Fighting Chance Fantasy's 2008 Quarterback Rankings

I can’t believe football season is almost here already. I can’t wait! Leagues are already forming, and we’ve got all the positional rankings you’ll need to make great decisions in your draft. This list covers the top 30 QB’s going into 2008. Complete with last year’s numbers. Stay tuned for rankings for RB, WR and TE. Here is the list…

Elite Options

Tom Brady, New England Patriots
398-578 4,807 yards, 50 TDs, 8 INT, eight 300 yard games, 2 Rushing TDs

Brady had a season for the ages last year, as he broke the single season touchdown record as he threw 50 on the season. The only player to really depart the machine that was the New England offense was Donte Stallworth, and he wasn’t really used all that much anyway. The Pats still have Randy Moss, they still have Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney started coming on at the end of the year, and second year player Chad Jackson could be a sleeper in 2008. With all of those weapons many teams forget about Kevin Faulk, but Brady never does. He has an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball, and although you definitely shouldn’t expect a repeat of last year’s numbers, He still should be the number one quarterback on draft day, but I wouldn’t take him before near the end of the first round.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
337-515 4,040 yards, 31 TDs, 14 INT, three 300 yard games, 3 Rushing TDs

Even without the services of Marvin Harrison for much of the season, Manning had another vintage Peyton season. I was expecting a bit of a step back after it seemed that he spent every second of the offseason filming commercials, but you just can’t go wrong when you have the talent and preparation that Manning puts into the game. Figuring that Harrison is healthy, and that pesky gun incident goes away, Peyton has three quality receivers with Marvin, Reggie “now an elite receiver” Wayne, and soon to be much more popular in fantasy Anthony Gonzalez. Just like Brady, Peyton is either a late first round, or early second round selection.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
335-520 4,211 yards, 36 TDs, 19 INT, seven 300 yard games, 2 Rushing TDs

Anyone who drafts Romo will undoubtedly hope that Jessica Simpson stays away from Cowboy games in 2008. Even though he has had serious troubles in the playoffs the past two seasons, fantasy football doesn’t go into the NFL playoffs, so you don’t have to worry about that. Romo took a big step forward from his first full season to his second,

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Team Report: St. Louis Rams

ST. LOUIS RAMS
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com
Predicted: 3rd
2007 Record: 3-13 (4th NFC West)
Head Coach: Scott Linehan (third season)

Roster Quick View
*rookie
**new veteran
Offense
QB: Marc Bulger Coming off the worst season of his career. Can guide a good offense, but lacks the leadership to carry a bad one.
RB: Steven Jackson When healthy, the third best running back in football (behind L.T. and A.D).
FB: Brian Leonard Lacks the size to be a true FB. Good player but needs to be getting 10-15 touches as a RB. Can’t do that behind Jackson.
WR: Torry Holt Whispers about his age (32) are picking up. What, did nobody notice that he caught 93 passes despite playing in a horrific offense last season?
WR: Drew Bennett After disappointing in the slot, the hope is that a return to the outside will reboot him.
TE: Randy McMichael Production doesn’t usually live up to athleticism. Must embrace whatever role this offense presents him.
LT: Orlando Pace All-Pro when healthy, but has played in just nine games over the past two years.
LG: Jacob Bell** The most valuable free agent signing this team has had in years. Feeble interior O-line will benefit greatly from his power and intensity.
C: Brett Romberg Currently has less job security than an American tech support operator. Will have to beat out Mark Setterstrom, Dustin Fry and Richie Incognito.
RG: Richie Incognito On-field demeanor can rub some the wrong way. So can his history of knee problems.
RT: Alex Barron So athletic, it’s almost sexy. But his questionable passion and shaky fundamentals litter his future with question marks.
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QB: Trent Green** Concussions are a major concern. Good backup because of leadership and deep familiarity of Al Saunders’s offense.
RB: Travis Minor Always seems to find playing time off the bench, but will have to fight off Antonio Pittman for backup duties.
WR: Donnie Avery* The first wideout drafted in ’08. Rams hope he can learn their complex offense well enough to immediately fill the slot.
WR: Dan Looker Good for about four or five impressive first down pick ups a year. Outside of that, a special teamer.
TE: Anthony Becht** Brought in as the much-needed upgrade at the blocking tight end position.

Defense
LDE: Leonard Little Turns 34 in October and is coming off major toe surgery. He’d better perform––there are already several heir apparents on the roster.
UT: La’Roi Glover Still a capable veteran, but if Claude Wroten or Clifton Ryan break out, he’ll start seeing the writing on the wall.
NT: Adam Carriker Excellent combination of power and quickness, but doesn’t have the pizzazz of a featured star. Still, appears to be a long-term cog.
RDE: Chris Long* (Insert obligatory line about Hall of Fame father.)
SLB: Quinton Culberson Undrafted free agent a year ago who impressed late in the season and on special teams. Not a lock to start, but the coaching staff is pulling for him.
MLB: Will Witherspoon Epitomizes a solid linebacker. Good at everything but great at nothing. That works.
WLB: Pisa Tinoisamoa Plays the game remarkably fast, which makes him look better than he really is. Injuries have stifled his production the last two years.
CB: Tye Hill Remember this name. If he stays healthy, he’ll be one of the five best cornerbacks in football come Christmas.
SS: Corey Chavous At 32, he’s sparring with Father Time. Could still bounce back from a poor ’07 season, but skeptical eyeballs are on him.
FS: Oshiomogho Atogwe Not quite as good as his NFC-leading 8 interceptions suggest, but certainly an adequate starter. Could stand be a little more consistent.
CB: Fakhir Brown An excellent No. 2 CB, but has had mild issues with the substance abuse policy each of the past two years.
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DL: Victor Adeyanju His viability in run defense suggests he should probably be starting.
LB: Chris Draft Very intelligent player with tremendous versatility. The problem for him is that coaches can’t resist using him as a utility backup.
NB: Ron Bartell Terrific tackler who can play anywhere in the secondary. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a starting safety at some point.


Key Acquisitions
G Jacob Bell (Ten)
K Josh Brown (Sea)
WR Reche Caldwell (Was)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (TB)
QB Trent Green (Mia)
CB David Macklin (Was)

Key Losses
OL Milford Brown (Car)
WR Isaac Bruce (SF)
TE Dominique Byrd
LB Brandon Chillar (GB)
QB Gus Frerotte (Min)
K Jeff Wilkins (retired)

Two of the franchise’s lifers are gone: Bruce and Wilkins. The Rams can afford their loss, but it’s never fun saying goodbye. Bruce will be replaced by last year’s high-priced acquisition, Drew Bennett. Wilkins is replaced by Brown, one of the most clutch kickers in football. Green will play ahead of Gradkowski because of his experience in Al Saunders’s offense. Gradkowski, though, could be St. Louis’s long-term backup. Bell is a great addition. Of course, he only fills one of the team’s three gaping holes on the O-line.

Draft
Rd Sel # Player Position School
1 2 Chris Long DE Virginia
2 33 Donnie Avery WR Houston
3 65 John Greco T Toledo
4 101 Justin King CB Penn State
4 128 Keenan Burton WR Kentucky
5 157 Roy Schuening G Oregon State
7 228 Chris Chamberlain DB Tulsa
7 252 David Vobora LB Idaho

Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett wanted Glenn Dorsey, but he should have no problem making do with Long. The former Virginia Cavalier gives the Rams another tenacious, multi-talented presence up front to go with Adam Carriker. It was a surprise that Avery was the first wideout drafted. The Rams couldn’t pass on his speed. He is a great fit for this offense. They’d love to see Greco beat out Alex Barron at RT. King and Burton both provide depth. Vobora was Mr. Irrelevant, though this team’s paucity of linebackers makes him a virtual lock for the 53-man roster.



2008 St. Louis Rams Preview Report
Their voice has been cracking. New parts of their body are growing hair. When they eat, they eat a lot. When they stop, they’re still hungry. So, they eat some more. They see a dame walk by and their mind gets deluged with new thoughts. Powerful, perplexing, intriguing, confusing, unrelenting, gross, graphic, delicious new thoughts. Sometimes they wonder if there’s something wrong with them. If there is, then they don’t want to be right. They never tell anyone this. Too embarrassing.
But everyone can see it. Puberty is a process. Everyone hits it. If you don’t have someone there to mentor you and guide you through it, it will hit you. That’s how things like going 3-13 happen.
Insert the St. Louis Rams––a team going through puberty without even knowing it. They’re a sad sample of what an absence of leadership can produce. Nobody told them that at some point they had to wear deodorant. Now, they stink. Nobody told them they had to wash their face. Now, they look bad.
The Rams are a team in flux. Half of them remains tied to their identity of the past 10 years, while the other half is meandering toward an uncertain future. This is a problem that can be traced back to 2005. The once-happy Ram family went through some ugly turmoil and transition that year. Head coach Mike Martz and the front office got divorced. Martz left, and the dysfunction of the front office quickly rose to the surface. To make a long story short, there was a reshuffling of executives, leaving president of football operations Jay Zygmunt as the unquestioned man in charge of personnel.
During the three years of reshuffling is when the Rams started experiencing the bizarre changes. Veteran players started to age. Injuries clouded their once-clear picture. Coaches started filing out, taking their playbooks with them. All the while, the Rams were losing games and wondering why.
Stable leaders would have had this team prepared. Stable leaders would have implemented a quick rebuilding project. They would have formulated a plan for developing the offensive line. They would have committed to investing primarily in either offense or defense (rather than in kind of one and kind of the other). They would have constructed a roster that fit the mantra of a new coaching staff (or vice versa).
But the Rams were without stable leaders. And last season, they spiraled out of control. They made foolish mistakes, such as turning the ball over 31 times or regularly surrendering back-breaking big plays. Their moodiness was palpable––just ask the coaches and teammates who were on the other end of public censures from Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson and Torry Holt. When things got bad, more adversity would strike, mainly in the form of injuries. And the Rams handled it horribly.
Puberty does not offer a mulligan. Botch it and face problems later on. This is where St. Louis is today. A scan of their roster reveals evidence of a team with identity issues. There’s the superstar running back playing in the pass-happy system of new offensive coordinator Al Saunders (who was with the Rams during their illustrious Greatest Show on Turf childhood). There’s the $65 million quarterback floundering behind different makeshift offensive lines each week.
There’s the defense, filled with middle-tier finesse players, being coordinated by ultra aggressive tough guy Jim Haslett. There’s Haslett’s starting front line––an almost comical paradox between yesterday and tomorrow: on the left side is 11th-year end Leonard Little and 13th-year tackle La’Roi Glover, both of whom are slowing down; on the right is first-year end Chris Long and second-year tackle Adam Carriker, both of whom are on the rise.
Overseeing the whole operation is Scott Linehan––the third-year head coach who has been like an exhausted step parent trying to guide this rudderless group. It’s hard to say whether Linehan’s team has recognized the rebuilding project it fell into, but after a three-win season, how could it not?
Pinpointing exactly where the Rams will be in a few years is like trying to project the next president’s approval rating. St. Louis really only has three studs in its long-term foundation: Carriker, Long and cornerback Tye Hill. And none of the three are sure-things yet. The rest of the roster’s upper crust––Bulger, Jackson, Holt, offensive tackle Orlando Pace, linebacker Will Witherspoon––is currently in its prime. Who knows where everyone will be down the road?
Long-term leadership remains a big issue. Linehan is on a short rope, which is why his playbook seems mutable and his power in personnel input appears iffy from afar. This makes his job that much more difficult. But firing Linehan would help very little. If he gets canned, the next guy will just have a team spinning more mud.
Rams ownership is not going to improve anything. This past year Chip Rosenbloom inherited the franchise from his mother, the late Georgia Frontiere. Rosenbloom is a likeable guy, but his expertise is in Hollywood (he’s a writer and producer). His mother was never a factor in the Rams’ on-field output, as she often referred to the team’s L.A.-based president John Shaw. Rosenbloom will spend most of his time in California as well.
Absent owner, shaky front office, precarious coach, and a roster in relative flux. Really, St. Louis’s best hope for prosperity is to simply start winning some of the games they’re supposed to lose.

