Two Coaches, Both Coaches’ Sons, Lead Cincinnati Bengals

Bob Bratkowski was once The Next Big Thing.

Mike Zimmer is currently The Next Big Thing.

But the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive and defensive coordinators have much more in common than that.

Both are the sons of coaches. Both took similar routes to the NFL. And both have the utmost confidence they can revive a Bengals team which finished 4-11-1 in 2008.

Bratkowski, entering his ninth season as the team’s offensive coordinator, said their confidence comes from their backgrounds as coaches’ sons.

His father, Zeke, spent 14 years as NFL quarterback and 26 years as an NFL assistant.

“Anybody that goes into the same profession as their father, whether it’s a plumber, stockbroker, insurance salesman—if you do anything your father did you know the ropes,” he said.

Despite their similarities, however, Bratkowski and Zimmer enter 2009 at far different points in their career.

Bratkowski, once considered something of a genius, has fallen out of favor with Cincinnati’s fan base. The Bengals trudged to the NFL’s worst offense in 2009, averaging just 245 yards and 12.8 points per game.

They didn’t have Carson Palmer. Or a healthy and committed Chad Johnson. But fans want Bratkowski gone anyway. Someone even started a “Fire Bratkowski Now!” petition on a popular local blog.

For Bratkowski, who has experienced nothing but success throughout the last two decades, it’s an odd experience.

In 1989 and 1991, Bratkowski won two national championships as the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami.

He then transformed the Seattle Seahawks into the most potent passing offense in the NFL in the mid-1990s.

After a brief stint with Pittsburgh, Bratkowski joined the Bengals, and between 2005 and 2007, orchestrated one the league’s top-five aerial attacks.

Yet in 12 months, the fiery, 55-year-old Texan went from whiz kid to whipping boy. He knows he must turn the offense around quickly.

“It comes with the territory,” he said. “It’s short-lived and what have you done lately.”

Bratkowski said once the offensive line gels—which features three new starters with almost no experience—the offense has a chance to be “really good.”
 
“We’ve got some issues to deal with but any time you’ve got a guy like Carson Palmer at quarterback, you can turn it around very quickly,” he added.

Unlike Bratkowski, Zimmer enters 2009 as the rising star of the coaching staff.

In his first season with the Bengals, Zimmer saw the team’s defense improve from 27th worst to 12th best in the NFL.

Youngsters Antwan Odom (DE), Domata Peko (DT), Keith Rivers (LB), Leon Hall (CB) and Chinedum Ndukwe (S) all blossomed under Zimmer’s tutelage, and with the additions of draft picks Rey Maualuga (LB) and Michael Johnson (DE), as well as free agents Tank Johnson (DT) and Roy Williams (S), many expect Zimmer to elevate this unit into a top-five defense.

Like Bratkowski, Zimmer attributes much of success to being the son of a coach. His dad, Bill, also played for the San Francisco 49ers.

“He was always fanatical about trying to stay one step ahead of everybody,” Zimmer recalled about his father. “He wasn’t afraid to try things. I thought of that when I went from a 4-3 to a 3-4. I thought about my dad going from the wishbone to the run-and-shoot. He didn’t care.”

“I’m big on technique,” he added. “I want to make sure guys do the things we’re asking to do to do it right. Play hard all the time. Hands in the right place. Feet in the right place.

I think in pro football a lot guys get to the point where they worry so much about who you’re playing or the scheme, your technique goes bad. …Typically I’m a little bit of a hollerer and screamer.”

Zimmer has been doing it right for a long time. He did it as a rookie secondary coach when the 1995 Cowboys won the Super Bowl and he put cornerback Larry Brown in the right spot to intercept two passes and win the MVP award.

He did it in 2003 when he had a starting rookie cornerback in Terence Newman and the Cowboys blitzed their way to a No. 1 ranking. Then he did it in 2005 and 2006 in that new 3-4 scheme and coaxed out rankings of 13 and 10.

