News and Notes

Here are some news and notes I figured I would comment on as the Lockout in the NFL continues......

1) I really don't know what to think when I hear that Denver is having a private workout with Blaine Gabbert and Jake Locker. The Gabbert workout doesn't surprise me because he is considered to be a top 10 pick, and Denver owns the second overall pick, so I can see them wanting to workout as many players that are going to be available at that time. The Locker workout surprised me a little, but I can't see Denver taking at number two overall or trading down in the top 15 to take him. I could actually see Denver taking him in the second round with one of their two second round picks though. I think Locker is probably either the highest rated or second highest rated QB on their board, so why not take a shot and see what he has in a private session. Like I said back in February, I wouldn't be surprised at anything that happens with the Broncos QB situation. I could Kyle Orton starting, Tim Tebow starting, Orton getting traded, Locker/Gabbert getting drafted, trading for Kevin Kolb or Carson Palmer. I think so many different options are on the table. My solution is pretty simple: Trade Orton for at least a third round pick (Minnesota/Arizona) and go into the season with Tim Tebow as your starter. If Locker falls to the 2nd or 3rd round, then grab him. If he doesn't, go into 2011 with Tebow, Brady Quinn, and a veteran QB (Marc Bulger etc...).

2) Roger Goodell sent a letter to the players about the NFL's last ditch proposal and urging them to get back to the bargaining table. The NFLPA sent a letter to Goodell saying that the proposal wasn't very good and insulting. We get it. Both sides are blaming each other. Enough with the letters and finger pointing. Just get a deal done soon. The fans don't care about either side's whining and complaining. Just get a deal done please and move on.

3) Before the league tries to get a deal done and move on, we have to go through the court and litigation process thanks to the NFLPA's decertification. The case is titled Brady vs. NFL, but the real title should be DeMaurice Smith vs. NFL. This whole thing is about De Smith and how he is trying to make a name for himself and take on Goodell and the NFL Owners. I dislike Smith more and more everyday, and I hope the NFL wins the case on April 6th and gains leverage and continues to lockout the players. Smith should just be quiet and stop all the rhetoric. He is making himself too much of the story here, and I hope it backfires on him.

4) The NFL stated that it will continue to construct its' 2011 season schedule and release it in April like it normally does. This is actually a great move by the league because once the schedule comes out, fans really start to get ready for a new season. This won't make a deal happen, but it will start to put some heat on both sides. If I was creating the schedule, I would front load Week 1 with so many marquee games, that the fans, networks and media would all go crazy about if there is games lost in September. I would put Colts-Pats on MNF, Jets-Giants on the SNF opener, Ravens-Steelers, Philly-Dallas, and Chicago at Green Bay on opening night. Just front load and say to the players, "You really want to take these games away from the fans?"

5) With that schedule news, at least I will be able to do my schedule release predictions column. Here is what I have planned to have on the blog the next few weeks. A look at the possible primetime and schedule matchups for 2011, a breakdown of the top prospects at each position for the Draft, and my first ever NFL Mock Draft, which I will mock the first round of this year's draft. See you along the way!

2010 AFC Predictions Review

Here we go with my look back at my 2010 AFC predictions..........

AFC EAST

1) Miami (11-5)

2) New England (11-5)

3) New York Jets (9-7)

4) Buffalo Bills (3-13)

Footnotes: Miami killed me in my picks this past year. Here is final 2010 order: 1-New England(14-2) 2-NY Jets(11-5) 3-Miami(7-9) 4-Buffalo(4-12)

-I had New England getting the wildcard spot in the AFC and winning the AFC Title and the Super Bowl, and not too many people picked them to win the division or go to the Super Bowl. It looked like a great pick all year, but we all know what happened to the Pats in the playoffs.

-I loved Miami all summer, and I really thought that the Fish were going to win the East. They started off well, then leveled off, but they were 7-6 and had a chance to win their last three to sneak in as a wildcard, but then lost their last three. Very disappointed in the Dolphins last year.

-I was never sold on the Jets last year, and I predicted that they would miss the playoffs at 9-7. I was close because they won so many close games late, and that propelled them to 11 wins and the wildcard.

-It was pretty easy to predict Buffalo's season, but the scary part is the Bills played so well from mid-October on, and they lost a lot of really tight games. They could have won at least seven games but they ended up with only four wins, which made my prediction look more solid than it even was.

AFC NORTH

1) Pittsburgh Steelers(10-6)

2)Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

3) Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

4) Cleveland Browns (3-13)

Footnotes: I nailed the Steelers winning the division. Here is final standings in 2010: 1-Pittsburgh(12-4) 2-Baltimore(12-4) 3-Cleveland(5-11) 4-Cincy(4-12)

-Not many people outside Peter King and myself picked the Steelers to win the North. I just knew that Mike Tomlin would get his team back on top, even with the Ben Roethlisberger suspension to start the year.

-I wasn't high on Baltimore because I figured they were due for a down year. They proved me wrong and gained a wildcard spot for the third year in a row. I don't really like the Ravens, and I always pick against them every year, but they keep screwing me up.

-The Bengals were easy to predict. I knew they would take a step back, and they were terrible all year. So many people loved the Terrell Owens/Chad Johnson combination, but I just had a feeling it was going to blow up in their face and it did.

-I thought the Browns were going to be bad and Eric Mangini was going to lose his job. They showed some life and were a feisty team at 5-7 after 12 games (Including wins over the Patriots and New Orleans), but they lost their last four games, and Mangini got fired.

AFC SOUTH

1-Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

2-Tennessee Titans (10-6)

3-Houston Texans (8-8)

4-Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

Footnotes: It is pretty simple when predicting the AFC South. As long as Peyton Manning is around, just pick the Colts because you will be right every time. Final order in the division went like this: 1-Indy(10-6) 2-Jacksonville(8-8) 3-Houston(6-10) 4-Tennessee(6-10)

-Indy won the division again, so I got that pick right, but injuries destroyed them this year. The Colts were 6-6 and to win all of four remaining games to make the playoffs, and they pulled it off.

-I thought the Titans were a solid pick to win the wildcard, but they disappointed me and missed the playoffs. At one point, they were 5-2, but they went just 1-8 in their last nine games. The Vince Young/Jeff Fisher drama didn't help, and now Fisher is out at Head Coach.

-I was never sold on Houston, and many people picked the Texans to make the playoffs. They started off well (4-2), but then they faded down the stretch as usual.

-I figured Jacksonville was going to be bad and it would cost Jack Del Rio his job, but they were surprisingly pretty good all year. At 8-5, they actually had a chance to win the division, but lost their last three and miss the playoffs. It is tough to predict the Jags. They baffle me week to week and year to year.

AFC WEST

1) San Diego Chargers (10-6)

2) Kansas City Chiefs (8-8)

3) Oakland Raiders (7-9)

4) Denver Broncos (7-9)

Footnotes: I picked San Diego basically out of default to win the West. I knew the Chiefs and Raiders were going to be better, but I just didn't trust them enough to supplant the Chargers. Here is the final order in the AFC West: 1-KC(10-6) 2-SD(9-7) 3-Oakland(8-8) 4-Denver(4-12).

-I really thought the Chargers were going to take a step back, but I didn't pull the trigger on it. San Diego was due for a non-playoff year, and I should have made the call.

-I really liked Kansas City, but I didn't pick them and I should have. It was like my Bears pick. I liked them to be better then what everyone thought, but I just didn't trust them enough. From now on, I just got to go with the bold pick and see what happens.

-Everyone knew that the Raiders were going to be better because Jamarcus Russell was not the QB anymore, and Oakland actually swept the division. The Raiders were a lot better this year, and I pretty much nailed that pick.

-I had Denver at 7-9, and my thought process was that the Broncos would start really slow and they did. I even had Denver's record correct after nine games (3-6). Unfortunately, I thought at that point Josh McDaniels would insert Tim Tebow and the Broncos would go something like 4-3 down the stretch and finish a gritty 7-9. I was dead wrong on that one. Denver lost four in a row, McDaniels got fired, and Tebow didn't start until they were 3-10 and had three games left. He went 1-2 at the end and Denver finished a disappointing 4-12, the most losses in franchise history and only the third time they lost at least 10 games since I have been alive.

