Of note, Macho Harris gets the start at free safety over Quintin Demps – which could indicate that Demps is in trouble for a roster spot, as we discussed on ITI Weekly thsi week. Demps was previously listed above Harris and the Birds may not keep five safeties. Keep a close eye on Harris and Demps tonight.

It also looks like Mike Bell won’t see any action, with Mallett and Buckley making the starts. Also expect the starting offensive lineman to play most of the game, with only two players deeper on the depth chart remaining (Jeraill McCuller and Funiki Tupou).

Philadelphia:
QB: Michael Vick
RB: Martell Mallett
FB: Eldra Buckley
WR: Riley Cooper
WR: Kelly Washington
TE: Clay Harbor
LT: Austin Howarde
LG: Max Jean-Gilles
C: A.Q. Shipley
RG: Dallas Reynolds
RT: King Dunlap

LDE: Daniel Te’o Nesheim
LDT: Jeff Owens
RDT: Antonio Dixon
RDE: Darryl Tapp
WLB: Keenan Clayton
MLB: Omar Gaither
SLB: Moise Fokou
LCB: Joselio Hanson
RCB: Trevard Lindley
SS: Kurt Coleman
FS: Macho Harris

New York:
QB: Mark Brunell
RB: Joe McKnight
FB: John Conner
TE: Matthew Mulligan
WR: Santonio Holmes
WR: David Clowney
LT: Wayne Hunter
LG: Vladimir Ducasse
C: Robert Turner
RG: Matt Slausen
RT: Dan Gay

DE: Martin Tevaseu
NT: Matt Kroul
T: Ty Steinkuhler
OLB: Vernon Gholston
MLB: Lance Laury
WLB: Brashton Satele
OLB: Jamaal Westerman
CB: Marquice Cole
CB: Drew Coleman
S: James Ihedigbo
S: Eric Smith

Check it out, it’s a good read.

Eagles backup quarterback Michael Vick is expected to play the first half tonight.

On the Jets side, Santonio Holmes is scheduled to play three quarters, since he will miss the first four games of the season with a suspension. New York head coach Rex Ryan is only playing 36 players in tonight’s game.

The Eagles come into the game at 2-1 in exhibitions this season, while the Jets are 1-2. Vick still searches for his first touchdown pass of the pre-season, as neither he nor starter Kevin Kolb have found the end zone through the air.

1.This offseason seems to have more storylines than usual, quarterbacking issues, and Joe’s age aside what is the first thing you’ll be looking for come Saturday?

I guess this question sort of answered itself with Robert Bolden being named the starter, but for me the big key is the same today as it was yesterday. The offensive line. If Bolden gets time to pass and Roysterhas big enough holes to run through all bets are off. The least glamorous position on the field is the most important. If Wiz can get his line together I like our chances this season. It’d also be cool if the special teams didn’t suck.

2.Penn State has a lot of depth in positions like Linebacker and Wideout. Considering the game should be in hand come the second half, which of the less talked about players on the Nittany Lion roster do you look forward to seeing in action?

As a State High graduate this one is easy. Alex Kenney has been on my short list of players I want to see play at Penn State for 4 years now. If Kenney gets the right coaching and a chance to prove himself he’s got the vision and speed to make an impact. The issue he has right now is the depth the receiving corps has. Unless somebody gets hurt or Kenney makes big strides in practice he shouldn’t see the field much if at all in big games this year. He should have a chance in practice to prove himself as a return man, which is where he made his money in high school.

3.How should Penn State handle the quarterbacking situation? How would you divide the workload?

This worked itself out a little bit yesterday, but I would keep Bolden in as long as it takes. I would expect Bolden to take 60% of the snaps on Saturday but they’ll need to work Newsome and McGloin especially to see what they have to work with going into Alabama. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the return of the Zach Mills, Larry Johnson Option play.

4.What’s the best case scenario for Penn State coming out of this game? How does the offense/defense look in its development, and how many people has Jack Crawford killed?

Best case is Bolden is half as good as we hear he is. If he’s able to run the offense in a way that is more than screens and handoffs that’ll be a good sign. Going into Alabama, Penn State won’t want to take part in a shootout. If Bolden can dink and dunk the ball down the field he’ll hold his starting spot. And Jack Crawford will have killed 5 guys, each of the offensive linemen.

(HT/LinebackU.com)

Rapid Fire

Over/Under (Penn State Score)—40–I’ll say under at 35

Going to the game–Hell yes

Passing yardage > Rushing yardage?–I’ll buy that, passing will be key to getting Bolden going. Royster should break a big one though so it’ll be close.

# of times Joe’s age/bowels are brought up on TV–Too many

Head coach Chan Gailey has chosen not to dress Spiller simply to rest him up for the regular season. With Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch out the past two weeks, Spiller has endured a heavy workload as the primary back in each of the last two preseason games. Gailey would like to rest his top pick for the season opener.

Question: So, are the Bears going to be any good this year?

A thoughtful and long winded answer: Honestly, I see a lot of the 2008 Browns written on the Bears this year.

Sitting in a Chicago bar with Bears fans you can feel it in the air. Everyone is in on the edge of their seat. It’s like they are watching one of those movies where a car almost drives over a cliff, but at the last second stops and is left balanced on the edge, teetering back and forth. Bears fans are holding their breath in suspense as they wait for the car’s passenger to shift just slightly the wrong way, causing the car fall over the edge.

This is what happened to the Browns in 2008.

In 2007, the Browns were the cinderella story of the NFL. They came out of nowhere, with a quarterback nobody wanted, scored a ton of points, and finished the year 10-6. Though they missed the playoffs by a half game, the networks pegged them as a team to watch. The following year they played on national TV five times.

Browns upper management was thinking the same thing.  Phil Savage began trading away the future to win now. Before the draft Shaun Rogers was acquired for a third round pick and Leigh Bodden, and Corey Williams was acquired for a second round pick.

They were already without a first round draft pick in 2008 because they’d traded it away to get Brady Quinn. This left the Browns with no picks in their first three rounds of the draft.

Derek Anderson was given the starting job out of camp despite fans being bitterly divided over supporting him or Quinn. He was also handed a contract extension, as were Romeo Crennel and Savage. The pressure was on the Browns to make the playoffs, now. They pushed all of their chips to the center of the table and went all-in.

And then casino exploded in their face.

2007 turned out to be a mirage of an easy schedule. Derek Anderson turned out to a QB who just got hot for a month. He lost his starting job midseason. The Browns wilted under the heat of national TV schedule and only won 4 games. The injuries that always seemed to plague them returned from their 2007 vacation.

Romeo Crennel became a dead man walking, focusing on his guys instead of the future, fading into defiance. Phil Savage began to panic as the ship he was steering swerved out of control. He exploded in a profanity laced text message to a Browns fan, and threw Kellen Winslow under the bus asking him to publicly lie about a staph infection.

The Browns lost eight of their last nine games.

When the dust settled both Savage and Crennel were gone, and the Browns would come to admit they pulled the trigger on today too quickly. They were left with cupboard empty of talent, and a long rebuilding project before them.

The Bears have it coming.

They play on national TV four times this season. Like the Browns in 2008, they’ve drawn the treacherous NFC East.

They traded away their future – two first round picks for starting Quarterback Jay Cutler. They forked over another second round pick in this year’s draft to acquire defensive end Gaines Adams (now deceased). They gave 30-year old free agent Julius Peppers a record $41-million guaranteed  to become a Bear. The time is now and there is no turning back.

If they fail this year it may be time to rebuild.

General Manager Jerry Angelo has now made enough Savage-esque moves to lose his job. Bears coach Lovie Smith is a defensive specialist, and a dead man walking.

The great Bears defense of 2006-2007 is past its peak. They are old and their window is closing.

Jay Cutler is a more accomplished quarterback than Derek Anderson ever was, but he is not playing up to the price the Bears paid to get him. A league high 27 interceptions in 2009 has the natives restless.

Back in the Bears’ bar you can hear it: Moments after Cutler completes a nice pass over the middle to Chester Taylor for 17 yards and a first down, a patron bellows out “Stop throwing off your back foot!”

Cutler, like Anderson, is on thin ice with his home town crowd. He can’t win.

You can see the Bears season unraveling painfully and slowly, with Cutler disintegrating to the sound of boos as the Soldier Field crowd turns on him.

Picture a little boy running as fast as he can down a suburban sidewalk. He is smiling and happy, until he trips and slams face-first down into the pavement. That is the best metaphor for what Browns fans experienced in 2008. Bears fans can see it coming and are getting antsy.

It’s not that they don’t have talent at all, they have a chance. But they are still thin in key areas, especially along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. They are not a bad team, but are still looking up at the Packers and Vikings in their own division, much the way the Browns look up at the Ravens and Steelers.

In their dress rehearsal preseason game against the Cardinals, they scored  9 points total, all in the fourth quarter. They missed two field goals, Cutler threw two more interceptions, the defense handed former Browns disappointer Derek Anderson the starting QB job for Arizona – with a bow on it.

Everyone in the bar knows it. The Bears are slipping farther and farther away from the Super Bowl they appeared in five years ago, and their front office is grabbing for straws more franticly. Their fans are desperate, knowing they are just one last step before the edge of the cliff leading to a rebuild.

So the answer is, no. There are too many question marks for the Bears. Too many things have to go right for them to pull off a successful season. There is too much tension surrounding the team for them to survive intact.

Follow me on Twitter at @JimmyCTown to talk Browns, or CTown sports in general.

