As the Bret Favre / Green Bay Packers drama plays out, what is the most logical solution? From all appearances the Packers' management has resolved itself to accomplish two things pertaining to Bret... First, they have determined that it's time for Aaron Rodgers to take over the starting quarterback job. This was decided back a few months ago after Bret's tearful retirement speech. That was the logical thing to do since for all to see Bret was evidently done. Second, the Packers will simply not allow Bret to walk away with two years remaining on his contract. Even if he doesn't fit into their plans, they damn sure don't want to see him leading an opposing team against them. For this reason, they have been painted into a corner.
Following logic, the Packers will welcome Bret back into the fold once he petitions the NFL for reinstatement. Then, if the Packers' management is truly serious about Rodgers, and I think they are, they will begin shopping Bret's services around the league. Logically, this should mean a team the Packers won't face anytime soon. Who needs a quarterback that Bret will agree to hook up with that meets the Packers' criteria? Anyone?
Well, logically we are talking AFC teams. Who among the AFC teams could use a starting quarterback? Or, who in the AFC needs a quick fix at the quarterback position to get into the playoffs? I can't imagine Bret agreeing to become a member of a team that will not contend for the playoffs with him at quarterback... Does Bret have a preference between northern and southern teams? This is just my own thought, but I've gotta believe Favre would just as soon play for a team located in the warmer southern climes. I've often wondered what his career stats would have been if he had played in Miami like Marino. So let's say it's important to him to play out his career in a warm weather city. Who in the AFC fits the bill? Logically we're talking Miami, Jacksonville, Houston, and San Diego. Which of these teams needs a quick fix at quarterback? Which plays an offense similar to what Bret has been playing in Green Bay? The only one that fits the bill is actually the Houston Texans since Miami has repeatedly denied any interest in Bret. Do the Texans appear to be close to being a playoff team? Gary Kubiak coaches a version of the West Coast offense so that's a fit, but they play in arguably the most competitive division in the NFL and the team has never been in the playoffs. They are much improved, but I can't see Bret going there, even if they decide to take him. I just don't see any other possibilities in the AFC.
So the next question is, would the Packers agree to trade Bret to an NFC team that doesn't reside in the NFC North? We all know that both the Vikings and the Lions would most likely jump at the chance to bring Bret on board, but that ain't gonna happen... Who else in the NFC might be interested? I guess the question goes back to who needs a quick fix at quarterback to possibly make the playoffs? San Francisco? No. Anyone else?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly fit the criteria in my opinion to suit Favre. A southern team about 8 hours driving time from Southern Mississippi. The Bucs won the NFC South last season with an older quarterback that was hurt part of the time. Tampa, under John Gruden, plays another variation on the West Coast offense. Gruden and Favre have a history between them when John coached under Mike Holmgren. Would the Packers go for a deal with the Bucs?
The only obvious roadblock beyond being an NFC team is that on Sunday, September 28th, this year the two teams play a regular season game. On the upside, the game is not played in Green Bay. Would the Pack go for that? The Bucs have an overabundance of players at the quarterback position, maybe they could package one of them back to the Packers. What would satisfy the Green Bay crew? Let's face it, there aren't too many potential trading partners that fit this scenario.
Logically speaking, I think we'll never see Bret Favre in a Green Bay Packers uniform again, there is just too much anamosity between Bret and the management team. Yes, the Packers' fans are going to have a hard time with this, but I'm afraid it's going to happen.
If I had anything to do with trying to get that team back into the hunt for the Super Bowl, I'd seriously consider Tampa if the Glaziers, Allen and Gruden are interested. I'd want to get something in return for Bret moving on...
It’s interesting to follow the most active teams in the NFL’s Free Agency market. It should give us an idea of the importance certain teams place in maintaining or rebuilding their player personnel using this sometimes expensive option… Each team goes to their own drummer, some are very successful while others leave a lot to be desired. Some teams have management people who just have a knack for picking off top players, whether it is by way of this market, or through the annual draft of young talent, they just seem to have an inside track, and they are very well compensated for this ability. It’s the very rare personnel manager that can do this consistently. In my opinion, one of these highly paid personnel gurus resides in the New England Patriots’ head office. Scott Pioli is the Pat’s Vice President in charge of Player Personnel and widely accepted as one of the best in the business. Another of these rare birds is actually a tuna! Bill Parcells has taken his talent to Miami and big things are expected from him by the team’s owners, who I’m sure are laying a few bucks on the man…
Here are the most active teams so far in free agency with special emphasis on the top two:
Carolina's Head Coach John Fox and General Manager Marty Hurney
The Carolina Panthers are usually in the free agent market but this year they are very much more active. Here are the new, re-signed and designated Panthers:
The Players They’ve Kept:
Offensive Tackle (OT) Jordan Gross with 5 years in the NFL was due to become an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) but instead the 6’5” 300 pounder out of Utah was given the Franchise Tag by Carolina.
