Yardbarker: Nate Clements

Fantasy Football Week 6 Rankings - Defenses

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:42:50 -0500

This week we will be analyzing 28 defenses, as four of them; Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans all have bye-weeks. Listed below are the Bruno Boys Defensive Rankings for Week 6, all you have to do is click the link below to see how your defense ranks ------------------------ 1. (New York Giants) @ Cleveland Browns The third best defense stats wise takes on the leagues worst offense at the moment. Is it just us, or do the New York Giants look like a great play this week? The only thing that could stop them is a return to old for the Cleveland Browns, which in all likelihood will not happen. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------------ 2. (Philadelphia Eagles) @ San Francisco 49ers The Philadelphia Eagles defense is pretty solid, ranking in the top 6 in the league allowing just 274 YPG. They take on a San Francisco 49ers club that has barely managed 300 YPG. As good as the Eagles rush defense usually is, barring last weeks Clinton Portis performance, the Eagles should be able to keep Frank Gore and his fellow 49ers in check. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------------ 3. (Chicago Bears) @ Atlanta Falcons The veteran Chicago Bears defense has a lot going for them this week. First of all, they take on an inexperienced, younger group from Atlanta. Secondly, their RB Matt Forte should be able to run all over the Falcons. This is a pretty good defensive match up this week, and only one of three that earns the 5 star rating. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------------ To READ the rest of the Week 6 Team Defense rankings, click the link below

Where the Rams Went Wrong: Part 1 - 2001 NFL Draft

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:58:07 -0500

A Note: I'm going to work on trying to see where the Rams went wrong in Trades, Free Agency and the Draft to see how the Rams got where they are today.A First post, for the bye week is the 2001 NFL Draft. a?" Everyone knows about the 2000 draft and the mistake of drafting Trung Candidate in the first round, but the 2001 NFL draft was even worse for the Rams as they had three picks in the first round and nothing to show for any of them.A Hindsight is always 20/20 for all past drafts, so I'll try not to get too picky.A All the players drafted in this draft should be solid veterans for a Rams team that is dire need of solid veterans.A Let's go to the list. Round 1 a?" Pick 12 a?" Damione Lewis a?" DT a?" Lewis struggled in his years in St. Louis and became a solid contributor for the Carolina Panthers.A He is currently a decent player for Carolina, but not the kind of superstar you would expect from a top-half of the first round selection.A A A The Rams could have had Marcus Stroud who was picked immediately after Lewis and has been a top 5 DT in all his years in the league.A This was certainly a huge mistake on the Rams part. A Round 1 a?" Pick 20 a?" Adam Archuleta a?" SS a?" Adam played great in his first few years in St. Louis and the Rams even molded their defense around him to play to his ability to stop the run and play near the line of scrimmage.A Archuleta could never cover and struggled playing traditional strong safety.A He was signed to a lucrative free agent offer in Washington and largely disappointed.A After one year in Washington and one year in Chicago as a backup, Archuleta is out of football.A The Rams could have had Nate Clements a?" CB who was picked immediately after Archuleta and has been a good cover corner for Buffalo his entire career.A I don't remember if the 2001 Rams needed corners, but they are always good to have. The rest of the draft after the jump! Round 1 a?" Pick 29 a?" Ryan Pickett a?" DT a?" "Big Grease" was a solid contributor to the Rams starting in his second season.A He has since moved on to Green Bay and has started 34 games for them in 2+ years.A (I'm sure I'll cover those free agency blunders in a later WtRWW.) A Good pick by the Rams although Pickett has played better in Green Bay than he ever did in St. Louis.A The Rams could have had Reggie Wayne or Todd Heap who were picked immediately behind Pickett.A They had their choice of a potential Pro-Bowl WR or TE and passed.A The Rams did have a need at DT, but we will address that next. Round 2 a?" Pick 42 a?" Tommy Polley a?" OLB a?" Polley was talented but eventually unable to put his gifts to good use on the football field.A He is now out of football after playing in the league for 5+ years.A The Rams could have had Kris Jenkins a?" DT who was picked two picks after Polley.A (Just imagine if the Rams DTs were Stroud and Jenkins, wow, just wow.) Round 3 a?" Pick 83 a?" Brian Allen a?" LB a?" Honestly, I do not know much about Allen, he left the Rams after only one year and started only a handful of games for the Panthers and is out of football after 3+ years.A The Rams got very little value on this pick and could have done considerably better.A The Rams could have had Reggie Hayward a?" DE, Casey Rabach - C or Jonas Jennings a?" T, all who have been solid starters in the NFL and were picked within 12 picks of Allen. Quick Hits on the rest of the 2001 NFL draft : The Rams drafting someone named Milton Wynn a?" WR in the fourth round, he appeared in four games over three years.A None were with the Rams.A Notables that the Rams could have drafted: Correll Buckhalter a?" RB or Edge Hartwell a?" LB. Also in the fourth round the Rams drafted Brandon Manumaleuna, who underachieved with the Rams but has been a solid contributor in the NFL.A Not a bad pick. In the fifth round, the Rams drafted Jerametrius Butler a?" CB who started for the Rams for a few years and I distinctly enjoyed saying his name.A Solid pick in the fifth round as there were no stars picked around him. The Rams desperately struggled in this draft and are paying for it this year with their talent level.A This is the first amongst the Rams terrible drafts.A Additionally, none of the players that the Rams picked in the 2001 draft are on the team in 2008.A I don't think this point can be emphasized enough.A When players like Kris Jenkins (who had character issues coming into the draft that caused him to drop, but has had no problems in the NFL) and Marcus Stroud are passed on by the Rams, there was a problem.A This is the first of many points in time when the Rams went wrong.

