Hours Away posted by Randolph Charlotin

With less than five hours before free agency begins, let me get a few thoughts out of my mind:

Be sure to sign the Leigh Bodden thank-you card. He’s not coming back. He’s the second-best corner back available in free agency after Houston’s Dunta Robinson. It shouldn’t take him long to find an offer that he can’t pass up. His gamble to sign a one year deal with a promise from the Patriots that they wouldn’t franchise him will pay off. He erased his years with Detroit, including the 0-16 season, from everyone’s mind. Wish you luck at your next career stop, Leigh, as long as it’s not with an AFC East team.

Want to know what’s the value of LB Adalius Thomas? None. It’s not that there aren’t any teams that want him, but no team will make a trade offer for a guy they know the Pats want to dump. They know the divorce is coming, so they’ll wait until New England cuts him and sign Thomas without giving up compensation. One of those teams rumored to be interested in Thomas as a free agent is the New York Jets, where Thomas would be reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Guess which two games Thomas circles on his calendar if he matriculates to the Jets?

If that happens, the Pats should take the Jets’ Thomas. The Jets recently cut RB Thomas Jones to save money. New York says they want to re-sign him, but New England should swoop in and steal him away. I’d like him better than Fred Taylor because Jones is younger (31 to Taylor’s 34) and Thomas has been more durable. He missed just three games since 2004 to Taylor’s 22 games. I’m also concerned about the aging backfield, with Laurence Maroney the only RB younger than 30. Taylor and Sammy Morris (four last year, 17 since signing with the Pats in 2007) both missed games. Because the coaching staff won’t utilize BenJarvus Green-Ellis, he isn’t part of the conversation.

The Five Best NFL First Overall NFL Draft Picks posted by Colin Linneweber

The 2010 NFL Draft will commence on Thursday, April 22, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 

In tribute to the upcoming draft, below are the five best  number one overall selections made by franchises over the course of the past quarter-century.  

1)      Peyton Manning (Quarterback)- The Indianapolis Colts chose Manning out of the University of Tennessee with the top selection in the 1998 draft. 

Manning, a four-time AP NFL MVP and five-time First-Team All-Pro selection, led the Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. 

Manning, who was voted onto the NFL 2000s All-Decade team, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after he completed 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. 

After twelve seasons as a professional, the legendary signal-caller has already thrown in excess of 50,000 yards in the air and he has tossed 366 touchdowns. 

At only 33 years of age, Manning is expected to break every meaningful passing record in NFL history before he hangs-up his cleats. 

Peyton Manning is simply one of the greatest quarterback’s in the annals of football.  

2)      Bruce Smith (Defensive End)- The Buffalo Bills selected Smith out of Virginia Tech University with the first pick in the 1985 draft. 

Smith, a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee who was ranked number 58 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players ever, immediately dominated NFL offensive linemen and he owns the record for the most career sacks (200). 

With Julian Edelman, The Patriots Will Be Fine Without Wes Welker posted by Colin Linneweber

The revived Houston Texans defeated the New England Patriots 34-27 Sunday in Reliant Stadium.

The Patriots (10-6) loss to the Texans (9-7) in the regular season finale will ultimately prove to be meaningless.

However, the severe injury that Pro Bowl wide receiver Wes Welker suffered this weekend will be a substantial obstacle for the Patriots to overcome.

Welker, 28, a two-time second-team All-Pro selection who is the only player in NFL history to record at least 110 receptions in three consecutive seasons, tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee after he caught a pass from quarterback Tom Brady in the first quarter.

Welker is out indefinitely and his status for the 2010 season is currently in jeopardy as well.

Despite his diminutive frame and unassuming appearance, Welker is absolutely one of the grittiest, toughest and most accomplished players in recent football times.

Welker, a star at Texas Tech University who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2004, was a vital piece to the Patriots still explosive offense unit.

There is zero question that Welker’s absence will hinder the Patriots offensive production in some capacity.

“We’ve been going through that all year – people up, people down,” said Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas of New England’s injury-plagued campaign.

“Will we miss Welker? Yes we will. But the guys behind him have to step-up and make plays.”

Pick Six: Week 17 posted by Randolph Charlotin

It’s the kind of injury that believers in playing it safe use as an example. WR Wes Welker injured his knee when he planted his left foot to change direction, but the knee gave away. People believe he tore his ACL and MCL, ending Welker’s season just before the playoffs.

When Indianapolis’ head coach Jim Caldwell benched his starters with about 5:30 left in the third quarter in week 16, it was an injury like Welker’s Caldwell wanted to avoid to a key player. The Colts are already without safety Bob Sanders and had several others nursing injuries. It’s better to rest the starters and not put them in harm’s way.

That line of thinking is sound, but playing it safe wasn’t as important as playing to win. There wasn’t a player on the Patriots that would rather sit out a game than suit up and take the field, Welker included. New England needed the best players if they wanted to beat Houston.

Also at stake is momentum for New England. They won their last three games and they were playing better as the season was winding down. Riding the groove through the season finale and into the playoffs by winning the final regular season game, especially a road win, would build positive vibes going into Wild Card Weekend.

For those that think Welker’s injury is proof New England should had protected the starters, don’t forget that no one touched Welker when he injured his knee. Maybe the injury was bound to happen at some point. It could had happened in the next game for all we know. Maybe it wouldn’t happen ever if Welker sat. All we know is Welker collapsed trying to change direction like he has done thousands of time.

Joe's Final Drive: Week 17 posted by Joe Anello

Though it means nothing, I am required by football law to point out I was 7-0 in my Opening Drive predictions for week 17. Woot. Multiple teams lost because they did not keep their starters in while one NFC East leader got railed on. Now, onto the last week of the regular season with this edition of the Final Drive! 

(12-4) Minnesota Vikings 44
(8-8) New York Giants 7 

Way to not show up for the last two weeks of the season G-men. You're ensured some massive roster changes with your less-than stellar effort. Meanwhile, the Vikings jumped back into the two seed with the Eagles' loss, giving old man Favre a week off before mounting a Super Bowl run. There's cause for concern in Minnesota after the Vikings have failed to get Adrian Peterson going heading into the playoffs. We'll see how that plays out in two weeks.

(9-7) Houston Texans 34 
(10-6) New England Patriots 27

The biggest injury of the weekend is clearly the loss of Wes Welker for the Pats. For those of you screaming that Belichick shouldn't have been playing his starters, Welker was injured on the first drive of the game without being contacted. It could have happened warming up. His loss will leave QB Tom Brady without his favorite receiver and plenty of double coverage for Randy Moss. For the Texans, congratulations are due for the first winning season in franchise history, but they couldn't sneak into the playoffs. Regardless, QB Matt Schaub, who led the league in passing yards, gives them hope for the immediate future.

The Cav Report: A New Era posted by Amari Harris

After the Cowboys beat up on the Washington Redskins a couple of weeks ago I had a chance to catch up with one of my old teammates, John Phillips, who currently plays tight end for the Cowboys.  We only spoke briefly but we did manage to discuss UVA’s recent hiring of Mike London as the new head coach.  I instantly realized that I had yet to publish my opinion on this hire and it is certainly a topic that deserves some discussion.

I’d like to say that I predicted that 2009 would be Al Groh’s last season as Virginia’s head football coach, but I think the writing was on the wall after the loss to William & Mary.  Groh is a good coach, so I think he’ll land on his feet real soon (hopefully in the NFL).  Now, UVA has to find a way back to its former glory.  The first step in the process was hiring a new head coach and I think the AD Craig Littlepage got it right with the hiring of London. 

