Seahawks Fire Mora—Carrol Likely to Replace

After only a year in Seattle, Jim Mora has been fired as the Seahawks’ Head Coach.

The firing of General Manager Tim Ruskell in December might have served as a foreshadowing for what was to come, but neither Mora nor Seahawk nation anticipated such a strong decision by team executives.

Mora was only able to marginally contend in the NFC West with a 5-11 record, but his final 2-6 record to end the season was the probably the final indication that the team needed a new direction.

Mora’s replacement is still up for grabs but the popular contenders are USC’s Head Coach Pete Carrol and the Minnesota Viking’s defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier.

Carrol is the likely candidate, a stellar college coach who spent minimal time in the NFL with little success and, coming off his worst year in recent Trojan history, could get everything he needs to take the next step in Seattle.

Coach Carrol will likely approach the job with a Holmgren-like attitude, meaning he will probably not accept or pursue the job unless he is given a fair amount of control over the team’s operations.

Frazier is the more far-reaching candidate. His experience on the defensive side of the ball is something the Seahawks want, but his inexperience as a head coach may deter his chances.

Whoever gets the job will have quite a fruitful opportunity. Paul Allen has money to spend and the ‘Hawks have two picks in the first round of this year’s draft (6 and 14).

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The Cincinnati Bengals Should Win On Wild-Card Weekend

New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Jets are crested with bravado right now, thanks to their effervescent head coach Rex Ryan. They are also a week removed from easily kicking the Bengals all over the field at the last event to ever take place in the Meadowlands.

 

What To Watch From The Jets

Thomas Jones is a running back that leads the charge in the team’s offensive game plan. He has carried the team much of the season, since their passing game has mostly been impotent. The ten year veteran has averaged a steady 4.2 yards per carry on a career high 331 attempts. His 1,402 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground are also career high marks.

Jones caught a career low 10 passes this year, but has averaged nearly 30 throughout his career. He is perhaps a weapon the Jets can use in the passing attack, since the Bengals may disregard him in this area.

Rookie Shonn Greene spells Jones, and has been very impressive. He has played 14 games, but has been used in just five games with frequency. He has still piled up 540 yards at a average of five yards per carry. He hasn’t been used in the passing game at all, but he helps keep the Jets churning forward.

The Jets rank first in the NFL in rushing first downs, total rushing plays and yardage. This speaks very highly of their offensive line. The unit is strongest on their left side behind guard Alan Faneca and center Nick Mangold, and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. All are Pro Bowl players.

Darrelle Revis is a shutdown cornerback, plain and simple. He is the guy who will be assigned to shadow Chad Ochocinco, forcing the Bengals to try to find their offense elsewhere. Veteran Lito Sheppard bookends the Pro Bowler, and Dwight Lowery is one of the top third cornerbacks in the league. This is the group who will have to carry the team, and allow Ryan to crowd the line of scrimmage with his blitz schemes.

David Harris is the teams star on the front seven of the defense. Harris has piled up 126 tackles, six sacks, two interceptions and forced two fumbles, but will be playing on a tender ankle. Sione Pouha has done a respectable job replacing injured Pro Bowl nose tackle Kris Jenkins, which helps to allow Harris and fellow inside linebacker Bart Scott to excel.

The Jets have a pair of average safeties, and can be exploited up the middle. If Harris isn’t able to play to his capabilities, the Bengals will punch the ball up the Jets gut all day.

Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has struggled mightily this year, throwing 20 interceptions. Yet he is the only rookie quarterback starting in the playoffs.Though Sanchez has had a lot thrown at him by opposing defenses this year, Bengals coaches Marvin Lewis and Mike Zimmer will be looking keep him off balanced all game.

What To Watch From The Bengals

Running back Cedric Benson was the nicest surprise to happen for the Bengals this year. He has churned out a career high 1,251 yards despite missing three games and most of a fourth. If he is going good, it enables quarterback Carson Palmer to methodically pick apart defenses in a controlled and well balanced attack.

Ochocinco is the Bengals main receiving weapon, and has stepped up his game after the team lost fellow wide receivers T.J Houshmanzadeh before the season, and the late Chris Henry during the season. He leads the team with nine touchdowns, and has caught 72 balls. He should keep Revis busy all day.

