Bears hit early snags against Raiders posted by Joe Anello

If you only managed to catch the first quarter or so of Saturday night's preseason game, you saw some pretty fugly football from Lovie Smith's Bears.  The offense was mediocre, the defense was bad and the special teams were awful. It's still a preseason game and therefore meaningless, but here's what I took from the Bears' 32-17 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

it was another slow start for a Bears first-team defense that gave up countless first-drive scores last season. Brian Urlacher left the game after only a few plays with a calf injury that's not believed to be serious. The pass rush struggled and the coverage downfield was nonexistent on a drive that ended with a Jason Campbell QB sneak for a touchdown. Corners were out of position and linebackers were missing their assignments. It was a less than stellar effort. Julius Peppers showed up on a few goal line plays late in the drive, but it was too late to jump-start the defense by then.

On the Bears following possession, the offensive line did its best to counter the defense's futility. After a short Forte run, linemen Chris Williams and Lance Louis were beaten by their rushers to allow two consecutive sacks of Jay Cutler, of which there were five in the first half. (Four by new Raider Kamerion Wimbley, who most often beat Chris Williams in one-on-one match-ups.) It was an ugly start. The offensive line improved over the first half, opening a hole for Forte on an 89-yard TD run, but their protection needs considerable work. Mike Tice should start earning his paycheck.

Joe's Preseason Preview: Raiders at Bears posted by Joe Anello

Forgive the extremely abbreviated posting, but I'm in the midst of a crazy nerd-filled weekend at Chicago Comic-Con and simply don't have the requisite time to fully flesh out a preseason game with the Raiders. Never fear though, I will be live-tweeting the game and posting a recap for all of you. Now let's get to a few of the things I'm looking for during Saturday night's contest.

-Jay-Mart: Part 2

 Okay, so nobody quite expected Jay Cutler to be pulled after only eight plays. This time around Cutler should play into the second quarter, giving fans a slightly clearer picture of what this offense will look like when the regular season rolls around. All of Mike Martz's bells and whistles won't be on display, but the basics of the system should come into view.

-Devin Aromashodu

Aromashodu had a solid game last week against the Chargers with 4 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. This week pay attention to the chemistry between he and Cutler on passing plays. We all know Jay lobbied for Devin to play last season, so let's watch if D.A. takes a few receptions away from Johnny Knox as Cutler's go-to guy.

-Pass protect!

We need to keep Jay upright for 16 games this year or we'll have no chance at getting into the playoffs of even a winning record. That means Olin Kreutz and the rest of that reassembled offensive line have to start gelling fast. With all of the deep drops in Martz's scheme, the line needs to get on track.

Market Value Set for Mankins posted by Randolph Charlotin

If your jaw dropped five feet from the amount of Jahri Evans’ new contract, understand a smile of equal distance stretched across the face of Logan Mankins’ agent Frank Bauer.

In case you missed it, before the Lawrence Taylor arrest and JaMarcus Russell’s release (talk about polar opposite stories – Taylor goes to a New York prison while Russell gets out of Oakland, which replicates the depressing hopelessness found behind bars), the Saints agreed to pay Evans $56.7 million over seven years, the biggest contract in NFL history for a guard.

Mankins, meanwhile, remains far away from the Patriots organized team activities (OTA), working on his ranch as he waits in limbo as a restricted free agent. New England gave Mankins the highest tender, meaning any team that signed Logan to an offer sheet would have to give away a first and third round pick to the Pats for Mankins. It’s a price teams were unwilling to pay.

Sitting down at the bargaining table with the Pats hasn’t happened either, as communication between the two sides has been practically non-existent. But maybe Evans’ contract is the spark needed to get Mankins and the Pats talking.

Back in February, New England slapped the franchise tag on NT Vince Wilfork. Though disappointed, Wilfork accepted it as long as it was part of the process towards reaching a new agreement.

I don’t know how many exchanges were made between the Patriots and Wilfork’s people, but after Pittsburgh agreed with NT Casey Hampton on a three-year $21.3 million contract on February 25th, Wilfork and the Patriots reached a five-year deal worth up to $40 million on March 8.

2010 NFL Draft: What to Watch for on Day One posted by Joe Anello

It's finally here. The 2010 NFL Draft is upon us and I couldn't be more excited to hunker down for two nights and another day of coverage. With the new format, tonight will only cover the first round, bringing the drama of the top picks to primetime television. 

Here are some storylines to watch for as tonight unfolds:

Four first-round quarterbacks?

It could happen. We all assume Sam Bradford is going number one overall to the Rams, but even Bradford doesn't know what's going to happen. The real question mark at quarterback is Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. If you look at which teams have needs at QB, Clausen shouldn't make it out of the top ten. Other reports have him falling into the 20's and perhaps even to 30 for the Minnesota Vikings, who would be ecstatic. Seattle (picks 6 & 14), San Francisco (13 & 17), and Cleveland (7) are my likely destinations for Clausen.

Beyond the top two, we've heard Texas' Colt McCoy and Florida's Tim Tebow as second-round prospects. Now it seems likely that with the second round not starting until tomorrow, teams will trade back into the first round to ensure they take the QB they desire. Cleveland is being discussed as a player to move back up for McCoy while Tebow is being bandied all over the place. Tebow's agent told Pro Football Talk that they "pretty much know" where he'll end up. Denver is certainly in play for the Jesus of college football. 

The NFL Rock Draft! posted by Amari Harris

Friends and Countrymen,

I know that you have missed me so much over the last month or so and I want to apologize for my extended absence.  I have several ready made excuses for why I haven’t been actively blogging and I am sure that you will accept all of them at face value.  For one thing, there hasn’t been anything going on in the world of sports.  I mean other than the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, the start of the MLB season, the return of Tiger Woods, the transgressions and subsequent suspension of Ben Roethlisberger (I did it! I spelled the damn thing), etc. 

But screw all of that.  I’m ready to talk about this NFL draft coming up tonight at 7: 27 on ESPN and NFL Network (shameless plug).  I’ve probably seen just about every mock draft scenario on the internet and to be honest I am not that impressed.  Not because I don’t think these guys have studied the players and don’t have inside knowledge of what these teams are thinking but simply because they are so wrong every year.  Nobody can accurately predict the first round.  For one, there are many trades and it is impossible to predict the trade possibilities in the 1st round.  And once a trade goes down the whole thing goes haywire.  Even if you negate the trade factor, these so-called “experts” still miss the mark by a mile. 

And on that note I present to you the most accurate NFL mock draft in the history of NFL mock drafts!  Barring any trades, this is pretty much how the 1st round will break down and I think many of you will be pleasantly surprised.  I must warn you that if you are a big Jimmy Clausen fan then you may want to turn your head right about….now:

Randy Moss Is a Moose-Knuckle Who Will Destroy The Patriots posted by Colin Linneweber

New England Patriots players and coaches expressed their support for embattled wide receiver Randy Moss this week after he played like a pathetic moose-knuckle in their 20-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday in Foxboro.

Moss, 32, a four-time All-Pro selection and six-time Pro Bowler, amassed one measly reception for 16 yards in a performance that reeked of unprofessionalism.

Moss’ effort was so blatantly poor that members of the porous 5-8 Panthers chided his lack of exertion on the gridiron.

“We knew he (Moss) was going to shut it down,” Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble told the Boston Globe. “He’d just give up a lot, slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell by his body language.”

Panthers safety Chris Harris agreed with Gamble that Moss abandoned his Patriots teammates.

“That’s what it is with him,” Harris said. “You get physical with him, and I don’t want to say he quits, but he kind of doesn’t run the routes the way they’re supposed to be run. If you get a jam on him, he’ll just ease up.”

Moss has a notorious history of playing lackadaisically when things don't go his way.

The Minnesota Vikings selected the troubled Moss out of Marshall University with the 21st overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

Moss publicly seethed that twenty players were chosen ahead of him because NFL executives were worried about his past legal problems and alleged character issues.

Heisman Winners Who Couldn't Hack The NFL posted by Colin Linneweber

The 2009 Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the most outstanding NCAA college football player by the Downtown Athletic Club at an annual ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in New York City on December 12. 

In recognition of college football’s greatest individual accolade, I decided to rank the five Heisman winners who ultimately had the smallest impact playing in the National Football League (NFL) over the course of the past 25 years.  

1)      Jason White- White, 29, won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 as a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma Sooners. 

White finished his collegiate career as the Sooners all-time leader in passing yards (8,012) and touchdown passes (81). 

Despite his stellar achievements in Norman, White garnered very little interest from the professional ranks and he was not selected in the 2005 NFL Draft.  

To compound the frustration of not being selected, White was further disrespected when he was not even invited to tryout for any NFL squad after he was snubbed in the draft. 

The Tennessee Titans eventually threw White a bone and signed the former Sooners superstar as an undrafted free agent before the start of the 2005 season. 

White’s stint as a Tennessean was extremely brief and he prudently decided to quit football altogether because of his balky knees.  

2)      Gino Torretta- Torretta, 39, was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1992 because of his stellar play at the quarterback position for the University of Miami Hurricanes. 

Jon Gruden Should Stay Off The Sidelines posted by Colin Linneweber

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden announced this week that he intends to return to ESPN Monday Night Football as a color analyst next season and he will not seek any other job opportunities that would have him reappear on the sidelines in 2010.

“I love this game very much,” said Gruden, 46, who coached the Buccaneers to a 48-21 championship victory over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. “This job gives me the opportunity to see the game at a different angle, and I’ll be honest – I just fell in love with it. I want to get good at it. I really like the team I’m on at ESPN. They’re really trying to help me be good.”

Gruden, who at 40 was once the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl, attended Clay High School in South Bend and his father, Jim, served as an assistant to Dan Devine at the University of Notre Dame.

Gruden’s connections to the Irish made him a popular and seemingly viable candidate to replace embattled Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis at the conclusion of this season.

Additionally, Gruden was born in Ohio and he was raised as an enormous Cleveland Browns fan.

The Browns currently have a putrid record of 1-8 and their general, Eric Mangini, is one of the most loathed coaches today in professional sports.

Inevitably, many onlookers also predicted that Gruden would be an ideal fit to seize Mangini’s job once he is officially terminated.

“Look, I went into this with an open mind,” said Gruden, who was a backup quarterback in college at the University of Dayton.

Mike Tyson, Ricky Hatton, UFC, Tom Cable, Yankees, Raiders & Manny Pacquiao posted by Colin Linneweber

The Yankees, Not the Red Sox, Were the Team of this Decade

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Wednesday night in the Bronx to win their record 27th World Series championship in team history.

The Yankees, who went 103-59 to establish the best mark in Major League Baseball in the 2009 season, simply outclassed the Phillies over the course of six games.

“I really believe in this club,” said Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, who was widely scrutinized for his decision to utilize a three-man rotation throughout the playoffs. “I’ve always believed in this organization, the job the Steinbrenner family has done, Cashman and his staff and it’s where we wanted to be and the guys did it.”

Despite New York’s exorbitant payroll that exceeded $208 million, Girardi stressed that the Yankees chemistry and perseverance is what ultimately brought another crown to the Bronx.

“It’s unbelievable how this team came together in spring training,” said Girardi, who decided when he was hired by the Yankees in October 2007 that the number on his jersey would be 27 to emphasize that his sole mission in pinstripes was to win another championship. “They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”

Hideki Matsui, who has twice been selected as an All-Star since he made his debut in the Bronx in 2003, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after he batted .615 with three home runs and eight RBI.

The Yankees are an extremely deep and talented squad and Matsui, whose contract has now expired, expressed immediate interest in returning to the Bronx to help defend their title.

Pro Bowl Ben? posted by Randolph Charlotin

Pro Bowl balloting is open to the public. Choose wisely.

This year New England fans will have a tough time rationalizing Patriot players worthy of being selected. The offense’s big three of QB Tom Brady and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker will get their share of votes. Beyond them…good luck.

As much as we like ILB Jerod Mayo, his injury set him back. He’s eighth on the team in tackles. No one from the front seven has a chance of getting voted in.

And even though safetys Brandon McGowan and Brandon Merriweather are playing well, the star power at the position in the AFC (Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu, Baltimore’s Ed Reed and Indianapolis’ Bob Sanders) might keep either out, as well as costing each other votes.

There is one Pat besides Brady, Moss and Welker that actually has a slight chance of getting voted in. He would be the first Patriots tight end to be selected for the Pro Bowl since Ben Coates.

OK, so there’s no mystery that I’m referring to Ben Watson. I have to work on my foreshadowing.

Back to the point. At mid-season, Watson has just 15 receptions and 222 yards. His yardage puts Watson ninth overall, but his receptions drops him into a tie with Denver’s blocking TE Daniel Graham for 12th in the AFC. Not the kind of company a Pro Bowler is usually surrounded by.

Though Watson doesn’t get a lot of chances, he’s making the most of his opportunities. Of the tight ends with at least 10 receptions, only Oakland’s Zach Miller (15-yards per reception) has a better average than Watson’s 14.8. But like the Raiders, Miller isn’t going anywhere. Great players on bad teams typically don’t get little attention needed to draw votes.

Gradkowski has 2 TD passes for Raiders (AP)

The end of the exhibition season brought encouraging signs for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks when it comes to their backup quarterbacks. Bruce Gradkowski threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter and the Raiders mostly used backups to end the preseason with a 27-24 victory over the Seahawks on Thursday night. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Raiders deny interest in Matt Leinart

The Oakland Raiders have plenty of roster moves they need to make before the start of the season, but trading for Matt Leinart apparently isn't one of them. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Raiders deny interest in QB Leinart (AP)

The Oakland Raiders have plenty of roster moves they need to make before the start of the season. Apparently trading for Matt Leinart isn't one of them. The Raiders denied a report from ESPN on Wednesday that said the team has had discussions about trading with Arizona for Leinart. "The Raiders have never discussed trading for Leinart," the team said in a statement. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Raiders QB Campbell carted off field (AP)

Bruce Gradkowski solidified his backup quarterback spot for the Oakland Raiders with his arm. David Carr did the same for the San Francisco 49ers with his toughness and legs. Gradkowski threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns after Jason Campbell left with an injury, and Carr led a late touchdown drive that gave the Niners a 28-24 victory Saturday night. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Niners NT Franklin signs $7M tender (AP)

San Francisco 49ers nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin ended his lengthy holdout Saturday by signing a $7.003 million franchise tag tender. Franklin passed a physical and officially signed the deal before the Niners played the Oakland Raiders in an exhibition game Saturday night. Franklin was going to watch that game before rejoining his teammates for practice next week. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports