Coach's Corner: GM Mike Reardon on the Inferno Draft

Upon reflecting on the recently completed NFFL rookie draft, Boston Inferno GM Michael Reardon refused to acknowledge that there was any set “game plan” in place.

“We will simply tried to do what we always do – find value,” said Reardon late Friday night, “whether that meant trading down, trading up, getting picks in ‘08 or spending picks from ‘08, we will simply wanted to value and to improve this team both in the short and long term.”

While Reardon would not elaborate further than that on an overall approach to the draft, he was willing to discuss Boston’s approach with respect to the 2nd overall pick. “Yeah, we were going to take Adrian Peterson or Calvin Johnson – whichever one was there,” admitted Reardon. When asked if Boston had entertained any offers from NFFL teams trying to acquire the pick, Reardon said: “Honestly, we didn’t receive many serious offers; I think most teams knew that we were pretty happy where we were.”

Reardon selected Calvin Johnson with the 2nd overall pick after Adrian Peterson was sent to Halifax to play for a division rival. “It’ll be fun watching games with these two guys playing against each other – they’re both very special talents.”

While Reardon would not expand on Johnson’s role in the 2007 season, it is expected by most that Johnson will spend most of the season on the sidelines behind veterans Terrell Owens, Lee Evans, Roy Williams, and Antonio Gates. Rookie wide receivers can take some time to develop, even elite talents like Johnson.

Boston’s next pick was at 2.04, and Reardon made running back Lorenzo Booker the 20th overall pick in the draft. “We were looking at a couple guys at that pick, but realistically we were hoping to land one of Kenny Irons, Paul Posluszny, or Lorenzo Booker. Poz went at 17, and Kenny was gone at 19, so we were very happy that one of them fell to us.”

Booker will also spend most of his rookie season watching instead of playing, although could be one Ronnie Brown injury from being a major player in 2007. He’ll provide nice depth and youth behind Willis McGahee, Laurence Maroney, Jerious Norwood, and Sammy Morris.

Four picks later at 24th overall, Reardon selected John Beck, a quarterback drafted to the Miami Dolphins. “I wouldn’t say that quarterback is a position of need, but John was the best player available on our board at this point, and we can always use talented depth at every position. We considered moving down from this pick, but we thought that John represented one of the last players remaining in a certain tier, and that soon there would be a drop-off in value. So, we went ahead and took him. Another guy we had our eye on was Jon Beason, but he went two picks earlier.”

Beck will compete with Kellen Clemens in camp for backup duties behind Peyton Manning. Latest reports out of Miami have suggested that Daunte Culpepper could be released from the Dolphins, and that Beck could start as early as this season. This would make him the only starting quarterback on the Inferno roster other than Peyton Manning.

“After the pick at 2.08, we were out of draft picks. We had some picks in 2008 that we thought we could afford moving, so we decided to just sit back and see if anyone we liked fell too far. When Kevin Kolb fell out of the second round, we thought it was worth it to go in and get him,” said Reardon.

Kevin Kolb is a rookie quarterback drafted to the Philadelphia Eagles and will serve as Donovan McNabb’s immediate backup.

“Kevin was someone we actually considered when we took John – one of those guys in that last tier I was talking about. We were surprised to see him fall so low considering his talent and the great situation he ended up in, and we were glad to send the 2nd round pick in 2008 to Carson City for the chance to grab Kevin,” reported Reardon. “We view him as the heir apparent in Philadelphia long-term, and a very valuable backup quarterback in the short-term considering McNabb’s trouble staying healthy in recent years.”

It was not the last time that Boston traded back into the draft, and they did it again in the 4th round to grab Paul Williams at the 54th overall pick. Williams is a wide receiver on the Tennessee Titans, and a player that Reardon has had his eye on all through the draft process.

“Paul is an extremely gifted player, an excellent athlete. He’s hade a lot of trouble in his personal life, including the deaths of his parents and his brother. He’s also wrestled with depression in the past,” said Reardon of Williams. “Because of that and because of him getting banged up his senior year, Paul was really off the map for a lot of teams. Even with those issues, the Titans selected him in the 3rd round of the NFL draft, and we agree with their implied assertion that this kid has a lot of upside. We think that bringing him into this kind of situation where we don’t need him to produce immediately will do nothing but help him get it together as a player so he can help us as a team down the road.”

