Will 2009 Season Be Keith Bulluck’s Last?

Hopefully not, but as the 2009 season fast approaches and OTA activities get underway, so do the rumor mills and perhaps one of the well known rumors to circulate this year is the one around 9-year veteran Keith Bulluck and if he’ll be around past this season.  

When asked if he thought this would be his last season, the 32 year old Bulluck said, “I think so, yeah. And I have no reason to believe that it isn’t,’’ Bulluck said Thursday. “But I don’t look at it as something that makes me sad, I really don’t. I have seen great players come here and go, players you’d think would finish their careers here and didn’t. But I know how things work, and know it isn’t personal.

“The circumstances for me this year are different. I am kind of approaching this year like it’s my senior year in college.’’

Titans’ followers know very well how this team has a history of taking players along for so long and then trading or releasing them at the end of their contract. It’s not rare to see many players gone after a second or third contract stint.

Just think about Eddie George, Steve McNair, Derrick Mason and any other of the original Titans and how they were dropped off on the side of the road as they got up in years with the team.  

Many were fortunate to find other teams to play for but only about half of them go on to continue strong successful careers after the Titans.  The rest may get another year in before having to make the painful choice to end their careers.  

Keith Bulluck has shown no signs of slowing down over the past few years and as a matter of fact is rising more and more as a great leader on this team. 

Hopefully the Titans see that there is still quite a bit of gas in the tank and they don’t push him out like a 5th year senior into the world of retirement; although it’s pretty certain that there would likely be a plethora of teams looking to take advantage of the dominance Bulluck brings to the defense. 

Looking at the choices Baltimore made to keep Ray Lewis, Tennessee finds itself in a very similar situation.  Hopefully the Titan organization will exercise the same strategic smarts.  With no apparent successor in place, surely this would be the right choice.

Tampa Bay’s New-Look Bucs Hope To Hit the Ground Running

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, long known for Monte Kiffin’s “Tampa Two” defense, will debut new coaches, new players, and new playbooks next season on both sides of the ball.

First-year head coach Raheem Morris wants his team to play “violent football,” citing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars as comparisons to the team model he would like to build in Tampa.

The man in charge of the Bucs’ offense this season is former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski. For Jagodzinski, violent football translates into a run first, zone-blocking scheme featuring newly acquired running back Derrick Ward.

Ward, who will be complemented by Earnest Graham and hopefully a healthy Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, is familiar with the system after rushing for over 1,000 yards in the New York Giants’ zone scheme last season.

According to players, the new offense is simpler than the West Coast system brought to Tampa by former head coach Jon Gruden. Many attributed Gruden’s bulky playbook and complex terminology over the years to the slow development and limited production of Buccaneer rookies.

To the contrary, Jagodzinski says the Bucs will have variations of no more than 10 running plays this season. Specifically, the Tampa Bay running game will transition from a drive-blocking scheme to a stretch outside zone-blocking scheme.

Whereas the West Coast offense uses the short passing game to create running lanes and opportunities down the field, the Bucs will revert to a more traditional theory this season—establishing the run to set up the pass.

Morris believes an aggressive downhill running game will set the tone and create favorable matchups for a capable group of receivers, led by Antonio Bryant on the outside and tight end Kellen Winslow between the hashes.

Though off-the-field issues are a concern, Winslow immediately upgrades the tight end position for Tampa Bay, who acquired Winslow through a trade with Cleveland. If the Bucs can establish the run effectively, Winslow should be a staple out of play action, create mismatches in coverage, and free up Bryant and others on the outside.

Wide receiver Michael Clayton, going into his sixth season with the Bucs, is also expected to be a bigger part of the offense this season.

Clayton enjoyed a promising rookie season with Tampa Bay in 2004, but a combination of dropped balls and injuries landed the wide out in Gruden’s doghouse. His role was reduced accordingly.

Jagodzinski, however, likes Clayton’s size and ability as both a target and a physical blocker down field.

Clayton says the new coaching staff has done a good job of getting everyone involved in the offense, and likes that Jagodzinski’s quarterbacks don’t hesitate to throw the ball down field.

With a smaller playbook and more of an open-minded approach this season, it’ll be interesting to see if Morris and Jagodzinski can get more production from a slew of young Buccaneer receivers.

