an “elite” quarterback, and further backed it up by winning a second Super Bowl. So where does that leave Manning on this years list? How about being only 31st out of 100 this time around.

The rankings are done by a voting from players, and Manning is the 5th highest quarterback on the list. His brother Peyton, who didn’t even play one snap last season, was ranked 50th on the list. The list is supposed to be the best players from last season, so it didn’t make much sense to have Peyton on there. It just goes to show the respect that his peers have for him to still vote him in the top 50. It doesn’t speak that well for Eli that he is only 19 spots ahead of Peyton this year. You have to wonder what more Eli can do to be put in the top 30. He had 4,933 yards 29 touchdowns and only 16 interceptions in addition to winning the Super Bowl. Some media in New York is criticizing the list, believing Manning should be higher. We agree.

Mike Silver article claims 2 Saints received cash for hits during playoff win

The bounty scandal won’t go away

A new article by YahooSports columnist Mike Silver claims that Roman Harper and Jo-Lonn Dunbar received cash for hits during the Saints playoff win against the Lions. The full story is here but it basically claims that they were paid for “whacks” to the opponents during the game. The “whacks” are defined as legal hits to the opponent and not viscous or helmet to helmet. “A ‘whack’ hit isn’t a hit that injures a player,” insisted one defender who played for the Saints during Williams’ three-year tenure as coordinator. “It’s the equivalent of a ‘pancake’ for an offensive lineman – a clean hit that knocks a defender on his ass. Everyone who knows Gregg knows what that means.”

The story reports that the players are unlikely to be disciplined. Jon Vilma responded to Silver on Twitter saying, “Cmon mike silver your reaching. whacks r NOT illegal hits. defense had 0 penalites vs lions…This isnt evidence, just another weak article.” Silver responded by asking if Vilma even read the article. This is just more bad press for a team loaded with negative press.

Santonio Holmes playing nice thus far, will attend “Jets West” camp

Holmes has been on his best behavior so far

Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes are working to correct their tumultuous relationship and get on the same page. Holmes will reportedly be attending Sanchez’s “Jets West” camp in the coming weeks. Sanchez has been hosting this camp to help he and his skill position players get some extra work in and get on the same page. Holmes and Sanchez had a very public falling out at the end of last season, and it looked like their relationship could not be repaired.

It is a step in the right direction that Holmes will be going, but it remains to be seen if they can coexist all season long. Holmes is the kind of player who is at his best when he is getting the ball often and the team is winning. He becomes a nuisance when he isn’t getting touches and when the team is losing. So if the Jets are winning this year, Holmes should be fine. I have a feeling they won’t be winning and the Holmes-Sanchez rift will only grow deeper. Time will tell if I prove right or wrong. Tim Tebow also will be in attendance, so you can bet ESPN will have video coverage of the camp!