2013 Movies... I'm Ready
12 years ago
Thursday, October 15, 2009
New Blog
I have a new blog and the post below will also the first post on my new blog. Follow me on my new blog at: http://www.goingontherecord.blogspot.com/
Rush to Judgment
This is a different type of topic than my normal posts. The topic I want to talk about today is a mix of sports and politics. Unless you’ve been hiding under rock the past few days you’ve probably heard about Rush Limbaugh’s interest in buying the St. Louis Rams. That of course ended yesterday as it was announced that Rush Limbaugh was dropped from the group of bidders. The reason? Rush Limbaugh has said some “divisive” things over the years. Let’s be honest here. He is being blackballed by the media, NFL players union, and other entities for his Donavan McNabb comments on ESPN many years ago. He said that McNabb was being overrated by the media because they want so badly for a black QB to succeed in this league.
Before I go any further, I would like to say I don’t really care for Rush Limbaugh. I rarely agree with most of the things he says and the way he says them. I’m not a fan of his style of “shock” radio. But just because I don’t agree with him it doesn’t mean I think what they are doing is fair.
Back when Rush made his comment, though insensitive and not politically correct, it was pretty close to the truth. Rush’s critical comments were meant as a slap in the face to the media and not necessarily geared towards McNabb.
Look back at McNabb’s history. Every other year the Eagles’ fan base has been trying to run this guy out of town. Back when Rush made his comments it was true that McNabb was being overrated. Since then McNabb has risen to his status of being labeled as an elite type QB. He no longer is overrated. In fact he’s actually underappreciated.
Rush could have worded it better but that’s not his style. He has made tons of money by being controversial and saying provocative things. That doesn’t make him a racist, as some are claiming. Not everything said and done is about racism. How are we ever going to move on from race if we keep using the race card as a weapon? I wish we could just all say that we are Americans. Not African Americans. Not Indian Americans. Not Mexican Americans and so forth. We are ALL Americans and we should stop labeling ourselves any different. Only then will we really move on past all this race stuff.
My point is that Rush should be given a fair chance to buy a team. His bid should be considered on business and not his opinions. There are many rappers/singers and controversial figures who own stake in professional teams throughout the sports world. In their songs they say and do things that could be labeled as “divisive” but it’s accepted because our society accepts it. They are in tabloids and involved in sex scandals and fights and on and on. Again, those things are accepted by the society we live in.
The NFL could have avoided all this stuff by just passing on the bid in a professional manor. They could have said they had a stronger offer and avoided all this nonsense. The players union made things worse by coming out against Limbaugh the way they did. And don’t get me started on Rev Al Sharpton, who also got in on the act. This guy has made a career of keeping people from moving on from racial issues. I say beware the profit seeking profit.
Rush Limbaugh is being attacked for his political beliefs and we shouldn’t attack people just because we don’t agree with them. Most of us have friends who we disagree with on religion and politics. That shouldn’t stand in the way of friendships or the way we do business. In the words of President Obama, "This is a teachable moment."
Before I go any further, I would like to say I don’t really care for Rush Limbaugh. I rarely agree with most of the things he says and the way he says them. I’m not a fan of his style of “shock” radio. But just because I don’t agree with him it doesn’t mean I think what they are doing is fair.
Back when Rush made his comment, though insensitive and not politically correct, it was pretty close to the truth. Rush’s critical comments were meant as a slap in the face to the media and not necessarily geared towards McNabb.
Look back at McNabb’s history. Every other year the Eagles’ fan base has been trying to run this guy out of town. Back when Rush made his comments it was true that McNabb was being overrated. Since then McNabb has risen to his status of being labeled as an elite type QB. He no longer is overrated. In fact he’s actually underappreciated.
Rush could have worded it better but that’s not his style. He has made tons of money by being controversial and saying provocative things. That doesn’t make him a racist, as some are claiming. Not everything said and done is about racism. How are we ever going to move on from race if we keep using the race card as a weapon? I wish we could just all say that we are Americans. Not African Americans. Not Indian Americans. Not Mexican Americans and so forth. We are ALL Americans and we should stop labeling ourselves any different. Only then will we really move on past all this race stuff.
My point is that Rush should be given a fair chance to buy a team. His bid should be considered on business and not his opinions. There are many rappers/singers and controversial figures who own stake in professional teams throughout the sports world. In their songs they say and do things that could be labeled as “divisive” but it’s accepted because our society accepts it. They are in tabloids and involved in sex scandals and fights and on and on. Again, those things are accepted by the society we live in.
The NFL could have avoided all this stuff by just passing on the bid in a professional manor. They could have said they had a stronger offer and avoided all this nonsense. The players union made things worse by coming out against Limbaugh the way they did. And don’t get me started on Rev Al Sharpton, who also got in on the act. This guy has made a career of keeping people from moving on from racial issues. I say beware the profit seeking profit.
Rush Limbaugh is being attacked for his political beliefs and we shouldn’t attack people just because we don’t agree with them. Most of us have friends who we disagree with on religion and politics. That shouldn’t stand in the way of friendships or the way we do business. In the words of President Obama, "This is a teachable moment."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Pat Myself on the Back Day
I’ve been blogging long enough for me to see some of my best clips over the past few years. As for some of my bad clips, well you may have to dig for them yourself as it is more fun to pat myself on the back. So these quotes date back to my first post:
“ While I believe that (Darren) McFadden is a going to be a good RB I don’t believe he is the same can’t miss RB that Adrian Peterson was/is. To me, the best value at RB is Rashard Mendenhall, the junior at Illinois……I’m going out on a limb and saying that Mendenhall will have as good of if not better career as McFadden.”
“Another point I want to make about (Matt) Ryan is had he played for USC, for example, everyone would be foaming at the mouth that he's the next great QB and no way would he not be drafted at the number 1 slot. It's the truth.”
