Gretz: An NFL Grab Bag … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

[Tribal Warfare]

An NFL Grab Bag … Monday Cup O’Chiefs
May 10, 2010 - Bob Gretz |

It has been a mad scramble over the weekend as we celebrated the graduation of our youngest with her Masters of Science in Speech Pathology from the University of Tulsa. As a parent, you always hope your children are smarter than you; that was not too hard for Liz, but she went above and beyond to get it done. Congratulations sweetie!

Now back to work as we catch up on a number of items from around the world of pro football.

WHERE IS JOHN HENDERSON?

He is not at Arrowhead Stadium. He’s not going through the off-season program with the New York Giants. John Henderson remains unemployed several weeks after his release by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Why? There could be several factors at work here, but likely the biggest reason is an over-estimation of his value to his next team. Simply: he wants too much money. This happens a lot when long-time veterans are cut loose by their old team and they view it as a chance to cash in at the pay window.

If that’s the case, it sends a message about what this player thinks is important. If that’s the case, it would seem to diminish the chances of Henderson landing with the Chiefs. Pioli/Haley are not looking for guys seeking a pay day. They are looking for players “that fit” their mold.

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SUSPENDED

Houston Texans LB Brian Cushing, the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year last season, got slapped for a four-game suspension by the league under the performance enhancing drugs category.

Rumors of PED use by Cushing go back to his days at Southern Cal and it was a charge that the linebacker denied, saying he never tested positive. Even after the NFL suspension, Cushing denies using PEDs, saying in a statement released by his agent that the suspension was due to a “non-steroidal banned substance.”

That line alone tells us who to blame for this situation: Cushing. OK, it wasn’t a steroid, but it was banned by the league, so it might as well have been a steroid. More than likely it was a diuretic-type substance or a similar type of masking agent. No matter, players are provided a significant amount of information and education on what they can use in their bodies and what they can’t. They may dislike the whole idea of the NFL being able to tell them what they are allowed to ingest.

And if they want to take a stand that’s fine – leave the league and go make millions doing something else. That cases like this keep popping up in the NFL tells us that setting up rules only starts a clock on those seeking a way to beat the regulations.

Another factor here that’s bothersome for the NFL: Cushing is the third defensive rookie of the year in the last eight that has received an NFL suspension for PEDs. The others were San Diego LB Shawne "roidman" Merriman (2005) and then Carolina DE Julius Peppers (2002).

If the league is trying to get a message to young players about stopping the use of PEDs, it doesn’t help matters when the top rookie gets nailed and other than losing four-game checks, there’s little or no ramifications. Look at Peppers. He cashed in this year – his first chance to be a true free agent – with a contract that includes $40 million in guaranteed dollars.

PACMAN RETURNS ON MONDAY

World out of the Queen City of Cincinnati is that on Monday the Bengals will formally announce the signing of Pacman Jones to a two-year contract.

Is this something the NFL really needs? Pacman has been arrested six times and been involved in a dozen incidents where police were called during the time since he came out of the University of West Virginia as a first-round choice in the 2005 NFL Draft. He’s been suspended by the league for a handful of games and for an entire season, 22 games in all.

But still there’s a team that is willing to take a chance on him. It’s no surprise that it would be the Bengals. We obviously see now that the football ruler of the franchise Mike Brown does not view familiarity with law enforcement officials to be a negative. Brown sees himself as the NFL’s Father Flannigan, welcoming troubled young men to his Boy’s Town in Cincinnati.

In ‘05-06, Pacman was a remarkable contributor to the Titans, contributing five TDs on defense and special teams. In the three seasons since then, he’s played in only nine games and has not sniffed the end zone.

Just what Jones can bring to the Bengals at this point is unknown. They have a pair of pretty good cornerbacks and they used a high draft choice just a few weeks ago on another (3rd-round pick Brandon Ghee.) They were a division winner in ‘09 and they made the playoffs.

