2009 Philadelphia Eagles Position Preview: The Defensive Line

It is said that games can be won or lost on the line on the line scrimmage.  The defensive line is literally the first line of defense in helping the defense perform efficiently. 

On the right side of the line for the Philadelphia Eagles, DE Trent Cole provides speed off the corner in the pass rush.  Cole recorded nine sacks in 2008 after coming off of a Pro Bowl season in 2007. 

Cole has become one of the premier pass rushers in the league despite being tagged with labels of being undersized, fragile, and not being capable of contributing regularly as a starter. 

On the left side, DE Juqua Parker filled in admirably in the place of the injured Victor Abiamiri and proved to be a nice complement to Cole. He tallied five sacks in 2008 and gave opposing offenses another capable pass rusher to think about every snap. 

Up the middle, the Eagles are solid at the tackle position.  Tackles Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson are stout against the run.

Bunkley has vastly improved from his tumultuous rookie season in 2006.  He has become one of the best up and coming talents at his position league wide.  The 6’2″ 306 lb tackle out of Florida State has averaged 80 tackles over the last two seasons, which has become the reason behind Philadelphia’s improving run defense.

Patterson is one of the unsung heroes of this line.  As is the case with Bunkley, Patterson has become a steady contributor to the success of this line.  He is truly one of the more underrated players on the defensive line, if not the entire defense.

A defensive line is nothing without depth.  Providing the depth are defensive ends Darren Howard, Chris Clemons, Victor Abiamiri, Bryan Smith and defensive tackles Trevor Laws, Dan Klecko, and Jervonte Jackson.

Darren Howard was originally signed in 2006 as a starter opposite Jevon Kearse.  Initially, Howard showed that he was not worth the high price the Eagles paid to lure the free agent away from New Orleans. 

However, in 2008, Howard recorded 10 sacks in a reserve role.  In a pinch, Howard can provide some relief for Cole in order to keep him and the rest of the line fresh.

Chris Clemons was signed in 2008 with the intent of being a pass rush specialist.  Clemons was absent for most of the season but showed signs of his potential late in the season by making an impact rushing the quarterback with six sacks.

Victor Abiamiri was set to be the starting right defensive end in 2008, but a wrist injury kept him out of action.  Abiamiri has the potential to be a very good pass rusher in this league if given the chance.  This could be his breakout year if he could stay healthy and productive. 

Last year’s third-round pick Bryan Smith did not see the field after being put on injured reserve.  In the time spent on IR, Smith has improved himself physically from the slender defensive end he was at McNeese State.  Smith could be one to watch in the preseason to see if he can be another weapon to be utilized in the pass rush.

2008 second round pick Trevor Laws did not see much time as well in 2008.  A standout at Notre Dame, Laws has untapped potential and provides depth behind Patterson and Bunkley.

Dan Klecko will be back at his natural position, defensive tackle, after playing fullback for Philadelphia in 2008.  If nothing else, Klecko provides needed depth and experience.

 

Unit Grade: A-

Despite being a bit undersized on the ends, this unit makes up for it with athleticism and being able to utilize the scheme that is put into action. 

Patterson and Bunkley should only get better and provide a stout defense against the run in 2009.

Abiamiri is this year’s training camp wild card on this line.  He should have a shot to acquire more playing time given he can stay on the field long enough to show what he can do.

Dirty Bird Flies Again: Why the Falcons Are Here To Stay

Attention all Falcons Fans!

Attention all Falcons Fans: last season was not a fluke!

The Atlanta Falcons have emerged from the depths of the NFL to be not only a team on the rise, but a team here to stay.

Two years ago, all was doom and gloom for the Atlanta Falcons. Their Franchise quarterback, the one who they spent all their money on, the one they pretty much gave a key to the city to, the one who was here to lead the Falcons to glory, got arrested because he was spending his ridiculously high salary to fund a dog-fighting program.

Classy guy, right?

As if those hints wouldn’t give that away to the entire country, Michael Vick was gone and his era was over here in Atlanta (thankfully).

After a season where we lost Vick, we lost our new head coach, and (most importantly) lost 13 games, we wound up with the No. 3 pick in the 2008 Draft.

Who knew all this was just a blessing in disguise?

With it, the Atlanta Falcons selected QB Matt Ryan out of Boston College.

To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the pick at first. I wanted McFadden’s blazing speed in our backfield.

Then the wins came.

Ryan started to show leadership and matured into what the Falcons needed. Then he went on to win the NFC Rookie of the Month. Wins were still coming in and Ryan continued to improve. 

Then we ended the season on a three game win streak and found ourselves in the Promise Land again (a.k.a. NFL Playoffs). We had a date with the eventual NFC-Champion Arizona Cardinals in Arizona, and showed the league this team was no fluke, even if we did come up a little short.

So, here we are about to start the 2009 NFL season, and the Falcons have vastly improved during the offseason.

Matt Ryan is a freak.

He has proved to be the best Rookie QB since Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

Sophomore Slump for Ryan?

Doubt it.

Ryan will continue to grow as a decision-maker and a passer. He will become more comfortable being a vocal leader for this team with the year of experience in the NFL under his belt.

Also, with Roddy White emerging as a star Wide Receiver and the addition of a veteran Tight End like Tony Gonzalez, Ryan has a deep threat and a short threat to throw to.

Not to mention the experience and leadership Gonzalez brings to this team.

Don’t forget about the backfield, though.

With Michael “The Burner” Turner pounding yards and Jerious Norwood blowing by defenders at the RB positions, teams cannot concentrate only on stopping Atlanta’s passing game

With a defense showing it is still improving and a solid offensive line ready for this season, one can believe there is a new era taking place right now in Atlanta: the WINNING era. 

The Dirty Bird has taken off into the atmosphere, soaring above the competition!

And that’s here to stay.

The AFC West: Underrated Players

People often call the AFC West the worst division in football. And although that might be true, there are many talented players in this division. The big names are easy, players like: Champ Bailey, Nnamdi Asomugha, Ladainian Tominson and untill just recently Tony Gonzalez. But there are some lesser knonw players who much more talented then they get credit for. In this slideshow I will go through each AFC west team and discuss the most underrated player on each team. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.

State of the Tampa Bay Bucs Heading into Training Camp

Everywhere you look, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are written off. Beat writers talk about this being a rebuilding year. National pundits scratch their heads and wonder who the heck this Raheem Morris guy is and why in the world would they blow out Jon Gruden for him?

Add to the dismissal of veterans Joey Galloway and future hall of famer Derrick Brooks, as well as an apparent daunting schedule and four wins appears to be a bit high for an over/under on wins for 2009.

The Bucs are a younger football team, there’s no denying that. But are they better? As we move closer to Training Camp, opening July 31 at One Buc Palace in Tampa—let’s take a look at the major moves the Bucs made this offseason and do a little pigskin prognostication of our own.

 
Quincy Black, Jermaine Phillips, Geno Hayes and Angelo Crowell vs. Derrick Brooks and Cato June

You can never replace a leader like Derrick Brooks. In the locker room and in the community, few Buccaneers are as beloved and admired as Brooks. That admiration makes it very difficult for fans to accept the truth about their favorite player.

Brooks is done—he just doesn’t know it yet. As much as Buc fans love No. 55, it was Brooks’ pride that contributed to the Bucs defensive collapse at the end of 2008.

He was injured but refused to come out and opponents exploited the one legged linebacker, who had no where near the speed to fill the gaps and cover as he once did. He was beaten unmercifully and at times it was painful to watch him.

Can Jermaine Phillips or Geno Hayes replace him? You don’t just replace a Derrick Brooks, folks. But that’s only if we’re talking about Derrick Brooks of 2002. Derrick Brooks of 2008 was expendable.

Neither Phillips or Hayes will have the vast amount of knowledge Brooks used to diagnose plays and make an impact. Still athletically, they will be far superior, returning to the defense the sorely missed speed they’ve lacked the last couple of years.

Under new defensive coordinator Jim Bates, the linebackers will be called on to blitz a lot more off the edge. Phillips and Hayes are built to do that.

As for Cato June, let’s face it—June was an overrated football player at Indianapolis and was invisible in Tampa Bay. Quincy Black is a former third round draft pick with speed to burn and a desire to live up to his draft status. He will finally get that opportunity to compete for the starting spot with free agent Angelo Crowell.