The Bengals offensive line was thought to be a huge question mark before the season began, so they drafted tackle Andre Smith with the sixth overall pick in the first round. Smith, however, has appeared in just six games and started once. Right guard Bobbie Williams was perhaps the only known commodity for this unit coming in, but the group has been quietly excellent all season.

Though neither the Jets nor Bengals rush the passer particularly well, Cincinnati has an excellent pair of cornerbacks in Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. Both have six interceptions each and have defended 44 balls combined. They set the tempo of the Bengals defense.

The Bengals have an issue at the free safety position. Chris Crocker missed last week because of an ankle injury, and his replacement Tom Nelson hurt his knee replacing him. Though the Bengals safeties are good at defending the run, none are considered excellent pass defenders. Jets tight end Dustin Keller could be in line for a huge game.

Quarterback : Definite Edge Bengals

Running Back : Slight Edge Jets

Receivers : Even

Offensive Line : Edge Jets

Defensive Line : Edge Bengals

Linebacker : Edge Jets

Secondary : Even

Special Teams : Slight Edge Bengals

Coaching : Even

The Bengals can basically rely on their passing attack more. Both teams are run heavy offenses with excellent cornerbacks on defense. Expect it to be a standstill in the trenches, because both teams should be able to have some success. The key will be if the Bengals can create more turnovers, perhaps scoring off of one.

Bengals 27  Jets 17

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Why The Dallas Cowboys Will Win the Superbowl

It is, of course, impossible to predict the future.

And betting on a team tied for the fifth best record among the remaining contenders is not exactly maximizing your odds.

But when I ask myself “Who is the best team in this year’s NFL playoffs?” There is no question in my mind the answer is the Dallas Cowboys.

With a stellar passing game and running game, the Cowboys’ offense is ranked second in the NFL. Yet, I actually think the strength of the team is its defense. 

Officially ranked ninth in the NFL, the Cowboys defense is seriously underrated. They finished second in the NFL in points against, only 14 points behind the Jets. If the Colts and Bengals had actually competed full-tilt against the Jets, Dallas would undoubtedly have finished first.

The only team that scored more than 21 points against Dallas all season long was the NY Giants—twice. And luckily for the Cowboys, the Giants aren’t in the playoffs.

The Dallas defense is tough. It’s relentless. There are playmakers at the front, there are playmakers at the back.

Three weeks ago, they took on the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offense in the midst of a 13-game undefeated streak, fueled by impressive blowouts that had many predicting the Saints to finish 16-0.

The Cowboys defense dominated the Saints offense, crushing its confidence so badly that the Saints lost to a 2-12 team the following week and finished the season with three straight losses.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense followed up that performance with back-to-back shutouts in must-win games. The second came against a hot and dangerous Eagles team led by Donovan McNabb, who were playing for the division and a first-round bye.

Does anyone still question the caliber of this Cowboys defense?

Over the last few years, the Cowboys have always had good teams. Their problem has been consistency from week to week.

So far they proved their critics wrong by exorcising their December demons, but their own consistency will still be their biggest challenge in the playoffs. Particularly that of the offense. A 7-6 win like they had in Week 11 was probably a one-time offer.

Although Dallas dominated Philadelphia last week, the Eagles are no easy playoff opponent. Win that, and the ‘Boys earn the right to travel to the Metrodome to take on the awaiting Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson. Another win, and the Cowboys face a guaranteed third dangerous opponent in either Green Bay, Arizona, or New Orleans.

An off-game against teams of that caliber and the Cowboys are likely done. But if they bring their best each week, I can’t see how those teams will defeat the complete package that is the Dallas Cowboys.

Now let’s turn our attention to the Superbowl.

I think the most complete team in the AFC is the Chargers, and I can’t see anyone making it out of the conference but them or the Colts.

How would a Cowboys-Colts Superbowl play out? I would guess similarly to Dallas’ win over New Orleans.

What about a Cowboys-Chargers Superbowl?

San Diego is the next-closest thing to the Cowboys, and would probably pose the toughest challenge. Indeed, they edged Dallas in a great game on Dec. 13, and may well do so again. But in the end, Dallas’ elite defense should give them the edge between two otherwise closely-matched teams, so I lean towards the Cowboys in a rematch.

Dallas may yet get bounced in the wildcard round.

