The Weekly Pepper Doubleheader: The Fantasy Untradeables

I’ll be conducting a fantasy doubleheader this week due to the importance of Week One.

You ever have a group of friends, perhaps seven or eight guys? This is your crew. You guys do everything together: Football games, trips to Vegas, drinking nights, etc.

You consider them all really solid friends but there’s a special two or three guys who you are exceptionally tight with.

If there was a best friend draft, these guys would be your running backs. They’re dependable, consistent, rarely get sick on big drinking nights, and are just overall the best things to happen to you.

That is what my untradeables list is.

If you were forced to only keep one player and start all over again, and one of these guys isn’t on your team, I would advise you to throw your whole team in and start over.

As someone who believes that nearly everyone is tradeable, the exclusions from this list might come off as striking to a few of you.

For instance: Michael Turner is completely tradeable. You hoard him until he has one big week and then you pitch him for two players who’s numbers will supercede his own.

My untradeable list consists of guys whose points are irreplaceable or who have the potential to single-handedly win you a fantasy game. With no further ado, I present the untradeables.

 

1. Drew Brees

Could there have been a more obvious opening pick. No quaterback this year will put up these kind of yards and touchdowns. I usually advise trading QBs after one big week due to the amount of QBs with decent numbers available.

No one is coming close to Brees this year. Their defense is so bad that there will be no running the clock out fourth quarters. Brees can and will be throwing it 40+ times a game and will go for the end zone more times than not.

If you trade Drew Brees you have to know that you’ve lost, no matter who you get, beause he’s the significant No. 1 in his field.

 

2. Wes Welker/Randy Moss in a PPR league

100 yards and 10 catches. This is what you can expect from both of these men every game. That’s 20 points a game not counting touchdowns, and trust me when I say those will be coming as well.

With the youth of the defense, the Patriots will be in the game throughout and will not stop throwing. While the Saints throw it more, they share the wealth with too many players for any of them to be untradeable outside of Brees.

 

3.Adrian Peterson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrhBXbVmrWc

 

There’s all the reason you need.

4.Reggie Wayne

I will be writing an article dedicated solely on his fantasy potential tomorrow so I can’t give away too much here.

Let me just say that you should do everything in your power to get Reggie Wayne. 15 TDs looks very accomplishable this year.

 

5.Calvin Johnson

Have you ever dated a girl you hated, but she was so good in bed that you just couldn’t break up with her? You guys fought and fought and fought but that only led to more sex and more reasons to stay with her.

That’s Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford. Matt can’t do anything correct right now except throw the deep ball. It just so happens that he has the greatest deep ball WR we have ever seen.

The Lions will be losing. The Lions will be throwing. Matt Stafford will be throwing deep. Calvin Johnson will be getting 100 yards and a TD often.

And there you have it. Five guys, no more, no less. With the right package, you can swivel Michael Turner from me in a heartbeat. Tom Brady is tossable if I have a solid backup. Maurice Jones Drew and Matt Forte can take a hike with the right deal.

But if you have one of these five (technically six for Welker/Moss combo) do not release them for any reason what so ever.

Not even if you’re in a fantasy league with Kanye West and he’s telling you he’s sorry but he’s got the best player of all time.

 

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For Colts, Answers at Wide Receiver Already in Place

The story of this week is all about how the Colts have lost their starting wide out Anthony Gonzalez for probably a month or more.

It’s just another sign of the acopolypse that is supposed to be a signal of the demise of the Colts as an AFC superpower.

Yet, the are two big points in regards to the loss of Gonzalez that led me to completely believe in GM Bill Polian’s faith in our current crop of receivers.

The first point is, when Gonzalez went out late in the first quarter, he didn’t exactly take a lot of production with him. In fact, not only did Gonzalez have zero catches at that point, but, more importantly, Gonzalez wasn’t even a target of a single Peyton Manning pass.

Not one.

Wasn’t Gonzalez supposed to have a breakout year? The Colts started the game with a pretty impressive drive before Manning’s ill-advised lob to the end zone was intercepted.

Yet, Gonzalez didn’t get a sniff of the action.

Secondly, after Gonzalez left, it would be natural to assume that the Jags would roll their coverage over to Reggie Wayne because surely Jacksonville wouldn’t worry about the inexperienced crop of receivers taking Gonzalez’s place.

Well, if the Jags tried to shut Wayne down, they did a pretty poor job. Ten catches, 162 yards, and a touchdown are impressive stats for any game, especially after the No. 2 receiver goes down with an injury.

