Everything Football

Week 4, Mother F-ers

2008-10-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

We're about a quarter through the 2008 season as we get a better look at who are the pretenders and contenders. But, there are a handful of teams that lie within that gray area in between, as I will explain in just a moment here on Everything Football.

Contenders

Tennessee

Let's face it already. The Titans defense is the best in the NFL. Period. No other team plays the run and pass more efficiently than the 2008 Tennessee Titans, where most of the players on their squad don't have the name recognition that Dallas or Philadelphia's defensive unit does. Ever heard of Ryan Fowler? Courtland Finnegan? Michael Griffin? If you haven't, please take notice as these guys, along with notable stallwarts Kyle Vanden Bosch, Keith Bullock and Albert Haynesworth, have helped the Titans defense become an unmovable force. All Kerry Collins has to do is keep handing the ball off to LenDale or Chris Johnson and the Titans could easily go 12-4. They just kept the NFL's best running back in check in Adrian Peterson last sunday in their 30-17 win over the Vikings and look to do the same in Baltimore as they'll feast on the rising LeRon McClain and Joe Flacco.

Tampa Bay

That's right, a Brian Griese team has a good shot at making some noise in the postseason. Coach Jon Gruden has been happy with the way the veteran has been running his quick-hitting offense since supplanting Jeff Garcia, who appeared to have gotten benched too hastily. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of starting Griese over Garcia, who has proven more during his career than Griese, but the team is playing Tampa Bay-caliber defense and using a successful two-back approach with former and current Buc Warrick Dunn and steam roller Earnest Graham. Also, Gaines Adams has arrived as he's been all over the place at the line of scrimmage and in coverage (yeah, that's right, the guy plays a mean flat zone).

New York Giants

They're doing everything they did last year during the postseason which is amazing considering their loss at DE. It's hard to dislike the Giants at this point since they've done nothing but play sound, solid football through the quarter mark.

Carolina

Are the Panthers back after years of disappointing letdowns? Sure are. And what's the reason you ask? They're finally healthy. Despite tackle Jordan Gross's recent battle with a concussion, the Panthers finally have all of their starters healthy and playing like they're capable of making another Super Bowl run. What I really like is how the Panthers cut ties with oft-injured MLB Dan Morgan and decided to let second-year man Jon Beason take control, who has yet to disappoint in his sophomore campaign. Jonathan Stewart is extremely talented, whether he's bursting by DBs or trucking LBs the guy just simply makes it happen and we'll soon see DeAngelo Williams drop off to DeShawn Foster status. Mushin Muhammed's return makes Steve Smith's job a whole lot easier, as does TE Dante Rosario. When playing on all cylinders like they did in their 24-9 win over Atlanta, Carolina is a tough team to beat.

Buffalo

They're 4-0, their second-year QB Trent Edwards has shown he can play, their defense is making plays as is their special teams and yet a little doubt remains about these Buffalo Bills. They did manage to beat a good Jaguars team and cream the Seahawks in week 1 but since then had to pull a rabbit out of their hat to beat Oakland and punished the lowly Rams. They're probably going to win the division or at least make the wild card, but will that be enough to propel them further? It remains to be seen, at least for me, but they're definitely on the right track.

Philadelphia

They're 2-2 and you're probably wondering why I'm putting them in this category over Washington and Dallas, who are both 3-1. Well, the fact is that Philly has shown more in their two losses than the Redskins and Cowboys. If not for pissing away a late game fumble against Dallas, the Eagles would've scored, no doubt in my mind. If Correll Buckhalter didn't come down with a case of the Thomas Jones against the Bears there's no doubt they would've held on to win. The Eagles are beating themselves and they're 2-2, which to me is kinda scary if I'm in the NFC this year.

Chicago

The defense is back in Chi-Town and so is the downfield pass for the first time since the first half of 2006 and Sid Luckman's days as a Bears chucker. Man, what a competent QB does for a team full of young playmakers such as the Bears. If Orton can keep feeding the ball to Devin Hester, Greg Olsen and Brandon Lloyd (did I really just say that?! ) and handing the ball off to rookie sensation Matt Forte, they could easily be a top-15 offense by the end of the year, which should be good enough for Chicago as their defense looks like their back. (Alex Brown over Mark Anderson, best move by Lovie Smith thus far)

Pretenders

New Orleans

I'm not going to go into a long-winded explanation with this team so I'll just say this: good offense (great with all of their parts), just no defense. Can't win a lot of meaningful games with a recipe like that.

Denver

See New Orleans

Pittsburgh

This team's luck has run a little dry lately with how the injury bug has mauled their running backs since Monday Night against the Ravens. Besides that, the offensive line will do their best to make sure Big Ben won't see the entire season because they've played terrible against aggressive defenses thus far in 2008. The defense is back to top form, but the offensive line will set this team back it appears.

New England

Matt Cassell can only take you so far as they learned against the Dolphins when the Fish put New England's dink and dunk offense to rest two weeks ago. Unless this team focuses on a rushing attack with play-action passes downfield, I don't see New England being able to keep pace with the other teams in the AFC competing for a wildcard spot.

San Francisco

Robo Sack, meet J.T. O'Sullivan, your 2008 counterpart. QBs who'd rather eat dirt than get rid of the ball only hurt their team's chances.

Atlanta

They've beaten two terrible teams. But, I do like the way Matt Ryan has looked thus far. He and Roddy White should become Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall in two years. Outside of that and John Abraham's dominant play, really not a whole much else to say besides Michael Turner is a fantasy god this year.

Washington

It's hard to fully believe that the Redskins are actually better than the Cowboys and Eagles because of their 3-1 start and their two-point victory over the Cowboys in Dallas last weekend. Despite their win, I'd still rather take Romo, T.O., Witten and Barber/Jones over Campbell, Moss, Cooley and Portis/Betts any day of the week. All of their wins have been extremely close to the vest as they've seen some nice bounces go their way into the hands of Eric Horton, who SHOULD be in the lineup over Reed Doughty (one would only think). I'm not condeming the Redskins to a 5-11 finish by any means, but what I am saying is they haven't proved they could surpass the rest of the squads in their division as back-to-back Santana bombs are what really bailed them out of some hairy situations in week 2 and 3.

The Grey

New York Jets

Hmmm. 48-29 one week. 56-35 the next. What's going on with the Jets? The offense appears to be on track as Favre gels with his receivers and the offensive line comes together. The defense, specifically the secondary, needs a shot in the ass as Eric Smith and Drew Coleman proved that offenses can attack either one an entire drive and still put up six points. The bye week has always been a friend to Mangini and Co. as he's 2-0 after the off week since joining New York in 2006. Also, they have an extremely favorable schedule down the road.

Arizona

After being whipped up and down the field by the right arm of No. 4, the Cardinals are still in thick of it in the NFC West. It's going to be an up-and-down year for the Cards, and we're all just along for the ride.

Green Bay

As Aaron Rogers goes, so does the Pack. It really should be the theme to the Packers' 2008 campaign. With him looking vunerable to a sprain in his throwing shoulder, the Bears could pounce on them and take the lead in the wide open NFC North, where even the Vikings and their 1-3 start and QB quandry have a chance.

Minnesota

They got a good defense. A really good defense. Let's just give them one more week before we bury them for good.

Baltimore

See Chicago, with the exception of a rejuvinated passing game.

Jacksonville

David Garrard wins ugly, folks. And I don't think anybody in Jacksonville really cares despite not living up to his proficient 2007 campaign. They must get their interior line problems solved on the offensive side, however, if they plan to make a jump at the Titans.

Indianapolis

It's hard to judge the Colts because of the early bye, but it's too early to count out Peyton Mannig despite how banged up the Colts are. The good news is that they're playing Houston, who usually serves as Peyton's punching bag. Look for them, especially their offense, to get into rythm in the coming weeks despite their tough week 6 match up against the Ravens.

Dallas

Is Wade Phillips a mirage? A puppet? A figment of your imagination? Does he actually ever do anything? The Cowboys' defense, which was figured to be a top unit this season, is giving up a lot of big plays. Isn't the 3-4 Wade's specialty? That's what I heard. They also might want to think about giving the ball more to Felix Jones in open space and quit force-feeding the ball to T.O. if they want to avoid more disappointing losses to division rivals at home.

Saints could end up being...well, the Saints

2008-09-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Funny what one NFC Championship game appearance does for a franchise. After they delighted Saints fans and with an explosive offense and an opportunistic defense in 2006, the Saints appear to be headed back down to Earth.

You're probably thinking "they're only 1-2, man, why are you fretting so much?"

Well, here's the thing. The Saints, after spending some money and draft picks to bolster their lackluster defense from a year ago, all New Orleans defense has done is give up the same type of big plays that they were allowing last season. With a defense that can't hold its own and and stud WR Marques Colston and TE Jeremy Shockey out for awhile, the Saints will be forced to rely on Devery "give me some stickum" Henderson, David Patten and Robert Meachem, who may surprise a few with his raw abilities as a pass catcher. Plus, their best offensive lineman Jamaal Brown is fighting injuries as well and protecting Drew Brees has become an issue for 'Nawlins since last year.

Unless they lean heavily on Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas (the kid can play, now) and Deuce McAllister when he's fully healthy, I don't see the Saints being able to match teams point-for-point anymore until they regain all of their pieces. If maybe they can control the clock and hope for the best on defense, they might have a shot but something tells me that head coach and playcaller Sean Payton will stay stubborn and imploy the same game plans despite the lack of playmakers lining up wide.

Tough times for the Saints, and right now they're not playing with a loaded gun.

Just another stupid cliche

2008-09-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

In the last post, I mentioned the talk of rebuilding when I glossed over the Kansas City-Atlanta game. Now, after thinking about that game and the situations that other rebuilding teams are in, I tend to hear the word "win now" being thrown around whenever veteran teams that appear to be heading into the opposite direction are mentioned. If there's one phrase that I hate that's associated wth football, and sports in general, it's "win now." Yeah, I'd like to think the Miami Dolphins, in the midst of a 1-15 season, thought to themselves, "this is great practice--let's try to win next season." Of course they're trying to win now--that's their job! They wouldn't receive mega bucks (no, not the dastardly WWF tag team) to underperform and save that energy for a "win-now" season if owners didn't expect them to produce instantaneously. I understand the term is supposed to define teams that are more suited to win more in the future than in the present, but I think it's absolutely ridiculous to throw around such a silly label to teams--as a matter a fact, any team!--when every franchsie is trying to come away with a victory. As that idiot Herm Edwards said, "You play to win the game!"

Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

NFL teams taking course in Week 3

2008-09-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Depending on what team you saw or follow, you may have seen some shifts toward respectability or some plunges into the basement of the NFL standings. Whichever way you look at it, week 3 provided some intriguing moments. Let's get to it, shall we?

Kansas City @ Atlanta

Talk about two rebuilding teams on an entirely different path. As the Falcons drubbed KC at home in the Georgia Dome 38-14 on Sunday, Atlanta was able to witness two of their biggest offseason acquisitions in QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner turn in solid performances as Herm Edwards' lack of coaching and personnel skills was put on display in another ugly loss. You're going to tell me there isn't anybody out there that's better than Tyler Thigpen? Talk about a Brooks Bollinger-type decision! It's also nice to see John Abraham back on top of his game as he's been healthy so far through the first three weeks. On another note, Larry Johnson probably wishes he never signed an extension with the Chiefs as it appears to be only getting worse for the Carl Peterson-Herm show.

Detroit @ San Francisco

I've said it before and I'll say it again: time to bench Jon Kitna. The Lions are going nowhere with him as he's took immobile and to indecisive to have behind center in that offense. Why not take chances on either Drew Stanton, who I believe is a former 2nd or 3rd round pick from Michigan State, or Dan Orlovsky, former UConn standout who's been with the Lions for 3-4 season? It's not as if the defense the O out, either. Let's not kid ourselves: The Lions defense was average at best WITH Shaun Rogers, but now that Big Baby is suiting up in Orange and White the Lions are now such a lackluster unit that they've failed to put the clamp down on J.T. O'Sullivan and OC Mike Martz, who wound up getting the last laugh as they trodded off the field after their 31-13 win.

St. Louis @ Seattle

37-13. St. Louis is atrocious in every phase of the game. They're so bad that guys named Michael Bumpus are scoring on them. I don't need to go any further into this game. It would just be pointless if I were to do so.

Houston @ Tennessee

I now, along with every NFL fan in America, should take the Titans' defense very seriously after helping Tennessee cruise to a 37-12 win over the hapless Texans. After another ugly performance, perhaps Gary Kubiak will be thinking inserting Sage Rosenfels into the lineup in hopes of sparking a Texans squad that has been blown in two ugly losses thus far. Also, where is this improvement that was talked about so frequently this offseason? The only guy who's appeared to show up for the '08 campaign is Mario Williams. As for the Titans, all Kerry Collins needs to do is revert to at least a half of his 2000 self and keep handing the ball off to Chris Johnson and LenDale White.

Note: Kevin Mawae's still got it. I don't think it's ridiculous that he should at least be considered for the Hall of Fame someday.

Oakland @ Buffalo

Oakland had a victory in Buffalo within their reach as sophomore quarterback JaMarcus Russell fired one over the middle to speedster Johnny Lee Higgins for an 84 yard score. With poise in confidence, however, Trent Edwards led the Bills downfield with about 4 minutes remaining in the game to put kicker Rian Longwell in position to nail the game winner and held on for a 24-23 win. They've got a stout defense, quick options on the outside on offense and a multi-talented HB in Marshawn Lynch with a young, cold-blooded QB--what else could you ask for from a Bills team that was on the cusp of making a wild card run in 2007? I have to admit I wasn't a big Buffalo believer before the season began but they've definitely impressed this AFC East advocate thus far. Concerning the rumors in Oak-Town about Lane Kiffin's job security, I think they'd making foolish decision to fire a man that has kept Oakland competitive (something that went missing from 2003-06) in the majority of the games he's coached for the Silver and Black. He's just finding out what JaMarcus Russell can do, so why not at least let the man get acclimated to HIS quarterback--no sense of bringing in another guy who might not want to keep the former Tiger as his signal caller.

Tampa Bay @ Chicago

The tale of two sides. "What a comeback win!" the Bucs are probably saying about their 27-24 OT victory against the Bears. "We let it slip away" the Bears are probably proclaiming as they let their own comeback go to waste. Despite the loss, it's apparent the Bears' run defense is back in full effect and Kyle Orton, who did throw a ghastly INT to defensive end Gaines Adams who returned it for a long score, does give the Bears their best chance to win. Like the Chargers, the Bears are enduring some comeback heartbreak after letting the Panthers creep back from a 10 point defecit last week in Carolina and folding in overtime against the Bucs. Sunnier days should be ahead for both clubs--all that happened was two good teams got together to play and somebody had to lose.

