HOF LOL

Bengals vs Cowboys. Hall Of Fame game. At least it was football. And it has to get better from here on in right? Right? Have a great day everyone.

Hall of fame game

Hall of Fame Game tomorrow, so here's what I'm looking at: Bengals vs. Cowboys Right off the bat let's get one thing clear. I don't predict pre-season games. There's no point. Ok, down to business. The main thing I'm looking for is how Doug Free gets on at Left Tackle for the Cowboys. Providing he plays enough snaps of course. How will he deal with Antwan Odom? How will he deal with Carlos Dunlap if he gets moved to right end? Not that I'm expecting Dunlap to light up the world, just that it'll be a good test of how good Free is. He should be able to handle Dunlap at this early stage. I'm also interested in two major battles; the Cowboys running backs and the Bengals receivers. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice should both get plenty of time to prove themselves and given the debate that's taking place right now, both will be eager to impress. For the Bengals, I'm not that interested in T.O. What I am interested in is Andre Caldwell & Quan Cosby fighting it out with rookies Jordan Shipley and Dezmon Briscoe. This will likely be a battle for the number 3 spot, but with a kind of veterans versus rookies twist to it. A similar battle will be taking place on the opposite side between Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton, which also promises to be a hotly contested fight. Have a great day everyone.

I've run out of witty titles

Okey dokey, AFC North round up time: Baltimore Ravens Honestly, I think the Ravens might be screwed. I'm looking at their PUP list and most of their key defensive backs are listed. It is truly shocking how decimated their roster is right now. Tack on the fact that second rounder Sergio Kindle is highly unlikely to make it to practice this year and there just seems to be no way back from the brink. The Ravens still have a tough D-line/Linebacking corps in place and their offense has been boosted by a number of signings, but it's looking grim. The two fold strategy for the Ravens in camp has to be thus; 1) Integrate the new receivers quickly and try to develop a more pass orientated approach, looking to score points early to put opposition teams on the back foot. 2) Big focus on bringing the back up secondary up to speed. They still have Dawan Landry and Fabian Washington, but it's likely that Ken Hamlin will start at free safety and the other corner position will fall to Travis Fisher. It's not ideal, but it's do-able. Offensively I can see the Ravens switching to two TE sets, which would help to bring rookie Tight Ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson into the fray and serve as a compromise between run/pass. All in all, the Ravens are going to have to work extra hard in camp to stay competitive. Cincinnati Bengals Got previous history of off field/character issues? Then we have the place for you.... The Cincinnati minimum security prison will be buzzing. Despite a hefty dose of the run game last year that saw the Bengals sweep the division and make the playoffs, this year they've invested heavily in the WR position, both through free agency and the draft. Antonio Bryant still isn't practicing and it's still up in the air as to whether he will be let loose to avoid certain salary considerations. And with so many shiny new toys, including first round pick TE Jermaine Gresham, the pressure is being racked up on Carson Palmer. The feeling is that it's do or die for Palmer. If he can't make this group work then what more can possibly be done to help him? With defenses coming out to stop Cedric Benson, Palmer should have ample opportunities to make throws down the field. Offensively it's all about getting airborne and getting all his new toys in sync. Defensively, the return of Antwan Odom from injury and the addition of rookie DE Carlos Dunlap blends beautifully with the rise to prominence of Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph. The playbook on the defensive side will be more open this season. I'm expecting less pressure from the Bengals this year as they attack the pass with a four man rush while playing more games with their coverages. I anticipate this being a focus of camp. Look for Joseph and Hall to be up there among the league leaders in interceptions by the seasons end. Cleveland Browns Fact: Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie are not bad receivers. Fact: They're not Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Sidney Rice, Steve Smith (either one) etc. Fact: Jake Delhomme is not Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Eli Manning etc. Right, now we've cleared that up, expect Delhomme to keep being Jake Delhomme this year, i.e. a man with a passion for throwing picks. You get what you pay for and when you pay a ridiculous sum of money for a guy like Jake, you will get burnt. Badly. Offensively it's more about damage limitation. Rookie RB Montario Hardesty might get an early shot on a team that badly needs some movement. Just don't expect this to be a phenomenal year for the Browns, that somehow the Dark Lord of the West Coast Offense Mike Holmgren is going to inspire a revolution with his presence. The Browns will still struggle to score and make yards. Defensively. Well, they picked up Scott Fujita! In all seriousness, rookie Corner Joe Haden and former Eagle Sheldon Brown might be able to stem the tide somewhat of what has been a horrible defense to watch. I think the Browns might actually get worse this year (yes, that is possible) but it's a case of two steps back, so they can take six steps forward. Transition is the word I would use. Getting reps for future QB Colt McCoy will be vital over the coming year as will be the development of Haden. Pittsburgh Steelers Enter Byron Leftwich. Oh god, it's really happening isn't it? Leftwich will lead them team for the first six games (possibly only four), then we expect Big Ben to march in and resume command. The difficulty offensively for the Steelers in training camp is ensuring that Roethlisberger gets enough snaps, while making sure that Leftwich is properly prepared to lead the team out in week 1. The problem is exasperated by the loss of WR Santonio Holmes and by the changes made to the O-line, with Flozell Adams being brought in to replace Willie Colon. It is still uncertain where Flozell will end up by week 1. The Steelers still have a solid run game to lean back on led by Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore. But critically for the Steelers, my favourite player in the game right now has returned. Troy Polamalu. We all know about the win-loss stats for the Steelers last year with/without him. If they keep Polamalu and their starting linebacking corps healthy through camp and into the season, the Steelers have a great shot at brushing aside worries that they will sink without Big Ben. A lot still rests on that offense though. Can they all gel together over the coming months? Can the coaches find the right mix of snaps among their potential starting Quarterbacks? Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians has it all to do in the coming weeks of training camp. ----- So, AFC North done. Tomorrow, a look at the HOF game on Sunday and also a brief look at those who will be entering Canton this year. I will make every effort to get it up nice and early this time. Promise. Have a great day everyone.

