Posts by Tom Mantzouranis at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

NFL players are constantly and increasingly warned to beware the all-seeing eye of the Internet and its resourceful inhabitants. The league itself might want to heed that lesson a little bit, as well.

The league has taken a sorta progressive stance compared to other leagues on offering online video (although a package to watch games online might, you know, be a good idea), but they recently got caught with their guard down. NFL.com streamed the live NFL Network feed of Michael Strahan's retirement press conference on June 9th and then ... forgot to close the feed.

The result: some tubes nerd discovered that by visiting the URL for the Strahan conference, he/she could watch the NFL Network, for free, in glorious real time. Rampant message-boarding ensued. The stream remained for almost an entire month, until it was shut down yesterday. The error is significant, given the vigilance the league usually maintains over its content online, the NFL Network's treatment by the league as a precious commodity, and its struggles with cable over distribution. It also came at a bad time as each side continues to fight for leverage, with the NFL already losing more and more everyday.

I was tipped off to this a couple of weeks ago but kept quiet here because my market is sans-NFLN and I was enjoying the taste while it lasted I wanted to see how long before the league caught on on its own. With it no longer, I contacted the league for a response and it seemed they were still a little confused by it all. They did tell me, however, that they didn't think that the bootlegging was widespread (Google disagrees) and that they hope we "enjoyed the NFL Network freeview." Thank you, we did. I love stickin' it to the man.

I think the obvious answer to that question is no. Realistically speaking, there have been far worse quarterbacks in the NFL than the piano man, I mean, there's got to be a reason guys are sitting below him on depth charts even though we're far removed from any semblance of hope that he'd live up to his draft status. But what if you take into account the whole statistical shebang, including the amount of opportunities with which to suck? That might be a different story.

Or at least that's what Pro Football Reference thinks, as they've compiled their list of worst quarterbacks in the league's history, which -- if your surname isn't Imus -- you should be smart enough to realize is headlined by Joey Harrington. The reasoning is a stew of numbers and equations (here's the method behind the madness). It's definitely worth checking out for the comprehensive perspective it takes, even if it took me three reads and the assistance of a Mensa member to understand.

That being said, I'm a firm believer in the eyeball test, and I stand by my very subjective scientific opinion that Harrington isn't the worst. There are surely a couple of inferior quarterbacks in history. There are even a couple of current quarterbacks who are worse. Hell, there are a couple of quarterbacks currently on the Chicago Bears who are worse than Harrington.

Or maybe I've just got a soft spot for someone who can tickle the ivories.

When word came down that the 49ers had re-signed tight end Delanie Walker to a three-year, $6 million deal, ripples were felt all across the NFL landscape. Mostly because everybody outside of San Francisco (and some inside) asked themselves, "Who the hell is Delanie Walker?"

He's a guy Mike Martz has raved about thus far in the offseason, going so far as to create a package of plays designed specifically to get the ball in Walker's hands (interesting, given that he's got only 23 receptions in two seasons). The extension is obviously another vote of confidence and perhaps the 49ers trying to lock Walker up a year early, before he might command much more after a big statistical jump in '08. That's smart future planning.

What makes it all the smarter is that it might provide for a cheaper, better, quieter life after Vernon Davis. Davis' deal is up before the 2011 season (if there is one). It's safe to assume Davis is going to benefit from Martz's system as well. If he has one or two very good seasons, what would prevent the overconfident, overrated Davis from commanding a huge deal before his contract runs out (especially with the misleading but sexy dangling carrot of an uncapped year in 2010)?

If that's the case, the 49ers would be wise to let another team deal with his attitude. And they'd be even wiser to have Walker ready to take his place.

This is how you know it's the dregs of the NFL offseason. Teams still have glaring needs to fill, and as the demand for talent far outweighs the supply, inevitably people look at the best of what's left and allow themselves to get overly zealous about a mediocre player. "Savior" talk ensues.

Ex-Raider tackle Barry Sims isn't a bad player. And with offensive line depth at a premium, it makes sense that multiple teams would be interested. But good enough to call his own shots? With the choice of going to the 49ers, Rams, Ravens, or Patriots, Sims has agreed to a two-year deal with San Francisco.

The decision came down to playing time, and he concluded that the 49ers' offensive line situation is more unsettled than St. Louis' (a damning statement, to say the least). He's currently be backing up Jonas Jennings at right tackle, but Jennings has missed 27 games in the last three seasons and is recovering from ankle surgery. Besides, Sims has faced challenges before, besting three top prospects (Mo Collins, Matt Stinchcomb, and Robert Gallery) for the starting job at left tackle in Oakland after going undrafted. There's a very real chance he'll start.

Which most likely means the team is giving up on Chico Rachal as a bookend. It also means that Sims, a casualty of a 4-12 team and a member of some of the worst offensive lines in recent history, will bear the brunt of expectation in San Francisco. Gotta love the offseason.

Ah, Barry Sanders, you left us too soon. Your retirement altered the future of the running back record book, robbed us of precious highlights, tormented a city, gave Ricky Williams a justifiable precedent for ditching Miami, and might have been the reason your coach, Bobby Ross, lost his job. Luckily, Ross isn't bitter. Right.

"I don't know if Barry really loved the game, but he worked hard at it," Ross said. "He did what he was supposed to do. I always wanted him to be a leader, but he didn't really want that role.

PFT explains quite thoroughly why Sanders was, in fact, a tremendous leader, and illustrates the absurdity in the designation. I can't quite pen it as well as Florio, so check out what he has to say (after you finish here, that is).

But even if Sanders wasn't a leader, as Ross said, so what? Barry Sanders wasn't paid to be a leader. He was paid grab a ball and bring it to a particular destination. And he did that quite well, no matter where on the field he was.