Pittsburgh @ Phildelphia

Calling Alan Faneca! Calling Jeff Hartings! It's almost as if Pittsburgh's offensive line never knew what to expect as the Eagles' front four unleashed 9 sacks (either 8 or 9, I don't feel like looking it up) against Big Ben and his bum shoulder. If that wasn't enough for the Steelers, Stewart Bradley and Co. completely shut down Willie Parker and the Steelers' rushing attack. Memo to Mike Tomlin: Take the diaper off Rashard Mendenhall, he's not made of glass. On a down note for the Eagles, Brian Westbrook limped away with an ankle injury that appears "day-to-day." If Westbrook is out for maybe a game, the Eagles will survive but any more time than that and they might have to rely even more on Donovan McNabb, who looks he might (just might) be able to shoulder the load this year.

Carolina @ Minnesota

Content vs. desperate usually doesn't equate to a fair match. That's exactly the way this game played out as the Vikes were just more desperate for a win as the Panthers probably felt content at 2-0 after sneaking out of San Diego with a last-second win and a comeback victory at home over the Bears. Keep in mind that the Vikings will get Bryant McKinnie back from suspension in week 5, so that should only bode well for Gus Frerotte, Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and even Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice, who may have just a little more time to get open with Mt. Mckinnie protecting battering ram's blindside. (if you can't figure out the battering ram reference, please look to your right)

Miami @ New England

Talk about a "WTF!?" game. Who knew the Dolphins were looking to go all Hog Formation on the Pats by having Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in the same backfield. Good to see Chad Pennington being his old accurate self against a team that has haunted him for so long. Now, the question of Matt Cassell's ability remains as does the entire mental state of the New England Patriots. Will Cassell be good enough to keep up with the new-look Buffalo Bills? Reports from the Boston Herald are saying that Randy Moss appeared to isolate himself from the offense on the sideline during their 38-13 loss. If this keeps up, I honestly wouldn't be suprised to see him try to walk off the field as they're enduring another loss before Bill Belichick catches him trying to escape in the corner of his eye, stops him and kicks him straight in the balls. I'm just kidding, I don't think that'll ever play out but wouldn't it be funny if it did?

Cincinnati @ New York Giants

Two things to take away from this game:

1. The Giants are for real and so is their defense

2. The Bengals aren't the worst professional football team in the state of Ohio

On a side note, the quarterback class of Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger may be something football historians look back on say, "That might be the best QB draft of all time."

Cleveland @ Baltimore

How bad does Derek Anderson have to play before being yanked to the sideline? This team is aching for Brady Quinn, who was thought to be the savior before Anderson conjured up a Pro Bowl season in 2007. As for the Ravens, who pounded Anderson and the rest of the Browns during a 28-10 win, they're looking more like the squad in 2004 who made the playoffs with a ferocious defense and Kyle Boller, who was playing Billick Ball as a rookie before he went down with an injury. I'm not saying Joe Flacco is Boller, who I think didn't get quite a fair shake in Baltmore under Brian Billick. And I'm not certainly not saying he's any better than Boller was when he was a rookie. But, his inexperience only foreshadows the offensive catastrophe that will be Baltmore's offense throughout the season, something that has plagued this team for so long.

Arizona @ Washington

The Redskins have owned the nomadic St. Louis, Phoenix and Arizona Carinals for awhile now so seeing Washington being able to take advantage of the Cards at Fed Ex Field for a 24-17 shouldn't come as a huge surprise. What is suprising, however, is how Washington's offense has taken off since being beaten down by the New York Giants in week 1. Santana Moss appears poised to have a big season since his first year in Washington as does Jason Campbell, who's learning a new offense under his 5,000th offensive coordinator the past 6 seasons. If Arizona wants to win the NFC West, they must stop beating themselves in crucial moments in close ball games. The expectations of good things are there in Arizona, and rightfully so, but they can't afford to come away empty in games like these.

New Orleans @ Denver

Reggie Bush figures to be the centerpiece of the Saints' offense for years to come, and so far in 2008 Bush has done nothing thus far to make New Orleans shy away from that idea. (besides his facscination with taunting like a jackass, but still, you get the point) As explosive as their offense is, the Saints' D is anything but as their offseason acquistion Jonathan Vilma, who has ranked in the top of the NFL in tackles since his days as a 4-3 'backer with the Jets, and the rest of his mates have been beaten for one big play after another. On the other hand, Jay Cutler continues to impress everyone as he and Brandon Marshall look as lethal of a combination as Romo-to-Owens or Manning-to-Marvin (the 2000-2006 editions, of course). The Broncos' defense is lackluster much like the Saints', however, which will be a setback for them some weeks when the offense will struggle. Oh, and by the way, Martin Gramatica sucks.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis

Just when everybody starts writing off the Jags for the '08 campaign, kicker Josh Scobee boots them right back into relevance. Although they've been a mainstay in the AFC playoff race for quite awhile now, maybe it's the Colts' turn to take their turn on their couches during January and February as the rest of the American Football Conference gets a try. But seriously, how many times is Bob Sanders going to get hurt? When healthy, the guy is as good as it gets at the safety position but the Colts might want to look into another long-term solution before Sanders' healthy problems bite Indy in the backside down the road. Same to you, Dallas Clark.

Dallas @ Green Bay

Green Bay is a fine team, don't get me wrong. But they just happened to run into the NFL's biggest buzzsaw of the 2008 season in the Dallas Cowboys. When you watch the Cowboys play and examine their roster, it's hard for anyone to come up with a weakness. Play-making quarterback? Check. Two running backs that run similarly to Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell of the late 1950s Cleveland Browns? Check. A hoss tight end? Check. Mammoth offensive line? Check. I haven't even gotten to their enigmatic WR and their talented defense, so I'll just leave it at that.

New York Jets @ San Diego

Monday Night Miracle? More like Monday Night Meltdown for Brett Favre and the Jets as they were whopped 48-29. You had to have known coming into this game that the Chargers were going to give it their talented all before fading into the sunny San Diego sun (my bad for the illiteration). As for the Jets, it's obviously apparent that they, particularly Favre, are still trying to gel as an offense as he was seen on MNF throwing to the wrong team on numerous occasions. The only thing boding well for the Jets heading into Calvin Pace's Redemption Song next weekend against the Cardinals are the following three factors:

1. They're playing at home

2 Kris Jenkins, who left with a shoulder/back (who really knows?) injury during the SD game and didn't return, should be okay to start against Arizona. His presence alone should force Edgerrin James into a pretty crappy day.

3. The fact that the Jets were able to move the ball against San Diego (albeit it was a Chargers D that was playing mostly prevent) in the fourth quarter with a spread set. This may have allowed Favre to find some comfort with talented targets Jerricho Cotchery, Laveraneous Coles, Chansi Stuckey and speedy rookie Dustin Keller.

There, I feel better venting about the horrible loss to the Bolts. And there's week 3 for you, in a nutshell.

Man, I need to keep up!

2008-09-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have been all out of whack since the 2008 NFL season has started. From faithfully following the Jets, moving to Ashburn and hopping from one job to another, I've found it difficult to keep this blog up-and-running on a regular basis. Well, I feel I'll be able to do that...and beyond for quite awhile now. Here are my thoughts on Week 2...

1. No team in the NFL is more sick with their first two games than San Diego. Talk about a screw job. (Note: because of their disdain from Ed Hochuli blowing that fumble call, they will pound the Jets on MNF next week and the Bronocs later in the season) It appears that the Broncos have beaten the Dolphins in the race to find their next primetime quarterback as Jay Cutler appears primed to rise to the occasion when called on. With Mike Shanahan calling the plays and Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Tony Scheffler to throw to, the sky's the limit with this kid.

2. It's not wise for Jon Gruden to stick with Brian Griese for an extended period of time. Once Jeff Garcia is well, he shouldn't hesitate to put him back in there. Every opponent isn't Atlanta.

3. It always gives me a good laugh when the media picks teams like the Minnesota Vikings to go to the Super Bowl. Have these guys every watch Tarvaris Jackson play? It's pretty pathetic that the guy can't close out a reeling Indy squad with a 15-0 lead at home while your stud runner piles up 160 yards on the ground.

4. The Packers are for real. If Aaron Rogers and his supporting cast keep it up, Green Bay may find themselves in the NFC Championship game for the second consecutive season. Also, it may be time for the Lions to start looking for a quarterback for the future because Jon Kitna hasn't been able to do much for Detroit since landing in the Motor City. On another note, Calvin Johnson is as good as advertised. If only Mike Williams and Charles Rogers would have worked out...

5. A week ago, the sky was falling in Washington. Now, after making a 180 on offense, the Redskins don't appear to be easy fodder for the rest of the NFC East. They still won't do any better than the Iggles, 'Boys or Jints, however.

6. With a chance to grab a hold of the AFC East, the Jets faltered while first-time starter Matt Cassell came in and screen-passed the Patriots to a methodic 19-10 victory. I'm not giving any credit to Cassell for this victory, however, as the main ideal that was proved with their latest Jets thrashing was how good the Patriots really are as a team overall. (More on this game later)

7. Giving up Herm Edwards for a fourth-round pick seemed like a steal at the time, didn't it Chief fans? Let's fast forward to today and let me propose this question: Leon Washington or Herm? I'm not going to blame poor Herm for the entire destruction of what once was a decent football franchise, but it's also no coincidence that his presence as a head coach has led to a significant drop off in talent for two NFL teams in the span of seven seasons. Because the NFL operates within the buddy system, Herm will become a secondary coach somewhere once he gets canned in KC, but I digress...On the other hand, Darren McFadden and Oakland's ground game alone looks like it could win maybe 4-5 more games for the Silver and Black while JaMarcus Russell slowly learns on the job. Their defense, however, will make sure that won't happen.

8. Who would have thought the Panthers would be 2-0 without Steve Smith and a rehabbed Jake Delhomme at the start of the '08 season. Also, don't forget Jon Beason is filling in for Dan Morgan, who, when healthy, played like a Pro Bowler. Beason, like the rest of the Panthers' roster, have picked up the slack for the departed as they look to give the Saints and Bucs a run for their money for the NFC South crown. Even though they lost to the Panthers after acquiring a commanding lead on the road, the Bears are no to sleep on, either. They appear to have that fire on defense back and have found a back to replace Thomas Jones in Matt Forte, who has the potential to end up being a better runner than TJ was during his Bears tenure.

9. The way the Cardinals are playing now is how they should've been playing for the past two seasons. For Kurt Warner's sake, let's hope his revival doesn't get short-circuted by a devastating injury ala Tom Brady's MCL and ACL. You have to love what they're doing in Arizona since the arrival of Ken Whisenhunt--they've established a tough, athletic 3-4 defense to go along with an accurate veteran QB who has two dynamic wide outs whom he can sling the ball to. Tim Hightower, as I've mentioned in a previous post, is phasing out the disappointing J.J. Arrington and may find himself in a larger role as the season plays out.

10. As a Jets fan, I'm a little concerned that Buffalo has been able to take care of business against good teams in weeks 1 and 2. The Bills' recent resurgence should give the rest of the AFC's wild card hopefuls a scare as the season progresses. On the other end of the spectrum, the Jags' season will be over before we know it if they fail to get a victory either this week or the next, much like how New Orleans' season was crushed after the first four weeks in 2007.

11. It doesn't seem to matter who plays quarterback for the Tennessee Titans right now because their defense is just to fierce and sturdy to be scored on. Unfortunately, the Bengals wished they had the same fortune of relying on such a unit as Carson Palmer wishes he could catch the first plane out of the NFL's version of Hades.

12. Don't be fooled by the Niners' explosion against the Seahawks--Seattle is just so banged up at the wide receiver position that its forcing Matt Hasselbeck to make uncharacteristic throws. It'll just be a matter of time until they get Deion Branch back in the lineup along with Bobby Wade. As for San Francisco, I'd cherish this moment because the only other team they have any chance of defeating in the future are the...

13. Rams, who looked atrocious for the second straight. Please, St. Louis, fire Scott Linehan and just get it over with--I'm sure Marc Bulger's fragile frame would appreciate the decision. Also, congratulations to the Rams for serving as a doormat to another NFC East opponent.

14. The Browns stink; plain and simple. Their secondary is awful, they can't rush the passer and Jamal Lewis is tripping on himself like it's 2006 in Baltimore. It won't be long before Brady Quinn is promoted from the clipboard.

MNF prediction:

Cowboys over Eagles, 27-20

I'd look for Jason Witten to have more of an impact in this game against the Eagles' young linebacker corps than T.O. or Patrick Crayton while DeSean Jackson will give Adam Jones or whoever's covering him fits. This game will be decided on how much pressure each team puts on the opposing quarterback and I feel Dallas' offensive line, combined with Romo's mobility, gives them the edge over Philadelphia's pass rush. On the other side, the Eagles can't afford to let DeMarcus Ware to tee-off against William Thomas or Jon Runyan, which I think will lead to Greg Ellis AND Anthony Spencer having a field day in the Eagles' backfield in passing situations. Brian Westbrook will make plays because, well, he's Brian Westbrook. But, the Cowboys will be ready in this one as both teams will rack up the points in this highly-intriguing Monday Night Football showdown.

Offseason, Preseason...who gives a s***!

2008-08-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a rundown of what I think of each team thus far as we enter Week 4 of preseason...

Atlanta Falcons: I've liked what I've seen from rookie QB Matt Ryan. So far, he's show a lot of accuracy from the pocket and on the run and has show a nice repour with WR Roddy White, who has become a forgetton man amongst the Michael Vick mess despite his decent 2007 campaign. I'm not saying the Falcons will be in the playoffs by any means, but they'll definitely be better, especially with the additions of RB Michael Turner, who has a knack for always falling forward and getting those extra yards, but it should be a long process on the defensive side of the ball as the group adjusts to head coach Mike Smith.

Arizona Cardinals: At last, the Cardinals realize Matt Leinart blows (and as a Jets fan, I can't be any happier in hindsight that they chose not to select the former Trojan with the No. 4 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft)! Quarterback Kurt Warner has earned this job since becoming the no-huddle guy last fall, so it's no surprise that head coach Ken Whisenhunt decided to go with the former ringleader of the Greatest Show on Turf as his man. The besides losing Calvin Pace (who's looked good in Gang Green so far) and Bryant Johnson, the Cardinals return most of their talent and should cause some sort of fraucus in the NFC's bitch division. Another year under the 3-4 defense should help emerging stars Darnell Dockett and Karlos Dansby as they'll look to apply more pressure with multiple fronts. Also, keep an eye out for rookie running back Tim Hightower, who's looking like a certifiable power back behind vetern runner Edgerin James.

Baltimore Ravens: This team might wind up being the most horrid, boring team to watch in 2008. With an aging defense, an injured Willis McGahee and an unsettling quarterback situation, the Ravens and their fans shouldn't be expecting anything more than 5-6 wins. Are they any better than Pittsburgh? No. Cleveland? No. The only team in their division they may have a shot at beating at least once is Cincinnati, and that's not even a guarantee. Not much to talk about here, folks, as it appears new head coach John Harbaugh has his work cut out for him. However, I wouldnt' fret for the Ravens' sake as they have one of the best GMs in Ozzie Newsome who's surrounded by some of the best talent evaluators in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills: It's funny how this team has become such a media darling after ranking in the lower half of every statistical category in 2007 and not making many significant veteran additions to a team ridden with youth. Yeah, they added talented corner Leodis McKelvin and and big-bodied wide receiver James Hardy with their first two picks in the draft but pro bowl left tackle Jason Peters is M.I.A. and might even miss an early portion of the regular season while Langston Walker, the other tackle, is nursing an elbow injury. I almost forgot they acquired Marcus Stroud because to be honest I don't seem him performing like he did when he was with Jacksonville--there's a reason why Jack Del Rio had no problem saying, "Adios!" to one-half of the Twin Towers. Also, let's not kid ourselves with Trent Edwards--the guy has looked okay for the most part. Maybe I'm underselling the Bills because no one other than Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans and Terrance McGee sticks out as an explosive game changer but I feel that a team with marginal talent that' s been slapped with playoff expectations may falter under pressure.

More on the rest of the NFL's alphabet...

I'm back...

2008-08-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

Hello everybody!

I know it's been awhile, but I've been extremely busy during these past 3-4 months. Enough chit-chat: let's get back to football.

Shortly (but surely), I'll recap some of the most current headlines in football and give you my analysis. Be back in a little bit.

Are you ready for some...Cleveland?

2008-04-15T11:32:00.001-07:00

Out of all of the revelations that have come with the release of the 2008 schedule, I'm most shocked about the decision to display the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears on the national stage five times.

It makes sense that Chicago, New England and the New York Giants get another go-around of primetime action--however, I feel as if I'm the only one this flabbergasted (that's right, I said it) about Cleveland, a team who came inches away from making their first playoff apperance since 2002, is getting so much love? Even though this decision comes as somewhat of a shock, I'm pleasantly surprised that everyone who doesn't have the luxury of NFL Ticket will get to see how great Braylon Edwards has become. However, I'm not enjoying the fact that I'll continue to be getting a face-full of Tony Romo and Tom Brady every Sunday, Monday and Thursday night, as the two players combine for 10 primetime appearanaces. Also, good for you NFL for not confining yourself to Adrian Peterson and the former Sooner back alone, giving the Vikings and their sadistically sad passing game only three primetime slots.

I'm a little irked that the schedule makers didn't put the new-look Dolphins on at least one primetime slot, being that the 49ers were given a big one against the Cardinals on Monday on Nov. 10, which will be the game that's going to force us to watch Ron Jaworski dismantle every nuance of Alex Smith's ugly throwing mechanics.

Oh, by the way, the Jets FINALLY got a Monday night contest, as they'll square off against the Chargers in Week 3. This will be the first appearance for New York on the Monday night stage since 2005, when their season was marred by a Vinny comeback and Ty Law receiving a penalty on every other play.

Dolphins shaping the draft order as I speak

2008-04-13T13:37:00.001-07:00

In an effort to acquire the cheapest and best talent with the No. 1 overall pick, the Miami Dolphins appear to be close signing Michigan left tackle Jake Long.

For their sake, they better hope he ends up like Orlando Pace and not Tony Mandarich.

The Dolphins, who've struggled to find an adequate left tackle since Richmond Webb's retirement, have failed to do so, as former first round pick Vernon Carey hasn't played up to expectations. The move makes sense for the Dolphins, but is it really worth using the very first pick of the draft on a left tackle? There's evidence where you can argue for or against the Dolphins' decision, but what we do know is the draft's order will be shaken up once the Dolphins ink Long.

The only other teams with big gaps at left tackle within the top-10 of the draft are Atlanta, Oakland, Kansas City and Baltimore (depending on whether Jonathan Ogden retires, of course). Long won't fall beyond 10, so one of these teams would snag the former Wolverine without hesitation if the Dolphins don't end up getting a deal worked out.

Now, the Rams will have to think whether they want to go the defensive tackle route with Sedrick Ellis or Glenn Dorsey or get better on the bookend with Vernon Gholston or Chris Long. Either way, the Rams won't let any of these defensive linemen slip by. The same goes for the Falcons. With Long off the board, the Raiders will probably look to go defensive line or Darren McFadden, while the Chiefs will most likely pick the second-highest rated offensive line prospect left, being that Kansas City owns one of the worst O-Lines in the NFL.

In othe words, whatever the Rams, Falcons and Raiders pick, those decisions will dictate the pace of the entire draft.

New rules that everybody can live with

2008-04-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, the NFL’s owner meetings revealed some rule changes that will have ramifications—some large, some small. Let’s take a look at of these new creases...

Instant replay on field goals
Two defenders get microphones in their helmets
No more “force out” rule for receivers
No more 5-yard face mask
Teams are allowed to defer if they win the toss

All of changes will even the playing field a bit more, as offenses won’t be the only ones who can receive orders straight from their coaches through their helmets.

Since defenders (teams are allowed to have two designated players to carry microphones) are now allowed to be “miked up,” there will be no more sign stealing—hence, the defense will finally not have to worry about the presence of any suspiscious camera men.

The defense also got another ruling in their favor when the NFL decided to rid themselves of the force-out rule. This rule has been debatable ever since it became legal, as many games (and calls) were put under the microscope because of questionable late-minute catches that could have altered the outcome of games. Now, defensive backs will get to push the receivers out of bounds without any worry—something they should have been able to A LONG TIME AGO!

What’s it mean that the 5-yard face mask is gone? No more silly first downs that break the back of defenses every.
Having instant replay available for field goals will rid any Phil Dawson-like situations in the future, and the ability to defer will give defensive-minded coaches all over the league something extra to think about.

Let’s lay off the stupidity, people!

2008-04-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

There’s been some bad behavior displayed by some NFL players this past week and a half, as a couple of these incidents include a well-known repeat offender and some new perpetrators of questionable choices.

First off, let’s get into the egregious saga that has become Chris Henry’s life. The former Bengals wide receiver was charged with punching an 18-year-old man (questionable if this “man” is actually such if he’s getting into altercations with this miscreant) and throwing a beer bottle threw the window of the man’s car.

Henry’s sobriety hasn’t been questioned as of yet, but I can’t help but to think that other factors other than bad character are taking a major role in the talent wideout’s life.

Anyways, Henry had to spend an extra night in jail because there were no electric house arrest bracelets on-hand to apply to the former Mountaineer—talk about piling it on strong.

The prognosis on Henry’s career—over. It’s hard to imagine Roger Goodell giving the player another chance due to his track record in handling situations like these and Henry’s history.

Now on to Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who is suffering from a cut on his right forearm after slipping on a McDonalds’ bag and falling into a television set while wrestling with a brother.

You’re now the go-to-guy for the Denver Broncos and you’re willing to give up your body to play around with your brother in the offseason?

Jay Cutler is right to rip into this guy—not only are the Broncos going to miss Marshall if his injury lingers into the regular season, but Cutler’s production may suffer if he isn’t able to get back the big-bodied wide receiver in time when it counts.

Last but not least, cornerback Kenny Wright was just released after trying to elude police officers by foot after being found with marijuana. I guess Wright couldn’t outrun the police any better than he could covering receivers.

Thoughts on the NFL Owners Meeting...

2008-03-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

So far, here are some of the main debates being talked about during the NFL's annual owners meeting...

1) Having players cut their hair so it doesn't cover their name on the back of their jerseys
2) Reseeding the playoffs so that teams that don't win their divisions still have a chance to gain home-field advantage
3) Increasing the rosters from 80 to 86 players
4) Allowing defensive players to wear mics in their helmets
5) Force-out rule
6) Replays for field goals

Let's get into each of these topics one-by-one:

1. Vote: No on hair cutting

Despite looking sloppy and unkempt, NFL players should have the right to wear their hair as long as they want to--it's not something that gives them an advantage over another player, although some would argue it gives defenders more of an option when trying to tackle a ball carrier who likes to keep his locks long (Troy Polamulu, anyone?). However, I'm not surprised this issue is being discussed because we are talking about the same league that fines players for having their socks sag to a certain level below their shins. In my opinion, there are bigger fish to fry within the NFL.

2. Vote: Yes to reseeding

Forcing teams to try throughout their entire 16-game schedule will only enhance the level of competition and entertainment for fans and players if this rule is changed. If owners vote to change this rule, every game will count, meaning teams won't have the luxury of resting their players before the postseason and such. Also, it awards teams in competitve divisions to earn home-field advantage over a lackluster division champion.

3. Vote: No to roster extension

More players means more depth, you would think. But ponder this: imagine your the star player on your favorite team having to take a pay cut because they want to sign a fourth-string tight end for depth, since the rule will give them the freedom to do so. That doesn't paint a pretty picture for the future--a future that will most likely happen if this rule is enforced.

4. Vote: A 100% yes to audio for defenders

This rule should have been instituted when the NFL made it legal for quarterbacks to wear microphones in their helmets. Having an every-down defender wear a mic means no more sign stealing (that goes for you, New England), and will only level the playing field for defenses, who've already had to suffer through pass-happy ruling changes like illegal contact and the force-out rule (I'll get into that in a little bit).

5. Vote: Yes to eliminating force-out rule

As if NFL offenses needed anymore help these days. Getting rid of this rule will end speculation to whether or not a receiver caught a ball, which should --and always be-- defined by a player getting two feet in bounds. Just think: what is a defender supposed to do? That's basically telling a defensive back or linebacker that he shouldn't tackle the receiver.

6. Vote: Yes to replays for field goals

I don't even think I need to divulge into this topic. This rule wasn't in play when Phil Dawson made a suspect field goal to put the Browns into overtime against the Ravens, but the referees did the right thing as they went back to review if the ball had crossed the bottom crossbar (which it did). How could this rule not have already been in the rule book?

Who's got the best QBs? Houston, that's who.

2008-03-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

After you read that headline, you must think I'm nuts. However, I'm not declarding that Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels and newly-acquired quarterback Quinn Gray are any better than Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer or the recently-retired Brett Favre--I'm only saying that as a group, the Texans' QBs may be the best in the NFL.

There's no other team than the Texans that have as much solidarity at the quarterback position from first to third string. Hell, some teams don't even have three QBs--Dallas (Tony Romo and Brad Johnson) and Arizona (Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner) have only two on their active rosters.

There may be some teams, such as the Cowboys and Cardinals, who have better starters and primary backups none have a capable third QB who can produce when flung into action. Gray, who will presumably hold down the No. 3 spot behind back up Rosenfels and starter Schaub, has enough size, mobility, arm and experience to win a few for the Texans when pressed into action. Although his record as a starter in 2007 was a bit pedestrian (2-3) when he filled in for an injured David Garrard, Gray, who signed with the Jaguars in 2005 as an undrafted free agent, remains a good, deployable option for the Texans.

Quinn Gray image found at http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/theslant/blog/quinngrayb.jpg

Tight end Utecht might fill hole that McGee left

2008-03-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

By acquiring tight end (and some would say wide receiver) Ben Utecht, the Cincinnati Bengals might have filled a need that has been glaringly open since the departure of Tony McGee.

Hold on for a second--before some of you ask, "who is Tony McGee?" I shall show you that the former 1993 second-round pick was the last productive tight end the Bengals have had.

McGee, who played in Cincinnati from 1993-2001 and Dallas in 2002 before retiring after the 2003 season, was a mainstay on the Bengals' offense, starting 150 out of a possible 152 games.

Although McGee's career numbers don't jump out as much as Tony Gonzalez's or Antonio Gates', take into consideration that he played during a era with less pass interference penalties, his quarterbacks were David Klingler, Jeff Blaker, Akili Smith, Neil O'Donnell and Jon Kitna and that the Bengals were arguably the worst team in professional sports in the 1990s.

With that said, adding Utecht, who can do damage coming off the tackle or in the slot, should be able to boost Carson Palmer's production even further, assuming that TJ Housmanzadeh and Chad Johnson quit singing their swan songs and that Chris Henry can stay away from the county jail.

Tony McGee image found at http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/334188.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193B3EA2C03450C9486D47859FB25F3D72E284831B75F48EF45

Ben Utecht image found at http://www.nflhs.com/images/PlayerPics/BenUtecht2007-200.jpg

Atlanta's rebuilding process going well so far

2008-03-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

So what does adding Michael Turner, Jason Elam, Erik Coleman and trading DeAngelo Hall for a 2008 second rounder and a fifth-round pick in 2009 mean for the Atlanta Falcons?

It means they'll have more than four wins in 2008.

Turner, added to supplant Warrick Dunn and compliment scat back Jerious Norwood, will most likely be the primary ball carrier for the Falcons, which is a plus because he has vast experience, speed and bulk and he's only 26 with not that much tred on his tires. Having him and Norwood, who gains at least 4.5 yards per carry, should bolster the Falcons' dreary offense next season. As for Dunn, he was still productive but it was perhaps time for the Falcons to move on because running backs don't have much to offer in terms of future production at 33 years of age.

Elam will supplant the ageless Morton Anderson, who had trouble kicking field goals over 40-plus yards. After kicking in Denver for the past decade or so, Elam should benefit even more by kicking in the Georgia Dome and, when the Falcons get in position, they have somebody to rely on to either win the game or get them into overtime. Overall, good signing.

Adding safety Erik Coleman, who had success his first two years in the NFL as a member of Herm Edwards' cover two defense with the Jets, will look to revitalize his career in Atlanta. Perhaps an addition by subtraction, letting DeAngelo Hall go to the Raiders may have been just that--his locker room presence (and spotty play on the field) just didn't warrant the amount of money and time the Falcons had invested in him as the 8th overall pick in 2004.

With a solid draft, the Falcons may be looking at a seven-eight win season in 2008.

Michael Turner image found at http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/images/061218turner.jpg
Erik Coleman image found at http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/docs/images/7mc0fk4f.jpg
Jason Elam image found at http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/36/364876.jpg

NFL Notes: Lions cut Kevin Jones and Kalimba Edwards

2008-03-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to cut ties with failed experiements, the Detroit Lions cut running back Kevin Jones and defensive end Kalimba Edwards.

Jones, who was productive when healthy, has spent more time in the training room than on the field since being drafted in the first round out of Viriginia Tech in 2004. Edwards, on the other hand, hasn't played the way Detroit officials thought he was capable of after posting a career-highs in sacks (7) and fumble recoveries (10) in 2005 and has accumulated a combined six sacks in 2006 and 2007.

Both will be scooped up by the time the draft rolls around, as teams will be looking to fill holes on their roster.

TE Bubba Franks close to signing with Jets

According to the Newark Star-Ledger, former Packer Bubba Franks is close to signing with the New York Jets.

Franks, who served as the second tight end for the Packers behind Donald Lee in 2007, will be expected to fill the same role in New York behind Chris Baker, who posted a career year this past season.

WR Bryant Johnson hops from one NFC West team to another

After the Cardinals decided to let wide receiver Bryant Johnson test the market, the former 2003 first round draft pick out Penn State signed with San Francisco as the 49ers severed ties with Darrell Jackson.

