Colts NFL Draft Update (4/3/09) posted by Hammer

Less than a month to go before the 2009 NFL Draft and the Colts still have tons of different ways they could go. That being said, for the first time in a long time, the Colts have multiple needs that really need addressing. WR, DT are the most obvious, but the Colts also have depth issues at LB, RB and offensive line.

Bill Polian said that the Colts top priority this off-season was to find a compliment to Reggiw Wayne at WR. UNC receiver Hakeem Nicks worked out for the Colts recently. I would love to see this guy in a Colt uniform. Though not as speedy as the Colts would like, he is a physical WR that has great hands and loves to mix-it-up. I see a "mini Anquan Boldin" in Nicks. Just wish he was a tad faster.

Another direction the Colts go go is at DT. Most mock drafts (who are NEVER correct) have the Colts taking Ole Miss DT Peria Jerry. Big, strong run stopper who played well in the toughest conference in America. Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis is another possibility. He is perfect for the Colts Cover 2 as he excels in coverage. He should be there, but will Polian take care of the offense first? He usually does....

jhammer@z995.com

Should the Colts Bring Back Cato June, Marvin Harrison, and Dominic Rhodes? posted by Josh Dhani

With the Colts not re-signing Freddie Keihao and Tyjaun Hagler, should they start bringing in new ones in the draft?

Absolutely not!

Why bring James Laurenitis, like the NFL Network suggested in their mock draft, when they can bring back this important linebacker: Cato June?

Now that Reggie Wayne might be the number one target, it will be hard running the offense because everyone will be ganging up on him. Manning has to throw to Roy Hall, Pierre Garcon, or Anthony Gonzalez (see Breaking Down the Colts Pt. 3). Still, it will be tough for them to get the ball because they really aren't masters of the playbook like Harrison and Wayne.

And speaking of Harrison...why can't we bring him back? This guy is a legend to the Colts, and no one is interested in the soon-to-be 37-year-old wide receiver who still has something left in the tank.

The last year when Joseph Addai struggled, Dominic Rhodes helped out big time. Rhodes is in free agency, and only a few teams have expressed interest in him.

But he hasn't been signed by those teams, has he? No way. We should bring Rhodes back. Rhodes is a great player. If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself.

And Bryan Brackney. I am sorry, but I highly disagree with those of you who say that if Rhodes gets signed by the Colts, Mike Hart can easily beat him out for the second string back in the depth chart. Rhodes is the X-Factor to the team. He has been very good with the Colts, and every year he gets better and better.

Now that I have covered Rhodes, what about the other two Colts' amazing players?

Will Mott Hold Me Back? posted by Johnny Matheis

This weekend, the Kentucky Derby preps are in Florence, Ky, next to Cincinnati, with the minor Rushaway and the major Grade 2 Lanes End, which veterans still call the Jim Beam Stakes, since the old sponsor is easier to remember than the new name. Both races look like insider picks. A lot of runners who come off short layoffs, and could run big, or could be brought around slowly. Unless you're an insider, and know you can trust your sources, you need to avoid anything smaller than 9-2 in either race. The Rushaway favorite should be SUMMER EMPIRE, who showed a bit of class in restricted races in Illinois as a 2 year old. His forward moves from last year puts him near the top, and any improvement gives him the win. On the down side, he already has 7 lifetime starts, and began in April of his two year old year. Too soon to race and stay healthy as a 3 year old. On the bright side, he has been working at Keeneland, where trainers stock only the best horses. FITZALSEW could easily go wire to wire. CLIFFYS'S FUTURE has some good moves. ZIEGFELD looks competitive off a maiden win, and should be in the superfecta fairly easy. NINTH CLIENT is the class of the race, but has 8 lifeftime starts already. TOCCET ROCKET also raced a lot, but pretty much rounds out the top contenders. NO INFLATION and SUNDAYS BABY GRAND-either one would have to run the race of his life to get in the money.

The Lanes End (Jim Beam) has four leading contenders in HOLD ME BACK, BITTEL ROAD, A.P. CARDINAL, and WEST SIDE BERNIE. PROCEED BEE could be good enough, and gets the class test. ORTHODOX won on turf, and is tested on dirt.

