NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 7 New Articles Added 11/6/06

Hache Man · Aug 10, 2006

Updated: Aug. 10, 2006
Ray Lewis ready to bounce back

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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WESTMINSTER, Md. -- Here are five observations on the Ravens, based on their Aug. 9 practice:

1.
Ray Lewis is back, and he has his team back. He lost the team and the city in the offseason with his complaining about the organization. He alienated his teammates sitting alone on the sideline last season. Even Lewis and good friend Ed Reed bumped heads a bit, both frustrated about their injuries and a season that ended with a 6-10 record. Lewis attended voluntary workouts in the offseason and hasn't missed a padded practice in camp. All the controversy over his contract and being traded appear to be behind him. Lewis and Reed are even rooming together again. "He's mended the fences well," a team official says. We'll see how Lewis responds to adversity this season.
They're still talking here about a pop Lewis laid early in camp that dislodged the player's helmet. With first-round pick Haloti Ngata, former Bronco Trevor Pryce, and Dan Cody, last year's second-round pick who missed his entire rookie season, giving help to the defensive line, Lewis has more playmakers in front of him. He looks energized the way he's bouncing around in practice. There's been a lot of talk in recent years about Lewis losing a step. Even if he is a step slower at 31, there aren't many players you'd rather have in the middle of your defense.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Jamal Lewis</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running Back
Baltimore Ravens

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rush</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>269</TD><TD>906</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>32</TD><TD>191</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2.
The other Lewis, Jamal, is back as well. For one, he had a normal offseason. He isn't coming off incarceration or ankle surgery without proper rehabilitation. He has a contract. He's healthy both mentally and physically, "free and clear" of worry, he says.
Jamal Lewis' offseason workouts started two weeks after last season ended. His goal was to improve his conditioning and pass receiving skills so that he could be on the field for three downs; last season the Ravens would replace him with Chester Taylor on passing downs. Taylor left for a big payday and a starting job in Minnesota, but the Ravens still have good depth behind Lewis.
Mike Anderson enjoyed success in Denver; playing Lewis and Anderson in the backfield at the same time would make for a tough matchup. Musa Smith is back from a broken leg and is having a good camp. And for a change of pace, Baltimore has fourth-rounder P.J. Daniels, who is versatile enough to be split wide in certain packages.
If the offensive line can stay together, look for the Ravens' running game to return to form and a bounce-back year for Lewis.

3.
Ray Lewis (10 games, hamstring and groin) and Reed (six, high ankle) combined to lose a full season's worth of games to injury. Having two former Defensive Players of the Year back healthy makes the Ravens' defense better automatically. If the starters can stay on the field, this has a chance to be a dominating defense once again.
The Ravens think Terrell Suggs is going to be a terror this season. Last season he was asked to drop into coverage too often and when he did rush the quarterback, Suggs didn't have anyone opposite of him to take the pressure off. Baltimore brought in Pryce, whose priorities are, in order, third down, second down, and first down. The Ravens are really high on Cody. Adalius Thomas is an underrated performer -- he played linebacker, safety, corner, and defensive end last season. Ngata isn't just a space eater, he really can get off the ball and will attract double teams.
The only things missing on this side of the ball for Baltimore are depth at cornerback behind starters Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle and a proven safety next to Reed. No longer do the Ravens have the likes of Deion Sanders and Dale Carter coming off the bench. Corey Ivy (entering his sixth season) is the most experienced nickel back candidate. None of the others has more than two years, including third-round pick David Pittman. Rookie Dawan Landry and Gerome Sapp are competing to replace Will Demps. Landry is running with the first team. If neither guy ends up being impressive enough, the Ravens might just go without a true second safety.
Don't be surprised to see defensive coordinator Rex Ryan go with four linemen, four linebackers, and three DBs (McAlister, Reed, Rolle) in the opener against Tampa Bay in an effort to get their best 11 on the field, with Thomas as the wild card.

4.
Not only has the offensive personnel improved with the acquisition of Steve McNair, but the coaching should be better. Coordinator Jim Fassel vows to be more hands-on with the offense than he was last season, when according to a team source, Fassel called the plays on game day (with head coach Brian Billick occasionally interceding, often in the red zone) but assistant wide receivers/quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch ran the offensive meeting and oversaw the design of the game plan. Fassel also will spend less time working with the quarterbacks, leaving those duties to Rick Neuheisel. The offense is Fassel's baby now.

5.
Kyle Boller is having his best camp, Ravens officials say. He's responded surprisingly well to his demotion. Boller has said and done all the right things, he's displaying more confidence, and he doesn't sulk as much after mistakes. It helps that he finally has a proven veteran not just to learn under but who is willing to teach. McNair frequently explains things to Boller while they're on the sideline together. With 34 career starts, Boller goes from being one of the league's worst starters to one of its most experienced backups. Baltimore has won with him. But if McNair goes down, good camp and all, the Ravens can forget about contending.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 10, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Brown likely staying put
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<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Thursday, August 10</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>INTERESTED</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Chris Brown
Titans
</TD><TD>Jets?
Dolphins?
</TD><TD>Brown likely staying put
<Aug. 10> The Titans are loaded at running back, but don't expect them to trade any of their top three backs, writes ESPN.com's John Clayton.
Brown is the Titans' starter, but the fourth-year back has requested a trade because he figures to share carries with a pair of newcomers -- Travis Henry and LenDale White. Brown's agent, Ryan Morgan, has said the Dolphins are on his client's list of teams to which he'd like to be traded. With Curtis Martin's future in doubt, the Jets are also considered a possible suitor for Brown, according to The Newark Star-Ledger. Titans general manager Floyd Reese has said Brown is not on the block.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>INTERESTED</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Michael Haynes
Bears
</TD><TD>Broncos?
</TD><TD>Broncos won't bite
<Aug. 10> Don't expect Haynes to end up in Denver, reports ESPN.com's John Clayton. The Bears are interested in Broncos wide receiver Ashley Lelie, but Haynes won't be enough to get him. The Daily Herald reported on Aug. 9 that the Bears were trying to package Haynes and a fourth-round pick for Lelie. The 14th overall pick in 2003, Haynes has never had more than two sacks in any of his three seasons, while playing in 43 games but starting just four. He was moved from defensive end to tackle this year but is buried on the depth chart.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Bears must up ante
<Aug. 10> The Bears remain interested in Lelie, but they haven't offered enough to land the disgruntled receiver. Denver has its sight set on running back Thomas Jones; so far Chicago has been willing to give up only defensive lineman Michael Haynes and a fourth-round pick, according to published reports. Denver appears to be in no rush to trade Lelie. With several teams believed to be interested, the Broncos will hold out for the best offer.

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Hache Man · Aug 10, 2006

Bell following in T.D.'s footsteps

posted: Thursday, August 10, 2006 | Print Entry
filed under: NFL, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans

Broncos running back Mike Bell is one of the most amazing stories of training camp. Although he lacks breakaway speed, he hits the hole quickly. Bell was a big fan of former Broncos running back Terrell Davis. Now he's on the same path as Davis.

Mike Shanahan told Bell it took Davis three months to establish enough trust to gain the starting job. Shanahan said Bell needed only three days. Shanahan continues to challenge Tatum Bell, who is the backup but doesn't hit the hole as hard on short-yardage and goal-line plays.

Broncos won't bite: Don't expect Bears defensive end Michael Haynes to end up in Denver. A former first-round pick, Haynes has fallen out of favor in Chicago. The Bears are interested in Broncos wide receiver Ashley Lelie, but Haynes won't be enough to get him. Chicago is unwilling to give up running back Thomas Jones. Starter Cedric Benson is out two to three weeks with a shoulder injury, and the Bears still plan on being a running team.

Tennessee standing pat: The Titans are loaded at running back, but don't expect them to trade any of their top three backs. Chris Brown, who has asked to be traded, is still the starter, but Travis Henry is having a great camp. He's trimmer, quicker and could beat out Brown as camp goes on. Rookie LenDale White is nicked up, but he has the look of being a star. The Titans plan to run the ball 40 times a game, so it would take a huge trade offer to entice them to deal one of their backs. Don't expect it.
Freddie's return? Freddie Mitchell is not only on the radar screen of the Dallas Cowboys. He also is drawing interest from the 49ers and Jaguars. Mitchell sent letters to 32 teams to explain he is a more humble player than he was in Philadelphia. He has worked on his speed and reportedly is at 4.5 seconds in the 40. Mitchell is doing a good job of getting his name back in circulation and could end up signing with a team before the start of the regular season.

Hache Man · Aug 11, 2006

NFL murky at the top

posted: Friday, August 11, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts

Who's the best team in the NFL?

This is the first time in years there's no clear answer. I asked my editor at ESPN The Magazine, Chad Millman, who's knee-deep in the NFL preview issue, who he thought was the best team.
"That's a good question," he said. "I don't know. What do you think?"
I don't know, either. But I've narrowed it down to seven teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Why: Well, being the defending champs doesn't hurt. Having that defense doesn't hurt, either. As many of You The Reader constantly remind me, I didn't buy the Steelers advancing past the divisional round last year, but the way they played against the Broncos really impressed me. If Big Ben plays 80 percent of the year like he did against Denver last year, Pittsburgh could be a 13-win team.
Why not: A rocky offseason (Porter's contract, first-rounder Santonio Holmes, Big Ben's wreck, Bill Cowher's uncertainty) doesn't help, but probably won't hurt, unless of course Big Ben is spooked from his accident and having a tough time recovering. The main reason why I doubt Pittsburgh is its running game. Is Duce Staley recovered? Can Willie Parker carry the load? I'm not sure.
New England Patriots
Why: The Pats have the best QB in the league, the best coach in the league, and the best defensive line in the league. They also might have the best receiving tight end duo (Ben Watson, Daniel Graham) around, too. If Belichick can put his offensive rookies in position to make an impact right away, the sting of possibly not having Deion Branch all year will be lessened.
Why not: New England is too thin at linebacker and receiver (with Branch out) to not be exposed a few times a game. Those few times could directly or indirectly lead to points, and without clutch kicker Adam Vinateiri, who knows how many tight games New England can win. Tom Brady will always put the Pats in a position to win, but he can't kick.
Indianapolis Colts
Why: The Colts were the best regular season team last year and were everybody's favorite to be Detroit-bound. Even though they were lousy against the Steelers, they still could have won if Big Ben hadn't made a game-saving tackle. Not many would have had faith in the Broncos beating the Colts in the AFC Championship, and Peyton Manning probably would have picked Seattle's defense apart in ways that Big Ben couldn't. My point is, the Colts were darn close last year, and adding the best kicker of his generation (Vinatieri) only helps.
Why not: The Colts seem snakebitten. I wonder if they look at each other in the locker room and have absolute faith that they can win a Super Bowl, if only because they haven't together. Oh, and losing The Edge won't help. Teams will dare the Colts to run the ball, and you wonder with Manning's penchant for audibles if he can stay patient with the ground game.
Seattle Seahawks
Why: The Hawks are clearly the best team in the NFC, and I still think they gave the Super Bowl away with so many blown chances in the first half. The core stars are still intact. They're in a weak division, so a 13-win season isn't out of the question.
Why not: The little things. Losing WR Joe Jurevicius to Cleveland will hurt more than people realize. And while LB Julian Peterson is a good addition, the Niners didn't care about losing him -- a non-endorsement coming from the worst team in the league.
Dallas Cowboys
Why: They kind of have to be. Could be Parcells last year as a coach; could be T.O.'s last chance to be a good teammate; could be Drew Bledsoe's last chance to prove he can lead a team through the playoffs. There's a lot of pressure, and a lot of folks waiting to jump on Jerry Jones and Co. for any decision gone wrong. The pressure is high.
Why not: For the exact same reasons as above.
New York Giants
Why: Killer running game with Tiki Barber. A lot of scary receivers. A front-seven that might be the best in football.
Why not: I worry about Eli Manning. His fundamentals were pretty bad last year, and things like constantly throwing off your back foot or staring down receivers aren't things you simply erase in a year. There are a lot of conflicting personalities on this team, and if New York starts losing, will they point fingers and implode the team?
Denver Broncos
Why: Experience. The Broncos have it in the positions that count and at the places they don't have experience - like tailback - they've always gotten results. (See previous blog entry.)
Why not: If more teams can repeat the defensive schemes that Pittsburgh used in the AFC Championship - and not many can - it'll hurt the Broncos. Pittsburgh made the Broncos pass protect, which they struggled to do, causing Jake Plummer to struggle.
OK, so here's where You The Reader come in. E-mail me who you think is the best team in the league, and I'll give poll results next week, along with excepting some of the smarter cases.
Random Stuff
? I was really impressed with the story my colleague Tom Friend did on Maurice Clarett's hours before he was arrested the other night. That said, I'm a little surprised that Clarett gets so much attention every time he does anything. I suppose a lot of it is what he's done throughout the years (threatening to sue the NFL, winning a national championship, actually suing the NFL, blowing the lid on Ohio State's alleged paying of players, getting drafted by Denver, getting released by Denver, getting arrested, etc.)
But the other part is that ESPN is just tied to the guy. So much of his big news has come via The Magazine and network that I wonder if we pay so much attention to it because we gave him a platform so many times. And it trickles from there because so many news agencies take their queue from ESPN. ? I got a drunk dial from my buddy Alex at 2:11 a.m. this morning. My reaction to Alex's call represents a seismic shift in my thinking the past two years. See, I was pissed to get this drunk call. Now, two years ago, I was the one doing the drunk dialing. But look at me today: I'm getting married in a year, I'm on deadline with ESPN The Magazine, I just adopted a dog named Spot, and dang it, I get ticked off from calls in the middle of the night saying, "Hey, buddy. I'm in town. Just rolled in. Last-minute thing. I don't know if you're out right now or being hung in Kyle Turley's basement, but give me a call."

Hache Man · Aug 12, 2006

Updated: Aug. 12, 2006, 6:51 PM ET
No guarantees from Palmer

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Here are six observations on the Cincinnati Bengals, gleaned from the training camp practices of Aug. 9-10:
1.
While the overriding suspicion remains that Carson Palmer will start the regular-season opener at Kansas City on Sept. 10, kudos to the Bengals' star quarterback for his candor in allowing that's not yet a certainty, and for lobbying coach Marvin Lewis and the offensive assistants for more "reps" in camp. If Palmer is the starter against the Chiefs, the appearance would come exactly eight months to the day since he underwent surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee and to address a problem with his kneecap. That would represent a miraculous recovery, one born in large part by Palmer's incredible passion in rehabilitating what many considered a catastrophic injury.

Dan Beineke/WireImage.com
Carson Palmer led the NFL with 32 TD passes last season.

The raging optimism here aside, neither Palmer nor Lewis has ever said publicly that the quarterback is a lock to open the season. Someone suggested here Thursday that perhaps Palmer is just "sandbagging" people, but we don't think so. Why? Because the quarterback, who is coming off a 2005 season in which he was considered by many a viable most valuable player candidate, really doesn't know yet. "At this point," Palmer said, "it's reasonable to say that I might play, but that's about it."
No guarantees. At least not yet. Here's why: Palmer has yet to work twice a day in camp. Only this week was his workload increased, from about 40 percent of the snaps with the first unit, to something in the 70-80 percent range. And only recently has Palmer, one of the NFL's big-time emerging stars, been permitted to flash his mobility outside the pocket. So there are still some items to be checked off on the rehabilitation "to do" list and some tests that still need to be passed. Erring on the side of caution, which is what any coach should do with a franchise-caliber player such as Palmer, the Bengals almost certainly will not play him until the third preseason contest, on Aug. 28.
Palmer looks exceedingly fit and, even just throwing on the sideline, he exudes awesome arm strength, so there's nothing impaired with about 95 percent of his body. It's just that everyone wants to be sure the left knee is as sound as possible before they make a decision on the opener. You've got to respect all parties involved for their prudence.
If Palmer doesn't play in the opener, the starting job will go to journeyman Anthony Wright, whose r?sum? includes 19 career starts, and who was signed in the offseason as an insurance policy. Wright appears to have a vise grip on the No. 2 job, as fellow journeyman Doug Johnson continues to struggle, and he's probably a tad better in reality than he is in reputation. Wright is possessed of a live, albeit erratic, arm. But he seems to have assimilated the offense pretty quickly here and looks comfortable. Which, of course, can happen when a player is surrounded by so much talent.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Brian Simmons</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Linebacker
Cincinnati Bengals

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>84</TD><TD>52</TD><TD>32</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>2</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2.
You've got to love eight-year veteran Brian Simmons, who hasn't played middle linebacker since the 2002 season, but who is moving back into the "Mike" spot (at least for the start of the season) because of the four-game suspension being served by starter Odell Thurman, and who hasn't uttered one word of protest over the switch. Simmons, who played the weakside spot for the last three years, is arguably one of the best and soundest all-around linebackers in the NFL, even if no one ever seems to notice outside of the 513 area code. One of the most selfless, too.
"When they came to me and told me to start working in the middle (at minicamps), I didn't question it, I never blinked, really," Simmons said on Wednesday night, after practice. "If that was what we needed as a team, then that's what I had to do, and I wasn't going to worry about it. Thankfully, the stuff came back to me really quickly. It's a completely different defense than the one I played in when I was a middle linebacker before, a new coaching staff, but I think I've got a handle on the mental side now. The physical stuff, that was never a problem, and I got re-acclimated to it real fast."
There's no telling what will happen with Thurman, who started 15 games as a rookie and posted a team-best 148 tackles (according to team statistics), along with five interceptions and four forced fumbles. Lewis isn't quite treating him like persona non grata, but even though Thurman is permitted to work out with the Bengals until his suspension begins with the first regular-season game, the head coach essentially has relegated him to solitary confinement. Thurman works out away from everyone else, serving his penance in silence, and probably contemplating his future. Word is that he did not fail a drug test to trigger his suspension, but rather missed an appointment for one, and the Bengals clearly want him to become more accountable. It remains to be seen whether Thurman regains his starting job after the suspension. While the team publicly touted him for rookie of the year honors in 2005, coaches privately concede that Thurman blew a maddening amount of assignments. And now they're wondering about his reliability off the field as well.
That could mean Simmons, who has averaged 121.8 tackles in the six seasons in which he did not miss significant time because of injury, stays in the middle all season. Which might not be all that bad. Simmons is a terrific diagnostician, doesn't make many missteps, takes great angles to the ball, and uses his hands well to keep blockers disengaged. There's a basic no-frills economy to his play, that is evident even in practices, that draws one's attention to him. And having Simmons inside means the Bengals can use Landon Johnson at the weakside spot. Johnson has started in the middle in the past, but the weakside is likely his better position. The strongside starter projects as second-year veteran David Pollack, but the 2005 first-rounder, who has enjoyed a nice camp, is battling some nagging injuries.
Here are two intriguing kids to watch: Ahmad Brooks and Rashad Jeanty. The former was chosen by Cincinnati in this summer's supplemental draft after a career at the University of Virginia marred by off-field problems. Brooks is big, quick, and clearly talented, though. He is working at middle linebacker, behind Simmons, and no one seems quite certain yet of his best position. But even after watching only a couple workouts, it's obvious how well he moves and how much he eventually might add to the pass rush.Jeanty spent three seasons playing defensive line in the CFL, but has made a pretty nice transition to linebacker. He's a good-looking hybrid-style defender, very athletic, quick upfield. He's raw but, like Brooks, could contribute this season in situational roles.
3.
Lewis has strung together three straight non-losing seasons, the first Cincinnati coach to achieve that since Sam Wyche 1988-90, and last year piloted the Bengals to their first division championship since 1990. But the one thing Lewis hasn't been able to do on a consistent basis -- and the shortcoming has to be especially galling for a guy with such a celebrated defensive background -- is assemble a unit that stops the run. The Bengals have ranked 13th, 26th and 20th in run defense during Lewis' tenure, and that isn't good enough. At least not good enough to win a Super Bowl title.
Cincinnati is hopeful that some of the changes made in the offseason will address the run defense deficiency. The biggest, literally and figuratively, was the free agent addition of tackle Sam Adams, one of the NFL's most heralded run-stuffers. Unfortunately, Adams is a player who still believes you use camp to get into shape, and he is on the physically unable to perform list and working out daily with the trainers, to improve his conditioning. Wisely, Lewis has decided not to use Adams until his weight is at a more manageable level. The acquisition of Adams allowed the Bengals to move starting tackle Bryan Robinson, a stout run defender, outside to end, where he figures to provide a solid anchor at the point of attack.
But arguably what will deliver the most benefit to the run defense was getting better at safety. You can play pretty decent run defense in the NFL with safeties who just make routine plays, but injuries meant the Bengals didn't even get ordinary performances from the backups forced into the starting lineup in 2005.
This season should be markedly better, mostly because of the return of Madieu Williams, who had a standout rookie campaign in 2004, then made only four appearances in 2005 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. This is a much better defense in general, but particularly versus the run, with Williams on the field. The former Maryland star, a second-round draft choice in 2004, isn't a very flashy player. But he registered 95 tackles and three interceptions as a rookie and the Bengals clearly missed him last season. Williams' skills-set is diverse enough to allow him to play either safety spot and, while he's not a great player yet against the pass, he flashes good enough range in practices. He's just a solid, stabilizing type defender, a good, two-way guy with nice size (6-feet-1, 203 pounds) and presence. "Having him out there makes a difference," Lewis allowed.
To further stabilize their defense up the middle, the Bengals signed veteran safety Dexter Jackson as a free agent. We've never been as big on Jackson as some people have been, feeling he's still living off the most valuable player award he won in Super Bowl XXXVII, but he's clearly an upgrade. The seven-year veteran lends a steadying hand in the secondary and he's still got some ballhawk left in him.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Chris Henry</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
Cincinnati Bengals

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>31</TD><TD>422</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>13.6</TD><TD>47</TD><TD>58</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>4.
Book it, folks. Oops, a bad choice of words for anything involving wide receiver Chris Henry, who was "booked" four times in a six-month stretch of the offseason for various off-field indiscretions, and who still is confronted by multiple legal entanglements and potential league sanctions. But unless Henry is sitting in jail somewhere, or serving an NFL-mandated suspension (the latter is more likely), book it that the second-year wide receiver figures to again be a big part of the explosive Cincinnati offense.
Sure, Henry's off-field escapades have been an embarrassment to the franchise. But talent usually trumps trouble in the NFL and, since they are like most teams, the Bengals are apt to find Henry's playmaking skills sufficient enough to tolerate his troublemaking. At least for a little while longer. If the Bengals were to release Henry, it would be a blow to their offense, and about 20 other teams would file waiver claims on him. No doubt about it, the guy can flat-out play. And his talent is further enhanced by the fact offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski loves to spread the field, and the abilities of starting wideouts Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh dictate that Henry usually draws just single coverage.
Henry has a long, angular frame (6-feet-4, 200 pounds), and it makes him a difficult matchup for most secondaries. As the third wide receiver, he's simply better than just about any No. 3 cornerback on any roster in the league. Henry isn't a sprinter, but he does have just enough "sneaky" speed to get deep on occasion, and his short-area quickness provides him the knack for creating natural separation. In the Wednesday evening red zone one-on-one drill, and in subsequent seven-on-seven segments, Henry put on a clinic. For such a young wide receiver, he runs really precise routes, and he knows how to use his body to shield off defenders when he breaks inside of them. He scored six times in 2005 on only 31 receptions, and that gaudy rate of a touchdown every 5.2 catches is impossible to ignore. Johnson, by comparison, scored on every 10.7 receptions, an admirable quota but nowhere near Henry's mark.
Not only is Henry a good player, but the Bengals haven't had anyone challenge him, or proven worthy of taking over his slot if Cincinnati did jettison him. Veterans Antonio Chatman, Kelley Washington and Tab Perry all have had some good moments in camp, but none has jumped out. Washington, a former third-round pick who has never played up to his potential and has been slowed by hamstring problems in camp, might struggle to make the final roster, despite showing some flashes.
Keep an eye on rookie Bennie Brazell, a seventh-round pick from LSU, and a former 400-meter hurdler who was a member of the United States' 2004 Olympics team. Brazell is really raw and inexperienced, but he's got electrifying speed, and could develop into a deep threat once he gets his feet on the ground. His development won't come fast enough, however, to knock Henry out of a roster spot.
5.
Because of injuries and the usual mix-and-match mind-set of any training camp, it was hard during our visit to get a solid read on the Cincinnati offensive line, but there's no reason to believe the unit won't be among the NFL's best again. At least for one more season. The Bengals were wise to sign left tackle Levi Jones, quickly emerging as a premier pass protector, to a pricey extension. They made a nice move, too, in adding three more seasons to the contract of right guard Bobbie Williams.
But all three other starters -- left guard Eric Steinbach, graybeard center Rich Braham and three-time Pro Bowl performer Willie Anderson, a fixture at right tackle for the past 10 seasons -- are entering the final year of their respective contracts. And it will be difficult for the Bengals, even as they move away from their reputation for being notoriously thrifty, to keep everyone.
Steinbach is a terrific player, and with the $7 million-per-year contract signed by Steve Hutchinson in Minnesota this spring, his price tag probably was raised. Braham is 35 and Anderson is 31, and they could be sacrificed after this season.
Who might replace them in the future? Well, the Bengals have a couple young centers, Eric Ghiaciuc and Ben Wilkerson, they like. Third-year veteran Stacy Andrews, who will start at guard in this weekend's preseason opener, could well be the right tackle of the future. And rookie Andrew Whitworth, a second-round draft choice who primarily played tackle at LSU, has made a nice transition to guard in training camp.
6.
Only one tailback in the NFL has logged more carries over the past two seasons than Rudi Johnson, and the Bengals' star has averaged an impressive 1,289.7 rushing yards in the last three years, so it could be tough to take carries away from the five-year veteran. That said, the Cincinnati coaches are going to have to try to get two-year veteran Chris Perry on the field more in 2006. After an injury ravaged rookie campaign in 2004, Perry posted eight "touches" per game from scrimmage in 2005, and averaged 5.4 yards every time he handled the ball. His 51 receptions last season were the fourth most among NFL running backs. Johnson is a human wrecking ball, the kind of running back who sets a physical tone, and who permits the Bengals to dictate tempo when they want to get physical. But Perry provides a different dimension to the offense, is terrific in space, can make the home run play, and needs to have his profile enhanced in 2006.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 12, 2006

Updated: Aug. 12, 2006
Slimmer Jones optimisitic about '06

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

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DETROIT, Mich. -- Here are five observations on the Detroit Lions:
1.
Kevin Jones was supposed to have a breakout season in 2005. That didn't happen. He finished with a disappointing 664 yards and a 3.6-yard average.
"I think it was an adjustment last year," Jones said even though he wasn't making an excuse. "I think the head coach [Rod Marinelli] will try to establish the run."
Jones has 1,500-yard potential. He's big. He's fast. He has good moves. But like most Lions he underachieved. The frustration of losing weighed on him. He hit the weights hard during the 2005 offseason and bulked up to 230. But as the season progressed, Jones got too heavy.
"I finished the season at 238 to 240 pounds," he said. "I just got too big."
Jones showed up this summer at 224 pounds and his goal is to be 220. He looks quick. Jones hopes the Mike Martz offense will use him more as a receiver out of the backfield.
"All I need is a chance," Jones said.

2.
Expect a monster year from wide receiver Roy Williams. Quarterback Jon Kitna believes Williams is one of the best receiving threats in the league and it's pretty clear he's one of the most talented players on the team.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Roy Williams</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide receiver
Detroit Lions

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>45</TD><TD>687</TD><TD>15.3</TD><TD>51</TD><TD>8</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The problem facing Williams is that he's the only threat. Corey Bradford has speed and experience but he's not going to draw double coverage. Williams will draw double coverage, if not triple. He's the Lions' main pass-receiving threat, and Kitna is throwing to him every chance he can.
"Roy Williams can be a superstar who can catch more than 100 balls," Kitna said.
Williams has established a good relationship with his starting quarterback. Martz made it clear early in the offseason that Kitna was the starter. He told the team that Kitna has the chance to be one of the best quarterbacks he's ever coached. Williams listened and the two are on the same page.

3.
Don't expect much out of receivers Charles Rogers and Mike Williams this season; anything the team gets out of the two former first-round picks will be a bonus.
Williams has struggled for two years with missed meetings and excess weight. Rogers has been hot and cold during the offseason but he's been cold of late. Rogers and Williams are running third string, an incredible twist of fate. Rogers has only 36 catches over his first three seasons. He was the second player taken in the 2003 draft. He's also one missed drug test away from a one-year suspension.
Williams is struggling getting into his routes quickly. Because of that, the Lions are using Glenn Martinez, Mike Furrey and Eddie Drummond ahead of the former first-round picks.
Drummond is an interesting receiving candidate. Martz is trying to develop him into an Az-Zahir Hakim-type slot receiver. Like Hakim, who reportedly has retired, Drummond is one of the league's top return specialists, so it would be a big boost to the Lions' offense if he could give them some run-after-catch from the slot.

4.
Marinelli's hiring of Martz might go down with Terrell Owens as one of the best offseason moves of the year. Martz became so consumed by the political aspects of the Rams head coaching job that it wore on his health. Although his back is still bothering him, Martz is having fun just calling plays.
Were it not for Marinelli, Martz might have stayed out of coaching this season. He's become a big supporter of Marinelli, who convinced Martz he wanted him as his offensive coordinator.
"It's a lot of fun," Martz said. "He makes it fun for me. Rod is such a good man. He's so honest. Players understand why he does things and players will do whatever he asks them to do."
The offensive players seem to be responding the same way to Martz' demands.
5.
How rookie linebacker Ernie Sims goes could be how the Lions' defense goes. Sims is what Marinelli wants in a defensive player. He's intense and loves to hit. There were some concerns in the draft about Sims' history of concussions, but the Lions aren't worried. Marinelli believes he will the ideal playmaker as the weakside linebacker. The coaching staff convinced president Matt Millen not to trade down in the first round and lose the chance to draft Sims. Millen gave Marinelli the player he wanted. The Lions are banged up at linebacker, but Sims is their hope. Marinelli wants to make Sims the Derrick Brooks of his Cover 2 defense. Sims is the type of player who should be a defensive captain early in his career.
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Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

Updated: Aug. 14, 2006
Losman should get QB call

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. Here are five observations on the Bills based on their Aug. 12 preseason game against the Panthers:

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>J.P. Losman</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Quarterback
Buffalo Bills

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Att</TD><TD width="17%">Comp</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD><TD width="17%">Rat</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>228</TD><TD>113</TD><TD>1143</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>64.9</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1.
It was painfully (that is, if you love the Bills) obvious why the team really has no choice other than to go with J.P. Losman as its quarterback. The reason behind the decision can be summed up in a word: upside. Kelly Holcomb is what he is: a smart backup quarterback who once in a while can give you a big game. But he's immobile and he can't get the ball downfield. And throwing picks that are returned for touchdowns doesn't help, either.
At least Losman, with his athleticism, gives you the big-play element. A couple of times against the Panthers he did a nice job avoiding sacks that Holcomb would have taken. Losman's mobility is going to come in handy given the state of the Bills' offensive line. And he has a live arm. His problem besides his inexperience (eight career starts) is his tendency to squeeze the ball and short hop it to his intended receivers. Obviously, that has to be corrected. It's time for the Bills to swallow their pill, stop patching holes in their lineup, and develop their young players, starting with the quarterback. And unlike last year, when the position was handed to him, it'll help Losman's confidence if he has to win the starting job. His teammates will respect him more if he does. It's not officially his, but for the long-term health of the franchise, Losman has to be the guy this year if they're going to know whether he is indeed the QB of the future.
2.
Takeo Spikes didn't play against Carolina but there's a strong chance he'll be in the lineup for the opener Sept. 10 at New England. Now it might take a little while longer for the old Spikes, coming off a torn Achilles suffered in the third game last season, to return, but a team official estimates he'll at least be back to about 85 percent by then and able to play. In training camp, Spikes has shown more burst to the ball than the official expected. It's mostly a matter at this point of Spikes' trusting his body. Once Spikes heals completely, he should thrive in new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's version of the Tampa 2.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Troy Vincent</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Safety
Buffalo Bills

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>67</TD><TD>43</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>4</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3.
While Troy Vincent gives the Bills' defense flexibility in pass coverage, the former-corner-turned-free-safety's days as a starter could be numbered. That's because fourth-round pick Ko Simpson is enjoying a strong training camp. Simpson is physical, can cover, and has good ball skills. Keep in mind that Vincent still is relatively new to playing safety (he moved there at the end of the 2004 season) while Simpson, albeit on the college level, started every game at South Carolina. It's only a matter of time before first-rounder Donte Whitner assumes the strong safety duties from Matt Bowen (who suffered a leg injury against the Panthers). Don't be surprised if the Bills go with two rookie safeties and let them start growing up together sooner rather than later. Whitner had a team-high five tackles Saturday night. Not bad for a guy who arrived late to camp because of prolonged contract negotiations.
Either way the Bills go at free safety, they are deep in the secondary. They've been impressed with all of their draft choices in the defensive backfield (corner Ashton Youboty, taken in the third round, should have had a pick against the Panthers) while veteran sub corner Jabari Greer is making a lot of plays in camp. Buffalo has a solid duo of starting corners in Nate Clements and Terrence McGee. The Bills should be pretty good against the pass.

4.
Buffalo probably won't jump back into the top five defensively, but there's a lot to like about the Bills' defensive line. Seriously, with the Bills' new emphasis on speed, the return of Spikes, and the young talent the team brought in through the draft, the defense will rebound from last year and keep this team in some games. Up front the Bills are pretty good at end with vets Chris Kelsay, Aaron Schobel and Ryan Denney, all "high-motor" guys. They should have an interesting rotation at tackle. Free-agent-pickup Larry Tripplett and Tim Anderson are the starters but first-rounder John McCargo and fifth-rounder Kyle Williams will push for playing time. Buffalo is smaller inside than it has been in recent years so keeping those tackles fresh will be key. McCargo and Williams both played well Saturday night. McCargo showed good hand technique and got good penetration. Williams, a two-year starter at LSU, could turn out to be a steal. He's 6 feet, 295 pounds -- one of those fire-hydrant type guys. He's got a nose for the football. "He's one of those guys who doesn't look a lot different than he did in college," head coach Dick Jauron said of Williams after the game.
5.
Peerless Price arrived in camp as probably the No. 4 or even No. 5 receiver but he's shown enough to perhaps warrant a starting spot opposite Lee Evans. Josh Reed is having a good camp, an early drop against Carolina not withstanding, but really is an underneath guy who'll catch a 6-yard pass and fight for the other yard on third-and-7. The Bills have to find a way to get the ball into little Roscoe Parrish's hands. Mike Mularkey wanted him to be the Bills' Antwaan Randle El, but now it's up to Jauron and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild to figure out how to showcase Parrish's speed in the offense. It's going to be interesting to see how Evans does without Eric Moulds demanding the ball and double teams. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

Updated: Aug. 14, 2006
No easy solution to Bills' QB conundrum

By Ken Moll
Scouts Inc.

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When there's no clear-cut answer at quarterback, deciding on a starter is one of the toughest calls for any football team. That is exactly the situation facing the Bills as the regular season nears.
Let's take a close look at who might be at the helm for Buffalo in 2006.
Barring injury, the competition is between Kelly Holcomb (a 33-year-old undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State) and J.P. Losman (a 25-year-old first-rounder in 2004 out of Tulane). Craig Nall, an offseason acquisition from Green Bay, was expected to be in the mix as well, but a left hamstring injury has forced him to miss significant time in camp.
I can speak firsthand about Holcomb, as I scouted for the Browns during his three-year stint in Cleveland. Despite his even-keeled personality, Holcomb is an intense, competitive player with excellent work ethic. He is very tough and will play nicked up. Midway through his sophomore season in college, he broke his jaw on a goal-line play. He finished the game in a losing effort. After missing the next game only because he couldn't fit his helmet over his swollen cheekbones, Holcomb returned to action with his jaw wired shut and led the Blue Raiders to a 10-3 mark and a postseason berth. Middle Tennessee State has not been to postseason play since he departed Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Holcomb is a career 60 percent-plus passer who has the arm strength, instincts and decision-making ability to win in the NFL. He had several excellent outings with Cleveland, including a 429-yard, three-touchdown playoff performance in inclement weather against Pittsburgh in 2003. He showed flashes of being a solid quarterback in 2005 as he threw for over 1,500 yards at a 67 percent completion rate.
Losman is a young, up-and-coming quarterback with a stronger arm and better wheels than Holcomb. Losman is a California kid who has much more of an edge. He is a tough, competitive player, but it has been said that he could rub his coaches and teammates the wrong way while at Tulane. Losman has many tools, but his decision-making and overall leadership skills need to develop to make him a topflight quarterback.
Losman had several excellent games at Tulane (as a senior he threw for more than 3,000 yards with 33 TDs and only 14 INTs), but also had the occasional clunker. With the Bills last season, Losman mostly struggled. He had as many interceptions as touchdowns (eight) and his completion percentage was under 50 percent, which is unacceptable.
Head coach Dick Jauron has to consider a number of variables before he decides who will be under center on opening day versus New England. Can the new offensive line jell under coach Jim McNally? Will the addition of fullback Alan Ricard (a solid blocker for Jamal Lewis in Baltimore) help Willis McGahee live up to his potential? How well will the defense play with one of its best players, Takeo Spikes, coming off an Achilles injury? Jauron could go the safer route and choose the more experienced Holcomb, or take his chances with Losman, a young gun who has the potential to develop into a top-tier quarterback. Until a decision is made, uncertainty surrounding the most important position on the field will loom over Bills camp.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

Updated: Aug. 14, 2006
Bryant becoming Smith's go-to guy

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

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Here are five observations on the San Francisco 49ers, based on a recent training camp practice and the team's preseason opener on Aug. 11:
1.
The 49ers wasted no time admitting a mistake by trading 2004 first-round choice Rashaun Woods, but his departure created an interesting visual image. Woods had Terrell Owens' No. 81. His departure gave Antonio Bryant the chance to grab No. 81, and strange as it sounds, Bryant looked like Owens during the preseason opener against the Bears.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Antonio Bryant</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide receiver
San Francisco 49ers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>69</TD><TD>1009</TD><TD>14.6</TD><TD>54</TD><TD>4</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Bryant is a big target with run-after-the catch ability. Quarterback Alex Smith had no trouble finding him early in the game. Like Owens, Bryant was hard to tackle after the catch. But why take the T.O. number?
"I wanted No. 80, but that wasn't going to happen," said Bryant, referring to the number worn by the legendary Jerry Rice. "When I got to Cleveland, No. 80 was taken so I ended up with No. 81."
Bryant doesn't fear coming to a new team and taking the number of a legend. After rough stays in Dallas and Cleveland, Bryant finally feels wanted and there is no doubt Smith is going to use him a lot.
"This is a fresh start," Bryant said. "I look at this as a better situation than Cleveland."
In offensive coordinator Norv Turner's system, Bryant should be able to catch 70 to 80 passes for more than 1,000 yards. His work on timing with Smith seems evident. His acquisition in free agency could be one of the best in the NFC West.

2.
Smith looks very good on bootleg and rollout plays. What's impressive is how quickly he moves. Most of his bootlegs are to the right because he's a right-handed quarterback, but in time, the offense will incorporate some rollouts to the left. Smith releases the ball quickly and with authority on the rollouts.
"He has good legs," head coach Mike Nolan said. "He runs a 4.65-4.7 40-yard dash and plays with that speed. He has good size and a good arm and he has good vision. It is just a matter of doing it more often. I liked the fact we used his legs. Last year, he got hurt. When he returned we didn't want him to get hurt again so we kept him in the pocket. Now that is he is fully healed, we are doing what we wanted to do. He's not a pure pocket passer. He can do more things."
Last year, Smith looked lost, which was expected because he was a raw quarterback on a team that lacked skilled offensive players. This year, Smith is starting to look like the first player taken in the 2005 draft and potential star of the future.

3.
Tight end Vernon Davis didn't wow anyone during the exhibition opener, but he doesn't have to wow anyone. He did that at the scouting combine by running a 4.38 40-yard dash while weighing more than 250 pounds. Davis has breakaway wide-receiver speed in a big body. He'll be able to stretch the field better than any tight end in the league. But the 49ers have the luxury of building him up slowly.
Eric Johnson, a veteran tight end who has the pass-catching and route-running skills to post Pro Bowl offensive numbers, is back and looks good. Smith can get the ball to Johnson in conventional passing plays and then create specialty situations to get Davis involved.
Davis is a matchup monster when he lines up in the slot. He's bigger than most linebackers and all cornerbacks and safeties. And he's every bit as fast. Plus, think about the damage Davis will cause on tight end screens. Smith can sprint out on a naked bootleg and get the ball to Davis. Good luck stopping that.

4.
The plan is for the 49ers to be a 3-4 defense, but they might have to use a little bit more of the 4-3 because of their personnel. They lack the personnel along the defensive line to be a dominating 3-4. Nose tackle Anthony Adams is really more of a movement type of defensive tackle in the 4-3. Bryant Young is a dominating defensive tackle in a 4-3 but has to make do at end.
The 49ers added veteran defensive linemen Jerry DeLoach and Lance Legree to help the depth and find some rotation in the 4-3. Nolan explained the reason the 49ers went to a 3-4 last year is because they had more quality linebackers than defensive linemen, so it became a better fit.
Don't call the 49ers a pure 3-4. They are a hybrid 3-4 that can switch back to a 4-3 depending upon the opponent. Nolan noted that they used a lot of 4-3 in the second half of last season.

5.
The most interesting project is former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, the 49ers' fourth-round draft choice. Robinson is being used at running back. He's an upright runner who hits the inside plays with power. The 49ers plan to give him a lot of work during the preseason to get him comfortable in his switch from quarterback to running back.
Although he's not going to be a starter, you get the sense Robinson could develop into a valuable, versatile backup who could be around for a long time.
"He continues to get better," Nolan said. "I've been impressed with him on and off the field. I think he represents the team extremely well. He's a leader. He is tough and brings his lunch to work every day." Robinson has the power on the inside runs to be a short-yardage back. His quarterback experience could allow him to be a red-zone option behind center. His biggest challenge, ironically, is pass protecting for quarterbacks. No doubt he knows the importance of protecting the quarterback from his days playing the position.
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Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

My apologies, Panthers fans

posted: Monday, August 14, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

OK, I screwed up. On the Panthers. Yeah, I botched that one.

Gotta explain why the Panthers weren't on my "best teams" list (below). See, they actually were. But as I was writing that blog, I had ESPN.com scribe and college pal Wright Thompson hanging over me waiting to go to lunch. He was starving, he had to catch a flight, so I rushed and forgot to include Carolina.
I like the Panthers. A lot. This team has all the pieces. I think it needs a few things in '06 that it didn't have in '05 to make it to Miami.
1) A first-round bye. Sure, the Steelers won the championship without one, but it was too much asking the Panthers to play in Jersey, Chicago and Seattle.
2) Jake Delhomme's early game jitters. The guy gets pumped up. He gets emotional. That's all great - but I know from talking to a few coaches that they prey on him being so hot-tempered and expect him to deliver a few balls into opposing players' hands until he settles down, which is when he's usually at his best.
3) DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams will have to prove they can be a consistent, punishing backfield. If Foster can stay healthy - which is a big "if" - I have a lot of confidence in these two, especially considering the big-play potential Williams possesses. (Example: His 20-yard run against the Bills Saturday night.)
4) The D-line will have to stay healthy - and dominant. By the NFC Championship Game this group had run out of juice. I've read and heard mixed results about how Kris Jenkins is doing. He doesn't have to be his former All-Pro self, but he'll have to be a threat. Ditto for Maake Kemoeatu, the massive DT whom Julius Peppers has been raving about. Since 90 percent of the mail I received was Panthers-related I'll just answer mail questions regarding other teams.

Bengals Mail
Joe (Indiana): Here's a case for you, the Cincinnati Bengals. Why: I know it's an if, but so are most of the arguments made for most teams, but if Carson Palmer is healthy the Bengals' offense is the best in the league, better than Indianapolis and far better than Pittsburgh and New England. And with the fact that they did so much to improve the defense (Sam Adams, Dexter Jackson, the draft) and the return of a healthy Madieu Williams you got to admit they're tough to beat. If Palmer wouldn't have gone down in the first round against Pittsburgh we'd be calling another team defending champs right now. With Anthony Wright/Doug Johnson at the helm they'll be lucky to win six.
Seth: I agree with you on Cincy's offense, Joe. The reason why I left the Bengals off the list was because of their defense. I like some of the additions, but I don't see an immediate impact player. Cincy's D survived last year because of turnovers, and I don't see as many falling into their lap as last year. One GM I talked to recently thinks the Bengals will be a seven-win team in '06. I see more like nine wins, but I'm not sure that's enough for the playoffs in the AFC, and it's certainly not enough to be considered the best team in the league.
Broncos Mail
Logan (L.A.): The Broncos are without a doubt the best team in the league. They are the best all-around team and always have a great running game. Since the running game leads to Super Bowls (Seattle, Pittsburgh) Denver is the team to beat.
Lon Anderson (Johnston, Iowa): As a Broncos fan, I have to put faith in Mike Shanahan to do what needs to be done to take the next step. True, the Steelers exposed Denver in the AFC title game. But that game has become the blueprint on how to improve the Broncos. This is a veteran-laden team of players who desperately want to win a title. The pass rush will be better (which means less blitzing) and the offense will turn out another 2,000 rushing yards with any combination of Bell, Bell and Dayne. If Plummer plays like he did last year (18 TDs, only 7 picks), Denver will be playing in Super Bowl XLI.
Seth: I think Denver is still the team to beat in the AFC West, and that's the first step. Remember that while the Broncos were a good team last year, a lot went their way, especially late in the season. I want to believe in Denver, but Plummer's shaky AFC Championship Game and the continual problem of getting pressure with just the front four is disconcerting.
Chargers Mail
Sandy (Los Angeles): Best team in the NFL? Why don't you get some guts and call it like it is ? Chargers. Seriously, 21 of 22 starters. Top-ranked rush defense. Solid in all other areas. Two established superstars. One emerging -- Shawne Merriman. With a slight improvement in pass defense, along with a easier schedule, I say the Chargers are a lock for 12 wins.
Seth: I'm tempted. But I got burned last year by San Diego when I picked it for the Super Bowl -- and that was with Drew Brees. The Bolts will have to make the playoffs before I'm willing to allow them into my "best team" discussion.
Dallas Mail
Bob Briggs (Narragansett, R.I.): I think you may have forgotten that Drew Bledsoe led the Patriots to a Super Bowl in 1996-97.
Seth: I think you're not remembering the 1996 season's playoffs well. These were Bledsoe's game-by-game stats: Divisional playoff against Pittsburgh: 14 of 24, 164 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs.
AFC Championship against Jacksonville: 20 of 33, 178 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT.
Super Bowl against Green Bay: 25 of 48, 253 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs.
Granted, there were a lot of factors as to why his numbers weren't great. And I was very intrigued by KC Joyner's last column, which applauded Bledsoe's decision-making. But I think the jury's still out on whether he carry a team to the Super Bowl in Brady/Elway/Montana fashion.
Bucs Mail
Rich (Nashville, Tenn.): Why are the national pundits giving no love to my Bucs? Our defense is still our defense and depth is actually improved (Dewayne White, Anthony Bryant, Barrett Ruud). On offense, we have more size and strength at O-line now ? enough to let our tight end out in the pattern rather than stay in to block like last year. Simms throws a great deep ball and our receiving corps is the deepest in the league. Galloway, Clayton (back healthy), Ike, Boston, Stovall and fill-ins like Edell Shepherd and a few others who will make other teams after being cut by the Bucs due to numbers. Our running game is solid -- Pittman does not get enough credit. Where is the weakness? We won our division last year and everyone has us finishing behind Carolina and Atlanta. Give us some love.
Seth: That's a good case. The key is Simms' development and Cadillac's health. Both are questions right now. But the Bucs are close in the NFC, no question.
Redskins Mail
Geoff (DC): I wouldn't necessarily call my 'Skins the best team in the league, but if the Giants and Cowboys make the list I can't understand how we don't. First off, we did better than both of those teams last year. We were the second-hottest team at the end of last year. (Should the Dolphins also make this list?) We have a great defense and an unbelievable secondary. We have lots of talent on offense that seems bound to click one of these days. Provided the O-line and QB don't get hurt, what are the holes on this team?
Mike (CT): How can you not list the Redskins as one of the best teams in the NFL, especially when you list Dallas and NY! What are you thinking? They gave Seattle a run for their money last year, and that was when they were injury riddled and tired. They've only improved in the offseason and they're ready to surprise some people.
Mugsy (Sausalito, Cailf.): The Redskins Why: They have potential Pro Bowlers at QB, RB, FB, TE, OT and WR on offense and both corners, both safeties, LB, DE and DT on defense. They have a Hall of Fame coach managing offensive and defensive gurus whose respective abilities exceed the majority of head coaches in the NFL.
Why Not: They have to play the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles twice each before even reaching the playoffs. They are implementing an offensive scheme that thrives on proper timing and haven't had the time to master it yet. They have no depth except at the offensive skill positions and DE. None.
Brookes (DC): I gotta say that we are in a tough division, but the Redskins have as good if not a better chance than any team in the league. We have an O-line with a few years together and an elite RB in Portis. A strong running game with a top 5 defense is enough to win a championship. To add to that, we have three talented receivers and an excellent tight end. Brunell is a smart QB who won't make many mistakes and Saunders won't ask him to do more than he is capable of.
Seth: I left the Skins off because I have serious reservations about Mark Brunell's ability to stay healthy an entire year. You saw the other night what happened with Todd Collins played. And now, you have to wonder if Clinton Portis' shoulder will be an issue this year.

