Is The Hate Still Just As Strong?

As a Philadelphia Eagles fan you are born with the hatred for a star on a helmet. The Eagles fans can hear the chatter of “America’s Team” coming from the cockroaches which are Dallas fans. Everyone can think of their favorite plays against Dallas.

Whether it be the Eagles stopping Dallas on 4th-and-1 back-to-back-to-back, or the Eagles butchering the Dallas Cowboys in a winner goes to the playoffs nationally televised game. In this fans mind I have to wonder if the hate will be there just as much with the cancer leaving Dallas.

Terrell Owens has become a character in Philadelphia that just makes fans angry. This man came to Philadelphia and had a very productive first season, then made a heroic attempt to play in the Super Bowl after being hurt.

Terrell had the city in the palm of his hands…then he got cocky. Terrell Owens wanted more and more after just one season which ultimately led to his demise in the city of brotherly love.

He then went to of all teams the most hated team and biggest rivals the Dallas cowboys which revamped the feud between these two teams. Eagles fans always had shirts on with derogatory terms towards Mr. Owens and the Dallas Cowboys.

The departure of TO. makes me wonder if the Hate will still be there because he is the one player that got under every fan’s skin. 

The Philadelphia Eagles Are On the Clock

April is almost here and the Philadelphia Eagles have filled some of their holes, but still have a few that must be addressed.

The Eagles, going into the draft, have two first round picks at 21st overall and 28th overall. The Eagles have been subject of trade rumors all offseason, whether it be acquiring Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals, Braylon Edwards from the Browns, or Jason Peters from the Bills. I think the asking price for Peters will be to high and I just do not see the Eagles grabbing Edwards because of his inconsistency.

As for Mr. Boldin, I think that the Cardinals front office is to stubborn in the matter and will not allow him to leave. Other than these  players I do not see the a player that would be worth a first round draft pick. Now, to the draft…

The Eagles still need help at OL, TE, and RB. I believe you can cross OL off the list because Andy Reid has gone on the record saying that he believes that the Eagles have all the starting caliber O Linemen on his team already, believing he could move either Todd Herremens or Shawn Andrews to LT and still have Max Jean-Gillis or Nick Cole slide out to G and play well.

I do not see the Eagles picking an OL in the first round unless somebody like Andre Smith slides to them or they trade up to get one of the top tackles like Eugene Monroe. 

The 21st overall pick will be used on Brandon Pettigrew TE. He is expected to be around when the Eagles draft as long as the Bills don’t snatch him up with the 11th pick. This is a monster on the field and in the trenches, he lacks speed, but makes up for it with his consistency. Pettigrew would be a lovely target for McNabb in the red zone, which has caused so much problem over past few seasons. 

The Eagles with the 28th overall pick will have the opportunity to select the best available player on the board. If RB Moreno is there I believe the Eagles will snatch him up and the birds would have a dynamic RB tandem.

Chris Wells is a possibility, but I do not see him being able to be the type of player Westbrook is, as the Eagles must plan for life without him, since he is 30 and has some wear and tear. I do not see RB as a must for round one though because with the signing of FB Weaver, he should help the third and one situation to be more consistent. 

The Missing Piece in the New York Giants’ Puzzle

The Situation

The New York Giants need a deep threat wide receiver, now that Plaxico Buress will most likely not be available for the Giants next season. Passing up on what free agency had to offer the Giants will have to turn to the draft or a trade to fill that gap.

With a large deep threat wide receiver or even a quick tight end other teams will not be able to line up eight or nine men on the line against the ground game, making running the ball possible.

 

Here are the Possibilities

 

Trades

Braylon Edwards-Cleveland Browns

The Giants need a deep threat to fill in for Plaxico Buress. The Browns coaching staff seems to not be ready to ship off any and everyone on the team in an attempt to re-build and recreate the Browns.  

The Giants have already offered the Second and Fifth round selections that they received for Jeremy Shockey and Domenik Hixon or Mario Manningham for Braylon Edwards.

However, both have been rejected as the Browns have requested the Shockey picks and Steve Smith the Giants only true slot wide receiver.  

However, being able to keep their 29th pick in the draft trading away Steve Smith wouldn’t hurt them as they could replace him with either Percy Harvin or Darrius Haywood-Bey either of which would make good slot wide receivers as they are both fast smaller targets similar to Steve Smith.  

However, I would see it more likely for the Giants to throw in Sinorice Moss and Domenik Hixon than Steve Smith.

 

Anquan Boldin-Arizona Cardinals

Boldin, who is probably the better player between himself and Braylon Edward, would hawk a much higher price than Edwards, as he has had many good years in the NFL compared to Edwards’ one decent year (Cleveland QB Situation may be to Blame) and one spectacular year and is only two years older that Edwards.  

However, Boldin would be a much higher risk move as he may be on the decline which has been rumored by many sources and also would demand a new contract which could end up being upwards of $40 million over five years.

However, Boldin is one of the tougher receivers in the NFL and has the distinguished and well earned reputation of being one of the best.

The Giants would most likely have to give up their first round pick in 2009 along with there fifth round pick and a pick in 2010 that could range from a second to a fifth rounder depending on multiple factors.

 

Tony Gonzalez-Kansas City Chiefs

Tony Gonzalez who is probably the best tight end in football currently and a guaranteed hall of famer would take the smallest offer to bring in.

As he is already 35 and in the decline of his career he would probably on fetch a third or fourth round pick as the Kansas City Chiefs would most likely like to bring young quicker wide receivers for Matt Cassel to work with.

However, this would be the least likely of the trades that the Giants would make as he is an aging veteran that would only provide a temporary fix.

 

Draft

Darrius Heyward-Bey-University of Maryland

Darius Hayward Bey would be a quick fix for the Giants wide receiving corps as he is one of the best wide receivers in the draft.

He also has the size to replace Plaxico Buress at 6’3″ and has the speed that would require a double team which would achieve the goal of stopping opposing teams from lining up eight or nine men on the line.

He will probably still be available for the Giants to pick up with the 29th pick in the NFL draft. If the Giants were to use there 29th pick for him it might be a little bit too early in the draft.

 

Michael Crabtree-Texas Tech

Michael Crabtree is the best wide receiver in the draft and would be the best fit to replace Plaxico Buress as he has proven that he can catch more than 100 balls a year and has the height and the speed to be a Hall of Famer.  

However, he does have an injury to his foot which could potentially harm his output for the 2009 season.

The Giants would also have to trade up to around the 10th pick to draft him which would most likely involve trading their first round pick and their second or third round pick making that unlikely with the abundant amount of other wide receivers that are available in the draft this year.

 

Kenny Britt-Rutgers

Kenny Britt is a younger Plaxico Buress as he has the same body type and similar speed. He also happens to to go to Rutgers in New Brunswick which would make the transfer from college to pro much easier than for any other player.

However, it would be more likely that he would be selected with their 15th pick in the second round draft that the Giants acquired from the Saints from Jeremy Shockey along with their fifth round pick.  

Britt is also the most bare-bones prospect that the Giants could draft to attempt to use as their No. 1 wide receiver until Buress would be able to play if at all in 2009, but he could be the greatest return out of any player in the draft.

 

Hakeem Nicks-University of North Carolina

Hakeem Nicks is the most sure handed wide receiver in the draft. After a big year at UNC proving his credentials it would not surprise me if he was drafted in the late first round by the Giants with the 29th pick.

However, again his size is an issue at 6’1″ he is still plenty big enough to have many favorable match-ups against opposing linebackers and safeties however, he doesn’t pose the same end zone threat that Plaxico does.  

Nicks, is the player that if the Giants chose to use the draft to fix their wide receiver needs, would most likely be drafted. 

 

Jeremy Maclin-Missouri

Jeremy Maclin is probably the best combination wide receiver in the draft as he has the speed to simply beat the defender to the ball and the size to still be able to go up in the end zone and come down with the ball.  

However, Maclin may end up going ahead of the 29th pick which the Giants have and falling somewhere near the 24th pick which would require the Giants to give up their pick and a fifth or sixth round pick to be able to get high enough to draft him.

 

Percy Harvin-Florida

Percy Harvin without a doubt is the fastest wide receiver in the draft and would certainly draw men out of the box.

However, Harvin is also one of the smaller wide receivers in the draft, a slot wide receiver which the Giants already have one of, and wouldn’t be able to catch the same end zone passes that Plaxico could.

He also will probably be drafted ahead of the 29th pick in the draft as many other teams need a slot wide receiver.

 

Tell Me What You Think is Going To Happen…

James Kaltman

Why Jay Cutler Won’t Be a Chicago Bear In 2009

Bears fans, don’t get your hopes up too high. This is not the first time a Chicago-based team has been open to the idea of acquiring a big-name player.

The Bulls were purportedly the only team in the running to attain the services of a discontent Kobe Bryant at the beginning of the 2007-08 NBA season.

As the situation developed, the Bulls did not appear willing to give up what the LA Lakers wanted in return for one of the biggest names in the history of the league.

After the fallout between the Lakers and Bryant seemed to heal, the Lakers’ brass went out and picked up Pau Gasol. Creating another dynamic Laker duo that helped lead the team to the NBA Finals for the fifth time in eight years. Leaving the Bulls out in the cold and without a superstar. 

Now, sources close to the Chicago Bears have informed several media outlets that the team has allegedly called the Denver Broncos General Manager voicing their interest in possibly acquiring disgruntled Quarterback Jay Cutler in a potential trade, if the new head coach Josh McDaniels and Cutler cannot work out their differences.

Jay Cutler is nowhere near the caliber of superstar that Kobe Bryant is, but he has a lot of upside and is young.

The Bears main competition in the Cutler sweepstakes is division rival Detroit Lions, who hold the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft, but that’s about as much trade bait as the Lions hold.

The Bears on the other hand have a mid-round pick at number 18, and could ship Kyle Orton to Denver as part of a deal, plus just about any other player Denver would want.

If Bears GM Jerry Angelo were a smart man he would call up Denver and say “Who/what do you want..? You got it/him!”

There are only two, maybe four players the Bears should not trade in the supposed attempt to acquire a Pro Bowl QB: Running Back Matt Forte, Linebacker Lance Briggs, Wide Receiver Devin Hester (maybe) and Defensive Tackle Tommie Harris (maybe) are the only guys I would not trade if I were the Bears GM.

Of course all of this is speculation, but don’t be surprised when push comes to shove the Bears will fold under the pressure of a bidding war with other potential trading partners in Det., Minnesota, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay.

Expect Angelo to pull a John Paxson and claim that whatever the Broncos wanted was just too high of a price to acquire Cutler, and pray that the next time you see him that he’s not wearing a powder blue jersey with a lion on the side of his helmet.

The Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL Today

We all know that Dan Marino is the best QB to ever play the position. No, that wasn’t me stuttering. I didn’t say Joverrated Montana or Steve Young or Jeff Garcia….wait a tick, are those three different players or the product of a system.

Sorry couldn’t pass up a free shot on niners fan.

What we are here to debate is the future of the NFL and its top gunslingers today. So here it is, like it or not, the undeniable top ten list of current NFL QB’s.

The NFL Is a Quarterback-Starved League

Of the many positions in the sport of football, one would have a very strong argument that the Quarterback is the most important position.

Quarterbacks can lead teams to comeback victories, be a focal point to a championship team, and are usually the “face of the franchise” in the NFL.

But a problem is generating around the NFL: Not many teams have these talented Quarterbacks. Few teams are extremely lucky to say that they have and elite QB and would not upgrade in that position in any way, shape or form.

Let’s have a look at the teams that have a very good starting Quarterback:

• New England- Tom Brady (if healthy)
• Pittsburgh- Ben Roethlisberger
• Denver- Jay Cuter
• San Diego- Phillip Rivers
• Indianapolis- Peyton Manning
• Arizona- Kurt Warner
• New Orleans- Drew Brees
• Philadelphia- Donovan McNabb
• New York Giants- Eli Manning
• Dallas- Tony Romo (without all of the distractions)

That is 10 teams out of 32 in the NFL. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly 31 percent of the league.

Not even one third of the NFL!

On the other hand, here are some teams that are struggling to fix their QB situation, or, do not have a starting-caliber QB:

• Chicago- Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton
• Minnesota- Sage Rosenfels is not starting caliber, nor is Tarvaris Jackson.
• Detroit- Probably the toughest QB situation right now.
• St. Louis- Marc Bulger stinks.
• San Francisco- Shaun Hill is not the answer. Alex Smith is a bust.
• Tampa Bay- Luke McCown should not be starting.
• Oakland- JaMarcus Russell hasn’t proven himself yet.
• New York Jets- No Brett Farve, tough QB situation.
• Buffalo- Trent Edwards is not starting-caliber.
• Cleveland- Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are battling it out.
• Jacksonville- David Garrard had a horrible season last year.
• Washington- Jason Campbell is very inconsistent.
• Tennessee- Kerry Collins is just efficient, not much of a QB.
• Seattle- Matt Hasselbeck’s glory days are over.
• Carolina- It does not matter what people say. Jake Delhomme stinks.

This list contains 15 teams, almost half of the NFL. That is quite a bit of teams struggling to fix their QB issue.

So why is the NFL lacking star Quarterbacks?

Well, despite the lack of overall talent, the draft is partially to blame. Potential busts such as Vince Young, David Carr, Alex Smith and J.P. Lossman would have made this situation easier if they were as good as everyone thought they were.

