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May 2008 | April 2008 | March 2008 | February 2008 | December 2007 | November 2007 | October 2007 | September 2007 | August 2007 | July 2007 | June 2007 | May 2007 | April 2007 | March 2007 | February 2007 Blog Home...  First Weekend In May05/04/2008 12:05 AM - Craig Davis
Is it me or does it feel like we just watched Eli Manning escape a "for sure" sack, hit David Tyree downfield on a long pass play and continue the drive with a TD pass to Plaxico Burress for a shocking Super Bowl win over the "invincible" New England Patriots? It's not supposed to be time for mini-camps, training camps and pre-season yet, is it? Mini-Camp Schedule05/02/2008 12:25 PM - Craig Davis
Are you ready for some football?
With the 2008 NFL Draft in the books, 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams will conduct minicamps over the next two weekends (Denver and Jacksonville will do so in June). Here is the 2008 NFL Minicamp schedule: ARIZONA - May 2-4 Just Mockin' Along...04/25/2008 9:21 AM - Craig Davis
Okay, call me a slacker. With everything going on behind the scenes nowadays, I've hardly had time to offer up my first round NFL Mock Draft as I've done the last few years. I will, however, tell you that I was sold on the Dolphins taking Michigan OT Jake Long for over a month. I've done two guest appearances on sports radio talk shows and during both interviews I was asked about the #1 pick. In both instances I said the 'Phins would take Jake Long... so hopefully that will equate into a very accurate "rest of the mock draft". Below you'll see the final version of my mock draft --- assuming no draft-day trades. Obviously there will be a few but predicting those is like predicting the next team Bill Cowher will coach for.
Projecting QBs04/23/2008 9:55 PM - Craig Davis
First things first. American Idol sucks. American voters are a joke. No longer is this a competition about being the best singer... this is a popularity contest and for the last three weeks the WORST performer has not been voted off. After watching last night's performances it was absolutely crystal clear who had the worst two performances.
Tuesday Quick Hits04/22/2008 1:41 PM - Craig Davis
It's hard to believe the NFL Draft is just days away and that means we are getting closer and closer to the FantasyFootball.com Magazine, FantasyFootball.com Draft Guide and FantasyFootball.com Training Camp Updates. Today has been an unusual day as we've had quite a few stories breaking at about the same time. For those of you receiving text message updates you are probably all caught up... but if not, I've put them together in this handy little blog post. Enjoy.
----------------------------- 1. Bengals Turn Down Redskins Offer for Ocho Cinco It's not often you see a team turn down an offer for a first-round draft pick, let alone two of them... but that's exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals did when they declined an offer from the Washington Redskins that would have sent the team's 2008 and 2009 first-rounders to Cincy in exchange for WR Chad Johnson. The Redskins aren't the only team that has been told "no". The Cowboys and Eagles have also inquired about Johnson's services but were quickly turned down. It appears, at least for the time being, that the Bengals are going to stand firm and absolutely refuse to trade Johnson, no matter what the offer is. Dynasty owners who have Chad Johnson have to be absolutely sick to their stomach right now with the growing chances CJ sits out the entire 2008 season. HC Marvin Lewis added fuel to the fire with his latest comments, "I've stated our case with Chad," Lewis said. "He has a contract through 2011. He's stated without an opportunity to go to a different team and a new contract, he wasn't going to play. I think he's a man of his word and says he's not going to play, so don't play." Right now I'm extremely worried about doing my "Chad Johnson projections" because I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen in August and September. I realize this is a frustrating situation for Bengals front office personnel and Bengals fans, but this is even more cumbersome for someone who has to figure out whether or not to project 1300 yards and 12 TDs, a big, fat goose egg, or somewhere in between. If you placed a gun to my head right now I'd say Johnson sits out the entire season and won't factor into the fantasy equation in 2008. 