Those Crazy Rumours
by CJ Sanchez
6/3/2008
 
So what does a die-hard NFL fan do on the eve of free agency? Well he could do what any normal person would and go to bed with the intention of checking the news in the morning - OR - he could stay up all night constantly refreshing NFL.com for any glimpse of a signing rumour.
 
Not that checking NFL.com twenty times a day is anything new of course, it's just that, in free agency, there's actually something new to read every now and then.
 
If you're anything like me (and God help you if you are), then your bookmarks will be filled with any sports news sites that carry NFL updates. ESPN, SI (CNN), the Miami Herald, the Palm Beach Post – the list goes on and on. And once you've checked every one of those sites, you can always go back to the beginning and start hitting the 'refresh' button relentlessly.
 
*Refresh*
 
“Nope, still nothing… what are they doing over there? Aren't they up? I'm up, I'm ready… I need NEWS people!”
 
Thankfully, when there aren't any genuine stories, there's always one or two items of speculation lying around. And speculation is what keeps the entire NFL universe rotating.
 
Let's look at some of the more ludicrous ideas that have been floating around this week:
 
Randy Moss Might Not Be a Patriot Next Year – Although Moss has now signed a three year, $27 million contract that ensures he will be a Pat for some time to come, many pundits actually thought he might go to another team. But in reality, this was never going to happen.
 
Moss was linked with The Dallas Cowboys for the extremely loose reason that Jerry Jones had said he was going to 'Make a big signing that would make people say 'wow''. He was linked with the Eagles who, if you believe the Philadelphia media, were on the verge of signing the talented receiver. It was even suggested that he wanted to link back up with old buddy Dante Culpepper at whatever team wanted them both!
 
The reality though, was far less exciting. The Patriots were never going to let him go after the record-breaking season he had last year. Sure, they don't like to pay out too often, but they're not idiots either. They know there comes a time when you just have to bite the bullet and 'pay the man'. Also, general managers and head coaches around the league know that Moss would be unlikely to perform at that same level for their team. They're not stupid either. They remember what happened in Oakland.
 
In short, despite all the wishful thinking, Randy Moss was always going to be playing in the red white and er… silver, next season.
 
Running Back Michael Turner Might Be Heading To Miami – There's probably only one position on the Dolphins roster that doesn't need any help and that's running back. Turner signed for the Falcons on Sunday. Where do they come up with this stuff?
 
Derek Anderson Might Go Some Place Else – What was really funny about this rumour was that the Browns had already said they were going to do whatever it takes to re-sign Anderson and Anderson had said he wanted to stay with the Browns. In fact, Romeo Crennel, the Browns head coach, even named Anderson as next year's starter at quarterback before the season was even over!
 
Yet still, the rumours flew… until Anderson resigned with Cleveland like everybody expected.
 
The Dolphins Might Draft Matt Ryan With The Number One Pick – This rumour, which really should have died when the Dolphins picked up Raiders quarterback Josh McCown, shows just how desperate some pundits are for a big story.
 
The problem, you see, is that drafting O or D-line guys is not particularly glamorous or exciting. It doesn't give sports writers endless column inches to write before and during the season and it doesn't do much to excite the less enthusiastic fans into buying a newspaper. But drafting a quarterback with the first overall pick… now that's a huge story.
 
But the truth is that the Dolphins are almost certainly going to draft one of the Longs; either Jake on the O-line or Chris on the D. They have no need for a young quarterback because they already have one. What they need (and what they got) was a veteran QB who could fill in until John Beck is ready to take the mantle.
 
Last year Miami drafted BYU star John Beck in the second round. In the five games that Beck played a part in he made some mistakes, but he also showed some potential – in short, he had a typical rookie season. He did nothing to suggest that he wouldn't develop into the franchise QB the Dolphins need and in fact, after his first touchdown pass during the Bengals game, many pundits applauded him.
 
But in spite of all this, the Ryan rumours will come thick and fast as the media networks push for the pick they want. Much like the other rumours, this one is unlikely to go away until the day it is blown out of the water by the real story. And then it will conveniently be forgotten by all those who peddled it.
 
We shouldn't be too harsh on those that write the speculation and outlandish rumours though. After all, where would we be without them?
 
Clicking refresh and being disappointed most likely.
 
*Refresh*