New QB in Big D?

The Dallas Cowboys definitely have a franchise quarterback behind center right now in Tony Romo but there are more and more questions every year, and sometimes even every week. Though Romo did sign a multimillion dollar contract last spring, issues with his back have created durability concerns, and as has always been the case, fans question his ability to win the big games late in the year.
Here are a couple of scenarios that maybe aren't very likely to happen, but shouldn't shock anybody if they did come to fruition.

Johnny Manziel: What, you already closed the book on this possibility? Not so fast! Yes, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys famously passed on him in the draft. But Jerry Jones didn't hide his regret on that decision on the eve of the 2014 NFL season when he said, "I'm still so damn mad at Stephen... I get madder, every day, about missin' (Manziel)."
So yes, Jerry wants Johnny really badly. How is this even a possibility? Simple: Brian Hoyer. Hoyer has been playing at a very high level three weeks into the season (aside from his first half against Pittsburgh to open the season). He even has a win over Drew Brees and the Saints to his resume, and has the 12th best QBR in the NFL, above the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and his mentor from New England, Tom Brady. He is also 28 years old, so he isn't just a little veteran stopgap in Cleveland. If he continues to impress, the Browns may choose to commit to him for the next 10 years or so and put Johnny Football on the trade market. Remember, Hoyer is an old school style dropback passer like Brady or Peyton manning, both who are playing into there late 30s.

Brian Hoyer: This scenario kind of piggybacks on my first point about Johnny. Now, if Brian Hoyer slips up in his play, the Browns could start the Johnny Football project and part ways with Hoyer. Again, Hoyer is just 28 so he has his prime ahead of him. But even if his play slips at all, he has already flashed his potential, which can be intriguing to plenty of teams, including Dallas. It's just hard to believe that Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer will both be on the opening day roster for the Cleveland Browns in 2015.

Kirk Cousins: This scenario is pretty similar to my top two. The Redskins have a decision to make. Kirk Cousins is playing at a ridiculously high level since taking over for Robert Griffin III. He currently has the 4th highest QBR, only behind Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, and Derek Anderson (who just had one start in place for an injured Cam Newton). RG3 is beloved in Washington DC, so to erase any quarterback controversy on the team, Cousins may get sent packing. At this point, his trade value is skyrocketing, but he has shown some flashes of being a potential franchise and is pretty durable with his dropback style.

Robert Griffin III: Dallas would go nuts if this happened. But it is possible. Jay Gruden is the head man in Washington, coming over from Cincinnati where he was working with a dropback passer in Andy Dalton. Maybe Gruden has had enough with RG3 and wants to commit to Cousins longterm. RG3 has not been himself ever since tearing his ACL in the playoff game vs. Seattle his rookie year. Last year was a disaster, and this year he has already been shelved for a long period due to an ankle injury. With these huge durability concerns, along with the fact he may never regain his rookie spark, maybe Gruden finds it in the best interest of the team to part ways with RG3 and fully commit to Kirk Cousins for the next 15 years.
*RG3 also played college ball at Baylor, just 2 hours away from Dallas, so it could make for a sort of homecoming 

Jameis Winston: Yup, Famous Jameis could be taking snaps from Travis Fredrick. Here's why. Jameis Winston's stock has been falling ever since he won the Heisman. Actually, a little before when he got the sexual assault allegations placed on him. With that case still ongoing, Winston has added theft and immature behavior (yelling disrespectful comments loudly in public) to his resume. If he falls to Dallas, wherever Dallas may be in the draft, it's hard to believe Jerry misses a second chance in a row to land a controversial, but box office Heisman quarterback in the draft.

Chances of likelihood:
1. Jameis Winston
2. Johnny Manziel
3. Brian Hoyer
4. Kirk Cousins
5. Robert Griffin III

The draft seems to be the easiest way to grab a quarterback for the future. Cleveland may be willing to trade Johnny to Dallas if they truly believe in Hoyer very strongly. With Cousins and RG3 both under contract for the next couple of years, it's just hard to see the Redskins making the Cowboys, and NFC East rival, a trade partner for a franchise quarterback AND deal with seeing that player (Cousins or RG3) twice a year.

Again, Cowboys contractually and verbally are fully committed to Tony Romo. But if there is one guy who can eat up some money and not care about the salary cap in favor of box office, it has to be Jerry Jones.
So over the next few years, don't be knocked out of your seat if you see one of these five taking snaps from Travis Fredrick in Dallas.

Roger Goodell Under Fire

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is under a lot of scrutiny from the media and the public right now. Roger Goodell is basically the face of the NFL. He is not the top dog, considering his bosses are the 32 owners in the NFL collectively. But unlike the owners, who each have an individual responsibility to their respective teams, Goodells responsibility is to the NFL as a whole.
For example, Jerry Jones in responsible to hiring a general manager and other positions to help the Dallas Cowboys put a winning product on the football field, while he is also responsible for marketing his brand and making money off of it. In similar fashion, Goodell keeps order in the league by being the disciplinarian and handing out fines for illegal hits, suspension for substance abuse, and much more. But he is also responsible to making sure that the NFL, a multi-billion dollar business, is flourishing financially. That is his JOB.
Keeping this in mind, let's see why his job is in jeopardy. Over the past couple of years, the NFL has had many negative things associated with it. Going back to the BountyGate scandal followed by the Riley Cooper racial slur incident, the Aaron Hernandez debacle, and now this Ray Rice domestic abuse. This isn't even counting the SpyGate scandal that took place just as Goodell became commissioner.

Many people are looking at his handling of the Ray Rice fiasco and are very dissatisfied, and rightfully so. The biggest indictment against Goodell right now is that first of all, it has been proven that the second Ray Rice video (in the elevator), was sent to NFL offices back in April. This means either Goodell saw the video, or he chose to deliberately avoid it.
If he chose to avoid it, that would be pure ignorance and that is the basis he suspended Sean Payton for a year relating to BountyGate. If he saw the video, then he still personally thought it was suitable to hand down a two-game suspension, because the video was sent in April and the suspension was announced in July.
A very key point to keep in mind for everybody following this incident: Ray Rice has been cut from the Baltimore Ravens and indefinitely suspended from the NFL, not for hitting Janay Palmer Rice. The reason he was cut and suspended is because the video leaked of his action towards Janay. Roger Goodell deemed a two-game suspension just fine for the action of Rice hitting and dragging his then-fiancee. 
And yes, Goodell knew that Janay had been hit. Nobody just goes into an elevator, slips on a banana peel and hits their head and becomes unconscious. Obviously, with Ray being charged with domestic violence on the spot, it was obvious that he had hit her.
Goodell is the commissioner of the leading sport in America. He is not stupid. Additionally, it is reported by ESPN Outside the Lines that Rice actually told Goodell in a meeting in June that he had punched his wife. The fact that after all that, Goodell still only handed down a two-game suspension is a little disturbing.
As if that wasn't bad enough for Goodell, on September 10th, the AP reported that Goodell did have access to the video in April (again, whether he chose to see it or not is unknown), but he had access to it. Goodell has vehemently denied that he had seen the video first of all, then also said the NFL did all they could do get the video but were not provided with it. According to the AP report, Goodell is definitely lying about the latter, and could also be lying about the former as well.

Now, as far as the issue of why did the video prompt an indefinite suspension while the action did not, there is a clear cut answer: It was a business decision. If Goodell doesn't do that, the NFL brand is in jeopardy of losing not only popularity, but also money if NFL sponsors decided to withdraw because of the lack of concern their customers would be showing towards domestic violence. I don't think the second video should have been the cause for a year long suspension. I think just the reported incident itself, along with the first video was more than enough to ban Ray Rice from the NFL back in February. But Goodell dropped the ball on that with his two-game suspension so he was just covering his you-know-what when he came out with the harsher rule, and then was just making a business decision when he indefinitely suspended Ray Rice.

