There were plenty of mixed reactions around the Steelers organization and within its fanbase when Bruce Arians was forced out as the Steelers offensive coordinator. Even more eyebrows were raised when the Steelers brought in former Chiefs head coach Todd Haley as their new offensive coordinator. Ben Roethlisberger was one of Arians' biggest supporters within the Steelers' locker room, but in the end it didn't matter. This is Todd Haley's offense now, and early reports are all positive.

Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, the team's official website, talked to some of the Steelers offensive players, and they were all very excited to be learning and absorbing Haley's new system. Wide receiver Antonio Brown told Varley, "He has been making it simple for guys to understand. It’s been really fun. It was great to get out and start to run some of the plays. It’s going to be great when guys get on the same page and start executing it.

Emmanuel Sanders mirrored that sentiment, saying, "It’s going to be a good year. I am loving the offense right now. It’s based off of play action. We have a lot more of the offense to put in, but right now we are heading in the right direction."

Many believed that the Steelers are attempting to get back to a run-first offensive scheme, something that had been marginalized over Arians' time as the Steelers' OC. It's something that Todd Haley is known for, and it'll add pressure to Isaac Redman, the Steelers current starting running back. Rashard Mendenhall will eventually pick up a larger role in the Steelers' offense when he gets back on the field from his ACL injury.

Like TGS on Facebook

Follow TGS on Twitter

Ever since Tom Brady and Belichick teamed up to win a few championships early in the aughts, the football community has held the team in this high regard that they can do no wrong.

Trade for Haynesworth and Ochocinco? They can get away with it because maybe these guys will buy into the "Patriot Way". Draft a kid from some unknown school? They can get away with it because it is all part of the master plan. Ignore glaring needs in your skill positions? No big deal, because Belichick will make it work.

Enough.

At what point are we going to call a spade a spade? They have been unable to get over the hump for the better part of the last decade, and we will all soon forget that magical season they had that Plax and Eli cut short. That season showed what Brady can do with a serious downfield threat along the lines of Randy Moss, so what have they done since then? Given him so serious threat down the sideline.

Gronk, Hernandez and Welker are all well and good for the dip and dunk, but there is never a threat of a big play which allows opposing defences to stack up and allow the plays underneath.

It would have made sense that at least one big time receiver or running back would have been brought in this offseason, considering the going rate for skill position players is at an all time low. But no, instead they call up Joseph Addai and Brandon Lloyd, decent players in their own right, but both far enough removed from their glory days that a significant impact might be out of the question.

Ray Rice hasn't been quiet about believing he's one of the NFL's best running backs, and he's also been vocal about his intentions to be paid as a top back. Anytime a player is as public as Rice has been, there is friction that is created between the team and the player. In all reality, players are probably best served by quietly asking their team for the best contract possible, but that's not most players' style.

Ray Rice was the recipient of the Ravens' franchise tag in early march. The star running back has yet to sign his tender, and according to Sal Paolantonio, Rice isn't going to get the type of contract he thinks he deserves.

Paolantonio said in talking to a Ravens official about reports that Rice wants a contract similar to that of Adrian Peterson or even Chris Johnson, the official said, "That is simply not going to happen."

In case you're curious, Peterson's deal was a seven year contract worth $100 million with $36 million guaranteed, and Johnson's deal was a six year $56 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. Based on Sal Paolantonio's report, Ray Rice can keep dreaming about making that type of money.

In this case, the Ravens have far more leverage than Rice. Eventually, Rice will have to sign his tender and join his team. By dragging out the process, he's giving the Ravens more reasons to not give him a favorable deal, and other teams will take notice if Rice becomes a problem for Baltimore. The Ravens won't give him the monster contract he wants, and no other team would take that plunge either. Rice's best course of action, in my opinion, is to sign his tender and continue talks with the Ravens about a long-term deal.

Like TGS on Facebook

Follow TGS on Twitter

The Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys lost their arbitration case to recover lost salary cap. End of story, right?

Maybe not. The NFL Players Association is shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that the owners colluded in establishing a "soft" $123 million salary cap in the 2010 no cap year. The union is suing the NFL for $4 billion over the matter one day after the Special Master dismissed the Cowboys and Redskins arbitration appeal of the NFL's salary cap sanction.

