For Immediate Release

Dynasty Athlete Representation Signs Jennifer Barretta, Model and Professional Billiards Player

Gainesville, FL – [December 3, 2008], Dynasty Athlete Representation, LLC is pleased to announce its seventh Entertainment client. Jennifer Barretta is not only a pretty face with a tone and gorgeous body, but she is also one of the top professionals in her field.  As a professional billiards player, Barretta is known as one of the top 9-ball players in the world.

Barretta was named ESPN’s “25 Sexiest Female Athletes of 2005″ and has been featured in FHM (For Him Magazine, May 2004), Playboy Magazine, various national commercials, and has been a guest on late night television shows.  She is one of the most marketable athletes on the professional billiards scene.

Dynasty will serve as Jennifer Barretta’s marketing agent/manager, handling prior endorsement activity, negotiating pending and new marketing deals, and procuring future opportunities for the talented billiards athlete.  “We excited to have the opportunity of working with an athlete who is not only at the top of his or her sport, but is additionally an attractive personality that any company would enjoy marketing its brand” says Darren Heitner, CEO of Dynasty. “We will continue to be extremely selective in those that we bring into our Entertainment division and welcome Jennifer to the family with open arms.”

Contact:
Darren Heitner, CEO
Dynasty Athlete Representation, LLC
954-558-6999
dheitner@dynastyreps.com

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A couple of weeks ago, I sat down for an interview with the staff at YOUNG MONEY, a magazine and website created in 1999, which focuses on money management, entrepreneurship, careers, investing, technology, travel, entertainment and automotive topics.  Today, the interview has been published on YoungMoney.com: Entrepreneur Success Story: Dynasty Athlete Representation, LLC.  They happened to find a nice picture of me with some Playboy bunnies.  No complaints.

For Immediate Release

Dynasty Athlete Representation Partners With Endagon Entertainment

GAINESVILLE, FL (October 22, 2008) — Dynasty Athlete Representation (http://www.dynastyreps.com) is proud to announce a partnership with Endagon Entertainment, LLC (http://www.endagon.com), a company providing the services of booking musical artists, developing music artists, and  music supervision, which is the selecting and negotiating of licensed music for TV, film, commercials, and video games.

The agreement will allow both young, entrepreneurial companies to mutually benefit from their connections in sports and entertainment space.  The partnership exists to bridge the gap between sports and music, in hopes that each company’s scouting abilities may lead to the other’s future success.  The nature of this union will allow both entities to refer talent in their respected fields to one another. Endagon’s current links to aspiring athletes will benefit Dynasty, as will Dynasty’s current relationships with music acts help generate new business for Endagon

The partnership between Dynasty and Endagon will not change the structure of either company; both will remain separate limited liability companies in the state of Florida.

Contact:
Darren Heitner, CEO
Dynasty Athlete Representation, LLC
954-558-6999
dheitner@dynastyreps.com

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My solution would be for Miles to inquire about enrolling at a couple of MAC schools. I would call Kent State, Akron and Toledo specifically. The team that I am really intrigued about is Kent State. If they were to give Miles another chance, they would have probably the MOST TALENTED BACKCOURT IN THE NATION regardless of conference. Think about it. UNC, Marquette, Baylor, Nova’ and Louisville are probably the best backcourts in the country. I would put this trio against any of them. Also, Kent State is not opposed to giving talented players a second chance. Ask Tyree Evans, who is on campus after numerous run-ins with the law. Evans, whom I am very big on, was accepted as a walk-on. He has NBA potential and is a dynamic scorer from the wing…much like Nate Miles. Add that to NBA-bound Al Fischer at the point and you would have a backcourt that would single-handedly have them win the MAC, much like Memphis does C-USA, undefeated. That trio would be unstoppable at the collegiate level and they would all make each other better in the process. I think that Kent State would be a legit contender for an Sweet 16 appearance and could possibly go all the way to the Final Four. Miles and Evans would play well and be well-behaved because they know they are vital to their team’s success and would not want to let down their teammates. Let me remind everyone, all of their problems have been off-the-court, not on it.