Everything will be on hold for a little bit as the NFL is going through a private investigation. But through it all, Goodell will remain on the hot seat, and depending on the results, the NFL could have a new head-honcho here pretty soon.

Ray Rice Fiasco

This Ray Rice fiasco has really captivated the entire nation. It's not just sports fans that are closely following it, but just about everybody. This story has been the top headline not just on ESPN, but even CNN numerous times. Though this will be very detailed, I'm going to try and hit every fact and argument from different angles.

Timeline

This all starts after Valentines Day 2014. February 15, 2014, Ray Rice and then-fiancee Janay Palmer were at a Casino. They were involved in an altercation, and when police came, both were arrested and charged with simple assault.

Four days later, on February 19th, TMZ leaked a video that showed Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out from the elevator. This leads to a public uproar due to the disturbing image of a woman being dragged around.

On March 27th, Rice was charged with third-degree aggravated assault, while the charge against Palmer was dropped. The next day, on March 28th, Ray Rice and Janay Palmer Rice married.

On June 16th, Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Ray and Janay Rice. On July 24th, the NFL handed down a two-game suspension for Ray Rice.

A week later, on July 31st, Ray Rice held a press conference in which he explained his actions as "inexcusable" and showed regret while also saying how difficult it would be for him to live with it for the rest of his life.

After the lenient two-game suspension was the target of memes all over the internet and heavy criticism, on August 28th Roger Goodell announced a harsher punishment for domestic violence, six game for the first offense and a full year for the second offense, with the ability to appeal. This new rule was not to be applied to Ray Rice.

On September 8th, TMZ released a second video, this one from inside the elevator. This showed Ray violently punching Janay and knocking her unconscious, letting her head hit the rail, then dragging her out.

On September 10th, TMZ reportedly proved that they had sent the second video to NFL offices back in April, even though Goodell vehemently denied it. This spurred an individual investigation, assigned September 10th.

Event Breakdown

Now, the first issue I will address is the incident itself. In no circumstance is it ever acceptable for a man to lay his hands on a woman, even in the slightest way. That is just weak. In the elevator, it showed Janay approaching Ray, but she had not hit him yet. According to multiple reports from people at the casino, the argument started long before the two had gotten in the elevator and Ray Rice had even spat in Janay's face. So with his frustration boiling over, Ray Rice punched Janay with full force to the head, knocking her unconscious, and her head hitting the side rail of the elevator on the way to the ground. The second takeaway from the incident is Ray Rice dragging his now-wife out from the elevator. It has been said that both were intoxicated, but that is no excuse for an NFL running back, a position that is one of the strongest on the team, could not have picked up Janay and at least had the decency to carry her out. Janay herself is not a big woman, it could have been done.

As far as the ramifications go, I could not find a previous suspension handed down from the NFL to a player due to domestic violence. Recently, Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) was involved in an incident, but that led to him being cut from the Miami Dolphins and he did not latch onto any other team so no suspension was given. However, considering most PED violations and substance abuse suspensions are about four games, it gave the NFL a bad look by just giving a domestic violence case a two game suspension. People over the internet were saying "It's better to hit the wife than hitting the blunt" and other nonsense, and the NFL was put in an awkward spotlight. This led to the harsher punishment announced by Goodell later, after the Ray Rice suspension was finalized.

During Rice's press conference, many reporters asked Ray to describe briefly what had happened in the elevator that led to him dragging out Janay, because at that time, the first video was the only one that the public knew about. Rice refused to answer those questions, saying he was trying to move forward.

The second video changed the entire landscape of this situation. The second video, the video inside the elevator, showed the actual abuse by Ray Rice. Because of the nature of the crime of domestic violence, along with the video showing Ray dragging Janay, the public disgust towards Ray Rice was already probably at about an 8 out of 10. After the second video, it was at a 10 out of 10 because it was absolutely the most sickening thing ever. This video also is what led to Rice being released from the Baltimore Ravens and indefinitely suspended from the NFL (On September 8th, at approximately 1 o'clock p.m CT).

