Will the Browns consider Maualuga or Moreno in 2009 NFL Draft?
Besides a few picks over the recent years, the draft has been a nightmare since the Browns were brought back in 1999. Cleveland has been home to some of the biggest draft busts in the nation.
It's still early, but the draft is coming up very fast. The Browns are having a hard time solidifying a coaching staff let alone preparing for the draft. There are two players coming out of college that I hope the Browns will carefully consider in this 2009 NFL Draft.
1. Rey Maualuga ILB USC
One of the most important elements that the Browns have lost since they have returned in the late 90s is physicality. Gone are the days of Clay Matthews and Michael Dean Perry. Watching the Browns on defense has been like watching performance art. It looks interesting, only you're not sure what's going on.
The Steelers are an example of a physical football team. As much as it hurts me to say it the Browns have been the exact opposite. That's why Maualuga may be a great option for the Browns. We need a player who brings an aggressiveness to our defensive core. A player with raw instincts who will violently hit people all the time. Having a player like that on defense totally changes the way other teams approach you on offense. Ask the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maualuga may have some durability issues, but that is a testament to how he plays the game. His injuries aren't Dante Stallworth-like. Maualuga got banged up because he plays like a madman. He is not considered a top 5 pick and that may be a good thing. The real gems usually come after the over-hyped top ten players get picked. The Browns should think about trading their number 5 pick to get more for their buck.
2. Knowshawn Moreno RB Georgia
Again, Knowshawn Moreno is another first round guy who isn't in the top five. I don't think it would be a terrible idea for the Browns to consider a franchise running back. Names like William Green, Lee Suggs, and James Jackson should make your stomach turn. It's time for a change.
Jamal Lewis is a solid running back who is at the end of his career. The Browns need another running back who can work with Jamal in his first year.
On the rare occasions when the Browns split carries between Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison, our running attack was dynamic. Moreno is a much more versatile running that someone like Chris 'Beanie' Wells. He can run, catch, and block. He also comes out of a very 'fast' conference. I think Moreno will adjust to the speed of the NFL quicker than Wells.
It's also pointless to have two big bruising running backs on your roster. A Lewis, Moreno, Harrison combination would be very interesting.
examiner.com
Less messy team wins a title; did Bills notice?
Anything is possible, whether it be the Pittsburgh Steelers winning a sixth Super Bowl or the Arizona Cardinals getting to one. This season's championship eventually conformed to history after the franchises split much of it see-sawing in the mud, as Pittsburgh stopped making mistakes long enough to win. The Steelers have now appeared in over 16 percent of all the Roman numeral-designated games while winning about 14 percent of them, emerging on top this time by misbehaving and screwing up less. It's a lesson the Buffalo Bills should have known before the championship and definitely should be aware of now.
As coach Dick Jauron often emphasizes even if his guys don't always listen, turnovers made the difference in Ex El Eye Eye Eye. The Steelers only won the battle by one including Kurt Warner's questionable game-ending fumble, but one of the two they managed happened to be the best takeaway ever: James Harrison's field-covering interception return will be replayed starting today and continuing for as long as football is televised. Buffalo must strike frequently and occasionally devastatingly during the next campaign, as teams that specialize in big interception quantities and/or moments tend to win big games.
Ben Roethlisberger's sole interception on the previous series eventually caused no damage, possibly because it was returned for minus-1 yard, or exactly 101 fewer than Harrison gained on his pick return. More importantly, he succeeded when needed: Roethlisberger only threw one touchdown compared to Warner's three, but who cares when they're the last points scored in an impossibly tight contest?
His calm efficiency during an excessively stressful time serves as an indispensable lesson for Trent Edwards, who should know that he can make occasional, rare, and limited mistakes as long as he atones for them later. A seemingly devastating setback, such as, say, Larry Fitzgerald scoring with under three minutes left, doesn't mean the end of the world or game. Instead of pouting and quitting as the Bills may have done this past season, the Steelers used 122 of the seconds left to take back the title.
On the other hand, the Bills should note that the naughtier team lost. The Cardinals lost over three times as much ground to penalties than they gained on the ground, as they were set back 106 yards by fouls compared to the meager 33 for which they rushed. Particularly, left tackle and former Bill Mike Gandy, who had three flags thrown at him for holding, proved unworthy of wearing a Super Bowl patch, something Buffalo could have told anyone by mid-2005.
Particularly, Arizona's three penalties on Pittsburgh's third-quarter drive were unacceptable for the same reason the Bills couldn't get away with it: Their defense is good enough to win provided they don't trip on their own laces. While the Steelers didn't get to the end zone on that drive, they still got three points while eating 8:39 of clock, thanks in large part getting a first down with each penalty. That includes the junky roughing the passer call, but Pittsburgh exploited its chances, even those the officials handed it.
More generally, Pittsburgh demonstrated why timing peaking is vital after beginning the year as a supposed business class franchise among some alleged first-class teams. While the Steelers weren't an excessively trendy pick before Week 1, it didn't matter who thought was going to win the Super Bowl in August or on this past New Year's Day, as the Steelers won rumbles at crucial moments. Just as Pepsi and Bud Light eternally duel for the title of most embarrassingly lame commercial, Pittsburgh's ability to rise when it counts during both the regular season and playoffs is a regular event.
Buffalo better have been paying attention: The Bills should have used the season's final game as study time, part of the extra month they've unfortunately had to prepare for 2009's season. Throw in the extra 15 minutes they got for planning if they skipped Bruce Springsteen's portentously dull excuse for rock music, and they're way ahead of the curve. If they've taken the occasion to focus on how valuable it is to rise to the occasion and overcome mid-game setbacks, they're on a decent track to rise next season. If the Steelers teach them anything, it's that winning ugly is still winning.
(c) 2003-2008 realfootball365.com.
Super Bowl XLI Championship Coach Tony Dungy to Be Honored at the 10th Anniversary Super Bowl Gospel Celebration
TAMPA, Fla. - (Business Wire) Super Bowl-winning Coach Tony Dungy will be honored as part of the 10th Anniversary Super Bowl Gospel Celebration. The commemorative presentation of the legacy concert will be held as part of the National Football League's sanctioned events scheduled in conjunction with Super Bowl XLIII. The 10th Anniversary Super Bowl Gospel Celebration will be staged, Friday, January 30, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the University of South Florida's SunDome, 4202 East Fowler Avenue in Tampa.
Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith is confirmed to take part in the tribute to Dungy. In addition to being former Super Bowl rivals, Smith and Dungy are close friends. In 2007, Dungy became the first African-American coach to win an NFL title by leading the Indianapolis Colts to victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. With ten straight playoff berths to his credit, Dungy currently holds the NFL record for consecutive playoff appearances by a head coach. Dungy recently announced his retirement as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
"I was able to attend the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at Super Bowl XLI when I was with the Colts and it was fantastic. It was a special time of reflection that took the focus off the upcoming game and put it on the Lord. It was one of the highlights of my Super Bowl week," said Dungy.
"Coach Dungy is a true role model for so many Americans, as well as a valued supporter of the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration," said Melanie Few, president of Results, Inc. and the event's founder and producer. "We are honored and excited to pay tribute to Coach Dungy as part of the show's 10th anniversary presentation."
Gospel superstars headlining the 10th Anniversary Super Bowl Gospel Celebration include Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp and Hezekiah Walker. The 2009 concert will also be highlighted by the return of the NFL PLAYERS All-Star Choir, which made its debut at the 2008 show in Phoenix, Arizona. More than 40 players are expected to participate in an encore performance planned to commemorate the show's tenth anniversary.
Sponsors of the 10th Anniversary Super Bowl Gospel Celebration include NFL PLAYERS, the Tampa Tribune and Clear Channel-95.7 The Beat! Herff Jones will provide custom NFL PLAYERS choir robes. A portion of the proceeds will benefit NFL YET Tampa Bay.
About Super Bowl Gospel Celebration
In its 10th year, the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration is the first and only gospel event sanctioned by the NFL for Super Bowl Weekend. Since its inception, the event has drawn crowds in the thousands and time and again proves to be one of the most attended activities during the Super Bowl Weekend. Participants have included award-winning gospel artists including Patti Labelle, Mary Mary, Hezekiah Walker, Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin, just to name a few.
Copyright (c) 2008 Business Wire
LSU receiver LaFell won't go pro after all
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell has withdrawn from the NFL Draft and will instead return to the Tigers for his senior season.
Last Thursday, LaFell, who is from Houston, declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, but refrained from hiring an agent, meaning he had 72 hours, or until Sunday, to change his mind under NCAA rules.
In a statement on the school's athletic Web site, LSU coach Les Miles said he was excited to have LaFell back for another season.
In three years with the Tigers, LaFell caught 118 passes for 1,725 yards and 18 touchdowns.
LaFell was LSU's leading receiver in 2008, with 63 catches for 929 yards and eight touchdowns.
(c)2008 SportingNews.com
Tony Dungy reported to be resigning as Colts coach
Tony Dungy reportedly will announce today that he is stepping down as coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
The team has called a news conference for 2 p.m. PST.
Various media outlets, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation, say Dungy is ready to call it quits after nearly three decades of NFL and college coaching. He has long indicated an interest in stepping away from the game at some point, in part to devote more time to his Christian ministry.
Dungy, 53, has been coach of the Colts for the last seven seasons. He guided Indianapolis to a league championship in the 2006 season, on the way to becoming the first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl. Before he joined the Colts, he was coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001.
Under Dungy, the Colts won five consecutive AFC South titles from 2003 through 2007, and they set an NFL record with six straight seasons with 12 or more victories.
Unlike the stereotypical abrasive or aloof coaches, Dungy proved that nice guys can win too.
"I am a person that truly hates coaches that scream and holler and curse," said Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who last year presented Dungy with an award from the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an advocacy group for NFL coaches and executives who are black. "And when I saw his demeanor, it was so refreshing.
"And then to have him get the kind of results that he gets, and to be loved by his players, to be a Christian family man, is just very wonderful. It's wonderful for the league, it's wonderful for the country, it's wonderful for football."
Copyright 2009 Los Angeles Times
The Skins Offseason: Eat Sushi, Cheer for Eagles
In the excitement of not working very much during the holidays, I forgot to post some other postseason plans revealed by various Redskins last week. They were all pretty much what you'd expect.
Like, Pete Kendall said he's finishing up "When Markets Collide: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change" by Mohamed El-Erian, and plans to scan some real-estate texts and possibly enroll in a finance course over the next few months.
"Depending on how [some personal] stuff goes and what my kids' schedule looks like, I might be able to devote some time to an internship," he said, adding that he'd like to work in the financial sector. "But I've got to be fair and honest with myself and any potential employer about how much time I can devote. If not, I'll just continue to try to catch up, read some books, just try to continue to expand my base of knowledge."
Similarly, Casey Rabach promised to go ice fishing before last week ended. "I'm gonna try to go shoot an elk here in the next week or two," he added.
Ryan Plackemeier, everyone's favorite blog-reading punter, will do plenty of running and kicking, but will also golf five times a week.
"But I walk the course," he added. "That's four or five miles a round, if you're playing from the tips, so that helps." (He later did the math on the back of a newspaper.)
I admitted to being skeptical about golf as exercise, and he told me how he spent his bye week playing competitive table tennis, and how Shaun Suisham made fun of him for that, but how when Plackemeier plays the sessions last three hours and he's dripping with sweat.
"You're setting yourself up," noted Suisham, walking by.
"Whoever wants to play, I'm pretty confident," Plackemeier said of his ping-pong skills.
Fred Smoot called the next month "summer vacation basically" and said he'd go fishing and spend time with his two kids. I asked about a list of activities, in light of Jim Zorn's suggestion; "nah, you don't get no list, you just let everything flow," he said.
Clinton Portis, of course, said he wouldn't watch any playoff games, but Smoot had a different take.
"You still love football," he said. "Just because you ain't in the playoffs don't mean you're gonna stop loving football."
(I also asked Portis to look back on his season, including his leading the NFL in rushing for a time and his radio incidents. "I don't call them incidents, I call them opportunities to air out how I was feeling, and I did," he said.)
And, believe it or not, Smoot said he'd be rooting for the Eagles.
"NFC East of course," he explained. "Why not? Like, when we won the Super Bowl last year, it just proved we had the toughest division in football. Why not root for my guys that I have to play against two times a year?"
That's right, "we" won the Super Bowl last year.
(c)Copyright 1996-2009 The Washington Post Company
Crennel, Mangini, Marinelli fired day after season
(AP) -- Lofty expectations did in Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel, as their teams' seasons crumbled from high hopes to demoralizing finishes.
Little was expected of the Detroit Lions, though nor was the worst season in NFL history. That cost Rod Marinelli his job, too.
"You can't go 0-16 and expect to keep your job," Marinelli said.
Now two interim coaches who breathed some life into downtrodden clubs - the Rams' Jim Haslett and the Raiders' Tom Cable - await word on their fates.
Three NFL clubs fired coaches Monday, less than 24 hours after the regular season ended. Out were Marinelli, the New York Jets' Mangini and the Cleveland Browns' Crennel.
Only Mangini's firing came as a bit of a surprise. The Jets harbored Super Bowl aspirations after an 8-3 start that followed an offseason spending spree, including the trade for Brett Favre. But they didn't even make the playoffs, losing four of their last five games.
"I don't think it was one thing," owner Woody Johnson said. "We had to go in a different direction. There's nothing specific. It's just a call we made. Hopefully, it's correct."
The Browns' search to replace Crennel is already off to a disheartening start: Bill Cowher told owner Randy Lerner on Saturday that he doesn't intend to coach in 2009.
Cleveland was rewarded with five prime-time TV appearances this season after going 10-6 in 2007 and placing six players in the Pro Bowl. But the Browns collapsed to 4-12 amid injuries and didn't score an offensive touchdown while losing their last six games.
"Romeo was a gentleman through and through," Lerner said. "He was gracious to a fault."
The Lions became the first NFL club to go 0-16 with their loss to the Packers on Sunday. Marinelli won only one of his last 24 games.
Three coaches were fired during the regular season: Mike Nolan in San Francisco, Scott Linehan in St. Louis and Lane Kiffin in Oakland.
Mike Singletary replaced Nolan and will be retained after the 49ers went 5-4 in their final nine games.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones insists Wade Phillips will return as coach after Dallas, a preseason Super Bowl favorite, failed to make the playoffs - and was eliminated in humiliating fashion in Sunday's 44-6 loss to Philadelphia. Phillips vowed Monday to do things differently.
"We know things must improve. The only way is to change things," he said. "To get to the standard we want, I don't see another way."
Cable went 4-8 after taking over the Raiders and ended the season with two straight victories, knocking the Buccaneers out of the playoffs Sunday. Haslett went 2-10 with the Rams.
(c)2008 Bay News 9
|
