LynchyRightNow

FInal Draft Grades: NFC West

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:33:00 +0000

San Francisco 49ers When it comes to 'the draft,' teams need to determine if any need is pressing and go out and find the player that does just that; see Dallas Cowboys selecting Morris Claiborne. Adversely, if your team has no pressing needs, use the leverage you have and dump your picks to teams looking to fill a need. San Francisco thoguht otherwise. We thought San Francisco was no way letting Stanford tight-end Coby Fleener (with his former coach on the sideline, Jim Harbaugh) go by them, and they did. Fleener would have taken pressure of Vernon Davis immediately, but the 'Niners feel the better person do that was Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins who I had literally never even thought of in the first or second round, and he went #30 - first round. Scratching-my-head in anticipation of their next selection, Oregon running back LaMichael James. While 90% of NFL teams are busy down-grading the run game and making it irrelevant, the 49ers are busy adding LaMichael James an undersized rookie back and free-agent veteran, overweight back Brandon Jacobs, to a backfield that already includes Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. So I ask again, was there any reason you didn't want to just trade these picks? But, we won't go any further with San Francisco, they did just have a very good season and we'll wait to evaluate further. Final Grade: C-

Seattle Seahawks I disliked nearly every single pick that Seattle made, no wait, I did dislike every single pick that Seattle made. Defensive end Bruce Irvin from West Virginia is a knucklehead and it is absolutely absurd to have drafted in the 1st round, ahead of anyone. Put it this way, I would have taken 'high-as-a-kite' offensive tackle from Ohio State, Mike Adams, before I took Irvin, and that is only if Adams agreed to play while high. I've laid out what Seattle hopes to do next season in Pete Carroll's words, "The players don't matter, it's the heart that counts, if we play with heart and soul, we can win, again, the players don't matter, who's excited?!? Come on, you're all going to be Hall of Famers because I'm jacked and pumped!" Seattle is a mess, when is Carroll going back to college? He knows it doesn't matter if you pay players right, you'll still get another job; see Urban Meyer. I'd be re missed to not mention my favorite dumb Seattle pick, as if Irvin wasn't enough. The Seahawks took Wisconsin undersized quarterback Russell Wilson, who lets call a spade, a spade, owes current Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, his entire rookie salary for being a 3rd round pick. If Carroll believes that Wilson is going to compete for a starting job, what was the reason they just paid former Green Bay back-up turned Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn $26-million dollars?!?! Mix in the 17 defensive tackles they added and I need a drink. Final Grade:F

St. Louis Rams By all accounts the Rams main goal was getting the young oft-injured quarterback, Sam Bradford, someone to throw the ball to. Then the Jaguars messed that up and traded ahead of the #6 selection to steal Justin Blackmon from underneath the noses of St. Louis. Rather than reaching for a player they were unsure of at #6, it seems as though St. Louis regrouped for a moment, collected a mid-second round selection from Dallas along with the Cowboys #14 overall pick and went back to the drawing board. Here is where I fault St. Louis; (1) They didn't think as highly of Michael Floyd as we all did. Clearly Fisher has no problem with players with baggage; see 2nd round selection cornerback Janoris Jenkins. That being said, maybe he just didn't evaluate Floyd as highly as we did. (2) The player they selected first, LSU's Michael Brockers has major bust potential, something the Rams cannot afford at this stage in the game, not when a 10-year guard in Stanford's David DeCastro was still available. But I won't bang on the Rams, they had a plan and executed it once things fell the wrong way. Adding Jenkins in the second round is fantastic at #39 if he stays out of trouble, major if. The Rams also added their two receivers in Wake Forest's Chris Givens in the third and Appalachian State's Brian Quick (a project) but none the less did find value weapons for Bradford. It should also be noted that the running back from Cincinnati, Isaiah Pead came off the board prior to LaMichael James and Lamar Miller, but I'll give Fisher the benefit of the doubt, he coached Eddie George and Chris Johnson, I think he gets it. Final Grade: B

Arizona Cardinals I always love to make the Cardinals a personal punching bag of mine, but after The 2012 NFL Draft, I can't do that. . . as often anyway. When the Cards never replaced receivers Steve Breaston and Anquan Boldin, I had a major problem with them adding a quarterback with questions like Kevin Kolb. When they took to this draft, they corrected some things. All-World receiver Larry Fitzgerald started doing cartwheels in his living the moment the Cardinals announced they had selected Notre Dame pass catcher Michael Floyd to be his teammate at #13. It's a solid pick for Floyd who has some damage control to do on his image, but he's in a great spot to do that playing opposite a talent as rare as Fitzgerald's. I also loved that the Cardinals grabbed the falling stock of Mississippi offensive tackle Bobby Massie at pick number #112, tremendous value for a guy who fell as far as Massie did. We anticipated the Cardinals selecting a quarterback somewhere over the four-days of the draft, just turns out it was Ryan Lindley from San Diego in the fifth round and not Kirk Cousins who we would have loved to see end up in Arizona competing for a starting job either next year or even this year. Final Grade: A

. . . .Next up, NFC North.

Final Draft Grades: AFC West

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:01:00 +0000

Denver Broncos Heading into the draft, I may have been under the assumption that president of football operations John Elway was moving all his chips to the center of the proverbial table and adding pieces around his off season gem, future Hall Of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Coming out of the draft, I really don't see where he did that, in any way, shape, or form. Their first selection of the 2012 NFL Draft wasn't until the second round at pick #36. They added a defensive tackle, sure a need position for Denver but I'd consider their pick, defensive tackle Derek Wolfe as a late second or early third-round pick, not selected over Michigan State's Jerel Worthy and Connecticut's Kendall Reyes, the pick was a miss. When they finally picked on the offensive side of the ball, they took a quarterback! Project Arizona State signal-caller Brock Osweiler at number fifty-seven! Would Elway himself have been comfortable with the Broncos ever taking out insurance on him? It wasn't till pick #108, when the Broncos selected a center, that I felt good about their draft at all, they filled a need with Baylor's Phillip Blake, and we can live with that. However, the real miss was passing on impact running back Isaiah Peed and waiting till the following round to take Ronnie Hillman from San Diego State. Final Grade: C

Kansas City Chiefs Before this draft we promised ourselves several things, one of them pertains to the Chiefs. Any team who reached on Memphis defensive lineman Dontari Poe was automatically failing the post-draft grading process. However, while the Chiefs did take Poe with the 11th pick overall, I did like nearly all of their late round picks. Fifth-rounder, Alabama corner back DeQuan Menzie is a terrific pick in the late rounds. Running back Cyrus Gray from Texas A&M in the sixth round gives the Chiefs even more depth in the backfield after acquiring Peyton Hillis already this off season. Finally, the addition of Michigan receiver Junior Hemingway in the last round is just a pick I like because I've always been a fan of the Wolverines. Final Grade: C

Oakland Raiders The draft has been over for four days now and I'm not sure if the Raiders have picket yet, are you? Not being able to pick before 94-players were off the board doesn't exactly give you an edge on the competition. What else can really say about a team that traded away prime selections for the corpse of Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor through the supplemental draft, neither of who will take snaps for this team by the end of 2013, but I digress. I do however like one pick the Raiders made. In the fifth round the Raiders added 6'4" receiver Juron Criner from Arizona. Criner had a monster year two seasons ago in 2010 and was an All-PAC 10 selection. With the new addition of free-agent back-up quarterback Matt Leinart, it's possible the Raiders are just looking to add some depth all around. Final Grade: C+

San Diego Chargers I loved nearly everything about the Chargers draft, but then again they've always had a knack for adding talented players onto their roster. Their selection of Larry English, the outside linebacker/defensive end from Northern Illinois back in 2009 didn't work out the way they had hoped, but it didn't deter them from attempting a similar move this year. As South Carolina speed rusher Melvin Ingram slid down draft boards last Thursday night, the Bolts pulled the trigger at #18 in the first round and took him, great pick and we loved it just like we loved English back in 2009. In consecutive rounds the Chargers improved their defense again and again. Ingram in the 1st, Connecticut defensive tackle Kendall Reyes in the 2nd round, and LSU safety Brandon Taylor in the 3rd round, all fantastic picks. The hope for San Diego is that two of these three defensive players become pro-bowlers and impact their defense for some years to come. We always love when a team attacks one side of the ball that they really need improvement on, and with San Diego, the 20th ranked rush defense last season, this did just that. Final Grade: A-

. . NFC West up next!

Final Draft Grades: AFC South

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:15:00 +0000

Houston Texans Unlike some other clubs, the Texans really couldn't help but have a so-so NFL Draft. They've lost a couple offensive linemen in the off season and more importantly linebacker DeMeco Ryans and former top pick pass rusher, Mario Williams. Adding three offensive linemen through the draft shows they were just as concerned with that position getting filled more than any other, to be honest this was a team that was most likely an injury to their quarterback, Matt Schaub, away from making a deep playoff run a season ago. Their first pick of the weekend, defensive end Whitney Mercilus from Illinois will be a high value selection if he can make up for some of what they lost with Ryans and Williams going elsewhere in agency, and the same can be said for adding Nebraska's Jared Crick in the later rounds. Mercilus being a 1-year wonder in college does concern me. Oh, and I absolutely do not care for their 68th overall pick, Ohio State receiver DeVier Posey, it's just not smart, he's an average starter at best. Final Grade: C+

Indianapolis Colts Look, if Indianapolis had no other picks other than the top overall pick, I'd give them the same grade I'm going to give them for the entire draft they did have. Stanford's QB Andrew Luck is going to start from Day 1 in Indy, they did what most teams dream of doing - add a franchise quarterback the year you part ways with your previous franchise quarterback. Luck is the real deal in every way, and he'll prove that going forward. Then, Indianapolis managed to put two very good tight ends around him, his teammate in Palo Alto, Stanford TE Coby Fleener and Clemson TE Dwayne Allen. Fleener gives Luck a familiar face to pass to in his first season in the NFL, passing to tight ends is something he's very good at to boot. Allen will help in the run blocking game and possibly even on the right side where Indy failed to pick up another top tier offensive tackle. Later adding skill position players like FIU's receiver T.Y. Hilton and Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard just further emphasized the point; Indy is putting quality players around their franchise quarterback, something Washington and Cleveland could learn from. Final Grade: A

Tennessee Titans The Titans clearly made some organized moves to improve depth and holes in their defense. Of their seven selections, the Titans stuck to the defensive side five times. However, their 1st round-selection Baylor receiver Kendall Wright was an extremely special pick to us. Adding Wright and provided Kenny Britt can come back healthy this season really improves the pass game in Tennessee and thus improves their explosive running game with Chris Johnson. Their next three selections, LB Zach Brown (52nd), DT Mike Martin (82), and CB Coty Sensabaugh (115) are all expected to come in right away and start making plays on that Titan defense, alot to expect from some really valuable positions! Lastly, one of my steal picks at pick #190, Oklahoma State safety, Markelle Martin. Obviously the Titans had a need in the secondary with Cortland Finnegan's departure and they filled it with Coty Sensabaugh but Martin just really adds to that. He's a quick player who is used to playing against those pass-happy Big 12 schools and can translate at the next level. Final Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars It pains me that one of my favorite players in this draft, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, ended up in Jacksonville, but I felt like Jacksonville needed to make a move like this and I applaud that. Look, the Jags need star players who can put 'cheeks in the seats' and get people excited about their franchise and at #7, they were just out of reach of doing that, the trade to jump up to #5 put them in perfect position and they hit it out of the park. Why do we like Blackmon so much? It's simple, he's a great kid and an awesome team player, oh and he's just flat out great on gameday. Early second round, the Jaguars pick up Clemson pass rusher Andre Branch, great pick and if you weren't going to attack the position early on the first round, get the best available at the same position when you get to pick again, and they did that. Now to the bad; The Jaguars, of all teams, wasted a f*cking third round-pick on California punter Bryan Anger! Here's the thing, he's the highest punter drafted since 1995, and there is a reason for that! Are the Jaguars the team that can validate drafting a punter this high? No, No, and No. If I was a Jaguars fan I would have shut the television off and ran my head through a wall after this pick. I get that the Jaguars probably are going to punt an awful lot, but come on man! Final Grade: D (just for that pick alone!)