Second-year speedster Dexter Jackson, 6’5”, 220-pound Maurice Stovall, and rookie Sammie Stroughter should all be available for the Bucs this season.

Tampa Bay certainly gets younger at the skill positions as the team chose not to re-sign veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia and released running back Warrick Dunn and receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard.

Without Garcia’s knack for buying time in the pocket and making plays down field, undoubtedly the quarterbacks will be asked to do less this season. Whether it’s Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich, or rookie Josh Freeman, certainly more emphasis will be placed on establishing the run and taking what the defense gives them from there.

Regardless, Ward and others say they’re excited for what they believe will be a balanced and explosive offense under the new coaching staff.

For the Bucs—who finished last in scoring within the division in 2008 by a total margin of 30 points—the offense will almost have to be explosive if they hope to compete in the NFC South this season.

Meanwhile, the burden of holding opposing offenses in check will fall on the new-look Tampa Bay defense.

The Bucs have brought in 17-year NFL veteran Jim Bates to implement his run contain system this season. While both systems rely on speed, Bates’ defense varies considerably from the cover two scheme Kiffin introduced in 1996.

Bates’ system requires stalwarts at defensive tackle and speed at the outside linebacker positions in order to funnel opposing offenses toward the middle linebacker—in Tampa’s case, standout tackler Barrett Ruud.

The middle linebacker has run responsibilities on almost every play, and the system aims to herd ball carriers toward the heart of the defense—the ultimate goal being to force opposing offenses to throw the football and become one-dimensional.

Having the right personnel is key to execute the run contain system, and while the Bucs may not be a perfect fit in 2009, the team seems to be putting the pieces together.

The Bucs have moved veteran strong safety Jermaine Phillips to linebacker, and also acquired free agent Angelo Crowell. Crowell recorded 126 tackles with the Buffalo Bills in 2007 before electing to sit out the 2008 season to surgically repair an ailing knee.

Having released the team’s second and third leading tacklers in Pro Bowler Derrick Brooks and veteran linebacker Cato June, the coaching staff must believe Phillips and Crowell are a good fit for the new system.

Morris and company also chose not to take a linebacker in this year’s draft. Instead, the Bucs took a couple versatile defensive linemen with their second and third picks—Texas’ Roy Miller and Southern California’s Kyle Moore, respectively.

Defensive tackles are key to Bates’ defense, and thought to be the biggest weakness at the moment in terms of the Buccaneers’ personnel. In Bates’ system, the tackles must be especially big and strong in order to hold the line of scrimmage and free up the team’s linebackers.

Bucs fans will also see a change in strategy in the secondary. Bates’ defense calls for more aggressive bump-and-run coverage on the outside, as opposed to Kiffin’s cover two, which allowed corners to sit back in coverage and make plays on the ball.

At 6’1” and 205 pounds, the Bucs believe second-year corner Aqib Talib will fit the system nicely. Morris also likes seventh-round draft pick E.J. Biggers who showed promise with his ability to play the bump and run at Western Michigan.

Bates’ system often uses outside linebackers and defensive backs in blitz packages to complement the pass rush provided by the team’s defensive ends.

It’s no surprise that Bates will be looking for speed from his ends as well, and if everything goes according to plan, the Bucs’ Gaines Adams could be in for a big year in Bates’ scheme.

Altogether, between the coaching changes, the new playbooks, and the addition of a few new faces on both sides of the ball, Bucs fans will have a lot to watch for this season.

Whether Tampa Bay’s 2009 campaign proves to be an early surprise or a grueling rebuilding process, it should make for an interesting year in the franchise’s history.

Ron Mexico Deserves a Break

Michael Vick and the thugs on his property hanged, drowned, electrocuted, and crushed several failed fighting dogs that may have proven to be delicious in some Southeast Asian countries. 

Here are the USA facts: Serving a prison sentence means that you did your time and have theoretically been rehabilitated and in theory will not be a repeat offender.  You have the right to apply for any job but may be excluded for various reasons, including those cloudy things referred to as character issues. 

Pacman never ate the grapes in the clink, but Roger the Hammer let him back. This negates the lying to the Fuhrer as an argument for not letting Vick back into the NFL. 

