Well as all you football fans know this is what we call the "slow days" in the NFL world. The days where there is no training camp to report on or even mini camp. The days where you and I can just sit and speculate off rumors and what might happen. So that's what i'm going to do. Give you thoughts on the 09 season and where I think teams stand as far as competition within their division goes. Let's start with the best division in football, the NFC east.
New York Giants
It's only right if we start off with the defending world champs right? The Giants as we all know made one of the greatest NFL runs in history and created one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. Soon after the parade and ring ceremony, the departure of Strahan had many questioning the Giants undisputed leader amongst the team. However, it seems Eli is at a stage where as a QB he can lead on the field instead going all "rah rah" in the locker room. Give me a QB that will lead his team to a victory over a guy who will just yell at you any day and i'll call you a leader. Manning has also shown he can handle the media as well, When asked by the media about defending their super bowl Manning responded by saying " We need to first get better as a team".
The Giants come into training camp with a few personal situations between management and players. The first is wr Plaxico Burress who would like a new contract which will most likely be resolved. The other situation has to do with Jeremy Shockey. His situation began even after the super bowl, mostly in particular with rumors surrounding his name in trades.This led to a shouting match with GM Jerry Reese. Controversies aside though, the offense is back with a more experienced Eli and a solid offensive line as well as running game. The receivers Burress and Toomer come in with most experience in the wr position while Steve Smith has a year under his belt and has time to develop behind them.
Defensively the unit comes back minus Strahan, Kawika Mitchell, and Gibril Wilson. Strahan will be replaced by Justin Tuck, a player who certainly made his impact when he got playing time. Mathias Kiwinuka will reportedly play the SAM line backer position. This could be a cause for concern for the Giants because many offensive units have used Kiwinuka as a mis match in the passing game as well as the running game. The secondary comes back with Aaron Ross who got a year of experience under his belt and Corey Webster who stepped up big time in the playoffs. Michael Johnson will be the SS who will need to bulk up. The man taking Gibril Wilson's spot will be rookie Kenny Philips the Miami Hurriacanes star.
Positives: The Giants defense minus Strahan will still have the speed.Offensive coordinators will still lose sleep on Steve Spagnoulo's blitz schemes. Eli comes into this year with more respect in the locker room and less pressure as far as proving to everyone if he is the real
deal.The offense comes in with balance as it did last year with solid running and passing attack.
Negatives/ Questions: Kenny Philips comes in as a rookie, now he is not a Laron Launry so it will take him time to develop and if he is not a fast learner of this defense he will get exposed by veteran QB's and offensive coordinators. Right across from him is Mihcael Johnson who needs to bulk to be taken seriously. He did a serviceable job last year however, teams in my mind will try to expose him after having a year worth of film on him. Mathias Kiwinuka is not built to be a linebacker and gets exposed in passing situations. A man with his weight and speed needs to be on the line, I have said that before and will keep saying it.
Big question here is, will the Giants be able to play consistently? Because what they did last year will certainly not happen again.
Dallas Cowboys
It is so funny how a team can produce 13 pro-bowlers, go 13-3 and have no super bowl ring to show for it.The offense comes back with the usual suspects T.O, Whitten, Romo, and Barber looking to make another run at the super bowl. In order to do that it requires them to win a playoff game, which they have not one in a very long time. Can they do it this year? Maybe. To early to tell, and it depends on the opponent. If I had to make a guess they will make the playoffs. The O-line played much better than it did in 06 and their center was named the best in the game, although it is debatable. Owner Jerry Jones tweaked up the team by drafting Felix Jones to compliment Barber and to add that extra speed. Mike Jenkins was another pick that can help bring depth to the CB position.When you look at the defense the secondary has solid depth. You got Terrance Newman, Adam Jones, and then Mike Jenkins. Although I will say this, Jones is by far the most over-hyped CB I have seen in years. I have never a seen a player get so hyped up to be the next CB in the making when he only had 4 INT's in 06 and missed a year of football. I laugh at the so-called experts that place him with the great CB's in the game. He has not proven a thing. The Dallas rush in my mind has been a problem for opposing offenses and tell you the reason why, two words... Demarcus Ware. In my mind the most feared player in the NFC East, he is what you call a game changer. The d-line does it's job but its guys such as Ware and the rest of the LB core that does most of the talking.
Positives: When you have a top 5 WR in T.O a top 3 TE in Whitten and a dynamic back like Marion Barber, you have yourself a well balanced offense. If the O-line can continue to have success as it last season, then offensively I see no problem.
Negatives/ Questions: Roy Williams has been a QB rating steroid. He needs to upgrade his pass coverage skills. Ken Hamlin holding out does not help the team at all. So basically all I see is the secondary specifically the Safeties an issue. Now the question remains "Can the Cowboys pull it together and get to the big stage?
Washington Redskins
Let's just say Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder runs his franchise like it was fantasy football. He just gets players that do not fit the system of the Redskins. Let's take a look at the bust signings shall we?
Brandon Lloyd- What happened to him?
Adam Archuletta- They made him one of the richest safeties in the game.
Does he even start for the Bears now?
Antwan Randle El- Ok, Now who pays a slot Wr 31 million dollars? That's all i'm going to say about that.
Now let's look at the task at hand. The Joe Gibbs era is over forever. I think? I hope! You have a young QB in Jason Campbell who is now forced to learn a brand new offensive scheme due to the arrival of new head coach Jim Zorn. Keep in mind the offense that is being attempted to be installed is the West Coast Offense. One of the most comprehensive offenses in the game. It will be very difficult for the young Qb in my mind to convert his game to a pass happy offense, when he has always been adapted to short passes and handing off the football to his RB. Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley are the bright spots of the team and Santana in paticular can finally see some more looks this year now that they are unleashing the passing game.Portis will have pressure taken off of him now that all the emphasis is not placed on him, so ultimately if all works according to the Redskins plan it will be beneficial to everyone on offense. However, this all depends on Jason Campbell's development. Defensively the bright spot on this unit is the lb's. It is filled with speed and depth anchored by London Flethcer and Rocky Mcintosh.
The defensive line is atrocious, they get no pressure and it's actually sad considering they have such a good lb core. They could do more if the d-line actually brought some pressure. The secondary has potential if Rogers can actually stay on the field and of course we all know what Landry is all about. Landry is probably the best defensive player on the team.
Positives: The Redskins got some good pieces that they can build on from both sides. I don't expect them to be successful this year but it is a work in process. Landry helps the defense creat turnovers as much as he can. The LB core is very talented. Campbell has good weapons he can depend on in Moss and Cooley for the passing came which we assume should be unleashed.
Negatives/Questions: The defensive line gets no pressure, that is a worry because if you cannot get to the QB it will be hard to get the offense off the field. The best corner ont he team Carlos Rogers cannot stay on the field. A new offensive system will be difficult for Campbell to adjust his game too. As I said before he has the playmakers to help him succeed but I think it's wrong have a QB change offensive philosophies. Many Qb's have been affected negatively by it. The question all year will be " Can Campbell make the transition?"
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles came into the 07 season as the NFC east champs and finished 8-8 dead last. At times the offense played apathetically. QB Donovan Mcnabb was not playing at 100 percent in the begging of the season due to his ACL tear in 06. His offensive line did not help either when they got nicked up and left Mcnabb with no protection which lead to him being sacked 49 times. The most came in the game which I call the "12 sack game from the eventual SB champions the New York Giants. Reggie Brown disappeared in many game although he had a career high in receptions (66) he still was inconsistent and a non-factor. The only bright spots of this team were Brian Westbrook and solid play by the defense. Brian Westbrook was able to rush for 1333 yards and 90 receptions which is more than most wide receivers. By the end of the 07 season Westbrook finally got the "under-rated" label taken off of him and is now considered a top 3 back.
The defenses run-stopping improved drastically with some veteran leadership by Takeo Spikes however, it was the young guys towards the end of the season such as Chris Gocong. Stewart Bradley, and Omar Gaither who made more noise than Spikes on defense which lead to the Eagles releasing Spikes. In 3 games starting Bradley recorded 6 tackles 1 sack and 1 interception. This has now helped him earn a spot as a starter on the team. The pass defense had some trouble due to Brian Dawkins missing time as well as Lito Sheppard. So, overall we can call this an injury riddled season for the birds.
Positives: The Eagles come back with a healthy Donovan Mcnabb who played much better football down the stretch. The offensive line is back healthy and with more depth than ever due to the NFL draft. The defense was the main focus this off-season by the big signing of free-agent CB Asante Samuel. With his addition this looks to be the deepest secondary in the game in my opinion. The defensive line was helped this off-season by adding young pass rusher Chris Clemons.
Trevor Laws brings depth to the DT position which is thin. Even the Special teams got some love this year with the addition of rookie Desean Jackson who is an electrifying runner and looks to help a desperatley needed return game. Lorenzo Booker is a mini Westbrook who looks to be on the same field as Westbrook to add speed to the offense.
Negatives/ or questions: How will Victor Abiamiri fair in his first year? Is Stewart Bradley the real deal? Can this product stay healthy? How will Deasean Jackson bring impact to the offense? Will he bring impact? You might be thinking to yourself "How about the lack of a number 1 wr." My response is this "THEY GOT ONE"! His name is Kevin Curtis, 77 catches 1,000 plus yards receiving and 8 td's. You don't need to be 6"4 to be known as a number 1 WR. So overall this Eagles team has more questions than negatives. Now I'm not implying that this is a good thing however this Eages product has some new faces that will play key roles and we cannot pin point whether the moves are good or not yet.
Well this is my last blog for now, I'm going on vacation for the rest of the month, enjoy football fans!
Original Story:
http://sportsdosageweekly.blogspot.com/.
New York Giants
It's only right if we start off with the defending world champs right? The Giants as we all know made one of the greatest NFL runs in history and created one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. Soon after the parade and ring ceremony, the departure of Strahan had many questioning the Giants undisputed leader amongst the team. However, it seems Eli is at a stage where as a QB he can lead on the field instead going all "rah rah" in the locker room. Give me a QB that will lead his team to a victory over a guy who will just yell at you any day and i'll call you a leader. Manning has also shown he can handle the media as well, When asked by the media about defending their super bowl Manning responded by saying " We need to first get better as a team".
The Giants come into training camp with a few personal situations between management and players. The first is wr Plaxico Burress who would like a new contract which will most likely be resolved. The other situation has to do with Jeremy Shockey. His situation began even after the super bowl, mostly in particular with rumors surrounding his name in trades.This led to a shouting match with GM Jerry Reese. Controversies aside though, the offense is back with a more experienced Eli and a solid offensive line as well as running game. The receivers Burress and Toomer come in with most experience in the wr position while Steve Smith has a year under his belt and has time to develop behind them.
Defensively the unit comes back minus Strahan, Kawika Mitchell, and Gibril Wilson. Strahan will be replaced by Justin Tuck, a player who certainly made his impact when he got playing time. Mathias Kiwinuka will reportedly play the SAM line backer position. This could be a cause for concern for the Giants because many offensive units have used Kiwinuka as a mis match in the passing game as well as the running game. The secondary comes back with Aaron Ross who got a year of experience under his belt and Corey Webster who stepped up big time in the playoffs. Michael Johnson will be the SS who will need to bulk up. The man taking Gibril Wilson's spot will be rookie Kenny Philips the Miami Hurriacanes star.
Positives: The Giants defense minus Strahan will still have the speed.Offensive coordinators will still lose sleep on Steve Spagnoulo's blitz schemes. Eli comes into this year with more respect in the locker room and less pressure as far as proving to everyone if he is the real
deal.The offense comes in with balance as it did last year with solid running and passing attack.
Negatives/ Questions: Kenny Philips comes in as a rookie, now he is not a Laron Launry so it will take him time to develop and if he is not a fast learner of this defense he will get exposed by veteran QB's and offensive coordinators. Right across from him is Mihcael Johnson who needs to bulk to be taken seriously. He did a serviceable job last year however, teams in my mind will try to expose him after having a year worth of film on him. Mathias Kiwinuka is not built to be a linebacker and gets exposed in passing situations. A man with his weight and speed needs to be on the line, I have said that before and will keep saying it.
Big question here is, will the Giants be able to play consistently? Because what they did last year will certainly not happen again.
Dallas Cowboys
It is so funny how a team can produce 13 pro-bowlers, go 13-3 and have no super bowl ring to show for it.The offense comes back with the usual suspects T.O, Whitten, Romo, and Barber looking to make another run at the super bowl. In order to do that it requires them to win a playoff game, which they have not one in a very long time. Can they do it this year? Maybe. To early to tell, and it depends on the opponent. If I had to make a guess they will make the playoffs. The O-line played much better than it did in 06 and their center was named the best in the game, although it is debatable. Owner Jerry Jones tweaked up the team by drafting Felix Jones to compliment Barber and to add that extra speed. Mike Jenkins was another pick that can help bring depth to the CB position.When you look at the defense the secondary has solid depth. You got Terrance Newman, Adam Jones, and then Mike Jenkins. Although I will say this, Jones is by far the most over-hyped CB I have seen in years. I have never a seen a player get so hyped up to be the next CB in the making when he only had 4 INT's in 06 and missed a year of football. I laugh at the so-called experts that place him with the great CB's in the game. He has not proven a thing. The Dallas rush in my mind has been a problem for opposing offenses and tell you the reason why, two words... Demarcus Ware. In my mind the most feared player in the NFC East, he is what you call a game changer. The d-line does it's job but its guys such as Ware and the rest of the LB core that does most of the talking.
Positives: When you have a top 5 WR in T.O a top 3 TE in Whitten and a dynamic back like Marion Barber, you have yourself a well balanced offense. If the O-line can continue to have success as it last season, then offensively I see no problem.
Negatives/ Questions: Roy Williams has been a QB rating steroid. He needs to upgrade his pass coverage skills. Ken Hamlin holding out does not help the team at all. So basically all I see is the secondary specifically the Safeties an issue. Now the question remains "Can the Cowboys pull it together and get to the big stage?
Washington Redskins
Let's just say Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder runs his franchise like it was fantasy football. He just gets players that do not fit the system of the Redskins. Let's take a look at the bust signings shall we?
Brandon Lloyd- What happened to him?
Adam Archuletta- They made him one of the richest safeties in the game.
Does he even start for the Bears now?
Antwan Randle El- Ok, Now who pays a slot Wr 31 million dollars? That's all i'm going to say about that.
Now let's look at the task at hand. The Joe Gibbs era is over forever. I think? I hope! You have a young QB in Jason Campbell who is now forced to learn a brand new offensive scheme due to the arrival of new head coach Jim Zorn. Keep in mind the offense that is being attempted to be installed is the West Coast Offense. One of the most comprehensive offenses in the game. It will be very difficult for the young Qb in my mind to convert his game to a pass happy offense, when he has always been adapted to short passes and handing off the football to his RB. Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley are the bright spots of the team and Santana in paticular can finally see some more looks this year now that they are unleashing the passing game.Portis will have pressure taken off of him now that all the emphasis is not placed on him, so ultimately if all works according to the Redskins plan it will be beneficial to everyone on offense. However, this all depends on Jason Campbell's development. Defensively the bright spot on this unit is the lb's. It is filled with speed and depth anchored by London Flethcer and Rocky Mcintosh.
The defensive line is atrocious, they get no pressure and it's actually sad considering they have such a good lb core. They could do more if the d-line actually brought some pressure. The secondary has potential if Rogers can actually stay on the field and of course we all know what Landry is all about. Landry is probably the best defensive player on the team.
Positives: The Redskins got some good pieces that they can build on from both sides. I don't expect them to be successful this year but it is a work in process. Landry helps the defense creat turnovers as much as he can. The LB core is very talented. Campbell has good weapons he can depend on in Moss and Cooley for the passing came which we assume should be unleashed.
Negatives/Questions: The defensive line gets no pressure, that is a worry because if you cannot get to the QB it will be hard to get the offense off the field. The best corner ont he team Carlos Rogers cannot stay on the field. A new offensive system will be difficult for Campbell to adjust his game too. As I said before he has the playmakers to help him succeed but I think it's wrong have a QB change offensive philosophies. Many Qb's have been affected negatively by it. The question all year will be " Can Campbell make the transition?"
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles came into the 07 season as the NFC east champs and finished 8-8 dead last. At times the offense played apathetically. QB Donovan Mcnabb was not playing at 100 percent in the begging of the season due to his ACL tear in 06. His offensive line did not help either when they got nicked up and left Mcnabb with no protection which lead to him being sacked 49 times. The most came in the game which I call the "12 sack game from the eventual SB champions the New York Giants. Reggie Brown disappeared in many game although he had a career high in receptions (66) he still was inconsistent and a non-factor. The only bright spots of this team were Brian Westbrook and solid play by the defense. Brian Westbrook was able to rush for 1333 yards and 90 receptions which is more than most wide receivers. By the end of the 07 season Westbrook finally got the "under-rated" label taken off of him and is now considered a top 3 back.
The defenses run-stopping improved drastically with some veteran leadership by Takeo Spikes however, it was the young guys towards the end of the season such as Chris Gocong. Stewart Bradley, and Omar Gaither who made more noise than Spikes on defense which lead to the Eagles releasing Spikes. In 3 games starting Bradley recorded 6 tackles 1 sack and 1 interception. This has now helped him earn a spot as a starter on the team. The pass defense had some trouble due to Brian Dawkins missing time as well as Lito Sheppard. So, overall we can call this an injury riddled season for the birds.
Positives: The Eagles come back with a healthy Donovan Mcnabb who played much better football down the stretch. The offensive line is back healthy and with more depth than ever due to the NFL draft. The defense was the main focus this off-season by the big signing of free-agent CB Asante Samuel. With his addition this looks to be the deepest secondary in the game in my opinion. The defensive line was helped this off-season by adding young pass rusher Chris Clemons.
Trevor Laws brings depth to the DT position which is thin. Even the Special teams got some love this year with the addition of rookie Desean Jackson who is an electrifying runner and looks to help a desperatley needed return game. Lorenzo Booker is a mini Westbrook who looks to be on the same field as Westbrook to add speed to the offense.
Negatives/ or questions: How will Victor Abiamiri fair in his first year? Is Stewart Bradley the real deal? Can this product stay healthy? How will Deasean Jackson bring impact to the offense? Will he bring impact? You might be thinking to yourself "How about the lack of a number 1 wr." My response is this "THEY GOT ONE"! His name is Kevin Curtis, 77 catches 1,000 plus yards receiving and 8 td's. You don't need to be 6"4 to be known as a number 1 WR. So overall this Eagles team has more questions than negatives. Now I'm not implying that this is a good thing however this Eages product has some new faces that will play key roles and we cannot pin point whether the moves are good or not yet.
Well this is my last blog for now, I'm going on vacation for the rest of the month, enjoy football fans!
Original Story:
http://sportsdosageweekly.blogspot.com/.
