So it begins

Let me just check, see if they've fixed the whole CBA thing yet.... .... nope. Far from it. With the CBA due to expire in about 3 hours (from when I write this), the two sides have packed it in and the NFLPA has formerly decertified. At this point I would just like to call bullshit on DeMaurice Smith, who has spent the last six months banging on about a lockout and how the players should prepare for it etc, knowing full well that the Union was planning to shut itself down and prevent a lockout, just like I've been saying for the last six months that it would. Now the fun begins. Ten players have filed an anti-trust law suit against the NFL. Those ten are; Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Vincent Jackson, Ben Leber, Logan Mankins, Brian Robison, Osi Umenyiora, Mike Vrabel and Von Miller. Wait, what? Von Miller? He doesn't even fucking play for a team! He hasn't even been drafted yet! How the hell can he file suit? What's this horse shit? Ah well. What now follows is a ton of legal rambling and junk which I kinda have my head around, but really can't be bothered to explain. It's all speculation anyway. Until we hear anything from the courts, then all the networks can say with any certainty is about as much as you or I can. E.G. Jack shit. Free agency should begin at 1 minute past midnight, which is a pain in the arse because I still haven't got round to previewing the AFC West or North. Ah well. Just because it begins, doesn't mean anyone is gonna move. The owners might be sitting in a room right now deciding that they'll all agree not to do any deals until this thing sorts itself out. As for the anti-trust lawsuit? Again, I'm not sure how Von Miller fits into all of this. What catches my eye though is that the players technically filed their suit before the CBA expired. Now God knows I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure you can't file a lawsuit against someone because of something they might do. I wonder if that might invalidate it? Of course the biggest losers here are the fans, as always. I had a brief look over some of the comments made by people on the various articles over at ProFootballTalk.com and here are some of the my favourites. "Eat sh*t, DeMaurice." (over 125 thumbs up) "I’m kind of tired of hearing about the $1B figure. The league has 32 owners. Splitting that is only a little over $31 million more a year per team. If the owners came down, then it is obviously less than that. In the grand scheme of things, that is close to what Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will make this next year. Using one big figure makes it sound worse than it actually is. I don’t feel sympathy toward either side, but the union and players are a little less sympathetic to me know [sic] with this stunt today." "I saw his statement on TV, and Smith kept suggesting the NFLPA represented the players as well as the fans against the greedy Scrooge ownership. I would have found that more convincing if he said even one thing about making the game more AFFORDABLE for the fans. All these billions of dollars getting tossed around, and not a word about cutting ticket prices? Food? Parking?" (112 thumbs up, 6 down) "Ok so correct me if I’m wrong but the owners are people that have worked hard in their lives and were smart enough to acquire wealth to buy the NFL teams. They are the ones who have made this league this profitable. Now due to the economy and all the expenses that they have their profits have taken a hit and they want a piece of the pie back. Now the players mostly have not even graduated from college yet get a minimum pay of 400K a year, while players with larger roles on teams usually make millions. How much would these players be making in the outside world with no NFL that the owners created. The players are the greedy ones, not even listening to the owners offers." "The question I have is Why are the owners under any obligation whatsoever to show that they are in less advantageous financial position now than they were before the current (now expired) CBA as a basis for this renegotiation? I think the basis for terminating the CBA early was the Owners decided it was not fair to them, not that they were having financial trouble, just htat it was not fair to them. I think a 50/50 split of revenue (revenue, not profit) IS unfair given that the players don’t incur any of the costs associated with running an NFL franchise (team facilities, stadiums, training camps, medical costs, etc etc) why should they get 50% of revenue? I think it would be fair if the players union assumed 50% of the costs of running a franchise if they insist they should get 50% of revenue. The current model probably is unsustainable." "Public opinion has shifted to the Owners. Seeing the deal that the owners were willing to go with just confirms that the Players have no argument when it comes to the fight of who is more greedy. Give me replacements. Every player we like today will be gone in a few years anyway. I’ll get over it. F them. Go work at walmart." "I hope the owners win the injunction or whatever and can lock these bums out and show them what hard times are." "With all this action from the union happening so quickly it’s hard not to believe the owners when they say that the Union never intended on negotiating. Seems like the union had everything in place and lined up to go." "And thus begins the one week of “We are UNITED!” and then the “Oh Sh#T i’m not getting paid…lets do this.”" "So the ink wasn’t even dry on the statement and these guys file suit??? Yeah, the union really wanted to negotiate–not. And Von Miller, you’re a fool–you’re not even in the NFL yet and are already a part of this suit?? If you were hoping to go in the 1st round, I think you’ll be waiting in round 3–if you’re lucky." For those that might accuse me o being one sided with the comments, the reality is that the fans (at least those that read PFT) are overwhelmingly against the players. There are a few pro player comments, but they nearly all have way more thumbs down than up. I guess the fans have chosen their side. And lastly, for those that are interested, here is a summary by PFT.com of the alleged final offer that the owners put on the table for the players.

