Panthers to renovate stadium after 2013 season

Carolina Panthers President Danny Morrison said that the team plans to begin renovating their stadium after the 2013 season and that the project would likely take two years to complete. The plan will cost about $297 million.

Morrison said that the team's goal is to better the experience of all 74k thousand fans.

"He gave us directions that the majority of plans need to be for 74,000 fans, not just premium seating," Morrison said. "That list we've came up with affects all 74,000 fans. We also wanted to retain our classic designed stadium in a park but also bring it to the forefront with modern technology."

The Panthers are the second team to announce that they will renovate their stadium this offseason. The Raiders were the first.

NFL already making plans for bad weather at 2014 Super Bowl

This week, as you already know, the Northeast was hit by massive snowstorm. This brings up the question of, 'what will the the league do of this happens next year, the week of Super Bowl XLVIII.'

Early February is a time filled with winter weather, so it wouldn't be a surprise if NYC is hit again like this. The league is prepping by possibly delaying the game many days or, if bad weather is in the forecast, just playing it on Saturday.

"You know it will be a lot cooler, but there will be a lot of people and transportation issues regardless," said Jeff Miller, NFL vice president of security. "When you have a lot of moving parts and large crowds, you are moving on transportation systems already overloaded with daily commuters, so you've got some issues to deal with."

I have a good feeling that this experiment will go wrong. Even if the game ends up being exciting, it will be too cold. The league will go back to warmer places in the south. So, to all the Packer fans who want it at Lambeau, it probably will never happen.

Vick staying put in Philly

Eagles coach Chip Kelly has made the strange decision to keep Michael Vick.

According to Fox Sports and the NFL Network, the Eagles are working out a restructured contract with the veteran quarterback. The report was also confirmed by the Eagles website.

Although Vick is coming back, it doesn't mean that he will start. Nick Foles started for most of last year, and the Eagles will likely sign another QB before the season starts. If he ends up playing terrible, they can always cut or trade him. Vick will be a free agent in 2014.

Will 2013 Be The Year Rodgers Gets Paid?

I'm glad to see that the Green Bay Packers' contract negotiations with QB Aaron Rodgers aren't being aired out in the media. If he has any complaints, he's keeping them private:

Rodgers 'not stressing' about new contract with #packers. pck.rs/151Dfy3
— PackersNews.com (@PGPackersNews) February 9, 2013

Rodgers is scheduled to be paid $9.75 million in 2013, which is about half the annual contract value paid to Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. I'm a little surprised the Packers didn't address this last year, but Brees signed his new contract so late (last July) that it was probably was too hard to wait for him to sign and fit a similar deal under the 2012 salary cap for Rodgers.

This situation seems to be playing out similar to Tom Brady's contract in 2010. He played until 2010 under a six-year contract he signed in 2004. Rodgers is currently signed to a six year contract through the 2014 season. The good news is that it all ended well in New England; Brady signed an extension in 2010 that made him the highest paid player (at that time). I'd expect the same for Rodgers and the Packers.

Packers have 6th toughest schedule in 2013

The 2013 NFL schedule were released recently, and the Packers weren't forgotten about. The Packers, who's nationally televised games often draw high ratings, have been given the sixth hardest schedule in the league.

When you combine the records of the Packers' opponents, it is 136-119-1, a .533 winning percentage. Here are the only other five teams with tougher schedules:

1. Panthers (.543 opponents' winning percentage)

2. Lions .539

3. Saints .539

4. Rams .539

5. Ravens .535

And the remaining strength of schedule rankings:

7. Cardinals .520

8. Dolphins .520

9. 49ers .520

10. Vikings .516

11. Seahawks 516

12. Bengals .508

13. Jaguars .508

14. Patriots .508

15. Falcons .504

16. Bears .502

17. Bucs .500

18. Redskins .498

19. Jets .496

20 Eagles .496

21. Browns .492

22. Steelers .496

23. Titans .488

24. Giants .480

25. Cowboys .480

26. Bills .473

27. Texans .473

28. Chiefs .473

29. Raiders .469

30. Colts .461

31. Chargers .457

32. Broncos .430

Somehow the 13-3 Broncos got the easiest one. Who else thinks that's stupid?

Eagles DE Trent Cole has hand surgery

Philadelphia Eagles' DE Trent Cole reportedly had surgery this week to fix a problem with his hand, according to USA Today.

