2010 Free Agent- Defensive Linemen

The 2010 NFL free agent Defensive line class pretty deep, the only issue is that I don’t think many of them are actually going to be available. Good defensive linemen, especially pass rushers and nose tackles are just too hard to come by to let one go, but here are the candidates anyway.

Elvis Dumervil (Denver Broncos) Here is the big prize in this year’s class. This guy has been getting better and better each year he has been in the league, including leading the league in sacks last year. This guy was a key to the Broncos defensive turn around last year, and they would be out of their mind to let this guy go. Most experts believe the Broncos will spend the money to retain this guy, but they may be wrong. The Broncos only slapped a mid level tag on Dumervil and that is going to prompt a lot of teams to make offers. This was either a huge mistake by the Broncos or an attempt to get compensation for the guy, which would also be a big mistake. A good pass rush is essential in todays passing league and guys like this just don’t come along often enough.

Julius Peppers (Carolina Panthers) This maybe one of the most talked about free agents this year, but not in a positive light for Peppers. Everyone has realized that he just isn’t consistent, versatile or young enough to be considered elite anymore. He had the contact on the table from the Panthers last year and turned it down. Peppers has cost himself millions. Don’t get me wrong, they guy is still good, but not elite. His 10ish sacks and ok at best run defense is worth about 5 mill a year, not the 10 he is looking for. If your team ends up with this guy, don’t be excited, you probably over paid!

Aaron Kampman (Green Bay Packers) In my opinion Kampman is one of the most underrated 4-3 defensive ends in the league. The only problems is Green Bay moved him to 3-4 outside linebacker??? I know that Green Bay wanted to make the move to 3-4 and with their personnel, a passing league, and the price tag of good defensive linemen, I don’t blame them. However, they don’t have much of a need or reason to keep Kampman around. This guy should be a steal for a team looking to compliment a pass rusher. I could see Kampman ending up somewhere like St. Louis or Washington.

Adewale Ogunleye (Chicago Bears) Ogunleye still wants to start, but I am not sure there are many teams that are going to give him that chance. They guy is still a great situational pass rushers, but no longer a 3 down player. This is going to depend on how much money he is looking for. If he doesn’t want much, the Bears will retain him. If he wants a lot, look for a team like Pittsburg, who could use that situational pass rusher, to take a look at him.

Ray Edwards (Minnesota Vikings) This guy is being hyped after a good season. Maybe no one noticed, but he is playing on the same line as Pat and Kevin Williams and Jarred Allen? My grandma could make the Pro Bowl playing next to those guys. With the age of Pat and Kevin, I look for Minnesota to try and get a contract worked out, But make no mistake, if that doesn’t happen someone will over pay this guy and be disappointed.

Cromarti?... Nice Try!

So I admit I am a bit emotionally disturbed. To fast a start for you huh? All right, I will ease into this a little slower then.

Antonio Cromartie, who is an absolutely brilliant cornerback was placed on the trading block by Chargers GM A.J. Smith. My first reaction was OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD! (SQUEEEEEEEEEEEAL) ALL HE WANTS IS A FIRST ROUND PICK!! But before you petition your favorite franchise to sell their soul for a shutdown corner via blockbuster trade lets consider the source.

A. J. Smith is a Gm who has a pretty solid track record, not to say that he has been perfect, but I would argue he rivals the best personel guys in the league. My proof? He drafted Eli Manning, then traded him for what would end up being Phillip Rivers, Shawne Merriman and Nate Keading, all of which have made Pro-Bowl appearences. He kicked Marty Shottenhiemer out the door (hey, I like the guy to, but lets be objective for once) to bring in Norv Turner who has not had a great deal more success but certainly has not had any less. He drafted Cromartie in spite of Cromartie having not played football the previous year due to injury. Then Cromartie turned around and had a pro-bowl season in 2007.

A.J. Smith knows how to stock a franchise with the best talent available, to me that says that there must be a serious long term health issue with Cromartie. I doubt it is the knee that needed reconstructed after his college career, rather it is probably the hip he broke in 2008 that has never fully healed. In my mind if A.J. Smith is willing to part with Cromartie, he is off my list of trade worthy players, at least at the price that A.J. is asking and someone will inevitably pay.

So, for Storylines we have...What?

Ok, it is confession time. I am bi-polar, I must be because I love football but hate ESPN (sort of). Those things simply cannot go together can they? Well my reason is simply this: ESPN takes a storyline of their choosing the week before the Super-bowl and beats it to death like Holly Homemaker who found a mouse in her kitchen. I love the Kurt Warner story, or at least I did before Super-bowl XLIII when that was the only story ESPN told for 2 weeks. 2 Weeks people!! I wanted to hear about X’s and O’s, see commentary on some key matchups, maybe some interviews with players. But no, I was beaten incessantly with stories of a man bagging groceries. Just for clarities sake, I do appreciate the Kurt Warner story, but I do believe everyone heard it loud and clear during his first 2 Super-bowl appearances. What is it that these massive media companies are thinking when they harp on one thing for weeks or even months (thank you Brett Favre). Is it really what sells? Should I be thankful that their was only two weeks separating the Super-bowl from the previous games, lest the story continue to be told 12 hours a day until it was the only story on earth? I know that a vast majority of sports fans whom I hear from and talk to were more irritated by the Favre storyline this summer than entranced by it. Is the sports world devoid of quality storylines? Or is America so easy to reel in and capture that more is better not better is better? I feel thankful that Super bowl XLIV’s players are just good and relatively young; of course this lack of continuity of storyline could put mundane sports writers out of a job. I just do not get why a little quality original writing is so difficult, then again, maybe I should ask my other half maybe he knows.

By: Matthew Walden & Aaron Tull

Seriously NFL.com?

Ok, so I know that I tend to be hard on ESPN and Sports illustrated often. I give their entire main stream media analyst a lot of criticism for boring stories, wrong information, armature analysis and generally having no insight. I am always criticizing then for irrelevant article and obvious reports. I know that a lot of you are probably thinking “I am just another complainer” or “what makes this guy think he is such a great analyst?”

Let me respond. First, I don’t think that I am the greatest football writer, just that I am better than these jokers, sitting at home with only my laptop. I am not trying to convince you to read this, my goal is to simply make you aware of better/alternative information and perspectives from which to gain more knowledge about the NFL.

Second, I have now provided some proof thanks to the staff of the Associated Press and the National Football league. In an article posted on the Wire Report of NFL.com, “Tebow struggles in Senior Bowl, 'open' to work on fundamentals” the writers discuss Tim Tebow’s performance at the 2010 Senior Bowl. The article labels Tebow’s performance as “struggling”. They list his stats for the game as 8 of 12 passing for 50 yards, no TDs no Ints, and imply a lack luster showing from the draft prospect.

Later when addressing the performance of Cincinnati’s Tony Pike, Once of Tebow’s competitors at the Quarterback position in the 2010 NFL Draft, the article stated his performance as “solid”. His stats we also listed, 5 of 12 for 45 yards, no TDs no Ints.

Am I missing something, or were Tebow’s numbers better/same?

By: Matthew Walden

Less than Expected

I started this blog as an assignment for a class. I didn’t really think it was going to be that much work. I love football. All me and my boys do is talk football. I just have to write some of these pearls of wisdom down right? Get on the old HP a few times a week and spew out a plethora of football knowledge. And really that is all it takes. I have been openly critical of almost every major sports analyst and network. I have bastardized their work as elementary and un insightful. Save Carucci, Jaws, Sporting New, and a few select others, I still believe that to be true. However, I more than underestimated the amount of work that it takes, not only to compose a sports article or blog, but to create an insightful piece of writing. Something that goes a little deeper than scores and big plays. Something that goes further than simple analysis. I figured a few minutes a day, and two or three hundred words later, I would have a master piece of fact and figures to woo all, and put those professionals to shame. The sad truth is that I do already rival most of them. But that’s like saying my garbage is better than your garbage. It takes real dedication, insight, knowledge, understanding, time, hard work, research and much more to write a truly good blog. I wish that wasn’t the case. I have to write one of there about every day. I could spend the next month just researching and talking about the sham MVP award. But instead I have to write mediocre article to fulfill a requirement for class. No I am not blaming the professor, I just shouldn’t have taken on such an overwhelming task of becoming the next great sport analyst. So, in short, I apologize for less that inspiring work, but I hope you can take my ideas and expand them.

By: Matthew Walden

Biggest Keys to the AFC NFC Champ Games

I have worked through the numbers, listened to the talking heads and made myself aware of all the information about this weekend’s games. With so many variable, factors and opinions, I found myself asking the question. If I had to pin these two games down to one of those elements, what would it be? Now I know it is going to take more than one ingredient to achieve success, and make it to the big one, but if I had to narrow its importance to one, this is what it would be it.

New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts

Let’s not kid our self. The Jets are the underdog her. I love them too. I know they beat the Colts once this year already. They have already upset one good team and one great team in this post season, both on the road. However, they are still the underdog here and deservingly so. So key one. Forget that you played once this year. So often in this league you see a team beat another and forget to make adjustments for the next meeting. Thank you Baltimore and New England. New England though they were going to go out, through another half dozen passes to the rock (Wes Welker), holding off the pressure, and focus on cutting down Flaco’s big arm with a lot of deep coverage. It worked before didn’t it? What happened? Adjustments for Baltimore and non for New England! Flaco didn’t even need to play they run the ball so much and effectively against that deep cover. And without Welker, Tom Brady looked like a seventh round pick against the pressure…Ooops. The best thing either of these teams can do, and the key to winning this game is forgetting they even played this season. So much changes from week to week with injuries, venue, officiating crews and so on. Play your game!!!

Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints

I truly believe these two team are superior to the Colts and Jets, and that neither has a real advantage on the field. They are like two run away locomotives heading towards each other on a track. Sure their offensive and defensive systems differ, but show me an “exploitable weakness” on either team. Some would argue the right side of the Vikings offensive line. But that is often negated with a great running back and aware quarterback. Does AP and Favre fit that description? And some would say constancy in the secondary by New Orleans. That is often negated if you can stop the run and drop more back in coverage. Do the Saints who were 5th against the run fit that? I know you want to argue, but its AP. And Favre and Rice are too good to be stopped no matter how many they drop back. Or maybe you want tell me about how poorly Minnesota has run the ball lately. Look, the sun isn’t perfectly round and is full of blemishes in the form of sun spots and solar flare, but would you want to get in its way? Didn’t think so. So what is this games key? I say this, being the last of these two Juggernauts to through a punch, offensively or defensively. It will come down to the last big play of the game. That is the key.

By: Matthew Walden

Peyton Mannning is Good? Who knew

I have marginalized ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and other main stream football media outlets who cater to the ordinary “fan”. They spew out a plethora of irrelevant football news and superficial information in order to entertain the masses. Now I understand that large businesses and organizations like these mentioned cant market to you and me. They can’t build their magazines, shows and commentary around the 2% of National Football League fans that actually understand the game. They can’t give the depth of analysis that goes beyond Peyton Manning is good. The masses are too happy to be Sunday morning fans from September through January. And I am not even knocking those fans. But for those of us that are looking beyond the first round of the draft. For those of us that want to understand how a change of offensive scheme in our division affects our team or league. For those of us who want to know who is really the “best” and not just the most publicized, thank God for good bloggers. No, I am not claiming to be one of these true fan treasure chest, I am just taking a moment to point out a couple of well keep secretes to those of you like me. I currently found a collection of fantastic blogs that I have linked in My Blog List. It is an individual blog for each NFL team provides some great detail about all aspects of your team and others. I encourage you to take a look if you are a True Football Fan.

P.S. No offense intended to the fine institution of Sporting New, your dedication to insightful football knowledge should serve as an example to the rest of mainstream sports media. Thank you!
By: Matthew Walden

Its Just the Jets

As the playoffs continue, I find myself reminiscing about great games and improbable champions of past. I don’t have to thank too hard. I remember the Arizona Cardinals transformation of last year from an undeserving playoff team who won an embarrassing division, to a juggernaut one play away from a Super Bowl victory (James Harrison’s TD run back before half time). I think of the New York Giants killing the immortal New England Patriots in 08 with an historical catch by an infamous David Tyree. And of course there were the forgotten legends like Peyton Manning, He and his Indianapolis Colts solidifying Peyton’s place in history with an unexpected title run in 07 after much doubt he could get it done in the post season. There were the great players and remarkable stories like Jerome Bettis finally getting his in his home town of Detroit (06), and Steve Young removing the stigma of Joe Montanan’s legacy (95). There were amazing performances such as Larry Fitzgerald during the entirety of last year’s playoffs, and Frank Reich for the bills in 92. All of these great memories make me look to this year’s class to find heroic efforts, great teams, amazing plays and more amazing players…But as I ponder, I find myself at a loss for those things. I can’t see to find any of that here in the 2009 NFL playoffs. Wait, you say who? The Jets?...Maybe the least memorable ever, I agree. The New York Jet!. But do you know why? It is how they have done it that is so important. It is not flashy play, or new found team ability. It isn’t players who have emerged or new schemes. It’s not the great old vets or new blood rookies. It isn’t even great defense or offense. They are not even in the top 5 of any major post season stats (http://www.nfl.com/stats/team for details). No, it’s is because of the the most underrated factor for successful teams. Constancy! The Jets have the highest turnover margin at a +3, they have an amazing 90 percent 3rd down conversation rate, they lead the post season in time of possession, and haven’t let a play go over 32 yards (not a TD). That’s right. No 200 yard rushers, 4 touchdown passing, 12 reception games to show on ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/), just disciplined football. I just though since Sports Illustrated (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/) wasn’t going to talk about it, someone should. Consstancy can win chanmpionships too.

By: Matthew Walden, Jan 19, 2010