“There have been lots of moves in NFL free agency this past week. The move I want to talk about is the recent signing of Michael Turner by the Atlanta Falcons. Turner will no doubt be a huge addition to the Falcons. This move will definitely help the Falcons move on from the whole Mike Vick fiasco…… I guess now we’ll see what Turner is really made up of but I’m also curious to where he gets drafted in fantasy drafts. Off the top of my head, I’d select Turner in the late first round or early second round.”
“One more quick thing on the draft, so I'm on record. Michigan QB Chad Henne, is the second best QB in this draft. For a guy who'll go in the 2nd or 3rd round, he's the 2008 draft's best bargain.”
“Mark Sanchez is an impressive looking QB. He’s definitely an NFL first rounder in my book. He’s got a great arm, great poise, and very accurate. He has all of Matt Leinart’s strengths and none of his weaknesses.”
“I think Kiffin is a good coach but I think he would be better suited for the college game. He will make an excellent college coach. We’ll see if he ends up in college.”
“In the case of Mendenhall, he is out for the year and forgotten because of the season ending knee injury (it was actually a shoulder injury) he had early this year. He’s behind Willie Parker on the depth chart but I still believe in a year or two he’ll be the primary back for the Steelers. He was higher on my draft list at RB than super rookie RB Chris Johnson. I still believe in the long run, Mendenhall will be a better fantasy RB than Chris Johnson.”
“And just for the sake of being on the record, Ray Rice is also a RB I hold in high regard. If he ever gets 15-20 carries a game in Baltimore the kid will be good.”
“LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh- While all the draft experts currently have McCoy ranked near the bottom of the first round, and as the 3rd best RB, I view him as the best RB available in the draft.”
“Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri- Crabtree is at the top of everyone’s draft lists at WR. I think that Maclin is THE premier WR that is entering the draft and will have the most immediate impact. Maclin will be an outstanding punt returner as well.”
Well that's just a few things I dug up. I think I've done well for the most part. I have a few misses on player evaluations but for the most part I think I have a pretty good track record. I'm going to keep evaluating football talent on here because that's what I love to do. Some of these evaluations are still in progress but we've seen enough to get a feel for which way they are leaning. Keep coming back from time to time as I will continue posting my thoughts on future players.
“ While I believe that (Darren) McFadden is a going to be a good RB I don’t believe he is the same can’t miss RB that Adrian Peterson was/is. To me, the best value at RB is Rashard Mendenhall, the junior at Illinois……I’m going out on a limb and saying that Mendenhall will have as good of if not better career as McFadden.”
“Another point I want to make about (Matt) Ryan is had he played for USC, for example, everyone would be foaming at the mouth that he's the next great QB and no way would he not be drafted at the number 1 slot. It's the truth.”
“There have been lots of moves in NFL free agency this past week. The move I want to talk about is the recent signing of Michael Turner by the Atlanta Falcons. Turner will no doubt be a huge addition to the Falcons. This move will definitely help the Falcons move on from the whole Mike Vick fiasco…… I guess now we’ll see what Turner is really made up of but I’m also curious to where he gets drafted in fantasy drafts. Off the top of my head, I’d select Turner in the late first round or early second round.”
“One more quick thing on the draft, so I'm on record. Michigan QB Chad Henne, is the second best QB in this draft. For a guy who'll go in the 2nd or 3rd round, he's the 2008 draft's best bargain.”
“Mark Sanchez is an impressive looking QB. He’s definitely an NFL first rounder in my book. He’s got a great arm, great poise, and very accurate. He has all of Matt Leinart’s strengths and none of his weaknesses.”
“I think Kiffin is a good coach but I think he would be better suited for the college game. He will make an excellent college coach. We’ll see if he ends up in college.”
“In the case of Mendenhall, he is out for the year and forgotten because of the season ending knee injury (it was actually a shoulder injury) he had early this year. He’s behind Willie Parker on the depth chart but I still believe in a year or two he’ll be the primary back for the Steelers. He was higher on my draft list at RB than super rookie RB Chris Johnson. I still believe in the long run, Mendenhall will be a better fantasy RB than Chris Johnson.”
“And just for the sake of being on the record, Ray Rice is also a RB I hold in high regard. If he ever gets 15-20 carries a game in Baltimore the kid will be good.”
“LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh- While all the draft experts currently have McCoy ranked near the bottom of the first round, and as the 3rd best RB, I view him as the best RB available in the draft.”
“Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri- Crabtree is at the top of everyone’s draft lists at WR. I think that Maclin is THE premier WR that is entering the draft and will have the most immediate impact. Maclin will be an outstanding punt returner as well.”
Well that's just a few things I dug up. I think I've done well for the most part. I have a few misses on player evaluations but for the most part I think I have a pretty good track record. I'm going to keep evaluating football talent on here because that's what I love to do. Some of these evaluations are still in progress but we've seen enough to get a feel for which way they are leaning. Keep coming back from time to time as I will continue posting my thoughts on future players.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Death to the Coach’s Poll
It’s time that the college football world to wake up. This is the easiest argument I have ever made. The Top 25 Coaches Poll should be done away with. Why? Because the coaches only know two teams. They know their own team and they know their next opponent. Please tell me when do these “one game at a time” guys actually get to see another team play? They don’t. These guys are buried in practice and film watching for 16 hours a day. They don’t watch games like the writers or the fans do. And when they're not knee deep in game planning they are knee deep in recruiting. Recruiting is a year round sport. If a coach is eating and breathing bettering his football program there is no time left to sit down for 3 hours to watch a single game during the season. So again I’ll ask the question, what are they basing their votes on? ESPN News highlights?
NFL's next great Wide Receiver
Every once in a while there comes a player who is a can’t miss wide receiver. Wide receiver, in my opinion, is the toughest position to evaluate from the college level to the pro game. A lot of great college WRs are serviceable in the NFL. I’m not saying it’s hard to evaluate them in general. I’m saying it’s hard to see which guys actually will dominate the NFL like they did in college.
Last year the guy was Michael Crabtree. I’m on record as saying I don’t think he’s going to be great in the NFL. My opinion is that he will probably be a good receiver but he won’t meet expectations of being a true great.
