NFL GB view

2012 Draft Order

2012-01-05T22:02:00.000Z

The playoffs begin this weekend, and we are all extremely excited to see what happens. 12 teams go into a 'win or go home' tournament, that is sure to capture the imagination of the world. But what happens if, like me, you are a fan of a team that is not in the playoffs?? We are already looking forward to the next stage in the development of our teams. Following the completion of Sundays games, we now know what the draft order will be, from positions 1 - 20. Take a look, and start to plan for who your team may be looking at come April.

Colts

Rams

Vikings

Browns

Buccaneers

Redskins

Jaguars

Panthers
(Dependent on
coin flip at
combine)

Dolphins
(Dependant on
coin flip at
combine)

Bills

Chiefs
(Dependant on
coin flip at
combine)

Seahawks
(Dependant on
coin flip at
combine)

Cardinals

Cowboys

Eagles

Jets

Bengals
(recieved from
Raiders in
Carson Palmer
trade)

Chargers

Bears

Titans

So there you have it. Pick 8 (between Panthers and Dolphins), and pick 11 (between Chiefs and Seahawks) will be decided at the combine by a flip of a coin. Also The Bengals (pick 17) are the only playoff team to pick in the top 20, thanks to the trade of Carson Palmer to the Raiders.

Start planning your teams needs and maybe even which players that they will select in April, and I would love to know your thoughts. Either leave them here as a comment, email me - nflgbview@googlemail.com or tweet me - nflgbview

How do we deal with the hurry up offence?

2011-09-22T15:03:00.000+01:00

The hurry up offence in the NFL has become a real weapon, that defences have struggled to cope with. The offence hurries to line following the completion of the previous play, calls the play at the line, and snaps the ball before the defence has chance to react, and or substitute.

Patriots QB Tom Brady is an expert in the hurry up

The masters of this style of offence are the New England Patriots and QB Tom Brady. Brady is a fantastic QB, who reads defences very well, and can easily pick out the weaknesses. With the introduction of hybrid players such as TE / WR's Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, as well as RB / WR Danny Woodhead, the Patriots can line up in many different formations, without the need for substituting. This allows the offence to hurry, not allowing the the defence to substitute out of the package they are in. For example, the Patriots could line up with 2 TE's (Hernandez and Gronkowski) 1 RB (Woodhead) and 2 WR's (Ochocinco and Welker). The defence may decide to go with their base defence against this on 1st down, lets say for example they line up 4 - 3, 4 down lineman, 3 LB's 2 CB's and 2 S's. This defence can cope with this offence. But then on 2nd down, Brady can go 5 WR's, without making a substitution. As the Patriots hurry to the line the defence could not make substitutions themselves, meaning that the LB's will have to cover Hernandez, Gronkowski and Woodhead, who will be running WR routes. On this play the defence is in real trouble.

2 Giants fall to the floor, without a Ram in sight

Many other teams have being using this hurry up style, including the St Louis Rams on Monday Night against the Giants. But how do defences deal with this?? Well the Giants came up with a very effective, but very morally wrong way. They decided that when they wanted to slow the Rams down, they would have somebody fake an injury, in order for an injury timeout to be called. This was obvious when 2 players fell over with nobody even near them as the Rams were lining up for a play. FAKE AN INJURY!!! What is this?? This is supposed to be FOOTBALL - a game played by gladiators. In my opinion this is pathetic, and blatantly cheating.

Thankfully the NFL agrees, and has sent a memo to all the teams this week explaining that this will not be tolerated, and that if teams or players are found guilty, there will be serious consequences. This could include fines for players and coaches, suspensions, and even loss of draft picks. I think that the NFL has taken a great stance on this subject, and I hope that it carries these threats out to teams that offend. We all love this game because its played by warriors, lets not allow it to go the same way as Soccer.

Eagles 31 Falcons 35

2011-09-19T22:11:00.000+01:00

The 'Game of the Week' for week 2 took place in the Georgia Dome on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles and the Falcons are expected to be 2 of the top teams in the NFC, and this was seen as an early look at a possible playoff game in January. The Falcons needed to bounce back following last weeks loss in Chicago, and the 'dream team' Eagles were looking to get their 2nd road win of the year. The added storyline here was the return of QB Michael Vick to Atlanta. Vick hadn't played in Atlanta since he was sacked by the team, following his conviction, and subsequent jailing, for dog fighting activities.

Vick left the field with a concussion

As expected, Vick heard the boos from the Atlanta crowd that used to worship him, from the first time he stepped on the field. It didn't bother Vick though, as he threw for 242 yards and 2 TD's in the first 3 quarters. On a play late in the 3rd quarter, Vick dropped back to pass, before being hit by a couple of Atlanta defenders, and his head bounced off one of his OL. Vick fell to the floor and suffered a concussion. As he was walking to the locker room, the Atlanta crowd jeered him, before Vick reminded them, with a point to the scoreboard, that the Eagles were up by 10 points. Backup QB Vince Young was inactive due to a hamstring injury, so it was up to 3rd string QB Mike Kafka, to preserve the Eagles lead.

The Eagles played very well throughout this game. RB LeSean McCoy ran for 95 yards, but it was the DL that was really impressive. DE Trent Cole in particular was causing chaos in the Falcons backfield. But it was the turnovers that finally cost the Eagles. Vick threw an INT, and lost 2 fumbles, all leaving Eagles points on the field. Falcons QB Matt Ryan didn't have the best day through the air, throwing for just 195 yards, but he did have 4 TD passes. RB Michael Turner really helped the Falcons cause in their comeback. He had a total of 114 yards including a 61 yard run that helped set up the game winning TD.

Kafka almost led the Eagles to victory

The Eagles did have one last chance to sneak the win, in the last 4 minutes. Kafka had to start from his own 9, but put together a great drive, including a 43 yard pass completion to WR Jeremy Maclin. It was 4th and 4 at the Atlanta 4 with just under 2 minutes left when Kafka dropped back to pass, hitting Maclin in the chest, and the ball fell to the ground sealing the win for the Falcons.

This win was a great reaction by the Falcons following last week, and has made me feel alot better about them being my Superbowl pick. The Eagles are a very talented team, and will win alot of games as the season goes on. I would love to see this match up again in January.

Saints 34 Packers 42

2011-09-09T12:45:00.000+01:00

What a start to the new season this was!! The game had everything we expected and more. Huge nights by both QB's, plenty of points, and we even saw 2 kick returns. This is why we have missed football so much, and why we are so grateful that the NFL managed to get things sorted in time for this year to begin.

Rodgers had a huge game

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers came out on fire last night, giving the Packers a 14 - 0 start, inside the first 9 minutes of the game. The Pack drove down and scored on their 1st drive, Rodgers to Jennings, before the Saints offence had a nightmare start. On the 2nd play of the night for QB Drew Brees hit WR Marques Coulston in the hands, before Coulston fumbled the ball, and it was recover by CB Tramon Williams. The Pack drove again, and added their 2nd score of the night, Rodgers to Nelson. Rodgers finished the night completing 27 passes, for 312 yards and 3 TD's.

Ingram stopped short at the 1

The Saints though, put up quite a fight throughout the rest of the game. QB Drew Brees was fantastic, completing 32 passes for 419 yards and 3 TD's. The problems that the Saints had were in the run game. Rookie RB Mark Ingram was given the ball twice on 4th and short, and both times he was unable to get the yardage required. If he had made the yard on 4th and goal from the 1 at the end, then the Saints would have been a 2 point conversion away from a tie. The Packers defence held though, and got the defending Superbowl champions off to a winning start.

Both teams looked very effective in the kick return game, and opponents better take extra care when kicking to Darren Sproles (Saints) and Randall Cobb (Packers). Rookie WR Randell Cobb equalled an NFL all time record in his pro debut, when he ran back a kick off 108 yards for a TD.

Both teams will win alot of games this year without doubt. The Packers look better than ever, and when the Saints sort their running game, they will be a match for anyone. Football's back!! Bring on Sunday Night!!

2011 Season Opener - Saints @ Packers

2011-09-08T20:18:00.000+01:00

Rodgers celebrating 2010 Superbowl win

Tonight the 2011 NFL season gets underway, with the 2010 Superbowl Champion Green Bay Packers, taking on the 2009 Superbowl winners, the New Orleans Saints at the historic Lambeau Field. What a fantastic occasion this promises to be, as not only are these teams the last 2 Superbowl winners, they are both fully expected to go a long way towards winning it all again this year. Would you be at all surprised if this was the matchup for the NFC Championship in late January?? Because I wouldn't.

Will Mark Ingram get the start?

The Saints have strengthened their team during the offseason, and will undoubtedly be as effective as ever on offence. Led by QB Drew Brees, the Saints passing game is considered one of the best in the league. What I'm very interested to see tonight though is how the run game will be managed. They still have RB Piere Thomas from last year, but with Reggie Bush now in Miami, they drafted Mark Ingram (from Alabama) and bought in the explosive Darren Sproles from the Chargers. Will Thomas be the starter?? Will Ingram be the starter?? Will they split carries?? How will Sproles be used?? These are all questions that will be answered tonight. My guess is that Thomas and Ingram will split carries, and they will use Sproles on kick returns and sometimes on 3rd down.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how the Saints new D Line will look. 1st Round draft pick DE Cameron Jordan will team up with Aubrayo Franklin, Shaun Rodgers and Sedrick Ellis. This D line will need to get some pressure onto Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, otherwise he will be able to pick them apart. This defence was the best in the league at creating turnovers in 2009 when they won the Superbowl. They will need to get back to this standard if they are to stop the champions tonight.

RB Ryan Grant is back from injury

The Packers go into tonight's game, knowing that the Superbowl Champions haven't lost the opening game of the following season, since the Broncos did it against the Dolphins in 1999. Although they didn't bring anybody in over the offseason through free agency, they have all their players back from the IR list from last year. There were a total of 15 players on that list, and were missing during their run to the Superbowl. These include RB Ryan Grant, TE Jermichael Finley and T Mark Tauscher. With all these players returning to a Superbowl winning roster, the whole NFL knows that the Packers are the team to beat.

QB Aaron Rodgers and this pass offence is also considered as one of the best in the league. The secondary for both teams will be in for an aerial bombardment tonight. The Packers also have an interesting situation in the backfield. When starting RB Ryan Grant got hurt last year, in stepped James Starks. Starks was fantastic in the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see who starts as the Packers RB to.

I see this game being a fantastic advert for the NFL brand, with lots of points being scored by both teams. They key to the game in my opinion though is the run game for both sides. Both sides will score, but I believe that the team that can control the clock with the run game, will get this opening day win.

Who do you think will win the game tonight?? Let me know by leaving a comment, email - nflgbview@googlemail.com or contact me on Twitter - nflgbview.

The 2011 Season - nflgbview's Predictions

2011-09-08T18:19:00.000+01:00

We are just a few hours away from the start of the 2011 season, and it is about time I made my predictions for the year. I will make my predictions for the final division standings, including division champions, 'Wildcard' teams, and I will also predict the whole Superbowl bracket. I will not be giving records in the regular season standings though.

