The Rock, Obama, and the New York Giants Offensive Line

Have you ever noticed that Barack Obama and former WWF superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sound alike?

While Obama is wrestling with his many naysayers, trying to bring a health care reform bill that will ultimately benefit more than less, the Giants Offensive Line looks ready to put Brandon Jacobs on smash, threatening many defender’s health with straight-handoff-up-the-gut-no-chaser football.

“Can you smell what the (insert ‘Giants’ instead of ‘Rock’) are cooking,” is the call that offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and his run-first mentality seem to be serving hot to all comers this year.

The first pre-season game saw Brandon Jacobs left, Brandon Jacobs right, and a whole lot of Carolina Panthers getting their bells rung.

In week 2, the Bears did a good job overall against the still-evolving passing game, however, Jacobs opened up the game running well, putting All-Pro Brian Urlacher on his back with a run that will have NFL defenders sitting up and taking notice.

Jacobs should be extremely happy. He has an offensive line that many in the NFL says is currently the best unit in football. Now in their fourth year together, the line, led by center Sean O’Hara and super-tough guards Chris Snee and Rich Suebert, get tougher as the game wears on and the ball gets handed off.

Tackles Kareem McKinzie and David Diehl are solid, though there are whispers that both players are vulnerable when they drop back into pass protect mode.

All this talk of slippage, however, can be neutralized if Jacobs steps into his role and begins to rumble through defenses on a regular basis and if the line remains injury-free.

Beyond the starting five, there is inexperienced talent, and the Giants’ season could well get derailed if their line is plagued by injuries.

New York led the league in rushing yards last year, and with Jacobs ready to prove that he can last a whole season as the featured back, the Giants offensive line must be pleased with the emphasis on the run seen in pre-season so far.

Green Bay Packers Continue to Impress in Preseason

Against the Bills last weekend, the Packers dominated once again in all phases. The Bills were without Terrell Owens and are hardly an elite team on either side of the ball, but the negatives of the game end there.

The starting defense once again pitched a shutout and forced multiple turnovers–in all, the defense recorded five. Johnny Jolly continues to impress, recording two sacks and a fumble forced.

The third-string defense was picked apart for two scores in the fourth quarter to make the game close. But even the second team shined, including rookie Jarius Wynn, recording a sack.

The offense scored 24 points, most of that by players who can expect to see action in the regular season. The Packers threw 30 times for 194 yards and took just one 10-yard sack. On the ground, they ran 32 times for 108 yards.

Aaron Rodgers, whose only incompletion was a dropped pass, threw for two touchdowns—one to Donald Driver, one to Greg Jennings—and 98 yards in nine attempts. He has been near perfect all preseason.

Even Brian Brohm looked a little better—he was 12-of-19 but for just 83 yards with no scores and a pick, but he got the ball in a couple tight spaces. Matt Flynn threw just two passes, completing one for 13 yards, and his fumble was not lost.

Ryan Grant was very effective, rushing 10 times for 43 yards and a touchdown. Tyrell Sutton continues to be this year’s Kregg Lumpkin—an undrafted free agent whose preseason performance is too good to let him go—rushing 11 times for 49 yards and a touchdown. In fact, he may spell the end of Lumpkin, who ran five times and lost seven yards.

JerMichael Finley may have gained the upper hand in the tight end battle, registering 46 yards on three catches compared to Donald Lee’s one catch for seven yards. Undrafted rookie Kole Heckendorf may have distinguished himself enough to earn the inside track on a practice squad spot with his three-catch, 30-yard performance. Six other receivers had one catch and four more grabbed two.

The special teams continued to play little role in the game. Punting has been almost non-existent this preseason, but did average over a 43-yard net. The return and coverage units have done their job, but nothing noteworthy. Mason Crosby hit his only field goal attempt and all four extra points, leaving his only misses being of 55-plus yards, but also giving him only two successful kicks.

The Packers face a bigger test for the game in the preseason, traveling to Arizona to take on the reigning NFC champs and one of the best passing offenses ever assembled. The third preseason game is the biggest barometer of a team’s progress, as starters play the entire first half and sometimes even into the second half. If the team plays well, it may be time to start getting excited.

 

I originally wrote this article for SportsScribes.

Don’t Be Surprised By a Steelers Repeat

The Curious Case Of Hank Baskett

Three years ago he joined the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted rookie free agent. So when the Philadelphia Eagles finally cut ties with perennial under achiever Billy McMullen by trading him to Brad Childress for this ‘walk-on’ if you will, we were left scratching our heads asking Hank who?

Hank Baskett, listed at 6’4″ and 220 lbs, was a two-year starter at New Mexico where he also participated in track and field in the high jump. He put up respectable numbers in his two years starting—121 receptions, 1977 yards, 12 touchdowns.

Obviously scouts hoped his height, combined with his leaping ability, would make him a viable red-zone target—this despite that he never lived up to that expectation even in college for someone with his size.

The knock against him was that he lacked NFL caliber speed, that he wouldn’t make many plays after the catch, but could possibly be a large physical presence in the short to intermediate range. This was ironic since in 2006 Baskett became the first rookie in NFL history to notch two touchdown receptions of 85 yards or more (87 yds vs Dallas, 89 yds vs Atlanta) since Billy Howton did it in 1952 with the Packers.

Baskett started only five games, but racked up nearly 500 yards in receptions—seemingly ready to follow the footsteps of the previous year’s rookie WR Reggie Brown whose first year, unknowing at the time, turned out to be his best of his career to date.

With the addition of Kevin Curtis in 2007, the Eagles’ oft maligned receiving corps seemed to now have a solid core of young talent with which to move forward. It is this point in time where Baskett’s promising pro career took an unexpected turn.

Despite such a pleasantly surprising rookie year, Hank Baskett never earned the opportunity to start any games, including preseason, in 2007 for whatever reason. He finished the season with just 142 yards—fewer yards than he had in his final game (177) alone in 2006.

What happened?

He suited up every game, but the output was almost non-existent. His best outing was three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown in week nine—a mere shell of his rookie season.

Again I ask, what happend to this undrafted rookie free agent who played his way into the starting lineup a year ago? Was it a fluke?

In 2008, it appeared that whatever had kept Hank Baskett down the year before was now behind him. He started in three of the four preseason games and seemed to have the confidence of the coaching staff again.

When it counted most, he kicked off the regular season in style with a 100 yard game in week one including a 90 yard touchdown to trump both of his rookie year bombs. Two weeks later, he led the Eagles with eight catches against a very tough Steeler defense. This was the Hank Baskett we had hoped to see a year ago.

He went on to start in five of the Eagles first six games before the Eagles hit their bye. Coming off the bye, Baskett was inexplicably back on the bench where he stayed, for the remaining 10 games—which brings us up to date.

Who knows what’s in store for this year? How many receivers will the Eagles keep? We know for sure that Curtis, DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin will be there. Reggie Brown, while playing mostly with Kolb and Feely this preseason, has shown some fight in him, and frankly doesn’t look too shabby. Even rookie Brandon Gibson has been somewhat impressive this training camp.

We’ve already mentioned six receivers not including Baskett, and there’s no way Reid is keeping seven. He’ll actually only keep five, maybe a sixth, but not necessarily.

Has the Hank Baskett era run its course already? I’d like to say no, but if we hear otherwise in the coming week, I won’t be surprised—disappointed, but not surprised.

Worth Raven About? Baltimore In Preseason Driver’s Seat To Start Week 3

Entering the the third week of the preseason, the Baltimore Ravens sit atop the AFC North at 2-0. However, they have yet to compete against the cream of the crop, as neither the Redskins nor the Jets made the playoffs last season.

The Ravens’ next two contests against the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons will challenge them on both sides of the ball, especially when playing defense against the run. 