When he gets back on the field, don’t boo this criminal. He’s a tumor on society, but not one as fatal as Leonard Little (story) or Jerramy Stevens (allegedly). Little killed someone’s mother while drunk driving and got caught drunk driving shortly after. 

Stevens’ alleged antics are well detailed in the linked story.  I like watching the Bucs every week, but must recoil physically every time the alleged rapist No. 86 scores. 

The obvious destination for Vick is sunny Frisco.  If Alex Smith is ever connected with drugs, he’ll be a bigger draft bust than Ryan Leaf.  Smith’s stats are ho-rendous.  He’s almost as bad as Leaf, but he’s been on a better team and hasn’t shown the ass showed by Leaf. 

The right situation for Vick is Tennessee. 

“Wait, they already have a fast, rocket-armed QB who is also black.”  —non-NFL source

Vick is different. He’ll revert to infant form for his coaches because he wants to be rich again and is open to strong suggestion. He’ll take the training like a young Air to the throne. 

Let’s get into black quarterbacks as an aside, just to get it out of the way.  Randall was ridiculous and fearless—one of my heroes as a fast, athletic kid with a strong arm and no accuracy.  Vick wasn’t as good as Randall and never came close. That’s the guy I always compared Vick to.

Getting back to the point, the average black QB is fast, has a rocket arm, and can’t locate a pass (exceptions: Moon, Williams, Cunningham). The black QB just won’t happen for real for some reason. I thought Leftwich was the kind of tough, slow-footed honkeyish QB that could bring it but alas, I suppose. 

Air was different. 

Remember Air McNair? He was a running QB or sorts. Remember Steve McNair?  He became one of the finer quarterbacks we’ve seen in the last decade. 

Latent-racist digression aside, McNair obviously wasn’t as fast as Vick, but Fisher or somebody on his staff reeled him in and kept McNair in the pocket. McNair could move—and fast, but he only ran when he had to. Could Fisher pick up Vick and mold him into a more athletic but less talented McNair? 

The Titans should pick up Vick, give him the McNair treatment, prevent him from leaving the pocket during practice, and develop a potential weapon. 

Here’s a hint, Fisher—give him a pocket arrest anklet on the first day of camp. It seems to be working for his parole officer. 

SI Headline Writer Screws Over Tony Dungy

Unlike here at Bleacher Report, mainstream media have somebody write the headline for a star writer.  He can’t be bothered with writing something solely to grab readers.

The article itself was good.  Dungy wrote wondering what Vick would be like after jail and wondered if he had a stable father-figure like Josh Freeman, first pick of Tamp Bay.

Here is the article.

“Guidance With a Fatherly Touch.”  

I know you Midwesterners don’t like it, but if you live in a glass house, have good curtains.

Can anyone read that without wondering about Dungy’s son suicide?

Like I said, if you Midwesterners calm down enough to read, the problem is not Dungy.  

The problem was  some intern that writes headlines at SI.

Oh, that headline guarantees the story gets read.

Then the quote they lifted fits in context: “If Vick had a strong family support system, would he be in this situation?”  (Emphasis theirs.)

If one reads the context, he was using Freeman’s family as the “good” example.

If, like 98 percent of readers, you just skim the bold stuff in scorecard to get to the articles you think Dungy holds himself out as an example of great parenting.

Instead it is Sports Illustrated trying to make a buck off of Dungy’s son’s suicide.

Now we go to comments from the heartland that will blame me for asking what fatherly guidance can Dungy offer, when that is what the headline leads you to think.

 

There’s Still One Animal That’s Fit for Vick

One our most respected modern day philosophers, Dr. Cornell West, once wrote:

“To prophesy is not to predict an outcome but rather identify concrete evils.”

The quote could apply to the state of San Francisco 49ers offense for 2009, as the word “evil” could be interpreted as weak, tame, boring, and ultimately, too predictable.

Then there’s the possibility of obtaining a necessary evil. Though we don’t know if he has completely exorcised his dark side yet, we do know he has paid his debt to society.

Michael Vick can give more color to an offense than a Monet portrait. Head coach Mike Singletary never ruled out the prospect of picking up Vick, the best football player the construction industry has to offer.

