NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Heath Evans criticized Adrian Peterson for the latter’s comparison of locked-out NFL players to “modern-day slavery.” In an interview with Boston’s WEEI-AM, Evans, a New Orleans Saints running back, scolded Peterson for what he said was a bad choice of words. “Well first of all, I wish I had the athletic ability of (Peterson’s), like, little finger,” Evans said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com.

“All right. But he’s an idiot, and what he said was moronic at best.” Peterson’s comments to Yahoo Sports came in the hours after the NFLPA had decertified, which brought about last Saturday’s lockout imposition. Green Bay Packers RB Ryan Grant also criticized him, while Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall defended Peterson. Evans said Peterson’s comments are not helpful to the NFLPA as they look to build solidarity and gird for what could potentially be a lengthy work stoppage. “And those comments, they hurt us,” he said. “And ultimately that is what the owners are banking on.”

With just over a month to go before the 2011 NFL Draft (the one aspect of football we are still certain will occur this year), news and tips about whom the Redskins are interested in drafting still remain scarce, at best. In mock drafts, the team has been linked to a handful of different quarterbacks (namely Cam Newton, Jake Locker, and Blaine Gabbert), several different defenders, and even some offensive lineman.

So in the spirt of complete uncertainty, we can now potentially throw in another name of a player whom was previously projected to be long gone by the time Washington makes their pick (#10 overall), due to some recent injury concerns: defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, from Clemson University.

In early, pre-scouting combine mock drafts, it was believed that Bowers would likely be long gone after the first five picks were made, and there was a strong chance that he could go #1 overall to the Carolina Panthers. But with recent reports that NFL personnel executives are concerned about an injury Bowers suffered to his knee, which required surgery in January. While Bowers representatives originally downplayed the extent of the surgery, the fact that Bowers did not participate at all in the combined, and then pushed back his Pro Day workout for NFL teams from March 10th to April 1st raises some red flags about how hurt his knee really was.

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has sent a letter to all active players, outlining the league’s last proposal to the union during labor negotiations according to the Associated Press.

In Thursday’s e-mail, Goodell tells players that “each passing day puts our game and our shared economics further at risk.”

Goodell writes that the NFL Players Association “walked out of the federal mediator’s offices … and filed a lawsuit.” He says owners “are prepared to resume those negotiations at any time.”

Interesting story over at Matt Vensel's Baltimore Sports Blitz about a recent list published at NFL.com. It had the Ravens 2001 signing of Elvis Grbac as the 2nd worst Quarterback move in league history.

"Trent Dilfer led the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2000 and was rewarded with the team turning to Grbac, who was coming off a 4,000-yard season with the Chiefs," Rank, a blogger for NFL.com, wrote. "Things didn't work out for the Ravens, as Grbac threw more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (15) and the team was bounced from the playoffs by the Steelers. Grbac retired after only one season in Baltimore."

It's hard to argue much with the inclusion of Grbac on this list whose first season in purple was his last in the league. He didn't seem to possess the intangibles that Dilfer did in the huddle and his crying incident on the sidelines after a multiple interception performance against Cleveland was the final piece that cemented his failure status in Baltimore sports lore.

I don't really understand why the writer didn't want to include Scott Mitchell who could have easily made this list too. He excuses him due to a huge season in 1995 when he threw for over 4,000 yards.

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The NFL Competition Committee ruled today that there will be no significant change to the rule book to clarify a catch in the wake of the Calvin Johnson non-touchdown in week 1 against the Bears.  The Committee decided that the standards for determining a catch have remained the same for nearly 70 years.  Said Rich McKay (via Profootballtalk.com):

I think what will come out and what will be written in our report is that we'll confirm the rule that's really been there for more than 70 years, which basically says there are three elements to a catch: number one, you've got to secure control of the ball in your hands; number two, you've got to maintain that control when you have two feet down or any body part other than your hands; and number three, which will be the clarification that we'll add to the book, we'll say you must control the ball long enough after A and B, meaning you've caught it cleanly and you've got two feet down or a body part, and after those two elements then you've got to maintain control long enough, and we're going to use the language we've had in the book for a long time, in which you would have the ability to perform any act common to the game.

That's all well and good that you have language in the rule book and you want it applied uniformly to the field, but the problem is it is not being applied uniformly.  In case anybody hasn't seen it, here is the Calvin Johnson "incompletion."

Johnson catches the ball in the air, is contacted by a defender, gets two feet, a knee, his rear end and an elbow down.  All of which on their own are enough to establish himself in the field of play.  He loses the ball as he is turning over to get up and that was considered part of "the process" of the catch.  Here is Mike Pereira explaining it a little further after the fact.  We'll look past that as it has been debated enough and nothing is going to change the letter of the rule apparently.

Let's jump forward to one week later against the Eagles when DeSean Jackson "catches" a pass despite never coming close to having possession when the ball bounces off his body and onto the ground the moment he hits the turf.  This was ruled a catch on the field.  Mike Pereira joins the broadcast team and begins to justify the ruling on the field by talking about the defender contacting the receiver causing a second act.

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The Panthers, owners of the top overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft, will hold a private workout with Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert this weekend, a league source told NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi on Wednesday.

Gabbert is scheduled to work out at Missouri’s pro day Thursday, which will likely draw a large crowd hoping to get a closer look at the 6-foot-4, 234-pound quarterback who opted not to throw at February’s NFL Combine. In three seasons at Missouri — two as a starter — Gabbert posted 6,882 passing yards and 40 touchdowns. Last season, he passed for 3,186 yard and 16 touchdowns and added 232 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

A GM with a club that could use a quarterback told Clark Judge of CBS Sportd Wednesday he believes the Cincinnati Bengals know Carson Palmer won’t play for them again. The GM said the Bengals’ Marvin Lewis knows Palmer won’t play for him again, and he should. He talked to the guy, but there’s that matter of what to do next, and this may be a test of Lewis’ power and leverage — both of which he may have gained by agreeing to a two-year extension when he was expected to leave.

Essentially, the question is this: Can he convince owner Mike Brown to deal Palmer for draft picks, players or both to get something of value this season? Most people believe he cannot, and that was reiterated by our GM who said he’s certain Cincinnati won’t budge on Palmer because of what it would mean for others.