Chiefs Mail
Adam (Kansas City, Mo.): The Chiefs aren't getting any respect from anyone and I think you, as a Missouri native, would have recognized that. They upgraded the defense again this year with a new DE in Hali, a premier CB in Law, and a new head coach. Plus there is Larry Johnson and an offense that stays largely intact. I'm not saying the loss of Roaf won't hurt, but LJ rambled off over 200 yards in one game without Roaf last season. And I'm not saying they are the hands-down best team in the league, but they can easily overtake Denver for top spot in the West this season ? especially since Denver still starts Jake Plummer (and now he has to look over his shoulder at Jay Cutler and the pressure will mount).
Matt (Columbia, Mo.): The top 7 teams and no mention of the Chiefs? You've got to be kidding. The best offense in football returns with a new defensive-minded coach and the help of Ty Law and a slew of draft picks? You've got to at least give them consideration. What is the downfall?
Seth: The downfall is that the defense has improved, but still isn't playoff ready. Teams are going to be gunning for Larry Johnson this year after hearing about 2,000 yards all offseason, and don't forget about O-coordinator Al Saunders' departure to the Redskins. The Chiefs weren't a playoff team last year, and it's hard to list them as one of the NFL's best teams based on that alone.
Vikings Mail
Nate (Salina, Kan.): Hey Seth, I'm certain that they are not the best NFC team, but I am certain that they are a playoff team. The Minnesota Vikings have the best combination of O and D lineman in the league and depth at RB, WR and in the secondary. If it is true that injuries and line play are the two most important factors in playoff football, at this time, the Vikes seem best prepared for it in the NFC.
Seth: You might be right, but of course this is a "best team" list.
Eagles Mail
Brett Sherman (Demarest, N.J.): I am an Eagle fan deep in Giants territory. More importantly, my 6-year-old son Evan is as avid an Eagles fan as anyone at the Linc and he hates Big Blue even more than I do. Here is my issue -- why are the so-called experts so eager to write off the Birds? Donovan McNabb is healthy and far and away the best QB (and overall playmaker) in the NFC East. True, no No. 1 receiver. But the group we have is better than the group that cruised through the NFC playoffs without an injured T.O. in 2004. And Darren Howard is the most underrated free-agent acquisition in the NFL. Having Howard opposite the Freak will make double teaming Freaky Deaky difficult. And Mike Patterson and Bunkley in the middle give us a D-line that is at least the equal of any NFL team. That, my friend, translates into sacks and pressure forced interceptions. Book it. For my son's sake, how about something positive about the E-A-G-L-E-S? After all, Bledsoe, Brunell, throw-off-my-back foot Eli, and Donovan? Which of the four has the best winning percentage of any active NFC QB (including the non-T.O. years and last year's overall lockerroom and injury debacle). Throw me a bone man. Give my team its props.
Seth: I'm with you that McNabb is the best QB in the NFC East. I think the problem is playmakers on offense besides McNabb. Who will they be? I'd love to say Brian Westbrook, but there's nothing that indicates he can stay healthy for more than 230 carries. Playoffs, maybe. Best team in the league? Right now, no.
Giants Mail
Dan Pzena (Santa Barbara, Calif.): I may be a little biased being a Giants fan, but I think they are currently the best team in the league. Although their secondary has no really great players, the addition of Arrington will easily make the Giants the best pass-rushing team in the league. I believe the ends will repeat as the combination sack leader. Also Sinorice Moss could be the fifth option on offense that the Giants have been missing for so long.
Seth: Fair enough, but my doubts on the Giants still hold up. I think I'll hit their preseason game against the Chiefs this week and for a more up-close look.
Steelers Mail
Mike (Uniontown, Pa.): I think the Steelers are the best team in the NFL. Yes they are the hometown team, but I have good reasons. The Steelers showed that they can pass the ball to win games (playoffs) and run the ball to win games (second half of all playoff games). Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes are only going to make the passing game better. They are two youngsters with start potential. Heath Miller had an excellent year and was only a rookie, and of course we have Hines Ward. Everyone has doubts about Willie Parker but he came into last season fourth-string not prepared to have a full load and ran for 1,200 yards. He has come into camp with more bulk and muscle to take a pounding and trained to be the feature back. Not to mention our defense, which needs no explanation. The Steelers are the definition of a team; they win together and lose together. That's why I think they are the best team in the NFL.
Seth: If this were the Jim Rome Show I'd say, "Rack that guy!" A good, well-reasoned take. And, surprisingly, my only email from backing the defending champs.
Random stuff
? Remember that posting I wrote about Josh McCown being an undiscovered free-agent jewel? Please don?t. In Detroit, Nick Cotsonika writes that McCown has gone from being a potential starter to possibly a third-stringer. McCown told Cotsonika that he's been "overwhelmed" at times by Mike Martz's offense.

? Despite rumors swirling that Chad Pennington's shoulder was injured when he took a wicked hit in the second quarter against the Bucs, the Jets and Pennington are insisting that it's fine. The way Pennington was throwing, by the way, makes him my early Comeback Player of the Year favorite.

Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Fraley on the move?
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<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Monday, August 14</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>INTERESTED</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Hank Fraley
Eagles
</TD><TD>Browns?
Steelers?
</TD><TD>Fraley on the move?
<Aug. 14> Fraley isn't demanding a trade, but the veteran center remains hopeful he'll secure a starting job as he heads into his free-agent season.
"You always want to be out there starting," Fraley told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I can't worry about that stuff. I can't predict the future and what's going to happen. I'm just battling here. I'm worried about what's happening here. Everything else'll work itself out. Things happen for a reason. ? Who knows what's going to happen."
Fraley has been battling his former understudy, Jamaal Jackson, for a starting job. Although the Eagles have been calling it an open competition, Jackson has gotten most of the first-team reps in camp. There's been speculation that the Browns are interested in Fraley, after losing LeCharles Bentley for the season with a knee injury. Fraley has also expressed interest in playing in Pittsburgh, where he played in college at Robert Morris.

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Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

Updated: Aug. 14, 2006, 3:32 PM ET
Saunders will change offense

By Chuck Knox Jr.
Scouts Inc.

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As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Redskins' playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, fans in Washington had reason to be happy. The team had reached the postseason for the first time in years behind a solid defense and an offense that had made huge strides.
The Redskins ranked 11th in the league in total offense last year, but still had plenty of room for improvement, especially in the passing game. Washington finished seventh in the league in rushing but only 21st in passing, preventing the team from going deeper into the playoffs.
Joe Gibbs was looking for a way to upgrade his offense. His first move was to hire former Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders and give him control of the Redskins offense. To improve the wide receiving corps, Gibbs signed free agent Antwaan Randle El of the Pittsburgh Steelers and made a trade for San Francisco's Brandon Lloyd.
What can we expect from this new-look offense? Certainly more explosive plays (plays over 10 yards), as the Chiefs under Saunders were third in the league in explosive plays in 2005 with 231 (the Rams were first with 238). Meanwhile, the Redskins finished 18th in the league with 188, below the league average of 191.
Under Saunders the past five years, the Chiefs led the NFL in net yards, total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and first downs, and were second in points. Kansas City averaged 379 yards per game, scored 262 touchdowns and had a red-zone touchdown efficiency of 63 percent. If Joe Gibbs appears confident going into the preseason, it's because he is expecting more production and more points in 2007.
Saunders will use many different personnel groups, potentially changing them on every down. You are going to see formations with two backs, two tight ends, three and four wide receivers. This philosophy gives the Redskins an opportunity to create mismatches with opposing defenses, something necessary for success in the NFL.
Defensive coordinators will be forced to decide whether to stay in their base defense against three-wide receiver sets or bring in their nickel/dime package. If they stay in their base package, a linebacker will likely be matched up against the slot receiver, a matchup Saunders wants. If the defense tries to protect the linebacker with a Cover 2 scheme (a two-deep coverage with the safeties playing a deep half) it will open up the running game or give tight end Chris Cooley more versatility.
Cooley's move from H-back to TE will give him more opportunities to work the middle of the field short and deep. If a safety covers down on the slot receiver to get a better matchup, it will leave single coverage on the outside lanes, which the Redskins' receivers should exploit.
The acquisition of Randle El gives Saunders a versatile player who can be put in a number of playmaking positions. Look for Saunders to use Randle El the same way he used Dante Hall in Kansas City. Randle El will primarily play in the slot where he can take advantage of nickel backs. He will also be used in option and pivot routes where he can use his athletic ability to create separation and get open.
Randle El is a dangerous runner with the ball. Look for him on reverses and other gadget plays coming out of the backfield. As an ex-quarterback, he is also a threat to throw the ball anytime he gets behind the line of scrimmage.
Don't be surprised to see Randle El line up under center and run the option, either pitching the ball to running back Clinton Portis or throwing it downfield. Randle El was an option quarterback in college and is ideally suited for this role. Gibbs used this type of play with ex-Redskins running back Brian Mitchell in the early 1990's.
Randle El can also be lined up on the outside as the X or Z receiver, allowing Saunders to put Santana Moss in the slot. Moss should excel on the inside where he could be matched up with a nickle corner or a linebacker. Look for Moss to use his quickness on shallow crossing and pivot routes. These routes allow Moss to use his excellent ability to run after the catch.
Cooley probably will benefit the most by the hiring of Saunders, as Saunders' scheme relies on the tight end position. At Kansas City, he had Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez. Cooley, the Redskins' second leading receiver last year, probably will not duplicate the numbers he posted in 2005, but he will get his opportunities.
With this crop of wide receivers and Portis, the Redskins have several weapons that defenses will be determined to take away. Moss, Randle El or Lloyd will most likely draw some type of double coverage (either man or zone), leaving Cooley one-on-one with a linebacker or with a hole to exploit in a zone coverage.
If defenses are going to play a two-deep scheme to take away the outside receivers, look for Cooley to work the deep middle of the field on post routes, or the soft zones six to eight yards in the middle of the field.
While most of the talk this offseason has centered on the new passing game, Saunders' scheme is also running back friendly -- just ask Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson of the Chiefs. Portis should have another excellent year, as defenses are now going to face a difficult choice.
Do we make a concerted effort to stop Portis and the running game, leaving single coverage on the outside lanes? Or do we take away the pass with some type of middle open defense, giving Portis room to run against a soft run defense? Saunders' backs also have to be good receivers and pass blockers. Portis has excelled at both, but look for him to be used more in the passing game this season, either running routes out of the backfield or on screen plays.
The big question for this offense is whether QB Mark Brunell can make it through the entire season healthy. Saunders' quarterback in Kansas City, Trent Green, did not miss a start in five years. Saunders knows how to protect the quarterback (a healthy offensive line and a little luck also helped). With all the motions, shifts, different formations, changing personnel and the quick rhythm passing attack, defenses will likely be kept off balance.
Saunders' use of the screen pass will help slow down the pass rush because he does not use just one type of screen. He will run wide receiver screens to the outside, bubble screens to the slot receiver, tight end screens and throw back screens. Defenses will see the full gambit when they have to prepare for the Redskins. This will slow down the defensive line as it rushes the passer. Screens can often go for big yardage and demoralize a defense.
Brunell recently said he is not quite sure he has ever been on a team with this much talent. Not only do the Redskins have excellent defensive personnel, they now have a number of weapons on offense. This is going to be the most explosive Redskins' offense in recent memory. The Redskins will challenge for the division title; don't be surprised to see them playing deep into January. The pieces are certainly in place. All that could stop them are injuries to key players.
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Hache Man · Aug 14, 2006

Updated: Aug. 14, 2006
Offense has a number of options

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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ASHBURN, VA. Five observations on the Washington Redskins based on their Aug. 10 practice:

1.
Probably the best measure of how the Redskins' new-look offense is coming along under new associate head coach Al Saunders is how it's faring against Washington's defense, among the league's best the past two seasons.

So? "It's been a good battle," outside linebacker Marcus Washington says. "I'm not going to declare a winner. I'd like to be biased and say the defense. But they compete. And if you can compete against us you can compete against anybody."
Saunders' scheme is sure to keep other teams' defenses on their toes more than the Redskins' offense did in its first two years with Joe Gibbs calling the shots. Defensive players notice how much more shifting the Redskins do now before the snap, which makes it difficult to set the defense and draw a bead on what the offense is doing. The scheme also does a good job of disguising plays, and the ball is coming out of the quarterbacks' hands more quickly, Redskins' defensive players say, making it difficult to pressure the QB.

"And the thing is," says cornerback Shawn Springs, "if you do commit to pressure, you've gotta be ready to put your cornerbacks on an island against three or four good receivers [Santana Moss, offseason pickups Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El, and David Patten]. It's like what do you do? And if you spread out, they run it with Clinton [Portis]."

Saunders also has added something of an attitude to the Redskins' offense. The Redskins believe they're going to be explosive. The ball was flying all over the field in Thursday afternoon's practice. Clearly Saunders is having fun with all his new toys. The Redskins, if they're able to stay healthy, should be one of the more complete teams in the league this year.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Chris Cooley</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Tight End
Washington Redskins

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>71</TD><TD>774</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>10.9</TD><TD>32</TD><TD>483</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2.
Much the way Tony Gonzalez and Priest Holmes starred in Saunders' offense in Kansas City, it looks like the stars of the Redskins' offense are going to be Chris Cooley and Portis.

Cooley by all accounts is having a great camp. He had a breakout season last year with 71 catches, but he and Moss were the Redskins' only real threats in the passing game. Now with Lloyd joining Moss on the outside and Randle El in the slot (by the way, Lloyd and Randle El, too, have performed as advertised in camp), Cooley should have lots of room to operate over the middle and underneath. Even with all their weapons, the Redskins spread it around in this scheme, so Cooley could have an even bigger year receiving.

Portis wasn't a really big part of the passing game last season, with 30 receptions. He's never had more than 40 in his four-year career and has only four receiving touchdowns. The plays the Redskins ran for Portis in practice Thursday look a lot like the stuff Holmes used to do in Kansas City, like the swing-screen where Holmes would have a convoy of linemen leading him down the sideline. Portis broke that play for a big gain Thursday.

Portis says he also prefers the runs in Saunders' schemes. Simply put, instead of trying to get everyone blocked the way the Skins' offense used to (which is difficult), now the idea is to get a fit on the key guys up front and leave it to Portis to make a safety or corner miss in the open field. And besides, with all the threats in the passing game, it should be rather difficult, as Springs alluded to, for defenses to key on Portis or any one Redskin for that matter.

3.
Washington's defense has been one of the best in football the past two seasons under assistant head coach/coordinator Gregg Williams, ranking ninth in 2005 and third in '04. With their offseason additions, expect the Redskins to finish among the league's best again this year.
Washington has had to overcome lots of injuries on defense the past two years, but Williams believes this time his unit is more prepared thanks to its individual versatility. He acknowledges taking a page out of the New England Patriots' book.

"We've got DBs that can play linebacker positions [Sean Taylor, Adam Archuleta], defensive ends that can play linebacker positions [offseason pickup Andre Carter, who's looked great in camp], linebackers that can play defensive end positions [Washington rookie Rocky McIntosh], ends that can move inside and rush [Demetric Evans, Phillip Daniels, Renaldo Wynn]" Williams says. "When you're battling health problems, don't whine and complain. You still have to put a solid defense out there. When you have players who are flexible and can adapt it helps in time of injury."
And certainly it doesn't hurt that the Redskins' defense is being tested daily by Saunders' offense.

4.
It's been said plenty of times but it bears repeating: What an advantage the Redskins have with all the money Daniel Snyder is able to spend on his coaching staff. With all due respect to all the fine coaches throughout the league, it's not even debatable who the best-coached team in the league is.

Gibbs' job now is to act as a CEO, keep the pulse of the team, and be the master motivator he is. He can just focus on the Bobbys and Joes. The other guys can handle the X's and O's. Washington has two of the NFL's best offensive and defensive minds in Saunders and Williams, respectively. Both have head coaching experience. Joe Bugel is still coaching the line. Williams now has two former defensive coordinators, Greg Blache and Jerry Gray, on his defensive staff.

Williams says he's never seen Gibbs this relaxed. And Gibbs' lack of ego in stepping back to let Saunders run the offense has had far-reaching effects inside the Redskins' facility. "How can any of us not do the same thing and take one for the team when he asks us?" Williams says. "We have to because we know he'd do it. He's done it. That's what good leaders do."

5.
This is clearly a team that has all the pieces in place -- on the field and on the sideline -- to make a Super Bowl run to match another "Offseason Championship" for the franchise.

But Portis says the Skins themselves aren't buying into the hype.
"We're not giving in to it, the bandwagon riders," Portis says. "The first year, when Coach Gibbs came back, we got caught up in the hype and we got our [tails] kicked. Last year people wrote us off [when Washington started 5-6]. We all know how quickly the outside world can change. We just have it in our minds in that locker room that anything less than a Super Bowl and we'd be cheating ourselves."
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Hache Man · Aug 15, 2006

Updated: Aug. 15, 2006, 4:29 PM ET
Manning needs better decision-making

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- Here are six observations on the New York Giants, gleaned from the training camp practices of Aug. 13-14:
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Eli Manning</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Quarterback
New York Giants

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Att</TD><TD width="17%">Comp</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD><TD width="17%">Rat</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>557</TD><TD>294</TD><TD>3578</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>17</TD><TD>75.9</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1.
Despite leading the Giants to an 11-5 record and their first division title since 2000, quarterback Eli Manning at times struggled with his accuracy in his first season as the starter, completing 52.8 percent of his attempts. That was the third lowest completion rate in the league among quarterbacks who started at least 10 games. And some of Manning's stirring fourth-quarter comebacks in 2005 came at the end of games in which he wasn't particularly on-target for the first three quarters. Manning is aware he has to continue to improve in 2006. "We have a lot of weapons," Manning said. "A lot. And it's up to me to get them the ball."
The coaches have worked to improve Manning's decision-making because they feel it is the root of some of his mechanical breakdowns. Coach Tom Coughlin pointed out a year ago, when ESPN.com visited training camp, that Manning is fundamentally sound in the technical side of throwing the ball. He has good footwork, shoulder and hip rotation and overall arm strength. But occasionally tardy decision-making, and hesitation in pulling the trigger, contributed more than anything to Manning's faulty marksmanship. Coughlin said Monday that his third-year quarterback has improved markedly in his decisions and that not surprisingly, it's enhanced his accuracy.
For the most part, that appeared to be the case in the two practices we observed. In the Sunday afternoon workout though, Manning overthrew a few deep balls one would have expected him to hit, and a couple times threw into coverage along the sideline. Regular observers suggested it might have been his worst practice of camp. He certainly made up for it on Monday with a solid performance.
There is no doubt that Manning has the right stuff. And if he is consistently on his game, this figures to be a very explosive offense.
2.
Last year, general manager Ernie Accorsi addressed the Giants' previously telling lack of depth on the offensive line by bringing in a handful of veteran free agents, and it paid off nicely when graybeards such as tackle Bob Whitfield were able to plug some late-season gaps that resulted from injuries on the unit.
This offseason it appears that Accorsi's area of focus was the secondary, a unit that lost a pair of starters, free safety Brent Alexander (retirement) and former first-round cornerback Will Allen (free agency), in the spring. Accorsi reacted to the losses by signing seven defensive backs of varying NFL tenures. Time will tell if the wholesale approach works as well in the secondary for 2006 as it did on the offensive line last season. The three headliners of the group are free safety Will Demps, four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Sam Madison and veteran nickel corner R.W. McQuarters. All three are scheduled to start at their respective positions. Guys suh as Jason Bell, Vontez Duff, Quentin Harris (a savvy "sub" defender with good instincts) and Jason Shivers could all add depth.
So far though, the results are a bit uneven. Madison, who was released by the Miami Dolphins because they felt he was in decline and too pricey at this juncture of his career, has been spotty and hasn't shown the good hands he's exhibited during most of his 10-year tenure in the league. Demps, a starter in the Baltimore secondary in the past, still is recovering from the knee injury he suffered last December and is practicing only once a day. It won't be altogether surprising if second-year veteran James Butler, a steal as an undrafted college free agent in 2005, pushes Demps for playing time. Butler is big and physical and just has a knack for getting around the ball.
The two guys who will have to help hold the unit together are second-year cornerback Corey Webster, who is a first-year starter, and underrated strong safety Gibril Wilson. A second-round pick in 2005, and a corner whose all-around tools are better than his stopwatch speed, Webster has enjoyed a solid camp. Like a lot of the New York defensive backs, he doesn't catch the ball well enough yet, and too many potential Webster interceptions are instead recorded as passes defensed, but the former LSU standout looks like a good player.
It's Wilson though, who might be more integral to the overall performance of the secondary than most people realize. Not many outsiders know much about Wilson, but he's a terrific all-around safety. He can move into "the box" versus the run, blitzes well and is beginning to make progress in coverage. Two years ago, when Wilson was injured in his rookie season, his absence impacted the Giants' defense. Wilson isn't a pure ballhawk, but he is one of those guys who does a lot of little things well and likes the diversity he is afforded in the New York scheme. "I love to watch [Pittsburgh's Troy] Polamalu and Ed Reed [of the Ravens], because they're the best at their craft," Wilson said after Monday morning's practice. "I don't put myself in their class yet, but, if people just think of me as being a solid player, one who contributes in a lot of ways, that's fine by me."
Here is the kind of well-rounded skill set that Wilson possesses: The former University of Tennessee standout has even more sacks (six) than interceptions (five) in his two league seasons. It appears that in 2006, Wilson, regarded mostly as a half-field defender in the past, will get to play more man-to-man coverage, an addition he conceded is a challenge. Wilson didn't have a particularly good game working against Baltimore tight end Todd Heap in last weekend's preseason opener, but he'll get better in single-coverage situations the more he plays them. He'll also be counted on to pull together all of the new pieces in the secondary and get everyone aligned in the right spots. He credits the retired Alexander for mentoring him in that area last year. Keep his name in mind, because Wilson is a good, scrappy player, and the Giants can ill afford to be without his stabilizing influence in a dramatically revamped secondary.
3.
Who would have thought the defection of one journeyman defensive tackle, a guy who had started just four regular-season games before joining the Giants in 2005, would have such an impact? But the loss this spring of Kendrick Clancy, who signed a four-year deal with Arizona after Giants officials hinted he reneged on a verbal agreement with them, has definitely affected the team's interior run defense.
Coughlin termed the defense "soft" after last weekend's preseason opener at Baltimore, and he has been shuffling tackles since then in an effort to identify his best combination. The starters in the opener were William Joseph, who played much better in 2005 than he had previously, and Fred Robbins. But it could be a while yet until anyone can actually write the starting tackles' names in pen on the depth chart.
In addition to Joseph and Robbins, the possibilities include mostly untested youngsters such as Damane Duckett, Jonas Seawright and Barry Cofield. All of them, it seemed, were rotating into the first unit over the last few days. And the Giants' coaches feel that all of them, eventually, can be NFL-caliber players. But they need to show marked improvement soon. A fourth-round pick in this year's draft, Cofield is the rawest of the group but might have the most potential. New York has a terrific middle linebacker in Antonio Pierce, but the tackles in front of him have to get a lot stouter. New York needs someone to emerge as a legitimate run-stuffer in the preseason.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Osi Umenyiora</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Defensive End
New York Giants

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>71</TD><TD>49</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>4.
There are no such problems at end, where the Giants possess not only one of the best starting tandems in the league, but one of the deepest groups, period. Starters Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora combined for 26 sacks in 2005 and both went to the Pro Bowl. There's no reason the two, who might comprise the lightest end duet in the league, can't repeat that level of success.
But coaches would like to see two youngsters, second-year veteran Justin Tuck and 2006 first-round draft choice Mathias Kiwanuka, get on the field as well. That's why the Giants are experimenting with a nickel rush that features all four ends.
The final player chosen in the first round, after Accorsi traded down in the stanza, Kiwanuka looks like the real deal. He registered 1? sacks in the preseason opener and enjoyed a three-play stretch on one series in which he wreaked havoc on the Baltimore offensive line. The leading sacker in Boston College history, with 37?, Kiwanuka is, like the other New York ends, a little light in the rear end. In fact, he's cut high, a long, lean rusher with an explosive first step. Almost as notable as his quickness, however, are Kiwanuka's long arms and natural leverage that make him difficult to block. In some packages, the Giants align Kiwanuka as a linebacker, occasionally even in the middle of the defense. Surprisingly, he did not appear awkward in space, and his long wingspan means he takes up considerable space in the short, hook zones that he is being asked to cover.
For some reason, perhaps disappointing 40-yard times, Kiwanuka's stock dropped in the weeks leading up to the draft. Based on the early returns, the Giants are going to be happy that they provided him a safety net. If New York can figure out a way to stop the run on first and second downs, the Giants figure to have a hellacious pass rush.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>LaVar Arrington</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Linebacker
New York Giants

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>47</TD><TD>39</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>5.
What to make of the Giants' highest-profile veteran acquisition of the offseason, former Washington linebacker LaVar Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowl performer whose knee problems limited him to just 17 appearances the past two seasons? It might be too early to tell with Arrington, who needs to play and play well to earn much of the money in the incentive-laden contract he signed with the Giants this spring. The seventh-year veteran has missed practice time and the Giants are erring on the side of caution for now with his knees. He is slated to start on the strong side, as coordinator Tim Lewis wants him closer to the ball, and that will mean some adjustments since Arrington played a lot of weakside linebacker for the Redskins.
One thing people forget about Arrington, probably because he hasn't played much lately, is just how big and strong he is. Arrington still has some quickness, but watching him in practice Sunday afternoon, what's revealing is how physical he can be in stretches. Arrington can bull rush and knock tackles back on their heels with initial impact, and he looks incredibly strong through the hands, able to latch on to a blocker and move him around. Certainly he is a motivated player after having fallen out of favor in Washington, where he essentially bought his way out of his contract to become a free agent. But because he hasn't gotten a lot of work yet, the jury is still out on whether Arrington can return to his Pro Bowl form of the past.
6.
There are some intriguing battles in camp for key roles but because of an injury, one of them seems to have been settled already. When the Giants snatched the mercurial Sinorice Moss in the second round, a real steal at that point, especially since Accorsi had strongly considered taking him with New York's first pick, it was widely assumed he would claim the No. 3 wide receiver spot. But a strained quadriceps has kept Moss off the field and the No. 3 job behind Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer looks, at least for now, like it belongs to star-crossed veteran Tim Carter, a sprinter whose promising career has been sidetracked by a series of injuries.
Carter is such a good kid and has been beset by such misfortune, you hate to even mention him much for fear of jinxing the fifth-year veteran. But he is healthy and making plays, authoring some tough catches, and could provide Manning a vertical dimension deep down the middle of the field.
It will be interesting to see who claims the No. 2 spot at quarterback behind Manning, and at tailback after Tiki Barber. It will be a mild upset, but not altogether shocking if Jared Lorenzen, the former 300-pound-plus quarterback, sneaks into the second spot on the depth chart. Lorenzen has a howitzer hanging from his right shoulder, moves a little better than you might expect (his weight is now listed at 275 pounds) and demonstrated good intangibles in rallying the Giants to a comeback win in the first preseason game.
New York signed veteran Rob Johnson, who hasn't played in the NFL since 2003 and has spent two years rehabilitating a surgically repaired right elbow, and he often looked on Sunday and Monday like a quarterback who has accumulated too much rust. Johnson concedes his once-overpowering arm strength isn't there anymore, but the ball fluttered even on some intermediate routes. Tim Hasselbeck is OK, but the Giants have been trying to upgrade over him for two years now. The competition for the No. 2 tailback spot is critical, given that Barber is 31 now, and probably can't continue to shoulder such a workload. The job is probably Brandon Jacobs' to lose, but the second-year veteran, over whom we unabashedly gushed last summer in camp, runs too upright and doesn't generate the kind of power you expect from a back who is 6-feet-4 and 264 pounds. He's got to lower his pad level and start moving the pile. The coaches seem to like third-year veteran Derrick Ward, but he is sidelined by a broken foot. There isn't a lot behind Barber. The nine other backs on the roster have averaged just 18.9 rushing attempts for their careers. The only one with more than 40 carries in a season is Chad Morton, and the tiny return specialist doesn't really line up from scrimmage anymore and hasn't registered a carry since 2003.
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Hache Man · Aug 16, 2006

