NFC

The New York Giants have signed defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, according to USA Today.  This smart deal means Big Blue have added a valuable interior pass-rusher to their defense.

The Giants have lacked a defensive tackle who can pressure the pocket, since Justin Tuck moved to end. They have instead relied on road-graders and run-stuffers on early downs.

For nickel and dime packages, the Giants have moved edge-rushers like Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul inside. Signing Jenkins gives the G-men a credible pass-rush from the inside.

It also completes an overhaul of the defensive tackle position for the four-time Super Bowl winners. Since 2010, they have parted ways with veterans like Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield and Chris Canty.

Head coach Tom Coughlin has also introduced younger players such as Linval Joseph and Marvin Austin. Joseph has been solid and certainly showcases the potential to improve.

 

Greg Olsen’s departure two years ago left the Chicago Bears with a bare cupboard at the tight end position. With a new (and non-TE-phobic) offensive coordinator in town, Chicago also might have an opportunity to replace at least some of Olsen’s much-missed production.

As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears are expected to make a serious push to sign free agent Jared Cook away from the Tennessee Titans. Cook was one of the few players who had been rumored as likely franchise-tag targets who was not, in fact, locked up by his incumbent team.

Although the Titans themselves and other clubs are sure to be in the mix for the Cook, he has so much going for him that Chicago has to make every effort to bring him in. The Bears don’t have much cap space of their own after franchising Henry Melton, but it’s not impossible that Julius Peppers or Jay Cutler could agree to some contract restructuring for the good of the team.

The San Francisco 49ers look poised to do some serious damage in this off-season. They have traded away 2005 Number One Draft pick Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs in a deal that left everyone astounded. The Chiefs gave up the 34th pick in this years draft, plus a conditional pick in next years draft. This is now a 3rd round pick but could rise to another 2nd rounder based on Smith's performance for his new team. This was a fantastic bit of business for the 49ers. They now essentially have another first round pick to utilise and now have a total of 15 picks in the 7 rounds of this years Draft. There's no doubt the Chiefs overpaid for Smith, a QuarterBack who has struggled mightily during his time in the NFL. The last two seasons have been far more positive for Smith and some would deem him unfortunate to lose his starting spot due to a concussion. The Chiefs, sensing there wasn't a Signal Caller worth taking with the first pick this year, moved the 34th pick for Smith instead of drafting a Matt Barkley with it.

 

The Chicago Bears have a boatload of potential free agents to re-sign (or not) from last year’s roster, and the most expensive of the lot could be Henry Melton. The 26-year-old defensive tackle is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance just as his rookie contract expires.

As reported by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter), the Bears appear to be willing to sink huge amounts of cash into keeping Melton on the roster. Biggs says that, unless a long-term contract is reached, the Bears are expected to put the franchise tag on the youngster…a move that’s expected to cost in the neighborhood of $8 million next season.

The Bears aren’t long on cap room in the best of scenarios, so committing that kind of money to one of their many skilled defensive linemen isn’t a trivial decision. Nevertheless, Chicago can ill afford to make any other move where Melton is concerned.

Trying to come up with a new, fresh approach to a story that seems as old as time itself can be as hard as figuring why the person in the title is error prone in big matches.

Tony Romo. Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback. America's Team Quarterback.

That's the huge weight that he carries around with him when he' s on the golf course. As well as the times he takes snaps on the football field. The number of players in his position, on the team that is under the constant media microscope, and thrived and succeeded, can be counted on one hand. Those that fail are often thrown by the side of the road, hitching a ride into the NFL wilderness.

Maybe that's the problem.