The Way We Hear It

Wilson's absence from the league meetings is no shock
Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. decided to stay home from the league meetings in Florida this week, although that didn’t come as any surprise to those who know him well. The 89-year-old Wilson has missed a number of the meetings over the last several years, in large part due to his age. But part of the reason is also due to Wilson’s belief that the NFL is only now starting to address issues that he tried to bring to the forefront of the league’s consciousness years ago. Most prominently, the league’s increasing debt — reportedly now at $9 billion — is expected to be a hot-button issue, and Wilson has been peeved that his voice on the matter has largely been ignored up until now. As one team source put it, Wilson’s absence from Florida is “like an ‘I told you so’ to the league.”
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MiamiMarch 26, 2008
O-line deficiencies loom large in Miami
Of all the Dolphins' areas of concern, the state of the offensive line looms as perhaps the biggest. Outside of adding former 49ers OG Justin Smiley, the Fins have done nothing to upgrade what was a shoddy unit in 2007. And while failing to make additions, they cut starting ORT L.J. Shelton and top reserve OT Anthony Alabi, as well as declining to re-sign OGs Rex Hadnot and Chris Liwienski. Consequently, gaping holes remain at guard and tackle, although the absence of a suitable right tackle is the most significant deficiency. All of this would appear to bode well for Michigan OT Jake Long as No. 1 overall pick. However, as one team source reminded us, the draft is so rich in top offensive tackle prospects that the Fins could likely grab one with one of their two second-round picks, especially considering that new head coach Tony Sparano doesn’t need supreme talents to mold into a stout line.
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New EnglandApril 2, 2008
Patriots aren't alone in wanting 'Spygate' controversy to be over with
“So, I assume you guys want to talk about the ‘force out’ rule?” That was Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s opening line to the throng of reporters who gathered to talk to him at the league’s meeting in Florida this week, a joke used to make light of the “Spygate” situation that was obviously the most pressing issue on the media members’ minds. But as one team source told us, Belichick’s opening quip and generally upbeat mood was indicative of his belief that not only does he have nothing to hide regarding the allegations that the Patriots taped a walk-through before their Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the Rams, but that he’s getting the sense that most league types are similarly sick of the issue. The source also told us that he highly doubts former cameraman Matt Walsh will speak out on the matter. Walsh has insinuated that he knows something shady about the Patriots’ practices, although we hear that, at this point, Walsh is regretting being a bit loose-lipped in a smattering of interviews with a couple of media outlets a few months ago. Now, Walsh, who works as an assistant golf pro in Hawaii and has a wife and baby, wants this saga to be over with so he can get on with his life. According to a source, reports that he’s grandstanding for attention are utterly erroneous.
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NY JetsApril 2, 2008
Jets to stage open QB competition in training camp
It appears as if there will be a genuine battle in Jets training camp regarding who — Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens — will emerge as the starting quarterback. Clemens’ upside and youth makes him the favorite to land the job, although the notion that “it’s his to lose,” as has been speculated, seems to give him too much credit. While it seemed for a long time that Pennington would be shepherded out of town via trade, the signs now indicate that GM Mike Tannenbaum’s assertion at his season-ending press conference that Pennington would not be traded rings true. However, things could change after the draft. Should the Jets invest either their first- or second-round pick on a passer, Pennington’s status becomes murky, yet again. While they could opt to select Boston College’s Matt Ryan in the unlikely event he slips to the sixth slot in Round One, taking a passer in the second round (pick No. 36) seems to be the more likely scenario.
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