Eagles Release DeSean Jackson

(MICHAEL KUBEL, MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO)

The Philadelphia Eagles have released 3-time Pro Bowl WR DeSean Jackson, who was coming off the best statistical season of his career.

The story behind his release is said to be caused because he is said to have ties to Los Angeles street gangs. Jackson has already released a statement thanking the Eagles and city of Philadelphia for his time with the organization as well as saying the sources that have confirmed his gang affiliation are false.

Here is his statement:

"First I would like to thank the Eagles organization, the Eagles fans and the city of Philadelphia for my time in Philly. 
I would also like to thank coach Andy Reed [sic] for bringing me in. 
Secondly, I would like to address the misleading and unfounded reports that my release has anything to do with any affiliation that has been speculated surrounding the company I keep off of the field. 
I would like to make it very clear that I am not and never have been part of any gang. I am not a gang member and to speculate and assume that I am involved in such activity off the field is reckless and irresponsible. I work very hard on and off the field and I am a good person with good values. 
I am proud of the accomplishments that I have made both on and off the field. I have worked tirelessly to give back to my community and have a positive impact on those in need. 
It is unfortunate that I now have to defend myself and my intentions. These reports are irresponsible and just not true . I look forward to working hard for my new team. 
God Bless."

Another role in letting DeSean Jackson go was the difficulties Coach Chip Kelly has faced trying to get the 6-year vet to buy into his system. He flourished in Kelly's system having the best season of his career statistically; 82 catches, 1,332 yds, & 9 TD's.

Now that Jackson has hit the free agent market their is rumored to be a number of teams interested in his talents. The Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera was one coach who has already confirmed to the media that he will consider adding DeSean Jackson.

He may have troubles finding a new landing spot considering the reason of his release. The NFL does not take any type of gang affiliation lightly especially after the Aaron Hernandez situation and Hernandez having his own ties to gang's which is said to have landed him in the spot he his in now.

Someone is going to pick up DeSean Jackson, he is way to good of a talent. Whatever team does pick him up will get a great talent and probably at a discounted price.

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March Madness Sweet 16 Preview & Prediction Pt. 2

The Sweet 16 will end this Friday, and it will go out with a bang with plenty more March Madness to come.

At this point of the tournament having a busted bracket is just part of the game. The competition is getting fiercer round by round, and there is still room for a few upsets along the way. We have four games that will be played on Friday (Check out Times/TV Channel here). 

Here are my preview and predictions for Friday's Sweet 16 match-ups.

 #1 Virginia Cavaliers vs #4 Michigan State Spartans

The Cavaliers have been dominate all season. That's why they were awarded a #1 seed instead of teams like Louisville and Michigan State. They are allowing the fewest points in the NCAA and have not allowed their last five opponents to score over 63 points. They are shooting above 80% from the free throw line and 46% from downtown.

The Spartans have been an offensive machine during the tournament. Coach Tom Izzo has implemented a pass happy team that has them averaging about 16 assists per game. They have also been clutch at the charity strike, shooting 85% as a team. Their center Adreian Payne was a monster in the first game with 41 points, while Branden Dawson took control of the second with 26 points and 9 rebounds.

The difference maker in this game will be coaching. Coach Izzo is the better coach of the two and he has his squad playing their best ball of the season. The Cavaliers will put up a fight but expect Sparty takes control down the stretch.

Prediction:

Getty Images

Michigan State 68, Virginia 63

#7 Connecticut Huskies vs #3 Iowa State Cyclones

The Huskies won a difficult overtime game in the second round against an upset minded Saint Joseph's team. Then they went on to beat the #2 seed out of the East region, Villanova thanks to senior guard Shabazz Napier's 25 points. Napier has been doing his best Kemba Walker impression during the tournament (averaging just below 25 ppg). The Huskies defense has also been doing work in the turnover department, averaging 8.5 steals per game during the tournament.

The Cyclones have had an impressive season that included winning the Big 12 tournament and have not lost since the beginning of March. They Cyclones lost a key piece of their offense in their first game when Georges Niang who is the team’s leading scorer (24 ppg) and second in both assists (4 apg) and rebounds (6 rbg) broke his foot. Their coming off a nice victory over North Carolina, although that one ended a little bizarre. DeAndre Kane stepped up in Niang’s absence scoring 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

This is an upset to some but easy decision for me, the Connecticut Huskies will get the victory over Iowa State. The Cyclones already are out their leading scorer and if it wasn't for a missed timeout by the officials in their last game, this could very well be a UNC vs UConn match-up. Napier is hoopin' right now, and thanks to being Kemba's right hand man in their last national championship he knows exactly what you have to do to get back.

