NFL: National Football League

By Cotter(noreply@blogger.com) See, that headline is good because it's true. I mean where else can you find a Steelers-Browns checkers set? Or a Steelers propane tank cover? Or a Snoop Dogg t-shirt with a Steelers logo on it? I mean these are must have items. Ok, I'd venture to say you can probably find that last one at Tobiath...

By IgglesBlogMan He's making a larger point there about how hard Reid typically pushes his guys in training camp.  We haven't quite been able to figure out why the Eagles are such notoriously slow starters, with Hofmann suggesting that it could be an issue of tired legs. 

By GarretBarnes Reason #9, Steelers: We did not have our QB and team leader win a Super Bowl then nearly kill himself on motorcycle.  Reason #5, Packers: Our legendary QBs ride off into the Sunset was not throwing an Interception in overtime IN A PLAYOFF GAME just to be eliminated by the future Super Bowl win...

He long has been the Cowboys’ second-best receiver, but he is going to be asked to do more actual wide receiver things this year, which brings him back to his roots. He had arrived at Valley Ranch with a rep as a "pass-catching tight end," which Bill Parcells reminded him of almost daily. He did...

By Greg Trippiedi Matchup #3: Clinton Portis vs. Omar Gaither, Stewart Bradley, and Chris Gocong Matchup #5: Santana Moss, Malcolm Kelly, and Antwaan Randle El vs. Brian Dawkins and Quentin Mikell Advantage Redskins. Redskins/Eagles Final Verdict

By Fooch Not surprisingly, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis were pointed too as two extremely important guys for the offense, alongside Alex Smith.  Gore is a dual threat as a rusher and receiver, while Vernon Davis had one of the quieter 52-catch seasons in recent memory.  I think that goes to show just h...

By The Gryphon(noreply@blogger.com) The Cowboys are working at OTAs right now and will storm into training camp in Oxnard with a dozen returning Pro Bowlers. That’s half the starting lineup! They have first-team All-Pro types such as quarterback Tony Romo, left tackle Flozell Adams, tight end Jason Witten, wide receiver Te...

By The Gryphon(noreply@blogger.com) This is a sizable advantage for the Dallas Cowboys. Advantage Redskins. Huge advantage to Dallas. No advantage here, and that’s arguably a win for the Redskins. Matchup #12: Flozell Adams and Marc Columbo vs. Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels Redskins/Cowboys Final Verdict

By Greg Trippiedi This is a sizable advantage for the Dallas Cowboys. Matchup #3: Clinton Portis vs. Bradie James, DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, and Zach Thomas Matchup #5: Santana Moss, Malcolm Kelly, and Antwaan Randle El vs. Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin Advantage Redskins.

By Greg Trippiedi Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft, Brian Burke over at the Advanced NFL Stats blog did some critical research into historical drafting trends. Since the Washington Redskins had arguably critical needs at both WR and DE going into the draft, I think this is a good time to review his results, and app...

By Gonzo QB Tarvaris Jackson QB Gus Frerotte QB John David Booty RB Adrian Peterson RB Chester Taylor RB Maurice Hicks FB Thomas Tapeh FB Jeff Dugan WR Bernard Berrian WR Sidney Rice WR Bobby Wade WR Aundrae Allison WR Robert Ferguson WR Jaymar Johnson TE Visanthe Shiancoe TE Jim Kleinsasser

By Chris Maier Aside from Chad Johnson’s gradual mood adjustment (Happy???), the Bengals actually held a mini-camp this past weekend.   Partially due to the Chad Johnson sideshow (or lack there of), the non-Ocho news was a little on the light side.  Below are some observations including one key change...

By ChrisPokorny A year ago in the OTAs and minicamp, Anderson and Quinn were completing 60-65 percent of their passes in drills, etc. Ken Dorsey was tops in the low 70s. They all struggled to learn the new offense. Now, Anderson is in the high 70s, Quinn approaching 75 percent along with Dorsey.

By Anthony Hall Glad to see Mewelde’s happy in his new home, because it simply didn’t make sense for him to remain in Minnesota. The combination of a coaching staff that was unwilling to correctly utilize him and a backfield crowded with talent made it an easy decision for the Vikings and Moore to part ways.

By Greg Trippiedi RB- Clinton Portis RB- Clinton Portis WR- Antwaan Randle El The Redskins have felt the need to upgrade every skill position since Joe Gibbs took over, and even before this past draft, it’s clear that they have significantly upgraded their skill position players over the last four years.  

By Gonzo 2)  None of them are drawing a paycheck from the Minnesota Vikings any more. This is the point where things get a little murky.  This is going to depend on whether or not Brad Childress decides that he's going to keep 5 or 6 wide receivers on the roster this season.

By maryrose SAVRAN:  Both.  They do limit themselves by playing it straight.  They just don't overpay for players like some teams that are more aggressive do.  However, their system is designed to be a contending team year after year, not just go gung-ho for a Super Bowl and then bottom out for 10 years. ...

By Gonzo Kyle Wright. . .well, unless the Vikings want to try to get him onto the practice squad, I don't think he's got much of a future in Minnesota.  He was highly recruited in high school, and managed to parlay that into, really, a whole lot of nothing down at the U.  I don't see a whole lot to get excited ab...

By Direckshun Some of them have legitimate shots to make this team. Ah, who are we kidding? LOADS of them could make this team. Others have been signed to be warm bodies for training camp. Others have been undetermined as of yet. 2008 UDFAs the Chiefs have signed:

By James Pete To e-mail Steel Tradition about the Steelers, and possibly be included in a future wail, MAIL, send it to steeltradition@mvn.com, or pojorisin@gmail.com. We look forward to your e-mails! Here’s a look at some of the e-mail I’ve received about the Steelers since the 2008 NFL draft. One focus...

By Greg Trippiedi But only one comparison I found really hits home as a similar situation to the Redskins drafting multiple receivers in the first two rounds this year.  I’m talking about the 2003 Cardinals, and their draft that year.  In the first round, the Cards called for Wide Receiver Bryant Johnson, an...

By Kirkendall Justin Britt, G/C, 6'4", 302 lbs, Alabama. (Sports Illustrated) Bradley Glatthaar, RB, 5'11", 245 lbs, Cincinnati (Sports Illustrated) Anthony Hoke, LB, 6'0", 238 lbs, Cincinnati (NFL Draft Countdown) James Johnson, RB, 5'11", 202 lbs, Kansas St. (Sports Illustrated)

By RickVa Chargers. Best team to have not won a championship in over 40 years! No Lombardi Trophies. Zip. Nada. Only trip to Super Bowl was when they upset the chokin' dog Steelers in '94. The Super Bowl was over halfway through the first quarter. But who knows? This may be the year. The Cubs are playing well to...

By BadMaafala Analysis: As PB@BON said, it may take a year or two before he is ready to be a dominant receiver, so hold off on the top 5 offense talks for now. If he adjusts well to the NFL and continues to work hard, 2009’s offense of Parker/Mendenhall, Miller, Holmes, Sweed, and Ward in the slot (oh, and Roet...

By Greg Trippiedi The team drafted for value, and it got a pair of values in the second round in Fred Davis and Malcolm Kelly.  If Devin Thomas ends up being the second best receiver in this class, or something of the sort, the Redskins will be fine.  The problem comes if neither Kelly or Thomas reaches their pote...

By BadMaafala All value at OT was gone with 7 OT’s taken before our pick. Merling wouldn’t have been a great fit in the 3-4, although that didn’t stop the Dolphins from drafting him. The knock on Jenkins is that he can’t catch the ball, and we already have a couple CB’s that can’t catch, so I can see why we woul...

When drafting the best player rather than drafting for need a team gains a lot of flexibility. The Packers are taking the best player now, and giving themselves a chance to trade for a proven commodity down the line. Lets say Jordy Nelson turns into an NFL starter (or the next Don Bebe) and the P...

By Jamie The New England Patriots had a very successful Day One of the NFL Draft. All in all, the day yielded a linebacker, a cornerback, and an extra third round pick. The Patriots picked two players that should help fill their two biggest needs and could have a major impact on the team this coming seas...

By Brian Mulholland Day 1 of the Redskins draft was a roller coaster of emotions.  I felt euphoric as the team traded down and got great value, but that lead to substantial disappointment as players I coveted disappeared just before Washington picked, and seemingly lead to the team panicking and making some s...

By Josh Martin The loss puts the Cardinals at 0-1 on the season. Tomorow night, the Cardinals will send hard throwing Todd Wellemeyer to the hill to face Aaron Cook. Let’s hope it is warmer, I almost froze to death tonight! Game # 1 04/01/08 Rockies 2 Cardinals 1 Opening Day Take 2 wasn’t as kind to the Cardina...

By Ryan Brown The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off one of their worst seasons in recent years. From what I have seen around the ‘net the fan base is starting to have that dejected feel that permeated throughout Kansas City between the tenures of Hank Stram and Marty Shottenheimer. One would think that Car...

By VanRam Drew Bennett turned into the pricey free agent pick up that everyone forgot about. Bennett had his worst season since his rookie year in 2001. Injuries and the team's offensive woes hobbled his first season in St. Louis; he had just 33 receptions, 375 yards and 3 TDs.

By VanRam The 49ers just paid a QB $2 million per season, signing Shaun Hill to a 3 year deal. He'll compete with Alex Smith for the starting job. Oh how the wonder boy's stock has fallen. Hill compares himself to Marc Bulger in the article linked above, noting his excitement about playing for SF's new off...

By Greg Trippiedi What if the Redskins had used both of the picks for Lloyd on interior offensive linemen? The Redskins could have added Mansfield Wrotto, who played many minutes for the Seahawks this season as a rookie, and Jahari Evans, a starter for the New Orleans Saints. The presence of those players on...

By JasonB These were simply free agent signings. I didn't include practice squad or NFL Europe guys. I didn't include undrafted rookie free agents. I also didn't include trades like Terrell Owens, Donte Stallworth, or Mark Simoneau. This list was simply veterans signed as free agents from other team...

By Ryan Brown While not a priority, the Chiefs should not ignore the linebacker position.  The team needs depth for special teams, and because they were extraordinarily healthy this year.  Donnie Edwards will not play forever, and Derrick Johnson is one play away from having some lummox roll up on his k...

By hoosierteacher Teams: Denver Broncos (6-7, 2nd in AFC West) at Denver Broncos (6-7, 4th Place in AFC South) The Broncos (6-7) are two games behind AFC West-leading San Diego with three to go. A loss this week coupled with a Chargers win over visiting Detroit would eliminate Denver from the division race.

By Brent Earlier this year it was interesting to read, listen and watch all the views on the New England Patriots for the upcoming 2007 season. ‘Big time’ signings in the offseason were made to catapult the Patriots past the Colts and compete for another Championship.

By Brent Earlier this year it was interesting to read, listen and watch all the views on the New England Patriots for the upcoming 2007 season. ‘Big time’ signings in the offseason were made to catapult the Patriots past the Colts and compete for another Championship.

By Kirkendall BILLS In review... Brian Galliford (Buffalo Rumblings) and I chatted via email for a few days about Sunday's game. Check out Brian's blog -- one of the best in the "Nation" -- and my responses to his questions. Also... Is selfish ever a good thing in the NFL. Finally... Bengals primer against the Bills.

By TheSportsGuru I credit the Broncos again for taking advantage.  Forcing turnovers and scoring a defensive touchdown really put the Steelers behind the eight ball and it is exactly what the Broncos have to do on a weekly basis to win consistently.  

By Kirkendall After T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught the three-yard touchdown pass -- enabled by play-action -- the Bengals defense got tough. After an incomplete pass (pressure forced the early pass) and a Thomas Jones five-yard run, Chad Pennington stood in shotgun on third-and-five at the Jets 35-yard l...

By Gonzo What's even more unfortunate is that the Vikings, thanks to Brad Childress' infinite stubbornness and inability to evaluate the progress of his players, don't currently HAVE anything better at the quarterback position to turn to.  There's absolutely no point in playing Kelly Holcomb...

By Kirkendall 2. Of the five games the Jets have lost, three were within one possession. Other than the 24-point loss to the Patriots and the 10-point loss to the Giants, what's the one consistency why the Jets keep coming short in close games they lose? Primer against the Jets

By Dave Halprin (Grizz) Thursday night’s game will come against those barbarians from the North, The Minnesota Vikings. I always liked the Vikings as a kid, not the team, but the historical Vikings. The guys who scandalized and vandalized Western Europe before they were Christianized, homogenized and romanti...

By Dave Halprin (Grizz) The run defense was bad, especially on one side of the line. The corners also struggled, and overall the Cowboys couldn't create sustained pressure and only had one sack. It did appear that the Cowboys weren't quite as blitz-happy as they were last week and stayed in base formation a lot, for...

Film review: Cowboys vs. Jets - Blogging The Boys

Film review: Cowboys vs. Bears (defense) - Blogging The Boys

Broncos @ Cowboys (preseason) film review - Blogging The Boys

Canada.comNFL's Vick agrees plea deal in dog-fighting case - Vick Dogs Facing Euthanization - Hartford Courant - 33 related articles »NFL´s Vick Agrees Plea Deal In Dog-Fighting CaseAtlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick agreed on Monday to plead guilty in a dog-fighting case.

By ChrisPokorny The Browns defeated the Chiefs in their first preseason game of the year by a final score of 16-12. Although the score didn't show it, the Browns clearly dominated the game overall with all three units. Before I get into too much analysis in the introduction here, let me jump right into my note...

By Jordan Being based in Miami, it's only natural that I write about the Dolphins; they, after all, are the home team. But the recent allegations against Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcon's quarterback, and his friends have me so appalled that I feel I can't quite keep my blow hole shut.

By Grizz The RanchReport says the Cowboys are interested in another safety. The Cowboys are sure taking a lot of interest in safeties so far, that could be an indication. Griffin is the second safety the Cowboys have shown interest in this off-season. Dallas also visited Florida earlier this month c...