Cousins will do fine in Redskins’ family

by | May 1, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Random Thoughts

Why are people feeling sorry for Kirk Cousins? Why do people think his selection by the Washington Redskins was controversial?

The Redskins thought he was a value in the fourth round so they took him. Cousins may be a backup. Or Robert Griffin III could be a flop. Then Washington has a backup plan in place.

Look no further than 1994, the year Washington drafted both Heath Shuler and Gus Frerotte to see that it’s not unheard of for the unheralded guy to end up better than the big shot. Or, as a commenter in a National Football League Post column pointed out, the 1971 draft when the Houston Oilers selected both Dan Pastorini and Lynn Dickey. Both had long careers, but Dickey arguably outperformed Pastorini over the long haul after he got his shot with Green Bay. (more…)

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…)

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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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…)