Offense
After toiling in what many agree was an overly simplistic scheme in 2007, the Rams are returning to their Greatest Show on Turf formula. Theoretically, anyway. Coordinating the offense will be Al Saunders, formerly of the Chiefs, recently of the Redskins. Saunders was the receivers coach for this team in ’99 and ’00 when it boasted football’s best offense under coordinator Mike Martz and head coach Dick Vermeil.
Distant as those days now seem, Saunders actually has comparable firepower at the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions.
At his best, quarterback Marc Bulger is a Pro Bowl pocket passer. He has posted a rating over 92 in four of his six years as a starter.
Running back Steven Jackson doesn’t have Marshall Faulk’s versatility, but neither does anyone else. Jackson is far from one dimensional. At 231 pounds, he is a monster between the tackles and a home run threat in the open field. He’s also an adept receiver, which the Rams plan to take better advantage of in 2008 (Jackson caught 90 balls in 2006 but just 37 last season).
The familiar face of Torry Holt marks Saunders’s third golden skill player. There is a rumor that the 32-year-old is slowing down. Holt, however, has caught 93 passes for more than 1,185 yards in each of the past two seasons. Whatever oomph his speed has lost is amended by his wisdom. He is a crafty route runner, deceptive target (defenders find it nearly impossible to pick off passes coming his way because he waits so long to put his hands up) and consistent outlet.
All three of St. Louis’s key players come with caveats. For Bulger, it’s his leadership. At times, his demeanor is hardly that of an eighth-year, 31-year-old veteran. Too much of his intensity comes out in negative form. The Rams are hoping that the arrival of the venerable Trent Green can calm their quarterback position. Green has a storied relationship with Saunders, having commandeered his offense in Kansas City for five years. Salving as Green’s presence is, it’s too much to think that, at 38, the oft-concussed vet can push Bulger for his job.
The caveat with Jackson has to do with the fact that he missed four games with injury last year and was noticeably irritable throughout the season. Ever the competitor, Jackson is an intelligent individual who has the ability to be great. He turns 25 in July and is in the early stages of his pinnacle as a runner. The Rams will be careful to not overwork him in 2008. Fullback Brian Leonard, a second-round pick out of Rutgers last year, figures to see a fair number of touches. At 226 pounds, Leonard lacks the girth of a traditional fullback, which is why it would make the most sense for him to come off the bench ahead of role players Travis Minor and Antonio Pittman. Of course, the Rams would then need to find a lead-blocker to plug in.
Holt created his caveat during the offseason when he all but said that when his contract runs out in two years, he’d like to return to his home state of North Carolina and join his younger brother, Terence, on the Panthers. Fans will criticize the veteran for his candor, but it’s hard to fault him for his outlook (who wouldn’t want to return home to play with family?). Controversy or not, Holt is here until 2010, and during that time, he’ll be the offense’s go-to receiver.
Starting opposite Holt is Drew Bennett, who, so far, after signing a six-year, $30 million contract, is earning about two Range Rovers per catch. Bennett’s lackluster output in ’07 (33 receptions for 375 yards) was, St. Louis hopes, an aberration. The forecast looks better this season, as he has left the slot and is back to his familiar position out wide, playing in an offense that highlights deep routes (Bennett’s forte).
In the slot will be second-round pick Donnie Avery, a darting 190-pound speedster from Houston. The rookie figures to play ahead of novelty wideouts Dante Hall and Marques Hagans. Hall and Hagans, in fact, may even end up playing behind fourth-round rookie Keenan Burton.
There will be just enough balls left over for tight end Randy McMichael to contribute in the passing game, though it’s on McMichael to embrace his ancillary role. Saunders also must prioritize the ex-Dolphin. Last season, McMichael never found a rhythm with his assignments, turning in a disappointing 39 catches and ho-hum blocking output. Anthony Becht gives them the second tight end that they so badly needed. Becht’s long arms are a plus in run-blocking, and his starting experience from New York proves he is capable of at least catching what is thrown to him.
Given that St. Louis’s offense has not performed despite being good on paper, it’s fitting to end this report with another caveat. An inconsistent front five has made this offense a luxury car with a flooded engine. Injuries are a big reason why; last season, the Rams used an astounding 18 different combinations of O-linemen up front.
The problems start with the lynchpin player: future Hall of Fame left tackle Orlando Pace. The seven-time Pro Bowler is coming off a torn right rotator cuff and labrum, and has missed 22 games over the past two seasons. His health problems do not have to be career-threatening. Pace has played 12 years since being the first offensive lineman drafted No. 1 overall, but he’s still only 32.
It was once thought that Pace’s successor would be Alex Barron, but the former first-rounder has not been able to overcome rickety fundamentals and a predisposition for mental mistakes. Folks in Missouri have also questioned his passion. The Rams would be thrilled to see the less talented but more invigorated John Greco capture Barron’s starting right tackle job in ’08. Greco, a third-round pick out of Toledo, possesses 6’5”, 325-pound size, making him a wonderful fit at the mauler position.
Should Pace be injured, you’d almost certainly see Greco slide in on the right side, with Barron once again moving over to the left. Veterans Brandon Gorin and Adam Goldberg, while both well-sized, have proven to be fringe players.
The interior of St. Louis’s line is as settling as an economic recession. Ex-Titan Jacob Bell should get recognized as an elite guard this season, assuming whoever is at center does not drag down his performance. Bell is a brute run-blocker who is mobile enough to operate at the second level. On opening day, he’ll be lining up with two of the following five men: Mark Setterstrom, Richie Incognito, Brett Romberg, Nick Leckey, and Dustin Fry. For good measure, throw fifth-round rookie Roy Schuening’s name in there too. Aside from Schuening, all these men are capable of playing guard and center. If talent wins out, you’ll see Incognito at right guard and Romberg at center. Both men missed significant time with injuries last season, but then again, so did Setterstrom, the third most gifted player of the group.

Defense
The Rams defense is a lot like popcorn: spry but easily burnt. Last season, St. Louis gave up the second most points in football (438). They ranked 21st against the pass, though 27th in yards allowed per pass play.
Some of this just has to do with the zealous style of Jim Haslett. The ex-linebacker loves to pressure the quarterback and, not having a decent pass-rushing end last season (Ram defensive ends combined for a paltry 5.5 sacks), Haslett opted to blitz linebackers and defensive backs.
A strong bounce back from toe surgery by veteran Leonard Little would do wonders in helping Haslett’s unit. Offensive linemen will tell you that Little’s speed makes him one of the most feared edge-rushers in the game. Given his age (34 in October) and mediocrity against the run, it would make more sense for Little to come off the bench on third downs. This would allow the Rams to start run-stopping connoisseur Victor Adeyanju.
You may have heard that second-overall pick Chris Long has a father who played in the NFL. Comparing Chris to Howie seems obvious. That’s why we won’t. All that needs to be mentioned about the ex-Cavalier is that, right now, he is definitely good enough to play ahead of James Hall. How his style best fits this scheme remains to be seen.
Adam Carriker became a more fitting force once Long entered the picture. Carriker, who can play anywhere up front, seems more like a stud role player. Euphemistic as this sounds, it’s a very high compliment. Veteran La’Roi Glover is not the double-team magnet he once was. He’s still capable of busting into a backfield every now and then, but don’t be surprised if he loses his starting job to 24-year-old Clifton Ryan. Ryan, however, like fellow backup defensive tackle Claude Wroten, must improve his endurance. He also needs to learn how to unshackle from blocks better.
The Rams potentially have a very good run-stopping D-line, which is almost vital considering their slimness at linebacker. Mike backer Will Witherspoon is an ace at rushing the passer (seven sacks in ’07), avoiding blocks and sniffing out ball carriers (110 tackles last year, 35 more than the next highest tackler, O.J. Atogwe). But adjoining Witherspoon is speedy but fragile Pisa Tinoisamoa on the weak side and undrafted second-year pro Quinton Culberson on the strong side. Veteran Chris Draft is an extremely smart player who has been a productive starter in previous stops at Atlanta and Carolina. The Rams, however, are intrigued by Culberson’s toughness near the line of scrimmage, plus they like being able to use Draft at all three linebacking spots off the bench.
It’s plausible that Culberson will prove to be a fine starter. For now, St. Louis’s linebacking situation presents questions marks. The safeties might have to play a key role in run support this season. Strong safety Corey Chavous can make stops but won’t get the opportunity to if he doesn’t improve in coverage. Bouncing back from a sub-par ’07 won’t be easy for Chavous as, at 32, he has lost some of his speed and quickness.
O.J. Atogwe is the reigning NFC interception leader (eight), but he too could stand to be more consistent against the pass. Atogwe can be a decent presence in the box, which is why secondary coach Ron Milus may want to consider moving him to Chavous’s strongside spot and inserting Ron Bartell at the starting free safety position. Bartell, currently the nickel back, should be playing with the first unit. If he remains at nickel, then the backup safeties will be Jerome Carter, a capable dime back, and Todd Johnson, a painfully slow special teams player.
Third-year cornerback Tye Hill is extraordinary. Only 5’10”, 185, the Clemson product is one of the elite man-to-man defenders in football. Opponents completed less than 50 percent of their passes against him last season, and that was after Hill missed the first eight games with a broken bone in his back. Fully healthy, Hill has excellent change-of-direction ability, quick feet and shrewd man-to-man skills.
With Hill at 100 percent, No. 2 corner Fakhir Brown will undoubtedly be tested more in 2008. St. Louis drafted Jonathan Wade in the third round last season and Justin King in the fourth round this year, but Brown’s starting job is safe for at least the next year or two.

Special Teams
The Rams didn’t need to research Josh Brown to know they wanted to make him the league’s highest paid kicker (five years, $14.2 million). As a Seahawk in ’06, Brown kicked two game-winning field goals against St. Louis. If he had missed just one of those kicks, the Rams would have been NFC West champions that year.
Donnie Jones averaged an impressive 39.3 net yards punting last season. The return specialist is Dante Hall. He remains the human joystick, though keep in mind, thanks to inventions like the Nintendo Wii, joysticks are slowly becoming outdated. Hall always reaches for the big play. This is both a strength and weakness. Last year, for the most part, it paid off as he averaged 15.1 yards on 19 punt returns.

Bottom Line
One must utter a lot of qualifiers when talking about this team’s chances in 2008. If the front five comes together, the offense can score a lot of points. The defense is modestly talented in spots, but the middle looks soft with a linebacking unit that has virtually no depth and no dependable forces on the outside. The leadership of this franchise as a whole remains dubious, which means so does the long-term outlook.



Myth Buster
Torry Holt is over the hill
What hill? Holt finished last season with 93 receptions for 1,189 yards (10th most in football) despite playing in an offense that couldn’t consistently run the ball, protect the passer or stretch the field. Defenses had every reason to hone in on him, and still, he produced.
During his decade-long career, Holt has managed to say relatively healthy and free from punishing blows. He’ll reap these benefits in his later years. True, Holt’s speed is abating, but his cleverness in running routes and disguising his intentions is not. He still has four or five good seasons in him.


