The Inquisitr » football

Fix the Franchise: New York Giants edition

Joshua Lobdell — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:10:26 +0000

The New York Giants used last year’s draft to fix their WR crops, and they may be the biggest strengths on this team, as I have previously argued the problem for this team is not on the offense. Sure they could use some O line depth, but that can be addressed in late rounds of the 2010 NFL draft. The team needs defense, big defensive playmakers that can clog up the middle of the field. While the secondary was a concern that seems to have been taken care of.

CB Aaron Ross was limited to 3 games due to a hamstring injury. So the Giants defense hopes to get him back in 2010. They also signed CB Antrel Rolle in free agency, so that is a good thing. However they have taken a LB in the last six drafts and none of them are contributing to this team. That has to change, and with the 15th pick in April’s draft they have to find a LB prospect that can come in and produce from day one.

If they unsure of the LB prospects, the next best thing to do would be to take a DT at 15. There are several very good ones that would still be available there. However it seems that LB is the problem and the position they should work hard to fix. All the great New York Giants teams in history were known for having a great LB corps or a true defensive star. They must find a new one in this year’s draft.

I would also like to see the Giants address their RB position. In 2008 they had two 1,000 yard rushers, last year they had none. That was the first time since 2001 that the Giants offense could not produce a thousand yard rusher. In the second or third round they could find a very good back, and I certainly hope that they go this route. If I were running this team round 1 and two would address the defense, and my third round pick would be Anthony Dixon, Toby Gerhart, or Montario Hardesty.

2009 NFL season in review: New Orleans Saints

Joshua Lobdell — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:11:21 +0000

Finally we come to the reining Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. They won the Super Bowl in their very first apperance in the big game, and we got to believe the San Diego Chargers are kicking themselves for letting QB Drew Brees get away from them. We know the general rule bad NFL teams make bad decisions, and good NFL teams know when to take a risk on a player or two. The Saints have become a good NFL team, and an excellent NFL organization. I can think of no city that deserves a Super Bowl win more, well maybe Detroit.

In 2009 the Saints offense scored 510 points or 31.9 points per game. It seemed for much of the year they could score at will. Brees completed 70.6% of his passes, threw for 4,490 yards and 34 TD’s while only throwing 12 interceptions. Those numbers are just awesome. On the ground they gained 2,106 yards but did not feature a 1,000 yard rusher. Instead Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell each had very productive seasons.

The Saints defense gave up 341 points or 21.3 per game, and that was good enough for the 20th best 2009 NFL defense. That total is a little high, and had they not had such a high power offense it would be a real concern. The good news there is they get two 2009 draft picks back from injury for 2010, and have the draft to address their number one weakness an awful run defense. In 2009 they gave up over 122 rushing yards per game. Addressing this need seems to be their highest priority in the draft. However wit ha number of restricted and unrestricted free agent determining an actual draft strategy is somewhat difficult.

Fix the Franchise: Denver Broncos edition

Joshua Lobdell — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:44:58 +0000

The Denver Broncos may be on the right path, but there is a lot of work to do. First and foremost they must get the Brandon Marshall situation taken care of, that probably means trading him on draft day for as many draft picks as they can get. Since Anquan Boldin got a third and a fourth round pick for the Arizona Cardinals, Marshall should get that or a little bit more. This team must also do what they do in free agency, but on draft day. Last year’s draft was pretty awful. Only the first round selection of Knowshon Moreno saved it from being graded as a F.

I don’t see how this team can continue with Marshall on the roster. Sure he is a very talented receiver, but he is a cancer on this team. At any point he may decide to quit on the , yet again. There are several teams that could use a big time receiver including the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Chiefs. However a likely trading partner could be the Cleveland Browns. Not only do could they use a Wide Out, but have 12 picks in April’s draft to wheel and deal with.

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels takes a New England Patriots approach to free agency, he signs a bunch of mid level veterans to the roster and hopes a few of them work out. However his first draft has bust written all over it. First round pick Robert Ayers (18th overall) had just 19 tackles, 2nd round pick Darcel McBath (48th overall) had just tow interceptions, and 2nd round pick TE Richard Quinn and no catches in 2009. With two picks in the first two round of the 2009 NFL draft they got little production out of them. That must change.

2009 NFL season in review: Indianapolis Colts

Joshua Lobdell — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:00:26 +0000

Some of the old Peyton Manning cannot win the big game thought, has crept back into the minds of NFL and Colts fans, but really they just got beat. Even great teams sometimes get beat, and while a Super Bowl loss is always hard to swallow, this team should see a few more trips to the big dance before the eventual rebuilding begins. They are miles ahead of any team in their division, and are virtually guaranteed another trip to the NFL playoffs. For now the tweak the roster, and their coaching staff and get ready to do it all again.

The 2009 Colts offense scored 416 points or 26 points a game, and that was good enough for the 7th best NFL offense. Manning threw for 4,500 yards, completed 68.8% of his passes, threw 33 TD passes and had 16 interceptions. ON the ground they Colts gained 1,294 yards behind Joseph Addai’s 828 yards. That may sound a little low, but this is clearly a pass first team.

The Colts defense gave up 307 points or 19.2 points per game. That means on average they outscored their opponents by nearly a touchdown. Their take away differential was +2, which could have been higher but Peyton threw those 16 picks. The defense appears to be solid and after resigning LB Gary Brackett the return the entire starting squad from 2009.

The biggest flaw on this team is a lack of execution in the running game. In several key short yardage situations in the big game, the Colts failed to convert. Since they have a top talent at RB, this suggests the need to upgrade and find a little depth on their offensive line. They also need to address their backup QB situation and may use a late round draft pick to find another playmaker there. Peyton is 33 years old, so he should be around for a while, but championship teams prepare themselves for every circumstance.

Changes in San Francisco 49ers front office?

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:33:15 +0000

Profootballtalk.com is reporting that San Francisco 49ers General Manger, Scot McCloughan, is either on the verge of being fired, or is considering a resignation. The timing of this move is very troubling, considering we are in the middle of NFL Free Agency, and teams are preparing themselves for the NFL Draft. The Niners haven’t set the world of fire with their free agent moves, but they have made a few signings and even completed a trade. One now has to wonder what is going on within the 49er organization.

Since Scot came to the Niners in 20005, and was promoted to GM in 2007 the Niners without a doubt have improved their roster. He may have been behind the firing of former Head Coach Mike Nolan, but he was also probably in on hiring new Head Coach Mike Singletary. Both moves seem to have been correct.

SO far in free agency the 49ers have signed QB David Carr as the backup to starter Alex Smith, traded QB Shaun Hill to the Detroit Lions for a 2011 7th round draft pick. They have also signed DL Derek Walker, and CB Karl Paymah. It seems like they are addressing their needs, and improving the club. With two first round pick in April’s draft they are in an excellent position to improve their club even more.

While this is just a rumor at this point, it seems very weird. Apparently some files have been moved from his office, and it seems to indicate that all is not well in 49er land. Why that is, is anyone’s guess since this team appears to be on the rise. Who knows on this one.

Seahawks make an agressive move to land a QB

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:51:49 +0000

Seattle Seahawks new Head Coach Pete Carroll got his new QB today. It also seems that the team played a very high price for him. On Tuesday the Seattle Seahawks traded their 2010 2nd round pick and a 2011 third round pick to the San Diego Chargers and their 2010 2nd round pick. They then signed, the QB to a two year 10 million dollar contract extension. Many are calling this a crazy move, but is it all that more crazy than guaranteeing a NFL rookie QB 70 million dollars over the next five years?

Sure Whitehurst is unproven, a 2006 third round draft pick, that has yet to throw a pass in a regular season NFL game. I ask this, what did the Seahawks really give up for him? They move back 20 picks in the second round, but they still have two first round pick which just happen to be within the first 14 picks. That is an acceptable risk. The only really thing Carroll and the Seahawks front office has done is tied their short term success to how Whitehurst plays on the field.

While this seems to be an acceptable risk, with a lot of upside by the way, it raises a lot of questions about how this team will be rebuilt. Will they use Whitehurst as a stopgap till they are in a better position to draft a young QB? Will they go ahead and draft a QB this year (which may be hard since Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen are likely to have been selected by the time the ‘Hawks pick at 6)? What about Matt Hasselbeck?

