Bart Scott’s on a mission. Since scraping his way onto the Ravens' roster after going undrafted out of Southern Illinois in 2002, Scott has seen his profile rise from scrub reserve, to Ray Lewis’ underappreciated ILB complement, to the most sought-after linebacker in this offseason’s free-agent class.

Now, after signing a five-year, $40-million contract with the Jets that reunited him with head coach Rex Ryan, his coordinator in Baltimore, Scott’s going full throttle to prove he’s worth every penny.

With spring ball in the rearview mirror and training camp less than a month away, Scott sat down with PFW to discuss everything from the adjustment to his new role as defensive centerpiece, to what’s in store for Gang Green’s defense, to how his new LB corps has the ability to be considered one of the best in NFL history.
 
PFW: How did OTAs and minicamp treat you?

Scott: It was relatively smooth. We had a great start in terms of bringing in a new philosophy and showing how we want to go about practice. I think it really gave guys an introduction of what to expect about the new personality in charge and the type of tempo to expect during the season.

PFW: Speaking of personality, Rex Ryan has been pretty outspoken in the media. Are you surprised at all by his talk?

Scott: Rex isn’t a guy who is going to duck a question or brush it under the rug. He’s a straight shooter, and he’s the same way with his players. He’s not going to sugarcoat anything. If something is wrong out there he’s going to bring it to the forefront, and once it’s over, it’s over. That’s just his personality, he’s not going to back down.

PFW: You’re known as a tough, physical player. Since spring ball is conducted without pads, was it frustrating to be going half-speed?

Scott: That time is necessary for the body to heal. When you have a tough season, you pay a price and it takes a toll on your body. You look forward to it when the bullets are real and bullets are live, but you embrace the transition of trying to get in shape.

PFW: Even so, you’ve already established yourself as a vocal presence with the Jets. Is that your natural manner, or have you taken it upon yourself to be a leader in your new setting?

Scott: That’s just the way I am. That’s what I’ve done every day in practice regardless of the situation. That’s my game. It’s nothing new for me. In Baltimore, there were a number of vocal leaders on that team even though it wasn’t apparent in public. You had Ed Reed, you had Terrell Suggs, I’d like to say myself. Haloti Ngata, when he would speak, guys would listen, because he didn’t talk that much. It was kind of a mix by committee. What happens is reporters only want to speak to certain guys.

PFW: Who else has been stepping to the forefront, especially at other defensive positions?

Scott: Kris Jenkins has always been a dominant player, and whenever you have a dominant player people are going to look to him. How can you not respect a guy like Shaun Ellis, who has been on this club a long time and has been a playmaker in this league? As I’ve quickly learned, he’s a tempo-setter and guys look to him as kind of a nasty player who will do the dirty work and get it done. For me, I’ve been around Marques Douglas and I know what a playmaker he is. He’s a guy that will never get the respect, never get the accolades, but when you look at his body of work, he has some impressive numbers.

PFW: In recent seasons, the Jets’ defense hasn’t lived up to expectations given the stockpile of talent it has. Do you have any idea of why that was, and what is needed to make it one of the league’s premier units?

Scott: It’s tough to speak for beforehand because I wasn’t there. But what I can say is that we have some unique schemes that will take the targets off of people. What happens is as the year progresses, offenses will start to see what has been successful with a defense and catch on to it. You can’t do that. Looking at some of their tapes, it looks like they ran the same defense throughout the whole year. Jenkins was always in a zero, you knew where he was going to be and how the line was going to stack up, and teams would set up to attack it. That’s why it’s important to have multiple schemes and the ability to change up personnel. You have to always continue to evolve throughout the year.

PFW: Ryan’s defense has the reputation of being very blitz-happy. Is that accurate?

Scott: A lot of people think that we blitz a lot, but when you break it down and see how many people are actually rushing, it’s usually not more than four. So if only four people are rushing, how is it a blitz? It’s all about switching up your rushes and not having a blueprint. If you’re constantly changing things up, how are teams going to get a read on you and expect you to be in certain places at certain times? You can’t.

PFW: Just like you had a great inside 'backer to play alongside with the Ravens in Ray Lewis, you have another now in David Harris. Can we expect to see the same role for you in New York as you had in Baltimore?

Scott: I actually see my role expanding because David is a younger player who has his own different set of skills. He’s able to cover the tight end, he’ll cover backs out of the backfield. We didn’t really put that responsibility on Ray to cover tight ends and do certain things, and I think teams adjusted to that and got the understanding that I was going to be the blitzer. I think that, along with Trevor Pryce being hurt, was the reason that we went from that 60-sack year (in 2006) to not getting back up to those totals again. But now, when we have a player like David, we can mix things up and be a lot more interchangeable.

PFW: When I look at the Jets’ LB corps, I find it interesting how you, being the most accomplished professional, went undrafted, whereas there are three other linebackers in Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas and Vernon Gholston who were first-rounders and have disappointed often. Any rationale for that?

Scott: For me, it was about always feeling like I had that chip on my shoulder. Fans didn’t know who I was when I walked by in training camp. They would look down at the card and try to find my number so they could find my name and call it out to ask for an autograph or call to ask me to get somebody else’s. I don’t know what it was like to be a first-rounder, that wasn’t my path. But I also believe that they have things that motivate them as well. Every athlete has to find what motivates him to take it to the next level.

PFW: How good can this LB corps be?

Scott: When I see all the talent that we have, it gets me excited about our potential because those guys were first-rounders for a reason. With that being said, we look great on paper. We need to go out there and materialize that on the football field. That’s what our goal should be, not being the best linebackers individually, but to collectively be the most dominant group. When they do those NFL Network shows about the best LB corps ever put together, we want to be there. This corps should be together for awhile. If we start clicking we could start to make a lot of noise.

PFW: Could it be better than Baltimore’s?

Scott: That’s tough to say because you had one of the greatest players to ever play the position. Then you had Adalius Thomas (from 2000-06). I was kind of like the dark horse. Could we be that? Yeah, we could be that. But we have to earn that. I think it would be disrespectful to that unit in Baltimore for us to say we’re there already. It’s going to take us communicating without talking, knowing each other’s tendencies. I need to know exactly what Calvin is thinking on the outside, to know exactly what David is thinking next to me so I can trust them. (Editor’s note: This interview took place four days before Pace was suspended the first four games of the season for violating the league’s banned-substance policy).

PFW: So what’s in store for you until training camp? Going to rest up at all? Any vacations planned?

Scott: I just got done with three sessions with my trainer in the last two days. All the vacations that I take — if we’re out of the playoffs — are in January, February and March. I always ask people, why would you want to work hard and peak, and then take a vacation right before you’re starting up? When a boxer is getting ready for a fight, he doesn’t train up to four weeks before the fight, then takes time off. He trains completely through. You want to be able to hit camp running so you don’t have to worry about your conditioning, you can just go right to the Xs and Os and execute. … A lot of guys peak early and take this time to go vacation and things like that, and what you’re doing is you’re losing ground so whatever mountain you built up, you’re chipping away at it. Even if you left in better shape than me, I’m going to be working five weeks straight, and you’re partying, drinking, doing the red carpets and things like that. I’m catching you and then I’m going to be passing you.

 

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are, now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com.

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Rookie first-round draft picks in the NFL face the daunting task of adjusting to the speed of the professional level, living up to lofty expectations, and not drowning in the sea of information that is thrown their way in learning the schemes. Redskins rookie Brian Orakpo, the team's first-round draft pick this past season, faces those same challenges, plus one more: He is trying to do all of those things at two positions, not one.

The Redskins' coaches plan to use Orakpo as a stand-up strong-side linebacker on running downs and as a defensive end on passing downs this season. This means learning two positions, including one that Orakpo never played in college at Texas.

Although Orakpo didn't see much game action at linebacker at Texas, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp used both 3-4 and 4-3 concepts in his weekly game plan.  This gave Orakpo the opportunity to perform LB duties in certain schemes, even though Muschamp might not have chosen to use that particular scheme come game time.

"The coaches and I are very comfortable with what I bring to the table and that I can play that position. It's challenging, but I'm up to the task," said Orakpo.

The Redskins' coaching staff also believes that these two positions will utilize Orakpo's skills most effectively.

"[LB coach] Kirk Olivadotti liked what he saw of Orakpo at [the] strong-side linebacker position [during minicamp], and he felt like that was a pretty good position for him, as well. So, Brian is going to be a real versatile athlete," said Redskins head coach Jim Zorn.

Recently, the transition from college defensive end to NFL linebacker has produced mixed results. Jets OLB Vernon Gholston, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft out of Ohio State, had a trying season last year learning his new position and played sparingly on defense. Jason Babin, the 27th overall pick of the Texans in 2004, has also struggled. Babin played defensive end at Western Michigan but has been unable to adapt to the LB position in the NFL, having bounced around with three teams in only five seasons.

However, the Ravens' Terrell Suggs has had great success since moving from defensive end to linebacker after he was drafted in 2003. Suggs was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first year in the league and since has been chosen for two Pro Bowls at outside linebacker. Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware, a defensive end at Troy, has also thrived as an outside linebacker. Ware has made the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons and twice has been named to the All-Pro team.

Orakpo not only has to master the transition to linebacker, but he must also work on his pass-rushing technique, as he faces bigger and stronger offensive linemen at the professional level. And he has to do all of this quickly, because the Redskins appear to have him penciled in as the starter at strong-side linebacker and third-down pass rusher. 

"[Brian] understands what we're trying to do with him, both with [DL coach John] Palermo and myself," Olivadotti said.  "He knows that it's not all about being in the exact most comfortable position that he is used to being in, but right now is the time to see if we can get him comfortable doing some things, in order for him to be the most effective all the time."

One thing that will help Orakpo in his transition is his relentless work ethic. He chiseled his body while at Texas, leaving with less than 10 percent body fat. Orakpo entered college weighing only 210 pounds but left at a sturdy 265 pounds.

"Brian is as mature a college player as I've been around," said Muschamp. "He really approaches things in a serious manner and takes things to heart with his work ethic and his approach to the game."

Orakpo also has been praised by Redskins coaches for his ability to learn quickly and pick up the defensive schemes as he goes. He definitely made a strong impression at the Redskins' minicamps.

"I saw a guy that is a tremendous athlete, and he tried to hustle. He was in a lot of plays. I don't know if it was rain or sweat, but he was drenched pretty good, so I think he was working hard," said Zorn.

Orakpo also has had help in this process from the veterans on the Redskins' defense, which finished fourth in the NFL last season in yards allowed per game.

"London Fletcher, Philip Daniels, Andre Carter and all the guys have been really helpful," said Orakpo. "When I came in, I was just thrown in with the first team, learning on the fly, and if I missed an assignment, they would just tell me how to correct it right there on the fly, without the coaches having to talk to me."

Carter recognizes that this transition will not be easy for Orakpo, and he has tried to offer the rookie some advice for learning the schemes. Carter can relate to Orakpo’s situation, as he played some outside linebacker during his time with the 49ers, as part of their 3-4 scheme.

“It was a different experience, as far as some of the footwork, the technique, the hand placement, the communication,” Carter said. “There were times when I was on the slot receiver, and I was like, ‘how am I going to cover this guy?' ”

In addition to leaning on the veterans for knowledge, Orakpo also will be aided by the Redskins' biggest offseason addition, DT Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth was a first-team All-Pro each of the past two seasons and has 14½ sacks over that span. His pass-rushing capabilities should take some of the pressure and focus off Orakpo on passing downs.

Even though Orakpo is viewed as a starter in the upcoming season, he is not the only Redskin preparing for double duty. Third-year DE Chris Wilson also is attempting to learn both linebacker and defensive end, and he has provided some company and competition for Orakpo.

"We call ourselves the hybrids," Orakpo said. "It's a unique position, and we think of ourselves as special. We brag a lot about being the only guys who can play two positions. We're both trying to learn both positions, and we push each other and feed off of each other."

While the spotlight definitely will be on Orakpo this season, he is more focused on team goals than individual accomplishments.

"My goal is just to win," Orakpo said. "I'm a team-oriented guy; I don't care about all that individual stuff. Every year I put up goals, and the primary goals are always team goals. I just want to put up as many wins as we can and try to get to the postseason."

Orakpo still may have a long road ahead of him to make a name for himself in the NFL, but he certainly has the attributes, both physical and mental, to get there.

"Football is very important to him; he has a great blue-collar work ethic and attitude and approach. I think that he'll be successful because he's very talented, but he will handle that lifestyle very well off the field because he's a very mature person," Muschamp said.

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The following story was originally published in PFW’s issue of Dec. 23, 2002.

Frank Wycheck stood alone in front of his locker following Tennessee’s impressive Week 15 Monday-night win over New England and turned to find a reporter asking for his thoughts on Titans QB Steve McNair.

Almost immediately, Wycheck’s face lit up and he warmly said, “I’d love to talk about Steve.”

For the next few minutes, it was like he had been transported into the future and found himself sitting on his front porch telling his grandchildren about a man who was “a great teammate” and “an inspiration” to Wycheck and the other Titans all those years ago.

But it’s not all those years ago. It’s happening now. And what McNair is accomplishing on a weekly basis is amazing. His performance also has gone largely appreciated. Until recently, that is.

Thanks to an inspired comeback over the Giants in New York that produced a dramatic OT victory, a clutch home victory over Indianapolis that forged a tie for first in the AFC South and a two-TD performance vs. the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots on “Monday Night Football,” McNair is beginning to get the recognition his teammates and coaches say he has deserved all along.

Those who play and coach alongside him know how important he is to the Titans. And those who play against him are fully aware of what he brings to the table. It has just taken the rest of us a little longer to catch on.



