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Cowboys Fans Have New Scapegoat

                Wade Phillips is gone but Sunday night gave Dallas Cowboys fans across the world a new scapegoat, well, I guess more of a recycled scapegoat that has returned to attract the ire of those fickle Boys fans.

                Tony Romo, returning from a broken collarbone that ended his 2010 season early, had an absolutely terrific three quarters against a hyped Jets defence.  He was in control of the offense, making good decisions, looking for Miles Austin and Jason Witten once Darrelle Revis jumped onto Dez Bryant and took him out of the game, beautifully improvising in the way that has made Romo a star and fan favorite.  It was perfect Romo and the Boys had a 24-10 lead shortly after the start of the 4^th quarter.  Not even a TD drive by Mark Sanchez and the Jets to pull within 7 seemed like it would be enough to overcome the Romo-led Cowboys.  A 64-yard rumble from Witten to the Jets 3-yard line should have ended the game.

                Unfortunately, the bad Romo sprang up.  Instead of just going down and throwing it out of bounds, Romo tucked and ran.  Even that wasn’t a terribly horrible decision but he will be lambasted for it by everyone because of how the play ended, with the ball in the hands of Jets NT Sione Pouha.

                The Cowboy defence, a shell of its former self in 2010, made the plays it needed to make to keep the Cowboys ahead and put the ball back in Romo’s hands with a chance to hit field goal range.  Getting the ball at the Jets 47-yard line, Romo instead took the offense backwards.  This was the start of Romo’s unravelling.

                A 2-yard loss on a run by Felix Jones (who woulda thunk that Jones wouldn’t be the closer the 30lbs heavier Marion Barber was for them?) followed by two straight delay of game penalties as the offense just couldn’t get its act together.  Pushed back to their own 41, the Boys at least had the opportunity to make life incredibly hard for the Jets by pinning them back deep in their own territory.

                Instead, little-used Jets RB Joe McKnight burst through the middle of the Cowboys line on the punt and leaped just far enough to get a hand on the ball and send it bouncing back behind punter Mat McBriar.  The Jets scooped it up and ran it back for a TD.  Tie game, 24-24. 

                Sanchez and the Jets even gave Romo two more opportunities to get the lead back.  The first chance resulted in a punt for a touchback.  It was the second squandered opportunity that has everyone rankled.

                The drive lasted one play.  Picked off by Revis on a horribly thrown pass well behind Bryant.  And he’s lucky it didn’t go back the other way.  Romo admitted after the game that it was a “dumb decision” and he’s right.  But he wasn’t quite done yet.

                Nick Folk booted what would be the game winning FG and the Boys got the ball back with little time to get down the field and at least get in FG position.  Getting a first down at their own 34 with 8 seconds remaining, the Cowboys again looked disorganized, C Phil Costa snapping the ball before Romo was even ready.  The ball bounced around for a second before Romo grabbed it and threw incomplete.  Instead of getting some yardage and possibly stepping out of bounds and stopping the clock, the Boys had to call their last time out with 3 seconds remaining and the game basically over.

                Romo stepped up after the game and took responsibility for the loss.  Leaders step up and take responsibility.  He’s the QB, that’s a cross he has to bear as the QB.  But is it all his fault?  Let’s not forget that Romo carried this team for 3 quarters.  Tossed 2 TD and kept the offense moving despite Jones proving pretty obviously that he’s not cut out for lead back duties.  Jones had 44 yards on 17 carries, good for 2.6 yards a pop.  What about Bryant, who absolutely disappeared as soon as Revis started blanketing him.  Bryant’s not the only receiver to get lost on Revis Island but after 3 catches for 71 yards a TD in the 1^st quarter, Bryant went catchless the rest of the way.  How about Bryant standing around watching Revis pick off that pass?  That’s some great effort fighting for that ball there Dez.  What about Witten’s offensive pass interference penalty on the first play of the final drive that erased Austin’s 22 yard catch?  Or how about a defence that knocked around the Jets offense for 3 quarters and then couldn’t make enough plays at the end to keep Sanchez and the Jets from getting the points they needed?  What about the special teams breakdown that led to the game tying TD, is that Romo’s fault?

                Did Romo make some mistakes?  Yeah, some real ugly ones that a QB in his 5^th year as a starter, with 3 Pro Bowl selections under his belt, probably shouldn’t make.  We all know the old saying about quarterbacks: “they get too much credit when things go right, and too much blame when things go wrong.”  At least Romo had the balls to stand up and accept that responsibility.  Let’s assign blame where blame is due.  The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t beat the Jets in the clutch.

                Good thing Romo got them that far. 

Monday Morning Canadian: Week 1

Newton Magic in Debut

Today at least, Cam Newton was exactly what a lot of people didn’t think he was, something they never thought he could be: a pocket passer.  Not this early, not Game 1, no way would this *spit* running QB stand tall in a pocket and find open receivers, not with the rottweilers in his face and a road crowd in his ear.  But there was Cam, in the pocket, firing strikes, using his legs to buy time and find space, standing tall, hitting receivers. 

Ball, White Keep Badgers Offense Running

                The 116^th ranked rush defence in 2010 offered little resistance against the 12^th ranked rushing offense from last year, allowing Wisconsin Badgers backs Jr Montee Ball and Soph James White to rush for 127 yards on 21 carries.  Ball ran for 3 TD, caught another and White added another score as the Badgers rang up a 51-17 beating over UNLV.

                Ball came on late in the year, rushing for 777 yards over the final 6 games of the season.  He scored 11 rushing TD in three games against Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern as the Badgers won by a combined 201-71.  His 18 rushing TD tied him for 8^th in the country despite getting only 167 carries.  He should be around 200 this year and is certainly off to a good start approaching last year’s totals. 

                Losing weight and spending time in the weight room has significantly improved his speed and quickness, adding a whole new dimension to his game.  He still has the same power, possessing a strong lower body and compact frame at 5-11 212lbs.  Benefits quite a bit from strong Badger offensive lines but is adequate in short yardage.  Rips through arm tackles and can be difficult to bring down.  Enhancing his speed has answered a huge question about him and he should climb draft boards. 

Ball is not asked to pass protect much and is below average as a receiver.  Is tough for defensive backs to handle in the open-field but is not overly elusive.  Speed is better but it is not elite.  Still is not explosive but is more than just a grinder now.

                White led the team is rushing with 1,052 yards as a Freshman in 2010.  He tied John Clay with 14 TD on his way to being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the conference’s coaches.  Sitting on the Doak Walker, Walter Camp and Maxwell Award Watch Lists, he could steal carries from Ball this year after earning 156 last year.  He got a little banged up in late October, missing the Purdue game, but came back strong with games of 19, 23 and 20 carries over the next three weeks (Indiana, Michigan and Nwestern), rushing for 459 yards during Wisconsin’s explosive late stretch.  TCU closed him down in the Rose Bowl though, holding him to 23 yards on 8 carries.

                He’s slightly undersized at 5-10 195lbs but makes up for it with the elite speed that Ball lacks.  He is very elusive in the open field and possesses the extra gear to break away.  He will run hard between the tackles but looks to break it outside.  If he gets there, he’s gone.  Has good vision, quick feet and the balance to bounce of tackles.  A strong runner for his size, White has been productive as a kick returner and can handle those duties in the pros.

                Like Ball, White doesn’t get many opportunities to pass protect.  He’s on the fringe of the size necessary to withstand the rigorous workload of a lead NFL back but is well proportioned and shows good core strength.  Flashes as a receiver but needs work on route running. 

                Gaining 3,194 yards on the ground in 2010, the Badgers will play to their strength once again though may not have the expected drop-off from Scott Tolzien with Russell Wilson able to start.  The Badgers should once again be passable passing the ball and Wilson brings a rushing dimension not there with Tolzien.  The o-line returns 3 starters and two others who have started at least one game.  It’s a storm waiting to run roughshod over the Big Ten.  And in case of emergency, Wisconsin already has the next generation off hard-earned yardage on the roster.

                Freshman Melvin Gordon and Jeffrey Lewis got reps against UNLV and both produced.  We’ll be talking about them come 2014 as the next great Badgers runners.

Trophy Watching

Heisman Candidates

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide, Junior

2010 stats: 112 carries, 700 yards, 6 TD

And a runningback shall lead them.  Crimson Tide RB Trent Richardson looks poised to follow in former backfield mate Mark Ingram’s shoes as a Heisman winner.  A complete package of strength and speed, Richardson will be the horse the pulls the Bama buggy right into the championship game.  With Ingram off to the NFL, Richardson is the lone horse in the stable now and should put up the stats in the toughest conference to be a finalist and eventual winner.

EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State, Junior

2010 stats: 69.9%, 861 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT

Florida State will challenge for a BCS bowl and possibly a national championship, which will give Manuel the stage to put on a Heisman performance.  A skew towards quarterbacks could even push favour his way if the Seminoles are as a good as they can be.  Manuel got a bit of experience last year and looked pretty good, but with an off-season as the leader of this team he’s poised to breakout.

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma, Junior

2010 stats: 65.6%, 4,718 yards, 38 TD, 12 INT

Jones is one of the nation’s most productive passers on one of the nation’s most consistent teams.  Just saying “Sooner’s starting QB” carries Heisman implications.  Maybe next year.  I’m on record believing that Texas A&M will go to Oklahoma and win in Norman, which will basically kill Jones’ trophy chances.  He’ll be in the discussion and could still be a finalist.

Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina, Sophomore

2010 stats: 249 carries, 1,197 yards, 17 TD

Lattimore is a monster who burst onto the scene last year as SC`s freshman rushing record fell by more than 300 yards.  The Gamecocks are handing the team over to fellow sophomore Connor Shaw at QB which could give Lattimore the bulk of the offensive responsibility.  If he`s up to it and South Carolina goes to the SEC championship, Lattimore could pull off the win.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

2010 stats: 71.3%, 3,845 yards, 35 TD, 6 INT

A winner, Moore is 38-2 in three years as BSU’s starter.  He’s put up fantastic numbers and won bowl games.  He was 4^th in voting last year.  That’s about where he’ll be again this year.  A win in Atlanta against Georgia to open the year could make him an early leader in the race but the trophy will go to someone in national title contention.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2010 stats: 70.7%, 3,332 yards, 32 TD, 8 INT

Will either need to put up sick numbers or lead the Cardinal to the national title game.  He is hands down the best QB in the nation but his team just won’t do enough to get him that trophy. 

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

2010 stats: 294 carries, 1,731 yards, 21 TD

Much like Luck, James is a victim of his own success as he’ll be expected to match or improve his numbers from 2010.  1,700 yards and 21 TDs will be tough to duplicate.  Oregon will be in the title hunt but if they don`t get their James` chances will be hurt.

MMC FBS Top 25 Rankings

Led by Heisman hopeful RB Trent Richardson on offense and LB Courtney Upshaw, CB Dre Kirkpatrick and S Mark Barron, Alabama fields the most talented roster in the nation.  If I had to bet, I’d take the Tide over the Buffalo Bills in a game by a TD, in Buffalo.  Alabama is that talented.

Florida State is on a resurgence in Jimbo Fisher’s second season.  EJ Manuel quarterbacks a very talented roster that features impressive speed across the board.  The Seminoles should walk through the ACC Atlantic and with Miami and North Carolina facing varying levels of uncertainty around their programs, Florida State could find itself in a January bowl if Virginia Tech falters at all.

1.       Alabama: The Tide is simply loaded on both sides of the ball and enters the season as the favourite to get to the championship game.  They can hide any growing pains at QB with such a talented crew.

2.       Florida State: With Miami caught in a scandal and Florida rebuilding, the Seminoles are The Man in the Sunshine State.  Look for a breakout year from Manuel in his first season as a starter.  He has some good weapons around him and a mostly veteran o-line protecting him.  D is stocked.

3.       Nebraska:  Nebraska should dominate in their first year in the Big Ten.  They return talent at all levels of the defence in NFL prospects Jared Crick (DT), Lavonte David (OLB) and Alfonzo Dennard (CB).  Taylor Martinez will improve as a sophomore.

4.       Texas A&M: If the Aggies can handle the high expectations and Ryan Tannehill continues his impressive end to the 2010 season, A&M should be one of the nation’s top teams in 2011. 

5.       Oregon: The Ducks are still dangerous despite having their own scandal to deal with.  QB Derron Thomas is not expected to miss any time and having him and LaMichael James will keep Oregon dangerous.  Could still go to title game.

6.       Boise State: Boise can really turn CFB on its ear if they knock off Georgia in Week 1 in Atlanta.  It would put the rest of the nation on notice and vault QB Kellen Moore to the forefront of the Heisman discussion.

7.       Virginia Tech: Always tough, always competitive, Tech returns four starters along the o-line, two top receivers and will pair Soph QB Logan Thomas with the very talented David Wilson at RB.  Defence could be great if James Gayle breaks out.

8.       Georgia:  Can Aaron Murray follow in Matt Stafford’s shoes?  The Dawg faithful sure hope so and Murray has given no reason to believe otherwise.  Another season like 2010 (24 TD – 8 INT) and Murray will be getting Heisman talk.

9.       Stanford: With Andrew Luck manning things, the sky is the limit for Stanford.  It’s not just Luck that has this team thinking big, RB Stepfon Taylor, WR Chris Owusu, OT Jonathon Martin and LB’s Shayne Skov and Chase Thomas and CB Delano Howell have big things in store.

10.   Oklahoma: I’m not as excited about Oklahoma as the rest of the nation as I think Texas A&M will get them this year in the Big 12 before leaving the conference, but by no means will the Sooners drop off the map.  Not with QB Landry Jones coming into his own.

11.   Notre Dame: A talented roster, the Irish seem cursed when dealing with high expectations.  Will have to start strong against South Florida, a top 25 team this year, Michigan and Michigan State.  Should get by USC but will need some luck to get by Stanford to end the regular season.

12.   Oklahoma State: Always explosive, OSU will give the Big 12 all it can handle this year, part of why I think Oklahoma won’t be as high as expected.  The Sooners have a giant target on their back and the Cowboys and Aggies are lining up their sights on them.

13.   Michigan State: If they can get a win in South Bend in Week 3, they get Ohio State in the final game of their suspensions and get Michigan and Wisconsin at home before having to manage road games in Nebraska and Iowa.

14.   TCU: Major losses mean the Horned Frogs won’t go undefeated again this year but they will still be a major player in the MWC.  They start off with their hands full against Heisman sleeper/longshot Robert Griffin and Baylor and will travel to San Diego State and Boise this year.

15.   South Carolina: SC could end the year much higher if they can get above average production from the wildly inconsistent and frequently suspended Stephen Garcia at QB.  Otherwise, one of the nation’s most talented team.  They just need to put it all together finally.

16.   Iowa: The Hawkeyes were in every game as they lost by no more than 7 points in any of their losses.  No Ricky Stanzi, no problem.  Iowa wins with sophomore RB Marcus Coker and a couple talented pieces on defence.  MLB James Morris is a star-in-waiting.  CB Shaun Prater already is.

17.   Florida: The chances South Carolina can get higher in the standings will have a lot to do with the development of Gators QB Jeff Brantley, who had a rocky year as Tebow’s replacement.  Defence features many freshman and sophomores in key spots.  A lot must go right for Florida.

18.   Wisconsin: The Badgers lost a ton of talent including QB Scott Tolzien, the Unitas Award winner.  Wisconsin goes back to their Badger ways behind Montee Ball and James White toting the rock.  D returns six starters and guys stepping in have experience.

19.   West Virginia: The heck ever happened to the Big East?  WVU will rock their conference behind QB Geno Smith and offensive guru Dana Holgorsen.  Smith has a couple talented receivers to toss to and a vet o-line.  Bruce Irvin must repeat his 2010 performance as a starter (14 sacks).

