The Fan's NFL

2012 NFL MOCK DRAFT 1-5

2012-04-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

1' Andrew Luck. The sure bet. The next great one. Enough to get rid of arguably the best QB ever. I hope he does well, however, I see flaws in his game that scare me a little, not a lot but just a little. His mid field reads will not be as simple as the PAC ten was last year. I have said it all along and I am going to stick to. Yes. He is an extremely gifted QB, but is he more a product of hype from the media or is he the real deal? Only time will tell.

2. RGIII no doubt and I have No problems with him what so ever. I believe he is faster, stronger, more accurate and...wait for it...SMARTER than luck is. RGIII has no Ryan Leaf red flags and he is a beautiful player to watch. Redskins may have made the best move in this draft before the first name is read.

3. M Kalil. Best LT in the draft. Not much more to say about that. Bradford upright or David Carr II...easy pick

4. Trent Richardson. Browns could go so many ways but here i am not going to be doing trades so you take a huge need at RB and to a me, it does not get much better than Richardson. he should start from day 1 and will be a huge asset in the west coast offense.

What did we learn today?

2011-06-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

The Bengals may very well lose a great D-cord to an NFL head coaching position by next year.

Chad Pennington will not play in 2011..no matter what happens with the CBA.

Umenyiora and Mccoy continue their war of words...

Several NFL players could face stiff suspensions with connection with casino

Why America needs the NFL.

2011-06-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

I am the average American NFL fan. I am not in the top 10% of American income, so I have to work for a living. I have felt the impact of the sinking economy in America but no matter how bad things get, I can always escape into the game that I love, football. More specifically, NFL football. Sports has a way of taking you away from your problems, if for only three hours. Every September, all my problems feel much more manageable because I know every Sunday, at 1 pm, I can forget whatever troubles me and immerse myself in football. In my experience I have found that the easiest way to bond with your fellow American man, is to talk sports. Most men follow some sports and there is no bigger sporting institution in America than the NFL. I have watched grown men turn into children when they watch their favorite NFL team play. From irrational screaming and cussing like a sailor when their team fumbles, to jumping up and down like joyous maniacs when their team hits a 50 yard bomb for a touchdown. It truly is a simplistic and yet powerful joy that it gives to those that love it.
September 11th, 2001. A day that changed America forever. With so much lost, we turned to America's game to raise the spirits of a Nation. I was in college, at a sports bar with all of my friends when the first games were played after 9/11. They were filled with American flags, American anthems, and American pride and for a few hours, we were all distracted from the horror that we felt just days earlier. It was at that moment, as I watched tears of sadness pour during the National Anthem change to tears of joy as our team won, that I realized how powerful and wonderful the NFL is to it's fans. So here we are ten years later and looking at a possibility that on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 we may also lose the game that has helped so many people get through some very tough times. We need the NFL. When you have a bright light to look forward to at the end of the week, it helps the week move quicker. It helps us fight through hard times because we get to cheer for our heroes. We need the NFL. In a time when unemployment casts a shadow over our country, We need the NFL. The NFL is what it is because of the fans and when the smoke clears and September 11, 2011 comes, I hope the spirit of America is rewarded by the game that is ours because even at our worst moments the NFL can give the fans some relief from their problems and we need it.

The DUMBASS of the day!

2011-06-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today's special honor goes to Titan's WR Kenny Britt. Second arrest in three months. Kenny got busted for weed. What a shock. Two cops try to handcuff him but he resisted. Way to go Kenny! you did it! You are the Dumbass of the day. Congrats go out to Kenny and any other turd that can't prioratize Their NFL career, Millions of dollars and the simple fact that you ARE in the NFL, over the sticky icky!
We, the fans, applaud you, kenny..the dumbass of the day!

Oh,how far we have come as NFL fans.

2011-06-09T18:04:00.001-07:00

One of my first memories of NFL football was as a child growing up in Cincinnati. The Bengals just won the freezer bowl against the Chargers and the local media coverage was all about the Bengals. However, and maybe because I was just a kid, I dont remember too many player interviews, and the national exposure was definitely not what it is today. The only feedback we would get on our team would be from other fans. What a difference 3 decades make! In today's world, we as fans, are down right spoiled....and I love it! From what Chad Ochocinco had for breakfast today all the way from every teams message boards, we are in NFL overload. We (I certainly do) take for granted how much information is streamed to us on a minute to minute basis. A perfect example is the CBA. The last work stoppage was the 1987 season. From a Fans stand point any updates we would receive would be the local news or sportscenter. Outside of that we really had no idea of what was going on and when play would resume. Now the NFL has its own TV channel, its own website, blog, twitter, facebook....you get the point. We can tell you how every meeting between the NFL and NFLPA has gone. What were posatives and negatives that came from each meeting. Even what they had for lunch. Now the AVERAGE NFL fan knows more about the NFL than the most avid fan's of the 70's ,80' and 90's. Is this a good thing for Fan's? Well, yes and no. It is great for die hards that need their NFL fix, but it also can suck you in and the next thing you know, you have been online reading 10 different articles about 10 different topics and 3 hours has passed. I for one am extremely happy that I have so many opinions to read and can then form my own opinion on whatever NFL topic is floating around on any given day. My wife, on the other hand, probably wishes the NFL did not exist at all. So, to all of my fellow die hard NFL fans out there, log on, watch the highlights from a game 5 years ago, follow your team up to the minute and try not to let your head explode from NFL overload.

