State of the Game

By Steve O’Reilly

Sadly, tragedy brings to light some of the issues that we all face on an everyday basis. In the 1980′s Drunk Driving was causing many accidents and deaths and we the people responded with M.A.D.D, the crash test dummy commercials and other preventative measures to ensure that these issues didn’t continue. Now the NFL has seen one of it’s greatest ambassadors, a man many held in the highest regard, Junior Seau, commit suicide bringing questions to light about head trauma that many NFL players face throughout the duration of their careers. Tragedy brings change, from Terrorist attacks that have altered the landscape of the way we travel at Airports to High Schools that implement metal detectors to avoid the next Columbine. The NFL now finds itself in a state of shock over the recent tragedy, a state of action in that something needs to be done to protect players and a state of defense as multiple former players have joined a lawsuit vs the NFL in an effort to have their voices heard and receive the benefits to ensure their health as they grow old. The question is, what can be done? Read more

Vilma Suspended for 2012!!

The NFL has dished out the punishments for the New Orleans Saints bounty situations and they are severe. Middle Linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been suspended by the league for the entire 2012 season.

Other players suspended are Anthony Hargrove suspended 8 games, Will Smith suspended 4 games and Scott Fujita suspended 3 games. Hargrove is now with the Packers and Fujita is with the Browns. Vilma’s suspension begins immediately while the other players with different teams can stay with their teams until the season begins. The players will all look to appeal this decision.

This has to be one of the worst offseason’s in NFL history for a franchise as they have now lost their Head Coach and Defensive leader for the entire season. General Manager and interim Head Coach for half the season and the aforementioned Defensive Caption for a good portion of the year. The Saints did prepare for this however by signing Linebackers Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne.

THE SKINNY: One thing is for certain, Roger Goodell will not tolerate any sort of Bounty system and you can be sure that other teams have taken notice!

Packers release Clifton

After 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, the 2 time Pro Bowl Left Tackle is set to be released today after failing a team physical. Clifton was a stalwart along the Packers O-Line for more than a decade but a severe injury to his back saw him play in only 6 games in 2011 and leaves many wondering if his NFL career is in doubt.

THE SKINNY: Drafted in 2000 by the Packers in Round 2 (44th overall), Clifton started 160 games for the Packers and made a trip to Hawaii as a Pro Bowler twice in his career. He anchored the O-Line and was heralded as one of the better Left Tackles in the NFL.

Broncos Release Goodman after 3 Seasons!

The Denver Broncos have released CB Andre’ Goodman after 3 seasons with the team. Goodman was a very solid Veteran Cornerback and a consummate professional both on and off the field but after the Broncos signed Tracy Porter this offseason the move became apparent. In his 3 seasons with Denver, Goodman started 40 regular season games added 109 tackles, one sack, seven interceptions and 35 pass breakups and added 3 fumble recoveries to go with it.

THE SKINNY: While Goodman had some key Pick 6′s in Denver’s resurgent run last season, that helped create Tebow Time, the Broncos did the right thing by letting him go. He likely won’t beat out Porter on the outside, he’s not going to play in the Slot and also won’t be a contributor on Special Teams. Look for a team like the Lions or Titans to scoop him up fast and put him on the outside where he can be the most effective.

New Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Steal the Show!

Gayle Saunders
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After further review of the new Nike footbal jerseys, I’d have to say the Seattle Seahawks got quite the upgrade for their new look.
As most of the teams styles stayed relatively the same, the Seahawks got a little creative with their design. With a futuristic design maybe the Seahawks are looking for a new look to embrace the future of their organization. They always say, if you look good you feel good!

Nike has been known to add some flare to some of the recent college teams such as the Oregon Ducks and they weren’t afraid to use some bold colors in their new Seahawks model. The lime green color has been effectively placed all over the uniform. The jersey numbers have a nice texture and are unlike any other jerseys that we’ve seen in the NFL before. Look for the Seahawks to have accented cleats and gloves to pull it all together.

If you notice on the bottom of the players gloves they will have the team’s logo, however you will only be able to see the full logo when the player puts his hand together. Other teams will also have the logo feature on their gloves as well.

The Skinny: Overall Nike has brought a new level of design to the NFL jersey as we know it and each uniform will be a tad lighter and form fitting. I know its hard to say goodbye to the older jerseys, but change is a good thing folks.

SkinnyPost Mock Draft – #2

As noted in the first Mock Draft, Free Agency always dictates the direction teams will go in the April Draft. Now that Free Agency has, for the most part played out, let’s revisit the Mock and see where the chips fall for each team as the big day in NYC comes closer.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB Stanford – Always has been, nothing is going to change and Luck is the pick. He will likely be under contract before the Draft even ensues.

2. Washington Redskins (Via Rams) – Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor – Great fit for Shanahan, the Skins has found themselves a strong armed, mobile QB to build around for a long time. Great pick.

3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Khalil, LT USC – Some people speculate that the Vikings will trade this pick but not me. Khalil is the best Left Tackle available and the Vikings need one bad. It would take quite an offer for them to move down and I don’t see one coming.

4. Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB Alabama – This pick will be a surprise to some but not really. In the AFC North yards are hard to come by, Hillis is gone, Hardesty is still an unknown and Richardson is a 3 down back. The Browns would be silly to take Tannehill at #4 here as his talent simply doesn’t warrant the pick.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB LSU - The tall and rangy Corner from Louisiana will be the pick here with Richardson off the board. The Bucs just resigned Barber, acquired Eric Wright in Free Agency, addressed O-Line with Nicks and the WR position with Vincent Jackson. If Richardson falls they jump on him but Claiborne is too good to pass up.

6. St. Louis Rams (Via Washington) – Justin Blackmon, WR Arizona State - The Rams played this draft perfectly as they traded down stockpiled 3 First Rounders and a 2nd all while still getting the man the wanted in the first place. Fisher is off to a good start.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Quentin Coples, DE North Carolina – He might be a bit raw at the NFL level but Coples has all the tools to be an elite Pass Rusher in the near future. Long armed and very athletic he brings the skill set the Jags will be looking for. They’ve whiffed big time on Edge Rushers in the past and need to land a true playmaker here at #7.

8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M – The Dolphins were unable to land Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn and do need to bring in a Franchise type QB, even though Matt Moore impressed me last year. Tannehill at 8 is a stretch in my opinion as he isn’t ready to come in and be a day one starter in the NFL and any QB taken in the Top 10 should be. Phins are desperate and will reach but hopefully pans out.

9. Carolina Panthers – Fletcher Cox, DE/DT Mississippi St. - Carolina needs to start addressing the Defense especially along the Line. Cox adds a versatile weapon that can play either inside or outside. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them take a WR here and Floyd from Notre Dame will be an awfully tempting weapon to give to Cam Newton but in the end they go with bolstering the Defense.

10. Buffalo Bills – Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame - The Bills added the marque Free Agent on Defense by landing Mario Williams and now will look to add a playmaker to pair with Stevie Johnson. Floyd is moving up the Draft boards with his speed and playmaking ability and in the AFC East you need all the scoring you can get!

11. Kansas City Chiefs – Dontari Poe, DT Memphis – Kansas City added RB Peyton Hillis in Free Agency and now will look to add a key cog along the Defensive Line. Riley Reiff will be tempting to help bolster that run game even further but after adding 35 year old Kelly Gregg and not getting the production they’d like from their former top Picks along the D-Line, the Chiefs go with Poe and hope he’s not just a workout wonder.

12. Seattle Seahawks – Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College – Seattle needs to address their Middle Linebacker situation and Kuechly is shooting up draft boards with his solid play. A sure tackler and heady player, Kuechly just might be one of the safest picks at Linebacker in this draft. He’s a good leader and pure tackler. The Hawks really can’t go wrong with this pick.

13. Arizona Cardinals – Riley Reiff, OT Iowa – One thing the Cardinals definitely need to address is their Offensive Line. Giving up 50+ sacks last season had Kevin Kolb looking a little shell shocked. Reiff is an outstanding Lineman who adds versatility in both Pass Pro and Run support. The Cardinals really get lucky to land Reiff at this point in the draft and if he’s still on the board this pick should be a no brainer.

14. Dallas Cowboys – Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina – Another player shooting up Draft Boards is CB Stephon Gilmore. A playmaker with speed has the Cowboys licking their chops. They definitely could use an upgrade in the Secondary and after letting Newman go they need another starter opposite Mike Jenkins. Gilmore is grabbing lots of attention by scouts with his speed and ball skills, the Cowboys will pounce on him at 14.

15. Philadelphia Eagles – Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford – Philly could go in a myriad of directions here. Barron the Safety from Alabama, Brockers the DT from LSU and Martin all make sense for the Eagles but with the recent season ending injury to Jason Peters the Eagles need to shore up the Tackle position and Martin is the best available on the board. He’s good in Pass Pro and a masher in the run game and we all know that Big Red likes to address to the lines in the 1st round of the draft.

16. New York Jets – Courtney Upshaw, LB/DE Alabama – The Jets have brought in Tebow and that will get all the media attention but make no mistake about it this team is built on Defense. The 3-4 is a perfect fit for Upshaw if he’s used as an attacking LB and not involved too much in coverage. Rex Ryan loves pressure and Upshaw will allow Rex the flexibility to blitz him from different positions along the Defense. Could be a match made in heaven.

17. Cincinnati Bengals – Michael Brockers, DT LSU – Cincinnati has a tendency to fall in love with freakish athletes and they play in the most physical Division in football. Brockers, at 6-5 and 325 pounds will bring his freakish athletic ability to a Front 4 that is better than most people think. The Bengals also might look at WR or O-Line to help out with their blossoming passing game but at the end of the day Brockers is too good to pass up.

18. San Diego Chargers – David DeCastro, OG Stanford – Le’Ron McClain was added in Free Agency to help open holes for Ryan Matthews and fill the void left by the departure of Tolbert. DeCastro is the best interior lineman in the draft and is a pure run blocker to further assist the movement of the run game and take pressure off of Phillip Rivers. Wide Receiver is a definite possibility but with Floyd off the board there is no reason to reach, instead they go with the best OG in the draft and find a pure run blocker. Great pick by San Diego if it happens.

19. Chicago Bears – Mark Barron, SS Alabama - Chicago might look at Barron’s teammate Dre Kirkpatrick here but Barron is too good to pass up. Having a Safety who is rangy, can come up and play in the slot when needed and provide leadership in the back end makes too much sense to pass up. By trading for Brandon Marshall seeing the Bears take a WR hear seems like a longshot, instead they go with the not only the best player available in the secondary but also fill a need as well. Don’t be surprised if they do take a Corner here however. A super sleeper pick would be a Tight End, perhaps Coby Fleener from Stanford. With Martz gone and Cutler adding passing weapons that move could make sense too!

20. Tennessee Titans – Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina - Ingram has very good pass rushing skills and is versatile with the ability to play LB as well. The Titans added Kam Wimbley but lost James Jones to Free Agency. They could also use a Safety but with Barron off the board that’s out, they could also look for a replacement for Cortland Finnegan who jettisoned off to the Rams and Dre Kirkpatrick could also be the pick here. Ingram makes the most sense for a team that needs to find a way to get the QB to the ground more.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama – The Bengals have never been one to shy away from players with off the field issues and considering their need for a Corner and Jenkins ability this move makes sense. Originally I had them pegged to take a running back here with Benson gone but they addressed that need in Free Agency and now it’s time to go Defense. Jenkins has elite 1st Round talent that will scare some teams off with his off the field issues but Marvin Lewis knows how to handle players like Jenkins and can get the most out of him.

22. Cleveland Browns – Cordy Glenn, OG Georgia – Cleveland has the luxury of two 1st Rounders and really needs to upgrade the right side of the line and the 6-5, 345 pound Glenn is the run monster that the Browns need at Right Guard. They definitely will take a long hard look at Kendall Wright who could be the playmaker they need at WR but with Glenn still on the board it’ll be hard to not take him. This draft is relatively deep at WR and the Browns could land a player like Alshon Jeffery, Rueben Randall or Stephen Hill in Round 2. For this pick, they take the best player available who fills a big need!

23. Detroit Lions – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama – Eric Wright is off to Tampa Bay and the Lions secondary was awful in 2011. They have a Division of elite passers and they definitely need to address their Cornerback position. Kirkpatrick has all the tools to come in and start from day one and provide a much needed playmaker in the back end. Offensive Line could also be a possibility but Kirkpatrick is the likely pick here for the Lions.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kendall Wright, WR Baylor – Mike Wallace’s status is flux as he is looking for big money, Hines ward recently retired and the Steelers need to find a playmaker at WR if Wallace returns or not. Wright ran much better in his pro day than he did at the combine and if you watch the film on him at Baylor he was RG3′s big play receiver. It wouldn’t be a huge shock to see the Steelers take a linebacker like Dont’a Hightower as they love to reload in their attacking 3-4 Defense but at this point WR is a bigger need and Wright is too good to pass up.

