March 13
Boston Globe
columnist Christopher L. Gasper
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We're now a week into NFL free agency and the Patriots have been polishing up their return game. Their motto: No change is good. The status quo has elicited a lot of woe from Patriots fans and pigskin prognosticators who have been disappointed by the team's retention strategy following a 10-6 season and an ignominious first-round playoff defeat. The constant complaint as the Patriots have re-signed their own free agents -- nose tackle Vince Wilfork, cornerback Leigh Bodden, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, right guard Stephen Neal and running back Kevin Faulk -- without making a major addition from outside is that the Patriots haven't gotten any better. Well, they certainly haven't gotten any ..."
March 13
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
columnist Scott Brown
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Active players were represented at the two-day symposium called: "Is Football Bad for the Brain?", which concludes today at Duquesne University. But today's players have done much to advance concussion awareness during the past couple of years, a handful of experts said Friday. That players are more forthcoming than ever about brain injuries has helped change the culture that has long prevailed in football and aided experts as they tackle the issue of managing concussions. "We're much farther along than where we were five years ago," Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, who chairs the department of exercise and sports science at the University of North Carolina, said of players' attitudes toward ..."
March 13
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
columnist Rege Behe
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Art Rooney is remembered as the congenial owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His profile -- a thatch of white hair offset by thick eyeglasses, an ever-present cigar in his mouth -- is cherished by many sports fans. Lost in time is the image of Rooney in his youth: solidly built with whippet-like speed, a multi-sport athlete whose talents emerged at an early age. As a teenager in the late 1910s, Rooney was akin to Terrelle Pryor, the talented athlete from Jeannette High School who currently plays quarterback at Ohio State. When he was only 16, Rooney played for sandlot baseball teams against the Homestead Grays, the Kansas City Monarchs and the House of David. Rooney was one of the best ..."
March 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Dunta Robinson
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Every big-ticket free agent says he's happy to have signed with his new team, for good reason: He has just punched a very big ticket. But Dunta Robinson wasn't just happy Monday - he was ecstatic. The Falcons' new cornerback was introduced to the media and did something previously believed impossible: He out-gushed Arthur Blank. "This red and black - I can't believe I'm standing in front of it," Robinson said, gesturing to the Falcons-themed backdrop. Actually, Robinson wanted to play for two teams that wear red and black, but one turned him down. He longed to be a Bulldog, but the hometown school, which was nearing the end of Jim Donnan's regime, didn't want him. (Robinson wound up at ..."
March 9
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Matt Bowen
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Every year during free agency, we tend to see veteran QBs - players who haven't had a big impact on Sundays for a while - jump into the news. Names we haven't seen in the box scores for years draw interest, a market is created and multiple teams start to battle for their services. Take A.J. Feeley, for example -- a QB with starting experience, but a QB who hasn't contributed much in terms of wins for a while. On the first day of free agency, our own Aaron Wilson was on the trail of how Feeley ended up in St. Louis with a two-year deal. Today, the NFP's Joe Fortenbaugh wrote about Jeff Garcia and the interest shown by the N.Y. Giants, who just lost another QB name in David Carr. Two more ..."
March 8
Green Bay Press Gazette
columnist Mike Vandermause
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The Green Bay Packers addressed one critical need during the first weekend of NFL free agency, but remain desperate to fill another gaping hole. The Packers' re-signing of left tackle Chad Clifton was imperative to safeguard franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers and to avoid the disastrous pass protection problems that plagued them during the first half of last season. However, the loss of free agent Aaron Kampman to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while not a surprise, could be a serious blow to the Packers' hopes of generating a credible pass rush next season. Unless the Packers get linebacker Clay Matthews some help rushing the quarterback, they will be vulnerable to the kind of pass-happy ..."
March 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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The Falcons are holding Dunta Robinson's introductory press briefing today at 5 p.m. at the palatial Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation offices, and I'll be wandering over for the festivities. But first I want to think out loud. (Always dangerous, I'll grant you.) With Robinson signed and Brian Williams re-signed, the Falcons have their starting cornerbacks. Pretty much everyone had them ticketed to draft a cornerback in Round 1, but that thinking would seem to have been rendered inoperative. At issue now: Have the Falcons shored up their secondary - and thereby their defense - to the extent that they're free to draft an offensive player in Round 1 should someone of worth be available at ..."
March 8
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
columnist Greg Johns
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What exactly would the Seattle Seahawks be getting if they sign wide receiver Brandon Marshall or work a trade with the Denver Broncos to obtain the enigmatic star? Clearly they'd be landing a big-time wide receiver, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound athlete in his prime at 26 who has averaged 102 catches for 1,236 yards over the past three seasons. T.J. Houshmandzadeh calls Marshall the best receiver in the NFL, so it's fair to say he'd have his teammate's respect ... though it's equally fair to wonder if there's enough passes in a game to keep those two happy. But with Marshall, it's never just been about the football talent. He's been in trouble with the law since his days at Central Florida ..."