The Eagles haven't yet announced this, but it's not that big of a deal. Worst-case scenario has Cole missing part of Spring. So if you're an Eagles fan, there isn't anything to worry about.

This year Cole will be payed $5.1 million, making him very valuable to an Eagles team that went just 4-12 this past season. Cole had just 3 sacks all year.

Packer Fans Want Jermichael Finley To Return In 2013

After an unimpressive 2012 season, I've been thinking that either TE Jermichael Finley is going to be asked to take a big pay cut or he won't return to the Green Bay Packers.

A couple years ago, it looked like Finley was on the verge of becoming that one player who would draw the defense's attention because the Packers would use him as a receiver or a tight end and he was a match-up problem for both cornerbacks and linebackers. But last season he didn't look like a special player. Instead he was a decent blocker who contributed a little as a receiver; he was the No. 13 ranked TE according to Football Outsiders. He's a nice player to have around but not when he'll earn $8.25 million in 2013.

I didn't think a lot of Packer fans would be concerned about losing him this offseason, but it looks like I was wrong.

@jasonjwilde Getting similar reaction on this end. Overwhelming reaction is that fans want @jermichaelf88 back with the #Packers. We'll see.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) February 8, 2013

Neither TE D.J. Williams or TE Ryan Taylor did much in 2012 but I would expect their combined production in 2013 would be similar to Finley in 2012 if they replaced him next season. Or should the Packers keep Finley for 2013, no matter the financial cost?

Harbaugh: 'A penalty is a penalty no matter when it occurs'

The most controversial play of this year's Super Bowl was definitely the kind of pass interference on the Ravens' Jimmy Smith that wasn't called. The play was on a fourth and goal, so if you're a 49ers fan I understand your point.

But on the other end, we all know that Jim Harbaugh has a temper. He's probably just looking for an excuse as to why his team lost. Bottom line, I can't believe him because he is crazy. Today, Harbaugh releases these statements:

"I would say it exactly like Bill Polian: A penalty is a penalty no matter when it occurs in a game," he told KBWF-FM radio via SportsRadioInterviews.com.

"It could occur in the first play of the game. It could occur on the last play of the game, or any play in between. That's the rules of football. You let 'em play or let 'em get away with something. Which would you rather have? Let's play the rules of the game. ... If there's a penalty then it's a penalty -- doesn't matter what kind of game. ... It's the rules of football. If it's a penalty, you call it. If you see it, you call it. That's how I feel about it."

Make sure to remember, that no matter what he says, the Ravens are still the Super Bowl Champs.

Donald Driver Has A Final Farewell At Lambeau

I didn't watch the ceremony and instead browsed through the pictures available online. It wasn't a gigantic crowd but over 1,000 people filled the atrium at Lambeau Field for WR Donald Driver's official retirement announcement.

Driver-12 years ago, I signed my first big contract with Packers, and promised I'd never play in another uniform. Today we make it official
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) February 6, 2013

He's had a great career but it's time. Actually I'm really impressed on how well he's timed it. Though he was only a bit player in 2011, he still had a good season and his career didn't seem over. Obviously the Packers thought the same because they brought him back for 2012. But Driver himself knew it couldn't last forever, telling reporters in May 2012 that he would only play for one or two more seasons.

And he vanished by the end of the 2012 season. The fact that he couldn't play ahead of WR Jarrett Boykin and WR Jeremy Ross was an obvious sign of decline. Part of him might think he can still play and start in the NFL, but the odds are that he can't. Instead, he's leaving on a high note, having won a Super Bowl ring in 2011 and play for two more full seasons. If he hadn't retired, he would have gone through the process of trying to stay when the Packers most likely did want him to return.

A Lambeau Field hosted retirement announcement, with all the Packers' past and present team leaders (plus the Governor) was an appropriate send-off for one of their best all-time players.

Raiders will drop stadium capacity

Since moving back to Oakland in 1995, the Raiders have struggled to sell tickets and get fans in the stands. Now, in an effort to avoid blackouts, they will drop stadium capacity at the Oakland Coliseum.

In what the organization is calling a "capacity adjustment," the Raiders are planning to block off 28 sections of the upper deck at O.co Coliseum, according to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. This will include sections 335 through 355, derisively known by locals as Mount Davis.

The Capacity for Raider games will drop from 64,200 to 53,200. It now has the fewest seats of any stadium in the NFL.