Fantasy Football: Finding the right Team Defense on Bye Weeks

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:57:38 -0500

With the first bye weeks starting in just a few days, I've started thinking about which defensive units I might need to pick up to replace my Seattle Seahawks D/ST, Tennessee Titans D/ST, Philadelphia Eagles D/ST and Green Bay Packers D/ST (those are the four defensive units that I own in my 7 leagues). Since I seem to play in leagues with only the fantasy football-obsessed, most of the "good" D/STs are gone and the only available teams are um, less than desirable. But maybe, just maybe, they're not quite as bad as they seem. If you take a look at the strength of schedule for some of the "bad" D/STs over the next few weeks, it's possible to pick out some potential bye week plug-ins. So for the Week 4 edition of "A Librarians Touch", I thought I'd take a look at some of the D/ST dark horses for Weeks 4 through 6 -------------------- Week Four --- Denver (of course I'm going to mention my Broncos here somewhere!) plays Kansas City this weekend and the Chiefs have only put up 14, 8 and 10 points over the past three weeks. I envision a solid week for the Broncos, as they face a 0-3 Chiefs team and their array of less than impressive weapons in KC. The St. Louis Rams take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 and while the Buffalo defense might not be available any... To read the full article, click the link below...

The Pros: USC vs. Ohio St.

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:24:03 -0500

The Pros pits two college football rivals against one another and sees which has produced a more eligible pro team.

The Offense

Quarterback

USC currently has 4 quarterbacks in the league. Two of whom won Heisman's in Leinart and Palmer and two of whom have yet to start an NFL game in Cassel and Booty. Meanwhile the Buckeyes have only one quarterback in the league now that Krenzel is gone, and that is Troy Smith. The undersized mobile QB who's yet to make a dent in the NFL.

Edge: USC

Running Backs

USC of course has the double headed monster from the Colliseum in Bush and White still roaming the NFL as starters. In addition they have Justin Fargas whose playing the role of starter for the Raiders and Chauncey Washington in Jacksonville. The Buckeyes lone running back rep is Antonio Pittman whom like Troy Smith has yet to make an impact in the NFL.

Edge: USC

Wideouts

The Trojans currently have 5 wideouts suiting up in the NFL, none of whom have made a significant impact. If you had to chose a starting 3 for the Trojans it would probably be Steve Smith (not of the Panthers but of the Giants), Keary Colbert and perhaps Dwayne Jarrett. Not that impressive. Meanwhile the Buckeyes have the emerging Santonio Holmes, Joey Galloway and Anthony Gonzalez amongst their 7 total wideouts in the NFL.

Edge: tOSU

Tight Ends

Ben Hartsock vs. Rookie Fred Davis and Billy Miller. Pretty nondescript. Edge to USC for the rookie with potential.

