HBO Hard Knocks 8/21/12! Miami Dolphins, Reggie Bush, and Ryan Tannehill is QB1!

Tannehill is the Dolphins' QB1!





This season, HBO's Hard Knocks is covering the Miami Dolphins. Interesting episode this week(8/21/12), check out what "Middle Class" Matt says about Reggie Bush, Joe Philbin,        Ryan Tannehill, and more.

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For more go to http://www.youtube.com/user/NCSportsGenius1?feature=watch and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, it's free. Also, you can follow on Twitter @NCSportsGenius1



The Panthers Looked Good Tonight! Cam, Draft Picks, Offense, Hard Knocks, Ryan Tannehill, etc.

Loaded Cannon!

"Middle Class" Matt talks about Cam and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have looked good so far, but it is only the preseason. So is it time to get excited yet?

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For more go to http://dontbuythehype.blogspot.com/ and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, it's free. Also, you can follow on Twitter @NCSportsGenius1



2012 NFL Draft Quick Preview: Night 1

Here is a quick preview for tonight's NFL Draft.  Be here at 8:00 eastern for a live chat!

Video Cliff's Notes:

• Falcons trade for CB Asante Samuel
• What do the Vikings do with the 3rd pick? Do they trade it to the Jets?
• Do they Dolphins reach for Ryan Tannehill?  Can they trade down and still get him? 

Just My Thoughts... Football, Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, etc.

"Football is the Biggest Thing Around"

It will be hard to predict this year's Super Bowl outcome, but no matter who wins, the New England Patriots vs. New York Giants is a great match up. While Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will get all the attention, the big reason the Patriots are in the Super Bowl is Vince Wilfork. Wilfork dominated the Ravens from the defefensive tackle position. At Pro level I have seen few defensive tackles take over a game like Wilfork did. I saw Ndamukong Suh dominate Texas in this fashion, but that was at the college level. Wilfork has to weigh around 400 lbs. of raw power, yet football fans who watch him are amazed at his quickness. The Giants will have to game plan for Wilfork, as much as they will have to plan for Tom Brady. Wilfork is really the only serious defensive challenge the Giants will have to overcome. Should be an interesting Super Bowl.

I heard a sports radio host say that "the NFL Conference Championship round is last weekend for real football fans." I totally agree with this statement. I tried to watch some of the Pro Bowl this last weekend and boy it was tough to watch. I have never watched Pro Bowl start to finish and have rarely watched any of it live. The little bit of it I watched this year reminded me of flag football and none of the players really seem to care the outcome of the game. I really don't want to list the other reasons, why this the Pro Bowl is bad. Still, I will say it always seems werid to me, that the most popular sport in America has the worst All-Star game. I do understand it is important to have an all star game to put the elite players of the league on display, no matter how hard it is to watch.

I am always amazed at the names who get left off the Pro Bowl list. Lots of old name where on the list this year and lots of great young players were left off. I do like the Pro Bowl being moved to weekend before the Super Bowl, that way a few desperate, diehard NFL fans will tune in for a football fix.

I am a huge hoops fan, but it is hard to pay close attention to basketball when football is on. Now that football season is over, I am totally focused on roundball. We still have the Super Bowl to look forward to, but the Super Bowl is more like an award show, with a little football mixed in. Still, the Super Bowl should be as good of a game as we could hope for.

Both the NBA and college basketball have been pretty uneventful this year. Right now, I am now totally focused on UNC Tar Heel basketball. The Heels seem to be getting everything together. They looked really rough in the FSU game, in which they suffered the worse loss under Roy Williams. Since then the Heels have found their way. Still, this team reminds me not of the 2005 or 2009 UNC championship teams, but of Roy's Kansas team, which had Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, etc. and were knocked out of the NCAA tourament early. That Kansas team was picked by most to win it all. Still, I hope I am wrong and Roy and the boys can get a third championship in less than a decade.

NFL Wild Card Round Playoff Analysis and Predictions: Jan. 7-8, 2012

Here is my Wild Card Round analysis and predictions for this weekends NFL playoff games:

Here are my predictions:

Bengals 27, Texans 21
Saints 41, Lions 31
Falcons 24, Giants 21
Steelers 16. Broncos 7

WEEK 17 NFL PREDICTIONS JAN. 1

Can you feel the Playoff Brees

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The NFL playoffs are upon us. This is the last week of the NFL season. I have had two rough weeks, with my picks. Over the last 7 weeks I am 63-37, but the last two weeks killed me. I am going to try to get back to my 75% form in Week 17.

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SUNDAY JAN. 1

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Saints 38-31

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Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Patriots 31-20

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Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Vikings 27-19

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New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Jets 27-17

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San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams (1:00 PM ET FOX)

49ers 30-16

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Detroits Lions at Green Bay Packers (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Lions 31-27

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Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Eagles 31-24

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Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Colts 24-20

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Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Titans 27-16

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Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (4:15 PM ET FOX)

Seahawks 27-21

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Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (4:15 PM ET CBS)

Chiefs 24-16

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (4:15 PM ET FOX)

Falcons 31-13

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Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (4:15 PM ET CBS)

Ravens 24-20

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Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (4:15 PM ET CBS)

Steelers 27-17

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San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (4:15 PM ET CBS)

Chargers 27-23

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Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (8:20 PM ET NBC)

Giants 34-27

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WEEK 16 NFL PREDICTIONS DECEMBER 24-26

"MERRY CHRISTMAS"

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This last week in the NFL was a wild and unpredictable one. The Green Bay Packers' machine was derailed, and with the Colts winning in week 15 and this Thursday, a few teams are looking for some "Luck." I was 5-9 in week 15, this was by far my worst week for predictions. I am now 56-29 over the last 6 weeks. With a little luck maybe I can get back on track this Christmas week.

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SATURDAY DECEMBER 24TH (Christmas Eve)

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Chiefs 20-17

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Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Titans 31-17

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Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Patriots 34-23

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Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Cardinals 23-20

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Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Broncos 24-19

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St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Steelers 23-16

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New York Giants at New York Jets (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Jets 27-24

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Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Redskins 27-17

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Panther 34-19

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Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Ravens 31-16

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San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions (4:05 PM ET CBS)

Chargers 31-27

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Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (4:15 PM ET FOX)

Cowboys 28-26

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San Francisco at Seattle Seahawks (4:15 PM ET FOX)

Seahawks 27-23

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CHRISTMAS SUNDAY DECEMBER 25

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (8:20 PM ET NBC)

Packers 38-17

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MONDAY NIGHT DECEMBER 26

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (8:30 PM ET ESPN)

Saints 34-27

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Sam Hurd Pushin' Weight!

Why does a NFL player making $685,000 need to be a drug kingpin on the side?  Your guess is as good as mine...I hope it was worth the 20+ years in prison he's about to get hit with. As we saw with Michael Vick, some judge will slam the book at him to make an example.

Are there any NFL players that he was supplying?  That's the question everyone wants to know!

 

Week 14 NFL Predictions December 11,12

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"Good but not yet Great"

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I was 11-4 last week. A pretty good week, but one boneheaded time-out cost me 80% on the week. This week will most likely not be a great week for me. Games like the Dallas vs. New York game will cost me my perfect week, which has eluded me so far this year. I am still in search of great. In the last four weeks my record is 41-17, but this week the will be really tough to continue my current percentage.

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December 11, Sunday

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jest (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Jets 31-13

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Buccaneers 24-20

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New England Patriots at Washington Redskins (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Patriots 34-17

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Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Panthers 27-23

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Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Ravens 38-13

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Philladelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Dolphins 27-20

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Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Lions 24-16

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New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Titans 31-28

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Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Bengals 20-17

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Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos (4:05 PM ET FOX)

Broncos 20-16

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San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (4:05 PM ET FOX)

Cardinals 23-20

Week 13 NFL Predictions December 4-5

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"Think Tank"

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Last week I was 12-4, 75% is not too bad in the NFL. That makes three straight weeks for me with a winning record. I am 30-13 over the last three weeks. I did pick games in Week 4 of the season and I was 7-9. That is my only losing week so far this year and makes my record overall 37-22 this NFL season. Here are my picks for Week 13.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 4

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Buccaneers 27-23

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Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Steelers 27-16

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Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Falcons 24-20

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New York Jets at Washington Redskins (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Jets 26-19

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Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Patriots 34-13

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Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Dolphins 27-20

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Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM ET FOX)

Broncos 20-17

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Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Titans 30-24

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Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears (1:00 PM ET CBS)

Bears 23-17

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Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (4:05 PM ET CBS)

Ravens 31-17

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Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals (4:15 PM ET FOX)

Cowboys 28-20

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Green Bay Packers at New York Giants (4:15 PM ET FOX)

Packers 35-24

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St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers (4:15 PM ET FOX)

49ers 31-20

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Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints (8:20 PM ET NBC)

Saints 31-23

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MONDAY NIGHT DECEMBER 5

San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars (8:30 PM ET ESPN)

Chargers 24-16

What Happened To Ndamukong Suh?

