New Faces in New Places

Goodbye Russell, Hello Campbell - Continuing a busy NFL offseason that has consisted of blockbuster trades, surprising draft choices, interesting controversies, head shrugging suspensions, mind boggling scandals (see Big Ben's Big Mistake) and the constant Brett Favre talks and never ending updates that have become a daily thing by now, comes another batch of goodies. From Big Ben returning to camp and being allowed to resume in team activities, to the Oakland Raiders releasing their 2007 number 1 overall pick -- JaMarcus Russell. Less than two weeks before Russell's release, the Raiders acquired QB Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. This of coarse coming weeks after Washington welcomed former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. Alongside Ryan Leaf, Russell will go down as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.


Cincy takes a Gamble - Also making headway, is the Cincinnati Bengals who signed CB Adam 'Pac-Man' Jones to a 2-year contract. Like Russell, a lot was expected from Jones when being drafted in 2005 by the Tennessee Titans as the first defensive player in the Draft and sixth player overall in the first round. But after countless incidents and suspensions, Jones' presence on the field is yet to be seen. In fact, Jones has made a bigger impact in the wrestling ring than he has on the football field. In 2007, Jones saw a brief stint on TNA Wrestling and was even a Tag Team Champion at one time before retiring from the sport. The Bengals however, are no strangers for signing players who are linked to controversy and known for having issues both on and off the field, as the team saw a total of nine separate player arrests in nine months back in 2007.


Damaged Goods - Making some of the bigger news thus far in the offseason, was the trade between the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins (see Welcome to Miami). While the Dolphins dealt two draft picks to get the highly talented WR Brandon Marshall, they were unaware of the news they would receive soon after. Just weeks before the start of NFL OTA's, the Dolphins were looking forward to seeing their new star wide-out. Instead, they got word that Marshall would be out until training camp while recovering from hip surgery. Surgery the team knew nothing about when they made a trade for him just a month earlier. And it didn't help that Marshall himself didn't mention anything about undergoing surgery either. The real question is, did Denver know they were trading away damaged goods? Let's hope the Dolphins held onto their receipt...