NFL Thread - 2011-12

[Big Sexy]

I would say yes to Smith as the nickelback, but the only problem is he has a broken leg right now and I don't know if he can be 100% at the start of the season (he says he will be playing in the season opener, but we'll see). Other then that, apparently the Lions are high on Jack Williams (who was hurt most of last year), so him and Nathan Vasher (who did well at the end of the season) will probably fight for the 4 spot (or 3 until Smith is fully healthy).

But nevertheless, the Lions did great in addressing their needs (LB and Secondary) and getting most of their guys in camp (if they hopefully get Avril and Houston to sign longer deals). I can see this team being a threat all season (especially if Stafford can stay healthy, and by all reports he's much bigger and stronger this season and lost a lot of his baby fat). I don't think 10 wins is a crazy thought, even with the semi-hard schedule they got.

These next 6 weeks can't go by quick enough.

The broken foot certainly hurts Smith's preparation but I'm hoping he is back for the start of the season. Prince Miller and Aaron Berry are two other young corners who have a lot of talent and will be fighting for a roster spot.

As far as the Lions season on the whole goes, I could definitely see them winning 10 games and getting a Wild Card spot. Stafford staying healthy is obviously key but the Lions have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year.

 

[Nate DaMac]

The Lions are definitely one of the teams I'm pulling for this year. I love watching a team that is used to be the laughing stock of the league rise up to prominence (except the fucking Raiders. Fuck them.) Ever since they picked up Suh in the draft I've been following them closely just because of the hype surrounding him from College. I know it's early as shit, but after watching his first season, I have no doubt that he'll end up being an all time great if he manages to stay healthy.

Parity is one the things that makes the NFL so fun to watch. Last year we had teams like Tampa, St. Louis, and my Chiefs make strides from where they were the year prior and this year I suspect that the Lions along with maybe Cleveland to do the same.

Call it a hunch, but I'm starting to think that Baltimore will be one of the teams that has a disappointing year compared to what were used to. I just think that their defense is getting to be a bit on the old side and I don't know how well they're going to hold up. Their offense should be fine, but their defense, which has pretty much been the staple of the team, is starting to look a bit suspect to me. Like I said though, just a hunch. I'm more than prepared to eat crow if they come out killing everybody.

 

[Megatron]

Speaking of Chris Houston...

ALLEN PARK - The Detroit Lions went into free agency wanting to pick up two linebackers and two cornerbacks and not blow $100 million in the process. The Lions hit those goals late this afternoon when cornerback Chris Houston agreed to a two-year contract.

Houston and recently signed linebacker Justin Durant are both on two-year deals while linebacker Stephen Tulloch and cornerback Eric Wright are on one-year contracts.

Houston, Tulloch and Wright are all making about $3 million per year; the numbers on Durant's contract are unknown.

The Lions pursued both Tulloch and Houston from the start of free agency but would not give them the long-term, big-money contracts they were seeking. Lions president Tom Lewand said the team would be patient throughout the process. On Sunday, the Lions got both Tulloch and Houston.

The Lions will continue to look for roster upgrades through the rest of training camp, but it would appear that their starting lineup, both on offense and defense, has been filled.

Awesome to hear he's locked up for two years. Now our D looks pretty much set, although there won't be really any camp battles for starting spot (which isn't necessarily a bad thing if the guys we have produce the way they have in the past). This has been a great offseason and if we get Avril to sign long term we'll have an A-type offseason. We have great depth at the line, which should be continuously getting pressure by themselves, our starting LB core is strong and I'd like to see Carpenter resigned as a first backup option. And with Houston and Wright at the two corner spots, and Delmas + Coleman being our safeties it should be tougher to get past our D. Obviously not impossible, but significantly tougher then in seasons past.

Let's just hope that nobody goes down with a serious injury, especially guys like Delmas and Levy, who are not only the cornerstones to our back 7 but also had injury problems last year.