Here is where the trickle down effect began. After TMZ leaked the video from inside the elevator, the question quickly became, "How could the NFL just give a two game suspension for such a disgusting action?"
Well, Roger Goodell and the NFL reacted by saying they had not seen this video up until September 8th, when all the rest of the public saw it. Goodell said that when they did finally see the video, they acted swiftly in raising the suspension from two games to indefinite. However, TMZ said all along that the NFL knew of this video PRIOR to the original two game suspension.

On September 10th, at approximately 5 o'clock central time, TMZ confirmed to the Associated Press that indeed, they had sent the video to the NFL offices in April, and had even got a verbal acknowledgment from somebody is office that they had received and seen it. This immediately got #FireGoodell trending on twitter across the nation and put all of the heat on the NFL. The NFL later announced that Former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III will conduct an independent investigation Ray Rice incident and Mueller’s investigation will be overseen by NFL owners John Mara of Giants and Art Rooney of Steelers. They also said the final report will be made public.

What this means for Ray Rice:

Ray Rice for sure will not see the football field during the 2014 season. However, after serving a one year suspension, I believe he should be allowed to redeem himself as a person and resurrect his career.
Here is why: What Ray Rice did was a very heinous act and by no means am I trying to diminish it.

But early in 2009, then-Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was convicted of DUI Manslaughter. This means not only was he irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, but he took an individuals life. He was subsequently suspended for the 2009 season, then allowed back into the NFL in 2010.

Last year, in 2013, Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent went through a similar situation as Stallworth, as he was driving while intoxicated and it cost him the life of his teammate and friend riding with him. Brent missed the 2013 season fighting legal battles, then was suspended for 10 games in the 2014 season, but then will be allowed back on the field after that.

Also, in July of 2007, quarterback Michael Vick was charged in a dogfighting scandal. He served two years in prison, as well as a short suspension from the NFL, but then was allowed back in the league to resurrect his image and career (He played well and not only cashed in on a huge contract with the Eagles but is still in the NFL on the New York Jets)

So my bottom line is, if players that took the lives of other individuals and other living creatures were allowed a second chance, a man that physically harmed another individual should definitely be allowed that chance. The reason why the public has turned so strongly against Rice is because of the disturbing visual evidence. Had a bunch of dead dogs, or the body of the man killed by Stallworth been shown in brutal condition, people probably would not have forgave them. As bad as domestic abuse is, it is not worse than taking somebodies life. I think people should be more objective and see the nature of the crime and what has been accepted in the past, then make longterm judgements. Now, had those incidents of Stallworth, Brent, and Vick led to them being expelled from the league, i would have no problem saying Rice should never play again. But if the NFL can allow them to play again, Rice should also eventually get the chance.

Chris Brown Comparison 

Also, many people have compared the incident with Rice to that of artist Chris Brown. I don't believe these two incidents are as similar as people make them out to be. In fact, the only similarity is that they both put there hands on women. Chris Brown, though he is signed by labels and stuff, represents his own self. When Chris Brown is in trouble, the headline reads, "Chris Brown did...."
On the other hand, when Ray Rice slips up, the headline reads, "Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice...."
This directly associates the Ravens and the NFL, since the Ravens are a part of the NFL, to the crime at hand. So since Rice is representing a multi-billion dollar company, he will be punished when he misrepresents it.

In Conclusion...

This one domestic violence incident has been the cause of so many other problems. If there is one positive to take out of all of this, it is that this incident has heightened the nation's awareness to the brutality of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is absolutely unacceptable and in no way should be tolerated. It should be dealt with in severe fashion. In the days coming, more facts will come out about the Ray Rice situation, as well as exactly what the NFL knew. This could have ramifications on Commissioner Goodell, as well as the reputation of the NFL.

Another thing to keep an eye on: Even after all of this regarding Ray Rice, the NFL has two current pending domestic violence cases they need to deal with: Ray McDonald of the San Francisco 49ers and Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers, both who played in week 1.

