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      Will Larry Johnson find a home?

      November 12, 2009 /

      The Steelers and Bears aren’t interested.

      The Texans have already said no.

      Even the Redskins shot down any potential rumors.

      So will Larry Johnson find a home this season?

      Johnson, cut by the Chiefs earlier in the week, is looking for a place – any place – to land for the rest of the season. He has already said that he’s willing to take a role as a backup, but even that hasn’t enticed teams to sign him.

      LJ picked a bad time to be a malcontent (not that any time is the right time to be a malcontent). We’re to the point in the NFL season where bad teams are playing younger players in order to get a feel for whether or not they have a long-term future with the club and where the good teams don’t want to disrupt the locker room by bringing in a bad seed like Johnson.

      LJ’s only shot is for a team to recognize that they’re on the bubble of making a second half push and would risk signing him to add some talent. The Bears, Jets, Dolphins, Texans, Jaguars, Ravens, 49ers, Giants, Packers and Panthers all fit into that category, but for one reason or another Johnson wouldn’t be a fit for any of them.

      If I were to take a stab at where Johnson might wind up, my best guess would be Seattle. The Seahawks’ season is hanging in the balance and they definitely need help at running back. But the problem is that Johnson hasn’t been very good this season and the Hawks just cut a veteran running back that wasn’t very good in Edgerrin James. So why add Johnson, a player just as unproductive as James was but with more baggage, to the roster?

      Given his history of off-field issues and his lack of emotion, desire and production, there’s a good chance that Larry Johnson won’t be playing for anyone this season.


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      Will any team sign Larry Johnson?
      Total Votes: 94 Started: November 12, 2009 Back to Vote Screen

      NFL

      Is Dan LeFevour a potential middle-round steal?

      November 12, 2009 /

      For those of you that partook in Wednesday night’s MAC football matchup between Toledo and Central Michigan, you had to be impressed from what you saw out of senior quarterback Dan LeFevour.

      LeFevour completed 29-of-36 pass attempts for 341 yards and two touchdowns in the Chippewas’ 56-28 rout of the Rockets. He also rushed 14 times for 19 yards with a whopping four touchdowns, which was rather Tim Tebow-esqe.

      LeFevour doesn’t get as much press as fellow quarterback prospects Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Sam Bradford because of the conference he plays in. Hell, he even takes a back seat to Cincinnati’s Tony Pike on Mel Kiper’s list of top senior prospects at the quarterback position.

      But the kid is good – real good.

      Now, I admit that I’m biased because I went to CMU. But it’s hard not to appreciate what LeFevour can do when you watch him. He has great size at 6-3, 238-pounds, can run, can throw with accuracy, and has demonstrated excellent leadership. He was the 2006 MAC Freshman of the Year, the MVP for the 2006 Motor City Bowl and the 2007 MAC Championship Game and was the 2007 MAC Offensive Player of the Year.

      You might be thinking, “MAC football? Wow, who cares…” But don’t forget that Ben Roethlisberger is a product of the MAC, as is Chad Pennington. While not quarterbacks, Randy Moss, Joshua Cribbs, Lance Moore and a host of others also played in the MAC, so it’s clear that the conference is harvesting talent.

      Granted, LeFevour does benefit from playing in a college-style offense that allows him to put up gaudy numbers and therefore it might take him awhile to learn a pro system. He also doesn’t throw the prettiest deep ball and his threat as a runner will be neutralized in the NFL because he doesn’t have great top-end speed. But he has the size, strength and durability to play at the next level, is a student of the game and is a winner. He could be a steal in the middle rounds in next April’s draft.


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      College Football

      Bears won’t fire Lovie Smith

      November 12, 2009 /

      Following their embarrassing 41-21 loss to the Cardinals at Solider Field last Sunday (which came just three weeks after an embarrassing 45-10 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati), many Chicago fans were screaming from their rooftops for the Bears to fire head coach Lovie Smith.

      But it isn’t going to happen – not this season, not next season.

      After taking the Bears to the Super Bowl three years ago, Chicago signed Smith to a contract extension through 2011. It made sense at the top because Smith was one of the lowest paid head coaches in the NFL and if a team has a coach that can get them to the Super Bowl, it’s wise to lock them up long-term.

      But three seasons later the Bears appear to be regressing and not progressing. The offseason acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler was supposed to get this team closer to the Super Bowl, not third place in the overrated NFC North.

      Granted, Smith has had to deal with injuries at the linebacker position and while the team has tried to motivate him, Tommie Harris almost looks like a lost cause right now. The newcomers on the offensive line haven’t gelled together either and Matt Forte has suffered because of it.