AFC South 2011 prospects

Time to take a look at the (potential) future for the AFC South in the coming season. Starting with; Houston Texans: God almighty, you have to feel sorry for Texans fans. They cheer when their team manages a winning season. If they make the playoffs in 2011 there will be a hell of a party in Houston, regardless of whether they make it any further. As ever, the Texans 2010 problems were the same problems they had the year before; all offense and no defense. But it's a testimony to the Texans overall talent level that I look at their free agent list and cant help but think to myself; who? WR Jacoby Jones and FB Vontae Leach naturally ring a bell. And I'm sure the Texans would be gutted if they lost QB Matt Leinart (positively crying). Other than that though, I'm lost. Maybe I just need to pay more attention to the Texans in future. Perhaps I could start by paying attention to their draft. The Texans pick at number 11 overall and they really, really, badly, truly, deeply need to go defense. Looking at the state of their roster, I imagine either D-line or corner will be their priority. It depends who falls to them at 11. There is a chance, likely depending a lot on what my 49ers do at number 7, that either Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara could fall that low. If so, I'd imagine that the Texans would pounce. Alternatively there is a chance that someone like Nick Fairley could drop, amidst fears he might have been a one season wonder. That wouldn't be a bad shout either for the Texans. 2011 then should be the year of the defense in Texas. Well, at least the Houston part of it. They (read: HC Gary Kubiak) simply cannot endure another season where the offense does all the work and the defense contributes nothing. As we saw with the Saints in '09, a team with a very strong offense often needs just a little shove on defense to propel itself to success. The ability of the Texans to recruit well on the D and the success of new D-coordinator Wade Phillips (a very strong defensive mind) will decide the Texans fate. Indianapolis Colts: They scraped through the gate to win the AFC South. Then they shit out in the playoffs. Not quite what you expect from the Colts (apart from the shitting out in the playoffs bit). To use a "Football Speak" phrase, could the dreaded "Window" be closing on the Colts? Well, if we're going to talk free agency for the Colts then we have to talk about Monsieur Manning. Who, technically speaking, has been Franchised. Now that sounds great in principle, because nobody ever parts with picks for a franchise tagged player. But this is Peyton Manning. Peyton. Manning. Don't tell me you haven't got a sneaking suspicion as well that Dan Snyder is waiting for the labor situation to resolve itself so he can break the bank to bring Peyton to Washington. I'm not saying it's a great move or that he'll even do it. But this is Dan Snyder we're talking about. He must have at least floated the idea in a meeting with his senior staff. Anyway, Manning aside, who else is on the list? RB's Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai to start. Not sure if Bill Polian has many designs to hold onto Addai. Addai is a good running back who is under used for obvious reasons, and maybe with that in mind the Colts will lean on Donald Brown? It wouldn't surprise me, let's put it that way. Kicker Adam Vinatieri is up for grabs, which could be an interesting departure. LB Clint Session is up, as it Safety Melvin Bullitt. For those that didn't know, Bob Sanders is already gone, potentially off to the green pastures of San Diego (?). Apparently the two sides have agreed a deal in private but there is some legal buff between the league and the Chargers holding things up. On to the draft and the Colts pick 22nd overall. Offensive line grabs my attention, specifically interior linemen. Rodney Hudson anyone? Linebacker would be another good shout. There are rumours in the air that Da'Quan Bowers may be slipping down some draft boards and could fall far enough for Indy to take him. In 2011 then the Colts are in relatively good shape. They had a bit of a freak year in 2010 and an early loss to the Texans surprised many, until the Texans ultimately crashed and burned. The Jaguars gave Manning and co. a run for their money, but even then the Colts pulled through. On balance it would appear 2011 could be the Colts year once more. How far they go after taking the South crown is a matter for debate though. Jacksonville Jaguars: As previously mentioned, the Jags had a pretty good year in 2010. Well, 8-8 is literally an average year, but for the Jaguars that's impressive. That tells you everything you need to know about this team. On the bright side, the Jaguars might come out of free agency pretty well. Safety Sean Considine is on the block (which might not be all that bad) along with LB's Justin Durant and Kirk Morrison, WR Mike Sims-Walker and QB Trent Edwards. All of those would be missed, with Sims-Walker the priority for resigning. In the draft the Jaguars now pick at 16, which is practically unheard of territory for them of late. Priorities are Wide Receiver, Defensive Back and Linebacker. There are plenty of interesting names that will fall that low so the Jaguars should have a pleasant amount of choice. If it was me, I'd be looking at receiver first, but obviously it depends who is on the board. It might be that the Jags can load up in free agency (there are some good, under rated names out there; Jacoby Jones, James Jones, etc). As for 2011 then? Don't get too excited Jaguars fans. Not depressed. Just not excited. There is still a long way to go but the promising signs are there. If David Garrard doesn't pan out I'd like to see Luke McCown get his shot. I thought he showed promise in the 2010 pre-season. Another year in this system under his belt might be all he needs to supplant the inconsistent Garrard. And let's have lashings of Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings please. Pretty please. With cherries on. Tennessee Titans: Every division needs it's laughing stock and in the AFC South that role has now been assumed by the Titans. The Vince Young saga. Chris Johnson not living up to the (self-generated) hype in his second year. The debacle involving the departure of Jeff Fisher. Owner Bud Adams could be entering his "Al Davis" stage. New Head Coach Mike Munchak has his work cut out for him. In free agency this year he will lose (potentially); DE Jason Babin, QB Kerry Collins, DT Marques Douglas, DE Jacob Ford, WR Randy Moss and TE Bo Scaife among others. Now to the best of my knowledge that leaves the Titans in the capable hands of either Rusty Smith or Brett Ratliff at QB. Nice. Handy then that the Titans will be picking at number 8 overall in the draft. They need some talent to get them back on track and QB might just be the perfect place to start. You already know the list of names. It would be truly hilarious though if Bud Adams picks Cam Newton, presuming Newton is still there. If not QB, then wide receiver, offensive tackle or linebacker are all priorities. Linebacker is a particular point of weakness in both strength and depth, and unless they make some moves in free agency they could end up in serious trouble come Week 1. So how do the Titans stack up overall in 2011? I just can't see it being anything other than another season of struggling. The QB situation alone promises to be a nightmare to resolve. The defense needs to stay a lot healthier than it was in 2010, and they need to perform some damage control in certain areas. By the end of the year, Adams might be begging Jeff Fisher to come back.

Spell it out

Before I get round to finishing my AFC South preview, I just want to have a moan, because God knows I love me a moan. I want to moan about the fact that TV pundits have turned otherwise decent/quiet fans into half knowledgeable ass hats. I was reading an article about Tim "My Parents Couldn't Have Wished For A Better Poster Child On Their View Of Abortion" Tebow. In the comments section I noticed someone bashing Tebow. Now this is not a freak occurrence. Lot's of people bash Tebow. But this was not your normal Tebow bashing. Normally people will just say "he sucks" without any qualifier, which allows me to laugh at their simple brains and bask in my own shining wisdom (uhm, didn't you say at the end of your last post that "Cam Newton sucks" without a qualifier?) This one was different though. It was something about horrible accuracy and not being able to fit the ball into tight windows. This is patently nonsense, as we've seen in his brief NFL career that Tebow can both a) throw accurately and b) fit the ball into tight windows. What we're seeing then is the product of someone who has spent way too much time listening to Sirius Radio and not actually watching what's happening on the field. They're simply regurgitating an answer that was probably provided by their favourite pundit in response to the question "What do you think of Tim Tebow?" What's more worrying for me is it is another example of the English Language (both English UK and English US. Why you people couldn't just call it "American" is beyond me. But I'm digressing... in brackets no less), another example of the English Language being progressively stripped of it's meaning and relevance by overuse, buzzwords and management speak. Tight Windows. Dynamic Playmaker. These kind of terms seem to get thrown up every two minutes and attached to every player that moves. Apparently everyone can either throw into tight windows or they can't. Seemingly anyone capable of running 40 yards in less than 5 seconds is considered dynamic. And while I try to explain why I like certain players and what their particular skills are that attract my attention, all too often I get the feeling lately that TV pundits - and subsequently your average fan - have just got a list of adjectives and superlatives (technically almost the same thing) written on a card somewhere with a key guide to point out which ones to use for good players and which ones to use for bad. It's becoming increasingly hard to figure out just why some pundit or former executive likes this player or that. Instead we just get lists of generic-to-the-position attributes. Maybe it's for the same reason that NFL scouts are notorious for hedging their bets; because generic, catch all statements allow you to leave more doors open than a torture chamber for people with OCD. I'd just like to see people be more committal with their evaluations and stop feeding the public cookie cutter lines that make no sense and share little in common with the facts of the matter. P.S. Cam Netwon still sucks. P.P.S. I've just had a phone call to go out drinking. The AFC South will have to wait till tomorrow.

Update

AFC South 2011 preview is being written as we speak.... ... well, technically I'm writing this now. And we're not speaking. But you get the drift. P.S. Cam Newton sucks