Kent State, make the call to Miles and forget about what all the pundits think. Give the kid a second chance and let me prove you right. Doesn’t everyone need to be given a second chance? Miles and Evans will not make you sorry. I truly believe that. Especially, with all of the veteran leadership that the team already has, both would be fine.

Also, Al Fischer, Tyree Evans and Nate Miles when you decide to enter the NBA draft, remember me when your looking for an agent. Just saying!

The most likely scenario seems to be taking out two preseason games and adding on two additional regular season games.  While this change is in part from the fact that these four games are meaningless and expose players to additional injuries risks (unless you’re LT), the more obvious reason boils down to dollars.  Two extra weeks of meaningful football would mean two extra weeks of meaningful cash.

Expanding the regular season seems like an inevitable occurrence, however, the high hurdle preventing this from happening in the next couple of years is the 2006 CBA.  If the owners want expansion to happen, they will have to bargain with the NFLPA over numerous issues, such as the additional compensation going the players, injury rights with an extended season, credited and accredited season requirements, etc.

A longer season means a greater opportunity for players to get injured.  As a result, players are going to want more guaranteed money and better injury rights.  The CBA protects unilateral action from the owners, and if the NFLPA is unable to get this done with the league, it will be left to a neutral arbitrator.

It would be nice to watch more NFL games, however, extending the NFL regular season may also hurt the excitement of the games as each game would lose its value of importance and significance (See NBA).  If the league wanted to expand, I would offer the suggestion of adding two additional teams as well.  Oklahoma City, Vegas, L.A., and Salt Lake City would most certainly be viable cities to sustain an NFL franchise.

Of all the proponents of an expanded regular season, the ’72 Dolphins have to be one of the biggest.

For those of you unfamiliar with CARD, it is a committee made up of current and former NFL players which hears complaints against agents filed either by players, other agents, or by the Committee themself.  

Card has three complaints issued right now, with one of them going to Angelo Wright.  While negotiating an injury settlement for his client, Wright advised his client that he would receive a “credited season,” when in fact the settlement agreement did not give his player a total of three regular season weeks of salary needed to earn a “credited season.”   This was huge, considering that earning “credited seasons” allows players’ minimum salary to increase as well as obtaining certain benefits veteran players are entitled to.  I am not sure how this actually happened; whether Wright was simply absent-minded or if he did not understand the rules.  For instance, the injury settlement might have called for Wright’s client to receive a preseason week of salary, along with two regular season weeks of salary.  Under this scenario, the client would have only considered to have played two weeks (as the preseason does not count) and therefore, would not meet the three week requirement of being on the active/inactive roster to obtain a credited season.  Wright has filed an answer to CARD’s complaint, which works almost identical to an answer a Defendant would file, and CARD is in the process of deciding what discipline, if any, will be imposed on Wright.

The other two agents, Gregory Williams and Steve Weinberg have similar issues to each other.  It all boils down to the rule that agents are not allowed to collect any fees from their client-player until the player actually received the money himself from his respective club.  Williams negotiated a contract for his client, and subsequently billed, demanded, and received his fee before his client received any money on the contract.  CARD suspended Williams’ certification for one year and fined him $35,000.

Steve Weinberg allegedly persuaded a former client to pay him his entire 2002 fee before his client received all of the money himself.  CARD revoked his certification in 2004 and Weinberg had a right to appeal in five years, which he opted to do.  It gets worse for Weinberg because not only did Weinberg attempt to cover up this mess by asking his client to sign a statement that the early fees were at the client’s request (which is still a violation now), but this conduct allegedly happen on two separate occasions in 2002, prior to his disciplinary hearing in April of 2003. 

While these may have been innocent mistakes (even Weinberg’s initial problem), and these agents may not be bad guys, there is still no excuse for not knowing/understanding the rules governing NFLPA contract advisors.  In Williams’ case in particular, while I am unable to understand his mindset, an agent is held in a fiduciary capacity to his or her clients.  While a fiduciary, the agent must not make false promises to their clients and they must know the rules cold, so as to represent a player to the highest standard they are paying and counting on.  As an NFLPA agent, these actions make me sick and give the highly competent and trustworthy agents a bad name.  I hope these, as well as other agents out there will learn from these misfortunes and better our profession.