Anthony Waters was the final Boston selection of the draft, being taken at 5.07. “Anthony will be competing for a roster spot for us – he’s had some injury issues to overcome recently, but he just might be the guy that takes Donnie Edwards’ place in San Diego. We’ll have to see how the summer goes in that respect.”

Off-Season Rumor Mill: Leinart Wants Out

Last season, GM Michael Reardon and the rest of the Inferno organization was ecstatic that USC quarterback Matt Leinart fell to the 9th pick in the NFFL rookie draft. A projected top 5 pick by most internal mock drafts, Leinart would be a long-term insurance policy for franchise quarterback Peyton Manning. For all of the other holes on the team roster, quarterback would be the one position that was locked up and set for the next 5 years.

Or so they thought.

Leinart met, and perhaps exceeded, expectations his rookie season, taking over the starting job in Arizona much quicker than projected. Playing with the youngest and most explosive WR duo in the NFL with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, Leinart put up impressive numbers in his abbreviated rookie campaign, and with a new coaching staff and offensive line coach in Arizona, looks poised to build on his first year and rise to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFFL.

Just one problem: in the path of his ascension lies the undisputed # 1 quarterback in the league and Boston poster boy, Peyton Manning. Now, after a year of growing under Manning’s tutelage, Leinart is feeling the frustration of being in a situation that cannot be improved. Leinart has been told that, at least for now, he is not in competition for the starting Boston quarterback position. He has been advised, by Reardon and others, to take advantage of this opportunity to learn from the best, and been promised that his time will come.

Sources close to Leinart say that he believes that his time is now – he has asked Reardon to explore trade possibilities that would bring him to a situation in which he can compete for the starting job. So far, the request has been civil and professional, however sources indicate that it will not remain so if Leinart is not moved before the start of the season.

Reardon, one of the more stubborn GM’s in the NFFL, just recently swallowed his pride and cut ties with Randy Moss after he basically threw last season to get out of Boston. Still, even with that decision, Reardon and the team felt like they got decent value for Moss; something many analysts said would be impossible after his dismal 2006 campaign.

Reardon has reportedly put out feelers to some teams around the league, but has not met any offers that are to his liking. Sources from other teams have indicated that Reardon actually has no intention of trading Leinart, and is merely shopping him so that he can go to Leinart and his agent and say that he tried to fulfill his wishes. Reardon is reportedly looking for an alternative backup quarterback and premiere defensive talent and/or a king’s ransom of draft picks in any deal involving Leinart.

The two sides, while currently remaining affable, are headed for a major impasse. If the rookie draft comes and goes without a Leinart deal, talks of a holdout will not be too far off in the horizon.

Boston Inks Farrior – Bulks up LB Core

Boston signed its first big free agent of the off-season on Tuesday, coming to terms with restricted free agent linebacker James Farrior of the Cleveland Rocks. The deal is reportedly worth $7.5 million over the next three years, and Boston had to give up a 2nd round draft pick to Cleveland for the rights to sign Farrior.

Farrrior was the third linebacker pursued by GM Michael Reardon this off-season, making bids on both Shawn Merrimen and Brandon Moore. However, when the bidding became too high on both of those players, Reardon approached Farrior’s agent about a possible contract with the Inferno. Carson City was another serious suitor for Farrio’s services, but ultimately Boston made the most lucrative contract offer and got the deal completed.

Farrior will bring stability and depth to the Boston linebackers, a group that is expected to see a high amount of turnover this off-season. Last season, Gerald Hayes emerged to start next to Brian Urlacher, but he is currently a restricted free agent. No word on whether or not Hayes will be offered a contract by another team, but if he isn’t, Boston will re-sign him and start him along with Urlacher and Farrior.

Moving forward, three other linebackers on the Boston roster will be evaluated and possibly moved or cut. Michael Boley, Dan Morgan, and Kawika Mitchell are all in danger of losing their roster spots. Reardon also went out and signed unrestricted free agent Freddie Keiaho, and he is expected to remain with the squad for at least the 2007 season.

Boston 2007 Off-season Spotlight: The Backfield

This is a position of extreme inexperience and youth for the Inferno. Willis McGahee is the most veteran player on the team, and he will, without question, be back with the team and remain the best option the Inferno has at the position. The team has high hopes for Laurence Maroney next season, and they hope that he can step in and be a consistent number two. Maroney showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie campaign and is extremely talented.

