Well as all you football fans know this is what we call the "slow days" in the NFL world. The days where there is no training camp to report on or even mini camp. The days where you and I can just sit and speculate off rumors and what might happen. So that's what i'm going to do. Give you thoughts on the 09 season and where I think teams stand as far as competition within their division goes. Let's start with the best division in football, the NFC east.

New York Giants

It's only right if we start off with the defending world champs right? The Giants as we all know made one of the greatest NFL runs in history and created one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. Soon after the parade and ring ceremony, the departure of Strahan had many questioning the Giants undisputed leader amongst the team. However, it seems Eli is at a stage where as a QB he can lead on the field instead going all "rah rah" in the locker room. Give me a QB that will lead his team to a victory over a guy who will just yell at you any day and i'll call you a leader. Manning has also shown he can handle the media as well, When asked by the media about defending their super bowl Manning responded by saying " We need to first get better as a team".



The Giants come into training camp with a few personal situations between management and players. The first is wr Plaxico Burress who would like a new contract which will most likely be resolved. The other situation has to do with Jeremy Shockey. His situation began even after the super bowl, mostly in particular with rumors surrounding his name in trades.This led to a shouting match with GM Jerry Reese. Controversies aside though, the offense is back with a more experienced Eli and a solid offensive line as well as running game. The receivers Burress and Toomer come in with most experience in the wr position while Steve Smith has a year under his belt and has time to develop behind them.

Defensively the unit comes back minus Strahan, Kawika Mitchell, and Gibril Wilson. Strahan will be replaced by Justin Tuck, a player who certainly made his impact when he got playing time. Mathias Kiwinuka will reportedly play the SAM line backer position. This could be a cause for concern for the Giants because many offensive units have used Kiwinuka as a mis match in the passing game as well as the running game. The secondary comes back with Aaron Ross who got a year of experience under his belt and Corey Webster who stepped up big time in the playoffs. Michael Johnson will be the SS who will need to bulk up. The man taking Gibril Wilson's spot will be rookie Kenny Philips the Miami Hurriacanes star.



Positives: The Giants defense minus Strahan will still have the speed.Offensive coordinators will still lose sleep on Steve Spagnoulo's blitz schemes. Eli comes into this year with more respect in the locker room and less pressure as far as proving to everyone if he is the real

deal.The offense comes in with balance as it did last year with solid running and passing attack.

Negatives/ Questions: Kenny Philips comes in as a rookie, now he is not a Laron Launry so it will take him time to develop and if he is not a fast learner of this defense he will get exposed by veteran QB's and offensive coordinators. Right across from him is Mihcael Johnson who needs to bulk to be taken seriously. He did a serviceable job last year however, teams in my mind will try to expose him after having a year worth of film on him. Mathias Kiwinuka is not built to be a linebacker and gets exposed in passing situations. A man with his weight and speed needs to be on the line, I have said that before and will keep saying it.

Big question here is, will the Giants be able to play consistently? Because what they did last year will certainly not happen again.

Dallas Cowboys

It is so funny how a team can produce 13 pro-bowlers, go 13-3 and have no super bowl ring to show for it.The offense comes back with the usual suspects T.O, Whitten, Romo, and Barber looking to make another run at the super bowl. In order to do that it requires them to win a playoff game, which they have not one in a very long time. Can they do it this year? Maybe. To early to tell, and it depends on the opponent. If I had to make a guess they will make the playoffs. The O-line played much better than it did in 06 and their center was named the best in the game, although it is debatable. Owner Jerry Jones tweaked up the team by drafting Felix Jones to compliment Barber and to add that extra speed. Mike Jenkins was another pick that can help bring depth to the CB position.When you look at the defense the secondary has solid depth. You got Terrance Newman, Adam Jones, and then Mike Jenkins. Although I will say this, Jones is by far the most over-hyped CB I have seen in years. I have never a seen a player get so hyped up to be the next CB in the making when he only had 4 INT's in 06 and missed a year of football. I laugh at the so-called experts that place him with the great CB's in the game. He has not proven a thing. The Dallas rush in my mind has been a problem for opposing offenses and tell you the reason why, two words... Demarcus Ware. In my mind the most feared player in the NFC East, he is what you call a game changer. The d-line does it's job but its guys such as Ware and the rest of the LB core that does most of the talking.

Positives: When you have a top 5 WR in T.O a top 3 TE in Whitten and a dynamic back like Marion Barber, you have yourself a well balanced offense. If the O-line can continue to have success as it last season, then offensively I see no problem.

Negatives/ Questions: Roy Williams has been a QB rating steroid. He needs to upgrade his pass coverage skills. Ken Hamlin holding out does not help the team at all. So basically all I see is the secondary specifically the Safeties an issue. Now the question remains "Can the Cowboys pull it together and get to the big stage?

Washington Redskins

Let's just say Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder runs his franchise like it was fantasy football. He just gets players that do not fit the system of the Redskins. Let's take a look at the bust signings shall we?

Brandon Lloyd- What happened to him?

Adam Archuletta- They made him one of the richest safeties in the game.

Does he even start for the Bears now?

Antwan Randle El- Ok, Now who pays a slot Wr 31 million dollars? That's all i'm going to say about that.

Now let's look at the task at hand. The Joe Gibbs era is over forever. I think? I hope! You have a young QB in Jason Campbell who is now forced to learn a brand new offensive scheme due to the arrival of new head coach Jim Zorn. Keep in mind the offense that is being attempted to be installed is the West Coast Offense. One of the most comprehensive offenses in the game. It will be very difficult for the young Qb in my mind to convert his game to a pass happy offense, when he has always been adapted to short passes and handing off the football to his RB. Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley are the bright spots of the team and Santana in paticular can finally see some more looks this year now that they are unleashing the passing game.Portis will have pressure taken off of him now that all the emphasis is not placed on him, so ultimately if all works according to the Redskins plan it will be beneficial to everyone on offense. However, this all depends on Jason Campbell's development. Defensively the bright spot on this unit is the lb's. It is filled with speed and depth anchored by London Flethcer and Rocky Mcintosh.

The defensive line is atrocious, they get no pressure and it's actually sad considering they have such a good lb core. They could do more if the d-line actually brought some pressure. The secondary has potential if Rogers can actually stay on the field and of course we all know what Landry is all about. Landry is probably the best defensive player on the team.

Positives: The Redskins got some good pieces that they can build on from both sides. I don't expect them to be successful this year but it is a work in process. Landry helps the defense creat turnovers as much as he can. The LB core is very talented. Campbell has good weapons he can depend on in Moss and Cooley for the passing came which we assume should be unleashed.

Negatives/Questions: The defensive line gets no pressure, that is a worry because if you cannot get to the QB it will be hard to get the offense off the field. The best corner ont he team Carlos Rogers cannot stay on the field. A new offensive system will be difficult for Campbell to adjust his game too. As I said before he has the playmakers to help him succeed but I think it's wrong have a QB change offensive philosophies. Many Qb's have been affected negatively by it. The question all year will be " Can Campbell make the transition?"

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles came into the 07 season as the NFC east champs and finished 8-8 dead last. At times the offense played apathetically. QB Donovan Mcnabb was not playing at 100 percent in the begging of the season due to his ACL tear in 06. His offensive line did not help either when they got nicked up and left Mcnabb with no protection which lead to him being sacked 49 times. The most came in the game which I call the "12 sack game from the eventual SB champions the New York Giants. Reggie Brown disappeared in many game although he had a career high in receptions (66) he still was inconsistent and a non-factor. The only bright spots of this team were Brian Westbrook and solid play by the defense. Brian Westbrook was able to rush for 1333 yards and 90 receptions which is more than most wide receivers. By the end of the 07 season Westbrook finally got the "under-rated" label taken off of him and is now considered a top 3 back.



The defenses run-stopping improved drastically with some veteran leadership by Takeo Spikes however, it was the young guys towards the end of the season such as Chris Gocong. Stewart Bradley, and Omar Gaither who made more noise than Spikes on defense which lead to the Eagles releasing Spikes. In 3 games starting Bradley recorded 6 tackles 1 sack and 1 interception. This has now helped him earn a spot as a starter on the team. The pass defense had some trouble due to Brian Dawkins missing time as well as Lito Sheppard. So, overall we can call this an injury riddled season for the birds.