Updated: Aug. 16, 2006
New York filled with questions

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

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The Jets scored only 240 points last season, finishing 29th in the NFL, and they might actually be worse offensively in 2006. They have huge questions at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and along the offensive line, and there aren't many potential answers. Let's break down this offense and identify some of the concerns.
Quarterbacks

While it looks like Chad Pennington will get his starting job back after being sidelined by two shoulder surgeries in the last two years, this is still a very shaky position. We all know Pennington has great intangibles and instincts, but he had a suspect arm before his surgeries and now there is a real question about his ability to make precise throws into tight coverage.
Right now the Jets' passing game has no vertical component and no ability to stretch offenses. If Pennington has marginal zip on the ball, opposing defenses likely will squat on routes and jump routes. Free-agent acquisition Patrick Ramsey has better physical tools and a stronger arm, but his decision making isn't as sound as Pennington's. While rookie second-round pick Kellen Clemons might be the long-term answer, he's not ready yet.
When you add to the equation that new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has never called an offensive play on any level, you have a lot of huge question marks surrounding the most important position on this team.
Running Backs

Curtis Martin, 33, is showing signs of slowing down. He still is not practicing because of a knee injury that cost him most of the 2005 season. While a lot of people think the Jets are simply bringing him along slowly, there is growing suspicion that he may not be healthy and might be forced to retire.
Martin's yards-per-carry average dropped to 3.3 in 2005. While he is still shifty between the tackles, he no longer has speed on the edge or explosiveness on the second level. If Martin falters, there isn't much help behind him. Veteran Derrick Blaylock is purely backup material, and young Cedric Houston lacks speed and explosiveness. Rookie Leon Washington does have some flash and suddenness, but he's too small to carry the load.
With marginal weapons on the perimeter, the running backs will frequently see eight men in the box. New York's inability to spread the field will make it tough for Martin or any of the other running backs to find room to run. Don't be surprised if the Jets make a preseason waiver-wire move to pick up a veteran back like Tennessee's Chris Brown as insurance.
Receivers

The Jets don't have a wide receiver right now who can stretch the field on a consistent basis. Laveranues Coles is considered by some to be a speedster, but he is actually more of a possession receiver. Last season, he had 73 catches for only 845 yards. Justin McCareins has been banged up so far in training camp. While he is immensely talented, McCareins is inconsistent and doesn't make enough plays.
The other backups are veteran Tim Dwight and the inconsistent Jerricho Cotchery. Rookie Brad Smith, a former college quarterback, is having an excellent training camp and might be player to watch. None of these receivers requires double coverage and none is great at separating from defensive backs, meaning defenses can take a lot of chances and make easy adjustments with little fear of giving up big plays on the perimeter.
Offensive Line

This unit is a work in progress, but at least it is moving in the right direction. Rookie D'Brickashaw Ferguson is having a great camp at left tackle and has the look of a future Pro Bowler. Fellow first-round pick Nick Mangold might be thrown into the fire early because of an injury to veteran OC Trey Teague. These two rookies are great building blocks for the future.
Coaches want to establish a physical running game to set up the play-action package, but the Jets are going to see loaded defenses that will attack at the line of scrimmage, making it tough on an offensive line that is still in transition.
The Jets could be headed for disaster on offense in 2006. If they can't make defenses honest with some semblance of a deep passing game, they will see attacking defenses that are focused on pressuring the quarterback and stopping the run game. If the pass protection is marginal, Pennington won't make it through 16 games. While Ramsey can take a hit, he will throw more interceptions than touchdowns if he is pressured. It's hard to believe that the 31st-ranked offense in the NFL a year ago could be worse in 2006, but that is a real possibility. New York's offensive problems also could impact the other side of the ball. Last season, the Jets were dead last in the NFL in time of possession, forcing the defense to spend far too much time on the field. Unfortunately for Jets fans, things don't figure to change this season.
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Hache Man · Aug 16, 2006

Updated: Aug. 16, 2006, 12:59 PM ET
QB spot biggest question on offense

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Here are five observations on the New York Jets, gleaned from the training camp practice of Aug. 15:

<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000">DJ Jazzy Mangini </TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=220>First-year Jets head coach Eric Mangini has taken some hits for many of his tactics, but he apparently knows how to have a little fun, too. During certain segments of every practice, speakers located along the sideline blare ear-splittingly loud music, and it's certainly an eclectic mix. Here are the selections from the Tuesday afternoon practice:

? "No Way Back" (Foo Fighters)
? "I'mma Shine" (YoungBloodZ)
? "Awake" (Godsmack)
? "Like That" (Memphis Bleek)
? "Welcome to the Jungle" (Guns N' Roses)
? "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" (Birdman & Lil' Wayne)
? "Atomic Dog" (George Clinton)
? "Soul Survivor" (Young Jeezy & Akon)
? "Dat Boy Chevy" (Noah)
? "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" (Big & Rich)
? "Stand Up" (Ludacris & Shawnna)
? "Because of You" (Nickelback)
? "Beautiful Day" (U2)
? "In Da Club" (50 Cent)
? "Chain Hang Low" (Jibbs)
? "Kryptonite" (Three Doors Down)
? "Lose Yourself" (Eminem)
? "London Bridge" (Fergie)
? "Break Stuff" (Limp Bizkit)
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1.
The music at practice on Tuesday afternoon (see list to the right) was a lot louder than the Jets' offense figures to be during coach Eric Mangini's debut season. Mangini has his own resident CD-jockey and the guy cranks up the volume during certain segments of practice, although we haven't yet figured out the reasoning, or recovered from the din. The selection is incredibly varied, everything from YoungBloodZ to Young Jeezy & Akon to U2, and it's enough to make your ears bleed. Of course, if that was really the case, the Jets would not admit it, because they don't specify injuries. Heck, they probably don't admit that all of their players, as far as we could determine, have two ears. Anyway, at the risk of redundancy, there was a lot more rhythm emanating from the giant speakers on the sidelines than from the New York offense.
It seems Mangini is egalitarian to a fault. He's got four quarterbacks on the roster -- Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger and rookie Kellen Clemens -- and they all get equal time with the first-unit offense on a rotating basis. Such an absence of preference is a noble thing, but at some point, someone (and the bet is that it will be Pennington) has to start getting the lion's share of the reps.
It's difficult to tell how much Pennington has lost off his fastball after two rotator cuff surgeries, because the six-year veteran couldn't break a pane of glass from 10 feet away before noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews began carving up his right shoulder. But there were times Tuesday when the ball was in the air for what seemed a long time. Ramsey, one of our favorite people, still looks too tentative in his decision making. Clemens might be the guy for the long term, but not at the outset of the season.
With the future of tailback Curtis Martin still up in the air, the running game is a huge question mark, and neither Derrick Blaylock nor Cedric Houston has ever been a full-time starter. As much as the Jets tried to trivialize it, the voided trade for Cleveland tailback Lee Suggs represented a setback of sorts. We're guessing the starting tailback will come in another deal.
The wide receivers actually aren't too bad. Laveranues Coles still has some shake in him, even though he doesn't find the end zone nearly enough, with a career average of a touchdown every 16.6 receptions. For a player with as much run-after-catch potential as Coles has, he needs to score more. Despite opening camp in Mangini's doghouse, the rangy Justin McCareins is a good possession receiver. Veteran Tim Dwight understands the offense and third-year pro Jerricho Cotchery, who made two acrobatic grabs on Tuesday, is running with the first team and having a good camp.
Still, it all comes down to the quarterback and, for now, the position remains a question mark.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Kerry Rhodes</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Safety
New York Jets

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>100</TD><TD>80</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2.
A friend and colleague suggested to us this week that we must have some kind of fetish for safeties, because we always seem to include an item about a player at the position in our observations. No, we just like watching good safeties, in part because we feel that even most of the premier players there are often underappreciated.
On Tuesday afternoon, we saw a very good, young free safety in Jets second-year veteran Kerry Rhodes. And right about now, most of you are asking: Uh, who the heck is Kerry Rhodes? Fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft. Started all 16 games as a rookie. Finished with 100 tackles, one sack, one interception and five passes defensed.
We'd like to tell you we came here fully cognizant of how good a player Rhodes is, and how much better he's going to get, but that would be a lie. Granted, we knew that he was a starter his entire rookie season, but it took New York Daily News crack beat writer Rich Cimini to point out some of Rhodes' strengths to us. Duly apprised, we watched the former Louisville standout, and came away mightily impressed. Rhodes is the kind of safety every team wants now. He can come down into the box and play the run, yet still has some cover skills, and he demonstrated some of his all-around effectiveness in the Tuesday practice.
Mangini pointed out that in the previous day's practice the Jets worked some of their safeties at cornerback and some of their cornerbacks at safety as he continues his mix-and-match experimentation. There were a few instances on Tuesday when Rhodes lined up on the corner, both in one-on-one drills and in the "team" segments, and he didn't embarrass himself. Of his cornerback flirtation, Rhodes said: "It's camp, so it doesn't mean much yet, really. It's not a big deal yet." We've got a hunch, though, that Rhodes' nascent cover skills will be used more by the current staff.
If the Jets can get third-year veteran Erik Coleman back on the field after his recent appendectomy, the safety position might be one of this team's strengths. Coleman has started all 32 games over the past two seasons, and like Rhodes, is a very solid player.
In fact, generally, the New York secondary might not be too bad. There is some depth at cornerback, with Justin Miller, Andre Dyson, David Barrett and Ray Mickens. For now, Miller and Dyson are the starters, but the former needs to hone the mental side of his game and the latter has always been pretty fragile, basically an injury waiting to happen. Barrett, a former starter, just returned to practice after an injury, and could still make a move on a starting berth.
3.
There are always going to be some rough edges when a team transitions to a 3-4 defense, particularly when said team doesn't possess the requisite two-gap talent on hand to play the front. So the Jets are going through some traditional growing pains as they evolve into the alignment that Mangini prefers. That's especially the case on the defensive line, where the Jets really don't have a prototype nose tackle to serve as sacrificial lamb, occupy blockers and clog things up versus the run.
Little wonder that the agent for veteran tackle Grady Jackson, still looking for work and increasingly anxious to get into somebody's camp, told ESPN.com his client will be here later this week for a physical exam. Jackson isn't a true 3-4 nose tackle, either, but at least he's a space eater who could help inside. Assuming, of course, he's in shape. Someone might want to warn Jackson that he'll have to pass a Bill Belichick-type conditioning test before Mangini will allow him onto the field. Then again, the Jets need a wide-body so badly, Mangini may just waive the test and deem Big Grady ready to roll.
Former first-round pick Dewayne Robertson, who opened camp as the nose tackle, on Tuesday worked almost exclusively at right end. Kimo von Oelhoffen, who has played inside in the past but was mostly used at end during his six-year stint in Pittsburgh, moved inside to the nose tackle slot. At 299 pounds, the 13th-year veteran isn't as big as you'd like in a 3-4 nose tackle, and at 35 years of age, he might not be able to sustain the constant pounding. But von Oelhoffen knows how to use his hands, can still get into blockers' bodies, and might be able to hold up for a while. He's probably a better bet than Robertson, who is better suited to playing the "under" tackle position in a 4-3 front.
Left end Shaun Ellis plays a little bigger at times than the 295 pounds at which he is listed, and the Jets are going to need him to anchor the strong side against the run. In addition to some ill-fitting components, New York simply doesn't have a lot of experienced bodies on the defensive line. The No. 4 lineman right now might be Dave Ball, who has played in eight games in two seasons, and has just four tackles.
4.
The Jets' defensive front might not be the only line under reconstruction. The offensive line figures to have two rookies in the lineup on Opening Day: left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold, the club's twin selections in the first round of this year's draft. Neither appeared overwhelmed on Tuesday, although one practice is a short time frame in which to render a judgement, and both survived the Jets' preseason opener relatively unscathed. Both were the draft's premier blockers at their respective positions, and credit Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum for resisting the temptation to snatch up skill-position performers with the first-round choices.
Mangold didn't quite look like the road grader we expected him to be, but he seems to be a stout enough anchor in the middle, and a smart kid. Ferguson has the kind of overall length teams want at left tackle, he showed good feet in the drills in which we tried to pay particular attention to him, and is said to be a kid driven to excel. The former Virginia star seems to set up a little to the outside and might have some time recovering against an inside move. Ferguson is a sharp kid, though, and New York should be set at the critical left tackle spot for the next 10-12 seasons.
Notable on Tuesday is that it appeared incumbent right tackle Adrian Jones, who started all 16 games in 2005, was working mostly with the No. 2 unit at left tackle. His spot with the starting unit was filled by eight-year veteran Anthony Clement, who was signed as a free agent in the spring, and whose resume includes 75 starts. The guards, Pete Kendall (left) and Brandon Moore (right) are solid. But the Jets are woefully thin on the line, and lack experienced backups. They may be scouring the waiver wire at roster cutdown time, trying to find some warm bodies.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Matt Chatham</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Linebacker
New York Jets

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>9</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>5.
We preface the final observation with this disclaimer: The term "breakout year" is always a relative one, and contingent upon what a player has done in the past. OK, now with that out of the way, the prediction here is that six-year veteran linebacker Matt Chatham will have a breakout year (of sorts) in 2006.
New coaches are always wise to bring along a player or two from their former team, and Mangini was smart to have the Jets sign Chatham in free agency this spring. How come? Because even though Chatham was never more than a special teams plugger in New England, with just four starts in 66 appearances, he knows the defense that Mangini and coordinator Bob Sutton have installed here. And for the first time in his career, Chatham, who has 96 tackles and two sacks from scrimmage, is going to have the opportunity to be a full-time starter. He'll line up at weakside linebacker, and while not an especially fluid athlete, he has good instincts and decent combo rush-drop skills. Chatham looked pretty active in both disciplines Tuesday, and almost as key, he'll get people in the right spots. It will be hard to take Chatham off special teams, given that he's got 71 career tackles in that area, but he might be too critical to the New York defense to risk on the kicking units
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Hache Man · Aug 16, 2006

Updated: Aug. 16, 2006, 4:26 PM ET
Raising the roof

By Anuj Desai
ESPN The Magazine

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>Even the most road-tested tailgater could be forgiven for thinking the Cardinals' new stadium in Glendale, Ariz., is a desert mirage. After all, it looks like nothing American sports fans have ever seen. The just-completed, $455 million facility, with its rolling grass field, retractable roof and otherworldly design elements, has already been tagged one of the Wonders of the World in a survey of sports stadiums, the only American venue to make the cut. Closer to home, wideout Anquan Boldin calls his new house "unbelievable," while running back Edgerrin James is (as usual) more to the point, saying he wants to "just go drop the top and play football."

Christopher Griffith
Cardinals Stadium cost $455 million to build.

Ordinarily, using a field with zero emotional history as a rallying cry would ring hollow. But Cardinals Stadium is more than just the first permanent home for the oldest continually run pro football team; it's leading the charge in innovative stadium design in the U.S. Yes, in a bit of grid-irony, a franchise accustomed to bringing up the rear now finds itself out in front of a movement.

The push to build showcase sports arenas is well under way internationally, with blockbuster stadium projects sprouting up in Asia, Europe and Latin America. In the U.S., Cardinals Stadium is the first of its kind, although not for long. Reps for the Chargers, the Cowboys and the Dolphins have already been to Glendale on scouting trips. Decades from now, this stadium may be viewed as the facility that ushered in a new, 21st-century game-day experience -- or, more controversially, the site that killed the retro design trends that have dominated stadium construction, especially in baseball, for the past two decades.

The team responsible for the bold design includes Cardinals exec Michael Bidwill (son of notoriously frugal team owner Bill); HOK Sport, which has had a hand in most of the arenas built since the 1980s; and superstar architect Peter Eisenman, who created a futuristic arena encased in 21 large curved panels that reflect light differently according to the sun's position in the sky. Vertical slots separating the reflective steel panels also flood the interior with light while allowing for unique, segmented views inside and outside the building. Eisenman cites local influences like the barrel cactus and Native American design for the stadium's shape, but looking at the shimmering structure, you can't help but think of a giant extraterrestrial take on the Frisbee.

The retractable roof, only the second on a North American football stadium, after Houston's Reliant Stadium, is made of 157,000 square feet of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric and uses an engineering technique previously found mostly in bridges. The whole thing is held up by two 87-foot-tall supports that resemble airplane wings and that span 700 feet. Even with the roof closed, the stadium is filled with enough light from above and the sides to feel like an outdoor setting, only with air-conditioning. (Scratch "stifling desert heat" from the very short list of the Big Red's homefield advantages.)

Christopher Griffith
The grass in Cardinals Stadium can slide in and out of the stadium depending on the event being held.

The roof isn't the only feature that's mobile. The team will play on an all-grass field that stays on a platform outside the stadium 340 days a year. Outdoors, the grass gets plenty of sun and water but none of the trapped humidity and heat generally found inside covered stadiums. A few hours prior to game time, the 18.9 million-pound tray of turf will slide 740 feet into the stadium, taking just over an hour to make the trip. The field rests on more than 500 wheels, which roll on custom-made tracks. Field portability allows the stadium to be used for other purposes; so far, eight proms have been booked (along with Super and Fiesta bowls). The motors that move the field are a collection of 76 paltry, 1-hp units, for good reason: Much like a train, if the field moved any faster, it would be very difficult to stop.

Cardinals fans in particular will appreciate the seating at the new place. After playing 18 seasons in a borrowed college stadium with metal benches (not ideal for scorching afternoons), the franchise moves into a new home field that features 63,400 custom, red-and-gray seats that form a stadium-wide pattern inspired, like the shell, by Native American design. Even better, the new seats will have backs and drink holders. Welcome to the 21st century, Arizona.

The innovation doesn't stop at field level. Inside the joint's 88 luxury suites, the vibe is more urban loft than corporate box: cork floors, exposed pipes, carpeted walls (with hash lines) and light fixtures that reference the stadium's exterior. Arizona's home games on Sunday are always late, so the club is encouraging loft ticket-holders to come early and enjoy other NFL games on the four TVs set up in each space.

courtesy Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals Stadium will feature only the second retractable roof on a North American football stadium.

Surrounding the arena are 20-plus acres of turf and more than 1,200 sycamore, pistachio, ash, evergreen pear and Bradford pear trees for shade. (The pistachios have red berries in the fall, in time for football season. The evergreen pears flower white in time for January bowl games.) This impressive Sportsman's Park will be open before and after games, with the goal of turning Cardinals Stadium into a daylong football party destination. Says Bidwill the younger: "We tried to make this the best tailgating spot of any stadium."

So why did it take so long? "In the U.S., architecture tends to be more conservative," says HOK principal David Manica, who sees the project as part of a decades-long evolution in stadium design. In the past 50 years, American fans have seen domes, multisport venues, glorified TV studios and parks heavy on nostalgia. The next step, Manica says, is stadiums designed as iconic structures meant to juice a city's skyline or have the emotional presence of a cathedral. A future goal, he says, should be a wow factor that shouts, "These things are pieces of sculpture!"

For Cardinals fans, the greatest wow factor would be if the new digs translated into regular winning, a development that the much-maligned Bidwill family is betting on. "Look at the teams that have played in the Super Bowl in the past few years," Michael says. "The majority are teams with new stadiums. They're able to keep their core players with the revenues. There's a correlation."

Of course, before anyone starts measuring the Cardinals for their new rings, there are a few issues for this 5-11 squad to iron out. The new field may come with its own set of wheels, but there's no guarantee the home team will be rolling as well.
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Hache Man · Aug 16, 2006

Updated: Aug. 16, 2006, 4:23 PM ET
And if it's broke, fix it!

By Elena Bergeron
ESPN The Magazine

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As host of four Final Fours and a record six Super Bowls, the Louisiana Superdome is no stranger to the spotlight. But when Hurricane Katrina chased evacuees inside last August, the world watched as 145 mph winds peeled the stadium like an orange. That destruction became a symbol of the city's broader failures. Now, one year and $185 million later, the 31-year-old stadium is almost ready for the Saints' home opener on Monday Night Football (Sept. 25, vs. Falcons). And those behind the rebuilding hope the Dome will soon become a symbol of recovery.

Brent Humphreys
It cost $32 million to fix the roof on the Superdome.

More than 3.8 million gallons of water and 4,000 tons of debris wound up in the Dome post-Katrina and experts predicted it would take 14 months for the facility to reopen. But after a December visit from then-NFL commish Paul Tagliabue, officials pledged to get the place ready by September. Funding came from several sources, including $121 million from FEMA and $20 million from the NFL. Owner Tom Benson's share? Zilch. In exchange for its millions, the NFL got the city to reduce -- by up to $20 million -- the penalty the team will owe if it leaves town before its lease expires in 2010. Such is life in the Big Easy.
Fixing the 9.7-acre roof was the toughest -- and, at $32 million, the costliest -- part of the job. Katrina had scalped the rubber membrane that covered the metal dome. To replace it, a 125-man crew built a minivillage on the roof and spent five months there. Their work camp, 27 stories off the ground, had its own weather station and portable johns. "You just shut the door and hope there are no wind gusts while you're in there," says project manager Tom Keller, whose hard hat will be displayed in the Hall of Fame as part of a future exhibit on the renovation.
What can fans expect when they return? For one thing, some temporary concession stands. For another, the club rooms won't be ready to host pre- or postgame parties, and some box suites will be missing carpeting and countertops. On the plus side, fans will be greeted by new artificial turf, four new scoreboards and 10,000 new seats to replace those damaged during the storm. And players for home and away teams get refurbished locker rooms. "People will be patient because they're dealing with this type of rebuilding in their own homes," says Doug Thornton of Dome operator SMG.

Brent Humphreys
The Saints play their first home game against the Falcons on Sept. 25.

The renovation is scheduled to be finished by late 2007, and the project architects hope to include local design touches that fans can identify with, such as glass walls in the corners of the four ballrooms (one at each corner of the Dome) so fans can mingle, Bourbon Street-style. "We were inspired by the history of the way New Orleanians interact on balconies," says architectural director Paul Griesemer. "We hope to replicate that. Maybe not to the extent of what goes on at Mardi Gras, but we'd love to see people wave and scream to their friends."
Still, erasing Katrina's memory is like shadowboxing a ghost. "We saw the worst of humanity in there," says Kory Johnson, 28, who decamped to the Dome when Katrina hit and has since moved to Houston. "I've gone to Saints games since I was young, but it'll take a lot to get me back." For other fans, though, a Heisman Trophy winner is enough. Since drafting Reggie Bush, the Saints are expecting a complete sellout of single-game and season tickets. And once again, they come marching in.
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Hache Man · Aug 17, 2006

Updated: Aug. 17, 2006
Young quickly gaining teammates' respect

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Here are five observations on the Tennessee Titans based on their Aug. 15 practice:
1.
Before the draft, word was that Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow was practically standing on the table for Matt Leinart. These days, Vince Young has him dancing. Well, at least the rookie quarterback is trying to get Chow to dance. Teaching him the "Shoulder Lean."
"I know he thinks about how I'm doing a lot," Young says. "I just try to keep him loose. I tell him, 'Hang with me, baby.'"
Young isn't yet the starting quarterback, but talking to members of the Titans one can tell that, in a sense, it's already his team.
"Guys respected him the first day he came in," linebacker David Thornton says.
Young showed his competitiveness by leveling a defensive tackle after an interception and standing up for his young receivers and talking trash right back at the defense, even though the offense wasn't having such a good day. He's endeared himself to his teammates by subtly involving everyone in a conversation and running with the offensive linemen when they commit penalties.
Young has Steve McNair's old locker, and clearly he feels obligated to lead the way his mentor and predecessor once did.
So when Young takes over for Billy Volek (and it could be sooner rather than later), one thing he won't have to do is win over his teammates. He's already done that. In fact, he's eased the tension between himself and Volek by humbly acknowledging Volek as the starter and deferring to him as the offensive leader, even though everyone knows the situation is temporary.
"He understands how to be the leader of a team," says director of media relations Robbie Bohren.
"It's a step up [from college] and he's the same [with his teammates]," head coach Jeff Fisher says.
Added veteran linebacker Keith Bulluck: "He's the third pick of the draft, but he could have been the 303rd pick of the draft and been the same person."
When will it officially become Young's team? As it stands now, the Titans, having brought McNair along slowly, aren't about to hand the keys to Young from jump street. Volek knows the offense better at this point. Chow says Young is "ahead of the learning curve," but he still misses blitz pickups and has much to learn about coverages. He doesn't have a whole lot to learn about commitment, however.
"He's a very determined young guy," Chow says. "He wants to do well. He studies. He works at it."
While the speed of the game will take some getting used to, clearly the game isn't too big for Young, who, unlike McNair (Alcorn State), came from a big-time program at Texas. Look for Young to see action as early as the opener, maybe for a series or more, just to get his feet wet before taking over. It also gives the defense another dimension for which to prepare, a la Michael Vick in his rookie season.
In the coming weeks, the Titans are likely to begin installing a package of plays suited to Young's unique talents.
"He has some qualities that we're going to have to take advantage of," Fisher says.
2.
Knock on wood, but Pacman Jones has had by all accounts a fantastic camp. At least this year he's had a camp. Last year the sixth overall pick out of West Virginia arrived late following a protracted holdout.
"Last year he was hanging on and surviving on athletic ability and instinct," Fisher says. "Now he understands the defense."
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Pacman Jones</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Cornerback
Tennessee Titans

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>52</TD><TD>43</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
He's still got a ways to go, but Jones, just as important, has matured overnight into a better teammate. Last year he rubbed some vets, including Bulluck, the wrong way.
"It's like a different person has inhabited his body," one Titans coach said.
If he can stay on the straight and narrow, Jones is on his way to becoming one of the game's best young corners. No kidding. The kid is a complete corner. He'll cover anyone and doesn't ask for help. He's so comfortable in the scheme now to the point that he's covering teammates' mistakes. He'll also come up and tackle. In the preseason opener against New Orleans, Jones twice closed on Reggie Bush, already one of the best open-field runners in the game, and drove him out of bounds after minimal gains. Jones also is dangerous in the return game. He'll return kicks and punts again this year.
"This is my year," Jones says. "I'm going across the water."
In other words, to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. If Pacman keeps it up, don't bet against him.
3.
Bulluck is the leader of the Titans' defense, Jones has the potential to be a shutdown corner, and Thornton gives the Titans an athletic outside linebacker tandem. But without question, the most important player on Tennessee's defense is sometimes-dominant defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
We say "sometimes" because Haynesworth hasn't played a full season since his rookie year of 2002. He's missed a combined 10 games in 2003-04 with elbow problems and two last year with a knee injury. Still, Haynesworth had his best season with 85 tackles and three sacks in 14 starts, all career highs. He followed that up with his best offseason, shedding some 25-35 pounds (he's down to 325), and Tennessee is expecting another career year for the 26-year-old former first-rounder.
Except Haynesworth isn't practicing right now as he battles back trouble. When he gets back (and that should be soon) the Titans need him to continue causing opponents trouble with his power and athleticism, which are incredible for such a large man (6-foot-6). In spots, Haynesworth is quietly as good as any tackle in the league, and when he is, he makes life as easy for his teammates as he makes it difficult for offenses. Because when Haynesworth is on, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz doesn't have to commit eight to the box to defend the run, allowing him flexibility in coverage.
Haynesworth's injury highlights a potential problem area for Tennessee. The Titans don't have much depth along the defensive line, or offensive line for that matter. Behind starting defensive tackles Haynesworth and Randy Starks, Tennessee, with Rien Long out for the year, has only one experienced player: third-year man Jared Clauss, and he's not fit for anything beyond spot duty. Same thing on the offensive line: no experience behind the starters. It might not be a bad idea for the Titans, who finally have cap room, to bring in some help before the season, especially at defensive tackle.

