Good To Be Back

Finally. I was having trouble remembering my password.

For my first article back, i'm going to write something i'm familiar with. It might not be the most popular topic to starship troopers (yes, those are the new nicknames of our readers. if we have any), but it's something that doesn't have to be too thought out to write about, so that's what i'm going to write.


Today's topic is......

Random Musings Of A Florida Marlins Fan!


I was looking through the Marlin's farm system at some top prospects, and the future certainly looks bright. Regardless of if one or two of the following leaves or is sold off, we should have a problem (but a good problem) deciphering our rotation in 2 years. Scott Olsen, Ricky Nolasco (although i fully expect Nolasco to be sold this winter), Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad, Andrew Miller, Brett Sinkbeil, Sean West, Aaron Thompson, and Ryan Tucker could all be contending for a spot in the rotation two years from now. Our lineup for the future also looks very good.
Two years from now, the starting lineup should be as follows

Catcher - Kyle Skipworth
1st Base - Gaby Sanchez
2nd Base - Dan Uggla/Chris Coghlan
3rd Base - Matt Dominguez/Chris Coghlan
Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez
Left Fielder - Josh Willingham/Jai Miller*
Center Fielder - Cameron Maybin
Right Fielder - Jeremy Hermida

*I say this because Willingham is 28 right now and i expect him to be traded or to leave as a free agent sometime in the next 2 years.

The future is so bright, i gotta wear shades.

Onward to another Marlin's Topic! Why are they continuously losing? It's like all of a sudden every player decided to not hit and every pitcher decided to not pitch and be a Carlos Silva (sorry to the marlins pitching staff. I think I went too far on that one).

Well anyways, that shall be all for now. Look out for the SG rankings, they should be coming very soon.

Peace and Love

Bill Parcells, What Are You Thinking?

Ever since I can remember watching and understanding football, I have given a mountain of respect to you, Bill Parcells. But tonight you had one of the worst signings I have EVER seen in pro football.

What in the world were you thinking when you decided to sign Chad Pennington to 2 year contract worth 11.5 million dollars? Don't get me wrong, I think Chad Pennington is a good quarterback and extremely underrated by the NFL, but for 5.75 million dollars a year, I would rather have the combination of John Beck, Chad Henne and Josh McCown.

Do you honestly think that Pennington is going to make us a contender? Not even Tom Brady could make the Dolphins a contender.

Also, I can't wait to see exactly how much Ted "I refuse to run any route less than 40 yards" Ginn Jr. flops after being paired with Chad "Noodle-Arm" Pennington.

Dumb move Bill, dumb move.

USC is the team of the Decade

The University of Southern California is without question the greatest college football program of the decade, and below are some reasons why

-National Championships
2 National Championships for USC this decade, and once they lost in the national championship game.

-Rose Bowl Wins
Three of them. Twice they beat Michigan by exactly 14 points, and last year they CRUSHED Illinois by 32.

-Orange Bowl Wins
Twice. In 2002 they beat Iowa by 21. In 2004 they demolished Oklahoma to the tune of a
55-19 victory.

-Overall Record
81-21 overall record since the year 2000 (would look more impressive if you exclude 2000 and 2001 actually, but were discussing the entire decade)

-Awards
Three Heisman Trophy award recipients (although most will argue that the award in 2004 belonged to Adrian Peterson, and I personally will argue that the 2002 award belonged to Ken Dorsey). Twice a USC player has won the Walter Camp award (basically the same thing as the Heisman, but less prestigious). Matt Lienart won the Manning award (best QB) in 2004. Both Lienart and Carson Palmer have won the Golden Arm Award (best senior quarterback). Reggie Bush was awarded with the Doak Walker Award (nation's best running back) in 2005 and Fred Davis won the John Mackey Award in 2007 (best Tight End, that sounds hilariously homo erotic). Also, if you want to count these, Pete Carroll and Norm Chow both have won awards for coaches and coordinator of the year (Carroll won coach, Norm Chow won coordinator.)


-11 wins and 3 losses against AP top 10 opponents

-NFL/Great College Players
let's make a list shall we?

QB- Carson Palmer, Matt Lienart, John David Booty.
RB- Reggie Bush, Lendale White, Justin Fargas.
WR- Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, Keary Colbert, Steve Smith (The one playing for the Giants).
TE- Fred Davis
OL- Winston Justice, Fred Matua, Sam Baker, Ryan Kalil, Chilo Rachal, Matt Spanos
DE- Kenechi Udeze, Lawrence Jackson
DT- Fili Moala, Mike Patterson, Sedrick Ellis
LB- Lofa Tatupu, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga,
DB- Troy Polamalu, Justin Hart, Josh Pinkard, Darnell Bing, Justin Tolliver, Will Poole, Terrell Thomas.

Is there really ANY competition or doubt as to who is the team of the decade in college football?

Cuban's Comprehensive Collection Of NBA Positional Rankings (PG)

If you are interested in knowing how i concluded, you can instant message me on AIM at vicp493@hotmail.com (yes, that is my screen name). Here we go.

1. Chris Paul
2. Jose Calderon
3. Chauncey Billups
4. Jameer Nelson
5. Steve Nash
6. Jason Terry
7. Deron Williams
8. Rajon Rondo
9. Tony Parker
10. Baron Davis
11. Devin Harris
12. Jason Kidd
13. Mike Bibby
14. Rafer Alston
15. Andre Miller
16. T.J Ford
17.Gilbert Arenas
18.Jamaal Tinsley
19.Raymond Felton
20.Stephon Marbury

Notes


-This list probably seems unorthodox to you, but that's only because you have been brainwashed by ESPN and other sporting networks to think that shooting is the be-all end-all statistic for judging a player (more specifically a guard or small forward). That is a fallacy, shooting is of no more importance than passing ability, rebounding (although rebounding doesn't apply much to guards), and definitely not more important than defense. You have probably also been brainwashed into using only the "triple crown of basketball" statistics (points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game) and taught to pay less attention to field goal percentage and statistics which you most likely never knew existed like defensive rating and effective field goal percentage.

-The formula for effective field goal percentage is (FG + 0.5 * 3P) / FGA.

-Defensive rating is the amount of points scored by an opposing player you are guarding per 100 player possessions.

-i used most recent full year (60 games or more) vs. career averages to come up with the list.

-Why is Arenas ranked so low? Any basketball fan who goes by anything more than what the media feeds them can tell really. The reason Gilbert is so low is because he is a one-dimensional player who isn't even that shockingly productive in that one dimension. Arenas is 11th among the 20 point guards listed in effective field goal percentage, 10th in three-point percentage and 14th in regular field goal percentage. He is also in the bottom 7 in assists per game, turnover/assist ratio and defensive rating.

-Why is Rajon Rondo so high on the list? Rondo is so high on my list because he is far and away the best defensive point guard in the NBA and is a fairly efficient shooter.

-Why is Jose Calderon so high on the list? Jose Calderon is so high on the list because he is in the top 2 in FG%, 3P%, and effective field goal percentage. Along with that he ranked well in turnover ratio (4th), and assists per game (T-7th). His only knock is that he was 15th among the players on the list in defensive rating. Calderon is EASILY the most underrated player in the National Basketball Association.

-Calderon and Nash were far and away the best shooters on the list.

-Chris Paul is the ONLY player on the list that does NOT have a negative turnover ratio. He had 16 more steals than turnovers total last year, but was negative in career turnover ratio (his amazing 2007-2008 campaign saved him).

Look out for the SG rankings, they should be coming sometime within the next two weeks.

Peace and love, Cuban

Mike Stanton

So the MLB trading deadline passed recently, and many a fan had many a rejoiceful time, and many a fan had many an agonizing time.

On July 30th, there were heavy rumors about a Manny Ramirez trade to the marlins. In return, Boston wanted Jeremy Hermida, Ryan Tucker, and a CF prospect named Mike Stanton. Now, when i heard about this Stanton fellar, i asked myself "who in dwight howard's name is mike stanton?" (you will hear use dwight howard alot in place of the word "god" or "jesus". why you ask? it's simple, it's because dwight howard is the messiah.)

I have concluded that Mike Stanton does not exist, and is instead a fictional player formulated by the marlins front office specifically to acquire players in trades.

See, the thing about me that you will come to know if you are a reader is that i am pretty much the biggest and most knowledgeable marlin fan you will ever come across. If i don't know a marlins player from 2003 onwards, then he probably never existed. Mike Stanton is one of those select few.

Seriously dude, i heard the rumor that the red sox wanted 2 top prospects along with Hermida and i said to myself "i assume they will take Tucker and someone like Jai Miller or Sean West". But no, to my epic shock, the red sox decided they wanted a dude named Mike freaking Stanton.
In the disbelief that i was, i checked various prospect sites to find mike stanton at places varying from 9th-20th on the marlins list. The most amazing thing is that i check these sites regularly for prospect information (to rename players on MLB 2K8) and i had NEVER seen stanton on any list until that very day.

What can we conclude from this story (other than the fact that you just wasted a few precious minutes of your life reading this)? Simple. We can conclude that Mike Stanton, single A outfeilder for the Florida Marlins does not exist, and is simply a character in one of Larry Beinfest's plots for world domination.

AFC North Preview

Division of constant changes and fluctuation. It is the matrix.

