The Bears haven’t given up on Rex Grossman yet, apparently. They signed him to a one-year contract on Saturday, and the much-maligned former first-round pick will get one more shot to nail down the starting job.
Does this mean that Chicago won’t be drafting a quarterback in April? No, they likely will, or at least they should, just so they can have someone to look at for the future, both because Brian Griese isn’t going to be there for the next 10 (or likely even five) years, and if things don’t work out with Grossman.
In other signing news, it appears that Zach Thomas is going to return to his home state to continue his playing career, as he has reportedly spurned offers from the Patriots and the Saints to sign on with the Dallas Cowboys. Thomas is a native of Pampa, Texas and starred at Texas Tech before moving on to Miami, where he’s been one of the NFL’s top linebackers for the last dozen seasons.
There’s no doubt that he still has plenty left in the tank – he was well on his way to another 100+ tackle, Pro Bowl season when his season was cut short in October – but the big question is the lingering effects of concussions and migraines that saw 2007 end so early for him. It’s a great pickup for the Cowboys, in terms of what Thomas will bring to the team, but when you look towards the future, you just hope that he’s not risking his well-being and setting himself up for much bigger problems down the road.
With DeAngelo Hall’s time in Atlanta apparently up, thanks to the team seeking to trade him (and as a result, Hall setting his sights on a future away from Atlanta), you can start to adjust your mock drafts accordingly.
With him on his way out, the Falcons will likely look to draft a corner in the first few rounds, possibly with their pick in the second round. And on the flip side, if Hall goes to a team that has a pressing need for a new corner, then that’ll open up a draft slot for a prospect in another position.
While Hall is on the trading block, you can shelve the Larry Fitzgerald to wherever trade rumors. On Saturday, Rod Graves, Arizona’s VP of Football Operations, said the former #3 overall pick and two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver will be a Cardinal in 2008, even though it’ll mean likely restructuring his deal, which would have him counting $16 million against the salary cap in 2008. So, Philly fans, looks like you’ll have to do it the hard way – through the draft.
In other Cardinals-related news, coach Ken Whisenhunt says that Matt Leinart, who has started throwing again after suffering a season-ending broken collarbone, will be starting under center in 2008. So what will happen if he starts struggling out of the gate? Knowing that he has a quality backup in Kurt Warner, who showed he’s still got plenty left last season by throwing for 3,417 yards and 27 touchdowns, Whisenhunt may have a quick hook, especially with Arizona likely in the mix in the NFC West. But, he may not, if he wants to show some faith in Leinart and allow him to lead the team from start to finish.
Tom Coughlin’s contract extension with the Giants should be finalized any day now, along with the extensions of free agent safety Gibril Wilson and free agent linebacker Kawika Mitchell.
Last year at this time, many Giants fans probably couldn’t run the guy out of town quickly enough. Now, after Mr. Nine Lives led the G-Men to the promised land, he’s sitting pretty, but in a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ world, that could change very quickly, depending on how things go for New York next season.
