THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Missouri seemingly lost half of its starting players to the NFL a few weeks ago. With names like Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, William Moore, Ziggy Hood and others moving on, what are the chances Mizzou can come even close to repeating its success of the past couple seasons? Has coach Gary Pinkel restocked enough for next year’s team to pick up where last year’s team left off?

VAHE GREGORIAN
Mizzou has established a baseline and has plenty of talent, even if a lot of it is unseasoned. But it’s hard to imagine you can replace the best quarterback in school history, two of the most intimidating offensive players in the nation in Maclin and Coffman and the most accurate kicker in NCAA history (Jeff Wolfert) and not sag. I think the defense actually will be improved, but I’d be amazed if the whole package is immediately as good as the last two seasons. That said, if you looked at the Big 12 schedule today, MU probably would be favored in five or six of its eight games. I actually think they can contend for the North crown but will be somewhere between 7-5 and 9-3.

JEFF GORDON
Getting to the high side of .500 and reaching a minor bowl game would be huge accomplishments, all considering. Is there life after Brad Smith and Chase Daniel? That is the multi-million dollar question. The Tigers will be able to run the ball and catch it, but what about the man at the controls? The sample from last season was much too small to judge.

MIKE SMITH
God bless the Tigers mentioned above, but honestly, didn’t that group basically check out last season after the home loss to Okie State and the stampede at Texas?

This season, Mizzou can diversify its offense with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback and undervalued backs Derrick Washington and De’Vion Moore running behind a decent line. There’s no doubting Gabbert’s physical tools, but these issues/questions remain:

1) He’s almost three years removed from spending an entire fall playing competitive football (Daniel’s understudy in 2008; injured most of 2007.)

2) Who will he throw to besides TE Andrew Jones? After Jared Perry and Danario Alexander — both injured this spring — the roster of wideouts is nondescript.

3) Can he lead his teammates? Blaine Gabbert was all about Blaine Gabbert when he played for Parkway West, but perhaps Pinkel has brow-beaten that attitude out of him by now.

Defensively, the Tigers automatically are better because they’re under new management (Eberflus out, Steckel in). Bottom line: a 4-0 nonconference season followed by a 5-3 Big 12 campaign and another minor bowl trip TBA (I mean, Big 12 favorite sons Nebraska and Kansas have to first decide which bowls they want to attend, THEN Mizzou can be accommodated).

TOM TIMMERMANN
There’s no way Mizzou can be as good next year as last year. They lost too much talent, and while the replacements may someday be as good or better, they won’t be next season. But that doesn’t mean Mizzou can’t win the Big 12 North. The league’s talent remains in the South, and Kansas is the competition to win the division and go back to the conference championship game. So by that standard, that Mizzou has a very good chance of being back in the Big 12 final, they will be picking up where they left off. But they’ll probably get thumped by every South Division team they play.

KATHLEEN NELSON
The Tigers have enough players who contributed last year to make another run at the Big 12 North. The offense will feature a veteran running back, Derrick Washington, a pair of wide receivers with big play experience, Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, and the bulk of the offensive line. The defense probably will rely on NT Jaron Baston and linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Luke Lambert. Perhaps the relative inexperience of the squad is a plus. Last year’s defense and departed coordinator Matt Eberflus took heaps of criticism. A blank slate could do these guys good.

Given the inexperience on defense and the first year for QB Blaine Gabbert, fans shouldn’t expect much more than a fight for the division, though.

BILL COATS
The solid recruiting that Pinkel and his staff have accomplished in recent yearS is paying off. Mizzou lost a lot, but it returns a lot, too. The Tigers have enough to be in the hunt for another Big 12 North title.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Chase Daniel will play in two college All-Star games in the next couple weeks (the East-West game and the Senior Bowl.) Is Daniel an NFL prospect already, or will his performance in these games determine whether or not he’s selected in the NFL draft in April?

VAHE GREGORIAN
Despite completing about 75 percent of his passes this season, Daniel’s tendency to turn the ball over and apparent happy feet through much of the second half of the season leaves him needing a profile boost — especially since his profile only is about 5-11. His performance in those games will matter, as will further scrutiny by NFL teams.

