2012 NFL Mock Draft

For someone who loves the NFL Draft as much as I do, what I'm about to say might surprise you:

Mock drafts are stupid.

Don't get me wrong. They're fun to do and, with this being my 10th year doing them(third for this website), I clearly get a certain enjoyment out of spending so much of my spring researching who's going where, but mock drafts get rendered moot almost immediately. For one, very few mock drafts factor in trades, which is as much a part of the NFL draft process as Chris Berman's cheesy one-liners and Mel Kiper Jr.'s well-coiffed 'do. If you choose to be the one who includes trades into your mock, it's almost impossible to not be biased and make the draft-day deals that YOU would make as opposed to ones that may actually happen. For instance, I'm a Packers fan. What's stopping me from saying that Green Bay is going to offer up three first round picks to swap spots with Minnesota and take Trent Richardson with the 3rd overall pick? Nothing, but it completely negates the whole purpose of doing a mock if it simply becomes a frenzy of fictitious pick-swapping. Nevertheless, trades are going to happen. The Vikings desperately want out of the 3rd spot and, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, talks are heating up to the point where the Vikes think they have a good shot at moving down. That means everything you are about to read will be rendered useless within the first half hour of Thursday's events.

So why do it, you ask? Because the NFL Draft is the only event where every team in the league, in theory, gets to improve their roster and builds up false hope with the addition of college standouts who haven't proven squat in the NFL yet. It's like a striptease for football fans. Some get to land the dancer when the club closes. Some leave with blue balls. Without further ado, here's my take on Thursday's extravaganza.



1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

We've known about this for months, so I really don't need to go into detail. All I will say is that, while Indy is landing the best player in this draft, it will be meaningless if they don't hit home runs or at least stand-up doubles with the rest of this draft. This team needs EVERYTHING and landing a once-in-a-generation prospect like Luck only matters if you can build around him.

2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

We can debate for hours whether the 'Skins gave up too much to get here. The fact is, they are here now and about to land one of the four elite prospects in this draft, which they wouldn't have the luxury of doing had they stood at 6. Like with Luck, this pick needs to set the table for other big things. The Redskins haven't had a legit QB in decades and even a man with the amount of hype that RG3 is receiving can't do it all on his own. They've addressed some needs in free agency, but they still need to walk away with some help on the offensive line and at least another RB to give Roy Helu some competition.

3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Leave it to the Vikings, who need protection for their young QB Christian Ponder in the worst way, to stare down a potential Pro Bowl left tackle in Kalil and say "Nah, we're not interested." I'm not sure if all the talk of Minnesota wanting to move down is a smokescreen or just complete lunacy on the part of GM Rick Spielman.Yes, they could use a WR like Justin Blackmon. Yes, Morris Claiborne would be a nice fit in the defensive backfield for a team that faces the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler twice a year. However, neither of those prospects are as good as Kalil and drafting either Blackmon or Claiborne means nothing if opposing defenses can lay a beating on Ponder. Kalil makes the most sense, but it wouldn't surprise me if we're looking at someone else in this spot.

4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The Browns should have been more aggressive in moving up to get RG3, but they dropped the ball. Now, there's a chance someone moves ahead of them for another potential franchise changer in Trent Richardson. Assuming the Vikes can't move down, Richardson would be an excellent consolation prize for a Browns team that lost Peyton Hillis in free agency and needs a punch on offense. T-Rich is big, fast, catches the ball well and is far superior to former teammate Mark Ingram, a Heisman Trophy winner who was considered the draft's best back last year. The hope here is Richardson is still there when Cleveland goes on the clock so that the tortured masses in Ohio can keep from jumping off the ledge.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

The Bucs addressed most of their needs in free agency, nabbing a sure-fire #1 receiver in Vincent Jackson and shoring up the offensive line by signing Carl Nicks away from New Orleans. New head coach Greg Schiano is being called upon to shepperd this young defense that is chock-full of talent and turn them into something special just like he did at Rutgers. Claiborne would be another piece to a unit that already has used so many high picks on defense with the likes of DT Gerald McCoy and DE Adrian Clayborn. Claiborne will be the successor to long-time Pro Bowl CB Ronde Barber and, perhaps, even the replacement for troubled defensive back Aqib Talib. At the very least, he helps a pass defense that has to deal with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and now the emerging Cam Newton twice a year.

6. St. Louis Rams - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

Oklahoma State wideout Justin Blackmon seemed like a slam dunk pick for the St. Louis Rams for such a long time....which is probably why there's a decent chance it won't happen. Blackmon makes the most sense because nobody needs a #1 receiver more than the Rams and Blackmon has the potential to be explosive. However, some things to consider here:

*During his tenure as Capo di Tutti Cappi in Tennessee, Fisher used a first-round pick on a WR twice in 16 seasons(Kevin Dyson and Kenny Britt). Neither of which were taken in the Top 15.

*In the week leading up to tomorrow's Draft, the Rams held private workouts. Yes, Blackmon was one of them. However, so were Notre Dame's Micheal Floyd, Baylor's Kendall Wright and Illinois' A.J. Jenkins. The latter three are expected to be picked later in the draft, with Floyd going somewhere in the Top 15, Wright in the top 25 and Jenkins somewhere in round 3 or 4.If St. Louis is locked on Blackmon, why are they looking elsewhere? The Rams have the ammo to move back into the first round and snatch someone like Wright or Floyd is they fall. If you're Detroit and you're sitting at 23 and there's nobody you like on the board, you're telling me you'd say no to a future first rounder and, say, RB Steven Jackson? Of course not.

*The Rams had two shots at Blackmon: At their original spot at #2 and now at #6. They also could have taken Cleveland's deal to move to #4 and still get Blackmon, theoretically. Yet, who are the names that have been emerging as candidates for St. Louis lately? Trent Richardson, Morris Claiborne and, now, Fletcher Cox. I still think there's a good chance Blackmon is catching passes from Sam Bradford, but it's hardly the lock it once seemed to be.

As for Cox, he's a disruptive pass rusher on an defensive line that already has guys like DE's Chris Long, James Hall and Robert Quinn. Fisher loves defensive linemen. It's the position he's drafted the most in Round 1 in his entire career as a head coach. Cox is a high-riser and, if they really aren't enamored with Blackmon as their actions suggest, don't be surprised if they throw the curveball here and take Cox.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

If things shake out the way this mock projects, nobody will be more ecstatic than Blaine Gabbert and the Jags. Jacksonville hasn't had a legit wide receiver since the days of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell(Yes, I'm aware of the one good Mike Sims-Walker season. I'm not impressed.). Like so many others, Jacksonville wants to move down but that's probably because they don't believe someone like Blackmon will be available(and he might not). If Blackmon's gone, I expect Jacksonville to move down and someone who either wants Fletcher Cox or, more likely, QB Ryan Tannehill to be picking here. If the Jags do move down, look for them to take a Gamecock: either DE Melvin Ingram or CB Stephen Gilmore.

8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

I tried my damnedest to talk myself out of the Dolphins taking Tannehill. I've mocked Michael Floyd here, Quentin Coples out of UNC, even Fletcher Cox. At the end of the day, Tannehill makes the most sense. The Dolphins struck out big time to get a real QB(Sorry, I'm not big on David Garrard coming off back surgery) and they appear to be more desperate than Kanye West deciding to date Kim Kardashian. Tannehill would be reunited with former college coach-now Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, which gives Tannehill an advantage. That being said, I still hate the pick. Tannehill needs a couple years before being ready for prime time and the guys in front of him is a washed up veteran who hasn't played in 14 months and a young journeyman in Matt Moore who hardly set the world on fire last year. Even if Moore is better in his second year in South Beach and emerges as Miami's answer to their QB problems, that makes this selection look even worse. I'm not high on Tannehill as a Top 10 pick, probably not even a Top 15 choice. However, need and hype have raised his draft stock and he'll be coming off the board early. Have fun with that, Dolphin fans.

9. Carolina Panthers - Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

The Panthers hope that Fletcher Cox falls to them so they can solve their issues at the interior of the defensive line, but Cox's stock rise might prevent that from happening. Instead, they shore up the pass defense with Gilmore, a physical, bump-and-run corner who will pair nicely with Chris Gamble. Like Cox, Gilmore went from mid-first consideration to Top 10 pick thanks to some good workouts and questions about guys once ranked above them. The team still needs to find a defensive tackle as well as some help at wide receiver but, lucky for them, the draft is deep in both areas.

10. Buffalo Bills - Mark Barron, S, Alabama

I try not to believe everything I hear in the days leading up to the Draft but reports are surfacing that the Bills' choice comes down to Stephen Gilmore or Mark Barron. Notre Dame wideout Micheal Floyd was getting consideration here, too, but he's yet to make a visit to Buffalo. Gilmore's off the board so Barron gets the call here. Barron's a physical, hard-hitting, in-the-box safety in the mold of former Cowboys Pro Bowler Roy Williams(which is probably why Dallas was so in love with him). His presence bolsters a defensive unit that already made some big moves in bringing in pass-rushing dynamos Mario Williams and Mark Anderson on the ends of the defensive line. Barron will pair with former ROTY runner-up Jairus Byrd and gives this Buffalo defense a ton of sleeper potential. That is, of course, if you buy all the late Barron love that is emanating from Buffalo.

11. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

The biggest additions Kansas City will make will not come in the Draft, but in the return of guys like S Eric Berry, RB Jamaal Charles and TE Tony Moeaki. That doesn't mean that KC won't help themselves big time by landing a tackling machine like Kuechly. Kuechly is drawing comparisons to Brian Urlacher and he'll be tag-teaming with Derrick Johnson to form one of the best interior linebacking duos in the game. Still, the Chiefs can go a number of different ways here. They could continue to solidify their offensive line by taking Stanford guard David DeCastro. They could roll the dice on boom-or-bust DT Dontari Poe to be their new nose tackle or, with Peyton Manning coming to the division, they could opt for a pass-rusher like South Carolina's Melvin Ingram. GM Scott Pioli is a Boston guy so my money is on Kuechly here.

12. Seattle Seahawks - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

DE Chris Clemons can't be expected to be the sole member of the Seahawks pass rush. The team signed Jason Jones away from Tennessee and re-signed DT Red Bryant but it still needs help on the defensive line. Ingram looked like a sure-bet to be taken by Jacksonville but the ridiculous amount of free time between the Combine and the Draft has dropped his stock a little. Ingram was a terror at South Carolina, although he surprisingly never forced a fumble last season despite all the time spent in the opposing backfield. Another option here is BC's Luke Kuechly, if he falls, because Seattle had to bid adieu to MLB Dave Hawthrone, who signed with New Orleans. UNC's Quentin Coples, another guy who was believed to be a Top 10 pick, could also get the nod here.

13. Arizona Cardinals - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Reiff seemed like a mortal lock for Buffalo, who needs offensive line help in the worst way. However, much like they did with Reiff's former Hawkeye teammate Bryan Bulaga, the Bills soured on Reiff because of concerns over his short arms. That mistake is just fine with Arizona, who gave up a ton of sacks last year and need help up front as well. Another possibility is David DeCastro from Stanford, who has drawn comparisons to Pro Bowl G Steve Hutchinson. WR Micheal Floyd also has been mentioned, as a complement to Larry Fitzgerald.

14. Dallas Cowboys - David DeCastro, G, Stanford

Well, that public love affair with Alabama safety Mark Barron really came back to bite Dallas in the ass. If Barron is still on the board when Dallas is up, it will take less time for the Cowboys to turn in their card than it did for me to type this sentence. With things going the way they are in this mock, Barron is gone and Big D has to settle for DeCastro. That isn't exactly a bad thing. The Cowboys have been plagued by offensive line woes since saying bye-bye to lynchpins like OT Flozell Adams and Hall of Fame G Larry Allen. They made a steal last year in OT Tyron Smith and now get lucky again by pairing him with DeCastro. It isn't the sexy pick that makes Jerry Jones' plastic face grin from ear-to-ear, but it will end up benefiting Dallas in the long run.

15. Philadelphia Eagles - Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

This is one of those picks where you say "Well, this is what I would do if I was drafting for the Eagles.". Poe makes a ton of sense for Philly. They need a defensive tackle with Cullen Jenkins oft-injured and Mike Patterson a health risk following last year's seizure debacles and Poe is the kind of athletic freak that could be tempting here. He's 6'5, 350 pounds and runs a 4.9 40. He has the potential to be a disruptive force on a defensive line that already has Trent Cole and Jason Babin on the ends. Still, this is Andy Reid, a man infamous for his "best player available" motto. We could see Quentin Coples here. They could make a move for an offensive lineman. A replacement for soon-to-be-departed CB Asante Samuel might happen in the form of a guy like Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick or the team could move up and make a play for safety Mark Barron. It's the hardest pick to project because Reid almost seems to go out of his way to ignore what everyone thinks he should do. Poe makes sense, but so did Earl Thomas a couple years ago....and Reid took Brandon Graham instead.

16. New York Jets - Whitney Mercilus, DE/LB, Illinois

Here's the guy I like the most in this entire draft(Note: I LIKE the most. Not saying he's the best guy in this draft. I want to make that clear.). A pass-rushing machine whose name sounds like "merciless"? Sign. me. up. Mercilus lead the nation in sacks last year at Illinois with 16. The Jets have a number of needs, from wide receiver to offensive line to safety but Rex Ryan knows he needs to revamp the pass rush if he wants to get ahead of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots(not to mention, an emerging Bills team and a Dolphins team lead by a guy who helped the Packers notch the league's best offense last year). Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas aren't getting it done. It's time for some new blood. This may be a little high for Mercilus but I think he has the most potential of the pass rushers remaining.

17. Cincinnati Bengals(from Oakland) - Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

The Bengals have needs at corner, defensive end and on the interior of the offensive line so they could decide those needs warrant passing on Floyd, as so many other teams have decided. That would be a mistake. With knucklehead Jerome Simpson gone, the Bengals have nothing opposite last year's rookie standout A.J. Green. Floyd is the 2nd best receiver in this draft and a guy who was once projected as high as 7th overall. The temptation is there to snag a corner like Dre Kirkpatrick or a DE like Courtney Upshaw(whom the team loves) but Floyd's too good to pass up. A.J. Green isn't going to sneak up on people this year. He's going to need someone to take coverage away from him. Floyd's that guy.

18. San Diego Chargers - Chandler Jones, DE/LB, Syracuse

Chandler Jones went from mid-2nd rounder to sneaking into the first thanks to some good workouts and an overwhelming need for pass rushers with his kind of freakish athletic ability. Now, there are a number of names still on the board who could be the guy here. Nick Perry is a local kid, having played his college ball at USC. Courtney Upshaw was once a hot prospect before questions about his height and whether that will be an issue translating from college to the pros started to surface. Boise State DE Shea McClellin has also risen up the boards too. Any of those guys can get called here. The Chargers have also mentioned they would like to move up to grab Alabama safety Mark Barron. If they can't, Jones(the brother of UFC pound-for-pound champ Jon "Bones" Jones) would fill the pass-rushing void left by Shawne Merriman.

19. Chicago Bears - Quentin Coples, DE, North Carolina

Questions about Coples' effort(an issue he even addressed as a problem in interviews) and a poor senior season dropped his stock from potential Top 5 pick to anywhere from 12 to the end of round 1. With the right teacher, Coples can go back to being the dominant force he was as a junior for the Tarheels. At 6'6, 284 pounds with 4.8 speed, Coples is an absolute freak and he'll have the benefit of learning under another former Tarheel who had work ethic questions throughout his career in DE Julius Peppers. The Bears still need help on the offensive line and could use another wideout even after acquiring Brandon Marshall, but they have no pass rush beyond Peppers. If Coples falls to them, they'd be foolish to pass on him.

20. Tennessee Titans - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick could go anywhere from 10 to 15 to 17, but he'll go no further than 20. The Titans need cornerback help after losing Cortland Finnegan in free agency. Kirkpatrick took a few hits to his draft stock thanks to some marijuana charges that were later dropped but he has the size and speed to be a dominant corner. At 6'2, 186 pounds with 4.4 speed, Kirkpatrick has the measurables to keep up with the likes of Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson, whom he'd be seeing a lot of if he lands with the Titans. Tennessee could also use some bodies on the defensive line, having lost DT Jason Jones in free agency and also needs to shore up the interior of the offensive line to open up more holes for Chris Johnson.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama

Like Kirkpatrick, a checkered past has hurt Jenkins' stock. Drug issues got him kicked off the Florida Gators and he resurfaced at little known Northern Alabama. The pot problem could keep Jenkins out of the first round but Cincy's need for a corner makes it too much of a risk to pass on him here. In Jenkins and Floyd, the Bengals would be taking their chances with two guys with extensive rap sheets but, then again, when's that ever stopped the Bengals in the Marvin Lewis era? If they feel Jenkins' past is too much of a red flag, a defensive end like Courtney Upshaw or versatile offensive lineman Cordy Glenn out of Georgia could get the call.

22. Cleveland Browns(from Atlanta) - Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Browns had a rumored interest in Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden and allegedly think high enough of him that taking him here has been a rumored possibility but I don't think the team should give up on Colt McCoy before giving him some weapons to play with. Kendall Wright is a little on the small side at 5'11 but he has speed to burn and is the kind of vertical threat Cleveland lacks in its wideouts. Greg Little, Mohammad Massoquoi are possession types and Josh Cribbs is best served as a return man. With Wright and the previous pick of Trent Richardson, the Browns' offense is completely revamped and gives McCoy no excuses for being unable to produce. Other options here are Stanford OT Jonathan Martin or Georgia's Cordy Glenn to fix the right side of the offensive line or they could pull the trigger on Weeden if they feel he won't be there in Round 2.


23. Detroit Lions - Cordy Glenn, G/T, Georgia

The Lions would like a cornerback badly after watching their secondary get torched by the Saints in the Wild Card round this past January. None of the top corners are left here so they'll have to address another need up front on the offensive line. LT Jeff Backus isn't getting any younger and RT Gosder Cherilus is hardly a rock on the right side. In between those two is a lot of uncertainty. Enter Glenn, who could start out at guard and move to tackle, much like Backus did later in his career. QB Matt Stafford has a reputation for being frail and the team can ill-afford any more injuries to their franchise quarterback. The versatility of Glenn gives them options on a patchwork offensive line.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Don'ta Hightower, LB, Alabama

You would think a team that has been decimated by poor offensive line play would be rumored to be heavy in the offensive line market, yet the name that keeps popping up for the Steel Curtian is Alabama linebacker Don'ta Hightower. That might be a sign that Hightower won't be the pick since, as we've seen with the Rams and Justin Blackmon, there are no slam dunks beyond the top two. While he doesn't make as much sense as a tackle like Jonathan Martin or Ohio State's Mike Adams or even Cordy Glenn, Hightower does fit a need. With Jame Farrior cut, Pittsburgh is in need of a new interior linebacker. Other needs include a new nose tackle and perhaps a receiver, since the team is foolishly playing hardball with #1 wideout Mike Wallace.