4.
Trade chatter aside, Chris Brown is bigger, stronger and faster than ever and is having the best camp of his career. Meanwhile, the forgotten man in the backfield, Travis Henry, has kept quiet while Brown and rookie LenDale White have gotten the attention, but he is making lots of noise in practice. Henry shed some pounds and looks quicker, according to Titans observers. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher appears poised to rebound from two straight down years.
Here's why the Titans have the potential to be among the best rushing teams in the league this year: White is their best back. He just hasn't gotten on track because of injuries, starting with the hamstring strain that prevented him from testing before the draft. Sure, White has rubbed some folks the wrong way (see last week's spitting incident), but there's no denying his talent. A classic north-south runner, White has the ability to press the line of scrimmage and make his move upfield at exactly the right moment. Bullock says White reminds him of a young Corey Dillon with his attitude, flair and power.
"He's behind, but he's catching up," Fisher says.
Problem is, Fisher can't bring three tailbacks to a game, so White, unless he overtakes both Brown and/or Henry on the depth chart rather quickly, will have to find a place on special teams to keep from standing on the sideline in a T-shirt.
5.
Chris Hope was overlooked in Pittsburgh playing alongside Troy Polamalu. In Tennessee, he could star in Schwartz's defense. Hope is an upgrade from Tank Williams in that Williams was a box safety, far more effective near the line of scrimmage than in coverage, whereas Hope is versatile enough to support the run and defend the pass. The Titans love his range and instincts. Not to be outdone, Hope's partner, strong safety Lamont Thompson, has dropped 10-15 pounds after playing too heavy last season. Fisher says he's moving a lot better this year.
Thornton is still picking up a scheme that is more complex than the Tampa 2 he thrived in under Tony Dungy in Indianapolis, but he'll be big for Tennessee both in terms of the speed he adds to the defense and the character he brings to the locker room. Bullock, Titans coaches say, has had a solid camp, clearly driven by the team's struggles the past two years. And middle linebacker Peter Sirmon is another year removed from his knee injury. He's starting to get his quickness back. Clearly the Titans' mission in acquiring Hope and Thornton was to add more multidimensional players to the defense. If Tennessee can stay healthy on that side of the ball, the investments will pay off as the defense keeps the Titans in games.
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Hache Man · Aug 17, 2006

Updated: Aug. 17, 2006
Seahawks not abandoning 'Blast' play

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

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CHENEY, Wash. -- Here are five observations on the Seattle Seahawks, based on their preseason game Aug. 12 and training camp practice Aug. 14:
1.
The Seahawks don't plan to change their running offense despite losing Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson. Their favorite running play, "blast," remains a staple despite the change at left guard. Blast is a running play to the weak side of the defense that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck calls in an audible. The play's success has been attributed to Shaun Alexander's elusiveness, along with the power blocking of Hutchinson and Walter Jones.
"We aren't the only team that runs it; everybody runs it," Hasselbeck said. "I think we are more physical running it. Plus, Shaun doesn't always hit the hole he's supposed to hit, anyways."
The presence of Jones, the game's best left tackle, has made the loss of Hutchinson easier to withstand. Jones can dominate a defensive end or a pass rusher. He's smart and knows the game. Because they played so long together, Jones and Hutchinson didn't need to communicate verbally for each to know what the other was going to do on every blocking challenge. It's a shame they were broken up.
The plan is for Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack to be the starting left guard, but he can't shake injuries. The Seahawks brought Tom Ashworth over from New England, but he's more of a tackle. That leaves Chris Spencer and fourth-round choice Rob Sims as candidates. Spencer didn't look bad in the preseason opener against the Cowboys, but he moved back to center this week because of Robbie Tobeck's elbow surgery. Regardless, the Seahawks should be all right along the offensive line.
2.
Nate Burleson is going to be a great acquisition for the Seahawks. He's still adjusting to the new offense and how he's supposed to make his route adjustments depending on the coverages, but he has the big-play ability and speed to be a big asset. Plus, Peter Warrick should be more involved, giving Hasselbeck two dependable receivers -- Warrick and Bobby Engram -- who can work the slots.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Nate Burleson</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide receiver
Seattle Seahawks

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>30</TD><TD>328</TD><TD>10.9</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Burleson has the skills and experience to be a flanker in the West Coast offense, but his main role will be split end once Darrell Jackson (offseason knee surgery) gets back on the field next week. Burleson worked well with Daunte Culpepper, who loved to throw the ball deep.
Burleson says Hasselbeck throws a more catchable ball, which should enable him to make plays after the catch. Still, it's going to be important for Jackson to come back from his knee injury and be effective. Jackson is still the best route runner in this offense. It's a little bit of a concern that his knee is still bothering him.
3.
The defense looks so much faster than last year. Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill re-energized the defense last season as rookies. Tatupu was a leader beyond his years. He made players on defense more accountable for study in the tape room. Plus, he put them in good positions with his calls on the field. Add former Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson to the mix, and suddenly the Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in the conference.
Peterson was a great addition. He's back to where he was two years ago before tearing his Achilles tendon. He has the speed to cover any tight end and has the ability to rush quarterbacks from a three-point stance on passing downs. Defensive coordinator John Marshall hasn't tipped off how he will use Peterson, but there is no doubt he will attack a lot with Peterson, who can blitz, cover and chase down ball carriers from any place on the field.
4.
First-round choice Kelly Jennings got a tough debut out of the way against the Cowboys, and that should help him. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo completed three consecutive passes on Jennings in the preseason opener. That's what happens to rookie cornerbacks, but the experience will help Jennings figure out what he must do to improve his technique in man and zone situations.
The passes reached the Dallas receivers before Jennings was ready. Coaches will work with him and make him improve, but it probably means the Seahawks will enter the season with Marcus Trufant and Kelly Herndon as the starters. Trufant should have his best season. He's not coming off shoulder surgery, like he did the previous two offseasons. He looks extra quick and strong. He could be a Pro Bowl candidate if all works well.
5.
Shaun Alexander seems to be handling his celebrity status quite well. He's the reigning MVP. He wrote a book. He's doing commercials. He's on the cover of the new John Madden video game. Though he would like to gain 2,000 yards and improve on his NFL touchdowns record, Alexander seems to be focused on one thing: winning the Super Bowl.
One of the advantages of being a Super Bowl team in the Northwest corner of the country is that the nation ignores you. Except for Alexander, there aren't a lot of endorsements and opportunities cluttering up the team's time. Alexander has been the busiest, which is understandable. He's the MVP. But he seems to be handling it well. Head coach Mike Holmgren is pleased by how well he's handled it, along with how hard he's worked this offseason.
"Shaun made great strides last year," Holmgren said. "I want him to improve blocking for the quarterback because I don't want to take him out on passing downs. He had a phenomenal season last year. To say he can do that again is a pretty tall order. In his career, he's been a consistent 1,300-, 1,400-, 1,500-yard runner. I want him to be that kind of player again." Alexander will be 29 at the end of the month, but he's in his prime and should have a great season.
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Hache Man · Aug 17, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Jets considering Jackson
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
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<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Wednesday, August 16</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>INTERESTED</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Grady Jackson
Packers
</TD><TD>Jets?
</TD><TD>Jets considering Jackson
<Aug. 16> The Jets will bring in Jackson for a visit on Wednesday, The Star-Ledger reports. Jackson is the best free-agent nose tackle/defensive tackle on the market and would fill a huge hole in the middle of the Jets' new 3-4 defense.
"Grady is coming off a pretty good season a year ago and he's the last quality defensive tackle available who can also play the nose," said his agent, Angelo Wright.
"He has been working out. People always criticize his weight and age (33) but his production has been consistent. Everywhere he has been he's been a key clog in the middle of the defensive line. He has done it time and time again in the trenches." Wright, who indicated that several teams are interested in Jackson, said his client weighs roughly 355 pounds and is ready to get into a camp and go to work.

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Hache Man · Aug 18, 2006

Updated: Aug. 18, 2006, 5:03 PM ET
Browns need healthy Edwards and Winslow

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

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BEREA, Ohio -- Here are six observations on the Cleveland Browns, gleaned from the training camp practice of Aug. 16:
1.
Much has been made about the rehabilitation of tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. from extensive knee surgery, and justifiably so, given the importance of the Browns' star-crossed 2004 first-round draft choice to the progress Cleveland needs to make in the passing game. Of course, the Browns, whose passing game ranked 23rd in the league in 2005, need second-year veteran quarterback Charlie Frye, who started five games as a rookie in 2005, to grow up quickly. No doubt, his learning curve will be accelerated if Winslow and wide receiver Braylon Edwards, the team's top pick in 2005 who's also coming off knee surgery, are whole.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Braylon Edwards</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
Cleveland Browns

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>32</TD><TD>512</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>16.0</TD><TD>80</TD><TD>202</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The question that begs for an answer: How close are the two potential Pro Bowl pass catchers, each of whom would add a big-play dimension to the offense, to being 100 percent?
Of the two, Edwards is inarguably the bigger surprise at this point in camp because, given the timing of his injury and the fact he had surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee only seven months ago, even the most optimistic reports from Cleveland officials were that he might not return until October. That still might be the case, but based on Wednesday's practice, the timetable could be shortened considerably. Edwards moved pretty well in the practice and caught the ball effortlessly, but we didn't observe him make any really hard cuts yet. There is some whispered optimism that Edwards could play in September, perhaps even in the season opener, but that remains to be seen. The third overall selection in the '05 draft, Edwards was just beginning to hit his stride last season when he was injured, and he had 25 catches for 434 yards and three touchdowns in his seven starts. In four of those starts, the former University of Michigan star posted 60 or more yards, with 86 or more in three of them.
It's not easy yet getting a good read on Winslow, touted as a prospect who, like his father, might redefine the position but has played in just two games in two seasons. Winslow conceded to local reporters that, given the scope of the damage to his knee, an injury suffered when he flipped his motorcycle over a curb, he might never be the player he was projected to be. But team officials say that Winslow, whose brusque and bodacious persona might have been taken down several pegs in the last year, has worked diligently this spring and summer to come back and he is a far more mature individual.
In practice, he certainly seems to be a presence in the middle of the field and appears to have retained the innate ability to locate an open spot and nestle into it. But it was notable that there were times, when the Browns were moving between practice segments, that Winslow seemed to have a bit of a hitch in his gait. There was no pronounced limp, nothing especially alarming, but rather just a subtle indication of fatigue. It looks as though Winslow will still be a terrific red zone option for Frye, but we didn't see enough of him in one practice to know whether he still has the explosive athleticism and run-after-catch ferocity that marked his college career.
There is one receiver of whom we are more certain: Veteran Joe Jurevicius, signed as a free agent in the spring, will provide a nice safety net for Frye and raise the leadership level in the Browns' locker room.
2.
Here's all you need to know about the Cleveland offensive line: Just a little more than three weeks into camp, the Browns are, amazingly, working on their fourth starting center. Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the dean of beat writers here, put it best: The tenuous situation on the offensive line, a product of incredible misfortune, could negate a lot of the good things general manager Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel have accomplished.
The litany of woe at center: Two-time Pro Bowl performer LeCharles Bentley, signed away from the New Orleans Saints and a player some felt was the prize catch in free agency, ruptured a patellar tendon the first day of workouts. His replacement, Bob Hallen, retired with a mysterious back ailment. Then, on Wednesday, Alonzo Ephraim was suspended by the NFL for four games for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
That leaves fifth-year veteran Ross Tucker, acquired from New England only last week, as the starter. Tucker is a smart, try-hard guy, but his r?sum? includes just 24 starts. Unless the Browns can swing a deal for a more experienced snapper, such as former Philadelphia starter Hank Fraley or maybe John Wade of Tampa Bay, who is being challenged for the No. 1 job, Tucker will be the guy.
But the problems on the line, and the streak of poor luck, extend beyond the center position. Right tackle Ryan Tucker, who started all 16 games in 2005, had arthroscopic knee surgery in camp. The bet is that Tucker, a tough guy, will be back for the start of the season but will have missed significant practice time. On Wednesday, the No. 1 right tackle was Kirk Chambers, a two-year veteran with no career starts. The starting guards, Joe Andruzzi and Cosey Coleman, have thick medical dossiers.
The guy the Browns hoped to groom to replace one of them, probably a year from now, fourth-round pick Isaac Sowells, is injured. And the team's other big free-agency acquisition on the line, former Atlanta starting left tackle Kevin Shaffer, is coming off a 2005 season in which his pass protection skills regressed. A self-made player, Shaffer, a 2002 seventh-round pick, might actually be a more effective run blocker, which might not be good news for Frye.
The line woes could slow the progress of a Cleveland team whose growth in 2006 might not necessarily have been reflected in the win column. The Browns have closed the talent gap a bit in the AFC North, but the injuries on the blocking unit might obscure the progress.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Leigh Bodden</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Cornerback
Cleveland Browns

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>57</TD><TD>47</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3.
OK, so maybe loquacious Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson, who recently referred to Cleveland's best young defensive player as "Lehigh" Bodden, might not have gotten his name right. But if fourth-year cornerback Leigh Bodden continues his emergence, he won't be anonymous around the league for much longer.
A former star at well-known football factory Duquesne University, and signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003, Bodden is definitely an ascending talent. He started 11 games in 2005, replacing injured Gary Baxter (pectoral), and played well enough that the Browns wisely rewarded him with a contract extension. Good move because, had Bodden continued to improve and hit the free-agency market, he would have been a pretty hot commodity.
Nothing against Baxter or Daylon McCutcheon, but Bodden already might be the team's best corner. People talk about his future, but the guy can play right now. And with Baxter sidelined again by a pectoral injury, and McCutcheon (knee) also missing practice time in camp, Bodden is taking advantage of his opportunities. Bodden has prototype size (6-foot-1, 192 pounds), runs really well, and is strong enough to jam receivers and redirect them. On consecutive pass plays Wednesday, he just knocked receivers completely off their inside routes by muscling them. We didn't see him have to turn and run deep, but he certainly demonstrated terrific burst closing on balls in front of him. A really good young player worth watching closely in 2006.
Cleveland officials expect Baxter to be ready for the start of the season, although there has to be some concern about his durability, and McCutcheon should be ready to roll, too. Assuming everyone is indeed healthy, the Browns will have a nice trio and the position could be one of relative strength for them. The best combination probably would be Bodden and Baxter as the starters with McCutcheon as the nickel corner.
There is some depth at safety, too, with the trio of Brian Russell, Sean Jones and Brodney Pool. Right now, it appears Jones has an edge over Pool in the battle between second-rounders for the starting strong safety spot. Of course, as potentially solid as the secondary might be, the Browns are going to have to generate some pass rush after a 2005 season in which they rang up a league-low 23 sacks.
4.
A rookie linebacker seems to have secured a starting job, but it's not the one everyone anticipated. While first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley is still running with the second unit in the 3-4 base defense, second-rounder D'Qwell Jackson is working with the starters at inside linebacker.
The former Maryland standout, who finished his college career with 447 tackles, looks like a good fit to team with Andra Davis, the human tackling machine, at inside backer. Jackson doesn't have as much bulk as you might expect from an inside linebacker in the 3-4, but he seems to get off blocks quickly and finds the football. He might not be all that flashy but, like Davis, is simply a solid football player.
It's probably just a matter of time until Wimbley, a classic 3-4 hybrid edge player, supplants Matt Stewart as the weakside starter. A college defensive end, Wimbley is a great character kid and hard worker and, maybe most important to this team, he can rush the passer. The strongside spot will be manned by venerable Willie McGinest, who appears to be using camp just to ready himself for the rigors of the season.
In their two years on the job, Savage and Crennel have concentrated on trying to improve not only on the field but also in the locker room, and McGinest is a prime example of that initiative. He's expected to bring a winner's mentality born of three Super Bowl rings, to serve as a mentor of sorts to Wimbley and to collect maybe 8-10 sacks. McGinest will be an interesting guy to watch, though, from the sack standpoint, because his former New England coaches felt as though he couldn't bring much anymore on the speed rush. The Patriots felt McGinest, who is 34 and entering his 13th season, had become more of a power rusher. The Browns need him to be a difference maker if they are to improve their limp pass rush.
5.
Cleveland has to start home-growing some defensive linemen. Of the 11 linemen currently on the camp roster, the lone one who began his NFL career as a Browns draft choice is Babatunde Oshinowo of Stanford, a sixth-round selection in this year's draft. No one is from here, and -- even in a 3-4 front, where linemen tend to be anonymous pluggers -- that shortage has to be rectified.
Of the 11 linemen, five came into the NFL as undrafted free agents. Just one, veteran run stuffer Ted Washington, was drafted before the fourth round, having been chosen by San Francisco in the first round in 1991. Sure, we know that on third down Cleveland will use linebackers as rush ends. But you still have to have bodies up front on first and second down to stop the run. No matter how good a coach Crennel is, it might be tough to win with a line of such collectively dubious pedigree. End Orpheus Roye is a solid player, but he's 33 and entering his 11th season. Washington, 38 and going into his 16th year, is a stopgap.
6.
Given Trent Dilfer's preference to move on after only one season in Cleveland, it's tough to quibble with the decision to trade the quarterback. However, the Browns had better hope Frye stays upright for 16 games. Beyond the reality that the depth chart lacks a veteran to help mentor Frye is the sobering fact that the Browns simply don't have a quality backup. Ken Dorsey, acquired from San Francisco in the Dilfer swap, has 10 starts, but he can't play. The other three quarterbacks on the roster -- Derek Anderson, Lang Campbell and Darrell Hackney -- have combined for zero regular-season pass attempts.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 18, 2006

Updated: Aug. 18, 2006, 4:51 PM ET
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Tucker is center of attention

By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider
Archive

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The big story coming out of Cleveland's training camp has been all the problems surrounding the center position. The season-ending injury to LeCharles Bentley was compounded by the retirement of Bob Hallen and suspension of Alonzo Ephraim. The Browns are now starting Ross Tucker, a player who has been with the team for less than two weeks.
Playing a fourth-string center would figure to severely hamper the Browns' running game, but a closer look shows the situation might not be quite as bad as initially feared.
First of all, the rest of Cleveland's run-blockers are quite good. All but one of the other starting linemen had a run-blocking success percentage of less than 80 (80 percent being the benchmark of a good blocker). Kevin Shaffer was the only lineman not to top the mark, and he missed it by only 0.5 percent.
It wasn't just the offensive linemen who had good metrics. Starting fullback Terrelle Smith had a success percentage just over 85, 13th in the league among fullbacks. Blocking tight end Steve Heiden's success percentage (91.5) was the second-highest among tight ends last year.
The other silver lining for the Browns is that the center position is often the weakest link of even the most successful offensive lines. The Chargers' offensive line was able to run block quite effectively last year despite Nick Hardwick's 75.3 percent success rate.
San Diego was able to do this because the rest of the linemen had success percentages at or near 80. Other examples of offensive lines able to hide their center effectively with top-notch blocking elsewhere include the Seahawks with Robbie Tobeck's 74.5 percent success rate and the Redskins with Casey Rabach's 71.1 percent.
Another reason Cleveland fans shouldn't despair is that Reuben Droughns does his best running on plays that often don't involve the center at the point of attack. Droughns' most effective running plays last year were the off tackle and the counter. Both plays are run at the edges of the offensive line, and the center's responsibility usually is limited to blocking back-side pursuit.
The Browns can also be thankful these issues occurred early in the preseason, giving Tucker ample time to get into a groove. The schedule is also somewhat favorable, as Cleveland's first two opponents -- New Orleans and Cincinnati -- had trouble stopping the run last year. The schedule does get a bit rougher after that, but at least Tucker will have a few games under his belt. There is no question playing a fourth-stringer on the offensive line can be a problem. The center usually calls all the line blocks and plays an integral part in pass blocking. The Browns also don't have any quality depth behind Tucker, so one more injury at this position could have a devastating impact. Having said that, the metrics do show this type of situation is one teams are often able to plan around, at least from the standpoint of the running game.
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Hache Man · Aug 18, 2006

Updated: Aug. 18, 2006
Hits keep on coming for beleaguered Browns

By Jeremy Green
Scouts Inc.
Archive

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When Browns fans saw the offseason that GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel put together, expectations were on the rise for this organization and its fan base.
Three weeks of training camp and one preseason game later, everyone associated with the Browns has to be wondering why this team can't seem to catch a break. The Browns have played only one preseason game, but if that game (a listless 20-7 loss to the Eagles) was any indication of what to expect this season, their fans better buckle up for another extremely bumpy ride.
The Browns have been cursed with bad luck on the injury front since they reentered the league, and this preseason has only continued that disturbing trend. The season-ending knee injury to center LeCharles Bentley, Cleveland's prized offseason acquisition, was the biggest setback, but not the only one. Starting cornerbacks Daylon McCutcheon (knee) and Gary Baxter (shoulder) are likely to miss the entire preseason. Right tackle Ryan Tucker, who's batting a knee injury, probably won't be ready until the season opener.
The team has also had to deal with the unexpected retirement of center Bob Hallen and the controversial way in which Savage handled the entire situation.
In their haste to fix the issues at center, Savage and his staff failed to do their homework on Alonzo Ephraim. The Browns signed Ephraim on July 29 without knowing he would eventually be served with a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. According to a source in the organization, he was the top center on the Browns' emergency list even though they knew he had some character issues.
The Browns can't wait to put this preseason behind them and move on, but are they ready to do that?
The task at hand will be difficult. The Browns are now down to their fourth center in Ross Tucker, whom they acquired just over a week ago. Though the center is not the highest-profile offensive lineman, he is the most important player on the line. He is the player who is the glue in the middle. If you find a great one, he can make everyone around him better.
With the inexperience the Browns now have at the position, second-year quarterback Charlie Frye will have to set the line and make the line calls. Frye already has enough on his plate trying to figure out all the nuances of the offense as he prepares for his first season as the full-time starter.
The running game is also going to suffer because of the lack of continuity up front. Reuben Droughns is coming off a 1,200-plus-yard season, but he too has had a miserable offseason with two off-the-field arrests. Droughns could find it tough sledding this season behind the patchwork offensive line the Browns are trying to piece together.
Although the Browns put a lot of effort into getting better on offense, at the end of the day this team is going to look extremely similar to last year's version.
If the Browns are going to take a step forward it will have to come from the knowledge that Crennel brings to the defense. Crennel has an excellent defensive mind and the team went out and added veterans on that side of the ball. Nose tackle Ted Washington, outside linebacker Willie McGinest, cornerback Leigh Bodden and inside linebacker Andra Davis are going to have to rise to the occasion and become one of the stingiest units in the NFL.
After a solid offseason, this was supposed to be a big year for the Browns. However, with the regular season right around the corner, they don't appear equipped to improve on last year's results. This is a team that will need to play conservatively on offense by trying to take care of the ball and playing low-scoring games. The Browns will look to keep games close and hope someone on either side of the ball can make a play to change the outcome. Expectations are high in Cleveland again this season, but too many similarities to past years appear to be creeping to the surface
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Hache Man · Aug 18, 2006

Brady story blown out of proportion

posted: Friday, August 18, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tom Brady, New England Patriots

One note off the news in New England, and lots of random thoughts from the press box on Thursday night's Giants-Chiefs 17-0 classic.

