The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an article this week detailing Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch's return to his hometown of Albany, Georgia. Much has been made of Branch calling many of his previous coaches in the hours leading up to the Super Bowl, and that same humble nature was evident when he returned home this offseason, reports Ken Sugiura.
Pete Prisco of CBS.Sportsline.com has an interesting feature discussing the trend of tight-lipped head coaches in the NFL. Prisco contends the practice of non-disclosure is rooted in the success Bill Parcells achieved in the late 1980s. As Parcells protégés, most notably Bill Belichick, have gone forth with their own coaching careers, they have embraced Parcells style as a winning one. While it is impossible to dispute Belichick's success as a head coach with New England, it is nearly as difficult to say Belichick has reached out to the media. Belichick likes to keep things in-house and, as Prisco points out, with Belichick understudies such as Nick Saban (Miami) and Romeo Crennel (Cleveland) commandeering their own NFL teams, the practice is likely to spread.
On ESPN.com, John Clayton provides his offseason scorecard, grading the impact of the personnel moves seen throughout the league thus far. Included in his assessment, is his take on the Patriots swap for cornerback Duane Starks. Clayton acknowledges the risk on the Patriots part, considering Starks' recent injury problems, but also notes the risk looks to be a relatively economical one.
Finally, The Providence Journal's NFL Notebook reports the Indianapolis Colts will entertain trade offers for their Pro-Bowl running back, Edgerrin James. James, one of the league's premier backs, rushed for 142 yards against the Patriots on opening night, the most yards a single rusher gained against the champs this season. James did, however, commit two costly fumbles in the Patriots 27-24 win, and was held to just 39 yards in the AFC Divisional Playoff game.
