NFL Truth & Rumors

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins

NFL Truth & Rumors

  • Darren Sproles Isn’t Going Anywhere
    Leaving it to the dramatic end, San Diego has decided to keep their running back by placing the maximum first and third round tender on Sproles Thursday.
  • Lito Let Go
    Lito Sheppard and the New York Jets are finished working together as of Thursday. After a strong year together the cornerback played one season for the Jets, after being acquired from Philly at last year’s NFL draft. The release makes sense to the rumors floating around the league the Jets have been interested in trading for a corner.
  • Pick Up Your Super Bowl Ring at the Door
    New Orleans Saints plan to release DE Charles Grant on Friday. The move is a small hint to what the Saints might be looking for in the NFL Draft come April.
  • Antrel Rolle’s Out Of A Job
    Trying to save money (in a cap-less year?) the Arizona Cardinals have released starting safety Antrel Rolle. The move is not one we thought would happen without the word “trade” attached to Rolle’s name, but apparently the Cardinals have no plans for Rolle at all, and wanted to be rid of the situation.
  • Redskins Spring Cleaning
    Guard Randy Thomas, Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El and kick returner Rock Cartwright were just a few names of the Washington Redskins that will be looking for work this season. Washington is getting a complete makeover as solid backups also heading out include: Cornerback Fred Smoot, defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, running back Ladell Betts and backup quarterback Todd Collins. 10 players in total were let go.

NFL Quick Hits

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals

NFL Quick Hits

  • Chad Ochocinco – WR, Cincinnati Bengals
    Chad Ochocinco says he is willing to take a pay cut if the Bengals pursue free agent Terrell Owens.
  • Anquan Boldin – WR, Cardinals
    Cardinals GM Rod Graves all but confirmed Wednesday that the team will give serious thought to trading Anquan Boldin this spring.
  • Jamal Lewis – RB, Browns
    Free agent Jamal Lewis said Wednesday that he is undecided about whether to retire.
  • Michael Vick – QB, Philadelphia Eagles
    NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that the Eagles may hold off until the preseason to trade Michael Vick.
  • Antonio Cromartie – CB, San Diego Chargers
    Several sources confirmed to the San Diego Union-Tribune that Antonio Cromartie has been on the trade block “for the better part of the last year
  • Donte’ Stallworth – WR, Baltimore Ravens
    New Ravens receiver Donte’ Stallworth says he has been timed at 4.3 in the forty-yard dash during recent workouts.
  • Larry Foote - LB, Detroit Lions
    Lions president Tom Lewand said Wednesday that the team would like to re-sign free agent LB Larry Foote.
  • Clinton Portis – RB, Washington Redskins
    New Redskins running backs coach Bobby Turner said that Clinton Portis “definitely” has something left.”
  • Anthony Fasano - TE, Miami Dolphins
    Beat writer Omar Kelly says it’s likely that impending restricted free agent Anthony Fasano will be back with the Dolphins next season.
  • Stacy Andrews – T, Philadelphia Eagles
    Stacey Andrews must take a pay cut if he wants to return to the Eagles in 2010, sources tell Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Fantasy Football: Keeper League Strategies

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Fantasy Football Strategies, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets

How many of you were guilty of keeping once fantasy studs Brian Westbrook, Clinton Portis or Willie Parker last season in you keeper league.

Embarrassed ? don’t be, it’s not your fault. Sure injuries took their toll on these guys, but they were once game breakers that won you fantasy weeks on a regular basis, now they’re just dead weight in many keeper leagues. Of course age was always in the back of your mind on whether you should let these guys go, but the risk was worth the reward….at least that’s what you thought.

Willie Parker lost carries to R.Mendenhall and Portis was hurt almost all year. Guys like Brian Westbrook were a coin flip too many people, as his hands are top notch and could at least be used in ways to still rack up points through the air. Unfortunately Westbrook did neither and was even beat out in the rushing yards category by a white quarterback; Aaron Rodgers (true stat).

So was there a lesson that was learned here? Did you tell yourself never again? If you did, we applaud you, as passing on big name players in keeping leagues is a difficult and risky task.

Not all veteran running backs were terrible in 2009, leaving the odd gambling fantasy owner kicking himself. Thomas Jones is 31, and is definitely one of those guys you looked at and told yourself “that has got to be all he’s got left”. But Jones finds ways to make a near empty tank of gas last an entire season.

Thomas Jones had 1402 rushing yards and 14 TD’s in the 2009 season. I can bet you there were more than a few fantasy football owners that threw this prize fish back into the waters.

He was not the only running back that was suppose to move out of the way for a rookie; Joseph Addai may be thought as an older guy but at 26 the Colts drafted Donald Brown to take some the slack off Addai’s shoulders. People assumed that the torch was about to be passed by mid-season after Addai’s performance in the 08 season. But nothing could be further from the truth, Joseph Addai was a touchdown machine with 10 on the ground and 3 threw the air. It’s safe to say he didn’t like the addition of a 1st round running back looking

G2 Super Bowl Commercial 2010: “The Journey”

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers

This will put a smile (and maybe a tear) on the face of a Saints fan, while stinging a Colts fan at the exact same time…as for everyone else, we all say the same thing to ourselves quietly under our breath: “next year”…

Kurt Warner Retires

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Around the League, St. Louis Rams

Kurt Warner Retires

The rags to riches Kurt Warner says goodbye to his career in the NFL. Warner is a made for TV movie waiting to happen with his surreal rise threw the NFL rankings to become a elite quarterback.

“Obviously, it’s been 12 unbelievable years, some of the best years of my life,” Warner said Friday. “I don’t think I could have dreamt it would have played out like it has. . . . But I want everybody to know that I’m just as excited about the next 12, that I’m excited about what lies in front of me. I’m excited about spending more time with my family, and seeing what God’s going to do next.”

The Arena Football League and NFL Europe was his starting point as a QB, but people can’t forget his beginning stocking grocery shelves. After having an amazing stint with St.Louis in which they captured Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 Warner’s career looked to take a dip, signing a free-agent contract with the Giants in 2004 and leading the team to a 5-4 record, before rookie Eli Manning replaced him after nine games. Warner came to the Cardinals in 2005 and was an off-and-on starter before replacing the injured Matt Leinart part way through the 2007 season. You could say he had two careers in which he fought his way through adversity. In the end, love him or hate him the story of Kurt Warner and his passion for the game is very impressive and he will be missed by the fans in Arizona and around the league.

NFL Playoffs: Unconventional Thinking

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Around the League

NFL Playoffs Unconventional Thinking

The post-season bye week is a powerful reward that gives leverage to teams that had a great season. Rested players, an extra week of scheming, and momentum with home field advantage have to be luxuries. But typically, the teams that are waiting and watching for their opponents to come to them are so out of rhythm from resting players that they fall short. Remember the Titans? They went 13-3 last year with a week off to prepare for their big match-up, but after racking up points all season the Titans lost a heartbreaker at home to the Ravens 13-10.

My point is that when you’re constantly playing for your post-season life in the NFL, and are a team on the edge of going home, you’re more dangerous and more focused.

Hang on though; the Colts, Saints, Vikings, and Chargers are without a doubt the most lethal crew of top conference teams in quite some time. They all have offensive firepower that you do not want to take lightly, and none are defensively minded teams that “got lucky”. Each team has an elite quarterback along with some of the best offensive and defensive lines in the game.

So do these Wildcard road teams stand a fair chance? We’ll all just have to wait and find out.

I can tell you one thing though, no team is flying under the radar more than the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals, after a sluggish regular-season finish, once again saved their best for the playoffs. The Cards were flawless on offense last week, even without injured receiver Anquan Boldin. Kurt Warner, despite the retirement rumors, played a flawless game. The guy only missed four passes in the Packers shoot out game (29 for 33 for 379 yards and 5 TD’s) where everything was on target. I can’t remember who those 4 incompletions were thrown to, but if any of them were drops, Warner would be stupid to even think of hanging it up, as he is playing the sharpest football of his career.

The opponents who have given the Cardinals trouble this season are the ones who have been able to pressure Warner, so this weeks game might come down to the Saints and whether or not they can mess with the ex bag boy’s stocking arm. The chip on Arizona’s shoulder is Super Bowl big, and if the Saints are busy perfecting their jambalaya recipe, they might be this years high scoring version of last years Titans.

Wild Card Preview:Packers-Cardinals

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Previews & Forecasts

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals-1.5

Before this article grabs Green Bay fans by the wrists and drags them into the depths of painful, realistic punishment, let’s adore the facts. Green Bay just beat the Arizona Cardinals. They did so handily, 33-7, and after winning seven of their last eight games, there really isn’t much to suggest a first round exit.

If you truly believe that, you’re either a naive Cheesehead from Wisconsin, or you simply don’t follow the NFL.

After seeing the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Giants and end any chances of the Cardinals obtaining a first round bye, Arizona head coach Ken Wisenhunt “wizened up” (pun intended) and sat all of his offensive starters after less than a quarter of play.What transgressed was the Green Bay Packers (who left their starters in for nearly the entire game) demolishing the Cardinals. Add the soul-pounding victory by Green Bay with it’s other six victories out of it’s last eight games, and you’ve got a confident group of players and coaches on your hands.

But, really, are they that confident?

They’re going back to the same place they just played in less than a week. Only, this time they get the real deal. The Cardinals saw what the Packers are capable of. They saw their offense going to work, how their defense works in it’s 3-4, and what tendencies Mike McCarthy and co.

Gridiron Experts Power Rankings

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Around the League, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers

Gridiron Experts Power Rankings

IND100

1] Indianapolis Colts 12-0

We were splitting hairs for the top team on this list; you could almost have the Colts as 1A and the Saints as 1B. The playoffs are the focus now, and even if there is a surprise loss in the next couple weeks, nobody would be surprised to see Manning and the Colts walk through the Playoffs to the Super Bowl.