I listened to sports radio on the way over to the game, and the hosts devoted a good 20 minutes to the news that Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds' trainer who the feds are investigating, once had a phone conversation with Tom Brady. They asked over and over, what does it mean?
Nothing, fellas. It means nothing.
Let's look at the facts here. Both Brady and Anderson say it was one discussion, by phone, years ago. Brady recalls it as being five to six years ago. It was a different time for both those guys then. Brady was just starting his career, and the one thing Bill Belichick told him was that he had to gain weight. He went back to California to work out. If you're Tom Brady, a sixth-rounder fighting to make the team, and you hear that Barry Bonds' trainer could talk to you about working out, aren't you going to make that call?
Remember, Bonds wasn't that Barry Bonds back then. He hadn't hit 73 homers, hadn't been linked to this mess. BALCO wasn't a household name. So Brady and Anderson talked, Brady didn't go with him (thankfully). End of story.
I don't think anyone in a healthy mind-set could accuse Brady of taking steroids. Tom Brady Sr. used to give his son a tough time that he was the only Men's Health cover boy who posed with his shirt on. Brady handled the news of his conversation with Anderson well: by clearly explaining what happened.
"I wanted to work out for a day, and I knew he had a gym," Brady said.
That's it. End of story. I want my 20 minutes back.
Notes from Giants-Chiefs

? N.Y.'s first-teamers sure look better than KC's first-teamers. On the Chiefs' first possession, two runs went nowhere and Trent Green's third-down pass was tipped. On the Giants' first possession, they ran a Tim Carter reverse for a first down, followed by a Tiki Barber screen for close to a first down. A few plays later, Eli Manning hit Amani Toomer on a slant for a 5-yard TD. The Chiefs would end the half with 26 rushing yards - not what they're used to in K.C.

? I watched a lot of Kyle Turley against Osi Umenyiora for a few reasons. One, you don't get a lot out of preseason games, but for Turley, he needs these games. He's not half-assing it. Playing left tackle is hard; it's harder when you're playing against a guy who had 14? sacks last year; it's even harder when you've been out of football for most of two years and lost and put back on 60 pounds.
Turley more than held his own, especially in pass protection -- except, of course, for the one play he missed Mathias Kiwanuka, who also forced a fumble. But Turley generally handled things well. He flattened Umenyiora on one first-quarter, third-down conversion, and he kept him away from Green's back.
It's amazing how much power Turley packs. He's 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds but doesn't look as chubby and swollen as most linemen. He's lean and athletic.
? Maybe it's the Giants' reconfigured secondary, but the Chiefs' starting receivers didn't do a great job of getting open. That position is the weak point for the Chiefs' offense. Then again, it has been for years and yet K.C. still leads the league in offense every year.
? The AC was fully cranked in the press box. It might have been the coldest press box I've ever been in. I think I've been truly cold only a few times in my life:
(1) Skiing in Alaska in 1988. (I remember this well because it was Super Bowl Sunday, Broncos versus Redskins. There was a dry-erase board with continual score updates at the top of the mountain where you exited the chairlift. I remember it being 10-0 Broncos before I skied down. The next time I got off the lift it was 35-10 Skins.)
(2) My freshman year in college, when my roommate opened the window at night in our dorm and the temperature dropped to 0.
(3) A few weeks ago while visiting my friend Phil in D.C. I was really hot before I went to sleep and turned the AC down to 52 degrees by mistake. This press box is the first one I've seen where coffee was in higher demand than hot dogs.
? I sat next to about 10 scouts from various teams. They barely looked at the game while the starters were in there. Once the first-teamers started to sift out of the game, they picked up their pencils like they were caught napping in class. It hit me: They're looking for young guys who their teams once had rated high but never drafted, just in case the subs are cut in the next few weeks.
? I have an NFL pal who believes that the Jets flunked RB Lee Suggs on purpose because they found out they could get 49ers RB Kevan Barlow after the Suggs trade had gone down. Everyone knows it's not hard for a team to find a way to fail a physical. Interesting conspiracy theory.
? The BALCO bit on the drive over reminded me of a question I get a lot when I'm a guest on radio: Are football players juicing? Obviously, a known small percentage is. How far it goes beyond that is anyone's guess. As someone who spends a lot of time in NFL locker rooms during the season, I can attest that not many bodies are fat-free and pure muscle. I don't see a lot of back acne. I'm sure there are some who we don't know about, but I doubt that a high percentage of players are juicing.
? I got lots of e-mail from You The Reader about ESPN's Monday Night Football debut, and I've read a lot of the critiques of Tony Kornheiser's performance. I think Tony was a little shaky - granted, I didn't watch all of Monday night's game - but I think he'll be better in the long run than Dennis Miller. Kornheiser has spent his life making jokes about sports. Once he gets used to doing it off of live games he'll be fine. But I do think having Wilbon in the booth would help.
? My top five Giants Stadium moments:
(5) Bon Jovi, July 2001: I admit it, I like Bon Jovi. I mean, they don't take up 30 percent of my iPod or anything, but I appreciate their staying power. They were the first concert I ever saw: I was in fifth grade and they came to Alaska. (Anchorage isn't exactly the Red Rocks.) I saw Bon Jovi at Giants Stadium with ESPN.com scribe Wright Thompson on that summer night, and it was a great show. I remember some dude from Wisconsin was so drunk he was That Guy during all the opening acts: screaming, belching, annoying all of us. I was worried he'd torment us during the show, but remarkably he passed out before it started.
(4) Colts-Jets 2003 wild-card game: Seems like awhile ago, but remember the story lines coming out of the Jets' 41-0 win? Chad Pennington was the next great QB and Peyton Manning still couldn't win a playoff game. Times have changed. I shared a cab home with then-SI writer Josh Elliott and we seriously thought the driver might pull a gun on us.
(3) October 2005: Last October I was here for a Giants-Redskins game, researching a story on Santana Moss. New York won 36-0, and I had to go into the Washington locker room after the game and get players to tell me what makes Moss so good.
(2) Monday Night Football, 2000, Jets versus Dolphins: This was my first game at Giants Stadium, having just been hired by ESPN The Magazine. The Jets trailed 30-7. With 5:43 to go, N.Y. had cut it to 30-23. The Jets tied it, Miami went back on top 37-30. Then, on fourth-and-1, Vinny Testaverde threw into the end zone to tackle Jumbo Elliott, who made a juggling catch falling down for a touchdown with 42 seconds left. The Jets then won in OT.
(1) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, July 2003: This was one of the many shows I attended on The Rising tour. First time I'd ever seen "Rosalita" live. Also spotted Suzy Kolber in the parking lot before the show.
? A few mailbag questions before I'm off to the Pats-Cardinals game on Saturday night:
Rob (Naperville, Ill.): How can you forget about Da Bears? They are returning all 22 starters. I know there are questions with Rex Grossman staying healthy but he will, and this is the first time in the NFL he doesn't have to learn a new offense.
Also, we have a proven winner in Brian Griese as backup. Let's not forget what Kyle Orton did. We have one of the best running games in Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. The receivers will be 10 times better this year with Grossman throwing to them. We still have all starters at defense, which I might say is the best in the league! We play in a division where there are three new head coaches. We have the easiest schedule in the league this year. There is no reason why we shouldn't be considered one of the best teams.
Seth: That's a good take. I think the Bears will have a pretty easy sail through the NFC North. I didn't include them on my "best teams" list because of the QB situation. Too unstable. Grossman reportedly struggling isn't good. As I noted months ago, Griese always beats out whomever is in front of him, but that doesn't always mean the team is a playoff lock.
Keith (Jacksonville, Fla.): Are my Jags ready to take the next step and make a deep playoff run? The D is in top shape, but the O still struggles. Will Leftwich just be an average NFL QB?
Seth: I'm not too high on Byron Leftwich after witnessing his performance against the Pats last year. But I'm curious and willing to give him more of a chance after reading KC Joyner's recent column.
Harold (Novi, Mich.): Has there been a bigger bust at WR than Charles Rogers? Seems like a once-promising career has gone down the tube. Whispers around the Lions have him not making the final roster. Your thoughts? Seth: It's more than whispers, Harold. Some more hateful types might have Rogers eclipsing Ryan Leaf as the worst No. 2 overall pick. In four years he's never had a reception of more than 40 yards. Leaf at least had a few decent games.

Hache Man · Aug 19, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Porter in limbo
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<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>August 19</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Jerry Porter
Raiders
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Porter in limbo
<Aug. 19> While the Raiders claim they are willing to deal the disgruntled Porter, they are certainly making it very difficult, the Contra Costa Times reports.
It's unknown what the Raiders want in compensation, but they have been presented several trade proposals and have nixed every one.
Unless the Raiders lower their asking price or a team that loses a front-line receiver feels compelled to up the ante, it appears Porter is stuck in Oakland for the next two seasons. Porter can opt out of the five-year contract extension he signed before last season after the 2007 season. Until then, he runs the risk of being kept on ice by the Raiders.

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Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Updated: Aug. 21, 2006
Pats bringing Gostkowski along slowly

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Here are five observations on the New England Patriots, based on their Aug. 19 preseason game against Arizona:
1.
Let's be clear: No one is going to come in and truly replace Adam Vinatieri. But someone is going to kick field goals for the Patriots. Although Martin Gramatica hasn't kicked since 2004 and hasn't been any good since 2002, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Patriots -- considering they have only two quarterbacks worth keeping -- carry two place-kickers on the active roster rather than immediately entrust the kicking duties to rookie Stephen Gostkowski. Maybe have the more experienced Gramatica handle field goals and PATs for now while the rookie kicks off.
Gramatica has been more accurate in practice and made both his field-goal attempts in the preseason opener against Atlanta. Gostkowski has made all four of his attempts, including three Saturday night against Arizona, and his kickoffs consistently travel into the end zone or near the goal line. The Patriots spent a fourth-round pick on Gostkowski, who over his last two seasons at Memphis made nearly 86 percent of his field goals, so there is no way they'll let him go. Either it's his job or they carry two kickers. If New England decides to go with the rookie off the bat, he'll make his rookie mistakes, but in the long run he should be a good one.

2.
Watching first-round pick Laurence Maroney's highlights from his debut against Atlanta last week, and then watching him burst for 12 yards on his first carry Saturday night, it's easy to tell why he had a Minnesota-record streak of 16 games with at least one run of 20 yards or more and why he has runs of 80 and 93 yards on his college r?sum?. The kid is flat-out explosive.
The Patriots would be wise to use Maroney as more than just relief for Corey Dillon, who is clearly on the downside of his career. They should be transitioning to Maroney as the primary ballcarrier. He hits the holes more quickly than Dillon does at this point and is more of a threat to take it the distance. And Maroney runs with power. Maroney needs to get a minimum of 10 to 15 carries per game. However the Patriots divvy up the workload among Dillon (who still runs with attitude), Maroney and Kevin Faulk, New England should be much better running the ball this season.

3.
Tully Banta-Cain had a sack (he nearly had a second) along with a couple of QB pressures Saturday night, giving him two sacks in as many preseason games. A seventh-round pick who has been primarily a special teamer his first three seasons, Banta-Cain is having a strong training camp/exhibition season. That's big for the Patriots, who are thin at linebacker because of Willie McGinest's defection to Cleveland and Tedy Bruschi's wrist injury that threatens his availability for the regular-season opener.
New England can play Mike Vrabel inside or outside depending on whether it can find someone else to step up outside opposite Rosevelt Colvin. Banta-Cain, who played defensive end in college, may just be that guy. The Monty Beisel experiment inside just isn't working out; he's hurt and some observers don't expect him to make the team.
Obviously, the Patriots were desperate to lure 37-year-old Junior Seau out of retirement, but there aren't many Pro Bowl inside linebackers chilling at home right about now. If Seau can stay healthy, the Patriots will find the right role for him, probably as a first- and second-down run-stuffer. Look, it might take a minute for the Patriots to figure out the configuration of the "4" in their 3-4 alignment, but eventually they'll figure it out. They have options in their personnel and can switch to the 4-3 at any time.

4.
The Patriots' talent up front and their depth in the secondary will help compensate for their issues at the second level. In Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork, New England has a trio of defensive linemen that is second to none, and reserve Jarvis Green might be good enough to start for some teams. New England, however, doesn't have its usual depth along the D-line.
The key in the back end is how well Rodney Harrison recovers from the knee injury he suffered in the fourth game of last season. He stabilizes the secondary. Ellis Hobbs, who started eight games and both playoff games as a rookie last year, has the potential to be a quality starter. Asante Samuel and Randall Gay have started a lot of important games for the Patriots, and free safety Eugene Wilson can come down and cover at corner in a pinch. Artrell Hawkins came in late and played surprisingly well switching from corner to safety.
The Patriots like James Sanders (second year) a lot. Tebucky Jones is back, though mostly to play special teams. Veteran corner Chad Scott is seeing some action at safety. Free-agent pickup Eric Warfield (Kansas City) appears to be on the bubble. It's a deep group, the defensive backs. If they can avoid injury perhaps the Patriots won't hemorrhage big plays the way they did last season.

5.
While no one in the Patriots' camp wants to see him play any meaningful minutes for the Patriots, as that would mean an injury to Brady, backup QB Matt Cassel is having a strong preseason. He leads the league in preseason passing yards (421), attempts (46), completions (27), and touchdown passes (three) in two games, with a quarterback rating of 110.9.
So far it's been enough to keep the Patriots from bringing in a more experienced veteran. He just has to work on not fumbling so much. He may turn out to be a real find in the seventh round of last year's draft. "When I'm watching Matt out there, he's making great reads," Brady said. "In the coverages, he's going to the right spots. He's a smart kid and very talented."
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Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Updated: Aug. 21, 2006

Whispers from around the NFL

Pro Football Weekly

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? Our sources tell us that Dolphins DE Jason Taylor's sore back won't force him to miss the regular-season opener at Pittsburgh. However, after injuring the back early in camp and being sidelined for 12 practices, Taylor is taking things slowly and will play sparingly in the remaining preseason games.
? With Tedy Bruschi out until September and with Monty Beisel ailing with an injured hand, word is the Patriots' signing of recently retired Junior Seau is an indication of how concerned they are about their ILB depth. Though the 37-year-old Seau has played in only 15 games the past two years because of injury, the team believes his experience and ability are an upgrade over the reserves on the roster.
? Word is the Jets' medical staff made the determination that RB Lee Suggs' surgically repaired knee would not hold up over the long haul. That resulted in the failed physical, voiding the trade that had sent CB Derrick Strait to Cleveland for Suggs. Interestingly, while Suggs has had myriad injuries (ankle, thumb, neck, toe, shoulder) during his short NFL career, the knee injury is an old one, suffered when he was at Virginia Tech. He hadn't missed a practice with the Browns this summer.
? Even though the failed trade with the Jets sent Strait back to New York, we hear the Browns like Strait so much that they might try to trade for him again.
? The Browns are continuing to try to move Suggs, who was sent back to the team after failing the Jets' physical. Suggs doesn't have a role in Cleveland after the emergence of rookie Jerome Harrison.
? Ravens QB Steve McNair's command of the huddle has been a breath of fresh air. The way we hear it, former starter Kyle Boller simply was too excitable in pressure situations. McNair is more even-keeled.
? With strong competition both at the DL and LB positions, don't be surprised if the Bengals release a couple of veterans with potential. At linebacker, 2004 third-rounder Caleb Miller could be the odd man out, while DLs Shaun Smith or Jonathan Fanene could be on the bubble.
? The way we hear it, Bengals RB Chris Perry's injuries continue to be a source of frustration to the club. Perry has been out with an ankle injury and could miss the start of the season.
? Word from Pittsburgh is that rookie QB Omar Jacobs has struggled in his transition to the pro game and is being pushed by Shane Boyd for the No. 3 QB job.
? What has impressed people in San Diego the most with Philip Rivers is that he never seems to have an off practice, which is rare for a young quarterback. His accuracy has been excellent, but expect the Chargers to keep things on the conservative side early on, much as they did when Drew Brees took over the reins from Doug Flutie.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Jerry Porter</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide receiver
Oakland Raiders

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>76</TD><TD>942</TD><TD>12.4</TD><TD>49</TD><TD>5</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
? Sources in Oakland say the Raiders are not actively shopping disgruntled WR Jerry Porter, but they are allowing him and his agent to seek a trade. The good news for the Raiders is that a couple of young receivers, Johnnie Morant and Will Buchanon, have stepped up in training camp and the preseason. Buchanon, a college defensive back who went undrafted, has really turned heads with some acrobatic grabs.
? Replacing retired OTs Willie Roaf and John Welbourn will be a tall order for the Chiefs, but so far Kyle Turley and Kevin Sampson have fared well despite some difficulties keeping the Giants' DE tandem of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora out of the backfield in the second preseason game. Concerns, however, lie with Turley's ability to hold up over the course of the year at around 280 pounds (some 25-30 pounds lighter than he played at two years ago) and Sampson's ability to handle speed on the edge.
? The Chiefs are eager to get rookie QB Brodie Croyle some work to see if he can elevate himself to the backup role behind Trent Green, but a shoulder injury has kept him out of action since the first week. Croyle said he was happy with his progress in the system prior to the injury. Another concern is the fact that RB Michael Bennett hasn't been able to play since his late-July trade from the Saints. A tender hamstring has prevented him from getting acclimated to the new offense. He is expected to spell Larry Johnson and serve as a change-of-pace option.
? Second-round choice Bernard Pollard out of Purdue has been solid in Kansas City's practices, but another safety, seventh-rounder Jarrad Page out of UCLA, has been the talk of camp; he has been willing to hit, has covered well and has deciphered a lot of information quickly while playing several roles. He could see immediate action in nickel and dime situations and surely will be a force on special teams out of the gate, along with Pollard.
? Darren Sproles' move to injured reserve with a broken leg may have opened the door for undrafted rookie CB Cletis Gordon to make the Chargers as the primary return specialist. If he falters, the Chargers would look to WR Eric Parker or possibly CB Drayton Florence for punt-return duties and backup RB Michael Turner or possibly rookie CB Antonio Cromartie to bring back kickoffs.
? Observers say the athleticism shown by rookie CB Antonio Cromartie in San Diego is impressive, and his long stride makes it look easy to make up ground when he finds himself out of position.
? Word out of Panthers camp is that the team is trying to steer superstar WR Steve Smith away from returning punts. We hear the Panthers are hesitant to expose Smith, who missed the first two weeks of training camp with a left hamstring strain, to further injuries while doing extra duty on special teams.
? We hear that Panthers DT Kris Jenkins, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 1 last season and missed the final 12 games in 2004 with a shoulder injury, has been on the practice field regularly in training camp, but he appears overweight and doesn't seem to be in football shape just yet.
? Our Falcons observers tell us veteran S Allen Rossum could be on his way out of Atlanta. Rossum battled injuries most of last season and hasn't come close to returning to his Pro Bowl form of 2004. Complicating matters for Rossum is that rookie WR Adam Jennings has excelled in training camp returning punts and kicks and is also competing for the No. 3 WR job. RB DeAndra Cobb, drafted last year as Rossum's eventual successor, had a forgettable rookie year and is sidelined with a high ankle sprain. We hear it's only a matter of time before Cobb gets waived.
? We hear that Falcons rookie QB D.J. Shockley, a Georgia native, holds a slight edge over second-year QB Bryan Randall in the competition for the No. 3 QB job behind Michael Vick and Matt Schaub. We're told the Atlanta coaching staff loves Shockley's intangibles -- his leadership, huddle presence, ability to manage the clock -- and fear that if Shockley were put on the practice squad, another team would sign him.

? Word out of Buccaneers camp is backup QB Tim Rattay has looked bad for most of training camp and didn't help his case to become Tampa's No. 2 quarterback with his dismal performance in the Bucs' preseason opener. That game was the first chance for the coaching staff to see Rattay, who was acquired in a trade with San Francisco last season, in a game situation in the Bucs' system. Rattay's struggles have opened the door for rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski to earn the No. 2 job if veteran Jay Fiedler (shoulder) isn't healthy when the season begins.
? Sources in Jacksonville tell us diminutive WR Chad Owens is moving up the Jaguars' depth chart after a strong start to the preseason that included a 62-yard touchdown grab in the opener. We hear Owens, drafted in the sixth round last year largely for his skills as a returner, is facing plenty of competition in the return game, so his best chance to make the team will be as a receiver.
? Our sources close to the Saints tell us starting C Jeff Faine has been a stabilizing presence on the team's revamped offensive line. The Saints acquired Faine in a draft day trade with the Browns to replace Pro Bowl C LeCharles Bentley, who left New Orleans to sign a huge free-agent contract with Cleveland.
? In addition to outplaying QB Todd Bouman in the Saints' first preseason game, we hear there's another sign QB Jamie Martin has a leg up in the competition for the No. 2 QB job. Martin is now the team's top holder, a role Bouman had handled for the past few years.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>David Patten</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide receiver
Washington Redskins

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>22</TD><TD>217</TD><TD>9.9</TD><TD>32</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
? The Redskins' trade of WR Taylor Jacobs to San Francisco almost guarantees that David Patten will make the roster. The team wants to carry five capable receivers because it will use many four- and five-WR sets. Because James Thrash and Antwaan Randle El are key special-teamers, Patten should get a chance.
? The Redskins' OL depth could be a season-long concern, but the team liked what it saw when Mike Pucillo played center and Tyson Walter handled left tackle better than anyone expected.
? The Cowboys, armed with depth at linebacker, and the Patriots, who have some extra offensive linemen, have been talking. Sources say the Patriots could be interested in Cowboys reserve Scott Shanle, who has experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses but could be caught up in a numbers game in Dallas.
? How bad has it gotten for Drew Henson in Dallas? On the day the team signed free agent Matt Baker, he -- not Henson -- got all the work with the third team. Henson is pretty expensive to keep as a third QB, especially if the team doesn't believe he has made much progress.
? Despite the late arrival, it appears that Eagles DT Brodrick Bunkley is going to be a force. Our sources tell us that the rookie is built as solidly as any defensive lineman the team has had in recent memory and that Bunkley has routinely found his way into the backfield during drills.
? Cowboys LB Bradie James told PFW that DE Chris Canty is going to break out into stardom. "He's a classic 3-4 end," James said. "He looks like he is going to have a big season."
? Word is the Seahawks have been satisfied with the steady progress of first-round CB Kelly Jennings, who got picked apart pretty good by the Cowboys in the preseason opener. But while Jennings is expected to see plenty of action this season -- we're told one thing he needs to do is finish his plays a bit better -- it could be a while before he earns a starting role over Kelly Herndon, who we hear might have had a better training camp than any Seahawks player this season.
? Seahawks DE Grant Wistrom, who underwent shoulder surgery following the Super Bowl, recently revealed to our sources that he played most of last season with a torn labrum that worsened with each game. Wistrom concealed the injury to prevent opponents from taking advantage.
? It's only a matter of time, our sources in the desert believe, before Gerald Hayes takes over the Cardinals' starting MLB job from James Darling. Hayes, we hear, finally looks fully recovered from the knee problems that sidelined him last season. But while the Cardinals couldn't be happier with his resurgence, we hear they continue to be extremely frustrated with fellow LB Karlos Dansby, who continues to fall further into Dennis Green's doghouse the longer he stays off the field due to health issues.
? In addition to being a leading candidate as the Cardinals' primary punt returner, we hear free-agent addition Troy Walters has looked good enough as a pass catcher in the slot to possibly overtake promising LeRon McCoy as the team's No. 4 wide receiver.
? Don't expect new Rams head coach Scott Linehan to be shy when it comes to using starters on special teams in an effort to improve what has been a steady weakness the last few seasons. We hear key starters such as MLB Will Witherspoon and FS Corey Chavous could see more than a little action on special teams this season.
? We hear the more mellow approach by new Rams D-line coach Brian Baker -- as opposed to the tough-love style of his predecessor Bill Kollar, who dropped F-bombs seemingly with every other word -- has received mostly positive reviews from the Rams' linemen, who believe they may be benefiting from a bit more work on technique under Baker.
? We're hearing good things about Niners second-year backup DL Ronald Fields, whose motor was somewhat of an issue in his rookie season. Fields apparently has become good friends with second-year RB Frank Gore, and our sources believe Gore's all-world work ethic and intensity have rubbed off on Fields, who appears a great deal more mature this season.
? Word is the supposed two-way battle for the Colts' starting RCB job between Jason David and Marlin Jackson has become a four-way battle, with first-year pro Kelvin Hayden and versatile third-year pro Von Hutchins entering the mix. Jackson, the Colts' first-round pick last year, played badly enough in the team's preseason opener to actually receive public criticism from head coach Tony Dungy, who rarely singles out any of his players.
? We hear Colts second-year OL Dylan Gandy has played so well as the starter at left guard in place of the injured Ryan Lilja that he could end up giving Lilja a real run for his money for the starting job in Week 1.
? Second-year Lions CB Stanley Wilson had an impressive training camp and might wind up with more than the nickel CB job. Wilson outplayed Keith Smith to claim the nickel spot, but he'll need to be more consistent to overtake Fernando Bryant. Smith's ball skills and instincts made him a nice fit in the newly implemented Cover 2 defense.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Charles Rogers</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide receiver
Detroit Lions

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>14</TD><TD>197</TD><TD>14.1</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
? Unless injuries hit the team's receivers, Lions WR Charles Rogers is very likely to be released, according to our moles in Motown. Rogers is working harder but, unable to claw higher than third string on the depth chart, hasn't found his way into the good graces of the new regime. He's running out of time and, unless someone stumbles in front of him, Rogers appears a lock to get the boot before the regular season begins.
? Our sources indicate the Bears are monitoring the waiver wire for WR help but likely won't make a trade to acquire help at the position.
? Sources in Green Bay are stunned that fifth overall pick A.J. Hawk hasn't been more of a steady presence this summer. In fact, there are some who believe third-round pick Abdul Hodge might be a better starter at this time than the ultratalented Hawk.
? Team observers say the Bears are excited by the performance of rookie FS Danieal Manning. Manning, thrust into regular work since Mike Brown's Achilles injury at San Francisco, has been able to learn on the job and excels in coverage. If he makes more of an effort to arrive early in run support, the Bears will really have something. ? Word out of Detroit is LB Ernie Sims' size could be a major detriment. Already the Lions consider him too aggressive for a third-down or nickel LB role. Sims should start on the weakside, but the big-hitting linebacker can be pushed around by bigger bodies.
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Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Too early to pull plug on Grossman

posted: Monday, August 21, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Chicago Bears, Rex Grossman

Yeah, I know. I wrote back when Brian Griese signed that he's never stayed on the bench long. But, in this case, I think he should.

There was a lot of buzz over the weekend about whether Griese should take over for Rex Grossman, who has yet to lead the Bears to any points in his 10 preseason possessions. Then you have Griese, who's had some success and has out-QB-rated Grossman 154.4 to 40.4.
Griese hasn't had any snaps with the first-team O yet, and doesn't even think it's a big deal if he's anointed the starter. "I don't think it's imperative," he told Bears reporters over the weekend.
The Bears have to stick with Grossman - for now. As my friend Steve noted when I was talking with him this weekend, Grossman's ceiling is potentially higher than Griese's. The Bears will be in games during the first month because of their defense. Give Grossman five games. Unless the Bears are on a terrible slide, they should be able to experiment with Grossman during the first month and still easily win the NFC North.
If Grossman is terrible, make the switch. But Grossman deserves the chance to prove what he can do now that he's healthy.
Random stuff

? Saturday night's game against New England wasn't very exciting if you're a Cards fan. True, who knows what you can gauge from preseason. But the O-line is a mess. And Kurt Warner didn't look very comfortable back there. No wonder Dennis Green said afterward that there was nothing about the game he was happy with.

? My nomination for Previously Unknown Pats Player Who Pisses Off Opposing Fans Who Wonder, "Why can't my team find those guys?": Bam Childress. If New England starts the season without Deion Branch - and that is feasible - Childress might have gained Tom Brady's trust with a couple nice catches against the Cardinals on Saturday night.
? If he stays healthy, I have little doubt that Laurence Maroney will lead the Pats in carries. He's averaging 6.3 yards a pop. Maroney is no scat back (6-feet, 216 pounds) but he adds that type of spark to the Pats' offense because Corey Dillon seems to have almost no explosiveness left.
? Good news that Carson Palmer is suiting up against the Packers this weekend. From the things he's been saying during camp, Palmer needs this to test his mind as much as his knee. If he waited until the regular season to try it, this injury might have psyched him out.

Here are the answers to a few mailbag questions before I depart for Jets camp.
Rob Thompson (Goshen, Ind.): For you to tell me and the rest of the world that Tom Brady has never done steroids is amazing. I never thought that Marion Jones had done steroids, then I read "Game of Shadows."
Mad Mike (Houston): Seth: I completely agree with you on the Brady/Anderson subject, it means nothing. But, the guys on the talk radio shows (which I avoid like the plague) were getting people all worked up to get the phone lines burning up ? a waste of time in my opinion.
Seth: I wrote what I think, Rob. I'd be shocked if Brady was ever found guilty of taking steroids. Considering the circumstances of the conversation between Anderson and Brady, I doubt he did.
Kate Petaluma (Calif.): I am sick of these players signing one-day contracts so that they can retire as a member of the team they are so synonymous with. Guys like Emmitt Smith, Tim Brown and now Jerry Rice should have their Hall of Fame eligibility delayed by one year. Do you agree?
Seth: No, I think it's harmless. If both sides are willing to agree to a one-day deal, I'm cool with it.
Lee (Fort Myers, Fla.): What should the Dolphins do with DT Manny Wright? Is he following the tragic path of another former USC DT (Darrell Russell)? Does bringing in Dan Wilkinson mean Wright will be gone? Seth: I think they need to give him some space. Being clinically depressed is nothing to mess around with. If Nick Saban needs a blueprint, follow what the Bucs did with safety John Howell, as my pal Eric Adelson so perfectly detailed it a few years ago.

Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Updated: Aug. 21, 2006, 1:00 PM ET
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Questions and answers on bad decisions

By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider
Archive

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In the past two weeks, I have received dozens of e-mails about my Aug. 8 bad decision metric article. Most of the e-mailers asked that I go into greater detail as to what constitutes a bad decision or explain some seeming discrepancies in the metric. These e-mails generally can be split into a few topics I will detail below.
Explain why a quarterback's bad decision total is sometimes lower than his interception total.
The best question along this line came from an e-mailer named JK who asked why Tom Brady had only four bad decisions when he threw fourteen interceptions. The problem with this line of thinking is that it assumes the quarterback is always responsible for an interception. This obviously isn't the case, as there are many things outside a quarterback's decision making that can cause interceptions. The best way to illustrate this is to detail what caused each of Brady's fourteen interceptions last year:
? Three of Brady's interceptions were a direct result of bad decisions on his part.
? Two interceptions happened because a defensive lineman tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage.
? One interception came after a defensive back tipped a pass as it reached a Patriots receiver.
? Another interception occurred because a receiver tipped a pass into the air while trying to catch it.
? Four interceptions came as a result of inaccurate passes.
? Three other interceptions happened because of poorly run routes by the receiver.

This clearly shows that most of Brady's interceptions were caused by factors other than his decision making. Even a number of the interceptions that were his fault (inaccurate passes) weren't the result of bad decisions, they were just bad throws.
Is a quarterback debited for a bad decision if he makes a checkdown pass on 3rd down and 12? Or if he throws a deep pass to a covered receiver when another receiver was open on a shorter pass?
The central theme in the bad decision metric is that a quarterback is only debited with a bad decision when he does something with the ball that leads directly to a turnover or a near turnover. I cannot emphasize that point enough.
If a quarterback throws a checkdown pass that is not intercepted or nearly intercepted, the play is not counted as a bad decision no matter what else happened on the play.
For the deep pass, let me use an example to explain. If Ben Roethlisberger forces a pass into double coverage and Hines Ward outjumps the DBs to make the catch, the pass does not count as a bad decision. If, on the other hand, one of the DBs gets his hands on the pass and either intercepts or nearly intercepts the pass, it counts as a bad decision.
Are Hail Mary passes counted as bad decisions?
Hail Mary passes do not count as bad decisions. The reason for this is that these types of passes are not mistakes on the quarterback's part. The quarterback isn't unknowingly forcing a pass into coverage, nor doing it in lieu of pursuing another option. He is in a situation where he has to throw the pass into a sea of defenders to try to win the game or successfully end a drive at the end of a half. These passes are necessary risks and are therefore exempt from being counted as bad decisions.
How is it that David Carr of the 2-14 Houston Texans can rate so well in this metric while both of the starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl XL rate poorly?
Carr ranked very high in this metric last year because all he did was throw safe passes. Houston's pass blocking was so bad in 2005 that the only types of passes Carr seemed to throw by the end of the season were the slant and wide receiver screen. Those passes are not the kinds that lend themselves to bad decisions, as the quarterback simply drops back three steps and throws the pass before the defense has time to close for coverage.
With regards to how Roethlisberger and Matt Hasselbeck can both start in a Super Bowl despite having a high bad decision percentage, I would point out that it is just one facet of their game. Roethlisberger's extremely high yards per attempt more than offset his bad decisions. Hasselbeck's yards per attempt were not quite as good as Big Ben's, but his bad decision percentages were much lower.
The other thing I would point out is that Super Bowl XL was not the first time two quarterbacks with significant weaknesses started in a Super Bowl. Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe were the starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl XXXI despite Favre's penchant for throwing high-risk passes and Bledsoe's pocket jitters. I also would be willing to bet that Terry Bradshaw, Jim McMahon and Jim Kelly all would have had fairly high bad decision percentages, but that did not stop them from taking their teams to a combined nine Super Bowls.
How can you say that Roethlisberger and Hasselbeck are bad quarterbacks?
I sometimes think that the people who write me this type of e-mail are intentionally misunderstanding the metric. I never said either of those two was a bad quarterback, but since the word "bad" is part of the name of the metric, it either gets misconstrued or is misinterpreted by oversensitive fans. The negative connotation of this metric's name has caused me to consider changing the name, but I ended up not doing so for one reason: It accurately describes what the metric measures. The metric is not intended to be used as a sole determinant for a quarterback's play, but it does effectively measure a very important aspect of a quarterback's game.
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Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Davis drawing interest
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
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and have access to this premium feature.
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<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Monday, August 21</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>INTERESTED</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Stephen Davis
Panthers
</TD><TD>Eagles?
Redskins?
</TD><TD>Davis drawing interest
<Aug. 21> The Eagles met with Davis on Monday, but the free-agent running back concluded the visit without a contract offer, and the club said nothing is imminent in terms of signing him.
"We had planned to bring him in here during training camp and we'll make sure to evaluate him and see if he is healthy," Eagles head coach Andy Reid said.
Davis, 32, was released by Carolina on March 1 in a salary-cap move, but also because of chronic knee problems. It is believed Monday's session with the Eagles was the first meeting Davis had with a team since his release, but there are said to be other franchises interested in bringing him in for an evaluation. With Clinton Portis sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Redskins are believed to be one of those teams. Davis played his first seven NFL seasons in Washington.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Jerry Porter
Raiders
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Porter in limbo
<Aug. 21> Although the Raiders are not actively shopping Porter, they are allowing the disgruntled wideout and his agent to seek a trade, according to Pro Football Weekly.
It's unknown what the Raiders want in compensation, but they have been presented several trade proposals and have nixed every one.
Unless the Raiders lower their asking price or a team that loses a front-line receiver feels compelled to up the ante, it appears Porter is stuck in Oakland for the next two seasons. Porter can opt out of the five-year contract extension he signed before last season after the 2007 season. Until then, he runs the risk of being kept on ice by the Raiders.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>INTERESTED</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Allen Rossum
Falcons
</TD><TD> </TD><TD>Rossum expendable?
<Aug. 21> Pro Football Weekly is hearing that Rossum could be on his way out of Atlanta. Rossum battled injuries most of last season and hasn't come close to returning to his Pro Bowl form of 2004. Complicating matters for Rossum is that rookie WR Adam Jennings has excelled in training camp returning punts and kicks and is also competing for the No. 3 WR job.
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Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (1 New Article Added 19-06)

Updated: Aug. 21, 2006
Pats bringing Gostkowski along slowly

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Here are five observations on the New England Patriots, based on their Aug. 19 preseason game against Arizona:
1.
Let's be clear: No one is going to come in and truly replace Adam Vinatieri. But someone is going to kick field goals for the Patriots. Although Martin Gramatica hasn't kicked since 2004 and hasn't been any good since 2002, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Patriots -- considering they have only two quarterbacks worth keeping -- carry two place-kickers on the active roster rather than immediately entrust the kicking duties to rookie Stephen Gostkowski. Maybe have the more experienced Gramatica handle field goals and PATs for now while the rookie kicks off.
Gramatica has been more accurate in practice and made both his field-goal attempts in the preseason opener against Atlanta. Gostkowski has made all four of his attempts, including three Saturday night against Arizona, and his kickoffs consistently travel into the end zone or near the goal line. The Patriots spent a fourth-round pick on Gostkowski, who over his last two seasons at Memphis made nearly 86 percent of his field goals, so there is no way they'll let him go. Either it's his job or they carry two kickers. If New England decides to go with the rookie off the bat, he'll make his rookie mistakes, but in the long run he should be a good one.

2.
Watching first-round pick Laurence Maroney's highlights from his debut against Atlanta last week, and then watching him burst for 12 yards on his first carry Saturday night, it's easy to tell why he had a Minnesota-record streak of 16 games with at least one run of 20 yards or more and why he has runs of 80 and 93 yards on his college r?sum?. The kid is flat-out explosive.
The Patriots would be wise to use Maroney as more than just relief for Corey Dillon, who is clearly on the downside of his career. They should be transitioning to Maroney as the primary ballcarrier. He hits the holes more quickly than Dillon does at this point and is more of a threat to take it the distance. And Maroney runs with power. Maroney needs to get a minimum of 10 to 15 carries per game. However the Patriots divvy up the workload among Dillon (who still runs with attitude), Maroney and Kevin Faulk, New England should be much better running the ball this season.

3.
Tully Banta-Cain had a sack (he nearly had a second) along with a couple of QB pressures Saturday night, giving him two sacks in as many preseason games. A seventh-round pick who has been primarily a special teamer his first three seasons, Banta-Cain is having a strong training camp/exhibition season. That's big for the Patriots, who are thin at linebacker because of Willie McGinest's defection to Cleveland and Tedy Bruschi's wrist injury that threatens his availability for the regular-season opener.
New England can play Mike Vrabel inside or outside depending on whether it can find someone else to step up outside opposite Rosevelt Colvin. Banta-Cain, who played defensive end in college, may just be that guy. The Monty Beisel experiment inside just isn't working out; he's hurt and some observers don't expect him to make the team.
Obviously, the Patriots were desperate to lure 37-year-old Junior Seau out of retirement, but there aren't many Pro Bowl inside linebackers chilling at home right about now. If Seau can stay healthy, the Patriots will find the right role for him, probably as a first- and second-down run-stuffer. Look, it might take a minute for the Patriots to figure out the configuration of the "4" in their 3-4 alignment, but eventually they'll figure it out. They have options in their personnel and can switch to the 4-3 at any time.

4.
The Patriots' talent up front and their depth in the secondary will help compensate for their issues at the second level. In Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork, New England has a trio of defensive linemen that is second to none, and reserve Jarvis Green might be good enough to start for some teams. New England, however, doesn't have its usual depth along the D-line.
The key in the back end is how well Rodney Harrison recovers from the knee injury he suffered in the fourth game of last season. He stabilizes the secondary. Ellis Hobbs, who started eight games and both playoff games as a rookie last year, has the potential to be a quality starter. Asante Samuel and Randall Gay have started a lot of important games for the Patriots, and free safety Eugene Wilson can come down and cover at corner in a pinch. Artrell Hawkins came in late and played surprisingly well switching from corner to safety.
The Patriots like James Sanders (second year) a lot. Tebucky Jones is back, though mostly to play special teams. Veteran corner Chad Scott is seeing some action at safety. Free-agent pickup Eric Warfield (Kansas City) appears to be on the bubble. It's a deep group, the defensive backs. If they can avoid injury perhaps the Patriots won't hemorrhage big plays the way they did last season.

5.
While no one in the Patriots' camp wants to see him play any meaningful minutes for the Patriots, as that would mean an injury to Brady, backup QB Matt Cassel is having a strong preseason. He leads the league in preseason passing yards (421), attempts (46), completions (27), and touchdown passes (three) in two games, with a quarterback rating of 110.9.
So far it's been enough to keep the Patriots from bringing in a more experienced veteran. He just has to work on not fumbling so much. He may turn out to be a real find in the seventh round of last year's draft. "When I'm watching Matt out there, he's making great reads," Brady said. "In the coverages, he's going to the right spots. He's a smart kid and very talented."
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 21, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (6 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (6 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Updated: Aug. 21, 2006, 3:18 PM ET
Payton looking to limit mistakes

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

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After watching a lot of film on both the Cowboys and Saints, talking to coaches and scouts, and following preseason practices, here are some key things to watch in their Monday night game.
Dallas Cowboys

? The Cowboys will run a lot of two-tight end sets in 2006. We already know that veteran Jason Witten can play, but rookie Anthony Fasano is having an excellent camp and will be that second TE. The system in Dallas is similar to the one he played in at Notre Dame so the learning curve is not that hard. He is not a deep threat and won't stretch the field like Witten, but he has excellent hands and will be a quality target in the underneath passing game, as he will usually will be covered by a LB.
? Speaking of the two-tight end sets, this scheme should benefit both the pass blocking and run blocking for the Cowboys. They were horrible on the edge last year, especially in pass protection, and the tackles were awful. Although Flozell Adams is back from injuries at left tackle and newly acquired Jason Fabini should start at right tackle (although right now Mark Colombo is ahead of him), those two-tight end sets will give QB Drew Bledsoe maximum protection. Unfortunately, it will also bring eight defenders in the box -- which could make it tougher to run the football.
? The Cowboys have their eyes on the waiver wire, looking for a backup wide receiver. With Terrell Owens missing time with a hamstring injury and Terry Glenn not being the most physical receiver in the NFL, the Cowboys have reason to be concerned about their depth at the position.
? A big development for the Dallas defense is the preseason play of Greg Ellis, who has made the smooth transition from DE in the 4-3 to LOLB in the 3-4 scheme. As a defensive end a year ago in the 3-4, Ellis was not suited to be a run stopper and became an unhappy part-time starter. Although he wasn't wild at this stage of his career about moving to OLB, he is now at a position that allows him to do what he does best -- rush the quarterback. With youngster DeMarcus Ware starting at the other OLB spot, it will be difficult for offenses to double team Ellis and he could have a big sack year.
? With the Cowboys playing their two-tight end sets much of the time, it will force defenses to stay in their base package, requiring them to cover Witten with a linebacker or safety. That is a tough match up, maybe even tougher for defenses than a third wide receiver.
? For all of the questions about the time missed by Owens with his sore hamstring, the guys who have coached him in the past rave about his practice habits and how hard he works. Asking him to practice at less than his best doesn't really suit his mentality.
? One of the advantages of the two-tight end sets is the time it allows Bledsoe to throw the ball. Bledsoe still throws a nice deep ball and is excellent on the deep out, but a year ago he didn't have the time to get rid of the ball. Bledsoe also has a bad habit of holding on to the ball too long, which leads to a lot of problems. His coaches are working with him to get the ball out quicker and having two tight ends available for short and outlet passes should result in less sacks than a year ago.
? A big training camp battle going unnoticed is at center. Both Andre Gurode and Al Johnson are trying to be the guy who solidifies the interior offensive line. Johnson was the starter a year ago and his best assets are his instincts, intelligence and ability to make pre-snap adjustments. He rarely makes mistakes. However, he is not very physical and if you put a big nose tackle over him he can be dominated at the point of attack. Gurode is a big, tough guy who can handle power players and is a better run blocker. You get the feeling the coaching staff would like Gurode to win this individual battle.
? The right tackle spot is a real concern for the Cowboys so far in the preseason. Veteran free agent Jason Fabini was expected to start or at least be a solid backup at ROT and LOT, but he has had a very unsteady preseason and his spot on this roster might be in some doubt. Last year's starter, Rob Petitti, has been better so far in the preseason than he was in 2005, but he is still a liability in pass protection against an athletic edge rusher. Right now the starter appears to be Colombo. He hasn't played consistently in two years because of knee problems. He is tough and really works to finish, but he is not a long-term solution. This is a position to watch.
? A lot of people are wondering why Tony Romo played the entire game last week versus Seattle, basically making his backup QB battle with Drew Henson a non-story. Romo has more mobility than Bledsoe and can make quality throws on the move. Bill Parcells knows he has a potentially good offense, but the offensive line is very much a work in progress. If they struggle to protect Bledsoe and he starts taking too many sacks, Parcells wants to know if he can trust Romo as a starter -- expect him to continue to get a heavy workload throughout the preseason. Romo might be closer to the field when the regular season starts than a lot of people think.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Bradie James</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Linebacker
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>92</TD><TD>72</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>? ILB Bradie James, a pleasant surprise a year ago, is having a solid camp and turning into a vocal leader on this defense. He is poised to have a huge year, not only as a tackler but also as a guy who can get his teammates in the right position before the snap.
? Dallas lost three games in 2005 because of the kicking game. The Cowboys will not blow out opponents. As a result, the acquisition of PK Mike Vanderjagt (the most accurate kicker in NFL history) is a big deal. He can be the difference between an 8-8 or 10-6 record.
? Dallas likes its two corners -- Terence Newman and Anthony Henry -- because both can play tight man-to-man schemes without deep help. Their play will allow SS Roy Williams to play more in the box in run support and also blitz, which is his strength. The Cowboys put a lot of pressure on their corners with some Cover 1 and even Cover 0 schemes, which means they are getting minimal or no safety help over the top.
? RB Julius Jones will play in mostly one-back sets, which plays to his strengths. Jones likes to improvise, picking his hole and hitting the seam with good quickness, but when he has to follow a fullback into the hole he is not natural. The coaching staff wants him to get a good pre- snap look at the defense and create on his own. This is a guy who has missed 11 games in the last two years -- not good enough for Bill Parcells.
? When Owens finally does get in the lineup he might not get enough touches to stay happy. Not only will Dallas run the ball (521 times a year ago), but both Witten and Fasano will get a lot of opportunities in the short to intermediate passing game. They might take catches away from Owens on crossing routes over the middle, which he loves to turn into long runs. Glenn will be the vertical target in this passing game, which could further cut down on Owens' big plays. We could see a very frustrated Owens in 2006.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Joe Horn</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
New Orleans Saints

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>49</TD><TD>654</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>13.3</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>122</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>New Orleans Saints

? WR Joe Horn is having an excellent training camp and seems to be developing a good rapport with QB Drew Brees. He had an off year in 2005, but he is catching everything in sight right now. However, there are real concerns about the rest of this receiving corps and the depth is very questionable. No. 2 wideout Donte' Stallworth is struggling in Sean Payton's new offense and has been slowed by a hamstring injury, and nobody else is really stepping up, although young Devery Henderson has a chance to emerge.

? Reggie Bush has been what you'd expect him to be so far. Every time he touches the ball he gives them the chance for a big play. Even on his big play last week, there was no hole, but he bounced it back the other way and took it the distance. He can cover up the inadequacies of the offensive line by creating big plays on his own when the hole isn't there. Deuce McAllister can't do that, and there are some growing concerns about the Saints line, especially at the left tackle.

? One of the most intriguing questions that we will ask ourselves is whether coach Sean Payton will allow Bush to be involved as a return specialist because of his explosiveness.

