Championship weekend has arrived in the NFL as the 2011 season continues to shock and awe. Gillette Stadium plays host to the AFC Championship between the high-flying Baltimore Ravens and the battle-tested New England Patriots. It comes as no surprise that the top two AFC squads are battling for a spot in Super Bowl XLVI, but only one can rightfully represent the American Football Conference in the most highly anticipated game in all sports. This will mark the first time the Patriots and Ravens have met all year, with both esteemed squads winning their divisions and claiming first round byes, yet questions still linger about the ferocity surrounding the Baltimore Ravens. Can they compete with New England? Do they have an offense that can contend with the Patriots? Sunday afternoon should reveal all.

The Patriots and Ravens are no strangers to each other. They’ve squared off six times against each other in the regular season and once in the postseason, which came last year in a wild card game where the Ravens routed the Pats 33-14. On the other hand, the Patriots own a perfect 6-0 record over the Ravens in the regular season. Whatever the case may be both teams are out to prove they’re worthy of being where they are this season. The Ravens fly into Foxboro hoping to upset the heavily favored Patriots while New England looks to head back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in ten years.

Baltimore’s Ball Control and Superior Defense

The Ravens offense, as of lately, has been under a lot fire due to the fact that quarterback Joe Flacco seems incapable of moving the ball efficiently, raising questions of Flacco actually being an elite quarterback. This week, veteran Baltimore cornerback Ed Reed literally threw Flacco under the bus saying “he can’t play like he did against the Texans in the AFC Championship Sunday against the New England Patriots,” implying that Flacco wasn’t capable of leading the Baltimore offense. Hopefully this spat won’t carry itself over into one of the most anticipated games in Ravens history.

The top priority for the Baltimore Ravens will be getting the ball into the hands of running back Ray Rice. Rice is the league’s leader in total yardage with 2,068, with 1,364 of those on the ground. If the Ravens can get Rice out into open space, the Patriots will have a mess on their hands. Either running or catching, Rice is one of the most dynamic players on the Baltimore roster and will be expected to show up big if the Ravens have hopes of heading to Indy. If Rice can set the tone, like he did in last year’s wild card game against the Patriots, breaking off on an eighty-three yard touchdown run from scrimmage, then the Ravens will be able to hold their own.

With Joe Flacco facing tons of scrutiny, his confidence has to be shaken. This will open up a prime opportunity for Bill Belichick to neutralize the run game and force the struggling quarterback to beat his team through the air. Flacco hasn’t been spectacular and the Ravens have rarely relied on him to be the central point in their offense, yet come Sunday, the Ravens may have to rely on Flacco’s arm if they hope to surpass New England. Patriots front men nose tackle Vince Wilfork and defensive end Mark Anderson are threats the Ravens should be worried about. If they cannot be contained, Flacco and the Ravens are in for a world of hurt.

Besides getting the ball to Ray Rice, wide receiver Anquan Bolden will be another vital option. Bolden is a superior route runner and has no problem catching the ball in tight coverage (especially if there is an erratic throw from Flacco). New England’s secondary has been mediocre all season and if Flacco is having a good day throwing the ball, watch out for Boldin to be a game changer when the Ravens need it the most. Other wide-outs, rookie Torrey Smith and veteran Lee Evans need to step up in big ways on Sunday and contribute to big pass plays downfield. These receivers will be going up against CB Devin McCourty and solid safeties James Ihedigbo and Patrick Chung (a fierce competitor) and will have to be aware of what kind of defensive schemes the Patriots are using.

Somewhere the Patriots may be surprised by the Ravens could be using Baltimore tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. Both can be used in tight situations and are dangerous receivers entering the red zone and third down situations. John Harbaugh would be wise to use these two men in more ways than one if he wants to catch the Pats of guard. Ball control and limiting the amount of turnovers is key for a Ravens victory. Keeping the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands will be vital.

