Running Back Blurb Breakdown: LaDainian Tomlinson

CURVE BALL. Instead of the number three back, I pull out old LT2 who I think is NOT dead yet.

Here’s why:

I always love movies where some guy is counted out—be it in the boxing ring, a classroom, a board room—the comeback story is a favorite.

Maybe that’s why I’m higher on LT than many others. I think Tomlinson has another year, at least, in him. He will put up solid numbers this year.

By all reports he’s healthy, so he won’t be starting the season banged up as he did last year. Staying healthy is the trick though, and at LT’s age it might be no mean feat. Also a question is the play of the offensive line, which was borderline criminal last season. They left LT, Darren Sproles and Phillip Rivers exposed to mad abuse.

That certainly didn’t help Tomlinson’s numbers.

A lack of a pure blocking fullback hurt as well. That also remains a question mark even if  Jacob Hester’s blocking improved as last season wore on.

Still I believe LT has at least one last hurrah in him. He’ll benefit in getting spelled for some carries by Sproles. He’s on the mat, bruised and battered by the pundits, but I think the story ends with him getting up one last time and sending those pundits to the mat.

Packer Fans, Now Is The Time To Start Uniting

It is no secret that the Packer fan base has been divided over the issue of Brett Favre, but with the season just a few months away, it is time to cut it out. A divided fan base is no way for a team to succeed.

For those who thought management was wrong, and for those who thought Favre was wrong, both have brought up some very good points but now is the time to drop the issue and get behind the team.

Let’s get behind the players and coaches who had nothing to do with the situation, and are just caught in the middle and who need you to rally behind them for them to get back on their feet.

So I say to you, those faithful to the Green and Gold, get your issues with the team out of your system over the next few weeks.

Write your heart out, yell your outrage in the streets, go to a bar and yell to anyone who will listen and just get it over with. Just get ready to prepare to support our team through the upcoming season, because with all of Packer Nation behind them, there is no way they can disappoint.

Preseason Picks for NFL All-Pro: NFC, Pt. 1 (Offense)

This is a slide show consisting of my preseason picks for the top players in the NFC for 2009. Instead of NFL All-Pro, this is the all NFC All-Conference Team, or a smaller version of the NFC Pro Bowl Team. The list will feature one or two players of each position on offense. There will be a follow-up for this slide, which will focus on the NFC’s defense and special teams.

Fanntasy Football Running Back Breakdown: Adrian Peterson

So while I said I wouldn’t be doing this numerically, I’d be hard pressed to start anywhere than with this guy.

Adrian Peterson

What’s not to like about Peterson? Good runner, great offensive line, decent WRs. All he needs is a few more TDs.

He has few minuses—And now it looks like Brett Favre will be throwing the ball, in which case suddenly Peterson gets someone who can keep the defenses from stacking against the run.

Even Taylor isn’t too much of a threat for AP.

Safe and dependable, you know Peterson will finish in the top 5 every year. He needs to work on his fumble issues, and on occasion, Childress has almost appeared to underuse him – but honestly, these are minor details.

Even a few carries to rookie receiver Percy Harvin won’t hurt Peterson all that much. Aside from injury—and you can’t predict that with real confidence—Peterson is the bottom line, safest running back in your fantasy draft.

2009 Running Back Rankings—6/25/09

So after much shuffling of people and hand wringing, here is the inaugural Blurb top 50 Fantasy Football Running Backs. Over the next day or two, I’ll have player breakdowns of about the top 10 or so on this list—not necessarily in order of where I ranked them.

If there is a guy you want to know about beyond that, drop me a line in the comments or at thunderingblurb@gmail.com and I’ll try to get on it ASAP.

A lot of this list comes down to my feeling after several mocks and early redrafts. In my opinion from the second to the 10th pick, you could make an argument for a number of players. Feel free to make YOUR argument known here or even on next Wednesday’s Blurb podcast.

Assume these will change by the time training camp hits.

