Forget March Madness- the NFL has a March Madness of their own that's just as interesting. Free agency started today (March 5th) and it came with surprises, surprises.. and oh, surprises. Who says the NFL is from September to February? Not anymore. Let's take a look at the free agency headlines around the league:

Anquan Boldin to Ravens-

My Baltimore Ravens FINALLY got a proven WR on their roster. The Ravens traded a 2010 3rd and 4th round pick for Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin and a 5th round pick. Boldin also signed a new 4 year deal, worth $28 million. This is probably the best move of the day. Not because the Ravens are my squad, but because this fills a HUGE need on a team that was in dire need of a WR.



Peppers, Taylor, Manumaleuna headed to Chicago-

The Chicago Bears have been the busiest team out of any today, as they signed DE Julius Peppers, RB Chester Taylor and TE Brandon Manumaleuna to bolster their roster. Peppers comes in to help a Bears defense ranked 13th in sacks in 2009.

Chester Taylor will look to challenge Matt Forte for the starting job at RB and Manumaleuna will be used to help block for QB Jay Cutler. While these upgrades are great, the Bears struggled to address their 2 biggest needs- WR and personnel on the offensive line. Remember, the Bears also do not have a 1st round draft pick from the Cutler trade last year. My guess is they willl address these issues in the draft, but I'm shocked they didn't at least make an attempt in free agency.



Vanden Bosch reunites with Schwartz in Detroit-

Titans DT Kyle Vanden Bosch signed a 4-year, $26 million deal to reunite him with his former defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz. The Lions have also been busy today, acquiring WR Nate Burleson and T Corey Williams to new deals. All 3 signings are great pickups for the Lions. Vanden Bosch played his best years in Schwartz's defense. The additions of Burleson and Williams brings depth to a rebuilding Lions team. I like what Schwartz is doing with this squad.



Robinson To Falcons To Bolster Defensive Backfield-

CB Dunta Robinson agreed in principle to a 6 year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. I was really hoping the Ravens would pursue Robinson, because he would be a great asset to just about any defense. But I realized, the Falcons defense is pretty bad. They could use him a lot more than we could.

Cribbs, Brackett, Wilfork Staying Put- The Browns finally gave return specialist Josh Cribbs a new deal. It is believed the 3 year deal has $7 million guaranteed. Cribbs is the brightest spot on the Browns. Had he left, it would've got ugly in Cleveland. Colts LB Gary Brackett and Patriots DT Vince Wilfork also signed new deals to stay with their respected organizations.

Brandon Marshall A Seahawk??

Looks like BMarsh is just as shocked as I am about the news. We don't know for sure but the disgruntled Broncos receiver is scheduled to meet with Seattle tomorrow. Denver is really looking to finally get rid of this headache in #15, and only added a 1st round tender on Marshall if a team does decide to add him to their roster. The bigger issue with Seattle is, who is going to throw to him? Matt Hasslebeck looks like his career is on a major decline, due to injury and Seneca Wallace doesn't seem to be the clear cut answer at QB either. Watching where Marshall goes will be interesting to see in the coming days or weeks.

Carolina Panthers Has Garage Sale- That's what it seems like,. The Panthers let Peppers go, and released Maake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, Na'il Diggs, Landon Johnson and the biggest shocker in QB Jake Delhomme. It's a shock to me, because Delhomme JUST received a new contract this time last year, with $20 million guaranteed. Although Delhomme sucked during the 2008 playoffs and the 2009 season, the fact they the Panthers still owe him $12.6 million after dumping him is a HUGE deal in the NFL.

From the looks of this press conference, Delhomme was just as shocked as I was.




Keep ya head up Jake!

The Biggest Surprise Of The Day Goes To..................................

The Washington Redskins for being QUIET during the first day of free agency! Who would ever think that Mike Shanahan could come in and bring normalcy to a dysfunctional franchise in just a short time. Congrats to you, Redskins, for not overpaying old players who are shells of their former selves.

Remember the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? It rings so true to many situations. And with the NFL Competition Committee pondering the change of OT in the playoffs, what better way for me to express my thoughts about it, then with such a true statement.

If you haven't heard by now, the NFL competition committee will discuss a possible change in OT rules during the NFL playoffs. The change would include both teams getting possession of the ball in OT, similar to college football's current system. However, if the team that wins the coin toss scores a TD and not a FG in their first possession, the game would be over.