Finally, the Ravens defense is the utmost prime factor in stopping New England. Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed and the rest of the defense (ranked third overall) will need to step up to prevent Tom Brady and this lethal offense from marching down the field. It was by all odds the Ravens D that helped them overcome the Houston Texans, considering the offense was shut down after a stunning first half. If Baltimore’s offense can’t put points on the board, look for the defense to prevent New England from scoring, giving them a greater chance of winning.

Baltimore has one heck of a mighty game to prepare for. Well see if they’re contenders or pretenders come Sunday.

New England’s No Mercy and Aggressive Offense

The New England Patriots look absolutely unstoppable coming off last week’s rout of the Denver Broncos. The AFC divisional game was over by the half as the Patriots had to do very little to stop Tim Tebow and the Broncos. Tom Brady led the aggressive offense, throwing 5 first half touchdowns (an NFL postseason record) and the Patriots cruised to an easy victory leading to the AFC title game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots showed no mercy against the Broncos, what’s to say they won’t do the same against the Ravens?

For more than a decade, Tom Brady has proven that he is one of the most dangerous passers in the NFL. Given the appropriate amount of time, Brady will shred the best defenses out there and may have no problem moving the ball against the third best defense in the NFL. Although Brady hasn’t faced a potent defense in months, going back to a game against Pittsburgh, in which New England was held to a measly seventeen points, yet this is the playoffs and Brady is used to this type of pressure. He could be magical come Sunday.

Tom Brady will likely run the no-huddle offense on Sunday to keep the Ravens D on their toes. The main man the Ravens will have to be aware of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski and Brady have been two peas in a pod this year, and if Gronkowski finds space, the Ravens might be in big trouble. Baltimore will need to blanket Gronkowski in coverage, forcing Brady to find another receiver. Yet, that could leave WR Wes Welker in single coverage, another guy who could put up big numbers and another one of Brady’s biggest targets.

If the Patriots run game gets going, with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the Ravens may find that stopping the run could prove difficult considering a week ago, the Texans did a fine job of running all over the Ravens. If the Patriots can up their ground game, they’re surely to win.

The biggest concern for the Patriots is their defense. Yet, if the Patriots were as dominant as they were a week ago against Denver, the Patriots could easily cruise to the Super Bowl.

Another thing about New England is they hold no mercy. No matter how bad the other squad is playing, they’ll continue to throw down the gauntlet. The Patriots aggressive offense is a big concern for Baltimore. They’ll need to find ways to confuse Brady in coverage in more ways than one.

The Patriots are desperate to get back to the Super Bowl and are undoubtedly hoping to have another shot at the New York Giants. They’re looking for revenge and they want it badly.

Who Wins?

The Patriots easily defeated the Broncos while the Ravens had a bit of a difficult time putting away the Texans. If the Patriots are rolling on all cylinders, they’ll easily come away with another AFC Championship. However, the Ravens could surprise the Pats in a big way, but I’m betting that New England isn’t about to let anything stand in the way of another trip to the Super Bowl.

Patriots 31 Ravens 17

Fantasy Football:

Alright, so I dropped the ball on this article, I’ll admit it right off the bat. I said I would take it at the beginning of the week and then got busy writing a couple other pieces, including 10 Amazing NFL Draft Steals, Starting in the Playoffs and Talent vs. Playoff Experience which is 1.) me thinking way too much about the NFL draft too early and 2.) an article (possibly too deep) about the hype the media puts around Playoff Experience. Either way I’m sorry as this article is going to take a weird spin, but hey… it’s Friday, let the weekend begin!

By the way, If you do want to read some amazing in-depth NFL previews I suggest checking out any of the other Gridiron Experts articles that Jody, Brian, and Chris wrote. Killer content that I think any football fan would love.

My preview of the game that Las Vegas sports bookies and many people in the Boston area see as a complete joke between the Denver Broncos and the (wicked-bad) New England Patriots is quite simple.

And it has nothing to do with Tim Tebow.

While the media world can’t get enough of Tim Tebow, I believe this match-up has far from anything to do with him. That’s either the most stupid or brilliant thing I’ve ever said. Clearly the game was won from his big play throw in overtime that shocked the football nation and allowed this match-up to even take place.

