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[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Haha, Tania Ganguli is on top of it,

The only thing Tania is good at is converting Oxygen into Carbon Dioxide, she has yet to write a column about a solid Jags pick in this year's draft. Vito runs circles around her and I am not sure why she is still on the beat after her "public" bar incident.

Are you kidding?!?!?  She scoops Vito & Gene regularly (it helps that she's easy on the eyes).  Vito is a bitter old man that retired about 5 years ago and Gene Frenette doesn't know which side of his mouth, errrrr, the notepad to write on anymore.  He contradicts himself almost daily. 

Secondly, nobody can put a 'solid' column together regarding the draft - it's 100% heresay and rumor.  The only person(s) who know who we're drafting tomorrow night are Gene Smith and maybe Terry McDonough & Shad Khan.

[aclchampion]

Haha, Tania Ganguli is on top of it,

I am not sure why she is still on the beat after her "public" bar incident.

You mean the non incident that even the Beach Police Chief apologized for and said should never have happened? That bar incident?

[Tacachale]

I don't understand the hate here. Tanya's a solid reporter. Obviously the bar incident was nonsense.

[BridgeTroll]

Unlike most... this is a pretty interesting ESPN article...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7840048/nfl-draft-war-room

Tales from the war room
How the Packers angered Favre, ignored Romo and nearly missed Rodgers
Originally Published: April 24, 2012 By Andrew Brandt

The war room has become synonymous with power and strategy in the NFL. Who wouldn't want a peek inside?

At the Packers, we actually had two rooms. The traditional one featured the usual measurables -- height, weight, speed, vertical. Then there was a financial room that I designed focused on salary, cap number, acceleration, contract year, agent and team charts showing cash/cap by position, offense/defense and trends. This space was a favorite of Commissioner Roger Goodell and the late Gene Upshaw, who wanted to design a similar room at NFLPA headquarters.

The war room also featured "ready" lists and depth charts, although its most celebrated use is the draft, where decisions affect franchises' fortunes.


Setup

We had a setup in Green Bay that I believe is common, one that I saw followed in Philadelphia when I consulted there. The general manager -- Ted Thompson -- sat closest to the draft board, flanked by head coach Mike McCarthy and other trusted personnel advisors. During my time it included John Schneider, now general manager of the Seahawks, and Reggie McKenzie, now general manager of the Raiders, next to McCarthy working the phones for trades. Nearby are doctors and trainers with a number system that goes from 1 to 4. One means completely clean physically, and four would be a complete fail. Sometimes doctors are put on the spot with questions such as, "He'll make it through his rookie contract, right, Doc?"

Also close by was the cap/contract person -- me. My role was to advise on cap implications of trades and glean information from agents. And, of course, there's someone on the phone with a team official at the draft in New York -- we sent our video and equipment men -- handing in the "card."

Some teams were more restrictive about allowing people into the room. I heard that Al Davis was usually alone making selections. Most teams, however, allow staff to share the day. Ownership is usually present, although most leave soon after the first selection.


Resisting impulse

The best decision-makers, in my view, "trust the board." Players have been poked, prodded, analyzed and discussed for seven months. It's time to let the board do the work.
The biggest downfall of decision-makers is becoming impulsive and emotional, straying from the board. Nothing deflates the morale of scouting staffs faster.
Every player beyond the first pick thinks he should've been drafted higher. Ego and insecurity dominate draft weekend.

We always called a player before selecting him to, as general manager Ron Wolf used to say, "make sure he's still alive." Although they were all alive, there were times we had to locate the player through agents, girlfriends or relatives.
I called the agent for every drafted player to acknowledge the selection, and I inevitably heard how lucky we were to get the player where we did. That line is certainly part of the agent handbook.


Getting Aaron Rodgers


In 2005, all of the defensive players we targeted -- including DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears, both picked by Dallas -- were off the board, leaving us staring at Aaron Rodgers, the only player left with a first-round grade. Although we had the most durable quarterback in football, Brett Favre, we decided to "trust the board."

I called Rodgers' agent, Mike Sullivan. I've been an agent, and I felt for Mike. They sat in that green room for six hours watching all the other players be selected, left alone as the catering staff cleared tables around them. I had to keep them on hold another excruciating 10 minutes to see whether the phone rang with a trade offer for the pick (it didn't). I think about how things would be different had Ware or Spears been available or if we had received an offer for that pick.


A trade (almost)

When trades are made, there may be two negotiations: one about trade compensation, and one about financial compensation.

In 2007, the Raiders made Randy Moss available. We were interested provided we could agree on trade terms and compensation. The Patriots were interested, too.

Moss demanded a one-year deal so he could hit the market after the season and recoup some lost value, but we insisted on a two-year deal. We did not want to be a temporary stop for him before he made another big contract elsewhere. When New England relented on the one-year term, Moss was a Patriot.

Favre was livid. I spent the rest of the draft listening to Bus Cook, his agent, express Favre's anger, along with threats to not show up. I knew Favre had long dreamed of playing with Moss, but I told him that Greg Jennings would be a star in time. Favre said he didn't have time. I explained our method of drafting and developing players, but it only served to deepen his resentment of a general manager who did not welcome his input the way previous regimes had.


The Undrafteds

After the three-day marathon of the draft, the action really heats up. Teams have recruited "priority free agents" for weeks, and every agent's response is the same: "If you're interested, draft him!" When the draft ends, the feeding frenzy begins, a chaotic scene where teams have multiple players on the line while agents are doing the same with several teams, a risky game of musical jobs.

I remember once agreeing on a contract with a player and then noting in the news that another team had signed him. This player and agent didn't realize he could sign with only one team!

I also remember one of our scouts yelling to the group in 2003 about a quarterback from Eastern Illinois: "Anyone want to sign this Romo guy for free? He's from Wisconsin." He got no response.

I always thought undrafted free agency should be a matching system similar to the one for medical residents and hospitals: Players would submit their desired teams and teams submit their desired players in a high-tech version of "The Dating Game."

The undrafted free agent frenzy ends within an hour, and the draft is over. The phones keep ringing with agents looking for favors for their unsigned players, but it's usually too late. The incoming rookie class arrives for minicamp in a few days, and the cycle begins anew.

[mtraininjax]

She scoops Vito & Gene regularly

Please, she could not scoop soft serve ice cream, if she tried. She'd be better served working the beach scene as a beat writer with the police, as she does have good experience so far.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

She scoops Vito & Gene regularly

Please, she could not scoop soft serve ice cream, if she tried.

Just because I don't agree doesn't mean that's not funny.   

[I-10east]

I don't understand the hate here. Tanya's a solid reporter. Obviously the bar incident was nonsense.

+1

[blizz01]

+ 100; I get more out of her Twitter feed than anywhere else regarding the Jags.

[duvaldude08]

Okay . Weve been good with talking about the Jags and Jags only in our other thread. Thought Id bump this one up. What observations are you guys and girls making of other teams. Particurally teams that have struggled like we have in the past. I have two:

• The dolphins may be looking at another crappy season. There is not one bright spot on their offense. And with them naming the rookie the starting QB, and they have ZERO receivers, I hope they dont have a Jaguar 2011 season. They would have a little hope if Garrard was the starter, but it looks like he may be cut after his knee injury.


• I think the Browns arrow is pointing up. I think they have a good groups of guys now. I actually see alot of them in us. I think we overall have the better roster, but they are a team trying to come out the cellar, just like us.

[thelakelander]

As a Dolphin fan, there is no hope.  However, it's not depressing because I lost hope a long time ago and it won't return until Ireland is kicked to the curb and replaced.  Thank god for fantasy football.

[Adam W]

I'm a Dolphins fan and I just don't bother hoping for much anymore. I don't expect much out of this season. I fully expect Jax to have a much better season.

[duvaldude08]

Lake and Adam? What do you think about the Vontae Davis trade? I dont know much about him or dolphins, but from reading his stats, and the fact they said he has had the most interceptions on the team the past two years, is leading me to think this is a bad Ireland move AGAIN? Whats really happening in dolphin land?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Deja Vu.

Here we are, 2 days before the start of the season and.....

BAM!

David Garrard says he’s getting released
Posted by Josh Alper on September 4, 2012, 3:13 PM EDT

APQuarterback David Garrard returned to practice for the Dolphins on Monday for the first time since having arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

The team must not have liked what they saw all that much, because Garrard told Jay Glazer of FOX Sports that he’ll be getting released on Tuesday. Garrard admitted after the practice that he wasn’t all the way recovered from the operation.

“They didn’t want me to, and I didn’t feel like I was quite ready to move with guys flying around me,” Garrard said, via the Miami Herald. “But I feel good. I know I’m not quite exactly where I want to be, but it felt good just being back out there, realizing I can still drop and do all of those things.”

The news doesn’t really qualify as a major surprise. It’s not even as big of a surprise as the Dolphins keeping four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster in the first place. If Garrard and Matt Moore were both on the roster in Week One, their entire salaries would be guaranteed and that’s not the best way to allocate funds or roster spots.

Speaking of roster spots, there’s no word on how the Dolphins plan to fill the one vacated by Garrard. As soon as we know, we’ll pass the information along to the rest of PFT Planet.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/

   

[duvaldude08]

Deja Vu.

Here we are, 2 days before the start of the season and.....

BAM!

David Garrard says he’s getting released
Posted by Josh Alper on September 4, 2012, 3:13 PM EDT

APQuarterback David Garrard returned to practice for the Dolphins on Monday for the first time since having arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

The team must not have liked what they saw all that much, because Garrard told Jay Glazer of FOX Sports that he’ll be getting released on Tuesday. Garrard admitted after the practice that he wasn’t all the way recovered from the operation.

“They didn’t want me to, and I didn’t feel like I was quite ready to move with guys flying around me,” Garrard said, via the Miami Herald. “But I feel good. I know I’m not quite exactly where I want to be, but it felt good just being back out there, realizing I can still drop and do all of those things.”

The news doesn’t really qualify as a major surprise. It’s not even as big of a surprise as the Dolphins keeping four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster in the first place. If Garrard and Matt Moore were both on the roster in Week One, their entire salaries would be guaranteed and that’s not the best way to allocate funds or roster spots.

Speaking of roster spots, there’s no word on how the Dolphins plan to fill the one vacated by Garrard. As soon as we know, we’ll pass the information along to the rest of PFT Planet.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/

Poor guy. LOL I think its time for him to hang it up. IT was wrong how we released him, but I dont regret it though. I think we all knew his window was closing. He probably can still play, but now he cant stay healthy.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

He's the prime example I use when discussing MJD's contract situation - you don't pay people based on past performance (though they may deserve it).

Garrard had the stars align and was rewarded with a hefty, new contract and expectations that he couldn't ever expect to meet.  The same goes for M80, just to a lesser extent - he was and never will be the #1 guy - able to carry the receiving corp on his shoulders, but when positioned correctly, he's a solid WR for any NFL team.

I do agree that we could have handled the situation better - cutting him after announcing him right after the luncheon will never be a good way to conduct business, but that was, IMO, more JDR than anything.  I believe that he basically told Gene that Garrard wasn't going to see the field, and Gene didn't have an option but to dump him - or else they would've owed the entire salary for the year.   I don't know how much his back had to do with anything or if at all.