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Welcome to The Show! On Thursday, ESPN.com senior NFL writer Len Pasquarelli will be in the house to talk about the release of the 2006 NFL schedule and what news is circulating around the league's hallways and offices.
Send your questions now and join Len in The Show on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET!

Pasquarelli Archive: Chats | Columns

Len Pasquarelli: good afternoon, and thanks for taking some time to talk football . . . an exciting day, i know, with the schedule being announced . . . one warning: i got involved in a trade story about an hour ago and am not as up to speed on the schedule stuff as i should be, so please forgive me on that . . . i'll answer any schedule queries as best i can . . . so let's have at it




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Gregory (Austin, TX): What was behind the Gandy to ATL move? Why would the Saints trade Gandy within the division? Does this lock them into D'Brick Ferguson?

Len Pasquarelli: good, timely question . . .for those of you who might not know, the saints are sending OT wayne gandy to atlanta for S bryan scott and an undisclosed draft pick . . . atlanta really needed a tackle and the saints had kind of soured on gandy. who is 35 . . . they nearly cut him last summer, when he declined to re-do his contract . . . i don't know, gregory, if this locks the saints into d'brickashaw, but it sure increases the chances he could go to new orleans


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Aaron- Pittsburgh, PA: Len, I enjoy your columns very much, keep up the good work. Now on to the questions do you think the Eagles will try to trade for Jevon Walker's services. I am hoping they get Winston Justice in the first rd. your thoughts?

Len Pasquarelli: i'd say the chances of getting justice are better than the odds of landing walker . . . i really think the packers will try to keep walker, and sweat him a bit . . .justive put on quite a show at the USC pro day on sunday, and i was really impressed . . . andy reid likes to take OL, but he may have to get pretty high to get justice, whose stock is rising


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Chris, NY: Leb, thanks for chatting. The Jets have 3 of the first 35 overall picks. Is this realistic? - #4 - D'Brickashaw, #29 - Laurence Maroney, #35 - Nick Mangold? What a start to the draft that would be!

Len Pasquarelli: that would be quite a trifecta . . . you've got all three guys going about where they are pegged in most projections . . . as noted earlier, ferguson could actually go higher than no. 4 now, because of the saints trading OT wayne gandy


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Dave newnan georgia: What can the lions hope to receive for Joey Harrington?

Len Pasquarelli: all the reports indicate the lions have been asking for a no. 5 pick, but i hear they're trying to do a little better than that . . . the harrington deal seems to have slowed a bit, even though one person involved in it told me sunday he felt it would happen this week . . . that might not be the case now . . . keep your eye on denver as a dark-horse in this . . . i still think joey gets deal for a middle-rounder, a 4 or 5


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Taxidermist: What kind of animal is that on your head? Looks like squirrel hide.

Len Pasquarelli: actually, it's racoon


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Ryan ( Knoxville): Len, why doen't the Chargers get more love nationaly. They are one of the most fun teams to watch. LT, Gates and Merriman on D.

Len Pasquarelli: yeah, even though they didn't make the playoffs in '05, i love watching the chargers, too . . . and there's going to be a curiosity factor now, with philip rivers as the starter . . . i also thought cincy, an up-and-coming young team with a franchise-caliber QB, would get more prime time exposure


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Brian Lead SD: Where is Denver going with these first rounders? Do you see T Bell ever coming out as the #1 Back and living up to his potential?

Len Pasquarelli: the broncos seemed to like lendale white with the latter of their first-rounders, and rumblings are they'd like to get a tight end (fassaro of notre dame is a guy to watch) in the second round . . . don't know yet which way they're leaning with the higher first-rounder, no. 15


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Dan (New Canaan, CT): With the new scheduling format being hailed as balanced and preventing the anomalies of the past where teams would visit the same nonconference teams year after year, how is it that Indy will be playing in New England for the fifth year in a row now?

Len Pasquarelli: just one of those quirks based on both teams winning thieir divisions in the AFC . . . that's the one part of the formula that keeps things like this happening, it seems


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Diego, RI: Speaking of Lendale where do you see hijm going to now that his stock has fallen a bit? Are the Patriots likey?

Len Pasquarelli: you know, as disappointing as sunday was with white, you still see a heck of a player when you watch the tape . . . so i don't buy into the theory he's going to fall out of the first round . . . i think denvver at 22 or carolina (i think 27, don't have my draft order in front of me) are big-time possibilities


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Derek - Lincoln: How has VY went from #1 pick potential to in some mock drafts falling to #10 and farther? Is that wonderlic score that important.

Len Pasquarelli: that's why mock drafts are called "mock" drafts . . . none of we so-called "experts" know what's going to happen, and we're not paid to be scouts . . . those drafts are just opinions, mostly, and at best educated guesses . . . so here's an educated guess: if young gets past tennessee, he goes either to green bay at no. 5 or to oakland at no. 7


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Matt Lousiville, KY: Hey Len, A follow up on the earlier Saints question. What are the Saints going to do with the $5 million plus they will save on trading Gandy? Do they have something else in the works or is it just Loomis keeping the cap in check?

Len Pasquarelli: i don't think they saved $5 million, because there is now "acceleration" on gandy's signing bonus . . . so he'll still eat up some cap room . . . there was probably some money element to this deal, but i also think the saints want to get younger in general, and gandy is 35

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Scott, Frederick, MD: Len, Some mock drafts out there are still projecting the Jets to take a QB with their first pick, I think you give Chad and Ramsey one more year to put something together and go OL or D...if he's still available, picking up Ferguson and Mangold would be HUGE upgrades and have a quicker impact than a new QB. Your thoughts? Thanks!

Len Pasquarelli: scott, the jets really have a conundrum . . . the reason: i'm not sure they're really sold on any of the big three quarterbacks . . . that said, they're going to be under tremendous pressure to take one of them, especially if ferguson is off the board by then . . .they're definitely a key team in the top 10


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Rob Folcroft, Pa: do you think that the Eagles got a good chance to go to the super bowl with the pick up that they made this off-season

Len Pasquarelli: i definitely see them as a rebound team, but there's still some work to do . . . especially at WR and LB


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Gary, Cincinnati, OH: What do you think about Cincy/Pittsburg ending the regular season on Sunday night, Dec.31? It could decide homefield in the playoffs!

Len Pasquarelli: great matchup between two teams that have stoked an already-hot rivalry . . . i really think the nfl considered hsving these two meet in the thursday night opwner, but were concerned that carson palmer might not be ready to play, and that would have taken something away from the game


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Jason, DC: Where do you think LaVar will end up?

Len Pasquarelli: i'm still betting on miami


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Eric (NC): I'm happy about the Panthers 3 primetime games...do you really think we will take Lendale if LB is is such a glaring need right now?

Len Pasquarelli: don't know how glaring LB is, with thomas davis moving there from safety . . . they love big, brute backs and white is that, if he gets in shape


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M.G., DC: Who is the best player from this draft five years from now?

Len Pasquarelli: mario williams


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Ricky (Knoxville): With all due respect to the Saints, wouldn't you have liked to see the Falcons-Bucs, or better yet, Falcons-Panthers matched up on monday night this season?

Len Pasquarelli: sure, but i don't make the schedule . . . remember, the league is trying hard to help the saints, and the falcons are their biggest rival
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Patrick, (Hoboken, NJ): The Steelers have needs at wideout, o-line, and D-line, what do you see them doing in the draft?

Len Pasquarelli: boy, picking at no. 32, it's hard to project . . . i just think the steelers' mindset in general is that you can find WRs after the first roumd . . .my guess would be OL, DL, LB or S


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Mike, Rochester, NY : Len, Since the Bills really did seem to solve their OL questions this off season so far do you think that's waht they'll draft or is DT still what you've heard Thanks

Len Pasquarelli: they desperately need a DT . . . but i don't agree that they've solved their OL problems with some of the guys they've signed


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Josh (Dexter, NY): Len, Do you think that Teddy Lehman will be a good MLB in the Cover 2 in Detroit if he stays healthy?

