Beantown Sports Guys

Where the big name coaches will land

At this point of the season it's looking more and more like some big name coaches will make a return splash to the NFL. A few teams and coaches seemed like good fits at this point, while others remain a mystery.

Tampa Bay - Bill Cowher left football to spend time with his family. They live in South Carolina, so the Panthers could logically be a decent fit for him if John Fox exits stage right, but he may have bought himself some time with the level of play of Matt Moore. Then again, Fox may have run himself out of a job for not starting him sooner. If the Carolina job opens up I think Cowher would jump on it for the same reason he left Pittsburgh - he would still be close to his family and able to coach. 

That said, Tampa may have just upset New Orleans, but Raheem Morris is not going to be at the helm for much longer. Half of his assistants are leaving for other jobs at the end of the season and the franchise needs a fresh start. Enter Cowher. Cowher has that run first mentality and would love to have some of the weapons they have in Tampa - Cadillac and Ernest Graham, Kellen Winslow, Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton. They do have some sleepers in Stovall and Figurs, but they need a QB to throw to them. Cowher could find the right QB for Tampa and put them back on the path of wreaking havoc in the NFC South again.

Washington - Mike Shanahan is an ego maniac just like Daniel Snyder. He turned down a job with the Bills, won't go near the Browns, recently said he wouldn't go near the Bears or the Texans because of his relationship with the head coaches there, and seems totally built to be on the Redskins sideline. He knows Clinton Portis on a pretty intimate level as he was one of his most productive backs in Denver. He can bring a freshness to the NFC East in his play calling and make it even more interesting. He may have already turned down the Redskins mid-season but that's because he would gain nothing by coming in halfway through a season and trying to get guys to buy in to his system and play calling. In about a month all of this will likely change.

There are a few other big names that are available if they so choose to come back to the game.

Tony Dungy -  I see him enjoying another season at home and continuing his work with NBC while doing consulting for players and various teams in the NFL. I just don't see the right position really available to him right now. For one thing, I can't see him taking the Houston job if it's open because he would have to play against his beloved Colts twice a year. For the same reason Shanahan won't entertain job offers from Chicago I can see Dungy saying no-thanks there as well. The Browns are a team that just has too many issues with at the moment. For Dungy to come back, he would likely need to land on a team that was maybe a player or two away from being serious contenders but moreso needing a guiding hand and someone that has been there before. That wouldn't be the Bills. Or the Jaguars. But I could see it being Carolina or even the Cowboys if Jerry Jones says goodbye to Wade Phillips...

Brian Billick - I could honestly see him ending up in Chicago. With a little reworking and some health, that defense could be nasty if Billick was at the helm. Cutler will be better but he needs some bigtime WRs. Terrell Owens anyone? He needs a # 1 target. Hester and Olsen aren't that, but their stock would shoot through the roof if they had a legit big man that can pull coverage away from them. TO could do that. And I think Billick could manage him. I could see this as being a solid move by the Bears.

Jon Gruden - From everything I hear he is extremely happy at ESPN. My gut tells me he is waiting for that perfect job to open up, just like Dungy. Again, if Dallas boots ol' Wade I could see Gruden being the darkhorse to get this job if it was offered to him. Gruden will never coach in the collegiate ranks for one reason and one reason only - because of the time restrictions. He can't have the kids watching film a fraction of the time he can in the pros. He can't work them out as often as he can in the pros. He can't spend nearly as much time with his players as he can in the NFL. And we all know that Gruden lives, eats, and breathes football 21 hours a day, because he only gets about 3 hours of sleep a night. Dallas would be an interesting fit I think for Gruden.

Breaking News: Pats offensive coordinator McDaniels hired as head coach of Broncos

It's being reported that Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels has just been hired as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Terms are not being reported at this time.

Some may think the gaudy offensive numbers Brady and Moss put up last season are the reason why so many teams were after McDaniels; however, the real testament to his worthiness is what he did this season with QB Matt Cassel, who pushed the Patriots to an 11-5 record and almost into the playoffs.

This will just add another wrinkle into the contentious rivalry between the Broncos and the Patriots, who are scheduled to play each other in Denver in the 2009 season.

