NFL Rookie Most Likely To.....

Now that the NFL Draft is complete and the official offseason has begun, many fans are looking through the first round of picks and evaluating each player. I have decided to go in a different direction and have my own fun with the first round. The following few predictions have a great possibility to come true and do not be surprised if I am correct in my picks.

Here are the NFL rookies most likely to...

Pass for 3000 yards: Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
-Sanchez is coming in to lead and already decent team in New York. The Jets finished last season at 9-7 and were one win away form making the playoffs. With the running game in tact from last year, the coaching staff just wants Sanchez to keep them in the hunt.

Rush for 1000 yards: Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
-Denver is a breeding ground for NFL running backs. Moreno is a solid back with decent speed and an amazing ability for find a hole to run through. Look for the lineage to continue as Moreno should have a solid rookie campaign.

Compile 1000 receiving yards: Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
-Crabtree is will start out as the #2 wide receiver but look for him to learn from Isaac Bruce and become the number 1 target no matter who the quarterback may be in San Francisco this season.

Make 80 tackles: Aaron Curry, Seattle Seahawks
-The Seahawks drafted arguably the best player in the draft with the 4th pick overall. Curry plays sideline to sideline on defense and with the loss of Leroy Hill look for him to get the majority of the stops in Seattle.

Get 10 sacks: Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
-With newly aquired Albert Haynesworth occupying blockers in the middle on defense Orakpo will have one-on-one matchups which he should easily win. His strength and motor wil allow him to get in the backfield and be an immediate defensive prescence in the league.

Make 5 interceptions: Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints
-Many believe that the Saints will move Malcolm Jenkins to safety and I agree. He has good size for a defensive back but not the elite speed needed to keep up in coverage. Jenkins instinct for the ball will allow him to roam freely in the middle of the field and pick off opposing quarterbacks with ease.

Score 10 touchdowns: Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
-Maclin will be getting the majority of the long balls in Philly which should provide for some longs scores. His ability to return kickoffs and punts also gives him a better chance to score, which he is used to doing.

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Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

FANdemoniumSports.blogspot.com

2009 NFL Draft Evaluations

The 2009 NFL draft may lack the marketability and wow factor of players in previous drafts, but many consider this draft to be deeper top to bottom then others, meaning success can be had if managed correctly. It can also highlight how the idea of NFL parity is somewhat of a myth because of the current draft setup (top drafting teams must spend millions more than teams lower in the draft for a somewhat negligible talent difference) and because you still have teams that have no idea what they are doing (here’s to looking at you Oakland).


Best:

The Redskins, much maligned for their free agent spending and emphasis on getting big names rather than smartly acquiring talent, practically had Brian Orakpo fall into their laps. The Broncos, who had almost as bad a draft as the Raiders, passed up on the highly touted Orakpo to take a running back, as if new coach McDaniels didn’t see that his roster was already littered with running backs to choose from. Did you see the way Washington practically ran to the podium after the announcement of the Denver pick? Probably the fastest I have seen a team turn in a 1st round card. Considering Orakpo was ranked higher than his counterpart at the #3 pick, Tyson Jackson, you have to like teaming up Orakpo with new signee Albert Haynesworth.

I also thought the Ravens had a surprisingly good draft. While many would argue they still lack a big play wide receiver, the Ravens understand what their success is based on, and reloaded again with big guys up front in Michael Oher and gritty linebackers in Phillips and Kruger. Nothing flashy about these picks, but I guarantee you the Ravens will get production out of this group and continue to terrorize teams on defense and with their speed and toughness.


Worst:

For a model on what not to do, please see the Raiders of Oakland. It’s hard to feel more sorry for a team than the Detroit Lions, but the Raiders are a close 2nd. There’s almost no analysis to give because the picks they made in the 1st and 2nd round were so laughably bad that even ESPN didn’t know what to say. Why? Well they didn’t even have a profile on the Raiders 2nd round pick, Michael Mitchell, who wasn’t invited to the Combine.

I looked up Mitchell, not knowing him myself, and while he looks very explosive, he also lacks basic football traits. He doesn’t wrap up on tackles, and he plays too high. Mitchell might make a few flashy plays, but he will get swallowed up by a league that features much superior athleticism compared to the talent he played against at Ohio. While the Heyward-Bey pick created more controversy, the Mitchell pick was worse. The Raiders are drafting for speed, and while speed is an important trait, there’s a reason Usain Bolt isn’t in the NFL, as you must have football talent to match that speed.

