Preseason Thoughts, Part Two

It seems as though good things only come at the same time as bad ones. Rams RB Steven Jackson finally smartens up and returns to camp, but on the same day NFLPA Director Gene Upshaw passes away at age 63. Upshaw was the leader of the group from 1983-2008, and was a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. Upshaw died from pancreatic cancer, and will be missed...

Jackson reported to camp, but he is still seeking a new contract. The Rams forced his hand by saying no negotiations would take place until he returned to camp. So, step one is complete, and now it is up to both sides to get something worked out. Jackson wants to be paid top dollars for his services, of course, and will not rest until he gets a new deal. As I have stated numerous times before, if you want more money, GO AND PLAY. The money will come in time.

On another front, it appears Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin wants out of the desert. This comes after a rough offseason for the two sides. Boldin has wanted a new contract all summer, but it was intensified when the Cardinals granted fellow WR Larry Fitzgerald his juicy contract extension.

Now, Boldin is every bit as good as Fitzgerald, if not better. Boldin is also three years older than his counterpart, and needs to cash in while he can. Now, as I stated earlier, I am not one to condone these actions in an attempt to get more money. But, I can see Boldin's argument. His partner-in-crime Fitzgerald was rewarded for his holdout by getting a 4-year/$40 million extension, and Boldin wants his share.

This likely won't happen, however, because Fitzgerald's contract put the team into serious salary cap trouble. Boldin will either have to grin and bear it, or leave town as he has requested. The likely resolution will be a settlement of some kind, but don't expect either side to give for a while anyway. Boldin feels betrayed, and much like Brett Favre did, this might be too much for him to overcome.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
-> It appears Falcons rookie QB Matt Ryan will get his starting chance in this weekend's Preseason game against Tennessee. Now, week three is usually considered the "dress rehearsal" for what is to come in the regular season. So Ryan is likely to get almost three quarters of work. If he shows some promise, we could see the $72 million man starting on Opening Day when it really counts.
-> Ravens QB Troy Smith is in the same boat. Het gets the chance to show his stuff over an extended time this weekend. After thinking about Smith's situation, he seems to be in the same situation as that Derek Anderson guy was last year: trying to hold off a hot-shot rookie. Anderson was very successful, and if Smith can do the same, Joe Flacco might be a few years away.
-> What is Chris Simms to do? It seems nobody really wants him. The Bucs have given up on him, and there are no trade offers afoot right now. I believe most teams think he will be released before the start of the regular season, so why bother. Teams interested could include: Green Bay, Dallas, New England, Minnesota and Kansas City. Any of these will likely be as a backup, but Simms has to be ready for anything.
-> And whatever team doesn't get Simms will likely make a play for Daunte Culpepper.