Bleacher Report - Articles by VSN Writers

The Wrigley Report: Aug. 4

VSN Writers — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:17:45 -0400

If someone told you that on Aug. 4, 2009, the Chicago Cubs would be in first place in the NL Central division, you would probably think: “Well, yeah…and?”

I’m sure that most Cub fans would have thought it to be a given. But thus far, it’s been anything but a given.

The Cubs currently sit eight games over .500 at 56-48, which is good for a .001 percent lead over rival Saint Louis for best in the division even though the Cardinals sit zero games back.

What has made the 2009 season such a fight for the Chicago Cubs?

Let’s start with offseason acquisition Milton Bradley. Jim Hendry signed Bradley for three years at roughly $10 million a year over the winter.

Bradley, optimistic about his new start in Chicago, raked pitching in Spring Training. It’s probably not a coincidence. True staff aces don’t pitch six innings in a Cactus League game. More often than not, he was hitting younger kids that are trying out for their big league staff.

Needless to say, Bradley's hitting quickly cooled down, and his first half was abysmal. But since starting the second half of the season, his average has slowly crept back up towards .250, though he’s not quite there yet. He currently sits at .248 with eight home runs and 26 runs batted in—and that’s in 258 at-bats.

It’s not very shocking that his bench fill-in, Jake Fox, has a .289 batting average with 8 home runs and 27 RBI in less than half as many at-bats as Milton.

However, you can’t sit $10 million on the bench, especially if that $10 million is known to rip apart a clubhouse or two.

Let’s go across to the opposite outfield corner to teammate Alfonso Soriano. Soriano started out hotter than a pistol—he actually hit a home run to start the season off. He would hit six homers in the first month of the season before falling into a downward spiral for two months.

But since the All-Star break, Soriano has also picked up his game. Lou Piniella shifted him down in the lineup, where he has stayed for three weeks now, primarily in the sixth spot.

It’s been a good move thus far, as Soriano has been hitting around .340 since the All-Star break. His power has seemingly returned, his plate coverage is better, and he’s even running a little better.

Soriano is actually a reason for the Cubs' turnaround since the All-Star break, and it’s a good thing he is filling up the hole he dug in the first half.

Aramis Ramirez’s shoulder injury that put him on the 60-day disabled list was by far the biggest blow to the Cubs in the first half. It seemed unfair that Manny Ramirez returned before Aramis.

But to be honest, Ramirez returned early. I saw the last rehab game in Peoria before he returned to the club on July 6 versus Atlanta, where he supplied good opposite-field power by hitting into the teeth of the Peoria wind blowing in from right. He carried to the warning track in his last at-bat, and it was good to see that his extension was still there after the injury.

Losing one of the biggest RBI guys in the major leagues spells trouble for any team, so it’s a good thing the Cubs payroll was able to cover the void Ramirez left.

By far the biggest disappointment this season has been the Cubs’ Rookie of the Year, Geovany Soto. Soto has been on the DL for the past two to three weeks with a groin strain, and Koyie Hill has been filling his spot.

This hurts the Cubs in more ways than one. Not only do they not have their starting catcher (who wasn’t hitting anyway), but they can’t play Jake Fox, who is easily the second- or third-best overall hitter on the team, because he becomes the emergency catcher in case Hill goes down.

Soto wasn’t hitting the ball well prior to his injury—he was batting at a .230 clip with eight home runs and 27 RBI. Hill hits at an even lower clip, but he fortunately provides the same defense as Soto.

Despite Soto's slump this season, his return provides more attack to the resurging Cubs lineup.

The only major problem looming right now is the bullpen, as there isn’t much consistency with the Cubs' relief pitching right now.

Carlos Marmol continues to walk people despite having one of the five lowest opponent batting averages in the entire major leagues.

Kevin Gregg is starting to regress back to his start-of-the-season form after showing a brilliant 16-game stretch prior to the Marlins series last weekend. Gregg could have been having trouble pitching against his former team—and fans hope that that’s all.

Aaron Heilman hasn’t been stellar at all. He has the stuff for the job, but like Marmol, he hasn’t been finding the strike zone with efficiency.

Did you notice a theme in all of the above points? All of the problems listed above are self-fixing through improved play.

Bradley is slowly creeping back, batting average-wise, but he needs to show better power at the plate. The Cubs already have a left-handed on-base guy in Kosuke Fukudome. Bradley is here as a left-handed power hitter, but he isn’t producing from the left side as much as he is from the right.

Ramirez’s injury rehab has come along very nicely, and he is driving in runs, per usual. Soriano’s plate coverage has increased greatly, and he is starting to hit the low fastball again, as well as taking sliders off the plate to right field instead of his pull field.

The major concern I have is in the bullpen. The Cubs have the arms in Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, Marmol, Heilman, Angel Guzman, and Gregg. The additions of John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny—who will most likely stay when Lilly comes back, as I expect Jeff Samardzija to go back to Peoria to work on developing a third pitch and pinpointing location—provide two more lefties that can balance the bullpen a bit better. Marshall is the bright spot in the bullpen, and hopefully Grabow can eat innings without fans eating Tums.

If the Cubs' big-money guys continue to slowly increase that batting average, they will continue to score more runs. In turn, that takes stress off the starting pitchers and allows a little more error in the bullpen—though they would like to avoid that.

Since Ramirez’s return, the Cubs are averaging 1.1 more runs per game than they did without him. Combine that with the bullpen settling into their roles, now that Grabow provides Marshall bullpen protection, and I think fans have the team they want.

Injuries happen. Lilly will come back and be the All-Star he was in the first half. Soto will come back, and even if he doesn’t hit to his standards, he still provides more than a backup catcher can.

I like our chances going forward, even with the poor weekend in Florida.

Here’s my first of many weekly forecast (predictions) for the Cubs:

The Cubs will go 4-3 over the next seven games.

Colorado is a tough place to play, so I thoroughly expect the Cubs to take one of the next two games from Cincy before splitting the four games in Colorado.

The odd game out will be the first of three versus Philadelphia at Wrigley Field, which I will call a Cubs loss.

Going 4-3 over the next seven wouldn’t be bad at all. That would put the Cubs nine games over .500, and that would probably still be good enough for a share of the division lead.

For all of your Chicago Sports News go to www.chicitysports.com, as we're currently looking for Chicago sports writers!

Chicago Bears: Greg Olson To Be Starting Tight End

VSN Writers — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:47:29 -0400

Full-team drills have started and when the first team offense made its way onto the field, Desmond Clark remained on the sidelines. Instead, he will be passing the torch onto Greg Olson as the new starting tight end for the Chicago Bears.

Clark has started 67 straight games, and that streak will come to an end when Olson takes the field with the first team on September 13 against Green Bay. Behind Tony Gonzalez, Clark has started the most games at his position (92) since 2003.

Most professional egothletes don’t take being replaced very well. However, Clark has been very professional about the move.

“You would have liked to have a battle to see the best person win, but that wasn’t the case," Clark said in a statement. "Crying and whining about it is not going to do much. I’m not a young guy in the league to say I don’t like this, so I’m going to try to finagle my way out of the situation. So I might as well make the best of it.”

Clark will still have a defined role in the offense while playing a lot of snaps. However, pro-athletes always care about who is starting, despite them telling you different. With a lot of two-tight end sets in the offense, expect Clark to have just as much of an impact as he has in previous years.

This means Olson will see more playing time and with his play-making ability, this will benefit Jay Cutler. It has been noted that they already have great chemistry, so expect big things out of this pair come September.

Fantasy Football owners, take note.

For all Chicago Sports news please go to www.chicitysports.com. We're also looking for Chicago Sports WRITERS!

Madden 2010 Soundtrack Revealed

VSN Writers — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:13:00 -0400

With Madden 2010 hitting stores Aug. 14, any details released will make a hardcore Madden fan salivate.

EA has nabbed well-known artists for the soundtrack as opposed to up-and-coming artists looking for their big break.

2Pac, Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Slipknot, Pantera, Nas, Rage Against The Machine, and many more will be featured on this year's soundtrack.

The soundtrack has an old school hip-hop/metal vibe to it and I definitely look forward to hearing it. The days of muting the TV and listening to my iPod while playing are over.

2Pac—"Can't C Me"

Airbourne—"Heads are gonna roll"

Alice in Chains—"Them Bones"

B.o.B—"Created a Monster"

Bang Camaro—"Revolution"

Beastie Boys—"Sabotage"

Black Sabbath—"Paranoid"

Cypress Hill—"Get em up"

Helmet—"Unsung"

Iron Maiden—"Aces High

Judas Priest—"Painkiller"

Kid Rock—"I am the bullgod"

Killswitch Engage—"Reckoning"

Korn—"Blind"

Mastodon—"Divinations"

Nas feat. Puff Daddy—"Hate me now"

Nirvana—"Breed"

Pantera—"Walk"

Public Enemy—"Shut em down"

Rage Against The Machine—"Guerrilla Radio"

Set Your Goals—"Gaia Bleeds (Make way for man)"

Slipknot—"Duality"

System Of A Down—"Sugar"

The Vanity Plan—"Before I die"

Young Dre The Truth—"Cheah Beah"

News Release—http://www.ea.com/music/the-official...-10-soundtrack

For news, forums, leagues, tournaments, online franchises, and discussion for Madden 2010, head on over to www.Virtualsportsnetwork.Com.

VSN will be receiving an early copy of Madden 2010, so register on our forums where we'll be taking questions and posting videos for all Madden fans to see.

VSN is home to many great leagues for all sports games. If you want to play meaningful games against people who don't abuse cheats or glitch, join one of our leagues!

Rush—VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Women Video Gamers: Not Just Solitaire

VSN Writers — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:47:31 -0400

Take a look at the people around you.

Now look closer. For every three women you see, it's likely that at least one of them is a gamer.

Despite figures from the Entertainment Ratings Software Board (ESRB) that claim almost 40 percent of video and PC gamers are of the female persuasion, women's participation in the gaming biz still seems to come across as something of an oddity. A freakish anomaly that rarely occurs in the natural world... or at least barely registers on the radar.

GamingAngels.com is one of many gaming sites dedicated to the love of all things video games with a primarily all-female staff. Whether it's ThumbBandits.com, who have a tongue-in-cheek "Vagina Gamerlogues," or groups of women out to dominate entire genres and targeted games alike (like the PMS Clan or Frag Dolls), women are starting to band together, face the legions of male gamers... and kick their asses.

The Frag Dolls whupped me hard once at (Splinter Cell) Double Agent, predictably. But I've also run into lots of female gamers on (Xbox) Live, and they often seem to dominate the map with me on some COD4. We gel together, I dont' know why. I'd guess they get so much crap for being a 'girl' on Live that only the best players, or at least the most tough-minded ones, can stomach hanging out on Live for too long.

But, this is where the trouble seems to start and the tough questions arise. Should companies market games just for women? How do you make typically male-dominated games girl-friendly? And how exactly do you dispose of the exaggerated female bits and pieces designed to titillate the hordes of male gamers?

That my friends is a question you will have to answer yourselves....

Dexter Brocks—VSN Writer

virtualsportsnetwork.com

Love It? Or Hate It? Part I

VSN Writers — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:15:51 -0400

Welcome to the first installment of Fannation's Love it? or Hate it?...as usual we take a subject and tell you whether we love it or hate it. Well, except for this time.

We want you to feel free to throw in your two cents.

Humor us...tell us which subjects you love and which ones you hate.