Simple question really.  When did or what made him turn in to such a thug?

I thought he was a pretty upstanding citizen coming out of Nebraska, what gives?  Do you think Roger Goodell hands down a suspension from last week's episode on national TV? If so, how long?  Let us know...

Sunday Picks 10/02/2011 NFL

Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys 24-21

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Carolina Panthers vs. Chicago Bears

Bears 28-20

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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans

Texans 34-24

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Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns

Browns 24-17

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Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Bills 28-13

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Washington Redskins vs. St. Louis Rams

Rams 20-17

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Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Vikings 27-24

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San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadephia Eagles

Eagles 24-13

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New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Saints 38-17

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Atlanta Falcons vs. Seattle Seahawks

Falcons 31-13

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New York Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals 28-23

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Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers

Packers 31-17

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Miami Dolphins vs. San Diego Chargers

Chargers 34-20

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New England Patriots vs. Oakland Raiders

Patriots 35-24

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New Yorks Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens

Jets 23-21

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Monday Night

Indianapolis Colts vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers 27-20

AFC Preview and Predictions!!!

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It seems that it could be the San Diego Chargers' year to win the AFC. The loss of Darren Sproles is a big one, but that is why the New Orleans Saints will win the Super Bowl. The Chargers will get to the Super Bowl and Sproles will be a big reason why the Saints will be victorious!

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The Man who has it all!

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AFC EAST

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (13-3)

1st

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, that is really all anyone needs to say, and those two have earned that kind of respect. No one will be able to slow down the Pats offense this year. Brady should throw 40 TDs this season and has a good chance to win the MVP. So, the Pats' offense will win them a lot of games. They may win a game in the playoffs, but I don't see them getting back to the Super Bowl this year. The New England defense just had too many holes and that will come back to haunt them in the playoffs.

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NEW YORK JETS (11-5)

2nd (Wild Card)

The Jets have been consistently good ever since Rex Ryan came to the Big Apple. The Jets' defense is without question top three in the NFL. The question marks are on offense. It is common knowledge that Mark Sanchez has yet to make the leap into the elite quarterback club. Yet, the Jets have hidden Sanchez's slow development with defense and running the football. The Jets' offense line may be pretty good, but the Jets' backs are fair, at best. LaDainian Tomlinson is old and Shonn Greene is serviceable. The question is can Greene carry the load and protect Sanchez? Too many problems to win it all this year, the Jets will be the wild card and go to the playoffs, but how long will Jets' fans be patient with the Pretty Boy Mark Sanchez?

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Buffalo Bills (6-10)

3rd

The Bills will be better than they were last year. The Bills will be improved and win two more games than last year. The Bills drafted DT Marcell Dareus with the 3rd pick. A Defensive Tackle like Dareus could really make a difference on that side of ball, just look at what Ndamukong Suh has done for Detroit. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a smart young quarterback and he has some pretty nice young pieces around him. Buffalo will be better, but the playoffs will have to wait till next year.

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Miami Dolphins (6-10)

4th

The Dolphins will be mediocre this year. The Dolphins have some really good offensive weapons and they added Reggie Bush this off season. Bush is overrated, but he will help the Dolphins run the ball. Still, the Dolphins will not be good enough to overcome a really difficult schedule and an extremely tough division.

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The Texans ready to beat down the competition!

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AFC SOUTH

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Houston Texans (11-5)

1st

This is the Texans year, finally! This team has been pretty good for the last few years, but young as well. This is the year the Texans are mature and loaded. The Texans have superstars on both sides of the ball. Hiring Wade Phillips to be the defensive coordinator was a great move. Phillips was not a good head coach, but he is a very good D coordinator and the Texans will be better because of him. Mario Williams will struggle in the 3-4 defense, but the the rest of the D unit should be improved because of the change. The Texans have no weaknesses on offense. They should overpower everyone in their weak division. The Texans will make the playoffs this year, but a deep run is doubtful because of their lack of playoff experience. Still, anything can happen, but most likely a Super Sunday is not in the cards this year.

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Tennessee Titans (8-8)

2nd

Matt Hasselbeck is Seahawks' loss and the Titans' gain. Tennessee can always run the ball and play defense. Chris Johnson is the most exciting home run threat in the game. The addition of Hasselbeck will give them solid veteran leadership at the quarterback position. Still, Hasselbeck, Johnson, etc. will not be enough to get them over 500. So, the Titans win with Hasselbeck, but Titans gain will not be as glaring as the Seahawks' loss.

