Football

James Starks during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field last Dec. 2. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-14.Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson sent their message loud and ...
James Starks during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field last Dec. 2. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-14.Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson sent their message loud and clear to Alex Green, DuJuan Harris and especially James Starks on draft weekend by selecting not one, but two running backs and also picking up another – Angelo Pease – as an undrafted free agent. Clearly, the Green Bay Packers brass have not been pleased with the past performance, or lack thereof, of their in-house running backs. Many feel that Harris and probably Green will be the two running backs who should have the best shot at remaining on the Packers roster once it’s all said and done, while the oft-injured and inconsistent James Starks is the odd man out. In fact, rumors swirled draft weekend that Starks was on the trading block, but nothing happened. Alex GreenJeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph Rookies Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will be on the the roster, while Green and Harris, depending on what they do in training camp, will also be there That leaves Starks and Pease as the players who will most likely be fighting for a job. We don’t know much about Pease other than the fact that McCarthy seems to really like him – calling him out not once, but twice in his press conferences held during and after the rookie orientation sessions. I think everyone really likes Starks – when he’s healthy. But those times have been far and few between. We all know how he ignited the Packers offense late in 2010, helping the franchise to its fourth Super Bowl Championship. Then it seemed every time we turned around the guy was hurt. He was on the shelf for most of last season, came back against Minnesota in December and had a solid game. In that Minnesota game, Starks carried the ball 16 times for 66 yards, and pulled off a 22-yard touchdown run where he looked like his old self. And then got hurt once more. Though he could have played in the playoffs, we never saw him. His spot had been taken by Harris and to a certain extent Ryan Grant. In all, he played in only six games last season, carrying the ball 71 times for 255 yards – a 3.6 yard per-carry average. James Starks scores on a 22-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports photograph Do the Packers take a chance on the guy once more if he comes back and has a strong training camp? Or do they just cut their losses, continue to try to trade him and if they can’t, then cut him? It’s not like the team doesn’t have a crowded backfield already.We know that Starks can hit holes and pick up yards after being hit. He seems like a tough runner, but his injury history tells us otherwise. He’s been productive when he’s healthy, but in my mind I just can’t see the team taking any more chances on the guy. Yes, they should try to trade him and if nobody wants the damaged goods, then the Packers should let him walk. What do you think, Packers fans? Leave a comment below, Like us on Facebook, and/or follow us on Twitter.
23 minutes ago
Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports When the Indianapolis Colts made Coby Fleener a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, it was assumed that the tight end would become an integral part of the passing attack. Instead, Fleener watched as ...
Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports When the Indianapolis Colts made Coby Fleener a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, it was assumed that the tight end would become an integral part of the passing attack. Instead, Fleener watched as fellow rookie Dwayne Allen, a third-rounder, made a bigger impact as a pass-catcher and blocker. Heading into his sophomore season with the Colts, Fleener needs to live up to the hype the surrounded him coming out of college and become the dynamic tight end Indianapolis thought they were getting. A whole 26 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns wasn’t enough from 2012’s top tight end prospect. If he’s going to get better in 2013, there are several areas that Fleener must improve in. The most important is finding some sort of consistency in his ability to be an effective part of the Colts’ air assault. While Fleener was somewhat effective during his first few weeks in the NFL, after returning from an injury that sidelined him four weeks, he made little impact in the final five weeks of the regular season. In five appearances, he caught five passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the two touchdowns, his lack of reliability as a pass-catcher and blocker didn’t help the Colts stay competitive. Even though he tallied only three drops on the year, Fleener still must improve on his ability to hold on to catchable balls. Of the 29 catchable passes that came his way in 2012, the Stanford alum dropped three, or 10.3 percent. For a tight end lauded for his abilities as a receiving threat, that type of drop percentage is unacceptable. When he was entering the NFL, Fleener stole the spotlight from other tight end prospects because of his ability to pick up extra yards after the catch. With a strong frame and plenty of speed, it seemed like he’d become a go-to target for quarterback Andrew Luck, using his skill set to rack up big yards after the catch. Well, it didn’t quite pan out that way in his rookie campaign. Fleener managed a respectable amount of YAC yards (110) on the year compared to his season total of 281 yards. But it’s the fact that he never turned short receptions into big gains that hurt the Colts. Both of his touchdowns came on passes caught in the endzone – 26- and 1-yard receptions – and that 26-yard snag was his longest of the season. The most YAC yards he managed in one game was 36, which isn’t the type of production the Colts were expecting when they spent a high draft pick on Fleener. At this point, the Colts are hoping that the growing pains are gone. Fleener was expected to step in and provide a consistent target for Luck, the quarterback who threw to him throughout his college career. Instead he floundered and failed to assert his presence as a reliable weapon. That must change in 2013. Whether it’s as a blocker or pass-catcher, improvement is a must for Fleener. We’ll see if he’s gotten over his freshman woes or if the Colts are harboring a bust. Gil Alcaraz IV is a Content Planner/NFL Featured Columnist for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
23 minutes ago
After the 2011 season, a season in which Tyler Wilson completed over 63% of his passes for 3600 yards and 24 TDs with only 6 INTs, Wilson seemed as good a candidate as any for the 2012 Heisman. With an unexpected scandal and the ensu...