“The reason why everyone loves and respects him is because he’s a team guy and he doesn’t care how he gets it done, as long as we get it done. If it takes him rushing for 100 yards and throwing for 50, he’ll do it. It doesn’t matter. Winning is the only thing that matters. The way he plays the game, he’s like a throwback — he’s going to grind it out, he’s gonna lay his body on the line. … He’s very laid-back, yet he’s very intense at the same time. He’s got that quiet-storm attitude.”
— Titans TE Frank Wycheck



This topsy-turvy NFL season has had its share of heroic performances, but none can match that of McNair, who has willed his aching body to perform at a level of amazing brilliance, inspiring his team to make a dramatic push for the playoffs with a 10-5 record after a 1-4 start.

It says a lot about the character of the 29-year-old McNair about his competitiveness — no doubt developed while growing up on a farm in Mt. Olive, Miss. — that he hasn’t even thought about sitting out despite playing the last four weeks with ribs so sore that he has been unable to practice. The injury is painful enough that McNair has taken an anti-inflammatory shot in the ribs prior to each game. Add in a turf-toe injury and other assorted aches and pains, and McNair is his own mobile M*A*S*H unit.

“We know he’s hurting. I mean, he’s in there every day, living in the training room,” Wycheck said. “But we still know Steve’s gonna show up on Sunday and play well.”

He proved that this season by tossing a career-best 22 TD passes. He has completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 3,239 yards while rushing 85 times for 486 yards and three more touchdowns. He also has joined select company with three straight seasons of 3,000-plus passing yards and 300-plus rushing yards. In the history of the NFL, only Randall Cunningham, Steve Young and McNair have accomplished that.

Oh yeah, one other thing: He gets better as the season wears on. He led the Titans to the Super Bowl after the 1999 season and owns a sparkling 14-2 record in his last 16 games in December.

That’s why it was a surprise, and a bitter disappointment to McNair’s teammates, that neither he nor any other Titan was voted to the Pro Bowl when the AFC team was announced last Thursday,

“Everyone around the league calls him a warrior, this, that and the other,” said Titans LB Keith Bulluck, who was deserving of a Pro Bowl invite himself. “How does he not get into the Pro Bowl as a starter?”

 

“I think this team believes in me, regardless of how healthy I am. If I’m 50 percent and I think I can go out there and get the job done, then they have confidence in me. It’s just a matter of the coaching staff being willing to give me that opportunity. A lot of coaches wouldn’t give a guy like me that opportunity, but they know that in the past I’ve been injured and came out and played well. The things that we do offensively, like moving around in the pocket and spreading things out are built on what I do best. They feel like in order to do that, I need to be out there.”
— Steve McNair



“It’s remarkable. I can never imagine myself ever having to go into a game and not being able to practice,” said Boomer Esiason, the former star NFL quarterback and current TV analyst for CBS Sports and radio analyst for Westwood One. “I think I did it twice in my career and I had a couple of my worst games. What he’s doing is unbelievable. It’s hard to really describe.

“Practice is the most important part of a player’s preparation, obviously. Your teammates need to see you out there. You need to be able to show them you understand the game plan, and yet he just goes out there and makes plays. The way he’s making those plays — a lot of the stuff is spontaneous. He’s doing it with a rib problem, he’s doing it with a foot problem and I don’t know what other problems he has.”

That kind of admiration is echoed throughout the Titans’ locker room. To a man, Titans players respect McNair’s “warrior” mentality and the fact that his playmaking ability hasn’t been hindered by his injuries. He has set the tone for the team by playing hurt and playing well. When Tennessee needs a big play, McNair is there to make it. Just look at the three defining plays he has made this season (all coming after he hurt his ribs vs. Baltimore on Nov. 24):

• With Tennessee trailing the Giants 29-21 late in the fourth quarter, McNair had the Titans on the move when he was flushed out of the pocket. He got away from the pass rush and scrambled to the sideline, stopping the clock and preserving precious seconds. Moments later, McNair found Wycheck in the endzone with a TD pass, then scored on a QB draw for the two-point conversion that tied the score and sent the game into overtime. In the extra session, McNair led the Titans to the game-winning field goal for a stunning 32-29 win.

• The following week against Indianapolis, with the AFC South lead at stake, the Titans found themselves holding a narrow 24-17 lead with four minutes left and facing 3rd-and-2 at the Colts’ 32. McNair took the snap and almost immediately was grabbed by Colts DE Brad Scioli. But he spun out of Scioli’s grasp, turned the corner and sprinted ahead before sliding down at the Colts’ 16. That set up a game-clinching field goal and a 27-17 win.

• Then, under the MNF lights, McNair was at it again, breaking open a scoreless game in the second quarter. From New England’s 11, McNair dropped back to pass, saw no one open and decided to run for paydirt. He broke free of a neck-tackle attempt by Tebucky Jones and continued forward, driving through Ty Law and Terrell Buckley at the goal line, and into the endzone. He added a second TD run later in the quarter, giving the Titans a 14-0 lead and sending them on their way to a 24-7 victory.

After the win over the Patriots, Titans C Gennaro DiNapoli called the 6-2, 230-pound McNair “Superman.” WR Derrick Mason was even more effusive.

“You can’t say enough about him,” Mason said. “As Steve goes, this team goes. Not just the offense, but the defense and the special teams all feed off of what Steve’s doing.”

That’s the mark of a great leader, according to Esiason.

“That’s the key thing for any quarterback — to have the respect and to have the undivided attention of your teammates,” Esiason said. “If they recognize him as the ultimate leader on his team, that’s when you know you’ve arrived as an NFL quarterback.

“And if he’s playing hurt, taking the needle, guys are like, ‘I’ll kill for that guy. I’ll run through a wall for him.’ And when he’s running like he does in games, taking hits and making first-down runs and stuff like that, I mean guys just love that stuff. And it actually raises their level of play; it raises everybody’s level of play around him. That’s why every team wants to have the guy behind center to lead by example like that.”

Even opponents are left awed by McNair.

“Yeah, he’s an MVP candidate,” Buckley said. “Every tape you see, every game, he’s there. He’s like Jerry Rice. The guy is a player. Injured or not injured, you expect him to run.”

Patriots S Victor Green added, “(I’m impressed with) his heart. He doesn’t practice all week and then gets out there and plays at 110 percent. He’s strong, he’s hard to tackle and he’s got speed. So I mean, he’s the all-around type of quarterback you’d want on your team.”

Said Mike Heimerdinger, the Titans’ offensive coordinator, “The defensive line coach for Indianapolis (John Teerlinck) told me after we played them (Dec. 8) that (Steve’s) unbelievable because he’s so strong. He said, ‘I don’t know if we’ve ever faced anybody that strong. We had him down, in our arms and he got out of it.’ ”

 

“I mean, any other guy would shut it down in a heartbeat. This guy’s out there battling week-in and week-out. And the most amazing thing about him is he doesn’t take a snap during the week. And he can still go out there and make the reads and mentally know what to do. That’s the amazing thing — especially against a team like New England because they do so much crazy stuff. It’s just a tribute to Steve and the way he prepares mentally — he watches tape, he studies. He’s a great teammate. He’s an inspiration, there’s no doubt.”
— Wycheck



Although certainly deserving, McNair is not mentioned with the top candidates for MVP honors for several reasons. He is a quiet, all-business type of guy who doesn’t toot his own horn. He also doesn’t play in a major media market, and because the Titans were 7-9 last season, they were overlooked for national TV games, which meant few people saw him play. Finally, he doesn’t put up the flashy statistics of a Rich Gannon or a Brett Favre.

But his effectiveness is undeniable. He is such a dual threat — both as a passer and a runner — that he forces defenses to alter their approach in an attempt to stop him. That, in turn, makes those around him better. Mason has turned into a top-flight receiver thanks to McNair’s accuracy and his own ability to race under McNair’s beautifully thrown deep passes. RBs Eddie George and Robert Holcombe are running harder and more effectively with defenses respecting McNair’s passing ability. And the offensive line has benefited from McNair’s strength and mobility, allowing only 19 sacks in the first 15 games.

“I think it’s important in this league to have a guy like a Brett Favre, who, when the pocket breaks down, can move and make a play,” Heimerdinger said. “Those guys are special. They give you something extra. It helps the offensive linemen, it helps everyone on the team, and you get some different coverages because people are afraid that if this guy pulls it down, he’s going to go for 30 (yards) — like (McNair) did (vs. New England). You can’t cover everybody, so they’ve got to commit to one or the other. Steve’s athletic ability gives us a bonus.”

So, why doesn’t he get more recognition?

“I think a lot of people don’t know what we’re doing offensively. I think when people talk about the Titans, they say ‘Oh, they’re a running team,’ and I don’t think people realize what he did last year. About the fourth game on when Eddie got hurt, we put the ball in his (McNair’s) hands and said, ‘Let’s go do it,’” Heimerdinger said. “I think one of the best things to happen to him is we played in New York and played the Giants. People who had never seen him got to see him and he came back on Monday night and played pretty good. I heard all those experts on ESPN2 and all those guys talk about us and they say, ‘Oh, they run the ball 40 times a game.’ The great thing about Steve is he doesn’t care how we do it, as long as we win.”

And that’s really the bottom line for an NFL quarterback, isn’t it?

 

For a news story on the shooting of former MVP Steve McNair, click here.

PFW's Mike Wilkening reflected on McNair's NFL career in this April 17, 2008, column, written shortly after McNair retired.

If you'd like to share your thoughts about McNair with us, post a comment below or e-mail your thoughts to letters@pfwmedia.com. Include your name and city/state, and we'll publish selected letters in our next print edition.

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A timeline of Steve McNair's collegiate and NFL careers:

1994: In his senior season at Alcorn State, McNair throws for 4,863 yards with 44 TDs and 17 interceptions and also rushes for 936 yards and nine scores. Moreover, he plays through a separated right shoulder suffered in September and with a left hamstring injury suffered toward the end of the season. McNair comes away with the Walter Payton Award as Division I-AA's top player and finishes third in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

In Pro Football Weekly's "1995 Draft Preview," the late Joel Buchsbaum, while noting that McNair needs "a great deal of development and refinement on the next level," writes that "(a)lmost all of his negatives are correctable, and his potential is almost unlimited."

1995: Is drafted third overall by Houston Oilers. Starts a pair of games in place of starter Chris Chandler and wins both games for 7-9 Houston.

1997: Becomes the full-time starter and throws for 2,665 yards and 14 TDs in his first full season. Piles up 674 rushing yards, which, at the time, was the third-highest single-season total for an NFL QB.

1999: Misses five games early in the season with a back injury but still leads the Titans to the playoffs. Does not stand out in playoff wins vs. Buffalo (the "Music City Miracle" game) and at Indianapolis but steps it up in the AFC championship game vs. Jacksonville, rushing for 91 yards in a rout of the Jaguars. McNair is even better in Super Bowl XXXIV, throwing for 214 yards and rushing for 64 yards. However, the Titans' last-gasp attempt to tie the game ends on St. Louis' one-yard line as time expires in Rams' 23-16 victory.

2000: Leads the Titans to the AFC Central title and completes a then-career-high 62.6 percent of his passes. The Titans fall in the divisional round to Baltimore.

2002: After the Titans missed the playoffs in '01, McNair leads them back to the brink of the AFC title. He throws for 3,387 yards with 22 TDs, but Tennessee loses at Oakland in the AFC championship game.

2003: McNair has his finest individual season, throwing 24 TD passes and seven interceptions in leading Tennessee to the playoffs. He is voted the AFC's Pro Bowl starter. McNair plays through multiple injuries, the most serious being ankle and calf ailments, and shares NFL MVP honors with Peyton Manning. The Titans lose at New England in the divisional round, the last time he led them to the playoffs.

2006: Traded to Baltimore in June, McNair jump-starts his career - and the Ravens' offense - as Baltimore rolls to AFC North title before falling to Indianapolis in the divisional round.

2008: Announces his retirement a little more than a week before the NFL draft, capping a 13-year professional career.

 

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are, now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com.

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Some people are destined to be eternally linked. Bird and Magic. Sonny and Cher. Siegfried and Roy. Whether it’s by choice or chance, every so often the identities two individuals forge become inextricably intertwined.

Sweltering in the southern sun, the infancy of one such bond has commenced.

On the heels of a Pro Bowl campaign as the Titans’ dazzling dynamo, Chris Johnson is doing everything in his power this offseason to shed the notion that he is merely one-half of a running back tour de force.

The self-bestowed “Smash and Dash” moniker has been shed as quickly as it was established. Johnson has appealed all the way to the court of Twitter. In LenDale White, Johnson indeed may believe he’s burdened with the complement that even his ankle-breaking shimmies are hard-pressed to shake. But make no mistake, the doughy White is hardly the yin to Johnson’s yang.

Steve Slaton is.

Choose a metric, any. Age? Both are 23. Experience? Each enters his second NFL season. Stats? Try 251 carries for 1,228 yards with nine touchdowns for Johnson, with Slaton boasting rookie numbers of 268-1,282-9. Both ply their craft in the AFC South, where Johnson’s Titans squad clashes with Slaton’s Texans twice each season. Most importantly, both are gearing up for sophomore campaigns when they know they’ll be the hunted, and they know they must prevail for their teams to thrive.

“I’m going to be more of a target this year,” Johnson acknowledges, “so it will be a little harder. But that’s why I got to work even harder than I did last year.”

Adds Slaton, “My role got more important as the season was ending. In the last five games, I felt a lot more comfortable and I think the coaches felt a lot more comfortable knowing that I was the No. 1 guy.”

Despite decorated collegiate careers at East Carolina and West Virginia, respectively, Johnson and Slaton didn’t rank among draft analysts’ “Most Likely to Achieve” candidates in the Class of 2008. Johnson, nabbed in Round One’s waning stages, was dubbed a “workout warrior” courtesy of his blistering 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, even though his breaking 2,000 scrimmage yards as a senior stood testament to his gridiron ability.

Slaton, meanwhile, slipped to Round Three as scouts doubted the durability of his wiry build and questioned how much of his production came courtesy of the Mountaineers’ spread offense that provided him with ready-made running lanes. Ironically enough, that system played a critical role in propelling his revelatory campaign.