20.   Arkansas: No Mallett, no problem.  The big guys gone but the weapons that helped Mallett and the Razorbacks win 10 games last year are back.  Greg Childs is coming back from knee surgery and will team with Joe Adams and Jarius Wright.  Knile Davis no slouch at RB either.

21.   Mississippi State: A chic pick as the Bulldogs return 15 starters including QB Chris Relf and a talented receiving corps.  Should build on last year’s successful season and be a steady bowl team for a few more years.  Dan Mullen has done a great job here.

22.   Missouri: 10 wins will be a monumental achievement but James Franklin and Tyler Gabbert have star potential at QB, especially with the quality and quantity of talent around them. 

23.   Ohio State: Ohio State could find some consistency in the passing game with senior Joe Bauserman taking over at QB.  Defence may need to carry things for a while but won’t be truly dominant until next year. 

24.   Air Force: AF will have an improved aerial attack this year and will run the ball down everyone’s throat as usual.  They’ll give Boise State and Notre Dame a tough day and beat TCU, enough to get to 10 wins and reach a much better bowl.

25.   Miami (Fla): Not sure what to think with these guys.  Would have put them higher because this is the most talented Hurricanes squad in a couple years but all of their best players, including QB Jacory Harris and LB Sean Spence, have other problems on their minds right now.

Top 10 Draft Eligible by Position: Defence

* indicates eligible underclassman

Defensive End:

1.       Quinton Coples (North Carolina)

2.       Jared Crick (Nebraska)

3.       Billy Winn (Boise State)

4.       Andre Branch (Clemson)

5.       Alex Okafor (Texas)*

6.       Brad Madison (Missouri)*

7.       Vinny Curry (Marshall)

8.       Jake Bequette (Arkansas)

9.       Devin Taylor (South Carolina)

10.   Jacquies Smith (Missouri)

Defensive Tackle:

1.       Alameda Ta’amu (Washington)

2.       Jerel Worthy (Michigan State)*

3.       Kheeston Randall (Texas)

4.       Josh Chapman (Alabama)

5.       Kawaan Short (Purdue)*

6.       Renard Williams (Eastern Washington)

7.       Mike Daniels (Iowa)

8.       Brandon Thompson (Clemson)

9.       Devon Still (Penn State)

10.   Dontari Poe (Memphis)*

Inside LB:

1.       Manti Te`o (Notre Dame)*

2.       Courtney Upshaw (Alabama)

3.       Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State)*

4.       Dont`a Hightower (Alabama)*

5.       Luke Kuechly (Boston College)*

6.       Etienne Sabino (Ohio State)*

7.       James-Michael Johnson (Nevada)

8.       Chris Galippo (USC)

9.       Mychal Kendricks (Cal)

10.   Max Gruder (Pittsburgh)

Outside LB:

1.       Zach Brown (North Carolina)

2.       Jonathon Massaquoi  (Troy)*

3.       Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

4.       Brandon Lindsey (Pittsburgh)

5.       Tyler Nielson (Nebraska)

6.       Brandon Jenkins (Florida State)*

7.       Nico Johnson (Alabama)*

8.       Tank Carder (TCU)

9.       Donte Paige-Moss (North Carolina)*

10.   Ronnell Lewis (Oklahoma)

Cornerback:

1.       Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)*

2.       Chase Minnifield (Virginia)

3.       Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)*

4.       Josh Robinson (Central Florida)*

5.       Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama)

6.       Morris Claiborne (LSU)*

7.       Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska)

8.       Cliff Harris (Oregon)*

9.       Brandon Boykin (Georgia)

10.   Donnie Fletcher (Boston College)*

Free Safety:

1.       Robert Lester (Alabama)*

2.       Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State)

3.       Trenton Robinson (Michigan State)

4.       TJ McDonald (USC)*

5.       Vaughn Telemaque (Miami)*

Strong Safety:

1.       Ray Ray Armstrong (Miami)*

2.       Tony Dye (UCLA)

3.       Harrison Smith (Notre Dame)

4.       Mark Barron (Alabama)

5.       Matt Daniels (Duke)

Punter:

