Rob Woodfork, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – With the attention here on the East Coast turned toward Hurricane Sandy, I realize this week’s recap is the least of anyone’s concerns. But if nothing else, I’m consistent. So the recap moves on — with talk of trade winds instead of storm winds.
Many don’t realize it, but this year marks the first time the NFL’s trade deadline moves from the Tuesday after week six to the Tuesday after week eight. Fortunately for the purposes of this column, the NFL trade deadline has been pushed back yet again due to the hurricane, meaning the end of significant player movement is now set for Thursday at 4 p.m.
The extended deadline provides us the extra time and opportunity to muse about some of the guys that should be moved (even if they ultimately don’t), which presumably gives the NFL some of the same level of added attention the NBA enjoys before its trade deadline.
Whether or not the rest of the media catches on, it’s got my attention. So let’s take advantage of the extra two days and discuss a few guys who could be on the move and where their new zip codes should be (even if it’s not likely):
Stephen Jackson
Of all the guys listed, this one might be the most likely to actually get moved. St. Louis has made it clear they’ve decided to move-on from the longest-tenured Ram, and you’d have to believe the veteran running back would be thrilled to actually play for a contender (he’s never made the playoffs in his 9-year career). At 29, there’s no telling how much left he’s got in the tank, but it would be worth it for teams like Green Bay, Cincinnati or Pittsburgh to find out.
Dwayne Bowe
I’ll be honest, Bowe is probably not going anywhere. He’s currently playing under a one-year franchise tender (even if he isn’t playing like a franchise player), and makes too much money this season to be moved. But he’s an intriguing possibility for someone with title hopes given his size and immense talent as a receiver, especially when you figure he’s only playing out the string in Kansas City anyway. New England, Miami, and Carolina seem to be good fits.
DeAngelo Hall
Redskins fans probably have mixed feelings about this (though I’d think not after Sunday’s inexplicable tirade). The secondary is so bad, they really can’t afford to lose another healthy body. But given his propensity to act like a total headcase, it might be time to cut ties with the former Hokie. I know the market for knucklehead defensive backs approaching 30 isn’t exactly hot, but perhaps there’s a team desperate for corner help that isn’t afraid to roll the dice — like Detroit or New Orleans. Given the need for additional picks in the wake of the RGIII trade, the Skins could make good use of the mid-to-late round pick they could conceivably get for DHall. I mean, they did find Alfred Morris with the 6th-rounder they got for Donovan McNabb, remember?
Michael Vick
Vick appears to be on his way out of Philadelphia one way or another. So might as well get a pick for him, right? Well, Andy Reid might’ve burned all bridges to a move like that after dealing shoddy merchandise to Washington (McNabb) and Arizona (Kevin Kolb) over the last couple years. I suppose it’s possible the Chiefs, Bills or Jets are just desperate enough for an offensive spark that they’d lay down a mid-round pick in the hopes that three times is a charm for Vick, but the rest of the league (including the Eagles, apparently) feels like they’ve got an answer at QB. This is where I miss the late Al Davis; no chance he’d pass on a chance to get Vick in the Silver and Black.
But then again, I wouldn’t want to see Philly get the 1st round pick that would surely come their way.
Alright, enough of the hypotheticals. Let’s get to the actual results from Week 8:
Bucs 36 Vikings 17
I had Doug Martin on my fantasy bench. Repeat that sentence 14 times while clutching a pillow with tears in your eyes, and you’ll get a sense of how I fell asleep Thursday night.
Redskins 12 Steelers 27
Seriously, did you see these Pittsburgh throwbacks? You’d lose just as badly as Washington if you had to line up across from those vertigo-inducing threads.
Panthers 22 Bears 23
You know why Cam Newton didn’t lose his cool during this week’s press conference? Because he knows he’s playing the Redskins defense next week.
Chargers 6 Browns 7
Only a Norv Turner team could go on the road, hold Cleveland to a single touchdown, and still find a way to lose.
Patriots 45 Rams 7
Memo to the NFL: If you’re going to try and import your product overseas and globalize the sport, you’re going to want to send better representation than this to London.
Seahawks 24 Lions 28
To say Richard Sherman is Optimus Prime and Calvin Johnson is Megatron within the context of this game is idiotic. In actuality, it’s Sherman that’s Megatron, Johnson that’s Optimus, with Titus Young stepping up as Rodimus Prime. (I sure hope you’ve seen The Transformers: The Movie or else none of this makes a lick of sense.)
Jaguars 15 Packers 24
Congrats to Green Bay for picking up an extra bye week.
Colts 19 Titans 13 (OT)
The incredible, rotating dive by Vick Ballard to win the game is the play of the year to date. It’s this year’s answer to Jerome Simpson’s flip in 2011.
Dolphins 30 Jets 9
This game isn’t about the Jets losing. We knew they were overrated. The real shocker here is Miami’s 4-3 record. Most people didn’t have them winning four games the whole season, let alone in the first seven games.
Falcons 30 Eagles 17
This game marks the first time in the Andy Reid Era that Philly has lost their first game coming off a bye week. Either the Eagles are in the midst of a rapid decline, or this Atlanta team is every bit the team of destiny I believe them to be.
Giants 29 Cowboys 24
Congrats to Tony Romo for passing Roger Staubach on Dallas’ all-time passing list. This game was also a not-so-subtle reminder that he’s a great candidate to break Brett Favre’s all-time interception record too.
Raiders 26 Chiefs 16
Remember when this was a great AFC West rivalry? Yeah, me neither.
Saints 14 Broncos 34
Remember last year when everyone was joking that Peyton Manning could win MVP even though he didn’t play? The same could be said of Sean Payton and this year’s Coach of the Year award.
Niners 24 Cardinals 3
Here’s what I said about Arizona after their 4-0 start: “Unless there’s a 1-11 stretch coming to the desert, I was loud wrong about the Cardinals.” Well, perhaps I spoke too soon. Just take a look at their remaining schedule: at Green Bay, at Atlanta, St. Louis, at New York, at Seattle, Detroit, Chicago, at San Francisco. Given Arizona’s 0-4 stretch since that remark, a 1-7 end to the season is starting to look entirely possible.
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