http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1769 Recent articles about Elvis Dumervil en-us Tiered defensive lineman rankings for 2008 fantasy IDP leagues. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:30:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301863 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301863 - Don't call Jay Cutler a gunslinger. He knows where he's throwing the ball unlike Ben Rothlisberger in his rookie year (Rocky Mountain News). - Oldie but goodie, John Lynch, is ready to compete for a starting job on defense (Denver Post). Hmmm, Brett Favre could learn something from him.  - Dad thinks that Boss Bailey will play harder now that he's playing alongside brother Champ. Boss agrees with pops (Denver Post). Let's hope that's the case when he goes up against Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. - With Jason Elam and Todd Sauerbrun gone, the Broncos look to a new group of young kickers (Yahoo Sports). There is no doubt that an important field goal will be missed this season, and we will wonder if Elam would have made it. My guess is that he would have, but let's see what the new guys can do. - I like to give the stagehand credit. The guy behind the curtains making everything run smoothly. That's why you should take a look at the bio of long snapper, Mike Leach (Bronco Talk). - According to ESPN, Elvis Dumervil will be one of four players to bust out in 08? (ESPN The Magazine). Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:01:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292847 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292847 Last week I was given the task to come up with my ultimate sports doubleheader. The only requirements were that the two sporting events could actually happen, and you had to be able to attend them in the same day. For example, attending a Red Sox home game against the Yankees on an afternoon in June, and then attending Game 2 of a Celtics playoff game against the Lakers later that night.   My answer:   It's a Sunday afternoon in January, and I'm in Aspen at the final day of competition for the X Games. Sean White is in the perfectly groomed SuperPipe trying to top Danny Kass's score of 92.4. White is throwing his second consecutive 900 right over my head. Before I know it, he's got a gold medal around his neck and I'm running down the mountain trying to make it back to Denver for the Broncos-Patriots game that night. The AFC Wild-Card playoff game (hey, it's possible the Pats could be a Wild-Card team!) is close and goes into overtime on a TD pass from Jay Cutler to Tony Scheffler. By this point snow is coming down so hard that the overtime coin has to be brushed off to show the players which side is heads and which side is tails. Pats win the toss, and on 2nd and 6, Elvis Dumervil forces the ball out of Brady's hands. It's recovered by John Lynch who takes it into the endzone for the score and the win. Responses from other FSB bloggers are posted here in the "Best View" section. Go check them out, and then feel free to come up with your own dream sports doubleheader. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:12:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285125 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285125 Last week I was given the task to come up with my ultimate sports doubleheader. The only requirements were that the two sporting events could actually happen, and you had to be able to attend them in the same day. For example, attending a Red Sox home game against the Yankees on an afternoon in June, and then attending Game 2 of a Celtics playoff game against the Lakers later that night.   My answer:   It's a Sunday afternoon in January, and I'm in Aspen at the final day of competition for the X Games. Sean White is in the perfectly groomed SuperPipe trying to top Danny Kass's score of 92.4. White is throwing his second consecutive 900 right over my head. Before I know it, he's got a gold medal around his neck and I'm running down the mountain trying to make it back to Denver for the Broncos-Patriots game that night. The AFC Wild-Card playoff game (hey, it's possible the Pats could be a Wild-Card team!) is close and goes into overtime on a TD pass from Jay Cutler to Tony Scheffler. By this point snow is coming down so hard that the overtime coin has to be brushed off to show the players which side is heads and which side is tails. Pats win the toss, and on 2nd and 6, Elvis Dumervil forces the ball out of Brady's hands. It's recovered by John Lynch who takes it into the endzone for the score and the win. Responses from other FSB bloggers are posted here in the "Best View" section. Go check them out, and then feel free to come up with your own dream sports doubleheader. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:12:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285125 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285125 Defensive end is one of the most important positions on your defense. Look at the New York Giants and how they won the Superbowl. Pressure, pressure, and more pressure. Something Tom Brady is not used to seeing much of. So with that being said, here are the teams who benefit most from having a scary tandem at defensive end. 10. Kyle Vanden Bosch & Jevon Kearse: The unpredictable outcome of Jevon Kearse's return to Tennessee after a horrific showing in Philadelphia for the past 4 seasons pushes the Titan's tandem to ten. 9. Elvis Dumervil & John Engelberger: The Denver Broncos have a young star emerging on the line in Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil had a breakout season last year recording 12.5 sacks, 4 fumbles forced, and 1 interception. The problem is, the Broncos will have a position battle for the left defensive end spot. John Engelberger started last year but Jarvis Moss will be fighting for playing time and so will Tim Crowder, two young guys waiting to jump in and shine. Until they have an established left end, I cannot move them up the list. 8. Adewale Ogunleye & Mark Anderson: The two Chicago ends helped anchor a defense that pushed this team to a Superbowl appearance just two seasons ago. The defense took a step back last year and did not have the type of season that we are used to seeing from a Bear's defense. Ogunleye and Anderson each had an alright season, but not to potential. 7. Will Smith & Charles Grant: The New Orleans Saints are not especially known for their defense, but Smith and Grant want to make us believe otherwise. With the help of a revamped front 7 (additions of Jonathan Vilma and Sedrick Ellis) this tandem should be expected to do big things in 2008. 6. Mario Williams & Anthony Weaver: The first overall pick was a mistake right? Reggie Bush was the obvious pick right? Wrong. Dead wrong. Super Mario collected 14 sacks this past season and showed everyone that Houston made the right choice. But because of the lopsided sack count, as Weaver had 0 sacks, they must be placed 6th. Not to be disappointed, they'll get better with experience. 5. Patrick Kerney & Darryl Tapp: The Seahawks pass rush brings two different skill sets to the line. Strength and speed. Patrick Kerney's brute strength gets him to the quarterback. He recorded 14.5 sacks this past season, 2nd in the NFL. Darryl Tapp brings speed and versatility to the line in Seattle. At age 23, he tallied 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. Don't expect rest from these two, they bring it every single down. 4. Aaron Kampman & Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila: These two Green Bay stars are a bit overlooked by the football world. All the hype is on Brett Favre, but with his recent departure, it'll be up to the defense to get it done. Just check the stats, Kampman and KGB are the real deal. 3. Trent Cole & Chris Clemons: The Philadelphia Eagles are known for their offensive and defensive line play in the Andy Reid era. After Derrick Burgess departed to Oakland and Jevon Kearse did not pan out, Trent Cole has stepped in and been a force. His breakout numbers last season( 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles) showed he is among the elite pass rushers in the NFL. Clemons played for Oakland but his numbers don't lie. This 24 year old decided to breakout the same year as Cole with 8 sacks 2. Osi Umenyiora & Justin Tuck: With Michael Strahan's recent retirement, the Giants have a new look to their defensive line. Expect Osi to take a lot of double teams, but expect Tuck to explode. Tuck recorded 10 sacks last year and is good enough to step in and make an impact. Do not expect him to fill Strahan's shoes, but expect him to play very well in New York. 1. Jared Allen & Kenechi Udeze: Jared Allen is arguably the best defensive end in the NFL today. He lead the NFL in sacks last season and will be added to the Vikings stacked defensive line. With the Williams' brothers in the middle and Allen on the end, expect Udeze to have a big impact as a lot of focus will be off of him. These two hold the number one spot for the best defensive end tandem in the NFL for the 2008 season. Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:06:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278076 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278076 Before anyone criticizes our draft order we did it as fairly as we could. Four of our writers helped with the draft and we all agreed on our 12 playoff teams before we did anything. So we then drew team names out of a hat for the non playoff teams, positions 1-20. After that we stuck our 12 playoff teams in a hat and drew for positions 21-32. Amazingly Carolina got the top pick, which it traded to Philadelphia in the 2008 NFL Draft. There are a lot of happy Eagles fans out there. The biggest loser in our second NFL Mock Draft? The Atlanta Falcons who fall all the way from the #1 pick to the #9 pick. That means no Michael Crabtree or Michael Oher to compliment QB Matt Ryan. This time they select Travis Beckum, a very athletic tight end from Wisconsin. He should still help Ryan a lot. Some of the tougher picks of this mock draft were the Chargers, Saints, Patriots, and Colts picks at the end of the first round. Those four teams are all solid in a lot of areas (especially NE and IND). Guards aren't usually selected in the first round and we have San Diego selecting Duke Robinson. Robinson is a special talent and San Diego selected him in that spot because he probably would be gone by the time they selected in round two. Fili Moala is the big gainer in this mock draft. He gains 17 spots. Just to be honest, we knew he was too low in our initial mock draft but we just couldn't find anywhere to put him. The biggest faller was Tyson Jackson, falling 13 spots, but at least he made this draft. Brian Cushing fell considerably from the first mock draft, mainly due to need. Cushing fell from #19 out of the first round. Michael Johnson is a guy we have ranked fifth on our big board but he also tumbled out of this first round, once again mainly due to need for his position. These guys will eventually move their way back into the first round more than likely. Others that fell out of the first round were Brian Robiskie, Gregg Middleton, Chase Daniel, and Brandon Lafell. One major difference you will notice is that there are no trades in our mock draft. In our first one there were many, but this time around we just didn't see any trades happening although they were considered for every single team. One of the most considered spots to trade in this draft was #24 when San Diego was on the clock. They took Duke Robinson, a guard (as noted above) instead when no trade partner could be thought of. Chicago is a team that could jump in that position by trading future picks to take a quarterback like Sam Bradford or Chase Daniel. That would've also allowed San Diego to move back into the early second round into a spot where Robinson would more than likely be available. If you like this mock draft then please tell people about it. It takes a lot of work to do this every month. Email me here and let me know what you think about it. If you'd like to see what else has changed since our initial mock draft last month you can review our first one right here. Now without further ado, onto the mock draft: # Pick Pos School 1 WR Michael Crabtree (+0) (Via trade with Panthers) WR Texas Tech How about the luck of the Eagles? When we drew the team names out of a hat Carolina was drawn first, having the worst record in the NFL but the Panthers had already traded their pick in the 2008 draft to Philadelphia. That means Philadelphia has to take Michael Crabtree. Donovan McNabb has needed a big play receiver since Terrell Owens left town and the Texas Tech wide receiver would be that guy. 2 Michael Oher (+0) OT Ole Miss Michael Oher is the most talented offensive lineman in the draft. He does it all, and would help any team he goes to, especially the Houston Texans, who give up lots of sacks. 3 Matthew Stafford (+0) QB Georgia Stafford is the pick over Tim Tebow here. Matthew plays in a pro style offense and would probably be more NFL ready than his Florida counterpart. The Chiefs (just like the Jets in our initial mock draft) select a QB #3 overall. 4 Malcolm Jenkins (+4) CB Ohio State The Rams have nobody to hang with big, tall receivers. Jenkins is 6?3? and has excellent coverage skills. He anchored the top pass defense in the country in 2007, so the transition to the NFL should be pretty smooth. St. Louis gets the same guy as last team, only a bit higher 5 James Laurinaitus LB Ohio State In our first mock draft the Raiders took Laurinitus at #4 overall. This time they have the fifth pick and they still get their guy. This pick will help a linebacking core that needs a playmaker, plus Oakland has went offense the last two years. 6 George Selvie (+3) DE South Florida The Denver Broncos choose Selvie to complement Elvis Dumervil. Selvie is very quick off the line, and he makes a ton of backfield stops. He runs a 4.5 40, and should be able to help out Denver's D-Line right away. This guy is the real deal, and will likely impact this team immensely as a rookie. 7 Tim Tebow (-1) QB Florida The choices here were Chris Wells or Tim Tebow. Last time we went with Wells. This time we go with Tebow. Why? Well Jon Kitna is 35 years old and he keeps guaranteeing 10 win seasons for the Lions. That is going to get old in a hurry. 8 Travis Beckum (+12) TE Wisconsin The Atlanta Falcons have no real tight end, and unless one of their current five emerges as a star in the 2008 season, they will look to bolster that position in the draft. Travis Beckum is the best tight end in the draft, and the Falcons scoop him up at number 8. 9 Fili Moala (+17) DT USC Wow. Buffalo is loaded. There really wasn't an area of weakness here with Buffalo being set at every position. Marcus Stroud is recovering from an ankle injury so that's the only hole we can find at all. 10 Percy Harvin (+3) WR Florida Bernard Berrian is not a number one receiver. The Vikings really need help at this position, so they take Percy Harvin, the do-it-all receiver from Florida. Harvin will give Tarvaris Jackson a safety outlet, because he can make something out of nothing with his quickness. 11 Chris Wells (-1) RB Ohio State Cedric Benson has not been the answer at running back for Chicago. They need someone else so they take Wells here, the first running back taken at #11 overall. He would make an immediate impact. 12 Mryon Rolle (+2) FS Florida State Last time we had Andre Smith picked here, but with Scott Locklear and Walter Jones at OT and a rookie joining the depth chart it appears the Seahawks will go somewhere else here. Myron Rolle would help a secondary that could use use some depth. 13 Curtis Painter (-2) QB Purdue This could be a reach because Painter is not really a top rated player but San Francisco needs a quarterback badly. Alex Smith has not grasped the NFL offense and San Francisco has to give up on him eventually don't they? This would be moving past the AS Era in SF. 14 Rey Maualuga (-9) LB USC Maualuga would be an absolute steal here. In the last mock draft we had Washington taking Brian Cushing but by gaining five spots the Redskins can take the even higher rated USC linebacker, Maualuga. 15 Derrius Heyward-Bey (+6) WR Maryland Derrius Heyward-Bey is the choice over Byrd, Robiskie, and Maclin. The Dolphins just drafted Ted Ginn Jr in 07, but he is never going to be a star receiver. He is mainly just an electrifying return man. Their other choices at wideout are Earnest Wilford and Derek Hagan. 16 Andre Smith (-4) OT Alabama Willie Anderson is getting up in years and Smith is a top offensive lineman. The Alabama lineman would be a great choice for the Bengals because he would open up holes for Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson. 17 Demetrius Byrd (+0) WR LSU Jon Gruden loves big receivers. With Joey Galloway at 36 and Ike Hillard at 31 it is time to go young. The Buccaneers don't know how who their QB of the future is but when they figure it out that guy will need a young receiver to throw the ball to. 18 Knowshon Moreno (+5) RB Georgia We all know what happens when a running back hits 30 and Thomas Jones will do just that this season. If he does slow down then New York will have to draft a running back for the future. Moreno has quick feet and runs through the SEC's best defenses. 19 Alex Boone (-4) OT Ohio State The Ravens selected Michael Oher in our last mock draft but in this draft they are selecting 17 spots later which means they get Boone, the third highest rated OT in this draft. They select him because Jonathon Ogden is 33 and getting up there in years. 20 Tyson Jackson (-13) DE LSU Robaire Smith will turn 31 this upcoming season and he will eventually lose a step. Without any major need positions to fill the Browns draft Jackson, who stumbles 13 spots from our last draft just because of lack of need. 21 C. J. Spiller (-3) RB Clemson Edgerrin James will turn 30 this season and has struggled since he signed with the Cardinals. Whether of not he struggles in 2008 is a guess but either way Arizona needs to grab a young running back. Spiller would be a great addition. 22 Victor Harris (+6) CB Virginia Tech Mike McKenzie is one of the NFL's première corners but is already 32 years old. The Saints just drafted a cornerback, Tracy Porter, this year but they need a big time defensive back. Harris could be that guy for New Orleans if given the chance. 23 Brandon Spikes (+7) LB Florida James Farrior is entering his 12th season and will probably retire within the next three seasons. If Pittsburgh wants to look towards the future then Spikes would be a great choice. He brings lots of athleticism and has a nose that takes him to the football. 24 Duke Robinson (+NR) OG Oklahoma Guard is a position that is usually filled in the second round or later but Robinson is too good to pass up for the Chargers. Mike Goff is 32 years old at one of the most grueling positions in the NFL, so San Diego has to prepare for the upcoming years. 25 Vontae Davis (+0) CB Illinois Sam Madison will play his 12th NFL season this year. R. W. McQuarters will play his 11th. It's time to draft a cornerback if you're the Giants and Vontae Davis is the playmaker they need. He's not afraid to be aggressive off the line and is quick enough to recover if the receiver makes a move to get by him. 26 Aaron Kelly (+NR) WR Clemson I'm not sure how Dallas missed out on taking a receiver in the 2008 NFL Draft but they did, making it an absolute must in the 09 Draft. The Cowboys are so desperate that they are going to use PacMan Jones at receiver due to the Terry Glenn situation. 27 Taylor Mays (-11) S USC Mays is more of a free safety but the Patriots need a strong safety to replace Rodney Harrison when he loses a step. They already have Brandon Merriweather to play free safety. Mays is a great player and would be a steal at #27 overall. In our last mock draft we had him going #16 overall. 28 Jeremy Maclin (-1) WR Missouri This pick would do two things for Tennessee. First of all we know Tennessee has to grab a receiver in this draft because their receiving corps is just not getting it done, so this would fill that need. Secondly Maclin would be a return man that electrifies crowds the same way PacMan Jones did before he was traded to Dallas. 29 Wopamo Osaisai (+NR) CB Stanford The Al Harris-Charles Woodson era in Green Bay cannot last forever. With Davis (the guy Green Bay took in our initial mock draft) gone the Packers go to the next wave of defensive backs. Osaisai will be a late first to mid second round pick. 30 Chase Coffman (+NR) TE Missouri Dallas Clark is a young guy that the Colts move around in the slot and put in many different places. Coffman would be a true tight end that could block and help Peyton Manning in the passing game. Clark is a do it all guy. Coffman would be strictly a tight end, something Indianapolis doesn't already have. They are basically set in every position. 31 Nic Harris (+NR) S Oklahoma Brian Dawkins is 34 and although J. R. Reed and Sean Considine are decent players neither are in the same league as Dawkins. The Eagles hope Harris can fill the void that Dawkins will leave when he retires when they select him here. 32 Senderrick Marks (+NR) DT Auburn The Jaguars continue working on their defensive line after taking Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves in the 08 Draft. Rob Meier is 30 so the Jaguars take Marks in a toss up over Al Woods from LSU here as the final pick in the NFL Draft. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:59:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277375 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277375 Three-time Pro Bowler DE Julius Peppers was seen at the Denver Nuggets game Sunday night, which resulted in rumors that a deal is in the works between Denver and Carolina for a trade involving Peppers. Peppers still has one more year on his current contract with Carolina, but considering Peppers was in Denver and the Broncos finished 19th in run defense, it has risen many rumors that this trade could be a possibility. This would be a great deal for Denver if they could bring Peppers in because it bolsters their run defense tremendously, and they would have two very good pass rushers along with Elvis Dumervil. If the two teams ever agree on a trade, I would expect it would be on Draft Day, and Denver would trade draft picks for Peppers. As a Broncos fan though, I just say give them Dre Bly and a draft pick, because the Broncos have a solid third corner in Domonique Foxworth and one or two draft picks won't hurt if they are getting Julius Peppers in return. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:49:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/206417 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/206417 Who do you think the best pass rushers for the 2007 season are and how do they compare to the great pass rushers of the 1990's? Contemporary pass-rushing specialists such as Seattle's Patrick Kerney, the Giants' Michael Strahan and Kansas City's Jared Allen (39 combined sacks in 2007) have the ability to thrive in almost any era. This article also explains the different moves and techniques of pass rushing. Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:13:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/203447 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/203447 Friday's FIO weekly fantasy football columns deals with those leagues that implement Individual Defensive Players (IDP) - co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the key defensive players to keep an eye on in Week 10. Check this article each and every week on Fridays. Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:58:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/35246 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/35246 Friday's FIO weekly fantasy football columns deals with those leagues that implement Individual Defensive Players (IDP) - co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the key defensive players to keep an eye on in Week 9. Check this article each and every week on Fridays. Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:24:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/34161 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/34161 Friday's FIO weekly fantasy football columns deals with those leagues that implement Individual Defensive Players (IDP) - co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the key defensive players to keep an eye on in Week 5. Check this article each and every week on Fridays. Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:26:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29809 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29809 Friday's FIO weekly fantasy football columns deals with those leagues that implement Individual Defensive Players (IDP) - co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the key defensive players to keep an eye on in Week 4. Check this article each and every week on Fridays. Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:29:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28834 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28834 This year's race for the division in the west is basically a two team race between the Broncos and Chargers. Most people have picked San Diego to win the west, but I think Denver has a much better shot than people think. Their team is vastly improved from last years squad, mostly because of the many offseason changes and signings. With the addition of Travis Henry in the backfield, it makes Denver's running game greater than it was simply because they have the best back, right now, that they have had since Terrell Davis. It is basically a given that the running game will be one of the best in the league. The Broncos also picked up Daniel Graham and Brandon Stokley to go with Javon Walker, Rod Smith, and Brandon Marshall give Jay Cutler more weapons to throw to. And Jay Cutler will be very good, he is smart and has a great arm. They also signed Pat Ramsey to give them a solid backup if Cutler gets hurt. On the defensive side of the ball, their biggest signing was Dre' Bly, who will go opposite the best defensive player in the league, Champ Bailey and John Lynch, will help make the Denver secondary the best in the league, bar none. And with the pick up of Sam Adams, second year man Elvis Dumervil, who led the Broncos in sacks last year as a rookie, to go along with recently drafted Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, and Marcus Thomas, will definately make the pass rush legit. Also, D.J. Williams is a very good linebacker and complemented by Ian Gold. The defense will be better than people expect, and that is what Denver will need to get the division crown. Yes, San Diego does have great talent at many positions, like LaDainian Tomlinson, Shawne Merriman, and Antonio Gates and will be very good this season, but Denver will definately be there at the end of the regular season to play for the title. I give them a great shot because of the abundance of talent, the running game, and Mike Shanahan. Remember, second to last game, Christmas Eve, Denver at San Diego. That just might be the deciding game. Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:31:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23701 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23701