Is Iguodala Invaluable or Superfluous?

Remember when we were good Allen?

Bill Simmons just came out with his annual top 50 player value rankings. Some notable young Sixers make the "snubs" section (Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner), but the most glaring offense has to be the omission of Andre Iguodala, the Sixers' leader and best player.

Simmons' list is all about trade value and while Iguodala is not going to be winning championships here anytime soon, he is by far our biggest bargaining chip to hit the reset button and get some younger talent with potential.

Here are 9 reasons why AI9 should be in the 30-40 range on his list...

1. Iguodala is in his prime and has fully matured as a player


2. His summer on the Team USA squad morphed him into a leader. A role he is fully embracing for the first time in his career.


3. He is one of the best (if not THE best) perimeter defender in the game


4. He has never made it past the first round of the playoffs... something that should fuel his hanger (hunger/anger).


5. He can guard the other team's best player the entire game... and be effective while doing it. Pretty invaluable in the playoffs, no?


6. He has a rebound rate (9.0) and assist rate (28.6) that are top 10 at his position


7. He can be a legit 3rd scoring option for a Championship-caliber team (17.8 PER/.530 TS%)


8. He is one of the most athletic players in the NBA and this versatility allows him to guard multiple positions


9. His contract expires in 2 years with a player option for the 2013-14 season... essentially wrapping him up for the entirety of his prime

It's sad that as this Sixers team is lost in NBA mediocrity, so to is Dre's value to the national media.

Observations from a Stupid Game

I'm currently in my anger phase and although I've forsworn ESPN for a week, I do happen to have this blog to get some feelings out there.

I really felt like I did my part as a fan. I tailgated for three hours. Lost my voice around the 3rd quarter. Lost feeling in my toes around the 4th. From an outside perspective, I never gave up hope that they could pull it out. And that's somewhat true. I did think that last drive was going to end in a touchdown. But it never should have come down to that last drive. The Eagles played so terribly that the Seahawks (gulp?) are more deserving of being in the playoffs than them.

Some observations:

Third Downs
The Eagles were 5-13 and the Packers were 8-13, but numbers don't tell the entire story. The offense was unable to convert at 3rd and 3 or shorter four different times, stalling some key drives. The defense did a little better, especially in the 4th quarter, but had a costly penalty in the first half that would have forced a punt, and instead, extended a TD drive.

Penalties
Inexperience plays a large part in this, but in no way excuses it. Our team is young. Of the 11 defensive starters in that playoff game, 6 of them were not starting week 1 against the Packers and 3 of them are former 7th round picks. Maybe this issue wouldn't be as glaring had the Packers made more mistakes, but they remained disciplined and finished with 2-15. The Eagles? 7-50.

Winston Justice is horrible
Justice played unbelievably poorly. He wasn't finishing run blocks. He was collapsing nearly every down in pass protection. At one point in the game, he had 3 penalties on 2 consecutive plays, forcing Vick to convert from 1st and 25 inside our own 15. In the 4th quarter he was replaced by King Dunlap V. Most of the game, he was assigned to block sure-fire Defensive POY Clay Matthews, but to be as effective as a hologram? Winston, I have no doubt you'll play in the NFL, I just don't want you on my team anymore.

Jamar Chaney is a force
Can anyone tell that the quarterback of our defense is a 7th round rookie who made his first start in week 15? Chaney has led the team in tackles each week he has started. He was a noticeable difference maker in his first playoff game, shedding blockers and penetrating the trenches. Prediction: A healthy Stewart Bradley will be moved to WILL (his position from college), Chaney will stay at MLB and Fokou will be our SAM. I'm confident in all three of them.

Michael Vick has major weaknesses
But they are fixable. Andy and Marty need to teach Vick to read the blitz whenever the off-season happens to start. Granted, our offensive line is terrible, but almost every play where protection broke down, Vick reverted to his Atlanta days and simply tried to buy time for himself without looking down the field. If the blitz was loaded to a particular side, Vick would try to scramble the other way instead of throwing into the blitz. He seems to be looking for the big play too often when we just need him to run the offense efficiently.

The Eagles are going to be very good next year
They are the 4th youngest team in the NFL and the youngest offense in the NFC. Assuming they keep Desean, Vick and Mikell, they are still far enough under the cap to make some moves. They could and should be in the running to get soon-to-be free agent CB Nnamdi Asomugha to put opposite Asante Samuel, debatably better than Cromartie and Revis. They also have assets. Kevin Kolb will demand at least a first round draft pick in a year when many teams are looking for help at the position and the draft class doesn't have a stud QB thanks to Andrew Luck's return to Stanford. We could be in a prime position to strengthen our offensive line and secondary while retaining the highest scoring offense in Eagles history.

The only immediate gratification from a first round loss is a January and February of stress-free football watching. Maybe next year.

Year in Review: The Top 5 Moments of 2010

I hate new years resolutions. I get the whole concept of setting yearly goals, but calling it a new years resolution is too artificial for me. As soon as you get into February the local gym suddenly has half as many members, the McDonald's drive-thru line wraps around the block and that cigarette that was supposed to be the very last one becomes an afterthought. Why? Because after one month, not a single person is in that "new year" mindset anymore.

