Pro football is supposed to be off now, but considering how the NFL has ignored the offseason for nearly five months, a break is welcome right about now.
Head coaches are on vacation -- Philadelphia's Andy Reid and Minnesota's Brad Childress went fishing together in Alaska, where they presumably are not discussing how to incorporate dynamic first-round picks Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin into their offenses. General managers are examining 30-foot putts, not salary-cap figures. Commissioner Roger Goodell is climbing Mount Rainier.
With people in the league really taking vacations, the rumor mill might stop spinning uncontrollably -- no more breathless Brett Favre half-truths or total misrepresentations -- and everyone can recoup before training camps open in five weeks.
Besides, the NFL has just had the busiest offseason in memory. A hiatus seems welcome.
Free agency and the draft are supposed to pique the interest of fans, and they have. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth getting the biggest free-agent contract ever, $100 million for seven years and going from Tennessee to Washington, created a huge splash. Then came Kurt Warner, extracting a two-year, $23-million deal to return to the Cardinals. And then there was Brian Dawkins, a 35-year-old safety, tearfully leaving Philadelphia for Denver … and signing for $9 million over two years.
Derrick Brooks, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt and Fred Taylor were cut by the only teams they had played for. Pace and Taylor landed with likely contenders in Chicago and New England, Holt went to Jacksonville, and Brooks is still needs a new home.
The impressive list of free agents on the move has included receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Seattle and Laveranues Coles to Cincinnati. Defensive end Antonio Smith left the NFC champion Cardinals for Houston, and Jason Taylor returned to Miami. Safety Darren Sharper signed with New Orleans, and linebacker Bart Scott joined the Jets.
The big trade featured the Jay Cutler saga in Denver. Already upset over the firing of Coach Mike Shanahan, Cutler was angered when Shanahan's replacement, Josh McDaniels, brought his name up in trade talks.
Things disintegrated from there, with Cutler at one point refusing to return McDaniels' messages. Eventually, Cutler, the franchise quarterback, was traded to Chicago for a boatload of draft picks and his nominal replacement, Kyle Orton.
Another unhappy player -- this time over money -- tackle Jason Peters went from Buffalo to Philadelphia, which has restocked so well that it might be the NFC favorite. And Kansas City sent top tight end Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta.
The Terrell Owens carnival landed in Buffalo -- he signed a one-year, $6.5-million deal with the Bills days after being released by Dallas -- amazingly did not draw the most attention.
But that leaves questions about when Favre might join the Vikings. Goodell has had to deal with Michael Vick, Donte' Stallworth and Plaxico Burress.
The NFL Players Association hired DeMaurice Smith, an energetic, high-powered lawyer, to run the union and take on the owners in collective bargaining.
Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan joined Miami's ownership. And New Orleans being awarded the 2013 Super Bowl.
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