NFL Power Rankings Week 1

2009 Power Rankings: Week 1
	RK (Last Year)	TEAM	REC	COMMENT
	1 (1)	Patriots	11-5-0	I would not want to get in the Pats way this season. Brady with a double chip on his shoulder and Joey Galloway as a 3rd WR, that’s freakin scary
	2 (10)	Steelers	12-4-0	Talk about the run game, talk about Big Ben’s sacks. But he definitely knows how to drive a team down the field in the 4th Q. He did it twice Thursday.
	3 (4)	Giants	12-4-0	Yeah they capitulated a bit, but Eli can’t throw in the wind. They still have an amazing run game and an even better D with Canty.
	4 (17)	Chargers	8-8-0	With Merriman back, that defense will suddenly look a lot lot better while Rivers could well be an MVP possibility
	5 (12)	Eagles	9-6-1	Vick is going to destroy this team. Just wait until McNabb gets unsettled and everyone suddenly remembers Vick hasn’t played in 2 years.
	6 (6)	Colts	12-4-0	One of these days the Colts will slow down. Not this year.
	7 (2)	Cardinals	9-7-0	Everything’s against them – a Superbowl loser, a 38 year old QB, the fact they only finished 9-7, Seattle being back. Maybe Leinart will step up.
	8 (3)	Titans	13-3-0	I’ve never liked the Titans, compounded by going one and done as a no.1 seed. You really think Collins is keeping it up? Bring VY back
	9 (5)	Panthers	12-4-0	The Panthers at 9? You bet, that running game is stilll tremendous while the defense is quiter underrated. Delhomme can still get the job done.
	10 (9)	Falcons	11-5-0	The curse of 370 is going to limit Michael Turner to 1200 max, they may sneak a wildcard spot however.
	11 (24)	Packers	6-10-0	I’ve been saying this since Favre left, Rodgers is a very good QB. Injuries killed them last year and people seems to forget how good Greg Jennings is
	12 (11)	Vikings	10-6-0	I still don’t like the Vikings. Thetalent’s there, but Childress is a terrible coach and Favre will break down again. Better off with TJack.
	13 (19)	Saints	8-8-0	Their D last year was so bad it was actually overrated, and they still went 8-8. Brees is winning MVP on his way to superstardom.
	14 (10)	Ravens	11-5-0	There seems to be a lot of talk about Ray Rice this season, but I’m not so sure they’ll beat the sophomore slump. 7 wins maybe
	15 (15)	Bears	9-7-0	People keep talking about the WR corps. I think Hester especially will surprise a lot of people for this SB dark horse
	16 (14)	Texans	8-8-0	I love the Texans, I just fear they’re being picked by too many people this season. Schaub HAS to stay healthy
	17 (8)	Dolphins	11-5-0	Least amount of injuries in the league last year. That’s not happening again, and neither is 11 wins
	18 (29)	Seahawks	4-12-0	What have Seattle needed for so long? A WR who can hold onto the ball – Is there anyone better in the league at this than TJ?
	19 (25)	Jaguars	5-11-0	It’s amazing how Del Rio still has a job. But then again, there’s no reason this team can’t go back to playoff contention
	20 (13)	Cowboys	9-7-0	Bold prediction – Romo struggles A LOT early on. There’s going to be a lot of questions about him this season.
	21 (20)	Redskins	8-8-0	It’s make or break for Jason Campbell – a playoff QB in any other division. Lets see what happens when Zorn lets him open it up
	22 (27)	Bengals	4-11-1	The defense is much improved, Palmer is back… but they did go on Hard Knocks. Plus, drafting Andre Smith proved the front office is still a mess.
	23 (22)	Bills	7-9-0	Everyone was so worried about TO being a distraction, no-one banked on giving away their two best LTs and firing their OC. Disastrous
	24 (19)	Broncos	8-8-0	McDaniels to be fired by the end of the season. Orton isn’t as bad as everyone thinks/hopes. But that defense is still terrible
	25 (23)	49ers	7-9-0	The NFC West is anybodys, if Seattle don’t step up the Niners could surprise
	26 (28)	Browns	4-12-0	I think Brady Quinn is severely underrated, and 8 wins is within reach of this team. Just Mangini and Jamal Lewis’s rapid decline worry me
	27 (15)	Jets	10-6-0	Sanchez looked very rookie-like in preseason. He’s got a lot to learn. That defense should cause problems though.
	28 (13)	Bucs	7-9-0	Rebuilding mode. Four wins max. None of those QBs are the answer
	29 (30)	Chiefs	4-12-0	I think Brady Quinn is severely underrated, and 8 wins is within reach of this team. Just Mangini and Jamal Lewis’s rapid decline worry me
	30 (26)	Raiders	5-11-0	DHB over Crabtree, HC punching out an assistant and now the Seymour debacle. It’s a non-stop PR disaster in Oakland
	31 (31)	Rams	2-14-0	Look for Donnie Avery to have a break-out season.
	32 (32)	Lions	0-16-0	Stafford is far too erratic to have a Matt Ryan effect. 4 wins maybe this season if they actually run the ball

If the Jacket Fits…

It’s hard not to like Roger Federer. He just seems such a nice guy. While anything would have been a step-up from the oft-glum Pete Sampras, he seems genuinely charismatic. As if that’s not enough, he’s from Switzerland, more neutral than a comment piece in The Independant.

As Nadal infuriates with his penchant for extending matches as if he was being paid by the hour, Djokovic go into full sulky four-year old mode when not being given sufficient attention and Andy Murray be, well, just downright unlikeable, Federer is just… nice. Too nice. Even when he hit that purple patch after losing to Nadal at Wimbledon last year and couldn’t seem to buy a win over his rivals, you found yourself feeling sorry for him.

Well, this year’s Wimbledon reminded me why I shouldn’t. Why I routinely root for him to be embarassed by some wildcard entry from Bolivia. It’s not the hair, it’s not the fact he seems to win everything, it’s the jacket. Yes, that stupid, pretentious, cream and gold thing he insists on wearing to Wimbledon each year as if he’s some sort of tennis royalty. Give me a break…

When he first turned up at Wimbledon 2006 in the Nike swoosh-laden ensemble, he was undisputedly the best in the world; he’d won three straight titles at SW19. Rafa Nadal was still getting there while Djokovic and Murray were still a year or two away from really breaking through. But even then, what’s wrong with a bit of humility? You’re good, we get it. Are you telling me it’s really necessary to not only walk out onto the court, but practice in a pair of cream trousers, shirt and jacket, complete with a crest to let everybody know just how many Wimbledon titles he’s won.

God it just makes you sick doesn’t it. At what point did he decide that he was so much better than everybody else, that he should start wearing some poncey blazer as if he is in a different class to every other player in the tournament. Ok, he probably was, but that’s for commentators decide, not the player himself. Especially coming from such a supposedly soft-spoken guy; it’s just sheer arrogance, plain and simple.