Determination: Upgrade.

McCown, Leftwich, or Freeman vs. Jeff Garcia

Jeff Garcia has the heart of a champion, no doubt. What he lacks is height, the ability to see open targets down the field and the courage to stand in the pocket that extra second to deliver the ball.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Garcia lacks courage overall—on the contrary, he would make some gutty runs and bled for this football team. I’m saying that the decision to run always seemed to come too quickly and he lacked the trust in his line or his receivers to stand in the pocket that extra second to make a play.

Luke McCown is the polar opposite. In fact, it has been said he makes his decision too slowly and while he waits for plays to develop, he gets himself sacked.

Still, athletically McCown has a better arm than Garcia ever had, he may be one of the best athletes on the football team and has established a trusted relationship with many of the team’s weapons.

Byron Leftwich has the most experience among the starters but his inability to get the ball out could be a major issue for him in the competition. With no rush in his face, Leftwich is deadly accurate, with a cannon to get the ball down the field.

Unfortunately a hitch in his throwing motion not only delays getting the ball out but tips off corners and safeties when the ball is coming.

Josh Freeman has all the physical attributes you’d want for your quarterback with the exception of one important one—experience. The only way you get experience is to play the game but we all know the horror shows that are rookie QBs indoctrination into the league.

Freeman was supposed to redshirt this year but either by the failure of the two other QBs or his own merits, he’s forced Buccaneers management to rethink their position on the rookie’s development track. In the end, its likely in the best interest for the team to keep Freeman on the bench for the short term.

Determination – Downgrade.

Kellen Winslow, Jr, Kelly Campbell, Sammie Stroughter vs. Alex Smith, Joey Galloway, and Ike Hillard

One of the biggest offseason moves this year was the Buccaneers acquisition of Kellen Winslow, Jr. from the Cleveland Browns. Winslow is an All-Pro tight end and an immediate impact in the offense. Alex Smith never lived up to his early potential with the Bucs and was eventually dealt to New England to make room for Winslow.

Kelly Campbell is a CFL reject who had a cup of water with the Buffalo Bills early in his career. Campbell performed well in the Canadian league and has been impressive in the OTA’s and minicamp.

Joey Galloway was a dominant performer for the Bucs before age caught up with him this last season. After becoming one of the first Buccaneers to post consecutive 1,000 yd seasons, Galloway missed most of 2008 with nagging hamstring and foot injuries.

Sammie Stroughter is a seventh round draft pick that has the Buccaneers thinking they got their own Marcus Colston. Ike Hillard was reliable “Mr. Third Down,” always there at the sticks when the Bucs needed to extend a drive.

Determination – Push.

Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski vs. Offensive Coordinator/Head Coach Jon Gruden

Coach Jags offense is not all that different than Coach Gruden’s. The biggest change is the philosophy of pushing the football down the field vertically rather than run several short routes. Jags offense has simplified terminology compared to the voluminous playbook of Gruden.

It won’t have as many shifts or motions as Gruden’s offense had that enabled mismatches. Jags offense will run first to set up the pass, compared to Gruden’s pass to set up the run philosophy.

Determination – Upgrade.

Defensive Coordinator Jim Bates vs. Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin

There’s no denying the Tampa Two success in Tampa Bay that made Monte Kiffin a legend among Buccaneer fans. Kiffin’s erratic and charismatic demeanor seemed to energize the team, while his defenses continued to dominate for close to a decade.

Toward the end, though, Kiffin’s famed defense began to develop cracks. His penchant for using veterans over younger players helped the defense get off to good starts but when the veterans bodies began to break down, the defense would limp to the end of the season.

Jim Bates scrapped the famed Tampa Two in favor of a much more aggressive version of the 4-3 defense. This defense relies on bigger bodies in the middle to stuff the run, with pressure coming from the edges. The corners, do to the increased pass rushing responsibilities of the linebackers will be forced into more man-to-man situations.

Determination – Incomplete. It will take some time to see how the Bucs personnel adapts to Bates’ style of defense.

