10 Questions I Would Ask Denver Broncos’ Running Back Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon Moreno, the 12th overall pick in the draft, is likely going to be the starting running back for the Denver Broncos this season. If I had the once in a lifetime chance to sit down with him, I would ask him the following questions:

 

1. How do you think playing football in the SEC will help you transit into the NFL?
2. Was it a surprise to hear your name get called to the Denver Broncos?  Was there anything that only you knew that helped you predict this?
3. What was the first thing you’re going to do with the signing bonus of your contract?
4. What do you like about new head coach Josh McDaniels?
5. How much of an impact do you think the team will lack without Jay Cutler?
6. To fans of the Broncos who haven’t seen you play, how would you describe your running style?
7. What are your realistic individual goals for this upcoming season?
8. What do you think the team can do, in terms of record?
9. How do you think Broncos’ fans will react to you wearing number 27?
10. What do you think you need to improve upon most, as a running back?

Why the Washington Redskins Will Win the NFC East

To start this article off: I am not a Skins fan.  I never have been and never will be.

Nonetheless, I really love what the Redskins did in the off season.

The Skins, who finished the season 8-8, and fourth in the NFC East, easily made the most noise in the 2009 NFL off season.

Signings of All-Pro nose tackle Albert Haynesworth, superstar corner back DeAngelo Hall, and star guard Derrick Dockery capped off a great off season for the Redskins.  Drafting Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo in the first round of the draft helped the cause, too.

Lets not forget the All-Pro running back that was already on the team, Clinton Portis.  Portis, at age 27 and in his prime, will look to carry the load for the Redskins.

Also, another Pro Bowler on the Redskins’ roster is Chris Cooley.  Cooley, a tight end out of Utah State, has been selected to the last two Pro Bowls, and started every game at tight end for the Redskins in the last four years.

There’s one under the radar star that most people forget about.  LaRon Landry, the 2007 NFC Pro Bowl alternate, made 65 tackles and forced two fumbles last year for the Redskins.

So we have all these stars on the Redskins, as well as some that were unnamed.  Now how’s the general doing?

In a division with super stars by the names of Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, and Eli Manning, Redskins’ quarterback Jason Campbell often gets overlooked.

In the midst of trade talks this spring, Campbell started all 16 games for Washington this last year, threw for 3245 yards, and threw more than twice as many touchdowns as interceptions.  Campbell also holds a Redskins record for most consecutive throws without an interception, with 252.

Though head coaching great Joe Gibbs retired two seasons ago, new Redskins head coach Jim Zorn has filled his shoes nicely.  An offensive-minded head coach, Zorn led the Redskins to just one less win than Gibbs did in his last season, but Zorn surpassed many expectations that were given to him.

So not only have the Redskins improved this off season, but many teams have also fallen short in their progression.

The Cowboys, who were third in the NFC East last year with a 9-7 record, lost their best wide receiver in Terrell Owens.  Owens, though not necessarily an offensive leader, will make a huge difference for the Cowboys, since defenses won’t have to double team him.

Another wide receiver problem in the NFC East is Giants’ wide receiver, Plaxico Burress.  Burress, who was suspended by the Giants until the end of the season last year due to illegal gun charges, will certainly be a key factor to the Giants’ success this season.  Media will follow him wherever he goes, and Burress was also mentioned in trade talks this off season.

The Eagles had a good off season.  They filled up their needs in the draft with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and corner back Ellis Hobbs.

Overall I can see another very tight race for the NFC East division title this year.  My predictions will be:

Redskins – 11-5
Eagles – 11-5
Giants – 11-5
Cowboys – 9-7

With the Redskins winning the division title, and both the Eagles and Giants getting in the playoffs as with a Wild Card birth.  This season in the NFC East has the potential to be just as good as last year’s, if not better.

Why Matt Ryan Will Be This Year’s NFL Most Valuable Player

Matt Ryan burst into the national spotlight in 2007.  

At the start of that season, Ryan was named to the 2007 All-ACC team and did not disappoint.  During his senior season at Boston College, Ryan led the Eagles to an 8-0 start, and beat the likes of No. 15 Georgia Tech and No. 9 Virginia Tech.  Ryan led his team to the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl and beat Michigan State easily, with a 41-24 victory.

Backtrack a few years.  In Ryan’s senior season at high school, he was named captain of the baseball, basketball, and football teams.  

Matt Ryan got in his first NCAA game in his freshman year, and completed 35 of 71 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown.  He also played a little in Boston College’s bowl game that year.

His sophomore season, Ryan was not immediately named the starter.  Being a second stringer to quarterback Quinton Porter, Ryan finally got the starting job midway through the season, in a game against North Carolina.  Matt Ryan would never look back.

In Ryan’s junior year, Ryan was named the starter.  Starting in 11 out of 12 games, Ryan threw for nearly 3000 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Decent numbers, but not nearly as good as his senior season’s stats.

The next year, Ryan exploded.  He threw for 4507 yards, 31 touchdowns, and has a passer efficiency rating of 127.04.  Also, while leading the Eagles to their 8-0 start, Ryan got his name out to the NFL scouts.

The next year, while entering the draft, Ryan was taken third overall to the Atlanta Falcons.  Despite not having the best NFL combine drills (5.07 40 yard dash time), Atlanta knew they had the right kid in mind.

That year, Matt Ryan had arguably the best rookie season in the NFL’s recent memory. Ryan threw for 3440 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions.  Ryan was only the second rookie ever to throw for 3000 yards in his first season in the league, Peyton Manning was the first.

Oh yeah, he also led the Falcons to the playoffs, while starting all 16 games.  Not bad, for a rookie.

