Posted by Andy Benoit

You gotta love Dan Patrick. No interviewer is better at getting to the point and asking someone exactly what everyone wants them to be asked. Patrick did this Wednesday on his radio show with guest Adrian Peterson. He asked the Vikings running back if he is a better player than Titans running back Chris Johnson. Peterson’s response? Yes.

"[He's] not faster, stronger, anything," Peterson said. "You've got to understand…that's just the mentality that I have. I have ultimate respect for the guy and he's a heck of a player. I remember at one point and time me talking on the phone to Chris Johnson. He was telling me, 'I'm just a big fan of yours. I like your style.' Some [of the] advice that I gave him was, 'I play this game to be the best player ever to play the game. That's my mentality.'"

It’s worth noting that in July, Johnson told The Sporting News that there's "no way possible there should be a debate about who's the best running back in the NFL."

Since these two can’t seem to sort out the argument themselves, we’ll do it for them.

It’s actually not that complicated. First off, Peterson is NOT faster than Johnson – no running back is. But, obviously, Peterson is indeed stronger. That, however, may be the only distinct advantage he has.

Johnson has the better hands (both in terms of catching passes and not fumbling). Neither player is a very good blocker (though Peterson is less of a weakness than Johnson in this sense). Johnson is quicker, both in his first step and lateral agility. He’s more elusive. Johnson is also a smarter, more patient runner, primarily in the way he sets up his blocks and times his burst. Because of this, he’s the better inside runner. (If you’re crying B.S. at this assertion, you should know that Peterson averaged 4.2 yards per carry up the middle last year, while Johnson averaged 5.8. Inside running is more about vision and patience than power).

To be fair, Johnson runs behind the superior offensive line. But his speed and ability to outrush angles buttresses that offensive line.
Peterson is a great player. He’s the most violent runner in the game today (and perhaps in this era). But he’s not the best.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Chris Mortensen of ESPN is reporting that the Washington Redskins are having talks with the Tennessee Titans about a trade for Albert Haynesworth. This is not the first time these two teams have discussed the disgruntled defensive tackle.

Haynesworth’s relationship with the Redskins, and especially Mike Shanahan, has been strained, to say the least. Their epic power struggle remains ongoing. Shanahan had Haynesworth play virtually the entire fourth preseason game. This past week, there were rumors that Haynesworth would still be deactivated for Week 1.

At the moment, there is no deal in place between Haynesworth’s former team and current team. But stay with the story. Even if no trade pans out, in the very least, we could get another round of “I don’t care, I hate this organization anyway” type quotes from Mr. Haynesworth.


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Posted by Andy Benoit & Josh Katzowitz

On this NFL cut day, we're monitoring all the media outlets and waiver wire action like a hawk so that you can make this is your one-stop shop for instant news and analysis on all the latest noteworthy cuts. Stay with us throughout the day.

Troy Williamson, WR, Jaguars
This isn't a hugely surpising move, because it never seemed that Williamson had a chance to make this team. The Jaguars are stocked with talented young receivers, and in the end, there wasn't a need for a former first-round pick who's had such a disappointing career (eight catched in the past two years with Jacksonville).

Dre Bly, CB, Lions
The Lions secondary has been brutal the past few years, and Bly was signed in the offseason to add a veteran presence. Bly wasn't that bad last year with San Francisco, but if he can't make a Detroit squad that's still in need of secondary help, that's not a real good sign for the health of his career.

Justin Hartwig, C, Steelers
He'd been the starter the previous two seasons in Pittsburgh, but along came rookie Maurkice Pouncey and took away his starting spot. Now, Hartwig's spot on the roster is gone. The team apparently had been trying to work out a trade for him but obviously failed to do so.

Max Jean-Gilles, OG, Eagles
This was an interesting transaction and didn't have much to do with his performance in the preseason. Since the Stacy Andrews trade occured after the 6 p.m. cutdown deadline, the Eagles had to cut Jean-Gilles to complete the 53-man roster. The Eagles are expected to sign him Sunday - Jean-Gilles is a vested veteran that doesn't have to clear waivers. Unless, that is, somebody else comes to him with a better offer.

