Next Year's Champs posted by Amari Harris

 Does anybody remember when the Cowboys were labeled “Next Year’s Champions” in the ‘70s before they finally broke through and won a couple of Super Bowls?  Yeah, me neither.  I wasn’t born until 1986.  But I watch quite a bit of NFL Network and I vaguely remember that being a thing.  And all of us Cowboys fans love to live in the past and not in the present sorrow of one playoff victory in the last decade and a half.  We like to think that history will repeat itself at some point in order to give us any semblance of hope for the upcoming season.  So I shall indulge you once more with this idea of “Next Year’s Champs” but in a much more literal sense.  While I am not predicting that the Cowboys will be Super Bowl Champions in 2013, I am tempering my expectations for 2012 and saving my hopes for a deep playoff run until 2013.  Why, you ask?  Because I’m tired of getting my feelings hurt, for one, but mainly because this team is in partial rebuilding mode and has chosen to rebuild one side of the ball at a time.

The Cowboys have finally accepted the fact that the NFL is a young man’s game at every position but quarterback.  They started cutting those guys that were lingering around a few years after their prime and started bringing in younger alternative through the draft and free agencies.  So gone are the Marion Barbers, Flozelle Adams, and Terrance Newmans of the world, and in come the Demarco Murrays, Tyron Smiths, Brandon Carrs, and Morris Claibornes.  But instead of making this youth movement in a shrewd and balanced manner, the Cowboys got younger almost exclusively on offense last year and almost exclusively on defense this year.  It is very easy to question this method.  Last year’s offense was effective for the most part, but it was clear that many players simply had not developed enough to get the team over the hump.  The defense was good early with the strong veteran presence, the emergence of Sean Lee, and a blitz happy scheme from Rob Ryan. But they broke down at the end of the season and the lack of pure talent was exposed.  As for this year, I expect both sides of the ball to make some improvement but there are way too many new faces and too much youth.  Instead, I am looking for this team to make serious noise in 2013.

Notes from Day Three of the NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

And it’s all over! Following a near eight hour session in which we saw rounds four through seven of the NFL Draft, we can finally put a cap on all these selections and start whipping around the league for analysis and impact. Now, as I don’t know as much about these late-rounders as I did the first two days’ worth of players, I won’t run you through too many opinions on their front. Instead I’ll add in my two cents about the draft presentations and coverage. I’ve got OH so many opinions when it comes to that.

-In one of the more interesting moves of the day, the Washington Redskins drafted Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins early in the fourth round. A perplexing move to some of the draft analysts, this pick sent the ‘net into a mini-tizzy as everyone tried to explain the rationale behind bringing in a competent QB to give Robert Griffin III pressure at his back. Cousins has the makings of a quality back-up in the NFL without ever having held a professional clipboard. Still, he was projected by some to have legitimate starting capability. He’s not going to wow you in any of his tape, but he’s an intelligent thrower who has enough arm strength to make nearly every throw. Let’s not get anything confused though. RG3 is the quarterback of the Redskins. Washington is just taking the Philly approach to things. They’ll draft Cousins, use him as a back-up in case Griffin ever gets hurt (which is likely given his play style) and then use his reputation to get assets back in a trade at some point. I get it.

The Chicago Bears 2012 Draft: Day Three posted by Joe Anello

In the final day of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears continued to stockpile depth at a key defensive position after getting a jump start on days one and two. But they started the day off with a pick on the offensive side of the ball to load another bullet in offensive coordinator Mike Tice’s gun. A gun named Jay Cutler. (How did that metaphor work for everyone? I’m too tired to think it’s anything other than awesome.)

At pick 111 in round number four, GM Phil Emery selected tight end Evan Rodriguez out of Temple. At 6-2 and 244 pounds, Rodriguez was all over the field for the Owls, lining up at tight end, fullback, h-back, and receiver during his college career. In 2011, he racked up 35 receptions and two scores. He’s got 4.58 speed and is a reliable pass catcher, but as with so many tight ends these days he hasn’t excelled as an in-line blocker. He’s view by Chicago as a combo fullback and tight end who can get vertical for Jay’s downfield throws. Emery went on to state that Rodriguez has a chance to compete for a starting role, which could put incumbent fullback Tyler Clutts on the outs. Tice may like Rodriguez’s versatility too much to keep him on the bench behind Clutts.

Off the field, Rodriguez has a few missteps in his past. He faced trespassing and disturbance charges while he attended West Virginia in 2007 and was arrested for disorderly conduct in 2009. However, Emery made it clear in his talk with the media that the Bears did their homework on the tight end and felt confident in their assessment of his character.

Notes from Day Two of the NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

Another exciting, fast-paced night of the NFL Draft passed Friday as rounds two and three wrapped up in under four hours. Without any more filibuster, let’s get right to some of the stories that caught my eye.