EDIT: I doubt Cleveland makes significant strides this year due to the lack of continuity they've had this offseason. New coach, new system, only a 2nd year QB and they still need to improve on their talent as a whole. They may take another year or two with the transition to a new coaching scheme.

 

[TSG]

Well, the Steelers, my favorite team (yes, I know, hate me) have been quiet this off-season, which seems to be the norm in the Steel City. The last time I checked, all seven draft picks have officially been signed. Cameron Heyward, Marcus Gilbert, Cortez Allen, and Curtis Brown, among others, are now official Steelers. The OL has been considered lacking somewhat as of late, so Gilbert will be a nice addition, and with three DB's coming in through the draft, the secondary looks pretty good for the future. Heyward will be a nice addition to the defensive line. So overall, the draft did well for us.

There were also many unsigned rookie free agents brought aboard, the biggest one being John Clay, from the Wisconsin camp last year. Clay finished his 2010 season at Wisconsin with 1,012 yards on 187 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and ending the year with 14 touchdowns. He is certainly a standout back, a finalist for the 2010 Doak Walker award, and I have a feeling he will be a good asset to the Steelers.

Otherwise, not many big changes as a whole. Antwan Randall El is gone once again, which probably won't hurt in the least, as the receiving corps is perfectly fine as it is. Max Starks and Flozell Adams are gone off the O-line, but all veterans have to go one way or another, and these two were not needed anymore, and I don't see a big issue there. Johnathon Scott and Willie Colon were resigned on that end, and they will keep contributing solid work. Suisham has been resigned at kicker, and he did a solid job last year, and a big re-signing is Ike Taylor, who is a key in the secondary. He will contribute largely as always, and it's good to have a new deal inked with him.

Overall, the Steelers look largely the same as the team that traveled down the road to the Super Bowl last year, with a few solid additions, and they are shaping up to be a playoff contender once again this year, and it will be fun to see where they go.

 

[Sully]

Quite honestly I wish the Steelers would be more aggressive in the free agency. That way we're not stuck with the Steelers drafting smaller guys and taking chances, as opposed to them drafting big names for more money.

In a way, I wanted us to get Plaxico back, just so we can have a really solid WR set. But it really isn't that big a deal with us already having Wallace and Ward. But someone I really, really wish we went after would be Antonio Cromartie. He is a star corner and a corner is just something we need. I don't want the Steelers walking into the 2011 season with the same shitty secondary we had last year. With Ike Taylor and Cromartie, we wouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

[Rokitka]

I know this is way too early, but Haynesworth looked like a fucking beast at practice today. Running a couple 4-3 sets with him and Wilfork was pretty intimidating. If the guy can keep his head on straight Patriots could have their best pass rushing defense since Seymour left.

Speaking of pass rushing, we need to sign Matt Light BADLY. Offensive line looked like shit. Granted, it's only the seventh practice, and Mankins can't start practicing until the 4th, but without Light I have no clue who fills in. No chance I'm counting on Solder.

 

[The Bearded One]

From what I've read, it seems like Tim Tebow is running the scout team offense while Brady Quinn is running the second team offense in Denver. It's crazy that they used a first-round pick on Tebow and then wanted to trade Orton and make him the starter. He goes from hopeful starter to running the scout team in less than a week's worth of practice. I didn't think Tebow could be an NFL quarterback, but I honestly didn't think he was going to be this bad.

Also, the Eagles season rides on Michael Vick. If he performs like he did last year, they should easily make the playoffs. If he returns to how he played in Atlanta, they could make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Eagles better be praying that Vick doesn't get hurt, because they have no chance in hell of having any kind of success, offensively at least, if Vince Young is forced into substantial playing time. The defense they have put together should be enough to get them into playoff contention, though.

 

[Big Sexy]

The Eagles better be praying that Vick doesn't get hurt, because they have no chance in hell of having any kind of success, offensively at least, if Vince Young is forced into substantial playing time. The defense they have put together should be enough to get them into playoff contention, though.

Obviously Vick is a beast and easily gives the Eagles the best chance to win but with the talent on that roster they could still compete for a playoff spot with VY as the starter. Young's physical talent has never come into question just his mental stability at times has been a cause for concern. The fact remains that Young put up some good numbers with the playing time he had the last couple years and his career record as a starter is 30-17, including 12-6 the last two years.

Not to mention the fact that Philly has more talent offensively then Tennessee ever had when VY was there. Young had Chris Johnson the last couple years but not much else. In Philly he would have guys like Desean Jackson, Jeremy Macklin, Celek at TE, and Shady McCoy among others. With Vick as his mentor Young is easily one of the best back ups in the league.

 

[The Bearded One]

Obviously Vick is a beast and easily gives the Eagles the best chance to win but with the talent on that roster they could still compete for a playoff spot with VY as the starter. Young's physical talent has never come into question just his mental stability at times has been a cause for concern. The fact remains that Young put up some good numbers with the playing time he had the last couple years and his career record as a starter is 30-17, including 12-6 the last two years.

Not to mention the fact that Philly has more talent offensively then Tennessee ever had when VY was there. Young had Chris Johnson the last couple years but not much else. In Philly he would have guys like Desean Jackson, Jeremy Macklin, Celek at TE, and Shady McCoy among others. With Vick as his mentor Young is easily one of the best back ups in the league.

As someone who's got to see Young play at least twice a season since he was drafted, I can tell you he lacks the physical talent along with his mental stability. He has the same amount of touchdowns as he does turnovers with 42 each. He also has less than a 60 percent completion percentage for his career. The Titans defense was so good for his first few seasons in the league that the Titans won in spite of Young's play, not because of it. Young just does not have the talent to be a successful quarterback at the NFL level. I was actually mad when the Titans would bench him and when they let him go because that means he won't get to hurt the team anymore. But it's not like Jake Locker or Matt Hasselbeck are going to be any better, at least not in the immediate future.

If Vick has to miss a significant amount of time, the Eagles will still most likely make the playoffs, but it will be because of the defense and not Vince Young.

 

[Big Sexy]

As someone who's got to see Young play at least twice a season since he was drafted, I can tell you he lacks the physical talent along with his mental stability.

That's just a false statement.

He has the same amount of touchdowns as he does turnovers with 42 each.

A large majority of those turnovers came in his first two seasons. The last two years he has appeared in 21 games and has 22 total tds (20 passing and 2 rushing) to just 13 total turnovers (10 ints and 3 fumbles lost).

He also has less than a 60 percent completion percentage for his career.

Yes it is below 60% for his career but the last two years it was at 58.7 and 59.6 respectively which isn't bad. You also have to figure in the fact that the Eagles receiving corp is far superior to what he had in Tennessee. Up until this past season Michael Vick's highest career completion % was 56.4 so VY would be fine in that department.

The Titans defense was so good for his first few seasons in the league that the Titans won in spite of Young's play, not because of it.

His first two years? Yes. The last two years? Not so much. That is why I specified the last two years and said he was 12-6 those seasons as a starter.

Young just does not have the talent to be a successful quarterback at the NFL level.

You say that yet just two seasons ago he led the Titans to an 8-2 record after they started out 0-6 with Kerry Collins starting. Last year he butted heads with coach Jeff Fisher and the team as a whole wasn't that great yet VY still put up some of the best numbers of his career stats wise and also was 4-4 as the Titans starter while the team went 2-6 with him on the bench.

If Vick has to miss a significant amount of time, the Eagles will still most likely make the playoffs, but it will be because of the defense and not Vince Young.

I think you are underestimating the abilities of Vince Young.