But hear me out…

The Broncos proved that they can score points. They did it last week against one of the tougher defenses in the league. Pittsburgh, despite being on the road, has always given opponents trouble especially in the dying seconds of the game. So if a team that has a running back for a quarterback can throw the ball and move the chains against one of the better defenses in the league, the Patriots should be easy to score on.

Remember these teams played each other earlier in the year, and if there weren’t 3 turnovers in the second half the score would have looked completely different. Back in week 15, and after SNL spoofed their winning streak with a Jesus taking credit skit, the Broncos skipped the usual slow start followed by a fantastic finish and scored on their first three possessions to start the game. It was only over after they were done in by a trio of turnovers in the final 8 and half minutes of the second quarter.

Tim Tebow had 93 rushing yards with 2 touchdowns.

But I’m getting away from my original point. It’s clear that the Broncos know how to move the ball, even if it’s an unorthodox style.

What I think Denver will need to do throughout this game is figure out how to stop Tom Brady. Stopping Brady and his explosive offense is the true key to this game. The Patriots defense is average at best, so Tebow just has to keep up with everything that he has been doing to score points. But a shoot-out and this game gets ugly.

As much as I want to pick Denver in this contest I believe that the true strategy is just keeping Brady from blowing this game wide open, a close game into the 4th quarter and the Broncos have a shot.

Pat’s 24-20

Fantasy Football:

As the draft is fast approaching and everyone is preparing for the weekend in New York, a few teams will have a much greater chance at making a splash in the draft than others. Depending on their overall strategy, these teams have the best chance to walk away from the draft as winners by adding major contributors to their team.

1. New England Picks: (1.17, 1.28, 2.33, 2.28, 3.10, 3.28, 4.28, 5.28, 6.28)

The Patriots found a way to wheel and deal once again; in this years NFL draft they have 6 picks in the top 92. New England’s planning has definitely paid off, as the rich just seem to get richer. To put things more into perspective, the Patriots will be drafting their 4th player 5 slots before the Panthers will take their 2nd player.

While we all know Billy B. will probably move around in this years NFL draft like he has in past years, he could also choose to add as many as half a dozen opening day starters, and still deal a pick or two for future selections in the 2012 draft. The Patriots are clearly in the driver’s seat with the most high end selections to play with.

2. San Francisco 49er’s Picks: (1.7, 2.13, 3.12, 4.11, 4.18, 5.10, 6.9, 6.25, 7.8, 7.28, 7.36, 7.47)

Yes, you counted correctly, San Francisco not only has 5 picks in the top 115 (which is a great way to add immediate talent), but they also have 6 picks in the final 2 rounds. With 12 total selections, the 49er’s can control this draft as they see fit. If Jim Harbaugh wants to wheel and deal, he will have all the momentum to build this team with either quantity or quality. With so many extra picks the 49er’s can play it by ear, using extra low end picks to move around if a player slips into a prime picking spot.

3. Philadelphia Eagles Picks: (1.23, 2.22, 3.21, 4.7, 4.23, 5.18, 5.22, 7.24, 7.34, 7.37)

Philadelphia has needs just like any other team. However, for a team that still has the opportunity to go as far as Mike Vick will take them, 10 draft picks will likely fill any if not all holes quickly. The Eagles also have the opportunity to deal quarterback Kevin Kolb for even more draft picks, adding a definite X-factor to their draft strategy. This could be a chance for Philadelphia to beef up their pass rush early on, while adding secondary and line depth as the draft continues. There will be gems all throughout this years draft, which plays into the Eagles strength of having their picks fairly scattered throughout. This should allow them to grab a great combination of starters, rotational players, and developmental guys as well.

