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With the draft only a few months away and the combine already taking place, it’s time for me to roll out the first edition of my mock draft.Keep in mind that this is based solely on where the players currently rank and is not accounting for the combine…
I would like to apologize for not having Two-A-Days yesterday, I was having some computer problems. Today I will preview the Bengals and the Seahawks and to make up for yesterday I will preview the the Cowboys and the Panthers tomorrow.
This idea originated from ESPN’s Mike & Mike, right now I will preview the Cincinnati Bengals.
1.) Is Carson Palmer still one of the premiere QB’s in the NFL?
It’s closer than I thought at first. In 2009, Palmer led the Bengals to seven fourth-quarter comebacks. He still has the following guys ahead him: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, and Eli Manning. Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco could also end up ahead of him. According to my current list, I have Palmer eighth, is that premiere? Not quite, just outside of that category.
2.) Can RB Cedric Benson put together another career season?
He finally broke out in 2009, with 1,251 yards in 301 attempts. You would have to expect his number of carries to decrease, thanks to the Bengals bolstering the passing attack. The offensive line is strong enough for an 1,000-yard rushing season also. Benson’s number will go down, but still break the 1,000-yard mark.
3.) Who will be the wideout who puts the big play back in Cincinatti’s passing game?
No matter what the duo says, Chad Ochocinco is batman to Terrell Owens’ robin. Last season, Chris Henry led the team in average yards per catch, before his tragic death. Jordan Shipley had this role at Texas, but may not have enough playing time to be established as the playmaker. Antonio Bryant is more of a physical presence although he has been clutch. Terrell Owens may be this guy if he hasn’t slowed down too much. Chad Ochocinco can also be the big-play man, depending on what offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski wants to do. The Bengals have several players who are capable of filling this role, but it is not clear who will.
4.) Will the defense take a step foward or backward in 2010?
The key here is Antwan Odom, who had eight sacks in four games before a season-ending injury. If Odom is healthy, the defense should improve. The rest of the defensive line is also solid, with Robert Geathers, Domato Peko, and Tank Johnson as the other three starters.
Dhani Jones is the heart of the defense and the veteran of the linebacking core. Keith Rivers has proved to be very steady and consistent as a player. Rey Maualuga made progress in 2009 considering he had never played at strongside linebacker before.
The cornerback combo of Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall is one of the elite pairings in the league. Roy Williams and Chris Crocker are past there prime, but still get the job done at both safety spots.
The answer is step forward because of Antwan Odom’s return.
5.) The Cincinatti Bengals’ record will be…
10-6 and finish second in the AFC North.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
I am so sick and tired of hearing the words “holding out”, “he feels he is worth more,” “… demanding a trade.” What happened to playing the game for the love of it?
I was born in 1984 so you can’t go as far as to call me “old school”, great movie by the way, but I guess when it comes to sports, contracts, and attitudes, you can. Can you imagine if Dan Marino sat out of Dolphins camp and requested a trade non-stop until he got one because they couldn’t win the super bowl? How about picturing Jerry West testing the waters of free agency and deciding he wants to join up with Bill Russell and John Havlicek in Boston?
Money can do some great things and buy some awesome toys, but in the end do people remember Michael Jordan for winning or the size of his contract? I would bet more than half of you reading this don’t even know how much Jordan’s deal with the Bulls was worth, I don’t. And why is this? Because nobody cares about anything in sports except for underdog/favorites’ stories, winning championships, and entertainment.
LeBron, no matter what, will never be remembered anymore for winning titles. He will always be known as a self-serving athlete who held the NBA hostage for weeks. I seriously don’t care that he went to the Heat, to me, he could have gone wherever he wanted to go but to create your own TV show and hand pick your interviewer, questions, and setting is borderline psychotic self-loving syndrome.
Now, the NFL has some pretty bad “guaranteed money” contract rules and I don’t blame guys for wanting some type of money because those guys’ bodies are being ruined in front of our very eyes for our pleasure. Half these guys can’t even walk once they hit 50-years-old. Nonetheless, when players talk about how they deserve the richest contract for their position in the NFL, I immediately get ticked off. In my mind, the player never has the right to tell the team and owner how much they think they are worth. Imagine if the ordinary office man/woman walked into their boss randomly one day and said, “I’m not coming into work until I get paid $2000 more per week.” You know why most of us wouldn’t do that? Because we wouldn’t have a job the next minute.
While hold outs, trade demands, and the self-worth money system bothers me, the aspect of sports today that irritates me the most is the lack of hustle. If you are getting paid millions of dollars per season, you better run down the damn line when you hit a ground ball to the shortstop. Suck it up, you have another five minutes to chill in the dugout to catch your breath before you have to go back out onto the field.
Football guys, tell me how some of you can play with broken body parts, sprained wrists or ankles and yet some of you other guys miss three weeks with a tight hamstring or strained calf? If I have to show up to work on time with a nasty hangover that I got from watching your whiny butt chat it up on the sidelines, you better get rid of the phony crutches. We have all had strained muscles and we don’t need crutches.