Guys like Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald come along every once in a few years. You know w/o a doubt they are going to be natural stars. Those guys have the ball catching ability and playmaking ability that will fit in with any offense. (And I still think that Calvin Johnson has more ability than Larry Fitzgerald. Just wait until Stafford actually develops.)
This year there is another talent like that coming through the draft. The hype around Oklahoma State WR, Dez Bryant, is legit. The next great super receiver will be playing on a lucky NFL team next year. He has all the tools similar Calvin Johnson. He has the size, speed, body control, and ball catching skills that Calvin and Fitzgerald have. Bryant is a big play waiting to happen on every snap. If you get a chance to watch a Oklahoma State game do yourself a favor and watch for Bryant. To me, he is part Calvin Johnson and part Brandon Marshall and I can’t wait to watch him play on Sundays.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Garrett deserves THE blame
Dallas Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett deserves the blame for the current wreck that is the Dallas Cowboys. In my seemingly annual “Dallas Cowboys are going down the drain” post, I want to call out the guy that the media has been giving a free pass to. Jason Garrett is the problem with the Cowboys. When Garrett signed that big contract I called Jones out on how bad of a signing that was. The guy hasn’t proved anything and got a huge contract. He may be smart and well spoken and even may sound like he knows what he’s talking about. That hasn’t translated to anything on the field.
Truth is there is no track record to keep giving this guy praise. It’s popular to pick on Tony Romo. He is more fun to blame. Romo has proven he can play. Garrett no longer has an excuse now that Terrell Owens is gone. TO called Garrett and Romo out last year and they threw him under the bus. TO may be nuts, and how he handles adversity is always news worthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Garrett is a gadget loving play caller. His plays have very little continuity. He doesn’t know how to use play action. He doesn’t know the art of mixing and setting up plays. He calls random pass plays and he loves to line up in shotgun no matter the down and distance. These kinds of coordinators drive me nuts. It’s all show with complex routes and formations. The pass plays are more sideline to sideline than down the field. Most of the running plays are draws. The downfield plays are forced and it’s frustrating. You have to work very hard for every play because of the complexity.
Garrett has three very good RBs and should be utilizing them into giving the Cowboys an identity. Then setup play action and take some of the burden off of Tony Romo to open up the downfield passing. But it’s not going to happen. Garrett is terrible and Jerry Jones is hard headed and won’t admit he was wrong. It was he and his son who “discovered” Garrett off of a bad Dolphins team 3 years ago. He was their QB coach. I said it in my post about Garrett back then and I’ll say it again, no one was knocking down the door to sign then QB coach Garrett. Jones will hold on because he CAN’T be wrong. Meanwhile the ‘Boys will continue to be an average football team. Romo will continue to get the blame and eventually Wade Phillips will be fired. The only hope for the ‘Boys is maybe they’ll hire Mike Shannahan after another disastrous season.
Truth is there is no track record to keep giving this guy praise. It’s popular to pick on Tony Romo. He is more fun to blame. Romo has proven he can play. Garrett no longer has an excuse now that Terrell Owens is gone. TO called Garrett and Romo out last year and they threw him under the bus. TO may be nuts, and how he handles adversity is always news worthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Garrett is a gadget loving play caller. His plays have very little continuity. He doesn’t know how to use play action. He doesn’t know the art of mixing and setting up plays. He calls random pass plays and he loves to line up in shotgun no matter the down and distance. These kinds of coordinators drive me nuts. It’s all show with complex routes and formations. The pass plays are more sideline to sideline than down the field. Most of the running plays are draws. The downfield plays are forced and it’s frustrating. You have to work very hard for every play because of the complexity.
Garrett has three very good RBs and should be utilizing them into giving the Cowboys an identity. Then setup play action and take some of the burden off of Tony Romo to open up the downfield passing. But it’s not going to happen. Garrett is terrible and Jerry Jones is hard headed and won’t admit he was wrong. It was he and his son who “discovered” Garrett off of a bad Dolphins team 3 years ago. He was their QB coach. I said it in my post about Garrett back then and I’ll say it again, no one was knocking down the door to sign then QB coach Garrett. Jones will hold on because he CAN’T be wrong. Meanwhile the ‘Boys will continue to be an average football team. Romo will continue to get the blame and eventually Wade Phillips will be fired. The only hope for the ‘Boys is maybe they’ll hire Mike Shannahan after another disastrous season.
New RB to the watch list
There is a new RB that has caught my eye. I’ve seen him play two games and I’ve been very impressed with his toughness and between the tackles running. University of Tennessee Senior RB Monterio Hardesty is riding under the radar due to the Vols bad record. He also was a bit drowned out from super freshman Bryce Brown coming to play at UT. Hardesty has NFL vision. He sees the hole and he hits it hard. He may not have the 4.4 speed, though I am not sure of his 40 time, but he’s fast enough to play at the next level. He’s style isn’t being a HR hitter. He stands at 6' 1" and weighs in at 215. He is a bruiser but with his exceptional vision he can be a great RB in the NFL. And just because he isn’t track fast doesn’t mean he isn’t football fast. I think he’s a second round pick next year and I think his pro career will make much more noise than his college career. Let’s see what smart GM pounces on this kid.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
2010 RB Watch List
Real quick post here but I wanted to give you two names to watch this year at RB as we approach 2009 College Football season. I will start my scouting with these two names and it will grow from here.
1. C.J. Spiller, Clemson- Spiller entered the draft last season but withdrew his name late. I thought he would be a round 2 pick and I’m sure he dropped out because he believes (as I do) that he could grow his stock. I believe he’s a first round talent and will be drafted that way when it’s all said and done. He was under the radar most of last year but this year he’ll be in the spotlight as he is now a Heisman candidate. I had Spiller listed as the number 1 RB prospect on my list of RBs last year (ahead of L. McCoy) but never posted it because he withdrew his name. He’s explosive and a top notch athlete. He’s a HR hitter and I can’t wait to watch him this season.
2. Jahvid Best, California- Most will have Best number 1 on this type of list. I can’t argue as Best is the real deal in the two games I’ve seen him play. Best has all the goods to be the best RB in CFB. He has the breakaway speed and vision and has done it on the field. He looks great and will be on a lot of highlights this season. Spiller and Best are very similar but I just have a better feel for Spiller as an NFL RB even if Best ends up with better numbers.
1. C.J. Spiller, Clemson- Spiller entered the draft last season but withdrew his name late. I thought he would be a round 2 pick and I’m sure he dropped out because he believes (as I do) that he could grow his stock. I believe he’s a first round talent and will be drafted that way when it’s all said and done. He was under the radar most of last year but this year he’ll be in the spotlight as he is now a Heisman candidate. I had Spiller listed as the number 1 RB prospect on my list of RBs last year (ahead of L. McCoy) but never posted it because he withdrew his name. He’s explosive and a top notch athlete. He’s a HR hitter and I can’t wait to watch him this season.
2. Jahvid Best, California- Most will have Best number 1 on this type of list. I can’t argue as Best is the real deal in the two games I’ve seen him play. Best has all the goods to be the best RB in CFB. He has the breakaway speed and vision and has done it on the field. He looks great and will be on a lot of highlights this season. Spiller and Best are very similar but I just have a better feel for Spiller as an NFL RB even if Best ends up with better numbers.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
2009 Fantasy Football Preview
It’s been months since my last post but as usual football season gets me motivated to write a bit. I have no idea how much I will write this football season so I make no promises for future postings. But I do have some thoughts as preseason football is upon us. I would like to make a few predictions and speak about the 2009 season. Here is a random list of players I want to talk about.
Guys I’m high on:
RB Adrian Peterson- There isn’t a better RB in football than Adrian. Peterson is on the verge of having one of those seasons like P. Holmes, M. Faulk, S. Alexander, and L. Tomlinson has. I think he is more gifted than any of those players were. That’s not a knock on those guys. It’s just that Peterson is really that special. The only thing that ever slows Peterson down is his coach. His success has always come by his pure talent. Brad Childress is one of the worst coaches in the league to me when it comes to utilizing his talent. I hope he gets out of the way this year and lets AP reach his ceiling.
RB Matt Forte- I love Forte’s game. I think this year he will elevate his stats to fantasy football stardom. I think he will match Adrian Peterson’s numbers if not surpass them (see Brad Childress for that reason). The Bears are going to be improved this year. They have a legit passing game now that they have a good QB in Jay Cutler. It also helps that Forte is as good as a pass catcher as he is at RB.
TE Greg Olson- Staying with the Bears, Olson will make a jump to fantasy football relevance this year. I feel he is about to have a breakout year and will be a top 5 fantasy TE by year’s end. Cutler utilizes his TE very well and I feel Olson will emerge as his favorite target. The Bears are going to be great this year and it will be because their offense will finally be on par with their defense. And their defense will be back on top of the fantasy football world as well.
WR Anthony Gonzalez- This one is easy. Marvin Harrison is gone, Gonzalez is a very good WR and very consistent. Peyton Manning and the Colts won’t miss a beat and in fact will be better because Harrison’s talent was down last year. This year he is completely out of the way and Gonzalez is about to reap the rewards.
QB Aaron Rodgers- I think Aaron is one of the top fantasy QBs. I would rank him 3rd right after Tom Brady and Drew Brees. I would have Peyton Manning 4th. I also think Rodgers has the upside to be fantasy’s number 1 QB this year.
RB Cedric Benson- He’s not very fast and he doesn’t break many tackles. However, he is pretty much all the Bengals have at RB. Benson may be boring but opportunity is all it takes sometimes. An average RB with plenty of chances will get fantasy points. Benson has new life now and sometimes all it takes is a new address to revive an underwhelming career.
WR Calvin Johnson- If Stafford turns out to be half the QB I think he’ll be, its game over for the rest of the NFL. Johnson was the second best WR in the game (Larry Fitzgerald was number 1) last year. He achieved that with virtually no QB. Imagine what he’ll do with some talent throwing him the ball.
RB LeSean McCoy (Rookie)- Following up to my last blog post. McCoy is the best RB in the draft, though he was drafted after Moreno and Wells. I am super high on this kid. He may not break out this year but that’s only because Westbrook is still there. McCoy is underrated and by the end of preseason he will no longer be a secret. Knowshon Moreno may have a more immediate impact because he’ll likely be the main guy in Denver but based purely on talent and future I will take McCoy.
WR Randy Moss- Tom Brady is back. What does that mean for Moss? Well that means that Moss is back. Cassel was a poor deep ball passer and Brady as we all know is not poor at doing anything. Moss will be back as a top 3 WR again.
WR Eddie Royal- Royal was the league’s best rookie WR last year. I think he’s legit. I view him as Santana Moss type talent. Small, fast, smart, runs great routes, and is a playmaker. This year he has Kyle Orton throwing him the ball instead of Jay Cutler. That’s not a bad thing. Orton spreads the ball around and is quite efficient when in the groove. Cutler locked into Brandon Marshall most of the time. I think Royal will continue his steady upward climb into being a great number 2 WR.
Guys I’m down on:
Michael Turner- I am a Michael Turner proponent and always have been. To me, he had his career year last year. He reached his productivity ceiling. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to be very good. I just don’t see him matching his totals from last year. He is on this list because you shouldn’t expect to see stats matching last year. I think the Atlanta offense will be slightly more balanced this year and some of Turner’s stats will suffer from a less opportunities. You can’t discount the effect that the addition of Tony Gonzalez will have in the redzone passing offense. Plus Matt Ryan will have a better grasp of the offense in year two and therefore will be trusted to have more on his shoulders.