What did we learn today?

2011-06-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

Pacman Jones says "DAMN HIM" about Palmers absense.

Kenny Britt, have you met reality yet? Good lord.arrested again!

Ricky Williams wants to retire and play as a Dolphin...Again.

Happy is good when it comes to both NFL and NFLPA talks

Alex Smith may have stated his chances with a lockout.

As Fan's, How would the loss of games or a season affect our love for the game?

2011-06-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am a Die Hard NFL fan. College football is a 2nd cousin in terms of my love for the the NFL. I eat it, breathe it and live it everyday and now we as fans are looking at the real possibility of losing games, if not an entire season. So, when I really think about how my love for the game will be affected, I am surprised with my answer because in my heart of hearts I know that when the NFL comes back to full strength, my love will still be right there. My NFL Sunday Ticket will be on. I will watch every game with the same passion as I did before. This is what TRUE NFL fans should be saying as well. I have heard people say "well, I am not going to watch anymore games because of this crap!"...Well, yes you are. The second the first snap is taken, we will all forget about what it took to get there. Football, in my opinion, is the greatest GAME ever invented and watching it be played at the highest level, well, nothing compares to it. From Drew Brees to Jake Long, every Fan base has their heroes. We all have our favorite teams and we will all continue to watch them play. Will I be upset if there is no football in 2011? Absolutely. However it will fade when the brilliance of football is played. God willing, there will not be a loss of games in 2011, but even if there is, the true love will shine on and that love is based around the game of football itself. Negotiations between companies and unions happens every day. We are all just alot closer to the one between the NFL and NFLPA. It sucks, no doubt but it will be settled and then we can all get back to cheering on our teams, sitting on our couches on Sundays, yelling like madmen when our teams screw up and Cheering like little kids when we score. It is true love, It is Blind Faith, It is America's Game, It is the NFL!....and I love it!

Terrelle Pryor: The highest Supplemental Draft pick in NFL history.

2011-06-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Terrelle Pryor announced today that he will be leaving THE Ohio State University. To go to Delaware? To go to Mount Union? No, in all likely hood to go into the supplemental draft and join the ranks of the NFL. I am torn on whether or not he should or should not. He is not going to transfer to another D-1 school and sit out a year. It is not going to happen so all of you die hard college fans can rest assure that he will never play division 1 college football again. His other option would be to go to a D-II school and play right away, but, why? To rack up nonsense yards against inferior players? Or god forbid he played bad and became a laughing stock. No, Pryor will use his resume, which includes the number 1 recruited player coming out of high school and some stellar years at OSU to try and become the highest player taken in the supplemental NFL draft.. He never reached his total potential at OSU and most likely would have this season had he not completely screwed up his and his coaches careers at OSU. So, the odds are that he will likely enter the supplemental NFL draft and become the highest taken supplemental draft pick ever. Pryor would have been next year's Cam Newton and Cam went Number 1, so if I was a betting man (and I am), I am betting that Pryor may garnish a 2nd or an unheard of 1st round supplemental pick. Pryor may actually be better than Newton is and actually may become a quality starter in the NFL. I just do not know if it will be at QB. He will absolutely be drafted as a QB and since he comes from a much more complex offense than Cam came from (make one read, then run!), he may have a chance to be a productive QB in the NFL. I have seen players go into the Sup Draft that had similar circumstances to Pryor's that have had decent careers, but never a QB. So this is a first for all of us. With no real football news to report, the media is going to have a field day with the Pryor to the NFL story and that fact alone will raise his draft status. When the dust settles Pryor WILL be the highest Supplemental draft QB taken with a 2nd round or maybe the UNHEARD of 1st round pick. I know 1st rounders have gone gefore but Pryor has the chance to be THE highest Supp pick in history. Let the Pryor bonanza begin!!

Post draft analysis: AFC East.

2011-06-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

BUFFALO BILLS

BOOM! : Marcell Dareus. DL.
It is really hard to not love Dareus. Early on in the draft process I saw so many Mock Drafts that had Fairley going higher than Dareus and this just puzzled me. No knock on Fairley but Dareus has done in more than just one year. I think most Alabama fans would tell you that in 09 when both Dareus an Mt. Cody played next to each other, it was Dareus that made Cody better and not the other way around. Marcell is not just a big body to fill inside but he has so much strength to get off blocks that he will most likely always draw double teams. I love the pick and I love that the Bills did not go QB or WR which they could have used. Dareus will be a day 1 starter and should help the rest of Buffalo's DL better.

BUST : Aaron Williams, DB.
My reason for Williams being a bust pick are oddly enough not because of his talent. This bust goes to the Bills Organization because they did NOT draft Andy Dalton. Dalton had fallen to them and they need a franchise QB. I am no where near being sold on Fitzpatrick as a long term solution at QB. So unless they plan on losing every game this season and guarantee themselves a chance at Andrew Luck, the Bills will regret this pick. Williams is a decent talent but he is more upside than proven and that is a gamble. Williams will most likely play nickle or slot CB this season and he may be a very good starter in years to come, but when Dalton is picking defenses apart in two years from now they are going to be kicking themselves.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS.