Ok, here goes!

AFC

East : Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Bills

North : Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Bengals

South : Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Titans

West : Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders

NFC

East : Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, Redskins

North : Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings

South : Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Panthers

West : Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, 49'ers

This is how I see the teams seeded:

AFC : Patriots, Steelers, Chargers, Texans, Jets, Ravens

NFC : Falcons, Packers, Eagles, Rams, Saints, Cowboys.

So here is how I see the playoff bracket panning out, with the winners:

Wildcard Weekend

Ravens @ Chargers
Jets @ Texans

Cowboys @ Eagles
Saints @ Rams

Divisional Round

Ravens @ Patriots
Jets @ Steelers

Saints @ Falcons
Eagles @ Packers

Conference Championships

Steelers @ Patriots

Packers @ Falcons

Superbowl

Steelers vs Falcons

So there we have it, I have the Steelers and the Falcons in this years Superbowl, with Matt Ryan and co. coming out on top for the Falcons. Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know. Leave a comment, email - nflgbview@googlemail.com or contact me on twitter - nflgbview

Do you think you can predict the outcome of games better than I can, well why don't we compete? Sign up here

NFC West Preview

2011-09-07T21:21:00.000+01:00

Arizona Cardinals

Last Season : 5 - 11

Drafted Players

1st Round - Patrick Peterson CB
2nd Round - Ryan Williams RB
3rd Round - Robert Housler TE
4th Round - Sam Acho LB
5th Round - Anthony Sherman RB
6th Round - Quan Sturdivant LB
6th Round - David Carter DT
7th Round - Demarco Sampson WR

Players in

Kevin Kolb

Kevin Kolb QB
Chester Taylor RB
Chansi Stuckey WR
Todd Heap TE
Jeff King TE
Daryn Colledge OG
Nick Eason DL
Stewart Bradley LB
Crezdon Butler CB
Corey Lindsey CB
Richard Marshall CB

Players out

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB
Derek Anderson QB
Tim Hightower RB
Jason Wright RB
Steve Breaston WR
Ben Patrick TE
Stephen Spach TE
Alan FanecaOG
Alan Branch DL
Mark Washington LB

The Cardinals struggled last year, due to the fact that they didn't have a QB. They addressed this during the off season by trading for Kevin Kolb from the Eagles. Kolb was seen by many as the best QB available. He seems to have stuck up a good understanding with star WR Larry Fitzgerald, and I expect this to be the major offensive weapon for the Cardinals. Their running game doesn't look great now, following the loss of Tim Hightower. The Card's will be hoping RB Beanie Wells can carry the ball successfully, or else all defences will just double team, or triple team Larry Fitzgerald.

Their 1st round draft pick was CB Patrick Peterson. Peterson is a fantastic talent, and will undoubtedly make many plays for the Cardinals this year. I do worry about the secondary though, following the trade of Rodgers-Cromartie. They will defiantly be able to get pressure onto opposing QB's thanks to DL Darnell Dockett and LB Joey Porter. I think the Cardinals will shock a few of the more fancied teams at times this year, and will be in contention for this division title up to the very end. Will they manage to get it done?

St. Louis Rams

Last Season : 7 - 9

Drafted Players

1st Round - Robert Quinn DE
2nd Round - Lance Kendricks TE
3rd Round - Austin Pettis WR
4th Round - Greg Salas WR
5th Round - Jermale Hines DB
7th Round - Mikail Baker DB
7th Round - Jabara Williams LB
7th Round - Jonathan Nelson DB

Players in

Jerious Norwood

Jerious Norwood RB
Cadillac Williams RB
Mike Sims-Walker WR
Stephen Spach TE
Quinn Ojinnaka OT
Harvey Dahl OG
Tony Wragge OG
Justin Bannan DL
Daniel Muir DL
Ben Leber LB
Brady Poppinga LB
Al Harris CB
Quintin Mikell S

Players out

Thaddeus Lewis QB
Chris Massey FB
Mardy Gilyard WR
Laurent Robinson WR
Daniel Fells TE
Derek Schouman TE
George Selvie DL
Na'il Diggs LB
Zac Diles LB
Larry Grant LB
Oshiomogho Atogwe S

I really like what the Rams are doing at the moment. QB Sam Bradford is a very talented player, who managed to win 7 games last year, without a real number 1 target. They have bought in WR Mike Sims-Walker to help him this year, and although he is hardly a world beater, at least he is a big target. RB Steven Jackson is an absolute beast. Over the years the Rams have asked him to do way to much and he has struggled with injuries. This year they have bought in Jerious Norwood and Cadillac Williams to help ease the pressure on him. This should make Jackson even better.

The Rams HC is Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo is the coach that masterminded the Giants defensive success on their route to the Superbowl a few years ago. His main thought process is a very dominant front 7, that gets alot of pressure. Spagnolo is beginning to build this mentality in St.Louis. DE Chris Long and 1st round draft pick Robert Quinn will apply the pressure, while 2 newcomers in the secondary CB Al Harris and S Quintin Mikel will look to capitalise. I can't decide who will win this division, but the Rams are defiantly one of the teams I'm considering.

San Francisco 49'ers

Last Season : 6 - 10

Drafted Players

1st Round - Aldon Smith DE
2nd Round - Colin Kaepernick QB
3rd Round - Chris Culiver DB
4th Round - Kendell Hunter RB
5th Round - Daniel Kilgore OL
6th Round - Ronald Johnson WR
6th Round - Colin Jones DB
7th Round - Bruce Miller DL
7th Round - Michael Person OL
7th Round - Curtis Holcomb DB

Players in

Braylon Edwards

Scott Tolzien QB
Braylon Edwards WR
David Akers K
Jonathan Goodwin C
Blake Costanzo LB
Larry Grant LB
Carlos Rodgers CB
Donte Whitner S
Madieu Williams S

Players out

David Carr QB
Jeff Reed K
Tony Wragge OG
Travis LaBoy DL
Manny Lawson LB
Takeo Spikes LB
Nate Clements CB

The 49'ers started last year with alot of expectations, but finished with just 6 wins. One of their major problems is the lack of a QB. Alex Smith is back in San Fran this year, but he isn't a QB that can take this team to the playoffs. They have drafted Colin Kaepernick in the 2nd round, and hope he will be the QB of the future. This could be dangerous though, because if Smith struggles, how will they handle bringing Kaepernick in? RB Frank Gore has a new contract, they still have TE Vernon Davis, and they added WR Braylon Edwards from the Jets. They have the weapons on offence, and if Smith can get going, this team will defiantly put up points.

The problem for the 49'ers is the defence. They have lost starting LB's Manny Lawson and Takeo Spikes, as well as starting CB Nate Clements. Star LB Patrick Willis is still there, but he has already showed in the preseason how much he will struggle without Spikes. This team will concede a shed load of points, and therefore lose alot of games. I expect they will finish bottom of this division.

Seattle Seahawks

Last Season : 7 - 9

Drafted Players

1st Round - James Carpenter OL
3rd Round - John Moffitt OG
4th Round - K.J Wright LB
4th Round - Kris Durham WR
5th Round - Richard Sherman DB
5th Round - Mark Legree S
6th Round - Byron Maxwell DB
7th Round - Lazarius Levington DL
7th Round - Malcolm Smith LB

Players in

Tarvaris Jackson

Tarvaris Jackson QB
Thomas Clayton RB
Sidney Rice WR
Zach Miller TE
Steven Hauschka K
Robert Gallery OG
Alan Branch DL
Landon Cohen DL
David Howard DL
Al Woods DL
Atari Bigby S

Players out

Matt Hasselbeck QB
Olindo Mare K
Sean Locklear OT
Ray Willis OT
Stacy Andrews OG
Michael Huey OG
Chris Spencer C
Amon Gordon DL
Quinn Pitcock DL
Will Herring LB
Vuna Tuihalamaka LB
Jordan Babineaux S

The Seahawks won this division last year, and then shocked everyone by beating the Saints in the 1st week of the playoffs. Change has been the key since HC Pete Carroll took over a couple of years ago, and this off season was no exception. QB Matt Hasselbeck has left, and in has come Tarvaris Jackson from Minnesota. I don't think that Jackson is a very good player, and I think that he will cost them the division title this year. They have bought in TE Zach Miller and WR Sidney Rice, to try and give Jackson someone to throw to.

This defence is about middle of the pack, and Carroll has bought in S Atari Bigby to try and add some veteran leadership to the secondary. I think that the Seahawks will have a worse record than last year, and will finish 3rd in the division.

NFC South Preview

2011-09-07T17:31:00.000+01:00

Atlanta Falcons

Last Season : 13 - 3

Drafted Players

1st Round - Julio Jones WR
3rd Round - Akeem Dent LB
5th Round - Jacquizz Rodgers RB
6th Round - Matt Boscher K
7th Round - Andrew Jackson OL
7th Round - Cliff Matthews DL

Players in

Ray Edwards

Reggie Kelly TE
Ray Edwards DL
Kelvin Hayden CB
James Sanders S

Players out

Jerious Norwood RB
Michael Jenkins WR
Michael Koenen P
Harvey Dahl OG
Jamaal Anderson DL
Emmanuel Stephans DL
Erik Coleman S

The Falcons had a great year last year, losing just 3 games, getting themselves a bye in week one of the playoffs. They did run into Green Bay in the divisional round though, and got dumped out. The Falcons still clearly believe that they are very close to a Superbowl win, as was illustrated by them on draft day. They traded basically their whole draft, to select WR Julio Jones in the 1st round. Jones, on the opposite side to Roddy White should be a scary sight for opposing defences. With these 2 and TE Tony Gonzalez, QB Matt Ryan has some very good targets. The run game should still be strong thanks to RB Michael Turner and look out for the rookie RB Jacquizz Rodgers, he is a big play waiting to happen.

On the defensive side of the ball, they bought in DL Ray Edwards, who will get pressure on opposing QB's. They also got CB Kelvin Hayden, who will hope to make the most of panicking QB's, throwing the ball away with Edwards bearing down. I think that they will win a lot of games once again, and I also think that they will win this division.

Carolina Panthers

Last Season : 2 - 14

Drafted Players

1st Round - Cam Newton QB
3rd Round - Terrell McClain DL
3rd Round - Sione Fua DL
4th Round - Brandon Hogan DB
5th Round - Kealoha Pilares WR
6th Round - Lawrence Wilson LB
6th Round - Zachary Williams OL
7th Round - Lee Ziemba OL

Players in

Gregg Olsen

Derek Anderson QB
Chris Massey FB
Seyi Ajirotutu WR
Legedu Naanee WR
Greg Olsen TE
Ben Hartstock TE
Jeremy Shockey TE
Olindo Mare K
Geoff Hangartner C
Max Jean-Gilles OG
Ron Edwards DL
George Selvie DL
Omar Gaither LB
Darius Butler CB
Chevis Jackson CB
Josh Thomas CB
Michael Greco S
Stevie Brown S

Players out

Matt Moore QB
Tony Fiammetta FB
Jeff King TE
John Casey K
Tyler Brayton DL
Derek Landri DL
Richard Marshall CB
Gerald Alexander S

The Panthers of course, had a shocking year last year, winning just 2 games. Because of this record, they had the 1st pick in the draft, and went for QB Cam Newton. Newton is a mobile QB, but has many questions that he needs to answer about his throwing accuracy. Newton will be the starter this year, and I believe that they need him to have an outstanding year for them to win many games. They bought in TE's Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen, to give Newton easy targets over the middle, and they may well become Newtons favorite targets.