Even if Baltimore does emerge undefeated from the preseason, that is no indication that they will have a good regular season (lest we forget, the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason last year).

With that guarded optimism in mind, here are a few position-specific items of interest that fans should monitor as the preseason progresses:

1) The Battle for Carries

Although Head Coach John Harbaugh has made it clear that second-year man Ray Rice is currently No. 1 on the depth chart at running back, his numbers would suggest Harbaugh is hedging his bets. 

Though Rice has played a more prominent role in preseason games, his numbers (13 carries, 51 yards, 1 touchdown) are almost identical to those of backup Willis McGahee (12-49-0). 

We’ll see if either back’s carries change in the course of the next two weeks, but it’s more than likely that Harbaugh will maintain an equal workload for both and will turn to the back in whom he has more confidence when the game is on the line.

2) Oher’s Transition

First-round draft pick Michael Oher has impressed fans thus far with his play at right tackle, but his real test will come in the next two games. Oher will take on Pro Bowl talent Julius Peppers on Saturday night when the Ravens play Carolina, and he’ll face a similarly athletic Jamaal Anderson in the finale against Atlanta. 

For a rookie, Oher’s performance has been up to par, but will it continue against more experienced players? Time will tell.

3) Special Treatment

The preseason has been a bit of a headache for special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, but the smoke is starting to clear. Steve Hauschka appears to have held off newcomer Graham Gano to retain the kicking duties, but the competition for return duties is less black and white. 

Free agent signing Chris Carr has performed as well as advertised, returning three punts for 29 yards and two kickoffs for 36 yards. Beyond Carr, the waters are a bit muddied.

Draft choice Lardarius Webb muffed a punt against the Jets, but at least he’s been getting opportunities to perform. Webb has four returns in total (two kicks, two punts), but veteran Yamon Figurs and undrafted rookie Jayson Foster have only returned one kick each, which is hardly enough to determine whether they are game-ready or not. 

Don’t be surprised if Carr sits out much of the next two games as the younger guys are given opportunities to prove themselves.

10 College Football Players the NY Jets Should Be Watching

Is it too early to be looking at the 2010 draft? possibly, but nobody ever got hurt looking to the future.

This list will be circumstantial, based on the needs of the team at this point in time, the needs now, will not necessarily be the needs of the team next April. However with certain positions appearing to be a need in 2009, here is who I think the New York Jets should be watching out for during the 2009 NCAA season.

A few of these guys will likely be taken ahead of where the Jets will be picking, however I think we saw in 2009 that if there is a player that really interests the Jets, they won’t shy away from making a trade to move up. So keep that in mind before reading this article

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Dental Device Helps Reduce Concussion Risk for NFL Athletes

Dental device helps reduce concussion risk for athletes
By MARK KRAM
Philadelphia Daily News

kramm@phillynews.com

TO CLEAR UP any confusion that has surrounded the dental appliance he has
developed, Dr. Gerald Maher stresses that it is only useful in preventing
concussions up to a point. When a player takes a solid hit to the head, or
experiences a jolt to the neck that produces a whiplash effect, he says
there is “nothing” that his device would be able to do to avert head trauma.
Chances are that player would end up with a concussion.

But it’s the player who takes a blow to the jaw that “The Maher Mouth Guard”
could conceivably help. By creating a more stable relationship between with
the jaw and skull at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the appliance better
enables players to dissipate the force that originates from a violent blow
to the chin area.

Without that shock absorber in place, a concussion and/or
other neurological damage can occur when the jaw slams into the skull.

“This is not a panacea,” says Maher, the team dentist for the New England
Patriots. “What it is, is a TMJ device that places the teeth in better
position to withstand a blow. That is what it does. And it has prevented
some concussions.”

Concussions have been an increasing concern in sports, chiefly in the NFL
and NHL. Long range, they can been linked to the onset of chronic traumatic
encephalopathy (CTE), a brain abnormality that leaves some former players
battling memory impairment, emotional instability, erratic behavior and
issues with impulse control.

CTE has also been discovered in the autopsies
of former NFL players Tom McHale and John Grimsley, both of whom died
prematurely in their 40s last year—McHale of a drug overdose; and Grimsley
of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

While the NFL has formed a
committee to study the effects of concussions, it has not yet endorsed “The
Maher Mouth Guard” for leaguewide use. Maher has had better luck with the
NHL, which he says has been “actively pursuing” a dialogue with him.

With the publication of a peer-reviewed paper that was released recently in
the journal Dental Traumatology, Maher says there is now scholarly support
for the anecdotal evidence he has accumulated since he developed the
appliance back in the 1970s.

Former boxing champion Marvin Hagler was an
early success story for Maher, who has since used it with equal success in
his work with the Patriots.

Former players such as John Hannah and Lawyer
Milloy both became advocates of it. So did Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs,
both of whom played for the Patriots before signing with the Eagles.

Samuel is quoted on the Mahercor Laboratories Web site as saying that he has
not had a concussion since he began wearing The Maher Mouth Guard for more
than 3 years.

Hobbs says he had not had a history of concussion but believes it prevented
him from having any. “Well, I have been hit before where I know that if I
did not have it in, I know would have gotten one,” says Hobbs. “Plus, it is
not as bulky as some of the other appliances I have used, which allows me to
breathe and communicate easier. It works.”

Co-authored by Maher, Dave Singh, the director of continuing education for
the SMILE Foundation, and Ray R. Padilla, lecturer at the UCLA School of
Dentistry, the paper that appeared in Dental Traumatology focused on a
3-year study of high school athletes with a history of concussion.

According
to Maher, the high school players who participated in the study had to
continue playing in college or beyond.

“We ended up with 31 players in the study who continued to play their sport
in college,” says Maher. “What we found was that between them they had
approximatley 53 concussions before wearing the appliances. And they only
had three between them after they began wearing the appliance.”

Maher adds that high school athletes are especially prone to concussions.
“In fact, high school athletes are more susceptible to concussions than NFL
players,” says Maher. “When you are young and you are still developing, your
parts are still not lined up properly—especially your teeth or your neck.
You are still growing and chances are you have not yet had your final growth
spurt. Some [young people] have. But I would say over 50 percent of them
have not, which is to say that the head, the jaw and the cervical are not
yet perfectly aligned.”

Maher says he plans to submit his paper to the NFL for review. He says that
even if the appliance can lead to some decrease in concussion, it would be
worthy, given the problems some NFL players have had with cognitive function
in their later years.

Says Maher: “Football players get beat up. And some of
them become mentally impaired. Hopefully, something like this can help.”

The NHL has been far more receptive to Maher, who has consulted with the
Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild and others (but not the
Flyers). According to Maher, the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears were
fitted with the appliance last year and have experienced excellent results.

“They had had 11 concussions before they used the appliance,” Maher says of
the Washington affiliate. “Afterward, they did not have a single
concussion.”

Maher adds that he expects it to be widely used in the AHL this year.

“I am interested in prevention,” says Maher. “I would like to intercept the
concussion before it happens. And in cases where the jaw or chin is
involved, we have proven we can do that.”

And he says the players have been in large part receptive.

“They seem to love it,” he says. “Not every single one of them, but the vast
majority of them.

www.mahercor.com

Link to 08/09 Journal of Dental Traumatology study

http://www.mahercorlabs.com/pdf/Dental_Traumatology%20Publication.pdf

Breaking Down The Carolina Panthers Preseason: Questions Grow Larger

This week marked the halfway point of the Carolina Panthers’ preseason. While the first two preseasons games don’t get “game plans,” the third contest will. So, this Saturday’s home opener will be the first real look at the Panthers since the team’s abysmal playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals in January.  

A quick glance back to this past January shows just how the Panthers arrived at where they are now.

Following the playoff loss to the Cardinals, lots of Panthers fans were irate and many still are. The coaching staff received some heat for allowing the game to go down the way it did. More specifically, fans were upset with quarterback Jake Delhomme for having a record night—that record being throwing interceptions in a home playoff game.

The Panthers faithful were also upset with a defensive scheme that saw their beloved Panthers going up against one of the top wide receivers in the NFL in a single-coverage package facing the Panthers’ weakest cornerback.

Many fans and Monday-morning quarterbacks could not figure out why the league’s hottest receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, had been allowed to run free that night while not being double-covered. Since Fitzgerald was only covered by one defender, why at least, did the Panthers not use arguably their best cornerback, Chris Gamble, to be that defender?  It made little sense to anyone.  

By the end of the first quarter, most Panther fans in attendance realized the game was over and some jokingly thought the white “growl towels” they were given when they entered the stadium were a bad omen. A note to the Panthers organization: Next time. Please do not hand out the surrender flags before the opening kickoff.

After that brutal night, Panthers fans started to hear rumblings that sounded impossible. One of the team’s superstars indicated he wanted out. As if the playoff loss was not hard enough, hearing North Carolina native Julius Peppers talk about parting ways with the team who had drafted him was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

After a trying time, Peppers finally agreed to play but only after the franchise tag was placed on him. The only thing was, by the time Peppers agreed to sign his tender offer, the team had used its only viable bargaining chip (their top draft pick) to find a replacement player if Peppers had refused to play.

Not only was next year’s first-round draft pick used to try and shore up the defensive end’s position, but almost every spare penny left under the salary was used to pay Peppers’ healthy one-year franchise tag.

Fast forward to the 2009 preseason. The offseason goings-on seemed overwhelming. However, when it all settled down, there were only a few things Panthers’ fans actually knew for sure before training camp started.

One, the Panthers have one of the league’s toughest schedules to contend with.

Two, there was little room for any type of real injuries to crop up in the starting lineup. Namely, there was no space for a defensive tackle to even catch a cold.

With that in mind, the Panthers’ training camp could not have started off worse. Within thirty minutes into a defensive line warm-up drill, Ma’ake Kemoeatu, the team’s most effective defensive tackle and largest run stopper, ruptured his Achilles tendon. He was placed on injured reserve and lost for the season. 

The loss of Kemoeatu stunned the Panthers and their fans. Panthers fans remembered all-to-well when Kemoeatu went down with an injury last season, and just how much the defense suffered because of it.

The team’s once strong run-stopping defense was suddenly relegated to working behind a patchwork defensive line. The defense found itself abused when they faced any team with little more that just an average rushing attack. Could it be that way going into the 2009-2010 season?

The Panthers 12-4 record consisted of more than a few games where lesser opponents simply had to be outscored in order for the Panthers to win. This was the first time John Fox’s Panthers had ever really been pointed in the “offense first” direction. The defense had always been the cornerstone of the team and the offense was simply asked to go out and try and put together 17-20 points and rely on their defense and special teams to force games to fall their way.

For the first time the Panthers’ game plan relied on the offense to go out and try to outscore the teams they faced. Last year’s schedule permitted that formula until the Panthers met up with stronger teams.

With all of the recent injuries to the Panthers’ defense the topic of the offense carrying the team came up last week. Jake Delhomme spoke out about the offense in a recent interview. Delhomme made it known the offense goes all-out in every game and they never intended to go out and “carry” the team’s depleted defense.

Delhomme said, “the season comes in waves…” (Meaning sometimes the offense gets hot for a period of, but just as easily, there are times when the defense gets hot as well and is able to take over games as well.)

The defense may have been hot last season when they shut out the feeble Kansas City Chiefs, but those types of games are not on this season’s schedule. There are no real cupcakes on this year’s schedule. The Panthers will basically face the best the league has to offer. Allowing 31 points per game—as the Panthers did in 5 of the last 7 games last season—simply will not work this season. 

Now, fast forward to this week. The Panthers’ training staff had begun to take on the look of an army M.A.S.H. unit, assigned to get wounded players off of the field. 

The most disturbing injury was, of course, was the loss of Ma’ake Kemoeatu. But now the entire middle of the Panthers’ defense is in a state of disarray as the Panthers suddenly find themselves with their defensive interior ripped out. Last weekend’s injury to LB Jon Beason (a sprained MCL) has the star linebacker possibly sidelined somewhere in the four-week range.

Dan Connor will play the inside linebacker position until Beason is able to go. On a good note, linebackers Thomas Davis (knee) and Landon Johnson (groin) returned to limited practice this week.

The next defender to fall prey to the injury bug was safety Charles Godfrey. Godfrey, who started every game as a rookie last season, just had surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. There is a possibility Godfrey may be able to play in the season opener, but he would be wearing a cast. The Panthers picked up former Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn to help shore up the depleted safety corps.     

The offense has suddenly tried to match the defense in producing injured players. First wide receiver Steve Smith injured his shoulder in a light-contact drill. He hasn’t seen any preseason game action but has been a part of limited practice. Smith may play in this weekend’s game and should be ready for the regular season home opener.

A bothersome injury to plague the offense has been the Achilles tendon soreness that has been nagging running back Jonathan Stewart. Stewart was quoted as saying he would be “ready for the regular season,” but it would certainly be nice for one of the team’s top offensive weapons to actually play a down of preseason football. Some have indicated it possibly was never an option for Stewart to see much contact during the preseason in hopes of giving him more time to heal in order for him to be in the best possible condition when he is finally needed in the regular season.

Most recently this week, many in Panther nation had their hearts skip a collective beat when news came out that DeAngelo Williams missed practice due to a knee injury. Now the injury was mild and Williams only missed a day of practice, and he’ll probably see a bit of limited action in this Saturday’s game. But that is definelty not the kind of thing to even joke about when dealing with this roster and a shaken fan base.

Now for the good, the bad and the ugly of the Panthers pre-season.

The good:

The Panthers may have done better than they thought they did when they drafted running back Mike Goodson in the fourth round this year. Goodson has easily spelled Williams when called on, showing great vision and cutback skills while carrying the ball. Goodson has also shown he belongs in the role of kick returner as long as he can can secure the ball as he runs.

Even though holding onto the ball was an issue for Captain Munnerlyn on a punt return, he has still probably secured himself a roster spot with the recent injuries in the Panthers’ secondary and with his flashy punt return skills.

Though Everette Brown did not take the team by storm, the undersized defensive end has shown he does have a spin move and has looked good a the few times he was been get free and get after opposing quarterbacks. Whether Brown will become an NFL starter any time soon is yet to be seen. However, Brown could probably not be in a better situation than he is now. With Brown having defensive coordinator Ron Meeks to help guide him in his young playing career, he could not ask for a better chance at success.

The Panthers tight ends have also looked pretty decent this preseason. Dante Rosario has looked good displaying his downfield blocking skills.

The bad:

Ryne Robinson was supposed to return from last season’s injury, walk away with the punt and kick return duties and also be a viable fourth option for Jake Delhomme’s passes. 

However, Robinson has not accomplished a single one of those tasks. Munnerlyn and Goodson have taken the punt and kick return jobs, respectively, and most importantly Kenny Moore seems to have clinched the fourth receiver position. 

The Panthers placed a lot of faith in Robinson and had kept him in the fold after he went down with an injury last season. But Robinson’s weaknesses have been exposed and that is a bad thing for the young receiver. Robinson did not help himself any by contributing to last week’s loss. This weekend’s game will be put-up or shut up time for Robinson, that is,  if he has not already been penciled in as one of the first to be cut.

The endless stream of dinged-up players have been bad for the Panthers. Again, the only person who is missing from the lineup is Ma’ake Kemoeatu. But having names like Beason, Stewart, Smith, Godfrey and even Williams pop up anywhere near an injury report is bad news for a team with such little depth.

The ugly:

Again, the worst thing so far has been Ma’ake Kemoeatu’s collapse after simply jogging for ten yards. Kemoeatu looked as if he had been knocked down with an elephant gun as he was dropped in his tracks. It was an ugly and painful episode to watch.  

If the Panthers are going to have success this season they have to be watching the waiver wire in hopes of finding a hidden defensive tackle talent who simply cannot make a roster due to a glut of talent at the position. There are a few teams out there with too many talented DTs, and the Panthers need to find them. 

Now as far a starting defensive tackle coming to the Panthers via the waiver wire, well, to put it mildly, that is a lot easier said than done. So, do not get too excited just yet.  There are very few quality defensive tackles available. To make matters worse the Panthers get to stand in line and watch 27 other teams select the first 27 players before it is their turn to select the 28th player released.  There needs to more than a just a little luck at play if the Panthers are to obtain a tackle off of waivers.

If the waiver wire is not where the Panthers choose to find their newest tackle then the trade route is the only other real option they have. The Panthers have suddenly found themselves with an extra running back and yes, they still have a few draft picks left for next year’s draft. 

As far as draft pick trades go there are options out there.  One has to see Cleveland Browns’ defense tackle and former first round draft pick Corey Williams as a possible defensive tackle who could find his way to Charlotte.  Williams is a 4-3 defensive tackle and with Cleveland’s switch to a 3-4 defense, Williams has struggled to try and become a defensive end.  While the Williams experiment may work in Cleveland there has to be those who believe it may better to try and load up on another draft if the switch from tackle to defensive end does not work out as planned.

As far as a player trade I have to believe DeAngelo Williams, who takes up very little cap space and who is the bedrock of the offense, is going nowhere. However, do not dismiss any other options in the Panthers’ backfield. If the right defensive tackle were to become available in a trade deal, I could see the Panthers possibly making a dramatic move—even if that deal meant exposing any running back who is not named Williams to the trade market. With Peppers return to the fold it is not out of the realm of possibility for Carolina to possibly wave around one of their young defensive ends as trade bait as well.

It is a long season and the Panthers do look shaken a bit. The season may even start out on a down note, but don’t be fooled. This is a solid rushing team with a very elite offensive line and and all-pro wide receiver; they can win games.

Also, when the Panthers face the meat of their division race they will facing teams with issues of their own. Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and New Orleans all have gone through changes and face obstacles of their on this season. With this in mind, the NFC South remains a division where a 9-7 or 10-6 team could take the division title.

Frank “The Tank” Summers Interview

My first of hopefully many interviews came with Frank Summers. I had the chance to speak with Mr. Summers about his status with the Steelers and his future in the NFL.

Question 1 – What is your role with the Steelers?

Summers– I am not going to say that I am the guy or not the guy. I think part of the Steelers bringing me in was to help the organization as far as me being a complete football player. That’s fullback, running back, and special teams, so, all I know, I’m just trying to work my butt off, and do anything the coaching staff asks of me.

If they ask me to run down and cover kicks, I’m doing it; blocks, I’m doing it; if they ask me to carry the ball in certain situations, I’ll do it. Anything the coaching staff asks of me, I’m more than willing to do.

Question 2– How do you feel about being compared to Jerome Bettis?

Summers– We get a lot of comparisons, but Jerome Bettis is a great player, and in my mind, someday a Hall of Famer, so I can’t compare to come close to that right now. I don’t have a regular season game in the NFL. So, as of right now, I’m just working hard and using this whole process as a learning experience to help me out for the future.

Question 3 – What was the atmosphere like for your first preseason game in the NFL when the Arizona Cardinals came to Heinz Field?

Summers – Oh, it was very nice. I would say a blessing and a dream. Just to be able to take an NFL field. To come here, to the Super Bowl winners of last year, and such a great organization as the Steelers.

When I walked out of the tunnel, and seen the stadium with the fans, everybody had their Terrible Towels. It was, I just need to take this in and realize, and really give thanks for me being in this position and being here, It was very much a dream come true, and I am really looking forward to taking the field there a lot more.

