Fleur-De-Lis Fever| No-Huddle In New Orleans: It Can Work For The Saints

Perhaps there is no closer relationship in the NFL between an offensive-minded head coach and a quarterback than there is with Saints head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees. 

They both arrived in New Orleans in 2006 and have consistently produced top-five offenses.

Brees finished second in the MVP voting in 2006 and was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2008.

Payton and Brees always seem to be on the same wavelength when it comes to play-calling and personnel packages.

So why not implement a no-huddle offense?

I’m not talking about a part-time, two minute drill no-huddle. I’m talking about a full-time no-huddle offense. 

Sam Wyche, one time head coach of a good Cincinnati Bengals team, implemented a full-time no-huddle offense with quarterback Boomer Esiason. Esiason won the 1988 MVP award and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl the same season.

The Buffalo Bills, led by head coach Marv Levy and quarterback Jim Kelly, adopted the no-huddle offense after losing to the Bengals in the 1988 AFC championship game.

Starting in 1990, the Bills proceeded to win four straight AFC titles. Say what you want about their four subsequent losses in the Super Bowl, but it is more success than the Saints have ever had.

The Saints can pass and score with the best of them already, so you may be saying, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken,” but the reality is that the Saints’ offense could use some tweaking. 

Yeah, the Saints need to run the ball better, especially in short-yardage situations. Let’s get real, though. Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis can talk all they want about getting or developing another running back to replace Deuce McAllister, but the Saints are still going to throw the ball 60 percent of the time.

The Saints are notoriously slow starters and often put up the bulk of their offensive numbers after the first quarter.

In the first quarters of games in 2008, the Saints were shut out six times and scored just 67 of their 463 points, only 14 percent. They scored a touchdown in the first quarter in just five games, but were 4-1 in those games.

For instance, the Saints scored 32 points in a loss at Denver but only scored three of those points in the first quarter fell behind 21-3.

The San Francisco 49ers shut out the Saints in the first quarter before the Saints exploded for 21 points in the second quarter.

The Saints twice used the fourth quarter to pad their stats in losses to division opponents after the game was out of reach. New Orleans scored 14 points in the fourth quarter in a 30-24 loss to Atlanta, and scored 21 points in the fourth quarter of a 33-31 loss to Carolina.

We can blame the defense all we want for the eight losses, and yes, they deserve a great deal of the blame, but perhaps that Saints would win a couple more games if they got off to better starts.

Brees is more of a player/coach rather than just a player and is more than capable of running a no-huddle. He knows his playbook and understands the nuances of the offense as well as anyone. His relentless film work allows him to read defenses and make changes on the fly.

New Orleans has enough versatile weapons to go an entire series without substituting.  Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas can both take hand offs and catch passes out of the backfield. Heath Evans, the new fullback, is a triple threat to block, run, and receive.  Jeremy Shockey is useful in both the run and pass game.

Versatility, which was one of the themes of the Saints’ offseason, allows the Saints to exploit favorable match-ups.

Here’s an example of how the no-huddle can help the Saints.

Let’s say the Saints begin a game with Marques Colston and Lance Moore at receiver, Shockey at tight end, and Bush and Thomas at running back. If Bush and Thomas are both in the backfield on first down, then the opposing team is probably in their base 4-3 or 3-4 defense. If the Saints go without a huddle on second down, they can put Bush in the slot without allowing the opposing team to switch to a nickel defense.

Remember, if the offense doesn’t substitute, then the referees don’t have to allow time for the defense to substitute.

We are in age of defensive specialization. 

There are defensive ends who get paid millions to only play during passing situations.  They are good at rushing the quarterback but are poor against the run.

There are linebackers who are fierce against the run but are worthless in pass coverage.  This is how the Miami Dolphins ruined the Chicago Bears’ perfect season in 1985.

Believe it or not, there are defensive backs who can’t play the pass. We politely call them “in-the-box” safeties, such as Roy Williams and Roman Harper.

The no-huddle exploits defenses that are chock full of defensive specialists.

Not only would a no-huddle provide for favorable match-ups, but it will eventually wear down defenses. 

The Saints would not have to run a hurry-up offense just because they go without a huddle. Peyton Manning often uses a no-huddle and still waits until there are only a few seconds left on the play clock before he calls for a snap.

The Saints’ offense is not as prolific as Saints fans and the NFL media seem to think.

