Off-season Winners and Losers

The NFL hasn’t kicked off its new season yet, but even though no games have been played yet, there are already plenty of winners and losers. From players who find themselves in new situations to a few of the league’s retired greats, there are those who can be very pleased by the events of the off-season … as well as those who can’t be happy with the way things turned out.

Winners

Kerry Collins and LaMont Jordan
Collins and Jordan must have spent most of their time this off-season thanking their lucky stars. Collins now has all-universe receiver Randy Moss to throw to along with Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry, and Jordan finally has the chance to show what he can do as a starter.

There’s a lot to be excited about in Oakland this year, and you can bet that these two players are as eager for the season to begin as anyone.

Baltimore
By acquiring Derrick Mason, the Ravens accomplished what the team felt was its top off-season goal: to add another dimension to the offense in the form of a true go-to receiver.

Will Mason, coming off four straight 1000-yard campaigns in Tennessee, be enough to breathe life into a passing game that ranked dead last in the league with just 159.9 yards per game last year? Maybe, maybe not. But at least it’s a large step in the right direction.

Javon Walker
So much for being a troublemaker. Walker has patched things up with quarterback Brett Favre, and has reported to camp instead of holding out.

It remains to be seen whether his plan of earning a bigger contract by showing he’s a team player and proving how much he means to the Packers offense will succeed, but he’s already earned plenty of brownie points from the fans in Green Bay … and fantasy owners who are counting on his production this year.

Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard
OK, so we knew that Dan Marino and Steve Young would be entering the Hall of Fame this year, but Friedman and Pollard might not be as familiar to fans today. Both inductions are highly deserved, however.

Friedman revolutionized the passing game when he joined the league in 1927, paving the way for all the great quarterbacks who followed in his footsteps. Friedman rewrote the record book during the late 20s and early 30s; his feat of leading the league in both passing TD and rushing TDs in the same season has never been equalled, and probably never will be.

Pollard also changed the face of the league back in its fledgling days. The elite halfback was one of just two African Americans on the field when the league, then known as the American Professional Football Association, opened its doors in 1920, and went on to become its first African American head coach the following season when he took over the helm of the Akron Pros.

Good to see the Hall honor two players who helped make the game what it is today.

Maurice Clarett
Clarett headed into the NFL draft a virtual pariah, with many experts skeptical whether any team would even risk a last-round pick on the former Ohio State star. But when the dust had settled, there was Clarett, selected in the third round with the 37th overall pick. As if that wasn’t enough, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos, the team known for turning rookies into 1000-yard rushers.

He may not be a first-rounder as he had originally hoped when he took the NFL to court more than a year ago, but things turned out a lot better than they might have. Now, we’ll finally have a chance to see what he can do on the gridiron.

Losers

Kellen Winslow Jr.
So much potential…

For now, however, Browns fans and fantasy owners alike will have to keep wondering what could have been and hoping for next year while Winslow sits out the season due to a knee injury sustained while riding his new motorcycle, an activity specifically prohibited by the contract he signed with Cleveland.

Hopefully, Winslow will recover fully, get his head on straight, and make his mark on the league when he returns in 2006. For now, however, Kellen Sr.’s records aren’t in danger of being broken by his son.

Patrick Ramsey
“Yes Patrick, we’re confident in your ability to lead this team. That’s why we drafted Auburn’s Jason Campbell in the first round…”

Koren Robinson
Suspensions for missing practices and violating the league’s substance abuse policy, an arrest for driving under the influence, an unconditional release from the Seahawks … to say that things haven’t been going well lately for Koren Robinson, the ninth overall pick of the 2001 draft, would be a phenomenal understatement. There may be a sliver lining, however: the talented but troubled receiver has reportedly checked himself into a treatment center and vows to turn a new leaf and return in time for the upcoming season.

We can only wish him luck.

Harry Carson, LC Greenwood, and Art Monk
Unlike Messrs. Friedman, Marino, Pollard, and Young, the trio of Harry Carson, LC Greenwood, and Art Monk will have to wait until next year for another shot at the Hall and football immortality.

Carson, one of the best inside linebackers ever during his 13-year tenure with the Giants, was among the 15 finalists for induction for the sixth time. Greenwood, a defensive end who helped anchor Pittsburgh’s famed Steel Curtain, and Monk, who compiled 12,026 receiving yards and 65 touchdowns during his career and at one time held the record for career receptions, were both among the nominees for the fifth time.

All three have to start worrying whether their bids for the Hall will wind up being successful after all this time, but then again, Carl Eller was finally inducted after his 13th year as a finalist a year ago…

Chris Brown
Terrific. One minute you’re the clear-cut starting RB for the Titans, the next you have former Bill Travis Henry breathing down your neck.

Fantasy owners won’t be terribly thrilled by this situation, either, particular with the possibility of a running back by committee approach in Tennessee.

Despite all the off-season news, Arlo Vander can’t wait for the season to begin.

Questions or comments for Arlo? Post them in the Cafe’s forums!