The Dumbest Man Alive

James Harrison. NFL defensive player of the year, Super Bowl hero, and dumbest man alive. But who needs a brain when you can do this?

Harrison had this to say about the Super Bowl Champion Steelers’ upcoming visit to the White House to meet President Obama:

“This is how I feel; if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don’t win the Super Bowl. As far as I’m concerned, he [Obama] would’ve invited Arizona if they had won.”

Suddenly Mike Tyson seems comparable to Stephen Hawking.

Somehow the timeless tradition of championship teams from every national sport visiting the White House has escaped Harrison not once, but twice.

He chose not to attend the teams visit after winning the Superbowl XL for presumably the same reason. This fact also clears any suspicion of political views determining his absence.

Perhaps unparalleled stupidity and not work ethic and sticktoitiveness is the real reason Harrison continued to pursue his dream of being an great NFL player despite being cut numerous times.

If that’s the case, he better hope his big pile of money masks a glaring lack of intelligence or is enough to afford a pocket copy of Idiot’s Guide to Life because this type of disconnected, willful ignorance will land him in a Madoff scheme or a bright orange jumpsuit.

But I have to thank James Harrison for providing me with the most entertaining nugget of stupidity since this little gem of a couple years ago.

Can Mike Nolan and D.J. Williams Restore the Orange Crush in Denver?

When thinking of the most consistent defensive units over the last four or five years, teams that come to mind are the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, and the Shawne Merriman-led San Diego Chargers. 

What do all of these teams have in common?

If you have not guessed by now, it is that all of these teams use a 3-4 defensive scheme, which is clearly one of the most effective ways to run a defense in today’s NFL.

When the Denver Broncos hired Josh McDaniels, he immediately sought after defensive guru and 3-4 specialist Mike Nolan to run his defense.

This is important because “back in the day”, when Denver’s defense was considered dominant, the Orange Crush was known for its impenetrable 3-4 scheme.

Can the Broncos make a smooth transformation to this particular style of defense?

While one could argue that the cardinal rule for starting a 3-4 defense is to have a stud nose tackle to clog two or three blockers in the middle, I would contend that the most important factor in building this type of defense is the middle linebacker.

For that, the Broncos have one of the best in the business in D.J. Williams, who could be the biggest benefactor of the new transition.

As fellow Broncos writer Punkus pointed out in his article, Williams has already done quite a bit of moving around in his career thus far, playing all three linebacker positions in Denver’s 4-3 scheme and now middle linebacker in the 3-4. 

Williams, like the Ray Lewis of old, Patrick Willis, or Tedy Bruschi, is a player Denver can build its young defense around for years to come.

As for the present?

With their second first round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected Robert Ayers, a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker out of Tennessee. 

While Ayers never had one really standout season at Tennessee statistically, scouts say he is playing the best ball of his football career, and could continue to escalate into his professional career. He is a very good run-stuffer, which is something the Broncos desperately need.

As for the other outside linebacker spot, the Broncos hope that fourth year player Elvis Dumervil can have a James Harrison-type of impact as a pass rusher.

Dumervil has led the Broncos in sacks each of the past three seasons, and could flourish as a rush linebacker at the next level. 

One of the main things coach McDaniels has carried over from his days in New England is placing great value on high character and leadership from his players. 

To fill a leadership role at linebacker in Denver, he brought in longtime Cleveland Browns middle linebacker Andra Davis.

Over the last seven years, Davis has averaged 103 tackles per season, and was a team captain for Cleveland. He gives the Broncos a much needed vocal leader that they have not had since Al Wilson left the team.

In addition to bolstering their group of linebackers, the Broncos spent a lot of time and money revamping a secondary that needed a major face lift.

All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey will return fully healthy this season, and the Broncos added breakout veteran Andre’ Goodman to start alongside him.

Goodman led the resurgent Miami Dolphins last season with five interceptions.

In addition to Goodman, the Broncos spent a first round pick in 2010 on Wake Forest All-American Alphonso Smith, one of the most dominant collegiate cornerbacks over the last four seasons.

Think the price was too steep? The Broncos gave Seattle their first round pick in next year’s draft in exchange for the 37th overall pick in 2009, and many Denver fans were irate with the decision. 

However, it was very necessary given Denver’s inability to create turnovers in 2008, which is something Alphonso Smith did very often in his time at Wake Forest.

At the safety position, Denver significantly upgraded its awful 2008 group by signing future Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins and veteran Renaldo Hill.

Neither player is quite in the form they once were, but they are solid veterans with great leadership qualities. Most importantly, both are very good tacklers.

For passing situations, the Broncos drafted safeties Darcel McBath (second round) and David Bruton (fourth round). 

McBath had seven interceptions in 2008, and was named All Big 12 first team.  Bruton was known for his special teams play at Notre Dame, but has great speed and ideal size, and could compete for playing time. 

He will compete with second year player Josh Barrett, who has a very similar skill set and compares favorably in size and speed.

As far as the big men up front, the Broncos do not have anybody who is going to make opposing offensive linemen cringe, but they do have a young group of guys who want to come in and compete.

Third year player Marcus Thomas will be the anchor of this line, which will feature two new starters for 2009. 

The likely candidates to start alongside Thomas up front are Kenny Peterson and undrafted rookie Chris Baker out of Hampton.

It seems as though the days of classic defenses in this league are over due to the salary cap and disloyalty to respective teams.

However, due to their humble, competitive nature, this group of Broncos defenders could come out in 2009 with “chips” on their shoulders.

Maybe, just maybe, the new defensive scheme in Denver can bring back the old shade of orange.

 

Chemistry 101: Who Passes and Who Fails in the AFC North

The AFC North division is made up of four teams located around the cradle of football civilization.  

Cleveland’s first professional football team came into existence in 1920.  Cincinnati joined the fledgling APFA (American Professional Football Association), the precursor to the NFL, in 1921.  The Steelers (then named the Pittsburgh Pirates) joined the NFL in 1933. Baltimore entered the ranks of cities with an NFL franchise team in 1950.

With the exception of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the teams that began in Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland do not exist in their original cities today yet in each city the history and the love of the sport remains.  All four of these cities are brimming with football fanatics.

We all want our teams to win.  But year after year, the cream of the division rises to the top and the rest settle at the bottom.

Success begins and ends with personnel.  It is never simply the personnel on the field but it is a combination of those men, the men on the sidelines, and last but certainly not least, the people in the front office.

Let’s take a closer look beginning with the Cincinnati Bengels.  

Year after year I hear reports that the direction the team will take pivots on Carson Palmer’s health.  The analysts are focusing on his physical health but I think that Palmer’s mental strength is the key to the Bengel’s success.  

Palmer comes off as a pampered, whiny guy who rarely misses an opportunity to put his foot in his mouth.  The Bengels are a team with no leadership. 

Already this year No. 9 was attempting to rally the troops and he announced that the Bengel’s mini camp was a distraction-free success.  Noticabally absent from camp was C.O.

Marvin Lewis does nothing to suppress a lack of team spirit.  Instead Marvin Lewis added fuel to the fire, proclaiming on NFL Network that he and Chad “have issues like any family.”

In addition, all of the buzz surrounding Malaluga being selected in the second round by Cincinnati sounds to me like a florescent light about to burn out.  He is a young man with red flags surrounding his personal conduct walking into an undisciplined group of like-minded guys.  

No leadership.  No chemistry.  No playoffs.

Heading north up I-71, we arrive at the home of the Cleveland Browns.  

The annual crop of optimists touting the virtues of “this year’s Browns” are excited about the 2009 season.  I don’t share the excitement.  This year’s Browns will soon look like last year’s Jets.  

Eric Mangini tore through the draft like a bargain hunting bridezilla at the annual Filene’s Basement wedding gown sale.  

He reminds me of the wanna-be aficionado out to impress his friends who makes a selection because of brand recognition when in reality, he has passed over a higher quality product that was available for a fraction of the price.  Last year before he got fired, he got Faneca and he got Farve but what he didn’t get was into the playoffs.  

Mangini has added some impressive names like Alex Mack, Mohamed Massaquoi, and Brian Robiskie to his roster but will he be able to get them to gel together.  

I would love to see a return to a real rivalry between Pittsburgh and Cleveland but I am not holding my breath.

The Baltimore Ravens are a team that has earned a lot of respect.  

Last year, John Harbaugh made an immediate impact as a rookie coach.  

He stuck the landing with first round pick QB Joe Flacco.  

Mentoring a young unknown “Danny Noonan” type of guy while managing a XXL bad boy like Ray Lewis looked easy in the hands of Harbaugh.  

Beyond the amazing season, Harbaugh kept the heart and soul of his Ravens in Baltimore. Ray Lewis resigned with the club after multiple sources reported that #52 had lost his allegiance to the Ravens and would take his leadership elsewhere.  

The Ravens have chemistry.  They have talent but they have a strong chain of command from the Alpha dog on down.  It works.  

Harbaugh took a team that finished “5-11” the previous year to the AFC Championship with an untested rookie quarterback in his first year as a head coach.

I saved the Steelers for last not because they are the reigning Super Bowl champs, but because they are the benchmark for great management.  

From Noll through to Tomlin, Steeler coaches have set high standards for their players.  

Noll only worked with men who could manage themselves.  The four Super Bowl titles his teams brought to Pittsburgh provide a heavy support to his philosophy.  

Cowher was excellent when it came to drafting top-tier talent.  He also had the smarts to step side and let Bettis motivate the team to win a Super Bowl. Under Cowher however, the Steelers fell apart as a group without Bettis as their glue in 2006.  

Mike Tomlin came to Pittsburgh in 2007 as an unknown with a lot to prove.  He lead his team to the playoffs in his rookie season as coach.  

Last year under his leadership, a team with what was called a sub-par offensive line went all the way to a Super Bowl victory.  

Tomlin knows how to manage personalities.  He handled Ben’s practicing through his injuries and Parker’s public call for a return to the run with diplomacy and class.  

Tact, respect and the ability to motivate are Tomlin’s strengths.  Coach Tomlin is esteemed by his players and coaches alike.  He sets a tone of personal responsibility in the locker room and the results pay high dividends.

The talent vs. chemistry debate will continue, but when I look at the four teams in the AFC North, good chemistry seems to be just the thing to lift a team with pre-season potential and translate talent into trophies.

Where, Oh Where is the Kansas City Pass Rush Going to Come From?

It stands to reason that with a 2-14 record, the Chiefs have many holes to fill on their roster. The vast majority of these holes lie in the trenches, and with the linebackers.

Through the draft and free agency, Scott Pioli and crew filled many of the gaping holes in this team’s depth chart. Well, they temporarily filled them, it was more like a cheap Bondo job you’d find at a used car dealership.

Most people acknowledge that guys like Zach Thomas and Bobby Engram can not only play some football for another year or two, but they make a valuable contribution in the locker room. There is a place on every team for veterans who have been there and done that.

Thomas and Engram will immediately challenge, and probably get, starting positions on this team, both of which were positions of need for this team.

The problem is they are well past their prime, and both have lost a step or three. By the time the season starts both players will be 36, and on the extreme downside of their careers. On the surface it sounds like they are significant improvements, but don’t be surprised if one or both get injured or yanked by the end of the season.

Mike Goff was brought in from the Chargers to fill the biggest position of need on the offensive line. He will be a significant improvement over guys like Wade Smith and Adrian Jones, who shared the starting RG spot last year. Goff is also on the downside of his career, but the RG spot was so awful last year anything will be a relief.

By the end of the season last year, it was apparent that a pass rushing defensive end was atop the priority list when it came to team needs. Since Pioli announcing the defensive paradigm shift, this specific position is no longer needed. The 3-4 defense has no need for this type of player.

What it did create a need for, however, was a new breed of defensive lineman. This need was so great that Pioli and company used their top two draft picks on filling this very position.

Tyson Jackson (first round) and Alex Magee (third round) should eventually become the 5-technique defensive ends now needed in this new 3-4 defense. 

It was originally thought that a new nose tackle would be needed as well, however the coaching staff now has great optimism in Tank Tyler filling that role. He will need to add 20 or so pounds to truly be effective in this role, but he has already started on this new task of his.

Tank is a very strong individual, which is the key attribute of a nose tackle. At the combine in 2007, he had 42 reps on the bench press, which was good for top performer across all positions that year, and even three more than the top performer this past year.

Tank played nose tackle at NC State, and dropped from 325 to 305 once picked up by the Chiefs. Playing a Cover-Two defense at the time, which necessitates the defensive tackles be quick and light on their feet, the Chiefs asked him to drop the excess weight.

He should make the transition to into the 3-4 very well and develop into an above average nose tackle at the NFL level.

Linebacker was one of the Chiefs’ weakest positions last year. When a scrub like Pat Thomas is your starting linebacker, its pretty obvious you have problems. This problem was only worsened by the move to the 3-4 defense, and the Chiefs did little to fix it. As mentioned earlier, Zach Thomas was brought in, but he will not be very effective on the field.

Mike Vrabel was brought in with Matt Cassel as part of the trade package with the Patriots. He played outside linebacker in New England and along with Zach Thomas, will be the only player with experience in the 3-4 defense.

Vrabel, along with Engram and Thomas, will give valuable insight in the locker room, but like the others, can only be a very short term fix. He will be 34 by the time the season starts, but still will be a serviceable player for another year or two.

It’s the other outside linebacker spot on this Chiefs team that is really concerning. Presumably it will be Tamba Hali, former first round defensive end from Penn State. Hali has been a do-it-all defensive end for the Chiefs since he was drafted, but he is more of a Jack of all trades, master of none type of player.

Hali is not particularly quick, and switching to outside linebacker where he would have to drop back into coverage would not be beneficial for the Chiefs. The scouting report on him coming out of college specifically mentioned this deficit in his game also.

He is a hard worker and never gives up, but his short area quickness is severely limited and does not have the speed to run with anyone in man coverage. Teams would easily be able to exploit this weakness in Hali by making him cover either the tight end or running back in man coverage.

This outside linebacker spot might be the weakest on the team. The Chiefs had a total of 10 sacks last year. DeMarcus Ware by himself doubled this sack total. Eleven individual players had more sacks last year than did the entire Chiefs organization.

Getting pressure on the quarterback is one of the easiest ways to help the defense, and the organization did nothing to help this. There were several free agents available this off season who could have rushed the passer, but none of them were brought in.

Good pass rushers were available during the draft, and Pioli and the Chiefs chose to go in a different direction. Why? We do not know. What we do know, however, is that the Chiefs defensive backs are going to be getting no help from the front seven. This may lead to another very bad year defensively for the Chiefs and another drought in sacks.

Wide Open with Denver Broncos Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall: A Mock Interview

Here are some questions that I would ask Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Q. First, what are some of the expectations that you have coming into the 2009 season?

Q. How do you think that the coaching change will affect your game play?

Q. How will the change of quarter-backs change your style, or will your playing style stay the same?

Q. Do you have to adjust how you catch the ball for the change of quarter backs?

Q. If yes, what are those changes?

Q. You and Jay Cutler seemed to have a great on field connection, how long did it take for you to connect that way?

Q. Besides the coaching change and quarter back change what are the biggest differences for this coming season compared to last year?

Q. Did you pick up any new tricks from starting in the pro bowl last year?

Q. Are you going to try and make the same connection with the new quarter back?

Q. The Broncos, especially in the Shanahan era, were known more for the running game despite having some great receivers like, Shannon Sharpe, Ed McCaffery, and Rod Smith, do you think that the running offense has hurt the passing offense of Denver teams?

Q. What are some of your favorite teams to play against?

Q. Are there any teams that you just hate going up against?

Q. What are some of the games/teams you look forward to playing most this season?

Q. You recently had hip surgery, has the surgery helped, do you feel you can play at 100 percent this season?

Q. What’s been your favorite part about playing with the Broncos?

Q. What is a normal off season routine like for you?

Q. The Broncos made some interesting moves in both the off season and the draft, do you think those moves will hurt or help the team this season?

Q. The AFC west isn’t viewed as tough of a conference as it was 7 years ago; does that help or hurt you as a player?

Q. In baseball, Coors Field in Denver is viewed as a “hitters park” because of the high altitude; does the altitude of Denver make INVESCO Field a “passing field”? Does the altitude play into how the ball moves?

Q. What is a little known hobby that you like to do?

Changing of the Guard: A Who’s Who of the Cleveland Browns New Coaching Staff

When Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage were fired by the Cleveland Browns, the majority of their staff was sent packing as well.  Afterwards, Browns owner Randy Lerner brought in Eric Mangini, who had just been released by the New York Jets, and let him decide who to hire onto his coaching staff. 

Oddly enough, Mangini even had a say on who would be his superior, as his connection with George Kokinis was the main reason he was chosen as the new Browns general manager.

So, while everyone in the football world is analyzing the players being brought in by the ManKok regime, I think its about time we profile three of the biggest decision makers on the Browns revamped coaching staff. 

Let’s start at the top:

Eric Mangini

Coach Mangini’s rise in the NFL is the very definition of “full circle.”

Eric Mangini began his life in pro football at the age of 23, taking a ball boy position with the Browns under former coach Bill Belichick.  Even though ball boy is a job typically reserved for a younger crowd, Mangini took whatever opportunity he could to get some experience in the NFL.

Belichick was very impressed with Mangini’s attitude and work ethic, so impressed that he was able to get him promoted twice, from ball boy to public relations intern to an offensive assistant.

When the Browns moved to Baltimore, Mangini followed them, retaining his offensive assistant position for another year before rejoining Belichick in New York with the Jets.  The two hung together in New York until 2000, when Belichick was named head coach of the New England Patriots. 

One of Belichick’s first moves in New England was assigning Mangini as his defensive backs coach.

Mangini made a name for himself in this position for the next four years, until he became New England’s defensive coordinator.  He turned down offers for the same position with Miami, Oakland, and Cleveland in order to stay with the Patriots and continue working with the man who helped start him his career.

This all changed in 2006 when Mangini was hired by the New York Jets as their new head coach.  Nicknamed by the media as both “The Mangenius” and “The Penguin,” Mangini brought good fortune to a Jets team who went 4-12 the previous year.

The team posted a 10-6 record and earned a playoff berth, where they lost to Belichick’s Patriots in the Wild Card round.

In 2007, Mangini became involved in one of the biggest scandals in sports history, accusing Bill Belichick, his former mentor, of illegally videotaping New York’s coaching signals during a regular season game.  Belichick received several punishments and fines, thus causing a rift in his and Mangini’s relationship which has since been filled.

Mangini’s success with New York leveled off in his second season, as they finished with a lowly 4-12 record.  The year after, the Jets brought Brett Favre out of retirement, even though Mangini was against the move.

He eventually made peace with the front office’s actions and the Jets got off to an 8-3 start.  Eventually, though, the season derailed as the team lost four of their last five games to finish 9-7. 

The poor finish in New York lead to Mangini’s firing, a move some of his former players felt was unfair.  He quickly rebounded, however, after a strong interview with Randy Lerner earned him the Browns head coach opening.

Now, Mangini has been given a task many have tried to overcome, but only few have succeeded.  He must now try to figure out just how to make the Cleveland Browns a competitive football team.

In order to tackle this issue, Mangini brought with him a couple former co-workers to give him help along the way.

Brian Daboll

Like Eric Mangini, Brian Daboll began his NFL tenure under Bill Belichick.  After spending time working at the college level with small coaching positions at both William & Mary and Michigan State, Daboll became a defensive assistant at New England in 2000 along with Mangini.

Two years later, Daboll was promoted to wide receivers coach with the Patriots.  He spent the next four seasons in this position until, in 2006, he fled to New York alongside Mangini. 

Many members of the Patriots coaching staff were less than pleased with Brian Daboll leaving the team to join Mangini in New York.  New England had developed a solid offense, and with Daboll’s departure the team was forced to rewrite much of their offensive terminology.

With the Jets, Daboll worked as Mangini’s quarterbacks coach.  However, his first season proved to be quite an uphill battle. 

Quarterback Chad Pennington struggled to recover from a previous rotator cuff injury, and was thus hampered to slow arm movement and an inability to throw for long distances.  His replacement, Kellen Clemens was a slight improvement, but a weak offensive line couldn’t keep him protected very long.

Daboll spent 2008 working with the recently unretired Brett Favre.  Under Brian Daboll, Favre occasionally showed signs of his former self.  By late season, though, a shoulder injury lead to a decrease in Favre’s accuracy, along with a rise in his interception numbers and a rapid downturn to the Jets season.

After the Jets fired Mangini, Daboll’s future remained a little uncertain.  New York’s offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was one of the first candidates to interview for the head coach opening. 

With question marks looming over who would replace Schottenheimer if he were to become head coach, many expected Daboll to be his heir apparent. 

However, before Schottenheimer received word on the head coach vacancy, Daboll followed Eric Mangini to Cleveland, where he was assigned as the Browns offensive coordinator. 

In Cleveland, Brian Daboll will be in charge of bringing new life to an offense which couldn’t score for six straight weeks.  As of now, Daboll still doesn’t know which quarterback will be leading his offense, but hopefully his experience as a quarterbacks coach will help him regardless of who is chosen as the starter.

Rob Ryan

At the other side of the ball is new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.  Ryan is one of the more experienced coaches Eric Mangini has brought with him to the Browns. 

He began his career in 1987 as a coaching assistant at Western Kentucky University.  A year later he joined Ohio State as an outside linebackers coach, only to move on to Tennessee State the following year, where he spent four seasons coaching the running backs, wide receivers, and the defensive line.

By 1994, Ryan felt he was ready to move up to the NFL, joining the Arizona Cardinals as a defensive backs coach under his father Buddy.  However, while the Cardinals defense led the NFL in both interceptions and total takeaways in 1995, Buddy Ryan was eventually fired after two rough seasons in Arizona, leading Rob to once again move to another team.

After spending a season at Hutchinson Community College as defensive coordinator, Ryan took the same position at Oklahoma State in 1997.  For the next two years, OSU’s defense ranked among the best in the nation. 

In fact, The Sporting News named Ryan Coordinator of the Year in 1997, as the Cowboys defense saw a 100 yard decrease in total yards allowed per game than the year before.

By 2000, Rob Ryan was ready to move back into the NFL, becoming the linebackers coach for New England.  During his time with the Patriots, the team was ranked among the highest in the NFL in total defense.

 In 2001, Ryan helped create one of the best scoring defenses in franchise history, while also developing Pro Bowl linebackers Willie McGinest and Tedy Bruschi.

After spending four years in New England, Ryan became the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders.  His numbers in Oakland were not quite as impressive as those with the Patriots, but this may have been due to a slight dropoff in overall talent. 

Still, the Raiders defense remained somewhat respectable through the better part of Ryan’s time in Oakland.

While Ryan was in New England, he became close friends with Eric Mangini.  Therefore, when Mangini was hired in Cleveland, he invited Ryan to join the team as defensive coordinator.  Ryan still had a year left in his contract with Oakland, but he was told by the team that he was free to join any franchise of his choosing.

With the Browns, Rob Ryan will most certainly have his hands full when it comes to fixing a defensive unit which was overrun on a week-to-week basis last season.  The skill level in Cleveland certainly doesn’t match that of the 2001 Patriots, but there is some talent to be found.

It should be interesting to see if Ryan can turn the Browns around defensively in 2009.

Now that we have a better idea of the decision makers who’ll be running the Browns’ sidelines this season, we can shift our focus to just what exactly they can bring to Cleveland.  The possibilities are endless, and we can all hypothesize as to what results will come. 

The truth, however, is that we won’t know for sure until this fall.

NFC East Looks to Continue Dominance in 2009

In both 2007 and 2008, the NFC East has taken three of the six NFC playoff spots in each year. The New York Giants have been in every year since 2005, and won Super Bowl 42.

The Philadelphia Eagles have been to the NFC Title game five times this decade. Oh and the Redskins and Cowboys have been to the playoffs twice since 2005. Pretty impressive huh?

Going into 2009, the Eagles are coming off a surprise NFC Championship game appearance—a game where they had a fourth quarter lead—and reloaded with some good talent to surround Donovan McNabb.

The Giants are the defending division champ, and boast perhaps the best defense in the division. However, Dallas and Washington seem to be looking more for an identity.

Dallas is now unquestionably Tony Romo’s team (take that as you may), and hope that Roy Williams can become the go-to receiver Jerry Jones imagined when he paid a king’s ransom to Detroit to get him.

After a disastrous 9-7 season that saw the Cowboys humiliated in Philly with a playoff berth on the line, I can’t imagine this is the type of press Jerry wants around his team heading into their new multi-billion dollar stadium.

While Washington once again made their annual big splash in free agency with Albert Haynesworth, their draft day was odd to say the least. They added Brian Orakpo which gives them some needed pass rush, but their supposed interest in Mark Sanchez ticked off their starter Jason Campbell. Dan Snyder always makes things interesting.

Onto what seems to be the head of the division, the Giants and Eagles both seemed to make moves that improved their respective teams.

The Giants have a ton of young receivers now to hopefully replace the production of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer. Draft picks Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum will join Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith as Eli Manning’s targets.

However in free agency they added Michael Boley, Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty to an already top notch defense.

The Eagles came into the offseason needing to add players to make Donovan McNabb happy. They did that in the draft by adding weapons in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin out of Missouri, and LeSean McCoy out of Pitt can become the second option they’ve needed as Brian Westbrook hits 30 years old.

The Eagles also signed Stacy Andrews and traded for Jason Peters to solidifytheir offensive line.

As the defending division champs, the Giants are the team to beat. The road to a repeat is not easy though, as the Eagles are improved and the Cowboys could be very good if Romo takes that next step.

The division is looking at at-least two potential locks in the playoff field (Giants and Eagles), and when you put Dallas and Washington up against the rest of the NFC, their right there.

The NFC East was the best division in the conference the last two years. With the way the off-season transpired, the division might not get three teams into the playoffs again, but with the Eagles and Giants, you might be looking at the two best teams in the entire conference.

Tom Coughlin will have his work cut out for him and his team this year if they want to repeat, but there’s no other way they would want it.

Why Adrian Peterson Will Be the MVP of the 2009 Season

When you hear the question of who the best running back in the league is, who do you think of?  Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, LaDainian Tomlinson, or Clinton Portis?

I, believe, that Adrian is probably the best among those players listed above. Disagree if you must, but that is how I feel.

I am a Vikings fan, but I would say that Peterson is the best running back in the league, even if I was a Bears or Packers fan. By the way, that will never happen in a million years.

Adrian has consistently gotten better at running the ball. In his rookie season, he had 1,341 yards and twelve touchdowns. These numbers easily put him in the top ten running backs in the league, maybe even the top five.

Many thought Peterson would be a one-year-wonder, and his numbers would take a decline in the following season. Oh, how they were wrong.

In his sophomore campaign, Adrian’s numbers sky-rocketed. He had 363 carries for 1,760 yards, and ten touchdowns. His only problem was that he fumbled an outrageous nine times.

Adrian must get this problem under control. The Vikings absolutely cannot afford to get far into the red-zone, just to have him fumble the ball away without even getting hit that hard. This occurred several times last year. As my friend Sayre would say, he has a massive case of “fumbleitis.”

Usually, quarterbacks win the MVP award. A quarterback has won the award for 35 of the last 51 seasons. Peyton Manning won the award last season.

These numbers do not fair well for Adrian. The odds will definitely be stacked against him for next season. But to be expected is Peterson once again silencing the critics and showing even more evolution.

Chester Taylor, the Vikings back-up running back, has seen a large decrease in his number of carries. This is obviously because Adrian is the every-down-runner for Minnesota.

He is in the last year of his contract, so the Vikings might try to either get the most out of him, or potentially trade him to a team that desperately needs a starting running back. Time will tell what Minnesota will do, but I sincerely hope that they keep him on the roster next season.

Adrian is one of the more devoted players to the game than I have seen in some time. In only two years, he has become a fan-favorite, and is considered by some to be one of the best players in the league.

I’m not one to base greatness on fantasy football, but A.P. went first in a lot of the leagues that I was in last year. People rolled the dice on Peterson even though he had only one year of experience under his belt at the current time.

You might say I’m bias, but I really could care less. This is really how I feel. I won’t say that Adrian is the clear favorite, but he is an absolute sure-fire top five player in the NFL today.

Another reason why he has a great chance to be the MVP is because of Minnesota’s lack to throw the ball at a high-rate. Often times, they rely on Adrian to get the job done when they need it the most.

Sage Rosenfels isn’t going to be a star, which will lead the Vikings to have to run the ball much more often than they used to. This should not come as a surprise to anybody.

If I had to predict Adrian’s stats for next year, I would say he will be around 400 carries, 1,900 yards, and 15 touchdowns.

Minnesota will also look to get him more involved in the receiving game. He has not been used that often for catching passes. I, definitely, expect this to change next season.

Case-in-point, Adrian Peterson is my top candidate for being the MVP of the 2009 season. Do you agree or disagree? Feel free to state your opinion.

Bruce Smith Charged with DUI

Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith was recently elected for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009. This is probably the happiest time in his life. Sadly, it all came crashing down yesterday when he was charged, for a third time, with drunken driving.

Smith was pulled over in his home state of Virginia. He was then charged with speeding, driving under the influence and refusal to take an alcohol breath test.

Let me preface my thoughts by first saying how much I respect Bruce Smith as a good person and football player. I think he’s a kind-hearted, well-spoken, gentleman. And one heck of a football player.

But, I really don’t care who you are or what you’ve done in your life—good or bad. Drunk driving is simply unacceptable.

I won’t take this opportunity to get on my role model soapbox because this is much more than a role model issue. But because Bruce Smith is a public figure who is adored by football fans of all ages, he is held to a higher standard than a lot of other people.

And with his busy Hall of Fame agenda—from a public relations standpoint—this could not come at a worse time. Not that there is a good time to be charged with DUI.

It’s a black eye for Smith and a black eye for the Buffalo Bills and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Obviously, Bruce Smith has a drinking problem. But that problem is magnified and made to be everyone else’s problem when he subjects others to his carelessness by getting behind the wheel of a car after he’s been drinking.

I have to believe he would wholeheartedly agree with me. There is no way he can condone his actions and there is no way he can come up with any good excuse for what he did.

Smith is very lucky nobody has been injured because of his reckless behavior. He ought to be extremely thankful for that and I’m sure he is. I’m not a judgemental person and I’m all for second chances.

I know good people make mistakes. I know I’ve made more than my share. And I know good people struggle with all sorts of different problems. But this is an inexcusable screw up that endangers other people’s lives.

A drinking problem is one thing. A drinking and driving problem is quite another. I’m not really sure what it’s going to take for Bruce Smith to see the light. But hopefully it won’t someday be at the expense of an innocent bystander.

Good Not Great: Jacksonville Jaguars’ Three Keys to a Successful Season

Coming off of a disappointing season marred with injuries and tragedy, the Jaguars are looking to bounce back in 2009.  All the teams carry similar, middle of the road, strength of schedule.

However, as usual in the AFC South, the difficulty will come from inside of the league. 

Tennessee will follow last year’s success as the league’s front-runner. Houston is hungry and made typical, Houston draft selections in their first two rounds (USC’s Cushing and Cincinnati’s Barwin) adding some much needed depth to their defense, and probably causing a bit of controversy.

After the Williams over Bush selection, I trust Houston’s judgment. Those guys will make the Texans better. Indianapolis remains dangerous as long as Peyton Manning remains under center.

However, this year does not contain a 2005 Colts. No team should go perfect in league play making for a very competitive season. 

In order to succeed this season, the Jags need to get back to the postseason. That’s it.  No need to expect a Super Bowl or even a division championship. Going from 5–11 to 10–6 and showing up as a wild card will be enough to mark down 2009 as successful. 

Missing the playoffs would be bad; another losing season would be disastrous. They have not posted back-to-back losing seasons since the 2000-2003 “dark years”.  Every Jags fan would like to forget those years of wasted Fred Taylor production (three times over 1300 yards) and poor cap management.

So how do the Jags get back to the playoffs?  It’s definitely possible with the parity, and competitiveness of this league.  However, it will not be easy.  In order for the Jags to get back to the playoffs this year, three major things need to happen:

 

1.  A No. 1 WR option needs to step up, and No. 2 and No. 3 need to be solid.

Matt Jones showed up when he could hast year; unfortunately his off the field issues finally became too much to handle and the Jags cut him loose leaving a gaping hole in their offense.

Right now, the Jags’ No. 1 receiving option is Maurice Jones-Drew, and No. 2 is Marcedes Lewis. This does not bode well for a successful season. MoJo is no Brian Westbrook. He can catch a pass out of the backfield, but he can’t lead his team in receptions. He’s built like a classic  running back and does his best work when handed the ball, not thrown it.

The top two WRs have to get better. Northcutt’s 30+ years old, and only showed up in any major capacity in two games last season. This is his last shot. Mike Walker absolutely must produce.  Those two guys need to account for 75+ yards per game in order for Jacksonville to have any shot at winning consistently.

 

2. The Rookie OTs can’t be busts

Eugene Monroe has to be a day one player.  The Jags don’t have enough depth to rely on a slow, steady, safe development.  He has to either provide consistent, high level rotational play or be the starter immediately.

Britton’s a big dude, but I admit, I don’t know much about him.  I do know that he was not a “reach” for an early second round selection. Thus, he needs to provide immediate support.

 

3. The Defensive Line must be fixed

Last year’s defense was a disaster.  The Jags gave up three additional points per game and ranked 24th in pass defense, compared to 15th in 2007. Derrick Harvey’s career may rest on his performance this year.

Somebody must step up inside to complement Henderson as well. Without the ability to stop their opponents, the Jags cannot get their biggest weapon, Maurice Jones-Drew, back on the field.

Without improvement in all three of these areas, the Jaguars will be stuck in the bottom half of the AFC South, and will, once again, be in the dark, searching for answers while a young, talented running back ages and wastes his best years.

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