Top NFL Free Agents (Defense)

One thing that hasn’t been talked about much is the current free agent system as we know it will end after the 2010 season. It’s very complicated and I am not going to try and cover it, instead I will post a link to a very informative article on free agency. So it’s too early to tell how the upcoming “uncapped” years will play into next year’s contract, what I will predict however is a lot of these top players will be scooped up with huge contracts. The contracts will include large signing bonuses and the beef of the money will extended out well past 2010. So without further ado, I will finish my list of the best NFL free agents for next year, some of these players are signing contracts as we speak, for example, the Giants signed CB Cory Webster last week and the Cowboys just signed RT Marc Columbo. The cream of this crop is DT Albert Haynesworth, who might emerge as the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. Last week I covered the offensive players and this week I will cover the defense.

Defensive tackles:
Albert Hayneswoth, Titans
Tank Johnson, Dallas
Darwin Walker, Carolina
William Joseph, Raiders
Jonathan Babineaux, Atlanta
La’ Roi Glover, Rams
Jimmy Kennedy, Jags
Grady Jackson, Atlanta
John Thornton, Bengals
Kenny Peterson, Broncos
Shaun Cody, Lions
Colin Cole, Packers
Ryan Sims, Bucs
Jeff Zgonina, Texans
Darrell Ried, Colts
Ellis, Wyms, Vikings
Kendrick Allen, Vikings
Mike Wright, Patriots
James Reed, Saints
Ronald Fields, 49ers
Howard Green Seattle

Defensive Ends:
Julius Peppers, Panthers
Chris Canty, Dallas
Bertrand Berry, Arizona
Dwan Edwards, Ravens
Jason Babin, Chiefs
Antonio Smith, Arizona
Ebenezer Ekuban, Broncos
Mike Montgomery, Packers
Josh Thomas, Colts
Kenechi Udeze, Vikings
Kenny Smith, Patriots
Jerome McDougle, Giants
CJ Mosley, Jets
Orpheus Roye, Steelers
Eric Moore, Rams
Kevin Carter, Bucs
Demetric Evans, Redskins

Linebackers:
Ray Lewis, Ravens
Karlos Dansby, Cardinals
Terrell Suggs, Ravens
Michael Boley, Falcons
Channing Crowder, Dolphins
Jonathan Vilma, Saints
Mike Peterson, Jags
Robert Thomas, Raiders
Nate Webster, Denver
Keyan Fox, Steelers
Willie McGinest, Browns
Daryl Blackstock, Bengals
Takeo Spikes, 49ers
Clark Haggans, Cardinals
Napoleon Harris, Vikings
Larry izzo, Patriots
Teddy Lehman, Buffalo
Eric Barton, Jets
Angelo Crowell, Buffalo
Donte’ Curry, Carolina
Adam Seward, Carolina
Darrell McClover, Bears
Andra Davis, Browns
Kris Griffin, Browns
Shantee Orr, Browns
Carlos Polk, Dallas
Tyjuan Hagler, Colts
Rocky Boiman, Chiefs
Pat Thomas, Chiefs
Heath Farwell, Vikings
Tony Gilbert, Falcons
Tank Williams, Patriots
Dontarrious Thomas, Vikings
Cody Spencer, Jets
Khary Campbell, Redskins
Sam Williams, Raiders
Andre Frazier, Steelers
Gary Stills, Rams
Marques Harris, Chargers
DD Lewis, Seattle
Alfred Fincher, Redskins
Ryan Nece, Lions
Paris Lenon, Lions

Cornerbacks:
Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders
DeAngelo Hall, Redskins
Domonique Foxworth, Atlanta
Deltha O’Neal, Patriots
Bryant McFadden, Steelers
Phillip Buchanon, Bucs
Aaron Glenn, Saints
Lewis Sanders, Patriots
Corey Ivy, Ravens
Justin Miller, Raiders
Jason Webster, Patriots
Kelvin Hayden, Colts
RW McQuarters, Giants
Ahmad Carroll, Jets
Eric King, Titans
Ty Law, Jets
Ricky Manning, Rams
Eric Green, Cardinals
Fernando Bryant, Steelers
Kiewan Ratliff, Colts
Jabari Greer, Buffalo
Ronald Bartell, Rams
Jamar Fletcher, Bengals
Travis Daniels, Browns
Chris carr, Titans
Daven Holly, Browns
Fakhir Brown, Rams
Benny Sapp, Vikings
Karl Paymah, Broncos
Scott Starks, Jags
Stanley Wilson, Lions
DeMarcus Faggins, Texans
Jimmy Williams, Texans
Omare Lowe, Jags
William James, Jags
Andre Goodman, Miami
Chris Johnson, Raiders
Michael Waddell, Raiders
Joselio Hanson, Eagles
Jason Craft, Rams
Donald Strickland, 49ers
Reynaldo Hill, Titans

Safeties:
James Butler, Giants
Gerald Sensebaugh, Jags
Sean Considine, Eagles
Vincent Fuller, Titans
Michael Boulware, Vikings
Brian Dawkins, Eagles
Renaldo Hill, Miami
Lawyer Milloy, Atlanta
Jim Leonard, Ravens
Rodney Harrison, Patriots
Darren Sharper, Vikings
Oshiomogho Atogwe, Rams
Will Allen, Bucs
Sean Jones, Cleveland
Jermaine Phillips, Bucs
Brandon McGowan, Bears
Chris Crocker, Bengals
Keith Davis, Dallas
Marlon McCree, Denver
CC Brown, Texans
Nick Ferguson, Texans
Hank Poteat, Jets
Eugene Wilson, Texans
Pierson Prioleau, jags
Matt Giordano, Colts
Jon McGraw, Chiefs
Yerimiah Bell, Miami
James Sanders, Patriots
Rahad Baker, Raiders
Mike Green, Redskins
Oliver Celestin, Chiefs

Top Unrestricted NFL Free Agents (Offense)

This time of year when Mock Drafts rule the world we often forget that there are other methods to improve an NFL team than through the NFL Draft. Free Agency continues to be a valuable tool in improving a team. But buyer beware, many free agents sign a huge contract and then fail to live up to the billing. Also most NFL players are happy where they are, they have a home and family and would generally prefer to resign with their current team. The following list is pretty extensive but unless you throw a lot of money at them, most of the quality free agents will sign a contract extension and stay put. For example, there is no way the Giants are going to let RB Brandon Jacobs go anywhere. Today I will highlight the offensive players and soon to come, the defense.

Quarterbacks:
Kurt Warner, Arizona
Kerry Collins, Titans
Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay
Charlie Frye, Seattle
Rex Grossman, Chicago
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cincinnati
Matt Cassel, Patriots
Patrick Ramsey, Denver
Kyle Boller, Ravens
Brooks Bollinger, Dallas
Dan Orlovsky, Lions
Joey Harrington, New Orleans
Anthony Wright, Giants
David Carr, Giants
Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh
Byron Leftwich, Pittsburgh
Jamie Martin, 49ers
JT O’Sullivan, 49ers
Luke McCown, Tampa Bay
Todd Bouman, Ravens
Brian St. Pierre, Arizona

Running Back/Fullbacks:
Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis
JJ Arrington, Arizona
Kevin Jones, Chicago
Tatum Bell, Denver
Michael Pittman, Denver
Lamont Jordan, New England
Lorenzo Neal, Baltimore
Corey McIntire, Buffalo
Cedric Benson, Cincinnati
Jason Wright, Cleveland
Aveion Cason, Detroit
Cecil Sapp, Green Bay
Aaron Stecker, New Orleans
Darian Barnes, New Orleans
Derrick Ward, Giants
Jesse Chatman, Jets
Tony Richardson, Jets
Correll Buckhalter, Eagles,
Maurice Morris, Seattle
DeShaun Foster, 49ers
Travis Minor, Rams
Shaun Alexander, Redskins

Tight Ends:
LJ Smith, Eagles
Bubba Franks, Jets
Bo Scaife, Titans
Jim Kleinasser, Vikings
Jerramy Stevens, Tampa Bay
Sean Ryan, 49ers
Mark Bruener, Houston
Daniel Wilcox, Baltimore
Darnell Dinkins, Cleveland
John Owens, Detroit
Tony Stewart, Raiders
Billy Bajema, 49ers

Offensive Tackles:
Jordan Gross, Carolina
Stacy Andrews, Cincinnati
Tra Thomas, Eagles
Vernon Carey, Miami
Max Starks, Steelers
Ray Willis, Seattle
Wayne Gandy, Falcons
Mark Tauscher, Packers
George Foster, Detroit
Jon Runyan, Eagles
Marvel Smith, Steelers
Jon Stinchcomb, Saints
Rob Pettiti, Rams
Frank Omiyale, Carolina
John St. Clair, Chicago
Fred Miller, Chicago
Kirk Chambers, Buffalo
Barry Stokes, Patriots
Anthony Davis, Rams
Adam Goldberg, Rams
Daniel Loper, Titans

Guards:
Chris Kemoeatu, Steelers
Elton Brown, Arizona
Chris Naeole, Jags
Mike Goff, Chargers
Jason Fabini, Redskins
Scott Peters, Arizona
Jason Whittle, Buffalo
Pete Kendall, Redskins
Pork Chop Womak, Seattle
Stephen Peterman, Detroit
Scott Jackson, Houston
Carlise Cooper, Raiders
Trai Essex, Steelers
Kynan Forney, Chargers
Chris Gray, Seattle
Damion Cook, Detroit

Centers:
Matt Birk, Vikings
Jeff Saturday, Colts
Tom Nalen, Broncos
Russ Hotchstein, Patriots
Matt Lehr, Saints
Seth McKinney, Browns
Jason Brown, Ravens
Brad Meester, Jags
Jeremy Newberry, Chargers
Eric Ghiacuic, Bengals
Joe Berger, Dallas
Melvin Fowler, Buffalo
Duke Preston, Buffalo
Brett Romberg, Rams
Geoff Hangartner, Buffalo
Lenni Friedman, Browns
Andy McCollum, Lions
Chris White, Houston
Grey Ruegemer, Giants
Nick lackey, Rams

Updated 2009 NFL Mock Draft

Hello everyone welcome to the explanatory letter explaining and discussing some of the curious selections made in my (CJs) latest Mock draft for the 2009 NFL Draft. I usually update the Mock at the beginning of every month unless I have a huge workload to take care of.

To get started let me discuss the choice of Stafford over Bradford in this mock draft. While I think Bradford is the more polished, better performer I have a hard time moving a QB from a spread offense into the number one spot. Stafford has great arm strength, runs a pro style offense and has dealt with protection errors as well as plays where he’s had to improvise, this allows for a better transition into the NFL (Examples are Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler) because things never really go smooth for young QB’s. Bradford comes from a conference where defense isn’t real dominant and because of his massive offensive line he has time to progress through different reads. He has never really had to bring OU back from a deficit and he has not struggled often, this isn’t a bad thing but it is a minus in my mind because you cannot judge his character and fight when he performs like Dan Marino every game.

The St Louis pick of Oher over other athletes is simple in my mind, The Rams spent a lot of money on Bulger and Jackson, Orlando Pace is succumbing to injuries more often and the line is not holding up the way it used to. Teams need solid line play before any skill player can become dominant, hence Oher you’re off to St Louis.

I have Everette Brown going first among DE’s as of right now. Some might be asking why and the answer is he has speed and production, Brown also has decent size. One reason I have him highly ranked is because FSU’s defense is not as dominant as it has been in the past, with fewer studs great players stand out with production and this is what is happening in Brown’s case. The Raiders need a DE who can get after the QB, they spent a truck load on the offense but the defense needs some love to, I would not be surprised to see Macklin selected here though.

When I see the 49ers I see coach Singletary there as the head coach in the future and with that comes stout defense. Playing smash mouth blast you style of defense the defensive line needs to be dominant and Cody can be a huge part of compiling a line to do just that, Cody may not be William Perry but when healthy Cody can control the LOS.

I have Percy Harvin to the Bears for a one reason, injury history. Harvin is explosive with the ball in his hands and while the Bears do have Hester I must encourage everyone to remember Hester is still learning offense. With Chicago’s style of grind it out football it makes so much sense in my opinion to add a player who can do a lot with fewer touches. Why fewer touches? The Bears need to keep feeding Forte to be successful.

Junior OT Eben Britton going to the Patriots, I have already heard a few Pat fans complaining “we have Matt Light and talented backups”. That may be but everyone is witness to the Patriots line becoming mortal. When Brady is down or out and the word on the street trading Cassel to get some value for him the line will once again have a young gun slinger if Brady gets hurt or retires in the next few years (he will be 32 next Aug). Im not saying he will retire at any point but with exception for a few QB’s the average retirement age for a good talented NFL QB is 36 (Injuries don’t help either).

Some have might wonder why James Laurinaitis would be selected by the Vikings the answer is depth and versatility. Laurinaitis can play OLB like he did early in his career when Hawk and Carpenter were still playing at OSU. JL would make an excellent SLB forming one heck of a LB corp.

I know I left a fan favorite in Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells out of the first round, I did so because big backs are not coveted the way they were in the past. A recent trend of only drafting home run hitting RB’s in the first round has occurred, AP would be the exception but his forty time kind of places him in with the home run hitters. Wells will not run a 4.3 and he has injury concerns. For some reason bigger backs fall, nothing against him because I could foresee Cleveland taking in him the first round moving back in or getting him early second.

Look for the next Mock at the end of December. Take care everyone.

Do We Need a College Football Playoff?

Why do university presidents prevent a playoff in 1A football and what can be done about it?

by Bill Smith

Who's in the Smith's frying pan this week? College presidents—and forget the non-stick spray, these folks have enough fat to prevent burning.

President-elect Obama won a lot of votes from college football fans when he said that he would push for a playoff in college football during a Monday night football interview. But he is going to find that he will have more resistance from college presidents on that issue than he will face in the Congress. The question is why do the presidents refuse to allow a playoff in this single sport when playoffs and national championships have existed for years in every other sport at every level?

The excuses the powers that be claim that a playoff will cause football players to miss too much school. WHAT? In case the ivy covered presidents were not noticing, football is played once a week. A college basketball player misses 5 times the number of classes that the average football player does. And that doesn't include those teams that are included in March Madness. Sorry, but that excuse doesn't work.

Then there is the “tradition” of the bowl system. WHAT? Is that the same bowl system that is so focused on tradition that the names of the bowls every time one of the sponsoring companies folds up like paper submarine. How attached can we be to the Poulan/Weed Eater Bowl? Oh, that's right, its gone.

So what is the problem? The simple answer is politics. Not the Red State vs. Blue State politics that we are used to but inter-departmental office politics of the lowest and sleaziest kind. The simple fact is that ivy covered professors and presidents hate football. The egg heads believe that big boy football is far too powerful as it is in major colleges. A national championship in women's tiddlywinks its no big deal. The tiddlywinks coach won't be a threat for stealing attention away from self important authors of books that will never be read. But a head football coach that wins a national championship becomes a potential drain on donations. Besides the coach gets paid a lot more than a professor.

So is there anything we can do? Oh YEA! Every school has boosters. The boosters need to put the school administration in the frying pan. If you vote against at least a plus one playoff, we will take you off our Christmas card/donation list. Get it guys? No playoffs no money! I would be willing to bet that if enough key boosters made that call to enough school presidents, we would have a playoff next season.

Money talks and...well, you get the idea. Make it happen now!

That's what I think. Tell us what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He has also published several novels on http://ebooks-library.com/index.cfm and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com

The Mystery of the Mock Draft

It’s just amazing how popular the NFL Draft has become. There is even a listing in Wikipedia for Draftnik and a gentleman from the New York Observer wrote an interesting article last year named The Rise of the Mini Kipers about the subject. Last year’s NFL Draft got TV ratings better than the NBA playoffs and this year, this blog and my web site are getting better traffic than ever, in fact this blog (The NFL Draft Site) was just voted as one of the Top 100 NFL Blogs.

Inside of this marvel is another delightful fact, and that is how popular Mock Draft’s have become. There are web sites that have become very popular that are nothing more than Mock Draft Databases that only list other people’s mock drafts. By far, my 2009 Mock Draft at NFL Draft Dog is my most popular page and I even completed a 2010 Mock Draft that is starting to get a lot of traffic. I will be the first one to tell you that a Mock Draft for 2010 at this point isn’t going to be very accurate, heck we don’t even know which underclassmen are going to declare for the 2009 NFL Draft yet, but it’s fun.

So why have they become so popular, well I think it’s similar to the gaining popularity of Fantasy Football, fans can get involved, they can comment of the mock draft in hopes of influencing who their team is going to draft, it makes for good debate around the water cooler and it gives the fans of struggling teams some glimmer of hope for the future. For example, Detroit being the worst team in the NFL and having two first round picks this year, comments and posts about mock drafts on the numerous Lion’s message boards have become red hot topics.

To be honest with you, most NFL Draft Site owners and webmasters don’t really like to do the mock drafts, we got a lot of hate mail from rabid fans and they take a heck of a lot of work to keep them updated. Not only do you have to identify the top college players, but you have to identify NFL Team Needs and then speculate about where they will finish for the season as far as wins and losses.

One of the problems is that fans and general managers aren’t on the same page; I am not saying the fans are always wrong, sometimes they seem to know more about the draft than the General managers, but the bottom line is they usually have a completely different mindset. For example, at one point last year I had in my 2008 NFL Mock Draft the Steelers taking a running back, I received a lot of hate mail from Steeler fans because they said, “that was stupid they already had Fast Willy Parker” I eventually changed the pick to OT Jeff Otah, but the Steelers went on to pick RB Rashad Mendenhall.