And as for those inexperienced receivers? They did just fine.

Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon may not have set the world on fire with their stats, a combined five catches for 39 yards, but with Wayne and Dallas Clark on the team, they aren’t asked to either.

In limited play, Collie and Garcon both showed they are up to the challenge.

Twice Collie caught key third down passes, both times having the sense to know where the marker was and get by it.

Garcon, on one catch, ran Harrison’s old route, the quick slant. Garcon took a good hit, but held on to the ball.

The only negative you could bring up was Collie’s miss on a nice play down the middle seam, but that was more of a great play by the Jaguar defender than a mistake on Collie’s part.

Collie and Garcon are going to be just fine.

Don’t forget that in the game, both Jacob Tamme and Clark would occasionally lineup in the slot. The versatility of the Colts tight ends allows the Colts to alter their offensive setup quite a bit.

The need for another receiver isn’t there when you have three receivers on the roster, plus tight ends that can play the slot. In essence, the Colts have at least five players on the roster who are capable of playing wide receiver positions, maybe even six if you allow running back Joseph Addai to split wide.

Would the Colts really want to bring a wide receiver off the street and expect them to learn one of the league’s more complicated offenses?

Probably not.

As much as I personally like practice squad guys Taj Smith and John Matthews, neither of them would factor enough to bring them up to the senior squad.

And despite what national media would like to think, Marvin Harrison isn’t walking through the front door of the Colts’ complex.

No, the Colts will take what they have to Miami for next Monday’s game, and they’ll be just fine with the talent they have right now.

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Giants-Cowboys: Breaking Down the Sunday Night Showdown

This may be the most anticipated game of NFL week two.

The Giants are 1-0 and coming off a 23-17 win against the Washington Redskins last week.

The Cowboys are also 1-0 after a 34-21 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.

Both teams looked impressive during their wins. On Sunday night, the two NFC East rivals will rumble in Arlington, where the Cowboys will unveil the brand-new Cowboys Stadium on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

How does each unit fare against each other? Let’s take a look.

 

Giants Offense vs. Cowboys Defense

On Sunday, the Giants showed they can use a balanced attack when it comes to passing the ball.

Eli Manning distributed the ball to seven different receivers. Steve Smith made tremendous catches in traffic and looks to be Manning’s most dependable receiver. Tight end Kevin Boss has become a great weapon for Manning as has wide receiver Mario Manningham.

The running game must do a better job in short-yardage situations with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

The Cowboys pressure the pass well with DeMarcus Ware, one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

The Dallas secondary might be where the Giants can take advantage down field. So as long as the Giants offensive line stays healthy and keeps Manning off his back, the quarterback will have a chance to pick apart the Cowboys secondary.

 

Giants Defense vs. Cowboys Offense

The Cowboys were able to use a similar passing attack on Sunday as they did last season, but without Terrell Owens demanding the football.

Tony Romo was able to get the ball to Jason Witten, Roy Williams, and Patrick Crayton effectively. The Giants will most likely be without Aaron Ross at cornerback and need Kevin Dockery healthy in order to cover the Cowboys receivers.

The Cowboys running game is similar to the Giants, with power back Marion Barber and speedy complimentary back Felix Jones. The backs did a decent job last Sunday, but weren’t overly impressive.

The Cowboys must protect Romo. The Giants defense was impressive against the Redskins. Their pass rush, bookended by Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, is perhaps the best in the NFL. Up the middle, Chris Canty showed his value on the line and the Giants will get back linebacker Michael Boley.

 

Who has the edge on Sunday?

The Giants and Cowboys are very similar.

Both play receivers by committee and, to the benefit of the quarterbacks, no longer rely on Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens. 

Both successfully use two types of running backs.

Both defenses put pressure on the opponent’s quarterback, forcing costly mistakes.

So what’s the difference?

The Giants have a slight advantage because of their pressure-packed pass rush that wreaks just a bit more havoc. The Cowboys have Ware, but the Giants have Tuck, Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and Canty. The more the merrier.

Final Score Prediction?

I’m going with an upset. It’s risky, especially since it’s a road game for the Giants, but I think it’s worth it. I’m picking the Giants to step up on the big stage and ruin the Dallas’ homecoming party by knocking off the Cowboys 28-24.

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Calvin Johnson Needs a Wingman, or Two

Calvin Johnson is without doubt one of the premiere talents in the NFL. His ability at the wide receiver position is as good as any. Yet, even the best receivers in the league have trouble catching passes in midst of double and triple coverage.