What really gets me however is that he has the cheek to carry on this ridiculous facade when actually, as it turns out, he’s not better than everybody else. Last year, Nadal took his crown. He went into Federer’s home court, and beat him, again. They’ve now played in 7 grand slam finals and the Spaniard leads 5-2. Overall, Nadal leads 13-7. The torch for now has been passed. To further compound the downfall, Federer was now taking losses to Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic too and a loss down-under to Nadal saw the no.1 ranking relinquished. There’s a new King in town, and he’s not all about the toblerones.

Except he’s now injured to the point where he couldn’t even defend his clay court title. So Wimbledon rolls around again and guess what? Federer still has the cheek to turn up in this ridiculous get-up. Except now, it’s even more “fun” as it’s turned into a fashion statement as well, straight from the Milan catwalks. Next year he might as well just go the whole hog and turn up in Kanye West-esque sunglasses and a shemagh scarf. At least that would be purely motivated by fashion, not some need to come out with some ridiculous “look at me, I’m great, Nike even says so” peacock gesture

It’s just so arrogant and pretentious; you’re not even the best any more. When it’s all said and done history may judge you differently, but for now, the scales are tipped in the favour of the guy four years your junior.  Yet, a year after being beaten on your best surface and best tournament, because Nadal’s succumbed to injury you turn up and strut around like you own the place again? Gold man-bag and all? Please… Would it just kill you to show a little bit of humility? If you want to keep your little crest with your initials, fine, wear a designer polo shirt like everybody else. Don’t insist on walking round in this get-up, acting like it’s just “a bit of fun.”

I’d take Andy Murray over the self-anointed God’s gift to tennis any day.

Whats a Confederations Cup?

Before the Spain/USA Confederations Cup semi-final last week, the ever-philanthropic FIFA announced that it would be giving away free tickets to the game. With some 6,000 seats still available in the 38,000 capacity Free State Stadium, it’s just another damning indictment of this waste-of-space competition. “It’s a gesture from FIFA,” said spokesman Nicholas Maingot, putting on his most convincing voice, “for people to have a chance to enjoy this game.” Oh, a gesture? Much like the gesture that the collective football world has given to you and this competition? No? Or did you actually mean “a last ditch attempt to try and salvage some credibility for this pathetic attempt to make a quick buck?”

Let’s look ahead to Sunday’s final, when Brazil inevitably put four past those plucky Yanks and Lucio lifts the trophy (anyone actually know what it looks like?) at historic Coca-Cola Park. Where do you think that experience is going to rank? Playing in front of 40,000 apathetic South Africans, who much like the rest of us, are killing time before the real thing. Yes, the US team’s smash and grab against Spain will have done a lot for popularity in the States (at least they now realise this isn’t just another batch World Cup Qualifiers), but I hardly think the Spanish were taking to the streets in anger over the loss. They probably were already tucked up in bed.

Seriously, why are we bothering with this? What is the point? Forget the tree falling in the woods, what about the Confederations Cup falling on its face in South Africa. Does that make a sound? (note: yes it does, it’s those poxy horns).

Yes, it’s meant to be the World Cup warm-up for the host country, but what happens if they’re not ready? Does FIFA step in and say, “Actually, this has been a bit shit. We’re moving it to China.” Of course they won’t, rather, it’s this ridiculous “Champion of Champions” obsession Fifa seems to have. Yeah great idea, except some of these continents are a tad more equal than others. But wait, it’s the champions of Oceania against the champions of South America! Oh, wait, that’d be five time World Cup winners Brazil against, erm, 0-time winners New Zealand. In fact, the All-Whites (… tell me about it) have qualified for one World Cup, but three Confederations Cups. So far, they’ve score two goals and conceded 24 in three attempts. Well worth it.

No doubt FIFA’s PR machine will swing into full force come Monday morning branding it a success, but when a tournament gets consigned to BBC Three (the home of Horne and Corden), you know it’s haemorrhaging credibility. With an average of just 34,000 fans attending the group games, even the lure of Brazil vs Italy couldn’t convince fans to fill seats.

So come Sunday, as you spend another summer wandering aimlessly, starved of decent football, don’t let yourself be drawn in. It may look like Brazil playing on the screen, but it’s just mirage. Just keep telling yourself, only another 6 weeks… Only another 6 weeks…

Madison Square Guard-en

For months and months, there’s been one consistent theme about the 2009 NBA draft. It’s horrible. It’s awful. It’s so bad it is ranking up their with a certain infamous, turn-of-the-century draft that was so ghastly in it’s lack of talent that it GM’s across the country dare not even speak of it. It produced three allstars. No.1 pick Kenyon Martin, Jamaal Magloire (yeah…) and pick no. 43 Michael Redd. Take out Magloire and his freak selection and add in the Pizza Guy/Bond villain Hedo Turkoglu, that’s three guys with solid careers. Maybe throw in Jamal Crawford, but Mike Miller is pushing it.

Makes you wonder why then that all of a sudden we’re getting so hyped up and accepting Hasheem Thabeet as a good pick at no.2…

Of course, the draft means so much more for so many teams. It’s about the potential for a new era, salvation, redemption, and thus everybody gets caught up in it. My problem is, aside from the over analysing we see every year and picks based purely on “upside” despite the guy being 23 and unlikely to ever get any better, we suddenly start elevating these guys as if they’re going to be real difference makers in the NBA. Even in the golden 2003 draft there was still Michael Sweetney, Marcus Banks and the irrepressible Darko Milicic.

There’s always going to be misses, but every year there are a handful of franchise guys selected. For every Shelden Williams at five, there’s a potential Brandon Roy at six. For every Shaun Livingston at four, there could be a Devin Harris at five.

Just not this year. As much as commentators can whiff on prospects, you rarely get a year where you find them turning round and saying “No, actually, this is bad. Real bad. Zach Randolph taking a three bad.” That would indeed be this year.

With that in mind, let’s go for a recap of last nights action.

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With the no.1 pick in the draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select… Blake Griffin.

It’s becoming a disappointing trend in both the NBA and NFL drafts, the no.1 pick being a consensus and decided days, even weeks before the draft. Talking of disappointing, how sad is it going to be to watch Mike Dunleavy destroy this kid as he sits through three, possibly four years of horrible Clipper futility before being traded away, by then an empty shell of a man with all the life sucked out of him. That’s what Los Angeles can do to you.

There’s really no such thing as a surefire pick, Greg Oden was supposed to be dominating the league for years to come (it could still happen if he manages to get his bucket count higher than his foul count), and I’m not even totally sold on Griffin as an All-star in this league. Maybe the odd selection but I see him as a solid player, could easily be top 3-4 guy on a championship team. Just that team isn’t going to be the Los Angeles Clippers.

Personally I was rooting for OK City to nab the no.1 spot for Blake, because he could potentially fit there. The Clips? They have Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph (all $18 million of him), Johnny Depp look-alike Chris Kaman AND a talented young guy in DeAndre Jordan. The franchise is just a mess and we can only hope it doesn’t take Blake down with it. Still, there’s parallel number 1 with the draft that shall not be named, a power-forward as the consensus “only good player in the draft”.

