Carolina Panthers Get Defensive on ’08’s Problems

The future for the Carolina Panthers may look meek, but there will be nothing humble about what’s about to happen in the 2009 season.

In 2008, the Panthers defense was reduce to a purr as they were statistically in the middle of the pack as far as total defense is concerned. But that will all change with the arrival of former defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.

Although Meeks’s resume speaks for itself, Panthers’ fans won’t mind being reminded of his accomplishments including heading up a defense that led the league in fewest points allowed (2007), learning under the games best minds (Dan Reeves, Jimmy Johnson, and Tony Dungy) and, oh yeah, a Super Bowl ring.

Meeks headed up a defense that ranked six places ahead of the Carolina Panthers last year. He hopes to bring his new defensive schemes into Carolina and return them to their success of the ’05 and ’06 seasons where they ranked third and seventh respectively.

And if anyone can lead them back to glory, Meeks can. And a lot of their success in 2009 will be based on the 3-4 defense Meeks ran in Indianapolis.

Although Meeks hasn’t declared what defense he’s going to run this year, all signs point to the 3-4. The Panthers don’t have the leagues’s best defensive front that they had four years ago. It’s time to make the switch and take advantage of their current players’s speed.

More importantly, the 3-4 defense may be the eye in the huge storm that is brewing with superstar defensive end Julius Peppers. Peppers has demanded a trade, stating he wants to split time at defensive end and outside linebacker.

Peppers’s demands have not changed despite Meeks being brought in, but there’s a good chance that this could be resolved once his role is established.

If not, John Fox and team drafted speedy defensive end Everette Brown to complement Peppers—or replace him.

But along with freshening up the front seven, Meeks will breathe new breath into the secondary.

Before he was the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champs, he was the cornerbacks coach for his now rival Falcons.

This is key as Beason, the middle linebacker, led the team in picks with four. What is worse, no cornerback had more than three interceptions in a season since Gamble had seven in 2005.

A refocused and repackaged defense will be something for the rest of the NFC South to take note of. The offense was already clicking as Smith led all receivers and the one-two punch of Williams and Stewart is, well, thunder and lightning.

As Meeks comes in with a base built on Tony Dungy’s discipline you can be assured you won’t see the breakdown that resulted in opponents averaging 30 ppg and 400 ypg over the last five games. Which was definitely carried over into the playoffs as where they were jumped on early and eliminated by the Cardinals.

With these things corrected you can expect a lengthy run in ’09 by the new Carolina Panthers.

Green Bay Packers’ Roster Breakdown: Quarterbacks

Atlanta Falcons 2009 Offseason Review

The Atlanta Falcons off-season had some downs but had more ups.  The Dirty Birds made some hard but reasonable decisions to improve their team.

From free agency to the draft the Falcons have done a lot to improve their team.

Free Agency; Pre-Draft

The Falcons were fairly quiet to start the free agency period and lost a handful of starters and veteran experience.

Keith Brooking, a former 12th overall pick of the Falcons, signed with the Dallas Cowboys after Brooking and the Falcons’ Organization could not reach an agreement.

After 11 years in a Falcons’ uniform, Brooking tallied 972 tackles, 17 sacks, and 12 interceptions.  Brooking also became the 5th player in franchise history to total 200+ tackles in a season in 2001.

Michael Boley, a former 5th round pick (160thoverall), signed withthe New York Giants. In four seasons with the Falcons, Boley had 330 tackles, 6 sacks, and 5 interceptions.

In 2007, Boleyhad the best season of his short career with the Falcons. Boley tallied 109 tackles (93 solo), 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions. After that season Boley showed great potential, but his 2008 campaign failed in comparison as Boley only had 73 tackles, no sacks, and only 1 interception.

Lawyer Milloy, who was signed as a free agent in 2006, was not re-signed by the Falcons and is currently a free agent. Milloy exceeded 90 tackles in the secondary but his age made him a liability in coverage.

Grady Jackson, who was signed as a free agent in 2006 and again in 2008, signed with the Detroit Lions.  In 2006, Jackson led the league in tackles for a loss.

Dominique Foxworth, who was acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos in 2008. Foxworth was actually the only free agent the Falcons wanted to re-sign, but Foxworth’s asking price was too steep andhe eventually signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

Foxworth’s contract withthe Ravens is worth$28 million over four years with $16.5 million guaranteed.