But it says here the Cowboys are the team to beat. The only question is whether they beat themselves, or save it for their opponents and win their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

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Mike Tomlin Has Intertwined His Own Fate With That of Bruce Arians’

Amongst all the controversy surrounding the third year offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin has made a move that has the majority of Steelers nation shaking their collective heads.

After a meeting that lasted several hours, Bruce Arians walked out of Tomlin’s office with his job intact. He will enter the final year of his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their offensive coordinator.

Many non-Steelers fans may wonder why there was ever any controversy at all, considering the fact that Bruce Arians led his offense to the super bowl and won it just one season ago. Not to mention, he followed that up in 2009 with a season statistically better than the last.

The Steelers passing offense went from 15th in the league in 2008 to fifth best in the league in 2009. Their running game even improved from 23rd best in the league to 19th. But, probably the most telling stat is Pittsburgh’s offense overall went from being ranked 22nd in the league after the 2008 season to 7th best in the league after the 2009 season.

Considering that, why in the world would so many Steelers fans have a problem with their offensive coordinator and want him removed? Is it the fact that the season didn’t culminate in another super bowl victory? Or the fact that Pittsburgh didn’t even make the playoffs?

That is how many may see it, but I don’t think so.

Looking at the “bigger picture” it seems rather unfair that Arians and his offense would take the heat for the failed season, when it was the defense and special teams units whose performance dropped off from last season to this one.

Why would Dick Labeau be given a free pass, so to speak, when it was his unit who dropped from No.1 in the league in 2008 to No. 5 in the league this season?

Especially when considering how horrible the defense played at the end of games? They gave up leads of 10, 14, and even 21 points in the fourth quarter alone and allowed comeback victories in six of the Steelers’ seven losses.       

The offensive line coach Bob Ligashesky and special teams coach Larry Zierlein were not as lucky, as both were held responsible for their units failures and both were fired. The first such moves made by Tomlin since taking over the head coaching position in 2007.

I believe for anyone to understand the mentality of the people wanting Arians removed, one would have had to watch the Steelers games throughout the season. Because the answer obviously does not lie in the statistics; rather, the answer lies in what happened on the field…week in and week out.

Watching the football games it was clear that Arians does not have the capacity to call the right play at the right time, which is of utmost importance for an offensive coordinator to be capable of.

Arians’ tendencies to call the very same plays in similar situations led to a predictability that quite often resulted in busted plays, as the defense knew what was coming. His lack of imagination was second to none.

Arians’ failures in important game situations must not be overlooked either. Pittsburgh’s red zone performance, short yardage situations, as well as third down conversions were all near the bottom of the league. What good are great statistics if you are weak in scoring?

His playing “not to lose” style of football was apparent as he explained why they didn’t use Dennis Dixon to his full abilities. They did not want him to get hurt. That is playing with fear in your heart and is not the way football should be played or coached.

The same goes for when he would simply opt to let the clock run out at the end of the first half of several games instead of trying to move the ball down the field and attempt at least a field goal. He was afraid of turning the ball over. As it turned out, several of those games were lost by only three points.

Also, Arians’ offensive philosophies do not lend themselves to a good running game which is paramount to any team’s success. Balance is the key and we did not have it. No team should know that better than the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have become the most consistent team over the past forty years as a consequence.

Pittsburgh’s offensive success had less to do with Arians being a good offensive coordinator and more to do with the talent on the field. They truly played good games in spite of him, as they did in 2008, and that is clear to every Steelers fan.

How it remains unclear to Tomlin is beyond my explanation. He should have it in him to realize that statistics do not mean everything.

What was discussed behind Tomlin’s closed office door remains to be seen, but this much is true… whatever Arians does from here on out will reflect upon Tomlin every bit as much. As Tomlin turned the Steeler’s offense over to Arians for yet another season, despite popular opinion.

Tomlin has now taken responsibility for Arians, for better or worse, and their fates will forever be intertwined.

 

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Charlie Weis To Join Kansas City Coaching Staff

According to team and league sources, Charlie Weiss has been named the new offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Weis is coming off a less-than-spectacular career as the Notre Dame head coach. During his five years there, he amassed a 35-27 record.

Weiss is reunited with former friend and colleague, Todd Haley, who worked with Weis on the coaching staff of the New York Jets. At the time, Weis served as the receivers coach and Haley as his assistant and later, Weiss as the offensive coordinator and Haley as the receivers coach.

Since, Weis served a stint as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, a job that saw four Super Bowls and three rings.

Haley served as the wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys before reaching his own Super Bowl berth as the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.

Now, Haley is the boss and it was unclear whether or not the relationship between the two would gel properly.

Weis was recorded saying, “At this situation right now, it’s Todd’s ship and I just want to be there to help him guide it.”

Weis is also being reunited with General Manager Scott Pioli, a former front office executive for the New England Patriots. Weis was more than happy to join forces with his former comrades and the Chiefs are looking better than ever.

Haley is more than happy to give up his position as offensive coordinator; his attention can then be turned completely to the duties of a head coach.

There have also been talks that Romeo Crennel, who also has connections with Weiss and Pioli, will replace Clancy Pendergast as the defensive coordinator for the Chiefs. If this were to take place, Kansas City will have one of the league’s premier coaching staffs.

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Chicago Bears: Lovie Smith Already Looks Wrong

LAKE FOREST, IL—When some one says something stupid, it’s funny how fast these stupid things can come back to haunt someone.

Take Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, for instance.

When asked Tuesday, whether team president Ted Phillips had given him a win-or-else ultimatum for 2010, Smith responded by skirting the issue.

However, at the end of his answer he chose to change subjects and brought up an earlier question given to general manager Jerry Angelo. The question was whether it would be difficult finding qualified coordinator candidates to come here with the chance they could be coming for only one year.

“Coaches don’t deal in long-term commitments and things like that,”  Smith lectured. “It’s about getting the job done right away.

“There will be a lot of candidates that will come and want to be a part of what we’re going to do next year.”

This brings up the curious case of Jeremy Bates, USC’s offensive coordinator and one of the coaches integral in Bears quarterback Jay Cutler’s development while with the Denver Broncos.

According to numerous reports, the Bears are known to have reached out to Bates.
For someone like Bates, Chicago would be a good opportunity. Nevertheless, it very well could be a one-year opportunity.

On Friday, word broke in Seattle that USC coach Pete Carroll is the man most likely to replace fired coach Jim Mora Jr., and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Carroll is trying hard to recruit Bates to join him with the Seahawks.

So much for the Bears reuniting Cutler with a coordinator they know he trusts, and so much for the idea that desired coaching candidates will come here with a one-year possibility looming over their heads.

Why would a coordinator come to Chicago knowing it might be for one year when he could go for three or four years to Seattle and run an offense he’s been running in college?

Bates might have liked Cutler and liked working for him, but you’ve got to look out for No. 1 in this business.

There is one way the Bears could lure Bates here if they really wanted him. They could offer him multiple guaranteed years on the contract.

“I am not going to get into contracts,” Smith said when asked about this topic. “This is what I get into, there is an opportunity for you to come here to help us do some good things. We have a good nucleus of players here that they (coordinator candidates) all see.

“I think an offensive guy would want to come here and have a chance to work with a Jay Cutler, and have a chance to mold some of the young receivers and get the offense back on track.”

That may be, but the right guy will want some guarantees if he’s got an opportunity to coach elsewhere.

This could leave the Bears looking at some of the coaches still in the playoffs, like Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements.

Or it could lead them down the path toward someone Smith knows very well, Mike Martz.

And anyone who saw what Martz did with offenses in Detroit and San Francisco—after he ran the Rams into the ground as head coach—knows where this would lead the Bears.

There’s nothing magical about working with Cutler or coaching in the city of Chicago, regardless of what Smith thinks.

It’s a job, and if the Bears are not too cheap and really want Bates, they need to make certain they do what’s necessary to get him. It’s called spending money.

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Mike Shanahan: Will It Be The Best Of Times? Or The Worst?

As a Redskins fan on Bleacher Report, I felt obligated to write something about Mike Shanahan. I personally think this can be the best opportunity we’ve had since Dan Snyder took control. I could also just be another disaster.

Shanahan obviously has a lot of upside. His two Super Bowl rings are the most obvious thing that comes to mind. It is hard to deny the success Shanahan had with taking a team that was always close, but just couldn’t seal the deal, to the Super Bowl.

He motivated them, and brought in many talented players. Many people would say it wasn’t hard to win two Super Bowls with Elway, but Dan Reeves and Wade Phillips both couldn’t do it.

Out of the eleven offensive starters in Super Bowl XXXII, five were brought in under Shanahan’s watch, including the ultra-productive Terrell Davis. So Shanahan knows how to win. The thing is, without an elite quarterback and running back, he struggles.

The Denver Broncos descended into mediocrity after Elway’s retirement. Shanahan had been spoiled by having a quarterback of that caliber, and didn’t seem to know what to do without one. Unless he gets his hand on an elite quarterback somehow, I’m not sure how he’ll do.

The most important factor for the future will be drafting. With a good staff and talent, any half-decent coach can do fine, so this will be the key. I’ve always been of the opinion that the main problem over the last 10 years has been personal, not coaching nor play on the field. 

The Redskins have never had any sort of depth, which prevents them from playing through injuries. Snyder has to learn his lesson. He was less involved when Gibbs was around, and maybe having another big name coach will cause the same thing to happen.

Shanahan can’t be left to his own devices, however. Shanahan, while skilled at finding and utilizing talent in the first and second round, he has trouble finding late round sleepers, with the exception of running backs.

Having some help, probably in the form of Bruce Allen, to help him will set the ‘Skins on a path toward success. A rebuilding year or two is in order, since he is used to operating with very different personal.

If Snyder keeps his nose out, Shanahan learns how to win without an Elway level quarterback, and he is given a major role—but not complete power—in drafting, the Redskins could be in for—if not a role as an elite team—at least a respectable one.

If one of these happen, this will amount to yet another failed venture by Snyder and Co.

 

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The Sports Retorter: Pick Arizona to Beat Green Bay on Sunday

Dear God or Roger Goodell (whichever one of you controls the outcomes in the NFL),

Please pick the Cardinals to beat the Packers this Sunday.

There are plenty of reasons I think they should win the game.

Their defense is better than it was last season and showed a new found ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks—they finished sixth in the NFL in total sacks compared to 20th last year—that should help slow down the Packers potent passing attack.

The Cardinals’ special teams is vastly superior to the Packers.

Place kicker Neil Rackers even at 75 percent is better than the Packers’ Mason Crosby at 150 percent.

Crosby missed nine field goals this season and was a paltry 6-of-13 from 40 yards or longer. Rackers on the other hand only missed one field goal this season and hit 6-of-7 from beyond 40 yards. With two talented teams, a close game is likely and a field goal could make the difference.

Not to mention Rackers is the master of onside kicks and has a booming leg on kickoffs to make sure the Packers start with poor field position.

Speaking of special teams and field position, how about the punters?

No matter what the NFL and its fans say, the Cardinals’ Ben Graham was a Pro Bowler this season. I mean the man tied Andy Lee’s NFL record with 42 punts inside the 20-yard line this season (not that I need to tell you that, you know everything).

Green Bay punter Jeremy Kapinos’ kicks saw the inside of the opponents twenty about as often as the St. Louis Rams offense. He ranked dead last (just please don’t resurrect his season this weekend).

Offensively, they are pretty evenly matched, as long as you don’t look at rushing statistics.

Both offensives have the ability to move the ball down the field at a break neck pace. Though, the Cardinals do have two advantages. Larry Fitzgerald ’s amazing big game ability and Kurt Warner’s playoff experience (don’t forget, he’s a big fan of yours if that helps).

Warner has played in eleven playoff games, with an impressive 8-3 record. Aaron Rodgers first playoff appearance will come Sunday.

Then there’s the battle of head coaches. Ken Whisenhunt won a Super Bowl as an assistant coach with Pittsburgh and has turned the Cardinals from laughing stocks to contenders. That’s nothing short of a miracle (you like those right?). I’ll take his ability over McCarthy’s any day of the week and twice this Sunday.

Mix all those reasons together with the fact that the Cardinals are playing in front of their home crowd—a snow storm in Wisconsin that stops all flights from late Friday to Sunday night could go a long way to helping that advantage—and you have enough reason, in my mind, for the Cardinals to win.

I know it’s probably not a strong enough argument to convince someone of your greatness and wisdom so here’s another reason.

You can save everyone in the world from having to deal with a week worth of “Brett Favre’s former team and his replacement stand in the way of his quest for a Super Bowl!”

