Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 189 of 1503)

Mel Kiper releases first 2011 NFL Mock Draft, has Fairley going No. 1

January 19, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

For Steeler, Jet, Bear and Packer fans, the 2011 NFL Draft doesn’t exist.

For the rest of us, it’s the only thing that exists.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft for 2011 and at least for the time being, he sees Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley coming off the board to the Panthers at No. 1.

The No. 1 overall player on the Big Board, and one who can pay immediate dividends. Fairley isn’t just a safe pick because of his excellent burst, violent hand action and ability to effectively penetrate and be a constant nuisance against both the run and pass; he also has the chance to be a dominant player regardless of system. Detroit and Tampa Bay drafted the top defensive tackles at Nos. 2 and 3 last year. Carolina should start earlier in 2011. A slight mean streak in a DT isn’t the worst trait. Even Ndamukong Suh showed a bit of one this season.

Kiper has LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson going to the Broncos at No. 2, Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus going to the Bills at No. 3, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers going to the Bengals at No. 4 and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert going to the Cardinals at No. 5.

Regular readers know that I’m a draft nut and I will surely release several mock drafts before April 28 rolls around. I need to compile my notes from the bowl season, however, so I’m not ready to break out my mock 1.0 at this time.

That said, with the way Fairley dominated the BCS title game this year, I can definitely see the Panthers taking him at No. 1. (Don’t forget that new head coach Ron Rivera has a background in defense, so if he’s given his say on draft day, he may want to go with the best defender on the board.)

If you believe the reports, Carolina was set to take Stanford’s Andrew Luck with the top overall pick but now that he’s decided to return to school, who goes No. 1 will be discussed ad nauseum for the next three and a half months.

College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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Should the Bears extend Lovie Smith’s contract?

January 19, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

If Bear fans were presented with this question before the season started, half of them would have probably said that Lovie Smith would have to win the Super Bowl this year and the other half would have given an empathetic: “No.”

If the hated Packers wax the Bears this Sunday at Solider Field, it stands to reason that Chicago fans will return to the same mindset they had before the season and wish Smith the best as he heads out the door. But what if the Bears win? Then what? Even if they lose to the Steelers or Jets in the Super Bowl, Smith would be responsible for taking the Bears to the title game twice in the past five years. Doesn’t he deserve a contract extension because of that?

Smith has one more year left on his current deal and at least one of his players thinks that he deserves an extension (from ESPN.com):

“I believe he has done a great job here. He’s the reason we’ve won,” [Brian] Urlacher said Wednesday on “Mike & Mike In The Morning” on ESPN Radio. “I think he’s been here seven years and this is our second NFC Championship [Game], and it hasn’t been that way around here in a long time. There were a few years where we were 7-9, 8-8 and that was good. People were excited about that because it meant we were getting better.
“Now if we’re not in the playoffs or the NFC championship people are disappointed, and that’s because of him. That’s how he makes people believe around here, and that’s what he expects out of us. I believe in him. I don’t see why he wouldn’t get an extension. He’s earned it, and I don’t want to play for any other coach.”

Urlacher makes a fair point but fans aren’t going to forget how Smith has struggled with game preparation and in-game management over the years. Good coaches put game plans together that take advantage of their opposition’s weaknesses throughout the course of a game. The better ones are not only good game-planners, but they make solid halftime adjustments to win in the second half.

The best head coaches, guys like Bill Belichick, Sean Payton and even Rex Ryan from a defensive standpoint, can make adjustments on the fly. They don’t stray from their game plan, but they can attack opponents series-to-series and strike when the iron’s hot. Whether fans like to admit it, Smith can put together a good game plan more times than not. But he doesn’t always make sound halftime adjustments and he rarely makes in-game adjustments to attack his opponent when they’re not looking.

External Sports, NFL

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Should Dolphins be miffed that Parcells recommended Ryan to Jets?

January 19, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Former NFL player Marcellus Wiley once told me that if you took Bill Parcells out to a practice field and told him he only had five minutes to evaluate 100 players, he could still tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every man on that field to a T. So it’s not surprising that the “Big Tuna” knew that Rex Ryan was going to be successful in the NFL.

According to a ESPNNewYork.com report, Parcells advised Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum to hire Ryan two years ago. In fact, had Parcells not be so close with current Dolphins’ head coach Tony Sparano when they two of them coached together in Dallas, he would have hired Ryan in Miami.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Parcells said.
“I was very impressed with Rex when I met with him,” Parcells said Tuesday night by phone. “I could just sense that, ‘Hey, this guy’s going to have a chance.'”
“I had a fierce rivalry with Rex’s father when I was coaching the Giants,” Parcells said, “but I held Buddy in high regard. What made Buddy a dangerous adversary was that he knew what he was looking for personnel-wise, and Rex is the same way. That’s a pretty good head start for Rex because there are quite a few coaches in this league who don’t know what they’re looking for.”

Parcells was very clear in the interview that he takes no credit for Rex’s development, or even for Tannenbaum’s decision to hire him. And why would he? He still receives paychecks with the Miami Dolphins’ logo on it, so why would he want to admit to helping a division rival?

External Sports, NFL

2011 NFL Playoffs Anthony Stalter Bill Parcells Miami Dolphins Mike Tannenbaum New York Jets Rex Ryan Tony Sparano

End of the line for Milton Bradley?

January 19, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

As a member of the Cleveland Indians, he once wore a T-shirt that said “(expletive) Eric Wedge” on it.

As a member of the Chicago Cubs, he was suspended for the final weeks of the 2009 season after he criticized general manager Jim Hendry and manager Lou Piniella.

Most recently, he left the Mariners after being replaced mid-game by then-manager Don Wakamatsu, only to ask for and receive a reinstatement after the club provided anger management training.

Now Milton Bradley is at it again. He was arrested Tuesday morning in California and booked on felony charges for making criminal threats to a woman. Reports state that he was held on $50,000 bail before being released at roughly 5:40PM.

Considering he hit a dismal .205 with just eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 73 games last season, one would assume the M’s brass is pouring over his contract hoping to find a clause that will allow them to release the troubled outfielder. Why not cut ties with Bradley and save $12 million (which is what he’s owed in 2011) in the process?

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Unless Hendry was smart enough to write a clause into Bradley’s contract that would protect the team in the event he were arrested, the Mariners are probably on the hook for that $12 million. If they tried to void his deal, the player’s union would likely file a grievance and it could be months before Bradley sees the inside of a courtroom. During that time, he would be out on bail and he could claim that he’s not being convicted of anything (and therefore, could be “working” during that time).

There’s a good chance that the Mariners will cut him anyway, even if they have to fork over the $12 million that’s still owed on his contract. That would be a grave injustice if he is guilty of a crime (remember, he hasn’t been convicted of anything yet), but at least Seattle would be rid of him. This guy is a ticking time bomb and it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” he’s going to explode again.

But maybe this time there won’t be another club ready to assume the risk.

External Sports, MLB

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Antrel Rolle: Things are a little too uptight with Tom Coughlin

January 18, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Antrel Rolle had a few interesting things to say about Tom Coughlin during a recent interview with Miami radio station WQAM, including how he feels things are a little too uptight around Giants headquarters.

From ESPN New York:

“As a person I don’t have any problem with coach Coughlin,” Rolle said. “We have a great relationship. When you’re talking about the coaching side of things, do I feel like things are a little too uptight? Yeah, I do.
“I feel like if he just loosened up just a little bit, still run the ship the way you want to run it, still run the program the way you want to run it but let us have a little fun … because at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.”
“And people like to talk about Rex Ryan and this that and the other. That team is going to war for him,” Rolle added.

Tom Coughlin also has a Super Bowl ring and Rex Ryan doesn’t (at least yet, anyway).

Before sharing his opinion on his head coach, Rolle went out of his way to say a few times how much he likes Coughlin as a person. Rolle has a right to express himself and say what’s on his mind but I’m wondering if he should have said anything at all.

Rolle isn’t the first person to point out that Coughlin is a little rigid. Before the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007, Michael Strahan said that Coughlin needed to loosen up, too. But Rolle isn’t the player that Strahan was. His play is too inconsistent and considering he’s the highest paid safety in NFL history, he should be more productive than he was last season. (Especially if he’s going to criticize his head coach in the offseason.)

Again, Rolle was somewhat tactful with his comments but he should first look at his own game before questioning someone else’s.

External Sports, NFL

Antrel Rolle Antrel Rolle comments Antrel Rolle Tom Coughlin New York Giants Tom Coughlin

Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 189 of 1503)

Mel Kiper releases first 2011 NFL Mock Draft, has Fairley going No. 1

Should the Bears extend Lovie Smith’s contract?

Should Dolphins be miffed that Parcells recommended Ryan to Jets?

End of the line for Milton Bradley?

Antrel Rolle: Things are a little too uptight with Tom Coughlin

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