Wild, Wild West

First off, someone asked me in the comments section why I hate the Panthers. So for those not in the know, this is why; because last season they seemed unconsciously determined to ruin my picks every week. Sometimes you just pick a team and it doesn't pan out the way you thought. I can live with that. But every damn week the Panthers did everything in their power to prove me wrong. When I said they'd run it a lot and win, they threw the ball a lot and unsurprisingly Delhomme would get picked apart (literally). Then next week I'd finally succumb to the fact that the Panthers were trying to be a past first team and would predict a loss for them; only for them to come out with a heavy dose of Williams and Stewart to pound their way to victory on the ground. So of course next week or the week after I'd presume they'd seen the light and call on a Panthers victory behind their awesome duo..... only for them to put the game back in Delhommes hands for another week of picks ending in defeat. Pretty much every week, without fail, the Panthers would do the opposite of what I thought they would, like they were playing some sadistic mind trick on me making me believe that their sole intention for the season was to piss me off. And every week it worked. I hate the Panthers. A$$holes. Now on to the NFC West: Arizona Cardinals With Kurt Warner gone, Matt Leinart will be getting all the first team reps in camp this year. And boy will he need them! From what we've seen of Leinart so far in his career there is little to suggest that he will have anything more than an average year. Much depends on Coach Whisenhunt (I've now learned to spell his name properly) and his two leading running backs, Chris 'Beanie' Wells and Tim Hightower. Whisenhunt seems to have been itching to switch to a more "Steeler" type of football for a while now and this year he gets his shot. Leinart needs help and help is at hand. Wells played soundly last year and Hightower has previously shown flashes of potential, so this year it's time for a breakout from the Cardinals backfield duo. Expect the Cardinals to spend plenty of time in camp working the run, especially in red zone situations. Guard Alan Faneca, a former Steeler and Jet, will help greatly in this regard. Larry Fitzgerald might have to take a back seat until Leinart can be brought up to speed, but TE Ben Patrick should expect to see more of the ball in the coming year. Defensively the Card's added NT Dan Williams in the draft, supplementing an already formidable line. The addition of LB Joey Porter will help their pass rush, but it remains to be seen how this LB unit will cope without Karlos Dansby, Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry (who retired without me realising. Sneaky). Second round draft pick Daryl Washington may have to step in from day one, which is a big ask. On the back end, Antrel Rolle is out and off to New York (Giants), to be replaced by Kerry Rhodes, traded in from the other team in New York (Jets). Not sure how much sense this makes outside of money, but at least they managed to keep Adrian Wilson. Ultimately the Cardinals look in rocky shape. Their defense has been a highlight in recent years until it fell apart against Green Bay in the playoffs. I just get this odd feeling that against the run the Cardinals are about to become the 2010 version of the 2009 Bucs', which in the NFC West this year is just about the worst thing that could happen. A heavy dose of rushing work on both sides of the ball during camp will do the Cardinals the world of good. St. Louis Rams The Rams are rapidly running out of excuses to be as bad as they are. They have top five draft picks coming out of all orifices at the moment. Yet technically speaking, they are still in a rebuilding stage, what could be argued as the longest and most expensive rebuilding stage in the history of the NFL. So what have the Rams got to work on in camp? Bradford learning a pro offense. Trying to find a TE of use among an unspectacular crop. Hoping that Roger Saffold works out as well as expected. Hoping that Chris Longs' production continues to rise. Hoping that Oshimogho Atogwe lives up to the value of his new contract. Hoping that James Laurinaitis stays healthy for the whole season. Honestly, it's a mess in St. Louis. The more you think about it, the more depressing it becomes. They still have a top RB in Steven Jackson to help ease the pressure off Bradford. But where else are they going to make an impact? Is James Hall, now 33, going to suddenly produce a 10 sack season opposite Long? Who in that secondary is going to start jumping short routes and taking them back to house? Steve Spagnuolo has his work cut out for sure. The Rams are easily the worst team in the league. It's a merciful fact that they played Detroit last season, otherwise they'd have finished 0-16. The focus for camp has to be on just getting something going offensively. Anything. Steven Jackson and Donnie Avery are going to have to have great camps, because the Rams are relying on them (again) to carry the load. Seattle Seahawks At first everything seemed to be going well for Pete Carroll. Hailed for his record and accomplishments at USC, Carroll helped engineer what many believed to be an excellent draft and some good trades. Then the whole Reggie Bush thing flared up. Then LenDale White was released. And now it turns out that QB Charlie Whitehurst, for whom the Seahawks swapped second round picks and gave up a third round pick next year to the Chargers, is struggling to push J.P. Losman for his job, let alone Matt Hasselbeck. The engine is still running smoothly but the wheels are starting to come off the bandwagon and it's only August 6th. Offensively, the Seahawks are about as ready as they have been since they last went to the Super Bowl. Their receiving corps is in good nick, and rookie Golden Tate adds to that depth (I'm still a little worried though by his outright collapse under pressure during the combine receiving drills). At RB the Seahawks are more than well covered and it's likely that someone in that group will want out by the start of the season. Russell Okung is my favourite of the 2010 tackles in the draft (Bulaga of Green Bay is second), so the Seahawks should get some solid protection this year, especially when Chester Pitts hits the field to strengthen the line. Defensively it's all to play for. Aaron Curry and Lofa Tatupu make a great combo among the Linebackers, but they need some more help from their D-line. DE Lawrence Jackson and DT Brandon Mebane need to have a great camp and come out the other side ready to lead the Seahawks onwards and upwards. On the back end, first round pick Earl Thomas was touted by many as the top safety in the draft (I prefer Eric Berry). They also picked up Kam Chancellor in the fifth round, who I think has a good future ahead, though probably not this year. But someone has to step up and take control. The Seahawks were tied 7th with the Dolphins for giving up the most points and were third for yards conceded against the pass. The main focus then of their training camp should naturally be defending the pass. CB Marcus Trufant needs to live up to his billing as a franchise player and fellow corner Josh Wilson needs to aspire to match that level. It's likely that Lawyer Milloy and Jordan Babineaux will start at safety so Earl Thomas will have to work hard to break in. Much rests as usual though on Matt Hasselbeck. If the QB can rediscover his form of old, then the Seahawks have a shot at the NFC West title. If he doesn't make the grade, it's going to be another long year in Seattle. San Francisco 49ers At the end of last year, all was well in San Francisco. Defensively the team actually tied for third most sacks. But you can't help but look at the 49ers D and still think that something is amiss. Maybe it's the wrangling over Aubrayo Franklins contract. In a 3-4 scheme that Nose Tackle is a lynch pin position, so an unhappy Aubrayo is a problem. Elsewhere, the secondary has to lift it's game a little. Rookie Taylor Mays adds some punch, but you still get the feeling that the '9ers secondary is a little light in the tackling department, something Mike Singletary is unlikely to allow to continue. At Linebacker there is a three way battle to be had between Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks and Manny Lawson. My money is on Brooks and Lawson at this stage, but neither can let their foot off the gas. It's a nice problem to have I guess, providing the reps don't get too diluted. Offensively, all eyes are on Alex Smith. Can he finally payback that first round selection. As well as having Michael Crabtree for the whole year, he'll also have Ted Ginn .Jr providing some needed speed down the field. Josh Morgan has to stop "progressing well" and start actually producing for a change. In the running game, Glen Coffee has a fight on his hands with new draftee Anthony Dixon to back up Gore. Frank meanwhile will be licking his lips at the first round selections of Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati. Head Coach Mike Singletary wants to run the ball more and now there are no excuses. Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye has to start calling Gores number more this season. As mentioned Wednesday, I think Brit Miller is headed for a good season at FB. The key is bringing these pieces together in camp. We already know how deadly the combination of Smith to Vernon Davis can be, but now the 49ers need to focus on protection and run blocking. If the O-line can keep Smith upright and open some holes in the oppositions D, then the 49ers have a great shout at the NFC West title. Given their past history, it's a big 'if'. ---- Well, NFC West done and dusted. Tomorrow we begin the round trip again in the North, this time looking at the AFC. Saturday and Sunday will be absorbed by the opening to the pre season; the Hall of Fame game between the Bengals and the Cowboys. Have a great day everyone.