The Falcons also made a couple of free agent acquisitions.

Mike Peterson was signed on March 10th.  Peterson played under Falcons’ Head Coach Mike Smith in Jacksonville and is already familiarwith the defensive scheme.

Peterson was selected in the second round (36th overall) by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999.

In his 10 year career, Peterson has tallied 1,365 tackles, 19.5 sacks, and 15 interceptions.  Last year with the Jacksonville Jaguars Peterson led the Jaguars with 139 tackles.

The Falcons also signed Center Brett Romberg before the draft.

The biggest move by the Falcons was the Tony Gonzalez trade.  The trade for Gonzalez only cost the Falcons a 2010 draft pick in next year’s draft.

Tony Gonzalez, the leagues all-time leader in almost every statistical category by a tight end, completes a Falcons’ offense that shunned the tight end position from the offense last year.

Draft

The Falcons had a great draft last year by acquiring four eventual starters including rookie of the year, Matt Ryan, Sam Baker, Curtis Lofton, and Chevis Jackson who made one start last season.

And the Falcons’ draft class this year may be just as good.

With the 24th pick in the draft the Falcons selected defensive tackle Peria Jerry (pronounced PUR-RAY) from Ole Miss. 

Jerry led the Ole Miss Rebels and SEC in tackles for a loss last year. Jerry also had six sacks.

In the second round (55th overall) the Falcons selected safety William Moore from Missouri.

Moore had a great a 2007 season with the Missouri Tigers.  Moore had 8 interceptions, a school record, and 117 tackles. Moore decided to return to school for his  senior season, but if he had decided to enter the draft many said Moore may have been a top 10 pick.

In 2008, Moore struggled with injuries and his draft status dropped.

Other picks by the Falcons were  corner back Christopher Owens in the third, defensive end Lawrence Sidbury in the fourth,  corner back William Middleton in the fifth, tackle Garrett Reynolds and outside linebacker Spencer Adkins in the sixth, and defensive tackle Vance Walker in the seventh.

Undrafted Free Agency

The Falcons’ biggest undrafted rookie signing was Georgia native wide receiver Aaron Kelly from Clemson.

Kelly has great size standing 6 ft. 5 in. and weighing 190 lbs.  Kelly’s height may make him a great red zone target when Michael Jenkins or Tony Gonzalez aren’t available.

The Falcons also signed many other rookie free agents including Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, Texas linebacker Rashad Bobino, Florida State linebacker Derek Nicholson, and punter/kicker Robbie Dehaze.

The No-Huddle Offense and How New Weapons Will Change the Bills in 2009

With the addition of game-changing receiver Terrell Owens, a re-tooled offensive line, and a pass-catching threat at Tight End in Shawn Nelson, all signs point to a potential renaissance in Buffalo’s offensive scheme.

In addition to upgrades at receiver and tight end, the Bills feature solid running back depth in Fred Jackson (who recently re-signed with the club), and new addition Dominic Rhodes.

Although Marshawn Lynch is appealing his three-game suspension, the reality is that at best it will go down to one game. But don’t think the Bills running game will be ineffective.

Last year against New England in the final regular season game, Jackson rushed for 136 yards in miserable weather conditions, and as the Patriots found out, is not much easier to bring down than Lynch is.

Thus, with few of the skill positions lacking in talent, and with dynamic new players, and proven veterans in place, one question remains:

Where does the Bill’s offense go from here?

And many experts including AFC East blogger Tim Graham of ESPN, speculate that it is going back to the heart of the Bill’s success in the 1990s. Yes, I’m talking about the no-huddle offense.

The No-Huddle Offense (also called the hurry-up offense) was first introduced in the NFL in 1988 by Sam Wyche the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.  Before him the concept of the hurry-up offense was not foreign with many teams employing it with two or so minutes left until halftime, or two minutes until the end of the game.

Wyche’s contribution was applying the hurry-up philosophy to the whole game. And because it was something never done before in the NFL, teams initially didn’t know how to react to it.

The no-huddle interfered with the opposing defense’s ability to communicate with coaches and substitute off the field, because there was an ever present threat of the offense snapping the ball.

As a result, teams that were caught off guard, had tired players, and sometimes not even the right personnel to stop the offense on the field.

Because defenses were used to communicating with coaches, sometimes they weren’t even able to get the right play and confused themselves. With the defense in a muddled mess, the offense was able to stretch the field usually with a pass and catch players out of position.

On the offensive side of the ball, audibles were called to change the play at the line. Sometimes fake audibles were called to give the impression that the offense was going to run a play out of a certain formation but then quickly switch back into the original formation.

So just like the Wildcat employed by the Miami Dolphins last year was lethal to New England, so was Wyche’s no-huddle offense lethal in this same way because it was so innovative, and one of the biggest victims of it was surprisingly enough the Buffalo Bills. The Bills were defeated by the Bengals in the AFC Championship game.

They saw first hand the havoc that the no-huddle offense could cause, and as the saying goes “The NFL is a copy cat league.” Next year the Bills came out of the gate having learned the lessons from their loss and carrying with them their own version of the no-huddle.

A form of the no-huddle so perfectly executed, so dynamic, and so exciting, that word spread around the league about it. Many defenses throughout the history of the NFL were feared, but few offenses were. The K-Gun offense with Jim Kelly as its head was feared, and in its wake came four Super Bowl appearances. 

Interestingly, the K of the K-Gun wasn’t for Jim Kelly but rather Keith McKeller, the Bill’s Tight End. McKeller’s nickname was Killer, so perhaps the true name was the Killer-Gun Offense.

McKeller was one of the most important pieces to the offense because he was both a strong blocker and a good pass catcher. He was the instrumental player in the K-gun and that was why it was named after him.

This is why Buffalo may still go with a no-huddle offense but not specifically a revival of the K-Gun itself. The Bills possess Tight Ends who are good blockers, but are unproven vertical threats, and they drafted a Tight End who is a pass catcher in Nelson, but who needs more experience blocking.

Although NFL defenses have adjusted to the formation over time, there are still a few teams that actively employ the no-huddle offense today. The most notable of these teams is the Indianapolis Colts, whom the Bills might try to emulate as the Colts run a similar defense to the Bills as well and have had great success in the AFC South.

Nothing is certain, but if the the Bills DO go back to the no-huddle Trent Edwards is going to have very big shoes to fill as parallels to him and Kelly will no doubt be drawn. Kelly is known as one of the toughest quarterbacks of all time, and some have serious doubts as to the durability of Edwards

Several things remain unclear but one thing is clear. The Bills have the right pieces in place right now to run a variant on the know huddle. But don’t take it from me:

As Sam Wyche himself said, “Buffalo’s sitting pretty with all those guys, Believe me.”

Feature Interview: What I Would Ask Ray Lewis (CBS Correspondent Article2)

Ray Lewis is my number one favorite NFL player and undeniably one of the greatest linebackers in the league.  If I was ever given the chance to interview him one day it would be a great honor and dream come true. Below are some of the questions I would ask in a feature interview.

First of all, I would like to say thank you for being here and congratulations on a highly successful season.

 

Question One: How do you feel the 2008-2009 season went for the Baltimore Ravens?

Thankfully, you were re-signed with the team Ray, Terrell Suggs franchised and there was a lot of speculation about what could have occurred or may still occur with the team and possible moves that are yet to be made.

Matt Stover was not re-signed, McAlister was released, Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard went to the Jets. Lorenzo Neal is gone as well.

 

Question Two: How do you feel those moves as well as others that were made may affect the team in the upcoming season and overall?

Rex Ryan is now the Head Coach of the New York Jets. That left big shoes to fill here in Baltimore.

 

Question Three: Do you think the team will find a suitable replacement and be able to have the entire team easily adjust?

Question Three-A: Because I am sure you had a close relationship, how were you personally affected by Ryan’s leaving the Ravens?

Your team has always performed well in the draft and Ozzie Newsome does an amazing job. With that said…

 

Question Four: How do you think the team did on draft picks?

Question Four-A: Would you have made different selections in the draft?

I know you are the emotional and spiritual leader of this team, especially on defense. But if you were the Head Coach…

 

Question Five: Would you make any changes on offense and defense and why?

It may be too early to say but

 

Question Six: What do you see happening in the 2009-2010 season for the Ravens?

Last but not least, you have had an incredible 13 year, going on 14 year career in the NFL. Numerous victories, countless phenomenal plays that you have made and the list could go on.

 

Question Seven: What are some of the most memorable or favorite moments of your career?

I look forward to the day you get inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame and I know that is bound to happen in the future. But for now I anticipate the start of the season and to watch and see what the men of purple and black have in store. Good luck to you and your team and thank you for joining me today.

Rodrick Hood To Visit the Detroit Lions Monday

One of the few attractive free agents on the market is considering the Lions. Cornerback Roderick Hood, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, was cut in April shortly after the team had signed Bryant McFadden.

Hood had come under fire late last year with a poor game against Minnesota. Tarvaris Jackson threw four TD passes—easily his best game of the year—three of which were in the direction of Hood.

Undrafted out of Auburn, Hood signed with the Eagles and got a chance to compete after an injury to Lito Shepherd. Hood left the Eagles to sign with the Cardinals in 2007.

At 27, Roderick Hood is a fitting signing to compete for a nickle or dimeback role but has never shown starting caliber talent to go with his great athleticism. His best season was 2007 when he deflected twenty-one passes and intercepted five for nearly 200 yards and two defensive TDs.

In Detroit, Hood would be a candidate for the fourth CB spot and would immediately have the upper hand against Keith Smith because of his special teams coverage and punt returning ability. Hood could also play safety in an emergency situation.

Hood is also considering the Bengals and Browns.

Contingency Plans: Four Wide Receivers the New York Jets Could Look to in 2009

If the New York Jets haven’t established that they will aggressively pursue the players they covet most by now, then you haven’t been watching closely enough.

Where there’s smoke, there’s usually been fire as far as the Jets have been concerned.

With inquiries into Plaxico Burress hitting the news wires and rumors of a trade for Braylon Edwards floating around, it’s clear that the Jets aren’t willing to leave their passing game to chance.

Finding a receiver may be a priority for most fans, but Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum is willing to see what David Clowney and Brad Smith can do before making another offseason splash.

But if neither receiver establishes himself as a quality starter, fans should know that Tannenbaum will not hesitate to acquire talent from elsewhere.

That means kicking over some rocks that would have been completely ignored by the previous regime.

With Terrell Owens and Randy Moss claiming residence in the AFC East, New York will need a dynamic receiver who can help close the gap.

 

How Would They Look in Green?

No Coke, Then a Smile — Could Matt Jones Fix Things in New York?

After being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars following drug-related incidents, Matt Jones failed to generate any interest in the offseason. And understandably so.

With the NFL taking a hard stance on off-field infractions, most teams are afraid of the risk Jones poses to their organization with bad press. But desperation could inspire leniency.

When reports surfaced regarding the Jets inquiries into Adam “Pacman” Jones, one thing became clear: New York ain’t scared.

At 6’6″, Jones is the tall receiver New York could utilize in the red zone. He has years of NFL experience and showed some positive upside in Jacksonville prior to his troubles with the law.

It’s up to the Jets to gauge the risk he presents. Signing Jones to a one-year, veteran minimum contract is probably a more generous offer than he’ll receive elsewhere.

Aside from that, there’s likely a four-game suspension in his future that’s keeping teams away.

 

More Cameras Than He Can Smile At; Braylon Edwards to New York

When he’s at his best, Braylon Edwards is a top receiver in the NFL.

He commands a double team and can score 16 times in a season. At his worst, he leads the NFL in drops and becomes a liability rather than a sure-handed receiver.

Which No. 17 would the Jets be getting if they managed a deal for him?

If the Jets believe he’s worth the gamble, then finding the right compensation to free from him Cleveland becomes a problem. They fleeced Eric Mangini in the NFL Draft, but the Browns didn’t want the commitment of a high draft pick anyway.

Since Cleveland has stockpiled receivers this offseason, it’s doubtful they’d request one from the Jets in a trade. Depending on how high they value Edwards, Cleveland could request a key defensive player (David Harris?) and a conditional pick.

The New York Giants did back down after the Browns requested Mathias Kiwanuka and their first round pick for Edwards.

fter the trade compensation is determined, the Jets have to work out a contract for him. Since the root of his unhappiness stems from a desire for a new contract, New York has to determine if they have enough money to pay him.

Then they have to make sure he’s more into football and not modeling deals.

 

Too Late to Reconcile, Anquan Boldin Flies the Coop

Reports from Arizona have been conflicting. Prior to the draft, Ken Whisenhunt told reporters that they would listen to offers for the disgruntled Anquan Boldin.

More recent reports say the Cardinals rejected two offers.

If the Jets can break through the Cardinals’ defenses and agree to compensation for Boldin, the new issue becomes signing him to a new contract. Much like Edwards, Anquan Boldin wants a new contract, and he wants a big one.

With Larry Fitzgerald’s contract paying him an average of $10 million a year, it’s expected that Boldin wants something comparable. Drew Rosenhaus has said Boldin could be re-signed for less, but how much less is unknown.

Despite the contract demands, Boldin may not be the best fit in New York anyway. He’s only played two full seasons in his career, and is a similar receiver to Jerricho Cotchery.

 

Only a Flesh Wound — Plaxico Burress Moves Down the Hall

Jerricho Cotchery and Alan Faneca, two well-respected Jets veterans, have said they would welcome Burress to the team on the merit of what he brings to the field alone. The significance of those words shouldn’t be overlooked.

Cotchery became the Jets new No. 1 receiver after Laveranues Coles was released, but he respects the dynamics of Burress’ game enough to put the team first.

Knowing what Burress brings to the field, the attention he receives every time he lines up, and his ability to be a trustworthy receiver, the Jets understand what Burress would mean to the offense and Mark Sanchez.

If celebrity justice (read: slap on the wrist) allows Burress to avoid prison, then a move to the other football locker room in the Meadowlands shouldn’t surprise anyone.

 

If the Jets Decide to Do Nothing

While the focus rests upon finding a traditional wide receiver to complement Jerricho Cotchery, the answer could rest with the untraditional player the Jets already have on the roster.

Despite being listed as a tight end, Dustin Keller established himself as a certifiable threat in the passing game with his versatility.

He emerged as one of Brett Favre’s favorite targets as a rookie, taking advantage of the mismatch he constantly presents. There are no defenders who stack up favorably against Keller.

Keller exploited the soft spots in zone coverages at all distances. He was a big target in underneath routes, and he was able to slip past the secondary to get down field.

If utilized more effectively in 2009, Keller has the potential to become the centerpiece of the offensive passing game.

Buffalo Bills’ 50th Anniversary Team: Second String

As part of their 50th Anniversary festivities, the Buffalo Bills let fans vote for who they thought should be on the all time team. Many sure names made the list, such as Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Billy Shaw, and Marv Levy, but some others were left off. Who would be the second string? What about third? To answer the burning question, here’s the Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary All Time Team: Second String. The third string will be for players who played admirably in backup roles.

New Faces Bring New Opportunities To The Eagles West Coast Offense

Andy Reid finally has all of the tools to roll out a complete West Coast playbook with a few tricks and stunts to catch opposing defenses off guard and off balance.  Don’t expect a new power running offense in 2009, just expect a more efficient and dynamic version of last season. 

New acquisitions, Stacey Andrews, Jason Peters and Leonard Weaver intend on making an impact in the short yardage game.  

Backs Walter Mendenhall, Kyle Eckel and Marcus Mailei will compete for a position in the backfield to add more size and strength to an opportunistic power running attack. 

Ends Cornelius Ingram, Eugene Bright and Jason Peters will bolster the robust red zone and short yardage possibilities.

Interestingly, Jason Peters was originally a tight end and still has the skill set.  Don’t be surprised to see Andy bring in one of his reserve offensive lineman to play left tackle as he stacks the right side of the line with the Andrews brothers and Shawn Andrews’ college room mate, Jason Peters.  That is a scary image.  

Justifying this concept is simple.  The depth chart is full of players that would carry starting roles in other franchises.  Nick Cole is a more than capable guard and Todd Herremans is equally able in holding down a tackle position.  King Dunlap has been impressive in his reserve role as a tackle, adding more opportunity to see Peters as a short yardage tight end.

I am prognosticating at least one receiving touchdown for Peters this season.

Converted defensive end, Eugene Bright, was impressive in mini-camp and could play the role of the mauling tight end in short yardage.  At 6’4″ and 268 pounds, Bright is the most powerful of the young skilled group that includes the returning and emerging Brent Celek and impressive newcomer Cornelius Ingram.

Ingram also provides more red zone opportunity at tight end with fade routes and jump balls.  Baskett had limited success as the fade route specialist in 2008.  Ingram is a collegiate basketball player who can impose the Tony Gonzales type of tight end presence in the end zone.  At 6’4″ and an official 33″ vertical leap, Ingram can position his body as many former basketball players, like Gonzales, have been able to do, snagging jump balls and fade routes.

As I turn my attention to the backs, I can imagine a power backfield on short yardage plays that includes Weaver at Fullback and of course, Westbrook, following his lead.  I can also imagine Weaver running behind or blocking for Kyle Eckel in short yardage.

Eckel still has to prove he will deserve his roster spot and rookie free agents Marcus Mailei and Walter Mendenhall offer exciting possibilities in short yardage. 

With a bruising fullback like Marcus Mailei, the Eagles will have an opportunity to run with speed and power, utilizing Weaver and Mailei.

Walter Mendenhall is a slightly bigger back who runs hard and low.  Mendenhall could provide a power back option behind Weaver if he can tantalize the coaching staff in camp with more of what he did at Illinois State.

Both Mendenhall and Weaver are backs who can play the role of receiver out of the backfield.  The versatility of Peters, Weaver and Mendenhall could provide over 800 pounds worth of athletic talent looking for a pass in the end zone.

Since we are mentioning backfield components, I cannot allow myself to fail in acknowledging the excitement that Lesean McCoy brings to the field.  Quick and versatile, McCoy will be a dangerous feature for opposing defenses.  I liken McCoy to a Westbrook clone.  Although, I don’t see McCoy bringing much new to the game plan, he will provide a continuity of game play when spelling Westbrook.

That being said, let’s approach our elation regarding a power set offense with measured emotion.  Andy Reid is not going to change his hybridized West Coast Offense and the birds have done a great job adding characters to moreover support this playbook along with bolstering our short yardage offense.

What else can we expect from this bigger, younger group of backs, lineman and tight ends?

Think back to the fantastic 49ers of the 80’s.  The originators and epitome of the West Coast offense utilized big backs like Tom Rathman as receivers out of the backfield very productively.  Weaver is perhaps his most productive as he hauls in short passes and turns them into big plays with a running compound of elusiveness and power.

Although I am sure we will not see a conversion to a power running game plan, we will see more I-Form sets and I-form with three wide. 

Enhancements to short yardage efficiency and possibilities aside, expect more plays involving full back lead blocking, rushing and receiving in 2009.  This more imposing running attack will bring defenses forward and open up speedsters Desean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Jeremy MacLin on their down field and slant routes.

Pittsburgh Steelers Minicamp Report

The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their first mini-camp of the season on Sunday, and third year coach Mike Tomlin was very pleased with a successfull camp.   

Coach Tomlin looks at mini-camp as a time to instruct players, especially rookies, on the basics of Steeler football, and the playbook.  When the minicamp came to an end, Tomlin energetically expressed his views on the camp as an extreme success. 

The entire team was thrilled that no serious injuries took place during these 3 days.  The only new injury is a sprained ankle on the left foot of Mewelde Moore, after stepping on another player’s foot. 

Despite there only being one new injury, several players did not participate due to previous injuries or operations.  Long snapper Greg Warren and Punter Daniel Sepulveda, practiced lightly due to the ACL injuries that sidelined the two of them last season.

With his brand new 22 million dollar contract, the Super Bowl XL MVP, Hines Ward still practiced lightly due to the knee injury that gave Santonio Holmes the oppurtunity to shine in both the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XLIII. 

Ryan Clark is also coming off a shoulder injury that worsened throughout the playoffs as he decided to play through it.  These players are expected to be good to go for opening day at Heinz Field.

Willie Parker has had sore legs and knees, and in an attempt to get himself as healthy as possible, he has started doing some yoga and pilates to make him more flexible. 

The Steelers have high expectations for their second year players.  Running back Rashard Mendenhall, wide receiver Limas Sweed, and Linebacker Bruce Davis, all hive higher expectations.  Mendenhall is returning from injury and will be one of the Steelers’ four tailbacks.

Limas Sweed will probably be replacing WR Nate Washington who was signed by Tennessee.  And LB Bruce Davis, who did not record a single statistic last season, will be used more on special teams, and fight for a backup OLB position. 

The Steelers also look for QB Dennis Dixon to step up and become a better QB.  They also practiced him in the Wildcat a little bit.  At Oregon in 2007, Dixon threw 20 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions.  His arm is underrated, but what he is known for is his mobility and running ability. 

At Oregon they had the 1-2 punch with Dixon and Jonathan Stewart running the ball.  Dixon ran for 5.6 yards per carry and 9 touchdowns.  Leave me a comment on how the Steelers will do next season.

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