I suspect the timing is linked to ensure maximum salary cap benefits, but two more likely future Pro Football Hall of Famers retired this week. First Giants DE Michael Strahan retired on Tuesday. Most recently remembered for an embarrassing public divorce, wishy-washiness on retirement last year and his somewhat dubious breaking (with fellow 2008 retiree Brett Fav-re’s help) of Mark Gastineau’s single season sack record, I had to stop and remember what a great general-purpose DE Strahan was. He was a great pass rusher and an excellent run-stopper from the LDE spot, which usually is a run-stoppers only position. As a Redskins fan I’m glad to see him go, though when healthy Jon Jansen usually did a very good job of neutralizaing Strahan.
Then Ravens LT Jonathan Ogden retired yesterday. He was one of the four great LTs who entered the NFL in the mid-1990s, those being Ogden, Tony Boselli, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones. Oddly, one of the things I remember about Ogden was a crappy commercial he did for a local no-name insurance company. I was baffled that the only commercial I would see with one of the NFL’s greatest players involved him dancing around a convertible with a community college dance troup while he talked about how Gebco insurance would give you a chance when other companies wouldn’t. Then I remembered the only TV commercial Redskins LT Joe Jacoby had during his playing days, a similarily sub-amateur production for Theatervision projection televisions (very fancy for the 1980s) and realized this is the OL’s lot in endorsements.
Less likely for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, barring a spectacular comeback, is now former Bears RB Cedric Benson. Benson got arrested on land this time, for driving a car under the influence. Unsurprisingly, Benson was waived by the Bears and no one tried to claim his rights as he is still in legal trouble, could subsequently be suspended by the NFL and has been pretty awful on the field. I still expect him in Oakland once his legal issues, which I think he has a decent chance of winning, are completed.
If there is a sign of how replaceable the RB position is in the NFL it’s the list of former regular-duty starters looking for work: Benson, Shaun Alexander (I thought the Saints were going to sign him?), Travis Henry, Kevin Jones and perhaps soon LaMont Jordan. For now, the Bears RB hopes are to be pinned on the Other Adrian Peterson and Senior Bowl standout Matt Forte from Tulane.
Also released is former Browns C LeCharles Bentley. Bentley, who played at Ohio State and was born in Cleveland, signed a big deal in 2006 with the Browns to come back from New Orleans. He suffered a brutal tendon injury on the first day of Browns training camp that year and subsequently got a nasty staph infection which has sidelined him until Browns mini-camp this year. To hear USA Today’s Larry Weisman tell the story, Bentley arrived at camp, was surprised that he wasn’t listed as the starter on the depth chart after two years out with serious medical issues and asked for his release. The Browns obliged him. Despite his injury problems, he also missed a bunch of time with injuries in New Orleans, Bentley should find work again soon.
Not-so-optional Organized Team Activities and Mini-camps continue. A rather long list of guys have been doing these partial hold-outs where they show up but don’t do drills, mostly to protest their contracts. If anybody is doing this to protest the quasi-mandatory nature of OTAs, good for them. The notable dissenters include Bengals WR Chad Johnson, Bears LB Brian Urlacher, Giants WR Plaxico Burress, Giants TE Jeremy Shockey and Bills OT Jason Peters. On the reverse of it, the Raiders told RB LaMont Jordan not to practice when he showed up at their mini-camp.
Posted by Stilwell 