HughC

I think teams got cold feet after seeing what Arizona gave up for Kolb, and then his rather underwhelming performance last year. Ditto for the Chiefs and Cassel over the last few years. With the new rookie wage scale it makes more sense to roll the dice on a draft pick. With rookies being more appealing because of their now lower contracts, there becomes less demand for a veteran like Flynn.

I'm guessing 32 fan bases all think the media hates their team. On almost every subject they'll have one guy say something positive and another say something negative; this was no different. As fans we tend to only, or at least mostly notice the negative stuff.

I read somewhere that he stated he wants six years averaging $12 million per year with $30 million guaranteed. Now I know 2010 looks like it will be uncapped, but that money is absurd for a player that only seems to perform in his contract year, and is one infraction from time lost due to either jail or a suspension.

And a slightly more detailed 2009 NFL calendar: Feb 5: First day that teams may designate franchise or transition players Feb 18-24: NFL Scouting Combine, Indianapolis IN Feb 19: Deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players Feb 26: Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by teams to their Restricted Free Agents whose contract have expired and to whom they desire to retain the right of first refusal and compensation Feb 26: Deadline for teams to submit offer of minimum salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with fewer than three seasons of free agency credit whose contracts have expired Feb 27: Beginning of veteran free agency signing period Feb 27: Beginning of trading period March 16: Start of off-season voluntary conditioning program (date estimated) March 22-25: NFL Annual Meeting, Dana Point CA March 30: NFL primetime games announced (date estimated) March 31: Compensatory draft picks announced (date estimated) April 14: NFL schedule announced (date estimated) April 17: End of signing period for Restricted Free Agents April 24: Deadline for teams to exercise right of first refusal to Restricted Free Agents April 25-26: NFL Draft, New York City May 2: Team rookie mini-camp (date estimated) May 18-20: NFL Spring Meeting, Fort Lauderdale FL June 1: Deadline for teams to send tender to unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if another team does not sign player by July 22 June 1: Deadline for teams to send tender to unsigned Restricted Free Agents or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights June 12-14: Full squad mandatory mini-camp (date estimated) June 15: Deadline for teams to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned Restricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting a tender of 110% of previous year’s salary June 28-July 1: NFL Rookie Symposium, Palm Beach Gardens FL July 21: Training Camp opens (date estimated) July 22: End of signing period for Unrestricted Free Agents who received June 1 tender Aug 8: 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony Aug 9: Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton OH Aug 13-17: First weekend of preseason games Sept 1: Roster cut down to maximum of 75 players Sept 5: Roster cut down to maximum of 53 players Sept 10-14: First weekend of regular season games Oct 20: Trading deadline (date estimated) Jan 3, 2010: Regular season ends Jan 9-10, 2010: NFL playoffs, wild card round Jan 16-17, 2010: NFL playoffs, division round Jan 24, 2010: Conference championship games Feb 7, 2010: Super Bowl 44, Miami FL

A bit late, but here's some NFL Combine dates: Thursday, Feb. 19 Offensive linemen, tight ends & kickers/punters: Measurements (height, weight, arms, hands), physical exams, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs: Pre-physical exams and X-rays, interviews with NFL team personnel. Friday, Feb. 20 Offensive linemen & tight ends: NFLPA meeting, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Kickers/punters: NFLPA meeting, workouts (40, 3-cone drill, 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump), interviews with NFL team personnel. Quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs: Measurements (height, weight, arms, hands), physical exams, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Defensive linemen & linebackers: Pre-physical exams and X-rays, interviews with NFL team personnel. Saturday, Feb. 21 Offensive linemen & tight ends: Workouts (40, 3-cone drill, 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump). Quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs: NFLPA meeting, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Defensive linemen & linebackers: Measurements (height, weight, arms, hands), physical exams, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Cornerbacks & safeties: Prephysical exams and X-rays, interviews with NFL team personnel. Sunday, Feb. 22 Quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs: Workouts (40, 3-cone drill, 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump). Defensive linemen & linebackers: NFLPA meeting, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Cornerbacks & safeties: Measurements (height, weight, arms, hands), physical exams, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Monday, Feb. 23 Defensive linemen & linebackers: Workouts (40, 3-cone drill, 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump). Cornerbacks & safeties: NFLPA meeting, Wonderlic Test, interviews with NFL team personnel. Tuesday, Feb. 24 Cornerbacks & safeties: Workouts (40, 3-cone drill, 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump).

1. While I like your proposal for four eight-team divisions, there will still be detractors complaining about the setup being unfair. Complaints of "that team doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs, and my team does" will simply be replaced with complaints of "that team has an easier schedule than my team does". 2. Overall this will be less exciting for fans. The current setup has about half the fans of the NFL following their team battling for a division title - an average of two per division, times 8 divisions = 16 teams. While the same number of teams make the playoffs, how excited are fans going to be with a team finishing in 5th or 6th place? Not nearly as much. 3. That lower level of excitement leads to more no-shows at games, less sales of NFL licensed products like clothing and license plates. In other words, less revenue and profits for the NFL and the players. To change to this format would be a poor business decision. 4. If you are the 6th best team in your conference and get left out of the playoffs because the 7th or 8th best team gets in instead, I have very little sympathy for you. If you can't win your division, there are two wild card spots available. That's three opportunities to make the playoffs. 5. While you have eliminated the possibility of 8-8 division winners, you have added two more playoff teams - increasing the chances of 7-9 teams making the playoffs. Basically what the proposal does is trade the complaint of an 8-8 playoff team for the complaint of a 7-9 playoff team.