Open Thought
The NFL denied the Rams permission to wear their throwback blue and yellow uniforms in two games this season because the team did not issue the request soon enough. Wearing the throwbacks would have meant wearing different helmets. This begs the question: Do players ever get annoyed having to break-in a new helmet in the middle of a season? Anyone who has played football knows that one of the most miserable experiences is enduring the three or four days that it takes for a new helmet to mold to your skull. The helmet’s front pad rubs your forehead, and its crown feels like a stack of bricks resting on top of it. You’d think players would gripe about having to go through this in mid-season practices.

Team Report: Seattle Seahawks

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com
Predicted: 1st
2007 Record: 10-6 (1st NFC West)
Head Coach: Mike Holmgren (10th season)


Roster Quick View
*rookie
**new veteran
Offense
QB: Matt Hasselbeck Probably deserves a little more credit than he gets for his annual improvements and stable leadership.
RB: Julius Jones** Criticized in Dallas for a perceived lack of toughness. Lucky for him, the fans up here are accustomed to seeing Shaun Alexander.
FB: Leonard Weaver Terrific all-around FB who can lead-block and occasionally handle the ball. Pro Bowls await him.
WR: Bobby Engram Coming off his first 1,000-yard season. Still more of a No. 2 than a No. 1.
WR: Nate Burleson Has never really earned a starting job anywhere but will get an opportunity here, thanks largely to attrition at wide receiver.
TE: John Carlson* Seahawks had him rated as the draft’s top tight end. Is expected to contribute in the passing game right away.
LT: Walter Jones Has been supplanted by Joe Thomas as the best LT in football, though NFC defensive ends may disagree.
LG: Mike Wahle Was underwhelming last year in Carolina, but at 31, has veteran experience and enough left in the tank. Good pickup for the Hawks.
C: Chris Spencer
Has evolved into the team’s best interior offensive lineman, but hasn’t quite yet fulfilled all the potential that made him a first-round choice.
RG: Rob Sims Moves to the right side after having some issues early last season on the left. Talent is acceptable––just needs to improve awareness.
RT: Sean Locklear Natural skill has allowed him to develop too many bad habits. New five-year contract will likely stunt the rest of his growth.
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QB: Seneca Wallace Hey Charlie Frye! Start playing up to par so this guy can move to slot receiver!
RB: T.J. Duckett Downhill running style makes him a good fit in this straight-line offense.
WR: Courtney Taylor Sixth-round pick last year, caught only five passes in limited action.
WR: Deion Branch (injured) Coming off February ACL surgery, likely won’t be ready to compete until midseason (if then). His absence hurts.

Defense
DE: Patrick Kerney Led the NFC with 14.5 sacks last season, though wore down late. Regularly feasts on shoddy right tackles.
DT: Brandon Mebane Holmgren loves the guy. He’ll love him even more if his improved quickness pays off as expected.
DT: Rocky Bernard Offseason arrest for domestic abuse looks bad, but frankly (perhaps sadly?), not bad enough for the Seahawks to forget how explosive he can be.
DE: Darryl Tapp A quintessential solid DE. Overcomes mild lack of size with adeptness in his second move.
SLB: Leroy Hill The third guy in the dynamic linebacking trio. Doesn’t have blazing wheels, but a demon at the point of attack.
MLB: Lofa Tatupu Three Pro Bowl appearances in three years. Enough said.
WLB: Julian Peterson Versatility makes him perhaps the team’s best front seven player.
CB: Marcus Trufant Received a well-deserved top-dollar contract this past offseason. Teams are starting to throw away from him.
SS: Deon Grant By no means a star, but consistently performs up to par wherever he is.
FS: Brian Russell If you think he’s a classic example of a limited athlete surviving on scrappiness and smarts, you might be surprised….by exactly how right you are.
CB: Kelly Jennings Improved drastically during his rookie season; Seattle may have a gem in this No. 2 cover corner.
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DL: Craig Terrill Down on the depth chart, but his underrated quickness always seems to afford him playing time.
LB: Will Herring Almost exclusively a special teamer because Tatupu, Peterson and Hill never come off the field.
NB: Josh Wilson May have a tough time keeping Jordan Babineaux out of the nickel duties.


2008 Seahawks Preview Report
Pssstt. Come here. Shhh. Listen up.
Now, what I’m about to tell you needs to be kept quiet. You can’t repeat any of this to anyone––especially not the Seahawks. If they hear you, this plan will be foiled. Got it? Good. Now listen: As you know, head coach Mike Holmgren is retiring after the season. Can you believe he’s been here 10 years now? Neither can he. But come 2009, he’s done. Wants to open a bakery with his wife Kathy or something. Anyway, because he’s leaving, everyone––the media, fans, whoever––will begin to say that the 2008 season will be one last hurrah for this Seahawks team.
This, of course, is nonsense. For whatever reason, people either don’t realize or don’t believe that this franchise is pretty well set. There is a winning roster in place for at least another two or three years (which, in pro football time, is an eternity). GM Tim Ruskell has done a very fine job.
Why are you shrugging your shoulders? What, you don’t agree?
You guess? What’s there to guess? Ruskell has done a great job! He joined the team in 2005 and has been making upgrades ever since. Look at Seattle’s offense: He has built around quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who, at almost 33, seems to get a little better each season. He replaced Shaun Alexander––who was deader than the fish they toss at Pikes Market––with Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. Granted, neither Jones nor Duckett is a star, but you gotta admit….at least they’ll run with some courage.
The offensive line is solid. Granted, Ruskell screwed up big time when he let Steve Hutchinson get away, but that’s over and done with. At least Mike Wahle will shore things up, right?
Come on….you know this offense will be decent. It’s finished in the top 10 in yardage five of the last six years.
Okay––and what about the defense? See, that’s what people are missing. This defense is spectacular. The linebackers are all stars––genuine stars. Lofa Tatupu’s been to three Pro Bowls in three years. Julian Peterson has also gone to three. And how about the defensive line? Ruskell invests in the front four like rednecks invest in mud flaps. And his return has been great. He drafted Darryl Tapp in 2006 and witnessed nine sacks from him as a fulltime starter last season. A year ago he signed Patrick Kerney and saw the veteran record 14.5 sacks. He also spent a third-round pick on defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who became an effective starter midway through his rookie season. And this year, Ruskell spent the 28th overall pick in the draft on a four-year starter from Los Angeles’s professional team (the Trojans). His name is Lawrence Jackson.
Still not convinced that Seattle is in great hands? Jeeze. Fine, how about the secondary? Ruskell locked up Marcus Trufant––a feared cover corner––with a six-year deal this past offseason. (It was similar in value to the new deal he gave Tatupu.) And three years ago, Ruskell drafted a kid from Miami named Kelly Jennings. Jennings has blossomed into an excellent man defender, which, in this league, makes him a jewel. The Seahawks’ safety position even got upgraded last season––Deon Grant and Brian Russell both lived up to their contracts. And the depth across the board is fine.
So you see? Ruskell has done well, and this team is set. Anyway, whatever.
Now shhhh….this is where you need to listen. As I was saying, with Holmgren retiring after the season, everyone is going to think that this is one last hurrah for the Seahawks. They’ll say it’s one last chance at a Lombardi Trophy and then question the future from there. It doesn’t matter that defensive assistant Jim Mora Jr. has already been named the next head coach. Anytime a prominent coach like Holmgren is about to leave, people always talk about a final hurrah. It’s a product of the whole idea of selling sports through drama.
Now, what you need to do is play along. Maybe even sell a little yourself. The hope is that the Seahawk players will notice the hype and start to believe it. If they believe it, they might finally maintain their focus. So, DO NOT tell them what I just told you. DO NOT let them know that they’re going to be competitive for at least a few more years. If they find that out, they’ll just win 10 games and get drubbed in the playoffs like they do every year.
We’re sick of it. Problem is, this city doesn’t seem to be. Fans in the Pacific Northwest are just too tame for pro football, know what I mean? Sure, they get together at Qwest Field and all scream their freakin’ lungs out. They make more noise than a Boeing 747. But the fans are never caustic toward their own team. You don’t hear them calling for the coach’s head or demanding perfection. Yes, of course, such demands are ridiculous, but that’s not the point. The point is….I don’t know…the point is…ugh….Seahawk fans…it’s like they’re too smart or something. They’re too willing to see their team’s playoff exit and understand that 31 of the 32 clubs fall short of their ultimate goal. They’re too willing to accept that playing in January means their team was at least pretty good. They’re right, but it’s not…uhh….it’s just not…the Seattle people just need a little more Phillyness in them. You see what I’m saying? They need to demand more. I mean, look at Shaun Alexander for example. For years, the guy would frolic around the field and cower at the first sign of contact. But these fans didn’t start getting on him until last season. And even then they only groaned. Where was the booing? Where was the venom?
You don’t think the players sense this all? Surely at least part of them subconsciously says, Hey, it’s okay if we don’t dominate because these fans––our 12th man––will appreciate us anyway. If the players didn’t feel so comfortable, then by now they would have had more magical seasons than just 2005.
So don’t tell the Seahawks. Don’t tell them that this is not actually their last shot at a title. Let them think that Holmgren’s exit makes this season special. Right now, you’re the father building the dollhouse, and they’re the three-year-old helping with their plastic hammer and Styrofoam lumber. Just smile and let them be. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll maintain their focus for once.

Offense
No question about it, this is Matt Hasselbeck’s team. The 10th-year veteran from Boston College has assumed the leadership qualities that Holmgren so diligently helped instill clear back even in their days together in Green Bay. The player and coach still butt heads, but in a respectful, almost familial way. The fact that they now stand apart whenever Hasselbeck comes to the sideline after an interception (instead of review pictures together and bicker) says everything about the quarterback’s status on the team and grasp on the offense.
Hasselbeck knows the West Coast system, he understands his playmaking capabilities and he makes everyone around him better. How else do you think a player like Bobby Engram, fluid but not fast, experienced but not rock-steady, could catch 94 passes for 1,147 yards in his 12th season? Or how could an offense that, last year, had virtually no tight end (sorry Marcus Pollard), no running game (sorry Maurice Morris) and an inconsistent offensive line (sorry Rob Sims, Chris Gray and Sean Locklear) still rank ninth in total yards and points?
Hasselbeck may have his work cut out for him in ’08. He’ll be without Deion Branch early in the season, which means he’ll be without a true weapon. Branch, who went under Dr. James Andrews’s knife to repair a torn ACL in February, is the only serious playmaking threat in Seattle’s catch-and-run offense. In his absence, Engram will assume the flanker duties, while Nate Burleson will line up at split end. Both players have spent the majority of their career in a reserve role, and their presence in the starting lineup puts a considerable dent in Seattle’s depth at wide receiver. Second-year pro Courtney Taylor will be given a chance to earn the No. 3 duties, though third-year man Ben Obomanu has more experience in the West Coast system. Obomanu saw fragmented action last season but didn’t always capitalize on his opportunities.
The Seahawks are hoping to get more from their tight end in 2008. After Pollard failed to produce, they went out and drafted Notre Dame’s John Carlson in the second round. Carlson is the latest NFL tight end to have significant basketball experience. He played in two hoops games during his freshman season at Notre Dame and was a McDonald’s preseason All-American in high school. However, his mark with the Irish was made in front of Touchdown Jesus, of course. He had 87 catches over his final two years. The Seahawks hope Carlson can be their long-term answer at tight end. Behind him will be career backup Will Heller and ex-Bronco and-Texan Jeb Putzier. The former can block, the latter can catch.
Pass protection has never been much of a problem for Seattle, thanks in no small part to seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones. However, the run-blocking by this unit was atrocious last season, prompting Holmgren to fire offensive line coach Bill Laveroni. Replacing Laveroni is Mike Solari, who spent 11 years coaching what was generally a dominant front line in Kansas City.
Solari inherits a slightly better group than the one Laveroni had in ’07. Next to Jones will be 11th-year vet Mike Wahle, a gritty run-blocker who earned Pro Bowl recognition two seasons ago in Carolina. Wahle replaces 24-year-old Rob Sims, who moves over to the right side where the team hopes he can improve his awareness against blitzes and stunts.
To the right of Sims will be tackle Sean Locklear. Locklear is a prime example of what happens when a good athlete admires his talent too soon. Blessed with a dexterous 308-pound frame (which functions like a 330-pound frame), Locklear has gotten away with forming too many bad habits. He plays with B-grade effort and probably doesn’t even know it. Because Ray Willis and Pork Chop Womack have never taken advantage of their opportunities to start, Seattle felt compelled to sign Locklear to a new five-year, $32 million contract. That’s like tossing a bone to the dog that won’t come.
At center is Chris Spencer, a man on the path to fulfilling his first-round billing. A shoulder injury hindered his progress the past couple years, but Spencer’s strength and quickness are commodities that will really start to flourish as he stays healthy and begins to fully understand the details of coordinator Gil Haskell’s offense. Improvement from Spencer could help variegate Seattle’s north-south run-blocking schemes.
More complex blocking approaches may not be needed though. New starting running back Julius Jones prefers to operate from space rather than behind a road-grader. At 211 pounds, Jones is more durable than he’s given credit for, though he likely won’t outperform his career-best ’06 season, when he posted 267 carries for 1,084 yards. Jones is built a lot like Maurice Morris, Seattle’s longtime backup. Morris might have seen his playing time evaporate when the Seahawks became the latest team to sign bruising back T.J. Duckett. They’re paying the former first-round pick $7 million over the first two years of his five-year deal, which means Duckett may finally be given a true chance to contribute.
Jones is more accustom to being a lone back, but there’s no way Seattle will allow burgeoning fullback Leonard Weaver to lose his role. The Carson-Newman product (Carson Newman, by the way, is a liberal arts college in Jefferson City, TN) learned from mentor Mack Strong and is poised to follow in his Pro Bowl footsteps.