This year, Ryan will have some of the highest expectations in the entire league.  Ryan will be expected to win his first playoff game, at least, and will set the bar high for rookies of this year’s draft, like Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez.

Also this year, Matt Ryan has a new weapon to throw to.  His name?  Tony Gonzalez. Yeah, the best tight end to ever play the game of football will be catching balls from the best sophomore quarterback in the NFL.  Clearly Matt Ryan will have an amazing year at quarterback.

So we have an amazing rookie season from Ryan, a for sure future Hall of Famer in Tony Gonzalez, but what else do we have?  We have an all-pro running back by the name of Michael Turner and a great possession receiver in Michael Jenkins.

Michael Turner is probably one of Matt Ryan’s biggest assets.  Turner will run all over defenses, resulting in safeties and line backers to start to creep in to help stop the run. Then Ryan will throw over the top and really tack on some yardage.

Jenkins, who had a career high in receiving yards in 2008 with 777, is sure to breakout this year with the emergence of Gonzalez.

Honestly, I would be surprised if Matt Ryan doesn’t win the NFL’s MVP award this year.  I doubt Tom Brady will be back to his old form, and Manning will be without one of his favorite targets in Marvin Harrison.

Willie Tuitama: Why Coach Josh McDaniels Needs to Give This Kid a Shot

Willie Tuitama against Kyle Orton, what’s going in Tuitama’s favor?  

Tuitama, a senior out of the University of Arizona, has never taken an NFL snap. However, Tuitama, who is five years younger than Orton, has the potential to be a decent starter in the NFL, and great value for being an unsigned, undrafted free agent.

Tuitama stayed all four years at Arizona, and passed for over 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons. The Stockton, California native has thrown for 51 touchdowns in his last two years, compared to just 20 interceptions. He also threw for over 3000 yards in the PAC-10 twice, Tuitama seems to have a great arm and great pocket poise.

Tuitama, who was fifth in passing efficiency while trailing after halftime with a 132.5 rating, Tuitama trailed only Graham Harrell, Chase Daniels, Andre Woodson, and some guy named Matthew Stafford. He remains calm under pressure, and performs in the clutch better than he does when he has a lead.

While being a starter in his freshman year at Arizona, Tuitama posted a passer efficiency rating of 137. 

In Arizona’s first game this season against Idaho, Tuitama was 17 for 21, 179 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Against the USC Trojan tough defense however, Tuitama was just 14 for 30, 88 yards, and an interception. Inconsistent at times, but he showed what he’s capable of doing against the Vandals.

Tuitama, who has a nice frame at six-foot-three, and weighing about 220 pounds, has great inside accuracy. He isn’t the fastest quarterback available (4.78 40 yard dash time), and can sometimes be inaccurate and have mistimed throws.

Even though the Broncos drafted Tom Brandstater out of Fresno State, I believe the Broncos should at least give Tuitama a spot on the roster, since thus far they haven’t even signed an undrafted free agent at the quarterback position yet.

Overall, throwing for 9,216 yards and 67 touchdowns for his career at Arizona isn’t bad, and I really think the Broncos should take a chance on him. Though he may take some time to work out his flaws in his mechanics, I would much rather give him a chance than have Orton the outright starter, with no decent backup behind him when he throws 20 interceptions by December.

NFL Mock Draft: Expect Four USC Trojans in the First 23 Picks

1. Lions – Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

2. Rams – Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

3. Chiefs – Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

4. Seahawks – Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia Tech

5. Browns – Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

6. Bengals – Brian Orakpo, OT, Texas

7. Raiders – Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

8. Jaguars – Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern California

9. Packers – Aaron Maybin, LB, Penn State

10. 49ers – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

11. Bills – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Miami

12. Broncos – BJ Raji, DE, Boston College

13. Redskins – Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California

14. Saints – Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State

15. Texans – Malcom Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

16. Chargers – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

17. Jets – Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

18. Broncos – Rey Mualuga, LB, Southern California

19. Bucs – Everette Brown, DE/LB, Florida State

20. Lions – Perla Jerry, DT, Mississippi

21. Eagles – Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

22. Vikings – Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

23. Patriots – Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California

24. Falcons – Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

25. Dolphins – Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

26. Ravens – Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers

27. Colts – Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State

28. Bills – Eben Britton, OT, Arizona

29. Giants – Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina

30. Titans – Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut

31. Cardinals – Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

32. Steelers – Eric Wood, C, Louiseville 

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Five of my biggest under-the-radar NFL Draft Headlines:

Why the Raiders will select Maclin over Crabtree, if given the opportunity.

One of Owner Al Davis’ main priorities in this draft is a fast wide receiver.  Other than speed, Maclin and Crabtree are about even.  But, including speed, Maclin gets the edge over the Texas Tech receiver comparable to Lions’ receiver Calvin Johnson.

 

Clay Matthews, a for sure pick if still available for the Patriots?

Matthews’ dad, also named Clay, was coached under former Browns’ assistant coach, Bill Belichick, from 1991-1995.  Now in New England, Belichick shouldn’t hesitate to pick Matthews’ son in the NFL Draft.

 

Broncos go defense with both picks? 

It’s no secret Denver needs help on their line, and in their line backing corps.  With selections of Raji and Mualuga, the Broncos fill up those two voids in their defense, and can try to find a more legit starting running back in rounds two through four.

 

Chris Wells and Knowshon Moreno: The only two running backs?

In a class that’s not deep in running backs, the Saints and the Chargers both score by drafting the only two starter-worthy running backs in the draft.

 

Kenny Britt and Hakeem Nicks over Darius Heyward-Bey?

Heyward-Bey, out of Maryland, has a big frame, and decent speed, but that’s not enough as the Terp can’t find his way into the first round.

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