NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Chad Ochocinco doesn’t want to be with the Bengals, and having $6 mil left on his deal, he likely will have options to play elsewhere in 2011. That is as long as the team he wants to go to wants him, and can get him.

The Bengals may keep him around till they make sure they have first-round pick A.J. Green under contract, and knowing the Bengals history of issues with that, nothing is a for sure.

Adam Schefter of ESPN Monday spoke about a couple teams that could land Ochocinco, among them are the following:

1. New England Patriots
2. Chicago Bears
3. Washington Redskins

Here’s what James Walker of ESPN wrote about the situation with Ochocinco.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided some potential destinations for Ochocinco, who has $6 million left on his contract in 2011. Schefter mentions the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins as candidates. All three teams could use some star power at wide receiver next season. Washington, in particular, was very interested in trading for Ochocinco a few seasons ago.

Chances are the Bengals will have a hard time this year trading Ochocinco, who has a high salary and is coming off one of his worst seasons. He caught just 67 passes for 831 yards and four touchdowns. But the Bengals appear willing to release Ochocinco, especially after investing the No. 4 overall draft pick on former Georgia receiver A.J. Green.

So will Chad be with one of the teams above, or is there a darkhorse elsewhere that could land the wide out? It will be interesting to say the least.

The NFL’s lockout stays, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. That means the league likely won’t get back to business until next month and maybe for much longer.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the lockout can remain intact until a full appeal is heard on whether it is legal. That hearing is scheduled June 3 in St. Louis, and it is before the same panel that issued this 2-1 decision.

The appellate court said it believed the NFL has proven it “likely will suffer some degree of irreparable harm without a stay.” It also cast doubt on the conclusions of U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who ruled April 25 that the lockout should be lifted — only to have the 8th Circuit panel put her decision on hold four days later.

“The league has made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits,” the majority wrote.

The decision came on the same day NFL owners and players resumed court-ordered mediation behind closed doors for eight hours. It was the fifth day of talks in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, but the first since April 20.

Neither the players nor the owners would elaborate on the discussions but Michael Hausfeld, an attorney representing the retired players in the labor squabble, told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio on Monday that the owners have made a new proposal that has “released the stalemate.”

“The players are considering their proposal and formulating a response. It’s not acceptable as is, but it’s a starting point,” Hausfeld said.

Hall of Famer Carl Eller, also among those representing retired players, told Paolantonio earlier Monday that Boylan extended Monday’s talks after the owners agreed to produce a new offer.

Eller said the league’s decision created “positive feelings in the room.” The sides planned to return Tuesday morning.

Gary Myers of the New York Daily News reports over five years ago Bills owner Ralph Wilson and Bengals owner Mike Brown cast the only negative votes in a 30-2 landslide to approve as a package deal the take-it-or-leave-it collective bargaining agreement proposed by the union and a revenue sharing plan among the owners. Looking for peace at any price, the owners caved in.

Two years into the deal, the 30 owners who disagreed with Wilson and Brown suddenly realized they were the ones who made a huge mistake.

Wilson resisted last week saying, “I told you so,” to the 30 owners who voted the other way in 2006.

He objected to the revenue sharing plan that didn’t put enough money in the pockets of the small-market teams like the Bills rather than to any distaste he had for all the money – 59.5% – that was going to the players. He felt the revenue-sharing portion was being shoved down his throat without a proper explanation what he would be signing.

“I’m upset about the whole deal and the way it was presented,” Wilson said five years ago. “And 59.5% is far too much money for the whole league, not just Buffalo.”

“I came into this game 50 years ago because I enjoyed the game of pro football. Not to make money,” Wilson said. “In those days, everybody was hoping to break even. We lost money for a number of years. I am really not into the game to make money, but I would like to break even or make a little.”

When the Bills took 21-year-old defensive tackle Marcell Dareus out of Alabama third overall at the recent NFL draft, a lot of people actually thought they got the best player available. That might be true, considering Dareus should be able to step into the lineup on opening day and have an immediate positive impact on the team.

He might not be able to improve on the pass rush, but playing alongside steady nose tackle Kyle Williams should definitely improve the defense against the run, where they were horrible last season. The Bills weren't too bad offensively, but they couldn't keep the opposition from running all over them. He's also quite versatile as he can play defensive tackle, nose tackle, and defensive end, and ran the 40 at the Combine in 4.92 seconds.

With the 6-foot-3, 320lb. mountain of a man in the lineup, the Bills can place him in the middle of their defensive line. Dareus carries his weight well and there won't be a lot of linemen who'll be able to stop him from throwing an arm around their running backs. If he plays as well as expected the Bills shouldn't have to count on their offense as much nest season.

