Reservation For Six

Coming in 2012

2011-11-27T14:23:00.001-05:00

Reservation For Six will rebrand in 2012 as RFS Pro Football. Reservation For Six has provided coverage of pro football for the past three years, and RFS Pro Football will continue that, and add a focus on the user experience.

You can e-mail me if you have any questions.

Connect with Reservation For Six on Facebook and Twitter

2011-11-27T14:19:00.001-05:00

In addition to following me on twitter (@bryanbrackney), you can now follow @RFSProFootball for news on our 2012 launch. The Reservation For Six facebook page will continue to be updated.

Patriots sign Shaun Ellis

2011-08-07T12:11:00.000-04:00

The New England Patriots have signed former New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis to a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Ellis, 34, has the versatility to play defensive end in a 3-4 and 4-3 scheme. He could also see time at defensive tackle in the 4-3 passing situations.

Ellis probably decided to leave New York because Jets head coach Rex Ryan already named rookie Muhammad Wilkerson the starting defensive end, which meant that Ellis would have been a backup. He will serve in a rotation in New England, and compete for a starting job. The Jets also only offered a one-year $910,000 contract.

Interestingly Ellis was the compensatory draft pick the Patriots had to give to the Jets in 2010 because defensive coordinator Bill Belichick left to become the Patriots head coach. The Jets hit the jackpot in that draft, selecting John Abraham, Chad Pennington, Ellis, Anthony Becht, and Laveranues Coles.

False Rumor: Terrell Owens signs with Colts

2011-08-06T22:46:00.001-04:00

D. Marie (@sportschickD), who apparently works for FOX, is reporting that the Indianapolis Colts have signed former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year contract. Yep, this one's out of left field.

I'm not getting too excited yet. Not until the news is confirmed by the industry's big guns. And if the report is false, sportschickD gets unfollowed. If the report is true, great job sportschickD. I'm a little suspicious because TO will miss most of the season with an injury he got in Cincinnati, so the timing of this report is off.

For now, just get your popcorn ready.

UPDATE: I spilled my popcorn and she got unfollowed.

HOLD UP ON THAT T.O. NEWS!!...my source is about to get a GIGANTIC swift kick to the balls!! #smdh sry tweeps!... #nfl #colts #FAmadnessless than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyD. Marie*
sportschickD

Redskins sign Keyaron Fox

2011-08-06T21:05:00.000-04:00

The Washington Redskins have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Keyaron Fox, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports.The move signals that the Redskins will not be going after former Seahawks middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

In addition the Redskins announced that they released inside linebacker Robert Henson, outside linebacker Kyle O'Donnell, and nose tackle Joe Joseph.

Fox served as the Steelers special teams captain last season. Fox's best season was in 2006 with the Chiefs, when he started four games and recorded 52 tackles. In 2009 he intercepted a pass and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown.

Raiders sign Derek Hagan

2011-08-06T20:22:00.000-04:00

For some reason the Oakland Raiders have really been stocking up on wide receivers. Earlier we learned that the Raiders had signed wide receivers Chad Jackson and Shawn Bayes. Now the team has announced that they have signed former New York Giants wide receiver Derek Hagan.

Hagan has primarily been a special teams contributor in the NFL, but the Giants injuries at wide receiver last season opened up four games for Hagan to start at his natural position. Like his new teammate Chad Jackson, Hagan was a big bust in the 2006 NFL Draft.

The Raiders also announced that they signed fullback Bryson Kelly. Kelly is an undrafted rookie out of Central Washington. Last year he ran for 246 yards and four touchdowns in a game, so he does offer some versitlity as a runner.

Raiders sign Chad Jackson

2011-08-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent wide receiver Chad Jackson, Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reports. Jackson signed with the Omaha Nighthawks this off-season, but he has managed to attract the attention of Raiders head coach Hue Jackson.

Jackson was drafted ahead of players in the 2006 NFL Draft like Greg Jennings, Jason Avant, Brandon Marshall, Domenik Hixon, Devin Aromashodu, Ben Obomanu, David Anderson, and Marques Colston. He is considered one of the worst picks of that draft.