AFC East 2011 Prospects

After the thumb screw-esque exercise that is the NFL Networks coverage of the combine, it's time to pick up where we left off by examining the potential future in 2011 for the teams of the NFL. And we've reached the AFC East. Buffalo Bills: The Bills eh? 2010 could have been worse. They could be picking number 1 overall in April. As it is they've been pushed into 3rd place after finishing 4-12. But the reality is that the Bills were probably one of the best teams to lose at least 10 games. That's kind of like coming first in a shit eating contest, but hey, first place is first place. A number of Bills players stepped up to the plate (are baseball analogy's allowed in a football post?), including QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who surprised many with his confidence and at times very good play. Is he the future of the Bills? That's maybe a more touchy question. Thankfully for the Bills though, most of those who contributed in 2010 will be back for sure in 2011. They're one of the teams to do quite well out of free agency this year. But it's not all sweetness and light. Akin Ayodele, Keith Ellison and Paul Posluszny will all potentially go walk abouts at Linebacker. The loss of Posluszny would be particularly hard to bear, as he really is a high quality linebacker playing on an otherwise crappy D. The loss of SS Donte Whitner might be a little easier to handle, but certainly the loss of CB Drayton Florence will have an impact. Florence is one of those players who you just know will never get the credit he deserves, which could potentially translate into a return to the Bills for 2011. So what about the draft? As mentioned earlier, the Bills pick at number 3 and it's time for them to make the big decision; How much do they like Ryan Fitzpatrick? Sitting at three they will probably get the first shot at a QB, unless the Panthers are feeling bold. There are plenty of choices out there. But picking up another QB that early wastes a pick that could otherwise be used to bring their defense up to par. While the offensive line and wide receiver positions do need an upgrade, I just think that the Bills would be better off going either defensive line (where they're woefully under manned) or for a corner. Chances are that both Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara will be there if they're willing to take the early shot on a skill position. All in all, the Bills might actually get their act together this year. I know I say this all the time about a lot of teams, but they're one good draft away from being reasonably competitive. A focus on defense in the off season combined with another good year from Ryan Fitzpatrick could see the Bills fighting for a wildcard spot. Jesus, did I really just say that? Miami Dolphins: What happened to the Dolphins? The addition of guys like Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby was supposed to elevate the Dolphins into prime position to challenge the Jets and Patriots for division glory. But instead the bottom fell out of the boat and although they finished 7-9, it was a struggle. It could get nasty in 2011. Kory Sheets and Lex Hilliard are both up for exclusive rights free agency (essentially sign or retire). FB Lousaka Polite will still be around, but that's 3 running backs, none of whom is considered a starter. All the others are off into the murky waters of unrestricted free agency. That's Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the under rated, under appreciated, Patrick Cobbs. Losing those three will be big. As indeed might be the loss of Tyler Thigpen and Chad Pennington. With the struggles of Chad Henne smothering the back pages of the papers in Miami throughout the 2010 season, Thigpen and Pennington may be more valuable to the Dolphins than many realise. So where does that leave the Dolphins draft strategy? Picking at number 15 it might be a running back or guard, but my guess is the Dolphins will be looking for a D-linemen to supplement their high quality linebacking corps. Cameron Wake may have done the 'phins proud in 2010, but one player can't do it all alone. The Dolphins could really use some help up front to ease the pressure. As for their 2011 outlook? I think the Dolphins are one of those teams sitting on a knife edge. If their draft goes pretty well and maybe they do some work in free agency, they could challenge for the AFC East. But draft poorly and/or fail to find the right guys in the draft, and the Dolphins will drop like a lead balloon. Much rests on the shoulders of Chad Henne and new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. New England Patriots: By virtue of "E" before "Y", we now head up north and a little more to the east to join the Patriots. God help us. I still have unresolved Patriots issues, like their blatant use of 'pick/rub' plays and the way that TV analysts then describe them as being 'legal pick/rub plays'. How can you have a legal pick/rub? A pick or rub is illegal by definition, otherwise it would just be a 'play'. But now I'm getting diverted. So after a stellar regular season that came crashing down around their ears in the playoffs, what do the Patriots have to look forward to in free agency? Well, guard Logan Mankins has had his butt franchised. That then leaves the small matter of RB Kevin Faulk, OT Matt Light, FB Sammy Morris and RB Fred Taylor as the major potential departures. Which in comparison to a lot of teams is quite light, (The Saints for example. Haha! Wankers). And as you can probably imagine, given that this is a Bill Belichick team, the overall roster is looking in pretty good shape heading into a draft in which Patriots will pick 18th. And 28th. And then twice again in the next round. And etc... Given the relative high quality of the Patriots team, don't be surprised to see them trade down, down, further down, and a little bit more down. I imagine there will be more than a few picks that are traded away into next year, as Bill Belichick continues to hoard draft picks like a survivalist hoards tins of canned beef. If Belichick does decide to cash in a first round pick, it'll probably be at either wide receiver, running back or offensive line. If a guy like Rodney Hudson is till kicking about, Belichick is smart enough to pull the trigger. As for 2011? Who knows with the Patriots. Like the Colts they seem to breeze through some games that looked like tough contests on paper, only to struggle against comparatively weaker foes (like the Browns). There really is no reason why this Patriots team can't make a run for the Super Bowl. At the very least I would expect them to make the playoffs. Again. New York Jets: Who didn't want to see the Jets fail in the AFC Championship game? Apart from Rex Ryan of course. And the Jets fans. And the Jets players. And the Jets ownership and back room staff. But other than those few people, who didn't want to see the Jets fail? Well they did. Despite all the hype about winning a Super Bowl, once again the Jets failed to do it. Now normally you would look at two consecutive appearances in a championship game and applaud the team in question, especially given that in the first year they had a rookie QB and in the second he still hadn't improved a huge deal. But that's where Rex Ryan and the Jets go astray. It would have been a great achievement, had they not all spent the entire season blowing their own trumpet about how they were the best team in football and were going to win the big one. Definitely in 2010. Oops, maybe not. Well, Rex is now saying that 2011 will be the season. Forgive me for being a little sceptical. Especially when I look at the list of free agents. Oh dear. Kellen Clemens may not be a star QB, but at least he served as a reasonable back up to "Shaky Sanchez" (trademark). That's one plan B that the Jets probably wont be falling back on. Then we have Drew Coleman and Antonio Cromartie on their way out, unless the Jets can stump up some serious cash. Given that they've basically hailed their receiving corps as the priority, it looks unlikely that Cromartie will return. Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Brad Smith (you know, the wildcat guy) are the three receivers headed to free agency. Holmes is apparently the priority, with Edwards - for some unknown bonkers reason - as the number two. That means bye, bye Smith, who would make a nice little addition for teams looking to mix up their offense a little. Defensive Ends Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce are also on the way out, accompanied by safety Brodney Pool and kicker Nick Folk to round up the list of names you might have heard of. That leaves the Jets in a so-so position headed into the draft. Not picking until number 30 overall, they could probably use a new running back, they need more receivers like I need more cash (i.e. badly), they basically have now one proper offensive tackle (yeah, one), and their safety and corner line up doesn't look great either. My guess is that the offensive line will take priority, given Rex's desire to "ground and pound". But honestly the Jets don't look in great shape, and picking at number 30 in each round is hardly the best way to attract valuable suitors for your picks. Will 2011 bring that allusive championship ring then? Don't bet on it. The Jets can still turn things around with some free agency magic and savvy drafting, but that's asking a lot. Honestly, I feel like the Jets under Rex Ryan might just have ridden the last of their luck and hype. Having soared as high as they have over the last two years, it's time I think for Jets fans to now brace themselves for the down cycle. It's only natural. That's how football rolls sometimes. It ebbs and flows. The key thing for the Jets is to keep their eyes firmly peeled on the future and not get carried away just because 2011 might be a difficult ride.

