Welcome back to “NFL’s Believe It or Not.” This week, I will focus on controversial comments from Ndamukong Suh, Ray Farmer, and Brandon Carr.
I will start with Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who said, “I think I said this from the very, very first day I got drafted. I’m here for a reason. I had an opportunity, probably a lot of you guys don’t know, could have gone elsewhere when I was drafted. I had that decision in my hands. I chose not to take because that’s just the way I saw it.” It’s weird that I have never heard of this before now. If Suh had said this on draft day in 2010, the media would have blown it up and it would have been all over the place. This is also strange because NFL players can’t decide where they want to go. Unlike college, where Suh decided to attend the University of Nebraska, he did not have the opportunity to “commit” to any team. When he was further questioned about how he chose Detroit, he responded, “there’s many ways to do things.” Well that certainly clears things up in a plausible manner. Perhaps Suh feels that he hasn’t been in the news lately for some outrageously dirty play, so he felt that he should give the media a good story.
Next up, Browns general manager Ray Farmer earned himself his second appearance in two weeks in “NFL’s Believe It or Not.” This week, he said, “I would tell you that Hoyer is better than Manziel, probably by a substantial margin,” when he was asked about his quarterback battle. Doesn’t it seem like the Browns are trying to alienate Johnny Manziel already? First, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told Manziel to “act like a backup quarterback” and now Farmer says this. Clearly they are trying to limit the media attention that Manziel has brought to the team, but I don’t think this is the most effective way to do it. I guess the Browns could realistically start Brian Hoyer if they felt that he gave them a better chance of winning this season, but even then, would it really make sense? Brian Hoyer definitely isn’t the franchise quarterback, or the Browns would have used their first-round pick on another position of need. Johnny Manziel is a first-round pick and he should be given the opportunity to bring excitement to Cleveland.
Finally, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr said, “I’m trying to take over the league. I get emotional when I say that, because I’m, like, dead serious. I’ve been playing this game for six years now. I’m just ready to make that jump and become that shutdown corner.” These are ambitious words from a man who is already expected to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league because he signed a five-year, $50.1 million contract in 2012. As most people know, Carr did not play at an elite level last season, and at times he simply looked terrible. His stats weren’t pretty either. He surrendered the third most receptions of any cornerback in the NFL last season and he made only three interceptions, despite being targeted frequently. Talk is cheap, so Carr must prove himself on the field first before anybody will believe that he can take over the league.
Make sure to leave your own comments on these controversial topics below and come back next Thursday for another edition of NFL’s Believe It or Not.
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