Jerious Norwood is more of a project at this point, but he is still third on the depth chart at this point. Eventually, the Boston front office sees Norwood as an every week starter – Norwood just has to continue to develop and wait out incumbent starting running back Warrick Dunn. Norwood has also shown explosiveness, putting up a couple of 100 yard games despite having only partial duty in Atlanta. The head coaching change in Atlanta could also have a big affect on how much Norwood plays.

The only other running backs on the roster right now for the Inferno are Noah Herron and Cedric Cobbs. Neither are guaranteed roster spots in the upcoming season. Cobbs turned out to be a disappointing flier, and Herron looks like he has secured a 3rd down role in Green Bay, but will not be a consistent contributor to the Inferno unless there is an injury in the Packers backfield.

Rueben Droughns’ days as an Inferno are most likely over, as he will enter RFA without a new contract with Boston. While he is expected to attract some interest, Reardon is reportedly not interested in matching any substantial offers for him. If there are no bids, Droughns would cost around $3.4 million for the Inferno to keep; a number that has no chance of being matched.

Ending:

The Boston backfield is one of the youngest groups in the league, and has a very high ceiling. Whether or not that is good enough for Reardon is yet to be determined – rumors are that Reardon could explore the possibility of bringing in a veteran RB via trade this off-season. There will be no RB’s of value available in RFA this season; ironically, Droughns might be the most valuable player out there.

Also, with the third overall pick in the upcoming rookie draft, Reardon could consider bringing in yet another young runner, Marshawn Lynch, who projects to be available at that pick. Lynch might have trouble finding playing time at first, but his arrival would almost definitely mean that one of the other running backs will get moved in a trade; all of them have substantial value given their age and talent level.

Ultimately, Reardon’s estimation of Maroney’s development would be the deal-breaker. If Corey Dillon leaves New England and Maroney looks to be the sole ball carrier with the Patriots, Reardon may decide that the backfield is just fine, and go in another direction in the draft and in free agency.

Boston Inferno 2007 Off-season Spotlight: Randy Moss

Randy Moss.

It’s well known around the league that Inferno GM Michael Reardon made a number of blockbuster trades immediately when he took over the franchise last season. The majority of these trades worked out extremely well and were the building blocks for the regular season – Brian Urlacher, Antonio Gates, Peyton Manning, Ronde Barber, Jared Allen, Roy Williams, and Mark Clayton were all brought in via trades during the off-season. To put that list into perspective, the first five players there were all NFFL Pro Bowl players.

Unfortunately, another marquis name was brought to Boston via a blockbuster trade – Randy Moss. It is beyond the capabilities of this writer to find the words that aptly describe what a huge and utter bust Randy Moss has been. Perhaps I could start by looking at what Boston gave up to acquire the talented WR. To acquire Moss, Reardon sent Braylon Edwards, Troy Polomalu, the RFA rights to Joey Galloway, and a 1st round pick to Chicago. Boston also received Najeh Davenport and Dunte Robinson in the deal – Robinson started for Boston, and Davenport is no longer with the team. The first round pick traded to Chicago was used to draft Vince Young.

Worst. Deal. Ever.

Now, a year later, Moss is one of Boston’s biggest off-season question marks. Set to make around $3.1 million for 2007, Moss is not just a bust, but an expensive bust. While there would probably be a team in the NFFL willing to roll the dice on Moss given his talent, it’s certain that that team would not give up much value to do so. Moving Moss’ contract and bad locker room presence would be the main benefit that Boston would receive. In a team that will be right up against the budget limits next season, one would think that that would be enough.

However, sources close to Reardon say that he is determined to keep Moss on the Boston roster. Reardon knows that Moss wants to be traded to another team, and he believes that it sends the wrong message to reward a clubhouse cancer for giving up on a season to get what he wants. As such, Moss will be paid his $3.1 million and, unless another NFFL owner makes an offer that would have to be above what Moss’s current market value truly is, he’ll do so while sitting on the Inferno bench.

Some are criticizing this move by Reardon, characterizing it as egotistical at best and extremely foolish at worst. But. Reardon believes he is acting in his team’s best interest, and is reportedly extremely determined to keep Moss on the bench, as miserable as possible.

