The Falcons Suck

Bucs Release Offensive Coordinator

2009-09-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Tampa released offenseive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski this morning. Yeah, he's the guy who was in the news for interviewing for the N.Y. Jets job while he was still a coach at Boston College. Kind of funny how he lost his BC job just for interviewing elsewhere, and now he doesn't have a job at all.
So far, it appears that personality issues might have been the cause for Jagodzinski's release. I'm wondering if it had anything to do with the fact that he's just plain got a weird name.
The Bucs have promoted quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to the job of offensive coordinator. This answers my first question, which was...I wonder if they'll go after Chan Gailey, who was just released by Kansas City.
I just wonder if there will be any hard feelings now within the organization between Olson and head coach Raheem Morris. Morris could have originally promoted Olson to the job of offensive coordinator, after he had spent a few years with that same title in St. Louis. Instead, Morris chose to go with Jagodzinski, and he left Olson at the QB coaching job. Now, it's likely that this promotion for Olson is a move from ouside Morris's reach. Remember, Raheem Morris got the head coaching job without ever even being a coordinator. He was promoted from a position coaching gig.

Things are definitely strange in Tampa these days. This move definitely won't have me changing my last prediction that the Bucs will finish last in the division this year.

Worst-to-first in the NFC South

2009-09-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

The NFC South's "worst-to-first" pattern had an amazing streak going earlier this decade. From 2003-2007, the team that placed last in the division went on to win it the following season. Also, it seems that division winners tend to struggle the following season.

Carolina finished last in 2002 and won the division in 2003.

Atlanta finished last in 2003 and won the division in 2004.

Tampa Bay finished last in 2004 and won the division in 2005.

New Orleans finished last in 2005 and won the division in 2006.

Tampa Bay finished last in 2007 and won the division in 2007.

In 2008, Carolina hit a last second field goal to defeat New Orleans. If the Saints could have won that game, then the Falcons would have won the NFC South after finishing last in 2007. Still, Atlanta earned a playoff spot in 2008. So, if you are a believer of patterns or trends in sports, then you must be a believer in the Saints for the 2009 NFL season.

After watching a lot of preseason games so far this year, I really believe that 2009 will be no different than the past six years in the NFC South. I think the Saints will win the division, and the Panthers will really struggle.

Sure, Carolina has an outstanding running game to go along with one of football's greatest receivers. I just think they'll have to put up a ton of points to compete this year, considering how poor their defense will perform.

Replacing defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu with a guy like Louis Leonard just might still leave a little left to be desired on the defensive line. Also, the Panthers are experiencing very poor secondary production right now, not to mention the fact that Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason could miss a few games.

As for the Saints, I really see their defense picking it up a little this year. They've gotten better where they needed help, and their offense will still be just as strong as it was last year. I could even see Mike Bell and Robert Meachem stepping up this year to give the new offensive coordinator a few more options.

The Bucs will likely struggle in 2009, and I don't see the Falcons winning the division. Atlanta may finish second this year, but they will struggle defensively just like Carolina this season.

Here's how it will shake out for 2009:

Saints

Falcons

Panthers

Bucs

Don't worry Tampa fans. 2010 is your year!

I'm a Fraud!

2009-08-31T05:43:00.000-07:00

I'm very embarrassed to admit it, but I recently went against everything this blog stands for. I was picking in my fantasy football league at work, and I was just too weak to pass up Roddy White in the fifth round. Several receivers rated below (worse than) him had already been selected when it was my turn. In all honesty, he was a steal at the place I got him in my draft. Still, I feel sick!

I drafted a Falcon. The Falcons Suck!!! How could I do this? I've beating myself up over this for a few days, and all I can come up with is that I was greedy.

We give a nice trophy to the fantasy football winner every year, and it was right there in front of me...just taunting me as I was up to make my selection. I could have taken a less proven wide-receiver, but I turned my back on all of my principles just for the chance to win a stupid trophy.

I've tried to make myself feel better by saying, "at least I didn't take Michael Turner or Matt Ryan", but I know I'm just letting myself off easy there. I should be ashamed of myself. Maybe I'll trade him. But then I'd still be benefitting from the speculation that a Falcon might actually live up to their potential. How many Falcons can you think of that have actually lived up to their potential in the NFL?

I'll understand if you want to bash me for my cowardice. I deserve it.

I apologize if I've let you down.

"What the hell is Brett Favre Doing Here?"

2009-08-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

By now, I'm sure you've heard that Brett Favre has signed a two year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Personally, I never believed him three weeks ago when he said he wasn't coming back, but still, I guess this is newsworthy. What it means to the NFC South is very little, considering the fact that there's now way that the Vikings will compete for a playoff wildcard spot this year, and they only play one team from the division. Sure, they could make the playoffs, but they'll have to win the North to do that. I'd be willing to bet just about anything that the wildcards will come out of the South or the East again this year.

The one team in the division that will face Favre this year is the Panthers. Great news for Carolina fans...they don't play them until late December. That means that Favre will either be banged up and on the bench by then, or he'll be tired and throwing tons of INTs. Still, the Vikings were able to beat the Panthers last year without a solid quarterback even on the roster.

I'll definitely pick Carolina to win this game, I just hope they pick up a veteran defensive tackle before then.

Carolina looked rough at times in their first preseason game on Monday Night Football this week. It looks like Nick Hayden just won't be the guy to fill the hole at defensive tackle. He was getting pushed around like he was some high school player out there. Granted, the Giants have a strong offensive line, but still...that performance was a little ridiculous. I did however really like what I saw from linebacker J Leman. He could turn out to be a solid special-teamer for Carolina.

On another note from that Panthers/Giants game, I really liked what Coach Gruden was able to bring to the broadcast booth. I'm pretty sure someone told him to talk more during the games, because last week he seemed very nervous, while this week he wouldn't shut up. I especially liked when he called DeAngelo Williams the NFL's best running back.

I enjoy the football knowledge he brings to a broadcast, and he just reminds me of how much I couldn't stand listening to Tony Kornheiser. I do enjoy PTI, I just don't want to hear about American Idol while watching Monday Night Football.

Fantasy Rankings: Quarterbacks

2009-08-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Deciding when to take a quarterback is pretty difficult in most leagues. Most fantasy draft tips suggest that picking a running back is the way to go with your first two picks. I actually disagree.

If you can pick up one of the top four quarterbacks this year, I'd definitely go that route before taking a middle-of-the road running back. The reason is because lots of running backs fit into the middle-of-the road category, and if you miss out on one guy, you'll probably be able to get someone fairly comparable in the next round. With the top-end quarterbacks, the points are just too hard to make up if you pass on them. For instance, last year, only five other quarterbacks scored within 100 points of Drew Brees (in my Yahoo league). Also, the fantasy team with the most successful quarterback has won my league, each of the last four years.

Then again, my league gives six points for a passing touchdown. Still, you should consider at least my top four guys earlier than the "expert" lists might suggest.

This is my QB list for 2009. Picking up a backup is necessary, so I'll list 24 (helpful for leagues of 12). As always, my list was made by looking at projections and last year's fantasy totals.

1. Drew Brees

2. Tom Brady

3. Peyton Manning

4. Aaron Rodgers

5. Phillip Rivers

6. Kurt Warner

7. Donovan McNabb

8. Tony Romo

9. Jay Cutler

10. Eli Manning

11. Carson Palmer

12. Matt Cassel

13. Matt Shaub

14. Matt Ryan

15. Jake Delhomme

16. Chad Pennington

17. David Garrard

18. Trent Edwards

19. Ben Roethlisberger

20. Kyle Orton

21. Jason Campbell

22. Matt Hasselbeck

23. Kerry Collins

24. Joe Flacco

Other backups to watch: Brady Quinn, Sage Rosenfels, Matt Stafford)

Fantasy Rankings: Running Backs

2009-08-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is the big one. RB is the most important position for almost all fantasy leagues. Who is going to be this year's LT? Who is going to be this year's DeAngelo Williams. One of those guys was taken as a first pick in most leagues, while the other was picked as a bench player. LT was sort of a let-down, while Williams had more fantasy points than any other RB last year.

It's tough, but fun!

Here's my list of RBs for 2009. As always, I made my list by looking at "expert" opinions, last year's point totals, and a little intuition. I'll list 36 since I'm sure I'll pick up at least 3 in my fantasy draft. Enjoy.

1. Adrian Peterson

2. Matt Forte

3. DeAngelo Williams

4. Michael Turner

5. Clinton Portis

6. Brian Westbrook

7. Maurice Jones-Drew

8. LaDainian Tomlinson
9. Brandon Jacobs

10. Steve Slaton

11. Steven Jackson

12. Chris Johnson

13. Marion Barber

14. Thomas Jones

15. Frank Gore

16. Ronnie Brown

17. Ryan Grant

18. Marshawn Lynch

19. Larry Johnson

20. Jonathan Stewart

21. LenDale White

22. Willie Parker

23. Kevin Smith

24. Le'Ron McClain

25. Tim Hightower

26. Reggie Bush

27. Joseph Addai

28. Derrick Ward

29. Sammy Morris

30. Felix Jones

31. Jerious Norwood

32. Knowshon Moreno

33. Jamal Lewis

34. Julius Jones

35. LeSean McCoy

36. Leon Washington

Fantasy Rankings: Wide Receivers

2009-08-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Now we are getting into the good stuff. Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers are always the most exciting and anticipated picks in a fantasy draft. This year, to form my list for WRs, I printed out an "expert's" list, and compared it to the how many fantasy points each receiver scored last year. Throw in a little intuition, and that's how you form a solid rankings list.

Since my league requires a team to start 3 receivers, and there are 12 people in my league, I've got 36 WRs on the list. Enjoy.

1. Larry Fitzgerald

2. Andre Johnson

3. Randy Moss

4. Calvin Johnson

5. Steve Smith

6. Reggie Wayne

7. Roddy White

8. Terrell Owens

9. Greg Jennings

10. Anquan Boldin

11. Antonio Bryant

12. Roy Williams

13. Wes Welker

14. Vincent Jackson

15. Brandon Marshall

16. Lee Evans

17. Hines Ward

18. Braylon Edwards

19. Bernard Berrian

20. Dwayne Bowe

21. Santana Moss

22. DeSean Jackson

23. Devin Hester

24. Kevin Walker

25. Marques Colston

26. T.J. Houshmandzadeh

27. Santonio Holmes

28. Donald Driver

29. Lance Moore

30. Jerricho Cotchery

31. Chad Ochocinco

32. Anthony Gonzalez

33. Torry Holt

34. Laveranues Coles

35. Muhsin Muhammad

36. Patrick Crayton

37. Justin Gage

38. Domenik Hixon

39. Percy Harvin

40. Steve Breaston

41. Chris Chambers

42. Ted Ginn Jr.

43. Derrick Mason

44. Eddie Royal

45. Isaac Bruce

46. Steve Smith (NYG)

47. Nate Washington

48. Michael Jenkins

Okay, so I got a little carried away. As I was finishing my list of 36, I realized that I'll definitely need at least one backup WR. I'll do rankings for RBs and QBs in the next couple of days.

Fantasy Rankings: Tight Ends

2009-08-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

I'm usually one of the last people to draft a tight end. If the absolute best tight ends are already gone, I'd much rather go ahead and take a solid backup at running back or wide receiver.

Below is my list of the top 12 tight ends for 2009. My list was made by comparing each player's fantasy points from 2008 to lists made thus far by the "experts."

I really hated to put Tony Gonzalez so high, but I really believe he'll be Ryan's #2 option in Atlanta this year. Along that same line, with the departure of T.O. in Dallas, I believe Jason Witten will prove to be Tony Romo's #1 go-to guy in the passing game. Here's how the rest of my list shakes out...

1. Jason Witten (Dal)

2. Tony Gonzales (Atl)

3. Antonio Gates (SD)

4. Dallas Clark (Ind)

5. Visanthe Shiancoe (Min)

6. Owen Daniels (Hou)

7. John Carlson (Sea)

8. Kellen Winslow Jr. (TB)

9. Greg Olsen (Chi)

10. Dustin Keller (NYJ)

11. Tony Scheffler (Den)

12. Chris Cooley (Was)

A few others were close to making the list. If you need a backup tight end, you should consider Kevin Boss, Anthony Fasano, or Heath Miller.

Boo-Birds in Charlotte

2009-08-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

It has been very difficult for some Carolina Panthers fans to deal with their ugly playoff loss from last season. It's no secret that Jake Delhomme had the worst game of his career in that matchup against the Cardinals. His six turnovers sure made Arizona's job a little easier that night.

The Panthers fans that were in attendance either left the game early, or sat in their chairs suffering from complete shock as they watched their NFC South winning team completely implode.

Now, the fans have had the majority of an offseason to stew over the loss, and decide how to deal with it. Some have decided to move on and look forward to a promising 2009, while others have chosen to go with the bratty teenager method. These are the fans that showed up for the Panthers "Fan Fest" in Bank of America Stadium last Saturday.

