March is misinformation month in the NFL.  Teams disguise their intentions for the draft while unrealistic expectations emerge from player movement.  Here's a look at five myths that have gained steam during football’s March madness.

Myth 1: Javon Walker is worth No. 1 receiver money

There may only be three people in the NFL who believe Javon Walker is a No. 1 receiver: Walker, his agent Drew Rosenhaus, and Al Davis. 

The way last season ended, it was fair to wonder if Walker would even find a starting job. Walker caught nine passes for 67 yards in his last six games, occasionally playing behind standouts like Glenn Martinez.  Broncos coach Mike Shanahan believed Walker needed career-threatening microfracture surgery to fix a chronic knee problem that has forced Walker to miss 23 games over the last three years.  A local Denver station said doctor’s recommended the surgery. 

The red flags don’t end there.  Walker publicly feuded with his last two organizations and chafed in Denver at teammate Brandon Marshall’s emergence.  It’s as if Oakland needed to fill their starting disgruntled receiver spot after Randy Moss and Jerry Porter left.

Moss is a perfect example of talent getting swallowed in the Black Hole.  A bust in Oakland, he escaped to set the NFL record for receiving touchdowns in a season.  And even he didn’t get as much money as Javon Walker. 

Myth 2: Asante Samuel will be an Eagle well into the next decade

The Eagles are among the most well run teams in football, even if their fans don’t want to hear it.  Asante Samuel’s contract is a great example why.  Philadelphia acquired the best free agent available this season with minimal risk. 

Samuel’s ballyhooed six-year, $57 million contract is only a two-year commitment by the team.  Because of Samuel’s manageable signing bonus ($6 million), Philadelphia could release Samuel after 2009 and receive tremendous salary cap savings.

Samuel must play near a Pro Bowl level for the Eagles to retain him after 2009 at roughly $9 million per season.  That’s possible, but it’s hardly a lock as the undersized cornerback approaches his 30s.  Samuel struggled with injuries and inconsistency early in his career, and the Eagles are well protected if he struggles again.    

Myth 3: The Patriots Dynasty is crumbling

We understand that no one likes the Patriots.  Spygate II lingers, Bill Belichick isn’t going to win any Mr. Congeniality awards, and Tom Brady’s significant other is still better looking than yours.  The degradation of the Patriots roster, however, has been vastly overstated.

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The defending AFC Champions have lost exactly one player they didn’t want to: Samuel.  He was a key piece on a thin secondary and must be replaced through the draft. But Bill Belichick always does more with less at cornerback, turning wide receivers (Troy Brown), second-day draft picks (Samuel), free agent flotsam (Tyrone Poole) and undrafted players (Randall Gay) into key cogs.   

The rest of the New England’s losses – Rosevelt Colvin, Donte Stallworth, and Gay – are flesh wounds.   The Patriots have roster holes, especially in their back seven, but so does every contender.  The Patriots have shown a unique ability to spackle those holes and a creampuff schedule in 2008 won’t hurt.  

America's team to hate isn't going away.

Myth 4: Damien Woody can be trusted with $11 million

Woody was already one of the biggest free agent busts of the decade.  Now he gets the rare shot to do it again. 

In 2004, Detroit handed Woody an $11 million signing bonus.  He immediately gained weight, got injured, and played poorly.  He couldn’t keep a starting job on a miserable offensive line. Just a month away from free agency again, Woody got the starting right tackle job through injury.  Suddenly, he played like a world beater again. 

The Jets have gambled big dollars this offseason on Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, and Alan Faneca.  Woody’s contract is the hardest to defend. 

Myth 5: Disgruntled defensive tackles can save a defense

The hot 2008 transaction for AFC playoff hopefuls was to trade for a big name defensive tackle.  Buffalo nabbed Marcus Stroud from Jacksonville and the Jets acquired Kris Jenkins from Carolina for two mid-round draft picks. The Browns gave up a quality starting cornerback, Leigh Bodden, and a third-round pick for the Lions’ Shaun Rogers.

Their former teams didn’t want these players for a reason.  They are uneven performers; highly combustible personalities with durability questions. 

Stroud missed 17 games the last two seasons and hasn’t played well since ankle surgery.  Rogers missed ten games in 2006, and faded badly last season because of conditioning problems.  Jenkins missed 27 games between 2004-2005, and has battled weight problems, depression, and alcoholism.  Rogers and Jenkins, who both must learn a new position in a 3-4 defense, also signed fatty contracts. 

These trades define high-risk, high-reward transactions.  Perhaps one or two will pay off (I like Rogers best), but they are more likely to blow up.  

Gregg Rosenthal is the lead NFL writer for Rotoworld.com. He co-hosts the Fantasy Fix with Tiffany Simons and is a frequent contributor to NBCSports.com.

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