*MY 2010 AFC PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

1) Indy (12-4)

2) Miami (11-5)

3) San Diego (10-6)

4) Pittsburgh (10-6)

5)New England (11-5)

6) Tennessee (10-6)

Wild Card Weekend

6-Tennessee over 3-SD

5-NE over 4-Pittsburgh

Divisional Weekend

1-Indy over 6-Tennessee

5-New England over 2-Miami

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

5-New England over 1-Indy

SUPER BOWL 45

New England over Atlanta

Footnotes:

-I got three out of the six playoff teams right (NE, Indy, and Pitt)

-I got two of the division winners correct (Indy and Pitt)

-I had Pittsburgh losing on Wildcard weekend, but they made it all the way to the Super Bowl.

-I had New England winning the AFC Championship as a wildcard and then winning the Super Bowl. Not too many people predicted that, and I looked like a genius, but the Pats blew it in the Divisional Playoffs at home to the Jets of all teams.

Lockout in the NFL

When reading about the history of the NFL, one of the most interesting stories is how the AFL challenged the NFL and then eventually was able to merge with the established rival. The one thing that I always remember was how the original AFL Owners were called the "Foolish Club." Every one involved with pro football and the media dubbed this group such because they were nuts to think that a rival league could be successful and challenge the NFL. Well, they weren't so foolish after all, and the AFL is one of the main reasons why the NFL became so popular and successful. There might be a new foolish club associated with the NFL and pro football, and it is lead by DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell. On Friday, after over two weeks of mediations and negotiations, the NFLPA decided to decertify and the CBA officially expired that night. The NFL then imposed a lockout, and no offseason activity can take place. The business of NFL football is on complete hold right now. I was so furious on Friday that I was going to write a long blog post slamming DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell. I decided to back off that right now because it isn't even worth it. That is what is so upsetting about this labor dispute in the NFL right now- it isn't worth it. Then, why in the hell are they doing it? Simple answer: Greed. It really comes down to that. They simply can't agree how to divide up a $9 billion dollar business. This isn't about free agency, the salary cap, or franchise tags. This whole thing is about splitting up the pie. How they couldn't figure that out the last two weeks is beyond me because the NFL has always been a trendsetter and always been good at figuring things out. If Gene Upshaw was running the NFLPA and Paul Tagliabue was still the commissioner of the NFL, this deal would have been done weeks ago and both sides would be happy.

Look, I examined this dispute at every angle, and I blame both sides. Yes, the union walked away from the bargaining table and used it's decertification button and wanted to take this to the courts. It seems like DeMaurice Smith is trying to become a revolutionary in his own right. Yes, the NFL owners didn't open their books or give the union enough respect to get a deal done. Both parties are at fault. The real problem I have is that both parties are taking a major risk by possibly fucking up the most successful, popular, and profitable sports league in this country. We all know that the NFL is bullet proof. If this thing goes into September and regular season games are missed, then I'm not so sure the NFL won't take a dip. They are playing with fire, and this could be the moment when we look back 10-15 years from now, when the NFL took a step backwards. Is it that hard to realize that if you just give a little, then in the end everyone wins? Especially in the world of pro football, where everything the NFL touches turns to gold or green.

What made the NFL so popular since 1993 was that there were no work stoppages and labor pains. Everyone divided up the cash pie, every one benefitted, and the league's popularity rose because every team had an equal chance. This labor strife could potentially damage that and in the end that could really ruin the NFL. That is what is so disheartening about this deal not getting done. Why didn't someone just stand up and say this during these mediation sessions?

So what are we left with? We are left with talks of lawsuits and lawyers instead of free agency and trades. We are left with the possiblity that in September there might not be NFL games to watch. We are left with the weirdest NFL Draft in my lifetime. The NFL has become a full time, year-round sport. After the Super Bowl ends in early February, you usually had the following things to look forward to in the offseason: The Combine in late February, free agency starting in early March, announcement of opening night/weekend and Thanksgiving games at Owner's meetings in mid-March, full schedule release in mid-April, the Draft in late April, mini-camps, and OTAs. By the time, June hits the offseason dies down, and it is summer time and training camp is right around the corner. Well, this year it ain't happening like that, and that is what really sucks about this. The only thing you can do as an NFL fan is just wait and hope this thing gets sorted out at some point.