Offensive Guard (OG) Travelle Wharton with 3 years in the league was re-signed by the Panthers rather than allowing the 6’4” 312 pounder from South Carolina to become a UFA.
Fullback (FB) Brad Hoover, an 8 year veteran out of Western Carolina was also re-signed in lieu of becoming a UFA. The 6’ 245 pound blocking back has become an icon with the Panthers…
The Players They’ve Added:
Outside Linebacker (OLB) Landon Johnson, a 4 year veteran playing out of Purdue and the Cincinnati Bengals was signed as a UFA. The 6’2” 232 pounder is considered one of the better OLBs in the game.
Free Safety (FS) Erik Coleman, another 4 year veteran was signed as a UFA from the New York Jets. The 5’10” 200 pound Coleman played his college ball with Washington State.
Wide Receiver (WR) Muhsin Muhammad was brought back to the team of his glory years after playing with the Chicago Bears for the last couple of seasons. Still considered a top receiver, the 6’2” 215 lb. 13 year veteran who was cut by the Bears suffered thanks to their poor passing game and it is hoped some of Muhsin’s old magic can reappear back in Carolina.
WR Dominique Thompson has also been added to the Panther’s potential receiving corps. The 2 year veteran who played for St. Louis and for William and Mary in college, will hopefully add depth.
OG Keydrick Vincent, an 8 year NFL performer, comes to the Panthers from the Arizona Cardinals as a UFA. The 6’5” 325 pounder, who played collegiately for Mississippi, adds experience and depth to the offensive line.
Defensive End (DE) Tyler Brayton was also signed as a UFA. The 6’6” 280 pound 6 year vet comes to Carolina by way of the Oakland Raiders and the University of Colorado. He will add depth to the defensive line.
The Players They’ve Lost:
Defensive Tackle Kris Jenkins was traded to the New York Jets for 3rd and 5th round 2008 draft picks.
Quarterback (QB) David Carr, Running Back (RB) DeShaun Foster, and OG Mike Wahle were all cut.
DE Mike Rucker, WRs Keary Colbert and Drew Carter, Safeties Marquand Manuel and Deke Cooper, DT Kindal Moorehead, Inside Linebacker (ILB) Dan Morgan, and FB Billy Latsko were all released to become UFAs.
These account for 21 Carolina transactions over the past two months. The Panther’s most significant moves were made to preserve the integrity of their offensive line with the Gross and Wharton moves. Secondarily, the trade of Kris Jenkins for a 3rd and a 5th draft pick in the upcoming draft allow them to add more new blood. Finally the release of long time feature back, DeShaun Foster, OG Wahle and QB David Carr are considered a sign of the times as personnel and financial managers are forced to come to agreement in terms of the payroll and the salary cap. As a result of these moves, the Panthers current team needs now are prioritized like this: RB, QB, DE, FS, SS, OG, OT, TE, & CB.
**********
Miami's New Brain Trust, Head Coach Tony Sparano and Personnel Guru Bill Parcells
The other top active team to date in free agency comes as no surprise. The Miami Dolphins’ Bill Parcells is busily working his magic transforming the team into what their fans all hope will become a team that returns them to their past glory. Here are the new and re-signed Dolphins:
The Players They’ve Kept:
FS Yeremiah Bell a 4 year Dolphin who played college ball for Eastern Kentucky. The 6’ 200 pound back-up re-signed for one make or break year.
Cornerback (CB) Michael Lehan, a 5th year veteran and starter last season for the Dolphins was re-signed to a 4 year contract. Evidently the Tuna liked what he saw of this 6’ 190 lb. defensive back.
The Players They’ve Added:
WR Ernest Wilford was signed as a UFA out of Jacksonville by way of Virginia Tech. A 6’4” 221 lb. possession receiver should be a good compliment to last year’s top draft pick, deep threat Ted Ginn, Jr.
