2009 NFL Power Rankings (as of May 29)

1. New England Patriots
Tom Brady is back and healthy. Sucks for the rest of the league.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Tough to argue with the past few years.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Most people are predicting greater things for the other rookie QB sensation, Matt Ryan, but we like Joe Flacco's situation (and defense) much more.
4. Dallas Cowboys
This is a make or break year in Big D; changes are already occurring, but look out for shockwaves if this team underachieves in Jer-uh's shiny new palace. If Jason Garrett will take advantage of the league's best playaction roster, Dallas will finally live up to the talent level on their team.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Donovan looked rejuvenated after his half-time benching last year. We're not as in love with the Maclin pick as most seem to be, and the loss of Brian Dawkins combined with Jim Johnson's ongoing health issues raises serious red flags in our minds about their defense, but Philly always seems to get better as the season goes along.
6. Indianapolis Colts
As long as Peyton is there, Indianapolis will have a chance to go deep into the playoffs. Look for Donald Brown to take Joseph Addai's job. Literally. If Indy isn't your favorite team, Addai may be on your roster after this season.
7. San Diego Chargers
There are lingering concerns about most of their marquee players, but, if they all prove healthy, this is a team that could end up at the top of this list.
8. Minnesota Vikings
If Sage Rosencopter can keep from gift-wrapping the ball for the opposing team, the Vikings should take advantage of their built-for-the-playoffs roster. If Favre ends his hibernation, we'll drop the Vikings down a few spots. That's right, they'll be worse if he plays for them.
9. New York Giants
Next year will be a step back for Eli and the G-Men because of Plaxico Burress' absence. New York looked like an above-average team down the stretch without him last year. Nicks will eventually grow into a top-tier receiver in the league, but even a good rookie season won't be enough.
10. New Orleans Saints
The Saints, like the Chargers, have the potential to end up much higher on this list at the end of the season. If they can get anything out of Darren Sharper, Tracy Porter, and Malcolm Jenkins, look for New Orleans to add 3 - 5 wins to their 2008 total. Vegas has the Saints' over/under win total at 8.5. Bet the over.
11. Tennessee Titans
A step back for a team that lost some players and has some uncertainty at quarterback.
12. Green Bay Packers
The Packers should be a competitive team, but the transition to the 3-4 is not made in one year.
13. Houston Texans
Houston will continue their streak of being on the cusp of a becoming a consistently tough opponent.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags will miss Fred Taylor more than they anticipate. If Greg Jones continues his streak of not being healthy for an entire season, the lack of a power runner in Jacksonville will put far too much pressure on David Garrard.
15. Carolina Panthers
If Jake Delhomme stays healthy and consistent (two very big "ifs"), the Panthers will ride DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart up this list.
16. Chicago Bears
Cutler doesn't do as much for us as he seems to for everyone else. The same goes for the Bears' defense. Translation? Disappointment.
17. Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan certainly looks like the real deal, but with little to no defense in Atlanta, he'll have to wait for a few more years to be on a powerhouse team.
18. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have the unfortunate task of playing in a very difficult division and having a very difficult overall schedule. Plus, no one will overlook Miami on the schedule this year.
19. San Francisco 49ers
Mike Singletary helped transform this underachieving unit into one that at least plays hard, but it hasn't been long enough for him to make them consistent winners.
20. Seattle Seahawks
It's somewhat of a travesty that the Seahawks will probably make the playoffs. This division makes my ass hurt.
21. Arizona Cardinals
Fluke.
22. Denver Broncos
Josh McDaniels may surprise a few people. And Bill Bellichick might write poetry.
23. Buffalo Bills
T.O. will certainly bring a lot to the football field in Buffalo, but it just seems like if Owens ripped apart Philadelphia and came close to tearing apart Dallas, he'll take one giant dump on Buffalo.
24. New York Jets
Dirty Sanchez may hook up with models during the week, but one year of college football probably won't prepare him for hooking up with Ray-Ray on Sundays.
25. Washington Redskins
Hugely overpaying for DeAngelo Hall and Albert Haynesworth? Check. Figuring out how to build a winning football franchise? Erm....
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Anytime a franchise cleans house because the coach isn't a "player's coach" and then replaces him with a young guy that all of the players feel like is 'one of the guys', that franchise usually sucks balls.
27. Detroit Lions
Surprised that the Lions aren't at the bottom of this list? So are they.
28. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals, in a season of make or break consequences for just about everyone on the team and coaching staff, whack off.
29. Cleveland Browns
Eric "Give Me Another Panini" Mangini has proven that anything outside of the X's and O's of being an NFL head coach eludes him. Too bad that encompasses a lot of shit.
30. Kansas City Chiefs
While they're headed in the right direction, the Chiefs have a few more years of being bad and at least one more year of being punched-in-the-nuts-by-Kimbo-Slice bad.
31. St. Louis Rams
I literally finished this ranking exercise and noticed I only had 31 teams. This is that missing team.
32. Oakland Raiders
Until Al Davis finally admits that he died in 1991, the Raiders will be mired in mediocrity at best, and seasons like the next one at worst.

Comments on the Cowboys' Draft

Jerry Jones' draft has been universally criticized by everyone who isn't paid by him. However, considering the depth on their current roster, we here at FFP like the moves they made during the draft. Here's a pick-by-pick breakdown of how we see each player fitting in with the teams' needs.