Southern Blues.

Ok, NFC South training camp review time. Thing. New Orleans Saints What could the defending Super Bowl Champions possibly have to work on in training camp? Well, if history is anything to go by then; everything. One of the problems with being a defending Super Bowl champion is coming back the next year with that lax attitude of "we're the best, we can't get better." But everyone can get better. If the Saints are going to return to the big game, let alone win it, then everyone needs to stay sharp and keep plugging away in the coming training camp. No group has the pressure on it like the defense though. Having lost LB Scott Fujita, a former defensive captain, the remaining Saints linebackers must step up and fill the void. Together the Saints defense was ranked in the middle of the pack for giving up points. Luckily the Saints offense was able to offset that problem by being as prolific as it was. But here is the catch. The Saints leading rusher, Mike Bell, is gone (Eagles). The Saints were actually one of the more balanced teams last year, but if Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush have to share the load, it remains to be seen how well they will carry on this tradition. Making sure they receive sufficient carries in camp will help. The Saints secondary also needs to dig in for a long year. Expecting Sharper to magically fix everything on the back end is not an option. No Detroit Lions to play this year. And no Redskins. And no Bills. Their AFC division opponents this year are the AFC North, which include three very good teams (albeit two in a state of flux). And the Browns. Last year I have to confess that I think the Saints got lucky along the way. I think there schedule is a little tougher this time, but they might have come up trumps with some of those teams (Ravens secondary is in a bad way, the NFC West). The question is whether the Saints can knuckle down and put in the work one more time, or whether the 'Lombardi Gras' will leave the Saints with a Super sized hang over on the practice field. Carolina Panthers As far as we know, Matt Moore will start day 1 for Carolina. Moore produced well last year when he took over for the "Pickanator", but descriptions of him as looking like a Pro Bowl QB might have been just a tad over stated. Mainly for the Panthers offense it's about two things; finding that run game again and the receivers trying to develop into threats worthy of drawing coverage from Steve Smith. Without Muhsin Muhammed, someone has to step up and be the number two. It is likely that third round picks Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards (converted from QB) will lead the charge in that respect. Running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams need to prepare conditioning wise for a heavy season. Defensively, someone has some big shoes to step into. Julius Peppers may not have been the most consistent player in terms of effort, but 24.5 sacks in the last two years is a big hole that needs filling. Given the aerial nature of the league now, and especially in the NFC South, the Panthers need to make the most out of this training camp for developing Everette Brown and Charles Johnson. Their production could have a big hand in the Panthers success this year. P.S. I hate the Panthers. Atlanta Falcons Offensively the Falcons will have Michael Turner back to full health for the season and raring to go, which will help Matt Ryan no end. Last year it was noticeable when Turner wasn't in the squad. Add missed time to that equation when Matt Ryan was injured and the Falcons really didn't have the makings of a great season. This year it's about keeping everyone healthy and perhaps leaning back on their run game a little more as they did in Ryans rookie year. But truly pivotal to the Falcons hopes this season is how their defense comes together in camp. Dunta Robinson was their big free agent move, snatched from the Texans. His contract is believed to be the second highest for a corner (till Revis signs of course). His production needs to match the money. Up front, Jonathan Babineaux and John Abraham are the central pieces, with Abraham needing to pick his game up back to the level of a few years ago. If he can turn out another 10+ sack season it'll really help so he needs to step up his efforts in camp this year. At Linebacker, enter Sean Weatherspoon, the rookie taken in the first round. Weatherspoon is a talker, a hitter and generally all round sound backer, but this a new league and a new pace. His ability to learn the Falcons system and start contributing from day one will have a big impact on the Falcons D, so expect Weatherspoon to be given the reps to make good. Tampa Bay Buccaneers With Raheem Morris taking over the D in his second year as Head Coach, a lot will rest on his ability to organise and motivate what is frankly an under performing group. The Buc's offense will not save them from obscurity this year. Their defense just might. Gerald McCoy is the shiny new first round tackle at the heart of it all. I imagine Morris will be on his back hard trying to bring the rookie up to speed. The Buc's ranked dead last against the run, giving up a little over 2,500 yards on the ground. This has to stop. McCoy has to make it stop. Which is a worry given that pass rush was more McCoys thing. Even more worrying is that there's a good chance he'll be lining up alongside Brian Price, another rookie tackle. This youth movement has to pay off or Morris could be sunk. A heavy focus of training camp will be getting these two in shape, up to speed and focused on bringing running backs down with a bump. On the back end, Aqib Talib needs to become the corner we all think he can be (well, most of us). The Buc's ranked highly against the pass last year, but a few more turnovers and pass break ups wouldn't hurt. He will also need to help the Bucs' by becoming a force against the run as their woes in this area of the game have been previously pointed out. Offensively..... blah. That's the best I can offer. Josh Freeman and Kellen Winslow will not be able to turn them around alone. Freeman needs his receiving corps to come out of training camp with a sparkling new set of hands and some polished routes. Rookie Arrelious Benn is sadly his best shot now that Bryant is gone. On the ground, Derrick Ward needs to prove that the Giants were wrong to let him leave. It always helps a young QB when you can take some of the pressure off in difficult spots. --- Well, that's the NFC South done and dusted. We're just days away now from the start of the pre-season, with the Bengals playing the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game on Sunday. It's so close you can almost touch it. Personally I can't wait. Hopefully I'll have time to run round the rest of the teams in the next few days. Tomorrow it's the turn of the NFC West. Have a great day everyone.