NBA guys, people who watch your sport for the first time probably think fouls are called when guys actually start running up and down the court. Listen, I know some of you hustle but contract years don’t count, okay?
Call me “old school” call me so blind that I can’t see the changes society has made, fine… but that doesn’t change the fact that 90 percent of the crap on sports sites is self-indulging B.S. We know you are great. We know you are superior to us athletically. We even know and accept that you pull more chicks than us. So, can you just play the game now… and put self autographed posters of yourself inside your own room and not tell it to the media?
There are college kids graduating now with $50,000 student loan debt and no job prospects. There are parents who are working two or three jobs just to put enough food on the table in their house. There are educators everywhere being laid off. The last thing we all want to hear about is you complaining that 13 million isn’t enough.
We the fans pay your salaries. We the fans support you guys and make you the stars you become. Your hard-work is appreciated every time you take the field or court when we applaud for hours on end. It is time for you guys to appreciate the rest of the population. Just shut up and play.
I’m not talking about being politically correct, I am talking about remembering how you felt as a little kid and when you talked about loving the game so much you would play for free. Before you demand a trade or shed tears about your millions of dollars, look back into your childhood, dig deep, and think about the good times you had in your backyard with your mom, dad, brother, sister, friends; whoever it was.
Everything is a business today, I get it. Everyone wants to be secure, I get it. Everybody wants to be paid and called the best, I get it.
Everybody wants to step on everyone else to get to the top, I don’t get it.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
The NFL preseason schedule may not be exciting to some, but this weekend there are some games that offer plenty of intrigue and story-lines to get the fans to tune in.
The preseason can be long and mundane, with starters playing limited minutes and coaches utilizing vanilla game plans. However if you are a die hard fan or wager on NFL football this weekend is full of outstanding games!
Thursday 8:00: New England @ Atlanta (FOX) Georgia Dome
There are at least five good reasons that I can think of that make this game worth watching. Quarterback Matt Ryan will compare his offense to one of his role models, when he takes on Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Falcons will get a strong test in their secondary, which finished 28th in pass defense last year. It will be interesting to see if they can stop the Pats.
Brobury Sports posted the NFL sports betting odds for this game, and the Falcons are 2.5 point favorites and the total is set at 37.
Friday 8:00: Philadelphia @ Cincinnati (FOX) Paul Brown Stadium
The Bengal games will always get attention as long as Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are on the same field. Ironically, it’s the young players that are getting all the attention as Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham have both impressed in earlier preseason games.
The Eagles have an equally impressive offense and if Kevin Kolb plays as well as he did in the first preseason game, fans will soon forget Donovan Mcnabb.
Brobury Sports posted the NFL sports betting odds for this game, and the Bengals are 3 point favorites and the total is set at 37.
Saturday, 9:00 pm Dallas @ San Diego Saturday, 9:00 pm Qualcomm Stadium
This game could provide a potential Super bowl preview for 2010. The Chargers vaunted offense will be on display with newly signed rookie Ryan Matthew leading the way. Phillip Rivers will lead the air attack and build on an impressive start.
The Cowboys usual high scoring offense has been absent so far in preseason, as the team is having trouble scoring touchdowns. The Cowboys will look to get the offense on track and score plenty of points against the Chargers. This game should be entertaining and high scoring.
Brobury Sports posted the NFL sports betting odds for this game, and the Chargers are 2.5 point favorites and the total is set at 36.5.
Saturday7:00: Pittsburgh @ NY Giants (NFL Network) New Meadowlands Stadium
This game is all about the quarterbacks. Ben Roethlisberger should get his first playing time of the preseason. The Steelers have held him due to his suspension. Byron Leftwich is scheduled to take his place and start the season, but youngster Dennis Dixon has looked the best thus far. Is there a QB controversy in Pittsburgh?
Eli Manning took a pounding in the Monday night game against the Jets, and is not wearing a helmet in practice as a safety precaution. Manning will sit out and it will be interesting to see how the backups will do with the starting units.
Brobury Sports posted the NFL sports betting odds for this game, and the Pittsburgh are 3 point favorites and the total is set at 36.
Sunday 8:00: Minnesota @ San Francisco (NBC) Candlestick Park
You would have to be living under a rock to miss the latest news that Brett Favre is back in Minnesota. He started practicing with the team on Wednesday, and it is yet to be determined if he will take any snaps in this game.
In other news the 49ers signed running back Brian Westbrook to a one year deal. He is still getting accustomed to the play book, but may see limited action in the game against the Vikings. He joins a talented and deep stable of running backs that includes Frank Gore and Anthony Dixon.
Brobury Sports posted the NFL sports betting odds for this game, and the Niners are 3 point favorites and the total is set at 34.5.
Just because the season has yet to start, doesn’t mean there are not good games to watch this weekend.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
One of the best things about following an NFL training camp is watching the young players improve game by game. Watching roster bubble veterans compete is entertaining also. The Bengals have two games in the books, giving the coaches and fans time to evaluate.
This list does not include anyone who was previously thought to be a lock to make the team. Most expected guys like Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Shipley, and Carlos Dunlap to play a lot.
Here are the top five Bengals who are moving up the depth chart.