Fan Fest is usually a great opportunity for fans to see the team in action, while also getting to have some fun with "Sir Purr" and the new "Topcats."

This year, the event turned a little...well, we'll say it turned a little "Denver". By now, I'm sure you've heard that the Broncos' new QB, Kyle Orton, was heavily booed by fans in Denver. Well, Charlotte saw a little bit of that on Saturday, when the usually tame Panthers fans decided to let Jake Delhomme know exactly how they felt. After getting picked off (because of a poor WR route), the boo-birds showed themselves.

While I support a fan's right to have an opinion and boo, I don't have to like the actions of stupid people. Jake Delhomme is not a "marquee player" (to quote Jerry Maguire). He doesn't marry supermodels, or go on SNL, or even endorse Axe Hair Spray so he can go flirt with Carson Daly. He's a middle-of-the road QB, who has the heart of a champion. His skills don't match those of the league's elite, but his determination and leadership abilities never cease to impress me.

I am struggling to understand how Panthers fans forgot so quickly that Delhomme led his one (good) receiver team into the second round of the playoffs last season. It frustrates me that his successes can be overshadowed in the blink of an eye by one defeat. Albeit, it was an awful defeat, but still, he's earned a better support group.

So, the boos have flown and the sounds were heard by Delhomme. What now?

First of all, I truly hope the fans have gotten it out of their system. I've watched Jake Delhomme play many many games, and I really enjoy what he brings to a team. There are only about six or seven QBs I'd rather have leading my team than Jake Delhomme. He's going to pick himself up and make up for that miserable playoff perfomance very soon. Fans should not be worried.

Secondly, I don't think the boos will get to him like they might with a player like Kyle Orton. Delhomme has dealt with adversity in the past. He knows how to clean up a mess and prove everyone wrong. Orton hasn't really proven that he can do that.

Want to know my prediction for when exactly Delhomme will prove all of his booing friends to be idiots??? How about September 20th? That is when the Panthers will be heading to Atlanta to dismantle their spotty defense. The Panthers may win their first game against the Eagles. I just really can't wait to see what they do the Dirty Birds.

The Falcons Suck. Delhomme will prove this very soon.

Fantasy Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

2009-08-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Having a solid defense/special teams on your side for fantasy football is crucial. As always, it's very important to find out how your league distributes points for this category. My league gives points for just about any positive thing your defense might accomplish. Also, there is often a certain number of points award for defenses who give up a smaller amount of points. So, for instance, you might not want to start the defense/special teams unit that is going up against a red-hot Tom Brady and Randy Moss. You would want to start the defense/special teams fortunate enough to line up with, let's say, the 49ers. Shutouts are worth a lot of points. You might even want to pick up Arizona's defense for the week that they face Carolina this year. Then again, they might just opt to hand the ball off every down this time...ouch!!!

This is my list for the top Defense/Special Teams this year. I realize that it's a little different from the popular lists floating around online, but I'm okay with that. I compared those lists to the actual number of points scored last year on Yahoo. I mixed all that up with my incredible ability to predict the future. Here it is...

1. Baltimore

2. Pittsburgh

3. Philadelphia

4. Chicago

5. NYGiants

6. Minnesota

7. New England

8. Dallas

9. Tennessee

10. Carolina

11. Miami

12. Arizona

32. Atlanta (The Falcons defense REALLY Sucks!!!)

The Falcons Suck: Harry Douglas Goes Down

2009-08-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Falcons receiver Harry Douglas, who was taking first-team snaps in Roddy White's absence, went down with a leg injury at practice Wednesday. By the way, in case you didn't know, White was absent due to contract negotiations.

It's always difficult to tell if a camp injury is serious right away, but the signs here aren't great. Douglas had to be helped by two people to get off the field and onto a cart. An earlier version of the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that Matt Ryan shouted a "loud expletive" after seeing Douglas hit the deck. In case you are wondering, it is believed that Ryan just screamed, "you bitch" to the defensive back closest to Douglas at the time of the injury.

"You can't speculate," coach Mike Smith said. "Anytime you lose any player it's not the best situation. Harry is an integral part of our team. "Douglas is coming off a quietly impressive rookie year and was expected to challenge Michael Jenkins for a starting job. If Douglas is out for a significant amount of time, the Falcons are down to Jenkins, Brian Finneran, and a slew of receivers without NFL production. (They signed Dickie Lyons Tuesday . . . and released him Wednesday.)

This injury leaves three inevitable truths.

1. Roddy White is about to get the contract he wants.

2. Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez are about to have a Tony Romo/Jason Witten kind of relationship.

3. The Falcons will still suck!!!

Fantasy Rankings: Kickers

2009-08-05T08:52:00.001-07:00

I like to pick my kicker with one of my absolute last picks in the draft. Sometimes people find it necessary to get all of their starters before picking up any backups. That's ridiculous!

Make sure you've got a backup RB, WR, and QB (at least) before even thinking about a kicker.

Here's my top 12 list:

1. Rob Bironas - TN

2. Mason Crosby - GB

3. Stephen Goskowski - NE

4. Robbie Gould - Chi

5. David Akers - Phi

6. Nate Kaeding - SD

7. John Kasay - Car

8. Jason Elam (The Falcons Suck) - Atl

9. Neil Rackers - Ari

10. Ryan Longwell - Min

11. Adam Vinatieri - Ind

12. Kris Brown - Hou

More fantasy rankings coming soon!

Very Early Training-Camp Injuries

2009-08-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Good news and bad news!!!
Good: All NFL teams are officially back at training camp.
Bad: All NFL teams are officially back at training camp.
Sure, it's exciting, but I'm already going blue in the face from holding my breath.
The NFC South has already had a couple first-week injuries to star players. Training-camp reports have already confirmed these injuries:

Panthers:
Jon Beason - Tweaked hamstring. Beason has already said that he'll be okay. He said he wished he could even get back out and play agiain tonight.
Maake Kemoeatu - Injuried an ankle while running. Kemo's injury seems to be a little more serious. The team has already sent him back to Charlotte for further medical attention. If he's not going to be okay, this could prove to be a big problem for the Panthers.

Bucs:
Antonio Bryant - Slightly injured foot. Supposedly just sore now. It appears that he'll be alright.
Kellen Winslow - Sore ankle. I thought he was a "soldier". Maybe he'll be able to walk this one off. BTW, the above image is from 2006...so chill out Bucs fans. He's not in a cast.

Saints:
On Sunday, Chris Mortensen bragged about Reggie Bush's "stunning explosiveness". On Monday, Bush was held out of practice due to swelling in his knee.

WRs Lance Moore and Adrian Arrington are still not fully healed from shoulder and hamstring injuries.
Jonathan Vilma is still recovering from abdomen surgery.

Falcons:
Curtis Lofton was held out of practice with a hamstring injury.
Tony Tiller injured his left ankle at camp on Saturday.
I'm sure Falcons fans (both of them) will be frantically checking injury reports every day to make sure Peria Jerry and Trey Lewis are okay. If they lost one of those guys, they'd be about as screwed as Carolina would be if they lost Kemoeatu or Lewis...wait...crap!

Fantasy Rankings: Defensive Players

2009-07-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

This will be the first year that my friends and I draft defensive players in our fantasy league. Points are given for interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, safeties, TDs, and even tackles. Here is the list I'll be using: (BTW, I've only got 12 on the list because there are 12 people in our league, and I know I'll just take one defensive player at the draft this year)

1. Patrick Willis (SF) - LB

2. Jon Beason (Car) - LB

3. DeMarcus Ware (Dal) - LB

4. Barret Ruud (TB) - LB

5. Jonathan Vilma (NO) - LB

6. Lance Briggs (Chi) - LB

7. Eric Weddle (SD) - S

8. James Harrison (Pit) - LB

9. D'Qwell Jackson (Cle) - LB

10. Antoine Winfield (Min) - CB

11. Jerod Mayo (NE) - LB

12. Gibril Wilson (Mia) - S

Others in consideration were Kirk Morrison (Oak), Karlos Dansby (Ari), and London Fletcher (Was).

Tampa 2: No Longer in Tampa

2009-07-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that the Tampa 2 defensive scheme was made popular under Tony Dungy. Dungy made the system famous when he was the head coach for Tampa...though he developed the system by watching the original Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh.

The system has since followed him to Indianapolis, and even branched out to many other football stadiums across the country. All-the-while, the Tampa 2 remained a big part of the defensive side of the ball with the Bucs, as Monte Kiffin was still there.

Now, Kiffin and Dungy are both long-gone from Tampa...and so is the Tampa 2.

CB Ronde Barber was one of the few longtime Bucs who survived the housecleaning done by GM Mark Dominik this offseason, and the team is expecting him to play at a high level this season, despite a clear decline in his performance during 2008. The club hasn't expressed much apprehension about Barber, but observers are concerned about his ability to play in new defensive coordinator Jim Bates' scheme, which asks the corners to play bump-and-run. That coverage doesn't mesh with Barber's capabilities at this stage of his career, and sources say Bates may have to tinker with his system to allow Barber to play off the ball more often.

I'd imagine as far as Rhonde is concerned, he might be better suited (at his age) for a bump and run as opposed to the hard hitting coverage the Tampa 2 demands. Sounds kinda like they are designing a defense around an aging player as opposed to obtaining younger players with more speed. Well, at least for now it seems like that's what they're doing. Barber is the only old guy/veteran in the Bucs' secondary, so I could see his days in Tampa being numbered. I mean, if they'll let go of Derrick Brooks, who was a Tampa icon, they'll probably be okay to part with Rhonde too. Should be interesting to watch.

Sounds like a short term solution brought on by a new coaching staff to make the best out of what they have. We'll see if it works out or not.

I'll sure be pulling for them November 29th, and January 1st!!!

Best Breakthrough Athlete???

2009-07-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly enough, the ESPY Awards continued to entertain again this year. Most of what ESPN puts out bugs me and comes across like they're trying too hard. However, when you put (Vol fan) Samuel L. Jackson behind the mic to intro sports highlights all night...I'm in!

A big category every year is the "Best Breakthrough Athlete" award. It has gone to some tremendous athletes over the years, like Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, and LeBron James. Then again, the award has also been a little too ambitious for some players as well. Like when Devin Hester won the award in 2007. I'm pretty sure he's not done anything too impressive in Chicago since winning the award.

This year, the list of nominees was very solid.

--Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnast) - Silver medals in team AND individal all-around. She also won Dancing With the Stars this year.

--Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays) - Unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year in MLB. He set the post season home run record for first year players.

--Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) - NBA Rookie of the Year

--Matt Ryan (Dirty Birds) - NFL Rookie of the Year. QBed (a running) team to the playoffs. He landing super-masuline endorsement deal with Axe Hair Spray.

After reading the write-ups on these nominees, who would you pick? I'd have a really tough time picking between Shawn Johnson and Evan Longoria. Rose and Ryan honestly wouldn't even come to mind as deserving winners. How do you take the freaking RAYS to the World Series, after winning that impossible division, and NOT win? How do you win major medals for your country in the olympics as a team and indidual "player" and NOT win?

Better yet, how do you get enough credit to win this award just by playing QB for a team that lost in the Wild-Card round of the NFL playoffs? Joe Flacco was a rookie too, but he sure didn't get the kind of credit Ryan is getting. Flacco even took his team to the AFC Championship Game.

Could it have anything to do with the fact that Matt Ryan isn't funny looking like Joe Flacco??? What...could I actually have a good point here?! Ryan endorses products that 15 year old guys use, and he goes on Carson Daily's show to flirt with the host. Flacco (who was more deserving) is funny-looking, and has little commercial appeal...so he isn't going to even be mentioned. While we're at it, I'd like to see a defensive star get the nod for this award sometime. If the voters really looked at stats instead of popularity, Jerod Mayo could have been in the running too.

Congrats Matt Ryan. You just won the "Most Popular New Guy" Award!!! Your franchise has been in existence for 43 years, and NEVER have back-to-back winning seasons. You're not going to have another year like 2008 for a while.

BTW, I got this story added to a great website...Bleacher Report. Here's the link http://bleacherreport.com/articles/221344-best-breakthrough-athlete

THE FINALS!!! QB Fighting Tournamet (UFC meets NFL)

2009-07-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

After some tough battles, I believe this is what the final four would look like in a UFC-style tournament with NFL QBs.

AFC Final:

--Roethlisberger vs. Rivers - Rivers pulled off the greatest defeat of this tournament when he defeated JaMarcus Russell a few rounds ago. Though I do believe he's a crazy man, who could be a solid UFC-style fighter...I just don't see him pulling one out against Big Ben. Roethelisberger is a winner.

NFC Final:

--Rodgers vs. McNabb - In this one, I really see Rodgers giving it his all, and barely falling short to an older, bigger, more determined Donovan McNabb.

FINAL MATCH!!!

--Ben Roethlisberger vs. Donovan McNabb - This would be one heck of a final match. I'd honestly love to see it. I actually might see what I can do to really pull this off. If anyone reading this has any connections...please, make it happen!