On the defensive side of the ball, their are a lot of new faces, so it will be interesting to see how it will all come together. This is not a good formula for winning games though, a rookie QB and a new defence, so in this tough division, I expect them to really struggle again.

New Orleans Saints

Last Season : 11 - 5

Drafted Players

1st Round - Cameron Jordan DE
1st Round - Mark Ingram RB
3rd Round - Martez Wilson LB
3rd Round - Johnny Patrick DB
7th Round - Greg Romeus DL
7th Round - Nate Bussey LB

Players in

Darren Sproles

Patrick Cobbs RB
Darren Sproles RB
Korey Hall FB
John Gilmore TE
John Kasey K
Alex Barron OT
Olin Kreutz C
Aubrayo Franklin DL
Shaun Rodgers DL
Will Herring LB
Turk McBride LB
Fabian Washington CB
Paul Oliver S

Players out

Jeremy Shockey TE
Jacob Rodgers K
Jonathan Goodwin C
Remi Ayodele DL
Anthony Hargrove DL
Marvin Mitchell LB
Usama Young S

The Saints and the Falcons are seen as the class of this division, but with the Falcons finishing 2 games ahead of the Saints last year, the Saints needed to do something good during the offseason to keep up. During the 1st round of the draft, the Saints selected DE Cameron Jordan, and then traded back into the 1st round to take RB Mark Ingram. This was a clear intention that the Saints are going to put up a challenge. They also bought in RB Darren Sproles from the Chargers to spell Ingram, and that now looks like a formidable run game to put alongside QB Drew Brees and that amazing pass game.

On the defensive side of the ball the Saints really improved their DL. DT's Aubrayo Franklin and Shaun Rodgers will help to clog up the run, and 1st round selection Cameron Jordan will get pressure on the QB all day long. This defence has a reputation for turnovers, and if they create plenty next year, with that improved offence, then they will win a lot of games. I'm looking forward to seeing who will come out on top between the Saints and the Falcons in this very tough division.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last Season : 10 - 6

Drafted Players

Adrian Clayborn

1st Round - Adrian Clayborn DL
2nd Round - Da'Quan Bowers DE
3rd Round - Mason Foster LB
4th Round - Luke Stocker TE
5th Round - Ahman Black S
6th Round - Allen Bradford RB
7th Round - Anthony Gaitor DB
7th Round - Daniel Hardy TE

Players in

Jonathan Crompton QB
Maurice Price WR
Jacob Rodgers K
Michael Koenen P
Zac Diles LB

Players out

Cadillac Williams RB
Maurice Stovell WR
Donovan Raiola OL
Al Woods DL
Barrett Ruud LB

The Buccaneers are a very talented, but very young team, who had a fantastic year last year. They managed to win 10 games, but unluckily for them, they play in the tough NFC South, and missed the playoffs. They have managed to keep hold of everybody that they wanted to for this year, so I expect that the extremely talented, young QB Josh Freeman, will again be able to score alot of points for the Buccs.

I'm very excited to see this young defence. Added to last years exciting DL are Adrian Clayborn (1st round pick) and Da'Quan Bowers. These 2 players are very talented, and much like the Lions, I would not want to be a QB when this line decides its coming after you. I believe this young team will improve, and win a lot of games again. But the question is, will they be able to make the playoffs? I believe they will finish 3rd in the division, but may still stand a very good chance of being a wildcard team.

NFC North Preview

2011-09-06T23:11:00.000+01:00

Chicago Bears

Last Season : 11 - 5

Players Drafted

1st Round - Gabe Carimi OL
2nd Round - Stephen Paea DT
3rd Round - Chris Conte DB
5th Round - Nathan Enderle QB
6th Round - James Thomas LB

Players in

Roy Williams

Marion Barber RB
Sam Hurd WR
Roy Williams WR
Matt Speath TE
Adam Podlesh P
Chris Spencer C
Amobi Okoye DL
Patrick Trahan LB
Brandon Meriweather S

Players out

Matt Gutierrez QB
Brandon Minor RB
Chester Taylor RB
Devin Aromashodu WR
Rashied Davis WR
Zeke Markshausen WR
Brad Maynard P
Richmond McGee P
Olin Kreutz C
Josh Bullocks S
Danieal Manning S

The Bears won this division last year, they then won through to the NFC Championship game. Here they lost to the major division rivals, the Green Bay Packers. They will be hoping that this year they will be able to go one better, but I just don't see it. They had alot of problems along the OL last year, and QB Jay Cutler was hit often. They selected OL Gabe Carimi in the 1st round of the draft, hoping to try and stop this happening again. I don't like the fact though that they allowed veteran C Olin Kreutz to leave. His experience will be missed. They bought in RB Marion Barber, for the tough yards, but the interesting signing to me is WR Roy Williams. Williams and the OC Mike Martz worked together in Detriot, and Williams had his best ever year under Martz. Will they be able to recreate this?

This Bears defence isn't a classic one, but it is still pretty good. They manage to get pressure off the edge thanks to DE Julius Peppers and LB Brian Urlacher makes it very difficult to run against them. They did lose S Danieal Manning in the offseason, but replaced him with former Patriot Brandon Meriweather. Meriweather's uncompromising style should fit in well in Chicago. The Bears will be decent, but I can't see past the Packers this year.

Detroit Lions

Last Season : 6 - 10

Players Drafted

1st Round - Nick Fairley DT
2nd Round - Titus Young WR
2nd Round - Mikel LeShoure RB
5th Round - Douglas Hogue LB
7th Round - Johnny Culbreath OL

Players in

Jerome Harrison

Jerome Harrison RB
Keiland Williams FB
Rashied Davis WR
Nate Hughes WR
Maurice Stovall WR
Jacques McClendon OG
Rudy Niswanger C
Isaac Sowells OL
Keyunta Dawson DL
Quinn Pitcock DL
Cody Brown LB
Jason Durnant LB
Stephen Tulloch LB
Anthony Maddison CB
Eric Wright CB
Erik Coleman S
Aaron Francisco S

Players out

Bryant Johnson WR
Dave Rayner K
Turk McBride LB

The Lions are a very interesting, up and coming team in my eyes. QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson have a great connection, and should provide the Lions will a great passing game. One problem that the Lions had last year was the lack of a running game. RB Jahvid Best is seen as being injury-prone, so they bought in Mikel LeShore, with a 2nd round draft pick. The problem is LeShoure tore his achilles, and will miss the season. It would be asking alot for Best to carry the team, so they bought in former Brown, Jerome Harrison. Will be interesting to see how this goes.

The defence of the Lions is SO exciting. The DL includes Kyle Van Den Bosch, Ndamukung Suh, and now last years 1st Round pick Nick Fairley. These 3 should put opposing QB's under HUGE pressure. They have bought in LB's Jason Durant and Stephan Tullochm that should make this a dominant front 7. The secondary should also be much improved, thanks to the signings of CB Eric Wright and S Aaron Francisco. This much better looking defence have played well in the preseason, and I can't wait to see them in the games that matter. I think the Lions will win more games than last year, and may even shock everyone by winning 8 or more games, something they haven't done for over a decade.

Green Bay Packers

Last Season : 10 - 6

Players Drafted

Will they repeat??

1st Round - Derek Sherrod OL
2nd Round - Randell Cobb WR
3rd Round - Alex Green RB
4th Round - Davon House DB
5th Round - D.J Williams TE
6th Round - Caleb Schlauderaff OL
6th Round - D.J Smith LB
6th Round - Ricky Elmore DL
7th Round - Ryan Taylor TE
7th Round - Lawrence Guy DT

Players in

Players out

Ahman Green RB
Brandon Jackson RB
Korey Hall FB
Calvin Russell WR
Donald Lee TE
Daryn Colledge OG
Jason Spitz C
Cullen Jenkins DT
Nick Barnett LB
Brady Poppinga LB
Atari Bigby S
Michael Greco S
The Packers of course won it all last year, and you would have to be a brave man to bet against them doing it again. They have got back all of the players that had season ending injuries last year, including RB Ryan Grant, TE Jermichael Finley and T Mark Tauscher. All of these players will return, and I can't see anything but success for this offence.

On defence, the Packers have lost LB Nick Barnett, and DT Cullen Jenkins, but this defence is way to good to let this hold them back. I can't see anyone in this division stopping the Pack, and if they get a bye in week 1 of the playoffs, somebody in the NFC will have to play the game of the year to stop them reaching the Superbowl.

Minnesota Vikings

Last Season : 6 - 10

Players Drafted

1st Round - Christian Ponder QB
2nd Round - Kyle Rudolf TE
4th Round - Christian Ballard DL
5th Round - Brandon Burton DB
6th Round - Demarcus Love OL
6th Round - Mistral Raymond DB
6th Round - Brandon Fusco OL
6th Round - Ross Homan LB
7th Round - D'Aundre Reed DL
7th Round - Stephan Burton WR

Players in

Donovan McNabb

Donovam McNabb QB
Tristan Davis RB
Devin Aromashodu WR
Michael Jenkins WR
Charlie Johnson OT
Scott Kooistra OG
Remi Ayodele DL
Colby Whitlock DL
Xavier Adibi LB
Mark Washington LB

Players out

Brett Farve QB
Tarvaris Jackson QB
Sidney Rice WR
Bryant McKinnie OT
Ryan Cook OG
Ray Edwards DL
Ben Leber LB
Lito Sheppard CB
Frank Walker CB

The Vikings are a very confusing team to me. Out goes QB Brett Farve, who has been replaced by Donovan McNabb. Alot of the pass catching responsibilities now fall on the shoulders of injury prone WR Percy Harvin, thanks to the departure of Sidney Rice (to Seattle). Harvin is a very talented WR, but has had many injuries since he came into the NFL. If he gets hurt again this year, the Vikings will struggle in the pass game. They do though have the best RB in the game, Adrian Peterson. Expect the Vikings to lean heavily on Peterson, and him to have huge numbers this year.

This Viking defence is not the unit it has been. They have lost DT Ray Edwards who was a big part in that DL that gave them so much success. I think that the Vikings will struggle this year, and will finish bottom of this very competitive division.

