NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

The new face of the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan

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One day Matt Ryan is playing my Michigan State Spartans in a bowl game and the next day Matt is inking a contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

The name “Michael Vick” was conspicuously absent.

Atlanta is owned by Arthur Blank, an owner that desperately wants to move on, as they say. It is time to forget the Michael Vick era. What better way than to draft a new quarterback, to give the team a new face, and to get him signed and in uniform quick.

Matt Ryan, the No. 3 pick in last month’s draft, signed a $72 million, six-year contract Tuesday. The announcement of the new deal came with smiles, confident talk of the future and no mention of Michael Vick, the first pick in 2001 who signed a $130 million extension, the richest in the league at the time, in December 2005.

Team owner Arthur Blank and the Falcons were especially eager to sign Ryan, avoid a holdout and help the franchise move away from the Vick era with new general manager Thomas Dimitroff, new coach Mike Smith and now a new quarterback.

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It is always dicey taking a quarterback with one of the top picks. Ask my Detroit Lions and Joey Harrington. It does not always work out.

Darren McFadden

To make it even more risky, Atlanta passed on Darren McFadden, more of a sure thing at running back and most likely soon to be one of the league’s stars. You can bet there will be some criticism of the Falcons if Matt Ryan comes out of the gate slowly while Darren McFadden gets off to the races. Matt may face some struggles with the lack of offensive weapons on the Falcons and an anemic offensive line, so expect some criticism.

Matt Ryan guarantee

The Falcons are putting all Read more

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Rashard Mendenhall taking in the whole Steeler thing

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Ok, Steeler fans, weren’t you supposed to take an offensive lineman?

Even RB Willie Parker was surprised the Steelers waited until the fourth-round to draft an offensive lineman.

“Everybody said what I need is an offensive lineman,” said Parker. “That wasn’t my call to pick an offensive lineman. It would have been good to get one, but we didn’t.”

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Isn’t your offensive line a mess?

Most mock drafts in cyberspace assumed the Steelers were focusing on adding an offensive lineman. But a furious run that saw six tackles come flying off the board in the first 21 selections was over by the time it was Pittsburgh’s turn to pick. “There was a panic attack on offensive linemen,” Arians says. “It just worked out that Rashard flew right into our laps.”

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Don’t you have to protect Big Ben Roethlisberger?

And what about a running attack?

That final question got answered on draft day. Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians had this to say.

“I compare Rashard to Edgerrin James,” Arians says. “Except that Rashard is 10 pounds heavier and a tick faster than Edge was with the Colts.”

Arians served as the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterbacks coach from 1998 to 2002. James joined the team in 1999 as a first-round selection out of Miami.

One of James’ most underappreciated skills with the Colts (and now with the Arizona Cardinals) is his ability to pick up blitzes. One of the most worrisome duties that keep rookie running backs from seeing significant playing time early is pass protection.

That’s where Arians thinks the Steelers’ new Edge-like rusher is the exception to that rookie rule.

“The pass blocking is good with Rashard, and he’s got great hands,” Arians says. “You’re not afraid of letting him cover Ben’s back side in pass protection.”

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NFL Football Hines Ward factoid -

• Hines Ward was scheduled to make his second trip of the year to South Korea, where he was welcomed as a hero following his Super Bowl MVP in 2006. Since then, he’s made the trip twice a year to work on his foundation to aid bi-racial people in that country. Ward was born in South Korea, son of a Korean native mother and black U. S. serviceman father.

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Now if only that offensive line can hold!

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Cedric Benson can’t run from his problems and lately can’t run

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The Chicago Bears seem to have more problems at running back than they thought.

Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was charged with failing a sobriety test while operating a 30-foot boat, then resisting arrest before being hit with pepper spray and dragged ashore by officers.

Benson faces charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest after the incident Saturday night on Lake Travis, Travis County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Roger Wade said Sunday.

Benson was released from jail early Sunday on a $14,500 bond. The charges are class B misdemeanors, each punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine. A call to Benson’s agent was not immediately returned.

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Cedric now has two other problems, besides the arrest.

1. lack of production.

The 25-year-old has done little since the Bears took him with the fourth pick of the 2005 draft.

As a rookie he couldn’t beat out Thomas Jones and rushed for 272 yards in nine games. He was more effective the next season while sharing time with Jones, going for six touchdowns and 647 yards.

Last year, Benson took over as the featured back after Jones was traded away. He rushed for 674 yards, four touchdowns and 3.4 yards a carry before going on injured reserve in November.

In three years with the Bears, Benson has rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards a carry. He’s also missed 13 games.

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2. The Chicago Bears drafted Matt Forte from Tulane in the second round to compete at running back. He is 6′ 2″ and 222 pounds.

Pick Analysis:The Bears get a player to compete with Cedric Benson for carries. Forte was the focal point of the opposing defense every week and still put up numbers. He’s a high-character guy and will have a chance to upgrade the running game in Chicago.

Look out, Cedric!

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Caleb Campbell 13, will get a shot at linebacker with the Detroit Lions

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There has been a lot of controversy on Caleb Campbell the Army grad to be, now Detroit Lions draftee. The Army has a policy allowing Army grads to join pro sports with certain conditions and commitments.

Some say he is letting down his fellow grads by not following them to Iraq.

It is a valid argument, but you have to also allow for the fact that he can be good for Army morale as well. E-mails from soldiers in Iraq poured in at the draft and after the draft all being fired up about Caleb Campbell being a potential draft pick and finally a Detroit Lions draft pick.

How about the Tuesday’s he will spend recruiting? Tell me, if you are 18 years old and a Detroit Lions player tells you the Army is a great place to be, wouldn’t that sway your opinion? Isn’t it about time that there was a real role model in the pro ranks?

Isn’t this a win win for the Army, the NFL, and for the Detroit Lions?

So what does Coach Marinelli of the Detroit Lions think?

“I don’t have a whole lot of sentimental,” Marinelli said. “That’s just me. I like guys who run, hit and tackle, and if he does that, then I’m pretty sentimental.”

Marinelli served in the Army in Vietnam. President Matt Millen’s son Marcus was a teammate of Campbell’s at West Point. Campbell is the first Army player drafted by the NFL in more than a decade.

But to say the Lions have Campbell here for anything but football would devalue him as a player and go against what Marinelli has preached.

“He was a draft-eligible player,” Marinelli said. “My job is to find guys who can play football, and if he’s draft-eligible, you would expect me to find him.”
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NFL Football special comment Not a lot of 7th rounders have made the Lions roster. Campbell will be tried at linebacker, a position he did not play, but a position the Lions are not very deep.

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Chiefs

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.com found KC to be a big winner in the 2008 NFL draft.

The Chiefs’ draft started with defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and offensive tackle Branden Albert in the first round and they continued right through the draft. Even sixth-round pick Kevin Robinson, a return man from Utah State, could be an immediate contributor.

From start to finish, the Chiefs cashed in big. That’s why they get the only premium grade in this report card.

Kansas City Chiefs

Best pick: They saw Dorsey fall to them with the fifth pick. He was the top player on half the boards in the league.

Questionable move: I like Texas running back Jamaal Charles, but do the Chiefs really need to be using a third-round pick on a back with Larry Johnson on the roster?

Second-day gem: Sixth-round pick Barry Richardson, a tackle out of Clemson, is massive (6-7, 338) and was once considered a first-day possibility.

Overall grade: A+. They had a lot of picks and used them well. Good thing, too. They need a lot of help.

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Redskins

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports graded the draft for the NFC.

Washington came out a winner.

Washington Redskins
Picks: WR Devin Thomas, TE Fred Davis, WR Malcolm Kelly, OL Chad Rinehart, DB Justin Tryon, P Durant Brooks, DB Kareem Moore, QB Colt Brennan, DL Rob Jackson, DB Chris Horton
Positives: Thomas, Davis, Kelly, Brooks
Negative: Defensive end not addressed until the seventh round.
Bottom line:A. Ten overall picks with lots of potential from top to bottom. The two wideouts slipped a little and could all end up providing great value. Thomas and Kelly could develop into quality big targets, and an AFC scout told Yahoo! Sports in February that Davis was the best overall talent at tight end in this draft. The punter need was addressed with the best one the college game had to offer in Brooks. Brennan is an intriguing pick late in the sixth round. A lot of potential starters in this draft.
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Too bad there is no trophy for the draft victory.

Even worse is the fact that no one really knows what will happen with all these picks for a couple of years.

NFL Football special comment It feels good if your team is a draft winner, but it feels better if they win in the regular season.

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The crowd at the draft was going crazy. The shouts of Caaaaaa-leb Caaaaaampbell were repeated by individuals wearing all different team uniforms. Soldiers are popular these days and they should be.

It does not matter what you think of the war in Iraq, it takes a brave and dedicated individual to represent and defend their country. Caleb Campbell is that kind of man and Coach Rod Marinelli recognized his character and his ability to play football.

Campbell is the first Army football player to benefit from a new policy allowing athletes with a chance to play professionally to complete their service by serving as recruiters and in the reserves.

Campbell will still be on active duty. He’ll serve as a recruiter, spending his Tuesday off days from the Lions visiting high schools and working. If his career lasts more than two seasons, he will have the option of buying out the last three years of his active-duty commitment in exchange for six years in the reserves.

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Not only was Caleb on the TV long before he was drafted, with an interview, but they brought him back for another interview after he was drafted in the 7th round by the Detroit Lions.

During the second interview, Coach Rod Marinelli of the Lions was brought on TV as well. Marinelli is a Vietnam vet and that was what all of us thought he would talk about, but he did not. All Marinelli wanted to talk about was Caleb’s football ability.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli, who served a tour in Vietnam, said on TV that picking the 6-foot-2, 229-pound Campbell was no flyer, and that the former Black Knights defensive back would be used as a linebacker, at least initially. The son of GM Matt Millen is a cadet at West Point.

Campbell “embodies what the academy is all about, and that’s what everyone in this country should be trying to be,” Millen said. “He’s got skills, he’s got desire and he’s going to get a great opportunity.”