After the 2011 season, a season in which Tyler Wilson completed over 63% of his passes for 3600 yards and 24 TDs with only 6 INTs, Wilson seemed as good a candidate as any for the 2012 Heisman. With an unexpected scandal and the ensuing firing of head coach Bobby Petrino combined with Wilson losing his top 3 targets to the NFL (Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Greg Childs were all drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 draft, Adams to the Panthers and Wright and Childs to the Vikings), Wilson’s chances at a Heisman or a National Championship looked substantially worse but Wilson and the others were still hopeful, as this Sports Illustrated piece in August of 2012 demonstrates. Wilson had a solid season, completing over 62% of his passes and still throwing for over 3300 yards but the team struggled to score and went on to win only 4 games in 2012, one of the wins coming against lowly Jacksonville State University. It was going to be interesting, therefore, to see what the tape showed about Wilson as a QB – both in 2011 and 2012. Wilson does a great many things well – as should be expected for someone who was a possible Heisman contender and once considered a likely first round pick – but he has his struggles, too. His biggest issues come in the deep game. He seems to have enough arm to make the throws but his mechanics on deep throws are a concern. He often throws off his back foot to much when lobbing a ball deep, which causes there to be too much air under the throw when it arrives downfield. The deep throws that have too much air on them tend to drop too early, so the receivers have to come back for them. It also results in interceptions. The mechanics of his throw can, of course, be corrected or at least improved. The other issue – and one that cannot be corrected or improved – is that Wilson possesses small hands. Measured at the Combine at 8 ¾” (the average for an NFL QB is 9 1/2”), Wilson struggles to get great rotation on the ball and that lack of great rotation doesn’t help Wilson on the deep passes. In fact, the deeper the pass the more his balls flutter or outright tumble short of their target. Here is an example of Wilson’s suspect deep throw abilities. To start, the Razorbacks are in a shotgun formation: The Razorbacks OL, which struggled most of 2012, has provided Wilson with a clean pocket for this play. His intended target is at the bottom right of the picure, here, and you can see that the receiver has a half step on the corner. By the time the ball gets down field, the receiver will be a good two steps or so past his man and he'll be wide open: Wilson sees the advantage that his receiver has gained and is able to step up to throw the ball downfield: As you can see, Wilson has a space to throw - he is able to step up and make the throw downfield and he is not hit has he throws: However, the ball, which flutters fairly quickly and loses it's momentum, falls well short of the receiver. The cornerback, who was trailing the receiver, is now in a better position to make a play on the ball than the wideout. The wideout runs back to try to break up the pass: The wideout was not able to make it back in time and the cornerback hauls in the interception. The wideout arrives in time only to make a quick tackle: It's not always so bad for Wilson, of course. His normally accurate passes simply become more erratic when he's asked to throw deep. Sometimes, Wilson is able to put it all together and deliver a truly beautiful deep pass, such as this one, below. In this play, the Arkansas offense starts out with an offset I formation: At the snap, Wilson fakes a handoff to the runningback, freezing the defenders a moment and allowing his receivers to get downfield: Like the last play, Wilson
24 minutes ago
In the 2013 NFL Draft, there were a total of 11 players who were drafted from the state of Ohio, which put them in a tie for 6th place among states in the USA. The leaders were California and Florida, each of which had 27 players selecte...
In the 2013 NFL Draft, there were a total of 11 players who were drafted from the state of Ohio, which put them in a tie for 6th place among states in the USA. The leaders were California and Florida, each of which had 27 players selected. Note that these figures do not include undrafted free agents. Here were the players who were born in Ohio and drafted to the NFL: QB Zac Dysert (Ada) - Broncos, 7th Round RB Le'Veon Bell (Groveport) - Steelers, 2nd Round RB Kyle Juszczyk (Lodi) - Ravens, 4th Round RB Spencer Ware (Cincinnati) - Seahawks, 6th Round TE Travis Kelce (Cleveland Heights) - Chiefs, 3rd Round OG Eric Herman (Toledo) - Giants, 7th Round OG Hugh Thornton (Oberlin) - Colts, 3rd Round OT Brian Winters (Hudson) - Jets, 3rd Round DE Cornellius Carradine (Cincinnati) - 49ers, 2nd Round LB John Simon (Youngstown) - Ravens, 4th Round DB Micah Hyde (Fostoria) - Packers, 5th Round As for which states the Browns' draft picks were born in, here you go: OLB Barkevious Mingo (Louisiana) - 1st Round OT Garrett Gilkey (Illinois) - 7th Round DE Armonty Bryant (Texas) - 7th Round CB Leon McFadden (California) - 3rd Round S Jamoris Slaughter (Georgia) - 6th Round
24 minutes ago
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports The Jacksonville Jaguars have lacked firepower on the offensive side of the ball for a number of years. Other than Maurice Jones-Drew and young wide receiver, Justin Blackmon, the Jaguars offense is often c...
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports The Jacksonville Jaguars have lacked firepower on the offensive side of the ball for a number of years. Other than Maurice Jones-Drew and young wide receiver, Justin Blackmon, the Jaguars offense is often considered to be void of dynamic offensive players. However, Marcedes Lewis is often overlooked by much of the NFL, and is a dynamic player in his own right. Lewis is one of the more complete tight ends in the game today. He possesses the ability to be a dependable run and pass blocker for the Jaguars offense. Lewis is also a talented and skilled receiver at the tight end position, who is a solid option down the middle of the field. More than anything, Lewis has been one of the most consistent and productive players for the Jaguars franchise over the past few seasons. In 2010, Lewis was selected to the Pro Bowl, and also set the franchise record for receiving touchdowns, with 10. Lewis has also been relatively healthy during his time in Jacksonville, giving him the opportunity to be a constant contributor on the field. While the team’s star runner, Jones-Drew, was injured during last season, Lewis quietly had another solid season for the Jaguars. Lewis reeled in 52 receptions, for 540 yards and four touchdowns in 2012. The most compelling fact behind Lewis’ production over the years is the fact that he has played well despite the struggles of the team’s quarterbacks. Lewis did play with a viable quarterback, David Garrard, earlier in his career. Yet, the quarterback position has been a much more tumultuous situation since those days. If the Jaguars are hoping for quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, to succeed in the future, they will need him to utilize Lewis as a major weapon in the passing game. There is a reason tight ends are often considered the best friend of a quarterback, and the young Gabbert needs to take notice of this. Expect for Lewis to have another quality season for the Jaguars in 2013, even if he is overlooked and undervalued by much of the league.
31 minutes ago
Via Brian McIntyre and Yahoo Sports: Last week, the Denver Broncos and quarterback Peyton Manning agreed to a renegotiated contract with the primary intent on adding insurance language for the 2014 season. Instead of earning $20 mill...