-The night after taking Stanford’s Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, the Colts come back on Friday and draft Luck’s tight end Coby Fleener. At that point, the Colts had a field stretcher in a league that has gone tight end crazy. But they didn’t stop there, taking Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen at the start of the third. Allen’s more of a complete tight end than Fleener, being able to get on the end of the line and take on defenders. Still, I thought that would be the last pick for a few rounds that the Colt spent on offense. I was wrong, as they got into the end of the third round to take Florida International receiver T.Y. Hilton, who figures to get time in the slot. So I guess that GM Ryan Grigson isn’t concerned about that shittastic defense? Looks like the new Colts are going the same direction as the old Colts. Spend the valuable assets on offense and fill in the gaps with late rounders on defense. I’m puzzled by their draft. The moves will improve their offense certainly, but they needed to get much bigger on defense in order to handle new coach Chuck Pagano’s schemes.

-With three picks in the second round, the Rams had an opportunity to address a number of needs and even take a chance. Following their pick of receiver Brian Quick to start the night, they took a risk by selecting Northern Alabama corner Janoris Jenkins, who fell off of many teams’ draft boards thanks to two marijuana arrests and other poor decisions. Regarded as the second best (if not the best) cover corner in the draft, Jenkins partners with Cortland Finnegan to give the Rams a ballsy defensive backfield. The action didn’t stop for them there however, following those picks with the selection of the speedy RB Isaiah Pead to help spell Steven Jackson. And if that wasn’t enough, they selected Montana corner Trumaine Johnson in round three. Fisher just overhauled an area of extreme weakness, but he’ll need to stay on top of Jenkins and Johnson to keep them in line. I really like what the Rams did, even if they got too cute and traded away from Morris Claiborne.

The Chicago Bears 2012 Draft: Day Two posted by Joe Anello

The Chicago Bears' 2012 Draft contiuned Friday night as rounds two and three went on the air. Let's get right into their picks!

Not wanting to wait until their slotted selection at 50 overall, the Chicago Bears traded with the St. Louis Rams at 45, giving up their fifth round pick to take South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery’s 6’3”, 230 pound frame is clearly a plus for what’s been an undersized receiving corps. He had a phenomenal 2010 campaign, but his production sloughed off in 2011. Still, he managed 45 catches and seven TD’s in that “down” year.

However, he’s not without his question marks. His playing weight was in flux, ranging from 230 to 240, but he showed up to the combine at 213. An even more significant question is if he can get separation from corners. He’s a big body but if he can’t get free he’ll turn into merely a redzone target. (Which isn’t a horrible thing, but it’s not what you want your second round receiver to be.) If they can keep him motivated, Jeffery will be a dynamic weapon. Emery raved about his hands in his presser following their third round pick. I' bet Jay will like those hands. *snicker*

After a lengthy run on offensive linemen, the Bears had to look in another direction in making their second round pick. They just saw Stephen Hill come off the board thanks to the Jets’ trade up, which likely prodded Emery into moving up the five spots to 45 to ensure they got their wide-out. Though for everyone saying this is un-Bear like, Jerry Angelo gave up his fifth round pick last year to move up for Stephen Paea in the second round. No one remembers because DT isn’t as sexy as receiver.

Notes from Round One of the 2012 NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

The 2012 NFL Draft may not have been mysterious when it came to the first two picks, but the madness began before the event even started with a mega-trade! The excitement continued throughout the night and I’m here to recap as much as my fingers can manage!

-As advertised, Minnesota didn’t want to stay at number three. Oddly enough, they only moved down one spot to four, trading with Cleveland. The Browns moved up to take Alabama running back Trent Richardson ahead of whoever else might have been calling the Vikings (which was probably Tampa Bay). At first glance I was alright with the idea of ensuring you’d get your man. After seeing the trade details? The ransom was sorta insane. The Browns gave back their first, fourth, fifth, and seventh round picks for what ended up being an insurance trade. Cleveland has a lot of picks in the first few rounds (they had 13 overall), so it’s clear now they’re going for starters and not depth. I’m not crazy about the trade for a running back, but they had a glut of picks to use. For Minnesota, it was brilliant. They got three extra picks by selling a team on moving up one spot and still got their left tackle.

-Jacksonville dept the trade train rolling, swapping up for Justin Blackmon at number five with Tampa Bay. In Blackmon they’re getting a legitimate receiver to go with the overpaid Laurent Robinson to give Blaine Gabbert receivers who can actually catch a pass. But after the bounty Cleveland hand to shell out, Tampa only got a fourth round pick? Odd. Still, the Bucs used that seventh pick to get safety Mark Barron and bolster their own secondary. (Later on the Bucs would also add running back Doug Martin, making it a decent first day for Tampa.)

Bears GM Emery Takes Shea McClellin in the First Round posted by Joe Anello

The first 18 picks in Thursday night’s first round of the NFL Draft shook out about as well as Bears GM Phil Emery could have hoped, with the only pass-rusher coming off the board being Melvin Ingram to the Chargers at eighteen.