Running Backs

1—Adrian Peterson
2—Michael Turner
3—Steven Jackson
4—LaDainian Tomlinson
5—Maurice Jones-Drew
6—DeAngelo Williams
7—Matt Forte
8—Steve Slaton
9—Chris Johnson
10—Frank Gore
11—Clinton Portis
12—Brian Westbrook
13—Brandon Jacobs
14—Marion Barber
15—Ryan Grant
16—Ronnie Brown
17—Knowshon Moreno
18—Chris Wells
19—Pierre Thomas
20—Reggie Bush
21—Willie Parker
22—Kevin Smith
23—Joseph Addai
24—Thomas Jones
25—Darren McFadden
26—Larry Johnson
27—Jonathan Stewart
28—Donald Brown
29—Marshawn Lynch
30—Ray Rice
31—Derrick Ward
32—Jamal Lewis
33—Cedric Benson
34—Rashard Mendenhall
35—Felix Jones
36—Fred Jackson
37—LenDale White
38—Darren Sproles
39—Julius Jones
40—Leon Washington
41—Ahmad Bradshaw
42—Chester Taylor
43—Fred Taylor
44—LeSean McCoy
45—Willis McGahee
46—Earnest Graham
47—LeRon McClain
48—Jerious Norwood
49—Laurence Maroney
50—Justin Fargas

JUST MISSED

Cedric Peerman—Will he take over for McGahee?
Shonn Greene—The future Thomas Jones, but will he get snaps?
Tim Hightower—If Wells holds out, Hightower gets a second chance.
Tashard Choice—Who is spelling Barber? Will Choice get a shot?
Jamaal Charles—LJ isn’t getting younger.
Rashad Jennings—Someone has to spell MJD. Jennings has the talent.
Michael Bush—Looks great in shorts. Will he make it a three headed monster?

Back soon with the first batches of player breakdowns.

2009 NFL Playoffs: Possible Newcomers

Every year we see teams new to the playoffs. And when I mean new, I mean that they didn’t make it the year before due to rebuilding, injuries, or just plain poor play. These teams are the most likely to make it, whether for the first time, or a return trip.

 

New England Patriots

Come on! Who didn’t see this one coming? The Pats missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker with the Dolphins for the AFC East Title, and with the Ravens for the final Wild-Card seed.

And it’s not just Tom Brady’s return that is going to send them into the playoffs.

They have bolstered their ranks. Joe Galloway joins the Patriots, they lost Mike Vrabel, but a healthy Adaulius Thomas could mean a lot, just watch what he did in Baltimore for six years.

While their running game isn’t the strongest, their passing game is almost unmatched with Galloway, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker all catching passes from Brady.

 

New Orleans Saints

I can guarantee that the Saints will see the posteason next year. Why? Look at their offense. While their defense is still in need of change, their offensive efforts pick up their slack.

Reggie Bush is poised to have a great season—he is putting his hot celebrity girlfriend in second place, and has been attending all OTA’s and offseason workouts, a good step, considering his lack of effort in previous years.

Then there is Drew Brees, the most underrated quarterback in the league. He is the second QB to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a single season, and the only person to have three consecutive 4,400+ yard season.

The Saints have all the offensive weapons they need to become playoff team.

 

Houston Texans

No, I’m not just jumping on the Texan bandwagon. It is obvious that the Texans are on the verge of a winning season, and most likely a wild-card birth, or even a division title.

They are coming in with a red-hot offensive unit. They are anchored with Matt Schaub at quarterback, who missed most of the 2008 season due to injuries. At receiver they have Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels, both Pro-Bowlers. Steve Slaton, a second year running back who had an outstanding rookie campaign, returns to the backfield.

On defense, they are led by Mario Williams, along with a balanced line and backers. Their only question marks are in their secondary.

 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks may even win the division against the defending NFC Champion Cardinals. They have reloaded and have the opportunity to play two rebuilding teams twice a year. Meanwhile the Cards have an extremely tough schedule.

The return of Matt Hasselbeck should greatly improve their chances. The Seahawks struggled all year at the QB position when Hasselbeck was injured.

They added TJ Houshmandzadeh, and although he is aging, he provides the target needed for Hasselbeck. But, their greatest returning strength is on defense.

Lofa Tatupu, one of the most intimidating men in football, anchors their defense. One of the top favorites for Defensive Rookie of the Year Award is Aaron Curry, whom the Seahawks drafted with their first round pick; he will add a lot of depth to an already strong LB corps.

 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers may even be able to de-throne the Vikings at the top of the NFC North. Dead and gone are they days of Brett Favre, it’s Aaron Rodgers’ team now, and he proved it last year.

6-10? That’s not proving anything, right?

False.

Aaron Rodgers performed as the best QB for any team under .500 (not including teams at .500 because Drew Brees blew away any QB in the league). He put up Top-10 Stats, and was considered a great QB with an under-achieving team.

They recently re-signed WR Greg Jennings, who goes great with Donald Driver, his opposite wideout. Their running game ins’t necessarily improved, but their passing offense has improved greatly.

 

Dallas Cowboys

Everyone knows the fiasco that revolved around the ‘Boys that led to a 41-6 embarrassment against their hated rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Cowboys are a strong team returning, and might catch some teams off guard.

Terrell Owens was a blessing and a curse for Dallas. They are now missing their most productive receiver, but the instigator in the meltdown that lost them a postseason appearance.

Now that he is gone, receivers Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, and Miles Austin can get more passes. Star tight end Jason Whitten can now get the ball without worrying about backlash from Owens, and Tony Romo won’t have his every move scrutinized. Not to mention the strength of the returning “Domination Defense” of the Cowboys.

 

Other’s considered: Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Blls, Washington Redskins, New York Jets, Chicago Bears.

 

I know not all of these teams will make it, but that’s the fun in predicting, you’ll never know if you’re right or wrong until the day comes. The NFC dominates most of this list simply because the AFC has largely been consistent in their postseason teams.

 

Report: Brett Favre Is a Minnesota Viking

The saga is over—again. The Vikings have an agreement in principle with quarterback Brett Favre, who will report to Vikings training camp.

Multiple sources, both radio and Internet, are claiming a contract is near completion and that Favre will likely land an incentive-laden, one-year deal that could reach the $8-10 million range. A formal announcement will likely not come until later this week, but the light is green to go—or really it’s purple, right?

A formal announcement is even more unlikely with Packer Report stating that Vikings head coach Brad Childress will be fishing in Alaska along with Eagles head coach Andy Reid.

Unless the deal falls through, Favre gives the Vikings a proven top option at quarterback that represents an instant upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, who were expected to compete for the starting job.

Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, has denied a deal is finalized, but don’t most agents do that as part of their typical protocol?

Speculation intensified when Favre had surgery on his shoulder earlier this offseason, something he would not have done at that time had football not been on his mind.

From my view, the expected addition of Favre makes the Vikings not just the favorites in their division, but also favorites to win the NFC. If there ever was a final piece to the Vikings’ puzzle, Favre is it.

They have a top rushing attack, headlined by All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson, and two burners at wide receiver in Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian to match Favre’s gunslinger mentality.

I hope he is not in this solely for the revenge factor of getting to whack the Pack twice this season. He needs to be there mentally for the other 14 games, or it will do nothing but hinder this team.

Knowing Favre, and seeing how he has gotten his way, we could see him in Minnesota beyond 2009 at this point.

---

P.S. If you are a Madden player, put Favre on your team and try it out, completely amazing!

An NBC-affiliated site was the first to churn out the news.

Also Vikings fans, check this out, your arch rival Cheeseheads made an impact move yesterday.

Tony Romo: Why America’s Best Friend Is No Top Five Quarterback Yet

My past two articles have been about Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers, where I have talked about their success and my reasoning for them being considered an elite quarterback in the National Football League.

This time, Tony Romo is on the list; however, I do not feel he is a Top Five quarterback.

 

Tony Romo has been one of the more talked about stories in the NFL.

Being undrafted, he found a way to make the roster with the Cowboys, and held his own during his time in 2005.

Romo got his chance in 2006 for the Cowboys, and did perform higher then expected.

He passed for 2,903 yards, 19 TD, and 13 interceptions. They weren’t the greatest numbers; however, it got the job done, as the Cowboys made the playoffs that year.

In 2007, the standards were higher, yet Romo still led the Cowboys to the playoffs by throwing 4,211 yards, 36 TDs, and 19 INTs.

After that performance, the expectations were high in Dallas heading into the playoffs. They failed to capitalize, however, and were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants at home.

As the 2008 season came around, the pressure began to be forced on Romo. After two straight seasons of failing to win a playoff game, greatness needed to happen in the final year of Dallas’ home.

Romo did miss three games during the season with injury, yet he still passed for 3,448 yards and 26 TD passes. There was more controversy found in Dallas then hoped, however.

The fall out of Terrell Owens led to a split in the offense. Roy E. Williams did not live up to his level as he did in Detroit, and to top it off, the Cowboys did not make the playoffs.

In his career thus far, Romo has thrown for 10,562 yards, 81 touchdowns, and 46 interceptions.

He also has a career passer rating of 94.7.

These stats are solid; he has shown that a good work ethic can get you somewhere, and he has found success in Dallas.

He is statistically in the Top 10 of quarterbacks, but is he a Top Five quarterback?

Should Romo be talked about as an elite top five quarterback with the body of work he has?

Right now, he does not fit the category.

What needs to be talked about is the first thing is his playoff success.

Romo has led the Cowboys to the playoffs twice, once on the road against the Seahawks, the other at home against the New York football Giants.

The first game was lost on the botched snap by Romo, a moment that stuck with him throughout the off season.

The second game was lost against the Giants, where a lot of frustration was brought out from the fans after the defeat.

In 2008, Tony Romo could not lead the Cowboys over the Ravens or the Eagles in the final two weeks of the season and failed to make the playoffs.

As a quarterback, what he already has against him is no success in the playoffs, the most importantly element that is usually used to judge whether the quarterback is elite or not.

When talking about quarterbacks such as Philip Rivers, many people believe one more season of consistency and dominance is needed to be a Top Five quarterback.

Well, it should be the same thing for Romo. He hasn’t put up the best stats we have seen a quarterback in a Cowboys uniform.

Can he put up another season of stats that he has played up to over the season?

It is going to be tough to do it without Terrell Owens, who was the most productive receiver on the team.

Rivers did put up these stats without the greatest receivers on the offense, while Romo has had an advantage to that.

Can he perform well without the troubled receiver alongside him in the offense?

The NFC East will be a challenge once again.

The Giants return their full defense healthy. The Eagles upgraded at offense, while the Redskins stabilized the defensive line.

The Cowboys lost Owens, and did not make an upgrade that would replace his stats.

Will Williams rise to the occasion, will Witten continue to play his potential?

It could be possible that Tony Romo can become a Top Five quarterback in a few seasons, but it’s not time to put him in the same category of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

 

Matt Miselis is a writer for BleacherReport.com

Top 10 Again: What the Seahawks Should Do with the Broncos’ Pick, Pt. 2

As I wrote about a week ago in the first part of this article, I tried to make the case for the Seahawks possibly picking Tim Tebow in the first round with the Broncos pick the Seahawks obtained in a draft day trade. 

Not surprisingly, some people find it ridiculous to look at next year’s draft before this season has even started.  Well guess what.  The preseason isn’t for more than a month and it’s never too early to talk about anything when it comes to football. 

So here continues the way-to-early look ahead at the 2010 draft possibilities, and, by popular demand, lets make a case for Taylor Mays, the Safety out of USC.

The first glimpse of this guy screams freak.  He is 6’3″ and 230 lbs.  A huge safety who is a tenacious tackler with a mean streak to boot in the mold of NFL superstars Troy Polamalu, Bob Sanders, and the late Sean Taylor.  He is larger than all the aforementioned players, but doesn’t lack speed.  He is a ball hawk and swarms to the play and is effective in run support as well as having good cover skills with size to match up well with larger receivers. 

Watching film of him you can see that he often diagnoses the play as it’s happening.  His ability to either crash the line on run support or drop into coverage quickly is an asset the Seahawks have been lacking in their secondary as of late.  In run support he is rarely misguided by jukes as he has no hesitation to run through the  ball carrier.  In pass coverage he shows the ability to jump routes and effectively get to the play to provide double coverage when needed.   

You can see that the kid loves to knock people out, but he doesn’t wrap up as well as you would like, relying heavily on his ability to put his shoulder down and plow through his opponents.  His knack for hard hitting could put him in trouble with the league with all the new player safety rules (his highlight reels feature a lot of helmet to helmet contact, see video posted at end of the article).  Nonetheless, not wrapping up has not hurt his prowess as an open-field tackling machine.  I’m sure there’s a few Cal receivers in particular who are having nightmares about Mays to this day.

If he focuses on his technique at the next level, which he would get great coaching from a coach like Mora, he will be another superstar safety.  He has all the tools and physical gifts to be considered perhaps the best defensive player in the 2010 draft.

Mays is a smart player who could be an immediate difference maker.  He could be next year’s Aaron Curry, as the best player in the draft, but not necessarily a need for teams picking at the top.  He’s a Seattle product, having played his high school ball at O’Dea (same school as Nate Burleson), and would fit in nicely with the new, fast-paced defense the Seahawks are installing.

As many have noticed, Seahawk Nation has voiced its opinion about this guy.  If the Seahawks are lucky enough to be in position to make a move for him, Mays would be hard to pass by.

Sure, it’s a hell of a hit, but let’s face it, when it comes down to it he got flagged and gave the team 15 yards and a fresh set of downs.

Players That Can Help the Raiders Build a Top-Five Defense

The Raiders have a great opportunity to become a solid defense this year and keep them in every game. Defense wins championships, and the Raiders could very well have a championship defense. There are many players that will help the Raiders defense, some of them aren’t even on that side of the ball. Here are some keys for the Raiders to have a top 5 defense.

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