Starting Lineups: Celebrites We'd Like To Punch In The Face

You never want to condone violence on a public forum such as this, but sometimes, people come along that give you no choice. The initial idea for this blog, since I only choose to steal the credit from others 99% of the time, comes from my wife who posed this question on Twitter this morning: "If you could punch ANY five celebrities, who would it be? You could pick ONLY five." It was an almost impossible request. After all, reality television has ushered in a new era of douchebags that has overwhelmed society. On top of that, the dearth in good music combined with emergence of social networking has allowed annoying pop singers to be thrusted into our face(pause) at an almost constant basis. For a guy who doesn't like to be overwhelmed by anything short of money or a stripper's breasts, these things only draw my ire and increase provocation.

With my wife's poll fresh in my head, I pitched the idea of increasing the list to nine as one of our patented "Starting Lineups" features to Gabe (the original idea was going to be "Hot Sports' wives which, as enjoyable as it would have been in to do research on hot chicks, would have become tedious, in retrospect). Gabe couldn't say yes quick enough. So, here's our lists of people most deserving of a knuckle sandwich. Here's hoping we don't get sued.

DAVE:

9. Spencer Pratt: Really, this one is just too easy. He's a douchebag banging a silicone-infused Barbie doll while lamping it up in Beverly Hills and thinking he's Bradley Cooper(Oddly enough, Cooper was going to make this list, but I liked him in "A-Team", so he got a pass). Now, I hate reality TV characters who think they are A-Listers(looking at you, Kate Gosselin), and I really could have reserved this spot for any one of the number of overglorified morons who are constantly pasted on the cover of Us Weekley(except for the "Jersey Shore" cast. I like those guys. What? I'm allowed to be a homer). Pratt took the cake because he exudes a certain level of douchebaggery that is unbearable. It's one thing to be obnoxious, spoiled, rich kid with a sense of entitlement, it's another to try to walk around like you're king of the world and thumb your nose at everyone. So, for that, he deserves to be cold-cocked(pause) right in his piehole.

8. Ken Jeong: Buddy, you're 15 minutes was up 15 minutes ago. Jeong was a barely-known comedian who made occasional appearances on shows like "Mind of Mencia", "Two and a Half Men", and "The Office" before "Knocked Up" came out and he blew up like Arnold Swartzenegger's waist. Now, he's everywhere. He's been in 14 movies in the last two and a half years since "Knocked Up" and has made countless cameos on TV shows including a recurring role on "Community". He's like the Asian Idris Elba. 14 movies in just under three years isn't my big issue(I mean, it's a recession. If you can find work in this economy, who am I to turn my nose up at you?), it's that he plays the same role in every film. We get it, Ken. You have no problem making fun of yourself, your culture, Asian stereotypes, etc. You have a sharp wit.....if only you could use it on your wrists. As Ryan Reynolds has found out and Jeremy Piven will inevitably find out, actors who insist upon playing the same type of role, no matter the movie, tend to grate on the nerves of the American public and that leads to once-hot stars fading away like a bottle of Stoli in Lindsay Lohan's fridge. Remember how huge Vince Vaughn was after "Wedding Crashers" and "Dodgeball"? Now, where is he? Hopefully making room for Ken Jeong on the "forgotten" couch.

7. Lil Wayne: Time was, it would take a miracle to keep Weezy from being at the top of this list. However, prison has done to Wayne what radio stations, the internet and music television couldn't do: Kept Lil Wayne out of the public eye. My problem with Lil Wayne is that, well...for lack of a better term, he's garbage. Now, certainly, he isn't the WORST rapper I've ever heard(cough...cough...Soulja Boy...cough..cough), but there's something genuinely annoying by someone THIS wack calling himself the "Best Rapper Alive". For one, the self-proclaimed "Best Rapper Alive" got out-shined on a track with Eminem not once but twice, which makes that boast even more dubious. Second, what's with the Jekyl and Hyde act, Wayne? One minute, your sipping syrup out of a Styrofoam cup and flipping the bird to the world like some rebel, the next you're doing interviews on The View and talking about taking classes at the University of Phoenix or trying to talk sports with ESPN blowhard Skip Bayless? I know you're trying to promote yourself to different audiences but how am I supposed to take you seriously as some kind of bad ass when you're dressed like Dwayne Wayne and chopping it up with three old chicks who probably never heard a Lil Wayne record. Also, Wayne......for "Lollipop" alone, you should be kicked in the teeth. That song made me ignore the radio for a good six months. I thought we were done with wack rappers oversaturating the market after 50 Cent finished JaRule? Guess I was wrong. Please, America, Don't Free Weezy. My ears can't take it.

6. Skip Bayless: I needed to make a last-minute audible and swap out my initial choice(former President George W. Bush) for ESPN spit machine Skip Bayless. Why? Because while Bush is a moron of epic proportions and, far and away, the worst President this nation has ever seen, I really didn't want to announce intentions of attacking a former President on a public forum and have Secret Service kicking down my door. So, yes, George W. Bush sucks and, if I was a bit more interested in a political debate, I'd gladly fill this space on why he draws my ire but I'm going to pass just this once.

As for Bayless, he doesn't the same fortune. ESPN has always utilized the strategy of hiring a loudmouth dillweed to run his mouth in the hopes that shock value would draw ratings. They tried it with Rush Limbaugh before he became a PR nightmare for his comments on Donovan McNabb. They've done it twice with Jim Rome. They tried to do it with Stephen A. Smith before he screamed himself into oblivion, and now they are serving up Skip Bayless on the already-hard-to-watch "First and 10". Look, I like a friendly debate. I enjoy a good argument. It's one of the main reasons I enjoy "PTI". However, there's something to be said about some yutz who takes a side he more than likely doesn't really believe simply because its in his fiscal interest to play the Devil's Advocate and be the villain. Bayless has lucked out by being opposed to guys that have become tough to defend: Barry Bonds, T.O., LeBron James, etc. The problem is, some of the shit he says is just plain asinine. Kevin Durant's more clutch than LeBron James? The Jets can win without Darrelle Revis? Come on, man! At this point, I can't tell if Bayless is putting on a facade for the simple point of being argumentative or if he truly believes the bullshit he sells. Either way, he deserves a karate chop to the neck.

5. Michael Jordan: Probably would be higher if the Top Four wasn't so impenetrable. I know everyone loves MJ, His Airness, Air Jordan, The Goat, whatever you want to call him. I know he saved the NBA after drug use doomed it in the 80's. I know he made endorsement companies a ton of money. I also know that he's a Grade A douchebag. Take a long listen to his Hall of Fame speech and tell me how you can like a guy that self-absorbed and arrogant. Look, Michael Jordan may be the greatest player to ever live(at least for the next couple years, before Kobe passes him). I get that. I don't fault Jordan for being a compulsive gambler. Charles Barkley's a gambler. Hell, I just dropped $150 on fantasy football. I'm a gambler! I don't fault him for being an adulterer. All celebrities cheat. Tiger Woods did. Brad Pitt did. Bill Clinton did. I don't hate him for being overly competitive, even if his prickly demeanor and thirst to win probably ruined Kwame Brown's self-esteem. I'm more bothered by the fact that he seems to get a pass for his bad deeds. Tiger spent the past 9 months getting lambasted for his infidelity. Where was that heat on MJ? We knocked LeBron for being selfish and self-absorbed in his decision to make "The Decision". Was Jordan's HOF speech not the same kind of look-at-me approach? Sure, the perception of Jordan isn't exactly Jordan's fault, since its the job of writers to paint their portrayals how they like. Still, I can't sit back and watch Jordan get a pass from America because, for 20 years, he was the most captivating athlete in the world. To me, he's a dick, and only a change in the way he carries himself will tell me otherwise.

4. Drake: Maybe this is a little high for Drake. After all, he has all the earmarks of being a flash in the pan. He's overhyped. He sings AND he raps.....which, I reiterate, I thought was over when we waved bye-bye to JaRule. He's went platinum once and gold twice, but is somehow rap's biggest superstar(eventhough a. Eminem's last album, Recovery, sold more than Drake's entire career and Em completely outrhymed Drake on "Forever"). He got his break on "Degrassi High" and now I'm supposed to take him seriously as an MC. He's allegedly married to Nikki Minaj, a bootleg Lil Kim who just further enhances my dislike of female rappers. Plus, he's from the least gangsta place in North America: Canada. Trust me on this. It's a proven fact that Canadians aren't cool.....except MAYBE for Bret Hart. After listening to hip-hop for nearly two decades, I've become accustomed to liking certain types of things in the genre(a good beat, educated lyrics, realism, wordplay, flow) and dislike other things(rappers who sing, artists who play it safe, wack rhymes, guys who try to be too pretty but try to be tough at the same time aka "The LL Cool J" Syndrome). Drake is everything I don't like about the direction hip-hop has gone over the last few years. He's the embodiment of corporate interest in a genre that was never supposed to be corporate or mainstream. With enough time, I could give 25 rappers who never went platinum that would hand Drake his ass in a battle but can't get airplay because they don't make "ringtone rap songs"(Jay Electronica, Styles P, to name a couple). Maybe where hip-hop is now isn't Drake's fault, but he's the poster child of what is wrong with my favorite brand of music and if he cares at all about being taken seriously as a rapper, he would try his ass off to change the perception he has in the minds of serious rap fans like myself. If not, then he should be dropped where he stands.

3. Tyler Perry: I understand that it's tough for a white guy to take offense to a black man making a shitload of money off of movies based solely on racial(mainly black) stereotypes but, somehow, I do. Do Tyler Perry's movies leave me outraged? No, of course not. That would assume that I watch those pieces of trash, but something has to be said(in a time where racial sensitivity is at its peak, it seems) about a guy turning a buck by exploiting his own culture. If the Madea movies were done by Eli Roth or Jerry Brockheimer, would Al Sharpton not be leading a parade down Brooklyn like Spike Lee in the "Fight The Power" video? Now, again, I don't watch Perry's movies, and I could just be jumping to conclusions and making assumptions based on the little bit of the trailers I can stomach, but there's just something about Tyler Perry that rubs me the wrong way. Inevitably, Perry will run out of stereotypes to base characters around his generic plots and he'll end up fade into obscurity before long, but until then, I think he deserves a throat chop or two, if for no other reason than the dreadful "House of Payne/Meet The Browns" shit sandwich he conned TBS into green-lighting.