Instead of ends Whitney Mercilus or Chandler Jones, Shea McClellin was Emery’s pick at nineteen overall. A defensive end out of Boise State, McClellin was projected by most to go later on in the first round, but Chicago deemed him worthy of the pick ahead of the other defensive ends on the board. A versatile front-line defender, McClellin will serve at left defensive end according to Emery. Opposite Julius Peppers, McClellin will see plenty of single blockers which hopefully means more sacks from a defensive line that struggled at times in 2011. McClellin didn’t show impressive strength at the Scouting Combine, but he did show off some good speed in the 40 yard dash. A lot of the terms tossed around were “high-motor” and “active,” which would make him seem akin to Jared Allen’s demeanor and play style. The Bears spent considerable time scouting the farm boy McClellin, bringing him in for a private workout and visiting him at Boise State.

After the pick was announced, Phil Emery called Shea “one of the seven” players they were targeting, mentioning his ability as a four down player and his potential impact on special teams. With nearly every defensive end still was available Emery obviously had McClellin high on his draft board. He’s got no character issues whatsoever and there’s no question about his commitment or production. He was fourth in Boise team history with 20.5 sacks in his collegiate career.

The 2012 NFL Draft: A First Round Tease posted by Joe Anello

Every year the first round of the NFL Draft delivers plenty of stories to discuss during the night as we prepare for the next day of analysis. The 2012 installment will be no exception with all sorts of plot lines to watch for as the night progresses. Here’s what could attract your attention as you tune in on Thursday night:

After the lack of intrigue at the first and second picks, Minnesota has been trying to stir up any sort of possible interest in the third overall selection. After tackle Matt Kalil had been penned, there’s been talk of them trying to trade down or even that they’d take corner Morris Claiborne instead. At the end of the day, they’ll likely just stand pat and take a left tackle to protect Christian Ponder. Doesn’t hurt to try I guess.

Aside from Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson has been regarded by some as the best player in this draft. He could find himself as a Brown at four, a Buc at five or a Ram at six. And he won’t drop any further. Tampa Bay would LOVE him, but it depends on if Cleveland’s trying to land a QB or go for a receiver to help out Colt McCoy.

Wanting to get out of the number two overall pick, the Rams moved back to number six thanks to a trade with the desperate Redskins. Now they have to ensure that these draft assets are put to good use, starting with their first round pick. Is receiver Justin Blackmon available for them to pair with Sam Bradford?

Breaking Down the Bears' Options at 19 posted by Joe Anello

The 2012 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. On Thursday night, teams across the league will place their futures in the hands of unproven commodities fresh out of college. The Chicago Bears will be among them as they try to rebound from last year’s disappointing stretch run. After picking up solid pieces in free agency, GM Phil Emery will be looking to the draft to fill holes and strengthen core units. Let’s look at some the key positions and likeliest targets for the Bears as they select 19th overall in Thursday night’s opening round of the draft.

As is the typical stance of a Lovie Smith coached Bears squad, the defensive line is clearly Emery’s top priority. After their rumored interest in Mario Williams and confirmed chasing of Jeremy Mincey, it’s evident that Chicago envisions an outside pass rusher as a significant need. If the dominoes fall in line, there are more than a few defensive ends that could be available when they get on the clock. South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram won’t be there for them and he’s not a great scheme fit anyway. Quinton Coples out of North Carolina has moved around the mock drafts as the scouting season rolls along, with some projections giving him a top ten status and others having him falling right into Chicago’s lap. His motor has been put into question but his talent has not. A likelier name to see is Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus, whose speed and ability led him to lead the nation in sacks during his final (and only significant) collegiate season. He doesn’t have a lot of game tape, so Chicago would be relying on Rod Marinelli’s master motivating skills and line technique to craft him into an elite pass rusher (much like JPP with the Giants.) Shea McClellin and Nick Perry have also been mentioned as possibilities.

The Jets Are Something To Watch posted by Richard Kagan

I am gonna watch the Jets this season.  It's a soap opera that will likely become an Edgar Allan Poe story when the season starts.  This season will likely be a scary one for Jet's fans.  It doesn't matter who decided that Tim Tebow is a Jets.  He is a Jet and the motives for his joining the team are all under speculation.  The Jets want to get some PR of their own, since the NY Giants are current Super Bowl champs.  Someone needs to push Mark Sanchez to find his mojo after losing it last seaon.  The Jets love the ground game, and now they have an offensive threat to run the ball. 

Whatever the reason, Tim Tebow will be on the sidelines and fans will be glued to the back of his jersey.  You will have kids buying his jersey and other Jets stuff to rival that of Linsanity.  One thing noted here, I don't see a happy ending for this move.  One, because it's the Jets.  Two, Sanchez will be affected by Tebow's presence before the season starts.  He knows, it's a matter of time before he gets yanked.  Three, defenses will be ready for Tebow time.  You have essentially two offenses and it is hard to run one offense.  It looks good on paper, so does a $2.00 bill.  When all is said and done, there might be a ship floundering in the Hudson, and that could be the Jets season.  Fasten your seltbelts, it is going to be a wild ride.

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