25. Denver Broncos – Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama – Everyone in Bronco Country wants a Defensive Tackle in the worst way and it’s understandable especially with the loss of Broderick Bunkley in Free Agency. With that said, the DT position is one that usually takes time to develop and with the signing of Peyton Manning this team is looking to win now. Hightower would be a great addition at Middle Linebacker and paired with DJ Williams and Von Miller the Broncos would have fast, athletic LB’s who can really get after opposing offenses. Running Back also is a longshot possibility, Lamar Miller or David Wilson could add some needed speed to the Denver backfield.

26. Houston Texans – Rueben Randle, WR LSU – Aside from Andre Johnson the Texans are thin at WR and Randle would be a big upgrade opposite of Johnson. The Defense has lost some key pieces with Mario Williams in Buffalo and DeMeco Ryans traded to the Eagles. Still they have a good core of Defensive players and could use some playmakers at Wideout to complement Andre and give Schaub more weapons in the passing game.

27. New England Patriots – Jerel Worthy, DT Michigan St. – New England could definitely use a Cornerback but with all the better players off the board the Pats will go with Worthy who can provide a pass rush from the interior. While he is raw and is a better fit at 3 technique than 5 technique in the 3-4, the Patriots are a very versatile Defense who play 4 down lineman often. Lined up next to Vince Wilfork he could see a lot of single blockers and the coaching staff can work with him to enhance his pass rushing skills which are already pretty good.

28. Green Bay Packers – Nick Perry, LB USC - After signing Jeff Saturday in Free Agency the Packers can now go and grab the OLB they need to play opposite Clay Matthews. As I stated before, the NFC North is loaded with great passing offenses so getting to the QB is vital. Perry will provide much needed rush from both sides of the Defense and is a smart move for the Pack. Secondary help could be a wise option here as well as Charles Woodson isn’t getting any younger.

29. Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz, C Wisconsin – It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Ravens take a flyer at Stephen Hill due to his speed an playmaking ability but the Ravens are high on Torrey Smith to play opposite of Anquan Boldin. Konz offers an eventual replacement to Matt Birk who is starting to decline a little as he gets older. Ozzie Smith is the master of finding value in the draft all while addressing his teams needs and Konz is the best Center available in the Draft. They could also be very tempted to take Harrison Smith, the Safety from Notre Dame to play next to Ed Reed now that Zbikowski is gone. The beauty of the Ravens is that they don’t have to reach and can draft not only a need but also a talented player.

30. San Francisco 49ers – Coby Fleener, TE Stanford – The Niners have addressed the WR position via Free Agency by adding Manningham and Moss and have the luxury of grabbing a player to make the offense even more dynamic. Coach Harbaugh knows Fleener very well and when the Niners go into 2 Tight End sets they would have a big playmaker to pair with Vernon Davis. Offensive Line might be a sensible pick here as well but at the end of the draft a solid Tight End is a smart move, especially with Alex Smith returning a good Tight End group is a QB’s best friend.

31. New England Patriots – Doug Martin, RB Boise St. – Ben Jarvis Green Ellis is now in Cincinnati and the Patriots desperately need an every down back who can catch out of the backfield. Martin was a Red Shirt Senior at Boise and has the football smarts that the Patriots covet. At 223 pounds he is big enough to run between the tackles and fast enough to press on the edges. His draft stock is rising and it wouldn’t shock me to see the Pats bolster their running game. David Wilson, Lamar Miller both speed backs and Harrison Smith, the Safety we mentioned earlier could also be smart picks here…that is if the Patriots don’t trade out of the 1st Round!

32. New York Giants – Mike Adams, OT Ohio State – The Super Bowl Champs already have a fantastic Defense and now look to build up the line a little. The loss of Brandon Jacobs might put them in the hunt for a Running Back such as Wilson or Miller but Adams is too good to pass up and Coughlin is an old school coach who likes to build through the trenches. Adams is tall and athletic and in time could be a good Left Tackle protecting Eli Manning’s blind side. For now he’ll likely be put at Right Tackle and provide depth until he’s ready to be a full time starter.

NFL Announces Draft Order

Here is the 2012 NFL Draft Order for the upcoming April Draft. The NFL has announced it now that the season is officially over.

1.Colts
2. Rams
3. Vikings
4. Browns
5. Buccaneers
6. Redskins
7. Jaguars
8. Panthers
9. Dolphins
10. Bills
11. Chiefs
12. Seahawks
13. Cardinals
14. Cowboys
15. Eagles
16. Jets
17. Bengals (from Raiders)
18. Chargers
19. Bears
20. Titans
21. Bengals
22. Browns (from Falcons)
23. Lions
24. Steelers
25. Broncos
26. Texans
27. Patriots (from Saints)
28. Packers
29. Ravens
30. 49ers
31. Patriots
32. Giants

Keys to Tiffany!