. . . next up, AFC West

Final Draft Grades: AFC North

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:37:00 +0000

Baltimore Ravens Till Ray Lewis and Ed Reed retire, I'll always say that any young defensive player with upside who is lucky enough to get drafted to play alongside them, is going to really benefit. Enter Alabama edge rusher Courtney Upshaw. Fell out of the first round and then Baltimore moves up to the 35th pick overall to take him, brilliant move from Ozzie Newsome. This pick on the second day of the draft had me thinking the plan to move out of the first round went off to perfection, Baltimore thought they could get him a little later and the move back allowed them to do so and grab more selections in the process. Furthermore, the Ravens were able to pick up a compliment back to Ray Rice in drafting Temple's Bernard Pierce in the third round. Doubling his production from 2010 to 2011 before a late season injury, Pierce got some teams paying close attention. Final Grade: B

Pittsburgh Steelers Bar-none the smartest back-to-back picks I've seen in a while. First round, the Steelers hit the jack pot and sweep up the best guard in the draft, Stanford's David DeCastro. Watching 11 of the 15 picks leading up to their twenty-fourth overall selection go to the defensive side of the ball, Pittsburgh doesn't think twice before they add DeCastro. Second round, pick #56 comes and the Steelers don't hesitate to take another sliding offensive lineman in Ohio State tackle Mike Adams. The only thing holding back Mike Adams was himself, the lack of effort, the failed drug tests (recreational not performance enhancing), and the multiple suspensions at the collegiate level. It all kept NFL teams away, but not a veteran team like Pittsburgh, not with a locker room full of guys who have made the wrong decisions and came out on the other end. If Adams and DeCastro can anchor this line going forward, it'll go a very long way to Pittsburgh being able to keep quarterback Ben Roethlisberger healthy. Also, Washington's defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu and Florida running back Chris Rainey add depth at two positions the Steelers needed to do so. All-in-all they've had a great three days of the 2012 NFL Draft. Final Grade: A

Cincinnati Bengals We're big fans of what the Bengals did last year, and that was even before it worked out and the duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green turned in awesome rookie years. This year however, I've got some questions. Why at #17 did the Bengals select Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick when guard David DeCastro was still available, at a position they seriously needed help at? Yes, they did go ahead and draft Kevin Zeitler from Wisconsin at the same position ten picks later, but he's not DeCastro. Overall it was a mixed bag for Cincy, I really like adding the Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu to come in and play opposite A.J. Green but then didn't like drafting both Devon Still from Penn State and Brandon Thompson from Clemson at the same defensive tackle position when running back was a need they missed out on till much later. Had the Bengals grabbed Lamar Miller the Miami running back rather than Brandon Thompson at pick #93 in the 3rd round I would have given them a much better grade than I'm about to. The Bengals draft for me would have looked like DeCastro, Sanu, Still, Lamar Miller, and I'd even have stayed with their 6th round pick of Ohio State running back Boom Herron, forgive me if I'm not a fan of free-agent running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Final Grade: B-

Cleveland Browns Holmgren missed. While four of their first five picks were meant to put bolster the 29th ranked offense from a season ago, I just think they missed. President of the Cleveland Browns, Mike Holmgren, evaluated his current quarterback Colt McCoy while never putting any pieces around him to work with, that I don't get. RB Trent Richardson was a given, they needed that impact player and got him. Rumours were swirling that Holmgren was ready to take the Baylor receiver Kendall Wright and when the Titans took him at #20, the Browns just changed gears and drafted Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden. Was this Plan B? Receivers Stephen Hill, Alshon Jeffery, and Rueben Randle were all still available, he knows that right? What would have been wrong with adding Jonathan Martin or Cordy Glenn with their second first round pick and then adding one of those three receivers with their early second round pick? Why make the obvious choice if you could just select a near-thirty year old quarterback to? Oh, and you still don't have anyone for him to throw the ball to. Final Grade: D-

. . . AFC South up next!

Final Draft Grades: AFC East

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:57:00 +0000

Buffalo Bills With their first round selection the Bills made the safe pick in South Carolina DB Stephon Gilmore, which should improve their 19th ranked pass-defense. I call Gilmore a safe pick because he doesn't have the baggage that Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick and Northern Alabama's Janoris Jenkins came along with, both of whom we considered better NFL prospects at the same position as Gilmore. That being said, Gilmore is a very solid pick inside the top ten. Adding Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn falls into the same category as Gilmore, a very quality selection at the point in which he was selected (41st). Glenn is, to put it lightly, massive. He'll move to the inside on the Buffalo offensive line and really give them a push up front in their running game, the Bills got a steal getting first round talent in the second round here. We thought taking a slot receiver in North Carolina State's T.J. Graham in the third round was a reach, but as solid as they'd been already, you can't blame them for taking a shot with the 5'11" Graham. Lastly on Buffalo, we were very pleased with their selection of Tank Carder the outside linebacker from TCU in the fifth round. Carder is an interesting player and plays very instinctively, if it works out, the Bills may have grabbed a future leader in their locker room. Final Grade: B+

Miami Dolphins I was searching for a team which I could slam early on, and the Dolphins were a reasonable choice. I don't like Ryan Tannehill as a player at all, their 1st round selection (8th overall). Despite having an amazing looking wife, everything else Tannehill does is average at best for me. Dolphins fans are going to talk themselves into this pick because Tannehill's former college coach Mike Sherman is now the offensive coordinator in Miami and head coach Joe Philbin is the former Green Bay assistant who got current starter in Seattle Matt Flynn prepared to take on the league and of course coached up all-world quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Our contention you ask? Tannehill is neither Flynn or Rodgers. So, does Tannehill start over Matt Moore or David Garrard? I'm going to say he's 3rd on the depth chart however, you still thought he was worth the eigth overall pick? Last word on Miami's draft, I too like a Stanford offensive lineman and drafting Jonathan Martin is a quality pick in the second round. He'll eventually be the successor to Jake Long at left tackle, Miami's 2008 top pick overall who they are becoming more and more anxious to part ways with. Final Grade: C+

New England Patriots Great first round as I wrote (Friday), if Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones stays healthy the Patriots may have committed the coup of the 2012 NFL Draft. After the first round however, the Belichick'ian' way took over. A safety from Illinois, (Tavon Wilson) which no one had coming off the board in the second round, and two more late round defensive backs showed what Belichick was looking to do, swing away at the secondary and hope you get lucky. All that being said, moving up in the first round not once but twice really showed everyone what the Patriots had in mind, sure up their defense, and they did just that. Bama's Dont'a Hightower really is in the best position for him to come in and make a first round pick type impact. Final Grade: A-

New York Jets I'm starting to seriously dislike the Jets. I know, I'm late to that party. Seriously though, I'm smarter than Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum. If i was him, I'd have targeted Chandler Jones and or Melvin Ingram from South Carolina if I was in the market for a first-round defensive end, not the inconsistent North Carolina end Quinton Coples. Also, I get that it's simply splitting hairs, but we had South Carolina (slightly overweight) receiver Alshon Jeffery rated higher than the speedy Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill. One thing you can say about Jeffery that you can't about Hill, he's got no problem with his hands, something we like in a guy catching the ball. I like almost none of what the Jets have done in both free-agency and now the draft. Acquiring Tebow created a problem the Jets have under center, or amplified an existing problem, either way it's an issue that Tannenbaum and the Jets crreated, and then they reached on Coples in the first round, I just don't get it. Final Grade: C-

. . . .AFC North up next!

NFL Draft: Round 1 Three Up / Three Down

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:37:00 +0000

I hope no more trades happen till you read this, but the way last night went, it could . . .

Let's Get After It!

Three Up

New England Patriots If you woke up today and didn't watch the draft because of how disappointed you've been in Bill Belichick's draft career, you'd be stunned. Bill ditched his usual routine and finally drafted a couple of super-talented players with all the picks they'd acquired. First there was Chandler Jones from Syracuse, a kid who spent much of the first part this past season injured but then when he got healthy, boy did he show up. Chandler Jones gained a ton of momentum in the past three weeks leading up to the draft. He's the type of pass-rusher who is going to give the Patriots defense a ton of flexibility, something they have seriously lacked over the past few seasons. Then, they went ahead and added Dont'a Hightower, the versatile linebacker from Alabama. Hightower can stop the

run up the middle and also play great from sideline to sideline as he demonstrated in Nick Saban's complex defensive system in Tuscaloosa. Talk about getting outside of the comfort zone for New England and Bill Belichick, on Thursday night he moved up twice to draft both players which he wanted to give his defense the teeth they've been lacking.

NFL Fans Hey, that draft was fun. With the rookie salary scale now in place, teams where not only more apt to make deals to trade up for players they coveted, they actually did it! The Browns didn't hesitate to swap picks with Minnesota to ensure they got their man in Trent Richardson, despite it being just one slot! The Cowboys jumped up to the sixth overall pick to get the defensive back they never thought possible. The Jaguars moved into the top five to get the receiver that they wanted! It was mind boggling for the most part! Not only did the draft seem like it flew by, it did fly by coming in under four hours. All-in-all, a draft like that is just more exciting, even the teams who played deep into the playoffs can get their fan bases excited about what they may or may not do because now the price tag isn't nearly as difficult as it once was! Bravo Goodell, bravo!

Dallas Cowboys Of course they're our favorite team, but you have to give them credit. We know that Jerry Jones loves trading in the first round, but this time he nailed it. By moving from #14 to #6, the Cowboys were able to net the best cornerback in available in the draft. LSU's Morris Claiborne is going to instantly impact the Cowboys terrible pass defense from a season ago, that's filling a hole and doing it the best possible way. The Cowboys did the one thing that I've been dying for NFL teams to do for years, go get your players no matter what you have to do, when you really like them. Why worry about next years pick or next rounds pick if the guy that can make your team legitimately better is available for you to go out and get?

Three Down

New York Jets It's not that the Jets picked North Carolina defensive-end Quinton Coples, it's who they passed on when they selected Coples which I take issue with. Still on the board for Rex Ryan and the J-E-T-S was the bigger more consistent South Carolina pass-rusher Melvin Ingram. Also, who their division rival New England (more on him in a moment) selected, Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. Coples is a player who is going to have to be coached up, has under-performed based on what we thought he was a couple years ago at North Carolina, and isn't even going to play every down because of what he lacks. While it was cute for the Jets to put it out there in the days leading up to the draft that they were very interested in finding a way to acquire Alabama running back Trent Richardson, stick to doing your homework on guys you might actually have the chance to pick.

Seattle Seahawks You cannot convince me otherwise, Pete Carroll isn't a draft guy. He did a great job by picking up some extra picks and moving back in the in the first round to #15, yet then went and selected a guy he probably, no wait, definitely could have gotten on day two. Undersized West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin might be very fast with a 'great motor,' and Carroll might be all kinds of jacked and pumped with landing him, but he's a player who doesn't play against the run and being selected in the top half of the first round, there is no way that Seattle just got everything they could have out of that selection, not a chance. Doesn't this seem oddly familiar to what they did a year ago drafting Alabama offensive tackle James Carpenter at twenty-five (25) when no one had him that high?

Tampa Bay Bucccaneers I'm still curious as to how handing the Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon and giving up their opportunity to take a cover-corner like Morris Claiborne benefits them in the long run. Cam Newton and Matt Ryan play in their division and they're only going to get better and better in the passing game, does a safety really make them better defending the pass, more so than a cornerback would have? ESPN's John Clayton wrote something very similar this morning and it's true. They're already getting torched every year by New Orleans and with the other two division opponents playing them twice a year, how soon is it before you make a move and find a cornerback to vastly improve your secondary? When you had plans to take a defensive back anyway, isn't the cornerback the logical choice? Ask Dallas (more on that soon).

More NFL Draft talk in the coming days . . .

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He's That Good!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:01:00 +0000

Have you had enough of Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Robert Griffin III ?!?! Quite frankly, so have I. See, at LynchyRightNow, we've been confident for nearly two-years now that former Stanford signal-caller Andrew Luck was not only a mortal lock to be the top player selected whichever year he chose to come out, but more so that he deserves every bit of the hype that comes with the 'top pick' nod. Robert Griffin however, does not.

My knock on Robert Griffin is far from an uber-bias toward the Palo Alto signal-caller. To us, Grif is a product of the environment in which he'll be selected. I'll remind you that two prospects with very good resumes at the same position, Oklahoma's Landry Jones (6'4", 230 lbs.) and Southern California's Matt Barkley (6'2", 220 lbs.), both opted to return to college for another year. What their actions did has dictated the type of NFL Draft we'll see on Thursday night.

Ask yourself these three questions:

1. If either Barkley or Jones was the alternative and not Ryan Tannehill, Do the Rams get as much as they did (two future 1st round picks and a 2012 second-round pick)?

2. Would the Redskins still have been the team to move up?

3. Wasn't it referred to as 'suck for Luck' for a reason?

Here's how we answer:

1. No, both Barkley and Jones emphatically lessen the cost of Robert Griffin. In fact, just call up Mike Holmgren in Cleveland and ask him, he'll agree. He's the executive passing on Tannehill when he would like nothing more than to head into 2012 with a quarterback of his choosing.

2. Probably not, isn't head coach Mike Shanahan notoriously known for meddling? However, now we expect him to be the coach to let RG3 play his own game at the next level? Ask Donovan McNabb how he felt about his experience with Shanahan.

3. Yes, it was. It was referred to that because the Stanford quarterback is the prototype. He's intelligent enough to handle an NFL playbook right now, he's got a big arm, mobile, and doesn't lack confidence. For SI to ask the question on it's April 23rd cover, "Who should go first?," is absurd.

It may seem like we have an axe to grind with Robert Griffin but I promise you it's not. More so it's about the hype surrounding a player who is not Cam Newton, not John Elway, and not as talented as his draft-mate, Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck is a three-year starting quarterback at one of the most demanding academic schools in the country. You want a kid who can rip through an NFL playbook and come out ready to go, who's better? How about a winner? 23-3 In his final two seasons in the collegiate ranks. You saw what 49ers quarterback Alex Smith did in his first season under Harbaugh right? Career bests in passer rating and total yards, think

Luck has benefited somewhat from Harbaugh's tutelage while at Stanford? While at Stanford, Luck threw for nearly 9,500 yards and 82-touchdown passes. Would you like a real Elway comparison? He's it.

When it comes to Robert Griffin, here's a player who I have serious reservations about. Comes out at his Baylor Pro-Day to his own rap music, that's focus isn't it? He doesn't have the size that Cam Newton has, that 6'5" height that Newton used in his first year at the next level seriously came into play often, height Griffin is going to have to make up for not having. At Baylor, he was spoon fed a very simplistic offense without a ton of variety. Big 12 defenses respected his ability to run so often that it limited their ability to apply pressure off the edge, that won't happen in the NFL. In a league where he is going to have to audible out at the line, read who is looking to get after him, and adjust to an entirely different pro system he's never seen before, is instant success really a guarantee?

Before you sit back and call them 1A and 1B, know it isn't that simple and it sure isn't even true. As much as Robert Griffin wants to tell you and everyone around him wants to tell you that this draft contains two top picks, it doesn't. . .