It’s a good offense but it could use a little bit of work. Throw in a no-huddle offense with an improved run game, and we could be talking about an “all-time” offense before everything is all said and done.

Crazy Canton Cuts = Ray Guy

Ray Guy
6’3″ 195
Punter
Oakland Raiders
1973 – 1986   (14 Seasons)
207 Games Played
1049 Punts
44,493 Yards
42.4 Yard Average Per Punt
7 Pro Bowls

William Ray Guy was a first round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in the 1973 draft. He was the 23rd player picked overall.

Ray attended college at the University of Southern Mississippi. There, he set school records in placekicking, punting and as a defensive back.

He finished with a career punting average of 44.7 yards a kick, which is the highest average in NCAA history for punters with 200-249 attempts in their careers.

Guy was the NCAA punting champion in 1972 with a 46.2 average. He averaged 45.3 and 42.9 in his other seasons.

Guy’s 8 interception in one season is still a Golden Eagles record. Guy is second All Time in school history with 18 career interceptions. His 268 interception return yardage is currently the third most in school history.

Guy also set a then NCAA record when he kicked a 61 yard field goal, and still ranks fourth in school history in the most field goals made in a career.

In 1972, he was a member of The Sporting News, Football Writers Association, Walter Camp, Gridiron, Football News, Playboy and Associated Press All-America teams as a Safety and Punter.

Guy was named Most Valuable Player of the 1972 College All-Star game, in which college all-stars played the current Super Bowl champion.

Ray was also outstanding in baseball. He struck out 266 players in 220.2 innings, and threw 14 complete games in 31 total games in his career. He was drafted by Major League Baseball for 3 straight years.

Ray Guy is the first Golden Eagle to ever play in the NFL. He is also the first player to have his jersey retired in school history.

Guy is not only a member of Southern Mississippi’s All Century Team, but he is also a member of the schools Hall of Fame, the Mississippi and Georgia Sports Halls of Fame, and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Guy is also the first punter to ever be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Ray Guy is considered the greatest Punter to have ever played college football, and has a trophy named after him. The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the best collegiate punter in the nation.

Ray Guy is the first punter to ever be drafted in the first round by the NFL. His impact was immediate. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, when he averaged 45.3 yards per punt.

Guy would be named the Pro Bowl Punter every year up until 1978. At the 1976 Pro Bowl, Ray Guy became the first punter to hit the Louisiana Superdome video screen.

In 1979, he was named to the UPI All Conference Second Team, and the Newspaper Ent. Association All-NFL Second Team. He was named to his final Pro Bowl in 1980 after averaging 43.6 yards per punt. He also booted a career long punt of 77 yards that year.

For some unknown reason, he was not named to the 1981 Pro Bowl, despite punting a career high 96 times and having a 43.7 average. He was named to the UPI All Conference Second Team.

Guy booted the ball over 70 yards in four of his seasons, and kicked five over 60 yards in one season alone. His shortest season long was 57, in the strike shortened 1982 season.

That season also was the only season of his career when he did not average over 40 yards per punt, finishing with a 39.1 average. Guy ended the last three years of his career averaging 90 punts per season, when he retired after the 1986 season.

Ray Guy did more than just punt for the Raiders. He threw 3 career passes, completing 2 for 54 yards. His first career pass was intercepted. Guy also rushed for 43 yards on 11 attempts. In 1976, Guy was asked to kick an extra point, but missed.

Ray only had 3 punts blocked in his entire career, and never had a punt returned for a touchdown. He led the NFL in punting three times also. He also kicked off for aging kicker George Blanda, a Hall of Famer.

Ray Guy was an integral part of the Raiders. He also was on 3 Super Bowl winning teams in Oakland during his career. The highlight of his Super Bowls was in 1983. His punt in Super Bowl XVIII pinned Washington inside their 12 yard line, which led to a Raiders touchdown via a turnover the next play.

Ray was named the punter on the National Football League’s 75th Anniversary Team, the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team and as a member of the NFL 1970’s All Century team. He was recently inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

If you saw Ray Guy, you must be scratching your head right now as to why he isn’t yet in Canton. His punts were legendary. Other teams would test the balls that he punted for helium, due to the heights his punts attained.

I had thought, after seeing Kicker Jan Stenerud inducted in 1991, that the voters were FINALLY recognizing the importance of special teams. In 1994, Guy was the first punter to be nominated, but he still has not been elected.