"Our hope, our desire, is a new stadium at that site," Raiders CEO Amy Trask said. "This is the tool we're using this year to create that vibrant community of season-ticket holders."

The obvious solution that would help sell tickets would be if they just won. They haven't made the playoffs since '02 and were 4-12 last season.

2013 Draft Needs: Which Position Should The Packers Target

Walter Football ran through it's list of the Green Bay Packers 2013 team needs and I pretty much agree with it, though it's somewhat of a surprise to see wide receiver listed ahead of outside linebacker. However, GM Ted Thompson has been known to draft wide receivers early, even when it didn't seem like an obvious need, which is important because QB Aaron Rodgers isn't nearly as good if he can't trust his receivers. While the Packers need to replace LB Erik Walden, the return of 1st round LB Nick Perry should be the answer to that problem. Adding depth might be important but that can be addressed later in the draft, and I'll be interested to see if LB Dezman Moses can improve next season because he has potential.

The one position not mentioned by Walter Football was the defensive line, which should not be overlooked. Their only current lineman with any star potential is B.J. Raji and he hasn't been his best over the past two seasons. Also, the other linemen (Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson, Mike Neal, Mike Daniels) are a collection of role players. There isn't an every down lineman on the roster except Raji. The possible loss of Jerel Worthy for the entire 2013 season isn't going to help either.

Another reason to target the defensive line is that it's the deepest group in the 2013 draft. There should be a lot of defensive lineman taken early. At the end of the 1st round, the Packers might still be able to find a great defensive lineman available, similar to their 2010 selection of Bryan Bulaga (he was the sixth offensive lineman taken in the top 23 picks).

This is also a good draft for offensive lineman and the Packers have a glaring need at center. However, GM Ted Thompson hasn't used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on an interior lineman since 2006 (Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz), so it's a position I expect he'll fill later in the draft.

As Todd McShay wrote about 2013, "It's not a good TV draft" so it's not a year to draft a quarterback or running back early. Which is perfect for the Packers because they need help and depth at the two positions that are loaded in the draft; offensive and defensive line. The addition of a top tier running back would be a big help too, but it doesn't look like that caliber of player is available in the 2013 draft. However, the players they likely target next April on either the offensive or defensive line will probably provide an immediate boost and will probably represent a great value relative to the Packers' position near the end of each round.

Rodgers wants Favre to re-join Packers Family

After the awkward reunion while presenting the Comeback Player of the Year Award, Aaron Rodgers has said that Brett Favre and the Packers should bury the hatchet.

On Tuesday, Rodgers went on ESPN Radio and said this:

"As the face of the franchise now," Rodgers said, "(it's) a role that I take very seriously. I have the responsibility and enjoy having the opportunity to represent my team. I think it's important to realize that it is probably time to move forward."

Rodgers also said that he and Favre talked on the phone the night of the award ceremony.

"It didn't take a lot of coaxing for me to do it," Rodgers said. "I did want to sit and think about whether it was the right thing to do. I really feel very secure in my position with the team and feel good about the things that we've been able to accomplish in my five years as the starter, and feel good about the direction the organization is going in."

What Team Will Greg Jennings Play For In 2013

With all signs pointing to the eventual free agent departure of WR Greg Jennings from the Green Bay Packers, I was considering which team he might play for next season. I have no inside knowledge, of course, but there are a couple of teams who might seem like natural fits.

I started by looking at Walter Football's 2013 offseason pages for each team and identifying which teams have wide receiver listed as one of their top two needs. I've also excluded any team who's currently over the salary cap, which eliminates 10 possibilities. However, that leaves six teams with more cap room than the Packers currently have and a strong need at wide receiver.

Kansas City Chiefs. WR Dwayne Bowe is a free agent and no other Chiefs' receiver is among the Top 77 according to Football Outsiders. While that would seem to make Bowe a priority, the Chiefs were awful with or without him last season. Maybe the Chiefs won't do anything until they sort out their quarterback situation. Trading a younger No. 1 receiver in Bowe for an older No. 1 in Jennings might not make a lot sense either, however, new head coach Andy Reid is probably more familiar with Jennings and new Chiefs GM (and former Packers' VP) John Dorsey definitely is. They might think Jennings will be a better fit than Bowe in Reid's offense.