There are 32 teams in the NFL-at least 20 of which have more talent on offense than the 49ers-and one of them will eventually sign Vick.

You do want to get back to winning Super Bowls don’t you? The 49ers can play the meat and potatoes/small ball card on offense all they want in 2009, but until they can find that game-breaker on offense, they will remain an average team.

Rebuilding is for construction workers.

San Francisco is the right town for Vick to start over in (more on that later), and the wildcat offense was designed for a preeminent talent like the former No. 1 overall pick, to inject excitement into an offense.

Here are five plays that could potentially make the 49ers a top ten team in most pundit power rankings (with an emphasis on Vick, but feel free to insert QB Alex Smith into this formation with Arnaz Battle or Michael Robinson somewhere as well):

1. Wildcat dive

By faking the sweep to the slot-man (Rickey Williams) who is already in motion, this was the play that Ronnie Brown wrote history with against in New England early last season. The 49ers could put Vick either behind the center, or in the slot, where Frank Gore could take the snap.

2. Wildcat sweep

The only difference between this and the Wildcat dive, of course, is that the motion man would take the handoff, the left guard pulls as the lead blocker, the tight end seals the edge, and a potential exclamation point afterwards.

3. Wildcat play-action

Fake the sweep to the motion man, read your coverage, and possibly Vernon Davis has snuck past the linebackers and in-between the safeties for a nice gain. If a safety bites, with Davis’s speed, you could be looking at six.

4. Wildcat Counter

The underlying contingency with Michael Vick (besides the obvious) is whether or not his legs have anything left. Even if the 29-year-old is 90 percent of his old self, this could become his signature play. Because if the Wildcat is about deceiving the defense, than consider the Wildcat Counter a squared, double the cheese version.

The man behind the center fakes the sweep to the motion man, jabs right, then commits to the left, where he could have a two on one with the tight end versus a linebacker or lineman.  When the defense is thinking, “Uh-oh”, this is where Vick is at his best.

5. “I formation,” half back dive

If Vick is not signed by the 49ers, this is a play that you will be get used to. New offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye prefers the traditional style of NFL offense. The I-formation, with a running back possessing a wide pallet of talents such as Frank Gore, is ideal for a team without potential weapons of mass destruction like the 49ers.

Gore runs low, he’s slippery, he’s agile, he’s athletic, he has the necessary field vision and he has no problem running into contact. With a fullback leading the way, this is the kind of offense set that could give teams fits-just as long as the passing attack is holding up their end of the bargain.

If there’s one thing the 49ers already have an abundance of, its “gadget” players, or the necessary personnel capable of both running and throwing. Alex Smith ran the Wildcat all the way to an undefeated season in college. Arnaz Battle ran the option as a quarterback at Notre Dame.

Michael Robinson was a successful college quarterback at Penn St. Revolve the Wildcat gimmick around Frank Gore and/or potentially Michael Vick, and the 49ers offense would now have more ways to beat you than the average NFL team.

Just imagine how wide open Vernon Davis could be, while linebackers have to deal with the improvisational phenomenon that Vick could be in this system.

How does the city of San Francisco feel about the idea of signing Vick? It just seems to me that Vick and the city are the right match-just so long as his priorities are in line with the rest of us who are honest and proud about our daily contributions to society.

For all Barry Bonds went through, despite his outwardly surly character, Giants fans supported him. Celebrated sports networks and the professional megaphones tied with it would imply that the fans were the losers during the Barry Bonds saga.

But whether or not you were disillusioned or seduced by the home run and its convenient entertainment value, you did what was right, in supporting the individual. That’s what makes the city great (I’m not saying Bonds wasn’t a habitual steroids user, but after all, the jury is literally still out on the whole thing).

If there ever was a city and a franchise brave enough (the 49ers did draft Alex Smith No. 1 overall) to take on the responsibility of a Michael Vick acquisition, its San Francisco and its professional football franchise.

Why Detroit Lions’ Fnas Shuold Trsut Jim Schwartz

Tehre is not a tpyo in the tltie of tihs atrclie.

Or in tihs snetecne ethier.

You may not blveiee taht you cluod acluaclty uesdnatnrd waht tihs atrclie syas, but jsut raed on bcusaee you rlealy can.