Edge: USC

Offensive Line

Overall the Buckeyes have a handful more lineman but let's just take a look at whom would be the starters for each team.

Center: Ryan Kalil vs. Nick Mangold
Guards: Deuce Lutui & Chilo Rachal vs. Adrien Clarke & Rob Sims
Tackles: Winston Justice & Sam Baker vs. Orlando Pace & Kirk Barton

A lot of youngsters for both sides other than Orlando Pace who will be a hall of lineman. Neither team has two guards in the NFL that are currently starting.

Edge: tOSU

The Defense

D-Line

Tackles: Mike Patterson & Sedrick Ellis vs. Ryan Pickett & Tim Anderson
Ends: Kenechi Udeze & Frostee Rucker vs. Will Smith & Jay Richardson

Will Smith is probably the best player amongst this batch but Udezi isn't far behind and the Trojans have much more depth than does tOSU.

Edge: USC

Linebackers

Lofa Tatupu, Keith Rivers, Willie McGinest vs. AJ Hawk, Mike Vrabel, Na'il Diggs

The Trojans agter their top three only have Thomas Williams (who?) to turn while the Buckeyes have Bobby Carpenter, Vernon Gholsten (overrated) and Matt Wilhelm as other options. For me its too close to call.

Edge: Push

Secondary

Corners: Brian Kelly & Terrell Thomas vs. Antoine Winfield & Nate Clements
Safeties: Sammy Knight & Troy Polamalu vs. Donte Whitner & Will Allen

The Buckeyes are very deep at corner with Youboty, Shawn Springs & Chris Gamble as other options so feel free to disagree with my top two choices. Other way, despite the dominant Polamalu the Buckeyes have a much deeper secondary.

Edge: tOSU

The Special Teams

Return Men

Reggie Bush vs. Ted Ginn. Both have been highly disappointing at their actually poosition in the NFL, but both still pack some punch on special teams. As solid as Reggie Bush was as a punt returner in college he's not as fast nor as dangerous as Ginn on returns. Ginn adds the kickoff of return dimension which Bush currently lacks as well.

Edge: tOSU

Kickers

Neither team has a punter in the NFL, which is surprising to me given it seems like every tOSU punter kicks the ball 70 yards against Michigan, and only Ohio St. has kicker Mike Nugent of the Jets who got injured and limped around last weekend.

Edge: tOSU

Who Would Win?

Overall the Buckeyes have 9 more alumni in the NFL than do the Trojans (46-37). Their roster would have much more depth. The Trojans obviously have a much more skilled passer, but he would have no receivers to throw the ball to especially with the corners that the Buckeyes would throw out there. Both teams have dominant linebackers who could stuff the run. It's difficult to say who would be victorious but I'd give the edge to the Buckeyes mostly due to depth at offensive line and wideout

All Rosters Pulled from ESPN

2008 IDP Rankings: Defensive Backs

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:05:44 -0500

Tiered defensive back rankings for 2008 fantasy IDP leagues.

2008 Fantasy Football Top 100 Defensive Backs Rankings

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:16:06 -0500

A look at the Top 100 Defensive Backs in the NFL ranked for Fantasy Football. Surprises, bumps and bruises...

Willis Set to Take Over Leadership Role

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:58:51 -0500

The 49ers are looking for a leader with the retirement of Bryant Young and Mike Nolan has already placed that responsibility on Patrick Willis. Nolan says Willis has taken the role naturally, and, really, it's hard to argue. Who else would take that role? Isaac Bruce, a 15-year veteran, is a candidate, but he just joined the 49ers. In a sport like football, with its massive 50 person-plus roster, it's a tall order for a new acquisition to catch the ear of an entire team. There are too many players on the squad who have already been with the team. The ability for a new player to take a leadership role is more apparent in a sport like basketball, as seen by Kevin Garnett immediately changing the mentality of the Boston Celtics. The team is smaller, thus the impact of one player is greater. Looking around the rest of the 49ers, Frank Gore and Nate Clements loom as potential leaders. Gore is as intense as they come, but he isn't a vocal leader. Clements is a consummate pro, but it's unusual for a cornerback to take a lead role. Maybe it's the fact that corners play on an island on the field and aren't usually in the middle of the scruff on every play, like middle linebackers such as Willis are. Corners, and even wide receivers, are usually perceived as ego-centric loudmouths. How many times have you ever seen a player from either position become a team leader? If you say Deion Sanders, Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens, I'd argue their more unofficial team spokesmen than leaders. Hines Ward and Champ Bailey are really the only two current island players whom I can think of that are true leaders. Anyway, Willis is mature beyond is years, is literally in the middle of every play as the middle linebacker and he is one of the league's best players. Soon, he might be one of the league's best players, young and old. I'm on board with Willis as the 49ers team leader. Are you?

