Tuesday, July 22, 2008

So far so good for Parcells

Since taking over as Vice President of Football Operations, Bill Parcells has made all the right moves. Drafting Jake Long and Chad Henne could pay huge dividends for a variety of reasons. Long gives you a long term solution at left tackle and Henne was a four year starter at quarterback in a pro style offense. He can make all the throws and was effective in outdoor cold weather games. Ronnie Brown should find some holes and the play action pass should hep their offense find some balance.

Trading 6 time pro bowler and face of the franchise Jason Taylor should pay huge dividends for a different variety of reasons. You can come into training camp without the distraction and media circus that would accompany Taylor. You rid yourself of a possible "swan song" season a la Tiki Barber and you let your young team establish it's own leaders. You get Taylor out of the conference and off your salary cap, and you give your franchise a fresh start. That alone should equate to more than one victory this season.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Jacksonville Jaguars...Too Sexy?

The 2008 edition of the Jacksonville Jaguars are the sexy pre season pick to make a deep playoff run. I say not so fast. Don't get me wrong, on paper they are loaded...but I have four major concerns.

Jinx of Success: Jacksonville has never followed a playoff season with a playoff season....ever. Since 2004, the team flip flopped post season births. Out in 04...made it in 05...and so on. Well it's 2008....

Fred Taylor: Yes, Fred Taylor is a stud of a running back. He's also 32 and injury prone. Maurice Jones Drew is more than a capable backup, but can he be an every down back if Taylor goes down again? And who would fill the void in the return game should Jones Drew have to tote the rock on a full time basis? Is David Garrard ready to carry the team with his arm if need be?

Gregg Williams: Gregg Williams takes over at defensive coordinator for Mike Smith, who left to be the head coach of the Falcons. Under Smith's watch, his unit averaged 4th in overall defense and 3rd in points allowed from 2003-2007. Smith was also respected in the locker room, so the players bought into his philosophy. Gregg Williams comes in with a head coach mentality and a shaky track record. He's known to be confrontational with his players and the media, and a bit of a maverick when it comes to authority. Make no mistake about it, this is Jack Del Rio's team...period. Can they co-exist? Or will we see another Mike Didka / Buddy Ryan saga?

AFC South: The Jaguars finished the regular season 11-5, but went 2-4 in their division. The Colts are still the king of the hill and the Titans and Texans are young teams on the rise. In a tough conference like the AFC, it's hard to imagine 3 teams from a single division making the playoffs again this year.

If everything falls into place, they'll make a strong push for the division title. If not....then at least they're a lock for 09.

Monday, July 14, 2008

The Tennessee Who?

In a world where sexy is the order of the day, it's understandable that no one is talking about the Tennessee Titans. They are not flashy like the Patriots or flamboyant like the Cowboys. Their uniforms are symbolic of their blue collar mentality...bring your lunch...punch the other team in the mouth...and there's no such thing as an ugly win.

In the now post Pacman era, the only recognizable face is that of quarterback Vince Young. Since taking over 5 games into his rookie season (for an 0-5 team I might add)...all he did was lead his team to within a game of the playoffs that season and a playoff birth the next. Yes the offense struggled last year, but Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow was unimaginative and over matched. Mike Heimerdinger's return should help Vince take his game to the next level, they same way he helped Steve McNair mature into a pocket passer and co-mvp.

The defense is the strength of this team. All pro tackle Albert Haynesworth anchors a front four that can get there in a hurry. Cornerback Courtland Finnegan brings a nastiness to the secondary and middle linebacker Keith Bullock can make plays all over the field. Rob Bironas returns as a pro bowl kicker who is money from 50 yards and out.

Let's not forget the Titans made the playoffs last year while playing in a division with the Colts and Jaguars...and won on the road against both teams. Rookie first round pick Chris Johnson brings his 4.24 speed and versitility to an already effective ground attack and veteran tight end Alge Crumpler is a reliable option to help cure the Titans red zone woes. Coach Jeff Fisher's philosophy is to run the ball and stop the run....a recipe for success in December and January. The Tennessee who?....stay tuned.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

SORRY BRETT

With NFL training camps a couple of weeks away, a quarterback controversy is not that surprising....unless you're the Green Bay Packers. It seems like our old pal Brett Favre is holding his team hostage...again! This time is different though. This time he publicly retired. This time the act has grown old. If I'm General Manager Ted Thompson I'm reading Brett's text message and thinking to myself...why are you doing this to me? Every decision we made this offseason was based around Aaron Rogers, who by the way, waited patiently in the wings while you strung us along the past few offseasons. Yes...you're a first ballot Hall of Famer. Yes...you put Green Bay back on the map...and yes we're very appreciative. I know the media wants everyone to think that you give us the best chance to win right now, but let's be honest, we haven't been to a Super Bowl in about a decade or so. Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer won championships since then. Last year was nice, but you and I both know the NFC was down. Aaron Rogers has one more year left on his contract and we still don't know what we have in him. Even Steve Young had to get on the field to prove he could replace Joe Montana. And let's say you do come back for one more year....then what?....we go through this all over again next year? Something tells me that "I'm on vacation" is GM code for "Sorry Brett, but this time we'll pass."