25. Denver Broncos - Micheal Brockers, DT, LSU

Micheal Brockers had enough early buzz that he looked like the sexy pick for the Panthers at #9, The emergence of guys like Fletcher Cox and Dontari Poe have knocked Brockers down a few pegs and, even now, he's in danger of being usurped by the rising Jerel Worthy of Michigan State and UConn's Kendell Reyes. Either way, the Broncos need help on the interior of the defensive line and a big guy like Brockers(6'6, 308lbs) could take pressure off Def. ROTY Von Miller and Comeback Player of the Year Elvis Dumervil and improve a run defense that has to deal with Ryan Mathews, Jamaal Charles, and Darren McFadden within the division.

26. Houston Texans - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

A bit of a surprise here, I know, since many mocks have the Texans taking a wide receiver to complement Andre Johnson or a pass rusher to replace the departed Mario Williams. However, keep in mind that Houston lost the entire right side of its offensive line in the offseason. Right guard Mike Briesel skipped town to Oakland and released RT Eric Winston went to the AFC West as well when he signed with the Chiefs. As great as a new target for Matt Schaub would be, it means nothing if Schaub is on his back. Martin protected the blind side for Andrew Luck at Stanford and he knows about opening holes in a power offense that likes to sling the football as well. The Texans can find #2 wideouts and pass rushers in the draft, but offensive tackle is thin beyond the first round this year. They'd be smart to pick one up here.

27. New England Patriots(from New Orleans) - Nick Perry, DE/LB, USC

New England needed pass rush help even before Mark Anderson bolted for Buffalo. Andre Carter, the team's other pass rush specialist, is a question mark after an injury-marred 2011. With two first round picks and a draft deep in pass rushers, it's time for Belichick and company to stock up. Nick Perry is one of several defensive ends who could anywhere in the draft depending on how teams ranks this crop of pass rushers. Maybe he ends with Jets? Maybe the Bears or the Titans or the Chargers? Who knows? The names are interchangeable but the need is still prevalent. Perry could rush the passer as a 3-4 linebacker or stick his mitt in the dirt and come at offenses as a 4-3 end. In a division that's expected to get more pass heavy, the Pats need to go away from the usual trading away of picks and start building for now.

28. Green Bay Packers - Shea McClellin, DE/LB, Boise State

For as great as the Packers' offense was last year, the team missed out on what looked like a gimme repeat bid after their 15-1 regular season because the defense fell apart. Part of that could be blamed on Cullen Jenkins' departure as well as the lack of a bonafide pass rush threat beyond Clay Matthews. Given his reputation for addressing a glaring weakness hard, expect Ted Thompson to aggressively rebuild the front seven. He signed Anthony Hargrove to fill in on the defensive line and now it's time to find Matthews a tag team partner. McClellin was off the radar before workouts and some re-watchings of his tape at Boise State moved him up draft boards. McClellin had 26 tackles for loss including 16.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Boise St. He's a little light at 6'3, 248 lbs but they said the same thing about Matthews when he came out. McClellin is just one piece of the puzzle. The team needs as many pass rushers as possible and then focus on the offensive line and secondary after an uncharacteristic mundane draft last season.

29. Baltimore Ravens - Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

Wisconsin center Peter Konz has been the name associated with Baltimore since pretty much Day 1. With Matt Birk up in years and the Ravens' offensive line far from solid, Konz makes a ton of sense as Baltimore's center of the future and he could still get the nod here. Another area of need for Baltimore is wide receiver. With the failed Lee Evans experiment over with and now being conducted in Jacksonville, the Ravens could use another weapon to join the aging Anquan Boldin and the speedy Torrey Smith. Stephen Hill dominated the NFL Combine, showing off blazing speed with a 4.3 40 at 6'4, 214 lbs. Because he played in a run-oriented offense at Georgia Tech, Hill's college numbers aren't as note-worthy as, say, Rutgers' Mo Sanu but he made the most of his opportunities for the Yellow Jackets. Baltimore could go a number of ways here, including RB if Ray Rice can't be compelled to sign an extension but I think a trio of Hill, Smith and Boldin is too good to pass up.

30. San Francisco 49ers - Courtney Upshaw, DE/LB, Alabama

Wait a second. Hear me out here. What were the Niners' needs coming into this offseason? Cornerback? They re-signed Carlos Rogers and brought in former Bronco Perrish Cox. Wide receiver? They signed Mario Manningham and brought Randy Moss out of retirement. Quarterback? Alex Smith is back in the fold(I know...I know). What's left? Some help on the interior of the offensive line? Sure, and the team could opt for Amini Silatolu out of Midwestern State. Safety? Notre Dame's Harrison Smith could be the pick. However, do either of those have better value than Courtney Upshaw, a 'tweener who could go as high as 16th? Of course not. The team drafted Aldon Smith last year and he lived up to his billing by nabbing 13.5 sacks. Why not get him a partner? If you're San Francisco and you already have the best defense in the game and you're now adding a guy like Courtney Upshaw, that makes your defense significantly more devastating. Smith, Pat Willis, Navarro Bowman and Upshaw as your four linebackers? Yikes.

31. New England Patriots - Devon Still, DT, Penn State

On top of finding a pass rushing linebacker, the Pats also needed some help on the defensive line. Now, history suggests one of these picks will be dealt to someone else in exchange for a pick next year(and this is where my Rams moving back into the first round theory comes into play). If they stay, however, Devon Still would be a nice piece on the defensive line. He's been considered as a dark horse for Philly at 15 and he could go somewhere in between there and here. At 6'5, 312 lbs, Still is a mountain of a man who will benefit from the still-reliable Vince Wilfork's presence on the line and give the Pats a quality 3-4 DE they haven't had since trading away Richard Seymour.

32. New York Giants - David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

Like the Niners, the defending Super Bowl champs don't have many needs. They could use some help on the offensive line, which is why Ohio State's Mike Adams should be kept in mind. They're always in the market for a linebacker, so UNC's Zach Brown is an option. They lost every TE of significance to injury during the Super Bowl, so Stanford's Coby Fleener would appear to be the favorite. However, remember that the team got rid of Brandon Jacobs in the offseason and Ahmad Bradshaw isn't exactly durable. Wilson isn't the inside runner that Jacobs was but he's a home run threat who only needs a hole to hit and he's gone. Oddly enough, the guy Wilson draws the most comparisons to is Bradshaw, so while he isn't a change-of-pace like Jacobs was, he still represents some new blood for the league's worst rushing offense.

Lesser of Two Evils

As with any form of entertainment, the sports world is more compelling when it has someone who, as Al Pacino famously said in "Scarface", they can point their fingers at and say "There's the bad guy."

Every sport needs villains. After a while you get tired of watching soft drink-shilling pop tarts smiling for the cameras and hugging children. We need people we can aim our vitriol at. We need someone or some thing to root against, be it Duke basketball or the Dallas Cowboys or Barry Bonds. Plotting the demise of those that make our blood boil is almost as entertaining as cheering on our boys(and, depending on who you ask, both feelings might be equal).

In the basketball world, fans tend to aim their disgust at individuals more so than teams(though the Lakers rank high amongst sports' most despised franchises). Coming into this season, the most hated man on the face of the hardwood was Miami Heat superstar LeBron James, who famously lead the city of Cleveland down the primrose path before ripping their hearts out on national television via a unnecessary, self-serving "special" where he stalled for a half hour before announcing his intentions to ditch the Cavs to "take his talents to South Beach". Cleveland will never forgive King James for that and there are many outside of Ohio who have the same sentiments as Cavs fans. Before LBJ was Public Enemy #1, fans adopted Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as the NBA's John Dillinger. As if a well-publicized rape charge wasn't enough to make people's skin crawl, Kobe had storied brouhaha with lovable Laker legend Shaquille O'Neal and went on a momentary rampage where he attempted to whine his way out of L.A. unless the Lakers put a team that fit his liking(oddly enough, Kobe wanted a championship caliber team much like the one he just destroyed with Shaq). "The Decision" didn't quite take Kobe off the hook but that public screw-up by James combined with Kobe winning a couple rings without "The Diesel" changed the momentum a bit.

However, much like The Akron Hammer bailed out The Black Mamba from the NBA's hot seat, James might now find himself to be the beneficiary of a momentum shift in the battle to become basketball's biggest bad guy. In fact, he might end up being usurped by two contenders, one of which a very familiar face.

While LeBron has been busy putting on another season for the ages and Kobe continues to fight off Father Time by threatening to win a scoring title when his body is more broken down than a '86 Volvo, the center of attention(no pun intended) these past few months has been Orlando Magic big man Dwight Howard. Coming into this lockout-shortened season, D-12 was a mortal lock to be skipping out of Orlando and into the friendly confines of either Los Angeles or somewhere in the Metropolitan area(Brooklyn/New Jersey). Instead, Howard went on a five-month crusade in which he curb-stomped any bit of respect or credibility the basketball-loving public had for him by routinely flip-flopping his intentions, plotting behind closed doors to get his head coach canned and then sulking to the point that teammates accused him of mailing it in. Now, I'm sure, if given a mulligan, Howard would push for the team to move him before the trade deadline and not waver off of his demand to get out of town. However, Howard found himself caught in an internal struggle with himself. He wanted out of Orlando, but he wanted to do it in a way where he wouldn't piss off the fans in Orlando that stuck behind him since he came to town a few years ago. He wanted his exit to be more like Chris Paul's exile from New Orleans, bittersweet yet understandable, and not like LeBron's, with fans burning jerseys and booing til their lungs collapsed. So, Howard found himself answering constant questions about his future, wanting to tell the world he wanted out but not wanting to come off as a complete douche bag. The result? The Magic forced Doomsday into a game of chicken, which they inevitably won at the deadline and forced Howard into signing an extension for next season but only after he exhausted any chance of a trade with his constant unwillingness to make a decision on his future. Because of that, Howard went from being a conflicted star who wanted to leave on good terms to being cast as a coach killer who got outed for being a diva behind closed doors who threw his teammates and head coach Stan Van Gundy under the bus while demanding the preferential superstar treatment he felt he deserved as the man at the center of trade talks for the last 12 months.

How the next few months play out for Howard remain to be seen. For now, he's going to spend the rest of the season in a suit and on the mend from a poorly timed back surgery(Poorly timed because it came after reports were flying left and right confirming Howard wanted Van Gundy gone and accusing Howard of giving up on the team, a claim he can no longer defuse from the bench) and being a foil for angry fans. Lucky for Dwight, another target has emerged to be the target of our arrows. The Headcase Formerly Known As Ron Artest now known as Metta World Peace caught a Glen Davis sized amount of shit over the weekend for delivering an elbow to the side of Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden's head that would make "Macho Man" Randy Savage cringe. Ron/Metta claims the elbow was unintentional but the question remains why Artest/Peace insisted upon throwing 'bows in the first place? Was he that gassed up from throwing one down that he had to go into full freakout mode? Or was this yet another in a long line of inexplicably foolish antics that have become Captain Queensbridge's calling card his entire career? In a sports era where concussion awareness is at an all-time high, could Artest pick a worse time to go Dee-Bo upside Harden's dome? The league has suspended Artest/Peace for seven games, but if it was up to me, Artest would be done for 2012 with his availability for next season being up for review pending good behavior. This is the man who has become more known for charging into the stands after fans, badgering refs, bullying opponents, giving spaced-out interviews and being a general nuisance to every team he's been on. You forget that he's one of the game's premier perimeter defenders and underrated combo guards. All you think about when you hear the name "Ron Artest" or "Metta World Peace"(Side note: could there be a more ill-fitting new moniker for a loon like Artest than "World Peace"? That would be like George Zimmerman changing his name to "Racial Equality") is "That guy's craaazzzy!".

That being said, at least Artest knows what he is and he's never shied away from it. Sure, the name change may have been a ploy by him to convince people he's turned over a new leaf, but who was really buying that anyway? Artest is a lot of things. Fraud isn't one of them. The same can't be said about Howard. That brings me to my ultimate question and, in essence, the reason behind this blog: Is it better to have a once-respectable superstar who turns out to be a me-first prima donna that sabotages the franchise with his indecisiveness or a knucklehead with a reputation for chicanery whom the locker room knows they'll have to keep in check if they hope to contend? With Artest, you know what you're getting: solid defense, some ill-advised jumpers, about 30-40 technicals and the looming probability of a suspension. In Howard, you get the game's best center and two-way threat who also can't be trusted because he can flip on his teammates and coaches the minute he sees greener pastures. You want a star who needs to be coached or needs to be babied?

This summer, Howard will get his wish either via Van Gundy's inevitable canning or a trade out of town(possibly both). In the meantime, is there a better potential storyline than a Howard-less Magic team's quest for the title in the upcoming playoffs? What better way to stick it the diva who proclaimed that his teammates weren't good enough for someone of his stature than to win a ring without him.....while he's watching from the bench? How can you not root for Orlando as a underdog in a hardly-stacked Eastern Conference? Do I think they'll get out of the first round? Hell no! Will it be entertaining to watch them try and will I laugh giddily if they make each round a series? Damn straight. As for Artest, he'll do his time and he'll come back to a Lakers team that still has an outside chance at a title. He'll go back to his role as the NBA's biggest wild card and the team will rally around him to keep him from going, well, Ron Artest on somebody.

That, to me, speaks wonders about how the tables have turned for Dwight Howard. He's managed to become more of a cancerous pariah than a well-known crazy man who just tried to decapitate an opponent with a bionic elbow. Congratulations, Dwight. In your quest to be treated like a superstar like LeBron, you've managed to become Public Enemy #1......just like LeBron.

Making matters worse, not even Ron Artest can save you from that hot seat, big fella.

Cut Their Mics Off.....4/13/2012

“I ain’t going to say I was sad because the only thing they remember is that pass. You gotta go back and look at the rest of the games. I wasn’t getting no balls and you had to make some of these plays where some players were open and he is not making the throws......Everything on ESPN was all about Tim. That bothered some players too because they would say ‘Tim Tebow Time.’ I felt like it was a team thing. If it wasn’t for the defense most of the time there wouldn’t be no supposed ‘Tim Tebow Time." - Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas



"Tannehill is a hidden gem in this draft,a quiet secret who was always sneaking up to #3..you want him,you better talk to Zigi The Biggie!" - Colts owner Jim Irsay, via Twitter(@JimIrsay)



It's been a while since we've cut off anyone's mic and, while taking these rather mild comments out of context and using them strictly for our bashing pleasure might come across as nitpicking for the sake of starting an argument, they do have some cause for criticism when you dig deep into them.



Let's start with Thomas first. Ignore the horrible grammar that he used in his interview with 2 Live Stews because I don't expect my athletes to conduct themselves like Rhodes Scholars. Now, I know I come off as a Tebow apologist at times. I thought his emergence was one of the feel-good stories of the 2011 NFL season, albeit overblown(but, really, what news story isn't?) and I thought his upheaval from Denver was one of the rare examples of a franchise finding a reason to be unhappy with its franchise player's success because it wasn't done in a way that aesthetically pleasing. Let's be clear: Watching Tim Tebow conduct a passing offense was like watching John Ruiz win the heavyweight boxing title. Ugly but it got results.





With all that said, whether Thomas wants to admit it or not, Tebow MADE Thomas a name with his 80-yard TD pass in overtime against the Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs this past January. He owes a lot of his cult hero status in the Rockies to Touchdown Jesus. Am I saying that Thomas shouldn't be excited about the prospects of catching bullets(er, probably the wrong words to use when talking about Broncos or Colorado) from Peyton Manning as opposed to Tim Tebow? Of course not. EVERY wideout wants to play with Peyton Manning.However, there's something to be said about kicking a man when he's down and also being critical of someone when you no longer share a locker room with him. That something to be said is....it makes you look like a pussy. If Thomas had an issue with the lack of passes being thrown his way, he could have mentioned something before Tebow was sent packing to New York. Of course, Thomas wasn't going to criticize Denver's prodigal son for the same reason John Elway and John Fox gritted their teeth and bit their tongue through every Tebow victory: fear of backlash. Tim Tebow was as loved in Denver in his short time there as Joe Sakic, Todd Helton, Larry Walker Carmelo Anthony(pre-trade demands) or any other Colorado sports hero(including Elway, which is probably why Tebow's a Jet now). If Thomas whined about Tebow not looking his way more often during the season, Thomas would have been saddled with the "me-first selfish diva" label that all prima donna receivers seem to get stuck with when they put their personal numbers above team success. Thomas' face would have been fully entrenched on the dartboard of chief Tebow loyalist Skip Bayless right alongside LeBron James and Jalen Rose.




Yes, Tebow was a work-in-progress as a passer and it's understandable for his receiving targets to be miffed at Tebow not exactly being the second coming of Johnny Unitas. Still, there's a time and a place for criticism. Unless Thomas was psychic and knew Tebow was leaving Denver months prior to his trade to the Jets, the timing of his comments makes it seem(at least, to me) like he's piling on a guy who's already been disrespected by being traded after notching the team's first playoff win in years and who was constantly trying to earn the respect of not only his peers, critics and fans but, most importantly, guys like Fox and Elway. At the end of the day, Thomas should have spoken up if he had a problem with the game plan and he should have done it sooner than a couple days ago. Also, if Thomas(and other teammates, as he so claims) were worried about all the time and attention Tebow was receiving from ESPN and other media outlets last season, perhaps he should rewind his DVR to the round-the-clock coverage that the Manning Sweepstakes was receiving up until Manning dotted the I's and crossed the T's on his new contract. EVERYONE gets overshadowed by Peyton Manning.....unless they go out of their way to make themselves the story.



Which brings me to Jim Irsay. Now, Irsay's sudden co-signing of Texas A &M WR-turned-QB Ryan Tannehill isn't that big a deal except when you consider a couple of things. One, the Colts(who hold the first pick in this month's draft) have absolutely no intention of taking anyone other than Stanford QB Andrew Luck(no matter how many smoke screens Irsay tries to send). Second, the Browns, picking fourth with their eyes on Tannehill, totally get screwed here with Irsay's "If you want Tannehill, you better move ahead of Cleveland!" comment. Sure, it's no secret that Cleveland has their sights set on Tannehill(though picking him at 4 would be a huge reach for a guy who's been a college QB for a little over a year) but why even make that comment? So, you're facilitating trades for the Vikings now, Jimmy? How thoughtful.







The reasoning behind Irsay's comment, as well as all the other foolish tweets from Irsay's account including the one where he called Peyton Manning(only the greatest player to suit up for the Colts in half a century) a "politician", is to make himself the story and garner some headlines. If Irsay's whistle-blowing somehow leads to a frenzy for the 3rd overall pick(which the Vikes would be foolish to trade unless they get blown away by an offer. They are staring dead at USC OT Matt Kalil and their offensive line sucks out loud), then Irsay will be the first person to start patting himself on the back. My issue with all of that is owners, of any sport much less football, should be seen and not heard. If you're an NFL owner, you're already a rich old man who happens to also be in the rare company of owning a football franchise. Only 30 other people can hold that distinction(the Packers have a CEO but not a traditional owner like, say, the Rams do). You don't need to draw anymore attention to yourself other than making an occasional appearance in the sky box at big games and an interview here and there. You know why people can't stand guys like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder and even the late great George Steinbrenner(besides their frequent ineptitude)? Because they never knew when to shut the fuck up. Jerry Jones has spent the last three decades trying to make himself as big a star as the one that appears on the 50-yard line at the new Cowboys stadium....and you know what? It's annoying.








Irsay's chief concern needs to be striking a deal with Luck and the utilizing the rest of his draft as well as the drafts that follow to keep his team from being a laughingstock in the post-Peyton era and not touting a prospect he has no interest in. Also, Tannehill's not a hidden gem. A man projected to go as high as fourth overall is hardly a "diamond in the rough". People started keeping tabs on Tannehill months ago. You aren't exactly breaking new ground by championing a potential Top 5 pick. Comments like that bring back memories of the kind of analysis a chump like Jon Gruden makes during Monday Night Football telecasts(which Gabe and I make fun of ad nauseum)..."That Aaron Rodgers....he's good.". Irsay isn't exactly a world-renowned judge on talent. A majority of the reason his team flopped last season without Manning is because they couldn't build a team around one of the few draft picks the franchise has gotten right in the past two decades. This is the same man who thought signing Kerry Collins last year as Peyton's replacement was a good idea. You wanna take advice from him?




Again, there's a time and a place for opening your yap. You want to criticize your QB for not getting you the ball enough? Do it while he's actually on the team(Then again, maybe good judgement is asking too much from a man who left his drunk ex-girlfriend at a party to be allegedly raped by one of his teammates. Just sayin'.). You want to back a rookie before the NFL Draft? Be his agent and not the owner of a franchise set to draft a superior prospect. You think Andrew Luck likes hearing how great you think Ryan Tannehill will be? I know there's a slow news gap in between the beginning of April and the NFL Draft, but it's always important to think before you speak(or tweet).

In the meantime, your mic is cut off.

2012 MLB Preview

If you want to get technical, the 2012 baseball season started last week with a barely-watched Oakland-Seattle series brought to you in the wee hours of the night from The Land of the Rising Sun. If you were up at the butt crack of dawn to watch those games, more power to you. However, even the seven people that qualify for that last sentence would tell you that those games were of no consequence to the rest of this season.

The last couple of years here at BoomRoastedSports, we've broke down the league, division-by-division, and gave you our picks. This year's version is a bit more scaled down. Why? Well, for one, this was a busy last few months sports-wise from Bountygate to the Peyton Manning sweepstakes to the underwhelming Dwight Howard pursuit as well as a spirited men's college basketball tournament(the latter two not getting much ink from this very site, but whatever). Secondly, nobody really cares who's going to finish fifth in the NL Central. People want the meat and potatoes. Who's going to the playoffs? Who's winning it all? Who's the MVP? Things like that.

So, this year, you get all the meat and potatoes you can stuck. I went with strictly division winners, handed out some awards and even tabbed a few players and teams to keep an eye on down the stretch. So, here you go, America, BoomRoastedSports' take on the 2012 MLB season.

NL East: Miami Marlins - A bit of a surprise, considering how stacked the division is and all the love experts routinely give Philadelphia and Atlanta, but take a closer look at the roster. They'll have the fastest 1-2-3 at the top of the lineup in Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonafacio and Hanley Ramirez. They have one of the league's best young boppers in RF Giancarlo Stanton(formerly Mike Stanton) and even the guys hitting behind Stanton are formidable: Twitter sensation Logan Morrison, catcher John Buck, 1B Gaby Sanchez and veteran Omar Infante. The rotation hinges on the health of Josh Johnson. When not on the DL, Johnson's one of the best pitchers in the game but he spent much of 2011 on the sidelines. Behind him, though, you have former White Sox ace Mark Buehrle, decent young hurlers Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez as well as the always-fiery Carlos Zambrano. Granted, it's not like the big names you'll find in Philly's rotation, but when a guy like Big Z is your fifth starter, you aren't doing TOO bad. The Marlins also signed Heath Bell away from San Diego to shut the door as their closer. Bell's saved at least 40 games for an average Padres team the last three seasons, so they should expect at least as much from him in South Florida.

The biggest wild card in MIA will be new manager Ozzie Guillen. Guillen was known for being as much of a loose cannon as he was a winner in Chicago the last few years. His World Series ring suggests he has what it takes to lead a young team to the Promised Land, but his ugly exit from the Windy City also suggests it will be a turbulent ride. Still, if Ozzie can get a guy like Zambrano back to his old form and reign in notorious knuckleheads like Reyes and Ramirez, then this team will be going places. If not, it's back to looking up to Atlanta and Philly like the experts keep suggesting.

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers - The loss of Prince Fielder is supposed to be a big blow until you realize the team went with quantity over quality in replacing the big man at first. Aramis Ramirez isn't the devastating bopper that Prince was but he's good enough to protect reigning MVP Ryan Braun, who eliminates the loss of Prince simply by dodging that 50-game substance abuse ban. Youngsters like Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks have some pop as well, so long as they can stay healthy. Alex Gonzalez has put up decent power numbers in his long career and playing his home games in Miller Park will certianly help him out. Center fielder Nyjer Morgan returns to bring speed at the top of the lineup. So, the lineup is going to be just fine without Prince.

The rotation, meanwhile, is pretty damn good, too. Zach Grienke had a pretty good debut season with the Brew Crew(16-6, 201 K's, 3.98 ERA). Yovani Gallardo is an excellent #2 as well and he struck out a little over 200 batters as well last year. Shaun Marcum is perfectly suited as the #3. Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson? Meh, you can't win them all. The bullpen has a good young closer in John Axford and, even if he somehow falls apart, the team can always lean on K-Rod, Francisco Rodriguez, to clean up the 9th inning.

The Brewers aren't dead in the water without Prince. Certianly, his presence would still be nice to have but the load now falls squarely on the shoulders of Braun to carry this team. Can the MVP still produce without the big fella in front of him? I'd like to think so. This is still a very good Milwaukee team and, lest we forget, they were very close to making the World Series last year. The same could hold true this year. If there's a scary dark horse in the National League, it's these Brewers.

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers - This came down to L.A. or San Fran and I, literally, went to a coin flip. The Giants have elite pitching while the Dodgers have the bats that the Giants sorely lack. If you combine both teams, you'd get a pretty solid contender. Regardless, I'm continuing to show I haven't learned my lesson by picking the Dodgers for the fourth time in five years. The Dodgers were distracted by the bankruptcy/divorce issues of soon-to-be former owner Frank McCourt. Now, however, the team is to be taken over by a group lead by former Laker great Magic Johnson and stability is in place for the first time in a long time. That's perfect timing because the Dodgers have the reigning NL Cy Young in Clayton Kershaw and a man who came thisclose to winning the NL MVP in CF Matt Kemp. The team gave Kemp the long-term security he'd been seeking after his breakout 2011(.298, 39 HR, 40 SB, 126 RBI). Still, Kemp needs to prove that he can do it on a more consistant level. Two years ago, Kemp was on the trading block waiting for the next thing smoking out of Hollywood. Now, he's the franchise. The team also needs more out of fellow OF Andre Ethier, who flirted with the Triple Crown early in 2010 and then fell off the face of the Earth last season. Beyond Ethier and Kemp, the lineup has some guys who aren't household names but can still swing the lumber. First baseman James Loney lacks pop but he gets on base and hits just under .300 routinely. Shortstop Dee Gordon is a speed demon who will set the table at the top of the lineup and veterans Juan Uribe and Juan Rivera are oft-traveled but still serviceable.