“During training camp, we were just doing a lot of reps trying to get a better grasp of the zone scheme,” Slaton said, referring to Texans OL coach Alex Gibbs’ famed system that churned out 1,000-yard rushers by the truckload during Gibbs' days in Denver. “But in college we ran a lot of zone, and I feel that one of my best attributes is trying to read the offensive linemen.”

Football synergy, if you will. The offensive linemen open the holes for the running backs, and the running backs take pressure off the quarterback. It’s Football 101, and Slaton’s at the head of the class.

“For (QB Matt Schaub) to be healthy, it’s going to be my job, the offensive line’s job and the receiver’s job to protect him.”

If Johnson shares in his fellow second-year sensation’s team-oriented perspective, you wouldn’t know it by his offseason bravado. First, he solicited endzone celebration ideas on Twitter. (He got some good ones, he told PFW, yet declined to spoil the surprise). Then, he distanced himself from backfield buddy White, announcing his desire to be hereto referred to as “Every Coach’s Dream.”

“When you look at all the top running backs throughout NFL (history), Eric Dickerson and those types of guys, people don’t refer to them as a group,” Johnson explains. “With me and LenDale, when it comes to the end of the day, we’re not going to be known as ‘Smash and Dash’ or any other nickname, but as LenDale White and Chris Johnson.”

No disrespect to White, whose ’08 contributions included 15 trips to paydirt, Johnson contends. After all, the celebration “Tweet” was delivered with White literally watching his buddy type in the memo — just the most pertinent example of their amicable relationship.

Whether they maintain that bond through the season remains to be seen, especially if Johnson’s rising profile and undeniable talent begin to dilute White’s contributions. Johnson spent OTAs and minicamp working extensively at receiver, as the Titans seek to exploit his blistering speed in the slot and out wide, in addition to his still-plentiful duties in the backfield.

Slaton also is primed for a heavier workload. He has put on about 10 pounds from his rookie playing weight of 205, which should enable him to better handle the weekly diet of 20-plus touches he’ll be fed. Just don’t expect him to also choreograph his celebrations upon crossing the goal line.

“I just give the ball to the ref,” Slaton said. “Act like I’ve been there before.”

Game on.

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Any look back at Bengals WLB Keith Rivers' rookie season — and any look forward at what Rivers could become — must start with how his first year ended: on the receiving end of a block from physical Steelers WR Hines Ward. 

The blow broke Rivers' jaw in two places, landed him on injured reserve and rendered him a spectator for the second half of the season. It's exactly the sort of injury someone could dwell upon, but it is old news to Rivers.

"I put it behind me," Rivers said last week. "People bring it up, but it happened months ago. It's over and done with."

Rivers' return is one of many reasons for optimism for a Cincinnati defense that finished strong in 2008 after suffering a wave of injuries. The Bengals finished 12th in yards allowed, an impressive feat considering only seven defenses were on the field more — and that Rivers, from whom much was expected as a rookie, missed the final nine games.

"We're excited about this defense," Rivers said. "That was just scratching the surface last season."

The same could be said for Rivers.

When he was in the lineup, the 6-2, 241-pounder was more steady than spectacular, but he occasionally flashed the ability that convinced the Bengals to take him No. 9 overall in the 2008 draft. Rivers notched eight tackles or more in three of his first six NFL games, and he returned an interception 39 yards against Dallas in Week Five.

"You always aim to do better, but I thought I was always coming along all right," Rivers said.

Then came his first-ever meeting with Pittsburgh on Oct. 19. Early in the first quarter, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger evaded pressure, rolled right and hit TE Matt Spaeth on a short pass. As Rivers pursued behind the play, Ward took dead aim at the rookie linebacker.

"I actually saw the block coming, but it came so fast, I couldn't yell to him," Bengals SLB Rashad Jeanty recalled last week.

Ward hit Rivers squarely in the jaw with his helmet, and both players tumbled to the ground. Ward got up and walked back to his huddle, but Rivers, after sitting up briefly, lay on the turf as the Bengals' medical staff came to his aid.

Rivers' mouth was wired shut for the next six weeks, and he dropped weight. "At the end of the day, you eat what you can eat," Rivers said. "You're sick of eating the same stuff. It's all liquids, anything you can blend up into a blender."

While Rivers adjusted to his new diet, he also adjusted to not playing, something that didn't come easily to him. Both Jeanty and the Bengals' LB coach, Jeff FitzGerald, saw Rivers cope with not being able to help his teammates. Jeanty remembered seeing Rivers with watery eyes, "wishing he could play." FitzGerald noted that Rivers didn't stay away from the club after his injury, continuing to attend meetings and taking copious notes.

"Since that day of his injury, he's been a driven man," FitzGerald said. "He was disappointed. He lost time."

Rivers, who also had offseason ankle surgery, returned for the club's workouts this spring in good shape. His weight is back up; in fact, FitzGerald noted, Rivers "looks like he was better put together than he was before."

Rivers also has worked to become more well-versed in Mike Zimmer's defense — a scheme in which he believes he can excel. Rivers has worked closely with DT Tank Johnson, who will be playing directly in front of him in the Bengals' 4-3 scheme, with an eye on understanding how Johnson will combat the guard and center when double-teamed. The goal is to give Rivers as many quick, clean runs to the ball as possible.

Jeanty sees a marked change in Rivers' understanding of the Bengals' scheme.

"The biggest difference I've seen is he's more vocal," Jeanty said. "He's making the right calls at the right time. His pre-snap reads are quicker."

"The main thing is, you have an idea of what is going on, instead of being blind and relying on someone else," Rivers said of the difference between his first and second offseasons in the pros. "You have your own experience."

And it has been a unique experience to date, considering how his first season ended. The block that Ward leveled would now draw a penalty and likely a fine after the NFL changed the rulebook this offseason to outlaw blocks thrown with the head, shoulder or forearm to the head and neck area of a defender.

But Rivers enters his second season focused on the present. "I'm not going to change the way I live," he said, noting he will wear the same style of helmet he did a season ago.

The Bengals are confident the raw talent they saw last season is ready to take a big step forward.

"He's quick. He's strong," FitzGerald said. "I feel extremely optimistic he is going to be a real force for us."

"Success for me," Rivers said, "is going and making a lot more big plays."

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The Saints suffered their first loss of 2009 before the season even started.

A U.S. District Court judge upheld the suspensions of Saints DEs Charles Grant and Will Smith last month, as the players appeared to have exhausted all their methods of avoiding a suspension after nearly six months of haggling. Grant and Smith tested positive for the banned substance bumetanide last year, which was in a diuretic they took called StarCaps.

With those two sidelined, backup DE Bobby McCray will be thrust into the starting lineup. However, he told PFW he hopes the suspensions are somehow overturned — he wants to beat out Grant or Smith for a starting spot in training camp without any help.

“I will be starting this season no matter what, because I’m going out in training camp and I’m taking something,” McCray said in a recent interview with PFW. “I don’t care who’s there. I came here for that (situational) role last year, but the tables have turned.

“I don’t hope any suspensions on anybody because they’re great players and I need them around to help me get better.”

It’s not hard to figure out how to get under McCray’s skin — just ask him about the spot-duty role he signed up to play for New Orleans last offseason after weighing his options as an unrestricted free agent. McCray doesn’t like the label of “situational” pass rusher that’s attached to him, and he’s determined to shed it this season, he said.

“I am not a situational guy,” McCray said. “That’s just a little topic that has stuck with me. People like to write stories about that. That’s never been me.”

The truth is the 27-year-old has played the situational role for a large portion of his career, including the first half of last season. At 260 pounds, he’s not considered big enough to hold his ground against 300- to 320-pound offensive linemen on running downs.

He was signed to play behind the highly paid starting tandem of Grant and Smith, each of whom weighs more than 280 pounds, and there has yet to be any serious debate about him replacing either one of them for the long term. McCray was brought in to help “in the defensive line rotation,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis announced after inking him to five-year, $20 million deal in March ’08.

However, McCray, who spent his first four seasons with the Jaguars after leaving the University of Florida, has made at least seven starts in four of his five NFL campaigns and has proved to be a capable every-down player. A season-ending injury to Grant bumped McCray into the starting lineup for the final eight games of the Saints’ disappointing ’08 campaign, and the “D” didn’t collapse, although it continued to struggle. In fact, McCray led the team in sacks with six.

Although he’ll open the season at the top of the depth chart again, barring injury, McCray said the team has yet to tell him he’ll be starting when the ’09 campaign kicks off. He doesn’t seem too concerned about what the team has to say. McCray’s doing the talking for now.

“I don’t even want them talking to me about it as far as the first four games. The media has been trying to get me to talk about that. I don’t even listen to anything they say about it. I don’t do any research. I don’t Google anything. I don’t ask Will or Charles. None of that.

“My mindset is I’m going into training camp and I’m taking somebody’s position. It’s going to happen.”

He doesn’t lack for confidence, and it’s been partly inspired by the addition of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who has a track record of leading aggressive, swarming and ultimately successful units. Williams helped another pass rusher from Florida improve his game when he worked with Jevon Kearse while serving as D-coordinator for the Titans from 1999-2000.

“I personally think (Williams) is the shit,” said McCray. “Knowing his background and his swagger that he provides, it’s just … you can’t even question it. So far this whole offseason with him has just been phenomenal. The plays he has. … He has me doing a lot of different things — moving around, which I can’t even talk about right now.”

Perhaps in McCray, Williams saw someone with enough swagger to match his own and found a kindred spirit. Regardless, the Saints have to hope the new coordinator can get the most from McCray. Since Smith joined forces with Grant before the ’04 season, the two have combined for 61 of the team’s 160 sacks in the regular season, which is nearly 40 percent of the team’s sacks.

McCray will be charged with filling the void and keeping the Saints’ season from derailing in a hurry while Grant and Smith sit out. While he doesn’t subscribe to the theory that he could only be keeping a seat warm, he at least acknowledges that the theory exists.

“If what people are talking about happens, and if it looks like a (starter-by-) default type of process, I mean I’m used to it,” he said. “It’s no problem to me.

“I’m just going to work hard.”

 

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy your copy of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copy online at PFWStore.com .

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Steelers WR Santonio Holmes could have dropped every pass thrown his way prior to his remarkable touchdown grab in Super Bowl XLIII and he still would have been known as the savior of the Steel City.

The circumstances couldn’t have been more perfect — down three, 48 seconds left and a record sixth Super Bowl victory on the line for a franchise that has been the NFL’s model of consistency.

So it only makes sense that the biggest six-yard catch of his life, which gave the Steelers a dramatic 27-23 victory over the Cardinals last February, will be mentioned in the same breath as the Super Bowl heroics of Pittsburgh heroes Lynn Swann and John Stallworth long after Holmes has retired.

However, that catch was just one of several big grabs Holmes made in the biggest game of his life. He caught a career-high nine passes for 131 yards on his way to earning the game’s MVP honors.

“I think about it from time to time and even after it happened I really didn’t realize how big it was and even now I still don’t because there’s still a lot I want to accomplish,” Holmes said of the catch. “To have my name mentioned every time they talk about Steelers football is something to tell my kids.”

In the wake of his award-winning Super Bowl performance, Holmes has turned his focus to validating himself as one of the league’s elite receivers.

When the Steelers traded up from the 32nd pick in the ’06 draft to get Holmes at No. 25, they sought a game-breaker to line up opposite then-reigning Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward. But, Holmes struggled in the early going of his rookie season and battled injuries in ’07 that caused him to fall just short of the 1,000-yard plateau.

In fact, the 25-year-old has failed to gain 1,000 yards receiving in any of his three seasons, leaving him to be considered by some as an underachiever.

Factor in some off-field troubles — he was arrested in May 2006 for disorderly conduct in Miami Beach, Fla., then got arrested one month later in Ohio on charges of domestic violence — and it added to the perception that Holmes was not living up to his draft status.

Most recently, Holmes was pulled over Oct. 23, 2008, and charged with possession of marijuana, but the charges were dropped on June 10 after Holmes’ attorney told the court that the police didn’t have good enough reason to pull Holmes over and the judge agreed.

Holmes’ struggles with his personal life mirrored the inconsistency he displayed on the field. Prior to the Super Bowl, he had caught more than five passes in a game only four times during his career. His 131-yard performance was the only time during the 2008 campaign that he topped 100 yards in a game and was the second-best single-game yardage total of his career (only bested by a 133-yard game against the Rams during the ’07 season).

What excites Bruce Arians, who served as wide receivers coach during Holmes’ rookie year before becoming the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, most is Holmes’ uncanny ability to create big plays.

“I can easily see him catching 80-85 balls, even hit the 1,000 plateau,” Arians said. “(But) he’s got to stay healthy and consistent and play all 16 games.”

Known for his speed coming out of Ohio State, the 5-11, 192-pound Holmes has 11 receptions of 40 or more yards and boasts an impressive 16.6 yards per catch average in his three NFL seasons. Yet, despite his abundant natural athletic ability and speed, Holmes has focused this offseason on getting even faster. He has been training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports with trainer Tom Shaw, a former Patriots strength and conditioning coach.

According to Shaw’s Web site, he has trained the last nine Super Bowl MVPs, 118 first-round draft picks and eight No. 1 overall picks. Shaw is specifically known for improving a player’s speed.

“I like to go deep,” Arians said when asked about Holmes trying to get even faster. “I’m not a guy that likes big, tall, slow guys, I like faster guys who can take the top end off the coverage. If that comes in a big package that’s fantastic, but there are only a few of those freaks around.”

It’s unlikely that Holmes’ postseason performance (13-226-2 receiving in three games) would warrant the Steelers to change an offensive philosophy of running the ball and imposing their will on opponents that has worked for decades, but Holmes did indicate that as he matures, QB Ben Roethlisberger’s confidence in him has increased.