Positives: The Eagles come back with a healthy Donovan Mcnabb who played much better football down the stretch. The offensive line is back healthy and with more depth than ever due to the NFL draft. The defense was the main focus this off-season by the big signing of free-agent CB Asante Samuel. With his addition this looks to be the deepest secondary in the game in my opinion. The defensive line was helped this off-season by adding young pass rusher Chris Clemons.

Trevor Laws brings depth to the DT position which is thin. Even the Special teams got some love this year with the addition of rookie Desean Jackson who is an electrifying runner and looks to help a desperatley needed return game. Lorenzo Booker is a mini Westbrook who looks to be on the same field as Westbrook to add speed to the offense.

Negatives/ or questions: How will Victor Abiamiri fair in his first year? Is Stewart Bradley the real deal? Can this product stay healthy? How will Deasean Jackson bring impact to the offense? Will he bring impact? You might be thinking to yourself "How about the lack of a number 1 wr." My response is this "THEY GOT ONE"! His name is Kevin Curtis, 77 catches 1,000 plus yards receiving and 8 td's. You don't need to be 6"4 to be known as a number 1 WR. So overall this Eagles team has more questions than negatives. Now I'm not implying that this is a good thing however this Eages product has some new faces that will play key roles and we cannot pin point whether the moves are good or not yet.

Well this is my last blog for now, I'm going on vacation for the rest of the month, enjoy football fans!

The Lakers lacked both aspects. Both big men Gasol and Odom played like softies. Radmonvich was leaving Allen wide open for three's which is a big no no, you do not have to be in the league to know that. Kobe was forced to rely on his other players due to being held down by tight defense. Plus Rondo caught him sleeping on a play as well. This all lead to a complete smack down and complete domination byt he Boston Celtics. The atmosphere was rocking I was watching the game from TV and I felt the fans and heard the fans emotions roaring through my TV. "Beat LA Beat LA" "NA NA Na Hey HEY HEY HEY GOOD-BYE" real passionate fans. Well deserving of a championship.

Now as for the Lakers, where do you go from here? Well this loss believe it or not was a start for a very young Lakers team to see how it feels to be on the biggest stage of basketball. Bynum coming back will be a positive for the team and the bench has got to hustle more as well as the starting line up and I hope they learned that lesson from Boston. And it would not hurt to add some vetran experience to that bench to be a role model for the young nucleus of players.

Boston came in to this game like it was a bar fight they flat out-played the Lakers. From the starting line-up to the bench it was complete domination. And from a coaching stand point the great Phil Jackson "Zen-Master" he was out coached by Doc Rivers. Doc sure has come a long way to get to this point in his career. So much resiliency shown by the Celtics, so many starters got hurt and each of them came back on the floor and that is what championship basketball is all about.

It is THE topic of discussion amongst Eagles fans. The prototype 6"4 big body physically gifted wr is dream wr Eagles fans wish they had. Last time we had that well you know what happened. Now I for one would love to have that type of wr as I mentioned in the first sentence however, show me one that is available. The Eagles have to make with what they got. now they might not be top 5 stud wr's however, they are manageable. Let's take a look at the wr's on the team:

Reggie Brown

He showed a lot of promise in his rookie year. He took the right steps in 06 but his consistency as far as yards after catch dropped in 07. This is just one aspect of his game that needs to be increased, he also needs to catch the ball on a consistent basis. It's funny with Reggie, you watch him make this spectacular catch running a streak and you say "hmm could this be the turning point for him?" and then he drops a easy pass and then we say " ahh come on Reg you got to haul that pass in!". Now Reggie has been working hard, he has been catching passes from Mcnabb and a machine almost every mini camp and during his times alone in the Nova Care Complex. Reggie knows it's time to step up because of the responsibility he has in this offense as the number 1 guy.

Kevin Curtis

What can I say? The guy lived up to what the Eagles expected out of him. He was the speedy wr that was not afraid to get hit and his 77 catches for over 1,000 yards followed by 8td's speaks for itself. Now if this offense can cause secondaries to drop back more into coverage then Curtis will be able to help even more. Not many major flaws I see in Curtis in my mind.

Jason Avant

Other than Curtis I felt Avant last year was the other consistent wr when called upon. I was actually thinking what If Andy moved Reggie down last year and brought Avant to first string. After all the possibility of a playoff birth was slim and it would not hurt to try him out. Avant will come in to compete for a 3rd with Desean. Should be an interesting match up.

Desean Jackson

"The one to watch" as they called him in college. Lets hope he is the one to watch in the pros. Desean has looked impressive in mini camps dropping only one pass. However, we will not know what Desean is all about until the helmets and pads are put on in training camp. From what I have seen currently he has a bright future, true student of the game. This offense looks like it plans on having a lot of plays for him to run on this offense. Being utilized as a wr version of Westbrook is what I am envisioning. A guy who you can line up to do a screen play, run a reverse, or just stretch the field and his speed sure helps in all 3 phases.

Greg Lewis

G-Lew is coming in as pretty much the veteran. Hehas ran the west coast offense with Mcnabb for a while now. He still has the speed, steps up when you least expect it but I don't see him bieng high on the depth chart although having him on the team would not hurt.

Hank Baskett

Remember him? The bet kept secret in training camp 06. Broke out on one sunday night on Octiber 8th 2006. That was his highlight game, never was really used that much effectively again. I must say I was surprised I did not see much of Hank last year. I guess his foot speed is not really great quality to see too much playing time.

Now of course there are other wr's on the team as of now but I just don't see them making this team and they are guys who many of us do not really well know from a talent stand point. Here is my wr depth chart for 08.

Wr's

Brown

Curtis

Jackson

Avant

Lewis

Baskett

Prediction: Lewis or Baskett will be cut. Im leaning more towards to Baskett.

When you look at the depth the Eagles have at RB it looks amazing in my mind. You have Brian Westbrook who is probably the most complete back in the game, behind him is Correll Buckhalter who averaged 5.0 YPC which is great for a back up running back who has fully recovered from a devastating knee injury. Now when you look at the third and the 4th string it's very interesting, you have Lorenzo Booker and Tony Hunt.

Booker was a back that the Eagles wanted to draft last year when he came out of college but was taken early by the Miami Dolphins which resulted in the Eagles drafting Tony Hunt. Well this year the Eagles were able to acquire the player they had their eye on for some time via trade. With his addition to this offense he brings the same attributes as Westbrook would, speed, the ability to line up as a wr, and coming out of the the backfield for screens etc. Having Booker and Westbrook on the field at once brings a lot of speed and confusion towards opposing defenses.

Now we look at the other side and see Tony Hunt, a big back who has a bruising style of running. He had a tough rookie year, he struggled to pick up the techniques that every good running back should have, one of which was blocking. I know many Eagles fans wondered why Hunt did not get much playing time however eagles fans, in the NFL world you have to EARN playing time! Running wise he reminds me of Buckhalter, runs tall and pounds defenses he does not do a juke move on you he just trucks you and he has potential. I give him a lot of credit coming into mini camp this year and playing well. He looked great out there and his time will come soon, I just feel he needs to be patient and watch from the sidelines for some time.

A running back who has been fairly quiet this mini camp but nonetheless working hard is Ryan Moats. Moats was a player who showed a lot of promise in the horrific 2005 season however, due to injuries he just never saw the field and ultimately could not put it all together. Now it's going to be very tough for him to make the team, he is the dark horse make no mistake about it.

Here is how I see the depth chart for RB:

1. Brian Westbook

2. Correll Buckhalter

3. Lorenzo Booker

4. Tony Hunt

( Ryan Moats cut)

Posted by Sports Dosage Weekly at 12:01 PM 0 commen

Mcnabb sounds like he didnt like the moves, Lito looks upset, Sheldon looks upset. Now sure the Eagles did not acquire a play making wide receiver but you cannot say they did not put effort into getting one. The offered Randy Moss big bucks, they made trade offers to Arizona for Larry Fitzgerals, and they did the same to the Lions for Roy Williams. I'm sure we all understand and wanted a big time wr however, this is not a bad scenario at all. Let's take a look at this offense shall we? You havea healthy Donovan Mcnabb. Healthy LJ Smith which was surely missed last year in the red-zone. A top tier rb in Brian Westbrook. A consistent, fast number two wr in Kevin Curtis. A new home run hitting runner in Desean Jackson. Lorenzo Booker who will be in a lot of package plays. Now you look at these guys I mentioned and what do you see? I'll tell you what I see, speed and a lot of it. Last year we lacked it, this year defenses will have to respect the speed this offense posses.