Johnson adds size and jump-ball ability to the Niners' receiving corps and should push for a starting spot in San Fran. On the other hand, teams looking for a capable route runner winner and someone with extensive knowledge of the West Coast offense may look for Jackson's services as he has shown he can produce during his time in Seattle. His stay in San Francisco can't be deemed his fault entirely--just look who he had to work with at quarterback.

Big-bodied WR Drew Carter goes coast-to-coast

The Oakland Raiders added another big-play wide receiver in Drew Carter when they pryed him away from Carolina. The 6-foot-4 Carter, Javon Walker and Ronald Curry have the ability to take advantage of JaMarcus Russell's big arm--it just remains to be seen if the former LSU star can pick up the playbook and put down the cheeseburgers as it's rumored he's balloned to nearly 300 pounds.

Drew Carter image found at http://nbcsports.nbcunifiles.com/spts/files/nbcsports/nfl/Week1/DrewCarter_Panthers_320x250.jpg

Bryant Johnson image found at http://www.nancarrow-webdesk.com/warehouse/storage2/2007-w47/img.79493_t.jpg

Bubba Franks image found at http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/2765807.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1934A2752006EF5F0ED4BB8E0D6D07E4B8F5A5397277B4DC33E

Kevin Jones image found at http://blog.mlive.com/lionsinsider/2007/10/071001_kevin_jones_breaking_tackle.jpg

Kalimba Edwards image found at http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/2025690.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1934A2752006EF5F0ED1086D461A7B213865A5397277B4DC33E

Former Falcon Hall makes questionable landing in Oakland

2008-03-16T10:41:00.001-07:00

So, Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall wanted out of the Dirty South and wished management to ship him off to a team suited with a "win now" mindframe--and the front office deals him to another dysfunctional franchise in the Oakland Raiders for a second-round pick.

Hall is expected to make just a little under then what Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel signed on for ($57 million), so financially this deal was a great move. But, speaking strictly in football terms, I'd say this is a lose-lose situation for both sides.

The former Virginia Tech Hokie was the No. 8 overall pick in 2004 and has made two Pro Bowl appearances since being drafted (2005, 2006)--however, Hall's given up more big plays than he's made, as ESPN's KC Joyner points out in his columns.

Here's Joyner's thoughts on Hall in his article "The truth on the corner":

DeAngelo HallThis is the second consecutive season Hall makes this list. He receives this honor because he once again made the Pro Bowl, despite posting simply abysmal metrics. His 9.2 YPA ranked 76th among cornerbacks. Hall's 47.1 success percentage was solid (31st in the league), but his 17.9 missed pass percentage was one of the highest in the league. That means a large percentage of Hall's success was due to luck. His supporters would point out that many of the big plays he allowed were due in part to not getting good help from the Falcons' safeties. That might be the case, but Hall's overall YPA was still only .8 yards better than Jason Webster's figure. Furthermore, Woodson had just as little help from the Packers' mediocre safeties and still put up great metrics.

Here's another revelation on Hall's play from Joyner in his article "Hall, Gamble don't deserve hype":

Overrated

1. DeAngelo Hall, Atlanta Falcons -- John Madden knighted Hall as a great cornerback after Hall had a fairly good game against Terrell Owens in the "Monday Night Football" 2005 season opener. Since then, the hype machine has been going full bore and he is now seen as one of the best corners in the NFL. The thing I don't understand is how Hall's reputation keeps surviving after each Sunday's highlight reels. Hall has given up a 40-plus yard pass play in four of his last eight games and three of these have been 60 or more yards. This is the primary reason he is allowing nearly 11 yards per attempt. How anyone can call him a shutdown corner this year is simply beyond me.

Considering all these factors, Hall is an upgrade from Stanford Routt, but I'm not too sure if he'll make that much more of a difference than Fabian Washington--both have awesome speed, but both also seem to give up too many big plays (take a look at what Chad Johnson did to him). If they wanted to go a different route (get it), the Silver-and-Black could have used that second-round pick on a cornerback with first-round talent because at least one of the top-5 ranked corners will slip.

DeAngelo Hall image found at http://ballsiest.com/sportsblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/deangelo-hall.jpg

I don't remember the draft's order being this cloudy

2008-03-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

Since free agency has answered many questions for most of the 32 teams in the NFL, the draft is becoming harder to predict. But you know what, I'll take a stab at it anyways.

Without any further ado, here's MY mock draft (I tried to start one about a month ago, but this one is the real deal):

1. Miami Dolphins-- Chris Long, DE, UVA
Long may not be the sexiest of choices, but the Dolphins don't have any other pass rushers besides an aging Jason Taylor. The New York Giants reminded everybody how important it is to assemble a group that can rush the passer, and with Long being the best 4-3 end available, it would make sense for Miami to choose him.

Chris Long video

2. St. Louis Rams -- Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU

The Rams have a lot of needs, but one of their biggest holes is an interior lineman. Dorsey, whose value has been questioned with the recent acquistion of an injury, should give more inside help to the Rams' defensive line and pair up with Adam Carriker to form the cornerstone of St. Louis' defense for years to come.

Glenn Dorsey video

3. Atlanta Falcons -- Jake Long, LT, Michigan

With Michael Vick, TJ Duckett and Warrick Dunn, the Falcons had one of the league's elite rushing attacks. With Dunn and Duckett no longer on the team and Vick in prison, their ability to run the ball has vanished. By signing Michael Turner to team up with Jerious Norwood, all the Falcons need is a good solid line to lead the way, and what better way to do that than draft the most elite offensive line prospect in the draft in Long.

4. Oakland Raiders -- Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State

The Raiders resigned Justin Fargas, restructured Dominic Rhodes' contract and still have Michael Bush and Lamont Jordan under contract so I think it's safe to say Oakland will not be seeking out the talent of Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. What the Raiders do need is a playmaker on defense, and Ohio State's Vernon Gholston will be available when the Raiders choose at No. 4. With Chris Clemons leaving to Philadelphia and Warren Sapp retiring, Oakland lost some of its ability to rush the passer, so taking Gholston would only make sense.

Vernon Gholston video 1 (against Jake Long), video 2, video 3

5. Kansas City Chiefs -- Ryan Clady, RT, Boise State

With the Chiefs, I they need bodies--plain and simple. One of the spots they need bodies--and talent-- at is offensive line, because Kansas City relies so much on Larry Johnson and he can't afford to run behind a less-than-adequate offensive line much longer. If the Chiefs do opt to take somebody else, it'll probably be a defensive back but I'd still look for them to address their lack of talent along the line.

6. New York Jets -- Darren McFadden, RB, New York Jets

The Jets addressed their needs at nose tackle, outside linebacker, left guard and right tackle thus far this offseason. Now, the Jets, who still are one difference-making defender away from being a good defensive unit, will be looking to add a playmaker on offense--a guy who will take pressure off of whoever plays quarterback, Thomas Jones, Laveraneus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. While there are no wide receivers expected to be of top-10 value in this year's draft and the Jets aren't that desperate for a running back, I'd still expect them to take McFadden, who paired with Jones and Leon Washington could form one of the league's best rushing attacks with their newly-revamped offensive line and recently-acquired fullback Tony Richardson.

Darren McFadden video

7. New England Patriots -- Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State (from San Francisco)

Good bye Asante Samuel and hello McKelvin! It's either this or a linebacker for the Patriots but most of the prototype 3-4 linebackers aren't expected to be off the board until rounds two-three, so it's likely New England will seek a corner to replace Samuel. The Patriots also like to trade down to acquire more draft picks, but for this mock's sake, I'd say they take McKelvin, whose stock has been improving since having a great workout at the combine and a good display at the senior bowl.

Leodis McKelvin video 1 (3:20), video 2

8. Baltimore Ravens -- Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

The Ravens tried the same idea about 4-5 years ago with Cal-product Kyle Boller, and with a defense that's still one of the best in the league, Baltimore has to be serious about upgrading the most important position in football. Trying to play without a upper-echelon quarterback has kept this team from possible making 1-2 more trips to the Super Bowl this decade after their 35-7 blowout win against the Giants in 2001. Ryan has played extremely well for the duration of his career at Boston College, and I think he has something going for him that has doomed other quarterbacks--the Awe of the Big Arm. How many times has a quarterback been solely evaluated for his ability to launch a pass 60 yards with ease where as his penchance for leading his team to victory goes completely unnoticed? Ryan has good--not great--arm strength, but his ability to close out a win with his passing with an average cast at Boston College is even more impressive.

Matt Ryan video

9. Cincinnati Bengals --Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

The Bengals foolishly lost out on trading for Shaun Rogers, so getting an interior defensive lineman should be a priority for a Cincinnati team that has had trouble stopping the run for almost 18 years. Ellis never gives up on a play despite his girth, so his high-motor intensity may have an impact on the rest of the Bengals' defensive line.

Sedrick Ellis video 1, video 2 (senior bowl)

10. New Orleans Saints --Kenny Phillips, S, Miami

Unlike last year when the Saints foolishly picked up an offensive player in the first round with Robert Meachem, it's highly unlikely New Orleans will do the same in 2008. The defense continues to be the weak unit on this team, so the Saints are expected to get a defender. Linebacker doens't appear to be that much of a need after acquiring Jonathan Vilma and the often-injured Dan Morgan, so their uprgrade will probably come at defensive tackle, safety or cornerback. I say they go safety, as their is only one prime prospect at that position in Kenny Phillips. The draft is deep at cornerback and defensive tackle, plus the Saints still have Mike McKenzie (although his play is dropping by the year), second-year player Usama Young and the newly-acquired Randall Gay, who should see that Jason David isn't on the field as much. Adding a talented safety like Phillips can only upgrade a Saints safety corps that doesn't include a difference-maker.

Kenny Phillips video 1, video 2

11. Buffalo Bills --Early Doucet, WR, LSU

I say there's a good chance Doucet won't end up being like the last LSU receiver Buffalo drafted in Josh Reed. Doucet is a big, strong target who runs good routes and has great hands catching the ball away from his body and should provide a tall target to compliment the small but speedy Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish. The Bills are a couple of players away from being a playoff team, and Doucet should improve the progression of Trent Edwards, giving him a viable option on crossing routes over the middle.

Early Doucet video 1, video 2, video 3, video 4

12. Denver Broncos -- Keith Rivers, OLB, USC

Let's just be honest--Denver's defense just sucked last season. When they needed a stop on 3-and-5, they'd let up 15 yards and if it was 1st-and-10, they'd still give up 10-plus yards. Cornerback Dre Bly didn't play up to expectations after Denver traded for him from Detroit, although they didn't give up much in return for him (look at RT George Foster and RB Tatum Bell). Denver has always loved speed at linebacker since Mike Shanahan has been patrolling the field for the Broncos, so Keith Rivers is their man to team with DJ Williams.

Keith Rivers video 1

13. Carolina Panthers -- Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina

The only mainstay from Carolina's fierce defensive line from their Super Bowl run in 2002 is Julius Peppers. Kris Jenkins is now a Jet while Mike Rucker and Brenston Buckner's production has disappeared into the night. Peppers needs help along that line, and getting local product Balmer will be a priority for the Panthers.

14. Chicago Bears -- Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

He's big, fast and has hands like cushions. Sweed, despite nursing a wrist injury, has a lot of upside and will definitely be taken by a team needy for a wide receiver, and perhaps no team like the Bears is as needy for a WR. After watching Muhsin Muhammed and Bernard Berrian leave, the Bears are left with Mark Bradley, Devin Hester and Rashied Davis--all possess a lot of speed, but it hasn't been seen where these guys can be counted on in the clutch. It's almost like a toss-up in this slot, because the Bears could opt to go for another wide out, but I say Sweed's size, quickness and ability to produce at a high level in the Big 12 gets the Bears to pull the trigger on him.

Limas Sweed video 1, video 2

15. Detroit Lions -- Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida

At least we know the Lions won't be gunning for a wide reciever this draft. What Detroit will be gunning for is a defender. The Lions just signed Tampa Bay-castoff Brian Kelly as a potential starter a corner, and I'd expect the Lions to pick up another potential starter at the same position in Mike Jenkins. Jenksin and SFU put themselves on the map after rising as high as No. 2 in the nation during last year's wacky college football season, and his skills were displayed to a national audience as he, George Selvie and Ben Moffit proved there is upper-echelon talent on the Bulls' roster.

Mike Jenkins video 1

16. Arizona Cardinals -- Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh

There's nothing more Ken Whisenhunt wants in this year's draft than a big, nasty tackle to make lanes for whoever totes the rock for Arizona. You could argue that Arizona might go running back at No. 16 with Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Stewart on the board while starter Edgerrin James is closing in on that age where running backs typically experience a decline in their play. However, if they want to give their running game and quarterback a chance, they have to solidify themselves upfront with talent, as they did last year with Levi Brown. Expect the Cardinals to be a tad tougher next year if they opt to go with Otah.

17. Minnesota Vikings -- Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

I might change this if Minnesota does work out a trade for JP Losman, but if they don't, I'm thinking there's no way Brad Childress will let a quartberback whom many thought was going to win the heismann slip by him and be stuck with Tarvaris Jackson as the only option for a starter in 2008. Brohm has run an offense similar to Childress' quick-strike passing game at Louisville, so maybe he could mold Brohm into the type of dynamic passer that Donovan McNabb has become.

Video of Brian Brohm

18. Houston Texans -- Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

The only bright light in Illinois' 49-17 embarrasment to USC, Mendenhall proved to be an exceptional back in 2007 as he ran for 100 yards in 13 games and went over the 150 yard-mark in six of those performances. With prototype size (5'11", 220 lbs) for a running back, Mendenhall could provide the Texans the type of feature back they haven't had since Domanik Davis (oops, I mean Williams) changed his name.

Rashard Mendenhall video 1, video 2

19. Philadelphia Eagles -- Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

Depending on whether they get Larry Fitzgerald or Torry Holt via trade, the Eagles will be looking for an upgrade at wide receiver. Now, I'm not saying Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, who had a fine first-season with the Eagles, aren't good players, but Philly is one good playmaker away from making another deep run in the playoffs. I know Andy Reid will not draft a running back in the first round (being that they already have one of the league's best in Brian Westbrook and the fact that they have never done that since Reid's arrival), and so WR Malcom Kelly remains the only option that makes sense. Like Sweed, he's a big, speedy target who's got great hands and dominated the Big 12 last season while playing with a freshman at quartberback. For their sake, they better hope he doesn't end up like the former self-proclaimed "People's Champ" and become Philly's Chump.

Malcolm Kelly video 1, video 2, video 3

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

Suprirse, Surprise, Tampa goes defense. However, it's a must for the Bucs to get younger on defense because most of their veterans from their 2003 run are declining (except Derrick Brooks, who's still as fantastic as ever). Talib has the skill set to play in the Bucs' cover-2 defense and he's got good size (6'2", 205 lbs) for a corner.

