Derek Lofland, NFL director for Fantasy Football Maniaxs.com
Now that training camps have officially kicked off, I decided to come up with a list of the 12 hottest questions on NFL fans' minds entering training camp.
With 32 teams, I could not cover everyone. If you think I made a glaring omission, please leave it in the comments section, and I will try to address it.
Without further delay, here are the 12 biggest questions around the NFL, now that teams have reported for training camp.
12) Is Matt Leinart ready to emerge as Arizona's starter?
All indications are that he has looked good through the offseason and is ready to take control of that offense. However, the Cardinals also like Kurt Warner and have been having him take snaps with the first unit as well. In 2007, he had his best season since leaving St. Louis.
I think Leinart’s party lifestyle has gotten blown out of proportion. These guys are going to enjoy themselves. They aren’t robots that eat and digest football 24/7. They have families, endorsements, business ventures, and yes...hot tubs full of sexy young ladies.
Had this happened the Saturday night before the Seattle game, I would have had a different take. Had he gone to Mexico with his entourage of hotness the week before his opening playoff game, I would not have been impressed.
It happened in the offseason, and there is nothing wrong with Leinart enjoying his celebrity. The world of camera phones makes it hard to keep that stuff private. When you combine that with his USC celebrity status, you have the makings for that type of story.
This is the year he needs to break out. He has great receiving talent and a solid back in James. He has a good coaching staff. The line is not perfect, and the defense will give up points, but the Cardinals beat the Seahawks, Steelers, and Browns in 2007. All three teams won 10 games.
The time for excuses is over.
I think he does have a good year, but I’m not certain. What I am certain of is that whether he breaks out or not will have nothing to do with the company he kept in his hot tub.
11) Will the NY Jets and Oakland Raiders' spending sprees pay off?
It might have paid off in the NFC. The problem is that the Jets finished 12 games behind the Patriots in 2007. Even with the players they added, they are only the second-best team in that division. The Raiders finished seven games off the Chargers. They too have a long way to go to close that gap.
The Jets and Raiders spent nearly $100 million in guaranteed money this off-season. The Jets used that to bring in Calvin Pace, Bubba Franks, Alan Faneca, and to guarantee the last year of Cole's deal. The Raiders brought in Hall, Walker, Wilson, and used the money to lock Kelly up to a record deal.
31 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
PJ Edelman 11 months ago
why the hell do the Patriots have the easiest schedule in the NFL after making it to the SB? ESPN is going to have a field day covering the 'amazing Patriots' who will beat a bunch of sub-par teams this year.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
PJ, part of that is because the other division team (jets, Bills and Dolphins) constitute 1/3 of the schedule, plus they had the NFC rotation in their favor. Oh well, ---- happens.
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Tyler Jones 11 months ago
Nice article.
Hope you don't mind, but I'm also gonna plug something here.
I am trying to start a fantasy football league on ESPN comprised of bleacher report writers. Sounded cool, huh?
Anyone who reads this and is interested post your email on my profile and I'll send you the invite.
Really though, good article. good points about the G-men. I don't think we'll see them back in the big game. Things will be rough for Pitt, but I think they could pull off a playoff birth.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
TYLER, Pittsburgh has enough talent, especially on offense this year, to overcome that schedule. They won't dominate, but should make the playoffs. Once they get in, anything is possible. Isn't that right, Mr. Eli Manning & Co?
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Kevin Paul 11 months ago
Some solid questions here entering the season...
I'll toss in a 13th... how does the Jim Zorn experiment pay off in Washington?
After all, this is a very un-Redskins-like move, at least compared the ones over recent years.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Kevi, Excellent question about Jim Zorn. With 32 teams in the league there are a lot of questions you could have come up with. I think Zorn was a very good hire. He's been a quarterback in the NFL. He has offensive coordinator experience. The West Coast offense has had a lot of success around the league.
That said I don't think the Redskins have great success in the short term. They need to develop a young receiving core. They have had a lot of injuries in camp. They need to develop Campbell and teach him this new offense. All that in a division with Dallas, NY Giants, and Philly Eagles. I would think 7-9 or 8-8 is realistic.