Prediction:

(Jessica Hill/Associated Press)

Connecticut 82, Iowa State 74

#11 Tennessee Volunteers vs #2 Michigan Wolverines

The Tennessee Volunteers have had the longest journey in the tournament. First they had to win their play-in game just to get into the tournament, which they did over Iowa, then they knocked off a UMass team that was ranked way higher than they should have been, and after that they faced a Mercer team that was still coming down from their biggest win in school history. The Volunteers true test lies ahead when they put their season on the line against the Michigan Wolverines. Expect big games from the Vol's Jarnell Stokes and Jordan McRae.

The Wolverines have played a relatively easy schedule. The Wolverines have been winning with great defense and even better shooting. They are shooting a very respectable 46% from the 3-point line, with most of those coming from Nik Stauskas(7-15). Stauskas was the floor general against Texas, racking up 8 assists and is averaging 16 ppg through the tournament.

This game could be decided by whichever team can make the most runs and grab the most rebounds. The Volunteers should win the rebound battle like Texas did in Michigan's last game. They should also be able to keep up with the scoring of Michigan and will steal the win for the upset.

Prediction:

Adam Lau/GoVolsXtra

Tennessee 76, Michigan 72

#8 Kentucky Wildcats vs #4 Louisville Cardinals 

The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off a win over previously undefeated Wichita State and are bringing nothing but confidence against one of the schools biggest rivals. This Kentucky team has been up and down all season but may have finally got things together, and just in time. They have been dominating the boards in the tourney, bringing down 72 rebounds in their first two games. The Harrison twins have been the conductors of this machine.

Louisville has been given an easy road to the Sweet 16 and will finally have a test when they play Kentucky. They had some issues with turnovers in their last game against St Louis, but the Billikens had turnover issues of their own that Louisville capitalized on. Luke Hancock, who had his own shining moments during last year’schampionship run, took the game over against St Louis knocking down 21 points.

The winner of the "Battle of the Bluegrass" NCAA tournament style is a toss-up for the most part. They are instate rivals so the tenacity is automatically there but who can perform with the pressure of the bright lights in the NCAA tournament best. I give the advantage to a team with some senior leadership and that's Louisville. Like I said this one could go either way. Kentucky won their meeting earlier in the season, but Coach Pitino and his boys should be able to withstand the storm this time around.

Prediction:

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Louisville 79, Kentucky 77

This is going to set up a great Elite 8 this weekend and I know I can't wait. Now get to your TV and put the games on!

Any problems with my Sweet 16 Predictions? Leave me a comment and tell my why or contact me via Twitter @therealrikrok89.

March Madness Sweet 16 Preview & Prediction

We are about to witness one of the most wide open Sweet 16's in recent memory.

Our brackets were pointless, once again, but the emotions it brought out of us was well worth it. We have a slate of games that will be played on Thursday (Check out Times/TV Channel here). 

Here are my preview and predictions for Thursday's Sweet 16 match-ups.

#11 Dayton Flyers vs #10 Stanford Cardinals 

We have a Dayton Flyers team that was the 6th team out of the Atlantic 10 (Conference tied for 2nd most teams in the tournament). The Flyers have been moving forward thanks to their defensive pressure. They held Syracuse to 0-10 behind the arc and 38.9% inside (Allowing a mere 13% behind the arc in the tournament). They keep the pressure on you all game long and as you can see from their last two games, it was enough to knock off both Ohio State and Syracuse.

The Cardinals are coming off a huge upset over the Kansas Jayhawks who were the #2 seed out of the West Region. Stanford hasn't been spectacular but they have been winning and in March, that's all you have to do. Their two wins have been by a combined eight points thanks largely to making clutch free throws at the end of the ball games. They also got lucky against a Kansas team without their talented center Joel Embiid, who missed the game because of a back injury.

The Dayton Flyers defense will be the difference maker in this game, as it has been the entire tournament. The Cardinals have been able to stick around during their games but the defense of Dayton will not allow them to recover like they have against the Lobos or the Jayhawks. They are fairly matched on both sides of the ball with Dayton having the tougher D. This will be an intense game and should go down to the end with Dayton's Cinderella story continuing on.
Prediction:

Dayton 59, Stanford 57

#1 Florida Gators vs #4 UCLA Bruins

The Florida Gators are the favorite to win the championship this season and have been showing why in their first two games. The Gators have not lost a game since Dec. 2nd and have a nice chance at making it to the Final Four. They held Pittsburgh to 33% shooting in their last game while their senior guard, Scottie Wilbekin, has been doing whatever is asked of him to keep the Gators hopes alive.