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Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)

3rd

The Jags like the Titans can always play defense and run the ball. Maurice Jones-Drew is a beast and will have another good season. Jones-Drew may suffer from not having a consistent passing act. With the departure of David Garrard, Blaine Gabbert will be handed the keys. Gabbert maybe good one day, but likely not this year. With coaching change rumors circulating, the Jags are a team in transition and that means the whole team is most likely looking towards the future.

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Indianapolis Colts (3-13)

4th

No Manning, big problems!

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Man we are Getting Old

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AFC NORTH

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Baltimore Ravens (12-4)

1st

Joe Flacco should step up to become a top 10 quarterback this year. Flacco has some nice weapons at his disposal; Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, etc.. These guys should help Flacco to run a pretty good offense, but don't expect the Ravens to put 35.0 points on the board every game. The Ravens' defense is their strength, yet they are getting older. The Ravens' defense will be good this year, but their age will keep them from the being the dominant defense that people have to come to expect. The Ravens' age will most likely come into play at the end of the long grueling season. Still, the Ravens are going to be very good on both sides of the ball and that should help them both in the regular season and the playoffs. The Ravens should reach the the AFC conference championship game. The Super Bowl is possible, but in the end the San Diego Super Chargers offense is too much and the Ravens go home one game early this year.

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Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

2nd (Wild Card)

The Steelers have enough to make the playoffs again. The Steelers' offense may struggle this year. Big Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have a whole lot of weapons around him. The Steelers should be able to put up enough points to be in every game. The defense is the strength of the team. The linebacking core of the Steelers is the best in the NFL, and they have the best playmaking safety, Troy Polamalu. Pittsburgh will not get back to the Super Bowl, but they will make the playoffs again.

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Cleveland Browns (9-7)

3rd

The Browns are no longer the laughing stock of the NFL. They have improved their team on both sides of the ball, through the draft and free agency. This year the Browns take the step up to become one of the respectable teams of the NFL. The Browns will have to wait until next year to make the playoffs. Browns' fans should be encouraged with their young team's improvement. The AFC North is a tough division and the Browns will not be able to knock off the big boys this year, but the future is bright for the Browns. The Browns have the best young nucleus in the AFC North.

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Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

4th

The Bengals are young and rebuilding. The Bengals management may keep them from ever really being an elite team. The Bengals have an easy schedule and have some nice young players. That should be enough to win 5 or 6 games.

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The Big Weapon

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AFC WEST

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San Diego Chargers (11-5)

1st

Everyone has asked when will Phillip River take the next big step and get to the big game. This may be the year. Rivers is an elite quarterback and with no truly complete teams in the AFC Rivers and his high powered offense should overwhelm most teams that they face. San Diego also has a really good defense. So, the Chargers get to the Super Bowl, but in the end lose to the Saints, who have the best offense in football. The story plays out that Darren Sproles will be difference in the big game.

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Oakland Raiders (8-8)

2nd

Most people do not like the Raiders. Whether it is the fans or the wacky Al Davis, the Raiders have been a joke for the last few years. This year the Raiders have enough to be respectable, and a good young foundation to build on.

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Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)

3rd

The Chiefs will not improve on their record from last year. The Chiefs take a step back, even though they have some nice building blocks for the future. The Chiefs have a tough schedule that will force them to step back and fix a few areas before they can be a 10 win team again.

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Denver Broncos (5-11)

4th

The Broncos are a franchise in turmoil. With coaching changes and bad personnel moves made by the former coach, the Broncos are in need of a fix. John Elway will have to get his hands around the situations(like the Tebow dilemma) for the Broncos to become a good team again. Still, the Broncos have enough players to win 5 games, but Elway and the rest of management better get control of things or this team could be sub par for a long time.

NFL Preview, NFC

"TO BE THE MAN, YOU GOT TO BEAT THE MAN!"

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The NFC is a very competitive conference. Three of the four divisions in the NFC are really good. There are only a few NFC teams that are great, but almost all the teams are pretty good. The middle teams and bottom teams in the NFC are better than middle and bottom of the AFC. Everyone is picking the Green Bay Packers to repeat. That is such a safe pick. A NFC team will win the Super Bowl this year, but it will be the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS!!!