Aqib Talib video 1, video 2, video 3

21. Washington Redskins -- Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida

In 2006, the Redskins were one of the worst teams rushing the passer, but in 2007, Andre Carter finally decided to actually be worth the monster contract the team gave him. How much longer can Carter keep up his inspired play? Who knows, but Washington does need a difference-maker at defensive end and wide receiver, as Antwan Randle-El hasn't proved to be anything more than a very rich slot receiver (83 catches and four touchdowns in two seasons as their No. 2 WR). With no more wide receivers with first-round grades left, the Redskins still have a talented group of defensive ends to pick from, and I think they'll take Derrick Harvey. Harvey is a good 4-3 end and proved he was stronger than most thought after posting 31 reps at the combine.

Derrick Harvey video (2:33-2:40)

22. Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland) -- Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas

Out goes one Jones and in comes another. After letting (and I use that term loosely) Julius Jones shop his services elsewhere and landing in Seattle, the Cowboys will need another back to compliment Marion the Barbarian. Now, I'm not saying Felix goes to the Cowboys because he's an Arkansas guy and that he shares the same alma mater as Dallas owner Jerry Jones but only because he's the only top-line running back that's a shifty-speed type back left on the board. Having another power back like Jonathan Stewart wouldn't make sense because they already have a guy like that in Barber, so I expect Dallas to try to create their own version of Thunder and Lighthing.

Felix Jones video

23. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Calais Campbell, DE, Miami

Pittsburgh loves those gigantic defensive ends, and perhaps there's no DE bigger in this draft than Campbell (6'8", 280 lbs). Instead of trying to make Campbell a pass-rush master, the Steelers will look to make him a two-gap plugger in the mold of Aaron Smith (who, by the way, gained 100 lbs between his last game and the draft to make it to the NFL). Although his senior season wasn't as good as some expected, Campbell will be looked upon to make the Steelers' defenisve line even more sturdy.

Calais Campbell video

24. Tennessee Titans -- DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal

Although not as flashy and big-play oriented, the Titans found their replacement for Pacman Jones in Michael Griffin last spring. This year, the Titans should look to replace some of the talent that jettisoned during this year's free agency. Tennessee has a bevy of big-bodied receivers after adding TE Alge Crumpler, so getting DeSean Jackson would bring speed to their passing game and return units. Jackson ran a 4.35 at the combine and made Pac-10 defenses and special team units look silly from 2006-2007 and could be what Ted Ginn Jr. was not in his rookie season--an impact player.

DeShaun Jackson video

25. Seattle Seahawks -- Chris Williams, LT, Vanderbilt

Seattle's need for a running back has been completely eliminated after they signed Julius Jones and TJ Duckett. Now Seattle has a little more freedom in regards to their draft--instead of drafting based on need, the Seahawks can now accumulate depth at any position. One position the Seahawks could afford to reach for is tight end, as Purdue Boilermaker Dustin Keller heads the class for 2008. However, I expect them to take Vanderbilt's Chris Williams so that they can groom an eventual replacement for the stellar Walter Jones.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Dan Connor, MLB, Penn State

When healthy, Mike Peterson is as good as a middle linebacker out there. However, his ability to stay on the field in recent seasons has hindered the Jaguars' defense lately. By getting Connor, the Jaguars get a toughy, heady linebacker who has the athelticism to make plays in the box and on the perimeter.

Dan Connor video 1, video 2

27. San Diego Chargers -- Gosder Cherilus, RT, Boston College

The Chargers don't have many holes to fill on their team other than a backup for LaDanian Tomlinson and a right tackle, and since San Diego is in position to take Boston College right tackle Gosder Cherilus, they'll most likely fill one of their two gaps. The 6-foot-7, 315 pound Cherilus made the way for running back Andre Callender and kept rushers off of Matt Ryan's back, and he'll expected to do the same for LT and Philip Rivers.

28. Dallas Cowboys -- Dominque Rogers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State

The Cowboys have this small-school athletic phenom fall all the way to them at No. 28 as prospects from higher-ranked programs go off the board. Rogers Cromartie has displayed phenomenal ability to make plays on jump balls, in the return game and closing speed on passes and receivers. The Cowboys will be looking for an eventual replacement for Terrance Newman and Anthony Henry, and with Rogers-Cromartie Dallas has the liberty of working him slowly into the line up without forcing him to start in week 1 right away.

29. San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis) -- Frank Okam, DT, Texas

With the retirement of Bryant Young, the Niners will look to improve their defensive line. Okam has been accused of being lazy and taking plays off during his Longhorn career, which explains why he's slipped all the way to No. 29. But, the Niners are building to make a run at the Seahawks right now, and they can't afford to force Patrick Willis to be the only playmaker in the middle of their defense. Okam is the type of player that will allow the Niners to him start right away as they are in a win-now mode after spending big bucks this and last year's offseason.

30. Green Bay -- Dre Moore, DT, Maryland

Losing Corey Williams to the Browns left a void at defensive tackle that the Packers will try to fill on draft day with Moore, who had a solid end to his senior year at Maryland and posted a good workout at the combine. The Packers took Tennessee's Justin Harrell in the first round last year, and I'd expect them to go the same route this season.

31. New England (FORFEITED)

32. New York Giants -- Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

Although he's a top-3 end on most experts' big boards, Merling could possibly slip even further than the latter part of the first round. The Giants love pass rushers, and securing themself Gaines Adams' former partner-in-crime will give the Giants more options to deploy against opposing quarterbacks.

Free agency should be winding down after these moves

2008-03-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Since my last post, there were even more free-agent moves that took place. Take a look at who switched area codes:

Wide receiver Javon Walker, cut by Denver, signs with division-rival Oakland
Oakland defensive tackle and future hall of famer Warren Sapp retires
Ravens sign special-team standout linebacker Brandon Ayenbadejo
St. Louis adds left guard Jacob Bell and tight end Anthony Becht
Wide receiver Marty Booker returns to Chicago
Oustide linebacker/defensive end Tyler Brayton shifted from the West coast to the East by leaving Oakland and signing with Carolina
Rams replace kicker Jeff Wilkins with Seattle’s Josh Brown
Tight end Alge Crumpler found a home in Tennessee
Running back T.J. Duckett brought his rumbling, bumbling ability to Seattle
Falcons cut running back Warrick Dunn and replace him with Michael Turner
After cutting offensive tackle Barry Sims, the Raiders sign Kwame Harris
Middle linebacker Landon Johnson leaves Cincinnati for Carolina
Jevon Kearse, like Booker, makes a return to his original team.
Jaguars sign former first-round pick defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy
Giants sign veteran safety Sammy Knight
Cardinals haul in defensive end Travis LaBoy from Titans
Defensive end Bobby McCray signs with the Saints
Steelers pick up versatile running back Mewelde Moore
Carolina cast-off middle linebacker Dan Morgan signs with the Saints
Titans lose another defensive end, Antwan Odom, as he jets to the Bengals
The Jets make Calvin Pace the highest-paid outside linebacker in the NFL
Tight end Jeb Putzier joins the Seahawks
Falcons keep quarterback Chris Redman but cut Joey Harrington
Pro Bowl fullback Tony Richardson joins Jets
Vikings replace Richardson with former Eagle Thomas Tapeh
Patriots sign cornerback Jason Webster and retain that guy Randy Moss
Chiefs acquire linebacker Demorrio Williams
Jets land another offensive lineman in versatile offensive lineman Damien Woody

Wow, what a list, huh? Well, lets get this analysis started…

Oakland Raiders

Oakland, by cutting ties with longtime-Raider Barry Sims, are slowly beginning to severe connections with everything that has been awful about the organization in the past 4-5 seasons. Adding Kwame Harris may not provide all the answers to Oakland's troubles along the offensive line, but the Raiders are in desperate need of a fresh start and adding the 6-7, 300 pound Harris, who’s still pretty young at 25 after spending five years in the league after being selected in the first round by the 49ers, isn't a bad move by any means. Also, winning the bidding-war for Javon Walker means that Oakland is capable of bringing in young talent despite their recent woes. Walker, when healthy, is one of the best deep-threat wide outs in the league and should help quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s development. Like I said, IF healthy (and that’s a big IF with this guy), Oakland should have a nice pair of WRs in Walker and former college quarterback Ronald Curry.

Warren Sapp’s retirement must have been hastened by Tommy Kelly’s acquirement of a contract worth $50 million-plus. Oakland will miss No. 99, but this move might provoke Oakland to using Terdell Sands, who I thought was a big reason why Oakland was so good on defense in 2006, a lot more than they did in 2007. By the way, losing defensive end Tyler Brayton—in my opinion—should only help Oakland, not hurt them. I’ll shed more light on that that later.

New York Jets

The Jets, perhaps the busiest team this offseason, signed former first-round picks Calvin Pace and Damien Woody to big deals worth at least $20 million-plus in guaranteed money. Pace was acquired to fill the Jets' need at outside linebacker for their 3-4 defense and Woody was signed to provide adequate protection/running blocking skills at right tackle (the Jets cut Anthony Clement, who started every game at RT after signing with New York two years ago, after signing Woody), a position he only played five games at for the Lions last season. I have to be honest--I'm not too sold on these guys as "impact players," but you can't knock the Jets for at least trying to fill their voids. Pace only has 14 and 1/2 career sacks in five years and Woody has battled weight problems since joining Detroit after the 2003 season. Also, these moves impact the draft heavily, because after filling their need at OLB and RT, the Jets may opt to take running back Darren McFadden with the sixth-overall selection and a wide receiver in the second round rather making a pick based solely on need. I guess you could say the "verdict is still out" on these two signings. On a smaller scale, the Jets also signed cornerback Andre Woolfolk, who also happens to be another former first-round pick. Woolfolk, who was drafted by the Titans, hasn't logged as much playing time as Tennessee would have liked and sat out 2007 on IR due to a leg strain. However, he has good size (6'2", 195) for a corner and Jets coach Eric Mangini is good at getting the most out of his secondary. Perhaps the most solid signing the Jets made in the past three days was Tony Richardson, a three-time Pro Bowler who's paved the way for Adrian Peterson/Chester Taylor and Priest Holmes throughout his excellent career as a dual-threat fullback. There's not doubt this 13-year veteran was a key aquisition, as he will definitely improve New York's running game with his experience and ability to move linebackers and clear running lanes. Although the majority of the Jets' offense was run out of a two-tight end set in 2007 (they cut their starting fullback Darien Barnes midway through the season), I'd expect New York to employ Richardson much more than backup tight end Joe Kowalewski.

The NFL's landscape is quickly changing

2008-03-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

As each hour passes, another free agent is making a new home for himself somewhere in the NFL. Here's a look at some of the moves that have taken place since my last post:

Defensive end Justin Smith signs with San Francisco
The Jets sign guard Alan Faneca
Bernard Berrian switches from one NFC North to another by signing with Minnesota
Linebacker Lance Briggs stays put in Chicago
49ers steal WR Isaac Bruce away from division-rival Rams and get RB DeShaun Foster
Defenisve tackle Marcus Stroud traded to Buffalo for two draft picks
Texans sign cornerback Jacques Reeves
Dolphins get WR Ernest Wilford, LB Reggie Torbor , DTs Randy Starks and Jason Ferguson and QB Josh McCown
Eagles sign cornerback Asante Samuel and defensive end Chris Clemons
Saints get cornerback Randall Gay
Kicker Josh Brown fills void in St. Louis left by Jeff Wilkins' retirement
Safety Erik Coleman signs with Atlanta
Center Jeff Faine signs with Tampa Bay
Cornerback Drayton Florence joins Jaguars' defensive backfield, QB Cleo Lemon joins Jags
Panthers bring back wide receiver Muhsin Muhammed
Wide receiver Jerry Porter joins Jacksonville
Donte Stallworth bolsters Cleveland's WR corps.
DTs Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams traded to Browns
Oakland signs safety Gibril Wilson

By trading for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, their run-defense woes shouldn't be as obtrusive like they were in 2007. It's still to be determined whether who will play nose tackle in Romeo Crennel's 3-4 defense, but adding Rogers and Williams will help the Browns' ability to stop the run and rush the passer--Williams has posted an average of seven sacks in the past two seasons. Also, getting Donte Stallworth will have a great impact on the Browns' passing game, as he'll team with Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and Joe Jurevicious to form on of the NFL's best group of receivers (Winslow is a tight end, but plays more like a wideout). Stallworth's ability to run after the catch was shown in New England, and he's still relatively young. However, his run-ins with nagging injuries could become a concern. Still, a good pick-up.

The 49ers are slowly acquiring more talent--not great talent--but good, solid talent. Justin Smith, a big-bodied edge rusher, should be able to play the 3-4 end like an Aaron Smith or a Chris Canty. Adding DeShaun Foster provides a quality backup (although former Penn State quarterback was retained to play RB and possibly be a goal-line back) for Mike Nolan to deploy when Frank Gore needs to catch his breath--his health, however, is still a question mark. Getting Isaac Bruce for two years should enhance the abilities of Darrell Jackson (maybe Bruce could teach him how to catch, too) and should help out the progressions of quarterbacks Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. Although he's up there in NFL-age, Bruce can still run routes with the best of them and still has a pair of dependable hands. Last but not least, getting Josh Brown, one of the league's best long-ball placekickers, should lessen the blow of losing Jeff Wilkins to retirement. Plus, it helps that they were able to drag two of their four acquisitions from division rivals.

I guess after a season of crying and complaining, Lance Briggs didn't get the offers he envisioned of getting once he hit the free agent market, thus causing him to stay in Chicago. Keeping Briggs was a huge step in trying to recapture some of 2006's magic, but losing Bernard Berrian AND Muhsin Muhammed is a big blow that might knock that Bears out in 2008. After losing both Berrian and Muhammed, the Bears are left with former-AFLer Rashied Davis and Devin Hester, who showed some promise at wide receiver. They must be considering a WR or two in the draft, in either the first or second round because there aren't many viable pass catchers left in the free agent market.

Goodbye Troy Williamson and hello Bernard Berrian! I'm sure Vikings fans everywhere are rejoicing about this switch-up as Berrian brings the speed they lost with the departure of Williamson AND the ball skills that Williamson failed to display during his tenure in Minnesota. I'm not sure if Berrian can carry the burden of being the Vikings' No. 1 wideout, but he's definitely an upgrade from what they had before.

For the Jets, it's quite simple. In 2007, they lacked five assests: a left guard; right tackle; outstanding pass-rushing linebacker; a deep threat at WR and a run-clogging nose tackle. By getting Kris Jenkins in a trade with Carolina, the filled their need at NT, and by acquiring guard Alan Faneca, they finally have a force a left guard to place in between emerging players D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. Although they broke the bank in getting Faneca, this move was desparately needed for a team that's only a handful of players away from returning back to respectability. Oh, by the way, they let safety Erik Coleman drift off to Atlanta (not that it really matters).

As for the Jets' division rival, the Buffalo Bills, they also got big up front by getting Marcus Stroud for a third- and fifth-round pick. Even though let defensive tackle Larry Tripplett walk, getting Stroud gives them a monster that opposing offensive lines will have to double in order to neutralize him, allowing his teammates to fly to the ball. Stroud has been getting banged-up the past two seasons, so it'll be interesting to see if he can stay on the field (and off the juice--ouch!)