Miami Dolphins. Another wide receiver needy team with a lot of cap space ($35.8 million) and a former Packer (Dolphins' head coach Joe Philbin) in the house. This would seem like a natural fit, but so did QB Matt Flynn last year and he chose the Seahawks instead. GM Jeff Ireland doesn't seem to inspire confidence when free agents visit Miami either. I'd put Jennings to the Dolphins as the No. 1 possibility if it weren't for the odd behavior from the Dolphins' front office.

Seattle Seahawks. With WR Sidney Rice and WR Golden Tate on the roster, Jennings would seem like an extreme luxury. However, I could see them drafting a young wide receiver in the first round who could take over for Rice if his injury-prone past reappears. But I don't see them pursuing Jennings.

Minnesota Vikings. There might not be a team more in need at wide receiver than the Vikings. I'd be shocked if they didn't at least inquire about Jennings. However, they don't have a huge amount of cap room ($16.1 million) and they might want to address multiple needs instead of using most of their space on him.

Houston Texans. Despite another playoff appearance, their offense slumped last season, coming in at No. 16 according to Football Outsiders. If they're sticking with QB Matt Schaub, then they might want to get him some more help at receiver. They don't have a lot of cap room ($12.9 million) but they might view Jennings as the one player they need to advance for a team built to win now.

New England. Speaking of another playoff disappointment, the Patriots might be parting ways with WR Wes Welker and QB Tom Brady isn't getting any younger. Other than the Seahawks, this seems like his least likely destination, but they could afford him and they might need a receiver.

In the end, I don't see a clear favorite for Jennings this offseason. Someone's going to sign him to a big contract, but there are a lot of moving parts in this decision. And he might have to wait until WR Mike Wallace and/or WR Dwayne Bowe is signed for the market to be set. I'd like to see him with the Texans because it's his best chance to win another title, and I hope the Vikings pass on him.

Former Chargers LB Walt Sweeney dies at 71

Walt Sweeney, a San Diego Chargers legend and fan favorite, has died at 71.

Sweeney died of pancreatic cancer on Saturday.

Sweeney was drafted by the Chargers out of Syracuse in the 1963 AFL Draft, and stayed with the them when the AFL and NFL merged in 1970. He is currently in the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Sweeney made nine AFL All-Star Game/Pro Bowl appearances in his career. He also played in 181 consecutive games at one point.

Of his 13 NFL seasons, 11 of them were in San Diego. The other two were with the Washington Redskins.

Lessons From The Ravens' Super Bowl Win Over The 49ers

As a Green Bay Packers' fan, I was hoping for a 49ers victory to justify the Packers' earlier loss to them. At least the Packers lost to the Super Bowl champs for the second year in a row! It would have been a small consolation, but it's as close as I could come to caring about this game.

While I didn't watch much of it, I did catch the entire 30 minute power outage (bad timing on my part) so I'm not going to break down match-ups that I wasn't watching closely. Thoughout the playoffs, it's seemed like it's been QB Joe Flacco showing up big at the right time. The Ravens won when he's played well. He recorded a QB rating of over 100 six times during the 2012 regular season and the Ravens were 5-1 in those games. During their 4-0 playoff run, he was above 100 in each of their wins.

I think the key lesson here is to make the playoffs and hope your team catches fire (in this case Joe Flacco) at the right time. Here's what Football Outsiders wrote before the Ravens' first playoff game:

The 2012 Baltimore Ravens just weren't really very good. They were essentially an average team on offense and defense that happened to have the league's best special teams. Special teams do matter, but they have a much higher variability than offense or defense. You can't trust special teams to get you a win on their own. While the Colts are the weakest team in the AFC field, the Ravens are the second-weakest if you take out special teams.

While most predictions expected the Ravens to beat the Colts, they were far from an overwhelming favorite. I didn't even look up their next two playoff wins at Denver and New England, but I'd expect they were generally expected to lose. In the Super Bowl, an average Ravens' defense did just enough, Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff for a touchdown on special teams, and Flacco's deep ball turned their offense into a very good one. You can't say you saw it coming based on the regular season, but the Ravens played their best at the right time and won the championship.

Maybe the Packers were just that close to winning a championship too. If their defense could have been average (instead of record setting awful) against the 49ers, and WR Jeremy Ross could have returned a kick for a score (instead of fumbling it away), it was a playoff game the Packers could have won. It's not that hard to imagine.

