Yardbarker: Marcus Harrison

2008 NFL Rookie Year End Report

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:44:41 -0500

January is here again, and like last year, we present you with the PHSports Rookie Year End Report. This also signals our shift to the 2009 NFL draft. Look for our Mock Drafts that will be coming soon.

Top 10 Offensive Rookies:

Matt Ryan (courtesy of emqb)

1. Matt Ryan, QB ? Atlanta Falcons
2. Joe Flacco, QB ? Baltimore Ravens
3. (tie) Matt Forte, RB ? Chicago Bears
3. (tie) Chris Johnson, RB ? Tennessee Titans
3. (tie) Steve Slaton, RB ? Houston Texans
6. Ryan Clady, OT ? Denver Broncos
7. Jake Long, OT ? Miami Dolphins
8. Eddie Royal, WR ? Denver Broncos
9. Kevin Smith, RB ? Detroit Lions
10. Jonathan Stewart, RB ? Carolina Panthers

Top 10 Defensive Rookies:

Jerod Mayo (courtesy of daylife)

1. Jerod Mayo, LB ? New England Patriots
2. Chris Horton, S ? Washington Redskins
3. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB ? Arizona Cardinals
4. Curtis Lofton, LB ? Atlanta Falcons
5. Brandon Carr, CB ? Kansas City Chiefs
6. Brandon Flowers, CB ? Kansas City Chiefs
7. Antoine Cason, CB ? San Diego Chargers
8. Cliff Avril, DE ? Detroit Lions
9. Aqib Talib, CB ? Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Jason Jones, DT ? Tennessee Titans

Top 3 Rookie Squads (By Team):

1) Atlanta Falcons: QB Matt Ryan, OT Sam Baker, LB Curtis Lofton, CB Chevis Jackson, WR Harry Douglas
2) Denver Broncos: OT Ryan Clady, WR Eddie Royal, RB Ryan Torain, FB Spencer Larson, S Josh Barrett, RB Peyton Hillis, LB Wesley Woodard, P Brett Kern
3) Kansas City Chiefs: DT Glenn Dorsey, OT Branden Albert, CB Brandon Flowers, RB Jamaal Charles, CB Brandon Carr, CB Maurice Leggett

2008 PHSports NFL All-Rookie Team:

QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons ? Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan finished the season with 3440 yards 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also had a 61.1 completion percentage and an 87.7 passer rating. All great numbers for a rookie QB. But, most impressive was his ability to lead a team, decimated by debacles surrounding Bobby Petrino and Michael Vick, to the playoffs. Joe Flacco also deserves mention as he did similar things with the Ravens. (Backup: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens)

RB: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears & Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans & Steve Slaton, Houston Texans ? Many, including Chris Johnson, feel that Johnson was the top RB in this year?s draft. Actually Johnson thought he was the top player in the draft. I put Matt Forte and Steve Slaton right up there with him as the top RB. All three rushed for similar yardage (1200+). Slaton had 9 TDs, while Forte and Johnson had 8. All had good receiving numbers. Forte had 63 catches for 4 TDs, Slaton had 50 for 1 TD and Johnson had 43 for 1 TD. All three were solid contributors to their teams in positions where the teams needed help. (Backups: Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions; Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers)

WR: Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos & DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles ? Eddie Royal came out of nowhere on the first Monday Night Football game of the season, nabbing 9 passes for 146 yards and a TD. He continued to be productive all season as Brandon Marshall?s running mate, finishing with 91 catches 980 yards and 5 TDs, leading all rookies in those receiving categories. DeSean Jackson caught 62 passes for 912 yards for 2 scores. Both receivers were also cogs in the return game, with Jackson adding a TD on a punt return. (Backups: Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams; Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins)

TE: John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks ? It was a tight race for the top rookie TE. Receiving numbers were comparable with Carlson nabbing 55 passes for 617 yards and 4 TDs. However, the caveat that must be taken into consideration was that Carlson had to shoulder more of a load with all the injuries at WR in Seattle. (Backup: Dustin Keller, New York Jets)

C: Jamey Richard, Indianapolis Colts ? There wasn?t much playing time given to rookie centers this year, however Jamey Richard is definitely deserved of this spot. In the seven games that he filled in for Jeff Saturday, the Colts didn?t skip a beat, going 5-2.

G: Mike Pollak, Indianapolis Colts & Carl Nicks, New Orleans Saints ? Both rookie guards started the last 13 games of the season for their teams. Mike Pollak brought a run blocking presence to the Colts that they haven?t had at guard in a few years. He will be a mainstay on that line for years. Carl Nicks was forced into starting when Jamar Nesbit went down. He did such a great job that when Nesbit returned, Nicks held the starting spot. (Backup: Jeremy Zuttah, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

T: Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos & Jake Long, Miami Dolphins ? Both Clady and Long started all 16 games for their teams. Clady was especially dominant all season, and should have garnered Pro Bowl attention. He gave up on a ? sack all season and was only flagged 3 times. Long lived up to his status as the #1 overall pick, helping a 1-15 team improve by solidifying the offensive front and protecting his QB who received some MVP votes. (Backups: Jeff Otah, Carolina Panthers; Duane Brown, Houston Texans)

DT: Sedrick Ellis, New Orleans Saints & Jason Jones, Tennessee Titans ? This wasn?t the best year for DTs, but there were a couple that stood out. Sedrick Ellis was thrust into the starting role from day one, holding his own and finishing with 30 tackles and 4 sacks. Jones, on the other hand, didn?t play much early, but his impact later in the season could not be overlooked. He finished with 5 sacks (with 3.5 coming in a dominant game against Pittsburgh). Jones is also versatile enough to move over to DE. (Backups: Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs; Marcus Harrison, Chicago Bears)

DE: Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions & Trevor Scott, Oakland Raiders ? Like DT, the pickings at DE were somewhat slim this year. Many big names failed to step up. Avril didn?t start until the last month of the season, but proved his worth on the hapless Lions team by registering 4 of his 5 sacks in the last 6 games. Trevor Scott was a pass rushing specialist for the Raiders. While he never started, he put together 5 sacks in his limited play and should be a bigger part of the defense next season. (Backups: Chris Long, St. Louis Rams; Kendall Langford, Miami Dolphins)

LB: Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots & Curtis Lofton, Atlanta Falcons & Keith Rivers, Cincinnati Bengals ? Defensive Rookie of the Year Jarod Mayo leads a deep set of rookie LBs that contributed to their teams this season. He finished the season with 128 tackles and solidified himself as a starter in the middle of the Patriots 3-4 defense for a long time. Curtis Lofton might have won the DROY honors if it wasn?t for Mayo?s great year. Lofton was a key part of a defense (94 tackles) that reversed the fortune of the Falcons and got them to the playoffs. Keith Rivers didn?t play the entire year as he had a season-ending injury, however, he started off strong enough to garner a spot on this team. His impact went beyond the numbers as well, as he showed great coverage skills in his short time. (Backups: Wesley Woodard, Denver Broncos; Xavier Adibi, Houston Texans)

CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona Cardinals & Brandon Carr, Kansas City Chiefs ? While the Arizona Cardinals had teams passing all over them, DRC held his own while being thrown into the fire as a rookie. DRC picked 4 passes on the season, including a 99 yarder for a TD. He also batted down 23 passes, which is the reason I rate him as highly as I did. It won?t be long before he?s a shutdown corner in this league. Carr, a 5th rounder, stepped up from Day 1 for the Chiefs. He amassed 73 tackles and played as the Chiefs? top corner all season. (Backups: Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs; Antoine Cason, San Diego Chargers; Aqib Talib, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Dwight Lowery, New York Jets)

S: Chris Horton, Washington Redskins & Kenny Phillips, New York Giants ? Horton started the year off as the early favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Much of his ball-hawking hype came off a 3 turnover (2 INT, 1 Fumble Recover) game against New Orleans in Week 2. However, his play the rest of the season still landed him on this squad, as he was all over the field as a safety making tackles (76) and coming up big in run support. Kenny Phillips didn?t start many games for the Giants, but was a key contributor to the defending Super Bowl Champs? defensive backfield. He registered 67 tackles and an interception. In a full-time role next season, he could end up doing a lot more damage to offenses. (Backup: Charles Godfrey, Carolina Panthers)

Special Teams: K Dan Carpenter, Miami Dolphins & P Brett Kern, Denver Broncos & KR/PR Clifton Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ? Carpenter looked pretty good in his rookie season, going 21 for 25 on field goals, including a 50 yarder. Brett Kern had a nice year in the Mile High air, by booting 46 punts for a 46.7 yard average. Clifton Smith, undrafted out of Fresno State, caused teams to start kicking away from him. He returned both a kickoff and a punt for TDs this season.

Bears Top Colts 29-13

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:35:48 -0500

There were many big questions for both teams coming into Sunday nights matchup, they all were answered. The Big Questions For the Colts were: Would Peyton Manning be rusty, and could their banged up Offensive Line protect him. The Big Questions for the Bears were: How would their patchwork Offensive line fair against The Colts [...]

Bears DT Tommie Harris Could Miss Week One?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:22:18 -0500

A source said the Bears' medical staff has expressed concern that defensive tackle Tommie Harris' knee injury might be more serious than the team first thought, but team officials rejected that idea Tuesday night. Harris hasn't practiced since after the third exhibition game Aug. 21, according to a team source. If Harris is limited or doesn't play against the Colts, he likely would be replaced in the lineup by a group including Anthony Adams, Dusty Dvoracek and promising rookie Marcus Harrison.

53-Shuffle: Bears Defensive Evaluation

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:43:22 -0500

Defensive Line: I understand the recent injuries of the defensive tackles, the inability to stop the run up the middle, and the lack of a second force inside next to Tommie Harris, but why keep a total of nine linemen on D - 2 more than on the offensive side of the ball?? Overall, I [...]

New Bears Season, Same Story

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:33:18 -0500

Some things change, but for the Chicago Bears, it appears that at least one thing stays the same.? The Bears lost their second preseason game to the Seattle Seahawks and the game plan remains unchanged from the previous seasons under Lovie Smith.? The offense was completely useless except in small

TAVERN TALK

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:14:41 -0500

THINGS I LEARNED TODAY

1. I love Warren Sapp as a player and as a person who has great respect for and knowledge of the game. See the link below for his take on the whole Brett Favre trade (the link will take you off this site). And congratulations to Warren for being the next member of the NFL Network team. He will do an amazing job providing clean and HONEST opinion. He will be prepared. Sapp is very knowledgeable about many topics other than sports. I recall one instance in particular. It was right before the Raiders were slated to play the Washington Redskins. I had invited ABC political columnist and writer, George Will and his son to Oakland's practice. His son Jonathan is a die-hard Redskins fan. When practice was over, Warren was the only player who went up to Mr. Will and engaged in a full conversation. His knowledge of world events is quite impressive.

Video: Sapp Interview on Favre Trade

2. I had a very long conversation today with someone who has played in the NFL and knows both the Packer and Jet offensive systems. He thinks that unless Favre really prepares, he will face a huge challenge. I expressed my opinions earlier today in an SI article and in this blog. The Jets have to approach this situation like it is going to work. They have to pour all their time and energy into making this offense work with Favre. They are going to have to be very adaptive.

3. Watch Chad Pennington's agent Tom Condon create a bidding war for the services of his client. I think the Chiefs, the Fins, and maybe even the Raiders should talk to Chad, assuming the price is right. Pennington wants to be a starter and clearly believes he has the ability. Whichever team can prove to him and assure him that he will start is the one that will have the upper hand in winning the deal. I am betting on Miami.

4. Here is Tampa's GM Bruce Allen on the Favre talks:

Interviewer: Did you get that feeling in your negotiations with Green Bay that perhaps this was going to be a brutal effort trying to get Favre to Tampa Bay?

Allen: "There were no negotiations. There was never any substance or talk about what it would take for [the Packers] to trade him. All of that was speculation. In the beginning, I think it was clear that it was a bad situation in Green Bay and they had to deal with it in any way they could.

Interviewer: So you had absolutely no negotiations whatsoever and there was never any conversation about compensation or an opportunity?

Allen: "No. None at all."

Allen is trying to protect his team and Jeff Garcia. He said there were no negotiations, which would be accurate except for the fact the Bucs made an offer and thought that, at the end of the day, they would acquire Favre. Allen needs to do some damage control internally to make sure that "certain" players feel comfortable. I really get the feeling (and people that know are confirming this) that the Bucs thought Favre would never agree to go to NY.

5. There are five preseason games tonight and I'm very interested to see how New Orleans running back Pierre Thomas performs. They need him to play well and it's always good in these types of games to load up young backs with plenty of carries. It is important to learn how the backs will perform after they have been hit and get tired. Stamina in backs is crucial.

6. The Ravens start the John Harbaugh era off in NE and that is not the kind of defensive team you want a weak offensive line to face. I can't wait to see how many tackles Ray Rice breaks. And remember, the key to the Ravens is their kicking game, so pay close attention to those playing on Baltimore's kicking teams.

7. D.J. Hackett is a very capable wide receiver and I thought he would have gotten more offers this past off-season. He is the perfect complement to Steve Smith, playing on the opposite side. But he will struggle to be the number one wide out. Has anyone seen Dwayne Jarrett make a play since he left USC? Big wide outs with no burst and explosion struggle in the NFL.

8. The Bears have some very talented defensive lineman, which may make it difficult for the Chiefs to get anything going on offense. Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, the Bears third-round draft pick, has great skills.

9. Forgetting all the Brett Favre talk for a moment, the interesting aspect of the Browns-Jets game tonight will be the new-look Jet offensive line against the new-look Browns defensive line.

10. Dwayne Robertson of the Broncos better start to perform in camp and get on the field for practice. Otherwise, the Jets may not get that conditional pick from the Broncos. If that turns out to be the case, NY will have some holes in their 2009 draft.

Preview Bears vs. Chiefs Preseason Game

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:25:16 -0500

Welcome back to football season Bears fans!? That's right, tomorrow night will officially start Chicago Bears football again in the Windy City and not a moment too soon.? I feel like I haven't watched?a football game in forever and the Bears will be hosting the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Soldier Field tomorrow night.? Of course my excitement is curbed by reality of this being an exhibition game.? We'll like only see a quarter or half tops of good football and then the remainder...

Chicago Bears Player Preview: Marcus Harrison

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:45:02 -0500

Today i will preview Chicago Bears 3rd round pick Marcus Harrison on Chicago Bears Player Preview. He reminds me of a more athletic Tank Johnson, who we all know had his share of problems. This kid was a risk coming out of the draft because of his off the field issues, but he could easily overcome that by playing alongside Tommie Harris. The only other negative is he has been injured throughout his career at Arkansas. I see him contributing alongside Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Dusty Dvoraveck and Matt Toenia (who many do not know). Jamie Dukes of NFL Network who regularly makes fun of the Bears QB situation, especially Rex Grossman calls DT Marcus Harrison a "power pig." That means he clogs up the whole and stops the run with his size. He was arrested in his senior year for having ecstasy and marijuana in his car, when police pulled him over. Also, he has been hampered with knee and ankle injuries during his college career. With his size 6'3"-310 i see him help stop the run. In his collegiate career, he played in 38 games from 2004-2007 and recorded 170 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Even though he has had some negatives in his collegiate career and he doesn't defend the pass very well, i see him coming into the rotation on defense with Bears. I think he will surprise alot of people, because he was a first round talent until the injuries and off the field issues took place.

Chicago Bears: Why Does Everyone Think They There So Bad?

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:34:36 -0500

Are the Chicago Bears really going to be as bad as people think they are next season? I don't really understand what the normal NFL fan and so-called expert or analyst sees. The Bears were in Super Bowl XLI two seasons ago. They have many of the same players from that season. I know they went 7-9 last year, but no team has gone back to the playoffs after a Super Bowl loss except the 2005-2006 Seattle Seahawks. The Bears had a very solid draft this year. Some of the players they chose are as follows. 1st round: OT, Chris Williams. 2nd Round: RB, Matt Forte. 3rd Round: WR, Earl Bennett. 3rd Round: DT, Marcus Harrison. 4th Round: S, Craig Steltz. They also got a steal in 6'4" WR Marcus Monk in the 7th Round. I could understand some people saying they have a couple of question marks, but they have so much talent and I see them going really far this season. Projected Lineup: QB: Rex Grossman, who could be very effective with a decent O-line and running game. He was real effective after Brian Griese went out with an injury (thank goodness for that). I don't really see this position as the biggest question mark. RB: I really see this position as their biggest question mark. They released Cedric Benson, who really doesn't care about anything but money. He might be innocent on both charges, but Matt Forte will be a little bit better. Also, they have injury prone Kevin Jones, who was a former first round pick. The problem I have is that most teams have two decent RBs. The Bears have one decent "Rookie" RB in Forte and then have "Special Team Freak," the other Adrian Peterson, plus Garrett Wolfe

Bears Sign Three More Draft Picks

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:13:17 -0500

The Chicago Bears have come to terms with three more draft picks, third-round defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, third-round receiver Earl Bennett, and fifth-round cornerback Zackary Bowman.

Grading Chicago Bears Draft

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:52:21 -0500

After a lot of thought I have decided to give the Bears draft a grade of B+. They drafted players to fill voids an offensive tackle, running back, and wide reciver, while at the same time drafting players based on the most talented available. Could this mean the Bears are actually learning how to draft like a successful franchise? Tackle Chris Williams, running back Matt Forte, receiver Earl Bennett, defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, and safety Craig Steltz will all have an opportunity ...