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David Cohen 11 months ago
Very well, depending on the adjustment period. The Redskins offensive players are perfect for this thing to work. The defense is solid, especially the secondary. Santana Moss will be a top 5 receiver. The Redskins lost 4 games last year in the 4th because of bad coaching decisions. They're no joke.
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Paul Augustin, Jr. 11 months ago
How will Reggie Bush bounce back after a less than impressive second season?
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Paul, The Saints offense has lacked a consistent running game and an elite tight end in recent years. Jeremy Shockey will help in both regards. He is an excellent blocker that will help open up holes for running backs.
He will also be able to stretch the middle of the field and keep the linebackers and safeties honest.
Reggie Bush still has his faults, but when used properly, is an explosive weapon. The Saints used him in too many reverses last season and gadget plays, besides having to deal with the sophomore slump!
They need to get back to the way they used him in 2006, which was as a spark plug, not the featured player in the offense.
The injury to Deuce McAllister hurt them with that, but they were struggling to get Bush going while both were in the lineup.
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Jonathan Slotter 11 months ago
It seems the jeremy shockey trade will help take some pressure off of him....
also a men on leinart. He needs to have a good year. The West is a race to the bottom, and the cardinals have a legit chance of making the playoffs.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Jonathan, we picked the Cardinals to win the NFC West in our division's predictions earlier.
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Shaun Ahmad 11 months ago
I heard one of the reasons people are hesitant to sign Alexander is because he wasn't liked in the locker room by fellow players. His heart and commitment had been in question the last two years. That's also why fans openly booed him.
Still, I don't think that should keep 31 other teams from taking a chance at a dirt cheap former MVP at a position where depth is always welcome.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Well, Alexander lost Hutchinson to Minnesota and instantly...The Vikings RBs are gold and Seattle's ones struggle. Also, he has had 2 injures in each of his last 2 seasons.
He's on the decline for sure, but some teams should look at him for depth reasons like you said.
In time, when the need arises, they will!
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Bill San Antonio 11 months ago
There are plenty of reasons for Matt Leinart to improve this season. He's fully healthy for a change. According to an ESPN interview/story, he trimmed down and got serious about improving his quarterbacking mentally. He studied defenses, watched more film, etc. He's got every weapon a quarterback could want even with Anquan Boldin at odds with the organization.
Regardless of all the improvement of Leinart and that offense, Seattle is still the best team in the division by leaps and bounds. Matt Hasselbeck is one of the best quarterbacks not just in the NFC West, or even the NFC. He's one of the best in the game, and his emergence in 2007 (he's like Chase Utley-better with each passing year) proves it. The Seahawk defense is the best in the division as well. Every other team, the sleeper St. Louis Rams included, are far, far behind.
I'd even go as far as to say that this division is comparable to the AFC East. It is certainly better than the AFC East, because the talent level of each NFC West team surpasses the AFC East minus New England, but similar in that there is that one dominant team present with three others trying to vie for second place.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Bill, Seattle seems to somehow find a way to win the West every year.
However, their WR department along with the running game has gotten weak and they'll have to rely on their defense to win it again.
Julius Jones, before you say anything, needs to be noted that when the lone back in Dallas, didn't produce as expected.
Good points, again the West is wide open, you're right!
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Charles Cole 11 months ago
Interesting analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You forgot to mention, however, anything about their O line. Any team, even the vaunted Steelers, can ill afford to lost two all-pro O linemen in a mere two years (C Jeff Hartings after '06 and G Alan Faneca after last year). This unit gave up 46 sacks last year. Faneca's supposed replacement (a guy named Kemoeatu, I think) started their camp on the PUP list with a triceps injury and their starting LT (Marvel Smith) is also starting slowly with a groin injury. Look at the defensive units they will be facing this year: Dallas, NYG, Indy, San Diego, New England, Jacksonville, Baltimore (twice), and what everyone is saying looks like a vastly improved Cleveland defense (twice). Even in new math, that adds up to ten games in which their offensive line will be sorely tested. And you're picking them to finish at 11-5? Something doesn't quite add up here. Remember: the NFL stands for "not for long" and to rely on past greatness is done at one's own risk.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Charles, Good comment. There is always going to be room to disagree and I think you made a great argument as to why the Steelers have some reason for concern.