As for the rotation, Kershaw finally put everything together last year with great award-winning season(21-5, 2.28 ERA and 248 K's). Behind him, some guys who haven't quite put it together yet. Chad Billingsley is supposed to be a solid #2 by now but he's been maddeningly inconsistant. Ted Lilly and Aaron Harang are elder statesman who strike out a lot of batters but also give up quite a bit of runs and former Brewer Chris Capuano is pretty much a placeholder as the team's fifth starter. The bullpen, which once had lights-out closers like Eric Gagne and Jon Broxton holding down the fort in the 9th inning, now has a bit of uncertianty. Javy Guerra has the opening nod as closer but he'll feel the breath of setup man Kenley Jensen on his neck before too long. Both can handle the closing duties but both are relatively inexperienced(although Guerra did handle the job nicely after Broxton imploded last year).

You can pretty much pick the NL West winner out of a hat. San Francisco will always be in it. Arizona and Colorado have made strides in recent years and you can't completely rule out San Diego. However, things came full circle for the Dodgers last year and with the ugliness of the McCourt saga now over with, the Dodgers can finally contend behind the arm of Kershaw and the bat of Kemp.

NL Wild Cards

1. Philadelphia Phillies - I know, it's herasy to pick anyone over the Phillies in the NL East but considering this team was supposed to blow through the National League last year and didn't make it out of Round 1, I'm understandably skeptical. Here's why I'm down on Philly. Their once-vaunted lineup is wounded. 1B Ryan Howard, a notorious slow starter to begin with, is out til at least June with an Achilles injury. 2B Chase Utley will miss the start of the season because he, too, is banged up. SS Jimmy Rollins is getting long in the tooth. You factor all those things in and what's that lineup look like? Hunter Pence and a band of journeymen. How much you liking that Jim Thome/Ty Wiggington platoon at first in Howard's absence, eh? Sure, Shane Victorino has 30-30 potential, but without that protection in the lineup, that seems far-fetched.

The calling card for Philly, as it's always been, is the rotation. Doc Halladay and Cliff Lee is the best 1-2 in the majors and Cole Hamels is in a contract year. Joe Blanton and Vance Worley are serviceable at the back end of the rotation, too. The team made another big offseason move by bringing in Jonathan Papelbon from Boston to close. Paps is still a very good closer but he still has a tendency to choke in big spots. This isn't the wild-eyed fire-throwing youngster from years ago. Papelbon is 31 now and the pressure has worn on him a bit from his days of carrying the Red Sox. Do I think he'll fail in Philly? No. But let's pencil him in as a slightly-better version of what Brad Lidge was giving the Phils a couple years ago. Mariano Rivera, he is not.

Still, Philly's good enough to make the playoffs and, if not for the early season injury woes, they might take the East yet again. I'm just a bit hesistant this time around. If the Phils couldn't get it done last year when everything is in place, how much faith do you have in them now when the wheels are coming off?

2. Cincinatti Reds - Initially, the Reds were my pick to represent the National League but I had a last minute change of heart when I peaked at the rotation. Mat Latos, acquired from San Diego, might be the best arm on this starting rotation and he's a #2, at best. Johnny Cueto is coming off an injury plagued season and the rest of the staff is underwhelming. Bronson Arroyo? Irrelevant for years. Homer Bailey and Mike Leake? Still haven't made the leap.

The saving grace for Cincinatti is the lineup. With Albert Pujols and Price Fielder now in the AL, the time has come for Joey Votto to take the mantle as "The Man" in the NL. With an MVP already to his credit, a lineup buit to protect him and a hitter-friendly ballpark, Votto could be in the market for a monster season and with a $200 million extension coming, he'll need it to justify his new deal. Around Votto are power/speed combo threats in CF Drew Stubbs and 2B Brandon Phillips. Both are legit 20-20 threats and Phillips adds a solid glove to go with his lethal bat and legs. RF Jay Bruce is on the come-up, too. He just needs to limit his strikeouts and work on getting his average up. Still, hitting behind Votto, he's a threat for 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. Rounding out the names in this hit parade is Scott Rolen. Rolen's a mortal lock to miss half the season with some kind of injury but if, and this is a big IF, Rolen can stay healthy, he's excellent at the plate and in the field. In the bullpen, the name getting all the pub is hard-throwing Cuban reliever Aroldis Chapman. The Reds aren't quite sure what to with Chapman. They'd prefer he crack the rotation but, with recent signing Ryan Madson out for the season, Chapman may have to take over closer duties. Dusty Baker is world renowed for wearing out his bullpen and I fully expect that trend to continue with Chapman, as he's the best young pitcher on the roster.

The Reds have a tremendous amount of talent, but almost none of it surfaces in the pitching staff beyond Chapman and perhaps Latos. That's a huge pill to swallow for a team that plays in a hitter's park in a division filled with good hitters. If the Reds can keep opponents' bats at bay, they can make some noise. For now, they are a very good team that will have to resort to winning slugfests until the rotation comes of age.

Wild Card winner: Philadelphia over Cincinnatti - It's a battle of two potent offenses, provided Philly gets its injury woes straightened out by October, but how much faith do you have in Cincy getting the best of Roy Halladay with everything on the line? Yeah, I didn't think so.

NL MVP: Matt Kemp, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers - He was right there to win this thing last year and, had L.A. did a little better in the standings, he might have edged out Braun with a near 40-40 year. This year, I think he takes it. It won't be without some serious competition though. Milwaukee is now more Braun's team than it's ever been and if he gets them back to last year's form, he'll be right in the thick of this race. Reds 1B Joey Votto is the best at his position in the league and he has the benefits of a solid lineup and a hitter-friendly ballpark. Still, I think the security of a new deal and new ownership allows Kemp to get comfortable in the middle of that Dodger lineup and I think he flirts with 40-40 again with a average slightly above .300

NL MVP Darkhorse: Hanley Ramirez, 3B, Miami Marlins - He's hitting in a lineup that features another MVP contender in SS Jose Reyes and a potential perennial All-Star in Giancarlo Stanton. Like Kemp and Braun, he has the power-speed combo going for him. If Miami is every bit as successful as I project and Ramirez handles his new position at third base well, he could be a threat to steal this thing. Both of those aspects are big IFs, however, and Ramirez's reputation for being a bit of a malcontent doesn't help his chances with the voters.

NL Cy Young: Zack Grienke, Milwaukee Brewers - The NL is stacked with pitching. Halladay and Lee will be in the running, as will guys like two-time winner Tim Lincecum and teammate Matt Cain in San Francisco. Eventhough I don't like Milwaukee getting passed Philly in the "play-in game", I still think Grienke builds on last year's season and notches 20 wins with his usual 200 K's. It's not the sexy pick, but it gets boring picking the same guy every year. I know that. Voters know that.

NL Cy Young Dark Horse: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals - As with Hanley, a couple of big IFs here with Strasburg. However, IF he stays healthy and IF he returns to pre-injury form, Strasburg's numbers will, at the very least, rival Kershaw's numbers from last season. In another division, the Nationals could be a contender but, for all their talent, it's going to be tough for them to climb past a bolstered Miami team, an already formidable Phils team and a Braves team that still has some experts' resepct. Again, IF Strasburg is the goods like many thought coming out of the draft, then he can take this award with a healthy 2012.

Biggest Surprise: Washington Nationals - I'm making this pick with a lot of hope since I live two hours away from D.C. and Gabe is now a reformed Nats fan. As I mentioned before, the road to glory is pretty long for the Nats but, my God, look at this roster. Behind Strasburg in the rotation is former Athletic hurler Gio Gonzalez, who had a lot of sleeper buzz in Oakland last year. Edwin Jackson and Jordan Zimmerman are solid as the third and fourth starter. In the bullpen, Drew Storen saved 43 games in his first full year as closer last year. Storen will miss the first few weeks of the season, so closing duties go to former Phils/Astros reliever Brad Lidge. That's not a bad replacement for Washington. As for the lineup, First baseman Michael Morse(also hurt) had a breakout year last year(31 HRs, 95 RBI, .303 avg) and his spot is being held down by former Pirate Adam LaRoche. The team also has perennial All-Star Ryan Zimmerman at third, who brings a big pop to the middle of the lineup and a solid glove in the field. The team needs more out of big 2011 free agent signing Jayson Werth, who flopped in his first year after leaving Philly. If Werth returns to his Philly days, then this lineup gets a bit scarier. For now, the team needs a few breaks to get to a very steep mountian top but I think 85 wins and nipping at Atlanta's heels for third in the East is reasonable.

Biggest Disappointment: Atlanta Braves - I had other Braves fans attempt to soak me with confidence and well wishes for the 2012 Braves, but I'm just not buying it. As a Braves fan for nearly two decades, I can't see how this is better than a 80-win ballclub. Let's take a look at the rotation, shall we? Tim Hudson....injured. Out til at least May after back surgery and he was falling apart anyway. Tommy Hanson....I'm not a believer. Sorry. Jair Jurrjens....trade bait. Mike Minor, Julio Tehreran, Brandon Beachy.....we'll see how it goes with them. Livan Hernandez....would've been great a decade ago. The bullpen? Solid. Best in years, but Fredi Gonzalez ABUSED Johnny Venters and Craig Kimbrel last year. How do they respond this year? As for the lineup, someone please tell me where the runs are coming from? Chipper's already on the DL in what will be his final year. Dan Uggla can't hit above .250 since getting that huge deal a year ago, power numbers be damned. Jason Heyward took a huge step back after being heralded as "the next Hank Aaron". Martin Prado, Matt Diaz, Freddie Freeman? Ho-hum. Michael Bourn was a nice pickup but he's Juan Pierre with a better arm. Basically, it's Brian McCann and a lot of hope.

Look, I get a lot of flack for being irresponsibly hard on all of my teams but I wasn't going to be a homer here. The Braves need a lot to break their way to be as good as speculated. Prado and Heyward need to bounce back. Uggla needs to get that average up. The rotation needs to stay healthy and produce. Kimbrel and Venters can't afford to fall apart. My skepticism runs high here. The NL East is LOADED. The Braves are a good team and, in a NL with no real elite team, they can make a run, but I want to see that last year's collapse didn't kill this team before I put them right back on the high horse.

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays - Their World Series run a couple years ago established the Tampa Bay Rays as a legit contender with the enviable combination of talent and youth at a discounted price. However, being saddled in a loaded AL East with big spenders like Boston and New York has made the road back to the Series significantly harder than it is for, say, the Texas Rangers. Left for dead late last season, the Rays pulled off a historic turnaround to steal the Wild Card spot away from Boston before bowing out in Round 1 of the playoffs. This year, they get to start the season with MVP candidate 3B Evan Longoria as well as bring back an old friend to protect Longo in 1B Carlos Pena. Rounding out the stars in the lineup is heralded prospect Desmond Jennings, super utility man Ben Zobrist and 30-30 threat B.J. Upton(when he comes back from the DL). That quintet gives the Rays a slew of bats that can rival those of the Sox or Yanks. What sets the Rays apart from their big market brothers is their pitching. Led by former #1 overall pick David Price, the Rays' rotation might be the deepest its been in years. Behind Price is fellow young fireballer "Big Game" James Shields, who emerged as a Cy Young dark horse and true innings eater last season with a 16-12 record, 225 K's, a 2.82 ERA and an astonishing 11 complete games. Jeremy Hellickson and Jeff Niemann each had double digits in wins and the rotation gets a boost from another potential star in last season's phenom, Matt Moore.

The bullpen, as usual, is Tampa's Achilles' heel. Kyle Farnsworth was tabbed as the team's closer but quickly found himself on the D.L., leaving closing duties to either Joel Peralta or former Tigers closer Fernando Rodney. The Rays have gotten by with journeymen in the late innings in years past so I don't forsee this being something that trips them up(especially when Farnsworth comes back) but if there's a chink in the armor, it's here. Beyond that, a healthy Rays team has everything needed to make another World Series run. Their rotation is six deep, when you include Wade Davis, and the lineup features some of the best young bats in the game. On top of that, the Rays might have the game's best manager in Joe Maddon. All in all, this team is the quintessential David ready to do battle with a bunch of rich A.L. Goliaths.

AL Central: Detroit Tigers - The Tigers have garnered a ton of sleeper buzz following their signing of Prince Fielder to tag team with Miguel Cabrera and form the best 1-2 hitting combo the game has seen since the days of Manny and Big Papi. Having two MVP-worthy bats in the middle of the lineup on a team that already has the reigning Cy Young and MVP(as well as the AL's best pitcher) in a division that has been stripped to say the least will naturally get you a lot of preseason love. However, while Motown should run away with the Central yet again, there are some causes for concern. For one, spring training has taught us that Cabrera is as horrid with the glove in his new position at third base as he is deadly with the bat when at the plate. Teams have gotten away with poor defenders before, but having bad defense at the hot corners(Prince is no J.T. Snow either) can be a death knell in tight games. Another issue is there isn't really a proven #2 behind Justin Verlander. Doug Fister, Max Scherzer, and Rick Porcello are all talented young arms but get dwarfed when compared to rotatations such as Tampa's or Los Angeles'. On top of that, Verlander put in a lot of innings last year to help carry the Tigers. It's impossible to expect him to repeat last season and, even if he could, it's impossible to think he wouldn't eventually break down in the postseason. That means the Tigers' big bats are going to have put up big numbers to take pressure off an adequate overall starting rotation, which something Detroit is very capable of with guys like Fielder and Cabrera as well as youngsters like C Alex Avila and 2B Ryan Raburn.

As for the bullpen, it's a nice mix of seasoned vets and young arms. Jose Valverde is back as the closer fresh off of saving 49 games last season. Assisting him will be notoriously efficient setup man Octavio Dotel and up-and-comer Danny Schlereth. The Tigers have a lot of sizzle and all of the big names and big spending usually tricks experts into jumping on the bandwagon early on. However, when you look around the league, your typical AL contender is littered with young talent and prized free agents. The Angels have three Cy Young candidates in their rotation as well as a multi-time MVP and two-time champion that they just brought in to anchor the lineup. The Rays are gushing with young stars. The Yankees have big names everywhere. The Tigers don't have much that sets them apart from the pack and the lack of depth in the rotation behind their golden arm in Verlander as well as what looks to be a very pourous defensive unit might make them just another flashy pick that turns into a early exit.

AL West: Los Angeles Angels - The easiest division pick of any of the six, even with back-to-back AL champion Texas in the West as well. On paper, the Angels have the best rotation in the American League and possibly all of baseball. Jered Weaver's 2011 season was trumped by Justin Verlander's season of the ages but it would have been Cy worthy in any other year(18-8, 2.41 ERA, 198 K's). Dan Haren had a solid 2011 as well and the rotation gets a boost with the addition of former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson. Bill Simmons made this comment about the Angels' rotation and I find it apt: "When Ervin Santana is your fourth starter, you have a damn good rotation." The bullpen is solid as well. Young closer Jordan Walden notched 33 saves last year and he's protected by All-Star relievers like LaTroy Hawkins, Jason Isringhausen and Scott Downs.

Then, of course, there's the bats. You might have heard that the Angels added a thumper that goes by the name of Albert Pujols. Pujols comes to the AL straight from dominating the National League with a resume that includes three MVPs, two World Series titles, nine All Star appearences and two Gold Gloves. Whether he was worth the $254 million the Angels gave him is another story, but any time you can add the best player in baseball to your franchise, you have to do it. Pujols won't have the same protection around him in the lineup in L.A. as he did in St. Louis, but his presence is sure to make guys like Vernon Wells, Howard Kendrick and Torii Hunter more productive. Even if L.A's lineup doesn't have the fantasy baseball feel of New York's or Detroit's, it's still pretty potent and Pujols has proven that he's capable of lighting up a scoreboard regardless of who's hitting in front or behind him.

With their big spending which includes stealing the best pitcher from their division rival, the Angels are not only the team to beat in the West, they might just be the favorites in the A.L. Pujols legitimizes a lineup that has spent dollars year after year to become formidable. The presence of Wilson rounds out a rotation that already has a couple of Cy Young candidates. If the guys around Pujols can take advantage of the opposition's fear of letting Phat Albert beat them, then the Angels will have a pretty easy road to the World Series. However, that's a slightly big if. Hunter and Wells haven't been relevant for years and Kendrick can't seem to avoid the injury bug. Even Pujols, at 32, was facing questions last season about whether he's lost a step. That might all sound like nitpicking come October, but if there's weaknesses to find, don't say I didn't warn you about it now.

AL Wild Cards

1. New York Yankees: The early verdict when we go to the scorecards on their much balleyhooed trade of touted hitting phenom Jesus Montero for Mariners' fireballer Miguel Pineda appears that the Yanks got the short end of the stick. If that's the worst thing we say about the Yankees' offseason moves, however, I think the Bronx Bombers will take it. Much like Detroit, however, the Yanks are plagued by uncertianty beyond their ace(in this case, C.C. Sabathia). Pineda is already on the D.L. and expected to miss at least a month with a shoulder injury. Even before going down, Pineda was struggling in his new digs during spring training. The other guys in the Yanks' rotation? Phil Hughes, whom the team once refused to give up for Johan Santana(along with Joba Chamberlain, who might never pitch in the Bronx again after breaking his ankle jumping on a trampoline), Hiroki Kuroda(signed away from L.A. after a ho-hum career with the Dodgers), Ivan Nova(sleeper pick for a breakout season), veteran Freddy Garcia(trade bait personified) and 100-year old Yankee lifer and comeback kid Andy Pettite. That's it. That's the list. The return of Pettite after a year of retirement is the most intriguing because, given the team's lack of proven arms, he has a legit chance of cracking the rotation and being servicable. Once Pineda comes back, either Garcia or Hughes will go to the bullpen where they belong and we'll spend the next three months wondering whom the Yankees will sell the farm for to improve the pitching staff. The bullpen isn't much better. Beyond having the greatest closer of all time in Mariano Rivera, the Yanks don't have much to protect the late inning leads. Dave Robertson? Meh. Rafael Soriano? Overrated. Boone Logan? Pass.

Lucky for New York, there's always that devastating lineup. The Yanks boast three potential MVP candidates in CF Curtis Granderson, 2B Robinson Cano, and 1B Mark Teixeira. Joining them are future Cooperstown occupants Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. The team also has speedy Brett Gardner to help set the table as well as former Dodgers All-Star Russell Martin at catcher. Martin made a slight comeback last year after being left for dead by L.A.. He's now the full-time guy behind the plate with Jorge Posada calling it a career.

Look, the Yankees are the Yankees so they'll always be in it thanks to an already-great roster and a never-ending supply of financial resources. Still, the rotation is a killer especially since the new Yankee Stadium is the equivalent of a Little League ballpark. Pineda needs to come back and justify the loss of a potential hit parade in Montero and somebody needs to step up out of the Nova/Hughes/Pettite/Garcia quadrant. Otherwise, the Yankees will find themselves in the familiar position of being on the outside looking in come World Series time....which is the only time that matters in the Big Apple.

2. Texas Rangers: In Texas' defense, losing C.J. Wilson isn't the first time they've lost their ace after losing the World Series. Cliff Lee abandoned the Lone Star State after 2010 and that didn't stop Texas from making it back to the Series. So, give Texas credit for not overpaying a borderline #2 starter for an impressive contract year. However, take all that credit away because they completely overpaid for Japanese import Yu Darvish. Darvish has looked like the real deal in spring training, even showing off a uncommon amount of swagger and arrogance on the mound. Still, Darvish is up against years of tradition when it comes to the lack of success Japanese pitchers have had when they come to America. Hideki Irabu? Flop. Kei Igawa? Bust. Kaz Ishii? Garbage. Daisuke Matsuzaka? Flamed out after one year. Japan hasn't given the majors a legit hurler since Hideo Nomo and even Nomo's peak didn't last long. Darvish could very well be the goods, but he's playing in an infamous hitter's park in an American League stocked with potent lineups. Good luck with that, Yu. Beyond Darvish, the only name that really jumps out is former reliever Neftali Feliz. Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland.....not exactly awe-inspiring stuff. The same goes for the bullpen. With last year's closer, Feliz, moved to the rotation, the team is attempting to fill his spot with former Twins All-Star closer Joe Nathan. Nathan was one of baseball's premier closers once upon a time but now he's 37 and coming off Tommy John surgery a couple years ago. To say he's a wild card would be putting it mildly.

Texas' saving grace, however, is the lineup. Led by 2010 MVP Josh Hamilton, the Rangers' lineup is deep, balanced and devastating. Nelson Cruz is a legit 40 homer threat if he can stay healthy. Adrian Beltre has made a career resurgence after flopping in Seattle. Micheal Young is always a threat for a batting crown. Elvis Andrus brings top notch speed at the top of the lineup and Mike Napoli might be the game's best offensive catcher. There's also All-Star 2B Ian Kinsler. That potent lineup has been able to make up for the rotation's lack of star power and it will have to work double time this year if Darvish and company flop. An AL team hasn't made it to three straight World Series since the heyday of the late 90's/early 2000's Yankees...and that team was a dynasty. The road back to the Series has gotten a little bit tougher thanks to the emergence of other rivals as serious contenders. The Rangers have managed to weather the storm the past two years but, this year, it looks like they have to survive a hurricane.

Wild Card winner: Yankees over Rangers - The bats even each other out and neither has a very strong bullpen but I'll take C.C. over any pitcher the Rangers can offer up even if Darvish turns out to be the Japanese Fernando Valenzuela. I think the Yankees outslug the Rangers and get revenge for 2010's ALCS.

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, 3B, Tigers - He's been ignored the past few years either because he's been trumped by his own teammate's brilliance or other teams' greater success. The presence of Pujols and Fielder in the AL won't make things easier, nor will the fact that his defense would make Matt LeCroy look like Ozzie Smith but I think the numbers will be strong for Miggy with Prince backing him up. If anything, a Cabrera vs. Pujols MVP race will be something entertaining to watch late in the season when both men have the division locked down.

AL MVP Dark Horse: Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays - You could probably switch the two names here since Longo is just as capable of a monster season and is far better with the glove. Still, be it because he plays on a team that doesn't get much love or because he's been hurt the last couple years, Longoria gets ignored just as much, if not more, than Miggy when it comes to the voters. Longoria leads the pack of unheralded stars who will be looking to give MVP favorites like Pujols and Caberera a run for their money. Robinson Cano is another dark horse, as is Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury if he continues his hot bat from last year and Boston doesn't collapse again. If the Rays end up being as good as I think they'll be, Longo will be in it at the end though.

AL Cy Young: Jared Weaver, P, Los Angeles Angels - Quite frankly, he's due. With Verlander unlikely to put on another record-breaking performance, Weaver's main competition comes from his own teammates and C.C. Sabathia in New York. I think Weaver replicates his year from last year and voters reward him for being overshadowed by Verlander last year.

AL Cy Young Dark Horse: Ubaldo Jiminez, Cleveland Indians - Lest we forget, Jiminez was an ace for a Rockies team that went to the World Series a couple years ago and Ubaldo finished third in the NL Cy Young race once upon a time. My backing of Jiminez ties in with what I'm going to write in the next paragraph, so I won't spoil it too much. Needless to say, Jiminez is a solid under-the-radar candidate in an American League that isn't very deep on elite pitchers. I don't think he'll steal the award but if he can do in Cleveland what he did with the Rockies, he might make the decision tougher for voters.

Biggest Surprise: Cleveland Indians - The White Sox and Twins, after years of dominating atop the Central, are on a downward spiral. Kansas City has taken over all of the hype as a potential up-and-coming team, and rightfully so, but don't sleep on the Tribe. The roster isn't flashy, as its filled with a bunch of guys you've never heard of and some veterans who haven't mattered in a while. Still, the Indians can make some noise. As mentioned before, Ubaldo Jiminez returns as the team's ace and he has a sneaky-good #2 in Justin Masterson as well as cagey vet Derek Lowe as the #3. Lowe was servicable the last few years in Atlanta and, at the very least, he's a sinker-baller who knows how to keep balls in the park and doesn't get lit up often. The lineup is a bit of a question mark, only because it's dependent on guys with durability concerns. Catcher Carlos Santana bounced back from a gruesome leg injury. He's capabale of putting up some big power numbers but needs to get his average up. DH Travis Hafner has a lethal bat, but he too, has had injury issues. Shin-Soo Choo is a potential 30-30 guy when healthy. Asdrubal Cabrera is coming off a 25 homer season and Jason Kipnis is a talented youngster on the rise. Laying in the weeds as well is Matt LaPorta, the former prized prospect of the Brewers dealt to Cleveland in the C.C. Sabathia trade.

The Indians are a couple years away from contention but with no proven #2 in the Central behind Detroit, they could at least make things interesting. If the lineup stays healthy and develops and Jiminez goes back to his dominant self, the Indians could be a team to watch for years to come.

Biggest Disappointment: Boston Red Sox - It's hard to say a team that already was such a huge flop last year can be the biggest disappointment this year but, when you factor in expectations, who else would you put here than a team with one of the biggest budgets in baseball that won't even finish better than 3rd in its own division(if that....Toronto is on the rise, too.). The team has already been hit hard with the injury bug. Closer Andrew Bailey, brought in by trade with Oakland to replace Jonathan Papelbon, will miss six-to-eight weeks with a thumb injury. Last year's prized signing-turned-big-money-flop Carl Crawford is already on the D.L. and there are questions as to whether Kevin Youkilis can bounce back after two injury-plagued years.

If there's a bright side in Beantown, it's that Adrian Gonzalez claims his troublesome shoulder is no longer troublesome and he feels the best he's felt in years. Jacoby Ellsbury is coming off a near 40-40 season and the team gets to see what heralded pitching phenom Daniel Bard can do in the rotation now. The Sox could be a threat if things bounce their way. The rotation is solid but inconsistant with Josh Beckett capable of being either a Cy Young threat or a guy who gives up eight runs in the first. Jon Lester has been an All-Star the last two years and you could do worse than Clay Bucholz as your #3. The injury to Bailey certianly hurts the bullpen but he was a risk to be counted on to stay healthy anyway. Someone always seems to emerge in Boston's 9th innings and that guy could be Alfredo Aceves. Still, Boston has to find a way to get through Tampa Bay and New York and with so much of last year's flop being blamed on now-departed Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, the pressure is on always-volatile new manager Bobby Valentine to right the ship. As it stands, he has his work cut out for him.

NLCS: Milwaukee over Miami in 6 - This will be an entertaining series with Miami's speed giving Milwaukee fits as Ozzie tries to win with small ball early on. Inevitably, Milwaukee's backs take over and the Brewers get the World Series appearence that has evaded them the last half decade.

ALCS: Tampa Bay over Los Angeles in 7 - Longoria vs. Pujols. Price vs. Weaver. Maddon vs. Scioscia. It doesn't have the flair of Yankees-Red Sox but it could end up being the AL's premier rivalry. I have a feeling about the Rays this year though. I think Desmond Jennings is going to have a breakout year. I think Longoria makes a run at the Triple Crown and, in turn, the MVP. I like the depth of this rotation and I think momentum is in their favor after last season's turnaround. As for the Angels, the pitching staff is killer but I just don't like the odds of guys like Wells or Hunter making plays when it matters. The American League will be repped by one of these two teams, and my money is on Tampa.

World Series: Tampa Bay over Milwaukee in 6 - In a World Series that will be largely ignored because it lacks the flash of the Yankees or the star power of an Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez, this becomes an entertaining series between two very good young teams. Much like the ALCS though, Tampa's depth in the rotation gives them the edge. When Matt Moore is your fifth starter, you have an advantage when the guy opposing him is someone named Chris Narveson. If you think Tampa winning it all is crazy, here's something even more far-fetched: Your World Series MVP......B.J. Upton.