With the 1st Pick in the 2012 NFL Draft

. . . LynchyRightNow

You what?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000

There are definately days out there where I hear this when I praise a certain athlete, "You what?!? He's terrible, I hate him." It got me to really thinking. Why do you hate Mike Vick now? Have you heard about this guy, who did this? Why can't we dig a little deeper and find out who really causes a problem, or who really hurts others around him? Are we all just listening to the 1st story on the news? Or, are we opening up the magazine and reading a little more?

Let's get after it!

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick

I understand, you really like Fido the dog, maybe even love him. Point taken. Buuutttt, you understand he's an animal right? How was that bacon you had with your coffee? The turkey on your club sandwich you had for lunch? The crab meat you ate as an appetizer out at dinner? How about that filet you filled up on? Just so we're all on the same page, none of those animals went quietly. Now, don't get all fired up. Hold on. Wait for it . . .you're a hypocrite. Old news though, we're past that, Vick spent 548-days in prison, lost two years of his career, and we'll never know how many greenbacks. My point is, he made some bad choices but did indeed pay for those bad choices in more ways than one.

Who you really shouldn't like; Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth

Don't recognize the name? Come on now, you're the same person who just said you hate Michael Vick, and you don't know Donte Stallworth? Well, I'll fill you in. Stallworth had too many cocktails in a posh Miami bar back in 2009, got behind the wheel of his Bentley sedan, and proceeded to strike, with his vehicle, and kill a man heading home from working the night shift as a crane operator. That would be manslaughter. Murdering a man on his way home to his family because you were to ignorant to call a car service rather than get behind the wheel is far worse than anything Michael Vick did. Oh, and Stallworth did only 24-days of a 30-day prison sentence, reached an undisclosed amount to settle with the family of the victim, and lost his license for life with the ability to get it reinstated after five years to go to and from work, at his job as an NFL player!

7x Tour de France Champion, American cyclist Lance Armstrong

Now this one I'll never understand. Armstrong raised more than $325 million for the research and awareness of cancer throughout the world, and that was a number posted over two years ago! Has never had any of those 'Tour de France' victories stripped away from him, only been accused and exonerated from false accusations in a sport where largely they go by the motto, "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying," and still women don't like him. For the better part of the last twenty-years he's been the face of cancer survivors across the globe, I'm shooting out random numbers but I'll bet of every 50 people you meet on the street, at least two of them have on his signature 'LIVESTRONG' bracelet. Now that's impressive. If you're still not convinced, believe me his wife who he left for Sheryl Crow, I'm sure she was well taken care of.

Who you really shouldn't like; shamed American cyclist Floyd Landis

Now here's a guy to loathe. Not only was he shamed after failing PED tests and stripped of his Tour de France championship, at the time the first in the history of the sport, but then he proceeded to try and take everyone down with him, including the guy above who raised countless of millions of dollars for cancer research everywhere! Landis spent years trying to fight his failed tests only to later just come clean and admit it, oh and he even wrote a book about how he wasn't guilty! Then again, if you want to hate Lance Armstrong for being friends with Matthew McConaughey, well then I'm on board with that as well.

14x Major golf Championship winner, Tiger Woods Yes, his off-the-course activities have now far exceeded anything he's done on the course, as remarkable as that sounds, it's true. And yes, he is definately not someone you would want your kids to look up to at this point. Oh, and the level of infidelity reported was most likely a fraction of what he's actually done throughout his playing days, as hard as that is to believe, it's also probably true. Wait, scratch that, you should loathe Tiger too.

Who you really shouldn't like; Fair enough.

Miami Heat super-star, LeBron James

Look, I don't care for LeBron, don't get this twisted around. I really don't like the guy, never really have. However, why you don't like him? That's absurd. He's playing in a city more fun than nearly half of all U.S. cities, far more fun than Cleveland. Furthermore, he's playing on a team with players the same caliber as he is, something he'd never experienced before. He doesn't curse around the court like Kevin Garnett, he's never been arrested for something that may or may not have happened in Denver like it did to Kobe Bryant, he's never gone into the stands and punched a fan in the face, so really, why do you like him? Because he's arrogant? Rich? Well, that just got rid of 85% of the players in the NBA.

Who you really shouldn't like; New York Knick, Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo is only good when he's the guy. He can't handle other people drawing attention away from him. Probably doesn't like Jeremy Lin, probably got his head coach fired when the rest of the team started looking to 'Melo for answers. Oh, and he could care less about whether his team wins or loses, as long as he gets his!

I guess what I'm attempting to say here is, stop reading the cover of magazines and listening to the headlines. If you want to make yourself sound well-informed and mildly intelligent, open the magazine!

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Our 5 Burning Draft Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 05:05:00 +0000

When I go to the grocery store I don't buy the apples with bruises on them and I don't buy bananas that have gotten brown on the outside. (Not as witty with analogies as I thought, moving on.) With that attempt at humour out of the way, here are our Five Burning NFL Draft Questions . . .

Get After It!

5. Cleveland or Miami; Which team wakes up angry on Friday, April 27th realizing they've just drafted Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill thirty-two picks too early?

Everything that went down with St. Louis, Cleveland losing out on the Robert Griffin III sweepstakes, has left them with a huge sour taste in their mouths. After fired head coach Tony Sparano led a Dolphins team to an inspired 6-3 finish and playing their way out of 'Suck For Luck', you had to know it was a sign of bad things to come. Peyton said no, Alex Smith said no, and Matt Flynn would rather play in Starbucks country than with his old coach on South Beach, talk about doomed. It's our belief however, that Holmgren has decided to give Colt McCoy another year and draft a quarterback in a later round, say Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden. Leaving the Dolphins with the unfortunate task of having to select Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, or as I like to call him 'the yellow skittle,' the one you're forced to take out of the bag after the rest are gone! Hey Miami, we weren't the ones who told you to pass on now perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan back in 2008!

4. Who is better for Tampa Bay at #5? LSU CB Morris Claiborne vs. 'Bama RB Trent Richardson

This all depends on what Cleveland does, but for argument sake we'll say Cleveland takes Tannehill or gives payback to St. Louis and goes out of character to draft highlight-film receiver Justin Blackmon away from the Rams. Leaving Tampa Bay in a very tough spot. The Bucs could really use Richardson in the backfield, who in our mind is one of four, can't miss, A+ talents in this draft (joining Luck, Blackmon, and Luke Kuechly), however their secondary is a mess. With LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne available and his former defensive backs coach in Baton Rouge, Ron Cooper, in the Tampa 'war room,' he's got an advocate who is probably foaming at the mouth to continue coaching the former LSU standout. I'm going to have to agree with Cooper on this one. Claiborne can be very effective at the next level and in a passing league you need that more than you need a pass-catching running back with a great set of skills, despite that Claiborne's shoe size is higher than his Wonderlic score.

3. No Tebow in J-Ville, now what?

In Blaine Gabbert we trust? Oh, or Chad Henne. I hope the masses understand that it wasn't Jaguars owner Shahid Khan's choice to not bring in the adopted-son of Florida, Tim Tebow. The people in Tebow's camp, including himself, and not God, wanted Tebow to be a Jet for more than one reason:

A) Under new head coach Mike Mularkey, it's no guarantee that Tebow would have beaten out Chad Henne and or Blaine Gabbert for the starting job.

B) The Jaguar fans aren't exactly the type to rent out billboards along Northeast Florida clamoring for 'Tebow-time'.

C) The Jaguars are terrible.

All that being said, general manager Gene Smith has a couple really good options at pick #7. With any luck, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon finds himself slipping out of the top six. At that point Gene Smith would have a no brainer on his hands. Blackmon's a big target with great hands and a terrific ability to move down the field after the catch. This however would mean Cleveland selected Tannehill, the Bucs opted for Trent Richardson, and St. Louis didn't want to pass-up on Morris Claiborne, none of which I see happening. Next we move onto the safest possible move, take the South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram. Nearly 280 lbs. of dominate speed coming off the edge looking to bury a rookie quarterback in Indianapolis, a second-year quarterback in Tennessee, and a fragile quarterback in Houston, it's a quality move. Finally, DON'T DRAFT MICHAEL FLOYD. He got himself into enough trouble in South Bend, Indiana and I've been to J-Ville, it's way more fun than South Bend.

2. RGIII to the 'Skins, Blackmon to St. Louis . . that worked out for all parties involved, didn't it?!?!

It worked out for Washington, in the short term however. True, they get Robert Griffin III, a dynamic athlete of whom we should all be a little more skeptical of, but terrific athlete none the less. I'm going to just say it, Cam Newton helped Carolina win six-games in his rookie year, and I don't believe they are the same exact player at all, Cam's better. So yes, I do question that it isn't as much of a slam dunk as we're making it out to be. The (3) 1st-round picks it cost them and a 2nd-rounder, not a big deal, that is if you think RGIII is the guy you've obviously made him out to be. As far as St. Louis goes, someone in that organization is willing to possibly trade themselves out of Justin Blackmon, a huge mistake in our opinion. At pick #6 the guarantee that Blackmon is still around is not as favorable as it was at #2. If the rumour is true and St. Louis could have done the same deal with Cleveland but kept themselves in the top five and didn't for whatever reason, well that's just crazy. Holmgren could offer the #4 pick to any number of teams willing to put together a package big enough to take Blackmon. What if Jacksonville comes calling on draft morning? They trade-up and take Blackmon at #4, Tampa sticks with Claiborne at #5, leaving St. Louis to scramble at #6 possibly taking Fletcher Cox the defensive tackle from Mississippi State, and Cleveland can go ahead and take Trent Richardson at #7, the same guy they would have taken at #4. I agree, the package that Washington put together for RGIII was worth it to pull the trigger, especially if you believe in Sam Bradford, but show you believe in him by locking up a talent like Justin Blackmon.

1. Will the defending AFC Champion Patriots use their late first-round selections to move up, and to where?

I'm not sure if New England even has to, to get what they want that is. They don't have the ammunition to do what they did in 2008 by moving up to get Jerod Mayo, and even if they put it together, who is the player of need worth it, as Mayo was then? Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly is a terrific player, but it'd cost to much at this point and they've already got Brandon Spikes, who isn't all that bad. With drafting where they are they can improve their defensive line after the departure of Andre Carter, and wait to see if any particular player they've highlighted on their draft board begins to slide. Would it shock people if they stepped-up to select Janoris Jenkins, despite the off-the-field issues? Here's a talented cornerback/return-man who with any other rap sheet would find himself amongst the top 15-selections. Florida connections, has the call been made to Urban about just how frustrating Janoris was? Is North Carolina defensive end Quiton Coples the type of player that Belichick would try to move up to take if he began a draft-day slide? As always with New England, you really never know, right?!?!

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We're Baaaaaack

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:20:00 +0000

Quick Disclaimer; I was off getting married / honeymooning / and in general, running myself ragged. But I'm back, and I appreciate the readers coming back with me. Oh, and Happy Birthday to my godson who turns 1-year old today!

So, where do we start?!? Coach Calipari and his band of freshmen won a National Title for the University of Kentucky while we were out. Congratulations Lucifer, you win this round. We may not like Coach Calipari's methods, those of us in or around the University of Massachusetts and the University of Memphis probably would have rather Monday night turn out slightly different for Coach Calipari, for sure. However, the man does have a point. He recruits fantastic freshmen classes, top notch NBA-talent, and holds no punches when it comes to that. When asked about it, Coach Calipari referenced the tennis athletes, the golf athletes, and even the baseball athletes who jump to the professional ranks the moment they can, and what is so different from his hoopsters? Most likely, not-a-thing. Super-freshmen Marquis Teague, Anthony Davis, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist most likely will chase their dreams toward The Association in late-June, while Coach Calipari has successfully earned his first National Championship, despite making us all feel dirty about it.

Ready-made defense, couple good offensive weapons along with a good offensive line, and a head coach who will stay out of the way of said offense. That's what Peyton Manning went into in Denver. A patch-work defense, a locker room in disarray, and a head coach who cannot stay out of his own way, let alone your way. Welcome to New York Tim Tebow. Doesn't seem like the way we should treat the second-son of God, does it? Now don't go blaming John Elway for doing what he needed to do to lure a future Hall of Fame quarterback with supposed 'gas left in the tank,' that's a move you make. As for Rex Ryan and the Jets? You can only say you're going to win the Super Bowl so many times before people start to get restless. To make it worse, your Stadium-roommates win their second in the decade while you're still talking about it. Bringing in Tebow might be the best you could do to create an additional distraction, I guess get better in the red zone, and sell a sh*t-ton of jerseys, but I can't say it was a need. While I'm not a Sanchez fan, but he's definitely a better passer than Tebow. For that raw-deal that Tebow just got moving to The Big Apple, blame a 6-4 quarterback from Houston, TX that is poised to be the top pick in April's NFL draft. Yep, just made NFL prospect Andrew Luck public enemy #1 in the Tebow household, that happened.

I can't get excited for Tiger anymore. I don't care that the most exciting part of The Masters weekend is Saturday and Sunday, I just don't buy Tiger will be there anymore. With that, let us be honest about what has transpired. Believe me, I'd want nothing more than to see Tiger Woods return to his former glory and have the billions of people who loved him get wrapped up in it again, all the while feeling a little dirty about it. We've had tastes of this right? Michael Vick in Landover, MD back in 2010 smashing the Redskins on a record-breaking night. I loved every bit of it, but if Michael Vick ever reaches a Super Bowl, ohhhh boy! It'd be like if Barry Bonds discovered a cure for cancer, I'd be excited, I'd clap a few times, but it's Barry Bonds?!?! That's where I'm at with Tiger Woods. I want him to be there on Sundays to add excitement, to get people jacked-up to watch some golf! Then again, it's Tiger Woods. You know, cheated on his wife more times than I've Tebow'ed since December! You know, publicly made a creepy apology about his infidelity, which was shockingly MORE creepy than the actual act of infidelity! Maybe we should just give this one to another old or young white guy who doesn't rock a red Nike polo on Sundays, who doesn't get me interested in golf, and who allows me to enjoy my resurrection day in other ways!

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A Colt No More

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:10:00 +0000

Damn, I love football. In the offseason and still getting all the 'pub.'

Am I going to far in saying that former Colts quarterback and 4X-NFL MVP, Peyton Manning, should be the most sought after free-agent in NFL history?!? Am I going to far in saying that the Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay just made the biggest sports gamble in recent memory?!? Am I going to far in saying that, while I wrote it, Stanford Cardinal quarterback turned NFL draft prospect, quarterback Andrew Luck, literally has the biggest boots to fill, of-all-time?!?

No, No, and No.

Coming from the biggest Andrew Luck supporter this side of Palo Alto, you better buckle up my man! The guy you're replacing may have one of the most awkward side-profiles of all time but just put together a historic, Hall Of Fame, record-breaking career, and he ain't done yet. His last five years in The League, (sans 2011), Manning hung up 4,000+ yards to go with 27+ touchdowns in each of them. You want the short or long list of suitors?!? Miami, Washington, Arizona, and Kansas City, shall I go on?!? Not needed. There are plenty of teams in the NFL that know all to well how much Peyton Manning can improve their Super Bowl odds and get their fan bases all fired up for 2012. For the haters, that means you Patriot fans, he's 1 for 2 in the 'big dance,' and it isn't like you don't what it feels like to drop a couple, right?!?!

I hope Colts owner Jim Irsay knows what he's doing, or at least has a plan other than parting ways with one of the two greatest quarterbacks of a generation. After cleaning house in the Colts front-office, then moving to Manning, I seriously hope Irsay has some people he plans on putting around the young Andrew Luck. I, unlike those in 'The Beltway,' think Peyton stays in the AFC, casting his shadow over Indy for more than a year or two, thus casting it over Andrew Luck. Can the confidence of the Stanford quarterback and electric ability under center turn the proverbial page for Colts fans? Can Luck become the new face of football in the Mid-West?!?! At least he saves you a cool $30-Million, cause that's what it's about right?!?!

For what it's worth, Peyton was a rock in Indianapolis. Consecutive games played, a pair of Super-Bowl appearances, the type of signal-caller that made you watch the game. He's the quarterback who will forever be historically linked to the likes of Tom Brady and yes, Ryan Leaf. He's the quarterback that put together the funniest commercials, for whatever that is worth, and turned the NFL into a 'passing league,' that's right, it's on him. Now you and I get the to the fun part, watching the Montana of our time play in another uniform, similar to, ummmmm right, Montana. Because he's a Colt no more.

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Casual Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:45:00 +0000

We're in a 'sporting world funk,' a term oft-used for that period in between the Bowl which is defined as 'Super' (for copyright sakes we've got to refer to it as that), and NCAA's March Madness. A period in which the release of SI's annual Swimsuit Edition and New York Knicks sudden superstar Jeremy Lin would just have to suffice. Be that it as it may, we've got some Casual Thoughts . . .

Let's Get After It!

The Miami Heat are going to hang one up in 2012. What the Mavericks did to 'Bron Bron' and 'D-Wade' last season was comical, and we got our rocks off on it, but I highly doubt we get to do that again, not this year. Headed into the All-Star break winning eleven of twelve, came out thrashing Portland on the road with LeBron putting up 38 points and 11 boards, you good?!?! No way the Heat find a way to mess this one up. Start to respect what has been put together on South Beach rather than a couple exciting weeks at MSG with a kid who played his college ball in Cambridge. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh vs. the Knicks on February 23rd - 22 boards, 13 assists, and 67 points. How far away did we really thing they were after reaching The Finals a season ago? Really!?!?

Be what you are, stop pretending #NFL. Waa, Waaa, the Saints placed bounties for their defensive players to knock players out and injure opposing players like Kurt Warner and Brett Favre (p.s. no one cares). Let's all throw our arms up in disgust and hand out suspensions, fines, and take away draft picks! Let Mike Greenberg and John Clayton pontificate and Adam Schefter give us hourly updates on what the commissioner may or may not do. Or . . . wait for it . . .how about we do absolutely nothing! There is a thought, treat it like a non-story, and move on! NFL players are now bigger, faster, and stronger than they've ever been, and it isn't because babies are getting bigger and bigger everyday! The NFL is a violent league, it's a sport where grown men get paid to smash each other play in, play out, don't be shocked when you are what you are! Crack down on HGH use and then we'll talk. #EverTheRealist. Or is Rodney Harrison the only guy to ever get suspended?

As far as Brewers slugger Ryan Braun goes . . .no dice! Doesn't matter what just happened as far as his case being overturned, just doesn't matter. The 2011 National League MVP isn't getting into The Hall, isn't getting the benefit of the doubt, and his story just doesn't pass the smell test, sorry Mr. Braun. How does this go, going forward? Braun better hope his numbers don't tail off this season, or he'll hear it. Braun better hope 2011 isn't the only season he's the N.L. MVP, or he'll hear it. Braun better hope that 2011 wasn't the only season which he failed a performance enhancing drug test, or he'll hear it. The once pride of the National League and the future of the new Major League Baseball, just made a huge stain on the game that he can't erase. Further more, he's got those of us who believed the game was getting closer and closer to clean, to now believing this is the same game with a different twist on it. Wag your finger all you want Ryan Braun, it just doesn't change things today.

We're getting back after it every week now, make sure you check out the latest episode of TheRightNowPodcast and for up-to-date Lynchy, follow us on Twitter!

Just How Difficult?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Since February 3rd, 2002, New England sports fans have found themselves at the epi-center of what is often referred to as a 'Title-Town.' However, what exactly does it take for a city, or in our case a region, to achieve this status? In Chicago it took the greatest single-sport athlete of a generation winning six championships in one sport over an eight-year period, all while taking a quick second from basketball to try his crack at America's past time. In Detroit it took four Stanley Cup Championship parades in 11-years. For the 'Big Apple,' it was Joe Torre's Yankees rolling through the Canyon of Heroes four times in five years. For New England however, it's placed itself into uncharted 'Title-Town' waters since early February 2002;

Super Bowl wins for the New England Patriots for the seasons of 2001, 2003, and 2004. World Series Championships for the Boston Red Sox in curse-breaking 2004 and then again in 2007. An NBA Championship following a 66-win regular season for the Banner 17 raising Boston Celtics in 2008. Then this past summer, the Boston Bruins etched their names onto Lord Stanley's challis for the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship.

Yet, how different could this have been . .both good and bad?!?

Tuck Rule; Via Wikipedia; It applies if the quarterback brings his arm forward in a passing motion, but then changes his mind and tries to keep hold of the football rather than making a pass. In this situation, if the quarterback loses the ball while stopping his passing motion or bringing the ball back to his body, it is still considered a forward pass (and thus an incomplete pass if the ball hits the ground). Or as we like to call it, the beginning of what will now be referred to as the start of The Patriot Dynasty. Oakland Raider Charles Woodson (future Super Bowl Champion) could have made the a play of the decade if not for this little rule that shot Tom Brady and the Patriots into another stratosphere . . . and so the question must be asked; Had that not happened, what would be?!? 1st Championship that might not have been.

*Disclaimer; We're not forgetting Patriot kicker Adam Vinatieri and his 3 Super Bowl Rings which he more than deserved. Each and every one of those clutch could have gone the other way, and they didn't.

The Curse-Breaking 04' Red Sox!?!? Puh, leassssssssssssssssse. Down 0-3 in the ALCS to the New York Yankees?!? Ya'll can't even write that stuff. By far the best moment of my sports fandom. Better than the Celtics '08 Championship, better than all three of my Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl victories, and better than Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich declaring himself cancer free on GameDay (just said that), but by far the easiest, 'What shouldn't have been moment.' Four straight wins, against the best team in major league baseball, against the best closer in the history of the game?!?! Kevin Millar, David Ortiz, Dave Roberts, need I go on?!?! What might not have been, right?!?!

February 3rd, 2008 - David Tyree & Eli Manning put the world on it's proverbial a**. An Asante Samuel interception, a sack of Eli Manning, a knocked down ball from what we consider a future hall of fame defensive back Rodney Harrison, and we're talking about the Brady/Belichick era in a completely different tone. It didn't happen. The Patriots would have completed the single-greatest season in NFL history, a 19-0 mark even! But that didn't happen and it came so close to doing just that. What would the past month have looked like had Manning taken a sack and the Patriots wrapped up their fourth Super Bowl victory back in 2008? The conversation between Brady and Montanta would be over, the season would be something for the record books, but more importantly, there would have been a parade running through the streets of Boston as the New England sports arrogance was lifted to another level. What didn't happen, what didn't.

That 'Banner 17' raising season?!? It looked great when future hall of fame 'ballers Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were holding up Celtics jerseys next to Paul Pierce in had 'The Truth'the summer of 2007, didn't it? What would have happened not shut down a proposed trade in 2005 that would have sent him to Portland for the 3rd overall pick and the cap relief of Nick Van Exel's $13 million dollar expiring contract?!?! 'Cause that would have happened had Pierce not stepped in and refused to go to Portland. It wasn't just a rumour, and you wouldn't have raised 'Banner 17' without Pierce going toe-to-toe against LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in back-to-back NBA playoff rounds, own that! Oh, and they would have never seen Cleveland and LeBron or Kobe and L.A. had they not survived their first round scare vs. Atlanta whom pushed them to the limit! What very easily could have been erased!

So, when you look at the last few weeks, and think about Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker not making a great catch, or super-human quarterback Tom Brady not coming through for the second time in four years, think about what may not have been?!? You're still the only fan who saw their four major professional sports teams notch a pro championship in less than seven years! Can you dig?!?!

Run it, find us on Twitter! One.

Prop It Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:02:00 +0000

One of the coolest things about betting on the games biggest stage?!?! Proposition bets! (That's if gambling was legal) So if we WERE able to make these bets, here a few we would . . .

To win Super Bowl XLVI MVP? A less than 100% Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski means A-W-A-T-T (All Welker, All The Time). Tom Brady is a very smart man, he doesn't make the same mistake twice. Meaning?!?! Throwing into double-coverage hoping Matthew Slater is going to come up with the ball isn't an option. Also didn't Wes Welker get engaged recently?!?! As a man walking straight into the hornets nest that is matrimony in less than two months, we got to put our money where our mouth is. TB is one for making historical figures out of his pass catchers, or making them straight millions; see David Givens, David Patten, and Deion Branch. You're either getting paid or you're raising hardware. Wes Welker +1200, Bank It!

Who will the Super Bowl XLVI MVP thank first? I can't even believe we can do this? I hate to see what God's day would be like if it weren't spent helping athletes W-I-N. You got to know that whoever wins MVP thanks the lord and savior first?!?! Also, I'd love to know what this line would look like if Tebow ever gets the Broncos into the Super Bowl. Mortal Lock: God +175

Player to score the 1st touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI? We're from Massachusetts, you know that right!?!? We really think Eli & Co. are going to make everyone from Augusta to New Haven sweat bullets on Sunday night. The fact that former University of Massachusetts standout Victor Cruz can dominate any New England defensive back plays right into that. Cruz has had the innate ability to make big plays in the biggest moments, just ask Rex and the Jets if you don't believe us. Eli to Cruz, move all-in . .Victor Cruz +650

Will the Patriots score in every quarter? By hook or by crook, you 'betcha! Dominating offense, solid kicker, scoring in every quarter shouldn't be that difficult, and for sixty bucks?!?! We're comfortable laying the $100. Here's what really does it for us, you know they're scoring in the fourth quarter, the third quarter is their quarter because they've historically made the best half-time adjustments. I'll waive the 1st quarter and say they score in one of their first two possessions, with everything hinging on quarter number TWO! Yes +160

Will the Giants throw a first-half interception? First off, Eli threw an interception in the first meeting earlier this season. Secondly, he throws a ton; 32 Times against Atlanta, 33 times against Green Bay, and 58 times against San Francisco . . IN THE RAIN! If Eli comes in, really confident and really excited to get out there and play, he's going to throw a INT. The 'Niners had more than one opportunity to record an interception two weeks ago and just didn't! I still don't respect the Giant offensive line as much as the public has and they've still got to put a body or two on Vince Wilfork. Eli makes a big mistake early. Yes, he throws a first-half INT +150

Total field goal attempted by both teams? You've got a Giants defense that is pretty stout, they aren't going to give up crazy yardage to New England. That Patriot defense has played well in the postseason and I respect that. In a game that is going to be very close, points are at a premium. Both of these coaches know to take the points and kick the field goal, also they're indoors meaning weather is completely irrelevant in their decision to kick the field goals and put points on the board! Over 4 field goal attempts +150

How many times will NBC show Peyton Manning? I know NBC and the world loves Peyton Manning, however if the Patriots win and I think they will, how often do you think Peyton is going to be on camera?! He's smart enough to stay away from the camera while watching his brother play. I'm hoping that all the coverage on Peyton will saturate the moment and keep NBC away from rehashing it. Here is what I see for mentions; (1) "Peyton with Archie watching his baby brother try to win his second . . " (2) Camera finds Colts owner Jim Irsay, starts talking about his relationship with Peyton, then camera finds Peyton back in the box with his father. (3) Reaction to Eli's first touchdown. (4) Reaction to Eli's poor timing mistake in the first half. That's it! Under 5½ Times -155

Another Super Bowl column up tomorrow . . .