Here's how I think it would shake-out...Big Ben wins it all. Whenever McNabb seems to be faced with a tough situation, he likes to gripe and bitch about it. Whenever Roethlisberger faces an injury (or even a freaking motorcycle accident), he just gets right back up, and continues winning.

Tournament Champion: BEN ROETHLISBERGER

Rounds Two & Three - QB FIGHTING TOURNAMENT (UFC meets NFL)

2009-07-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is the second (and third) round of the QB Fighting Tournament, where we look at who might win a UFC style tournament among NFC QBs. The second round will determine division champions. The third will feature matchups that will set up the overall final four.

AFC North

--Roethlisberger vs. Flacco - Flacco has a chance at doing well for himself. There's just no way he beats Big Ben.

AFC South

--Collins vs. Schaub - Again, Schaub is very used to getting knocked on his can and then getting right back up. I see Collins eventually wearing out and losing in a rope-a-dope style match.

AFC East

--Edwards vs. Brady - "That's my quarterback (tear)!" T.O. has emotionally got the back of Trent Edwards. Close match, but Brady goes down.

AFC West

--Rivers vs. Russell - This is the absolute toughest match to call in the whole tournament. Rivers is crazy, while Russell is lazy. Still, Russell is huge. I've flipped a coin...and the crazy one has it!

NFC North

--Favre vs. Rodgers - Most anticipated bout in the NFC. I believe Rodgers might have more anger held back towards Favre than he lets-on. Favre goes down in an upset!

NFC South

--Delhomme vs. McCown - Delhomme is one of the only athletes to ever come back and succeed after Tommy John surgery. He's tough and cajun. He moves on.

NFC East

--Campbell vs. McNabb - Donovan McNabb eats Campbell for dinner! Campbell's Chunky Soup...that is.

NFC West

--Warner vs. Hill - Are you kidding? No way Warner loses to this joker.

Round Three

--Roethlisberger vs. Schaub - I've got a feeling Matt Schaub will have a few Super Bowl ring implants on his face...Ace Ventura style.

--Edwards vs. Rivers - I'm just hoping Rivers doesn't eat him.

--Rodgers vs. Delhomme - Could be a solid fight. Rodgers is younger, and much quicker. Delhomme goes down.

--McNabb vs. Warner - I'd love to see this one. McNabb wins in a bloody fight where they both end up with cauliflower ear.

FINAL FOUR MATCHUPS!!!

--Roethlisberger vs. Rivers

--Rodgers vs. McNabb

NFC-QB FIGHTING TOURNAMENT (UFC meets NFL)

2009-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

NFC North

--Favre vs. Culpepper - Good thing these matches don't go 16 rounds, or Favre wouldn't make it. He's tough. He wears Wranglers. Favre wins.

--Cutler vs. Rodgers - I fully expect Cutler to even whine about having to fight.

NFC South

--Delhomme vs. Brees - Delhomme is from Louisiana originally, where they wrestle gators in the bayou. He could destroy mole-face.

--Ryan vs. McCown - Ryan's hair gel will likely be a distraction. McCown beats him like the woman he is.

NFC East

--Manning vs. Campbell - No contest. The Mannings need to stick to Oreo-licking...and well, I guess they are good at football too.

--McNabb vs. Romo - Ha!! McNabb would make him cry.

NFC West

--Warner vs. Bulger - Warner is a fighter...figuratively and literally in this case.

--Hill vs. Hasselbeck - Boring fight! Hill wins just because Hasselbeck can't.

Next round matchups:

Favre vs. Rodgers

Delhomme vs. McCown

Campbell vs. McNabb

Warner vs. Hill

AFC-QB FIGHTING TOURNAMENT (UFC meets NFL)

2009-07-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

The seeding for each division is based on how a QBs team finished last season. I'll break down each division before moving on to the next rounds.

AFC North

--Roethlisberger vs. Quinn - No question. Big Ben looks like Frank Dux in this fastest knockout ever.

--Flacco vs. Palmer - Flacco's a big dude. Plus, he played for the Fighting Blue Hens. He wins.

AFC South

--Collins vs. Garrard - Collins is the comeback kid. No way he's losing unless it's a real fighter.

--Manning vs. Schaub - I'm still disturbed from the time when Peyton took his shirt off on SNL. I say he goes down in this one. Plus, Schaub is used to getting knocked around.

AFC East

--Pennington vs. Edwards - Edwards wins this one.

--Brady vs. Sanchez - Brady may be a pretty-boy softie, but there's no way he's losing to this kid.

AFC West

--Rivers vs. Cassel - Paramedics will be on-hand. Rivers wins quickly.
--Orton vs. Russell - Russell is lazy, but he has the potential to go all-the-way in this tourney.

Next Round matchups:

Roethlisberger vs. Flacco

Collins vs. Schaub

Edwards vs. Brady

Rivers vs. Russell

Coming tomorrow...NFC QBs get in the ring.

QBs FIGHTING TOURNAMENT (UFC meets NFL)

2009-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

So, I watched the UFC fights this weekend and they were great. Now, today I've found a cool web article where someone has ranked the 12 starting QBs of the SEC, and how they'd fare in physical combat.

Great idea!! BTW, that site is http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/

What we are going to do now, is set up a list for the 32 NFL starting QBs. It will be more easily ranked as a tournament. I'll do a run-down of each division, and then go from there.

This is gonna be fun.

Fantasy Tip: RBs

2009-07-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

That first pick in your fantasy draft is always the toughest. Do you pick Jones-Drew or Frank Gore? Do you take a QB over a RB? Do you consider a WR with a late first-round pick? Questions like these are usually pretty difficult to make when you are on-the-clock, and your drunk friends are screaming at you to hurry. This year, I say throw out the popular belief that you've got to pick up a RB with that first pick. Unless it really is one of the top guys, I'd recommend grabbing a top-flight QB.

I say this because even the best RBs last year will likely see a drop off this year in numbers, and they share more snaps with very capable counterparts. DeAngelo Williams and Michael Turner were (by far) the best backs in the NFL last year...fantasy-wise. But this year, Jonathan Stewart and Jerious Norwood will likely see a lot more time on the field. Even last year, Stewart scored as many TDs as Adrian Peterson...so he's got a great chance at getting in even more this year. Plus, he's a little bowling ball down in the red-zone. I really wouldn't be surprised to see him get more TDs than Williams in 2009.

The best RBs did stand out last year, but after them, the middle-of-the-road backs, fantasy-wise, really formed a big pack. I say, pick up a stud of a QB before getting into that RB pack. There will still be a few of them available in the second round of your draft. The best QBs will not!

Guys to take in the first round:

DeAngelo Williams - may see less time, but will still have a monster year

Adrian Peterson - as long as he stays healthy, he should have a better year

Michael Turner - not before pick #8. remember the curse!

Brandon Jacobs - late first round

Brian Westbrook - late first round

If you get the opportunity, definitely consider Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady before any of these guys:

Marion Barber III

Thomas Jones

Matt Forte

Jonathan Stewart

Steve Slaton

Clinton Portis

Maurice Jones-Drew

Chris Johnson

These guys make up the pack of great RBs, who all just seem to stick around the same fantasy-points league. I don't expect any of these guys to have a legendary season. Be safe. Pick them up after you've already got a good QB, or one of the other stud RBs.

Woman Raped At a Falcon's Home

2009-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Don't you miss the good old days...when dog fighting was the heinous crime taking place that the homes of Atlanta Falcons players?
Though it's been (almost) a couple of months since the last crime against a woman at a Falcon's home, the delightful group of thugs is at it again.
Not long ago, a woman alleged that she was raped at the home of former Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney.
According to FOX 5 in Atlanta, it's happened again. This time, the location of the alleged crime is the Gwinnett County home of Falcons receiver Harry Douglas. Douglas was acquired by the Falcons in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft.
The rape allegedly happened during a party at Douglas' home. Police are investigating. It appears Douglas is not the suspect.
Douglas was having a party at his house, and a woman is claiming she was raped by someone that night. Douglas may have had nothing to do with it, as it seems right now, but still...why even hang around that group of miscreants?

Draft Tip #2: Gonzalez May Block More

2009-07-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

I know it is going to seem like I'm trying to pick on the Falcons with my "draft tips", but I'm really not. I promise I'll have others soon that involve information other than negative stuff about Atlanta players. Anyway, today's tip is about Tony Gonzalez.

Based on information coming out of Atlanta, it seems that he may be used more as a blocker than a receiving TE this year. "Tony will help our offense in a number of ways," offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said at the close of June OTAs. "He's a productive blocker and that's important in our offense... As successful as he's been as a receiver, he's a good blocker too and he really doesn't get the credit that he should."

At 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, Gonzalez has size to push people around, which could do more in the run game than any blocking along the line of scrimmage. As the Falcons seem to be very dedicated to their run game (Turner/Norwood), Gonzalez really may see less passes than he has in a while.

Glad to be out of Kansas City and now playing for a team that reached the playoffs last season, Gonzalez doesn't seem to mind that his personal statistics will likely decline in Atlanta. "Do I think I'll catch 100 balls? I don't have to," Gonzalez said. "This is something we're all going to work together on. I've been fortunate to have such a good career."

It is believed, however, that Tony will still see a healthy amount of balls off the field. When asked about the situation, QB Matt Ryan said, "I just hope he lets me catch once in a while."

Fantasy Draft Tip: Michael Turner is Cursed

2009-07-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

As fantasy draft time is right around the corner, I feel it necessary to warn you about Michael Turner. He's cursed! Yep. It's the Curse of 370.

The curse dictates that any player who exceeds 370 rush attempts in a single season suffers a significant drop-off in production the following year.
FYI, this is definitely not something I came up with. The curse has been discussed in the fantasy football industry for more than five years now, dating back at least to 2004, when it appeared on FootballOutsiders.com.
Well, after looking at the historical data, let me say that I'm fully behind the existence of a curse. In the history of the NFL, 27 running backs have amassed 370 or more carries in a season … and all but one of them significantly declined in terms of total fantasy points the next year. (That one, LaDainian Tomlinson, somehow escaped the clutches of the curse despite 372 rushing attempts in 2002.) It seems a little too coincidental to assume that the next guy to pull this off would be Turner, who was LT's back up a few years ago.

In addition to the curse working against Michael Turner, he's also got to work against the fact that he plays for the Falcons. The Falcons Suck!

Okay, on a fair note, Atlanta did make some big moves this off-season. Its seems that they worked hard to provide Matt Ryan with more/better passing options. Don't forget about Tony Gonzalez now playing for the Dirty Birds, oh, and the fact that they really want to utilize Jerious Norwood more this season.

I've seen fantasy mock drafts that suggest taking Turner with a top five pick. I'd just like to say that I'm fine with that...as long as you're playing in my league! I'd love to see one of my friends blow a top five pick on a cursed Falcon. That could be as funny to me as the guy (in my league) who picked Randy Moss with the #1 overall pick last year.

Ten Interesting Facts

2009-06-30T10:40:00.001-07:00

Holy monkey, this is a boring off-season! I love summertime and all, but this time of year is really tough to get through. Even the soccer tourney is over. Team USA will be in the upcoming Gold Cup soon, but we are supposedly just sending our "B" team to that.

Since there is little news to report right now, here's a list to occupy your time. It's ten interesting facts from the '08-'09 season.

Sept. 7, 2008
Two rookie coach-quarterback combos (Baltimore Ravens with John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco, Atlanta Falcons with Mike Smith and Matt Ryan) won in Week One—something that had never happened since the NFL/AFL merger.

Sept. 21, 2008
In the Chiefs' third game of the season, they started their third different quarterback and lost for the third time.

Sept. 28, 2008
Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 76-yard field goal. He didn't make it.

Still haven't heard Kiffin give an explanation on that one.

Oct. 5, 2008
The Colts embarrassed the Texans by becoming the first team ever to trail by at least 17 points in the final five minutes and win in regulation.

Oct. 26, 2008
During the first halftime speech of his NFL coaching career, Mike Singletary dropped his pants and pointed to his posterior to illustrate what he thought of his 49ers' performance so far. He then went on to rant for more than three minutes before hoisting them back up.

Nov. 2, 2008
The Raiders gained minus-two yards of total offense in the first half against the Falcons—the first time since 1992 a team finished with less than zero yards of offense before halftime.

Nov. 30, 2008
Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams became the first player ever to record four one-yard rushing touchdowns in a game.

Dec. 28, 2008
Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant had an 80-yard run called back in his final game of the year when replay showed that his knee was down 21 yards into the play, depriving him of a $1.35 million incentive bonus for reaching 1,250 yards. Ouch.

December 28, 2008
The Detroit Lions—the only undefeated team in preseason—became the first to finish an 0-16 regular season.

Please feel free to leave a comment with anything that may have been left off the list.

Peppers is Still a Panther

2009-06-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has opted to settle for a one-year, $16.7 million guaranteed salary. Wow! Sucks to be him.

“Over the past few months we have had regular communication with Carl Carey, Julius’ representative, and all indications were that Julius would be signed to report to training camp,” General Manager Marty Hurney said. “Julius obviously is a very valuable member of our team and we look forward to the 2009 season.”

