San Diego Chargers 2009 Roster Breakdown: Guards

Part one of the preview detailing San Diego’s personnel at the offensive line will deal with the guard position.

The Chargers boast some of their best “big uglies” at this spot with a multi-Pro Bowl caliber man in Kris Dielman, an interesting position battle on the right side with Kynan Forney and first-year man Louis Vazquez, as well as another rookie, Ben Muth, thrown in for good measure.

Best Contemporary Nicknames in the NFL

From Dick “Night Train” Lane to “Prime Time” Deion Sanders, there has been no shortage of nick names for NFL players.

Whether it be a simpler way for the media to say a name (LT-Chargers) or just a player’s supernatural talent provoking media and teammates alike to come up with these nicknames (Sweetness – Walter Peyton).

The following is a list of current NFL players whose nick names have a chance to stand the test of time, much like Captain Comeback (Roger Stauback) and Mean Joe Greene

There is no ranking system to this list, these are just all the nicknames I thought were the best for the best players

Michael Vick: Too Short To Play Quarterback

Whenever he returns to active player status, Michael Vick will be on the short list of NFL quarterbacks.

Of the top 10 quarterbacks by yards last season, only 6-0 Drew Brees is as short as Michael Vick.

David Garrard stretches to 6-1. Donovan McNabb, Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Warner are 6-2.

Then you get to the big guys.

With the Start of Training Camp, the Derrick Burgess Saga Continues

The news out of the opening day of training camp circled around the absences of two key players: first round draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and disgruntled defensive end Derrick Burgess.

Heyward-Bey, who was limited during OTA’s with a hamstring injury, has yet to sign a contract, but head coach Tom Cable remains optimistic that a deal will be reached sooner rather than later.

As for Burgess, the saga is ongoing, although now that he is officially a holdout, it seems more and more likely that Burgess’ days in Oakland are numbered.

Since the beginning of the offseason, Burgess has been a non-presence, choosing not to attend optional workouts and in May, being sidelined from the team’s mandatory minicamp due to an “upset stomach.”

The team has taken a hushed approach to the situation, as evidenced by Cable’s most recent comments regarding Burgess’ absence, stating, “we really haven’t talked about a reason and that’s really all I’m going to say about [it].”

Despite neither side going so far as to lambaste each other through the press, Burgess and the Raiders have both expressed their desire to seek a trade.

Prior to the draft, the prevalent rumor involved the Raiders sending Burgess to the New England Patriots, and despite the draft being over and done with, the Patriots are still apparently interested in acquiring the eight-year veteran.

Now entering his final year of a five-year contract, Burgess is due to make $2 million this upcoming season. However, the issue isn’t simply about the money.

At 30 years of age and coming off his worst statistical year as a Raider, Burgess is looking to move on to a surefire contender. Although the Raiders would like to think that a healthy Burgess can return to his old form, the fact of the matter is, Burgess doesn’t believe the Raiders can win and he doesn’t want to waste another year contending for anything less than a Super Bowl.

And while acquiring Burgess certainly makes sense for the Patriots, the Raiders have to make sure any such deal makes sense for them, and not like the 2007 deal that sent Randy Moss to the Patriots for a mere fourth rounder.

In truth, this tiresome saga should never have come to this. Unless Cable and staff were busy trying to get their defensive end back on board, Burgess should have been dealt at the draft.

It’s hard to say the situation has been detrimental to the team as the staff has done an excellent job at keeping the team focused and on track, and with the acquisition of veteran Greg Ellis, the team seems like it has its collective sights set forward.

However, now that Burgess is an official holdout, it’s hard to see this situation turning out favorably unless a trade is made.

2009 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings

A youth movement is occurring at the wide receiver position. In fact, the position has become so dominated by the young guns that seven of the top-10 fantasy football wide receivers from 2008 have yet to hit the big 3-0 (Steve Smith, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss were the exceptions).

As such, you’ll notice a changing of the guard some-what in his year’s wide receiver rankings, with Leapin’ Larry Fitzgerald leaping all the way to the top, followed closely by Houston Texans’ stud, Andre Johnson, while former stud Chad Ochocinco falls out of the top-20 and old reliable, Torry Holt, plummets out of the top-30.

 

TIER 1

1. Larry Fitzgerald—Arizona Cardinals (Bye: Week 4)

It would have been intriguing to go inside the mind of Fitzgerald as he was in the midst of outrunning every Pittsburgh Steelers defender to the end zone during his 64-yard touchdown reception in the Super Bowl last season, if only to find out if he was thinking of all the people who have criticized his speed in the past. Rest assured that those critics are silent now. Last season Fitzgerald caught 96 passes and set career-highs in receiving yards (1,431) and touchdown receptions (12). He’s been a model of consistency throughout his five-year career, and has caught at least eight touchdown passes in every season that he’s played a minimum of 15 games.

Last year, during the Cardinals’ surprising four-game playoff run that culminated in a Super Bowl appearance, Fitzgerald had at least six catches, one touchdown and 100 receiving yards in each contest. Those performances undoubtedly helped catapult him into the No. 1 overall spot among fantasy football wide receivers throughout the industry. He’ll only be 26 when the season starts, and despite some changes among Arizona’s coaching staff, there’s no reason to believe the former Pittsburgh star’s performance will ebb.  Another 95+ catches, 1,400+ receiving yards and 10+ scores are virtually guaranteed if he is healthy.

 

2. Andre Johnson—Houston Texans (Bye: Week 10)

If asked who the No. 4 passing offense in the NFL was last season, most people would likely rattle off a number of teams—Indianapolis, Dallas, Green Bay, Philadelphia—before thinking about the Texans. But indeed, Houston did claim that fourth spot by throwing for nearly 267 yards per game. The catalyst for that aerial incursion was Johnson. He had eight games with at least 110 receiving yards, including a momentous four-game stretch in which he hauled in at least nine passes for 130 receiving yards in each.

The former Miami star was on his way to setting all kinds of career-highs in 2007, but injury ended that campaign early, forcing his fantasy football owners were to wait until last season. His start to 2008 was auspicious, as he caught 10 passes for 112 yards in Week 1, but after a hurricane forced Houston to take their bye in Week 2, Johnson came back meekly, combining for just five receptions and 67 receiving yards in Weeks 3 and 4. It was lights out from that point forward though, and his 115 catches, 1,575 receiving yards and eight touchdowns matched or set career highs. With a healthy Matt Schaub coming into his own, Johnson should continue his dominance and put up numbers comparable to last season.

 

3. Randy Moss—New England Patriots (Bye: Week 8)

On Sunday, Sept. 7 of last year, hospitals nationwide reported an unusual preponderance of heart attack patients, each of whom had one common thread—they played fantasy football. Astute readers will recall that was the same day that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady injured his knee and was lost for the season. Okay, it’s possible we’re exaggerating about the heart attack thing, but the point is that Brady’s injury had consequences that were far-reaching. One of those that suffered was clearly Moss. Though he still wound up with a solid overall season, hauling in 69 passes for 1,002 yards and 11 scores, it was nowhere close to the juggernaut campaign he put up in 2007, when he caught 98 passes for nearly 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns.

But now that Brady has made his triumphant return, big things are once again expected out of Moss. It would be foolhardy to assume he’ll post numbers similar to his 2007 output, but the 32-year-old should see a vast improvement in his overall stats, and thus his consistency. Moss had five games last season in which he recorded fewer than 30 receiving yards, and in only one of those games did he score a touchdown. In fact, Moss failed to reach 60 receiving yards in exactly half of the Patriots’ games a year ago. Still, don’t let that cloud your judgment. Fifteen touchdowns are certainly within his grasp and the player who has rightfully been dubbed The Freak will once again return to prominence with the help of an old friend.

 

4. Calvin Johnson—Detroit Lions (Bye: Week 7)

Sometime in the distant future, should a modern-day Doc Frankenstein endeavor to reanimate a creature to turn into a wide receiver, he would only need to go to one grave—Johnson’s. But enough of the morbid imagery, this is about fantasy football, and specifically, the fantasy of having the man they call Megatron on your side. He was about the only thing Lions fans had to be positive about last season, as he snared 78 passes for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns. Just think of what he would have been able to do if he played on a team that wasn’t the worst in NFL history.