 

[The Bearded One]

You say that yet just two seasons ago he led the Titans to an 8-2 record after they started out 0-6 with Kerry Collins starting. Last year he butted heads with coach Jeff Fisher and the team as a whole wasn't that great yet VY still put up some of the best numbers of his career stats wise and also was 4-4 as the Titans starter while the team went 2-6 with him on the bench.

I'm sure Chris Johnson rushing the ball more than 26 times per game and averaging 141 yards per game during the Titans 8-2 run that season had more to do with their success than Young's 58.7 completion percentage with 187.9 yards a game, which falls to 165.7 if you take away the anomaly of the Cardinals game. Those are pedestrian numbers and they suggest that Young was asked to not lose the games for the Titans, which he didn't do. The running game and the 10th ranked running defense had more to do with their 8-2 run than the pedestrian numbers Young put up.

Saying Young has no talent is an overstatement, yes. But he will never be anything more than a game manager. You can win ballgames with him as your quarterback, but you will hardly ever win because he is your quarterback. I would still feel far more secure with Vick at quarterback than I would Young.

 

[Big Sexy]

I'm sure Chris Johnson rushing the ball more than 26 times per game and averaging 141 yards per game during the Titans 8-2 run that season had more to do with their success than Young's 58.7 completion percentage with 187.9 yards a game, which falls to 165.7 if you take away the anomaly of the Cardinals game. Those are pedestrian numbers and they suggest that Young was asked to not lose the games for the Titans, which he didn't do. The running game and the 10th ranked running defense had more to do with their 8-2 run than the pedestrian numbers Young put up.

Obviously Chris Johnson is one of the best running backs in the game but that doesn't take away from what Vince Young was able to do as the starter. The play of the quarterback always opens up things for the running game. Chris Johnson has rushed for over 100 yards 20 times in his career. 16 of those times came when Vince Young either started or played the majority of the game. In fact, in the 18 games Vince Young started over the last two years, Chris Johnson only failed to reach at least 100 yards in 3 of them.

And while the Titans rushing defense may been a solid 10th that year, there total defense was in the bottom 5 of the league. The defense that year was horrendous. As good as Chris Johnson is he doesn't get all the credit for an 8-2 turn a round after the team started 0-6 and had a bottom 5 total defense.

Saying Young has no talent is an overstatement, yes. But he will never be anything more than a game manager. You can win ballgames with him as your quarterback, but you will hardly ever win because he is your quarterback. I would still feel far more secure with Vick at quarterback than I would Young.

Obviously Vick is easily the better of the two and I'd be more secure with him as the starter but Young as just a game manager is still a little bit of an understatement of his abilities.

 

[Big Sexy]

I was just rereading my last post and I wanted to correct a mistake. I meant Chris Johnson has rushed for over 100 yards 20 times in the last two years, not his whole career. VY only started one game in CJ's rookie year in 2008 when CJ ran for over 100 yards 4 times on top of the 20 the last two years.

 

[The Bearded One]

Randy Moss announced his retirement today, marking the end of a very successful and productive career. He finishes fifth all time in receiving yards with 14,858, ninth in receiving yards per game with 73.6 yards per game, eighth in career receptions with 954 (tied with Hines Ward) and second to only Jerry Rice in career receiving touchdowns with 153.

There is no doubt he was a great player, but I can only wonder what could have been. He was known for taking games off and had a couple of dreadful seasons for the Raiders in the prime years of his career. He seemed to be revitalized by joining the Patriots, but when he was traded to the Vikings and then the Titans in 2010 he just didn't seem to care anymore. There is no doubt he is a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee, but it seems to me that he still underachieved at times.

 

[Theo Mays]

So the Vikings cut LT Bryant McKinnie this afternoon. I'm a bit shocked at the move. McKinnie has never really lived up to that top 10 draft status, but he certainly wasn't the worse thing at LT. However he never gave it is all and it showed in his play. He reportedly showed up to camp weighing in at 360 lbs and his playing weight is around the 330 mark. Someone will obviously pick him up as he could be an upgrade for the team in need of a quick and short fix at the LT position. I guess this means Charlie Johnson, who we just picked up from the Colts is going to take over the LT spot for the year. Our line is already pretty average so this is definitely something the team will have to look to address in the offseason next year.