As the Cavaliers defensive coordinator for 2006 & 2007, London had Virginia playing some of their best defense in over a quarter century.  Virginia finished in the top 20 in the nation in rushing yards, points allowed and sacks and managed to win 9 games that season despite their struggles on offense.  As a defensive line specialist, London turned Jeffrey Fitzgerald into a freshman All-American and Chris Long into the best defensive lineman in the country and second overall pick in the NFL draft.  He also led a shut-out performance against the Miami Hurricanes as the Cavaliers officially closed down the Orange Bowl with a 41-0 thumping of the ‘Canes in 2007.

Hours Before Kickoff: Week 17 posted by Randolph Charlotin

Is it better to rest players for the playoffs or play the final game to stay sharp? This has been heavily debated since Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell withdrew his starters during the third quarter of last week’s game.

Naturally the discussion spreads to the teams with a playoff spot secured. New England is in this category as they have a Wild Card locked up. There are a dozen players on this week’s injury report. Fortunately only DLs Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork are questionable for the season finale.

Assuming head coach Bill Belichick plays it safe, Warren and Wilfork will be held out of the season finale against Houston. After that, it’s a case by case basis.

Quarterback Tom Brady said he will play and I hope every able bodied player joins him on the field. It looks like the Patriots right now are playing great football on both sides of the ball heading into the playoffs. It’s encouraging and they should keep the momentum, if not build on it.

I’m not completely sold on the performances in the last two weeks. These were wins over Buffalo and Jacksonville, two teams with problems. The Pats were supposed to easily defeat those teams. Heck, they had a little more trouble with the Bills than expected. Nothing can be more important than reinforcing the fundamentals in the finale to make sure the team is playing cohesively heading into the playoffs.

A better test of how well the team is playing is competing against Houston’s prolific offense. The pass rush and secondary were great the past two weeks. Some say CB Shawn Springs and SS James Sanders in the starting lineup has solidified the secondary. The best way to know for sure is seeing how they fare against a top-five offense. If the defense can keep QB Matt Schaub under control and contain WR Andre Johnson, then we know for sure if the defense really is playing better.

Joe's Opening Drive: Week 17 posted by Joe Anello

Happy New Year everyone! The NFC is all about seeding this Sunday, with all of the players at the table. In the AFC, the two wildcard spots will be hotly contested with the Ravens and Jets owning the inside track. Let's not waste time, here's the Opening Drive of week 17 in the NFL! *sniffle* It goes by so fast!

(8-7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (7-8) Miami Dolphins

Well they need help, but the Steelers aren't eliminated from post-season play yet. However, every scenario that finds the Steelers defending their title requires at least two teams in front of them to fall plus an obvious Pittsburgh win. After a late rally against the Texans last week, the Dolphins will be focused on getting to 8-8 but will need Chad Henne to play near-perfect along with a large dose of Ricky Williams (who may not play). Even on the road without Troy Polamalu, I like Pittsburgh to win. Though any Steeler (lookin' at you LaMarr Woodley) or Steeler fan who thinks the Colts or Patriots are resting players because they don't want to see the Steelers in the playoffs is delirious. Maybe you shouldn't have lost five straight?

(10-5) New England Patriots at (8-7) Houston Texans

If the Texans are going to make their first ever playoffs, they need losses from two of the following three teams: the Jets, Ravens, or Broncos. Matt Schaub has taken great strides to become a top signal-caller this season and he'll be staring at a weak New England secondary today.  The real question is how long the Patriots will feel like playing. Tom Brady says he expects to play the entire game, but I'm not convinced. Perhaps a half, but anything beyond that would be foolish. Bill Belichick's Pats aren't playing for anything other than the 3 or 4 seed, so unless they prefer to play San Diego I don't envision more than a half for Brady, Welker and Moss. Houston should get the win unless Belichick has a second coach-fart this season. 

Joe's Final Drive: Week 16 posted by Joe Anello

Holy idiotic decision Jim Caldwell! This week in the Final Drive features a barrel-full of storylines. The playoff contestants in the NFC were locked in while the AFC remains a dog-fight for the final two playoff spots. Let's wrap up week 16!