The UCLA Bruins have made it this far because of teamwork. They have played great team ball since losing to Washington State before going on to win the PAC-12 tournament. The Bruins shoot a great percentage from the field (.490 as a team) and average in the top 5 in assists per game (17.2) in the nation.

The difference maker in this game will be whichever team can keep composure late in the game. The Florida Gators have 4 seniors in their starting line-up which should play a big role in this game. The Bruins will play a great game but I'm rolling with the seniors getting it done, again.
Prediction:

Florida 66, UCLA 60

#6 Baylor Bears vs #2 Wisconsin Badgers

The Baylor Bears were able to put an end to Doug McDermott's college career while holding the Creighton Bluejays to 20.8% behind the arc, shooting 40% on field goals. The Bears have had a stingy defense against two admirable opponents, holding both to 60 points or less.

The Wisconsin Badgers had an easy start to the tournament but things got a little more sticky in their last game against Oregon. The Badgers were the tale of two halves in that game, giving up 49 points in the first half and then rallying to hold Oregon's fast tempo offense to only 28 points in the second. They were able to come out alive but their weaknesses were magnified in the first half.

The Badgers will be tested once again when they take on the Bears. With the way the Bears handled the hot handed McDermott they should be able to control the game against Wisconsin. This should be a test for each teams defense with both teams having all of their starters scoring double digits. There has to be an upset, and this is one I would take out of Thursday's games.
Prediction:

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Baylor 77, Wisconsin 70

#1 Arizona Wildcats vs #4 San Diego State

The Arizona Wildcats are coming off a dominating victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Wildcats shot just below 50% from the field and played great team ball like they have all season. The defense pressured the Zags into making 21 turnovers, the offense kept an efficient game only allowing 6 turnovers of their own.

The San Diego State Aztecs have had their bumps in the road already this tournament, going to overtime with New Mexico State in their first game. They then went on to suffocate North Dakota State defensively, holding them to their lowest scoring game of the season with 44 points. This was a North Dakota team that was ranked #1 in the entire nation in field goal pct.

This should be a good one. The Wildcats pulled out the victory the last time these two teams played back in November with a 69-60 victory. The last game was won thanks to rebounds and turnovers with the Wildcats out-rebounding the Aztecs 39-28 and only three 2nd half turnovers. This one should go down to the wire but at the end of the day I think the Wildcats pull out the win using the same philosophy as their last game.
Prediction:

Arizona 68, San Diego State 58

I will be finishing my preview and predictions for Friday's games by Thursday. Be sure to check back or follow me on twitter @therealrikrok89 to get the latest stories posted.

The True Madness Of March

This year’s March Madness fits the name more than any other I can remember. We have experienced it all from losing a billion dollars within the first game to seeing Duke get knocked out in the first round (technically 2nd but you know what I mean) for the 2nd time in three years.

It all started with #11 seed Dayton Flyers knocking out a heavy favorite #6 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the first game of the tournament (Yes, its 2nd round but I'm not including the play-in round which is the official 1st round). That was my bracket buster, I had Ohio state making it to the elite 8 (Damn you Ohio State). Those Flyers have been flying through the tournament thus far, knocking out #3 seed Syracuse in the 3rd round. They will face Stanford in the Sweet 16 later this week.

#10 seed Stanford has been making some trouble throughout the tournament as well, knocking out #7 New Mexico as well as Andrew Wiggins and the Embiid-less #2 seed Kansas Jayhawks. Wiggins finished his last college game with only 4 points and shooting 1-for-6 when the Jayhawks lost to Stanford.

Another shocker from the 2nd round was the heavily daunted defense of #5 seed VCU and Coach Shaka Smart losing to #12 seed SF Austin. The SF Austin Lumberjacks were on a 28-game winning streak and pushed it all the way to 29 before losing to #4 seeded UCLA in the 3rd round.

The madness continued throughout the 2nd round with #2 seed Duke Blue Devils being the biggest upset of that round in my opinion, losing to #15 seed Mercer Bears. The Bears would lose to #11 seed Tennessee in the 3^rd round. The Tennessee Volunteers have played the most games in this year’s tournament because of the play-in game they had against Iowa last week. Their run can be chalked up to luck thus far with run in the tourney coming against Iowa, #6 seeded University of Massachusetts that in my opinion was given way too high of a ranking, and then Mercer.

The Volunteers next match-up will be a true test to their team when they face an admirable opponent in #2 seed Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines made it all the way to the national championship last year and will be the toughest opponent Tennessee has played this year. This is March Madness so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them keep this run going and knock out the Wolverines come Friday evening.

Now how about them Kentucky Wildcats. They came into the preseason as the #1 ranked team and had their share of ups and downs this season. By tournament time they were seen as another bust of a one-and-done team and given a #8 seed. That #8 seed would shock most of the nation as well as the #1 seed Shockers of Wichita State when they beat them in the 3^rd round, sending the Wildcats to the sweet 16. The Wichita State Shockers lost their first game of the season as well as their shot at a national title after going 35-0.

We have the Sweet 16 match-ups this week with the South and West regions playing on Thursday, East and Midwest play on Friday.

Here is how the Sweet 16 looks:

South:

#1 Florida vs #4 UCLA (Thur. March 27, 6:45pm PT on CBS)

#11 Dayton vs #10 Stanford (Thur. March 27, 4:15pm PT on CBS)

West:

#1 Arizona vs #4 San Diego State (Thur. March 27, 7:17pm PT on TBS)

#6 Baylor vs #2 Wisconsin (Thur. March 27, 4:47pm PT on TBS)

East:

#1 Virginia vs #4 Michigan State (Fri. March 28, 6:57pm PT on TBS)

#3 Iowa State vs #7 Connecticut (Fri. March 28, 4:27pm PT on TBS)

Midwest:

#8 Kentucky vs #4 Louisville (Fri. March 28, 6:45pm PT on CBS)

#11 Tennessee vs #2 Michigan (Fri. March 28, 4:15pm PT on CBS)

The best match-up of this round has to be the Midwest's #4 Louisville taking on in-state rival #8 Kentucky. These two teams match-up well, as usual, and will be facing off in another "Battle for the Bluegrass", only this time for a chance to move on to the Elite 8. The last time these two teams met in the NCAA Tournament was in the 2012 Final Four where Kentucky came out victorious. Kentucky also had three top 20 draft picks that year including the #1 overall pick Anthony Davis (#2 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, #18 Terrence Jones).

Another interesting game comes out of the East with #1 Virginia taking #4 Michigan State. The Spartans have a lot of people on their side in this year's tournament including our commander in chief, while the Cavaliers haven't even been given the time of day by most of America. I picked Michigan State to win this game and make it to the Final Four before the tourney began but my bracket is ripped to pieces by now so I am good with either team winning. Honestly I am leaning more towards an upset by a #1 seed, if there was ever a time a #1 seed was the underdog this is that game. Virginia also has Joe Harris the senior out of Washington State that I can't help but root for, being a Washingtonian myself.

My original Final Four prediction included Florida, Arizona, Connecticut, and Louisville. I think I am going to stand strong on these predictions but I wouldn't be surprised to see all of these teams fall with the kind of madness that has been going on this far through the tournament.

Also take a second and look at my Previews & Predictions for the Sweet 16 (Thursday's games here) (Friday's games here)

I hope you guys have all been enjoying the madness that comes with March Madness and if you feel the need to let out your anger or thoughts about the tournament feel free to leave a comment and we can talk sports, because that’s what I do!

Jared Allen Close To A Decision

Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff

Five time Pro Bowler Jared Allen is getting close to making a decision on which team he will be playing for next season, if he decides to continue playing next season.

Jared Allen is coming off his seventh straight 10+ sack season and eighth of his 10 year career (Allen had 22 sacks in his DPY campaign in 2011). Allen is looking to make his final decision on whether he will be joining another team or choose to retire soon. Allen has a few teams interested in his services including the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.

The main issue for Allen is his hefty price tag in which he expects to make a deal similar to DeMarcus Ware's 3-year $30 million contract with the Denver Broncos. I still find it surprising that Allen has not signed on with a a team considering his age similarity to Ware and the fact that he is still putting up better numbers than Ware.

Allen brought his wife and kids on his second visit within one week to Seattle. A deal was reported to be finalized between him and the Seahawks via ESPN, but that was false and that's when Allen's agent informed the media that he would have a deal by this weekend.

The Cowboys, who were also in the front running of the Jared Allen sweepstakes, seem very unlikely to sign Allen since they just signed on former Chicago Bear DT Henry Melton. The only way the Cowboys could get Allen now would be if he was to take an extremely low offer, which is highly unlikely considering Jared Allen already said he is OK with retiring if he doesn't find an offer he likes.

I think Seattle would be the most likely and best fit for Allen, who may have to make some sacrifices if winning a Super Bowl is on his bucket list. He will have to come to terms with battling for playing time against Seattle's top pass rushers in Cliff Avril and Michael Bennet who combined for 16.5 sacks last season (Allen racked up 11.5 sacks alone last season). Allen's future is in his hands and right now he is in the perfect position, he is said to have saved a majority of the money he has already earned in the NFL and could retire today if he wanted and on the other hand he has the chance to make a Super Bowl run with the defending champs, who have the best shot at winning the title next year as well.

Whatever team does get lucky enough to snag Jared Allen up will be getting a guy who has only missed 3 games in his career, the last coming in the 2007 season, and the leadership you would want for a rugged defense. Jared Allen is a must-have for any franchise and hopefully something is worked out so the fans can watch the wrangling cowboy tie-up a few other QB's next season on his way to his first Super Bowl appearance.

Phil Jackson Returns To New York City

The greatest coach in NBA history, Phil Jackson, has joined the New York Knicks front office.

In an attempt to turn things around for the Knicks, owner James Dolan has hired Phil Jackson as the new president of basketball operations. Jackson signed on with the Knick last Friday and was formally introduced in a press conference at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. He is signed to a 5-year $60 million contract (that's $12 million a year if you didn't feel like doing the math).

Jackson played for the New York Knicks for 10 seasons (1967-68 - 1977-78) and was part of the Knicks only two championship runs in 1970 and 1973.

Phil Jackson's role will be the final decision maker on every basketball move the Knicks make. During his press conference he said that he plans to deliver a "winning team" to New York by using his vision of the game along with Steve Mills abilities as general manager. This will be a new role for the most winningest coach in NBA history (Win/Loss % - .704) and it appears that he is ready to face the challenge head-on.

As for how Phil will handle his new role as an executive instead of a coach, I believe he has a good shot at turning things around in New York, only slightly though. It's going to be a tough job and with the poor management the Knicks already have, they will need to make some more changes to not only their roster, but their front office as well.

The Knicks are hoping that bringing Phil Jackson around will have a Pat Riley affect and the big names in free agency will want to work with the legend.

The move could work but if it fails all the blame will be on Phil and that is something I believe Dolan would be fine with. That may have also played a pivotal role in why the Knicks wanted to make the Jackson deal go thru. Considering all the heat Dolan has been receiving recently from Knick fans it was probably no hard decision to get Phil Jackson to New York City for whatever amount of money the hall of famer wanted.

Phil Jackson has also said that New York's All Star Carmelo Anthony, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, is the New York Knicks future and he believes Anthony, as elite as a basketball player he already is, still has another level that he can get to.

If there's anybody out there who knows how to tap the greatness out of a player it is Phil Jackson.

Jackson still won't be coaching but with him being around Anthony it should make for an opportunity to still bring out a championship level from the superstar, but as far as coaching the Knicks goes that is still Mike Woodson's job for now. Phil Jackson was asked about Woodson's future with the Knicks and responded by saying that he will be evaluating that at the end of the season.

Those may be scary words for Woodson who is currently on the last string of hope for making the final 8th seed of the eastern conference behind the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks are only a year removed from winning the Atlantic division and may have one of the most surprising free falls of recent NBA memory. Even if the Knicks are somehow able to sneak into the 8th seed the Knicks would still need a series win over Indiana or Miami to keep Woodson's job.

It won't be until this summer that the first impact of the Phil Jackson era will be seen, starting with the draft where the Knicks only have one draft pick and that's in the second round. The following offseason before the 2015-16 season is going to be the real test. The Knicks will be dealing with the expiring contracts of a few bigger contracts (Stoudemire, Chandler, Bargnani) and will be able to make a real free agent splash. The names in that years free agent class include LeBron James, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, and LaMarcus Aldridge.

This is just the first step into trying to get the New York Knicks back at the top of the food chain but their is still a lot of work to be done. The next moves to be made should be reevaluating the entire front office because whoever decided to bring in the players they did and sign them to the contracts they're on needs to be gone, IMMEADIATELY!

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Winners And Losers Of Free Agency

After the first few days I think its time to take a look at the winners and losers of free agency.

Their is a lot that goes in to each teams decision when they bring in a new free agent, such as how do they affect your salary cap? Do they fit your scheme? and will the player be a good fit for your teams personnel?

Some teams made huge jumps in terms of where they want to put themselves in the next couple seasons, while others kind of let this years free agent class slip away.

Winners:

One team that made the best improvement thru this years free agency class should come as no surprise when you look at the who they brought in as the next head coach. That franchise is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and new head coach Lovie Smith.