In the end I kind of like this move and I think the plan for the draft will be to add a RB and a OT with their two selections in the first round. This will give Whitehurst some protection, and a running game to lean on should he be the starter. That seems like an ok plan, but the fans may turn on Carroll and new Seahawks General Manager John Schneider if this move blows up in their face.

2009 NFL season in review: Minnesota Vikings

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:14:13 +0000

What can we say about a team one good play away from making the Super Bowl? We can say that over achieved, we can say that Brett Favre proved he had something left in the tank, and we can say they have all the pieces to do it again. Of course if Favre comes back. This is an excellent team, they have all the pieces. A great offense, a very good defense, but just like the Green Bay Packers they are going to have to land Favre’s replacement in this April’s draft. Other than that the big concern for fans of this team is their stadium situation. Will they stay or will the city of angels claim their second Minnesota based pro sports team?

In 2009 the Vikings scored 470 points or 29.4 points per game, good enough for the second best NFL offense. Favre threw for 4,202 yards, completed 68.4% of his passes, threw 33 TD’s and had just 7 interceptions. Not to bad for a guy I had written off. That’s ok though, sometimes it is good to be wrong. On the ground they gained 1,918 yards led by Adrian Peterson and his 1,383 yards.

The Viking defense gave up 312 points or 19.4 per game, and that was good enough for the tenth best NFL defense. On average they outscored their opponents by nearly 10 points, and their take away differential was +6. Is there work to be done on this team? Sure there always is, but the work here is easy. Find a few more playmakers, look for quality depth players, and find a QB who they can groom as Favre’s replacement.

The mess that is the Buffalo Bills

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:20:18 +0000

The Buffalo Bills have been pretty quiet so far in free agency. It seems their plan is to pick up a few players who are familiar with a 3-4 defense, a defensive scheme that they will switch to in 2010, and wait until the draft to address their other concerns. New Head Coach has his hands full on this one. He has to determine who will be the starting Bills QB, find a few receivers to replace Terrell Owens and Josh Reed, switch over the defense, and rebuild the offensive line.

The Bills have three QB’s: Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and untested Brian Brohm. It does not appear that any of these three are the long term answer in Buffalo, and Brohm was beaten up in a 31-3 loss in week 16 in 2009. Gailey will have to use one of these guys as a stopgap until this team can draft or trade for a new QB.

So far in free agency the Bills have added OT Cornell Green. He will step in and be a veteran presence on a young Offensive line that has a lot of growing up to do. They took two O linemen in last year’s draft and will probably have to add a third with their first pick in the 2010 draft. Since they need a RT with the surprise retirement of Brad Butler Trent Williams seems like a logical choice.

Since they are going to switch to a 3-4 defense, they signed free agent DE Dwan Edwards who played with the Baltimore Ravens in a 3-4 scheme and added LB Andra Davis. These are pretty good moves, but not home runs. The Bills have a lot of holes and Gailey and the front office staff are doing what they can to begin to fill them. I am skeptical of the decision to move to a 3-4 scheme with no nose tackle on the roster, and other NFL teams doing whatever they can to protect their NT players. To run this scheme a tam must have a dominant NT and the Bills simply don’t.

Fix the Franchise: San Francisco 49ers edition

Joshua Lobdell — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:38:28 +0000

At 8-8 we could argue that the 49ers do not need all that much, of course with just the 18th best offense in 2009 we could argue that there is a lot of work to do. Really this team needs to continue making wise decisions, and allow Head Coach Mike Singletary to do his thing. This may be the easiest fix of the 20 teams not to make the 2009 NFL playoffs. Then again one bad move sets this team way back, so they have to be careful, but bold at the same time. Never an easy thing to accomplish.

Since they gave up nearly 4,000 passing yards in 2009, the top need on defense has to be in the defensive secondary. Since their takeaway differential was +9 they could afford to add a player like Taylor Mays to the secondary via the draft. Mays may not be a ball hawk, but he is a big time hitter, and a Singletary kind of player. If I were calling the shots for the 49ers I would spend one of my two first round picks on him.

The next thing, they need to do is bulk up their offensive line, both to protect QB Alex Smith and to beef up their running game. They gained 1,600 yards on the ground last year and Frank Gore had 1,120. Adding an Offensive Tackle and an offensive Guard should be secondary priorities. If I were running their 2010 draft I would be spending my second round pick on the best OT tackle prospect available and a later round pick on an offensive guard prospect.

