NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Matthew Stafford is coming off a busy Super Bowl week filled with interviews, product promotion and public appearances. Hopefully he enjoyed his time in Florida because he is returning to the wintry wonderland this week to meet with the Lions medical team. The doctors are going to take a look at his surgically repaired knee and injured shoulder. If all goes as expected, they will give him the green light to begin participating in the offseason strength and conditioning program that begins March 15th. He has spent the majority of the offseason in Texas rehabbing both injuries.

Julius Peppers has become a hotly debated free agent target around the Cardinals internet media. The 6-foot-5, 283 pound veteran has consistently expressed an interest in leaving Carolina to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme since the 2008 season. The Cardinals obviously have great need for a pass rush threat from an outside linebacker type, but it seems unlikely that Peppers will grow in the desert any time soon.

He would be a great crop, though. The 4-time Pro Bowler recorded 10.5 sacks this past season to go along with his 10 QB hits, 33 QB pressures, and 23 solo tackles. Among all defensive ends in a 4-3 scheme (73 players) these numbers correlate to the following rankings: 6th, 20th, 6th, and 28th.

Peppers also recorded 2 INTs. These statistics are relatively unnecessary to figure out what most people already know about Peppers; he's still a great pass rush threat. After a career low 2.5 sacks in 2007 engendered some doubt as to the 30-year old's longevity, Peppers accumulated 25.0 sacks in the past two seasons.

To make matters more interesting, Peppers declared on Tuesday morning that he no longer desires a long-term contract with Carolina. Peppers appeared on WFNZ-AM, a Charlotte radio station, stating that he's irritated by Carolina's "silence" since the season ended. Peppers remarked, "How can you say you want to be somewhere when you're not really sure if they want you there because they're not even talking to you?" "The silence says a lot without saying anything," Peppers explained. "That is kind of a turnoff."

Peppers and the Panthers were able to sweep their issues under the rug for at least the 2008 season by utilizing the franchise tag. As a result, Peppers played under a one-year tender worth an NFL-high $16.7 million. The same result could follow in 2010, but it would cost Carolina a 20 percent raise in pay from 2009. Peppers would make $20.1 million, plus $1.5 million if he makes the Pro Bowl, and $250,000 for each playoff victory.

With this framework, let's consider whether it's realistic to bet that Peppers will be a Cardinal; it isn't because Arizona is cheap. The Cardinals would almost certainly be dealing with a per year salary around the $20 million he would receive with Carolina under the franchise tag. Arizona is highly unlikely to come close to that type of money.

A loyal Cardinals fan wouldn't want them to, either. If the front office were to spend that much, it should be to address its in-house contract issues before spending big money on a free agent (i.e., consider impending unrestricted free agent Karlos Dansby).

Developing and keeping homegrown talent is fundamental to establishing a successful franchise. If the Cardinals are going to shell out money, they should keep their eyes on the horizon, which is marked with contract situations that need attention.

Boldin, Dansby, Rolle, Dockett, Breaston, Doucet, and Toler are all home-grown quality talent that will face the end of their respective contracts before the conclusion of the 2011 season. Arizona should address at least some of those players before they start chasing high priced free agents across the unsheltered waters of the open market.

The Eagles quarterback situation has been the most talked about subject this offseason and probably will continue to be for a while. Reading this article on PFT, there continue to be all types of different opinions on who's going and who's staying.

In the article we hear that the Browns, Bills, and Broncos have all contacted the Eagles about a possible trade. Add in other teams like Minnesota, Carolina, and Arizona and there's all kinds of things to talk about. We've heard Andy Reid say that Donovan McNabb will be the guy next year, but we've also heard the Eagles are going to keep Michael Vick. There is all sorts of speculation going on and it seems like new scenarios pop up daily.

What we do know is that the Eagles have three quarterbacks with different skill sets and are all talented in their own right. All three could be starters next season, but all three can't stay in Philadelphia and start. The Eagles have some serious evaluating to do, similar to what they had to do last year with Brian Dawkins (and we all know how that one turned out).

I think the Eagles are a few players away from being a truly elite team and they can help themselves by trading a quarterback or two for some additional picks. Honestly, I think the Eagles will listen to all the offers that are out there no matter who it concerns trading and decide what is the best they can get in return. We won't know this for some time, so until then I guess we can just keep speculating.

Sporting News has the latest on Panthers DE Julius Peppers, who says he’s not happy with the way the team is treating him right now, stating that the club has yet to even talk to him about any sort of long-term deal:

Julius Peppers and the Panthers are still sitting in opposite corners with their arms folded, and according to the all-pro defensive end, Carolina is giving him the silent treatment.

Peppers and his agent say they have not heard from the organization this offseason about negotiating any sort of long-term deal. The Panthers, who placed the franchise tag on Peppers for $16.7 million last season, still have the option to use the tag on Peppers for next year, at a cost of more than $20 million.

NFL teams can use the tag between Feb. 11 and Feb. 25. If Peppers isn't tagged by March 5, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Panthers beat writer and SN correspondent Darin Gantt summarizes Peppers' recent interview with Charlotte sports radio station WFNZ:

Peppers: “I'm not going to say that, come out and say that. Last year, at the time, that was the option that I wanted most. But now it's not.

“I'm a man of very few words; I understand very well what silence means. I do it a lot and I understand that. You being silent to me, I understand exactly what you're trying to say. Because of the lack of communication, that they've had with us, if somebody asks me 'Do I want to stay in Carolina and play for the Panthers next year?,' it's like OK, well, how can you say you want to be somewhere if you're not really sure if they want you. Because they're not even talking to you.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article.

According to a list obtained by The Associated Press, there are 212 players who would be considered restricted free agents — instead of unrestricted — if there is no salary cap in 2010. There is at least one player from each of the NFL's 32 teams on the list.

Pro Bowl linebackers Elvis Dumervil of the Broncos and DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans are in the group of potentially affected players, as are starting quarterbacks Kyle Orton of the Broncos andJason Campbell of the Washington Redskins.

"Free agency's always been something for the players, always been a great thing," Orton said before the Broncos practiced Wednesday. "If you get one crack at free agency as a player, that's what you dream of. How it stands right now … guys aren't going to be able to have that dream, to be a free agent. That's a shame for the players, I think."

In an uncapped year, a player would need at least six years in the NFL, up from the current minimum of four years in the league, to be an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team.

The other Pro Bowl players who could find themselves missing out on a chance to cash in this offseason areGreen Bay Packers safety Nick Collins, New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins, New Orleans Saints guardJahri Evans and Philadelphia Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver.

In addition to the NFL's sacks leader (Dumervil) and the NFC's leader in receiving yards (Austin), other prominent names on the list include San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards, Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown and Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

If players lose out on the chance to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, they might not receive what they were expecting to be a huge payoff. They also won't have the luxury of moving freely anywhere in the league.

A restricted free agent's old team has a chance to offer the player a one-year contract at different levels of pay which determine what level of draft-choice compensation the old club would receive for losing the player. And the old team has the right to match any offer another club makes to a restricted free agent.

Other rule changes would go into effect if there is no salary cap in 2010. There would be no minimum or maximum amounts that teams could spend on payroll, and each club would have an extra "transition player" tag. A "transition player" must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player's position or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater.

An interesting piece by Yahoo Sports’ Jason Cole today talking about the comparison between Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and Colts QB Peyton Manning:

At the risk of being a heretic (or worse, completely agreeing with good friend Dutch Wydo), there is a case to be made that Ben Roethlisberger is a better quarterback than Peyton Manning.

Certainly in the playoffs.

Before you send that email calling me crazy or mocking me only days after I wrote that Manning is the fourth-best quarterback of all time, let's put this in perspective. It is impossible to truly measure Roethlisberger against Manning or Tom Brady just yet.

Roethlisberger has played six years. His regular-season stats (only two seasons with more than 18 touchdown passes) pale in comparison to those of Manning, Brady and many other quarterbacks. In short, so much of his career is yet to be played that it's silly to rank him even among the top 25 quarterbacks of all time.

Bottom line, it would take serious guts to draft Roethlisberger ahead of Manning at this point of their respective careers.

Click HERE to read the rest of the piece.

It’s interesting that this is coming up, as I was just doing a radio interview last night on a New York station on the game, and they asked me about Manning’s legacy, and if the loss Sunday pushed it back. I simply said that if QB’s are rated on wins, than the three you have to look at are Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Otto Graham.

Now I didn’t put Ben in that group, but that’s only because that I think that his legacy is still in the process of being written. Look at Tom Brady and Manning, both QB’s have lost Super Bowls, and yet the media still insists they are the best QB’s ever.

Would I take Big Ben over Manning? Hmmm…that’s a tough call, probably not, but ask me that in a few years if Ben is 3-0 or hopefully 4-0 in Super Bowls, while Manning, who is now 9-9 in the playoffs, may be walking away .500 or less in the Super Bowl games the Colts play in.

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