I find myself often questioning the football knowledge of the voters. Some claim to be “purists”, saying that specialist do not belong because they only get on the field for a few plays each game. Still, isn’t Cantons reason for existence based upon what players do once on the field?

There is NO DOUBT that Ray Guy helped the Raiders win many games. Even if you disregard his statistics, you cannot look past his impact on football at all levels. Wake up the voter in the media that represents your area. Ray Guy deserves his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame right now!

Notable Players Drafted In 1973  (* Denotes Canton Inductee)

1. John Matuszak, DE, Houston Oilers
2. Bert Jones, QB, Baltimore Colts
3. Jerry Sisemore, OT,Philadelphia
4. John Hannah, G, New England *
5. Dave Butz, DT, Saint Louis Cardinals
6. Charle Young, TE, Philadelphia
8. Wally Chambers, DT, Chicago
9. Otis Armstrong, RB, Denver
10. Joe Ehrmann, DT, Baltimore
11. Sam Cunningham, FB, New England
12. Chuck Foreman, RB, Minnesota
13. Burgess Owens, DB, NY Jets
15. Isaac Curtis, WR, Cincinnati
19. Darryl Stingley, WR, New England
20. Billy Joe Dupree, TE, Dallas
24. J.T. Thomas, DB, Pittsburgh
26. Joe DeLamielleure. G, Buffalo *
28. Guy Morriss, C, Philadelphia
29. Derland Moore, DT, New Orleans
30. Greg Pruitt, RB, Cleveland
31. Cullen Bryant, RB, LA Rams
35. Mike Barnes, DT, Baltimore
36. Barney Chavous, DE, Denver
37. Ron Jaworski, QB, LA Rams
40. Brad Van Pelt, LB, NY Giants
41. Willie Harper, LB, San Francisco
42. Jim Youngblood, LB, LA Rams
49. Monte Johnson, LB, Oakland
53. Harvey Martin, DE, Dallas
54. Paul Howard, G, Denver
55. Randy Logan, DB, Philadelphia
56. Brad Dusek, LB, New England
63. Terry Metcalf, RB, Saint Louis
64. Dan Fouts, QB, San Diego *
71. Jim Laslavic, LB, Detroit
78. Leon Gray, OT, Miami
79. Gregg Bingham, LB, Houston
88. Tom Jackson, LB, Denver
91. Dick Jauron, DB, Detroit
92. Perry Smith, DB, Oakland
93. Andy Dorris, DE, Cleveland
103. Jeff Yeates, DE, Buffalo
106. Dave Reavis, OT, Pittsburgh
107. Allan Ellis, DB, Chicago
109. Tom Brahaney, C, Saint Louis
110. Wallace Francis, WR, Buffalo
111. Don Strock, QB, Miami
115. Cody Jones, DT, LA Rams
118. Brent McClanahan, RB, Minnesota
156. Ed Newman, G, Miami
157. Shelby Jordan, T, Houston
166. John Grant, DT, Denver
189. Ray Oldham, DB, Baltimore
192. Loren Toews, LB, Pittsburgh
217. Lyle Blackwood, DB, Denver
245. Ken Stone, DB, Washington
248. Nick Mike-Mayer, K, Atlanta
249. Lenvil Elliott, RB, Cincinnati
270. Dan Neal, C, Baltimore
281. Carl Barisich, DT, Cleveland
288. Joe Lavender, CB, Philadelphia
289. Paul Orndorff, RB, New Orleans (WWE Hall of Fame)
300. Garry Puetz, G, NY Jets
302. Boobie Clark, RB, Cincinnati
308. Larry McCarren, C, Green Bay
342. Ray Hamilton, DT, New England
353. Brian Kelley, LB, NY Giants
429. Dave Winfield, TE, Minnesota (MLB Hall of Fame)

 

 

Will Giselle Decide the AFC East?

The dark cloud that has been cast over the AFC East by the Patriots in 2001 with the infamous Tuck Rule (Tom Brady’s first NFL rule creation) is starting to break. Two years ago the Patriots were on the verge of becoming the first team to go 19-0, while the Dolphins won only one game. The very next year the the Dolphins seemed to accomplish the unfathomable, winning a tiebreaker with the Patriots and garner a playoff berth with both teams finishing 11-5.

Jets fans remember all too well Chad Pennington throwing for 200 yards in the regular season finale to crush the last threads of hope the Jets had for making the playoffs in 2008. Last season’s Dolphins MVP may not be anyone on the field but rather their Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells; who specializes in the “quick fix.”

The acquisition of Chad Pennington righted their ship, as well as bringing in galvanic head coach Tony Sparano. Pennington was the perfect guy to turn around the franchise, being looked at as the benchmark of consistency.

However, his limits in throwing the football makes it seem he can only bring the Dolphins as far as the first couple rounds of the playoffs.

You would have to be living without electricity to not have heard of Terrell Owens going to Buffalo. The Bills had people talking last year after starting off 4-0, only to fold once conference play started. The 6.5 million dollar question is whether T.O. can bring the Bills to a competitive level in-conference.

Owens’ greatest asset to the Bills will be opening up Lee Evans for a stellar year. However, if history has shown us anything, just when Lee Evans will start putting up good numbers and Trent Edwards starts to feel comfortable, Owens will start complaining about how he does not get enough balls thrown his way and lead the Bills to their demise in the second half of the year. 

As long as Brady is healthy and Belichick is calling the shots, the Patriots have to be counted as the favorites. Although they lost legendary GM Scott Pioli and three year offensive coordinator Josh Mcdaniels, Brady is still throwing passes to Randy Moss.

With Giselle living in NYC, can we get her to take some tips from Jessica for the Jets game? Count on the Jets who almost always give the Patriots a good game (beating them on the road two of the last three years) to continue to challenge the Pats.

One thing that will be missing this year is the icy handshake at the end of games between Belichick and Mangini, who has moved on to the Cleveland Browns.

The AFC East is going to be survival of the fittest. Each team is poised to make a run, although they all have noticeable weaknesses (i.e. a seasoned quarterback in the Jets case).

If Sanchez can be the savior this season fans are hoping/praying for, then they will be in the thick of things come December. The Bills need a few things to go their way and a certain receiver to stay happy. As of now Miami and New England are leading the way but New York and Buffalo will challenge.

Who Is Travis Beckum? You’ll Know Soon Enough

Alex Trebek : This player from the University of Wisconsin was a Mackey Award semifinalist in 2006.

John Fennelly: Who is Travis Beckum?

Alex Trebek: Yes, it was his first year as an offensive player, too. Not bad.

That leads me to think…who exactly is this kid who’s name is so eerily close to that of the character played by Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver?

Here’s what we know:

He’s an exceptional athlete. He started his college career as a defensive player and then switched to tight end in his junior year.

He was named second-team All-American. As a senior, he broke his leg and fell off the radar of many pro scouts.

But not everyone’s radar screen went dark. No one seems to fall off the Giants’ radar these days.

Jerry Reese took Beckum with the second of his two third round selections (No. 100 overall). It wasn’t a total shock, but right then and there everyone from the guy who sells the peanuts to John Mara felt a shiver.

Another steal?

Perhaps. Beckum is what is commonly known as “a tweener:” a guy who is too big for one position and too small for another. In his case, Beckum is 6’3″, 240 and is too big for a WR and tad too small for a TE.

Will he be an H-back perhaps? Kevin Gilbride, the Giants’ OC says no, because the Giants normally do not use the H-back formation in their offense.

“I see him as a bigger Steve Smith,” said Gilbride in an interview with Giants.com, “He creates a problem for defenses matchup-wise.”  That’s right.  A slot receiver. Beckum will be the hinge that the Giant offense has lacked.

Defenses will need to put a safety on him (who will be too small) or a linebacker (who may be too slow).  Either scenario strengthens both the passing and running attacks.

Gilbride also alluded to the fact that Beckum has great YAC (yards after catch) potential, which would garner even more attention from defenders.

So my Saturday just got a little better after listening to Gilbride, brimming with enthusiasm over the new weapon in his arsenal.

My 2009 Seattle Seahawks Prediction: Back in the Driver’s Seat

Last season, the Seahawks finished 4-12, and earned the No. 4 pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Now, if you’re someone who knows the Seahawks’ history, you would think that there was really something wrong. Well, there was—injuries, which were like a plague to the Seahawks this past season.

They lost QB Matt Hasselbeck, WRs Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Logan Payne, LT Walter Jones, LG Mike Wahle, C Chris Spencer, RG Rob Sims, RT Sean Locklear, DE Patrick Kerney, LBs Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill.

Just take a minute and look at that. That would be like, for example, the Pats losing Brady, Moss, Welker, all five starting OL, Richard Seymour, Adalius Thomas and Jerod Mayo. Now tell me, do you think they would even be a .500 team? No.

So what has Seattle done this offseason to fix that? Well, they came into the offseason needed a few things. A No. 1 WR, DT, LB, CB, and health. Well, they filled all of them.

They made a big splash and went out and signed WR T.J Houshmandzadeh to a five-year, $40 million contract that has $15 million in guaranteed money.

Then, the Seahawks went out and made a signing that a lot of people overlooked and really didn’t hear about, but that the Seahawks are very high on. They signed DT Colin Cole to a five-year, $21 million contract with $5 million guaranteed.

Now here’s where things got a little interesting. The Seahawks, who had a solid LB corps with JP, Tatupu and Hill, decided that one of them needed to go. That player wound up being OLB Julian Peterson. The Seahawks traded Peterson to the Detroit Lions for DT/DE Cory Redding and a fifth round pick in the ’09 draft.

So that created a huge hole at OLB for the Seahawks to fill. Now, as it got closer and closer into the draft everyone was talking about Mark Sanchez (who was rated No. 2 on the Seahawks board) and Michael Crabtree. Now here’s commissioner Roger Goodell… “With the fourth pick in the 2009 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks select… Aaron Curry, linebacker Wake Forest.”

Not too shabby of a way to fill the hole left by Peterson. For the rest of the draft, they picked up the Denver Broncos’ 2010 first round pick for the Seahawks second rounder in ’09, LG Max Unger in the second round, WR Deon Butler in the third, QB Mike Teel in the sixth round and S Courtney Greene, DE Nick Reed and TE Cameron Morrah in the seventh round.

Now after the draft, things got interesting one more time for the Seahawks front office. For the entire offseason, they had been trying to get a long term contract done with Leroy Hill. Hill has been slapped with the franchise tag for 8.3 million. Now, Hill refused to sign it, which was great for the Seahawks because they put the tag on him, which meant they would have to get two first round picks for Hill.

After the Seahawks drafted LB Aaron Curry, they rescinded the franchise tag from
Hill, making him a unrestricted free agent. After the Seahawks let Hill test the free agent market, they came back to Hill with basically what they started with, a six-year, $38 million contract, and Hill gladly accepted it.

For the time period between Hill being released and the Seahawks drafting Curry, the Seahawks made two great signings. They signed CB Ken Lucas to be the starting CB opposite Trufant and they replaced Leonard Weaver with FB Justin Griffith, which filled the two remaining holes at FB and CB.

The final piece of the puzzle was to have everyone healthy. Well Hasselbeck, Branch, Burlerson and all the OL are healthy. Patrick Kerney is the only inured player remaining, and he should be ready for the training camp in July.

So my prediction for the 2009-2010 Seattle Seahawks… well it has a few stipulations. Those being 1)  Can everyone stay healthy, on both sides of the football? 2) Hasselbeck and Houshmandzadeh have to really hook up. 3) Julius Jones has to be a big factor in Knapp’s running offence.

With all that being said, I see the Seahawks going 11-5, or 10-6.

Minnesota Vikings: The Five Biggest Games of the 2009 Schedule

The schedule of an NFL team can speak volumes of how great they truly are. Then again, it can also prove how weak and pathetic they are. In 2008, the Minnesota Vikings had one of the toughest schedules in the NFL and finished with a strong 10-6 record.

All the same, a weak record to an NFL team can mean an easier road to destiny. In 2009, the Minnesota Vikings have among the easiest schedules in the NFL. With only six teams (seven games) of their seventeen game schedule had winning records in 2008.

With that said, Minnesota could see an easier road, yet may see some of the biggest teams in the NFL all the same.

Why Brett Favre Does Not Want to Stay Retired

The problem I have with Brett Favre trying to keep coming back to the NFL is that he is doing this only three months after he retires.

I understand coming back from retirement after a year or two, but a few months? Are you kidding me?

I believe that the reason he keeps retiring is that he is unhappy where he is, so he retires then unretires so he can go to another team, and then he will retire and go to another.

In my opinion, he should just quit now that he has found out about the problem with his shoulder, but I mean his shoulder has been bothering him since his last year with the Packers, so why did he not call it quits then?

His retirement issues are not because of his love for football, it’s for his love of money. His recent team hopping is mainly so he can get a new contract from a new team.

San Diego Chargers Reject New Staduim Plans

The San Diego Chargers rejected plans by a developer to build a $1 billion stadium as a part of the redevelopment project to the land surrounding Qualcomm Stadium, stating that the project would be too big for the Mountain Valley site.