Many organizations and pundits have already pegged him as a future head coach. But for now, Zimmer is jut focused on turning the Bengals into a winning team.

“I think we’ve got a good nucleus of guys,” he said. They all work hard. They all play hard. And now we’ve got some veteran guys to help bring some of the young guys along. That’ll help us.”

What Can Jairus Byrd Do for the Buffalo Bills?

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Anybody remember last season’s NFL Divisional Playoffs?

What did all four teams have in common? 

The Cardinals, Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers all had great safeties on their rosters.

We are talking guys that make big plays and single-handedly shifted the game’s momentum to their team’s favor.

Good safeties are usually found on great defenses. 

Whether it’s delivering the big hit or snatching the ball out of the air, safeties are the most important defensive backs on the field on any given play, which is why the Buffalo Bills decided to make Jairus Byrd the 42nd overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft.

While playing for Oregon the past three years, Byrd has managed to intercept 17 passes, defend 55 passes, and rack up 203 tackles—143 solo.

Not bad for the son of Gill Byrd, a two-time Pro-Bowler for the Chargers.

Compare those numbers to Ed Reed when he played for Miami and there is reason to get excited. Of course, you have to temper your expectations—the pros is a whole different level of football.

It certainly helps that his mentor is long-time standout, DB Aeneas Williams. If Byrd could come close to matching what Williams did for the Rams, the Bills have something special on their squad.

What helps Byrd’s overall game and his projected position switch is that he takes good angles to the ball and studies film, which makes him play faster than his timed speed. He is a solid technician and a quick learner, so making the transition from corner to safety shouldn’t be difficult.

The Bills are in desperate need of a guy with some ball-hawking skills, and outsiders and maybe even some fans were shocked with the selection, but let’s face it—the Bills had a grand total of 10 interceptions last year—they can use all the help they can get.

Just to put that number in perspective, Reed had nine interceptions last year. Clearly the Bills need somebody with that type of impact if they want to have a dominating defense.

The only question is, can Byrd be the guy to do it?

Come training camp, Byrd will be given every opportunity to win the starting free safety spot now occupied by Donte Whitner, but the feeling at One Bills Drive is they like Whitner better at the strong safety position.

Wherever Byrd fits, it should prove to be exciting to watch—that is if he dominates like he did while at Oregon.

AFC West: Breaking Down the Division by Team, Part Two

Hello ladies and gents, welcome to part two of this AFC West breakdown.  Today I will rating the second place team in the division, the Denver Broncos.

I will be using the same system as before, I will break the Broncos down as follows, HC, QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, DBs, ST and rating them in a scale of 1-10.  1 being terrible and 10 being perfect.  Once again I will try to be completely un-biased and show no favoritism.  I sincerely hope that once again you enjoy this article.

Let’s begin.

 

HC:  Josh McDaniels is an unknown, unproven and so far confusing (although some might say lying) young coach.  So far Josh has made some great off season acquisitions, and gotten rid of part of the reason why, according to him, he took the job.

When you take into consideration, that in the eyes of many, he had a sub-par draft and did not adequately fill the team needs through such medium as expected, Josh is off to a rocky start.

Not so fast.

While it is true that Josh has made some head scratching moves, he has also, in my humble opinion, made the team better all around.  While at the same time he sent his newly acquired team, a strong message.  Scoring him at this point, is both hard and compromising. 

There is no way of knowing at this point, if anything he has done, has truly made the team better, albeit on paper some might argue that it is better, we have to wait until at least, the half-way season mark to truly measure some of the moves.

I will admit, I have liked most of the moves he has made.  That said, I also have to admit, that he has left me scratching my head as well.  When you take into consideration all of the above, plus the fact that no coach from the Belichick tree, has had any substantial success in the NFL, it does not bode well for the Broncos.

Taking all this into consideration I have given the HC the following grade.

