Can Drew Bledsoe help the Cowboys get back to the playoffs?

The Dallas Cowboys are at it again. For the second year in a row, the Cowboys have hit the free agent market looking for a quarterback. Last year they found Vinny Testaverde and this year they have brought in Drew Bledsoe. Sure he is another player in a long list of players that have played for Parcells in the past, but is this really the best move for the Cowboys?

Jerry Jones has opened up his wallet shelling out over $30 million in signing bonuses in the past week. A clear indication that the owner wants to win now and not later. Jones gave Bledsoe a $2 million signing bonus and a three year almost $16 million deal. Obviously, Parcells and the Cowboys know something about Henson, the other Drew at QB that we do not know.

The Cowboys signed former Browns cornerback Anthony Henry with a $10 million signing bonus, defensive tackle Jason Ferguson received a $9 million signing bonus and offensive guard Marco Rivera, pocketed a $9 million signing bonus. That’s $28 million on 3 free agents. Another indication that the Cowboys’ owner wants to win now and not later.

Now I understand going after Henry and Ferguson. The Cowboys need help on defense, especially at the corner position. I can even understand picking up Rivera, heck he has been to the last 3 Pro Bowls and the offensive line now has a running back to block for in Julius Jones. But Bledsoe at QB? Didn’t they just try that with Testaverde last year? Does Bledsoe have anything left in the tank? The Bills didn’t think so, so why do the Cowboys think he can help them out. I am sure Jerry let Parcells talk him into that move. Heck, why not try to initiate a trade with the Chargers for Drew Brees? Well the Chargers made that impossible by slapping the Franchise Tag on Brees, but of all the QBs out there, was Bledsoe the best available.

The Cowboys are bringing in players to help them win now, but what about the future? How much longer can Bledsoe play? And even if he plays all 16 games and plays well, who will replace him when his time is up? The bigger question is, can Bledsoe steer the Cowboys back to the promised land?As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I can only hope the answer is yes.

Posted by Steven on March 12, 2005

Why would the Vikings get rid of Randy Moss?

In only 7 short seasons playing in the NFL, Randy Moss has amassed the following stats:
574 Catches
9,142 yards receiving
90 TD Catches

To put that in perspective, in 20 long NFL seasons, now that’s almost 3 times as long as Moss’ career, Jerry Rice holds the following records:
1,519 Catches
22,466 yards receiving
194 TD Catches

Here are Rice’s numbers through his first 7 years:
526 Catches
9,072 yards receiving
93 TD Catches

Now before I start to hear the uproar from everyone in the Bay Area, I am in no way shape or form saying that Randy Moss is in the elite class that Jerry Rice is in. JR is in a class all his own. I am simply stating the numbers here and the numbers do not lie.

Yes, he has some attitude. Yes, he may not be the best team player. And yes, maybe he walks off the field 2 seconds early in a game that there was no way the Vikings had a shot to win. Trust me, even if the Vikings had recovered the on-sides kick, there would not have been any time left on the clock for them to run a play. The point here is that his production is up there with the best. You will be hard pressed to find another wide out with similar numbers over the past 7 years. The man is in the prime of his career. He is arguably the best wide out in the game right now and his stats do not lie.

Why would you give him up for virtually nothing right now? There is no way that you trade away the best athlete on your team in the prime of his career. (Sorry Dante, I still think you are great, but Moss sure helped you look good.) I don’t care if you don’t like him, he makes your team better and he helps your team win. That’s it, that’s his job to help your team win not to make you like him! This is not a popularity contest! This is the NFL and the NFL needs players like Randy Moss so that the fans keep watching.

There has got to be something else to the story that we are not getting here. If there is not, then the Vikings just made the biggest mistake in the franchise’s history. I know one thing for sure, I can’t wait until the AFC West plays the NFC North. Moss is going to destroy the Vikings secondary and he might just break a few records that day.

Posted by Steven on March 10, 2005