The Offseason

So the time is nearly upon us.  Now we are just 3 weeks away from the first live action of the year - the 'Hall of Fame Game' pre season opener between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys.  How exciting is that??  So as I haven't been in touch for a while, I'm going to go over a few of the major talking points from the off season.  So here goes :

Farve watch 2010.

I know this is going to sound a bit like a flash back to previous years, but yes once again, Brett Farve is still unsure whether he will play for another year.  After finally deciding to play for the Vikings last year Brett had an amazing year, throwing for 33 TD's and over 4,200 yards, helping the Vikings to the NFC Championship game. The Vikings have managed to keep the majority of that roster together this year, and if Farve returns, look set to have another run at a championship.  So why the big decision for the 40 year old QB?  Well the problem again is health.  This time, its not his shoulder, its his ankle.  He underwent surgery on that ankle in the offseason, and if he does decide to come back this year, it will probably be sometime in the midde of training camp.  That would be a problem for most players, but not Brett.  As we've seen over the last few seasons, he can come in whenever he wants, and still have an amazing year.  The major problem for Brett is his pride.  If he doesn't feel that he can give it 110%, as he has done throughout his whole career, he won't return.  He doesn't want to be a back up, and he doesn't want to let his team down.  He will only return if he is healthy enough mentally, and physically.  So, I can hear you worried Viking fans asking, 'Will he return for 2010?' my answer to you - of course he will!  And in my opinion, he will be as good as ever.  Look for the Vikings to go deep into the playoffs once again.

Chris Johnson's potential holdout

How does the situation arise where the NFL's leading rusher from a year ago, is unhappy, and talking about not turning up to training camp?  Well the reason for this is that the leading rusher last year is only due for a $550,000 salary this year, and its fair to say he isn't happy about it.  Here are the two sides of the story.  For the titans, they selected Johnson number 24th overall 2 years ago, and signed him to a $12 million, 5 year deal.  This deal obviously has 3 years left to run, and as far as the Titans are concerned, thats that.  They understand that RB is a very physical position in the NFL, and that players of that position usually have a short playing career, due to the hits they receive.  Add to that, the fact that Johnson is only around 200lbs, and you can see why the Titans are reluctant to pay big money to Johnson before he is due.  On the flip side though, Johnson is an incredible player.  Last year, he was the Titans offence.  This year, when he finally comes in, there is no doubt he will be again.  His big play ability is vital to open up teams, allowing QB Vince Young to take advantage.  Johnson knows the Titans need him, so he is prepared to holdout until they pay him.  So how will this situation play out?  Well the only option that seems likely is if the 2 sides are able to come up with some sort of bonus scheme, that will help push up his base salary.  Its seems that the Titans and Johnson's agent are beginning talks along these lines, but this is a 'watch this space' situation.  I believe a deal will be struck, and Johnson will be in come the start of training camp.  As soon as any more info is avaliable, be sure that nflgbview will report it.

The unsigned star free agents

There's no doubt where the starting point is here.  RB Brian Westbrook and WR Terrell Owens are still unsigned to a team for the upcoming season.  Why is this??  Well to be honest the story is completely different for the two players.  For Westbrook the problems are medical.  Westbrook has received multiple concussion injuries throughout his career.  The word is that he may well be one big hit away from a career ending injury.  Obviously this is a huge concern for any team that would look to bring him in.  This is a sad situation for the 2 time pro bowler Westbrook.  He is undoubtedly still a huge talent and could be a huge impact player at any team he went to.  Owens on the other hand has 'character issues'.  Over the years T.O has been perceived as a problem in the dressing room.  He had many public problems with Donovan McNaab during his time in Philadelphia, and also was seen as the problem in Dallas.  I personally don't see things this way and believe that T.O would be a huge catch for a team that needs a stud WR.  The only problem with T.O is that he is getting up in years, but the way he looks after his body, he will be fine for a couple more years yet.  I believe that both these players will end up on teams before the regular season.  It may take injuries to certain players before thay get picked up, but I would be shocked if these two players weren't involved come week one. 

So these are the major talking points of the off season so far,  but don't worry, you won't miss anything else through training camp and into the new season.  nflgbview will keep you updated on all the latest news via this blog, twitter - https://twitter.com/nflgbview and facebook - http://tinyurl.com/yaxmcsq.  If you have any points to raise, or NFL related questions please get in touch - nflgbview@googlemail.com.