From the Denver Post:
The Broncos lost safety Josh Barrett on a little-used technicality Friday. All players who teams want to place on their injured reserve list must first clear waivers. Few have even been claimed during the 24-hour period, and it is looked upon as a formality. However, the Patriots claimed Barrett on Friday, so he moved to the New England active roster, where they will make a decision on his status. . .
I don’t know what to think of this, but it feels slimy. Why take a player headed to injured reserve from another team? Why? Well, break out your tin foil hats because I have a conspiracy theory: Perhaps, this was a warning shot.
For those of you unaware, the NFL Waiver rules are the procedure by which a player’s contract or NFL rights are made available by his current team to other teams in the league. During the procedure, the 31 other teams either file a claim to obtain the player or waive the opportunity to do so, thus the term waiver. The claiming period is typically ten days during the off-season, but from early July through December, it lasts only 24 hours. If a player is claimed by two or more teams in this period, priority is based on the inverse won-lost standing of the teams. The team with the worst record has priority.
So, back to our original question: So, why take Barrett? Simple. Got your tinfoil hats ready?
Revenge.
Let’s say Belichick and the Patriot higher ups weren’t so happy with Coach McDaniels – the guy THEY brought to the league and that THEY built – and his celebrations at the end of last season’s Bronco victory over the Patriots. So, they decided to send Josh a little message. Using a technically, they will steal a Bronco player. It doesn’t matter which player they just want McDaniels attention. Then, then plan comes to fruition, Josh Barrett a backup safety and special teams players heads to IR. The Patriots swoop in stealing Barrett and sending the message to McDaniels that none of his players are safe if he intends to send them to IR. So, now McDaniels is in a catch-22: risk sending players to IR – like star outside linebacker, Elvis Dumervil, who was probably headed to IR later this week – or eat the full cost of their contract for the season.
Conspiracy theory aside, this could be huge league wide and will probably end up killing the concept of IR unless the rules are altered. What team in their right mind would send any player, especially star players, to IR if they knew that there was a good chance they’d lose them in the next 24 hours?
Don’t you all realize NOW, that getting Bowlen to hire McDaniels was all a setup by Belichick???? McDaniels has run Colorado’s beloved Broncos into the ground!!#@$ He ran off, well actually traded away(!), the core of a good offense (Jay Cutler,Peyton Hillis, Tony Scheffler, and Brandon Marshall). This should take several years to recover, but no wait…How long will the Broncos be stuck with Tebow, a quarterback everyone was leery of, yet McDaniels traded away draft picks to GET.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was controlled by something in that Bronco hoodie…
And don’t be surprised if McDaniels pops back up on the Patriot coaching staff…