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-- Pro Football Talk reports, via USA Today, that the NFL Network's Rich Eisen will be moving on (and up) from the network's daily "Total Access" news program to work on other projects. Eisen will still be anchoring game coverage and working on his popular podcasts, which the NFL Network has now turned into telecasts. It's good for Eisen, but it's a bit of a hit for the network's news coverage.
Eisen wasn't just quick, funny and insightful on "Total Access," he also knew how to keep everything in check and prevent certain panelists from rolling over everyone else. It's a rare skill, and not everybody has it. We'll see what the network does to replace him, but it should seriously consider bringing in someone else who can take "Total Access" over from a personality standpoint. We've seen what happened to "SportsCenter" when it became a series of anonymous faces, and it would be a shame for the NFL's primary news source to do the same.
-- Vin Scully, the best broadcaster of all time in any sport (I will brook no argument), said that he didn't want to delay the announcement of his return for a 63rd season of broadcasting Dodgers games. "I hate to make a big deal out of it," the 83-year-old Scully said after the announcement was made. "I'm not trying to be a Brett Favre or whoever else."
And that's just one more reason to love the man.
-- Worrisome news out of Green Bay ? apparently, the defending Super Bowl champs are having trouble finding a place where first-round offensive lineman Derek Sherrod fits. He's struggled at the left guard position and hasn't looked good enough at right tackle to impress anyone. Far be it for me to question the personnel acumen of the team with the Lombardi Trophy under its control, but I always saw Sherrod as more of a natural left tackle ? a natural pass�protector with the need to work on his lower-body strength, making him more an ideal left tackle in any system.
-- Speaking of guys who are struggling ? Chicago Bears running back Chester Taylor is very unhappy about his lack of playing time in the preseason, but after his 2010 campaign, he should be feeling lucky to have a uniform. Last season, Taylor was the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to average less than 2.4 yards per carry and still pick up more than 100 carries for his trouble. The Bears gave Taylor every chance, and he showed them what kind of juice he has left. That's why Chicago picked up former Dallas Cowboys back Marin Barber as Matt Forte's change-of-pace.
UPDATE: Apparently, Taylor won't survive the Bears' first cuts, just a year after they signed him to a four-year, $12.5 million contract that included $7 million on guaranteed money. Whoops!
-- As predicted, the Colts took Peyton Manning off the preseason physically unable to perform list and are hoping that he's recovered enough from his offseason neck surgery to start Week 1 of the regular season. Recent indications have been positive.
-- Arian Foster of the Houston Texans doesn't just snap at fantasy football fans ? he also had an epic Twitter takedown of ESPN "personality" Colin Cowherd over the weekend. After Cowherd tweeted, "'We really do care about you as a human too. Um,now about that hammy? --signed, everybody," Foster came back with this:
Yikes! We're not Cowherd fans by any means, but THAT's pretty hardcore.
John Lackey Baltimore Ravens San Diego Chargers St. Louis Rams Pittsburgh Steelers
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