It's been a long time since I've had the ability to make a post. Before I get to the meat of this article, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the readers who have continued to visit this page in my absence. It means the world to me that I have the support that I do, and I promise that regular posts will resume immediately. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, on to the subject of this post, the continuation of my NFL season previews. In an effort to save time and get everything wrapped up before the season starts, the rest of these previews are going to take a slightly different approach, being more succinct and encompassing entire divisions, rather than team-by-team. In today's post, we jump to the NFC North division.
Green Bay: The Green Bay Packers have been the class of this division for several years now, being led by arguably the best quarterback in the game today, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will have a harder time of things this year though, with the departure of one of his favorite targets, Greg Jennings. While the departure of Jennings is a significant loss for the team, the additions of running backs Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin in this year's draft should give the Packer offense an added dimension it has been lacking for several years now, a solid running game. This should soften up defenses and make Jennings' departure less noticeable.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings offense has been sputtering for years, despite Adrian Peterson's best efforts to take the team upon his shoulders. Peterson, and the whole Vikings organization, hope that the maturation of quarterback Christian Ponder and the addition in the draft of wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings in free agency will work to make the offense more balanced, taking the pressure off of Peterson to reproduce his phenomenal 2012 performance. The departure of an electric playmaker in Percy Harvin, however, may be a significant set-back in the Vikings efforts to make a repeat appearance in the playoffs.
Detroit Lions: In what turned out to be one of the sadder stories of the NFL off-season, the Detroit Lions cut starting receiver Titus Young, who would go on to be arrested three times in the span of a month and who's career looks to be all but over. While the young man is clearly in need of some serious help, the Lions were right to cut ties with the receiver, and although it gives star quarterback Matthew Stafford one less target to throw to on Sundays, the man's mental health is of far more importance. With all that said, the Lions offense shouldn't struggle in Young's absence, especially with the off-season addition of Reggie Bush. Bush, an electric running back who comes over from the Dolphins, should open up the offense in much the same way that Lacy and Franklin will for the Packers. Add this to the historic season that Calvin Johnson put up last year and the Lions could be one of the surprise teams this season.
Chicago Bears: The Chicago Bears have undoubtedly been the most consistently disappointing team in this division. It seems like every year they come out swinging, looking like a real contender, only to fade into obscurity as the season reaches an end. With all the talent that this team has, they rival the Dallas Cowboys as the most disappointing team in the NFL. A big part of that disappointment has been the beating that Jay Cutler has taken due to his porous offensive line. The addition of Jermon Bushrod should go a long way to sure up that line and keep Cutler upright to lead the team. Adding Martellus Bennett to the fray in Chicago should do wonders for that offense as well, giving opposing defenses someone to worry about other than Brandon Marshall or Matt Forte. Having a target down the seam in the middle, as well as a big target in the red zone, should go a long way towards Chicago finally living up to their potential.
Prediction: The NFC North (that still sounds weird to me. After all these years, I still want to say NFC Central) should be the most competitive division in the NFL this year. I think that all four teams have the potential to go to the playoffs and make a significant run. With that being said, I think that Green Bay is still clearly the class of the division, despite not winning the division crown last season. I think they return to form and represent the NFC North this season. After that, it's pretty much a crap-shoot for positions 2-4. Even though they won the division last year, I think it's a real possibility that Minnesota ends up finishing last in this division, with the Chicago Bears finishing right behind Green Bay and Detroit finishing a game or two ahead of Minnesota for third.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
NFL Preview: New York Jets
The final team in my look at the 2013 NFL season in the AFC East is the New York Jets. Possessing what is in my opinion the worst roster talent-wise in the entire NFL, it's hard for me to imagine the Jets being anything but a cellar-dweller this year in the division. It will be a pretty big surprise to me if they don't end up with a top 5 pick in next year's draft. Their only competition for "league's worst roster" is the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, and at least both of those teams have at least one stand-out player (for Oakland it's Darren McFadden, and in Jacksonville it's Maurice Jones-Drew), which is more than I can say for the Jets now that they've traded away their clear-cut best player, Darelle Revis, to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Let's take a look at the breakdown for the 2013 New York Jets:
Key Additions: You know your team is either in a really bad situation or a really good one when your only key additions come via the draft. In the case of the Jets, it's the former. While they did address two key issues in the draft with their additions of Dee Milliner and Geno Smith, there were certainly more pressing issues that they could have addressed with these picks, and in my opinion, better players that they could have drafted if those were the positions they wanted to address. When I watched the combine, all I saw from Dee Milliner was some stiffness in his hips and an inability to catch the ball. Add to that the fact that he'd had a shoulder surgery prior to the draft that should keep him out of training camp, led me to believe (and I still do) that their were better options for the Jets at the cornerback position. Milliner will have to come in and be a contributor right away, and a spectacular one at that, if he's going to get Jets fans off his case about being the replacement to Revis. It's no small task for a rookie, and I have my doubts about whether Milliner is up to the challenge. When it comes to Geno Smith, he may have been the best of the quarterbacks in the draft, but I was never very high on him to begin with. Being a Big 12 fan, I watched a lot of Smith at West Virginia, and I never liked what I saw from him. I thought the only reason he was a first round pick was because of a relatively weak class of QB's this season, and as it turns out, he wasn't even a first rounder, falling to the top part of the second. I do not think that the Bills made a wise choice in taking E.J. Manuel over Smith, but if I had been a team looking for a quarterback, I would not have filled that position in the draft.
Key Losses: The biggest loss that the Jets had this off-season was one that ultimately needed to happen. Darelle Revis was never happy with the Jets organization, and while being the best cover corner in the league, it never seemed like the organization was happy with him either. They never tried to negotiate a long-term deal with Revis, and while Revis' constant hold-outs may have alienated himself from the team and the front office, his play on the field certainly warranted being treated better than the organization did. It was time for Revis to move on from the Jets, and now that he's in Tampa with a nice new deal, I expect him to be much happier than he was in New York. The loss of Revis means that the Jets are left with a pretty bare cupboard both in the secondary and on the overall roster. Revis was clearly their best player, and with his departure, I don't even know who would hold that title now. Unless some of these rookies pan out far better than expected, the Jets are going to be a laughing-stock for years to come with this roster.
What it means: As I alluded to in the introduction, I don't see any scenario in which the Jets are not the last place team in this division. Obviously I'm not going to pick my Dolphins to finish behind them. With all their recent struggles, I still think that the Bills have a much more talented roster overall than the Jets, and even with the recent arrest of Aaron Hernandez further depleting the Patriots pass-catchers, there's no way that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick let this team fall that far. I see the Jets finishing no better than 5-11 this season, securing themselves at least a top 10 pick, if not top 5, in next year's draft.
Well, that's it for my look at the AFC East for next season. Come back for my next installment, as I switch both division and conference and take a look at the NFC North division, team by team.
Key Additions: You know your team is either in a really bad situation or a really good one when your only key additions come via the draft. In the case of the Jets, it's the former. While they did address two key issues in the draft with their additions of Dee Milliner and Geno Smith, there were certainly more pressing issues that they could have addressed with these picks, and in my opinion, better players that they could have drafted if those were the positions they wanted to address. When I watched the combine, all I saw from Dee Milliner was some stiffness in his hips and an inability to catch the ball. Add to that the fact that he'd had a shoulder surgery prior to the draft that should keep him out of training camp, led me to believe (and I still do) that their were better options for the Jets at the cornerback position. Milliner will have to come in and be a contributor right away, and a spectacular one at that, if he's going to get Jets fans off his case about being the replacement to Revis. It's no small task for a rookie, and I have my doubts about whether Milliner is up to the challenge. When it comes to Geno Smith, he may have been the best of the quarterbacks in the draft, but I was never very high on him to begin with. Being a Big 12 fan, I watched a lot of Smith at West Virginia, and I never liked what I saw from him. I thought the only reason he was a first round pick was because of a relatively weak class of QB's this season, and as it turns out, he wasn't even a first rounder, falling to the top part of the second. I do not think that the Bills made a wise choice in taking E.J. Manuel over Smith, but if I had been a team looking for a quarterback, I would not have filled that position in the draft.
Key Losses: The biggest loss that the Jets had this off-season was one that ultimately needed to happen. Darelle Revis was never happy with the Jets organization, and while being the best cover corner in the league, it never seemed like the organization was happy with him either. They never tried to negotiate a long-term deal with Revis, and while Revis' constant hold-outs may have alienated himself from the team and the front office, his play on the field certainly warranted being treated better than the organization did. It was time for Revis to move on from the Jets, and now that he's in Tampa with a nice new deal, I expect him to be much happier than he was in New York. The loss of Revis means that the Jets are left with a pretty bare cupboard both in the secondary and on the overall roster. Revis was clearly their best player, and with his departure, I don't even know who would hold that title now. Unless some of these rookies pan out far better than expected, the Jets are going to be a laughing-stock for years to come with this roster.
What it means: As I alluded to in the introduction, I don't see any scenario in which the Jets are not the last place team in this division. Obviously I'm not going to pick my Dolphins to finish behind them. With all their recent struggles, I still think that the Bills have a much more talented roster overall than the Jets, and even with the recent arrest of Aaron Hernandez further depleting the Patriots pass-catchers, there's no way that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick let this team fall that far. I see the Jets finishing no better than 5-11 this season, securing themselves at least a top 10 pick, if not top 5, in next year's draft.
Well, that's it for my look at the AFC East for next season. Come back for my next installment, as I switch both division and conference and take a look at the NFC North division, team by team.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Slow Down, Sport
After a certain age, every one of us remembers the days of our youth. We look back on those days now and realize just how good we had it- well, most of I assume. We all remember being young and uttering the phrase "I can't wait until I grow up", and now that we look back we wonder why we were in such a hurry. Well, that rush to grow up isn't solely a desire of children. Soon-to-be-professional athlete Johnny Football is no longer a child but he is all too eager to grow up. The young QB Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, has tweeted in the past weeks his desire to leave college life behind and join the ranks of the pros. This is largely in part because of the media (and campus) circus that follows him around now that he's hit the big-time. Perhaps he has forgotten that the reason for all this fuss is largely his own doing because he makes a spectacle of himself. In my opinion, Manziel should rethink his stance on the NFL because, at the moment, his pro prospects just aren't that good, for several key reasons.
The first reason being that there are significant questions about his arm strength. The offense that Manziel anchors for the Aggies isn't one predicated on driving the ball deep down the field. Kevin Sumlin's offense relies much more on quick drops and firing the ball out to a back or receiver running a short to intermediate route. While arm strength and accuracy down field are certainly things that can be worked on at the pro level with coaching and a proper training and exercise regimen (see: Aaron Rodgers), it's a skill that the NFL scouts are going to want to see from Manziel before anyone thinks about spending a high draft choice on the kid.
The next reason is, oddly enough, a by-product of one of Manziel's biggest strengths, his athleticism. The combination of Manziel being such a talented athlete and Sumlin's offense has lead to Manziel not being great at going through his read progressions. He has a tendency to look to his primary target, and if he isn't open, instead of finding the second or third option, making something happen with his legs. This is a fine and effective strategy for a college quarterback, but it's going to get him hurt at the next level. The linebackers are much bigger and much faster than those he faces, even in the vaunted SEC. If Manziel wants to survive in the NFL, much less become a star in it, he's going to need to learn how to effectively run an offense from the pocket, only running when he has run out of options. Not as the second option.
The third reason is he doesn't seem to have any sort of pocket awareness. Far too often he is seen breaking the pocket and making something happen with his legs, even when there was a clear pocket from which to throw and minimal pressure around him. Part of this is the style of offense that Manziel plays in, but I think that it's more his personal mentality at this point. He knows that he's a better athlete than most of the guys on the field, and he relies heavily upon that instead of trusting his ability to beat the defense with his arm. To me, that shows that he doesn't trust in his abilities as a pocket passer. While non-traditional quarterbacks are seeing a rise in popularity due to the Michael Vick's and RG3's of the world, the fact remains that only "pocket-passers" have had ultimate success in the NFL. Running around making plays with your legs is nice, but it's the quarterbacks who can stand in the pocket and make the big throws who win Super Bowls.
The final, and most unfortunate, reason that Manziel's prospects for the pro's don't look that good to me is his size. While being listed at A&M as being 6'1" 210 lbs, anyone who looks at the game tape and pays attention to Johnny Football can see that he is not what he's listed at. I think he's more like 5'10" 185 lbs. That kind of size would make him a success at the slot-receiver position, but the fact remains that no quarterback under 6' has ever had a large amount of success. It's entirely possible that guys like Russell Wilson (and maybe even Manziel himself) will go on to buck that trend and pave the way for the smaller quarterbacks to be given a serious look by NFL scouts, but we just aren't there yet. Wilson is only going into his second year, and his team didn't reach the Super Bowl, let alone win it. Until a short quarterback goes on to win a Super Bowl or two, they're never going to be looked at as a serious option for long-term success.
If Manziel can work on all of these (except for the height, there's nothing that can be done about that), then he may yet have a chance at being a high draft choice, but as of right now he still has a long way to go. He's only a sophomore, he has a lot left to learn, and the time to do it if he allows himself that opportunity. If there's one piece of advice that I could give to him, it would be this: "Slow down, sport. Enjoy the time you have here. You only get this opportunity once in your life, and it's only going to get harder from here. Stop making a spectacle of yourself, sit back, and enjoy what you have. You'll look back in a few years and wish you had."
The first reason being that there are significant questions about his arm strength. The offense that Manziel anchors for the Aggies isn't one predicated on driving the ball deep down the field. Kevin Sumlin's offense relies much more on quick drops and firing the ball out to a back or receiver running a short to intermediate route. While arm strength and accuracy down field are certainly things that can be worked on at the pro level with coaching and a proper training and exercise regimen (see: Aaron Rodgers), it's a skill that the NFL scouts are going to want to see from Manziel before anyone thinks about spending a high draft choice on the kid.
The next reason is, oddly enough, a by-product of one of Manziel's biggest strengths, his athleticism. The combination of Manziel being such a talented athlete and Sumlin's offense has lead to Manziel not being great at going through his read progressions. He has a tendency to look to his primary target, and if he isn't open, instead of finding the second or third option, making something happen with his legs. This is a fine and effective strategy for a college quarterback, but it's going to get him hurt at the next level. The linebackers are much bigger and much faster than those he faces, even in the vaunted SEC. If Manziel wants to survive in the NFL, much less become a star in it, he's going to need to learn how to effectively run an offense from the pocket, only running when he has run out of options. Not as the second option.
The third reason is he doesn't seem to have any sort of pocket awareness. Far too often he is seen breaking the pocket and making something happen with his legs, even when there was a clear pocket from which to throw and minimal pressure around him. Part of this is the style of offense that Manziel plays in, but I think that it's more his personal mentality at this point. He knows that he's a better athlete than most of the guys on the field, and he relies heavily upon that instead of trusting his ability to beat the defense with his arm. To me, that shows that he doesn't trust in his abilities as a pocket passer. While non-traditional quarterbacks are seeing a rise in popularity due to the Michael Vick's and RG3's of the world, the fact remains that only "pocket-passers" have had ultimate success in the NFL. Running around making plays with your legs is nice, but it's the quarterbacks who can stand in the pocket and make the big throws who win Super Bowls.
The final, and most unfortunate, reason that Manziel's prospects for the pro's don't look that good to me is his size. While being listed at A&M as being 6'1" 210 lbs, anyone who looks at the game tape and pays attention to Johnny Football can see that he is not what he's listed at. I think he's more like 5'10" 185 lbs. That kind of size would make him a success at the slot-receiver position, but the fact remains that no quarterback under 6' has ever had a large amount of success. It's entirely possible that guys like Russell Wilson (and maybe even Manziel himself) will go on to buck that trend and pave the way for the smaller quarterbacks to be given a serious look by NFL scouts, but we just aren't there yet. Wilson is only going into his second year, and his team didn't reach the Super Bowl, let alone win it. Until a short quarterback goes on to win a Super Bowl or two, they're never going to be looked at as a serious option for long-term success.
If Manziel can work on all of these (except for the height, there's nothing that can be done about that), then he may yet have a chance at being a high draft choice, but as of right now he still has a long way to go. He's only a sophomore, he has a lot left to learn, and the time to do it if he allows himself that opportunity. If there's one piece of advice that I could give to him, it would be this: "Slow down, sport. Enjoy the time you have here. You only get this opportunity once in your life, and it's only going to get harder from here. Stop making a spectacle of yourself, sit back, and enjoy what you have. You'll look back in a few years and wish you had."
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Update: What a Week It's Been
This isn't going to be one of my traditional posts, but I felt like an update to the Aaron Hernandez situation was warranted and thought it might get lost if I posted it in the comments section. Word has come down today that Hernandez has been arrested and charged with First-degree Murder. He was also charged with five other counts on weapons charges stemming from the incident. Hernandez was arrested and taken into custody this morning around 9:30 a.m. and was arraigned at around 2 p.m. Eastern time. Hernandez has since been released by the New England Patriots, just a year after signing a five year $40 million extension with the team.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
What a Week It's Been
It has been a full week since we first heard the shocking (or not-so-shocking, depending upon just how cynical you have become) news out of Boston. The implication that one of the New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez, was somehow involved in the murder of semi-professional footballer Odin Lloyd. While no murder charges have been filed at this point, authorities and the media have made it pretty clear that Hernandez is a critical individual in the investigation. Here is what we know about the case, in chronological order.
Monday: The body of Lloyd was found by a jogger in an industrial park one mile from Hernandez' home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The body was found not far from a rental car in Hernandez' name that was found at the scene, with one of the side mirrors missing. The side mirror has yet to be discovered, though it is unclear what, if any, bearing that has on the rest of the investigation.
Tuesday: Authorities executed the first of what would be many search warrants on Hernandez' home. This is also the first day that Hernandez alleged involvement in the case was reported in the media (at least on ESPN.com or Yahoo.com, the two sites that I use primarily for my non-local news)
Wednesday: Authorities returned to Hernandez' home to execute another search warrant on at least two vehicles rented in Hernandez' name. There were also reports in the media that claimed Hernandez had destroyed his security system and cellphone prior to the execution of the search warrant on the prior day.
Thursday: Hernandez' home is searched yet again, this time due to the aforementioned destruction of the surveillance system and cellphone. Reports also surfaced of a separate lawsuit. filed on the 13th by a man in Florida claiming that Hernandez shot him in the arm and face following an argument outside of a club in Miami.
Friday: Several media sources claim that authorities have filed a warrant for Hernandez' arrest on Obstruction of Justice charges, stemming from the destruction of his security systems and phone. These reports have since been denied by Hernandez' agent, and as of today, no arrest has been made in the case.
Saturday: Police return yet again to Hernandez' home for another search. It is unclear what the basis for this search was, though reports are that authorities left with approximately a dozen bags of evidence and at one point called in a locksmith who was on site for about an hour and a half before leaving. No reports that I have seen have said why the locksmith was called or what he may have unlocked for the police to discover.
We also know that Odin was dating the sister of Hernandez' girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child. While it may have no bearing on the case, if there had been a fight between Odin and his girlfriend, the authorities could use that to try and pin a motive onto his murder, though that is just speculation on my part. A video tape from the night of the murder shows Odin leaving a club with Hernandez and two other men. This establishes Hernandez as one of the last people to see Odin alive. We have also heard reports stating that several of Hernandez' neighbors have told authorities that they heard what they believed to be multiple rounds of gunfire coming from Hernandez' home on the night of the murder.
While all of this "evidence" is circumstantial at best, it is my opinion that there is more than enough of it to establish a connection between Odin and Hernandez, and to establish that Hernandez, even if he wasn't the one to pull the trigger, was somehow involved in the death of Odin. His actions following the night of Odin's murder do not, in my opinion, reflect that of an innocent man. I do, however, firmly believe in innocent until proven guilty, so I will have to wait to pass further judgment until the legal system has fully run it's course. If things work out well for Hernandez and he is not charged with anything more than obstruction (which I think it inevitable after he tampered with evidence), expect commissioner Roger Goodell to hand down at least a four game suspension to Hernandez for conduct detrimental to the league. If Hernandez does go on trial for murder, I expect we may have seen the last of Hernandez in the NFL, whether he's found guilty or not.
Monday: The body of Lloyd was found by a jogger in an industrial park one mile from Hernandez' home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The body was found not far from a rental car in Hernandez' name that was found at the scene, with one of the side mirrors missing. The side mirror has yet to be discovered, though it is unclear what, if any, bearing that has on the rest of the investigation.
Tuesday: Authorities executed the first of what would be many search warrants on Hernandez' home. This is also the first day that Hernandez alleged involvement in the case was reported in the media (at least on ESPN.com or Yahoo.com, the two sites that I use primarily for my non-local news)
Wednesday: Authorities returned to Hernandez' home to execute another search warrant on at least two vehicles rented in Hernandez' name. There were also reports in the media that claimed Hernandez had destroyed his security system and cellphone prior to the execution of the search warrant on the prior day.
Thursday: Hernandez' home is searched yet again, this time due to the aforementioned destruction of the surveillance system and cellphone. Reports also surfaced of a separate lawsuit. filed on the 13th by a man in Florida claiming that Hernandez shot him in the arm and face following an argument outside of a club in Miami.
Friday: Several media sources claim that authorities have filed a warrant for Hernandez' arrest on Obstruction of Justice charges, stemming from the destruction of his security systems and phone. These reports have since been denied by Hernandez' agent, and as of today, no arrest has been made in the case.
Saturday: Police return yet again to Hernandez' home for another search. It is unclear what the basis for this search was, though reports are that authorities left with approximately a dozen bags of evidence and at one point called in a locksmith who was on site for about an hour and a half before leaving. No reports that I have seen have said why the locksmith was called or what he may have unlocked for the police to discover.
We also know that Odin was dating the sister of Hernandez' girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child. While it may have no bearing on the case, if there had been a fight between Odin and his girlfriend, the authorities could use that to try and pin a motive onto his murder, though that is just speculation on my part. A video tape from the night of the murder shows Odin leaving a club with Hernandez and two other men. This establishes Hernandez as one of the last people to see Odin alive. We have also heard reports stating that several of Hernandez' neighbors have told authorities that they heard what they believed to be multiple rounds of gunfire coming from Hernandez' home on the night of the murder.
While all of this "evidence" is circumstantial at best, it is my opinion that there is more than enough of it to establish a connection between Odin and Hernandez, and to establish that Hernandez, even if he wasn't the one to pull the trigger, was somehow involved in the death of Odin. His actions following the night of Odin's murder do not, in my opinion, reflect that of an innocent man. I do, however, firmly believe in innocent until proven guilty, so I will have to wait to pass further judgment until the legal system has fully run it's course. If things work out well for Hernandez and he is not charged with anything more than obstruction (which I think it inevitable after he tampered with evidence), expect commissioner Roger Goodell to hand down at least a four game suspension to Hernandez for conduct detrimental to the league. If Hernandez does go on trial for murder, I expect we may have seen the last of Hernandez in the NFL, whether he's found guilty or not.
Friday, June 21, 2013
NFL Preview: Buffalo Bills
It has been three weeks since I made a post in my series of NFL season previews. I had a vacation to Vegas, an illness, and some other pressing sports news stories that I just had to write. But the series is back today, this time with my most hated team in the division, the Buffalo Bills. It would be easy for me to hate the Patriots, as they have had the most success recently, and most Dolphins fans that I know hate the Jets most of all, but I have always had a soft-spot for hating the Bills. I guess it probably stems from growing up in the early 90's and having my earliest football experiences be watching them go to four straight Super Bowls. Well, that's my quick little story, here's a look at the 2013 Buffalo Bills.
Key Losses: The most important player departing the Bills this year is their former starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills have been looking for a quarterback of good quality ever since Jim Kelly retired and they thought they had found it in Fitzpatrick. He had a big year in 2010 and was subsequently resigned to a lucrative deal. But after two years of poor decision making (accounting for 49 turnovers in those two seasons), the realization that he doesn't have a strong arm, and the financial burden of the aforementioned contract, the organization decided to part ways with their starting quarterback. Now the Bills are left with a hole at the most important position on the field, and are hoping that they have found the answer in one of their two biggest off-season acquisitions.
Key Additions: After the release of Fitzpatrick, the Bills were left with a giant hole at the position. They made two key decisions in an attempt to fill this hole. The first was the trade that they made with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Kevin Kolb. Kolb was a strong-armed quarterback coming out of Houston University drafted by Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles. He had all the promise in the world and looked like he was going to become a star in this league. But, for whatever reason, Kolb has never been able to put it together. He has all the physical tools necessary to play the position, but he never seems sure of himself when he takes the field. He looks like a lost puppy out there, and that is why his is now on his third team in his seven year career. If Kolb can't figure it out, and quickly, look for him to be supplanted as the starter by the Bills first round draft choice this season, E.J. Manuel. Possibly the surprise of the draft this season, no one had Manuel rated as a first round quarterback, but the Bills must have seen something in his career at Florida State that they felt confident in. Manuel is a great athlete and has a cannon for an arm, but has also shown some poor decision making in his collegiate career. His completion percentage never topped 70 percent while playing for the Seminoles, which is a pretty standard mark for a good quarterback in college. He also only topped the 3,000 yard mark once in his career. If he becomes the starter and performs well, the Bills front office will look like they knew what they were doing, but I don't seem him doing any better than his FSU predecessor Christian Ponder, who was also taken much higher than anyone expected and hasn't lived up to the position.
What it means: The Bills do have a pretty good amount of talent surrounding whomever is going to be the starting quarterback. Stevie Johnson has blossomed into a very nice number one receiver. They also have two of the more talented running backs in the league in Fred Jackson (who, as someone who is a Dolphins fan and attended Cornell College, may be my most hated player in the league) and C.J. Spiller. With Fred Jackson handling most of the carries, and Spiller spelling him and lining up all over the field, utilizing his blazing speed and good catching ability, the Bills do have a good number of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. With that being said, however, it's hard for me to see Buffalo ending the season any better than in the 6-10 to 7-9 range. This will be good enough for third in the AFC East, but not where the Bills would like to be. I think they'll be a playoff team in the not-too-distant future, but that future has not come yet.
Key Losses: The most important player departing the Bills this year is their former starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills have been looking for a quarterback of good quality ever since Jim Kelly retired and they thought they had found it in Fitzpatrick. He had a big year in 2010 and was subsequently resigned to a lucrative deal. But after two years of poor decision making (accounting for 49 turnovers in those two seasons), the realization that he doesn't have a strong arm, and the financial burden of the aforementioned contract, the organization decided to part ways with their starting quarterback. Now the Bills are left with a hole at the most important position on the field, and are hoping that they have found the answer in one of their two biggest off-season acquisitions.
Key Additions: After the release of Fitzpatrick, the Bills were left with a giant hole at the position. They made two key decisions in an attempt to fill this hole. The first was the trade that they made with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Kevin Kolb. Kolb was a strong-armed quarterback coming out of Houston University drafted by Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles. He had all the promise in the world and looked like he was going to become a star in this league. But, for whatever reason, Kolb has never been able to put it together. He has all the physical tools necessary to play the position, but he never seems sure of himself when he takes the field. He looks like a lost puppy out there, and that is why his is now on his third team in his seven year career. If Kolb can't figure it out, and quickly, look for him to be supplanted as the starter by the Bills first round draft choice this season, E.J. Manuel. Possibly the surprise of the draft this season, no one had Manuel rated as a first round quarterback, but the Bills must have seen something in his career at Florida State that they felt confident in. Manuel is a great athlete and has a cannon for an arm, but has also shown some poor decision making in his collegiate career. His completion percentage never topped 70 percent while playing for the Seminoles, which is a pretty standard mark for a good quarterback in college. He also only topped the 3,000 yard mark once in his career. If he becomes the starter and performs well, the Bills front office will look like they knew what they were doing, but I don't seem him doing any better than his FSU predecessor Christian Ponder, who was also taken much higher than anyone expected and hasn't lived up to the position.
What it means: The Bills do have a pretty good amount of talent surrounding whomever is going to be the starting quarterback. Stevie Johnson has blossomed into a very nice number one receiver. They also have two of the more talented running backs in the league in Fred Jackson (who, as someone who is a Dolphins fan and attended Cornell College, may be my most hated player in the league) and C.J. Spiller. With Fred Jackson handling most of the carries, and Spiller spelling him and lining up all over the field, utilizing his blazing speed and good catching ability, the Bills do have a good number of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. With that being said, however, it's hard for me to see Buffalo ending the season any better than in the 6-10 to 7-9 range. This will be good enough for third in the AFC East, but not where the Bills would like to be. I think they'll be a playoff team in the not-too-distant future, but that future has not come yet.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Eight Minutes
If you went to work for eight minutes and then clocked out, your boss wouldn't pay you for a full days' work. If you went to class for eight minutes and then left, your teachers wouldn't say you completed a full semester. If you spent eight minutes on the golf course, you wouldn't say you completed a full round. So why does the NCAA get to say that eight minutes counts as a full season?