Johnson has so much talent it oozes out of his nostrils. He’s forced to carry Kleenex around with him so he doesn’t make a mess of things. Due to that aptitude, there is every reason to believe Johnson will take another step forward in 2009. It shouldn’t matter whether Daunte Culpepper or Matthew Stafford is throwing Johnson the ball—if they get it near him, he’ll catch it. It can be easy to downgrade him because of the situation in Detroit, but doing so would be a mistake. He’ll once again score double-digit touchdowns while moving past the 80-catch barrier for the first time.

 

TIER 2

5. Reggie Wayne—Indianapolis Colts (Bye: Week 6)
6. Steve Smith—Carolina Panthers (Bye: Week 4)
7. Roddy White—Atlanta Falcons (Bye: Week 4)
8. Greg Jennings—Green Bay Packers (Bye: Week 5)

 

TIER 3

9. Anquan Boldin—Arizona Cardinals (Bye: Week 4)
10. Marques Colston—New Orleans Saints (Bye: Week 5)
11. Brandon Marshall—Denver Broncos (Bye: Week 7)
12. Terrell Owens—Buffalo Bills (Bye: Week 9)
13. Wes Welker—New England Patriots (Bye: Week 8)

 

TIER 4

14. Dwayne Bowe—Kansas City Chiefs (Bye: Week 8)
15. T.J. Houshmandzadeh—Seattle Seahawks (Bye: Week 9)
16. Roy Williams—Dallas Cowboys (Bye: Week 6)
17. Antonio Bryant—Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Bye: Week 8)
18. Braylon Edwards—Cleveland Browns (Bye: Week 9)
19. Vincent Jackson—San Diego Chargers (Bye: Week 5)

 

TIER 5

20. DeSean Jackson—Philadelphia Eagles (Bye: Week 4)
21. Chad Ochocinco—Cincinnati Bengals (Bye: Week 8)
22. Lee Evans—Buffalo Bills (Bye: Week 9)
23. Santonio Holmes—Pittsburgh Steelers (Bye: Week 8)
24. Hines Ward—Pittsburgh Steelers (Bye: Week 8)

 

TIER 6

25. Bernard Berrian—Minnesota Vikings (Bye: Week 9)
26. Anthony Gonzalez—Indianapolis Colts (Bye: Week 6)
27. Santana Moss—Washington Redskins (Bye: Week 8)
28. Jerricho Cotchery—New York Jets (Bye: Week 9)
29. Lance Moore—New Orleans Saints (Bye: Week 5)
30. Eddie Royal—Denver Broncos (Bye: Week 7)
31. Donald Driver—Green Bay Packers (Bye: Week 5)
32. Laveranues Coles—Cincinnati Bengals (Bye: Week 8)

 

TIER 7

33. Kevin Walter—Houston Texans (Bye: Week 10)
34. Torry Holt—Jacksonville Jaguars (Bye: Week 7)
35. Donnie Avery—St. Louis Rams (Bye: Week 9)
36. Steve Breaston—Arizona Cardinals (Bye: Week 4)

To see the rest of the rankings and to read all 80 WIDE RECEIVER player profiles and check out the rest of our 2009 FANTASY FOOTBALL WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS click this link... FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL PLAYER RANKINGS

Fantasy Football Notes: San Francisco 49ers

After finishing the 2007 season with a very disappointing 5-11 record, San Francisco 49ers fans had higher hopes heading into 2008. The high hopes were largely a result of the team bringing in an “offensive genius” in new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who was supposed to help the offense make drastic improvements and help turn quarterback Alex Smith into the player the 49ers expected he would become when they drafted him first overall in the 2005 NFL draft.

But, things did not quite work out as expected as Smith injured his shoulder in training camp, leading to a trip to the injured reserved. This left Martz with two journeymen quarterbacks, J.T. O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill to work with.

The result was a rough start to the season. After seven games, San Francisco was just 2-5, leading to the in-season firing of head coach Mike Nolan. Nolan was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Mike Singletary.

Singletary’s reign did not get off to the best start. Not only did the 49ers go on to lose their first two games under the new head coach, but Singletary, also, had an altercation with tight end Vernon Davis that left many people wondering if he was the right choice to take over the team. Singletary, though, would silence his doubters.

After losing his first two games as head coach, Singletary and the 49ers won five of their next seven to finish the season with a 7-9 record, leading the Niners to reward Singletary with a 4-year deal.

While the team would have loved to finish the year at .500, there were plenty of things to be excited about come season’s end. None more important than the fact that team may have found a potential starting quarterback in Shaun Hill.