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NFC SOUTH

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New Orleans Saints

1st(2011 Super Bowl Champions)

The New Orleans Saints have what it takes to go all the way. The NFC South is one of the best divisions in football, and even if the Saints don't win their division they still may go to the Super Bowl this year. There are about 10-15 really good quarterbacks in the National Football League, but Drew Bree is one of the four QBs who stands head and shoulders above the rest. Brees(like the other three, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers) could play on any team in the NFL and make them a winning franchise. Brees always has nice targets to throw to, but this year the Saints have added two great running backs to take the pressure off the passing game. New addition, Mark Ingram, is a power running back with good speed, who functions like a bowling ball and the multipurpose Darren Sproles(genius pick up) is pure speed. The Saint's Jimmy Graham(he is still learning the game) should be much improved from last year and could be another dynamic weapon for the Saints offense. Graham is the latest in the former basketball player who converted to tight end, and with his 6-7 260 lbs. frame and ability, he should be as good as the other notable tight ends who transitioned before him. The Saint's defense will be good as well. Their front four is their strength. It is one of the best D lines in the NFC. Their line backing core is headed up by premier backer Jonathan Vilma. The Saints front 7 will be put to good use, as Defensive coordinator Greg Williams loves to blitz. William's style and the Saints personnel should spell trouble for QBs around the league. There is good chance that Green Bay will see the Saints in the NFC Conference Finals(a rematch from opening week). To pick the Packers is an easy pick to make and Rodgers will definitely get back to the Super Bowl one day, but this is the Saints' year and they will be in the big game again!

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Atlanta Falcons (11-5)

2nd(Wild Card)

Matt Ryan is good and so are the Falcons, but the Falcons will not have as good a record as they did last year. Ryan has been compared to Peyton Manning(Matt has a long ways to go to be Manning good), and like Manning it may take a few seasons for Ryan to get the monkey off the Falcons' back and get to the Super Bowl.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)

3rd

The Buccaneers will not be able to duplicate their record from last year, as well. Tampa Bay will not be able to sneak up on people this year and they play in a very good division. Josh Freedom seems to have what it takes to play in the NFL, but he will have to be better this year and will be asked to do more. Still, the Buccaneers will be respectable, but not a playoff team yet.

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Carolina Panthers (3-13)

4th

Once again it is the same old story that half of the NFL has to hear, quarterback problems. Cam Newton has shown no signs of being able to play quarterback, but even if Cam develops into a good QB, it will not be this year. Newton will start this year, at least a few games, and his growing pains will be on display for everyone to see. Even with the Panther QB situation so up in the air, that is not the Panthers' biggest problems. The Panthers' run defense is horrible, and unless that is fixed the Panthers have no shot to be a competitive team. If the Panthers don't fix their two glaring holes, they will not win a game in the NFC South Division. The Panthers do have some pretty good players and they will improve as a team from last year's two win season, but they will only get one more win. At least the Panthers will not be worst team in the NFC. Most likely the Seahawks will get that title.

Is there a new sheriff in town?

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NFC North

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Green Bay Packers (13-3)

1st

Green Bay won the Super Bowl last year. It would be easy to pick them to win it all again this year, and maybe that is the smart pick. The Packers have the best overall team in the NFL. They are the best top to bottom and with that said in a quarterback league, they have the best football player in NFL playing QB. Aaron Rodgers should win the MVP this year, yet it is almost impossible to repeat in the NFL. Another thing that may keep the Packers from repeating is that they seem to be overconfident and love to talk about repeating. Most teams that repeat don't talk so much, you will never hear the Brady bunch talking like that. Still, Green Bay will have a great season and will most likely get back to the NFC conference championship game.

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Detroit Lions (10-6)

2nd(Wild Card)

Picking the Lions to make the playoffs this year is a sexy pick. The Lions will be a wild card team this year, but this is still a risky pick. The Lions are still young and inexperienced, and have a long history of losing to overcome. Still, the Lions have Ndamukong Suh who is a King Kong on defense. Suh makes the entire defensive team better, the same way Aaron Rodgers makes everyone better on offense. Matthew Stafford has looked awesome in the preseason and if he can stay healthy this year the sky is limit. Suh has help on defense and Stafford has help on offense(Calvin Johnson), so the Lions should be able to help themselves to a playoff birth. Still, the Lions don't have an easy road. The NFC North is one of the best divisions in the NFL.

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Chicago Bears (9-7)

3rd

The Bears will have a good season, but not good enough to make the playoffs. The Bears play in a really good division that has improved from last year. The Bears' defense will be good this year, but they are a year older. The offense will have to completely rely on the ground attack. Jay Cutler is a good quarterback, but he has yet to prove that he can be elite. The question will be,"Can Culter make his receivers better and if not the Bears will be old and one dimensional?"

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Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

4th

The Vikings have a good team on both sides of the ball. They could be better than 7-9, but only if they get some really good play at the QB position. The Vikings have some great impact players, but QB is the glaring hole. Donovan McNabb doesn't too have much left in the tank and he is not getting younger any time soon. Plus, this is a tough division in which the Vikings will be matched up against some really good teams with good young quarterbacks. Vikings' QB problems will keep them from being able to hang with the big boys in this great division.

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Ready to be Elite?

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NFC NORTH

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St. Louis Rams (9-7)

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1st

The Rams will not be a really good team, but they will be good enough to win the worst division in football. The Rams QB Sam Bradford should be improved this year, building on a pretty solid rookie season. Plus, the Rams can run the ball and have some nice young defensive players who should be better this year as well. This spells playoffs for the Rams. Don't worry if the Rams start out slow. The first half of their schedule is tough, but the second half is easier. The Rams will come on strong the second half of the season, plus they have a weak division that should help the Rams get some wins. Rams' fans should not get too excited though, they will have to wait a few years for a deep playoff run.

Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

2nd

Kevin Kolb should give the Cardinals some stability at Quarterback, but there are too many questions Kolb will have to answer before the Cardinals make the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers (6-10)

3rd

Jim Harbaugh seems to have the makings of a good NFL head coach. The 49ers have a nice running game and some really good defensive pieces, but like many NFL teams they have too many questions at QB to be really good this year.

Seattle Seahawks (3-13)

4th

The worst team in the worst division, you can draw your own conclusions. Peter Carol is a smart guy, but he can't play quarterback.

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Jerry's Boy's are BACK!!!

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NFC EAST

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Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

1st

America's team, either you love them or you hate them. No matter how you feel, with the return of Tony Romo to distribute the ball to some lethal offensive weapons, the Cowboys will make the playoffs. This is Dez Bryant's second year and he could have a break out superstar kind of season, now that Romo is back. Dallas also has some nice defensive pieces like DeMarcus Ware and some new additions who could make an impact like linebacker Bruce Carter. Rob Ryan is the onw who is moving around these talented defensive pieces and he plans to be aggressive, which means the Dallas D should much improved from last year. QBs in the NFC East(Vick, Manning, Beck or Grossman) may be running for their lives. Romo has been highly criticized in the past, but he is in the top half of the league as a quarterback and with an ultra talented cast around him, it may not mean Super Bowl, but it does spell playoffs. "How 'bout them Cowboys?!"

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Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

2nd

Michael Vick has lots of weapons around him, but not a lot of protection. With Vick's style of play he could easily get hurt this year. Vick only played 11 games last season. Things could really fall apart for the Eagles this year, but most likely they will win some, but no playoffs. Besides the offensive problems Philly may have, their defense is a huge question mark. It seems the Eagles will not be able to stop the run and that is bad news in the NFL.

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New York Giants (8-8)

3rd

The Giants have a good quarterback and a great pass rush, so they will have a respectable season. The losses the Giants have suffered from injuries and free agency will take their toll.

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Washington Redskins (7-9)

4th

The Redskins will be better this year, but the NFC East is a pretty solid division, so the Skins will finish a close 4th this year. The Skins are well coached and have some stars on defense, but the offense problems will keep the Redskins from getting over the hump.

Greg Little at the North Carolina Pro Am

I wonder what Greg is looking at?

This is an interview with Greg Little at the Pro Am. He is talking about the mistakes he made at UNC and the NFL lockout. By then lockout discussions were very positive and resulted in an agreement that was finalized yesterday. Greg Little may be a real steal from this year's NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns passed up on Julio Jones and traded their pick to the Atlanta Falcons. They must have believed Little to be close to Jones in ability and a better value in the 2nd round. Little missed all of his senior season with off the field troubles and yet was still drafted in the 2nd round! Little's basketball skills were on display at the Pro AM and he was far from polished. Still, Greg Little is a football player trying to stay in shape in front of his hometown(Durham) crowd. Little was "anything but...", he looked to be in good shape. Little is 6-3 and looks like he weighs 230 lbs.. Most likely Little will not be there this week, but it should be interesting to see what superstar athletes will be at the Pro AM this week!

