QB dominos
There has been a lot made about this QB free agency cycle. And rightly so, considering there's at least three surefire Hall of Famers out there.
Well, make that two now that Drew Brees has said he's going to come back to the Saints.
It makes sense, and in truth, I still fall into the camp of those who believe Tom Brady will be back in Foxboro for 2020. (And we know that future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers is for sure on the move.)
We're still a little less than a month away from the start of the new NFL season, when free agents can actually make moves, and Brady's decision to stay or go will has been and will continue to be much debated. That decision will dictate a lot of the other dominoes, too.
But Brees' announcement almost certainly means Teddy Bridgewater moves on from The Big Easy.
It also makes the conversation about Taysom Hill more interesting.
Hill, the former BYU quarterback who has become a versatile piece in the Saints' plan, has said he wants to be a starting quarterback in the league. Heck, he still wears No. 7.
But last year, according to Pro Football Focus, he played most of his snaps on special teams and lined up at tight end the most on offense. The breakdown - 85 at TE, 44 at WR, 41 at QB and 22 at FB/RB - shows Hill's dynamic abilities.
It also made me wonder if the Saints could franchise tag him at tight end - which would be roughly a $9.5 million deal - rather than QB, which would be more than a $25-million-plus deal.
Good times.
Speaking of NFL moves
There are few folks who analyze football decisions, rosters and next-gen stats better than Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com.
Dude knows his stuff. He's breaking down the needs and potential moves for each NFL team by division heading into next month's start of free agency and next week's NFL combine.
Here's his view on the AFC South and, most notably, what the Titans face.
Count Barnwell among the group who believes re-signing Ryan Tannehill is a top priority for Tennessee, which has right at $48 million in cap space.
Barnwell's best guess for a Tannehill extension - he thinks re-signing Tannehill is prudent to save the franchise tags for other roster decisions - would come in the neighborhood of four years for $120 million. Dear Lord, if Tannehill goes from Miami Dolphins castoff to a $30-million-a-year QB, then his 2019 is up there with the best single year ever.
And yes, Barnwell thinks the Titans should put the franchise tag on running back Derrick Henry, but he acknowledged that there's a real chance the Titans do the reverse and sign Henry to an extension and tag Tannehill.
So there's that.
Now that's a punishment
OK, as the Astros are giggling about getting away with the biggest cheating scandal in a century, here comes a story about a serious punishment for a serious offense.
This news is biting - literally.
That's right, a soccer player in France has been suspended for five years for biting an opponent on the penis.
Go ahead and read that one again.
Last November, players from Terville and Soetrich soccer teams started to fight in the parking lot and a Terville player tried to break up the fight. The peacemaker, who was also suspended for six months for his role in the fracas, was bit on the ding-ding and needed 10 stitches.
Maybe MLB should have the Soetrich biter enforce his own brand of justice on the Astros?
This and that
- Well, that was entertaining. We dropped three SEC hoops picks on you - we added Vandy plus-12.5 on Press Row - on Tuesday and, like Dennis Scott back in the day, "Give him 3." Other than the 'Dores, who lost at UT by 4, we had UK plus a couple and Chas' 'Cats won outright and Florida minus-6 in a 14-point win over Arkansas. Our mini-streak - we've hit four straight - moves us to 32-23 on the season. That's 58.2 parent friends. Entertainment for everyone, and put that on my tab.
- Tonight, give me Western Carolina minus-8 over VMI, Auburn minus-3 over Georgia, and UTC minus-9.5 over El Cid. Hey, here's Tuesday's Press Row interview with Mocs coach Lamont Paris. And yes, Coach Paris and I break down the importance of Dr. Dre and the impact of NWA and old-school rap. Just what you'd expect from a mid-week, in-season chat with a college basketball coach, right? Good times.
- Speaking of college basketball and Press Row regulars, we'll have Wednesday with Weeds today in the 4 o'clock hour. And you know the drill, when TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer writes about college hoops, we read and link Weeds on college hoops. Here's today's view on UT energy provider and first-team all-hair-band team member John Fulkerson.
- There are few things in sports I enjoy more than the Masters. It's like Kenny Bania said, "It's the best, Jerry. The best." Here's another cool little wrinkle that has an underground tunnel under Washington Road to a state-of-the-art broadcast center. Gang, that place is simply amazing.
- Here's TFP college football guru David Paschall's report on Georgia and Clemson finding a way to play each other to start the 2021 season. That used to be an awesome rivalry back in the 1980s. And here's Paschall on the new turf at Finley. Man, that Paschall is a busy dude, huh?
Today's questions
Which way Wednesday starts this way.
Which player got the worst of it, the guy that got suspended for five years for biting or the guy that got 10 stitches and suspended for six months?
Which player is more important for the Titans, Derrick Henry or Ryan Tannehill?
Which Democrat will have the best showing in tonight's debate? (And would we live tweet that puppy? I'm leaning to yes after basketball practice.)
On this day in 1906, the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company was formed. You may recognize it as Kellogg's.
Seal is 57 today. Rushmore of people with an animal in their name.
Go, and remember the mailbag.