OG Justin Smiley another UFA signing who played for Alabama and then was a 3rd round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. Smiley is 6’3” and 311 lbs. and should assume a starting guard position next season.
QB Josh McCown came to the Dolphins via the UFA route from the Oakland Raiders where he shared time starting on the Raiders quarterback carousel… The 6’4” and 215 lbs. QB out of Sam Houston State, being a 6 year veteran, McCown becomes the most experienced QB on the team.
TE Sean Ryan was signed to add depth and, at 6’5” and 265 lbs., he’ll be counted on as a blocker in the TE corps. Ryan last was a back-up with the New York Jets and he played his college ball for Boston College.
Parcells then went to work on the defensive side of the line by signing one DT in Randy Starks, a 4th year UFA from Tennessee who played for Maryland in college. Then Parcells traded two 6th round draft picks, one in 2008 and one next year, to his last team, the Dallas Cowboys, for 12 year veteran DT Jason Ferguson. With the exception of their playing experience these two defensive linemen are virtually bookends at 6’3” and 312 pounds.
OLB Reggie Torbor also came from the UFA pool by way of the New York Giants. The 6’2” 250 lb. back-up comes from a strong defensive team and will be counted on to fill holes left by free agency. Reggie is another Southern Boy who played ball for the Auburn Tigers.
Finally, Parcells signed another free agent linebacker, Charlie Anderson, a 5 year veteran from the Houston Texans by way of Mississippi. A big backer at 6’4” and 245 lbs. Anderson will also fill out the linebackers corps.
The Players They’ve Lost:
OG Rex Hadnot was the most accomplished player lost to free agency, followed by order of Scout.com’s player rankings, OT L.J. Shelton, QB Cleo Lemon, OLB Derrick Pope, WR Marty Booker, OG Chris Liwienski, RB Jesse Chatman, SS Lance Schulters and OT Mike Rosenthal. While QB Trent Green and DT Keith Traylor were Parcells cuts.
The Parcells led Dolphins also have made 21 transactions over the past couple of months. These moves represent the opening volleys as Parcells shakes out one type of player in favor of players in the Parcells mold. To date, QB Cleo Lemon (Jacksonville) is the only former Dolphin to find a new home. Only time will tell how productive the team’s additions will become. Up front it appears that WR Wilford and OG Justin Smiley are the best players brought on board.
The Dolphins revised team needs list at this point in time: OT, OG, CB, QB, SS, C, DT & RB.
**********
Two teams have made a total of 18 transactions since January and what’s interesting is that they both were playoff teams in 2007.
New England's Player Personnel man Scott Pioli and Head Coach Bill Belichick.
Surprisingly the team that almost went undefeated last season, the New England Patriots, is one of the two. The Patriots seem to walk the line blending older, experienced players with their annual draft selections. They re-signed three key performers that were eligible for free agency, WRs Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney, and ILB Tedy Bruschi. To counter the CB losses of Pro Bowler Asante Samuel, Randall ####, Jr., and Chad Scott, they were offset by the signings of CBs Jason Webster (Buffalo) and Lewis Sanders (Atlanta). Considering the Pats lost two other WRs to free agency, Donte Stallworth and Troy Brown, WR Sam Aiken (Buffalo) was also signed. They lost Safety Eugene Wilson and signed a Safety of similar abilities in Tank Williams (Minnesota). Their losses in the linebacker corps of Junior Seau, Rosevelt Colvin and Larry Izzo have not as yet been countered.
New England’s revised team needs list is as follows: OLB, CB, ILB, RB, FS, OG, OT, SS & DT.
