Kyle’s View

Michael Vick’s future in the NFL seems to be very hazy at the moment. The Eagles hold a lot of the cards in what the future may hold for Vick. If they decide they want to part ways with Donovan Mcnabb or Kevin Kolb they could decide they want to keep Vick as a back up to either guy. The other side of the equation is they could decide to move Vick. If they do decide to move Vick there are a couple teams that seem to make the most sense for Vick. The Carolina Panthers seem like the best option at the moment. The biggest reason is this is the team Vick said he would like to play for in a recent interview. Carolina will keep him on the east coast and close to home. The Panthers also features some pieces on offense that make this option very attractive. The ability to hand off to DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart would put Vick in a situation where he would not need to shoulder the load on offense. Another weapon that works in Vicks favor is the big play ability of Steve Smith. Smith has the ability to take a 5-yard hitch and turn it into a big play that can result in a touchdown. Fantasy owners would like this option also because the lack of production from Smith seems to result from the lack of play from Jake Delhomme. The quarterback situation in Carolina is in question as well. They have Matt Moore penciled in to start the season but as a career back up and not a huge star coming out of Oregon State, many people look at Carolinas quarterback situation as a question mark.

Another option for Vick seems to be the St Louis Rams. Having the ability to turn and hand off to Steven Jackson provides the same ability to not need to shoulder the load with the Rams. Vick will provide a little more balance and will force defenses to be more balanced. The effect Vick could have for Steven Jackson could help him stay healthy not forcing Steven Jackson to do it all on offense. St Louis also features a shaky quarterback situation at best. The Rams feature Marc Bulger coming off a couple injury riddled seasons and poor play while he was on the field. The backup for Bulger is Keith Null who started his first game this past season. The Rams could go Sam Bradford with the number one pick in the draft and throw a wrench in to things. However if they go defensive tackle and select either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy then Vick could be very much in play.

However news has started to swirl that the Eagles would part with Donovan McNabb for a pick of top 42 picks in the NFL draft. This could put a halt to a deal involving Vick. If the Eagles would part with McNabb, Kevin Kolb would become the starter with a dose of Vick in the wildcat formation. The future of the Eagles quarterback situation is still to be seen.

Since 1994 the team that has won the coin toss in overtime, has won the game 60% of the time. This result lead to a 28-4 vote that passed a proposal on Tuesday that will change the way the overtime works in NFL playoffs.  In the new terms, the team who wins the coin toss can win the game by scoring a touchdown. However if they only manage to score a field goal, then the opposing team, will opportunity to score. If they get a touchdown then the game is over. If they are only able to score a game tying field goal, then the game will continue in a second over time. It will be a traditional sudden death rules. This is a permanent change that will be applied.  This rule change will add excitement and intrigue to overtime. Of the many games I’ve seen the old overtime rules have allowed a team to be super cautious. They pressure to score a td was never there. With the new rule the pressure to put the ball in the end zone will be higher and provide more entertaining finishes to games. No longer will a riveting game end with an anti-climatic overtime. The potential convoluted endings make this rule confusing at first but will keep fans entertained throughout the playoffs. The majority of the owners and the competition committee felt the change was necessary and would improve games for the future. The rule that is being called the “Brett Favre Rule” because of the way the Vikings vs. Saints playoff game ended, lends a little comic value in the fact that Minnesota Vikings were a team that voted against the rule. The only flaw I see in the rule is the fact that it doesn’t take effect till the playoffs. The rules should be consistent and be in effect throughout the season. The biggest reason for the rule to not be in effect for the regular season is the resistance from the NFL Players Association. They feel that the rule in the regular season would keep the players on the field longer and give more opportunity for injury. When the regular season ends team are separated by a game or two and if the rule was in effect during the regular season this could mean the difference between making the playoffs or not, as well as whether a team is at home vs. on the road for the playoffs.

The Minnesota Vikings made a splash recently with the signing of Brett Favre. The Vikings have made strides in the past couple season towards being a super bowl contender. Built around a solid defense with the Williams boys up front and Adrian Peterson leading the Vikings offense. The Vikings need to remember this is the way their team was built and to let Favre compliment the run game. This could be a big year for Bernard Berrian to emerge as a big play receiver that will provide excitement for Vikings fans all season. The Vikings go into the season with high expectations and they need to do more than just make the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers need to make their high-powered offense reflect in the standings. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, as well as top talents at running back, Ryan Grant, and wide receiver, Greg Jennings. They made additions to solidify their defense although they have yet to sign their top pick BJ Raji. The Packers need to make noise in a competitive division.

The Chicago Bears made noise in the offseason aquiring a pro bowl caliber quarterback in Jay Cutler. Cutler is coming off an impressive statistical season. The concern Bears fans should have is whether or not Cutler can put up the same kind of numbers in an offense with less than stellar receivers as opposed to the talent he had in Denver. This looks to be the breakout season for Greg Olsen. He is the best pass catcher on the team and a strong season from Olsen will help Matt Forte see more running room and open up the deep passing game to Devin Hester. Their defense should be strong like in past years led by Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, and Tommie Harris.

Lastly we get to the 0-16 Lions who can win one game and improve over last season. The made steps this offseason to help the future of the franchise. They drafted Matthew Stafford number one overall and drafted a solid pass catching tight end Brandon Pettigrew who has serious upside. Add these guys to Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson who not only have another year under their belt but are emerging as legit offensive studs. The future is surprisingly bright for this team. It wont be this year but in the next two to three years the Lions could be a legitimate force if Stafford progresses and they keep making smart decisions in the draft and within free agency.

Vikings                                    11-5

Packers                                    10-6

Bears                                           7-9

Lions                                          3-13

Breakout Player

Kevin Smith emerges to become a solid back that consistently is counted on by the lions and consistently around 100 yards and a touchdown.

Rookie to watch

Percy Harvin will make his presence known to the NFL. He can impact the game in so many ways; his play can make a huge impact on his team.

Brandon Pettigrew is a big, pass catching tight end that will be a vital piece to the Lions offense, no matter who’s at quarterback

Over the next couple weeks i will be breaking down the NFL as i see it as the season approaches.

The NFC West looks like a division with a lot of question marks. The 49ers need to figure out who their Quarterback will be, can the Seahawks be the team they used to be, what will Steve Spagnuolo bring to the Rams, as well as what version of the Arizona Cardinals will show up.

The quarterback battle in San Francisco seems to be settling it self out. Shaun Hill looks to be the guy with Alex Smith fading into the back up role. Shaun Hill is getting the plays better, making better reads and the receivers seem to react better to him. With the selection of Michael Crabtree and the emergence of Josh Morgan, the 49ers expected with Alex Smiths bigger arm, that he could make strides and open the offense. That didn’t happen, Crabtree is still unsigned, and the offense is going to be a run first, run often team.

The Seattle Seahawks look like they could make a return to perennial playoff team and super bowl contender. The made strides in the offseason to acquire impact players like TJ Houshmandzadeh. They expect Matt Hasselbeck to be back to old form and be able to run the offense. The injury to Walter Jones hurts a offensive line that was already looking very average. They have a interesting defense that can make plays and be aggressive with players like Lofa Tatupu and Marcus Trufant. If they can get any semblance of a running game from Julius Jones and TJ Duckett, the Seahawks could make noise and make a run at Arizona for the division.

The St Louis Rams have all signs pointing to a subpar season and another appearance in the top 5 of the NFL Draft. The Rams are in rebuilding mode, especially with their defense. Injuries to Donnie Avery and Marc Bulger only hurts the ailing franchise. This will be a long season for Rams fans but, they can look forward to a chance at drafting Sam Bradford.

Now to what looks to be the class of the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals got Kurt Warner Resigned to throw to the three-headed monster in Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Breaston. The running game looks to get better with the addition of Chris “Beanie” Wells. Although being a Ohio State fan and watching Beanie Wells for three years, I think he’s inline to be the next Kijana Carter or Rashaan Salaam. That said I think the offense will be there and as long as the defense follows suite this could another deep playoff run for the Cardinals. Although the schedule is a tough one for the Cardinals having to play the AFC South, one of the best divisions in football.

That said the Seahawks will win 9 games and the division. The additions they made between the draft and free agency will give them the edge and take them to the division crown.

Seattle Seahawks                                9-7

Arizona Cardinals                              8-8

San Francisco 49ers                           7-9

St. Louis Rams                                    2-14

Breakout  Player

John Carlson will emerge as a dominant tight end and will become a target of Matt Hasselbeck in the red zone.

Rookie to watch

Aaron Maybin will emerge to help the Seahawks defense and make serious noise.

Joe Pa has been in college football for a long time and has his moments of brilliance. Recently he suggested adding another team to the Big 10 giving them 12 teams. This will do a couple things. It gives the Big 10 a chance to have a conference championship. Having a conference championship will give the Big 10 another game to keep the Big 10 teams playing. This will help teams making a run at the National Championship and bowl games. Too often the Big 10 is done two or three weeks before the nest of the NCAA’s. Then with the layoff till the National Championship of the BCS games, the teams haven’t played for a month or more.

It also opens the idea of adding more competition. Some teams suggested were Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers. Of the three i like Pitt the best. They have been the most consistent and will add strength. However there is one team that could be very interesting. What if Notre Dame joined the Big 10? This would add a big name to the conference and help Notre Dame make big bowl games.

This is a no brainer for the Big 10. They should make a serious run at getting Notre Dame to join the conference. And if i’m Notre Dame im joining the Big 10.

Its a tough decision for a team to make when they have the first pick in the NFL draft. The team must decide wether they are as a franchise. Are you one or two players away or is there a need to build around a few key players and add more and more talent. The Lions are in need of quarterback, but the same thing can be said for many positions on a team that goes 0-16. There decision seems to have come down to three players Matthew Stafford, Aaron Curry, and Jason Smith.

Matthew Stafford seems to be the quarterback of choice over USC’s Mark Sanchez. Stafford is the clear choice at quarterback. His big arm stands out as well as his intelligence. He can make the correct reads when the pressure is on. He also played in the SEC which has tons strong defensive teams and presents tough matchups each week.

Jason Smith is the next option for the Lions. He is a guy who the Lions can pencil in for the next 10 years at left tackle and be happy. The Lions can do something similar to what the Dolphins did last year. They can take that offensive lineman, then use a veteran at QB and draft another QB later if your feel Rhett Bohmar or Nate Davis can be the answer. The other solution lies in the other first round pick the Lions have. Offensive tackle is deep this year and the chance to draft a Michael Oher or Eben Britton. The Lions should make this move and draft a tackle with the number 20 pick overall.

This leads to the third option for the Lions which is Aaron Curry. He is outstanding athlete that will make strong center piece for the Lions to build their defense around. He was a stand out at Wake Forrest and will continue his progression as he enters the NFL.

The Lions aren’t going to win the Super Bowl this year. They may look at the Dolphins and say “Why not us?” but the Dolphins had talent and added veteran leadership. Aaron Curry is the pick the Lions should make. They can build a solid defense to go with their offense that is building around some really good pieces in Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson. Daunte Culpepper can hold down the position for the next couple years. He is said to be looking good in mini camp but that could be smoke and mirrors to make teams think they dont want a quarterback.

With a quarter or so of the NFL season in the books there are some very interesting things going and things worth noting. There has been a shift in the NFL elite. While the mantra of going to the top can happen from one season to the next has always given fans a reason to hopeful, the same can now be said for teams going to the cellar after being highly touted for many seasons. The Colts, Chargers, Seahawks, and Patriots have all fallen off the pace they are normally setting this time of year. While some of the problems stem from injuries to key players, there is also facts that prove some of the teams are getting old and not reloading. The Colts have looked dismal. They should be 0-4 right now squeaking out wins against the Vikings trailing 15-0 in the 4th quarter and this past weekend down 27-10 with 4 minutes in the 4th quarter. If not for Sage Rosenfels fumbling twice on 4 plays, the Colts are the most disappointing team in football. They still have the offensive potential and they have produced very little. As for the Chargers, they cannot seem to get on track. LaDainian Tomlinson has not been the same since getting injured last season. The defense has looked decent at times but with the offense having problems running the ball and controlling the clock; the defense is tired at the end of games. Even teams like the Bengals and Lions who are terrible overall cannot seem to produce on offense. With players like T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Calvin Johnson, points should be put up and be somewhat competitive. The Seahawks and Pats have been hurt with injuries at key postions, however their defenses are still intact and have not looked good. If they can get healthy or Matt Cassel can play well in the case of the patriots there’s still time to turn it around.

On the Positive side some teams have taken advantage of the draft and free agency and made strides. The effects are showing. Teams like the Bills, Falcons, and Dolphins have taken huge steps. The Dolphins have already won twice the games they won last year. Teams such as the Titans and Redskins have taken their teams from bubble playoff teams to legit contenders. With huge inter-division road wins in Dallas and Philadelphia in back to back weeks has the Redskins looking like a team that can make noise all season. Clinton Portis has really stepped up his game as well as Jason Campbell who is improving and managing the game better than most thought. Jim Zorn has made a huge difference with the Redskins. The offense they employ is similar to what Campbell ran at Auburn giving him some consistency after going through 2 coaches and 4 coordinators in his 4 seasons. The Titans have had consistency at coach giving a huge advantage as well as the emergence of Chris Johnson, who is trying to claim offensive rookie of the year honors as well as take his team deep in the playoffs. The Titans are running the ball and playing great defense which is keeping them close in games and giving them the edge to pull out close victories.

The rest of the season should prove to be interesting and have intriguing story lines.

Here we sit two weeks into the fantasy season and there are some questions that need to be answered and some players that are playing above draft position.Whats the deal with superstars not playing the way they should be. Players like Peyton Manning, Ladainian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, among others are no doing what they were projected and owners are starting to become worried.

Peyton Manning has a few issues to deal with in Indy, including the loss of his center Jeff Saturday who is not only a leader on the O-line, but also a key piece to his audibles and play calls at the line. He helps get the team set, makes great blocks and makes the line much stronger. Also not playing the preseason has hurt Manning. He needs to knock the rust off. That said the injury to Dallas Clark week one also did not help, as well as Marvin Harrison, who seems to not be the player he was before the injuries last season. All that said, I think Peyton will be fine and it seemed like the rust was coming off in the game against Minnesota.

As for LT, my optimism is not as high for him. He has an issue with his toe and that causes an issue for running backs. The inability to burst and make cuts can cause a running back of LT’s ability to not produce. I am worried about his fantasy value this season. He has not been the season since late last year going into the playoffs. Might want to look at Darren Sproles or Jacob Hester for the short term.

Randy Moss is a different story. Due to the injury of Tom Brady, Randy Moss’s numbers are down. He will be fine in a week or two. Week by week they will let Matt Cassell throw more and more. Moss will be fine. He wont be the Moss of last year but he will be up in the top 5 receiver.

As for the good news, the rookies this season have been a very nice surprise. Running backs like Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Kevin Smith, and Jonothan Stewart have been amazing. The are proving to be guys you can not only count on but are starters an a almost every week basis. In addition to the running backs, the rookie wide receivers like DeSean Jackson and Eddie Royal who are putting 100 yard games and touchdowns in the first two weeks. These guys are starters on a week to week basis depending on the depth  you have at wideout.

After a devastating injury that will sideline Osi Umenyiora for the rest of the season the rumors started swirling of a return of another future Hall of Famer to the Big Apple. The Giants are in desperate need for a replacement for their Pro Bowl defensive end, and what better than to replace him with a New York legand in Michael Strahan. He has the skills to still play and compete at a high level. He already knows the system and will make the defense much stronger. Also his presence in the locker room will make a improvement. The coming days will show wether a comeback is going to happen.