Round 3 Pick 5: Jason Williams (OLB, Western Illinois)

Besides the incredible athleticism, Williams comes to Dallas with a reputation as a great locker-room presence and leader. Most of the Cowboy’s picks this year were high-character guys, but Williams stands out among all 12. Should be a special-teams demon from day one. Will play in the nickel and dime packages on defense and may be subbed as a safety on goal-line or obvious running downs. His lack of size will prevent him from being an every-down player. Random tidbit? Williams tied the college football record for forced-fumbles in a career with 14.

Rd3, P11: Robert Brewster (OL, Ball State)

Dallas has said that they plan to use Brewster as their swing guard in addition to his college role of tackle. His versatility would have been a huge addition last year when injuries took their toll on several linemen. Brewster has great feet and an incredible mean streak on film, and those are two characteristics you want in a young lineman. His game should benefit from being in an NFL weight-lifting program.

Rd4, P1: Stephen McGee (QB, Texas A&M)

McGee is a great fit for this roster. Every team should have a developmental quarterback on the roster, and Dallas didn’t have one before the draft. McGee won’t be asked to do anything except learn for a long time. He was the quarterback that best fit the Cowboys roster in this draft. He has great physical tools and will have time to learn the pro game. An additional note worth mentioning would be that Romo has always been the future at the QB position, and now the Cowboys have a young, developmental QB. Romo will notice and should be better for it.

Rd4, P10: Victor Butler (DE, Oregon State)

Will play LB in Dallas ’ 3-4. Should team with Jason Williams to lead and improve the Cowboys’ special-teams unit. Very powerful, violent tackler. Described by teammates and coaches as a great leader. Tied for second in sacks in the Pac-10 last year with 12, and then had 4 sacks versus Pittsburgh in the 2008 Sun Bowl. Ran poorly at the Combine in comparison to his 4.58 effort at the OSU Pro-Day. Should struggle early on in coverage, as he has little-to-no experience there.

Rd4, P20 Brandon Williams (DE, Texas Tech)

Dallas’ scouts rant and rave about explosive Williams’ first step, and it’s easy to see why when you put on the tape. Williams was consistently double-teamed as Texas Tech’s only pass rusher and still led the Big XII in sacks. His 10 yard split is good (1.69), but certainly not great, so this was a “swing-for-the-fences” type pick. Of all the Cowboys’ picks, Brandon Williams’ career will be the most extreme. In four years he’ll either be known as a huge draft-day steal or out of the league.

Rd5, P7 DeAngelo Smith (CB/FS, Cincinnati)

Smith will rotate between cornerback and safety and provide some depth returning kicks and punts (more on that in a little while). Due to lack of ideal speed, adequate size, great ball skills, and physical style of play, Smith might end up making a permanent move to safety at some point in his career. Was outshone his entire college career by Bearcats teammate (and fellow Dallas draftee) Mike Mickens, but ended up being drafted two rounds higher due to Mickens’ injury.

Rd5, P30 Michael Hamlin (FS, Clemson)

Hamlin is not an elite athlete, but makes up for it by being a very intelligent, playmaking free safety. Fits Dallas ’ defensive needs perfectly. Is able to line up his fellow defenders and can read the field very well. Considered the team leader and was elected team captain by his teammates at Clemson. Aggressive defender who is sound fundamentally and rarely misses tackles. His lack of ideal athleticism may lower the ceiling of his pro-potential, but considering how well he fit Dallas ’ needs and the point where he was picked (end of the fifth round), this was a great pickup for the Cowboys.

Rd5, P36 David Beuhler (K, USC)

A head-scratcher at first glance until you look over the emphasis Dallas put on special teams throughout this draft. Beuhler’s leg strength on kickoffs should keep opposing offenses from starting their drives at the thirty-five, as they did far too often last year. Dallas has said that they plan to carry two kickers into every game next year, but they have to be considering the chance that someone will want to trade for Beuhler in the event of an injury or slump.

Rd 6, P24 Stephen Hodge (SS, TCU)

Another special-teams ace is added into the mix. Hodge, Butler , and Jason Williams will all make for some serious collision-potential on kickoff coverage, as Hodge fits the mold of super-athletic set by the other two. Built like a brick shithouse, the 5-11, 236 pound former safety ran a 4.58 forty and should contribute immediately on special teams. Dallas plans to move him to ILB.

Rd 6, P35 John Phillips (TE, UVA)

Phillips will take the third TE spot that was vacated by Tony Curtis’ departure. Phillips is more the Jason Witten than Martellus Bennett type, and, while he won’t hurt you down the middle of the field, Phillips is a good blocker and has sure hands.

Rd 7, P18 Mike Mickens (CB, Cincinnati)

Mickens was considered to be a much better prospect than his draft position would lead you to believe. However, after tearing cartilage in his knee during his senior season, Mickens’ draft stock took a hit. If he can fully recover from his injury, the Cowboys got one of college football’s elite cover guys for the past four years in the seventh round. Has good elusiveness in the open field and can make quarterbacks pay for their mistakes with the football.

Rd 7, P20 Manuel Johnson (WR, Oklahoma )

A good route-running, sure-handed receiver who isn’t afraid to go over the middle. Willing blocker with a good work ethic. Characterized as a leader by his teammates and coaches. His lack of size and elite athleticism may hinder his ability to make it in the NFL, but his willingness to work suggests that he should latch on somewhere.