I’m sure Scott Pioli will fill the voids…
**********
Tampa's General Manager George Allen and Head Coach Jon Gruden
The other playoff team from last year that is racking up the transactions is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. General Manager and personnel specialist George Allen, along with Head Coach Jon Gruden made a last place turn around to first in the NFC South last season, but they’re not sitting back on their laurels as they strive to get back to the promised land. One thing that deserves mentioning about the Buc’s turnaround is that they accomplished it with the youngest offensive line in the NFL. The O-line is usually the area where teams strive to maintain continuity at all costs and yet the Tampa offensive line featured one first year performer (OG Aaron Sears out of Tennessee), three second year performers (OG Davin Joseph, Oklahoma, OT Jeremy Trueblood, Boston College, and OT Donald Penn, Utah State) and one grey beard center, 10 year veteran John Wade. So what do they do? They sign center C Jeff Faine a 6 year veteran away from division rival New Orleans. Coach Gruden’s penchant for collecting quarterbacks continues unabated as the Buccaneers traded a conditional 2009 draft pick to the Chicago Bears for QB Brian Griese, this without losing a QB to free agency which brings their total to six QBs if you count Jake Plummer… They signed two TEs with Ben Troupe from Tennessee most likely earmarked to start and John Gilmore from Chicago being a back-up. These two offset the losses of TEs Jerramy Stevens and Anthony Becht to free agency. Other losses to free agency and outright cuts concerned back-up RB Michael Pittman and C Matt Lehr. On the defensive side CB Brian Kelly became a UFA as well as OLB Jeremiah Trotter, while two veteran DTs, Kevin Carter and Greg Spires were cut.
Tampa’s revised team need list is as follows: CB, DT, WR, OLB, FB, OT, RB, DE & TE.
**********
Other teams taking advantage of the free agent market in a big way include the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons with 17 transactions, another playoff team, the Jacksonville Jaguars who have made 15 transactions over the last couple of months, the San Francisco 49ers with 15 transactions, and the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints, both having made 14 transactions in this same time period.
Of the nine teams mentioned here busily working the free agency market, three were playoff teams last season, three were last place in their divisions, and one complete division is represented, the NFC South.
**********'
There are many ways to build a winner. I think a lot of teams' personnel specialists have paid close attention to how they’re doing it in New England. They try to hold onto and accumulate draft picks while blending in experienced talent via the free agent market, all this while being very conscious of payroll. In the NFL, they adhere to the highest form of praise, they copy a winner...
There’s a young man that football fans are just beginning to learn about. He will be in the NFL’s 2008 draft of college football players and has risen from out of nowhere to become a possible third or fourth round draft choice. With the NFL’s college football player combine now in everyone’s rearview mirror, he is currently considered the fifth best quarterback in the draft. His name is Josh Johnson and he played his college ball at the University of San Diego, a I-AA program in Southern California.
Josh is from Oakland, California, where he attended the same high school, Oakland Technical, which baseball’s Ricky Henderson and football’s Marshawn #### attended. He enjoyed significant success while playing for the Bulldogs, where he threw for 1,900 yards and 22 touchdowns with just two interceptions his senior season, leading his team to the football championship in the very competitive Oakland Athletic League. But despite this, Josh Johnson was disappointed by not receiving a single scholarship offer to play at the next level. His size was the problem. Playing at six foot tall while weighing in at 150 pounds his senior year, no I-A programs were interested. He was recruited by three different small colleges but without financial assistance. Josh thought it over and realized that the San Diego Toreros’ program under then coach Jim Harbaugh was the best fit for his skills. He applied for grants, financial aid, and took out student loans, he kept his grades up, and was able to continue playing the game that he loves. The dual threat Johnson was a back-up his freshman year to a senior quarterback. Then, while leading the Toreros from his sophomore through senior seasons, he set school records in almost every quarterback category while running the West Coast Offense. In 2006 the Toreros went undefeated and for the first time in school history was ranked in the nation’s FCS top twenty-five. Josh led the nation in combined offensive output that year with 4,040 total yards. By the time his senior season rolled around Josh stood over six foot two inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. Following are Josh Johnson’s senior year statistics with the Toreros:
In addition, Josh Johnson should graduate this spring with a Major in Communications and a Minor in Business Administration.
A three time FCS All-American at the conclusion of his senior season, Josh was then named to play in Houston’s East-West Shrine Game last January where he would, for the first time, play against an all star team made up primarily of FBS competition. Playing in the second and fourth quarters, Josh completed five of eleven passing attempts for 78 yards and one touchdown while rushing 93 yards on three carries. The West won the game 31-13 and Josh won the game’s Most Valuable Player award.
Next on Josh’s football calendar was the NFL Combine. In this chance to raise his value in the eyes of the NFL’s personnel people, Josh’s well honed passing skills inexplicably didn’t show well, leaving some scouts to question whether he was made of the “right stuff”. The fact remains that there are reels of film that clearly display Josh’s passing skills and cool demeanor under game conditions. Here are some of the vital statistics gleaned from Josh’s combine workout:
Height 6’3”, Weight 213 pounds, Position – QB, 2nd Position – WR/Athlete, 40 Time – 4.55, 40 Low – 4.48, 40 High – 4.64, Projected Round – 3rd, Stock – Rated 5th out of 110 quarterbacks, 73rd out of 2,549 Total.