? Although new defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs comes from a Cowboys' system that featured a 34 scheme, the Saints will continue to use a 43 scheme because it's a better fit for their personnel. Look for them to be very aggressiv in an effort to create turnovers and big plays. This is a defense that only recorded five sacks in the final six games in 2005.
? Payton's biggest job might be to cut down on the mistakes and sloppy play from a year ago. The Saints were last in the NFL with a minus-24 turnover differential. They lost 19 fumbles and had 24 passes intercepted; many of those turnovers came courtesy of departed QB Aaron Brooks. The coaches will depend on Brees to protect the football and make safer throws in a new West Coast-style offense. Payton will call the offensive plays. This team is not good enough to make mistakes and still win.
? The offensive line and linebackers were big concerns when training camp opened and they are even bigger concerns now, as the Saints get ready for their second preseason game. Not only do the Saints lack talent in these two units, they also have been plagued by a lot of nagging injuries, making it difficult to get enough guys on the field to practice -- not good during two-a-days in the hot Louisiana sun.
? The Saints were not happy with their red zone offense in last week's win over Tennessee. They only came away with two field goals in their two trips. They were a little sloppy and are working on being more disciplined and crisp when they get in scoring position. They also want to get their tight ends involved in the passing game and there is a good battle for the starting job between veterans Ernie Conwell and Mark Campbell. Neither will remind Brees of the tight end he had in San Diego, Antonio Gates, but this will be a productive position in the passing game.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Will Smith</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Defensive End
New Orleans Saints

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>60</TD><TD>48</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>? The Saints might be deepest at defensive end and that is why they will stay with a 4-3 front. Veterans, Will Smith, Charles Grant and Tony Bryant, and youngsters Jimmy Verdon and Rob Ninkovich give them a nice rotation. All these players have some pass rushing skills, but this is not a great run stopping group.
? Ex-Saints coach Jim Haslett (now the defensive coordinator in St. Louis) was a tough, hard-nosed player, yet his teams did not reflect his mental toughness for some unexplained reason. This is a team that had a ridiculous 135 penalties in 2005, to go along with their 43 turnovers. Payton is demanding better concentration by his players, and is conducting physical and grueling practices. There is a feeling the Saints were not in great physical condition in 2005, and many of their breakdowns came when they were tired. Payton is determined to make the Saints as fresh as possible in the fourth quarter.
? Although the offensive line is still a problem for New Orleans, a bright spot has been C Jeff Faine. When they lost their best offensive lineman in free agency, LeCharles Bentley, the Saints traded for the ex-Brown. He is playing well and might be the key to this entire unit. He is smart and can make all the line calls, and he has good range and movement.
? The Saints are working hard this week on their special teams, especially kickoff coverage. They had several assignment breakdowns last week, leading to two big returns by Tennessee. The Saints were 25th in the NFL a year ago in this category, and their young players must do a better job of staying in their lanes and tackling.
? The offensive line did a decent job in run blocking against Tennessee last week, but the pass protection was suspect. New left tackle Jammal Brown struggled and must improve his ability to slide and mirror against speed rushers. He will have his hands full this week against Dallas ROLB Ware, who has great quickness off the edge. Left tackle is an important position in the NFC South, as Brown will face Simeon Rice (Tampa Bay), John Abraham (Atlanta) and Julius Peppers (Carolina). ? As deep as the Saints appear to be at defensive end, they are really vulnerable inside, especially in their run defense. They are not physical enough upfront and they don't have a playmaker at middle linebacker (with average players Jay Foreman and Alfred Fincher competing for the starting job). This defense gave up 4.3 yards per rush a year ago (26th in the NFL), and it will take a beating versus teams with physical inside run games. All three teams in their division fall into that category.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Updated: Aug. 22, 2006, 1:17 PM ET
Roethlisberger ready to lead

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

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LATROBE, PA. -- Here are five observations on the Steelers based on their Aug. 16 and 17 practices:
1.
Accident? What accident? Remember when people were wondering whether Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident would keep him from starting any regular season games? Well, not only has he fully recovered from his injuries but he's had as good a camp as any Steeler, earning praises from coach Bill Cowher. He's been consistently sharp in practice, one of the stars of the Steelers' summer at St. Vincent College.
Not only is Roethlisberger talented but also he's in the best situation a young quarterback could hope for, and not just in terms of supporting personnel, which hasn't experienced much turnover in his three years. He's worked with the same coaching staff his whole career, as well. "I'm getting a lot more comfortable with what's going on," Big Ben said last week. "Things are continuing to slow down, which helps a lot out there. By no means is it easy out there but it's getting easier. I'm able to know what our guys are doing more. I can tell guys if they're supposed to go in motion and run this route and even a couple of times at practice I'll change the play and tell guys instead of running the out, run the out and up, or run the post this time, just changing things up because I feel more comfortable with what's going on."
With friend and mentor Jerome Bettis retired, Roethlisberger will be called upon to lead more, a role he embraces. "I've been slowly easing into the leadership role since I got here, just naturally as a QB, but by no means am I going to just take over the leadership role because on offense we have Hines [Ward] and we have Alan Faneca. So I'm not going to step on their toes and push them out of the way and make myself the new leader."
The way Roethlisberger handled the Bengals', Colts', and Broncos' defenses in the playoffs last year, it's probably safe to assume the passing game will assume more of the offensive load. The Steelers came out in a no-huddle attack against Minnesota on Saturday and executed well. Who knows? Perhaps Big Ben will find himself in the fantasy football conversation after this year. His concern though, is improving upon his 27-4 record as a starter.
"I'm never going to complain about winning football games," he said. "If it comes to the point where I have to throw the ball because we're losing I'd probably rather resort back to us winning the football game."
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Willie Parker</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running Back
Pittsburgh Steelers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rush</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>255</TD><TD>1202</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>218</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2.
Fast Willie Parker is maturing into Patient Willie Parker. That development, along with Parker's quickness and size (he'll be harder to find in traffic), the Steelers believe, give the 5-foot-10, 209-pounder a chance to be effective not just in the open field but near the goal line and in short yardage, where Bettis excelled. "He watched Jerome and watched him run last year so much that he understands the patience part of it," Cowher said of his primary tailback, who came into camp last year fourth on the depth chart, got his chance because of injuries, and ran with it -- to the tune of over 1,200 yards. "He's a more patient runner and when he does see it, he hits it," Cowher said. "I just watch him run the ball inside and he's just so much further ahead than he's ever been. Just the confidence inside, and he's seeing things more clearer."
Added Roethlisberger: "Last year he just got the ball and tried to outrun everybody and be fast. This year he's really setting up his blocks, he's being more patient and he's taking the holes where he needs to take it and where it's supposed to be instead of trying to get outside as fast as he can."
Parker is driven not to be another one-hit wonder. "I've always got to keep that chip on my shoulder," he said. "I'm not satisfied so I've got to go out there and practice every day just like I'm still that fourth-string running back."
3.
Used to be the Steelers' defense was all about the front seven getting pressure and covering up for a secondary that wasn't all that good in, well, coverage. No more.
The Steelers are deep and, more important, young in the secondary. They go a good four deep at corner. Left cornerback Ike Taylor came on and played like a lock-down corner toward the end of last year and through the playoffs; the Steelers are working on locking him up long term. On the other side Bryant McFadden, last year's second rounder, is having a strong camp but not strong enough to unseat veteran Deshea Townsend. Ricardo Colclough, the Steelers No. 2 from two years ago, also is coming on.
We all know about Troy Polamalu. The only question, really, on defense is who's going to step up and replace Chris Hope (signed by the Titans)? Ryan Clark, a free agent from the Redskins, appears to have the inside track. But it looks like he's merely keeping the spot warm for rookie Anthony Smith's eventual takeover. The third-rounder out of Syracuse had two picks in the preseason opener against Arizona.
4.
It looks like wide receiver is going to be a tough cut. Ward and Cedrick Wilson are the starters. The two rookies, first-rounder Santonio Holmes and third-rounder Willie Reid, appear to be the real deal and are virtual locks to make the team. Nate Washington, an undrafted free agent last year who had several big plays in the postseason, is in.
The Steelers carried six receivers last year. If they do so again, Quincy Morgan, Lee Mays, Sean Morey and Walter Young (6-4, 220) will vie for that one remaining spot. A pretty decent player is going to be looking for work. And even with the departure of Antwaan Randle El, the Steelers should be strong again at receiver.
5.
Watching the Steelers practice, among the first things you notice is great depth. Sure, they've got their questions, such as at running back (what are they going to get out of Duce Staley?) and who's going to be the "other" safety (looks like Ryan Clark)? But beyond that, Pittsburgh's in pretty good position to handle the inevitable injuries. The Steelers' deepest positions appear to be the lines, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back. It's a testament to the fine job director of football operations Kevin Colbert and his staff have done building the team through the draft. The Steelers' on-field product is a reflection of stability and continuity in the front office. Good move by the team signing Colbert to an extension in the offseason. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Updated: Aug. 22, 2006
Steelers will air it out more often

By Matt Williamson
Scouts Inc.

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The Steelers lost Antwaan Randle El in free agency and Ben Roethlisberger was in a serious motorcycle accident in the offseason, but Pittsburgh's passing game could still be better this year than it was in Roethlisberger's first two seasons in the league.
As Roethlisberger matures, there should be new wrinkles and a higher percentage of pass plays called by offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, but they are not going to get carried away. As long as Bill Cowher's chin is protruding, his teams will run the football to set up the pass, never the other way around. They still are the Steelers.
Pittsburgh's running game traditionally draws extra defenders near the line of scrimmage and takes pressure off its receiving weapons. Cowher and Whisenhunt will exploit this with play-action, trick plays and an expanded deep passing game. The Steelers haven't gone deep often, but Roethlisberger is one of the very best deep passers in the league and his success rate is very strong. This should be a more frequent play call for the Steelers in 2006, especially with the addition of first-round pick Santonio Holmes.
How many quarterbacks in the league would you rather have running your offense? In Roethlisberger's two years as a starter, the Steelers lost the AFC Championship Game (after a 15-1 regular season) and won the Super Bowl. This guy just doesn't lose many games. His physical abilities are outstanding. He has a big arm, a tall, strong frame that can handle a pounding, very good functional mobility and is a plus athlete, as far as quarterbacks go.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Ben Roethlisberger</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Quarterback
Pittsburgh Steelers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Comp</TD><TD width="17%">Att</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Pct</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>168</TD><TD>268</TD><TD>2385</TD><TD>62.7</TD><TD>17</TD><TD>9</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
He sees the field very well and will be given more responsibility to change plays at the line of scrimmage and utilize more multiple reads. Most important, he has the intangibles you find in a winner, and his coaches, teammates and opponents know it. He exudes confidence and makes everyone around him better. These qualities will only grow in his third season.
One area in which Roethlisberger needs to improve is decision-making. He can be a heavy risk taker, but usually gets away with it. Of course, this isn't rare for young, confident quarterbacks, but it goes against Cowher's style.
Pittsburgh's passing game will go through wide receiver Hines Ward and tight end Heath Miller. Everyone knows about Ward's abilities; he is one of the few players who could seriously slow down this offense if he were to get injured. An outstanding all-around player, Ward's value seems to grow every year.
Miller is on the cusp of becoming outstanding in his own right. He was quick to see the field as a rookie because the coaching staff trusted him as a run and pass blocker. Miller excels in the red zone and has fantastic size, hands and body control. He is smart, tough and a hard worker who is primed to become one of the very top players at his position. Even with Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Todd Heap residing in the AFC, Miller will be making trips to Hawaii in the near future.
Pittsburgh's group of secondary wide receivers is deep, and if Holmes can adjust quickly and surpass Cedrick Wilson as the starter opposite Ward, the receivers will be in great shape. One of the allures of Holmes is his home run ability, which meshes very well with Roethlisberger's deep accuracy.
The Steelers didn't have someone with Holmes' deep abilities last season. He is also very good with the ball in his hands and doesn't shy away from contact as a ball carrier or blocker, which will go a long way toward gaining his teammates' respect. Early in games, Whisenhunt might boost Holmes' confidence with a lot of quick slants and bubble screens. This would force defensive backs to play him close to honor his after-the-catch talents, and thus open up the deep ball.
Wilson is best out of the slot. He came on strong late in his first year with the Steelers, establishing himself as a trusted option with big-play capabilities. Wilson also throws the ball well enough to take over some of Randle El's role in gadget plays.
Nate Washington has been productive when he gets on the field and is a name that all fans may know very soon. Quincy Morgan is a fine fourth wideout and a veteran who has a lot to play for because he is now a borderline roster player. Third-rounder Willie Reid is an explosive big-play option who is great with the ball in his hands. Although very intriguing and gimmick-friendly, Reid will probably contribute only as a returner this season.
Expect the running backs to be more involved in the passing game. Duce Staley is an upgrade over Jerome Bettis as a pass catcher out of the backfield. He has just 12 catches since coming to Pittsburgh, but Staley had 273 receptions over a six-season stretch in Philadelphia and is certainly capable of being a sound outlet option on any down.
Verron Haynes has been productive as a receiver and the Steelers like what he brings to the table as a powerful dual threat. His role will expand this year.
The running back whose receiving output could increase most is Willie Parker. Parker burst on the scene last year and wasn't given a lot to digest as a first-year starter, but he did flash the ability to catch the ball cleanly and made an impression in the passing game. This season, Pittsburgh could utilize Parker's blazing speed and open-field ability by throwing him more screens, quick passes in space or even flexing him out wide occasionally to match him against a slower safety or linebacker.
No passing game can excel without solid protection and the Steelers should be solid in this area once again. Russ Grimm is one of the top line coaches in the NFL and has plenty of talent to work with. The left side is outstanding, while the right side is better than adequate and will improve with more experience. Pittsburgh returns all five starters and has accumulated depth with center Chukky Okobi and four draft picks over the past two drafts. Miller, Haynes, starting fullback Dan Kreider and second tight end Jerame Tuman are all physical, unselfish pass blockers who do a fine job as well. To make these blockers' jobs easier, Roethlisberger is fantastic at prolonging a play by sidestepping the rush or moving out of the pocket. He makes a lot of big plays after things break down and throws across his body when rolling right (a la Brett Favre and John Elway) like few others. Those abilities allow him to turn broken plays into big plays. This new, more versatile passing game can take the life out of an opponent, especially when also matched against the Steelers' physical running attack.
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Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Wimbley making early impression

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filed under: Cleveland Browns

A lot of things have gone wrong for the Cleveland Browns since they started training camp, but the addition of Kamerion Wimbley isn't one of them. It's early, of course, and yes, he is learning a new position, but he just jumps off the screen when you watch the Browns' defense. Wimbley currently is listed as Matt Stewart's backup at the right outside linebacker spot in the starting defense, but by the early look of things he will pass Stewart in no time.

Wimbley is close to the perfect specimen for a 3-4 outside linebacker. He has a very long build with big hands, long arms, good body definition and enough strength to hold the point of attack in the run game. He is both very fast and abrupt at changing directions. His run recognition still needs more time to develop, but he has fine upside in this area. Amazingly, he looks pretty natural in pass coverage -- something he rarely did at Florida State. He covers a lot of ground, is very fluid and breaks on the ball with suddenness and certainty.
What Wimbley was drafted for, though, is his pass-rushing talents, and he has surpassed expectations in that area. He explodes off the snap, has rare body control and balance and shows the rare ability to dip his shoulder underneath the offensive tackle while bending the edge without losing speed or the ability to change direction. He already is an excellent stunting pass rusher, and he closes on his target with force and passion.
The Browns had more than their share of weaknesses in 2005, but the lack of a pass rusher who inspired fear in protection schemes could have been the most glaring. If he isn't already, Wimbley very soon will be the best pass rusher on the team, and his ceiling for getting after the quarterback is extremely high. In all areas of his game, his outstanding athletic ability is apparent. He bends his knees extremely well and never looks awkward or out of place, despite playing a new position. Without a doubt, Wimbley has been by far the best-looking rookie I have seen in the AFC North, and he is just scratching the surface of what he may become. The Browns got this one right.

Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Redskins eyeing Duckett
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
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<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Tuesday, August 22</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

T.J. Duckett
Falcons
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Redskins eyeing Duckett
<Aug. 22> The Falcons remain in trade talks with at least four teams regarding Duckett, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The Redskins, who are seeking help at running back with Clinton Portis out with a shoulder injury, had a scout at Atlanta's 38-10 exhibition loss to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. Atlanta would prefer a player, or players, for Duckett rather than draft picks. Falcons coach Jim Mora would like to upgrade the depth and talent at No. 3 wide receiver, backup safety and along both interior lines.

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Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

Re: NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (7 New Articles Added 8/21/06)

49ers didn't need Barlow

posted: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets

A quick thought about the Jets' acquisition of Kevan Barlow: When I was at Jets camp yesterday, there were a lot of questions about Barlow's character, that he didn't fit the high-quality type of person the Jets fashion themselves building around. On the outside, there's cause for speculation: Barlow hasn't gotten along with a few teammates and coaches in the past, however most of those spats are long gone. That happened when he was younger and cockier and probably influenced a little by his best friend on the Niners: Terrell Owens.

The 49ers didn't get rid of Barlow because of character problems. They like him personally, even though they knew he'd say a few things every year that would make them scratch their heads. They shipped him because they love RB Frank Gore as a starter and Mo Hicks and rookie Michael Robinson as backups. This is a rebuilding team that doesn't need four tailbacks with so many problems on defense. For a fourth-rounder straight up, the Niners were in. (The Niners, by the way, are loading themselves with middle picks for the '07 draft.)
Why would the Jets, also in rebuilding mode, trade a fourth-rounder for a guy who can opt out of his contract after this year? Simple: They need a running back. You can't win in the NFL without one. Barlow can be a very good back. He's not LaDainian Tomlinson, but with some help Barlow can be a 1,100-1,300 rusher for the Jets.

Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (5 New Articles Added 8/22/06)

Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (5 New Articles Added 8/22/06)

Aug. 22, 2006, 1:14 PM

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FFL: Taylor/Williamson

By Scott Engel
ESPN Fantasy Games

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If you're looking for a good early-round bargain running back in your fantasy football draft this season, you might have seen him if you caught any of the first half of Saturday's Steelers-Vikings preseason game, which I did in person at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field.
In what was a mostly uneventful 17-10 Minnesota victory, it became apparent that Chester Taylor is going to be a major part of the Minnesota offense this season. The ex-Raven is going to get a very healthy amount of touches as both a ball carrier and pass catcher. Taylor saw extensive first-half action, carrying the ball 10 times for 36 yards and catching three passes for 15 yards. Those aren't terrific numbers. But they certainly indicate that the Vikings will lean heavily on their new No. 1 RB this season.
"Chester is going to have a great year," Minnesota fullback Tony Richardson said. "We have a great offensive line here and he does it all well. He knows how to catch the ball out of the backfield and he does a great job of following his blockers."
Richardson, another new Viking, was certainly acquired to pave the way for Taylor after many seasons as an unsung, yet key part of the Chiefs' running game. He sees what is obvious. The Vikes are going to use Taylor a lot on offense. They continually handed the ball to him Saturday against one of the league's premier run defenses, and when QB Brad Johnson was pressured, he looked for Taylor in the flat and short-pass areas regularly. Richardson, who has blocked for superstars such as Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson, confirms that Taylor is ready to assume a heavy workload after beginning his career as a backup and part-timer in Baltimore.
"He kind of reminds [me] of Priest in the way that he was mostly unknown and I think he is a very talented guy. I have a hunch he is really going to do a lot of special things this year," Richardson said.
Like Taylor, Holmes began his career as a Baltimore backup. Taylor is finally getting his opportunity to start regularly in his fifth season. Richardson doesn't expect classic Holmes-type production from Taylor, but foresees good overall production from his new backfield partner. "He's going to post some very good numbers," Richardson said.
Taylor's primary backup, Mewelde Moore, missed Saturday's game with a knee injury, and while that might seem like a prime reason for Taylor getting a lot of work early in the second preseason game, Moore's absence actually gave Minnesota a chance to get Taylor more reps as he prepares for his first full-time gig in the NFL. Taylor isn't ready to talk about big numbers, though. He hopes he just started to get into a positive rhythm by playing most of the first half against Pittsburgh.
"The coaches know what they are doing here, so I'm thankful they are giving me the opportunities" Taylor said. "It's nice to get into a groove a week after our first [exhibition] game. The offensive line played great and that's important. This West Coast style of offense is a good fit for me. We can spread people out and this is the beginning stages of showing what we can do. I just want to go out there and step up my game when my number is called."
Taylor isn't focused on statistical goals, as he just wants to make the most of his chance to to start. "I'm just really thankful for the opportunity to do this in my life," he said. "Luckily they are giving me a great chance over here."
While Taylor shies away from talking about stats and individual desires, smart fantasy owners will realize that he is going to be a centerpiece of the Minnesota offense. He's going to get a lot of touches every week, as Minnesota has strengthened their blocking crew and the team doesn't have too many ways to challenge defenses with the passing game. The Vikings will depend on Taylor to set the offensive tone and take pressure off their veteran QB. Taylor isn't going to wow too many onlookers with his speed, but he is smart, has good vision and is dependable. He's versatile and tough, and could be a lesser version of LaMont Jordan. That makes him a quality No. 2 fantasy RB.
Taylor can be a good value choice this season. While he's not quite as quick or strong inside as Jordan, he can be very reliable for solid overall numbers. He can elude tacklers, as was evidenced on his best run on Saturday night, a 17-yarder. He might not be a fantasy superstar, but Taylor can be the quality No. 2 RB you seek when the top 15 or so RBs are already off the board.
Just don't ask him to turn up his level of performance for your fantasy purposes. Taylor is only focused on helping the Vikings win this season.
"I know a lot of people play fantasy football, but I'm not paying any attention to it and I don't know much about it," Taylor said. "I'm not thinking about that. If it's not on my regular-season schedule, I'm not concerned about it"
Maybe Taylor won't care about your fantasy team. But he can certainly be a key part of your success in 2006. Don't hesitate to grab him for good all-around yardage numbers late in the second round or early in the third.
Getting up to speed
With Koren Robinson now out of the picture at receiver, second-year man Troy Williamson could be pushed into a prime role. Williamson realizes he might be asked to become the Vikings' new No. 1 receiver, and he is ready to face the challenges that come with the responsibility.
"I've been working real hard on what I need to do to get better," Williamson said. "I've been working on my route running and hand-eye coordination. Whatever they need me to do here, I'm ready to fire away."
Williamson is noted for his outstanding deep gears and open-field speed. But the knock on him as a rookie was that he ran sloppy routes and needed a lot of work on his fundamentals. Williamson is well aware of the improvements he needed to make, and has worked closely with veterans Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor on the finer points of his game.
"When you work with guys that have been around for so long, you just take whatever they show you and put [it] in your bag to carry with you into the season," Williamson said. "I've got a great opportunity here and I couldn't ask for more."
The Vikings' receivers are a tight group, and it's clear Robinson and Travis Taylor have quickly made their young teammate into a welcomed member of their crew. While the three wideouts joke easily and warmly with each other, the two veterans think Williamson will be up to the task of facing top cover corners on a regular basis if he's asked to do so.
"Me and Marcus are getting old," Travis Taylor said with a laugh. Turning more serious, though, he noted that Williamson should improve greatly in his second pro campaign "Troy is very talented and he has learned a lot. He doesn't drop balls and he's made big progress in terms of running his routes. He's really improved his game. And anytime you have a receiver with 4.2 speed, that's going to strike fear in any defensive back."
The two veteran receivers agree that Williamson's natural speed could help him make great strides if he's pushed into a major role this season. And both of the experienced receivers are going to continue to work with Williamson to ensure he succeeds early in his career.
"We have a good group of wide receivers here, and we're only wishing for success for one another," Robinson said. "Troy is focused on running his routes and becoming more disciplined. You can see a big difference in him from last year's camp. He's a lot more confident."
Robinson said that the bond between the Minnesota receivers can ease pressure on Williamson, who doesn't need to concentrate on being a No. 1 receiver even if he is asked to do so. "We have a calm atmosphere here, and he doesn't have to put too much pressure on himself. He has great sped and we just want to help him perfect his game." Robinson said he and Travis Taylor have certainly dedicated themselves to helping Williamson improve.
With two veterans in his corner, and tremendous natural skills, Williamson could be a great late-round sleeper in fantasy leagues this season. He only lacks experience, but he certainly has upside and could have some impressive performances when the matchup is right. He finished with only two catches for 13 yards against Pittsburgh, but could post occasionally impressive numbers in 2006.
Fantasy views from the Vikings
While Chester Taylor isn't concerned about where fantasy owners draft him, his lead blocker has a great appreciation for the hobby. "It's definitely a good thing for our game," Richardson said. "I'm on the Executive Committee of the NFL Players Association and I understand how important it is to the NFL and a lot of fans. I understand that it's personally important to a lot of people. The more you play, the more you get interested in the NFL. It generates a lot of excitement."
Williamson said he doesn't know much about fantasy football. "But anything that invites more fans into the game is good," he said. "If people want to draft me, that's their decision. But I don't know much about how it works."
Travis Taylor said some of his friends play fantasy football. "I don't know much about how the game is played, but it's funny sometimes because people will talk to you about it. It's good that people get to know everyone in the game and learn their stats. Women are playing fantasy football too, and it's only raising the perceptions and awareness of the NFL." Robinson said he appreciates much of the enthusiasm of fantasy leaguers. "So many more people pay attention to the NFL because of fantasy football, and it helps us gain a bigger fan base," Robinson said. "When people tell me they drafted me, I say I'll try to do my best for them. Sometimes it makes the fans more demanding about how well you perform, but it also helps them enjoy the games even more."
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Hache Man · Aug 22, 2006

Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (5 New Articles Added 8/22/06)

Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. (5 New Articles Added 8/22/06)

Aug. 22, 2006, 1:50 PM

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Carroll Injury Report: Portis

By Will Carroll
ESPN Fantasy Games

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Injuries are like the weather; everyone talks about them but no one seems to do anything about it. That's where I come in. Like the weather, injuries follow patterns and move in ways that we can both predict and forecast. We're no longer without the data and research necessary to say more than a broad range ("He's out six to eight weeks.") Every fantasy player, every fan of a team, everyone that follows the game understands that injuries can make or break the season. If you follow the metaphor, I'm your weatherman. You might know my work from Baseball Prospectus, where my "Under The Knife" column is read by thousands of readers and all 30 front offices. I brought the same approach to injury analysis to Pro Football Prospectus in 2005 and 2006, making some NFL head coaches call me "their worst nightmare." I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV; I'm a reporter and analyst, focused on using contacts, databases, and information to help the fantasy player avoid the injuries that can ruin a season. Let's get to it:
The biggest injury on the football radar right now is the shoulder of Clinton Portis. Portis had a subluxation of his right shoulder, commonly called a 'partial dislocation.' The humeral head sits in the Carson Palmer. Where Culpepper has been confident, Palmer has been tentative. It's an interesting contrast.
For fantasy players, both are excellent risks. There's seldom an immediate recurrence of the injury, players come back in better condition due to their hard work in rehab, and once returned to function, a player on a reconstructed knee is at very little additional risk compared to any other player at his position and profile. Culpepper has looked great in camp according to most reports and appears ready for Week One. He'll throw a bit more, run a bit less, but doesn't appear to have made significant changes to his style. Palmer, on the other hand, is unlikely to be ready until Week 3 or 4. If he comes back sooner, it won't be a "rush job" as some will call it, but it raises a possibility that he won't be at level. Both players have some risk of pain and soreness costing them some time, but both play on grass through Week Three, a big plus. (Minnesota visits Houston in Week 4, a FieldTurf stadium.) If you can talk up the injury in pre-draft chatter, you might just steal two of the top ten fantasy QBs. Bumps and Bruises: Another ACL survivor is Deuce McAllister, who has Reggie Bush firmly in his rear view mirror. McAllister saw his first game action on Monday and looked good, not great. He lacked burst and didn't appear to be confident in his ability to move laterally. Recovered fully or not, McAllister is likely to lose some touches to Bush ... I'm growing more and more concerned about Steve Smith. The speedy receiver isn't making normal progress after a hamstring strain. Don't overdraft Smith; this injury puts him a few slots down on the WR charts and with all the depth out there, passing up Smith might be the best way to manage roster risk ... An interesting side effect of Ben Roethlisberger's crash was that he lost 15 pounds on his enforced diet. That's good for his knees, but doesn't help his thumb. Big Ben's thumb is rapidly becoming a chronic problem ... The outlook is bleak for Domanick Davis. His knees have a bone-on-bone situation after "minor" surgery last season, something that won't change any time soon. Remember, Texans fans - Reggie Bush has no knee problems. You might remember another Davis with similar problems - Terrell Davis. Last I saw him was in Madden 2006. ... The Cowboys have two big problems. One, Terrell Owens, has been covered elsewhere and his hamstring injury isn't worth typing about. The other, Mike Vanderjagt, had a recurrence of his groin strain while warming up Monday and is doubtful for Week 1.
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NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 7 New Articles Added 11/6/06

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"