Tusrt me, as wlel as Jim Swratchz.  We btoh konw waht we are diong…eevn if you tnihk we are btoh czary.

I haer ya’ luod and celar.

The Dteriot Loins pkcied Mtat Sfftarod and Bnrdaon Pttgeriw!  

Waht was Swchtraz tiknhnig?  We nedeed dfsenfe!  Our dsfesne skcued!  Two ofnefvise plyares in runod one?

Aollow me to epixalin.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to Cmabrigde Uinervtisy rsceeacrh, syas it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the fsirt and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you wlil sltil raed it wouthit a porbelm.

This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

 

Trust the Schwartz

Now hear me out and you’ll see that what the Lions’ did at Radio City Music Hall is even more amazing than this simple language trick.

Lions’ fans have been burned for over 50 years!  They’re leery.  I get it.  I’m one of them.

Although there is plenty of skepticism out there in the Lions’ pride right now, I think this parlor trick illustrates perfectly why Jim Schwartz deserves our trust.

What he did makes perfect sense, even if not at first glance to us outside of the NFL.

Trust me, like you just did with the mixed up words.  He understands this crazy football “language” too!

We may not get every move he’s done so far, but he’s putting together a team that will make sense.  Take a deep breath and trust him.  

I know.  It looks crazy.  Just read on and you’ll see it as clear as the messed up words above.

 

Winnerese Spoken in Latrobe

The NFL Draft is a good place to see this crazy “language” that the good coaches speak so fluently.  It’s called Winnerese.

Consider the established winner in the NFL—the Pittsburgh Steelers.  If you analyze what they do, you’ll see that Coach Schwartz did the same thing.  Take the best talent on the board.

I can hear you as I type. 

“We didn’t need a quarterback, a tight end, and a safety.  We needed help on the lines, especially our defense that ranked dead last!”

Let’s consider the defending champions and what they did in the draft with their first three picks.

The Steelers picked talent first when they chose defense with Ziggy Hood.  Do they need defense now?  No!  Do they need talent?  Yes!  He was the best guy on the board.

Then they grabbed Kraig Urbik, an offensive lineman.  A giant at 6’5″ and over 320 pounds!  Do they need him now?  No.  Was he the most talented on the board?  Yes! 

Next they chose Mike Wallace, the fastest WR on the board for returns at a sizzling 4.28! He may be a stretch, but that speed is too much to pass up for receiver routes or returns. Imagine Devin Hester shot out of a cannon?

The first three picks are where you get your starters, statistically speaking.  The next five or so picks are for depth, development, or special team players.  

All other holes not addressed at the draft get filled via free agency (don’t kid yourself, these coaches all know each other very well and they know who will be available).  Lots of good players will get cut or capped over the summer.

 

The Summer Draft

Schwartz has those guys in mind.  He has a “draft board” right now for summer cuts. Trust me, er…him.  This ain’t voodoo.

Now if you stink like the Motown Kitties, then you may have to overpay free agents, make “starting” promises, or agree to lengthy contracts to old veterans.  It has to begin somewhere.

The next year, however, you need less free agents as those previous year’s top picks become legitimate starters.  The next year even less free agents are needed when those three guys start, and so on.

After five or so years, your team is loaded with talent.  You can actually trade away draft picks (as Bill “the stockpiler” Belichick did this year, dropping out of the first round) and top flight free agents start calling you!

Why?  Because they want to win.  They see your coach knows what he’s doing and they want to win a championship.  All athletes know Winnerese when they hear it.

The Red Wing’s GM, Ken Holland, is fluent in Winnerese.  Just ask Marion Hossa!

So taking the best quarterback, the best tight end, and the best safety makes perfect sense…if you’re listening.

Deos it mkae snsee to you now?  It deos to me…and to Jim Stchawrz.

Wlcoeme to the czray lngaguae of how to bilud a wniner in the NFL.

Tsrut the Shrtwacz.  

He kwons waht he’s dinog.  

Waht do you hvae to lsoe, but lsonig istlef?

The Josh Cribbs Holdout: What the Browns Can Do if No One Gives In

The latest from Bureau is that Josh Cribbs is holding out for a new contract. This is just one more thing Eric Mangini has to deal with this offseason.

First, it was Shaun Rogers complaining about Mangini not “noticing” him (apparently twice). Then it was (some) fans being upset that Kellen Winslow Jr. was traded. From there, it was the Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards trade rumors.

Mangini kept both of the players, despite some very nice trade offers.

Now Cribbs is holding out, and possibly even kicker Phil Dawson.

Mangini never gave in when Rogers complained, never second-guessed himself in trading K2, and stuck to his guns by trying to maximize offers for Quinn/Edwards before considering. I don’t see him giving into Cribbs’ demands.

So it is on Cribbs to make a decision. He can either continue to hold out or return to the team. If he returns, he could look for a new contract after one season under Mangini.

If Cribbs returns, everything in this drama is over, but if he doesn’t, Mangini could look to trade Cribbs. What exactly could the Browns get for Cribbs?

Before I get into that, take this into consideration: Cribbs is very versatile and would bring a lot to any team.

He is probably the best special teams player out there, could play the wildcat formation very well, and, of course, is a receiver. His role is very underrated, but any team would love to have him.

So with that in mind, what could Cribbs get?

A first-round pick seems too much, but a second-round pick isn’t out of the question. The Browns might even be able to get a player in a trade, say a cornerback or linebacker.

It’s hard to evaluate what Cribbs is worth, considering he isn’t a one-position player or a pure starter, besides special teams, so there isn’t really much else to say.

If Cribbs was traded, what would the Browns look like? Who would return kicks for the team? Could the Browns still manage some wildcat plays?

Without Cribbs, the favorite to return kicks could have to be Syndric Steptoe. Last season he had three kick returns for 61 yards, two of which were over 20 yards. He also had two punt returns for 23 yards (his long being 14 yards). 

On the defensive side of special teams, there are many players who could make tackles instead of Cribbs. The rookies Kaluka Maiava, Don Carey, and Coye Francies are very capable.

One very good thing Cribbs brought to the Browns was wildcat plays. If Cribbs wasn’t handling them, the Browns have some players that could—Steptoe, rookie Jordan Norwood, etc. Of course, none of them are (ex-)quarterbacks, but they could work.

Mangini intended to use Cribbs on the defensive side of the ball, but, since Cribbs has never played there is the NFL, there isn’t anything to replace. They have their starters and their depth.

To be honest, the Browns aren’t losing a whole lot if Cribbs left. The biggest thing lost in him is his dynamic special teams play.

So should Mangini trade Cribbs or should he wait for Cribbs to make a decision? That is Mangini to decide. Let’s all just hope it works out in the Browns’ favor.

The Detroit Lions Can Be Successful In 2009

Winning in the NFL is not an impossible feat. Even for the Detroit Lions.

The Lions have mastered the art of losing consistently. Detroit has won one playoff game in the last 50 years. Just one. Last season, one win was one too many for the Lions. They finished with an imperfect 0-16 record.

It’s easy for fans and media to sit back and throw bricks of criticism at a team, when in actuality they are not involved in the process which separates winners from losers. But can winning really be that hard? Can competing consistently, or at least periodically, actually be impossible?

I say no. No way.

The NFL operates on a level playing field. Every team has the same opportunity to win, bottom line. Stupidity and indifference are what prevents sports franchises from being successful.

First and foremost, an owner must know how to win. Furthermore, an owner must view winning as a priority. Up to this point, William Clay Ford, owner of the Lions, has done neither of the two, thus explaining the Lions’ endless struggle.

But there is hope. The NFL has proved to be a “quick-fix” league, even if the team appears to be in a million rusted pieces.

Both Miami and Atlanta went from the doormat of the league in 2007, to playoff teams in 2008. It didn’t take long at all, just one off-season.

Similar examples can be found with several NFL teams in recent years.

Just because Detroit has been the poster child for terrible football the past 50 years, doesn’t mean this season is doomed for failure as well.

Let us not forgot the Arizona Cardinals played in the Super Bowl last season.

Detroit has quietly addressed some glaring needs. An overhauled front office was the first step. Bringing Jim Schwartz, Gunther Cunningham, and Scott Linehan to the sidelines will provide a coaching foundation.

Going below the radar and signing accomplished veterans such as Grady Jackson, Larry Foote, Bryant Johnson and Maurice Morris will serve great dividends on game day. Drafting quarterback Matthew Stafford was a leap of faith the Lions had to take.

Is Detroit still the worst team in the NFC North? Possibly. But they will be far from the worst team in the league, let alone league history. Of that I am certain.

To predict a specific number of wins would be nothing more than idiotic speculation at this point. There are far too many variables which lead to success or failure in the NFL.

 

But I will say this much. The Lions have a chance to be successful this season.

Granted, the word success is vague when compared to the complete failure the Lions experienced a year ago. Yet, therein lays the beauty of this upcoming season in Detroit. There are no expectations.

The Lions cannot fail. They already have done so to the greatest degree. For this one unique season, there truly is nowhere to go but up.

From (Red) Raider To 49er: Questions For Michael Crabtree

It must have been either Christmas or someone’s birthday for 49er fans everywhere on the afternoon of Apr. 25, 2009 because they received a gift that day.

A gift that slipped all the way to the tenth spot in the NFL Draft and had one of the most accomplished careers in college football history.

That present was Michael Crabtree, the former Texas Tech standout who had everyone in Lubbock, Texas shouting with glee when he was on the football field.

On six occasions, Crabtree made defensive schemes look inept with two or three  touchdowns.

However, he is most remembered by Red Raider fans for the only touchdown he scored against the hated Texas Longhorns, the one that clinched the game and made him a highlight-reel sensation. The play that also catapulted Texas Tech into college football’s elite.

If I were to sit down with Crabtree, here are ten questions I would ask:

1) Do people still talk about your last-second touchdown against Texas?

2) Would you say that was the greatest moment of your football career?

3) Now that your college career is over, what will you miss most about being at Texas Tech?

4) Would you say you left Texas Tech without any regrets? Is there one thing you wish you could change?

5) Did it upset you when you fell all the way to the 10th pick, especially when Darrius Heyward-Bey was picked ahead of you?

6) What was the first thing coach Mike Singletary said to you?

7) How has the bay area treated you so far?

8) The 49ers emphasize running the football and you played for a pass-first offense. Are you concerned about making any adjustments?

9) Have you gotten closely acquainted with your new 49ers teammates? Especially your new quarterbacks?

10) Do you have any goals for this upcoming season? Such as winning rookie of the year or just help getting the 49ers back to the playoffs?

Changes Ahead in Cincinnatti Bengals’ Offense

It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that when your team finishes 4-11-1 that changes need to me made.

The Cincinnati Bengals wiped the slate clean this off-season after a disappointing 2008 campaign and had as much player movement as any year during the Marvin Lewis’ era.

Offensively, the team needs to find answers after finishing dead last in the league in total yards and total points, 29th in rushing yards, and 30th in passing yards.

Prior to 2008, the Bengals finished in the top seven in passing for three straight seasons and in the top 10 of total offense in each of those years.

Obviously getting quarterback Carson Palmer back and healthy is paramount to the team’s success. Palmer, who was limited by injuries to just four games a year ago, has looked impressive thus far in the team’s mini-camps and appears to be near 100 percent.

“We’ve got some issues to deal with but any time you’ve got a guy like Palmer at quarterback you can turn it around very quickly,” offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said earlier this offseason.

If Palmer is going to produce the team will need to keep him upright. They allowed 51 sacks in ‘08, the third most in the NFL.

Retooling the offensive line was a big priority for the Bengals heading into the 2009 season. Right guard, Bobbie Williams, is the only starter remaining for 2005’s division championship team.

They spent their first-round pick, the sixth overall, on Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith. The team is hopeful that the 6-foot-4, 340-pounder can slide into right tackle and anchor the position for years to come.

Anthony Collins and Andrew Whitworth are expected to share time at left tackle, with Whitworth having the ability to move to left guard.

The play at center is going to be an important factor. Second-year man Kyle Cook, who has not played a single NFL-snap, currently sits atop the depth chart.

Keeping pressure off of Palmer is important, but so is establishing a running game. Success inside the AFC North always comes down to two things—moving the football on the ground and stopping the run on defense.

