I’m penning this early Monday morning in an effort to ignore the news. The news, of course, is deeply entrenched in assorted interpretations of the latest Trump administration’s (largely illegal) efforts to scuttle congressionally-mandated funding for aid programs. The ensuing courtroom tilts will be long, bloody and exhaustive, and will likely result in nothing more than a debilitating, hopefully temporary freeze on the aid packages Elon Musk identifies. Speaking of which…
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who was outed last week for alleged gross behavior at several Baltimore area day spas, flatly denied the allegations. Surely Tucker has seen the public fate of Brown’s QB Deshaun Watson’s notorious journey through his 25 accusers and their (substantial) settlements. Be prepared to pay some hefty hush money, Justin. Not really ideal for him if he wants to keep his job. Speaking of which…
If the Ravens do move on from Tucker, Mike Florio thinks they’ll wait until March. There’s little to stop the Ravens from perusing other kicking possibilities in the interim, and the team generally brings in a rookie kicker for camp purposes. The Ravens don’t have a ton of money for free agents this year, so it’s entirely possible a draftee or rookie UDFA could wind up with the job. It’s how the Ravens landed Tucker in the first place. Speaking of which…
The Bengals may lose not only WR Tee Higgins in free agency, but WR Ja’Marr Chase, winner of the NFL’s “Triple Crown” of receiving (leader in catches, yards, TDs) in 2024, also began to comment on his expectations for a new contract. While Chase was circumspect in his remarks, he holds all the leverage here, and he undoubtedly knows it. Given the recalcitrant payroll exploits of Bengals owner Mike Brown, it’s reasonable to expect this to get ugly. Speaking of which…
The Steelers’ rocky relationship with mercurial star WR George Pickens is a matter of public record; one reporter speculates the Steelers will attempt to trade him to the Cowboys this offseason. While Pickens has proven to have some marked maturity issues, the Steelers aren’t known for giving up on talented WRs, having endured the antics of former WR Antonio Brown for nine seasons. My thinking is he’ll stay where he is. Speaking of which…
The Browns may not stay where they are in April’s draft. The Browns currently hold the second overall pick and are expected by some to select either QB Cam Ward or QB Shedeur Sanders, depending on which is available. The Raiders and Sanders’ mutual interest has been well-documented; this scenario has the Browns taking uber-athlete Travis Hunter with the Raiders pick at #6, plus collecting substantial later draft picks.
Stay focused, folks. Stay involved. These are indeed the times that try men’s souls.
See you again soon.
