Ka_Mitchell55 is a Super Bowl Optimist for the 2009 Buffalo Bills

“Its goin 2 b a great ride to our destination. People dont believe n US. If ur 1 of these people, eat a fat duck. We’re on a mission. MIAMI!!”

This quote is directly from Buffalo linebacker Kawika Mitchell’s twitter account. For those that don’t know, Miami is where Super Bowl XLIV will be played next February.

He’s not making a foolish guarantee like Donte Whitner did before the start of the 2008 season. Mitchell is an optimist and a hard worker; and he’s championship tested.  

Mitchell is one of the two guys on the Bills with a ring—Dominic Rhodes is the other. On the Giants in ’07, his team accomplished the improbable ’07 win over the then undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Mitchell, who changed his number to 59 when he joined the Buffalo Bills, knows what it’s like to be an underdog. 

Now he’s in the city full of underdogs—and underperformers, if you followed the past 50 years in Buffalo sports history.  

The Bills are 50-1 early odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, according to The Online Wire.  Nobody is betting on the Bills. How surprised would we be if they won the big game? 

There’d be riots in the streets of Buffalo. The scene would be similar to the one in Boston after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. 

It seems like the Bills have a better chance to win this year than in any other year. Granted they’re a young squad, but it won’t be the first time a team has won without being playoff tested.

To accomplish such a tremendous feat, Mitchell and Rhodes must be instrumental leaders in the locker room and out on the field.

Last year—Mitchell’s first with the Bills—he honed that leadership role during the rough point of last season when the Bills squandered a division lead and finished 2-8 after a promising 5-1 start. He tried to develop a “mentality adjustment” among players in the locker room in hopes of turning things around and re-claim Buffalo’s position as the league’s elite.

At the end of the season things, didn’t turn out the way they had hoped for. 

In 2008, Mitchell made 82 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three defended passes. 

Several Bills players began to look towards Mitchell through the season’s ups and downs.

Mitchell’s previous team—the ’07 Giants—was always a team that overcame diversity.

Two years after getting a ring, Mitchell knows his role going in, and so do the rest of the Bills young “veterans”.

He looks to perform even better on a more solidified linebacker corps with rookie and veteran depth. 

Ronald Curry Just a Small (and Old) Addition To a Weak Receiving Core

I wouldn’t even call it a core to be honest with you.

The recent acquisition of veteran wideout Ronald Curry is nothing more than a desperate plea by the Rams to take anyone who is out there.

Right now, the team is at a tough point in it’s history. St. Louis is trying to usher in a new era right now, and clearly there are some bumps in the road. I think we need to take a look at where the team is right now and make a judgment call for this season: Is 2009 really going to be a year the St. Louis Rams make a run at contention?

The answer to that question will determine the outlook Steve Spagnuolo will have heading into the season. Sure, he’ll give the media all that ‘were here to win’ stuff, but you know that’s just fluff for the writers. He knows deep down inside that this team is not made to win right now.

Getting back to Curry. I wanted to give my thoughts on the trade. I really think this was a trade that may have kept this offense from looking worse than Detroit’s was last year, which just so happens to be the team Curry came from. As you know, his best years are behind him— that is if he had any good years.

He played in Oakland for most of his career. Behind Jerry Rice and Tim Brown on the roster, he never really flourished there.

He does not have the track record to be a No.1 guy. It’s alright though; I think our group of receivers will end up being forced to work collaboratively with each other because not one of them is a great pass catcher.

Titans Training Camp Begins July 31, Open to Public

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Titans officially open training camp on July 31, giving fans the first opportunity to see their favorite players up close and personal. Fans also will have the opportunity to evaluate the “new” talent, from top draft pick Kenny Britt to free agent acquisition Nate Washington.

A total of 18 practices will be open to fans, with new access to parking directly across the street from Baptist Sports Park, the Titans’ training facility just north of downtown Nashville.

Admission is free but limited, with fans being allowed in on a first-come, first-served basis. Although Titans officials acknowledge that overcrowding is a rare occurrence, they advise arriving early to obtain a pass to the practice field.

Locating the practice field is a simple affair: from downtown Nashville, simply take Interstate 65 North to Rosa Parks Boulevard, exiting to the North away from downtown. Once on Rosa Parks, turn right on Athens Way, then left on Great Circle Road. The Sports Park is impossible to miss; it’s the big white bubble on the left, just across the street from the corporate offices for CVS.

Fans looking for autographs are in luck: every player on the roster will be available for autographs at some point during camp. Three to five players at a minimum will sign autographs at the fences surrounding the outdoor practice field each day, with players offering additional opportunities as they see fit.

For a list of practice times and scheduled autograph sessions, you can visit the Titans official team site.    

 

Which Sport Has The Most Meaningful Regular Season?

I consider myself a pretty big sports fan.

I absolutely love certain sports, but I don’t really care as much for others.

I’ve determined that the intensity with which I follow a sport during its entire season largely depends on the impact each regular season game carries in terms of how postseason berths are awarded.

I have my preferences when choosing to watch regular season games, to say the least.

So, I’m wondering what you prefer.

Can you watch a regular season game even if it’s not important, or do you live for each regular season game because you believe every game is crucial for teams playing?

In 1978, Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent hit a three-run-go-ahead home run in a one game tiebreaker against the Red Sox.

Essentially, his home run made the Red Sox’ regular season meaningless, as this one game decided the postseason fate of the Red Sox that year, without regard for anything they did in the regular season.

Should all regular season games carry the type of importance that 1978 one-game tiebreaker held?

Can some if not many of them be almost routine, having little impact on the postseason?

So I ask: With its current setup, which of the following leagues has the most meaningful regular season?

National Football League (NFL)

NFL teams play sixteen games over a span of seventeen weeks. The NFL offers quality over quantity when compared to other leagues, which play dozens more games in their regular seasons.

Twelve of the league’s thirty two teams, eight division winners and four wild cards, qualify for the playoffs, six teams from each conference. The two teams with the best record aside from the division winners earn the wild card berth. The two teams from each conference with the best records receive a first-round bye. The playoffs are a single-elimnation tournament.

Teams that win nine or ten games in the regular season often secure a playoff berth. So teams are allowed a few slip-ups during the course of the season. For the most part, sixteen games is enough to determine which teams are worthy of playoff berths.

National Hockey League (NHL)

The NHL employs an eighty two-game regular season followed by its playoffs that feature best-of-seven series between the sixteen participants. The eighty two-game season not only tests the durability of each player, but also a team’s consistency.

In the NHL, a thirty-team league, points are awarded after each regular season game. Two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation.

At the end of the season the team in each division with the most points is declared the division winner and receives a playoff berth. Then, the five teams with the most points aside from the division winners also receive playoff berths.

In the playoff series, the team with the higher seed is awarded home-ice advantage. So in the NHL, compiling the most points possible is crucial to gain every advantage possible in the postseason.

National Basketball Association (NBA)

Like the NHL, the NBA employs an eighty two-game regular season, which is followed by the playoffs that feature best-of-seven series between sixteen of the league’s thirty teams. The NBA regular season is long enough to ensure that teams which play well most consistently emerge as a higher seed in the playoffs.

Eight teams from each conference qualify for the postseason. The teams are seeded based on the number of wins they have, even though the three division winners earn the top three seeds. In each round, the team with the better record owns home-court advantage, regardless of its seed.

Major League Baseball (MLB)

MLB teams play a 162-game regular season over a span of six months. MLB’s regular season is a marathon.

The best teams are truly rewarded for their play during the regular season, as the MLB postseason is as exclusive as any, unlike the NBA and the NHL, in which nearly half of the league’s teams qualify for the postseason.

Eight teams qualify for the postseason, four in each league, including three division winners and one wild card. In the playoffs, the wild card plays the team with the best record outside of its division.

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) College Football

The collection of teams which compete in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) participate collectively in what is called the Football Bowl Subdivision, which is formerly known as Division I-A.

College football teams do not participate in a tournament at the end of the regular season. Instead, teams compete in exhibition games called “bowls” to win shares of revenue for their own conference.

College football teams typically play twelve games in the regular season. At the end of the regular season, conference champions from BCS conferences automatically qualify for a BCS Bowl. Teams outside of BCS conferences are known as “mid-majors” and rarely compete in a BCS Bowl.

The BCS committee uses a formula to rank teams in order to determine which teams are most deserving of BCS Bowl bids. This formula is quite controversial, as it combines human opinion and computer output. Overall, however, the formula separates the great teams from the good teams and the good teams from the bad teams.