The Saints offensive line was a problem for New Orleans all season in 2007, but center Jeff Faine wasn't the one who should have been aloud to bolt (if anybody, they should've axed right tackle Jon Stinchcomb). But, getting Randall Gay should give New Orleans a good enough reason to lock Jason David in a dark room for the remained of his contract.

Jacques Reeves? Is that really the answer next to Dunta Robinson. Please, this guy shouldn't even be considered as a starter in this league, let alone a nickle back. I actually read a blog posted by ESPN's Mike Sando who regarded the Reeves signing as a good move by the Texans--a notion I completely disagree with. I'm not sure if Sando was watching the same Reeves who was getting torched week-after-week with Dallas in 2007.

The rebuilding process in Miami has officially begun, and so far, it's looking, well, modest of the Dolphins. They've added average-at-best players in WR Ernest Wilford, LB Reggie Torbor and acquired big Jason Ferguson from the Dolphins in trade with Dallas for two seventh-round picks (not sure about that, but does it really matter?). I do, however, like the fact that they sent Cleo Lemon packing and supplanted him with Josh McCown (whom I never thought got a fair shake anywhere he's been) and got defensive tackle Randy Starks, who could have a pleasantly-surprising excellent season playing next to a space-eater like Ferguson. Don't worry, I expect more moves to be made by the Tuna and new coach Tony Sparano.

Kudos to Carolina for bringing back a guy they should have never let go! Steve Smith probably pissed his pants when learning of Muhsin Muhammed's return--this way, he won't have to give Dwayne Jarrett dirty looks ever again. By the way, Keary Colbert has left North Carolina...and yet nobody cares.

Jacksonville, at least in my opinion, is getting dupped so far this offseason. Big bucks for Jerry Porter, huh? And Drayton Florence--he's going to step in as the No. 2 corner opposite of Rashean Mathis? I really don't like either of these moves, as Porter has proved he can be a malcontent and Florence isn't as good as everyone is making him out to be (that's what a dim free-agent pool will do to your mind). And why go out and get Cleo Lemon? He's not any better than Quinn Gray--they would've been better off in just relying on Ducks' quarterback Dennis Dixon on bein available late in the draft.

If there's one thing the Eagles like to do it's round up pass rushers and defensive backs. Philadelphia killed two birds with one stone as they wooed cornerback Asante Samuel to a six-year deal worth over $50 million and defensive end Chris Clemons, who tied with Derrick Burgess as the Raiders' leading sacker in 2008 despite only playing a fraction of Oakland's defensive snaps. This is why you can never count the Eagles out--their front office and coach Andy Reid know the importance of getting after the quarterback (take a look at Terrfic Tom in Super Bowl XLII). Now, the Eagles can get even more talent by trading either Sheldon Brown or Lito Sheppard, as either one will garner a first or second-round pick from another team. As for Clemons, who had two injury-riddled seasons in Washington before given a chance to be a situational player in Oakland, has a chance to become the next Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has become on of the NFL's premier pass rushers (I know Vanden Bosch is white, but you know what I mean).

Speaking of Oakland, getting safety Gibril Wilson only makes you scratch head because of their investment in former-first rounder Michael Huff. I guess we'll have to wait and see what they'll do with Wilson, Huff and Stuart Schweigert.

More on free agency as it developes.

Alan Faneca image found at http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/dr_z/06/15/mailbag/p1_faneca.jpg
Shaun Rogers image found at http://www.nextgenprofootball.net/images/fatty.jpg

Justin Smith image found at http://www.talkingnfl.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/11637654451press2152007104320pm.jpg

Asante Samuel image found at http://www.nfljapan.co.jp/season/image/upload/0219Asante%20Samuel.jpg

Jerry Porter image found at http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/scorecard/09/20/brushback.porter/p1_porter.jpg

Marucs Stroud image found at http://assets.houstontexans.com/assets/stories/803.jpg

Free agency has begun!

2008-02-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

Since 12:01 last night, NFL teams were already beginning to wheel-and-deal their way back to glory for the upcoming 2008 season where one deal--guard Justin Smiley signing with Miami--actually took place at 2 a.m. So far, there has been a quandry of deals made, so let's take a look at some of the signings/trades that have already taken place:

First, I'd like to talk about the deals the Jets' have made so far. Since good news is better to digest first, I'm going to talk about the Jenkins trade. By acquring the 6-foot-4, 350 pound Jenkins, the Jets have a nose tackle that can possibly be a force on running downs--I say possibly because Jenkins has never played in a 3-4 defense before. He has had a history of injuries, but he's played two full seasons in 2006 and 2007 and I'm hoping he can return back to form with a change of scenery and a coach who has the ability to get the most out of their players (they didn't have to play that hard amidst a 4-12 season, believe me). The key here is to see how Jenkins makes it through training camp and preseason.

However, the Vilma deal strikes me as very uneven. Before Eric Mangini's arrival in New York, Vilma was emerging as a top-five middle linebacker--now we're giving him up for just a third-round pick after two seasons? I understand his knee injury was taken into consideration and his ineffectiveness in the 3-4 must have hurt his stock as well, but I can't help to think this guy will flourish in New Orleans if he's able to regain his health. They desperately needed a playmaker at linebacker, and believe me, they just got one hell of a 4-3 'backer.

As for the Bills, this was a solid-as-can-be signing by getting Mitchell. He should be a good fit in between Angelo Crowell and Paul Poluszny. Transferring from the Meadowlands to Ralph Wilson Stadium shouldn't be that much of a difference.

Now that they got Collins back in the fold, the Redskins and their fans don't have to tremble if Campbell goes down again with an injury. However, this is an interesting move considering that nobody really knows what the 'Skins offense will look like next year and everybody knows Collins has been most effective running Al Saunders' 750-page offense. Since Saunders was fired and resurfaced in St. Louis, it's hard to predict what Collins will do if given the chance to play (and I mean in the regular season, of course).

After losing Dwight Smith a day earlier to division-foe Detroit, the Vikings scooped up safety Madieu Williams as his replacement. For the past two seasons in Cincinnati, Williams has not played up to the lofty expectations that were placed upon him after his 2005 campaign. I say the Vikings payed way too much for Williams--they should have stuck to the draft on this one.

Say good-bye to any semblance of a clutch kicking game, St. Louis. Unless they can scoop up the next Rob Bironas or Robbie Gould off of some team's practice squad (or perhaps Seattle's Josh Brown), I see the Rams hurting in this area of the game next season.

Everybody knew that Cleveland was going to keep Derek Anderson--no surprises here. I can't imagine a team giving up a first-and third-round pick for Anderson, who's had only one productive year in the NFL so far.

I'm actually quite suprised the Patriots decided to retain Tedy Bruschi. Like Philadelphia, the Patriots have no problem in cutting ties with likeable veterans after the coaching staff thinks they get to a certain point in their careers so I'm stunned they kept the 35-year-old Bruschi. I still expect to see the Patriots address the linebacker position in April, however.

More on free agency later.

Kris Jenkins image found at http://http//i.a.cnn.net/si/2005/writers/bill_syken/08/11/daily.blog/p1_jenkins.jpg
Jonathan Vilma image found at http://students.ithaca.edu/~bwolfe1/lab3/images/vilma.jpg

Zach Thomas, Michael Strahan, Troy Williamson and more...

2008-02-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

Before I begin, let me do a little rundown on some of the recent happenings in the NFL:

Linebacker Zach Thomas signs deal with Dallas

Defensive end Michael Strahan mulls retirement

Troy Williamson appears to be headed to Jacksonville for sixth-round pick

Quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton resign with Chicago

San Diego signs middle linebacker Derek Smith

Running back Jamal Lewis resigns with Cleveland

Carolina releases running back DeShaun Foster

Detroit releases cornerback Fernando Bryant

For Dallas, getting Thomas ensures the Cowboys' a smart tackler who's capable of negating an opposing team's run game. However, I can't see Thomas as much more than a two-down player as his ability to get concussions has only increased with age. Bradie James and Akin Ayodele are solid MLBs, but Thomas will only help--not hurt--Big D.

Two words about Michael Strahan contemplating retirement: Brett Favre. Don't let this drag on like No. 4 does every offseason. Besides, if Strahan does retire, the Giants have plenty of pass rushers to step in and take his place.

As for Troy Williamson, the Minnesota Vikings should be embarrassed. Selecting a guy based solely on speed has come back to bite them in the worst way. Don't be suprised if Williamson's name--and career--fades away amongst the humidity in Florida.

Good for Chicago for not completing disassembling their entire quarterback corps (is that an actualy term? I'm using it anyways). Keep Orton and Grossman at least ensures that they have some depth while they search for a quarterback for the future.

Derek Smith hops from one spanish-named city to another. The difference is that San Diego provides hope for success, where as San Francisco does not. Smith, who has experience playing capable defense in a 3-4, will provide another option besides Matt Wilhelm and Stephen Cooper to deploy at MLB, which helps San Diego's chances of getting through the regular season without a banged-up linebacking corps.

Jamal Lewis, as expected, resigned with Cleveland. Lewis, 28, is still relatively young despite playing in the NFL since 2001. However, I don't expect the Browns to get too cozy with the idea of having Lewis as the primary ball carrier for the next three-four seasons as they will try to acquire another solid option at running back.

The release of DeShaun Foster does not suprirse me at all--I'm actually shocked they hadn't done this before because of the former Bruin's history with injuries. It's going to be hard for Foster to impress teams with his resume as there hasn't been much to brag about since being drafted out of UCLA.

And last but not least: who's going to play cornerback for the Lions now? With Bryant's release, Detroit now only has two CBs--Tony Beckham and Travis Fisher--who have extensive NFL experience. Beckham and Fisher, both hardly household names, can't be counted on if the Lions have any expectations of ending their postseason drought.

Notes on the NFL Combine later.
Troy Williamson image found at http://www.kansasviking.com/imagesavatars/avatar51.jpg
Zach Thomas image found at http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/damon_hack/10/24/notes/p1_thomas_zach.jpg
Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton image found at http://http//cache.viewimages.com/xc/71527666.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193875DCB1DD8387ABB177A49F06A74E1FEA40A659CEC4C8CB6

The deadline for franchising has passed

2008-02-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

Before I start, please acknowledge that I didn't use any ridiculous headlines like "Tag, you're it!" or "Let's play Franchise-tag!"

Here's a list of players that were slapped with the tag since my last post:

Marcus Trufant (CB, Seattle)
Ken Hamlin (FS, Dallas)
Jordan Gross (RT, Carolina)
Albert Haynesworth (DT, Tennessee)
Terrell Suggs (OLB, Baltimore)
Corey Williams (DT, Green Bay)
Dallas Clark (TE, Indianapolis)
Nnamdi Asomugha (CB, Oakland)

Seattle and Oakland's decision to franchise their cornerbacks means one thing and one thing only: Asante Samuel will be this year's version of Nate Clements as he will attract a team into offering him a ridiculous contract. The only difference between Clements and Samuel is that the Patriots corner is actually worth the money.

With the franchising of Gross, the only viable offensive linemen left in the free agent pool are Max Starks and Alan Faneca.

Suggs, Williams and Haynesworth were the top defensive linemen expected to hit the market, making the pool of defensive tackles and ends average at best.

Clark, who signed a six-year deal a day after being franchised, has solidified Alge Crumpler's spot as the only big-time TE in this year's crop of free agents. It appears the Colts have the mindset that their defense is an interchangable unit, but their offense is more of a priority--and rightfully so. It's hard to find tight ends that can do what Clark does--fast, runs great routes, great hands, quick and a willing blocker at the line and in the slot.

With these moves, expect Crumpler, linebacker Lance Briggs and Samuel to get the bulk of the money this offseason.

Also, the Patriots' decision to not franchise Randy Moss means that the New England is already planning to extend the all-pro WR. Either that, or he'll aim to become the league's highest paid wide out.

Marcus Trufant image found at http://www.stubhub.com/promotions/scratch/exclusives/trufant_close.jpg
Asante Samuel image found at http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/07/16/1184641130_3814/300h.jpg

Franchise tags galore...and there's bound to be more!

2008-02-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing that an NFL franchise tag guarantees its a bad mood.

Already, sack-master Jared Allen and defensive tackle-extrodinaire Albert Haynesworth have voiced their displeasure about their candidacy to be named their club's franchise player for 2008. Allen and Haynesworth hope a long-term deal can be struck with Kansas City and Tennessee as Haynesworth and Allen, NFL's leading sacker, has made it known that he will leave Missouri if an extension is not reached.

Besides Allen, here are the other players that have been designated with the franchise tag for 2008:

LJ Smith, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Stacey Andrews, G, Cincinnati Bengals

Karlos Dansby, OLB, Arizona Cardinals

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders and OLB/DE Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens are expected to be designated with the tag in the near future.

For 2008, here are the salaries for franchise players:

Quarterback, $10.730 million

Offensive Linemen, $7.455 million

Defensive End, $8.879 million

Wide Receiver, $7.848 million

Cornerback, $9.465 million

Safety, $4.396 million

Linebacker, $8.065 million

Running Back (includes fullbacks as well), $6.538 million

Defensive Tackle, $6.363 million

Tight end, $4.522 million

Kicker or Punter, $2.514 million

With all that said, this means that Chicago's Lance Briggs will be the highest-paid linebacker in free agency, Alge Crumpler will have no competition in the market and Andrews, perhaps the best-kept secret in this year's free agent class, will remain on a unit that gave up the second-fewest sacks in 2007.

Jared Allen image found at http://www.randomphotography.com/images/JaredAllen.jpg

This has to be unsettling for Cowboys fans

2008-02-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Fresh off of a season where the Dallas Cowboys went 13-3, more questions than praise have been raised towards "America's Team."

It has to be unsettling for Cowboys fans that not even Dom Capers would accept an offer to become Dallas' defensive coordinator. Capers, who last season was on the coaching staff of the worst football team in recent memory, has to be either pondering retirement, a jump to college or seeking better pay from a higher bidder.

It's hard to imagine owner Jerry Jones not at least offering a decent amount of cash to a person he is courting to join his team, so Capers must have received an adequate offer, right?

Or maybe it's the fact that Jones hand-picked Jason Garrett to succeed Wade Phillips once Bum's boy becomes expendable.

A lot of NFL people found Dallas a desirable place to play/coach, so I think there's reason for concern when a guy like Capers, who hasn't had much success since the mid 1990s, disses a team that earned home-field advantage last year.

Jerry Jones image found at http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/2418384.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1934A2752006EF5F0ED8F4E4EDAFF2CF5C85A5397277B4DC33E

Notable releases

2008-02-11T21:22:00.001-08:00

Trent Green. Marty Booker. Keith Traylor. Dan Morgan. Mike Wahle.

From Miami and Carolina's lists of transactions, these five names strike me as the most noticeable among the 11 players that were released by the Dolphins and Panthers on Tuesday.

MIAMI

Green can still be a capable quartberback if given a good offensive line, decent wide receivers and a running game. If a team were to get him as a back up at a modest price, they'd have them one hell of an insurance policy. However, his old age and his penchance for acquiring concussions may scare some teams off. It's clear Miami is heading into a new direction, so the Dolphins' decision to release Green comes as no surprise.
Booker can still play as a solid No. 2 WR in the NFL. He'd be a perfect veteran slot receiver for a team looking for experience at the wideout position. Although he has average speed at this point in his career, Booker has dependable hands and can run good routes.
Four words define Traylor's worth--stop-gap nose tackle. Some team that employs a 3-4 defense will come knocking on Traylor's door.

CAROLINA

When he's on the field, Morgan is one heck of a middle linebacker. His combination of speed, strength and recognition skills make him one of the best mike linebackers in the league. However, his inability to remain healthy has hindered the former Hurricane. A team willing to take a chance on a talented--yet, injury prone--MLB may take a chance on Morgan only if the asking price from agent Drew Rosenhaus isn't too ludicrous. He's a speedy 4-3 MLB, so teams that play a 3-4 should probably stay away from Morgan.
Wahle might arguably have the most value among the five players. Last offseason provided big-time money for offensive linemen, particularly left guards. Wahle might hit a big pay-day with a struggling team looking for a boost at left guard (please New York, at least consider this guy!). He's 30 and doesn't have a history of nagging injuries, so some team willing to pay up for Wahle could get 4-5 years of high productivity from this former Green Bay Packer.

The offseason has officially begun.

Trent Green image found at http://www.emqb.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/trent-green-injured.jpg; Mike Wahle image found at http://www.panthers.com/panthers/uploadedImages/News/Articles/mwwhite.jpg

And the new head coach of the Washington Redskins is...Jim Zorn?

2008-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

You know, when the Washington Redskins seems to be heading in one direction, owner Daniel Snyder pulls out all the stops to complete a 180 on his team and their fans.

However, I believe they made a good choice in hiring Jim Zorn, quarterback aficionado.

The difference between him, Al Saunders, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs and Norv Turner is that he's got experience running a successful West Coast offense.

The way Matt Hasselbeck has been able to produce has to be attributed to Zorn, who himself was a pretty good quarterback when he had Steve Largent to throw to.
History has shown that the majority of those attached to the Bill Walsh coaching tree typically succeed when given a chance.
Getting to know your enemy: The Redskins have been bounced out of the Seahawks twice in the past four years from the playoffs. Having him on their side shouldn't hurt their cause.
Having been part of an expansion team, Zorn will bring back the importance of the draft back to Washington. Read My Lips--No More Bogus Signings.

Signing him to a five-year deal doesn't mean he'll be the head man for the entire length of the contract. However, hiring Zorn will prove to be a worthy choice down the road.

Jim Zorn image received from http://static.zoovy.com/img/helmethead2/W225-H225-Bffffff/zorn_jim3x.jpg

Suprised by Steve Spagnuolo's decision

2008-02-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

Steve Spagnuolo possibly just made the smartest decision of his coaching career. Spagnuolo, fresh off his win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXXII, rescinded his name for the Washington Redskins' head coaching vacancy and decided to accept an extension to remain the New York Giant's defensive coordinator.

If Spagnuolo were to accept the Redskins' offer, he would have made himself available to be criticized by a Washington fan base and front office that doesn't have a clue in evaluating football. We're talking about the same franchise and fan base that thought the Redskins were going to the Super Bowl with Steve Spurrier! To honestly think that Spagnuolo, who would be walking into a job where the entire coaching staff was hired before he even interviewed for the position, would want that kind of scrutiny as he begun his journey as an NFL head coach?

Move over, Oakland Raiders. You've got competition for the Most Unattractive Job for Potential Head Coaches award.

Steve Spagnuolo image found at http://www.nypost.com/seven/10212007/photos/sports097a.jpg

The aftermath of Super Bowl XXXXII

2008-02-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Now that the season has come to an end, what's next for the New York Giants and New England Patriots?

New England

For the Patriots, they'll have some questions to answer in regards to some of their older personel. It's questionable if Tedy Bruschi, Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison will come back for another year. For me, I think the question you have to ask yourself if Bill Belichick even wants these guys back--he's known for getting rid of veterans, especially on defense, when they reach a certain point, even if they have extensive history together.

What happens with Asante Samuel?
Will the Pats pay up for one of the league's elite cornerbacks?
Or what about Randy Moss?
Will he look for a big pay-day or take a cut to remain with New England? Even Donte Stallworth is eligible to leave this offseason.

One of these guys has to leave, and it'll probably be Samuel. Samuel cannot be franchised again, so he will look for the big money elsewhere--the guy already has rings so opting for more money shouldn't come as a surprise.

As for Moss? I could see the Pats franchising him, allowing them to keep him for one more year as Moss will get a hefty one-year deal. I could also see Stallworth remaining in New England, as he'll probably sign a mediocre deal with two or three years max.

New York Giants

For the Giants, the biggest variable will be finding out whether Michael Strahan will return next season.
Even if he doesn't, they still have Mathias Kiwanuka and with the emergence of Justin Tuck, the Giants could still remain as the league's best pass rushers.
Things appear to be on the up-and-up for the Giants as they've found out this postseason that Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw and some of their secondary reserves can step in and provide quality depth.

Unless something tragic happens in the offseason, like a holdout or injury, the Giants should remain as one of the top teams in the NFC next season.

Also, linebacker Kawika Mitchell should be expected to be retained by New York after posting a solid season in his first year as a Giant. Mitchell signed a one-year deal with the Giants last offseason after leaving Kansas City.

Coaching changes

The biggest coaching change for both clubs will be the inevitable departure of Steve Spanulo, the Giants' defensive coordinator.

If the Washington Redskins wanted a head coach by now, they would have annointed one of their candidates at this point.
All signs point to Spagnulo becoming the new head coach of the Redskins, taking over a team and a defense that plays a similar 4-3 style to the Giants' base.
If the Redskins do hire Spagnulo, he could be another former New York Giant defensive coordinator to have a big career as a head coach.

Randy Moss found at http://www.nbcsports.com/files/nbcsports/nfl/Randy%20moss/RandyMoss2_320x250.jpg
Michael Strahan image found at http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/bob_blog/strahan.jpg

This is what the NYG's win over New England was to me...

2008-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

To me, the Giants' win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXXII had so many historic implications. For me, this game provided the biggest let-down in NFL history--but not the biggest upset.

The spread for the Baltimore Colts-New York Jets Super Bowl, where the Jets shocked the world by winning 16-7, was larger than the Pats-Giants game's, but New England had more historical supremacy riding on the outcome than the Colts did in Super Bowl III.
Although the Colts were trying to continue the NFL's dominance over the AFL, Baltimore didn't even have their best quartberback on the field. Earl Morrall, who did win the league MVP that year, replaced an injured Johnny Unitas, who provided Baltimore's only touchdown against the Jets as he came off the bench in the second half.

Also, this has to go down as the greatest Super Bowl in history.

You could argue that the Miami Dolphins-Washington Redskins Super Bowl in 1972 was just as dramatic as the Dolphins barely escaped with a 14-7 and an undefeated season, but no team had ever been so dominant, proficient--yet, diabolical--than the New England Patriots.
Because the Giants' defensive line played magnificient against a Patriots' offensive line that had given up the fewest sacks in the league, New York provided the most intense ending to a Super Bowl since the game's induction in 1966.
Although New England won two of their Super Bowl's with last-second field goals, the magnitude of an undefeated 16-game regular season was not in the balance in either of those championship victories, which makes yesterday's 17-14 loss only that much more significant.

The Super Bowl is professional football's grandest stage, and because the Patriots had the chance to become THE greatest team ever on the NFL's biggest platform this game only validates it's place as the greatest game in league history.

By the way, I chose the Patriots to win 31-27 over the Giants. However, as a Jets fan, it's never felt so good to be wrong.

David Tyree/Eli Manning image found at http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2008-02/35229310.jpg

This further proves what the Pro Bowl really is...

2008-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

It's a popularity contest. Take a look at the numbers:

John Lynch (59 tackles, 1 sack, 0.5 tackles for loss and 3 passes defensed).
Kerry Rhodes (68 tackles, 2 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 10 passes defensed, five interceptions and a defensive touchdown).

They don't even compare. Go figure.

As of now, here's MY NFL Mock Draft...

2008-01-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Today is January 22, 2008 and already Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have gone mock-draft crazy. Although I don't have the resources and connections they do, I'm going to take a stab this month at a mock draft. I'll come back with one in February and March, so it will differ as time progresses.

1.) Miami Dolphins -- No way they'll draft here--they'll trade down either the Cowboys (two first-round draft picks) or a team that is willing to give up their own top-15 selection and a 2009 first rounder). With that said, the Cowboys/TBA will select Darren McFadden.

2.) St. Louis Rams -- It's as easy as this--the Rams can't block nor shed 'em. They've been trying to solve their inadequate defensive line for years with guys like Jimmy Kennedy, Claude Wroten, La'Roi Glover and Adam Carriker. It's unlikely that they'll have the amount of injuries to their offensive line like they did this past season. In other words, welcome to the St. Louis Rams, Glenn Dorsey.

Now, coin flips are supposed to determine picks 3-5. The Oakland Raiders, regardless of the order, will be allowed to select Chris Long. It's rumored that Derrick Burgess, who appears to be more of a pass-rush specialist than an every-down player, might get cut, meaning the importance of having Long only grows. Long, who can rush the passer and stop the run standing and in a 3-point stance, would help the Raiders tremendously as they ranked near the bottom in sacks. The Kansas Chiefs, regardless of the order, will be looking to select Jake Long and the Atlanta Falcons will be able to draft a top quarterback like, say, Andre Woodson. Long will upgrade an aging, sagging Kansas City offensive line that has been decimated by Willie Roaf and Will Shield's retirement. The other veterans on their line, Brian Waters, Casey Wiegmann and Kyle Turley, are at least 30 years of age. Even when the Chiefs had Larry Johnson, he couldn't get any more than a cloud of dust behind a unit that had huge holes to fill at left tackle and left guard with the departures of Roaf and Shield. Woodson may seem like a long shot, but I'm willing that owner Arthur Blank knows the potential of having another marketing dream with an African-American quarterback playing in a predominately African-American city. It also helps that Woodson is a veteran of the SEC, so those in Atlanta are already familiar with the Kentucky product. In addition to that, he's a much more proven passer than Mike Vick was when he came out of Virginia Tech.

6.) New York Jets -- Teams only go as far as their offensive line takes them, and in the Jets' case, it was the bottom quarter of almost every offensive statistical category in the NFL in 2007. Other than left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, center Nick Mangold and right guard Brandon Moore, the offensive line was horrendous. However, it's very unlikely that coach Eric Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum will opt to take another lineman in the first round (Ferguson and Mangold were both taken in first round of 2006 Draft)--left guard and right tackle could be upgraded through free agency and the second or third rounds of the draft. Besides the offensive line, the Jets' most pressing needs are NT, OLB, CB and FS. With that said, there are no top-six nose tackles and cornerbacks in this year's draft. Free safety Kenny Phillips could be taken here, but Abram Elam and Eric Smith played well after Erik Coleman was benched. Also, the Jets have added Darnell Bing, former All-American at USC before he was forced to play outside linebacker in Oakland. Since Vernon Gholston, who many think has the size and speed to play as a tweener, will still be available, the Jets will decide to add to their young core of Darelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes and David Harris on defense by selecting the former Buckeye.

Picks 7-10 later...

On the NBA front...

2008-01-22T09:59:00.001-08:00

Have my eyes deceived me or are the San Antonio Spurs currently the 6th seed in the West?! With turnarounds like the Hornets, Warriors and Blazers, the West might be seeing a "changing of the guard." Just imagine how much better the Blazers would be with Travis Outlaw, LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy AND Greg Oden on the court? Heck, you might talking about a potential perennial-top three seeded team for the next 3-5 years if this nucleus stays together and Oden is able to rehab successfully. That definitely might take place, given the huge drop off that the Minnesota Timberwolves have endured so far without Kevin Garnett. Speaking of Garnett, his Celtics', if they never would have gave away Joe Johnson for Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers, might have had the best starting lineup in NBA history as he would start as the two-guard, Rajon Rondo at point, Paul Pierce at the three, Garnett at four and Kendrick Perkins as the center.

Since were talking about how bad Minnesota is, it's worth mentioning the plunge that the Miami Heat have taken this season. You know, its actually not such a shock when you think of the guys, two in particular, that are on that roster as of now--Ricky Davis and Mark Blount. Like a virus, these guys infect whatever area they inhabit. When they arrive, the team that they're on gets worse, noticeably worse, than they were before the Deadly Duo arrived. Look what happened in Boston and Minnesota--both were train wrecks by the time both left each franchise. Also, it's not good news when you're back up PG is Smush Parker--ask Kobe Bryant.

Speaking of guys that Kobe Bryant is glad to see gone, Kwame Brown, who is now officially the league's biggest low-post sissy/brick-handed baby, is now recognized as just that after Phil Jackson was making him sit before Andrew Bynum was diagnosed to be out for two months. One guy that Kobe wishes was still around was Caron Butler--the man has just simply turned into a beast since being traded away by L.A. Even though his 21.8 ppg still trails Arenas' 22.4 before Agent 0 got hurt after eight games, he's a much better player all-around. Unlike Arenas, he can rebound, defend and is unselfish with the ball. As a small forward, he only averages one-less assist than Arenas, who is the team's STARTING POINT GUARD! If he continues to play like he has and his team continues to win on a consistent basis, I can't think of any reason why he shouldn't be in the ballot for league MVP.

Sorry for the delay...

2008-01-22T09:39:00.001-08:00

As of late, I've been caught up with some things. Now, let's get back into the swing of things...

First up, the NFL playoffs...

Even though I never posted a prediction for the conference championship games, I thought New England was going to route San Diego while Green Bay was to barely beat New York in the frost.

In the SD-NE game, many, including San Diego fans, should come away impressed with Philip Rivers. Despite his two interceptions (we all know the first one was Chris Chambers' fault), he played a hell of a game. He managed to do that after it was revealed that he had surgery the week BEFORE the game on his right knee. I'd have to give all the blame to Norv Turner's play calling--for the majority of the first half, he rarely passed or called a play-action on first down, allowing the Patriots to devour the run. Also, his red-zone playcalling was just as atrocious. It's hard to understand why teams would rather run a play where the halfback lines up behind the fullback on third and one rather than give the ball to the fullback, who is already right behind the line of scrimmage. It's common sense--they'll have the shortest distance to travel in order to get the first down. Look at what New England did on their 3-1 and 3-2 situations--they pounded it Heath Evans. If better plays were called, this game could have been 28-24, Chargers because San Diego proved they have more talent and didn't play scared.

As for the Green Bay game, no one showed up to play on offense besides Mark Tausher and Donald Driver. Brett Favre stunk it up--big time. And where was Greg Jennings? Or James Jones? Don't let me forget about Ryan Grant--it's like he wasn't even there. With that said, much of the credit has to go to the Giants' defense. Teams in the offseason put a premium on big-name cornerbacks and wide receivers and such, but the key to winning in the playoffs is a good pass rush. For more proof of that, the Giants and the Patriots ranked No. 1 and 2 in the NFL in sacks during the regular season. As for Eli Manning, he's now forced Big Ben to nudge over a little as he made his way into the top of the class of the first-round quarterbacks of 2004. Even if he loses to the Pats, he still deserves to be there.