Verdict: Long-time starter as long as the Clippers don’t ruin him.

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With the no.2 pick in the draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select… Hasheem Thabeet.

Oh, so that’s how long it ended up taking. Two picks before we got to a guy that someone’s going to regret picking. And hey! Parallel no.2. In 2000, Grizzlies selected with the second pick, C Stromile Swift. How did that work out? Quite similar to this pick I think.

Thabeet is a prime example of someone who put up some flashy defensive plays in college this year, has the physical attributes and thus shot up the draft board. Block a few shots and watch the dollar bills mount up. Don’t worry about the total lack of any post moves, or say, an offensive game at all. That can be coached

No it can’t. Or, at least it won’t.

Verdict: Bust. Bust bust bust.

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With the no.3 pick in the draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select… James Harden.

Sigh. As a reluctant fan of the Thunder, I hung my head with this pick. Durant is this franchise, Westbrook may be locked in at the point and his lack of a mid-range jumper meant that a SG was the obvious option in a talent-free draft in terms of forwards, but passing on Ricky Rubio is unforgivable.

Rubio has been compared to Steve Nash, Bird, Magic etc when it comes to his passing ability. That’s not potential, that’s now. He’s as good as those guys now in terms of passing and reading the game. He reads the game two, three plays ahead. He’s not on the next page, he’s finished the book and is writing the sequel. And he’s 18. Think he can’t improve his jumper by 21?

James Harden was a sensible pick, IF RUBIO ISN’T THERE. Ok, he might not be a perfect fit but you make room. You’ve got one of the most exciting young trios in the NBA. Westbrook, Green and future MVP Kevin Durant. Imagine Rubio in that set up, creating for someone like Kevin Durant, would you not pay to watch that?

After all that Sam Presti’s done right with the Sonic’s corpse, this is a blunder. I mean, if you really really really don’t believe in Rubio, then why not take Curry? In my eyes, there’s only three players with all-star potential. Rubio, Griffin and Curry. Why not bring in Curry to add that shooting dimension if that’s what you want. Ugh, but it shouldn’t even be an option, take Rubio.

Sigh

Verdict: Probably will turn out to be a solid player, I like him. But he won’t be Ricky Rubio.

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The 2008/09 NBA Season in Review…

Courtney Lee’s missed lay-up, Jameer Nelson’s defense, Kobe’s elbow, Rashard Lewis’s disappearing act, pizza, candy, the 2009 NBA finals alone had talking points aplenty. But as Kobe and the gang put away the Orlando Magic to capture his fourth ring (and remove that proverbial marsupial from his back), it sadly signalled the end to another fascinating NBA season. But of course, to many of us oblivious Brits over here (and let’s be honest, finding the TV coverage was needle in a haystack stuff) it was just a ten guys running up and down a court for a couple of hours and then “next bucket wins!”. Besides, most of us were tucked up in bed before a ball was thrown in anger so you can be forgiven for perhaps letting it pass you by.

But look what you missed! We’ve had the real life Benjamin Button in 21-going-on-51 year old Greg Oden, who could quite possibly be aging backwards, half-time locker room twittering, Shaquille ONeal joining America’s Best Dance Crew, a Nike puppet-centric ad campaign that backfired horribly and L.A. fans celebrating in the most appropriate way deemed possible; setting cars on fire and looting.

But fret not, rather than leave you sitting in the dark like Gordon Brown when it comes to what the rest of his party is up to, I’m here to flick on that lightswitch with a whistlestop tour through the 08/09 NBA season, and we start our countdown with the Atlanta Hawks…

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10. The Hawks lose… their hawk?

Mascots are great fun aren’t they, but most teams are sensible enough to settle for a guy in a costume. Not the Atlanta Hawks however, who thought a live mascot would be much better! Not as if it’s a real bird of prey or anything…

During the Hawks’ playoff series with Miami, Spirit the Hawk (what a fantastically American name that is) did his usual performance of rousing the crowd, getting the arena pumped for the big Game 2 clash of the seven game series. But the problem with these animals is that if you put them in the spotlight, they’ll get a bit of an ego, they’ll get a bit “big-headed”. Obviously fearful of being replaced, Spirit decided to get back in on the action, taking it upon himself (herself?) to fly around the arena for a bit before perching himself on one of the basket supports.

Now, if this was an eagle, the game probably would have been stopped, but the NBA wasn’t going to stoop to accomodate the prissy demands of a attention seeking harris hawk! Play continued with Miami’s James Jones sinking a bucket as Spirit watched on, happy as a Larry. However, the game was eventually stopped with the pesky prima-donna perched right on top of the backboard, allowing for the trainer to eventually call him back.

The final score? Miami 108 Atlanta 93… Time for a new mascot maybe…

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9. We don’t want him.. but you can’t have him either…
Poor old Darius Miles. As if being drafted by the hapless Los Angeles Clippers wasn’t bad enough. Never really living up to expectations, Miles suffered a horrific knee injury midway through the 2005-06 season that caused him to miss the next two entire seasons. Problem was, Miles had a huge $18 million contract that was hampering the Blazers attempts to sign other players, so they petitioned for an independant doctor.  The doc deemed the injury to be career-ending meaning Portland could now get rid of that hefty contract, seeing as the player wasn’t able to fulfill his side of it. The Blazers’ released Miles and all was well.

Except it wasn’t. If Miles played 10 games the next season, the salary cap relief for the “career-ending injury” the Blazer’s had been allowed would be reversed, and they’d have to pay out that $18 million. By January, Miles had played 8 games (6 in the pre-season) and he had just been released by Memphis after a 10 day contract. Sensing their wallet was about to get substantially lighter, in their wisdom Portland actually threatened to sue any team that signed Miles, citing it would be a cynical move to sabotage Portland and it’s cap situation.

Luckily for poor Darius, who, by the way, had done something completely unprecedented in coming back from such an injury, the NBA stepped in (although only after the NBAPA threatened to counter-sue). Miles was inked for the season by Memphis and to this day Portland fans curse the name Darius Miles…

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8. “Yeah well your momma’s so fat…” “Uh, she’s actually just over there…”

Mark Cuban is one of those owners. Self-made, young, unfathomably rich and certainly not afraid to speak his mind. While other owners sit in luxury boxes, he’s courtside berating referees. He’s conducted post-game interviews from a treadmill, he started a booing campaign against San Antonio’s Michael Finley, he’s racked up nearly $2 million in fines through outbursts. He was even suspended for what the NBA called “un-owner-like behaviour.” He’s that guy.