Instead of telling myself I'm going to begin the blogging process anew in 2011, I decided to look back at why I stopped in 2010.

This blog clearly lacked a direction and overall theme which caused my main issue, I never knew what to write about. When I did write about things I was interested in (All-star voting, my love affair for Iverson) I found that the research required of me to turn it into the article I wanted it to be was taking away from my main two jobs that provide me with a career and source of income. Each NFL division preview took me upwards of 4 hours to write. Direction and time.

To solve both of these issues I am changing the direction from a general topic blog to a Philadelphia sports blog. From now on my focus will be on the trials, tribulations and successes of my teams.

Here are my top 5 Philadelphia sports moments from 2010:

5. Vick annihilates Redskins; makes football look easy

In Madden 2004, you could roll out of the pocket with Vick and use their newest feature, something they called "Playmaker", to direct your receivers on the fly. Vick happened to be the fastest on the field and any novice could easily buy an extra two or three seconds, an eternity for a QB.

The effectiveness of this play was akin to scoring goals in NHL '94, where you could take nearly any player, swoop down the boards and cut across the ice in front of the crease because the goalie couldn't move laterally. It was the cause of many fights in my household and led to a rule that you couldn't score goals that way.

Ten years later and we had a similar rule. NO VICK. He was too cheap. Too dynamic. Too prolific in his ability to score.

So on the first play of a frigid Monday night in November in DC, a game that was supposed to be a tightly contested match between division rivals, Vick went into video game mode and left the Monday night broadcasting crew without any proper adjectives to describe what they had just witnessed.

The eagles set team records for largest lead by a road team in a quarter (28-0) and most points in a first half (45). They also set a team record for total yards in a game (592).

Vick became the first player in NFL history to have over 300 yards passing, over 50 yards rushing, 4 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. He did this while having no interceptions or fumbles (and up until this point in the season he had no interceptions at all).

4. Cliff Lee spurns Yankees; Takes less money to play for Phillies

By far the most unexpected story in Philadelphia this year. Consider the Phillies as an organization before 2007. Until Jim Thome in 2003, they had never been able to sign a premier free agent. They were the losingest franchise in history (across all sports) and the first to reach 10,000+ losses. They had not been to the playoffs since 1993.

Since '07? Four straight division titles, two NL pennants and a World Championship. To say that this franchise has completely turned itself around is a gross understatement. Roy Halladay took less money than his market worth to play here. Cliff Lee turned down $50 million and two years to play here. Cole Hamels is now our #4 starter.

The Phillies have become a complete powerhouse in the NL, but I still laugh at people who suggest we are the Yankees and Red Sox or that we are simply "buying" our teams. The Phillies became a powerhouse the old-fashioned way. It's what every franchise dreams of doing. They used homegrown talent (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels) and surrounded themselves with key role players. They gave Jayson Werth a second shot after a failed stint with the Dodgers. They sniped Victorino from the Rule 5 draft. They built a great new ballpark to accommodate a fan base that was sick of Veterans Stadium. The Phillies began selling out game after game and soon the payroll grew because revenue was growing, not because of an owner with bottomless pockets.

Sorry New York, entitlement is earned, not inherited.

3. Roy Halladay tosses the 2nd Playoff No-No in History... and I was there

When I listen to my dad talk about the Mike Schmidt led Phillies in the '80s or the Bobby Clarke Broad Street Bullies of the '70s, I can hear the excitement in his voice. He was there. He lived it. When he talks about it you can tell that it conjures up those same incredible feelings he felt way back before he had me.

Now I have one of those moments. I remember standing with 46,410 other people, including my friend Dan who took me to the game, screaming out what was left of my voice as I worked on my 4th or 5th beer. I remember Carlos Ruiz dropping to his knees to field a broken bat bunt. I remember celebrating so raucously that I spilled beer on the entire row in front of me. I remember singing high hopes and high-fiving nearly everyone in site as we exited the ballpark.

The fact that this moment is only #3 on my list makes me feel incredibly spoiled. It was a great year for Philadelphia sports indeed.

2. Miracle at the New Meadowlands

I was at my old stomping ground in San Francisco, a Philly bar called Jake's Steaks in the marina. They do it right. There is a mural of boathouse row painted across all the walls. A large banner hangs above the back wall and reads "Welcome to Eagle's Country." The employees have Phillies t-shirts. They import Amaroso rolls and cheese whiz. There is a case of Tastycakes behind the counter. I watched nearly every Eagles game there over the past two years. I watched the Phillies win the World Series there in '08. I know the owner and nearly all of the regulars. When the Eagles score touchdowns, they play the fight song and toss green jello shots out to all of the patrons. It's simply a great place to watch the game.

My vacation in San Francisco happened to coincide with the biggest Eagles game of the year. Eagles vs Giants at the New Meadowlands. I was at the game they played in Philly and without a 50-yard LeSean McCoy run and a fluke Eli Manning fumble, we might not be talking playoffs this year.