I did not mention this injury as a half-hearted attempt to spit out redundant news that has been plastered all over the internet in recent days, but because it started to make me think about the biggest draft busts in NFL history. Would you not agree that Alex Smith is at least in this conversation?

When deciding as to who wears the crown as the biggest NFL bust of all time, there are more factors to consider besides how lackluster (and short) his on-field performance was and how high in the draft he was taken.  I think it is very important to take into consideration which players were passed up to take player, as well as how much money the player was paid.

Alex Smith was taken as the top overall pick in 2005 and has been paid over $31 million to be the biggest disappointment in San Francisco since Barry Bonds’ trainer.  Being the nephew of John L. Smith should have been a red flag for the 49ers.  Also, you have to take into account that Alex Smith was taken after many so called experts believed Aaron Rogers was the guy to take.  After his performance against the Vikings in Week 1, I think we know what the Niners should have done.  The only thing the 49ers can hold their hat on with the ’05 draft was that it was one of the worst first round drafts I can remember.  When you have Cedric Benson, Antrel Rolle, Carlos Rogers and Mike Williams going in the top 10, something went very wrong.  With only a few relevant QBs in that draft, the 49ers missed the mark completely.  Too bad for Niners fans that they didn’t hold out for Derek Anderson in the 6th round.  It would have even been better for the 49ers to draft Kyle Orton in the 5th round and a decent barber in the 6th.  

The biggest argument against Smith is obviously Ryan Leaf.  Everybody knows what happened with that one. Comparing their stats, the nod appears to go to Leaf.  However, Leaf did get passed up for Peyton Manning for the top spot in the draft.  Some other notables are:

Tim Couch: Taking him #1 over Donavan McNabb didn’t work out as planned.

Lawrence Phillips: Probably the most talent ever wasted by a player.

Akili Smith: My mom always told me that if you didn’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Andre Ware: And you though Joey Harrington was a bad pick.

Todd Marinovich: Proof that robots can’t play football.

It was no surprise that Richard Berthelsen would take over for the near future until a proper replacement can be made.  He has been Upshaw’s right-hand man for the past 25 years and is as well-versed with the ins and outs of the all the NFLPA’s dealings as anyone.  Fortunately for the NFLPA and its players, Berthelsen was quoted to say the following:

“Whether it’s in a [leadership] role or in any other capacity, I have made it clear to our group that I intend to stay for the duration of the CBA talks.”

The NFLPA feels very strongly that it will barely miss a beat as Berthelsen will continue to carry keep the NFLPA moving forward and carry on Upshaw’s passion and goals of the NFLPA.

But who is going to be the next executive director?  Troy Vincent has been outspoken in the past as having a sincere interest in heading the NFLPA subsequent to Upshaw’s tenure.  It would appear to make sense to continue the tradition by having a former player head the NFLPA.  They have the knowledge and experience within the NFL and it would expected that they would fight hard to serve the best interests of the players.  

However, some people fail to hold this same opinion.  Former Vikings running back Robert Smith was on the Dan Le Batard Show talking about this same issue.  Smith came right out and said that he did not want Troy Vincent as the next executive director of the NFLPA.  He felt this position should potentially be filled by someone outside of football who has experience running big businesses in corporate America.  He went further by saying that a CEO of a Fortune 500 company may be the best pick of the litter.  

While I am not sure who should be the next executive director of the NFLPA, the committee making the selection should take their time and not rush to a decision.  Just ask Ralph Wilson post 2006 CBA signing. The selection committee should look at all of their options and keep an open mind.  Albeit a small chance of happening, if a new CBA does not get completed and their is indeed a lockout in the NFL, a lot of money and fans will be lost. More importantly, Dana White may be correct in his prediction that MMA would be the biggest sport in the United States in 8 years.