4.  San Diego Chargers Picks: (1.18, 2.18, 2.29, 3.18, 3.25, 6.18, 6.36, 7.31)

Some may think San Diego is in an awkward position, but I see them as the dark horse of the draft, as most of their key positional elements are in place. They do have a few picks early on (5 in the first 3 rounds), but all of their picks also occur past the halfway point in each round. This isn’t a bad thing, but there is clearly a difference between picking the 1st selection of the third round, opposed to the 18th or the 25th. The real advantage for the Chargers lies in watching top end talent fall due to the high demand for Quarterbacks and or other already filled positions.

San Diego does have a few needs to fill before taking that next step forward, but if they are patient and add a few solid prospects with their early picks, they should once again get back into position to win the AFC West in 2011-2012.

5. Carolina Panthers Picks: (1.1, 3.1, 3.33, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.38, 7.1)

Make no mistake, the rebuilding process in Carolina could be a long and difficult journey. To compete in the NFC South they are going to have to lay the foundation for the future. The good news is that while they don’t have enough ammunition to make a major impact with starters, they have the picks to move around the entire draft and fill all their needs. Carolina holds the keys to almost every round’s first pick, including the 1st overall pick. With the draft now a three day event, the Panthers can have extra time to make trades and obtain more picks to fill more depth. Carolina will have 8 selections overall in this years draft and 4 selections before the 98th overall spot. Look for the Panthers to build for the future and try to have a bounce back year.

Fantasy Football:

The Pittsburgh Steelers have not lost to a divisional rival in the post-season since the merger back in 1970.  Two of those victories came against the Ravens in ’01 and again ’08. What’s more, they are 8-1 in their past nine Wildcard or divisional playoff games at home.

This AFC North grudge match has odds-makers calling an over/under total of 37 points. Expect a tough, hard fought battle that sees more 3′s than 7′s.

A Few Trends To Consider:
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore’s last 11 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore’s last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Pittsburgh is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Pittsburgh’s last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore

Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons -2.5

The Falcons haven’t gotten the credit they deserve for their amazing regular season. Matt Ryan is deadly at home; in front of a screaming mob of Falcon fans, teams have trouble in Hotlanta. Although, the Falcons excellent 13-3 season and 7-1 home record really don’t matter come post-season. Atlanta has a nice balance of youth and experience, yet the team hasn’t played in the post season as a whole just yet. Their lack of post-season experience might be something the Packers can expose.

Green Bay has just beaten a high-powered offensive Eagles squad in a city where they wreck Toyota Camry’s when they lose. The Packers have a defense that is excellent at adjusting to their opponents. Meanwhile, the offense missed a couple of opportunities that could have sealed the deal a lot earlier. Expect added focus on the offense this week.

A Few Trends To Consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Green Bay’s last 9 games on the road
Green Bay is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Green Bay’s last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Green Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Atlanta is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Green Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 7 games when playing Green Bay

New York Jets vs. New England -8.5

Tom Brady took the high road in the war of words this week. Trash talk through the media rarely turns out great for the team with the big mouth (sorry, don’t have those stats). Regardless, this game could be considered “payback” for either team. This divisional battle is close in the eyes of true Jets fans, but odds-makers have the Patriots as 8.5 favorites.  Super Bowl Betting wouldn’t be the same without Tom Brady in it, yet if the upset comes through, Sanchez and the Jets might finally get some respect from Vegas.

Team records:
New York: 11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS
New England: 14-2 SU, 10-5-1 ATS

A Few Trends To Consider:
The total has gone OVER in 9 of the NY Jets last 10 games on the road
NY Jets are 12-3 SU in their last 15 games on the road
NY Jets are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of the NY Jets last 16 games
New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New England’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New England’s last 10 games

Seattle Seahawks  vs. Chicago Bears -10

Can lightning strike twice? Well, this Seattle team can cause Earthquakes…does that count? To be fair, it was the insane Seattle fan base that rocked the stadium like a shake-weight last week. Matt Hasselbeck is the talk of the league with his near perfect performance and 4 touchdown passes, but as fast as this league praises you, they can turn on you and feed you to the wolves bears. Seattle played a great game at home last week, do they have the same magic on the road against a sleeping Bear?

