Reinstatement Complete

In a move that was expected, the NFL has reinstated troubled cornerback Adam Jones and cleared him to play in week one of the 2008 NFL season.  Jones was drafted with sixth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.  He’d had a history of trouble during his collegiate career, but his talent was off the charts.  The Titan’s gamble did not pay off as the defensive back continued to frequent gentleman’s clubs and experience run-ins with the law.  After a slew of arrests and questionings, Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 NFL season and was traded this offseason to the Dallas Cowboys.

This is the last chance for Jones to make a career for himself in the National Football League.  He’s got the talent, that’s for sure, but the question is where his head is at.  In an interview yesterday he spoke about surrounding himself with the right people and staying away from the nightlife that got him into so much trouble.  It’s hard to tell if he’s just saying what he knows he’s supposed to or if he truly has turned the corner and is changing his ways.  If he is sincere, then the Cowboys probably have the best nickel cornerback in the league.  Jones joins what is arguably the best secondary in the league, one that boasts Terrence Newman, Anthony Henry, Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin.

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Predictions

ESPN.com’s experts have released their preseason picks for who will win each division, conference and the Super Bowl.  Both the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys received the most votes for Super Bowl winner.  Other clubs receiving Super Bowl nods include the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.  In the spirit or prognosticating, this blogger offers his predictions.

I give the AFC East to the Patriots, the AFC West to the Chargers, the AFC North to the Steelers and the AFC South to the Colts, with the wildcards the AFC going to the Jaguars and the Texans.  I give the NFC East to the Cowboys, the West to the Seahawks, the North to the Packers and the South to the Saints, wildcards going to the Giants and Vikings.  I like the Colts and Jaguars to meet in the AFC Championship and the Cowboys and Saints to square off for the NFC title.  I like the Colts to take down the Saints in a thriller of a Super Bowl.  So maybe it’s not the most likely of Super Bowl matchups, but it’s much more fun than predicting Patriots vs. Cowboys.  That would be like predicting all four number one seeds to reach the final four during March Madness…oh wait, that happened this year.  Oh well.

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No Strahan for G-Men

Former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan has decided not to return to football after the Giants apparently courted him following the injury to Osi Umenyiora.  “This has been one of the toughest nights of my life,” Strahan told FoxSports.com. “But after long deliberation and throwing around a million scenarios in my head for the past day, I think it’s just best if I stay retired.”  Strahan turned down approximately $8 million for a single year of service.  He’ll spend the season as an analyst for Fox Sports’ NFL Pregame Show.

This was the right move for Strahan.  If he had any doubts about returning, that’s his answer right there.  You can’t half-heartedly go into an NFL season; it just doesn’t work that way.  Guys who do that end up getting hurt or run out of the league.  There’s no way Strahan is in anything remotely resembling game shape and the season is right around the corner.  The Giants will reportedly move linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka to end opposite resident beast Justin Tuck.  This is not a shabby tandem for the G-Men, but it pales in comparison to the bookend duo that helped form the most prolific pass rush in the league last season.

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Super Saints?

The New Orleans Saints got off to a rough start last season, so rough, in fact, that they were unable to recover in time to make the playoffs despite a strong finish.  If the Saints can get off to a hot start this season, they could very well end up as the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.  Just look at the NFC.  Many analysts are declaring this as the Cowboys’ year, but they’ve been the most talented team in the conference for two years now and haven’t been able to secure a playoff victory.  I’m not saying that they’re the favorite, but I am saying that they’re not a lock by any means to take home the conference title.  After the Cowboys, there don’t seem to be any teams that figure to be dominant.

The Saints have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL.  Drew Brees has a big time receiver in his favorite target Marques Colston, who was perhaps the best receiver in the second half last season.  Brees will also rekindle his love for throwing to his tight end thanks to the club’s offseason acquisition of Jeremy Shockey.  They’ve got Reggie Bush, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, etc.  The offense if going to be good, we all know that, but it’s the defense that will make or break this team.  The defense sports big time playmakers at each level.  Will Smith and rookie Sedrick Ellis anchor the line.  Newly-acquired Jonathan Vilma is ready for a Pro Bowl season.  Mike McKenzie is a great corner, but the secondary is where the Saints are the most questionable.  If they can keep the big plays to a minimum on defense, this team could have a real shot at a Super Bowl appearance.

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Warner In, Leinart Out

After Matt Leinart threw three interceptions in less than one half of play in the Cardinals preseason game this weekend, the team appears set to name Kurt Warner as the team’s starting quarterback.  Strong showings in the team’s previous two preseason contests were apparently not enough for the club to give Leinart some leeway.  Warner played exceptionally well last year in a season of which Leinart spent the bulk sidelined with an injury.  Warner tossed 27 touchdown passes in 14 games, showing that he’s still got something left in the tank.

This decision comes as a big surprise to this blogger.  Warner may give the team the best chance to win this season, but are the Cards a playoff team?  It appears that this squad still has a ways to go before they’re ready to contend for a Super Bowl title.  It may have been wise to let Leinart play at least a couple of games against NFL competition in the regular season this year before yanking him.  His confidence has to be shaken, which never bodes well for the career of a quarterback.  How many years does the team plan on using Warner?  The 37-year-old will make the most out of the talented receiving corps in Arizona, but what is the team’s long-term solution?

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QB Notes from Bears vs. Niners

With one team’s quarterback battle finished and the other’s still raging, the Bears and 49ers squared off last night in preseason action.  Kyle Orton shined in his first start after being named the team’s signal caller this week by head coach Lovie Smith.  Orton connected on 10 of his 17 pass attempts and tossed two touchdowns to Rashied Davis.  Orton put another TD pass right on the money that Davis dropped and should have been a third touchdown connection between the two.  Meanwhile, on the other sideline, Alex Smith was forced to watch as dark horse J.T. O’Sullivan went seven for eight for 126 yards and a score.  Smith didn’t fare well, completing only six of his 17 attempts and didn’t do much to make a case for himself as the starter.

It looks like Orton may be more of a prolific passer than he’s been given credit for.  Yes, the preseason is filled with vanilla defenses, but the guy played well last night.  As for O’Sullivan, it looks like he’s all but locked up the starting gig.  His knowledge of Martz’s system helped him get a jump on the other two QBs in camp, but by now the other guys should have caught up and it’s obvious that he’s just playing better.

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Gene Upshaw (1945-2008)

Hall of Famer and executive director of the NFL Players’ Association Gene Upshaw passed away last night at the age of 63, losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.  Upshaw was the 17th pick in the first AFL-NFL combined draft in 1967.  He played 15 seasons with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, winning two Super Bowls in the process.  He was named to seven Pro Bowls and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1987.   Upshaw is survived by his wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel.

Few men have contributed as much to the National Football League as Upshaw did.  As a guard, he excelled in an elite level and was very deserving of his Hall of Fame induction.  As the head of the Players’ Association, he helped pull the league out of the strike in the 1980s and has brought the players he represents great prosperity.  Commissioner Roger Goodell had kind words to say about Upshaw.  “He was the rare individual who earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame both for his accomplishments on the field and for his leadership of the players off the field.  He fought hard for the players and always kept his focus on what was best for the game.  His leadership played a crucial role in taking the NFL and its players to new heights,” Goodell said.

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Niners QB Battle

Head coach Mike Nolan and the San Francisco 49ers are in a tough situation right now concerning their starting quarterback; that is, they don’t have one yet.  The Niners training camp has been the site of a three-way battle for the starting quarterback gig.  Former number one overall pick Alex Smith has thrown a meager 19 touchdowns in his three seasons in the NFL and journeyman Shaun Hill played well towards the end of last season while Smith was injured.  But neither of these players is considered the frontrunner for the job as both have left the team unimpressed with their performance both in practice and in preseason competition.

Enter J.T. O’Sullivan, an unknown whom the Niners signed to a one-year, league minimum deal this offseason.  O’Sullivan spent last season with the Detroit Lions, where he had the opportunity to learn the system of new Niners offensive coordinator Mike Martz.  He’s got a leg up on the competition in that regard and has started both of the team’s preseason games.  Nolan’s job is one the line this season, so he’s got to do whatever it takes to win games, but his connection to Alex Smith could end up being his downfall regardless.  Smith was Nolan’s guy, so he could be on his way out of town even if the team succeeds with O’Sullivan or Hill, unless major strides are made.

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Kyle Is Our Quarterback

Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith has named Kyle Orton as the team’s starting quarterback.  Orton beat out former starter Rex Grossman, whose inconsistency and turnovers look like they’ve cost him the job.  “Completions, turnovers, to just the feeling we have on who can manage the game the best for us, all of things like that,” Smith said in an AP story. “And the good thing about evaluating both Rex and Kyle, we’ve had a long time to do it. It’s been quite a few years we’ve had a chance to see both guys play.”

That last part is certainly true.  Smith has apparently come a long way from the “Rex is our quarterback” days.  He must have uttered that phrase 100 times during the 2006-2007 season in which the Bears reached the Super Bowl despite Grossman’s errors.  Smith benched Grossman last season for veteran Brian Griese, who didn’t fare as well as the team had liked.  So now it’s Orton’s turn.  Orton is a smart player who takes good care of the ball.  He’s a game manager, not a gunslinger.  He’s not going to throw for 300 yards and dominate on every possession, but he won’t make the mental errors Grossman became known for that had Bears fans pulling their hair out for the past few years.

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Favre Solid in Jets Debut

Brett Favre looked solid in his first preseason game with the New York Jets.  Favre said that as soon as he’d stepped onto the field, he knew he’d made the right decision in returning to the game he loves.  The 38-year-old quarterback completed five of his six pass attempts and tossed the team’s only touchdown.  He looked pretty sharp, firing some patented Favre bullets at receivers who’ve been catching passes from the weaker-armed Chad Pennington for the past few years.  Favre admitted that he was nervous in his first game for the Jets, but didn’t show it on the field.  He wanted more than the 14 snaps he was given, but it’s wise for Eric Mangini to let Favre get acclimated before giving him significant time.

The Jets have to feel pretty good about Favre’s debut.  The team lost the game 13-10, but all eyes were on number four.  It’s going to be difficult to make the playoffs in the AFC and it’s not a lock that the Jets can even nab second place in their own division with the up-and-coming Buffalo Bills making strides.  Favre definitely makes the Jets a better team than they were before the trade and will, if nothing else, give the New York media something to obsess about all season.

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