Smith was named as the new head coach around the beginning of the year and has made drastic changes to the organization since he has become the Head Honcho. One of the biggest moves he made was the decision to cut one of the best corners in the game, CB Darrelle Revis. The move was not too surprising but was drastic nonetheless, which helped the Bucs save $16 million in cap space for next season.

Next on Smith's agenda was to enforce the D-Line with the signings of DE Michael Johnson and DT Clinton McDonald. The Bucs had already planned ahead for the departure of Revis, signing CB Alterraun Verner the day before Revis was even cut, making Verner their top defensive player in the secondary.

To follow up with all of the defensive signings that you would expect from a Lovie Smith team, he wrapped up a deal with his former QB while in Chicago, Josh McCown. Smith has come out to say that the starting QB job is McCown's to lose, not Mike Glennon who was the starting QB thru the majority of last season.

What he added to this team brings something the Bucs have not had the past couple seasons and that is stability. The NFC South should shake up to be one of the toughest in the NFL next season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are clearly the early winners of free agency.

Notable Mentions: 

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Denver Broncos grabbing New England's top corner (Aqib Talib) as well as Dallas' top pass rusher (DeMarcus Ware) and Cleveland's top safety (TJ Ward).

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

New England Patriots mention comes from their lone free agent signing thus far CB Darrelle Revis, who should be looking to prove himself once the season starts. After losing Talib to the Broncos it was looking as if the Patriots would be hurting in their pass defense but the signing of Revis brings in talent far beyond what they once had with Talib. *The Patriots are also in talks with former Seattle Seahawk CB Brandon Browner, which undoubtedly would be coined the "Legion of Boom" of the east, AFC watch out if this move happens.

Seattle Seahawks had one agenda this free agency and that was to bring back DE Michael Bennett. Mission successful, although they did lose a lot of depth on the defensive side of the ball as well as a talented young WR in Golden Tate. I am sure that Schneider and Carroll will be able to make something out of nothing as usual in this years draft or thru some smaller name free agent signings.

Losers:

AP Photo/L.G. Patterson

There is a couple teams I had in mind for this section but it is hard to go against the Oakland Raiders when it comes to losing, in every aspect of the NFL as it seems. 

After the Raiders foolishly signed Roger Saffold to a huge contract that was later negated after Saffold "Failed" his physical. The story behind the Saffold situation is that owner Mark Davis decided to negate the contract because he felt it was entirely too much money spent for him (5-year 42.5 million, $21 million guaranteed) and sent him packing back to St Louis.

You might ask yourself, "What would the Raiders do next?"

Well they would sign RB Darren McFadden, their former 4th overall pick in the 2008 draft to a 1-year contract for about $4 million (Only $100,00 guaranteed). Seeing as how McFadden has not played a full season in his career they might of well have thrown the money in a wood chipper and turned the scraps into furniture because that's exactly where they will see their money next season, the bench.

The next major move by the Raiders was bringing in a declining Justin Tuck for a 2-year $11 million deal.

That deal would have been great about 4-5 years ago but Tuck is on the decline of his career. Tuck should help bring a level of veteran leadership to the debacle that is the Oakland Raiders but on the field they will need a lot more help than a 31-year old DE on the end of his career.

Its a good thing the Raiders came into the offseason with $60 million in cap space otherwise the move for Tuck would be a disaster for them. Luckily they still have enough money to keep going around and we will see whats next on the agenda for the lowly Oakland Raiders.

Notable Mention:

Seattle Seahawks are both winners and losers in the free agency market so far. They lost a WR in Golden Tate who has improved his numbers every season that he has been in the league. They also lost the leadership of DE Red Bryant who was played a huge role in Seattle as the captain of the defense. They also lost Clinton McDonald and Chris Clemons, the loss of all three of these defensive lineman will be felt if the Seahawks can't find any help thru free agency or the draft. They also lost help on the offensive line with Breno Giacomini "JET"-ting out for New York.

Elsa/Getty Images

Dallas Cowboys have lost some of their best players on defense this offseason, and its not like their defense was that talented before they left, with DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher leaving town. That may not be the last we hear about players heading to different locations. The Cowboys were able to free up cap space with cutting Ware but I don't see any clear outcome from the cut besides saving Jerry Jones some money, because I know I wouldn't want to play in a organization that is run the way Jerry has been running it.


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Wild Start To 2014 NFL Free Agency

What a wild beginning of NFL free agency we had yesterday.

It was full of surprises with players making moves all across the nation. Some of the biggest winners of day 1 would definitely have to be the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Each team picked up major pieces to add to their defenses, which if you saw the Super Bowl last month you know that Denver really, really needs help on their defense.

Check below for a quick synopsis of few team's additions:

*UPDATE

LB Wesley Woodyard:

Former Denver Broncos LB Wesley Woodyard, who was a key piece to the Broncos since he first came undrafted in 2008, has signed a 4-year $16 million deal. He can play all LB positions but is best on the weak side. Expect a nice impact on the Titans defense immediately.

WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr:

Ted Ginn Jr will be on the move once again after spending a season in Carolina. He will be moving back to the NFC West to join the Arizona Cardinals (Ginn played for the 49ers from 2010-2012). This is a nice pickup in terms of the return game and he may even be able to work his way into the 3rd spot on the WR depth chart behind Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.

RB Darren Sproles:

Darren Sproles was traded from the New Orleans Saints to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 5th round pick Thursday. This comes two days after the Saints were allegedly suppose to cut the RB but later backtracked and said that they would rather find a team to trade for the 10-year veteran. Sproles will make an immediate impact with coach Chip Kelly's style of offense. Being the best RB in the league in catches the last few years and making defenders pay every time he gets in the open field I see good things coming from this acquisition.

DE Justin Tuck:

Tuck has signed a 2-year $11 million deal and is leaving the New York Giants for the Oakland Raiders. A good move for veteran leadership on the Raiders defense. We will have to wait to see what else the Raiders plan on pulling off this offseason before you can get too excited for this addition, but it is a nice pick-up nonetheless.

CB Darrelle Revis:

Revis being added to the New England Patriots is the best deal of the offseason in my opinion. You could argue that Talib or Ware for the Broncos may be but what the Patriots will be capable of doing with Revis out their, who is a nice improvement over former patriot now bronco Talib, is going to be outstanding. **The Patriots are also bringing in Brandon Browner today so stay tuned (Could you imagine East Coast Legion of Boom!)

WR Eric Decker:

Eric Decker has finally been snatched up. Decker and the New York Jets have agreed on a 5-year $36.25 million deal with $15 million guaranteed. The Jets were desperately looking to add some WR's for 2nd year QB Geno Smith to throw to now that they dropped their best option WR Santonio Holmes and thats what they got when they picked up Decker who caught 309 more yards than the Jets top two receivers last season.

WR Golden Tate:

Golden Tate signed a 5-year deal that puts him alongside the best receiver in the game Calvin Johnson. Tate is moving to a pass happy offense after his first four years in Seattle's run based offense and should look to easily break 1,000 receiving yards in his first season with the Lions, especially with all the attention Johnson brings in on his side. Great addition to a Lions team that could flourish with the offense they have now.
 

Cleveland Browns:

Two of Cleveland's biggest free agent pick-ups would have to be the acquisition of S Donte (W)Hitner from the San Francisco 49ers and LB Karlos Dansby from the Arizona Cardinals. These free agent acquisitions add to an already stout defensive team in Cleveland that include the likes of CB Joe Haden and LB Paul Kruger. The Cleveland Browns were a QB away from making something out of last season and this year if they decide to roll with QB Brian Hoyer, who was actually pretty good up until his season ending injury, and bring someone around their star WR Josh Gordon I could see them doing some nice things on the field next season.

Key Losses: TJ Ward (Denver), D'Qwell Jackson (Indianapolis)

Denver Broncos:

The Denver Broncos made it a point to upgrade their defense this offseason and that is exactly what they did. When I learned of the signing of DB TJ Ward from the Cleveland Browns I saw exactly the direction the Broncos would be moving this offseason. Then the signing of CB Aqib Talib of the New England Patriots really caught me off guard only because I thought the Patriots would do everything they could to get Talib to stay. Now the rumors are that the Broncos are the favorite to bring in DE DeMarcus Ware, which would give them one of the nastiest defensive lines in the NFL *Correction the Denver Broncos just signed DE DeMarcus Ware to 3-year $30 million contract with $20 million guaranteed. That makes the Broncos, on paper at least, one of the nastiest defensive lines in the NFL with Ware and Von Miller along the outside and a guy whose nickname is "Pot Roast" to load up the middle. Their is still a lot to look forward to with the Broncos having 22 more free agents including the one of the star receivers in this years free agency Eric Decker.