During an interview at the combine, Josh answered a couple of questions that should give everyone a good look at where he is:
Q: Experiences at small school that someone from a place like USC wouldn’t know about, the small crowd…
Johnson: That’s one thing, we play in front of a small crowd. You don’t get a lot of attention outside of your city. I can go outside and nobody probably would notice me. That’s just life as a small school player, and another is, the thing I got to experience was it was all people who love to play football. Nobody came in with a five-star tag on them. No one was highly recruited. We were all paying for school and we all just wanted to play football in college and we worked real hard for it. That’s why I appreciated being there.
Q: Success of I-AA quarterbacks, Romo, McNair, Gannon, cause for optimism?
Johnson: I’m going to go in with the same mentality regardless, because, we came from the same level but we all went through different systems, different coaches, we all have different playing styles. They may appreciate things like I appreciate them because they went to a smaller school, but when it comes to playing on the field, it’s all going to be different. People have different approaches to the game, they all play the game differently. It’s good in a way that you see people who kind of came from where you came from doing well, but you really can’t take their approach. If you try to emulate someone else you can get sidetracked. You can’t copy what they did because they did it differently.
San Diego has scheduled two on campus Pro Days on March 7th and 13th. This will be Josh Johnson’s last chance to show off his athletic abilities prior to the late April NFL Draft. Based upon how he has conducted his life to this point, it’s not much of a stretch to believe Josh Johnson will once again show well. This young man may be one of those proverbial “steals” in this draft and it will be interesting to see which team ends up drafting him. Two teams to date have shown open interest in Josh, the Baltimore Ravens (under new Head Coach John Harbaugh, brother to Josh's former coach Jim Harbaugh) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who run the West Coast Offense…
This Sunday at 1:00 PM Eastern, on Fox Sports Television, there will be a very interesting match-up at Raymond James Stadium between the Wild Card New York Giants and the NFC South Division winner, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here is a snapshot of the game and a prediction.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quick Notes:
Tampa Bay rested many key starters… Players wanted to play… Coach’s decision… Frustrating to watch… Question about rust… Gruden wanted rested, healthy players… Timing, execution??? Gruden didn’t have a choice… Against 49ers Garcia took big hits, that did it… Garcia is Bucs MVP, the team relies on him big time… The offensive line starters played throughout the last two games. The Buccaneers don’t have much depth on defense… Gruden protected his top line defensive players late in the season and was able to analyze the backups… Some of the veterans (Barber) questioned being sat down… Offense is based on timing and sitting the starters may hurt this… If you win you did the right thing resting your players, if you lose you screwed up…
Injuries: OG Aaron Sears was hurt against Carolina (ankle)… Gruden thinks he’ll play… Bad Timing against Giant D line…Other injuries? Askew is expected back… Hilliard is okay… Receiver Maurice Stovall has been put on IR… All in all, the Bucs are pretty healthy for this time of year…
Quote: "Momentum is important," said Gruden on Sunday. "Momentum is making the playoffs. When you run out of the tunnel and there are 80,000 fans going crazy, you’re going to have momentum, you’re going to be excited to play. Momentum is having a quarterback that is your starter, healthy and walking around feeling good. That has a lot to do with momentum. And seeing Joey Galloway running as fast as he can run, that’s what I see as momentum."
Concerning the NY Giants… Buccaneer’s top priority is stopping the Giant’s running game. Jacobs is a big, physical back plus Ahmad Bradshaw will be ready to play if needed… It will take team tackling against big load running backs… The Bucs have to force pressure on Eli Manning… They need 2nd &/or 3rd and long situations, to let the pass defense do their job in a known situation… Offensively… The Bucs top priority is to protect Garcia against top sack defense… The Giants have 53 sacks on the season (1st in the NFL)… There is opportunity to make plays down the middle of the field… Key is protect Garcia… Keep tight ends in as well as Askew for protection.
Wild Card: Michael Clayton has been playing back up to his first season capabilities, just when the team needs him. Jeremy Stevens may be another factor as the short passing game may be featured against the hard charging Giants front line.
Coaching Situation: Gruden has solidified his job this year with the Glazers.
New York Giants Quick Notes:
Played their starters against the Patriots… Proved to themselves that they can play with anyone… Team looked very sharp… Rookie TE Kevin Boss is filling in admirably for injured Shockey... Giants’ defensive secondary is very suspect… Giants had only one win all season over a team that made the playoffs and/or finished with a winning record - 24-17 over the Washington Redskins (9-7) in Week 3. Eli Manning has not yet won a playoff game (0-2)… His play against the Pats has given the Giants newfound hope for Eli to become the QB they thought he was when they traded for him almost four years ago… Brother Peyton went 0-3 in the playoffs before winning his first…
Injuries: Giants’ center Shaun O’Hara hurt against Pats is day to day with a knee injury… CB Sam Madison (abdominal strain) is probable, LB Kawika Mitchell (sprained MCL) is doubtful, TE Jeremy Shockey and RB Derrick Ward are out… The Giants are in fair shape on the injury front.
Quote: "When we make up our minds, I think we can beat anybody," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Our question has never been the talent. Our question has always been from just execution and making up our minds that we are going to win the game. We have done that and we have been successful even if it has taken us a fourth-quarter comeback. We know that we are very capable of winning against anybody. It is just our mind-set."
Concerning the Buccaneers… The Giants’ top priority is to get after Jeff Garcia and disrupt the Buc’s rhythm. They need to knock him down, over and over. Protect their weak secondary. On offense, run to throw the ball. The Buccaneer’s defense is at the top of the league against the pass. Keep them guessing by maintaining a good rushing attack.
Wild Card: Will Eli Manning continue his progression into a top flight NFL quarterback. He put together two of his greatest career games this season, the first game against the Dallas Cowboys and the last game against the New England Patriots. These teams are the top seeds in this year’s playoffs from each conference. Is this a harbinger of things to come?
Coaching Situation: Tom Coughlin may need to win this game to continue on as the Giants head coach…
Statistical Match-ups:
NYG 16th OFF; TB 2nd DEF
NYG 4th RUN; TB 17th VS. RUN
NYG 21st PASS; TB 1st VS. PASS
NYG 14th PTS; TB 3rd PTS ALLOWED
TB 18th OFF; NYG 7th DEF
TB 11th RUN; NYG 8th VS. RUN
TB 16th PASS; NYG 11th VS. PASS
TB 18th PTS; NYG 17th PTS ALLOWED
TB 4th TO/TA; NYG 26th TO/TA
Strength of Schedule: NY Giants .516… Tampa Bay Buccaneers .469….
The Las Vegas Early Line TAMPA BAY -3 vs. N.Y. Giants (39 1/2)
Who will win? New York Giants will win on the road at Tampa Bay.
In this day of sports sensationalism, I find myself craving stories such as this more and more.
In the third game of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s 2007 campaign, their star running back, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams went down with a season ending knee injury. When this happened, the team’s Head Coach, John Gruden, who had felt heat since last year’s 4 win 12 loss season had been recorded, must have seen his time in Tampa sifting away. Watching Williams, his star first round pick running back, wreathe in pain must have been gut wrenching for Gruden, but there was some consolation in that the team had a very good back-up runner in 10 year veteran Michael Pittman. Pittman picked up the slack and rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries the rest of the game that turned into a 20-7 win against their division rival Carolina Panthers. This brought the resurgent Bucs to a four game record of 3 wins and 1 loss.
The following week, Tampa Bay took on one of the best teams in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts, on the road in Indiana. Buccaneer fans looked upon this game as a measure of whether their team was back among the league’s elite or not. During the hard fought game, a game which saw the Colts steadily pull away for a 33-14 win, Tampa’s new lead running back went down with an ankle injury. Gruden could be seen studying the ceiling of the RCA Dome as Pittman was helped off the field, undoubtedly wondering what could happen next. Enter sparingly used Earnest Graham. In a game that necessitated abandoning the running game in an unsuccessful attempt to overhaul the Colts lead, Earnest rushed 6 times for a very unimpressive 1.8 yard per carry average.
With a 3 win 2 loss record, the Buccaneers headed into their sixth game of the year with the team’s management scrambling to fill the glaring void in their running back situation. The 3 win 1 loss Tennessee Titans were coming to town riding the strength of their young defense and ball control running game. It would be gut check time for the Buccaneers. Zack Crockett, recently cut by the Oakland Raiders, and a Gruden protégé, was signed as a back up on October 10th while Earnest was announced as the Buccaneers latest feature back.
Graham was a local guy, born in Naples, Florida, and raised just south of Tampa in Cape Gables where he played his high school ball. The 5’9" 215 pound back went on to play for the Florida Gators and ended his collegiate career as the 5th most productive running back in school history. The problem for Earnest was a lingering ankle injury that affected his 40-yard dash times at the pro combine after his senior season. Try as he may, Earnest couldn’t get his time below a quite pedestrian (for a running back) 4.75 seconds. The scouts deemed him too slow for the NFL and he went undrafted. Never varying from his dream to play in the NFL, times were suddenly hard. Earnest was married and had a little girl as he tried to catch on with a team while wearing the "too slow" moniker. It got so bad that he ended up being evicted from an apartment and was moving his wife and baby daughter from cheap hotel to cheap hotel when a miracle happened. He was picked up as a free agent by what was essentially his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April 2003. Things were just beginning to look up for Earnest and his family when the young man was bit once again by the injury bug. He had to settle for an injury settlement on his initial contract and was released on August 22nd. This started an on again off again relationship with Tampa Bay’s NFL team. He then joined the Buccaneer’s practice squad on December 3rd of that same year but was later released once more on December 9th. Dejected, Earnest didn’t have to wait too long as he was called back just over a month later re-joining the team on January 14, 2004. Again he was released and re-signed to the practice squad the next September. Earnest was finally signed to the active roster for the first time once the 2004 season got underway, following a knee injury to fullback Mike Alstott. Showing the versatility that NFL teams look for, Earnest made the team as a special team’s performer, and as the third running back and second fullback on the depth chart.
Graham worked hard and earned a reputation among his teammates as a dependable, team player. It was during the training camps of 2005, 2006 and 2007 that Earnest knew he had to perform. He led the Buccaneers in rushing during the preseason in each of those years, just hoping to get a chance in the show. He proved that his forty time was somewhere between 4.4 and 4.5 seconds and the Buccaneers were happy. He became a force on special teams showing a willingness to sacrifice his body just to stay on the team. He took the time to learn two different positions and his worth to the team was solidified.
Speaking of his greatest benefactor on the Buccaneers, Graham stated "I remember when I came into this organization. I was just a little undrafted free agent and nobody knew if I would even make it. But Mike Alstott was the guy who took me under his wing and really looked out for me. A lot of (prominent) players wouldn’t do that. I’m just grateful to him for that. He’s special. "
"As a competitor, you want to know what you can do and, at some point, maybe I'll get that chance," Graham said in 2006. "But right now, you take what you can get. I'm still playing football, and there ain't nothing wrong with that."
As the seasons went by, Earnest withstood the challenges of new signees trying to take his position on the team and persevered.
So on the precipice of his first game as a starting running back in the NFL, Graham’s wife, Alicia, found a replica of his jersey for sale in a downtown Tampa mall for the first time and wore it to the momentous game.
"It's definitely different since it's the first start of his professional career," Alicia Graham said. "I'm extremely excited for him. I'm proud of him. He's worked so hard.
"It's unfortunate that his teammates have gotten hurt. They're all good friends."
Earnest, who is 27, added, "I thank God that I've had this opportunity, I've been out here for a long time. It's not like I'm a young guy."
The Titans game turned into a defensive struggle with the Buccaneers eventually prevailing 13-10, but Earnest’s effort left a lot to be desired. He rushed for a 2.2 yard average on 13 attempts and added 6 catches for another 17 yards. His personal highlight was saving a possible game turning fumble deep in Buc territory. Critics could be heard wondering if the Buccaneer’s brass was ready to do something about their running back situation before it was too late.
Tampa traveled to Detroit for their seventh game of the year. Earnest answered his critics as he accounted for 191 yards of total offense (13 rushes for 92 yards and 13 catches for 99 yards). This while the Buccaneers floundered to a mistake-prone 23-16 loss to the Lions leaving their season record at 4 wins and 3 losses.