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Weekly Draft Profile; Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:08:00 +0000

With so much time left before New England and New York kick-off, what better way than to bang out another ten-draft prospects. We're covering the most elite linebacker in the draft, a trio-of National Championship players, and the best tight-end west of the Mississippi! From Chestnut Hill to Palo Alto and back . . .

Let's Get After It . . . Weekly Draft Profile; Week 3

Luke Kuechly, linebacker Boston College He's no question about it, the next great young linebacker in 'The League.' Sideline to sideline the most dominant defensive player in college football this past season, Kuechly brought home a slew of postseason awards; Nagurski, Butkus, Lombardi/Rotary, and Lott IMPACT, to name a few. After the junior campaign that Kuechly boasted in 2011, there was no way he could return to Boston College for his senior season. Slightly undersized at 6'3", Kuechly makes up for what he lacks in size by his intelligence on the field. As the 2011 ACC Defensive POY, Kuechly also was given Walter Camp honors as a 1st Team All-American, the only back-to-back selection on the defensive side of the 1st team. Give it two seasons and Kuechly will fall somewhere between Bears all-global linebacker Brian Urlacher and Patriots tackling machine Jerod Mayo. Disclaimer; Watching Kuechly since his freshman year on Chestnut Hill as an STH has left me slightly biased. Projection: Arizona, Chicago, and Tampa Bay.

Stephon Gilmore, cornerback South Carolina We have zero issues identifying talent here at LynchyRightNow, that being said, Gamecocks junior corner Stephon Gilmore has Top-25 talent, as a junior! Two-and-a-half minutes into game film against Auburn, you can see how good Gilmore's ceiling is, and I'm talking about his sophomore year. Open field tackles on Cam Newton, ripping up Nick Saban's Crimson Tide, that's what it took for SEC foes to take notice of the 6'1" sophomore and prepare for him this past season. Gilmore can shed blockers with the best of them and step up to make plays with the size on his frame. At the next level he'll have be forced to play up on receivers, as there are 31 other teams with a receiver the caliber of Julio Jones. In our mind, we picture Gilmore and fellow Gamecock receiver Alshon Jeffery doing battle in practice and you don't get better NFL prep than that. Projection: New England, Dallas, and Buffalo.

Dwayne Allen, tight end Clemson You don't think the postseason performance of Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, 49ers TE Vernon Davis, and Saints TE Jimmy Graham hasn't gotten NFL draft scouts giving the best tight end in college football second looks?!?! While not as vertically gifted as Gronk, Davis, and Graham, Allen has shown glimpses of brilliance this season in Death Valley. Good blocking tight end, check. Ability to get up the field on linebackers and make catches over the middle, check. Endzone monster? Check. Eight touchdowns this season, and we're good. Expect Allen to be the first tight end off the board and for every good reason there is. Projection: Atlanta, NY Giants, and Indianapolis.

Courtney Upshaw, linebacker Alabama My man played so well in the National Championship, he pumped his draft status to top pass rusher available! All reports out of Mobile, AL and the Senior Bowl have been great for Upshaw. Scouts have said not only is Upshaw NFL ready, but his quickness off the ball and strength up front have yet to be matched by anyone else in Mobile. On a Nick Saban team you can expect team from all of these Crimson Tide players profiled, they're supremely gifted, ready to play at the next level, and at the top of their positions. I don't expect there to be too many people comparing him to Broncos star linebacker Von Miller, but that's where we've got Upshaw. An upperclassmen with above average intelligence and super-human strength. Expect Upshaw to sneak into that top ten. Projection: Buffalo or Seattle.

Trent Richardson, running back Alabama We love Trent Richardson on the next stage! He's a bigger, stronger, version of our favorite AFC running backs, Raven Ray Rice and Jaguar Maurice Jones-Drew. Every one of those 96-yards he banged out against LSU in the National Championship game were what we refer to as 'man-yards,' had to earn every last one of them! A 3-down back in the NFL, Richardson is a quality blocker with his strength and you know he can get 1st downs! Considered a very good pass-catching running back, there are a number of NFL teams that are going to fall in love with what Richardson can add to their offenses. He's that talented to be a top-five pick in the draft, if the NFL hadn't turned so pass-happy. Projection: Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Denver.

Ryan Tannehill, quarterback Texas A&M When Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Trojan Matt Barkley opted to return to college football in 2012, the first thought that came to our mind was, Ryan Tannehill just made a bunch of money! Now widely considered as the third best available quaterback in this years draft crop, Tannehill has heard his name float everywhere from the early first round to late second round, from Miami to Cleveland. With former Aggie head coach Mike Sherman ousted from College Station and sure to find his way back onto an NFL sideline, things are working out for Tannehill. Sure, Tannehill has a tendency to throw interceptions in big games, three against Oklahoma, three against Texas, but he's got that NFL size and big arm teams look for. We don't buy Tannehill as a starting quarterback over the next few seasons, but then again we didn't buy Ponder last year and now the Vikings aren't looking to upgrade at all. A couple years learning the position, or thrust into a good situation, Tannehill could work in the NFL. Projection: Miami.

Dont'a Hightower, linebacker Alabama The third 'Tide player this week, following a week where we included corner Dre Kirkpatrick, and we're almost done gutting Saban's defense, with just safety Mark Barron to follow, and you wonder why we loved Alabama in the National Championship. Let's get to Hightower though, he's an inside linebacker with a ton of talent up the middle of the field. More so, we really hope Hightower lands late in the first or second round on a defense that is built which needs to improve their inside linebackers, say the Steelers or Ravens. A linebacker who benefited most at Alabama playing on a defense with help all over the field, he'd be a great addition to either one of those AFC North squads. Much like Kuechly at Boston College, Hightower leads a defense by making tackles all over the field (85 this season), Projection: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Dallas.

Nick Perry, defensive end USC Perry really made a name for himself in the second half of the this season, and he's a huge reason why the Trojans turned it on late as well. The Detroit native is a terribly fast pass rusher with a gift at getting to the quarterback, his nine and-a-half sacks led the PAC-12 in 2011. In the NFL there are a number of teams looking for a pass rusher with the upside of Nick Perry. At 6'3" and 250 lbs., Perry will most likely have to put on a little more weight without losing any of his lighting fast speed. Being coached by Monte Kiffin in 2011 has really done wonders for Nick Perry and there are a ton of teams at the next level that will be putting a call into Kiffin to find out just how good Perry has become. Projection: Tennessee, New England, and Green Bay.

Coby Fleener, tight end Stanford Andrew Luck had to pass to someone right?!? In his four years at Pala Alto, the 6'6" Fleener got better and better each year collecting career-highs in catches, yards, yards-per catch, and touchdowns all in his senior year. Fleener has developed into a terrific route runner and has an uncanny ability to find holes in the secondary in which to make big plays down the field. With the success of such big tight ends as Jimmy Graham in New Orleans this past season, Fleener who is nearly identical in size is going to get many looks, including looks from the team who drafts his college quarterback Andrew Luck. Projection: Indianapolis, New York Giants, and Buffalo.

Jayron Hosley, cornerback Virginia Tech The Virginia Tech cornerback is a double threat, he's a quality return man and plays great in pass defense. I expect there to be a run on corners in the early going of the draft, previously we've discussed Mo Claiborne, Janoris Jenkins, Dre Kirkpatrick, and this week Stephon Gilmore, which means it's Hosley's turn. With lighting quick recovery speed, Hosley makes up for his smaller stature. Now I have my reservations on Virginia Tech defensive players, was it really there ability or the ability of defensive coordinator Bud Foster to have them in the right position to be most effective. That being said, a player who can be a quality return man and pitch in on a good secondary, I like Hosley. Projection: New York Giants, Atlanta, and Chicago.

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All Caught Up

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:50:00 +0000

I've been out of pocket for a week or two, paying gig had my focus! However, don't fret, we still at it!! (that grammar error was on purpose) Before we get back into our regular routine, thought we'd get you all caught up!

Let's get after it!

The passing of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno (1926-2012) is an awfully difficult moment to digest. The winningest coach in major college football history (409 victories) meant Paterno's passing should have been different, but we understand it can't be. The last several months of his life Paterno spent cancer stricken and a shade off the center of an awful sexual abuse scandal directly involving his longtime defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Paterno's failures off the field surrounding the Sandusky scandal will remain a very sad but truthful end to both his coaching career and now his life. A life and career that just months ago would have been remembered for his contributions to Penn State both on and off the field amongst all the college football memories. The 46-seasons as head coach of the Nittany Lions, the two national championships, the 37 bowl game appearances, and of course each and every last one of those 409 victories, all play second fiddle now. All due respect to Joseph Vincent Paterno and his family, I believe it was said best by Maximus Decimus Meridius, "Men, what we do in life, echoes in eternity."

Lack of grace?!? No. Political statement?!? No. Display of freedom?!? We beg to differ. Newly anointed Stanley Cup Champion and 2X Vezina Trophy winner, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, opted out of this week's Bruins visit to the White House to be recognized by the top office in all of the land. Now let's not be confused here, I care very little about the political beliefs of Tim Thomas, his opinion on government spending means absolutely nothing to me. So why does this make the column!?!? Because I'm beyond tired of self-centered, over-opinionated, and boldly arrogant athletes believing it is their duty to 'make-a-statement.' Take it one step further, where does Thomas, the 3rd highest-paid player on the Bruins roster, get off making a 'Bruins-day' about himself. The moment Thomas released his statement on government spending on Twitter, he made himself the story of his teammates visit to the White House. That I have a problem with. I have a major problem with stealing the scene from your teammates who showed up and probably wanted a less controversial visit and to just enjoy the momemnt. Funny how a boy from Michigan forgets the cash that the same government he slammed put up to put the paddles on the heart of the American Auto Industry, right in his back yard.

Are you ready for Part II?!? As the Patriots and Giants set to do battle for the second time in recent memory, on the games biggest stage, it's got us thinking, what more could we ask for?!?! The stakes for New England & Tom Brady are at an all-time high. A fourth Super Bowl since 2001, the legacy of a future Hall of Fame coach and quarterback, laying claim to the most dominant franchise in the Super Bowl era?!? To the Meadowlands, a 2x-Super Bowl winning quarterback moving to an elite status in more minds than his own, a coach looking to add another Lombardi, and a franchise that would love to play spoiler to Bill Belichick one more time for good measure! If we aren't going to get treated to the sound clips from Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, if we aren't going to get to see the scoreboard light up as it would have if Brees or Rodgers had made it back, what better way to cap this thing off?!?! Aside from the Harbaugh family, and people who dislike these two insufferable fan bases, this thing could be g-r-e-a-t!

Now that you're all caught up, for more Lynchy hit us on Twitter and look for new episodes of TheRightNowPodcast!

'Bama Storm In 'The Bayou'

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:09:00 +0000

That was exactly what I had hoped for. A grind-it-out performance (as much as you can grind out a 21-0 win) from Alabama en route to a second National Championship in three years. It's taken me a few days and one podcast, to take all of the 2012 BCS National Championship Game in, but I think I've done it.

First thing is first, had the Stanford Cardinal (11-1; pre-Fiesta Bowl) or the Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-1 pre-Fiesta Bowl) been awarded a shot at the LSU Tigers, we'd be looking at the second best team in the country holding that crystal football today. Let us make no bones about it, the Crimson Tide were the most complete team in college football throughout the entire season. Couple their dominant rushing attack led by Heisman finalist Trent Richardson (1,679 yard and 21 touchdowns) with the best defensive team in the nation (allowing just 8.2 ppg), and you've got no arguement otherwise. We'll put it down right now if you haven't already heard; The Crimson Tide would have never allowed a conference foe to hang 53-points on them in Tuscaloosa as Stanford allowed Oregon to do in Palo Alto. More so, Crimson Tide would never have lost in Ames, Iowa to an Iowa State Cyclones team that would finish their 2011- 2012 campaign 6-7 with a loss to Rutgers in The Pinstripe Bowl, as Oklahoma State did. If anyone in Stillwater wants to lay claim, including those four voters in the Associated Press who somehow arrived at the decision to select Oklahoma State as the #1 team in the country after all was said and done on Tuesday morning, you ought to have your head examined.

Blame LSU head coach Les Miles and the 'Bayou Bengals coaching staff for that offensive performance on Monday night. Two series, that's all it took for the entire country to realize that LSU had nothing on offense and if they planned on winning a National Championship, their defense was going to have to create points. Real talk now, was it arrogance or short-term memory loss?!? Back on November 5th, the first night these two teams met and a 9-6 LSU
overtime victory, it was Miles & his staff that quickly realized starting quarterback Jarrett Lee didn't have what it took to beat Alabama on their turf and a switch to the more mobile Jordan Jefferson was the answer. On Monday night however, when Jordan Jefferson was being swarmed each time he attempted the option and that LSU ground game was stagnant, Miles and that coaching staff refused to turn to Jarrett Lee and any semblance of a passing attack. The 'Bama defensive backs stepped up seven-yards off the ball and that linebacking duo of Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower crowded the line of scrimmage, and that's all she wrote folks. I've got to call it arrogance though, the Tigers are too smart to not know that a change had to happen as early as the first quarter or they were going to be on the losing end. Credit the 'Bama defense though, not allowing LSU over the 50-yard line till the 4th quarter, well that's making a statement.

Lastly, he wasn't the BCS National Championship Game offensive MVP for nothing. Ladies & Gents, I give you Alabama sophomore quarterback A.J. McCarron. Sure, it helps having Trent Richardson in the backfield grinding out a 96-yard performance on twenty carries, but McCarron stepped up on the biggest stage. Completing 23 of 34 passes
is pretty good, hooking up with seven different targets for over 230 yards passing is real good, but against LSU's ball-hawking defense, staying interception free has to be the biggest of all McCarron's stats on Monday night. McCarron didn't force passes, he dumped it off to his senior tight end Brad Smelley seven times, and that tear drop to Darius Hanks right over the head of Tyrann Mathieu, well that was just flat out baller. He may not have been the reason they lost to LSU the first time back in early November (while that interception that night right in front of the endzone didn't help things), but he sure was one of the biggest reasons Alabama hoisted a trophy the second time around. Roll Tide, Roll.

So now we find ourselves all wrapped up at the end of a near perfect season. LSU came so close and on the final night looked so far away. Nick Saban captured his third title, chalk that one up for the bad guys. Last but not least, the Southeastern Conference placed a National Champion on top of the mountain for the sixth straight year. Some things are just the way they're supposed to be . .

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Weekly Draft Profile; Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

It's been an exciting couple weeks, for all of us who have been invested in Bowl Season we've seen some great games! Yet lets turn our focus back to some of those stars who will be playing on Sundays next season . . .It's the Week 2 Draft Profile!

Let's Get After It!

Morris Claiborne, cornerback LSU The leader of the LSU secondary, this six-foot corner makes opposing quarterbacks know exactly where he is on the field at all times. As a junior, Claiborne had several key games including a monster outing against Alabama which saw him record three tackles and break up a couple passes to go along with his game changing interception. A part of several post-season All-American honors, Claiborne was also able to bring back The Jim Thorpe Award to Baton Rouge as the nation's top defensive back. For the second straight year, an LSU corner could be selected within the top five selections of the NFL Draft. Projection: Minnesota, Dallas, and Cincinnati.

Robert Griffin III, quarterback Baylor Since putting up nose bleeding numbers en route to a Heisman Trophy, so much has gone right for Team Griffin III. (1) A monster performance against Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl. (2) The success of fellow Heisman winner and current Panthers signal caller Cam Newton. A very similar quarterback with a big arm, ability to lead, and make plays from all over the field. (3) A ringing endorsement from established NFL coaches such as former Colts coach Tony Dungy. So yes, I'm pretty sure that Griffin III can expect his name to be called very early on draft night. Projection: Miami, Jacksonville, and Washington.

Dre Kirkpatrick, cornerback Alabama The Crimson Tide's top defensive back is either 1A or 1B in the country. He's a 6'3" speedster with the ability to make big plays in big moments. With the type of game the NFL has become on a week to week basis, defensive backs like Kirkpatrick are going to be all the more important at slowing down receivers and passing games. His physical play is what we love, Kirpatrick can stuff receivers at the line and also get down field with them very quickly. After LSU's Morris Claiborne comes off the board, expect teams to start jockeying to get where Dre Kirkpatrick is. Projection: Dallas or Carolina.

Riley Reiff, offensive tackle Iowa Someone is in the ear of this 6'6" mammoth of an offensive lineman because Reiff wasted no time declaring he'd be headed to the NFL as a junior. Along with Trojan Matt Kalil and Cardinal Jonathan Martin, both in our Week 1 Draft Profile, Reiff could be yet another offensive tackle chosen within the top ten selections, he's that good. After quarterback, tackle is the most important position to draft here in the early going to sure up your protection for that signal caller, making Riley Reiff a ton of money! Maybe it's just us, but Oakland's 2004 draft selection of tackle Robert Gallery has soiled us on Hawkeye lineman, just throwing it out there. Projection: Miami and Buffalo.

Devon Still, defensive tackle Penn State Possibly the baddest defensive player in the draft, and we mean bad in the best possible way. Devon Still is a monster on the field, weighing in at 310 pounds with lighting speed off the snap, who wouldn't be? Devon Still could have been a top pick in 2010 after making ten tackles for a loss and adding four sacks along the way. This season however, Still made a huge impact on the Nittany Lion defense. Not only was Still the Big Ten defensive player of the year, post season the Nittany Lion defensive tackle was selected as finalist for both the Bednarik and Outland Awards. Expect a team looking to free up linebackers to find a way to get to the top of the draft to grab Devon Still. Projection: San Diego, Tennessee, and Dallas.

Peter Konz, center Wisconsin It's a Badger offensive lineman, what more do you need to know?!? Following in the footsteps of current Wisconsin offensive linemen in the NFL, Gabe Carimi, Joe Thomas, John Moffitt, Kraig Urbik, and Bill Nagy, the All-American center will be on his way to the next level. With several quarterbacks losing their centers this season, Konz will make more than one team look to select a center as high as the early first round. Badgers running back Montee Ball can speak on Konz' behalf for how dominant he is in the center of the offensive line. Projection: New York Jets, Detroit, and Dallas.

Alshon Jeffery, receiver South Carolina With one great touchdown catch at the end of the first-half in the Capital One Bowl, the 6'4" Gamecock receiver reminded us how great he really is. Playing with instability under center in 2011 and the absence of injured running back Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina could never find a rhythm to get Jeffery involved in their offense. That being said, slide back to his 2010 numbers where Jeffery grabbed 88 balls for well over 1,200 yards. For Jeffery, his challenge to NFL teams is proving that he is on the same level as Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, who prior to 2011 were battling each other for top receiver honors. Those in the market for a big, physical receiver with great hands as a first or second option could see themselves grabbing Jeffery early. Projection: San Francisco, New York Jets, and Philadelphia

Kendall Wright, receiver Baylor Someone has been catching passes from Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin all season long, right?!?! Thirty more catches, 711 more yards, and twice as many touchdowns (14), those are the off-the-chart numbers Wright put up in his senior year in Waco, Texas. Nine times this season Wright has racked up 100+ yard games, including two big games down the stretch, 208 against Oklahoma and 166 against Texas. Now vaulting himself amongst the top 3 or 4 receivers available in the draft, expect Wright to become a very hot commodity after Jeffery and Blackmon fall off the board. Projection: San Francisco, New York Jets, and Philadelphia.

Michael Floyd, receiver Notre Dame There isn't a front-office that won't be looking into Floyd's off-the-field issues. A DUI last year after announcing he'd return to South Bend for his senior season, another minor alcohol related offense earlier, and Mike Floyd has earned himself a reputation that will be difficult to look past if a team is going to spend a high-first round selection on the 4-year receiver. However, when you at production it really doesn't getter better than Floyd. He's amassed back-to-back seasons of 1,000-yards receiving and nine touchdowns or more, never with a consistent quarterback throwing to him over the past two seasons. After 37 career touchdowns, it's possible that there is a team looking to add a very strong pass catcher with great hands. Projection: Philadelphia and New York Giants.

Quinton Coples, defensive end North Carolina It always seems as though there is one of those ACC pass rushers that gains a ton of steam heading into the draft, even former Clemson Tiger Da'quan Bowers gained steam despite injuries. Before we get into how good Coples is, I preface this with the fact that I don't know how well the ACC offensive lineman played this year, really pumping up every edge pass rusher. With that, Coples has double-digit tackles for a loss and has totaled close to ten sacks in 2011. His play has been highlighted in Chapel Hill for each of the last two seasons and rightfully so. With lighting speed off the edge, this 6'6" pass rusher is going to gain a ton of hype after teams see how fast he can be. Projection: Jacksonville, Miami, and Buffalo.

*Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, highlighted in our Weekly Draft Profile; Week 1 is headed back to Norman, OK for his senior season. We're not sure who is advising young Landry, but it is our belief that coming out in 2012 won't increase his draft value at all. Either way, Jones' decision to return has just made a to be determined second-tier quarterback a ton of money.

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Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:58:00 +0000

First and foremost, Happy New Year from all of us at LynchyRightNow. We truly hope you had a great 2011 and are forging into to 2012 just as we are.

Sunday marked the end of the regular season in the NFL, and as always it was not without its fair share of high drama. From Miami to Denver and back to New York, involving everyone from Tim Tebow, Eli Manning, and a rookie quarterback leading the Cincinnati Bengals into the postseason . . .

Let's get after it!

First up, the un-expected.

It's worth noting that in a virtual meaningless game for the NFC's top-seeded Packers, playing in place of the resting starter Aaron Rodgers, back-up quarterback Matt Flynn had a G-A-M-E. Against division rival Detroit, the Packers 26-year old quarterback tossed six touchdown passes for 480 yards including the game winner with 1:10 remaining on the clock. However, turn back the clock to December 19th in 2010 on the road at New England. That night Flynn put up three touchdowns in a 4-point loss to the Patriots and looked really good doing so. In a league always looking for the next quarterback, someone ought to give a hard look at Matt Flynn.

The Raiders not taking care of business, don't laugh. It is unexpected that Oakland didn't take care of a business with one last opportunity to do so. At home against a 'playing for not' Chargers team, they got dropped 26-38. Finishing the season losing four of five has this franchise which looked so promising heading into December, now on the outside looking in at the postseason. Give Chargers quarterback Phil Rivers some credit for Sunday. With nothing left to play for than pride itself, Rivers completed 19 of 26 passes for over 300 yards while hitting for three touchdowns. The six straight losses in the middle of the season still have us wondering how Norv Turner has survived this long in southern California.

Save it, for the off season.

For the Dallas Cowboys, it began and ended in New York City. First there was the 3-point loss to the Jets in the September 11th opener and then the New Year's Day division losing loss to the Giants. Now, the Cowboys are headed home on the tail end of another disappointing season that they'd once had high hopes for. However, I caution all of you on pointing fingers at veteran quarterback Tony Romo. For the first time in his career, this ain't on him! Sure, Romo had a hand in their losses to the Jets and Lions but missing the postseason, losing to the Giants twice, and coughing up late forth quarter leads (multiple times), that's on the headsets on the sideline. Romo had a very good season in 2011, over 4,000-yards passing, 31 touchdown passes, all while playing with a young offensive line and multiple tough injuries. Without Romo, the Cowboys 8-8 record would look much, much worse.

Adversely, quarterback Mark Sanchez is going to be held accountable for the 2011 New York Jets. It's too easy to point the finger at Sanchez, 18-interceptions, a passer-rating of 65.2, and being completely inept in big game situations. Where do they go though?!? Do they find a veteran and just part-ways with Sanchez? Do they bring in competition for Sanchez? Do they fire offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer? Here is the situation though, they lost their final three this season, they allowed the Patriots to score 67-points on them in their two meetings, they got embarrassed out west, first against Oakland then in Denver, when do you call out head coach Rex Ryan for that?!? His team wasn't prepared heading into the season and it shouldn't be a shock that they finished 8-8.

Great quarterback play, is everything you need.

How good was this season on a passing level?!? Literally, chart topping. This season (2011), not one, not two, but three quarterbacks passed for over 5,000 yards and placed themselves in the top-five single season passing record books. Prior to 2011, only two quarterbacks in THE HISTORY of the game had gone over 5,000 yards in a single season. Drew Brees torched Dan Marino's single-season record which had stood since 1984, for the second time in his career Brees posted a 5,000+ yard season, this one at 5,476 yards. Patriots signal caller Tom Brady also passed Marino's 1984 mark, putting up 5,235 yards, 151 yards more than Marino's. Also, Detroit Lions playoff bound quarterback Matthew Stafford hung a 520-yard game on the Green Bay Packer defense to post a 5,038 yard season, at just 23-years old. For those of you who think a rushing attack will carry a team to a Super Bowl, I highly doubt it!

Because we won't talk about him till next season, the rookie year of Carolina Panthers top pick in 2011, quarterback Cam Newton, has a ton of reach. In his first season in The League, he stayed healthy, he produced, and more importantly he was a leader! His Panthers won four more games than they did a year ago and lost by eight or fewer in six additional games. Even more impressive, he was the major change on the field from the Panthers a season ago. He didn't have Michael Turner joining him in the backfield as Matt Ryan did in Atlanta and he didn't join a ready-made team as Joe Flacco did in Baltimore, he was the change. All of that is more eye-popping than the 4,000+ passing yards and 21 touchdowns. The REACH; Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III will be an option leading a team in the NFL next fall. Just like Newton, he's a leader on and off the field, couple that with his big arm and ability make plays, I'd say someone is going to be very comfortable giving him the keys to their franchise.

Don't Sleep On, they could make noise.

Why not the Bengals?!? Sure they backed in, going 2-3 down the stretch, including a loss to the same Houston Texans team they'll play next Saturday, but why not them?!? Houston is banged up, they'll play a soft New England secondary in the second round of which A.J. Green can tear apart, why not Cincy?!? I don't know if the Bengals will be on everyone's watch list, but I do know that I like what I've seen from first-year starter Andy Dalton.

The Falcons haven't come up big in a single game this season, and while New York is still rejoicing on their New Year's Day division-winning victory over Dallas, the Falcons are preparing for a road trip to The Big Apple. They've only beaten one playoff team all season long, the Lions, but even still I like how their offense has developed. Rookie receiver Julio Jones has been a real factor lately and if the Falcons can keep the Giants defensive line honest by rushing the ball with Michael Turner, things could get scary with Atlanta's receivers in that Giants secondary.

While we can't believe the regular season is over, we're very excited for the next month, from Wild-Card weekend to the Super Bowl . . . GET AFTER IT!

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Go Figure?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:58:00 +0000

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis can claim that it is all about winning this week, but he isn't fooling us. There lies bigger things at stake in Jacksonville this weekend than a 3-13 finish for the Colts. A #1 selection, the future of the franchise, and even possibly a package that could give Manning another legitimate shot at a Super Bowl trophy. Only one question remains for both the Colts and everyone involved . . . is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck the next Peyton Manning?!?