BOOM!: Shane Vereen RB
The Pats show once again why they are the standard of excellence in the NFL. They ALWAYS get so much talent every draft. Vereen will be a stud in Tom Brady's offense. He is not a complete burner but his balance is incredible. He has great vision and best of all, he has excellent receiving skills. He will be another tremendous pick for the PATS and will be an explosive checkdown for Brady. I see him working himself into the rotation of backs from day 1 and separating himself by midseason.

BUST: Nate Solder OL

I actually like this pick IF Solder lives up to "potential". He is huge at 6'8 and has great reach, but he was too inconstant for me to say he is a sure fire replacement for Matt Light. He has the tools, he has the intelligence, but if watch the tape on him, he lacks that "grit" that I would want in a premier LT in the NFL. I don't know if he is nasty enough to play RT so that concerns me. Again if potential were reality, then Jamarcus Russel would still be in Oakland. I have a hunch that since he is with the PATS he will be just fine, but it may have been a reach at 17. Prediction: He will rotate in the O-line and may even start out playing RG, but will eventually be the LT of the future for the PATS, IF he lives up to his "potential" (I hate that word!!!!)

NEW YORK JETS:

BOOM! Muhammad Wilkerson DL.
It is hard not to get excited about Wilkerson, even if you are a moron Jets fan that Boo's any pick other than a skill position at the draft. Wilkerson is BIG, STRONG, and QUICK. What else can you want out of a DT. I had him projected right behind Dareus as a top DL coming into this years draft. With Jenkins hobbling and getting older, Wilkerson is in a great position to get in early and often and could actually be an upgrade from Jenkins.He will command double, if not triple teams and very well could end up being the best interior DL in this entire draft. Prediction: Day 1 starter. Immediate impact player.

BUST: Bilal Powell RB

I had to go to the 4th rounder to pick as my bust. He is another one year wonder that could or could not be successful in the enigma that playing Running Back in the NFL. Not very big. Not very strong and not very fast. Well, that about sums up what I think about Powell. He had some impressive plays for Louisville this year but it still is hard to evaluate a player with only one year of tape. My bet is he will make the team because he was a 4th rounder, but after that he will play special teams at beat this year. Especially if LT comes back and plays well.

MIAMI DOLPHINS:

BOOM: Daniel Thomas.
Love this pick. Especially with the thought of Ronnie Brown not being a Dolphin next season. Thomas has great quickness and good size. He just has a knack for making big plays and making LB's miss.If he can translate everything I have seen on him to the NFL game, he will be a starter. He has the advantage of not having to learn as much of a playbook as other positions so he could very well be starting early and often: Prediction: A starter for the Dolphins by week 8.

BUST: Mike Pouncey.

This is another hard pick for me to label as a bust. However, is he the product of what he did or how much success his brother had as a rookier for Shittsburg? I definitely think Pouncey has great talent but what concerns me is how he will be able to handle the rotation of 3-4 and 4-3 looks he will get early and often. A center has to be just as intelligent as a QB when it comes to line calls and alot of times the QB is listening to his calls first then making his own adjustments off of that.My burning question is "is he riding his brother's success into the NFL?". My guess is if he did not have a brother that was so successful, he may have dropped into the 2nd or 4rd round. Time will tell, but my prediction is he will not start year one unless it is at RG. He will get his chance at center but he may turn out to be a liability at Center.

What did we learn today?

2011-06-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

"YES!!" Marv Alberts brings his fishnet panties to CBS

Reggie, you can add "costing my College team their Nationial championship" to your resume

The Bengals continue the NFL trend of worthless workouts

Hey Archie! Manning's dad is being, well..a dad.

Plax is Back!

2011-06-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Paxico Burres got released from prison after serving 20 months. I for one am glad to have him back. When ever a player in his prime has to step aways from the game, it sucks. I do not care what he did. I don't cant what the public thinks of him. All I know is he is a top tier WR and hopefully we see more highlight clips of him other than comments from the peanut gallery about what a terrible citizen he is. He has more than paid his price for a stupid mistake that he obviously regrets.This is similar to what happened to Vick and he turned out just fine. The thought of seeing Vick throwing passes to Burress is not only exciting, but could be down right dangerous with the combo of Jackson/Maclin on the same field.The rumors have already begun, and they are linking Burress with the Eagles and that makes sense in so many ways, but it also gives two guys (Vick and Plax) a chance to put their pasts way behind them and compete for a championship.

Post draft analysis: AFC NORTH

2011-06-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

1. Cleveland Browns:
BUST: Phil Taylor.

Two words come to mind: Fat and turd. To me this is a weird pick. He is supposed to replace Shaun Rogers at the 1 technique or Nose Tackle to the lay man, in the 3-4 scheme that Cleveland is running. Here is the problem, Shaun Rogers is better. Period. End of story. Taylor's biggest knock is how he does not finish plays and lacks stamina. and that was one of the beefs with Rogers, so why even take a chance on a guy that is similar to the guy you want out? Yeah he is Massive at 6'3 and 340 pounds, but if he takes plays off, and doesn't try to run down players with much speed you are getting the same Gap filling guy, but with nothing else.If someone in Cleveland can motivate him to live up to potential (Again, I hat this word) he could turn into a decent NT, but I think he also could very well balloon up to 400 pounds and either die of a massive heart attack on the field or retire and join William "the Fridge" Perry and be laying bricks in a couple years.