The Frozen East

Right, time to tackle the focus of NFC East training camps. And I hear by promise no more Favre talk until the first regular season game, unless by some miracle he decides to attend training camp. So let's crack on: Philadelphia Eagles Well there's an obvious place to start here; Kevin Kolb. With the entire offense laid in his hands, it's time to find out just what Kolb is made of. It's believed that compared to McNabb, Kolb will be better able to handle the short passing aspects of the 'West Coast Offense' that the Eagles use. Certainly this was McNabbs downfall. Despite having a great arm, he often lacked the touch necessary on some of the shorter throws and struggled at times with his short to intermediate accuracy. Kolb is supposed to be the polar opposite. For Kolb it's all about getting into rhythm with his receiving corps and developing that natural sense of timing that is so essential to 'West Coast' QBs (and all QBs in my opinion, but that can be an uphill battle). It remains to be seen how he will handle the possibility of being intermittently plucked from the field on 3rd downs and short yardage situations in favour of Vick, assuming that Andy Reid continues with this practice. Two other key questions exist though. How will the Eagles running game get on this year? And how will the defense respond in its second year under D-coordinator Sean McDermott? On the running backs front, much will depend on FB Leonard Weaver to carry on where he left off last year. Defensively, questions abound surrounding the D-line, which was furnished with four new draft picks this year, one of whom the Eagles traded up to get (Brandon Graham) (I also like Jeff Owens, taken in the seventh round). Is this the signal for whole sale changes or just building for the future? I imagine the Eagles will spend a healthy amount of camp time working on getting that anaemic run game going to ease the pressure off Kolb and there will be some furious battles for those starting D-line spots. New York Giants Offensively, the Giants are in pretty good shape. Brandon Jacobs needs to get his mojo back and start contributing more, but other than that the Giants are pretty solid. I still question Eli Mannings status as a top tier QB and I still wonder if his attempts to become an all seeing, all knowing, audible machine like his brother aren't going to hurt the team in the long run, but generally you can't complain that much about this unit. Ohhhh but you can about the defense! And as long time readers know, I like nothing more than a good moan and complain. There are three key areas the Giants need to focus on during training camp: D-line, Linebackers and the Secondary. So yeah, the whole lot. Up front Umenyiora, Tuck, Canty and Kiwanuka need to step up big this year. With rookie Jason Pierre-Paul lurking in the background, it's time for this group to step up and make a difference once more for the Giants. This becomes even more important considering what's going on behind them. With the retirement of Antonio Pierce the Giants just lost their defensive leader. While the addition of Keith Bulluck fills the hole to some degree, if he is going to be calling the signals then he needs to spend the large duration of training camp grabbing his team mates by the balls and asserting his authority. He has approximately one month to get to grips with the defensive system and all its adjustments ready for game time. That's a lot to ask of one player and the danger is that come week 3 or 4, there will be too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Or too many cooks spoil the broth. Etc. You get the gist. On the back end, the injury to Kenny Philips has just basically made Antrel Rolle the new de facto play maker that everyone will look to for some big plays. That's a lot to heap on a guy who has only just walked into town. It is vital that over the coming weeks he slots in seamlessly with all the other defensive pieces. In short, the Giants have got a ton of work to get through and not enough time to do it. Dallas Cowboys Well at least we know who will be the two top receivers in Dallas going into week 1. But who will be the starting running back? This could be one of the more interesting camp battles. Barber still has power but it's obvious he doesn't have the explosive speed of Felix Jones or Tashard Choice, with Jones being the most likely of the two to realistically challenge him. The question is whether Jones can step up this August and prove that he is ready to assume the main role, relegating Barber largely to third down and short yardage status. I imagine Wade Phillips will be watching this clash intensely. Someone who has more of a 'free' hand is Doug Free (see what I did there? My talents are wasted). Free is assuming the left tackle spot and must step up to the plate sharpish, or else Romo will be getting the telephone book out and looking up the number of a good back surgeon. And Free will be looking for a new team. Other than that, the 'Boys are looking in good shape and are hotly tipped for a trip to the big one. With the Super Bowl being held in Dallas, this would be a handy f*%£ing time for them to deliver on the hype. It might help their cause somewhat if the secondary were given a crash course in proper tackling, one of their biggest flaws in my opinion. Washington Redskins Christ, where do we start? McNabb? Many would argue that even with guys like DeSean Jackson he still couldn't get it done in Philadelphia, so how is moving to a team that boasts Santana Moss and Joey Galloway as numbers one and two on the receiving depth chart going to help? The time then for Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas has arrived. Expect Shanahan to demand that these two previous second rounders start earning their keep. The 'Skins must get their passing game going (the development of TE Fred Davis will help), because their rushing attack sure as heck isn't going to cut it. Clinton Portis last year was not the Portis we are used to. Will linking up again with Shanahan and his run heavy version of the WCO turn things around? ...... I'm not convinced. Nor am I convinced by the signing of Larry Johnson, who went from 3 yards a carry behind the Chiefs line to have a pretty good year behind the Bengals line. But then the Bengals line last year could have made me into a 4.5 yard per carry RB. Washingtons line? ........ I'm not convinced. Scooping free agent Guard Artis Hicks was a big help though. There is of course one last hope. My man Willie Parker. Parker is 29 and the moniker 'fast' Willie Parker should probably be changed to 'Almost as fast' Willie Parker. But let's not forget something key here; Parker was the number one in Pittsburgh last year until his injury which allowed Rashard Mendehall to sneak in and steal the starting spot. And it's not like he blew a knee or an ankle which is usually the kiss of death for a RB. It was turf toe. Parker can still get it done and I hope for his sake he gets the chance to do it. I'm rooting for you Willie (no jokes please). Now, defense. Haynesworth. Still not passed conditioning test due to knee trouble = bad news for Washington. Whatever you think of Haynesworth, he is a great 3 technique tackle . It remains to be seen how well he will perform as the Nose in a 3-4 front, if he even agrees to do it. Why Shanahan can't just stop being a c**k and move him to DE, letting him play in his favoured 3 technique home with the excellent Brian Orakpo rushing from behind him is beyond me. It seems the most logical choice in order to please all parties. Haynesworth gets to play in his favoured role and Shanahan gets a great D-line playing happy. Well, as happy as Albert Haynesworth can be. Other than that minor (major?) glitch, the Redskins D is in fine shape for the coming year. It all depends now on whether Shanahan (both of them) can coax something resembling a respectable points score out of his offense. The O-line and receivers must take the brunt of the pain throughout camp. Expect them to be pushed hard to make the necessary improvements to get this team off its butt and back in the hunt for a divisional title. ------ So, that's the NFC East wrapped up finally. NFC South is next, probably tomorrow providing all is well. But before we part ways I'd like to draw your attention to the buzz coming out of 49ers training camp surrounding FB Brit Miller, who has been laying people out left, right and center during various drills, as well as catching a pass over the middle for a TD during 7 on 7s. I'd then like to point you back to an article I wrote in March.... http://keepingthechainsmoving.blogspot.com/2010/03/if-i-was-49ers-head-honcho.html .... highlighting Miller as a keeper. I do this only so that if Miller has the kind of season I think he will, I have proof that back in March I f***ing called it. Have a great day everyone.