Pats confirm the worst: Brady done for the season

The worst news for the NFL (as a whole) and Patriot Nation just came off the wire – Brady is done for the season.

Brady injured his left knee yesterday during the Patriots 17-10 win over the Chiefs when safety Bernard Pollard dove into his knee in the first quarter.

The Patriots just released the following statement regarding Tom Brady:

"After extensive tests this morning, it was revealed that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's left knee, which was injured in the first quarter of yesterday's game, will require surgery. He will be placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the 2008 season."

Going forward, this means if the Patriots make the playoffs, he is still ineligible to play because he will be placed on the IR.

Contrary to other reports the Patriots did not have Chris Simms in today for a physical and tryout, nor have they worked out any other QB at this time. Tentatively they have no tryouts scheduled according to Coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick is confident in Matt Cassel, as he's "grown up through our system" and is talented despite his preseason woes.

Belichick put it quite simply, as far as how Cassel will fill in as Brady sits out the season. "Everyone has a job to do and that's how we approach it".

2008 NFL Season Predictions

The 2008 NFL season kicks off in a little under an hour. Who will be the biggest surprise this season? The biggest bust? Rookie of the year? We'll find out as the season unfolds.

This is how I see the season shaking out:

AFC East – New England Patriots

AFC South – Indianapolis Colts

AFC North – Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC West – San Diego Chargers

Wild Card – Denver Broncos

Wild Card – New York Jets

None of these are sexy picks, but they're realistic. Being a New England fan, it's good to see they have one of the easiest schedules of any AFC team. Can they get another perfect season and win the Super Bowl? Maybe, maybe not. But I know I wouldn't bet against them. Would you?

The Colts' season hopes rest solely on the strength of Peyton Manning's knee and infected bursa sac. Even if he is mediocre for them, they'll win their division.

The Steelers are a no brainer here: the Ravens are hurting QB-wise and will have to rely on Joe Flacco to lead them to the playoffs. He's good, but not that good. The Browns have some offensive line woes to deal with, and their biggest question is whether spending the money on Derek Andersen was worth it or was he a one season wonder. Could Brady Quinn have done the same for the Browns this season? We just might find out with Andersen already having sustained a mild concussion in the preseason.

The Chargers are one of the easiest picks here, especially if Antonio Gates gets back to his old form. They are in a division that features the Raiders and the Chiefs, both having major issues at the WR and QB positions. The Broncos are a threat here but the Chargers look like they have an easier schedule.

The Broncos have a good defense, and their offense is always solid. The big question is whether or not Cutler is a liability or the next chosen one. Shutting down Denver with Cutler means shutting down the running game for the Broncos. That means Cutler will need to take control. If he can, they'll be fine. If not, they'll be bounced out of the playoffs faster than you can saw "Where is Elway?"

The Jets could be a reach, but I have a few reasons why I chose them over teams like the Browns, the Jaguars, the Titans, and Baltimore. They had the best offseason as far as free agency, they had a solid draft, and they replaced their weakest position with one of the all-time greats in Brett Favre. I think they get to 9, maybe 10 wins with Favre and a solid running game with Thomas Jones. With a good defense to back them up, they could make some noise.

I see the Pats and Colts getting byes, and the Chargers playing (and beating) the Jets, while the Steelers beat the Broncos. I see the Pats beating the Chargers at Foxboro, and the Colts beating the Steelers. The Pats would then go on to beat the Colts to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Onto the NFC, which is a bit murkier.

NFC East – Dallas Cowboys

NFC South – New Orleans Saints

NFC North – Green Bay Packers

NFC West – Seattle Seahawks

Wild Card – Philadelphia Eagles

Wild Card – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A bit of a surprise the Giants aren't in the playoffs? Not really. Their defense is what got them their last year and injuries (and a retired Strahan) will spell an early demise to the Giants playoff hopes. The Cowboys are looking to get to the big game after losing last season when they should have met the Patriots in Arizona. They'll have very few problems this season.

