Ronnell Lewis (Remember the name)

Wow! What a hit! A big time special teams play could energize an entire team and motivate them to play with heart and determination. While watching the Sun Bowl today between Stanford and Oklahoma I saw one of the best special teams hits I have ever seen. It was reminiscent of Colts' Darrell Reid's explosion on Chris Henry of the Titans in 2007. True Freshman linebacker Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma, ran downfield unblocked and unloaded on the Stanford returnman like a freight train. He did not slow down to make the hit, instead he bulled him over and ran right through him. Then on that same Stanford possession their RB Toby Gerhart ran through multiple tackles and was on his way to the endzone when Lewis hustled back and performed a textbook strip move as he punched the football out of Gerhart's arm causing a fumble in the endzone. Then, later in the game the Stanford FB ran a delay curl route and a poorly thrown ball caused his to stretch out unbalanced right as Lewis unloaded on his back right between the numbers. It was his second vicious hit of the game as the fullback's head snapped back when he went to the ground. What a tremendous hit by Lewis to explode into the receiver. Remember this kid's name. He is only a true freshman, but has the looks of a dominate linebacker for the next few years in college football. I think he will be playing on Sundays and quite possibly could be a 1st round pick on his way there. Keep an eye on Ronnell Lewis.

Florida Citrus Bowl Field is a disgrace

For whoever watched the Miami (Fl.) vs. Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl is was undeniable to notice the fact that the sod on the field was defective and dysfunctional for a football game. The most unfortunate player on the field was Miami game-breaker Graig Cooper. On the play he was returning a kick and while running through a hole up the field went to cut inside and saw his knee collapse just like the ground he planted his foot into. His right foot pushed up about a foot of useless sod when he planted it into the sloppy field. Instead of getting the anticipated push off from a solidified ground Cooper sadly mistrusted the soft sod of the field and as a result he received a terrible knee injury. His game was done, season was done and according to AP reports his 2010 campaign is done as well. An injury that serious most definitely means a torn ACL and possibly a torn MCL too. Cooper is a integral part of the Hurricanes backfield and is a heck of a football player. He displayed tremendous athletic ability and speed early in the 1st quarter of the game when he bounced outside and got into the endzone for a Miami touchdown. He was a big part of the team's plan for the game and when he went down so did his team's offense. Without him they had to rely on the arm of Jacory Harris and the Wisconsin defensive line knew it. They pinned their ears back and went after his all game long beating his up in the pocket. He also injured his knee during the game due to the field and the ruthlessness of the monsters in red. The Hurricanes started the game two-dimensional, then become one-dimensional when Cooper got hurt and then became no dimensional when Harris started taking a beating behind center. Any football fan feels for Graig Cooper because no one wants to see anyone go through that kind of pain. Hopefully he will recover quickly and be ready to dominate college football during his senior season in 2011. Also, for the safety of the players and the fairness of competition lets hope the people involved with the field care at the Florida Citrus Bowl field figure out a better way to take care of the surface so we can avoid these terrible injuries in games to come.

Week 3 Results

10-6

Wins:
Baltimore
Green Bay
San Francisco
NY Giants
NY Jets
Philadelphia
Detroit
Chicago
New Orleans
Indianapolis

Losses:
Houston
Atlanta
Oakland
Pittsburgh
Miami
Carolina

NFL Picks Week 3

Baltimore (-13.5) vs Cleveland = Baltimore

Green Bay (-6.5) vs St. Louis = Green Bay

Houston (-3.5) vs Jacksonville = Houston

Minnesota (-7) vs San Francisco = San Francisco

New England (-4.5) vs Atlanta = Atlanta

New York Giants (-6.5) vs Tampa Bay = New York

New York Jets (-2.5) vs Tennessee = New York

Philadelphia (-0) vs Kansas City = Philadelphia

Washington (-6) vs Detroit = Detroit (Upset of the Day)

Chicago (-2.5) vs Seattle = Chicago

New Orleans (-6) vs Buffalo = New Orleans

Denver (-1.5) vs Oakland = Oakland

Pittsburgh (-4) vs Cincinnati = Pittsburgh

San Diego (-6) vs Miami = Miami

Arizona (-2.5) vs Indianapolis = Indianapolis

Dallas (-8.5) vs Carolina = Carolina (34-20)

Richard Seymour Traded To Raiders

Yes, Richard Seymour is only 29 years old. Yes, he is coming off of a season with 8 sacs, tying his career high. But he has already been in the league for 9 years and is in his last year of a 4 year contract. I guarantee him and his agent will provide the Raiders management with headaches, while they try to hammer out a deal with the 5-time Pro Bowler. If they are unable to make this deal they will lose Seymour and the 1st round pick in 2011 they gave up for him. I am all for trading a 1st round pick for a proven Pro-Bowler, because you never know how good a draft pick will be.
However, Seymour has already been in the league for 9 years and he played 13 games in his rookie season. He played in all 16 games in 2002, 15 games in 2003 and 2004, 12 games in 2005, all 16 in 2006, only 7 in 2007, and 15 in 2008. He is already a seasoned vet, who has been playing one of the most bruising positions in the game every year for 9 years. Jason Peters, whom was in a similar situation, was traded this off-season to the Eagles for a 1st round draft pick. He is 27 and has only been in the league for 6 years. Unlike Seymour he didn't play immediately in his rookie season, so he has more tread on the tires. The Raiders need to re-build correctly. They have been making poor draft picks for years and cannot seem to make a winning combination. If they are able to re-sign Seymour, and he still has the ability to play at a Pro-Bowl level then this looks like a good transaction. Seymour hasn't been to the Pro-Bowl since 2006, so his defensive prowess is in question at the moment.
For the Raiders sake, Seymour better work out because they gave up a 1st round pick for him and if he is not able to play at his top level, the transaction would end up as a bust. It is interesting the Raiders traded their 1st round pic in 2011 and not 2010. I don't think they have the talent to compete with the Chargers in the AFC West, but they might think next year they have a chance. They hope JaMarcus Russell will finally come into his own this year and display that 1st overall pick status he donned after an electric career at LSU. He has been a disappointment thus far, but the Raiders still have faith in him and they displayed that when the released proven QB Jeff Garcia this week. Along with Darren McFadden and Darrius Heyward-Bey if Russell can play lie his potential this season they have a chance of improving greatly in the next two years. Now with Richard Seymour on defense along with star CB Nnamdi Asomugha the Raiders could have a chance in the weak AFC West. The Chargers are the only team in the West the Raiders have to look up to. The Chiefs and Broncos are re-building and have new coaches along with new QBs. The Raiders also have a new coach, but I like Tom Cable. Head coaches that were former line coaches are always on my good side. The line coach is the scariest of the coaches and has the best ability of lighting a fire under his team's ass. Well see if the Seymour move pays off for the Raiders, who desperately need his tenacity and stature on defense to have the silver and black playing with a high motor once again.

LeGarrette Blount Suspension

One of the greatest knockout punches I've ever seen happened in the most unlikely of places; a football field. LeGarrette Blount, running back at Oregon, punched Boise State DE Byron Hout in the jaw after Hout jeered Blount at the end of a 19-8 final. This was an emotional loss for the Ducks because these two teams played last year and Boise State won. The reason Oregon was left with such a sour taste in their mouths was because their starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, was injured on a cheap hit by the Broncos. Before this years game Blount was quoted saying Boise State deserves an ass whoppin'. He finished the game with 8 carries for -5 yards rushing. He was stopped on a crucial 4th and 1 late in the fourth quarter, which I believe caused his temper to be boiling at this point. What put him over the top was the unknown comment Hout said to him as time expired. Unfortunately, he did not stop after that; he proceeded to hit his own teammate in the helmet twice, who was trying to hold him back, and the worst of all he tried to attack a fan on his way out. I do not condone his behavior at all, but at some point we all bubble over emotionally. The problem was this game was on a national spotlight and there was no way this could have been downplayed in the media. None-the-less I think that a full year suspension including the postseason is extremely harsh, especially for someone in their senior year.
He would have to go to drop out of Oregon and attend a division II or III school in order to play this year. He probably wouldnt leave school so that means he wont play in another actual game until the NFL, that is if he is picked up by a team. He dropped from a second-third round range player to an undraftable one due to his obvious character issues and the recurrent history of them. Teams seem to deter away from players with character issues because of the strict tendencies of commissioner Roger Goodell. Its not like the 1970s when Oakland would scout players out of the prisons based on athletic ability despite them being derelicts.
I think Blount has a tremendous blend of size and speed. He is 240 pounds, but can make cuts and bounce to the outside. That is very unusual to find; unfortunately, he is known to have a poor work ethic and over summer he came to camp overweight and out of shape. He has plenty of time now to focus on rebuilding his image and body. He needs to work on his work ethic and display it when it comes time for pre-Draft workouts. He has to be in his best shape of his life and show the ability to be a changed man. He needs to mature quickly and show NFL teams that he can be a productive and positive member and help the team instead of hurting it. I hope he can do it because I think he has the God-given talent, he just needs to work on his character and maturity. Hopefully this very drastic and harsh punishment set down will send him a wake up call and make him finally grow up and develop into the player his talent allows him to be.

Kenny Britt

I may be slightly biased because I live in Jersey and am a Rutgers fan but I think that Kenny Britt is the complete package at WR. He has the size (6'4", 215) to be a dominating force as the wideout or in the slot. I have been lucky enough to see almost every game Kenny Britt has wore the scarlet red in and I have seen him excel at every aspect of the game. He can run and catch over the middle because he can outrun the linebackers who cant stay with him and he can also gain body position on the smaller cornerbacks. Due to his large size he is even bigger than the safeties so he can also run mid to deep cutting routes into the middle of the field because he can get in front of the defender and give the quarterback a big target. He does a very good job extending his hands and not letting the ball get into his pads. Most of the guys his size have decent speed but they can not burn corners on deep routes or on quick-developing crossing routes. But Britt has very good speed in the 4.4-4.5 range, and he can turn on the burners with the ball to blow past corners and beat them on races to the house. I cant wait to see him assimilate himself into the NFL because I feel that he can develop into a great receiver. I think he is a young T.O without all the drama and the big mouth. He has the same size and speed that Owens possesses and when T.O shut up and play like in the 2004 season with the Eagles in which they went to the Super Bowl he had the greatest season in Eagles WR history. I see Britt as a pick in the last third of the first round. Or if he begins to slip to late first-very early second some of the teams with high picks might make a bid to acquire his services. Wherever he ends up he will be able to make a great contribution, this I'm sure of.

NFL 09 Draft

Oklahoma safety Nic Harris is an emense safety by size; so much that the Senior Bowl coaches moved his to outside linebacker, where he excelled and was able to shed blocks. With his size and speed he can play outside linebacker and patrol from sideline to sideline. Personally I feel he could contribute in a 3-4 system that is designed for more atheletic, smaller linebackers who like to run and be apart of the run and pass converage. The toughest part of adjusting to linebacker for Harris would be being able to keep his vision all around the field and on his man in tight spaces rather than roaming the field getting a great view from his safety spot. Perhaps making the transition will be better for Harris because this way he would not be vulnerable to being beat deep on a streak route down the field. I see Nic Harris going to a team like Baltimore who has aging linebackers and plays a fast, physical 3-4 defense.

Another monster safety is Taylor Mays from USC. This kid must have been built in a factory. He is a freak of nature back there. He has the size of a linebacker but 4.3 speed like that of a cornerback. He comes up in run support and uses his upper body like a tree trunk smashing into the opposing runnign backs sending them directly to the groundwithout taking another step. I watched the Rose Bowl and he is the epidime of a competitor. He was frustrated if Penn State even got a first down, and when Penn State scored he looked like a crazy beast back there in shackles. He takes it personally if another team scores in his endzone and that how the game is supposed to be played. Also in that game I saw him knock out Jereous Norwood and his fellow safety on one hit over the middle. He was flagged but thats because he hit him too hard. It was not helmet contact nor was it interference, he is just a man out there with boys. I believe he can come in to any team right away and contribute, even be a rookie pro-bowler. I expect him to go in the top 10 to any team looking for a playmaker on defense.

Eagles Draft Prospects

We all know that Brian Westbrook wont last forever; he might not even last to the end of next season. He has been suffering from knee and foot injuries for a while now and it has gotten so bad that he hasnt practiced but being the warrior he is he still played. On the field he is one of the greatest weapons in the history of the game and most definately one of the greatest players in Eagles history. However, he is on the decline as can be noticed by his lack of production down the stretch this season and in the playoffs. Therefore, it seems like a logical time to look for the next in line to be Westbrook's replacement. Before someone blossoums into the player Westbrook is the Eagles could return to a tri-threat at RB. Buckhalter will most likely be gone unfortuntely because his contract is up and he wants to go somewhere where he could start. That is ashame because Buck was the best back the Eagles had in their last five games of the seaon. Booker was an awful pickup and I think the Eagles wasted a fourth round pick for his benchwarmer services. They couldve taken Felix Jones, Chris Johnson, Rashard Mendenhall, Kevin Smith, Matt Forte, or Steve Slaton instead; all of whom produced in their first year in the league. But teams do make mistakes and now they just need to rectify their mistake and make some upgrades to the RB position.

A prospect I have been a fan of all season is Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson. I could not follow him too closely during the season due to the fact that he played in the West Coast and always played at crazy hours of the day. But ever since I saw his make a spin move that looked like he was imitating Boobie Miles from Friday Night Lights, I have been a huge fan. He even looked the part by wearing the jersey tucked up in his back plate. Now that the season is over I have been looking at his performance at the Senior Bowl and the practice week to learn more about him. Throughout Senior Bowl week Johnson took advantage of a pass heavy system he worked in with the North team. Something the Eagles love is when a RB can come out of the backfield and catch short passes and screens as a part of the running game. Johnson was able to display his agility and quickness throughout his fluid route running and natural catching ability. He was able to make hard cuts and qucikly accelerate getting away from the LBs to make the catch. He also displayed very soft hands that attracted the ball like a magnet attracts metal. While I researched his performance it seemed to mirror that of Brian Westbrook with the quickness, agility, and frame. Johnson is 5'9" 205 and Westbrook is 5'10" 203. Pretty identical size. His shortness is what would aid him in getting lost in the screen plays behind the Eagles massive offensive line. Also the Eagles drafted Westbrook in the third round from Villanova and Johnson is projected as a third round pick right now as well. It seems like too many coincidences to pass up on an uptapped talent like Johnson.

We all know the Eagles short yardage game has been awful to put it lightly (and not curse uncontrollably). For a solution to that problem I have researched information on Liberty College RB Rashard Jennings. He has a massive frame at 6'1" 234 lbs and was actually at the University of Pittsburgh before transferring for personal reasons. Imagine that tandum at RB this year, Jennings and McCoy. Jennings is a powerful runner who attacks defenders and he also can catch the ball well. Another plus with the Eagles system. Scouts believe he would fit nicely in a rotation in the pros which would fit perfectly with the Eagles if they choose to go that route again. That route did lead them to four straight NFC Championship Game appearances also. Being a small school prospect scouts worry he wouldnt be able to assimulate well with a faster pace and bigger more athletic players, but he proved them wrong this week at Senior Bowl practice as he apparently fit right in with the big school players.

These are just a couple running backs the Eagles could use and would fit perfectly into the scheme. Also they both have 3rd-4th round projections on them right now so the Eagles would not have to pay big money for a RB like they usually stay away from. These two seem like great fits for Philly; lets hope the scouts think so as well.

Christening of My Blog

Hello. I wanted to create a web site to share my extensive sports knowledge with the public. I want to talk about everything from facts to opinions involving sports. I am a huge Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies fan so I obviously know a lot about sports pain as well as sports knowledge. A lot of what I discuss will involve my three teams listed above, but other than being a passionate fan I am a knowledgable fan of the game in general and I will discuss every team and issue in sports I feel like talking about.