Even you have to be sick of hearing about the “greatness of Brett Favre”. If we were to believe the media, he can walk on water (which I thought was a special talent you reserved for special people). The only quarterback to receive more praise from announcers is Tim Tebow, and at least he’s wearing eye black that recognizes you.

The happiness of millions of people not located in Bristol Connecticut and Green Bay ride on this game. No need to punish everyone right?

Thanks for taking the time to listen to my argument. Any help you can give his much appreciated (like healing Anquan Boldin). I don’t think the Cards need it but apparently most of the “experts” do.

Sincerely,

The Sports Retorter

PS. I think a score of 31-28 sounds about right, if it’s not too much to ask.

(Originally posted on Phoenix.Fanster.com)

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Pete Carroll to Sign with NFL’s Seattle Seahawks: Why Leave Now?

Pete Carroll has been tossed about as a potential head coaching candidate for NFL jobs across nearly his entire tenure at USC. Miami even followed him all the way to South America in an attempt to hire the coach with a 97-19 career record at USC. 

For the first time, the rumors of Pete Carroll’s NFL return seem more than vapors. He has not officially signed; however, the Seattle Seahawks have been reported to be very close to hiring Carroll to replace just-fired head coach Jim Mora. 

CEO Tom Leiweke spent the past week in Southern California. He fired Mora while in Los Angeles, and also spent the time in L.A. interviewing Carroll, with the two seeming very close to a deal.

Seattle has already let go of head coach Jim Mora, fired on the heels of a disappointing 5-11 year. The Seahawks closed the year with a four-game losing streak that ultimately sealed Mora’s fate. The program is still looking for a face after rumors of a Mike Holmgren return fell through as Cleveland brought the ex-Seahawks coach and GM on.

It would seem an ideal situation for the head coach who had frequently rebuffed NFL offers to remain in the powerhouse PAC-10 program. Owner Paul Allen has the deep pockets to give Carroll a significant boost to his solid $4 million a year USC contract, putting money on the table that no college program can keep pace with.

The Seahawks also would keep Carroll on the West Coast and close to water, two things he has expressed a desire to maintain. He would be granted a strong say in personnel matters as well, an alluring facet for any coach. Despite his deep pockets, Allen is considered an ideal owner to work for as well, since he tends to not over-insert himself into the finer points of running the team.

The biggest factor in dislodging Carroll from the ranks of college head coaching may have nothing to do with the team interested, and more to do with the situation USC football might be facing.

USC basketball just suffered a huge set of self-imposed sanctions in response to potential ill dealings with one-and-done player OJ Mayo. This may not be the end of sanctions faced as the program still has to face the NCAA and any sanctions the league itself might impose.

The team’s football program has reason to believe it may be facing similar disciplinary action in the near future. For years, an investigation into potential NCAA violations surrounding USC alum Reggie Bush had been stonewalled by the fact that the NCAA has no subpoena power, and thus are forced to use only testimony freely given.

A civil case against Bush has been given the go-ahead now; being an actual legal case, it can force Bush, Carroll, and any other possible individual involved to testify under oath. This gives the appearance that a ruling may very well be on the horizon that will affect USC’s football program.

He also is finally showing some frustration with USC athletic director Mike Garrett. He openly showed disregard for how Joe McKnight’s questionable situation was handled to close the year. Garrett also failed to show Carroll significant support after a down season in which the Trojans went 8-4.

The final straw could be a feeling of unfinished business. Head coaches are an inherently proud, driven bunch, and his 33-31 career as an NFL head coach might leave Carroll wishing to prove himself at the highest level.

With all of these factors, it finally appears this will be the year Carroll returns to professional football. Whether the move will benefit Seattle or not, it seems quite likely they will be giving the head coaching job (along with a strong personnel control component, if not outright GM-ship) to Pete Carroll of USC.

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2010 NFL Mock Draft—First Round: Non-Playoff Teams Only

‘Tis the season for the 2010 NFL Mock Draft bonanza!

One of the best parts of the NFL offseason is all the mock drafts that are produced and updated over and over again.

This is very entertaining and a great way to keep fans clued into who their team could possibly draft in April.

The following is a mock of only the first round, non-playoff teams in the upcoming draft since there is no real telling where playoff teams will end up there is no real reason to make any predictions for them until after the Super Bowl.

Begin Slideshow

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