The Niners have a great chance to win their division in 2010. The three teams sharing their division are rebuilding, and they are just a few good moves away from being contenders once again. If I were running the show I would hold to the status quo. Allow Singletary to continue building this team in his image, and work towards having a strong draft.

Related Links:

2009 NFL season in review: New York Jets

Joshua Lobdell — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:33 +0000

I cannot make sense out of the Thomas Jones LT thing either, and I think their owner, Woody Johnson needs to take his medication. However this was a 9-7 team that made it all the to the AFC Championship game. They have built a solid foundation and look to be a force in the AFC for sometime to come. They have done well in free agency so far, adding a few pieces and look to build on their strong post season run. Rex Ryan is a great coach, and Mark Sanchez may just be a great QB.

In 2009 the Jet offense scored 348 points, or 21.8 points per game. That was good enough for the 17th best NFL offense. Sanchez completed 53.8% of his passes, threw for 2,596 yards, 12 touch downs, with 20 interceptions. Let us not forget he was a rookie, and he is only going to get better. On the ground they gained 2,756 yards led by Jones and his 1,402. Since LT had about half that in 2009 the move to cut Jones and replace him with LT makes little sense.

The Jets defense gave up just 236 points, and that was the best defense in 2009. Even though Sanchez threw 20 picks their take away differential was +1. That seems to suggest that the work that needs to be done is on the offense. Growing Sanchez into the position and giving him a few more offensive weapons is the way this club gets better.

For a team that was one game away from the Super Bowl, and a team that seems to have all the necessary pieces a little roster tweak here and there and they will be ready to take on all comers in 2010.

Related Links:

•New York Jets news and notes
•2010 NFL Mock Drafts
•2010 NFL Free Agents
•MTR Football.com

The Browns still have a murky QB situation

Joshua Lobdell — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:04:39 +0000

Over the first week of free agency new Browns President Mike Holmgren has brought in two new QB’s, released one of the ones he inherited, and is looking to dump the other. Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are in. Derek Anderson has been cut, and Brady Quinn will likely be traded. While the moves are positive from a PR standpoint, we have to ask if the Browns are actually better off. Given Wallace’s history with Holmgren in Seattle we have to figure he is the favorite to win the Browns starting QB job, but it will likely be an open competition.

While the Browns are rid of, or soon will be rid of, their problems at QB they still have a lot of questions there. Delhomme has not been right since a blowout layoff loss at the end of the 2008 season. Wallace on the other hand is a 31 year old backup QB. While he does have some history with Holmgren for their Seahawks days, we have to wonder if he can handle a starting job. The Browns also seem to still be in need of a young QB to develop. The likely will take one in the middle rounds of the 2010 NFL draft.

Looking at this from the outside I don’t see how having Delhomme and Wallace is any better than having Anderson and Quinn. Of course some of this is just a matter of perception. Holmgren is riding the roster of the problems it has had the past few years. The fans will like it, but when one of these guys has a bad day, the Dawg Pound will turn on them and turn on them quickly.

In the end I don’t like these moves, sure Holmgren Brought Matt Hasselbeck out to Settle with him from Green Bay, but I don’t see that kind of talent in either of these guys. I would have worked to trade for one of the Philadelphia Eagles QB’s rather than signing Delhomme. I have a feeling he is used up, and will just be another failed Browns QB. Only time will tell on this one.

2009 NFL season in review: San Diego Chargers

Joshua Lobdell — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:28:28 +0000

I know Charger fan, LT is gone, and even though this team has all that talent to warrant a Super Bowl Championship, it seems they always come up short. I have no faith that Norv Turner is the guy to lead this team to said championship, and I have even less faith in the front office of this team. It seems to me that this team is distracted by its stadium situation, and a possible relocation to the city of angels. However they were 13-3, but it was yet another great regular season dismantled by a loss in the second round of the NFL playoffs.

The 2009 Charger offense scored 454 points, or 28.4 points per game. That was good enough for the 4th best NFL offense. It was led by QB Philip Rivers who threw for 4,254 yards, completed 65.2% of his passes, had 28 TD’s, and just nine interceptions. On the ground they gained just 1,423 yards, led by LT and his meager 730 yards. This is probably why he was released.

Their defense gave up just 320 points, or 20 points per game. That means on average they outscored their opponents by more than a touch down. However they did give up over 1,800 rushing yards. 3,569 passing yards. Both totals are kind of the high side, and suggest that this team has some work to do on offense, but it’s off season priority will be to rebuild their running game.

Without a doubt they will have to select a RB with their first pick in April’s draft. However they could also use some help on the offensive line. This team has been pretty quiet in free agency, and that seems a little troubling but hopefully they have a plan on how to make a 13-3 team make a run at a Super Bowl.

UFL has six finalist for Sacramento team name

Joshua Lobdell — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:42:30 +0000

The United Football League is holding a name the team contest for its relocated Sacramento franchise. Now they have narrowed the list down to six finalists. Here are my rankings of the six team names:

Redwoods- Going from the California Redwoods, to the Sacramento Red woods would be just fine. In fact of the four original UFL teams I liked the Redwoods moniker second best. The Redwoods nickname has ties to the Sacramento area and would save the team from having to rebrand itself, but new uniforms are an absolute must.
Senators- Sacramento is the capital of California and teams names the Senators always sound cool. I also happen to be a fan of nicknames that start with the same letter and are fairly similar to say. Sacramento Senators rolls very nicely.
Pioneers- I got to say the first tow are good and then the quality goes way down. Pioneers fits the California spirit, but I have a hard tie imagining a logo that would look good on a helmet for this one.
Miners- This is another one that is trying to capture the historic sprit of California, but this team cannot be the Miners with the 49ers being in their same state. It would be confusing, and would not help to set this league apart from the NFL.
Condors- frankly I don’t get this one, but football already has far too many teams named after birds.
Sting- Names like this are saved for Lacrosse teams, or really bad Arena Football teams. It lacks imagination, and I don’t want to see a football team dressed up like a bunch of bumble bees.

In the end the UFL and the owners of this franchise should heed one rule, if it ain’t broke don’t bother fixing it. However we have to admire the commitment of this league to reach out to its fan base.

Related Links:

2009 NFL season in review: Dallas Cowboys

Joshua Lobdell — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:59:41 +0000

I, guess we cannot bag on teams that went 11-5, and made it to the second round of the NFL playoffs, even if they are owned by one Jerry Jones. The Cowboys are a pretty solid team especially on defense, but they could use some work on the offense. I am not the biggest Tony Romo fan in the world, but I found the news articles questioning his intelligence last year a little distasteful. Whatever we think abut Romo he can get the job done and it appears that the stats back that up.

In 2009 the Cowboys scored 361 points or 22.6 points per game. That was good enough for 14th best amongst the 32 NFL teams. Romo threw for 4,483 yards, completed 63.1% of his passes, and threw for 26 TD’s with just 9 interceptions. That stat line should effectively shut up all the Romo haters out there. On the ground this team gained 2,103 yards behind the effective RB tandem of Marion Barber and Felix Jones.

The defense gave up just 250 points or 15.6 per game. That means on average they outscored their opponents by more than a TD. However their take away differential was just +2. Since the QB did not have a ton turnovers this suggests that the Cowboys could use a few more players who can create turnovers. They did give up over 3,800 yards passing yards, and 1,448 yards on the ground. This seems to suggest that the work that needs to be done is in the defensive secondary.

Really though this is a team that is a right move or two away from dominating. They have a very solid roster, which should now have enough playoff experience to make a very long run towards another Super Bowl ring in 2010.

2009 NFL season in review: Arizona Cardinals

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:50:33 +0000

It is kind of hard to bag on a team that went 10-6, won their division, and advanced to the second round of the NFL playoffs. 2009 was a pretty good year for the Arizona Cardinals, but I see a big drop off coming. QB Kurt Warner retired, the offense will be turned back over to Matt Leinart, and they traded WR Anquan Boldin. I see no plan to replace these key figures in the offense. Alas, that is for next year, let us allow the Cardinals fans to enjoy their 2009 campaign.

In 2009 the Cardinals scored 375 points or 23.4 points/game. That was good enough for the 11th best NFL scoring offense in 2009. Led by Warner who threw for 3,753 yards, completed 66.1% of his passes, and had 26 TD passes while throwing just 14 interceptions. The good news here is Leinart also completed 66% of his passes filling in for an injure Warner. On the ground this tem gained just 1,494 yards and did not feature a 1,000 yard rusher.

The Cardinal defense gave up 325 points or 20.3 points per game. That was good enough for the 14h best NFL defense, and their take away differential was -7. This suggests that the Cardinal defense needs a little work. Since this defense gave up over 1,800 yards rushing the work may lie with an upgrade to the Linebacker corps. Since they lost Karlos Dansby, who was their leading tackler in 2009, to the Miami Dolphins in free agency that seems to be were this team will direct its attention in the coming NFL draft.

While they recently made, an apperance in the Super Bowl, it seems the Cardinals are destined to return to the kind of team they have been for much of their history. A team that is poorly managed, and constantly under achieves. That is too bad, but what are you going to do?

Anthony Davis hurts his draft stock

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:01:04 +0000

Every year there is one bone head that is guaranteed a high draft spot then seems to do whatever he can to screw it all up. Hey it is not like we are talking about the potential loss of tens of millions of dollars, oh ya we are. This year’s candidate seems to be Anthony Davis the OT from Rutgers. Many early NFL mock drafts had Davis has a virtual lock to be selected in the top ten, after acting like a bonehead at his school’s pro day Wednesday he may slip to the bottom of the first round.

Some will sit here and say hey what is the big deal? Being a NFL first round draft pick in a very good thing, and they would be right. However the difference in money is tremendous. For example most had Davis as the ninth pick in the 2010 draft. Last year’s ninth overall pick, BJ Raji got a 28.5 million dollar five year contract with 18 million of that number guaranteed. Davis’ stock has been slipping since the end of the college football season and recent mock drafts have him going in the bottom third of the first round. Let us say he slipped to the Green Bay Packers at 23. Last year’s 23rd overall pick, Michael Oher, got a 13.8 million dollar, five year deal with only 7.8 million guaranteed.

So what did Davis do? Well he didn’t show up for his pro day, even though several NFL offensive line coaches and flown to Rutgers to see him work out. Once they got him on the phone and told him they would like to meet with him he refused to way in. For a guy who was already facing immaturity issues this is not going to help. On top of all that he says he wasn’t going to work out because of a hamstring injury that was not fully disclosed to NFL teams.

That means a few giant red flags are being raised on this kid, and it will most definitely affect where he gets selected.

Fix the Franchise: Miami Dolphins edition

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:11:49 +0000

With a 7-9 record the Miami Dolphins do not have as much work to do as some of the other teams we have covered so far. It seems like the got the right front office guy in Bill Parcells, their Head Coach Tony Sparano seems to be doing a pretty good job, and much of the work that has to be done now lies on the defensive side of the ball. They may have a bit of a QB controversy to squash, but by and large this is a pretty solid team that needs some big time playmakers on defense.

If I owned the Dolphins, or was in charge of them, I may curtail the Wild Cat offense system a bit. It seems that their offense is hot and cold, and sometimes they seem to rely on the Wild Cat, a bit too much. My concern is they are not allowing the normal offense to get into a groove. This is especially troubling when young QB Chad Henne is running the offense. It is a great gimmick, but I would like to see them run it less.

Now that they have signed LB Karlos Dansby they probably got one of the ILB they need, but they need to use the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL draft to get another one. If I were running the Dolphins draft I would be setting my target on Rolando McClain of Alabama, with Brandon Spikes as my back up plan. Parcells loves his linebackers and this seems the logical way to begin to upgrade this defense.

Since they also need, a Nose Tackle to anchor the middle of their Defensive line I would be targeting Torrell Troup in the middle rounds. The other glaring need on this team is a legitimate number one receiver. They have a nice collection of guys who would be good #2 guys, but no legitimate threat. I would be using my second round pick in 2010 to address that need, and the way the draft seems to be shaking out; there would be several quality options there.

2009 NFL Season in review: Baltimore Ravens

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:18:43 +0000

It is really hard to get a grip on what is going on with the Baltimore Ravens. On paper they look far better than they really are, with a 9-7 record in the regular season, they seem to have under achieve somewhat. However they did make it to the second round of the payoffs, and they play in a crazy tough division. It seems that the Ravens are a piece or two away from being just as good as, or better than the team that won the Super Bowl.