Head Coach Raheem Morris vs. Head Coach Jon Gruden

Gruden won a Super Bowl in Tampa—there’s no arguing against that. He was charasmatic in front of the media, showing an amazing wit and fun nature about him.

But there was a darker side to Gruden. A side that abused his players mentally and caused them to distrust their coach. Gruden couldn’t tell the truth to his players and if one got injured, they might as well have been dead.

Toward the end, a good portion of the football team no longer believed in Gruden and had no interest in helping the Buccaneers suceeed with him at the helm. Under Gruden, the Bucs favored veterans and were more of a finesse football team.

Morris has looked confused and shaky in front of the media, causing fans to take pause, but according to several reports—he has made a tremendous impact on the players. Even newcomer Kellen Winslow sees it, saying “I never want to play for a coach other than Coach Morris.”

There’s more to coaching then having the players like you and it will be interesting to see how Morris will handle the game time decisions of going for it on fourth down, clock management and other situations that can win or lose games. Under Morris, the Bucs favor young players and want to be tougher, more physical style in mold of the Steelers.

Determination – Incomplete. Again, we have to see how Morris handles game-time situations.

The 2009 schedule vs. 2008 schedule

There’s no doubt that own paper, the Buccaneers have one the NFL’s toughest schedules this season. Facing the NFC and AFC East as well as Green Bay from the NFC North and San Francisco from the NFC West, in addition to the NFC South it appears to be a tough road to hoe for a young team under a first year coach and general manager.

A closer look at the schedule, however, and it doesn’t look quite as daunting as one might believe. 

I really don’t think Dallas is going to be all that good this season. Washington isn’t a world beater and the Giants lost a lot when Plax shot himself in the thigh (plus they lost the fireplug in Ward).

I don’t see Miami’s gimmick working this season, Buffalo remains a work in progress, the Jets are starting Sanchez, and New England’s quarterback is coming off multiple surgeries on a damaged knee (and lets face it, he wasn’t overly mobile to begin with).

In our division, Carolina is solid—but can Jake Delhomme survive the season? Everyone will be ready for Atlanta’s running game this year—will Matt Ryan step forward or step back? New Orleans continues to be New Orleans…all glitz, no championships.

Determination – Tougher.

Bottom line, there are many question marks about the 2009 Buccaneers but something tells me fans and pundits a like may be very surprised by the kind of play coming out of Raymond James Stadium this season.

Redskins Roster Review: Tight Ends

For all of the offensive futility, the Washington Redskins have struggled through, one thing they haven’t lacked the past few seasons is a quality corps of tight ends.

Chris Cooley will remain the starter coming into 2009 and with good reason. A third round draft choice out of Utah State, Cooley has become the fan favorite in DC. He posted 83 catches for 849 yards last season, and improved as a blocker as well. He is the Redskins lone threat over the middle and he moves the chains more consistently than any of Jason Campbell’s other targets.

This offseason Cooley shed 20 pounds in an effort to become more of a threat with the ball in his hands. Early indications are that this was a successful shedding. Cooley has been more explosive and has added strength according to reports.

Cooley wasn’t targeted enough in the red zone and it showed up on the stat sheet as he snagged just one TD pass last season. That marked the first time in his career that Cooley caught less than six TDs in a season.

Expect that to change as head coach Jim Zorn will better utilize him in the red zone. In addition, Zorn is hoping to see the development of his second round pick from last year, USC tight end Fred Davis.

Davis won the Mackey award in 2007, given to the nation’s top collegiate TE. However, that success hasn’t yet translated to the professional level.

Davis saw very little time last season, and some questioned his commitment to football this past year. However, Davis possesses the size and skill to be a solid compliment to Cooley.

A two TE set would be an ideal formation to work out of for Campbell. Both TEs are big with tremendous ball skills, meaning mismatches for opposing defenses. However this can’t happen if Davis doesn’t jump ahead of the curve in his second year.

Davis couldn’t even take the number two TE spot last season. That belonged to Todd Yoder. Yoder was used in a reserve role, but he did catch eight passes for 50 yards and a TD.