In the second round of the heated playoff series between Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets, as usual Cuban was incensed about something. This time, it was the physical play of Denver and an admittedly missed call that cost Dallas a crucial game and left them in an 0-3 hole. After ranting at the scorer’s table, he departed back to the locker room. After a fan commented about Denver being thugs, Cuban pointed at Denver forward Kenyon Martin’s mother and added “that includes your son”, as well as reportedly referring to the rugged Martin as “a punk”. But that was OK according to Cuban, because apparently he knew Mrs. Martin as she had “approached him with trash-talk type comments” before. Hmm…

Then, what has to be the leading contender for Owner/Mother Feud of 2009 really took off. Martin vowed to “take care of him (Cuban)” before, naturally, the fans jumped on the story in the next game in Dallas, with Martin and his mother recieving some choice words.

Cuban apologised via his blog, but it didn’t appease Martin. ““He’s a coward,’’ Martin said about Cuban. “He couldn’t face it… You all read the only apology that he’s made (on his blog )… The world got to see it before the person who it was meant for got to see it. That tells you how that goes. I ain’t never known nobody apology to somebody through other people.’’

Cuban admitted he had erred by not yet apologising in person, but the barbs didn’t end there.

“I still intend to apologize to Ms. Moore,’’ Cuban wrote. “I made a mistake and will keep my commitment. But I would also like to know if Kenyon is going to take responsibility for his actions rather than hiding behind ‘no comment’.

“Will he apologize to the wife of our staff member that he called a ‘(expletive) fat pig’ immediately after Game 3? Will he apologize to fans that he threatened to, and I’m paraphrasing here, ‘(expletive) beat the (expletive) down’ during Game 4?”

Denver went on to eliminate Dallas with ease 4-1 but next season’s Denver/Dallas matchup is going to be circled on a lot of calenders.

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7. Darko Milicic Hulks Up

Darko Milicic has a lot to be angry about. Drafted second overall in 2003, to say he didn’t quite pan out would be an understatement. At the time Detroit were a powerhouse in the NBA, and through trading, had managed to land themselves the 2nd overall pick in one of the most talent-filled drafts in years. Yet, rather than pick a future megastar like Dwayne Wade or Carmelo Anthony, they selected Darko Milicic… A name that will haunt Pistons fans for years. Milicic never came close to reaching his supposed potential and faded from view.

Milicic currently plys his trade keeping the bench warm in lowly Memphis, but provides our number 7 moment for us after a bizarre incident back in December. We’re not quite sure what irked Darko, but he was incensed enough almost rip his jersy in half, Hulkamania style. Keep an eye on his teammates trying not to laugh when he returns to the bench

In a brilliant move by the Grizzlies, they went on to actually auction off the jersey for charity, complete with Darko’s signature.

DARKO SMASH!

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The Wrong Answer?

Detroit’s President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars today announced they’d be shutting down their high-maintenance star Allen Iverson for the rest of the season, effectively ending the former MVP’s stay in the Motor City with the team having no intention of extending his contract. But A.I.s tumultuous lone season in Detroit and the acrimonious circumstances in which Iverson has effectively left could mean that the star could practically be retiring himself.

For years, Detroit have been the ultimate 5-guy team. They made six conference title games from 2003-2008 including a title in 2004. They sent an unprecedented four starters to the All-star game in 2006. They had numerous stars, and they definitely had egos, but they didn’t have a Kobe Bryant, a Kevin Garnett, a Lebron James; instead their roster was packed with talent and they were a great team.

Only a season removed from a 59 win campaign, and the team has struggled ever since that Billups/Iverson trade. It was clearly a cost-cutting procedure from the Pistons who will see a huge number lifted when Iverson comes off the books this offseason and the drop in performance perhaps can be expected after competing at such a high level for so long, but this season has been about one guy, A.I.

The Pistons will keep on going, they’re a strong franchise. This little episode will be irrelevant come next season, but this, for me, has spoken volumes about A.I. He’s always been relatively selfish with the ball, but he’s a scorer, one of the best the league has ever seen. He’s won an MVP award, something even Kobe hadn’t done until last year. But his style of play means the team needs to revolve around him, and in the past few years the teams he has been on haven’t seemed to be able to get over the hump.

Much was made of the prospect of A.I. teaming up with Carmelo in Denver back in 2006. Anthony would be given another superstar beside him, providing even more opportunities for himself and the team would thrive, yes? Well they did put up numbers, the two led the league in scoring while even dropping a ridiculous 168 on the Sonics in 2008. But while they made the playoffs, they recorded just one postseason win in two years. Chemistry was a problem and while they could score at will potentially, they were never seen as a real contender. 50 wins may have been impressive, but an 8th seed and a 1st round sweep from the 57 win Lakers meant another season that counted for nothing.

And so to this season, the Billups trade and look at the Nuggets now. There may be external factors such as perhaps the standard being slightly lower in the West and the strange positive of losing Marcus Camby but they already have 50 wins. They have a 2 game cushion in the race for the no.2 seed and while I have often been critical of Billups in the past for not being consistent enough, his style has suited that Nuggets team a lot better. A style that is quite frankly, a lot less selfish than A.I.

Over in Detroit we have a team 3 games under 500. Iverson has had his injury problems but that team has not been better by having him in the line-up. By March it was becoming apparent that Rip Hamilton was the much more effective option starting, and it wasn’t music to A.I’s ears.

It’s tough to find a bigger contrast between two guys who were in essence competing for the same spot. Previously the notion of Hamilton coming off the bench has been brought up and while Hamilton has admitted he’d much rather start, he’s accepted that if that really is the best thing for the team, then he’s fine with it. A.I? His reaction to, by his standards, a paltry 18 minutes on Wednesday was “”I’d rather retire before I do this again. I can’t be effective playing this way. I’m not used to it. It’s tough for me both mentally and physically.” He went on to lament his lack of full fitness but retire? Because he can’t come off the bench?

Iverson needs to face facts, he’s 33, had a superb career but ultimately is still trophy-less with 1 finals appearance in 2001. He is no longer going to be able to play on a team and be “the guy”. There were talks of him reuniting with Larry Brown in Charlotte next season but after this episode and Charlotte making a playoff push with a young and talented, deep roster, would you really want him going in there and being “the guy”? Add Iverson as a willing sixth man in Charlotte and that team could really push on, but add him in the way he is now and you’d have to say that team would probably suffer.

If A.I. really loves basketball and not just himself, he’ll realise it’s time to become part of the supporting cast. He’s had teams built around him, like Lebron now he had the roster tailored to him once upon a time in Philly. His time as the superstar is gone, and unfortunately that may be too much to bear for him.

And really, it shouldn’t be. The tragedy is, Iverson could become a much more effective player if he was willing to accept the new role. Look around the league at some of the sixth men or role players that are talented enough to be a starter, but are most efficient in that role; Jason Terry, Barbosa, Ginobili, Kirilenko (well, in theory), Nate Robinson, previously Rip Hamilton.

There are plenty of veteran teams that would love to add a guy of his ability onto their squad and it could be a huge improvement. But if things stay as they are, he might as well retire now, and I think that’s a strong possibility. Iverson has always felt the need to be the guy, the superstar, the face of brands and now that time has pretty much come to an end, now he can’t call himself the best, he may well just decide to call it a day. What’s more important, the game or his pride?

