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07/20/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bill Belichick has achieved considerable success during his 10-season stint as head coach of the New England Patriots, but for those with the time or wherewithal to look at his resume' with a magnifying glass, there is a tiny hole to be found.
Brace for it - Belichick has never employed a consistently outstanding punter.
Has this fact led to sleepless nights for the notoriously leaden Belichick? Doubtful, though the fact that New England used a fifth-round pick on Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko in this past April's draft offers a clue to just how pleased the head man has been with that area of his team. The 6-5, 230-pound Mesko was the first specialist taken in the Draft.
"He's a good player, a guy that's worked hard, been productive in his career [at Michigan] and has obviously earned the respect of the people he's been around," Belichick said of Mesko. "He's a big, good-looking kid."
Though the weather the Patriots face both at home and on the AFC East road isn't going to do the team's punters any statistical favors, Belichick and New England special teams coach Scott O'Brien were finished making excuses for the team's deficient punting game. The Pats were last in the NFL in both gross punting average (39.7) and net average (36.4) in 2009, and subsequently opted not to tender veteran Chris Hanson a contract after three seasons with the club.
Three seasons has been about the limit for New England punters, as Josh Miller (2004-06), Ken Walter (2001-03, as well as a short stint in 2006), and Lee Johnson (1999-2001) have all lasted roughly the same amount of time as did Hanson.
If Mesko sticks for the duration of his recently-signed four-year deal, he will be New England's longest-tenured punter since Rich Camarillo spent the better part of the 80's (1981-87) with the team. Camarillo, incidentally, is the only Patriots punter ever named to the Pro Bowl (1983).
Closing the recent revolving door is clearly a challenge that the former Michigan co-captain embraces.
"If I go out there on the field and perform, the rest will take care of itself," Mesko told reporters in the spring. "There's a lot of punters that have a hard work ethic and a lot of talent so if you combine the two, that's probably the best hybrid to have."
Mesko had one of the most intriguing stories among the '10 draft class, and has already conquered long odds on his journey to the NFL. Born in Romania in 1986, Mesko survived the revolution that predated the fall of communism in 1989, then emigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of 12. Eventually, the family landed in Twinsburg, Ohio outside of Cleveland. Soon after, Mesko's powerful left leg was spotted during a kickball game, when he broke a gymnasium light with a booming kick.
After starring at Twinsburg High School, Mesko became a fan favorite at Michigan, eventually becoming the Wolverines' all-time punting leader. The big-bodied Mesko also proved he was more than a punter, executing multiple fakes and proving tougher to bring down than your average punter.
No doubt, it was Mesko's generous build that sealed the deal for Belichick, who had never before drafted a punter.
"I imagine he probably does most things that all the other players on the team do, as opposed to there are some kickers that really aren't at the same athletic level as other players on the team," said Belichick. "I think he would be a lot closer to that than a lot of other guys would be."
Below, as the eighth and final installment of our eight-part "GameChangers" series, we look at five incoming punters or kickers who will enter their first year in a new uniform as central figures in their team's 2010 development:
5. Jay Feely, K, Cardinals (free agent, from Jets) - Though his controversial political musings seem to make as many headlines as his work on the field, the journeyman Feely has quietly become one of the more reliable kickers in the game. He's been at 83.3 percent or better on field goals for the last five seasons, yet the Jets became the fourth team since 2004 (Falcons, Giants, Dolphins) to deem him expendable after last season. The Cardinals snapped the former Saturday Night Live punchline up for $3.5 million over two years, after the once-reliable Neil Rackers (now with the Texans) had begun to show diminishing returns in big situations. Feely has likewise experienced some trouble in big spots - he missed field goals of 44 and 52 yards indoors against the Colts in last year's AFC Championship - but also had a stretch of 24 consecutive made field goals in 2009 and is a slight upgrade over Rackers.
4. Matt Dodge, P, Giants (rookie, East Carolina) - Last year's Giants punter, Jeff Feagles, made his NFL debut on Sept. 4, 1988. This year's Giants punter, the 6-1, 224-pound Dodge, made his debut as a human on May 30, 1987. The movement from old guy to young guy isn't the only transition the Giants punting game will make this season, as Dodge has a bigger leg but less directional acumen than did Feagles, who spent seven years with Big Blue before retiring in April. The first time Dodge over-hits a pooch-punt for a touchback, the New Meadowlands Stadium faithful are sure to groan. But the Giants are thus far happy with their decision to select Dodge in the seventh round, as they cut Jy Bond, the only other punter on the roster, on June 21st. If Dodge can approach the 45.8 average he had as a senior at East Carolina - Feagles averaged 41.2 as a Giant - the quality of the decision will be confirmed.
3. Josh Bidwell, P, Redskins (free agent, from Buccaneers) - The Redskins' struggles to find a reliable punter have been even more pointed than those of the Patriots, as Washington has recently thrown a bunch of guys at the wall (Hunter Smith, Derrick Frost, Ryan Plackemeier, Durant Books, Glenn Pakulak, Andy Groom) who haven't stuck. The former Pro Bowler Bidwell, who averaged 44 yards per kick in five seasons with Tampa Bay, would seem to possess the ability to close that loop. But Skins fans are necessarily skeptical, as the same was said of Smith last season and Bidwell comes off a hip injury that forced him to miss all of 2009. Smith averaged just 41.3 yards per kick last year (his lowest figure since 2002) and was slowed by a groin injury. That gave new Washington GM Bruce Allen an opening to ink Bidwell, with whom he had a history in Tampa Bay, to a two-year, $2.4 million contract.
2. Zoltan Mesko, P, Patriots (rookie, Michigan) - Upon his selection, Mesko spoke in glowing terms about fellow Michigan alumnus Tom Brady, the man who hopes to keep Mesko firmly planted on the sideline this year. Ironically, the face of the franchise was selected one round later in the 2000 Draft than Mesko was taken this year. In any case, the man known to his Wolverine brethren (curiously) as "The Space Emperor of Space" definitely knows how to align himself with the power by exalting Brady, and has already set about winning over the rest of the locker room. "It takes a lot to earn the respect of your teammates," Mesko said. "And right now, here with the Patriots, I'm starting off from block number zero. So I've got to prove myself all over again, get in the weight room, get on the practice field and ultimately make plays on the game field."
1. Shayne Graham, K, Ravens (free agent, from Bengals) - In the "what have you done for me lately?" world of NFL kickers, it stands to reason that the enduring image most fans have of Graham is his two huge missed field goals in Cincinnati's playoff loss to the Jets this past January. Those misses were a major factor in the Bengals' decision not to actively attempt to re-sign Graham, but the Ravens had seen enough of the fourth most-accurate kicker in NFL history, in seven years worth of AFC North battles, to know that he was a better option than what they had. Baltimore paid the price for not re-signing longtime stalwart Matt Stover last year, as Steve Hauschka and Billy Cundiff combined to make just 21-of-30 (70 percent) field goals, with several key misses between them. Officially, Graham will be competing with Cundiff for Ravens kicking duties in 2010, but should the former display that the demons of the '09 playoffs have been exorcised, the latter is almost certain to be looking for a job on the open market.
<< Miller expecting plenty of open looks with Heat
MIAMI (AP) -With just about every Miami Heat acquisition this summer, another recruiting story seems to emerge.Dwyane Wade helped lure LeBron James and Chris Bosh. James played a big role in talking Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mike Miller into coming to
<< Giants subdue Dodgers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nate Schierholtz's two-run homer in the
fourth inning proved to be the difference, as the San Francisco Giants held
off the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-2, in the opener of a three-game series between
these t
<< Diamondbacks pummel light-hitting Mets
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Reynolds tripled in a run as part of a big
first inning and belted a three-run homer in the sixth, carrying Arizona to a
13-2 blowout win over the New York Mets.
Chris Young had three hits and scored th
<< Rios' HR helps White Sox get past Mariners
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rios clubbed a two-run homer and added a
sacrifice fly, as the Chicago White Sox defeated Seattle, 6-1, in the opener
of a three-game series at Safeco Field.
Omar Vizquel went 2-for-4 with a walk a
Cardinals seek seventh straight victory in clash with Phils >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Home runs are not easy to hit, but the St. Louis Cardinals
made it their job in last night's win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The NL
Central-leading Cardinals will try to go deep again Tuesday in the second
installment of
Mets hope to find their road game in Arizona >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The road hasn't been too kind for the New York Mets and
last night's embarrassing loss in Arizona was proof. The Mets will try to
regroup on their 11-game, three-city tour out west tonight in the second
portion of a three-gam
Dodgers' Kershaw goes for 10th win versus Lincecum-led Giants >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers young starter Clayton Kershaw has never
reached double digits in wins and will get a chance tonight against the NL
West-rival San Francisco Giants in the continuation of a three-game series
from Chavez Rav
Rangers try to deal spiraling Tigers a seventh straight loss >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tommy Hunter hopes to deliver Texas' first series win in
Detroit since 2007 this evening, when the Rangers play the middle test of
their three-game set with the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Texas had lost 11 straight in Detroi
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
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