The Raiders also signed wide receiver Shawn Bayes to a one-year contract after he had a tryout with the team today. The Raiders also offered Bayes a contract last season, but he chose to play under Chris Palmer with the UFL's Hartford Colonials. Bayes compares himself to Steve Smith, the Panthers version.

Jets sign Derrick Mason

2011-08-06T16:49:00.000-04:00

Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the New York Jets, Aaron Wilson of Scout.com report. Mason replaces Jerricho Cotchery, who was released by the Jets after he asked for a trade late last season. Both Cotchery and Mason played for the Titans with the late Steve McNair. The Titans and Ravens were also among the teams interested in Mason.

Wilson also reports that four teams are interested in Cotchery, including the Steelers and Ravens. Cotchery will meet with the Steelers and take a physical with them on Sunday. That's bad news for the Ravens, who badly need a wide receiver. If Cotchery joins the Steelers, the Ravens may be forced to re-sign T.J. Houshmanzadeh.If I had to take two other guesses, I'd say the Titans and Cowboys are also interested in Cotchery.

Mason, 37, should have a bigger fantasy impact and more snaps than his fellow Jet Plaxico Burress. That is, until Burress gets a feeling for things. The Jets and Ravens have both greatly worsened as far as their receiver situations go this off-season. Maybe the Ravens would consider bringing back Mark Clayton, who played well in St. Louis before he went down.

Chargers re-sign Malcolm Floyd

2011-08-05T15:26:00.000-04:00

The San Diego Chargershave re-signed wide receiver (and best available free agent) Malcolm Floyd to a two year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Adam Caplan reports that Floyd was interested in the Ravens, but not close to signing with them. Derrick Mason now must decide between returning to the Ravens, and heading to the Jets.

Other available receivers include Randy Moss, Jerricho Cotchery, Terrell Owens, Steve Smith, T.J. Houshmanzadeh, and Mark Clayton. The Jets, Ravens, and Cowboys are probably the most needy at wide receiver.

Moss will only sign with a team he really wants to sign with. Cotchery is looking for a big role, so the Ravens would be a good fit. Owens is injured and probably won't sign until late in the regular season. Steve Smith is also injured, but expected to re-sign with the Giants. T.J. Houshmanzadeh hasn't received much interest. Clayton has injury issues, but he would be a solid signing.

ESPN introduces the Total Quarterback Rating

2011-08-05T15:10:00.001-04:00

Today ESPN releases the total quarterback rating. The move is pretty risky, because ESPN spent a lot of time and money on the project, and it might just be for nothing. How likely is it that the Total Quarterback Rating isn't seen on Topps football cards? Pretty unlikely. I wouldn't be surprised if most NFL fans will forget about this in a couple weeks. Unless ESPN forces it down our throats, and doesn't give the old quarterback ratings any mentions on their website. ESPN explains the stat here. Below is the 2010 results of the QBR.

Rank	Season	QB	Team	Action Plays	QBR
1	2010	Tom Brady	NE	607	76.0
2	2010	Peyton Manning	IND	779	69.5
3	2010	Matt Ryan	ATL	709	68.6
4	2010	Aaron Rodgers	GB	627	67.9
5	2010	Michael Vick	PHI	547	66.6
6	2010	Drew Brees	NO	760	65.9
7	2010	Eli Manning	NYG	654	64.3
8	2010	Josh Freeman	TB	626	63.5
9	2010	Philip Rivers	SD	667	63.2
10	2010	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	500	59.8
11	2010	Tony Romo	DAL	251	58.1
12	2010	Joe Flacco	BAL	647	58.1
13	2010	Matt Schaub	HOU	678	57.8
14	2010	David Garrard	JAC	510	57.3
15	2010	Kerry Collins	TEN	342	56.0
16	2010	Matt Cassel	KC	566	51.2
17	2010	Ryan Fitzpatrick	BUF	551	48.7
18	2010	Mark Sanchez	NYJ	619	47.4
19	2010	Carson Palmer	CIN	720	46.7
20	2010	Colt McCoy	CLE	290	46.6
21	2010	Kyle Orton	DEN	612	46.6
22	2010	Jon Kitna	DAL	409	46.1
23	2010	Shaun Hill	DET	499	44.8
24	2010	Jason Campbell	OAK	479	43.8
25	2010	Jay Cutler	CHI	596	42.6
26	2010	Matt Hasselbeck	SEA	547	42.4
27	2010	Chad Henne	MIA	604	41.4
28	2010	Donovan McNabb	WAS	596	41.0
29	2010	Sam Bradford	STL	732	41.0
30	2010	Alex Smith	SF	426	40.0
31	2010	Derek Anderson	ARI	387	35.9
32	2010	Brett Favre	MIN	459	25.8
33	2010	Jimmy Clausen	CAR	397	11.7

Bo Scaife signs with Bengals

2011-08-05T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Bengals have announced that they have signed free agent tight end Bo Scaife, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Inquirer reports. The Bengals also waived center Ryan McKnight.