For me it's between the Saints and Tampa Bay for the South, but I went with the Saints because the Bucs have to play the Seahawks and the Cowboys back to back late in the season. They'll make the playoffs as a Wild Card though and turn some heads.

The surprise pick is the Packers. Everyone is screaming that the Vikings are hot and they will dominate. Not so fast: we'll have to see if Adrian Peterson can be the workhorse for all 16 games and Tavaris Jackson is still a learning QB that has trouble reading defenses. He's very hot and cold. Aaron Rodgers on the other hand I think will make people happy with Packers management for giving him the helm. With Driver, Jennings, and Lee, along with Ryan Grant, I think he'll do just fine.

The Seahawks? More of the same: dominating at home, and if they can get past their road wonders I think they'll be just fine. With Julius Jones getting handoffs the Seattle fans will quickly forget about the Supersonics leaving town and a guy named Alexander.

The Eagles are my dark horse, and I see special things from them. A healthy McNabb, a blossoming DeSean Jackson, and a super dangerous Westbrook, this is the team to watch out for in the NFC.

I see Dallas and the Seahawks winning the first round byes, and pitting the Packers against the Saints, and the Bucs against the Eagles. Eagles will beat the Bucs with the Saints beating the Packers. Dallas is a fresh and faces Eagles, only to lose to Philly, while the Saints beat the Seahawks. The Saints show off against Philly, and lose a heartbreaker. Philly goes on to the Super Bowl for a rematch against the Patriots.

This Super Bowl would have 1000 storylines: Asante Samuel vs. his old team. Can McNabb beat the Pats the 2^nd time around? How will Moss do against the Eagles secondary? In the end, I see the Patriots winning by two TDs, giving Randy Moss his 1^st ever Super Bowl ring, and bringing New England fans back to life after last season's shocker.

If the Patriots didn't get an easy schedule this season, and Manning's knee was 100%, I might be leaning elsewhere.

Patriots sign LaMont Jordan

The Patriots made an impressive move this weekend by swooping in rather quickly after the Raiders released RB LaMont Jordan, signing him to a contract.

Even though the Patriots still have RBs Sammy Morris under contract as well as Kevin Faulk, depth is never a bad thing. RB Laurence Maroney will benefit from Jordan coming to town, as Jordan is similar to ex-Pat Corey Dillon's running style and should give Maroney the fresh legs he needs. Morris and Faulk are more change of pace backs that are good 3^rd down options.

Jordan brings a veteran presence, he's a guy that's tough to tackle, he's a hard runner, loves to dole out punishment, and he is a great receiving back. Even though he has some decent bulk to him ( 5'10", 230 lbs.) he has the speed to run outside and even return kicks.

The timing of the signing could not be any better: New Orleans Saints RB Deuce McCalister seems to be having issues with his surgically repaired knee, and the Saints might need to sign a veteran back to pick up the slack if he misses any time.

Lucky for the Pats, it won't be Jordan signing with them.

Breaking News: Favre seeks unconditional release

If Brett Favre is to suit up next year it won't be in a Green Bay Packer uniform.

I know. I'll give you a second to digest that.

In a letter sent from Favre's agent to the Packers, Favre is seeking his unconditional release so that he can seek to play elsewhere. It's not the fairytale ending the Packers want, but it might be the best scenario for the Packers if they don't want to bring Favre back.

At the same time, I can see the Packers not wanting to grant them his unconditional release, since their division rivals the Chicago Bears are desperately looking for a new QB, as well as potentially the Minnesota Vikings, another division rival.

Favre came back to the Packers a couple years ago with Mike McCarthy flew down to Mississippi begging Favre to come back for his first year of coaching. Favre did well by the Packers, now its time for them to do well by him.

The Packers brass better tread carefully. Favre is regarded as a God in Wisconsin, and treating him well in this situation would bode well for the Packers.

Mock Draft 2.0

Normally I don't change things up, because I am confident the first time I do a Mock that if I do shake it up later that all my original picks will be more accurate.

But things change. I was dead on with my first pick with Jake Long, but the Chiefs just traded DE Jared Allen to the Vikings for their 1^st round (17^th overall) pick and both of their 3^rd rounders (which won't impact my Mock, but the first will).