Hill, who would start the final eight games for the 49ers, led the team to a 5-3 record in those games while passing for 2,046 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In doing so, Hill has earned himself a chance to compete with Alex Smith for the starting quarterback job in 2009.

KEY ADDITIONS

Damon Huard (QB) – Huard was brought in to add some depth to the quarterback position. He is a 12-year pro who has played for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and most recently the Kansas City Chiefs. He started 21 games over the past three seasons for the Chiefs, but has never managed to be consistent enough to hold onto the starting job. He will likely be good training camp competition for Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, but it is unlikely Huard will come out of camp as the starting quarterback.

Moran Norris (FB) – Norris became a casualty of the Mike Martz experiment. He was cut by the 49ers after training camp in 2008 because Martz’s offense did not call for much use for a full back. Norris spent the 2008 season with the Detroit Lions, starting eight games. The addition of Norris back into the 49ers offense could be a big one. He is a big run blocker and was the fullback in 2006 when running back Frank Gore had his best season going for a franchise record 2,180 combined yards from scrimmage.

KEY DEPARTURE

Mike Martz (OC) – The addition of Mike Martz as the 49ers offensive coordinator ended up being a one-year experiment. It would be unfair to say that Martz failed in San Francisco, as the 49ers’ offensive numbers were respectable as the team rose from being the 32nd best offense in 2007 to the 23rd best in 2008. However, after changing head coaches mid-way through the season, Martz became expendable when San Francisco announced that Mike Singletary would become the teams new head coach.

ROOKIES TO WATCH

Michael Crabtree (WR) – Every year there seems to be a player that slips in the first round and is drafted a little later than most people predicted. This year it was Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Ranked as the number one wide receiver prospect by many of the experts, Crabtree was projected to go as high as the fourth overall pick, but whether it was because he wasn’t able to workout for teams because of off-season foot surgery or questions about his attitude, the 49ers were happy to land him with the tenth overall pick. Crabtree, who finished his sophomore season at Texas Tech with 93 receptions for 1,135 yards with 18 touchdowns in 12 games, gives the 49ers a legitimate WR1 for the first time since T.O. left.

He is expected to be fully recovered from foot surgery in time to be ready for the beginning of the 49ers training camp and has a chance to earn a spot as one of San Francisco’s starting wide receivers in 2009. In addition to being an excellent receiver, Crabtree is also an excellent blocker at the wide receiver spot.

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Isaac Bruce (WR) – When Bruce signed with San Francisco as a free agent prior to the 2008 season, not too much was expected. Many thought that the 14-year veteran from St. Louis would bring some much needed leadership to a young 49ers team, but that was about it. Not only, though, was he a great leader to an otherwise young receiving core, he also contributed 61 receptions for 835 yards with seven touchdowns.

Bruce is expected to be one of the two starting wide receivers for the 49ers in 2009, but it may be a lot to expect 2008 type numbers from Bruce again. He is entering his 16th professional season and San Francisco has some good young talent at wide receiver in rookie Michael Crabtree and second year man Josh Morgan. Bruce shouldn’t be considered much more then a WR4, but after 2008 he is definitely worth a late round flier.

Vernon Davis (TE) – Davis’ statistics were very disappointing in 2008, as he finished the season with 31 receptions for 358 yards with two touchdowns. He did not fit in with Mike Martz offense and had problems with new head coach Mike Singletary. 2009 could bring new life for Davis. Martz is no longer with the team and new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye’s offense likes to use the tight end as a focal point. Davis and Singletary have also seemed to put their differences behind them. There are still a lot of question marks with Davis who has been a bust thus far in his career, consider him a TE2 heading into fantasy drafts this summer worth a late round selection.

Josh Morgan (WR) – As a rookie Morgan was a pleasant surprise for the 49ers last season. He finished the year with 20 receptions for 319 yards and three touchdowns in limited playing time. Morgan has reportedly been very good in off-season workouts with the 49ers and will likely compete for a starting wide receiver spot with rookie Michael Crabtree. Keep a close eye on the wide receiver battle in San Francisco throughout training camp, but even if Morgan does not secure a starting role with the team he is worth a late round flier as a potential sleeper wide receiver in 2009. 

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY LARRY JOSEPH. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW…*

BRUNO BOYS FANTASY FOOTBALL

Urlacher: Cutler Not What Bears Expected

He said what?

Say it isn’t so. Couldn’t we at least wait until training camp starts before we decide what to think about Cutler in Chicago?

Apparently Bears’ team captain, Brian Urlacher, couldn’t wait that long. Of course that depends on who you ask, as there are two sides to every story.

In an interview on a local Chicago radio station, Bobby Wade, a former Chicago Bear, couldn’t resist the urge to talk about the conversation he’d had with Brian Urlacher in Las Vegas over the weekend.

“I don’t want to get [Urlacher] in trouble, but it wasn’t what [the Bears] expected. Pretty much [Urlacher] said Jay Cutler was a [wimp] for the most part.”

Of course, “wimp” wasn’t the word used, although it’s amusing no matter how its said. I could come up some with more choice names for Cutler but I digress.

Brian Urlacher seemed to think it was funny when hearing that Wade had told the media his secrets.

“Oh, please. I don’t think I would ever say that about one of my teammates,” Urlacher told the Tribune. “Look, Bobby Wade’s a friend of mine. He’s trying to get things going before training camp. That’s just Bobby being Bobby. I’m pretty sure Jay knows I wouldn’t say that about him.”

So it seems to be a simple misunderstanding. Boy, if I had a dollar for every time I heard of “friends” across the NFL spreading rumors their “friend” called his supposed franchise quarterback a wimp.

Now that’s a unique sense of humor.

What makes Bobby Wade’s prank even funnier is that “wimp” is actually a name that many who have followed Cutler’s career would call him, after watching him pout after every loss in a Broncos uniform. So to hear Urlacher wasn’t a big fan was somewhat less than a surprise.

Is their anybody in the world that would put any stock into Urlacher’s denial of the comment? If this was a prank by Bobby Wade, he got the Bears good this time.

Another story circulating on Chicago radio stations, is that Urlacher had to be restrained from attacking Cutler in mini camp. This too was hilarious to Brian Urlacher. Yet another funny joke on the radio.

“I didn’t even practice,” Urlacher said, with a hint of sarcasm. “If anything, I called him a few names for zipping balls by my head with that cannon he has. Me having to be restrained? That’s funny.”

Love it.

Dennis Dixon Is Surer Bet for Steelers Than Michael Vick

The Steelers and Patriots are the two teams that sit atop just about all of the key pre-season power rankings as the teams most likely to win the Super Bowl this year. 

The teams share something else in common.  Las Vegas oddsmakers have made them the odds on favorites to sign Michael Vick, with both teams being given 4-1 odds.

While I realize that Las Vegas is a town where you can bet on anything and everything, I just don’t think it is in the cards for the Steelers.   

And it has nothing to do with the team’s reputation for not bringing in low character players.  Nor do I think there will be sizable protests or fan reaction against whatever team eventually signs Vick, which I think is a grossly overblown media concoction.

Michael Vick has served his time and certainly deserves the shot that he is being given.  Americans are a forgiving people and we almost universally believe that after someone has paid the consequences for his actions, he deserves a second chance. 

The exception in this case will be the PETA diehards.  But, what are the Vegas odds on finding a PETA commando who is also a football fan or, for that matter, brave enough to protest at some of the less hospitable NFL venues on game day?   

I have a hunch that Vick will be a model citizen when and if he comes back to the game, meaning that whatever team takes him could actually benefit from the redemption story that he will bring with him, especially with the almost universally beloved Tony Dungy staking his reputation on him. 

After all, who doesn’t love a redemption story? 

If movie fans could embrace Darth Vader, the ultimate villain, after he threw the wrinkly old guy with the weird eyes who shot lightning from his fingers into a pit, I’m guessing that football fans can welcome back Michael Vick, even if he is no longer a human highlight reel.      

The bigger problem with Vick and the real reason that most teams will not look in his general direction is that he has been out of football for two years.  His skills have almost certainly atrophied. 

This is a bigger concern on Vick than it might be on some other quarterbacks because his game was always about his almost superhuman athleticism, and not about pinpoint accuracy.  Those are the skills that are the first to go. 

In the case of Vick, once his athleticism starts to slip, the party is over.

So, why not the Steelers as the team where Vick can write his redemption story?  The short answer is Dennis Dixon.    

When the Steelers drafted Dennis Dixon in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, I was intrigued by the pick. 

I still am.

People forget how good he was in college when he was the signal caller for the Oregon Ducks.  He was absolutely incredible until he was sidelined by injury with a torn ACL, arguably the best player in college football at the time. 

Think Michael Vick, but with slightly less athleticism and a better passing touch.  He was absolutely scorching the best defenses in the land, including Michigan, back before they became a national punchline, and USC.

If he hadn’t gone down to injury, Dixon was a very real threat to win the Heisman trophy and almost certainly would have been drafted in the first two rounds.  For that matter, he may have led Oregon to a national championship. 

But, because of the injury, he slid all the way to the Steelers in the fifth round.  And with both a superb starting quarterback and a solid veteran backup, the Steelers were perfectly positioned to take a flyer on Dixon, giving him time to rehab from injury while improving his skill sets and learning the offense.

For their Super Bowl run in 2008, the Steelers had two savvy veteran quarterbacks behind Ben Roethlisberger in Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch.  Leftwich is now gone and Batch is a year older. 

Dixon is also a year older and one more year removed from the injury that upended his sensational senior college season.  It is likely that Dixon will challenge for the backup role and may well be the surprise Steeler of 2009. 

And if the Steelers truly are looking for a player they could utilize in a “Wildcat” role, Dixon is that guy, not Vick.  

The key word in that last sentence is “if.”  While the “Wildcat” offense remains a popular topic, I’m not convinced it will have a huge impact this season. 

Part of its early success was that it surprised defenses.  It no longer has that working for it.  And as an innovation, it doesn’t exactly rank up there with the forward pass, which was largely ignored despite being in the rules until Notre Dame unveiled it to shock then football power Army. 

The “Wildcat,” which is used differently by different teams, is more of a back to the future wrinkle that uses a single-wing formation.  It genuinely seemed to catch teams off-guard last season, working especially well for the Miami Dolphins. 

But, its unexpected success may ultimately lead to an early demise.  It was adopted by so many teams in one form or another that it won’t surprise anyone come next season.  Defenses will no longer have to spend inordinate amounts of time trying to figure out how to scheme against it. 

After this season, we’ll have a greater appreciation for whether or not it has staying power or if it was more of a one-hit wonder, the NFL’s version of “Come on Eileen.” 

My bet is on the latter. 

In the case of the Steelers, I’m also not sure offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is a “Wildcat” kind of guy.  He did not show a knack for innovation in 2008, taking predictability to an art form at times. 

If someone like Mike Mularkey or Ken Whisenhunt were running the offense, two innovative coordinators who were always looking for new ways to use their players, I would put more stock in seeing the Steelers put emphasis on adding those plays to their playbook and perhaps giving a brief look in Vick’s direction.

But, Arians strikes me as more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy.     

The other event that has caused speculation to surround the Steelers as a potential Vick suitor are Ben Roethlisberger’s current legal problems.  But, this is also a red herring. 

Roethlisberger is facing a civil trial.  Even if he loses there, which seems highly unlikely, he will not be convicted of a crime, meaning he almost certainly won’t be suspended.  

Even the no-nonsense commissioner is unlikely to suspend someone solely based on the outcome of a civil trial, especially one that is likely to devolve into a “he said, she said” affair.

The bigger football concern with Roethlisberger is whether he can stay healthy if he continues to get sacked 50 times a season. 

And if Roethlisberger does go down, does anyone really think Michael Vick will be an ideal full-time starting quarterback this season? 

The only quarterback I can think of who I would less like to see suiting up in the black and gold to lead the Steelers’ offense is Brett Favre.

The bottom line:  I don’t think the Steelers are likely to show much interest in adding a Wildcat flavor to their offense.  But, if they do, they don’t need Michael Vick to do it.  They already have an ideal Wildcat quarterback on the roster in Dennis Dixon.   

Money Doesn’t Grow On Crabtrees

With the 49ers’ training camp rookie report date a day overdue, one 49ers’ rookie appears to be missing in action. I’ll give you a hint; it’s not Brett Favre… nor Michael Vick. 

The, dare I say “crabby” tenth overall draft pick, Michael Crabtree, has yet to reach a satisfactory contractual agreement with the 49ers’ front office. 

