Lakers re-sign Lamar Odom...

The Los Angeles Lakers all but assured themselves of repeating as NBA Champions by finally coming to terms with Lamar Odom. Odom's new contract is worth $33 million over 4-years with the Lakers getting the option on his fourth year. This ended a month long tense negotiation between the two that was on the rocks at one point when Odom flirted with signing elsewhere. He finally realized his best chance at getting paid and winning another championship was in Los Angeles with the recent addition of Ron Artest and of course Kobe not opting out of his contract. Odom helped the Lakers claim their 15th NBA title in June averaging 12.3 points and 9.1 boards during the playoffs while coming off the bench. All of the other teams in the West have made moves but none of them have made a big enough splash to dethrone the Lakers.

Vikings' Kenechi Udeze retires from the NFL...

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze retired Thursday a year and a half after being diagnosed with leukemia and taking a leave of absence for the entire 2008 season to under go chemotherapy treatment. After the leukemia went into remission Udeze attempted a comeback this offseason rehabilitating at his Alma mater USC and even participating in organized team activities in May but the side effects of the chemotherapy treatment were too much to overcome and he cut short his inspirational return to the team. The Vikings selected Udeze with the their first round pick in 2004 and during his career he played in 51 games recording 117 total tackles and 11 sacks. While working out at USC he took classes and will probably return to the Vikings in some capacity in the future.

Steelers re-sign Heath Miller for 6-years...

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Heath Miller agreed to a 6-year contract extension yesterday. This is a great move by the Steelers because Heath is a proven winner(2 Super Bowls in 4 years) and he is vital to the success of their offense. Miller is probably the best blocking tight end in the league and is a viable threat in the passing game but due to the inconsistencies on the offensive line Miller has had to stay in and block more often then Big Ben or Mike Tomlin would like. Over his four year career Miller has accumulated 1,932 yards and 21 touchdowns off of 168 receptions. The new contract for Miller will keep him with the Steelers through the 2014 season.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away at age 68...

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away yesterday at the age of 68 after succumbing to a battle with cancer. Johnson took a leave of absence from the team in May so he could focus full time on fighting the tumor that was found on his spine. Johnson was extremely influential in how defenses have approached the game over the last 10-15 years. He is famous for bringing a tough physical defense to Philadelphia in a scheme that attacked the offense with blitzes from all different angles and on either side of the line. As a Steelers fan I always respected Johnson for his blitzing schemes and hated/loved watching the two teams play because they were so similar in defensive schemes and it was usually a knock down drag out fight and whoever had the ball last usually won. Jim Johnson will be sorely missed in the NFL and my condolences go out to his friends and family.
R.I.P. Jim Johnson 1941-2009

Hornets land Okafor in trade with Bobcats...

The New Orleans Hornets have just upgraded big time on the offensive end of the floor by trading Tyson Chandler to the Charlotte Bobcats for Emeka Okafor. The Hornets have been trying to get rid of Chandler for the last few months(they even unsuccessfully traded him before the deadline only for it to fall through) because he has a high salary and he has low offensive numbers, so they were glad to finally get rid of him. Emeka Okafor gives the Hornets a solid low post scorer whose numbers should improve playing next to Chris Paul plus he still brings most of the defensive grit and toughness that Chandler had. Okafor makes about a million less than Chandler but his contract is longer which gives the Hornets more cap room over the next few years.
This move doesn't make much sense for the Bobcats who traded away their first ever draft choice and all around best player. Larry Brown wanted Chandler because of his versatility on the defensive end and is probably thinking he could turn him into a player similar to what he had in Ben Wallace in Detroit.The Bobcats were on the brink of making the playoffs last year and now they trade away their most consistent player and bring in a guy who has very little range on the offensive end, how does that help the team? Plus Chandler missed significant time last year(which was why the previous attempt to trade him fell through) and he had offseason surgery to help clean up his injury problem.
I'm sure both teams feel like they got what they wanted but I see the Bobcats taking a big step back next season and they will not be close to making the playoffs. The Hornets will improve but the West is deep and loaded and CP3 and Okafor will have to step their games up to another level for them to make any big noise in the playoffs.

Brett Favre to stay retired...

In a weird twist to the Brett Favre saga he has announced he will stay retired. And just let me thank god! He should have never played in New York last year and he definitely should not play in Minnesota this year, he is ruining his legacy with his antics over the last few years. He only wanted to stick it to the Packers GM for letting him go but it was Brett's fault for retiring and then deciding with a few weeks to go before training camp that he wanted to come back, well to bad Brett. The funny thing about this now is that the QBs who remain with Minnesota will have to face questions from the media about the team not trusting them or thinking they are good enough to lead the team. I don't know what kind of men Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels are but I'd be pretty upset with the coaching staff and I would use it as motivation to lead the team and then demand more money from the them after the season or just sign elsewhere. If Brett had come back this year he would have set the team back a few years just like he did with the Jets because he would have hampered the progress of Jackson if he didn't lead them to a Super Bowl he would have probably come back again and further hindered the future of the franchise because they still wouldn't have a franchise QB. Of course Brett still has a few days to change his mind but I hope he sticks with this decision.

BCS to expand who gets into the Rose Bowl...

In a shocking move by the Bowl Championship Series they will allow more teams to have an opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl. The Big-10 and PAC-10 winners will still play in the Rose Bowl(like the elitists want) but if one or both of those teams play in the BCS National Title game then the "grandaddy of them all" will be opened to the at-large teams. This a great move and a step in the right direction for college football, sure it's not a playoff yet but it shows that the BCS is willing to change in the face of demands.
This in no way takes away from the tradition of the Rose Bowl if anything it increases the intrigue for everybody watching the game plus it keeps that bowl game fresh and entertaining instead of watching USC whoop whoever doesn't make it to the "automatic bid" for the National Title game from the Big-10. In most years if USC or Ohio State don't slip up once, they would play in the national title game and who wants to see a matchup between second rate teams from either conference who probably don't deserve to be there when there are more qualified teams for other conferences. It is a privilege to play in the BCS bowl games and not a right like most of those colleges feel since they come from a certain conference.
This is great for college football because they are opening up their system to include the smaller schools/conferences who have earned the right to play in a big money bowl game and actually need the money instead of keeping the teams that feel entitled to it because of their conference affiliation and who already share in the profits when another Big-10/Pac-10 team plays in a BCS bowl. Now if only they would just open all bowl games so that the best teams play in them then college football would be on the right path to fixing their monopoly of keeping smaller schools out of the big paydays.

Vick conditionally reinstated by the NFL...

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally reinstated Michael Vick today. The conditions are that he can sign with a team, participate in practices, training camp, and meetings, and he can play in the last two preseason games but he will be unable to play in regular season games until possibly October.
This is a good move by the commish because at this point in the offseason Vick is at a disadvantage right now because he doesn't know any teams playbook and there are still questions as to whether he is in game shape or not. The only problem I have with this is that I don't think the NFL should set those rules, I think it should be on the team who signs Vick to decide what he partakes in, the NFL should have just said he is free to sign with a team but he is still suspended indefinitely(Week 6).
Right now there are no vocal takers for Vick's services but I'm sure there are a few teams who would like him on their roster and once camps start injuries will force someone to take a look at Vick. I welcome him back he has a right to do what he loves and he has already paid his debt to society. It will be exciting to see where he lands and how he is used in that team's system. I'm not sure who will take him, maybe New England but I don't know if the owner wants that kind of publicity, or possibly Dallas since Jerry Jones is looking to sell seats to his new Billion dollar stadium, or San Fransisco who still needs a QB, or maybe Denver since their coach ran the other QB out of town but whoever he signs with they shouldn't be expecting huge dividends in his first season.

NFL to expand the draft to three days...

In a money making move the NFL has decided to move the NFL draft next season to three days starting in prime time on Thursday, Friday, and wrapping up Saturday afternoon/evening. The move is smart on their part because they could potentially make a lot of money from this with revenues generated from selling commercials during the busiest night in television. This affects the fans though(which is what usually happens when businesses make decisions based on money) because now they will have to sacrifice a couple of week nights to watch this. I didn't like the fact that they switched the starting time for this past draft because I loved the idea of rolling out of bed at noon, turning on the t.v. for the draft, settling in with a big bowl of cereal, and not really moving until my team selected their player. Who wants to change their schedule on a Friday night to stay home and watch the second round of the draft? Not many people that I know would do that, I'm not even sure I would and I love the NFL draft. Oh well I guess the fans get screwed again what can you do? Do you like the idea of the NFL moving the day of the draft? Let me know, leave a comment or email me at wordlife56@hotmail.com

Mark Buehrle tosses 2nd career perfect game against the Rays...

I don't like baseball but this is pretty impressive and it needs mentioning , I mean come on how often does a guy pitch a perfect game, I think the last time it happened was 5 years ago(Randy Johnson was the last in 2004 for the Arizona Diamondbacks) and only 18 times has a guy thrown for perfection. Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle pitched his second career perfect game yesterday while knocking off the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0. Buehrle threw 116 pitches with 76 of them being for strikes which lead to him striking out six batters. This was a clutch performance at its best because the Rays are very good young team, the win moved the Sox within percentage points of the Tigers for the lead in the AL Central(with a series between the two this weekend), and their were some late game heroics to preserve the perfect game. It was in the top of the ninth when manager Ozzie Guillen decided to put DeWayne Wise in at center field for more defense and the move would turn out to be great as a leaping Wise robbed Gabe Kaplar of a lead off home run, he even bobbled it which also added to the dramatics before he ultimately secured the ball for the out. Buerhle would go on to strike out the next batter and forced the final hitter to ground out. Josh Fields hit a grand slam in the second inning and Alexi Ramirez scored Scott Posednik in the fifth while helping Mark Buehrle improve his overall record to 11-3. Buehrle even got a call from President Obama after the game congratulating him on his perfect game.

NFL Preseason Power rankings 32-23...

With the start of training camp a week away I will present my NFL power rankings. Sure anything can happen between now and the start of the season(Roesthlisberger eventually being suspended for the rape allegations) but talking about the NFL is just to fun, actually it's way more fun than talking or watching baseball. Plus there are no new stories involving the NBA, NHL, or college sports so here are the NFL preseason power rankings starting with 32-23...

32. Oakland Raiders: The Raiders have a lot of glaring holes across the board, Tom Cable is a lame duck coach and Al Davis is no longer relevant in today's NFL
31. St. Louis Rams: The Rams have a new coach and very little help on the offensive side of the ball for Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson. Defense has youth but they are not prepared to win now
30. N.Y. Jets: New coach, new quarterback, and new defense will make for a long season in New York. The defense will eventually solidify but Brett Favre set this offense back a few year and they have no replacement for Laverneous Coles
29. Detroit Lions: The Lions have made a lot of smart moves this offseason and there is nowhere to go for this team but up and this team will be more physical and will not lay down for teams this year
28. Cleveland Browns: New coach, same coaching tree. The Browns have not settled on a QB yet and they traded away Kellen Winslow and there is no true #2 option at wideout
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs fired their coach and they got rid of the only QB who won games for them the last few years. They cut ties with Derrick Brooks and they will have a rookie starting at QB
26.Denver Broncos: New coach Josh McDaniels traded away franchise QB Jay Cutler and star receiver Brandon Marshall wants out. Oh yeah Denver had one of the worst defenses last year but they brought in a lot of help but will it add up?
25. Kansas City Chiefs: Fiery head coach and Matt Cassel at QB should make this team better but they still lack playmakers on defense and they need someone else to catch the ball besides Dwayne Bowe
24. San Fransisco 49ers: Mike Singletary himself makes this team better plus they picked up a game changer in Michael Crabtree. They need consistency at QB and they need playmakers on defense
23.Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars hope they addressed their offensive line needs but they lack quality receivers outside of Torry Holt and their are questions as to whether Maurice Jones Drew can carry the load? Defense has questions also but they usually put together a quality defense each year

Roethlisberger faces civil suit accusing him of sexual assualt...

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is being sued in a civil suit by a girl in Nevada claiming he sexually assaulted her in 2008. I'm a huge Steelers fan and this makes me really mad/sad that Ben would put himself in a situation like this, he may not have done anything but he still put himself in a position to be taken advantage of my this girl and adds a distraction for the team heading into training camp. The accuser has a nice well thought out story but when the situation in question happened over a year ago you have enough time to corroborate a story and can make sure there are very little loop holes. A few of the questionable elements in her story is that she told him she was not taking any birth control(who tells that to someone who is raping you?), why didn't she make maintenance check out his room instead of doing it herself, and finally her lawyer said going to management is the equivalent to going to the police in Nevada(that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, it's absolutely ludicrous to say that it is well known that you don't go to the police if you've already talked to management). In this day and age I would not put it pass Big Ben to do something like this(players now a days have everything handed to them and they feel entitled to everything/anyone in their world) but I've met him briefly and he seemed like a cool guy and he always seems like a humble down-to-earth guy both when I met him and also during interviews. In my opinion Ben had sex with this girl and now she thinks she can get something from him. The timing of the suit is skeptical with her filing after the Super Bowl and just before the start of training camp(probably hoping to make a distraction for him and the team) and oh yeah it was a year after the incident in question took place. Big Ben has released a statement through his lawyer and they are denying the allegations and saying he will cooperate with any investigation if it gets that far. I'm waiting for more of this story to come out because the whole thing seems fishy and very similar to the Kobe Bryant case from a few years ago. It's also interesting to note that the greatest sporting news organization has not covered the story in any capacity(there are even rumors that the higher ups told the anchors to not cover it) but I guess when you create the stories you cover there is very little room to report on what is actually going on, plus why would they want to bump Brett Favre from the headlines?

NFL coaches on the hotseat...

In the NFL every year there are coaches that are on the hot seat, 2009 is no exception. There are 11 teams breaking in new headsets for the big guy with the clip board, who knows how many will be doing the same in 2010. I think this off season you will see a bunch of retreads getting hired, mostly due to the fact that there are some really good coaches out there. I'm sure there will be some guys who get fired that don't deserve it and there are others who do deserve it but won't for what ever reason. Here are the coaches that have short leashes(needs to make playoffs/Super Bowl) and the others are guys who have just over stayed their welcome and there possible replacements...

John Fox, Carolina Panthers(68-42): Every year the Panthers are Super Bowl contenders and every season except 2003 Carolina has come up short of this goal. The Panthers have one of the most talented defenses in the league, they have a top-5 wide receiver in Steve Smith, and now they have have one of the best running games with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart yet the Panthers are routinely not in the playoffs or they are out in the first round. John Fox took over a 1-15 team in 2002 and turned them into a 7-9 team in his first season. The Panthers made the Super Bowl in Fox's second year by going 11-5. Fox then took the Panthers to the NFC Championship in 2005 losing to the overrated Seattle Seahawks, this is the last time the Panthers made the NFC title game. Carolina would miss the playoffs in 2006 and 2007 before putting together a 12-4 season in 2008 where they once again were shellacked by an over rated NFC West team the Arizona Cardinals. If Fox does not lead this team to the Super Bowl he should be gone, especially with Bill Cowher still looking for a job(Cowher would be the coach that could get this team over the hump).Replacement: Bill Cowher

Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills(57-77): Look Dick Jauron should be lucky just to have a job, he's not that good of a coach and there are more qualified people out there. He should have been fired last year after they started 4-0 and collapsed and went 7-9. He has not had a winning season in Buffalo(only one winning season in his career) and sadly the pick up of Terrell Owens will not help him. Buffalo should already be trying to get a hold of Jon Gruden, Mike Shanahan, or Marty Schottenheimer because Dick Jauron will be gone before the New Year. If Buffalo makes the playoffs then Dick should be around for another year. Replacement: Marty Schottenheimer

Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals(46-49-1): Marvin Lewis has over stayed his welcome, he hasn't done that much to warrant still being a head coach. He took the Bengals to their first playoff birth in 2005 by going 11-5 but they lost in the first round of the playoffs and they have digressed every year since then. The players that have been brought into Cincinnati have given the franchise a black eye and the majority of that should fall on Lewis. 2005 was Lewis' most successful season, he has won 8 games three times and has had losing seasons the last 2 years, he needs to go. I'm not sure who the Bengals should bring in but they should be a disciplinarian with a no nonsense attitude(Jon Gruden anyone?). The only thing Lewis has going for him is the return of Carson Palmer which may very well get Lewis another year in Cincinnati. They need to make the playoffs for Lewis to keep his job. Replacement: Jon Gruden or some new guy, who knows with Bungals

Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys(61-46): Wade Phillips is another guy that shouldn't be a head coach. If the Cowboys don't get off to a fast start he will be gone and Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett will be the new man in town. Phillips couldn't handle T.O. the last two years and that really hurt the team, they have had one of the most dangerous offenses yet they have not won a playoff game in over a decade. I don't see Phillips making it to 2010 as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, but if he does stay around it will have meant that he won a playoff game. Replacement: Jason Garrett

Jim Zorn, Washington Redskins(8-8): With big names sitting out there like Shanahan and Cowher, Zorn needs to win now. Daniel Snyder is enamoured by the high priced coaches and Jim Zorn hasn't turned out to be the offensive genius that Snyder wanted. I'm not saying he deserves to be fired if the Redskins don't make the playoffs, I'm just saying with crazy Snyder running the team Zorn is on a very short leash. The Skins went 6-2 to begin the season and then they faded down the stretch, if they have a repeat performance the owner could have a knee jerk reaction and Zorn will be gone before the end of the regular season. Replacement: Mike Shanahan

AFC West preview...

San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are the best team in the AFC West with the most "proven" head coach(and by proven I mean the only guy who has been a head coach before) and the most talent probably in the NFL. Philip Rivers has turned into a nice option at the quarterback spot and he earned a lot of respect from his team mates over the last few years, playing injured in the AFC Championship game in 2007 and leading the team back from an 0-3 start last year to make the playoffs. LaDanian Tomlinson should be determined to prove the critics wrong that he is washed up and the Chargers locked up his back up Darren Sproles for a few years so the running attack will be intact. Antonio Gates is one of the best tight ends in the league even though he consistently plays through injuries. Vincent Jackson is looking to be the main wide receiver for the Chargers coming off of a career season with over 1,000 yards receiving and 7 TDs, since Chris Chambers has yet to live up to his billing putting up only 33 catches for 462 yards and 5 Tds. The offensive line returns all of last years starters and they are deep up front also. On the defensive side the Chargers will get a big lift from the returning Shawne Merriman who missed most of 2008 due to a knee injury. Up front the defense is anchored by Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo but the unit doesn't stop there, they have quality depth in Andre Coleman and Jacques Cesaire. Merriman joins a linebacking group that consists of Shaun Phillips, Matt Wilhelm, Stephen Cooper, and Brandon Siler, so this unit is pretty deep and loaded. Antonio Cromartie had a tremendous rookie season in 2007 but faced injuries and was picked on by offenses and he wasn't able to capture the magic again, but he should recover and have a solid 2009. Quentin Jammer is opposite Cromartie and while Jammer isn't the greatest cover guy he is good enough to get by with in the weak AFC West. Eric Weddle and Clinton Hart man the safety positions which is probably the weakest unit for the defense but that is due to their inability to make big plays. The Chargers are talented and deep but they play in probably the weakest division in the NFL which will hurt them come playoff time. Key Games: The Chargers have home match ups with the Ravens in Week 2, the Dolphins in Week 3, the Eagles in Week 10, and the Redskins to wrap up the regular season. San Diego has road contests against Pittsburgh in Week 4, New York to face the Giants in Week 9, Dallas in Week 14, and Tennessee in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 12-4, Division winner, #3 seed

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs fired the laid back Herm Edwards and brought in the fiery young Todd Haley. Oh yeah they also brought in Scott Pioli from New England who also brought along Matt Cassel with him too. The Chiefs question at quarterback is whether or not Cassel is the real deal or just a one year wonder. Dwayne Bowe had a nice rookie season putting up 1,022 yards and 7 TDs with no stability at the QB position so his numbers should increase significantly with a good QB. Mark Bradley came over from the Bears but Bradley has never put up good numbers so the Chiefs will probably have to look elsewhere to take the pressure off of Bowe. Larry Johnson seems to be happy and when he is happy he is a top-5 running back in the NFL. The Chiefs traded away Tony Gonzalez with no replacement so they will take a hit there since he has been their best and most consistent weapon on offense. The Chiefs have a young talented line that will only get better with playing time, the unit is lead by the young Brandon Albert and the experienced Barry Waters and Mike Goff. The defensive side features a new coordinator in Clancy Pendergrass and a new set of linebackers who bring lots of experience. The d-line is anchored by a pair of former teammates in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, they are both young and the last time they played together they dominated and led L.S.U. to a national title so the Chiefs have high hopes for the tandem. Tamba Hali makes the switch to linebacker as the defense transitions from 4-3 to 3-4 so who knows how Hali will adjust to his new position. Mike Vrabel and Zack Thomas joins Derrick Johnson to round out an experienced group of players. The secondary will be the weak link for the defense with all the players being inexperienced but talented. The most talented player is Brandon Flowers but who knows how good he can be when he is surrounded by inexperienced else where so the onus for the defense falls on the front 7. The Chiefs will be better than last year and the pieces are in place for the future but they will have to wait a few more years. Key Games: The Chiefs have home games with the Giants in Week 4, the Cowboys in Week 5, the Steelers in Week 11, and the Bills in Week 14. Kansas City travels for road contests with Baltimore in Week 1, Philadelphia in Week 3, Washington in Week 6, and Jacksonville in Week 9. 2009 overall record: 5-11

Denver Broncos: The Broncos fired Mike Shannahan and brought in first year head coach Josh McDaniels to take over this once proud franchise. Well so far it has not worked out because McDaniels traded away franchise QB Jay Cutler and got Kyle Orton in return and now star wide receiver Brandon Marshall also wants out of Denver, so things aren't going very well in Denver right now. Orton and Chris Simms are competing for the starting job and neither of them have done very much in the league to be warranted the starter. Marshall said he will show up for training camp which is good for Denver because they don't have much depth at the position, Eddie Royal had a good rookie season but if he were thrust into the starting role he wouldn't have defenses worrying about Marshall and he wouldn't have Cutler throwing to him. The Broncos had a plethora of running backs on the IR last season so they went out and addressed the problem by drafting Knowshon Moreno and signing Corell Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan, but the entire group has never been the premier back in a system so who knows how good they will be. The tight end spot is the deepest for the offense with Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham being good enough to start elsewhere. The offensive line has young talented players but how is the unit going to deal with a new o-line coach who will eventually change the blocking schemes. The defense was horrible last year and the Broncos made a lot of changes through free agency. The biggest move was bringing in Brian Dawkins to provide leadership in both the locker room and on the field. Andre Goodman was brought in to sure up the cornerback spot opposite Champ Bailey, but after those two the secondary is pretty shallow. Andra Davis left Cleveland for Denver and he joins D.J. Williams to form a pretty solid linebacking duo. Elvis Dumervil will make the switch from defensive end to outside linebacker which should suit him better since he was undersized as a DE. The weak spot for Denver's defense is the front line, they don't have any size or talent and they all lack experience. This is a transition year for the Broncos and they will suffer big time due to not having any experience across the board. Key Games: The Broncos host home games with the the Cowboys in Week 4, the Patriots in Week 5, the Steelers in Week 9, and the Giants in Week 12. Denver travels for road games against Baltimore in Week 8, Washington in Week 10, Indianapolis in Week 14, and Philadelphia in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 4-12

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders brought back Tom Cable, not sure why, but he will probably be fired before the end of the season so who cares. The Raiders brought in Jeff Garcia to push JaMarcus Russell but Garcia really should be the starter if this team wants to win now. The Raiders have probably the worst receivers in the history of the NFL, I think a little league team has better receivers, and they passed up on a sure thing in Michael Crabtree so they could go with the potential of Darrius Hayward-Bey. Heyward-Bey has a lot of upside but this team needs game changers right now and they will have to wait for him to make a difference. Javon Walker is staring opposite DHB but he has not been productive since he had Brett Favre throwing to him about 5 years ago. Zack Miller is about the only trustworthy option to catch the ball for this team. The Raiders are deep at running back with Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, and Darren McFadden, each one brings their own set of skills to the backfield and if either Russell or Garcia wants to make it through this year the running backs need to step up. The offensive line is young and has some talent but Robert Gallery is the biggest example of this teams problems, they draft players high, throw them into the fire and then they don't succeed. On the defensive side the main bright spot for Oakland is Nmandi Asomugha who many consider to be the best cover corner in the league. Michael Huff is another guy Oakland has had high hopes for but has yet to step up and contribute. Tom Kelly is the best of the d-line but that's not saying much for this group because he is surrounded by a bunch of no-namers. The Raiders are screwed until Al Davis sells the team or dies and this will be another top-10 draft pick in 2010. Key Games: The Raiders have home match ups versus the Eagles in Week 6 and Baltimore to finish the regular season. Oakland has road games at Houston in Week 4, New York to take on the Giants in Week 5, Dallas in Week 12, Pittsburgh in Week 13, and Cleveland in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 1-15

AFC South preview...

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts lost Tony Dungy which is huge but they were prepared for it and had already named Jim Caldwell as the heir apparent. But the ship will always be right in Indianapolis as long as Peyton Manning is the quarterback. The Colts let go of half the greatest QB/WR combination in NFL history in Marvin Harrison but he played very little last year due to injuries so replacing will not be hard for this team. Reggie Wayne had a Pro Bowl season last year and he returns along with Anthony Gonzalez. Gonzalez has yet to step up like the Colts have hoped for but he will be thrust into the spotlight with no other threat at the wideout position. Dallas Clark is always reliable and he provides the true #2 option for Manning when Wayne can't get open. The Colts drafted Donald Brown due to Joseph Addai's inability to stay healthy, but can he be relied upon to block on third downs and pick up the difficult blitz packages that will be thrown his way? The offensive line was banged up last year with Ryan Lilja missing the entire 2008 season and Jeff Saturday missed the first 5 games of the season, but they are both healthy and are ready to return. The injuries to Saturday and Lilja should prove to be beneficial because the guys who filled in for them are now backup with a lot of experience if someone else goes down. On the defensive side of the ball the Colts line is anchored by the quick sack master Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis but the rest of the line is inexperienced and they lack the big play capabilities that are needed to free up the linebackers. Gary Brackett mans the middle of the defense, but he missed the last 5 games of the season, and he is flanked with Clint Session but the rest of the group is really young and inexperienced. The most dangerous group of the defense is the secondary lead by Bob Sanders who is an animal at the safety position but he hasn't been able to stay healthy lately. Antoine Bethea mans the other safety spot and the cornerback spots are filled by young but talented players like Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden. This team will make the playoffs every year as long as Manning is around but the question is how will they handle losing such a great coach in Tony Dungy, once again the Colts will make an early playoff exit. Key Games: The Colts have home games with the Seahawks in Week 4 and the Patriots in Week10. Indianapolis travels for road contests with Miami in Week 2, Arizona in Week 3, Baltimore in Week 11, and Buffalo to wrap up the regular season. 2009 overall record: 12-4, Division winner, #2 seed

Tennessee Titans: The Titans lost Albert Haynesworth to the Redskins and they plan on using a committee to replace him. On offense the Titans re-signed Kerry Collins and they upgraded at the wide receiver spot. Collins is backed up by Vince Young who has rededicated himself to the team and the game of football but he will not get a chance to show himself off unless Collins gets injured or has a horrible start to the season. Since they lacked quality receivers last year they went out and signed Nate Washington to stretch the field for Collins and they drafted Kenny Britt to be their red zone threat that is big and strong. Justin Gage is back for the Titans but he has yet to prove himself as more than just a third option at receiver. Thunder and Lightning is back but Lightning(Chris Johnson) wants to make a name for himself so that leaves Thunder(LenDale White) out on his own. I'm sure they will be able to coexist this season but the writing is on the wall for White to be gone by the start of the 2010 season. The Titans had one of the best offensive lines last year and they return all starters including Pro Bowler Kevin Mawae at center. On defense the departure of Haynesworth leaves a huge void that the Titans hope will be filled be a rotating cast of at least four. Tony Brown, Jovan Haye, Sen'Derrick Marks, and Jason Jones make up the group to replace Haynseworth but none of them have the size or overall playmaking ability to completely make up for the loss of the 100 million dollar man. Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse will bring the heat off the edges once again but they only combined for 9 sacks last year, so they will also need to step up for the loss of Haynesworth. The linbacking group(Keith Bullock, David Thornton, and Stephen Tulloch) will probably benefit the most from Haynesworth's departure, since he made a lot of plays in the backfield, but that may not lead to many wins for the team. The secondary was dangerous last year and they will only get better with experience but Chris Hope, Michael Griffin, Nick Harper, and Cortland Finnegan will need to be better because offenses will have more opportunities to attack them with the big fella not being around. The Titans will be a good team without Albert Haynesworth but ultimately they will miss him too much and they will not dominate like last season. Key Games: The Titans host home games with the Bills in Week 10, the Cardinals in Week 12, the Dolphins in Week 15, and the Chargers in Week 16. Tennessee will go to Pittsburgh to open the regular season, New England in Week 6, and Indianapolis in Week 13 for road games. 2009 overall record: 10-6, Wild card, #6 seed

Houston Texans: This is a big year for head coach Gary Kubiak who has posted back-to-back .500 seasons and it is time for this team to take the next step. Matt Schaub has yet to step up and show that he is a winner but he has all the weapons in place to help him take that step. Steve Slaton had a tremendous rookie season but will he hit the sophomore slump? And who will replace him if he gets hurt or doesn't live up to expectations? Andre Johnson has been a beast at the wide receiver position for the last few years and Kevin Walter has proven to be a more than reliable #2 option opposite Johnson. Owen Daniels has stepped up and has been a reliable option at tight end but his health is a question since he played hurt a lot last year. The offensive line returns all of last years starters which should be huge for this team and they should help Schaub take the next step in his progression. The Defense is young and nasty and is lead by Mario Williams who is coming off of a Pro Bowl season with 12 sacks. Antonio Smith will bring over some championship experience from Arizona for this young team but will he be able to help take the pressure off this young group. Amobi Okoye and Travis Johnson anchor the middle of the defense but Okoye has yet to live up to his hype coming out of college. The linbackers are very young with rookie Brian Cushing joining DeMeco Ryans(4th season), and Xavier Adibi(2nd season), but they are all very talented players and it will only be a few seasons before these guys become household names. Duante Robinson is the leader of the secondary along with Eugene Wilson but the rest of the group lacks big play making abilities. The Texans are a good team but Schaub is not a winner at QB, he is more of a fantasy QB than anything else, and the team has yet to get a signature win to prove they can take it to the next level. Key Games: The Texans have home match up versus the Seahawks in Week 14 and the Patriots in the season finale. Houston will have road contests with Arizona in Week5, Cincinnati in Week 6, Buffalo in Week 8, and Miami in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 8-8

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars main problem last year was the offensive line and their inability to stay healthy, so the Jags drafted lineman to help with their depth up front. David Garrard is back once again and he actually has someone to throw the ball to in Torry Holt who was released by the Rams. Troy Williamson was brought over to stretch the defense but he has yet to live up to the hype that got him drafted in the first round by Minnesota. The Jags released Fred Taylor and re-signed Maurice Jones-Drew to huge a contract for everything he does but he is not the answer at the running back spot. Greg Jones and Chauncey Washington will help MJD pick up for the loss of the veteran Taylor. Tony Pashos and Tra Thomas were the only starters to play all 16 games last season but Brad Meester made it back for the last 10 games. The line will be joined by the rookie Eugene Monroe who is listed as the back up to Thomas but he will be in the starting lineup before the end of the season. The defense is not what it was a few years ago but these guys can still get it done. John Henderson is the power on the d-line but Quentin Groves, Derrick Harvey, and Reggie Hayward bring the heat off of the edges. The d-line is filled with good young players but none of them have shown the brilliance that got them drafted so high. The linebackers are the weak link for the defense with Justin Durant, Daryl Smith, and Clint Ingram being a bunch of no-namers who would be fighting for a starting job just about anywhere else. Reshean Mathis is back at the cornerback spot but he will have to step up since the defense is lacking so much elsewhere. Reggie Nelson has stepped up at the safety job and he will be joined by Sean Considine but Considine has not had a chance to start until he landed in Jacksonville. I've never felt the that the Jags were that good of a team and they have been held up by their stout defense which has been decimated by free agency, so now it will rest on the offense to step up and lead the team but they don't have enough to do that. Key Games: The Jaguars host home games with the Cardinals in Week 2, the Bills in Week 11 and Miami in Week 14. Jacksonville will have road games with Seattle in Week 5 and New England in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 7-9

Tiger Woods misses cut at the British Open...

Well it looks like Tiger Woods hasn't fully recovered from his knee surgery that shortened his 2008 season as he missed the cut yesterday by one stroke at the British Open. Tiger shot a 4-over-74 sending him home for the weekend for only the second time ever at one of the PGA's major tournaments. AARP card carrying member Tom Watson is tied for the lead after 36-holes at 5-under along with Steve Marino. But of course Tiger missing the cut is the bigger story because he is the best golfer in the world. The last time Woods missed a cut was at the U.S. Open in 2006 and his father had just died, so he had every excuse then but what about now. People complain about the British Open courses because the Brits take care of their courses differently and they don't look as pretty as they do here, but there is no reason for Tiger to be going home. This is the PGA's loss, sure Watson will draw in some of the older crowd as they root for him but no one in sports draws a crowd like Tiger Woods. I'm sure this will only motivate him even more to get back out there and show everyone that he is the old Tiger Woods but he clearly is not back to his old self and only time will tell when he will be fully healed.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore...

Lance Moore is in his fourth year in the league and with the New Orleans Saints. After not getting a chance to prove himself for the first couple of years Lance got the opportunity he was looking for when Marques Colston went down with injury. Lance stepped in and put up career numbers(79 receptions for 928 yards and 10 TDs) and making a name for himself while solidifying a spot as the team's #2 wideout. Lance graduated from the University of Toledo where he was twice named to the 1st team All-MAC conference team. During his career he compiled 2,776 yards and 25 TDs on 222 catches and he is the only receiver to post two 1,000 yard receiving seasons in team history. During his senior season Moore broke all major receiving records at UT including most receiving touchdowns in a season with 14. He had off season shoulder surgery and has been rehabbing and preparing for training camp and the upcoming season. I chat with Lance about his rehab, expectations for the season, and we also reminisce about his glory days at UT.

Ravens make Suggs highest paid linebacker in NFL history...

The Baltimore Ravens have signed Terrell Suggs to a new 6-year $63 million deal. The contract guarantees Suggs will paid $33.1 million between this season and next through a signing bonus and other option bonuses, this deal is second behind only Peyton Manning's $34 million signing bonus. The deal makes Suggs the highest paid linebacker in NFL history, I wonder how defensive captain Ray Lewis feels about this. During Suggs' six year career he accumulated 53 sacks while playing at the outside linebacker position and defensive end depending on the schemes.
Look Terrell Suggs is a dangerous player who plays through injuries and he gives his all every game but I really don't think he is worth this kind of money. He averages only 8 sacks a season and he hasn't come close to the numbers he put up in his rookie year. You would think with all the talent that has been around him he would be putting up at least 10 plus sacks each year. How is he the highest paid linebacker in the league when he isn't even the best linebacker on his team? He hasn't approached 100 tackles at all in his career and that is a lot of money for a situational player. The Ravens have a good track record with their players so they obviously think he is worth the money but it might create some controversy with Ray Lewis and the rest of the locker room. I think the money should have been spent elsewhere, like replacing Derrick Mason and finding a true #1 wide receiver.

Chiefs sign Cassel to a 6-year contract...

Despite only having one year of starting experience in his career, not just in the NFL but college and high school football as well, the Kansas City Chiefs gave Matt Cassel a 6-year deal worth $63 million.
Now don't get me wrong in his one year of starting last season Cassel put up huge numbers for a guy who has never started a football game, he threw for 3,944 yards 23 TDs and 13 interceptions completing 62.8% of his passes while leading the New England Patriots to an 11-5 record but they missed the playoffs. Lets put this in perspective real quick, Matt Cassel was playing behind one of the best offensive lines this decade, he was throwing to all-world and soon to be hall of famer Randy Moss and the always reliable Wes Welker, and he was coached by one of the best coaches of all time in Bill Belichick, so he had a lot working in his favor plus he still had Tom Brady chirping in his ear during games and throughout the work week.
In Kansas City he has a first year head coach in Todd Haley, he will be behind a young but talented offensive line, and he will be throwing to young receivers in Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley. Dwayne Bowe had a great rookie season despite having no consistency at the QB spot, he caught 86 balls for 1022 yards and 7TDs, so he and Cassel should benefit from each other. Cassel's one advantage in K.C. that he didn't have in New England is Larry Johnson, when he is happy and motivated he is one of the most dominate backs in the league and he should take pressure off of Cassel.
The move is risky for the Chiefs because of Cassel being unproven but it frees up about $5 million in cap room for them and if he is the real deal it would probably cost them more come next offseason. The Chiefs are in a position where they have to take risks because they haven't been a factor in the NFL in quite some time and they haven't had a quality QB since a guy named Joe Montana retired in K.C.

AFC North preview...

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are the defending Super Bowl champs and they return 20 of 22 starters. Ben Roethlisberger has made a name for himself over the last few years as the new comeback king, which was highlighted by his game winning TD throw with a few minutes left in the Super Bowl to put the Steelers ahead for good. Willie Parker has rededicated himself to staying healthy after an injury plagued 2008 season. Also the Steelers should get a huge boost in the running game from last years first round pick Rashard Mendenhall who should be a nice change of pace back for the Steelers to run out the clock. The Steelers have 2 Super Bowl MVPs on their team in Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes but the big question at the wide receiver spot is who is going to replace Nate Washington as the teams deep threat. Pittsburgh brought in Shaun McDonald and they drafted speedy wideout Mike Wallace to help fill the void but Wallace is inexperienced and McDonald isn't really that good. Heath Miller is in the last year of his contract and he is hoping to put up big numbers to convince the Steelers to re-sign him. The o-line returns everybody from the Super Bowl run and these guys took a lot of flack last year but the majority of them had not played much up to that point and they lacked the familiarity with each other, which should improve with a full offseason to get used to one another. The defense is once again locked and loaded with the only new comer being Lawrence Timmons who will be replacing Larry Foote. Timmons brings unbelievable speed which combined with Dick Lebeau's creative schemes the sky's the limit for him. Deshea Townsend and William Gay will try to fill the void of Bryant McFadden leaving for Arizona. The problems the Steelers had last year should be fixed with players getting healthy and with the addition of players in the draft. Key Games: Home match ups with the Titans to open the season, the Chargers in Week 4, the Vikings in Week 7, and the Packers in Week 15. They travel for road games at Chicago in Week 2 and Miami at the end of the season. 2009 overall record: 13-3, Division winner, #1 seed



Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens made it the AFC Championship with a rookie head coach and a rookie QB, so you would assume they would get better, only they got bad news yesterday with Derrick Mason announcing his retirement. Joe Flacco's progression could be slowed by Mason's departure because he leaves a huge void for the Ravens at the wideout position, but Tom Brady never had a true #1 until he got Randy Moss so you never know. Flacco will get a lot of help from his running game with Willis McGahee and Ray Rice still touting the rock behind a big physical offensive line. Matt Birk solidifies their center position bringing a tough run first mentality with him from Minnesota plus with the addition of rookie Michael Oher the line should only get better. the Ravens also brought in tight end L.J. Smith to help keep Todd Heap but it seems like a lateral move since neither can stay healthy for very long. On the defensive side of the ball the Ravens lost their DC Rex Ryan, starting linebacker Bart Scott, and safety Jim Leonhard, all of them left and went to the Jets. Not all is bad for the Ravens though they still have all-world Ray Lewis, all-world Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata. Terrell Suggs is expected to sign an extension which would help solidify the linebackers but aside for him and Lewis they are pretty thin in depth and experience. Derek Landry and Tom Zbikowski will have to fill the void left by Leonhard's departure. The secondary for Baltimore is deep and talented with the addition of Dominique Foxworth and Chris Carr to go opposite of Fabian Washington and Samari Rolle. The Ravens will be better than last year unless Flacco hits the proverbial sophomore slump. Key Games: Home games with the Colts in Week 11 and the Bears in Week 15. The Ravens travel to face San Diego in Week 2, New England in Week 4, Minnesota in Week 6, and Green Bay in Week 13. 2009 overall record: 13-3, Wild card, #5 seed


Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer is healthy and ready to go. The Bengals picked up Laverneous Coles to make up for the loss of T.J. Houshmandzedah. The Bengals actually upgraded with the pickup of Coles because he does the things that T.J. or Chad Ochocinco wouldn't do, like blow the top off of the defense, he will be the perfect compliment to Ochocinco. Chris Henry has rededicated himself after a few self destructing years and he is blowing away management with how focused he appears to be. I'm not sure why the Bengals are putting so much stock in Cedric Benson but he will be the downfall for the offense this year. The offensive line has a lot question marks with the departure of veterans Levi Jones, Stacey Andrews, Kirk Barton, and Eric Ghiacuic all of whom were starters. Andrew Whitworth is the hold over from last year but the others will be replaced by inexperienced guys, like rookie Andre Smith, who will have their hands full with the likes of Casey Hampton, Sean Rodgers, and Haloti Ngata. The Bengals defense will get a big upgrade with a healthy Keith Rivers and the steal of the draft in Ray Maualuga to go with the veteran Dhani Jones. Maualuga needs to get on the field for this defense to succeed, he brings a different dynamic to the team that they have not seen in quite some time. The d-line is probably their weakest link on the defense but they also got another steal in the draft at defensive end when Michael Johnson was still available in the third round. Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph are young but talented players at the cornerback spots and combined with the big play capabilities of Chinedum Ndukwe, the secondary should be tough to go against. The Bengals went and picked up Roy Williams the free safety but he is not very good at coverage and he has lost a step when it comes to making the big game changing hits that he has done in the past. The Cincinnati Bengals have improved just with Palmer being healthy but you win and lose games in the trenches and the Bengals are severely lacking up front on both sides of the ball which will be their downfall. Key Games: The Bengals have home match ups with the Broncos in Week 1 and the Bears in Week 7. Road games at Green Bay in Week 2, Minnesota in Week 14, and San Diego in Week 15. 2009 overall record: 7-9

Cleveland Browns: Last season the Cleveland Browns buckled under the pressure of their first winning season in a few years and went 4-12. The mess has continued so far this offseason as they fired their head coach and GM, they traded their best offensive weapon in Kellen Winslow, and they already have a QB controversy. The Browns hired Eric Mangini to replace Romeo Crennel, which is an upgrade but I'm not sure by how much. Cleveland just needs to get it over with and make Brady Quinn their starter, Derek Anderson has not done anything to prove he deserves the job, and they drafted and paid Quinn to be their franchise QB, so get it over with already. Jamal Lewis is back but how effective can he be at his age plus the Browns don't have anyone to back him up so they will be screwed if he gets hurt. Braylon Edwards, who aways has a case of the dropsies, leads a wide receiving group that consists of rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, but neither were that great in college so the question is who is going to step up opposite Edwards. The Browns acquired David Patten to hopefully fill that role but at his age they shouldn't expect that much from him. Cleveland has no legitimate replacement for Winslow, don't get me wrong Steve Heiden is a solid tight end but he can't stretch the field or make game changing plays like Winslow. The o-line returns everyone from last year plus the addition of rookie center Alex Mack who will probably take the starting job away from Hank Fraley before season's end. The defense has a lot of good young players but they haven't lived up to their hype yet and they have underperformed. Shaun Rodgers and Corey Williams anchor the d-line but after those two the unit is pretty thin. Eric Barton, who came over in a trade with the Jets, will upgrade the linebackers immediately and he should be a good mentor to the underachieving D'Qwell Jackson and Kamerion Wimbley. The weak link of the defense is the secondary with third year player Eric Wright being the most talented on the team and given a few more years he could be really dangerous. Brodney Pool is joined by Abram Elam, who also came over in the Jets trade, but neither is really that scary to an offense. The Browns will continue to struggle this year but they could surprise people if the o-line stays healthy and Quinn emerges as the QB many people think he can be. Key Games: The Browns have home contests with the Vikings in Week 1, the Packers in Week 7, the Chargers in Week 13, and the Jaguars to wrap up the regular season. Their road games consist of traveling to Denver in Week 2, Buffalo in Week 5, Chicago in Week 8, and Detroit in Week 11. 2009 overall record: 3-13

AFC East preview...

New England Patriots: The Patriots get Tom Brady back but the question is how is he going to handle facing a live defense and is he going to still step into throws with a defender in his face. Its funny everybody is already anointing them the Super Bowl champs because Brady is back, but if that same injury happened to any other QB or team people would be weary of how good the team could really be but nope not New England. The receiving core is still in tact with Wes Welker and Randy Moss. The running game last year was lacking with injuries to Laurence Maroney and Lamont Jordan, but they picked up Fred Taylor and they are hoping that he can keep Maroney healthy. The Pats offensive line returns everybody from last year and they should be better because Nick Kazur won't be missing time due to a suspension like last year. On the defensive side of the ball New England has one of the best defensive lines with Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, and Ty Warren all having pro bowl caliber talents. The linebackers are lead by the ageless wonder Teddy Bruschi, Adalius Thomas, and second year player Jared Mayo. After those three they are pretty thin and not very talented so it will be interesting to see what happens if they get the injury bug. Once again the Patriots gather other teams scraps for secondary help and they got Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs who many have written off over the last few years. Brandon Merriweather is a star in the making at the strong safety position but will he be able to help the aging Springs and the loss of the veteran leadership from Rodney Harrison. The Pats will make the playoffs but I'm not sure how good Brady will be at the start of the season and how long it will take for him to get comfortable again. Key Games: Home match ups with the Falcons in Week 3, the Ravens in Week 4, the Titans in Week6, and the Panthers in Week 14. They have road games at Indianapolis in Week 10 and New Orleans in Week 12. 2009 overall record: 11-5, Division winner, #4 seed

Buffalo Bills: The Bills big offseason acquisition was signing Terrell Owens which gives Trent Edwards his first legitimate #1 wide receiver in Buffalo. Owens on paper makes this offense that much better because he bumps Lee Evans to the #2 spot, where he belongs, he can mentor the young James Hardy, fat chance on that but hey you never know, and he should make things easier for Marshawn Lynch. But there is also the down side of Owens being a notorious locker room cancer and QB hater who is getting old, so who knows how the Bills will handle him. Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first three games of the season so the team will have to hold the fort down until he returns. The big question on offense for the team is how are they going to replace Jason Peters? The Bills weak link on offense is the line, they lack quality and depth at every position up front. The defense should be pretty strong with the addition of pass rushing rookie Aaron Maybin to compliment the rock solid Aaron Schobel. The Bills interior is lead by Marcus Stroud who is in his second year with the Bills and they are hoping he can dominate like he did in Jacksonville. Paul Posluszny is an animal at linebacker and he should continue to flourish playing alongside Kawika Mitchell. The Bills secondary is usually their best group on the team and that trend continues this year. Buffalo is deep at the cornerback spot with Ashton Youboty, Leodis McKelvin, Terrence McGee, and Drayton Florence all being capable enough to start elsewhere. Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson add to the quality of the secondary but after them they lack depth. The T.O. experiment will be a success for Buffalo but they shouldn't get to excited because the AFC is deep and loaded. Key Games: Home contests with the Saints in Week 3 and Indianapolis to wrap up the regular the season. They travel to for road games at Carolina in Week 7, Tennessee in Week 9, and Atlanta in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 9-7

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are a talented team but they will face a tougher schedule than last year. Chad Pennington had something to prove last year with Jets casting him to the wayside, but I don't expect a repeat performance. Keep an eye out for Pat White, he should get used at many different positions and will make an immediate impact. The running game still has ronnie brown and Ricky Williams but both of them have injury problems. At the wide receiver position the Dolphins have some talented young players but none of them have experience and they don't scare defenses. Ted Ginn Jr. needs to step up but he is not a true #1 wideout and neither is Greg Camarillo, although he has put up big numbers over the last couple of years. The line is lead by the stellar Jake Long but their is not really a weak link on the line. On the defensive side the Dolphins got Jason Taylor back after a one year divorce and he should put up huge numbers rushing the passer opposite Joey Porter. Channing Crowder is the leader of the linebackers with Akin Ayodele, and Porter. The Fins drafted Vontae Davis to help out the secondary and he will eventually start opposite Will Allen but right now that spot is held by Jason Allen. Last year's free agent pick up of Gibril Wilson helped out immediately and the defense should only get better as he gets more comfortable with terminology and schemes. the Dolphins are a good team but the other teams in their division got significantly better and they face a tougher schedule. Key Games: The host home games with the Colts in Week 2, the Saints in Week 7, and the Steelers to conclude the regular season. They travel for road games at Atlanta in the season opener, San Diego in Week 3 and Carolina in Week 10. 2009 overall record: 9-7

New York Jets: The Jets were barely good with Brett Favre and Laverneous Coles and they don't have either of them anymore. The Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, too high if you ask me, and they still have Kellen Clemens but right now they are expecting the rookie to get the starting nod. The Jets also drafted Shonn Greene at running back because Thomas Jones is getting old and he is reportedly unhappy with his contract. Leon Washington is also unhappy with his current situation but I would think the Jets will try to do everything they can to keep the Mr. Everything back. The receiving core consists of Jerricho Cotchery and Chancey Stuckey but they were only good last year because of Favre and Coles, so whoever is the QB won't really have anyone to throw to. The Jets o-line is one of the best young group of guys in the league. Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson are the young studs of the group but they have veteran and Super Bowl leadership in Damien Woody and Alan Faneca. With Rex Ryan taking over the head coaching job the defense is in a state of fluctuation but they have a lot of talented players. The defensive line is lead by Kris Jenkins and Shaun Ellis but they will get a boost on third downs from Vernon Gholston rushing from the end. Bart Scott joined Ryan in their departure from Baltimore but they are shallow on depth across the linebacking board. Lito Sheppard came over from the Eagles, Jim Leonhard came from the Ravens and both will have to make a big impact right away if they want to shut down the likes of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes are the only holdovers in the secondary from the Mangini regime. The Jets will have a hard time keeping up with the rest of the division because they don't have enough on offense to keep up. Key Games: The Jets have home games with the Titans in Week 3, the Panthers in Week 12, and the Falcons in Week 15. Road contests with New Orleans in Week 4 and Indianapolis in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 3-13

NFC West preview...

Seattle Seahawks: Mike Holmgren retired this year and Jim Mora Jr. is taking his place after being groomed to be Holmgren's successor. Matt Hasselback is healthy and ready to go and with the pick up of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, his numbers should significantly improve. I think Housh is a good receiver but he benefited from playing opposite Chad Ochocinco and their is no one on his level in Seattle. The running back group consists of the always reliable Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett but they suffered last year with the inconsistency at QB, but with Hasselback healthy the Seahawks should be able to run the ball. Like the rest of the offense the line was unable to stay healthy so there was no consistency there but with everyone healthy these guys should be more dangerous. The defense is lead my Lofa Tatupu and he should only get better with the addition of rookie Aaron Curry who will bring in a fierce pass rush from the outside. Patrick Kerney flanks the outside for the defensive line along with Darryl Tapp who combined make a formidable pass rush. The back end of the defense is lead by Marcus Trufant but he is the most capable of the bunch is which is not a good sign for their defense. If the front 7 can put pressure on the QB then the secondaries job will be a lot easier. The Seahawks will be better on offense but if injuries hit this team they are not very deep and they could repeat last year's performance. Key Games: Home games with the Bears in Week 3, the Jaguars in Week 5, and the Titans to finish the regular season. Road contests at Indianapolis in Week 4, Dallas in Week 8, Minnesota in Week 11, and at Green Bay in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 9-7, Division winner, #4 seed

Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have the offense to get to the Super Bowl but their defense is the weak link. Kurt Warner re-signed to come back and lead the explosive offense and he will still be throwing to all-world receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin but they lost offensive coordinator Todd Haley so the question is whether the offense will be just as aggressive. The Cards parted ways with Edgerrin James and they hope to replace him with rookie Chris "Beanie" Wells who is a strong powerful back but he will be a liability on passing downs since he will still be learning the blocking adjustments. The offensive line is in tact from last year's super bowl run so the their dominate offense should be locked and loaded. The defensive secondary is the strong point for this defense with Adrian Wilson being the leader of the defense. The Cards picked up Bryant McFadden in free agency and he will start immediately opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie which gives them two quality cornerbacks. Karlos Dansby leads the linebackers who are probably the weak link for this defense but they have depth at the position with Clarck Haggans being the back up at the outside linebacker spot. The defensive line returns Darnell Dockett and Bertrand Berry but the unit will only go as far as the development of Calais Campbell in his second season, if he tanks they unit will tank. The Cards will have a tougher schedule than last year and the loss of both of their coordinators will be too much for this team to handle. Key Games: Home games versus the Colts in Week 3, the Panthers in Week 8, the Vikings in Week 13, and the Packers in Week 17. Road contests at Jacksonville in Week 2, the Giants in New York in Week 7, Chicago in Week 9, and in Tennessee in Week 12. 2009 overall record: 7-9

San Fransisco 49ers: The 49ers have a lot of questions on this team but the majority of them will be overshadowed by their head coach Mike Singletary because he can get his players to over achieve for him. Shaun Hill and Alex Smith are once again battling it out for the starting QB position but their job should be easier with the addition of rookie Michael Crabtree. The 49ers also have Isaac Bruce who should be a nice compliment to Crabtree but he is old and past his prime so he is basically just a mentor for the young wideout. Vernon Davis is back at the tight end position and you would think he will be motivated so he doesn't get called out again like last year. Frank Gore is healthy and he should be the focus of the offense since there are so many question marks at the other spots in the offense. The 9ers picked up Marvel Smith who when healthy is a dominate tackle but he hasn't been healthy for at least a few years. The rest of the offensive line returns 3 of 5 starters from last year and they are breaking in a new right guard so whoever is behind center will probably have a long year. The defense is lead by its group at linebacker with Patrick Willis being a beast and also Manny Lawson and Takeo Spikes being more than capable at stopping the run. The front line is the weak link with little experience or depth at the position with Justin Smith being their best player. The secondary is lead by the recent addition of Dre Bly to go opposite Nate Clements and Michael Lewis is strong point in the center field of the defense. The 49ers are a year or two from being able to compete in the NFL, they will not be an easy win this year, but you never know in the weak NFC West. Key Games: Home match up against the Falcons in Week 5, the Titans in Week9, the Bears in Week 10, and the Jaguars in Week 12. Road contests versus Minnesota in Week 3, Indianapolis in Week 8, Green Bay in Week 11, in Philadelphia in week 15. 2009 overall record: 6-10

St. Louis Rams: The Rams have a lot of questions all across the board, they fired their coach and hired a rookie to lead the team. Marc Bulger is back and healthy but he is injury prone and probably won't finish the season. Steven Jackson will carry the load but he has no help on offense. They have probably the second worst set of wideouts in the NFL behind the Oakland Raiders, the only reason they don't have the worst is because if Randy McMichael at the tight end position. The offensive line is young and inexperienced but they have a lot of talent and if they solidify some of the other problems on offense could go to the wayside. The defensive side of the ball has as many questions as the offense, they are young and talented but none of them have stepped up big so far. The defensive line is lead by recent draft picks Adam Carricker and Chris Long but hey have yet to dominate like they did in college. Will Witherspoon leads the linebacking group alongside rookie James Laurenitis and the Rams are hoping he steps up like Tatupu did for the Seahawks. Oshiomogho Atogwe and Ty Hill lead the secondary but they will be abused all season long if the young front 7 don't get the pressure on the QB. The Rams will be in the cellar for a few more years but if they keep their key players in place this team could be dangerous down the road. Key Games: Home games versus the Packers in Week 3, the Vikings in Week 5, the Colts in Week 7 and the Saints in Week 8. Road contests with Washington in Week 2, Jacksonville in Week 6, and Chicago in Week 13. 2009 overall record: 2-14

NFC South preview...

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are coming off winning the NFC South and then Jake Delhomme self imploded in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals throwing 5 interceptions in a 33-13 loss. The Panthers will once again go only as far as Delhomme takes them, he is the question mark for this offense. Carolina returns the two-headed monster in DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart who combined for over 2,300 yards and 28 TDs. Steve Smith's production depends on how well Delhomme plays this season but after him the Panthers don't have any depth at the wide receiver position. Mushin Mohammad is a good receiver but he's getting old and Dwayne Jarrett hasn't live up to his hype coming out of college. They have some decent options at the tight end spot but none of them really scare a defense and they haven't done enough for the defense to focus on them instead of the #2 or #3 option. The offensive line returns all of last year's starters so there should be no problem for this team to once again dominate the line of scrimmage. On the defensive side of the ball the Panthers got Julius Peppers to sign their franchise tag so he will be on the field and they hope he will continue the success he had coming off of a career year. The rest of the defensive line returns but in order for Peppers to have last year's success Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson will need to step up. The linebacking core is lead by Jon Beason and this is probably the best unit for Carolina on the defensive side. Chris Gamble leads the secondary and they usually have an easy job because of the guys up front but offenses will probably try to take advantage of their lack of size by throwing quick out routes. This is a make or break year for John Fox, if he doesn't get this team to the NFC championship the he should be fired. Key Games: Home games versus the Eagles in the season opener, the Bills in Week 7, the Dolphins in Week 11, and the Vikings in Week 15. They have road contests at Dallas in Week 3, Arizona in Week 8, New York to take on the Jets in Week 12, New England in 14, and again in New York to face the Giants in Week 16. 2009 overall record: 12-4, Division winner, #2 seed

New Orleans Saints: The Saints have the best QB and set of wide receivers in the NFC South but they lack any real threat at the running back position. Marques Colston is healthy after an injury plagued 2008 but in his absence Lance Moore stepped up and had a career year. Jeremy Shockey is in his second year with the Saints but he has been ineffective so far but that is mostly due to injuries. The Saints released Duece McAllister but they don't have anyone to replace him. Reggie Bush is not an every down back and Pierre Thomas was used mostly as a short yardage back last year. They have flirted with signing Edgerrin James but they haven't committed to anything yet because they feel that Thomas and Bush can carry the load. The Saints offensive line returns last year's starters who helped Drew Bress almost break the record for most passing yards in a season. The defense is trying to get better they hired Greg Williams and they added Paul Spicer and Darren Sharper to bring some experience and toughness to the team. Johnathan Vilma is manning the linebacking group with Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle. The secondary has improved with the aforementioned pick up of Sharper, Jabari Greer, and also with the drafting of Malcolm Jenkins but if he holds out then he will put himself behind the 8-ball. The offense is obviously there and will keep this team in a lot of games but the question is will the improvements on defense be enough to put them in the playoffs. Key Games: Home games against the Jets(Week 4) and Giants(Week 6) in back-to-back weeks, the Patriots in Week 12, and the Cowboys in Week 15. Road games at Philadelphia in Week 2, Buffalo in Week 3, Miami in Week 7, and Washington in Week 13. 2009 overall record: 11-5, Wild card, #5 seed

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons will be better then they were last year but their tougher schedule will keep them out of the playoffs. Matt Ryan won the rookie of they year award last year and he should get better with the addition of Tony Gonzalez to the offense. Roddy White had a career year last season but his progression could be hampered if Mike Jenkins doesn't step up. The running game is in tact with Michael Turner in his second year as a starter and with the return of FB Ovie Mughelli he should be able to put up number similar to last year especially with Gonzalez sealing the corner for Turner to use his burner speed. The offensive line returns last year's starters, but the key thing for the o-line is whether Sam Baker can take the next step and solidify the left side of the line. The defense is young up front with Jammal Anderson, Jonathan Babineaux, and the addition of the rookie Peria Jerry, but they are anchored by the sack master John Abraham. The linebackers have to take a step forward this year with the addition of Mike Peterson and Curtis Lofton only in his second year in the league. The secondary is the weak link of this defensive unit and they defense will be only as good as these guys can be, which isn't saying much. The rest of the defense will have to step up to cover for the secondaries deficiencies. Key Games: Home contests against the Dolphins in the season opener, the Bears in Week 6, Redskins in Week 9, Eagles in Week 13, and the Bills in Week 16. They travel for road games to New England in Week 3, Dallas in Week7, New York to go against the Giants in Week 11 and the Jets in Week 15. 2009 overall record: 9-7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers fired their coach and Gm and they brought in two unknowns to take over so the jury is still out on those moves. On the personnel side the Buccaneers don't have QB, they signed Byron Leftwich but they don't think he is good enough to be the starter so they drafted Josh Freeman out of Kansas State who will probably be the starter. They traded for Kellen Winslow but he doesn't have anyone to throw it to him. Antonio Bryant had a career year last season and he should see those numbers increase with Winslow on the field. The other question that this team has is the health of their running backs, Earnest Graham finished the season on the IR and Cadillac Williams came off of the IR and hasn't looked like the rookie that they drafted a few years ago. The Bucs signed Derrick Ward but he has never carried the full load in his career so his durability is in question. The offense also has a lot of questions on the o-line with Jeff Faine, Donald Penn, and Jeremy Trueblood being the only starters to return from last year. On the defensive side of the ball the Bucs released Derrick Brooks so they have a huge veteran and production hole to fill. The defensive line needs to get more production out of Chris Hovan, Gaines Adams, Ryan Sims, and Jimmy Wilkerson for this defense to thrive. Barret Ruud has mature into a solid linebacker but he didn't have that much to worry about with Brooks on the field so the question is whether he can step up and be the leader. The secondary in always dangerous with Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib on the field but will they be able to make up for the lack of experience at the safety position. This team doesn't have enough to make any noise in the crowded NFC South. Key Games: Homes contests versus the Cowboys in Week 1, the Giants in Week 3, the Patriots in Week 7, the Packers in Week 9, and the Jets in Week 14. Road games at Buffalo in Week 2, Washington in Week 4, Philadelphia in Week 5, and in Miami in Week 10. 2009 overall record: 4-12