Manny is a larger-than-life figure and is arguably the biggest marketing tool Major League Baseball has as far as players go. Joe Torre is old school, but baseball (and sports in general) has evolved and having players like Manny expressing themselves is great for the game. Having rules in baseball limiting a player’s hair length and banning celebrations in football is a complete joke. It is bad for the game and only causes fans to be turned off. Having player’s draped in uniforms gives little room for a player to express themselves as individuals. I love when a player can express who they are as people so I get a better chance to really see what they are all about.

Why does Torre have this rule to begin with? And why do people like Manny and Johnny Damon follow it without any questions asked? Maybe we won’t know who Manny is when he comes to the plate if his hair is covering his name on his jersey. Does his hair embarrass the historic Dodger franchise? If that’s the case, Joe Torre should ban himself from doing State Farm commercials where he’s body surfing and drinking wheatgrass. I seriously thought I was watching a bad SNL skit the first time I saw that mess on TV. Would you not agree that Torre’s commercials are causing more harm to the Dodgers and baseball than Manny’s hair? Not even all of the free Slim Fast given to Tommy Lasorda prevented him from looking like a mess at times in the Dodger dugout with his undersized uniform. Do you think if Torre was Lasorda’s boss back in the early 90′s, he would have demanded Tubby Lasorda to shed some pounds? I would certainly think that a weight problem is a bigger issue than the length of someone’s hair.

Manny isn’t going to boot camp and he’s not in the business of impressing people by his image (which his long hair actually helps). His job is to play a kid’s game and drive in runs, and he’s doing a hell of a job at it. Manny has an iconic image and part of that image comes from his signature hair. Much like the once fashionable Eric Gagne brillo pad chin that caused Dodger fans to mimmic, so are the Dodger faithfuls doing so with hats having dreadlocks flowing beneath.

Until Manny’s hair gets tangled around his bat or caught in his glove, let Manny be Manny. Sit back Torre, and watch this RBI machine carry your young Dodgers into the playoffs.

1. San Diego Chargers: Looking at both sides of the ball, this is by far, the most complete team in the NFL. There is no denying L.T.’s dominance (sans MCL issues), and having a 100% Antonio Gates and Chris Chambers for a full season will mold a healthy Philip Rivers into a pro bowl caliber quarterback again this year.  The only problem with the Chargers’ offense is in their backfield.  L.T. will have to stay healthy as Michael Turner is replaced with a handful of rookies and unproven veterans.  Also, the underrated Lorenzo Neal is replaced at fullback by Andrew Pinnock.  Their defense remains intact and one of the top 3 in the league.  Overall, the AFC West is not nearly as strong as in years past and the Chargers should coast into the playoffs this season.

2. New England Patriots.  Pretty much a tossup at this point with the Chargers.  However, this has not been the smoothest of offseasons for the Patriots.  A host of arrests and the lingering drama of Spygate has haunted this club since losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.  Most of the lead actors are back in Foxboro for another Super Bowl run, and most importantly, Randy Moss.  Brady and the New England offense will put up ridiculous numbers (especially if the Dolphins stick Cameron Worrell on Moss again), but their defense isn’t getting any younger and as the season goes, so may the aging Patriot defenders.   On paper, the Patriots schedule is a hair stronger than Notre Dame’s, making them poised for another undefeated regular season, which should surprise nobody.  Playing the Dolphins twice will also give the Pats 3 bye weeks, which should help them regroup going into the postseason.

3. Dallas Cowboys. I feel that the Cowboys will be the mainstream, sexy pick for most to come out of the NFC.  This offseason, the Cowboys did nothing but upgrade an already premier NFL team.  As long as Dallas continues to rack up Ws, adding Adam Pacman Jones to a roster already full of explosive characters, Jones, T.O., and the rest of the Dallas locker room should remain calm and have their eyes kept on the Tampa prize.  If the Cowboys are not too banged up when the dust settles in the toughest division in the league, they’ll be playing in Dallas a lot during January.

