Speaking Of Tribe Injury News…..
March 4, 2009NFL Free Agency Rumors: Browns and Edgerrin James?
March 5, 2009While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar. This is your substitute teacher edition. Scott is on assignment in Chanhassen Minnesota. (I made that up.)
The fears of losing Kellen Winslow are officially put to rest. The Browns got their man yesterday when Robert Royal agreed to terms with the Browns to play tight end. I know this doesn’t seem exciting, but given the cap situation with the Browns, we can expect a lot more of these types of “depth” signings. [The OBR]
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“For that reason, it’s hard to imagine a trade deadline day going much better for the Jackets. Any fan can indulge in the drunken fantasies that sometimes seem to fuel talk radio, the why-don’t-we-trade-(insert your favorite three journeymen here)-for-Evgeni-Malkin deals. But this was a solid, real-world deal by a guy who has his feet planted firmly on it, an improve-the-team deal by an intelligent, analytical general manager whose two-year track record has been pretty good.” [Columbus Dispatch]
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So the Browns won’t be signing CB Jabari Greer, I guess. [FoxSports]
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The Cavaliers clinched a playoff spot yesterday. With 22 games remaining. That is completely and totally amazing. It is nice to play in the East, I guess. Oh yeah, and Boston clinched yesterday too with a win over the Nets. It doesn’t matter much. The battle for the #1 seed continues on Friday against Boston. Joe Smith will be there. [PD]
11 Comments
check the OBR link
I always hear the “East is an easier conference” getting thrown around so I looked into the records of the conferences and came up with a different perspective. The east is more balanced in the middle, the east has 3 clearly dominant teams while the west only has 1, so east teams are going to rack up more losses since they play those 3 powerhouses more than the western teams. Additionally over in the west they have 4 out of the 5 worst records in the league right now, the difference between 9th and 10th place is huge, you don’t see that in the east where there are probably 3 or 4 teams that are still hoping for a low playoff seed.
So essentially the eastern teams in the middle of the conference have to take more losses because of the 3 dominant teams while the middle teams in the west pad their records with 6 of the 7 worst teams in the league, so yea it makes the west records look good, but those mid level teams in the west clearly have it easier than mid level teams in the east.
Sorry for the rant I had a long discussion with someone about this yesterday, and then saw the comment about how nice it is to play in the east and decided to vent a bit.
OBR link is fixed…
its 6 of the 7 worst teams, not 4 of 5, I worded it wrong in the first paragraph.
Actually every team from 10-15 of the west all have worse records than every team in the east except the 15th
this robert royal signing is garbage. He isnt good, and shouldn’t be playing over heiden at least.
why did we garauntee some random schmuk 3mill when we drafted rucker? Kid was a stud at mizzo and could be good in the NFL!
Hoy,
Until last year the East was clearly inferior. The teams are getting a little older, and some talent moved to the East changing the spectrum.
It is nice having stats to drop some knowledge on those mid-Ohioans in a drunken counter-rant.
It’s going to be lonely playoff run this year.
Royal actually is pretty good, he had some good games last year but didn’t really have a QB that would throw him the ball. He is no Winslow but that goes without saying. Rucker might still beat him out, Royal is not exactly guaranteed a starting job. and is 3 mill a lot for a free agent (in relative terms)? i never thought it was but I might be wrong
I have a friend who is a huge Bills fan, and from him I heard celebrating when Royal left the Bills. He is not that good of a blocker, and has Braylon Edwards like hands. Apparently on more then one occasion Royal would make a catch, then a “football move” then fumble without being touched.
Also found this on a jets blog (pertaining to them potentially signing Royal):
“I knew it was a thin TE class, but damn. I didn’t have really high impressions of Robert Royal, but a quick look to my 2008 Pro Football Prospectus has this to say about Royal:
One of the worst starters in the NFL at any position. Royal has hands like patio blocks, fumbles too many of the passes he does catch, and gets flagged too often to justify his rep as a blocking tight end.
http://www.thejetsblog.com/2009/02/28/jets-interested-in-robert-royal-please-no/
thats a link to the article… the comments are good too.
the east is still not as good as the west, but they have closed the gap from what it was a few years ago.
laker fans will still try and tell you otherwise. every one of their arguments ends with “yeah but it’s the east”
although now it’s with, “oh but we went 4-0 against the celts and cavs” as if that will hold any meaning come playoff time.
the east has 2 legitimate title contenders. the west has 2 legitimate title contenders.
yes, i’m not sold on the magic, and yes i believe (if healthy) san antonio could easily knock off the lakers.
the whole east/west thing doesn’t matter, the cavs have owned the west this year, 2 losses to the lakers, 1 to houston, one to new orleans. that’s it.