August 2010 – Page 4 – Priced Out of the Citi

NFL Team Capsules: Miami Dolphins

Studs: WR Brandon Marshall

Duds: WR Patrick Turner

Sleepers: LB Cameron Wake

X-Factor: Can the Dolphins overcome their offseason losses and find a pass-rush?

Synopsis: The team failed to make the playoffs last season after a remarkable turnaround the previous year under the new regime (Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano). Offensive firepower was brought in for young QB Chad Henne with the addition of WR Brandon Marshall. RB Ronnie Brown is determined to prove his detractors wrong, as he comes off a foot injury which ended his season early and enters the final year of his contract. RB Ricky Williams is the team’s leading rusher, look for the two backs to split carries in ’10. The defense waived good-bye to LBs Jason Taylor and Joey Porter (16 combined sacks in ’09) and brought in

NFL Team Capsules: New York Jets

Studs: RB Shonn Greene, LB David Harris

Duds: WR Braylon Edwards, DE Vernon Gholston

Sleepers: RB LaDainian Tomlinson

X-Factor: Will Darelle Revis end his holdout and report to the team?

Synopsis: The New York hype machine has hit full throttle with the Jets introduction to the world on Hard Knocks. The nation seems to be buying into head coach Rex Ryan’s bravado but locally, there are major concerns as to whether or not second-year QB Mark Sanchez can deliver the goods. Mr. Hollywood has been unreceptive to advice on the HBO show. The team brought in a bevy of big-name talent during free agency by signing RB LaDainian Tomlinson, LB Jason Taylor, CB Antonio Rogers-Cromatie and trading for Super Bowl MVP, WR Santonio Holmes. The biggest positive on offense is that the team

NFL Team Capsules: New England Patriots

Studs: QB Tom Brady, WR Randy Moss, DT Vince Wilfork

Duds: RB Laurence Maroney

Sleepers: WR Julian Edelman

X-Factor: Can wide receiver Wes Welker return to old form after a fast ACL rehab?

Synopsis: The defending division champs will have their hands full in what is arguably the toughest division in football. The offseason has been somewhat tumultuous with the loss of DL Ty Warren (out for the year) and the contract impasse with starting LT Logan Mankins. The Mankins holdout appears to have no end in sight, and the anchor of the OL is threatening to sit out the season. The Patriots have failed to find a dependable runner, former first round pick RB Laurence Maroney seems to be in Bill Bellichick’s doghouse yet again. They will lean on a running back by

Avery Injury Pushes Gilyard into Prime Role

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat’s Howard Balzer indicates that rookie Mardy Gilyard may get the first crack at replacing Donnie Avery, who’s out for the season after tearing his right ACL.

Mancini’s Take: It’s somewhat surprising to hear that coach Steve Spagnuolo hasn’t mentioned Brandon Gibson as a replacement after his glowing performance versus New England earlier this week (50 receiving yards and a touchdown). The thinking here might be that the Rams would prefer lining up Gibson at split end instead of the flanker position previously occupied by Avery. The flanker position (generally lined up slightly behind the line of scrimmage) is usually reserved for the feature receiver. Gilyard has the characteristics to be a versatile player that can be split out wide or play in the slot; his ability to make plays in space is what sets him apart. His quick acceleration allows him to easily turn

Avery Injury Pushes Gilyard into Prime Role

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat’s Howard Balzer indicates that rookie Mardy Gilyard may get the first crack at replacing Donnie Avery, who’s out for the season after tearing his right ACL.

Mancini’s Take: It’s somewhat surprising to hear that coach Steve Spagnuolo hasn’t mentioned Brandon Gibson as a replacement after his glowing performance versus New England earlier this week (50 receiving yards and a touchdown). The thinking here might be that the Rams would prefer lining up Gibson at split end instead of the flanker position previously occupied by Avery. The flanker position (generally lined up slightly behind the line of scrimmage) is usually reserved for the feature receiver. Gilyard has the characteristics to be a versatile player that can be split out wide or play in the slot; his ability to make plays in space is what sets him apart. His quick acceleration allows him to easily turn

Top Draft Eligible DE Prospects In The Nation

The NFL Draft Bible big board rankings are based on the accumulation of BLESTO and NATIONAL reports, in addition to feedback from NFL personnel, college football coaches and internal scouting department:

QB RB FB WR TE OT OG C DT DE OLB ILB CB SS FS ST

<br	TOP DRAFT ELIGIBLE DEFENSIVE ENDS
<br	#	FIRST NAME	LAST NAME	SCHOOL	HT	WT	40	INFO
<br	1	Robert	Quinn*	North Carolina	<span style="color: Read more… Posted byNFL Draft News FeedAugust 27, 2010Posted inNFL DraftLeave a comment on Top Draft Eligible DE Prospects In The Nation One on One With Browns Free Safety TJ Ward Former Oregon Duck, now rookie free safety for the Cleveland Browns T.J. Ward is a fierce tackling machine who also played some corner while in college. Taken in the second round with the 38th overall pick, Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren saw a lot more of Ward while on the west coast during his time in Seattle, helping in the evaluation and final decision to bring him aboard. Playing his high school football at powerhouse De La Salle High School in Concord, California, Ward ended up not getting recruited after rupturing his patella tendon and missing his senior year. Some may take into account that he has missed time due to injuries but his frame and physical style of play is reminiscent of Indianapolis Colts Bob Sanders, though Ward is slightly bigger. It is to be noted that he has missed time with several injuries Read more… Posted byNFL Draft News FeedAugust 27, 2010Posted inNFL DraftLeave a comment on One on One With Browns Free Safety TJ Ward Packers Rookie Gems \| Burnett, Shields Shine While it’s still early in the game, it’s really starting to look like GM Ted Thompson has done a marvelous job of fortifying Green Bay’s roster by bringing in an outstanding collection of talented rookies. Among the youngsters who have taken the bull by the horns this summer are defensive backs Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields. Both recorded interceptions in the Pack’s 59-24 win over the Colts while displaying the athleticism to be significant contributors to Green Bay’s defense in their first seasons. At strong safety, Burnett shows the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and break up long downfield strikes to open receivers with his length and excellent sense of timing. The young buck’s instincts also led him to intercept a Peyton Manning pass in the second quarter by undercutting Pierre Garcon, who ran an inside route. Fellow rookie Shields, on the other Read more… Posted byNFL Draft News FeedAugust 27, 2010Posted inNFL DraftLeave a comment on Packers Rookie Gems \| Burnett, Shields Shine Pat Angerer Unleashing His Fury in Indy Middle linebacker Pat Angerer showed once again that he has the chops to be a standout defender at the pro level in Indy’s 59-24 loss to Green Bay. Not only did the rookie once again lead his team in tackles with eight, but the intense competitor consistently fought his way through the trash at the line of scrimmage and found the ball carrier on running plays. He plays as if his hair’s on fire and quickly closes in on his opponents. He is prone to jumping a little too quickly at times on play-action and misdirection plays, but he also guesses right more often than not, exhibiting exceptional instincts. While he’ll probably be backing up Gary Brackett this season, the 6-0 Angerer will likely see some action in nickel packages and special teams. Down the road, he will be a starter and seems to be good fit Read more… Posted byNFL Draft News FeedAugust 27, 2010Posted inNFL DraftLeave a comment on Pat Angerer Unleashing His Fury in Indy One on One With Rams QB Sam Bradford It’s not uncommon for NFL teams to use the number one overall draft pick on a quarterback. After all, it’s a quarterback-driven league. Since 1998, when the Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning, ten of the last twelve number one overall picks have been quarterbacks. The time that Manning devotes to his craft is the stuff of legends; aspiring quarterbacks at any level could improve ten fold if they worked as hard as number 18 does. Manning did inherit Marshall Faulk, who turned into Edgerrin James after Faulk was traded. Having another future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison didn’t hurt Manning’s progress but perhaps the most important aspect of Manning’s rise to the top was his bond with longtime offensive coordinator and assistant coach Tom Moore, who spent 12 seasons with the four-time MVP. The bond these two shared may never get the credit it so richly Read more… Posted byNFL Draft News FeedAugust 26, 2010Posted inNFL DraftLeave a comment on One on One With Rams QB Sam Bradford Posts navigation Newer posts 1 2 3 4 5 6 … 22 Older posts Priced Out of the Citi, Proudly powered by WordPress.

<br

TOP DRAFT ELIGIBLE DEFENSIVE ENDS

<br

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

SCHOOL

INFO

<br

Robert

Quinn*

North Carolina

<span style="color:

One on One With Browns Free Safety TJ Ward

Former Oregon Duck, now rookie free safety for the Cleveland Browns T.J. Ward is a fierce tackling machine who also played some corner while in college.

Taken in the second round with the 38th overall pick, Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren saw a lot more of Ward while on the west coast during his time in Seattle, helping in the evaluation and final decision to bring him aboard.

Playing his high school football at powerhouse De La Salle High School in Concord, California, Ward ended up not getting recruited after rupturing his patella tendon and missing his senior year. Some may take into account that he has missed time due to injuries but his frame and physical style of play is reminiscent of Indianapolis Colts Bob Sanders, though Ward is slightly bigger. It is to be noted that he has missed time with several injuries

Packers Rookie Gems | Burnett, Shields Shine

While it’s still early in the game, it’s really starting to look like GM Ted Thompson has done a marvelous job of fortifying Green Bay’s roster by bringing in an outstanding collection of talented rookies. Among the youngsters who have taken the bull by the horns this summer are defensive backs Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields. Both recorded interceptions in the Pack’s 59-24 win over the Colts while displaying the athleticism to be significant contributors to Green Bay’s defense in their first seasons. At strong safety, Burnett shows the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and break up long downfield strikes to open receivers with his length and excellent sense of timing. The young buck’s instincts also led him to intercept a Peyton Manning pass in the second quarter by undercutting Pierre Garcon, who ran an inside route. Fellow rookie Shields, on the other

Pat Angerer Unleashing His Fury in Indy

Middle linebacker Pat Angerer showed once again that he has the chops to be a standout defender at the pro level in Indy’s 59-24 loss to Green Bay. Not only did the rookie once again lead his team in tackles with eight, but the intense competitor consistently fought his way through the trash at the line of scrimmage and found the ball carrier on running plays. He plays as if his hair’s on fire and quickly closes in on his opponents. He is prone to jumping a little too quickly at times on play-action and misdirection plays, but he also guesses right more often than not, exhibiting exceptional instincts. While he’ll probably be backing up Gary Brackett this season, the 6-0 Angerer will likely see some action in nickel packages and special teams. Down the road, he will be a starter and seems to be good fit

One on One With Rams QB Sam Bradford

It’s not uncommon for NFL teams to use the number one overall draft pick on a quarterback. After all, it’s a quarterback-driven league. Since 1998, when the Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning, ten of the last twelve number one overall picks have been quarterbacks.

The time that Manning devotes to his craft is the stuff of legends; aspiring quarterbacks at any level could improve ten fold if they worked as hard as number 18 does. Manning did inherit Marshall Faulk, who turned into Edgerrin James after Faulk was traded. Having another future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison didn’t hurt Manning’s progress but perhaps the most important aspect of Manning’s rise to the top was his bond with longtime offensive coordinator and assistant coach Tom Moore, who spent 12 seasons with the four-time MVP. The bond these two shared may never get the credit it so richly