I'll leave you with one last item. Going back to how I love to read books and stories about the creation and early years of the NFL, one of the recurring themes is how men like Wellington Mara, George Halas and other prominent owners always sacrificed for the good of the league. Those big market owners could have put all the little guys, Green Bay etc.., out of the NFL business long ago, but they didn't. They always put the shield first. Pete Rozelle was another person who always recognized this and tried to convince others that if you put the NFL first, then everyone will gain from it. Lamar Hunt, the Rooney family, Paul Tagliabue, and Gene Upshaw all believed in the same mantra, and it was the fabric of NFL management. Put the shield above anything else. I wonder what Gene Upshaw and Wellington Mara are thinking about up above as they watch this greedy mess. Maybe DeMaurice Smith and some other union people should read up on the history of this great league. Maybe owners like Jerry Jones, Jerry Richardson, and Dan Snyder should ask John Mara about what his dad would do or did to help the NFL prosper. Maybe Roger Goodell should read about what Pete Rozelle did in times of strife. Someone from the present needs to look into the past and convince their respective sides, players and owners, that the shield must come first before anything else.

NFL Predictions- A Look Back: The NFC

In today's installment, I am going to post my 2010 NFC predictions and take a look back on some hits and misses that I made back in August. Underneath each division, I will list some footnotes that will comment on my predictions. Here we go...............

NFC East
1) Dallas (11-5)
2) Washington (10-6)
3) New York Giants (8-8)
4) Philadelphia (7-9)

Footnotes: I completely botched this division. The final NFC East standings in 2010 were 1-Philly (10-6) 2-NY Giants (10-6) 3-Dallas (6-10) and 4-Washington (6-10).

-I really thought Dallas was going to be a solid team again, but obviously I didn't foresee them quitting on Wade Phillips and Tony Romo getting hurt.

-I wrestled with what to do with the Giants all summer. I had them in and out of the playoffs like 500 times. Finally, I settled on them missing the playoffs, which I was right about.

-I gave the Redskins too much credit. I felt that with Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb they were really going to turn it around and make the playoffs. I was wrong. Shanny looks overrated right now, and McNabb is on his way out of Washington.

-I had no faith in Kevin Kolb and the Eagles, and the truth is that is Kolb doesn't get hurt and Mike Vick nevers sees the field that early, then the Eagles probably end up at 7-9. No one saw Vick's reemergence coming in Philly.

NFC NORTH
1-Green Bay (11-5)
2-Minnesota (10-6)
3- Chicago (9-7)
4-Detroit (6-10)

Footnotes: One of the better division predicitions I had in 2010. The final standings in the NFC North were: 1-Chicago (11-5) 2-Green Bay (10-6) 3-Detroit (6-10) and 4-Minnesota (6-10).

-I, like pretty much everyone else, loved and believed in Green Bay this season. I loved the play of Aaron Rodgers, and it was pretty hard not to think that the Packers would win the division or at least make the playoffs in 2010.

-I also wrestled with Minnesota all summer. I had them out of the playoffs for a long time, then I changed my mind and put them in. I figured there was so much talent on that team that they would find a way to make the playoffs. I felt that Brett Favre wasn't going to lead them to a Super Bowl, but they would at least make it back to the playoffs. Wow, I was dead wrong and Favre finished the season injured.

-I was right about Chicago having a winning season, but I didn't have the guts to put them in the playoffs. Next time, I will just put a team like the Bears in the playoffs when making predictions. I felt all summer that the Bears were going to be better than everyone expected. I thought the Jay Cutler-Mike Martz marriage was going to work and it did. I also felt that Lovie Smith would be back after this year, and he got an extension. I should have put them in the playoffs.

-I nailed Detroit perfectly. At 2-10, it looked bleak, but they won their last four and finished 6-10-just as I predicted. I knew the Lions would win at least 6 games, you could just tell before the season started they were going to be a lot better.

NFC SOUTH
1-Atlanta (11-5)
2-New Orleans (9-7)
3-Carolina (8-8)
4- Tampa Bay (3-13)

Footnotes: I nailed the Falcons winning the division. Here is the final order in the NFC South: 1-Atlanta (13-3) 2-New Orleans (11-5) 3-Tampa Bay (10-6) 4-Carolina (2-14).

-I loved Atlanta all summer, and I nailed this pick. You knew the Falcons, coming off a 9-7 season, were due for a big bounce back year. This is one of my best picks all year.

-I had the Saints missing the playoffs due to the Super Bowl hangover theory. A lot of people liked the Saints this year, but I didn't. I had them going 9-7, but I was wrong. They struggled for a little while, but they turned it on and finished 11-5 and a wild card team.

-I figured John Fox and the Panthers would figure out a way to get 8 wins. Usually, Fox gets the most out of his teams in Carolina, but I didn't expect the Panthers to be that bad.

-No one thought Tampa was going to be any good this year. I figured they would be so bad that they might get rid of Raheem Morris by midseason. Wow, was I wrong. The Bucs shocked me and everyone else.

NFC WEST

1) San Francisco (9-7)

2) Seattle (8-8)

3) Arizona (6-10)

4) St. Louis (3-13)

Footnotes: I basically picked San Francisco out of default. I felt that they were due to win this crappy division, but obviously that was a bad pick. The NFC West finished up like this: 1-Seattle (7-9) 2-St. Louis (7-9) 3-SF (6-10) 4-Arizona (5-11)

-As I said before, I was skeptical about San Francisco, but I just figured that they were due to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. It wasn't hard to buy into them in this awful division. They started 0-5 and never recovered. A lot of my inspiration for making this pick was because I would like to see the Niners get good again. I think it is good for the league to see SF make it back to playoffs.

-I have to say the Seattle pick killed me. They were my sleeper team all year after they hired Pete Carrol. I had them winning the West all summer long, and then I switched out at the last minute. Why did I do that? All I kept reading and hearing during the preseason was that they are a year away and really have no talent. Well, there talent showed but it was enough to win 7 games and the West. From now on, I have to stick with my first instinct when doing these picks.

-The Arizona pick was so easy because of the Kurt Warner retirement. As soon as Warner retired, there went any chance the Cards had of being good in 2010.

-I didn't give the Rams, Sam Bradford, and Steve Spagnuolo enough credit before the year. I was high on Bradford in the draft, and I like Spags as a head coach, but I just figured they would go through some major growing pains in their first year together-mainly because of the lack of talent. Well, I was wrong and they really exceeded my expectations. They could have won this division, but just couldn't beat Seattle on the road in Week 17. I wasn't alone on my pick for the Rams because no one saw a 7 win season for them.

*My 2010 NFC Playoff Predictions:

1) Green Bay

2)Atlanta

3) Dallas

4) San Francisco

5) Minnesota-WC

6) Washington-WC

Wildcard Weekend:

5-Minnesota over 4-SF

3-Dallas over 6-Washington

Divisional Round:

1-Green Bay over 5-Minnesota

2-Atlanta over 3-Dallas

NFC Championship:

2-Atlanta over 1-Green Bay

Footnotes:

-I correctly picked 2 out of 6 NFC playoff teams correct (Atlanta and Green Bay).

-I only correctly picked 1 out of 4 division winners (Atlanta).

-None of my four wildcard weekend teams even made the playoffs.

-I did have GB and Atl meeting in the NFC Championship, and they really met in the NFC Divisional round. Green Bay won that game 48-21.

-My NFC Champion Atlanta did not make it past the Divisional round.

*Next column: Reviewing my 2010 AFC predictions!!!!

Broncos Cuts and Tenders

With the news out that the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to extend the deadline for the CBA another 24 hours, the Broncos continue to make roster transactions. On Wednesday, the Broncos released TE Daniel Graham. Graham was due a $1 million dollar roster bonus. Also, Denver extended 2nd round tenders to K Matt Prater and LB Wesley Woodyard. Denver also extended original round tenders to T Ryan Harris, DL Kevin Vickerson, and DT Marcus Thomas. On Thursday night, Denver also released DT Jamal Williams and DL Justin Bannan. Williams was due a $1 million dollar roster bonus and a salary of $4.2 million. Bannan was due a $500,000 bonus and a $3.5 million dollar salary. The only move that surprises me is the release of Bannan. It was speculated that he would be kept and become a rotational defensive lineman for John Fox and his 4-3 scheme. Williams' release was not a surprise at all. I liked Daniel Graham's blocking, but it is not shocking that he is sent packing. If there is a new CBA, then Harris, Thomas, and Vickerson all become Unrestricted Free Agents. Apparently, Denver is looking to negotiate a deal with Vickerson, and there are sources that are saying that Denver would be open to re-signing either Williams or Bannan at a cheaper price. In any event, Denver will certainly need some help along the D-Line via free agency and the draft this spring.