The teams lost the case when the arbitrator, University of Pennsylvania law school professor Stephen Burbank, decided he did not have authority to act. The league and owners amended the CBA last March when two men, Commissioner Roger Goodell and PA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, reallocated cap dollars from Dallas and Washington and spread it among 28 of the clubs. The owners, but not the players, ratified that agreement as an amendment to the CBA itself.

In effect, the loss of the two teams' 2012 cap room was written into the labor agreement as if from day one of the deal. Prof. Burbank felt his hands were tied, so he dismissed the case.

The union hopes to defeat problems faced by the Cowboys and Redskins by charging conspiracy as a violation of the 1993 Reggie White Settlement Agreement (SSA). The teams based their arbitration case on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The union is pressing their case in federal court rather than arbitration. They brought their case after collecting public statement by owners in the lead up to Dallas' and Washington's arbitration hearing.

Maybe that will make a difference. But, like Lucy, the union and DeMaurice Smith have some 'splaining to do.

Why was the salary cap going to be lower in 2012 than in 2011? The union agreed to the sanctions in return for the owners' agreement to raise the cap slightly to $120.6 million in return for their agreement to sanction the clubs. The union reportedly did not believe that the Redskins and Cowboys violated the CBA.

Even without owners statements now, how could the union fail to estimate the loss of $1 billion in players' potential income when it occurred in 2010?

The late Gene Upshaw said many times that, if the owners locked the players out, the union would never again agree to a salary cap. Why is a salary cap part of the new CBA?

I gave DeMaurice Smith high marks for making the best possible deal for players when legal setbacks were looming. I still believe that, but Smith is new and came to the job without experience as a labor leader. Upshaw bargained for players since the late 1970s and knew the ins and outs of labor negotiations. Smith is still on a steep learning curve. 

Commissioner Roger Goodell is a lawyer of the first order. He is undefeated in matters like this. My money is on him. 

//

One of the few remaining notable free agent wide receivers is Plaxico Burress. He's traveled a long, difficult road since catching the Super Bowl game winning pass from Eli Manning that destroyed the Patriots' undefeated record back in February, 2008. It doesn't seem to be getting any easier for Burress.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Harrold, Plaxico Burress would like to workout for the Miami Dolphins, but the team has shown no interest in bringing in veteran wide receivers such as Burress, Roy Williams, or Braylon Edwards. According to Jackson, Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said the he "could be done" in regards to his shaping of the Dolphins' wide receiving corp.

The implication here is that Jeff Ireland wants the Dolphins' young receivers to step up instead of bringing in questionable veteran talent. Obviously, that's any team's hope, but it doesn't always work out well for teams that employ this method. Another in-state team, the Jaguars, are possibly the best example in the league of failing to develop competent wide receivers. If the Dolphins' young receivers aren't developing quickly, they need to seriously consider bringing in an impact player like Burress.

A year ago, I would have said that Burress would be able to find a team, but there just doesn't seem to be any interest from the teams in bringing in older receivers. Just last year we witnessed Terrell Owens produce a televised workout in which no NFL team attended. He went unsigned until finally agreeing to terms with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. To say the least, Burress' situation isn't looking very promising.

Like TGS on Facebook

Follow TGS on Twitter

Have you ever been at an NFL game, trying to check stats and scores across the league on your smartphone? If you have, it's likely that you didn't make it past the home page of your browser of choice. The simple problem is that wireless networks aren't built to handle 20,000 people all trying to surf the web at the same time, in the same space. The NFL realizes that problem, and they want to fix it.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants wifi in NFL stadiums and readily available to fans on the devices that fans routinely bring to the game, most notably, smartphones.

"We believe that it is important to get technology into our stadiums. We have made the point repeatedly that the experience at home is outstanding, and we have to compete with that in some fashion by making sure that we create the same kind of environment in our stadiums and create the same kind of technology." -Roger Goodell

In this case, and it's a rare case to be sure, I agree with the league's top man. I rarely go to games for a variety of reasons. First off, I live in an NFL market, but I don't cheer for that team. Games are also very, very expensive. When games are free to watch on network television, it's very difficult for the NFL to compete with the at-home experience.