Len Pasquarelli: yeah . . . beyond the ability to play the run, what you most need in a cover-2 middle 'backer is a guy who can get deep, maybe 20 yards downfield, in the seam/hash zone . . . and i think lehman has the skills, if healthy, to do that


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Buce (Woodbridge, Va): Len, who are the 49ers going to draft?

Len Pasquarelli: pencil in a DB


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Chris (Lexington, SC): Just how good do you think Ciny's D will be this year? Enough to Make a difference?

Len Pasquarelli: well, they've got to stop the run and getting DT sam adams is a big step in that regard . . . i don't know how much S dexter jackson will help, because i'm not a big fan . . . but getting madieu williams back from injury will be a huge help


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Chris Morningside, PGH: Len - Now that the Steelers have a glut of middle round picks due to Free Agent compensation, do you see them trading some of them for a veteran wide receiver or moving up at some point of the draft?

Len Pasquarelli: unfortunately, you can't trade compensatory picks . . . but having a bunch of them, as the steleers do, gives you some flexibility . . . the steelers traditionally aren't a team that moves around a lot on draft day, so we'll see if they maneuver some this year


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Anthony(Beaverdam VA): Len, you mentioned that GB may take Young at no. 5 if he makes it that far. Why do you think GB would draft a QB in the 1st rd for the 2nd year in a row?

Len Pasquarelli: because this coaching staff has no ties to aaron rodgers and, apparntly, some of the people in GB think VY is too good to pass on


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Tom (Idaho): Any news on Jeff Faine and trades?

Len Pasquarelli: none right now . . . which is surprising, given that a few teams still need a center

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Tommy (fresno ca): Could VY be the no 1 pick if he went in as a WR

Len Pasquarelli: no


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Todd San Diego: Hey Len- I have heard some grumblings that the Broncos may try to package the 2 1st rounders to move up (some reports say #4 overall) any truth to this, and if so who are they looking at?

Len Pasquarelli: well, they've certainly got the ammunition now to move up . . . but i'm hearing that they'll be content to stay put, unless there's a guy they're really sold on in the top 5-10, and add two good young players


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Joel (North Reading, MA): hey Len, what's the status of the contract extensions for Seymour and Branch?

Len Pasquarelli: technically, they can't do anything with seymour's deal until august, because you can only make one adjustment in a one-year period . . . from talking to pats people, though, at the owners meetings, they want both back and have squirrled away enough money to make both happen . . . that's part of the reason they haven't frittred away the big cap space everyone keeps asking about


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Roger, Kansas City MO: Len, Why were the Chiefs dissed again. No Sunday or Monday night games.

Len Pasquarelli: yeah, an offense that entertaing needs to be on TV . . . and, with herm edwards there, it seemed a natural they'd be on


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Tyus (Houston): What kind of production do you expect from Terrell Owens this year?

Len Pasquarelli: huge


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Darrell ( El Paso Tx.: What direction do you think the Vikes will go in the draft?

Len Pasquarelli: east-northeast


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Duane Kenosha, WI: Do you think Mario Williams will fall to #5 to the packers? Any thoughts on if Favre is coming back?

Len Pasquarelli: if williams is there at no. 5, the packers ought to jump on him . . . he'd be a great complement to KGB . . . no inside info on brett, buyt my hunch is he'll be back and that we'll have an answer real soon


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Will (memphis tn): Dallas has an obvious need at FS and along the offensive line. Most mocks have them going WR in the 1st round simply because it looks like at #18 WR is going to be the best player on the board. Do you see them trading down and possibly out of the first round believing they can still pick up the OL and S prospects they're eyeing at later picks?

Len Pasquarelli: both JJ and BP love to shske things up on draft day, so why should this year be any different . . . sorry, gang, got to run a little early here . . .thanks much for taking the time, i enjoyed it, hopefully we can do it again soon

I Live In Beastmode!

LKelley67

Pas didn't know he suffered from Gandiniolockerroomitis. He had to be removed.