NFC East Preview

2011-09-06T18:05:00.000+01:00

Dallas Cowboys

Last Season : 6 - 10

Drafted Players

1sr Round - Tyron Smith OT
2nd Round - Bruce Carter LB
3rd Round - DeMarco Murray RB
4th Round - David Arkin OL
5th Round - Josh Thomas DB
6th Round - Dwayne Harris WR
7th Round - Shaun Chapas RB
7th Round - Bill Nagy C

Players in

Derrick Dockery

Dave Rayner K
Derrick Dockery OG
Kenyon Coleman DL
Mike Balogun LB
Abram Elam S

Players out

Marion Barber RB
Kris Gronkowski FB
Sam Hurd WR
Roy Williams WR
Alex Barron OT
Marc Colombo OT
Andre Gurode C
Stephan Bowen DL
Josh Thomas CB
Andrew Sendejo S

The Cowboys were one of the major disappointment from last season. In a year where all the talk was about them hosting and playing in the Superbowl. Owner Jerry Jones was desperate to see his team win the Lombardi trophy in the stadium he designed himself. But the reality was that the Cowboys were bad last year, and only managed 6 wins. This year they have a very young (including 1st round draft pick - OT Tyron Smith), but very talented OL, which could either make or break their year. If they can protect QB Tony Romo for long enough, he will find their highly talented WR's Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. Also if they RB well enough, RB Felix Jones is a very talented runner.

Their major problem on defence last year was their very average secondary. They didn,t really do anything to address this, so this will also be a key to their season. In a very tough division, with alot of questions about all the teams, the Cowboys could easily win this division, but I don't expect them to.

New York Giants

Last Season : 10 - 6

Drafted Players

1st Round - Prince Amukamara C
2nd Round - Marvin Austin DL
3rd Round - Jerrel Jernigan WR
4th Round - James Brewer DL
6th Round - Greg Jones LB
6th Round - Tyler Sash S
6th Round - Jacquian Williams LB
7th Round - Da'Rel Scott RB

Players in

David Baas

David Carr QB
Andre Brown RB
Ben Patrick TE
Steve Weatherford P
Stacey Andrews OG
David Baas C
Spencer Paysinger LB
Derrick Martin S

Players out

Sinorice Moss WR
Steve Smith WR
Kevin Boss TE
Ben Patrick TE
Barry Cofield DT
Gerris Wilkinson LB
The Giants had a good 10 win season last year, but I can't see them getting anywhere near that number this. This is a very close division, so I understand anything can happen, but the Giants have to many questions for my liking. The Giants have for years had the same OL. Everybody knows what they have to do, and they have been very successful. This year though it is almost a completely different unit. It will be very interesting to see how quickly they gel. If they don't gel quick, this offence could be in trouble. QB Eli Manning threw 25 INT's last year, and if pressure is getting to him with more regularity, expect this number to go up. Also, who is he throwing the ball to?? Gone are last years main WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss. The Giants need someone to step up and make some catches.

The Giants, like the Cowboys, had problems in the secondary last year. So much so that they went out, and drafted CB Prince Amukamara in the 1st Round. This was seen as a huge upgrade, as 'The Prince' is a fantastic player. They only problem is that Amukamara fractured a bone in his foot, and will likely miss most of the season. The saving grace for the Giants is that they have a very good DL. The pressure that that group can put on a QB helps to mask the problems in the secondary. I think the Giants finish behind both the Cowboys and the Eagles this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

Last Season : 10 - 6

Drafted Players

1st Round - Danny Watkins OL
2nd Round - Jaiquawn Jarrett DB
3rd Round - Curtis Marsh DB
4th Round - Casey Matthews LB
4th Round - Alex Henery K
5th Round - Dion Lewis RB
5th Round - Julian Vandervalde OL
6th Round - Jason Kelce OL
6th Round - Brian Rolle LB
7th Round - Greg Lloyd
7th Round - Stanley Havili

Players in

Nnamdi Asomugha

Vince Young QB
Ronnie Brown RB
Derrick Lowe RB
Johnnie Lee-Higgins WR
Ronald Johnson WR
Sinorice Moss WR
Steve Smith WR
Anthony Hill TE
Donald Lee TE
Ryan Harris OT
Kyle DeVan OG
Evan Mathis OG
Jason Babin DL
Marlon Favorite DL
Anthony Hargrove DL
Cullen Jenkins DL
Derek Landri DL
Nnamdi Asomugha CB
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB
Jared Page S

Players out

John Nalbone TE
David Akers K
Durant Brooks P
Sav Rocca P
Stewart Bradley LB
Omar Gaither LB
Ernie Sims LB
Dimitri Paterson CB
Quinton Mikell S

The Eagles were the big story of the offseason. After getting 10 wins last year, but again failing in the playoffs, they have gone all out to win this year. This should be good for HC Andy Reid, but if he doesn't bring a Superbowl to Philly in February, I feel he may be looking for a new job. The Eagles gave out a big contract extension to their QB Micheal Vick, ans surrounded him with even more talent. RB Ronnie Brown has come in from Miami to back up LeSean McCoy, and a number of WR's have been bought in (including Giants WR Steve Smith) to add to the already impressive stable. This offence should be capable of alot of points.

The defensive side of the ball has also seen dramatic improvements. CB Nnamdi Asomugha was seen as the best player available in the free agency period, and the Eagles landed him. They also traded back up QB Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals, in exchange for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. These 2, added to Asante Samuel, make the Eagles CB's the best in the league. They did also add to the DL. Jason Babbin and Cullen Jenkins will help to put opposing QB's under alot of pressure, and with the talent in the secondary, lookout for lots of turnovers. The main difficulty for the Eagles will be getting the players to all gel together as a team, as there has been so many new faces. I expect that they may struggle early in the year, but as the season goes on, they will become a very dominant team. I fully expect them to win this division.

Washington Redskins

Last Season : 6 - 10

Drafted Players

1st Round - Ryan Kerrigan DE
2nd Round - Jarvis Jenkins DL
3rd Round - Leonard Hankerson WR
4th Round - Roy Helu RB
5th Round - Dejon Gomes RB
5th Round - Niles Paul WR
6th Round - Evan Royster RB
6th Round - Aldrick Robinson WR
7th Round - Brandyn Thompson DB
7th Round - Maurice Hurt OL
7th Round - Markus Wright DE
7th Round - Chris Neild DT

Players in

Tim Hightower

Kellen Clemens QB
Matt Gutierrez QB
Tim Hightower RB
Donte Stallworth WR
Derek Schoumen TE
Jammal Brown OT
Sean Locklear OT
Chris Chester OG
Eric Olsen OG
Donovan Raiola OL
Chris Baker DL
Stephen Bowen DL
Barry Cofield DL
Keyaron Fox LB
Rocky McIntosh LB
Nate Ness CB
Josh Wilson CB
Oshiomogho Atogwe S

Players out

Andre Brown RB
Keiland Williams FB
Maurice Price WR
Glenn Pakulak P
Stephan Heyer OT
Derrick Dockery OG
Andre Carter LB
Carlos Rodgers CB

The Redskins struggled alot last year, winning just 6 games. I do think that they have improved in some areas, but not enough to get them off the bottom of this division. One of the main problems I have with this team is the fact that it took them so long to name a starting QB. They got the decision right in the end, choosing Rex Grossman, but why did it take until just a couple of days ago. I believe that an offence needs to know who their QB is, so that they can start to develop some chemistry, coming into the new season. The Redskins need this chemistry more than alot of teams, because their WR's are hardly world beaters. WR Santana Moss will do what he does, but Donte Stallworth and Anthony Armstrong will hardly scare anyone. Luckily for the 'Skins O, RB Tim Hightower (in from the Cardinals) has looked very impressive in the preseason.

The Redskins defence has looked alot better than I expected during the preseason. They have bought in Barry Cofield from the Giants and drafted Ryan Kerrigan (1st Round) and Jarvis Jenkins (2nd Round) who will defiantly help to improve the DL. They lost CB Carlos Rodgers, but have bought in Nate Ness and Josh Wilson to try and cover this. The signing I really like though is S Oshiomogho Atogwe. If the new guys upfront get some pressure and force the QB to throw early, lookout for Atogwe. He could have alot of INT's this year. This defence will keep the Redskins in alot of games, but I think the offence won't be able to win many for them.

AFC West Preview

2011-09-06T00:33:00.000+01:00

Denver Broncos

Last Season : 4 - 12

Drafted Players

Round 1 - Von Miller LB
Round 2 - Rahim Moore S
Round 2 - Orlando Franklin OL
Round 3 - Nate Irving LB
Round 4 - Quinton Carter CB
Round 4 - Julius Thomas TE
Round 6 - Mike Mohamed LB
Round 7 - Virgil Green TE
Round 7 - Jeremy Beal DL

Players in

Willis McGahee RB
Brandon Minor RB
Daniel Fells TE
Derrick Harvey DL
Mitch Unrein DL
Ty Warren DL
Johnathan White CB

Players out

Daniel Graham TE
Steven Hauschka K
Ryan Harris OT
Justin Babbin OL
Ronald Fields DL
Colby Whitlock DL
Chevis Jackson CB

The Broncos had a tough season last year, and have this year gone for a complete change around. In has come new HC John Fox from Carolina. Fox is known for running the ball and tough defence. RB Willis McGahee has come in from Baltimore, and will bring a tough, hard-nosed run style to the Broncos. The biggest talking point through the offseason was who would start at QB, last years starter Kyle Orton, or 2nd year (former 1st round pick) Tim Tebow. Thankfully Orton has beaten out Tebow, and there is no doubt that he gives them a better chance to win.

The Broncos needed to add playmakers on defence, and in the draft, they bought in the very dynamic LB Von Miller. Miller on the opposite side to Dumervil should give the Broncos a dominant pass rush. This should help cover up some of the other weaknesses in the defence. They did also bring in DL Ty Warren to strengthen the line. He has since suffered a triceps injury, and will be out for this year. This is a big blow. The Broncos will be better than last year, but they will do well to finish 2nd in the division, and have no chance of getting anywhere near the Chargers.

Kansas City Chiefs

Last Season : 10 - 6

Drafted Players

Round 1 - Jonathan Baldwin WR
Round 2 - Rodney Hudson OL
Round 3 - Justin Houston LB
Round 3 - Allen Bailey DL
Round 4 - Jalil Brown DB
Round 5 - Ricky Stanzi QB
Round 5 - Gabe Miller LB
Round 6 - Jerrell Powe DL
Round 7 - Shane Bannon RB

Players in

Le'Ron McClain FB
Steve Breaston WR
Zeke Markshausen WR
Jared Gaither OT
Amon Gordon DL
Kelly Gregg DL
Brandon Stiler LB
Sabby Piscitelli S

Players out

Rudy Niswanger C
Brian Waters OG
Ron Edwards DL
Shaun Smith DL
Mike Vrabel LB

The Chiefs shocked everyone by winning this division last year. They have most of the pieces in place to have another crack, although I'm not sure that they can get past the Chargers. QB Matt Cassel looked alot better last year, after struggling in his first year following his move from New England. The Chiefs selected WR Jonathan Baldwin in the 1st round of the draft, but are now unsure of his status. Baldwin obviously went into training camp with an attitude problem, one which RB Thomas Jones took exception to. These 2 were involved in a scuffle, with Baldwin injuring his wrist. He has still yet to play since, and the Chiefs are uncertain as to when he will return. They do though still have the amazing RB Jamaal Charles, who will give them huge play making potentiall.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs lost DL Ray Edwards. This is a big blow to the Chiefs, as Edwards was immense on his day. They may now struggle to get pressure onto opposing QB's. They did though bring in LB Brandon Stiler and S Sabby Piscitelli. These 2 should make sure that the Chiefs defence doesn't take a step back. I expect the Chiefs to be pretty good again this year, but I can't see them winning the division again.

