NFL Wheelings and Dealings

[Maritimer]

Interesting idea. It means opponents will have to spend extra prep time planning for fake punts, at the very least.

[reeDfense]

Skins just released gaffney..hopefully that means Hankerson is making some progress and will get some more PT this season.

[JustAwesome]

Gaffney rebounded pretty quickly. He signed a deal with the Patriots.

[The J Rocka]

Vikings cut Ryan Longwell:

Tom Pelissero ‏ @TomPelissero
Wow. #Vikings have cut Ryan Longwell.

Ryan Longwell‏@4thandLongwell
To all in Viking Nation. Can't thank you enough for your cheers over the past 6 years! You've been awesome to me and my family. God Bless!

I guess the Vikings felt it was time to let Blair White do his thing. I'm gonna miss Longwell. Such a class act.

[Icness]

Giants waived Chad Jones, still unable to take the field after his car accident.

[vincecarter4pres]

LOL @ the Bears acting like they've come to some kind of ingenious epiphany about running backs to justify their 2 years running scumbaggery towards Matt Forte.

Just give the guy a 4 year deal for like $40 million with about $17 to $20 million and 2 years guaranteed and call it a day.

Dude is one of the most versatile backs in the game, probably a top 5 back at least top 8 and should have 2 or 3 seasons of great football left in him minimum.

And isn't the widely accepted number 30 years old for running backs to fall off?

They talk about concerns to his knees yet they've been running him into the ground while they were obviously fully aware of it and paying him peanuts.

Pretty Bush League to make these "concerns" public as well, trying to destroy his value.

[vincecarter4pres]

Joe Banner out...

[Schwabby]

Giants cut Jake Ballard after failing his physical.

[GameTime_3]

Chad Ochocinco is a Miami Dolphin!

[studcrackers]

that sentence should negate an exclamation point. he was done 3 years ago

[Bleeding Blue]

Giants cut Jake Ballard after failing his physical.

Picked up off waivers by Pats, didnt see that coming

[Schwabby]

Giants cut Jake Ballard after failing his physical.

Picked up off waivers by Pats, didnt see that coming

While I'm upset that the Pats picked him up, I just don't understand why. He failed a physical after tearing his ACL, what's there to claim?

I'm think Belichick just wants him for his blocking ability, which isn't even truly that great. Ballard's hands were made of stone in the last half of the season, then he came back a bit during the postseason run.

Not sure what the Pats think they're getting.

[Maritimer]

? Ballard, Jake TE 6-6 275 24 1 Ohio State
86 Fells, Daniel TE 6-4 252 28 6 California-Davis
87 Gronkowski, Rob TE 6-6 265 23 3 Arizona
81 Hernandez, Aaron TE 6-1 245 22 3 Florida
49 Scaife, Bo TE 6-3 249 31 7 Texas
47w Urban, Tyler TE 6-5 252 R West Virginia
82 Herman, Brad TE 6-5 255 22 R Iowa

Wow.

The first question that comes to mind -- when do the contracts of Hernandez, Fells, and Ballard run out? I'm assuming Ballard has multiple years left. I'm thinking that Ballard could be Hernandez insurance in case he gets a crazy offer (though that's moot if AH is under contract for 2+ years). The other thought is that Hernandez has the ability to play as a WR. If they can't come to a long term contract agreement with Welker and he bolts next year, is it totally crazy for Hernandez to take a WR spot and Ballard take over the #2 TE spot?

[Schwabby]

Ballard will go on IR for 2012 and then he'll become an exclusive rights FA in 2013. The Pats will basically be allowed to offer him any tender they want to.

[alwayslovetheceltics]

? Ballard, Jake TE 6-6 275 24 1 Ohio State IR all of 2012, EFRA next year, basically 1.1m over 2 years for the opportunity to look at him first next year
86 Fells, Daniel TE 6-4 252 28 6 California-Davis
87 Gronkowski, Rob TE 6-6 265 23 3 Arizona
81 Hernandez, Aaron TE 6-1 245 22 3 Florida
49 Scaife, Bo TE 6-3 249 31 7 Texas [color=#FF0000]not in shape will be cut before season[/color]
47w Urban, Tyler TE 6-5 252 R West Virginia possibly practice squad material
82 Herman, Brad TE 6-5 255 22 R Iowa [color=#FF0000]IR for 2012[/color]

Wow.

The first question that comes to mind -- when do the contracts of Hernandez, Fells, and Ballard run out? I'm assuming Ballard has multiple years left. I'm thinking that Ballard could be Hernandez insurance in case he gets a crazy offer (though that's moot if AH is under contract for 2+ years). The other thought is that Hernandez has the ability to play as a WR. If they can't come to a long term contract agreement with Welker and he bolts next year, is it totally crazy for Hernandez to take a WR spot and Ballard take over the #2 TE spot?

taking into account all of that- pats have gronk, hernandez and fells for this year. possible addition of Ballard next year. Other guys are practice squad or cut.