BRYAN BURWELL
Daniel’s NFL appeal suffered greatly this season and he’ll need strong workouts during practice weeks building up to those games as well as decent shows in the all-star games to revive his draft appeal.

JEFF GORDON
Actually, how Daniel practices will say a lot about his draft status. That may help (or hurt) him more than the games. Scouts will be all over the scene, watching each session closely. How will Chase perform outside of the spread offense? The revelation of his late-season thumb injury will help his case, since scouts noticed his inability to throw the ball downfield with much authority in the Big 12 Championship Game and the Alamo Bowl. Daniel can’t get any taller between now and the draft, but he CAN change perceptions about his passing ability. Can he throw the ball into the small windows of NFL defenses? And can he make those throws as a drop-back passer? The coming practice sessions will say a lot.

STU DURANDO
Daniel’s stock clearly dropped as the season progressed and it’s tough to find anyone who ranks him among the top 10 quarterbacks for the draft. I read one well-researched analysis that listed him No. 25. Sometimes good college players just don’t translate into NFL prospects. At this point, I think he’s just trying to play himself back into the draft. I would hope his performances in the all-star games don’t have any impact on his status.

DAN O’NEILL
I think what will be a determining factor is how many times the camera crews at those games focus on the Daniel family in the stands. If it is as often as they did during the waning moments of the Alamo Bowl, his chances of becoming an NFL prospect will not be greatly increased, but his chances of getting a new sitcom — “Meet the Daniels” — will be improved dramatically. As far as improving his NFL prospect status, I only see that happening if he is going to play tailback in the games. He had a great career as a college quarterback, but where Daniel’s chances of being an NFL quarterback are concerned, two words, sung in A-minor flat: “Ohhh Canada.”

TOM TIMMERMANN
The prototype college quarterback and the prototype NFL quarterback are two very different things. Daniel is a good college quarterback who can run, but that doesn’t always translate into NFL success. He’ll need to show he can excel in an NFL-type offense and not the spread. The all-star games will be the first steps for that. I think he’ll get drafted, but these all-star games will determine how high.

KATHLEEN NELSON
He can help himself a lot. A pack of his most vocal critics call Daniel a system quarterback. Perhaps he can prove otherwise by working with unfamiliar personnel outside Missouri’s version of the spread offense.

BILL COATS
He’s a prospect already. Daniel might not have all the “measurables” that NFL scouts like, but intangibles such as his leadership and competitiveness will earn him a shot. I’d guess he’s a middle-round pick.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

THE COLTS AND THEIR COACH: So you’ve got an NFL team that has been to the playoffs seven straight seasons, won five the last six AFC South titles and won at least 12 games in six consecutive seasons. And you’ve just lost a big-time, big-name coach in Tony Dungy. So who do the Indianapolis Colts put in charge? Well it was pre-ordained that Dungy’s longtime assistant Jim Caldwell would take over when Dungy left. That transition has now transpired. And one of the most potent teams in the NFL in recent years is now being run by a man who’s only head coaching experience consists of 26-63 record coaching Wake Forest.

Huh, I don’t get it. But it appears the folks in Indianapolis are buying it. Here’s what Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star had to say: “No, he’s not a sexy choice. … He’s not a Mike Shanahan or a Bill Cowher or a Marty Schottenheimer, not a choice who demands big, brassy headlines. But for the Indianapolis Colts, who said goodbye to a giant as coach Monday, Caldwell is the right choice at the right time.”

It’s hard to imagine the Colts not having success given the talent they’ve got, but it all starts with the head coach. We’ll see how Caldwell holds up a couple years down the line when the team begins to take on his identity.

ANAHEIM THROWS IN THE TOWEL: It appears the city of Anaheim is giving up its legal challenge against the Los Angeles Angels … formerly known as the Anaheim Angels. Can you believe it’s been four years already since new owner Arte Moreno made the marketing move that rocked the city of Anaheim and robbed the good citizens there of that civic pride? It also cost those citizens $4 million in legal fees fighting the name change in court.