Oakland Raiders

Last Season : 8 - 8

Drafted Players

Round 2 - Stefen Wisniewski OL
Round 3 - Demarcus Van Dyke DB
Round 3 - Joseph Barksdale OL
Round 4 - Chimdi Chekwa DB
Round 4 - Taiwan Jones RB
Round 5 - Denarius Moore WR
Round 6 - Richard Gorden TE
Round 7 - David Ausberry WR

Players in

Trent Edwards QB
Chad Jackson WR
Kevin Boss TE
Glenn Pakulak P
Steven Heyer OT
Darryl Blackstock LB
Lito Sheppard CB
Josh Bullocks S
Matt Giordano S

Players out

Bruce Gradkowski QB
Johnnie Lee-Higgins WR
Zach Miller TE
Robert Gallery OG
Justin Smiley OG
David Howard DL
Thomas Howard LB
Nnamdi Asomugha CB
Stevie Brown S

The Raiders are one of the most frustrating organisations in the NFL. Following an 8 - 8 season last year (which again was an improvement on the year before) they decided to get rid of HC Tom Cable. Rookie HC Hue Jackson is now in charge, and to be honest, I have no idea of what to expect from him. RB Darren McFadden is their main weapon, and I expect him to have another great year. The question is whether QB Jason Campbell and his speedy, but brick handed WR's can get some sort of chemistry.

The defence will obviously have taken a step back this year following the loss of superstar CB Nnamdi Ashomugha to the Eagles. They have bought in Lito Sheppard to replace him, but I doubt he will be able to. I expect the Raiders to be very unpredictable again this year, most likely battling with the Broncos for 3rd place.

San Diego Chargers

Last Season : 9 - 7

Drafted Players

Round 1 - Corey Luiget DL
Round 2 - Marcus Gilchrist DB
Round 2 - Jonas Mouton LB
Round 3 - Vincent Brown WR
Round 3 - Shareece Wright DB
Round 6 - Jordan Todman RB
Round 6 - Steve Schilling OL
Round 7 - Andrew Gachkar LB

Players in

Frank Summers FB
Laurent Robinson WR
Micheal Huey OG
Travis LaBoy DL
Kevin Bentley LB
Na'il Diggs LB
Takeo Spikes LB
Bob Sanders S

Players out

Scott Tolzien QB
Darren Sproles RB
Seyi Ajirotutu WR
Craig Davis WR
Legedu Naanee WR
Kris Wilson TE
Davis Baas C
Colin Baxter C
Aubrayo Franklin DL
Antwan Applewhite LB
Kevin Burnett LB
David Herron LB
Brandon Stiler LB
Donald Strickland CB
Paul Oliver S

The Chargers failed to win the AFC West for the 1st time in years last year, and I believe this will make them more hungry than ever. Last year they had the number 1 ranked offence and the number 1 ranked defence, but still only managed to lose 7 games. How did this happen? Special teams!! The Chargers were abysmal at covering kicks last year, and it is my view that this cost them 5 games last year. If this part of their game improves, look out NFL. QB Phillip Rivers has all of his weapons back, and this year will have WR Vincent Jackson in from week 1. This team is going to put up alot of points.

The defence was ranked number 1 last year, and only got better if anything. They added LB Takeo Spikes and Bob Sanders who are fantastically talented players. Spikes was often over shadowed in San Francisco because of all the hype (well deserved hype) surrounding Patrick Willis. Willis has looked to be struggling though this preseason, following the loss of Spikes. S Bob Sanders is like a homing missile coming from the secondary. His problem is keeping healthy, due to his style of play. This defence is going to be very good. I think the Chargers walk away with this division.

AFC South Preview

2011-09-05T12:55:00.000+01:00

Houston Texans

Last Season : 6 - 10

Drafted Players

1st Round - J.J Watt DE
2nd Round - Brooks Reed DL
2nd Round - Brandon Harris DB
4th Round - Rashard Carmicheal DB
5th Round - Shiloh Keo DB
5th Round - Taylor Yates QB
7th Round - Derek Newton OL
7th Round - Cheta Ozougwu DL

Players in

Lawrence Vickers FB
Bryant Johnson WR
Brad Maynard P
Andrew Gardner OT
Tim Dobbins LB
Johnathan Joseph CB
Danieal Manning S

Players out

Vonta Leach FB
Matt Turk P
Mark Anderson DL
Amobbi Okoye DL
Mitch Unrein DL
Xavier Adibi LB
Kevin Bentley LB
Antwaun Mouldon CB
Bernard Pollard S

The Houston Texans are coming off a very disappointing year, but are once again seen as the major challengers to the Colts. The Texans don't have any problems on offense. They scored a bucket load of points last year, and are fully expected to do the same again. One minor concern for the offense is the health of RB Arian Foster. Foster has been struggling with a hamstring injury recently, but expects to be at full fitness for their week 1 clash with the Colts.

The big problem for the Texans last year was their very poor defence, especially the secondary. They have reacted this season by bringing in former Cowboys HC Wade Phillips, as their DC. Phillips has a great track record as a DC. They also bought in very talented players CB Johnathan Joseph (from Bengals) and S Danieal Manning (from Bears). These 2 should make that secondary alot better. The Texans also drafted 6 defensive players, out of their total of 8. Their first round pick DE J.J Watt has been looking really good in the preseason. I think that this division is between the Texans and the Colts, with the week 1 clash in Houston, a very big factor.

Indianapolis Colts

Last Season : 10 - 6

Drafted Players

1st Round - Anthony Castonzo OL
2nd Round - Ben Ijalana OL
3rd Round - Drake Nevis DL
4th Round - Delone Carter RB
6th Round - Chris Rucker DB

Players in

Kerry Collins QB
Chris Gronkowski FB
Tyson DeVree TE
Jamaal Anderson DL
Tyler Brayton DL
Ernie Sims LB
Vuna Tuihalamaka LB
Micheal Hamlin FS

Players out

Charlie Johnson OT
Kyle DeVan OG
Jacques McClendon OG
Keyunta Dawson DL
Daniel Muir DL
Clint Session LB
Kelvin Hayden CB
Aaron Francisco S
Bob Sanders S

The Colts again won this division last year, even with half the team injured. The Colts had so many players injured last year, but their inspirational QB Peyton Manning still managed to get the job done. The major concern this year is though the neck injury to Manning. The Colts expect that Manning won't miss to many games, but may well be missing for week 1 in Houston. If this is the case, I give the Texans a big advantage, not only in that game, but for taking the division title.

The Colts defence will have a new look to it this year. Players such as LB Clint Session, CB Kelvin Hayden and S Bob Sanders have all left their starting positions vacant. They have bought in DL Jamaal Anderson, DL Tyler Brayton, LB Ernie Sims and S Micheal Hamlin to try and fill these holes. The Colts have looked terrible during the preseason, and yes - it is only the preseason, but this defence needs to get better in a hurry. If it doesn't, I think the Colts will be playing catch up all year, with a new and improved Texans team.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Last Season : 8 - 8

1st Round - Blaine Gabbert QB
3rd Round - William Rackley OL
4th Round - Cecil Shorts WR
4th Round - Chris Prosinski DB
5th Round - Rod Issac DB

Players in

Matt Turk P
Durant Brooks P
Tony Moll OT
Jason Spitz C
Paul Posluszny LB
Matt Roth LB
Clint Session LB
Gerris Wilkinson LB
Drew Coleman CB
Dawan Laundry S
Dwight Lowery S

Players out

Trent Edwards QB
Nate Hughes WR
John Matthews WR
Mike Sims-Walker WR
Adam Podlesh P
Adam Terry OT
Derrick Harvey DL
Kirk Morrison LB
Sean Consintine S
Micheal Hamlin S

The Jaguars went 8 - 8 last year, but I believe that they will struggle to get that many wins again this year. They selected QB Blaine Gabbert with their 1st round pick in the draft. I believe that this is to put some pressure on inconsistent QB David Gerrard. But here is my problem with this, neither QB has a player to throw the ball to. They allowed last years main WR Mike Sims-Walker leave, along with 2 more WR's. I believe that both QB's will struggle, and the starter may change back and forth a few times. This is never good for an offence. RB MJD will be expected to carry the offence, but how long can he stay healthy. At his size, carrying the ball as many times as he will have to, injury is a major concern. If MJD was to get hurt, the Jags would struggle to win a game!

The Jags have improved their defence. They bought in a total of 4 LB's, 3 of which I expect to start. Posluszney, Session and Roth will greatly improve their LB core. They also bought in 2 S's - Dawan Laundry and Dwight Lowery. Again I believe that these 2 are a fantastic upgrade to that defence. The Jags will concede alot less points this year, but will really struggle to score themselves. This could be a long year for the Jags.

Tennessee Titans

Last Season : 6 - 10

Drafted Players

1st Round - Jake Locker QB
2nd Round - Akeem Ayers LB
3rd Round - Jurrell Casey DL
4th Round - Colin McCarthy LB
4th Round - Jamie Harper RB
5th Round - Karl Klug DL
6th Round - Byron Stingly OT
7th Round - Zach Clayton DT
7th Round - Tommie Campbell DB

Players in

Matt Hasselbeck QB
Daniel Graham TE
Adam Terry OT
Shaun Smith DL
Barrett Ruud LB
Frank Walker CB
Jordan Babineaux S
Anthony Smith S

Players out

Kerry Colins QB
Vince Young QB
Randy Moss WR
Bo Scaife TE
Nevin McCaskill OL
Jason Babin DL
David Thornton LB
Patrick Trahan LB
Stephen Tulloch LB

The Titans had that shocking 0 - 6 start last year, when they were expected to challenge for the division title. This year, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't win a single game. This team looks awful to me. Their main offensive threat RB Chris Johnson has only just reported for the year, following a lenghtly holdout, due to his contract. Johnson is undoubtedly one of the best RB's in the league, and was only due to be paid the minimum salary for this year. I can completely understand his holdout. The Titans held firm until this week, and then completely caved in, in my opinion, they are now overpaying Johnson. The lack of practice is a major concern for me regarding Johnson. He will surely be more susceptible to injury. Like the Jaguars, if the Titans were to lose their star RB, I believe they would also struggle to win a game. They have bought in veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck who is surely here to keep the seat warm for 1st round draft pick Jake Locker. The problem again though, is who will either QB throw to. WR Kenny Britt undoubtedly has a huge amount of talent, the only problem is that the guy is a numpty. He is likely to get suspended at any moment.