Yoder was more of a blocker and he filled the role well whenever he got on the field. He possesses a blue collar work ethic that endears him to the fans. Davis should watch him closely and pick up on his drive because Yoder plays beyond his abilities thanks to the work he puts in.

The final TE on the roster is undrafted Delaware product Robert Agnone. Agnone caught 71 passes for 886 yards and 11 TDs in his college career, in which he spent some time with current Ravens QB Joe Flacco. Agnone is the tallest TE on the team at 6’6″, but he remains a longshot to make the final roster.

On a side note, Zorn’s second year running the west coast offense will be under heavy scrutiny. He underused Cooley last year especially in the red zone, something that can’t be repeated given the underachieving WR corps. If Davis progresses, then Zorn will have to give preference to the TEs because they give him legitimate targets over the middle.

In addition, Campbell is comfortable throwing to Cooley on third downs. Zorn did get Cooley involved on third down last year, but that was simply because the receivers struggled to gain separation. Cooley must become a primary option in the passing game and not just on third down because he is the best the Redskins have in terms of consistency.

Overall Grade: A-

You have to like what Cooley gives you every week. He shows up to play every game and is Mr. Reliable. Considering the sometimes woeful state of the Redskins’ offense, it’s refreshing to see Cooley on the field.

Yoder isn’t a gamebreaker, but his main contributions don’t often show up on the stat sheet. He won’t get any attention, but he gets the job done and is an adequate number two TE.

Of course this grade would be an A if Davis just flashed his amazing potential. Davis is like much of the rest of the Redskin offense. The potential is there, but remains untapped.

 

Black and Gold X’s and O’s | Identifying Concepts: The Crossing Route

For the next eight weeks, I will write one column a week regarding different concepts the Saints will use either on offense or in defensive packages in 2009.

Today’s version deals with some of the intricacies of the Crossing Route, which has become a staple of pretty much every NFL offense, although few teams do it as well as the Saints.

A key to understanding the crossing route is to understand the purpose of the route. The main idea is to create a matchup problem either with a receiver on a linebacker, or a Tight End on a player that cannot cover him.

Generally, it is advisable to throw this pass after the receiver has cleared the extended pocket, for two reasons.

First, the quarterback has less of a chance of having such a pass deflected by a big defensive tackle.

Second, this allows the receiver to clear the coverage but still gives him room to run with the ball after he makes the catch.

Most crossing routes are designed to beat zone coverage, but some are also built to beat man-to-man.

These zone-busters generally come in three varieties.

First, you have the shallow cross, followed by the drag, and finally the deep cross.

You can think of these as short, intermediate, and deep-er.

The shallow route is generally run no deeper than three yards. It is intended to be run in front of the linebacker level. It is assumed the receiver can beat a linebacker going side-to-side.

Complimentary routes include hitches, clear outs, and occasionally even slant routes. But often times when a shallow cross is called, it’s labeled as hot.

That’s why quarterbacks will often throw this pass very quickly and generally fail to complete it.

The intermediate drag is generally run at five-to-six yards, but can be run deeper based on the depth of the linebackers and safeties on expected coverages.

Again, it is ideal to stay in front of the linebacker.

This time there will generally be deeper routes being run down the middle of the field, such as a Dig (Deep In), Post, or Seam. This will often take the attention of the linebackers to open up space for the receiver running the drag.

Finally, the Deep Cross is run deeper at ten-plus yards. This is intended to be run behind the linebacker level and in front of the safety level.

This route has beaten the Saints’ defense many times over the past three years, but has also been a very effective play for the Saints’ offense.

Lance Moore is probably the best at running this pattern. He shows patience running his routes so as to not give away the route, but he gets good burst in order to accelerate past the linebacker level.

He makes sure to stay in front of the safeties as well. Brees knows that as soon as he clears that final linebacker, he can make the throw.

Brees anticipates this very well, which allows him to make timing throws with accuracy.

There are also crossing routes designed to “rub” defensive players. Defensive players and coaches call this a “pick”, but it really is a rub.

A “rub” is performed by two receivers. One goes in front of the defensive player, while the other goes about a yard deeper.

Often times the two defensive players, when playing man coverage, will run into each other, or at least bump each other enough to throw one off his path.