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Pro AM Part III

SHEED IN THE HOUSE!!! Rasheed Wallace played with Greg Little and Andre Dawkins. Little looked football ready, his body was massive, and his game was weak. I am sure Little was out there just to stay in shape and play in the home crowd. Little is infamous for his off the field problems that took place at UNC, but he is quite the physical specimen. He was taken in the 2nd round in this year's NFL draft. Dawkins looked like the best player on the court(maybe because Sheed was just playing around). Dawkins shot the ball well and looked very confident. Dawkins might be ready to have a breakout year at Duke. Dawkins looked to be a true 6-4 and long, he could be one or two this year in scoring for Duke.

Wallace is number 15 and is clearly bigger than anyone on the court. Sheed screamed a lot and his team won, but he didn't do too much on the offensive end. He grabbed what seemed to be every defensive rebound and threw long outlet passes down the court. He rarely ran down on offense. His defense lacked effort as well, a player from the other team went down the middle for a tomahawk dunk, and Sheed just moved out of the way and shook his head. He shot the ball only once(from almost half court) and missed.

The Sheed has always been a super talented basketball player, but he is known for being a character. Thursday night he did not disappoint. Sheed showed up 5 minutes late (came and sat on the bench at the 15 minute mark) and starting putting on his shoes while sitting on the bench. Surprise, as soon as his shoes were on, he went right into the game. Wallace did not play last year and you could tell. Maybe he is trying to get back in shape, so he can make a NBA roster next year. If you look closely at the pic you can see Sheed has spare tire around his waist. His NBA bio lists him at 6-11, 230 lbs., but there is no way he is 230 lbs. any more. Sheed weighs at least 260 lbs. or more. He dwarfed everyone on the court and ran up and down the court as little as possible. Dawkins is number 7 in the picture.

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YOU MAY HATE HIM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE HIM WRONG

Yep, Terrelle is just as good!

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When the recent press conference, that featured Drew Rosenhaus and Terrelle Pryor started, it did not take long for Rosenhaus to make a controversial, quote worthy statement. "It took him only 15 seconds to liken Pryor to Cam Newton."

Almost automatically the TV and radio became full of people making statements about Rosenhaus' statements. It seems kind of lame and conjured up, but that is what Drew is best at, creating publicity for his clients. Like it or not, this is what he does and it works.

While everyone "important" in sports began to debate this statement, I began to wonder. So, is Drew right, simply put, YES.

Cam Newton is 6'6", 248 lbs. and runs a 4.5 40 time. Pryor is 6'6",233 lbs. and runs a 40 in 4.4 or 4.5 depending on what source you look at. They both are "winners" in college, both have big arms(Cam's motion is a little better), and both are surrounded by off the field controversy, spotlighted by the giant stages they performed on(Ohio St. and Auburn). Sounds like they are more than similar, sounds like they are twins separated at birth!

So, then why is one twin being thought by most experts to be a 4th or 5th round pick in the supplemental draft and the other was the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Can't try to color this any other way, the Panthers are stupid. Both Cam and Terrelle are projects who are not pro style quarterbacks, both have skill sets that would work better at other positions, and both will need time to develop. The difference is, the Panthers are going pay Cam about 60 million dollars over the next five years and Pryor will get maybe a million a year if he makes a team. Maybe this is crazy, but I would rather have Pryor at his price.

The Panthers never seemed to me to be the kind of team that buckled to public pressure, but this is the only explanation for the Cam Newton pick. Teams or anyone for that matter should not make a decisions because of public opinion. Everyone in the general public and press has been saying the Panthers need a real QB. So, the Panthers draft the biggest name on the board #1 to silence the critics. Not smart, this will be a crippling blow to the Panthers for a long time. At best, Cam may develop in a Vince Young type. The problem is no matter how big a star Young is in the NFL, his stats are not very good. Young is a fair starting quarterback and that is the best Panther fans can hope for in Cam. I wouldn't be surprised if Jimmy Clausen wins the job from Cam. When will NFL teams learn big time athletes don't equal big time Quarterbacks?

So, if you laughed at Drew Rosenhaus's comments the joke is on you, HE IS 100% RIGHT!!!

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Ray Lewis' Appeal To End Lockout The Best Yet

What time is it?  CRIME TIME!

Ray Lewis has made his appeal to end the lockout and quite honestly, it's the funniest thing I've heard in a while.  (You can see the interview HERE)  According to Ray-Ray, if the NFL doesn't play this season, we all should stay inside our homes and deadbolt our doors because crime is going to be rampant. 

Seriously.  He said that.  If there is no NFL season, the crime rate will skyrocket, according to Lewis.  He says that because so many people live vicariously through NFL football and the players, that if they aren't playing, everyone will have nothing left to do but commit crimes.  Ray, give the American public a little bit of credit, my friend!  We don't love you guys THAT much!

If there's no NFL season, forget finding something productive to do, like reading a book, taking a Sunday nap, going outside for a jog or even watching another sport, I'm going to find some crimes to commit!  If there really are people who are going to commit more crime without the NFL, then they were going to commit crime anyway.  

I'm sure Roger Goodell had a good laugh when he heard Lewis' statements. 

My only question to Ray Lewis is this:  If there is no NFL season in 2011, which will increase more, America's crime rate or the NFLPA crime rate?

Do you buy the hype?  Will you be committing any crimes if there's no NFL in 2011?  If so, which ones?

Rashard Mendenhall Is Such An Idiot!

He said WHAT?

I was looking forward to a night off from the blog as we began spring practice today and I'm tired, but Rashard Mendenhall has ticked me off with his ignorant opinions.  So much so, that just had to put this story together tonight.  If you missed the action, here were his Tweets after the capture and death of Osama bin Laden:

"What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..."

Regarding September 11:

"We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."

First, let me say this:  My celebration on Monday was not simply for the death of Osama bin Laden; instead it was a celebration of THE CARRYING OUT OF JUSTICE!  If it's even possible for the thousands of families who lost loved ones due to the terrorist acts of bin Laden, there was closure in his death. 

Did Mendenhall really say we've never heard Osama speak?  You mean, like on those videos?  The ones where he took credit for the Sept. 11 attacks and said there would be even more blood shed for us American "infidels" in the name of jihad?  There were countless other videos produced by al-Qaida where bin Laden took credit for other attacks as well as inciting others to do the same.  Has Mendenhall never watched the news? 

Did he really say we never will know what happened on Sept. 11?  I know he was only 13 at the time of the attacks, but did he not have a television at home?  If so, he must have missed the part where the planes crashed into the Towers and then collapsed on LIVE television.

I fully understand that as an AMERICAN we have the right to have our own opinions.  As a teacher, I encourage my students to formulate their own opinions, even if it's not the popular opinion.  Some people even like to be contrarians, or "devil's advocates", but not if it means being a total buffoon in the process.

Rashard Mendenhall will certainly regret making these ignorant statements, if he isn't regretting it already.  There has been a tremendous backlash already that could derail his career, a la John Rocker.    If he doesn't regret his statements, then he needs to be placed on the "No Fly" list.

Risk, Reward, Sure Thing! Part II

If you want a Steal, think HEELS!!!

The 2nd round of the NFL starts today at 6:00 pm on ESPN, and if you are hoping your team can get a steal in this round or the next few, you are in luck. There are quite a few good players left on the board, like Da'Quan Bowers and Ryan Mallet.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have some really good players that have not been drafted. The reason they were overlooked in the 1st round is that many of the Heels players' draft stock was hurt by all the off the field issues of the past season. This includes Robert Quinn, Marvin Austin, and Greg Little who missed the entire season. So, many of the Heels are risks this year, but if a team takes a chance on them in the later rounds these guys could deliver huge rewards!

Marvin Austin can be a little lazy and his motor is in question, add this to all the off the field drama, and you have a 1st round cabiler pick still on the board. Austin has size and speed close to a player like Warren Sapp. Austin would be a real steal in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Bruce Carter is a sure thing. Will he be great, maybe, but he is a sure fire NFL starter. He has a burst of speed that translates to production in the NFL. Carter used this burst to block a ton of kicks in college and he can close the gap on the ball in a heartbeat. He would be a great player to pick up in the next few rounds.

Da'Norris Searcy is another player who could really be a steal in the later rounds. Searcy is 6 feet tall and weights 223 lbs. so he has good safety size. 223 lbs. is a bulky man when he is only 6 feet tall, yet Searcy is a great kick returner. As safety or return man, Searcy could make an impact pretty quickly for some NFL team. Searcy would be a great value in the 3rd or later rounds.

Some other Heels who could be steals are Greg Little (good size, strong, and athletic), Quan Sturdivant, Kendrick Burney, and Deunta Williams (who is a head hunter who put viscous hits on ACC offensive players).

Some other players from the Heels who maybe drafted or at least have a chance to make a NFL roster are: Charles Brown, Johnny White, and Zach Pianalto, and even T.J. Yates (small chance).