With that said, I've looked over my Mock a few times since the trade and see guys climbing and falling so I'll make the changes now. Some are subtle, some are big, but there aren't that many.

Round 1

 

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long: OT - Michigan

2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long: DE - Virginia

3. Atlanta Falcons - Glenn Dorsey: DT - LSU

4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden: RB - Arkansas

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Matt Ryan: QB - Boston College

6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston: DE - Ohio State

7. New England Patriots - Keith Rivers: LB - USC

8. Baltimore Ravens - Limas Sweed: WR - Texas

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Sedrick Ellis: DT - USC

10. New Orleans Saints - Leodis McKelvin: CB – Troy

11. Buffalo Bills - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: CB – Tennessee State

12. Denver Broncos - Ryan Clady: OT - Boise State

13. Carolina Panthers - Rashard Mendenhall: RB – Illinois

14. Chicago Bears - James Hardy: WR – Indiana

15. Detroit Lions - Branden Albert: OG – Virginia

16. Arizona Cardinals – Derrick Harvey: DE - Florida

17. Kansas City Chiefs (from Minnesota) - Jeff Otah: OT – Pittsburgh

18. Houston Texans - Mike Jenkins: CB – South Florida

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Devin Thomas: WR - Michigan

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Chris Williams: OT – Vanderbilt

21. Washington Redskins - Kenny Phillips: Safety – Miami

22. Dallas Cowboys - Felix Jones: RB – Arkansas

23. Pittsburgh Steelers - Aqib Talib: CB – Kansas

24. Tennessee Titans - Jerod Mayo: LB - Tennessee

25. Seattle Seahawks - Dustin Keller: TE – Purdue

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - Kentwan Balmer: DT – North Carolina

27. San Diego Chargers - Jonathan Stewart: RB – Oregon

28. Dallas Cowboys - Brandon Flowers: CB – Virginia Tech

29. San Francisco 49ers - Mario Manningham: WR - Michigan

30. Green Bay Packers - Antoine Cason: CB – Arizona

31. New York Giants - DeSean Jackson: WR – California

 

 

Round 2

 

1. Miami – Brian Brohm: QB - Louisville

2. St. Louis – Trevor Laws: DT – Notre Dame

3. Oakland - Gosder Cherilus: OT – Boston College

4. Kansas City - Calais Campbell: DE – Clemson

5. New York Jets – Joe Flacco: QB - Delaware

6. Atlanta – Chad Henne: QB - Michigan

7. Baltimore – Fred Davis: TE – USC

8. San Francisco - Malcolm Kelly: WR - Oklahoma

9. New Orleans – Quentin Groves: DE - Auburn

10. Buffalo - Phillip Merling: DE - Clemson

11. Denver – Ray Rice: RB - Rutgers

12. Carolina – Justin King: CB – Penn State

13. Chicago – Andre Caldwell: WR - Florida

14. Detroit – Duane Brown: OT – Virginia Tech

15. Cincinnati – Jordy Nelson: WR – Kansas State

16. Minnesota – Sam Baker: OT – USC

17. Atlanta from Houston – Tracy Porter: CB – Indiana

18. Philadelphia – Curtis Lofton: LB – Oklahoma

19. Arizona – Dan Connor: LB – Penn State

20. Washington – Tyrell Johnson: S – Arkansas State

21. Tampa Bay – Jamaal Charles: RB – Texas

22. Pittsburgh – Eddie Royal: WR – Virginia Tech

23. Tennessee – Early Doucet: WR – LSU

24. Seattle – Charles Godfrey: CB - Iowa

25. Cleveland - Anthony Collins: OT – Kansas

26. Miami from San Diego – Chris Johnson:  RB – East Carolina

27. Jacksonville – John Carlson: TE – Notre Dame

28. Indianapolis – Dre Moore: DT - Maryland

29. Green Bay – Martellus Bennett: TE – Texas A&M

30. Dallas – Reggie Smith: CB – Oklahoma

31. New England – Patrick Lee: CB – Auburn

32. New York Giants – Chilo Rachal: G – USC

 

Notables:

Erin Henderson out of Maryland is a great linebacker, and is the brother of Minnesota Vikings EJ Henderson, so he has good bloodlines. He should do well at the next level.