The game started out pretty terrible, which was only made worse by the fact that my friend was openly rooting for the Giants. On an early Vick interception, she was so surprised and delighted that she let out a loud squeal. I received some death stares from the other people there as I quickly tried to assure them that I had no idea who she was. The game stayed terrible until 8:17 left in the 4th quarter. The Eagles were down 31-10. Then the jello shots started flying.

Vick to Celek for a 65-yard TD - 31-17 7:29 left

(meh still game over)

Onside kick recovered by the Eagles

(okay let's see what we can do)

Vick 4-yd TD run - 31-24 5:28 left

(this is a game, but we still have to stop them)

Giants run out the clock and manage to get a first down, but punt - 3:01 left

(holy shit could this possibly be happening?)

Eagles face a 3rd and 10 at their own 12, but Vick scrambles for 33 yards to keep the drive alive. Eagles score on a 13-yd TD pass to Maclin - 31-31 1:16 left

(HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THIS WOULD BE THE BEST COMEBACK EVER)

Giants go 3 and out - :14 left

(There's no way they punt it to Desean right?...)

Then this happened

The Eagles have never scored 28 points in the 4th quarter, but they did just that to seal off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history and ultimately end the Giants playoff hopes for 2010. Double sweet.

1. Flyers overcome 3-0 series deficit, 3-0 game 7 deficit to stun Bruins

The NHL employs a group of psychics to run their marketing campaigns. The tagline for the 2010 playoffs boldly declared "History Will Be Made". Sure, every Stanley Cup Champion ultimately goes down in the history books, but historical moments are few and far between. Would we really see anything special this postseason?

Consider this Flyers team. They had high expectations going into the season, picked by many to win the Eastern Conference. They had an up and down season, but mostly down. They weren't able to find any kind of identity. They fired their coach midway through the season. After Ray Emery went down they were forced to rely on journeyman Michael Leighton and career backup Brian Boucher. Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere were in the midst of the worst slumps in their careers. People were calling for Jeff Carter's head. The season came down to a play-in game just to get into the playoffs against the Rangers during the last game of the season. They won that game on a shoot out. There was no room for error whatsoever. One wrong bounce during the course of an 82-game season and this comeback never even has a chance to happen.

Down 3-0 in the series after a devastating 4-1 game 3 loss, all seemed hopeless. And when I say seemed hopeless it's because no one actually felt that way. Whether it was the fact that we probably didn't deserve to be in the playoffs or that we had dispatched our rivals in New Jersey and their expensive new Kovalchuk toy, there was not much panic amongst the fans, players or coaches.

Meanwhile, Boston tensed up. It was as if they were playing to not lose, which they failed at miserably.

Simon Gagne came back from injury for game 4 and produced a slick game-winning goal in OT to keep the playoff hopes alive. This took the series back to Boston where the Flyers played demonstrable hockey, shutting them out 4-0. Game 6 back in Philly was a tightly contested match, but saw the Flyers eke away with a 2-1 win on the strength of a Briere PP Goal.

So the stage was set. Down 3-0, the Flyers at least had a chance to prove the NHL prognosticators right and make history.

Game 7 became a microcosm of the series. The Flyers went down 3-0 within the first 15 minutes of the first period. Boston would not let themselves wind up on the wrong end of a trivia question. It didn't look like the Flyers were ready to match their intensity after all.

Then Peter Laviolette called a timeout that will be known forever in Philadelphia sports history as "The Timeout". James van Riemsdyk scored in the waning seconds of the period to give the Flyers life. In the 2nd period, Hartnell and Briere (our two biggest season slumpers) scored. Tie game. 3-3. Just like the series.

Then with 7 minutes left in the 3rd period, Simon Gagne lifted a puck over Tuukka Rask's shoulder to seal the game. History was made.

Oh Hey 2011... didn't see you there

Now that 2010 is out of the way, I'd like to make some predictions for 2011... some bold and some... not so much

The Flyers will win the Stanley Cup
Sure, I'm a homer, but it's not like they can't do it. They have one of the deepest offenses and defenses in the league. This team was built for a playoff run. The fact that they are having a great season and getting production from all lines is a great sign. The only question that remains is the same question that's existed for the past two decades: Got goalie?

The Eagles will lose to the Packers this Sunday
I want more than anything for this prediction to be wrong, but I don't like our chances. We match up horribly with the Packers' deep receiving corps and their speedy and talented secondary matches up very well with ours. This game will ultimately come down to Vick, but Clay Matthews scares the crap out of me. I can see us taking the lead, but our D not being able to stop Rodgers' game-winning drive.

Michael Vick will be extended as an Eagle through the 2013 season
This is a lock barring any ridiculous injury in the playoffs. I think they will get at least a first-rounder for Kolb.

The Sixers will make the playoffs and lose in the first round (if Iguodala isn't traded)
Oh NBA purgatory, how I resent thee. There's about as much parity in the NBA as there is fun allowed in the NFL, which is to say, NONE. The Sixers are talented, young and athletic. They have great role players and a deep bench. Elton Brand is having a great comeback year. Jrue Holiday looks to be on the path to stardom. That's about where I'm going to stop the compliments. They have no frontcourt other than Brand and Iguodala looks to be on the trading block. They have no alpha dog or any player I would definitively trust in crunch time. Evan Turner has shown flashes of promise, but looks to be a bust on the virtue that he was the 2nd overall pick. I will probably be into my 30s before the Sixers are title contenders again.

The Phillies will win the World Series
This one I actually believe whole-heartedly. Quick, name the team affected by the most injuries last year. Okay, now name the team who had the best record in all of baseball. Hint: They're the same one. The Phillies lost every regular starter except for Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez to the DL. Rollins had three separate stints. They were without J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge for extended time as well. They weren't able to field their every day lineup until the end of August just before the playoffs. And it showed. Utley looked labored in the playoffs. The team didn't have that same fire it had in previous years. 2011 will be different. Injuries will regress back to the mean and production will rise. This is all without even mentioning our rotation which can be summed up thusly:

H₂0Lee Sh*t

Iverson to China?

Reports are filtering in that former #1 draft pick and face-of-the-Sixers-franchise, Allen Iverson plans to take his talents to South... Beijing? As a fan of the NBA, this is depressing. Iverson is a past league MVP and three-time scoring champion. He is considered by most to be destined for Springfield, Massachusetts. As a die-hard Sixers fan that grew up during Iverson's prime years and single-handedly sparked my interest in basketball, this is devastating. When life seems stuck in neutral, sports are a great reminder of how quickly things can change for the better or (in Iverson's case) the much worse.

Iverson could perhaps be the most polarizing athlete in the history of Philadelphia sports to the national media. More than Chamberlain, Barkley, Dykstra, Burrell, Lindros or McNabb. But to Philadelphia, he was, is and will always be a hero. He is one of the most interesting cases of misunderstood athletes.

Thug Life. Iverson was raised in Hampton, Virgina by his single 15-year-old mother. Life was difficult. He fell in with with a core group of friends, calling themselves Cru Thik. In high school, he was a two-sport star. He managed to win the State Championship in both Football (QB, CB and KOR/PR) and Basketball in the same year. His senior year he was involved in a Bowling Alley brawl divided along racial lines. ESPN did a 30 for 30 on it called "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson." It is unbelievably compelling. Needless to say, when the Sixers drafted him, his perception was that of an uneducated thug.

No Stranger to the Spotlight. Iverson blew up expectations and had the entire city talking about his ceiling potential. He won Rookie of the Year in a very strong class (Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash) and demonstrated his devastating crossover on a pretty good player. He followed up this performance with a scoring title in only his third year. Iverson was good. We just didn't know how good until his fifth year.

Carrying a team city on his back. I remember 2001 so vividly. We started the season 10-0. Everything was clicking. All of the key role players were in place to make a title run (Theo Ratliff/Dikembe Mutombo, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, Matt Geiger, Aaron McKie and Eric Snow). Iverson was unstoppable. He won the MVP and scoring title, averaging 31.1 points/game during the regular season. No one else averaged more than 12. In the playoffs, he stepped it up, scoring 32.9 points/game. They blew by Indiana in the first round, but went 7 games with Toronto and Milwaukee. At one point during the Toronto series, he traded 50 point games with Vince Carter.

Game 2: Iverson, 54 points - Sixers win
Game 3: Carter, 54 points - Raptors win
Game 5: Iverson, 52 points - Sixers win

After winning the Eastern Conference Championship, they took game 1 from the Lakers in LA and every Philadelphian learned the name Tyronn Lue. It was an incredible time to be a Sixers fan. Despite the loss, there was optimism for the future. Iverson was only 25 (entering his basketball prime) and there was plenty of time to surround him with dangerous players and perennially compete for a championship.

Snowballing. This was the first and last great year for the Sixers. Starting with his infamous press conference in 2002 and ending with a domestic dispute with his wife, Iverson seemed distracted. He still gave a blue-collar effort on the court, but his off court shenanigans left many fans wondering if he put in the Kobe-like work ethic to sustain for the long-term. I guess we all know the answer to that now.

Journeyman Starter? I didn't follow Iverson's career too closely after he left Philadelphia, but I did watch his return to the city of brotherly love. I get very emotional watching my teams, but rarely does something compel me to shed tears. Iverson received a minute and a half standing ovation fighting back tears. He pandered to the crowd with his signature hand cupping the ear and kissed the 76ers logo at mid court. A decade's worth of emotions, frustration and unrealized expectations all coming out in one moment. Yet, that night, we were all family again. His 2nd return was not as anticipated. At this point in his career, Iverson was brought back to sell tickets. Still, it conjured those old feelings that when Iverson was starting, we had a chance to win every game.