The Steelers offensive line is going to have some question marks. The problem is that Cleveland and Cincinnati don't have exceptionally strong front 7s and Baltimore has a very weak offense.
I think with the skill position players and returning players on defense combined with the fact that Big Ben is a mobile quarterback they can overcome some of those issues in the division. That is why I have them as the #4 seed in the AFC.
In my opinion we can argue anywhere between 9-7 and 11-5, which would be a pretty trivial conversation. I don't think the Steelers are going to slip below .500 in 2008 given the players they have and the state of their division, but that is why they play the games.
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A-Train 11 months ago
Well-written piece and full of sound analysis and good information.
With that said, I think this is fishy: "The Patriots have the easiest schedule in the NFL in 2008, based on last season’s record, at .387."
Now, I'm not entirely sure, but isn't it the better you perform, the harder your schedule gets? I mean, aren't the bad teams from last year supposed to get easier schedules this season? Aren't the good teams supposed to get tougher schedules?
Like I said, I don't know the answer with certainty, however, I cannot believe the Patriots will have "the easiest schedule" in 2008, especially after a visit to the Super Bowl. That just doesn't sound right... double-check that.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
A-TRAIN, you had better believe that "Lady Luck" has kissed the Patriots in 2008.
Like I answered to a comment earlier, the Bills, Dolphins and Jets represent 1/3 of their schedule.
The rest? Thanks to the rotating schedule vs. NFC divisions, they drew the best possible, the West division. Best in worst NFC division.
They'll face the cardinals, Rams, 49ers and Seattle, which represents the best challenge out of that division.
To top it off, they face the AFC West's Raiders, Broncos and Chiefs. S.Diego may be a tough customer. Pittsburgh from the AFC north and Indy from the south bring good challenges.
Overall, Pitt, Indy & S.Diego out of 17 games are the biggest bumps on the road.
Denver and Seattle are minor bumps.
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David Cohen 11 months ago
Lady Luck wears a suit and is actually Roger Goodell.
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A-Train 11 months ago
Thanks for the breakdown!
That's pretty crazy. Sounds like an 11-5 record for the Pats, at the very least.
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Tom Jackson 11 months ago
Great article. I don't know why Shaun hasn't been signed by a team yet. I mean, no player can burn out that fast. People thought he was finished during the 2006 season, and he ran for 3 00 yard performances, including the playoffs. Two of those performances were against San Diego and Chicago. He's far from done, but he's far from a No. 1 running back.
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Jerry Desaulniers 11 months ago
You Said "The problem is that Cleveland and Cincinnati don't have exceptionally strong front 7s "
Shaun Rogers is a beast and belongs in a cage, Corey Williams is fast and strong and Shaun Smith is a real solid D-Lineman. The linebackers should look good this year and your gonna have to eat these words. Sorry your a really talented and knowledgeable writer but this is either a typo or a mistake! And if you could not tell I like the Browns just a little bit!
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Jimbo 11 months ago
Good stuff, Derek.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Thanks Jim. I appreciate it.
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David Cohen 11 months ago
Answers:
12) Maybe. Leinart is talented enough but if he loses the battle this year his days in Arizona are numbered.
11) Oakland: No. They won't make the playoffs. Jets: It depends. If you're looking for a playoff team this year, then no. If you're looking for a sleeper in two years if Kellen Clemens starts this season from day 1, then yes.
10) IDK, but Alexander has the wear and tear of a 35 year old. He got run into the ground in Seattle. Be careful Larry Johnson. You might be next.
9) Cleveland: No. Minnesota: Absolutely. If only they had a QB, they'd be the hands down NFC favorites.
8) Washington Redskins or Buffalo Bills.
7) LT is fine, but Rivers is another matter. Either way I agree with you on the record. I think on paper they are the best team in the NFL, but Norv Turner might get in the way.
6) They have the defense to edge out that division.
5) Forget repeat. They may not make the playoffs. A ton of questions: will good Eli be consistent, how reliable is the running game, how good is the d-line without Strahan, is the secondary still vulnerable. And they are in the toughest division in football.