For Favres sake....

I've just stumbled across the news that Brett Favre will probably not be coming back for another season. I'm pretty shocked as I thought he would be back for one more dance, but sources close to the situation have told NFL.com that Favre does not feel his ankle has recovered as well as he had hoped from surgery. Of course, this might just be a curve ball, so nothing is official. It is Favre after all. Let's wait till it comes from the horses mouth before we break out the retirement gift. I'll be back later to go through the possible focus of NFC East training camps. Till then, Have a great day everyone. P.S. Just realised that's shot my Vikings piece from the other day in the foot. Cheers Brett.

It's a bit drafty again

Ok, draft review time. Basically I wanna go back and have a look at the 2007 and 2008 draft classes and see what they're up to, and how far they've come. Now there's a lot of names, so I'm gonna keep to the first round of both drafts. The overarching thing that I'm looking for; is how much production have we seen from these players? I ask this simply because I sat down the other day and went back through a ton of clips of around 100 players who entered the 2010 draft. And looking at them - and I mean really looking close - you can't help but wonder how many of them are truly going to go on and have the kind of Pro Bowl careers that we expect these days of first rounders. So this is why I wanna go back and look at these two draft classes. What can we realistically expect from first rounders in their first two to three seasons? Now I understand that much of it depends on who they were drafted by, but we can at least get a rough idea, so lets get on with it. (NB: All numbers are career tallies). 2007: 1. QB, JaMarcus Russell -- Maybe this was a bad idea after all. 2. WR, Calvin Johnson -- A little over 3,000 yards and 21 TDs. 3. OT, Joe Thomas -- Pro Bowl Left Tackle. 4. DE, Gaines Adams -- R.I.P 5. OT, Levi Brown -- So far, pretty good with the Cardinals. 6. S, LaRon Landry -- 239 tackles, three INTs and elected a Pro Bowl alternate. 7. RB, Adrian Peterson -- Anyone heard of this guy? 8. DE, Jamaal Anderson -- 84 tackles, 2.5 sacks 9. WR, Ted Ginn, JR -- Almost double as many return yards as receiving. 10. DT, Amobi Okoye -- 94 tckles, 8 sacks. 11. LB, Patrick Willis -- Never heard of him. 12. RB, Marshawn Lynch -- Made the Pro Bowl. Now on the trade block. 13. DT, Adam Carriker -- 53 tackles, 2 sacks. 14. CB, Darrelle Revis -- Some guy who plays for the Jets. 15. LB, Lawrence Timmons -- 156 tackles, 12 sacks. Maturing beautifully. 16. DT, Justin Harrell -- 28 tackles. 2 starts. 17. DE, Jarvis Moss -- 24 tackles, 3.5 sacks 18. CB, Leon Hall -- 214 tackles, 60 pDef, 14 INTs, 3 FF, 19. S, Michael Griffin -- Pro Bowl, 206 tackles, 25 pDef, 11 INTs, 4 FF, 20. CB, Aaron Ross -- Was progressing well till injury. 21. S, Reggie Nelson -- 187 tackles, 20 pDef, 7 INTs, 1 FF 22. QB, Brady Quinn -- Maybe Denver will be better for him. 23. WR, Dwayne Bowe -- Production hurt by clashes with coach. 24. S, Brandon Meriweather -- Pro Bowl, 193 tackles, 21 pDef, 9 INTs, 5 FF, 25. LB, Jon Beason -- Pro Bowl, shame about being a Panther. 26. DE, Anthony Spencer -- 10.5 sacks, 6 last year. Has matured into a starter. 27. WR, Robert Meachem -- Rotation receiver with the Saints. 28. OT, Joe Staley -- Starting LT with 49ers. 29. OG, Ben Grubbs -- Starter on solid O-line. 30. WR, Craig Davis -- 1 career start. 31. TE, Greg Olsen -- Pro Bowl alternate, 15 TDs. 32. WR, Anthony Gonzalez -- 7 TDs in two years. Injured last year. 2008: 1. OT, Jake Long -- Pro Bowl, starting LT. 2. DE, Chris Long -- 83 tackles, 9 sacks 3. QB, Matt Ryan -- Named AP NFL Rookie of the year. Says it all. 4. RB, Darren McFadden -- Hasn't had the carries. 5. DT, Glenn Dorsey -- 100 tackles, 2 sacks. 6. DE, Vernon Gholston -- 30 tackles, 0 sacks. 7. DT, Sedrick Ellis -- 64 tackles, 6 sacks. 8. DE, Derrick Harvey -- 76 tackles, 5.5 sacks. 9. LB, Keith Rivers -- 109 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 2 INTs. 10. LB, Jerod Mayo -- 231 tackles, 1.5 sacks. 11. CB, Leodis McKelvin -- Injury last year makes comparisons difficult. 12. OT, Ryan Clady -- Pro Bowl. 13. RB, Jonathan Stewart -- Near 2000 yards and 10 TDs from limited carries. 14. OT, Chris Williams -- Shut down Jared Allen in 2009. 15. OG, Branden Albert -- Moved to Tackle. Inconsistent. 16. CB, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie -- Almost matched Revis statistically in 2009. 17. OT, Gosder Cherilus -- Starter. For the Lions.... 18. QB, Joe Flacco -- Enough said. 19. OT, Jeff Otah -- Consistent Starter. Shame about being a Panther. 20. CB, Aqib Talib -- 87 tackles, 24 pDef, 9 INT. Almost there. 21. OT, Sam Baker -- Developing into a starter. 22. RB, Felix Jones -- Will get his chance this year. 23. RB, Rashard Mendenhall -- Set to become the starter this year. 24. RB, Chris Johnson -- Do I really need to go into it? 25. CB, Mike Jenkins -- Pro Bowl alternate, replaced Antoine Winfield. 26. OT, Duane Brown -- Consistent starter for the Texans. 27. CB, Antoine Cason -- 4 starts, 4 INTs, 10 pDef. 28. DE, Lawrence Jackson -- 61 tackles, 6.5 sacks. 29. DE, Kentwan Balmer -- 0 starts, 0 sacks, 19 tackles. 30. TE, Dustin Keller -- Average TE so far. 31. -- The pick lost by New England for "Spygate". 32. S, Kenny Phillips -- Missed whole of last season with injury. So, that's all the first round picks from 2007 and 2008. But what have we learned? In general, most of the offensive tackles and guards have gone on to have very solid careers so far. First round receivers seem to struggle while defensive backs in general come off quite well. Defensive linemen? A mixed bag. Some ends do pretty well, others tend to be a bit flat. First round running backs seem to excel (as long as they don't end up in Oakland). Again, obviously it has a huge impact who you're drafted by. It certainly helps when you're inserted onto a winning team providing the depth at your position isn't too, well, deep. I think though, perspective is the main thing we've developed. Yes, some first rounders do go on and perform very well. Many just seem to creep along slowly, developing themselves for future years. Some bomb out in spectacular fashion. So from now on we should be a little more cautious with our predictions of first rounders. Expecting a rookie DE to walk onto a team and post 10 sacks is being incredibly optimistic. With any luck, we'll all be a little bit wiser and a little bit more reserved with our judgements from now on. It also highlights the need to really do your homework when it comes to picking first rounders! Tomorrow, we'll carry on looking around the training camps by moving to the NFC East. Have a great day everyone.