Pro Football Focus ranked Scaife the 59th tight end out of 63 tight ends who played in at least 25% of their teams' snaps. He caught about 75% of the passes thrown his way in 2010, which is pretty good for a tight end.

Scaife will replace Reggie Kelly as Jermaine Gresham's backup. Kelly is an unrestricted free agent,a nd he has not received a lot of attention. He is a pretty good blocker, but not a great pass catcher.

Saints sign Olin Kreutz

2011-08-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

The New Orleans Saints have signed former Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz to a one year, $2 million contract. That was the same deal that Kreutz was offered by the Bears, but he was looking for $2.5 million. Kreutz will also have escalators that can increase his salary by $2 million.

The Saints lost center Jonathan Goodwin to the 49ers, who lost their center David Baas to the Giants. The Giants released their center, Shaun O'Hara. The Bears replace Kreutz with former Seahawks center Chris Spencer.

Matt Tennant was taking the starting center reps in training camp, but he will be pushed back to a reserve role. Tennant played only 14 snaps at center last season, which isn't enough to determine if he's a quality player.

Patriots sign Mark Anderson

2011-08-05T12:36:00.000-04:00

The New England Patriots have announced that they have signed former Houston Texans and Chicago Bears defensive end Mark Anderson. The Patriots also released former LSU defensive tackle Marlon Favorite.

Anderson (6-4, 255) has never played in a 3-4 scheme before, and he probably wouldn't be a great fit there. This move just adds to the speculation that the Patriots will run a 4-3 scheme in 2011.

Anderson is strictly a pass rusher, and he really struggles to stop the run. He will probably only hit the field on third downs and passing situations.

Here's what the Patriots 4-3 scheme could look like:

LE - Jermaine Cunningham - Mark Anderson
NT - Vince Wilfork - Ron Brace
DT - Albert Haynesworth - Mike Wright - Brandon Deaderick - Myron Pryor -
RE - Rob Ninkovich - Eric Moore
SLB - Brandon Spikes - Marques Murrell
MLB - Jerod Mayo
WLB - Gary Guyton

Here's what the Patriots 3-4 scheme could look like:

LE - Ron Brace - Mike Wright
NT - Vince Wilfork - Ron Brace
RE - Albert Haynesworth - Myron Pryor
LOLB - Jermaine Cunningham - Mark Anderson - Marques Murrell
LILB - Brandon Spikes - Dane Fletcher
RILB - Jerod Mayo - Gary Guyton
ROLB - Rob Ninkovich - Eric Moore

If you ask me, I think the Patriots look better in a 3-4. They just don't have enough speed at linebacker (other than Guyton) yet to play 4-3. Brandon Spikes is not going to be a good outside linebacker in that scheme. They would also need to get some better 4-3 defensive ends.

Kevin Boss signs with the Raiders

2011-08-05T11:42:00.000-04:00

The Oakland Raiders have signed former New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss to a four year, $16 million contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. That's a good deal for a proven tight end who will start right away in Oakland.

The Raiders lost tight end Zach Miller to the Seahawks, who signed him to a five year, $34 million deal with $17 million guaranteed. The Raiders are already in some serious money problems, so re-signing Miller was out of the picture.

Brandon Myers has been taking the starting reps at tight end for the Raiders, and Richard Gordon has also taken snaps. Converted rookie wide receiver David Ausberry could also be a factor on passing downs. Boss' fantasy value takes a big increase because the Raiders seem to target tight ends.

PFT releases salary cap figures

2011-08-04T17:33:00.000-04:00

ProFootballTalk of NBCSports has released the salary cap numbers of all 32 NFL teams as of Thursday afternoon. Here is what Florio came up with:

Buccaneers ($ 29,560,000)
Chiefs ($ 28,431,000)
Jaguars ($ 28,000,000)
Browns ($ 27,620,000)
Bengals ($ 27,164,000)
Broncos ($26,542,000)
Bills ($ 23,460,000)
49ers ($ 22,570,000)
Bears ($ 19,300,000)
Seahawks ($ 16,387,000)
Cardinals ($ 14,603,000)
Redskins ($ 11,450,000)
Packers ($ 11,106,000)
Jets ($ 8,920,000)
Dolphins ($ 8,446,000)
Colts ($7,925,000)
Titans ($ 7,127,000)
Saints ($ 7,027,000)
Patriots ($ 5,264,000)
Chargers ($ 5,031,000)
Eagles ($4,604,000)
Ravens ($ 3,558,000)
Panthers ($ 1,915,000)
Vikings ($ 938,000)
Falcons ($811,000)
Giants ($623,000)
Rams ($621,000)
Texans (Above $3,358,000)
Cowboys (Above $6,671,000)
Lions (Above $7,793,000)
Steelers (Above $8,597,000)
Raiders (Above $15,246,000)

The Cowboys may try to get under the cap by letting go of Terrence Newman, and replacing him with Alan Ball, who will move back to cornerback. It will be hard for the Raiders to make it under, but I think all of these teams will find a way to decrease the deficit.

Rapid Twitter Reaction: The CBA has been signed!

2011-08-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

Here are some selected tweets from my Twitter timeline:

Rick Spielman gives the signal. Cheers go up. Players called into drills. We have football. #Vikings

Still no official verification by NFLPA of HGH blood-testing, although sources say it's in the deal and hope is to begin season's 1st week.

Gate at Lions practice opened and their 25 guys who couldn't practice came running out to one player yelling, "We're free! We're free!"

Vets are so amped about playing today, it's awesome. Bob Sanders might run through a brick wall. He might also break his neck trying.

Chargers sign Laurent Robinson

2011-08-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

Former St. Louis Rams wide receiver Laurent Robinson is tweeting that he has signed with the San Diego Chargers.

Robinson joins on on the battle for the second receiver spot opposite Vincent Jackson between Patrick Crayton, Seyi Ajirotutu, and Vincent Brown.

Pro Football Focus ranked Laurent Robinson the fourth worst wide receiver in the NFL (out of 110) that played over 293 snaps in 2010. Robinson only caught 49.3% of the passes thrown his way, which was ranked 100 out of 110. He also only averaged 10.4 yards per catch, which was 96th best.

The Chargers will lose Legedu Naanae and Malcolm Floyd this off-season, and Vincent Jackson is only signed to a one-year deal.

Eagles add two more defensive linemen

2011-08-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

The Eagles improved their depth on the interior defensive line today by signing defensive tackles Anthony Hargrove and Derek Landri. The Eagles only had two defensive tackles at practice today, but these signings should be allowed to start practicing tomorrow because Thursday is the first day of the league year.

Hargrove can also play defensive end, but he beefed up and is in better condition to play defensive tackle. Hargrove recorded one one sack in 14 games in 2010, but he recorded five sacks in 16 games last season. He will be a solid passing downs rotation guy for the Eagles.

Landri started 16 games with the Panthers last year and recorded 43 tackles and 3 sacks, and he will also enter the Eagles defensive tackle rotation. Like Hargrove, Landri is also a tweener, but he would have trouble playing defensive end.

Jaws, Ditka, and Irvin start football league in India

2011-08-03T15:43:00.000-04:00

Three ESPN employees and a Green Bay Packers linebacker will head a new pro football league, the Elite Football League of India. The catch: The league is based in India (duh). Rom Jawarski, Michael Irvin, and Mike Ditka are the backers of the new league to be announced on Friday. Brandon Chillar, the Packers player of Indian descent, will also be a backer.

The league has top rugby coaches involved in training rugby players, so the league will likely have a different style than American Football in the United States. Canadian Football also started this way. Government agencies have also backed the league.

Games will start in November 2012, and Ten Sport has struck a deal to televise them.

Willie Parker headed to the UFL

2011-08-03T15:32:00.000-04:00

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker has decided that he will join the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League in 2011. Parker was on the Redskins off season roster in 2010, but he did not make the final cut.

Parker did not play last season, but he remained open to returning to football, which is why former San Diego Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer added him to the reserved/unsigned list.

The Destroyers have Jesse Chatman, Maurice Hicks, Adrian Peterson, Clifton Smith, and Wynel Seldon at running back.

I just wanted to personally thank everyone for their love and support. It means a lot to me...I'm sure you have been wondering what has been going on...My path right now has led me to take my talents to the UFL and ball out. I will get back... I look forward to proving that I can still play this game at a high level. Thanks again for your love and support. Follow me!!! MUCH love!!!

Parker ran for over 1,000 yards in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons.

Bengals sign Manny Lawson

2011-08-02T14:28:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed outside linebacker Manny Lawson to a one year, $3 million contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Lawson will replace Rey Maualuga at strongside linebacker because Maualuga is replacing Dhani Jones at mike linebacker.

Thomas Howard could replace Lawson on passing downs, where Lawson could move to defensive end. Lawson played a 3-4 scheme in San Francisco, but he was surprisingly solid in pass coverage. Lawson recorded less sacks than most 3-4 outside linebackers do.

The Bengals are also reportedly interested in linebacker Marvin Mitchell, who is solid against the run.

Colts sign Ernie Sims

2011-08-02T14:26:00.000-04:00

The Indianapolis Colts have signed former Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Ernie Sims to a one-year deal, his agent, Todd France, told ESPN. Sims will be a good fit for the Colts, and he will compete with Kavell Conner to start opposite Pat Angerer, who could be moved to the strong side.

The Colts lost strong side linebacker Clint Session to Jacksonville, but Sims would not be a very good fit on the strong side, and he isn't as solid in run support as Conner. He probably will have a big role in the nickel and passing situations.

The Colts also announced that they signed defensive lineman Jamaal Anderson and waived linebacker Darry Beckwith. Anderson is probably a better fit a defensive tackle on passing downs, and defensive end on very obvious rushing downs.

Casey Rabach signs with the Ravens

2011-08-02T14:25:00.000-04:00

The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Washington Redskins center Casey Rabach to provide depth and insurance behind staring center Matt Birk, Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reports.The deal is two years long, but the terms have not been announced.

Birk is due $3 million in 2011 and he has had some knee issues, and he may even decide to retire. Rabach also really helps the Ravens interior offensive line depth that lost Chris Chester.

Rabach was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and he spent four seasons with the Ravens, becoming a full time starter in 2004. He spent the past six seasons with the Redskins, missing only one game.

Bears sign Chris Spencer, end Olin Kreutz era

2011-07-31T16:23:00.000-04:00

The Chicago Bears announced that they are moving on from unrestricted free agent center Olin Kreutz and that they have signed former Seahawks center Chris Spencer. The Bears reportedly offered Kreutz a one-year, $4 million deal, but he was looking for an extra $500,000.

Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith set last night as the deadline for Kreutz to re-sign, but he chose to leave. Spencer was reportedly signed to a two year deal. Spencer was not re-signed by the Seahawks because they have decided to give third year player Max Unger a chance at center.

ProFootballFocus ranked Chris Spencer the 28th best center in the NFL last year, and Olin Kreutz was ranked the 33rd best. Kreutz was ranked 8th in pass blocking, while Spencer was ranked 24th. Spencer was ranked 29th in run blocking, while Spencer was ranked 32nd.

David Carr heading back to the Giants

2011-07-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

Former face of the Houston Texans franchise and number one overall draft pick David Carr is heading to New York to play for the Giants, according to a tweet he sent out. Carr will join former LSU player Ryan Perrilloux and Sage Rosenfels as Eli Manning's backups.

NY, round 2, can't wait to get back, Great Staff, Great Players, Best Fans in the game...and what an amazing city. 2much 2 pass upless than a minute ago via Twitter for Android Favorite Retweet ReplyDavid Carr
DCarr8

Arguably Carr's best season was in 2008 with the Giants, when he threw for two touchdowns and zero interceptions serving as Eli Manning's backup.

Carr is no lock to make the roster, especially if the Giants like what they see in the physically talented Ryan Perrilloux.