2. Justin Bieber: If I have to explain this one, you should probably stop reading this website.

1. Brett Favre: There's this old cliche a friend said to me once upon a time: "It's always the good ones that hurt you the most.". Such is the case of my now tattered relationship for one Brett Favre. Growing up a Packers fan, Favre was my hero. I wore his jersey every Sunday playing football in the street. In fact, I bought Favre's jersey four different times because I use to wear it so much the number 4 would fade. I even forgave Favre for his postseason blunders because, after all, the man brought us to two Super Bowls(winning one and nearly winning another), won 3 MVPs and rejuvenated Packers football as we now know it. I was grateful to be a fan of a team that had such a legend as a part of it.

Then, a couple years ago, Favre decided to thumb his nose at his legacy. He decided to whip "Lil Brett" out and piss on 16 years of my childhood. Favre's unretirement(the first one) and subsequent trade to the Jets was tough, but I eventually got over it. However, when Favre came back last year and signed with the Vikings for the sole purpose of sticking it to the Packers(and really, nobody can convince me otherwise), disgust became hatred and now the name Brett Favre causes an intense rage the likes of which not even Lou Forrigno could imagine. Watching Favre's magical run last year with Minnesota was sickening, especially since sports networks refused to admit that his sole purpose for being a Viking was for revenge. It wasn't until now, when Favre put on the same circus he has done the last two years(really, the last 7, but never more so than the hubbub after his first unretirement, because reporters were legitimately dooped by Favre and you can sense a little bitterness because of it), that Favre started to play the role of villain. Even Peter King, Favre's biggest fan boy, has admitted to having Favre Fatigue.

As for me, Favre blowing it in the NFC Championship(as I've seen him do so many times before) was a bit relaxing for me, and I will be rooting extra hard this season for Favre's career to end in the only way suitable for a man who backstabs his beloved fan base: on a stretcher. Is that extreme? Maybe, but this man took a long look at the cheeseheads who rooted him on and stuck his middle finger at us when he put on purple and gold. It was like watching Hulk Hogan join the NwO all over again. Whether this is Favre's last hurrah or not, I hope that opposing defenses make "The Riverboat Gambler" experience the type of pain that he administered to Packer fans when he screwed us over two years ago.

Gabe:

9. Tiki Barber - This sort of in the same vein as Dave putting Brett Favre as his no. 1. The difference is Tiki didn't leave the Giants and go play for a rival. He retired from the Giants and became an unparalleled asshole. I was the world's biggest Tiki Barber fan, at one time. First, right after he retired he said Eli Manning didn't have the leadership skills to be a good NFL QB. One Superbowl victory later Tiki looks pretty dumb. Then Tiki wrote his self-aggrandizing autobiography of which I foolishly read every page. The cherry on this asshole sundae is him leaving his pregnant wife to get a little 23 year old intern stank on his hang-low. What would I actually do if I ran into him at some UVA football event? Who knows. But for the purposes of this blog...I hope I don't see his bald headed big toothed grin in C'Ville anytime soon.

8. 3Oh!3 - These assholes caused the resurgence of the words "mook rock" in music reviews, something that I hoped had died with the break-up of Limp Bizkit. They did that stupid "My First Kiss" song with Ke$ha. You can almost hear them tonguing the mic. These guys are either total dumbasses or geniuses. I can't tell. Either way, POW! Right in the kissah!

7. M. Night Shyamalan - Shyamalan's career started off brilliantly. The Sixth Sense? One of the best films ever made. Unbreakable? Amazing and highly underrated. Signs? Awesome for all but the last fifteen minutes then...uh...uh...what do I do? Show them the alien? Not show them the alien? "Swing away Casey." And then he got lazy and made nothing but shit since. The Happening. You're running from the wind? Gimme a fucking break. The Last Airbender starring a white kid? Ugh. The only twist would surprise me now is if he makes a good movie.

6. Axl Rose - If you talk about making an album for fifteen years and then actually have the stones to release it, it better be the greatest album in rock history. It wasn't. You suck.

5. Lane Kiffin, Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, etc. - Really any coach who either leaves after less than a year in one place, or leaves right before the NCAA drops the hammer is on his program. It must nice to be able to leave, break a commitment, and start cashing big checks while leaving all of your players in a lurch.

4. Whichever Asshole in Young Money Wrote the Line "Call me Mr. Flintstone, I can make your bed rock." - This one is pretty self-explanatory.

3. Pat Riley - I never really had anything against Riles pushed Stan Van Gundy out of the head coaching job in Miami only take over as coach and win and NBA title. Would Van Gundy have won that title? I don't know. I do know that he is a damn good coach and Riley got out of coaching when it got tough and then jumped right back in when he saw the team was great. Total dick move. I hope the Magic wipe the floor with Bosh, Wade, and Lebron. Speaking of Lebron....

2. Lebron James - So you want to leave your hometown and play ball with your boys? Fine. You want to play second fiddle to a guy who's won a title? Cool. It's not his fault Danny Ferry couldn't surround him with talent in Cleveland. My problem with James was "The Decision." Get over yourself. Unless your name starts is preceded by "Prime Minister" or followed by "President of" you are not worthy of taking up valuable TV time to tell the world of your job change. That's awfully self-important for a guy who has never won a title and can't hit a mid-range jumper. From now on "taking my talents to South Beach" is going to be what I say to the room when I announce I have to go take a shit.

1. Chad Kroeger - Also known as the front-tool for Nickelback. He writes shitty hook filled songs on purpose to fill arenas with Bud Light swilling, backwards Tapout hat wearing knuckleheads. He sings with that copycat grit in his voice that no one has gotten right since Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder in the early 90's. The band named their last album "Darkhorse" because it was, in the tool's own words, a phrase "that just kept coming up." I guess he doesn't realize what darkhorse means. And he released a song this year about wanting to be a rock star. He is a fucking rock star! And finally, he's Canadian.

The All-Breakout Team

Every football season, a small group of guys whose names you never heard of before emerge from the pack and become household names. Last year, we had Miles Austin. A couple years before that, we had Austin's QB, Tony Romo. There are others: Chris Johnson(sort of), Micheal Turner, Wes Welker, Tom Brady, etc. The overwhelming amount of attention given to a handful of big names(cough..cough...Brett Favre...cough cough) by a sports media that insists upon dwelling on just a couple big stories tends to leave guys like the Austins and Romos of the world go unnoticed. For instance, you will probably not hear the name "Jonathan Joesph" much this year because ESPN(and other sports networks) will be too busy giving you up-to-the-minute coverage of Darrelle Revis' contract holdout.



Fear not, undervalued NFL pros.....as a website developed by two unrecognized by highly capable individuals....let us help you get recognized. I've comprised a team of guys whose names you should keep in the back of your mind throughout this season(Note: I left off offensive linemen because it's tough to really pick a breakout star at a position with no real stats). So, without further ado, here goes BoomRoastedSports' 2010 All-Breakout Team



QB: Matthew Stafford, Lions: I gave you Chad Henne and Alex Smith in my fantasy football piece a couple months ago, and yes, I understand it isn't much of a stretch to call last year's #1 overall pick a "breakout star in the making", but two things you have to consider: 1. The overwhelming amount of failure the last few years of QBs taken #1 overall(JaMarcus Russell, Alex Smith, Tim Couch, to name a few) and 2. The even more overwhelming amount of terrible draft picks by the Detroit Lions over the last decade(Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Ernie Sims, The Williams boys, Kevin Jones). Stafford has the opportunity this year to shatter both of those stigmas. He'll(hopefully) have a healthy big-time target in the man known as "Megatron", Calvin Johnson, and he has a couple of other sneaky options as well(former Seahawk Nate Burleson, fellow second-year player Brandon Pettigrew at TE and all-purpose home run threat and rookie RB Jahvid Best). Stafford threw 20 INTs last year, which is going to happen to a rookie still getting adjusted, but he has a howitzer for an arm, an all-world talent at wideout and will be playing from behind ALOT this year. Would 3,500 yards, 25 TDs and around 15 picks surprise me this year? Nope....and it shouldn't surprise you, either.



RB: Justin Forsett, Seahawks: Maybe it's a West Coast bias that has folks sleeping on Justin Forsett. Maybe it's the fact that he's stuck on a depth chart with the perennially underwhelming Julius Jones and 2010's comeback kid Leon Washington. Maybe it's the fact the Seahawks have been dreadful the last two years. All of those may or may not be legitimate reasons to be unfamiliar with former Cal Bear jitterbug Justin Forsett. However, those reasons will be unacceptable by time the regular season kicks off. Forsett was Seattle's best back last year which, granted, isn't saying much, but still. He had 619 yards on 114 attempts playing on a team with a patchwork offensive line and a subpar passing game. Yes, new coach Pete Carroll is going to probably spread things around between his three backs, but all that is just going to delay this inevitable fact: That Justin Forsett should be the 'Hawks primary back and that he wants the ball and he's going to score. In the two games Forsett saw legit action last year(read: more than 15 carries), Forsett posted 100 yard games against Arizona in Week 10(17 carries, 123 yards and a TD) and the Week 12 matchup against St. Louis(22 carries, 130 yards and 2 TD). He even has capability out of the backfield as a receiver(as seen by his 8 catches for 80 yard performance against Minnesota last season). He's a poor man's Reggie Bush. Quick, agile, elusive and versatile and he'll be putting Julius Jones on the unemployment line or the bench by Week 3.



WR: Javon Walker(Vikings)/Lance Moore(Saints): These two aren't really "breakout" candidates as much as "welcome back" guys. Moore had his breakout year in 2008 when he caught 79 passes for 978 yards and 10 scores while Drew Brees was trying his damnedest to break Dan Marino's single-season passing yard record. Injuries sidelined most of his 2009 season and all the hubbub from the Saints' Super Bowl run made Moore a forgotten man in arguably the NFL's most explosive offense. Now, he's back and he's healthy and just because defenses and analysts may have forgotten about him, doesn't mean Brees has and it definitely doesn't mean you should. He's a bit on the small side(5'9 190) but he has a nose for the endzone. Will he replicate 2008? Probably not. Can he come close? Absolutely.



Walker, meanwhile, was once a big time receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Then, he got greedy, held out, demanded a trade, feuded with Brett Favre(back when Favre was a good guy and not a media circus-loving drama queen) and then tore his ACL in his final season in Green Bay. That inevitably led to a trade to Denver and Walker was eventually replaced in Green Bay by Greg Jennings. While with the Broncos, he had a solid first season(69 rec., 1,084 yards and 8 TDs) but then became more known for holding teammate and close friend Darrent Williams in his arms as Williams took his last breaths. The death of Williams and a myriad of injuries led to lackluster seasons with Denver and, eventually, Oakland. Now, he's reunited with Favre in Minnesota and familiarity with "The Riverboat Gambler" may net J-Dub a few looks while he(and others) try to fill the void left by Sidney Rice(who will miss the first half of the season and maybe more as he recovers from hip surgery). Walker's a wild card at this point but he knows Favre, knows the offense and, as Randy Moss proved his first year in New England, sometimes all you need to wash away the stench of your stint in Oakland is a second chance and a capable QB. Walker now has both.



WR: James Hardy, Bills: Hardy is currently at the bottom of the Bills' depth chart and looks like a good shot to be cut before the season starts. Trust me. That's a good thing. Hardy's issues have never been talent. It has been health. Injuries shortened his season last year and he was only good for one catch for nine yards on a Bills team that struggled to move the ball through the air anyway. When the team let T.O. go and didn't bring anyone in of note, the thought process was Hardy was going to step in and take over as the possession complement to the speedy Lee Evans. However, injuries have slowed him in camp and he's now sixth among the wideouts behind such big time talents like Chad Jackson, David Nelson and Steve Johnson. Who, you may ask? Exactly. The fact that Hardy is behind such mediocre nobodies shouldn't discourage you from believing in him. Once Hardy hits the open market(or even manages to stage a huge comeback with Buffalo), his impressive skill set will reward whoever picks him off the scrap heap. Remember, the Giants thought Ryan Grant was nothing to worry about and traded him to Green Bay. Now, only one back has more yards than Grant over the last three years(Adrian Peterson, in case you were wondering). Hardy could be that kind of guy. He's big and tall(6'5, 220) and on a team that needs size and depth at wideout(perhaps San Diego after Vincent Jackson gets traded or maybe a team like St. Louis, which could use a big target for $90 million man Sam Bradford), which makes him the ideal red zone guy. Hardy's only 24. He's played just two seasons and he still has a ton of potential. Whether he starts in Buffalo or gets a look elsewhere, he's worth keeping an eye on.



TE: Jermichael Finley, Packers: If I can be a homer for a second, Jermicheal Finley is set to blow up like nitro this year. He's already proven to be Aaron Rodgers' safety valve in the preseason and, on a team that throws quite a bit(and throws deep, mind you), that means he's about to rack up some big numbers. Finley came on as threat late last season when Rodgers was getting a little more time to throw and was able to go through his progressions. What A-Rod found as he scanned the field was a 6'5, 247 beast who was too fast for linebackers and just too big and athletic for safeties and corners. With Donald Driver the key possession guy, Greg Jennings the deep threat, and Ryan Grant out on the flat, Finley isn't going to see too much coverage in the middle of the field. If Rodgers gets better protection this year, he will find Finley on some deep slants over the middle. Finley is every bit as freakishly athletic as last year's breakout star Vernon Davis, and it wouldn't surprise me if Finley puts up the same numbers this year that V.D. did last year(78 catches, 965 yards and 13 TDs)



DE: Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants: Every chance I've gotten this year, I've warned readers about Giants rookie DE Jason Pierre-Paul. This is yet another P.S.A. on J.P.P. Quarterbacks, be afraid. Be VERY afraid. JPP is currently sequestered on a Giants DE depth chart behind heavy hitters like Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, but the Giants rotating of their defensive line will allow Pierre-Paul to do what he does best: Get after the quarterback. Last year, at USF, Pierre-Paul took advantage of the attention given to pass-rush dynamo George Selvie and made offenses pay. This year, in the few moments he'll have a game, he'll do the same. Look, even as the game has evolved, offensive lineman(sans a few here and there) are still not physically gifted enough to compete with the speedy, athletic pass rushers they are asked to keep at bay. How many offensive lines in the NFL will really be deep enough to stop JPP on one end and whomever of the Tuck/Kiwi/Osi troika that lines up on the other end? Not many. Am I saying JPP is walking away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year this year? No(although he's a good dark horse). Could he rack up 8 or 9 sacks on this offensive line because coordinators spend too much time game-planning for the other big names on the Giants roster? Absolutely. Look at the offensive line depth charts for the teams in the NFC East and then tell me you can't see JPP taking Winston Justice to school like Osi did a few years ago.



DE: Tyler Brayton, Panthers: Brayton edged out Atlanta's Lawrence Sidbury after the way he abused Ravens' All-Pro tackle Michael Oher a couple weeks ago on ESPN. Brayton's been around a while(first round pick in 2003), but like many people drafted by the Raiders, he was drowning a slow death in Oakland. Now, he's filling in the void left open by Julius Peppers' departure to Chicago and Brayton has the chops to be a suitable replacement. Brayton isn't the type of undersized speedster that has become the norm at the position since the emergence of Colts DE Dwight Freeney. Instead, Brayton is more the Aaron Kampman-type: a high-motor guy who dominates with power and hustle. With promising youngster Everette Brown(another guy to watch this year) on the other side, Brayton snatch a few sacks this year. He won't be Julius Peppers, but he won't be drowning a slow death either.



DT: Amobi Okoye, Texans: Chances are, if you follow the NFL Draft like I do(and you probably don't), you know the name Amobi Okoye. Okoye was drafted out of Louisville as the youngest first round pick ever at just 20 years old. He had a respectable rookie season(5.5 sacks) but has kind of disappeared quietly due to injuries and just a plain lack of production(as well as the come-uppance of DE Mario Williams). However, this Texans defense continues to evolve and, when looked upon from afar, it has the makings of being vastly underrated. You know about Super Mario. You know about LBs DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing. You know about "The Season Killer" Bernard Pollard at safety. You may even eventually get to know Kareem Jackson, the rookie corner out of Alabama. This year, you might also get reintroduced to Okoye. Okoye is still only 23 years old and, as the team continues to find more pieces to their defense, offensive coordinators are going to give Okoye some favorable matchups simply because they can't account for all the young talent on this defense. As he continues to learn the game, Okoye will become more of the terror inside that Houston thought he would be when they chose him with the 10th overall pick in 2007. Okoye has 8.5 career sacks in his three years. With Williams and Cushing drawing a majority of the attention, I could see Okoye matching his career total this season.



(Side note: With so many teams moving to the 3-4, it's tough to find enough DTs that will put up the kind of numbers that would deem them worthy of being called "breakout" guys. After all, most big men inside are being used to clog the middle, not get to the passer. If I had to pick ANYONE as a sneaky 2nd DT, it would be Bucs rookie DT Brian Price. He was a beast at UCLA, knows how to get to the QB and won't get the pub that fellow rookie and 3rd overall pick Gerald McCoy will get. Keep an eye on both of them though.)



OLB: Micheal Johnson, Bengals: I told you in the AFC North preview to do your homework on freakish Cincy LB/DE Micheal Johnson, and he made me proud by putting on a show against Dallas in the Hall of Fame game. Micheal Johnson is like Achilles in the movie Troy: He's not to be controlled, he's to be unleashed. He's huge(6'7, 268) and ridiculously fast and athletic. He'll probably only see work in passing situations and be asked to get after the QB, but role suits him just fine. Johnson is a bit of a knucklehead and, on most teams, that would be a problem. On a team loaded with knuckleheads, Johnson fits right in. He just needs to get his head in the game. He showed flashes of that with his pair of sacks against Dallas' B-team in the preseason opener. The Bengals' pass rush doesn't have one proven pass rusher(their top sack guy was Antwan Odom, and he's coming back from a serious injury) and will open the door for Johnson and the 10-15 snaps a game he'll get to run down some quarterbacks.



OLB: Cameron Wake, Dolphins: The Dolphins waved goodbye to Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, their chief pass rush threats on the outside in their 3-4 scheme. Enter Cameron Wake, who was a beast in Canada during his days in CFL. Wake even notched 5.5 sacks last year in his first NFL season, even with Taylor and Porter ahead of him. Now, the show is his. The Dolphins defense may lack experience and name recognition, but it has some promise and, if nothing else, Wake will put big numbers in the two games he'll play against the Bills(who may actually be worse than most CFL teams this year).



ILB: David Harris, Jets: In the Tri-State area, David Harris' name rings bells. Fans of Gang Green know that Harris is a tackling machine and the unsung hero of what is expected to be a very good Jets defense. After this season, the Meadowlands' best kept secret will be revealed. Harris finds himself in a weird situation. He'll be playing in a contract year on a Super Bowl contender in the country's largest market on a defense that is conserve its money to pay the unit's biggest star, Darrelle Revis. On top of that, there's the uncertainty as to whether there will even be football next season. Regardless, Harris will continue to do his job, which is hitting every thing in sight and being the quiet counterpart to loudmouth and fellow inside linebacker Bart Scott. With Kris Jenkins healthy and hungry and opening up gaps up front, Harris is going to pile up tackles and will move a step closer to becoming a household name.



ILB: Curtis Lofton, Falcons: Like Harris, Curtis Lofton is a heat-seeking missle who detonates on ball-carriers. He racked up 133 tackles on a defense with not much talent outside of him. Now, he has another young linebacker in first rounder Sean Weatherspoon to help him out, as well as the presence of corner Dunta Robinson in the secondary, as well as last year's top pick Peria Jerry opening up gaps in the middle. Lofton doesn't put up the type of Patrick Willis-esque flashy numbers. He won't rack up a ton of sacks. He won't pick too many passes off, but he's still going to put up a high volume of tackles and, with more talent around him, he may be able to do more things now that the load on his shoulders has lessened.



CB: Brandon Flowers, Chiefs: Flowers has moonlighted the last two years as the best player in the Chiefs secondary(I know, not a difficult task) and that has led to a respectable seven picks in two seasons. Not bad for a guy on a defense with no pass rush or much talent in general. This year, Kansas City got Flowers a tag team partner in 5th overall pick and Monte Kiffin man-crush Eric Berry. Berry is the most highly touted safety prospect we've seen since the late Sean Taylor and his presence makes the Chiefs' D a bit more respectable(respectable enough to have me pick them to win the AFC West). The fear of testing Berry deep may help out Flowers and give him more opportunities to make plays. Flowers is also a very capable tackler, despite being just 5'9. He may be this generation's Aaron Glenn, and with the Chiefs' defense improving and Berry getting the pub in the secondary, this might be the year Flowers gets the credit he deserves.