A Few Trends To Consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Seattle’s last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago’s last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago’s last 6 games
Chicago is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Chicago is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home

Fantasy Football:

New England Patriots 2-1 vs. Miami Dolphins 2-1

The Monday night showdown features a game that has Las Vegas flipping the favorite all week. Currently Miami are one point favorites at home. This AFC East match-up proves to be a good one in what could be an exciting finish for many fantasy owners to end out their weeks. Tom Brady and Randy Moss will of course connect as they always do, but could the top pairing be from the Dolphins?

Brandon Marhsall has found a comfortable place amongst the offense as the all-mighty go-to target, as he zero’s in on challenging for the top wide receiver of the year. Each team will have many players geared for fantasy action, but it’s the game plan that has us more curious than usual. The Patriots defense line is still a unified force that should cause problems for the Dolphins running backs. Where as the Dolphins secondary is in the top 10 for passing defense, keeping opposing quarterbacks to under 200 yards and only allowing 4 TD’s in the air in 3 games.

Something has to give.

I expect to see a balanced attack to play on each teams strength. The Patriots will be running to step up their passing attack where as the Dolphins will throw early to back the safeties off. Expect many opportunities for fantasy flex players and stay open-minded with the chance that each team will be bringing their “A” game to this very tough divisional prime time grudge match.

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Fantasy Football:

The matchup between the Jets and the Patriots is once again a highly anticipated event.  Both teams maintain they are the better team and both expect to come away with a victory.  However, only one team can win the game and only one team is truly better than the other.   After last weekend’s performances by each squad it is being assumed by many that the Patriots are clearly the better team.  After all New England ended up completely dominating the Bengals while the Jets lost a hard fought battle with the Baltimore Ravens, which did not seem as close as the final game score indicated.   Plus on top of all the preparations, game planning, and strategizing there is some war of words circulating in the media.  New England quarterback Tom Brady has been quoted early in the season as saying he hates the Jets and would never watch the Jets on Hard Knocks.  For the Jets the most popular smack talk is coming from an interview from last January in which cornerback Darrelle Revis states that Randy Moss is a “slouch” to play against.  Regardless of the smack talk amongst the teams there is still a game to be played and there are going to be some key matchups to watch.

The key match-up for the Patriots is going to be Tom Brady and the Patriot receivers against the Jets defense.  It is apparent to some that the Jets are going to try and remove Randy Moss from the equation by matching Revis against him for much of the game.  This would leave Wes Welker to work his magic against either Antonio Cromartie or rookie Kyle Wilson.   After last weekend’s performance by Welker, Moss being blanketed by the best cornerback in the league, and Julian Edelman being listed as questionable it is easy to assume that Welker will be Brady’s top target come kickoff.  However, I expect the ball to be distributed around the field to a combination of Patriot receivers including Ben Tate and Kevin Faulk.

Now the key match-up for the Jets will be to see if they can get their running game going against the Patriots from seven.  Last week the Patriots were able to keep Cedric Benson in check, but then again they were up early and the Bengals had to resort to throwing the ball.  Last week against the Ravens tough run defense the Jets running backs were able to accumulate 107 yards on only 18 carries.  Unfortunately for the Jets their top back, Shonn Greene, did not look good in the season opener and was outplayed by San Diego castaway Ladainian Tomlinson.  In order for the Jets to win this game they are going to have to commit themselves more to the running game and avoid turning over the ball.

This should be another highly competitive match-up of two teams that truly dislike each other.  The key is going to be which team wants the victory more.  With a win by the Patriots it would help keep them at the top of the AFC East with a 2-0 record, but more importantly it would push the Jets to the bottom of the division with a 0-2 start.  For a team that has been talking championship for much of the off-season this would be an unacceptable start for the Jets.  As for the Patriots they need this win to cement themselves as one of the league’s best teams.  My prediction is a competitive victory by the Patriots, but then again this contest is being played in New York and the home crowd could influence the matchup.  Expect a rowdy crowd, a game full of big hits, and two teams that already hate each other to leave the field with more contempt for each other.