Do the Bengals need Pacman? Not as much as Pacman needs the Bengals and that apparently is enough to get the attention of Father Flannigan Brown.


LAWRENCE TAYLOR AND HIS TRAVAILS

Scum … that may be too nice a word to describe Lawrence Taylor, his behavior and lifestyle.

My definition of scum is someone who knows better, has been caught and disciplined for his actions and stupidity, but continues to take part in those actions and stupidity.

Taylor becomes has become the poster scum for this type of person. It’s time for the justice system to open the cell door and slam it behind him. Heaven knows if there’s any chance he can change his behavior. But rehab – whether for drugs, booze or sexual addictions – hasn’t done anything to alter this man’s perspective on tomorrow.

Maybe the Graybar Hotel can do that.

[TheGuardian]

Another factor here that’s bothersome for the NFL: Cushing is the third defensive rookie of the year in the last eight that has received an NFL suspension for PEDs. The others were San Diego LB Shawne "roidman" Merriman (2005) and then Carolina DE Julius Peppers (2002).

Interesting bit here concerning that.

Peppers as a rookie had 12 sacks in 12 games. An average of 1 per game. He's never made that average since.

Merriman got busted in 06. The year he had 17 sacks in 12 games. He's never been in the same galaxy since and looks like a shell of that player now.

My guess is that Cushing will end up being pretty average now that he's been busted and will be watched harder for PED's. Cushing, like Merriman, was really just a "good' player in college but had a lot of the measurables that teams look for. I think in the next 3+ seasons his play will fall off, or it won't, and he'll get busted again. Just a hunch.

[BossChief]

I don't get it. Haynesworth gets 100 million and has missed more games than Henderson and Henderson cant get 15 million?

I know Henderson is 31 and Haynsworth is 29, but damn.

It doesn't make sense.

I think whoever said he has back issues may have hit the nail on the head.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I don't get it. Haynesworth gets 100 million and has missed more games than Henderson and Henderson cant get 15 million?

I know Henderson is 31 and Haynsworth is 29, but damn.

It doesn't make sense.

I think whoever said he has back issues may have hit the nail on the head.

Dan Snyder is why Haynesworth got $100mill dollar contract and it didn't make sense then.


PhilFree

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I don't get it. Haynesworth gets 100 million and has missed more games than Henderson and Henderson cant get 15 million?

I know Henderson is 31 and Haynsworth is 29, but damn.

It doesn't make sense.

I think whoever said he has back issues may have hit the nail on the head.

It's pretty easy...

John Henderson isn't NEARLY as good as Albert Haynesworth was in 2008.

[Skyy God]

That dude was roided-up? No way.

[BossChief]

thats all well and good, but if teams are scared to pay 15 million to the guy, there is more than meets the eye.

[Sofa King]

Originally Posted by Pittsie

That dude was roided-up? No way.

which one is the after picture?

[xztop12]

Originally Posted by TheGuardian

Interesting bit here concerning that.

Peppers as a rookie had 12 sacks in 12 games. An average of 1 per game. He's never made that average since.

Merriman got busted in 06. The year he had 17 sacks in 12 games. He's never been in the same galaxy since and looks like a shell of that player now.

My guess is that Cushing will end up being pretty average now that he's been busted and will be watched harder for PED's. Cushing, like Merriman, was really just a "good' player in college but had a lot of the measurables that teams look for. I think in the next 3+ seasons his play will fall off, or it won't, and he'll get busted again. Just a hunch.

The left picture is gyno from what i'm assuming is many cycles at high doses. Gyno typically doesn't present after one cycle or a low dosage of mild steroids. The guy was using heavy stuff.

For example Bonds was using a substance called Trenbolone which is actually stronger than the cycles Arnold would have used in his day, heh



I'd venture a guess that Cush has been using roids since high school. He's a white boy, his athletic ability(natural) is probably division II. But on top of taking roids, you have to be a diligent worker, because roids wont do crap on their own. And he was not average in college, he was a standout, and was drafted accordingly.

Their effects can actually have profound influence on the muscle far after the steroids are out. IE:muscle memory and the sort.

[Ralphy Boy]

Originally Posted by xztop12

The left picture is gyno from what i'm assuming is many cycles at high doses. Gyno typically doesn't present after one cycle or a low dosage of mild steroids. The guy was using heavy stuff.

For example Bonds was using a substance called Trenbolone which is actually stronger than the cycles Arnold would have used in his day, heh



I'd venture a guess that Cush has been using roids since high school. He's a white boy, his athletic ability(natural) is probably division II. But on top of taking roids, you have to be a diligent worker, because roids wont do crap on their own. And he was not average in college, he was a standout, and was drafted accordingly.

Their effects can actually have profound influence on the muscle far after the steroids are out. IE:muscle memory and the sort.

Please tell us more great steroid connoisseur. So are you saying that it would be beneficial to use steroids temporarily than to have never used them at all?

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by xztop12

The left picture is gyno from what i'm assuming is many cycles at high doses. Gyno typically doesn't present after one cycle or a low dosage of mild steroids. The guy was using heavy stuff.

For example Bonds was using a substance called Trenbolone which is actually stronger than the cycles Arnold would have used in his day, heh

Arnold probably used d-bol and possibly anadrol which is stronger than tren.

Some guys can get gyno from their very first cycle. It all depends on a lot of factors like how their body handles the test to estro conversion rate and if they are running something to control that. But Cushing def has gyno in the first pic and while some guys get that naturally, it's usually only fat guys who have higher than normal estrogen levels.

I'd venture a guess that Cush has been using roids since high school. He's a white boy, his athletic ability(natural) is probably division II. But on top of taking roids, you have to be a diligent worker, because roids wont do crap on their own. And he was not average in college, he was a standout, and was drafted accordingly.

Actually anabolics do do crap "on their own". When you start talking about manipulating the endocrine system that doesn't have anything to do with training. I've known guys who did high doses of test with T3 and ate KFC and got lean as hell without doing cardio. Cushing, from everything I know, is a very hard worker. But he's not an NFL caliber player (or at least first rounder) without anabolics.

Their effects can actually have profound influence on the muscle far after the steroids are out. IE:muscle memory and the sort.

Muscle memory has nothing to do with anabolics, however you are right about the former part. Some studies has shown that guys who used high dose cycles for long periods do in fact change some physiological factors in their bodies. In other words, if you run anabolics for long enough and then go natural, you'll still have an advantage you didn't have had you never used them.

Guys like Merriman and Cushing were pretty average college players IMO. I was shocked when Merriman weighed in at the combine and what he did his first two years. At Maryland he was a solid player, but not great.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by TheGuardian

Guys like Merriman and Cushing were pretty average college players IMO. I was shocked when Merriman weighed in at the combine and what he did his first two years. At Maryland he was a solid player, but not great.

What?

So "average" players go at #12 and #15 overall these days?

[xztop12]

Im new here and I dont know how to do all that fancy quoting.

But anadrol mg for mg is more potent than Tren but with Tren a guy can do large doses that hecan't with anadrol. Your liver just can't handle that much of an 17α-alkylated steroid. I don't think either are relevant to the discussion as (i think) both have metabolites that stay in the system for a while.

Cushing was a highly recruited high school player, if i recall his name was on the rivals top 100. But again he was probably using heavily and freely in high school.

[xztop12]

Originally Posted by Ralphy Boy

Please tell us more great steroid connoisseur. So are you saying that it would be beneficial to use steroids temporarily than to have never used them at all?

I just read a lot. I think studies have shown that, yes. I'm not sure the mechanism, if it's muscle memory or what.

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

What?

So "average" players go at #12 and #15 overall these days?

Cushing and Merriman were average to good players graded up because of measurables.

And yes, lots of average players are taken way too high because of measurables or great workouts. Al Davis does it almost every year. I think most people understand this concept.