(8-7) Pittsburgh Steelers 23
(8-7) Baltimore Ravens 20

The Steelers took advantage of Raven penalties and missed opportunities to win a physical game and stay alive in the playoff hunt. Unfortunately for them, Baltimore still has the inside track to the post-season, only needing to beat Oakland next week in order to advance. The Steelers may have dug themselves too big a hole of which to climb out.

 
Was it too little too late?

(8-7) Houston Texans 27
(7-8) Miami Dolphins 20

Jumping out to a 27-3 first half lead, the Texans dropped their guard and let the Dolphins rally in the second half. Chad Henne went for over 300 yards passing, but he doesn't have enough weapons to overcome such a deficit. Even if the Texans don't make the playoffs, they have a chance for the first winning record in franchise history. 

(3-12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
(13-2) New Orleans Saints 17

This game was the WTF? moment of the weekend. The formerly 13-0 Saints have dropped two straight, but losing on a last second field goal to the lowly Buccaneers is inexcusable. Cadillac Williams ran all over the Saints defense, but it was the New Orleans offense struggling to put up points that lost them the game. That defense isn't good enough to keep teams under 17.

Coach Harris Presents: The Art of the Turnover (strip-sack)... posted by Amari Harris

I recently read that the Cowboys were last in the league in terms of forcing turnovers.  Despite playing solid defense(16.5 ppg), they have only forced 23 turnovers this season.  I haven’t seen the defensive backs dropping a lot of passes, so that is not the answer.  I also haven’t seen this team miss out on a lot of fumble recovery opportunities so that can’t be the cause either.  There must be a reason why the Cowboys can’t seem to get the ball back from the other team.  Although it is easy to say that they just haven’t been lucky or gotten the right bounces, there is a definitely a method to causing turnovers and it all starts up front.  The Cowboys front seven needs to be coached up on the value of turnovers and wreaking havoc in the backfield.  Although they do a good job of getting to the passer, they do not get their hands on enough passes and they have not mastered the art of the strip-sack.  These will become necessary habits if the Cowboys wish to make any noise in the post-season.

The easiest way to get an interceptionis for the defensive line to knock the ball up in the air so that an awaiting defensive back, linebacker, or even a fellow lineman can intercept the ball.  I haven’t seen that nearly enough with this football team.  Although they are getting good hits on the quarterback, they are putting their heads down and going right for the chest.  If you are running free to the quarterback you should come under control with your hands up.  If you are blocked at the line and there is no way for you to get to the passer, then you need to watch for the quarterback’s release and get your hands up.  This approach will lead to one of three things:

Texans re-sign WR Walter and P Turk (AP)

Receiver Kevin Walter and punter Matt Turk, both unrestricted free agents, have been re-signed by the Houston Texans. Walter started 14 games opposite Andre Johnson last season and had 53 receptions for 611 yards and two touchdowns. He joined the Texans in 2006 and has 195 receptions for 2,470 yards and 15 touchdowns since arriving in Houston. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Falcons sign CB Robinson to 6-year deal

The Atlanta Falcons have signed free-agent cornerback DuntaRobinson, the Houston Texans' career interceptions leader, to asix-year, $57 million contract. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Falcons ink CB Robinson for 6 yrs., $57M (AP)

The Atlanta Falcons have signed free-agent cornerback Dunta Robinson, the Houston Texans' career interceptions leader, to a six-year, $57 million contract. The team confirmed the deal on Saturday. It was reported Friday that the Falcons and Robinson had agreed to terms. Robinson's signing is important because the Falcons finished 28th in the league against the pass last season. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Texans CB Robinson to test free agency (AP)

Cornerback Dunta Robinson is bidding the Houston Texans farewell, declaring himself a free agent. Robinson disclosed his plans Wednesday in e-mail to KRIV-TV of Houston and the Houston Chronicle. The Texans' first-round draft pick in 2004 out of South Carolina (10th overall) is the team's career leader in interceptions with 13. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Texans extend coach Kubiak through 2012 (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports