Mushin Muhammed... RELEASED! Ty Law ... RELEASED!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Just when you thought it was safe!!!

[Bill Dungsroman]

Troy Brown...released!

Roman Phifer...released!

There was a big argument over the Patriots' roster moves on sports radio. A source in BAHSTAHN sez it's essentially the Pats using their rep as a dynasty as a bargaining chip, as well as verbiage along the lines of "We want you, but this is all we can pay you." Indeed, Brown may re-sign, just at less cash. Many decry the move anyway, because it's not hard to see that Brown played like a team (even league) MVP. But, he wants 1.3 mil or more (or rather, that's what Jerry Rice is pricing himself at, and Brown evidently is desiring more, the sources say). Okay, yes he filled in at CB extremely well, and he took less last year. Many say he lost some contract incentives since he wasn't on offense. Well, the only real bonus he has (since he's the #4 WR) is catches, 50 specifically. He only got 40 in '03, and he didn't even play the first month of '04. They just can't pay him.

Law, I can only assume, is a gamble the Pats figure they can make because hey, we took home the Lombardi without him, didn't we? That's some decent caproom, letting him go. Yeah, but Bruschi may never be able to return and if Pfifer stays gone, that's a big turnover in one offseason.

Figure if Bruschi can come back, and the Pats collect some more dudes who are sick of losing and don't what you pay them, they'll still be in good shape.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I would love it if the Saints took Troy Brown. It would be one of the best signings the team ever made, which is kind of sad, but still. Instant upgrade to our special teams and receiving corps (Jerome Pathon, who fights the ball like it was shrieking obscenities at his mother mid-flight, will be released any time now) and the Saints really need someone who can say, "Focus!" to the rest of them approximately 69,105 times during the season.

Unfortunately, GM Mickey Loomis took a break from counting beans to give out two conflicting reports on free agency. He first stated that the Saints will not be players. That's always fantastic. It's like being at a porn shoot and being asked to hold the boom mic. He later tried to justify it by saying that the team is not in dire straits like it was when we signed Blake, Horn, Norman Hand and so forth before the 2000 season, but this team left $11 million on the table last year without doing those tricks that the Eagles do to get it to roll over for this season. Loomis then said that we'd be getting guys after all! What a pussy. We won't, of course.

I get the Pats dropping Ty Law. What kills me is that no team adjusted to the Pats' banged-up secondary like Bellichick would have if he was playing the 04 Pats. The Colts lost the championship game well before it started -- I was one of the people who thought they were going to win because I couldn't believe they wouldn't start that game lining Harrison, Wayne, Stokley, Clark, Pollard and Edge up five wide. The field conditions were shit, but they were as good as they were going to be at the beginning of the game. The worst guy in that mix is better than the best receiver on some teams. Just incredible that the Colts tried to establish the run first. I think I missed the first few drives of the Steelers - Pats game, but I don't recall them going all out on that secondary either. The Patriots have a mystique about them that -- in my opinion -- makes other teams react as if they are trying to work up the nerve to ask them to the spring formal. Not that they weren't the best team in the NFL, they were, but my Front Page Sports 98 team would have at least taken the lead on them at one point because I exclusively line up in the shotgun and go five wide. I will take the matchup of computer generated player "Todd Hinton" over that guy from LSU who was just a college student that Bellichick brought in (who played like a shut-down corner for them for the most part) every time. Every time!!

(On the other hand, the players on that FPS team are not, technically, real. Advantage: 04 Pats.)

I have one 49ers take that I haven't given to anyone yet. You know you've been a successful franchise when something like Matt Leinart's decision to stay at USC doesn't get you made fun of. Leinart, unless really awkward or pussywhipped like David Carr, is probably in a situation that happens to maybe 10 or 20 guys his age in a decade: he's the top guy at a real school in California and most likely banging a different top shelf broad every night. Everyone loves college, everyone loves college girls and everything I understand about California indicates that the college-age girls there are really hot. You'd have to be insane to leave that in order to get pummelled by linebackers over the course of 16 weeks. The thing to be proud of about the Niners is that the media has not really turned it around and made your organization a laughing stock because of it. If the Cardinals or Lions had that top pick those teams would be SKEWERED by the protypical lazy sportswriter. So there's that.