No Yard work for Foxworth

I've always believed that in order to criticise the bad, due praise must be given to the good. So we begin with Domonique Foxworth, who will miss the season with a torn ACL. On his Twitter account, Foxworth listed some of the reasons to be pleased about his injury, the various "silver linings" as he put it, some of which are: "be able to be super-dad when daughter is born in December" "I can become a better player mental" [sic] "I can do even more and the community" [sic] "I can dedicate myself to the nflpa and make sure there's no lockout in 2011" Very admirable all round. When NFL coaches talk about good/high character players, this is what they're looking for. Very positive attitude as well. Not so sure about this one though: "when I'm 40 I'll have a way to get out of yard work "but baby you know my knee ain't right"" ---- And following the trend of what makes coaches smile, turns out new Giants LB Keith Bulluck took out a full page advert in The Tennessean to thank Titans fans for all their love and support over the years. Now that is classy. ---- Meanwhile in Jacksonville, the elements interrupted training camp, with a delay caused by a lightning warning. The players responded by having a rookie dance off in the locker room (as you do). Now this kind of thing I can take. Making a rookie carry someones pads or pay thousands for dinner has a serious consequence. In the cases above either a rookie is put out of pocket or there is a clear "I'm superior, I'm the master, carry my belongings" type dynamic going on between one veteran and a rookie. This dance off however includes the whole team getting together and appears to be a much more laid back, fun 'ritual' (if that's the right word for it). Linebacker Kirk Morrison even went to the trouble of posting a quick picture on his Twitter account: http://tweetphoto.com/36312974 ---- Now I know a promised a look back at the 2007 and 2008 draft classes as a kind of, "where are they now" but sadly time is short and I must sleep. Hopefully this will get done tomorrow. Have a great day everyone.

The cold north wind blows.