BOOM! Greg Little.
Before the draft I had Greg Little rated as high as Julio Jones. It is hard to really gauge Little since he did not play last year, but go back and watch him play in 2009. He is a BEAST. He is a huge WR with a ton of athletic ability. He is in the mold of T.O. only he does not have the break away speed that Owens has. However, I can see him playing slot and becoming a hard man to bring down when faced against arm tackles from much weaker CB's. This guy is huge, has hands the size of feet, and he is very smart. Little will be a day 1 starter and look for the combo of Mccoy to Little over the upcoming years.

2. Baltimore Ravens.
BUST. Jimmy Smith
Let me make this clear. Jimmy Smith was a top 5 corner in this draft, if not higher. He has excellent coverage skills and is extremely physical at the LOS. So why is he a bust? He has PACMAN fever. Pac ran with the wrong crowd and Mo' Money, Mo' problems for Smith. WAY too many reds flags that could leave him completely inefficient due to how much he will be suspended. I give it no longer than 1 year before we start hearing about him getting arrested. I just did not see the benefit of "what if" compared to "what's already happened" But hey, Ozzie Newsome is brilliant and if anyone can turn this kid around, it's Ozzie, along with Big Ray in the middle.

BOOM: Torrey Smith
Speed, speed and more speed. He is a legit vertical threat for the Ravens. He could line up every play and do noting but run the old number 9 route and that would immediately enhance the Ravens passing game. Boldin needs someone to take the heat off him and Mason or TJ are not your man. However with a true vertical threat, this will open up Boldin to do what he does best, which is those tough, intermediate routes that are over the middle, that he loves and does as well as anyone in the NFL. Torrey Smith will have at least 6 catches of at least 40 yards+ in 2011. Book it. He is actually the one piece I felt the Ravens needed to over come the Steelers for the division in 2011.

3. Bengals.
BUST. Dontay Moch.
Again..here it comes..POTENTIAL!!! Projected to play the SAM in the Bengals 4-3 scheme. Now if you look at his measurable (6'1, 248 and ran a what?!? 4.44 forty.), well that is just crazy to begin with and is a downright oddity at the SAM position. He mostly played with his hand in the dirt on passing downs in college and showed flashes of greatness, but I think the transition from DE to an outside LB is not going to be easy for him. If he does somehow have a light bulb go off and he "gets it" early and grows into the role, well all bets are off because if "potential" (vomit) meets reality he theoretically could be an all-pro, but I am guessing he will be a 3rd down pass rusher at best.

BOOM! This is a duel award. AJ GREEN and ANDY DALTON.
This is a package deal because they got the absolute best WR since Calvin Johnson and, in my opinion Andy Dalton is not the best pure QB in the draft, but he IS the best QB in this draft to run Cincinnati's new West Coast Offense. Dalton was the most accurate passer for short to intermediate routes in the draft and that is what the WCO is built on. Yards after catch, precision routes and extreme accuracy make a WCO a nightmare for defenses. Not to mention if the Bengals re-sign Ced Benson, they will have some players on that team that, although not in year 1, but will eventually lead them to a great foundation on offense for the future. Now I could write 10 pages on AJ GREEN but I will spare you. He is big, extremely smart, huge hands, and knows how to run precise NFL routes. He will be a future Pro Bowler and the sky is the limit for this kid.

4. Pittsburg.

Torrey Smith

BUST: Cam Heyward.
I just do not see it. Not even a maybe. Does anyone remember Vernon Gholston? Well, here ya go. Heward is an over achieving player and his bigger impact games were outside of the BIG TEN. He seemed to be trailing and not tackling enough. He has the ability to play several spots for the Steelers D, but I hate when a GM says that. You do not want to be the "jack of all trades" and the "Ace of none". Where is he going to play and who is he going to replace. I know the Steelers are using this as a stock pile pick but I can see him getting abused at the 5 technique and then where do you put him? I just don't think he makes sense to be taken in the first round. Maybe in the end of the 2nd or 3rd but not a 1st rounder in my book.

BOOM: Marcus Gilbert.
This was a great pick for need, for talent and for the steal that he lasted as long as he did. He is Long,6'6. He is big 330 and he is extremely athletic. He will be the future at either LT or RT. The Flozell Adams experiment did not go over so well last year and if BIG BEN want to continue to go to strip clubs and NOT be forced to drink his watermelon martinis out of a straw, he defiantly wants to shore up the bookends for that O-Line. Gilbert gives you a good, young and fresh attitude to the position. I think he may start out at RT (his weaker position) but will be moved to LT by years end.

Up Next...AFC East.

Torrey Smith

What did we learn today?

2011-06-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Chris Cooley is going to great lengths to get Carson Palmer and others pissed off.

Goodell continues to use cue card rhetoric to buy himself more time.

Tom Brady continues to lead worthless player run workouts

Terrelle Pryor going in the supplemental draft may actually happen, regardless of what his "guardian" says

Well, that explains why Ryan Leaf may have been crazy.

There will be a market for Plaxico Burress

Six QB's taken in the first 36 picks. So who will suceed, fail or be servicable?

