Patriots: Opening Round Winner?

It's been quite a while since I've made a solid post (over a month, in fact). I've been incredibly busy unfortunately, but I have been making plenty of shorter posts over on All-Out Blitz's Tumblr Page. If you would like to check out my more updated blog then just click on that link I provided.

Anyways, I was unable to find the time to do a mock draft this year and haven't done too much coverage on it either. But after watching last night's first round I would just like to take the time to praise the New England Patriots, who surprised everyone by doing the unexpected.

Yeah, yeah, we know the Colts and Redskins made huge upgrades by selecting the top two signal callers in the draft: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, respectively. But it was the second half of the first round that was full of surprises.

Normally head coach Bill Belichick would trade down in the draft, and try to land a couple later-round picks. He loves filling voids with veterans, and he finds guys who can fit his system and have experience under their belt. So it's not really a huge surprise to see him trading away those top picks and filling roster slots with seasoned veteran free agents.

However, this year has been a different story thus far. Possessing the No. 31 overall selection, New England traded up to No. 21 (from Cincinnati) and selected the physical defensive end from Syracuse, Chandler Jones.

Trading up 10 spots was surprising enough to me (loved the move, by the way), but then New England took it a step further by trading up a second time, for Denver's 25th pick. The two swaps will cost them a third and fourth-round pick, but when you consider that New England was 31st against the pass and 17th against the run last season, they'll tell you it was well worth adding a D-end and inside linebacker.

As an NFL fan, this is refreshing to see. And personally, it will be rather exciting seeing these two guys suit up on the same defense in 2012.

Perhaps Belichick has another surprise up his sleeve in the later rounds? Only time will tell.

Other surprises of round one:

*Browns acquire No. 3 overall pick from Vikings for CLE's No. 4 overall pick and their 4th, 5th and 7th round picks. Cleveland selects Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

*Browns select QB Brandon Weeden at No. 22 after acquiring the pick from Atlanta (looks like the end of the Colt McCoy era is already here).

*West Virginia's defensive end Bruce Irvin is selected at No. 15 (acquired from Eagles), after originally being projected to go in the early-to-mid second round.

*Pittsburgh selects Stanford guard David DeCastro. Ok, so maybe it isn't exactly the biggest surprise here, because he is rated highly. But I was just expecting the Steelers to snag Hightower at inside linebacker after the release of James Farrior earlier this off-season.

Any other first round surprises I missed? Post them here, in addition to other comments you may have. Thanks.

Photo found on bleacherreport.com. I do not own it, no copyright infringement intended.

Impact of Mike Tolbert Signing on Carolina's Offense

Last July the Carolina Panthers handed running back DeAngelo Williams a five-year, $43 million contract extension in order to keep him in a Panther uniform. The deal included $20 million in guaranteed money.

Williams, 28, along with teammate Jonathan Stewart, 24, have created one of the most dangerous running back duos in the National Football League. Over the last two seasons, both backs have been battling injury yet they have still combined for an average of 1,832 yards and 15 TDs per season since Stewart broke in to the league as a rookie in '08.

But just yesterday the team made an interesting move by signing former San Diego Charger running back Mike Tolbert.

Tolbert, 26, has run for 1,410 yards and 20 TDs in his four seasons while backing up Ladainian Tomlinson and Ryan Mathews in San Diego. The deal was reported as a four-year deal with $2.5 million guaranteed.

Now, I clearly don’t have any inside connections with the Carolina Panthers organization, but I believe it’s rather obvious why the front office made a move on Tolbert: they would like to deal either Williams or Stewart.

As scary as a Williams/Stewart/Tolbert RB trio sounds, there’s no way they start the 2012 campaign off with all three on the roster. There’s just too much talent and not enough room on the football field.

Considering Williams just signed the five-year extension last offseason, and Tolbert was just brought in yesterday, it looks like the speedy Jonathan Stewart will be the odd man out in this situation.

Luckily for Carolina, Stewart is entering the final season on his rookie contract, so teams will be willing to deal for him since it will not cost them too much money. The only questions remaining to be answered are where and when?

Carolina's offense, led by Offensive Rookie of the Year Cam Newton, is looking scarier by the minute and I would not be surprised in any way if they gave New Orleans and Atlanta a run for their money in the NFC South this coming season. A more matured Newton in 2012 could spell disaster for opposing defenses.

Carolina adding Tolbert could be one of the most underrated signings of the Free Agency Period this off-season. Not only can he be productive as a third-down back (likely behind Williams), but he can also catch passes out of the backfield and play special teams. He even broke in to the league as Ladainian Tomlinson's fullback in 2008.


The durable Tolbert is excited to be playing for head coach Ron Rivera and the flashy Newton, as well. Seems like a match made in heaven, if you ask me.

Photo credit
Tolbert: Harry How/Getty Images

2012 Free Agency Update: Wide Receivers-galore and other UFA signings

Today marks day No. 2 of the National Football League's new calendar year, which also means day No. 2 of the 2012 free agency period.

Less than 24 hours after free agents were allowed to sign with teams we have witnessed more wide receivers signing contracts than every other position. In fact, six of the position's most coveted free agents have already signed new contracts.

They haven't all switched teams for 2012––Indianapolis' All Pro Reggie Wayne signed a three-year deal to stay with the Colts and New Orleans' leading receiver Marques Colston signed a five-year deal to stay with Drew Brees and the Saints. The rest, well lets just say they will be donning new uniforms once Training Camp rolls around this summer.

After tying a career-high with nine touchdown receptions with the San Diego Chargers this past season, 29-year old Vincent Jackson landed a five-year, $55.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The one-time Pro Bowl wideout will team up with one of the youngest offensive units in the league, alongside 24-year old quarterback Josh Freeman, fellow receivers Mike Williams (24) and Arrelious Benn (23) and running back LeGarrette Blount (25).

Luckily for Charger quarterback Philip Rivers, General Manager A.J. Smith immediately went out and bought himself a V-Jack replacement with a 4-year, $25.5 million deal according to ESPN's John Clayton.

The receiver talk doesn't end there. On Monday, the 49ers added a deep threat by giving future Hall of Famer Randy Moss a one-year deal after his announcement to un-retire following a year out of football. The Niners can void his contract before the season starts without penalty, if Moss starts acting up or they change their minds. That makes this a very solid and affordable signing on San Francisco's part.

Pierre Garcon announced yesterday, before the news broke, that he would be signing with the Washington Redskins. Just days after owner Dan Snyder spent three first round picks and a second round pick on this year's sought-after second overall pick in April's NFL draft, Snyder dropped $42.5 million ($21.5 million guaranteed) on the 25-year old Garcon, wrapping him up for the next five years.

The move also comes one day after learning the Redskins, and Cowboys, will be penalized by Commissioner Roger Goodell for pushing salary cap into an uncapped season.

This clearly didn't worry the Skins' organization too much, as they also signed WRs Eddie Royal (two-years, $12 million) and Josh Morgan (two-years, $6 million) shortly afterwards, adding targets for soon-to-be quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Update on other WRs:

*Brandon Lloyd (STL) is set to visit the 49ers.
*Mike Wallace (PIT restricted free agent) can still sign with another team. The Steelers have signed an offer sheet, but other teams are allowed to counter that offer. Personally, I see him landing elsewhere because I'm just not sure the Steelers have the money to retain Wallace.
*The Detroit Lions and Calvin "Megatron" Johnson have made history. The All-Pro wideout wasn't set to become a free agent, but he did however sign a mega contract extension from the Lions, worth $132 million. The $132 million over the next eight years makes Johnson (96 catches, 1,681 yards, 16 TDs in 2011) the highest-paid wide receiver in league history, surpassing Larry Fitzgerald's $120 million contract from a year ago.

