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Is Brandon Weeden beginning to sweat quarterback competition?

Written by Shane Clemons on .

The Browns have one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL. Brandon Weeden did nothing last year to prove that he was "the man" moving forward, and Jason Campbell could be a stop-gap quarterback at best.

Weeden said Friday, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, that he was surprised that the Browns added quarterback Brian Hoyer to the mix.

"I was surprised, but that’s the nature of the beast. It’s part of this business and if you start worrying about it, that’s too much to worry about. That’s my mentality going forward."

Right now, it appears that Jason Campbell, not Brian Hoyer, is his biggest concern in regard to the Browns' starting position. At  27 years old, however, Hoyer is younger than Weeden, 29, and Campbell, 31, making him a possible long-term starter if he shows promise. Otherwise, the Browns will be picking the best man for the job.

Last season, Weeden was unable to complete a high percentage of passes, just 57.4%, and he threw more interceptions, 17, than he did touchdowns, 14. While some of the blame can be spread to his lackluster set of offensive weapons, it's still the quarterback's job to drive the offense, and that's something that Weeden wasn't able to do a season ago. By adding Hoyer, the Browns are just trying to increase competition at one of their weakest positions.


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Dwight Freeney, Chargers agree to terms

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Dwight Freeney has a new contract with the San Diego Chargers, and he didn't do bad for himself in free agency.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that Freeney and the Chargers have agreed to a contract with a base value of $8.75 million over the course of two years.

The deal will pay up to $5.25 million in 2013, $3.25 million of which comes in the form of a signing bonus. $1.5 million is guaranteed salary, and $500,000 is related to Freeney's presence on the Chargers' weekly 46-man roster.

Freeney will earn up to $3.5 million in 2014, $500,000 of that sum is linked to the same roster bonus as mentioned above.

Florio goes on to report that the contract is worth a maximum value of $13.35 million, and $4.6 million of that total is tied only to sacks, although the target numbers aren't known at this time.

The deal is a win, win for both parties. Freeney will be making good money at a time when defensive linemen tend to fade into obscurity, and the Chargers are getting a still solid pass rusher at a reasonable rate with no long term commitment.


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Manti Te'o attends Maxim's Hot 100 party

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Manti Te'o has recovered nicely after it was revealed that his deceased girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, never actually existed. Te'o further improved his position by attending Maxim's Hot 100 party, according to Busted Coverage. Maxim had poked fun at the situation by naming Te'o's girlfriend the 69th hottest woman in the world.

The story, broke by Deadspin, created a PR nightmare for the former Notre Dame standout leading up to the draft. There was a sentiment that because he had been deceived, Te'o may not be as affective on the field as previously thought. If you're having a hard time connecting how being duped into believing he had a real girlfriend and Te'o's on field play have anything to do with one another, you're not alone.

The decision to attend Maxim's party is a smart move for a number of reasons. If Te'o actually wants to put the fake Lennay Kekua chapter of his life in his rearview mirror, he has to be willing to put up with some extra crap in the short term. In the long run, embracing the situation will allow Te'o to move away from the embarrassing, for lack of a better word, scandal.

People get bored of poking fun at someone if that someone is also poking fun at the situation. I'm sure it's still rough to have to deal with the unnecessary attention, but Te'o is handling it about as best as anyone could. And, look at the bright side. He was at Maxim's Hot 100 party. I bet you wish you were there, and I know I wish I was there, so he's got that on us.


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Browns quarterback competition heating up

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Brandon Weeden will go into training camp later this offseason as the favorite to win the Browns' starting quarterback job, if for no other reason than being the young incumbent. Still, that doesn't guarantee that he'll be starting the season as the Browns' starter.

Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository wrote yesterday that Jason Campbell is hard to miss at Browns OTAs. Doershuk observed that Campbell was clearly the better quarterback in practice, although adding a disclaimer to that statement.

"I’m sure it had something to do with the fact Campbell is a ninth-year pro who was working against a No. 2 defense, but he definitely had better sessions than Weeden."

Doershuk also noted the size of Campbell as a positive aspect. Campbell brings a veteran presence to the Browns' quarterback battle, and he could eventually serve as a solid stopgap quarterback if the Browns decide that Brandon Weeden isn't the right quarterback for their team.

Regardless of what you may hear, this is not a straight-up quarterback battle as is the case in other places such as Jacksonville. The Browns would like to continue developing Brandon Weeden if at all possible, but if Campbell can distance himself from Weeden in training camp and preseason action, he may be able to make it impossible for the Browns and head coach Rob Chudzinski to pick Weeden over himself.


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Bush feels comfortable with Detroit's offense

Written by Shane Clemons on .

While Reggie Bush's stint with the Saints wasn't enough for him to stick in New Orleans, it did give him an understanding of a high tempo offense. The Lions run a similar offense, and it's given Bush a sense of comfort in the offense.

"As far as from an offensive perspective it's a lot like what we did in New Orleans," Bush said on NFL AM. "It's a lot of spread-open passing. Obviously we can attack down field, and with the running game, a lot of screens, draws and stuff like that. Basically what I did in New Orleans, so running this offensive system has been pretty easy for me."

Many thought that Reggie Bush was a good fit for Detroit for just that reason.

The problem, at least for Bush and the Lions, is that there are some very significant differences between the Lions and the Saints team Bush was familiar to.

First and foremost, the Saints ran an offense centered around Drew Brees. While Matthew Stafford is certainly a key piece, there's little doubt that Calvin Johnson is the most important player on that offense. That's part of the reason that Bush was brought in. With enough coverage, a receiver can be blanketed. With more receiving options, the Lions should see more success on the field.


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Chad Johnson violated probation; arrest warrant issued

Written by Shane Clemons on .

On August 11 of last year, Chad Johnson allegedly head butted his then-wife, leading the Dolphins to cut the receiver, effectively ending the receiver's career as no team had any interest in signing him.

It's only gotten worse for Johnson.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that a warrant for Chad Johnson's arrest has been issued after Johnson failed to report to his probation officer.

Johnson received probation after pleading no contest to the charges resulting from the alleged head butt. Him and Evelyn Lozada have since divorced.

While it's a rough way to end a career, it is likely that this is the last we'll hear of Chad Johnson.


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David Garrard could join the Jets coaching staff

Written by Shane Clemons on .

After choosing to retire earlier in the week, David Garrard my be staying with the Jets after all, just not as a coach.

According to the USA TODAY, Garrard is seriously considering re-joining the Jets as a quarterback coaching intern. The move would allow Garrard to mentor rookie quarterback Geno Smith.

Interestingly, Garrard seemed to indicate to USA Today Sports that Smith was certainly the quarterback of the future in New York.

"I think Geno's going to be great," Garrard told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. "He still has a lot to learn in the NFL. He definitely has to work. But he has what it takes. Now he has to go out and prove it."

"The one thing the kid has is he's definitely the guy of the future. He'll get a whole lot more attention from the fans, because they definitely want to see that new guy, especially since Mark has had a rough (52 combined turnovers) couple of years."

David Garrard had been in the running to earn the Jets' starting quarterback job, but his knee did not allow him to continue competing. At that point, Garrard decided to call it a career. If he stays with the Jets, he'll be making a quick transition to coach and mentor. In that way, Garrard could remain very valuable to Geno Smith.


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Dwayne Bowe predicts he'll lead NFL in catches and TDs; is that realistic?

Written by Brad Gagnon on .

The last time the Kansas City Chiefs got competent and consistent play from the quarterback position, in 2010, Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe led the league with 15 touchdown catches. So with Alex Smith coming to KC to bring some much-needed competency to the quarterback position, it wouldn't be far-fetched to imagine Bowe returning to the top of touchdown mountain in 2013. 

Bowe is so confident, though, that he's willing to predict that he'll lead the league in that category, as well as in receptions in general. That's what the 28-year-old former first-round pick told the media at practice Wednesday, according to Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star

Yes, new head coach Andy Reid has been known to run offenses that throw the ball a lot, but Bowe's never had more than 86 catches in a season. Since 2008, nobody has led the league with fewer than 115 receptions, which means he'd have to increase his high watermark by at least 33 percent in order to have a shot at finishing first in that category. 

That probably isn't happening, but it never hurts to reach for the stars. 

The excited Bowe also predicted that running back Jamaal Charles would also lead the league in rushing, which essentially means that he believes an offense that averaged a league-low 13.2 points per game in 2012 will suddenly become the best unit in the league in 2013. There's almost no other way Bowe puts up 115-plus catches while Charles rushes for at least 1,600 yards, which is the minimum requirement to be in the mix for the rushing crown. 

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David Garrard calling it a career; path open for Smith to be starter

Written by Shane Clemons on .

NFL.com is reporting that David Garrard is calling it quits because his knee simply isn't holding up. Garrard sent a text to NFL.com's Adam Schein, saying, "My knee is not holding up. Continuing to swell after practices."

While Garrard was never a top tier quarterback in the NFL, he provided several solid years for the Jacksonville Jaguars. His most successful year came in 2007 when he threw 18 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions. In the playoffs following that season, the Jaguars knocked off Pittsburgh for the second time that season at Pittsburgh before losing to the then undefeated Patriots in New England.

More importantly now is the hold that Garrard leaves on the Jets' roster. Prior to this development, Garrard was a favorite to win the Jets' starting job, but with Garrard gone, the quarterback competition in New York couldn't be more open, although Geno Smith seems to have the inside lane to winning the job.

Mark Sanchez still has some hope of recovering his career. With Garrard off the roster, he won't likely be cut in the immediate future, buying him time to impress his coaches. The problem Sanchez has is that the Jets have seen his true ability. Even if he's better than Smith right now, that's not a convincing enough reason to start him over Geno Smith.

In addition, Geno Smith's athleticism opens up the playbook for the Jets. His legs give the Jets options they wouldn't have with Mark Sanchez under center. Garrard's misfortune is a tough break for a respectable player that put together a decent career in the league. Still, that misfortune may have handed the Jets' starting job to Geno Smith on a silver platter.


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Drew Brees and his wife have made a habit out of decking themselves out for movie nights

Written by Brad Gagnon on .

When I noticed this tweet from Drew Brees Monday night, I figured Brees and his wife Brittany were participating in some sort of local event for The Great Gatsby, which premiered over the weekend... 

Turns out, though, that Drew and Brittany just like to mix things up and have some fun at the movies, and that this is at least the third time the New Orleans power couple has dressed up before heading to the theater...

Somehow, I can't see Tom and Gisele being this fun.

[Saints on Twitter]

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