NFL - News For Football Lovers

Week 16 Tight End

2009-04-10T22:41:00.001+01:00

Week 16 Game Reviews

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Week 15 Tight End

2008-12-16T23:51:00.001Z

Week 15 Game Reviews

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Week 14 Tight End

2008-12-09T19:47:00.000Z

Week 14 Game Reviews

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Week 13 Tight End

2008-12-02T22:12:00.000Z

Week 13 Game Reviews

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Week 12 Tight End

2008-11-25T05:11:00.003Z

Week 12 Game Reviews

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Week 11 Tight End

2008-11-19T00:21:00.000Z

Week 11 Game Reviews

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Week 10 Tight End

2008-11-11T05:20:00.000Z

Week 10 Game Reviews

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Week 9 Tight End

2008-11-04T20:58:00.001Z

Week 9 Game Reviews

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Week 8 Tight End - (London Edition)

2008-10-28T23:53:00.000Z

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Week 7 Tight End

2008-10-21T22:01:00.000+01:00

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Week 6 Tight End

2008-10-21T22:00:00.001+01:00

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Week 5 Tight End

2008-10-21T21:56:00.000+01:00

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Week 4 Tight End

2008-10-21T21:55:00.001+01:00

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Week 3 Tight End

2008-10-21T21:53:00.000+01:00

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Week 2 Tight End

2008-10-21T21:52:00.001+01:00

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Week 1 Tight End

2008-10-21T20:21:00.007+01:00

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Sunday Morning Tight End

2008-05-25T15:14:00.023+01:00

Its now only 3 months until the new season kicks off and teams are shaping up with re-signings, new deals and, in some cases, new faces. Lets take a look at the big stories this week....

Indianapolis won the rights to host the 2012 superbowl, and what a triumph! I've got to say that this place simply had to host a superbowl, and as soon as possible. Indy beat off competition from Houston and Arizona [Who held the superbowl last year] and my guess is that the clinching factor was the new stadium. Lucas Oil stadium as it has been named is an epic feet of construction. It can hold 63,000 - 75,000 fans, depending on the seating configuration and has been built adjacent to the Colts current stadium - the RCA Dome. In fact last year there was a Monday night football game, where the colts played at home - the Goodyear Blimp above the stadium did a magnificent panning shot, from the RCA Dome to the new stadium and the difference in size is massive -The new Lucas Oil stadium is about twice as big! Last year, Arizona, Indianapolis and North Texas competed for the 2011 Super Bowl, with North Texas winning those rights. Tampa will host Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, while South Florida (Miami) will host the Super Bowl in 2010. Indiana has never actually hosted a superbowl before, god knows they've tried so hard to get the honour, and the new stadium has guaranteed it - looking forward to 2012 - The London Olympics - and now The "Lucas Oil Bowl!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced he would fine teams whose players were suspended for disciplinary reasons, this week. "We want to continue to emphasize personal conduct and personal responsibility," he said at the end of a one-day league meeting. "One way to do it is to hold teams responsible for the conduct of their players." This whole rule setting thing is starting to get out of hand....remember the good old days when you could really whack a guy as hard as you wanted and the objective if you were on defence was to stop the guy with the ball dead in his tracks and prevent him from getting that extra yard?? Well all that's changed since now you can't hit him in his head or in the legs..and you must tackle him verrrry carefully! Oh, and I mustn't forget to mention that you can't celebrate after a touchdown now either...it's now considered ""Taunting!"" The NFL is really getting far too strict! The problem they have is after each season Goodell sits down with some analysts and looks at individual plays which caused injuries or indecision, in the previous season. This year its was Troy Polumalu, having his hair pulled, and Trent Greens heroic tackling... They then come up with new rules to prevent this from happening - thus removing another little bit of excitement. Eventually we'll all be watching a very bog standard, generalised game!
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Charles Grant, Saints DE....You would think he'd had a busy enough off-season wouldn't you - after getting stabbed in the neck in a night club in Atlanta a couple of months ago, he's back to business...He was arrested this week on the great American charge of "Involuntary Manslaughter", I know...I'll say it anyway - WHAT WOULD VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER BE!? Anyway, this does stem from the incident in February where he was attacked. Sheriff's Capt. Will Caudill said "The fight started inside the club and then moved outside, and Grant was attacked after shots were fired." Grant was selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. He had 2½ sacks in 2007 while starting 14 games for the Saints and has 38½ over his six-year career. He is certainly one of the more valuable Saints players, but when he puts himself in a situation like this, and during his teams training camp times - he doesn't do himself any favours. Grant did, however he has participated in an off-season training session at the saints suburban headquarters Wednesday. This session was followed by a comment from Head Coach - Sean Payton. "Obviously it's something we take very seriously and certainly our condolences go out to the family of the victim, What's most important is the justice system taking it's process. It's something the league will handle and certainly the state of Georgia will handle."
**OH, and as if that wasn't enough problems for the Saints...** Defensive end Will Smith skipped an optional off-season training session on Wednesday, apparently because he is unhappy with his contract. Smith, who received about $20 million in bonuses when he signed as a first-round draft choice out of Ohio State in 2004, is predicted to earn a base salary of $850,000 next season. With performance incentives, that figure could grow to close to $3 million. However, Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and led the Saints with seven sacks last season. He was also among the team leaders in tackles with 66. Even with these contract issues, the guy is still a football player, and should be attending as many mini camps as he can - He's a pro bowler, but even they need to practise!
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For the second time in eight years, the Atlanta Falcons opened the vault and dropped a ton of cash on a franchise quarterback. Matt Ryan, the No. 3 pick in last month's draft, signed a $72 million, six-year contract Tuesday. The announcement of the new deal came with smiles, confident talk of the future and no mention of Mike Vick the first pick in 2001 who signed a $130 million extension, the richest in the league at the time, in December 2005. The Team's General Manager, Rich McKay said "I don't think there was any hesitancy because of the experience we just had." Clearly the team is very comfortable with Ryan, and I can see him being the starter by the end of this season - Are the Falcons putting all of their eggs in one basket again? Oh Yes! But this looks to be another exciting investment - this team clearly likes living on the edge! Its great to see Ryan settling in, the massive responsibility doesn't appear to be getting to him yet - lets just wait and see his first pass...or maybe run!?
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On the Clock..San Diego
Lets not forget that the chargers have a scheduled game away this season, at Wembley against the Saints - hopefully it won't affect morale!

QB - Well Philip Rivers will fill this spot - and this years Mr Hit OR Miss. He's a superb starting quarterback, arm power, accuracy - you name it he has it. His receivers aren't too good though, and they're gonna decide his future. Still, he has the skills to make any receiver look good - one of my hot picks this season - he's at least in my Top 5 quarterbacks this year.

RB, Ladanian Tomlinson is a star - The best RB in the game today - Productive, athletic and has great pass catching hands for a RB. He carries and leads the team each year - without him they are your average team, with him they're superstars! LT will no doubt have another season to remember - Darren Sproles may also get a look in - The little guy has been acting KR for a few seasons and now may have chance at a few more runs.

CB, Antonio Cromartie, my favourite CB, It has to be said - The guy who has proven he can run at least 109 yards and really elevated himself this year from mediocre, to elite. Needs to tackle better, but this comes with experience. Should dominate this year - on an island or in zone.

TE - Antonio Gates "The basketball player who can use basketball moves in his game" and they are some impressive moves - an elite pass catching TE, acts almost like a lot receiver. On the other side is Brandon Manaumaleuna (Sorry if I misspelt it!) The big blocking bruiser - did great last year - they're gonna try and add the passing threat with him this year.

LB, Shawne Merriman should never be forgotten, a superstar on defence and he's extremely young for a guy with his talent...keep up the good work!

K, Nate Kaeding - Never overlook how good a kicker can be, and Kaeding is right up there with the best - he's accurate - very accurate - the kind of guy you want making pressure kicks.
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And To Finish...

There's three months left to go
Indianapolis fought for the superbowl
Now they've built "Lucas Oil"
2012 Could be on home soil!

Goodell, he's gonna make more stuff illegal
You can't be posh, funny or regal
Is he trying to make the game boring?..
"The game's over...STOP SNORING!"

Will Smith...you gotta Train!
Where do you think you are....SPAIN?
You won't get the money.."No Pain No Gain!"
Anyway...Charles Grant's gotta wash away his blood stain..
Let's hope he's innocent...the comments refrain.

Deals in Atlanta...throw money at him!!
Don't you think that's a bit dim?
He'll stay if we fill his wallet right to the Brim!
Still..The Falcons wallet was never slim!

Sunday Morning Tight End

2008-05-18T15:20:00.040+01:00

I'm slowly losing track of how many times I've written now - all I know is that life in the NFL never ceases to change from week to week. Lets check out what's happening "Stateside!"

Indianapolis really took charge of the newsreel this week as Marvin Harrison's "off field activities" are spilling over into the team - namely - Peyton Manning. Harrison has been questioned by Philadelphia police about an April 29 shooting in his home town. According to reports, a 32-year-old man was shot in the hand and a 2-year-old boy sustained a cut when a car wind screen was shattered by a stray bullet. "Six of the bullet casings found after the April 29 shooting near a car wash owned by Harrison came from a gun he owns, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported recently." and that's why they want to haul Harrison in for questioning. ***More to the point....why does Marvin Harrison need to buy a car wash??..It can't be for money..maybe he needed his car cleaned and went a little overboard??*** We can all hope that this small story doesn't develop into the kind of Michael Vick fiasco and bad press the NFL took before the start of last season, because indeed Harrison is another superstar. He is still an amazing NFL receiver and hugely talented, however when all's said and done - he's a senior and a guy his game and with that much to lose - should know better than to get involved with things like that. QB Peyton Manning has refused to comment on Harrisons case and simply said to press officials "I didn't have a whole lot of reaction to it because I hadn't talked to anybody personally about it. I've been around long enough that until I hear from somebody that really knows what's going on, I don't give it a lot of merit." Credit where it's due - Manning speaks a lot of sense - and he doe still have huge respect for his former number one receiver [Harrison sustained an injury last season and it was left up to Reggie Wayne to take over that role] As for the rest of the colts, well Harrison has told them that he was not involved in the shooting, according to The Indianapolis Star. And as for the head coach, Tony Dungy simply said "Regarding Harrison's off-field issues, We'll see how that plays out and when all the facts come out we'll address them."......You know this situation is a testament to how good the quality of players and coaches there are within thee Colts. They refuse to be distracted and are concentrating solely on their training camps. I'm sure the entire team is behind one of their star players and he will be back at full strength next season.
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Meanwhile....up in Washington, here have been some trades going on...we've seen a great Kick returner in Jerome Mathis depart and the signing of DE J.T. Mapu. I must say Mathis is one of my favourite kick returners simply for his style. He's a quiet guy, never really has many moments to remember, he's very different from the Devin Hester's of the league. He works hard to gain solid returns every time he sees a lane. Kudos to the kid, he'll be valuable wherever he goes. As for Mapu, well the guy had 65 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in four years at Tennessee. So he hasn't exactly been productive during his time in the NFL, well now he has the chance to prove himself!
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On The Clock...

Now the dust has settled from important free agency decisions and, of course, the draft, we can look ahead to the teams of 2008. Who should you watch out for? Who should you not?...and who's going to surprise us all?..let's take a look at one team that's capable of all three...New Orleans

QB, Drew Brees will be the starter - good accuracy and poise in the pocket and one of the better guys in the league at "threading the needle" and putting the ball where only his receiver can get it. So those are the good points, - now the bad - Well don't expect him to run the length of the field or even for a first down, and don't expect him to move out of the way of a bull rusher - he's got great pocket presence but lacks mobility - was a bit of a problem last year, I can see how some of the better receivers may not have had as productive a season as they would want, but this is only a minor point. My only other hang up about him is his decision making - namely - deep balls. He does seem to throw most of his interceptions deep and its because he hasn't spotted a lurking safety, double coverage or just a different route being run - he needs to work on that.

HB, This is a tough one, anyone who knows me will know i have a bad time choosing which RB I favour in New Orleans, but after months of decisions i'll go with Reggie Bush. Now Entering his third year in the NFL he's had a few "problems" adjusting to the hits of the NFL, and in his hared carries with Deuce Mcalliser last season, Bush coughed up the ball 8 times! I can see him improving this season though, training and adjustment will allow him to use his blistering speed and agility to great affect - he only ever really uses his speed in the open field, but is his agility which carried his past the line and through the holes. Flaws? - Well he's still a rookie at heart - vision will continue to develop and i can't wait to see him when he's a well rounded H-Back. Superstar in the making - and after Deuce McAllister's injuries - we should see a lot more "Reggie" time this season.

WR, well you know earlier I talked about drew Brees' deep ball problem? well this may be it here! His receivers are still a huge problem in New Orleans. They have Devery Henderson - he's quick, agile and a fairly good catcher and he's not in many plays because he's the third string receiver there! David Pattern is the "General" of the team, leading bravely in the front....Not at all..he had a terribly disappointing season last year and i wouldn't hesitate in giving Marques Colston the Number 1 receiver jersey, and Deverey Henderson the Number 2. They need to really rethink the strategy with WR's, maybe spend some money on a top notch receivers coach who can build Colston and Henderson up to the Elite. This is gonna be the year of a big BIG running game in the Superdome and Not the year for the WR's i'm afraid.

CB, Does it boil down to Jason David being so short and slow? Not really...Mike Mckensie is doing great in his job at CB, which means pressure is diverted to the weakness in the defence and its very clearly Jason David. He is so dependant on Safety help its unbelievable - so they decided to get rid of him and bring in a patriot in the form of Randall Gay. A great pick-up for the team, a perfect fit and he'll do wonders for the defence. Maybe in a few years he can be a mentor and help to bring in either Jason Craft..speeeeed!...or Usama Young - He's 6ft. Oh and By the way...they also really need to let Fred Thomas retire..a 34 year old corner back is not what he was in his youth. Former good player, lacks value now though.

DL, Defensively the saints were never poor, and its because of the Line - the pressure the line gets on the opposing QB is sometimes enough to stop that deep ball which could easily beat Jason David. Now the saints have added Sedrick Ellis to this line and wow he's a show stopper! This line should be good this season - Will Smith and Charles Grant back in top form can be as good as any pass rushing DE's if they wish to be. Good season for these guys.

So there you go, the notables and un-notables for the saints coming year. I see them with at least a .400 record (winning 40% of their games), and potentially having a shot at the NFC South title.

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And To Finish...

Indy Newsreel, Washington cuts

Release Jerome Mathis!..Now he tuts!

Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
How I want (Reggie) to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

And when Jason David refused to shine
And when Jason David refused to shine
Lord, how I want (Randall Gay) to be in that number
When Jason David refused to shine

Some say this world of trouble,
Is the only one we need,
But I'm waiting for that morning,
When the new world is revealed.

BEST WISHES 08' SAINTS!

Sunday Morning Tight End

2008-05-11T09:03:00.041+01:00

Big news stories in the NFL this week – we’re in the post draft period of the off-season now and that differs greatly from the pre draft times. Teams have found the answers to many of their problems, after having a successful draft. Many holes still remain unfilled in many teams, and other teams – more than likely division rivals – will be eyeing up what they can exploit in the coming season. This is a period of free agency which is just as crucial as the pre draft one. Teams use this period to fill the gaps left by bad picks and salary cutbacks. A lot of these salary cuts have come from struggling teams, and this may be understandable seeing as they are more than likely to have given their rookie class of this year, record salaries in order to keep them around for years to come.

Shaun Alexander was a draft casualty, cut from the team that he led to a Superbowl and NFC championship victory. In all fairness the guy was slowing down, but still has many good Denver style, one cut and go, years left in him. Two teams have been courting him over the past few weeks Namely the Broncos and Bengals. Neither of these teams are in desperate need of running backs although Denver may seem the more logical fit for him – here’s why. Mike Shannahan has always run a simple but effective offensive strategy – Establish the run – pass the football – score touchdowns. Wait a minute...what was the first “pillar”? Run the football? We’ve seen the Denver running game slow down over the past few years and they are getting lower and lower in the league running rankings, largely due to their power running game not being powerful enough. Travis Henry was “high” in the leagues RB’s [No pun intended!], before he started taking drugs. He lost his reputation and it was up to Tatum Bell to take over the running game – Something he was never capable of. The addition of Shaun Alexander could be positive – he has good cuts, superior awareness and fairly good speed left for a guy his age. He could be a great mentor and starter for Denver. Now for Cincinnati – simple – Rudi Johnson, backed up by the 2^nd year Watson – They don’t need him. And especially after all of the off-season cuts they have made with receivers and the mess with Chad Johnson – I’m not sure that adding a running back is the best way forward.

Dominic Rhodes was released by the Raiders this week, probably due to their undying love for Darren McFadden. Rhodes was clearly not phased - he went back to his old favourite - Indianapolis. If you remember 2006 and the colts play-off run, you may remember that as Addai was finding his feet, he shared carries with Rhodes. They duetted together in their superbowl victory over Chicago 2 seasons ago, as well. Addai ran 19 times for 77 yards, while Rhodes finished with 113 yards rushing and one touchdown in a 29-17 victory. So will there be a repeat in Indy? Could we see this duet dance again? I honestly don;t think so, we could see a shared running game, but Addai is now a rising star - his presence may mean he gets the bulk of carries and Rhodes becomes a 3rd down runner. I'd like to see him back in an Indy jersey - those were the glory days.

RAVENS RIOTTT...!!

Well this is reaaaally not a good start to new Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. We got riots in Baltimore mini-camps! All 85 players were involved and the squabble began when offensive tackle Oniel "Clout" Cousins and defensive tackle Amon "Give 'em a good-one" Gordon threw punches after running back Allen Patrick was taken down hard on a burst up the middle. All the players surged toward the middle of the field, and it was nearly two minutes before peace was restored. This is...well its not bad by any means...its good to see guys passionate and focused, but they are a team and team spirit is unquestionably important at this stage of the camps - rookies are being brought in ,they've lost Steve McNair and Ray Lewis is in the last year of his deal. Perhaps Harbaugh should take some control - maybe the ravens don't look up to their former special teams coach as a leader? Still....ANYTHING is better than Brian Billicks terrible previous season.

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ROOKIE BOOKIE..LETS HAVE A LOOKIE!

Inventive title - You're right! Let's take a look at how some rookies have been getting on in their mini camps...

QB, Matt Ryan - He's nervous, and who can blame him - He has the future of the Falcons on his shoulders and there is massive pressure for him to perform - under that umbrella he also has to learn the Falcons offensive system, adjust to life in the NFL and take the media pressure. Tough job, but they drafted him because of his "Intangibles" - lets hope they include quick learner, not getting phased by moving and acting like Bill Bellichuck towards the press! He was asked to join the veterans of the team in an autograph signing session - he's not afraid of the press, and its clear that the Falcons see a new face of their franchise developing.

WR, QB, Manningham and Woodson - INJURED. not a good start for this pair, they could be a great offensive combination in the future, but unfortunately Manningham suffered a hip flexor on his left side running a pull-up pattern early in the morning, and Woodson pulled a quad muscle in his left leg a short time later. Its fairly obvious that Manningham is more of a serious scenario than Woodson - the sixth round pick at QB was never really expected to play this yea, but the Giants medical staff will want to check that its nothing long term. Manningham could be a great 4th string receiver though - Behind Plaxico Burress, David Tyree and Amani Toomer .***A sign of great things to come***...Woodson threw an interception on his first pass in minicamp on Friday, but he felt he improved a lot in the second workout in the afternoon. **Well it's not hard to improve on an interception, an incompletion would do it - its not a great start with the injury and interception, he'd better improve. You can say he's only a rookie and he's getting used to it but the sympathy should be dealt sparingly, they're experienced college players - they should know the basics at least!**

DE, Chris "Long..time no see" - You might be number 2 pick but you're still rookie. Chris Long, even though he is very special, didn't receive any special treatment when the Rams mini camps opened. He was made to carry helmets during practise and train with all of the rookies and free agents. Remember he is a superior pass rusher and he did of course catch the eye of coach Scott Linehan. "You don't hear him talk a lot," Linehan said. "He just goes 100 miles per hour, which is fine."...100mph...sure he's fast enough Scott?

DT, Sedrick Ellis -Boy is he ever out to make a name for himself in New Orleans and he's started off well - no nerves or doubts, he's integrated perfectly into the Saints line. The Saints drafted Ellis seventh overall last month. "He's been a pain in the rear for a couple days now, splitting double-teams and getting in the backfield," head coach Sean Payton said. Sean Payton's usually a hard man to impress, but it looks like Sedrick is doing a very good job at doing just that. Keep interfering Sedrick!!

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AND TO FINISH....

This week, a quiet time in the NFL

Looks like the Ravens are in Riot Hell!

In Indy, Rhodes and Addai to duet?

Well I hope Rhodes is ready to sweat!

Hey, Look out its mini camp time!

Don't get nervous in Atlanta, Everything's fine!

Give Ryan a chance to shine.

Giants triumphs, past and present

Could the rookies ask for anything more than Archie's descendant

Maybe less injuries, that would be pleasant

New Orleans, the city of life

Sedrick's been causing trouble and strife

He beats double teams, he beats them all

At 6ft 1...he's not exactly "tall"

Still, I wouldn't exactly call him "small"

So ends the poem, back to work

I'll see you next week...STAY BERSERK!

Saturday Afternoon Tight End

2008-05-03T17:17:00.054+01:00

Well this is a little unorthodox, "Saturday Afternoon?" you say, well as we all know last Saturday and Sunday was the 2008 NFL draft, which is a pretty big deal! I thought it would be best to wait a while to analyse the draft and see what happens once the honeymoon period is over and the rookies settle into the first week at their new teams. I've been hearing news stories all week which have excited me, and tomorrows "Sunday Morning" column, will be bumper!

But for now, I'm gonna concentrate on the Draft, it was a big deal and had many big deals in it. Don't forget that this was a record breaking year - there were more trades this year than there have ever been before - 34 trades broke 2004's record of 33. yet there were no really big shocking trades - there were some bad ones [Baltimore setting the bar for bad trades this year!] and some unexpected ones, and we'll see their affect later on.

Firstly though, lets just remind ourselves of the top 10 picks this year, starting with "Mummy" Miami...."Mummy i want Jake Long Now!....I cant wait until saturday i want it now!"

1. Miami - Jake Long, OT Michigan
2. St. Louis - Chris Long, DE Virginia
3. Atlanta - Matt Ryan, QB Boston College
4. Oakland - Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas
5. Kansas City - Glen Dorsey, DT LSU
6. NY Jets - Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State
7. New Orleans (From 49ers through Patriots)- Sedrick Ellis, DT USC
8. Jacksonville (From Ravens)- Derrick Harvey, DE Florida
9. Cincinnati - Keith Rivers, LB USC
10. New England (From Saints)- Jerod Mayo, LB Tennessee

So Miami ended up taking Jake Long, the big 6ft 7 OT from Michigan - they signed him on April 22nd - 4 days before the draft had even began! They signed him to a 5 year deal with $30 million guaranteed..Boy do they like this guy - and i can see why! The guy is massive, yet tough and agile. He is a mammouth blocker who always performs at a very high level. His highlight reel is longer than Lord Of The Rings and his attitude can intimidate defenders. Plenty of people in america think that the Dolphins were wrong taking Jake Long - they have much bigger issues such as the QB problem - Running back inconsistency and Defensive meltdown. Yet anyone who has anything to do with the NFL will know that the base/building blocks/main component - any fancy name for "starting point of building a sucessful team"...will know that the Offensive line is the start, and the playmakers can only "playmake" if they are given the chance to. Lets say Miami had taken the top QB in the draft, Matt Ryan. What would they have now? Heres what they would have....(1)A great leader....(1.1)A great leader with no protection...(1.1.1)A great leader with no protection - who gets sacked a lot. That doesnt sound like the "Base" of a sucessful team - NO! Jake Long will give Lemon a chance to prove himself - i saw the guy play in Wembley last year and he does seem to sink down behind centre and sort of "ask" for the ball in a very english way! With the knowledge that he has a number one pick protecting him i would hope Lemon can regain the hard nosed "HIKE!" growl of the more confident QB.

So with Jake Long off the charts before the draft had begun, the choice was St Louis with their 2nd pick - Chris Long (Not Jakes Brother!) was a very good pick for St Louis - a team which has never been famous for their DE's speed or power. Long combines both of these - putting up a 4.78 on the 40 yd dash at the combine and bench pressing 370 Lbs - perfect mix of speed and power. He was likely to go in the top 5 in my opinion and the Rams were likely because they especially have defensive needs. They were a team last year that no-one could quite figure out why they were doing so badly - maybe the ageing offense...not really, some of their players had good years - it was the defense - 28th in the NFL for points allowed, and they allowed them because of bad CB's and lack of pressure from the defensive line. Thats why Long will be an instant playmaker - his reputation as a sack machine precedes him (14 sacks in his senior year in Virginia) and i would expect to see him start almost immediatley - making plays where they count - 3rd down and in the redzone.

Atlanta - A team without hope - A team without promise - and a team which has been through hell over the last year. They needed hope and a fresh start. They had two real options on draft day - either Gholston or Ryan and they went with the Boston College QB. This was one of the most important, not nescessarily safest though, picks of the draft because this guy is not designed to intergrate into Atlanta - he's the new Face of the franchise and will be for years to come. You can look at Ryan's throw power and how accurate he is when throwing the ball out of the pocket but the real "turn on" for the atlanta scouts was his (as they put it on the NFL network) "Off the chart intangibles" and these are the most important things that Atlanta needed in a QB. Some analysts thought that Atlanta might take Gholston in round 1 and wait until round 3 and take Henne or Brohm but that would have been a mistake. Those two are great QB, but they lack the leadership and resiliance of Ryan. This guy is not the kind of player that would be shaken by the poor rookie season that Manning and Brady suffered, he's a long term solution to a long term problem in Atlanta. He's a playmaker, a safe bet when it comes to team image, which is what they need to repair the huge damage done by the Vick trial and Petrino fiasco. Ryan is a fresh start in Atlanta - a new beginning and the perfect fit to aid the situation. He probably won't play immediatley - will need a little time to adjust to NFL level plays and playbooks, but has an advantage as being the best QB coming out of college, at reading defenses in many years - therefore i would think he'll be the starter QB in Atlanta by the end of the season.

"Finally, the best player in the draft is taken!" were the exact words spoken by the crew on the NFL Network when Darren Mcfadden was taken by the raiders. But i disagree. Yes he is lightnigng quick and agile with a stunning college CV, but he just doesnt seem "special". Maybe it's because he's entering into Adrian Petersons shadow as this years top rookie or maybe because the raiders were not the best fit for him. Whatever it is it doesn't feel right. This pick came straight after Atlanta took Ryan remember, after all of the happiness and delight for Atlanta, we get Mcfadden being taken to the raiders. RB was never their problem in Oakland, they never had an impact running game, but it was never poor either. Last year the Raiders averaged 130.4 yds per game which was 6th in the NFL. Mcfadden will not make the same impact as other players - i'm sure he will start with the season, but i have doubts in my mind about his future. He is indeed hugely talented but i wouldn't be surprised if he becomes this years "rookie mistake" made by the raiders, if he can't make plays or (more likely) can't hold on to the ball.

An LSU player comes in the top 5 picks again - what a surprise! LSU has always produced quality players and when the Chiefs selected Glenn Dorsey with their number 5 pick, they knew precisely what they were getting. I could describe Dorsey as strong, powerful and even agile but they would be general words you can apply to any DT, and Dorsey deserves more. This guy is courageous, brave, determined and fearless - you don't hear those words very often used in the NFL, but then again there are so few players like Dorsey - he's been triple teamed, injured, chop blocked and STILL came out fighting! He was injured in college, ironically by a nasty chop block which sidelined him for several weeks, yet he came back stronger than ever - Kansas do have ageing line syndrome and Dorsey is the kind of player that can anchor their defensive line for years to come. He's reliable and special. He's what makes the draft the draft - picks 5 to 6 couldn't be more different and its because of the passion of Dorsey and intelligence in Kansas.

Everyone's agreed that the Jets had one of the finest draft classes of the year. The pinnacle of their picks was this guy - the versatile "ghost" Vernon Gholston. He's an interesting player at DE, unbelievably talented and arguably the most talented Defensive player in the draft, yet the only question - and most likely reason he slipped to pick 5 - is his consistency. I don't mean his ability to play, he's useful in most defensive line positions - after really showing off superior strength at the combine, he could easily take on any OT, its more to with his off the field persona and all round ethos towards football. He's like an airshow - bring out the big fireworks for the special occasions, but after that - taking it easy with daily flights. Gholston has to give it 100% consistently - something he wont miss the opportunity to do, because if he does, he could make such an impact - rookie of the year could be a possibility. (He's a plamaker and i see him starting immediatley)

One of my very best friends is a Saints fan and an avid "Reggie" fan - when he told me the saints had taken Sedrick Ellis i wasn't surprised. In my opinion Ellis is the best DT in the draft, and he was lost in the media sea of Glenn Dorsey support. Clearly that has affected his draft value and this has meant he slipped to 7th pick, clearly people have forgotten the tremendous Senior year Ellis had. Dorsey may be a good all rounder but Ellis is a specialist - He is the best pass rusher ever out of USC and his talent is unquestionable at this skill. Ellis was an unknown in his junior and Sophomore year in the USC line, even though he anchored the Defensive line and made more than the plays he had to. New Orleans has had enough Defensive line issues to deal with - Charles Grants stabbing in Atlanta - and Brian young getting old. I would hope to see Ellis replacing Young at DT, would be a worthy trade and would give New Orleans' line the pass rushing ability they became envied for in the 2006-2007 "return to the Superdome" year after their return game against the Falcons.
Good pick, and remember - in any other draft [without Dorsey] Ellis would be top pick DT material.

This is going to be a classic case of "i know why you did it, but - you did it wrong!" - Jacksonville made the worst descision of the draft in this round - they traded with Baltimore, (bad descision anyway) and got Derrick Harvey (Worse Descision). Why did they do it then? well my guess is, they saw their two interior coke machines - Henderson and Meier - thought "hey, no-one ever runs at them and gets very far - so where do they go, AROUND THE CORNER!...so if we draft a DE then maybe we can improve the D-line even more!" NO NO NO NO!! What they've done, if anything, is put massive pressure on this guy to perform, massive pressure on the other DE (Spicer or Hayward) to perform and have failed to think that if the opposition cant run the ball, they wont keep trying - they will pass more! Harvey himself - he didnt shine at college in Florida, but thats never a good benchmark for the future - he's tough strong and quick, but, because of the situation Jacksonville have put him in, its going to be his resilience and determination which will carry him through his rookie year. Bad Pick Jags - the trade wasnt the worst idea - but if you were determined to do defense - CB Dominick Rogers-Cromartie was still on the board - what a missed opportunity!
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QUICK PICKS...
16 - Arizona - CB Dominick Rogers-Cromartie - Superior Pick, this made Arizona's draft. Quick Agile, best CB available, i can see him Kick returning this year.

18 - Baltimore - QB - Joe Flacco - Perfect Fit for Baltimore - after McNair retired they so desperately needed another QB and they got a great one in Flacco, he has the arm power of an NFL starter, and the accuracy is coming - given the opportunity (good defense!), could be brilliant.

20 - Tampa Bay - CB Aqib Talib - Bad Pick, Tampa are in need of CB's and they made the right basic decision, but if you read into it - Talib has a history of off the field problems and its alot of weight for him to carry into Tampa. Can't get cocky, and John Grunden MUST keep him focused.

22 - Dallas - RB - Felix Jones - Speed Speed Speed, you can see what Dallas were after - a cheap RB who can give them a new dimension. Jones was the quickest back available and was a steal at pick 22. He can make defenses look twice - reminds me of Reggie Bush. Great Value pick.
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AND TO FINISH....

This year's been a mighty fine draft
Miami couldnt wait
And Baltimore Laughed.

Matt Ryan brought a fresh start
Glenn Dorsey brings his big big heart

The "Long" boys went numbers one and two
Whist we forgot poor Serick Ellis......Who?
(The guy after Dorsey from LSU)

Not much rhymes with Flacco and McFadden
I really tried to rhyme them, no wait....i haven't!

So now we look to the year ahead
Now can we judge what the analysts said?
Does Matt Ryan have a great Head?
Can Jake Long Bring the "Dread"?
Can teams put their woes to bed?
Or are their problems even more widespread?
Were any teams badly mislead?
Maybe their coaches will be seeing red?

Sunday Morning Tight End

2008-04-20T08:56:00.022+01:00

Before we start, Congratulations to Eli Manning
and Abby McGrew on their Wedding.

Week 3, a time when things start to take shape and you realise what you're doing, where your going and what's realistically achievable. It has been a week of realisation in the NFL, we're all excited about drafting and signings - yet there have been two notable stories this week involving veterans.

Steve Leave - Its become official, Ravens QB Steve McNair has retired from the NFL after 13 seasons. He announced his retirement Thursday, during an emotional press conference, he said "My mind was there. Mentally, I could go out and play. But physically, I couldn't do it anymore. Not to the capacity that I need to help my teammates win a football game." And it has been showing. McNair showed signs of his groin injury last season, and many were questioning his use to his team. This came after a 2007 season where he developed back and shoulder injuries which limited him to only 6 games. McNair was an excellent quarterback in his day, Leading the Oilers to AFC championship games, being elected to 4 pro-bowls and going to superbowl XXXIV, and i hope this is what he is remembered for. If you take a look at the disastrous affect a leg injury can have on a running back and compare that to the groin injury McNair sustained, it does highlight his toughness. ***Baltimore past to Present*** - The Ravens now have two quarterbacks: Kyle Boller and Troy Smith. First-year coach John Harbaugh said there would be an open competition for the starting job. Boller has the experience but Smith is very quick and "McNair Like". Make your choice Baltimore!

Udeze never dazed - The backbone of the NFL has always been bravery, willingness to do extraordinary things and I cant think of anything braver than fighting a disease. Kenechi Udeze, Defensive End for Minnesota has been through that horror of fighting off Leukaemia and he's coming out a better man. It was Wednesday that he heard his blood and his bone marrow were cancer-free, which is great news for the guy himself and the Vikings. We should not expect Udeze to return this season, give the guy some time to recover and recuperate and he'll be back next year stronger than ever. ***How did Udeze beat it?*** "I tell 'em I have nothing but a cold, because that's what it feels like" WHAT A GUY!

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS...
Rashied Davis - Signed a one year deal with the Bears this week. The Wide Receiver had 17 receptions in the 2007 season...he was kind of overshadowed by Bernard Berrian [The Viking] and Mushin Muhammed [The Panther] OK so he's not exactly Mushin Muhammed but hey....At least he's still around!!

Jared Allen.....I know...this is a crazy thought...this guy lead the NFL in sacks last year...he's 26..and he could be traded.....????????....Kansas clearly getting excited about the draft..calm down, give him some gatorade and watch his highlight reel......Still wanna trade???

Deuce McAllister - Only just moving this week, he's had knee surgery and expects to be back to full strength by next season - that sounds hopeful but he shouldn't worry - he's always got Reggie Bush ready to take over...that might not be far away....

Ryan Fitzpatrick - Bengal's....Quarterback....won't see him play this season....Carson Palmer throws....he's had 6 games NFL experience.....Carson Palmer throws some more....College: Harvard...Carson Palmer's arm's getting tired..............Hello Ryan!!
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ON THE CLOCK...KICKERS
All right, its not exactly a glory position but you can never underestimate the role of a kicker in the game. They have the ability to win and lose games and are often some of the leading scorers....[Morton Anderson "the great Dane" is the leading NFL scorer....at 47!!!]. Some are accurate...some are powerful...some are just awful, but over the years some kickers are becoming well known for their ability to change game situations...names such as Vinateri, Akers, Elam and Janikowski have become household names, and its not their 80.34234239999% field goal percentage, but their ability to kick stunner's. Don't forget Phil Dawson's hilarious..."one post...another post..hit the camera" kick in Cleveland, or Rian Lindell's great field goal from 51 yards...oops time-out Washington...take it again and nail it!!
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AND TO FINISH...

Bye bye Steve
Its time to leave
or do you have something else up your sleeve?
No, well there's nothing left to achieve

Shall we give you a Reprieve?
or can your guys really not receive?

You could do a Brady and just heave
You could do a Vick and run and weave

No, your retirement we do believe
it's Favre's retirement we disbelieve!

What a pity the old days you can't retrieve
Your retiring...believe me....i'm gonna grieve!

Sunday Morning Tight End

2008-04-13T09:03:00.074+01:00

Week 2 of our off-season coverage and things are getting rocky in the NFL as draft day approaches on April 28th. It seems like all the players can do in the off-season is get in trouble - i suppose it gives them something to do before training camps begin [No such time for the giants this week - their preliminary training camps started this week!]

Should we play Pacman Again?? He wasn't as addictive as the arcade game but it is a burning question and many think it would be sending a bad message to players and kids who idolise NFL players. Putting that aside, i think that there's no question that the NFL should be reinstating him - He was an NFL star and one of Tenessee's finest players. Since his departure in 2006 no-one has truly replaced him. They need a balance back at Cornerback - Nick harper is really getting on for a cornerback - he's 33 and Michael Griffin still lacks experience. Pacman was suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on April 10th, 2007, for his off-field conduct, which now includes six arrests since being drafted - and that.....thats a lot! Don't forget how Pacman's return could affect team morale and if either of the 2 starters feels unhappy, they may cause issues too - it's a delicate balance yet Pacman sure can play...only question is..will he?

Seems like the ghosts of the past are after Pacman....still...the NFL would make a change from TNA wrestling....Wasnt he part of a TNA World tag team championship team??...oh yeah.."TEAM PACMAN!"
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WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT......
Najeh Davenport - The Steeler was acquitted Wednesday of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. Davenport had been accused of slapping and punching Anita Person, the mother of his 5-year-old son at her Cleveland home in October. He was also acquitted of child endangering and unlawful restraint. ***BEST PRESS CONFERENCE COMEBACK OF THE OFFSEASON - Davenport Said...."She's Making that up!"***

Bryant Mckinnie - A Miami judge has set a June 2nd trial date for the Vikings player Bryant McKinnie on charges arising from a brawl outside a nightclub. We havent heard much from the guy on the field..and thats criminal!

Dwayne Jarrett - Well we've got to wait a bit longer for this trial of the century, June 23rd was set for Jarrett's hearing after this week pleading not guilty to drink driving. Jarrett was arrested on March 11 after police say he crossed the center line and ran a red light in the Charlotte suburb of Mint Hill. C'mon Dwayne...Your a reciever...you should have good hands and body control...oh wait sorry....you were drunk!!

Raegen Mauria - The rookie Miami fullback was charged with punching another man in the face and knocking him unconscious in a restaurant parking lot early on Friday morning. Well look at that situation...your standing in a car park and a 6ft muscled coke machine says "What are you looking at?". Who would think "let's do a Trent Green and be brave"......look what happened [Left]

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ON THE CLOCK....CORNER BACKS:
Critics often underestimate the sheer impact that a fast, aware cornerback can have on a defense. "They've always got the safeties to bail them out" - thats not true at all, that only applies in zone coverage, in man on man - you're on your own, and thats what seperates the great cornerbacks from the elite - their ability to play on an island. It's every defensive coaches dream - for example during the superbowl, we payed very little attention to Randy Moss - the media proclaimed "prodigle in New England" - that was because of the job Corey Webster and Sam Madison did bumping him at the line and not letting him get a step on them. You can never truly play Randy Moss on an island and be sucessful, and the Giants cornerbacks were safe in the knowledge that Gibril Wilson [Safety] was there - as he was during the patriots final three huge passing attempts to end the game.
So here are my picks in 2008 -Who will shine??

1. Antonio Cromartie - In my opinion, Cromartie undoubtedly tops the elite of the league - Not just because of his 10 interceptions in the regular season, 2 in the post season, his unbeatable 109 yard missed field goal return for a TD, but also [you may think i'm nuts for needing anymore!] because of the speed at which he was able to assert himself at this level. He has become, at the age of 23 and in only his 2nd year in the league, the most valuable cornerback in the NFL. He can certainly catch, but he's also a great tackler and has exceptional awareness for his age. I would like to see him develop his jamming at the line skills in the forthcoming season, but apart from that you couldn't ask for a better guy to gill the spot....I would expect him to remain as the number 1.

2. Champ Bailey - Needs no introduction, he's been at the top of his game ever since the Bronchos gave him a home in 2004. He has everything - He's one of the quickest players in football, and his agility comes from his excellent body control which we've seen him use to twist and turn around wide receivers. He's experienced and can be used as an island cornerback, as the bronchos very often do. His Line jamming skills are second to none. I was a little concerned last season that his sudden drop from 10 interceptions the year before, down to 3 last season was because he's getting older [he's 29 this year] but i would be wrong, he made the same number of tackles and assists and that makes him just as elite as he has always been - the interceptions were a bonus. I expect nothing less from him in this, his 11th season in the league.

3. Asante Samuel - Very interesting pick this. Moved from being superb in New England to Philadelphia and NFL polls and surveys suggest that he will make a massive impact for the Eagles. They must not expect too much from him, after all he will be used as the primary cornerback and he has a fair amount of time to learn the systems and plays. Not much more to say really, new home, new playbook - lets see what happens!

4. Deangelo Hall and Nnamdi Asomugha - The new pair to beware of in Oakland. The team has had a truly magical free agency period and "D LO" was one of their finest pick ups. He was a huge star in Atlanta and appeared to be one of their future stars, yet with all of their problems he protested and so the Falcons decided to take the draft picks - Oakland landed a new Cornerback. 5 interceptions last season in Atlanta for Hall, yet only 1 for Asomugha. Drafted by oakland in 2003, when we pair him up with Hall....both unbelieavbly quick, agile and with excellent hands - The "Oakland CB Duo '08!"

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AND TO FINISH...
We had trouble in the NFL this time...
How can I really make this rhyme?
Some of these guys were in their prime
Some of these guys are waiting to shine

But remember just one thing about crime...
No sports jail bird is worth a dime!!
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Sunday Morning Tight End

2008-04-06T08:03:00.000+01:00

Its been a week full of resignings and behind the scenes descisions in the NFL. Coming up to the end of the real spark of free agency when the big playmaker trades happen, its the coaches 15 minutes of fame.

Jack Del Rio singed his new contract in Jacksonville this week, after his team reached the playoffs again this year. I cant help but think that this time last year the Jags were an un-noticed team in the NFL, known only for thier defense being good, but not as good as the NFC champion Bears. This year was a different story - Jack del Rio really earnt his paycheck at the beginning of last season when he made the descision to go with David Gerrard and cut Byron Leftwich - a descision which proved the best descision of that season. Del Rio said ""I look forward to building on what we have begun, I really do feel that there is something very special taking place here in Jacksonville right now."...Too right Jack - that something special is called WINNING! and he can get used to it in Jacksonville. With New England's defense suffering in the off season, the AFC south may just have a question mark over it again - its time for Del Rio and his Jags to do "something special"

There were arresting devlopments afoot in the NFL this week, a week which probably cant get much worse for troubled Bengals reciever Chris Henry. He lost his job in with the Bengals, whilst being held in prison, on assault charges - his fifth offense since 2005. [He needs therapy..Don't tell his mum!] The guy may only be 24, but his future looks unclear - many NFL talents have dabbled in the world of crime - Ricky [welcome back] Williams in Miami, Travis [butterfingers] Henry in Denver and Mike [Federal] Vick in Atlanta, all of whom were incredibly popular talents - Henry is a talent up there with the better third string receivers, but is overshadowed by Chad Johnson and Houshmanzadeh. Johnson's problems with the Bengals are growing concerning from the outside so maybe it wasn't the right time to get rid of Henry with such an extroverts shoes to fill??

ON THE CLOCK....RUNNING BACKS:
Forever the play maker, forever the pressure of an NFL running back, but this years selection are a new breed. Gone are the days of Shaun Alexander and Tatum Bell, this year more than ever the Offensive line becomes important - and without these big guys no running back will shine. Ladanian Tomlinson suffered from poor blocking during the opening few weeks of last season, whereas Adrian Peterson strolled out of college into his dream - an offensive line that allowed him to gain the NFL single game rushing title. Maybe Darren McFadden can find his dream come true somewhere in the NFL? We all know that running backs suit different systems - Greenbay always take the quicker guys, whereas they like to ground and pound the ball in Chicago, so which are gonna be on top form this season. Well my RB picks are as follows:

1. Lawrence Maroney - New England - The guy is hugely talented, a power runner with great hands, last season the pats used Maroney as a concealed weapon, they were almost holding him back as Brady threw and threw the ball, but when they used him he was stunning. I think this year they will use him more as a running back than a receiver/occasional threat and behind an offensive line as massive and powerful to give Brady so much time - he could do great things.

2. Ladanian Tomlinson - San Diego - Proved last season that even with a 5 game deficit, he'll still beat you to the top of the rushing charts. Simply the best running back in todays NFL - quick, strong, agile and a pass catcher. Expect him to do...pretty much what he's done for the past three years!

3. Michael Turner - Atlanta - Was Warrick Dunn released so they could Get Turner?? Who knows, all we know is Dunn was slowing down and the Falcons need a play maker and who better to take up the position than Ladanian Tomlinsons understudy. He's Quick, very quick and suits a falcons offensive line that couldn't protect QB or RB in 2007, we'll see if he can bail them out.

4. Clinton Portis - Washington - Hugely valued RB in D.C. for a long time now. He's reached his peak and i hope he remains there - don't forget he's got the speed of Willie Parker, the hands of Tomlinson and the right attitude to continue. You'd expect since Joe Gibbs' departure and Jim Zorn's quarterback past he may be under used....but i wouldn't bet on it!

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AND TO FINISH...

There was a legend'ry man named Favre
Retired, his family did starve
Could he return??
Greenbay will learn..
YOU COULD ALWAYS DEPEND ON BRETT FAVRE!
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Saturday Night Tight End - Welcome

2008-04-05T01:33:00.000+01:00

It felt like this was a good opportunity to start writing about the NFL - we're in the middle of the off season, the draft coming up, we all know theres gonna be a lot to talk about. Some teams have already made big moves - Asante Samuel jumped ship to the Eagles.....-1 corner back New England! Randall Gay moves to New Orleans...-1 corner back New England! Michael Turner goes to the Falcons after they cut ex Buc Warrick Dunn..wonder where he went??? But as many coaches say, [quote from Falcons GM, Arthur Blank] the more successful teams build their personnel not around free agency, but through the draft and this years draft is looking interesting.

Look out for the weekly "Sunday Morning Tight End" column and draft specials I've got coming in the next few weeks.