Cornerback Tandems: Rating the NFL's Best

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:40:05 -0500

With the trade of DeAngelo Hall and the signing of Asante Samuel, cornerbacks have been heavily talked about during the offseason. With the growing number of high-octane offenses throwing the ball at will, the league has started to place a premium on having two (and sometimes three) quality cornerbacks to match up with receivers. With the new rules in place, we will most likely never see a complete shutdown corner in the likes of Mel Blount, Night Train Lane, and Deion Sanders but these are the best combos out there today. Honorable mentions go to Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings of the Seattle Seahawks, as well as Walt Harris and Nate Clements of the San Francisco 49ers. No. 5: Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown, PHI Asante Samuel is a smaller corner but plays bigger than he is, often trying for the big hit against bigger-bodied wideouts. Samuel is not a corner with tremendous speed, but he does well in zone or man-to-man coverage. Developing with the Patriots has given him a strong sense of awareness of the ball and the field. Without the blazing speed, he occasionally gets beat in coverage by faster receivers, but usually makes up with it on cuts and angles. Another area of attack for opposing offenses is his size. At 5-foot-10, quarterbacks sometimes toss up the jump ball against him and he can be had on fade patterns, but is very willing to fight for the ball. He does take chances to make a play on the ball, but has the closing burst to close well and is a great open field tackler. He also has good hands, allowing him to pick off passes and fend off receivers. Questions about Samuel usually revolve around how good he will be now that he is out of the Patriot fold. We all saw the decline in Ty Law once he left. However, the Eagles' scheme is very similar to the Patriots. It is a pass rush-heavy pass defense. Expecting Lito Sheppard to be traded, Sheldon Brown would be the likely pair with Samuel in the Eagles' secondary. Brown is also a smaller, physical player who is a good press-cover corner, and excels in man-to-man coverage over zone coverage. He is very strong and loves to play the bump-and-run. Once in coverage, Brown has learned to get in position and is quite adept at reading routes. Working in Jimmy Johnson's defense has really improved his technique. He has excellent ball skills and is a good tackler against the run. Brown's shortcomings are very similar to Samuel in that he also lacks the size to compete with the bigger wideouts and the speed to keep up with the burners, and that remains the biggest concern in this backfield. No. 4: Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall, OAK Nnamdi Asomugha was a slow study to start his career, but has really blossomed of late. He has excellent tools to work with; excellent size at 6-foot-2, 210 lbs to go along with top-end speed. Although, he is not as fluid as some of the other top corners, his foot quickness and agility are adequate but he has a little stiffness in his hips and knees. He is a better bump-and-run corner where he can trail the receiver instead of a cover corner. He looks a bit tight in transition and often loses a step on the receiver, but has enough explosive quickness and speed to make up the difference. Asomugha struggles a bit from man-off as he is not yet good at route recognition or reading the quarterback's eyes and getting a jump on the ball. This will all come with more playing time. He is strong and has long arms that allow him to jam receivers or re-route them when he is able to get a hand on them. He is also a strong tackler and is not afraid to come up and force the run. The 2006 season was a breakout for Asomugha as he came up with eight interceptions after being shutout his first three years in the league, and he built on that last year as well. He has come a long way in terms of playing the ball he is still a work in progress. Playing with DeAngelo Hall may help his development. Hall is a corner of polarizing opinions. He is an exceptional man-to-man defender but an ordinary zone defender who uses his incomparable 4.2 speed to compensate for bad decisions. In addition to his speed, Hall also has phenomenal quickness, closing speed, and agility, preferring to play off his man to try and jump the routes. While he is not the strongest of corners, he has some upper-body strength. He is able to jam receivers and can shed a block, providing some help on run support but it is not his strength. Hall also has great instincts with the ball in his hands, and combined with his speed is a threat to take it the distance any time he intercepts the ball. Hall's coverage skills start to break down when a receiver manages to get in his head. He is brash and arrogant and will over-commit. He also needs to work on his has sloppy footwork. Not the best in the film room, Hall hasn't taken the time to work on getting proper body position and has gotten used to solving all of his problems with just his speed; this causes him to gamble and is prone to giving up big plays. Overall, this tandem has amazing speed and can keep up with any of the receivers in the league. Given they are both better as man-to-man, expect them to play limited zone coverages. No. 3: Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie, SD His development was slow, but Quentin Jammer has developed to the point where he's a Top 15 NFL corner, and one of the best pure cover corners. He is also a very physical corner (matching his name), excelling in run coverage and hits and tackles with the very best corners in the league. Now six years into the league, Jammer had to adjust to the significant rule changes that penalize corners for any intentional contact with receivers more than five yards off the line of scrimmage. In fact, Jammer led the league in flags for illegal contact in 2005, and was near the top again in 2006; last season he seemed to figure it out. The ongoing fault people find with Jammer, and what limits him from being a truly elite corner is his lack of interceptions. He has never had more than four interceptions in a season. However, with Antonio Cromartie on the other side, his team doesn't suffer from his lack of interceptions. His overall game is so rounded that his interception deficiency can be over looked. Dubbed "The Natural" by ESPN's John Clayton, he excels in man-to-man coverage and is still learning the zone schemes. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and possessing long arms, Cromartie is ideal for press coverage. Nearly as fast as Hall, he still clocks in with a 4.3 40 yard time, and his style is smooth. Cromartie uses his breakneck speed, can't-be-taught instincts, exceptional turn-and-go flexibility, and exceptional hands to control his game. Like Asomugha, he is still learning, and that is the scary part. Cromartie is an athletic freak, and his position coach, Bill Bradley, said he is becoming a student of the game. As is the knock on a lot of speed corners, Antonio isn't the most physical of cornerbacks. Working with one of the most physical in Jammer, he's improved his hitting and tackling. One AFC scout says that Cromartie will guess on some plays (going for the big play), which leaves him vulnerable to completions. He still can be beaten with some double moves, but he will improve in that area the more he plays. No. 2: Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, DEN Champ Bailey possesses the best combination of skill, instinct, and knowledge for a cornerback in the game and is the closest thing to a true shutdown corner we have today. He will blanket the other team's top receiver and will often take him completely out of the game. He is excellent in both bump-and-run coverage, as well as zone schemes. Bailey has always shown great quickness and technique, combined with excellent speed. With his talent and ball skills, Bailey could easily be a wide receiver and has been used in set offenses from time to time. He is very active in run support, and plays the run well. The biggest knocks on Bailey have been that he is eager to gamble, and will lose occasionally, like he did last year against Brett Favre for two 79-yard touchdowns. He is also not a big hitter, and once the receiver has the ball, rarely causes fumbles. Being paired with Bailey, Dre Bly had the first opportunity to be a No. 2 corner in a defense after being the top corner in Detroit and St. Louis. Bly maybe undersized at 5-foot-10, but he is a real playmaker. Seemingly in spite of his size, he is very confident and loves to challenge the bigger receivers. He gets good position on his receivers and plays tough, but he sometimes has trouble against the bigger receivers that he challenges, as they push off for separation. Another tremendous athlete, Bly doesn't waste much motion, and has very fluid hips, turning on a dime. He too will gamble, and lose more than he should because he has concentration lapses. He has a rare combination of quickness to cover the slot and top-end speed to play on the perimeter. As a contrast to Bailey, he isn't very physical and isn't much help in run support. His tackling can actually be a liability and he struggles to shed blocks while seeming a little indifferent to the play once it is out of the air. No. 1: Charles Woodson and Al Harris, GB The baby of the pairing at age 31, Charles Woodson has been a premier man-to-man cover cornerback in the NFL for about nine years, first with the Oakland Raiders and now with the Green Bay Packers. While age has caught up with Woodson. He no longer has the same speed that the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner showed, but he more than compensates for any slowdown with great instincts and awareness. He uses these skills to anticipate the receiver's route and breaks on the ball. Woodson continues to be a smart football player who combines that intelligence with a physical style and a love for the game that shows in his energetic play. The teamwork between Woodson and Al Harris is evident to each other when Woodson is quick to credit Harris' shutdown abilities for the playmaking opportunities that are coming his way with the Packers. Like Asomugha, Harris is one of the few bump-and-run specialists remaining in the game, and he can be extremely physical at the line of scrimmage. A tough, smart veteran, Harris regularly shadows the opposing team's top receiver and holds him in check. This role has led Harris to be a meticulous student in the film room to prepare. He is very quick to pick up on small signals in a receiver's game that hint at what is about to come. At age 33, speed is also a concern for Harris. Woodson and Harris face their biggest problems when faced with burner wideouts, and they resort to their bump-and-run to slow them down.

