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Sunday Morning Tight End
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!"
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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!
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!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the Clock..San DiegoLets 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
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.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On The Clock...
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.
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------And To Finish...
Indy Newsreel, Washington cuts
Release Jerome Mathis!..Now he tuts!
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
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.
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
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
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!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?
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?
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