DeAngelo Williams- First I want to say I am a fan of DeAngelo’s. I think he is a super talent. My opinion of his season last year was he kind of got into a groove the last half of the season and is unlikely to get there again on that level. Jonathan Stewart will factor in the offense more this year. Williams will not get the same opportunities he did last year. The talent and explosiveness is there to have the big games but Stewart shouldn’t be discounted. Williams is still a 1st round RB but I don’t see him approaching last year’s leading RB totals.
My Super Bowl:
New England Patriots VS Chicago Bears
Guys I’m high on:
RB Adrian Peterson- There isn’t a better RB in football than Adrian. Peterson is on the verge of having one of those seasons like P. Holmes, M. Faulk, S. Alexander, and L. Tomlinson has. I think he is more gifted than any of those players were. That’s not a knock on those guys. It’s just that Peterson is really that special. The only thing that ever slows Peterson down is his coach. His success has always come by his pure talent. Brad Childress is one of the worst coaches in the league to me when it comes to utilizing his talent. I hope he gets out of the way this year and lets AP reach his ceiling.
RB Matt Forte- I love Forte’s game. I think this year he will elevate his stats to fantasy football stardom. I think he will match Adrian Peterson’s numbers if not surpass them (see Brad Childress for that reason). The Bears are going to be improved this year. They have a legit passing game now that they have a good QB in Jay Cutler. It also helps that Forte is as good as a pass catcher as he is at RB.
TE Greg Olson- Staying with the Bears, Olson will make a jump to fantasy football relevance this year. I feel he is about to have a breakout year and will be a top 5 fantasy TE by year’s end. Cutler utilizes his TE very well and I feel Olson will emerge as his favorite target. The Bears are going to be great this year and it will be because their offense will finally be on par with their defense. And their defense will be back on top of the fantasy football world as well.
WR Anthony Gonzalez- This one is easy. Marvin Harrison is gone, Gonzalez is a very good WR and very consistent. Peyton Manning and the Colts won’t miss a beat and in fact will be better because Harrison’s talent was down last year. This year he is completely out of the way and Gonzalez is about to reap the rewards.
QB Aaron Rodgers- I think Aaron is one of the top fantasy QBs. I would rank him 3rd right after Tom Brady and Drew Brees. I would have Peyton Manning 4th. I also think Rodgers has the upside to be fantasy’s number 1 QB this year.
RB Cedric Benson- He’s not very fast and he doesn’t break many tackles. However, he is pretty much all the Bengals have at RB. Benson may be boring but opportunity is all it takes sometimes. An average RB with plenty of chances will get fantasy points. Benson has new life now and sometimes all it takes is a new address to revive an underwhelming career.
WR Calvin Johnson- If Stafford turns out to be half the QB I think he’ll be, its game over for the rest of the NFL. Johnson was the second best WR in the game (Larry Fitzgerald was number 1) last year. He achieved that with virtually no QB. Imagine what he’ll do with some talent throwing him the ball.
RB LeSean McCoy (Rookie)- Following up to my last blog post. McCoy is the best RB in the draft, though he was drafted after Moreno and Wells. I am super high on this kid. He may not break out this year but that’s only because Westbrook is still there. McCoy is underrated and by the end of preseason he will no longer be a secret. Knowshon Moreno may have a more immediate impact because he’ll likely be the main guy in Denver but based purely on talent and future I will take McCoy.
WR Randy Moss- Tom Brady is back. What does that mean for Moss? Well that means that Moss is back. Cassel was a poor deep ball passer and Brady as we all know is not poor at doing anything. Moss will be back as a top 3 WR again.
WR Eddie Royal- Royal was the league’s best rookie WR last year. I think he’s legit. I view him as Santana Moss type talent. Small, fast, smart, runs great routes, and is a playmaker. This year he has Kyle Orton throwing him the ball instead of Jay Cutler. That’s not a bad thing. Orton spreads the ball around and is quite efficient when in the groove. Cutler locked into Brandon Marshall most of the time. I think Royal will continue his steady upward climb into being a great number 2 WR.
Guys I’m down on:
Michael Turner- I am a Michael Turner proponent and always have been. To me, he had his career year last year. He reached his productivity ceiling. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to be very good. I just don’t see him matching his totals from last year. He is on this list because you shouldn’t expect to see stats matching last year. I think the Atlanta offense will be slightly more balanced this year and some of Turner’s stats will suffer from a less opportunities. You can’t discount the effect that the addition of Tony Gonzalez will have in the redzone passing offense. Plus Matt Ryan will have a better grasp of the offense in year two and therefore will be trusted to have more on his shoulders.
DeAngelo Williams- First I want to say I am a fan of DeAngelo’s. I think he is a super talent. My opinion of his season last year was he kind of got into a groove the last half of the season and is unlikely to get there again on that level. Jonathan Stewart will factor in the offense more this year. Williams will not get the same opportunities he did last year. The talent and explosiveness is there to have the big games but Stewart shouldn’t be discounted. Williams is still a 1st round RB but I don’t see him approaching last year’s leading RB totals.
My Super Bowl:
New England Patriots VS Chicago Bears
Saturday, January 24, 2009
My Top Ten NFL Prospects of 2009
Below is my personal top 10 offensive NFL prospects list. My rankings are based strictly on how I believe they will do at the next level regardless of what they have achieved in college. This is ranking number 1 of two rankings I will do. This is the initial one based purely on talent. The second ranking will be after the actual draft in April once I see what team, coach, and system they will be playing in. I also have fantasy football in mind as I rank them.
1. Matthew Stafford (QB) Georgia- Stafford is ready for the pro game. He has battled some consistency issues throughout his career but he has the same qualities in him that Matt Ryan had at BC. Stafford looks the part and did it in a pro style offense. He may not be as good as Ryan but it’s close. He’ll be playing with one of the best wide outs in the game in Calvin Johnson, assuming that the Detroit Lions don’t make a huge mistake and pass him up.
2. LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh- While all the draft experts currently have McCoy ranked near the bottom of the first round, and as the 3rd best RB, I view him as the best RB available in the draft. At 5’10” 205 he has a pro RB frame. He looks like he could even fill out a little more too.
3. Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri- Crabtree is at the top of everyone’s draft lists at WR. I think that Maclin is THE premier WR that is entering the draft and will have the most immediate impact. Maclin will be an outstanding punt returner as well.
4. Mark Sanchez (QB) USC- Sanchez is going to be a solid pro. He has no real weaknesses but I think he needs to be parked the first year or two before he can assume control of a team. Aaron Rodgers type career path comes to mind if I were drafting him.
5. Michael Crabtree (WR) Texas Tech- I hate to drop him this low but I can’t help it. The eye tells me that he should succeed at the next level but my gut tells me something else. He’ll be solid but I just don’t see him being a dominant type WR at the pro level. I am prepared to be wrong on this one because, like I said, is just a gut feeling.
6. Percy Harvin (WR) Florida- Let me throw out a few names…Taylor Jacobs, Jacquez Green, Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, and Chad Jackson. Those are all former Florida Gator WRs who dominated in that gimmicky spread offense they run there. None have amounted to anything at the next level other than being mediocre at best WRs. The only thing I can say about Harvin is he seems to have a different gear and seems to be the fastest player on the field. I don’t trust any WR out of that system and history backs that assessment up. I won’t say Harvin won’t succeed but you can’t ignore the facts either. His game reminds me of the Eagles' DeShean Jackson. I think it is realistic for his ceiling to be the same as DeShean's.
7. Knowshon Moreno (RB) Georgia- If you like Cadillac Williams you’re going to like Moreno. They are the same mold of RB. Cadillac has battled injuries but there is a reason for that. His body isn’t cut out to take the pounding it takes to tote the rock at the next level as a primary RB. Moreno, in the right system, can be successful. If he goes to a two RB system he will have some value.
8. Hakeem Nicks (WR) North Carolina- He put himself into the national scene because he had an outstanding bowl game. He had a breakout game at the right time with a 200 yd plus game. He also will probably get an ESPY for best catch of the year. Regardless he has the tools and playmaking ability to make some noise at the next level.
9. Chris Wells (RB) Ohio State- I’m just going to say it. I am no fan of Chris Wells. I think he is overrated and is a decent power RB. I don’t see him amounting to much at the next level. I don’t see what the scouts see in him for him to be a first round pick AND to be rated higher than McCoy. We’ll see.
10. Brandon Tate (WR) North Carolina- Tate is my wildcard. He had season ending knee injury and surgery early in the season. You probably won’t hear much from him given that he will probably get drafted in round 3 or 4 but I can tell you the only reason for that is due to injury. I thought he was the best WR in the draft before the injury. He is expected to be 100% around April. Not sure if you’ll see him in the combine either. He has amazing hands. He’s big and fast. This is the guy I am rooting for my Dolphins to take in round 3 or 4 to give us a legit big body WR. He will be a risk due to the knee but at round 3 or 4 he will be worth it. FYI his college coach, Butch Davis, said that both Michael Irvin and Reggie Wayne had the same knee injury. They turned out fine didn’t they?
1. Matthew Stafford (QB) Georgia- Stafford is ready for the pro game. He has battled some consistency issues throughout his career but he has the same qualities in him that Matt Ryan had at BC. Stafford looks the part and did it in a pro style offense. He may not be as good as Ryan but it’s close. He’ll be playing with one of the best wide outs in the game in Calvin Johnson, assuming that the Detroit Lions don’t make a huge mistake and pass him up.
2. LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh- While all the draft experts currently have McCoy ranked near the bottom of the first round, and as the 3rd best RB, I view him as the best RB available in the draft. At 5’10” 205 he has a pro RB frame. He looks like he could even fill out a little more too.
3. Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri- Crabtree is at the top of everyone’s draft lists at WR. I think that Maclin is THE premier WR that is entering the draft and will have the most immediate impact. Maclin will be an outstanding punt returner as well.
4. Mark Sanchez (QB) USC- Sanchez is going to be a solid pro. He has no real weaknesses but I think he needs to be parked the first year or two before he can assume control of a team. Aaron Rodgers type career path comes to mind if I were drafting him.
5. Michael Crabtree (WR) Texas Tech- I hate to drop him this low but I can’t help it. The eye tells me that he should succeed at the next level but my gut tells me something else. He’ll be solid but I just don’t see him being a dominant type WR at the pro level. I am prepared to be wrong on this one because, like I said, is just a gut feeling.
6. Percy Harvin (WR) Florida- Let me throw out a few names…Taylor Jacobs, Jacquez Green, Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, and Chad Jackson. Those are all former Florida Gator WRs who dominated in that gimmicky spread offense they run there. None have amounted to anything at the next level other than being mediocre at best WRs. The only thing I can say about Harvin is he seems to have a different gear and seems to be the fastest player on the field. I don’t trust any WR out of that system and history backs that assessment up. I won’t say Harvin won’t succeed but you can’t ignore the facts either. His game reminds me of the Eagles' DeShean Jackson. I think it is realistic for his ceiling to be the same as DeShean's.
7. Knowshon Moreno (RB) Georgia- If you like Cadillac Williams you’re going to like Moreno. They are the same mold of RB. Cadillac has battled injuries but there is a reason for that. His body isn’t cut out to take the pounding it takes to tote the rock at the next level as a primary RB. Moreno, in the right system, can be successful. If he goes to a two RB system he will have some value.
8. Hakeem Nicks (WR) North Carolina- He put himself into the national scene because he had an outstanding bowl game. He had a breakout game at the right time with a 200 yd plus game. He also will probably get an ESPY for best catch of the year. Regardless he has the tools and playmaking ability to make some noise at the next level.
9. Chris Wells (RB) Ohio State- I’m just going to say it. I am no fan of Chris Wells. I think he is overrated and is a decent power RB. I don’t see him amounting to much at the next level. I don’t see what the scouts see in him for him to be a first round pick AND to be rated higher than McCoy. We’ll see.