Ok… Now someone needs to get fired for this…

What’s the shortest ever tenure for a Head Coach?

Ok, obviously in the salary cap era of big contracts, big big contracts, once you’ve hired a coach you’ve made a commitment financially as well as personally, but has there ever been an appointment like Josh McDaniels.

The Denver Broncos were an 8-8 team last year, but an 8-8 team with a lot of upside. Take away those injuries, add a couple of players to that defense and you have a team that could concievably go to the title game. Ok, bring in a new coach to provide a spark, bring some fresh air. Josh McDaniels? Forget the fresh air, he’s been like a wrecking ball flying through this organisation.

Josh McDaniels came into a team that managed to lose their division to a team that was 4-8 in Week 13, but was there a more promising team in the NFL with a head coaching vacancy?  (Indy doesn’t count, retirement) Surely this is a Head Coaches dream. Teams would kill to have a settled offense like the Broncos. Cutler coming off a season that fully established him as a perennial Pro-Bowl, elite QB. Brandon Marshall putting in a case for being the best WR in the NFL, let alone top 3 or 5. A talent in Eddie Royal and a veteran in Stokely, that passing attack was just lethal last year. Think about it now, top 5 QBs that you would want on your team: Brady, Manning, Roethlisberger, Cutler and perhaps Rivers or Romo at a stretch. He had over 4,500 yards through the air. I really don’t buy the temperamental thing, he’s not T.O.  All that let them down was a sub-par defense and a injury list that took outno less than seven running backs. Seven. It was so bad, they had to go find Tatum Bell, working in a Denver mall at a cell-phone kiosk. Regardless, this is a team that didn’t need turning around, it needed building on.

I’ve briefly spoken about this before, but now it’s actually happened, it’s hitting home just how ludicrous this situation is. It’s absolute sheer arrogance on the part of McDaniels, there’s no other explanation for it, just who the hell does he think he is?

He has no experience, of anything. He’s done nothing, he’s 32. He may have risen up the ranks of the Patriots to become Bill Belicheck’s offensive co-ordinator, but I’m sorry, since when did that make you God’s gift to coaching? Lets have a look at Belicheck’s other protegees, Crennel? Fired, Mangini? Fired and now in Cleveland, Charlie Weis? go ask Notre Dame fans about 15 losses in two years. What exactly gives him the right to stroll into an organisation like Denver and decide that every player is expendable. Kansas? Maybe, Detroit? Almost certainly, blow it up, but why on earth would you screw with Denver’s franchise player. It’s hard enough to find a QB that will guarantee you points like Cutler will, let alone have one that’s settled, why would you be so damn arrogant as to feel he’s not as good as “your guy”. That guy being Tom Brady’s backup until he had a good year last year, for the Patriots of all teams, who he’d learnt with for a few years.

My feelings on the whole Cassel situation are known, Denver had absolutely no reason to be involved, Cassel was in no way an upgrade, and they weren’t getting much else to improve other areas. But that fell flat, leaving McDaniels with some serious work to do. He’d gone out on a limb to get his own guy at the potential expense of the entire franchise and it had seriously backfired. Now the team’s biggest strength is pissed, and why wouldn’t you be? You’ve had a fantastic season, if anything the team held Cutler back, and they repay you by trying to trade you? No wait, this nobody has come in and tried to trade you for his own guy?

We knew Cutler would be slightly temperamental, not Phillip Rivers-style temperamental but he wasn’t going to take this lying down. At this point, if you’re McDaniels, you get on your knees and grovel. Ok, you had a connection with Cassel, you thought he’d be easiest to work with, but that didn’t happen. Now you do everything you can to make Cutler happy. You beg and console and reassure until he is happy. I mean, Cassel is now gone, Warner’s already locked up, who else is out there?

But no, rather than actually sort this out, we get awkward back and forths involving text messages and anything that doesn’t involve a face-to-face. Cutler gets more and more alienated and in the end, you trade him for Kyle Orton.

Kyle Orton, are you serious? Now I think this is actually a pretty good deal as it goes, but surely you can’t put a value on Cutler in the first place after the numbers he put up last season? The fact is, there is no way Denver should have gotten to a stage where they pretty much had to trade Cutler, a stage where people were actually guaranteeing Cutler would be gone by the draft, yet here we are. It’s just absolutely astounding. You may have gotten something in the picks, you can build for the future, but this isn’t Kansas City, you don’t need to stockpile them. Cutler was going to be that cornerstone of teh franchise for years to come. Think of all the guys that were touted as cornerstone guys, and how many have actually become them. If anything, I just think they’re lucky to have gotten such an amount in return.

Now I like Orton, I was really happy to see him progress and improve and not just be a weak link in Chicago. Unlike Rex, he actually progressed to a stage where he was a solid QB who could actually take the team down the field at times when they needed it. But Chicago had a great running game, and a great defense, like they always have. The pressure was everywhere else. At least with Cassel you would have been more confident he would be able to slot into that offense and put up some relative numbers. I mean that is the stage we’ve gotten to here, first we were talking about how Cassel was a gamble and a slight downgrade from Cutler in terms of being a sure thing. But now, it’s as if they’ve lost Cassel without ever having him, we’re comparing Orton to Cassel, and it’s even worse, he’s an even bigger gamble. I keep having to give myself a reality check here; “2 months ago, they had a promising settled offense with one of the top 5 passing attacks in the NFL. Now they have Kyle Orton?!”

I hate to rip on Kyle Orton, and who knows, he actually could suprise us, maybe the offense will change back to a run-first style, perhaps they could pick up Knowshon Moreno in the draft, shore up that line, then McDaniels would look like a genius, but this is now, and it looks like a catastrophe. He made this mess, and I expect him to be damn culpable come next season. Forget all this about Cutler being “temperamental”, the fact is they’ve gone from having a cornerstone franchise QB to Kyle Orton care-taking. Put it this way, would they have taken that deal before McDaniels turned up?

The Curious Case of Matt Cassel

It’s perhaps the most intriguing stories of the offseason so far, and not for the usual reasons either. On the face of it, the exchange of Matt Cassel and veteran, former Pro Bowl linebacker Mike Vrabel for the Kansas City Chiefs 34th overall pick in the draft is not all that unfathomable. But throw in Scott Pioli, the Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler, the Detroit Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a plethora of draft picks and you have a lot of people scratching their heads. Since the trade it emerged that a 3-way deal involving Cassel to Denver, Cutler to the Bucs and the 12th overall pick to the Pats. Instead, the Pats wound up with the 34th overall pick. Go figure.

There are numerous explanations, complicated further by the fact that former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels wound up in Denver, while much-loved former VP of personnel Scott Pioli got his big break in Kansas. So how did we end up with this mess? Why did the Patriots choose to deal with Kansas for a lower pick?

Firstly, it’s no secret that Belicheck loves his assistants… until they fly the nest, then he can’t bare to look them in the eye. So, it’s reasonable to assume he doesn’t want to give Denver anything, but I don’t see how anyone could believe Cassel would be an upgrade over Cutler in the first place. If anything, McDaniels saw a chance to get his own guy in (McDaniels was the QB coach before replacing Charlie Weis) and saw Cutler as some mighty fine trade bait. But thats a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.

Furthermore, it’s interesting to note that Pioli did not deal directly with Matt Cassel. He dealt with the Patriots, and while that gives Cassel the potential for the age-old “I never asked to come here” in the future, it probably was the wise thing to do. What would you do if you were Cassel? Join your old mate Josh McDaniels at a Denver team that was an offensive powerhouse at times last season, especially through the air with one of the few recieving cores that come close to New England, or a 2-14 Chiefs team in an indefinite transition period. Don’t get me wrong, the Chiefs are a sexy sleeper next season with Cassel, stick Aaron Curry on that defense and a bit of a feel-good factor and that team could be over 500. Miami proved a new direction and a proven quarterback can be all thats needed and in that AFC West, 9-7 could be all thats needed. But still, there’s a much bigger question mark over KC. I think Denver would be the obvious choice.

The 34th pick for Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel. It doesn’t sound right does it, I mean Mike Vrabel as well? He may not have been coming off his most productive year, and at 33, is on the downside but still one of the better linebackers and a huge figure when it comes to the locker room. It makes no sense to actually say it but it really does seem at times that New England were almost giving Pioli a helping hand. Why? I don’t know, why would you even think about helping another team in a league where a 1-15 team can have a turnaround so great that they take your playoff spot. A less shady way of looking at it would be that perhaps Belicheck had an agreement with Pioli that they didn’t want to go back on… But this is the NFL! It’s apparent now that New England franchised tagged Cassel solely so that they could get something in return for him, they had no intention of keeping him. But just a 2nd round pick? And giving away Vrabel as well? The Patriots perhaps not wanting to pay Cassel is a bigger factor than we account for, but he had suitors, multiple suitors. Peerless Price was tagged and traded for a 1st round pick, you tagged Cassel just to get a second?

And of course, that brings us to the fact the Patriots could have had the 12th overall pick. The chances of hitting the jackpot at 12 than 34 is significantly higher. Now many have speculated that the money you now have to pay rookies in the upper first round is too high and that Belicheck values 2nd round picks much more highly blah blah blah, I don’t buy it. The Pats seemed perfectly happy drafting Jerod Mayo last year, and are you telling me you can’t trade down? How about trading down a few picks and picking up a 3rd or 4th rounder as well? It just doesn’t make sense…

There is of course one thing that gets a little overlooked in all of this bemusement at just how the Kansas City Chiefs managed to swipe New England’s latest wonder boy QB and Mike Vrabel for a 2nd round pick, and thats the actual QBs involved themselves. Cassel, Cutler and Tyler Thigpen.

Now I’ll start with Cutler. This guy hasn’t got the attitude Phillip Rivers has, and was simply sensational last season. He’s turning into one of the most effective passers in the game, he had the best season of his fledgling career and that Denver offense looked brilliant in the air. The defense cost them that playoff berth, not to mention how no less than 7 running backs went down at one point forcing them to recall Tatum Bell from his cell-phone stall in a Colorado mall. It’s almost a certainty Correll Buckhalter will be brilliant in the Denver system, why would you give him up for a QB that has had one good season in one of the best offensive systems in the league? I like Cassel, but he has just one year of experience. How many QBs in the league have gotten big contracts or starting jobs off of one good season? Besides, this is Denver. Hands up who wants to remember Brian Griese? or Danny Kanell? or Bubby Brister? Steve Beuerlein? Oh, and Jake Plummer? You really want to give up a guy on the rise like Cutler for a guy who has had one good season?

To be honest, I was kind of surprised at the value that Matt Cassell had accumulated as the Pats slapped on the franchise tag. One season this guy has had. A brilliant season and 11-5 was no mean feat considering an aging Pats defence and a record that had never before not been enough for the playoffs. He practically led them to the playoffs and it was a crime that the Pats were left out. But, it’s one season, remember how good Derek Anderson looked? Anderson isn’t talentless by any means, but not all QBs can fit in different systems. It’s by no means set in stone that Cassel will be the guy in Kansas for years to come.

Then there’s Tyler Thigpen, now I can’t understand why it was decided so early on that the Chiefs needed a QB. This guy came out of nowhere, stuck behind scrubs like Brodie Croyle and actually injected a bit of life into this Chiefs team that was so pitiful. Doesn’t this guy deserve at least a chance with a better supporting cast and a better head coach? Cassel and Vrabel for a 2nd round is obviously something you can’t really turn down if you are the Chiefs but they decided to give up on Thigpen way before then.

It’s a curious business indeed, all the more so when you consider Tampa Bay are willing to go with Luke McCown, inquire about Cutler but ignore Cassel completely. But had they actually made a play for Cassel, would the Pats have even dignified it with an answer? Who knows…

(If that’s unfathomable, just think where we’d be today if Bernard Pollard hadn’t torn Brady’s MCL in the season opener… You know, that Bernard Pollard, Matt Cassel’s new teammate…)

Superbowl XLIII Reaction

Other than the obvious “wow” factor, the four-quarter, 60-minute rollercoaster that was Superbowl XLIII raised such a number of talking points, I know i wasn’t the only one left speechless as Ben Roethlisberger took a knee to hand Pittsburgh a sixth world championship. The referees, the play-calling, the sudden explosion of points in the fourth. The number 1 defense being torched for 16 points in all of 3 minutes. So where do we start? From the beginning of course…

First Blood Pittsburgh
Forget Arizona’s decision to defer the kickoff, forget the fact that Pittsburgh drove all the way to the one yard line on their first drive (well, actually, don’t forget that, that’s kinda relevant), but that first Arizona drive was huge. Much of the talk throughout Arizona’s road to the Superbowl was about Edgerrin James and that running game. How they were surprising everyone but coming into the Superbowl, this was the number 1 defense, and the number 1 rush defense. Furthermore, the Steelers and Dick LeBeau now knew about James potentially being a factor. With two weeks between the championship games and the big one, we were getting into double and triple bluff territory, and that is never a good thing in the NFL. Far too often teams out think themselves. For 16 games, Arizona were a passing team, you planned to stop the pass. But the past 3 games they’d run the ball to set up the pass. So maybe the Steelers were expecting run. So if they expect run, surely you throw the ball? But isn’t that what they expect you to do?

Either way, for me Haley got it wrong and LeBeau got it right, in the early stages at least. Ever since the talk started my stance was the same, you stick to what you know, passing the ball. This is the big one, you can’t afford to start trying these mind games, because you outfox yourself. Yes you’ve had success recently, but that success has still every time been overshadowed by that passing attack. Go out there and find the holes, get off to that quick start. Don’t mess about running to establish the pass. You have Kurt Warner, three 1,000 yard recievers and one of the best recieving backs in recent years. The Steelers first drive was exactly what the Cardinals drive should have been and they really should have gotten 7. But Arizona? Their first drive was:

1st and 10: Rush for no gain
2nd and 10: Pass to Breaston for 10 yards, first down
1st and 10: Offensive Holding on a 2 yard rush.
1st and 20: Rush for no gain after botched handoff
2nd and 20: Rush for 3 yards
3rd and 17: Short pass incomplete
4th and 17: Punt

Just two passing plays called, and the one on 3rd and 17 was out to the flat almost. Now I understand that with Pittsburgh playing the cover 2 and so wary of Fitzgerald the flats were being given up and Arizona went on to have a lot of success there. But on 3rd and 17? Why are you even stuck with 3rd and long in the first place? Pittsburgh went on to punch it to make it 10-0, it should have been 14-0 and at this point it looked as if the game may get out of Arizona’s reach before they’d even got going…

The Zebras
Now, with the risk of the cliche police intervening, the game really was a rollercoaster, but especially during the third quarter I was not particularly impressed with the officiating in this game. Arizona became the most penalized team in Superbowl history in terms of yardage, and I can’t say some of the yards weren’t warranted. James Harrison is probably still giving Mike Gandy nightmares which is something I’ll get to later, but some of the calls were just so ticky-tacky it was unbelievable. The problem is that it may actually be a penalty, but when they’re so incredibly soft, you’re setting a precedent, you have to call every one, and it makes the ones the officials miss all the more damning.

The fact Whisenhunt had to challenge two obviously incorrect calls is a start, he shouldn’t have to waste time challenging those calls, especially the second challenge on the overturned fumble, clearly an incomplete pass. Then of course the ensuing drive where Arizona where hit with 3 personal foul penalties. The first I can live with, you simply can’t touch the face mask and it was a stupid play. But the Dansby roughing the passer call was simply horrible, shades of Terrell Suggs from earlier this season. You have a guy in Roethlisberger (who was absolutely phenomenal in staying alive at times) who is bouncing around the pocket, keeping the play alive, Dansby hit’s him from behind a second after the release and that’s roughing the passer? Please… And then for them to call roughing the holder on a stumbling Adrian Wilson? Yes, it’s in the rulebook but it’s one of those things that never gets called. Rod Woodson claimed that in his 17-year career he’d never seen a flag thrown for that, despite running into the holder numerous times himself. This is the Superbowl, let it be! If you want to call absolutely everything, then actually do it. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who saw Lawrence Timmons clipping on the Harrison run-back, who I’m still not sure even got into the end-zone. There was a soft holding penalty on Rod Hood shortly after and at that time, you thought that Arizona weren’t actually going to get anything going their way. But I’d say there were some questionable calls on the Steelers too, the safety in particular. Ok, maybe, just maybe you call that but damn that seemed soft to me. A make-up call perhaps.

And of course, lastly, you can’t just ignore the final play of the game. If that “sack/fumble” was reviewed and overturned like it should have been, Arizona get the ball at the 29 yard line with 5 seconds left. Yes it probably would have been swatted down, but wouldn’t you have liked to know?

My MVP: Darnell Dockett
Much will be made of Ben Roethlisberger’s 2:02, 88-yard drive that culminated in ring number 6, and I’m sure fingers will be pointed at an Arizona defense who gave up a touchdown to a team merely looking for a field goal. But, without safety Francisco falling down and giving up the 40-yard catch-and-run by Holmes that took them from outside FG range to the Arizona 6, it may have been different. And if it wasn’t for the play of the Arizona front seven for much of the game, it certainly would have been different. Holmes put in a fantastic performance and deserved his MVP honors. Conversely, had Arizona held out I’m sure Kurt Warner or Larry Fitzgerald would be driving home a new cadillac. But for me, Arizona’s MVP at least was Darnell Dockett.

Talk of elite DT’s and I’m sure Dockett’s name wouldn’t come up, but this guy had an absolute monster post-season and was at the heart of a Arizona defense that refused to quit and kept their team in the game while their offense was stuttering. On the first drive, faced with 1st and 1 Arizona held Pittsburgh to a field goal, with Dockett the man bringing down Roethlisberger on his scramble short of the endzone.At 17-7 in the 3rd, he helped stuff Willie Parker on 1st and 4 before Watson snuffed out Big Ben’s QB sneak to keep the score at just 20-7. After a Arizona punt and into the 4th quarter, he dropped Willie Parker for a 4 yard loss on 2nd and 4 before sacking Roethlisberger on the next play to force a punt. Warner finally finds his rhythm again and it’s 20-14 all of a sudden. Next possession, 2nd play and it’s Dockett in the backfield to drop Ben for a 10 yard loss. Punt again, which ultimately led to the Arizona punt which forced the safety. A couple of plays later and Fitzgerald is watching himself hand Arizona a 3 point lead.

Aside from just the sacks, Dockett was superb as the defense held Willie Parker to just 53 yards off 19 carries and his contribution is one that will surely go unrecognised by most. But it’s important to remember that this game would have been over long before had the Arizona defense not held Pittsburgh to field-goals twice inside the five and forced those punts in the second half.

James Harrison…
Another peformance that embodied the nature of this irrepressible affair. On the one hand, he was everything the defensive MVP should be, a constant thorn in the side of Arizona and his mere presence allowed his teammates to have a bigger impact. But on the other, he should have been thrown out of the game on a completely blown call by the officials.

Firstly, his record-setting interception return was an absolutely fantastic play-call from Dick LeBeau who clearly knew what was likely to be called by Todd Haley and just outsmarted Warner. Anticipating a quick slant, and taking advantage of Warner’s wariness of Harrison blitzing, LeBeau had his best pass-rusher show blitz before dropping back into coverage. Warner took the bait and from it being a 10-10 ball game at the very least it was 17-7. Harrison forced four holding penalties on left tackle Mike Gandy, and that’s just the ones that were called. He was held without a sack, literally. At least twice he would have gotten to Warner if Gandy hadn’t illegally stopped him, and likely more.

But the unnecessary roughness call in the fourth, I find it absolutely unfathomable how he was not thrown out of the game. If you see him roughing Francisco, surely you see him punching him in the head while he’s down? It may not have mattered as Harrison didn’t have much of a chance to impact the last minutes of the game, but who knows how it might have gone down. Just an incredibly stupid play from normally such a head-smart player.

The Best Ever?
I’d like to think it’s not the bitterness in me that the hated Steelers won yet another championship but I’m not sure this was the greatest ever, although it’s certainly up there. Few Superbowls come close in terms of ranges of emotion, it had everything, just everything, when it was finally over it left you exhausted. For me, it maybe beats 38 between New England and Arizona, but I just can’t look past St.Louis/Tennessee. That final drive where McNair was almost superhuman was some of the most thrilling football I’ve seen. He seemed unstoppable, he couldn’t be brought down as he just kept making plays. And to have Kevin Dyson hauled down a yard short of the endzone on the final play? It may not have had the scoring that this game did, but that still ranks as the most exciting. One thing to think about though, recent superbowls sure beat the blowouts of yesteryear.