NO100

2] New Orleans Saints 12-0

This team is not untouchable, but if you let up for more than a second Drew Brees will have his offense on the goal line in the blink of an eye. I’d love to see the Colts vs. Saints in the Super Bowl, but on the other hand I love a good upset. Regardless of how these two 12-0 teams finish the season, the odds of either team making it to the big dance is highly favorable.

MIN100

3] Minnesota Vikings 10-2

A small setback last week should make for a great game against the Bengals. The Vikings need to remain focused as the Bengals are no pushover team. With the NFC East battle going on and Cardinals winning last week, a slip up could result in the loss of the opening week playoff bye. The Vikings remaining schedule isn’t that difficult, but the fact that everyone except Brett Favre is used to playing in a dome has the betting community a little curious to see if they remain the top dog.

SD100

4] San Diego Chargers 9-3

The Chargers are on a 5 game winning streak and are itching to prove themselves in the playoffs. The Broncos are the annoying fly that won’t go away in the standings, so expect the Chargers to play hard right through the remaining games of the season (that’s good news for fantasy owners). Denver’s remaining games are easier on paper, but the team doesn’t have the depth and should remain a game back.

CIN100

5] Cincinnati Bengals 9-3

The Bengals have something this year that they haven’t had in years… a strong defense. Sure Chad Ochocinco makes the highlight reel TD catch that gets him fined $30K for wearing a poncho and sombrero after he scores, but it’s the defense that’s winning games. The defense is the Bengals best kept secret by far. Think about it, we haven’t seen too many blowouts from the 9-3 Bengals, mainly because the offense is, well, average. Except for ranking 6th overall in rushing yards per game, the Bengals are middle of the pack with their passing attack and will lean on an excellent underrated defensive core in the playoffs.

PHI100

6] Philadelphia Eagles 8-4

The Eagles are on a 3 game winning streak and are eyeballing the top spot in the NFC East. Winning in December is nothing new for quarterback Donovan McNabb as he tends to do this every year. Most of last weeks highlights were of Mike Vick getting clean up duty in ATL, but the fact that at the start of the game McNabb was without Westbrook and D. Jackson shows that his leadership is starting to really speak volumes. The Eagles are banged up on defense but continue to make plays across the board; this team is

Waiver Wire Sleepers

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Hot-sexy-girl-playing-american-football

Last Minute Waiver Wire Sleepers

Believe it or not, whether you’re 11-0 or 5-6 at this point in the season, searching for and finding gems on the waiver wire never gets old. At least it shouldn’t, not if you’re as dedicated to fantasy football success as we are.

The names won’t blow you away, but there are at least a couple of guys at each position that can help you out in some manner, and all should be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues.

Read on to find out what darkhorses could help you in Week 13, and possibly even in your league’s playoffs:

Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals (95%)

Leinart didn’t throw a touchdown in his 2009 starting debut, but he did play well, and ended the game against the Titants be going 13-16 in the second half. Kurt Warner is still having post-concussion issues, so there’s a decent chance Leinart could start on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings can rush the passer, but they also have issues stopping elite pass offenses, so Leinart could easily find some solid numbers. Even if Leinart doesn’t play this week, or if you don’t like him against the Vikings, hold onto him for the stretch run, as concussion symptoms tend to linger.

Chris Redman, QB, Atlanta Falcons (97%)

Redman stepped in for the injured Matt Ryan last week, and completed 23 passes for 240+ yards and two scores, including the game-winner. Redman picked up right where he had left off after a solid 2007 season, and will go into Week 13’s match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles as Atlanta’s starter, as Ryan nurses a turf toe injury.

The Eagles pass defense isn’t weak, but with no Michael Turner to help him, Redman could be in for a busy day.

Jerious Norwood, RB, Atlanta Falcons (80%)

It was Jason Snelling two weeks ago, and now that Micharl Turner is back on the shelf and Norwood is healthy again, the tiny back from Mississippi State gets a crack at extra playing time.

He was decent in his return last week, rushing for 22 yards and catching two passes for another 28 yards and a touchdown, but should see a much larger role this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The match-up isn’t great, but the touches should be there, making him a solid Flex play for Week 13, and until Turner returns.

Chris Brown, RB, Houston Texans (94%)

Brown has rushed the ball 11 times in the past two games, despite coming off the bench, and has even had a role in the passing game. Brown is the best blocking back on the team, doesn’t put the ball on the ground, and is solid in every facet of the game.

Steve Slaton will continue to start for the Texans and will play a role in the offense, but Brown’s role appears to be a bit more dependable. He has a solid match-up against a weak Jacksonville defense this week, so use him with confidence if you need running back help.

Robert Meachem, WR, New Orleans Saints (54%)