Favre to Return?
Ironically enough, just hours after the previous blog post was published it was reported that Brett Favre already has the itch to play football again. With Aaron Rodgers set to take over and the team ready to move on from the Brett Favre era, Favre throws a kink into everything. The team hasn’t even begun training camp and he’s already itching to play? That was fast. Favre did send a text to a local paper that it was just a rumor, but it seems like most people are not buying that.
There’s no denying that there are tons of fans in Green Bay that would kill for another season of Brett Favre; the guy is a living legend. But does there come a point where you just need to move on? Favre has spent the past few off-seasons wavering about whether he was going to retire, keeping the team in a state of limbo. He retired, somewhat convincingly, after a tough playoff loss to the Giants in this year’s NFC title game. If he changes his mind returns, what is that going to do to the team? I know one guy who will not be happy, Rodgers. This kid looks ready to take the reins and they need him to start getting some game experience if he’s going to be their quarterback of the future. Favre had a great run, but he’s got to start thinking about other people instead of just himself. Plus, what if he comes back and throws up a stinker of a season? What will that do to his legacy?
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Rodgers Ready to Lead
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has come under a bit of fire after comments he made in this month’s issue of Sports Illustrated. Rodgers said he doesn’t feel the need to sell himself to Packers fans in the wake of Brett Favre’s departure and that the fans need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut. Rodgers is gearing up for his first season under center for Green Bay after the living legend Favre announced his retirement this off-season.
In a sense, I like what I’m hearing from Rodgers. This is the kind of personality you want from your starting quarterback; you want a guy with some swagger. He perhaps could have left out the part about fans shutting their mouths, but it’s not like he disrespected Favre or anything else that would be considered borderline blasphemous in certain parts of Wisconsin. Rodgers knows that no what matter he says to the people of Green Bay, there is no way he can convince them that, without Brett Favre, everything is going to be just fine. Favre has been under center for some Packers fans’ entire lives. The only way Rodgers can sell himself to the fans is to step onto the field and make plays. Nobody is ever going to forget Brett Favre, but good play from Rodgers and a trip to the postseason could sure take the focus off Favre and back onto the team as a whole. Rodgers has a lot of talent and three years of learning from the great Favre under his belt, during which time he gave Favre the utmost respect and was never calling for him to retire. I think he’s ready to lead this team and will do a heck of a job.
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ESPN Polls Coaches on Players and Owners
ESPN.com had the NFL’s head coaches vote on who they thought were the dirtiest and smartest players in the league, as well as who they considered to be the best owner. The results declared Rodney Harrison as the dirtiest player, Hines Ward as the smartest offensive player and Zach Thomas as the smartest defensive player. Pittsburgh’s Dan Rooney was voted as the best owner.
I don’t think there was any doubt that Harrison was going to take this “honor.” He’s been considered to be the dirtiest player for years now. Cowboy’s safety Roy Williams was second in the voting, which was also no surprise, considering his tackling has inspired a league rule (horse collar). The smartest offensive player could not be a quarterback, so Ward is a pretty good pick here. If Marshall Faulk were still in the league I would have considered him, but I think Ward makes a lot of sense considering he played QB in college. As for Zach Thomas being the smartest defensive player, I can’t argue with that either. I might vote for Ed Reed due to his knack for getting his hands on the ball more than any other defender. As for owner, Rooney edged out Dallas’ Jerry Jones and Denver’s Pat Bowlen. Any of those guys would have been a good answer.
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Brady Quinn Staying Hungry
The fact that Derek Anderson is the Browns’ starting quarterback going into this season hasn’t discouraged second-year backup Brady Quinn; it’s motivated him more than anything else. Quinn, known for his tireless workout routine in the weight room, has become an all-around workaholic. Quinn reportedly looked impressive in minicamp and routinely spends hours after practice refining his routes and working on throws.
Quinn is the kind of player that any team would want. His work ethic could be unparalleled from a physical standpoint the way Peyton Manning’s time spent watching tape is unmatched. Some first round picks would be sulking if they knew they weren’t going to be starting the season as the team’s signal caller, but Quinn just works harder and keeps his mouth shut. He accepts that Anderson had a great season last year and isn’t calling for his turn or demanding a trade. In this day and age where too many young athletes come into the league with a sense of entitlement, Quinn’s humble demeanor and dedication serve as a breath of fresh air. The Browns must have high hopes for this young man, and I must admit that I’ve been rooting for him ever since his well-documented draft day slide.
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Jets’ Quarterback Questions
The New York Jets have a major decision to make this preseason. Head coach Eric Mangini and his staff will have to decide who the team’s starting quarterback will be, Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens. Pennington is a seasoned veteran with several seasons as a starter under his belt. Clemens, the team’s second round pick in 2006, has little experience but has showed some promise.
I would go with Clemens. Pennington might give a better-rounded team a chance to win because he usually won’t do anything to lose the game, but he just doesn’t seem to have the ability to do that much to win games anymore. Pennington has never had great arm strength, but multiple arm surgeries have left him with little to no downfield ability to speak of. Clemens is still pretty raw and is by no means a proven signal caller, but I’d give him a go based solely on his physical advantages over Chad. It’s time for the Jets to see what they have in this kid and get a read on whether he’s their franchise quarterback of the future, or if that’s something they’re going to have to address. I don’t think, even with Pennington at the helm, that the Jets are a playoff team, so giving Clemens a shot this year would enable the Jets to get a better feel for where they’re headed as a franchise.
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Youngs Needs to Improve as a Passer
Vince Young led the Titans to the playoffs last season despite throwing 17 interceptions to only nine touchdown passes. That makes one wonder how good this team could be if Young was more efficient. With a new offensive coordinator, the Titans are hoping that Young can find some balance on the field. Young has provided the Titans with a lot of intangibles during his first two seasons with the team. Despite mediocre numbers, Young has stepped in as a leader from day one and multiple players on the team has said he’s just one of those guys that a team rallies around. His big play ability has also been an enormous asset, as we saw in his now famous game-winning rushing touchdown in overtime against the Texans.
Young, now entering his third season, needs to take the next step as a passer. His decision making needs to improve and he needs to dedicate much of his time to learning Mike Heimerdinger’s playbook. The Titans have a solid defense that will always keep them in games and if Young can make some strides and enable the offense to really get rolling this team could be a sleeper to do some real damage in the postseason.
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Bills Ready to Take the Next Step?
The Buffalo Bills have not made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season when they were ousted by the Tennessee Titans and the Music City Miracle. Since then, each preseason you hear Bills fans talking about how this is the year they’re going to break through and return to the postseason. It hasn’t materialized yet, but the fans’ optimism may not be so unwarranted this year.
The Bills have a number of up and coming players that seem to be ready to take the next step as professionals. Their defense has been improving year to year and they have young playmakers like safety Donte Whitner and linebacker Paul Posluszny. The team also added defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, an absolute beast, and linebacker Kawika Mitchell through free agency as well as corner Leodis McKelvin via the draft. The defense will give the team a chance to win but I think a lot of the season rests on the shoulders of second-year quarterback Trent Edwards. Their young offensive core consists of Edwards, speedy receiver Lee Evans, second-year running back Marshawn and franchise tackle Jason Peters. Both Edwards and Lynch played exceptionally well for rookies last season and seem poised for even bigger years in 2008-2009. Edwards and Evans appear to be developing some good chemistry and with the addition of 6-5 receiver James Hardy (the Bills’ second round pick), Edwards should have a new red zone target as well. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out in Buffalo (and Toronto).
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This Year’s Ryan Grant
For the first six weeks of last season, the Packers had no running game to speak of. After long-time starter Ahman Green left via free agency for Houston, Green Bay relied heavily on rookie Brandon Jackson initially, but Jackson didn’t appear to be up to the task. It was when Ryan Grant was inserted into the lineup that the Packers’ offense really started to roll. In a little more than a half of a season, Grant rushed for 956 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Are there any running backs poised for a breakout season this year? Two guys that come to my mind as potential breakout players both happen to be rookies, but neither a first-round pick. Chicago’s Matt Forte and Detroit’s Kevin Smith could have banner rookie seasons. Forte steps into the starting role thanks to Cedric Benson’s tendency to have run-ins with the law and is supremely talented. Smith joins a good Lions offense with an improving offensive line. Smith won’t have too much trouble stealing carries from Tatum Bell, especially since Kevin Jones is no longer on the roster. These are two guys who tore through the competition in their final collegiate seasons and I would watch out for both of them in the upcoming NFL season.
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Fantasy: QBs to Consider
Here are some quarterbacks that you can get in later rounds of your fantasy draft to look out for in the upcoming fantasy football season.
David Garrard – Jaguars: ESPN has Garrard ranked as the 14th best quarterback this season. I think this is way too low for him. Garrard’s numbers may not wow you at season’s end, but he’s consistent and reliable. The Jags ground game is fantastic so he should get a lot of opportunities to make plays through the air with some of his new wide receivers. He also is one of the swifter signal callers in the league and should gain some yardage on the ground as well.
Kurt Warner – Cardinals: Warner likely will begin the season as a backup once again, but there’s a decent chance he is starting at some point. Matt Leinart has struggled since coming into the league and the Cards want to win now. Warner can still sling it around the field and Arizona had two of the best receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
Joe Flacco – Ravens: Flacco is a sleeper. He’s a rookie going to a team that has never had a reputation for a strong offense, but Flacco could be ready to help end that trend in Baltimore. He’s a big guy who is probably the most NFL ready of any QBs taken in the draft. He could be worth using one of your last picks on.
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Bears Sign Harris to Record Deal
The Chicago Bears have inked defensive tackle Tommie Harris to a four-year deal worth $40 million, making Harris the highest paid player at the position in NFL history. Harris, Chicago’s first round pick in 2004 (14th overall), boasts an incredible combination of size, strength and speed and has been named to three Pro Bowls during his four-year career.
Some people will say that this is too big of a contract for an interior lineman who has never recorded double digit sacks in a season, but I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. Harris, in my opinion, is the best defensive tackle in the league and the best defensive player on his team. That’s right; he’s better than Brian Urlacher. The former Sooner is an absolute beast in the trenches. He is among the best at stuffing the run up the middle and is also a great pass rusher for an interior lineman. Harris also reads the snap count better than anyone in the NFL. I’ve seen him get into the backfield before the offensive linemen have even gotten out of their stances on consecutive plays. The guy just causes havoc. Sometimes it looks as if he knows exactly what the other team is going to do. I think Harris, if he stays healthy, has the potential to be a defensive player of the year and should help anchor a team that has always taken pride in its defense.
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