ESPN Mosley Mailbag: Wade Phillips: No Bum, but he's good
By Matt Mosley
ESPN.com
Archive
While I stepped away from my desk to the Florida panhandle for a few days, many of you were kind enough to send encouraging notes like, "You're taking from vacation from what?"
When we last met here, I put out the call for help in naming my NFL blog, which is set to launch in the next week or so or spring 2009. You guys responded in a big way, flooding my in-box with hundreds (17) of suggestions such as "Mosley's Musings," "Matt's Meltdown" and my personal favorite, "Mosley's Big Chief Tablet."
As many of you know, I championed the name "Obstructed View," which had heavy support from ESPN stalwarts such as Werder, Wingo and Cowlishaw. When it was determined that none of these men pulled any weight whatsoever, another name was chosen.
The blog name will be announced at a launch party, which is tentatively scheduled Wednesday night in Dallas. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens have confirmed they won't be attending, but Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar and French-Canadian deep-snapper L.P. Ladouceur will be in the house.
Stay tuned for more vague details.
Now, settle in for another exciting edition of Matt's Mailbag, which Titans linebacker Ryan Fowler recently described as "life changing for people who don't have lives."
Rusty in Seattle: Matt, please tell me the Cowboys' dynamic and charismatic new coach Wade Phillips is not going to be another Dave Campo, is he? He has acted like he has had nothing to do with any decisions since hired by Jerry Jones. Please tell me there is more than meets the eye here and that he is a gifted coach with an opinion and ideas and not just a puppet.
Mosley: Rusty, I'm planning to spend part of this weekend with Phillips at his first minicamp with the Cowboys. If I see any signs of charismatic behavior -- or even changes in facial expression -- I'll let you know.
But the honest truth is that Phillips is extremely bright, and his laidback demeanor should have a calming influence on this club. If Marty Schottenheimer had been fired immediately after the Chargers' playoff loss to the Patriots, Phillips would be the San Diego head coach. Anyone with that organization will tell you that.
The reason people talk about him not having much personality is because they measure him against his legendary father, Bum. Although he doesn't waste a lot of words, I've really enjoyed the couple of conversations we've had.
He's a no-nonsense guy who won't let his ego get in the way in dealing with Jerry Jones and a certain wide receiver. He's not the most inspiring guy in the world, but he hasn't won the respect of a lot of coaches and personnel guys across the league for nothing.
Tony in Griffin, Ga.: With the most recent news on Michael Vick, do you think the Falcons are regretting the Matt Schaub trade?
Mosley: In case some of you missed it, some of Vick's "friends" are now saying he knew about a dog-fighting ring that authorities believe they uncovered during a drug raid on the quarterback's property in Smithfield, Va.
Like anyone who's ever had a loved one sneak 70 pit bulls onto their property, Vick was caught off guard by the allegations. His lawyers will use the ever-popular "crazy cousin" defense and nothing will stick.
But back to your question, Tony. Yes, the Falcons are already regretting the decision. In the wake of commissioner Roger Goodell's stricter conduct policy, which does not embrace dog-fighting, Falcons owner Arthur Blank has egg on his face for refusing to stand up to his franchise quarterback.
Blank also said he's the one who asked Goodell to speak to Vick about his off-field behavior recently. This all sounds like damage control to me. It's funny to hear Vick's enablers blame his problems on his entourage.
Is anyone forcing Vick to surround himself with friends who have too much time on their hands? Would Vince ever allow anything like this to happen?
Jeff in La Jolla, Calif.: I noticed you spent a lot of time in your recent draft blog talking about a cornerback named Anthony Arline, who went undrafted. Since my Chargers just signed him, what should we expect?
Mosley: For those of us who specialize in Day 2 of the draft, watching young Arline slide was much more painful than anything that happened to Brady Quinn in the commissioner's Green Room.
His reputation as the skinniest-looking cornerback in the Big 12 (6-foot-2, 199) may not have helped, but Arline's found comfort in the waiting arms of his former defensive coordinator at Baylor, "Super" Bill Bradley, who is now coaching the defensive backs in San Diego.
Jeff, you're about to realize what the folks at Floyd Casey Stadium have known for years. This kid is always around the ball -- and he believes in full immersion to boot.
Jeremie in Chicago: I read the article on his injury and I think Donovan McNabb has nothing to worry about. I think he will come back have a spectacular season, and I will go as far as to say he will have an MVP season, Yeah, I said it: "M-V-P." I think the guy from Houston will be a suitable backup at least, if not just a total bust, period. What's your take?
Mosley: Jeremie, your timing is impeccable. I just received an e-mail from someone in the Kevin Kolb camp (seats still available) this very morning. Like a couple of my colleagues have written recently, I think 2007 is about McNabb proving that he can make it through a season. If he suffers a season-ending injury for the third consecutive season or plays poorly, the Eagles will look to trade him.
I'm not sure whether Kolb was a reach at No. 36, but all this stuff about McNabb being shocked by the selection seems pretty silly. The guy hasn't made it through a season the past two years, but he expects the Eagles to stand pat at the position?
The problem for McNabb is that the Eagles realized last season that it doesn't take a star quarterback to make a serious run at the Super Bowl.
In our next session, remind me to tell you about the Unitas book I read on vacation. See you soon, perhaps in a blog.
ESPN.com
Archive
While I stepped away from my desk to the Florida panhandle for a few days, many of you were kind enough to send encouraging notes like, "You're taking from vacation from what?"
When we last met here, I put out the call for help in naming my NFL blog, which is set to launch in the next week or so or spring 2009. You guys responded in a big way, flooding my in-box with hundreds (17) of suggestions such as "Mosley's Musings," "Matt's Meltdown" and my personal favorite, "Mosley's Big Chief Tablet."
As many of you know, I championed the name "Obstructed View," which had heavy support from ESPN stalwarts such as Werder, Wingo and Cowlishaw. When it was determined that none of these men pulled any weight whatsoever, another name was chosen.
The blog name will be announced at a launch party, which is tentatively scheduled Wednesday night in Dallas. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens have confirmed they won't be attending, but Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar and French-Canadian deep-snapper L.P. Ladouceur will be in the house.
Stay tuned for more vague details.
Now, settle in for another exciting edition of Matt's Mailbag, which Titans linebacker Ryan Fowler recently described as "life changing for people who don't have lives."
Rusty in Seattle: Matt, please tell me the Cowboys' dynamic and charismatic new coach Wade Phillips is not going to be another Dave Campo, is he? He has acted like he has had nothing to do with any decisions since hired by Jerry Jones. Please tell me there is more than meets the eye here and that he is a gifted coach with an opinion and ideas and not just a puppet.
Mosley: Rusty, I'm planning to spend part of this weekend with Phillips at his first minicamp with the Cowboys. If I see any signs of charismatic behavior -- or even changes in facial expression -- I'll let you know.
But the honest truth is that Phillips is extremely bright, and his laidback demeanor should have a calming influence on this club. If Marty Schottenheimer had been fired immediately after the Chargers' playoff loss to the Patriots, Phillips would be the San Diego head coach. Anyone with that organization will tell you that.
The reason people talk about him not having much personality is because they measure him against his legendary father, Bum. Although he doesn't waste a lot of words, I've really enjoyed the couple of conversations we've had.
He's a no-nonsense guy who won't let his ego get in the way in dealing with Jerry Jones and a certain wide receiver. He's not the most inspiring guy in the world, but he hasn't won the respect of a lot of coaches and personnel guys across the league for nothing.
Tony in Griffin, Ga.: With the most recent news on Michael Vick, do you think the Falcons are regretting the Matt Schaub trade?
Mosley: In case some of you missed it, some of Vick's "friends" are now saying he knew about a dog-fighting ring that authorities believe they uncovered during a drug raid on the quarterback's property in Smithfield, Va.
Like anyone who's ever had a loved one sneak 70 pit bulls onto their property, Vick was caught off guard by the allegations. His lawyers will use the ever-popular "crazy cousin" defense and nothing will stick.
But back to your question, Tony. Yes, the Falcons are already regretting the decision. In the wake of commissioner Roger Goodell's stricter conduct policy, which does not embrace dog-fighting, Falcons owner Arthur Blank has egg on his face for refusing to stand up to his franchise quarterback.
Blank also said he's the one who asked Goodell to speak to Vick about his off-field behavior recently. This all sounds like damage control to me. It's funny to hear Vick's enablers blame his problems on his entourage.
Is anyone forcing Vick to surround himself with friends who have too much time on their hands? Would Vince ever allow anything like this to happen?
Jeff in La Jolla, Calif.: I noticed you spent a lot of time in your recent draft blog talking about a cornerback named Anthony Arline, who went undrafted. Since my Chargers just signed him, what should we expect?
Mosley: For those of us who specialize in Day 2 of the draft, watching young Arline slide was much more painful than anything that happened to Brady Quinn in the commissioner's Green Room.
His reputation as the skinniest-looking cornerback in the Big 12 (6-foot-2, 199) may not have helped, but Arline's found comfort in the waiting arms of his former defensive coordinator at Baylor, "Super" Bill Bradley, who is now coaching the defensive backs in San Diego.
Jeff, you're about to realize what the folks at Floyd Casey Stadium have known for years. This kid is always around the ball -- and he believes in full immersion to boot.
Jeremie in Chicago: I read the article on his injury and I think Donovan McNabb has nothing to worry about. I think he will come back have a spectacular season, and I will go as far as to say he will have an MVP season, Yeah, I said it: "M-V-P." I think the guy from Houston will be a suitable backup at least, if not just a total bust, period. What's your take?
Mosley: Jeremie, your timing is impeccable. I just received an e-mail from someone in the Kevin Kolb camp (seats still available) this very morning. Like a couple of my colleagues have written recently, I think 2007 is about McNabb proving that he can make it through a season. If he suffers a season-ending injury for the third consecutive season or plays poorly, the Eagles will look to trade him.
I'm not sure whether Kolb was a reach at No. 36, but all this stuff about McNabb being shocked by the selection seems pretty silly. The guy hasn't made it through a season the past two years, but he expects the Eagles to stand pat at the position?
The problem for McNabb is that the Eagles realized last season that it doesn't take a star quarterback to make a serious run at the Super Bowl.
In our next session, remind me to tell you about the Unitas book I read on vacation. See you soon, perhaps in a blog.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:18 PM
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