By Steve O’Reilly

The Super Bowl is American tradition, one that his engrained in our history and has become quite the media mayhem. Sometimes lost in the “party” of the big game is that there is actually a game to be played. In this segment I’m going to break down the most important factors to this game as I see it. The key points for each team to win the Tiffany Trophy and bring a Championship back to their respective city.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:

First of all throw all the stats out. Forget the “31st Ranked Defense” talk! Why? Because the Patriots, like most teams with great Quarterbacks are a Defense that is built to get the ball back in his hands. When it comes to turnovers, the Patriots are 3rd in the NFL and while they do give up a ton of yards they also get the ball back and limit points in key times.

1st Key – Get turnovers

Next up is protection! The Patriots have faced elite pass rushers thus far in the Playoffs but as many NFL players are quick to remind you, you’re only as good as the Offensive Line, and so far so good. 1 sack vs great rushers like Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, Terrell Suggs and the rest of the Ravens Defensive front. Against New York, the Giants honestly believe they are in Brady’s head. Jason Paul Pierre said this in regards to phantom pressure … “Yeah, he was. Yeah, he was reacting to pressure that didn’t exist and he was just throwing the ball places that there wasn’t a receiver there. So imagine us just getting there even faster and we’re actually doing our jobs and getting there and getting hits on him.”

2nd Key – Keep Tom Brady off the ground

Finally is execution. New England is going to be put into situations to succeed, that is a given due to their Head Coach and the time he has to prepare this team. They will get guys open in the passing game and will use the run game to keep the Giants off balance. When the opportunities to present themselves the Patriots must capitalize. That means no dropped balls, no bad passes and no penalties when you do get a big play.

3rd Key – take advantage when opportunities present themselves

NEW YORK GIANTS:

The Giants Offense begins with their running game. As much as everyone wants to talk about Eli and his great season, with due cause, but this team’s rushing attack has heated up as the team made the Playoff push. 115 vs the Jets including the Bradshaw bulldozing TD that capped the Battle of NY. Against the Cowboys they ran it 31 times for over 100 yards again and in the Postseason the Giants aren’t slowing down. The key to deep balls and big plays for the GMen is off play action so look for them to establish their ground game early. If they do New England’s Defense will that much more pressure to defend the entire field.

1st Key – run the ball!

Next up for New York is found in their Secondary. The Safeties for the Giants give New York advantages in this game and they need to make sure they capitalize on them. With Rob Gronkowski a little banged up it’s imperative that the Giants take the Tight Ends out of the game for New England. If Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle can cover the Tight Ends with little or limited help the Giants will be in a great spot to frustrate Tom Brady. However if the Giants can’t come up with a combination to slow down the Tight Ends then all the other Pats weapons become that much harder to stop.

2nd Key – Safeties need to limit the Tight End attack

Finally for the Giants is a key that is the first key for the Patriots, turnovers. The Giants have allowed 9 sacks this postseason but some of that is Eli realizing that sack won’t kill you but a Interception will. New York can not afford to give the ball back to New England, possessions are sacrosanct right now and it’s vital to make the most of every one. The GMen will look to run the clock down (so look for 03, 02, 01 on almost every snap) and will look to dictate the pace of the game. If they turn the ball over, that could be enough for Brady and Co’ to escape Indy with a win.

3rd Key – don’t give Tom Brady any more chances then he’s entitled too

In the end this should be a fantastic game. Styles make fights in the NFL and these two teams styles should mean a fantastic game. We’ve seen these Coaches face off before and the game within the game has begun to see who can hoist that Tiffany Trophy and bring to the parade next week!

NFL gets sued over “Who Dat”

The NFL settled with a Louisiana recording company over a legal dispute for the famed Saints chant “Who Dat?” The lawsuit stemmed over who owned the merchandising rights, and the company, which recorded a song in 1983 with the popular cheer, claimed that the NFL was violating its trademark of the phrase.

The company had registered Who Dat! and Who Dat? as trademarks with the Louisiana secretary of state in the 1980s. In 1983, owner Steve Monistere, his brother Sal, and Carlo Nuccio recorded a version of “The Saints Go Marching In” that employed the “who dat” chant, which had become popular at Saints games. Saints players and singer Aaron Neville also were part of the recording.

The Weekly Skinny – Championship Round

The Skinny Post Crew breaks down the Championship Round of the NFL Playoffs and much more!!

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