Key Losses: Zane Beadles (Jacksonville)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Buccaneers and new coach Lovie Smith are bringing the "D" to Tampa Bay, just as you would expect with coach Smith. The signings of DE Michael Johnson from the Cincinnati Bengals and DT Clinton McDonald showed where coach Smith's main focus was and that is the defensive line. The Bucs also brought in DB Alterraun Verner from the Tennessee Titans who should make an immediate impact, and if the Bucs do decide to send Darrelle Revis out of town (See the story here) then that would make Verner the top dog of the secondary. They also brought in TE Brandon Myers from the New York Giants who could help out this offense that last season wasn't as bad as their record would tell you. Expect a good year in a tough division for the Bucs next season. *UPDATE - The Bucs have signed QB Josh McCown who is coming off a great season as the backup for Jay Cutler and will be battling for the starting position with Mike Glennon.

Key Losses: Adam Hayward (Washington), Gabe Carimi (Atlanta)

Oakland Raiders:

The Oakland Raiders have the most cap space, somewhere close to $60 million for the next season, and will be making plenty of moves before the season begins. Their key acquisitions so far have been OT Austin Howard from the New York Jets as well as another OT Rodger Saffold from the St Louis Rams *UPDATE Rodger Saffold failed his physical and will be re-signing with the St Louis Rams. Obviously the Raiders seem to be more focused on fixing their horrendous offense but I am very skeptical with how things will pan out for the lowly franchise down in Oakland. They did decide to bring back RB Darren McFadden for a 1-year deal for a little of $4 million just see give the former 4th pick of the draft one last shot to prove himself. The also foolishly let their backup RB Rashad Jennings get away,as well as some key losses on defense as well, see below.

Key Losses: Lamarr Houston (Chicago), Jared Veldheer (Arizona), Rashad Jennings (New York Giants)

Their was a lot of movement in the first day of free agency and these where just some of the bigger stories of franchises trying to improve themselves for next season.

Some more bigger free agent moves around the league where:
 

DE Michael Bennett: 

Bennett seemed to be the biggest free agent this offseason and was looking to explore his options. The Seattle Seahawks were able to change his mind right before free agency begun on Tuesday and signed Bennett to a 4-year $28.5 million deal.

S Antoine Bethea: 

Maybe the Colts were deciding to go in another direction or couldn't afford to keep Bethea. Whatever the situation was he was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers and will be moving from a mediocre defense to one of the best in the league. The 49ers were in need of some help in their secondary after losing two starters from their Super Bowl campaign in the last two offseasons.

DE Greg Hardy: 

Greg Hardy was hit with the franchise tag from the Carolina Panthers and signed it almost immediately. I can't say I blame him seeing as how by signing he set himself up to make roughly $13.1 million next season. Hardy was suppose to be another coveted free agent once the new season began, like Michael Bennett, but was took off the market before it began, like Bennett.

S Jairus Byrd:

Jairus Byrd is out of Buffalo since they decided not to franchise tag him. Adding him to a Saints defense that is on the up only makes them that more dangerous. This is a great addition for the Saints. 

 
I will be updating this as more big names start falling into new homes so come back and check often for your latest updates!

Otherwise you can see whats going on with free agency using the Free-Agent Tracker on ESPN.com


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Revis Island On The Move?

Darrelle Revis is on the trading block for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers according to multiple sources and will be released if not traded by 1 p.m. PT Wednesday.

Revis is coming off a year in which he played in all 16 games after returning from his season ending ACL injury the year before. Revis was a shell of himself last season but is still regarded as one of the top CB's in the league along with Seattle's Richard Sherman and Arizona's Patrick Peterson.

Revis is expected to be released if the Bucs are unable to find a team willing to trade for the CB and his $16 million salary next season. The Bucs were looking rework Revis' contract, but the 5x Pro Bowl CB is unwilling to take a pay cut which will cause the team to release him by 1 p.m. PT Wednesday if a trade is not made by then.

If the Buccaneers can get Revis out of Tampa Bay before 1 p.m. then they will be saving themselves quite a few assets that new coach Lovie Smith could take full advantage of. 

It would start with saving themselves a third round pick which they would have to send to the New York Jets and instead would only owe them a fourth round pick in part of the trade that took place before last season. Revis would also be owed a $1.5 million roster bonus if he is still a member of the team once the deadline hits.

The main reason for the release will be because of his salary. If released by the Bucs, they will be saving roughly $16 million in salary for next season that coach Smith could spend on a couple very decent free agent additions.

The Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns seem to have the most interest in acquiring Revis and both have contacted the Bucs Tuesday morning. 

What will influence each teams willingness to trade for the CB will be if Revis is willing to renegotiate that whopping contract he is tied to (About $6 million more per year than any other CB in the NFL).

Either way Darrelle Revis will no longer be part of the Buccaneers organization come Wednesday afternoon. 



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