      Still, a couple more blowouts and those screams for Smith’s head will get louder. But the fact of the matter is that those screams will fall on deaf ears because Smith isn’t going anywhere. He’s a cheap option for a cheap organization and he’ll be in Chicago until his contract runs out and the Bears can find another head coach that they can throw pennies at.

      It certainly looks like a long shot at the moment, but maybe Smith can still get this thing turned around. Tonight would be a great starting point, as Chicago travels to San Francisco to take on a 49ers team that is reeling just as much as Da Bears are. A victory tonight and the Bears will have a winning record, while a loss might all but seal their fate.

      Notice how I said “their” fate and not Smith’s.


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      NFL

      Line of the Night (11/11): Brandon Jennings

      November 12, 2009 /

      The Bucks are 4-2 in no small part to the emergence of rookie Brandon Jennings. Wednesday night, he had a 14-point fourth quarter to help Milwaukee upend the Nuggets, 108-102. On the night, he posted 32 points, nine assists and four rebounds. He shot 11-19 from the floor, and hit both of his 3PT shots and all eight of his free throws, including six in the final minute to put the game away.

      It’s early, but with Blake Griffin out, I think Jennings is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors. He’s averaging 20.7 points, 5.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. His shot was a big question mark coming into the NBA, but thus far he has hit almost 46% from the floor and from the 3PT line. Is he a 40%+ three-point shooter? Probably not, but his shoot looks good enough from the perimeter to keep the defense honest.

      With Michael Redd out indefinitely, Jennings will have plenty of room to grow.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

      November 11, 2009 /

      Here’s how I see things 1-32 in the NFL with nine weeks in the books:

      1. New Orleans Saints (8-0)
      Nobody should be surprised that the Falcons and Panthers gave the Saints issues at home the past two weeks. After all, Atlanta and Carolina are familiar with New Orleans since they play them twice a year. The real story is how the Saints never panicked when they got down early and outplayed both the Falcons and Panthers in the fourth quarter.

      2. Indianapolis Colts (8-0)
      The Colts have the eighth best defense in the NFL, which is rather remarkable given that starters Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson haven’t played much at all. Dwight Freeney has terrorized opposing quarterbacks this season.

      3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
      Heading into the second half of the season, the only question I have about these Vikings is whether or not Brett Favre will stay healthy enough to lead this team deep into the playoffs. Last year, he couldn’t and the Jets tanked in the final month of the season.

      4. New England Patriots (6-2)
      We’ll get a great idea of how good this Patriots team is this weekend when they travel to Indianapolis to take on the undefeated Colts. Bill Belichick better figure out a way to get Dwight Freeney blocked so Tom Brady can build off the momentum he has created the past three games.

      5. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
      I get the feeling that people keep waiting for the Bengals to cave and sink back to reality. Those folks will be waiting a while because this team is underrated, not overrated. A win this week in Pittsburgh and everyone will be believers.

      6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
      Jon Gruden hit the nail on the head when he said on Monday night that the Steelers close out games better than anyone in the league. One of the rare times they didn’t close out a team was earlier this season in Cincinnati, when the Bengals beat them on a last-second touchdown. They’ll get a chance to avenge that loss this Sunday in Pittsburgh, as well as take a one-game lead in the AFC North if they can pull off a win.

      7. Denver Broncos (6-2)
      I’m not ready to suggest that Denver is overrated or will start to freefall, but it is a little troubling that they’ve played two good teams the past two weeks and were beaten soundly in both contests. It’s time for Josh McDaniels to prove that he can make adjustments and Kyle Orton needs to take better care of the ball when his team is trailing.

      8. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
      Given all their talent, I want to believe that the Cowboys have turned the corner under Wade Phillips. But this isn’t the first time in the past couple years where they’ve stringed together a couple of good outings to get people to believe. Their win in Philadelphia was awfully impressive, but they need to prove that they can sustain their momentum.

      9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)
      The Eagles had an opportunity to make a statement at home against the Cowboys last Sunday night and failed. Hopefully Brian Westbrook will return soon, because Philly’s offense can look stagnant at times without him.

      10. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
      Michael Turner started hearing the words “one-year wonder” being tossed around a couple weeks ago and didn’t like it. He’s responded with two 150-plus rushing performances and has looked like the back he did last year. It’s a good thing too, because Matt Ryan hasn’t played well since Atlanta’s win in San Francisco four weeks ago.

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      NFL

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