Other thoughts

Dallas’ decision not to address the WR position until the seventh round means that two players will play more snaps at WR next year: Martellus Bennett and Felix Jones.

Bennett has incredible physical tools, a year studying the offense under his belt, and no T.O. around to be negatively influenced by. Bennett should again be Dallas ’ go-to-guy in the red zone, a role that he played for several games last year. He’ll get more opportunities in their base offense, as well, to split out. This would provide a little more explanation as far as the John Phillips pick goes, as well.

Felix will probably take as many snaps in the slot as in the backfield next year. His world-class long speed has to be accounted for every time he steps on the field, and if Jason Garrett uses the personnel on the roster effectively (meaning you run the hell out of the ball and play action), Felix would provide a dynamic element in the passing game. These increased responsibilities, however, could potentially take away from his effectiveness as a return man (think Devin Hester last year), and that’s another reason that DeAngelo Smith makes sense in the fifth round.

Dallas obviously recognized the impact that Roy Williams' (the safety) injury had on kickoff coverage. They went out and got three athletes that will run down on kickoffs in an attempt to shore up this weakness on their roster.

Of all the undrafted free agents, I think Ogletree is the only one with a shot to make the roster. His size/speed ratio is intriguing for someone who wasn't drafted. His production wasn't terrible and he comes from a respectable program (Virginia), so it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him latch on somewhere, if not in Dallas.

Exclusive image from Detroit Lions draft room:

The NFL Draft is Nearly Here

Many NFL fans pull out their hair at this point of the calendar because of a collective lull in NFL news. The Jay Cutler trade/TO release helped create a much more diverse slate of conversation topics this year, but both have been sufficiently skewered at this point.

So now we have the draft to look forward to. In under two weeks we'll have enough fodder to keep us all occupied until the season starts, and we definitely have our popcorn ready.

Marshawn Lynch Suspended?

Buffalo Bills RB Marshawn Lynch is expected to be suspended for the first four games of the NFL season due to continued run-ins with the long arm of the law. Under the league's new, stricter-than-in-the-past player discipline structure, repeat offenders will be punished simply for being repeat offenders.

In regards to Lynch, the rumor is that the long-awaited suspension will be made official tomorrow.

Cutler Trade Shakes Things Up

The trade that sent Jay Cutler to Chicago and Kyle Orton to Denver has shaken up the NFL Offseason landscape to a considerable degree.

A few of the points that must now be considered:

Denver must now be looked at as a potential player for the top quarterbacks in the draft (they've been linked most heavily to Mark Sanchez).

Chicago now has considerable pressure to perform, and perform well. The Bears have long been viewed as a team that was solid outside of its quarterback play, and, on top of that, they gave up a buttload in return for Cutler.

Look for Cutler (and Bus Cook) to demand a new contract, and fairly quickly. Because of the immense price they paid to get Cutler in to town, Cutler's camp has a lot of leverage in contract negotiations.

Josh McDaniels has to hope that his confidence in his ability to make Kyle Orton an effective, dependable passer comes to fruition, immediately. If this move backfires, there is no doubt that McDaniels will be let go.

Cutler to Bears!

Disgruntled (former) Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has been traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2009 first round draft pick, a 2009 third round draft pick, a 2010 first round draft pick, and quarterback Kyle Orton. Holy crap that's a haul.

Some outlets are reporting that the Broncos sent Chicago a fifth rounder in the deal, but the latest report from NFL.com doesn't mention anything else besides Cutler leaving Denver.

Either way, look for Chicagoans everywhere to yell with joy and rant that they're going back to the Super Bowl. Then look for Denver to have a better than Chicago in '09.

Who Your Team Should Draft

This is one of the promised new features of the site re-design/branding in which we offer our suggestions (we know you value our opinion as Gospel) as to which three or four draft prospects each team should target in the first round (or with their first pick if they don’t hold a first round pick). This is not a mock draft – it’s what we here at The Football Free Press think each team should do, given the availability of the player.

Oh, and we know this will be work wank come draft day (assuming that you think it’s currently worth more than wank) due to trades and surprises via players being selected much earlier than commonly believed, or much later, a la Brady Quinn and his classy girlfriend.

The first sixteen teams, in alphabetical order:

Arizona Cardinals (Rd 1, Pick 31): Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State; Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia; Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia.
Atlanta Falcons (R1P24): Louis Delmas, FS, Western Michigan; Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri; Ron Brace, DT, Boston College; Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
Baltimore Ravens (Rd1P26): Rey Maualuga, ILB, Southern Cal; Darius Butler, CB, UConn; Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland.
Buffalo Bills (Rd1P11): Andre Smith, OT/G, Alabama; Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State; Malcom Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State.
Carolina Panthers (Rd2P27): Sen’derrick Marks, DT, Auburn; Derrick Williams, WR, Penn State; Paul Kruger, DE, Utah.
Chicago Bears (Rd1P18): Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina; Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri; Percy Harvin, WR, Florida.
Cincinnati Bengals (Rd1P6): Andre Smith, OT/G, Alabama; Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest;
Cleveland Browns (R1P5): Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri; Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest; Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State; Michael Johnson, DE/LB, Georgia Tech.
Dallas Cowboys (Rd2P19): Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State; Rashad Johnson, FS, Alabama; Ron Brace, DT, Boston College; Patrick Chung, FS, Oregon; Jamon Meredith, T, South Carolina.
Denver Broncos (R1P12): Rey Maualuga, ILB, Southern Cal; Brian Orakpo, DE/LB, Texas; Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State.
Detroit Lions (Rd1P1): Jason Smith, LT, Baylor; Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest; Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia. (Rd1P20): Michael Johnson, DE/LB, Georgia Tech; Clint Sintim, DE/LB, Virginia; Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri.
Green Bay Packers (Rd1P9): Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State; Michael Johnson, DE/LB, Georgia Tech; Andre Smith, T/G, Alabama.
Houston Texans (Rd1P15): Michael Johnson, DE/LB, Georgia Tech; Marc Sanchez, QB, Southern California; Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California.
Indianapolis Colts (Rd1P27): Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri; Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers; Ron Brace, DT, Boston College.
Jacksonville Jaguars (Rd1P8): Andre Smith, T/G, Alabama; Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri; Percy Harvin, WR, Florida; Marc Sanchez, QB, Southern California.
Kansas City Chiefs (Rd1P3): Andre Smith, T/G, Alabama; Michael Johnson, DE/LB, Georgia Tech; Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest.

Let us know how much we suck at this.

Cutler: Be Careful What You Whine For

Disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has made it known that he wants out of Denver. He'll get that wish.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen declared today that, as a result of Cutler's refusal to answer calls from both Bowlen and new head coach Josh McDaniels, the Broncos will grant Cutler's wish for a trade.

Of course, for the immediate future, this just means that we'll be forced to listen to everyone's opinion on where Cutler will end up. So, we'll force you to listen to ours: Cutler for McNabb, straight up.

AFC South Franchise Grades

Just a quick summary of this recurring segment of the site for those who are visiting for the first time: these grades are a result of subjective scores in nine different categories (Uniforms, Geographic Area, Ownership, Current State of the Franchise, Prestige, Division, Franchise QB, General Management, and Bandwagon). If you have a GMail account, check out the GoogleDoc spreadsheet for many more comments about each team's score. The average score for all 32 franchises was a 64.6875.

Houston Texans: 68
Houston's lack of history and prestige handicapped their score somewhat, but acceptable grades in several areas (Ownership, Franchise QB, General Management) saved their score.

Indianapolis Colts: 84
The Colts' stellar showing in the Ownership, Franchise QB, and General Management categories contributed to their great score.

Jacksonville Jaguars: 66
The Jaguars scores were mediocre for almost every variable; their lowest score was a "2" (Geographic Area) and their highest was a "6" (General Management).

Tennessee Titans: 76
Tennessee had several solid scores across the board (Ownership, General Management) that lead to their score that's well above-average.

AFC North Franchise Grades

Baltimore Ravens: 80
The Ravens scored highly in several different areas, including General Management, Ownership, State of the Franchise, and Uniforms.

Cincinnati Bengals: 28
The Bengals turned in the second-lowest grade of all 32 franchises. Their Uniforms, Ownership, Geographic Area, Prestige, Division, and General Management all scored a pathetic "1".

Cleveland Browns: 42
The Browns' relatively low score is a result of their lack of Prestige, their ridiculously tough Division, and the unknown aspect of their General Management.

Pittsburgh Steelers: 92
The Steelers' tied the Patriots' grade with a perfect score in the Geographic Area, Ownership, State of the Franchise, Prestige, Franchise QB, and General Management catagories.

Remember, we strongly recommend you view the GoogleDoc spreadsheet version of these grades if you have a gmail account. There, you'll find more reasons that contributed to each team's grade than we can fit here on the site.

AFC East Franchise Grades

All scores are out of 100 and are accumulative (all nine categories combined). Keep in mind that these are not exactly like test scores where 70 is passing. Because of the "Bandwagon" dynamic, teams that are considered 'great' will be docked points in an attempt to level the playing field a bit. The average score of all 32 franchises was a 64.5625.

Buffalo Bills: 46
The Bills uniforms, geographic region, ownership, and general management all doomed their grade.

Miami Dolphins: 56
The fact that Miami is under brand new ownership (and the instability that comes with it) affected their grade. Bill Parcells' presence and their ability to attract Free Agents helped balance their grade somewhat.

New England Patriots: 92
The Patriots tied for the best score amongst the 32 NFL franchises and earned a perfect score on six of the nine elements of the ranking system.

New York Jets: 42
The Jets scored very lowly on most of our categories. The lack of talent at the quarterback position, ownership instability, and management issues contributed to such a low score.

Franchise Ranking Grades (Beta Version)

If you have a Google account, follow this link to the GoogleDoc version of our Franchise Ranking Grades spreadsheet.

We'll post each franchise grade later with maybe a one-liner attached to each team, but viewing the spreadsheet will allow you to view many more comments about what went into the decision-making process for each franchise.

Of course, there's a huge amount of subjectivity involved with this exercise. So feel free to disagree or change a team's score based on your own feelings; that's what this ranking system does: gets you to pit each team against each other in terms of likability.

Franchise Ranking Grades are Coming

In keeping with our promise of adding a few new features to the site in conjunction with its re-branding, we're going to be posting the newest one later today. Or tomorrow. Depends on when we can get the damn thing finished.

Our first new feature is a ranking system that allows you to rank each NFL Franchise based on nine different criteria: Uniforms, Geographic Area, Ownership, Current State of the Franchise, Prestige, Division, Franchise QB, General Management, and Bandwagon.

So if you are sickened by your current favorite team's moves so far in the offseason (or lack thereof, Packers fans), but don't know what team you want to replace them with, perhaps this scale with help you decide which team should be your new favorite.

Please Excuse our Mess

As we try to get everything moved over to FootballFreePress.com, please excuse us if there's any redirecting issues that occur.

We'll try to keep everything running as smooth as normal.

So everything should probably suck.

We're Moving to a New Place

In the not-too-distant future we'll be changing our name and domain. While we would love to stay with The Daily BOMB, moving forward, there are several things that make the move both necessary and beneficial.

We'll be changing our name to The Football Free Press. So stay around here or head on over to FootballFreePress.com. Either way, you'll still receive looks at the NFL in a way that no one else provides.

Thoughts on the New Lions Logo

By now you've seen the new Detroit Lions logo. If not, here:



We here at TDB are not in favor of the redesign, mostly because we've always been fond of Bubbles, the previous (and somewhat ambiguous) lion who has now been made edgier, more lion-esque, and all-around Arena Football-y. The Lions franchise hasn't had a lot going for it this century, but we always felt their logo was one of the few bright spots for their fans. Honolulu blue, however, was and is crap.

So, in response to the leaking of Detroit's remodeled logo, we're posting what we think they should change their logo to if management is set on change. We mostly scrapped the Honolulu blue in favor of Ford blue (which, for Detroit, seemed to make sense). We're big on history here at TDB, so we tried to come up with something that holds onto Detroit football heritage so as to not make a mockery of the Lions logo. Like say, going 0-16 would do. Anyway, here's what we came up with:

Cutler for McNabb Makes Sense

Many people are sending disgruntled Broncos QB around the league in prospective trades to various destinations that usually end with players like Brady Quinn or Trent Edwards heading back to Denver to fill Cutler's spot. However, we think that there's a much more interesting option for Denver to consider: Philadelphia. The Broncos should call the Eagles and offer Cutler for Donovan McNabb, straight up.

McNabb's relationship with team management for the past few years can be described as tenuous, at best. So it makes sense for the Eagles to make such a move if they get back a young, talented QB that they can both win now and move forward with. The Broncos, in return, get a QB that will be top-level productive for at least a few more years while head coach Josh McDaniels grooms his next QB of the future.

Peppers Doesn't Fit the Patriots' Mold

Patriots head coach Bill Bellichick has certain qualities he looks for in players: versatility, awareness, and selflessness. While he sometimes goes off script with a high-profile acquisition or two (Corey Dillon, Randy Moss), it's hard to see him bringing in Julius Peppers, a move that many media outlets seem to believe is only a matter of time.

While Peppers may be versatile (and that's a big "MAY"), he's certainly not selfless. By holding his team hostage this offseason, Peppers has proven himself to be anything BUT the type of player Bellichick usually looks for. Peppers would command a gigantic contract with a hefty long-term commitment from New England, who already has current players in line for extensions (Vince Wilfork, Logan Mankins, Stephen Gostkowski, etc.). Combine these snares with the fact that it's questionable whether or not Peppers could play his desired new position of OLB in a 3-4, and this move looks less and less likely to occur.

In fact, we'd be much less surprised if Peppers ended up in Dallas. Julius Peppers is a huge name and still young enough that Jerry Jones could argue that it was a football move, not a move to put butts in seats at his new, $1.3 billion stadium. Whether or not the Cowboys have the pieces (or picks) to make such a move is questionable. However, if we know anything, it's to never put anything past Jer-uh.

Minnesota, Don't Hold Your Breath for Cutler

With the Jay Cutler-Denver Broncos relationship falling apart like Matt Millen in a chess game (or a draft room), many have speculated that Cutler could end up in Minnesota by way of a trade. While it's true that the Vikings would greatly benefit from what many consider (present company not included) a bona-fide superstar at QB, don't look for this transaction to take place. One year ago the Vikings traded a fortune of draft picks for Jared Allen. If the Vikings send the Broncos a buttload of draft picks this year behind the thinking that they're "one player away", how many people would cry "Herschel Walker trade!" when they don't win the Super Bowl next year?

Keep two things in mind when pondering this trade (when you should be working):

1. Minnesota already traded for a QB this offseason: Sage Rosenfels. That might not instill a lot of fear into you Bears' fans out there, but there ya go.

2. Cutler has proven himself to be a major pain-in-the-butt far more undeniably than he has proved himself to be an effective NFL quarterback, and it would take moving some MAJOR draft pieces to acquire him.

While it's not a safe bet to assume that Jay Cutler will end up in Minnesota, don't discount Martin Mayhew and Shack Harris over in Detroit. Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims and all of the Lions' draft picks for Cutler sounds like something they'll offer.

Martin Mayhew and Shack Harris Should be Fired

We have nothing personal against Lions GM Martin Mayhew or VP of Player Personnel James "Shack" Harris, nor do we have any vendettas against the city of Detroit or Ford (we even happen to drive one).