Question 4 – The Steelers had the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL last year, and return almost every starter. Who is the hardest hitter on the Steelers defense?

Summers– Oh man, it’s crazy. This whole defense could be Pro Bowl. They should just put this defense in the Pro Bowl. But they’re great guys. Obviously, we have the Defensive MVP in James Harrison, we got Troy Polamalu, we got Lawrence Timmons, a first round pick a couple years back—he’s an athlete. We got Ryan Clark at safety. It’s just crazy.

The talent they have here on this defense, I would, shoot man, practicing against this defense more than prepares you to go into a game. The game kind of slows down when you’ve seen this defense flying at you from every which way in practice. It truly is a blessing going up against a defense such as good as this one, day in and day out.

Question 5 – You said in an interview on Steelers.com that you play with the intensity of a defensive player. If you were to play defense, what position would you play?

Summers – Probably defensive end. Defensive end or linebacker.

Question 6 – In the NFL, what do you think your niche is going to be?

Summers – I don’t know. As of right now, I am trying to make it on special teams. Like I said before, wherever the coaches feel I could help the team out, I am going to accept it and embrace it with open arms and I am more than willing to go do it.

Question 7 – Because of your size, do most people doubt your speed?

Summers – Yeah, I think so. In this league, there are a lot of guys that are big, strong, and fast, but I am a blue collar worker, I’m going to keep working and try to do what I do.

Question 8 – When you signed your rookie contract, your signing bonus was $115,000. What is the first thing you bought?

Summers – After taxes, it was about 70 grand. I had some bills that I needed to pay off. Really, the rest of it, I just put it up. I put it into CD accounts. I have a car already, I am not going to be buying a house or anything. I just put the rest up.

Question 9 – Have you checked out Madden 10 yet?

Summers – Actually, I am not really a big gamer. I’ve seen it, I’ve seen one game. I haven’t checked it out myself personally.

Question 10 – Have you gone through any rookie hazing yet?

Summers – Just a little bit. I had to sing a couple of songs, but nothing over the top.

Question 11 – Who are some of the guys that you are closest with on the team?

Summers – This is a great group of guys, all of them. They help me a lot, so I hang with all of them. I hang with all the running backs, but the rookies are always together though.

Question 12 – Why didn’t you play in the second preseason game, against the Redskins?

Summers – My hamstring got a little tight on the last Thursday, right before the game. I thought it was pretty good, but they wanted to hold me out of this last game.

Saints Defense: New Swagger

The New Orleans Saints defense is starting to show some flashes. This unit is playing with intensity ready to make their presence felt on the field. The defensive side of the ball  has brought in some new faces.

The Saints defenders were the biggest question mark coming into the 2009 season and if this defense can cause as much havoc in the regular season as they have in the preseason teams better be ware.

Some might just throw out that it is just preseason and not to get myself too excited, but we haven’t even used all of our packages. Gregg Williams says he does not plan on using all of his packages until Week One against the Detroit Lions.

What could this mean for the Saints “D” coming into the 2009 season? Could we see more turnovers? Could we see more plays on the ball, and if so, who will be the main playmaker for us? I believe the answer to that is Jonathan Vilma. Newcomer Darren Sharper, who forced a fumble that was scooped up by Vilma and returned to Bengals territory might have something to say about that. So would Jabari Greer, who picked off a pass against the Houston Texans that ended a potential scoring drive and got the Saints three points.

Let  me make sure I do give credit to second-year corner back Tracey Porter who forced a fumble and recorded about seven tackles. Corner back Randall Gay also intercepted a pass against the Houston Texans and along with Porter is battling for a starting position. 

The Saints defense seems like it has a whole new mentality and a brand new swagger. The defensive unit being led by  middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma looks to shut down offenses and keep cause turn overs. The Saints defense is going to attack anyone who attempts to tress pass into our end zone and keep our offense on the field.

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