 

[Big Sexy]

I'd like to discuss a team that has had a very good off season even though no one is talking about it. That team is the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West is the worst division in football but I guarantee there will still be people picking Seattle to finish last in that division. They see the young Rams with Sam Bradford, the Niners with Jim Harbaugh now as the head coach, and the Cardinals with Kevin Kolb now leading the way, and they will be quick to dismiss the Seahawks division title last year as a fluke.

Fluke or not, Seattle has added some great talent this off season. First they added Tarvaris Jackson to compete for the starting qb job with Charlie Whitehurst. Jackson is inconsistent but he is still a solid talent and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needed. He is also reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Minnesota. Then they added another former Viking in Sidney Rice. Rice is a legitimate number one receiver and he and Mike Williams could be a very good one two tandem with Golden Tate in the slot. Most recently they have added TE Zach Miller from Oakland. Miller is one of the most talented pass catching tight ends in the NFL and will be a great security blanked for whoever wins the starting qb job. With Marshawn Lynch coming back as the starting rb, this offense has some great potential depending on the qb play.

Seattle also made a couple solid signings adding Robert gallery to the O Line and Jimmy Wilkerson to the D Line. Not to mention the resigning of some key defenders in Kelly Jennings, Leroy Hill, and Brandon Mebane. The Seahawks could very easily repeat as division champions.

 

[The Bearded One]

I'd like to discuss a team that has had a very good off season even though no one is talking about it. That team is the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West is the worst division in football but I guarantee there will still be people picking Seattle to finish last in that division. They see the young Rams with Sam Bradford, the Niners with Jim Harbaugh now as the head coach, and the Cardinals with Kevin Kolb now leading the way, and they will be quick to dismiss the Seahawks division title last year as a fluke.

Fluke or not, Seattle has added some great talent this off season. First they added Tarvaris Jackson to compete for the starting qb job with Charlie Whitehurst. Jackson is inconsistent but he is still a solid talent and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needed. He is also reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Minnesota. Then they added another former Viking in Sidney Rice. Rice is a legitimate number one receiver and he and Mike Williams could be a very good one two tandem with Golden Tate in the slot. Most recently they have added TE Zach Miller from Oakland. Miller is one of the most talented pass catching tight ends in the NFL and will be a great security blanked for whoever wins the starting qb job. With Marshawn Lynch coming back as the starting rb, this offense has some great potential depending on the qb play.

Seattle also made a couple solid signings adding Robert gallery to the O Line and Jimmy Wilkerson to the D Line. Not to mention the resigning of some key defenders in Kelly Jennings, Leroy Hill, and Brandon Mebane. The Seahawks could very easily repeat as division champions.

I'm not saying that the Seahawks won't win the division, because as bad as it sucks they can, but I haven't liked their offseason moves much at all.

Let's start with Sidney Rice. Rice has had one good year in his career, his 2009 season. If you take away that season, his numbers are way below standards for someone who is expected to be a number one receiver. Without taking that season into consideration, he has averaged 21 catches a season, 272.3 yards per season and 3.3 touchdowns a season. In the season he actually was productive, he had Bret Favre, who had one the best seasons of his career, throwing him the ball. I'm not saying he can't return to that 2009 form, but he's been injury prone throughout his short career and that would be a major concern if I was a part of the Seahawks organization.

He also won't have somebody like Bret Favre throwing him the ball. He will have either Tavaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst throwing him the ball. Jackson has yet to have a season in which he's started a game where he has a 60 percent completion percentage. Jackson was also the starter in 2007 and played the majority of games for the Vikings in 2008 when Rice had 396 and 141 yards in those seasons.

The other quarterback that could throw him the ball is Whitehurst, who hasn't even thrown 100 passes in his five year career. He's started two games in his entire career, both last season and he was average in both games. I wouldn't be too confident in the quarterback position with Jackson and Whitehurst being the two guys vying for the starting position.

Zach Miller is a solid pickup for the Seahawks, although looking at his numbers I'm surprised he doesn't have more touchdowns than he does. I would expect that to change in the upcoming season.

Lynch didn't have too great of a season last year, either. He averaged less than four yards a carry and had 737 yards despite starting all but two games. I know he was traded in the middle of last season, so his production should improve this year as well. He will most likely be asked to carry a lot of the offensive load due to the quarterbacks.

I think the Seahawks could possibly repeat, but I'm not in love with their offseason moves like you are.

 

[Big Sexy]

I'm not saying that the Seahawks won't win the division, because as bad as it sucks they can, but I haven't liked their offseason moves much at all.

Let's start with Sidney Rice. Rice has had one good year in his career, his 2009 season. If you take away that season, his numbers are way below standards for someone who is expected to be a number one receiver. Without taking that season into consideration, he has averaged 21 catches a season, 272.3 yards per season and 3.3 touchdowns a season. In the season he actually was productive, he had Bret Favre, who had one the best seasons of his career, throwing him the ball. I'm not saying he can't return to that 2009 form, but he's been injury prone throughout his short career and that would be a major concern if I was a part of the Seahawks organization.

He also won't have somebody like Bret Favre throwing him the ball. He will have either Tavaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst throwing him the ball. Jackson has yet to have a season in which he's started a game where he has a 60 percent completion percentage. Jackson was also the starter in 2007 and played the majority of games for the Vikings in 2008 when Rice had 396 and 141 yards in those seasons.

The other quarterback that could throw him the ball is Whitehurst, who hasn't even thrown 100 passes in his five year career. He's started two games in his entire career, both last season and he was average in both games. I wouldn't be too confident in the quarterback position with Jackson and Whitehurst being the two guys vying for the starting position.

Zach Miller is a solid pickup for the Seahawks, although looking at his numbers I'm surprised he doesn't have more touchdowns than he does. I would expect that to change in the upcoming season.

Lynch didn't have too great of a season last year, either. He averaged less than four yards a carry and had 737 yards despite starting all but two games. I know he was traded in the middle of last season, so his production should improve this year as well. He will most likely be asked to carry a lot of the offensive load due to the quarterbacks.

I think the Seahawks could possibly repeat, but I'm not in love with their offseason moves like you are.

Last time I checked Seattle wasn't exactly a destination on the top of a lot of free agents wish lists. Seattle went into this off season needing talent on the offensive end. Cheap quarterback with some talent who can compete for a starting job? Check. Number one receiver with big play capability? Check. TE who can catch the ball with the best of them? Check. The Seahawks didn't have a chance to get guys like McNabb, Braylon, and some of the other big names out there. In my eyes they did the best possible job they could and certainly improved that offense and did it for fairly cheap.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Sure Seattle could win the West, but that's not really saying much.

Arizona is on the right track in my opinion, but I don't think they're there yet. They may have their QB problem answered, but there is still a lot of wholes to fill, mainly on defense.

I don't care that San Fran has a new coach, he still has Alex Smith taking snaps. I've never seen a starting QB stay with his team so long after he has clearly proven to be a bust. They still have another year or 2 to go before they can get back on track in my opinion.

STL is my pick to win this year. Mainly because I think Seattle downgraded severely at QB. I'm basically going with the best QB in the division.

 

[The Bearded One]

Last time I checked Seattle wasn't exactly a destination on the top of a lot of free agents wish lists. Seattle went into this off season needing talent on the offensive end. Cheap quarterback with some talent who can compete for a starting job? Check. Number one receiver with big play capability? Check. TE who can catch the ball with the best of them? Check. The Seahawks didn't have a chance to get guys like McNabb, Braylon, and some of the other big names out there. In my eyes they did the best possible job they could and certainly improved that offense and did it for fairly cheap.

It's not hard to compete for a starting job when the only competition is Charlie Whitehurst. They should have stuck with Hasselbeck and let him develop a young guy, although Hasselbeck hasn't really been all too special the past few seasons. If they were so worried about getting a quarterback not named Hasselbeck, there's a guy named Kyle Orton on the block. But they seem content with two average at best, and that's being polite, quarterbacks.

Rice has only had one good season, and that was with one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history having one of the greatest seasons of his entire career. Other than that one season, I wouldn't call Rice a number one receiver with big play ability. Instead, if you take away the one season, they are getting an injury-prone receiver who averages less than 275 receiving per season. The Seahawks are hoping he is able to reproduce the 2009 season, but with Jackson and Whitehurst at quarterback it's going to be difficult. The good thing about Rice is that he is still only 24-years-old, so there is still a ton of upside. If he is able to get past his injuries, then they could have potentially picked up a great receiver. But I wouldn't call him one, yet.

As for Miller, I agree he was a very good pickup. I was shocked at how few touchdowns he had in his career. That means the Raiders never targeted him in the redzone for some reason, and that reason could be that they are the Raiders. He also never really had a good quarterback throwing to him, which I think will once again be the case in Seattle. But anything is an improvement over JaMarcus Russel.

I'm pretty sure that free agents don't really mind where they go, as long as they are being paid to be there. Sure, they'd love to be on a winner, but if they would also love a lot of money.

Also, why couldn't the Seahawks get McNabb or Edwards? McNabb went to the Vikings due to a trade, which means that if the Seahawks wanted him bad enough then they could have possibly got him. As far as I know Edwards is still available, so why can't they get him? It doesn't seem like anyone else wants him, so the Seahawks should have a pretty good shot at getting him.

 

[Megatron]

If the Seahawks were looking for a starting caliber QB they should've went after Kyle Orton when they had the chance (since he's more and more likely going to be the starting QB this year for Denver). The guy has been very solid these last two seasons in Denver (granted, McDaniels' system was very pass happy, but Orton still had to make the plays) with almost a 2 to 1 TD/INT ratio, 3600 yds each season, ~60% completion combined, and a QB rating around 86 (middle of the pack in the NFL). Compare that to what Hasselbeck and Whitehurst did combined last season, and Orton looks like a really good option. The division is winnable, and may have still been the Seahawks to lose had they gotten Orton. But expecting much out of Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whithurst wouldn't be a smart idea. And with the questions of Rice's health, if Tate will figure it out, and Lynch will bring stronger production, I don't see them finishing ahead of St. Louis. And if Kolb produces like he's being paid to, Arizona will finish above them too.

 

[Big Sexy]

If the Seahawks were looking for a starting caliber QB they should've went after Kyle Orton when they had the chance (since he's more and more likely going to be the starting QB this year for Denver). The guy has been very solid these last two seasons in Denver (granted, McDaniels' system was very pass happy, but Orton still had to make the plays) with almost a 2 to 1 TD/INT ratio, 3600 yds each season, ~60% completion combined, and a QB rating around 86 (middle of the pack in the NFL). Compare that to what Hasselbeck and Whitehurst did combined last season, and Orton looks like a really good option. The division is winnable, and may have still been the Seahawks to lose had they gotten Orton. But expecting much out of Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whithurst wouldn't be a smart idea. And with the questions of Rice's health, if Tate will figure it out, and Lynch will bring stronger production, I don't see them finishing ahead of St. Louis. And if Kolb produces like he's being paid to, Arizona will finish above them too.

The Broncos were asking too much for Orton. Seattle had themselves on a budget especially when it came to qb's otherwise they just would have resigned Hasselbeck. The Rams overachieved last year so I need to wait and see, just like with Seattle, if that was a fluke or not. I just like Seattle's off season better. The Cardinals even if they get a great season out Kolb are in trouble because there defense is just awful and it actually got worse from last year to this year.

 

[Megatron]

The Broncos were asking too much for Orton. Seattle had themselves on a budget especially when it came to qb's otherwise they just would have resigned Hasselbeck. The Rams overachieved last year so I need to wait and see, just like with Seattle, if that was a fluke or not. I just like Seattle's off season better. The Cardinals even if they get a great season out Kolb are in trouble because there defense is just awful and it actually got worse from last year to this year.

According to John Clayton they were asking for a 2nd rounder, which I don't think it's terrible when you see what the Eagles got for Kolb (2nd rounder and starting caliber DRC) and Orton has at least proven himself throughout the years. Plus it is only a one year deal so if he performs poorly they won't have any problems at the end of the season they could've cut him. Instead they went after Tarvaris Jackson for two years, who didn't perform all that great in his one chance as a starter (58%, 70 rating, 9-12 TD/INT ratio). I guess all this is naught, though, since Orton is gonna be the starter in Denver anyways.

And Hasselbeck turned down a contract from them. Seattle went after him but he didn't wanna come back.

And Zona's defense will still be bad, yeah, but their secondary will be slightly improved with Peterson and Richard Marshall as CBs and Rhodes and Wilson as safeties. If Stewart Bradley can return to 2008 form he'll be awesome for them as well (although it's doubtful due to his injuries). If this teams gonna do something it's gonna be like how they made the playoffs - awesome offense, timely defense. Do I think they're a playoff team? No. Although anythings possible in that division.

In other news, the Lions released Jack Williams, who I thought would be a sleeper at CB. However, he never recovered from the injuries he suffered. Apparently Nathan Vasher and Aaron Berry have been doing pretty good in camp, hopefully one of them can pan out as a #4 option (or 3 before Smith comes back.)

 

[Big Sexy]

And Hasselbeck turned down a contract from them. Seattle went after him but he didn't wanna come back.

He turned them down because he felt the contract was too low. He felt with all the time he spent there he deserved more.

And Zona's defense will still be bad, yeah, but their secondary will be slightly improved with Peterson and Richard Marshall as CBs and Rhodes and Wilson as safeties. If Stewart Bradley can return to 2008 form he'll be awesome for them as well (although it's doubtful due to his injuries). If this teams gonna do something it's gonna be like how they made the playoffs - awesome offense, timely defense. Do I think they're a playoff team? No. Although anythings possible in that division.

I think their secondary is about the same. Richard Marshall is solid but nothing special and Peterson as a rookie will have some adjustments to make. DRC was the only proven number one corner they had.

In other news, the Lions released Jack Williams, who I thought would be a sleeper at CB. However, he never recovered from the injuries he suffered. Apparently Nathan Vasher and Aaron Berry have been doing pretty good in camp, hopefully one of them can pan out as a #4 option (or 3 before Smith comes back.)

I figured it would be Vasher and Berry getting the last two corner spots on the roster. With the way Vasher has performed he may be able to take the nickel spot full time even when Smith does come back. Berry has a ton of potential and will add good depth in case of injury.

 

[Megatron]

There were reports that Berry was working out with Revis this offseason, and Schwartz says he likes the outlook on this guy. He was undrafted last year but is said to have loads of potential. He's almost 6 foot and did get a pick in his only game played last year. I'd love to see him get that spot ahead of Vasher, because of his potential.

Also Fairley will mostly be out for the majority of training camp with a left foot injury. That's bad, but it could've been worse. Plus, the Lions do have some depth at the line and fairley was going to be rotated in there anyways. Now Corey Williams will go back to his starter spot and Sammie Lee Hill will be the primary backup (until Fairley is completely ready). Not a bad lineup to throw out there at DT.