With a balanced offense that features other passing-game threats such as Ward, TE Heath Miller and free-agent pickup Shaun McDonald, Holmes is aware that the ball won’t be forced his way.

“I can only go as far as the team allows me to go,” Holmes said. “Having Hines and Heath around, those guys definitely need to get their touches and it obviously opens the field [for me]. If it comes out me being the guy, then I’m definitely going to want to be that, but I’m definitely not going to take touches away from the other guys.”

A vocally confident Holmes doesn’t shy way from the opportunity to boast his skills — proud of the fact that after struggling as a rookie with fumbles and drops, he has a firm grasp on the offense. Still, in a league where some wide receivers run their mouths better than their routes, Holmes seems to keep a positive attitude about his role.

“I would say the main thing is that the coverage dictates whether I’m going to receive the ball or not,” said Holmes, who illustrated that point brilliantly in the drive leading to his title-winning catch in the final minutes of SB XLIII when he caught four passes for 73 yards. “It’s the opportunity to move me around and play me in different spots on the field.”

Holmes’ increased presence on the field — he was targeted 114 times last season, just 11 fewer than Ward, who at age 33 is in the twilight of his illustrious career — only makes the Steelers’ offense less predictable and more difficult for defensive coordinators to game-plan against.

And when the coverage dictates he get the ball, he intends to capitalize. Just ask the Cardinals.

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In his first season as a full-time starter, Michael Turner validated the Falcons’ decision to sign him to a lucrative long-term contract, as he instantly became the foundation of their offense and earned a Pro Bowl nod. After inking a six-year, $34.5 million deal, Turner led all backs with 376 carries and took the pressure off rookie QB Matt Ryan as he adjusted to life in the pros, gaining 1,699 yards and scoring 17 touchdowns.

Expectations for the club, and Turner, have risen to new heights after a playoff berth last season. PFW spoke to Turner on June 18 as he walked off the field from the Falcons’ final practice before training camp.

PFW: When you’re at practice, talking to teammates and listening to coaches, is there any difference you sense between last year and this one?

Turner: This season, there’s a lot of confidence. It’s a more comfortable atmosphere right now. When I say that I mean everyone knows each other and their capabilities and knows the coaching staff. Everything seems more put in place now. It’s not all up in the air with all the question marks we had last year.

PFW: Is the team confident, but not overconfident?

Turner: All the guys out here are still working hard and still trying to get better, so I don’t think there’s any overconfidence. I think every guy here understands that we’re not sneaking up anybody anymore.

PFW: How will the addition of Tony Gonzalez help you and change the way the offense looks?

Turner: It’s going to help the running game and the passing game to have a guy like Tony Gonzalez. He’s a Hall of Fame tight end. Teams have to play us more honest now. Last year teams were trying to stop the run, putting eight or nine guys in the box, trying to make Matt (Ryan) beat them. We won some games by throwing the ball a little bit. Adding Tony is just going to add to the elements of this offense even more.

PFW: You carried the ball more than any other back in the league last season. Do you think the team will try to get (backup) Jerious Norwood more carries to take some of the load off your shoulders or are you comfortable taking the ball just as many times as you did last season?

Turner: I prepare as if I’m going to have 400 carries every year. Anything less than that is beneficial to me. We have a lot of weapons on this offense, so I’m pretty sure coach is going to get other guys the ball more. I think our offense was probably limited a little bit at the beginning of last year with a rookie quarterback, but as the year went on we brought him along and opened the playbook more and more and this year we’re doing that full-time right off the bat.

PFW: Would you be OK with getting fewer carries or is that a point of pride for you?

Turner: It’s all about winning football games. I’m going to do my job and be ready when my number’s called. That’s all that matters.

PFW: You guys got a taste of the playoffs last season and it didn’t go so well. Expectations are high for this year. Has taking that next step into contention been the theme for the offseason?

Turner: Oh yeah. We don’t want to take a step back, that’s for sure. Teams have a window of opportunity for so long. We want to take advantage of the opportunity we have right now. We have a pretty good group right now. Last year we laid down the foundation, now we’re trying to build on it this year.

PFW: How do you feel about this division. Can you win it?

Turner: It’s going to be a tough task to win this division. Carolina, New Orleans, ourselves, Tampa — last year we were supposed to be rebuilding too and we came out with 11 wins, so you can’t count anybody out. Every team in this division is capable of winning it.

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Frank Edgerly knew he had something special in Donald Brown. What he didn’t realize was just how gifted the kid was. And if Brown is anything close to what he was that September night in 2004, the Colts’ first-round draft pick could prove to be a steal.

Edgerly, Brown’s high school football coach at Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic and something of a second father to Brown, said it was in the aftermath of a hurricane that he really understood what kind of player Brown, the 27th overall pick in the 2009 draft and the nation’s leading rusher at the University of Connecticut in ’08, had the potential to be.

“Everyone knew Donny was our big gun, so, of course, in weather like that, they must have had 140 guys on the line of scrimmage,” Edgerly said about the second game of Brown’s senior season.

Leading 7-0, Red Bank Catholic was coming out of its own endzone when Brown fumbled the ball inside his team’s 20-yard line. It was Brown’s reaction that demonstrated to Edgerly the player’s ability to overcome adversity — and handle criticism.

“I probably said some pretty impolite things to him,” Edgerly said. “Matter of fact, I know I did, but where a lot of kids at that point in time will go in the other direction, you saw this kid — because of that mistake — he took over.

“Next time he touched the ball he made probably the greatest run of his high school career,” Edgerly continued. “Split everyone, muddy field, accelerated.”

Apparently, a slicing, 70-yard TD run was not enough. Brown still wasn’t done rectifying the mistake that could have cost the team the lead.

When the second half started, so did the torrential downpours, Edgerly said. The poor conditions didn’t seem to faze Brown, who ended up with huge rushing numbers (22-287-4). Going into the fourth quarter tied 21-21, Brown ran for two more touchdowns to propel Red Bank Catholic to a 35-21 victory.

“It was like him on the field and then everybody else,” Edgerly said. “And not a word came out of his mouth.”

Although this success in high school did not immediately translate to the college level, his determination played a big role in his record-breaking junior season at UConn.

Brown decided to forgo his senior season after leading the nation in rushing (367-2,083-18) and setting all-time rushing records at UConn, becoming the only Husky to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in school history.

Brown, who gained 5.7 yards per carry, ran for more than 100 yards in all but two games in ’08. He put up at least 150 yards in eight of 13 games and had three games with more than 200 yards, including a dominating performance against Buffalo in the International Bowl, in which he totaled 29 carries for 261 yards and a touchdown in leading UConn to a 38-20 victory. Brown was named the MVP of the game. His career numbers at UConn are nothing to sneeze at, either (698-3,800-33).

Brown attributes much of his breakout campaign to the injury he suffered as a sophomore, a high ankle sprain that hampered him for much of ’07.

“That was my first serious injury,” Brown said. “I mean, I had to sit out for about two weeks. That was the first time I’ve ever missed a sporting event in my life, and the guy who came in to spell me was doing a tremendous job. Coming back was not as easy as I thought it would be. Fighting for time and carries, it was tough. It was a real eye-opener, and I learned a lot from that.”

He calls it the toughest obstacle he has faced as a football player.

“Coming back from that ankle injury was tough, and there were some games when I was more concerned about my ankle and hurting it again.”

“He never pouted, and it just motivated him to work that much harder,” UConn head coach Randy Edsall said. “He’s a tough guy and a hard worker.”

So, after starting all 13 games last year for the Huskies, what is Brown’s mindset going into Indianapolis, where he likely will be spending more time on the sideline?

“Splitting carries, it’s great,” he said. “Joseph (Addai) is a great running back and a great guy, so I’m really looking forward to it and helping out in any way I can. I’m just ready to be whatever the Colts need me (to be). Whatever it is, I’ll be ready. I’m not here to make any guarantees; just to help them out in any way possible.”

Modesty aside, Brown said he is indeed familiar with Colts president Bill Polian’s reputation around the league and his penchant for drafting extremely successful first-round picks. Names like Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Anthony Gonzalez not only put Brown in some elite company but also prove a tough act for him to follow.

So where does Brown fit on this list? Jamey Crimmins, Brown’s marketing agent, can’t be quite sure, but he does know that regardless of Brown’s on-field success, he will make a serious splash for his off-field leadership.

“It seems like the only time you hear about athletes in the news today is when they’re doing something wrong,” Crimmins said.

“He’s a guy that you’re going to hear about when he does something right, which is often. He says ‘please’ and he says ‘thank you’ and he writes thank-you notes and he does the right things. He’s a stud.”

Last year, Brown and Crimmins — who has represented other NFL players such as Kerry Collins, Jake Plummer and, ironically, Ricky Williams and Ryan Leaf — founded the Player-to-Player Leadership Conference, which the two set up in order to establish, in Brown, a positive role model for young football players on the Jersey Shore.

Brown said that without the positive role models who have been so influential throughout his life, he would not be where he is today, coming into the Colts’ organization in a position to possibly challenge Addai for the starting role in Indy.

Which makes Edgerly think Brown could prove to be extremely important for the Colts as the season wears on.

“I have no inside knowledge of this, but I don’t think you’re taking a kid that high to just sit down, twiddle his thumbs, and wait,” Edgerly said. “I think they’re bringing him in to push Addai. I think they’re bringing him in so hopefully one of those two guys emerge as the lead dog down the stretch. I would be shocked if he is not playing a pivotal role this season.”

The Colts’ system seems to be the ideal fit for Brown. A well-rounded back, experts predict that he really could excel in the team’s zone-blocking scheme. Edsall agrees.

“I think Donald will be successful wherever he goes, because that’s what kind of a guy he is,” Edsall said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s running in a zone-blocking scheme or a power [backfield], he’s a guy that can do it all. He’ll get in there and work hard.”

Edsall said that aside from Brown’s passion for the game and working hard, he is very intelligent and has great overall football smarts. Further, as a kinesiology major, Brown is adept at staying healthy and keeping his body in football shape.

Edgerly noted that Brown hired a strength trainer, a speed coach and a nutritionist after his sophomore year of high school.

“This kid was professional with his body and his approach long before he was drafted,” Edgerly said. “Where a lot of rookies are coming and learning how to be a pro off the field, learning how to be a pro in the weight room, this kid’s already there. This guy never missed a start, never missed a practice (in high school), so I think only great things are going to come from him.

“The thing about it is, he’s got such a strong work ethic and such a humble and adaptable personality that he’s going to fit in and succeed wherever he’s at.”

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14th in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which strategy for developing young QBs is overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: Treating a young QB with kid gloves

We are going to hear plenty of debate in the coming weeks regarding whether the Jets should hand QB Matt Sanchez the starting job, whether the Lions should put Matthew Stafford in the lineup right off the bat, and whether the Buccaneers should hand the offense to Josh Freeman.

Along the way, we will hear the names Carson Palmer and Jon Kitna quite a bit, because six years ago, the Bengals did something very unique: They sat Palmer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft, on the bench all season and let Kitna take every snap. The next season, Palmer took the job, and we know the rest of the story: He's been a very, very good player, and the Bengals' careful handling is often cited as a major reason for his success.

That may be true, but you know what's more important? That Palmer has the gifts needed to succeed at the position. He could handle the transition to the professional level because he had the talent to do so, not because he stood and watched Kitna for 16 regular-season games. In fact, you could argue Palmer didn't get all that much out of his first season; it's not as if he was going to get much work with the first-team offense — the lion's share goes to the starter.

Which brings me to my main point …

Underrated: Full-scale immersion

… that it's silly to talk about young quarterbacks like they are all fragile creatures. Some quarterbacks can't handle playing in Year One; that's been made very clear over the years. Others have taken a terrible beating (think Tim Couch and David Carr).

But along the way, the very best and brightest who are thrust into the lineup early start to get their feet under them, start to show that, yes, they're going to be OK. The Steelers started the 2004 season with Ben Roethlisberger on the bench and employed a run-heavy attack to protect him once it became clear they could not keep him off the field. But he would have succeeded in any offense, what with his poise, strong arm and creativity on the run. The Ravens were scared of rushing Joe Flacco into the lineup last season, but Troy Smith's illness forced their hand. As it turned out, the kid was up to the job. Playing early didn't faze Joe Flacco because he had the physical ability and poise to succeed. The same can be said for Falcons QB Matt Ryan. The stage wasn't too big for them, and they are better for their experiences.

They could handle those experiences because they had the chops to do so. I don't know if Stafford, Sanchez and Freeman can make it in the NFL, but what I do know is this: Keeping them out of the lineup early doesn't necessarily mean they will benefit from the experience. Unless their veteran rivals are clearly better in training camp, the three first-round passers merit long looks this season. Better earlier than later that they start to learn on the job — and that their teams learn what they have.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Pressure? What pressure?

All Mark Sanchez faces as the new face of the New York Jets is the burden of leading the roller-coaster franchise to its first Super Bowl since Joe Namath led it to the NFL title 40 years ago.

That’s all. Not much to ask. Just be the next Namath.

The Jets drafted Sanchez as much for his moxie and charisma and “it” factor as they did for his ability to throw the football.

Without as much as a preseason down having been played, Sanchez has New York in the proverbial palm of his hand.

“It takes a person with a certain confidence to play in New York,” Jets head coach Rex Ryan said. “I don’t think he’s afraid of the big stage at all.”

Sanchez has already shown that he’s not afraid at all. See his steamy GQ Magazine photo spread with bikini-clad Estee Lauder model Hilary Rhoda, whom he’s now reportedly dating.

When the photo spread, which was shot before the NFL draft, hit the newsstands, Sanchez was the subject of some unmerciful razzing from his Jets teammates at practices.

The photos were plastered on walls all over the Jets’ Florham Park, N.J., training facility and they were even burned onto computer screen savers in the meeting rooms. Teammates have been calling him David Hasselhoff, of “Baywatch” TV fame.

“He probably wishes he’d never done it, right now,” Ryan joked. “They’re having a good time with him.”

“This team will get on you for anything, man,” OLB Calvin Pace said. “You let your guard down and they catch you in a compromising position — you’ll be jumped constantly.”

“We let him know that that stuff might fly on the West Coast, but …” OL Damien Woody said.

Pace said Sanchez “has been pretty good” about taking the razzing, adding, “He’s got thick skin and that’s good for a quarterback.” Sanchez said he has no regrets.

“That was almost like one of those bucket-list kind of deals,” Sanchez said. “You’re going to do a photo shoot with a supermodel. I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It’s one of those things you’ve got to do.”

The Sanchez photo shoot and the attention it grabbed led some armchair critics to wonder whether he was spreading himself too thin with off-the-field activities. If you listen to Sanchez, you realize how serious he is about being an NFL success, and if you talk to those around him, you get the idea that football is first for him.

“I think if you ask anybody in the building, they know what I’m all about,” Sanchez said. “People are going to get their own perceptions and think what they may, but this team drafted me to play football and that is my mindset. I’m all about football now.”

The next set of critics wonder whether Sanchez’s mere 16 starts in college were enough to prepare him for the NFL.

“We wouldn’t have traded up for Mark if we didn’t think he had the ability to compete for the starting position,” Ryan said. “We’ve looked at everything known to man. Eventually it comes down to the individual. I think we saw that last year in Baltimore, a Division I transfer, Joe Flacco. I don’t have to look further than him.”

Sanchez offered his own example of a successful NFL quarterback who wasn’t a three-year starter in big-time college football.

“I’d first bring up Matt Cassel (who had a stellar season with the Patriots last season replacing the injured Tom Brady), who didn’t start at all at USC and didn’t even start since high school, and look what he’s doing; he’s doing well for himself,” Sanchez said.

“All the guys that I’ve competed against on a daily basis (in college) have prepared me for this next step,” he went on. “Los Angeles is in a large media market, so I know how to handle the interviews and conference calls, like this, and television interviews. That’s what this position is all about, and it is expected at USC.

“To be able to perform there under such scrutiny and pressure, with Heisman Trophy winners ahead of you and national championship implications in every game, it’s obvious I was ready for that. Also, playing in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State and against the best competition has prepared me for this next step, and the 16 games have been a lifetime of situations in terms of football. I’m ready.”

It took little time for Sanchez to show his leadership. The night before rookie minicamp, he gathered the offensive players together for a playbook study session so they’d be extra-prepared for the next day’s practice.

He, too, called the Jets’ veteran receivers and asked them to get together with him for a throwing session.

“It goes to show you the leadership ability that he has,” Jets top WR Jerricho Cotchery said.

Sanchez, too, has immense marketability — surely something not lost on the marketing-conscious Jets, who are about to move into a new stadium in 2010 with personal seat licenses to sell in a sagging economy.

The Jets insist, though, that they’re not rushing Sanchez into off-field activities — not wanting to put the cart before the horse.

“His coming on board has created a lot of energy and excitement — and that’s great — but when we take a step back, we don’t want to create any distractions for him,” Matt Higgins, the Jets’ vice president of business operations, said. “We want him to learn his craft. Most of the conversations we’ve had aren’t about opportunities we need to explore, but how to manage the attention.

“We’re not plotting anything. It’s more about giving him the space he needs. If it’s going to happen, it will happen organically and naturally.”

Sanchez is improving exponentially, thanks to the crash course he’s been getting in OTA sessions against Ryan’s aggressive and complex defense.

“We’re throwing it all at him,” Ryan said. “He’s probably seeing defenses he’s never seen. They’re throwing him right to the wolves, and I like the way he’s responding.”

Sanchez’s hunger to soak it all in is also going to allow him to grow quickly.

“I’m here late every night,” he said. “I’m getting to know the clean-up crew. That’s what I do. This is what I want to know. It’s a grind and I love it. I’m getting there, and I want to master it by tomorrow. I want to master it 10 minutes ago. I’m already late, that’s how I feel. I’ll keep working and getting better.”

This kind of attitude, of course, is what has the Jets so excited about their future.

“I’m an excitable young man and I’m ready for a challenge and I’m always smiling,” Sanchez said. “That kind of pressure, you expect that as a quarterback; it’s what you signed up for; and, you know, I learned how to compete and deal with pressure at USC.”

Sanchez would, however, not offer any Namath-like guarantees.

“I can’t promise we’re going to win the division or win the Super Bowl, and that I’m going to be the MVP of the league,” he said. “All I can promise is that I’m going to work hard.”

Namath tried not to lay too many expectations on Sanchez, emphasizing that it’ll take more than Sanchez to lead the Jets back to the Promised Land.

“As recent history shows, both Atlanta (with Matt Ryan) and Baltimore (with Flacco), if you have a good team, a young man can take control and steer it in the right direction,” Namath said. “But it depends on the team how well Mark is going to perform. We’re all going to judge him on how he practices and what he does on a daily basis.

“All of us are pulling for him. I’m a fan. There are a lot of Jets fans that have been backing the team struggling for a while, and we’d like to see a win. I’d like to see us win a championship this season.”

Pressure? What pressure?

 

Mark Cannizzaro covers the Jets for the New York Post.

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Russ Grimm's coaching style abides by two guiding principles: Put your players in a position to be successful and make sure they put forth the effort.

Seems simple enough. It's the same stock answer most coaches give when asked about their philosophy or how they can help their teams win.

Grimm, the Cardinals' offensive line coach, has proven his effectiveness in fulfilling both of those ideals, serving as the chief of security for two Super Bowl quarterbacks - first winning Super Bowl XL while calling protections for the Steelers' then-second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger and then advancing to Super Bowl XLIII last season with his Cardinals and veteran QB Kurt Warner.

His approach, though, doesn't resemble that of the stereotypical O-line coach: the über-intense guy who grabs his players by the face mask to yell instructions.

"I'd say that maybe Russ isn't as in-your-face as most coaches get," Cardinals OG Reggie Wells said. "Russ just expects you to go out there and get your job done. Anytime you have a coach like that, you want to go out there and bust your butt for him."

In an age where it's become fashionable to hire coaches young enough to still be playing in the league, it's become almost unique for a player of Grimm's accomplishments to patrol a sideline.

After 11 seasons primarily as a starter on the Redskins' offensive line, Grimm has been a finalist the past five years for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which helps explain Wells' respect for Grimm's philosophy.

"Anytime you have a coach who has played the game, especially at the level Russ has played it, he knows what the players go through throughout the week and during Sunday," Wells said.

After 17 years of coaching, though, Grimm may be regarded by the league more as one of its pre-eminent assistants. He has more titles next to his name - assistant head coach, offensive line coach and running-game coordinator - than a prizefighter.

Even after assuming the title of running-game coordinator this offseason, he insists that his responsibilities haven't changed.

"It's pretty much kind of what I've been doing in the past," Grimm said. "It's not really much of a change there. It's just as far as selecting what runs we like this week and what routes to tie with what protections. Stuff like that."

Grimm's success as an assistant has earned him looks as a head coach. He was a finalist for the job in Chicago in 2004 before Bears brass gave Lovie Smith the nod.

Just three years later, he was the heir apparent to replace Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh - after serving as the only assistant head coach during Cowher's tenure - before Mike Tomlin made a late push to win the job.

"If it happens, it happens," Grimm said of his potential as a head coach. "It has to be a comfortable fit for me, and there have been some places where I would have felt comfortable. But we were either going to the Super Bowl and still coaching, and things go on and decisions are made. So, I'm happy doing what I'm doing, and we'll wait and see what goes from there."

Certainly Grimm was all smiles when the Cardinals made RB Chris "Beanie" Wells the 31st overall selection in this past April's draft.

With arguably the best group of receivers in the NFL, there's no indication that the Cardinals will deviate from their pass-first offensive philosophy. However, the selection of Beanie Wells indicates a commitment to improving the running game.

"I don't necessarily see our attack changing just because we brought in a new face or whatever the case is," OG Wells said. "We've obviously had success with what we did last year and, yeah, we always have room to get better, but whether or not [more running is] going to be the new game plan remains to be seen. I've obviously seen some of his [Beanie Wells'] work in college, and he's earned the right to be our first pick this year."

Though Grimm speaks of the running game with unwavering commitment, his primary responsibility will again be the protection of QB Kurt Warner.

At 37 years old, Warner is closer to joining the bridge club than to being in the prime of his career. As is the natural progression for any NFL player, his fragility grows with each passing year, putting more pressure on the line to keep defenders away from him.

With the signing of Warner to a two-year deal this offseason, the franchise appears committed to keeping him under center for the short term.

Matt Leinart - the man the Cardinals made the 10th overall selection in 2006 - remains Warner's backup. The left-handed Leinart appears to be the future of the franchise, but unlike Warner, who is right-handed, the protections are slightly different when Leinart enters the game.

Unlike most O-line coaches who have a corps of right-handed quarterbacks on their roster, Grimm is charged with creating contingencies and new protections should Leinart enter the game.

"You have to be ready to adjust," Grimm said. "We have to have those protections in now [as opposed to when Leinart takes over full time] because it takes one play and you lose Kurt and now Matt's in and now it's a little more left-handed. There's a little more teaching involved in it."

And it's his teaching style that seems to command so much respect from his players.

His versatility, on the other hand, is just another stamp on a head-coaching resume that gleans with experience in so many facets of the game.

"Anytime you have a coach who has been a success with teams he has been with, as far as coaching, it's natural to think of him as a guy you may want to lead your organization," Reggie Wells said. "I think that Russ has been a leader probably since his early playing days. So, there's no surprise that one day or another, he'll get his shot as a head man."

 

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy your copy of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copy online at PFWStore.com .

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13th in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which fantasy-league format is overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: IDP formats that too heavily weigh tackles

I have written in praise of IDP (individual defensive players) leagues before, and I am all for any format that gets fantasy owners to look beyond quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. However, here’s my qualm with most IDP formats: tackles are weighted too heavily.

In no way is an in-the-box strong safety or a cornerback who is having to make a lot of tackles because he’s routinely picked on more valuable than a pass rusher with a knack for notching sacks on key third downs or a lockdown man-cover corner who makes opponents pay the few times they throw to his side of the field, but this is the case in some IDP leagues. Again, this isn’t a knock on all IDP leagues, just those that overvalue tackles.

 

Underrated: TD-only formats

I don’t hear of many people participating in TD-only leagues anymore. Those that are still around are a nod to an earlier era, where scores were tallied by hand, waiver claims were left on the commissioner’s answering machine and “The Red Zone Channel” was somebody’s far-out daydream. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always had a soft spot for this type of league.

Before folks obsessed about drafting receivers on the basis of how many times they were targeted and whether their running backs could also rack up a few extra points in the passing game, the operative question was this: Is Player X going to score more touchdowns than Player Y?

I’ve been in a big TD-only league with deep rosters, and I must say, every running back who might get a handful of goal-line carries in a given season was coming off the board. It was beautiful.

Listen, I know the major objection to this sort of league sounds something like this: “But what if my receiver makes a 60-yard catch and gets tackled at the one-yard line?” My answer: Well, no points for you — but don’t you have a story to tell?

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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12th in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which play-by-play announcer is overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: Dick Enberg, CBS

It feels criminal, bashing a legend. After all, Enberg’s career is about as storied as it gets. But he has lost his fastball as a football announcer, often slow to call out tacklers’ names or recognize trends within games. Even his famed “oh my!” seems to lack a little pizzazz, sometimes feeling unnatural and kitschy and done more now for effect and out of habit.

Enberg still has a terrific eye for history, can understand modern football and has maintained his signature voice. But his calls no longer have a big-game feel anymore, and it’s partly why he has been demoted to some of CBS’ afterthought or second-rated games the past few seasons.

 

Underrated: Mike Tirico, ESPN

You could make the case that Tirico is ESPN’s most indispensable talent — heck, with his radio show, he might be their best commodity — right now. His NBA work is strong, and his golf calls are becoming legendary. But we sometimes forget how good a football announcer he is, as well. Almost no one can call down and distance, identify players and pick up on the subtleties of the game like Tirico, whose work this past season, I believe, was his finest hour.

While many “Monday Night Football” critics chose to bash Tony Kornheiser and his sometimes shoehorn fit into the former three-man booth, I chose to tune in more closely to Tirico, who as much as perhaps any play-by-play guy today makes the game more watchable from an educational standpoint. His calls flow effortlessly, even when his network makes him wedge in some silly graphics or a “SportsCenter” timeout. And he keeps things light with the occasional pop-culture or cross-sports reference, which, ironically, was part of the reason Kornheiser was added in the first place.

Sure, Joe Buck adds more opinion and color to his broadcasts, and Al Michaels remains the voice of his era with his precise and anecdotal broadcasts. But there must be a spot at or near the top for Tirico, who calls the game the way a great point guard runs an offense. And with Jon Gruden replacing Kornheiser alongside Ron Jaworski, Tirico will get his share of tasty assists this season.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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11th in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which currently available head coach is overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: Mike Shanahan

For some reason it seems that many view Shanahan through a 1999 prism, when he was at the top of his profession after winning back-to-back Super Bowls. There's no doubt he's been a great coach for a long time, but his reputation as a mastermind isn't justified by his accomplishments over the past decade. Denver has won only one playoff game since '99 and missed the playoffs the last three seasons, thanks in large part to Shanahan's poor personnel decisions, particularly on defense. The allegations that he became obsessed with his team's statistical rankings to the point where he was berating players for not scoring enough points, even after wins, was troubling as well. He's already been mentioned as the front-runner to take over the Redskins or the Cowboys in 2010, and he may be a perfect fit for one of those high-profile clubs. However, those teams would probably be wise not to hand the keys to Shanahan and give him free rein to make all the critical football decisions, as he did in Denver with poor results over the past 10 years.