Peppers originally tried to pout his way out of Carolina, but was as successful as Chad Ochostinko. Well, maybe a little more successful considering Pep will be making ridiculous money this year with his franchise tag. If the Panthers were to use the tag on Peppers again in 2010, the team would be required to offer him a one-year salary of $20.04 million. That's way more than I make.

After listening to Charlotte sports station (WFNZ), and reading various Panthers' message boards, I can tell that many fans are not happy with this signing. They are kind of adopting the Broncos/Boston College mentality of, "if you have any thoughts about not wanting to be here, then we don't want you." I say that is stupid.

This is a business. The Panthers need Peppers on the d-line, and he needs to play (well) this year if he EVER hopes to get a Haynesworth type contract. Since nobody showed much interest in forking over enough to trade for Peppers, he really had no choice but to re-sign with Carolina. I guess he could have sat out, but that would have just hurt his own chances of getting what he wants next year. He needs to show that he isn't a big baby, and that he is worth what he wants to get paid.

I look for Julius to have a solid season, as he did in 2009. Maybe he will work well with Ron Meeks, and even decide that he wants to finish his career as a Panther.

Either way, this is a good thing for Carolina fans. So get off your high-horse, and be glad about this.

DeAngelo Williams does - "WHO AM I?"

2009-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

"In 2008 I rushed for 1,515 yards on only 263 carries. I led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns. My 5.5 yards per carry (200 carry minimum) was also first in the league. And my two games of four rushing TDs? First. Did I mention that I had zero fumbles?
Who am I? L.T.? Clinton Portis? Brandon Jacobs? Steven Jackson? Larry Johnson? Willie Parker? I out rushed them all. In fact, I out rushed every back in the NFL, but two. Their names? Michael Turner (who had 103 more carries than me) and Adrian Peterson (he had 90 more). Given Michael Turner’s work load, I would have rushed for over 2,000 yards at my 5.5 YPC average.
Still don’t know who I am? How about a few more hints.

Coming out of college I was labeled as too small, yet I weigh as much or more than Adrian Peterson, Thomas Jones, Willie Parker, Frank Gore, Matt Forte, and Marshawn Lynch. Lots of Pro-Bowls on that list.

I’ve been labeled as a situational, third down, or “scat back.” One scouting report actually said definitively, “(DeAngelo Williams) is not a power back…,” yet I had more carries (102) and more yardage (593) up the middle than in any other direction in 2008. For those of you who weren’t math majors, that’s an average of 5.8 YPC UP-THE-MIDDLE. And how does my up the middle average stack up against the league’s top “power backs” such as Brandon Jacobs (4.6), Jamal Lewis (3.7), Lendale White (3.5)? I smoked them all.

“They” said I couldn’t carry the load, that I would wear down over the course of an NFL season. Yet I got stronger as the year wore on.

Carries/Yardage By Month
Sept.- 54 carries @ 3.7 YPC
Oct.- 66 carries @ 4.9 YPC
Nov.- 73 carries @ 5.9 YPC
Dec.- 80 carries @ 7.0 YPC

I was labeled as often injured, fragile. Yet I have played in 45 of a possible 48 games as a professional. Did I mention that 2008 was my first full year as a starter?

So if you don’t know my name now (or you can’t read the title), don’t worry. Chances are you will know it very, very soon."

(I found this on the Bleacher Report website.)

ESPN Loves the Falcons

2009-06-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

John Clayton has officially downed the Atlanta Kool-Aid, as is evident in a recent ESPN.com article. Based on this latest article (and others) by Clayton, I'm pretty sure that ESPN is shifting it's love affair from the Saints to the Falcons. I just hope it pays off as well for Atlanta as it did for N.O.

"General manager Thomas Dimitroff comes from the Bill Belichick school of evaluators and has quickly established himself as one of the league's better personnel minds." Clayton continues, "Mike Smith is the perfect head coach for Atlanta. A brilliant defensive coach, Smith hired a great staff and won over players by being honest and establishing a consistent voice."

Clayton also goes on to list "five things other than Ryan that make the Falcons a winner."

1. "Improving Defense" - HAHA!!! You've got to be kidding, right? Well, I guess to be fair, it would be hard to get much worse. Their "big" pickup for leadership is Mike Peterson...a guy who was benched by Jack Del Rio for insubordination last year in Jacksonville.

2. "This team can really run" - Turner/Norwood will give the Falcons a solid 1-2 punch, sure. They still aren't even the best running duo in the division. I'd much rather have Williams/Stewart on my side.

3. Solid offensive line - Not bad, but I don't see any Pro Bowlers on that roster.

4. "Development of Harry Douglas" - I thought we weren't going to look at Matt Ryan's weaons in this list. Sure, the offense will be alright. Ryan is a capable QB, and that running-back duo is okay too. I don't think Harry Douglas will truly be that big of a factor this year.

5. "Underestimated D-line" - It's hard NOT to underestimate this defensive line. Abraham is supposed to be the stud there, and he's only solid for about 20 snaps a game. Anderson is a joke, and Babineaux is a rotational DT at best. I guess a lot of hope is in the Peria Jerry camp. Good luck there! He's already gotten hurt (since the draft) and he spent a lot of his college career injured.

As a University of Tennessee fan, I'm already programmed to disagree with most of what ESPN has to say. This is another no-brainer for me! I cannot wait to see John Clayton backtrack after his swing-and-miss on this one.

Face it John, "THE FALCONS SUCK!!!"

NBA Mock Draft - Fictional Players

2009-06-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this has abolutely nothing to do with the NFC South (or even hating on the Falcons, for that matter), but I wanted to do something different today. Since the NBA draft is just a couple of days away, I thought it might be fun to look at how each team might draft...if fictional players were in-play. Here's how it might look.

1. Clippers - Neon (Blue Chips) -Perfect big-man for what they need

2. Grizzlies - Saleh (The Air Up There) - A little raw, but good value there

3. Thunder - Kyle Watson (Above The Rim)

4. Kings - Troy Bolton (High School Musical) Need PG to sell tickets/entertain

5. Wizards - Deshaun Hardell (90210)

6. T.Wolves - The Teen Wolf (Teen Wolf) - STEAL OF THE DRAFT

7. Warriors - Billy Hoyle (White Men Can't Jump)

8. Knicks - Steve Urkel (Family Matters) - Could be the leader this team needs

9. Raptors - Quincy McCall (Love and Basketball)

10. Bucks - Clarence (Semi-Pro)

11. Nets - Zack Morris (SBTB) - Just don't let Belding in the locker room

12. Bobcats - Calvin Cambridge (Like Mike) - Solid pick if he's still got those shoes

13. Pacers - Mark Cooper (Hangin' With Mr. Cooper) - Givin him another try

14. Suns - Ricky Roe (Blue Chips) - Strong PF

15. Pistons - Kenyon Stone (Coach Carter)

16. Bulls - Derek Vineyard (American History X) - Very...uh...passionate!

17. 76ers - John Tucker (John Tucker Must Die)

18. T.Wolves - Jackie Moon (Semi-Pro)

19. Hawks - Air Bud (Air Bud) - Michael Vick is gone now, so this shouldn't be a problem

20. Jazz - Jim Chitwood (Hoosiers) - Heck of a steal this late in the first round

21. Hornets - Sandy Lyle (Along Came Polly) Large mass for inside power

22. Mavs - Monica Wright (Love and Basketball)

23. Kings - Sydney Deane (White Men Can't Jump) - I like his hat

24. Blazers - Jamal Wallace (Finding Forrester)

25. Thunder - Lola Bunny (Space Jame) - As MJ said, "this girl's got skills!"

26. Bulls - Jim Carrol (Basketball Diaries) - Leo!

27. Grizzlies - Chubby (Teen Wolf) - He's got heart

28. T.Wolves - Will Smith (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) - He ruled that mini-court in high school

29. Lakers - Kenny Tyler (Sixth Man) - He's got a ghost helping him

30. Cavs - Damien Carter (Coach Carter) - Excellent team leader

Freeman Really Could Win the Starting Job in Tampa

2009-06-18T11:50:00.001-07:00

It looks like Bucs' QB Josh "Tito" Freeman really might play his way into some significant PT this season. Originally, the coaching staff planned to play McCown or Leftwich, and just let Freeman ride the pine. Now, it looks like neither of those two really seem to want the job enough to take it, and Freeman is coming along quicker than expected.

It sounds like the new plan for Freeman might be to give him a shot to compete for the starting job in training camp and the preseason. Not a bad idea. He's going to be the quarterback for the long term anyway. If he's ready to start, go ahead and start him. If he's not, go back to the original plan.

This time a year ago, the Falcons had no idea whether Matt Ryan would open the season as their starter. They saw some promise in offseason workouts, but they really didn't know what they had until training camp. They simply let Ryan compete in camp and he stepped up and won the job, along with a very masculine endorsement deal with Axe Hair Spray.

Tito could end up doing the same thing. I'm going to go predict that McCown will be the starter for at least the first seven games. After their bye week, Freeman just might be taking the snaps.

Sears Loses His Job in Tampa

2009-06-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

It remains a mystery as to why exactly Bucs' OG Aaron Sears was a no-show at their mandatory mini-camp this week.
What isn’t being kept behind closed doors, though, is the change in Sears’ status on the depth chart. Sears, who was also absent for previous voluntary workouts, is no longer the Buccaneers’ starter at left guard, having been replaced by Jeremy Zuttah, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Sources differ as to whether or not he was excused from the mini-camp. Considering the pressure Raheem Morris is putting on Sears to win his job back, it would seem that his absence from camp was in-fact unexcused. Morris has made it clear that Sears would have to show up and compete with Zuttah to try to win back his old position.
“I look out there and I see that number so that’s our guy starting for us right now,” Morris said regarding Zuttah. “That’s his role, that’s his job.”
However, previous reports from Pewter Report have indicated that Sears may be dealing with concussion issues that might prevent him from playing football at this time.
Yet, the reaction from Morris in supporting Sears’ replacement seems to suggest that there might be a little more than meets the eye on this one.

As a former Volunteer, I wish him the best of luck.

Aaron Rodgers is a Cool Guy

2009-06-16T10:44:00.001-07:00

Alright, so today's entry has nothing to do with the NFC South. Sorry for that, but still, I'd like to share the story of my weekend which includes meeting an NFL starting QB.

I spent the weekend in Washington D.C. as my wife and I were attending a wedding for some good friends. My wife was even a bridesmaid for the big event. The rehearsal dinner was on the roof of the Hay-Adams Hotel, and the reception was in the Capitol Hill Suites. Along with various members of Congress, the wedding had a fun cast of characters in attendance. To start with, there were several current UT players there (V.Richard, D.Williams, G.Williams, etc.) along with Coach Phil Fulmer and his family. Then, I noticed that I really recognized a dude that was there with one of the other bridesmaids. After staring him down for a while, I realized it was Aaron Rodgers, of the Green Bay Packers.
He was very approachable, and truly a cool guy. I told Aaron about the time that my friend (who played for UT) was asked to host a party and show this high school recruit around (trying to get him to sign with Tennessee). That recruit was Brian Brohm, also of the Green Bay Packers. He was the dorkiest football star I had ever met. He refused to have any sort of fun at all, and just acted miserable from the moment he got there. I told Aaron that story, and he just came right out with it...he said, "I love Matty Flynn." Flynn of course is the Packers' current #2 QB. Brohm is #3. Rodgers continued, "he's got a lot of talent and he's a cool guy...but Brohm is a big douche. He has zero personality, and it's just awkward to be around him."
Other highlights of my conversation with him were when he promised to put up "big numbers" this year for fantasy football, and when he made fun of Vince Young a little bit. I also thought it was interesting to learn that he met his girlfriend in Nashville when he was in town hanging out with Chad Clifton not too long ago.
I really wanted to ask him how it felt when Julius Peppers nailed him out of bounds last year, but I completely chickened out.

Still, the best part of the weekend was watching Coach Phil Fulmer tear it up on the dance floor, while firmly biting his bottom-lip. It was also pretty fun when I was able to teach Gerald Williams how a real man dances...sarcastically, of course.
It truly was an amazing weekend! I just hope Brian Brohm doesn't end up reading this. At least we know he won't have the stones to confront anyone about it, even if he does.

Top Ten Defensive Backs of the Division

2009-06-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yasinskas's list of the top ten defensive backs in the NFC South.

1. Chris Gamble, CB, Carolina. Perhaps the only true shutdown corner in the division.

2. Aqib Talib, CB, Tampa Bay. Talib has the potential to join Gamble as a shutdown corner, if he can build on a promising rookie year.

3. Jabari Greer, CB, New Orleans. It feels weird to rank a New Orleans defensive back this high, but there's a reason why the Saints paid Greer a bunch of money.

4. Ronde Barber, CB, Tampa Bay. Yeah, I know there are some people who think he's washed up. But the Bucs kept him for a reason and all those Pro Bowl trips are tough to overlook.