There are a ton of examples of NFL Teams drafting players that seem illogical to the fans, sometimes the NFL is proven wrong and sometimes they are proven right, in 2007 The Bills already had RB Willis McGahee, but they drafted RB Marshawn Lynch with the 12th overall pick and don’t tell me you knew McGahee wasn’t going to be resigned, because at that point I don’t think the Bills were even sure. And in the same year the Cowboys drafted LB Anthony Spencer, which means they drafted a linebacker with their first round selection in three consecutive years. Plus in that same year the Eagles drafted QB Kevin Kolb with their first pick (#36) when they already had QB Donavan McNabb. Or take a look at the Charger’s decision to take Phillip Rivers when they already had Drew Brees. So those are just a few examples of seemingly numerous strange picks, some work out and some don’t.

So why do we bother, well they are fun to read and debate, they are gratifying when you can make some good predictions. Then being a Dallas Cowboys fan, there is the thought that maybe, just maybe, Jerry Jones might read my Mock Draft and my Dallas Cowboys Column this year and draft some offensive lineman. Ok I have got some updates to do; I have to raise Florida’s WR Percy Harvin and Alabama safety Rashad Johnson, they had fantastic weekends. Hmm…who needs a ball hawking safety?

Who Will Win the Heisman Trophy?

The Top Three Hopefuls Final Edition

The three finalists for the Heisman Trophy have been announced and they come as no real surprise but what might be more of a surprise is that Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell wasn’t invited to the ceremony. This means that he probably didn’t get enough votes to even warrant considering bringing him to New York City. The three that were chosen are well deserving of the honor and were the favorites to win the award for most of the year.

Here is one final look at the top three candidates to win college football’s top honor which will be given on Saturday December 13th.

1. Tim Tebow-QB-Florida-Tebow was phenomenal in his direction of the Gators to a win against the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. His passing stats, while not as gaudy as Bradford’s or McCoy’s (64.9% completions, 2515 yards, 28 touchdowns with an average of 193.5 yards per game. On the ground, Tebow has 154 attempts for 564 yards averaging 3.66 yards per rush and 43.38 yards per game) are good but what matters most about Tebow is his ability to lead his team to victory. This leadership quality is something that the other players can’t say they have and this may be what gives Tebow the Heisman.

2. Sam Bradford-QB-Oklahoma-Bradford showed the nation just what he can do leading his team to the Big 12 Championship as well a shot at the national title. Bradford has some great numbers (68.3% completions, 4464 yards, 48 touchdowns with an average of 343 yards per game and six interceptions) and his team is playing for the national title. This may be just enough to win him the Heisman.

3. Colt McCoy-QB-Texas-McCoy has made a choice to stay in school another year and so far could just be next year’s Heisman front runner. For this year McCoy has been impressive (77.6% completions, 3445 yards, 32 touchdowns with an average of 179.2 yards per game and just seven interceptions. Running the ball, McCoy has 128 attempts for 576 yards and ten touchdowns) and his Longhorns have been one of the best teams in the country this season but with players like Tebow and Bradford playing better, McCoy might have to wait until next year to win the award.

By: Bryan Dietzler

2008 Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalists

The 13 semi-finalists were recently named for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is annually awarded to college football’s best defensive back in the nation. The semifinalist list will be narrowed to three on November 24^th and the winner will be announced on the ESPNU’s College Football Awards Show December 11^th 2008. This is a fine list of defensive backs and you will probably see almost all of them playing in the NFL in the next few years. I am going to list (rank) them by NFL potential.

The 13 semi-finalists are as follows:

1. Eric Berry, Sophomore, Tennessee

2. Malcolm Jenkins, Senior, Ohio State

3. Vontae Davis, Junior, Illinois

4. Alphonso Smith, Senior, Wake Forest

5. William Moore, Senior, Missouri

6. Taylor Mays, Junior, Southern California

7. Asher Allen, Junior, Georgia

8. Mike Mickens, Senior, Cincinnati

9. Trimane Goddard, Senior, North Carolina

10. Trevard Lindley, Junior, Kentucky

11. D.J. Moore, Junior, Vanderbilt

12. Otis Wiley, Senior, Michigan State

13. Emanuel Cook, Junior, South Carolina

Some notable exceptions (snubs) were:

1. Darius Butler, Senior, Connecticut

2. Patrick Chung, Senior, Oregon

3. Kevin Barnes, Senior, Maryland

4. Morgan Burnett, Sophomore, Georgia Tech

5. Kevin Ellison, Senior, USC

6. Nate Allen, Junior, USF

7. Myron Rolle, Florida State

8. Courtney Greene, Senior, Rutgers

9. Derek Pegues, Senior, Mississippi State

10. Rashad Johnson, Senior, Alabama

Last year's Jim Thorpe Award trophy went to Antoine Cason of Arizona.

FYI: Here is a list of the original defensive backs (minus the 13) that were initially on the pre-season 2008 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List: Nate Allen, South Florida; Antonio Baker, Louisiana Tech; David Bruton, Notre Dame; Joe Burnett, Univ. Central Florida; Jairus Byrd, Oregon; Chris Chancellor, Clemson; Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech; Barry Church, Toledo; Patrick Chung, Oregon; Kevin Ellison, Southern California; Londen Fryar, W. Michigan; Courtney Greene, Rutgers; Michael Hamlin, Clemson; Nic Harris, Oklahoma; Victor Harris, Virginia Tech; Stephen Hodge, TCU; Brandon Hughes, Oregon State; Rashad Johnson, Alabama; Jordan Lake, Baylor; Captain Munnerlyn, South Carolina; Troy Nolan, Arizona State; Derek Pegues; Mississippi State; Tavious Polo, Florida Atlantic; Myron Rolle, Florida State; Corey Small, Florida Atlantic;  DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati; Walter Thurmond, Oregon; Chip Vaughn, Wake Forest; DeAndre Wright, New Mexico

Up and Coming College Football Prospects

When a young man attends college to play football he has high hopes of fame and fortune, but very few attain either. While the fortune part might never, or take years to achieve, the fame part is starting to come to realization for a few of these young men. Here is a listing of some of the young stars of the 2008 college football season that have came out of nowhere to burst into national prominence.

(JR) RB Donald Brown, Connecticut (5’ 10” 208 lbs): Brown went from the second string running back in the preseason to leading the nation in rushing with an impressive 165 rushing yards per game average. In his college debut as a redshirt freshman he rushed for 118 yards. Fast forward to October 4th 2008 against North Carolina, he rushed for 161 yards and went over 1,000 yards for the season. As of 8 games he has rushed 235 times for 1,324 yards and 14 touchdowns. The future looks bright for Mr. Brown.

(JR) RB Shonn Greene, Iowa (5’ 11” 225 lbs): Greene has NFL size and ability and is being mentioned as the best running back in the nation and a front runner for the Heisman Trophy; pretty good for a kid that didn’t play last year due to academic issues. Greene has been utterly spectacular this year, he has rushed for at least 100 yards in all 8 games and seems to be getting stronger every game. Last week against Wisconsin he rushed for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns. He is currently ranked #3 in the nation with an 144 yards per game average. He currently has an impressive 6.52 yards per carry average and has accumulated 177 carries for 1,154 yards and 10 TD.

(FR) RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State (5’ 6” 180 lbs): I don’t normally write about freshman, especially running backs that are only 5’ 6” tall, by the time they are seniors they might fall off the radar. Many young players can’t build on their early success due to injuries or lack of discipline, but even if Rodgers doesn’t emerge into an NFL Draft Prospect in a couple years, he did have his day in the sun as a freshman. When Oregon State pulled off the miracle upset against undefeated USC this year, those watching were thinking, “Who is this little Jacquizz Rodgers kid?” Rodgers was phenomenal in this game rushing for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rodgers is small, but has incredible power and leg drive and doesn’t go down upon initial contact. He has been a workhorse this year and has rushed for over 100 yards in 4 out of his 7 games that he has played in, for the season he has rushed for 829 yards and 9 touchdowns.

(SR) QB David Johnson, Tulsa (6’ 3” 217 lbs): He is not young, but he has emerged. Did you know he is the highest rated quarterback in college football? In a year with extremely poor play at the quarterback position, we won’t see a single senior get drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. A big guy with a big arm, Johnson is emerging as one of the better seniors, like I said, he is the highest rated QB in the nation with a 212.8 QB rating and has thrown for an amazing 2,397 yards and 31 touchdowns with an impressive 69% completion percentage.

(Soph) WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State (6’ 2” 210 lbs): Somebody forgot to tell Bryant he was just a sophomore, he plays fearless and wasn’t intimidated at all on national TV against Texas. Bryant is a fantastic prospect for the 2010 or 2011 NFL Draft. Bryant is a dual purpose threat and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He has scored 2 touchdowns returning punts this year, and receiving he has recorded 51 receptions for 883 yards and 11 TDs.
(JR) WR Eric Decker, Minnesota (6’ 3” 218 lbs): Decker is a good looking, young possession receiver. He might not have blazing speed, but will catch everything thrown his way. He is currently ranked #3 in the nation with 66 receptions for 883 yards and 5 TD. He has an impressive 104 receiving yards per game average.

(Soph) LB Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina (6’ 2” 230 lbs): Sturdivant is a talented young linebacker that is having a fantastic season and has been a tackling machine. After eight games he has recorded 49 solo tackles (69 total tackles) and 2 sacks. He has also recorded two interceptions, one which he returned for 57 yards and the other he returned 32 yards for a touchdown against Notre Dame.

(Soph) LB Rennie Curran, Georgia (5’ 11” 220 lbs): Yes Curran is small for a linebacker, but this guy is strong as an ox with huge arms and strong hands, he also has great instincts and can run. For the season Curran has recorded 42 solo tackles (69 total). He was the defensive player of the week after the LSU win when he recorded 11 total tackles, with 5 being solo.

(Soph) DE Aaron Maybin, Penn State (6’ 4” 240 lbs): Probably an outside linebacker at the next level, but he beat out Maurice Evans this year, that in itself is saying a lot as Evans was first team All-Big Ten last year and finished with 12.5 sacks. Maybin is having an equally impressive season, he is extremely quick around the outside, and good luck blocking this kid when he gets a good jump on the ball. Maybin is currently ranked 4th in the nation with 11 sacks and an additional 15tackles for loss (TFL). Maybin has recorded five sacks in his last four games.

(JR) DE Jerry Hughes, TCU (6’ 2” 248 lbs): Hughes is another End that will probably have to play linebacker to make it in the NFL, but he is having a superlative season, he is strong, very quick and seems to be getting better and better. Hughes is currently ranked #3 in the nation with 12 sacks and an additional 15 tackles for loss (TFL). He has recorded an amazing 9 sacks in his last 4 games.

(Soph) DE Paul Kruger, Utah (6’ 5” 255 lbs): Kruger has prototype size and if he keeps improving could emerge as an elite future NFL Draft Prospect. Kruger is a true End, but gets after the passer like the smaller hybrid types. So far this season he has recorded 5.5 sacks and 13.5 TFLs. He started out hot, but has tailed off a little as of late; let’s see if he can sustain his early success.

The Mid-Season Fantasy Football Awards

Hi, I’m Josh Galligan and I’ll be your host for the next… however long it takes you to read this. Never mind who I am, the important thing is WHY I’m here. In the interests of spoiling the surprise somewhat, I’m the new, resident fantasy guru around these parts. This, the mid-season fantasy football awards is my debut article. And you’re reading it! Seriously, WHAT are the odds!? Anyway…

True, half of seventeen – or even sixteen -- is definitely not seven. So why do a mid-season award write-up now? Ah, what you fail to realize my young book cover judger is that these are FANTASY football awards – not NFL season awards. A fantasy football season, in order to compensate for studs on playoff teams being benched and rested, usually has its playoffs from weeks 13-16. That is the time of the year that the magical fantasy football playoffs are held. Wait, what’s that? You’ve never been to a fantasy football playoff in any of your leagues? Well, the pathetic level of that aside, you’ve come to the right place.

How will mid-season awards help you in your league you ask? Well, why don’t you just read on and find out! With the obscure explanations and introductions out of the way, let’s just dive in and get started.

THE FANTASY SQUAD ASSASSIN AWARD

This award is given to the player that was drafted VERY highly in fantasy leagues, but failed to live up to even a portion of his (or uh… her – hey, I’m diplomatic, what can I say?) expectations. Think former Detroit Lions WR Charles Rogers, multiply it by twelve, and pretend you had $200 bucks riding on his performance. Scary, I know.

Runners up:

Tom Brady (QB), LaDainian Tomlinson (RB), Stephen Jackson (RB), and Joseph Addai (RB)

And the “winner” is:

Lawrence Maroney, running back for the New England Patriots!

He may not have gone as high as some of the runners-up, but I’m pretty sure that most people that drafted him envisioned he would score more than eight fantasy points by Week Seven. Yeah, that’s right; he hasn’t even cracked DOUBLE digits yet.

Prognosis:

Even if the Patriots didn’t have twelve other options at halfback, Maroney’s future would still look grim. He’s had some injury problems, yes, but even when he was healthy has failed to live up to his potential. If you haven’t gotten rid of him yet, you’re going to want cut the umbilical cord soon. And for those with the balls big enough to try and up talk him in a trade (I’m unfortunately speaking from firsthand experience here), just stop. Unless you play in a twenty team league with a big bench, or with owners who don’t have electricity, you’re not going to get anything for him. Just drop him, forget about it, and feel good about it. Unless you paid more than $30 for him in an auction league – in which case I suggest you just go and head to the liquor store.

THE THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A GENIUS AWARD

This award is given to the player who caused you to be made fun of mercilessly on draft day, but turned around and had an unexpectedly great first half of the season – which effectively made you look like a genius.

Runners up:

Kurt Warner (QB), Antwaan Randle El (WR), Rashied David (WR), Deangelo Williams (RB)

And the winner is:

Kyle Orton, quarterback for the Chicago Bears!

Even the mere mention of the young Orton at draft parties provoked uncontainable laughter. Nearly the entire country (outside of Illinois) just flat out refused to believe in a universe in which Kyle Orton, the “victor” in the Bears quarterback “battle” (another topical party favorite), would actually produce like a solid NFL QB. Or even throw like one.

Prognosis:

Orton isn’t good enough yet to demand weekly starting status yet, but he’s definitely an option to play the matchup game with. If you have him on your team, pat yourself on the back, get over yourself, and sleep easy at night knowing that your backup QB could fill in just fine should the need arise. If you’re not in a deep league and Orton IS one of your starters, then take your pat on the back back, and promise yourself to never, ever, gamble for the rest of your life. This one may have worked out, but hoping something like this will fall through in order for you to succeed, well, yeah – just don’t gamble. At all. Ever.

THE I WISH I HAD A DELOREAN AWARD

This award is given to the player that often makes you wish you could take a page out of Michael J. Fox’s book, call up the Doc, gun the Delorean to 88, and draft a different player with your first overall selection instead of the scrub you actually took.

Runners up:

Clinton Portis (RB), Marion Barber (RB), Drew Brees (QB), Frank Gore (RB)

And the winner is:

Michael Turner, running back for the resurgent Atlanta Falcons!

If you’re like me, then you stubbornly talked yourself out of drafting Turner for a safer pick like… Isaac Bruce. Yeah, it was safe pick all right – safe from winning a title (ZING!). The majority of people though, shared a similar opinion on Turner: that he was a great sloppy seconds (or thirds for third down if you want to get technical – gross, but technical) running back and looked great against defenses who were croaking for Gatorade after chasing LaDainian Tomlinson around all day. Or maybe that was just my opinion, but my conscience likes to pretend otherwise to save some face.

Prognosis:

Despite see-sawing every other game and having one monster game, followed by one mediocre one, followed by another monster game, I have to bite my tongue and admit that Michael Turner is not going to slow down. If anything, with the schedule he has left he could very well end up winning the rushing title. Don’t worry about the inconsistency too much, he’s going to string together a couple great games and likely won’t look back. Now please excuse me while I go and throw my television off out my third story window…

THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AWARD

This award goes to… well, you! The reader! Why are you so lucky? Because you found this weekly write up! Despite this debut article being pretty hodgepodge and all over the place, I promise I will break into a nice weekly format for the rest of the season.

Except some start and sit suggestions, a little bit of waiver wire players to look out for, and the advice that would normally come with a paid subscription to the best of the best fantasy websites. What’s the difference with me? Well, for one, I haven’t gotten famous enough to ignore personal requests – so if you have suggestions for what should be in each weekly article, or if you just have a start em/sit em question that you would like me to answer in the column, feel free to send me an e-mail at Galligan@NFLDraftDog.com.

Barring this column blowing up and my inbox overflowing with requests, I should be just fine replying to each and every e-mail sent.

Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips in the Hot Seat

With the latest stunning loss to the Cardinals and coaching failures, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might be considering firing lame duck Coach Wade Phillips. If the Cowboys don't make the playoffs and at least win a game there, then current offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will almsot certainly be the coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

read more digg story

Where Have All the Quarterbacks Gone?

A lot of NFL teams are desperate for a quarterback right about now, the Vikings, Bears, Lions, Chiefs, and Buccaneers. Then you have a few more teams that have an ancient and/or declining quarterback situation like the Dolphins, Cardinals, Jets, and you could even make a case for the Rams, 49ers and Seahawks needing help at quarterback. So with an obvious shortage of quality quarterbacks in the NFL, the help at quarterback will have to come from the NFL Draft. Here’s where the problem lies, this looks like one of the worst years for quarterback in college football in a number of years and I don’t see a lot of sure fire talent at the QB position in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Matt Stafford from Georgia looks like the best hope, he definitely has the size and arm strength, but he is only a junior and might not even be in the 2009 NFL Draft. Even if he does enter the draft, he is young, fairly inexperienced and will likely need at least one year to develop in the NFL. Outside of Stafford, I am just not seeing a lot of college quarterbacks that can step in and make a difference early.

The other junior that is being talked about is two time Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Have you noticed the lack of conversation from the so-called draftniks about Tebow? It reminds me of last year when I was the first draftnik to bring up Kentucky QB Andre Woodson. Mel Kiper had him on his big board and everyone else jumped on his band wagon. Not me, I brought up the point about his long, slow delivery and evidently the NFL scouts agreed as he wasn’t selected until late in the 6th round (198 overall). He (Woodson) was baffled by the drop in the draft. Woodson was subsequently cut by the Giants prior to the 2008 NFL Football season. So what has Woodson got to do with Tim Tebow? Not much really, except that I don’t think Tebow is quite the NFL prospect that some think he is and most draftniks are hesitant to talk about it, for fear of being proven wrong later. I like Tebow, don’t get me wrong, he is a class act and we need more quality kids like him for our youth to look up to. He will go down in history as one of the best college quarterbacks to ever play the game, but unless he improves his throwing mechanics and accuracy he will have difficulty in the NFL. His run first mentality won’t cut it in the NFL and his arm isn’t good enough to win the day. I don’t even see him declaring for the NFL as a junior, that’s why he isn’t listed in my 2009 NFL Mock Draft.

The other junior worth mentioning is Colt McCoy (6’ 2” 209 lbs) from Texas. McCoy has been around awhile; he started and looked good as a freshman, looked mediocre last year as a sophomore, but has came out this year as a junior and just been on fire. McCoy has his Longhorns undefeated and has completed an amazing 80% of his passes for 1,018 yards and thrown 14 touchdowns. He also has an eye popping 209.71 quarterback rating. Texas players have a history of staying until their senior year, but due to the pending rookie salary cap in 2010, we might have record number of underclassmen declaring early this year.

Actually Sam Bradford (6’ 4” 220 lbs) from Oklahoma has looked the best so far, but he is only a sophomore, he was redshirted his first year at Oklahoma, so yes technically he is eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, but I just don’t see him jumping to the NFL as a sophomore. This kid is really talented though, he has a very powerful, accurate arm. Last year as a red-shirt freshman he (Bradford) broke the NCAA freshman record of 29 TDs and led the NCAA in pass efficiency. This year he is playing even better, he has more confidence and has completed 72% of his passes for 1,293 yards and thrown for 16 touchdowns. Did I mention that he has his Sooners ranked number one in the nation in the College Football Polls.

One promising senior is Curtis Painter from Purdue, he is a big kid (6’ 3” 225 lbs), with a lightening quick release and strong arm, but he isn’t playing as well this year as he did last. His accuracy and decision making looks a little suspect. He has tons of potential, but so far this year he hasn’t wowed anybody. I know he is in the first round of my 2009 NFL Mock Draft right now, but when I do my next update he will be moved probably to the 2nd round.

There are only three other senior quarterbacks worth mentioning, and no, one of them is not Clemson’s Cullen Harper, who has not looked good this year. I really like Hunter Cantwell from Louisville; he has been stuck behind Brian Brohm on the depth chart until now. Cantwell is a big kid (6’ 4” 231 lbs), has a very powerful arm and is fairly accurate, he is just playing on a crappy team and is trying to force too many balls. I like his long term potential in the NFL though.

The other senior QB is Rhett Bomar (6’ 2” 212 lbs), he probably would be starting ahead of Sam Bradford right now, but he was booted off the team (Oklahoma) a couple years ago. He transferred to tiny Sam Houston State and has played very well. He is currently ranked 4th in division 1AA averaging 314 yards per game. Bomar has thrown 10 touchdowns and has completed 63.92% of his passes. He has all the physical tools to play QB in the NFL.

What about Graham Harrell from Texas Tech? Yea I can’t forget about Harrell, playing in the spread offense his numbers are off the charts. Honestly Harrell is tough to evaluate because he never plays under center. He has the size (6’ 2” 202 lbs), arm strength and accuracy, so there isn’t any reason why he can’t be successful at the next level. But similar to Washington Redskins and former Hawaii QB Colt Brennan last year, he will have to fight the “system quarterback” label. Brennan slipped in the draft last year (6th round), but actually looked very good in the pre-season for the Redskins. Like Brennan, Harrell will have to relearn the quarterback position playing under center. He will have to change his footwork, timing and delivery in the NFL, but with patience and a year or two to develop he has nice upside at the next level. So as we can see there are some talented quarterbacks out there, but likely not much that can come in and make a difference right away.

An Ode To Upshaw: Good for the NFL

Although I might be too young to remember his playing days, as a football fan and a football writer, I have seen the affect that Gene Upshaw has had on the NFL. I know that Upshaw has had a lot to do with the way things are going in the NFL today, particularly with how much players are paid and how revenue generated by the NFL is divided. I remember him discussing labor negotiations just a few short years ago, making regular appearances on the NFL Network to talk about the situation. While I may not have understood what he was trying to do at the time, it has much clearer for me now.

I now realize that Upshaw has had a lot to do with what has happened to the NFL since he took over as the head of the Players Union. Having the insight that a former NFL player should have, he knew what was best for the players and used his experience and forethought to help those that played the game get their fair share of the huge profits that the league was bringing in. He also had the insight to undertake many different initiatives while he was in charge.

Today’s NFL players should thank Upshaw for all that he has done for them. He not only helped increase the pay that players are getting but he also helped increase the amount of revenue that teams and players get through the marketing of licensed NFL products. Knowing that selling licensed products would be a way to generate a lot of revenue, Upshaw saw this as way to earn more money across the board. Upshaw also saw free agency as a way for players to not only earn more money but to also change teams and quite possibly win a championship (with the right team of course). This was revolutionary.

His leadership and caring for the league’s players should be well noticed and he should be remembered for what he accomplished for NFL players.

Upshaw should also be recognized for his on the field accomplishments as well. He was the only player to have played in a Super Bowl in three decades. Upshaw had many other on the field accomplishments as well and was one of the best players of his time.

Upshaw’s impact on the league will surely be felt for several decades but now, in his absence, a big hole has opened up for both the NFL and it’s players and things aren’t going to be getting any easier. With a huge labor disagreement looming, whoever steps in for Upshaw has their work cut out for them. It’s going to be a long and messy road.

The man known as Eugene Upshaw has left his mark on an institution that has grown to become the biggest and most popular organized sporting league in the world. No other sport garners as much attention, press and fan support as the NFL does. And if you think about the people that brought the NFL to the current stage of popularity that they are at (i.e. Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue, George Halas etc) you now have to include Upshaw as one of those people. He contributed a lot to the NFL and to so many others. He will be missed.

By Brian Dietzler

Early Sack Leader Diyral Briggs, Bowling Green

Last year South Florida’s DE George Selvie burst onto the national scene after just two games into the 2007 College Football season when he led the country in sacks and tackles for loss (TFL). Now it’s safe to say that if Selvie enters the 2009 NFL Draft as a junior he will certainly be a first round pick.

Now I am not saying senior defensive end Diyral Briggs has the same draft potential as Selvie, Briggs is only about 6’ 4” 230 pounds, so he will probably be converted to outside linebacker, but Briggs is in the same elite company this season after the first two games. He currently leads the nation with 5 sacks and is ranked 2nd in the nation with 5.5 TFLs with an additional 3 quarterback hurries after only two games. He did this against some solid teams, he recorded 2 sacks in Bowling Green’s stunning upset over Pitt in week one and last weekend against Minnesota he recorded 3 more sacks. So his stats are not inflated by playing against some non division-one powder puffs. Briggs is very strong and explosive and is definitely a sleeper pick and someone to keep an eye on for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Last season (2007), Briggs was a first-team All-MAC selection, played in 12 games and led Bowling Green with five sacks. His seven tackles for loss ranked him second on the team.

In 2006 as a sophomore he played in all 12 games and started the final six, he totaled 69 total tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He was named MAC Player of the Year following the game at Ohio and tallied double digit tackles in back-to-back games against Eastern Michigan (10) and at Central Michigan (11).

As a freshman in 2005 he played in all 11 games and had five TFLs, recorded 4.5 sacks for a loss, recovered three fumbles and had 11 QB hurries.

High School: Chose Bowling Green but was heavily recruited by Miami, Maryland, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Pitt, South Carolina and Illinois. He went to the Virginia Tech Nike Camp after high school and this is what his high school Coach (Commins) said. “I took him there and he did extremely well there. It was about 45 degrees outside and raining and he ran on the grass and he ran a 4.68 on the grass, so he’s probably a solid 4.6 right now. So he’s looking really good.”

Ben Owens Added to the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Arkansas State linebacker Ben Owens jumps into the national spotlight and emerges as a legitimate 2009 NFL Draft Prospect. All-Sun Belt Conference Arkansas State linebacker Ben Owens has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Aug. 30. Owens, a 6-2, 230-pound senior from Bearden, Ark., registered seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.