Fantasy Football:

The 5 Biggest Reaches of the Draft

Last week’s draft provided a certain amount of excitement that only one year’s worth of anticipation can create. Fans wait an entire year to witness the selection of new talent for their teams, and when they select little known players or “make a reach” in the draft for a player that arguably shouldn’t go as high as they’re about to be picked, understandably some fans get quite cheesed. While others celebrate knowing their team’s front office has just outsmarted all 31 others in the league. Here is a quick look at who I believe were the 5 biggest reaches of the 2010 NFL entry draft in order of their selection.

DE, Tyson Alaulu, 1st round 10th overall, Jacksonville Jaguars

To the surprise of most observers the first DE taken in the draft was not Derrick Morgan, not Jason Pierre Paul, and not even Brandon Graham. It was California’s Tyson Alaulu. In Alaulu the Jaguars have found themselves a powerful “tweener” rush as he displays the size and strength capable of playing the interior line too. Alaulu should be an immediate starter, replacing recently traded Quentin Groves on the depth chart.

QB, Tim Tebow, 1st round, 25th overall, Broncos

The rumour de jour on Tim Tebow is that the Broncos panicked in their selection of the Florida product, the result was allegedly, an unnecessary move to select a player that would have still been on the board two picks later (and maybe even much more). In Tebow the Broncos have almost certainly selected a player that will not effectively take the field on most downs, rather in certain situations until he proves he can handle himself in the pros. There were rumours of a Patriot want for the player that fuelled the trade, however that was indefinitely the ingenious finagling of the Pats terrific front office. The next QB in the draft (Jimmy Clausen) was not taken until 4 picks after the Broncos 2^nd round pick. I’m not arguing against Tebow’s talent, I am merely indicating that they could have selected a legitimate first round talent, as well as nabbing Tebow early in the 2^nd round.

DE, Daniel Teo-Neshiem, 3rd round 86th overall, Eagles

In Teo-Neshiem, the Eagles picked up their second defensive end of the draft. A little known prospect out of Washington places an astounding 9 DE’s on the Eagle roster as of today. Andy Reid commented on the pick mentioning that “one can never have enough speed edge rushers in the NFL, as it is so difficult to find one whom truly excels”. However with the talent available in the draft, the talent currently on the eagles roster at DE, and the perceived value of Nesheim it’s hard not to call Nesheim’s selection a reach as he is a player that may not anytime soon if ever, see a significant amount of playing time at his position (case and point, Victor Abiamiri, Chris Clemons).

RB, Ryan Matthews, 1st round 12th overall, San Diego Chargers

San Diego desperately needed a back to replace the all time great Ladanian Tomlinson, so desperately that they virtually gave up their entire draft for one. In order to move up 16 spots the Chargers traded away pick 28 overall, their second round pick (40 overall), and 4th rounder (126 overall) and linebacker Tim Dobbins. Ryan Matthews is a physical runner that has the ability to be an every down back. Matthews has a true North-South running ability that separates him from those who dance around in the backfield, (and subsequently seem not to succeed at the pro level). In a draft year that saw the Chargers select only one more player the entire day (FS, Darrel Stuckey, 4th round) the Chargers brass must make sure they are happy with their decision, or this may turn out to be one of the sourest deals from the draft.

P, Zoltan Mesko, 5th round 150th overall, Patriots

Mesko was considered a valuable commodity within the NFL draft, at least as far as punters go. He has a huge leg, and even bigger frame unusual for a kicker (6’4, 240 lbs.). However at this time in the draft there was still plenty of talent available (Trindon Holliday, Jonathan Dwyer, Myron Rolle). So to select a player that NFL.com labels as not “an elite punter in this year’s draft” over players that arguably would have made more of an impact to the Pats roster, is in my opinion one of the largest reaches of the draft. If anyone has good luck with late round gems, it’s the Patriots, they should have taken a flyer on another impact position that helps them maximize the window under the Tom Brady era.