Dream Season Over, Off-Season Begins (January 2, 2008) posted by Michael Langston Moore

On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns won their tenth game of the season against a San Francisco team in disarray. A season that started off so poorly in Week 1 resulted in expectations being surpassed for Browns’ fans.

On Sunday night, however, the dream ended in disappointing fashion. After having not beaten the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 to allow entrance into the playoffs, the Browns needed the Tennessee Titans to lose to the Indianapolis Colts.  Browns’ fans were teased and given hope, as the Colts’ backups managed to take a three point lead in the third quarter. It was evident, though, that the Colts’ were highly disinterred in beating their division rival, and they certainly didn’t have the personnel to do so. The Titans won the game 16-10, and sent the Browns into the off-season on a frustrating note.

It cannot be ignored, however, that the team played well this season. Although the defense ranked 32nd in the league, the Browns’ offense was explosive. The special teams unit was electric. The team had a new swagger, and that attitude helped propel the team to ten wins.
Ironically, this off-season just might be more exciting. There is a lot that needs to be done. The 2008 opponents have already been determined for Cleveland, and on schedule are teams such as Dallas, Indianapolis, Washington, Tennessee, the New York Giants and Jacksonville. The Browns also face Pittsburgh twice. Anything can happen between now and next September—coaches leave, players get injured, teams regress—but on paper, the 2008 season looks to have some significant challenges ahead. The Browns cannot afford a let down, but will have to make some tough decisions to prevent one.

The Problem with Derek Anderson (December 27, 2007) posted by Michael Langston Moore

This has been a dream season for Cleveland Browns’ fans. After watching a putrid product on the field for years, Browns’ fans were treated to high scoring, competitive football every weekend this season. The city embraced the “Believeland” moniker, and NFL pundits have openly stated that the Browns are the surprise of the NFL this season.

There’s no bigger of a surprise than quarterback Derek Anderson. A third year player and former sixth round pick, Anderson has been instrumental in pulling the Browns from the ashes.

So there’s no problem, right? Well, not exactly.

While Anderson has big numbers, one cannot know everything there is to know about Anderson’s play just by his stats. Last week, I wrote a blog entry about how the Browns needed to take care of their own business to get into the playoffs. They controlled their own destiny. With a win, they would be invited to the post-season party.

 

 In that blog, I also mentioned that the Bengals posed a serious threat. I stated that Cincinnati has a potent offense, and that Cleveland cannot afford to get behind against the Bengals.

I mentioned that Derek Anderson, in particular, has a penchant for slow starts early in games. Slow starts that put his team in a large hole.

As an example, I mentioned the Arizona Cardinals game, where Anderson threw two interceptions and fumbled a snap--all before the first half. The result? The Browns lost a very winnable game. In last week’s article, I wrote that another “slow start by Anderson could have the Browns down by fourteen or even twenty-one points early in the game.”

The Big 3 Questions of the New England Patriots Off-Season posted by Mike Dussault

A week later I emerge from the darkness. I think I've made peace with the New England Patriots fate in 2007. It was a great season that came just short of being the greatest of all time. I can live with that. The Pats gave us more great wins than anyone else this season, just not the greatest. So it's time to reload. Here's the biggest questions for the off-season.
1. Linebackers and Secondary - The biggest weakness is shoring up the defense. This is the second year in a row that the Pats D has fallen apart at the worst possible moment.
- Kiss Asante Samuel goodbye. I think it's a long shot the team is willing to give him what he wants.- Will Bruschi, Seau, Harrison decide to hang them up? Seau is the strongest possibility. Regardless the Pats could use some youth at the position. Eric Alexander had a solid year on special teams but gave no indication that the Pats think he's a future starter.- Will Randall Gay resign? He was the nickel-back for the Pats for his first healthy season since his rookie year. He was picked on by Eli Manning, but he's still a starter with multiple years experience with the Pats. The New York Jets (who else?) could take a shot at him.
2. Figure out the Wide Receiver Situation - here's what the Pats did last off-season: Tom Brady wasn't happy with his receivers so they went out and got a bunch of athletic guys and signed them to basically one-year deals with multi-year options (Wes Welker the only one getting a long term deal). They threw Moss, Washington, Gaffney, Reche Caldwell, and Stallworth into the mix and would resign whoever Brady clicked with. Now it's time to make the decisions on that.
Continue reading "The Big 3 Questions of the New England ..."