The idea that the most talented players should also be team leaders always seemed bizarre to me. You can't force guys into that role -- either they are or they aren't -- and putting pressure on Sanders to be more than he could be might have been the primary reason one of the greatest players in the game's history gave it up and never looked back, leaving a city clinging to hopes of a comeback years after the fact.

It was exactly a week ago today that I guessed that the Saints would announce a contract extension for defensive end Will Smith before the week ended. I was a few days late on that prediction, but I won't let that stop me from giving myself dap (do the kids still say that?) in noting that the deal was announced today. And Smith is a very rich man.

The extension calls for Smith to earn up to $70 million over six years, with $26 million in guaranteed money. The deal places him third on the list of highest-paid ends behind Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney, but Smith's deal isn't far behind either of those two. It also trumps the seven-year, $63 million deal with $20 million that linemate Charles Grant got a summer ago. So was it worth it?

Well, who knows. Smith was on his way to being a premiere pass-rusher before fattening up and playing poorly last year. New line coach Ed Orgeron is trying to install a scheme much like the Giants' (who isn't?), which relies on lighter, faster linemen, so Smith will have the opportunity to remind everyone that he's got the ability. Whether he takes advantage remains to be seen.

Either way, from a talent, PR, and chemistry standpoint the Saints couldn't afford to see Smith walk after this year, and they had/have plenty of cap room. But with the money tied in its ends, the team will be hearing some deserved scorn from its fanbase if they're not a terror for quarterbacks.

Larry David's right -- you can get out of just about any question as long as you say "it's personal," unless, of course, you're being questioned by Roger Goodell, who will have a league of upstanding citizens even if it requires surveillance in the homes of every single player. Luckily for Arnaz Battle, the questions he's facing aren't regarding legal matters, so no one will press any further on why the receiver missed team activities last week now that he's back.

"It's just a lack of communication," Battle said. "This is not a mandatory camp and I felt there were some personal things I needed to take care of. I put it on my shoulders. I didn't communicate it, and that's that."

Apparently everything's been cleared up and the team is satisfied. It's obviously best for everyone involved if Battle is present, especially now that he's missed a week of lessons on Mike Martz's new offense. But Battle isn't concerned about that.

"I played quarterback," he said. "I feel I have the intelligence to (be able to) come in and learn the position and get out there and make plays and make things happen"

Quarterback? Battle should switch positions, he might have a better chance of starting if he's under center.

I don't know Chilo Rachal. He might be a very nice man. Everything I've heard about him as a football player has been positive. But through no fault of his own, he represents everything that's gone wrong with the 49ers over the last few years.

Rachal was a guard in college, and the 49ers made him their second pick despite having a more urgent need at tackle. The thinking was that Rachal would be converted there, but there's one problem -- the 49ers' various decision-makers are at odds over the switch.

Now, this is a pretty big decision for the current state of the team -- a lot of jobs are riding on this season, and as last year proved a lot of the team's success will be riding on the offensive line. You'd have thought that the position would have been a priority this offseason. You'd have also thought that with the ramifications involved in getting this ship righted, the people responsible would at least be able to agree on a course of action. But no. Communication (or mis-, as the case may be), poor planning, and a lack of competent leadership have been the team's downfall since Steve Mariucci left.

And though, yes, Jonas Jennings is penciled in as the starter on the right line (making this all seemingly moot), there's no doubt that the guy who has missed 27 games in the last three seasons will need to be replaced at some point this season, if not from Week 1. The team's interest in Barry Sims indicates that the Rachal experiment isn't going well, making the dissension even more ludicrous and leaving the 49ers yet again holding their ... you know.

While some find yesterday's announcement that the Saints have fired vice president of player personnel Rick Mueller intriguing because of what it means for Sean Payton's role with the team, there's another aspect of the news that interests me.

After all, anyone who's followed the Saints since Payton has arrived knows that he's been the personnel decision-maker all along; removing Mueller just makes it official. More importantly, the team has hired Khai Harley as vice president of football operations to replace Russ Ball, who left for a similar position in Green Bay.

Harley will manage the salary cap and conduct contract negotiations in New Orleans. What fascinates me about this hire is what he's got on his C.V. Namely, five years as manager of labor operations with the NFL management council, where his main responsibility was making sure contracts were compliant with the CBA and the NFL's constitution and bylaws. He's also got extensive knowledge of where the CBA talks are and where they're going.

As things are beginning to get hectic, teams have to consider contracts with regards not only to the current CBA, but to a potential work stoppage and future CBA as well. That being said, it makes sense for a team to hire a supposed "expert" in that department to handle contracts. It's just another sign, if we needed any more, that we're entering the real muck of the labor dispute.

Terrence Holt, Torry Holt's brother, insists Torry wasn't joking when he said he'd like to finish his career with his brother in Carolina when his contract with the Rams is up in two years. Yeah, no kidding.

I think more than joking, I think he was just realistic about where he's at in his contract and in his career," he said. "He has two years left on his deal, and I don't think he said anything out of the realm of what could happen.

Terrence goes on to defend Torry's talk of returning home -- both Holt brothers grew up in North Carolina and played at N.C. State -- by bringing up the brutal honesty and lack of loyalty that teams display. That's all well and good, when Torry's contract is up he's free to go anywhere he wants or say anything he wants about the Rams.

That isn't the issue. The issue is that Holt has a commitment to the Rams right now. And for all of the work he's put in for them, they've rewarded him handsomely. It's not right of him to continue to daydream about something two years down the line (who knows what can happen in that time?) when he's got a season to prepare for. Terrence especially notes that "He's actually been up here a few times and is beginning to fall in love with the area."

This all seems like far more than just cursory preparation. And I still think that if the Rams, and Holt in particular, are not successful this year, he's setting himself up for some hostility both in the locker room and the city itself.