Fantasy Football:

The Pittsburgh Steelers re-acquired QB Byron Leftwich on Tuesday by trading a seventh-round draft pick (225th overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rumors are that Big Ben is likely to see around 3-4 game suspension, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Leftwich is the guy. Dennis Dixon was a star at Oregon, and if it wasn’t for an injury late into his senior season, the Ducks had a chance to play for a national title. Some even thought Dixon (if he had stayed healthy) would have had a shot at the Heisman. The Steelers will load up on QB’s this offseason, as they don’t expect to head into the start of the season unprepared.

LB Jason Taylor agreed to a contract with the New York Jets on Tuesday worth 13 million over 2 years. The Jets have made more aggressive moves this offseason than over the last 5 years combined. With a veteran vocal leader on defense the Jets are easy favorites for the best defense in the NFL.

Fantasy Football:

The free agent market hits us like a tidal wave of possibilities. Fans are eagerly waiting and wondering how their team is going to make an upgrade quickly, while others want to know the affects it will have on fantasy football. The following is a quick list of players I think are flying under the radar who could have a huge year with a change of scenery.

#5 WR Antonio Bryant

Bryant had an amazing season in 2008, racking up 1,248  receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, but was franchise tagged last year to play on a team he wanted out of. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were desperate to keep this unhappy wide receiver around for another year, but now they are letting him loose. Before playing two seasons in Tampa, Bryant bounced around the league, playing in Cleveland and in San Fransisco after the three seasons in Dallas in which he was drafted from.

At 28, this receiver is a lot more in tune with what he wants and where he thinks could be the best possible destination for his skills. Bryant still has a few more good years left in him, and a team looking to add an instant starter could land themselves a great wide receiver weapon.

4) DE Aaron Kampman

I am not Kampman’s doctor, but if the light is green, teams would be stupid not to gamble on this sack monster. Aaron suffered a knee injury earlier in the year, forcing him to miss time and play somewhat average football for the Packers. If you look at the three previous years in Green Bay you would see Kampman combined for an amazing 32 sacks. The 3-4 transition didn’t fit so well with this long time Packer veteran, but their loss is another team’s gain; watch for a 4-3 defense to snatch this pass rusher up in a hurry.

3) TE Ben Watson

The New England Patriots and their constant juggling of personnel hurt Watson’s stock over the years. Highlight reel catches in the endzone were thrown to linebackers or fullbacks lining up in a tight end position. Screw Vrabel,  Watson is a player that could be not only a huge gem for a team looking for an upgrade at the tight end spot, but a fantasy sleeper option as well. At 6’3″, 250 lbs and with great speed, teams will be fighting to sign this underrated free agent.

2) RB LaDainian Tomlinson

How big of a chip do you think LT has on his shoulders now? After everything this guy has done for the Chargers, Tomlinson finds himself out by the curb next to the garbage. For pure motivational purposes I would take a shot on him, especially if you were in line to play San Diego this year. No real need for a write up here, we all know what Tomlinson can add to a team; if someone is smart and doesn’t hand the guy 25+ carries per game, they can keep him healthy and use him as a secret weapon all year.

1) WR Derrick Mason

Sounds crazy right? No, I haven’t been drinking. Derrick Mason is a hugely underrated free agent available this coming weekend. Yes he’s 36 years old, but 8 out of the last 9 years the guy has had 1,000 yards receiving…5 of which were in Baltimore.

The Ravens have never been known as a team that throws the ball, but when they do, expect Mason to make the grab. Think about it: for a player who continues to be the only real passing threat on a team that up until last year has never had a quarterback, Mason has done it all. Not to mention there have been seasons where Mason has had over 90 receptions (103 rec in ’07) all in which he has not missed a game in 7 years. Old? You’re old, this guy can play. Any team looking to add a sure-handed receiver who is used to being covered by the best will get a huge upgrade if they can convince him to sign.

I expect the same type of numbers out of Derrick Mason this year, but at the same time I expect whoever signs him to see a noticeable increase in first downs and third down receptions…sounds good to me.

Fantasy Football: