Like Mike Florio, I like this trade (not yet confirmed) for both teams.

As Florio points out, people will give Bill Belichick the benefit of the doubt. Other teams would likely be criticized for taking on this head case.

That said, Belichick will likely use Albert Haynesworth properly, avoided the idiotic showdowns in Washington where defensive offensive “genius” Mike Shanahan tried to make this elite interior pass rusher into a hole-clogging nose tackle.

As resident Patriots homer expert Rosenthal points out, the Pats use a 4-3 front roughly half the time. Thus, Haynesworth likely will be a part-time player, but he possibly will be in the alignment he prefers 100 percent of the time that he’s on the field.

And while there’s no way he’d be asked to play the nose tackle position in New England’s 3-4 alignment, thanks to the presence of Vince Wilfork, Belichick surely wouldn’t expect Haynesworth to be a traditional lineman-occupying presence at defensive end in that formation. That’s where Belichick’s brain becomes important. When a player doesn’t like a certain type of system, it’s because he doesn’t play as well in that system. So instead of forcing Haynesworth to eat his brussel sprouts, Belichick will find ways to let Haynesworth get the most out of his talents. Who knows? Maybe that will mean periodically lining him up on the edge in obvious passing situations and letting him maul a tackle one-on-one and chase down the quarterback.

Belichick understands the concept of calculated risks. His team needs a pass rush, and this move makes sense.

Meanwhile, the Redskins are looking for a fresh start, so this helps. We haven’t seen them break the bank yet with idiotic free agent signings, so maybe new GM Bruce Allen might be taking control from Mr. Ego Daniel Snyder.

This question came up today at work, and it has me really wondering. Who was last player in college football that caused you to hold your breath as soon as the ball was in his hands?

My immediate response was Reggie Bush, who I always felt had the ability to break a long touchdown run every time he touched the ball. With his speed and shiftiness, any time he was in the open field, he was a serious threat to score.

Some of my earliest college football memories were of watching Raghib “Rocket” Ismail at Notre Dame, and he had that same ability. Although I realize that more now watching him on YouTube, as I was only about 6 years old when he started at Notre Dame. Not long after the Rocket, Desmond Howard did the same thing.

The difference between Robinson and those players, however, is that Robinson is the quarterback and has his hands on the ball on every down. He also has the option to throw the ball, which makes every snap the Michigan offense has taken this season an event.

Have there been other quarterbacks like that? Robinson is often compared to Pat White because of the system he’s in, but I don’t remember having that same feeling with White, as dynamic as he was. Tommy Frazier was a beast at Nebraska and always had the ability to break a big run, but if I remember correctly (again, I was pretty young during Frazier’s time), he ran through a lot of people, and while he was fast, didn’t have Denard Robinson speed.

I’m not saying Robinson is better than all of those guys, or an all-time great player. He still hasn’t played against a defense that you would even think is formidable. But just for pure game-breaking ability at his position, I’m having a hard time figuring out who matches him. Thoughts?

Judging which college football player was the best over the past decade can be a tricky endeavor. Do you rank a player that has won a Heisman higher than one that has not? Do you penalize a player if he played in a pass-happy system that allowed him to put up lofty numbers? Do you judge his performance based on the talent around him or the difficulty of his competition? As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here is a top 15 ranking of the best college football players of the past decade. Perhaps more than any of our lists in this decade series, this one could be debated the most given the factors that surround it.

15. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

If you want to be entertained, try turning on a Clemson game and watching Spiller for three-plus hours. He’s a terrific runner, an electrifying return man and one of the deadliest weapons in college football. He is the only player besides Reggie Bush to post 2,500 yards rushing, 1,500 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 yards receiving and 5,000 yards in punt returns. He’s also tied a NCAA record for most kickoff returns for touchdowns with six. If it weren’t for a lackluster junior season, he’d probably rank higher on this list.

Read the rest of this entry »

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington’s season is likely over after he suffered a torn capsule in his right throwing shoulder in a loss on Sunday to the Chargers. Pennington is seeking a second opinion, but it looks like Chad Henne will be the full-time starter now in Miami.

The team has not yet confirmed the severity of the injury. But Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano told the AP earlier the team was preparing to move on with backup Chad Henne.

“We’re going to have to go out there with Henne, who is a lot less experienced,” Fasano said. “There is definitely going to be a learning curve for Henne. He can learn as much as he wants in a classroom, but until he’s out on the field, in-game experience he’s not going to learn.”

Rookie Pat White, who’s seen action in the Dolphins’ Wildcat package thus far, is the only other QB on the roster.

White would be an intriguing option to start, but he doesn’t have any experience running a pro style offense because he played at West Virginia, which ran a spread option attack. So the Dolphins are essentially forced to start Henne and keep using White in the Wildcat.

This is a massive blow to Miami’s season. Pennington was limited as a passer, but he’s one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the game just based on his ability to read defenses and get the ball out of his hands quickly.

Unless Henne turns out to be the next Tom Brady off the bench, the Dolphins are going to struggle to even going .500 this year. They’re already 0-3 and play in one of the toughest divisions in football.

Around this time last year, I compiled a top 10 list of Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates and ranked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan No. 1. He went on to throw for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and led Atlanta to a remarkable playoff appearance, all while making me look like some kind of OROY-predicting genius.

Of course, I also listed Titans running back Chris Johnson at No. 7 behind less-productive names like Darren McFadden (No. 4), Kevin Smith (No. 5) and Rashard Mendenhall (No. 6), hence making me look like some kind of OROY-predicting moron.

To see my top 10 ranking from last year, click here. And for my top 10 ranking of the offensive rookie of the year candidates for this season, see below.

1. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos
While the knee injury he suffered in Denver’s preseason opener is a concern, Moreno is expected to be ready for Week 1 and will be given every opportunity to shine in ’09. Granted, he’s stuck in a crowded backfield and could be eased into the season after hurting his knee, but he has the potential to be an every-down back at some point this year. He was the most complete back in April’s draft, has outstanding vision and should get plenty of opportunities to make plays in Josh McDaniels’ shotgun-heavy offense. He’ll also benefit from running behind the Broncos’ stellar O-line. Expecting him to put up rushing numbers similar to those of Chris Johnson (1,228 rushing yards) last year might be a little ambitious. But if Moreno stays healthy, a 400-plus yard receiving season in McDaniels’ system is certainly doable.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to a report by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Dolphins are trying to revolutionize pro football by bringing the spread offense to the NFL, most notably by using Pat White, whom the team drafted in the second round of last weekend’s draft.

“For the 30 minutes it takes to put in a Wildcat play it takes a defense a day to figure it out and work on how to stop it,” former Miami Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson told WQAM radio last week.

White’s ability to not just scramble, but throw the ball with range and accuracy, will allow offensive coordinator Dan Henning and quarterback coach David Lee to add even more elements to the Wildcat offense. Lee brought the gimmicky formation with him from Arkansas.

Upon White’s selection by the Dolphins, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden predicted the spread offense was “officially in the National Football League,” and described White as “a Wildcat that can throw the football. He’s an electric guy.”

There’s a very simple explanation as to why more pro teams don’t use the spread offense like college teams do, and that’s because defenses are too fast in the NFL. Many teams had success using the “Wildcat” formation last year (especially the Dolphins), but don’t think for a minute that defensive coordinators haven’t been working on ways to shut it down.

When Michael Vick first came into the league, many people thought he would revolutionize the quarterback position forever. And while he did have a lot of success in certain offenses (i.e. Greg Knapp’s triple-spread option), defensive coordinators like Monte Kiffin found ways to stop him. Defenses eventually catch up.

The Dolphins have waived former second round pick John Beck.

The draft class of one year HC Cam Cameron is getting thinner every day. The Miami Dolphins have announced the release, not the trade, of 3rd string QB John Beck. Beck rode the bench last year and never saw the field the entire season. After the Dolphins drafted QB Pat White over the weekend, it was evident that Beck’s future with the team was seriously in doubt.
The release comes following a weekend when the Phins likely tried to move the QB VIA trade, but it is obvious that the team couldn’t get anything in return. Beck started 3 games in his rookie season after being drafted in the 2nd round. He won no games.

Beck has a strong arm but his experience and age, 28 made him an unlikely candidate with this regime to not only see playing time, but stick on the roster. Earlier this off-season, HC Tony Sparano said that it would be hard to find Beck practice reps this off-season as they groom Chad Henne.

Beck becomes another 2nd round QB that the Dolphins have swung and missed on in the last few years. The Dolphins traded a high 2nd round pick for AJ Feely to Philadelphia, spent a high 2nd round pick on Daunte Culpepper, drafted John Beck with a high 2nd round pick, drafted Chad Henne with a low 2nd rounder, and of course this year spent the 44th overall pick, a 2nd rounder, on QB/RB/WR Pat White.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but what a brutal pick in the second round. Scouts knew that he played in a system that allowed him to put up gaudy numbers at BYU, yet they ignored that and just paid attention to his arm strength. Some team will likely give him a shot as a backup, but in his brief starting appearances in Miami, he was brutal.