CB: Jonathan Joesph, Bengals: It was a toss-up between Joesph and Miami's Vontae Davis. I really wanted to avoid putting more than one person from the same team, but since I mentioned J.J. in the intro, I felt he deserved his own space. Joesph's name doesn't come up when talking about the league's top corners, partly because he plays for a team that has largely been a laughingstock for the past two decades(until last year) and he doesn't have the reputation(yet) of a Charles Woodson or a Darrelle Revis. However, what Joesph does have, is a quality season under his belt, which is what last year's campaign was. 6 INTs(same as Revis, one of which a house call), 68 tackles and two forced fumbles(You could also make the case for Joesph's teammate Leon Hall, who had the same amount of picks and a couple more tackles). Like Micheal Johnson, Joesph will be playing a key role on a Bengals defense hungry to gain the respect they feel is lacking following last year's AFC North domination(laying down in your last two games will do that to you, Cincy. Sorry). With Hall on the other side, teams can't avoid Joesph like most offenses will avoid Revis or Woodson this year, which means another Pro Bowl-calibur season may be in the works in 2010. Don't say I didn't warn you.

S: Tom Zbikowski, Ravens: Zibby was a YouTube sensation before he even laced them up for Baltimore. For one, he played for the most over-exposed college program in the history of sports: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish. When he wasn't lowering the boom for the Irish, however, Zbikowski was delivering blows in the boxing ring. Zbikowski's legend as a hard-hitting safety who also possessed the knack for making plays in the return game combined with his reputation for knocking people the hell out made him the perfect member of a Ravens defense that already possesses the most intimidating linebacker in football(Ray Lewis). With All-Pro safety Ed Reed on the sidelines for the first eight games(if he comes back at all) due to a hip injury, the job is Zibby's to lose. A guy with a pension for laying people out? On this defense? Where do I sign up?

S: Dashon Goldson, 49ers: While you listen to sports anchors wax poetically about Rex Ryan's all-star defense or the physicality of the Ravens' unit or the Giants or Vikings for the next few months, allow me to warn you that the 49ers defense will be serious this year. Why do people avoid talking about the San Fran's D? Well, for one, the Niners haven't played a meaningful game since 2002. Also, they don't have another big name beyond middle linebacker Patrick Willis. Well, that is, until the end of this season when you people will wisely start recognizing free safety Dashon Goldson. Now, you'll be forgiven if you weren't familiar with Goldson prior to last year's big year. Before racking up 94 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 4 INTs last year, Goldson had all of 36 tackles in his first two seasons. Of course, he also didn't play a full season in those two years before becoming the starter in the deep middle in 2009. This year, Goldson may very well get overlooked again as, at some point, he will be joined at safety by former USC Trojan and athletic freak Taylor Mays. Mays will get all the pub because he's built like a tight end, runs like a scat back and hits like Jay Mariotti after two shots of Patron(first Mariotti joke....trust me, there WILL be more. Thanks for living up to the Italian stereotype, Jay. You coward). While Mays opens your eyes, you should use them to watch Goldson as he will once again be all over the field and the Niners will be all over your set as they are(spoiler alert) my favorite to win a weak NFC West.

NFC East Preview

After a brief break in-between previews, here's our look at the NFC East

DAVE:

1. New York Giants - Inconsistency and injuries on defense last season overshadowed the fact that the Giants managed to answer the biggest question they had entering the 2009 campaign: Can they replace Plaxico Burress and keep their passing game alive? It turns out Big Blue could replace Plax's production by spreading it around to a group of receivers who don't have the talent individually that Burress had, but can still get the job done as a unit. Steve Smith emerged as a solid go-to guy, rookie Hakeem Nicks provided some big plays when he was healthy and there was even a few Mario Manningham sightings. However, for as good as the Giants' passing game was, the defense surprisingly fell flat. Despite adding guys like Chris Canty to an already impressive defensive line, the pass rush wasn't what it was when the team won the Super Bowl just a couple years ago.

This year, the Giants added even more talent to that defensive line as well as improved a secondary that was routinely getting burnt to a crisp. New York used its first round pick on South Florida DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who is freakishly athletic yet maddeningly raw. On a line that already has Canty, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck, not much will be asked of JPP, which is why I think he'll be one of the 2010 Draft class' breakout stars. The linebacking core got a slight boost by swapping out Antonio Pierce for former Titans tackling machine Keith Bulluck. In the secondary, the team brought in safety Antrel Rolle to patrol the deep center and provide protection for young corners Terrell Thomas and Aaron Ross. The team also signed Deon Grant from Seattle to bridge the gap until promising-yet-injured safety Kenny Phillips returns from a knee injury. In a division filled with teams that are going to pass a lot, a defense with this much pass-rushing depth on the defensive line and so much talent in the secondary makes the Giants a very scary team in the NFC East.


Offensively, the Giants made another sneaky pick-up off the scrap heap today, agreeing to terms with 3-time Pro Bowler and former Eagles guard Shawn Andrews. As if stopping 260lb Brandon Jacobs inside wasn't tough enough, there's now the added obstacle of trying to get through a road-grading mauler like Andrews(if he's healthy). If the Giants get Andrews at even 90% of what he was in Philly, the Giants' offense may match the D in terms of dominance. The key, of course, is QB Eli Manning and his ability to overcome his struggles with throwing into the swirling winter winds. If there's an Achilles heel on this offense, it's Manning's tendency to float a couple bad passes when the weather gets bad. Of course, that problem may be minimized if the Giants decide to just let Jacobs mow over defenses in December and January, but if the team gets behind early, Manning has to prove he can sling it.

So, once again, the Giants are impressive on paper and, once again, there are questions for the team to answer. Can Eli Manning be an elite QB when the winds swirl in the Meadowlands? Can the defense live up to its hype with all that talent on the roster? Or will the Giants be the same disappointing bunch they were last year? Only time will tell, but history has shown that teams with this much talent don't underwhelm two years in a row.





2. Dallas Cowboys* - I get a lot of static for being--how do I say this diplomatically--pessimistic of the Dallas Cowboys. Perhaps it stems from years of watching my Packers fall to the Cowboys during the early 90's. Maybe it's because Cowboys fans have been so obnoxious over the years. Or maybe it's because the team has won ONE playoff game in the last decade and I'd rather have them prove they are a contender to me than just declare them one. With all that said, what I'm about to say is only going to add fuel to the "You're a Cowboys hater!" fire. I think the Cowboys are going to be 2010's biggest disappointment this year. Many people have them hosting the Super Bowl this year, but I just can't see it. For one, I need to see, in a game of consequence, that Doug Free can adequately replace longtime Pro Bowl left tackle Flozell Adams. Free did an admirable job in the Hall of Fame Game against the Bengals, but that was one series in a game that didn't matter. With Marc Colombo out a couple of weeks on the right side, an already thin offensive line just gets thinner to start the season. Trust me, as a man who watched his team's offensive line allow a league-high 51 sacks last season, I know that one leak on an offensive line can cause the dam to burst, and I know(and this is sure to piss Cowboys fans off) that Tony Romo doesn't have anywhere near the skill and toughness that Aaron Rodgers has. Look, I don't hate Tony Romo, but if he was having struggles with throwing the ball to the other team last year with a solid offensive line, what happens if Free becomes a turnstile on his blind side?Romo's always been susceptible to nagging injuries, can he handle a big time beating if the offensive line isn't up to snuff?

Another area of concern that seems to be overlooked by the "experts" is the Cowboys' secondary. Terrence Newman and Mike Jenkins are decent corners, but they can be beaten on occasion and the Cowboys' safeties aren't talented enough to make up for any mistakes. Now, the secondary is going to be helped considerably by the Cowboys' amazing pass-rushing duo at outside linebacker: DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, but what happens if Ware and Spencer can't put pressure on the QB every down? Can this secondary shut down the game's best receivers? We'll see.

Now, that was the bad. Here's the good. The Cowboys may have the best receiving core in football(depending on how you feel about Cincy's or Indy's). They added Dez Bryant, the draft's best receiver, to a unit that already had last year's breakout star Miles Austin-Kardashian and the guy who was supposed to breakout, Roy "Stonehands" Williams. Now, Bryant's down with a sprained ankle and he also hasn't played a meaningful game of football in nearly a year after being suspended for his final year at Oklahoma State. Injuries and rust didn't hurt Michael Crabtree last year, and Bryant's a better prospect than Crabtree was. Beyond the troika of Austin, Williams and Bryant, there's Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten. That's a lot of weaponry if Romo can find time to throw. The running game possesses the game's scariest inside runner in Marion Barber and a home run hitter in speedy Felix Jones(when healthy, which is almost never). It's going to be almost impossible for defenses to stop ALL of those options. Defensively, there's the aforementioned Ware and Spencer, but there's also up-and-coming nose tackle Jay Ratliff, who wreaks havoc on the inside. The Cowboys have an impressive front seven and, if firing on all cylinders, they can make up for the lack of talent in the secondary by forcing some bad throws.

So, sure, I could be wrong here. Free could turn out to be a revelation at left tackle. Williams may finally show he can catch a football. Bryant may be the next Randy Moss and the secondary may be at least adequate enough to have the Cowboys make a Super Bowl run.....but these are all big IFs. Remember, the Cowboys have had the most talent of any team for the last few years and, up until last year, they couldn't win a playoff game. To quote Denny Green, if you wanna crown 'em, then crown their ass, but I will remain a skeptic, much to the chagrin of fans of "America's Team".

3. Washington Redskins - The Redskins did what they do best the last few months: Dominated the offseason. They made a few big splashes by hiring two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Shanahan to run the team and got Shanny a quarterback in former Eagles Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb. They even made a few savvy moves, improving that dreadful offensive line by drafting athletic Oklahoma left tackle Trent Williams and trading for once-promising Saints lineman Jamaal Brown. Shanahan got himself a few backs to implement his vaunted running scheme in former Chiefs rusher Larry Johnson and former Steeler Willie Parker(although, Parker could be working at Panera by time you read this). Those guys will complement Clinton Portis, who had success in Shanahan's offense nearly a decade ago. All of those splashes mean the Redskins won't be the same hard-to-watch offense they were last year under Jim Zorn and the presence of McNabb, as well as the chip on McNabb's shoulder, means we could see a promising air attack with speedy Santana Moss and youngsters Devin Thomas and Malcom Kelly(as well as a returning Chris Cooley at tight end). Still, there's two sides to football.