NFL INSIDER: Favre and Thompson: --- Behind the Scenes Glimpse

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:06:52 -0500

In exclusive interviews with various flies on the wall, The Frozen Tundra was able to piece together additional information to provide a background to determine how this trade developed. I have reconstructed the timeline of events based on those reports. March 1, 2008: Favre calls Ted Thompson to tell him he wants Randy Moss to be signed. "If not, I will know you are not trying to get me the personnel I need, and I'm not sure I want to stay in that situation," he declared. There are no reports out of flies in Green Bay, since at that time of the year it is still too cold and they are dormant. However, it is believed by one fly he could hear Thompson laugh in reply, "Are you serious?! Do you think we would take on that headache long-term just so you will maybe play another year or two? Even the fans wouldn't be on your side with this one–they hate him!" After that, the phone call abruptly March 4, 2008: After Moss re-signs with New England, Favre calls Thompson several times, always hanging up without speaking about ten seconds later. The last time he calls and says, "call me back and let me know what you will do to entice me to come back, or I'll have to retire by the end of the week." He then hangs up the phone. There are no return calls. March 6, 2008: Favre announces his retirement, and everyone publicly expresses sorrow that an era is coming to an end. It is reported by a fly in Kiln that Favre later tells his wife, "I know I heard cork pop in Thompson's office." April 26, 2008: Coach Mike McCarthy tells Thompson, "You better get me somebody else. Aaron is great and all, but he gets hurt at the drop of a feather. I need some insurance if I'm gonna be expected to win a title!" Thompson promptly drafts Brian Brohm. July 1, 2008: Favre contacts McCarthy, saying "Thompson won't return my calls. I'm sorry I made him mad by retiring, but I thought he needed to know I was serious when I threatened to quit. I didn't know he'd make me follow through on it. Will you talk to him?" McCarthy replied, "I'll see what I can do, Brett. You know I would like to have you under center, but your return would put us in a difficult place now. We've moved on, and sometimes you can't go back to the way things were." July 3, 2008: Brett has just seen a History Channel program on guerrilla warfare, and knowing ESPN will just die if they can't talk about Favre, he sends his mother and brother out to do his bidding. Both of them attempt to paint Brett as someone who has kept himself ready to help the Packers and the organization as not wanting the legend who won a championship for them anymore. July 4, 2008:After not hearing back from either McCarthy or Thompson, Favre is contacted by Roger Goodell, asking how his quest to return is going. "Ted won't return my calls," Brett says. Goodell says, "since you're the biggest star in the league, it's in our best interests to pay to have the call routed through New York. He'll have to answer it if he thinks it's the league office." Thompson does answer, but merely promises to call Brett back after he is done with his vacation. July 7, 2008: Thompson is done with his vacation. Brett stands by the phone, even saying at 8pm, "he just got back. He's probably got a lot of work to do, so he'll be there late." No call. July 10, 2008: Having still received no call and hearing Packers Vice President in charge of player personnel, Mark Murphy, say that as far as they know Favre is still retired and is not trying to return, he gets on the phone to his agent. "Pull out all the stops," he tells him. "What do you think it's going to look like if I make a public statement that you want to come back and they won't let you? Maybe they won't get all those sell-outs. Maybe no one's gonna buy your jersey anymore." July 11, 2008: Mortensen gets a call from Brett's agent stating that Brett wants the team to release him. I want to thank the flies in Kiln, MS and Green Bay, WI for their contributions. There were also two flies in New York, NY, reporting from the draft and league office. In some cases, it took generations of flies meticulously passing on this information from generation to generation, as it was accumulated over the last four-plus months, which is over 30 fly lifetimes! On Tuesday, July 15, we will have new accounts as this story, originally broken on Bleacher Report, develops.

IDP Scoring and Comparison

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:07:03 -0500

Fantasy Football with Individual Defensive Players (IDP) is on the rise. Some of the traditional fantasy footballers do not want to make the jump. Not wanting to make the jump is different than not knowing how to make the jump. We have found that some Owners and Commissioners would like to make the change and begin using defensive players but the unknown scares them off. For the Football Jabber Fantasy Football Strategy Playbook today we will look at setting up scoring for your league and compare how some of the defensive players match up to offensive players to give you a better idea of a players value when drafting.

2008 Fantasy Football Projections - San Francisco 49ers

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:38:11 -0500

After finishing the 2006 season on a hot streak, many league officials thought that the 2007 version of the San Francisco 49ers could compete for the NFC West title. Unfortunately, this was before offensive coordinator Norv Turner bolted to take the San Diego Chargers head coaching job and the 49ers were stuck with unproven Jim Hostler calling the plays on offense. The offense was supposed to flourish under the breakout season of running back Frank Gore and third year quarterback Alex Smith showed signs of promise towards the end of the '06 campaign. Instantly, the 49ers got off to a hot start, winning their first two games, but after the quick start it all went downhill. The 49ers proceeded to drop eight straight games en route to finishing the season with a 5-11 record and another disappointing season for the once proud franchise.

49ers Defensive Future and Emerging Leaders

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:48:50 -0500

Last week I posted who the identity and future leaders of the 49ers will and need to be in order for team to bring home ring number six. Here are my picks for defense: D-Line: Glory Years: Bryant Young Future: Kentwan Balmer. The 29th overall pick in this year's draft is fast off the line of [...]

The need and availability for top corners could equal good news for Eagle fans and a pay day for Lito

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:45:05 -0500

In recent years, the cornerback position has been a top priority for teams. Last year, Nate Clements was given an 8 year 80 million dollar contract, which has set the price for top corners. This year the Oakland Raiders paid a 2nd and 5th round draft pick, and 70 million dollars for DeAngelo Hall. Teams are willing to over pay for top corners, including the eagles who gave Asante Samuel a 6 years 57 million dollar contract, to sure up the secondary. The reason being is the limited availability of good corners in the NFL. With the acquisition of Samuels and a solid Eagles secondary, Lito Sheppard becomes expendable. If Pacman is traded to Dallas, Lito Sheppard will be the last top notch corner available. This means teams could be willing to give up a first round pick or a pro bowl caliber player. The longer the eagles hold out from trading Lito the more the price goes up. If teams are paying 10 million plus a year for cornerbacks, then it means the position is one of the highest priorities for teams. If and when Lito Sheppard is traded he will receive a monster contract and the eagles could receive that #1 receiver, or a first round pick. The skills of Lito, the inflated market, and the availably of cornerbacks will equal a trade which will heavily favor the Eagles. The trade will probably occur on draft day when things are most hectic and teams are most willing to overpay. That is where the question will answered whether the Eagles are serious about winning now and how much the Eagles can squeeze out of Lito.

Best in the NFL this year

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:04:43 -0500

Here's my "all star" team for this year not including O-Line and strictly by stats; Offense: QB Tom Brady HB Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook WR Randy Moss, Braylon Edwards, Terrell Owens, FB Tony Richardson TE Jason Witten,Antonio Gates Defense: DE Patrick Kerney, Jared Allen, Osi Umenyiora DT Darnell Docket, Shaun Rogers, Jovan Haye OLB Ernie Sims, Angelo Crowell, David Thornton, Derrick Brooks MLB Patrick Willis, Jon Beason, Nick Barnett CB Antonio Cromartie, Marcus Trufant, Nate Clements S Bob Sanders, Ed Reed P.S. sorry eagles fans i had to take TO

2007 All-Fantasy IDP Team

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 21:46:43 -0500

In a follow-up to the offensive-minded 2007 All-Fantasy Offensive Team article, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter takes an objective look at the IDP fantasy football stars of 2007. Included is a roster of the best defensive performers from the year, with some Honorable Mentions and side notes on those not included. Check out this comprehensive list of the '07 fantasy top IDP performers.