Top UFA WRs Still available:

*Brandon Lloyd
*Mario Manningham
*Laurent Robinson
*Harry Douglas
*Deion Branch

Non-WR Free Agent Signings

Much to my surprise, the New Orleans Saints were unable to retain free agent guard Carl Nicks. The 26-year old Nicks was made the highest-paid guard in the league by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a contract signing of 5-years, $47.5 million. Nicks will be a welcome addition to the Bucs, who like I said previously, houses one of the youngest offensive attacks in the league.

The first and only quarterback to sign thus far has been former Raider Jason Campbell, who is on his way to Chicago to back up Pro Bowl signal caller Jay Cutler. He will join new-coming wide receiver Brandon Marshall (acquired from Miami for two 3rd round draft picks yesterday) after signing a one-year deal.

Despite losing top wideout Vincent Jackson, San Diego center Nick Hardwick has agreed to stay with the Chargers and signed a three-year contract. The Chargers, however, released left tackle Marcus McNeill at the same time, to save cap space.

Key Defensive Signings:

*So far, former Tennessee Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan has signed the biggest defensive contract of the free agency period, agreeing to a five-year, $50 million mega-deal with the St. Louis Rams.
*Former Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions cornerback Eric Wright signs with Bucs on five-year, $37.5 million contract.
*Pro Bowl corner Carlos Rogers re-signs with the 49ers (four-year, $31 million) after his one-year contract expired.
*Cornerback Perrish Cox, former Bronco, signed a two-year deal with the 49ers despite his recent involvement with a sexual assault case. He was found not guilty in court on March 2.

The Biggest are yet to come:

Peyton Manning, one of the best free agents to ever hit the market in NFL history, has reportedly narrowed his possible destination list down to just four teams (Denver, Miami, Tennessee and Arizona) according to a Yahoo! Sports report I just recently read. As of 12:00 PM eastern time on Wednesday March 14, Manning's decision could come as early as today.

As for the best defensive free agent on the market, Houston Texans' defensive end/linebacker Mario Williams has met with the Buffalo Bills, and will reportedly meet with other teams as well. So don't get overly excited just yet, Buffalo fans.

Come back for more free agent signings and NFL off-season news! Or visit the All-Out Blitz tumblr page for faster updates: http://alloutblitzblog.tumblr.com/

Photo credit
Vincent Jackson: Harry How/Getty Images
Brandon Lloyd: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images
Cortland Finnegan: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

RGIII is Washington-bound: Skins give up everything-but-the-kitchen-sink for STL's No. 2 pick

Brace yourself, the following information may put you in to a state of shock. If you're a Washington Redskins fan, you may even want to look away from the screen or possibly even grab your nearest trash can and prepare to puke out your sorrows.

The Washington Redskins have moved up four spots (No. 6 overall to No. 2 overall) in this year's NFL draft, exchanging first round picks with the St. Louis Rams. But, that is not all. Included in this trade package, which Washington will utilize to select Baylor's Heisman winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, is the Skins' second round pick in this year's draft as well as their 2013 and 2014 first round picks.

Now, let that thought sink in for a few moments. That means, that not only will the Redskins owner Dan Snyder–well known around the league for overpaying veteran players and signing questionable characters–have to pay a boatload of money to RGIII as the second overall pick, but they will also lose key picks that would have been used to acquire Griffin some weapons.

I have lost a tad bit more respect for the Redskins front office, to tell you the truth. They are, I'll admit it, in dire need of a franchise quarterback, which they should get from Griffin. But to give up all of that for a guy who isn't a sure thing? I think they would have been better off without drafting a quarterback this year at all and simply adding offensive weapons in this year's draft.

On the other side of things, however, I have to say I'm very impressed with the newly-hired Rams General Manager Les Snead. Just weeks after being hired for the position, Snead goes out and lands key draft picks to help bolster the offense under Sam Bradford, and the defense, for head coach Jeff Fisher. San Francisco will obviously be the favorite in the West, but I wouldn't sleep on this St. Louis team, Fisher knows what he's doing.

The fact that Snyder gave up so much to land the coveted No. 2 pick just puts that much more pressure on Griffin to perform right away. I'm a little worried that head coach Mike Shanahan will get a little too involved with the development in RGIII, which could put a damper on RGIII's performance. Without a dominant No. 1 receiver (unless Snyder signs a wideout via free agency) and a 25th-ranked rushing attack, I don't see Griffin making an immediate impact under center.

This move was supposed to put Washington a step ahead for 2012, which is still possible, but in hindsight it will only put them a step behind in future seasons (2013, 2014).

In order for Washington to compete with the Giants, Eagles and Cowboys this year, we will need to see much more production and durability from the 21st-ranked defense.

Photo credit

RGIII: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Manning, Colts to Part Ways According to Sources

It's been reported, by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, that the Colts have made the decision to part ways with four-time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning. The official announcement is expected to be made tomorrow, Wednesday March 7.

I, along with many others, have been expecting this move to be made before March 8 rolls around and his $28 million bonus is due to him. With Stanford's Andrew Luck entering the draft in April, this further proves that owner Jim Irsay would like to rebuild with Luck as the face of the franchise in 2012. So this really isn't exactly "breaking news," it's just finally becoming official.

Sources have also said he (Manning) would like to continue playing football, so he will not hang up his cleats and enter retirement just yet.

Manning, 35-going-on-36, has spent 14 years donning the blue and white horseshoe helmet, capturing four regular season MVP awards, nine playoff victories, 11 Pro Bowl selections, five First-Team All Pro selections, Super Bowl MVP and numerous passing records.

His list of accomplishments has him a first-ballot Hall of Fame upon his retirement, no matter what he accomplishes through the remainder of his career.

After four neck surgeries in the past year, teams do not seem to be too worried about Manning's health and well-being, and there's no doubt that he will find a team and turn around a cellar-dwelling franchise into a playoff contender football squad.

Unfortunately, this announcement involving Manning will not be quieting ESPN and their Manning talk any time soon (we all love Manning, but ESPN sure knows how to talk a subject to death). In fact, I think all this Manning talk is just beginning, and here I am contributing to it.

Oops.

I'll end my article with this: Luck will be a Colt, and Manning could end up almost anywhere in 2012, including teams such as Denver, Arizona, Washington, Miami, Cleveland, Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, etc. Lets hope he signs with someone sooner rather than later, and ESPN, could you please tone down the Manning talk just a tad, maybe?

Photo credit

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Off-season Tracker: Signings, Franchise Taggings, Releases, etc.

The 2012 off-season is officially in full-swing, with players agreeing to new contracts and teams placing their franchise tags left and right.

To make things slightly easier to keep track of, I will be listing the off-season moves in one post.

Contract Signings

Stanford Routt, three-year deal w/ KC

Arian Foster, re-signed w/ HOU

Stevie Johnson, re-signed w/ BUF (pictured)

Marshawn Lynch, re-signed w/ SEA

Ahmad Brooks, re-signed w/ SF

D'Qwell Jackson, re-signed w/ CLE

Will Montgomery, re-signed w/ WAS

Jermichael Finley, re-signed w/ GB

Trent Edwards, one-year deal w/ PHI

Lavelle Hawkins, multi-year deal w/ TEN

Rian Lindell, re-signed w/ BUF

Domenik Hixon, re-signed w/ NYG
Mark Sanchez, signs contract extension w/ NYJ
Rashean Mathis, re-signs w/ JAC
Lofa Tatupu, signs w/ ATL

Franchise Tags (Deadline: March 5, 4 PM ET)

Arizona--Calais Campbell, DT

Atlanta--Brent Grimes, CB

Baltimore--Ray Rice, RB

Chicago--Matt Forte, RB

Cincinnati--Mike Nugent, K

Cleveland--Phil Dawson, K
Dallas--Anthony Spencer, LB

Denver--Matt Prater, K

Detroit--Cliff Avril, DE
Indianapolis--Robert Mathis, DE

Jacksonville--Josh Scobee, K
Kansas City--Dwayne Bowe, WR
New England--Wes Welker, WR

New Orleans--Drew Brees, QB
New York Giants--Steve Weatherford, P

Oakland--Tyvon Branch, SS

Philadelphia--DeSean Jackson, WR

San Francisco--Dashon Goldson, FS
Tampa Bay--Connor Barth, K

Tennessee--Michael Griffin, FS

Washington--Fred Davis, TE

Releases

Hines Ward

James Farrior

Aaron Smith

Albert Haynesworth

Lee Evans

Chris Carr

Chris Kemoeatu

Anthony Adams
Dallas Clark
Gary Brackett
Joseph Addai
Peyton Manning
Melvin Bullitt
Brandon Jacobs
Marcus Trufant
Cedric Griffin
Anthony Herrera
Steve Hutchinson

Retirements

Ricky Williams, BAL RB

Kris Dielman, SD G

Bill Muir, KC offensive coor.

Chris Hoke, PIT NT

Note: I will be adding on to this list as the transactions happen). Last updated on Saturday March 10.

Photo credit

Steve Johnson: Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Contract Extensions: Niners, Browns Net Long-term Deals with Linebackers

Two notable players have reached agreements on the first two contract extensions of the 2012 off-season. First, it was the Cleveland Browns' inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson agreeing to a five-year, $42.5 million extension yesterday.

Then, earlier today, it was the San Francisco 49ers making a move on outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, signing him to a six-year extension worth $44.5 million ($17.5 million guaranteed).

Jackson, 28, is a product of the University of Maryland, where he won ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2005) and was a two-time All-American (2004, 2005). After being selected 34th overall in the 2006 draft by Cleveland, Jackson combined for just 274 tackles, three sacks and four interceptions in just 48 starts from 2006-09.

However, in 2011 Jackson bounced back from his injury-riddle 2010 campaign with an AFC-leading 158 combined tackles and a career-high 3.5 sacks. Unfortunately Jackson was overlooked for the AFC Pro Bowl squad, but that doesn't take away from his career year in Cleveland.

San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh clearly has a plan for his defense in mind, locking up the overall under-achieving Brooks for the next six years. Not to mention the stack of money they are guaranteed to be throwing his way. But there's no doubting what Harbaugh has in the team-oriented mind of his, considering he turned around the Niners' D from 16th overall in 2010 to 2nd overall this past season.

Brooks does make a great complement playing outside 'backer alongside the likes of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Brooks, 27, completed his first full season since entering the league as a third round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2006 Supplemental draft.

Brooks (50 combined tackles, 7 sacks, 1 FF, 3 passes defensed) had a career-year in one of the league's most dangerous defenses. He forced just one turnover all year, but has plenty of room to improve with permanent defensive figures around him (Willis, Bowman, etc.) for the next several years.

Although I wanna say Brooks may be a little overpaid with this extension for the simple fact he's had just one outlandish season so far, I think both will prove to be smart moves by these two teams.

Photo credit: belongs to Ohio.com

Sidenote: Now that the NFL Scouting Combine is over, I will start to provide insight on the prospects and draft preview in the coming weeks...including my 2012 Mock Draft!

Terrell Owens Proves he can still play: Scores 3 TDs in IFL Debut

Former Niners, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills and Bengals wideout Terrell Owens has further proved that he can still play the game of football after his performance in tonight's Indoor Football League game.

Owens, 38, suffered a torn ACL following the 2010 season, a season in which he put up 983 yards and nine TDs on 72 receptions in his lone season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincy opted not to re-sign his one-year, $2 million deal and he entered free agency.

After his April 2011 surgery, T.O. was cleared to return to action in October of 2011, but he received no offers from any NFL teams throughout the season despite efforts at setting up a public workout for scouts and coaches.

After sitting out the entire 2011 regular season, and battling financial problems, Owens has yet to give up his aspirations in returning to the league despite approaching 40 years old.

In the midst of his team search this past season, he agreed to a contract with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League on January 18. The contract was reportedly under $1 million, which just comes to show how desperate Owens is to get back on his feet.

The first game of the season was tonight (Allen hosted the Witchita Wild) on ESPN3.com. The Wranglers had no trouble taking care of the Wild in this one. Owens was named the game's MVP with three touchdown catches in his team's 50-30 victory to start the season off the correct way.

This was great publicity for the league, as I'm sure there were plenty of other NFL fans tuned in to see how Owens fared in his first game action in a year and a half. That is, of course, if they weren't immersed in the NBA's Slam Dunk contest (hint: I watched a little of both, and the Dunk contest was nothing special this year).

For those not aware of the situation, Owens is one of the NFL's best receivers of all-time and ranks second in career yards (15,934) and tied for second in TDs (153) behind only the legendary Jerry Rice in both categories. And there's no doubt he can still play this game at a professional level.

Now, whether or not an NFL team will be willing to hand Owens a 1-year contract and risk having him relapse and go back to his old ways of causing trouble in the locker room? Yeah, well, I'm not so sure that team exists right now. Not in the National Football League, at least.

I think this ship has sailed for you and possibly even your buddy Randy Moss, although he (Moss) just recently came out and said he'd be willing to sign a no-guaranteed-money contract to return to the league. Either way, first ballot Hall of Fame election for the both of you..

Photo credit
Brad Loper/Staff Photographer for Dallas News

Houston Texans Free Agency Frenzy: Who Will Stay and Who will go?

Today marks the first day that NFL teams can place the franchise tag on one of their free agent players this offseason. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that every team will place the tag on a player today, because they have until the beginning of March to do so. But we could see a couple teams start to make a decision.

This also means we can start to focus more on the actual offseason, meaning free agency and scouting for the upcoming April draft (Scouting Combine in Indianapolis begins on Wednesday).

One key team I will be watching closely this offseason, in addition to Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, would have to be the Houston Texans.

The defending AFC South division champions have two huge impact players lined up to hit the free agency market, and there's a slight chance they could only bring one of those two players back for the 2012-13 season.

Bouncing back after a season-ending injury this season after just five games seems likely for free agent DE/OLB Mario Williams, who is looking to sign a long-term contract with his rookie contract expiring. The two-time Pro Bowler would cost Houston $23 million if he was to be franchise tagged, so it's highly likely he could test the free agent waters, in my opinion.

Houston's other impact player that could walk is running back Arian Foster, also coming off his rookie contract. Foster is a restricted free agent, but he may still receive offers from other teams. If he isn't franchised for some odd reason, Houston could still match any offers he gets from other teams.

All this being said, I would like to think that Houston will retain Foster, the 25-year old back who has run for 2,840 yards and 26 TDs the past two seasons, and let Super Mario walk. Again, Williams played just five games this season before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in a 25-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders. In six seasons, Williams started 82 games, recording 192 tackles, 53 sacks, 11 passes defensed and 11 forced fumbles.

One of the team's best pass rushers will certainly be missed if they let him go, but there's no question they have proven this season that they can still play top-tier defense without him in the lineup.

Thanks to some breakout performances from young guys such as rookies J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed, in addition to hard-hitting inside linebacker Brian Cushing, the Texans ranked second in overall defense (yards) and fourth in scoring defense on their way to a franchise-record 10-win season.

As for the offensive side of the ball, Matt Schaub should return as the opening day starter at quarterback in 2012 despite rookie T.J. Yates doing a fine job filling in for the injured Schaub. With the duo in Foster and Ben Tate continuing to gain ground, the only huge hole on offense seems to be at the receiver position.

Andre Johnson, Houston's 30-year old five-time Pro Bowl wideout, battled a right hamstring injury all season long, starting just seven games in 2011. He, aside from veteran Kevin Walter and tight end Owen Daniels, is pretty much the only all-star caliber talent Schaub has in the passing game. None of the receiving corps will hit the market, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Houston go after a target or two either in free agency or through the draft.

On the line, center Chris Meyers is a free agent as well, but I have no reason to believe that he wont be brought back this offseason. Other than that, Houston's line seems to be pretty solidified for 2012, with tackles Duane Brown and Eric Winston, and guards Wade Smith and Mike Brisiel anchoring the offensive line for Gary Kubiak's squad.

Don't be surprised if Mario Williams signs a record-breaking contract with a team other than Houston, and we see Houston with a top three rushing attack led by Foster and Tate again in 2012.

Photo credit

Williams: Bob Levey/Getty Images

Foster: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Randy Moss Returning to the Game in 2012?

Earlier today via Ustream, wide receiver Randy Moss told his fans that he has decided to make a comeback to the league in 2012. According to Pro Football Talk, he was quoted saying "I miss football and just wanna play again."

He had retired before the season began, on August 1, 2011, due to what he said was 'family issues.'

The six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro turned 35 years old today, and left the game in 2010 on bad terms. Being seen as a locker room cancer, Moss left New England for Tennessee after four games (9 Rec., 139 yards, 3 TD) where he played eight games (6 Rec., 80 yards, 0 TD). He finally ended the 2010 campaign with a return to Minnesota, where he was supposed to revitalize his career with what little he had left in the tank (13 Rec., 174 yards, 2 TD).

Moss, a combined career-low 28 receptions for 393 yards and five TDs with the three teams, showed the league that he may have been nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career in the '10 regular season.

In his 15-year professional career, Moss has put up astonishing numbers. After breaking in to the league as a rookie in 1998 with one of the most explosive offenses this league has seen (set a rookie record with 17 TD catches), Moss put up 1,000 yards receiving in 10 different seasons. He also caught double digit TDs in nine different seasons, including leading the league in '98, '00, '03, '07 and '09.

I think it's fine and dandy that Moss wants to make a comeback to the league, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea. I mean, he's already done enough to hurt his legacy. There's no question his career numbers of 954 receptions (ninth all-time), 14,858 yards (fifth all-time) and 153 TDs (tied with Terrell Owens for second all-time) are enough to get him in to Canton. But don't you think jumping from team to team in his final year will put a dent on his legacy already?

Not to mention he was a non-factor at the receiver position in his final season, he didn't seem to have his head in the game. Although that could also be because the family issues he mentioned were on his mind the whole season.

So, despite no one wanting the 38-year old Terrell Owens last season–coming off a 983 yard/9 TD season in Cincinnati–or this year for that matter, I think someone will take one last shot at the 35-year old Moss.

But what Moss will have to understand is that the contract will obviously only be a one-year contract, and I would expect it to be worth no more than a couple million. If he's looking for anything more than that, then the options available to him may be a little bit more limited.

Luckily for Mr. Moss, there's a team out there waiting to take a chance on him.

Oh, and by the way happy 35th birthday, Randy!

Photo credit: found on otrsportsonline.com

New York Giants' Parade/Fan Celebration at MetLife Stadium (Photos)

With the New York Giants Super Bowl victory parade making its way through downtown Manhattan, followed by the fan celebration inside MetLife Stadium at 3 p.m. (eastern time) yesterday I think it's safe to say we can finally put the 2011-12 season to bed.

Here are some photos I found of both the parade and "after party" celebration at MetLife Stadium, in which the players and head coach Tom Coughlin talked publicly to fans about the season and Super Bowl victory.

It was a great day to be a New Yorker, unless of course you're a Jets fan.

(All photos courtesy of Getty Images)

Fan Celebration:

We can officially enter full off-season mode, starting in 5...4...3...2..and...1, go!

Ricky Williams Plans to Announce Retirement After 11 Seasons

The New York Giants celebrating Super Bowl XLVI in the style of a parade through downtown Manhattan isn't the only NFL news making headlines today, Tuesday February 7.

Former New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ricky Williams will reportedly announce his retirement from the game, a source told ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The one-time Pro Bowler, winner of the 1998 Heisman trophy while playing at the University of Texas, played 11 seasons in the NFL upon entering the league as a fifth overall pick in the '99 draft. Hall of Fame head coach Mike Ditka, then coach of the Saints, moved up to snag him early in the draft.

Williams had a solid career, when he was focused on football, but I believe he may have been one of the most-touted college ballplayers the league has seen. Having high hopes as a Heisman winner, Ditka spent all of the team's draft picks in 1999 to move up in the draft and select him, the trade also included first and third rounders the following year.

The trade involving New Orleans and the Redskins has gone down as one of the most well-known draft-day trades in recent history: one player in exchange for eight draft picks.

Coach Ditka, nearing the end of his coaching career, went all-in to get his hands on Williams, who ended up spending just three seasons as the Saints' running back. He ran for just over 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in 38 starts, but the Saints posted a 15-33 record over that span and Ditka was fired as head coach.

The following season Williams was traded to Miami, once again warranting a hefty price–four draft picks, two of which were first rounders. Williams stepped up his game, setting a career- and league-high 1,853 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first season with the 'Phins. That year, 2002, was his only Pro Bowl and All Pro selection of his career.

In 2003 Williams ran for 1,372 yards and nine TDs, but his yards per carry average dropped to just 3.5 after carrying a heavy workload of 392 rushing attempts.

Following Miami's 10-6 season, just missing out on the postseason, Williams allegedly failed a drug test and was facing a fine and four-game suspension for the 2004 season. And failed another just before training camps began. He stunned the Miami fan base by announcing his early retirement from the game of football on August 2, 2004.

The Dolphins finished 4-12 and Ricky took the year off studying the Ancient Indian System of holistic medicine at the California College of Ayurveda.

As we all had anticipated, Williams returned to the game in 2005. Upon being reinstated by the league and serving his four-game suspension Ricky ran for 743 yards and six touchdowns in '05 for the 9-7 Dolphins. More trouble came his way, however, as he was suspended for the entire 2006 regular season after violating the NFL's drug policy for a fourth time.

Williams signed a one-year contract with the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, where he rushed for 526 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games. Controversy brewed after Williams' signing, and a rule ("The Ricky Williams" rule) was put in place prior to the 2007 season that prevented a suspended NFL player from signing with a CFL team.

Williams made just one start with Miami in '07, but showed signs of rebirth the following two years, putting up 1,780 yards and 15 TDs from 2008-09. The last two years he has had his role on his respective squad reduced, as he ran the ball just 108 times this past year in his lone season in Baltimore.

The retirement announcement doesn't come as a surprise to me, and shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone else. Williams signed the deal with Baltimore over the offseason as one last push to get himself a Super Bowl ring.

Though the contract was two years, the retirement makes plenty sense. At 34 years old, Slick Rick knew his role would be no more than third down back in Baltimore, and aiding youngster Ray Rice in developing as a complete player.

Known as the type of guy to keep to himself in the locker room throughout his career, I would expect a very low-key retirement for Williams. After eclipsing 10,000 career rushing yards this season, it's safe to say Ricky's career was a success, though I think there was much more that could have been achieved had he been consistent with his performance.

I don't believe his career warrants a Hall of Fame selection, though he did happen to be just the 26th player in history to reach the 10,000 rushing yards milestone. However, there's no doubt he should have any shame in his on-field success. It's not often you see a guy play running back in this league until they are 34 years old like Ricky did.

Despite his troubles with drugs, Ricky Williams was a stand-up guy and was generally well-liked by the teammates that understood his way of life. Quiet, reserved, yet well-disciplined. Solid career he put up over those 11 years, and not enough people have commended him for it. So to you, Ricky, I tip my hat.

Photo credit

With Longhorns: borrowed from ESPN.com

With Dolphins: borrowed from nj.com

Patriot Killer?: Eli Does it Again

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has done it again, beating the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI to capture his second Vince Lombardi trophy for his head coach Tom Coughlin. His performance (30/40, 296 yards, 1 TD; 88-yard GW scoring drive with a minute to play) earned him his second SB MVP award, which is one more than his older brother Peyton.

Even more impressive may be that he did so in his older brother's home stadium–Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

The result brings up a couple of questions surrounding both Eli and his G-Men, and quarterback Tom Brady and his Pats squad. Is Eli elite? Yes. He is now 8-3 in the postseason (4-0 this postseason) as he threw 9 TDs and just one interceptions over a five week span in January/February. He also defeated future Hall of Famer Brady in two separate Super Bowls. So, yes, I do believe Eli should be considered among the elite and his performance clearly demonstrates that. He out Brady-ed Brady in the fourth quarter, and did that on a consistent basis all season long.

Eli should, and will, be considered a more successful postseason quarterback than his brother, and he joins an elite class of signal callers with multiple championships and multiple MVP awards.

As for Brady? He is now 3/5 in his record-tying five Super Bowl appearances, with both losses coming to the Coughlin/Manning tandem. He did, however, set a Super Bowl record with 16 consecutive completions during the second and third quarters tonight and looked exceptional for the majority of the game. Two Justin Tuck sacks and multiple hits on NY's part may have rattled Brady a bit, throwing off his rhythm. But in all, both quarterbacks played exceptionally well tonight, as expected.

Despite Eli's great overall performance, especially in the fourth quarter, it was New York's running back tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw that essentially won the Giants the game. New York's front 7 put some pressure on Brady, and Eli's targets played well, but it was the 28 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown that allowed New York to control the clock.

They ran for seven first downs and kept Brady off the field for well over half the game, in fact they held the ball for nearly 40 minutes (37:05) and kept the Giants' defense well-rested. Pulling out ahead early allowed New York to focus a little more on the running attack, setting up Eli for some successful play action plays.

Head coach Bill Belichick's decision to allow Ahmad Bradshaw to run the ball in from six yards out with :57 to play will be questioned by fans and analysts for the next several months, I'm sure. But there's no doubt I would have done the exact same thing in that situation. If Bradshaw kneels the ball at the one, Eli could have run the clock all the way down to under :20 and sent Tynes in to kick the go-ahead chip-shot field goal.

Giving Brady the shot to drive New England down the field with a minute to play gave New England their best shot, and dropped passes by Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez didn't help the cause too much. Although I loved the clutch 4th and 16 reception by Branch. Gronkowski came close to bringing in the hail mary on the final play, but New York was able to knock the ball down before he could get to it.

In all, I was thoroughly impressed by both quarterbacks, and if both have shown signs that they are not done. They both may find themselves in yet another Super Bowl in the coming years. If I was New England, I'd work on improving that defense though.

My pre-season prediction of New England winning the Super Bowl and Wes Welker being named the game's MVP didn't prove to be true, and I have fallen to 7-4 for the postseason (2-2 in WC, 4-0 in Divisional, 1-1 in conference and 0-1 in SB). But, I can't complain with the outcome of this season.

Great game, great season. One more note before I sign off for the evening: Mario Manningham's sideline catch in NY's game-winning drive will be replayed for years to come. Not quite as miraculous as David Tyree's "helmet catch" in Super Bowl XLII, but it was eye-popping nevertheless.

Another fun-filled season is in the books, now the countdown to the 2012 draft in April officially begins!

Photo credit
Mario Manningham: Win McNamee/Getty Images

All-Out Blitz's Super Bowl Prediction

Today's the day we've all been waiting for: Super Bowl Sunday. Since I have yet to announce my Super Bowl prediction I think it's time, considering we are just over six hours away from the opening kickoff in Indianapolis.

I have conducted an experiment in order to fully get a feel for who everyone thinks will win the game, a game in which I think may be one of the most evenly-matched Super Bowls in the league's history–New England is favored by 3 1/2 but I think New York may be the real favorites. The experiment included a simulation using Madden (for my PS2) and Whatifsports.com's free online simulator.

For the Madden simulation I completed a best of nine series in which the two teams played 4-minute quarters (CPU vs. CPU), because I didn't have the time to do complete 15-minute quarters. As for the WIS simulation, all you need to do is set it up and click "play game" and they give you the results right away, so I did a best-of-11 simulation for that one.

In total, there was 20 simulated games played, and here are the results of each "experiment:"

Madden: New England 5 games, New York 4

Average score...NE 12.8, NYG 12.1

Clearly, I don't trust Madden's results will be very accurate. First of all, both quarterbacks played poorly in a majority of the nine games. Secondly, both offenses are bound to score more than 12 or 13 points. While I do agree with how close this game will end up being, the average scores don't seem very reasonable, in my opinion.

WIS: New York 7, New England 4

Average score...NYG 29.4, NE 30.4

New England averaged a whole point more than the winning Giants, which shows me they don't believe the Patriots will have much trouble in blocking New York's front seven. Between the two teams, the offenses were held under 20 points a mere three times, and put up 40 or more on four separate occasions.

What All-Out Blitz thinks

Considering the secondaries of the two teams, and the passing offenses they are matching up against, I think that Whatifsports.com's simulation will end up being much more accurate when it comes to the amount of points being put up on the scoreboard. Both Eli Manning and Tom Brady will be throwing the ball 40-50 times, possibly even 60.

Running games wont be as strong as in past Super Bowls, unfortunately. This could make it hard to put the game away late if one team finds themselves up by a touchdown or two in the fourth quarter.

The 2007 Super Bowl and the match-up earlier in the season means absolutely nothing right now. The media likes to blow this out of proportion and try to compare this game to games in the past, but the players and coaches are focused on today, and doing all they can in their power to win this game.

The key matchup will be New England's offensive line, and two over-sized tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and New York's front 7–led by Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. In the end, Gronkowski's ankle will be fine to play on and he could end up making it a rough day for New York's linebackers and secondary.