Browns- Finally, this team is successful again. I wouldn't predict a repeat season for Derek Anderson because his gambling style will catch up to him (not that America will care: in this country if you do that and still win you're a Gunslinger, IE Favrespn. If you do it and lose, you suck and end up in the arena, IE Aaron Brooks). But he still has Braylon Edwards as a top target who made good on his insane potential last season and Kellen Winslow at TE who seems to have finally successfully removed his head from his anal cavity. Those two make for a fearsome duo as the top two options in an offense, and are compounded by the addition of speedy although fragile Donte Stallworth in free agency, coming over from the Patriots. Jamal Lewis will continue his revival in the backfield (no word yet on a possible link to Gideons Bible) and the line is genuinely a strong point now, with Joe Thomas transitioning near seemlessly last season from Wisconsin Badgers football to Cleveland Browns NFL football. He leads a unit that performed spectacularly last season, along with Rex Hadnot Kevin Shaffer Hank Fraley and Eric Steinbach. Depth could be an issue with Seth McKinney and Ryan Tucker as the only skilled experienced backups, but if they avoid injuries this unit should be absolutely fine. The whole offense is impressive, with above average players pretty much across the board. The defense is where there was a real investment made this offseason, with the line now featuring Shaun Rogers, possibly the most talented lineman in the division, and Corey Williams will move from 4-3 DT to 3-4 DE coming over from Green Bay. Robaire Smith is unimpressive as the other starting end, but theres only so much that a person can hope for. The linebackers could be a huge plus this season, with Andra Davis as a skilled inside linebacking option, D'Qwell Jackson showing why he was made a second round pick as the Mike Backer in a 3-4, former top 15 pick Kamerion Wimbley starting outside (5 sacks last year, 4 forced fumbles) and opposite Wimbley will be a carousel, with Willie McGinest likely to see time, along with Antwan Peek and maybe even rookie Beau Bell. It is worth noting that Leon Washington is likely to be the backup communicator, which would make him Andra Davis' primary replacement. Where this defense will hit issues is the secondary. Safeties Brodney Pool and Sean Jones have proven a flair for the dramatic, but the corners are a bit more concerning. Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright had very encouraging rookie years, but the fact is they are still young and possibly prone to mistakes. I would be optimistic though, and have this team in competition for a first round bye. Barring injuries, definite Superbowl threat.

Steelers- Well, Roethlisberger is still Ben Roethlisberger. Which means his name still wins scrabble. But his Quarterbacking has never particularly impressed me. Not to say he's not good, but with Alan Faneca gone and replaced by Chris Kemoeatu, you have to be at least mildly worried about this teams ability to protect their QB or open holes for their runners. Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall have enough talent between the two of them to be spectacular though (I'm not big on Parker but I am huge Mendenhall fan). Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward are still a fine set of starting wideouts and Heath Miller is a good option to eat up the middle of the field. Limas Sweed can make an impact out of the slot this year if he's allowed to play there, but they might not want him to get locked into a slot mindset for when they want to move him outside in a few years. The line is uninspired as a whole but should do just well enough to keep their jobs and not be called out and thrown under the bus. Defensively, Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton are still epic options on the line, but Brett Keisel is decidedly less so. LaMarr Woodley moves up to starting strong side linebacker this year, and isn't in great shape to chase down runners, which will put more run pressure on the inside backer on his side, James Farrior. Farrior is a consumate professional though and has more than enough skill to handle the extra responsibilities. Larry Foote maintains a starting spot in the inside next to Farrior and is also quite good, but is aging, as is his interior backing mate. James Harrison was a one man wrecking crew on the weakside but shouldn't be counted on to do it again: for all we know it was a freaky career year. Outside are Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend who are an unimpressive starting pair of corners and stand to be improved on, and deep are Troy Polamalu who is due for a big injury with the way he plays, and Ryan Clark who is a little underwhelming.

Bengals- Carson Palmer will have his hands full this year with no guarentees in the backfield and disgruntled wideout Chad Johnson's ongoing soap opera. Rudi Johnson is the halfback, and supposedly looks good in camp and worked out insanely this offseason. However hes aging (for a running back) and his knees aren't great. Kenny Watson and Chris Perry back him up and have enough skill to pick up Rudi's slack but will get discouraged if they're performing and not given starting jobs. TJ Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson are probably the top receiver duo in the league, and are expected to produce as such. Ben Utecht is a good blocking H-back and should do good enough in his new situation. The tackles on the O-line are great, and thus one has to expect one of the top three to move inside to guard this year. Stacie Andrews is the favorite, due to seniority. The inside of the line could use work. Eric Ghiaciuc is not a fantastic center but isn't terrible, but his guards really need work. This is a defense that really scares everyone, because they're athletic and potential filled enough to scare opponents and inexperienced and mistake prone enough to scare their own fans and coaching staff. This is embodied by safety Chinedum Ndukwe, a great athlete who is kinda still learning the nuances of the game of football. Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall are inconsistent corners though and could develop into a problem if they develop consistency near the bottom of their spectrum. Rashad Jeanty is not positive as a starting strong side linebacker, but there is only so much that can be done. Dhani Jones is an alright option starting in the middle, but ideally his versatility gets used more as a flex backer (he could do well in San Francisco where they expect to change looks often). Keith Rivers is expected to start at weakside linebacker but isn't in camp yet and woudn't really be a good thing to have starting right now since he isn't working with his team at all. Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers are opposites on the line, Odom excelling in pass rush and Geathers a pure run stopper. Domata Peko and John Thornton round out an odd bunch and could use some work technique wise.

Ravens- A three headed quarterback monster is disturbing, with Troy Smith barely able to see over his line, Kyle Boller......well....being Kyle Boller, and Joe Flacco making the jump from division II Delaware to a competitive AFC North division. Flacco and his nuclear arm are expected to take over before the end of the year though. When they're out of contention (first couple weeks of October?). Willis McGahee is a warrior on the turf and should perform out of the backfield this year though, and rookie Ray Rice is a stupendous handcuff in f antasy terms. Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton are slightly sub-par options out wide but shouldn't be a true problem area, with Todd Heap playing the role of the cavalry. The line suffered a tremendous blow in the retirement of Left Tackle Johnathan Ogden. Jared Gaither and Ben Grubbs can learn and apply their freakish physical skills, but that shouldn't manifest its self for another couple of seasons. They also need to get a new center and basically throw out the right side of the offensive line. The Ravens are another amorphous defense, not unlike the forty niners. Pryce Ngata Gregg and Suggs will do well on the line (or just Pryce Ngata and Gregg if they aren't in the 4-3) and Ray Lewis should be Ray Lewis again. Bart Scott and Suggs half the time will do fine as the other backers, but Jarrett Johnson is currently penciled in for a starting role and is something of a question mark in that role. I wouldn't be too worried though, as he played well when given substantial playing time last year. Chris McAlister Samari Rolle and Fabian Washington are a fantastic trio of corners to have as your top three, although given injury risks, keep expectations a bit lower than that. Ed Reed and Dawan Landry are pro-bowlers at safety for a reason, and should be treated as such. This defense isn't a bad unit at all, but the offense will smother any attempt they make at success.


Well, I'm done. Now is the part where readers tear everything I say apart, whether I'm right or not. Facts are a myth. Myths are reality. Why do you insist I am not Sigmund Freud?

NFC North Preview

I'm gonna try to get through this without mentioning he-who-can-not-be-traded.

Vikings- Top dogs in this division and they could surprise come playoff time. Tarvaris Jackson is still working on his Donovan McNabb impression, as the athletic QB with a cannon arm who is a little raw, but Brad Childress is there to help. I expect improved play from him, as he has another year and another training camp under his belt. His weapons are South Carolina Cock product Sidney Rice and former Bear Bernard Berrian, who was plundered in free agency. Adrian Peterson, the only non-human thing in the NFL (the coach cowher 2000 model retired, still having never shown emotion) has reportedly been programmed with an improvement in its ability to catch the ball and pass block, nearly obseleting former 1200 yard man Chester Taylor. Expect Taylor to get some touches though, because while AP Android is superior, it would be hard to justify taking away all of Taylors playing time. And you can consider him easily the best "backup" running back in the league, now that Michael Turner has joined the dirty birds. The line has a sharp progression going from right to left. Right tackle Ryan Cook is not particularly impressive, nor is right guard Anthony Herrera, although both are plenty big enough to succeed as linemen in the NFL. Then you get to center, with Matt Birk, 6 time pro bowl selection there and plenty bright enough to make the appropriate calls along the line. Left guard Steve Hutchinson brought a mean streak with him from Seattle two years ago and it seems like he brought their run game success with him, and Bryant McKinnie is still a top tier blindside protector. Defensively, the line features Jared Allen, former chief and pass rush expert, Kevin and Pat Williams in the middle who are probably over 630 pounds combined and don't much like to be moved, and charismatic young end Ray Edwards, who wants to make a run at the single season sack record. (that declaration led some to wonder if he could do it: others wondered who the hell Ray Edwards is) Edwards figures to be a slightly above average end this year though, and as the weakest link, that spells a four letter word for opposing offenses, and its not "wooo". Linebacking is a bit suspect, with Ben Leber penciled in as a starter, with EJ Henderson, bona fide run stuffer in the middle, and former first round pick Chad Greenway manning the weak side. Leber is not exactly a cornerstone, although Greenway might turn into one. It's kind of hard to say, because while he was drafted the same year as Packers mauler AJ Hawk, he didn't play his rookie year due to a surgical procedure on his knees. Both the outside men, though, have apparently impressed in the running game at training camp. CBs Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin should do fine this year, particularly since they get to play Chicago twice a year. Safety Darren Sharper is a possible Hall of Famer and still a top notch player and free safety Madieu Williams flashed big play ability before in his career and looks to stabilize it playing in a talented squad. If he can't perform well, rookie Tyrell Johnson lurks and waits for his opportunity to strike and take someone's job. I have this team as a potential player in the NFC Conference Championship, but mostly for lack of other options.

Packers- Lemme make it clear, I do NOT think this will be a great team this year. With Ryan Pickett Justin Harrell and Johnny Jolley all possibly missing for at least part of the year, this defensive tackle rotation could be the single worst rotation EVER. But lemme go back to where I usually begin. Aaron Rodgers has at least one fan, myself. I think he will do a fine job as the quarterback as long as Gollum stays retired instead of coming back for his precious records. Ryan Grant, I'm not completely sold on, but between him Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency, someone will step up enough to make a strong running game. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings provide stellar options on the outside of the offense, and there are a wealth of other options at receiver, so they can really go with the "throw enough crap at the wall and some of it will stick" theory for their slot man this season. Don't expect much production from the tight ends and fullbacks of this team, although if he claims the starting job at some point this year Jermichael Finley could create matchup problems speed wise with opposing linebackers. Tauscher and Clifton return to be the end pieces of the line again and should do fine, although both have had injuries before and should probably be watched in terms of durability. Scott Wells and overachiever Jason Spitz are expected to be solid on the interior of the line again this year, but left guard is kind of a wildcard because none of the players in competition have really separated themselves from the pack and are all just kind of milling around waiting for someone else to step up and take the job right out of their hands. However, if the aforementioned defensive tackles were forced to miss time to start the year this team would start the season with a rotation of Colin Cole, Daniel Muir, and Alfred Malone. Just strikes fear into the hearts of opposing half backs, doesn't it? Aaron Kampman should be a relentless one man pass rush again though, and Cullen Jenkins will be a tough assignment one on one on the outside due to superior strength for an end. AJ Hawk is a force at weakside linebacker, and Nick Barnett is a powerful run stopping weapon at middle linebacker. How the Brandon Chillar/Brady Poppinga strongside platoon works out remains to be seen. Nick Collins and the ancient corners, Charles Woodson and Al Harris, should be fine for another year of starting in the secondary, but Atari Bigby is the real gem of this secondary IDP wise. Don't get your hopes up too much though, this team is kind of old and full of question marks.

Lions- Jon Kitna is still the starter at Quarterback, but when we look past that, we see talent. Kevin Smith should benefit from the departure of Mike Martz because they'll certainly be running more this year than last year. However, that will hurt basically everyone else in the offense, Roy Williams being the only other player I would want to touch in a fantasy draft this year off this squad. Gosder Cherilus and Stephen Peterman are a right side to watch this year, because they have the size and ability to dominate if they have their technique down well enough. Dominic Raiola is a sturdy player to anchor the middle of your line and usually makes the right adjustment calls for his linemates.Ed Mulitalo and Jeff Backus are an above average left side of the line and should be good enough this year. I still wouldn't expect much production from this offense though, because they are moving to a new system this year with the departure of Martz Almighty. Jared DeVries is not impressive as a starting end, but Cory Redding is a solid player with extraordinary talent. Chartric Darby is a marginal defensive tackle at this point, but DeWayne White could be a special player if he got his game a little more consistent. Ernie Sims can be counted on to make another 607976 tackles from his weakside spot. Jordon Dizon is a strong player who can make plays, but in an ideal world he gets his first year to sit and learn and work on his technique a bit more. He'll start next to Paris Lenon, probably with Dizon at strong side and Lenon in the middle. That could change though, as either player is good enough and versatile enough to play both spots. Dizon in the middle and Lenon strong side would project more favorably for the team at the moment, but Lenon has been called the Mike starter already, presumably because the team doesn't want vets to feel that a rook is getting special treatment and moving a starter. Leigh Bodden is battling Travis Fisher to start opposite free agent signee Bryan Kelly at corner in this version of the tampa 2. Safeties Dwight Smith and Daniel Bullocks need to have their roles nailed down for this defense to work and they seem to have done that. Watch Smith in IDP leagues too, he hits hard and creates turnovers.

Bears- Oh how the mighty hath fallen. The Grossman-Orton quarterbacking monster doesn't bode well for anyone except opposing defenses. Both have showed underwhelming grasps of the offense and decision making in game time decisions. That shoulders more work on rookie running back Matt Forte and the borderline offensive (and not in a good way) receivers. Devin Hester is being counted on as a starting wide receiver. That right there spells trouble for you as a whole. Then it gets compounded by number two option Marty Booker/Brandon Lloyd, and you have a real problem. Then throw in a rookie blindside protector, Chris Williams, and all of a sudden you have a perfect storm of suck in the passing game. It could easily be the worst one in modern history. Olin Kreutz Roberto Garza and Terrence Metcalf form a capable interior offensive line to run behind though, and former left tackle John Tait now moves to right tackle where he should be effective at knocking defenders out of the way and getting to the second level. Second year Tight End Greg Olson should have his hands full as a checkdown option on this team. Then again while he SHOULD, who knows how much Grossman will actually checkdown. The defense is something of a bright spot, although thats mostly by virtue of the terrible offense. Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson are very nice bookends to have, and Tommie Harris should be a menace at tackle regardless of who noses up next to him (Dusty Dvoracek and Anthony Adams are the favorites) Lance Briggs Brian Urlacher and Hunter Hillenmeyer are a fantastic trio of linebackers. Hillenmeyer is really an underated piece, due to playing next to perennial pro bowl options his whole career. In the secondary, we have Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher clamping down outside freeing up Mike Brown and whoever plays strong safety to make plays across the deep of the defense. They aren't an inspiring crew, and for that, I have them last in the division.

AFC West Preview

*shakes head, walks away*

Chargers- the only team with no glaring problem areas in this division. Obviously, LaDainian Tomlinson is still LaDainian freaking Tomlinson. Thus, barring injury, the running game should be fine. He's backed by a veritable molehill of a man, Darren Sproles, and while not technically a halfback, rookie runner Jacob Hester figures to see extra carries in the event of LT2 suffering a setback on his career. Hester has good ball skills, being seen as a viable receiving option last year on a tremendous Lousiana State team. Sproles has some big play ability as a kick returner; and, in theory, to replace the firestorm that currently resides in their backfield they would use Sproles' lightning to Hester's thunder. Philip Rivers is coming off of a big knee injury, but still projects to be at least adequate in an offense with the weapons he has. Out wide there is refugee from the Miami disaster Chris Chambers, a true deep threat in a league currently lacking them, and Vincent Jackson, a player I personally am huge on because he's the size of a tight end and runs like a half back. That brings me to the guy who actually lines up at tight end, who I don't really need to say much about by the same virtue as Tomlinson being a quasi footnote: you've heard plenty enough about them already. He's the size of a power forward and uses it to reach up and grab balls that should be jumpballs, plus he can shield even the quickest of linebackers off the ball when he hauls them in over the middle. The offensive line returns 4 of 5 starters including the most important one, Marcus McNeill. Shane Olivea, former right tackle, left in free agency and is replaced by Jeromey Clary. Nick Hardwick and his interior line cohorts Mike Goff and Kris Dielman should do fine, as they might face their toughest assignment of the year in team drills in training camp (Jamal Williams). They should be fine to pencil in for another superior season. Defensively, we have returning starters on the defensive line, all 3. They were certainly good enough last year and I see no reason to expect otherwise this year. Sadly, they have no real gaudy numbers to report because in a 3-4, their designated responsibility is basically to occupy blockers so the coordinator can turn his linebacking hounds loose. Those linebackers, in this case are All-World pass rusher Shawne Merriman, Ted Backer Matt Wilhelm, Mike Stephen Cooper, and Merriman's outside counterpart, Shaun Phillips. The outside guys share more than a first name, as both have a penchant for introducing opposing QBs to the turf, up close and personal. They lost corner Drayton Florence in free agency, but return Antonio Cromartie, last years INT leader, and Quentin Jammer, who, as his name implys, is a physical corner on the outside and not an easy assignment to beat for a receiver. The safeties are Eric Weddle, a highly athletic but somewhat raw player in the secondary and Clinton Hart, the weak link- although, that's not to say he's bad.

Broncos- Finishing second in a division that doesn't figure to be very good. Selvin Young, unknown quantity at running back. He figures as a speedy little package; firecracker out of the backfield, and it's a Shanahan offense so he should do just fine for himself. The entire offensive line besides guard Ben Hamilton, unknown quantity. Jay Cutler should improve this year since he won't be battling defenses AND Diabetes every week this year. Brandon Marshall should turn in another stellar year if he doesn't get suspended. Keary Colbert/Eddie Royal/anyone else competing to be the #2 wideout figures to disappoint. Tony Scheffler should be a good checkdown lifeline, though. The defensive line is underwhelming. Alvin McKinley, John Engelberger, and Marcus Thomas aren't much to get excited about, although Elvis Dumervil has shown flashes of pass rushing brilliance. D.J. Williams is a superior force in the intermediate range of the passing game. Niko Koutouvides is a workman type of middle linebacker, good for the plays he is expected to make and not much more. Boss Bailey doesn't have quite the athleticism of his better known brother Champ ,(although I'd call the names a draw) but is a stout run stopper and makes things happen at a tick above average for a strong side backer. Champ and Dre Bly are the best corner duo in the league outside, but safeties Hamza Abdullah and Marlon McCree make the secondary human again.

Chiefs- (should I have said Chieves?) Well. Brodie Croyle is still Brodie Croyle, and Devard Darling is still Devard Darling. I don't really need to review their passing game any more than that. The running game is much more interesting with Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles in the backfield. However, Rudy Niswanger, Adrian Jones, and Damian McIntosh figure to keep them somewhat grounded, and not in a good way. Dwayne Bowe could be fun to watch, though, and Tony Gonzalez might reach some new plateaus this year, career-wise, so at least there's a little something to note in the passing game. Brandon Albert is something to build on in that trainwreck offensive line, so there's some hope for the future with a real blue chipper there. The defense is in a similar situation with Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali on the line to hope for progression from. The rest of the line seems uninspired, though, which is a shame because Donnie Edwards and Derrick Johnson are good enough outside backers that I could start in the middle and the unit would still be above average (as it stands Napoleon Harris is penciled in there, and he's quite a nice little piece to slide into the center of your defense). Brandon Flowers, a second round pick at corner, is seen as quite NFL ready and should learn more as he can read up under Patrick Surtain, one of the better cover men of this generation. Jarrod Page and Bernard Pollard man the safety spots and provide some cheap thrills for this defense with big hits and ballhawking flashes of talent.

Raiders- ROFL. JaMarcus Russell's career is basically at it's beginning, so don't count on much of anything from him- especially not in that offense. His number one option (Javon Walker) wanted to retire this offseason but was persuaded to stay in the game by Anti-Christ/owner Al Davis, and his number two, while I'm high on him (Ronald Curry), has never topped 750 yards in a season in his five years in the league. That leaves us with Zach Miller, who was never a speed threat, although he runs good routes and has solid hands. In the backfield we have Justin Griffith, a good fullback who can do damage with the ball in his hands- something not often seen in the league of today- and is still capable of putting linebackers on their ass if he can get into them. Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden are in the backfield as the chief runners, and while Fargas had a good year last year, and could possibly do the same again this year if given the same opportunity, I highly doubt they spent a boatload of cash on DMC to have him ride the pine. They should do well in a zone blocking one cut downhill style running game, with former bust turned respectable player Robert Gallery at left guard. Cooper Carlisle and John Wade fill out the interior offensive line, with Cornell Green and Kwame Harris as the tackles. This could be the most surprising single unit in football, or they could just play like the Raiders offensive line again. Who knows. When we flip the ball around, we get uninspired by Tommy Kelley Terdell Sands and Jay Richardson. Derrick Burgess is still a solid end, though. Linebacker wise, Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard could please you in IDP leagues, behind a leaky line and with a good level of skill on each of them. Howard has safety speed, but isn't the biggest hitter. Don't expect a lot of fumbles forced by this defense. The backfield will be a disappointment as Al Davis showed his love of 40 times when he dealt for DeAngelo Hall to play opposite geuine shutdown corner Nnamdi Asomugha. Safety Michael Huff will really appreciate the addition of Gibril Wilson to play alongside him, and really needs to make or break his career here. Wilson himself should be fine, although he will probably end up being frustrated when he realizes that last year he won more games in January than he does this year in September through December.

NFC South Preview

Odd division, full of unique scenarios (Tampa's QB list, New Orleans' backfield options,Atlanta's lack of options, etc.)

Saints- An intriguing team, certainly varied in ability level experience and skill set. Drew Brees should have no worries about finding weapons to dissect opposing defenses with, as Marques Colston is still Marques Colston, Reggie Bush maintains his half RB half WR role, and the team made a trade to bring in All-Pro tight end Jeremy Shockey from a disgruntled situation in New York. Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem should be absolutely wonderful options if another team manages to keep Shockey and Colston occupied. The offensive line is a solid squad. Nesbit Stinchcomb and Goodwin are adequate players and known quantities, and the unit is rounded out by enigmatic youngsters Jahri Evans and Jammal Brown. As a whole, they figure to be more than substantial opening holes and protecting passers. Reggie Bush should be a good runner out of the backfield, but he can't carry a whole load so don't consider him an elite option in fantasy leagues. Either Deuce McAllister, Pierre Thomas or Aaron Stecker needs to help him grinding it out against the front seven. McAllister is obviously the most talented of the options, but doctors had to go nuclear on his knee to fix all of the damage he'd done. The defense is a little more hit-or-miss, with superstar bookends Will Smith and Charles Grant (who is facing criminal charges) being centered by some combination of Hollis Thomas, rookie Sedrick Ellis, Bryan Young, and Antwan Lake, which includes nary a single known quantity, due to age or inexperience.Linebacking shouldn't be a problem, with Jonathan Vilma having been brought in and being plugged back into his most familiar Mike Linebacking 4-3 role. Scott Fujita returns to start on the strong side, where he always plays with authority, but the weakside is a little shaky because Dan Morgan retired earlier this offseason, leaving it to Scott Shanle. Shanle isn't a poor performer, but he doesn't provide big plays quite like one would hope. The defensive backs need to replace Mike McKenzie, because he's too old for this in the NFL and corners don't age gracefully outside the Tampa 2. The safeties are fine though, and Randall Gay should be plenty serviceable as a #1 corner.

Buccaneers- They only get my number two billing because of Jake Delhomme's elbow surgery and Atlanta being the Falcons. Jeff Garcia is still a marginal game managing QB who's skills misfit with a set of receiver's that are geared towards downfield routes. Alex Smith and Ben Troupe are good options off the ends of the lines, moving well for such big bodies. Earnest Graham was a splendid option to replace Cadillac Williams last year, and while I wouldn't trust him for a full season of being my workhorse, Tampa did due diligence in bringing in Warrick Dunn and retaining Michael Bennett so they can spread around the carries on 3 sets of legs, 4 if Williams comes back from torn patellar tendons some time this year. The line has skill on the strong side with Jeremy Trueblood and Guard Davin Joseph. However, the line get progressively shakier as you go along it, from Trueblood to Joseph then center Jeff Faine, left guard Arron Sears, and finally blindside protector and physical failure Luke Petitgout. This could pose problems in the running game, and the top tight ends on the roster aren't exactly maulers, so teams may overload the right side to stuff up their run. Their defensive line is lackluster. Second year speed rusher Gaines Adams expects to start on one end, preferably the weak side for performances sake, opposite tackle machine Marques Douglas. The middle of their line is Hovan and Jovan with middle of the road although well rounded Chris Hovan starting next to Jovan Haye, an ideal three technique with a nose for the ball carrier even when its the quarterback. The linebackers aren't a spectacular set, with experienced Cato June and Derrick Brooks (it's experienced when you're still good, old when you aren't) on the outsides and high energy nonstop motor middle man Barrett Ruud, who excels at chasing plays down. Defensive backs Tanard Jackson, Jermaine Phillips, Phillip Buchanon and Ronde Barber return to start another season, and first round pick Aqib Talib might get the nickel duties as a talented inexperienced player. All said and done, expect a healthy regular season but nothing playoff wise.

Panthers- More question marks riddling this team than the Riddlers suit. Jake Delhomme had Tommy John surgery this offseason. For those of us who don't know what that is (presumably and NFL fan and not so much baseball) when your ulnar colateral ligament in the elbow gets so frayed or torn it needs to be replaced, that's the name of the procedure. It's replaced with another one from somewhere in your body, and threaded into the bone in your elbow in a figure eight pattern. He had a spectacular three games last season before going under the knife. His ability to lead the team is in doubt, but only from a physical standpoint. The backfield has more than enough talent with former 1st rounder DeAngelo Williams and new first rounder Jonathan Stewart. LaBrandon Toefield lurks as the third back, and in that capacity, hes fantastic. Mighty Mouse esque wideout Steve Smith should be good for elite production again, and Mushin Muhammad has great knowledge and hands, capable of hauling in first down passes when they're needed. The tight ends have no impact on this offense aside from taking on linebackers and getting them out of the way. Jordan Gross spearheads a talented set of men in the trenches, being one of the top protectors in the league. Travelle Wharton stays at left guard, and Ryan Kalil will take over the line adjustments at center. Keydrick Vincent, former raven, is penciled in as the starter at right guard which may be a bit unsettling, but he has started before and wasn't terrible. Rookie silverback gorrilla Jeff Otah is slated at right tackle, where he can focus on using his 340 pounds to blow opposing linemen away. The defense loses talented nose tackle Kris Jenkins to an offseason trade to New York, thrusting the middle of the line into a much more rotation committee oriented situation. Julius Peppers transitioned to the weakside to alleviate some of the attention payed to him last season, moving Charles Johnson into a starting role in Peppers' old strong side role. Athletic weakside backer Landon Johnson comes over from Cinci and figures to start right away, since Thomas Davis is now playing the strong side after manning the weakside spot the last two seasons. Productive second year player Jon Beason will start in the middle, although long term he might move to the strong side to make room for Dan Connor, Penn State alum and tackler extraordinaire. Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas are on the outside again and provide trouble for opposing receivers, and Nate Salley and the vastly underrated Chris Harris are deep. Harris figures to intimidate even the toughest of receivers over the middle, helping a pass defense that wasn't terrible last season. An intimidating defense and a possible smash mouth running game. How wonderful for the traditionalists.

Falcons- lol. the only thing lul worthy besides the Dolphins. Michael Turners tackle breaking ability won't go unheralded on a team that will need to look for ANYTHING positive to focus on when media gets on them for Chris Redman possibly starting, or Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl starting, or the whole Joe Horn thing. Turner might churn out a decent season but on this offseason I wouldn't anticipate anything great. Redman should start so as to not give Matt Ryan the David Carr treatment (before you call it insane, think about it: highly sought after athletic Quarterback taken high and thrown behind a pop warner O-Line). Laurent Robinson and Roddy White starting on the outside leaves Ryan devoid of options for this season, although the same duo for next year could be not too bad given the athleticism. Alge Crumpler, the checkdown option of years past, is gone. After years of being miscast as athletic QB Mike Vick's big weapon, he'll now hold down the same role for Vince Young. The line is almost saddening, really, after the team decided Kynan Forney and Todd Weiner weren't nasty enough to start this season. Sam Baker steps in as the starting left tackle, and while he isn't terribel, he shouldn't have been the 21st overalll selection and probably shouldn't start this early in his career. Harvey Dahl is also an unimpressive starter in the trenches, another mistake made by Atlanta's management. While sending a motivational message to your more talented players can work positively, it hits a point where you're making a mistake by actually giving the job to someone who frankly isn't qualified. The defensive line has Jamaal Anderson, second year weakside rusher from Arkansas and John Abraham on the outside, with Jonathan Babineaux and Grady Jackson in the middle of their line to do their best against the inside rushing of the rest of the division (Stewart, Graham and McAllister). Linebacking returns Strong Side starter Michael Boley and Keith Brooking to the weakside with god knows who in the middle. Curtis Lofton out of Oklahoma is the guy who should be starting there, but as we've already learned, the best choice doesn't always actually get the yob in ATL. The defensive backfield is just as much a trainwreck as the rest of the team, with David Irons/Brent Grimes, former Euro League Defensive Player of the Year starting opposite Chris Houston on the outside and Lawyer Milloy whittling away his years till AARP membership as the Atlanta starting strong safety. Erik Coleman will return as the one little piece of good in the giant turd that is this defense, although one has to wonder why he left New York for this team in free agency two years ago. There's a reason that the road to Atlanta is the road less traveled. If you're a Falcon fan, just pray to whoever your god may be, or Stephen Hawking if you're atheist, that they don't start Matt Ryan this year and cause him to lose both kidneys from staying behind that kind of blocking. 70 million dollars down the drain.