In order to maintain any chance of playing in the national championship, the formula nearly requires teams to finish their regular seasons unbeaten. With one loss, a team usually doesn’t regain that chance until every FBS team incurs a loss.

Men’s and Women’s College Basketball

Men’s and women’s college basketball teams play in more than thirty regular season games before they participate in conference tournaments.

Conference tournament winners are awarded an automatic bid to the single-elimation tournament which determines the national champion. Teams that don’t win their conference tournament can qualify for the tournament with an at-large bid. This is awarded to teams by a selection committee that determines the remaining participants in the postseason tournament.

The college basketball regular season forces teams to compile a resume in the hope that it is pleasing to the committee. Teams are seeded one through sixteen in the tournament based on the strength of their resumes at regular season’s end.

So, with an idea of how each postseason shapes as a result of the regular season, based on your experience of watching sports, which sport has the most meaningful regular season?

In other words, how important is the outcome of each and every game a team plays during the course of its regular season schedule?

My answer is college football. What’s yours?

Time for the Cleveland Browns To Bring in a Veteran Running Back

Two months ago, I did a piece pointing out that the Cleveland Browns’ franchise is leaving itself terribly thin at the running back position.

 

The team has done nothing to address that issue since.

 

The Browns will start training camp with a 30-something-year-old running back with a lot of mileage, a third-down back, an injury prone lifetime backup, and a sixth-round draft choice on the roster.

 

The sad truth is that if Jamal Lewis ends up going down for any length of time, which is entirely possible given his age and number of carries under his belt, the team does not have a single running back who has proven he can carry a heavy workload.

 

It might be time for the team to kick the tires on a few out-of-work veterans who found out that they were not going to command a big pay-day in free agency.

 

 

The pickings are slim, so no one on this list is without a wart or two. However, it may be prudent to bring in one of these veterans who have had a track record in the NFL:

 

 

2009                                                                                        

 

Name                    Height  Weight           Seasons      Team        Carries    Yards

Alexander, Sean      5-11     228                  9            WAS           11          24

Bell, Tatum             5-11     213                  5            DEN             44        249

Dunn, Warrick         5-9       187                 12           TB             186        786

Foster, DeShawn      6-0       222                 7            SF               76        234

James, Edgerrin       6-0       219                 10          ARI            133        514

Johnson, Rudi          5-10     225                  8           DET             76        234 

 

 

You can cross Warrick Dunn off, as there is a strong possibility he will be signing with either the Eagles or the Cardinals soon.

 

Dunn still can be a useful third-down back who can also start in a pinch, but he is at a point in his career where the possibility of a championship is the only thing keeping him from retiring. The Browns just do not give him that opportunity.

 

Sean Alexander played in only four games for the Redskins in 2008. He is three full seasons removed from his spectacular 1,880-yard 2005 season.

 

Alexander is still holding out hope for a return to the NFL and wants to show that he has put those nagging foot and wrist injuries behind him.

 

Tatum Bell was not re-signed by the Broncos in the offseason after playing in just seven games in 2008.

 

Bell did gain over 1,000 yards in his only season as a featured back in 2006. He has never averaged under 4.1 yards per carry in an NFL season.

 

It is somewhat of a shock that he has not found a home given his age, at 28-years-old, and success albeit limited, in the league.

 

DeShawn Foster could be intriguing to the Browns because he has spent his entire career splitting carries with another back. After backing up Frank Gore with the 49ers, he should be hungry for any role he can get with a new team.

 

Foster is not explosive, but he is a capable veteran who can provide some depth.

 

Edgerrin James turns 31 before the season starts and has clearly lost a step or two—he just has not admitted that to himself.

 

However, Edge is a warrior who is looking for a team to help him prove that the rest of the world is wrong.

 

He will likely wait out training camp to see if some team’s number one back goes down before picking up the phone.

 

Rudi Johnson was a perennial 1,000-yard back just two seasons ago.

 

Injuries and salary demands cut short his stay with the Bengals after 2007. He ended up in Detroit and got bitten by a youth movement in 2008.

 

Johnson is motivated, so he could be a player who some team could catch lightening-in-a bottle (like the Browns did with Jamal Lewis a couple of seasons ago).

 

With camps set to open in a week, most of these running backs could be desperate to find a job in the NFL.