Say what you want about New England's secondary, but they have certainly stepped up their game a bit in the postseason compared to the regular season. Vince Wilfork up front will help clog up the middle and contain Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs so they can focus solely on stopping Manning and the passing game.

From a fan standpoint, the outcome of this game plays no effect on how I sleep or how I handle the rest of my week, meaning I really am not cheering for either team and I will simply be taking this game from a professional standpoint.

If Brady wins, he will no doubtably go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play this game. His career accolades would include most postseason wins, four Super Bowls in five appearances, 50 TD passes in one season, 5,000 yards in one season, 7 Pro Bowls, two MVPs, two SB MVPs, two First Team All Pros, etc. His stats stack up with Joe Montana (like I pointed out in the Brady/Montana debate article), so why shouldn't he be seen as the greatest ever if he wins today?

And if Manning wins, that would make it twice that he defeated the mighty Pats in the Super Bowl, allowing him to pass his older brother Peyton with two Super Bowl rings and doing so in Peyton's town and stadium. He'd improve to 8-3 in the postseason, as well. Having two rings would even put him in the talks of a possible call from the Hall after he hangs up his cleats for good.

Positive things would come no matter who wins this game, in my opinion at least. So, when it comes to predicting the winner and score of the game I think it's safe to say I will be pulling no bias, just like I always do.

However, I do feel an obligation to pick the Patriots to win this game considering I predicted them winning the Super Bowl in my 2011 Season Preview article posted back on September 11. I almost lose some of my credibility when you see who I had them going up against (the Eagles), but nevertheless I believed the Pats would win it before the season started, so I'll stick by my pre-season prediction.

Patriots win 28-24, Wes Welker named the game's MVP

Brady's line will protect him much better than they did back in Super Bowl XLII, and he tears up New York's secondary for 250 yards. Manning has a big day as well, but I think it will come down to Brady elevating his play over the younger Manning brother (although I'm still a firm believer in Eli, not one of his many critics).

Photo credit
Helmets/Lombardi trophy: Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger

Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Announced: Six more to be Inducted into Canton

Earlier this evening the League announced that six players will be inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the beginning of August 2012: Running back Curtis Martin, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, cornerback Jack Butler, center Dermontti Dawson, tackle Willie Roaf and DE/OLB Chris Doleman.

With 17 finalists to choose from, there were plenty left off the final ballot that are well-deserving of a spot in the Hall as well. Wideout Cris Carter, running back Jerome Bettis and head coach Bill Parcells are among the finalists left out. Carter and Bettis, I felt, should have been on the way to Canton this year, but their day is coming soon.

Curtis Martin, 11 years as Patriots/Jets RB

In his second year of eligibility Martin received the call ahead of Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis, and deservedly so. In just over a decade of professional play, Martin went to five Pro Bowls and racked in 100 total touchdowns (90 rushing, 10 receiving).

Martin is without a doubt one of the most underrated runners in the league's history, retiring as the fourth-leading rusher in history (14,101 yards). Most notably, however, may be the fact that he started less games than two of the three running backs ahead of him on the list (Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton). I'm glad the voters got this one right and chose Martin ahead of Bettis.

Cortez Kennedy, 11 years as Seahawks DT

I wasn't so sure the voters would sway towards voting Kennedy in, but he gets the nod in his seventh year of eligibility. Just like Martin, Kennedy played 11 seasons in the league, racking up 568 tackles, 58 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and 3 INT in 153 starts at D-tackle.

Kennedy, his fourth consecutive year as a finalist, will join wideout Steve Largent as the only two Seahawks to play their entire respective careers in Seattle and be elected to the Hall. Nine of his 11 seasons were Pro Bowl-worthy as he captured the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 1992 season despite his team winning just two games.

I will admit, I didn't really think Kennedy's career was Hall-worthy until I really sat down and thought hard about it. Well-deserved, indeed, Mr. Kennedy.

Dermontti Dawson, 13 years as Steelers C

Dawson had a tough job coming in to the league, having to replace legend and fellow Hall of Famer Mike Webster at center upon his entrance in to the league. Head coach Chuck Noll put Dawson up to the challenge, moving him there in his second season.

Noll did not regret the decision as Dawson went on to start every single game for 10 straight seasons ('89-'98). Throughout his career, Dawson was named seven Pro Bowls and six All Pro teams and was the epitome of consistency on the Steelers' o-line. I actually had the chance to talk with Dawson about a month or so ago and posted it on January 10 (you can check it out in the archives).

Willie Roaf, 13 years as Saints/Chiefs OT

The great thing about Mr. Roaf, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 11 out of 13 of his professional seasons, is that he seemed to have been just as effective in his final couple of seasons as he was in his prime with New Orleans in the late 1990s.

Roaf was named to the All-Decade team for the '90s, and at age 32 left for Kansas City to finish off his HOF career with four Pro Bowl seasons in 58 starts as the team's left tackle. Durability and consistency are key for offensive lineman in this game, and both Dawson and Roaf had exactly that throughout their careers.

Chris Doleman, 15 years as Vikings/49ers/Falcons DE/OLB

Doleman started off his prolonged career in Minnesota, as the fourth overall pick out of Pittsburgh in 1985. He played his first two seasons as the team's LOLB, accumulating 162 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was then moved to defensive end, and in his first year at the position sacked 11 quarterbacks in just 12 starts.

Doleman went on to record double digits in sacks seven more times in his career, establishing himself as one of the league's dominating pass rushers. His 150.5 career sacks ranks fourth all-time since sacks have become an official stat in 1982. Doleman doesn't receive as much credit as he should, considering he was one of the most dangerous pass rushers of his time.

Jack Butler, 9 years as Steelers DB

Butler, this year's class' senior inductee, is the second of two Steelers in the 2012 HOF class. And, just like Dawson, Butler spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh franchise. Butler's career went from 1951-1959 where he was one of the team's top defensive threats.

His 52 career interceptions was second-most all time during his days (ranks tied for 26th now, along with two other HOFers). Though he intercepted a lot of passes in his 103 games, it was his tackling that may have gotten him over the hump and in to the Hall.

Just missed the cut:

Cris Carter--fourth-most receptions (1,101), eighth-most receiving yards (13,899), fourth-most receiving TDs (130) in 16 NFL seasons w/ PHI, MIN, MIA...eight Pro Bowls, two All Pros.

Jerome Bettis--sixth-most rushing yards (13,662), tied for 10th-most rushing TDs (91) in 13 NFL seasons w/ STL, PIT...six Pro Bowls, two All Pros.

Bill Parcells--172-130 career record in 22 years as NFL head coach (NYG, DAL, NE, NYJ)...two Super Bowl championships, three Super Bowl appearances, eight division championships.

Who's on next year's final ballot?

Carter, Bettis, Parcells, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, Charles Haley, Will Shields

Photo credit
Kennedy: borrowed from Seahawks Blog
Doleman: found on life.com

Super Bowl Weekend Festivities

I must admit it, this year I have probably watched more Super Bowl coverage than I ever have before. The Pro Bowl seems to help a little with shortening the two week wait in between the Conference Championships and Super Bowl Sunday, but that doesn't mean it isn't still agonizingly long.

This year's coverage has ranged from anywhere between the Eli Manning/Tom Brady legacies following the outcome of the game, the Rob Gronkowski ankle injury and whether or not he'll play, the matchup between New York's front 7 and Brady's protectors up front. There was even a segment on NFL Live explaining how many Tom Brady's there actually are in the Boston area (there's a lot). There's also been a lot of buzz surrounding Colts' franchise quarterback Peyton Manning and owner Jim Irsay regarding the team's future.

ESPN apparently ran of things to talk about earlier this week, because they began to ask all of their analysts who they think would win the big game...and this includes the analysts from other sports that know absolutely nothing about the National Football League.

Another key piece of information to take in about this Super Bowl matchup is that it may be one of the most evenly-played match-ups in Super Bowl history–on paper anyways. Las Vegas has made New England favorites by 3.5, but if you polled the entire Nation, it's likely you will get about a 50/50 consensus. New York won the regular season matchup between the two, and also won the last time these two teams played in the Big Dance (Super Bowl XLII).

Considering they've had one of the hottest defenses in the last month or so, not to mention Eli Manning has been playing the best football of his career, I'd like to think the 9-7 Giants should be favored rather than New England. So I believe it's rather clear as to how close this game will, in fact, end up being.

Super Bowl week, and weekend, isn't just about the game. Lucky for us fans and avid followers it's a week dedicated to the great game of American football. Players all over the league make appearances on Radio Row and parties all over the hosting city (this year it's Indianapolis).

This year there's been an addition to the Saturday festivities. As usual the 2012 Hall of Fame inductees will be announced at 5:30 p.m. eastern time, as selected from the 15 modern day finalists and two senior finalists. But then later on this evening at around 9 p.m. ET the inaugural NFL Honors will take place live in Indianapolis (aired on NBC). The NFL Honors is an award show that will reveal the NFL's 2011 awards in a banquet-style setup.

Personally I think this is a great way to end this busy week and kick off the 2012 Super Bowl for tomorrow's action.

I would have absolutely loved to attend the Super Bowl and participate in the Super Bowl week festivities as either a fan or media member, but maybe it'll happen one day..

Stick around for my post later today in which I will give my take on the 2012 HOF class, and my Super Bowl prediction post will be coming either later tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks!

Photo credit

Lucas Oil Stadium: washingtonpost.com

XLVI: borrowed from Google

Best to Ever Play the Position: Tony Gonzalez Deserves More Respect

In the wake of Super Bowl week, all the talk has been centered around New England's tight end Rob Gronkowski. Will he play, or will he sit? After spraining his ankle after an awkward tackle against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, Gronk has been seen in a walking boot earlier this week.

When seen at yesterday's Media Day, the second-year pro had taken off the walking boot. But after missing practice again today (only two practice days remain before Super Sunday) the question still lingers.

Personally I don't see him missing the game. No way he will allow himself to miss what will be the biggest game/day of his life...especially considering what he means to this New England offense.

Gronk, 22, has blossomed in to perhaps the league's most well-known tight end within about a season. He broke on to the football scene with 546 yards and 10 TDs as a rookie in 2010, but he followed that up with a record-setting performance in 16 games this season: 90 receptions, 1,327 yards and 17 TDs. The single greatest season ever put together by a tight end. He led the league in receiving TDs and set TE records for most yards and most TDs.

The sudden stardom of the bruising 6'6'' and 265 pound end has led to the expression "Gronk'd." His powerful spike, in celebration of a TD, has been known as a Gronkowski trademark by many, and he even has t-shirts and songs in dedication to his athletic ability and on-field success–mainly in the New England area.

This has made for a sad, sad day in Kansas City and Atlanta. The two cities that the 12-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez has played in. Still a Falcon, the 35 going-on-36-year old veteran has lost his touch. He has put up 15 hard-working and well-fought seasons, starting 222 career games and missing just one start since 1998 (he didn't start any games in his rookie season, 1997).

Gonzalez has already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and he doesn't even think he's going to retire for another couple of seasons. Yet new faces such as Gronk, New Orleans' second-year pro Jimmy Graham, New England's Aaron Hernandez and San Francisco's Vernon Davis have stolen the spotlight away from the blue collar Gonzo.

The worst part, in my opinion, is that I don't think it even really bothers Gonzalez at all. Young kids have seemed to have chosen Gronk as their hero, rather than Gonzalez. I'm not trying to take anything away from Gronk and Graham, or anyone else, because they have played hard and deserve some credit as well. But I'm disappointed that fans have seemingly overlooked perhaps one of the league's greatest receiving tight end of all time.

The NFL has recently put together an official magazine (NFL the Magazine) to which I have subscribed to. The most recent issue–just the second one made, actually–had an article in it written by Lisa Altobelli that I think everyone who calls themself an NFL fan needs to read.

Of course I was well aware of what Gonzo has done for the league before I read the article, but the article reiterates his greatness and reassures fans that his loss of the spotlight hasn't phased him one bit. Just like every other season, Gonzalez prepares the same way and goes about his business. According to the article, as well, his teammates have started calling him "Low-key Tony G," which is very fitting for the calm-minded Tony.

What has he done over his decade-and-a-half of play? Simple, he has racked up 1,149 receptions, 13,338 yards and 95 TDs. His reception total is second all-time to the great Jerry Rice, his yardage total 11th all-time and his TD total is 9th all-time (he is six away from passing Steve Largent at No. 6). All three categories rank No. 1 among every other tight end to ever play the game.

What I like most about him, however, is his humbleness and the fact that he focuses more on his blocking techniques than his catching ability because obviously run blocking is No. 1 priority for all tight ends. Their second responsibility is catching passes. He's first one in the facility and often the last one out, according to many of his teammates as well.

What I believe is the reason for his lack of respect among NFL fans, and some experts too, is that he's never really been in those big games. In fact, he's never been fortunate to win a playoff game. In five tries, Gonzo is 0-5 in postseason play. But that's not his fault!

Gonzo hasn't exactly been the brightest star in those postseason games (16 Rec., 157 yards, 2 TDs, 9.8 YPR), but the tight end isn't going to be the game-changer in a big playoff game. He's never really been on an exceptional team and he's actually never really had an exceptional quarterback throwing him passes.

There's Matt Ryan in Atlanta right now, but he's only been there for three seasons. In Kansas City 1997-2008 Gonzo's best quarterback was probably Trent Green ('01-'06). Other than Green, Gonzo had the likes of Elvis Grbac, Rich Gannon, Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard throwing him passes. Gronkowski/Hernandez, Graham and Jason Witten, who did they have throwing them passes? Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Tony Romo. Even Vernon Davis has had a more capable arm in Alex Smith throwing him the ball (despite 2011 being his first solid season).

The fact Gonzalez has been so healthy, reliable and productive throughout his career with below-average signal callers throwing him passes just makes me respect him even more. Catching passes over defenders seems to come naturally for the 6'5'' former basketball standout.

So, before we go naming Gronk the greatest tight end ever, and possibly a future HOFer (in his second season) if he goes out there on Sunday and rocks New York's defense, lets not forget about poor old Gonzo down south in Atlanta.

Photo credit

With Atlanta: Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

With Kansas City: borrowed from Sports Crunch

Super Bowl Week: Media Day Tuesday

The Pro Bowl has been played: AFC won the All-Star game 59-41 Sunday evening in Honolulu. Miami wideout Brandon Marshall was named the game's MVP with 6 receptions for 176 yards and a Pro Bowl record 4 TD catches.

Both New England and New York have officially arrived in Indianapolis, IN over the last two days.

And finally, the media have set everything up for a full five days of coverage before Super Bowl XLVI gets underway in Lucas Oil Stadium. You know what Tuesday means, right? Media day.

I'd love to be able to attend, not only the Super Bowl, but the Media Day festivities as well. This year, according to sports writers and television personalities on their Twitter pages, it seems that there are more fans in attendance than media members.

It's true, fans were able to buy tickets for about $25 apiece and attend the day long festivities in Indianapolis. Also, there is apparently plenty of media interviewing media going on in addition to the player and coach interviews.

In other words, Media Day is dedicated to talking about, analyzing, re-analyzing and consuming anything and everything possible. Anything from score predictions to trash-talking can go down on the annual Media Day. Although, considering the conservative Bill Belichick is on one side of things...and the mouthy duo of Michael Strahan and Plaxico Burress are no longer on New York's roster, I doubt any of that will go on this go around.

This day (Tuesday before SB) four years ago Burress guaranteed that the Giants would defeat the undefeated Patriots. New England's Tom Brady simply smiled and laughed when a reporter told him the news, declining to say anything in response. We all know Burress proved right in the end, but that doesn't mean it didn't help stir the pot for New England.

To me Media Day usually seems pretty redundant, and I don't expect anything interesting or "bulletin board material" to come from today, but that doesn't mean we can't all sit back and enjoy a 3 1/2 minute long video of some of the great Media Day memories.

I found this video on Youtube and couldn't resist putting it up for all to enjoy! Obviously, I do not own the video or any of the clips from the video.

I think it's safe to say Denver's Shannon Sharpe wins the crown for Media Day King after his brush up with Atlanta's Ray Buchanan via the Media prior to Super Bowl XXXIII.

One thing everyone wants to know, and still wont know after Media Day is through, is will Rob Gronkowski play Sunday? Good news, however, for Pats fans: he wasn't wearing the walking boot that he was wearing when he walked off the plane upon arriving at Indy.

Gronk is tough, and despite missing yesterday's practice, I have no reason to believe he wont be on that field come Sunday evening.

Daughter of Former NFL Running Back Making Headlines

This weekend the Lingerie Football League (LFL) semifinals takes place as the four best teams from each of the six-team conference–Eastern and Western–fought for a spot in the Lingerie Bowl next weekend in Vegas.

I know what you're thinking, and yes, the LFL really does exist. This was the first time I had ever tried watching it, which aired on MTV2 at 4 P.M. and 5:30 P.M. eastern time. And let me just say, these women are for real. And not so nice on their opponents, as they take this game very serious.

I currently stand at about 5'8'' or 5'9'' and 140 pounds. These women? Well, lets just say that it's likely that over half of them are at least that big, if not bigger, and are all muscle. Scary stuff.

But anyways, the Eastern Conference final featured the Tampa Bay Breeze (3-1) and Philadelphia Passion (4-0), as Philadelphia improved to 5-0 and a trip to Vegas next Sunday with a victory.

The reason I bothered posting a short write-up of the LFL semifinals is actually because one of Tampa Bay's players caught my attention. It was OL/LB Courtney Wilder, the daughter of former NFL running back James Wilder. Wilder (father) was a second round (34th overall) pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1981 NFL draft.

Wilder ran for 6,008 yards and 37 touchdowns in 10 pro seasons with the Bucs, Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins. In his playing days he stood at 6'3'' and 225 pounds. Wilder, the daughter, has been a standout on her Tampa Bay team this season and boasts a muscle-filled frame of 5'9''/160 pounds.

In four games this LFL season, Wilder has run the ball just six times for 80 yards on offense, but scored three of those six times. She's been a huge threat on defense as well, making 14 tackles (4 for losses), two sacks and recovered two fumbles for the one-loss Breeze.

But the most important factor in her game, much like her father, is the fear she strikes in her opponents. I know one thing, I would never want to line up against her and I'm a male who used to play. She is one scary female athlete.

Although today's performance was in a losing effort, 44-32, Wilder was a huge factor in the game and while watching the matchup unfold it was brought to my attention that Wilder had been playing on a torn meniscus in her right leg. Doctors cleared her to play, but she was obviously playing through a lot of pain.

Now if that isn't a clear sign that she was built to be a football player, then I don't know what is. She's built strong, and tough; true footballer in my opinion.

Football clearly runs in the Wilder family, because her brother James Wilder Jr. plays the game as well. He just finished his freshman year as a RB at Florida State University. In high school, Wilder Jr. was very versatile as a RB/DE/OLB and a top recruit following graduation.

Good luck to both Wilder kids in their future, I'm sure James Sr. is proud of them both.

Game No. 2, the Western Conference final, kicks off shortly with Los Angeles Temptation and Las Vegas Sin facing off for a chance to play Philadelphia in the Lingerie Bowl next Sunday. Tune in to MTV2 (5:30 PM ET) if you need some entertainment for an hour and a half.

Note: Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien's daughter, Angela, is in the LFL as well. She quarterbacked the Seattle Mist to a 2-2 record this season, going 10/32, 110 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT in four games.

Photo credit
Wilder Sr.: found on rockmnation.com
Courtney Wilder: borrowed from Tampa Bay Breeze's team site

Pro Bowl: Entertainment Solely for the Players

The AFC/NFC Pro Bowl will be played tonight, at 7 P.M. (Eastern Time), in Honolulu, HI. Each year the league struggles to gain viewers for the NFL's version of the all-star game. In fact, this year they are trying something new in an attempt to gain those extra viewers.

They have decided that, since so many players and fans have Twitter pages to entertain themselves and others, they will provide each sideline with a computer set-up with Twitter so that players can tweet while sitting on the sidelines doing nothing.

Personally I think this is a great idea since players aren't allowed to do so during the regular season and playoffs, why not add this dimension to a game that means absolutely nothing. Fans complain about the Pro Bowl being boring each year–and I agree to some extent. But what they don't understand is this game isn't made for the fans.

It's for the players.

Puzzling statement, I know. But I think it's 100% true. While these players have jobs to keep fans and the common people entertained, the 16-game regular season is tough on these multi-millionaires. Five-plus months of non-stop travel, practicing, attending meetings and basically beating the crap out of their bodies in order to bring the very best entertainment each Sunday or Monday.

Ever wonder why the Pro Bowl is in Hawaii? Well, me too. And I have a couple of different theories as to why it's played in Honolulu: 1. Hawaii doesn't experience much NFL action, so this gives them a shot at seeing the all-star players in motion (well, sort of) and 2. It's a perfect vacation spot.

When I say vacation, I mean for the players. Sure, they can take their friends and families on vacation anywhere they want during the off-season, but this is the league's way of rewarding the players that worked so hard over the course of the season. Players have a ball with this Hawaii trip, and often take their entire families and enjoy precious family time.

I think I may be one of the few NFL fans out there that actually sits down and watches the Pro Bowl every single year. And instead of complaining about how boring it may be, or that the players don't even attempt to make an effort to block field goals and extra points, I try to let the players enjoy this one. I mean, just look, these players are enjoying each other's company and on a mini-vacation all at the same time.

I actually don't mind that the Super Bowl teams do not participate, and that many players drop out of the game due to injury. This gives the un-noticed players, and players who were snubbed, get an opportunity to participate and take his family on vacation. There's 43 first-timers in this year's game, giving us plenty of new faces to watch.

Let's just let the players enjoy themselves in Hawaii, please. If you don't like the Pro Bowl, no one is making you watch it, so why complain about it? The Pro Bowl truly has no meaning, and if you think about it, isn't that the fun part about it for the players?

Thank you,

--An annoyed NFL supporter

Photo credit

Tony G. and Roddy White: found on sbnation.com