This is the question that Old Dominion's Donte Hill has surely been asking himself for days. Hill's request for a fifth year was denied by the NCAA rules committee, due to the eight minutes that Hill played in a closed scrimmage back in 2010 while still a member of the Clemson Tigers. Shortly after the scrimmage, Hill made the decision to transfer from Clemson to Old Dominion, and sat out the remainder of the 2010 season, in accordance with the NCAA's rules for transferring athletes (which I also think is a sham rule, but that's not what this article is about). Hill, along with the ODU coaching staff assumed that everything was fine and that he was following the rules. No one imagined that his participation in the aforementioned scrimmage would be an issue. It wasn't participation in a game, after all, it was just a closed scrimmage. What possible effect could that have?
Well, according to the rules committee, any participation during a season counts as a full season. Hill's participation in that scrimmage meant that he played in the 2010 season, giving him one less season of eligibility than he thought he had. Was it the responsibility of the coaching staff to look into the NCAA's complex and outdated rule book to make sure that everything was kosher? Yeah, probably. It was probably Hill's responsibility to double check on things too. That being said, in no other walk of life does eight minutes constitute full participation, why on Earth is collegiate athletics any different? What gives the NCAA the right to end a player's season (and in this case, career) over eight minutes in something that had quite literally zero effect on the regular or post-season?
In my eyes, this is but one in a long line of instances of the NCAA overstepping it's bounds and making terrible decisions that have long-term detrimental effects on the lives of young adults. This past college football season, the NCAA rules committee handed down what were the stiffest penalties I have ever seen (I was not yet alive for the decision to hand down the "death penalty" to the SMU program) to the Penn State University football program in the wake of the heinous acts committed by Jerry Sandusky and in some respects allowed to by Joe Paterno. While any sane individual can acknowledge that the university itself needed to be punished for the acts of it's employees, I feel that the case was entirely a legal matter. It had no bearing on anything athletic and was not an issues that the NCAA needed to get involved with. Their decision to cut scholarships, ban from post-season play, and heavily fine the football program has had serious negative consequences on countless lives that had absolutely zero to do with the situation. Now, the NCAA has made another decision that has altered the life, if only temporarily, of yet another young adult. All over a measly eight minutes.
This is the question that Old Dominion's Donte Hill has surely been asking himself for days. Hill's request for a fifth year was denied by the NCAA rules committee, due to the eight minutes that Hill played in a closed scrimmage back in 2010 while still a member of the Clemson Tigers. Shortly after the scrimmage, Hill made the decision to transfer from Clemson to Old Dominion, and sat out the remainder of the 2010 season, in accordance with the NCAA's rules for transferring athletes (which I also think is a sham rule, but that's not what this article is about). Hill, along with the ODU coaching staff assumed that everything was fine and that he was following the rules. No one imagined that his participation in the aforementioned scrimmage would be an issue. It wasn't participation in a game, after all, it was just a closed scrimmage. What possible effect could that have?
Well, according to the rules committee, any participation during a season counts as a full season. Hill's participation in that scrimmage meant that he played in the 2010 season, giving him one less season of eligibility than he thought he had. Was it the responsibility of the coaching staff to look into the NCAA's complex and outdated rule book to make sure that everything was kosher? Yeah, probably. It was probably Hill's responsibility to double check on things too. That being said, in no other walk of life does eight minutes constitute full participation, why on Earth is collegiate athletics any different? What gives the NCAA the right to end a player's season (and in this case, career) over eight minutes in something that had quite literally zero effect on the regular or post-season?
In my eyes, this is but one in a long line of instances of the NCAA overstepping it's bounds and making terrible decisions that have long-term detrimental effects on the lives of young adults. This past college football season, the NCAA rules committee handed down what were the stiffest penalties I have ever seen (I was not yet alive for the decision to hand down the "death penalty" to the SMU program) to the Penn State University football program in the wake of the heinous acts committed by Jerry Sandusky and in some respects allowed to by Joe Paterno. While any sane individual can acknowledge that the university itself needed to be punished for the acts of it's employees, I feel that the case was entirely a legal matter. It had no bearing on anything athletic and was not an issues that the NCAA needed to get involved with. Their decision to cut scholarships, ban from post-season play, and heavily fine the football program has had serious negative consequences on countless lives that had absolutely zero to do with the situation. Now, the NCAA has made another decision that has altered the life, if only temporarily, of yet another young adult. All over a measly eight minutes.
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