To Miss Pro Bowl: 2007-08 All-Pro Team posted by Nicholas O'Malley

    I understand that football's a rough game, I played it. But damn, can anyone that's good at it stay healthy? Take a look at the players missing this year's pro bowl, it looks like the 2015-2020 Hall of Fame inductions.

Jamal Williams-DT, San Diego Chargers
Randy Moss- WR, New England Patriots
Antonio Gates- TE, San Diego Chargers
Tom Brady- QB, New England Patriots
Brett Favre- QB, Green Bay Packers
Jonathan Ogden-OT, Baltimore Ravens
Walter Jones- OT, Seattle Seahawks
Patrick Kerney-DE, Seattle Seahawks
Lance Briggs-OLB, Chicago Bears
Tommie Harris-DT, Chicago Bears
Willie Parker-RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ladainian Tomlinson-RB, San Diego Chargers
Jason Peters-OT, Buffalo Bills
Jason Taylor-OLB, Miami Dolphins
Troy Polamalu-S, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bob Sanders-S, Indianapolis Colts
Sean Taylor-S, Washington Redskins

Of course, there are legitimate reasons to miss the pro bowl (See: Sean Taylor, who's questionable with a mortal bullet wound), but then there's the case of Randy Moss who wasn't even listed on the Super Bowl injury report and got outplayed by 2'5" 15 pound Wes Welker.

This list of players is basically the same thing as a team in Madden 08 with fair trades turned off. You got:

- The 2 New England Patriots that broke touchdown records in their respective categories

- The league's leading rusher and 4th leading rusher (and in all honesty, he would have gotten it if not for a leg fracture)

-Two future hall of fame tackles

Always Look on the Bright Side (of the most disappointing season in Patriots history) posted by Mike Dussault

Yes I'll admit it, the 2007 New England Patriots season has to qualify as the most disappointing in team history. Back when the Pats stunk you couldn't really be disappointed, you had to expect them to end the season with a loss. I don't think the loss to the Green Bay Packers in 1996 was more than a blip on my Boston Sports Misery Index. We were just happy to not get blown out like we did against the Chicago Bears ten years earlier. But after three Super Bowls your expectations change. Especially when you're playing a team that you've already beaten in the regular season. So yes, this 2007 season goes down as a disappointment in terms of the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. But what positives can we take as we start to pick up the pieces and refocus on 2008?

Well first of all it's safe to say that the debate about who's better - Brady or Peyton - can be put to rest ,for now. (Perhaps we should now debate who the better Manning is, but I digress). Brady rewrote the record books this season putting up astronomical stats, something that he was never known to do. I have to say that this season makes the Patriots past Super Bowl wins look a little bit more impressive when you consider the offenses that we did it with. Of course the Pats defense was better back then. Younger, faster, hungrier and not over-confident... I'm looking at you Richard Seymour. That was the difference between two more Super Bowls most likely.

When we look back at the Patriots dynasty they've already been to 4 Super Bowls and 5 AFC Championship games in 7 seasons. As fans we've gotten to watch more huge football games than anyone else and for that we are lucky. We didn't always come out on top but we made it there and the dominance of the Patriots organization this decade is undeniable.

Upsets are What Make Sports Great posted by Mike Dussault

First things first.. Congratulations to the New York Giants! They absolutely deserve full credit for knocking off the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Giants defenders were all over Tom Brady all day, Eli Manning came through in the clutch and they pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history.

