Another Huge Retirement

Wow, what a class we are going to have for the Hall Of Fame in 2013. You get Brett Favre, Michael Strahan, Warren Sapp, Steve McNair and now Jonathan Ogden can be added to the list. Combine that with the possible retirements of Larry Allen and Bryant Young, and we could have a slugfest for the four spots. Wow...that's all that can be said.
Ogden leaves a huge void on the Ravens offensive line. It's not every day the best tackle of our age retires. Yikes, thats a tough one. The Ravens now face a similar situation as the Packers, whereas they have to replace a legend. Jared Gaither is the front-runner for the starting job, and it is obviously a huge drop-off. Ogden was a perennial force on the left side for 12 years, and he will be greatly missed.

All kinds of big news going on today.

-> Bengals WR Chad Johnson is a good boy, well kind of. He showed up for the teams mandatory mini-camps today, but he didn't participate in any of the drills. Strange move, but at least he was there. Johnson took a step in the right direction.
-> Saints DE Will Smith threatened to hold out of training camp in the search of a new deal, and he got it ahead of schedule. Smith signed a whopping 7-year. $63 million deal that makes him the third highest paid defensive end under Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney. This will be a huge lift for the Saints, as they aim to build a defence.
-> Giants WR Plaxico Burress is the latest bum to try and get himself more money. He showed up for the teams mini-camp, but like Johnson, he refused to practise. Some say Burress deserves more money, but really...he has three years left on his deal. Just go out there and play.
-> Fines: The Bills have fined OT Jason Peters for skipping the mandatory team mini-camps this week. Peters wants a new contract, and he is likely to get one at some point. Peters is one of the best young tackles in the league, and he will get his due...but he should be in camp. --- The Jets have fined TE Chris Baker for skipping his workouts.
-> LeCharles Bentley made his return to practice on Tuesday, but he was unhappy with his situation. He asked GM Phil Savage if he could be released to seek another opportunity for playing time, and his wish was granted today. I think that there will many teams that could use Bentley, as he can play either center or guard.
-> Bears LB Brian Urlacher made his first appearance at a team function yesterday, as he practised with the team for the first time. This is a big step for Brian, who like everyone else in this world wants more money.

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