*Sidenote
**Janay Palmer Rice has constantly been at the side and defense of Ray Rice, though she was the victim. Of course nobody knows why, it could be a various amount of reasons ranging from true love and support to her being scared or needing financial stability or other things. She even took to social media after the second video was released and blasted the media for invading their privacy and ruining their lives.

Quick Recap- NFL Sunday Week 1

A few takeaways from each game played on the first Sunday of Week 1:

Saints at Falcons- This was such a crucial win for the Falcons, it's hard to put in words. It would have been absolutely demoralizing to lose to your division rival AT HOME, where Matt Ryan has been exceptionally well throughout his career, to start the season. This game meant a lot more to the Falcons than the Saints. No need to panic for New Orleans: they lost to a division rival with loads of talent, in overtime, on the road.

Bengals at Ravens- A pretty ugly game, with both teams exchanging one big play throughout the game (AJ Green's touchdown, then Steve Smith's touchdown). Joe Flacco did not show elite awareness taking two sacks to end the game and not even giving his team a shot.

Bills at Bears- In contention for upset of the day. Let's be honest, nobody saw this one coming. Don't know what to make of this: Bills that good or Bears that bad? I'm leaning towards the latter considering the game was in Chicago and the Bears look like they are playing flag football on defense.

Redskins at Texans- RG3 looks like he is still halfway of what he was his rookie year. This year, no coaches to blame, they added Desean Jackson, and Alfred Morris is still behind him. RG3 has got to get it done. On a sidenote, JJ Watt is the most disruptive defensive player in the NFL.

Titans at Chiefs- The Chiefs are in for a loooooooooooooooong season. Losing AT HOME to the lowly Titans is not a good start. Need to get Jamaal Charles more involved. He is the Chiefs offense.

Patriots at Dolphins- Also in contention for upset of the day. This game completely exposed the Patriots offense. No offensive line protection for Tom Brady. The receivers were gaining little to no separation at all from the defensive backs so Brady either had to be perfect or he couldn't throw it. Unlike last year, when they were going to get injured players back later, this is it for the Patriots. These guys better figure it out or they will be on the couch come January. The Dolphins looked extremely physical and Knowshon Moreno made sure he is known. Defensive line in top 3 in the NFL.

Raiders at Jets- Sloppy game, but Derek Carr faired pretty well against Rex Ryan's defense for it being Carr's first NFL start. Geno Smith hasn't shown growth. Still inconsistent.

Jaguars at Eagles- After falling in a 17-0 hole, the Eagles came to life to score 34 straight to win. That won't cut it against the better teams in the NFL. Chip Kelly needs to do a better job with his running back situation. Lesean McCoy is one of the most exciting players in the NFL and needs to be used like it.

Browns at Steelers- Brian Hoyer just barely kept his job after a pathetic start. Steelers need to do a better job closing so they can run people over. No, not literally Antonio Brown.

Vikings at Rams- It isn't too hard to beat a team that is already down to it's 3rd string QB in week 1, but the Vikings have unleashed a great player: Cordarelle Patterson along with Adrian Peterson will be a handful for defensive coordinators.

49ers at Cowboys- Or was it really a home game for the Cowboys? The crowd had at least 50% red so the 49ers were well represented. And everybody came to watch the inevitable. Tony Romo had three straight drives with interceptions and the defense couldn't stop a nosebleed. Don't let the score fool you, it was a blowout.

Panthers at Buccaneers- Panthers have discovered that Kelvin Benjamin is as advertised. He had some great catches, while the Buccaneers big addition, Josh McCown looked lost at times, even shot-putting an interception to the Panthers.

Colts at Broncos- It was the Manning-Thomas show. Julius Thomas that is. They connected for three early touchdowns and stepped on the Colts' throat early. Andrew Luck nearly came back, but the new and improved Broncos defense held on late.

Injuries:
Jadeveon Clowney, Texans- Tore MCL, surgery today. Out for 4-6 weeks
Robert Mathis, Colts- While serving his suspension, Mathis tore his achilles. He is done for the season
Logan Mankins, Bucs- Knee hyperextension. Not believed to be serious. Exact severity not known.
Mike Devito and Derrick Johsnon, Chiefs- Both Chiefs starters tear their achilles
Darrelle Revis, Patriots- Misses last 9 snaps for the Patriots due to cramps and hamstring issues.