Update

Currently sitting down and working on the AFC East 2011 preview. Will be up (barring interruptions) in the next few hours.

What's Chris been up to?

So, how's the CBA coming along? It's not. How's my series of articles previewing the AFC teams coming along. It's not (yet). How's my further study into some of the combine players coming along. Meh. I've been watching Prince Amukamara today (not literally, like with binoculars). This is a good case in point when it comes to evaluating the combine and the performances put on. Essentially Amakumara was nothing special at the combine. He was probably a little below average on the field drills. But in games you can see he has great awareness of what's going on around him. He reacts quickly and he' s not afraid to get stuck in to a tackle. Basically the tape tells a very different story to what we saw at the combine. Maybe there is hope yet for Cam Newton? (cough* bust, *cough, cough)

NFL Combine, Day Four round up

I'm now sitting down to watch Day Four of the NFL Combine. In front of me I have my score sheet. To my left I have a big mug of coffee. On the other side I have some live electrodes connected to a wall socket, which I plan to attach to my balls every time I need a break from the pain that is the NFL Network. And another thing: Many players are wearing a mouth guard developed by Under Armor that apparently aids with balance. Yeah. Okey dokey. And another thing: I love the way people are talking about the new Under Armor shirt like a heart rate monitor is some huge revolution in fitness. "What? You mean we can monitor heart rates? What is this Demon magic you speak of?". A fool and his money are easily parted. Just ask Al Davis (Oooh that was low). And another thing: I haven't watched any of the drills yet, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that our viewing of the drills will be interrupted on a regular basis by replays of Prince Amukamara. And another thing: Didn't see that one coming. I thought we might be destined for a replay interruption, but instead what we got was a Deion Sanders interruption, as they went down to the field to show us Sanders walking about. I must admit, it was well worth not showing us the drill for that. Oh wait, no it wasn't. But this isn't a knock on Sanders. He doesn't control the cameras and as you can imagine he is well versed in the technical finer points of playing defensive back. Except maybe tackling. And another thing: There we go, Amukamara replay break time. Why do they need to show us a replay of someone messing up the drill? Jesus. This is the first fucking drill and I'm already staring at those electrodes... And another thing: First advert break of the day. If they'd waited about 3 fucking minutes or so, we wouldn't have had to miss half a drill for the sake of the adverts. And another thing: We just saw a replay of what was, admittedly, a great catch. But it was apparent from listening to Rich Eisen talking that he couldn't care less about the catch. It was all about the "look at our great 'NFL in focus' camera's. Look at the great replays we can show you". Get stuffed. Show me the players, not your damn replays. And another thing: Another ad break already? You just had one like 5 minutes ago? Fuck off! And another thing: One of my favourite DB drills is on, so naturally this is a perfect time to interrupt the coverage so we can fill the screen with an inane question from some douchebag on Facebook. Seriously NFL Network, JUST READ THE FUCKING QUESTION OUT!! You don't need to fill the screen with a graphic. Am I the only person on the planet watching this and thinking that? And another thing: I'm calling the FBI or some organisation in the states that can handle with cross state and international fraud. Because that's what this is. The NFL Network calls it full and exclusive coverage of the NFL Combine. What it actually is, is just a way for the Network to pander to the top 5 guys at each position, so their analysts can then spend the whole season talking about how clever they were to predict the high draft picks and their resulting success. This is such bullshit. And another thing: There are some guys coming up in the drill who I was interested in watching. But no, we have to head over immediately to the vertical jump to watch Patrick Peterson doing his jump. Fuck off. Just record the jump and play it back to us later when you have a chance, you know, like a normal broadcaster would do. Imagine if NBC cut away during the middle of a live play on a Sunday Night Game just to show us a replay of a someone jumping or making a tackle. It wouldn't happen, because nobody at NBC is that fucking stupid. And another thing: Prince Amukamara is about to step up and do a drill so naturally the talking heads are inflating him big time. My money says he shits out on this drill..... ah he did ok. Fuck. On second thoughts though, they're bitching that he didn't finish the drill fast so maybe we'll call it evens. And another thing: I still don't understand why they need to cut away from the action to talk about a player. Just because you're handing over from one commentary team to another, doesn't mean we have to see their faces. It's not like we're going refuse to believe it's them talking until we see their faces or anything. It's tiring and boring to have to keep putting up with this crap. I don't expect the combine to be special or anything. I'm not asking for something fancy. I don't expect it to be like the Super Bowl. All I want is to just be able to watch all the players going through the drills without all the constant fucking interruptions. Is that really so much to ask? I mean Jesus, this is just absolutely fucking ridiculous. And another thing: A cameraman just got clocked on the sidelines and that brings up an issue that bugs me. Given that modern cameras, both of the video and still shot variety, have such powerful lens's now, why in the hell do they need to be positioned so closed to the game, where they often get in the way and pose a serious hazard to players who go out of bounds? Move 'em back. And another thing: I was watching it all online, so I had the choice between two different feeds, but people