Once this happens, a receiver has plenty of daylight to run with the ball after the catch since the entire defense is playing man-to-man. The quarterback must read the defenders and determine which one will be most affected by the rub.

He then quickly must throw to the receiver he is covering.

If expected well, the crossing route is one of the most dangerous route concepts in the NFL.

It has become a staple of every offense at every level.

Yet, it is still safe to say the Saints do it as well anyone.

Brett Favre vs. Green Bay Packers: Throwing TDs or Throwing Games?

It’s a near certainty that Brett Favre will be playing football in 2009 for the Minnesota Vikings. In fact, there are already rumors circulating that the Vikings have put in an order for No. 4 Favre jerseys with the NFL’s equipment supplier.

What remains is the question of why Brett Favre seems so hellbent on playing for the Vikings.

The source of this likely scenario taking place on the gridiron is the bitter relationship between Favre and his former GM, the Green Bay Packers’ Ted Thompson.

Publicly, both Favre and Thompson will say the right thing and deny any animosity against the other. But privately, this is simply not the case.

Favre believes that Thompson forced him out of Green Bay. Whether that is the truth or simply Favre’s version of the truth will likely never be known despite reams of articles written on the subject. But Favre has held on to his opinion like a feral dog to a fresh kill.

If Favre truly despises Thompson and is willing to burn every bridge built in Green Bay to seek his revenge on the man, then the following scenario I will lay out is extremely plausible.

While still in Green Bay, Favre wished Ted Thompson would build a winning team around him—not through the draft, as appeared to be Thompson’s strategy, but through free agency. That is how Favre had seen the Packers build their Super Bowl-winning team, by picking up the likes of Reggie White, Desmond Howard, and Eugene Robinson.

But Thompson didn’t seem willing to spend the Packers’ money in such a fashion. The team failed to bring in any big-name talent through free agency. Favre practically begged Thompson to grab Randy Moss and give him a true receiving threat. Yet without even making an offer, Thompson let Moss land in New England.

So Favre played with the youngsters that he likely knew were not a Super Bowl caliber team, despite his constant claims of how talented the young Packers supposedly were.

Thus began Favre’s constant talk of “retirement.” Basically what Favre was doing was waiting to see if the Packers would make a move and sign a big name to bring in the offensive talent he wanted prior to committing to returning to the Packers’ sideline.

It was a threat. An idle threat—and the Packers front office knew this.

Finally, the straw snapped. Favre was so angered by Thompson’s refusal to listen to his requests that he wanted out—and he wanted to go to Minnesota.

Not simply because he had friends running the team and he already had a good knowledge of their offense, but because he could stick it to the Packers (mainly Thompson) twice a year.

Thompson was no fool. He realized this, and instead of kowtowing to Favre’s somewhat childish demands, shipped his franchise and future Hall of Fame quarterback to the New York Jets—with several conditions attached.

Thompson and Packers knew that Favre wanted to play in Minnesota so bad that they put a rider in the deal that if the Jets turned around and traded Favre to the Vikings, the Jets would have to surrender their next three first round draft picks, a clear deterrent.

For the immediate moment, the Jets had to trade a single pick—one contingent on Favre’s play and how far the Jets went in the postseason—for Favre’s services. Not only did the Jets land a superstar quarterback, their first since Joe Namath, they boosted ticket sales and jersey sales immediately. This coincided with over $140 million in other talent the team brought into New York.

Despite this, Favre did not want to play in New York. As the season went on, this was obvious. He didn’t participate in team functions, and by season’s end, he was hated by most of his teammates, who sensed his dislike of being there.

Favre’s play at the end of the season, when the playoffs seemed easily within the Jets’ grasp after an 8-3 start, seemed to coincide with the animosity built up between the quarterback and the rest of his team. Without mincing words, in the last five weeks of the season when the Jets went 1-4, Favre sucked.

He threw just two touchdowns against nine interceptions. His quarterback rating averaged just a tick over 50 for those five games. The Jets missed the playoffs, and their head coach, Eric Mangini, was ultimately fired.

Talk was Favre was just washed up. Or maybe it was his throwing arm, which later would require offseason surgery, that was at fault. Either way, it looked as if his career was truly at an end.

So it came as no surprise when Favre talked of retirement again. Then he asked for his release from the Jets, and the Jets complied without a second thought. The team had made their money off Favre in ’08 and now had a new franchise quarterback in Mark Sanchez to hype.

Yet this was exactly what Brett Favre wanted all along: his freedom—and the freedom to go to the Vikings, where he would have his chance to go head-to-head with Ted Thompson and the Packers.

Could Favre have designed this whole scenario while under center for the Jets? Could he have thrown games at the end of the season simply to get himself out from under the Jets’ control?

Think about this. Favre had cut all ties to his former team by putting himself first. He seemed not to care about his fans’ opinions because, again, he came first. He had no want to see the Packers succeed; they had dared to turn on him. 

Despite all of this, his success on the Jets was still directly tied to the Packers’ future success.

Had Favre led the Jets to the playoffs, Thompson and the Packers stood to gain a second round draft pick as part of the deal (a first round pick if he led them to the Super Bowl).

If Favre indeed accomplished that, that success would have made the Jets front office tighten their grip around Favre, rather than giving him his unconditional release as he wanted.

Yet if the Jets floundered and failed to reach the playoffs, Thompson would get just a third round pick, and the Jets wouldn’t necessarily want the “old man” back. 

Perhaps to Favre, this latter scenario was preferable. Thompson and the Packers would get next to nothing for trading Favre, and in turn, Favre would be a free man.

With five weeks left in the season, Favre, and consequently the Jets, suddenly tanked. 

So maybe Favre’s play at the season’s end wasn’t just the wearing out of a 40-year-old quarterback. Perhaps it was a fiendish plan of someone who was seeking revenge against a man and a franchise he felt had wronged him (and his super ego).

Now Favre has exactly what he wished for a season ago. He’s free to join the Vikings, perhaps to the welcoming wishes of friends who know that there is plenty of gas left in Favre’s tank despite what he seemed to show at the end of the ’08 season.

As for the Jets, they ultimately profited from Favre’s brief time there. Yet they were just a pawn in Favre’s game. 

The enemy was the Packers. For their grief, they get just a third round pick out of Favre—not the second rounder or the potential three first round picks possible if the Jets had dealt him.

What do you think of that, Ted Thompson?

If Favre indeed joins and succeeds with the Vikings, Thompson is made the fool Favre believes him to be. Revenge can be sweet, can’t it?

As long as Favre and the Vikings can win.

“Super” Mario Wililams Proves Doubters Wrong

Let me tell you something about Mario Williams.

The man has faced as much scrutiny as the President.

After becoming the first selection in the 2006 NFL Draft over hyped college stars Reggie Bush and Vince Young, Williams has been watched by just about everyone doubting the decision.

Slowly but surely, however, people are starting to see that Williams is becoming one of the best DEs in the game.

But it wasn’t always like that.

The day after the draft, Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com said “Houston could have chosen USC tailback Reggie Bush, but instead got sloppy drunk on ‘measureables’ and potential rather than actual production. Hel-lo, did you see how many contrails and broken ankles Bush left behind this season?”

He wasn’t the only one. 

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports graded Mario Williams as the worst pick for the Texans, saying that they “…should have drafted Reggie Bush.”

The majority of sportswriters, players, and fans agreed, myself included.

Well, I’ve had my fair share of crow, and I’m making sure that everybody has a hearty helping of it as well.

Some people are refusing to eat it.

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle claims that he “…was on the Mario Williams bandwagon from the start.” 

Really?

He described the Texans decision to pass on Bush as smacking of stupidity and looking dumb.

Yeah, on the bandwagon the whole time.

Mario Williams is a good player. 

Great, even. 

Better than Reggie Bush and Vince Young.

Fun Fact: Mario Williams scored a touchdown before Reggie Bush did in 2007.

Does that prove Mario is better? 

No.

But it’s bragging rights for all Houston Texans fans.

Williams has had 30.5 sacks in his three season career and looks to be destined for many, many more.  Meanwhile, Bush has faced injury problems and has been overshadowed by Pierre Thomas, while Vince Young has taken a backseat to Kerry Collins.

Still worthy candidates for the first overall selection?