As a Patriots fans this is the worst loss I've ever had to endure. I turned off the TV last night as the game ended and haven't watched a single second since. Not sure what Eli looks like holding the MVP trophy nor any of the Giants hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and I like it that way. What is most shocking to me is that the Patriots came out so incredibly flat. It didn't look like they were playing with any emotion. Were they just burned out from the year long pressure of an undefeated season? Even Tom Brady looked lethargic out there. I'm not sure if his ankle was bothering him or not but clearly having Justin Tuck up your butt all game can't help that.

The offensive line had to know that they Giants were going to do what they did. I even posted it here on my stupid blog. Why didn't the Pats adjust and go into max protection? Once Brady had a little bit of time (see the last drive and the last drive only), he was able to march the team down the field. Regardless the Giants did exactly what they needed to do.

On just the level of being a sports fan I have to embrace a monumental upset even when it's my team that has been upset. As my college hockey coach used to say "Upsets are what make sports great" and I totally agree with him. Right now it's just hard looking at the long road of free agency, the draft, minicamp, training camp, preseason, and the regular season just to get back to where we were less than 24 hours ago. The good news is that with Brady and (assuming he's not suspended or anything) Belichick, no matter who we lose we'll be right back in the thick of it in 2008.  And hey, we could've gotten upset in the divisional game like the Indianapolis Colts.

Patriots Fans Embrace the Hate! posted by Mike Dussault

Part of me thought that Commissioner Goodell coming out today and answering a bunch of direct questions about "Spygate" would do something to cool off the conspiracy theorists. But alas it has not. I shouldn't be surprised. It is in our roots to want to take down the guy on top. It just so happens that my favorite team is on top right now and thus Spygate will never die. The facts are out there and the New England Patriots received a significant punishment, fans can believe what they want to.
I had assumed that the tapes went back to the start of the Belichick era in New England, but they actually only went back to late in the 2006 season. I guess there were notes collected as well that went further back that were destroyed as well, Goodell didn't elaborate on those but seemed satisfied that they had all been accounted for. He stated unequivically that none of the Super Bowls were in question. I can live with that. The fact that a Jets coach waves directly to camera on one of the tapes says a lot. There was no secret that this was going on and that had to limit how much help stealing signals actually could be. 
Did every team in the NFL do this? Absolutely not. Did some besides the Patriots? Absolutely. When they got caught those who weren't doing it pounced. That's why we got so many statements from coaches like the Indianapolis Colts Tony Dungy denouncing it. Clearly Dungy had to know that some teams did it, and most likely had to take preventitive steps against it. It was probably a nuisance more than anything else. 
In the hyper-competitive NFL it's clear that no team is more competitive than the New England Patriots. Their success alone is evidence to that and clearly it runs through all aspects of the organization, to a level where they try to manipulate every single factor possible into their favor. Could what the Patriots did be truly classified as cheating? Sure. But not to a level where they had an kind of advanage over everyone else. Some want to paint a picture of the Pats knowing a team's plays before they ran them. That's lunacy. Not to mention if any Head Coach allowed them to do that they didn't belong in the NFL.
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Bears QB Cutler ready for camp, critics (AP)

Jay Cutler is ready for training camp, even if his critics have their doubts. Chicago's new quarterback drew criticism recently from former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and former Bears coach Mike Ditka for lacking maturity following the way he forced a trade out of Denver. Cutler said Wednesday he's ready to answer all the questions when training camp begins July 31. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Ex-NFL LB pleads not guilty to 1994 murder

A former NFL linebacker has pleaded not guilty to killing a wealthy Southern California businessman 14 years ago.Orange County district attorney's spokeswoman Farrah Emami says Eric Naposki entered the plea Thursday in Superior Court in Newport Beach.Naposki, who played in the late 1980s for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, is charged with one count of murder in the December 1994 shooting of millionaire William Francis McLaughlin. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Dungy, Harrison join NBC studio show (AP)

An understated coach and an outspoken safetyare adding their voices to NBC's Sunday night NFL studio show. The network said Wednesday that Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison are joining "Football Night in America" as analysts. Dungy retired from the Indianapolis Colts after this past season, capping a career that included becoming the first black coach to win a Super Bowl. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports