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

Darren McFadden is learning how to hold the ball. Well, maybe not in this picture.

Image details: Oakland Raiders Rookie Mini Camp served by picapp.com

He is big. He is strong and he runs a 4.3. A legitimate 4.3. He is Darren McFadden, the top rated running back out of the draft.

Oakland needs him badly. They need excitement. They need Darren.

Last year they drafted JaMarcus Russell number one in the draft and he sat for most of the season with contract problems. Here is a guy that threw the ball 60 yards while on his knees. He has all the properties of a great quarterback.

Throw in Lane Kiffen, a coach that somehow has the ear of Al Davis as well as his confidence and Oakland fans have to be drooling.

Will they win a lot of games this year? Probably not.

Will they have a lot of highlights this year. It sure looks like it.

Start with Darren McFadden. Everyone is comparing him to Adrian Peterson. That is a lot to put on a rookie. Hey, Darren, go out and be as good as Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. All he did was break the single game rushing record and look like the best back since Barry Sanders played in this league.

Right now Oakland is being a bit more cautious and working on fundamentals.

But coach Lane Kiffin cautions about putting too much pressure on McFadden so early.

“He’s not here to save the franchise. He just happens to be our first pick of the draft,” Kiffin said.

One of the immediate priorities is working on McFadden’s ball security. He fumbled 15 times last season at Arkansas, although some of those came as a quarterback or kick returner as opposed to a tailback.

Rathman pointed out that McFadden carried held his elbow too far from his body when they first met before the draft last month and is working on fixing the flaw before the season.

“You’ve got to be a good fundamental football player, and that’s what we’re working on right now,” Rathman said. “Obviously, coming out of college his biggest negative was probably his ball security, so we’ve jumped on that early. He understands where we’re coming from. He’s using better technique, better decision on where he’s putting the ball at certain times. So he understands what he needs to do.”
source

At some point, the season starts and Darren McFadden gets revved up and the Oakland fans will go wild.

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

More blogs about football.

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

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

Calvin Johnson is Megatron

It was not the sort of play that most of us thought Calvin Johnson would be making in the NFL.

Come on, admit it, you thought he would be leaping high for fade passes in the corner of the end zone or hauling in racing grabs down the field after out sprinting the cornerback for an easy touchdown.

Calvin Johnson is a big man for a receiver and a big man period. Johnson stands 6′ 5″ tall and weighs around 240 pounds.

The man can fly down the white striped turf at a rate of 4.3 for the 40. He is not supposed to be that big and be that fast.

Roy Williams calls him Megatron, because Johnson’s hands are so big.

Wait, wait, you forgot to ask me about the ‘play’. Read more

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

Megatron

Roy Williams loves to talk.

Roy calls Calvin Johnson, the rookie number 2 pick in the draft, Megatron.

That is the Megatron from the movies.

Calvin has enormous hands and that is why he is called Megatron.

Megatron in the NFL is faring much better than Megatron at the Movies.

Megan Fox in Transformers

NFL Movie Time Review Transformers, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox (and she is one), Josh Duhamel (someone for your girlfriend to look at), Tyrese Gibson, and Jon Voight.
Hugo Weaving does the Megatron voice. He was the chief elf from Lord of the Rings.
Megatron is actually the evil Transformer and his counterpart is Optimus Prime for the good guys. The film is non-stop action, awesome vehicles, and tons of fun. Your intrepid author gives is as many stars as it will take to get you to see it. By the way, it was on an IMAX screen, incredible! (Go to your local IMAX now. Squibster has spoken.)

So how is the NFL Megatron doing? Read more

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

Calvin Johnson runs a 4.35 40 at the combine and the Lions fill up a wheelbarrow of cold hard cash!

Yesterday, we looked at Larry Johnson’s new deal and examined all the ramifications as far as the Chiefs go.

Today, the Squibster will get on his soapbox and let forth with a rant about money.

Just what is a soapbox?

Anyway, Pro Football has it all wrong. Rookies are signing for obscene amounts of money without playing a single down, while proven veterans are getting far less money.

LJ gets his cash

Larry gains over 1,700 yards and gets a pretty good contract, but Calvin has not even played and makes more money. This is insane.

“It doesn’t make sense that LaRon Landry is the highest paid safety in the game,” Cowboys executive Stephen Jones told me. “And that Joe Thomas (Cleveland’s top pick) has a better deal than Tom Brady. A lot of us would like the system changed the next time we negotiate with the union. The top 10 players in the draft is the biggest issue.” source

So why do the NFL owners put up with this situation? Read more