Steelers, Patriots, Browns and maybe Vikings among day one winners

by | Apr 27, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Random Thoughts

Two of the AFC’s long-time powerhouses got better Thursday night, potentially solidifying their chances of chasing yet another Lombardi Trophy in 2012.

New England, in my eyes, retained its standing as the favorites for a repeat shot at the Super Bowl with their maneuverings. Normally more of a threat to trade down, New England got aggressive and jumped up in trying to fill the defensive deficiencies that dogged the team last season.
In landing defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont’a Hightower, the Patriots are much better on defense than they were when the day started.

Pittsburgh didn’t have to do any wheeling-and-dealing to win the night. As other teams traded up and down before the Steelers’ pick came up, Stanford guard David DeCastro inexplicably dropped into their laps.

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Steelers’ gamble on Wallace likely pays off

by | Apr 20, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

It’s the last day teams can sign restricted free agents to contracts and it appears as though tendering wide receiver Mike Wallace at just a first-round level is going to pay off for Pittsburgh.

I think the Steelers had even semi-resigned themselves to losing the wideout, who reportedly wants a new contract that pays him as a top five receiver.

Now, those contract demands likely hurt his cause. Wallace is a very good receiver with some dynamic numbers – 18.7 yards per catch and 24 touchdowns in his first three seasons. But he also disappears for stretches too. He’s on his way toward the top, but does not yet belong in the same category as a Larry Fitzgerald, a Calvin Johnson or an Andre Johnson, among others. (more…)

Boser chats on fantasy football

by | Apr 13, 2012 | 2012 season, Fantasy Football

Draft day is approaching and that will present an entirely new collection of topics for debate. But for now, the bulk of the free agents with an opportunity to heavily impact fantasy football drafts and seasons have landed. As such, we thought it was time for Zoneblitz to revisit Ryan Boser, sports blogger and fantasy writer for the Bruno Boys.

Here are Boser’s thoughts on how free agency has affected the 2012 fantasy scene so far.

Zoneblitz: What are your thoughts on Peyton Manning going to Denver and what does it mean for the fantasy prospects of his teammates, who likely will no longer be required to catch passes with their feet? (more…)

Zoneblitz Team Blogger Mock Draft 2012

by | Apr 10, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Draft

Mock drafts are notoriously difficult. It’s hard for just a couple people to keep up with what’s going on with 32 teams, what all their needs are and who they’ve been visiting with. So we’ve enlisted some help.

We spent a couple months breaking down team needs with our “In Depth” posts. Now we’re again enlisting the team blogger community for help in putting together a mock draft. Will it be any more accurate than one we pull out of the air by ourselves? Time will tell. But it’s something we’re going to try to do every year going forward. So without further adieu, welcome to the First Annual Team Blogger Mock Draft.

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49ers, Dolphins lose big when Manning picks Denver

by | Mar 19, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

With Peyton Manning reportedly deciding his next home will be in Denver, Miami and San Francisco have been left as the teams that will have to do without obvious upgrades to the quarterback position heading into 2012.

That might be less important for the Dolphins, who lost out not only on Manning, but on Matt Flynn, Robert Griffin III and even lesser potential upgrades like Kyle Orton before signing David Garrard Monday afternoon.

The Dolphins, despite their 6-3 finish, are not on the cusp of being a championship team. There is some talent on the roster, but they’ve got holes at several positions, now including safety, where the team chopped captain Yeremiah Bell today to create cap space. … Might have been a good idea to create that space back when they had a shot at Manning, if they ever really did, but who am I?

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