It's no secret that going to NFL games is not for everyone. The experience is marketed towards people with a comfortable level of disposable income. After all, people with plenty of cash on hand tend to spend more. Those are also the people that are more likely to have a smartphone, making the addition of a capable wifi network at each stadium a high priority endeavor by the league. It's not a move that's likely to be the difference between a sellout and a blackout, but it may attract a few more fans to compete for coveted tickets. And if you know anything about economics, you know that an increase in demand with no change in supply results in a higher selling price, and that's something the NFL is all about.

Like TGS on Facebook

Follow TGS on Twitter

Now that the top 5 quarterbacks piece is safely in our rear view mirror, we can begin to move on to positions where there is likely to be more disagreement and discussion about who belongs in the top 5. Today, we'll attempt to tackle the top 5 running backs in the NFL. In reality, there were just over five guys I felt deserved consideration, and as always, you probably won't agree with most of these. Let's jump right in.

5. LeSean McCoy

In just his third year in the NFL, McCoy burst onto the scene in 2011 with nearly 5 yards per carry and just over 1,300 yards. Add 17 rushing touchdowns to that list, and you have yourself one of the best young runners in the league. He's rated at just 5th on this list because I'm always cautious about giving too much credit to one hit wonders. Still, I see no reason why he won't climb this list as his career progresses.

4. Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson would have been first on this list had he avoided tearing his ACL and MCL against the Washington Redskins at the tail end of the Vikings' disappointing 2011 campaign. These types of injuries have the potential to derail great careers, especially at the running back position. We'll all be holding our collective breath when Peterson finally takes the field in a game situation later this year.

Nothing went according to the plan for the Bucs last year. After an impressive 10-6 season with Josh Freeman unable to make a mistake, and rookie Mike Williams proving the doubters wrong, hopes were high for Tampa in the most competitive division in the league. But things could not have gone worse as Freeman struggled to find his form behind a weak line, the running game struggled to find their consistency and the young defense proved incapable of stopping anything that came their way.

It ended with a 4-12 season and Raheem Morris without a job. But they had money to spend, that is of course if the Glazers wanted to spend it. The owners had gained a reputation for being more interested in their footy interests than their football, but the fan base was unimpressed after such a disappointing season, and the owners opened the checkbook.

Josh Freeman looked out of shape at times last year, but having a handful of years of experience at his wideout spots did not help his case either. So the first move they made was going after one of the physically imposing wideouts in the game. Vincent Jackson  is nothing short of a beast on the outside, and if he can stay healthy for the Bucs, Freeman could have his downfield threat that he has been missing.

But the Bucs were in need of much more than a beast on the outside. Freeman is a bit of a Big Ben clone, therefore he needs his time in the pocket if he is going to be effective. So what is the best way to protect the youngster? Might as give All-Pro guard Carl Nicks $47.5 million for four years. After protecting Drew Brees for the first part of his career, Nicks will have a new adventure is protecting a pivot that can actually see over his back.

They were not quite done yet, and keep in mind all of these moves were made in a matter of a few hours. Ronde Barber is aging and Aqib Talib can't stay out of trouble. So it was clear that some help was needed in the secondary. Eric Wright is by no means a shut down corner, but he had a solid season for the Lions last year and earned himself a nice little $37.5 million deal. Whether he lines up on the corner of in the slot, he will do what he can to help the prevent.

Tampa entered the draft with the fifth overall pick, and many saw them going after another corner along the lines of Mo Claiborne. But rather than stockpile a position that was not their most glaring need, they traded down at got themselves the best safety in the draft with Bama product Mark Barron. He will step in from day one and control center field for Greg Schiano's defense.

Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder got no love from arbitrator Stephen Burbank who remorselessly rejected their appeal for justice. The owners of the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins, the NFL's two wealthiest franchises, appealed the league's salary cap sanction for their rejection a gentlemen's agreement on treatment of the cap during the "no cap" 2010 season.

