Yardbarker: Ed Reed

Mr. REEEEEE(ally hurt??)D!!!!

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:58:25 -0500

Yeah, so...Ed Reed still hasn't practiced, and speculation is starting to mount that he may be quite seriously injured....

Who is the best safety in the NFL right now?

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:04:36 -0500

Who is the best safety in the NFL right now? This is how the voting is going at this time. How do you Barkers feel? Ed Reed 29% [ 34 ] Kerry Rhodes 35% [ 41 ] Bob Sanders 17% [ 21 ] Troy Polamalu 2% [ 3 ] Adrian Wilson 15% [ 18 ] Total Votes : 117 I want to know where Dawkins is? If its because of injuries, why is Polumau on this list? My question to the yard is, who do you feel are the top 5 Safeties in the NFL Now? This is my top 10, we need the 5 Best Safeties Today? What do you think yard? 1.Kerry Rhodes 2.ED Reed 3.Bob Sanders 4.Adrian Wilson 5.Brian Dawkins 6.Tory Polumalu 7.Darren Sharper 8.Ken Hamlin 9.Atari Bigby 10.Chris Harris

Kickin' it with Beckham and My Week in LA

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:44:34 -0500

Hey yardbarkers, how's everyone doing? Last week was a crazy week for me. I was only in LA for five days, but so much happened each day and I just had to share all the crazy stories with all of you. This off-season, I went to a lot of wonderful places all over the country and world - Brazil, the Dominican Republic, NY, Phoenix, Vegas... It's safe to say, though, that of all these trips, my week in LA for the ESPYs was one of my favorites. Before last week, I had only been there once for the BET awards, but my schedule was so tight on that trip that I didn't really get to experience the city. So this time I set out with two goals in mind: work out and enjoy everything that LA has to offer. During the first couple days I spent some time working out at the Home Depot Center, which is the home of the LA Galaxy soccer team. When I first got there, I didn't put two and two together that since it's the Galaxy stadium, this was where David Beckham plays. When I got there, I saw this guy standing and talking to one of my trainers. We casually said "hi" to each other, and as I walked away I kept thinking to myself that he looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Eventually, I figured it out and confirmed with one of the other guys that it really was Beckham. He was shorter than I thought he'd be, but seeing him was a cool way to kick off my week. There were also quite a few NFL stars there that I got to work out with and talk to. Reggie Bush and I hung out and talked a little trash. He's real laid back, and we ended up joking around a lot together. Someone else that I really enjoyed meeting was TJ Houshmandzadeh. I used to play for the Ravens, so TJ wasn't exactly a favorite person of mine. Up until last week, the picture I had in my mind of him was on the field with Chad Johnson, talking serious trash to our guys like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. Because of that, I had always thought that he was a very ill-tempered guy, but when I got to meet him with his helmet off, he turned out to be one of the nicest guys I've ever met. After the workouts on my first day, I was really excited because I had been invited to a party at the Playboy Mansion that night. There was a lot of confusion involved in actually getting there, though. I was supposed to go to UCLA, where there was a shuttle that would take us to the Mansion. Of course, the GPS system broke in the Sebring I'd rented (yes, a Sebring - that's what happens when you're in a rush at the rental place.) With no GPS and this being my second time in LA, I had no clue how to get to the campus. I was calling friends and asking random people on the side of the road at every stoplight, trying to get directions and make it there on time. Luckily, I did. The focus of the evening was a charity poker tournament, so it wasn't one of those big official Playboy parties, and there aren't any crazy stories to tell. I did have a great time, though. It's a huge mansion, and I ran into anybody and everybody. One of the more interesting parts of the party was the waitresses, who were completely naked aside from the paint that covered their bodies. Pretty much the kind of thing you would expect at Hef's house. The Girls Next Door ladies also came down for a bit just to make an appearance. All-in-all, it was a great night, and I can finally say I fulfilled every teenage boy's dream by going there. The next day I worked out again, then in the evening I went on a date to a pretty well-known sushi place called Nobu. This ended up being a very "LA" experience for me. There were tons of celebrities in the restaurant. I recognized all kinds of people from TV shows and movies that I'd seen, and I got really excited and a little star-struck. It was difficult to play it cool and act like I was used to this sort of thing. You can't embarrass yourself by acting like too much of a fan in those situations. Another thing about this place that was very different from anything you see in Atlanta was the paparazzi standing outside. This was my first experience with them, and I was genuinely curious. I asked one of the guys if he was really on the clock while he was just standing there holding his camera, and he told me that yes, he was being paid for waiting around. I can't believe that's actually their job! The photographers weren't exactly interested in me, which is just fine because I really don't need all those flashing cameras in my face. But when Lebron James walked out, the light bulbs started flashing and everybody was yelling out questions. It was a crazy thing to see. The next day (Wednesday) was when the ESPYs were filmed, and it was even more hectic and exciting than the other two days. Stay tuned - I'll be writing about and sharing video of my day as Yardbarker's red carpet correspondent very soon!

Ravens Miss Deadline on Signing Terrell Suggs

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:44:45 -0500

Okay, no need to panic about the Baltimore Ravens missing the Tuesday deadline to ink franchise tagged Terrell Suggs to a deal. No need to worry, right? Or is there? Ravens' GM Ozzie Newsome says they'll have a deal in place, and Suggs has said he wants to be in Baltimore, but what about when other big time players come up for renegotiation? It's a question Newsome himself subconsciously entertained: "We view him like Ed Reed, Todd Heap, Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden," Newsome said. "He is one of those guys that we want to keep a Raven." Exactly. And that's the exact reason why more than a 'serious' offer should have been floated his way. And then Suggs himself is questioning how serious he is about a deal. "At this point, I don't know," Suggs said five months ago. "I love my teammates, and I want to be there for them. Before I make a decision, I'll talk to a lot of people. I'll confide in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, see what they think I should do and what is best for everybody." He didn't sign the offer, so apparently there's a lot of thinking going on. It's clear that money is on players' minds more than ever, with revelations about pending strikes and money woes from the mouths of owners, they have to look out for their long term interests. Perhaps if Newsome wasn't so good at spying defensive talent, there wouldn't be a question of balancing the books between several sure-fire Hall-of-Fame players on the current payroll.

koolaid's favas

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:13:20 -0500

this iz an allstar team dat can win

Read It And Weep, Prisco

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:49:48 -0500

I loved Prisco's top 50, but there were definite faults in it. Even though he did a great job tackling the Brady v. Manning topic, some of his picks were, how do you say, questionable. Here is my attempt at naming the top 50 players in the NFL. With 1696 players on the active roster, cutting it down to 50 is tough, but here I go. 1. Tom Brady/QB/New England Patriots (Prisco Ranking-1): Ugh. I hate this. I hate putting Brady at number one. 50 touchdown passes does qualify him for this spot though. This doesn't feel right. Do I have to put Patriots players on my list? 2. Peyton Manning/QB/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-2): Ah, this feels better. Manning in his downyear through for more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, got his team a first-round bye while missing his top wide receiver for most of the year. Scary to think of what he can do with the whole team in his "great" years. 3. Randy Moss/WR/New England Patriots (Prisco-4): When he's not bumping traffic cops, he's pushing off of cornerbacks and safeties to break the receiving touchdowns in a season record (although that title is complete bogus). He should do well again this year, but not 20+ touchdowns. 4. LaDanian Tomlinson/RB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-3): LDT is a Hall of Fame running back, but there are other backs in the league that are catching up to him. Tomlinson can do it all: run, catch, and even pass. He's the definition of an all-around back. 5. Bob Sanders/S/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-7): Sanders is definitely the best defender in the league. No other defensive player changes a game in the way that Sanders does. We've all seen what the Colts did on defense in 2007 as opposed to the Sanders-less 2006. 6. Jared Allen/DE/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-12): Legal matters aside, Allen has moved into the category of a healthy Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney as the game's premier pass rushers. He got 15.5 sacks in 14 games last year. It is crazy to put him out of the top 10. 7. Antonio Cromartie/CB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-NR): I have no idea how Antonio Cromartie was not ranked by Prisco. Cromartie led the league in interceptions, returned a missed field goal for a touchdown, and he recovered 2 fumbles. He was definitely the best corner in the league last year. 8. Adrian Peterson/RB/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-15): Peterson exploded onto the scene last season, running for over 1300 yards, leading the league in rushing yards per game, and taking home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. 9. DeMarcus Ware/OLB/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-9): Last season, Ware had the best season of his career. He had career-highs in sacks and tackles, and he is only going to improve. 10. Walter Jones/OT/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-16): Even though the Seahawks have no offensive weapons, the Seahawks have a top 10 offense. How is it possible? This man is the reason why. 11. Nnamdi Asomugha/CB/Oakland Raiders (Prisco-29) 12. Brian Westbrook/RB/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-20) 13. Reggie Wayne/WR/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-22) 14. Steve Hutchinson/OG/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-19) 15. Albert Haynesworth/DT/Tennessee Titans (Prisco-14) 16. Terrell Owens/WR/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-13) 17. Jeff Saturday/C/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-NR) 18. Champ Bailey/CB/Denver Broncos (Prisco-5) 19. Shawne Merriman/OLB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-11) 20. Kevin Williams/DT/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-10) 21. Dwight Freeney/DE/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-25) 22. Ed Reed/S/Baltimore Ravens (Prisco-23) 23. Jason Peters/OT/Buffalo Bills (Prisco-27) 24. Richard Seymour/DE/New England Patriots (Prisco-30) 25. Braylon Edwards/WR/Cleveland Browns (Prisco-34) 26. Devin Hester/RS/Chicago Bears (Prisco-50) 27. Andre Johnson/WR/Houston Texans (Prisco-26) 28. Chad Johnson/WR/Cincinnati Bengals (Prisco-28) 29. Asante Samuel/CB/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-37) 30. Patrick Willis/MLB/San Francisco 49ers (Prisco-43) 31. Antonio Gates/TE/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-24) 32. Osi Umenyiora/DE/New York Giants (Prisco-42) 33. Tony Romo/QB/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-NR) 34. Tony Gonzalez/TE/Kansas City Chiefs (Prisco-46) 35. Steven Jackson/RB/St. Louis Rams (Prisco-33) 36. Patrick Kerney/DE/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-NR) 37. Mario Williams/DE/Houston Texans (Prisco-6) 38. Ernie Sims/OLB/Detroit Lions (Prisco-39) 39. Larry Fitzgerald/WR/Arizona Cardinals (Prisco-31) 40. Ben Roethlisberger/QB/Pittsburgh Steelers (Prisco-17) 41. Lofa Tatupa/MLB/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-40) 42. Adrian Wilson/S/Arizona Cardinals (Prisco-NR) 43. Shawn Andrews/OG/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-38) 44. Tommie Harris/DT/Chicago Bears (Prisco-36) 45. Pat Williams/DT/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-NR) 46. Aaron Kampman/DE/Green Bay Packers (Prisco-45) 47. Drew Brees/QB/New Orleans Saints (Prisco-35) 48. Brian Urlacher/MLB/Chicago Bears (Prisco-32) 49. Larry Johnson/RB/Kansas City Chiefs (Prisco-NR) 50. Plaxico Burress/WR/New York Giants (Prisco-NR) Unranked Players On My List That Are On Prisco's List: Carson Palmer (8) Charles Woodson (18) Steve Smith (21) Vince Wilfork (41) Kellen Winslow (44) Marcus Trufant (47) Wes Welker (48) Fred Taylor (49)

Daniel’s Top 20 NFL Players

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:30:58 -0500

Pete Prisco off of Sportsline.com recently listed his Top 50 NFL players, something he does anually during the offseason. I think it is a great idea, so I figured I'd make a list of my own. My list only has 20 players but I will add more if you guys want to see it, but [...]

Dawks08 Safety Rankings: Dawks or Reed?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:16:07 -0500

Okay first imma list top 5 safety combos Q and Dawks Bethea and Sanders Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin Madieu Williams (hopefully) and Darren Sharper Phillips and Jackson Okay now, everyone says Ed Reed is the best safety in the NFL. Well guessing my screenname you probably guessed it, I honest to god believe Dawks is the greatest safety to play football on any level. Steve Atwater Ronnie Lott you guys are all great and i think the world of you but you got nothing on the all time DB fumble-forcer and 33 ints not too shabby, but dont forget that Dawks is defected in that he has coronea problems so god is that a soldier or what? Better safety Reed or Dawks and name your greatest of all time

Top 10 Defensive End Tandems

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:06:40 -0500

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.

Whatifsports AFC North Preview

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:28:31 -0500

Whatifsports looks at the AFC North, which looks to be a battle between the improved Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. We simulated every game and provide you with team analysis, projected scores and fantasy sleepers.

Gang Green is looking mean!

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:53:09 -0500

When I say Gang Green, I mean the defense. This year, the Eagles might have the best defense that they ever had in the Reid era. Not only that but they may have set up a situation in which they could have a great defense for many years to come. My reasons for saying these things are that our defensive line is so deep this year. There are, in my eyes, no question marks on the defensive line. We know what Trent Cole is capable of and we know what Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson can do together. Those 3 will only get better each year. Chris Clemons in my eyes is not a question mark, he is a stud. Playing for the raiders his first few years, he finally broke the mold and tallied 8 sacks this past season. At age 24, he seems like he is starting to understand the game and is only going to get better in a better system in Philadelphia. The backups are Juqua Parker who can provide big plays when he is called upon and Victor Abiamiri who will get worked in occasionally and make plays. The reason I think that the backups, or role players if you would like to call them that, will make big plays is because they are surrounded by talent. The veterans like Cole and Patterson will take them under their wing and teach them a thing or two and help them through the early years of their career. Bryan Smith, a 3rd round draft pick this year, is very fast and physical and he can make plays early in his career, and mold for the future as well. With all that pressure on the quarterback, it only makes the backfield play better. A backfield which consists of Asante Samuel, Brian Dawkins, Lito Sheppard (as of now), and Sheldon Brown. If they get a lot of help from the defensive line they will all be able to make plays and get turnovers, a statistic that the Eagles lacked last year. Now we move to the linebackers. This is the reason that I think our defense can be good for a long time in the future. Omar Gaither, Stewart Bradley, Akeem Jordan, and Chris Gocong. Who? Unless you are an Eagles fan that is the question you are probably asking. Well after cutting Takeo Spikes this offseason the Eagles turned the reigns over to these four youngsters. Many think that they aren't experienced enough to take this big of a role this early in their career. I think opposite. There is so much talent in the backfield and on the line that this is the perfect time for these guys to start learning and maturing. The offense will not be completely focused on stopping the linebackers from making plays. In fact, the offense might try to pick on the linebackers and that may be a problem early on but it will give them a challenge to overcome and make them better. But with that being said, all the focus is on stopping Trent Cole and throwing away from Samuel. The linebackers can surprise the offense by sneaking up and making plays when no one thinks they are capable of doing so Stewart Bradley, 6'4 255, recorded a sack and an interception in his first career start against the New Orleans Saints last year. He also helped on a huge goal line stand and looked very elusive on the defensive side of the ball. Jordan looked very good too. Fast and physical. Gaither and Gocong started last year so they are the ones who will be teaching the younger linebackers. Gaither said that Bradley takes in information faster than anyone he has ever played with. He also said he reminds him of Brian Urlacher with his size and speed. Don't get me wrong here I am not saying he is the next Urlacher, but I believe he will be a good player. After a few seasons, when most of the veterans have passed on, the defense will be anchored by this young corps of linebackers. They will then be mature, veteran linebackers and will know eachother very well. From that point on, the Eagles can build around the linebackers and have a very good defense for a long time.

A League in need of nicknames: the AFC North

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:42:27 -0500

Baltimore Ravens Ed Reed → Granite Reed. "Granite" implies strength and solidity, but what I like most about it, as it relates to Ed Reed, is that it also has an air of permanence. It's always going to be there. When you need a tackle, Granite will be there. When you need a pass broken up, Granite will be there. When you need a big play for a touchdown, Granite will be there. Granite has no holes or weaknesses. Pittsburgh Steelers Casey Hampton → Burger Hampton. Every other star Steeler has a nickname of some kind of gimmick. "Big" Ben Roethlisberger (or, as I prefer, Large Benjamin), "Fast" Willie Parker, Hines Ward has his ever-present smile, and Troy Polamalu has his hair. But Casey Hampton's at least as valuable as any of them, and he's without any kind of nickname. It's not fair. Cleveland Browns Kellen Winslow → Paddles Winslow. The Browns are kind of a tough one, as Derek Anderson already has a fantastic nickname that commentators can't use, no one's sure if it's even worth giving Brady Quinn a nickname (though, if it was, I'd suggest "La Fogata" Quinn), and I don't know if Kellen Winslow is ever going to get away from the "Soldier" comments. And believe me, I'll be using it as a source of cheap jokes for years and years to come. But I think someone on the current Browns roster needs a nickname to signify that resurrection of the Browns, and Winslow's gotta be the guy. No one knows who their QB of the future will be, and Winslow was there, giving the team a little spark and a little sizzle before anyone else. Cincinnati Bengals Carson Palmer → Cornhole Palmer. I love the thought of two 80-year-old guys on their porch, years from now, reminiscing about the Bengals glory days, "Ol' Cornhole Palmer," and his magical arm. Now, I realize that this can't happen, as "cornhole," has a rather unsavory meaning, particularly when used as a verb and in a nonconsensual way. That's not how Carson Palmer means it, though, nor is it the meaning held by many well-intentioned, beanbag-tossing midwesterners. When you host the "Carson Palmer Cornhole Classic," though I think you've got to be ready for whatever people want to do with it. And if you're bold enough to take the step and use it, it could refer to Carson Palmer's ability to, um, put the defense in a compromising position. *yeah that last one is not gonna go over so well,specially with Palmer"

any of these true

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:54:10 -0500

Ive heard rumers about eagles geting moss,wayne,reed,fitsgerald,williams and probly more i cant think of ant proff for any of these

Want To Work Out With Ray Lewis?

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:19:19 -0500

Ray Lewis and Ed Reed joined up with Monte Sanders to make a workout dvd. Fun!

10 Thoughts From Yesterday's AFC/NFC Championship Games

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:51:42 -0500

1. Who else thinks L.T. sat there crying with his helmet on? 2. If it wasn't for his battery allegations, I would have completely forgot Randy Moss was even playing football judging from his last two games. Talk about getting shut down.