2011-06-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a "QB thin" draft. However 6 QB's were taken in within the first 36 picks. That is quite a high density on QB's for such high picks. So the question remains, who will be successful and will will become a footnote in NFL history. Well, lets breakdown all 6 and prognosticate how they will fare in their NFL careers.

1. Cam Newton. I said it a week before he was drafted and I will say it again. This is a bad decision and will keep the Panthers out of contention for the next five years. I actually think Cam Newton will be a successful NFL player, it Will just be at tightend and NOT QB. Newton may be the best athlete in this draft, however he will not be playing the SEC every weekend and his athletic ability will only get him so far in the NFL. I had a conversation with a teammate of Newton's at Auburn and he explained the simplicity of Auburn's offensive philosophy. It basically broke down to this: On passing plays Cam had ONE read. If it was not there he was told to extend the play with his legs. For a college QB who is a super athlete, this works. In the NFL, it simply does not translate into success. The best QB's in the NFL make their living in the pocket and several reads are needed every play. Coverage recognition was not as important to Newton in college and with the complexity of NFL defenses, I just do not see Newton catching on anytime soon, if ever. Newton will make some spectacular plays with his feet and will give the WOW factor to the team, but it won't translate into Wins. My prediction: He will start sometime in his rookie season and will be done playing QB in his 4th season when he will move to TE and become an All pro.

2. Jake Locker: This pick made me scratch my head the second it was announced. I think Jake is an excellent leader. An excellent athlete but he lacks the one thing that is vital to having success in the NFL as a QB, ACCURACY! I watched film of Locker over his last season and his accuracy was down right average to say the least. I saw many occasions where he had a clean pocket, saw the progression of the play and just could not connect with his open WR. Accuracy is something that can not be taught. It is a talent that you either have or you do not. This was a complete reach in my opinion and I just do not see Locker being an NFL super star. The one thing that Locker has going for him is the fact that he gets to play with Chris Johnson. So he may be able to use quite abit of play action, but he still needs to deliver a more accurate ball because the recovery speed in the NFL for defenders is too fast for any errant passes. My Prediction: A serviceable starter after his 2nd year but will never be an ELITE QB in the NFL.

3. Blaine Gabbert. I love this kid. He is accurate, big, strong and best of all, he is extremely intelligent. He has every tool you want to be a franchise QB. He also has Jones-Drew to take some pressure off of him. The knock on him coming out is that he was coming from a spread offense and rarely took snaps under center. Well, most college programs are using the spread more and more so I am in know way concerned that Gabbert can not translate his game to an NFL style offense. Gabbert was very efficient in short to intermediate routes and decent on his longer routes. However, with time his talent will shine with the Jags and he has the potential to be an ELITE QB in the NFL. My prediction: A top 10 starting QB in his 3rd year and beyond.

4. Christian Ponder: Ponder, to me, is the biggest enigma out of all of the QB's taken. He showed flashes of how good he can be. He is strong, has a great release and is accurate. However, if you go back and watch his senior film, he made so many mistakes in crunch time. He made quite a few 3rd down interceptions when it almost seemed that he was forcing plays to happen rather than letting the play come to him. To his credit he does seem like a good clubhouse leader and, again, has the benefit of playing with Adrian Peterson which will allow him to use play action to open up seams for his WR's and TE. If he can overcome the mental mistakes, and he has the brain to do it, he could be a very productive QB at the next level. My prediction: A Winning QB for years to come but not a top 10 statistical QB.

5 Andy Dalton. This is the best QB pick in the draft. Not for how good Dalton is, but how Dalton's Strengths will play into effect for the West Coast Offense that he is going into. This off season the Bengals hired Jay Gruden to install a new West Coast Offense in Cincinnati. The WCO is based on quick, precise passing plays that stress the run after the catch. Dalton's best attribute is his accuracy. He probably is the most accurate QB in the draft. It will take him some time to learn the system, but when he does, I can see him running it with complete precision. He has a decent arm, a brilliant NFL I.Q. and that will translate well in an offense that lives and dies with accurate short to intermediate passes. My Prediction: He will most likely start from Day 1 and will be a winning QB with top 10 talent.

6. Colin Kaepernick: Big (6'5), Fast with alot of "upside" . I hate using the word upsize but that is what he has. He is RAW. His talent is there but it is not ready for the NFL. Not now at least. He has a huge benefit from being coached by Harbaugh and for that fact alone, I think he has a chance to be a tremendous player. He will have to correct his throwing motion and that may take him a year or so to do. I think he sits behind Alex Smith for a year, learns the system and in year 2 we see what he has to offer. He does have decent accuracy, but he is so unpolished that everything now is just speculation: My predication : A starter in year 2, a serviceable QB but nothing too special.

How Awesome is Jon Gruden?

2011-05-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

I just feel compelled to write this: I have a man crush on Jon Gruden. I am blown away that he is still out of the NFL. Granted he is the best thing to happen to Monday Night Football in the past 10 years, but come on..this JON GRUDEN!!! If anyone watched his ESPN series GRUDEN"S QB CAMP you cant help but love this guy. Not to mention he is a Dayton Alumni (ghetto!...only Dayton people get this) and I had many a fun time visiting Dayton! His blunt, in your face attitude is just awesome and the NFL needs him back in the league. He is a pure genius when it comes to offensive strategy and his West Coast Offense scheme is as good as it comes. He recently started the FFCA (the Fired Football Coaches Association) and is passing his knowledge on to young players and coaches. He is a hell of a coach, a funny SOB and best of of, he is completely genuine. What you see is what you get and I respect the hell out of that. Here is to hoping we see Jon back in the NFL sooner rather than later.