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Joseph Kelley
opethguitarist@gmail.com
FANdemoniumSports.blogspot.com

The On Going Story: Cutler May Be Out Soon

The Broncos released a statement on Tuesday saying that they will grant Jay Cutler his request and try to trade him. This decision comes after just over a month of whining and pouting from Cutler after it was rumored that new head coach Josh McDaniels was trying to trade him for Matt Cassell.

The question that many are posing now is: Where will Jay Cutler end up? The following is a list of a few teams who I believe have a legit chance of landing the Pro-Bowl quarterback.

1. New York Jets: The obvious choice here since the Jets lost Brett Favre and are in desperate need of a proven quarterback. The Broncos are looking to improve their defense and the Jets have pieces to get a deal done. Also, the team has the 17th overall pick in the draft that they could dangle in front of Denver to get Culter in green and white.

2. Detroit Lions: The Lions have the most potential to get Cutler from the Broncos because they have the best trade bait of all: the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. They also have the 20th pick in the Draft and both of these would be enough to lure Denver into a trade.

3. Cleveland Browns: I know the Browns have Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson but Jay Cutler is much better than both these guys. The Browns best bet to get Cutler in uniform would be to package defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and Quinn in a deal and hope the Broncos bite.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs were part of the rumors that made this decision possible. When McDaniels was trying to trade Cutler, he was rumored to be going to Tampa Bay early on but the deal fell through. The only reason a deal would not be done this time is the fact that the Buccaneers do not have anything to trade but the 19th pick in the Draft which may not be enough.

5. Chicago Bears: Everyone knows that Chicago needs a quarterback and this could be their chance to get one. The Bears have a few draft picks and some interesting players that they could package in a deal for Cutler.


Cory Guinn
cryguinn@yahoo.com
FANdemoinumSports.blogspot.com

NFL Rookies Under Review

Every April the National Football League, better known to most as the NFL, hosts a draft where each team selects a few select players from the college ranks to join their professional team. Most teams have areas of concern that they feel can be fixed through getting the top talent through the draft. As I sat around on my couch after thinking about this past season I began to realize how many rookies made an immediate impact. The following players, some drafted sooner than others, show signs of having promising careers in the NFL.

-Quarterback Matt Ryan, 3rd overall pick, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan was brought in to revitalize an offense that was torn apart after former quarterback Michael Vick was arrested in the off season. The NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year played mistake free football while leading the Falcons into the playoffs with a 11-5 record. Ryan completed 61.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,440yards and 16 touchdowns.

-Linebacker Jerod Mayo, 10th overall pick, New England Patriots

The Patriots had an aging defense that was in need of a major youth movement. They drafted Mayo out of Tennessee to give them youth and energy. He made 128 tackles on the season in helping the New England defense return to dominating form. Mayo was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after his strong season.

-Quarterback Joe Flacco, 18th overall pick, Baltimore Ravens

When Baltimore drafted Flacco they were hoping for him to be their quarterback of the future. Flacco, a little known quarterback from Division II Delaware, showed why the Ravens used a first round pick to draft him throwing for 2, 971 yards and 14 touchdowns while compiling 11-5 record and leading the team within one win of the Super Bowl.

-Running back Chris Johnson, 24th overall pick, Tennessee Titans

Johnson was the biggest surprise pick of last year's NFL Draft. The Titans have used him as their primary running back and it has paid off big. The first year Pro Bowler compiled 1, 488 totals yards and scored 10 total touchdowns for the team with the best record in the NFL this year at 13-3.

-Safety Kenny Phillips, 31st overall pick, New York Giants

Phillips was brought into New York to give the defense a big hitter in the secondary. He has made 67 tackles and one interception while helping the Giants’ defense prove deserving of last year’s Super Bowl ring and helping them return to playoffs once again.

-Wide receiver Eddie Royal, 42nd overall pick, Denver Broncos

The Broncos needed help on offense this season and got it in big way when they drafted Royal in the second round. He caught 91 passes for 980 yards and five touchdowns.

-Running back Matt Forte, 44th overall pick, Chicago Bears

Forte was drafted in the second round to give the Bears a much needed running game. Chicago got more than they expected when they plugged him into the starting running back role. While the Bears have struggled, none of the problems should be attributed to Forte who lead the team in rushing and receiving amassing 1,715 total yards and 12 touchdowns.

-Running back Steve Slaton, 89th overall pick, Houston Texans

Having played in a high-powered offense in college, Slaton had big expectations in the NFL. Most teams looked past him in the early rounds because of his size but the Texans needed a running game to stabilize their weak offense. He proved to be the most valuable part of the Houston offense while accumulating 1,679 total yards and 10 touchdowns.

If these few players continue to work hard and play up to their potential we should all expect to see them around for a long time in the National Football League.

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Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

http://www.thejaystick.blogspot.com/ General Sports Writer