4. Indianapolis Colts.  With Peyton Manning at the helm calling the shots with Tony Dungy, the Colts will always be in the hunt.  Starting the season with injuries to Manning and Marvin Harrison are never good, and losing Manning’s favorite guard in Jake Scott to the Titans makes matters worse, but the Colts will be there as on of the NFL’s elite as this season comes to an end.  Add a healthy Dwight Freeney and this is not a team anyone is going to want to line up against on a regular basis.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars.  I do not see the Jags taking down the Colts in the AFC South, but they should be one of the toughest wild-card draws this season.  The draft helped add depth to their defense with the signing of Derrick Harvey and Quintin Groves, and free agency patched up holes in their offense with the addition of Jerry Porter.  Look for David Gerrard to keep the Jag’s ’07 momentum rolling into ’08.

6. Cleveland Browns.  If you’re looking to throw down some cash, the Browns could give you your best ROI.  2007 was a great yearr for Browns faithfuls.  Joe Thomas turned out to be the best pick of the draft and Derek Anderson picked a good time to turn it up as the Browns locked up this restricted free agent for the long haul.  The Browns are not going to sneak up on anyone this year, but this team is going to be much better after snagging Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams, and Donte Stallworth.  The only thing that is going to keep the Browns out of the playoffs is their brutal schedule.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers.  Big Ben got paid this offseason, but losing Alan Faneca will not help their cause in the least.  The rest of the team is still there, and Mike Tomlin and Big Ben will find a way to keep this team battling Cleveland until the end of the season.  It will be interesting to see if the Steelers keep Dennis Dixon on the QB depth chart or try to utilize his athleticism off the ball or on special teams.

8. New York Giants.  While not the favorites going into this season, the Giants are still the team to beat as defending champions.  The Giants have had their share of offseason departures in Kawika Mitchell, Gibril Wilson, Michael Strahan, and Jeremy Shockey, but look what happened when many experts picked them to finish dead last in their division last year.  The Giants will play the “no respect card” all season and will be looking to show that last year was anything but a fluke.  Throw the G men in any other division and their odds would increase dramatically.  To be their in late January, the Giants are going to have to take down the Cowboys at least twice.

9. Seattle Seahawks.  With so many question marks, I would still be surprised if Seattle did not come out of a soft NFC West, but I would be more surprised if they were not one-and-done this postseason.  Julius Jones and 1999 Orange Bowl hero T.J. Duckett are a definite downgrade to Shaun Alexander, and losing D.J. Hackett is going to hurt Matt Hassleback more than most people think.  Julian Peterson and Patrick Kerney will anchor a stellar D, but these two studs are not getting any younger.  With little depth, Deon Branch will have to step up and injuries must be at a minimum for Seattle to do anything to extend Mike Holmgren’s coaching career.

10. New Orleans Saints.  2007 erased any progress that 2006 gave to this club.  However, the Saints look great on paper and I expect big things out of them this season.  Jonathan Vilma will most certainly help out the New Orleans D and draftee, Sedrick Ellis should make an immediate impact as well.  Don’t be surprised if Drew Brees is a top vote-getter for the NFC Pro Bowl team.  Robert Meachem has a chance to have a breakout year alongside Colston, and Shockey should add some excitement and intensity to the Saints.  If Reggie Bush can live up to half of his rookie hype, expect the Saints to be atop the NFC South.

11. Washington Redskins.  A surprise wild-card team in ’07, the Redskins will have their hands full being cursed to play in the NFC East.  Jason Campbell continues to improve and Washington brings back almost every starter on last year’s team.  Adding Jason Taylor will do more than sell jerseys, as he will be a force to be reckoned with to the Skin’s D line.  If Washington is going to make it back to the postseason, they’re going to have to take out their weaker opponents outside their division.  Look for my boy Devin Thomas to add some spark to Washington’s offense or return game this season as well.

12. Minnesota Vikings.  With Brett Favre leaving the NFC, the Vikings leap-frog the Packers for NFC North control.  Landing Jared Allen could turn out to be the best offseason acquisition of any team including the New York Jets.  Tarvaris Jackson needs to step up because John David Booty is not going to be the answer, at least not this season.  Bernard Berrian will obviously help as a go-to deep threat for Jackson, and Adrian Peterson will take off a lot of pressure as well.  Barring any key injuries (key = Adrian Peterson), the Vikings should be one step ahead of the Packers.

13. Philadelphia Eagles.  The Eagles could move up the ladder quicker than any team on this list.  Once again, Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are going to have to carry the load, but the offseason was a major help for the Eagles.  Adding DeSean Jackson should give McNabb a household name to throw to this season, and Asante Samuel gives the Eagles’ secondary instant credibility and someone to lock up T.O. and Plax this season.

14. Green Bay Packers.  A young Packers team just got younger as Brett Favre left the building.  If Aaron Rogers ends up playing as well as McCarthy and the rest of the Packer’s front office believes, look for the Pack to be at or above the level of the Vikings.  I would feel better if Rogers’ backups had played in more combined NFL games than I have, but people around him feel good about what he can do.  Expect a lot of close games for this team, and if they can find a way to win these games, they may find a spot in the playoffs.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  We know what their defense is capable of doing, now Jeff Garcia is going to have to add some points to help them out.  Adding Warrick done improves an already solid running game, but Joey Galloway must make his presence known for the Bucs to make a run.  Brett Favre would have been a nice addition, but Jeff Garcia is coming off 2 solid seasons and his 38 year-old body isn’t slowing him down just yet.

16. Tennessee Titans.  The NFL’s version of the current Florida Marlins – a statistical anomaly.  Mediocre at best numbers coupled with a disappointing sophomore season in Vince Young did not stop the Titans from winning 10 games last season.  A solid defense and Vince Young’s cliched intangibles helped this team find a way to earn a playoff birth last season.  They also lost Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy, but gained Jevon Kearse, who is looking to resurge his career in Tennessee.  Jeff Fischer is the most underrated coach in the NFL and I would never count him out until the final whistle blows.

17. Cincinnati Bengals.  With so much talent at the skill positions, it is hard to pick against the Bengals. Marvin Lewis is on the hot seat and is going to have show major signs of improvement from last year to keep his job.  The offense should bring it each game this season as they finally cut off ties to their distraction in Chris Henry.  The defense will make or break the Bengals ’08 season and newly drafted Keith Rivers must make an immediate impact at the linebacker position.

18. Houston Texans.  Look for the Texans to hover around .500 in a very tough AFC South.  Andre Johnson is the best receiver in the NFL not named Randy Moss and could make an average Matt Schaub look like a stellar quarterback if both can stay on the field.  Mario Williams showed us last season that he was no bust and the Texans front office is looking like geniuses for picking him over Reggie Bush. The Texans have a young, promising defense that will help win them a bunch of games.  However, even if the Texans are able to get double digit wins, they still will not be a lock to make the playoffs.

19. Carolina Panthers.  John Fox is another coach on the proverbial hot seat going into ’08.  Jake Delhomme going down the past 2 seasons is not helping Fox’s cause, and Delhomme’s health could make or break a season with high expectations in Charlotte.  D.J. Hackett and Mushin Muhammad were 2 great pickups that may give the Panthers the offensive push they need to make some noise.  The Panthers should invest in some bodyguards to protect Delhomme’s elbow if the Panthers are going to be competitive this season.

20. Arizona Cardinals.  With a lot of potential offensive firepower, the Cardinals have an outside shot to make the playoffs this season.  If Matt Leinart comes out flat early in the season, look for the Cardinals to give Kurt Warner the nod.  Their defense is another problem that may cost them a handful of games.

21. Denver Broncos.  Jay Cutler is improving each year he is in the league, and should have a strong season.  The Broncos also have problems on the defensive side of the ball which the Charges will likely capitalize on.

22. New York Jets.  This is by far the hardest team to figure out at this point.  Is Favre going have a repeat performance of last season or is he going to revert to the Favre from the 2 previous seasons before that? Replacing Favre with Chad Pennington was an obvious upgrade for the next 1-3 seasons, but it’s going to take a lot more than Favre for this team to make the next step.  They spent a large chunk of their salary cap to upgrade their offensive line, which was their biggest problem area from last season.  With Favre in the spotlight, the Jets should be able to establish a solid ground game that could make them very competitive this season.

23. Buffalo Bills.  Buffalo is still a year or 2 away from avenging the Music City Miracle.  They are a young team that is finally starting to gain ground with the rest of the AFC.  Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell were huge additions that will most certainly help out their defense, and newly drafted Leodis McKelvin should make an instant impact to their secondary and possible to their return game as well.

24. St. Louis Rams.  The good news is that the Rams start this season healthy.  The bad news?  They get a tour of the NFC East early in the season, which could cause them to back peddle the remainder of the season.  Chris Long will improve an already decent defensive line, but Marc Bulger and company are going to have to stay on the turf, and out of the trainer’s room or this season could look a lot like last season.

25. Chicago Bears.  The only thing worse than having no quarterback is having no receivers for that imaginary quarterback to throw to.  Rex Grossman has the mechanics and always looks good in practice, but just cannot seem to find a way to put it together on Sunday.  I personally like him, but I too am starting to give up on him.  The Bears were very active with resigning all of their key defensive players this offseason, but failed to devote much time or money to the offense.  The Bears D should hold the fort down, but the offense is going to need to put the ball in the end zone a few times per game if they plan on drafting outside the top 10 next year.

26. Baltimore Ravens. Jonathan Ogden’s departure signifies an end to a once solid offensive line unit.  Now made up of a handful of journeymen and inexperienced players, even Troy Smith will not be able to avoid the rush coming at him.  They still have the most exciting defense in the NFL, but the Ravens too suffer from Bears syndrome.  The AFC North is up for grabs, but I wouldn’t expect John Harbaugh to come away with a postseason berth.

27. Oakland Raiders.  Darren McFadden should add to an already solid rushing attack, but the jury is still out on Jamarcus Russell.  Javon Walker and DeAngelo Hall were great pickups that should help the Raiders steadily improve.  Should be a fun team to watch, but even more fun to play against.

28. San Francisco 49ers.  This should be Alex Smith’s last shot.  He gets an extra year because the 49ers wasted a #1 overall pick on him, but they eventually have to count their losses.  Getting Issac Bruce should help Smith this season, but Frank Gore could be the player that saves his job.  If Frank Gore 2006 edition is in stock, the 49ers could jump up the rankings pretty quick, because Patrick Willis is going to keep this defensive in check.

29. Detroit Lions.  Call me a dreamer, but I don’t hate this 2008 Lions team.  Having a defense that finished dead last and a quarterback getting sacked more than any other in the NFL, this team has nowhere to go but up.  I was sad to see Kevin Jones get the boot, but I’m even happier to welcome Kevin Smith to the team.  Smith will add a lot to the Lions ground game, even if their O line remains below average.  The Lions also made a good move in wiping the slate clean with their defensive backfield and starting again from scratch.  Expect an improvement from last season, but not too drastic.

30. Miami Dolphins.  Chad Pennington is going to limit the Dolphin turnovers, but don’t expect him to take over any games this season.  As the only help coming is by way of their backfield, Pennington is going to have to rely on 30-40 carries from the Ricky/Ronnie duo and a lot of short passes and screens to a below average receiving core.  The Fins will not need a Greg Camarillo miracle to salvage a “defeated season,” but don’t expect them to win more than 5 games.  Some advice to Bill Parcells: Sign Chris Henry. He may be a mess off the field, but he’ll be a big help to the wide receiver position and maybe Parcells and Sparano can keep in place.  Worst case scenario is that you’ll get him for at least a few games before he gets arrested.

31. Kansas City Chiefs.  Having possibly the strongest draft, Chiefs stock is on the rise.  However, do not expect it to rise too high, considering Brodie Croyle is their starting QB going into this season.  KC should be able to get any QB they want next draft and expect them to continue to improve in future years.

32. Atlanta Falcons.  The Falcons have a brand new look this season.  A new quarterback, a new coach, and a new GM makes this team rebuilding from the foundation up.  This team is not going to do too much this year, but is heading in the right direction at least.  There will be much more talk about the Bulldogsin Georgia this year than the Falcons.