 

With the Browns being one of the few teams who are so thin at the position, they could be attractive to a veteran who is looking for a shot to revive, or prolong, their career.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Five Young Players Needing to Step Up this Season

I know, the NFL is a team sport.  Meaning that in order to win, you need to play as a team. However, there are always guys that when they step up, they make the difference in; a game, a season, a chance at the playoffs.

The Jaguars come into this season with a team full of young, inexperienced talent that could make or break their season.

Although it is rather naive to believe that every single rookie or inexperienced player will step up, at least a few need to step up to a higher level in order for this team to succeed.

Instead of listing the obvious players that need to step up (Garrard, Jones-Drew, Holt), the following is a list of the young members of the team that need to have a solid year in order to give this team a chance to get into the playoffs.

5. Terrance Knighton—Knighton comes into his rookie year from Temple.  Obviously not a large school, the question is whether or not Knighton will be able to deal with the talented offensive lines in the NFL.  If Knighton can fill the void currently left alongside John Henderson, then this team’s defensive line should be able to compete on a weekly basis.

4. Rashad Jennings—Another rookie, but a very important one.  Drafted in the seventh round, nobody outside the Jaguars organization believes Jennings could be a big contributor this season.  Jennings’ size and ability make him a great compliment to Maurice Jones-Drew, and could mean a pretty solid running attack.

3. Derek Cox—What? Another rookie?  Well, lets face it, this team is full of young rookies that may see major playing time this season.  Cox, another small school player, is currently being highly regarded as a great steal in the third round.  If Cox can start opposite Rashean Mathis, and possibly move Brian Williams to strong safety, then we may see a much improved defensive backfield.

2. Mike Thomas—The fourth rookie in a row, but the most important of them all.  Thomas comes in looking to grab the third spot on the depth chart at wide receiver.  With rumors circulating that Troy Williamson may be cut, Thomas will be the favorite to step in and play slot receiver.  At 5′8″, Thomas looks to be a poor man’s version of Wes Welker or Steve Smith, and hopefully he can start to play like one of them.  The Jaguars have lacked a strong receiving corps in recent years, and although this one is very young, it may possess the most talent.

1. Mike Walker—Finally a player that has played at least one year in the NFL.  Walker is looking to start the year opposite Torry Holt in a very young group of wide receivers.  Walker showed, very briefly last year, that he does possess some great skill, but is yet to show he can remain healthy and consistent throughout a season.  Drafted in the third round out of UCF a few years ago, the team still rates him very highly and are hoping for a breakout year.

Although those are the top five young players needing to step up, that does not mean that there aren’t other ones who need to as well.  Some of the other young players on this squad that need to fill in big roles include; Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves, Justin Durant, Eugene Monroe, and Sean Considine.

 

This article and many others written by David Nelson can be found at: www.NFLTouchdown.com

Struggles at Ticket Office Slightly Humble Buccaneer Marketing Tactics

Own The Moment. Own The Tickets.

If you live anywhere near the Tampa Bay Area, you have most likely been bombarded recently by commercials bearing this slogan. Yes, the time has officially come for Malcolm Glazer and friends to tuck their tails in between their legs and begin begging people to buy season tickets, a peculiar task once reserved for the baseball team across the Howard Frankland Bridge.

After roughly a decade of ticket sales coming easily, the mixture of a shoddy team outlook and extremely high prices has finally caught up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After all, this is the team that, as recently as 2007, flaunted its 145,000 person season ticket waiting list all around town in a Boratesque “You will never get this!” manner. This is the team that once used a lackluster 9-7 season and first round playoff exit as a reason to significantly hike up ticket prices on every seat in Raymond James Stadium. Our family season tickets are now $100 per seat, but who’s counting.

A trip to the Buccaneers website now is a much more “please come watch us play” experience. There are half-season ticket packages, youth ticket pricing, and no long-term contracts. When did Oren Koules and Stu Sternberg team up to take over the Buccaneer ticketing department?

The logical question that most will ask is where did the 145,000 fans that were just dying to get a chance to see their Bucs go? To answer that, you must first assume that that figure is an artificially enhanced one and that the number was manufactured for marketing reasons.

Then you have to look at the obvious. The economy is bad, the team taking the field is very questionable, and the Glazers are not exactly known around town as the most endearing people to fans.

Their cheap ways have agitated many fans and caused many to discard their season tickets. Bucs season tickets have been in my family since 1976 and the times in which the long-term season ticket holders have been mistreated by ownership are numerous.

With many fans in doubt and local blackout threats already making the news, this may be the year that humbles the Glazers’ outlook on the franchise. They have slid by in recent years but this could be the first time that they are truly in over their heads.

Attendance may not be good and, if the team is not performing, it will be worse.

There is definitely a new smell sweeping across Tampa for the Bucs and their executives and it is not a pleasant one. 

How much longer until $1 hot dog days?              

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Take Selmon for Their Ring of Honor

He was the very first Buccaneer.

He was the first man taken in the 1976 NFL draft.

He is the first and only Tampa Bay Buccaneer to date in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He is Lee Roy Selmon, 1995 HOF inductee.

His team will honor him and make him the first player to be inducted into the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor on November 8, 2009.

The news come from the Pewter Report via Jim Flynn and Scott Reynolds.

The news should come as no surprise.

There is no more famous Buccaneer, no more popular Buccaneer. He was a six-time pro-bowl player. He played from 1976 to 1984, his career shortened by a back injury.

He has his own chain of restaurants with partners Chris Sullivan and Bob Basham, founders of Outback Steakhouse.

He has his own freeway named for him in Tampa, the Lee Roy Selmon expressway.

He is the former athletic director at the University of South Florida and the man who brought football to the previously unheralded campus.

His is beloved and a humble man. At times he almost seems embarrassed by his celebrity. People flock to him when they see him. They want their pictures taken with him, they want to shake his hand.

Selmon, always the gentleman, gladly obliges and greets people like family.

He comes from a different time and age in sports and his rural Oklahoma farm roots have never been forgotten by this accomplished athlete.

It is appropriate that he is the first to be recognized.

It is fitting.

It is simply a very, very good choice by the Tampa Bay Buccaneer franchise.

Positive Signs for the 2009 Cleveland Browns

Last football season was one of the most frustrating Cleveland Browns fans can remember. What began with great expectations after 2007’s surprising 10-6 campaign quickly spiraled downward as the Browns limped to a 4-12 finish.

That paved the way for a new coaching staff and a new general manger as team owner Randy Learner scrambled to right a ship that’s never truly been completely seaworthy since the team returned to the NFL in 1999.

With a rash of new talent, head coach Eric Mangini has taken the reins of the perennial underachievers and vowed to be the disciplinarian the Browns have desperately lacked over the course of the last 10 years.

With the first tangible chapter of the Mangini era rapidly approaching in Friday’s date for rookies to report to Browns headquarters in Berea, Ohio, there are several things Browns Backers should be looking toward with hope for future success.

First and foremost will be a new sense of accountability for every player on the roster, from the undrafted rookie free-agent signee all the way up to the veteran leaders.

Mangini will not tolerate any mental mistake, be it a flag for a false start, a pass-interference penalty or losing possession of the football. Under the leadership of Mangini and his staff, expect the Browns to play hard, play smart and drastically reduce the miscues that impede the team’s development.

Though Mangini and first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll have revealed next to nothing about what to expect from the Browns offense, the head coach has offered up a nugget of a philosophy which should be met with encouragement by Browns fans.

Mangini’s hope for the offense is for it to have the ability to adjust from week to week depending on Cleveland’s opponent.

Being capable of running the ball on teams who struggle to defend the ground game or pass against those with a weak defensive backfield will be a welcome change from years spent under one-dimensional former head coach Romeo Crennel.

Expect the defense to improve as well. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has implemented a system in which the Browns will attack, rather than react and adjust to what opposing offenses throw at them. This year look for the Browns to put more pressure on the quarterback, swarm to the football and defend the pass better than they have in years.

Finally, by the time the Browns break camp with eyes toward the season opener at home Sept. 13 against the Minnesota Vikings the competition for the starting quarterback position will be in the rear-view mirror.

The torturous Derek Anderson-Brady Quinn saga might live on for the first few weeks of training camp, but look for Mangini to eventually pick his guy and stick with him. No matter which side of the debate Browns fans sit on, most will agree ending the QB competition will be a refreshing way to start a fresh season.

In the end, the Browns might not have the depth and overall talent this season to contend with the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North. But Mangini and company might take more than just a small step toward turning the Browns into a competitive franchise in the near future.

Inside the NFL: A Look at All 32 Teams

Arizona Cardinals: There have been plenty of talks surrounding LB Karlos Dansby. He and his agent have been trying to negotiate a long-term deal for two seasons now and will be entering his second straight season as a franchise player. Last season, Dansby recorded 119 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions with the Cardinals.

