NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
How can this be happening and happening in Green Bay, where they are typically very sharp about their payouts to players?

Greg Jennings signed a contract that makes him the second highest paid receiver in the National Football League. He is second only to Larry Fitzgerald.

Hey, Greg Jennings, look at the ball!

You can almost hear the rush to the phones as quite a few NFL receivers are texting their agents to ask for a better deal.

They always think they’re underpaid, and they always wait for that one example – a player they think can’t compare to them on the field – to use as leverage.

Jennings will become that guy for wide receivers throughout the league. He will become the new guy to emulate when it comes to negotiations and contract demands.

Jennings, who is only 25 years old, had solid numbers in 2008 (80 receptions, 1,292 yards, nine TDs),
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Ahh, the NFL money beat goes on. Remember when the Detroit Lions made Cory Redding the highest paid defensive lineman after one good year? Quite a few NFL players benefited from that and quite a few more will benefit from this signing.

Image: Zuma Press

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NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
Mark Sanchez just became a very rich young NFL quarterback. He has never thrown one pass in an NFL game and yet he is assured of making 28 million dollars. He may not even be the Jets new starter. That job could go to the other player that Mark Sanchez’s agent represents, Kellen Clemons.

So far Clemons has looked better, but there will be 28 million reasons to start Sanchez sooner rather than later. It could work, but the odds are against it. Sanchez does not even have a lot of college experience from his time at that quarterback factory known as USC. Eventually, Sanchez will be ready and then maybe his on field prowess can catch up to his off field life.

Sanchez has the charm and the money

But if quarterbacks are to make their legends both on and off the field then Mark is way ahead of everyone with countless endorsements and a pictorial in GQ magazine. He also has the personality to carry it off.

“This is just the beginning,” Sanchez said. “I’ll be working every day to justify this contract.”

The Jets traded three players and two draft picks to select Sanchez fifth overall in April’s draft, despite his lack of starting experience at Southern California. The quarterback taken before Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, who was chosen first over all, recently signed a six-year deal, with $41.7 million guaranteed.

As to why Sanchez and the Jets settled on five years — which meant less guaranteed money for Sanchez — General Manager Mike Tannenbaum said, “Without getting into all of the details, there were tradeoffs.”
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Photo source Newscom

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No, not that Harrison, the other Harrison. The one that can still play big-time football. James Harrison, already of the Steelers, signed a long term contract to stay with the Steelers.

The Steelers have signed linebacker James Harrison to a new contract that will pay him $51.175 million over the next six years.

Harrison, the NFL’s 2008 defensive player of the year, will receive $20 million in bonus money.

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James Harrison is a winner again

The Steelers are loaded with great defenders, but keeping James Harrison was a high priority. Harrison has taken an odd route to stardom and it is quite a surprise that he has ended up with such an awesome career.

Harrison, who will turn 31 on May 4, has had quite a spike in his career since signing with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He was cut a few times by the Steelers, briefly signed by the Baltimore Ravens and spent time in NFL Europe before settling in with the Steelers, becoming a regular contributor toward the end of the 2004 season.

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Photo source Newscom

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Coach Mike McCarthy is asking Aaron Rodgers for a loan

Wonder how Brett Favre feels about this one. The Green Bay Packers anted up 65 million dollars and signed Aaron Rodgers through 2014.

On Friday morning, Thompson and the Packers finished high stakes but quick negotiations that began during the Packers’ bye last week, and signed Rodgers to a lucrative contract extension through the 2014 season. Rodgers had one more year left on his rookie deal, but Thompson pulled the trigger after watching Rodgers grow the three previous years and then this offseason slide into the role as starter at the game’s most important position.

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20 million was guaranteed and it seems that was because of the current salary cap for the Packers.

No details were available on the structure of Rodgers’ deal, but the Packers had about $20 million in cap room before signing him Friday, so they undoubtedly structured it to count significantly against that $20 million. They also are a decent bet to extend the contract of another player or two before the season ends — receiver Greg Jennings is a prime candidate, though others, such as safeties Nick Collins and Atari Bigby, are possibilities as well.

Photo source Newscom

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Plaxico Burress catches the winning pass in the Super Bowl and dreams of his millions

Image details: Super Bowl XLII served by picapp.com

It is starting already.

In fact it probably started the day the New York Giants led by Eli Manning on a historic last game winning drive won the Super Bowl.

The celebrating, the banquet speaking circuit, the feeling great attitude, the feeling you are the best attitude, the forgot how hard it was and how lucky you were and all the things that happened at just the right times attitude.

The most visible is Plaxico Burress refusing to practice.

Burress reported to the Giants’ mandatory minicamp Wednesday but refused to work out because he wasn’t happy with the way contract negotiations are progressing between the team and agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Coach Tom Coughlin had indicated after practice that Burress did not work out because of a knee injury, but the receiver said he was healthy.

“Me and my agent are trying to get a deal done so I can stay a New York Giant for a long time,” Burress said. “I, personally, don’t like the way they’re going and I am not happy about it. I am choosing not to participate.”

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We all know that Plax is a great player. He was outstanding at my alma mater Michigan State University.

He has never been a great practice player, but now he feels important. Who wouldn’t after what he did in the Super Bowl.

Burress, who caught a game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining in the Super Bowl to give the Giants a 17-14 win over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots, has three years remaining his six-year, $25 million deal. He will earn $3.25 million this year, $3.5 million in 2009 and $3.75 million in 2010.

But this is just the beginning for the New York Giants and the reason it is so hard to repeat.

Good Luck, Giants.

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It was such a strange and long Saturday.

2008 NFL Draft day

Only 3 hours for round 1. Last year the NFL draft was over in 6 hours. No receivers taken in the first round. How odd. The fast guys must slow the draft down.

Jake Long

Jake Long officially became a Miami Dolphin. The first draft pick in 2008 for the NFL by Bill Parcells. Big Tuna could not get rid of the pick, so he overpaid a very good young tackle to the tune of 58 million bucks for 6 years. 30 mill guaranteed. 6 years of no playoffs for the Dolphins, but at least they have a tackle.

Jake Long - an even bigger Tuna

Image details: 2008 NFL Draft served by picapp.com

Pacman - Ride ‘em Cowboy

Pacman is a Cowboy. It is official. Will Pacman even make the field is another question. The trade itself was very complicated.

The deal was agreed to in principle Wednesday. Then came all a convoluted series of talks between both teams, Pacman, the league and the union, a back-and-forth, forth-and-back series that team vice president Stephen Jones called the most complicated in his nearly 20 years in the league.

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Brett Favre is gone

Brett Favre was placed on the Packer reserved retired list and no longer counts as part of their roster. It is so hard to imagine playing the Packers and not seeing Brett Favre slinging the ball around.

Detroit Lions had to pull something

Too gun shy Read more

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
More power to Jake Long. Power, as in 58 million bucks.

That is right. 58 million smackaroonies for an offensive lineman. That is a lot of dough. That is way too much dough. Jake Long will most likely be a great left tackle, but that is too much money to spend to find that out.

Jake Long can now afford those Gucci football shoes

Image details: Purdue v Michigan served by picapp.com

The draft needs to be fixed. It is a joke to pay a football player that has not even arrived in his first camp and make him the highest paid player at his position. It is an even bigger joke to make Jake Long the highest paid lineman and make him play for Miami, a team that does not expect to win a whole lot of games.

You realize that you just punished Miami. Now a fistful of dollars are tied up in an inexperienced rookie lineman.

Hey, give credit to Miami. They knew the fix they were in and put on their best face.

Long’s total contract package is for $57.75 million, said a person familiar with the negotiations who didn’t want to be identified because the Dolphins declined to reveal terms. Last year’s top pick, JaMarcus Russell, signed for $61 million with the Oakland Raiders but missed all of training camp before reaching a deal.

Long becomes the highest-paid lineman in the NFL and a 6-foot-7, 315-pound cornerstone in a rebuilding project for the new Dolphins regime led by Bill Parcells. Last season Miami went 1-15, and the offensive line has been a chronic problem in recent years.

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As a big football fan, maybe this would have been easier to digest if it was a unique skill player like JaMarcus Russell and Calvin Johnson were last year. It would have been easier to take if Matt Ryan or Darren McFadden had been a little higher rated, but this is a left tackle.

So take heart out there all of you left tackles that Read more

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

JaMarcus Russell has all the tools and now all the money to go with it!

Evidently when you are wanted you are wanted.

What a joke. Without even playing a single down in the NFL, JaMarcus Russell will walk off with a fortune.

Who does he think he is, Tiger Woods?

Without making 1 touchdown pass or proving he can win, JaMarcus Russell will sign an unbelievable record rookie contract.

Who does he think he is, LeBron James?

The final contract needs to be approved by the NFL, but it will be worth Read more

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Michael Vick is off to court

The wheeling, the dealing, the backroom negotiations all came to a head on Friday as Michael Vick was very careful not to cop a plea for gambling.

Oh, Michael admitted to conspiracy to kill the dogs that were not up to snuff and Michael agreed that he bankrolled the operation for the Bad Newz Kennels to run the dog fighting operation, but he did not admit to gambling.

You should not be surprised that for the price of his very high priced lawyers, Michael was trading some time in jail for the possibility to once again play in the NFL.

The statement said that when the kennel’s dogs won, the gambling proceeds were generally shared by Vick’s three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips.

“Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels,” the summary said. source

Goodell drops the hammer

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NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Odd, most of the time Larry carries the Chiefs with his carries, but it appears that the Chiefs are carrying Larry

Larry Johnson set an NFL record for carries last year with 416. Larry did this while the Chiefs were struggling with their offensive line and their quarterback was knocked out for almost half the season with a severe concussion.

The result was a stellar 1789 yards and 17 touchdowns. (Squibster full disclosure - Last year Larry was the top dog of my Fantasy Football Team)

Now those were rough circumstances and the Chiefs were still able to make the playoffs. Larry put the team on his back and they rode him home.

The dream ended in the first round of the playoffs, yet Larry knew he would be rewarded. Read more