As for Brett Favre, he'll probably give it one more go, knowing that he was so close and all. For Green Bay fans, however, this has to be a major letdown--maybe just as big, or bigger, than the Cowboys'. Everything seems to be in place for this team: a solid, tough running back; big, YAC-prone tight ends; skilled, speedy WRs; a durable, experienced OL; a sturdy, quick defensive line; stout, fast LB corps; tough, savvy secondary and a young, big-legged kicker who seems to do well under pressure. Would this team really be hurt if Aaron Rogers took over--he's played very well in Favre's absence in the preseason and regular season when he's had his chances. If Rogers is in there, does he throw the pick in OT to Corey Webster or does he live for another down and let the Packers punt? Probably not. The point is Favre is trying to win so bad that he forgets that there's always a next time because his time is almost up--in some games (especially this one), he seems to be playing catch-up with an imaginary scoreboard. Maybe he's trying to compensate for some of the lackluster years that have transpired this decade. Whatever the case may be, you'd be insane to think this team would implode if Favre were to call it quits.

What a terrible call...

2008-01-13T11:28:00.001-08:00

After Antonio Cromartie returned a Peyton Manning interception 89 yards for a score, safety Eric Weddell was called for holding during the return, negating Cromartie's touchdown. So far, that has to be the worst call in this year's postseason. No only did Weddell have his arms inside the defender's chest, HE was thrown to the turf as Cromartie ran by with two blockers out in front. Horrendous, awful call.

After watching the Celtics' loss to the Wizards...

2008-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

I've come to the conclusion that Caron Butler is more important to this team than Gilbert Arenas. The Lakers, despite playing very well as of late, must be shaking their heads after watching him blossom into an All-Star in Washington. Also, Arenas' knee injury may be a blessing in disguise for the Wizards because it may give them the upper hand when, and IF, they are to negotiate for a contract extension. The injury will give the Wizards' reasons to apply an incentive-ladden contract when negotiating with Arenas, thinking he may miss more time if they give him big-time money. Also, I would think teams would be hesitant to give him a lot of money because of his knee as well. Trading him for an All-Star big man, like Shawn Marion (the Suns could put Arenas at two-guard and keep Nash at point--Arneas plays more like a two) or Pau Gasol, or an up-and-comer like Chris Kaman or Gerald Wallace. Also, a package like Arenas and Andra Blache/Antawn Jamison for Luol Deng and Kirk Heinrich/Ben Gordon would work out for both sides as well. The point is the Wizards are playing well without Arenas, so why not upgrade the weakest part of the team--the front court--for the present and the future by giving up a player who will most likely be injured or depart via free agency?

Recap of Saturday's divisional games...

2008-01-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I was apparently dead wrong about Ryan Grant not having a big role in the Packers-Seahawks game. Not only was he about to be identified as the goat who would appear to lose it for the Packers, he was the guy who helped Green Bay demolish any of the Seahawks' chance to come back in the second half. However, I give 80 percent of the credit to the offensive line--they dominated Seattle's front seven, a group that played fantastic the week before against Washington. Patrick Kerney, Julian Peterson and LeRoy Hill weren't mentioned all game and Lofa Tatupu, who did recover Grant's first fumble, had a quiet day as well. Anybody, including Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency, would have had at least 120 yards rushing. But, Grant did do a good job of getting into the second level with good vision and power as he ran for over 200 yards. Also, I will be willing to put a lot of money on the Seahawks selecting a running back on the first day of this year's draft--their running game with Shaun Alexander is almost laughable and predictable to the point where you start to forsee Alexander curling up at the conclusion of a two-yard run every time he touches the ball.

As for the Jacksonville-New England game--well, the reasoning for the Jaguars losing is much simpler. The Jags' refused to rush more than four guys on third downs which proved to be their downfall, giving Tom Brady all the time in the world to find Kevin Faulk, Ben Watson and Wes Welker. I thought the Jags' offense played good, but not good enough as they setteled for two field goals when they had clear-cut opportunities to score touchdowns (Matt Jones HAS to come down with that ball as does Dennis Northcutt).

NFC divisional round predictions...

2008-01-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Unlike the AFC, the NFC Divisional round games are much more up in the air because of the lack of consistency that has been shown by the NFC teams still alive in the playoffs.

New York Giants @ Dallas

This game will either help Tony Romo ascend even further into legendary status or give the media more fodder to work with. With the Giants playing so well, particularly Eli Manning, it's not impossible to believe that he, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Brandon Jacobs can have big games. Grey Rugamer and Kevin Boss, the replacements for Shaun O'Hara and Jeremy Sockey, have played very well. As for the Cowboys, Dallas has shown a decline in aggresion on the offensive side of the ball as the absence of Terrell Owens has hindered them. T.O, who may not be a 100 percent by the time kickoff begins, will have to shoulder the load and I'm not too confident the other WRs will be up to the challenge. Marion Barber hasn't shown anything as of late, neither has incumbent backup Julius Jones.

31-24, Giants

Seattle @ Green Bay

Seattle and Green Bay mirror each other in a lot of different ways: they both have fantastic left ends in Patrick Kerney and Aaron Kampman; both have fast linebackers; each club owns their own pro-bowl corner; both have veteran QBs who have played in a Super Bowl; and both have questionable running games.

With that said, Ryan Grant and Shaun Alexander/Morris Maurice will have little to do with this outcome--it'll come down to which quarterback plays better.

Momentum plays a big factor into how deep a team goes into the postseason, and the way that Matt Hasselbeck played against Washington last week was not exactly comforting for he, his team and Seattle fans. However, the way Brett Favre finished the regular season differed from Hasselbeck's last outing as he decimated the Detroit Lions in week 17.

27-14, Packers

I'm glad Fred Taylor is making the pro bowl over Willie Parker...

2008-01-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's too bad people haven't recognized how good Fred Taylor really because he doesn't play for a big market franchise. Taylor only had a 100 yards less rushing than Parker, three more rushing TDs and he did it with about a 100 less carries to work with. Also, Parker, who had only 200 yards rushing more than Thomas Jones, had two touchdowns to Jones' one--compare the offensive lines and really think to yourself if Parker was even all that better than Jones this season. I understand that losing two games due to his broken leg may have subtracted some potential rush yards and touchdowns away from Parker's season totals, but even his paltry 4.1 yards per carry don't compare to Taylor's 5.4. This is why fans shouldn't be allowed to vote.

NFL offseason update...

2008-01-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

Joe Gibbs has retired and Brian Billick Cam Cameron were fired.

That leaves head coaching positions at Washington, Baltimore, Miami and Atlanta up for grabs at the moment.

The Browns will re-sign Derek Anderson and extend Romeo Crennel's contract.

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Matt Lepsis retired.

So did Warren Sapp.

Larry Allen is expected to do the same soon.

So far, in an attempt to revamp their roster, the Jets have signed DL Thomas Johnson (who?) and OL Wayne Hunter. Hunter, interestingly enough, was cited for throwing a guy through a shuffle board table at a bar years ago. Hunter was a former third-round pick by Jacksonville and spent a season in Seattle

Also, the Jets signed Darnell Bing, former 2005 fourth round pick by the Raiders. Bing, who had a good career at safety at USC, was moved to linebacker by the Raiders' coaching staff. When that didn't work out, they moved him back to safety, cut him, and he spent time with San Fransisco in 2007. Bing, who's 6'2" and 220 lbs, will likely compete with Abram Elam, who played well this past year for the Jets at FS, and 2006 third-round pick Erik Smith for the free safety position in 2008.

On Celtics' lost to Bobcats on Jan. 9...

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You can't win 'em all. Besides, the last time these two teams played, it came down to the wire. Who knows if Ray Allen's absence will keep Boston from maintaining their regular-season excellence. However, they can only afford six more losses if they'd like to at least tie Chicago's 72-win season.

Another look at the divisional round...

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San Diego @ Indianapolis

This may be the easiest of the divisional round games to predict as San Diego will enter the RCA Dome with, perhaps, one of their most important players in tight end Antonio Gates on the bench. Expected to be sidelined with turf toe, Gates would have helped Phillip Rivers use the middle of the field, forcing safeties Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea to play an honest. Instead, Indy can continue to rely on their Cover 2 zone schemes as the Chargers will look to hit Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers down the field for big completions, allowing Sanders to roam and make plays at the line of scrimmage and in the deep and intermediate passing game. Marlin Jackson, one of the most underrated physical corners in the NFL, will have a big role in this contest as his presence will help determine the outcome. His counterpart, leading intercepter Antonio Cromartie, will provide a hefty opponent for Manning and whoever lines up across from him. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Colts employ Robert Mathis at Dwight Freeney's old spot as the Chargers' left tackle Marcus McNeil has struggled mightily against skilled pass rushers as of late. Despite Rivers' tallying his first postseason win last weekend, he will unnravel against the zones that Colts' defensive coordinator Ron Meeks will throw at him as Sanders and Bethea, more experienced than Tennessee's Michael Griffin and Courtland Finnegan, will not provide the coverage gaffes that the Titans safety tandem provided last week. If you thought Finnegan--who had eight tackles, an interception, sack and forced fumble against the Chargers--had a big game last week, wait until you see the type of carnage Sanders, the NFL's most valuable defender, will unleash upon San Diego.

Peyton Manning, still as solid and productive as their is for a quarterback in the league, will be facing one of the NFL's best pass defenses this Saturday. However, having extra time to prepare for San Diego, Manning will be able to dissect the Chargers' 3-4 defense. Marvin Harrison, who is expected to return this weekend, will be used more of a decoy to occupy Cromartie as Manning will look to Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clarke and Anthony Gonzalez to punish San Diego's secondary.

Although both squad's will lean heavily on their passers, the running backs, LaDanian Tomlinson and Jospeh Addai, will prove who will win this game. Tomlinson, who was shut down by Tennessee's defense, will have much more success against Indianapolis defense, despite the unit's vast improvement this season. As for Addai, he will be the one looking flustered and frustrated as San Diego's front seven should keep him bottled up with solid tackling and gap-control technique by tackle Jamaal Williams and end Luis Castillo.

For the Colts, having left tackle Tony Ugoh, who missed the Colts' 23-21 regular-season loss to the Chargers, back will prove to be instrumental in keeping Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman off Manning's back. Clark, who also missed the regular-season match up, will provide more problems for the San Diego linebackers and safeties than Ben Utecht and Brian Fletcher could ever do. For the Colts, when it comes down to it, having everybody back healthy this time around should provide the difference--a BIG difference.

31-17, Indianapolis

So Far, LSU-Ohio State game has bigger impact on NFL Draft than 2008 College Football Season

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James Laurenaitis. Vernon Gholston. Malcolm Jenkins. After losing by 14 points, don't you think these guys want another crack at a national title? Also, neither of the latter performed very well when the spotlight was at it's brightest. As for Glenn Dorsey, Ali Highsmith, Early Doucet and Jacob Hester, they further solidified their identities as solid prospects. Besides Dorsey, who is by far the best defensive lineman in this year's class, LSU's dominating performance will give Highsmith, Doucet and Hester an edge when NFL GMs rate and scout prospects during the offseason and draft. Heck, even Matt Flynn gave NFL teams some reasons why he might be worth taking another look at.

Preview of next week's match ups...

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Jacksonville @ New England

Dealing with Tom Brady instead of Ben Roethlisberger will provide more of a problem for the Jaguars as they head to New England for their second-round match up with the Patriots. New England, capable of breaking down a team's offensive strengths, will look to do the same to Jacksonville as they hope to shut down the Jaguars' potent running game. Led by a strong defensive line and an aggressive and cerebral linebacking corps, the Patriots will lean on their front seven in order to shut down Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. However, big targets such as Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Ernest Wilford and tight end Mercedes Lewis have noticable size advantages over the Patriots' savvy secondary. This game will fall squarely upon the shoulders of David Garrad. Having John Henderson back (and possibly middle linebacker Mike Peterson) in the mix on defense should make the Pats' run game an afterthought. However, Tom Brady should still continue to post solid numbers with the help of Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney (Jaguars' cornerback Rashean Mathis will play Randy Moss better than most think). This game has the potential to be a "game of the year" type contest, but a key mistake by Garrard--despite how well he's been playing--will doom the Jags' chance for a potential upset.

31-27, New England

Second day of Wildcard Weekend...

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New York Giants @ Tampa Bay...

The Giants, looking more solid on defense than offense with their hard-fought loss to the Patriots than they have the entire season, will be playing with a chip on their shoulder as they enter today's game against the Bucs. Tampa Bay, led by quarterback Jeff Garcia, running back Earnest Graham and wide receiver Joey Galloway are the stars on the Bucs' offense. However, the Bucs don't have anything other valid options on offense--meaning their lack of offensive firepower will doom them in the second half as the Giants will distance themselves with a heavy dose of Brandon Jacobs and a fierce pass rush.

23-10, New York

Tennessee @ San Diego

Let's put it this way: the Titans are will be missing their starting left guard (Benji Olson), tight end (Bo Scaife), wide receiver (Roydell Williams) and might have to go without key reserve running back Chris Brown--all bad news for a team that was already a hefty underdog. Combine that with Vince Young's gimpy leg and you got yourself a blowout waiting to happen.

34-17, San Diego

Today's wild card games...

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Washington @ Seattle

Well, it appears that the Redskins' surreal season is about to come to a close. Seattle, providing that Matt Hasselbeck, Patrick Kerney, Marcus Trufant and the rest of the stars on the Seahawks play up to their potential, Todd Collins should have a hard time in this one as he tries to keep pace with Seattle's offense. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Reed Doughty's insertion into the starting lineup will finally make an impact on the Redskins' gameplan--and I don't mean that in a positive way.

27-13, Seattle

You'd think that Jacksonville will be amped to unload a ferocious blitz upon Pittsburgh's ailing offensive line. However, I'd expect the Jaguars to use four-man pressure for the majority of the contest much like they did in their prior meeting with the Steelers. Having Troy Polamalu back should help, but even when he's been in this season his injuries have been taken advantage of as he has had trouble fighting off blocks when playing near the line of scrimmage. With that said, Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor should have a big day as they look to pound the ball in the middle, and the edges, of the Steelers' defense.

20-10, Jacksonville

Although though the eve of the playoffs is among us...

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I feel more connected with the 2008 NFL Draft. It's already known the Buccaneers, Redskins, Titans and Steelers will fall flat on their face this coming weekend (numerous reasons for each club), so the mystery that will unfold during the draft brings much more excitement than this year's rendition of the NFL postseason. The winner of the Super Bowl will either be the Indianapolis Colts or the New England Patriots, but the winner of the Darren McFadden sweepstakes is much more complex and interesting.

Hello, and Welcome!

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Feel free to to blog about anything ranging from pro and college basketball and football.