In depth 2013: Arizona Cardinals

by | Mar 2, 2013 | 2012 season, 2013 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Four games into the 2012 season, Arizona was undefeated and Kevin Kolb looked like he might be turning into the quarterback the Cardinals hoped he would be when acquiring him from Philadelphia.

But a loss to St. Louis in week five and an injury to Kolb during a defeat against Buffalo turned the tide on the season and the Cardinals never recovered, losing 11 of 12 and finishing in last place in the NFC West. The collapse cost Rod Graves and Ken Whisenhunt their jobs and ushered in yet another new era in the desert.

There’s plenty of talent on this roster, however, with guys like Patrick Peterson on defense and Larry Fitzgerald on offense, which made the job eventually won by Bruce Arians a coveted one. Arians and his crew are high on this team’s potential and many think the Cardinals are just solid play at quarterback away from being a contender in the NFC. Tyler Nickel, a manager for Revenge of the Birds, shared his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Do you agree with the firings of Ken Whisenhunt and Rod Graves? (more…)

In depth 2013: Cleveland Browns

by | Feb 28, 2013 | 2012 season, 2013 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Few teams are going through more change this offseason than the Cleveland Browns. … Again.

This time the turnover includes not just a new coach or quarterback, but a new ownership group led by Jimmy Haslam. Haslam wasted no time putting a new stamp on the organization, bringing in Joe Banner to run the team. The duo then signed off on the additions of Michael Lombardi as vice president of player personnel, Rob Chudzinski as head coach and Norv Turner and Ray Horton as coordinators.

The new regime inherits a team that has not shown much for results in the win/loss column in recent years. But the cupboards are not bare. With Trent Richardson and Josh Gordon, there is some skill talent. And while the defense took a step back in 2012, that unit was pretty good a year earlier.

So how far away are the Browns? Cleveland-based sportswriter Steve DiMatteo, lead writer for Dawg Pound Daily shared his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: I know it was driven largely by the change of ownership, but it looked at times to me like the Browns were making forward strides over the last couple years. Did you agree with the firing of Pat Shurmur and Tom Heckert? (more…)

In depth 2013: Detroit Lions

by | Feb 26, 2013 | 2012 season, 2013 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

After years of futility, the Detroit Lions appeared to be on the right track in 2011. Expectations were high heading into 2012, coming off the team’s first playoff appearance since 1999. But right out of the gate things started going wrong.

Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s single-season receiving yardage record in week 15, but that was really one of the only things that went right for Detroit all season long. The Jim Schwartz-led team fell back to 4-12 and into last place in the NFC North.

So, will the real Detroit Lions please stand up? It’s hard to say whether the Lions of 2013 will more closely resemble the 2011 or 2012 version.  Zac Snyder, editor of the SideLion Report, knows there’s a lot the team must do before it can expect to be competitive in 2013 and beyond, as well. He joined Zoneblitz to share some thoughts.

Zoneblitz: What happened to drop the Lions from the playoffs to 4-12? (more…)

In depth 2013: Philadelphia Eagles

by | Feb 23, 2013 | 2012 season, 2013 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Few teams are going through the changes the Philadelphia Eagles are heading into the 2013 season. Gone is Andy Reid, who patrolled the sidelines in Philly for 14 years, taking the team to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl during that span.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie replaced Reid with Chip Kelly, who will try to adapt to the professional game after building a dominant team at the University of Oregon through a potent spread offense and some occasionally unpredictable coaching decisions. How his style works in the NFL is one of the most interesting open questions out there as the 2013 season gets underway.

Eliot Shorr-Parks, a long-time Eagles reporter and an editor at Bleeding Green Nation, acknowledges that it’s too early to say what the answers will be to some of the questions. Quarterback position? At this point, who knows who calls the signals for Philadelphia in 2013. The new 3-4 defense? The look of that alignment is still up in the air, as well.

Shorr-Parks joined us to share his early observations on what is sure to be an interesting 2013 for the Eagles.

Zoneblitz: Was moving on from Andy Reid the obvious move at the end of 2012 and what are your reflections on his years running the Eagles? (more…)

Are Birk, Saturday Hall of Famers

by | Feb 22, 2013 | Hall of Fame

Jeff Saturday & Matt Birk

Jeff Saturday & Matt Birk

Matt Birk announced his retirement today meaning that the 2012 season was the last for two of the NFL’s most prominent centers over the last decade and change.

Birk joins Jeff Saturday in hanging up his cleats. The Vikings and Ravens center goes out on top, having helped Baltimore to its second Super Bowl championship. It was his only ring despite having played for 15 years.

In addition to winning the Super Bowl once, Birk finishes his career with six Pro Bowl appearances. Saturday leaves the league after a 14 year career that was primarily spent in Indianapolis. He made six Pro Bowl appearances, though the last one this season (with Green Bay) was earned despite his having been benched toward the end of the season. Saturday adds two appearances on the Associated Press NFL All Pro First Team.

So, where do these two greats fall on the all-time list of NFL centers? Both of them were very good to great players but I’m uncertain whether they belong in the Hall of Fame. Using Pro Bowls as a comparative stat has its shortcomings because of fan involvement and all the guys these days who are getting appearances due to superior players pulling out of the game. But offensive linemen are particularly difficult to judge, so comparing their postseason profiles with respect to Pro Bowls and AP All Pro appearances with counterparts who were on the last three NFL All-Decade teams seems a logical place to start. (more…)