watching on TV I presume were forced to watch the one feed. In that case, while I was watching Group 11 go through their drills, people watching on the TV were forced to watch Rich Eisen run the 40 yard dash. Now no offense, I think it's actually pretty funny watching him lumber down the track, but that's why I watched the video clip uploaded on NFL.com. If I was watching the TV feed, I would be pissed off that I missed drills in favour of that 6 minute fiasco. It just goes to show what I was saying the other day about TV networks believing that they're coverage is more important than the actual product on the field. What level of arrogance does it take to ignore the actual reason for the combine being held (I.E. assessment of the young draft prospects) just so you can show one of your presenters running a 40 yard dash? It's just absolutely fucking ridiculous. Couldn't they have just waited until the DB's were done and then shown it? Man, you have to love yourself something special to pull that off. Just arrogance in the complete extreme. Personally I'd be embarrassed if I knew we were missing drills just to watch me run the 40. And another thing: A drill has just been running for about 2 or three minutes before the directors finally got the hang of which cameras to switch to and the timing of the switches. Question; how many years has the NFL Network been covering the combine now? How long did the Network have to plan and prepare their shots? Professional film crews are expected to turn up at a site and have everything set up and ready to shoot in less than a day, with a minimal degree of pre-planning and scouting of the site. So why the fuck does the NFL Network not have this covered? On the flip side, they never miss a beat with their stage shots, obviously hinting at where their priorities lay in the run up to the combine. And another thing: One of my favourite drills is up, so it must be time to dick about filling the screen with another pointless facebook question graphic, followed by whoring the screen time with replays of Prince Amukamara. I understand; fuck the little guys, who cares about them? As long as we get our allocation of Amukamara replays, all is well. And another thing: You have to love the way that nobody seems to have any control over the sound, so we get cross overs of a coach explaining a drill, along with the sound of one of the players spitting somewhere else, and the sound of two crew members standing around talking about where they should be set up, all at the same time. Hire a fucking competent sound editor for Christ sake. Well, it's over now. I didn't have to resort to electrocuting myself. It would have made little difference, my brain was fried already. Thank God this thing only comes round once a year and only lasts four days. If it was any more I'd snap. So let's take a look then, starting with... Group 10 - Defensive Backs: -- Curtis Brown. Had a great time on the drills. Impressive -- Kendric Burney. There were moments when I thought he wavered, but was above average overall. -- Chris Conte. Very good. Worked hard, cut well, quick feet. -- Vance Cuff. Stole Group 10 easily. Each drill he looked perfectly at home, like it was routine. Worked hard and was smooth as silk throughout. -- Brandon Harris. Did ok. Put on an above average show. -- Will Hill. Ditto the above. -- Shiloh Keo. Awesome to watch. Not quite as flawless as Cuff, but absolutely busted his balls off during each drill and looked hungry. Very impressive display. -- Prince Amukamara was in this group. He looked about average. Group 11 - Defensive Backs: -- Joe Lefeged. Did ok. I'm gonna say average, but with the caveat that this group did much better overall than Group 10, especially at the high end, so the average standard here was much higher. -- Mark Legree. Slightly above average display. -- Rahim Moore. Very good. Consistently one of the best performers in the group. -- Johnny Patrick. Average for the group. -- Patrick Peterson. Clearly marked himself above Amukamara on most draft boards after this. Very good. -- Justin Rogers. Average for the group. -- Kevin Rutland. Slightly above average. -- Tyler Sash. Pretty good. Appeared to take some of the drills a little easy (a common problem on the day) but overall did well. Bagged himself a cameraman hit. -- Da'Norris Searcy. Weird name, very good show. Consistently above average. -- David Sims. Outstanding one hand catch and good overall. -- Buster Skrine. Apparently did a sub 4.3 40 (too lazy to check). Was very good on the field. Quick feet. -- Josh Thomas. My king of the Group and the day. Excellent performance. Ridiculous foot speed, great agility, great ball skills, smooth and hard working. Superb. -- Brandyn Thompson. Average for the group. -- Devon Torrence. Quietly did very well. With all the talent on display I'm worried he got lost in the mix, but he definitely stood out to me. Among the top five of an excellent group. -- Nate Williams. Would make the top 5 as well. Overall very good display. Right, that's your combine done. What now? Well, for the teams it's time to go back to film rooms across the country and start pouring over the tape once more. Is Prince Amukamara really as good as what people previously thought? Is Cam Newton in fact an over hyped running back? What about some of the lesser known guys? Time to dig out three game tapes and give them another, closer look. For me it's much the same. Time to start working back through the list, comparing what I see in games to notes from the combine. Is Josh Thomas really as good in pads as he was in shorts? Do his game instincts match up to that excellent foot speed, or does a lack of awareness prevent him from putting his physical skills to good use? We'll see. But first it's time for me to crash out for a day or two and have a break. Then I'll be back with preview series again, this time heading around the AFC teams. Hopefully the labor crisis will last just long enough for me to get that whole series in, then resolve itself with plenty of time to spare before the start of major off season camps etc. Till next time, thank you all for stopping by and having a read. Just don't go electrocuting your balls....