“We’re going to try to stretch the backers and mess with them a little bit,” Cook said of the changes ahead for his year in the team’s run-blocking schemes. “Give them the flow and give them different looks in the backfield with the tight ends. Kind of add another notch to our game.”

Bratkowski, who is entering his ninth season in Cincinnati, also knows that the time to mix up the running game has arrived.

After being known as a pass-first offense during the past few years, head coach Marvin Lewis has instructed Bratkowski to focus more on running the football.

“He wants us to be a more physical team that runs the ball better and uses more play-action,” Bratkowski told the team’s website. “Run it so we can play-action it and throw the ball downfield. That’s the direction he wants to go.”

Another key component is establishing a power-running game is getting good play at fullback.

The team re-signed veteran Jeremi Johnson, who they cut last season after he came to camp out of shape. It is unclear if he’ll be able to make it back. That would leave the Bengals with a pair of unproven players at the position, rookies Chris Pressley and Fui Vakapuna.

Cedric Benson, who signed with the Bengals four games into last season, is firmly entrenched as the team’s top running back after Cincinnati parted ways with former first-round selection Chris Perry last month.

Benson signed a two-year, $7 million deal this off-season. He led the Bengals with 747 rushing yards in 2008, including back-to-back 100-plus yard efforts in the season’s last two weeks.

The team also made a rare player-for-player trade when they sent defensive lineman Orien Harris to St. Louis in exchange for Brian Leonard. Although he played some fullback last year for the Rams, the Bengals envision Leonard more as a running back.

He possesses the versatility that the team covets as a change-of-pace runner and will allow the team to open up the playbook a bit. Leonard has shown some flashes of brilliance when given the opportunity for the Rams over the past two years and is the front-runner to win the backup job.

Veteran Kenny Watson, second-year back James Johnson and sixth-round pick Bernard Scott will battle it out for their spots on the roster.

During Palmer’s first four seasons, the team had 40 passes of at least 40 yards. Yet last season they managed just two and none until the last day of November. Establishing a running game should open up the passing game.

“We have to adapt. We don’t have the same personnel we did. We have to look at ways to use what we have,” Bratkowski said.

The biggest transition for the offense this season is likely to be in the passing game.

Gone is Pro Bowl wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who signed with Seattle as a free agent.

The Bengals brought in veteran Laveranues Coles to replace him in the offense, opposite of Chad Ochocinco.

Coles has lined up early on as the Z receiver, the wideout that is usually on the tight end side.  There are fewer sight adjustments and fewer blitz breakoffs at that spot. In addition, there is a larger blocking role in the strong-side running game.

Bratkowski doesn’t see too much difference between the Z and the X spots, the receiver on the other side. He feels Coles can play anywhere in the system.

“Things become more difficult or complex when you go inside; it’s a different game,” Bratkowski stated.

The Bengals are also hopeful that Chris Henry can make some positive contributions this season. He has stayed out of trouble for nearly 14 months and appears to finally be dedicated to being a football player.

Henry would be the biggest beneficiary of the team’s increased emphasis on setting up the play-action pass. Of his 107 career receptions twenty have gone for 20-plus yards and eight more for 40 plus yards.

Second-year players Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson, along with veteran Antonio Chatman, will compete to round out the receiving corps.

The newest wrinkle that could help resurrect the Bengals’ passing attack is how they use a tight end.

The team brought in pass-catching tight end Ben Utecht as a free agent after the 2007 season. However, an early chest injury sidelined him early and without Palmer under center the team did not have a chance to incorporate him into the system as expected.

In addition, the team landed tight end Chase Coffman out of Missouri late in the third round of April’s draft. He slid in the draft due to a foot injury that caused him to miss the combines, but he’s expected to be ready for training camp.

Coffman, who was recognized as the nation’s top tight end winning the Mackey Award, caught 83 passes for 920 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He has a knack for making amazing catches and could help fill the void of an over-the-middle option left by Houshmandzadeh’s departure.

“He brings us that big-time receiving threat as a tight end, and we are excited about that,” Lewis said.

The Bengals’ offense can only get better this season. The talent is definitely there and the unit has undeniable upside. There are plenty of question marks too, but they have a real chance of returning to a top-ten offense. Only this time the route to get there could be a bit different.

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