Defense
There’s no reason the Seahawk defense can’t be the most formidable in the NFC. Coordinator John Marshall (who runs a Cover 2) has a front seven that helped create 45 sacks last season (fourth in the NFL) and a secondary that features the enviable benefit of having two excellent cover corners. Sixth-year veteran Marcus Trufant was paid the GDP of a small country after posting a career-high seven interceptions in 2008 (he had just two picks total in 2006-07). Ruskell reluctantly gave the Washington State product a six-year, $52 million deal. As a negotiating ploy, the GM had declared that he did not believe Trufant to be in the Darrell Green-Deion Sanders-Champ Bailey shutdown class. However, when DeAngelo Hall’s $10 million a year contract in Oakland elevated the cornerback wage scale, Ruskell was forced to cave on Trufant’s $9 million a year demands.
Its money well spent. Not only has Trufant become a playmaker but, more importantly, he’s a play-stopper. Trufant––who moved back to his natural left cornerback position under secondary coach Jim Mora’s last season––has fluid coverage skills, particularly downfield (a rare trait for any defensive back). Teams aim to throw away from him, not just because they fear the interception but because whoever Trufant’s defending usually isn’t open.
Trufant’s brilliance puts more pressure on right cornerback Kelly Jennings, a former first-round pick who improved weekly in his first fulltime starting gig last season. Uncommon for a player of Jennings’s youth is the polished technique that the 25-year-old displays. Jennings gives up a minimized buffer zone and shows impressive patience in timing his breaks. He’s not extraordinarily quick, but he consistently gets between the ball and the receiver (he broke up 12 passes in ’07).
Auxiliary defender Jordan Babineaux can play safety or corner and seems to be a superior option to second-year pro Josh Wilson for nickel duties. Wilson, however, was a second-round pick last season and will be given every chance to earn playing time. Strong safety Deon Grant and free safety Brian Russell have done exactly what they were brought in to do, which is lead and buckle down against the deep ball.
An improved pass rush has aided the secondary. Patrick Kerney’s NFC-leading 14.5 sacks set the tone up front in ’07, though his disappearing act in the Divisional Round loss at Green Bay suggested that fatigue had set in on his 31-year-old body. This prompted the drafting of Lawrence Jackson in Round One.
Jackson will slide into a defensive end rotation that includes Kerney and moderately undersized yet productive Darryl Tapp. Tapp occasionally struggles to hold his ground in play-side run defense, though when he’s able to maintain initial separation and get into his second and third moves, he can be an unruly attacker.
Second-year man Baraka Atkins may have trouble carving out a niche in this defense. In addition to the rookie Jackson, the Seahawks will employ weakside linebacker Julian Peterson as an edge-rusher, as well as athletic ex-Texan Jason Babin.
Inside, Brandon Mebane has drawn the praise of Holmgren and the coaching staff after capturing Craig Terrill’s starting job midway through last season. Mebane has nice litheness for an inside player, which he uses to his advantage against the run. His natural ability to avoid entanglements with bigger offensive linemen is a skill that coaches must zone in on and help maximize. In all, Mebane is still at least a year away from recognizing his full potential, which is why Seattle will likely call on veterans Terrill, Chris Cooper and Larry Tripplett to play some downs in ’08.
Rocky Bernard starts at the other defensive tackle position. His offseason was marred in controversy after he was arrested for allegedly punching his girlfriend in the forehead. Assuming Bernard is on the field, he gives Seattle an enticing blend of power and agility, shown in the penetration he often gets.
Sandwiched between the secondary and front line is the best three-man linebacking unit in football. Spearheaded by middle man Lofa Tatupu and flanked by outsiders Julian Peterson and Leroy Hill, the Seahawks have a trio of stallions that devour the run and, perhaps more impressively, stifle the pass. Tatupu is an intelligent player, though he tends to gamble like Barkley, which occasionally causes him to over-pursue or misdiagnose. His speed can actually exacerbate his misreads (of course, that same speed can just as easily ameliorate them).
Peterson’s wide-ranging talent puts him in the discussion of best outside linebacker in the NFC. Consider him third behind DeMarcus Ware and Lance Briggs. Hill is one of the best closing forces in the NFL. His raw skills are a cut below those of his running mates, but put him in an average linebacking unit and he’d stand out.
Injuries have never been a problem for Seattle’s linebackers, and they’d better hope that remains the case. Should one of the three go down, into the lineup would go either Will Herring, a fifth-round pick a year ago, D.D. Lewis, often an out-of-football injury bug victim, or Lance Laury, maker of 19 tackles in 2007.

Special Teams
The Seahawks should be kicking themselves for letting Josh Brown get away. Instead, they’ll likely just be kicking fewer successful field goals in ’08. At 35, Olindo Mare still has a powerful foot on kickoffs. However, his accuracy is waning, which is why the team drafted Brandon Coutu in the seventh round. Punter Ryan Plackemeier––himself a seventh-round pick two years ago––struggled in ’07, averaging just 34.3 net yards per punt (31st in the NFL). Reggie Hodges was brought in for camp competition, but Plackemeier isn’t likely to lose his job quite yet.
Nate Burleson is a terrific return artist, though his elevated role in the offense will prompt Holmgren to gauge other options here. Josh Wilson seems the likely choice. He returned 14 kickoffs last season, including an 89-yard touchdown.

Bottom Line
The Seahawks are still the most talented team in the NFC West, but how many years of good-but-not-great football has this club had? A lot of key players have recently been well compensated, and there aren’t a lot of job competitions heading into training camp. If Mike Holmgren’s farewell tour can ignite a sense of urgency with this team, a run at Super Bowl XLIII is not out of the question. But if no sparks ablaze, say hello to 10-6….again.



Key Acquisitions
DT Chris Cooper (FA)
RB T.J. Duckett (Det)
RB Julius Jones (Dal)
LB D.D. Lewis (FA)
S Omare Lowe (Atl)
K Olindo Mare (Mia)
TE Jeb Putzier (Hou)
DT Larry Tripplett (Buf)
G Mike Wahle (Car)

Players Lost
RB Shaun Alexander
OT Tom Ashworth
LB Kevin Bentley (Hou)
K Josh Brown (Stl)
DT Chuck Darby (Det)
WR DJ Hackett (Car)
LB Niko Koutouvides (Den)
TE Marcus Pollard (NE)
DL Ellis Wyms (Min)

Replacing Tinkerbelle Alexander with Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett was a great move. Neither player is a stud, but at least they don’t go down when breathed on wrong. Losing Brown hurts, especially considering that he stayed in the division. Mare is by no means a lock to make the team. Their special teams will take a hit with the departure of Bentley and Koutouvides (their captain). Lewis has been out of football too long to be counted on, which is why their linebacker depth is non-existent. Wahle was a good pickup considering their serious needs at guard.


2008 Draft
Rd Sel # Player Position School
1 28 Lawrence Jackson DE USC
2 38 John Carlson TE Notre Dame
4 121 Red Bryant DT Texas A&M
5 163 Owen Schmitt FB West Virginia
6 189 Tyler Schmitt LS San Diego State
7 233 Justin Forsett RB California
7 235 Brandon Coutu K Georgia

Experts say that every six seconds, someone in the world gets brought in by the Seahawks to play D-line. Seattle has been stockpiling defensive linemen the past few years. Jackson, their latest addition, was a four-year starter in college. He’ll rotate with Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp and play inside on passing downs. The Hawks traded their third-round pick to move up 17 slots and snatch Carlson. In him, they believe they’ve finally found their long-term starter at tight end. Careful here––the last guy like this turned into Jerramy Stevens. You don’t see many teams draft back-to-back Schmitts. The fullback version will have a tough time making the roster; the long snapper version will probably, like most long snappers, be here 20 years.



Myth Buster
Myth: The Seattle Seahawks are an offensive team.
The feeling you get when assessing these Seahawks is not unlike the feeling you get when you’ve been outside all day and suddenly realize that, somewhere along the lines, it got dark. Long considered an offensive team, the Seahawks have subtly transformed into anything but. They lack playmakers at all the skill positions other than quarterback, and they no longer boast a dominant front five.
On the other side, their defense is one of the elite 11-man units in the game. With stars like Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson, Patrick Kerney and Marcus Trufant, and rising young forces like Brandon Mebane, Darryl Tapp and Kelly Jennings, Seattle has a plentiful blend of defensive playmakers and show stoppers. Given their homefield advantage at noisy Qwest Field, there’s no question about it: Mike Holmgren, a West Coast offense guru, has bread that is buttered with a rich Cover 2 defense.


Open Thought
The coolest new tradition in football is the raising of the 12th Man flag in Seattle. This pregame ritual has managed to avoid falling into the trap of cheesiness or cliché that ruin so many inspirational moments. The idea of featuring a different flag-raising guest each game is excellent. The instant momentum that is built from the moment is an advantage.

2008 Fantasy Football Search Expert League Is Set

Alright everyone. Here are the participants in the 2008 FFSEL (Fantasy Football Search Expert League:

Todd Farino, Fantasy Football Sarch,

AJ Pelletier, NFL Fantasy Playbook

Mike Bowser, Xtreme Fantasy Football

Jeff Coruccini, Fantasy Football Starters

Joe Quiles, Owners Box Sports

Geoff Stein, Mock Draft Central

Johnny Archive, Johnny Archive.com

Rhett Oldham, Fantasy Sports Zone

Paul Hickey, NoOffseason.com

Chris Farino, Pro Fantasy Football

Kevin Welsh, Fantasy Football Big Game

Ryan Hallam, Fighting Chance Fantasy

Jeff Mans, Scout Fantasy Football

RC Rizza, Junkyard Jake


We will be creating an expert league section at Fantasy Football Search so you can visit the league. It will be ran in ESPN and can been sen here http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/leagueoffice?leagueId=84789

I will keep you all posted with any developments.

TTG

Team Report: Carolina Pathers

Carolina Panthers
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com
Predicted: 1st
2007 Record: 7-9 (2nd NFC South)
Head Coach: John Fox (7th year)


Roster Quick View
*rookie
**new veteran
Offense
QB: Jake Delhomme Coming off Tommy John surgery that has reportedly increased his arm strength substantially.
RB: DeAngelo Williams Didn’t get enough touches in 2007. Shifty runner who is a quicker version of Emmitt Smith (in terms of style, that is).
FB: Brad Hoover Another FB who always seems to get it done. Signed a three-year contract to finish his career in his home state.
WR: Steve Smith Uninspiring ’07 season, but look who was throwing him the ball. Defenses had better not ease up on this guy.
WR Muhsin Muhammad** Brought back to fulfill the same possession receiver duties that he handled so well his first nine years here.
TE: Jeff King Caught a respectable 46 passes last season. They’ll ask him to block more in ’08.
LT: Jordan Gross Moving over from right side, but he’s played LT before. His feet are quick and his mind is sharp. He’ll be fine as always.
LG: Travelle Wharton Capable of handling the left tackle duties, but the team wanted to give him an opportunity to thrive. So, they slid him over one space.
C: Ryan Kalil Disappointing as a rookie, but coaches did not hesitate to make him the starter early in the offseason.
RG: Keydrick Vincent** Brought in to add some veteran beef to the front five.
RT: Jeff Otah* First-rounder who is too rough around the edges to play the left side. That’s fine––at 340, he’s more of a natural mauler anyway.
---------------
QB: Matt Moore One of five undrafted quarterbacks on the roster heading into training camp. Has a long-term future as a backup.
RB: Jonathan Stewart* Highly-regarded power-runner before having surgery on a turf toe injury. He’ll split carries with DeAngelo Williams.
WR: D.J. Hackett** Told he would be the starter when he signed. By “starter,” they must have meant “first guy off the bench.”
WR: Dwayne Jarrett Immaturity is a problem. Can’t you just sense that he’s fast becoming a bust?


Defense
LDE: Tyler Brayton** Never established a niche in Oakland, which is partly why he never established much of a stat line either. Not someone you want starting.
DT: Ma’ake Kemoeatu A good space filler more than anything.
DT: Damione Lewis A pass-rushing specialist, though improvements in recent years justify his promotion to starter. Still, he’s nowhere near the player Kris Jenkins was.
RDE: Julius Peppers Coming off a flat-out awful season. The hope is that a move back to the right side––his college position––will ignite him. It could. And so could his expiring contract.
SLB: Thomas Davis Not in the highest stable of linebackers, but a fearsome playmaker who can be a force in a variety of ways.
MLB: Jon Beason Will be the best inside linebacker in football before Winter Solstice.
WLB: Landon Johnson** Versatile veteran who can really thrive in an ancillary role. Agility and adeptness in coverage are a plus.
CB: Chris Gamble Doesn’t flash amazing speed or quickness––he just plays football extremely well. Receivers have a hard time shaking him.
SS: Chris Harris Solid presence––especially if he forces eight fumbles again this year.
FS: Charles Godfrey* Third-round pick who played CB at Iowa. Panthers are smitten over him.
CB: Ken Lucas Good player but highly unlikely that he’ll be able to keep his job from fast-rising Richard Marshall.
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DL: Charles Johnson Has a chance to start, thanks to the dearth of talent at DE. Was only active for two games last season despite being a third-round pick.
LB: Dan Connor* Good player. But not as good Jon Beason. And probably not as good as Thomas Davis. Why exactly did Carolina pick him?
NB: Richard Marshall Crawling with talent; corrects his weaknesses on almost a weekly basis. He can be one of the really good ones.

Key Players Acquired
DL Tyler Brayton (Oak)
OL Milford Brown (Stl)
G Toniu Fonoti (FA)
WR D.J. Hackett (Sea)
S Terrence Holt (Ari)
LB Landon Johnson (Cin)
WR Muhsin Muhammad (Chi)
DT Ian Scott (Phi)
RB LaBrandon Toefield (Jax)
G Keydrick Vincent (Ari)
DT Darwin Walker (Chi)

Key Players Lost
QB David Carr (NYG)
WR Drew Carter (Oak)
WR Keary Colbert (Den)
RB DeShaun Foster (SF)
C Justin Hartwig (Pit)
DT Kris Jenkins (NYJ)
S Marquand Manuel (Den)
DT Kindal Moorehead (Atl)
LB Dan Morgan (NO, retired)
DE Mike Rucker (retired)
QB Vinny Testaverde (retired)
G Mike Wahle (Sea)

It’s always unsettling to see a team with this much roster turnover. Carr was a disaster. Carter and Colbert both underachieved; Muhammad and Hackett are huge upgrades. Foster would have counted nearly $5 million against the cap, which he simply wasn’t worth. They traded Jenkins for mid-round picks. His negative attitude had grown old, but the Panthers will soon realize that he was their most valuable D-lineman. Rucker retired at the right time. So did Testaverde and Morgan. John Fox wasn’t happy with Wahle’s ’07 performance, and the hope is that the bigger Vincent will make the rushing attack more powerful. If he doesn’t then they’ll try Brown or Fonoti. Walker and Scott have both recently been with the Eagles and Bears, though not together. Carolina should be happy if one of them works out. Johnson was a good addition, especially for $10 million over three years.

2008 Draft
Rd Sel #Player Position School
1 13 Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
1 19 Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
3 67 Charles Godfrey CB Iowa
3 74 Dan Connor LB Penn State
5 141 Gary Barnidge TE Louisville
6 181 Nick Hayden DT Wisconsin
7 221 Hilee Taylor DE North Carolina
7 241 Geoff Schwartz OL Oregon
7 250 Mackenzy Bernadeau G Bentley

A lot of teams were scared away by Stewart’s pre-draft foot surgery. But if he gets healthy––and there’s no reason to think he won’t––Carolina will have a first-class talent. Stewart and DeAngelo Williams can form a great duo. Otah is inexperienced but too good not to start right away at RT. Godfrey immediately became the starting FS in minicamp. There were probably about 31 other teams that Connor would have liked to have gone to. He’s a natural MLB who now must hope to crack the starting lineup on the outside. He’s too good to ride the bench for long. All three seventh-rounders face long odds at making the 53-man roster.


Carolina Panthers 2008 Preview Report
The pattern was snapped last season. When the Carolina Panthers failed to finish above .500 for the second year in a row. John Fox’s team has always followed a trend: toggle in mediocrity, then surge by winning 11 games and making some noise in the playoffs. Then, catch your breath the following season with another seven or eight-win campaign. Then, fully energized, come back and have another fruitful run. Look at Carolina’s history: 2002…7-9; 2003…11-5 (reached Super Bowl); 2004…7-9; 2005…11-5 (reached NFC Championship); 2006….8-8; 2007….7-9. Oops.
Order broken. It doesn’t take much to figure out why. The Panthers started four different quarterbacks last season. The only one capable of excelling was Jake Delhomme, and he was lost after two games. You need pitching to win in pro baseball, goaltending to win in pro hockey, a large home market to win in pro basketball and quarterbacking to win in pro football. It’s simple, really.
Delhomme is back now after Tommy John surgery (no, not another baseball reference––actual Tommy John surgery). The 33-year-old’s reconstructed elbow has looked superb thus far. Many are saying that Delhomme is actually a stronger passer now than before. Still, that wasn’t good enough for GM Marty Hurney. Mainly because it wasn’t good enough for owner Jerry Richardson. After a second-consecutive humdrum record, the powers that be in Carolina decided that the team had grown stale. (It had.)
So, Richardson put his front office and coaching staff to work and on notice. The objective was to rid the franchise of toxic energy coming from anyone deemed an underachiever. Or malcontent (i.e. Kris Jenkins). Quarterback David Carr was let go––that was an easy call. Wide receivers Keary Colbert and Drew Carter followed. So did running back DeShaun Foster (not so much an underachiever until you consider that his ’08 cap number was close to $5 million). Guard Mike Wahle, a year removed from the Pro Bowl, disappointed coaches in ’07 and was cut. Sadly but wisely, concussion-riddled linebacker Dan Morgan was released. (Morgan signed with New Orleans before deciding to retire.) Center Justin Hartwig was also dismissed.
The roster mini-purge made room for the new personnel that would fit Carolina’s updated mantra of a power offense (an identity they had drifted away from). Defensively, the Panthers just wanted to tighten the screws.
Everything commenced as planned. Hurney went out and signed 325-pound guard Keydrick Vincent, 330-pound guard Milford Brown and “340-pound” guard Toniu Fonoti (last seen eating a Golden Corral out of business somewhere in his home state of Hawaii). The Carolina coaching staff also told the returning linemen to put on weight and get up to 320 (which Travelle Wharton and Geoff Hangartner did).
Having a meaty offensive line to block only for slashing tailback DeAngelo Williams would not have made much sense. That’s why the Panthers used the 13th-overall pick in the draft on 230-pound Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart. And just to show people they weren’t messing around, they mortgaged seemingly half of their ’09 draft to move back into the first round and take 340-pound right tackle Jeff Otah at No. 19. (Warning to Rosie O’Donnell: watch your back––they’ll want you next.)
Needing to solidify the passing attack and force defenses to think about more than just Steve Smith, Hurney brought back longtime Panther Muhsin Muhammad, a superlative possession receiver. Before signing Muhammad, Hurney––or someone in the organization––had told 6’2”, 208-pound free agent receiver D.J. Hackett that he would be a starter if he joined the team. So Hackett signed. Now, the Panthers have Muhammad and a 6’2”, 208-pound No. 3 receiver who is probably a little bit miffed. They’ll take it.
So the offense is rebuilt, and there’s little question about its identity. Defensively, the losses of tackle Kris Jenkins and end Mike Rucker hurt Carolina (Jenkins’s absence especially). But the anticipated improvements of rising stars Jon Beason (middle linebacker), Thomas Davis (strongside linebacker) and Richard Marshall (cornerback) have the front office and coaching staff giddy. Or are they nervous?
Head coach John Fox has been on what they call the “hot seat” before. So has Hurney. No one has come right out and said it, but 2008 could prove to be the final chance for the leaders in Carolina. Another mediocre season and the Panthers will officially be in a stupor. This franchise can’t afford that. The Tar Heel and Palmetto States create a lower-mid-level sized market that would not respond well to indolence from its football team. Sure, Bank of America Stadium would still sell out––maybe––but Football America would tune out. Carolina can ask their old expansion buddy in Jacksonville about that. Not to mention, business aside, this is football, dammit. Richardson and everyone else in Carolina want to win because winning is just more fun.
Can they? You might be surprised. If everybody stays healthy, this is a solid core group of players here. It’s a group with a nice distribution of veteran experience and youth. With a strong identity in place, the Panthers at least have clear intentions. How will things pan out?

Offense
From all accounts, quarterback Jake Delhomme is healthy. Thus, so is Carolina’s passing attack. Delhomme has never been one to throw lasers, and his athleticism is about as average as a Tuesday. But, over his five years starting, the Louisiana-Lafayette alum has consistently found ways to be effective. Delhomme leads with exuberant passion––something a player can get away with when he understands the offense inside and out. Should Delhomme’s health fail him again, the Panthers would be in trouble. The only other remotely experienced quarterback on the roster is Matt Moore, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent three years ago.
The return of Delhomme means the return of Steve Smith. Perhaps the toughest cover in football outside of Randy Moss, Smith’s impact last season was mitigated by Carolina’s quarterbacking woes. (He was still able to catch 87 passes for 1,002 yards.) Smith and Delhomme have an innate chemistry––the kind where eye contact can lead to the quick-hit completions that give Smith the ball in space. Or, the kind of chemistry that allows the quarterback to force attempts to the 5’9” receiver despite double coverage.
Assuming Smith stays close to 100 percent––and, given his history of broken bones and pulled hamstrings, that’s no minor assumption––the Panther offense will have a perfect big-play weapon to balance the half-court style of Muhsin Muhammad. Carolina’s familiarity with Muhammad is what will relegate D.J. Hackett to the slot. The fifth-year pro was scheduled for a breakout campaign with Seattle in ’07, but a high ankle sprain threw a wrench in the plans. If Hackett stays healthy, he gives the Panthers a dangerous, versatile third receiving option (something they’ve never really had).
Last season’s second-round pick, Dwayne Jarrett, was supposed to evolve into a starter at some point. However, doing so requires maturity, which is why John Fox and offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson are tacitly losing faith in the 22-year-old. They’ll try to work Jarrett into the offensive rotation, though they may wind up settling for the unrefined speed of return specialist Ryne Robinson instead.
Jeff King is a decent tight end, capable of blocking in the run game or catching short passes in the flats (he had 46 receptions in ’07). Because of fullback Brad Hoover’s prominence in this offense, backup tight ends Dante Rosario and fifth-round rookie Gary Barnidge aren’t likely to have significant roles in 2008.
Hoover offers excellent north-south lead-blocking, which fits the brawny approach that the Panthers front line will be taking. All five slots across the offensive line have new bodies in them.
The left side features tackle Jordan Gross (formerly the right tackle) and guard Travelle Wharton (formerly the left tackle). Gross is one of the few Panthers who demurred when asked to bulk up over the offseason. He thought added pounds would hinder his play. At 6’4’, 300, Gross’s game is predicated on mobility. Moving with dexterity amplifies his quickness and strength, plus it allows him to create excellent angles in run-blocking.
Wharton got bigger, raising his weight from 310 to 320. The added size is a gamble considering he blew out his knee in 2006. Shifting Wharton inside had more to do with Carolina’s situation at guard than the fifth-year veteran’s performance at left tackle (though speed rushers sometimes gave him problems). Wharton is a well-schooled player who should prosper in his new position.
Center Ryan Kalil was awful in limited action as a rookie last September. The Panthers, however, like the knowledge and poise he’s shown in practice. Considering he came at a second-round price, they’re willing to try him out. They know they have an excellent insurance policy in backup Geoff Hangartner, a fourth-year veteran with 19 starts under his belt.
Right guard is said to be an open competition between Keydrick Vincent, Milford Brown and Toniu Fonoti. Anyone with at least one good eye and a half-functioning thalamus can see that Vincent is the class of the group. He is powerful at the point of attack and, unlike the men behind him, able to slide his feet in pass protection. It should always raise eyebrows when you see Fonoti’s name in the mix. Once thought to be the next Larry Allen, the ex-Cornhusker stunted his development by eating like the Nutty Professor. Fonoti is reportedly down to his college weight of 340. However, since 2005 the Vikings, Bucs, Dolphins and Falcons have all bought into his act. And all came to regret it.
Right tackle Jeff Otah will be given a crash course in pass-blocking as a rookie. Otah’s potential is unquestioned, but it’s a little surprising that the Panthers would impetuously start him ahead of proven veteran Jeremy Bridges.
Running behind the nearly one-ton worth of offensive linemen will be DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Williams, a first-round pick in 2006, has proven to be effective, averaging 5.0 yards per carry last season. But he doesn’t run with a resounding burst. His greatest strength is using his vision and shiftiness to maximize the blocks in front of him. Stewart will be expected to pack the punch. He’s a bruising runner, but he also has the speed to turn the corner.
Carolina’s depth in the backfield is tremendous. Thirty-year-old Nick Goings is a fullback-tailback tweener who runs well and catches passes out of the backfield. Despite the presence of the first-rounders, Goings may still find a role as a third-down back (he’s excellent in blitz pickup). Additionally, Hoover and ex-Jaguar LaBrandon Toefield can both handle carries in an emergency situation.

Defense
Even with the soaring food costs, $14.5 million for a little over two sacks seems like an awfully hefty price. But that’s what the Panthers are paying defensive end Julius Peppers. The $14.5 million is the cap number for the final year of Peppers’s contract. The sack total (2.5) is what the three-time Pro Bowler produced in a forgettable 2007 season. It’s even harder to fathom an athlete as gifted as Peppers having such a bad year. It’s impossible to fathom him doing it twice.
To help prevent the unfathomable, Carolina moved Peppers from the left side back to his collegiate position on the right. His natural left-handedness will make his new stance feel a bit awkward, but not having to deal with so many tight end chip-blocks will easily offset any discomfort.
Two-and-a-half sacks would feel like a monsoon of pass-rushing production for newly acquired defensive end Tyler Brayton. In five seasons with the Raiders, the former first-rounder registered six sacks total. Just one of those sacks came in the last three years, despite Brayton having suited up for 48 games (16 of which he started). Such hollow productivity makes Brayton the George Costanza of defensive ends. Part of his problem was that the Raiders constantly moved him around (end, defensive tackle, outside linebacker). But an honest football scholar would call this an excuse.
If Brayton doesn’t rise from the dead, he’ll quickly be buried behind second-year pro Charles Johnson. This would speak volumes about Brayton, considering Johnson was only activated for two games last season. It’s like a duel with no guns at left defensive end. Don’t be surprised if the Panthers just say forget it and go with Stanley McClover.
Fox’s relationship with Kris Jenkins must have been strained beyond repair because it’s not often you see a player that good get dealt for third-and fifth-round draft picks. Marty Hurney touted the value of draft picks after the trade, but the fact of the matter is, the whole reason you use draft picks is to find players like Jenkins. And there aren’t many.
Filling his shoes will be Damione Lewis, another former first-rounder who underachieved in St. Louis but has found his niche as a pass-rusher off the bench in Carolina. Lewis was given a three-year, $14 million contract over the offseason, which the Panthers hope can buy improvements in his run defense. Lewis shouldn’t see too many double teams playing next to 345-pound Ma’ake Kemoeatu, and he won’t have to be an everydown force with veterans Ian Scott and Darwin Walker behind him. Walker, in fact, is good enough to take Lewis’s job if he plays up to his par for the first time in three years.
You’re going to be hearing more and more about middle linebacker Jon Beason. The second-year star is the centerpiece of an excellent Carolina linebacking core. Blessed with a host of five-star attributes––including speed, strength, instincts and fire––Beason may already be the best middle linebacker in football. He is a man of integrity and, at 23, already the leader of coordinator Mike Trgovac’s defense.
Beason’s not the only stallion. Strongside linebacker Thomas Davis can be downright terrifying at the point of attack. Davis closes on tackles with uncanny quickness. And being a former safety, he moves remarkably well in space. Former Bengal Landon Johnson borders on stardom as well, though his tertiary role as the weakside linebacker will prevent his name from infiltrating American living rooms in 2008. Johnson is willowy and versatile. If not for Davis’s and Beason’s prowess in pass defense, he’d be an everydown player.
Carolina’s depth at linebacker is tremendous. Rookie Dan Connor is the newest legacy in Penn State’s illustrious linebacking tradition. Carolina had absolutely no immediate need for Connor, but Hurney couldn’t believe that the first-round prospect was still available at pick No. 74. Considering Na’il Diggs is a dependable veteran with 99 starts to his name, it’s possible that Connor won’t even be Carolina’s first linebacker off the bench in ’08. That means he’ll join talented backups James Anderson, Adam Seward and Tim Shaw on special teams.
The secondary is like a burrito: appealing on the outside but qualmish in the middle. Carolina knows they have three good cornerbacks in Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas and Richard Marshall. They think they have two pretty good safeties in Chris Harris and Charles Godfrey.
A snapshot of the secondary can be illustrated through Marshall. In his third season out of Fresno State, Marshall exudes the type of confidence and athleticism of a playmaking star. He intercepted three passes last season, averaging 35.7 yards per runback. He also broke up 11 more.
Simply put, Marshall is too good to be coming off the bench––even as a nickel back. Fox privately toyed with the idea of moving him to free safety, but the Panthers learned the consequences of playing a promising talent out of position too early when they hampered Thomas Davis’s development during his peripatetic rookie year. Carolina’s weakness at free safety was an issue early in the spring––actually it was an issue years before that––but that maybe changed on Draft Day. Fox and company have been enamored with third-round rookie Charles Godfrey. A cornerback at Iowa, Godfrey showed an immediate understanding of his new position and the defensive scheme during minicamp.
His performance relegated Terrence Holt to the bench and probably closed the door on Nate Salley (who has battled injury over his first two years, including a chronically sore knee that landed him on IR in ’07).
Considering Gamble is rock-solid in all realms, Carolina’s best bet might be to start Marshall at right corner and demote Ken Lucas to nickel. This actually happened for a brief period last season. Lucas is considered to be a mid-upper-echelon cornerback––playing in a six-year, $36.5 million contract, he’s certainly compensated like one––but his slow-swiveling hips prevent him from stopping passes that arrive at the point of a receiver’s break.
Chris Harris’s strong safety job is safe. While not always the most efficient traveler in help coverage, Harris is a physical presence who can light people up. He forced a staggering eight fumbles in his first season as a Panther last year.

Special Teams
Although reliable kicker John Kasay was 2/2 from 50-yards-out last season, the Panthers may save his soon-to-be 39-year-old foot by keeping kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd on the roster. Punter Jason Baker has long been among the elite, though 54 of his 90 boots were returned last season, which is too many. Ryne Robinson was drafted for his return abilities. He had an up-and-down rookie year that the team hopes settled him down for the long haul.

Bottom Line
If all goes well, the Panthers are capable of making a push in the NFC. The only true weak area on the roster is defensive line––and a monster year from Julius Peppers can fix that. Carolina’s front office and coaching staff is executing a specific plan, something that injuries and roster ambiguity have prevented as of late. The NFC South has had a different division champion in all six years of its existence. It could be Carolina’s turn once again.


Myth Buster
Julius Peppers laid down last season.
A taciturn player with a nonchalant demeanor and uncapped athleticism is always going to be accused of dogging it when things don’t go well. The fact of the matter is, Peppers played hard in 2007––he just didn’t play well. His 2.5 sacks were not misleading. They were reflective of the amount of pressure (or lack thereof) he put on the passer each week. Even worse was Peppers’s defense against the run. Offenses had a field day rushing to the 6’7” ex-Tar Heel’s side.
But where Peppers did not vanish was in backside run defense (his speed and length continued to make him a monster in pursuit). No matter how skilled a player is, it still takes a motor to chase the ball. Peppers did that in 2007.


Open Thought
How many famous Steve Smith’s are there? Lots. There are two who play wide receiver in the NFL (the one with the Panthers and the younger one with the Giants). Search Wikipedia and you find 40 different Steve Smiths. Some are Stephen, like the current foreign minister of Australia. Some are Stephen A., like the haughty NBA analyst for ESPN. Some are Stephen (choose a middle name) Smith, like Stephen Edwards Smith, brother-in-law and campaign manager for JFK. Some are Stephen (choose a middle name) (choose the first part of a hyphenated last name) Smith, like Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith, early 1900s pioneer of rocket mail in India (which is exactly what it sounds like….mail delivery by rockets).
And, of course, there are plenty of plain old Steve Smiths––most of them being in sports. Besides the receivers, there’s the former NBA sharp-shooter and ’96 Dream Teamer. There’s the British high jumper, Philadelphia Phillies first base coach and Irish rugby player. There’s even the American pool player, if that counts. The list goes on.
There are plenty of famous Steve Smiths outside of sports, too. The professor at Yale. The jazz/rock drummer. Steve Smith is even the real name of the renowned clown, T.J. Tatters.
Anyway, are you still reading this? You must know a Steve Smith.

Team Report: Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com
Predicted: 4th
2007 Record: 4-12 (4th NFC West)
Head Coach: Mike Smith (1st Year)

Roster Quick View
*rookie
**new veteran
Offense
QB: Chris Redman Is Matt Ryan ready yet?
RB: Michael Turner** Excellent combination of power and speed. Should see sixty percent of the carries and be a 1,000-yard back.
FB: Ovie Mughelli Bruising style of play is a much better fit in the new, true power-run offense.
WR: Roddy White Emerged as a 1,200-yard receiver last season. Can still get a little better.
WR Laurent Robinson A potential star, thanks to long frame, field-stretching speed and impeccable quickness. Also capable of playing in traffic. Keep a close eye here.
TE: Ben Hartsock** Blocking specialist being forced into a starting role.
LT: Sam Baker* Must be more consistent than he was as a banged-up senior at USC. Quick, but how’s his strength?
LG: Justin Blalock Gradually improved as a rookie though, right now, nowhere near the run-blocker he could be. His pass protection’s not bad.
C: Todd McClure Veteran cog who has been holding down the fort inside for the better part of the past nine years.
RG: Kynan Forney Hasn’t been the same since 2006 shoulder surgery. Atlanta should ponder a change here.
RT: Todd Weiner Faces uphill battle after serious microfracture surgery on left knee late last fall.
---------------
QB: Joey Harrington If he were a robot, he’d be a star. Unfortunately, he’s a deep-thinking human being with a good memory.
RB: Jerious Norwood Has averaged an insane 6.2 yards per carry over the past two seasons. When he gets around the edge, he could be the biggest home run threat in football.
WR: Harry Douglas* Lacks great size (5’11, 170), but scouts love his potential in the slot.
WR: Michael Jenkins Okay, so he hasn’t lived up to first-round billing. Doesn’t mean he’s not a solid blocker and special teams player.
TE: Martrez Milner Shows some positive signs as a blocker when used in motion.
OL: Tyson Clabo Performed admirably off the bench last season. Will probably eek into the starting lineup at RT in 2008.


Defense
LDE: Jamaal Anderson Eighth-overall pick last season who produced zero sacks. He’ll never be a good pass-rusher, but he’s terrific against the run.
NT: Montavious Stanley Deserves some playing time because he can be effective anywhere on the front line. But having him start at NT is a bit much.
UT: Jonathan Babineaux Significantly improved his quickness and mobility last season. Capable of starting but needs better players around him.
RDE: John Abraham Feared pass-rusher who should only be playing third downs. Becomes a cross between the Lion and Tinman when asked to stop the run.
SLB: Michael Boley Would be Atlanta’s best defensive player if he operated with a greater sense of reckless abandonment.
MLB: Curtis Lofton* Huge undertaking if he indeed starts from Day One. Not oozing with talent, but hard-working and productive. Will that be enough?
WLB: Keith Brooking Pro Bowler and leader who eagerly moves back to natural weakside spot after being stuck in the middle for two years.
CB: Chris Houston Survived as a rookie starter in 11 games last season, but in no way is he a No. 1 CB at this point.
SS: Lawyer Milloy Veteran captain who is almost certain to retire after the season.
FS: Erik Coleman** Couldn’t consistently get on the field in New York. You don’t mind his starting….when someone in front of him is injured, that is.
CB: Von Hutchins** Brought in to provide depth at all the DB positions. Atlanta’s scarcity of talent forced him into the first string.
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DL: Chauncey Davis Nowhere near being fast enough to reach the quarterback. Questionable strength makes him an iffy contributor.
LB: Stephen Nicholas The previous coaching staff loved him. Will find a chance to emerge as a starter at some point….just don’t know where, when or why.
NB: David Irons Second-year player who has performed well on special teams.



Key Players Acquired
FS Erik Coleman (NYJ)
K Jason Elam (Den)
DE Simon Fraser (Cle)
TE Ben Hartsock (Ten)
CB Von Hutchins (Hou)
FB Corey McIntyre (FA)
DT Rashad Moore (NE)
DT Kindal Moorehead (Car)
C Alex Stepanovich (Cin)
RB Michael Turner (SD)

Key Players Lost
TE Courtney Anderson (Buf)
TE Dwayne Blakley (Ten)
DT Rod Coleman
S Chris Crocker (Mia)
TE Alge Crumpler (Ten)
RB Warrick Dunn (TB)
OT Wayne Gandy
CB DeAngelo Hall (Oak)
QB Byron Leftwich
S Omare Lowe (Sea)
CB Lewis Sanders (NE)
LB Demorrio Williams (KC)
DB Jimmy Williams

GM Thomas Dimitroff and the new coaching staff came in and cleaned house. Hall, Dunn, Crumpler and Coleman were four of the team’s top veterans. Atlanta only got a second-round pick for Hall (and a fifth-rounder in ’09) because Hall’s public discontent compromised Dimitroff’s leverage. Leftwich was not worth having around. Demorrio Williams and Sanders were solid but, in the spirit of a roster overhaul, expendable. Jimmy Williams, a second-round pick in 2006, was a bust of monumental proportions. Of the players brought in, only Turner is of distinct significance.


2008 Draft
Rd Sel # Player Position School
1 3 Matt Ryan QB Boston College
1 21 Sam Baker T USC
2 37 Curtis Lofton LB Oklahoma
3 68 Chevis Jackson CB Louisiana State
3 84 Harry Douglas WR Louisville
3 98 Thomas DeCoud FS California
5 138 Robert James MLB Arizona State
5 154 Kroy Biermann LB Montana
6 172 Thomas Brown RB Georgia
7 212 Wilrey Fontenot CB Arizona
7 232 Keith Zinger TE Louisiana State

This could prove to be a great draft class. Making six picks in the first three rounds is uncommon. It goes without saying that the Falcons are banking on having a franchise QB in Ryan. They’re paying him an absurd amount ($72 million over six years). They clearly reached on Baker after the run on offensive tackles twisted their arm. Lofton is the latest Oklahoma linebacker to be drafted. The Falcons are hoping he works out better than his Sooner predecessors Rufus Alexander, Rocky Calmus and Teddy Lehman. Jackson will have a chance to compete right away, and they’re excited about Douglas as a slot receiver. DeCoud will likely start in 2009.



Atlanta Falcons 2008 Preview Report
We all know how bad it was. The 2007 Atlanta Falcons endured what might be the most disastrous single season in NFL history. Their 4-12 record paints too rosy a picture. And it’s not like they were prepared for the downfall. The Falcons went 7-9 in 2006––lackluster but not awful. Everything fell apart after that. Their franchise player went to prison. Their supposedly innovative new head coach divided the locker room before screwing them over. The ripple effect of both sucker punchers was torturous. After all was said and done, the Falcons franchise looked like football’s version of a before and after picture in an anti-Meth campaign.
Unlike so many downtrodden organizations, the Falcons weren’t entirely to blame for their problems. They simply made two good investments in what proved to be two bad people. Owner Arthur Blank handled both ordeals with the utmost class. There wasn’t a football fan in America that didn’t feel sorry for the billionaire –
except for maybe the billionaire himself.
Taking it on the chin and in stride, Blank was supportive of Michael Vick as a fellow man, and firm with him as a businessman. Blank went after $22 million of Vick’s original signing bonus, all but severing the last of the quarterback’s ties to the organization. (A judge ruled that Vick could keep the bonus.) Blank took a similar approach with Bobby Petrino. He allowed Petrino to bail on their agreement and bolt for Arkansas––why keep a head coach around if he didn’t want to be there?––but made sure that Petrino would not coach pro football in the immediate future. (Petrino’s dastardly midnight exit probably ensured that he’ll never coach pro football again.)
Soon after, Blank made his most critical move of all: the demolition. He tore down the Falcons and started anew. Team president Rich McKay, a former candidate for the commissioner job, was relieved of his player personnel duties in order to focus more on the franchise’s business aspects. Patriots director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff was hired to take over as the general manager. Blank then stood back and watched his front office swing the wrecking balls.
To no one’s surprise, the first wrecking ball collapsed the deteriorated coaching staff. Only four assistants were retained (one of them was last season’s interim head coach Emmitt Thomas). Once the rubble was bulldozed, Dimitroff and McKay hired Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith to be the 14th head coach in club history. The low-profile, defensive-oriented Smith is the antithesis of Bobby Petrino. After constructing a new coaching staff, Smith quickly joined the front office in the demolition efforts.
Over a seven-week period, the Falcons axed disenchanted tight end Alge Crumpler (a four-time Pro Bowler), granted the release of august running back Warrick Dunn, cut ties with December-added quarterback Byron Leftwich, terminated the tenures of veterans Rod Coleman, Wayne Gandy and Lewis Sanders, said goodbye to safety Chris Crocker, traded cornerback DeAngelo Hall (a superstar but proverbial malcontent) and booted out mega-bust defensive back Jimmy Williams. Following many of the veterans out the door was the tension and strife that had polluted the locker room.
Blank’s crew didn’t focus only on razing the roster––they broke ground on what figures to be at least a two-year construction project. The Falcons addressed some immediate needs in free agency, most notably at running back where they signed 26-year-old Michael Turner, long known as LaDainian Tomlinson’s backup. Most importantly, they dialed in on the draft.
Thanks to the DeAngelo Hall trade, as well as the previous year’s trade of Matt Schaub (which came to be viewed as cruel irony after Vick’s imprisonment), Dimitroff had four second-round picks at his disposal, along with the No. 3 overall selection and a pair of third-round choices. After some draft day bartering, the Falcons came away with six rookies whom they think can one day start. Included in the six are a franchise quarterback (Matt Ryan), a left tackle (Sam Baker) and a middle linebacker (Curtis Lofton). That’s three players at three keynote positions.
The construction of Atlanta’s foundation has not been without debate. Some have pointed out that the team did not follow its blueprints of building from the middle up front. (The Falcons have explained that the talent in this draft was too thin at the interior positions. )
Many have questioned whether Ryan is the right man to lead this franchise into tomorrow. Detractors argue that he had just one good season at Boston College. Backers counter that, when healthy, he’s been prolific in big moments. (And also that he has no dog fighting record.)
Atlanta traded two second-round picks to move up and snatch Baker at No. 21. Everyone agrees that this was a reach; Baker himself was even surprised to go so early. But with Dimitroff seeing five offensive tackles drafted in the first 19 slots, and shuddering at thoughts of guys like Renardo Foster and Quinn Ojinnaka protecting his new franchise quarterback’s blindside, he pulled the trigger on the quick but inconsistent ex-Trojan.
Lofton has not received nearly the amount of scrutiny as the two men picked ahead of him, but his selection was perhaps the most puzzling. The Falcons already had an upper-tier middle linebacker in Keith Brooking. And defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was the linebackers coach on a staff that raved about rookie weakside linebacker Stephen Nicholas a year ago. Dimitroff and company, however, were taken by Lofton’s passion and overachievement at Oklahoma. They drafted him to, they hope, be their immediate starting middle linebacker (Brookings moves back to his natural weakside position, Nicholas comes off the bench).
As usual, only time will tell with everything. Blank’s Falcons have embraced their rebuilding project and put the 2007 season forever behind them. They won’t win a lot of games in 2008––not with a lineup that, on quick-glance, features only six rock-solid contributors between both sides of the ball. But the Falcons are doing what they can. And really, what more can you ask for?

Offense
So should they throw the rookie to the wolves in Week 1? For years, the answer to this question has been dripping with pros and cons. There is a litany of case studies on the topic. And, like snowflakes, no two are alike. Troy Aikman started, struggled, then flourished. David Carr started, struggled, then floundered. Carson Palmer sat and later excelled. Jim Druckenmiller sat and never did anything.
Determining whether Matt Ryan is ready will be up to Mike Smith and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey. If they feel their $72 million ace is mentally prepared to handle the weight of an NFL playbook and onslaught of faster defenses, they’ll put him under center in September. If, however, they think that doing so raises the risk of scarring Ryan’s psyche and creating the next Joey Harrington, they’ll give the nod to placeholder Chris Redman. The 31-year-old Redman performed admirably in his four starts last season, registering a rating of 90.4 overall. Still, it is highly unlikely that the Falcons will soon have a Drew Brees-Philip Rivers situation on their hands. Redman, accurate as he may be, is neither athletic enough nor savvy enough to be a star.
The fact that Atlanta brought back Harrington suggests they may be inclined to wait patiently on Ryan. Harrington has proven incapable of starting, but he’s too good to be a No. 3. Essentially, he’s around to back up Redman.
A lot of times, the decision to start a rookie quarterback hinges on the coaching staff’s trust in the offensive line. Ryan has solid pocket mobility and showed strong poise throughout his senior season, but he can’t run for his life like the franchise quarterback here before him. Questions abound across Atlanta’s front five. For starters, it’s still unclear how this team will handle Mularkey’s power-blocking approach. Center Todd McClure, right guard Kynan Forney and right tackle Todd Weiner were all here during the Alex Gibbs’s zone-blocking era. Last season, most of the O-linemen struggled with the transition from finesse to brute force under Petrino’s system. But, of course, that could have been a product of the system’s flaws.
The questions don’t stop at the scheme. Weiner is coming off microfracture surgery on his left knee. Few players recover from the operation. If Weiner becomes another statistic, then third-year pro Tyson Clabo will reoccupy the position he manned so well in Weiner’s absence last year. There’s also an outside chance that second-year guard Justin Blalock would move to right tackle. Blalock (6’4”, 329) has more than enough size, but he’s still developing his run-blocking range and awareness on the inside. Plus, moving him would likely put former left tackle Quinn Ojinnaka in the lineup at guard. Ojinnaka’s lack of lower-body strength would cause serious problems there.
Forney comes with questions as well––the main one being, Can he still play? He hasn’t been the same since his ’06 shoulder surgery. The Falcons, in fact, may want to consider using backup center Alex Stepanovich in this spot. Every team Stepanovich plays for seems to vacillate between starting the fifth-year pro or using him in an auxiliary role off the bench. If Atlanta starts Stepanovich, it likely wouldn’t be at center. Todd McClure is only 31 and still effective.
The questions about left tackle Sam Baker are relevant. Baker is already with the first unit (more experienced tackle Renardo Foster is big, but that’s about it). The issue for Baker will be how much tight end help he’ll require. Mularkey loves to utilize ace formations, so the template is there. But the personnel might not be.
Starter Ben Hartsock was a blocking specialist with Tennessee. Martrez Milner, a fourth-round pick a year ago, has shown positive signs blocking out of an H-back position. Fullback Ovie Mughelli is another presence, though most of his impact will come between the tackles.
In stark contrast to the Alge Crumpler years, none of Atlanta’s tight ends are receiving threats. Look for Mularkey to compensate for this by incorporating running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood more in the passing game. The 237-pound Turner established an identity as somewhat of a bruising back during his time in San Diego, but in fact, scouts give high grades to his abilities as a receiver. Norwood, raw as he remains, is also a reliable outlet. Prioritizing him in the passing game would be a wise move. There aren’t a lot of players who are more dangerous in space (for proof, YouTube some of the highlights behind Norwood’s absurd 6.2 career yards per carry average).
The key to the passing game will still be the wide receivers. Veteran Joe Horn remains Atlanta’s most recognized name on offense, but the 36-year-old isn’t happy about playing behind No. 4 wideout Michael Jenkins. Considering that Horn makes $2.5 million and isn’t much better than Adam Jennings, Atlanta probably isn’t too thrilled with the situation either. Don’t be surprised if, by the time you read this, Horn has already been released.
After seemingly dropping every ball he touched his first three years, Roddy White blossomed into a genuine weapon in 2007. Even with the Falcons’ unstable quarterback situation, White notched 83 receptions for 1,202 yards. He’s not much of a presence over the middle––he has concentration lapses in traffic and inadequate strength––but he can stretch the field and run nice routes.
White’s days as Atlanta’s premier receiver could actually be numbered if second-year pro Laurent Robinson harnesses all of his talent. Robinson has stunning quickness in and out of his breaks and will surprise not only by burning opponents with speed, but also by making plays in the short-range as well. If third-round rookie Harry Douglas can zip around from the slot as expected, the Falcons will present a lot of receiving speed for defenses to deal with.

Defense
If Mike Smith had to verbalize it, his words could be mistaken for dry humor. Okay Coach, you want to build your Cover 2 around a strong interior presence up front. I gotcha. So who are your tackles?.....Montavious Stanley and Jonathan Babineaux?........Oh! I get it! Ha-ha. Good one, Coach.
He’s serious. As the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville, Smith decided that he rather liked having Marcus Stroud and John Henderson regulating the trenches. But in Stanley and Babineaux, he has two decent-moving tackles who are by no means destructive enough to jointly control the line of scrimmage. Smith could even line up Tim Anderson, Kindal Moorehead and Rashad Moore directly behind the starters, play 14 on 11, and still not match the force he had in Stroud and Henderson.
Smith will tweak his mantra for the time being (if his Cover 2 was utterly dependent on having dominant tackles, the Falcons would have drafted Glenn Dorsey and signed Grady Jackson). Smith’s bigger issues could be at defensive end anyway. Last year’s first-round pick Jamaal Anderson started 16 games as a rookie and recorded the same number of sacks as Jimmy Carter. Anderson was unable to be explosive while processing NFL reads. When he finally settled down later in the season, he proved to be an immovable object against the run. Comfortable or not, Anderson will never be a big time pass-rusher, which is why the Falcons will slide him inside on third downs.
John Abraham is the other starting end. On the surface, you see a former Pro Bowler who led the team with 10 sacks last season. However, those 10 sacks don’t overwrite the vast number of plays that the fragile veteran gave up in the run game. Or the number of plays that he gave up on. If Chauncey Davis were a better player, Abraham would be coming off the bench as a pass-rushing specialist.
Strongside linebacker Michael Boley will have that role in 2008. Boley offers fluid speed and a good first-step––two traits that could also make him the team’s best linebacker if he plays with more aggression. Boley is not timid or lazy, he just doesn’t show the chipped shoulder needed to dominate.
Keith Brooking––the co-defensive captain with Lawyer Milloy––had his wish granted and will move back to his natural weakside position. Brooking prefers to operate in space, where he can use his speed to chase the ball. Triple-digit tackle totals are a given with him. What he must do is be a leader and help rookie Curtis Lofton handle his starting middle linebacker duties (assuming Loften can take the job from undrafted second-year guy Tony Taylor). Up-and-comer Stephen Nicholas, a fourth-round pick a year ago, will become an up-and-stayer in a reserve role.
Atlanta’s wild card will be the defensive backfield. There is a gaping hole to fill at left cornerback where DeAngelo Hall and his supersized ego once resided. Elite cornerbacks are hard to come by in pro football, and the Falcons may soon regret dealing the one they had. Former Texan Von Hutchins is slated to start in Hall’s place. Hutchins is underrated in pure coverage. He has very fluid technique and can stay with the quickest of receivers, despite not being physical. He’s not much of a tackler, which is why it would be foolish for Atlanta to follow through on the idea of playing him at safety.
Chris Houston is the right cornerback. He survives with acceptable athleticism and okay open-field abilities, but he’s not ready to handle the responsibilities of being the No. 1 guy. Chevis Jackson was drafted in the third round because his game is tailored for a Cover 2 scheme. If he progresses quicker than expected, he’ll take the nickel back job from David Irons. There’s also an outside chance that former undrafted free agent Brent Grimes––a Shippensburg product––could work his way into the mix.
Thirty-four-year-old strong safety Lawyer Milloy is approaching his post-football life, but don’t assume that he can’t still be a factor in run support. Milloy lacks range in coverage, and it’s suspect how effective newcomer Erik Coleman will be in this sense. Coleman plays at an accelerated pace, but he never showed playmaking capabilities as a Jet. Coaches are high on third-round pick Thomas DeCoud after seeing the amount of ground he covers when the ball’s in the air. DeCoud has picked up the Cover 2 scheme in a hurry, but his inexperience will leave him in a reserve role for at least the first half of the season.

Special Teams
What? No Morten Andersen? Not yet anyway. The ancient kicker usually makes his way onto the roster sometime around Halloween, though the Falcons are hoping that the addition of Jason Elam will stop that. Elam is 10 years younger than Andersen but still close to 40. His range will decrease now that he’s left the elevation in Denver, but Atlanta is confident in his power.
In all likelihood, they’ll still continue to refer to Michael Koenen on kickoffs. Koenen’s main responsibilities are punting, which he did well last season (30 balls inside the 20-yard-line versus five touchbacks).
Jerious Norwood is the kick returner, though you wonder if this will remain the case should his role in the offense increase. Punt returner Adam Jennings ran back a few kicks last season. He is ho-hum with the ball in his hands.

Bottom Line
Right now, just about anything is possible in the NFL. If the Atlanta Falcons somehow reach the postseason, you can change that to read “just about anything is possible in the NFL.” The offense is being pieced together but, like the defense, still has a long ways to go. The morale of this team shouldn’t be an issue; Arthur Blank has done a wonderful job of moving his organization forward after the catastrophe that was the 2007 season.


Myth Buster
Wide Receiver Joe Horn is a leader.
This is a tough one to write. You can’t forget the role Horn played in New Orleans’s post-Katrina efforts two years ago. His dignity that season was nothing short of honorable.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, Horn’s leadership never followed him across the Georgia border. This was evident last season when, on Monday night, he engaged in Roddy White’s senseless touchdown mafficking by pointing out White’s “Free Mike Vick” shirt under his jersey (Vick had just been sentenced to 23 months in prison that day).
Imagine what Arthur Blank and Falcon officials felt when they saw their players––and supposed leader––glorifying the circumstances that had humiliated and doomed the organization. The Vick story was the blaze that burned the Falcons. And on a nationally televised stage, the veteran leader Horn poured gasoline on it.
This occurred roughly five months before Horn would request a trade after realizing he was on the brink of falling out of the receiver rotation. Horn did not make a bunch of noise like so many receivers seem to do, but he certainly forgot that he was brought in to help teach the young guys.

Open Thought
The Falcons once played in what many considered the finest stadium in football. In the early 90’s, the Georgia Dome was a glistening venue. Although Arthur Blank has spent more than $150 million in renovations––mainly adding club seating––the general look and feel of the place has fallen out of date in this era of retractable roof stadiums.
Watching games in old domes is depressing––especially during the daytime. It’s Sunday afternoon and you’re already indoors, glued to the television. Seeing a game that is also indoors just amplifies the lethargy you feel yourself wallowing in.