Now, after a decade of hall-of-fame caliber play, Iverson is an alcoholic and carries a seemingly insurmountable gambling debt. He only knows how to do one thing well: play basektball. Unfortunately for him, not a single NBA team wants him. It's incredible to think that it has come to this for him. Iverson must go to China, just to survive and continue to provide for his family. Best wishes and like always, I'll still be rooting for you.

What's in Ruben Amaro's Cupboard?

In order to obtain Roy Halladay, Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had to "empty the cupboard." They shipped off coveted prospects LHP Kyle Drabek, C Travis D'Arnaud and OF Michael Taylor to Toronto. But Amaro, stressed to find his cupboard bare, needed to restock with unproven talent. He shipped Cliff Lee (who had a year remaining at a paltry $8 million) to the Mariners in exchange for RHP Phillippe Aumont, OF Tyson Gillies and RHP Juan Ramirez.

Let's check in with our newest cupboard ornaments, shall we?

RHP Phillippe Aumount - the 6'7" 21-year-old performed so poorly in Double-A Reading this year that he was demoted to Single-A. He posted a 7.43 ERA before being sent down.

OF Tyson Gillies - the 6'2" 22-year-old was batting only .238 in Double-A Reading this year before being arrested for felony cocaine possession. Are you fucking kidding me?

RHP Juan Ramirez - In 73 Innings of Double-A Reading ball, Ramirez has gone 3-3 with an unspectacular ERA of 5.18.

What a lovely cupboard you have Ruben.

NFC South Preview

Over the next few weeks until the NFL season begins I will be doing division by division previews. You can check out my previous division previews here:

• NFC North

Next up is the NFC South.


Last Year's Record: 3-13 (4th in Division)
Last Year's Story: A year removed from a 9-7 record and a near-playoff berth that they squandered in the last week of the season, the Buccaneers looked to build on their chances with new TE acquisition Kellen Winslow and a slew of talented rookies including eventual QB-of-the-future Josh Freeman. The offseason was a transitional mess otherwise. Long-time defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin left for greener pastures to join his son in Tennessee and Raheem Morris, then defensive backs coach, was promoted to replace him. Inexplicably, Jon Gruden was fired in January, paving the way for Morris to become the NFL's youngest head coach (33). What a way to get thrown into the fire.

With the departure of aging veteran QB Jeff Garcia, training camp became a QB battle between Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown, taking precious snaps away from Josh Johnson and Freeman. Leftwich won and McCown was shipped off to Jacksonville. After starting 0-2 he was benched during week 3 and replaced with Johnson. Johnson proceeded to go winless up until their bye week when he was replaced by Freeman. To make matters worse, Tampa lost their starting C Jeff Faine in the first game of the season.

When Freeman took over after the bye week, he led the Buccs to a 38-28 upset at home against Green Bay. Down 28-17 with about 12 minutes remaining in the game, Freeman drove down the field twice, throwing for touchdowns both times. In his first NFL start, his final stat line was 14/31 with 205 yds 3 TD 1 INT good for a QB rating of 86.1. Not too shabby, especially when you consider the talent around him. WR Antonio Bryant and Winslow were nice targets, but neither force a team to gameplan around them. RB Derrick Ward was acquired in the offseason from the Giants, but was an extreme disappointment as a sidekick to Cadillac Williams. Ward played in 14 games but only amassed 400 yards and 1 TD. Williams, meanwhile, played in all 16 games putting up a slightly more respectable yet unspectacular stat line of 800 yards and 4 TD.

The other side of the ball had a very respectable pass defense. Led by CB Aqib Talib (5 INT) and FS Tanard Jackson (5 INT) they ranked 10th in pass yards allowed per game. This was the sole area in which the defense excelled. The line was unable to generate much pressure, sacking the QB only 28 times (good for 26th in the league) and giving up an astounding 158.2 yards/game and 4.8 yards/carry (both good for last in the league).

Key Additions: DT Gerald McCoy (3rd Overall), DT Brian Price (35th Overall), WR Arrelious Benn (39th Overall), SS Sean Jones (Eagles), WR Reggie Brown (Eagles), P Brent Bowden (172nd Overall)

Key Subtractions: WR Antonio Bryant (Bengals), QB Byron Leftwich (Steelers), DL Jimmy Wilkerson (Saints)

Injuries: WR Maurice Stovall (ankle), TE Kellen Winslow (knee) - both are probable for the start of the regular season.

Predicted Finish: 3-13
The Buccs are young, inexperienced and lacking talent at the skill positions, but have a relatively easy schedule to navigate this year. Unfortunately I think they'll still be the stomping ground of the NFC South.

Let's get the positive out of the way first. Josh Freeman can play in this league. The question is whether he can play with Reggie Brown and rookies Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams (101st Overall) as his top 3 receivers. Brown couldn't even hold down a roster spot in Philadelphia and relying on green wide receivers with a QB that still needs to mature could be a recipe for disaster. Without strengthening the offensive line or RB positions in the offseason, the Buccs are expecting a bounce back from Cadillac and Ward. I don't see it happening. Defenses can simply stack the box and play the pass coverage man-to-man. Neither RB is talented enough to overcome this.

The defense is young, but could see significant improvement this year. McCoy and Price are very talented and will anchor the line for the foreseeable future. The secondary is still strong and was able to improve their depth with the addition of Jones. The linebackers need to improve, but have a very solid middleman in Barrett Ruud. They should be just as effective against the pass with the ability to generate more pressure up front, but only slightly better against the run. I don't expect them to finish last this year, but I do expect them to give up a ton of points. Unless the offense is consistently firing on all cylinders, the Buccaneers won't win many games.

Offensive MVP: Josh Freeman
Defensive MVP: Gerald McCoy

Fantasy Boom: Kellen Winslow - Young QBs are notorious for targeting the biggest guys on the field. This will be no exception. Winslow is the most talented athlete on the field for them. He must remain healthy.
Projected Stats: 85 rec 850 yds 6 TD
Fantasy Bust: Derrick Ward - Cadillac Williams is still the feature back, so Ward will have to make the most of his carries. Ward stands at only 5'11" 228 lbs and will probably not see time in goal line situations.
Projected Stats: 120 car 500 yds 3 TD
Fantasy Sleeper: Josh Freeman - Although he threw for more interceptions than TDs last year, his talent is obvious. The Buccs have found their franchise QB and he should benefit from another year under the center, but consider him a deep, deep sleeper without much talent surrounding him.
Projected Stats: 3000 yds 15 TD 24 INT


Last Year's Record: 8-8 (3rd in Division)
Last Year's Story: The Panthers were coming off a successful '08 campaign, riding the coattails of stud RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to a first seed bye before being upset at home against the Cardinals in a complete meltdown by Jake Delhomme (6 turnovers).

Delhomme, in a bid for consistency, proceeded to open the '09 season in the same way with 4 INT in a week 1 home loss against Philly. He was erratic the rest of the season, leading the team to a 4-7 record and throwing for 8 TD and 18 INT, until he was benched in week 13 for Oregon State product Matt Moore. The Panthers had weapons-o'-plenty with their running back tandem (combined 2250 yards 17 TD) as well as superstar WR Steve Smith (982 yards 7 TD), leading some to believe that the poor record should be attributed mostly to Delhomme. Moore set out to prove those pundits right as he led the Panthers to a 4-1 record while throwing for over 1000 yards 8 TD 2 INT at 61.6% (a QB Rating of 98.5). Moore did this against decent opponents as well, beating a Minnesota team that was still trying to clinch a first round bye in week 15, blowing out the Giants at the Meadowlands in week 16 (and effectively ending their playoff hopes) and beating the Saints during the last week of the season (albeit without their starters).

Overall, the defense could be deemed a success last year. They crushed opponents' passing attacks, limiting them to 191 yds/game (4th Overall) and were able to prevent the opposition from scoring over 20 points/game (9th Overall), but failed miserably against the run (22nd Overall). Hellacious DE Julius Peppers led the team with 10.5 sacks, but no one else was able to get much pressure. MLB Jon Beason continued to be an absolute beast (142 tackles, 1 FF 3 INT) earning his second Pro Bowl trip and CBs Richard Marshall and Chris Gamble were solid as well. Despite Delhomme's 18 interceptions, the Panthers actually posted a positive turnover differential (+6).

Key Additions: QB Jimmy Clausen (48th Overall), DT Ed Johnson (Colts), WR Brandon LaFell (78th Overall), WR Armanti Edwards (89th Overall)

Key Subtractions: DE Julius Peppers (Bears), WR Muhsin Muhammad (retired), QB Jake Delhomme (Browns), LB Na'il Diggs (Rams), DT Damione Lewis (Patriots), DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu (Redskins)

Injuries: WR Steve Smith (arm) and RB Jonathan Stewart (heel) were both banged up in training camp, but should be fine by the regular season.

Predicted Finish: 9-7
It's difficult to predict how well the Panthers will do this season. I think they can be anywhere from mediocre to a legitimate playoff team. The offense improved greatly at QB, but it remains to be seen whether Matt Moore can find consistency as a starter across a full season. Fortunately, in his limited appearances, he has few turnovers and seems to let his weapons work for him. Moore could have a very good season and fly under the radar. The lack of a #2 receiving option with the retirement of Muhsin Muhammad will definitely hurt, but the superior ground attack will force opponents to stack the box. Moore should have enough time behind a solid offensive line to produce.

The one glaring issue is the defense. The Panthers lost 4 starters from their front 7. Julius Peppers will be the most impactful loss. He led the team with 10.5 sacks last year. DEs Tyler Brayton and Everette Brown (combined 7.5 sacks last year) look to fill his shoes. Ed Johnson should help with the run defense, but he was injured too often in Indianapolis and has only played in 5 games the past two years. The secondary remains largely the same and there is no reason to suspect a drop-off in production.

It will be interesting to see what they do with Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. Moore will be on a short leash if he fails to live up to expectations and Clausen would be expected to take over the reins. If Moore is good, the Panthers will have an interesting dilemma on their hands. Clausen was the most NFL-ready QB coming out of this draft and could be used as trade bait.

Offensive MVP: Steve Smith
Defensive MVP: Jon Beason

Fantasy Boom: Steve Smith - I think it's about time Steve Smith started being the best Steve Smith in the league again. His stats in 4 games with Moore: 19 rec 378 yards 3 TD
Projected Stats: 80 rec 1200 yds 10 TD
Fantasy Bust: Dante Rosario - the Panthers are weak at TE. Rosario will be the main option, but with Jeff King and Gary Barnidge in the equation, they figure to spread the ball around. Rosario will suffer.
Projected Stats: 30 rec 280 yds 1 TD
Fantasy Sleeper: Jonathan Stewart - Entering his 3rd season, he has scored 10 TDs in each of the past two years while boasting a YPC of 4.9. If he can stay healthy, he should see his touches increase.
Projected Stats: 240 car 1300 yds 10 TD


Last Year's Record: 9-7 (2nd in Division)
Last Year's Story: Matt Ryan improved in his 2nd full year as a starter and went 9-5, throwing for close to 3000 yards 22 TD 14 INT and a QB rating of 80.9. He was resilient for most of the season, but sat out two key games in the thick of the playoff race due to turf toe. This ended up being the Falcons undoing as they lost both games and failed to make the playoffs. RB Michael Turner experienced a breakthrough season in '08 and led the NFL with 376 carries, but was hampered by an ankle injury and missed most of 6 games in '09. RBs Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling carried the load in his absence, the latter being the better of the two. TE Tony Gonzalez continued to give linebackers nightmares at 34 years old, boosting his already stellar Hall of Fame resume. The one major concern on offense, besides injuries was a lack of a 2nd receiving option behind dynamic Pro Bowler Roddy White. Combined, Gonzalez and White caught 17 TD passes. The rest of the team? 9.

The defense was inconsistent, ranking 28th against the pass. Part of this was due to a terrible pass rush which finished 26th in the league in total sacks. DT Jonathan Babineaux (6 sacks), DE John Abraham (5.5 sacks) and DE Kroy Biermann (5 sacks) supplied the majority of the pressure, but after them the depth falls out. The team was not able to replace DT Peria Jerry, who succumbed to a season ending ACL tear in September. The front 7 were decent against the rush, finishing 10th in the league. They were led by LBs Mike Peterson and Curtis Lofton. FS Thomas DeCoud (3 INT 2 FF) and CB Brent Grimes (6 INT) were the lone bright spots on a pass defense that was otherwise torched by the opposing QBs, giving up 300 yards by an individual passer 6 times. Despite the lack of consistency in the secondary, the Falcons posted a turnover differential of +3.

Key Additions: CB Dunta Robinson (Texans), LB Sean Weatherspoon (19th Overall), DT Corey Peters (83rd Overall)

Key Subtractions: CB Chris Houston (Lions), CB Tye Hill (Rams)

Injuries: WR Mike Jenkins (shoulder) - out 3-5 weeks. A team already depleted at WR cannot afford to have Jenkins miss a lot of time. Worth keeping an eye on.

Predicted Finish: 10-6
They say you hit your stride during the 3rd year of your NFL career. If this is true, it's great news for Matty Ice and the Atlanta Falcons. With a feast of weapons at the skill positions, the only thing that should hold the Falcons back from a spot in the playoffs this year is the injury bug. I expect the Falcons to contend for a wild-card spot, but they aren't good enough to challenge the Saints for the division yet.

Turner should have a bounce-back year and will get over 300 carries if he can remain healthy. Coach Mike Smith loves running the ball. The team ranked 11th in attempts last year and 2nd in '08. Tony Gonzalez is on the decline, but until he has an unproductive season, I won't write him off. Gonzalez has only missed two games in his 13 year career. Astounding. The injury to Mike Jenkins could be decisive if Turner is unable to get back to '08 form. Roddy White is a top 5 receiver in this league, but Ryan will have little else to throw to. The offensive line remains intact from last year returning all five members. They should benefit from this consistency.

The defense improved in an immediate area of concern: cornerback. 6-year veteran Dunta Robinson was brought in to play opposite Grimes. The Falcons also strengthened their front 7 with the drafting of Weatherspoon and Peters. Both are expected to receive significant playing time this year. The defense will improve their pass coverage without dropping off the production in their run defense.