Most folks love the fact that this is being reviewed and taken into consideration and that a change is LONG overdue. I disagree, big time. I'm all about change (I voted for Obama!), but only when needed. Not everything needs to change. Here's why I think the rule should stay the same:

For Starters, The Coin Toss Doesn't Guarantee A Win
According to SI's Peter King, 59.4% of coin flip winners, win the game. Okay so that's close to 60%. But 60% isn't a guaranteed win. When I was in high school, 60 wasn't even a passing grade. While it's still a greater chance at winning, it's not a huge advantage that the team who wins the toss will win the game.


Longer Games Will Make My A.D.D. Kick In
Football is probably the only thing that doesn't affect my uber short attention span. But if they change the rules, I'm almost certain this will change, and that would be such a shame. Once we start tinkering with OT rules, we have to look at the possibility of longer games. I love football with all of my heart. But watching long drawn out games is not what's up. If both teams kick FGs in OT, they get an additional 15 (or whatever) minutes to play in a sudden death scenario. That just added at LEAST another 20-30 mins on an already long game.

My attention span just isn't that long to sit through 4+ hours of the same game, I'm sorry. If I wanted to watch long, drawn out games then I'd watch baseball.



Kickers Would No Longer Feel The Pressure- What's The Fun In That???
Kickers have the easiest job of just about any position, in any major sport. They get paid to kick balls. That's it! One roster space reserved for a dude to kick balls. And if you watched many games in 2009, then you saw that a lot of them can't even do that right. In the current OT, kickers can come in and win the game for their team... or they can miss and give the opposing team new life because it swings the momentum. So now, you're telling me that with these new OT rules, the kicker no longer feel as much pressure for a "must win" kick when they get to field goal range. Kickers get paid for clutch kicks, that's what they are supposed to do! And now we're trying to give them more reason to sit back, chill and collect a paycheck. This will be your kicker's reaction if the OT rules change:

Sebastian Janikowski is somewhere stanky legging, as we speak.


What About The Other 60 Minutes???
Yeah... remember the 60 minutes in REGULATION???? Whatever happened to playing hard during the first 4 quarters so you don't have to result in OT? I know I can't be the only person thinking, "If you did your job during the first 60 minutes, you wouldn't be in such a compromising situation anyway...." That's too much like right I guess. But I'm just saying.... maybe you won't find yourself at such a crossroad if you did what you were supposed.

My mama always said , "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". NFL, please.... listen to my mama. Leave the OT rules alone.

This weekend was a great weekend for sports. The USA Hockey team was so close to beating Canada in the Olympics before succumbing in OT. Kobe finally beat the Nuggets this season. The CIAA Tournament was held this weekend. But the football lover in me was excited about one thing: The NFL Combine.

The NFL Combine was in full effect this weekend, with college players showing their athleticism and skill for the entire 32 teams to see, in hopes of getting drafted on Draft Day. A lot of fans LOVE Draft Day but will dismiss the idea of the NFL Combine (which is now a part of the NFL Network's telecast). But to me, The NFL Combine and Draft Day are siblings. Think about it this way .... if it weren't important, why would coaches and front office execs take the time to head to Indy year in and out, to take a look at future NFL prospects, so close to the beginning of free agency?


For those that don't care much for the Combine, I understand that watching people run 40 yard dashes, do vertical jumps and bench pressing isn't your idea of what "must see TV" is supposed to be. But if you're a football fanatic like myself, it WILL help you get a clearer idea on a player that your team may think can be a real asset to them.

For instance, let's take a look at Florida's Tim Tebow. Tebow had a pretty bad outing during the Senior Bowl and his stock dropped tremendously. Some folks projected him to be nothing higher than a 3rd round pick. But Tebow participated in this weekend's combine.

Even though he didn't throw or bench press this weekend, Tebow excelled in the 10-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and 3-cone drill. I know what you are thinking... Tebow is a QB so these things seem pointless to a guy at his position. And you may have a point. But imagine if Tebow added a poor Combine outing to an already dismal Senior Bowl performance. It would have hurt his case more than helped. Tebow will participate in the Gators' Pro Day on March 17th, and if all goes well, he could be moved up to an early 2nd round pick, or even a late 1st rounder. Tebow has the Combine to thank for breathing new life into his possible NFL career.

The Combine also shows how good players can actually be in the making to be great players. I watched Maryland OL Bruce Campbell this weekend and I was in awe. I was high on Campbell prior to the Combine. But after watching him this weekend, his draft stock went up in just a matter of hours. Campbell's speedy 40-yard dash time (4.78) and showing quick feet and poise during drills showed it should be hard for many teams to overlook Campbell's athleticism, and how he can possibly make a team better at protecting their bread and butter- the QB.

But for me, the best reason to watch the Combine has to be watching men in great shape, run around in fitted clothes, showing off their athletic bodies. Hey, sorry... I had to go there.. I'm still a girl, and you're damn right I'm checking out physiques!

God Bless American Football!

If you haven't gotten a chance to check out the Combine, watch NFL Network or ESPNews, who has updates regularly. Or simply go online to NFL.com and watch a live stream of the Combine.

Former Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson broke my heart today..... during his press conference on his release, Tomlinson cried like a newborn baby. When I first heard about it, I kinda chuckled. But then I saw the video and it actually made me empathize with him and what he was going through. This is the team that drafted him, the only team he's ever known and the team he gave his best years to. And he was saying goodbye.

LT definitely wears his emotions on his sleeve during the press conference. And to think, my twitter partner and good friend @FoxxyBagLady thought LT fit the perfect description of an UnSub, for lack of emotion (UnSub = Unidentified Suspect.. on one of those criminal shows.. and yes Foxxy, I'm calling you out LOL!)

Hopefully LT will find a new home and move on. But this was one sad farewell....

Dear Ozzie Newsome,

First off, let me commend you. You're one of the best GMs in this league, alongside Bill Polian, Bill Belichick and A.J. Smith. I trust your judgment in free agency and on draft day to the fullest. You've brought more diamonds than cubic zirconias to this still-growing Baltimore Ravens organization. You're awesome at what you do and for that, I thank you personally.

Okay, enough of the brown nosing. Let's get to the point of this open letter. The Ravens are a good team. I can't complain there. With the addition of Coach Harbs and Cam Cameron, the Ravens have once again become a quality team and have the tools to be consistent in the playoffs every year. But that's simply not enough anymore. Fans have tasted the playoffs for 2 consecutive years, (the first since 2000-2001 seasons) and even an AFC Championship appearance. But now, we are ready to take the next step- A Super Bowl berth and another Lombardi Trophy on display at The Castle-AKA-1 Winning Dr, Owings Mills, MD. So I'm sending this letter out of love. With the NFL Combine and draft coming, I figured I could help you with the glaring problems we have. You know.... in case you're too busy to notice.

The first thing the Ravens need is an upgrade at WR. They needed it last year, and they damn sure need it a year later. Their top 3 WRs on the team-Mason, Clayton and Washington- all are free agents. They were aiiiight for the 2009 season. But we still needed a #1 WR on this team to help Joe Flacco develop into the QB we all want him to be. And with all of them set to test the waters of free agency, this could get real ugly. The addition of Donte Stallworth was cool, especially since it was for peanuts. But let's be real, dude is a #3 WR at best. We need a #1. My suggestion- Bring back Mason, offer Clayton a deal, and make a move for Malcolm Floyd OR push for a Anquan Boldin/Brandon Marshall trade.


I like the idea of drafting the likes of Dez Bryant, Jordan Shipley or Golden Tate to this roster. But let's be real, your drafting of WRs has been like a game of Russian Roulette. Bring in an established guy who will help this team immediately and help my man Joe out.

The Ravens also need a CB, almost as bad as they do a WR. Fabian Washington is nothing but speedy CB who can't cover, LarDarius Webb may not be 100% by training camp, and Frank Walker sure as hell doesn't give me great confidence when he steps onto the field. It's cool if we could draft one this year. But if you take my advice and trade for Boldin or Marshall, then my guess is the 1st round pick is a goner. My next suggestion to you: Looking into Dunta Robinson. The Texans have said they are not going to franchise tag him for a 2nd year. We could really use a guy like him on this defense. Another suggestion is Antonio Cromartie of the San Diego Chargers. AJ Smith says he's shopping him around, and at one point the Ravens staff loved Cromartie coming out of the draft. He hasn't played as well he has did in previous years, but with Ray Ray being the ultimate motivator, I'm sure we can get more out of him.

Also, I need you to get rid of Frank Walker, the walking yellow flag, and bring in Leigh Bodden as a nickel corner. While I don't think Bodden is a starter like he used to be, he would be a great addition to this team for 3 or more wideout situations. I wanted him last year, but you didn't hear my plea. Well, I'm saying it again, so this time you can get the picture.

And lastly Oz.... I can call you Oz, right?! Lastly, please re-sign Haltoi Ngata soon, before it's too late. Ngata has 2 years left from his rookie deal and has played better and better as the years have gone on. Haloti finally got recognition and was voted to his first Pro Bowl this past season. But you and I both know he should have been added after his 2nd NFL season. Dude is a beast!

If you wait until his contract is up, he will almost guarantee more money than he would if you did it now. We saw what happened with Chris McAlister and Terrell Suggs, tagging them for 2 years before signing them to new deals. Let's not do that to Haloti. He's a great player and a good guy. Let's give him what he's due... Go ahead and pay that man.

That's it for now. Again, you rock. But this Ravens fan is tired of getting a taste and not getting it all. With the uncapped year and possible stoppage coming, the time is now to start gearing up. I'm not asking you to spend crazy money. I'm asking you to look into these avenues because we are a couple of key pieces away from being kinda like a big deal. I think I've covered everything the Ravens need to do immediately. Let me know if you need any more advice. I'm willing to help out anyway I can.

Sincerely,


Your Ravens Fan, Reeta-The NFL Chick

P.S.- Is it too much to ask about looking into bringing Julius Peppers here?! It is??? Okay....................................

The Philadelphia Eagles made a surprising move (to me, anyway) in releasing RB Brian Westbrook today.

The former 3rd rounder was asked to take a pay cut from his $7.25 million dollar expected salary for the 2010 season. One can speculate that Westbrook declined their offer and was released.

Westbrook was a dual threat for the Eagles offense. Westbrook averaged 4.6 years per carry throughout his career (he ran for 5,995 yards) and averaged 8.9 yards in passing (he had 3790 receiving yards). While Westbrook was a great weapon for the Eagles, he was also injury prone. He never played for an entire season, due to injury.

Westbrook will be 31 in March, which is pretty old for a RB in the NFL. But with his ability to catch out of the backfield, teams will be intrigued to add him to their roster, for the right price ($2-$3 million per year, my guess).

It will be interesting to see where Westbrook heads from here. It will be very weird seeing him in a non-Eagles jersey.Good luck to you, bruh. May the force be with you.

The Chargers released their most productive players in team history today, after cutting ties with RB LaDainian Tomlinson. This wasn't a surprise to anyone, especially Tomlinson. The Chargers RB (who folks affectionately call him "L.T.") reported not long ago that he expected his release from the team this offseason.

The 5th overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft, Tomlinson had one of the most productive decades of any RB (he rushed for 12,490 yards, 8th in NFL history, since playing in the league). Most remember Tomlinson's most productive season in 2006 , where he rushed for a league-leading 1815 yards and 28 TDs. LT also had a solid 2007 season when he rushed for 1474 yards and scored 15 rushing TDs. But once the 2007 playoffs came around, Tomlinson caught the injury bug and has never fully recovered since.

Tomlinson's numbers declined drastically for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He rushed for a total of 1840 for those 2 seasons, only 25 more than his entire 2006 total. He also watched as the Chargers gave RB Darren Sproles some more reps in the backfield and played a diminished role in the Chargers high powered offense.

What will happen next with the Chargers RB hole is a mystery. It's been reported that the Chargers are looking to trade CB Antonio Cromartie for a possible RB to fill the void of LT's release.



From the Chargers twitter account were the following quotes from Chargers front office:

[Dean] Spanos (Chargers President) : "This is a part of the business that I hate, and it's particularly hard when you’re dealing with someone I consider a friend"

A.J. Smith (General Manager) : "He's a future Hall of Famer. My only regret is that he leaves San Diego without a Super Bowl ring"
It will be interesting to see what happens with LT from here. Will he sign to another team or will he retire? He can always go onto DTWS or get into the karaoke business...... remember this?!