2. Jake Long Agrees To Terms With Dolphins Four days before the 2008 NFL Draft commences, the Miami Dolphins (who have the #1 overall pick) and OT Jake Long have agreed to terms on a contract that will ensure him $30 million in guaranteed money with a contract that is set to last five years and could be worth as much as $57.5 million. This deal ensures two things. A) The Dolphins are fairly certain John Beck will enter the season as the starting QB and B) The Dolphins won't be trading down as had been rumored for the last few weeks. Long is going to enter the season as the starting LT which will move Vernon Carey over to the right side (where he's more capable). The offensive line is getting better and better which is very promising for Ronnie Brown owners. Long performs equally well in run-blocking as he does pass-blocking and will also provide more confidence for second-year QB John Beck. The biggest question is how quickly Long can adapt to Tony Sparano's blocking schemes... a big reason why the Dolphins wanted to get this deal done now rather than later (will avoid contract disputes in June/July). Mark my words... John Beck will be much better than he was last year and you'll see an overall offensive improvement from the RBs, WRs and offensive line. 3. Rucker Calls It Quits Carolina Panthers veteran DE Mike Rucker has decided to "hang up his cleats" after nine seasons in the league. Rucker suffered a torn ACL in his left knee near the end of the 2006 season but was back on the field for the start of training camp seven months later. That injury was the biggest factor in his deciding to retire, though he did contemplate coming back for one more year. Despite being one of the more talented defensive ends in league in the middle of his career, his skills have started to slip and he wasn't much of a factor in IDP leagues so this news isn't earth-shattering. The Panthers are expected to look at some defensive ends in the upcoming draft, but if they don't land the guy(s) they want, Charles Johnson or Stanley McClover figure to be the leading candidates to take over the starting job. 4. David Pollack Ends Short Career Cincinnati Bengals LB David Pollack informed HC Marvin Lewis that he's going to retire from the NFL after just a few seasons in the league. Pollack, a former first-round draft pick, suffered a serious neck injury in the second game of the season against the Cleveland Browns in 2006. In part of two seasons Pollack played in 16 games recording 4½ sacks. Pollack was expected to be a solid force in IDP leagues after his start to the 2005 season but things never panned out for the youngster and injuries to his neck finally did him in. The Bengals will continue to play in a 4-3 defensive scheme meaning the loss of Pollack isn't quite as taxing... especially with the recent news that Odell Thurman has been reinstated by the league. Thurman will compete with Ahmad Brooks for the starting MLB job but could be moved to WLB where he'd compete with Dhani Jones. 5. The Eagles Will Likely Trade CB Lito Sheppard To Move Up In The Draft No one is exactly sure what the Philadelphia Eagles are going to do with CB Lito Sheppard, but most rumors have them trading him to a team ahead of Philly in the upcoming draft. As soon as the Eagles signed Asante Samuel in free agency it became very apparent Philly was going to deal Sheppard. The two teams ahead of Philly in the draft that desperately need help at CB are Baltimore (#8) and New Orleans (#10). If the Eagles can consummate a deal with Baltimore to move from #19 to #8 they'd likely jump all over that because they'd be in position to lock up DT Sedrick Ellis from USC. If the Eagles can't strike a deal with Baltimore, New Orleans would be their next target and drafting WR Devin Thomas out of Michigan State would be a nice "consolation prize" for them. The Bills have been targeting Thomas at #11 and Philly could really mess things up. The only thing we know for sure is that Sheppard isn't going to be an Eagle much longer. Stay tuned. That's it for now boys and girls... stay tuned for our final First Round Mock Draft and post-draft coverage. Have a great Tuesday. Darrell Jackson Update04/16/2008 10:49 PM - Craig Davis
Okay, so I'm watching the results show of American Idol as I begin to write... so please excuse me if it seems my thoughts are scattered right now. They just announced the bottom three and I hit two of the three (Syesha and Brooke). I was surprised to see Kristy Lee Cook back in the bottom three because I felt she nailed her song better than Carly did. Oh well, my prediction still stands... Brooke White is going home. We'll see.