5. Erik Coleman, S, Atlanta. Might be the most underrated player in the division.

6. Chris Houston, CB, Atlanta. Some people still question Houston, but he was Atlanta's best cover guy a year ago.

7. Tracy Porter, CB, New Orleans. Had a great start to rookie year before suffering season-ending injury.

8. Roman Harper, S, New Orleans. Some Saints' fans will disagree, but Harper's better than a lot of people realize. He's a strong safety, who got hung out in coverage too much in the past. With better cornerbacks, he'll be a factor.

9. Chris Harris, S, Carolina. Not a great cover guy, but he can hit and is one of Carolina's vocal leaders.

10. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, New Orleans. I'm taking the rookie over veteran safety Darren Sharper because I think Jenkins' impact will last much longer. He may end up replacing Sharper at free safety in the future.

Linebackers of the NFC South

2009-06-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Pat Yasinskas's linebacker rankings for the NFC South.

1. Jon Beason, Carolina. The best defensive player in the division.

2. Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans. Had a solid season last year, but should be much better with an improved defense around him.

3. Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay. The only proven building block as the Bucs overhaul their once-great defense.

4. Thomas Davis, Carolina. Has emerged as a playmaker after a rocky start to his career.

5. Curtis Lofton, Atlanta. Stood out in the middle as a rookie and will be counted on as an every-down player this year.

6. Stephen Nicholas, Atlanta. I see this guy as one of the division's breakout players this season. 7. Scott Fujita, New Orleans. Nothing fancy about him, but he does what the Saints ask.

8. Mike Peterson, Atlanta. Getting up there in age, but has something to prove after last year's clash with Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville.

9. Angelo Crowell, Tampa Bay. Bucs went after this guy hard in free agency, so he must be in the plans.

10. Na'il Diggs, Carolina. Doesn't stand out in any area, except he rarely makes mistakes and that's why the Panthers keep bringing him back.

Up next, defensive backs.

Ranking NFC South D-Linemen

2009-06-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com will be ranking different positions in the division over the next few weeks. This is his latest set of rankings. It's a look at the defensive linemen of the NFC South.

1. John Abraham, DE, Atlanta. Sure, go ahead and call him one-dimensional. But aren't dominant pass-rush skills the dimension you want most from a defensive end?
2. Julius Peppers, DE, Carolina. Easily the division's most-talented defensive lineman. But there are questions about his motivation and intensity with Peppers wanting out of Carolina. Those questions aren't really new.
3. Jonathan Babineaux, DT, Atlanta. Very quietly, he's become the most solid interior lineman in the division.
4. Will Smith, DE, New Orleans. No, he didn't play to his potential last year and he's facing a four-game suspension at the start of this season. But this guy plays the run well and has shown pass-rush skills in the past.
5. Sedrick Ellis, DT, New Orleans. Has the ability to unseat Babineaux as division's top tackle and could do that very soon.
6. Gaines Adams, DE, Tampa Bay. You can argue that this ranking is way too high. But look at the rest of the division. Adams had 6.5 sacks last season. If he adds a couple of moves, he easily can reach double-digit sacks.
7. Peria Jerry, DT, Atlanta. He's only a rookie, but there's little bust factor with this guy. He should be a force right away.
8. Charles Johnson, DE, Carolina. We're going to rank him ahead of the rookie Brown based on the promise Johnson showed last year. He had six sacks in a part-time role and has the potential to do big things.
9. Ma'ake Kemoeatu, DT, Carolina. He doesn't do anything except take up space. But that's his job.
10. Charles Grant, DE, New Orleans. Exact same story as his teammate Smith. But the guy does have a couple of double-digit sack years in his background and you never know what new coordinator Gregg Williams might be able to pull out of him.

My only issue with this list is that rookie Peria Jerry is ranked ahead of Carolina DT Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

Coming soon, Yasinskas's look at linebackers, and defensive backs in the division.

"The Xbox Kid"

2009-06-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has apparently written a screenplay. It's got everything most guys dig: sports, video games, and natural disasters. No word yet as to whether or not he plans to have Phoebe Cates climb out of a swimming pool. I'm just a strong believer that if he really wants to do this thing right, he should at least consider the idea.

The movie, currently titled “The Xbox Kid,” is about a boy from a poor family in New Orleans who starts controlling the outcome of NFL games through a refurbished Xbox given to him by his grandfather following a devastating hurricane.
“I just wrote about four pages, piddling around with it,” said Payton, who later turned the idea over to a professional screen writer to flesh it out. I wonder if they'll have a role for Johnny Drama.

Is it me, or does this sound like a dumb idea for a movie? If I could have real life mirror my Xbox games, then I'd be a rich dude. I won the Heisman four times and was drafted #1 overall after saving the draft class to Madden. Then, I went on to win numerous Super Bowls in a row. I'm probably the greatest QB to ever play the game.

Unless this movie is done up like a Disney sports movie, I don't see anyone showing up to see it. A movie about a video game just doesn't excite me as much as a brilliant screenplay like Rookie of the Year. Didn't the movie The Wizard bomb in 1989? That even had Fred Savage in it, and who didn't love Fred Savage in 1989???

Payton is shopping the script in Hollywood now, and why not? It’s not like he has a season to prepare for or anything. It's not like his team finished last in the division in 2008. Wait...nevermind.

Wow! That's two video game posts in a row.

DeAngelo Hall is Still a Loser

2009-06-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

NFL players get moved all around from team to team quite often. Still, if someone rubs you wrong while playing for a certain team, you may decide to hold it against that team forever. This can happen in any sport, and on any level. For instance, I grew up supporting N.C. State and pulling against UNC. It was a mild disliking at first, then Eric Montross screwed the Tarheels forever in my eyes. I approached him in an airport (I was a little kid by the way) for an autograph. He snapped at me and stormed off like he was the child. I'll never forget the way he made me feel on that day, and I'll always keep that d-bag on my long list of reasons why I can't stand that entire university.
This brings me to the point of today's blog...DeAngelo Hall is the worst! I know he hasn't played for Atlanta for a few years, but he really is part of why my hatred for the Falcons burns so passionately.
Obviously, I still love to see the news whenever he continues to make an ass of himself. Oh, and I still consider him a Falcon!

Apparently, DeAngelo is now complaining about his ranking on the new Madden game. A few years ago, he was rated as one of the best defensive backs in the league, with an overall 93 rating. Now, he's been dropped down to a 68 overall, and is even saying that he might even try to get his entire likeness pulled from the game entirely. It is believed by most that after learning of his 25 point drop on the game, Hall spent the rest of the day with his bottom lip sticking out like Blue on Forest Gump.
"So i just found out that Madden killed my rating. Its all good after this season i'll be back at the #1 spot haha" (www.twitter.com/dhall23).
In a blog published on the Redskins' official site, Matt Tirl interviewed Hall and asked him about the Madden rating. "I heard that, but it had kinda been in one in ear out the other. But as the release date gets closer, I'm starting to get a little bit more paranoid, I'm thinking about trying to get my name and likeness pulled off the game entirely. 'Cause this is bull."
Asked about EA Sports' in-season roster updates, Hall responded:
"They do that as the season goes on, so hopefully if I grab 10 or 12 (interceptions), and get my respect back, my dignity back...we'll see."

I just hope Hall can move up to the starting lineup by October 11th. That is when the Redskins roll into Charlotte to take on the Panthers.
I'd love nothing more than to see Steve Smith continue to get in his head, and embarrass him once again...for old time's sake!

Oh, and just one more thing...IT'S A FREAKING VIDEO GAME!!!

Facebook Fight

2009-05-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

It has actually been a little while since an Atlanta player has gotten in trouble with the law. I am Jack's complete and utter sense of shock!

It seems that Falcons' offensive tackle Quinn Ojinnaka thought it might be fun to rough up his wife, and even spit in her face a little bit.

Arrested Tuesday night, Ojinnaka, 25, is charged with simple battery. He posted $2,400 bond and was released from jail hours later. Police responded to the domestic dispute call at Ojinnaka's residence about 9 p.m. The 6-foot, 6-inch offensive tackle told police he'd settled down to watch the Cleveland-Orlando NBA playoff game about 8 p.m. when his wife approached him about the online acquaintance. Apparently Quinn had been "poking" a Facebook friend, and his wife wasn't hip. When he ignored her, she unplugged the television to get his attention, and he became angry, the police report says. I'm just surprised that this wife of a Falcons player didn't know the rules.

1. You don't unplug an Atlanta player's TV

2. You don't bring home weed with ANY stems

3. You don't tell him who he can or cannot "poke"

I'm pretty sure that it's understood that if either of these rules are ever broken, simple battery will surely follow. I understand that the Falcons' current QB has a few rules of his own, I'm just not entirely sure what a "reach-around" is...so we'll skip that one.

The couple's accounts of what happened from that point differ. Ojinnaka claims he "grabbed her and put her outside" twice, until she went for a walk. The argument later continued upstairs, where he said his wife tried to stab him with a pen, which prompted him to spit in her face, the report says. Ojinnaka's wife, Ebony, told police her husband threw her on some stairs, then tossed her out of the house twice. She claims he verbally assaulted her and grabbed her by the neck before spitting in her face, the reports says. Quinn Ojinnaka denied putting his hands around his wife's neck. "Neither person had visible injuries or complained of any injuries," an officer wrote. "All medical assistance was refused."

Falcons spokesman Matt Conti said the team is aware of the situation but declined futher comment. "Head Coach Mike Smith has spoken to Quinn," Conti said in a release. "Because this is an ongoing legal matter, the Falcons will have no further comment at this time."

A product of Syracuse University, Ojinnaka played in eight games last season, his third year as a Falcon. He started seven games in 2007.

Bucs Interested in Burress

2009-05-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Plaxico Burress could be headed to prison. If convicted, he faces a minimum 3 ½ year sentence for unlawful carrying of a handgun during an incident in which he accidentally shot himself at a night club last November. However, IF he's available to play in the NFL soon...Raheem Morris would love to see him end up in Tampa.

It seems that the call Tampa recently made to Burress will likely not be their last contact with the receiver. Though he didn't get into specifics, Bucs coach Raheem Morris sounded Thursday like someone who would jump at the chance to add Burress to his roster if Burress can clear himself from his legal issues. "He's a great player,'' Morris said of the 2nd Amendment fan, "Anytime you have an opportunity to get a great player, you'd love to see a great player come to Tampa.''

"He has to deal with his issue with the league and we'll see how that plays out and their timing and everything of that nature, but he's a great player,'' Morris added. "But we really don't know what that situation is right now. We're really talking about ghosts to be honest with you because we're talking about a suspended guy.''

No mention was made about the fact that Burress sort of resembles a Gremlin.

Will the Real Dwayne Jarrett Please Stand Up

2009-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just as the '09 season may be a make-or-break year for Robert Meachem, it will probably mean just as much to Dwayne Jarrett. Jarrett was taken by the Panthers in the second round of the '07 NFL Draft. After an amazing season with the USC Trojans, Jarrett entered the league with high expectations. Unfortunately, his first two years were complete flops.

Good news Carolina fans! Pat Kirwan (of NFL.com) thinks Jarrett will have a "Breaston-like jump in '09". That, of course, is referring to the amazing bump Steve Breaston of the Arizona Cardinals made last season. He increased his receptions by 69 from '07-'08...and he's just the #3 guy in Arizona.

Kirwan expects Jarrett to jump from 10 receptions to 50-60 in the '09 season. With Muhsin Muhammad close to retirement, this would be a perfect time for Jarrett to do just that. Moose isn't getting any younger, and Steve Smith always seems to be covered like white-on-rice. A third receiving threat could really help the Panthers new-look offense quite a bit. I know DeAngelo and J.Stew would sure appreciate it.

Only one other NFC South receiver was mentioned in Kirwan's article. That was Atlanta Falcons' receiver Harry Douglas. Kirwan indicates that he expects QB Matt Ryan to use Douglas in the slot like Tom Brady uses Wes Welker.

When asked if he could execute a multiple receiver offense like Tom Brady, Matt Ryan responded, "He's got great hair."

Saints' "Who's Hot" Award Goes to Bobby Meachem

2009-05-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

As a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm very happy to talk about the Saints' hottest player right now. Though it might be hard to believe, that player is actually (former Vol) Robert Meachem.

His first two years with New Orleans were far from "hot". He has struggled with adjusting to the league, and he's also experienced a few injuries. This just might be Meachem's make-or-break year, as fans in the Big Easy might begin to lose patience.

Here's a bit I found on the Saints' official blog, The Saints Beat.

"If we were busting out our "Who's Hot" award today, I'd give it to third-year receiver Robert Meachem. Meachem made at least two spectacular catches while consistently getting open and reeling in the ball. His best catch came on a deep ball against new cornerback Jabari Greer, who would have been flagged for pass interference on the "tight" coverage if it were a real game.
Later in practice, Meachem landed hard on his shoulder after making a terrific diving catch on a deep ball behind cornerback Tracy Porter. It took him a few seconds to get up and get the feeling back in his fingers, but he made it back into the huddle just fine.
Saints analyst Bobby Hebert went so far as to call it Meachem's best practice to date as a Saint. Both Coach Sean Payton and Brees said Meachem's confidence has continued to grow, and he's taking advantage of getting the extra reps while starting receivers Marques Colston and Lance Moore are recovering from injuries."

Although Meachem was taken in the first round of the '07 NFL Draft, he still might have benefitted from sticking around for his senior year with the Vols. On that note, Erik Ainge could have benefitted a lot from that too. Meachem definitely has the talent to succeed with the Saints. The question for this year is simply, will he step up or not.

It's very possible that he could earn the #2 receiver spot for New Orleans this offseason. If he could pull that off, it would be huge! I'd love nothing more than to see Robert Meachem do the "new Tweeter end-zone dance" in the Georgia Dome this season.

Ron Mexico Goes Home

2009-05-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Former Falcons QB Michael Vick left federal prison earlier this morning and went home to Hampton, Virginia. That's where he’ll serve two months of home confinement and subsequent three years’ probation.

Much has been made of whether Vick can meet the standards of atonement set forth by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who vaguely outlined his criteria for Vick’s reinstatement earlier this week. But more important will be salvaging enough forgiveness from the football-watching public that one of the league’s 31 other teams would consider taking the PR hit that would come from bringing him into camp. That burden of bringing The Dog Killer into the fold is one that even the minor league arena teams aren’t willing to bear.

The truth of the matter is that Michael Vick will never be more than The Dog Killer. No matter what kind of PETA work he puts in, or humane society events he speats at...he'll always be somewhere between Kobe (in Colorado) and O.J. in the minds of sports fans.

Most teams have already expressed a lack of interest in Vick. Then again, it would probably be a dumb move to show interest right now, if it a team actually was considering that PR gem.

He’s still the property of the Falcons (the Falcons suck), though Atlanta does seem anxious to trade him and unable to find any takers, even for a seventh-round pick.

Still, someone will pick him up if Goodell allows him to play. I just wonder which place would be as good of a fit for him as Atlanta was.

According to the "Most Dangerous U.S. Cities" list for 2008, there are a few spots that could make him feel right at home...as he did in Atlanta. These cities are actually ranked above Atlanta...

New Orleans (the Saints have already expressed no interest)

Detroit (Lions have also expressed no interest)

St. Louis (he'd be dead or in prison by Thanksgiving)

Oakland (too obvious)

Cleveland (too much money wrapped up in other QBs)

My prediction - Ron Mexico will be a St. Louis Ram!

"Bush Did Seven Gs!"

2009-05-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

On the field, the primary goal for the New Orleans Saints offense will be to improve the ground game this offseason. But off the field, stars Reggie Bush and Drew Brees have been having some fun in the air. Reggie Bush enjoyed what he called the "ultimate, most scary ride ever invented" when he got tossed around in a Red Bull Air Race World Championship two-seater earlier this month. Check out the video link below.

Bush signed an endorsement deal with Red Bull earlier this year, but maybe he should have read the fine print. In the video, he recounts having his life flash before his eyes. I seem to remember Reggie Bush puking after being hit in a game against Carolina last season. Somehow, he seemed to keep his lunch down during his flight.

I'm sure he would have rather gotten the Axe Hair endorsement deal, but they had already hired some metro dude.

Brees, meanwhile, went up in an F-15 with the 159th Fighter Wing unit in Belle Chasse last week. Brees, an adrenaline junkie and big-time supporter of the military, has also been up with the Blue Angels a few times, among other aerial endeavors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iI_CyjuIxw

I'm pretty sure I would have yacked like Billy Bob on Varsity Blues.

Gruden Replaces Kornheiser at MNF

2009-05-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Tony Kornheiser has decided to step down from the Monday Night Football broadcasting team. Jon Gruden (former Bucs head coach) will fill the open spot.

“I am totally grateful for the MNF opportunity that I truly enjoyed the last three seasons,” Kornheiser said in a release issued by ESPN. “I feel we got better each year. My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would’ve frequently moved me from the bus to the air. I kept looking at the schedule the past month and wanted to find a way to quietly extricate myself. If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden. He is the two things you most want — smart and funny, and has the two things I don’t...good hair and a tan. I love PTI and am looking forward to continuing to yammer and yodel with Wilbon until the end of time.”

This whole thing is pretty interesting to me, because I'm not so sure the traveling really had anything to do with this move. Kornheiser has a lot of personality, but then again, so does Dennis Miller. That doesn't mean we want to listen to them while watching a big MNF game.

Don't get me wrong, I love Tony on PTI...he just annoyed the crap out of me on MNF with his constant blabbering about nothing at all. Sure, there will be a few more cross-country flights on this year's MNF schedule than in years past, but c'mon! Do you expect me to believe that this was all truly Tony's decision?

I do like the Gruden hire. He's got passion, knowledge, and a temper. I'm rooting for a few red-faced freak outs on Gruden's account very soon. Ever see the video of Bill O'Reily going nuts in the newsroom...or how about even Dan Marino losing his cool just because of simply getting tongue-tied??? Gruden has the potential to blow those two jokers right out of the water. He'll probably just do it for a year anyway. I hope he makes the most of it!

Oooooo, I also love this hire because of Gruden's past with ESPN. Do you remember in 2007 when Bucs QB Bruce Gradkowski was being mentioned in the Toledo points-shaving scandal? Here's what Jon Gruden had to say then, "I don't watch ESPN. I don't believe half the [bleeping] people on the channel, personally. No disrespect, but if Bruce Gradkowski is throwing games in Toledo, how in the hell does he lead the NCAA in passing percentages? That is a crock. You know, these reports make me sick. Really. I don't believe there is any truth to it, and I'll go to my grave believing that. I hope ESPN 3 or 4 has real sources behind this story, because it has nothing to do with the kid. He's a great kid. He wants to be great. This is very uncharacteristic, in my opinion, of 'professional' journalism."

Nice! This also makes it possible that Gruden has never even seen Monday Night Football. I can't wait for that first game. Buffalo @ New England, September 14th.

Warren Sapp is a Character!

2009-05-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

When I think of Warren Sapp, I realize that he really is a lot like a cartoon character. He's goofy, funny-looking, and most what he says is ridiculous. You know what I mean? He's the kind of guy who's never really taken seriously. Still, people always want to see what he'll do next. Kind of like Peter Griffin, Scrappy-Doo, or even Lou Holtz.

Oh yeah, and he likes to dance!

As he has shown before, he loves to talk about past teams and teammates with perfect honesty/creativity. Then again, he also has to be very careful about what he says. He'd hate for his mom to come out and make him publicly apologize to someone (i.e. Keyshawn Johnson). For the record, I thought Sapp was on to something with that one.

Recently, he sat down with NFL.com to speak "openly" about the Bucs. When asked if he thought they were headed in the right direction, he replied, “I like their offense. They have a championship caliber offense, now they got to get their defense back on that level.”

When asked about how the Bucs could find success with a QB like Luke McCown taking the snaps, he shot back, “Antonio Bryant, Kellen Winslow Jr., Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward in the backfield. Who just won the Super Bowl? Name one offensive lineman on the Pittsburgh Steelers. It isn’t the names, it’s the cameraderie. Stop being a fan, might want to learn something. I actually went to the facility. I don’t read the newspapers.”

McCown recently stated that the starting job is his to lose. It might be, then again, he might also have to fight to keep his roster spot while he's at it. The Bucs might not want to keep the seven-figure salaries of both McCown and Byron Leftwich. Instead, look for one of them to possibly be traded or cut, and for the depth chart to consist of Freeman, the winner of McCown-Leftwich, and Josh Johnson. I'd bet almost anything that Johnson will be the one to go.

So, with uncertainty at the QB position, and a struggling defense (bad field position)...how exactly is it that the Bucs are going to have a strong offense this year? I wish them well (when they play Atlanta at least), I just don't see this year's team getting it done. Then again, I also thought the Dolphins were going to suck again in '08 too...so what do I know?!

I love Sapp's creativity and passion for the game. I just hope he doesn't develope a lisp anytime soon. I couldn't handle an NFL version of Dr. Lou.

Beason Talks About Surgery, Peppers, and Meeks

2009-05-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

After an outstanding sophomore season in the league, Jon Beason earned a spot on the 2009 NFC Pro Bowl team. Since the end of the season, he's gone through quite a bit in his football world.

He had shoulder surgery to repair an injury he suffered in October of 2008.

He's had to listen to all of the drama surrounding his friend and fellow Pro-Bowler Julius Peppers.

He's even gotten a new defensive coordinator, in Ron Meeks.

As Beason really is one of my favorite Panthers to ever play in Charlotte, I've been checking out his personal blog (http://www.jonbeason.com/blog.html). Here's a little bit from his latest entry, where he comments on all he's had going on this offseason. I'm just glad to finally see someone from the inside who's willing to comment on Meeks and Pepp.

"It’s been 13 weeks since my shoulder surgery and I’m coming back fast. I feel good right now, I’m just starting to do a lot of the strength stuff and the shoulder feels great. It won’t be 100 percent for a while but the fact that I can lift now and start getting my strength back is a key. Until now all I could do was legs and abs, but now I can start to get aggressive in the weight room.
Our new defensive coordinator is Ron Meeks. I really like his system, its a fast aggressive system. He wants guys who will chase the football and that’s my style, so we’re on the same page. We had an immediate connection.
We also brought in some help from the draft, guys who will hit, extremely athletic and fast guys.
So I feel good about what I’ve seen so far.
Everybody is still asking about JP, and at this point I’m pretty sure he’ll be a Carolina Panther this year. I don’t know more than anybody else does but free agency has pretty much run its course this season.
He said if he’s back he’ll be ready to go and that’s definitely good news for us and from a fan standpoint. Some fans have been rough on him but hopefully he can just push through it and stay focused. Its tough for fans to understand the business part of football and how things work. You have to play long enough to earn the luxury of free agency and he should have the opportunity to move on if he wants to. He’s a hometown guy who went to North Carolina and was drafted by the Panthers and he’s had a good run here. I think with 99.5% of the players it would be about money, but JP is a special guy, very genuine, and I truly believe that for him its not about the money.
I look forward to having him back. We were right there last year close to the Super Bowl, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be right there this season too."

Again, this is a quote directly from Jon Beason's personal blog.

Saints Draft Rugby Dude

2009-05-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

For those questioning the New Orleans Saints' drafting of a punter in the 5th round of this year's NFL Draft...they might have known what they were doing.

Thomas Morstead considers himself a pro at one of the rarest plays in American football, the dropkick. It seems to be something only a true rugby-lover could appreciate. “My family’s from England so I grew up kind of learning rugby,” Morstead explained during the Saints’ rookie camp earlier this week. “That’s kind of how I learned doing drop kicks at first, then I started kicking and punting” in America. Morstead may never get a chance to try a dropkick in the NFL (Doug Flutie is the only one to convert one in the past six-plus decades) but one could argue that Morstead’s ability to hit them helped his kicking career.

Morstead said a 60-yard dropkick he hit to win a bet during practice at Southern Methodist persuaded coaches to let him take over punting and place-kicking duties for the past three seasons.

His performance at SMU obviously impressed the Saints, who not only took him in the fifth round of the NFL draft, but traded up to get him. “You can see that he’s got a live leg, certainly,” Saints head coach Sean Payton said. “We’re excited about the prospect. When we drafted him we felt the same way. He was a guy we spent a lot of time on researching.”

He was a soccer player at his high school in Texas, and didn’t start kicking for the football team until his senior year. The Saints used three punters last season before settling on Glenn Pakulak, who averaged nearly 48 yards on 24 punts. Payton said he wanted competition for the punting job in training camp and traded up to draft the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Morstead because Saints scouts didn’t believe he would remain available beyond the fifth round. Morstead said he also would be comfortable place-kicking if New Orleans needed him to.

In addition to his strong kicking abilities, Morstead also brings other rugby-like talents to the football field. He gained 34 yards on a fake punt against Tulane last season in the Louisiana Superdome.

[My little sister played for Team USA's Women's Rugby team when she was 18. I can tell you, even when it's girls playing...that's a tough sport! I'd also like to slip in a quick congratulations, as the high school team she coaches just won the Tennessee state championship. Way to go Maryville Lady Rebels.]

Morstead smiled when asked if he saw himself as a threat to take off on fakes in the NFL. “I’m kind of crazy,” Morstead said. “I’ve told coaches before and I’ll tell them again that I’m up for anything. I kind of have no fear, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m up for whatever they want to do.” The last part of that quote has also been used quite often in Atlanta's locker room whenever "time to hit the showers" comes around.

It's still too early to tell whether or not this guy will amount to much in the NFL. But as of right now, it looks like the Saints might have enough evidence to justify the pick.

S.I. Shows No Love to NFC South

2009-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Sports Illustrated's Peter King has already released a ranking list for the 2009 season. Yeah, it's still 10-11 weeks before anyone even enters training camp...but somehow, he's ready to call it. Nevermind that we don't know who Anquan Boldin will be playing for, or even if Brett Favre will be back this year. Still, it's never too early to start looking at how the league stacks up.