He helped the Arkansas State defense pitch a second-half shutout in an 18-14 upset of Texas A&M in College Station. Owens was responsible for stopping the Aggies' last two drives of the game after the Red Wolves went ahead, 15-14. He recovered a fumble on the Texas A&M 39-yard line, setting up a field goal that gave Arkansas State a four-point lead with 1:12 left to play. His interception ended Texas A&M's final drive with 10 seconds remaining. Ben Owens’ NFL Draft Stock Is Rising and he has been added to the prestigious 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.

A speedy linebacker (4.55) with outstanding character and smart, he carries a 4.0 GPA. In 2007 as a junior he recorded 96 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack. In 2006 as a sophomore he played in all 12 games and recorded 34 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception and in 2005 as a true freshman Owens Played in 10 games, mostly on special teams and recorded five solo tackles.

Fantasy Football Busts for 2008

We have recently given you some excellent fantasy football sleeper picks and now we want to highlight a few players that you should probably stay away from.

Quarterbacks:

1. Derek Anderson-Sure he threw 29 touchdown passes last season and over 3700 yards but that was one year. In the 2nd half of last season Anderson threw more interceptions then TD passes. I would stay away from this one year wonder. I think 21 TD passes this season is more realistic.

2. Vince Young- All they hype about this guy and he is an absolute joke. It makes me laugh when they try to compare him to Donovan McNabb. Let's keep this real simple boys and girls. Mr.Young couldn't throw a football to save his life. Only 9 TD passes to go with 17 picks last season. Are you kidding me? When I read those stats I thought it was a misprint. Stay away form this guy and all the hype, cause they hype aint worth
the pick and neither is he.

Running backs:

1. Frank Gore- I know what you thinking. This guy has all the tools to become a great back and you would be right. There is one problem here...Mike Martz is the offensive coordinator of the 49ers now. Last year when Martz was the offensive coordinator, the Lions ran for only 1288 yards. Last season their were four players on there respective teams that ran for more yards then that total. You see what I'm getting at. This guy hates to run the ball. I seriously doubt Gore will gets 20 plus carriers on a regular basis.

2. Edgerrin James- Who knows how much James has left in him. Word around Arizona is they might take some carries from him to keep him fresh at the season goes on. James used to be one of the best running backs in the league. Now is just a mediocre back. Stay away from him at all costs.

3. Stephen Jackson-As talented as Jackson I still think he will be a bust this year. Certain questions remain about the Rams offensive line and the health of Marc Bulger. Jackson missed four games last season and held out until mid August trying to get a new contract. He now has his new contract, I'm just not sure about the rest of the supporting cast.

4. Larry Johnson-Here is another great player, but talk about bad pieces around you. There is no hope with either Huard or Croyle at QB. The offensive line is a joke. The only thing positive here is that Johnson should be fresh to start the year. He missed the last 8 games of the season with a foot injury.

Wide Receivers:

1. Chad Johnson....I mean Ocho Cinco- You know I love this guy. I really do but I would love him even more if he kept his mouth shut. Please just play football and do what you do best, catch footballs. Ugh, this guy is a nightmare. Every year there is some clown in your fantasy league taking him way to early in the draft. Sometimes he goes before the likes of Reggie Wayne or Steve Smith. His stats look great, but with the torn labrum and who knows what type of distraction he will be this season I would just pass on him. Let him be someone else's headache.

2. Anquan Boldin-All off season Boldin has complained about wanting a new contract. Larry Fitzgerlad got paid and now he wants his. Well guess what, your not getting it so move on and play. Boldin has the talent to be a number one on any team. The problem I see with him that scares me is his attitude. After having a career games against the Ravens last season Boldin sat out three games with a hip pointer. At the time it didn't seem like it would hold him out longer then one game, but every week came and gone and Boldin declared himself unfit to play. In week 16 versus the Falcons, Boldin has a superb game, but for most of the 2nd half his stats were just decent. I wouldn't mind having Boldin on my team, but I'm not going to waste an early pick on him. Wait until the 5th rounder or later to get him.

By David Gorman

Fantasy Football Sleepers Part Two

Image: Jason Hill

Last week I touched on a few potential Fantasy Football Sleepers and this week I want to continue that theme with a few more young players that have enormous Fantasy Football Potential. These players probably won’t finish on top statistics wise, but could provide you with some good depth if you have some of your top players get injured, or if you need to start different players due to a bye week.

Disclaimer: Last week I mentioned the Dallas Cowboys receiver Isiah Stanback, scratch that. Just days after that article he injured his shoulder on a kick return, it was the same shoulder he had surgery on last year that caused him to miss his rookie year. Not a good omen for a 2nd year player trying to learn a new position.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers:
I really liked Williams in college and I thought the Panthers made an excellent pick when they drafted him in the first round (27th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft. Williams struggled a little bit as a rookie, but last year, even though Carolina struggled, Williams rushed for 717 yards and 4 touchdowns with an impressive 5 yards per carry average.

This year the Panthers drafted yet another running back in the first round when they selected Jonathan Stewart 13th over-all. Selecting Stewart that high might have signaled the demise of Williams, but instead it looks to have motivated him. Williams has had an excellent pre-season and looks to have a breakout season with Stewart breathing down his neck. DeAngelo has been the leading running back in the pre-season rushing for 188 yards and 3 TDs with a monster 7.2 yards per carry average. Against the Redskins Williams ran for 101 yards, including a dazzling 60-yard TD run.

TE Gijon Robinson/ TE Mike Hart, Indianapolis Colts
Obviously Dallas Clark is the top tight end on the team and for that matter one of the top tight ends in the NFL, but Clark has struggled to stay healthy in his career, he hasn’t missed many games, but he (Clark) has suffered from four concussions throughout his career and a broken leg in 2003. Enter small school stud Gijon Robinson, we always knew he was a heck of a blocker, but I have been highly impressed on how well he has fit into the Colts powerful offense. Robinson has been the Colts leading receiver for the Colts this pre-season catching 10 passes for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Also keep in mind the Colts drafted RB Mike Hart from Michigan this year. Hart has looked very impressive for the Colts in the pre-season, out of all the running backs on the Colts roster, Hart has looked the best with a team leading 7.7 yards per carry average. He is not going to beat out Joseph Addai, but if Addai gets injured look for Hart to get plenty of carries. Hart has football speed but doesn’t clock very well on the track (4.69), but don’t tell me he can’t play in the NFL. For his (Hart) career against the Big 10 at Michigan he ran for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns with a 5 yards per carry average.

RB Andre Hall, Denver Broncos:
He didn’t get many carries last year, only 44, but he made the most out of them with 216 yards, 2 touchdowns and a nice 4.9 yards per carry average. I have a feeling Hall is going to be “The Man” this year for the Broncos. Hall (5’ 10” 210 lbs) has been the leading running back for the Broncos this preseason carrying the ball 24 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.

WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles:
Jackson is only a rookie, but he is a speedy threat to take the football into the end zone every time he touches the ball. Desean Jackson was the fastest receiver last year at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine running a 4.35 forty yard dash. If your Fantasy Football League allows points for return yards and touchdowns, then Jackson could give you some nice fantasy points. Jackson was thought to be a little raw as a receiver, but he is developing rapidly with the Eagles. In the pre-season he has caught 16 passes for 189 yards including a scintillating 76 yard punt return for a touchdown against the Patriots.

WR Jason Hill, San Francisco 49ers:
I just loved this kid coming out of college (Washington State), he was a touchdown machine and hugely productive on the football field recording 32 career touchdowns. Then he ran a blazing 4.32 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and the San Francisco 49ers selected Hill in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. The 49ers, on their official website, gushed about Hill: "Even though Southern California’s heralded duo of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith receive most of the press, if you ask any Pac-10 Conference defensive coordinator or defensive back which receiver they fear the most, they all say in unison one name – Jason Hill," the Niners wrote. So fast forward to 2008 and Hill is finally coming into his own, he has looked very good this pre-season, it looks like Mike Martz is working his offensive magic on Hill. He has caught 7 passes for 147 yards and 1 TD so far.

WR Jerome Simpson, Cincinnati Bengals:
Disgruntled receiver Chad Johnson has a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, he will attempt to play through the injury, but he needs surgery and it’s questionable how effective he will be. Remember Johnson missed all of the mini camps and came to camp late, I think the Bengals are getting tired of his antics. Enter Jerome Simpson, this receiver has immense talent, physical talent right up there with the elite receivers in the league. Simpson just came from a small school (Coastal Carolina) and is extremely raw. I had Simpson rated as a pre-draft third rounder in my 2008 NFL Draft Big Board and the Bengals picked him with the 46th pick in the second round. Simpson has looked very good early and will get every chance to show what he can do and has been the leading receiver in the pre-season catching 9 passes for 144 yards. The Bengals worked out Simpson and fell in love with his ability. Check out this video of the selection.

Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers

When preparing for your fantasy football draft it’s easy to just look at last year’s leaders and make your draft boards up. But the problem with that is not all of last year’s winners will be winners this year and more importantly when all of the top players are gone a lot of amateur Fantasy Football Coaches/GMs are left scratching their heads in the later rounds. It’s time to finalize your fantasy football rosters and here are a few sleepers that could pay huge dividends in the mid to later rounds. Draft these guys and you will not regret it down the road.

WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions:
This second year player might slip through the radar because even though he was the second player drafted over all in the 2007 NFL Draft, he injured his back and basically had a “wash-out” rookie year. Forget about him at your peril because physically, Johnson is the most dominate receiver in the entire NFL, yes even more dominant than Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Johnson stands 6’ 5” 220 pounds and runs a 4.34 forty yard dash. I'm healthy," Johnson said. "Our chemistry's real good right now. We're clicking." In a preseason game against the Bengals in only two series, he caught three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown and then in the next pre-season game against New York he played in two series and caught four passes for 78 yards. "Being 100% is totally different for that guy," quarterback Jon Kitna said. "He's a freak of nature." Yes he is back, and poised for a break-out year. If his health holds up this year he should finish among the elite receivers in fantasy numbers.

WR Robert Meachem, New Orleans Saints:
Meachem is another player that was drafted very high in the 2007 NFL Draft (first round). He incurred a devastating pre-season knee injury and missed his entire rookie year with the Saints, so the Fantasy GMs that just look at last year’s numbers won’t even have Meachem on their draft boards, but make no mistake Meachem is talented, and this year he is healthy. In the pre-season game against the Cardinals the 6’ 2” 210 pound talent caught 4 passes for 129 yards and a TD. Meachem entered the draft as a junior in 2007 so he is still young and learning, but under offensive guru Sean Payton and with Drew Brees throwing him the ball look for him to have a break out year in 2008. Current starting receivers Marques Colston and Devery Henderson are battling knee and hamstring injuries respectively, so the door is open for Meachem. He will have to beat out David Patten and Terrance Copper, but that looks very doable to me. Look for him to be a starter by mid season.

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants:
The replacement for Jeremy Shockey, who coincidently left to play for the Saints. Boss was one of the top Small School NFL Draft Prospects in the 2007 NFL Draft and ended up being drafted in the 5th round. Boss is big (6’ 5” 265 lbs) and fast and has immense talent. He took the NFL world by storm last year in Super Bowl XLII when his 45-yard catch and run early in the 4th quarter set up David Tyree’s 5-yard touchdown catch, which gave the Giants a 10-3 lead and an eventual Super Bowl Championship. Boss will be the starter now and has the ability to put up huge fantasy numbers.

WR Isaiah Stanback, Dallas Cowboys:
Terry Glenn is off the team and the Cowboys need a deep threat opposite Terrell Owens (TO). Enter Isaiah Stanback, the former quarterback from Washington who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He is a serious deep threat, Stanback ranks among Washington's all-time top-10 in the 100-meter dash (10.48, 8th) and 4x100-meter relay (40.07, 7th) outdoors, and the 60-meter dash (6.80, 8th) indoors. The 6’ 2” 210 pound former quarterback mainly returned kicks and fought injuries his rookie year, but he learned the nuances of the wide receiver position and appears poised to put up some good fantasy numbers for the Cowboys this season. WR Miles Austin suffered a knee injury in the pre-season and will be out at least 6 weeks, so Stanback will be given an opportunity. WR Patrick Crayton is penciled in as the starter opposite TO and Sam Hurd look like the 3rd receiver, but neither of those guys are a deep threat, so look for Stanback to come in on 3rd and long and make some plays. Stanback is still raw, but he could be a late round steal, especially if you play in a keeper league because he has long term potential to be able to even win a starting spot in the future.

TE Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys:
I know what you are thinking, Jason Witten is hardly a sleeper, even a Fantasy Football novice knows about him, heck he made the Pro Bowl last year. You are right, but I still wanted to highlight Witten because he is good, no I mean really good, I mean top 5 selection good. If you can’t get one of the top 2-3 receivers, running backs or quarterbacks, then get Witten because he will give you a ton of fantasy points. Find a way to get Witten on your fantasy football team folks, I can’t stress enough how good of a fantasy player he is. Since 2003 Witten has accumulated 348 receptions for 3,983 yards and 21 TDs, but remember, except for last year the Cowboys had serious QB problems during those years. Speaking of last year, Witten is getting better and better and now after a full year with QB Tony Romo should do even better this year, last year he was almost unstoppable catching 96 passes for 1,145 yards and 7 TDs. The 6’ 5” 262 pound tight end, even though he has been around a while, is just now coming into his own, remember he came into the NFL as a junior, so he should be able to put up huge fantasy numbers for years to come.

Early 2008 NFL Draft News

The big news out today is Scott Wright has changed his website domain from NFL Draft Countdown, to just Draft Countdown: www.draftcountdown.com. Historically, Draft Countdown has been probably the best web site for free NFL Draft information on the Internet. Amazingly he has resisted the temptation over the years to add fees to his site and I have recently been assured his web site will remain free. He already has his 2009 NFL Mock Draft and Prospect Rankings updated and he is planning on keeping his Wright Stuff Blog updated throughout the season. Don't forget to change your bookmarks and links.

In other NFL Draft News, Florida senior tight end Cornelius Ingram will miss the 2008 college football season with a torn ACL in his left knee. It is unclear whether Ingram will attempt a red-shirt or enter the 2009 NFL Draft. Last season (2007) the 6' 4" 230 pound tight end recorded 508 receiving yards and tied for a team-high seven touchdowns. Ingram came to Florida as a star quarterback and is very athletic, even playing on the Florida basketball team. Not a strong blocker and this injury will cause him to slip if he does enter the 2009 NFL Draft, but he has NFL potential and reminds me of the Denver Bronco's Brandon Marshal.

Look for the Florida offense to possibly struggle early with timing issues, they have been hit with an injury bug. Wide Receiver (WR) Louis Murphy has been walking around with a boot on his right leg to protect a sprained ankle, and WR Percy Harvin is still recovering from a heel injury. Don't feel too sorry for Heisman Hopeful QB Tim Tebow however, both receivers are very talented and should be on the field by opening day.

Young Guns for the 2009 NFL Draft

I have just updated my 2009 NFL Draft Positional Rankings and for the first time I have included sophomores. Unlike most NFL Draft Sites, I do try to predict (or speculate) on who might enter the draft as an under-classmen. Isn’t that what being a Draftnik is all about, speculating about the NFL Draft? So if you are a purist and you think it’s unethical to talk about under-classmen until they actually declare, then you’ve come to the wrong place. So when I am wrong on some of my predictions and some of these prospects decide to go back to college for another year, then I will just update my rankings, just as we all have to update when we finally know exactly which under-classmen has declared.

This is the first time I have ever included sophomores in my rankings or Mock Drafts, heck (currently 7 August), I even have a sophomore as my number one over-all draft pick in my recently updated 2009 NFL Mock Draft. As a disclaimer, I am not recommending that any of these prospects enter the draft early, especially as a sophomore and unless they are a running back, I don’t think they should even enter early as a junior. The running back position is the exception, they only have so much tread on their tires, durability is a concern, you hate to see a college prospect beat themselves down in college and get injured, plus the running back position, except for blocking, is not that hard. Give a running back the ball and he knows exactly which way to run.

So back to the original purpose of this article, since this is the first time I have ever included sophomores in my rankings I wanted to highlight the three prospects that I have chosen to include. All three of the following sophomore prospects are eligible for the draft. The NFL says that a player must simply be three years removed from high school and all three are red-shirt freshman, meaning they sat out and didn’t play their true freshman college football season.

I will start out with maybe the top player in college football at this point, Wide receiver Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech. As a freshman last year he really caught my eye, yes he played for pass happy Texas Tech and the system did pad his stats a little, but C’mon, 22 touchdowns (TDs) and the winner of the Biletnikoff Award as a freshman, that is just unheard of. I watched him play quite a bit last year and he destroyed some talented senior defensive backs that are playing in the NFL right now. Playing against Texas and Oklahoma alone last year he accumulated 22 receptions for 349 yards and 3 touchdowns (TDs). He started out the season on fire last year by scoring 17 touchdowns by October 6th. His total receptions were 134 for 1,962 yards and 22 TDs. Crabtree was the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led the nation and the Big 12 in receptions (134), receiving yards (1,962) and touchdowns (22) - all NCAA freshman records. Plus he didn’t do this against Hawaii; most of his games were in the brutal Big 12. So how did he do this? Well he has all the tools, he looks like he was born to play receiver, he has nice size (6’ 3” 208 pounds), speed, quickness and hands. He looks like a young Michael Irvin to me. It would definitely benefit him to stay in school at least one more year, you could say that about all three of these prospects, but if he does enter the draft, he will be hot property.

Jeremy Maclin is another super talented receiver; Maclin does double duty as a punt and kick returner and put up some pretty gaudy numbers, again in the Big 12. Maclin’s 2,776 all-purpose yards were the most by a freshman in NCAA history and the fifth most by any player ever. Maclin was the only player in the nation to record touchdowns via receiving (9), rushing (4), punt return (2) and kickoff return (1). His kickoff return of 99 yards against Kansas State was one for the record books; it was Missouri's first kickoff return for a TD since 1982. He also set a school record with 360 all-purpose yards against rival Kansas State. As a slot receiver he exploded for a team high 1,055 yards last year and this spring he blazed a 4.32 forty yard dash. At 6’ 1” 200 pounds he is not some small guy either. If he continues to refine his technique, stays healthy and puts up the kind of numbers he put up last year, it might be hard to stop him from jumping to the NFL early. He should be the focal point of Missouri’s offense this year and he will have a Heisman Trophy Candidate throwing him the ball in QB Chase Daniel.

Running Back Knowshon Moreno is getting a ton of hype right now. Georgia is ranked number one in most pre-season College Football Top 25 Polls and Moreno is part of the reason why. This pre-season the accolades are already flying in. Moreno has been named as an All-America and All-SEC first team by Lindy’s, Phil Steele, Athlon, Sporting News, Blue Ribbon; and All-SEC first team by SEC Coaches and Birmingham News. The reason, simply put, Moreno is very good. Last year (2007), he appeared in 13 games making six starts with 248 carries for 1,334 yards (5.3 average) and 14 TDs. He is also excellent catching the ball out of the backfield; he made 20 receptions for 253 yards with a 12.6 yards per catch average. Moreno ended the season with the second-most yards per game (102.6 average) in the SEC and finished No. 2 on the school’s all-time list and No. 4 on the SEC’s all-time list for most yards rushing by a freshman (1,334 yards). He was named to the Freshman All-America First Team by Rivals.com and Scout.com and All-SEC First-Team by Associated Press, SEC Coaches and Rivals.com; named SEC All-Freshman and SEC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year by Sporting News and named to the SEC Coaches All-Freshman team. He is a workhorse, has decent size (5” 11” 207 lbs) and is very durable, he carried the ball 33 times against Florida last season. Quick, strong, shifty, fast and he breaks tackles, the young Knowshon Moreno has all the attributes of an NFL running back.

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Bryan's 2008 Pre-Season College Football Top 25

It might only be July, but it’s not too early to predict which teams will be represented as the top teams in college football this season. The following is this writer’s prediction on which teams will be in the top 25 during the 2008 college football season.

1. USC- The Trojans manage to keep themselves high up in the rankings each and every year and in 2008, they should be able get to the top and stay there. They continue to boast some of the best talent in college football and with Pete Carroll at the helm, the Trojans should be able to dominate.

2. Ohio State- The Buckeyes will be returning most of the players they had last season and with changes taking place in the Big Ten they should be able to win the Big Ten title and contend for the National Championship. The do have some questions on defense but if they can overcome those they could be a solid number two in 2008.

3. Georgia- The Bulldogs have both the offense and the defense to go far this season and they have a chance to contend for the number one spot. They have a star in Knowshon Moreno at the running back position and a good quarterback so their offense is set. Watch out for these guys!

4. Missouri- The Tigers were very impressive last season and with little change this season they could be headed towards the top of rankings if they can keep up their solid play from 2008. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team and they should do very well in 2008.

5. LSU- The Tigers are bound to take a fall this season thanks to the departure of several key players from last season’s national championship anything is possible for a team that has played consistently well the past few seasons. Quarterback will be a position of serious concern as will the secondary but if head coach Les Miles can pull things together they could do well.

6. Florida- The Gators should still manage to stay somewhere in the top ten in 2008 thanks to some solid play by Heisman winner Tim Tebow and a defense that should still be good enough to help them win games. Head coach Urban Meyer can work miracles and he just might have to do that again in 2008.

7. Oklahoma Sooners- The Sooners are poised to be much better than they have been these past few seasons thanks to a solid defense and an up and coming offense. Sophomore Sam Bradford is back at QB, last season he led the nation in pass efficiency and set a freshman record by throwing 38 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions. If the cornerbacks and linebackers hold up they could be in for a great season.

8. Texas- Quarterback Colt McCoy has had got some more seasoning and he is ready to lead what could be a solid team in 2008. The defense is pretty much set and a new and exciting running back in Vondrell McGee is coming on board things are really looking up for the Longhorns.

9. West Virginia- The loss of Steve Slayton is going to matter little to the Mountaineers who will be returning a vast amount of their players from 2007. Watch sophomre RB Noel Devine, he might be the most explosive back in the nation. However, they will be coming into the season with a new head coach which could spell problems for the Mountaineers but still, they have enough talent to contend for a top ten spot.

10. Clemson- Clemson was relatively strong in 2007 and they could come back in 2008 and raise a lot of eyebrows and play pretty well. They have a strong quarterback in Cullen Harper and they are returning their star starting running back James Davis as well. They also have a big time receiver in Aaron Kelley and they aren’t too bad on defense either.

11. BYU- The Cougars will boast one of the hottest passing offenses in the NCAA in 2008 and this will gain them some wins and get them into the top 25 in 2008. They have some stars on defense as well so this should be a good season for BYU.

12. Wisconsin- The Badgers are bringing back a majority of the same players that they had in 2007 which means they will continue to play well in 2008. The only weaknesses on the team appear to be at the quarterback position where the Badgers are still trying to decide who the starter will be. At any rate, the Badgers do look to have a good season.

13. Auburn- The Tigers had a solid offense in 2007 and it will come back once again in 2008. However, like the Badgers, they are still trying to figure out who their quarterback so until that get decided they will still have some issues. However, they should be able to have a strong season and contend for a spot in the top 15 in 2008.

14. Kansas State- Kansas had a great run in 2007 and they are poised to have another good run in 2008 but they probably won’t do as well as they did last year. They will return a ton of starters on defense leaving that until almost virtually intact but they do have some issues on the offensive line that will need some attention if they wish to play as well as they did in 2008.

15. Arizona State- With a rock solid star quarterback, the Sun Devils are poised to have a good season on offense if they can plug some holes. Their defense is stout and with a head coach like Dennis Erickson at the helm, Arizona State could do anything and they could surprise a lot of people.

16. Wake Forest- The Demon Deacons will be bringing back several of the players that they have helped them make their way into bowl games during the past two seasons and they stand the chance of cracking the top 25 this season. Wake Forest does need some firepower on offense and hope to get someone to step up and become a big tie playmaker. Who will that be?

17. Texas Tech- The Red Raiders have one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA in Graham Harrell and after such a strong season in 2007 Harrell, along with the rest of the team, is poised to have a good year in 2008. The weaknesses on this team lies with the offensive line and if they can’t get it together then Harrell won ‘t have as good year as expected and Texas Tech may not have a great year as a result.

18. Illinois- The Illini had a great run last season and could have another one in 2008 but their running game will see a change thanks to the departure of Rashard Mendenhall. This team still has a strong offense but the running game is going to be a question. Can they crack the top 25 this season or was last year’s team just a fluke?

19. South Florida- The Bulls were hot to start last season but fell down a bit and stumbled through the rest of the season. In 2008 they will be returning ten starters from last season’s power offense which should help them get into top 25 in 2008. There is no telling what is possible for the Bulls.

20. Oregon- The Ducks played some good football in 2007 but some losses on offense will have them concerned. They do have a strong defense (returning many starters from last year’s squad) but their offense will remain a question mark with Jonathan Stewart gone. If they can put together a good offense and their defense remains solid they could crack the top 25 in 2008.

21. Tennessee- The Volunteers have to replace their star quarterback Erik Ainge this season and that will be difficult but they are certainly good enough to have a shot at cracking the top 25 in 2008. What they bring back this year is their starting running back Adrian Foster and he should be able to give the Volunteers enough offense to be somewhat successful in 2008.

22. Florida State- The Seminoles showed some promise last season and with a ton of talent on this team, and a year to mature so they should be able to crack the top 25 this season. Their defense looks to be pretty strong and with quarterback Drew Weatherford in the mix, there are a lot of possibilities for the Seminoles.

23. Pittsburgh- Yes, the Panthers are a team that has a ton of potential and have quietly been getting better. With LeSean McCoy at running back and a good defense, the Panthers could be going places next season. They need to get some stability at the quarterback position however and if they can’t, the might not be able to crack the top 25.

24. Alabama- The Crimson Tide have pieces in some of the right places, now all they need to do is put those pieces together. With strengths on offense for the most part, the need to shore things up a bit on defense to get to where they want to go. If that can do that they should be able to crack the top 25.

25. Fresno State- The Bulldogs are a team on the rise and they have a pretty good chance of cracking the top 25 this coming season. They will be bringing back all but one starter on offense and their defense isn’t bad but they face some tough teams in 2008 and with a few wins against these teams, they could get into the top 25.

By Bryan Deitzler