 

Fortunately for the Detroit Lions, they have other options. Now, it is crucial that the team takes advantage of its personnel.

 

Bryant Johnson, in my mind, is one of the undiscovered talents at his position. Remember how Mike Furrey came out of nowhere and flourished under former offensive coordinator Mike Martz? Johnson also has the ability to make that kind of difference.

 

He has averaged 40 catches per season over his six-year career, primarily as the third receiver or in the slot position. That number should double now that he is the No. 2 receiver playing alongside Calvin Johnson.

 

For whatever reason, Bryant Johnson was not utilized in the Lions recent loss to New Orleans. Just four catches for 45 yards.

 

Another weapon Detroit has is first-round pick Brandon Pettigrew. The reasoning given behind selecting Pettigrew so high in the draft was that the tight end position plays a major role within offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s system.

 

Where was Pettigrew on Sunday?

 

Will Heller, known for his blocking ability more than anything else, started the game at tight end in New Orleans. He was not a factor. At least not a positive one, he did drop a few passes.

 

Pettigrew was an offensive threat at Oklahoma State. The 6-5 265 pound tight end needs to given an opportunity in the offense with Detroit as well. Immediately.

 

Near the start of training camp this season, the Lions took a flyer on Dennis Northcutt and brought him to Detroit, via a trade with Jacksonville.

 

Northcutt has had numerous “problems” or distractions throughout his career, but he’s always been regarded as a tremendous talent. Granted he is in his elder football years now, and not the explosive playmaker people raved about when he came out of college, but he still has plenty of football left in him.

 

The return game was one of, if not the, only bright spots for Detroit in week 1. Northcutt was a major role in that. His speed should be utilized at the slot receiver position as well, and even as a potential deep threat during games.

 

The Lions have plenty of issues, on both sides of the ball. No question. But doing one thing really well is a step in the right director to becoming at least mediocre as whole.

 

Detroit’s passing game has potential. Sure, Stafford is a rookie and has already shown suspect decision making. But he does have a rocket arm.

 

Right now the Lions have no identity. If the passing attack can develop, other areas should improve as well, i.e. the running game. Knock on wood.

 

Minnesota is coming to Detroit this weekend, and the home setting could be just the calming factor this team needs.

 

For Lions fans hoping to watch this game, its looking like you will have to purchase tickets and drive down to Ford Field. As of Wednesday 4,000 tickets still remained, meaning the game will be blacked out on local television if the stadium is not sold out. This by the way will be a trend for Lions home games this season.

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Bears Circle Wagons Around General Cutler in Battle of Little Bigscorn

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Two days after NFL Network analyst Mike Martz said that Jay Cutler “just doesn’t get it,” and broadcast partner Jim Mora suggested that he “acted like he didn’t even care,” the Bears’ beleaguered quarterback dismissed the critiques as part of his job description.

“I heard briefly about it,” Cutler said of the negative talk on Wednesday afternoon, his designated media day. “We can’t worry about that. I can’t worry about that. We just worry about the guys in the locker room getting better.”

Several teammates were quick to run interference for their quarterback, something they had done several times this season already.

“Everyone that has been around (Cutler) — his teammates, former coaches — they know what type of player he is, what type of person he is,” said head coach Lovie Smith, who had spent three seasons with Martz as a St. Louis Rams assistant.

“Totally uncalled for,” offensive coordinator Ron Turner called the remarks.

“My problem is, some people immediately take the side of ownership when they don’t know the whole story,” wide receiver Rashied Davis said. “That’s probably what bothers the players the most—we’re immediately in the wrong. We didn’t have any reason to react in the way we did.

“I don’t now what the situation is. I haven’t asked (Cutler) and I won’t ask him. All I know is, he’s Jay, and he plays to the best of his ability when he goes out there. He’s confident, and we believe in him. And he believes in us.”

In his forgettable Bears’ debut, Cutler threw four interceptions in a 21-15 loss against the Packers in Green Bay last Sunday night. He didn’t appear to be on the same page as his receivers at times, and was guilty of several ill-advised pass attempts.

“Everybody has a bad game once in awhile,” Davis said.  “It happens. No one’s perfect. Brett Favre has almost as many interceptions as touchdowns, you know? But when it’s Brett Favre, it’s because he tries to make a play. It’s not because he may have made a bad read.

“I don’t know what happens all the time with Favre or anybody else. But if (the media) like him, they’ll say something nice. It they don’t, they’ll say something negative—period.”