Chase Coffman, TE, Bengals
The 2009 third round pick of the Bengals didn't see any playing time last year, because even though he was a strong receiver, he had tons to learn on how to block (he never really had to do it in college at Missouri). Though we didn't know it at the time, the first-round selection of Jermaine Gresham this year and the comeback by Reggie Kelly probably sealed Coffman's fate

Sam Aiken, WR, Patriots
He was the special teams captain for New England, and it appeared he had landed one of the final WR spots. But apparently his deficiencies as a WR were too much for the Patriots to handle. Plus, he lost his gunner job on special teams earlier in the preseason.

Derrick Burgess, LB, Patriots
He had a league-leading 16 sacks in 2005, and he was a Pro Bowler that year and the next. But his skills have steadily declined since then, and against the Giants in New England's final preseason game Thursdasy, Burgess was terrible. He couldn't defend the run or rush the passer. And if you can't do either, New England - which will struggle to rush the passer this season - doesn't want you.

Troy Smith, QB, Ravens
After signing Marc Bulger in the offseason, the Ravens shipped away John Beck and now have released Smith. The former Heisman Trophy winner had wanted a trade in the offseason, but the Ravens never got around to it. But who would take him? He's got speed but his accuracy is questionable, and he doesn't appear to have the tools to be an NFL starter. The Ravens will keep only two QBs on the roster for now.

Chad Jackson, WR, Bills
Thought to have first-round potential, Jackson was picked in the second round of the 2006 Draft by the Patriots. So far in his career, he's made exactly 14 catches. Jackson was out of football in 2009, and that's exactly where he's going in 2010 as well.

Kraig Urbik, OG, Steelers
A third-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2009, Pittsburgh expected big things out of the 6-foot-5, 325-pounder. But he had a rough preseason last year, and he struggled while adjusting to the NFL speed. He eventually lost his backup spot, and apparently, the Steelers - who even tried him out at center in the offseason - have no use for him anymore.

Tank Tyler, DT, Panthers
The Panthers gave up a fifth-round pick to get Tyler last season. He had his moments but, as was the case in Kansas City, he never put it all together.


James Hardy, WR, Bills
The 6’5”, high-leaping ’08 second-round pick has not been the same since blowing out his knee. The Bills were hoping he could capture the starting job vacated by Terrell Owens.


Rhys Lloyd, K, Vikings
He was brought in to be a kickoff specialist. Vikings likely decided he wasn’t worth the extra cost (perhaps because they’re already paying a little extra to that old guy playing quarterback). Ryan Longwell will be pleased – he didn’t want to give up the kickoff duties in the first place.

Jay Richardson, DE, Raiders
He was a starter a few years ago but has tailed off as of late. Teams should take a look at him, though. At his best, he’s one of the more impressive run-defending ends in football.


Will Blackmon, CB, Packers
The athletic but oft-injured cornerback/return specialist reached an injury settlement with the team.

Pierre Woods, LB, Patriots
We mention Woods only because the Patriots spent four years waiting for him to come around. Most non-achievers don’t last four months in New England. In the end, Woods never did come around. He was given an opportunity to work with the first unit last season, but in five starts he recorded zero sacks. (In fact, in four years total, he recorded just one sack.)


Chris Simms, QB, Titans
Known more for his name than anything. Would have been nothing more than the third-string option in Tennessee. Recent legal problems certainly could not have helped his cause. Titans will likely keep sixth-round rookie Rusty Smith as the No. 3.

Chevis Jackson, CB, Falcons
The competition for the starting cornerback job opposite Dunta Robinson has been so fierce that you forget about any Falcon corners being on the roster bubble. This explains the mild sense of astonishment we’re all feeling when we hear that Jackson, a third-round pick in 2008, has been waived. In his two years with Atlanta, Jackson mostly competed for reps at the nickel position. Jackson was never awful for Mike Smith; it’s a virtual guarantee that some team will quickly snatch him up.

Ian Johnson, RB, Vikings
By no means a big-name NFL player. But remember the Boise State running back who proposed to the cheerleader after scoring the winning touchdown against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl? This is him.


Matt Leinart, QB, Cardinals
What a disaster this whole saga turned out to be. Leinart is officially a first-round BUST. For more, click here .

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Seahawks
Given that his $7 million salary was already guaranteed, the Seahawks basically said they simply didn't want the veteran wideout around. You have to figure attitude played a part . What else could result in the sudden release of a surefire 70-plus catch weapon?


Brandon Stokley, WR, Broncos
He was everyone’s favorite “scrappy slot receiver” before Wes Welker. But at 34 and having caught only 19 passes last season, he’s expendable. The Broncos have been impressed with Brandon Lloyd, and they figure to develop high-drafted rookies Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker.
Note: Stokley has a groin injury and, according to Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, is still working out an injury settlement with the club. He's been placed on Injured Reserve, but when that's healed, he'll be released.

Jarron Gilbert, DT, Bears
Remember the San Jose State draft prospect who jumped straight out of a swimming pool last year? That’s about all the athletic defensive lineman is known for. Gilbert was drafted in the third round last season but hardly got on the field.

Allen Barbre, OL, Packers
Barbre, a fourth-round pick in 2007, showed up dripping with raw talent. However, things never materialized. Barber was victimized as a starter early last season and was never much of a factor in the ongoing job competition at guard.

Myron Rolle, S, Titans
The sixth-round rookie Rhodes Scholar was a favorite of the coaches. However, he lacked the necessary athleticism to thrive in the NFL. If he wants to continue with football, he could probably sneak on to a practice squad somewhere.


Jarvis Green, DE, Broncos
Seriously!? Green signed a four-year, $20 million free agent deal with the Broncos in March. He was a key contributor for eight years as a versatile downlineman in New England’s 3-4 scheme. But in Denver, Green eventually lost his starting job to Ryan McBean; the Broncos must have felt he was too expensive to be a backup (Green wound up walking away $3.225 million). With Ty Warren out for the season, the Patriots may want to consider bringing Green back.

Michael Clayton, WR, Buccaneers
Clayton has had one of the most enigmatic careers in recent NFL memory. He caught 80 balls for 1,193 yards as a rookie but has failed to top 38 receptions or 484 yards in the five seasons since. Injuries have never been a factor. Coaches say Clayton is the most impressive player in practice each week, but on Sundays, he pulls a Houdini. Bucs GM Mark Dominik must watch a lot of practice, as he gave Clatyon a new contract with $10 million in guarantees just last year.


Pat White, QB, Dolphins
The biggest name to get the ax (or is it axe?...why hasn’t society agreed on one spelling yet? ) thus far. Talk about wasting a second-round pick. White suffered a bad concussion late last season and was rumored to be questioning his football future earlier this summer. He wound up competing in camp, but the Dolphins no longer had a need for him after retaining Chad Pennington and bringing in Tyler Thigpen. Running back Ronnie Brown can continue to be the wild cat ace.

Josh Reed, WR, Chargers
This was to be expected after the trade for Patrick Crayton. Both are underneath possession receivers; Crayton, however, is a bit quicker and has been more productive in recent years.

Dave Rayner, K, Bengals
This means Mike Nugent has won Cincy’s kicking job.

Shayne Graham, K, Ravens
The longtime Bengal was expected to beat out Billy Cundiff for the Ravens kicking job. Apparently he didn’t. Cundiff has the stronger leg.


Donald Thomas, G, Dolphins
Arguably the most surprising cut thus far today – not because Thomas is a particularly good player (he’s not), but because he’s a third-year pro who started 12 games last season. Thomas badly struggled with his footwork and was too much of a plodder at times. The Dolphins signed Richie Incognito and drafted John Jerry to fill the guard spots over the offseason. Looks like Cory Proctor will wind up being the top backup inside now.


Darrell Reid, OLB, Broncos
The veteran special teams ace was on PUP all preseason with a bad knee. Even with Elvis Dumervil on IR, Denver still saw fit to move on. This tells you Reid probably had little chance of physically being ready to play anytime soon. The coaches also really like soaring newcomer Jason Hunter.


Travis Fisher, CB, Ravens
Fisher’s NFL career has been hanging by a threat the past few seasons. The former Ram is an experienced veteran, but the Ravens saw no place for him after trading for Josh Wilson.

J.P. Losman, QB, Seahawks
Could be back to the UFL for the underachieving former first-round pick.


Willie Parker, RB, Redskins
It’s common knowledge that running backs hit a wall around age 30. Parker hit his last year at 29. Parker’s yards per carry had decreased every season in his career until 2009 (when he had very few touches with the Steelers). He was hoping for a resurgence behind Mike Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme, but with his speed diminished and body dinged up (injuries have hounded Parker the past few years), he couldn’t climb out from the fourth spot on the depth chart.

