News and Notes - 4/10

Pac-Man has a year off to play golf. Or attend rehab sessions.

Tough day to be a fan of the Titans and Bengals. The NFL today announced the suspensions of Titans CB Pac-Man Jones and Bengals WR Chris Henry. Henry will sit out the first eight games of 2007; Jones will be suspended the entire season. Both players must apply for reinstatement once their suspensions are finished.

Despite all the publicity that Jones has garnered for his behavior, I didn't really expect to see a player benched for a whole season. Good to see new commissioner Roger Goodell isn't messing around.

Take a look at the article linked above for some of the stipulations tied to Jones' suspension - some compelling stuff, including scheduled workouts and film sessions at Titans headquarters and community work. Goodell really threw down the hammer on this one.

Fletcher-Baker: The Washington Post ran a very eloquent article today on former Bills LB London Fletcher-Baker. In case you did not hear a version of this story while he was playing in Buffalo, you should check out the article - some of the stuff he went through is mind-blowing.

It was fairly obvious that LFB was never going to return this off-season, but that doesn't mean that the Bills organization or its fans lack respect for the veteran. He was the heart and soul of our defense for a number of years, and his leadership will be missed. Reading through that article only drove that point home harder. It's a good read.

And, as always, head over to Hogs Haven to see Redskins' fans reaction to the article. Seems to me that the Washington faithful like their new MLB, and rightfully so.

Jamaal Anderson: Found another interesting longer-form article on draft prospect DE Jamaal Anderson today. The article outlines Anderson's childhood and how he and his siblings learned from their deaf father.

In light of all of the talk about Pac-Man and Chris Henry, it's nice to see an article break today about a stand-up young man like Anderson. Jamaal is a top-flight prospect with the skills to fit into any defensive system, and coupled with his background and work ethic, has all the makings of a perennial Pro Bowler.

Poor Arizona: New Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt made a few waves in WNY last week when he signed former Bills LG Mike Gandy to a contract. Apparently, Gandy was supposed to compete for a starting spot at either LT or LG, where he spent all of his time in Buffalo.

A report out of AZCentral, however, indicates that Whisenhunt is shaking things up already. Last year's starting RT, Reggie Wells (whom Buffalo actively pursued as an RFA last spring) will be moved to left guard, and Oliver Ross has been penciled in at LT. That leaves Gandy as the likely starter at right tackle.

I am so sorry, Cards fans. Gandy is a solid player, a good guy and a dependable leader, but in no way is he a good tackle in this league. Consider that he was replaced on the outside by a former undrafted FA (Jason Peters) and a rookie 7th-round pick (Terrance Pennington) in Buffalo last season. Gandy is a much better fit inside.

The lesson to be learned from this? Edgerrin James is still not a good draft choice in fantasy football.