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Caleb was a safety at Army and will be a linebacker for the Detroit Lions and he was excited by all the fans!

“This is incredible,” Campbell said. “It gives me goosebumps. It’s awesome.”

NFL Football special comment This was definitely the highlight of day two of the draft.

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It was such a strange and long Saturday.

2008 NFL Draft day

Only 3 hours for round 1. Last year the NFL draft was over in 6 hours. No receivers taken in the first round. How odd. The fast guys must slow the draft down.

Jake Long

Jake Long officially became a Miami Dolphin. The first draft pick in 2008 for the NFL by Bill Parcells. Big Tuna could not get rid of the pick, so he overpaid a very good young tackle to the tune of 58 million bucks for 6 years. 30 mill guaranteed. 6 years of no playoffs for the Dolphins, but at least they have a tackle.

Jake Long - an even bigger Tuna

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Pacman - Ride ‘em Cowboy

Pacman is a Cowboy. It is official. Will Pacman even make the field is another question. The trade itself was very complicated.

The deal was agreed to in principle Wednesday. Then came all a convoluted series of talks between both teams, Pacman, the league and the union, a back-and-forth, forth-and-back series that team vice president Stephen Jones called the most complicated in his nearly 20 years in the league.

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Brett Favre is gone

Brett Favre was placed on the Packer reserved retired list and no longer counts as part of their roster. It is so hard to imagine playing the Packers and not seeing Brett Favre slinging the ball around.

Detroit Lions had to pull something

Too gun shy Read more

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Stealing a look at the USA Today Mock NFL Draft that involves 6 USA Today writers and 2 writers from NFLDraftScout.com, we can count which player is picked the most for each team and thus figure out the draft. Well, sort of anyway.

Today there is also going to be a comparison of Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm, the top two quarterbacks in the NFL draft.

My comments are in italics.

Here we go.

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long T, UM. 8 votes.
Stayed at UM to get a National Championship, but was denied when Hart and Henne suffered various injuries.

2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long DE, Virginia. 7 votes.
Rams need defense bad.

3. Atlanta Falcons - Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU. 7 votes.
Falcons need everything bad.

4. Oakland Raiders - Vernon Gholston, LB/DE, Ohio State. 5 votes.
Nobody really wants to be a Raider anymore. It is sad.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Ryan Clady T, Boise State. 3 votes.
Johnson needs a tackle for his 500 run attempts per game.

6. New York Jets - Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas. 5 votes.
Guess Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are just not getting it done. Jones had over 1,000 yards, but only 1 rushing TD.

7. New England Patriots - Leodis McKelvin CB, Troy. 3 votes.
Like the Pats needed a 7th pick anyway.

8. Baltimore Ravens - Matt Ryan QB, Boston College. 6 votes.
Not that McNair has retired, this is a perfect scenario for the young Matt Ryan to compete for the starting job.

Matt Ryan vs. Brian Brohm

Is Matt Ryan better than Brian Brohm because of all the extra brains up in his helmet?

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First we need to look at some stats. Read more

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More power to Jake Long. Power, as in 58 million bucks.

That is right. 58 million smackaroonies for an offensive lineman. That is a lot of dough. That is way too much dough. Jake Long will most likely be a great left tackle, but that is too much money to spend to find that out.

Jake Long can now afford those Gucci football shoes

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The draft needs to be fixed. It is a joke to pay a football player that has not even arrived in his first camp and make him the highest paid player at his position. It is an even bigger joke to make Jake Long the highest paid lineman and make him play for Miami, a team that does not expect to win a whole lot of games.

You realize that you just punished Miami. Now a fistful of dollars are tied up in an inexperienced rookie lineman.

Hey, give credit to Miami. They knew the fix they were in and put on their best face.

Long’s total contract package is for $57.75 million, said a person familiar with the negotiations who didn’t want to be identified because the Dolphins declined to reveal terms. Last year’s top pick, JaMarcus Russell, signed for $61 million with the Oakland Raiders but missed all of training camp before reaching a deal.

Long becomes the highest-paid lineman in the NFL and a 6-foot-7, 315-pound cornerstone in a rebuilding project for the new Dolphins regime led by Bill Parcells. Last season Miami went 1-15, and the offensive line has been a chronic problem in recent years.

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As a big football fan, maybe this would have been easier to digest if it was a unique skill player like JaMarcus Russell and Calvin Johnson were last year. It would have been easier to take if Matt Ryan or Darren McFadden had been a little higher rated, but this is a left tackle.

So take heart out there all of you left tackles that Read more

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This draft stinks.

It stinks so much that the NFL has to be bummed.

You see drafts have turned into media events and this one has the makings of low ratings.

Is this draft low on players? No, not really.

Is this draft low on talented skill players? No, there might be as many as 12 running backs taken in the first 3 rounds.

So, swami, just what is it that you do not like?Well, the simple answer is that Miami has the first pick and would love to trade down, but there are no sexy picks that make trading up all that worthwhile.

Darren McFadden asks, “You don’t find me sexy?”

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According to ratings by NFLDraftScout.com, the five top-rated players are Virginia defensive end Chris Long, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long and Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston.

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McFadden

Hey, what about McFadden? Read more