What direction are they going in, any way? Are they going to give Rattay another chance to stay healthy?

[Bill Dungsroman]

I would love it if the Saints took Troy Brown. It would be one of the best signings the team ever made, which is kind of sad, but still. Instant upgrade to our special teams and receiving corps (Jerome Pathon, who fights the ball like it was shrieking obscenities at his mother mid-flight, will be released any time now) and the Saints really need someone who can say, "Focus!" to the rest of them approximately 69,105 times during the season.

Unfortunately, GM Mickey Loomis took a break from counting beans to give out two conflicting reports on free agency. He first stated that the Saints will not be players. That's always fantastic. It's like being at a porn shoot and being asked to hold the boom mic. He later tried to justify it by saying that the team is not in dire straits like it was when we signed Blake, Horn, Norman Hand and so forth before the 2000 season, but this team left $11 million on the table last year without doing those tricks that the Eagles do to get it to roll over for this season. Loomis then said that we'd be getting guys after all! What a pussy. We won't, of course.

You're a funny, funny guy, ICJ. You know who you need to pick up. A NEW HEAD COACH. I don't know if I've ever seen a coach try so hard to get fired and not. Wow. Incidentally, I want Troy Brown too SOB.

I get the Pats dropping Ty Law. What kills me is that no team adjusted to the Pats' banged-up secondary like Bellichick would have if he was playing the 04 Pats. The Colts lost the championship game well before it started -- I was one of the people who thought they were going to win because I couldn't believe they wouldn't start that game lining Harrison, Wayne, Stokley, Clark, Pollard and Edge up five wide. The field conditions were shit, but they were as good as they were going to be at the beginning of the game. The worst guy in that mix is better than the best receiver on some teams. Just incredible that the Colts tried to establish the run first. I think I missed the first few drives of the Steelers - Pats game, but I don't recall them going all out on that secondary either. The Patriots have a mystique about them that -- in my opinion -- makes other teams react as if they are trying to work up the nerve to ask them to the spring formal. Not that they weren't the best team in the NFL, they were, but my Front Page Sports 98 team would have at least taken the lead on them at one point because I exclusively line up in the shotgun and go five wide. I will take the matchup of computer generated player "Todd Hinton" over that guy from LSU who was just a college student that Bellichick brought in (who played like a shut-down corner for them for the most part) every time. Every time!!

Agreed. No team in the league has ever made its opponents so afraid of making a mistake. Some teams' defenses (Bucs, Ravens, Dallas, Pittsburgh) have made their opponents afraid that they themselves will come at you with some trick to mess you up, but the Patriots are patient, maddeningly so. Because except for this last Superbowl, they converted a high percentage of their turnovers into points or at least a longer field and smaller clock for the opponents. Usually though, it was points. And the Patriots' players are always in position. Always. How does Bruschi make all those line of scrimmage INTs? He's always in the QB's line of fire. And nobody imposes their will on Tom Brady. So, they have their rep, and they rarely fail to reinforce it.

(On the other hand, the players on that FPS team are not, technically, real. Advantage: 04 Pats.)

Did you watch the playoffs in their first and last Superbowl outings? I'm not sure the Patriots are real, either. No-names! Cast-offs! Clutch figgies to win it! It's like Wag the Dog.

I have one 49ers take that I haven't given to anyone yet. You know you've been a successful franchise when something like Matt Leinart's decision to stay at USC doesn't get you made fun of. Leinart, unless really awkward or pussywhipped like David Carr, is probably in a situation that happens to maybe 10 or 20 guys his age in a decade: he's the top guy at a real school in California and most likely banging a different top shelf broad every night. Everyone loves college, everyone loves college girls and everything I understand about California indicates that the college-age girls there are really hot. You'd have to be insane to leave that in order to get pummelled by linebackers over the course of 16 weeks. The thing to be proud of about the Niners is that the media has not really turned it around and made your organization a laughing stock because of it. If the Cardinals or Lions had that top pick those teams would be SKEWERED by the protypical lazy sportswriter. So there's that.