Maybe this means that they’ll give Pat White – whom they took in the second round last weekend – a shot to play quarterback. Some envision White as a receiver at the next level, but he had the best scouting combine of any quarterback in this year’s draft, and that includes Mark Sanchez. White has the arm strength to complete all of the passes in the NFL and obviously has the mobility to make things happen with his feet. Clearly the Dolphins are going to find ways to get him on the field if they took him in the second round, most likely in their “Wildcat” formation.

The West Virginia Mountaineers dropped out of the top 10 two weeks ago when they lost to East Carolina and will no doubt drop out of the top 25 entirely after losing to Colorado 17-14 in overtime Thursday night.

On WVU’s first and only possession in overtime, senior kicker Pat McAfee missed a chip shot field goal from 23 yards out. The Buffs didn’t waste the opportunity to claim victory, driving the play to the Mountaineers’ 13-yard line in just four plays. On a 3rd and three from the 13, Aric Goodman booted a 25-yard field goal to give CU the victory.

Pat White (19 carries, 149 yards, 2 TDs) and Noel Devine (26 carries, 133 yards) were excellent, but penalties, the lack of big plays in the passing game and poor clock management at the end of regulation killed the Mountaineers in the end. It also didn’t help that Bradley Starks badly under threw Jock Sanders on a trick play in the fourth quarter. Sanders could have waltzed into the end zone and with the way their defense had been playing in the second half, WVU probably could have walked away with a 21-14 victory.

It was nevertheless a gritty performance by Colorado and more specially, freshman RB Rodney Stewart, who carried 28 times for 166 yards. He single handedly got the Buffs into field goal range to win the game in overtime. With Stewart and sophomore quarterback Cody Hawkins (179 yards, 2 TDs), Colorado is building a young, productive backfield.

No. 21 West Virginia (1-1, 0-1 Away) at Colorado (2-0, 2-0 Home)

Kickoff: 8:30 PM ET ESPN
Point Spread: West Virginia –3

West Virginia Outlook:
The Mountaineers had off last week following their upset loss to East Carolina in Week 2. Head coach Bill Stewart has noted that he wants to get back to running more basic zone option plays after Pat White and the WVU had their worst offensive performance in seven years, managing only a field goal in the loss to ECU. Simplifying things for the offense might make sense, especially considering the Mountaineers will make their first ever trip to Folsom Field.

Colorado Outlook:
The Buffaloes are 2-0 to start the season, but they had to rally to beat FCS opponent Eastern Washington two weeks ago. With freshman running back Darrell Scott and scrappy sophomore quarterback Cody Hawkins, Colorado has a ton of youth in its offense backfield. Hawkins is off to a great start, throwing for 475 yards and four touchdowns in two games this season, as well as compiling a QB rating of 144.93. Hawkins might find some success throwing against a WVU secondary that ranks 85th in pass efficiency.

Prediction:
Before the disastrous performance against ECU two weeks ago, White threw for 208 yards and five touchdowns against Villanova in the team’s opener. He probably won’t attempt 33 passes Thursday night in Colorado with Stewart wanting to scale back the offense, but that’s a good thing. The Buffs see plenty of the spread offense playing in the Big 12, but aren’t used to the zone option tactics that WVU will throw at them tonight. White should be able to break off a big run or two and as long as the WVU defense can at least contain the young duo in the Buffs’ backfield, they should be able to bounce back from their Week 2 loss against the Pirates. West Virginia 38, Colorado 30.

Breaking news alert: East Carolina is for real. For the second straight week, the Pirates pulled off the upset of the day, routing No. 8 West Virginia 24-3.

It was over when… ECU never trailed and never looked like it was going to let WVU back in the game as the Pirates ended a seven-game losing streak to WVU.
Gameball goes to… Patrick Pinkney: ECU’s QB was 22-28, throwing for 236 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Stat of the game… 11:21: ECU won the battle of the clock 35:41 to WVU’s 24:19.

West Virginia is done and Pat White (11 for 18, 72 yards passing) might have lost the Heisman in this game, too. A Big East team that loses before they even reach conference play cannot and should not be brought up in national championship discussion.

What an incredible year so far for ECU. This was the first time since 2001 that an opponent held WVU without a touchdown. And to limit White to only 72 yards passing and 97 yards rushing was amazing. The Pirates should be ranked heading into next week, although their schedule is too weak for them to be a serious title contender. Still, ECU is the talk of the college football world right now.