Well, I guess the people of Anaheim could recoup some of that money and stick it to the man by not attending the Angels games anymore. It’s similar to what many Cardinal fans are threatening to do this offseason due to a lack of movement in the free agent market. But here’s what I’m guessing: With a powerhouse team like the Angels and a historically devoted fan base like the Cardinals have, neither team will have much trouble putting fannies in the seats … regardless of the public outrage.

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THINGS TO PONDER

HOW ’BOUT THEM COWBOYS: Former Cowboys wide receiver and current television commentator Michael Irvin has had his own run-ins with the law. But earlier this week Irvin became the victim when he apparently found himself looking down the wrong end of the barrel of a gun. Check out this story on how Irvin got out of this precarious situation just by talking football with a couple of would-be thugs … who turn out to love the Cowboys more than they do armed robbery.

BASEBALL’S CLASSIC DILEMMA: New York Mets ace Johan Santana says he is unsure whether he’ll be able to pitch in the World Baseball Classic this spring. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is rehabbing from offseason knee surgery. Santana joins a number of other players who are backing away from the WBC, though not all of those players are taking a pass due to injuries. Some simply say it’s more important that they stay with their teams in spring training to prepare for the season. Makes sense to me. The WBC is an attempt to create more interest in MLB worldwide … however, isn’t it more important that players (and pitchers in particular) are going through the proper work in spring training to have them primed for Opening Day? I just don’t see taking chances on multi-million dollar players getting hurt or being thrown out of rhythm for what is essentially a glorified exhibition game. And if MLB really wants to conduct this Classic, why can’t they do it in a warm-weather climate at the END of the season rather than risking injury before the season. I’m a simple man. I just don’t understand.

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STAT OF THE DAY

$120 million — That’s the ballpark amount that QB Eli Manning is likely to get in his new seven- or eight-year contract to stay with the Giants. According to the New York Daily News, that would make the 28-year-old Manning the eighth quarterback to top the $100 million barrier, and would put him near the top with Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb (12 years, $115 million), Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer (nine years, $118.75 million), and former Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick (10 years, $130 million). It would also mean he’d be making about a million more per year than big brother, Peyton. Ouch.

THE WATERCOOLER
(Post-Dispatch columnists and beat writers share their thoughts on a question of the day.)

Question: Is there anything that the Cardinals did or didn’t do at this year’s winter meetings that surprised you?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
No surprises here, because I had low expectations, but I was caught a little off guard by their interest in Brian Fuentes. I assumed he’d be out of their price range. We’ll see what happens. But I do think GM John Mozeliak made good use of his time. He takes a methodical approach and the winter meetings were a prime opportunity for Mozeliak to set the table for deals to come later.

JOE STRAUSS
I’m surprised to the degree the Cardinals have shown their willingness to deal Rick Ankiel for pitching help. Likewise, it’s surprising the market is so tepid for a player of Ankiel’s talent, but the explanation can be found in the overabundance of outfielders in the free agent market.

DERRICK GOOLD
On Monday evening, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak dismissed his team’s chances of signing Brian Fuentes and doubted they would even engage the lefty in talks. At the same time, the market was pushing them together. I wasn’t so much surprised by what the Cardinals did or didn’t do at these winter meetings, but I am surprised by what these meetings and this market could allow them to do. The closer they needed and couldn’t afford has dropped into their bidding bracket. The starter they must have for depth will still be around in January. The Cardinals may have had a best-case scenario calculated for this offseason, but even their rainbow dreams and pigs-fly aspirations couldn’t have looked as good for them as what has actually happened. Now, all they have to do is pull it off.

RICK HUMMEL
I’m not surprised that nothing major happened for the Cardinals. Sometimes the meetings serve more as groundwork. They’ll get a closer sooner than later but there will be plenty of starting pitchers out there, even into spring training when needs can better be identified.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

BIG APPLE BITES BACK: If CC Sabathia had landed in St. Louis, I think folks here would be doing cartwheels. Not necessarily so in The Big Apple. In fact, New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica takes the Yankees to task today about the $161 million deal. Lupica points out that though the Yankees like to talk about their farm system, that’s just talk. He adds that the team shelled out the richest pitching contract ever just a year after they didn’t make the playoffs and right before they are about to move into a new ballpark … and they’ll ask the fans to pay for it. “The Yankees panhandle like this in broad daylight, by the way, and without a hint of embarrassment,” Lupica says.