In 2009 the Ravens offense scored 391 points or 24.4 points per game. That was good enough for the 9th best 2009 NFL offense. Joe Flacco led his team through is sophomore campaign throwing for 3,613 yards, completing 63.1% of his passes, and throwing 21 touch downs and 12 interceptions. On the ground this team gained 2,200 yards led by Ray Rice and his 1,339 yards.

The defense gave up 261 points or 16.3 per game, and they were the third best 2009 NFL defense. Given how well, they paled it seems inconceivable that they had just a 9-7 record. Their take away differential was +10 also the third best in the league, and all the numbers suggest that the Ravens dominated teams in 2009, but their record shows something else.

Since they gave up 3,506 passing yards and 17 passing TD’s, it seems a little upgrade to the defensive secondary is in order. They also seem to have a need for a few offensive playmakers and so far in 2010 they have added Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin to their receiving corps. Things look pretty god for the Ravens, and if they add some corners and some pass rushers in the 2010 NFL draft they may just dominate the league the way their numbers suggest they are capable of.

Anderson takes a parting shot at Cleveland football fans

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:31:03 +0000

Former Cleveland Browns QB Derek Anderson was recently cut by the team. On learning about his employment status he decided to take a few parting shots at the team, but more importantly the fans of the Cleveland Browns. Apparently Anderson doesn’t live in Cleveland (I sure am dating myself with that crazy Sam Wyche reference) and he decided the time was right to speak his mind. This is what he had to say, “The fans are ruthless and don’t deserve a winner,” Anderson said. “I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured. I know at times I wasn’t great. I hope and pray I’m playing when my team comes to town and [we] roll them.”

To be fair the fans of the Cleveland Browns, have been known to be a little well let us just come out and say it, CRAZY. Don’t you dare go to Cleveland and mention the name Art Modell or you might just get in a fight. While they are not the worst fans in the league, we save that distinction for those dirty drunken morons who root for the Philadelphia Eagles and boo Santa Claus, but cheering a guy who is injured is a despicable act and shows the ignorance of Cleveland football fans.

The Browns mismanaged Anderson and the rest of their team. He was once just a third string QB that lucked into starting gig because of poor performances and contract disputes. With no pressure on him he played well, once that pressure returned he lived up to what he was, a third string QB. Instead of understanding what had happened in 2007, they resigned Anderson and named him the starter. Browns fans should be booing Romeo Crennel, not Anderson.

The simple fact here is the booing of Anderson injury was just another sad chapter of bad behavior by Browns fans. In 1995 their fans ripped up seats and started small fires at the home finale of old Cleveland Stadium, in 2001 the fans rained debris onto the field pelting not only the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars but their own players with plastic beer bottles still partially filled. Maybe Anderson is right, and Cleveland fans do not deserve to have a winning football team.

Fix the Franchise: Jacksonville Jaguars edition

Joshua Lobdell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:00:18 +0000

As a one time resident of this fair city, and knowing I am going to have to explain myself to my Aunt who lives there currently I think the fix for the Jaguars is to move to a bigger market. I don’t like relocating teams anymore than anyone else, and as a Jaguars fan from afar I hate to say it, but it really seems like the market for this team is tapped out. That means even if they could build a winning team, the likelihood of making more money is poor. The Jaguars need to expand their brand but with the Falcons and Panthers to the North, Dolphins to the south, Buccaneers to the west, and ocean to the east, it doesn’t seem like they will be able to do that.

A move to Los Angeles may be just what this team really needs, but it in no way guarantees success. To be more critical of how this team has been run, if I owned this team I would fire Head Coach Jack Del Rio. I think he has taken this team as far as he can. On top of that the Jaguars have a confusing front office system set up. In looking at who runs this team I see no one labeled General Manger, so I have no idea who is making the day-to-day decisions. Tim Walsh’s title is Director of Football administration so he seems logical that day-to-day decisions fall to him.

If that is the case I would fire him as well. IN doing some searching through the media guide one Gene Smith is the Jaguars GM. He has been on the job for about a year, and is the first GM in Jaguars history. This suggests to me that Owner Wayne Weaver doesn’t know a thing about structuring a NFL front office. That is a problem, and may be why this team seems rudderless at times. For the Jaguars to be successful that must change.