The Titans defence will struggle following the loss of DL Jason Babin and LB Stephan Tulloch. The defence will concede alot, and the offence will be inconsistent. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success to me!

AFC North Preview

2011-09-02T19:39:00.000+01:00

Baltimore Ravens

Last Season : 12 - 4

Drafted Players

1st Round - Jimmy Smith CB
2nd Round - Torrey Smith WR
3rd Round - Jah Reid OT
4th Round - Tandon Doss WR
5th Round - Chykie Brown DB
5th Round - Pernell McPhee DL
6th Round - Tyrod Taylor QB
7th Round - Anthony Allen RB

Players in

Vonte Leach FB
Bryant McKinnie T
Bernard Pollard S
Casey Rabach C
Ricky Williams RB
Lee Evans WR

Players out

Jared Gaither OT
Kelly Gregg DT
Todd Heap TE
Scott Kooistra OT
Dawan Landry S
Derrick Mason WR
Willis McGahee RB
Tony Moll T

The Ravens shocked everybody this season by allowing very experienced players (Heap, Gaither, Mason, McGahee) leave the team. Their offence did then look less effective, but they have bought in FB Leach (from the Texans) who is a very effective blocker, and should make Ray Rice's job alot easier this year. Ricky Williams came in from Miami, and I'm not sure how much he has left, but he will be good cover for Rice. 2nd round draft pick Torrey Smith and Lee Evans (in from Bills) should add a different dimension to the pass game opposite Anquan Boldin. Boldin will be the possession receiver, and the Ravens hope that Evans and Smith will stretch the field for them.

The Ravens defence should be as good as ever this year. Their 1st round draft pick CB Jimmy Smith will add some much needed cover in the secondary and their front 7, led by Ray Lewis, should still be dominant. It will be interesting to see in week one if they can get a jump start over the Steelers, by beating them in Baltimore.

Cincinnati Bengals

Last Season : 4 - 12

Drafted Players

1st Round - A.J Green WR
2nd Round - Andy Dalton QB
3rd Round - Dontay Moch DL
4th Round - Clint Boling OL
5th Round - Robert Sanders S
6th Round - Ryan Whalen WR
7th Round - Korey Lindsey CB
7th Round - Jay Finley RB

Players in

Nate Clements CB
Bruce Gradkowski QB
Thomas Howard LB
Brian Iwuh LB
Max Jean-Gillis OG
Manny Lawson LB
Bo Scaife TE

Players out

Carson Palmer QB
Kirk Chambers OT
Johnathan Joseph CB
Reggie Kelly TE
Evan Mathis OG
Isaac Stowells OG
Clint Stitser K
Terrelle Owens WR
Roy Williams S

The Bengals didn't have a great year last year, but I think that this year, they may be even worse. I believe this because of the shambles at the QB position. Carson Palmer has left, leaving 2nd round pick Andy Daulton with the starting job. I believe that Daulton will be a decent NFL QB in time, but I believe that a couple of years as a back up would have been very beneficial. They have done a good job though surrounding Daulton with decent talent, most notably 1st round draft pick WR A.J Green.

Very talented CB Johnathan Joseph has left to join the Texans. This is a big blow to an already pretty poor defence. They did bring in Nate Clements from the 49'ers to replace Joseph, lets hope for their case he is up to the job. I believe that the Bengals are really going to struggle this year, and will probably be lucky to get up to last years win total of 4 games.

Cleveland Browns

Last Season : 5 : 11

Drafted Players

1st Round - Phil Taylor DT
2nd Round - Jabaal Sheard DL
2nd Round - Greg Little WR
4th Round - Jordan Cameron TE
4th Round - Owen Marecic RB
5th Round - Buster Skrine DB
5th Round - Jason Pinkston OL
7th Round - Eric Hagg DB

Players in

John Greco OG
Brandon Jackson RB
Brett Johnson DB
Richmond McGee P
Dimitri Patterson CB
Usama Young FS
Players out

Kenyon Coleman DE
Blake Costanzo LB
Tyson DeVree TE
Sabby Piscitelli S
Matt Roth LB
Chansi Stuckey WR
Jason Trusnik LB
Lawrence Vickers FB
Floyd Womack OG
Eric Wright CB

I've got to be completely honest, the Browns are a very difficult team for me to get my head around. They are a team full of relatively unknown players, but the defiantly seem to be moving in the right direction. QB Colt McCoy has been very impressive throughout the preseason so far, and with RB Peyton Hillis, they should have a very capable offence.

The defence should be tougher to run on this year, thanks to their 1st and 2nd round draft picks, Taylor and Sheard. They also tried to improve their secondary in free agency, bringing in 2 CB's (Johnson and Patterson) and a S (Usama Young). I believe that the defence will improve as the year goes on. The Browns may well be slightly better than last year, but in my eyes, they still have a long way to go to catch the Steelers and Ravens.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Last Season : 12 - 4

Drafted Players

1st Round : Cam Heywood DT
2nd Round : Marcus Gilbert OL
3rd Round : Curtis Brown DB
4th Round : Cortez Allen DB
5th Round : Chris Carter DL
6th Round : Keith Williams OL
7th Round : Baron Batch RB

Players in

Jerricho Cotchery WR
John Gilmore TE
Kenny Moore WR

Players out

Nick Eason DE
Keyaron Fox LB
Matt Spaeth TE

The Steelers, Superbowl runners up, should be all set for another assault on the championship. You know exactly what your going to get with Pittsburgh, tough D, good running game, and QB 'Big Ben' who can make a play out of the blue. The really impressive thing for me this preseason is the talent they seem to have at the WR positions this year. Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Jerricho Cotchery, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are all very capable WR's, and don't be surprised if the Steelers throw them all on the field at the same time. This offence could be very explosive.

On the other side of the ball, the Steelers will be their usual self's. Hard hitting, quick to the ball, with S Troy Polamalu flying around. They should once again be one of the top D's in the league. I think the Steelers will win this division, but the week 1 matchup in Baltimore, could upset their season.

AFC East Preview

2011-09-01T21:36:00.000+01:00

Buffalo Bills

Last Season : 4 - 12

Players Drafted

1st Round - Marcell Dareus DT
2nd Round - Aaron Williams DB
3rd Round - Kelvin Sheppard LB
4th Round - Chris Hairston OL
5th Round - Johnny White RB
6th Round - Chris White LB
7th Round - Justin Rodgers DB
7th Round - Michael Jasper DT

Players in

Nick Barnett LB
Buster Davis WR
Lionel Dotson DT
Ruvell Martin WR
Kirk Morrison LB
Brad Smith WR
Tyler Thigpen QB

Players out

Brett Johnson DB
Aaron Myabin LB
Paul Posluszny LB
Jonathan Stuper TE
Lee Evans WR
Donte Whitner S
Aston Youboty CB

The Bills have a mountain to climb in this division. They struggled last year, and have this year allowed some of their best players (LB Paul Posluszny, WR Lee Evans and S Donte Whitner) to leave the team. Evans, now with the Ravens, was their only deep threat last year, and they don't seem to have replaced him with anybody at all. This will allow defences to double cover their main WR Stevie Johnson.

The Bills do look better though on defence. Their number 1 draft pick DT Marcell Dareus should help to clog up the holes, and hopefully provide a bit of interior pass rush. In total 6 out of the Bills 8 drafted players were defensive players. This may not be as useful as it sounds though, as LB Aaron Maybin, who was a 1st round draft choice of the Bills a couple of years back, has been released. Lets hope their talent evaluation has improved. I expect the LB's to be very good this year. They have bought in Superbowl winner Nick Barnett from the Packers, and former Charger Shawn Merriman has shown flashes of past glories. I think the defence is better, but they will still struggle to win many games.

Miami Dolphins

Last season : 7 - 9

Players drafted

1st Round - Mike Pouncey OL
2nd Round - Daniel Thomas RB
4th Round - Edmond Gates WR
6th Round - Charles Clay TE
7th Round - Frank Kearse DT
7th Round - Jimmy Wilson CB

Players in

Reggie Bush RB
Gerald Alexander S
Kevin Burnett LB
Marc Columbo OL
Ronald Fields DT
K.J Gerard DB
Marvin Mitchell LB
Matt Moore QB
David Nixon LB
Kevin O'Connell QB
Jason Taylor LB
Jason Trusnik LB
Ray Willis OT

Players out

Ronnie Brown RB
Patrick Cobbs RB
Tim Dobbins LB
Lionel Dotson DT
Al Harris CB
Terrail Lambert DB
Pat McQuiston OT
Tyler Thigpen QB
Ricky Williams RB

The Dolphins finished last year with a losing record, and will find it difficult to leap frog the Patriots and Jets in a very tough division. On the offensive side of the ball, I am looking forward to seeing how the running game will work this year. The Dolphins struggled slightly last year with ageing RB's Ronnie Brown (now with the Eagles) and Ricky Williams (now with the Ravens). They have bought in the exciting Reggie Bush, and paired him with 2nd round pick Daniel Thomas. Thomas will be the big heavy back, with Bush providing the quick, nippy option. The Dolphins need these 2 to form a solid combo to help struggling QB Chad Henne. Henne has received alot of stick over the off season, with many people saying he can never be a decent QB at this level. I feel Chad is playing for his career as a starter this year, watch this space.

The Dolphins defence is a very talented, under rated group. Last year was their first under DC Mike Nolan. He had the Dolphins ranked 6th on that side of the ball, in the NFL. With another year of teaching his system, and another years experience for all of the young players there, I believe they will e better again this year. I think the Dolphins will be in many close games, can QB Chad Henne squeak out enough wins though, to challenge the Patriots and the Jets?

New England Patriots

Last season : 14 - 2

Players Drafted

1st Round - Nate Solder OT
2nd Round - Ras-I Dowling DB
2nd Round - Shane Vereen RB
3rd Round - Stevan Ridley RB
3rd Round - Ryan Mallett QB
5th Round - Marcus Cannon OL
5th Round - Lee Smith TE
6th Round - Markell Carter LB
7th Round - Malcolm Williams DB

Players in

Chad Ochocinco WR
Albert Haynesworth DT
Mark Anderson DE
Andre Carter LB
James Ihedigobo S
Niko Koutouvides LB
Chris Morris C

Players out

Tony Carter DB
Shayne Graham K
Quinn Ojinnaka G
Ty Warren DE

The Patriots have for many years been the class of this division. They haven't loss any one of significance this off season, but they have bought in some very talented players. WR Chad Ochocinco, and DT Albert Haynesworth were seen as risky pick ups by many, but I believe both wil work out well for the Pats.
Chad Ochocinco knows that his career is coming towards its final years, and this will be his best opportunity to win a Superbowl. Therefore look for alot less clowning around from Chad, (Belichick wouldn't stand for half of what hes done in the past) and look for him to become Tom Brady's favorite target.

Haynesworth talent is immense in the right system (3-4) which he showed to good effect in Tennessee. The Redskins picked him up and gave him a MASSIVE contract, before deciding to go with the 4-3 defence. Needless to say, 'Big Alb' wasn't happy, and the Redskins never saw the best of him. Now back in a 3-4, with HC Bill Belichick devising ways to put him in the right positions, I think Haynesworth will be hungry for success, and dominant. I also expect the young secondary to look better, with a further years experience under their belts. I expect the Pats to win alot of games again this year, but just look out for teams that choose to blitz Brady alot. The Jets proved in the playoffs last year that it can work, as did the Lions last week.

New York Jets

Last season : 11 - 5

Players Drafted

1st Round - Muhammed Wilkerson DT

3rd Round - Kendrick Ellis DL

4th Round - Bilal Powell RB

5th Round - Jeremy Kerley WR

7th Round - Greg McElroy QB
7th Round - Scotty McKnight WR

Players in

Derrick Mason WR
Plaxico Burress WR
Aaron Maybin LB
Donald Strickland DB

Players out

Braylon Edwards WR
Damien Woody T
Jason Taylor LB
Brad Smith WR
Steve Weatherford P
Vernon Gholdston LB
Drew Coleman S
Kris Jenkins DT

The Jets have reached the AFC championship game in the last 2 seasons, but still have yet to crack the Superbowl. QB Mark Sanchez is improving year after year, and will need to, if the Jets are to overtake the Patriots in this tough division. The Jets lost 2nd WR Braylon Edwards in free agency, but bought in veterans Derrick Mason (from Ravens) and Plaxico Burress (from prison). I think these 2 will be adequate to replace Edwards.

The Jets have a very good defence on the whole. CB Darrelle Revis is probably the best in the business, and his partner again this year will be Antonio Cromartie. The Jets were going to allow Cromartie to leave, and bring in Nnamdi Asomugha from the Raiders. But when Nnamdi joined the Eagles, the Jets asked Cromartie to come back, and he obliged. The 2 CB's spent alot of last year in 1 on 1, man to man coverage, as the Jets blitzed alot. A major reason for all this blitzing was their inability to get to the QB with their DL. This is why their 1st and 2nd round draft picks were spent on DL (Wilkerson and Ellis). If these players do manage to put alot of pressure onto the QB, allowing the Jets to only blitz as a surprise (and not every down) I believe this defence can challenge the Steelers, as the best defence in the NFL. The Jets should win alot of games again this year, but I'm not convinced they will win the division over the Patriots.

Preseason Week 3 - Sunday and Monday Games

2011-08-31T12:37:00.000+01:00

Saints 40 Raiders 20

Jets 17 Giants 3

Pre Season Week 3 - Thursday, Friday and Saturday Games.

2011-08-30T18:54:00.000+01:00

Panthers 13 Bengals 24

Browns 14 Eagles 24

Redskins 31 Ravens 34

Packers 24 Colts 21

Rams 14 Chiefs 10

Jaguars 32 Bills 35 OT

Falcons 16 Steelers 34

Dolphins 13 Bucaneers 17

Patriots 10 Lions 34

Cowboys 23 Vikings 17

Texans 30 49'ers 7

Bears 13 Titans 14

Seahawks 20 Broncos 23

Chargers 34 Cardinals 31

Preseason Week 2 - Sunday and Mondays Games

2011-08-23T19:22:00.000+01:00

Bengals 7 Jets 27

Chargers 20 Cowboys 7

Bears 13 Giants 41

Preseason Week 2 : Saturday Nights Games

2011-08-21T09:03:00.000+01:00

Here are Saturdays highlights from the NFL preseason

Saints 14 Texans 27

Raiders 3 49'ers 17

Titans 16 Rams 17

Bills 10 Broncos 24

Vikings 20 Seahawks 7

Pre Season Week 2 : Friday Nights Games

2011-08-20T20:47:00.000+01:00

Here are the highlights from all the games on Friday night:

Redskins 16 Colts 3

Chiefs 13 Ravens 31

Lions 30 Browns 28

Panthers 10 Dolphins 20

Cardinals 20 Packers 28

Falcons 13 Jaguars 15

Thursday Nights Highlights

2011-08-19T19:17:00.001+01:00

Here are the highlights from last nights games

Patriots @ Buccaneers

Eagles @ Steelers

Is the kickoff return a thing of the past??

2011-08-17T16:33:00.000+01:00

The first week of pre season is complete, all teams have been out on the field once, so what have we learned? There are QB, and other position, battles going on all over the NFL. But the biggest story for me from week 1, was to do with a rule change.

Over the offseason, the NFL have being coming up with ways to make the game more 'safe'. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of player safety, and I hate to see players getting hurt. But the change of the kickoff position, from the 30 yard line, to the 35 yard line, will dramatically change the face of the game, in many ways. A kickoff return, in my view, is one of the most exciting plays in football. To see Devin Hester or Josh Cribbs catch the ball and go the length of the field, at lightening speed, weaving their way through 11 would be tacklers, is an amazing sight. This rule change may have just taken that play out of the game.

The first reason for this is that these NFL kickers have huge legs. They were able to kick the ball through the endzone with the ball on the 30, so most of them will be able to from the 35. We did see this as a trend this past week, with kickoff after kickoff going through the endzone for a touchback. Even if for whatever reason, the kicker doesn't quite manage to clear the endzone, the returner will be receiving the ball 5 - 7 yards deep in the endzone, a position that they would not have dreamed of trying a return from in previous years. Another factor here is that the coverage teams have also got a 5 yard advantage. They are going to be on top of the returner alot sooner than before. So the fact that he is deeper in the endzone, and the fact that the coverage unit is on top of him sooner, make it highly likely, that the returner will take a knee, and accept the touchback. This is a trend that we saw play out, in most of the games over the weekend.

If I was a fan of the Browns or the Bears, for example, I would be very annoyed at this new rule. We all know that Hester and Cribbs can turn a game on its head with one of their great returns. We all remember Hesters opening kickoff return in the Superbowl against the Colts. But, lets be honest for a second, the Browns in particular, don't have the best offence in the world. In some games Josh Cribbs on punt and kickoff returns, is their best offensive weapon. Now the NFL is taking this weapon away from them, as well as de-valuing the player. Alot of the players that return, are not talented enough to play at other positions on the field. They are very explosive, but cannot play WR or CB to a high standard. These players may in time be forced out of the league. This, in my opinion, is a travesty.

As I said earlier, I know what the NFL are trying to do, and I agree that if the game can be made safer for the players, then it should be. This rule change though, is a step to far for me. Let me know what you think on this matter, email - nflgbview@googlemail.com or twitter - http://tinyurl.com/4426k9g or leave a comment.

Also take a look at the fantasy and predictions tabs, to see how you can compete against me this year in both nflgbview's championship fantasy football or nflgbview pick em - predicting each match.

Fridays Pre Season Storylines

2011-08-12T21:12:00.000+01:00

It was great to see live football again last night, after the doom and gloom of the lockout. All matches from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, will be reviewed here on Sunday. But for now, what games are happening tonight, and what should you be looking out for?

Dolphins @ Falcons

The visiting Dolphins have a lot of questions to answer on the offensive side of the ball. Alot of the talk in the off season has been about QB Chad Henne. Henne's performances last season were not great, and the fans wanted him replaced. It will be a huge year for Henne this year. Can he prove that the organisation were right to keep him?? Also keep an eye on the RB situation. Newcomer Reggie Bush and rookie Daniel Thomas, are looking to replace veterans Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

All the talk in the off season in Atlanta has also been about the offence. During the draft, the Falcons traded multiple draft picks, to trade up and take WR Julio Jones. Jones is a very talented WR, and the Falcons clearly believe that he is the missing piece that they need to get them to the Superbowl. Are they correct to think this way?

Bengals @ Lions

The Bengals are almost certain to be starting a rookie QB (Andy Dalton) come the opening day of the season. To make things worse, their best WR for years (Chad Ochocinco) has left town, and is now catching passes from Tom Brady in New England. They did take WR A.J Green in the first round of the draft, but with this broken off season, will he be anywhere near as effective as Ochocinco could have been? It will be very interesting to see the Dalton - Green combination.

The Lions have a very young, exciting team, and were really looking forward to the new season. Since training camp opened though, they have received injuries to 2 rookies, DT Nick Fairley and RB Mikel Leshore. Leshore is actually out for the whole season, because of his torn achilles. The Lions bought in veteran RB's Mike Bell and Jerome Harrison to help Javid Best run the ball. Tonight it will be intersting to see who catches the eye.

Steelers @ Redskins

The Steelers starters almost pick themselves, and the main objective for them tonight, is to make sure none of the pick up an injury. I expect that the Steelers starters will only play one series, then take the rest of the night off. Will be interesting to see what they have lower down the depth chart, but not much to keep an eye on here.

If the Steelers are set up and ready to go, the Redskins could not be further behind. With last years QB Donovan McNaab now in Minnesota, the Redskins are searching for this years starter. Up step John Beck and Rex Grossman, o dear! These 2 are the reason that the Redskins will finish bottom of the NFC East standings this year, no matter who starts. I'm looking forward to seeing their defence though, I think that they could be very good - they are going to need to be.

Buccaneers @ Chiefs

The Wembley bound Buccaneers, start their 2011 campaign in Kansas City. To be completely honest I'm struggling quite a lot to pick out an individual thing to look out for, for either team. The Chiefs and Buccs rosters are loaded up with young players, so expect to see a lot of mistakes in this game. This off season has been a nightmare for young teams, as they have been unable to practice together. I expect to see some exciting plays, and some stupid mistakes in this very unpredictable matchup. One player I am looking forward to seeing is Buccs QB Josh Freeman. I want to see how he has developed as a leader over the off season.

49'ers @ Saints

The 49'ers decided to stick with what they know with QB Alex Smith, and bought in WR Braylon Edwards to give him a solid option in the pass game. With Michael Crabtree looking likely to miss most of the preseason, the Smith - Edwards combo is likely to be developed by coaching staff intensely. Another position to keep an eye on here is the secondary spots. The 49'ers have bought in S's Dashon Goldston and Donte Whitner, as well as CB's Carlos Rodgers and Madieu Williams. Improving the secondary was obviously a priority, so has it worked?

The Saints (like the Steelers) are pretty much set at all positions, and their primary goal will be to finish this game injury free. A couple of new faces though that will be looking to make an impact were 1st round picks RB Mark Ingram, and DE Cam Jordan. The Saints were praised by everyone following the addition of these 2 players in April. Tonight is their first opportunity to prove the organisation made the right choices.

Check back here tomorrow for Saturdays story lines.

Thursday Pre Season Storylines

2011-08-10T20:33:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow night will see the beginning of the pre-season. Five games will happen tomorrow night, with the rest of the teams playing over the weekend. Here we can take a look at the story lines, and things to look out for in each game.

Jaguars @ Patriots

The big talking point for the visiting Jaguars here is who will be the starting QB. Previous starter David Garrard injured his back last week at training camp, therefore all eyes turn to rookie Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert was selected 10th overall in the draft in April, but I'm sure the Jaguars didn't expect him to start so soon. It will be interesting to see how he copes against a decent Pats defence here. 3rd string QB Luke McCown and recently signed Todd Bouman will back up the rookie.

The Patriots have added many very interesting pieces through the off-season, and it will be great to see how they put them all together. WR Chad Ochocinco will look to make an instant impact in what is a very talented offence, and look to cement himself as one of Tom Brady's favorite targets. On the defensive side of the ball I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of impact DT Albert Haynesworth can make. Haynesworth's stay in Washington was full of controversy, but if anyone can kick him into shape, the Patriots can. The formation will suit, lets see what happens.

Ravens @ Eagles

The visiting Ravens have a few questions to answer on offence. With the departure of TE Todd Heap, and WR Derrick Mason who will QB Joe Flacco look for? One player who looks set for a huge year is RB Ray Rice. He is a great pass catching RB, and with the addition of FB Vonta Leach (who is a fantastic lead blocker) he should be able to run the ball more effectively than ever. He also has a new spell back in Ricky Williams. Flacco though, needs someone else to throw the ball to. Who will it be?

The Eagles will be able to showcase to their hometown crowd, their vastly changed roster. There is now a whole lot of pressure on the Eagles following all of their additions, and talk of them being a 'dream team'. This will be our first look at their new look defence (including new CB's Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, as well as DT Cullen Jenkins). Also it will be interesting to see what kind of playbook new back up QB Vince Young will run.

Seahawks @ Chargers - live on ESPN UK

The visiting Seahawks have a whole host of new faces on offence, and I can't wait to see what they look like. New QB Tavaris Jackson has alot of pressure on him. Following the departure of veteran Matt Hasselbeck, HC Pete Carroll decided that Jackson was his guy, but many Seahawks fans aren't convinced. Tarvaris did though bring his favorite target with him from Minnesota, WR Syndey Rice. Will he help Jackson through?

The main question surrounding the Chargers is what is going to happen at the RB position. Ryan Matthews showed promise in his rookie season last year, before getting injured. Mike Tolbert stepped in last year, and played very well. Will Tolbert stay as the number 1? Will Matthews be given that role back? Or will they split time?

Broncos @ Cowboys

There is only one thing being talked about in Denver at the moment, Who is the starting QB? Kyle Orton was on the trading block once the lockout was lifted, and it seemed that the Tim Tebow era was going to begin. But as no trade was executed, and with Orton out performing Tebow at training camp, Orton seems to be the starter, against many of the fans wishes. There are reports coming out of Broncos camp that not only Kyle Orton is performing better than Tebow, Brady Quinn is also.

This is a huge year for the Cowboys. Following a very poor season last year, the very passionate fans will accept nothing less than drastic improvement from Americas team. QB Tony Romo is back, with all of his major players (WR's Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and TE Jason Witten) and they have to put up points. But the area the Cowboys need to improve most is their pass defence. Their secondary was shocking last year. Have they made the nessiciary improvements?

Cardinals @ Raiders

Of course the big talking point with the Cardinals is new addition QB Kevin Kolb. Kolb played well in Philly last year when he started, and the Card's payed a high price for him, so here comes the pressure. I expect him to look for star WR Larry Fitzgerald early and often here, and for the rest of the year.

The Raiders are - the Raiders. I sadly think that they may have taken a step back this year, thanks to the loss of TE Zach Miller, who was their top receiver last year. RB Michael Bush is back to share the load with Darren McFadden, and those 2 will have to carry the offence in my opinion. I hope for Raiders fans sake, that I'm wrong.

So thats what to look out for Thursday night, check back tomorrow, and take a look at what we will be looking out for on Friday night. If you agree or dis-agree with any of these points let me know email - nflgbview@googlemail.com twitter - nflgbview or leave a comment.

Almost Football Time!!!

2011-08-09T21:35:00.001+01:00

We have just 2 days to wait for the first live NFL action of the 2011 season. I don't know about you, but I can't wait. Take a look at this video to help pass the time.

If you have any favorite NFL videos on youtube, let me know, and the best video will get posted on here. Get in touch by email nflgbview@googlemail.com, twitter - nflgbview, or leave a comment.

The crazy days continue

2011-08-08T21:03:00.000+01:00

Since my last post, just over a week ago, there has been plenty more player movement in the NFL. Here is a breakdown, position by position:

QB

Derek Anderson to the Panthers
Davis Carr to the Giants
Trent Edwards to the Raiders
Vince Young to the Eagles

The big name here is obviously Vince Young. The Eagles were in need of a 2nd QB following the trade of Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals, and it isn't the easiest job to find somebody to back up Michael Vick. His skill set is very unique, and he also gets injured with regularity. VY is the perfect back up in my eyes. He has played in the league, and would be ready at any moment should Vick get injures. Also, his skill set is similar to Vick's, so should he need to step in, the Eagles wouldn't have to change their offence much at all.

RB

Marion Barber to the Bears
Ronnie Brown to the Eagles
Tim Hightower to the Redskins
Brandon Jackson to the Browns
Jerious Norwood to the Rams
Cadillac Williams to the Rams

There are many big names on this list, but all of them have alot of miles on the clock. The Eagles were again the big movers here. Ronnie Brown has had a great career in Miami, and he will be a fantastic spell back for LeSean McCoy. The Rams bought in Cadillac and Norwood, which I really like. Steven Jackson is a great RB, but they ask him to do way to much in St. Louis. The addition of these 2, will help ease the pressure on him.

WR

Plaxico Burress to the Jets
Braylon Edwards to the 49'ers
Derek Haden to the Raiders
Johnnie Lee Higgins to the Eagles
Sam Hurd to the Bears
Michael Jenkins to the Vikings
Legedu Naanee to the Panthers
Laurent Robinson to the Chargers
Mike Sims-Walker to the Rams
Maurice Stovall to the Lions
Chansi Stuckey to the Cardinals

The big talking point here is that the Jets lost Braylon Edwards to the 49'ers, due to the fact they couldn't pay everybody, and decided to replace him with former Giant Plaxico Burress. Plax of course spent time in prison for a gun related incident, and you have to wonder if he is capable of being a full time starter opposite Santonio Holmes.

TE

Kevin Boss to the Raiders
Daniel Fells to the Broncos
John Gilmore to the Steelers
Daniel Graham to the Titans
Todd Heap to the Cardinals
Donald Lee to the Eagles
Zach Miller to the Seahawks
Ben Patrick to the Giants
Dante Rosiaro to the Broncos
Bo Scaife to the Bengals

Some big names here. Todd Heap has been bought in by the Cardinals to give Kevin Kolb a big target over the middle. Zach Miller has also been bought in to help Tavaris Jackson. Once again the Eagles have been active. Lee is a big pass catching TE, and he will give Vick just one more option.

OL

Jonathan Goodwin to the 49'ers
Olin Kreutz to the Saints
Chris Morris to the Patriots
Casey Rabach to the Ravens
Chris Spencer to the Bears
Max Jean-Gilles to the Bengals
Evan Mathis to the Eagles
Jason Spitz to the Jaguars
Floyd Womack to the Cardinals
Alex Barron to the Saints
Marc Colombo to the Dolphins
Ryan Harris to the Eagles
Stephon Heyer to the Raiders
Charlie Johnson to the Vikings
Sean Locklear to the Redskins
Pat McQuistan to the Titans
Quinn Ojinnaka to the Rams

The Saints bought in veteran C Olin Kreutz from the Bears, who will help sure up an already loaded team. The Dolphins took Marc Colombo from the Cowboys, and now have 4 former 1st round picks on their O line. The Eagles couldn't miss on any position, as they took Harris and Mathis, who will help create competition, and improve everyone on the O line.

DL

Mark Anderson to the Patriots
Jamaal Anderson to the Colts
Keyunta Dawson to the Lions
Shaun Ellis to the Patriots
Cullen Jenkins to the Eagles
Turk McBride to the Saints

Once again, the Eagles swooped for the biggest name on the board. Cullen Jenkins from the Superbowl winning Packers. He is a very dominant interior pass rusher. He will help to heap pressure onto opposing QB's, forcing them to release the ball extremely early.

LB

Antwan Applewhite to the 49'ers
Nick Barnett to the Bills
Stuart Bradley to the Cardinals
Kevin Burnett to the Dolphins
Blake Costanzo to the 49'ers
Zac Diles to the Rams
Keyaron Fox to the Redskins
Omar Gaither to the Panthers
Will Herring to the Saints
Travis LaBoy to the Chargers
Manny Lawson to the Bengals
Brady Poppinga to the Rams
Barrett Ruud to the Titans
Brandon Siler to the Chiefs
Ernie Sims to the Colts
Jason Taylor to the Dolphins
Jason Trusnik to the Dolphins
Stephen Tulloch to the Lions

Jason Taylor has been bought back into the fold in Miami. He won't be a starter there, but he will be a great help to OLB's Wake and Missi. He will be able to contribute though, as he showed with his 1st play at training camp, where he got a sack. The Phins also bought in Kevin Burnett. He will slot in next to Karlos Dansby. These 2 should be able to create big plays and turnovers. Stuart Bradley will be a big help in Arizona if they can keep him fit.

CB

Nnamdi Asomugha to the Eagles
Nate Clements to the Bengals
Drew Coleman to the Jaguars
Maurice Leggett to the Lions
Richard Marshall to the Cardinals
Trumaine McBride to the Saints
Dimitri Paterson to the Browns
Carlos Rodgers to the 49'ers
Frank Walker to the Titans
Fabian Washington to the Saints
Eric Wright to the Lions

The Biggest name, ONCE AGAIN, ended up in Philly. Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the best 2 CB's in the league, without doubt. He will line up on the opposite side to Rogers-Cromartie, who they got in the Kolb trade. With Cullen Jenkins pressing up the middle, and these 2 in the secondary, the Eagles should be a turnover machine.

S

Husain Abdullah to the Cardinals
Jordan Babineaux to the Titans
Sean Considine to the Panthers
Abram Elam to the Cowboys
Paul Oliver to the Saints
Jareed Page to the Eagles
Sabby Piscitelli to the Chiefs
Bernard Pollard to the Ravens
Donte Whitner to the 49'ers
Madieu Williams to the 49'ers
Usama Young to the Browns

No real big names here. But the 49'ers bought in 2 guys to try and sure up their leaky secondary. Of course the Eagles had to bring someone in. That was Jareed Page.

P

Brad Maynard to the Texans
Sav Rocca to the Redskins
Matt Turk to the Jaguars
Steve Weatherford to the Giants

K

Shayne Graham to the Redskins
Jeff Reed to the Seahawks

So the Free agent period rolls on, but training camps have begun, and we are only 3 days away from the first pre season games of the year. Make sure you follow me on twitter, as I get the breaking news out on there ASAP. In the next few weeks I will preview each team individually, as well as giving match reports from all of the pre season games.

Its great to be back talking football, but the fun is about to begin on Thursday Night, with the Seahawks @ Chargers live on ESPN UK on Fri at 1am.