Category: NFL (Page 798 of 1282)

      Top 10 active NFL touchdown leaders

      February 14, 2009 /

      Sometimes when deciding who you’re going to pick at your fantasy football draft, it’s easy to be infatuated with yardage and not with touchdowns, but TDs are really where the points are at. With the 2008 season now over, here is a look at the all-time active NFL leaders are in touchdowns, either rushing or receiving. Some names will not surprise you, but a few others might, but either way, you fantasy geeks can file this article away for when you start your preseason research:

      1. Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys (141)—T.O. causes trouble everywhere he goes, but on the field he has a knack for finding the end zone, usually after he’s blown past a defender. And the best part for fantasy GMs is that you don’t have to actually interact with the guy like Jerry Jones does.

      1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers (141)—The scary thing about LT is he’s only 29. The really scary thing, though, is that he’s gone from a league-record 28 rushing scores in 2006 to 15 in 2007 to 11 in 2008. He probably won’t be drafted first overall again in 2009, but LT is still a first rounder.

      3. Randy Moss, New England Patriots (136)—Moss has had an up and down career, but the one number you can never ignore is 23—the NFL single-season receiving TD mark he set in 2007 when he and Tom Brady were lighting up scoreboards. And Brady should be back in ’09.

      4. Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts (128)—A knee injury ended Harrison’s 2007 season prematurey, and he was not as effective in 2008 usual, scoring only 5 times. Throw in some off the field issues, and while Marvin has put up huge career numbers catching passes from Peyton Manning, you have to believe the end of that career is in sight.

      5. Shaun Alexander, free agent (112)—Has anyone seen a running back’s career decline so sharply? Dude broke the NFL record with 27 rushing TDs in 2005, but an injury limited Alexander to only 20 starts since then with two different teams. 112 might stay at 112.

      6. Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals (91)—James reached double digits in touchdowns four times while playing in Indianapolis. And he’s reached double digits in Arizona too—16 scores, but over three seasons. He showed in the playoffs that he still has some juice left, but on a Cardinals’ team focused on the pass, don’t expect James to reach 100 before 2010.

      6. Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (91)—Fifteen years in the league will give you a chance to put up close to 100 touchdowns, but it’s not like Isaac Bruce doesn’t have skills, even at the ripe old football age of 36.

      8. Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay Bucs (83)—Galloway is another guy who has sipped from the fountain of youth, but he missed most of the 2008 season.

      9. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs (76)—Gonzalez caught 96 passes for 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008, one of his best seasons yet, to earn first team All Pro at the age of 32. He may not be back in KC in 2009, but no matter where he lands, he’s always a good fantasy tight end.

      10. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins (76)—With 76 career rushing and receiving touchdowns, Portis is a solid fantasy player, but no LT. Then again, LT is no LT anymore either.

      Source: Pro Football Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Football, NFL

      Offseason Blueprint: Cleveland Browns

      February 13, 2009 /

      Notable Free Agents: Sean Jones, S; Andra Davis, LB; Willie McGinest, LB.

      Projected 2009 Cap Space: $17,000,000

      Draft Order: 5

      Top Needs: Two years after signing LeCharles Bentley to a huge contract only to watch him suffer a career-ending knee injury on the first day of training camp, the Browns are once again in need of a center to bolster the interior of their offensive line. The team is also expected to beef up the linebacker corps and possibly add another defensive end for depth. Wide receiver and running back will also likely be addressed.

      Offseason Outlook: Word has it that the Browns are already shopping quarterback Derek Anderson (the Jets have emerged as a possible suitor), which means Brady Quinn will likely become the unquestioned starter next season under center. But perhaps the majority of changes for the Browns this offseason will once again be made on the defensive side of the ball – especially in the front seven.

      Adding defensive tackle Shaun Rogers via a trade with Detroit last offseason proved to be an outstanding move. Rogers was worth the risk (he was labeled as being lazy in Motown) and had a major impact along Cleveland’s defensive line last year. Corey Williams, another player the Browns added via offseason trade last offseason, was hamstrung with various injuries last season but showed his grit by playing hurt and is a steady player when healthy.

      With the Browns set at those two positions on the D-line, they’ll turn their attention to the defensive end spot opposite Williams. Robaire Smith emerged as a quality playmaker in 2007, but a ruptured Achilles tendon cut his season short after only two games last year and the team was stuck with Shaun Smith, who proved to hit players more off the field (ask Brady Quinn), then he did on it. Don’t count on Cleveland upgrading this position in the first round of the draft because there simply isn’t a 3-4 end worth taking at No. 5, but the spot will be addressed at some point. Plus before his season-ending injury last year, Robaire Smith had only missed one game in the previous six seasons so if he can come back healthy, the starting job should remain his.

      At linebacker, D’Qwell Jackson and Kamerion Wimbley are mainstays, but expect the Browns to bring in competition for Beau Bell and Alex Hall. Bell was a situational player mostly used on special teams, but he had two knee surgeries last year as a rookie and won’t be counted on to be a starter. Hall struggled against the run last year, but he proved to be an effective blitzer and could develop into a nice playmaker.

      With Wimbley and Hall, Cleveland has a couple of ‘backers that can get after the quarterback. But with free agent Andra Davis not expected back, now the Browns need another run-stuffer to help Jackson in the middle and it would be nice if they could pluck Bart Scott off divisional rival Baltimore to fill that void.

      In the secondary, re-signing safety Sean Jones is a must and that seems like a sure bet with him being quoted as saying he wants to finish his career as a Brown. Outside of that, this team actually has a nice mix of young talent in the defensive backfield – especially with second-year corners Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald emerging as solid playmakers last year.

      That said, don’t dismiss the idea of Cleveland taking Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins with their first overall pick because he might be the best player available when the Browns select at No. 5. Although if the Browns can trade back in the first round, that may be their best move because there might not be a marquee prospect that would fill a position of need for them at No. 5. If Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree fell past the first four picks, maybe another team would swap with Cleveland and the Browns could add extra draft picks without reaching at No. 5. (Lord knows they could use some extra picks after former GM Phil Savage handed them out like candy on Halloween last year.)

      Offensively, the Browns would love to add a center like Matt Birk to bolster their line, but he won’t come cheap and he’ll be highly sought after by many teams this offseason. Jason Brown (Ravens), Brad Meester (Jaguars) and Eric Ghiaciuc (Bengals) are the other top free agent centers on the market. The Browns could add another running back to compete with Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison, as well as another playmaker in the receiving corps, as well.

      Tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.’s name could come up in trade talks this offseason, but more than likely the new coaching staff would like to hang onto the dynamic (albeit often cranky) playmaker. Another name the Browns might throw out in trade talks is Braylon Edwards, who is set to become a free agent after this season and outside of his breakout 2007 campaign, has largely been a bust. It’ll be interesting to see how the team handles Winslow and Edwards’ situation this offseason.

      NFL

      Bradley: Favre is the most overrated athlete of our time

      February 13, 2009 /

      Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has fighting words for Packer fans:

      Which is this: Brett Favre is the most overrated athlete of our time.

      Favre isn’t the greatest quarterback ever. He’s not even in the top 10. He’s 20th all-time in passer rating, 17th in completion percentage. Yes, he’s No. 1 in yardage and touchdown passes, but he’s also No. 1 by some distance in interceptions. Put it this way: If you added Peyton Manning’s and Joe Montana’s INTs together, you still wouldn’t match Favre’s massive total.

      To Favre’s legion of admirers, he wasn’t just a quarterback but The Embodiment Of Football Itself. He was tough and he was daring and he got really excited and he played on the frozen tundra for the old-school Packers and … OK already! But he wasn’t the best quarterback Green Bay had seen — Bart Starr was better — and to me he wasn’t as good as the guy who nearly won a championship with the Arizona Cardinals.

      That’s right. Kurt Warner. Who has won just as many titles as Favre, who has been to more Super Bowls, who has a better career completion percentage and a higher passer rating and a lower interception percentage but who had the misfortune of playing most of his career for the wrong Midwestern team in an unfrozen dome.

      Unlike down-home Favre, Warner has never been seen as a real man’s man — no Wrangler ads — and hasn’t inspired the breathless adoration that John Madden and Peter King and every voice on ESPN lavished on Favre. Warner is considered a really good quarterback who throws a pretty ball and seems serious about his religion and has a talkative wife. Favre, as we know, is viewed as an icon.

      I fail to see what commercials have to do with this argument, but I think Bradley was trying to drive his point home by playing to Warner’s good-guy persona.

      What’s overrated in sports these days is the overrated statement itself. It’s not enough to sit back and enjoy a guy’s career, we have to pick it apart and compare it to every other player’s career in the history of the game. Favre didn’t play in Starr’s era, so you can’t compare the two. Peyton Manning has had the opportunity to play in the same offensive system since he was a rookie and Montana had Bill Walsh to learn from. If we’re going to compare things, you have to account for all variables – not just the ones that make your argument (i.e. stats).

      Brett Favre might be overrated in the fact that his numbers don’t compare to other quarterbacks who aren’t viewed as a God. But to generally say he was an overrated player is a massive reach.

      NFL

      Report: Matthew Stafford won’t work out at NFL combine

      February 13, 2009 /

      The best quarterback prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft might not work out at the combine next week as Georgia signal caller Matthew Stafford’s agent is advising his client to skip the event according to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

      Matthew StaffordThe word is Matthew Stafford isn’t going to workout. I hope he changes his mind. The league wants to see him handle a big NFL stage, not some controlled workout at his Pro Day in familiar surroundings. You want folks to drop millions in your pocket and you don’t want to work out?

      In recent years, some of the top players went to the combine and worked out. Tech’s Calvin Johnson didn’t have to work out, but he got there, borrowed some sneakers and worked out. That impressed executives leaguewide.

      Come on Stafford, tell your agent to go get a steak at St. Elmos, and then wander out to the drills and start throwing it around. Show they NFL folks why you are the No. 1 pick in the draft. Agents wants teams to Show me the Money!!! They should make their players Show them the Skills!!!

      Some agents have always considered the combine a risk but in Stafford’s case, he’s likely to be the first quarterback selected overall anyway, so maybe his agent feels that the combine can only hurt his stock. Still, I agree with D. Orlando Ledbetter from the AJC – if you want teams to drop millions of dollars on you, the least you can do is go out there and chuck the ball around for a few days. After all, if you believe in your skill set, there should be no hesitation to show it off outside of your Pro Day.

      NFL

      Warner, Cardinals to begin talking soon about new contract

      February 13, 2009 /

      Although Arizona Republic contributor Kent Somers writes that Kurt Warner and the Cardinals could begin discussing a new contract as early as this week, he also doesn’t squash the idea that Warner could still retire this offseason.

      Kurt WarnerI think it’s a mistake, however, to view that as a definitive sign that Warner isn’t retiring. Warner has said there are a number of factors to consider in making the decision, and I think he’ll weigh all of them before making a commitment.

      Warner has said several times that one of the most important factors will be how interested the Cardinals are in having him back. And there’s no better way to gauge that interest than seeing what the team is willing to offer in a new contract. That’s what Bartelstein is doing now. It would be silly for Warner to say he wants to play again, only to find the Cardinals are offering far below what he thinks is fair.

      Another factor in Warner’s decision will be assessing the team’s determination to keep its core of talented players. He is also curious about Ken Whisenhunt’s plans for the offensive coaching staff. Warner was close with coordinator Todd Haley, now the Chiefs coach. Jeff Rutledge, the quarterbacks coach, has been fired. How Whisenhunt fills those spots will factor in Warner’s decision. It might not be a huge part of it, given that Whisenhunt is going to call plays, but it will have an impact.

      Money, too, will play a part. Warner and his wife Brenda do a lot of charity work through their foundation, First Things First, and he’s told me before that he won’t have problems staying busy in retirement. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him on television, either. But there’s nowhere else he can make the kind of money the Cardinals likely will pay him — $8 million to $10 million a year.

      Even with all the potential factors that Somers highlighted in his article, I think we’ll see Warner back in a Cardinal uniform for at least another year. It has to be tough for a player to taste another Super Bowl, not win it and then retire in the offseason, especially when it’s a top competitor like Warner. I bet we see a deal get done early in the free agency period.

      NFL

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