Power outage delays Super Bowl

Last night, during the biggest football game of the year, a power outage struck the New Orleans Super Dome and delayed the game for 34 minutes.

"All of our distribution and transmission feeds going into the Superdome were operating as expected," said Philip Allison, a spokesman for Entergy New Orleans said.

He went on to say that the blackout was likely caused by a failure in equipment maintained by stadium staff. Even the CBS broadcast booth went silent.

As you probably already know, the Ravens went on to withstand a 49ers rally and win, 34-31.

Favre, Rodgers present Comeback Player of the Year Award

Last night, current Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and former QB Brett Favre presented the Comeback Player of the Year Award. The two haven't spoken since 2008, when Favre attempted to return to Green Bay.

Here's how their night went:
Rodgers: We're here to present the award for best comeback player.

Favre: You know Aaron, everyone loves when a great player makes a comeback.

Rodgers: Yeah, not always. Sometimes … some people wish that great players would retire and just stay retired.

Favre: Good to see you, Aaron.

Rodgers: You too, man.

Afterwards, Rodgers called the situation "awkward."

Packers missed Ray Lewis by one pick in 1996 Draft

In the spring of 1996, Ray Lewis was a middle linebacker at the University of Miami. Many teams considered him too small, the Packers not being one of them.

The Packers had the 27th pick that year, while the Ravens had the 26th. The Packers had already made their decision to draft Lewis, while the Ravens were undecided. The Ravens eventually chose Lewis, and you know the rest.

"That's what happened," Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey told Milwaukee Journal Sentinal reporter Bob McGinn. "You never know."

It's fun to think about this kind of stuff. Imagine if the Ravens didn't get him, we would've seen #52 play alongside Reggie White. And the monumental collapse that the Packers defense had in last year's playoffs wouldn't have happened if Lewis was there screaming.

2013 Packers Salary Cap: Jennings, Woodson, Hawk and Finley

As Kevin Seifert notes in his recent ESPN article, "Salary cap figures are fluid this time of the year for accounting reasons" so it might be impossible to know the complete picture. While the Packers aren't in a dire salary cap position, unlike some teams, they do have to make some choices within a limited budget.

The first player to feel it's effects may have been WR Greg Jennings, who's seen the writing on the wall and put his Green Bay area home up for sale. While he isn't as critical to the offense as he was a couple years ago, he can still play and he should be a big contributor over the next couple seasons, if he can remain healthy. But he's missed a lot of games over the past couple seasons and he'll turn 30 next season, so his next contract will carry some risks. I can understand why the team would decide to part ways with him but his loss is not insignificant.

The always excellent John Clayton says the Packers have $7.1 million in salary cap space, but that might not be enough to accommodate upcoming extensions for QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews. So Kevin Seifert sees a couple of salary cap moves that may need to be made:

Defensive back Charles Woodson, linebacker A.J. Hawk and tight end Jermichael Finley are scheduled to count a combined $25.8 million against the Packers' 2013 salary cap. Releasing them before June 1 would save $20.5 million, but none of those Big Decisions are simple. 

It's not simple because all three of them can still play, though they might be overpaid and they might not be interested in taking a pay cut. Unfortunately none of them were major contributors in 2012 and they aren't helping improve the offensive line or the defensive front seven. Hawk may arguably be an addition by subtraction since he was part of the unit that struggled badly against the 49ers.

Some of the moves they make this offseason may come back to bite them, but GM Ted Thompson has never avoided difficult choices such choosing Rodgers over Favre. While Jennings is very unlikely to return, I could still see Woodson, Hawk and/or Finley back under the right contract. However, there is a real possibility that none of them return next season.

Reed says Goodell 'needs more help at the fining process'

Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed said today that commissioner Roger Goodell "needs more help at the fining process." Reed's one of those guys who likes to make big hits, so this really isn't a huge surprise.

Here is the full statement:
"If you're just somebody who is upstairs just wearing a suit who is just fining people and stuff like that for the wrong things; we're policing the wrong things," Reed said. "I really don't know what to say about our commissioner, honestly. It's probably more him and his staff that came up with the things that we're being fined for. It's not just Mr. Goodell. I think he needs more help at the fining process and not just have do-boys that want to please you.

"That was my first impression of it so I decided I would stay as far away as possible, just stay away from the principal."

Reed then complained that he has been unfairly fined over the course of his career.

"The way they have fined me has been ridiculous honestly. .. I think I topped the charts."