If They Dont Want To Play, GET RID OF THEM!
I dont know what the deal is with most teams in the NFL today, but it amazes me that these teams feel the need to hang onto players who obviously don't want to be there. Now, I am all for players owning up to the contract that they signed, but I do think that the players deserve the option to leave if they feel that they need to; especially because in the NFL, 99% of the contracts are not guaranteed to any player. How do you think most teams can afford such high payrolls?
I dont think that players should just be able to opt out of playing for a team if the team is no good because I am a believer in that old school leadership. You don't see Brett Favre requesting to be traded from Green Bay and he has hardly ANY team around him whatsoever. He had the worst year of his career last year, but he still went out there every week and gave it his all and I believe that he (as well as Green Bay) are better for it.
Deion Branch was a special case this summer because he wanted to re-work his contract and New England didnt want to re-work his contract, so he chose to opt out until they traded him or re-worked the contract. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and shortly after the season started Branch was traded to Seattle.
My reason for writing this piece is because of the situation in Oakland right now with receivers Jerry Porter and Randy Moss. Let me first start off by saying that Al Davis is a terrible owner and whoever is in charge of player personell and offensive play calling needs to be shot. Why in the world you would bring in Aaron Brooks and expect his inability to make good decisions EVER to make your team better? In fact, Brook's only consistent aspect of being a QB in the NFL is his ability to make ridiculous decisions when pressured that usually ends up in the hands of the opposing defense or if he's lucky, an incomplete pass.
Jerry Porter hasn't played a down all season and now is suspended by Art Shell indefinitely. Jerry Porter requested a trade at the beginning of the season and nothing has come of it yet. So, what does he do? He becomes a problem and causes drama because he wants out! He doesn't want to play in Oakland anymore. What does Oakland do? Nothing. They keep him there and let him become a problem and then fine him and suspend him.
Randy Moss will still play for this team, but they have got to involve him in the game more. Whoever is calling the plays should have three sets of plays.
1. Run plays for Lamont Jordan
2. Pass plays to Randy Moss
3. Run/pass plays to everyone else if need be
That is how they would win ball games, but unfortunately they aren't doing that at all so why should one of the best receivers in the game not be frustrated?
Here is what I think should happen and why.
First of all Randy Moss has been in the league for 9 years and Jerry Porter has been in the league for 7 years. That is a significant piece of their NFL career that they cannot get back and neither of them has won a championship and it doesn't look like the Raiders are going to make a run for the Super Bowl any time soon. If they are lucky they will have 5-6 more years left in the league and that is not a lot of time for an NFL player because they could suffer a career ending injury at any point in practice or in a game.
Oakland - TRADE JERRY PORTER AND TRADE RANDY MOSS.
They could absolutely get at the minimum a 1st round pick for both of those receivers and there are a lot of teams right now that could use a big play receiver (New England, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, San Diego, Kansas City, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tennesee, Jacksonville, Baltimore, etc). Out of those teams I mentioned 7 of them are serious playoff contenders and 4 of them are Super Bowl contenders.
The main reason I say trade them both is because you need team unity above all else. Losing game after game is hard enough on a team, but having two of your best players being disruptive and causing preventable drama just brings the team down even more (Look at Philly last year with TO). I am not saying that Porter or Moss are as bad as TO, he is on a level by himself, but I am saying that trading these two guys for two top picks in the draft or maybe another top guy that you can use to replace them is not a bad idea if it will help your stagnate team mesh better. Any team that gets to the playoffs and goes to the Super Bowl is a team that plays well together and has a bond and a unity that is unlike any other. That is when teams can start to really shine and that is what I think one of the biggest problems in Oakland is.
Get rid of Jerry Porter and then get rid of Randy Moss if he wants out. Something has to be done there and there are a lot of other teams out there who are just waiting for someone of their caliber.
I dont think that players should just be able to opt out of playing for a team if the team is no good because I am a believer in that old school leadership. You don't see Brett Favre requesting to be traded from Green Bay and he has hardly ANY team around him whatsoever. He had the worst year of his career last year, but he still went out there every week and gave it his all and I believe that he (as well as Green Bay) are better for it.
Deion Branch was a special case this summer because he wanted to re-work his contract and New England didnt want to re-work his contract, so he chose to opt out until they traded him or re-worked the contract. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and shortly after the season started Branch was traded to Seattle.
My reason for writing this piece is because of the situation in Oakland right now with receivers Jerry Porter and Randy Moss. Let me first start off by saying that Al Davis is a terrible owner and whoever is in charge of player personell and offensive play calling needs to be shot. Why in the world you would bring in Aaron Brooks and expect his inability to make good decisions EVER to make your team better? In fact, Brook's only consistent aspect of being a QB in the NFL is his ability to make ridiculous decisions when pressured that usually ends up in the hands of the opposing defense or if he's lucky, an incomplete pass.
Jerry Porter hasn't played a down all season and now is suspended by Art Shell indefinitely. Jerry Porter requested a trade at the beginning of the season and nothing has come of it yet. So, what does he do? He becomes a problem and causes drama because he wants out! He doesn't want to play in Oakland anymore. What does Oakland do? Nothing. They keep him there and let him become a problem and then fine him and suspend him.
Randy Moss will still play for this team, but they have got to involve him in the game more. Whoever is calling the plays should have three sets of plays.
1. Run plays for Lamont Jordan
2. Pass plays to Randy Moss
3. Run/pass plays to everyone else if need be
That is how they would win ball games, but unfortunately they aren't doing that at all so why should one of the best receivers in the game not be frustrated?
Here is what I think should happen and why.
First of all Randy Moss has been in the league for 9 years and Jerry Porter has been in the league for 7 years. That is a significant piece of their NFL career that they cannot get back and neither of them has won a championship and it doesn't look like the Raiders are going to make a run for the Super Bowl any time soon. If they are lucky they will have 5-6 more years left in the league and that is not a lot of time for an NFL player because they could suffer a career ending injury at any point in practice or in a game.
Oakland - TRADE JERRY PORTER AND TRADE RANDY MOSS.
They could absolutely get at the minimum a 1st round pick for both of those receivers and there are a lot of teams right now that could use a big play receiver (New England, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, San Diego, Kansas City, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tennesee, Jacksonville, Baltimore, etc). Out of those teams I mentioned 7 of them are serious playoff contenders and 4 of them are Super Bowl contenders.
The main reason I say trade them both is because you need team unity above all else. Losing game after game is hard enough on a team, but having two of your best players being disruptive and causing preventable drama just brings the team down even more (Look at Philly last year with TO). I am not saying that Porter or Moss are as bad as TO, he is on a level by himself, but I am saying that trading these two guys for two top picks in the draft or maybe another top guy that you can use to replace them is not a bad idea if it will help your stagnate team mesh better. Any team that gets to the playoffs and goes to the Super Bowl is a team that plays well together and has a bond and a unity that is unlike any other. That is when teams can start to really shine and that is what I think one of the biggest problems in Oakland is.
Get rid of Jerry Porter and then get rid of Randy Moss if he wants out. Something has to be done there and there are a lot of other teams out there who are just waiting for someone of their caliber.
posted by S. Paul Lukoskie at 9:43 PM
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