It seemed to me the Niners got softpedaled the whole season. PEOPLE, THEY STINK. Miami got slammed far more. "The Niners lost, dropping to 1-9. OH MAN DID YOU SEE THAT DOLPHINS GAME WHATTA BUNCH OF MAROONS." Even TMQ wasn't immune.

What direction are they going in, any way?

I don't think it's a stretch to say "up (from 2-14)." I mean, it's really starting to look like owner John York just wanted to clear the books before starting fresh with a team built using his money. The jury is still out, though. I like the hiring of Nolan, and his hiring of Singletary to LB coach. The Niners have one of the best LB corps in the league, so why not put a great coach in there and make them even better?

Are they going to give Rattay another chance to stay healthy?

I'm guessing at this point there is no declared starter. In Rattay's defense - well, there is no defense for his proneness to injury. But! A lot of the egregious errors he committed were actually due to mistakes committed by his lame-ass receiving corps. Dorsey, though, those were all his. Niners coaches couldn't figure it. Dorsey is rock solid in practice. Erickson thought, going into last season, they were secure at QB with Tim at #2. I'd like to say with a better line, a better coach, and better D, Rattay could easily start. He should, he's had the requisite bench-time to be one of those QBs who take the field and never look back. I think he can win dependably for the Niners, and this year is going to prove it one way or the other. Those receivers, though, they need to be coached better. Their shit play made opposing defenses laugh at the pass, and Kevan Barlow got smothered as a result.

They should think about taking Garcia back.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

You're a funny, funny guy, ICJ. You know who you need to pick up. A NEW HEAD COACH. I don't know if I've ever seen a coach try so hard to get fired and not. Wow. Incidentally, I want Troy Brown too SOB.

I would have liked to have run a Flash feature that went "Saints Head Coach or Death Row Inmate" because if you looked at Haslett at the last year and didn't know who he was you could have gone either way. It wasn't that he was overwhelmed, per se, but I have NEVER seen somebody who was more looking forward to picking his head up out of the guillotine basket and getting on with the rest of his life than Haslett at about week 12.

Then they go win 4 straight and are a Doug Brien field goal against the Rams away from getting into the playoffs. Then again, the way Brien was kicking at the end of the season I wouldn't let him boot dogshit off my lawn.

It seemed to me the Niners got softpedaled the whole season. PEOPLE, THEY STINK. Miami got slammed far more. "The Niners lost, dropping to 1-9. OH MAN DID YOU SEE THAT DOLPHINS GAME WHATTA BUNCH OF MAROONS." Even TMQ wasn't immune.

I don't think he had the weekly Niners update in his template, so you got off lucky there.

I don't think it's a stretch to say "up (from 2-14)." I mean, it's really starting to look like owner John York just wanted to clear the books before starting fresh with a team built using his money. The jury is still out, though. I like the hiring of Nolan, and his hiring of Singletary to LB coach.

Oh, I didn't know they picked him up. That's solid and he could practically still play especially with Ian Gold getting $8 million in signing bonus yesterday. Hey, that reminds me, is Peterson coming back?

I'm guessing at this point there is no declared starter. In Rattay's defense - well, there is no defense for his proneness to injury. But! A lot of the egregious errors he committed were actually due to mistakes committed by his lame-ass receiving corps.

=(

Lloyd on that play was like loading up Kaboom! and moving the buckets all the way over to the right so they don't get hurt by the lit bombs flying around.

They should think about taking Garcia back.

Yeah, weren't the Browns in the playoffs two seasons ago? I thought they lost to the Steelers in the 03 playoffs. What a mess. I don't think Warner, for instance, has any football left but there's no way to evaluate Garcia based on what happened in Cleveland. Frisco would be a great fit for him, I would think -- he just left because of the money anyway, right?