NFL Combine, Day 3 round up

So I've been watching the drills for about 3 minutes and already I'm getting annoyed at the constant replays of Nick Fairley. I get the distinct impression that the NFL Network gives less of a shit about showing players work out as it does about showing off the fact that they have high speed cameras that can do super slow-mo replays. Dickheads. And another thing: Honestly, I'm getting sick and fucking tired of watching replays of someone who did the drill well. I understand to a degree that you're showing what a "good run" through the drill looks like, but what use is that when we miss half the fucking guys going through the drills because of replays? And another thing: Adrian Clayborn and Nick Fairley look good on game day, I'm not disputing that. But so far they've looked very uncomfortable in the early drills. That's not a huge issue in itself. What is a huge issue is the commentary team fawning over the pair of them and talking about great hips and bending etc, when they're clearly struggling more than some others during the drill. Clayborn looked positively slow and sloppy moving between the bags. Yet despite that he was used for a replay where Rich Eisen described him as something like "a bull in a phonebooth", I didn't catch it clearly. I'm guessing that's supposed to mean good, which is surprising given the fact that the slow-mo replay clearly shows Clayborn having poor footwork through the drill. Lucky he kicks butt on the football field really (Clayborn I mean, not Eisen). And another thing: Now we're missing a ton of guys running drills. Why you ask? So we can have a close up of Robert Quinn breathing. Yeah, exciting shit. I can't wait till they start filming him while he listens to his iPod. It promises to be intense. And another thing: Every time that a drill ends it takes time to pick up the bags, move them around and to then show the players how to perform the next drill. Or as it's otherwise known, a ready made advert break. So my question then is this; why does the NFL Network keeping going to breaks in the middle of the drills and showing replays as well, when they could be doing that in the interim period between drills? It's just absolute fucking amateur hour production. It shows clear signs of a lack or foresight and planning, combined with a drivelling sense that the crew believes that people are tuning in solely because of their fancy cameras and informed presenters, as opposed to the fact that, you know, only 1 network is allowed to cover the combine live and in full. And another thing: Awesome. Michael Lombardi is back on set. I'll tell you what, how about we divert the cameras away from the on field action so we can watch a bunch of guys in suits sitting around talking shit on the sidelines? I thought you'd like that idea. Jesus. I've just never known sports coverage like this. If it was an independent contractor (let's just say ESPN) providing such shitty coverage, then their contract would be in serious danger of not being renewed. And another thing: Thanks to the damn replays, I missed Mark Herzlich going through the bags. Fucking joke. And another thing: Thanks to the NFL Networks whoring of replays of Von Miller (who is having a shit-tastic time on the drills by the way) I just missed watching number 22 Jonas Mouton who I thought did well in the previous drill and I was looking forward to seeing. I don't even know why they bother. Why not just admit from the first second of broadcast that they're only interested in a few select players and knock on the head any fucking pretence that this is about giving the public a chance to watch all the prospects in action. And another thing: I've just heard the biggest pile of fucking bullshit that I've heard in years. Jim Mora jr. is on as an analyst and he just proclaimed that thanks to the NFL Network he wouldn't have to come to the combine if he was a coach. Rich Eisen then chimed in and said that a number of coaches (who he refused to name) had told him they were thankful of the coverage. That's utter junk. If, like me, they're interested in giving every player a fair shot at an evaluation then they'd much rather be in the stands at Indy, than sitting at home watching this God forsaken pile of dog shit that the NFL Network calls "coverage". And another thing: Again, I just missed seeing Jonas Mouton because of another fucking replay of Von Miller. At least these time Miller looked good. But now link this back to the point above. A coach watching the combine on TV would have missed most of Mouton's work and wouldn't be able to give him a decent evaluation. And another thing: Not fucking a minute later and we're now missing more guys in the drills so the NFL Network can show us a replay of one of the coaches using their super slow-mo camera. Who fucking cares about the coach? What the fuck? Is the director twelve years old? And the NFL Network bitches about TV providers not carrying their network. On this basis I'd say those companies are doing their subscribers a favour. And another thing: Oh look, adverts in the middle of a drill, despite the fact that we could have had these about 5 minutes ago when they were switching between stations. I'm not sure how many other people do this, but as a point of principle I refuse to watch these adverts in my own, largely pointless protest. And another thing: Cutting away from the drills? Why? To introduce a new talking head into the booth. How very fucking important that is? I mean seriously, does nobody on the team understand that fans don't really give a fuck what presenter you've just put in the booth. We want to see the action on the field for crying out loud. And another thing: I'm considering billing the NFL Network for the loss of a pen that I just hurled across the room in frustration. I was waiting for a particular player to come around and have his turn on the drill, when they cut away. What for this time? To show me Lovie Smith sitting in the stand. Fucking sweet. Just the way he looked at his notes, it was awesome. And another thing: I love the a) incoherent way that the NFL.com feed switches between the two separate feeds and b) bears little resemblance to the schedule laid down. And another thing: Another ad break in the middle of the linebacker drills. Sweet. Pricks. And another thing: It's Von Miller replay time once more! Newsflash, regardless of how good he is on the field, he's been piss poor during the combine drills. This seems to be something of a running theme for the NFL Network. Pick a player who is pretty well known and then play back his run through the drills, while desperately trying to put the best spin on it possible to cover up for the fact that you're wasting air time with a replay of someone doing shit in a drill. Right, thank fuck that's over. When I'm done here I might just go hammer some nails into my eye balls in order to relax. It's definitely a first in my experience. Until now I never thought it was possible to make a sports broadcast that fans of the sport would get annoyed with and not enjoy. Jesus. Anyway, on with the feedback, starting with Group 7, D-linemen: -- Ugo Chinasa, Oklahoma St. scored surprisingly well by my book. On the day I have him as joint with Adrian Clayborn for the quality of his drill work. Prett strong kid. -- Uh guess what? Adrian Clayborn was pretty good. Didn't start all that well, but recovered. -- Nick Fairely was one of the top guys, as you might expect. The complete case for him moving to the top of draft boards is quickly building. -- Cameron Jordan did ok I thought. He didn't set the world alight, but he was reasonably good. -- But the winner of Group 7 was, for me, Chris Carter from Fresno State. I have him as my highest rated performer in Group 7. Maybe a little under weight, but technically he looked pretty sound. Group 8, D-linemen: -- Cliff Matthews had a great workout. Very fluid, great footwork, great determination. I haven't seen any tape of this kid, but if it's half as good as his combine showing then it'll be a treat. -- Take all of the above and transplant that down to Terrell McClain, who I thought was one of the real stand outs from Group 8. Very, very impressive. -- Dontay Moch was another good shower. Perhaps not to the level of Matthews and McClain, but good. -- Drake Nevis did pretty well. Confirmed what I've seen on film. Physically strong. -- Brooks Reed. I've got so many stars next to this guys name. He worked his butt off during the drills and reaped the rewards with a strong showing. Great feet. -- Phil Taylor from Baylor can certainly move for a dude that weighs 334 pounds. Earned my respect with his performance. -- Muhammad Wilkerson did Temple proud with his effort. Just went all out right from the start and thoroughly deserves to have teams go back and give him a much closer look on film. Group 9, Linebackers: -- Akeem Ayers was flyign through the drills like a race car, but I was a little unsure about his footwork. Speed to burn though, in shorts at least. -- Nick Bellore racked up a few stars with his footwork, change of direction, ball skills and work rate. -- Mason Foster. Had a pretty solid showing. -- Mark Herzlich. Finally managed to seem some of the kid and he was ok. Didn't leap out. -- Ross Homan was a man on a mission. I give him a ton of credit for his drill work. Another guy who earned a second (or in my case, first) look. Very good. -- Greg Jones put in a similar show to Herzlich and Foster. Solid overall. -- As I've already mentioned, the supposed star of the day was Von Miller. Honest opinion? He looked like crap out there. -- Mike Mohamed on the other hand looked very good. Up there with Homan on the stars scale. -- In the end I got to see plenty of Jonas Mouton. He turned out average. -- Brian Rolle showed some flashes. Pretty quick, but looked a little unbalanced at times. -- Kelvin Sheppard did ok. Worth a slightly closer look. -- Quan Sturdivant of Noth Carolina, I have a question for you. Why do all the good players have such inconveniently difficult names to spell and remember? Whatever the answer, I won't be forgetting this name in a hurry. Outstanding in the drills, top marked linebacker for me. -- James Thomas of West Virginia did pretty well. -- Finally, Martez Wilson and K.J. Wright both put in above average showings. Take that for what you will. So another day of torture is done. Just one left as the defensive backs take to the field. Just looking back at the number of guys I've picked out over the last few days, either a) the depth of talent is a lot higher this year, b) I'm getting more generous with my grades or c) I'm getting better at picking out the good ones. I'm inclined to roll with either A or B. At least one good thing has come out of all this. Now I can ask people if they enjoy the NFL Networks coverage of the combine, and if they say "yes" I know that a) they don't love football and b) there is a good chance that they're clinically insane. Now to finish, a request. Nay, this is more of a plea. If you're reading this then share it with everyone you can, because a) I could really use the extra pageviews right now and b) hopefully someone will read this who is in a position to do something about the NFL Networks shitty combine coverage. Enjoy day four of the combine everyone. Try not to smash your TV in frustration.

Update

Just a quick brief to lay out where things stand at the minute. I'm just about to sit down and watch the replay of the combine workouts, which involves Groups 7 and 8 (D-line) and Group 9 (linebackers). If I make it through those without bursting a blood vessel in anger or suffering a stress induced cardiac event, then I will report back in a few(ish) hours with my findings, by which point it will probably be 7am GMT, 2am EST and way, way, way past my bed time.