Brandon McDonald, CB, Browns
McDonald is best known for his disgraceful tweet about Terrell Owens earlier this offseason. Looks like his reputation will remain there for a while. McDonald’s playing career in Cleveland is over. He struggled mightily in man coverage as the Browns starting cornerback last season and was benched on more than one occasion. Throw in his flashy, irritating attitude and he became an easy player for Eric Mangini and Mike Holmgren to dump.

William Joseph, DT, Raiders
The 2003 first-round pick of the Giants could be on done for good. Joseph is 31 and has never achieved consistent success at the pro level. Then again, he’s been shuffled on and off the Raiders roster since 2008 – maybe this is just another shuffle. He was fifth on the depth chart at defensive tackle. The news here is that Joseph’s release could mean John Henderson makes the final roster. We’ll find out.

Matt Jones, WR, Bengals
The only thing he had going for him was a history of legal problems (which seems to be an attribute Bengals owner Mike Brown covets in a player). Jones is too lethargic off the line to be a quality NFL receiver. The Bengals found that out.

Patrick Turner, WR, Dolphins
Turner was a third-round pick just one year ago. The Dolphins thought they’d found the next Marques Colston. Instead, they found the next Joe Nobody. Turner never earned the respect of coaches and teammates.

Jon Jansen, OL, Lions
No surprise here. Jansen is a sagacious veteran, but at 34, he has reached his physical end. He was a major liability wherever he lined up last season.

Bear Pascoe, TE, Giants
Thanks to injuries to starter Kevin Boss, Pascoe spent a great deal of the offseason working with the Giants first team offense. Because Pascoe played in only four games as a rookie last season, he is eligible for the practice squad if he clears waivers.


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Posted by Andy Benoit

How in the world does Ndamukong Suh get fined only a $7,500 for that assault on Jake Delhomme? If you haven’t seen the video yet, click here.

Along these lines, Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson has a brilliant idea: start fining players a percentage of their salary. $7,500 is chump change for Suh. But for an undrafted free agent (like, say, Erin Henderson?), it can be a blow.

Panthers right tackle Jeff Otah is still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and won’t be ready for Week 1. In fact, Week 2 might be iffy at this point, as well.

Mike Holmgren and Eric Mangini had a meeting beforehand to discuss how best to use Montario Hardesty in Cleveland’s preseason finale Thursday night. They decided that, because Hardesty had missed so much time, a heavy workload was best. Obviously, if they knew then what they know now, they wouldn’t have given Hardesty any workload that night.

Cardinals rookie quarterback Max Hall was the victim of a small prank in the team’s preseason finale Thursday night.

Jeff Ireland and Dez Bryant shook hands and made amends prior to the Dolphins-Cowboys game Thursday night.

The Washington Redskins apparently gave John Beck the Kellen Clemens treatment. Sounds like he took a pay cut.

Are we really supposed to believe that the Rams still haven’t made a decision about their Opening Day starting quarterback?

Josh Freeman appears to be on target for a Week 1 return.

Titans outside linebacker David Thornton will start the season on PUP. He’s lucky – a few months ago, speculation was he wouldn’t even make the team.

Eagles center Jamaal Jackson says there is a 99.9 percent chance he’ll play in the Season Opener. That’s remarkable. Jackson tore his ACL in Week 16 last year.


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Posted by Andy Benoit

Matt Leinart and Vince Young are on the same field once again tonight. Don’t expect quite as many fireworks as four years ago in Pasadena. Both players are trying to get their respective 8-8 caliber teams over the hump. Problem is, both of these teams are 8-8 caliber in large part because of their quarterbacks.

If Leinart and Young don’t do it for you, here are a few more reasons to watch:

--Chris Johnson. If the Titans are smart, they won’t play the superstar running back more than one series (and if they’re really smart, they’ll sit Johnson the whole night). But that doesn’t mean the third-year sensation isn’t fun to watch. Whether he’s on the field or one the sidelines, count how many times ESPN cameras catch Johnson twitching his head. It’s one of those things where, after noticing it once, you’ll keep noticing it again and again and again and again. (Some people believe Johnson is flicking the dreadlocks out of his eyes. But that doesn’t explain why he twitches his head with his helmet on.)

--Titans tight end Jared Cook. Tennessee is hoping the second-year pro can assume a bigger role in the passing game. Expect Cook to get plenty of reps. He’s an outstanding raw athlete who also has the type of size that makes everyone around him look tiny.

--Cardinals rookie linebacker Darryl Washington. He’s essentially being asked to save Arizona’s depleted inside linebacking corps. How will he look on the big stage?

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