TF2 Digital Jedi » Football

Buddy’s watching you!

Brendan — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:00:54 +0000

Buddy Ryan is watching you. Take it from the late Reggie White, Randall Cunningham, and the rest of the 1988 Philadelphia Eagles who made this song/video.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlR6ujpB89k]

Today marks the arrival of folks to the Scouting Combine!

Brendan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:08:20 +0000

Indianapolis must be happy that this event keeps growing and growing. For folks like me who believe every sport is second to football, the scouting combine is first big event in a boring offseason when we study college players and pretend like we know what we’re talking about. Of course no one can predict who will do well in the NFL; that’s why there are so many first-round busts. But for every first-round bust there’s a Randy Moss and a Joe Thomas. An Adrian Peterson and a Torry Holt.

Get to know this year’s potential studs.

Here’s the schedule of NFL Network coverage of the event:

Thursday, Feb. 21
2:30 p.m. – NFL Scouting Combine Press Conferences
7 p.m. – NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine
Friday, Feb. 22
2:30 p.m. – NFL Scouting Combine Press Conferences
7:00 p.m. – NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine
Saturday, Feb. 23
11 a.m. – Workouts: Kickers, Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends
2 p.m. – NFL Scouting Combine Press Conferences
7 p.m. – NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine
Sunday, Feb. 24
11 a.m. – Workouts: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs
2 p.m. – NFL Scouting Combine Press Conferences
7 p.m. – NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine
Monday, Feb. 25
11 a.m. – Workouts: Linebackers, Defensive Lineman
7 p.m. – NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine
Tuesday, Feb. 26
11 a.m. – Workouts: Defensive Backs
Wednesday, Feb. 27
8 p.m. – 2007 NFL Scouting Combine Wrap-Up Show

Free Agency Begins February 29th

First of a couple very short posts here. A great resource for all things football and baseball is KFFL. Here’s a link to their page of all Free Agents and what’s going on with them, by team.

Moose released

Brendan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:55:54 +0000

Not sure what the release of Muhsin Muhammed means to Chicago’s passing attack. It could mean that they’ve freed up money to re-sign Berrian before he hits the market on the 29th (Leap year!). Or it could mean they intend for both of their starting wideouts from last year to go elsewhere. That could portend good things for Devin Hester, who would slide into a starting role. It’s easy to discredit his skill as a receiver, but there’s no denying his playmaking ability. Also, the 3rd year is when the former kick return extraordinaire Steve Smith of the Panthers broke out. Then there’s Marty Booker who was cut by the Phins but has indicated interest in coming back to Chicago. That’s a statement not many want to make after 2007. Anyway, it will be interesting to see in the next few days what happens.

Mock Draft anyone?

Brendan — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:05:36 +0000

If you’re wondering why a site with an innocuous name like WalterFootball is one of the top mock draft sites on the net, look no further than their Mock Draft Database. I’m sure they missed a couple, but this thing has all the mock drafts you could ever need and want. And this is before the combine! There’s never any telling about the draft until draft day (unless if you talk to Arc), but why not get to know your prospects early? It beats watching the NBA.

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=QRp17FCifjc]

Fan joins the Giants for a day

Brendan — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:42:30 +0000

If you haven’t seen this all over sports blogs, apparently there was a guy on Tuesday who snuck into the press box at the Superbowl celebration parade in New York and then traveled as either part of the owner’s family or part of the team through the whole parade and stadium rally/celebration. Inside the locker room, 6 inches from Coughlin and the Lombardi, his hat autographed by the whole team, and he has the pictures to prove it. It almost makes me want to be a Giants fan. Check out the full story over at Deadspin.

NFL 2008’s Best Rookie WR

Brendan — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:45:31 +0000

Over the course of the new few months during the long NFL offseason, and during the even longer fantasy football offseason, I am going to search for the best rookie WR to draft in fantasy leagues. But before anything, we have to judge whether or not it’s even worthwhile.

Thanks to an intrepid blogger at FootballDocs for the stats on players through 2004, my job has been easier. I have followed his patterns and listed rookie WR’s with over 700 yards receiving, starting from 1998. No rookie wide receiver went over 700 yards in 2005.

There are a lot of stats here, so I’ve put them after the jump.

All wideouts from the last 10 years with at least marginal fantasy relevance, including the position they were drafted.

Rookie WRs with over 700 yards (1998-2007)
Player	Year	Round	Pick	Receptions	Rec. Yards	Rec. TDs
Randy Moss	1998	1	21	69	1313	17
Torry Holt	1999	1	6	52	788	6
Troy Edwards	1999	1	13	61	714	5
Kevin Johnson	1999	2	32	66	986	8
Darrell Jackson	2000	3	80	53	713	6
Rod Gardner	2001	1	15	46	741	4
Chris Chambers	2001	2	52	48	883	7
Antonio Bryant	2002	2	63	44	733	6
Andre Johnson	2003	1	3	66	976	4
Anquan Boldin	2003	2	54	101	1377	8
Larry Fitzgerald	2004	1	3	58	780	8
Roy Williams	2004	1	7	54	817	8
Lee Evans	2004	1	13	48	843	9
Michael Clayton	2004	1	15	80	1193	7
Keary Colbert	2004	2	62	47	754	5
Marques Colston	2006	7	252	70	1038	8
Santonio Holmes	2006	1	25	49	824	2
Dwayne Bowe	2007	1	23	70	995	5
Calvin Johnson	2007	1	2	48	756	4

So what can we tell from this half-impressive, half-disappointing list? The answer is not much, at first. But let’s start with some observations.

11 out of 18 went in the first round. 17 of them went by pick #80. Colston apparently was a total anomaly.

Lesson #1: We’re probably looking in the first round, but possibly as deep as pick #80.

Only 4 went over 1,000 yards. Only Moss went over 10 TDs. That means when it comes to rookie WR’s, you’re dealing with slim pickin’s if you’re looking for a guy to carry your fantasy ballclub.

Lesson #2: Never draft a rookie to be your 1st or 2nd WR. Don’t pick a rookie wide receiver 50th overall.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a guy to contribute as a 3rd or 4th. Here are guys I’d want for a 3rd slot from that list for a points-per-reception format: Randy Moss, Kevin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Michael Clayton, Marques Colston, Dwayne Bowe.

The first thing that stands out to me is how many of those are possession receivers. In fact aside from the guys pre-2000, all of them have been possession receivers.
Lesson #3: We’re probably looking for a possession receiver. Speed isn’t a drawback, after all Andre Johnson ran a 4.3, but it isn’t going to make a rookie into a star. The Troy Williamson’s of the draft will have to wait.

So is it worthwhile to draft a rookie WR in your fantasy draft? I think so, but I’ll have more later. I’m going to keep updating throughout the offseason until most fantasy football drafts start.

Pats Superbowl 36 ring for sale on eBay.

Brendan — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:50:07 +0000

Thanks to a reader at Profootballtalk.com for this one.

This is from the Superbowl that the Pats won against the Rams where the alleged walkthrough videotape occurred.

$125,000 Buy it Now!

Any coincidence on the timing? Naaahhhhhh… couldn’t be.

18-1 = FAIL

lunk — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:30:01 +0000

Eagles Fans Everywhere say…

Brendan — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:08:42 +0000

At least it wasn’t the Cowboys.

And I for one will be hoping Steve Spagnuolo gets hired by Dan Snyder to coach the Redskins. I don’t want to watch the Eagles play that defense twice next year. But wait… we play the Redskins twice. Fuck.

And by the way, not many people mentioned it, but that loss of Stephen Neal is one of the main reason the Giants got all that 2nd half pressure up the gut. Any other Patriots game you watch, Brady has time to step up into the pocket and avoid the outside rush. He didn’t have that pocket and I think that more than anything was the difference. It wasn’t the injury I had been hoping for, but one is better than none. (Yes, Eagles fans are terrible).

Why the Rams won’t push this thing.

Brendan — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:26:05 +0000

Let’s consider for a second the implications of a story that came out about the Patriots stealing the Rams offensive sets, formations, plays, etc. at the walkthrough practice before the Superbowl in ‘02. If the Rams win as most expected then Mike Martz’s career, Kurt Warner’s career, and many other Rams’ careers go quite differently. Kurt Warner had that and more to say. Meanwhile on the other side of that game, the Patriots don’t start a dynasty, Bill Belichick isn’t referred to as the smartest coach in the NFL, the Patriots aren’t the best run organization, etc, etc, etc. Extrapolate that some years and the Panthers don’t lose, the Eagles don’t lose, even Randy Moss doesn’t force his way to New England instead of Green Bay at the start of this year, and who knows if Green Bay doesn’t go to today’s game with Moss split out wide? The implications are enormous. Even Notre Dame fans upset with Charlie Weis can think about how he probably wouldn’t have gotten the job if he hadn’t been an offensive coordinator for a team winning by cheating. What’s the matter Mr. Weis, the Fighting Irish don’t have the same equipment as the Pats?

Roger Goodell has already come out on this issue however. He shares the denial that any of this affected the outcome of any games. Of course, the Pats deny it too. In fact, Goodell destroyed all the evidence, purportedly to prevent leaks. Forgive me for being skeptical though. Leaks? This is the NFL, a multibillion dollar operation. You can’t buy security for this evidence?

So if the commissioner and the Patriots deny it, at least the organization that had a trophy robbed would want to press it, right? But the Rams have no comment. I said this in IRC yesterday and here’s my guess for the future: they won’t push it. Recently their owner of 19 years, Georgia Frontiere, passed away. She had a 60% stake in the Rams, while Stan Kroenke owns 40%. Her two children Dale Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez will split her 60%, but for convenience sake and so that there is a majority owner, Dale Rosenbloom will hold the full 60%. But there is doubt about his plans with that share. Kroenke can veto sales of that share, so the major likelihood is that Kroenke tries to swing a deal where he buys the other 60%. The major problem to that? Kroenke already owns the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche. The NFL has a cross-ownership rule which prevents an owner from having controlling stakes in professional sports franchises in more than one city. But Kroenke has pull. Walmart pull. In the coming months he will likely use that force and try to convince the ownership committee to bend the rules for him to own the Rams. So why would he want to get on Goodell’s bad side by raising a stink?

Additionally, the NFL is almost unique in its revenue-sharing program. (Irony in that article; Bob Kraft saying, “The main issue is allowing everybody to compete.”) So any issue that gets big enough to make the average Sunday fan tune off the NFL affects a TV deal. A future TV deal affects the profit of all 32 owners. Any issue large enough to make the team’s fan not want to shell out $100 bucks for a ticket affects the profit of all 32 owners. There’s just too much money to lose.

In short, with destroyed evidence, the stance of the commissioner, billions of dollars to lose, and the future ownership of the Rams in jeopardy, there’s just no way I can see Kroenke or the Rams as an organization pushing an investigation.

So maybe Congress finally will have something to do besides pick which side of the aisle is going to applaud.