Via Brian McIntyre and Yahoo Sports: Last week, the Denver Broncos and quarterback Peyton Manning agreed to a renegotiated contract with the primary intent on adding insurance language for the 2014 season. Instead of earning $20 million in fully guaranteed base salaries in 2013 and 2014, Manning received a $10 million salary advance and his base salaries in 2013 and 2014 have been lowered to $15 million in each season. The $10 million salary advance is treated like a signing bonus and will be prorated over the next four seasons, reducing Manning's cap number from $20 million to $17.5 million in both 2013 and 2014. The nature of the beast also means that Manning's cap number will rise from 19 million to 21.5 million in 2015 and 2016. If for some reason the Broncos and Manning parted ways before then, his cap hit would be 2.5 million in dead money each season. Overall I like the move. It provides the Broncos some cap relief the next two seasons when the Broncos have a slew of freeagents to resign. It also isn't a big enough restructure that the Broncos will be handicapped by it in future seasons. According to the article, the Broncos now have approximately 9.9 million in cap space this year.
32 minutes ago
Weeden 'surprised' by Browns signing QB Hoyer
Weeden 'surprised' by Browns signing QB Hoyer
44 minutes ago
Prior to the start of free agency, I flirted with the idea of the Cleveland Browns signing the best available offensive guard, Louis Vasquez. The Browns did not end up adding any prominent guards in free agency or the draft. It was not a...
Prior to the start of free agency, I flirted with the idea of the Cleveland Browns signing the best available offensive guard, Louis Vasquez. The Browns did not end up adding any prominent guards in free agency or the draft. It was not a top priority, but it would have enhanced an already-promising unit. Just how promising is the perception about the Browns' offensive line? Back in January, we posted a link to rankings from Pro Football Focus, which ranked Cleveland as having the NFL's 5th best offensive line. Last week, Evan Silva of NBC Sports compiled his own rankings and gave the Browns almost just as high of a ranking at No. 6 in the NFL: 6. Cleveland Browns (5)2012 Run Block Rankings: 14, 202012 Pass Block Rankings: 5, 12LT: Joe ThomasLG: Jason PinkstonC: Alex MackRG: Shawn LauvaoRT: Mitchell SchwartzSuper Sub: G/T John GrecoOverview: An immobile rookie quarterback and injured tailback didn't help Cleveland's rate stats last season, but this is one of the most promising young lines in the league. Perennial All-Pro left tackle Thomas is the group's elder statesman at age 28. Pinkston, 25, Mack, 27, and Lauvao, 25, form an athletic and physical interior. Pinkston and Lauvao are backed up by Greco, a 28-year-old who can play both guard positions and blocked effectively in ten 2012 spot starts. Last year's 37th overall draft pick Schwartz was a top-three pass-protecting right tackle as a rookie, according to Pro Football Focus' ratings. If new coach Rob Chudzinski can work some Derek Anderson magic with Brandon Weeden, this Browns offense could take off in 2013. Denver, which was the team that added Vasquez, was up at No. 3 overall. Last week at Browns OTA's, Jason Pinkston made his long-awaited return to practice, but will have to work his way back into the starting lineup. Also, in a unique twist, Shawn Lauvao saw some reps at left guard, with John Greco at right guard. There are a couple of undrafted free agents (such as OT Chris Faulk) who could have a lot of promise, too, which would strengthen the depth of this unit tremendously. Besides Pinkston's scare last year, Cleveland's offensive line was very healthy in 2012. Side note: The two pass- and run-blocking numbers from Silva's report are 2012 rankings from PFF and FO. It is interesting how PFF has the Browns significantly higher in both categories than FO.
about 1 hour ago
Well, that was quick! In what has come as a surprise to even Eagles Insider, Adam Caplan, the team is expected cut Stony Brook undrafted free agent, Miguel Maysonet. The small-school running back was one of the more high-profile rookie f...
Well, that was quick! In what has come as a surprise to even Eagles Insider, Adam Caplan, the team is expected cut Stony Brook undrafted free agent, Miguel Maysonet. The small-school running back was one of the more high-profile rookie free agents that the team signed following this year's draft, and looked poised to compete with Chris Polk to be the third runner on the depth chart. The team even highlighted Maysonet in several videos on the team's website, so clearly this is a out-of-nowhere move by Chip Kelly and Co. Maysonet started his college career with the now-defunct Hostra football program in 2009. After the team was ended by the school, he transferred to Stony Brook. During his time at Stony Brook, Maysonet dominated the small school competition. As a sophomore, he ran for 1,128 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2011, he ran for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns. Not to be outdone (by himself), Maysonet left the best for his last year, with an astounding 1,964 yards and 21 touchdowns. He is more of a one-threat back with just 18 catches over 3 years at Stony Brook. The signing of Felix Jones and perhaps the performance of Polk and TCU's Matthew Tucker, allowed for the team to drop Maysonet from the competition. Maysonet participated in rookie mini-camp, but was unable to take part in the first post-draft OTAs because his college class did not graduate until this weekend. Maysonet will seemingly get another look, as he has proven to have talent. The Eagles likely figured they had enough competitors at the running back spot and wanted to improve the battle at another spot (which has yet to be named because the team has not officially waived Maysonet as of 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon).
about 1 hour ago
Skip: [at the table, dividing up a huge stack of bills after the big score] Man, one thing I can't figure out. People be out of work everywhere and the government just be throwing money away! Kirby: That's Uncle Sam for you, son. Money ...
Skip: [at the table, dividing up a huge stack of bills after the big score] Man, one thing I can't figure out. People be out of work everywhere and the government just be throwing money away! Kirby: That's Uncle Sam for you, son. Money to burn. [fade out] That's one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, the Hughes Brothers' 1995 film, Dead Presidents. While we aren't talking the government here (no politics!), I imagine that could be a description of the Jones' family current status, money to burn. The reworking of Doug Free's contract has brought the Cowboys a little extra cap space. Heading into the draft, the Cowboys had a little less than $5 million to play with. Although they have signed three of their seven draft picks, the impact against the cap space has been minimal. We already covered that even though the Cowboys were allotted around $4.5 million for their Rookie Year-One pools, they would actually need less than $2 million of space in order to fit them all under the cap thanks to the "Offseason Rule of 51". The draft pick money has already been covered by the Marcus Spears release, which gives Dallas an additional $2 million of '13 cap space on June 1st. On my most recent podcast, I discussed the fact that we still don't know what has happened to the bogus years that were part of the previous Doug Free contract. What was reported as a four-year, $32 million deal actually was for six years. This allowed Dallas to spread out the proration of his cap hit. If those years disappeared in the new deal, then we assume that the proration spread over '15 and '16 has now been accelerated evenly to '13 and '14. That would mean Dallas has an additional $1.5 million in '13 cap space (Free's cap hit down from $10m to $8m) and an additional $2.5 million in '14 ($11m down to $8m). They can also release Free in the first 5 days of the '14 league year and save another $3.5 million. So, in essence, Dallas now has about $6.3 million to spend however they like. There will be another $300-$500k in a few weeks. They can look for additional free agent help (especially after June 1st or during camp cuts), they can hold all of it in case they need to sign in-season free agents, they can roll the money over to the '14 cap or they can look to extend current players. It seems from some of the insiders that the Cowboys are planning to use that money to address Sean Lee, who's contract expires at the end of 2013. My question is, would this be the best move? Lee is clearly a talented linebacker. We've watched him grow over the last three seasons. Fans saw the glimpses early when he picked off Peyton Manning twice his rookie year, and he's continued to improve game-by-game. Lee is a tackling machine; his Stop Percentage (keeping the offense from gaining yardage necessary to have play considered a success) continuously ranks amongst the league leaders. But Lee doesn't play a lot. I love him, but he doesn't. He's started 21 games in three years in the league. He's played more the 10 snaps in only 27 of 48 possible games in his career. The question many Cowboys fans legitimately have is, should Dallas invest long-term in a player that can't seem to stay on the field? This is the conundrum in which Dallas finds itself. Do they risk Lee playing a healthy, Pro Bowl season and thus driving his price up knowing that they have cap concerns? Or do they sign Lee to a long-term deal at a discounted rate, knowing he hasn't proven able to stay out of the trainer's room? Another option Dallas could look to if they want to spend money on a current asset, would be extending Dez Bryant. Bryant was a maligned figure in Dallas as recently as last offseason when he got arrested, was charged and reached a plea deal during the season. Bryant had other incidents on his ledger that paled in comparison to the latest. However, that was the first time that Bryant had actually found himself in criminal trouble for a violent act. The Cowboys an
about 1 hour ago