HC: 4

 

QB: This position was fairly easy for me to grade. While I have stated in the past, that I never was a big Cutler fan, his talent is undeniable. At this time, I feel that the Broncos have downgraded at this position by, sending Cutler away and having Orton and Sims compete for the position. 

Orton’s recor as a starter cannot be ignored, neither is Sims promising start for the Buccaneers, but, that aside, neither have the talent or ceiling that Cutler had. Both Sims  and Orton played in lack luster offenses’ with their previous teams. 

Sims was in a constant state of looking over his shoulder, do, to coach Gruden’s, small patience in developing QBs. Orton lacked major talent at the WR position while in Chicago. 

Whoever wins this battle is moot point in my opinion. Both are a major downgrade at the position in terms of, arm strength and athleticism.

QB: 6

 

RB: Talent is abound in this position for the Broncos, especially after the team drafted Knowshon Moreno during the draft.  Moreno has the build, quickness, vision and toughness to be a three down back in the NFL.

While the Broncos have stockpiled at this position during the off season, not all of them will make it onto the final roster.  I believe that the RBs that make the team are, Moreno, Buckhalter, Torain and Hillis. 

Hillis will be at FB, while Moreno and Buckhalter share backfield duties. Torain, I believe, is too talented not to make the team, the only problem for him is to stay healthy.

With all this talent at the RB position and a new starting QB, the Broncos look to be a running team, at least until the QB and WRs build some chemistry and learn the system well.

RB: 7

 

WR: This group is actually pretty solid for the Broncos. It looks like the league has taken a wait and see attitude towards Marshall, which is good news for both Marshall and the Broncos. Marshall had off season hip surgery and the reports are excellent coming from both the Broncos and the doctors. 

Eddie Royal was, in my opinion the best rookie receiver last year, ahead of the Eagles’ Jackson.  He should take another step forward, this coming season, specially when it looks like the team will take some of the return duties away from him.

Stokley, is solid at the slot, but don’t overlook Gaffney or McKinley. Overall the starting WRs for the Broncos is among the best young WR combination in the league.

WR: 8

 

OL: In this area, the Broncos have gotten bigger and better. The Ryans, are lock down tackles, Kuper and Hamilton are big athletic bodies and Wiegman is the veteran leadership for the line. That said there is not much depth behind them.

A couple of rookies and a third-year player round out the depth for the Broncos. If this line can remain healthy, it is one of the best in all of football, at both, running and pass protection.

OL: 9

 

DL: This is where the Broncos, according to the experts, did not do enough. I disagree.  The addition of Baker at NT and Fields as a mentor to said young man, coupled with the rumors that Marcus Thomas, a promising DT out of Florida, is putting on weight, per coachs’ instructions, leads me to believe that the Broncos will have a very nice rotation at NT. 

Peterson will kick out to DE in the 3-4, and the acquisitions of some prototypical 3-4 DE as RFA, points to the Broncos upgrading at the DL. Now, at this point, all of the players mentioned or acquired by the team ar either unproven, career backups or rookies.

It is up to Nolan and McDaniels to coach all this young talent and prove that the Broncos’ DL has been upgraded, until then, this is all speculation. For this reasons I have given the DL of the Broncos the following score.

DL: 4 (unproven players and a new system brings down the score)

 

LB: I will take the advise of a reader, that suggested I separate scores for ILB and OLB since they play in a 3-4.  I did not do this for part one, but will correct that.

The ILB for the Broncos look to be Andra Davis and DJ Williams. They are both more than capable to be really solid LBs.  DJ has the chance to truly be special. It looks like Woodyard and Greisen will push Davis for playing time. 

Davis is solid against the run but lacks in the coverage department. Williams is solid (with a chance to be special) at both. Woodyard proved last season that he belonged at LB and not at SS like some people believe. 

If he can add bulk to his frame, which he can handle, and not loose that speed and quickness, Woodyard can eventually be the future for the Broncos along with Williams.

ILB: 7

 

Now to the outside. Dumervil, Ayers (R) and Moss are all trying to make the transition from DE to OLB. Rumor has it that they are all making the transition effortlessly, but, the prove is in the pudding, and until we can see them drop back and cover, at least at pre-season, I will hold my score for this unit.

OLB: N/A (I would give them a 5 if you push me)

 

DB: Champ.  Need I say more.  While he was hurt last season, and therefore missed a few games (seven), this might have been a blessing in disguise. This gave Champ a chance to heal multiple nicks he had acquired through out  the last few seasons, and gives him a chance to truly come back healthy. 

The additions of, Smith and Goodman, round out a solid, if not excellent group of cover corners for the Broncos.

At safety, the Broncos also Upgraded with the additions of, Dawkins and Hill.  More than their play on the field, these veterans were brought in to mentor a couple of young men, Barrett and McBath. 

Barrett showed flashes last season, but was highly inconsistent, enter Hill, one of the most consistent FS in the NFL. Dawkins will mentor a young man very much in his image, at least physically, McBath. Bruton was drafted to push Barrett but he will be mainly a special teams ace.

DBs: 7 (8 if Champ can stay healthy and, Smith, Burrett and McBath develop into their potential)

 

ST: At punter the Broncos uncovered a gem last season with Brett Kern, he was in the top three in almost all punter categories, he will have another solid season, barring injury. At PK is a different story, Prater has a gifted leg no question, the problem with Prater is accuracy.

Rumor has it, he has spent all of the offseason working with a private instructor to better his accuracy. Still this is a wait and see affair, even with his accuracy problems, he did not miss an EP and was a beast in kickoffs, putting him as a prospect but a good one.

Returner is the real issue here.  Royal proved to be a dangerous returner last season, but was unable to as effective as he would of liked, due to his increased roll in the offense. 

Arrington was signed during the offseason to alleviate the return duties from Royal, but was released, due to a failed physical.  McKinley does have return skills and experience he could take over for Royal.

PK: 7

P: 7

RT:6

Well, hope you enjoyed the second edition of this series.

A Balanced Attack: How Jimmy Raye Shapes the 49ers’ Offense

The common wisdom from most fans and commentators is that the 49ers are going to run the ball non stop next year. Mike Singletary has been associated with hard nose football all his life and he even said that his philosophy was “more run to pass…to run a little more than pass.”

After the hiring of Jimmy Raye, after an extensive search and at least one publicly declined offer, everyone seemed to take away that the 49ers are going to run the ball on virtually every down. Hyperbole? Maybe, but also not far from the truth.

The draft only encouraged this perspective when the 49ers spent two draft picks on the run game: Glen Coffee to spell Frank Gore and Bear Pascoe to be a blocking specialist for the run game. But to me, and a small group of people, this run only approach does not pass the smell test (no pun intended).

I look at what Singletary said and see another possible interpretation: He wants to be able to run the ball when everyone knows they are going to run the ball. He does not want to need six attempts from within the three yard line to score one touchdown (see 2006 game vs. the Eagles).

He wants to run the ball successfully when up two scores on an opponent (see 2008 game vs. the Eagles). He wants to be able to get a first down or two to run out the clock at the end of the game, even when the opponent knows it’s a run.

Singletary claimed he wanted to be like Bill Walsh’s offense “but with a different mindset.” I do not doubt he’ll run the ball more, but Walsh loved to run, too. He just did it when he had built a lead.

Super Bowl XVI was won, in part, because the 49ers were able to kill seven of the final ten minutes by running the ball (with the help of an interception by Eric Wright).

Before the interception, while up only six points, they gained 28 yards on the ground over seven plays to move from their own 49 to Cincinatti’s 23, placing Wersching in position to put the 49ers up by two scores (23-14) with 5 minutes to play.

It’s called imposing your will on a Defense, something the 49ers have had a tough time doing in recent years. The 49ers rarely seem to get that push up front that tells you that, if they need a yard in a do or die situation , they will get that yard (see: Week 10 at Arizona). For Singletary, that is unacceptable.

In Jimmy Raye, Singletary found a guy known for using the personnel he has and playing to it’s strengths. While Eric Dickerson gained nearly 4000 yards on the ground under Raye (3913), numerous quarterbacks have thrown for over 3000 yards under Raye, including Elvis Grbac. In those two seasons Tony Gonzales combined for over 2000 yards receiving.

I am not intimating that Vernon Davis will hit those sort of numbers, but I am suggesting that Raye seems to be quite good at utilizing a player’s strengths. He will make sure Davis is in position to catch the ball as his frame would allow (not acrobatically as he’s not known for his flexibility).

Gore is expected to be running straight ahead, which has always been his strength. He’s not a speed demon and tosses to him almost always seem to get strung out nicely by opposing linebackers.

Gore is far better following his lead blocker and taking any amount of daylight he can and getting as many yards as he can out of it. He is great at chipping away three, four, five yards on those runs up the gut and has a high tendency to break one up the middle for long gains into the secondary as he did frequently in 2006.

While I do not doubt that the 49ers will happily use Gore and his new backfield compadres regularly, it would be criminally negligent to ignore the suddenly potent receiving corps the 49ers have assembled.

Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, and Michael Crabtree are all young talents whose presence in practice and prior performances on the field will demand playing time and touches.

Add to that the aging veteran Isaac Bruce who had a knack for being in the right place to make big plays and the money invested in Brandon Jones, to say nothing of well liked long-shots Arnaz Battle and Dominique Ziegler, and the 49ers will need to get the ball in the air to justify the money tied to the position.

Those seven guys seem to posses ample talent and skill. Then there is Vernon Davis, who is approaching the crossroads this year and must make the leap to the next level. I think he will surprise many and silence his critics this year as he seems to have thrived under Singletary.

I also have a gut feeling that, if they do throw him the ball, Bear Pascoe might surprise you with his hands.

Yes, the 49ers will run the ball this next year, and probably more than they did under Mike Martz. But, just because Singletary says he wants to be able to run against an eight-man front does not mean he wants to subjugate his running backs to that fate every down.

This will not be an offense that ignores the pass. More likely, it will utilize shorter routes to play to likely-starter Shaun Hill’s strengths, and, in the end, it will be almost exactly the type of offense Singletary called for back at the season’s end: One that will “have a balance, 50-50.”

The Julius Peppers Interview We Would Love to See

Julius Peppers is known as much for his reticence as his extraordinary physical skills.

He’s also a focal point for the Carolina Panthers as the 2009 season approaches. Peppers has yet to sign Carolina’s offer sheet and previously expressed his desire to be traded to a team using the 3-4 defense.

With tongue firmly in cheek, we’ve taken the liberty of providing a mock interview with Peppers.

We’re playing a little shoulda/coulda, too, providing the politically correct answers along with what we feel Peppers could say minus a few of society’s barriers.

It should be noted that no attempt was made to contact Mr. Peppers for an interview.

Question: Julius, do you have a timetable set for signing Carolina’s offer sheet? A million dollars per regular season game seems incentive enough.

What he should say:  You know, I’m a firm believer that everything has its time and place. The contract situation will work out in due time. I have the utmost respect for the Carolina organization, from the trainers all the way to the owner, Mr. Richardson. It’s obviously not about the money.  It will all work out.

What he could say: Hey, I told these cats that I didn’t want to play for them. And now I haven’t signed the offer sheet. Can’t these people take a hint? What more do I have to do? Go to Canada or something?

Q: What one person in the Panthers organization do you most admire and respect?

What he should say: Mr. Richardson, hands down. He’s a classy guy, a real gentleman.

What he could say: Mr. Richardson, hands down. He’s a class guy, a real gentleman.

Q:  After Mike Minter retired, Mr. Richardson publicly called you out as someone who needed to take a more active leadership role with the Panthers. How did you feel about that?

What he should say: I have a lot of respect for Mr. Richardson. He has every right to call out one of his players.  We all should take a more active leadership role, and I’ll do my best to hold up my end.

What he could say:Dang, man. Leadership? How about 14.5 sacks last season? How’s that for leadership? These are grown men playing a child’s game for millions of dollars. And they need someone to take them by the hand? Pleeaasseee!

If they need me to treat ‘em like schoolboys then maybe it’s time to look for another profession. Leadership? Are you kidding me?

Q: Let’s talk about the trade request. How adamant are you on making that happen?

What he should say: Well, that’s certainly something that’s been mentioned. I’ve enjoyed my time with the Carolina Panthers and, again, have the utmost respect for the entire organization.

If a trade happened, then I certainly could live with that. And if it doesn’t happen, I could see myself staying with the Panthers for the rest of my career. I’ll do my best to retain my professionalism regardless of where I’m playing. Any team that has Julius Peppers on its roster will get 100 percent of Julius Peppers.

What he could say: I’m so anxious to get out of here that I can hardly stand it. I was born in North Carolina, grew up here, went to college here, and I’ve spent my entire career here. I love it and will always be a Carolina man at heart. But, dang, it’s time to expand my horizons a little.

My agent has worked hard to help the Panthers make a trade but we’re not getting a lot of cooperation from the organization. I guess my leadership skills are too valuable here. (Hearty laugh.)

Q: What about the 3-4 defense? You expressed a desire to play in that system, but how important is it to you?

What he should say: That’s certainly a defense I could see myself playing, but coach Fox is a big fan of the 4-3 and that’s something that’s his decision. I’ll play wherever they want, and I’ll do whatever they ask me to do. 

What he could say: Hey, man, it’s time to shake things up a little. We’re close to being one of the top three or four defenses in the NFL. Look at our defensive starters and tell me there’s not talent on the field. By and large, we’re young, fast and aggressive. And our problem is we’ve become too predictable in recent seasons—on both sides of the ball.

Q: Why do you think you personally would thrive in a 3-4 alignment?

What he should say: I would really rather move on to another topic.

What he could say: If you had a Ferrari Testarossa, would you only drive it to church on Sundays?

Q: You’re known as being reluctant to talk to the media. Why is that?

What he should say: Well, we’re all different, and I’m just not that comfortable talking about myself. I would rather my teammates get the attention. I would prefer to be home, all alone, holed up with a good book.

What he could say: Because of guys like you who ask too many questions. So what about your latest contract—you signed yet?

Journalist: I don’t think we need to go there.

Peppers: See what I mean.

Would Rex Grossman Be a Good Fit in Jacksonville?

Earlier this month, I wrote an article dealing with Jacksonville’s pathetic backup quarterback situation.

Behind David Garrard, the Jaguars have Cleo Lemon (who the team inexplicably signed to a three-year, $8.1 million deal in the offseason), Todd Bouman, and rookies Michael Desormeaux and Tyler Lorzenen. Those names wouldn’t exactly make you feel confident if Garrard gets hurt.

As I listened to the Pete Prisco Show on my drive from work yesterday, it came to my attention that former Chicago Bear quarterback Rex Grossman was still on the free agent market. Prisco then asked his listeners if they would like to have Grossman in Jacksonville as a backup to Garrard.

My immediate reaction was, “Of course.”

Say what you want to say about Grossman (and believe me, there is plenty to say), but he has had some tremendous success on the NFL level.

In 2006, Chicago’s Super Bowl campaign, Grossman threw for 3,193 yards with 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

In a column by Prisco on cbssports.com, he pointed out that half of the projected starters in the NFL have never thrown for that many touchdowns in a season. That group includes Garrard.

It was a tumultuous tenure for the UF alumnus when he was in the Windy City. When he was good, he looked like an all-pro (20-of-27, 289 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions in 34-7 win over Detroit).

When he was bad, it looked like he had no business being in the NFL (6-of-19, 34 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, QB rating of 1.3 in 23-13 win over Minnesota).

Despite the ups and downs, he was able to navigate through the postseason and helped Da Bears get to the Super Bowl. His playoff statistics were respectable (52-of-92, 591 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions in three playoff games).

Yet this guy is still on the scrap heap.

Personally, I think he would be a great fit in Jacksonville. He’d be close to his old college stomping grounds. Jacksonville is a small media market, so he wouldn’t face the constant media scrutiny that ran rampant in Chicago.

For Jacksonville’s perspective, the move makes sense. He’s definitely better than Bouman and Lemon, and you could make the argument that he’s more talented than Garrard.

The Jags probably couldn’t get rid of Lemon because of all the money they threw at the guy. But they could definitely cut Bouman. And that’s nothing to say that they couldn’t make Lemon the No. 3 QB.

Jaguar fans: Wouldn’t you feel better having a backup QB who played in a Super Bowl, as opposed to one whose last name pretty much sums up his NFL career?

I know I would.

Hopefully Wayne Weaver and Gene Smith do, too.

Hopefully Jimmy Smith Gets the Help He Needs

In what has been a long fall from grace since his playing days ended, Jimmy Smith will endure another painful chapter of his life today.

Smith, who was arrested on Apr. 23 on charges of possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended license, is scheduled to be arraigned today.

As everyone knows by now, Smith was driving down I-95 when he was pulled over by a state trooper for an excessive window tint.

When the trooper looked inside Smith’s Mercedes, he found crack cocaine, marijuana, and a card with powder residue.

It’s no secret that Smith has struggled with substance abuse for quite some time. He likely would have had a longer NFL career, but elected to retire amidst rumors that he had failed a drug test. That test would have forced Smith to sit out for a year.

In 2008, Smith was charged with DUI after an officer pulled him over while he was driving in Jacksonville. He reportedly handed a beer bottle to the officer and admitted to smoking pot while driving.

He was also suspended in 2003 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. That previous failed test is why he would have had to sit out for an entire year if he failed a drug test in 2006.

Anyone who has known somebody with a substance abuse problem knows that this is no laughing matter. Anyone who has struggled with addiction knows that it’s much harder to “clean up your act” than most people understand.

Addiction specialists and addicts say that when a person is mired in the depths of addiction, he or she must hit rock bottom before they can begin recovery.

I hope and pray that this is Smith’s bottom, and that things don’t get any worse. From what I’ve heard about the man, he is a caring, compassionate person who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.

Hopefully he has a strong support system in place, and those people can help carry him through these dark days.

Minnesota Vikings: Boise State Rookies Living the Dream

It’s not often that a college football player gets a chance to play in the pros (just under four percent from division one schools), and it’s even less often for players to have a shot at the pros and be playing next to a college teammate, and friend.

Running back Ian Johnson and wide out Vinny Perretta have such an opportunity this coming season, with the Minnesota Vikings. Both signed as rookie free agents after not getting drafted in the 2009 NFL draft out of Boise State, and are battling to simply make the roster and become pro football players for the Vikings.

Ian Johnson is known around the country as “the kid that ran the statue of liberty play that beat Oklahoma” in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, after which, he immediately proposed to his girlfriend, who was a Boise State cheerleader, to which she answered “yes” in front of a national audience.

Ian was best known as a football player for his contributions during the 2006-2007 season for his 1,714 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns as a sophomore at Boise State. After that, however, his performance tanked, as he dropped to 1,041 yards rushing in 2007, and 766 in 2008. His touchdown totals also dropped to 16 in 2007 and 13 in 2008.

Rivals.com scouted Ian Johnson as a running back with great “immediate speed,” although it was quick to point out the fact that he ran “too high at the line of scrimmage,” and that since his 2006 miracle season, he hasn’t quite been the same runner in the open field.

The son of former San Diego Charger Ralph Perretta, Vinny made a name for himself at Boise State as a slot possession receiver for the Broncos.  In his four seasons in Boise, Vinny had 72 receptions for 991 yards and four touchdowns. His break speed at the line is truly coveted in the NFL, much like it is for Vinny’s ideal receiver, Wes Welker.

Although Vinny, unlike Ian, wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, Vinny still believes he can compete in camp for a his chance to make it onto a very crowded Vikings receiving core. With the likes of Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, and Bobby Wade a sure fit, the fifth and possibly sixth spot become a high target for the five remaining receivers on the roster heading into camp. The only veteran of that group is the third year receiver, Aundrae Allison.

As for Ian Johnson, he faces an easier fight to be one of the team’s running backs. He enters into a four-way fight for the third string role behind Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson, with the incumbent third stringer, second year running back, Albert Young.

It isn’t every day that college ball players get the opportunity to simply fight for a job in the pros. Although the odds and bets are against them, their dream is still alive, and whether or not they make it, is all dependent on what will they have to be successful in the NFL.

When asked about their prior meeting with Adrian Peterson (2007 Fiesta Bowl, when Adrian was a member of the Oklahoma Sooners), Vinny and Ian simply laughed, saying they would do best to not bring it up when introducing themselves, but surely would hold onto it as leverage, if the opportunity presented itself.

Questions for Ted Tollner, Raiders’ Passing Game Coordinator

Earlier this year, the Oakland Raiders named Ted Tollner as their new passing game coordinator. While Tollner has been successful in the past, his recent stint with the San Francisco 49ers was far from the highlight of his resume.

Here are some questions I have for Tollner:

Ted, the Raiders’ passing game was not successful last season. Can you comment on what went wrong, and what type of improvement you expect this season?

As passing game coordinator, what exactly are your responsibilities to the team?

I’m assuming you have watched tapes of JaMarcus Russell throughout last season. Is that correct?

What type of improvement, if any, did you see from Week One through Week Seventeen from him?

Why do you feel the Raiders struggled to get the ball down the field last season, and what do you plan on doing to change that?

What do you personally think Russell needs to improve on this season?

Do you think Russell has better targets heading into this season than last?

Last season Russell completed just under 54 percent of his passes. Do you expect him to improve that number this season? What does he need to do to improve?

The Raiders threw just 13 touchdowns last season. Is there any reason you expect to see that number rise this season?

Do you feel JaMarcus could evolve into a top-notch NFL quarterback, and if so, how long will the process take?

Grading the San Francisco 49ers’ Quarterbacks

Fellow 49er fans,
Do you remember the days when the LAST thing any of us had to worry about was our quarterback?
When you stop and think about it, we were really quite lucky.
We went from Joe Montana, the best quarterback in the history of the NFL (my friends who are Dolphin fans HATE this, but how many rings does Dan Marino have again?), to Steve Young, who would have gone done as one of the best QBs in the NFL history if it hadn’t been for a stint in the USFL and a nightmare run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ever since then, it’s been kind of rocky for Frisco fans, especially when it comes to signal callers.
Jeff Garcia came in and did a nice job for a while, but the front office, in its infinite wisdom, decided to let Garcia go.
We the fans have been suffering ever since.
Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, Cody Pickett, Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill, Chris Weinke, J.T. O’Sullivan.
Pardon me while I vomit…
OK, that’s better, but not really.
With that out of the way, I figured I’d hand out grades to the SF QBs.
Just to be clear, in evaluating guys like Hill or Smith, who have been with the club for a while, this grade is based solely on their production in a 49er uniform. If it’s a newcomer like Jamie Martin (is that REALLY the best we can do?), the grade is more indicative of that person’s career and potential impact on the team.
If you can stomach it, I think I can. Let’s get into it.

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