Dareus seems to be the real deal with his size, speed, and strength. He handles double teams well, collapses the pocket, can shed blockers, and reacts well to the snap with his quick first step. He's pretty agile for a big man and can move quite well laterally. He can occupy blockers and disrupt the run while maintaining his discipline. There are a few weaknesses to his game, such as lack of starting experience, his arm length, and the tendency to be too upright. He was also suspended for accepting benefits from an agent.

Dareus learned his craft in the 3-4 defense at Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. It's likely that he'll start at in Buffalo's 3-4 defense at defensive end, but could be moved from there in the subpackages. He may play defensive end in the 3-4 on first and second downs and move inside with Kyle Williams in nickel.

There are some who feel Dareus' tough upbringing may cause him to lose interest and motivation once he starts getting paid good money. His father died when the youngster was six years old and his mother is in a wheelchair. If he can deal with the sudden fame and fortune then his stamina and conditioning will be critical in the NFL and his success will depend on it.

He's big, agile, talented, fast and durable. These are the attributes that should see Dareus having a big impact on the Bills this season and he could possibly have the most impact of any player in this year's draft. If he plays up to his potential, Bills' fans might figure it was worth having such a lousy season in 2010.

Here is a list I compiled of the teams that could least afford to lose a season. I avoided putting teams like Washington or Jacksonville on this list, not just because they may have young line-ups to start the season but because they aren’t in any window for winning a title.

1. New York Giants. The brass contemplated firing Tom Coughlin in 2007 before they won the Super Bowl that season and have been probably thinking about it again since the beginning of the 2009 season. It probably doesn’t help that the Jets have been the only team in the NFL to make both of their last two Conference Championships. That offensive line is getting old (Diehl will be 31, McKenzie and Seubert 32 this year) and it seems like a chore to keep that defensive line together each year. Washington and Philly are loaded with young talent.
2. Dallas. More old offensive line here. They used the draft to try to find starters to replace a lineman and Keith Brooking. I think their window is closing because this is kind of a “win or be benched” year for Tony Romo who is 1-3 in the playoffs. Essentially – no matter how good he plays during this season – if he has only 1 or 2 total touchdowns with 2 or 3 turnovers in a playoff loss, they will find a replacement.
3. Pittsburgh. Just like with Baltimore, this team’s window is going to close, only to have a one year layoff before a new 7 year window opens. Pittsburgh’s D was the oldest defense in the NFL last year, so a transition year is possible in the near future.
4. Chicago. As Brian Urlacher proved when he was tackled by Aaron Rodgers, he isn’t the same player he used to be. This is his 12th season, Olin Kreutz’s 14th, Lance Briggs’ 9th and the same for Charles Tillman.
5. Baltimore. I think a new window will open pretty much immediately after Ed Reed and Ray Lewis retire, but I still felt like putting them on here – especially after Ed Reed contemplated retirement recently. The Ravens have excellent, young defensive depth that get little to no snaps. I just feel like it would be great to win one now. With Boldin, Suggs, and Jarret Johnson going in their 9th seasons and Todd Heap in his 11th season, the batch of replacements might not live up to their potential and/or may need a year of getting used to playing with each other when the retirements occur.

If there is no season, fans of these teams (and the other 27) will all be wondering what could have been. Some fans might wonder what could have been if there was a shortened season. The Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals made 1 playoff appearance in a strike-shortened season (1981), but were also leading the division in 1994 before that corresponding strike. It would have been their only pennant in franchise history.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed concern Sunday that the NFL’s ongoing labor dispute is reaching a breaking point with fans according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.

“One of my concerns is that we not aggravate our fan base, and we have to be very careful. I think we’re coming to that point now where we start to hurt ourselves collectively in the eyes of our fans,” Kraft said. “In the end, the fans just want football. They don’t want to hear about all this meaningless squabbling.”

“The problem can be solved, I really believe that,” he said. “If we sit down as principals, I believe we can do a deal very quickly.

“We’re blessed to have one of the greatest sports businesses in the world, right here in America. We have a great product and we have to get back to business and find a way to get football going.”

The poor Cowboys. They have one of the newest and nicest stadiums in the world, but don't get to play in it once the playoffs roll around. But that could change this season if the NFL and the player's union get their acts together sometime soon.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was embarrassed by his club's 1–7 start last year, especially their 45–7 beat-down by the Green Bay Packers in front of the nation on Monday Night Football, and it was inevitable he'd make a mid-season coaching change. Out went the old in the form of Wade Phillips and in came the new with Jason Garrett being named interim head coach.