Player organized workouts: Productive or Waste of time?

2011-05-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

From Drew Brees to Jordan Palmer, everyone is trying organize a "player's run workout". So the question remains, is this productive? To me it is not only unproductive but dangerous to boot. I listened to Mark Sanchez talk about his attempts and how he is "installing" his plays.http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d82007c1a/The-Sanch-ini-A-Mark-Sanchez-production ..This is nonsense. Sanchez's knock is his intelligence and coaches need to install offenses not players. Off season "player" workouts are not uncommon, even during NON lockout season's. Mostly with QB's an WR's to work on timing, but this concept is the whole team coming together and trying to "workout". To me there is just no way to get organization with this concept. What are you going to accomplish? Not much. But what you may do is get injured. With no certainty about next season, taking unnecessary risks with trying to run a workout is just plain stupid. I will GUARANTEE we will soon read about how some player tore their ACL in one of these workouts. Nothing is going to be accomplished and you are not "installing" anything new because officially coaches can not have contact with players so how is any new going to be "installed". Once the first player gets seriously injured in these workouts, they will all come to an abrupt end. It is just sad that is will have to come to this for players to realize that the risk way out weighs any benefit that will come from it.

Kevin Kolb: Fool's Gold.

2011-05-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Kevin Kolb is about to get rich. I don't mean just average NFL rich, I am talking Silly, power ball rich. He will be traded and the team that gets him will most likely give up a first round pick and sign him to a 5-7 year contract. I am guessing he may get to the tune of 60-70 million. The question remains: Is he worth it? He is the beneficiary of a very thing QB free agency market and to me is is the media's darling and NOT a fail proof, sure fire franchise QB. Let's not forget the Kolb has been a back up for the majority of his career. Yes, he played behind two very good QB's in Mcnabb and Vick but when he did play his numbers were, well, average. In his 4 year career he has 2082 passing yds and a td/int ratio of 11/14. I am not a math major, but I do not see glaring numbers that jump off the page. I can think of two back up QB's that were traded recently that have played well last year and that is Schaub out of Houston and Cassell in Kansas City. The jury is still out on both if they can be winners. They have 1 combined playoff appearance ( as starters) and it was a loss.So, history is now against Kolb. I do like the intangible that Kolb brings as a vocal leader, high energy and smart kid, but he has struggled against alot of cover two looks and I am not talking about Tampa two but your highschool level cover two. He seems to lock on to his primary read far too long when he sees zone. He should make one read and based on that read he will either hit his wr in the window or comeback to the underneth WR that should be trailing through the zone. When he is up against man to man, this is where he excels. He DOES have above average accuracy, which to me is NUMBER1 when it come to the attribute you want in your QB, but defenses will ultimately see his weakness and very well could confuse him with a man up, umbrella zone underneath with two safeties. The best situation for him would be to go to a team that is a DECENT, game handling QB away from competing. Arizona jumps off the page at me. They have Fitz who is one of the top 5 WR's in the league and in his prime. Arizona does not have a powerhouse defense that is going to only give up 14 points a game, more like 18-21. So that means TD's are going to HAVE to converted. Less FG attempts and more TD's. I look at the other teams that need a QB and I see Seattle, who has a serviceable QB in their own right. Older, but still decent. Matt Hasselbeck. Now he does not have a contract so it looks like he may be out. Seattle is not too far away to repeat as division champs but I would forget about Kolb and Bring back Matt and Move on. Other than these two teams I dont see a team that couldn't get a Bulger, or a Young, or a Palmer(that's a whole different can of works, read past blog). I like Kolb enough to think he may have a shot at being able to maintain a team that ALREADY has a great defense and a strong runner. If you ask him to go full out West Coast Offense and throw the ball 25-30 times again. He WILL not be ready. There is the lock out meaning he most likely wont have a playbook until , oh....september! I just do not se him having a good first year and that can hurt the most important attribute in his head..his confidence. Once it's gone, it is hard to get it back. I hope Kolb will live up to the the hype, but just do not see it.

Lets not forget what happened when the 49ers had the number 1 overall pick in 05 and it was thin to say the least. there were two guys who maybe would make it and that was Alex Smith and some guy out of cal,,,what was his name again, Oh yeah, Superbowl MVP Aaron Roders. The 49ers made the decision and have lived with it for years. Kolb will go to either, ARI, SEA, Miami. Teams with less than a 40% chance OAK, SF, CIN, CLE. No matter who it ends up being there will be winners and losers . THE WINNERS" The Eagles and Kevin Kolb. The LOSERS, well I think you get it!

The dust has settled..So how do we feel about Michael Vick?

2011-05-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick has been back in the NFL for two years now. So what do we think of him? To me it is crystal clear. The man is a hell of a football player. I missed watching him make insane play look easy. Personally, I could care less about his dog fighting days and all of the animal rights people can kiss my ass. Morally is dog fighting wrong? I guess so, but I am a human and not a dog. I think if there was not such a public outcry about animal cruelty then Vick would have paid a fine, been slapped on the wrist and moved on. Let's not throw stones in glass houses. For some people to judge him on this one part of his life, shame on you. When Vick was at his prime(and I am not saying he's past it) He was the fastest person on the field with the Best arm in the NFL and probably the best athlete to boot.Animal rights groups that put animals ahead of humans are INSANE. I am not saying that I would go out and kill a cat for fun (although I'd like to), but come on. Get over it, move on. Mike Vick is one of the best things that has happened to the NFL in the past 20 years. He brings a WOW factor that you just cant put a price tag on. "Michael Vick is a dangerous person", No, Vick made some bad decisions, more than paid the price for them and is back on track to be one of the most exciting players in NFL History. If you want to talk about dangerous, look no further than the Non-sensical organization that is PETA. PETA demanded an apology from Vick as if they are the voice for Animals. Do you really think a dog that sleeps, shits and eats all day is actually offended By Michael Vick? My guess is they are too busy licking their nuts all to day to care. At the end of the day, the dogs are dead, Vick is a star NFL QB and PETA continues to profit on the the Bullshit concept of Animal rights. To me the clear winner is Vick.

Obscure thought of the day...$8 Billion dollar?...........................SHIT!

2011-05-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

$8 Billion dollars. That is what is being fought over for the NFL vs NFLPA saga. $8 BILLION DOLLARS!! Well I don't know if any of you are like me but if I could play professional football for a living, I would be good with making the league minimum million every year ($475,000). Here is my rational.:

The average, household income in America is $50,233.00. Let's now multiply that over an adults average "work life". Let's say that most college grads start working when they are 25 (we'll give a few years between graduation and trying to get your band to make it, backpacking Europe, writing a novel, becoming an actor/model, etc...) Once young adults realize that they most likely wont be doing anything special with their lives, they accept it and get a career. So, from 25-65. 40 years.That's what most Americans work..40 years. That means that the average American will make $2,009,320 in their ENTIRE career. So if they invest decently and have a solid 401k and maybe an IRA, at the end of the day they may have around $1,000,000, when they are DONE WORKING.

I hate the excuse of "We have to make as much as we can right now because we won't work anymore after we retire"....well, why the hell not? That's Horse Shit! You should have enough money to PAY for tuition to go to college and ultimately to graduate college, because most of you do not have degrees. My point in all of this is to say you are a player in THE NFL , it is an honor, a privilege but what it is not is a RIGHT. Just because you can spin it 80 yards down field (Jamarcus), rep 435 Bench x5(Harrison), or even have a 50 in vertical jump and jump out of a moving vehicle and end up accidentally killing yourself (Chris Henry), it does not mean you deserve anything from the NFL. Players in the league, please, please understand one simple fact....you do not own an NFL football team and until you do it is their way or the highway. It sucks but it is reality. You will ALL still be annual millionaires every year you play. If you play 4 years and have roughly 4 mil at the end, you can reinvest that into some Field you would like to go into, get your degree and start living life outside of football. No matter how good you may feel now, it always comes to an end. I hope this season goes off without a hitch and everyone has a safe a prosperous season but try to go back to the game. When you fell in love with it the same way I did. You just had the talent to make it and I got 6 years in college ala Van Wilder. Players soften up, give in and you WILL be given more. Trust the system and give it time and always remember that even if you are on the practice team, you still make more money than the American family.

AFC South: Draft in review.

2011-05-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

The NFL draft has come and gone and lets dissect the major picks, sleepers, head scratchers and out right failures of this draft. First up, the AFC South:

1. Titans.

BUST :
"Well, shit". That's what I said to myself when I heard Jake Locker being picked by Tennessee. To me one of the biggest reaches in the 1st round of the draft was the selection of QB Jake Locker. What a difference a year makes. Last year The NFL guru's said the Locker would be the first QB taken. He wasn't too far off this year being number 2 taken. I just do not see the value for him here. He did not just play bad this year, he played very bad. You want someone that has consistently played well in college and Locker gave you 1 year of good stats and then turned into a middle of the pack QB. "He has the IT factor" God I hate hearing that from scouts. The only "IT" I see coming from Locker is in the back end of "shIT. "

BOOM:
Jurrell Casey. This kid is as mean as you get. He is an animal off the snap. He has enough size to hold his position but his first step, to me, is as good as anyone in the draft at the DT. He could be an impact player in his first season and I could see him being a 3 down DT at the 3 technique. Solid pick.

2. Texans.
BUST: What has 4 syllables and knack for giving up big plays? Brandon Harris! "He plays fast" Well, no shit. Every corner in the NFL "plays fast" but the best corners are the ones that can think. Harris gets moved so easily in zone defenses that if he is not maned up on a WR, he is a liability. Maybe I am wrong, but my guess is we'll be watching him "play fast" alot on special teams.

BOOM: What has 3 syllables and can get to a QB faster than Ben Roethlisberger can come up with an alibi? JJ Watt! This kid is crazy good and he is a MONSTER. With the Texans going to a 3-4 this year, Watt is in the mold of Richard Seymour. If the Mario Williams experiment to OLB works out, it is scary to think of both of those guys coming at opposing QB's. He should start from day1.

3. Colts.
BUST: I actually really liked the Colts draft, however if I have to pick the potential bust it would be Delone Carter, RB Syracuse. Carter is a bruiser and to me the Colts were at their best when they essentially had another WR coming out of the backfield. I get that you want to diversify your backfield and as a Colts fan I hope he works out, but my guess is follows Ron Dayne and ends up ballooning in size to resemble Bill Cosby rather than a chizzled power runner.

BOOM : Anthony Castonzo. Not to mention that when I hear his name I think of George Costanza from Sienfeld, but this Kid is legit. I watched him several times this past season and he is diverse. The Colts need to protect the one asset the Indianapolis as a city has, Peyton Manning. If he he goes down, so do the colts and so does the city! He can slide in at Guard an ultimately start at LT. He is fast, big and best of all, smart. He understands protections and even with the lockout should have no problem adjusting to the NFL. Great pick, should have starting time in his first season.

4. Jaguars.
BUST: Big Cec!! Cecil Shorts. "He is the best Small school WR in the country!" ....that's like saying "I have the biggest 2 inch dick in the world"..It's not something you brag about. I know he was a 4th rounder and by tradition there is statistical improbability of him being very good, but I have read some Jaguar Message boards and it is pretty funny to see the reaching going on there. He may return kicks but I do not see him breaking any records.

BOOM : Blaine Gabbert should have gone number 1 overall. Now, I am talking about if the number 1 overall pick was defiantly going to be a QB, then Gabbert should have gone #1. He will be the franchise QB for the Jags for years to come. The difference between Gabbert and Newton, is Gabbert can actually read a defense, make a decision and make the correct call. He is Big, He is accurate and he is Smart! You can not ask anymore from a QB. Mark my Words..Gabbert will be a top tier QB in 4 years from now and Cam Newton will be a TE in the NFL or a QB in the CFL. Brains over Brawn any day when it comes to QB. He is a starter in year 1.

Coming soon....AFC North...

Carson Palmer: Hero or Goat?

2011-05-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

So Carson Palmer wants out of Cincinnati. To quote David Dunn, Palmer's agent:

"Carson met with Bengals owner Mike Brown recently. They both expressed profound disappointment in how the team fared last season, and in how it has generally performed during Carson’s tenure with the team. Because of the lack of success that Carson and the Bengals have experienced together, Carson strongly feels that a separation between him and the Bengals would be in the best interest of both parties. Carson could not respect the Brown family any more than he does or be more appreciative of what the Browns have done for him and his wife Shaelyn and his family.”

So He is tired of losing? Maybe. He is tired of Chad OchoCinco (on a side note, only them mentally ill change their last name in a marketing ploy) ?..I get it. He does not see eye to eye with Marvin Lewis? Whatever.

To me it comes down to one simple fact on Palmer..He is a scared little man that played so poorly last year that he wants to distract from the fact that he most defiantly lost their team at least 5 games this past season. He threw 20 picks..a mind boggling 6 PICK 6's! I would imagine that after the Dec 12th game at Pittsburgh where he handed the Steelers 14 points in the 1st half and played about as bad as you can as a starter in the NFL, that most Realistic Bengal's fans wanted him GONE. Palmer's play has severely dropped over the past 3 years and it is time for him to move on, but not in a "trade me or else" fashion, but as a back up that is lucky if he gets traded out of Cincinnati. Palmer is no martyr. He is a broken shell of himself and this is called DESPERATION. It's the old "look over here" trick where he takes attention off of his horrible play, decision making and overall leadership of a team that had potential. I hope Mike Brown sticks it to him and truly makes him retire, because if he does cave in to Palmer and trades him, then every player that wants to try and leave Cincinnati will bend Mike Brown over and sodomize a trade out of him. Be Strong Mike! Send his ass to SoCal so he can be a footnote in NFL history.

What's coming: Post draft positioning for all dvisions.

2011-05-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

In the up coming weeks we will take a look at the teams that shined, glittered or shit on themselves in the draft. Who helped their cause and who hurt themselves in the draft. First up: AFC South...stay tuned!

What did we learn today?

2011-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Kevin Kolb pretty much knows he is going to be traded this offseason and rightfully so, but he is putting his best foot forward and working out with his current team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6595258

No end in sight for the labor dispute and Goddell is scaring me enough to actually think we may lose some game's this year, if not the whole season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6596135

Chad OchoCinco continues to baffle me with how stupid a human being can be. He is the kid in the class that always has to make fart noises to get noticed. We get it Chad, you like attention, but if you put half of the time into being a better team mate rather than an ass clown your Franchise QB may not be looking for a way to get away from you.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82004a73/article/ochocinco-draws-inspiration-from-owner-eyes-snake-wrangling?module=HP_headlines

Albert Haynesworth is just a turd of a human being. $100 million for this proven degenerate? I said it the day he signed with the Redskins, "this will blow up in their face and set them back 5 years from being cometative"

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82005988/article/roadrage-assault-trial-for-redskins-haynesworth-postponed-?module=HP_headlines

Giving the NFL back to the fans.

2011-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Fan's NFL blog. As an avid NFL fan and devoted follower I think it is time to look at the NFL through the eye's of one of its most devoted fan's. From break down's of all the current rumors, transactions and announcements this is a blog by the fan for the fan's. It also gives me an outlet to spit out all of my Mind's NFL vomit into words. Let the fun begin!