There has also been a display of bad coaching to these Quarterbacks, and the inability for a team to produce a good team around them. Any Quarterback will struggle with a bad offensive line, so their confidence gets crushed after their first season or two.

Unfortunately, the lack of star QB’s in the NFL is a growing issue. With a few players nearing retirement or playing past their prime, the NFL could be in trouble. This year’s draft doesn’t seem like it will solve the problem either, as there are not many good QB prospects coming out.

Today, the NFL is a QB-starved league. Many teams are unable to be competitive because of their lack of talent at Quarterback.

These same teams will continue their attempt to upgrade this position, but in the end, there just aren’t many options out there.

An Open Letter to Packers GM Ted Thompson

I am not a Ted Thompson apologist, nor am I a Thompson hater. I simply enjoy watching the Green Bay Packers every Sunday during football season (even in the preseason).

But Thompson’s free agency strategy of “wait and see” is getting a little old.

When the decision was made to hire Dom Capers and the Packers switched from a 4-3 defense to something more like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 3-4, one thing seemed obvious: Free agents were going to have to be brought in to help with the transition.

Nearly a full month has passed, and the Pack have picked up one unrestricted free agent: offensive lineman Duke Preston. They also signed former Steelers safety Anthony Smith.

Apparently, two new men is all Thompson feels is necessary to change a team that is still built to play a 4-3 into a contender with a 3-4. And heck, apparently one of them can be on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Now, the tiny quantity of players signed isn’t for a lack of trying on Teddy’s part. He asked DE Chris Canty to come in for an interview, but was shunned by the player’s agent because Thompson wouldn’t dole out estimations on possible contracts without first speaking with the player.

The same issue came up when Thompson asked OLB Kevin Burnett to make a stop in Green Bay; he was again disregarded, told there was a “lack of interest” because he would not discuss terms over the phone.

Are those two missed opportunities going to make or break the Packers season in 2009?

Probably not, but it would have been nice to have two guys with experience in a 3-4 defense.

Currently, the Packers have one player with any experience at all in said scheme: Smith. He was cut as a cap casualty in Pittsburgh, but a Steelers defensive coordinator said that he could not grasp the defense at the time and had occasional mental lapses.

 

The biggest move the Packers have made since announcing the defensive conversion is the position move of Aaron Kampman, who will now be playing as a pass-rushing outside linebacker instead of defensive end. This was a smart move for the Pack because it will prove easier for Kampman to drop 10 pounds than add 20 pounds to stay on the line. Also, his abilities as a pass rusher would be wasted as an end in a 3-4 scheme.

When the free agent market opened, the Packers were rumored to be interested in bringing back former first-round pick Vonnie Holliday (who played in Capers’ 3-4 in Miami) to facilitate the conversion, but those rumors were dismissed almost immediately.

Then a source close to Thompson said that the Packers were interested in DE Kevin Carter, who is three years older than Holliday and not as experienced in the new defense.

Neither of these guys should break the bank to sign, so why not, Ted? Why not?

Mr. Thompson, I hope that this draft class is able to have an immediate impact, because your lack of movement in the market has left this defense with more holes than a block of Swiss cheese.

MARK SANCHEZ:NFL DRAFT WATCH

Mark Sanchez is a 6’2″ 227 pound quarterback out of the University of Southern Cal. He surprised his coach Pete Carroll when he decided to declare for the draft after just one season. It is hard to look at his stats and find something negative in them. 

This year he was first-team All-Pac-10 when he completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,207 yards,34 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions.He also help USC beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

The main reason he will be in the first round is because the lack of quarterback talent in this year’s draft. I would be hesitant if I was a team looking for a quarterback because he has less than a full NFL season of experience. Mark Sanchez at the NFL Scouting Combine had a arm span of 33 1/2 inches and a hand span 10 1/2 inches. 

His positives are He reads defenses very good and rarely throws into coverage. He takes what the defense gives him. He Recognizes the blitz well for a player of his experience. He has a great setup and is very smooth with the ball.

He doesn’t lack the arm strength for an average NFL quarterback. He distributes the ball all over the field. He can get away from the pass rush and gain a couple of yards due to the rush.

He has rare accuracy when he is rolling out. He squares his shoulders when he throws which makes him accurate and consistent. He was a team captain this year for the Trojans. He has a great work ethic.

His Negatives are his career record out of CALI is 4-2 which isn’t very good. He throw easy passes during the year because he has great receivers to run right pass the DB.I Have ark Sanchez going to the Jacksonville Jaguars at 8th overall to see where I have your favorite player go to http://bleacherreport.com/articles/144514-nfl-mock-draft-stafford-1-overall.

NFL Mock Draft 2009, An Unexpected Twist: Part Two

The draft is about a month away, and with free agency well under way, we are beginning to see a clearer picture of what each team still needs to make their 16-game trek a successful one. Heres my mock picks 11-20.

11- Buffalo Bills- Michael Oher, OT

After losing G Derrick Dockery in free agency Oher is a perfect candidate to slide in at LG next to Pro Bowler Jason Peters. He also provides insurance in case Peters contract does not formulate and he leaves. They could also go LB here.

 

12- Denver Broncos- Aaron Maybin, DE

By far the most active team in free agency, creating some high priced position battles between veterans. Grabbing Maybin would fill a desperate need of creating depth along the defensive line, and that has been an Achilles’ heel of this defense.

They already revamped the secondary, and added depth in the LB corps, shoring up the DL is the next task for them.

 

13- Washington Redskins- Everette Brown, DE

With Maybin getting snagged ahead of them they go with Brown who would fill the void left by the release of Jason Taylor, and would pair with DE Andre Carter to form a formidable pass rushing duo.

 

14- New Orlean Saints- Knowshon Moreno, RB

The Saints have revamped there secondary, and retained the majority of the pieces they wanted to, only losing FS Josh Bullocks to Chicago. With teams going to a two-RB system Pairing Moreno with Reggie Bush gives the Saints a perfect complement to the slippery, speedy, Reggie Bush.

 

15- Houston Texans- Jeremy Maclin, WR

This team is young and dynamic on the offensive side of the ball. Giving QB Matt Schaub a deep threat to complement All Pro Andre Johnson completes this offense.

 

16- San Diego Chargers- Tyson Jackson, DE

After losing starting DE Igor Olshansky, look for them to shore up the Defensive Line, Tyson Jackson is a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense.

 

17- New York Jets- Percy Harvin, WR

The Jets add a younger Laveranues Coles, they seem content with their QB situation, or I think they would have stepped up their efforts with getting Cutler.

 

18- Chicago Bears- Mark Sanchez, QB

A shocker, but is it really? The Bears need a QB, Kyle Orton is not a franchise QB, Sanchez could be the answer and is a good value here.

 

19- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Vontae Davis, CB

After losing Phillip Buchanon in free agency, this seems like a logical fit, they like their offense, and could also use help at DL and LB.

 

20- Detroit Lions- Josh Freeman, QB

Getting Jason Smith was the first part, now he needs a QB to protect. Detroit isn’t likely to begin winning overnight, Freeman could get some on the job training, or could even sit behind veteran Daunte Culpepper.

NFL Seeks To Shorten Preseason, Empty Parking Lots Protest

“They paved paradise to put up a parking lot…” —Joni Mitchell (1970)

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced earlier this week that the NFL is considering a plan to reduce the number of preseason games by as many as two before the 2011 season. However, this proposal has already caused an uproar.  

For NFL fans so sensitive to change, this is the type of knee-jerk reaction that could mar the NFL’s reputation for years. Dare I type the acronym that shall not be typed—USFL?

I was told by a seven-year veteran who declined to be identified that he looked forward to playing one series in front of 37 people, taking a shower, and “getting his Goose on” before the third quarter.  

Fans and players aside, it’s the 32 NFL franchises that will bear the financial brunt of this change.    

“How are we supposed to survive?” questioned Carl Creed, head of the Detroit Parking Authority, responsible for the maintenance of all Ford Field parking lots.

“We rely on parking revenue outside and $17 nachos inside to keep this franchise afloat. The fans that came last week for the Lions/Bengals opening preseason game are just as valuable as those for a Thanksgiving Day game, and so what if they aren’t the actual season ticket holders?”  

This proposed rule change has not gone unnoticed in other cities either. In fact, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Kansas City have all voiced their displeasure, insinuating that their teams’ failures cannot be attributed to poor drafting, personnel or coaching decisions, but based primarily on August preseason fan attendance.

On March 25, 2009, the Cincinnati Parking Authority (CPA) sought class action status on behalf of all NFL franchise parking lot authorities and filed for injunctive relief in New York Federal Court, seeking a determination that the NFL’s proposal be overturned as arbitrary and capricious in violation of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

After both sides burned the midnight oil briefing issues and lining up witnesses, the parties were summoned to an emergency meeting before The Honorable Arthur Van DeLay to discuss the potential for settlement. 

While the terms of the settlement have not yet been completely finalized, we have learned that a compromised has been reached, subject to NFL, NFLPA, and CPA approval. 

The proposed settlement seeks to add two additional regular season games by 2011 and remove two preseason games. 

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