As for the Lito and Sheldon talk hey, it's all good. They were both in camp and that is what matters. I'm sure they both realize that with the addition of Asante Samuel they have something pretty special going on. I'm not going to read into all this speculation, I refuse to, let's just play football and win ball games. Day two of mini camp begins 12:15 fans!

We waited and waited until round 2 and we finished the first day with two impact players Trevor Laws and Desean Jackson. Laws brings in good competition and depth to DT which is desperately needed on this team. A 3-4 NT who led the nation in tackles (112), shows a lot of aggressiveness and tenacity great piece for Jim Johnson's defensive line rotation. Speaking of defensive line, it is very young, fast, and physical in my mind it shows a lot of promise.

Two picks later the Eagles go after the home run hitter the team and fans have been looking for in the wr position and special teams, and it was California wr Desean Jackson. Desean should be a fun toy for Andy Reid to play with. Expect to see Desean in wr screens, wr reverses and in general a guy they use to stretch the field to cause safeties to drop back deep and open things up for others. He wont be the number 1 for now, but he will be a guy they use in many different ways as I mentioned before. Just think Westbrook before he was well known as a runner, Andy used him in different ways. He lined him up as a wr, he brought him in for screens, he had him run out the back field, so expect Desean to do things such as this in year one for this offense. Man, this offense will be exciting this year I can feel it! And not only offense but how about special teams? Desean comes to this team with dynamic return abilities so, we got a guy who can make an impact in two departments which are desperately needed.

Both Jackson and Laws were presented to the media today and they both had the right attitude. They realize that they are here to help a team win now and the keyword is "now". They realize they are important parts to a team that has a great chance to go back to a super bowl. Next week will be very fun to watch Laws and Jackson in their first mini camp in Eagles green.

What an intense game at the Bronx last night and I was there Yankee fans, I was there! Man, it felt great to smell the fresh air at Yankee stadium and be surrounded by the great hospitality of Yankee fans. However, all the greatness of Yankee stadium and it's fans aside great defense was played by the Yankees. The pitching held up well, I loved Phil Hughes' stuff he has such a nasty curve ball. He did give up 2 runs but it did not lose his confidence at all. Girardi took him out at the right time and brought in another young arm in Brian Bruney who faired well against the Jays. Bull-pen is the key for this team, because we have two young pitchers (hughes and Kennedy) on this team that will have the good days and bad days while they get their feet wet and it's those bad days that the bull-pen gets tested. If your leading by one run, can that relieve pitcher bail you out until Joba comes? I think Bruney shows that he has potential to bail us out of a situation as the one I mentioned.

However, defense aside lets get to the hitting. Sitting in my seat with my friends we were all getting restless but the 6th inning came, that's when the yanks hitters flipped the switch and started scoring runs. Now I will admit Mcgowan and Downs (Blue Jay's Pitchers) hitting a batter or two of our guys did help us get into better position but I love the fact that when our guys were in scoring position we capitalized, and that's the key. Step up when it's necessary and when Derek Jeter scored the game winning run Yankee fans did not need to hold their breaths in the 8th and 9th inning, after all when you have a flame thrower in Joba Chamberlain and an old reliable in Mariano Riveria, you better have a good hitting squad to beat that tandem.

Some news and notes:

- Why's Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa going on a rampage like that for? That's Joe Torre's job.

- Anybody see that Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto? 10k's? 6 shut out innings? The young prospect is really living up to the expectations. I just want to see how he will handle a bad start because it's inevitable with these young guys.

- What's up with the Tigers? First they get shut out last night by the Royals and now they get outscored by the White Sox? I'm really waiting for them to flip the switch and start crushing pitches, I hope they do because they have big shoes to fill this year. They're predicted to win the World Series, not a great start in a division where they are competing with the Indians.

- The Washington Nationals are playing solid baseball in the month of April. The team looks like it's coming together and should make a vast improvement from last year. That pitching staff could sure use an ace though. Look for this team to improve year in and year out.

- Is it just me or is it about time for Jason Giambi to get a hit. I mean he's way over-due. I know it's April but if he starts to pick it up soon he can be great help for this Yankee line-up.

What an intense game at the Bronx last night and I was there Yankee fans, I was there! Man, it felt great to smell the fresh air at Yankee stadium and be surrounded by the great hospitality of Yankee fans. However, all the greatness of Yankee stadium and it's fans aside great defense was played by the Yankees. The pitching held up well, I loved Phil Hughes' stuff he has such a nasty curve ball. He did give up 2 runs but it did not lose his confidence at all. Girardi took him out at the right time and brought in another young arm in Brian Bruney who faired well against the Jays. Bull-pen is the key for this team, because we have two young pitchers (hughes and Kennedy) on this team that will have the good days and bad days while they get their feet wet and it's those bad days that the bull-pen gets tested. If your leading by one run, can that relieve pitcher bail you out until Joba comes? I think Bruney shows that he has potential to bail us out of a situation as the one I mentioned.

However, defense aside lets get to the hitting. Sitting in my seat with my friends we were all getting restless but the 6th inning came, that's when the yanks hitters flipped the switch and started scoring runs. Now I will admit Mcgowan and Downs (Blue Jay's Pitchers) hitting a batter or two of our guys did help us get into better position but I love the fact that when our guys were in scoring position we capitalized, and that's the key. Step up when it's necessary and when Derek Jeter scored the game winning run Yankee fans did not need to hold their breaths in the 8th and 9th inning, after all when you have a flame thrower in Joba Chamberlain and an old reliable in Mariano Riveria, you better have a good hitting squad to beat that tandem.

Some news and notes:

- Why's Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa going on a rampage like that for? That's Joe Torre's job.

- Anybody see that Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto? 10k's? 6 shut out innings? The young prospect is really living up to the expectations. I just want to see how he will handle a bad start because it's inevitable with these young guys.

- What's up with the Tigers? First they get shut out last night by the Royals and now they get outscored by the White Sox? I'm really waiting for them to flip the switch and start crushing pitches, I hope they do because they have big shoes to fill this year. They're predicted to win the World Series, not a great start in a division where they are competing with the Indians.

- The Washington Nationals are playing solid baseball in the month of April. The team looks like it's coming together and should make a vast improvement from last year. That pitching staff could sure use an ace though. Look for this team to improve year in and year out.

- Is it just me or is it about time for Jason Giambi to get a hit. I mean he's way over-due. I know it's April but if he starts to pick it up soon he can be great help for this Yankee line-up.

Well Yankee fans we waited and waited and waited some more and when Monday 2:00 (EST) came around the Yankees season opener rained out. Bummer I know, so my entire Monday as well as other Yankee fans was completely ruined. So Monday out the window and in comes Tuesday and at 7:00 (EST) the Yanks began their final season opener at Yankee Season. It did not really feel as if it was the last home game, it will probably hit me later on in the future. Overall it was great to see the game end the right way it was with a Yankee win. Great way to start off the season, loved the resiliency from both the pitching and hitting. Starting Pitcher Chien Ming Wang got out of a couple of jams. Joba Chamberlain came at hitters with different speeds to throw them off, which was different from last year where you would see the typical 99 mph pitches.The hitting faired well against former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, they were very patien going up against him. And how about the player of the game Melky Cabrera, the Melk man sure delivered offensively by getting that home run and defensively showing his greatness as usual.

Today though Yankee fans we must focus our attention to Mike Mussina. Last time you saw Moose really dealing was two years ago. I'm hoping he bounces back and shows some of that dependability that we use to remember him for in the past. All eyes will be on him as he takes the mound tonight and his test begins.

Do you smell that? That's right baseball's in the air and for us Yankee fans it starts tomorrow March 31st 1:00 EST as we host the Toronto Blue Jays. So much excitement and so much anticipation. This years pitching staff has some young arms which we will have to wait and see what they are all about. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy have been the topic of discussion as far as the pitching staff goes. How will they be? Was it worth keeping them? Or was it right to trade them for Santana? All that talk ends tomorrow. Tomorrow begins what I like to call "put up or shut up" and that is directed at Yankees Gm Brian Cashman. He has trust in the young pitchers and i'm not expecting Hughes and Kennedy to reach ace status by the end of the year however, if they do not play solid then Cashman better expect the pink slip by the end of the year. On a lighter note I am very optimistic about the pitching staff I want to see both Hughes and Kennedy play good for the team and I am very interested in set-up man Joba Chamberlain's future. I believe by July he will be in the rotation. A guy who throws like Joba needs to be a starter plus I do not trust SP Mike Mussina. I feel he has completely lost it and I expect him to be moved to a smaller role in the near future.

As far as hitters go I am interested in watching how OF Bobby Abreu plays this year being that it is his contract year and i'm also interested in another OF Johnny Damon. He looks like he is in great shape this year and finished off solid in the second half of the season. Monday 1:00 begins the new year and the final season of the current Yankee Stadium. 40 years of great memories will forever be embedded in our minds as we say goodbye to this stadium and hello to a new one. Now if we can only say good-bye to Yankee Stadium the right way, hopefully World Series this year? Baseball's in the air, you got to love it!

Come this April and the Eagles have some decisions to make regarding the draft. Andy Reid and company have many options to choose from. They can get an immediate impact starter or a player for the future with their first round pick. Before we go deeper into the draft let's first talk about the players they hope can pay off huge dividends that they brought in through free agency. The first man needs no introduction, he has more interceptions the last two years than any corner back and his name is Asante Samuel. He brings huge depth to the secondary and is surrounded by great talent by Lito Sheppard who will be playing second string and Sheldon Brown who will be playing third. Now opposing offenses will have problems knowing that their slot wr will have to go one on one with a hard hitting and talented Sheldon Brown and their second string will have to go up against a top 8 corner in Lito Sheppard. To top it off you have all-pro safety Brian Dawkins and Quentin Mikell covering down field. Secondary looks fine to me, it's just a matter of being healthy. The Asante deal was just one big bomb shell that was dropped on Eagles nation, the front office also brought in versatile de/olb Chris Clemons formerly from Oakland. He recorded 8 sacks on only 37 percent of Oakland's defensive plays tying him with the team leader in sacks former Eagle Derrick Burgess. Clemons looks to be a situational pass rusher rotating for young guns such as Victor Abiamiri and young pro-bowler Trent Cole. Clemons and Samuel are two moves that the Eagles hope to help them effectively and immediatley this year being that this is the year many are proclaiming to be the "make or break" year for this Eagles team.

Now enough about free agency moves that have already been made. Time to look at present time, the task at hand. The Eagles have the 19th pick this year and have many positions they can address in round 1. On paper this team around this time is almost going through the same scenario it went through in 2007, which was that the team did not have glaring holes. Same scenario this year, almost. Let's look at the first possibility offensive tackle. There are a lot of talented OT's in round 1 that will be selling like hot cakes. Should the Eagles go and draft one it will be because of the current aging tackles on the team OT Jon Runyan and OT William Thomas. Brian Dawkins is my all time favorite Eagle but he's not getting any younger and Miami safety Kenny Philips is the best Safety in this years draft, expect him to be on the Eagles draft board. Now I know the secondary has depth but also do not count out corner back yes I said it, why? Because the CB pool in this years draft has a lot of talent and with Sheppard's nagging injuries they could draft a CB to take over Lito's spot ultimately resulting in trading him or they can use the CB as a KR/PR which is desperately needed on this team. The last possibility would be wide receiver. Wide receiver has been the major talk amongst Eagles fans since the terrible departure of Terrell Owens. Now the wr's this year are not very deep or talented however, if the Eagles do their homework they could leave with a good talent. 3 of my personal favorites are Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and James Hardy who they will schedule a workout with on Apirl 7th. Now let's talk a little about Hardy since the Eagles look to be showing some interest towards the 6"6 wr. He has size and ran a 4.45 in the 40 and has posted double digit touch-downs in his three years in Indiana. The Eagles lacked a red-zone threat in 2007 which resulted in a lack points being scored. This year with tight end LJ Smith coming back from injury he would be the only red-zone threat the team has in the passing game. Now of course Westbrook helps in the passing game but as we saw last year teams began shutting down Westbrook many times on the screen plays due to being too predictable. If the Eagles feel that Hardy can be a talented wr they will draft him. If they do not see him as a true threat towards defenses then he's nothing better than Hank Baskett on the team who is also big but he does not strike fear. The team will draft a wr in round 1because they feel that they strike fear towards opposing defenses. Eagles have some decisions to make and the weeks are going by. Only a few more weeks Eagles fans and then the wait will be over, but for now we wait and speculate.