Vanderbilt Inside Linebacker Jonathan Goff did very well at the Combine, and has excellent size (6'4", 230) and speed to complement his size (4.53). If the Patriots trade down, or they don't take Rivers at 7 like I predicted, I could see them taking Goff at the end of the second round and being very happy with him there.

Everyone five or six years you get a safety with the skills of someone like Sean Taylor. I think Miami Safety Kenny Phillips falls to Washington in the first round. They have other needs, but Phillips is the best safety in the draft by far and it's a need.

There are a lot of sleeper running backs in the draft this year, most of them out of smaller schools like Ray Rice out of Rutgers, and Chris Johnson out of East Carolina. They will be more than serviceable wherever they land.

Safeties Tom Zbikowski (Notre Dame) and James Silva (Boston College) are both special playmakers and whoever lands them will be happy with their end product. A lot of people liken Silva to the late Pat Tillman, not just because he looks like him with the long flowing blond hair but because he has the heart to back up his big plays. Zbikowski is not afraid of contact, a professional boxer in the offseason, this kid likes to mix it up. I could see either of them landing with the Patriots, Steelers, or Ravens.

I see Tampa snagging John David Booty if he is still there later in the draft, because he's a West Coast offense guy and runs a pro style offense, and Jon Gruden loves QBs. You can never have too many, right?

In that same vein, I can see Andre Woodson hooking up with someone like the Titans, and Dennis Dixon out of Oregon landing somewhere that needs an athletic QB with some upside. He was a Heismann candidate before he blew out his knee but that means nothing really (look at Troy Smith).

Steve Slaton won't slide long. He is a game breaker, and could be a fantastic RB to replace Kevin Faulk in New England eventually.

Purdue OLB Stanford Keglar has decent size, but even more upside. He's one of those guys that if you can light a fire under him he will produce. He just needs to kick it up a notch.

Long wait not so long afterall for Miami

The Miami Dolphins signed Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to a multiyear contract and will select him with the No. 1 overall pick in Saturday's draft. The contract is for five years, $57.75 million, with $30 million guaranteed.

Rather than find themselves in the same situation the Raiders did last year with No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, who held out well into the year, the Dolphins shored up Long well in advance to the draft even starting.

Now Miami fans are left wondering what could have been if Brady Quinn was actually drafted instead of Ted Ginn…

NFL Nationally Televised Games for first week

Right now it looks as if the Redskins and the Giants will kick off the 2008 NFL Season in style on Thursday September 4^th at 7pm on NBC. Other nationally televised games are the Bears at the Colts on NBC at 8:15pm for Sunday Night Football, followed by two games on Monday Night, with the Vikings visiting the Packers on ESPN at 7pm, followed right after (ESPN as well) by the Broncos at the Raiders at 10:15pm.

It will be bizarre to watch Sunday Night Football as the Vikes take on the Pack and # 4 doesn't run onto the field. Some think he will come back, but I don't. He's a cowboy and he'll quietly ride off into the sunset. The only way he walks onto that field is if the Packers honor him (which they surely will in some fitting tribute), and he'll give the hairy eyeball to Aaron Rodgers and tell him to go for broke.

Breaking News: Brett Favre Retiring

The famed face and arm of the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre, has decided to retire.

It's being reported by ESPN's Christ Mortensen that Favre would have committed to multiple years if the Packers and Randy Moss could have come to agreement. After Moss re-signed with the Patriots on Monday, Favre's mind was made up for him.

Favre retires with gaudy numbers: 61,655 yards, 5,377 completions in 8,758 attempts for a 61% career completion percentage, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions.

A first ballot Hall of Famer if I have ever seen one, Favre leaves the Packers on his terms. Being a fan of the game and a fan of Favre, I would have liked to see him stay around for a few more seasons. He put the Packers in a great position by building up his core of young rookies and handing them off to Aaron Rodgers.

The torch has been passed, and I think Rodgers will make Brett proud.

Thanks Brett, even though you beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl in '96.