Naturally, on the same day I have to do billing for work and am hampered with a day-long migraine, Hard Knocks is on. I apologize in advance for my flippancy, but it’s hard to invest in a show about football practices when your brain feels like it’s trying to escape through your temple (too graphic?). Anyways, let us get right to it.
10:02- Coaches sit around and do their best to make completely cliched commentary seem insightful. It doesn’t work.
10:06- The focus comes back around to Revis for the first time since the first episode, Tim Callishaw (Cowlishaw? Can’t remember from the last time I watched Around The Horn) gets name dropped a few times, and it seems like their front office has less access to Revis than an Around The Horn panelist. Maybe Tony Reali can renegotiate his next contract for them.
10:08- Rex Ryan’s concerned about Nick Mangold’s Taco Bell consumption, as we all are. It seems like everyone has more to say about Nick Mangold than Nick Mangold has to say about anything. Seriously, has he uttered a single word in conversation or to the camera?
10:10- Two left guards are battling for the starting possession. A guy from Haiti and a guy named Slauson. The narrator says the guy from Haiti is inexperienced, then they show us a few conversations between players and coaches expressing this sentiment. Hey, and hour’s a long time.
10:12- In fact, it’s so long we’re treated to watching Marc Sanchez stir coffee for a solid ten seconds before he asks about someone’s binder. Occasionally, this documentary series can make Rubicon seem fast-paced (Though I enjoy the series, I probably give it more leeway than I should because it’s on AMC. I mean, that linked clip is literally a woman opening a box for two and a half minutes). …Continue reading New York Jets Hard Knocks Episode 4
5 Bold NFL Predictions for 2010 (Part 1)
Gridiron Experts team of writers is making some bold NFL predictions. Some are long shots that you may love, others are realistic guess’s that you’ll hate.
Chris Hall’s 5 Bold Predictions
5.The Texans make the playoffs.
I know, I know, the Texans have a studly fantasy offense with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and crew, but they have never, in their teams history, been to the playoffs. The team is way too good to keep losing close games, and I really think that the Kris Brown/Neil Rackers kicking rivalry will make for a few less blown game enders. There’s no reason that the Texans should’ve lost to the Colts and Titans in weeks 9 and 11.
4. Shonn Greene will go the way of Ronnie Brown.
I absolutely hate foretelling injuries to players, but I don’t think that Shonn Greene’s style of play translates into a full NFL season. He hurt his ribs last offseason and then in the playoffs, and is bound to hurt them again with his bruising style. Rex Ryan is already threatening to load him up with extra padding to prevent rib damage… sounds scary to me.
3. Steven Jackson will leave fantasy owners out of the playoffs.
Last time S-Jax topped 300 rushing attempts (’06-’07), he sputtered out the next season and ran for 1,002 yards and 5 TD’s. Last season he had 324 yards and had to have been demoralized by having 19 linebackers on him every play. I really don’t see the offense getting that much better this year with Sam Bradford, so once again he will be on everyones radar. Expect him to be tired… real tired. …Continue reading 5 Bold NFL Predictions for 2010 (Part 1)
Some technical issues precluded us from posting a running diary last week (traffic overload), but no such dilemmas today. Let’s do this thang.
10:02- Spirits are down after the preseason loss to the Giants, as it starts to set in that nothing much has changed with the NFL in jersey for the past 30 years.
10:04- Everyone keeps talking about how great the starters were in the preseason game, and just sort of ignore the Sanchez pick six, which, as displayed in the most recent Superbowl, can be pretty devastating in an NFL game. But people tell me he’s a STAR! So who am I to argue?
10:06- The montage music is great, but it could be a little more intense. I feel like I don’t quite grasp how serious this all is with such a mellow score.
10:08- It has finally dawned on everyone in the Jets organization that David Clowney, who the Jets have been relying on since the Pennington days, isn’t the next Jerry Rice. This is why they’re the Jets.
10:09- The special teams coach/cancer survivor likes to curse more than Rex Ryan and is quite inspirational. I don’t know, his diction tells me he’s a man but his chest is telling me otherwise.
10:11- Ryan tells his team, in so many words, that there practice was ineffectual, I’m assuming this is the backup practice that was promised after the Giants loss because the coaching staff has opted to make examples of all their players with no expectations. …Continue reading New York Jets Hard Knocks Episode 3
8 MAN MOCK DRAFT; BEST PICKS RDs 3-8
A little while back the writers from Gridiron Experts decided to do a mock draft. I was recently looking over the round by round selections of my fellow writers and decided to do an evaluation of these rounds by selecting which writer made the best pick in each round. I will look at the value of the round the player was selected in along with the player’s potential upside. I decided to exclude the first two rounds from this analysis as these rounds seem to usually go as planned. This article will contain rounds 3 through 8 and a subsequent article will follow with rounds 9 through 15.
Round 3 – 
Shonn Greene (NYJ) – Greene provides great value in this round as he is being projected by some to be a possible first round pick or at the very least a second rounder. Now that Thomas Jones is out of town Greene is the RB that is going to benefit from Jones’ departure. Although the aging Tomlinson could factor in with some goal line carries, Greene is the Jets running back to own and should provide a positive season for his owners.
Round 4- Ryan Grant (GNB) – Much like Greene, Grant has a lot of upside. Especially, since he is the featured back in a high scoring offense. With the Packers having a pass happy system it should only open up more holes for Grant to run through.
Round 5 –Steve Smith (NYG) – Smith was very productive last season as Eli Manning’s top target. I expect Smith to once again get plenty of looks from his quarterback and to have another solid season. In most drafts that I have seen Steve Smith of the Giants is being taken as early as the third round …Continue reading 8 Man Mock Draft; Best Picks RDs 3-8
During the regular season, Gridiron Experts will be bringing you a unique fantasy football article called Fantasy Coin Flip, pitting two solid options against each other to help you decide your fantasy starting lineup each week.
To properly prepare you (and ourselves) for the season, we’re starting this article off with a bang and helping you decide between certain players you might be having a hard time picking between in your fantasy football drafts.
Injury vs Age
Wes Welker, WR, Patriots vs. Terrell Owens, WR, Bengals
Can Terrell Owens still play at 36, in a new system, while sharing targets (and the spotlight) with Chad Ochocinco? Yes, he can, but that’s still a lot of variables fantasy owners need to consider.
And for Welker, can he make it back from a serious knee injury in time for Week One, just six months after sustaining it? This writer thinks so, although fantasy owners also have to keep in mind that, even if Welker returns, he may fall short of his usual production as he works his way back to 100%.
However, just a mere glance at both player’s recent production suggests that a Wes Welker at even 75% would be a better selection than a 100% Terrell Owens in a new offense.
I’m sure Owens will perform well and should definitely be an upgrade from the 2009 T.O., but Welker is riding three-straight 112+ reception seasons, and you simply can’t ignore the massive role he has in New England, regardless of his current status. …Continue reading Fantasy Coin Flip: NFL Draft Version
It’s early August, which means it’s time for HBO’s requisite Hard Knocks season. A show that takes advantage of America’s obsession with the NFL by giving us a behind the scenes look at one of its 32 teams through the lens of of typical NFL self-seriousness, alpha-male aggression and locker room camaraderie. This year’s franchise: the New York Jets.
We’ve watched two and half of the last three seasons. The first was in Kansas City during Herm Edwards’ tinier with the Chiefs. It was an alright way to spend an hour on a summer weeknight, but outside of Tony Gonzalez’s and Brody Croyle’s spouses being immortalized, nothing all that memorable happened. I don’t know, my opinion at the time was probably inflated because I was supposed to like it.
During the second season I watched with the Dallas Cowboys (the same year after they signed Tank Johnson, Pacman and Terrell Owens) I caved after the second episode. The monotony was just too abundant to continue subjecting myself towards. It might have been the result of my half-hearted Eagles fandom, but I’d argue it was simply dull television.
In the third season, however, with the Cincinnati Bengals, they reeled me back in. With stories of Brian Leonard, Marvin Lewis, the young, undrafted DB whose name I’ve since forgotten, Andre Smith and Chad Johnson as the centerpieces to the season, I found the six episodes to be engaging (particularly as it pertained to OchoCinco) and insightful (especially in respect to the DB and Marvin Lewis). The first two years I didn’t really walk away with a feel for how an NFL franchise operates, I can’t say the same for 2009′s profile of the Bengals.
So there’s potential for the series, but it seems to seldom reach it. The Jets are one of the more discussed franchises heading into the season, so expectations are high for their Hard Knocks travails, and it’s in no small part to their flamboyantly provocative head coach, Rex Ryan. It’s hard to believe someone could be so confident about winning the Super Bowl in the preseason, like the parity and yearly turnover rate of playoff teams is unbeknownst to him despite being an immediate beneficiary of it in 2009. But that’s Rex Ryan, he’s certain he has the best team in the league with a bottom third quarterback. Frankly he’s the only reason we’re looking forward to the hour.
So let’s get to the hour at hand, and join me for my running diary that I swore I wrote in real time last night. …Continue reading Hard Knocks Episode 1
Gridiron Experts Power Rankings AUG. 2nd
32. Buffalo Bills
CJ Spiller has all the tools to be a playmaker in this league, well except for an offensive line in front of him, a quarterback to take the pressure off, and well you see where I’m going with this. The Bills are going to need a franchise quarterback before they move on this list.
31.St. Louis Rams
The Rams, in theory, should be a better team this year, but it’s still up in the air and truly depends on how NFL ready Sam Bradford is by the start of the season. Steven Jackson has always been the Rams workhorse, and that won’t change this year, expect another grand out of him in 2010.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are still rebuilding. This process can sometimes be long a frustrating, yet in the forseeable future they’ll find themselves on day on the outside looking in on any power rankings list. Every team must rebuild sooner or later but for this season ahead, the Buc’s will be leaning on too many young players and the inexperience will show.
29. Cleveland Browns
The Browns biggest flaw is their division, it’s just too hard to be competitive against perennial powerhouses like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. They did have a great draft and made some key off-season additions, with a revamped secondary expect them to move up this list in a year.
28. Detroit Lions
The Lions were the movers and shakers of the off-season, making some key additions. If only for the next few years, adding Jahvid Best to a backfield commandeered by Matt Stafford could be just what the Lions needed. Best will make plays and take some of the focus off of Calvin Johnson.
27. Oakland Raiders
For the first time in years, the Raiders impressed us all during the draft, adding a top-tier middle linebacker and shipping Kirk Morrison to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not to mention ditching JaMarcus Russell in favor of Jason Campbell, an automatic upgrade. Although for now, they’re still on the outside looking in.
26.Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have revamped their coaching staff and drafted (and paid) a play making safety in Eric Berry. Dexter McCluster will give add that x-factor to the offense and give Jamaal Charles some relief at the running back spot. Matt Cassell will get one more chance to show that he’s worth the money they’re paying him.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are a team that can never seem to get it together when it truly counts, their first rounder is considered a huge reach by the entire NFL community and if he doesn’t pan out, Jags fans can happily say goodbye to Jack Del Rio. Maurice Jones-Drew will set the pace for the offense once more. …Continue reading NFL Power Rankings
Last year’s gamble, this year’s keeper
In most Keeper leagues the name of the game, is value. Owners generally are allowed to keep a player, or players, but must sacrifice a draft pick in order to do so. Typically, an owner loses the corresponding pick that the selected keeper was chosen. If you spent a 2009 2nd rounder on Drew Brees, and want to keep him for 2010, you forgo your 2nd round pick in this season’s draft.
That’s why value is so important to Keeper league owners. If an owner uses his picks wisely, or can turn a late round gamble, or throw away pick into a fantasy stud, the value for the next season is outstanding. Often a player that would go in the top 10 in a standard draft can be “protected” for a nominal draft pick, allowing your early picks to be used on building great depth.
Let’s take a look at some players that were late round picks last year, that would make great keepers for the 2010 season. Using the 2009 ADP stats from Myfantasyleague.com these players make for outstanding keeper candidates.
- 10. Steve Smith (WR NYG)- ADP 134- Should still lead the Giants in catches. Actually got a team leading 23 redzone looks for 5 TD’s last year. Brings added value to PPR leagues. Early 2010 ADP has him going 38th.
- 9. Pierre Garcon (WR IND)- ADP 242- Though not a conventional keeper, Garcon could be a good choice in a PPR format simply based on the fact that it would only cost the average owner a 20th round pick. He will continue to get a lot of looks in Indianapolis.
- 8. Jermichael Finley (TE GB)ADP 175/ Vernon Davis (te SF)ADP 155- Most owners would never consider keeping a tight end, but the numbers dictate that there’s plenty of value in it. Tight ends get more and more numbers every year, and these low costs could allow a fantasy owner to concentrate on more valuable …Continue reading Last Year’s Fantasy Gamble, This Year’s Keeper
