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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In depth: New York Giants

by | Mar 16, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

In retrospect, maybe we should have seen the run coming. After all, the New York Giants were 6-2 after eight games. The Giants were left for dead after losing four games in a row, but three of those defeats were by a touchdown or less.

But it was after a second loss to Washington dropped New York’s record to 7-7 that something clicked and this team went on one of the more dominant runs seen in awhile. So what happened? And what do the Giants have to do in order to stay on top?

Ed Valentine, editor in chief of the Big Blue View, says more good seasons could be on the way. He shared the following thoughts with Zoneblitz:

Zoneblitz: You can’t do much better than a Super Bowl championship. But at one point this team was 7-7. What caused the turnaround?

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In depth: New England Patriots

by | Mar 15, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

The New York Jets had more bravado. A few teams might have had more overall talent. And yet, at the end of the season, the New England Patriots were right where they have been for most of the last 11 seasons: atop the AFC East and among the final contenders for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Patriots have won or tied for 11 straight division titles (losing by tiebreaker in 2002 and 2008) and, during that span, have played in five Super Bowls.

Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and crew could not quite pull off that elusive final win. But despite injuries and some weaknesses on defense, they were right in the mix until the season’s final Sunday.

So, is another run in store in 2012? And just how long can this group keep it up? Richard Hill, an assistant editor with Pats Pulpit, shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz.

Zoneblitz: New England went to another Super Bowl but came up just short in the end. How does the result grade against your expectations going into the season? (more…)

In depth: San Francisco 49ers

by | Mar 14, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

In 2010, under Mike Singletary, the San Francisco 49ers entered the season with high expectations, but those hopes quickly dissolved as the internal strife took the team down to the tune of a 6-10 record.

So expectations were much lower when Jim Harbaugh took over in 2011. But San Francisco rebounded, using a rock-solid, fundamentally-sound defense, a great running game and solid-to-sometimes spectacular play from quarterback Alex Smith to take control of the NFC West early.

The 49ers went 13-3, earning a first round playoff bye, on route to the NFC Championship game where only a couple untimely turnovers kept the team from advancing to the Super Bowl.

So how does San Francisco keep the momentum going? Steve Spooner, team editor at the website 49ersgab.com, shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz. Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: With expectations low heading into 2011, San Francisco came seconds short of a Super Bowl berth. What changed between 2010 and 2011 that allowed for the run? (more…)

In depth: Baltimore Ravens

by | Mar 13, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Had Lee Evans hung on to a late toss from Joe Flacco in the end zone, the Baltimore Ravens may have been the team taking on the New York Giants on Super Bowl Sunday rather than New England.

He didn’t and they weren’t. So it’s on to 2012, when an offense full of up-and-coming stars like Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and Torrey Smith will partner with a better-than-solid but also aging defense, whose stars Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting close to the end of future Hall of Fame careers.

So do they have enough to make a run in a division that also includes Pittsburgh and fast-improving Cincinnati? Tony Lombardi is the founder of 24×7.com blogs and the lead writer on the site’s blog dedicated to the Ravens. He thinks if the team catches some breaks they can pick up where they left off. Lombardi shared some thoughts with Zoneblitz. Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: What are your thoughts on the development of Joe Flacco and his future as quarterback of the Ravens? – What kind of impact will adding former Colts head coach Jim Caldwell have on Flacco and the Ravens’ offense? (more…)

In depth: Green Bay Packers

by | Mar 11, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

When Green Bay annihilated Oakland 46-16 to finish off a 13-0 start in 2011, talk turned to whether or not the Packers could complete a perfect season. But then they lost two of their last four games, including a whitewashing in the playoffs at the hands of the New York Giants.

Still, the Packers finished with a 15-1 regular season record and they remain one of the league’s most talented teams. So what happened at the end of the season? And how do the Packers stay on track toward making another deep run in the playoffs in 2012? Brandon Benson, lead writer and founding editor of the Acme Packing Company blog shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz.

Zoneblitz: Aaron Rodgers had a great season and is one of the top couple quarterbacks in the league. With Matt Flynn likely moving on, how are the Packers set for depth at the position?

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