 

Atlanta Falcons: On Thursday, the Falcons signed fourth-round pick Lawrence Sidbury to a four-year deal worth $4.4 million. The defensive end from Richmond recorded 11.5 sacks for the Spiders last season. The signing leaves the Falcons with only two draft picks who have yet to be signed—Peria Jerry and William Moore.

 

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens made Terrell Suggs the highest paid linebacker in NFL history by signing him to a six-year deal worth $63 million. The contract gives Suggs, who had eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions last season, $38 million in guaranteed money.

 

Buffalo Bills: CBs Cary Harris, a sixth-round pick out of Southern California, and Ellis Lankster, a seventh-round pick out of West Virginia, are the Bills only two draft picks to sign with the team. This leaves the team with six unsigned draft picks, including defensive end Aaron Maybin (Penn State) and center Eric Wood (Louisville).

 

Carolina Panthers: Looks like defensive end Julius Peppers will play the 2009 season with a franchise tag since a long-term deal wasn’t negotiated before the deadline on Wednesday. Peppers was looking for a long-term deal with the Panthers, but the two failed to reach an agreement, meaning he will play under the one-year deal worth $16.7 million.

 

Chicago Bears: Besides the arrival of QB Jay Cutler, one of the popular talks surrounding the Bears this offseason is their wide receiver corps. The team hopes Devin Hester can emerge as a true No. 1 wide receiver, but the team is still in need of weapons for Cutler to throw to. Earl Bennett, who played with Cutler at Vanderbilt, is expected to be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver.

 

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals signed fifth-round draft pick Kevin Huber to a four-year deal worth around $1.95 million. The former punter from Cincinnati should have no problem competing for the starting job considering the Bengals released Kyle Larson shortly after the draft in April.

 

Cleveland Browns: QB Derek Anderson is healthy and ready to compete with Brady Quinn for the starting job. Anderson suffered a calf injury during minicamp but is fully recovered thanks to rest and rehab. Anderson hopes to bounce back after a disappointing 2008 season in which he only threw for nine touchdowns in the 10 games he started.

 

Dallas Cowboys: QB Tony Romo continues to be the talk of the town for the Dallas Cowboys after his recent breakup with Jessica Simpson. On top of the breakup, 2009 may be the year that decides Romo’s future as a Cowboy. He has a combined 5-8 record in the month of December and is 0-2 in the playoffs.

 

Denver Broncos: As the Broncos close in on the rookies reporting to training camp, Denver still has nine rookies who have yet to be signed, including five that were selected in the first two rounds. Some of the unsigned draft picks include RB Knowshon Moreno and LB Robert Ayers. The only draft pick signed by the Broncos is C Blake Schlueter.

 

Detroit Lions: There is plenty of excitement in Detroit about seventh-round draft pick Zack Follett. The 6’1″ linebacker signed a three-year deal with the team on Monday and hopes to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. Follett made first-team All-Pac-10 during his senior season at California.

 

Green Bay Packers: LB Nick Barnett looks to bounce back in 2009 after suffering an ACL injury last season. He only played in nine games in 2008 before reconstructive surgery on his knee. After OTA workouts and minicamp, Barnett hopes to practice during training camp, but his time may be limited depending on how much his knee can handle.

 

Houston Texans: Last week, the Texans signed fourth-round draft pick Glover Quin. The cornerback out of New Mexico is expected to compete for playing time in the team’s nickel package after impressive workouts in the offseason.

During his senior season, he had 16 passes deflected (first in the Mountain West Conference) and a career high five interceptions.

 

Indianapolis Colts: For the first time in 13 seasons, the Colts will have to adjust to life without WR Marvin Harrison. The release left Reggie Wayne to officially take over the No. 1 receiver slot and Anthony Gonzalez to fill in the void left by Harrison at No. 2 receiver.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars: Now that RB Fred Taylor is playing in New England, Maurice Jones-Drew will receive the opportunity to be the Jags’ full-time starter this upcoming season.

The 6’1″ Jones-Drew has split carries with Taylor the first three seasons of his career. He may have only rushed for 824 yards last season, but he did finish with 12 touchdowns.

 

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have been criticized for giving QB Matt Cassel a contract extension for six-years and $63 million ($28 million guaranteed) before even playing a single game with the team. Many believe he should prove himself before receiving that type of deal and proved that last year’s run in New England was not a fluke.