However, Mayhew and Harris should be fired. Now. This team is coming off the first 0-16 season in league history and the new regime's first move is to ship one of the league's bright young defensive lineman (and certainly a bright spot on the Lions' roster) and a 5th round draft pick to Seattle for 31 year-old linebacker whose career has always been based on speed?

Detroit Lions fans, if there are any left, plan on remaining in the cellar of professional football until a team is put in that knows how to evaluate talent and build a roster. These guys clearly do not.

Where Will Holt, Harrison Land?

There are two Hall of Fame wide receivers (albeit both past their prime) currently on the free agent market: Torry Holt, formerly of the Rams, and Marvin Harrison, formerly of the Colts.

While both may bring one or two more years of above-average production and leagues of wisdom and professionalism (at least ON the field, Marvin) to whichever club signs them, a team actually showing interest has yet to happen.

In Harrison's case, the thinking is that he expects too much money per year. Holt, who is freshly on the market, will suffer from St. Louis' decision to hold onto his rights until after the early, "spend-it-like-bailout-money" days of free agency.

The Individual Workouts are Flying Off the Shelves

Draft hopefuls across the nation are holding individual and team workouts in an effort to get noticed by a plethora of scouts and GM's representing the NFL's 32 franchises.

Every year at this time small-school players tend to grab some of the buzz that has up until now been reserved (for the most part) for the players from the major, mainstay football conferences and schools across the nation.

People are Overreacting to Andre Smith's Actions

All of the talking heads covering the draft are saying that Andre Smith has killed his draft value between his non-showing at the combine and his poor showing at his personal workout.

While Smith has definitely solidified himself as NOT the top tackle prospect in the draft, he certainly has not done enough to fall out of the top 13 picks in the first round. Tackles are a coveted commodity in the NFL and Smith was dominant as a left tackle in what is unquestionably the toughest football conference in the nation, the SEC.

It seems like every year people jump on the bandwagon of a workout warrior who had little production on the college level, and without a Vernon Gholston in the 2009 draft, it looks like people will settle for jumping off the bandwagon of a proven player who doesn't test or time well.

Look for Owens to Behave

It seems like everyone is saying one of two things when discussing the Buffalo Bills acquisition of enigmatic receiver Terrell Owens: either he'll tear the team apart and it was a terrible move, or his negative influence will be softened because his deal is only for one year.

We don't think either of these theories will prove correct. We think Owens will go to Buffalo and explode on the football field and be relatively quiet off of it. Owens will be paired with a legitimate weapon across the field from him (Lee Evans) for the first time since Owens played with Jerry Rice.

Owens, and equally as importantly, Drew Rosenhaus, realizes the potential windfall of money T.O. can position himself for by being a good teammate on the field and T.O.'s run-of-the-mill production for one year.

After receiving $6.5 million for one year of play in the NFL's frontier, Buffalo, look for Terrell Eldorado Owens to come back to of the league's bigger markets next year (in which, interestingly enough for T.O., is widely expected to be an uncapped year).

T.O., Eh?

Controversial team-wrecker Terrell Owens has a new home after he was finally released by the Dallas Cowboys.

And it's with one of the most conservative franchises in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills.

Somewhere, Marv Levy is saying "WTF?!"

Did Cutler Ask for a Trade Before the Cassel Deal?

There are rumors going around that Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler asked to be traded several weeks ago.

If true, Cutler must hate Josh McDaniels.

And Cutler must be a backstabbing bastard because he's acting betrayed by the Broncos because they met his request and listened to trade offers for Cutler.

Needless to say, this situation is not done, and it's a given that there's going to be some fireworks from Mile-High City in the coming days.

Haynesworth Is a Wealthy, Wealthy Man

$115 million for a DT whose only two years of production were contract years? Roll of the dice, no doubt.

Almost as risky as, say, $56 million for a cornerback who was cut midseason last year...

The Fan Gets Smelly at Midnight

The proverbial dookie hits the fan tonight at midnight when free agency opens. Be prepared to wake up to a much different NFL landscape, as teams spend money like government in the wee hours of free agency.

Of course, teams would never speak to potential additions before midnight tonight. That would be tampering.

Marvin Harrison is a Free Agent

The Indianapolis Colts released Marvin Harrison this afternoon, which immediately makes the second-most decorated receiver in history an unrestricted free agent.

However, it remains to be seen if there is a market for the 37 year-old pass-catcher whose play has slipped over the past few seasons.

A Kicker Turns in a Hell of a Workout at the Combine

David Beuhler has turned in one of the most impressive workouts so far at the Combine. In addition to running a solid forty-yard dash time of 4.62, Beuhler also put up 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, which was better than 27 offensive linemen including top talents such as Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher.

So what, you say? Well, David Beuhler is a kicker from USC. That's right - a placekicker. Not the ideal kicker to shove into a locker.

Well, Nevermind.

Scratch that. The official 40 times for the combine list Johnny Knox's 40 time at 4.32. Darrius Heyward-Bey is atop the leaderboard with a 4.30.

Johnny Knox Runs a 4.25

Several of the most well-known names at the receiver position ran very respectable 40 times today at the combine. However, a no-name prospect has created by far the most buzz.

Abilene-Christian wide receiver Johnny Knox (who?) ran a 4.25, a blazing time by anyone's standards.

So will Johnny Knox be this year's overdrafted flavor based on incredible workouts? Last year, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted little-known Jerome James in the second round after he posted some amazing numbers at the combine, and they didn't see much of a return on their investment in his rookie year.

Either way, it will be interesting to see where Knox is eventually drafted.

The Skill Positions

Today is the day that arguably moves more future salaries around than any other sporting event (and draws more geeky sports viewers than any other event): the skills portion of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Which prospects will run well in shorts and shirts and in turn make themselves a LOT of money? Who will run poorly and fall as a consequence? Is there a Vernon Gholston in this year's draft class?

These questions will be answered today. And we'll be watching.

Trash/Treasure Speculation

Free Agency is about to commence and the NFL world is foaming at the mouth for new information this time of year. We're going to post position breakdowns of notable free agents and their potential landing spots, starting with today's post, running backs. Franchised players will not be listed. This year's crop of FA running backs will have to battle against an abundance of young, talented runners around the league and the wide-held belief that teams can find capable runners in the middle parts of the draft.

Running Backs
Fred Taylor: Saints, Broncos, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Texans
Derrick Ward: Browns, Bengals, Patriots,
Maurice Morris: Cardinals, Bengals, Browns, Patriots
Cedric Benson: Bengals, Saints, Cardinals, Browns
Deuce McAlister: Eagles
J.J. Arrington: Bengals, Giants, Broncos

Who Will Bail Out Vick?

With Atlanta Falcons' management declaring the Michael Vick option officially open, immediate speculation has begun as to whom will be crazy or desperate enough to pull the trigger on such a deal. Our immediate reaction was that only two owners would be insane enough to try it: Al Davis and Jerry Jones. Davis, because he has never shown any restraint when it comes to bringing in elite athletes to Oakland, and Jones because his promise to "add some wow" to his offense never materialized.

However, we think there's a far more intriguing opportunity out there.

The Miami Dolphins. That's right - Bill Parcells. Now we know that of the many words that come to mind when someone brings up Michael Vick, "Parcells guy" don't tend to make their way into the conversation all that often. However, Parcells has unprecedented job security after wrangling a new clause in his contract that allows him to leave at any time with the remaining balance due to him. He also has proven in the past to overlook poor habits of elite players (Lawrence Taylor, anyone?) and reportedly promised Maurice Clarett that he would draft him in the 4th round if he were available.

Vick is the perfect player for the Wildcat offense, which the Dolphins employed on many occasions last year, and as such, would not be asked to play quarterback full-time or be the face of the franchise. He'd be asked to come off the bench and add some spark to Miami's offense, sort of like having a superb sixth-man in basketball.

There are many questions that would have to be answered (trade compensation, Vick's contract restructuring, etc.), but as surprised as some might be if Parcells makes such a move, we here at TDB wouldn't be...we'd just go on and on and on about how we called it.

IroNY, NY

The recent connections between the NY Jets and the Miami Dolphins are bringing an unprecedented amount of interest to two teams who, for the past decade, have at best underacheived and at worst sucked.

With the homefry who started all of this business, Brett Favor, retiring, all of these connections are again thrown into sharp relief.

First, the Jets sign a buttload of pricey (maybe overpriceyed?) free agents.
Then they trade for Favre and cut Chad Pennington.
Jets' players quietly bitch about the move, largely because Pennington was well-liked in the locker room.
Pennington is immediately scooped up by Miami due to the glaring hole at QB on their depth chart and the new boss' (Parcells') preference of a game manager behind center.
Week 1 pits these two teams together and they turn in a stellar, nail-biting performance that culminates in Darrelle Revis intercepting a Pennington pass in the end zone with five seconds left to thwart the Dolphins' comeback attempt.
Both teams go on to white-hot starts behind stellar play by their quarterbacks.
The Jets begin to falter down the stretch after starting 8-3, and leaks come out reporting that the Jets' players don't like Favre.
The Jets' season is ended with a Week 17 loss to the Dolphins, who got a great performance and a division title from Chad Pennington (22/30, 200 yds, 2 TD's, 0 INT).
Several Jets' players go Christian Bale on Favre, who immediately goes into hibernation to decide whether or not to hold NY hostage.
The Dolphins fail in the first week of the playoffs.

Interesting tidbit to keep an eye on for the future? Favre has retired, leaving a gaping hole at the QB spot on the NY roster. The Jets have since fired their head coach and replaced him with Rex Ryan, who, as the new boss, prefers a game manager behind center. Pennington is a free-agent and still has plenty of strong relationships in the Jets' locker room.

Looks like the ties between these two division teams will continue for at least as long as Mr. Pennington is employed by one of them.

Check Out Our Team Fixes Page

Check out our Team Fixes page - we'll be adding posts regularly, so check back every now and then to see what we've done as pretend GM of every team in the league.

Haley to the Chiefs; Boldin Next?

Todd Haley has accepted an offer from the Kansas City Chiefs to become their next head coach, Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com is reporting. Glazer broke the news late last night that the Chiefs had offered the job to Haley, and Glazer reported early this morning that Haley indeed accepted. 

So how does this change the Chiefs' philosophy heading forward into the offseason? If Haley is planning on recreating the style and potentness of the Cardinals' offense that he is leaving, Kansas City will undoubtedly target a wide receiver via the draft or trade - which leads us to this question:

Does Anquan Boldin follow his offensive coordinator to Kansas City? Most people would immediately say no, citing Boldin's tirade in the NFC Championship game that was directed at Haley. 

However, Haley is now a first-time head coach and, if he's not already, will soon feel the pressure to perform beyond realistic expectations in order to keep his job. Our guess is that those expectations are more than enough to make Haley attempt to bring an elite weapon like Boldin to KC. On Boldin's end, it never seemed like the coaching structure was the source of his frustration in Arizona; fellow wideout Larry Fitzgerald's contract (which paid Fitz about seven times as much as Boldin in 2008) set things in motion that led to the relationship between Boldin and the Cardinals falling apart.

So if we prove correct (hold your breath), these two guys will voluntarily choose to get back together:

Cassel Has Been Franchised, So Now What?

The Patriots finally franchised Matt Cassel, guaranteeing him at least $14.65 million next year. However, the presence of Tom Brady (and his reportedly on-time recovery) could make things very, very interesting for Mr. Cassel in the next few months, as it is widely expected that New England will entertain offers for Cassel. Expect plenty of teams to be interested his services, as well, as there are very few people on the planet who have proven they can play the quarterback position effectively on the professional level. 

So where will he end up? Let us know where you think (or if you're a Vikings fan, hope) Cassel will be tossing passes next year.

Our guess? Minnesota...oans...ites will be very happy next season.

Who do you think the Lions should pick?

With the un-enviable position of having the pick of the litter of which college kid to give $30 million guaranteed, the Detroit Lions could go in any number of directions with the first overall pick in the draft. Detroit has multiple holes on the roster (really?), so let us know via a comment who they should take.

A Preview of TDB's Team Fixes

The following is a sample of our upcoming feature: The Daily BOMB's 2009 Offseason Team Fixes...

In this segment, we here at TMB break down the current roster situation of each team and what they should do in the offseason via trades, free agents, and of course, the draft. We'll cover each of the 32 franchises in order of patheticness. Starting, obviously, with the...

Detroit Lions 

2008-09 Record: 0-16 (.000%)

Draft Picks: Round 1, Pick 1; Round 1, Pick 20 (from Dallas via the Roy E. Williams trade); R2, Pick 1; R3, 1; R3, 18 (via Dallas); R5, 1; R6, 1; R6, 20 (via Dallas); R7, 1

Roster Strengths: OLB, WR, RB

Roster Holes: QB, CB, OT, OG, DE, FS, SS

What they should do:

The Lions are the first NFL team ever to go 0-16, many of those losses came via blowouts, the front office is in disarray, and there is no quarterback of the future currently on the roster. At first glance, Detroit would seem like a team destined to remain in the cellar for at least a few more years. However, in our estimation, the Lions are far from being the least talented roster in the league. Armed with several returning young, talented players and plenty of prime draft picks, Detroit is a few shrewd moves away from being a very competitive, perhaps even feared, football team not in the distant future, but as soon as next season. Skeptical? Ask all of the teams that chalked up a 'W' against Atlanta in 2008 how that worked out.

Move #1: Trade for Matt Cassel.

Our first move as pretend GM in Detroit? Trading our second 1st round draft pick (20th overall, from Dallas) and our 3rd rounder (or 4th if New England would bite), to the Patriots for a Mr. Matt Cassel. With no quarterbacks in the draft that we deem an immediate solution to our quarterback problem, choosing to trade for our franchise QB in Cassel over rolling the dice by drafting one is not a  difficult decision to make. Not to mention Cassel's prototype build, huge potential, proof of effectiveness, and 4 years studying under one of the greatest QB's of all time. 

So why would Bill Belichick accept this trade offer? Tom Brady is coming back. Belichick values picks over veteran players, especially if he has a capable replacement (in this case, a top 5 all time player at his position in Brady), and this is the draft position that Belichick prefers the most - he doesn't want to overpay like the teams in the top 10, so he gravitates towards the 15 - 25 range in the draft. We agree with Belichick on this philosophy, but we feel like we have the opportunity to really better our team by moving this pick.

So this leaves us holding the first overall pick, fresh off a press conference announcing the new quarterback to lead the Lions out of the wilderness. What do we do next? We protect our investment.

Move #2: Draft....

It's feelin' Drafty in here

Now that the Super Bowl has come and gone, the majority of the college recruiting landscape is mapped out, and the Grey Cup has been handed out (right?), the draft stands alone as a shining beacon of hope for football freaks everywhere (apologies to the Pro Bowl. Actually, screw that - the Pro Bowl sucks). 

Don't go thinking you have to pretend to like baseball for the next few months, young grasshopper, for TheDailyBOMB-san will be providing for you multiple outlets to get your gridiron fix.

We're whittling away at the first official TDB Draft Guide for 2009, which we'll post soon:

Copyright © 2009 www.TheDailyBOMB.blogspot.com

However, more importanty, coming up very soon we'll debut a feature exclusive to our humble blog (exclusive means that you'll only find it at our tiny corner of the Interweb): Team Fixes. What's this 'Team Fixes', you ask? We'll provide a post for every franchise breaking down the moves that we would make if its fanbase was only lucky enough to have us as GM. 

Bash our posts - we welcome your criticism, grasshoppers.