The remaining players at the Inferno WR/TE position produced enough to relegate the struggling Moss to the bench. Roy Williams had a superstar year, and is one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs of the season. Antonio Gates started slow, but returned to top production by mid-season. Mark Clayton is emerging as a dangerous weapon in Baltimore, and Chris Henry is a touchdown hawk when he’s not suspended. Ben Watson has been a mild disappointment, but not one that substantially injured the Inferno this season.

2007 RFA Preview (Offense)

Quarterback

The NFFL is already abuzz with the bidding war that is certain to happen over California quarterback Drew Brees. Brees had suffered a shoulder injury last season, and because of it he was not extended by the Xtreme. Brees will require a pirate’s ransom; a 2007 1st round pick as well as a 2008 1st round pick. Still, there are expected to be a few different teams who will break the bank for Brees, as he is currently considered one of the elite NFFL quarterbacks and the only one who is available in RFA. Teams who might be interested in Brees include Santa Cruz, Cincinnati, Memphis, and California themselves. Experts are saying that Brees could fetch the most lucrative contract in NFFL history.

Another quarterback who will be hitting the market that could make a great consolation prize to anyone who misses on Brees is another California quarterback, Tony Romo. Because Romo played only part of the season, he will not qualify for any substantial draft pick compensation, and thus the market is thought to be much more extensive for Romo than it is for Brees. This could cause him to get a greatly inflated contract as well, although still not to the extent of the contract Brees will ultimately get. These two players are franchise quality quarterbacks, and to have even one player of their quality hit Restricted Free Agency is an unprecedented event in the NFFL.

The most recent news out of the Brett Favre camp is that the future Hall-of-Famer will return to play one more year in the NFFL. Favre has no contract in place for next season, and as such will be eligible for RFA this off-season. Memphis has been mentioned in rumors about Drew Brees and Tony Romo, so it’s very likely that the team may chose to let Favre walk in the off-season if the bidding gets too hefty. Favre will come with a 3rd round pick price tag to potential suitors, and represents an attractive stop gap at the QB position for the short-term.

Other QB’s of note: Aaron Brooks, Brad Johnson, Damon Huard

Wide Receiver

Sources close to Utica wide receiver Santana Moss say that he is upset over being franchise tagged because it will, in all likelihood, severely limit the number of suitors he has when he hits Restricted Free Agency this off-season. In order for any team to bid on Moss, they will have to include a 2008 1st round draft pick – a price many teams may be unwilling to pay given Moss’ disappointing 2006 campaign. Moss may be limited to playing another season under his current salary, which is estimated to be about $1.6 million.

One player who is eligible for RFA that is flying somewhat under the radar is the timeless Marvin Harrison. Harrison is currently playing at the end of his deal with Bertrand Ground Force, and will be available to bidders once the off-season begins. Our analysts here say that Harrison will qualify for only a 3rd round pick of compensation, although that status is not official. Still, at that price, the bidding for Harrison is expected to be very strong as he still has a couple years left in him as a top 20 producer. There’s no reason to think that every team in the league wouldn’t be interested in Harrison, although most of the buzz so far has come out of Boston, where Harrison would make a deadly duo with Boston quarterback Peyton Manning.

Terry Glenn is in the final year of his contract with Santa Cruz, and will carry with him a 3rd round pick requirement into the RFA market this off-season. Santa Cruz is coming off a disappointing year, and will likely be entering a rebuilding phase after the departure of Tiki Barber. Glenn may or may not be in Santa Cruz’s plans for 2007, but at least the team has plenty of cap room if they do in fact want to match bids made for Glenn.

Another intriguing player who will be hitting the RFA market in January is Fairfax wideout Bernard Berrian. Berrian, signed from UFA in mid-season for the league minimum of $350,000, would reportedly require just a 5th round pick of compensation. Given the surprising talent he displayed this season, Berrian is likely to get a great deal of interest in RFA, especially for teams who wish to go in a younger direction than Harrison and don’t want to give up a 1st round pick for Moss. No word yet on how hard Fairfax will work to keep him, although a return to the team cannot be ruled out.

Another 2006 breakout wide receiver that will be available for bidding is Jericho Cotchery. Like Berrian, Cotchery was signed mid-season for short money, and is expected to get his pay day now that the league has seen what he can do. Cotchery will command a 4th round pick of compensation to any team who wishes to sign him. The Raiders have a deep and young group of wide receivers rostered already, but are still thought to be very interested in retaining Cotchery’s services for the right price.

Other RFA eligible WR/TE’s of note: Drew Bennett, Antonio Bryant, Keyshawn Johnson, Reggie Williams, Reche Caldwell, Dallas Clark, Alex Smith

Running Backs

Reuben Droughns headlines what is a very thin RFA market for the RB position. Droughns is coming off a very disappointing season after being traded in a deal that included LenDale White. With the $3 million + contract that he just finished, Droughns is not expected to fit into Boston’s 2007 plans. While he is coming off a disappointing year, he also does not require a draft pick for bidding, and thus may be a viable option for any teams with RB problems looking to take a chance on someone.

Other notable RFA eligible RB’s: Dominic Rhodes, Ladell Betts

Boston Bounced in Ugly Contest

The Cindarella story has ended in Boston as the Inferno fell 143-124 in the divisional round of the NFFL playoffs this week. The defeat marks the end of a season that many thought was the biggest turnaround in recent NFFL history with the Inferno franchise going 12-4 in its first season in Boston after a dismal 2005 campaign. Following the team moving to Boston, there was an unprecedented amount of turnover on the team as it was molded to align with the vision of Mike Reardon, one of the game's youngest and brightest general managers. Reardon's plan was largely successful, as the Inferno rose from the depths of the league to clinch the franchise's first division title as well as its first # 1 seed.

But that was all ended on Monday night at the hands of the Utica Devils. While many may point fingers at the maing cogs in the Inferno offense, Peyton Manning and Roy Williams, as the reason for the loss, clearly the blame has to fall mostly on the shoulders of the Inferno defense. Jared Allen, the only player added to Boston mid-season, put up his worst game of the season. Gerald Hayes, once though to be an up and coming defensive star, turned in a measely 3 points. Even Tedy Bruschi and Brian Urlacher, the most reliable players on the team, combined for just 19 points. The 4-LB formation that benefited Boston so well during the course fo the season failed miserably at it's most crucial juncture. Early word out of Boston is that Reardon is planning on rehauling the entire defense, and none of the linebackers who are currently on the roster are gauranteed a spot with the team's future. Hayes and Bruschi will be restricted free agents in the off-season, and Urlacher himself is entering a contract year. Rumors are that talks have died out between the two sides, and Urlacher may be allowed to play in a lame duck season in 2007.

Adding to the defensive feebleness was the secondary, and DPOY runner up Ronde Barber, who scored only 6 points. Dunta Robinson put up only 8 points himself. Barber is entering Restricted Free Agency, but will require a 1st round pick in compensation if another team wishes to sign him. Word out of Boston is that if a team makes such a bid, Barber will likely walk, although no such bid is expected.

Ben Watson, put into the lineup at the last minute because of the injury to Laurence Maroney, put up a big fat zero. Randy Moss also continued to disappoint the team since being traded in a pre-season blockbuster, and scored only 2 points. Word out of the Boston camp is that Moss will never start another game for Boston again as he will be permanently behind Chris Henry and Mark Clayton on the depth chart next season. Moss is not expected to be traded, however, as Reardon believes that is exactly what made Moss throw the season in the first place. Instead, Moss will ride the pine for the forseeable future, until he begins to show something on the field.

One of the few bright spots in this game was the play of Wilis McGahee and Antonio Gates. Both are assured a starting position next season and into the future, and to see the young talent put in a big performance on the big stage had to be an encouraging sign. Also, don't think that it went without notice that back up rookie quarterback Matt Leinart out-performed incumbant starter Peyton Manning. Early word out of Boston is that, while Leinart may not start for another year or two, he is assured the Boston quarterback job in the long-term.

There are certainly a great number of decisions that GM Mike Reardon has to make in this off-season. Especially considering that players such was Reuben Droughns and the aforementioned Ronde Barber will be entering RFA. The Inferno also has a deep stable of rookie draft picks in the upcoming draft, including three picks in the first round. Projections show that the Inferno could not afford to keep all of the draft picks with the current roster, so turnover is expected, perhaps with some of the picks being traded away.