4) Yes, as long as Wade Phillips doesn't pull a Music City Miracle by benching his QB before the playoffs and as long as the game isn't against an NFC East team.
3) Yes. It's Peyton Manning.
2) Yes & No. Brady will have another monster year because the Patriots secondary will force them to put up a lot of points. But at some point Moss will get hurt or slow down his pace, and the Pats to balance their secondary trouble will run Maroney more.
1) Minnesota or bust as of right now. If Favre takes that money deal I'll lost the last strand of respect for him. What Favre should do is report to camp and stay there. Then he should wait it out for an injury to crop up. Then he can help the Eagles when McNabb goes down in week 5. The Packers with Aaron Rodgers: 8-8 or 9-7. You have to figure they can go at least 3-1 against the Lions and Bears. Now if they can't get Ryan Grant in there and he starts out slow and puts pressure on Rodgers, that could all change.
Great article man. I got a couple off the top of my head though:
1) How does a Super Bowl team get the easiest schedule in the NFL? I thought the system was meant to go the other way for the parity thing to work.
2) Is this the first time in NFL history where a city's best wide receiver is pitching? (Jeff Samardzija with the Cubs)
3) How will ESPN sustain itself after there's no more Favre play-by-play? I think the latest report is that he's opened the complementary bag of peanuts on the charter flight.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Thanks David for taking the time to write a long comment!
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Jack Anderson 11 months ago
To tell the truth I never thought Alexander was very good. His line was very good and he definitely benefitted from that, but he never ran with much passion. I just think the guy was unmasked one the line fell apart. He always looked like an ordinary runner to me.
I don't get the Vikings hype at all. They were 20th overall on defense last year finishing 32nd vs the pass. They did nothing to upgrade the secondary and their only legitimate pass rush is from Jared Allen. The offensive line allowed 39 sacks last year which is less than stellar while we all agree that Tavaris Jackson has a ways to go. Plus, their receiving corps isn't very impressive. I just don't see this team doing that well unless they land Favre.
As for Dallas I think that they will unfortunately get over the hump this year and win in the postseason. They have far too much talent to not make some noise. Romo should finally adapt to the pressure as long as the ball keeps rolling as the season winds down.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Jack, good point about the Seattle O-line making Alexander look good.
What could be in favor of the Vikings this year is the fact that Favre might not be in Green Bay ( besides the team is living a circus atmosphere as of now and can linger into the season), the Bears still looking for an identity and the Lions trying to cope with another adjustment as Mike Martz is gone.
It's more the NFC North being weak that the Vikings being strong, but a great run defense and running attack may take them to the p[layoffs, at least!
...and if Dallas doesn't get a bye week during the post-season. That way Romo won't be temped to vacation in a tropical place again, lol.
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Raider Card Addict 11 months ago
I've got a little problem with the Jets-Raiders, in that, you're hoping they figure out the QB problems in a hurry. Pennington and company, not even counting if they get Favre, still are missing pieces. Oakland, in it's spending spree, is looking at the 3rd easiest Schedule, with several more talented pieces.
Personally, I don't see how the Raiders could finish with 6-7, unless someone goes down in the preseason, or, worst case, they lose McFadden, Russell, and Hall in the first week.
I'd give them at worst, 8-8, and at best, 10-6.
BTW, go check out how some of that money, like Wilson has been spent, along with players like Cooper, Hall, and the hold-overs from last year are looking on defense. Actually look into it, not believe the media outlets like NFL.com or ESPN.com.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Raider Card - Thank you for the post. The beautiful part about this time of year is that everyone is full of optimism. The Raiders are headed in the right direction. They finally have a skill position player that they can feature in McFadden. Russell will get to show his stuff this year. If those two pan out the Raiders could be back in the playoffs by 2009 or 2010.
The problem is that this is 2008.
It is hard to win with a first time starting quarterback. It is hard for him to win when all his skill position players are young and unproven.
I fully expect the Raiders to be competitive and possibly pull an upset nobody thought they were capable of. I also expect them to blow a lot of close games because of youth and inexperience. While 8 or 9 wins is hopeful, I think 5 or 6 wins in much more realistic.
The money they spent is producing unrealistic expectations.
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