10. Brandon Tate (WR) North Carolina- Tate is my wildcard. He had season ending knee injury and surgery early in the season. You probably won’t hear much from him given that he will probably get drafted in round 3 or 4 but I can tell you the only reason for that is due to injury. I thought he was the best WR in the draft before the injury. He is expected to be 100% around April. Not sure if you’ll see him in the combine either. He has amazing hands. He’s big and fast. This is the guy I am rooting for my Dolphins to take in round 3 or 4 to give us a legit big body WR. He will be a risk due to the knee but at round 3 or 4 he will be worth it. FYI his college coach, Butch Davis, said that both Michael Irvin and Reggie Wayne had the same knee injury. They turned out fine didn’t they?
Friday, January 23, 2009
Spread Offense = NFL BUSTS
I just want to write something really quick before I post my top 10 NFL offensive prospects of 2009. I’ve wanted to write about this for a while but I just didn’t know what to say about it other than the spread offense sucks. But really the spread offenses that more and more college teams are running delay or ruin the development of some of the best prospects in the game. Yes, they put up good numbers and looks fun, but in terms of getting these guys ready for the NFL it is horrible. The kids just aren’t ready for the next level. They are used to that “fast break”, shotgun offense and don’t really learn anything. It’s very gimmicky and does a big disservice to these kids. That’s why when I see draft experts rank Sam Bradford the number 1 QB I want to personally throw a flag at them.
Bradford decided to go back to school so it’s a moot point this year but that’s precisely why I still had Matthew Stafford ranked as the number 1 guy in my book over Bradford. Bradford may turn out to be a good pro but he’ll have to dump a lot of bad habits to make the jump. Stafford is more NFL ready.
The spread also hurts WRs. They never learn to run routes and their numbers are also skewed. I want to love WR Michael Crabtree because his talent seems unstoppable but I’ve been burned one too many times for believing the transition will be smooth. Crabtree is another product of the fast break offense of Texas Tech. Could he make a smooth transition? Yes. He’s tall and fast and on the surface looks like a can’t miss. But just off the top of my head, Redskins WR Malcom Kelly (Oklahoma) had similar credentials as Crabtree. Yes he battled injuries in his rookie year but he also struggled big time running routes. I was a big fan of Kelly’s and got burned. To Crabtree’s credit he is actually a better athlete than Kelly but I still remain skeptical. You know the old saying…fool me once….
That’s just a little bit of info I wanted to layout before I put out my rankings. I’ve been doing research for about 3 weeks and am almost ready to post the results of my top ten. If all goes as planned, expect the post to be up sometimes Saturday.
Bradford decided to go back to school so it’s a moot point this year but that’s precisely why I still had Matthew Stafford ranked as the number 1 guy in my book over Bradford. Bradford may turn out to be a good pro but he’ll have to dump a lot of bad habits to make the jump. Stafford is more NFL ready.
The spread also hurts WRs. They never learn to run routes and their numbers are also skewed. I want to love WR Michael Crabtree because his talent seems unstoppable but I’ve been burned one too many times for believing the transition will be smooth. Crabtree is another product of the fast break offense of Texas Tech. Could he make a smooth transition? Yes. He’s tall and fast and on the surface looks like a can’t miss. But just off the top of my head, Redskins WR Malcom Kelly (Oklahoma) had similar credentials as Crabtree. Yes he battled injuries in his rookie year but he also struggled big time running routes. I was a big fan of Kelly’s and got burned. To Crabtree’s credit he is actually a better athlete than Kelly but I still remain skeptical. You know the old saying…fool me once….
That’s just a little bit of info I wanted to layout before I put out my rankings. I’ve been doing research for about 3 weeks and am almost ready to post the results of my top ten. If all goes as planned, expect the post to be up sometimes Saturday.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Rivals or ESPN
With national signing day just around the corner (February 4th) I thought it would be fun to look back a few years and see how the top two websites have done in their rankings of highschool prospects. I’m going to look back from 2002 to present. The two main recruiting sites are Rivals.com and of course ESPN. The idea is to see how credible they are and the best way to grade them is to see how they have done in the past. So let’s review:
Rivals 2002
1. QB Vincent Young- Tennessee Titans 1st round pick
2. DT Hiloti Ngata- Baltimore Ravens 1st round pick
ESPN 2002
1. QB Ben Olson- Bust
2. RB Maurice Clarett- Jail?
Rivals 2003
1. LB Ernie Sims- Detroit Lions 1st round pick
2. RB Reggie Bush- New Orleans Saints 1st round pick
ESPN 2003
1. QB Chris Leak- Not drafted but had great college career at UF
2. QB Kyle Wright- Not drafted and was a bust at UM
Rivals 2004
1. RB Adrian Peterson- Minnesota Vikings 1st round pick and arguably best RB in the NFL
2. Tedd Ginn Jr.- Miami Dolphins 1st round pick
ESPN 2004
Couldn’t find
Rivals 2005
1. WR Derrick Williams- Projected as 2nd round pick in 2009 draft
2. WR Patrick Turner- He was a USC WR and is a Senior Bowl invitee for 2009
ESPN 2005
Couldn’t find
Rivals 2006
1. WR Percy Harvin- Has entered 2009 draft and is projected 1st round pick
2. OT Andre Smith- Has entered 2009 draft and is projected top 5 pick
ESPN 2006
1. S Myron Rolle- Would be 1st round pick if he entered but is accepting Rhodes scholarship in 2009- translation, the dude has a really high IQ
2. Percy Harvin- See above
Rivals 2007
1. QB Jimmy Clausen- Currently starting QB for Notre Dame
2. RB Joe McKnight- Currently starting RB for USC
ESPN 2007
1. RB Joe McKnight- See above
2. LB Chris Galippo- Still playing at USC and will be RS junior in 2009
Rivals 2008
1. QB Terrelle Pryor- Has made an immediate impact at Penn St as starting QB in his freshman year
2. DE DaQuan Bowers- Too soon to tell
ESPN 2008
1. DaQuan Bowers- Too soon to tell
2. Julio Jones- Looks to be the real deal and future NFL 1st round pick
So it looks to me that ESPN has some catching up to do but they also have partnered up with Scouts Inc since 2006 and their rankings seem to have improved. But Rivals has been pretty consistent the whole time. This year’s top two players are:
Rivals 2009
1. RB Bryce Brown- In my opinion Bryce Brown is the second coming of Adrian Peterson. He is a current University of Miami commit but has said right now he is leaning to Oregon. Regardless of who he plays for keep track of this guy because he will be playing on Sundays in 3 years.
2. WR Rueben Randle- There is a lot of buzz about Randle like it was last year about Julio Jones. Right now he remains undecided. His top 5 considerations are Alabama (yikes him and Julio Jones on same team), LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, & Oklahoma.
ESPN 2009
1. QB Matt Barkley- He looked impressive in the US Army high school all star game. He’s going to USC and seems to be the same mold of QB that has been at USC for the past decade.
2. LB Manti Te’ O- I honestly don’t know a lot about this kid other than he is from Hawaii and he is undecided to where he’s going to school.
Rivals 2002
1. QB Vincent Young- Tennessee Titans 1st round pick
2. DT Hiloti Ngata- Baltimore Ravens 1st round pick
ESPN 2002
1. QB Ben Olson- Bust
2. RB Maurice Clarett- Jail?
Rivals 2003
1. LB Ernie Sims- Detroit Lions 1st round pick
2. RB Reggie Bush- New Orleans Saints 1st round pick
ESPN 2003
1. QB Chris Leak- Not drafted but had great college career at UF
2. QB Kyle Wright- Not drafted and was a bust at UM
Rivals 2004
1. RB Adrian Peterson- Minnesota Vikings 1st round pick and arguably best RB in the NFL
2. Tedd Ginn Jr.- Miami Dolphins 1st round pick
ESPN 2004
Couldn’t find
Rivals 2005
1. WR Derrick Williams- Projected as 2nd round pick in 2009 draft
2. WR Patrick Turner- He was a USC WR and is a Senior Bowl invitee for 2009
ESPN 2005
Couldn’t find
Rivals 2006
1. WR Percy Harvin- Has entered 2009 draft and is projected 1st round pick
2. OT Andre Smith- Has entered 2009 draft and is projected top 5 pick
ESPN 2006
1. S Myron Rolle- Would be 1st round pick if he entered but is accepting Rhodes scholarship in 2009- translation, the dude has a really high IQ
2. Percy Harvin- See above
Rivals 2007
1. QB Jimmy Clausen- Currently starting QB for Notre Dame
2. RB Joe McKnight- Currently starting RB for USC
ESPN 2007
1. RB Joe McKnight- See above
2. LB Chris Galippo- Still playing at USC and will be RS junior in 2009
Rivals 2008
1. QB Terrelle Pryor- Has made an immediate impact at Penn St as starting QB in his freshman year
2. DE DaQuan Bowers- Too soon to tell
ESPN 2008
1. DaQuan Bowers- Too soon to tell
2. Julio Jones- Looks to be the real deal and future NFL 1st round pick
So it looks to me that ESPN has some catching up to do but they also have partnered up with Scouts Inc since 2006 and their rankings seem to have improved. But Rivals has been pretty consistent the whole time. This year’s top two players are:
Rivals 2009
1. RB Bryce Brown- In my opinion Bryce Brown is the second coming of Adrian Peterson. He is a current University of Miami commit but has said right now he is leaning to Oregon. Regardless of who he plays for keep track of this guy because he will be playing on Sundays in 3 years.
2. WR Rueben Randle- There is a lot of buzz about Randle like it was last year about Julio Jones. Right now he remains undecided. His top 5 considerations are Alabama (yikes him and Julio Jones on same team), LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, & Oklahoma.
ESPN 2009
1. QB Matt Barkley- He looked impressive in the US Army high school all star game. He’s going to USC and seems to be the same mold of QB that has been at USC for the past decade.
2. LB Manti Te’ O- I honestly don’t know a lot about this kid other than he is from Hawaii and he is undecided to where he’s going to school.
Friday, January 9, 2009
BCS Title Game
It's been slow on the blogging lately but I have not quit. I just haven't really had anything that I felt I wanted to write about lately. I'm enjoying the NFL playoffs so far and we just completed the BCS title game. Speaking of the BCS title game, it didn't feel like a championship game. It felt like another big bowl game. It was a good game and two very good teams played. We all know the flaws. USC and Texas deserved to have a chance at the title but it didn't turn out that way. What are you going to do? I can't say I feel bad for either school because Miami has been hosed by the system before as well. I will not have any sympathy for Utah either. If you want to play for a title and you play in a small conference you HAVE to schedule at least 1 or 2 nonconference tough opponents. The Utes didn't make an argument until they beat Bama in the big bowl game. That's too late. If they had beaten a top team, like all the other schools did they would have had an argument. The thing is when undefeated Hawaii got embarrassed by Georgia last year it showed why an undefeated record is not enough. You have to be tested in the regular season. But Utah wants the best of both worlds. They want a cupcake schedule and they want to be thought of as a title contender. I don't think it's fair to the other schools that have a tough road to get there. Either way, the current system is going to screw at least one school every year, and like this year, sometimes several schools. It's about money and CFB is doing very well. They don't have enough incentive to change. Until they are not pleased with revenue it will not change.
NFL Draft:
Sometimes this month I will break down the top 10 draft prospects on the offensive side. I can’t do it right now because we are still waiting to get all the underclassmen to announce their declaration. I think they have another week until the deadline. Once the deadline passes I will break it down. Then after the draft I will do another breakdown based on what teams take them.
NFL Draft:
Sometimes this month I will break down the top 10 draft prospects on the offensive side. I can’t do it right now because we are still waiting to get all the underclassmen to announce their declaration. I think they have another week until the deadline. Once the deadline passes I will break it down. Then after the draft I will do another breakdown based on what teams take them.
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