Big arm, cerebral upstairs, charisma to lead, he's got everything which Manning has and then some. The Texas native has done everything you can ask for from a top football prospect, especially one who lives under center. For three seasons in Palo Alto, 6'4" quarterback Andrew Luck has been simply dominating. Seven losses in three years? That's very good. Eighty touchdowns, well that's just real official! Here's a player who has put Stanford on the map, made all the throws, taken every snap, and already played a couple seasons under an NFL head coach in current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. If that isn't worth taking a shot at the top of the draft, then I don't know what is.

As for Peyton Manning, he's 35 years old and will be 36 by the time he gets back to the NFL in 2012. Maxium, that gives him 3 to 4 seasons, maxium. A very questionable neck injury which kept him out an entire season at 35-years old, is it far fetched to think he hangs it up in two seasons?!? And then where are you?!? Vice chairman Bill Polian is an older executive who most likely is nearing the end of his career in the front office, meaning someone is going to need to take that job, someone who would want to make a name for himself, what better way to do that than with a young super star quarterback. And owner Jim Irsay, ask yourself what the Colts are?!? Can they become a perennial winner or is there franchise directly tied to and solely tied to Peyton Manning?!? Bill Belichick and Bob Kraft didn't stick with Brady post-season ending injury in 2008 because they owed it to him, they stuck with him because he was the best player for the job and not Matt Cassel, despite his 11-5 record that season.

Manning's got value, believe me. The Jets would be interested in fielding offers, the Cowboys would be rumoured, the Dolphins would be in the game, the Broncos and or the Chiefs? Think about it, how many teams took a shot on McNabb and Favre nearing the ends of their careers?!? Washington?!?

Map it out here Indianapolis. With a win in Jacksonville, you are costing yourself much more than you can imagine. Part ways with both Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning, get as much as you can for Manning, draft Andrew Luck and plan for the future. No, you didn't think you'd be here at any point over the last two years, but you are and it is time to adjust for the next ten years of this franchise!

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Weekly Draft Profile; Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:38:00 +0000

We aren't going to let college football play out here, we're going to usher out sixty-players in six weeks from Andrew Luck to Vontaze Burfict and everyone in between . .

Get After It!

Landry Jones, quarterback Oklahoma He was LynchyRightNow's pre-season Heisman pick, that didn't work out as planned. However, in three seasons as a starter in Norman, Jones has accumulated 29 victories, a BCS Bowl win in last year's Fiesta Bowl, all while passing for over 12,000 career yards. Not a bad career I'd say. Landry is a 6'4" prototypical quarterback, he's got a big frame, big arm, and played on some of the games biggest stages. Actually, that is where the problem lies. In Oklahoma's three losses this season, certainly not entirely his fault, Jones was intercepted four times and coughed up fumbles a couple more. For our money, you can bet Jones is either the third or fourth quarterback selected in the 2012 NFL Draft. Each year there is a team who drafts a quarterback higher than he should be selected because they are terrified they won't have the ammunition to move back and get him where he should fall; see 2011 - Vikings take Christian Ponder twelfth overall. With this weeks news that USC junior quarterback Matt Barkley is returning to SoCal for his senior season, Landry Jones has moved into the top ten. Projection: Cleveland, Washington, or Miami

Jonathan Martin, offensive tackle Stanford Martin is one of the larger reasons Andrew Luck has enjoyed so much success in the passing game while in Palo Alto. The 300 lb. tackle is an extremely talented pass blocking and rush blocking force on Stanford's offensive line. When we stick to value while evaluating top offensive lineman, Martin has all the tools. Quick off the ball, strong in pass protection, and a very intelligent player. Projection: Miami, St. Louis, and Minnesota

Lamar Miller, running back Miami It took twenty-eight picks for a running back to come off the board in 2011. Nine picks in 2010. Twelve picks in 2009. My point?!? In today's NFL running backs aren't a necessity, however Miami's Lamar Miller needs to be taken seriously. The sophomore back, despite having off season shoulder surgery should be able to contribute right away on a number of NFL teams. He's a speed running running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield nicely. Miller fits a two-back system, a player who won't have to carry the load but can wear out defenses early. In his first three games this season, a stretch which included Ohio State and Kansas State, Miller posted three-straight 100-yard rushing games averaging 6.5 yards a carry. Next to Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who brings entirely different skills to the game, Lamar Miller is one of the top running backs in the draft. For us it was his 166-yard performance against Virginia Tech that did it. The Hurricanes leaned on Miller as he posted close to ten-yards per carry that night in a 3-point road loss in Blacksburg, VA. Projection: Denver, New York (Giants), or New England Cause I'm sure that you knew what the Patriots were doing in the draft, right?!?

Jerel Worthy, defensive lineman Michigan State We've loved the way Worthy plays since we saw him in back-to-back weeks against Michigan and Wisconsin, both Michigan State victories by the way. Obviously at this point, the rest of the country has caught on as Worthy took home 1st team AP All-American honors this season. At the next level defensive coordinators would love to have the quick on his feet Worthy knowing he can get off the ball super fast and put pressure on the quarterback. At 6'3", 310 lbs. we believe Worthy to be first-round eligible and would work great with defenses already intact at the end of the 1st. Projection: New England, Dallas, and Denver

Janoris Jenkins, corner back Northern Alabama Who hasn't smoked a "marijuana filled cigar?" Or as Ron Paul calls it, a blunt. Dismissed from the University of Florida upon his second marijuana offense in less than three months, Jenkins tooks his talents from Gainesville, Florida to Florence, Alabama and the University of Northern Alabama for his senior season. Still we'll focus on his time at Florida where he was better than 2010 #7 overall selection, teammate Joe Haden. After Haden's departure from Florida, Jenkins turned it on in 2010. Breaking up eight passes all while recording 3 INT's and 44 tackles from his corner spot on the Florida defense. More so, Jenkins started as a true freshman at Florida as a part of their 2008 National Championship team. This season at Northern Alabama he showcased his return game in which Jenkins returned almost twenty punts for close to 400 total yards. We love Jenkins talents and so long as he prove to scouts and team ownership that his off-the-field activities are behind him, he's an elite talent. If not for being slightly undersized we'd declare him a better cover corner than LSU's Mo Claiborne. Projection: Cincinnati, Dallas, or Tampa Bay

Andrew Luck, quarterback Stanford What hasn't been said already? We can clear this up for both Indianapolis and St. Louis right now; Barring injury, Andrew Luck will be the next big thing in the NFL and is worth every bit of hype surrounding him. He's got the NFL size - 6'4", just like Patriot signal caller Tom Brady. He's very intelligent - just like Colts current quarterback Peyton Manning. He can move outside of the pocket - just like Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. What else do you need to say?!? We just compared him to three quarterbacks wearing big rings! Projection: Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Arizona (probably a reach)

Matt Kalil, offensive tackle USC Here's a dirty little secret for you, Kalil might actually be the best player in the 2012 NFL Draft. As the anchor of the USC offensive line, Kalil didn't allow a single-sack all season long while front lining a line that allowed the fewest sacks in the country. At 6'7", Kalil is big and athletic enough to be an offensive tackle at the next level, and by all accounts will be the first offensive lineman to come off the board in this springs draft. Matt Kalil is a dominant 3-year starter at USC that NFL teams have had on their big board since last year and a perfect fit for a number of teams. In a passing league, Kalil's talents in the pass blocking schemes will be a great asset for any team with a young quarterback and developing skill players around him. Projection: St. Louis and Minnesota

David DeCastro, offensive guard Stanford At 6'5" and 312 lbs., Stanford guard David DeCastro is a mammoth of a man. Along with Jonathan Martin, the Cardinal standout tackle, DeCastro has been protecting Andrew Luck for a while now. DeCastro is the best guard in the draft and is going to make a ton of noise early on with teams jockeying for position to draft one of the most elite interior lineman to come out in recent years. Look for a team with a solid ground game and young quarterback to make a move for DeCastro, his intelligent play and size have teams buzzing for an in-between the tackles rushing game. Projection: San Diego, Tennessee, & Miami

Justin Blackmon, wide receiver Oklahoma State While Luck might be the most elite and Kalil might be the most talented, our guy is Justin Blackmon and has been for two years. He's a rare talent at the receiver position, similar to NFL stars Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Too soon to say that? We don't think so. Thirty-seven touchdowns, two-hundred and forty-four catches, and a mind dropping 3,378 receiving yards, all to go along with his back-to-back Biletnikoff Awards as the nations top pass catcher. The twenty-one year old receiver has had a very great college football career highlighted this season with his team reaching a BCS bowl game in the Fiesta Bowl, a game in which you can bet Blackmon will be a major factor. His best feature may not even be his hand of which are exceptional but his ability to make plays after the catch, an important attribute to have for an NFL receiver. Blackmon has the ability to go get passes and make plays down the field after the catch, better than any receiver in the draft. Joining Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and SoCal offensive lineman Matt Kalil, Blackmon is a can't miss. Projection: St. Louis, Minnesota, and Jacksonville

Whitney Mercilus, defensive tackle / defensive end Illinois A finalist this past season for the Bronko Nagurski Award, Mercilus was standout all season long at Illinois. With that, his stock couldn't be higher. Amongst the countries leaders in sacks, Mercilus is making NFL scouts perk up to catch a glimpse of a future edge rusher at the next level. As teams pass more and more in the NFL, a multi-tool pass rusher with Mercilus' ability becomes all the more valuable. Projection: New England, Buffalo, and Dallas

Next week, Robert Griffin III, Devon Still, and more!
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Coming Down To The Wire

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Hey now, the NFL is just getting exciting and at the perfect time! With two weeks remaining in the regular season, and a slate of Christmas Eve games to make us salivate, The League is doing the damn thing!

Let's get after it!

Running back Marshawn Lynch and the Seattle Seahawks will need some help, but I would hate to be looking down the barrel of that running game in January. Over the next two weeks the Seahawks get San Francisco coming in on a short week for the 49ers and then travel to Arizona for the season finale. Lynch has peeled off a handful of dominant rushing performances against quality defenses this season; 111 yards vs. Washington, 109 yards vs. Baltimore, and 135 yards vs. Dallas. If the Seahawks are going to pull off a shocking Wild Card, they'll need to get help and ride the back of that215 lb. mauling running back.

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Someone explain to me how the once 4-8 Philadelphia Eagles still have a shot at the NFC East and the postseason?!? Oh right, because neither the Giants or Cowboys have taken care of business! After Dallas' failed beat the Giants two weeks ago, despite a 12-point late 4th quarter lead, the Cowboys found themselves behind the eight ball yet again. As for the 'G-Men', they had the division sewn up with three games remaining then they came out flat against Washington. Three (3) Eli Manning interceptions and over 120-rushing yards from the 'Skins ground attack later, and the Giants were back in a fight for the division. Enter the Eagles and their back-to-back victories against the Dolphins and Jets. Now, a team flattened in Seattle on December 1st can win out, get some help, and somehow wind up with the NFC East Divison Championship, go figure huh?!

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Tom Brady and the Patriots are in the proverbial driver's seat in the AFC. Recovering from their back-to-back losses in late October the Pats have clinched the AFC East, and then put a cushion between themselves and the Steelers for home field throughout. That being said, I don't buy it! The season-ending injury to defensive-end Andre Carter is very costly to a defense that is already ranked dead-last in passing yards allowed per game while allowing upwards of 117-yards per game on the ground! The injury to Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was probably the best thing that ever happened to the Patriots. They might get out of the AFC alive, but can you really see this team running with the Saints & Packers?!? I can't.

Just a couple of thoughts mid-week . . . Hit us on Twitter!

Up For Bowling?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:49:00 +0000

With Temple and Wyoming set to meet in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Saturday afternoon, bowl season is about to kick-off. For the next three weeks we'll 'bowl' from Albuquerque to Vegas and from Shreveport to the Bronx. All matchups that we don't get to see everyday from The Big Ten vs. The SEC and The PAC-12 vs. The Big XII . . .

Let's get after it!

(5) OUTBACK Bowl Michigan State vs. Georgia This contest between the runners-up in both the Big Ten Championship & the SEC Championship is sure to draw some attention. Spartan signal-caller Kirk Cousins, a senior, will do battle against Georgia's second-year quarterback Aaron Murray. Both quarterbacks took big strides this season throwing for over 2,500 yards each and in Cousins' case, over 3,000 yards. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and Georgia's Mark Richt will have their defenses ready to go in Tampa on January 2nd, in what will sure to be a shootout with their two star quarterbacks who have risen to the occasion all season long. Keep an eye out for Michigan State's junior defensive tackle Jerel Worthy. Weighing in a 310 lbs., Worthy has ben a stand out all season long earning him 1st team All-American honors from the Associated Press.

(4) TAXSLAYER.com Gator Bowl Ohio State vs. Florida It's not often that a matchup between two powerhouses such as Florida and Ohio State feature programs with matching 6-6 records and 3-5 in their respective conferences. However, our second game between Big Ten and SEC teams has a more interesting twist off the field. After stepping down from Florida a season ago seeking time off, Urban Meyer recently agreed to become Ohio State's new head football coach, enter the drama. Will the Gators show up to make a statement to Meyer and on behalf of their head coach Will Muschamp whose first year hasn't gone as planned with losses to Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Auburn. Or does Ohio State play inspired football as they had earlier this season beating Illinois and Wisconsin? We think the Buckeyes are going to look fantastic with Meyer watching, mainly because Florida's defense has been putrid for most of the year and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is already on his way out the door to Kansas to takeover the Jayhawk football program. Either way, they'll be a ton of hype surrounding this one!

(3) TICKETCITY Bowl Houston vs. Penn State Both Top 25 ranked programs are currently under the direction of interim head coaches, for entirely different reasons however. With all of the scrutiny and embarrassment Penn State has gone through this season, the TicketCity should have been a welcomed distraction for some of their older players, things have unfortunately taken an awkward turn this past week with news fluttering out of in-fighting between quarterback Matt MaGloin and oft-injured receiver Curtis Drake. Then there is the Houston Cougars who were undefeated behind super-quarterback Case Keenum before losing to Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA title game. Since then, Keenum wasn't invited to New York and the Heisman ceremony, Houston found themselves on the outside looking in at the BCS, and worst of all, head coach Kevin Sumlin jumped ship for College Station, TX and Texas A&M. Two programs in interesting positions at this point, the back drop of TicketCity has got everyone buzzing. Will Keenum give us one last Houston Cougar mind-numbing performance?!?

(2) AT & T Cotton Bowl Kansas State vs. Arkansas What the BCS is missing out on, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones isn't. Bringing #6 Arkansas and #8 Kansas State to Cowboys Stadium for the January 6th Cotton Bowl is going to make for quite an event. The 10-2 Kansas State Wildcats have played great football for head coach Bill Snyder all season, most of all quarterback Collin Klein who has had an absolutely great junior year. In Kansas State's 4-overtime victory against Texas A&M, Klein put the Wildcats on his back rushing for five touchdowns and passing for another. As for Arkansas, they've just destroyed everyone on their schedule with the exception of both teams in the BCS National Title game. Klein vs. the Hogs?!? I'll take that!

(1) TOSTITOS Fiesta Bowl Stanford vs. Oklahoma State I don't know why more people aren't excited for the fireworks that will go down in Tempe, Arizona on January 2nd. Two high-powered offenses led by Andrew Luck at Stanford and Brandon Weeden at Oklahoma State are most definitely going to light up the score boards. The #3 team in the country Oklahoma State has been on a tear all season long. Weeden's offense torched Heisman winner Robert Griffin's Baylor Bears hanging a 50-spot on them. After thumping Texas earlier this season in Austin, the Cowboys turned it on against Oklahoma in Bedlam and made a statement roughing up Landry Jones and the Sooners to the tune of 44-10. As for Andrew Luck, you can bet the future of the NFL is going to want to put his stamp on his time at Stanford and what better way to do it than on a national stage in Tempe. After getting smoked by Oregon in early November, Luck's banged-up Stanford team saw their National Championship hopes vanish along with his shot at a Heisman Trophy. Now, the Fiesta Bowl will give him and Stanford a great opportunity at redemption!

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This is better?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:35:00 +0000

In recent days the likelihood that the NBA's best point guard will be a Laker or Clipper by Christmas is becoming a reality. While Orlando Magic franchise center Dwight Howard wants out of Disney in hopes of a landing spot in the Tri-State Area, things are seemingly going to change. All this proposed movement has really got me thinking. Is it just me or is today's hoops star not interested in being 'the guy' anymore? Is he too scared to go it alone? Is the struggle of fighting for a championship surrounded by talent not as good as him too daunting? Are they all that afraid to be the next Charles Barkley, 16-years with zero rings? Whichever it may be, we've seen the last days of any semblance of league wide balance in the NBA and the game has changed, this time not for the better.

Should we be pointing our fingers at the first successful attempt in recent years to combine talent strictly with the goal of winning an NBA Championship? Were the 2008 Boston Celtics and team President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge the architects of what we're seeing today? Probably not, I don't believe it's the same scenario. What the Celtics accomplished was simply what the Houston Rockets attempted in to do in 1996 and then again in 1998. If you recall, the Rockets first added the 'desperate to win a title' Charles Barkley following the '96 season, running a starting five that included himself, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler. Then, after the retirement of Drexler the Rockets would once again add a superstar in 6X-champion Scottie Pippen to pair with Olajuwon and Barkley. Both of these attempts by the Rockets didn't pan out the way they had hoped, but still it was an attempt to push together as much talent as possible on a single roster to win a title. When Ainge and the Celtics traded for the veteran Kevin Garnett at 32-years old and a 32-year old Ray Allen to pair with their franchise All-Star Paul Pierce it worked, and the Celtics won an NBA title. So the blame can't go completely on the Celtics, they just saw the blueprint which Houston laid out over a decade earlier, and did put together All-Stars at a younger age than the Rockets had.

On the heels of the Celtics championship campaign in 2008, the catalyst for today's NBA began, enter the '08 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. For the first time in their young NBA careers every star from LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Deron Williams to Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh began to realize what it was like to share the load and carry less of the burden of winning. After spending a summer with stars on the same level as they were and successfully winning a gold medal in the summer games, they were going to determine the landscape of the future NBA. 'Melo wasn't going to be the only player carrying the Denver Nuggets. Dwight Howard didn't want to make it on his own in Orlando anymore. LeBron James hadn't played with a player better than Larry Hughes during his time in Cleveland. Chris Paul was tired of carrying his team in New Orleans. Chris Bosh wasn't about to play north of the border any longer in Toronto. Deron Williams no longer had the stomach for the Utah Jazz. Utah, Toronto, Cleveland, New Orleans, Orlando, and Denver were all entering a new NBA, one where hoping you keep your superstar was no longer an option, but their option.

Starting with LeBron, Wade, and Chris Bosh joining together in Miami and then with Carmelo Anthony finding his way to New York alongside Amare Stoudemire, everything has changed. Former Jazz star guard Deron Williams found his way to New Jersey when he forced Utah's hand knowing he wasn't re-signing after the 2011-2012 season. Chris Paul is in the midst of leaving the NBA owned New Orleans Hornets with ten cents on the dollar for his talents to find their way to Los Angeles. Dwight Howard is likely to find his way with either of the two point guards, the best two the NBA has to offer. When their talent was stretched coast to coast it made the NBA interesting, now we're just looking at a world with the Nets, Knicks, Lakers and or Clippers, paired with the Miami Heat with the majority of the young talent in the league, and that can't be better. We're still left asking, why?!? LeBron had reached an NBA Finals in Cleveland, Dwight Howard reached one in Orlando, Wade won one in Miami, Deron Williams had the Jazz going to the Western Conference playoffs year after year, Carmelo Anthony reached the 2009 Western Conference Finals, but you couldn't keep doing it? Now where are you? What are you doing for the product? How many of you are actually going to win multiple rings? There is no way this NBA is better.

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I Don't Like It; But It Is

noreply@blogger.com (Lynchy) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +0000

How are we 'supposed' react?

Obviously, some of us are left scratching our heads just days removed The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) announcing which collegiate football programs were being rewarded with BCS Bowl Games, and The Heisman Trust releasing their finalist for the namesake's 77th presentation on Saturday night. Then there was Tuesday afternoon and the announcement that The Big East Conference, with just five remaining football playing members, were going to double in size via a virtual Mountain West & Conference USA coup d'etat, with two of three service academies to follow.

Questions are coming out from all angles at this point . . .

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Five finalists headed to New York, is the Heisman field THAT wide open?

The easy answer is no, it isn't as wide open as you're led to believe. Whether you choose to agree me with me or not, finalists Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson weren't playing for a conference championship this past weekend, and they both had opportunity to do just that. Richardson managed to peel off his third lowest rushing total in the Crimson Tide's November 5th game against LSU's over powering defensive front. While suffering with injuries all over their offense, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was intercepted twice in a 23-point loss to conference rival and eventual conference champion, Oregon. Super Wisconsion running back Montee Ball, finished the season just one touchdown shy of former Oklahoma State Cowboy and Detroit Lions Hall of Famer, Barry Sanders' single season record. Unfortunately for Ball, if we don't buy Alabama's Trent Richardson as the Heisman winner, we don't buy what we consider the second or third best running back in college football either, and that's you. With that out of the way, there are just two 'Heisman finalist' which we'll make a case for;

1. LSU Sophomore cornerback, Tyrann Mathieu - We believe this when we say it, Mathieu is the most electric player in college football today. The strip-tackle turned seven points vs. Oregon, the interception and strip turning LSU's game around in Morgantown, the game-changing punt returns versus both Arkansas and in the SEC Championship game vs. Georgia, just a few of Mathieu's WOW moments in 2011. More impressive though, Tyrann Mathieu is the showcase talent to watch on the nation's best defense. A defense that includes a terrifying pass rush, shutdown corners, and a 'Honey Badger' who creates turnovers as if it were required of him.

2. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III - What makes Griffin different? He's got more passing yards, fewer interceptions, and more passing touchdowns than Stanford's Andrew Luck, while doing it with four fewer passing attempts. The multi-dimensional Baylor quarterback has led the Bears from beginning to the end with big wins. Against TCU to open the 2011 season, Griffin III put up mind boggling numbers in a game which 98 total points were scored in a 50-48 victory over the in-state rival Horned Frogs. After a mid-season lull in which Baylor dropped three of four games, all on the road in such places like Manhattan, Kansas, College Station, Texas, and Stillwater, Oklahoma, not exactly your easier places to pull out wins, Griffin would return to form. Winning their final five games including a season punctuating win versus Texas to close it out, Griffin would amass 13 passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns! Watch this kid play for a half, and you're all in.

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We're confident that 'Bama is the 2nd best team in college football, aren't we?

We are, and while we do love to watch Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State play football, the Cowboys couldn't make it easy for us and we can't shake what happened in Ames, Iowa. When the 2011 season over and written, it won't be a surprise if Alabama is raising its second national championship in three years. If not for a couple of missed opportunities against LSU the first time back on November 5th, this wouldn't even be a discussion. They've got a stout defense that won't give an inch and a backfield on offense which includes the best running back in the country. There isn't a person out there who could look you in the eye and tell you that Alabama isn't the best 1-loss team. You may not want a re-match, you may not even have enjoyed the first LSU vs. 'Bama game from an entertainment perspective, or maybe you just don't want to see two teams from the same conference, but I say it again, you cannot deny that Alabama isn't the best 1-loss team. The 'Tide earned their spot in the title game as far as we're concerned.

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What does Virginia Tech have on The Sugar Bowl selection committee?

Hey, I'm a fan of the ACC and even I think this is a fair question. I agree that Virginia Tech and their fans travel extremely well and The Sugar Bowl wants to sell tickets, and make money first and foremost. However, Kansas State could have done the same thing Virginia Tech will do for their wallet and they're more deserving. The Hokies were embarrassed by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game just a day before The Sugar Bowl selected them, embarrassed for the second time. Nothing the Hokies have done this season made them BCS Bowl worthy. The (2) losses to Clemson by a combined score of 61-13, zero wins against a Top 25 opponent, just a 7-point win against non-conference foe East Carolina (a team Houston smashed 56-3). So I ask again, what does Virginia Tech have on who? This is a team that clearly should have been left out of the BCS picture, benefited from a weak Atlantic Coast Conference in 2011, and when they had the opportunity to shut down the naysayers, they got dropped, badly.

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A 'State' should have a problem, but is it Boise State, Michigan State, or Kansas State?

I too do not feel bad for Boise State in 2011, strictly because I believe they are the third in line who should be upset about not participating in a BCS Bowl Game;

(1) Kansas State had an amazing season in Manhattan and finished with a 10-2 record and a #8 ranking in the BCS. The Wildcats are one of just a few teams in 2011 that can say they beat Heisman frontrunner Robert Griffin III and boast two victories against Top 25 teams. If they play in a much tougher conference than Virginia Tech, with the same record, and a loyal fan base, I'm sorry but we need an explanation.

(2) Big 10 runner-up Michigan State is easily next in line if you aren't taking Kansas State. The Spartans had just two slip-ups in the regular season, both on the road in tough places such as South Bend and Lincoln. They too however boast two victories against Top 25 teams, Wisconsin and Michigan. One step further, they played in their conference championship game as winners of the Big Ten 'Legends' division, and came very close to beating Wisconsin a second time. One of the largest student bodies in the country and somehow the Spartans are ignored by the BCS?

And (3) Boise State and head coach Chris Petersen were clearly upset when they looked down at the BCS Bowl Game announcements and didn't see any 'non-aq' programs and were even more upset when they were accepting an invitation to the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. The BCS' #7 ranked Broncos are a very, very, good football team but need to understand what public perception is. To the 'public' and bowl organizers, the 'non-aq' program doesn't play more than one or two difficult games a season. In 2011, the Broncos were 1-1 in those two games. A season-opening win against Georgia which is too far in the rear view and a late season loss to 'Top 25' ranked TCU. Petersen knows the game and it didn't work out this year.

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Has Big East commissioner John Marinatto made things worse?

Marinatto could be compared to the 'average' guy who asks out the hot chick the day she finds out her boyfriend cheated. Insert calling on disgruntled Boise State and Houston to join a conference with an automatic BCS qualifier just hours after being snubbed for a BCS Bowl Game while touting 1-loss records. It worked and for the Big East to continue as a legitimate football conference after being poached in 2011 for three of its remaining eight members, something had to. With the additions of Boise State and Houston, in fell San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference, along with Southern Methodist and Central Florida from Conference USA. With service academies Navy and Air Force expected to join after the 2013 season, the Big East will be a twelve-team football playing conference. Stretching from Storrs, Connecticut to San Diego, California seems strange for a Big East Conference, but in Marinatto's mind we aren't traveling by stage coach and they'll go to the furthest reaches to keep their conference viable. Marinatto did his job, the same way ACC brass came together and increased their conference buy-out to $20 Million, the same way the SEC called on Texas A&M and Missouri, the same way the Big XII stuck together adding West Virginia and TCU. Tip your cap!

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