Dressed in a t-shirt and Bears hat, Cutler told reporters after the game, “It’s tough, but we’ve got 15 (games) more to play. There’s a lot of football left in this season.”

“When I saw that postgame press conference last night, I thought he looked completely immature,” Mora said on The Head Coaches show, an NFL Network production for which he and Martz serve as analysts.

Said Martz, “He doesn’t understand that he represents a great head coach and the rest of those players on that team…Somebody needs to talk to him.”

“First off, you have to look at the setting a little bit,” Smith countered. “We had just come off of a tough loss to one of our rivals. I looked at Jay’s comments that he made, and it’s a little disappointing especially coming from a couple of former coaches to make those type of comments about Jay.

Mora said he could teach Cutler something about postgame behavior.

“Having always handled my postgame press conference in a professional way, I’m an authority on these types of things,” Mora said. “I just didn’t think he was very professional, very accountable. I could give him a tip or two.”

Actually, Mora was guilty of meltdown once himself.  When asked about the playoffs possibilities late in the 2001 season, the then Indianapolis Colts head coach responded infamously, “What’s that? Uh, playoffs?! Don’t talk about—playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!”

Cutler has been criticized for his reluctance to accept responsibility in the past, but this time he shouldered at least some of the blame for what took place in the regular-season opener.

“We did some good things. We did some bad things,” Cutler said, who completed 17-of-36 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown. “Any time you put a defense in a hole like I did with four picks, it’s going to be tough. We got to limit that. But we did some good things out there. We made some plays. The receivers played well. The line played well. I just got to pick it up.”

Cutler said his primary focus was on the date with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field on Sunday evening.

“Everyone has ups and down in their careers,” Cutler said. “Most of the time when something like this happens to me, I usually bounce back. It’s not going to get me down. It really isn’t. I’m going to go out there and keep playing and keep practicing hard. You know, we’re going to keep slinging it.”

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Thursday Morning QB: Your Procrastinator’s Review of the Browns/Vikings

Monday morning my ass. I’m too busy reading articles about the games. I watch all the big plays on Sportscenter, YouTube, and my DVR. And quite honestly, I’m too f’n hungover to start jabbing nonsensically on the old typer. Now, by Wednesday or so…

One of my favorite pastimes is to read visiting news sources about the big beat down they took from the Vikings. Of course, it doesn’t always work that way—many times the Vikings “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,” and I’m left wincing from comments on news sources like Cleveland.com.

But this Monday, I was able to revel in the spastic fanbase being both embarrassed and outraged, in all their unflattering moniker endowing glory: 

Dudes, Lerner hired “Man-gina”, what did you expect? 8-8?

Also, Brady Quinn is affectionately known as “Noodles,” “Queenie,” and “Brady Frye.” And that’s coming from the Browns fans—that’s not Derrick Anderson loyalists.

I also garnered Browns nation has the belief that Cleveland was hanging with the Vikings, and the Browns merely failed to play a complete game. If only the team could have played all four quarters, instead of just a half game—goes the contention—the Brownies would have most likely won.

A quick look at the scoring results of Adrian Peterson’s career by quarter shows this is not the case. The Vikings’ game plan is to run the ball in the first quarter to set up success in rushing it in the fourth. As a result, the first half was merely the offensive line softening the opposition for AP to run wild in the second.

For proof, I give you Adrian Peterson’s 28 (two postseason) career Touchdowns by quarte:

 

1st Q  – 5

2nd Q – 7

3rd Q  – 6

4th Q  – 10

As a result, the best way to beat the Vikings is to throw the ball down field early and often. In recent history, they’ve had a poor pass defense, largely because of their stout run defense—the Vikings have led the league in rush defense the past three seasons. Get up in points and you make the Vikings beat you throwing the ball, not pounding it with Adrian. And the only way to do that is to pass.

In looking at the the Browns game, we can see they did not in fact do any of that.

Amazingly I found this quote from the Minneapolis StarTribune:

“Afterward, Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards told Winfield that Cleveland’s game plan was to stay away from the Vikings left corner. Edwards also shared another interesting nugget of information that surprised Winfield.

“He said the game plan was for them to run the ball,” he said. “I was telling him, ‘We’ve got too much beef in the middle for you to run the ball. “

Too much beef, indeed.

Further, the Browns ran 55 offensive plays, 35 passes, and 20 rushes. At first glance, it seems they tried to pass by the Vikings through the air.

But once again, breaking the game down by quarter, you can see 26 of the 35 pass plays came in the fourth when the game was safely put away. They passed three times in the third, 10 in the second, and a mere five in the first—when it was the most imperative time to gain a lead and force the Vikings QB to beat you, not their RB.