 

Underrated: Marty Schottenheimer

Since getting fired by San Diego after the 2006 season, we haven't heard much about Schottenheimer. In fact, despite a .613 career winning percentage over 21 regular seasons as a head coach, it appears teams no longer have any interest in giving him a chance to interview for a job. As the league trends toward giving younger coaches — some half the age of the 65-year-old Schottenheimer — top jobs, Schottenheimer has become fossilized as an ancient relic of seasons past. Yet, just three seasons ago, he led the Chargers to a 14-2 record. Of course, his 5-13 record in the postseason also has something to do with teams' lack of interest in him. As organizations look for long-term stability and moves that will fire up a fan base, taking on a 65-year-old who may only coach for a few more seasons isn't exactly an attractive option. But for a three- to four-year period, which is about how long several recently hired head coaches will last in their new jobs, taking a chance on a proven winner like Schottenheimer could jump-start a struggling team and help to build a foundation that will bring lasting success, perhaps even beyond the three- to four-year window during which he'd be manning the sidelines. Schottenheimer is no longer a marquee head-coaching candidate, but he's deserving of a bit more consideration than he's been receiving lately.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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10th in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Subject: Season-long fantasy stat

Overrated: 1,000 yards rushing/receiving

For running backs and wide receivers, the benchmark for a good season long has been reaching 1,000 yards. From a fantasy perspective, though, a guy who hits the 1,000-yard mark isn't necessarily a valuable commodity. After all, that only averages out to 62.5 yards per game, which isn't a very good fantasy performance in and of itself. Too many owners will assume that a player had a solid season simply because he had 1,000 yards, but that isn't always true, especially if he doesn't score a lot of touchdowns. For example, Browns RB Jamal Lewis ran for 1,002 yards in 2008, but he had only four TDs and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Those numbers barely ranked him in the top 25 fantasy performers at his position. While accumulating 1,000 yards is nothing to scoff at, it takes more than that to be a fantasy star.

 

Underrated: Number of 100-yard games

People like to evaluate a player's season by looking at his cumulative numbers at the end of the year — carries, yards, touchdowns, etc. But those numerals don't tell the whole story. What if a guy had two or three monster outings and then was simply mediocre for the rest of the campaign? His final stat line might be impressive, but he was an effective fantasy player less than 20 percent of the time. A better way to measure both the production and consistency of a running back or receiver is to look at how many games of 100-plus yards he finished the season with. Besides the fact that many leagues reward bonus points for 100-yard performances, players racking up 100-yard games with regularity are consistently giving their owners solid fantasy totals, something that's often difficult to come by. It's no coincidence that the top three fantasy RBs from '08 — DeAngelo Williams, Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson — had eight, eight and 10 100-yard games, respectively.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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Ninth in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which offensive coordinator is most overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: Cowboys' Jason Garrett

Thanks to an intriguing pedigree that fit what NFL owners were looking for in the next hot, young head-coaching candidate and his management of Dallas' high-powered offense, the hype around Garrett skyrocketed after the 2007 season. He reportedly turned down head-coaching job offers from the Ravens and Falcons. As last year showed, however, this supposed prodigy has a lot to learn. Despite having an abundance of playmakers at his disposal, the Cowboys ranked 13th in total offense and 18th in scoring in '08. While blame for the unit's struggles was largely directed at Terrell Owens and a lack of team chemistry, Garrett erred by stubbornly underutilizing a deep, dynamic backfield and ultimately failed to get the most out of a talented group on "O." He may turn out to be a fine coordinator and even a great head coach someday, but people around the league are beginning to wise up that many crowned him king too soon.

 

Underrated: Falcons' Mike Mularkey

Although his profile is on the rise after a successful first year in Atlanta, Mularkey still flies a bit under the radar. He's old-school, opting for a power-running offense rather than the wide-open spread attacks that are gaining popularity. It's not the most exciting style to watch, but he managed it with precision last season, as Atlanta ranked sixth in offense. In stark contrast to many of his fresh-faced counterparts who have been moving to the front of the pack in job interviews to fill head-coaching vacancies, Mularkey is a grizzled veteran. He began his coaching career in 1994, rising from the lowest ranks as a quality-control assistant in Tampa Bay, and he's seen his share of adversity along the way, including an unremarkable two-year term (2004-05) as the Bills' head coach before resigning due to a disagreement with ownership. Yet, in three of his five seasons as an NFL coordinator, his offenses have been ranked sixth or higher. The hard knocks he's suffered in his coaching career haven't done much for his popularity, but they've made him a better coordinator — one who's underappreciated.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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Eighth in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which Super Bowl was most overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: Super Bowl III

The game has taken on Homeric status in lore, and perhaps it was a terrific upset, but as a game it fell woefully short. It was plagued as much by the Colts' poor quarterbacking (Earl Morrall and John Unitas combined for four interceptions on 41 passes) as it was for poor coaching.

Yeah, I said it — Don Shula had too much faith in Morrall, the league MVP, during a horrible performance where he completed only 6-of-17 passes for 71 yards with three first-half interceptions. Instead of inserting Unitas after halftime, when the Colts trailed only 7-0, Shula waited until there was less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter and they were down 13-0 to send in Unitas, who led them to their only touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Also woefully underused was HB Tom Matte, who had ripped off a run of 58 yards and a reception of 30 but had only 13 touches in the game despite leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage that season.

But, of course, the biggest fallacy this game created was a dreaded two-headed monster: the legend of Joe Namath and the time-mushroomed and, at the time, much-maligned "playoff guarantee." Sure, Namath backed up his boast of the Jets beating the mighty Colts 16-7, but he did so in pedestrian fashion — 17-of-28 passing for 206 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The run game was the real hero, wearing down the overrated Colts defense and leading to all four scores.

This game often is labeled as a signpost for the shift of power from the bullying NFL to the once-measly AFL, but that was a brief run. After the merger, the AFC and NFC were far more balanced when you look at the league as a whole and not just at Super Bowl winners over the following decade.

Super Bowl III was mostly a bore — perhaps significant at the time, but even historically speaking, it was surprisingly irrelevant upon closer inspection.

 

Underrated: Super Bowl XXXVIII

This one had it all. The story line heading in was the underdog-turned-favorite Patriots against the dog-turned-underdog Panthers, two seasons removed from 1-15. Early on, the Patriots' dominant defense looked impenetrable. I remember actually feeling badly for Jake Delhomme when he opened the game 1-for-9 passing and the Panthers' vaunted run game had been shut down. But the Patriots weren't doing much offensively, either, and the normally unflappable Adam Vinatieri had misfired on two short field goals (one was blocked).

As then-Panthers play-by-play announcer Bill Rosinski said, "This game is like Yale vs. Harvard in 1938 with leather helmets. It might be 6-0 when we get done today."

And then everything turned on its head.

Boston Herald columnist Gerry Callahan later would write, perfectly: "One of the greatest Super Bowls of all time broke out like a fistfight in the middle of morning Mass." It was true: In three dizzying minutes to close out the first half, the two teams went from a scoreless stalemate to a 14-10 game full of life. The action on the field was nasty and breathtaking. It was a close to a first half like we had never seen before or since — and there would be more where that came from.

The third quarter mirrored the first, just like the indescribable fourth quarter mimicked the second. After knocking heads for another 15 minutes, the ebb turned and the Panthers and Patriots set off a final stanza for the ages — a thrilling, Super Bowl-record 37 points, with each team one-upping the other before Vinatieri hit his second title-winning field goal in three years in the waning moments for a 32-29 Patriots victory.

No Super Bowl has had this kind of herky-jerky, vertigo-inducing waves of inertia and animation. The game made Tom Brady a full-fledged star, and it kicked off the Patriots' mini-dynasty. It also hardened the idea of the "team" concept, one that talent-driven owners such as Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones still have failed to recognize.

I also believe this was the first game where fans at large first began to turn against the Patriots, lifting the club to its secure perch near the top of the "most hated teams" lists anywhere west of Interstate 87 and south of Stamford, Conn. Despite the win, the Patriots no longer were America's darlings - the spunky Panthers stole that title, for a day anyway — but instead became the reviled favorites they would be known as for the next five years. Of course, "Spygate" didn't hurt matters later.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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Seventh in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which handicapping angles are overrated? Underrated?

Overrated handicapping angle — The “must-win game”

Ah, the “must-win game.” The phrase gets dusted off and trotted out late in every regular season. The scenario goes something like this: Team X is in playoff contention; Team Y is out of the postseason mix and (seemingly) looking toward next season. Therefore, the logic goes, motivated Team X should have no problems drubbing it’s-almost-time-to-go-clubbing-in-Vegas Team Y. Does the above scenario happen? Sure, it does, and handicappers can profit from it on occasion. But it is not a fail-safe angle, and it is one rife with risks. For one, you’re likely going to have to pay to play; lines for such “must-win” games are usually inflated. Also, you have to strongly consider why a team is in a must-win situation. If you’re going to bet a team in desperate need of a victory, you better understand its flaws. And you better be able to assess the team’s current form. Is the team peaking, or is it a team whose best football was played in October? Making such accurate assessments can keep you away from backing clubs like the 2008 Jets and Broncos, both of whom started to go bad in the final weeks of the season and failed in situations where they looked to have clear motivation edges over their opponents. 

 

Underrated handicapping angle — Weather

There was a time when bad weather could have taken handicappers by surprise, but that was in the pre-Internet and pre-cable-TV age. Today’s savvy handicappers are assessing how weather could affect their prime plays days before the games are played. No, you don’t have to be an amateur meteorologist, but you should be regularly checking useful weather Web sites like weather.com and weatherunderground.com daily to gauge if the conditions will materially affect your handicapping. High winds in the forecast? You might want to pass on backing a passing team and set your sights on playing the Under. Weather can create some of the juiciest betting opportunities available for handicappers. The trick is sniffing them out and striking — hopefully before it’s five minutes to game time, the line in the sports book is 20-deep and the value has evaporated.

 

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.

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Happy to be back from a nice vacation. Before I left I wrote a column for the paper and the Web site in which I stated that the Saints could be this year's Cardinals , or the big surprise team to make a Super Bowl.

Do you agree? Disagree? If so, who is your pick to come out of nowhere? It doesn't have to be an NFC team.

I realize that my Saints backing comes with risks. But I think their offense -- much like the Cardinals' a year ago -- can make up for a good deal of their shortcomings.

Let's hear your thoughts ...

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PFW’s newest addition, intern Andrew Struckmeyer (who is playing some offensive line at Northwestern), just conducted a nice interview with Redskins DE Andre Carter, and I wanted to pass along a few tidbits of what Carter told him.

I was curious about a few things, including Jim Zorn’s preparation in Year Two, the pressure a revamped defensive line might bring and what Carter expected his role to be.

On the second item, here’s what he had to say:

“I think so, we’re very confident about that, Carter said. “As far as sacks it was a very disappointing year, but with [Brian] Orakpo coming in, [Albert] Haynesworth coming into play, [Cedric Griffin] being healthy, Philip Daniels is back … we’re expecting good things as far as getting to the backfield on the defensive line.

“I had an opportunity [to work] with Haynesworth during OTAs and the minicamps, and he’s a phenomenal player. You learn off of him, he learns off of you, and we both feed off of each other, so we expect great things.

“Now that being said, you have got to stop the run first; you can’t rush the passer if you don’t stop the run, so stopping the run has always been a big thing, especially in the NFC East. You’ve got the Giants, you got Philly. Philly has beefed up their offensive line, so there going to be a force to be reckoned with, Dallas is always a big rivalry, New York is always that pound for pound type running team. If you stop the run, then go ahead and go eat, but if you don’t stop the run, it’s going to be a long day.”

I’ll post the rest of what Carter said on these topics in the Way We Hear It, soon to be posted.

[Also, a programming note: I am on vacation through July 7, so unless something major happens between now and then — think: Favre — this blog will be a little quiet. We’ll get it cranked up when I get back.]

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It's easy to dismiss the Lions' trade of Gerald Alexander for Dennis Northcutt as a minor deal, but they are slowly building depth on a team that seriously lacked it last season.

Northcutt will battle for the slot position and can return punts. Both spots needed depth. Now you have Northcutt competing with rookie Derrick Williams, Ronald Curry and others for the third and fourth WR spots, and Northcutt, Williams, Aveion Cason and rookie Aaron Brown could be your returners.

Look at the variety of moves they have made this offseason:

• Swapped CBs Leigh Bodden and Travis Fisher for Anthony Henry, Phillip Buchanon and Eric King. That's an improvement.
• Exchanged Dan Campbell and Michael Gaines for Brandon Pettigrew, Will Heller and Dan Gronkowski. Upgrade.
• Special teams should be better with the additions of the return guys we mentioned, professional coverage guys such as Cody Spencer, King and Terrelle Smith.
• There's more depth on the offensive line with Jon Jansen, Daniel Loper, Toniu Fonoti, Dylan Gandy, Kirk Barton and Lydon Murtha. None are great, but again, they add depth and competition.
• Made a big improvement by ditching Mike Furrey and signing Bryant Johnson and Curry, drafting Williams and trading for Northcutt.
• Of course, at quarterback, you now have Matthew Stafford competing for a starting spot. The Lions played five different quarterbacks in 2008. They hope that number is two this season: Stafford and Daunte Culpepper.
• And without question, the position they improved the most was at linebacker, also easily the worst position on the field in '08. Larry Foote, Julian Peterson, DeAndre Levy and Cody Spencer could make up four of their top five linebackers along with Ernie Sims. Huge improvement over last year's lot.

Lots of depth. It's a big upgrade. The easiest bet in Vegas is that the Lions will win at least 3-4 games this season, even though it might take them a few weeks to get on track.

The one position I would like to see more help is at defensive tackle. They might have to wait until next offseason to get any real assistance there, but it would not surprise me at all if they scour the wires -- as they have done all season, with the first crack at unvested veterans -- to add a D-tackle to their rotation.

Very intriguing team down the road, these Lions.