Cassel threw for 3,693 yards last season and 21 touchdowns after QB Tom Brady went down in Week One.

 

Miami Dolphins: Word around Dolphins camp is that RB Ronnie Brown is in the best shape of his career. Last season, he rushed for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns while splitting carries with Ricky Williams. Now that the Dolphins know he can play a full 16-game season without ACL issues, look for Brown to return to his playing level we saw in 2007 before his ACL injury.

 

Minnesota Vikings: Coach Brad Childress told the media that QB Brett Favre’s throwing arm “looked fine” in a workout video he saw. Whether or not Favre will join Childress and the Vikings this upcoming season should be determined by next week.

Favre told the team he would give them a decision by July 30 after he did more testing on his surgically repaired throwing arm.

 

New England Patriots: While Tom Brady’s return from an ACL injury will be the main topic discussed for the Patriots this upcoming season, expect talks to surround the team’s running game.

As of now, Laurence Maroney is the No. 1 running back, but if he can’t bounce back from his disappointing 2008 season, he could be replaced by backups Sammy Morris or Fred Taylor.

 

New Orleans Saints: After a successful offseason, Saints QB Drew Brees is showing confidence in his team’s chances this upcoming season, recently stating that he believes they are the team to beat in 2009. Last season, Brees led the league with 5,016 yards passing, which was 16 yards short of Dan Marino’s record.

 

New York Giants: The main question concerning the Giants as training camp approaches is who will fill in the void left by Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer at the starting wide receiver positions. As of now, third-year WRs Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon are expected to be named the starters on Opening Day.

However, scouts have noticed that four other receivers—Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss, Hakeem Nicks, and Ramses Barden—had an impressive minicamp and could all compete for a starting job.

 

New York Jets: As of now, Kellen Clemens is the starting quarterback for the Jets over Mark Sanchez because of experience. Clemens is the only quarterback on the Jets roster who has started a game at the NFL level.

However, Sanchez still has a chance to be named the starter come August, depending on how well he performs during training camp and preseason.

 

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders signed the first of their draft picks by signing sixth-rounder Brandon Myers to a four-year contract. The team hopes to work the former Iowa standout as a blocking tight end to allow Zach Miller to be used more as a receiving weapon.

 

Philadelphia Eagles: Jeremy Maclin is the only unsigned draft pick for the Eagles, as the rookies are expected to report to training camp next week. However, Maclin’s agent, Jim Steiner, reported that the two sides are expected to discuss a contract later this week.

The wide receiver from Missouri was selected by the team with the 19th overall pick in April and is expected to compete for valuable playing time this season.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers: If the Steelers want QB Ben Roethlisberger to remain healthy this season, they will need to do a better job protecting him with the offensive line, considering he has been sacked 133 times over the last three seasons.

Last season, four of the five Steelers offensive linemen started for the first time in their career. They should also improve leading the way for RBs Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall, who could be splitting carries come September.

 

San Diego Chargers: All eyes will be on LB Shawne Merriman at the start of training camp last week as he returns from a knee injury that almost ended his career. Also, the pressure may be on LaDainian Tomlinson, as he ran for a career-low 1,110 yards last season.

Those numbers may not seem all that bad, but Tomlinson’s career average of more than 1,500 yards before last season and the emergence of RB Darren Sproles have many of us wondering how much gas L.T. has left in the tank.

 

San Francisco 49ers: WR Michael Crabtree remains unsigned but is expected to be ready to go for training camp after offseason surgery on his left foot. Crabtree discovered a stress fracture in his left foot at the scouting combine back in February. He was selected as the 10th pick in April’s draft.

 

Seattle Seahawks: The team’s top-three draft picks—Aaron Curry, Max Unger, and Deon Butler—remain unsigned as training camp is expected to begin next week. Curry—the fourth pick in this year’s draft out of Wake Forest—was brought in at linebacker to help improve the Seahawks’ run defense.

 

St. Louis Rams: Earlier this week, the team signed fifth-round draft pick Brooks Foster to a contract. He may not be competing for a starting position, but look for him to compete against WRs Chad Lucas, Derek Stanley, Nate Jones, and Tim Carter for playing time. The Rams still have five more draft picks to sign before rookies report to training camp next week, including tackle Jason Smith and LB James Laurinaitis.

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