The news in brief: Gerald McCoy has signed. Some other rookies signed. Albert Haynesworth missed his test with a knee problem. Tom Brady is hailing Bradfords new contract as a great thing (mainly because it raises the bar for his own). Right, with that out of the way let's take a look, as promised, at the NFC North and what might the teams be working on in their coming training camps. Minnesota Vikings With Favre still absent, Tavaris Jackson continues to get reps and build himself as a QB. You can't help but feel sorry for Tavaris as he grinds away all through training camp knowing that King Brett will walk in for the last week or so and take his job. Toby Gerhart will be doing his best Chester Taylor impression for a few weeks and Adrian Peterson will be learning how to carry the ball properly. The key to this camp for the Vikings is defense. Everson Griffen must push Ray Edwards to have a repeat year, and between them the two must present a sufficient enough threat to draw some attention away from Jared Allen. Meanwhile, with Cedric Griffin (they love their Griffins in Minnesota) down injured, the race is on to find a starter opposite Antoine Winfield. Is Lito Sheppard the answer? Probably not. If there is any weakness on this Vikings team it's the secondary, especially at the safety spots. Somehow, someway, the Vikings need to start making plays on the back end this year if they're going to get back to the playoffs. Everything else is set in place (almost) for another great year, but you have to wonder what will happen when Drew Brees turns up and starts picking holes. Expect to see plenty of coverage rotation in Minnesota this year. Green Bay Packers I've heard rumors that the Packers plan to throw bricks at Aaron Rodgers every time he holds onto the ball too long. This is of course untrue, but would certainly liven up the camp. Offensively, Rodgers's penchant for getting knocked over was the only problem the Packers really had last year. Ryan Grant somehow slipped into the upper tier of running backs unnoticed, while the Packers receiving corps continues to make jaws collectively drop across the country with their performance. And if it all goes wrong for Rodgers, Graham Harrell of Texas Tech fame is now waiting in the wings. First Round pick Brian Bulaga (on reflection, probably the second best Left Tackle in the draft) will likely start on the right side, getting ready to displace old man Clifton next year (yes, he's 34 now). So again, we must turn to the defense to hunt for a weakness and again it shows up in the secondary. Both Atari Bigby and Al Harris find themselves on the PUP list heading into camp, and given the already shaky nature of their secondary at times (Arizona will testify to that), you have to wonder whether this new 3-4 scheme will be fairly judged in the coming season. Towards the end of last year everything was starting to slot into place nicely, but unless Clay Matthews and co. can keep up the pressure, things will start going wrong quickly. So, the key is three fold: Find someone to draw attention away from Matthews, find someone to play opposite Charles Woodson (probably Tramon Williams), and step up the work rate for B.J. Raji. That last point shouldn't be overlooked. In a 3-4 scheme, the NT is critical. Raji needs to step up and become the focus of the defense. I'd imagine the Packers too will spend some time honing their rotating coverages. Chicago Bears For all the talk of Mike Martz and Jay Cutler having to find a partnership etc, it's the O-line in Chicago that needs the most attention in camp. It might have been a little easier for Cutler last year were it not for the fact that the Bears couldn't run the ball. Anytime they needed yards, it was always going to come down to whether Cutler could find them. With the release of LT Orlando (No)Pace - the sole person with prior knowledge of Martz's scheme - the job of protecting Culters backside now falls to Chris Williams. He might have stepped up well towards the end of last year, but it's going to be a whole different prospect keeping it up for 16 games. The main theme though should be run blocking, especially in the Red Zone. The struggles of RB Matt Forte were well covered in the media, but much of the blame has to fall on this line unit. With Chester Taylor brought in through Free Agency, we'll soon see who's at fault. Defensively the Bears are in surprisingly good shape. Julius Peppers is a solid, if bloody expensive addition to the roster. Brian Urlacher should be back and healed from last years season ending wrist injury. And the Bears secondary is... well it's the Bears secondary. Overall this D-unit should be able to fight it out with the best of them. Which means they'll probably spend the whole of training camp boosting their confidence by picking off Jay Cutler.... Detroit Lions D-Fense. That's what camp is all about for the Lions in 2010. Jim Schwartz has brought together some of the pieces and now they have to find a way to make it all click. The Lions have been just, awful for too long now. Their D-line has lacked anything that might even be tentatively described as organisation in the pre-schwartz era, and the secondary has sieve makers across the states drooling at the prospective marketing opportunities. This has to change. Ndamukong Suh must live up to the hype. But most importantly for the Lions this year, Kyle Vanden Bosch must grab this D-line by the scruff of the neck and start fixing some of the leadership issues. He must be the coach among the players, showing them the way that Jim Schwartz wants it done on defense. He must guide them. He must control them. He must teach them how to recognise a f&*%ing screen play for a change. Matthew Stafford and the offense will, I imagine, take a back seat. Despite a shaky start, all signs point to Stafford having a promising career ahead. When he came back onto the field and threw a last gasp TD against the Browns, despite separating his shoulder on the previous play, that pretty much cemented Stafford as the leader of the offense. With Jahvid Best added to the team to help on the ground and Nate Burleson added to help draw coverage from Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew, the Lions offense should do just fine. So, that's the NFC North done. Tomorrow I want to look at the 2008 and possibly 2007 draft classes as a kind of "where are they now?", and hopefully to get a better idea of what we can expect of this years draft class in the coming season. Then at some point we'll move on in our virtual training camp tour to the NFC East, perennially one of the toughest divisions in the league. Have a great day everyone.