Some have also been crowning the Holmes’ game-winner as better than Tyree’s of last year. Let me be clear, Tyree’s was the most unbelievable, spectacular, clutch play you will ever see in a superbowl. Holmes’ was clutch, technically superb but players make that catch all the time. The fact it won a superbowl makes it great, but the Tyree catch was something that was just out of this world. 3rd and long, Manning somehow escaping a sack, and catching it against his helmet to preserve the drive? No contest…

Still, I have to say I don’t think I’ve seen a Superbowl that’s ever made me go through such a range of different emotions.  And as I hear the cliche police knocking at my door, it really was such a shame one team had to lose

Top 10 Prospective Free Agents to Watch

1. Albert Haynesworth
Albert Haynesworth is one of those players that changes the way you play offense. His combination of size and speed at the tackle position is unmatched and should he continue the level of play that we’ve seen the past two seasons, it’s only a matter of time before his name is mentioned alongside the Randles and the Sapps. Furthermore, the effect that Kris Jenkins has had in New York has only added to the stock of an elite Defensive Tackle.
Haynesworth was franchised last season despite the Titans making the playoffs with a 10-6 record and if those in the know are to be believed, Haynesworth’s Pro Bowl berth this season will prevent the Titans from franchising the 27-year-old. The Titan’s Defense have been instrumental in wrapping up the number 1 seed in the AFC, but it’s unlikely that will be enough alone to keep Haynesworth in Tennessee. How far the Titans can go will be crucial.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha
12 players were franchised last season. Only 1 was given the exclusive tag which prevented any negotiation with other teams. That was Asomugha, in many people’s opinion the best shut-down corner in the entire league. A former first round pick, Asomugha’s stock has not stopped rising in the last 3 seasons and was voted a Pro Bowl starter for the second time despite being on a 4-win Oakland team.
Asomugha is a high-character guy and Al Davis committed a huge error in judgement by not giving Asomugha the money he deserves and opting to spend big on DeAngelo Hall who lasted just 8 games. That snub could be the final straw for Asomugha and his resigning will be an absolute priority for Oakland this offseason. The franchise tag is almost certain, but there are a number of teams that would jump at the chance to sign No.21 should he become available.

3. Matt Cassel
The season isn’t over yet, but Matt Cassel looks to be leading the Patriots to an 11-5 record, exactly what Tom Brady did when he filled in for Drew Bledsoe. The playoff odds are against New England but two things are certain: Matt Cassel’s stock has skyrocketed and no matter how much longer the Patriots’ season goes on, Cassel is not going to usurp Tom Brady when healthy.
With Cassel in a contract year, the Pats face a dilemna, especially with concerns over Brady’s health come next September. But Cassel is 26 and the cost of franchising a Quarterback would be well over 10 million, for a backup. Franchising a QB is unheard of, let alone paying that much for a backup. Cassel will want to test the waters, and it’s not as if the Patriots tend to keep costly players around in these situations. Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law were let go without established replacements, with Cassel they have the best QB in the league to replace him. My bet? Tampa Bay

4. Julius Peppers
The Panthers are one of those teams that have one too many player’s on the potential UFA list to keep. Peppers is probably the biggest name and a freakish talent. But with a poor 07 hanging over him, consistency is in question, and that’s something you shouldn’t have to worry about with the league’s best DEs. That may be enough for Carolina to consider letting him go.

5. TJ Houshmandzadeh
TJ is 32 next year, and the life-span of an elite-level WR doesn’t extend much further. He made his first pro-bowl in 07 leading the league in receptions and would be a fantastic target for someone like Donovan McNabb, Matt Ryan, plenty of teams looking to push on. Despite a once-potent offense in Cincy, TJ may feel that the Bengals’ ship sailed in 2006 and his championship ambitions would be better suited elsewhere. It would be quite the coup if Cincinatti could re-ink no.84.

6. Chris Gamble/Jordan Gross
The other two big names on Carolina’s to-do list this season. Gamble is one of the better corners in the league whilst all-pro left tackles are extremely hard to find. Gross making this year’s Pro Bowl has only made the situation more difficult for the Panthers and they could face the prospect of losing both of these players should they splash the cash on Peppers.

7. Terrell Suggs
Many feel that Suggs hasn’t completely fulfilled his potential. His arrival in the league was similar to that of Shawn Merriman; explosive and sack filled. Irregardless of consistency issues, he still has great potential when in the right system with Baltimore choosing to franchise him last year. But with 3 linebacking stars in their contract year, can they afford to keep Suggs?

8. Mike Peterson
For years, Mike Peterson has been the heart and soul of the once prized Jacksonville defence. But after a tumultuous 08 season filled with injury and infighting, Peterson fell out with Head Coach Jack Del Rio and was even internally suspended. Back in the team now, the stint may be brief if the relationship with Del Rio is irreparable. A wily veteran such as Peterson could be a fantastic addition to any number of teams.

9. Bart Scott
Like Suggs, Scott’s stock was at an all-time high in 2006 and it’s on the rise again with the team on the brink of a playoff berth. Scott’s play has been as solid as ever but Baltimore will struggle to keep all of it’s linebackers this off-season. Perhaps slightly in the shadow of Ray Lewis, Scott may be keen to move on to pastures new.

10. Jeff Garcia
Since Garcia rekindled his career in Philadelphia, he’s had nothing but success in Tampa Bay. Even if they miss out on the playoffs, they will still have a winning record. But the extension Garcia has been lobbying for hasn’t been produced, and Tampa may be looking to the future already. Garcia’s 38, and a late extension would be the most plausible outcome. If Tampa decide to go after someone like, say, Matt Cassel, would Garcia land a starting spot elsewhere? Or just call it a day?

Also keep an eye on…

While many backups flatter to decieve at the RB position after getting a big contract, the sucess of ex-San Diego Charger Michael Turner makes the prospect of Darren Sproles testing the Free Agent waters a lot more interesting. The speedster, like Turner, made a valuable contribution behind the disappointing LaDainian Tomlinson and may be worth a gamble for certain franchises. Kurt Warner’s season is ending with a stutter rather than a bang but has led the Cardinals to their first playoff berth in 10 years. With talks of retirement continuing to crop up, it’s unlikely he’ll leave Arizona should he stay on.
Ray Lewis is likely to be at the top of the Raven’s priority list which could mean the likes of Dawan Landry moving on. Antonio Bryant is coming off an unbelievable season but considering his age and his stint out of the NFL, he may think better of trying to get a deal somewhere other than Tampa Bay. A serious knee injury dealt a large blow to Dunta Robinson’s stock, but the talented corner has quietly looked like returning to his best and the Texans will hope he is still under most team’s radars.
Joey Porter’s sack-filled season has somewhat overshadowed the impressive play of fourth-year pro Channing Crowder and could earn a big contract this summer and Houston’s Owen Daniels will be a restricted free agent after emerging one of the NFL’s better tight ends.