According to the Associated Press on Thursday, hours before the project was to be publicly announced, attorney Mark Fabiani sent developer Perry Dealy a letter stating that the team does not believe it has a realistic chance of happening and to stop referring to the Chargers in reference to the project.

“We did it reluctantly,” Fabiani told the Associated Press of the Charger Club’s decision to back out of the plan.

The plan, named the The River Park at Mission Valley would include a 70,000 seat stadium, 3.76 million square feet of office space in 11 buildings, a 16-story hotel, 6,000 residential spaces, 500,000 square feet of retail space, and more than 14,000 parking spaces according to the Associated Press.

The San Diego Chargers still hope to build a new stadium, with areas such as Chula Vista and downtown San Diego, east of PetCo Park—home of the San Diego Padres—under review.

The hopes to build a stadium in Chula Vista were put on hold after the uncertainty of the shutdown date of a local power plant in the area.

Dealy is disappointed with the club’s decision to back out of the project, but understands that the project has many issues that still need to be resolved.

Under Dealy’s plan the Chargers and the NFL would each contribute $200 million to the project while San Diego State would contribute $100 million. The rest would be paid for with taxes and sales on the surrounding developments.

NFL True Power Rankings

Here are my power rankings.

 

1. Patriots

They are just the best team that’s ever played football. With Tom Brady back they are unstoppable.

 

2. Eagles

They improved their offense in the offseason. It doesn’t matter that they lost Brian Dawkins they are the best team in the NFC.

 

3. Steelers

They are so amazing. Probably even better than last year, but the Patriots are just a little better.

 

4. Giants

What a great team. No one can stop their running game and their defense is amazing.

 

5. Colts

This team is just amazing. No one cares that they lost their head coach, off. coordinator, and def. coordinator.

 

6. Cowboys
The Cowboys are America’s team. They are in the NFC East which makes them an amazing team.

 

7. Redskins
What can I say they got Albert Haynesworth and they are in the NFC East, which is the best division in football.

 

8. Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson is the best running back to ever play the game and Shawne Merriman is God.

 

Ok I’m going to stop there. This was a complete and total joke.

I’ve made two serious power rankings and every one of the teams I listed above, especially the Eagles, bit my head off.

I had one guy pissed because the Patriots were No. 5 and not No. 2. Another guy was mad because the Eagles were 10.

Oh and the nerve of me putting the Cowboys or Redskins in the bottom half of the league. Their in the NFC East that makes them playoff contenders.

All this article was supposed to do is make you think about what power rankings are about. If you want the cookie cutter power ranking, well there you go. There is a power ranking with absolutely no thought involved.

I can tell you right now that this cookie cutter power ranking will be wrong. The past couple of years there have been teams that topped the power rankings that weren’t expected to.

Honestly, I would like to know what fun is it to have this typical ranking? Is this the way you want it to be?

I mean I can go into probably 30 reasons for each team as to why they could be a good team this year… and that’s all anyone does whenever I put up a power ranking. They complain that their team isn’t higher because of reasons a, b, and c.

So please think next time before you post a 500 word essay on why your team deserves to be in the top five on someone else’s power rankings.

Cleveland Browns: More Excess Baggage

This article is a continuation of this article; http://bleacherreport.com/articles/186602-what-do-the-browns-do-with-their-excess-baggage

Along with Derek Anderson and Donte’ Stallworth, there is one more notable player that doesn’t seem to fit into the grand scheme of things in Cleveland. That player is Hank Fraley.

Fraley had to suspect that his days as a Brown were numbered the moment they drafted Alex Mack with their first selection. With the offensive line under a lot of scrutiny last year, Fraley was most known for criticizing the decision to take Derek Anderson out of the starting lineup.

As center and quarterback, Fraley and Anderson had a close relationship. The reality is that if both are still on the team when the regular season starts, they will be spending a lot of time next to each other on the bench.

An organization doesn’t take a lineman with its first overall pick to sit him on the bench. I don’t see Mack replacing either Eric Steinbach or newly acquired Floyd Womack. That does leave Fraley as the odd man out.

The Browns may want to keep Fraley as a backup center. However, with Rex Hadnot on the depth chart, keeping Fraley around really doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The good news is that unlike Anderson and Stallworth, other teams will be interested in acquiring Fraley. One team that immediately comes to mind is the Detroit Lions. After going 0-16, they need all the help they can get on that offensive line.

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