Ah, but it seems the end is nigh. According to Larry Brooks at the New York Post the NHL is giving the NHL Players Association a deadline of this Friday (tomorrow) at 2PM to accept their couple of conditions and if they do, the NHL will let everything slide.

What is everything? Well not only has Kovy’s contract been scrutinized to the Nth degree, but they’ve gone one or two further by probing other “questionable” contracts. Namely the contracts of Roberto Luongo’s 12-year $64 million and Marian Hossa’s 12-year $63 million deals. Brooks says that once this deadline comes, the NHL will void not only Kovalchuk’s deal, but Luongo’s contract as well, and more than likely keep digging into Hossa’s agreement.

The NHLPA would have to agree upon two conditions that affect the Collective Bargaining Agreement immediately:

1. “That the cap hit on future multi-year contracts will not count any seasons that end with the player over 40 years of age. The cap hit would be calculated on the average of the salary up through age 40 only.”

2. “That the cap hit on future contracts longer than five years will be calculated under a formula granting additional weight to the five years with the highest salary.”

Remember, Kovy’s 15-year $100 million contract hangs in the balance of all of this. It seems unfair that Luongo and Hossa have been wrangled into this, especially considering  the little fanfare that surrounded their dealings compared to Koval-gate. And speaking of ultimatums, don’t forget that about a week ago, Kovy gave the NHL a deadline to come to a decision on his contract. Not going to lie, not smart. You’re demanding a decision from the people that pay you and decide your fate? If he went to the KHL, yeah it’d be a blow and a loss, but the NHL would get over it and move on. Probably giving all of Kovy’s coverage to Sidney Criesby.

It should also be duly noted that TSN reported that the NHL has responded to Brooks’ article by saying they have given no such ultimatum. Yet, the NHLPA still has a deadline from the NHL. That kinda sounds like an ultimatum.

“You don’t want no drama
No no drama no no no no drama”

We should all take a lesson from Fergie.

The Good:

On the ninth anniversary of Mike Mussina’s near perfect game against Boston, CC (19-5) went eight innings and gave up just one hit with five strikeouts to three walks. The A’s failed to hit a ball out of the infield from the second inning until Coco Crisp’s fly ball to right in the eighth inning. CC did it all on just 95 pitches, with 58 going for strikes.

With the win, CC tied Whitey Ford’s record for consecutive home starts without a loss (21) and is 16-0 over that span. Over his previous 20 home starts coming in (since ‘09 All-Star Break), CC was 15-0 with a 2.17 ERA. Wow.

Grandy, who went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBI on Thursday, has 31 hits vs. lefties this season (after missing a month), he had 33 against LHP all of last season. He is now 10-for-24 against LHP since working with Kevin Long. It was his six career multi-homer game and second this season.

A-Rod tested out his injured calf by fielding ground balls and taking batting practice, and Pettitte is on schedule to make his simulated start on Saturday.

As I predicted the other day, Javy will start over Moseley on Saturday.

Dallas Braden left the game in the sixth inning with cramps…I’ll leave it up to you to insert the proper joke.

The Bad:

Jeter, who went 1-for-4 on Thursday, is now 12 for his last 75 (.160). He came into Thursday hitting .238 since August 1 and .155 since August 14. Yikes. But Girardi still thinks he’s a good candidate for the leadoff spot.

Swish Dog left the game after his first at-bat with a stiff left knee and is listed as day-to-day.

Marcus Thames has cooled off considerably, he is 1 for his last 10 with five strikeouts.

At Wednesday’s game, in which I moved to 6-0 this season, I dropped a ball that Swish Dog threw to me after he caught the final out of the first inning. What I’m trying to say is that I suck at life. Although I did sit right in front of head Bleacher Creature Bald Vinny, so I got that going for me.

In other news, A-Rod has left agent Scott Boras and has been spending time with Hollywood agent Guy Oseary. That’s according to SI.com.

Girardi on CC:

The big thing about CC is CC doesn’t beat himself, he doesn’t walk people and he doesn’t give extra base runners.

Swish Dog on his injury:

It feels fine, I fouled it off the same spot (I hurt the other day). I got a lot of treatment, got a lot of ice, I’ll come back tomorrow and see how it feels.

Here is the official word from the Magic:

Drano “Royal Flush” Set For September 8

The new Amway Center in downtown Orlando meets another milestone as the traditional “Royal Flush” will be held September 8, 2010 beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the construction site (corner of Church Street and Hughey). Drano is sponsoring the event.

The purpose of the Drano “Royal Flush” event is to observe sanitary sewer flows, water consumption and pressure in and around the arena. Approximately 443 toilets will be flushed simultaneously; there are 18 men’s and 19 women’s restrooms in the new Amway Center, compared to just four of each in the old facility.

Orlando Magic President Alex Martins, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and more than 150 people will take part in the event, including fourth and fifth grade students from Nap Ford Community School.

The Orlando Magic is the developer of the Amway Center which will compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows and serve as the new home of the Orlando Magic. Opening in the fall of 2010, the facility will be owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community.

The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando.

The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower will serve as a beacon amid the downtown skyline.

At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the current Amway Arena (367,000 square feet). The building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design, unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors and the largest, high-definition scoreboard in an NBA venue, and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Every level of ticket buyer will have access to: the Budweiser Bar and Food Court, Club Restaurant, Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience and Orlando on Demand, Kid’s Zone and multiple indoor-outdoor spaces which celebrate Florida’s climate.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger, a contributor on the Fansided Front Page, and co-host of CB Sports Radio from 5-7 pm week days (1420sports.com). Subscribe to his RSS feed, add him on Twitter to follow him daily. You can download the HTD app here).

Yardbarker.com

Dwight Howard discussed his plans to help Haiti.

We are putting on “Concert For A Cause … Remembering Haiti” on Sept. 15 at House of Blues Orlando to raise money for the many organizations who are assisting in the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

The concert will feature yours truly and also Tichina Arnold from “Everybody Hates Chris.” The featured performances will come from DJ Chino, K. Michelle, Rupee and several other talented artists. I’m planning on several of my Orlando Magic teammates being there as well, so you guys can come out and get your autographs from those guys at the event.

You can read Dwight’s blog here.

The new Amway Center will get a big flush next week.

Speaking of the new Amway Center, the Magic have a sponsor for their parking garage.

Marc Normandin of Basketball Prospectus discussed Orlando’s signing of Chris Duhon.

SCHOENE sees increased usage in Orlando and shooting that more closely resembles Duhon’s 2008-09 than his previous campaign—it’s easy to see why he will improve. The roster around him is significantly different than what he was playing with in New York thanks to Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Vince Carter, three scorers whom Duhon can feed. There will be less pressure on Duhon from the opposing team’s defense because of the presence of this trio, and having someone who can stretch the defense like J.J. Redick on the second unit also bodes well for his game. Context is important when projecting performance, and moving from a team that didn’t win 30 games to one that reached the conference finals is a significant contextual leap.

You can read that story here.

Dan Savage and Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com had a “great debate” over Vince Carter’s restaurant.

Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post explains pace in his Advanced Metrics Handbook.

The Magic do not use the D-League well.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger, a contributor on the Fansided Front Page, and co-host of CB Sports Radio from 5-7 pm week days (1420sports.com). Subscribe to his RSS feed, add him on Twitter to follow him daily. You can download the HTD app here).

Is the Buffalo Bills game a must win game for the Miami Dolphins?

While I doubt many of you will open your minds to the prospect of any game in the first half of the season being that important, I can’t help but amuse myself by asking that question.

In some ways, yes.  Yes it is.

The Miami Dolphins thought they found an identity two years ago when they ran the Wild Cat to perfection as the manhandled their way into the playoffs.  Last year, the WC lost much of it’s surprise and the Phins fell short of their playoff goal.  Now, year 3 of the Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland, and Tony Sparano is up on us and the team no longer has an identity.  In fact, it has possibly more questions surrounding it.

Consider year one for a quick second.  No one was safe, roster turnover was huge and no one was surprised.  It was a must.  Last year’s off-season brought much of the same.  This year, not so much.  At least not outside of Karlos Dansby and Brandon Marshall.  But neither player brings an identity that reshapes the team on either side of the ball.  The power running game is in flux with the depth issues on the Oline and the defense is a youth movement.  So there are a lot of questions on both sides.

In both seasons past, the Dolphins lost their opening 3 games.  Rebounded in year one to win the division.  That was behind the surprise success of the WC.  Last year they rebounded a tad too late and faltered in the end and missed the dance.  Can “THIS” team afford that same opening issues?  I don’t think so.

The Phins open on the road at Buffalo and a loss would hardly put their season in doubt, however, they travel from Buffalo to Minnesota for week 2 before coming home to face division rivals New York and New England.

In other words, the easiest game on the opening schedule is the Bills.  Following the first 4 games the Dolphins have their bye week.  When they return, they face Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincy, and Tennessee.  One of the toughest opening schedules in the NFL.  Has these Miami Dolphins shown you enough to believe they are hands down the favorite to win all of those games?  Not even close.

That is the kind of schedule that can get your head coach fired mid-season.  Following that horrid test, they get a run against the Bears, Raiders, and Browns before getting a second helping of the Jets, Bills, and Patriots.  With the Lions between the last two division games.  In other words, no hiccups along the way.

Momentum is something that is preached at all levels of football.  Hell it’s preached at all levels of sports.  Opening the season with a win builds confidence and starts that all important momentum.  The Dolphins have not won in Buffalo in 5 seasons.  And to a degree, they almost must beat them to open the season.

It’s easy to be a homer and say that the Dolphins “can” beat this team and “can” beat that team but reality is a different world.  The Dolphins “CAN” beat anyone.  So can the Lions, Browns, and Raiders.  As they say, “Any given Sunday”.  But “any given Sunday” is used to describe teams that really shouldn’t be winning games.  No one says that when referring to the Colts, Patriots, or Saints.  Will they be saying it about the Dolphins?

The truth is that these Miami Dolphins can’t afford to lose the first game of the season.  It is that important.  Getting the season off to a good start, even if sloppy, puts the team on the right path.  It gives them confidence the following week to face Brett “I don’t have any receivers and I should have stayed retired” Favre.  It gives them confidence to come home and open their stadium for the 2010 season with their orange jerseys and knock of the Jets.  It gives them confidence to take on the Patriots at home.  In other words, a win at Buffalo could give the team what it needs to beat the Vikings.  A win against the Vikings and there is momentum to take the home stand.

A loss at Buffalo and they will start looking at last year and the year before.  A “here we go again” with 3 in a row to start the season.  But looking at this year first 8 games, I’m not so sure that an 0-3 start is going to be something this team can recover from.

And that is why I think, maybe, just maybe, the Buffalo game has a little more importance to the start of the season than just an opening day win.

Bowling over Brett Hayes

Look, I understand the high stakes of a 0-0 game between two division foes, even if both teams are pretty well out of contention. However,  just watching the play that occurred in the top of the 10th inning of that game makes you cringe a bit. Marlins reliever Clay Hensley walked both Morgan and Alberto Gonzalez on before inducing a weak ground ball from Adam Kennedy. The ball headed up the middle, where it was picked up by Donnie Murphy and flipped to Hanley Ramirez for the out at second base. Because of the weak nature of the grounder, it seems like the Fish had no shot at the double play on Kennedy, which would have ended the inning. However, the Fish had an opportunity for another out because the speedy Morgan took off for home from second base prompting a throw from Hanley.

Now, watch the linked lay as it unfolds. You can see that Hanley’s throw is a bit high and appears to be a little late for a tag as a result. A throw closer to the bag or lower overall could have resulted in a close play at the plate if Morgan slides. However, this becomes irrelevant as Morgan decides instead to run Hayes over to force the ball out of his hands. The resulting collision is, as most catcher-runner collisions, a good deal cringe-worthy to me. Hayes has a little bit of time to prepare (he does turn in his arms and shoulder) but is still in a bit of a vulnerable position nonetheless.

This play would have been an afterthought if it weren’t for the fact that, as Rich Waltz was quick to point out on the TV broadcast, had Morgan simply slid instead of going for the tackle route to home, he likely would have been safe! The throw from Hanley was high enough and Morgan was close enough to the plate at that point that a slide would have been low enough to beat a tag attempt. Instead, Morgan went for the more confrontational and dangerous route, and sure enough the play led to a dislocated shoulder for Hayes. My opinion is that a slide would have a more professional and intelligent baserunning move than the one Morgan went with, but it should not surprise any of us that Morgan went with the bad baserunning play; he is well known around the league for being fast but unintelligent on the basepaths.

“Professionally” hitting Morgan

The following evening, once the Marlins took a large enough lead to prevent any game-related problems, they retaliated against Morgan. In the fourth inning, with the Marlins up 11 runs, starter Chris Volstad beaned Morgan in the hip. Morgan took his base and followed up with two more bases, stealing both second and third. Unhappy with that activity, Volstad threw behind Morgan in the 6th inning when he came up again, causing him to charge the mound, throw a punch at Volstad, and receive a blindsiding clothesline from Gaby Sanchez. Once the resulting brawl ends, Morgan comes out of the pile pumped and excited, met by the boos of the crowd.

How should we react to the situation? Well, I’ll say that I do not approve of the retaliatory methods employed by major league baseball players. Baseballs thrown at 90+ mph (or even slower, for that matter) are weapons, whether they are thrown at the hips or at the head. It seems like a dumb idea in general to throw these things at players for retaliation for most “transgressions” of baseball’s so-called unwritten rules. Having said that, if we were to follow the unwritten rules, it is pretty clear that Morgan did not follow them. The play at the plate from the previous night was at best of questionable nature, and the Marlins were probably in line for beaning Morgan. Waltz deemed the job “professionally” done, meaning that Volstad did not go for the head and did not put excessive heat on the ball.

Had Morgan left it at that, I think the Marlins would have been finished with the situation. The beaning served as retaliation for the rough play at the plate, but it seems Morgan thought that it was unnecessary to bean him and responded by stealing second and third with his team down 11 runs. Truthfully, I don’t think this was a heinous play. Yes, the Nationals were down a lot, but were they supposed to simply give up on the game? If Morgan felt the bases were open for taking, it seems natural that he should attempt it. However, the unwritten rules say that both teams should have let off the gas pedal a bit with the score as it was, and stealing was most certainly was “out of line.” However, no matter the thought process going into the situation, it was clear that Morgan’s charging the mound was inappropriate. Morgan got the first punch in as well, throwing a left straight at Volstad before being run over by Sanchez.

The Marlins have said that their beef with the Nationals is over. I’d be inclined to believe them, but I would not be surprised if the Fish sent another pitch Morgan’s way when the two teams meet later this month at Nationals Park. I suspect that, at the very least, Morgan will have some choice words for the team, as he is always prone to running his mouth a bit. Let’s hope any potential future affair won’t lead to suspensions on either side.

We seen Boston grab two O’Neals, we seen Chicago go and get Carlos Boozer to play next to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, we even seen Miami go from Dwyane Wade to Wade, James and Bosh and grab the world’s attention but don’t sleep on the Orlando Magic.

The Magic went out and added 2 nice role players in Quentin ( I love that name) Richardson and Chris Duhon. I believe both players were overused the past couple seasons and could fit into that role as a player coming off the bench to get 10 to 20 minutes per game. Also, the Magic still have Jameer Nelson and top 10 player Dwight Howard who’s working with the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon on those post moves but the wildcard? Vince Carter. Vince is in a contract season (18 million dollar team option) and could go one of two ways. Orlando could hope to see the 2000-2001 Vince Carter ( 27ppg, 5rpg, 4apg) since he’s working for a contract OR they could simply look to move him. I proposed a deal involving Orlando and Detroit that I think would help them reach there goal of a title.

Overall, I expect the Orlando Magic to be a solid team who should could contend and could make it to the NBA Finals next season. What do you expect?

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We’ve also talked Eastern Conference Playoff Picture (the Western Conference preview will likely be up tomorrow or Tuesday), and though we predicted the Knicks would likely make it, we didn’t really go into them at all. Well, here on CBSSports.com are Matt Moore’s thoughts as to whether our boys’ll make the big dance:

The Knicks are brand new. Fresh out the oven, piping hot, clean waxed, new car smell, brand spankin’ new. And that’s certainly a good thing as all but the last remnants of the epic failboat that was built there over the last decade have been cleansed and a new team stand in its place, faster, younger, and better built to contend. [...]  The questions are, first, is this team good enough to make the playoffs, and two, is there room in the playoffs for them?

It’s a good read, but my one quibble is with his assumption that the Bobcats are a lock to make the playoffs.

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Great news!  Amar’e Stoudemire’s been working out as hard as ever!  Odd news?  He recently did it at the Phoenix Sun’s facility.  The Arizona Republic reports:

For those who haven’t heard, multiple sources have talked about how the Knicks might go for an incredibly big line-up that’d feature 6′10″ Amar’e at power forward, 6′11″ Anthony Randolph at small forward and 6′10″ Danilo Gallinari at shooting guard.  Most likely that would leave Ronny Turiaf opening at center, but there’s a chance it could be Mozgov instead.  At first glance the big question/concern seems to be whether Gallo has the quickness to cover shooting guards.  However, remember last year after Jared Jeffries was traded, it was Gallo who usually asked to cover the opposing team’s top perimeter player, sometimes even defending little point guards.  He was no huge stopper, but the point is he’s comfortable doing it, and more importantly has wanted to do it.  And the mismatches it could create on offense… it’d be like manna from Heaven.

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Okay, one non-Knick item.  Check out this contest to vote for the best non-NBA dunkers.  The winners will compete at this year’s NBA All-Star contest in the City Of Angels.

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Brian Kronen on Knickerblogger has a great post on this bit of Unsung Knick History.

Today we look at an amazing 1995 game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs (a season after David Robinson was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player) where the Knicks defeated the Spurs in double overtime with a line-up of Herb Williams and four guards!

Check it out in full, it’s a fun read even if you’re a young un’ who wasn’t watching the Knicks back then.

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I’ve been meaning to link to this for like literally half a year.  This guy has created a fantastic site that shows through flow charts how every player was acquired for every team.  Here’s the Knicks page.  It’s gotten even bigger than before so it now may seem a bit overwhelming, but it’s worth glancing at.  The most painful part?  That in order to do the sign-and-trade for Eddy Curry, we traded away two first-round draft picks that would end up being LaMarcus Aldridge (#2 overall) and Joakim Noah(#9).  Sure, there’s no guarantee we would’ve picked those exact guys.  Like maybe instead of Aldridge we would’ve gone for, say, Rudy Gay or Brandon Roy.  Also, remember, the Bulls did not want to offer Curry a contract due to concerns over his heart condition, meaning they had no leg to bargain, yet still we forked over that bounty.  And people say Isiah Thomas was a bad GM? No way.

He was an awful one.

———————–

Lastly, need further proof Amar’e is a Jew.  Here he is yet again in a yarmulke.  Wait, whadaya mean yarmulke’s don’t usually have ears?  Well, at least it looks like in addition to spending his summer learning about Judaism, he’s also learned how to make one sweet dessert treat.  Hail to the Mouse!

The newspaper ranked the Hawks 29th overall, in front of only St. Louis, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay. The entire list can be viewed at USAToday.com.

Although the ranking is low, it is probably where the Seahawks deserve to be after winning only nine games the past two seasons combined. But there is hope, as the newspaper adds, “With a healthy Matt Hasselbeck, playoffs aren’t out of question.”

The top of the list features Green Bay at number one, followed by Indianapolis, Dallas, New Orleans, and Baltimore.

Where would you rank the Seahawks in 2010?

Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Moore also leads the league in doubles (43) and extra base hits (75) and trails only Royals prospect Eric Hosmer with a .541 slugging percentage. In a six-week span starting July 15, Moore won the Carolina League player of the week four times and posted a mind-boggling 1.400 OPS. Moore leads the Carolina League with 113 RBI and 29 home runs, 19 of which have been since July 15.

What an amazing season for Moore.  We have been tracking him all season, much like we do with all the Nationals affiliated in our weekday minor league report summary.  He auditioned his power last season hitting 9 home runs, but driving in a nice 87 runs at Hagerstown.  That was enough to earn him a promotion this season to Potomac. 

For the first two months of the season, Moore regularly displayed his hitting power, but struggled at the batting average, hovering below the Mendoza line of .200.   But, Moore exploded since July, hitting 129 home runs since mid-July.  He raised his normal .192 batting average to current .262. 

Not only does he rank among the Carolian league leaders, but Moore leads the washington Nationals minor league system in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and doubles.

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6-1 296lbs Junior

Stats:

2008- 12 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble

2009- 59 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles

Pros:

Jurrell Casey is looking to follow in the footsteps of former USC DT Mike Patterson.  Like Patterson Casey is a shorter but stout defensive tackle.  He has the proper bulk and strength to fit into a 4-3 defensive scheme as the nose tackle.  Casey has shown excellent ability to control gaps and get off blocks to make plays.  His always running motor enhances the ability of this already gifted athlete.  Casey is an excellent run defender and has the ability to clog up holes.

Cons:

So far in his career Casey has struggled to get off the ball quickly.  He needs to work on his snap recognition and anticipation.  The fact that he doesn’t react quick enough may limit his ability to play the 3 technique because it will not allow him to beat offensive guard off the ball.  The athleticism is there for improvement but he needs to refine his technique.

Thoughts:

Casey is part of a very talented group of defensive tackles that are eligible for this year’s draft.  He needs to build on his solid Sophomore season and tighten up in some areas.  He sits just outside our Big Board and needs to have a strong start to get consideration to move up the board.  Casey has the physical ability and college production to intrigue NFL scouts.

Projected Round:

I think Casey is sitting in the early 2^ndround range right now but he could easily find himself in the 1^st round discussion.

You have been invited to join The Landry Hat’s Survival Pool @ Yahoo! Sports.  At present there isn’t a prize for winning, but we are working on remedying that.  Maybe you will be the winner of a gently used tube of toothpaste… or get ready to drive fast with your very own used copy of Need for Speed for the original Xbox!  Of course, a black and white printed certificate of achievement will accompany your prize.  (There will not be a participation prize).  Frame it, hang it, display it in you den.  Whatever it is, it is proof that for one season, you knew more than your fellow Landry Hat frequenters.

In order to join the group, just go to Survival Football, and click the “Join a Group” button. From there, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 4592
Password: quincy

1. Dez Bryant: Bryant will not play in this game. Our curiosity will not be sated until week one of the regular season. We may see him on the sideline burning to get into the game. I had my initial reservations about the Cowboys drafting Bryant, but I’ve grown to like his attitude. Other than players on the roster bubble, how many really want to play in the fourth game of a meaningless pre-season.

2. Ogletree v. Hurd: It is unlikely we will keep both players on the roster. Only 10 months ago, some fans were projecting Ogletree to displace Roy Williams as the starter. Now he may not make the team. On the other side of the coin, Hurd is a substantial contributor to special teams, a good character guy, can play all the WR’ing positions, and he may soon find himself looking for a new home. This is a better problem to have than choosing between two mediocre players. My vote is to keep Hurd. With a lockout on the horizon, many teams are building to win this year. I like Ogletree in the long run, but Hurd in the here and now.

3. 5th corner:  The dime corner may not be played by a corner at all.  The Cowboys staff may use safeties to cover 4th/5th WR’s.  Nonetheless, injuries may force the Cowboys to play a 5th corner in nickel packages.  It is a passing league and WR’s at the bottom of the depth chart are more talented their their counterparts a generation ago.

4. How many starters will play?  The Miami Dolphins were not satisfied with their performance against Atlanta in their 3rd pre-season game and will consequently play many of their starters.  The Cowboys will take a similar approach and will play some of their starters, but will hold back key contributors like Tony Romo.  Obviously injury is a primary concern.  If the Cowboys play Leonard Davis who then sustains an injury, the offensive line would be even more in shambles than it presently is.  Wade Phillips has not indicated which starters will play, or for how long.  Fans will breathe a sigh of relief once the last starter is off the field (unless it is Roy Williams).

5. Will the Dolphins game plan to make the Cowboys look foolish? I don’t believe this to be the case, but if the Dolphins management harbors ill will towards the Cowboys’s management, they may game plan to make every effort to dominate the Cowboys which will only amplify the alarm bells ringing in Dallas.  The Dolphins (as previously indicated) intend to play their starters.  The game could quickly get out of hand.  The game could be lopsided without any malicious intent by the Dolphins, so this question won’t have an answer.

6. Is McGee a long term solution at backup QB? McGee was drafted in 2009 in the fourth round. The buzz around him initially was that he could run the wildcat offense considering his athletic prowess. Fast forward 1.5 years and you do notice McGee’s athleticism, but he is not even a poor man’s Mike Vick. If McGee expects to have a long term future with the Cowboys, he needs to earn that spot as a classic drop back QB. Proving he can handle that role begins tonight when he starts against the Dolphins.

7. Will Parcells return to the house he built (but Jerry Jones designed and paid for it). Jones admitted while in an inebriated state that he brought in Bill Parcells to bring some excitement back to the team. While The Parcells lead Cowboys made the playoffs twice, they did not make it passed the first round. Nonetheless, Parcells is in a similar position as Jimmy Johnson was. Parcells will receive a lion’s share of the credit for constructing the foundation of this team.  Maybe in a few years, Parcells will again follow Johnson’s lead and join a reality TV show.  Parcells’s presence on The Jersey Shore would certainly pique my interest considering he is the ultimate Jersey boy, next to Bruce Springsteen.

Up next in our series of season previews, the Atlanta Thrashers. As Kings fans, we’re not going to be seeing all that much of the Thrashers this year, unless of course we both end up in the Cup Finals (what are the odds against that?) But what we do see of the Thrashers, we see early. They’re scheduled to visit Los Angeles for our Home Opener on October 12th, 2010. So what do we have to look forward to? Other than a hopeful victory, there are a few interesting plot lines to watch with the Kovalchuk-less Thrashers.

Overview:

The Thrashers have struggled as a franchise since entering the NHL during the 1999-2000 season. They’ve made the playoffs only once since then, and it was an uninspiring immediate elimination. Perhaps the only real winners in this whole Kovalchuk debacle are the Thrashers, who managed to avoid all the crazy drama and get on with building a half-decent team. That said, I’m not expecting much from Atlanta this season, and they’ll likely struggle to make the playoffs this season.

Key Players:

Ron Hainsey, Nik Antropov, Dustin Byfuglien, Chris Mason, Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian

Offense:

On offense, as with most parts of the team, the Thrashers are looking young. Lead by Nik Antropov and newly acquired Dustin Byfuglien (despite rumors that he may switch to defense, I think he ends up still a forward), the Thrashers don’t have a whole lot of top-flight skill at the moment, and they’ll be looking for their youngsters like Evander Kane and Bryan Little to take a step forward and increase their production. Little had 31 goals two years ago, before declining to a mere 13 goals last year. The Thrashers will need him to return to his previous 30+ goal level if they’re going to have any chance.

Defense:

The defense is fully stocked, if not filled with an elite level. Much like the offense, the Thrashers are decent on the blue line, but frankly unspectacular. On the top end, the Thrashers are (second verse, same as the first) waiting for their youngsters to develop. Zach Bogosian is a talented player, and if he takes another step forward this season, he will be one of the better defenseman around. Bogosian is supported by some talent in Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya, Brent Sopel and a few others. It’s not a star-studded lineup, but it’s not bad either. Chris Mason in goal has some ability, but isn’t likely to steal many games for Atlanta, so they’ll need a strong team effort if they want to accomplish anything.

Prediction:

Let’s be frank, the Thrashers are in some trouble. They’re going to fall behind the Capitals in their division, that’s a forgone conclusion. They’re also likely to  be behind the Hurricanes (especially if they continue their “1 up, 1 down” pattern), and the Lightening have made some impressive moves to get better. I’m thinking they’ll end up ahead of the Panthers, and if their youngsters take a big step forward and Mason performs out of his mind, they might sneak into the bottom of the Eastern Conference, since that’s all a crap shoot. If they were in the Western Conference it could get ugly…

This week is dominated by a couple of teams: New York teams, the Cubs, and the Phillies combine to account for eight of this week’s ten players. I guess I’m East Coast biased this week! In particular, we’ll look at two promising Phillies pitchers, a rare Yankee disappointment, and a Cubs catcher with absurd numbers.

That and more after the jump!

Hot Shots

Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Mets—Mejia is back in Flushing as of today, being one of the first September callus for the Mets.

The Mejia saga is well-documented at this point: the top starter prospect was given an ill-advised rush to the majors as a 20-year-old reliever largely due to manager Jerry Manuel’s stubbornness, predictably struggled against the advanced competition, and was finally dispatched back to the minors as a starter almost halfway into the season.

Well, it could all work out in the end, as Mejia threw nine starts of 1.28 ERA ball, whiffing 45 and walking just 16 in 42 1/3 innings. His first Triple-A start featured eight innings, one run, one walk, and nine strikeouts.

Mejia is still very young and somewhat raw, so expecting him to be a front-of-the-rotation pitcher now is unrealistic. Still, he’s a hard thrower with good command (for his age, anyway) and a good changeup. Mejia also keeps the ball down exceptionally well. I’m still cautiously optimistic about his potential, but Manuel’s meddling does cast a shadow of doubt here. It’s good to see that Mejia went right back to dominating as a starter in the minors, though: it does show some real resilience.

Trevor May, RHP, Phillies (Low-A)—May is three weeks older than Mejia, and yet he’s still fairly young for the South Atlantic League. The 2008 fourth-rounder’s command problems ate him up in High-A (61 walks in 70 innings), causing him to post an ERA over 5.00, but he did show good strikeout ability, whiffing 90.

A demotion to Low-A followed (that walk rate will do it), and the whiffs only intensified, but the bases on balls largely disappeared. May has an 85/19 K/BB in 59 innings at the lower level, including a 39/7 ratio against lefties.

May’s plus changeup is what helps him with those lefties, and he also works in the low-90’s with his fastball while mixing in a good curveball. Pitchers have won many games with worse stuff than his, that’s for sure. If these gains in command are for real, we could be looking at a potential #2 starter down the line—pitchers with this sort of strikeout ability don’t come along very often, although the Phillies seem to be stockpiling a few (most notably Austin Hyatt).

Robinson Chirinos, C, Cubs (AAA)—Chirinos is making me give serious thought to the idea of putting a 26-year-old who spent most of the year in Double-A on my Top 100 Prospects list.

Let’s inventory his skills.

He catches. That’s one.

He catches well, throwing out about a third of basestealers and allowing just five passed balls this year. That’s two.

He’s also got experience at all four infield spots. That’s three.

He hit .318 this year in Double-A and struck out just 35 times in 77 games. That’s four.

He ripped 24 doubles and 15 homers in those 77 games, slugging .580. That’s five.

He walked more (42) than he struck out (35). That’s six.

Ahh, okay, so he went just 1-for-6 in steals. Oh well. Chirinos does literally everything else well.

A late-season promotion to Triple-A has seen the backstop hit .333/.407/.542 in 13 games, right there with the .318/.412/.580 line he had at the lower level.

Players who can make consistent contact, hit the ball out of the park, and play good defense behind the plate are extremely rare. Chirinos is something of an enigma given his advanced age, but there’s no question that he’s an extremely interesting prospect, June 1984 birthday or not.

Slumping Stars

Brandon Laird, 3B, Yankees (AAA)—The last few issues of TWiP seem to always feature strong performances by Yankee farmhands (Manny Banuelos, Andrew Brackman, David Phelps, Nik Turley, etc.), but not everything is sunny for Yankee prospects.

Laird, 22, had crushed the ball at a .291/.355/.523 clip in Double-A, but a 24-game stint in Triple-A has been a disaster, as he’s put up a 26/4 K/BB while batting .211/.240/.305.

With 21 errors on the season, Laird may not even be able to stick at third long-term, and his plate approach is troubling. He seems to me to be the sort of guy whose aggressiveness at the dish just won’t translate to the majors well, a la Jake Fox. Laird’s young enough to make some strides in that area of his game, but given the Yankees 1B/3B situation, he’d have to put up mind-blowing numbers to get much attention, and he looks like a one-dimensional player who isn’t likely to make that happen.

Angel Salome, C/OF, Brewers (High-A)—Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Salome hit .360/.415/.559 in Double-A two years ago, and .286/.334/.413 in Triple-A last year, but he’s been left down in High-A for almost all of 2010, and has hit just .279/.340/.403 there.

At 24, he’s far from young for that level, and he’s also almost exclusively DHed, spending four games in right field and none at catcher.

In other words, pretty much everything that made Salome such an intriguing prospect in the first place is gone.

Craig Clark, LHP, Giants (Low-A)—The jump from High-A to Double-A kills a ton of prospects every year, and Clark is the classic soft-tosser who got exposed against quality hitters.

With a low-to-mid-80’s fastball and no plus offspeed stuff, it was a marvel that Clark was consistently able to whiff nearly a batter an inning all the way up through High-A, which had some thinking he could be another Kirk Rueter for the Giants.

That hope was effectively put to rest with nine poor Double-A starts that saw Clark’s formerly impressive K/BB (135/36 and 111/23 in 2009 and 2008) dwindle to 23/21 in 42 2/3 innings.

The Giants were so disillusioned by the 26-year-old that they sent him to Low-A, where he posted a 5.45 ERA in seven starts (albeit with a 35/10 K/BB).

So, Clark’s now 26 and has been demoted to a long relief role in Low-A. His stuff gave him long odds of making the majors in the first place; now it’s just ridiculous.

Sleeper Alert!

Trey McNutt, RHP, Cubs (AA)—Okay, so McNutt’s allowed seven earned runs in 9 2/3 Double-A innings. That doesn’t diminish one of the minors’ best pitching seasons.

A 32^nd-round pick last year, McNutt opened the year by posting a 1.51 ERA in 13 Low-A starts, allowing no homers and whiffing 70 in 59 2/3 innings. He then went on to High-A and put up a 49/9 K/BB in 41 frames, earning a promotion to Double-A. All this from an unheralded guy who just turned 21.

The righty works off a low-90’s sinker that touches 95 mph, and his curveball and changeup both show promise. Like Chirinos, Chris Archer, and others, McNutt is among a ton of formerly C-grade Cubs prospects who have taken big steps forward in 2010.

Matt den Dekker, OF, Mets (Low-A)—Few 2010 draftees can claim better statistical starts than fifth-rounder Den Dekker, who’s hit .413/.478/.550 in Low-A in 21 games.

Now, he won’t keep hitting over .400 striking out once a game, but Den Dekker has quality contact skills and gap power that are already showing up in pro ball.

He also possesses nice speed and is considered a plus defender in center field.

At 23, Den Dekker is getting a late start in pro ball, but he looks like he could start 2011 in High-A, which will get him closer to most prospects his age. If he cuts his strikeouts down, he could be a quality starting MLB center fielder, and a fifth-round steal.

Julio Rodriguez, RHP, Phillies (Low-A)—Rodriguez may be even more intriguing than his teammate May, as he’s 11 months younger and has whiffed a ridiculous 79 batters in 50 1/3 innings.

The Puerto Rican righthander has bounced between starting and relieving, but has been dominant in both roles.

An eighth-round pick in 2008, Rodriguez is a physical specimen with good arm strength and projection. He already throws 87-92 mph and could gain another tick or two down the line. His second pitch is a big, slow curveball, and he’s working on his changeup.

Anyone with these sorts of numbers (and like I mentioned with May, the Phillies seem to have quite a few of these guys) deserves to be watched carefully, and Rodriguez just turned 20, so he has youth on his side.

The Quadruple-A Special

Tagg Bozied, 1B/3B, Phillies (AA)—For the second time this year, I’m going with a Double-A player as the Quad-A Special. The first was Paul McAnulty, who later would be promoted to Triple-A and the majors with the Angels.

The hulking Bozied has done plenty of damage in Triple-A in the past, so Double-A has just been too easy for him, as he’s hit .318/.405/.622 even in the pitcher-friendly Eastern League. He also hit a ridiculous 11 homers in August, bashing an unreal .374/.470/.778 in the month.

Bozied, 31, hit .288/.360/.447 in Triple-A last year and .306/.382/.569 the year before, and he’s had plenty of success there in his career. He’s been working on becoming an acceptable defender at third base this year, as he’s been mostly confined to first in the past. He also has some outfield experience.

You certainly can’t deny Bozied’s offensive output, and if he can play four positions passably, he’s got to have some use as an NL reserve. At his age, it’s probably too late, but one can hope.

Tonight is the final preseason game for the Buffalo Bills as they travel to Detroit to face the Lions. While the starters are expected to only get about 12-14 snaps, the game itself cannot be deemed meaningless. They are a few skilled players on the Bills squad that have to go out tonight and give it their all, because for many, there may be no tomorrow.

‘Must Perform’ players include:

On Offense:
Joique Bell – Bell has shown some explosive stuff so far this preseason, and leads the Bills with 142 rushing yards and 2 TDs. He will need to improve his special teams skills if he wants to increase his chance of making the roster. With the rumor of Marshawn Lynch seeing extended playing time tonight, Bell is going to have to make the most of his opportunities.

James Hardy – It seems that throughout Hardy’s young career, his name is showing up more on the injury report, than it is in the box scores. Although there aren’t too many ’stand-out’ wide receivers on the team, there have been plenty of impressive preseason plays made by the other WRs, including Roscoe Parrish, David Nelson and Chad Jackson. It’s going to be tough for Hardy to make his case in one game, but perhaps he will show enough to make the cut.

On Defense:
John McCargo – McCargo has had one of his strongest camps this preseason, and may have already made his case to be the seventh defensive linemen to make the roster this season, but a strong game tonight definitely wouldn’t hurt his cause.

Chris Brown of ‘Inside the Bills‘ also reports that Ryan Fitzpatrick will not suit up tonight, leaving the QB rotation to look like this: Edwards, Brohm, Brown. Seems as if the coaching staff has seen what they got in Fitz so they perhaps want to give Brohm a final rehearsal before making their cuts.

Detroit Lions

The Lions are a team that after many losing seasons, finally look like they have found the right coaching staff and players to turn this franchise around.

And much like the Bills , Lions fans are extremely excited about what they have in rookie running back Jahvid Best.

Zac Snyder of SideLionReport.com has this to say about Best:

Lions fans were excited about what Jahvid Best could bring to the offense as soon as they landed him with the 30th overall pick last April. Best’s preseason performance has done nothing to temper that enthusiasm. In fact, he has been even better than advertised.

The Lions have lacked explosiveness out of the backfield for a long time. Just a handful of carries into his NFL preseason carry Jahvid Best ran the ball wide and turned the corner against Pittsburgh’s first string offense. That just isn’t something we’ve seen in Detroit, unless it was from the opposition. One carry for 51 yards and one catch for a first down was all the Lions coaching staff needed to see in the third preseason game. The staff cited stiff legs as the reason for the light workload; it is scary to think what he is capable of when those legs get loose.

Hopefully fans will be able to see C.J Spiller and Jahvid Best try to out do one another in Week 10, when the Lions come to Ralph Wilson Stadium in a regular season match up.

Tonight’s kickoff starts a half hour earlier tonight at 6:30pm, due to the Jay-Z & Eminem concert taking place near Ford Field.

There will be some construction on the page, but don't worry, no traffic delays because of it.

Each Friday a section titled “Scouting Report” will be posted to update you on that week’s opponent. It will cover the opposing team, their injuries, star players, offensive schemes, and much more. It will also include key matchups that the Bulls will have to focus on in order to win the game!

The Monday following the game will be a section title “After the Storm” which will look back at Saturday’s game and go over the stats, key players, what we learned from the game, and other bits of information.

Now you are wondering, why not a post or a story right after the game. Try to remember, I am human! I do have a job on Monday and I do, on occasion, sleep in on Sunday. Every media site out there will update you on the results of the game, but no one else will give the great analysis that GGB will! Now make sure to follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/usfmatt to get a few live tweets during the game and to get the links to the stories when they are posted!

You will also notice the site is under construction a bit. There are new pages next to the About the Blog section, staring with Basketball, Football, and even a new Soccer section. These will have links to them soon with up to date information on the rosters, schedules (including results), coaching staffs, and even more! I am working on these pages to get all the information the Bull fan could ever need or want! Stayed tuned for more information on these pages.

One more thing to look for, GGB HAS JOINED FACEBOOK!!! Make sure to search for our page when your poking all your friends. It is the only page called Green, Gold, and Bold with a USF logo on it on FB so it shouldn’t be too hard to find ( I will post a link to the page if it’s too hard to find).

So keep an eye out for more updates as GGB continues to grow and bring you more information about your beloved Bulls! GO BULLS!

Listen, I know the man wants to play this season. But for the love of all that’s holy, can’t he find another team to ply his trade with? Guerin became a fan favorite in the Burgh almost instantly upon his arrival from the Islanders. It would be very interesting to see how he’s treated if he ends up in Philly. Just thinking of #13 wearing black-and-orange makes me ill.

I can’t believe it’s come to this for Guerin. One would’ve thought a rugged veteran that potted 21 goals just last season would have a team by now. Surely someone could use his offensive and/or leadership skills. But thanks to the salary cap, players like Guerin and Owen Nolan are finding it much more difficult to land a job.

Guerin was a great player for the Pens in his short tenure here. He was a vital cog in the machine that won the Stanley Cup. I hope he finds work this season…just not with the friggin’ Flyers.

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• Happy birthday, Clinton Portis!

Source: Yardbarker.com

We shouldn’t expect many “experts” to be predicting the Chiefs, who have won 10 games in 3 seasons, to make the playoffs. Heck, even most Chiefs fans aren’t predicting the team to make the playoffs.

Still, I have to say, I thought at least someone would pick the Chiefs to be a sleeper Wild Card team due to their solid offseason and favorable schedule.

The Chiefs may still receive some national respect but it doesn’t look like it is going to come from ESPN. They released their annual NFL predictions today and not a single analyst picked the Chiefs to make the playoffs. In fact, not a single analyst picked anyone other than the Chargers to win the AFC West.

KC did get a little love for Eric Berry. Mathew Berry and Bill Williamson both picked Berry to win the defensive rookie of the year award.

This just goes to show why they don’t hand out trophies for receiving the most offseason praise. The Chiefs are going to have to earn their respect on the field.

Mike Smith does not find Jack Del Rio's kicker joke very funny.

The Atlanta Falcons travel to EverBank Field to play the Jacksonville Jaguars this evening. It is the last preseason game and the end of the road for 20 or so Atlanta Falcons. The last chance to change – or enforce – a coach’s opinion of you. The Falcons are loaded at the key positions but let’s take a peek at the bubble guys we should be keeping an eye on in this one.

Dust off that old “Rudy” DVD and hit the jump for more.

Offense

Matt Bryant. The bell tolls for thee.

If the Falcons keep six receivers, Troy Bergeron could sneak in. Otherwise, the big five are locked.

Michael Palmer could secure the third TE position supplanting Keith Zinger.

I don’t pretend to know how the offensive line will shake out but I’m hearing Brett Romberg might give way to Joe Hawley on the 53-man roster.

I still think the Falcons only keep three RBs and two FBs which means Antone Smith and Dimitri Nance will need to be extra impressive.

Defense

Vance Walker and Trey Lewis. I think only one can make it.

The DEs are locked with Emmanuel Stephens and Maurice Lucas on the outside looking in.

Linebackers: Weston Johnson, Bear Woods and Robert James will all be fighting to avoid turning in their playbooks.

Chevis Jackson may have sealed his fate against the Dolphins.

Rafael Bush should be able to hold off Eric Brock for the last safety spot. Or they could be cut to make room for another position.

Your thoughts?

Let me know in the comments or find me on Twitter.

According to Scott Burnside from ESPNwrites in his blog on several NHL bench bosses that could be on the hot seat in 2010-11 season.  The Washington Capitals’ Bruce Boudreau is one listed. 

Although there are varying degrees of pressure and expectations on all 30 NHL coaches (from raw rookies to battle-tested veteran bench bosses), some may be feeling the heat earlier and more intensely than others heading into the start of training camps on Sept. 17.

So why would we assume that Boudreau would be under fire?  He not only won his third consecutive Southeast Division title, but also won the Eastern Conference and post the NHL’s best record in the 2009/10 season.  Here is what Burnside says . . .

No team fell as far and as hard as the Washington Capitals this past spring. After laying waste to the rest of the competition during the regular season, setting team records for wins and points and leading the NHL in goals scored for the first time, the Caps blew a 3-1 series lead against eighth-seeded Montreal in the first round of the playoffs.

One of the challenges for Boudreau (for our money, still the same quality coach who a year earlier won coach of the year honors) will be in keeping the gruesome memories of April at bay. It won’t be easy given that nothing the team does during the regular season will be good enough. Only playoff success, and meaningful success at that, will push this talented team forward and dispel the notion that it’s San Jose East.

Boudreau will have his hands full in keeping this squad on the right mental plane. First, he will have to keep his captain and franchise player, Alex Ovechkin, on track after he was flayed for his play at the Olympics and then making sport of Montreal netminder Jaroslav Halak early in the playoffs before the Caps’ collapse. (It’s worth noting that the powerhouse Caps scored just one power-play goal in the series after dominating the power play during the regular season.)

Then, there’s Mike Green. How does Boudreau handle the two-time Norris Trophy candidate, who suffered through a second straight postseason despite lighting it up offensively once again during the regular season? Boudreau has shown he has the game plan to get his team to the top of the heap; now, he’ll need to prove he can get the Caps in to the right headspace to forget the past.

In three season at the helm of the revitalized Washington franchise, Boudreau MORE AFTER THE JUMP

has posted a 225-141-56-28 record.  That is one of the best in the NHL over the past three years.  Boudreau also won the Jack Adams Award in 2008, given to the NHL’s best head coach.  Boudreau’s style of play has exhilarated, revitalized, and re energized a once dormant fan base and turned Washington into a Hockey town buried in the Sea of Red.   The question many ask, especially after the capitals sudden first round ouster is, can the Boudreau quickly, offensive aggressive style of play, find playoff success.  Is it conducive to post-season hockey? 

Those questions are open for debate.  It can partially be answered in looking at the previous season.  The Capitals did pass round 1, defeating the New York Rangers, but fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2008/09.  Maybe the reality is, the Caps found some bad luck and one helluva hot goal in Jaroslav Halak. 

In this writer’s opinion, perhaps the hot seat should be reserved for GM George McPhee, rather than head coach Bruce Boudreau.  Much of the criticism levied at Washington is the lack of toughness on defense.  The lack of grit and power on defense, that helps teams bully the middle during the playoffs.  Shouldn’t then that criticism be levied at the man that is responsible for roster development?  How many seasons has the lack of toughness been a discussed issue in the media, by NHL analysts, and around the web, when talking about the Washington Capitals?  Yet, trade deadline after trade deadline, free agency upon free agency, off-season come off-season, McPhee spends little in fortifying the blue line, instead banking on the ’system’ to provide the need.  What if the system is full of more finesse type blue liners?

I like Burnside’s NHL coverage.  However, instead of putting Boudreau on the hot seat, perhaps Burnside could have either put McPhee there with him, or leave McPhee there exclusively.  McPhee built the roster, Boudreau built the system.   If certain personnel are indeed the issue, then isn’t that a reflection on McPhee rather than Boudreau?

Possibly Related Posts:

• RED ALERT: Caps team to beat in East
• Mitchell to Kings, glad Caps passed
• Caps working out Mitchell
• Fleischmann close to being dealt?
• Hockey Writers: Critics of Caps defense, you will eat your words

After missing 71-days of the preseason and regular season last year receiver Michael Crabtreesigned with the 49ers and was inserted immediately into the starting lineup.  The reason for him starting right away had more to do with his talent than his knowledge of the offensive playbook.  He played well in 11 games with 48 receptions for 625 yards and two touchdowns.  Coming into the off-season this year I was excited because the 49ers would have Crabtree for all of the workouts and at training camp from the start.  In the preseason games quarterback Alex Smith would be able to develop the QB-WR relationship that is needed for a team to be winners and for the offense to be effective. 

So far Crabtree has not played in three preseason games due to injuries.  The first preseason game against the Colts Crabtree injured his neck earlier in the week but was cleared to play.  He did not suit up for the game.  The following week against the Vikings Crabtree was out again and the injury line read neck strain.  The following week after the Vikings game Crabtree was on field at practice with the team and head coach Mike Singletarysaid the receiver would play in the game against the Raiders.  It was reported that Crabtree showed up to the Oakland Coliseum and said he had a “sore neck” and did not play as a last minute scratch.  I have been disappointed that Crabtree has not played in any preseason games mainly because he needs to translate what he and Smith have done in training camp into a game situation.    

When Crabtree signed last season I made note of his diva mentality and filed it away in my mind knowing at some point another diva moment would come.  Enter yesterday’s confrontation between Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis.  Davis took issue with Crabtree’s absence from the preseason games and the veteran treatment he was receiving.  Davis confronted Crabtree during offense walk throughs in front of the rest of the team, coaches and media.  Crabtree reportedly had words for Davis too and eventually Singletary had to take the two off the field for a talk in the locker room.  Crabtree is known to have a good work ethic but he seems to think he can get treated differently from the rest of his teammates.  Media access to Crabtree is limited as he has only done one interview which was the press conference on the first day of training camp.  It has been reported that Crabtree is the only 49er who is not available to the media upon standard request. 

Crabtree not playing seems to have been building since the start of the preseason.  After the first preseason game Smith said “It’s very important…We’ve had a tough camp, but we’ve got to be out here. We’ve got to get the work in.  If we just think we have these names or we’re going to show up on game day and get it done, that’s crazy. It’s totally crazy.”  AKA get your ass on the field Crabtree.  This is not Texas Tech and whatever special treatment you received there will not fly with Singletary, Davis or the rest of the team.

As team captain it was Davis’ duty to confront Crabtree about his perceived special treatment he receives which is usually for veteran players not for someone who has played half a season.  Singletary said Davis did the right thing but in the wrong way.  Singletary was probably referring to the fact that Davis did it publically and with profanity.  I say Davis was 100% correct in how he handled the situation.  Doing it in public rather than behind closed doors sends a huge message to Crabtree that no matter what treatment he thinks he should receive, he is still a rookie.  Let’s hope Crabtree recognized he does not deserve the same treatment as Frank Gore in getting to sit out preseason games.  In Crabtree’s mind the preseason games are meaningless.  For the rest of the team they are important.

And this isn’t just any old preseason game – it’s the 4th preseason game, which everyone knows is always the most boring and tedious.

Of course, Brad Childress could save us from tedium by giving his starters some extra playing time, as he hinted he might after a ragged offensive performance against the Seahawks.  However, I have to believe good sense will prevail, meaning we won’t see much if any of Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and the rest of the stars tonight against the Broncos.

So what is there left to look forward to in this game?  Well, there’s always the chance the Vikings could maul Tim Tebow, which would be satisfying on too many levels to name.

Actually, Tebow’s presence is probably responsible for 95% of whatever intrigue this game holds for fans.  And it’s not just Bronco fans who are curious to see how Tim performs.  Viking fans want to see him too…because if he plays well, they will get to blast Brad Childress for the next several days for not drafting him.  And what Viking fan doesn’t love a good, new excuse to blast Chilly?

Okay, but outside of Tebow, what interest does this game hold?  How about that guy the Vikings have playing quarterback after Favre, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels?

Admit it – you get a little bit jacked up whenever Joe Webb enters the game.  There’s an electricity about the guy that can’t be explained.  And, if the Vikes manage to keep him around long enough to develop his raw talents, he might actually be a halfway decent quarterback one day.  Maybe in three years?

Speaking of quarterbacks…I have to say, I’m a little curious to see how Tarvaris Jackson plays tonight too.  Over the last few days, there have been a lot of stories asking whether Sage and not T-Jack should be the #2 quarterback.  Based on preseason performance so far, T-Jack is the clear #3 – but Brad Childress says T-Jack is #2 and will stay #2 no matter what happens.

So, there’s really no pressure on T-Jack to perform.  However, I think he needs to show something more tonight than what he’s been showing.  For pride if nothing else.  Because let’s be honest, he has been brutal.  And if the Vikings do decide to trade Sage…well, I’d sleep better knowing that T-Jack cobbled together at least one decent series in an actual game.

There are a few positions besides quarterback that warrant a little watching.  One is wide receiver, where Logan Payne and Javon Walker are still on the bubble.  I think Javon’s TD catch last week plus the official Favre endorsement have him on the cusp of making the squad, but Payne…I think he needs a very good night to save himself.

Running back is also a position to watch.  Toby Gerhart is probably the #2 right now ahead of Albert Young, but I don’t think that’s completely solidified yet.  Darius Reynaud is another guy some people think is on the line, but I actually believe he is solidly on the team, especially after his kick return last week, and the flashes of shiftiness he’s shown in the running game.

Defensively…it’s the safety thing again.  Last week, the 2 man race became a 3 man race, when Chilly tossed Husain Abdullah into the mix with Tyrell Johnson and Jamarca Sanford.  I have advocated several unorthodox methods of resolving this situation, including a rock-paper-scissors tournament and a Magic 8 Ball consultation.  Maybe one of those guys will pick off three passes tonight and put all this to bed.

And while we’re on the subject of putting things to bed:  I think tonight, at last, we will be able to shut out the light on Rhys Lloyd’s Viking career.

It was a nice idea, having a Mr. Touchback on the team, but unfortunately, Lloyd has not been kicking as far as everyone expected.  Maybe, if the Vikings didn’t have so many other pressing roster decisions to make, they could’ve afforded the luxury of carrying Lloyd.  But now they’re going to need to find an extra corner, plus they’ve got the whole Joe Webb thing to worry about, plus they’re not entirely sorted at receiver meaning they might want to carry one extra guy.  Add it all up and I think Lloyd is history.

One guy I don’t think will be history after tonight?  Sage Rosenfels.  All along I’ve said I don’t believe the Vikings will trade him, and nothing has happened to change my mind.  In fact, after a the shots Favre has taken this preseason – and the shots of lube he’s gotten in his ankle – I think the Vikings are convinced even more than before that they need the insurance policy of Sage.  I think it would be reckless and irresponsible to go into the season with only T-Jack and Webb behind Favre.

Sage Rosenfels is more than just the most wildly overpaid clipboard caddy the world has ever known…he is also a tall, handsome dose of reassurance.

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Who Dat Dish

Tonight’s game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville could be the game which ends the battle between veteran journeyman Patrick Ramsey and second year player Chase Daniel.

Despite Daniel’s strong showing against the Texans two weeks ago, Ramsey has an obvious edge because of his experience and the Saints will likely only carry two quarterbacks on the active roster.

However the chance exists, as slim as it is, that they both could end up on the final roster.

Rookie Sean Canfield, who was taken by the team in the seventh round of the NFL Draft earlier this month, was released earlier this week leaving only Daniel and Ramsey competing for the job.

Daniel is the fan favorite for the job and so far seems to have the slight edge on Ramsey being the younger of the two and the one more familiar with the Saints complicated offense.

The former Mizzou Tiger, who in 2007 was a Heisman Trophy finalist and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, was not drafted and was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009 but was cut later that year while the ‘Skins were making their final roster cuts.

However, Daniel was signed to the Saints’ practice squad the next day and was subsequently released and signed several times over the course of the season and spent time on the active roster as well as the practice squad but never saw any game time action with the Saints in 2009.

Ramsey however, is on the other end of the spectrum after being drafted 32nd overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins where he shared time with Mark Brunell, who was Drew Brees’ backup last season.

Ramsey bounced around to several teams, including tonight’s opponent, the Tennessee Titans, as well as the New York Jets, which is where Brunell now is the backup to Mark Sanchez.

So who will it be, the promising young Chase Daniel with the terrific upside or the more experienced Patrick Ramsey with the big arm? After tonight’s game we will probably find out.

This article was written by Josh Joffrion, Keith Null and was sent in via email for publish on WDD.

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This is where ESPN3.com comes in… I remember when this used to be called ESPN360, and they decided to shorten it to ESPN3.com.

ESPN3.com is the only place to watch West Virginia vs. Coastal Carolina this Saturday, September 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET if you don’t have ESPN GamePlan.

ESPN3.com will be broadcasting the game live from Mountaineer Field with complete coverage of the game from start to finish.

The network is available at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection from an affiliated service provider, and is currently available in more than 53 million homes – a majority of U.S. broadband homes. For a full list, click here.

About ESPN3: Available via dozens of Internet Service Providers of all sizes nationwide, including Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Cox, Charter, Windstream, RCN, Insight, Frontier, Cavalier, Mediacom, Conway, Grande Communications and many more. It is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.

Meanwhile, you can enjoy my favorite Billy Mays/ESPN360.com commercial…

Posted at 2:00pm — 9/2/2010

Mailbag question: Lack of a vertical passing game

Hi GBMW,

I have a question for you.

The lack of a vertical passing game troubles me. It seems like the only passes that were completed in Big Ten play last year were bubble screens or quick passes to the outside. Any other completions were the result of the quarterback scrambling and finding someone open down field. There did not seem to be much timing in the passing game (outside of bubble screens), in addition to the lack of vertical passing game. What can this be attributed to? The quarterbacks and their size, arm strength, lack of understanding of the offense, or play calling? I feel that some of the problem must be play calling. It bothers me that our offense has not really evolved in the past 3 years. We heard about the Trojan package being put into the offense, but it doesn’t seem like we have seen much of it.

I wanted to get your thoughts.

Thanks as always and keep up the good work,

James B.

————————-

Thanks for the question.

A number of factors are involved with Michigan’s perceived lack of a downfield passing game, which frankly may go past mere perception to reality.

First, the offense is more about stretching the field sideline to sideline rather than vertically, forcing the defense to defend from sideline to sideline, that is, the entire field.

Other factors include a lack of true speed split ends to stretch the field, the offensive tackles having problems blocking the edge, and a passing game designed to clear the short routes for the slot receivers, or sometimes the running backs coming out of the backfield. This can become an exercise in futility for wideouts who are expecting the ball deep numerous times per game.

Any time the quarterback drops five or seven steps it becomes very difficult to max protect and give the quarterback time to let deep routes develop. While the line play has improved, there is still plenty of room for improvement in max pass pro. Teams who are very good at this emphasize pass protection for the long game in practice and as a result may not be as adept at running the ball. This is why so many teams still strive for a 50-50 mix from a standard two backs, two wideouts attack.

To compensate for the above shortcoming, the passing game targets superior athletes that can be matched up against overhangs/strong safeties or outside linebackers.

In this philosophy the objective is to turn short or intermediate passes into big gains. The problem is if a team cannot throw deep or break big plays in the short game, the safeties are invited to camp out near the line of scrimmage, hurting both the running game and the short passing game.

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

Go Blue — Wear Maize!

The Detroit Lions are betting that Suh, selected second overall in the 2010 draft, will become an impact player sooner than later. If they’re right, pronouncing “Suh” and spelling “Ndamukong” will become easier than ever.

Suh may be a force in the trenches, but he illegally demonstrated his dominating power in an exhibition game against the Cleveland Browns last weekend.

While applying pressure on third-and-long, Suh violently reached forward and latched onto the facemask of Jake Delhomme. Suh then wrapped his arms around Delhomme’s helmet and threw him onto his back after his knee had already touched the ground.

Suh’s mistake drew a 15-yard penalty and gave the Browns a new set of downs. In addition to the in-game penalty, Suh will probably be fined for his aggressive tackle and obvious facemask.

Seneca Wallace, the former Seahawks quarterback, thinks there should be more punishment than just a fine.

“He already face-masked him, then he grabs him by the neck, twists it and throws him down. To me, that’s something you can get suspended for, I think,” Wallace said following last weekend’s exhibition game. “I understand the face-mask part. But he horse-collared him and threw him down. We laughed about it, but that stuff can get people really hurt.”

Wallace didn’t say it, but he would have scrambled away from Suh and ran out of bounds for a 5-yard loss on third-and-8.

If you watch the replay, the play looks a lot worse than what Suh intended to do. When you’re a professional defensive lineman with something to prove, you aren’t worrying too much about what you’re grabbing and how you’re tackling – as long as you put the opposing quarterback on the ground.

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz seems to agree: “Yeah, I saw it. He’s out there trying to make a sack. He’s got 350-pound guys trying to keep you from getting a sack and the quarterback’s running away. He didn’t try to grab the guy’s facemask, he just grabbed it. He just didn’t do a good job of pulling off after that. It’s hard.”

Obviously, a young lineman like Suh needs to stay aggressive. Personal fouls and unnecessary fines should be avoided, but don’t tell a player to ease up in a game that is violent by nature. If Suh had committed the same foul in college, he would have drawn a 15-yard penalty and nothing else. The professional league, however, will quickly fine or suspend players for over-aggressive and malicious play.

Suh should not be suspended. He is young and inexperienced; with time and further development, he’ll learn how to effectively and legally play a violent game in the trenches. The league should definitely send a message with an appropriate fine – in a quarterback’s league, the premier players must be protected – but in my opinion, a suspension is not necessary.

Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Will Howard follow Morrison out of Oakland? (Photo: YardBarker.com)

Tonight marks the end of the preseason as the Raiders welcome the Seahawks to the East Bay. Tonight will also be the final time that 22 players will suit up for the Oakland Raiders. Sure, some will return later this year as injury replacements. Others, like Chris “Baby Howie” Cooper might return again one day down the road. But for many, this will be the final time they’ll ever put on the Silver and Black.

Michael Huff has warned the young players, but there are plenty of veterans that aren’t safe either.

 Here are five veteran players that be could finishing out their Raider careers tonight.

Thomas Howard – Hard to believe that both Howard and former middle linebacker Kirk Morrison could both be gone at the start of the 2010 season. Both men were drafted in 2006. Both were starters ever since and now both could be ejected from the East Bay. Morrison was traded in the offseason and Howard could be cut after tonight. Kamerion Wimbley’s arrival has pushed Howard down to the second squad, forcing Thomas to find other ways to contribute. With his blazing speed and amazing athletic ability, you’ve got to believe that John Marshall can find some role for Howard. If not, it could be a new start for Thomas as he’ll be free to find a new home.

Hiram Eugene – Trying to make the final 53 as a defensive back in Oakland is a little like trying to make it big as an actor in Hollywood. Even if you’ve got the talent, you’ve still got to fit the part. To Eugene’s credit, the former undrafted free agent has improved every year, working his way into the role of starting free safety the last two seasons. However, with names like Atkinson, Tatum and Lott setting the tone for Silver and Black safeties, more is expected. Many will remember Eugene for being on the wrong end of a Willis McGahee stiff arm. I’ll remember him for his acrobatic INT in the end zone in Pittsburgh last season – it could be the only pick he ever made as a Raider.

Johnnie Lee Higgins – 2008 must seem like a mirage for JLH. The young speedster had a breakout season just two years ago, announcing his presence as a dynamo in the slot and a weapon in the return game. In 2009, Higgins was a no-show. He never found his place in the passing game and contributed next to nothing as a punt returner. Now, Higgins is at the crossroads with a younger version of himself – Jacoby Ford – poised to take his roster spot. A solid showing on special teams tonight could salvage his chances, but as of now Johnnie Lee is on the outside looking in.

Khalif Barnes – Things have just not gone right for Barnes since he singed with the Raiders last offseason. After breaking his leg in camp, Barnes never got the chance to compete for the job at left tackle. Reluctant to move to the right side, Khalif didn’t fare much better than Cornell Green or Eric Pears last year. This time around, Barnes has seen his snaps with the first team go to Langston Walker at the tackle position. Even though Barnes does play guard as well, there is some young talent ahead of him. Barnes might be facing the reality of seeking new employment in the coming days.

Chris Morris – Morris, much like Khalif Barnes, is stuck in a numbers game. The center/guard has seen his role reduced due to the emergence of rookies Jared Veldheer and Bruce Campbell. With Veldheer in a fierce battle with Samson Satele for the starting gig at center, Morris is the odd man out. His only hope now is to beat out Barnes for one of the back up jobs at guard. Most likely, Morris will be milling over his free agency options but his experience could prove a valuable asset that keeps him coming back in Silver and Black.

The Ring of Honor ceremony that the Browns are putting together is meant to pay tribute to some of the best players in team history. While just about anyone in that Ring of Honor would be honored to just be considered for such a thing, Browns legend Jim Brown saw the nomination another way. Though some of his anger stems from the fact that he was fired from his position as an executive advisor, and was instead offered $100,000 to  simply be a team ambassador, Brown’s letter declining the invitation to the ceremony is just plain odd.

There’s no question that Jim Brown is one of the greatest – if not simply the greatest – players in NFL history, but it is unfortunate that in recent years, he has taken to using his influence in such a way that he comes off as an instigator and a man seemingly out of touch with the way things work. Brown has always moved to the beat of his own drum, but from everything we know about the situation, it is mightily unfair to hint at racism on the part of the Cleveland Browns. He can be upset about his firing, but a letter like this gives a younger generation a much different impression of one of the NFL’s biggest legends.

Follow Dawg Pound Daily or me (@steve_dimatteo) on Twitter and we can talk about Jim Brown’s letter, the Browns themselves, or anything else that’s on your mind.