Week Nine presented another formidable AFC South opponent as Jacksonville’s Jaguars came to Tampa. Earnest once again held up his end of the bargain as he rushed for a 4.4 yard average on 14 carries and caught one pass for 12 yards. The problem was the Bucs normally dependable defense lost a fourth quarter lead and allowed the Jags to waltz out of Raymond James Stadium with a one point victory, 24-23. The season that had started off so well now stood at 4 wins and 4 losses, and again the critics could be heard murmuring in the background.
It was at this time that coach Gruden installed a change in his offensive philosophy. He decided he would rely more on the rushing game than he had since losing his top two running backs. He would put the emphasis on the skills of an undrafted free agent. Earnest would be running behind an offensive line featuring a total of 16 years playing experience (Right Tackle Jeremy Trueblood, 2 years experience, Right Guard Davin Joseph, 2 years, Center John Wade, 10 years, Left Guard Aaron Sears, Rookie, and Left Tackle Donald Penn, 2 years).
The Arizona Cardinals were coming to town sporting a 3 win 4 loss record and attempting to keep pace with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. The Cardinals, with an explosive passing attack and a dogged defense would present yet another challenge to the young Buccaneer offense. When the dust had settled, Earnest Graham had carried he ball 34 times, more carries than in two of his previous three seasons with the Bucs, and had gained 124 tough yards. He added 2 catches for another 13 yards and one rushing touchdown. The final score was Tampa Bay 17, Arizona 10.
The Arizona game brought the team together and marked the first of three more wins in a row against Atlanta, Washington, and New Orleans, games in which Earnest gained 283 yards rushing, 52 yards receiving and 3 more touchdowns. The Buccaneers stood at the two-thirds point of the season at 8 wins and 4 losses, needing one more win to clinch their division title.
Last weekend, with starting quarterback Jeff Garcia out for the second consecutive game with a back injury. The Bucs traveled to Houston and put together one of their poorer efforts of the season losing to an up and coming Texans team 28-14. Earnest Graham accounted for 106 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in the loss.
As his season continues, Earnest believes his NFL experience has made him a stronger football player and person. "I've learned a lot about life and what it takes to succeed in anything," he explained. "You get out here in the world and it's tough. Nothing is given to you and you almost have to take it. When you get an opportunity you have to produce and if not they are going to move on."
When asked what his personal goals for the rest of the season are, Earnest responded, "My goals have been the same thing every year. I just want to continue progressing and go to work everyday to try and fine-tune things that I feel like I need to work on. I'm a special teams player and have been playing special teams for a while. But I want to get better there and at running back I want to be an all-around back. I want to be able to be counted on in the passing game, be able to run the ball whenever I need to and just make myself more valuable as an NFL player. So everyday I'm looking to get better."
The Bucs head into the 15th week of the season still looking for one win to make them the 2007 NFC South title holder. They play at home against the hapless Atlanta Falcons.
James Borchuck | St. Petersburg Times
Earnest Graham, with 798 yards rushing on the season, now has a good chance of going over 1,000 yards in essentially 12 games. Speculation out of Buccaneers Headquarters now is that he will be number one on their 2008 depth chart even if "Cadillac" Williams completely recovers from his knee injury. Wondering out loud can also be heard that just maybe the Broncos are on to something. They don’t spend their high draft picks on running backs but continually feature a potent running game. If more gems like Earnest Graham are floating around out there, they just may be right.
I'm a sports fanatic living on the west coast of Florida. I'm a rare bird that moved here from the left coast a couple of years ago. I advocate an even playing field in all of life's endeavors.
best slot
skills. He applied for grants, financial aid, and took out student loans, he kept his grades up, and was able to continue playing the game that he loves. The dual threat Johnson was a back-up his freshman year to a senior quarterback. Then, while leading the 
Toreros from his sophomore through senior seasons, he set school records in almost every quarterback category while running the West Coast Offense. In 2006 the Toreros went undefeated and for the first time in school history was ranked in the nation’s FCS top twenty-five. Josh led the nation in combined offensive output that year with 4,040 total yards. By the time his senior season rolled around Josh stood over six foot two inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. Following are Josh Johnson’s senior year statistics with the Toreros: 
A three time FCS All-American at the conclusion of his senior season, Josh was then named to play in Houston’s East-West Shrine Game last January where he would, for the first time, play against an all star team made up primarily of FBS competition. Playing in the second and fourth quarters, Josh completed five of eleven passing attempts for 78 yards and one touchdown while rushing 93 yards on three carries. The West won the game 31-13 and Josh won the game’s Most Valuable Player award. 