Clearly “Mangenious” and his game plan had a less than desirable effect. A team with less talent can beat a team with more, but they’d better have a real genius wearing the headphones. One at least, that would not play directly into the opponent’s strengths.

Adrian Peterson 2,000 Yard Watch

180 yards per game = +55 yards for a 2,000-yard season, and -7.5 yards for a 3,000 yard season.

Un – f’n – believable…

 

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The Enigma that is Fast Willie Parker

Main Entry: enig·ma
Pronunciation: \i-ˈnig-mə, e-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin aenigma, from Greek ainigmat-, ainigma, from ainissesthai to speak in riddles, from ainos fable
Date: 1539
1 : an obscure speech or writing
2 : something hard to understand or explain
3 : an inscrutable or mysterious person

Fast Willie Parker doesn’t appear to be playing with as much heart as he is “talking up”  with every chance he is provided.

Here’s my contention about Fast Willie Parker ….

He is playing in the final year of his contract.

He is an NFL running back.

NFL running backs don’t like to play and risk major injury without a guaranteed contract.

Parker has stated publicly (and was earnestly “STFU’d” by Coach Tomlin) his less than enamored feelings about the changes within the Steelers rushing system as recently as mid-season last year.

Just a few days ago, Coach Tomlin publicly endorsed Parker as his 300+ carries guy this season.

The Steelers drafted a 1st round running back and paid that guy on par with Parker, without that guy even having ever taken an NFL carry.

And then a few points I’d like to make about Jerome Bettis, who has been more than minimally critical of the Steelers poor o-line play and poor running back play these past two seasons …

Willie Parker has a huge attachment to the “Bus”. Parker admires Jerome more than any other player he has played with or against in the NFL. It was Jerome that brought Willie Parker under his wing. It was Jerome who taught Parker how to prepare mentally and physically to be an NFL gameday RB.

That said, when Jerome is publicly busting on the Steelers, as he has twice in his short NFL analyst career now. Could it be Willie Parker who is taking that message to heart the most out of any Steelers holdovers from the Jerome Bettis years? There is a discernible influence Jerome Bettis still has upon Willie Parker.

I stated something to this effect last season on a Steelers message board that I frequent.

Do you think Jerome and Parker aren’t texting to this day?

Do you think Jerome maybe could be influencing Parker’s thoughts regarding the system changes in Pittsburgh and how negatively those changes are impacting Parker’s stats and career?

And then the Steelers draft a running back in Round 1 last year who is paid on par with Parker… ?

If this is Parker’s last year in Pittsburgh, is he really going to “put out” and risk major injury when he has absolutely no long-term deal in place … ???

Does Parker really want 300 carries this year, and the wear and tear that come along with it, like Coach Tomlin insinuated in the media last week?

My guess is that Bettis is very possibly playing the “Grima Wormtongue” to the conscience of Willie Parker and is influencing Parker’s next move out of Pittsburgh in subtle ways that are “poisoning” Parker’s desire to be the best he can be.

Bettis is extremely experienced at career-type performance issues … he played the cards at the table of his career moves quite methodically in fact …

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07234/811164-13.stm

Bettis went through a certain lag in performance during the Amos Zereoue years shortly after the Richard Huntley incident, when Zereoue started 11 games between 2002 and 2003. He was essentially outplayed by both Zereoue and Huntley over a 4 year mid-career stretch.

Is the Jerome Bettis we all “think” we know, as Steelers fans, the one-and-the-same Jerome Bettis who used chicanery throughout his entire Steelers experience to win at the game of NFL existence … ?

And if that Jerome Bettis is influencing the day-to-day grind of Fast Willie Parker… are we really seeing the Fast Willie Parker we ought to be seeing… ???

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Illegal Contact: Helping Refs Ruin Games Since 1978

According to Wikipedia, illegal contact occurs when “a player makes significant contact with a receiver after the receiver has advanced five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. This rule was adopted in 1978, and its enactment is regarded as contributing to the dramatic increase in both passing yardage and scoring that the NFL has witnessed since that time.”

In 2004, the competition committee made the rule a point of emphasis, essentially penalizing defensive backs for being too aggressive.

If you watched Sunday night’s Packers-Bears game, you witnessed another example of this incessantly terrible penalty called at the worst possible time.

Al Harris was flagged in the fourth quarter after a 3rd-and-6 pass fell incomplete and almost stalled Chicago’s chances to take the lead. 

