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Fresh off the press, NFL Insiders Ross Mandel and Ralph Mancini take a look at today's hot topics from around the league.
SEATTLE RB UPDATE
Coach Mike Holmgren says Julius Jones and Maurice Morris "will both play" this year, but he has to "kind of see how we are going to use (T.J.) Duckett. Fullback, halfback." Holmgren said of Duckett. "He has been a halfback but I would like him to move into fullback a little bit."
Mancini's Take: For all their talent at other positions, I don't think Seattle has properly addressed their shortcomings at running back. Jones and Morris should never be mistaken for feature runners. Jones, in particular, has much to prove. His last two years with the Cowboys saw him go down too easily at first contact. As far as Duckett goes, he will never truly blossom at running back or fullback until he avoids constantly getting nicked up.
Mandel's Take: Where's my man Leonard Weaver in all of this? I think the Seahawks are overestimating Jones's impact. I see both he and Morris as nice complementary backs, but not feature backs...adding them together doesn't make them #1 backs, it makes them two guys who will average a very boring 4 yards per carry. Duckett is insurance and a decent short-yardage option.
RHODES RETURNS TO COLTS
The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent running back Dominic Rhodes (Raiders) to a one-year, $605,000 contract.
Mancini's Take: Who says you can't go home again? Rhodes may be given a chance to overtake Kenton Keith who has fallen out of favor due to his latest offseason dalliance. Rhodes is a shifty runner with questionable durability.
Mandel's Take: OK. This isn't good for Kenton "I'm on the Colts" Keith, who might not be able to use his trademark excuse to law enforcement as the addition of Rhodes and the drafting of Mike Hart make him somewhat expendable.
HENRY OUT, ALEXANDER IN?
Bill Williamson, of ESPN.com, reports the Denver Broncos have shown interest in free-agent RB Shaun Alexander (Seahawks), which may lead to the team parting ways with RB Travis Henry. However, the team isn't focusing on Alexander at the moment.
Mancini's Take: Say what you will about Henry off the field, but the man is a forceful runner who's hard to stop once he gains a head of steam, which is more than I can say for Alexander who frequently shies away from contact. If Shanahan replaces Henry with Alexander, he should seriously have his head examined.
Mandel's Take: Is it possible that Denver would rather have Alexander than Travis Henry? If so, that makes zero sense to me. Neither of those backs has the potential of Selvin Young--who needs to get the lion's share regardless of which of these palookas is on the team--but I'd rather have Henry. At least he has some tread left on his tires.
OTAH DEALING WITH SORENESS
Panthers first-round pick Jeff Otah sat out the team's first minicamp, but will be ready for OTAs in June. Otah was resting a high ankle sprain he suffered his last year at Pitt.
Mancini's Take: If the rookie is still suffering from a high ankle sprain suffered last season, the team may have to evaluate if he's carrying too much weight. Then again, this is a high ankle sprain, and that's an injury that can take a while to heal.
Mandel's Take: There's no reason to rush Otah. The former Panther is going to be a (literally) big part of the Panthers' resurgence this season. They made some sacrifices to get Otah and need him to be 100% come game one.
TORONTO TICKETS ON SALE
Chris Brown, of BuffaloBills.com, reports Buffalo Bills Toronto Series organizers announced Wednesday, May 7, that the first group of tickets will be offered for sale during the week of May 19. Around 180,000 ticket requests have been registered for the Bills Toronto Series. Ticket prices will range in price from $55 to $295.
Mancini's Take: Word is our own Rosstradamus is one of those who've requested tickets for the Bills Toronto Series. Mandel has an affinity for all things Canadian, including the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays.
Mandel's Take: Are those prices American Dollars or Canadian? The average price for a Bills ticket in Ralph Wilson Stadium is just over $51, so this appears to be a major increase. I'm starting to think money may be a motivator for this....but the question remains: Will the Argos play in Buffalo? Stay tuned!
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