Welcome to New York, CC.

WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES: Blues goalie Manny Legace is day-to-day after being kneed in the head last night; here’s Chris Mason’s chance to show he’s the man … The Rams game will be blacked out locally this week; local football fans should now have the chance to see a good game on TV Sunday … The Cardinals appear to be leaving Las Vegas without pitching help; that just means the top of the tree hasn’t been pared enough yet … The Mets land closers Francisco Rodriguez AND J.J. Putz; that should clear away some of that pesky primo fruit … The Avalanche’s Joe Sakic breaks three fingers in a snowblower accident; it doesn’t affect the back injury that was supposed to keep him out until mid-January anyway … Pacman Jones’ is likely out for season due to a neck injury; at least no one else got hurt … Three Heisman finalists are announced; Chase Daniel is spared a trip to New York and can go ahead and start packing for San Antonio.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

DROPPING THE GLOVES: When Blues enforcer D.J. King went down with an injury earlier this season, I didn’t know if hometown boy Cam Janssen had the size needed to keep other teams honest. But the intensity Janssen brings to a brawl is something to behold and I’ve seen him bring the Scottrade crowds to their feet on many nights. Janssen may look small compared to some of the league’s other enforcers, but so far he has seemed to hold his own — and then some. And when the fight is over and he skates toward the box, Janssen just has this crazy-eyed expression that says, “Wow, that was fun.”

But how good is Janssen as a fighter? To answer that question I called up former Blues enforcer Reed Low and ask him to share his thoughts with me on the subject. Below is what he had to say:

REED LOW: Cam Janssen is pound-for-pound one of the toughest kids I’ve seen or played against since Tie Domi in his early days, when Domi used to beat down the biggest and toughest guys in the league. One of the things that makes Cam special is that his punching power is so much better than I have seen on a lot of guys twice his size. Mix that with his unusually long reach for a shorter guy and he can catch the big guys when they think they have him.

Before I retired, Cam and I used to train together boxing, and he hit the bag so hard it reminded me of Ivan Drago (Rocky IV). When Cam throws a punch in games, he pulls with the other hand to bring the opponent into him. That works for him because he is so strong that most guys can’t fend it off, and if they try and go toe-to-toe, Cam is willing and most likely to put the guy’s nose in line with his ears.

The biggest asset Cam has is his love of fighting. I had it too, and I loved to scare the other team and was a little crazy just to make sure that they knew I could go off. Cam has this burning in his blood and it is what makes him so good at what he does. He loves it … and I mean he loves it. Cam dreams about kicking people’s (behinds). He is working on his timing this year and he’s getting some ice time and trying to balance both jobs — which is by far the hardest job in the league.

But the best thing about Cam is that off the ice he has a huge heart and would do anything for anyone. He is the first to charity events and the last to leave. This is how most tough guys in the league are because they appreciate what they have and that people enjoy what they do. I hope that the league will recognize this instead of trying to eliminate it. This breed of player is far more that just hockey fighters, they are the fight in hockey. And without the Cam Janssens of hockey, it is nothing more than another Olympic sport.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In case you’ve forgotten how Reed Low patrolled the ice for the Blues, I nabbed this highlight video off of youtube. Enjoy.

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STAT OF THE DAY

11,271 yards — That Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor will miss the rest of the season because of an injury is not all that surprising given his injury history. What is surprising is that his 11,271 rushing yards ranks 16th all-time in the NFL. That’s pretty exclusive company. A look at Taylor and those above him in all-time rushing yards.

1. Emmitt Smith — 18,355
2. Walter Payton — 16,726
3. Barry Sanders — 15,269
4. Curtis Martin — 14,101
5. Jerome Bettis — 13,662
6. Eric Dickerson — 13,259
7. Tony Dorsett — 12,739
8. Jim Brown — 12,312
9. Marshall Faulk — 12,279
10. Marcus Allen — 12,243
11. Franco Harris — 12,120
12. Thurman Thomas — 12,074
13. Edgerrin James* — 12,002
14. LaDainian Tomlinson* — 11,535
15. John Riggins — 11,352
16. Fred Taylor* — 11,271

* active players