NFL Spring Cleaning Starts Early

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Category : Around the League, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers

NFL Spring Cleaning Starts Early
You know the expression: One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. It works in the NFL too, as teams continue to clean house like never before.

It seems if you were a 70’s baby you’re looking for work this year in the NFL. Old running back releases are nothing new, but some teams are getting rid of anything that has a heavy price tag and/or bad memory of a losing season.

San Diego Chargers: Letting go of LT is not much of a shocker, (although it will be strange to see him in another jersey color) what is strange is the soon to be loss of Darren Sproles, a player that was thought to be part of the future. It won’t be too hard to predict the Chargers draft needs in about a week, but if a replacement isn’t found that can be looked at as an addition, then why let quality players walk in a cap-less year.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills informed free agent WR Terrell Owens, WR Josh Reed, and DE Ryan Denney that they will not be offered contracts before March 5 , therefor making the Bills that much crappier. The one thing that we see after years of being die hard NFL fans here at Gridiron Experts is that people can’t wrap their brains around the fact that these are people and respond differently under different coaching units. Everybody hates change, but a new regime can do amazing things. New coaches are always quick to paint the walls a different color, but T.O has still got talent and played a fairly “media-quite” year. Giving up on arguably the teams best receiver is a mistake.

New York Jets: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Thomas Jones will not restructure his contract, and he’s expected to be released within a week. Jackpot for Shonn Greene fantasy owners who are getting a faster keeper than expected.  Thomas Jones on the other hand shouldn’t be rolled in the same blanket with Westbrook & Tomlinson, he had a good season last year and could be a free agent steal for a team.

Denver Broncos: A source has confirmed that coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t spoken face-to-face with Brandon Marshall since the end of the season. I’m not going to play the fiddle for Marshall, but take a page out the Eagles offseason playbook and make it look like he’s not dead in the water. The best franchises can blow a smoke screen of lies that even their mothers will fall for. Make it look like he isn’t a massive headache and that maybe it’s just a bad chemistry thing, otherwise teams will play hard ball and wait for you to release that canker sore, thereby losing a chance at draft picks.

Philadelphia Eagles: Speaking of smart franchises (expect when it comes to a Super Bowl) the Eagles are very clever in their dealings off the field, and should walk into this years draft with extra picks thanks to the signing of Vick.

We wrote an article when Mike Vick had signed last summer ( Mike Vick Buy Low Sell High) that fits well into the current situation. but the 1.5 million that the Birds are willing to eat just to drag trading talks on longer might just back fire. If more unexpected players continue to get released the market for a QB could go down, especially with the young rookies and all their new sparkle and shine wowing those who might do the math that a new talent is better than an old jail-bird (zing).

Currently the going market for quarterbacks is weak ,with Daunte Culpepper and Kyle Boller topping the lists, but other back up quarterbacks are probably being looked at and the Eagles need to find a home fast for this overratted QB before the water boils over. McNabb has a year before he’s gone, Kolb is the future, don’t get greedy and miss out on dealing a player your not using.

Team Needs Mock Draft (Part 1)

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Category : Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Draft / Off Season, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins

Team Needs Mock Draft (Part 1)

It’s a little early to be predicting the first round of the NFL Draft, yet people love to speculate what teams will do (Mel Kiper 9.0 by March). Every year Gridiron Experts refuses to post a Mock Draft too early, so instead we’re posting a 3 part team needs mock draft, giving an educated guess to what teams might be thinking.

Not every position that is lacking on an NFL squad has to be filled with a first round pick. There are still a ton of free agents that are about to hit the open market, and second year players who can step in now that they have a year under them; the first few weeks of March should completely change the draft, so here is a look at the NFL Draft based on how teams are sitting at the moment.

1) St. Louis Rams Team Needs: DT | QB | OT | CB | WR

The Rams really can’t screw this up. There are so many needs on this team that no matter whom they are able to grab in free agency, a blue chip player will be added to this team in the first round. Everyone is preaching about Ndamukong Suh, but the Rams have so much already invested on the defensive line that trading down a couple spots could really pay off with adding more talent quickly. A trade that could drop the Rams down just 5-6 spots is worth its weight in gold.

Mike Vick would be a great fit for this club since the Rams play in a dome, but the Eagles “no trade until the pre-season” smoke screen means the price is not cheap. Right now we’d say unload DE L. Little to the Eagles for Vick, and try to steal a couple of Philly’s late round picks, then grab Suh at pick one. Like we said, the end result is hard to mess up with the top pick in the draft, but teams do it all the time. The good news is there is so much offensive and defensive talent on the board this year that we’d be amazed if the Rams couldn’t improve on their 2 win season.

2) Detroit Lions Team Needs: DE | LB | CB …Anything On Defense

The Lions added a couple good defensive pieces last year with SS Louis Delmas and DT Sammie Lee Hill, but they need more. It’s unlikely that any of these bottom feeder teams are going to lure away an elite unrestricted free agent, so the Detroit Lions best bet is to simply take the best defensive player available. Another top key to this offseason for the Lions would be re-signing Larry Foote, who didn’t play as bad as his surrounding cast last year (70 tackles and 2 sacks). Re-signing Foote and maybe CB Williams James are the Lions top priorities in the next couple weeks.

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Needs: DT | DE |LB | OL

The Buccaneers had the NFL’s worst rushing defense last year, allowing an average of 158.2 yards per game on the ground. Fans can say what they want about needing offense, but they’re in a division with Carolina’s J. Stewart and D. Williams, Falcons Michael Turner  and the Saints offensive attack. Pressure on the QB and stopping the run are big needs this offseason. DT Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma would be a great fit for the Bucs, but if Tampa can somehow add depth through free agency they would benefit from adding some kind of a pass rusher or one of the

Philadelphia Eagles Triple QB Option

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Category : Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams

Eagles Triple QB Option
Philadelphia is in a nice situation. While the media is stirring up countless rumors about its three-headed horse at quarterback, the end result will actually be Philly getting exactly what it wants:

Its quarterback, and some picks for those “other” two guys.

Sure, it’s nice to have a stockpile of three guys who can produce at a high level at one position. But it’s not realistic for any team, let alone one with holes in it’s defense, to stand pat and waste so much talent.

So, who stays, and who goes?

That’s actually a lot easier to answer that most are letting on.  In fact, it can be summed up in one beautiful run-on sentence. Regardless of popular opinion, the problem in Philly is not Donovan McNabb. Michael Vick was a failed one-year experiment, and as solid as Kevin Kolb was in two relief starts, he doesn’t have to be the future of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Yes, McNabb is 33, in his last season of his contract and is due some big money. But it’s not like the guy doesn’t deserve it. He’s still playing at a high level, helped the Eagles go 11-5 and made it to the playoffs in 2009. And what does he get for it? He gets burned at the stake by the media and fans alike, despite no help from a sulking offensive line, zero commitment to the run game and a defense that was routinely held back by it’s

Eagles Add Dick Jauron As DBs Coach

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Category : Around the League, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles add Dick Jauron as DBs coach

Not all coaching moves are huge in the NFL, some small additions such as former head coach Dick Jauron signing with the Philadelphia Eagles as the new DB coach can do wonders to a specific unit of a team. Jauron replaces Brian Stewart on staff, Stewart left Philadelphia a week ago to take the defensive coordinator job at the University of Houston. Jauron is a smart coach and should be pumped in trying to coach up a pass defense that ranked No. 17 overall in 2009. The Eagles have a pair of top-flight cornerbacks in Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel, as well strong safety in Quintin Mikell.

The Eagles didn’t have the best season when it came to shutting down the big play, and this move shouldn’t be overlooked as just a pay check for a former head coach. Reid not only brings in a friend, but a guy who has been a very good defensive mind in the game, a guy with real experience to help out Sean McDermott.

Personally I thought Dick Jauron has always been a great head coach in the NFL, he just could never find a team that had all the right pieces.

T.O. In T.O.

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Category : Buffalo Bills, New York Jets

T.O. In T.O.T.O. In T.O.

Toronto, get your popcorn ready, or maybe your painkillers and favorite PR agent, because T.O. is coming to town. The hype is finally coming to a halt this Thursday as the Bills play host to the Jets in Toronto’s Rogers Center. Here’s a few things to look for in this NFL Canadian matchup, and for the sake of the NFL in Toronto’s reputation I’ll stick to the gridiron, leaving out the bits about the terrible playing surface, even worse atmosphere, and outrageous ticket costs that start at $100 for an upper bowl seat, 5 years ago you could insert a Canadian money joke, but thanks to our housing market crash $100 Canadian is worth the same these days.

Last time these two teams faced off the Bills narrowly escaped defeat, beating the Jets 16-13 in hostile Jet territory. Heading into that game Mark Sanchez only had 5 picks, the Jets hosted a carousel of running backs, Terrell Owens still did not understand his role in the offense, Marshawn Lynch was the starter, and Dick Jauron was still Buffalo’s head coach. Flash forward and we have an entirely different set of circumstances that should factor into the game.

Mark Sanchez

When Sanchez faced off against this group in week 6 he tossed up an atrocious 5 picks. It won’t get easier this time as the Bills are second in the league to only the Saints with 21 interceptions. So Sanchez and his 17 interceptions will have to do much better to even keep this one winnable. Terrance Mcgee appears back to health and should be in the line-up to play alongside an incredibly talented and high performing secondary including Drayton Florence, Jarius Bryd, Donte Whitner, George Wilson, and Reggie Corner (amongst others).

Edge: Bills Secondary

Terrell Owens

Last time T.O. took on the Jets and Darrelle Revis he had 3 catches for 13 yards, but in his last three games T.O. has recorded 378 yards, so it seems as if interim head coach Perry Fewell is figuring out how to use Owens skills. Nothing changes here in the rematch as T.O. will be lining up

Fantasy Football Coin Flip

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Category : Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Fantasy Coin Flip, Fantasy Football Strategies, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Fantasy Football Coin Flip

Last weeks “Coin Flip” article was destroyed before it even started. We pitted Matt Ryan against Donovan McNabb, vouching for Ryan against a hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, only to see the second-year star hit the sidelines with a turf toe injury before he could do any damage. It didn’t stop there. We also had a match-up between two injured running backs (Cedric Benson and Michael Turner) who had the possibility of returning last week, and you didn’t stand a chance going with either of them. Benson didn’t even suit up, while Turner’s triumphant return ended with 12 carries and under 40 yards, as well as a return to the sidelines after he re-injured his ankle.

We’re sticking with guys who aren’t riding gimpy legs into Week 13, and encourage you to rely on our advice this week:


Ray RiceRay Rice, RB, BAL (@GB) VS. Thomas Jones, RB, NYJ (@ BUF)

This is an interesting match-up because both of these backs have been fantasy stalwarts for most of 2009, and really, in any given week, have the role and ability to save your team. Rice is in a brutal division that does a great job against the run (save for Cleveland), yet he’s still put up elite numbers on a consistent basis. The week-to-week match-up is the complete opposite for Jones, however, yet the backs’ numbers are very comparable.

Rice is going up against a very solid Green Bay Packers defense on Monday night this week, one that has done a great job containing running backs in the past three weeks, yet still has a bit of trouble on screens (as most teams do). In a match-up of two beastly running backs, their respective match-ups have to be the deciding factor.

Verdict: Rice is very hard to leave on your bench, but if you have the choice between the two, you can’t pass up Jones’ beautiful match-up with a very leaky Bills run defense. Jones broke-out for 200+ yards on them last time, and that was with Mark Sanchez throwing five picks. How do you like his chances this week? Needless to say, TJ is our guy.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI (@ATL) VS. Terrell Owens, WR, BUF (vs. NYJ)

Maclin has been a solid model for consistency since taking over Kevin Curtis’ job as the Eagle starter opposite of DeSean Jackson, while T.O. has finally developed some chemistry with a quarterback not named Romo, McNabb, or Garcia. Trent Edwards wasn’t giving him any love, but who

Quick Thursday Pick: Bills vs. Jets

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Category : Buffalo Bills, Free Picks, New York Jets, Previews & Forecasts

NYJ_BUF

New York Jets-3 vs. The Buffalo Bills

The main storyline for this game should feature a rematch of the Bill’s’ run defense and the Jets running back Thomas Jones. Jones had 210 yards on the ground and a touchdown in the first meeting, but was overshadowed by the performance of Mark Sanchez who threw 5 INT’s; this was also the week Gridiron Experts said you should bench Sanchez, which had a few people shocked by our prediction.

Another surprising storyline from the first meeting was the play of Terrell Owens, who was shut down by CB Darrelle Revis. Both are supremely confident and talented players who will try to impose their will and skill on each other again this week, although we like the experience from T.O. as a veteran to take over and learn from his mistakes.

The Bills aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but their first priority is trying to build momentum one win at a time. With a crowd full of loving Canadians just happy to see some NFL action, you can expect extra energy from the Bills team who are being counted as the home team. Gridiron Experts expects a good Thursday night game that should trade leads at least 2-3 times. In the end we like the Bills to cover and win in T.O., thanks to a great game from T.O.

Bills 27-20

The Once Reliable Fantasy WR

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Category : Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

GridironExperts150px

The Once Reliable Fantasy WR

Amongst many other things, one of my favorite keys to success in fantasy football is an intentional selection of reliable receivers. Knowing that your WR’s will be able to pick up the slack when your RB’s or QB’s have less than favorable match-ups is a luxury and always quick to put my mind at ease. Yet this year, if you adopted that strategy and invested heavily in the WR position at the draft, you may now find yourself scrambling as some of the pre-draft big name guys just aren’t as reliable as you thought they’d be. Here are just a few examples:

Calvin “Megatron” Johnson was arguably one of the hottest names at WR pre-draft. He had an incredible sophomore season (78 receptions, 1331 yards, 12 TDs) and most of these yards came with Daunte Culpepper at the helm. With the addition of 1st overall QB selection Matthew Stafford, Johnson’s value skyrocketed and so did his potential for the season. Alas, this season Johnson has only recorded 32 receptions for 436 yards with 1 touchdown.calvin-johnson

Standard Scoring Leagues: 49 Points.

Fantasy Football Toolbox Average Draft Position: 4th WR, 16th Player Overall.

Greg Jennings is an extremely talented WR with an extremely talented QB throwing to him in Aaron Rodgers. Jennings and Rodgers established wonderful chemistry together last season. Jennings recorded 80 receptions for 1292 yards with 9 touchdowns, so naturally most of us couldn’t wait for this season. Unfortunately, the majority of the Packers pass offense this season is running through Donald Driver. Of Rodgers 17 TD’s so far Jennings only has 2, on 38 receptions with 543 yards. Not terrible numbers, but he is definitely not as reliable as he has been over the past two seasons.

Standard Scoring Leagues: 66 Points.

Fantasy Football Toolbox Average Draft Position: 6th WR, 22nd Player Overall.

Anquan Boldin has been stellar for the past few seasons, a player you could truly rely on to help your squad to fantasy victory. This season however Boldin can’t seem to find the end-zone. He’s recorded 43 catches for 509 yards, with one measly touchdown. Come on Quan, get into the game already.

Standard Scoring Leagues: 56 Points.

Fantasy Football Toolbox Average Draft Position: 9th WR, 26th Player Overall.

It’s almost unfair to put this guy in the mix, but we have to. Terrell Owens has been virtually unbearable to watch this season.

Terrell Owens and Steve Smith Over the Hill?

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Category : Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, The Lighter Side

Does T.O. Stand For Too Old? What About Steve Smith?Terrell Owens
Upon accepting this assignment, I immediately drifted to La-La land and dreamt of the following scenario:
Somehow, T.O. gets wind of my Grid-X assignment and reads my post calling him “over the hill” and “past his prime.” Always looking for media time, Mr. Owens antagonizes me via Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, ESPN radio and on his reality show. He pokes fun at my posted name, WAG, and prods me to reveal my actual name. I oblige him via a Twitter message.
Thinking I made a mistake in revealing my identity to T.O. — surely he’s going to blast me in the media — he surprises me by giving me tickets to the Bills’ upcoming game at Carolina, a la Ochocinco and his “Lambeau Leap” fans. Then, confirming my suspicions, Owens’ last Twitter post before gameday reads, “Getcha popcorn ready, WAG.”
Not one to back down from a battle, I sit in my endzone seats with a sign that reads, “T.O. stands for Too Old.” In turn, the sign makes a fool of me, as Owens catches three touchdown passes against the Panthers. Even worse, after catching the third of those TD’s, he pulls the same Sharpie he used in San Francisco, handing me a signed ball reading, “Too Old? Child please.” (Again, an Ochocino reference).
TerrellOwensStill attempting to gain the upper hand, I sell the game ball on Ebay, netting $2500. So, I win, right?
Parlaying my perceived success over T.O., I write a similar column about Carolina WR Steve Smith. He’s another wideout beyond his years as a playmaker, I argue.
Are you kidding me? Steve Smith then sends me a ticket to his game. Even better, he sends me a ticket to his Nov. 8 game, when he plays my beloved Saints. Yes, I think to myself, a Superdome ticket! I make a sign for this game too, saying, “S. Smith- The Oldest Decoy In Show Business.”