1.       Brad Nortman (Wisconsin)

2.       Drew Butler (Georgia)

3.       Jackson Rice (Oregon)*

4.       Bryan Anger (Cal)

5.       Tim Edger (Rhode Island)

2012 Mock Draft

                The start of the 2011 CFB season is just a week away!  Are you ready for some football?!?  Stanford passer Andrew Luck is the front runner for the top pick and unless he falls completely flat on his face or a crazy ass fan from UCLA or USC kneecaps him after a game or something he should stay that way.  Circle October 29 draftniks, that’s when the two top quarterbacks in college square off, Luck and USC’s Matt Barkley.  If Barkley wins and plays better than Luck we could have an interesting race at the top of the 2012 draft.  Let’s jump into some picks...

#1- Buffalo: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford*

This should be pretty simple for Nix and Gailey, they can’t mess it up, right?  Maybe they go with Quinton Coples to pair with Marcel Dareus for a formidable d-line.  But they couldn’t possibly pass on Luck, could they?  If Fitzpatrick puts up 30 TD and looks franchise-ish, maybe, but if not Luck is the guy.

#2- San Francisco: Matt Barkley, QB, USC*

It’ll be time to start over unless Harbaugh really can work magic with Alex Smith.  That’s doubtful.  Which means they will likely be picking top 5 and in good position to nab a QB.  They can’t go wrong with either Luck or Barkley and should just be happy to move on from Smith. 

#3- Carolina: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State*

With Cam Newton in the fold, the Panthers look to give him a new target with Steve Smith nearing the end.  Newton is in for some major lumps this year and the Panthers will be just as bad as last year.  Adding Blackmon gives the Panthers a pair to grow with.

#4- Cleveland: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Cleveland should be pleased to see the draft’s top defender still available.  They drafted d-line with their first two picks last year and should target the front seven once again.  Browns DE have combined for a total of 18 career sacks, 11 from Marcus Bernard.

#5- Denver: Jonathon Martin, OT, Stanford*

Says a lot about how far the Stanford program has risen in recent years as Luck and Martin could both be top 5 picks.  Martin runs 6-6 305lbs with the frame to add 10-12lbs.  Looks like a prototype LT and should establish himself quickly along the Broncos’ front line.

#6- Seattle: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama*

Kirkpatrick is right on par with Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden as elite corners who go top 10.  Kirkpatrick is still developing his ball skills but has all of the athletic talent you could want in a cover guy.  The 4.3 speed, the 6-3 height, long arms, great hops, Fitzpatrick is the top defensive back available.

#7- Tennessee: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State*

The Titans are in for a down year (http://mondaymorningcanuck.blogspot.com/2011/08/trade-cj-now.html) and need to put some focus on their lines.  Derrick Morgan could be a stud at DE, but after that they’re just average up front and Morgan is coming off an ACL tear.

#8- Oakland: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma*

Jason Campbell is not the answer and neither is Terrelle Pryor.  The Raiders are poised for a big step back from last year but a big step forward in 2012... with Jones at the helm.  Has a good blend of size, running ability and arm strength.

#9- Cincinnati: Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina*

Bengals go with BPA and here that should be Jeffrey, a huge athlete who should test much better than one would expect from someone 6-4 230lbs.  Jeffrey caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards last year despite working with Stephen Garcia.  Imagine if he had a consistent QB?  Yikes.

#10- Washington: Courtney Upshaw, ILB, Alabama

Another Bama defender with serious pro potential.  Running 6-2 and around 260lbs, Upshaw is a force and could get a year as a backup behind London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh before taking over for Fletcher in 2013.

#11- Detroit: Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame*

The 2012 crop of ILB features 5 guys with first round potential and they could go off the board in any order.  Te'o may not necessarily be the best of the bunch but he seems the best fit for the Lions.  Of the five, he has the best combination of size, speed, athleticism and smarts.

#12- Miami: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Weeden has one of the best arms in college right now as a former pitcher in the Yankees and Dodgers systems.  He’s brought his fast ball from the diamond to the gridiron, putting up sick numbers as a junior (34 TD and 4,277 yards), his first year as a starter.  Still very raw and likely will require some time.

Vote Now!

Who is your Super Bowl pick?  Can Green Bay or Pittsburgh get back to the big game?  Will the Pats win a play-off game?  Is this the year the Jets get over the hump?  Or is it someone else?

Vote now on our inaugural poll. 

If you pick other, tell us who and why!

Top 10 Draft Eligible by Position: Offense

* indicates underclassman

Quarterback:

1.       Andrew Luck (Stanford)*

2.       Matt Barkley (USC)*

3.       Landry Jones (Oklahoma)*

4.       Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)

5.       EJ Manuel (Florida State)*

6.       Kirk Cousins (Michigan State)

7.       Chandler Harnish (Northern Illinois)

8.       Jeff Tuehl (Washington State)*

9.       Nick Foles (Arizona)

10.   Brock Osweiler (Arizona State)*

Runningback:

1.       Trent Richardson (Alabama)*

2.       Johnathon Franklin (UCLA)*

3.       David Wilson (Virginia Tech)*

4.       Ed Wesley (TCU)*

5.       Andre Ellington (Clemson)*

6.       Montel Harris (Boston College)

7.       Chris Polk (Washington)*

8.       LaMichael James (Oregon)*

9.       Cyrus Grey (Texas A&M)

10.   Doug Martin (Boise State)

Fullback:

1.       Evan Rodriguez (Temple)

2.       Zach Boren (Ohio State)*

3.       Devon Ramsey (North Carolina)

4.       Jermaine Robertson (Arkansas State)

5.       Cody Johnson (Texas)

Wide Receiver:

1.       Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)*

2.       Alshon Jeffrey (South Carolina)*

3.       Jeff Fuller (Texas A&M)

4.       Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

5.       Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)*

6.       Jermaine Kearse (Washington)

7.       Duron Carter (Alabama)*

8.       Nick Toon (Wisconsin)

9.       Greg Childs (Arkansas)

10.   Denard Robinson (Michigan)*

Tight End:

1.       Orson Charles (Georgia)*

2.       Ladarius Green (Louisiana-Lafayette)

3.       Michael Egnew (Missouri)

4.       Rhett Ellison (USC)

5.       Kavario Middleton (Montana)

6.       Michael Williams (Alabama)*

7.       Kevin Koger (Michigan)

8.       Coby Fleener (Standford)

9.       Philip Lutzenkirchen (Auburn)*

10.   Brian Linthicum (Michigan State)

Tackle:

1.       Jonathon Martin (Stanford)*

2.       Andrew Gatko (Florida State)

3.       Riley Reiff (Iowa)*

4.       Matt Kalil (USC)*

5.       Matt Reynolds (BYU)

6.       Levy Adcock (Oklahoma State)

7.       Marcel Jones (Nebraska)

8.       Mike Adams (Ohio State)

9.       Xavier Nixon (Florida)*

10.   Brandon Mosley (Auburn)

Guard:

1.       Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State)

2.       Cordy Glenn (Georgia)

3.       Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State)

4.       Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin)

5.       Brandon Washington (Miami)*

6.       Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh)

7.       Rokevious Watkins (South Carolina)

8.       David DeCastro (Stanford)*

9.       Michael Philippe (Oregon State)*

10.   Senio Kelemete (Washington)

Center:

1.       Mike Brewster (Ohio State)

2.       Peter Konz (Wisconsin)*

3.       Philip Blake (Baylor)

4.       Graham Pocic (Illinois)*

5.       Ben Jones (Georgia)

6.       William Vlachos (Alabama)

7.       Moe Petrus (Connecticut)

8.       Khaled Holmes (USC)*

9.       P.J. Lonergan (LSU)*

10.   Quinton Saulsberry (Mississippi State)

Kicker:

1.       Don Conroy (Michigan State)*

2.       David Ruffer (Notre Dame)

3.       Abel Perez (San Diego State)

4.       Blair Walsh (Georgia)

5.       Philip Welch (Wisconsin)

Trade CJ Now!

                The Tennessee Titans will not be very good this year, with or without Chris Johnson.  They feel like a team in between, not quite a play-off team but not quite ready for a wrecking ball either, average, mediocre, falsely hopeful of success they are not good enough to grasp.

                They have some good, young, developing talent.  Jake Locker is, right or wrong, the long-term solution at QB.  He’ll come along slowly this year thanks to the presence of veteran Matt Hasselbeck.  Jared Cook has all the attributes of a big play TE, if his brain ever matches his brawn.  Kenny Britt is similar, great athlete, potential star, crazy person.  Last year’s first round pick, Derrick Morgan, returns from a torn ACL and has the potential to be a difference maker as a pass rusher.  At LB the Titans boost some impressive talent in Gerald McRath (another crazy person, no wonder Jeff Fisher left), and rookies Akeem Ayers and Colin McCarthy.  They have to solid CB’s in Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty.  Neither may be #1 material but both should enjoy solid careers at least as the #2 and #3 corners.  Safety Michael Griffin is still young enough (26) to be a long-term fixture in the Titans secondary.  Rob Bironas is 33 but still one of the league’s most accurate kickers.

                On the flip side, the Titans have Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker under center.  Hasselbeck is a quality vet but hasn’t been a good QB in like 3 years.  Locker is soooo overrated.  Cook and Britt could be really great, the most explosive duo in recent Titans history.  Or they could be idiots, as Britt has been during the lockout/pissing match.  The o-line is average, at best, the d-line not much better.  It would be shocking to see any Titan post 10 sacks and the guy who has made juice from spit for years is gone as Jim Washburn left for Philly.  After their young trio, the Titans are not very talented at LB and while Barrett Ruud is a decent player on a great contract, he proved in Tampa that he couldn’t be the main guy.  Cortland Finnegan is just not Cortland Finnegan anymore or at least hasn’t been.  Griffin is incredibly gifted but incredibly inconsistent and fellow backender Chris Hope is 33 years old and has lost a step. 

                This is a 6-10 team with Johnson and a 6-10 team without him.  They don’t need to pay Chris Johnson $13 million to win 6 games.  Yes, CJ is only 25 years old.  A sharp decline or sudden loss of speed is not expected.  He’s a star and Tennessee needs star players.  But if they’re not better with him then they can do without him during a transition year.

RB is replaceable: An undrafted free agent making around $450,000 led the league in rushing.  The Browns got 11 TD from a 6^th round afterthought.  The Titans probably won’t replace Johnson’s production with what they have and it’s way too late in the game to get anything else of note.  But, that shouldn’t be a huge concern this year.  If the Titans get just average production from their backfield and average play from Hasselbeck and Locker, they can win 6 games just as easily without Johnson as they would with him.  Keeping Johnson does not make them a play-off team.

The short haul: The return from a trade for CJ should be pretty substantial.  Like 2 first-round picks substantial.  Two first round picks, another late pick or two, maybe a player in there, that’s a heck of a haul for the Titans.  Too much?  How about a 1^st and 2 seconds’ as a start?  Has there been a better player up for auction in the last 10 years than an in-his-prime Chris Johnson?  He’ll bring a big return.    They think they have their QB so with the extra picks they can start revamping the front five on offense and look for a pass rusher on defence, two things they need more than Chris Johnson and his big contract.

The long haul: The Titans have some major work to do.  They have some young (and immature) pieces on offense.  The defence is void of proven impact players but has that aforementioned young talent.  Unless this team gets significantly better in the next couple years, they could potentially waste Johnson’s best years.  Maybe Locker is the guy.  Maybe Britt gets his head straight and maybe Cook puts it all together.  They could be explosive throwing the ball.  In 3-4 years the defence could be very, very good.  But right now it’s too young and needs more at some key positions first.  They’re not ready to contend.  CJ will be most valuable to the team as a trade chip, a highly lucrative chip that could set the team up for greater success.

He’s a bit of a dink: He’s not a troublemaker and never had a problem with the law.  He doesn’t make really outlandish statements or demand attention.  He’s probably not a bad teammate.  But management must get heartburn thinking about him and these contract negotiations.  This is the second year in a row the Titans have had to deal with CJ drama and the only way to please him is to pay him.  Just trade him and let someone else deal with paying him.