The top ten spots on his list look like this...

1. New England (please no!)

2. Pittsburgh (okay)

3. NY Giants (one of the best NFC teams...sure)

4. Chicago (are you serious?)

5. Indianapolis (will miss the playoffs this year...yeah, I said it)

6. Philadelphia (probably better than 6)
7. San Diego (nah)

8. Baltimore (will miss playoffs)

9. Dallas (hahahahahahahaha)

10. Tennessee (hit or miss)

Hmm! No NFC South teams in the top ten. That seems a little dumb to me, since this is the best division in the NFL. Well, at least is was last year.

The NFC South is like the SEC in College Football. The teams are strong, they just beat up on each other every weekend. It's tough to make it through the South as the champion and still have juice left over. If the Saints had beaten Carolina in N.O. on the last regular season game of the season, that would have completed an amazing trend in the division. When the Panthers won that game, it was the only time all year that an away team had won a division game in the NFC South.

Here's where the division teams rank on King's list...

11. Atlanta (The Falcons Suck)

18. Carolina (playoff team)

24. New Orleans (I could see them in play to win the division)

26. Tampa Bay (they had the talent to win the division last year. they won't fall THIS much)

Falcons Mini-camp Report

2009-05-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here’s a look at Day One of the Falcons’ full-squad minicamp.

Falcons first-round pick Peria Jerry was slightly injured this weekend. "He got banged up," Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. "We don't know anything about it. He bumped knees, and we'll know something by the end of the day. They took him in the training room to ice him." After practice, the injury was identified as a mild sprain. No mention has yet to be made about his Greg Oden syndrome. I know he's entering the league as a 25 year-old, so he's already an old dude for a rookie...but I'm pretty sure he looks 40.

--Rookie QB John Parker Wilson, an undrafted free agent, could be more than a “camp arm.”

--DT Troy Lewis pulled himself out of practice during a Friday evening session; he’s recovering from two surgeries on his right knee.

--DE John Abraham (neck/shoulder), K Jason Elam (hip), DB Von Hutchins (foot), OL Alex Stepanovich (back), and CB David Irons (knee) were held out of practices.

--TE Tony Gonzalez didn’t participate in the second Friday session. Neither did C Todd McClure.

--G Harvey Dahl and DT Jason Jefferson found themselves in a Friday morning cat fight. How cute!

--QB Matt Ryan already has a man crush on Gonzalez: “It’s big for us to pick up Tony,” Ryan said. “He’s one of the greatest players of all time. . . . I threw a couple of balls his way, and he didn’t disappoint.” Carson Daly is gonna be jealous.

--Coach Mike Smith is giving his rookies a baptism by information overload: “As a staff we try to throw as much at them as we can. It’s really by design. We put the whole package out there at the beginning of the practices and then we come back and break it down into small parts. I think it’s important that we see how they handle that learning curve.”

As Roddy White enters his fifth and final season on his contract with the Falcons, he's hoping for an extention. Through the first two years of his career, he had less than 1,000 total receiving yards. In the past two years of his career, White has generated nearly 2,600 yards.

He says he'd like to get an extention signed before the season begins.

Leftwich "Was a Smokescreen"

2009-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

New Bucs QB Josh Freeman said in a chat on NFL.com that the Bucs' signing of Byron Leftwich was meant to convince other teams that Tampa wasn't interested in the Kansas State product.
"They told me it was a smokescreen, everybody would think they didn’t want a QB," Freeman said in the chat.
"They said they were ready to trade up. I think it worked out great. I was sitting there with my family and enjoying it, and I got to go to the team that I wanted to go to."
The Bucs traded up from 19 to 17 to select Freeman. They leapfrogged Denver, which, after trading Jay Cutler this month, may have been interested in Freeman.
Bucs coach Raheem Morris was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State early in Freeman's time at the school.
Tampa signed Leftwich, the Steelers backup last season, to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in April. The team also re-signed Luke McCown, a backup last season, and said he will have a chance to win the starting job last season. Veteran Brian Griese is also on the roster, as well as second-year player Josh Johnson.
At least one, and possibly two, of the bunch will be gone by the time the season begins.

I'm just hoping to see Leftwich beat out Freeman for the starting job, and then print "Smokescreen" on the back of his jersey.

In a related note, it has not yet been determined whether or not the Bucs' four-game skid at the end of last season was also a smokescreen...to get Freeman, of course.

Matt Ryan/Carson Daly Bromance

2009-05-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Many NFL QBs choose to endorse various products they enjoy. Peyton Manning appears in Gatorade commercials with other sports stars. Brett Favre tosses a football around with friends in Levi spots. Jake Delhomme even pitches Bojangles restaurants in regional TV ads. Matt Ryan has chosen a diferent sort of product to support. He is now pushing Axe Hair products.

I'm not entirely sure what Axe Hair is, but if it's anything like the Axe Body Spray...I'd say this is very fitting. In case you're not familiar, Axe Body Spray is that stuff that 14-17 year old boys use before realizing that it isn't cool to be a metrosexual. Now, the Falcons QB has decided to offer confessionals in an attempt to help Axe sell their new metro hair product.

On the media circuit for Ryan to pitch his Axe Hair junk (and perhaps talk a little football), he visited Carson Daly's show. FYI, there is no reason to feel bad for not knowing that Daly wasn't still on Total Request Live on MTV. Very few people have watched MTV, or his new show on NBC for that matter, in a long time.

While on Daly's late night talk show (right around the time of the Super Bowl), a new bromance was revealed. Carson Daly tried desperately to talk about football (and act straight) for a short period of the interview. That's when his true character came out...so to speak.

Daly brought up the topic of Axe Hair junk, and couldn't get out of the interview without hitting on Ryan. He said, "This may be a bit of a gay moment, but your hair looks beautiful." To which Ryan responded, "Likewise!" They both painted on a Kool-Aid smile, and began touching each other. Not in a joking way. They went in for a handshake, and Daly couldn't resist but to put his hands on Ryan's shoulders. Ryan then smiled bigger, and used his second hand to complete the very-touchy handshake.

This is, afterall, the same NFL QB who admittedly loves musicals.

"NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!!"

People Eating Tasty Animals (PETA)

2009-05-05T05:33:00.000-07:00

In a comical attempt at clearing his name, Michael Vick has decided to become PETA's next spokesperson. Yeah, that's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The organization that makes an average liberal look like Charlton Heston.

Of course, Vick is currently serving prison time for funding an illegal dog-fighting ring. Vick's actions were even far worse than Navin Johnson's illegal cat-juggling show (The Jerk).

"I'm familiar with [the plan]," said Dan Shannon, director of youth outreach and campaigns for PETA. "We have been in discussions with Michael Vick, with his management team, about the possibility of him putting out a public-service announcement with PETA when he's out of jail. We want him to discourage people from taking part in dog-fighting. I can do it until I'm blue in the face and it might not convince anybody. Michael Vick sure can. He can say, 'Look, I did it, I was wrong, and it ruined my career."

Believe it or not, this isn't even the end of Vick's attempt to change his public image. He's also considering the development of his own animal rights group.

This might be the mother of all PR jobs. His obstacles are many: a hard-line NFL commissioner who wants to see "genuine remorse" before reinstating Mr. Vick to the league; individual franchises that might be wary of the backlash and potential damage to their brands from signing Mr. Vick (i.e. THIS BLOG); and an incredulous public that remains shocked by the story.

Just so we're clear, I hated Michael Vick/The Falcons waaaay before his dog-fighting arrest.

I really think he might be taking it all a little too far. There's a fine line between a sincere apology and a disingenuous act of dramatics.

His own animal rights group???? C'mon dude! Nobody is going to buy that for one minute. He'd be far better off just sitting down in front of Goodell and quoting "Red" from Shawshank Prison.

"Rehabilitated? To me it's just a made up word. A politician's word, so young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie, and have a job. What do you really want to know? Am I sorry for what I did? There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullsh*t word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a sh*t."

THIS is the only way to guarantee Goodell's stamp of approval.

When You Gotta Go...You Gotta Go!!!

2009-05-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Biren Ealy and tight end Kolomona Kapanui (both signed as free agents) were charged Sunday with obscenity, disturbing the peace and lewd conduct for allegedly being drunk, urinating in public and exposing themselves.
Apparently, two women, were cruisin around in their car when they saw Ealy and Kapanui urinating in the parking lot of an apartment complex around 12:42 a.m. Sunday. One of the women told Ealy to stop (like he could have if he wanted to). Authorities said Ealy turned around while exposing himself and began making lewd comments. Moments later, Kapanui allegedly exposed himself to the driver of the vehicle and made lewd comments, according the the sheriff's office.

Both players were jailed on $4,250 bonds.

It is now very possible that both players could be cut by the Saints. If cut, they will most likely be picked up by Atlanta.

Peppers a No-Show at Mini Camp

2009-05-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

Still unhappy in Carolina after trade requests were virtually ignored, veteran defensive end Julius Peppers exercised his right as an unsigned franchise player to skip the Panthers’ minicamp.
As first reported by Steve Reed of CarolinaGrowl.com on Thursday, two league sources indicated that the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end wouldn’t be showing up today.
Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney, whose second-round draft pick, Everette Brown, took extra work with Peppers not on the practice field, reiterated that his conversations with Peppers’ agent have, “all been positive.”
Under rules governing franchise players, Peppers isn’t required to attend any offseason activities or training camp until he signs his one-year, $16.7 million tender. So, the team can’t fine him.
Peppers sure isn't doing a lot to make himself look better to the rest of the league. At this point, there seems to be no resolution in sight on this saga.

Some good news for the Panthers is that Mark Schlereth recently mentioned that Everette Brown could have more of an impact than any other rookie this season. He said Brown has so many pass rushing moves to get to QBs that he might not be an everydown player, but should excel in pass rushing situations. At least the Panthers have Brown and Charles Johnson...just in case Peppers isn't in Carolina in September.

All Men are Created Equal

2009-04-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

Strangely enough, this blog was discussed at my weekly Wednesday night church meeting last night. Father Ragan Schriver was our guest speaker, so that at least made the discussion very entertaining...even if it was hard to swallow.

As Father Ragan is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities, he was there to talk about how we can help the underprivileged. As you can imagine, the discussion began with a lesson on how we are all created equal. Despite social distinctions that make all men different, it is important to remember (even when it's difficult) that humanity is commutative. 2+4=4+2. Blah, blah...you get the point of the lesson.

This is when it was pointed out that judging others visually is what sometimes leads to hatred. Then, a good friend pointed out, "it's kind of like your I HATE THE FALCONS blog." We laughed, but really started to discuss whether it was okay or not to recognize that the Falcons do suck.

I came away from the meeting understanding that since it is a fact that the Falcons suck, it's more than okay discuss that on my blog. Then again, the fact that I hate the Falcons (and their fans) with the burning passion of a thousand STDs is probably not okay.

I started to remember some of the wishes/prayers I've made in regards to Atlanta players in the past. I'm pretty sure I've hoped for DeAngelo Hall's death on many occasions. I've even been known to lose my voice while screaming at him through my television. As recently as last season, I specifically remember praying for career-ending injuries for John Abraham and Michael Turner.

The good news is that we came up with the theory that it's perfectly fine for me to just tone-down my dreams of misfortune for the Falcons. Like, it's okay to imagine a senario where Matt Ryan gets into an unfortunate fender bender that could ruin his day, and make him late for a game. It's NOT okay for me to pray the rosary in hopes that he would die in a fiery car crash.

It's okay for me to wear a shirt with a Falcons logo on it, and a big X drawn over it. It's NOT okay for me to brutally murder a real falcon, and wear it's carcass as a hat.

Instead of wishing that Roddy White would go to real Hell, I'll now just admit that I think he belongs in Football hell. Big "H" Hell might be a little too intense, but Football hell is definitely a destination I could see Roddy headed towards. I don't really know what Football hell is, but it makes me feel better about myself just to damn someone to an imaginary place that I made up just now.
I think the point is to support "my team", and hope that they play exceptionally well, as opposed to wishing bad things upon the Falcons. Meh!

Make no mistake about it, this blog has not gone soft. I will still gladly share with you the daily facts that prove how badly the Falcons suck. Even if they might somehow not suck on the field, you know that group of thugs will suck somewhere in life. I pledge to always provide that info for you right here. I also pledge to tone-down my hatred for the Atlanta Falcons...at least for the rest of this week!

Just please don't ask me to reconsider my hatred for the University of Alabama. I'm just not that good of a Catholic.

NFC South Draft Recap (Panthers)

2009-04-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

The Carolina Panthers ('08 NFC South Champions) did not have a first round pick in this year's draft. This year, they stuck to the buy-now pay-later mentality at the draft.
The Panthers traded next year's first round pick (again) in order to move up and grab first round talent Everett Brown (DE) early in this year's second round. I like this aggresive method of drafting that the Panthers have adopted. It shows that they believe they can win right now, and are willing to do what it takes to make that happen.
Kiper had Everette Brown projected as a first rounder for most of the off-season, but luckily enough for the Panthers, he was still available early in the second. Many have also said that if Brown had stayed at Florida State for his senior year, he'd have definitely been a top ten pick next year.
Brown immediately fills the team’s need of an effective pass rusher, and will certainly compete for a starting position. He also lessens the blow and fallout of the Julius Peppers situation, regardless of what happens (holdout, trade, extension, etc).
I also really like the Everette Brown pick, since we are from the same town. I grew up in Wilson, NC, and lived their until the 11th grade. I went to Wilson-Fike High School. Brown went to Wilson-Beddingfield High School. The Bruins sure sucked when I was in high school, but I'm more than happy to see a kid like this make it to Charlotte to play for the Panthers.
Later in the second round, the Panthers selected Sherrod Martin (DB) Troy. He effectively addresses two positions for the Panthers: CB and FS. Martin is a highly talented playmaker that the team believes will be an effective nickel back, with the potential to start in the event a starter goes down to injury. The first two picks are clearly Ron Meeks picks. As the new defensive coordinator for Carolina, it seems that he really might be implementing some form of the Tampa 2 in Charlotte.
In the third round, Carolina selected Corvey Irvin (DT) Georgia. He shows exceptional athleticism for a man his size. Extremely strong, he gives the Panthers some much needed depth to a defensive line that was clearly guilty of wearing down late in games, and appeared to simply be outmanned late in the season. The Panthers seems to love D-line depth from UGA.
Fourth round pick: Mike Goodson (RB) Texas A&M. The immediate heir apparent to special teams standout and team leader Nick Goins. Goodson, a junior, was a bit of a surprise when he announced his intention to forego his senior year with the Aggies. His best fit will be as a change of pace back, and perhaps a slot receiver (a la Goins). Extremely dangerous in the open field, could see time as a returner as well. Nice selection that offers needed depth at several positions.
Fourth round pick #2: Tony Fiammetta, FB Syracuse: Brad Hoover is an outstanding overachiever, but is 32 and will soon start to show the wearing down that comes with the territory. Enter Tony Fiammetta, the best fullback this draft has to offer.
Fifth round: Duke Robinson, OG Oklahoma: Thought by many to be the best OG in the draft, character and judgment concerns pushed him all the way to the 5th round. Provided he can put his maturity concerns to rest, Robinson has the ability to not only start from day one, but also has the ability to reach the Pro-Bowl in time. I was screaming at the TV when he wasn't selected in the previous round. I couldn't believe he was still available for this pick.
Seventh round: Captain Munnerlyn, CB South Carolina: Hurt himself by declaring for the draft early. Lack of height hurts him. Loves to play physical. Has the speed to contribute immediately in the return game. It's still nice to see more depth at CB...the Panthers sure need that.

UDFAs Confirmed

-- T Gerald Cadogan, Penn State (one of the top undrafted rookies)

-- LB Brit Miller, Illinois

-- QB Hunter Cantwell, Louisville

-- RB Jamall Lee, Bishop's College (Canada)

-- DT Lonnie Harvey, Morgan State (wide)

-- DT Marlon Favorite, LSU

-- LB Mortty Ivy, West Virginia

-- SS Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State

-- DT Justin Kershaw, Michigan State

-- LS Nick Sundberg, Cal

-- T Patrick Brown, Central Florida

-- WR Jason Chery, Louisiana-Lafayette

-- G C.J. Davis, Pittsburgh

-- C Keith Grey, Connecticut

-- TE Kevin Brock, Rutgers

-- LB Anthony Heygood, Purdue

Kiper rated the Panthers draft a C. I'd call it a B- maybe!

NFC South Draft Recap (Bucs)

2009-04-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Bucs went into the Draft with a lot of holes to fill on their team. Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris went out and filled every position that they were in need of. The question is, did they fill them with the right players.

The Josh Freeman pick in Round 1 will definitely be debated. At 6'5 250, he has all of the tools that are needed to be a starting QB in the NFL. But playing for a team as weak as Kansas St. has put a lot of doubt in the minds of Buc fans

In the third round, Tampa picked Roy Miller, a DT out of Texas. This might be the Bucs most popular, and successful draft pick. The 6'1 310 pounder is the perfect DT to help with Jim Bates's defense. He may even be a starter from day one.

Taking Kyle Moore, a DE from USC, in the fourth round was a good pick in terms of position, but was questionable because Lawrence Sidbury was sitting there as well. The Bucs questioned whether Sidbury had played at a high level of competition and unfortunately, he ended up being drafted by THE FALCONS

The Bucs finished the draft by taking OT Xavier Fulton, CD EJ Biggers, and WR Sammie Slaughter. These three players filled big needs for the Bucs and all have a lot of potential. Slaughter could be one of the steals of the draft.

All in all, I felt the Bucs had a good, solid draft and would give it a 7.5 out of 10.

I'd like to thank Bucs' fan "Filthy Rich" for contributing this entry.

NFC South Draft Recap (Falcons)

2009-04-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

In my mind, the Atlanta Falcons will always suck like Mr. Belding (Beldo) at jousting. However, they did have a respectable season last year (11-5 record), and a decent draft this past weekend.

Round: 1 (pick 25) - Peria Jerry - DT - Ole Miss.

Round: 2 (pick 55) - William Moore - Safety - Missouri.

Round: 3 (pick 90) - Chris Owens - CB - San Jose St.

Round: 4 (pick 125) - Lawrence Sidbury - DE - Richmond.

Round: 5 (pick 138) - William Middleton - CB - Furman.

Round: 5 (pick 156) - Garret Reynolds - OT - UNC.

Round: 6 (pick 176) - Spencer Adkins - ILB - Miami.

Round: 7 (pick 210) - Vance Walker - DT - Georgia Tech.

I originally thought the Falcons were giving up too much for Gonzo last week, but now it appears that they may have actually had a plan. In comparison to what the Chiefs gave up for Vrabel and Cassel, the Falcons DID still give up a lot for an older TE...but they won't feel that until next year's draft. They needed defense, and that is just about all they drafted this year.

It truly pains me to admit it, but I believe Atlanta really helped itself in this draft. They added and youth to a spotty defense, and they really helped their chances at competing for another playoff spot this season. They filled the gaps they had, and will probably be at least as good as they were last year. That doesn't mean I'm not seriously rooting for Matt Ryan to slip into a Vince Young type sophomore slump!

I also noticed that there is a name on their UDFA list that makes me want to vomit all over myself. The Atlanta Falcons have signed former MTV kid John-Parker Wilson. As a University of Tennessee graduate, I truly despise this kid as a football player. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all when he's hanging around with his frat buddies...talking about short-shorts and how to flip their hair to the side, and all that...but he played QB for Alabama. I am required by TN state law to pray for his failure in the league. Now that he's a Falcon, that will just come naturally!

John-Parker (why the hell can't he just pick one of those names and go by that??) Wilson joins Matt Ryan, Chris Redman and DJ Shockley on the depth chart. It's likely that Redman and Shockley will compete for one roster spot. John-Parker (ridiculous name) will most likely be given the third-string QB role next season.

Nine other undrafted free agents are receiver Darren Mougey (San Diego State), receiver Aaron Kelly (Clemson), defensive end Maurice Lucas (Colorado), long snapper Robert Shiver (Auburn), offensive lineman Ryan Stanchek (West Virginia), offensive lineman Jose Valdez (Arkansas), linebacker Derek Nicholson (Florida State), punter/kicker Robbie Dehaze (Northern Arizona), and linebacker Brock Christopher (Missouri).

Meanwhile, Michael Vick technically remains on the roster.

Bucs and Panthers Draft recaps are coming very soon.

NFC South Draft Recap (Saints)

2009-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints finished the 2008 season with an 8-8 record. That would have gotten them a division title elsewhere in the NFL, but in the NFC South...it was good enough to finish dead-last.

The Saints first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft was in the 14 spot. After that pick, they only drafted three other players. Here's a recap of how the Saints did this weekend.

Round: 1 (pick 14) - Malcom Jenkins - Cornerback - Ohio State. This is the guy who has been forcing scouts to wonder, "is he a CB, or is he a safety?" At just over 6-feet tall, Jenkins is on the taller side for a corner. Corners that size can have a hard time sinking their hips and exploding out of their cuts, but he has the toughness, speed and ball skills to develop into an effective press or Cover 2 corner. Some believe he still might be a stronger threat at safety as he is a sound tackler, and does an excellent job of reading eyes when he lines up in that position.

Round: 4 (pick 116) - Chip Vaughn - Safety - Wake Forest. Vaughn is an aggressive safety who possesses excellent size. He also is an effective open-field tackler and is capable of occasionally delivering a big hit. However, he lacks fluidity in the hips and is going to have problems covering a wide area when lined up in the center of the field.

Round: 4 (pick 118) - Stanley Arnoux - ILB - Wake Forest. Hey, didn't they JUST take a dude from Wake Forest? The Saints did a good job at drafting some depth at LB here. Arnoux is an instinctive player who is extremely stout defending the run on the interior. Although it seems that he might be limited athletically, he can mask this flaw with his overall football intelligence. He is a two-down linebacker and his overall strength is plugging-up the middle.

Round: 5 (pick 164) - Thomas Morstead - Punter - Southern Methodist. Morstead was the second and final punter taken in the draft this year. He displays above-average leg strength along with overall accuracy. He also brings added versatility as a situational place kicker. However, he needs to speed up the process as he's had a history of getting punts blocked in his collegiate career. I thought the Saints were going to try and pick up another power RB, but I guess trading up to grab a second punter was just too tough to irresist.

Mel Kiper Jr.'s grade: "C"

Bucs, Falcons, and Panthers recaps coming later in the week.

Delhomme gets extention

2009-04-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Jake Delhomme has officially signed a five year contract extention with the Carolina Panthers. The deal is worth $42.5 million, with $20 million guaranteed. In all honesty, it seems like a pretty sound deal for Carolina considering Matthew Stafford is likely to sign a six year deal worth $40 million guaranteed...if the Lions take him with their first overall pick.

Many folks in Charlotte might be cringing at this extention, considering it comes after Delhomme's six turnover home playoff loss to the Cardinals a few months ago. Some might even call Delhomme's performance in that game his worst game ever...like, including Pee-wee football and even touch games in his backyard with the neighborhood kids. Actually, we'll call it MOST people probably feel that way, as opposed to SOME.

Despite that one bad/horrific game, I'd like to put the Panther fans at ease. Jake has been the starter in Carolina for six seasons.

2003- Went to Super Bowl

2004- Lost Steve Smith, Kris Jenkins and top 2 RBs

2005- Went NFC Championship

2006- Got injured and missed three games. Missed playoffs due to tiebreaker

2007- Delhomme injured resulting in surgery

2008- 12-4 regular season record

115 touchdowns to 76 interceptions

54-33 record as starter

There aren't ten other NFL QBs with numbers like those. Believe me, I get that the taste leftover from that Arizona game might sicken some Panthers fans, but I think Jake will be just fine. He's got a solid offensive line, D.Williams/J.Stewart in the backfield, and some receiver with "incendiary" speed.

At least he gets to play Atlanta twice every season. The Falcons suck!

Gonzalez to Atlanta

2009-04-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

TE Tony Gonzalez has been traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2nd round pick in the 2010 NFL draft. This marks the first bit of action between former New England colleagues Scott Pioli, the Chiefs’ General Manager, and Thomas Dimitroff, Falcons’ General Manager.

It's very fitting that Gonzalez would go to the Falcons, since I already dislike him. Next to Braylon Edwards, he's got to be the most overrated player on Fantasy Football draft boards. I'm a little bitter because both of those players screwed me last year.

My favorite part about this trade is that Tony Gonzalez had a chance to go to the Falcons last year, but was decidedly against it. Now that the Chiefs are even worse than the Falcons, he's changed his mind.

This reminds me of that chick in middle school who is too good to go out with you when you first ask her. She even goes off to make fun of you to her cheerleader friends for even thinking she'd consider going out with you. THEN, when she figures out that her current boyfriend is the biggest d-bag in school, and nobody else is showing interest...she's suddenly willing calling you back. That has happened to everyone...right???

I believe Atlanta paid too much in this trade. I love how KC gave up a second rounder to NE and they got a starting QB in Cassel, and a decent LB in Vrabel. All Atlanta got for their second rounder is a second round TE.

Sure, Gonzalez is a decent tight end, but what has he got, a couple of years left as an elite guy? With all of the defensive needs the Falcons have right now, shouldn't they have spent a little less on a two-year fix at a position like TE?

Oh, and TG also shares a name with one of the leaders of the Mexican Mafia.

Hey...maybe this will be good news for Brad Cottam (KC tight end and former Vol).

About this blog

2009-04-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to the teams of the NFC South. All four teams will get equal exposure, it's just that I really freaking hate the Falcons.

Hey Atlanta fans...