The main subject of today's blog is Darrell Jackson's new home in Denver. With Brandon Marshall's arm hanging on by a few threads and Javon Walker making new friends in Oakland, the Broncos were looking for some more depth at WR. Jackson has amassed 487 receptions and 50 TDs during his career in the NFL which included stops in Seattle and San Francisco. Last year in Frisco, Jackson caught 46 passes for 497 yards and was often injured. When he wasn't injured he reminded me of what it was like watching Randy Moss in Oakland -- a receiver who didn't care about trying and was only in it for the money. Jackson is far too talented to be considered a "backup WR" and there's no reason to think he won't (somewhat) resurrect his career in Denver. Simply put, the QB play is better (Denver vs. San Francisco), the offense is better designed to fit his skills, and when you play for a winner it's much easier to be motivated to perform. Remember, Jackson is just one year removed from having a 10-TD season in Seattle and given his current situation in Denver, I'm guessing he scores at least half that many in 2008. In 2006, Jackson's lowest point total was eight (in a PPR league) and scored below 10 fantasy points only twice before his injury in Week 13. He was widely considered one of the most consistent WRs in the league at that point because it appeared, for the first time in his career, that he had finally overcome his case of the "dropsies". All signs point to Marshall being ready for the season around the middle of July, so it's going to take a miracle for Jackson to take his spot as the WR1, but seeing him beat out Brandon Stokley and Keary Colbert is easy. Jackson should, and will, win the WR2 job and be starting alongside Marshall when the season commences. Jackson's Projected Numbers: 59 catches for 933 yards, 6 TDs Okay... for the second straight week America got it wrong. You've got to be kidding me!! Brooke White must be a cat because she has nine lives. Her performance was clearly the worst of the night, yet she lives to see another week. Oh well, maybe I'll quit voting for her because apparently America is out to prove me wrong and make me look foolish. (Chuckle)... singing her way off the show, Cook sat next to Simon and basically serenaded him. Six more to go and you can bet we'll be blogging about it next week. Stay tuned. Another American Idol Update...04/16/2008 12:20 AM - Craig Davis
Well, by this time tomorrow we'll be down to six American Idol Contestants. Another solid night for the guys tells me a young lady is going home Wednesday. The problem is... I thought the same thing last week when America sent Michael Johns home. Tonight I saw two performances that, in my opinion, were below everyone else: Brooke White and Carly Smithson. If you read this column last week you saw my prediction that Brooke White was going home and I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "going back to the well again". This week, my friends, I'm going back to the well again.
Though I can easily see Carly Smithson going home, I'm going to say Brooke White's performance was bad enough that America simply can't ignore. The bottom three will be Smithson, White and Syesha Mercado... with White heading towards the exit. Stay tuned for the final results tonight!! Combing The Wire04/15/2008 12:34 AM - Craig Davis
Often times we get caught up in looking ahead to the next season with dynasty rankings and projections that we fail to see what's happening on a daily basis. Not here. I'm going to do my best to keep you up to date with what's happening in the NFL... those stories behind the scenes that no one's talking about. Some might have a fantasy impact --- others might not. Either way, you're going to know about them (along with an American Idol update).
Speaking of American Idol... I'm getting all revved up for the final seven tomorrow night WITHOUT Michael Johns (which is a complete joke). Watching him get voted off the show tells me just how "backwards" this country is. Honestly, I think the voting process sucks. Most of these losers are probably teenage boys and girls voting for David Archuleta and Kristi Lee Cook based solely on looks, not taking into account they might not actually be the best singers in the competition. Nothing against Archuleta (I like the kid), but he's not doing himself any favors by some of his song choices. You can't convince me he did better than Johns last week. There needs to be a better screening process for future voting --- no one under 18 can vote and only ONE VOTE per phone number. Some people have absolutely no life and will sit on the phone for two hours, voting for their favorite (often times regardless of talent). I'll be back with a few more updates over the next 48 hours. JETS LOOKING TO BE A RUNNING FORCE I've already proclaimed to my colleagues that the NY Jets are going to be one of the top 15 rushing teams in the NFL this year... just mark my words. They have done everything in their power (through free agency) to get back to the days when they could run the ball effectively and I believe they have done a fantastic job getting those days back. By adding offensive line talent/depth they accomplish two things. 1. It takes the pressure off the QBs (Kellen Clemens and/or Chad Pennington) and 2. Keeps the defense off the field so much. The Jets had a much better defense than they showed last season, but you'd never know it by looking at the raw numbers because the offense was rarely on the field. It only takes common sense to realize the Jets were one of the worst teams in the NFL in converting third downs and simply didn't have the horses to be a running power in the AFC. Everyone knows they signed free agent OG Alan Faneca and that alone would help the running game... what often falls through the cracks is the fact they signed Damien Woody and FB Tony Richardson. Wherever Richardson goes, the running game seems to immediately get better. It's only a matter of time before Thomas Jones and/or Leon Washington become a major factor in fantasy RB talks. Marvin Harrison04/11/2008 12:38 PM - Craig Davis
Okay, so I was 50% right with my American Idol selections yesterday. I knew I was in trouble when Brooke White was the first name they called. The first one is NEVER in the bottom three so I was just praying that Kristi Lee Cook would at least make it in the top 5 -- she did. Whew!! And then there were seven. I'm still blown away that Michael Johns got voted off and I'm even more blown away that Syesha Mercado is still alive. Oh well, maybe next week. Join us again next week when we look at the performances and predict the next American Idol to fall.
Quick note on Marvin Harrison... watching the NFL Network I learned that the Indianapolis Colts are looking hard at WRs in the early rounds of this year's draft. There are apparently questions about how much longer WR Marvin Harrison can (and will) play in the NFL. Remember, he missed much of last year with a few nagging injuries. Reggie Wayne has obviously taken the reigns as the WR1 in Indy, but what does this say about the team's confidence in Anthony Gonzalez? I think they believe he's more of a slot receiver (much like Brandon Stokley was) and they are looking for a possession-type guy who isn't afraid to go over the middle and catch those tough first downs. Stay tuned. American Idol04/10/2008 12:43 PM - Craig Davis
I'm not going to waste a lot of your time today because I want to get right to the point. I love American Idol. I'm not sure why, but I do. I think it might be because deep down I've convinced myself that if I was 21 years old again I could somehow make it to the final 24 with a chance to compete against the best, previously unknown singers in the U.S (no chuckles). In all honesty, I think I'm just a competitor and will likely watch anything that has competition among living things. Shoot, I might even sit and watch a computer simulated game of Madden '09... that's how much I feed off competition.
So, how many of you watch American Idol? If you don't, then the rest of this is probably not going to make sense to you and you can stop reading. If you do, what I'm about to say might shock you. We've all seen Kristi Lee Cook struggle in the bottom three for the past three weeks, only to survive and advance to the next week. Tonight (on the results show), I believe she's going to avoid the bottom three and finally get to breathe a little easy. She's not the most talented singer in the competition and will eventually get voted off, but tonight's not that night. She did a fantastic job with a Martina McBride song the other night and she simply "looked like a star," according to Simon Cowell. Half her votes are going to come from desperate males, age 18-54, who believe she's simply "too hot" to be voted off this soon. The rest of her votes will come from people who actually listened to her performance and finally heard the best she has to offer. Now for the really shocking part... I believe Brooke White is going home tonight. She happens to be my wife's favorite so I'm hoping that my prediction is wrong, but I'm starting to think she's not as good of a singer as I once thought she was. Her performance Tuesday night was the worst I've heard her do and because she's not "the best looking" female contestant remaining, I think she's in big trouble. You heard it here first. P.S. If, for some reason, I'm wrong and it's not Brooke White, Syesha Mercado would be my next guess to get "the boot" from the show. Stay tuned. |
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