The defense is why I have the Redskins this low. For one, the switch to the 3-4 may minimize the defense's three best players. London Fletcher is a heat-seeking missile at linebacker, but he's a bit on the small side and it remains to be seen if he can be a tackling machine in this new scheme. Andre Carter flunked once in the 3-4, back during his San Francisco days, so who knows if he can provide a pass rush this time in Washington. Then, there's Albert Haynesworth. Untradeable, uninterested, disappointing and out of shape, he's the key to the 'Skins' defensive line. His unwillingness to play in the 3-4 has to be a sign that there's some doubt that he can be effective as a nose tackle or end. Truth be told, Haynesworth is better suited in a 4-3 where he can overpower the interior of the offensive line and either shut down the run or rush the passer. Now, he's being asked to clog the middle and open holes for guys like Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh. For a man who has always been concerned about getting his numbers and doesn't seem compelled to learn his new role despite his $100 million contract, that's bad news for this defense. The secondary is a bit of a question mark, too. DeAngelo Hall is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is and the same can be said about Fred Smoot. Carlos Rogers could be a solid corner if he can hold on a couple of those sure-fire picks that hit off of his hands. As for the safeties,LaRon Landry is supposed to be a star right now but isn't and the team still doesn't know who is going to the start opposite Landry, be it Chris Horton or Reed Doughty.

The addition of McNabb and Shanahan combined with improvement on the offensive line certainly makes Washington more entertaining, but it doesn't make them the contender that some in the nation's capital will have you believe. A switch to a 3-4 can only be effective with the right pieces and the Redskins don't have that right now. Instead, they are a hodgepodge unit littered with a couple bad contracts and a few square pegs in round holes. All of the talk that Shanny will do with McNabb what he did with Elway in the late 90's is just media hyperbole. This team is still a couple years away from contending(especially in this division), but if nothing else, this year's Eagles-Redskins games will finally be Must See TV.



4. Philadelphia Eagles - If you read my "Bold Predictions" piece, you know I'm not high on Philly this year. I think karma is going to come back and bite them for arrogantly dealing Donovan McNabb within the division and I'm not sold on Kevin Kolb as the heir apparent. I've heard people compare the Eagles swapping out McNabb for Kolb to the Packers swapping out BrettFavre for Aaron Rodgers and, well, that may be wishful thinking. The similarities are there with both situations, but also remember that A-Rod went 6-10 in his first year as the new Packers QB. Also remember that the Packers weren't playing in a division nearly as tough as the NFC East is going to be this year. Rodgers also didn't have to worry about Favre playing in his division until his second year as starter. Kolb has to successfully replace McNabb in one of the most hostile sports cities to play in, while McNabb is trying stick it to his former mates now that he's been sent to Washington. That's a ton of pressure for a first year guy. While the McNabb departure gets all the billing, people seem to forget that RB Brian Westbrook is gone, too, which means Kolb will have to rely on a new face in the backfield in second-year man LeSean McCoy. McCoy is a Westbrook clone, but it remains to be seen whether he can fully replace the dual-threat home run capability that Westbrook brought to the table. It's asking a lot for a team(especially one that ended the previous season as the Eagles did in their final two games of '09) to expect to compete in a stacked division with a brand new QB and a brand new RB to go along with a head coach with the reputation for brain farts and bad clock management that Andy Reid has.


Look, Kolb could manage to silence the critics and make Reid look like a genius, but his numbers make me a bit skeptic. He threw for 741 yards last season in three games(two starts), but those games were against a bad Saints pass D where he still managed to throw three picks and an even more putrid Chiefs defense. Rodgers had his coming-out party against a Cowboys team in Dallas that looked like the best team in the NFC at the time. In four games where he saw significant playing time(the two starts, plus the fill-in for McNabb against Carolina in Week 1 and the halftime switch in Baltimore in '08), Kolb has four TDs to seven interceptions and he's playing in an offense that will be throwing ALOT. With the weapons Kolb has in place, he could be the next Aaron Rodgers or the next Jay Cutler.

On defense, the Eagles added Michigan DE Brandon Graham to bring a little more pass rush after the team was picked apart by Dallas in its final two games last season. The team also brought in Darryl Tapp from Seattle to help put more pressure on the quarterback. Thelinebacking core, which was beat up by injuries last year, added Ernie Sims from Detroit to man the outside linebacker spot and also welcomes the return of MLB Stewart Bradley, who missed all of '09 due to injury. In the secondary, the Eagles think they've found the free safety they've desperately missed, after cutting Brian Dawkins loose last year, in second-round pick Nate Allen. Allen bolsters a secondary that already has a top-of-the-line cornerback tandem in AsanteSamuel and Ellis Hobbs.

There's no question the Eagles have the talent to be better than I may give them credit for. The key for them comes down to Kolb being able to handle the pressure that now falls in his lap after replacing a legend. Kolb has the luxury of having two game-breakers at wideout in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin(although Maclin did suffer a shoulder injury in preseason), but can he keep his interceptions down? My guess is Kolb folds under the pressure, that Reid continues to prove he's a bonehead and that the defense, while fast, talented and athletic in almost every area, still gives up too many big plays in Year 2 without the late Jim Johnson at defensive coordinator, and the Eagles struggle to win six games while chants for Mike Vick start around Halloween.


Gabe:


1. New York Giants - I wasn't going to put my team winning this division, but Dave's part of this blog convinced me. I too like what they have done on the lines.
Fantasy Focus -
Quarterback - The new hole in his head aside, Eli is a decent fantasy starter. At this point in his career you know what to expect from him...somewhere around 3,500 yards, touchdown total in the low 20's, and double digit interceptions. He's not a top-tier guy, but if you can't grab Brees or Rodgers or Peyton, Eli is worth a look in the 7th round or so.
Running Back - The Giants' running back situation is a fantasy mess. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are clearly the top guys, but Andre Brown and Danny Ware should also see some action. The Giants are a pass first team now so don't expect any of these guys to go over 1,000 yards for the season. Jacobs, Bradshaw, and Brown are all coming off injuries and unless one of the top guys gets injured again and the others have their roles increased accordingly, I'd look elsewhere for fantasy running backs.
Receiving - Steve Smith had one of the best seasons, statistically, that a Giants' receiver has ever had. He broke the team record for catches and went to the Pro Bowl. He doesn't stretch the field, but he isn't asked to. He is a possession receiver who gets a ton of targets and catches. He is borderline starter in most leagues, definitely a starter in PPR leagues. Hakeem Nicks should be the the no. 2 receiver on the team and is a perfect compliment to Smith. He is big and fast and a deep threat. He is a WR3 who could take advantage of the right match-up. Mario Manningham looked like he was going to put a strangle hold on the no. 2 job last year, but he committed too many mental mistakes after the second game of the season. If he grows up he could be dangerous. Ramses Barden is the only other Giants receiver worth drafting, but barely. He has value because his size makes him a red zone threat. At tight end Kevin Boss is probably a top-tier back-up at best.
Defense/ST - Where the Giants rank all depends on your league's scoring. Big Blue's D is prone to giving up big plays and tons of points. But the should get back to being a mean pass rushing machine. I see them getting lots of sacks and the secondary tightening up a little bit. They aren't elite, but if your scoring is based on sacks and turnovers they are a decent option. If you scoring is based on yards or points allowed, maybe look elsewhere.


2. Dallas Cowboys - Like I said before, Dave's portion of this blog convinced me to put the Giants first. Before that I had Dallas no. 1. I like Dallas' offense, but I have a few questions about their defense. Either way, I think they'll be better than Washington and Philly.
Fantasy Focus:
Quarterback - I'm not a Tony Romo fan. In fact, I think he is a bit of a sissy who can't win big games. That being said, he took a huge step forward last year, mostly thanks to the emergence of Miles Austin. I expect both of them to regress this year as teams will have a year's worth of film on them to study. I think Romo flirts with 4,000 yards this year. He's definitely a fantasy starter, but I think he's a low end starter.
Running Backs - The 'Boys have a full fledged RBBC. Last year Marion Barber was the top guy on the team, with Felix Jones backing him up. When healthy, Marion Barber is the scariest man in football, but how does that translate to fantasy? I think their roles will be more even this year. I expect Jones to see more action and Barber to see less. They are both decent back-ups, but barring injury neither are reliable enough to be consistent fantasy starters. Tashard Choice is only a desperation pick.

Receiving - Miles Austin emerged as the man in Dallas last year. Then Dallas drafted Dez Bryant to compliment him. If Austin does anything close to what he did last year he'll be stud, a top flight starter. Bryant is hurt right now, but should be ready for the start of the season. Barring further injury he'll be a great WR2 or 3. Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton are going to see their roles diminished. However, in this offense they are still borderline starters or top tier back-ups. Tight end Jason Witten is great. He gets lots of catches and tons of yards, but there is one thing...he doesn't get into the endzone. He's scored only six touchdowns in the last two years. He is a great blocking tight end so that is his role in the red zone. He's still a top-10 fantasy tight end though.
Defense/ST - The thing holding this unit back is there secondary. Their front seven is outstanding and is going to rack up sacks. Their pass defense is suspect. Depending on your league's scoring system they could be top 10 or middle of the road. Look carefully.