However, the result of the penalty was five yards and an automatic first down.  Chicago’s drive got new life.

Instead of being forced to punt, Chicago continued to drive into field goal range and take the lead.

I get it; penalties exist to make the game fair to all and to ensure the players are disciplined for playing outside of the rules.

But why does this penalty carry with it an automatic first down? Theoretically, it could have been 4th-and-75 with an incomplete pass, but that penalty would still give the offense an automatic first down without earning it.

The result of the play was not a first down. The ball was not placed past the first down marker after the penalty was enforced.

So why do the chains move? 

In a game where linemen and ball carriers fight for every inch by churning their legs, pushing and diving, this penalty allows a team to get a first down if a defensive back taps a receiver on the shoulder once they are five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

No other penalty seems this absurd or carries such an unfair advantage.

Take defensive offsides, for example. A defensive lineman could line up directly behind the quarterback and sack him as soon as the ball is snapped. This results in a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down.

Let’s get this straight: the defense can prevent the offense from legitimately running its play and the offense gets five yards and replays the down—depending upon the placement of the ball.

However, when the offense has a chance to complete the play but a defender places a hand on the receiver before the pass is thrown, the offense is given at least three more chances to get a first down (or score), regardless of the down and distance after the penalty is enforced. 

A penalty for such a trivial action should not have that great of an effect on the game’s result. Had Green Bay’s offense not subsequently scored, that would have been the reason they lost.

The automatic first down should be taken away from this rule, as it usually is not deserved. There is a similar rule that typically results in a first down: pass interference. 

Interference occurs when a defender impedes the receiver when he is an actual target. It is more severe than illegal contact, and carries a harsher penalty (the ball is placed at the spot of the foul).  

The two penalties are very different and should not have such an overlap in result.

Illegal contact is a judgement call by the referee and therefore gives him the ability to affect the entire game with one call.  

When one referee has that much power, something has to change. Since the game can’t, the rule must.  

Take the power to give these arbitrary first downs away from the ref.  Make the offenses continue to work, like other penalties.

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Top 10: One Man’s Favorite Packers

Fresh off an exciting, albeit uneven, win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, let’s take a look at some of my all-time favorite Green Bay Packers.

The list ranges fairly far into the past, but for the most part it consists of players either still active or active in the 1996/97 season. Did something happen in that season that would affect my selections? I can’t remember…

The bottom eight are in no particular order; no.’s 1 and 2 are where they are for a reason.

Let’s do this thing.

Begin Slideshow

Gone ‘Till November, the Ballad of Leroy Hill

Lost this week, among the reports concerning Chicago Bears perennial Pro-Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher’s season-ending injury, was the news of Leroy Hill’s lost season to an unspecified groin injury.

Yes, the very same Leroy Hill that just received a $38 million contract just months ago.

Hill will be out at least until November, and currently the team is considering season-ending surgery. Will Herring, Hill’s backup, entered the game as Hill came out, and played well, though this should offer little consolation since the Seahawks already had the game in hand, and, after all, were playing the Rams. It remains to be seen how Herring will progress through the season.

Coach Jim Mora: Please listen to me a moment, as I believe that I have the solution. I propose a two-man rotation at strong-side linebacker that doesn’t even involve Herring.

On running downs, bring the heat. That’s right—David “Heater” Hawthorne, a moniker given to him by teammate Lofa Tatupu for his punishing hits. I’d let him loose, simply telling him to hit the ball carrier. Hard.

On passing downs, give ’em Reed. Nick Reed made a name for himself during the preseason, recording 3.5 sacks and an interception. There was no denying that the kid has a motor, as well as the will to get to the quarterback; hell, he fought his way into necessitating eleven roster spots for the defensive line. I’d let him loose as well, simply asking him to get to the quarterback. Fast.

The biggest knock on Hawthorne is that he may not have the instincts necessary to play NFL linebacker. That he may not have the ability to read the play. If these are the biggest concerns, I say eliminate them. Give him one job: hit the running back. 

Hard.

The biggest knock on Reed is his size. At 6’1″ and 247 pounds, he’s extremely small for a defensive end. At 6’1″ and 247 pounds, with the type of speed he has, he’s perfect as a linebacker. Give him one job, get to the quarterback.

Fast.

When Aaron Curry was brought to Seattle, it was so that there could be another second-level defender alongside Lofa Tatupu, allowing Hill to resume the role he filled quite well in his rookie year, putting up eight sacks and two forced fumbles.

I believe that rotating these two young men would fill that role quite nicely.

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