Now some may call it greed on behalf of Michael Crabtree who willingly hired Eugene Parker, and is therefore ultimately responsible for such a difference in contractual opinion. 

I call it Eugene Parker being Eugene Parker.

To those NFL fans unfamiliar with Eugene Parker, consider yourself (and corresponding NFL team) fortunate. He is the godfather of the holdout. The man feels towards training camp how Allen Iverson does towards practice and Jim Mora Sr. towards playoffs. 

Let’s do a quick NFL history lesson. 

Last offseason, a Chicago Bears’  punt returner, vowed to hold out an entire season if his contractual demands were not met. Though the holdout was short, at just 2 days, the punt returner and situational wide receiver was paid a Pro Bowl wide receiver’s salary at close to $10 million per year. 

His name: Devin Hester. His agent: Eugene Parker.

That same offseason, a St. Louis Rams’ running back and offensive centerpiece held out of an entire offseason of OTA’s and 27 days worth of training camp and preseason football. 

His name: Steven Jackson. His agent: Eugene Parker.

Not to be outdone that offseason, a certain Buffalo Bills’ left tackle held out an entire offseason of OTA’s, training camp, AND preseason games.  In fact, this blindside protector didn’t sign until September 5^th, the very same week of the Bill’s first regular season game. 

His name: Jason Peters. His agent: Eugene Parker.

As Karl Marx once said, “History repeats itself.”  

What historians didn’t realize, was that Marx was referring to a certain greedy NFL agent (not the tragic history of mankind as what was once rumored). 

It’s safe to say that Parker switched over to Netflix after nearly being bankrupted by Blockbuster late fees. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Crabtree is a non-contracted rookie, and therefore cannot be docked a similar contractual fine. 

According to Parker, Michael Crabtree should be getting paid like a top three overall draft selection. His justification: Michael Crabtree should have been a top three overall pick. 

The reality, Mr. Parker, is that Michael Crabtree was not a top three overall draft pick.  No team picking in the top nine selections thought so. In fact, there were nine teams eagerly looking to trade out of the top ten, and not one other team in the NFL thought there was a player worth trading up to grab at any of the top ten selections (besides Marky Mark Sanchez of course). 

Yes, Michael Crabtree’s should have been a top three selection. Just like the generic horror movie victim should have avoided the cemetery late night… but he didn’t.

The truth is every draft has twice as many deserving draftees vying for half as many spots. You can’t reward every player that is deserving of a selection because you could never objectively define a player’s value beyond their draft selection, nor would it be fair to the player’s who were actually drafted at that selection.

If the number ten selection should be paid like a number three selection, then what should the number three selection get paid?

Funny you should ask Mr. Parker, considering you also represent Tyson Jackson, who was the third overall pick (reach) that turned the top ten draft world upside down. Are you going to demand 15^th pick salary for Jackson? After all, that’s about where he deserved to go following a disappointing end to his collegiate career.

The thought of Eugene Parker disputing draft value with an NFL front office executive should be about as ridiculous as Mel Kiper advising the late Bill Walsh.

Your opinion on draft selection would matter Mr. Parker, if you were actually an NFL front office executive. Until then, stick to what you do worst, and get your athletes signed in time.

Count on Eugene Parker to be the one to swallow the jail key of an increasingly inevitable 2011 NFL lockout.  

He certainly won’t be on any Christmas card lists at 4949 Centennial Blvd. 

The Third Phase: New England Patriots 2009 Special Teams Preview

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is fond of talking of “all three phases of the game”: offense, defense, and special teams.

As dramatic as the Patriots’ makeover of their secondary has been this offseason, an even larger change has taken place on its special teams units.

Long time special teams coach Brad Seely is gone, replaced by Scott O’Brien (no apparent relation to quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien), whose first coaching gig in the NFL was as Bill Belichick’s special teams coach when Belichick coached the Cleveland Browns.

Ellis Hobbs, the NFL record holder for longest kickoff return, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Long-time special teams captain Larry Izzo was allowed to walk in the offseason, and is now a member of the New York Jets. Long snapper, and snow angel-maker-extraordinaire, Lonie Paxton was lured to Denver by new head coach Josh McDaniels.

So, what questions do the Patriots need to answer this offseason?

How will they adjust to the new rules?

The NFL quietly adopted a rule this offseason banning three-man wedges on kick returns. Now, only two players are allowed to run in front of the kick returner to drive away members of the opposing kick coverage unit, and those players have to maintain a certain distance from one another.

It’s not entirely clear how this will affect the composition of the unit. For example, will it make having a large body on the coverage unit less desirable or more desirable? In the past, the Patriots have used defensive linemen such as Mike Wright and LeKevin Smith as “wedge-busters.” The good news is that every other team has to deal with the same issues, so teams will definitely be testing each other this preseason.

Will the Patriots use as many “specialists” on special teams?

Bill Belichick is well-known for liking versatile players. Nevertheless, it is striking to note that the Patriots not only maintain a full battery of specialists—kicker, punter, and a dedicated long snapper—but they have also routinely devoted several of the other spots to players who played almost exclusively on special teams. Kick returners, kickers, and punters aren’t all by themselves, after all.

In 2008, they had four such players, who were active every week that they were healthy, but almost never saw the field on offense or defense: Matt Slater and Ray Ventrone, both wide receiver/safety hybrids, along with the aforementioned Izzo and Kelley Washington, now in Baltimore. Moreover, none of these players were brought in primarily as return men; even Slater, often vilified for his fumble against the Steelers, was not brought in solely as a return man.

Given how loaded the Patriots are with talent, they may be forced to cut some of these ST-only slots, but, on the flip side, they’ve also brought in a number of players best known for their ST contributions, such as “linebacker” Vinny Ciurciu, who was coached by O’Brien in Carolina.

It’s quite likely that the Patriots will continue to keep roster slots open for ST gurus, but it will probably be fewer than in 2008.

 

Who will fill Ellis Hobbs’ shoes?

This will be one of the most intriguing questions in camp. Will one player beat out the others and be the primary kick returner, or will the Patriots go with a “return man by committee” approach, as they’ve done at running back?

The likely contenders are fourth-year running back Laurence Maroney, who did an outstanding job at returning when called upon to do so back in 2006; Terrence Wheatley, a second-year cornerback who was an outstanding returner for Colorado; Darius Butler, a rookie cornerback from Connecticut; and, depending on his rehab, possibly even rookie wide receiver Brandon Tate from North Carolina.

On punt returns, it seems likely that Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk will rotate duties, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see a rookie like Julian Edelman of Kent State see time there, since he actually has a faster shuttle time (a measure of a player’s ability to change directions quickly) than Welker.

 

Who will win the long snapper battle?

Paxton’s departure from Foxboro resulted in a long-snapper carousel: Denver released their snapper, Mike Leach, who signed with Arizona, who released their snapper, Nathan Hodel, who then signed with the Patriots.

Nevertheless, the Patriots decided not to put their eggs all in one basket, and drafted Jake Ingram from Hawaii in the sixth round; Ingram was the only long snapper drafted in 2009. Ironically, because of issues related to the competition (since the Patriots will not carry two snappers), Ingram was the last of the Patriots’ 12 rookies, other than the injured Tyrone McKenzie, to sign a deal.

OTAs and minicamps have not yielded a clear favorite here, so it’s a question of experience versus youth and cost. The Patriots have had this quandary at punter in the past (Chris Hanson versus Danny Baugher, Aaron Perez, and Mike Dragosavich), and experience has won out every time. Will experience prevail at long snapper too?

 

Will the Patriots be able to keep their kicker?

Fourth-year kicker Stephen Gostkowski recently went to Hawaii for his first-ever Pro Bowl, and was also selected first-team All-Pro. At the end of the season, Gostkowski, who in just three seasons already ranks in the top 250 in NFL history in points scored, will be a free agent—if there’s a new CBA; Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe expects that as a free agent Gostkowski could land a contract worth $3 million a year. If 2010 is uncapped, however, Gostkowski will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Patriots can keep him for less than that while requiring other teams to pony up a first-round pick to sign him away.

The Patriots aren’t terribly flush with cash—they have a few million in cap room available—so they probably won’t extend Gostkowski in midseason unless they have to. If it looks likely a new CBA will be signed, though, don’t be surprised to see Gostkowski signed to a long-term deal.

 

In “conclusion”

Right now, there are a lot of moving parts, so it’s very difficult to make any sort of projections. The Patriots’ special teams in 2009 could be awe-inspiring, or just plain awful, or anywhere in between, but it will definitely be interesting to watch.

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