3. Philadelphia Eagles - I hate the Eagles, but I like their offense.
Fantasy Focus:
Quarterback - With Donovan McNugget shipped off to Washington it is now the Kevin Kolb show in Philadelphia. Everyone is aware of what Kolb did in his two starts last year. All reports are Kolb has the leadership and swagger a team needs in a quarterback, and, the chemistry between him and the rest of the young offense is great. How does that translate to fantasy? Probably pretty good. He's got some great young talent and weapons around him. I think Kolb is going to be a solid fantasy starter, and one that you can probably get a bargain on by drafting him late, provided there isn't an Eagles fan in your league.
Running Back - I expect LeSean McCoy to be the clear-cut starter in Philly this year. I won't be surprised when he gets over 1,000 yards rushing and has 30 to 40 catches. He's definitely a fantasy starter. He is either a low-end RB1 or a top-tier RB2. In the off-season the Eagles apparently wanted to collect has-been back-ups and signed Mike Bell and J.J. Arrington. I don't expect them to do much outside of some spells or third down carries. Bell is the better handcuff if you draft McCoy though. Because of Bell and Arrington expect Leonard Weaver to go back to his role as the primary blocking back.
Receiving - DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are both young and talented. Jackson is probably the best deep threat in the league. He led the NFL in catches of 40 yards or more. Jackson is a shoe-in to catch for 1,000 yards and Maclin has a chance to as well. Jackson also gets the occasional end around carry and is always a threat to break one for a TD. He is definitely WR1 material. Maclin is a low-level fantasy starter. Tight end Brent Celek is going to be a stud this year. He catches a lot of calls and finds the endzone. I think he is a top-5 tight end.
Defense/ST - The front seven is fantastic and they love to blitz. This is going to generate sacks and turnovers. The questions are in the secondary. This team will get burned by good offenses and give up points and yards, but they will also pressure everyone.


4. Washington Redskins - I'm not putting the Redskins out of the cellar until they do it themselves. I think they are cursed. Call it "Snyderia."
Fantasy Focus:
Quarterback - Donovan McNabb is now in D.C. He is a great person and a talented player but he doesn't have the weapons in Washington that he did in Philly. Also, the Skins have added some new pieces to the O-Line and they'll need to gel fast for McNabb to stay upright. Jason Campbell was sacked a bunch last year and McNabb is not nearly as mobile, either as Campbell or as he himself once was. McNabb is a borderline fantasy starter.
Running Back - Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker. What is the oldest and slowest three-headed monster in the NFL Alex? Correct! Really, Johnson and Parker aren't that old, but they are broken down and slow. Portis is probably going to be the starter and is worth drafting as a low level starter or top back-up, if he's healthy. And that is a big if. I wouldn't touch him because of the injury risk. The best options after him are Johnson and Parker, in that order. Truthfully, if you're desperate enough to take Portis don't be tempted to take any of the others unless they are a waiver wire pick-up.
Receiving - Speaking of multi-layered shit sandwiches....Santana Moss, Joey Galloway, Devin Thomas, and Malcolm Kelly. Moss is the only fantasy starter in the bunch, and he is only a mid-level starter at that. He only had 902 yards last year and 178 of those came in one game...against the Lions. Galloway was once the fastest man in the NFL but that was 100 years ago. He is a decent back-up that is worth a bye week start if he has the right match-up. Thomas and Kelly are both full of potential but lacking in production. Wait and see with both of them. Tight end Chris Cooley used to be the man. Used to be. Now he's coming off a serious injury and is being pushed by back-up Fred Davis. Cooley is not going to put up the numbers he used to but should still be a good starting option. Expect Davis to get about half the production Cooley does, for now. If you draft Cooley I suggest you try to draft Davis late and stash him on your bench, just in case.
Defense/ST - They stink. Albert Haynesworth is fat and apparently has a degenerative muscle condition. Their secondary is terrible. The only players worth a crap are Brian Orakpo and London Fletcher. They are going to give up points and yards and not get many sacks or turnovers in return. I used to read a fantasy magazine that would assign bad players a "DND," as in "Do Not Draft." I'm giving the Redskins defense a resounding DND.

Barefoot Running Shoes?....GTFO!

Behold...above are "barefoot" running shoes by Vibram.

According to an article at Examiner these have been available for four years, but are just now getting hugely popular.

I feel prompted to rant about them for two reasons....1. Some jackass was clomping around my gym in these things this week....and 2. My little brother tried to wear them out with me last week. Not to the gym, not to go running, but just out.

I'm sure they are beneficial and help replicate running barefoot more than regular running shoes, but I don't like them. Sure they look cool, but they look like rock-climbing shoes with toes. This knucklehead at the gym was stomping around, shaking the treadmill with every step. He was also one of those idiots that stretches on the treadmill, walks backwards, does high knees. That gave me an indication about what kind of asshole buys these shoes actually to work out.

My brother bought them simply because he's 18 and they look funny. I expect these shoes to make their way onto Look At This Fucking Hipster soon. They'll be all the rage in Williamsburg this winter.

Here is my biggest problem with these things. Ummm, if you put these on your feet...then....your...feet...are...not...bare.

If you're going to run barefoot then be a man and run barefoot. There are Kenyans born everyday who grow up running truly barefoot and then come over and kick our asses every year in the New York City Marathon. These are guys who have never even seen shoes until they strap on a pair right before they proceed to deliver the aforementioned ass-kicking.

These shoes are the kind of thing that happens when white people have too much time on their hands. They invent shit that's unnecessary. Now, don't get me wrong, sometimes this produces great fun. For example, cornhole or Auto-Tune The News.

But usually you end up with ridiculous shit, like Silly Bandz....and "barefoot" running shoes.

P.S. I mentioned running, so this blog is sort of about sports.

Remember Us?

We've gone M.I.A. for the better part of the last two weeks, much to the chagrin of our loyal readers(all seven of you). Gabe's been on vacation and just generally moving at the speed it takes Dr. Dre to finish his "Detox" album. Me? Well, simply put, I'm just a lazy bastard. I'd love to tell you I've been spending the summer spelunking in Puerto Rico, but, truth be told, I just didn't have the motivation to put fingers to keys(although, apparently, Swizz Beatz has.....zing!). The lack of notable sports stories hasn't helped either, as the post-LeBron-a-palooza hasn't given us much to sink our teeth into. Sure, there's Favre's August soap opera but it's hard to type the name "Favre" without my computer popping up with the question "Did you mean "douche"?

Anyway, enough time has passed since you last heard from us, so here's my take on a few notable stories.

*It's time for basketball-loving human beings, American or otherwise, to quit pretending that Shaquille O'Neal can still be a important contributor to a contender like so many have been suggesting now that "The Diesel" has landed in Beantown. We've seen this story before. Last year, Shaq sat in a chair, nearly causing its legs to snap, and proclaimed his mission was to "Win a ring for the King". Instead, Shaq decided to be out-of-shape and clog the paint worse than Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles clogs Terrence Cody's arteries. Now, the man formerly known as "The Big Aerostotle" wants us to believe it's "all about winning", eventhough he hasn't been "all about exercising" since he won his last NBA title with the Heat(and even then, he was a bit doughy). Look, Shaq's 38. He's coming off a season where he went 12 and 8 on a team with no real proven inside presence in an Eastern Conference with one or two legit big men(depending on if you think Kevin Garnett is still alive). Now, I'm supposed to believe a man whose ego helped cause the destruction of what may have been the greatest NBA dynasty of our generation(the Shaq/Kobe Lakers) is willing to check himself into a role player's suit to win a title in Boston.

Fat chance(yes, pun intended). Shaq doesn't want to work to be great anymore. It's been his downfall for the better part of the last decade. He was a big man blessed with an amazing combination of freakish strength and impressive quickness. There is no reason he shouldn't be sitting on his eight ring and being touted as the greatest big man of all-time. He just never wanted it THAT much. He never wanted it like KG wanted in 2008, like Kobe wanted it after Shaq left. He just wants you to believe he wants it. Now, I love Shaq. Growing up, he was my favorite player and his Lakers jersey still sits in my closet and gets taken out every now and again when I get the wild hair in my ass to lace 'em up for some hoop.....but it's over. Even if he's running at a higher speed than he did last year with Cleveland, it's far-fetched to think a frontcourt with a washed-up Shaq, an increasingly more washed-up Jermaine O'Neal, a one-legged KG, a one-eyed Big Baby and a hobbled Kendrick Perkins can really duplicate last year's miracle run. Sure, we were wrong about the Celtics last year....but that was LAST YEAR. An old team is now older and spent the offseason bringing in more relics for their collection. Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, fellas....even with all the thunder provided by Shaq's large footsteps.

*Preseason football has kicked off and ESPN trotted out their Monday Night Football trio for the first time in 2010 today for the surprisingly-entertaining Panthers-Ravens clash tonight. Many eyes this season will be on the Jets or Chris Johnson or Brett Favre or Big Ben or the Cowboys. You know who I'm keeping a watchful eye on this upcoming NFL season? Former Bucs coach/MNF loudmouth Jon Gruden. Gruden was like Fred Astaire in his broadcasting rookie season last year with his unwillingness to step on toes. Now that he's locked in to the Worldwide Leader for a couple more years(though I can't see that stopping him taking an NFL gig if someone throws enough money at him), it will be interesting to see if Gruden gets a bit more critical this year. Look, I thought Gruden was overrated as a coach and that the bulk of his success was built on a Tampa Bay foundation put in place by Tony Dungy(who is head, shoulders and feet above "Chucky" as a coach) and I find his reputation as a "QB guru" to be completely overhyped. Yes, he won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson. He also failed to make a QB out of Chris Simms and couldn't turn Bruce Gradkowski, Brian Griese and Shaun King into anything but subpar NFL backups. Three division titles in seven years, a 3-2 playoff record, and a Super Bowl win with a team that was nearly 90% put in place by the coach before you hardly makes you a "genius" or a "guru" or any kind of legend.

But that's Gruden the coach. Gruden the announcer is just plain annoying. When he isn't trying to big himself up by taking numerous trips down memory lane, he's busy being Capt. Obvious. "Oh, the Ravens' offensive line is big!". No shit, Sherlock. "Brett Favre still has a cannon for an arm." Thanks for the update. I want to see the mean Gruden. I want to see "Chucky". I want to see Gruden flirt with getting into some hot water by saying some things he shouldn't say. I want him to make ESPN execs nervous. All the NFL Films clips of Gruden the coach show him as some foul-mouthed shit-talker. Give me THAT Gruden. If I wanted generic observations, I'd scan YouTube for Reggie Miller announcing clips.

*Speaking of foul-mouthed shit-talkers, it bothers me that Jets head coach Rex Ryan felt compelled to apologize for cursing on HBO's "Hard Knocks" series(P.S. I know it came after being badgered by his mother, but still. Rex Ryan's a grown ass man. If he has to cuss, he should be able to cuss. Saying "fuck" has never hurt anybody...although it never helped Tim Tebow). It's a documentary on an NFL training camp on PREMIUM CABLE, for shit's sake! Why should Ryan button up for the cameras? Isn't this WHY we wanted Ryan on Hard Knocks? So we can hear him cuss like a sailor? The new generation of access has allowed people to get more up close and personal with athletes and celebrities than ever before, be it Twitter or Facebook or Deadspin or whatever. The days of heralding athletes and coaches and celebrities as squeaky-clean, goodie-two-shoes is OVER. We want to know that our matinee idols are just like us. We want them to cuss. We want them to be drunk and belligerent. We want them to be human. Why else do we give a rat's ass about Mel Gibson's racist phone rants? We want to see these people without the PR spin and Hollywood gloss. We don't want the smoke and mirrors. It's 2010. People are smarter than that now. Nobody's going to buy Ryan stampeding through training camp going "Aw, shucks" and "Fiddlesticks!". If we wanted that, we'd mic up Peyton Manning.

AFC West Preview

Dave and Gabe break down the AFC West and unveil the first big curveball of this year's previews.

Dave:

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Wait, wait, stop laughing. Hear me out(or read me out...however you choose). The Chiefs made a couple of savvy moves in the offseason. They found potentially electrifying running back Jamaal Charles a running mate in the aging-but-still-steady Thomas Jones. They grabbed the best defensive prospect not named Ndomokong Suh in the Draft with the 5th pick(Tennessee safety Eric Berry) and they hired a couple coordinators with a proven NFL track record(at least as coordinators) in former Patriot sideline mavens Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis. Another thing to keep in mind before you write this pick off. The Chiefs have three teams that made the playoffs last season on their schedule this year. Of those three, one is Arizona, which will be a shell of themselves after losing Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle in the offseason. The other is division rival San Diego. I'll get to why I don't like San Diego in my Chargers write-up but just know that the Chiefs open with San Diego on Monday night while star wideout Vincent Jackson will be out due to a suspension/holdout and Pro Bowl left tackle Marcus McNeil a holdout as well. An upset on primetime isn't impossible. Unlikely? Maybe, but not impossible.


I think Weis will have a huge impact on QB Matt Cassel, who was subpar in his Chiefs debut. I like the duo of Dwayne Bowe and Chris Chambers and I think Charles will be in charge(yup, 80's TV reference) eventhough I think T.J.'s presence makes him a suspect fantasy factor. Defensively, Berry comes highly regarded from defensive maven Monte Kiffin. All of the hype surrounding Berry suggests he's the best defensive back prospect since the late Sean Taylor and potentially the next Ed Reed. You pair that kind of playmaker with budding star corner Brandon Flowers and, all of a sudden, the Chiefs have a solid secondary. Crennel was putrid as a head coach in Cleveland but there's no denying his ability as a defensive coordinator. He made the Patriots respectable on defense without a ton of big names on the roster. The same could hold true.



Now, that's the good. Here's what scares me about going bold with this pick. One, the offensive line is a bit of a trainwreck. Cassel was sacked 42 times last year and the team didn't really do much to improve that front. You'd like to think former first rounder Branden Albert will be better with another year of adjustment from guard to left tackle, but right now, I'll admit I'm a bit uncertain. Defensively, while Crennel will improve the team considerably, there are a few question marks south of the secondary. Who's rushing the passer on this team? Tamba Hali has the skills to be a solid edge rusher. Can Crennel bring it out of him? Does Mike Vrabel have another decent year left in the tank? What about the defensive line? There's no Richard Seymour-type big body to hold down the line of scrimmage. Will one emerge? We know it won't be former top pick Glenn Dorsey, since when he isn't hurt, he's overweight and he's a bad fit for the scheme anyway. So, yes, this pick can blow up in my face, and really, it's not so much that I like Kansas City as much as I think San Diego and Denver took a turn for the worst. In all reality, given the moves that were made, Oakland might be the team to watch for in this division, but I wasn't ready to get THAT crazy just yet.



2. San Diego Chargers: I've been burned by the Chargers so many times over the years that I've finally given up on them. Every year, I expect them to put it all together and take home the Lombardi trophy. Every year, they disappoint me. Why am I so down on this year's bunch, you ask? Well, keep in mind that the Chargers needed miracle collapses by Denver the last two years to win the AFC West. They are notorious slow starters....and that's before GM A.J. Smith got them into this huge contract quagmire. As I wrote in my holdout piece, the Chargers find themselves with three big contract holdouts on the roster. Left tackle Marcus McNeil, who is the most likely to cave of the three, has made it known he isn't budging off his desire to get paid. The longer he's out, the more at risk QB Phillip Rivers is since the Chargers can't be serious in thinking veteran acquisition Tra Thomas can replicate McNeil's impact on Rivers' blind side. WR Vincent Jackson is suspended for the first three games of the season thanks to a DUI beef, but Rivers' favorite target was planning on sitting out til Week 10 until he, too, gets a big payday. Finally, there's Shawne Merriman, who will probably be cut or traded before the opener anyway and hasn't really been an impact guy for the last two years but is still stuck in contract limbo. The team can't trade him until he signs his tender and, well, "Lights Out" doesn't seem ready to pick up a pen yet. Those are three big issues for San Diego. You can't have a quarterback with limited mobility being protected by a washed up left tackle, while trying to throw to a receiving core that replaced 6'5 Vincent Jackson with 5'11 Josh Reed for at least the immediate future. On defense, "Lights Out" may have landed more hits on Tila Tequila than opposing quarterbacks in recent years, but he's still a dominant force when he's right. Recently, Smith said he does not plan to negotiate deals with the restricted trio during the preseason, which means we could not see these guys until Week 10. That's three big absences....and those are the guys ON the roster.

Here's who is not on the roster anymore: Washed up legendary running back LaDainian Tomlinson, massive nose tackle Jamal Williams, Maury Povich superstar/cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Now, L.T. has been dead the last couple of years, but his replacement is an unknown rookie named Ryan Mathews. Mathews certainly has the build and skill to replace L.T., but you're still expecting a rookie to replace a legend. Maybe he turns out to be Curtis Martin. Maybe he turns out to be Curtis Enis. Williams, on the other hand, has been injury-prone the last couple of years but there's no doubt he will be missed inside. Nose tackle is the most important position in a 3-4 scheme and right now, the guy in charge of filling that spot is 5th-round pick Cam Thomas from UNC. Cromartie has gotten his share of knocks over the years, both for being a philanderer who will knock up any woman in a 20-block radius and for being a guy who tackles as hard as Marlee Matlin. Of the three big departures, he may be the easiest to fill as Antione Cason was solid in the nickel role last year. Still, you combine those losses with the current problems they have with McNeil/Jackson/Merriman, and that's a recipe for disaster. Remember, the last time we saw this team, it was getting its hat handed to them by the Jets...and that was with all six of the aforementioned guys on the roster.

Now, if McNeil and Jackson ink extensions, then everything I said becomes a moot point. The Chiefs aren't the best team in this division. They are just the team with the most leverage and the least amount of big departures. The Chargers can still be the class of the division and the AFC if Smith quits playing hardball and retains his big holdouts. As for Merriman, he's probably a goner and the team won't really miss him THAT much, as they have Larry English and Shaun Phillips to replace him, but he's still a guy who was once the face of the defense and is now a face on "Entourage". That's never a good thing. So six weeks from now, I may regret this decision, but if forced to make a pick based on what I see now, I say the easy schedule is the only thing keeping the Chargers in playoff contention. However, if Smith's frugal replacements fail and the team can't lock up their big three holdouts, we may be looking at a nightmare season for the Chargers and Smith and Turner may be looking at the classifieds by Christmas.

3. Denver Broncos: I know Brandon Marshall was a knucklehead. I know this. I'm still not sure getting rid of him was the right move. The Broncos had yet another offseason of making waves, after supplying plenty of headlines last year with the Jay Cutler debacle. First, they finally jettisoned coach Josh McDaniels biggest headache, WR Brandon Marshall, to Miami. The problem I have with that is, while Marshall was a pain in the ass, he still produced on the field. Who else is catching balls for the Broncos? Eddie Royal, who caught all of 37 passes and scored all of ZERO touchdowns last year? Brandon Stokley, whose biggest achievement may be making Gus Johnson a YouTube sensation? Rookie Demaryius Thomas, who dealt with foot injuries at Georgia Tech(a team that's core offense was the option, mind you)? We can go back and forth as to whether trading Marshall was the right move or not. That's a discussion for another time. Right now, the Broncos have to wonder who is replacing the 100+ catches a season Marshall provided. They also have to worry about the QB situation they got themselves into. When the team traded for former Browns "savior" Brady Quinn, many saw it as the Broncos trying to find their QB of the future by picking up a young prospect with not a lot of miles on him off Cleveland's scrap heap. Then, the Broncos moved down in the draft and selected QB project/college idol/Holy roller Tim Tebow. Tebow is farther away from being a complete product than a new Marlins stadium, yet he carries such a huge following that it will be almost impossible to keep him on the bench if things go sour quick. On top of that, current starter Kyle Orton played well last year knowing nobody was breathing down his neck. Now, he has a hungry Brady Quinn gunning for him and one of the greatest college football players of all time on the depth chart as well, while trying to produce with a receiving core that's one Pro Bowl wideout short. Don't think that doesn't run through his mind this season. The running game, meanwhile, just got a little bit slimmer. Reports out of Denver say that the team fears that starter Knowshon Moreno may have torn his hamstring, and it isn't known how long he'll be out. Backup Correll Buckhalter was also injured in camp and it is unknown how severe his injury is. Prior to both of those injuries, the Broncos traded RB J.J. Arrington to Philadelphia for LB Joe Mays. Moreno could be back by the opener, but hamstring injuries are always tough-and-go. The team signed hometown boy LenDale White, but he'll miss the first four games on suspension. The lack of a proven runner just puts more pressure on Orton to make plays in the passing game, which is something the bearded wonder doesn't need with Quinn and Tebow breathing down his neck.

On defense, the Broncos picked up Jamal Williams to man the middle, but there really isn't much else. CB Champ Bailey went from the unquestioned top corner in the league to barely in the top 5 thanks to injuries and advanced age. D.J. Williams is solid, but the team took a serious kick in the teeth with top pass rusher Elvis Dumervil expected to miss the season with a torn pectoral tendon. The team will have to rely on a couple of former high draft picks to make up for Dumervil's absence. Robert Ayers struggled last season and the team is still waiting on Jarvis Moss to show a pulse. In the secondary, it's Champ Bailey and that's it. The team traded a future first for undersized corner Alphonso Smith, but he wasn't productive in his rookie year.

The Broncos blew another big division lead last year and now, with their second big name traded away in as many years, the pressure is on McDaniels to come up big immediately. That's going to be tough with a three-headed monster at QB, no proven wideouts and a defense that is pretty suspect even if the rankings suggest otherwise. The Broncos struggled to score last season even with Marshall(20th in the NFL in points scored) and now stand an Orton injury away from opening up the Brady Quinn Era in Colorado. The team needs Thomas to be the highly-touted prospect he appeared to be leading up to the Draft and they need it now, because as the losses pile up, so will the chants for McDaniels' head and Tim Tebow behind center.

4. Oakland Raiders: They have to be here almost by default. After all, it's the Raiders. Still, I like what they did in the offseason. A defense that was 29th against the run got a bit more beefy by trading for former Jags Pro Bowl DT John Henderson and drafting huge DL Lamarr Houston from Texas. That gives the Raiders a massive defensive line at the front of that 3-4 scheme with Big John, Houston and Richard Seymour. The team made a couple other sneaky moves for that front seven. They traded for disappointing former Jag Quentin Groves and top Browns pass rusher Kamerion Wimbley to provide some heat off the edges. In the middle, they drafted Alabama ILB and Gabe Rodriguez man-crush Rolando McClain, who will feast on opponents with that big front three keeping blockers off him. In the secondary, they have the man regarded(at least on the West Coast) as the best corner in the game: Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha's presence is the chief reason why Oakland was seventh against the pass last season. Beyond Asomugha, it's slim pickings. Former top pick Michael Huff has been largely disappointing at safety and the team didn't really improve on the secondary much in the offseason.

On offense, they finally made amends for the terrible choice of QB JaMarcus Russell with the #1 overall pick by sending him and his case of Purple Drank packing. In his place is beleaguered former Redskins QB Jason Campbell. Campbell is a lot better than 'Skins fans and other naysayers give him credit for but he'll be in a similar situation in Oakland as he was in Washington, meaning he'll be running for his life behind a patchwork offensive line. Unlike the secondary, the Raiders made some moves to get some protection for their new QB. They drafted huge offensive tackle Jared Veldheer(6'8, 330lbs) out of tiny Hillsdale College as well as equally massive tackle/guard Bruce Campbell from Maryland(6'6, 314lbs). Campbell showed off his ridiculous athleticism at the Combine but was knocked for his inconsistent work ethic. If both pan out, the combination of them two and former #2 overall pick Robert Gallery and former Dolphin Samson Satele could turn the Raiders offensive line from a swiss-cheese mess where QBs go to die to a solid unit that will allow Campbell and RB Darren McFadden to flourish like they hadn't been able to in previous years. McFadden's the other big name on the offense. He's been a disappointment so far thanks to the porous O-Line and his inability to both hold onto the ball and stay healthy. Everything I read so far on Run-DMC suggests he's in top shape and that this could be the year he justifies his high selection of a couple years ago. Helping him out in the backfield will be power back Michael Bush. Bush might finally be recovered from the knee injury that wrecked his final year at Louisville but it remains to be seen if he's a legit top back or not. Another suspect area is the receiving core. The Raiders flirted with the idea of adding T.O. but wisely thought against it. That leaves them with a unit comprised of stone-handed second-year man Darrius Heyward-Bey, last year's top wideout Louis Murphy and rookie Jacoby Ford. Ford is the most intriguing of the bunch. He lit up Indy with a 4.2 40 at the combine and, if he can show consistency catching the ball, he may end up being Campbell's top target.



The Raiders are still a couple years away, but they are in a better position, potential-wise, then they've been in years. The roster is filled with quite a few promising young players and if Oakland hits on them, then maybe it's Oakland and not Kansas City who emerge as the surprising kings of the West. Still, this is Oakland and not ready to get THAT crazy.....yet.


Gabe:


Ummmm....I don't know how to say this delicately....Dave's wrong. Maybe he is blinded by love. His lovely wife Niki is a Chiefs fan, but she has them winning only six games.


Also, I remind everyone to look at Dave's history of picking games and winners. You'd have your legs broken by mean looking Paulie Walnuts-types if you bet on his picks in Vegas.


Here's my take....


1. San Diego Chargers - They may disappoint people perrennially, but they are still one of the most talented teams in the league. This team is going to score points. Last I checked Philip Rivers (the most under-appreciated great QB in the league), Antonio Gates, and Vincent Jackson are still on this team. Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles are going to complement each other in the offensive backfield. The defensive backfield will suffer because of the loss of Antonio Cromartie, but the defense will still perform against the rest of this weak division.


Fantasy Focus:

Quarterback - As I said before, and will all apologies to Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers is the most underappreciated great quarterback in the NFL. The team doesn't have an aging LaDanian Tomlinson anymore, but Rivers still has enough weapons to have another 4,000+ yard, 30 TD season. (Interesting side note: Rivers is the third QB in my top four, along with A-Rod and Drew Brees, whose bye week is week 10. Might make for some interesting back-up decisions. Matthew Stafford anyone?)

Running Backs - Everyone knows, LT is out, Ryan Mathews is in. Everything I've read says Mathews and Darren Sproles are a nice fit together. Expect Mathews to get most of the reps to start the year, with his role getting bigger as the year goes on. Sproles will get a lot of third down and passing down action. Sproles has added value in leagues that give points for individual return yards.

Receiving - Without LT, expect the team to throw more to their WR's. Jackson is out to start the year but should come back on fire. He is a solid high-end WR2 option. Malcolm Floyd is a nice no. 2 reciever who may post extra numbers with Jackson out. He may also get swallowed up because he'll be facing top-flight coverage. Either way, even when Jackson is back Floyd is borderline fantasy starter. He's a solid fantasy back-up though. Tight end Antonio Gates is arguably the best fantasy tight end out there. He had a monster year last year with over 1150 yards and 8 TD's. With LT gone and Jackson out to start the year, expect Gates to continue to get plenty of looks.

Defense/ST - The Chargers have been a solid fantasy defense for some time. Well, no more. There are just too many players gone and too many concerns with who is still there. They are an average back-up fantasy defense at this point.


And now for my curve-ball......


2. Oakland Raiders - I like what they have done this off-season. Their defense was OK last year and their offense has improved greatly this off-season. I like the combo of McFadden and Bush at running back. Jason Campbell is a huge upgrade over JaMarcus Sidibe, I mean Russell. I think Denver is going to regress (Kyle Orton to Jabar Gaffney ain't scarin' anybody.) Kansas City is going to stink. That's it.

Fantasy Focus:

Quarterback - Jason Campbell is now in town but will be playing in a new offensive system for the 31st straight year, which is impressive because he's only 28 years old. Campbell has an arm as big as Russell's, but he is accurate. He will fit nicely in the vertical passing game the Raiders tried to run last year. Tight end Zach Miller is going to be a great safety valve...more on him later. Campbell will be a great QB2. Look for a good match-up in which to play him.

Running Backs - Darren McFadden and Michael Bush take center stage as an RBBC this year, especially with Justin "Huggy Bear Jr." Fargas gone. McFadden or Bush could have a breakout year. McFadden is probably a high level fantasy back-up and Bush isn't far behind. If you draft one make sure you draft the other and watch their performances closely, especially if one gets injured.

Receiving - Without question the best fantasy receiving option on the Raiders is tight end Zach Miller. Last year he had 66 receptions, which was 32 more than anyone else on the roster. He also had 284 more receiving yards than anyone on the team. He should only do better with Campbell throwing him the ball. He'll be a popular sleeper this year. Expect some knucklehead to draft Miller in the fifth round and think it's special. The WR's on Oaklands roster are utterly undraftable. Heyward-Bey is only worth a late desperation pick at best. The rest are not worth even a waiver wire consideration.

Defense/ST - The defense was one of the worst units last year, fantasy wise. Their run defense is awful. They drafted to improve their defense, but I'd take a wait and see approach with them. They aren't worth drafting this year.




3. Denver Broncos - This team is going to stink on offense. With Elvis Dumervil's injury they are going to be worse on defense too.

Fantasy Focus:

Quarterback - The Broncos have three quarterbacks with names you recognize, Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn, and Tim "Friar" Tebow. No of them are worth drafting. Orton is the starter, nominally, and would be a back-up option at best, even without the competition. If Tebow slides into some sort of H-back or "wildcat" role he may have some value. Other than that, stay away.


Running Backs - Knowshon Moreno was the clear no. 1 starter, until he got hurt. Now, Correll Buckhalter is also battling injury and the team recently signed Justin Fargas. This will be a full fledged RBBC, at least early in the season. Moreno should be healthy and ready for the start of the season. I think he'll start slowly, but will eventually be as productive as his pre-injury expectations.


Receiving - How's this for a receiving corps? Jabar Gaffney, Demaryius Thomas, Eddie Royal. Yup, fantasy back-ups. All of them. Also, apparently Denver's starting tight end is Daniel Graham. Undraftable.


Defense/Special Teams - This defense's fantasy value last year was because of their sack totals....and now Elvis Dumervil is hurt. They are a low level back-up squad at best.


4. Kansas City Chiefs -


Fantasy Focus:


Quarterbacks - Matt Cassell is talented, but has found out that Dwayne Bowe ain't Randy Moss. If Cassell had better talent surrounding him he'd be great, but as it stands now he is a low level back-up.


Running Backs - Jamaal Charles broke out during the second half of last year and is the starter going into the season. They brought in Thomas Jones, who led the prolific Jets running attack last year. Jones has a little left in the tank, but not enough to overtake Charles for the starting spot. Charles is probably a top 15 back and Jones is worth taking as a handcuff.


Receiving - Dwayne Bose is a top 20 WR. Chris Chambers is also a borderline fantasy starter. Rookie Dexter McCluster is just barely draftable, but has the potential for some big games. Tight end Tony Moeaki is a deep sleeper.


Defense/Special Teams - They weren't good last year. They have upgraded, especially with the addition of Eric Berry at safety. I think this defense is on the rise, but it a year or two away from being relevant for fantasy purposes. For now, stay away.