So, as Mario provides pain to Quarterbacks around the league, he should remember the pain that sportswriters caused him in the beginning of the career. 

On second thought, scratch that.

Be forgiving, Super Mario.

They’re like Bowser, and we all know Mario beats Bowser in the end and saves Princess Peach in the process.

Texans fans, including myself, are Princess Peach. 

Save us from mediocrity and bring us to the playoffs.

Please?

Will Jacksonville Jaguars Pursue Veteran Options at Wide Receiver?

By trading Dennis Northcutt to the Detroit Lions for safety Gerald Alexander, the Jacksonville Jaguars added much needed depth at one position while leaving another unit depleted of veteran talent. Behind Torry Holt, the Jaguars depth chart tends to get a bit murky.

Many fans applauded the trade because Northcutt was never embraced in Jacksonville.  His inability to win the fans over was the result of one dropped pass in the playoff loss in New England back in 2007. Aside from the infamous drop, Northcutt proved to be a reliable receiver for David Garrard. 

With Northcutt out of the picture, the second most experienced receiver currently on the roster is Troy Williamson.

Williamson was an afterthought last season, and it seems unlikely that he will ascend the depth chart in any meaningful way this year. The former first-round draft pick has never lived up to his draft pedigree. With less than 1,100 yards receiving over a four-year career, Williamson is the second most productive receiver on the team right now.

Those statistics hardly inspire confidence that things will be fine.

The only other receiver currently on the roster with a single catch in the National Football League is Mike Walker. 

Sixteen catches for 217 yards.  Those are career statistics.

It only gets worse from there as no other receiver has a single reception in the NFL. 

With a serious lack of experience aside from Torry Holt, the Jaguars will need to have an eye on the waiver wire to see what shakes out over the next several weeks.

The first player to come up on the Jaguars radar is Roscoe Parrish. 

If the Jaguars were to pursue Parrish, he would wind up being the third most productive receiver on the roster. Again, this is hardly the thing legends are made of.  Trading for his services seems somewhat unlikely due to the fact that he will probably wind up being released at some point. 

The Jaguars could certainly roll the dice and go with the current group of receivers. This seems to be the least appealing option for the team as they continue the rebuilding process. Putting everything on such an inexperienced wide receiver corps would be nearly the equivalent to surrendering the 2009 season. 

Sure, the team might have struck gold with at least one of their recent draft picks. History tends to indicate otherwise as rookie receivers struggle more often than not to succeed initially. There are rare occasions when a rookie will arrive on the scene and immediately have an impact for a team.

Receivers normally require adequate transition time to get acclimated to the NFL.  Adjusting to the speed and physical nature of the league can often be an obstacle too difficult to overcome.  Troy Williamson is a perfect example of a player struggling with the game at the next level.

Some players never make the move and wind up with pedestrian statistics and a bust label to show for their effort. Some rise to the challenge and find their way in the league. It is literally a roll of the dice. 

So, putting high expectations on a young group of receivers to all hit the ground running for the Jaguars seems unrealistic. With Torry Holt nursing a knee that will never be anything close to fully recovered, the team is putting a lot of pressure on young, inexperienced receivers to carry the burden. 

History does not side with the Jaguars on this.

Trading Dennis Northcutt was a business decision based on a player being dissatisfied with his situation and hoping to get an opportunity elsewhere. Northcutt was certainly not a receiver that would be considered a play maker, but he was solid enough with his production that his presence will be missed for this group. 

If Torry Holt and Mike Walker can both stay healthy and be as productive as the team hopes, things will be much better for the younger receivers. However, if either of the starting receivers stumble, the passing game could be in serious trouble in 2009. 

Top 12 NFL Players with New Teams in 2009

This is a list of the top 12 NFL players with new teams this upcoming season. Most of these were done via free agency, and are based upon how much they will improve the team that they were just added to.
There are definitely some players that I left off of this list I know, but I didn’t want it to be the top 25 or 30, so I tried to narrow it down to the top dozen.
Not all of these things work out, there have been many moves that have actually made the team worse, or a player didn’t live up to expectations in their new home. Time will tell what kind of effect these players will have on their new teams.

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