The NFL Management Council reduced the Redskins' salary cap by $36 million and the Cowboys' by $10 million to be spread over two seasons. The Redskins were sanctioned for pushing salaries for Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall into the no cap year. Haynesworth's contract was the killer since it raised the franchise tag salary for defensive tackles from $7 million to $12.5 million.

The Baltimore Ravens franchised DT Halati Ngata and were forced to pay the higher amount. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was vocal behind the scenes to push for sanctions.

Burbank is a University of Pennsylvania law professor who served as arbitrator in the dispute. The NFL asked that he dismiss the case citing the matter as a labor issue. The NFL Players Association agreed to the action by the owners. Burbank apparently bought the argument, although no specific reason was given in the story posted on NFL.com.  

It might have been worse

While the leagues sanction was stunning for both its size and timing right before the 2012 NFL Draft, it did not handcuff Dallas or Washington from restocking the team with new talent. The teams were "lucky" not to have lost Draft picks, according to a statement by John Mara, chairman of the NFL Management Council. "What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap," said Mara in a May 22, 2012 New York Post story.  

The loss of a first-round pick would have hindered the Redskins spectacular trade with the St. Louis Rams to position their grasp for QB Robert Griffin III. Unlike most seasons of the Daniel Snyder era, the Redskins were in a healthy salary cap position, close to $50 million by some estimates, and could absorb the hit. The sanction complicated negotiations to re-sign LB London Fletcher and RB Tim Hightower.

The Cowboys moved up in the Draft to select CB Morris Claiborne in the first round and six other players in later rounds. WR Laurent Robinson, who was lost in free agency to Jacksonville, may have been a casualty of the sanction against Dallas.

Silence of the players' union

The NFL PA's position is puzzling. The salary cap process worked perfectly, especially for Ngata. The union reportedly took no issue with Dallas' and Washington's contract treatment, but went along with the sanctions when the owners spread the penalties to 28 other franchises as salary credit.

The league sweetened the move by agreeing to a higher 2012 salary cap than would otherwise have occurred, thus the sparing the union to explain why the cap would have been lower this year than last year. The deal may come back to haunt them.

Former agent Andrew Brandt suspected last March that the owners borrowed from the future to pay players now. The salary increases players expect when new 2014 broadcast revenue kicks in may be less than players expect, says Brandt.

Life in the NFL is short, so today's players may not share Brandt's concern for income some are unlikely to receive anyway.

What would Gene Upshaw say?

The owners' views about 2010 no cap contracts were based on salary treatment upon the return of the cap. Fortunate for them, former NFL PA executive director Gene Upshaw was dead.

Upshaw sensed shortly after the 2006 CBA Extension that the owners would opt out of the deal and lock the players out to force a completely new agreement. Upshaw said that, if the owners locked the players out, the union would never agree to a new salary cap.

Upshaw passed away in August 2008 and new union leadership never made good on the threat. Without Upshaw, owners may have been more certain that there would be a salary cap in 2011 and cap dollars to assess in 2012.     

//

According to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio, the Buccaneers have indeed signed former Colts tight end Dallas Clark, filling the roster hole that will be left when the Buccaneers are able to orchestrate a trade ridding themselves of tight end Kellen Winslow.

Source confirms the #Buccaneers did sign veteran TE Dallas Clark earlier today. Move was turn into the NFL's personnel office.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) May 21, 2012

Clark spent all of his 9 seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts as their best receiving tight end. Clark's best season came in 2009 when he caught 100 passes for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns. Since that season, Clark has missed significant playing time in 2010 and 2011 due to injury. With the Colts beginning a complete roster overhaul, it just didn't make sense to keep Clark around.

It's still unclear why the Buccaneers are trying to trade Winslow, but they are certainly moving quickly to move him out of town and put this series of moves behind them. Bringing in Clark will fill the receiving gap that Winslow leaves as he departs Tampa Bay, but Dallas Clark is not a blocking tight end, and his blocking ability, or lack thereof, was on full display in the Colts anemic offense last season. Replacing Winslow with Clark doesn't seem like an equal trade off, and I can't help but wonder why the Buccaneers feel it's the right direction for their team right now.

Like TGS on Facebook

Follow TGS on Twitter