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Julius Peppers let us know -- in classic Peppers fashion -- through his agent, Carl Carey, that he has signed the team's $16.7 million tender and is open to the idea of extending his career in Carolina.

This after a statement of dissatisfaction following a strange month in the Panthers organization where defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac walked away from his post and took a lesser job with the Packers to be their DL coach, with several other assistants following Trgovac out of town to other destinations. You would have thought the Panthers struggled this season, but lo they were 12-4 before getting dusted by the Cardinals in the playoffs at Bank of America Stadium.

Peppers is hard to read -- by his teammates, by the fans and, I suspect, by the Panthers' decision makers. He's a quiet, introverted man who eschews the spotlight yet who also pined to play elsewhere, perhaps in a bigger market. I spoke with a media member the other day who covered Peppers for a spell, and we both wondered why Peppers, being such a personal guy who likes to live outside the spotlight, would want to play for the Cowboys or Patriots, where coverage is non-stop year-round.

Now it appears he's back in the fold in Carolina, and after a terrific 2008 season and with an extension perhaps on the frontburner, Peppers (you'd think) would be in line for another big season.

But will he remain happy? It's so hard to tell. I have spent minimal time around him, but I have talked to his teammates and other people close to him, and even they have trouble figuring out what he might or might not feel down the road.

I suspect Peppers will become the highest-paid player in Panthers' history, surpassing Steve Smith's deal that runs through 2012 and averages somewhere between $10 million and $11 million annually. (And don't be surprised if the team tries to extend Smith past that after it gets things done with Peppers.)

I just don't know if we will see the '07 Peppers that was seldom heard from on the field or the '08 model that was a force to be reckoned with and, I thought, much better against the run that he had been in prior years. The new defensive scheme could be the change of pace Peppers was looking for, although I suspect it won't be vastly different from what they have run for some time now.

Because we don't really know Julius that well, it's hard to know what he'll be today or tomorrow, much less next season. Maybe he realized that cozy Charlotte, where he can defer to Smith and others, isn't so bad a place after all.

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Many of you probably have heard the sad news about high-school coaching legend Ed Thomas, who was shot and killed at Aplington-Parkersburg High School today. Former student and football player Mark Becker, 24, has been charged with first-degree murder in Thomas' death, the Des Moines Register is reporting.

Thomas coached NFL players Jared DeVries, Casey Wiegmann, Aaron Kampman and Brad Meester, among others.  DeVries left practice distraught when he heard the news. Meester spoke today about Thomas' legacy.

"There are so many things I could say about him," Meester said. "He was such a tremendous guy. Really a role model for all of us that have been at that school and anybody that’s known him.

"As a player he cared so much about each and every player that was there. As a (history) teacher he cared about each and every student. It’s just a tragic thing that’s really happened and it’s been hard to believe. There are so many people that love this guy. I know he means a lot to that town and all that he has done for that town. I know that they’re definitely devastated as we all are. It’s been a hard moment."

Here's what Kampman had to say:

“Coach Thomas was very special to me and many other young men from the Aplington-Parkersburg communities. His legacy for many will be associated with his tremendous success as a football coach.  However, I believe his greatest legacy comes not in how many football games he won or lost but in the fact that he was a committed follower of Jesus Christ. He lived his life trying to exemplify this faith and convey those values to those under his influence. His faith in Christ pervaded everything he did and that is why in the midst of the heartache we all feel there is comfort in knowing he is with his Savior.”

Thomas is a giant in Iowa high-school football, and he gained some national attention for helping rebuild the high  school after a tornado disaster a year ago. Here's a second, excellent story on Thomas and his football team from last year by the New York Times ' John Branch.

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Vontae Davis was arrested on June 9 in Champaign, Illinois. But it might have been another guy, not the first-round pick of the Dolphins. Or it might have been the guy who stole Davis' wallet.

Davis addressed the rumors that he was arrested in his blog and claims to be the victim of identity theft.

It appears that there is no way Davis the footballer could have been in Illinois at the time of the arrest, per comments from Dolphins PR man Harvey Greene.

Davis comes to Miami with some baggage and character questions, but it appears that he is not guilty of anything here -- other than perhaps bad luck.

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A month ago I wondered why Rex Grossman didn't have an NFL gig in this blog space. Then the Texans listened to me and offered him a contract. (OK, maybe it didn't happen exactly that way.)

But I am going to make the same supposition with Losman and wonder why he doesn't have an NFL job.

Right now, Losman is slated to play with the Las Vegas team in the UFL -- although by the league's lack of PR, I am guessing few people know that or know much about the league.

I think it's a shame that Losman hasn't gotten a chance yet to play with an NFL team. I thought he looked great last preseason but lost the job to Trent Edwards and never regained the confidence in his teammates when he did get a chance.

He has started 39 games in five seasons and had some fine moments. Losman clearly has the arm to play in the league and good scrambling ability. His biggest problem has been fumbles, sacks and interceptions -- and there are only so many teams who could live with high numbers of those.

I always wondered what a guy like Mike Martz could do with Losman. Sure, he's not the most accurate QB on the planet, but I bet Losman could put up big numbers, and Martz always could live with turnovers (and sacks) if his offenses were scoring points. I think it will take a patient QB coach and coordinator to love a guy like Losman eventually, but you can't tell me there is not a place in the NFL for him.

Along with Grossman, I think there is a stigma for former first-rounders who flame out with the teams that draft them. And yet quaterbacks such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, J.T. O'Sullivan, Dan Orlovsky, Josh McCown, Chris Redman, Damon Huard and others don't seem to have too much trouble getting jobs despite not having as much talent as Losman.

Maybe he wants a shot at being a starter, and there just are not a lot of jobs open right now. I think if Losman realizes he just needs to come in and do well somewhere he has a great chance to get back to starting at some point. Look at his 2006 numbers and you'll see this guy deserves another chance in the big league.

(Also, a programming note: Some of the blog entries from the old site between June 11 and June 19 did not make the transition properly to the new format, nor did most of your comments below the old entries. We apologize for that. Please help us make the new site full again with your sage words!)

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As most of you might know, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, the architect of the team's excellent defense, is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer now. He has been given a leave of absence while he recovers. There's a chance he could miss the season. In the interim, the team has named talented secondary coach Sean McDermott as his replacement and signed Brian Stewart (the Cowboys' coordinator last season) as the new secondary coach.

Andy Reid spoke today about Johnson and McDermott:

On whether he has an update on defensive coordinator Jim Johnson:
“There’s not much change from the last time I mentioned it. Some days are good days. Some days are not very good days. He is receiving chemotherapy, and pretty intense chemotherapy. There are just some days that that stuff gets you, and then there are other days that he feels pretty good. I have a chance to talk to him about every day, and he’s a battler.”

On whether he is confident in McDermott if he has to step in as defensive coordinator:
“Yeah. Absolutely. He had a great teacher. He had the best in the business teaching him.”

On whether the time between now and training camp will be different for McDermott this year:
“Yeah. We have a couple of new staff members there. He’ll continue to talk with them and meet with them. He won’t be in here every day and cranking away, but he’ll make sure that he has that all tied down by the time we get to Lehigh.” 

As I wrote the other day I don't think you can overlook Johnson's absence, even though McDermott by all regards is noted as a sharp, young coach with head-coaching potential.

Let's hear your thoughts. Are you concerned with Johnson perhaps being gone, Eagles fans? 

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The Wall Street Journal reports that Dan Marino is suffering, like the rest of us, from a sagging real estate market.

Are you looking for a one-of-a-kind property in the Miami area? Well, Marino has a place for you in nearby Weston, Fla. (25 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale) that is far cheaper than its original price -- off $2.4 million!

What a deal. I can dig the pond stocked with fresh bass and the 5,000-bottle wine cellar, but please! Only two powder rooms?! My designer will be doing something about that! 

I guess the Marino-signed ball makes up for that. 

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I am glad that Brad Childress is (reportedly) putting a cap on the Brett Favre thing. The coach wants to know who is starting QB will be by the end of this week, or if Favre doesn't come back, Childress wants to know what he has to choose from.

Here's how I look at the situation: Favre had the surgery electively, and he wants to join the Vikings. But he only will do so if he thinks he can avoid being the quarterback who slumped badly down the stretch last season with the Jets. Sure, the injury was the main reason why, but I think Favre even knows that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. He won't adjust to any arm injury; what you see is what you get, and he's still going to try to thread the needle on a 17-yard out pattern, bad wing or not. Knowing that, he would like to save face if he thinks he'll be too unhealthy by season's end to avoid that.

This story is tiring, I know. You guys hate it -- most of you, anyway. But let's face it: If Favre comes back, it's a big deal because it presumably makes the Vikings a better team. It vaults them, the thinking goes, from playoff contender to Super Bowl contender.

With all the Vikings have -- and they have a lot: an ace running game, a good line and receivers and a front-line defense -- around the quarterback, the question I pose to you is, how much better does Favre make this team?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the difference between Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson (or Tarsage Jackfels, if you will) and Favre with this team. Is it the difference between 10 wins nd 12? Eight and 10? Early playoff loser and Super Bowl team? Post your thoughts below, kindly.

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With Brian Westbrook's impending surgery (he'll have it on Friday) to clean up bone spurs around his ankle, that leaves the Eagles awfully thin at running back.

I talked to an Eagles coach last night -- well, we traded texts -- and they don't seem overly concerned. They have been down this road with Westbrook before, and as I wrote yesterday, they like what they have seen from rookie LeSean McCoy so far.

Fine. But with Lorenzo Booker as the only other back on the roster, there is a need for help. if the reports are true that Westbrook might be out until well into the preseason, or possibly right before the regular season, you'd have to think the team would go for a veteran option as insurance.

So what do they need? I would say they need a back who can handle two things -- inside running and pass blocking. That's probably their biggest shortcoming with a gimpy Westbrook and no proven third-down back. McCoy is said to be a work in progress in terms of his pass blocking.

Of the free-agent options available at running back, and there are many, it might be tempting to say that Edgerrin James or Deuce McAllister.

But believe it or not, I think someone like Michael Pittman -- the ultimate do-it-all guy -- would be a great fit, even at 33 (34 in August). He'd be more like Dorsey Levens, who played for Andy Reid in two stints in 2002 and '04. Pittman has played in a West Coast system before and would be a pinch hitter in any role they needed, even at fullback. I don't think players such as Ahman Green or Warrick Dunn would be as great of fits. Green almost has to be in a zone-blocking system, and Dunn might be too similar in size to McCoy and Booker.

Who should they sign? Or should they stand pat? 

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I had to miss the NBC teleconference to announce Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy, both recently retired from the game, as two new talents joining the Sunday night crew that will shift Cris Collinsworth from the studio to the booth to fill the large shoes of John Madden.

I am sorry I did. It began with a prank from Harrison, who said:

"Today is a very exciting day for me. Contrary to what you guys have reported, I just got off the phone with Coach Belichick and I'm very excited about getting acclimated with my teammates and getting back out on the field. Knee feels great. He told me that I don't really have to report until September 1. So I'm very excited about that."

And when the "announcement" was met with silence by the media members on the call, Harrison followed with a quick: "I'm just pulling your leg."

I have a feeling he is going to do a lot of talking this year, but little of it will be of the leg-pulling variety. Harrison never has pulled punches as a player -- so why would he has an announcer? Describing what his style will be, he said: "There are certain guys who you definitely respect their opinions, but other guys were afraid to come out and tell the hard-core truth. As an analyst, it's your job to be fair but honest. Sometimes you have to be brutally honest with guys you played with, guys who are your friends. You can’t shy away from certain questions.

"If there is a question in Week Eight, Week 10, when the Patriots play the Colts, if Tom Brady is not performing and everyone is questioning if his knee is bothering him, I'm going to have to mention that. I'm not going to be afraid to do that.

"When I played, I didn't have many friends. I'm sure I'm not going to make many friends now."

Starting with his opening conference ...

When asked about Peyton Manning's recent comments over the miscommunication that followed the retirements of Colts coaches Howard Mudd (offensive line) and Tom Moore (offensive coordinator), Harrison followed Dungy's comments with the following:

"This is something I've discussed with Coach Dungy and I think it gives Tom Brady the edge over Peyton Manning in terms of leadership. If this went on in New England, it wouldn't come out publicly. [Brady] wouldn't make a big fuss over it. So many guys are looking up to [Manning] that once they sense panic, they could panic. You have to control your emotions and not allow these things to get outside the walls."

Dungy attempted to reel things back in and perhaps protect his former QB by saying, "I'm not sure I would agree it was panic."

But Harrison came back with a quick follow-up: "As a player, it's your job to play football. This is OTAs. It's not even minicamp yet. There is no sense of panicking. These things can be worked out. He's been running the same offense for 11 years, it's not like it's new to him. That disappointed me, for him to publicly come out and say things. I thought it was a sense of panic."

I doubt NBC is panicking at this point. In fact, what a great debut for Harrison. He immediately showed how much of a lightning rod he can be without having a Warren Sapp-like or Deion Sanders-esque flair for the ridiculous. In fact, I compare Harrison at this point more to a guy like Shannon Sharpe, who indeed enjoys histrionics in his boadcast comments but also has a knack for making tough but fair criticisms.

Your thoughts? 

 

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As I cover the NFC East for PFW, I marveled the other day at how much defensive line depth there is in the division. Wow. It really is stunning. There are at least six and maybe as many as eight Pro Bowl talents at the position among the four teams. No other division can boast that quality and depth.

But ranking the players individually within the division? Tough chore. I decided to choose it anyway, so here goes.

Special thanks to Mike Wilkening, who compiled PFW’s position rankings for our preview magazine (now available) and did a bang-up job of a tough chore. I stayed with him on most of his picks, veering on a few others, but the list stands up to anything I have seen like it.