Garrett managed to turn the team around somewhat though and was rewarded for the turnaround by being named head coach on Jan. 6^th becoming the eighth man to take the reins in the team's history.

Garrett wasn't exactly new to the Dallas Cowboys when he took over last season though, as he already had two Super Bowl rings which he won while playing for the club and he was also the team's offensive coordinator, being hired in 2007 before Phillips was named head coach. He's transformed over the years from a decent backup quarterback and co-ordinator into an intelligent, no-nonsense 45-year-old coach, who's far from being a Jerry Jones 'yes man.'

Garrett's one of those people who makes the most of their chances. As a player, he started just nine games, but went 6-3, throwing 11 touchdowns along with five interceptions. As a coach, he's gone an unremarkable 5-3 so far in eight games, enabling the Cowboys to finish last season at 6-10.

But when he took over the squad they were an uninspiring bunch with a 1–7 record. The club was going around in circles and was called listless, underachieving, and embarrassing by its fans. It's only natural that a team will improve immediately after a coaching change, but a truly awful one will quickly revert to its old habits unless there's somebody there to get them back on the right track and keep them there.

Garrett did this by introducing a new culture and atmosphere to the team which included a deliberate and no-nonsense approach to practice and games. It could be seen as a huge gamble in today's era of pampered and overpaid athletes, but he starting getting tough with the players by demanding punctuality and starting meeting and practices earlier than they're used to.

Under their new head coach, Dallas swept their NFC East rivals after they lost to all three of them earlier in the season under Phillips' guidance. They lost three games, but just by a total of seven points. It was easy to see the improvement in the team, but of course, all the momentum was lost when the season came to an end.

With Garrett implementing a stricter discipline for his players to follow, it wouldn't come as a surprise to hear some of them blow him off. But surprisingly, most of them said he was direct, to the point, easy to understand, and motivational.

The biggest problem facing Garrett this season will be getting his team out of the starting blocks. If he can get the Cowboys off to a good start they should be playing in their fancy stadium when the postseason kicks off.

Just when it sounded like the Steelers were not as high on Florida guard Mike Pouncey as we all thought – this story hits the web.

The story comes from Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider, who states that the Steelers and Redskins had a deal agreed upon during the 2011 NFL Draft that would've given the Steelers the 16th overall pick. The trade didn't happen because the player the Steelers wanted was off the draft board.

The player that the Steelers wanted? You guessed it -Mike Pouncey. He was drafted 15th by the Miami Dolphins. The Redskins eventually traded that 16th pick to Jacksonville, who drafted Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

It's likely the Steelers would've also given at least their 2nd-round pick to Washington. The Steelers stayed put after Pouncey was drafted, and ended up taking Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward in the 1st round and Florida OT Marcus Gilbert in the 2nd round.

Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Bucs have declined HBO’s offer to be featured on this year’s Hard Knocks.

He Tweeted the Following about them turning down the offer:

With the lockout already costing all teams the offseason program, there will be even less room for distractions during training camp. The Bucs apparently didn’t want to be the ones to deal with the drama this year, even if it could help boost the profile of their young core and charismatic coach Raheem Morris. No word yet on what team will take the plunge. Of course, if there is no training camp then there will be no Hard Knocks.

Tampa Bay confirmed that they have turned the show down.

"We have respectfully declined this year’s Hard Knocks invitation. Wonderful show, but the team wants to keep the focus on the field in 2011," the Bucs said on the team's official Twitter page.

NFL owners and their locked-out players are talking again.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, executive vice president Jeff Pash and four team owners—Mike Brown, John Mara, Jerry Richardson and Art Rooney—arrived at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis on Monday morning along with legal counsel.

The head of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, and three other lawyers for the players were present for their side for the closed-door session before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan on the division and future of the ever-popular $9 billion business.

None of players listed as plaintiffs in the still-pending federal antitrust lawsuit against the league attended this time. Hall of Famer Carl Eller and attorneys were on hand for retired players.

Boylan presided over four days of mediation last month with no signs of progress. The two sides also met for 16 days earlier this year before talks fell apart March 11 and the lockout began.
Place your vote on Grudge Judge

Since then, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered the lockout lifted because it's irreparably harming the players and their careers. Days later, on an appeal from the league, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put Nelson's ruling on hold and has yet to decide whether to issue a more permanent stay.

The appeals court in St. Louis has a hearing in the case set for June 3.

Also pending is an order from U.S. District Judge David Doty on the fate of some $4 billion in broadcast revenue he previously ruled was unfairly secured by the NFL in the last round of contract extensions with the networks to use as leverage in the form of financial padding for the work stoppage. Even if a lockout prevents games from being televised, the league would still get paid.