Offensive MVP: Matt Ryan
Defensive MVP: John Abraham

Fantasy Boom: Roddy White - the only thing holding him back from upper-elite WR fantasy status is the lack of a #2 option across from him. Teams will try to shut down White -- but they won't be very successful.
Projected Stats: 100 rec 1400 yds 8 TD
Fantasy Bust: Jason Snelling - the "bust" aspect of this will depend largely on the health of Turner. If Turner is back, he will get the lion's share of the load, rendering Snelling useless.
Projected Stats: 80 car 300 yds 2 TD
Fantasy Sleeper: Matt Ryan - he sports a positive TD/INT ratio with only 2 seasons under his belt. Ryan has a strong arm and many weapons around him. I wouldn't be surprised to see him finish in the top 10 for fantasy QBs.
Projected Stats: 3800 yds 24 TD 14 INT


Last Year's Record: 13-3 (1st in Division), 3-0 Playoffs, Super Bowl Champions
Last Year's Story: This is the one story where I have nothing negative to say. The Saints annihilated their competition to start the season 13-0. Annihilated may even be taking it easy. The Saints somehow managed to outscore their opponents 466 to 274 during this run. The offense claimed the 4th best passing attack and 6th best rushing attack in the league, notching over 30 points 12 different times (including the playoffs).

Drew Brees did not have his best statistic year, but he did have his best all around year, flinging for 4388 yds 34 TD 11 INT at a RIDICULOUS 70.6 % (QB Rating 109.6). The ball was spread around with no receiver scoring over 9 TDs, but 8 different guys were able to contribute 2 or more. WRs Marques Colston and Devery Henderson combined for 1900 yards and 11 TDs. TE Jeremy Shockey contributed significantly as well. The three-headed ground attack consisted of RBs Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell. Bell had the most carries, but Thomas contributed the most yards. Bush was a threat on the screen as well. All-Pro Jahri Evans flanked a fantastic offensive line which only allowed 20 sacks on Brees all year, ranking 4th in the league.

The offense needed to be this good, because the defense was porous. It ranked 26th against the pass and 21st against the run. The defense also gave up 20 or more points 13 times (including the playoffs) and ranked 20th in the league in points allowed/game. All-Pro Darren Sharper had a career year, picking off 9 passes and returning 3 of them for TDs. DE Will Smith (13 sacks) leads a line of savvy veterans, none of whom stand out as superstars. The line as a whole was mediocre at bringing pressure, tallying 35 sacks (good for 13th in the league). CBs Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer form one of the best tandems in the league and accumulated 6 interceptions between themselves. MLB Jonathan Vilma is a stud, but the rest of the linebacking corps is sub-par. The Saints ranked 3rd in the NFC with a +11 turnover differential. Even though the defense had what could be considered a down year, does it really matter? The team won the Super Bowl. Enough said.

Key Additions: DE Alex Brown (Bears), LB Clint Ingram (Jaguars), DE Jimmy Wilkerson (Buccaneers) CB Patrick Robinson (32nd Overall), OT Charles Brown (64th Overall)

Key Subtractions: RB Mike Bell (Eagles), OT Jammal Brown (Redskins), LB Scott Fujita (Browns), DE Charles Grant (Dolphins)

Injuries: WR Robert Meachem (toe) has missed some training camp, but is expected to be fine.

Predicted Finish: 13-3
I don't see any reason why the defending Super Bowl Champs couldn't repeat this year. Their super-powered offense is wholly intact and the defense improved through offseason acquisitions.

I don't think the offense will be as great as they were last year when they averaged 31.9 points/game, but then again I don't think they have to be. Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind and will still have this team firing on all cylinders. Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas will be enough to carry the load. The Saints' WR corps is one of the best in the league and TE Jeremy Shockeyy has a knack for making the big catch. The offensive line is one of the best in the league and should remain that way. Last year's absurd 70% completion rate by Brees is what happens when an elite QB gets time to let the play develop (See: Tom Brady, 2007).

The defense has improved in all areas and the additions of Brown and Ingram will provide some much needed depth. Sharper is a ball-hawk and should have another stellar season. The addition of Robinson will strengthen the secondary as well. The defense is still not one of the league's elite units, but they have enough veterans and playmakers to get by from week to week.

Offensive MVP: Drew Brees
Defensive MVP: Will Smith

Fantasy Boom: Drew Brees - do you really need a reason?
Projected Stats: 4400 yds 30 TD 10 INT
Fantasy Bust: Jeremy Shockey - with too many options on offense, Shockey's looks have suffered. Since 2006, he has seen a decline in receptions every year.
Projected Stats: 45 rec 500 yds 2 TD
Fantasy Sleeper: Pierre Thomas - with Mike Bell gone, Thomas will get more touches. It's a good thing too since he racked up an impressive 5.4 YPC last season.
Projected Stats: 200 car 750 yds 8 TD, 20 rec 160 yds 2 TD

K-Rod Breaks Hand, Face, Career in One Punch

No, Francisco Rodriguez did not reveal his identity as Superman, but he did do something extremely dumb. The Mets' struggling closer was in an altercation with his girlfriend's father over the weekend and threw a strike that actually hit the zone. Apparently, no one has been working with him on his punch mechanics and he ended up tearing a ligament in his right thumb.

Now I can forgive the fact that K-Rod resorted to pugilism to settle a dispute. There is really no other way a man can defend his honor against the grandfather of his children other than to lead him roughly by the collar away from the family room at Citi Field and pop a few shiners into his skull. What I can't possibly believe is why he threw the punch with his freaking pitching hand. Come on, Franny (new nickname), how dumb can you be?