Non-Injury news:
After TMZ leaks footage of the abuse that happened in the elevator, the Ravens cut running back Ray Rice and the NFL indefinitely suspended him. A very likely chance that Rice has played his last down in the NFL.

2014 NFL Season Preview and Awards

The 2014 NFL Season kicked off on Thursday night and before the the first day of a full slate of games, I'm gonna get my season picks out on the record. Note: This is based on the Week 1 roster for each team. Injuries are not taken into account. Let's get started!!

AFC playoff picture:

1) AFC West champion- Denver Broncos
2) AFC East champion- New England Patriots
3) AFC South champion- Indianapolis Colts
4) AFC North champion- Cincinnati Bengals

5) Wild Card #1- San Diego Chargers
6) Wild Card #2- Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC playoff picture:

1) NFC West champion- Seattle Seahawks
2) NFC South champion- New Orleans Saints
3) NFC West champion- Green Bay Packers
4) NFC East champion- Washington Redskins

5) Wild Card #1- Atlanta Falcons
6) Wild Card #2- Chicago Bears 

AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
NFC Championship Game: Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Super Bowl Matchup: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
                                 
            Super Bowl Champion: DENVER BRONCOS

Season Awards:

MVP: Peyton Manning (Becomes all-time touchdown leader midway through the season) (Aaron Rodgers a close second)
Offensive Player of the Year: Lesean McCoy
Defensive Player of the Year: Darrelle Revis
Comeback Player of the Year: Percy Harvin
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin

Let's see how this goes! It's finally the best season of the year- FOOTBALL SEASON!!!

Key Points From Opening Night 2014

1. Richard Sherman is elite, but let’s pump the brakes a little on him being THE best in the game. It is no disrespect to Sherman and I understand that the Seattle defense is so supremely talented that it doesn’t NEED Sherman to travel with the top receiver all over the field. This is especially evident by the fact that Seattle didn’t just beat, but quite honestly blew out the BEST quarterback in the game in Aaron Rodgers and strongly contained a top ten running back in Eddie Lacy. BUT, coming out of this game, I would have thought a lot more highly of Sherman if he had maybe two or three balls caught on him for 50 yards by Randall Cobb and/or Jordy Nelson rather than give up nothing to Packers third string receiver Jarrett Boykin. That just isn’t as impressive to me. That isn’t what Patrick Peterson or Darrelle Revis do, and its not what Deion Sanders did. Plain and simple.
2. Russell Wilson is making moves very, very swiftly. Last year I saw him as a middle tier quarterback, along the lines of Andy Dalton and Alex Smith (both who signed huge contract extensions over the past month). He was more of a game manager, but he did his job to the highest level, unlike Dalton who sometimes struggles with that. But, the way Wilson played in the Super Bowl, then yesterday against the Packers, he is quickly elevating up the list. He definitely is not at the level of the Fantastic Four (Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees in that order). But he is moving to be in the class of Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger. Quite honestly, right now I might be close to giving him the edge over a Tony Romo, although I’ll hold that thought for a few games.
   
3. Aaron Rodgers is the best in the game, but he isn’t Superman. He needs some kind of help. He needs Lacy to be back in the lineup and productive. He needs Bryan Bulaga back to blocking his front side. And he needs his receivers to make the plays they are capable of making.
4. Seattle is primed to be in Glendale in February. That is clear. Their biggest competition came from the San Francisco 49ers last year, a team that is clearly reeling. They already demolished the Denver Broncos, and also beat the New Orleans Saints on the road to the Super Bowl last year. Right now, the only two scenarios that we haven’t seen is Seattle matching up with New Orleans in the Superdome, and them matching wits with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
5. Lastly, the biggest takeaway from last night, was that life is just better when it is NFL season. It doesn't matter whether "your" team is playing or not, or if your player is dominating, competitive NFL football is just the best. Blessed with another season!