Onward …

1. Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth

Until further notice, he’s the most destructive force in the division — and he has yet to play a snap for the Redskins. Will he live up to the money he receives? Hmm, doubtful, but he should be a top-tier player for another two or three seasons. Not bad for a contract that amounts to about four years and $48 million. Guess that’s the going rate for destructo defensive tackles these days.

2. Giants DE Justin Tuck
3. Giants DE Osi Umenyiora

Tough call here, as I would have flip-flopped them before Umenyiora’s knee injury. Now, after that, I have to have Tuck first. He had a marvelous season and battled through some really painful and restrictive injuries the second half of the season. His play fell off as they mounted and as opponents slanted protection his way.

I expect Umenyiora to be a difference-maker once more, with perhaps a slight downtick in his sacks with fewer reps per game. That’s as much because of the Giants’ DL depth as it is him coming back from injury.

4. Eagles DE Trent Cole
5. Cowboys NT Jay Ratliff

Another tough call. First of all, it’s nearly impossible to compare the two players because they are so different, other than the fact that they came from relative obscurity (Cole was a fifth-rounder; Ratliff a seventh) to reach Pro Bowl level.

Cole has been perennially underrated, in my opinion. And though he struggles with some top offensive tackles, his motor constantly is running and he has learned to power through his lack of bulk to be a better fourth-quarter player. Playing in a nice rotation in Philly helps, but I think Cole is a blue-chip end whose game has become more well-rounded.

Few people outside Dallas realized just how big Ratliff was last season. He and DeMarcus Ware — who, for all intents and purposes, should be listed here too, but is a de facto linebacker — were the only consistent playmakers on a Dallas defense that alternatively was dominant and curiously bad. (Truthfully, the defense was only bad, per se, four times: the first Redskins game, the Rams game with little help from the offense, the first Giants game and the freakish Ravens debacle.) Ratliff appears a perfect fit in Wade Phillips’ slanting version of the 3-4 and I think can get even better. I only rated him a smidge below Cole because Cole has done it longer.

6. Eagles DT Mike Patterson
7. Eagles DT Brodrick Bunkley

Again, different styles, hard to differentiate. For me, I am putting another slight edge on hustle and consistency. Patterson is a bit squatty and doesn’t have Bunkley’s explosion, but he’s a high-energy mauler who relies as much on guile as he does raw ability. He’s a fun player to watch and (I assume) a coach’s dream.

One of these years Bunkley is going to punish the league’s offensive linemen. I think it might be this season. Watching his final year at Florida State, I thought he was the best penetrating nose or 3-technique I had seen in a long time, and he could play either position. I was stunned he dropped to the middle of the first round. It hasn’t quite panned out to my lofty expectations, but Bunkley shows enough flashes to make one think he’ll be a very good player in short order.

8. Giants DT Chris Canty
9. Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka

Canty is a converted five-technique who will kick down inside to battle against shorter, stouter guards. You don’t see many 6-foot-7 defensive tackles ever, and I wonder a little bit how Canty, who was never a big playmaker but rather a solid, scheme-fitting point-holder in Dallas, will pan out exactly. I think he’ll be good in Bill Sheridan’s defense, but with other players cleaning up the tackles, you might not hear Canty’s name called a lot this season.

Kiwanuka is a tricky one. I have followed his career since the B.C. days, and I like him a lot. But he wore down even more than Tuck down the stretch and will be relegated (if that’s the word) to third-DE status in New York, and perhaps a few moonlight performances as a stand-up strong-side performer. He’s a pass rusher, and they’re rare, so he gets the nod here. This just might not be his best season.

10. Cowboys DE Marcus Spears

To me, Spears could make a Canty-like jump in the final year of his deal. You can’t teach that frame, and though he has been less than thrilling to date, he also hasn’t had to with Greg Ellis playing over his left shoulder. I feel like Spears' career has taken a bit of a two-steps-forward-one-back progression, with each notch of improvement followed by spells of disappearance. Some 3-4 team, be it Dallas or Miami (Bill Parcells saw star potential when he drafted him), will go after him hard next season in free agency. But so far, I haven’t seen a lot to put him higher than this, and you could argue he might not deserve a top-10 ranking in the division.

Just missed the cut

Cowboys DE Igor Olshansky — Something tells me he will have a very nice season and will keep Ware happy.
Redskins DE-OLB Brian Orakpo — Talent is undeniable, but are the Redskins maybe throwing too much at him right away?
Redskins DE Andre Carter — Hard worker with good edge speed who gets worn down too easily.
Eagles DE Victor Abiamiri — An up-and-comer who could be the breakout player on the list. The Eagles like him a lot.
Giants NT Rocky Bernard — A two-down player on the deepest D-line in football.
Giants DT Fred Robbins — Hard not to see the writing on the wall here with all the additions. Terrific start to last season, but he fell hard and is well-worn.
Redskins DT Cornelius Griffin — If there’s anyone who will benefit from Haynesworth, it’s him. Maybe he has one season left, but the younguns (Kedric Golston, Anthony Montgomery) are pushing hard and fast.

Did I leave anyone out? Let’s hear your feedback.

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This is what happens when things are "slow."

I use quotes because in reality, league matters soon will be in full swing with the imminent discussions for a new collective bargaining agreement. But as far as the fan-friendly stuff -- player movement and actual on-field football activities -- goes, there just ain't much happening.

(An aside: I know fans are clamoring for information on "who looks good" in OTAs and the like, but if you attended these things, as we media sometimes are allowed, you would see what we see -- very little. That's because not much can be gleaned from these un-padded sessions. OK, back to the topic at hand.)

But a few stories have dominated the talk of the league the past few days, with varying degrees of interest if you ask me.

First, let's stop with the Terrell Owens obsession until he really does something stupid, can we? Correct me if I am wrong, but most readers don't want to hear every last Twitter message T.O. scribbles out (based on his shorthand grammar, I'd guess it was while driving, or lefthanded maybe) on his phone or every worthless sound byte he gives about his past employers and former teammates. It's silly.

I actually got mad when I heard ESPN say something along the lines of "wait until you hear what T.O. said about Tony Romo!" as a SportsCenter in-broadcast promo. I quickly reread the transcription from the Bills I looked at earlier in the day and thought I overlooked something. I hadn't. No, ESPN jumped all over this from Owens regarding Tony Romo's not referring to him by name: "I could care less. I mean, he doesn’t say my name, that’s fine. What about it? Bill Parcells didn’t call me by my name either, so what’s the difference?"

Am I really siding with Owens on this? Yes. It's ridiculous. It's not football. This is tabloid-esque stuff. There will come a time when Owens really does do something dumb and makes him and the Bills look bad. I say we wait until then.

Of more importance are the return of Tom Brady to health and the pending decision of Brett Favre. Clearly, they are football stories. Sick of them or not, you have to admit that the Patriots having their QB back and the Vikings potentially adding a Hall of Famer will have major impacts on their season.

I think the Favre story most bothers people because it seems that for every report that comes out, another one follows a day later that refutes the first one. There is a lot of unnamed sourcing in Favre-related stories, and that too I think bothers people. Will someone lose their job for guessing what the old man might do?

Am I alone here? Does this sort of coverage bother anyone else? If so, which storyline or player are you most sick of? Feel free to go off-list here, too. I know it's a slow time, in relative terms, but I refuse to get caught up in some things I don't deem newsworthy.

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The Cowboys are shopping DE-OLB Greg Ellis right now, but what they are finding is that they are not going to get anything in return -- not with a hearty salary left in the final year of his deal.

Instead, they probably will have to cut him. That would leave him as a free agent, and there surely are some teams who would kick his tires. There are just not enough good pass rushers out there, and Ellis is 33.

The Patriots, Dolphins and Buccaneers are teams that Ellis reportedly would consider signing with. But I think his best fit might be in Cincinnati. Yes, with the Bengals.

Hear me out. Coordinator Mike Zimmer worked with Ellis for seven years in Dallas. The first six were as a defensive end and the final season, in 2006, was as a linebacker in the Bill Parcells 3-4 scheme. Ellis and Zimmer both were resistant to the shift at first, but it proved to be a good thing for both. Ellis was having a terrific season through the midway point that year before suffering a season-ending injury.

Zimmer could use Ellis as a third-down pass rusher in place of DE Robert Geathers, who hasn't gotten to the QB much the last two years, or as a linebacker in some occasional 3-4 looks. There are some D-linemen on this team, such as rookie Michael Johnson and Jonathan Fanene, could could play in that scheme.

The Bengals badly need QB pressures, and Ellis could provide that in a limited role. That defense is becoming intriguing -- Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Dhani Jones, Domata Peko, Pat Sims, Leon Hall, Chinedum Ndukwe, Roy Williams. There's some talent there.

And Ellis could help out. 

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When Matt Jones was drafted in the first round by the Jaguars a few years ago, it caught many people off guard. Not only because of how high he went, 22nd overall, but by the team that picked him. I wrote a few Jones-related stories, talked to people close to him prior to that draft, and I had not heard the Jaguars mentioned at all. Credit to them, I guess, for keeping it on the D-Low.

Now, Jones' troubles had little to do with his location. But I didn't think it was a great place for him. The Jaguars clearly like to run the ball and ask their receivers to block a lot downfield. Not a great match for a QB-turned-wideout. And he rarely was used in creative ways after his rookie season, when he rushed 12 times and attempted three passes. The Jaguars coaches appeared to want him to focus completely on being a receiver and not being a "weapon."

Maybe the Jaguars were a few years ahead of the curve because players with Jones' skills appear to be all the rage these days. Of course, the biggest issue with Jones is hs maturity and focus. If he can convince an owner and GM that he's serious about staying clean and out of trouble and about playing receiver, Jones just might get himself a job -- and a decent one.

He's not a downfield receiver, never will be; only three of his 166 career receptions have gone for more than 39 yards. But he became an interesting possession guy last season, who averaged 5.4 catches a game and could develop into a 75-catch player in the right offense.

What about Dallas? Would Jerry Jones take a chance on an ol' Arkansas boy? I know they want a deep guy there, but Matt Jones could be a good insurance policy if Sam Hurd or Isaiah Stanback don't pan out. That still only would leave him fourth on he depth chart, but it's not as if Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin are world beaters. Jones would have a chance to move up and play in an offense that could use a dash more of pizzazz.

I believe Jones will make the most of his next situation. From most people I have talked to who are close to him, he's not a bad kid. He just got in some trouble, got a little off course and struggled to deal with his problems. Now that he's not facing a suspension, I think more teams will step up to try to sign him.

And he could be far better in his new city than he was in his last.

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I was thinking about Rex Grossman the other day. I was thinking maybe the guy has gotten a bit of a bad rap.

No, I haven't been the biggest Grossman supporter in the past, but I have tried not to let a few incidents between us -- he once turned me down for a story (his God-given right, after all) and snapped angrily at me after a game when I questioned his performance -- color my view of his ability as a quarterback.

Let's face it: He's erratic. (As a player, not his personality.) He wasn't the most beloved player in the Bears' locker room, but then again he wasn't hated by any stretch. Mostly, it was his up-and-down play that ran him out of Chicago. But to not have a job at this point is surprising to me.

I thought he would end up in Houston, but he left a free-agent visit there without a deal. If guys like Kyle Boller and Alex Smith still can have jobs, why can't Grossman? The guy did lead his team to a Super Bowl, after all, even though he had a mostly miserable game in soggy Miami.

Most teams have four QBs on their roster right now, and some have five. I am guessing there are about 120 quarterbacks with NFL contracts right now (including some undrafted and street free agents who haven't got a realistic chance to make a team), but Grossman isn't one of them. A bit strange to me.

And now that we know he's going to wait for an NFL job and not play in the UFL, I am curious who -- if anyone -- will give him a shot this season. Maybe an injury opens a door. Maybe Brett Favre spurns the Vikings, and Michael Vick isn't an option. Something should give Grossman a chance to land on his feet.

I think ... 

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Michael Vick has laid low since his release from prison and is said to be avoiding the spotlight, per his agent. That's good.

I think the guy ran in a bad crowd and has paid part of his debt to society. I think he will pay his debt to the NFL, too, in the form of a suspension. Four games? Eight? Who knows, but I don't think he'll wear an NFL jersey this season.

But at some point, he will join a team. I just have no idea which one. The only person I have spoken to about this extensively was a decision maker of a team who said at that point (this discussion was in late March, I believe) his team had no interest in Vick. But he suspected that a few teams would, and not just the usual suspects -- the Raiders, Buccaneers, Bengals, etc.

I ask you: How do you view Vick? Should be play again? If so, where -- QB, receiver, punt returner, "Wildcat" QB, or something else? Do you want him playing for your team? Should he play this season?

Let's hear your thoughts on the matter ... 

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Browns RS Josh Cribbs, unhappy with his current contract, may skip the club’s voluntary minicamp this week, according to multiple published reports. The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Monday that Cribbs will sit out the minicamp if progress toward a new deal is not made by 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday.

At issue is whether Cribbs, who is signed through 2012, has a working promise as to whether he would get a new contract. According to The Plain Dealer and The Orange and Brown Report, owner Randy Lerner had pledged to rework Cribbs’ deal. However, the Browns issued the following statement on Monday: "Contrary to published reports this morning, no one from the current Browns organization, including owner Randy Lerner, has ever made any promises to Josh Cribbs with regard to his contract status.”

Cribbs, 25, is regarded as one of the game’s top returners. In four NFL seasons, Cribbs has averaged 26.3 yards on kickoff returns and 10.6 yards on punt returns. He has taken back five kickoffs and one punt for scores. Cribbs also covers kickoffs and punts well, and the Browns may give him a look on defense this season.

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The Vikings added to their depth at fullback by signing lightly used ex-Redskin Nehemiah Broughton.

Broughton’s only NFL game action came in six games in 2005 and ’06, when he played on special teams mainly and had one carry for three yards. He was on injured reserve in ’07 and spent last season on injured reserve.

Broughton will compete with Naufahu Tahi and Jeff Dugan. The Vikings have kept three fullbacks on the roster at times in recent years.

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