Todays panelists are iB4 e, Harry Callahan, RStowe, KPKahder and a special guest, panelist, our favorite F'N Clown, Homey D

So onto today's topics.

First up is Manny Ramirez.

iB4 e - Hate him. Do I really need a reason. He's a blowtard with a capital TARD. In fact he is more like a blowturd. I wish he would go ahead and get pregnant so we don't have to put up with him any longer. That's why he was taking fertility pills right? To get pregnant?

rstowe - love and hate the man. Love him for being the best right-handed hitter of our generation. Hate him for being the lazy player with severe attitude problem. The way he left Boston was just despicable...you NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR TEAM! also hate him for testing positive for a masking agent for roids (fertility pills).

I always thought Manny was too lazy to do all the work needed to hide any roid use, so figured he was "clean."

Harry Callahan - Hate him. He was working in a homeless shelter feeding people for a good cause and one homeless man complained that after he served him...he found a 14-inch hair in his soup.

KpKahder - Love him. Don't know why. Maybe because he's a nitwit, maybe because of his hitting, maybe because of his "Manny being Manny" antics.. I just like the guy.. he makes baseball season interesting.

Homey D - Hate it. The guy gets too many free passes with the public because of his image as a candid and freewheeling everyman. He's as dirty as Bonds, A-Rod, and Clemens, yet he somehow still manages to be loved by the fans...well, fans outside Boston.

The next subject is the UFL.

iB4 e - Love it. I know it will never compete with the NFL, but I will be watching as many games as I can until it folds. I loved the XFL and the USFL. What I love the most about is that it won't have nearly the number of prima donnas in it, just guys who love football but weren't quite good enough to make it to the show.

Harry Callahan - Hate it. Isn't that where Quincy Carter plays between arrests?...Don't know any of the players, and I don't have the time for it...NFL is where it's at.

rstowe - is this the new football league? If so, I hate it. All it's going to be is basically semi-pro football. Guys who either aren't good enough for the NFL or too old/broken for the NFL.

Nobody watched the XFL (and it wasn't very good), and basically these are going to be the same players without Vince McMahon running it. Thanks but no thanks.

KPKahder - Hate it and Love it. Hate it because it's four teams. Four! What kind of league has four teams? There's no competition with four teams. Love it because, hey, it's football and like IB said, it would be nice to watch a game where the game was about the game and not about money.

Homey D - Love it. We could always use more football and, at the rate we keep seeing players hemming themselves up in Commissioner Goodell's conduct policy, we might as well institute a halfway house league that's win/win for the players, the NFL, and the fans.

Next subject is Demolition Derbies.

iB4 e - Love them. We have them here in Austin on a daily basis. It's called rush hour. What's not to love about demolition derbies? You get to smash the heck out of other cars legally. Sign me up.

Harry Callahan - Love it. That's me on the way to work every day...you should see all the dents on my car...no, actually i have never watched one all the way through...this is one of those things that is way up in the middle of your sports channels on Directv...you may find yourself stopping on it for a sec while channel surfing but then come to your senses and move along.

rstowe - Demolition Derbies: never seen one, don't plan to. I don't have a mullet and my family tree has many branches on it.

KPKahder - I think they're fun. Once a year at the county fair. Where else can you smash into a bunch of cars and not see your insurance go up ? Not so much fun on RT 128 from Canton to Burlington though.

Homey D - Love it. Other than monster trucking, there are no other "sporting events" that openly celebrate vehicular destruction quite like demolition derbies. For maximum attention draw, put Dante Stallworth and Leonard Little in the mix.

Our last topic is Plaxico Burress.

iB4 e - Hate him. For one he played for the Giants which is reason enough. But two he's a spoiled idiot thug who is too stupid to wear pants that will hold a gun properly.

Harry Callahan - Hate him. I have disliked this dude all the way back to his Steelers days..always proclaiming a win against the Pats or something stupid like that...he must drive you nuts if he's on your team...or was.

rstowe - Hate him. Not only because as a Giants fan, I believe he ruined last season, but who can truly like or love a complete asstard like this man?

Constantly shows up late (or never) for team functions and then thinks that carrying a gun in the waistband of sweatpants was the best idea.

You just signed an extension for a TON of money, hire a damn security guard who is licensed to carry a gun if you're worried about being in public or better yet, stay the hell home and have drinks/women/friends come to you instead.

KPKahder - Why is it every time I hear his name I think of smash proof fake glass? I hate Plaxico. For multiple reasons. For 2007, for his big mouth and of course for his stupidity.

But most of all, I hate him for his irresponsibility. I hope he goes to jail for a few years. Should have taken the plea deal, Plax, you moron.

But no. He cries like a girl and whimpers "I can't go to jail; I'm scared of jail." Remember that next time you want to pretend to be a thug, moron.

Homey D - Hate it. The guy was a tool before he shot himself in the leg. No sympathy here.

Well that's it folks. Oh, wait ! Someone's at the door... Be right back !

Well, look who's here ! Its our pal Jyoti ! The smallest woman in the world!

Welcome, Jyoti ! Would you like to give us your opinions on our topics today ?

Jyoti - I surely would ! Hi Harry ! Hi IB ! <wink wink> ! I will pass on my opinions to you and you can do what you will with them.

UFL - Hate it. Are you kidding me? I'm not much bigger than the ball, they would be kicking me through the upright. No, thanks; I'll pass.

Manny Ramirez: - Hate him. I actually keep mispronouncing his name as Runny Manurez.

Demolition Derbies - Love them. It's great. I can't even see over the steering wheel so that gives me an advantage. I put the petal to the metal and just keep turning the steering wheel until I hit something.

Plaxico Burress - In my village, a man such as this would be laughed at forever. Oh, it is the same in your villages? Good.

Well that's it folks..we hope you liked it..if not..as always..we could give a crap.

NBA Offseason: Winners and Losers Part I

VSN Writers — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:11:49 -0400

It's been a wild few weeks of offseason activity in the NBA, so which GMs and team presidents are pushing all the right buttons? Who is making things worse for their respective organizations? Who is sleeping at the wheel?

Well, let's see...

The Winners

Boston Celtics: They haven't made a ton of transactions or thrown money around in a number of different directions, but Danny Ainge made one perfect maneuver:

Signing Rasheed Wallace. Rasheed is a PERFECT fit for Boston, given their current personnel. 'Sheed gives the Celtics a second top-tier post player alongside Kevin Garnett, and he complements KG's offensive game because he'll often spend time spacing the floor beyond the three-point stripe.

So while KG's down on the block goin' to work, Sheed can spread to the corner or wing to open things up in the lane. KG can either take advantage of that spacing to play one-on-one, or he can draw the double and kick it to Rasheed.

'Sheed is also an experienced postseason player with both the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers, and you can be sure that Doc Rivers' team will return to the postseason in '09-10. Despite being called "lazy" and "brash" in the past, Wallace is, in fact, a highly UNSELFISH teammate.

He's often been called TOO unselfish, but that's something that won't be a problem with shots to go around for Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo as well. The fact that Rasheed is willing to defer to teammates depending on the situation, only helps Boston's potential continuity as a unit.

The only problem for the Celtics right now is...did Ainge piss off Allen and Rondo with the trade rumors involving the Pistons? Are the two guards now discontented?

That remains to be seen, but Allen is generally a consummate professional. I'm sure he'll come to play. Rondo, on the other hand, is still on the immature side. It will be interesting to see how he responds to the organization's comments including the word "uncoachable." Hmm.

Cleveland Cavaliers: This one's almost by default. Danny Ferry has been active, and he's gained superior players to the ones he's dumped. But that DOESN'T mean that they've improved enough to win the NBA championship.

If both the Celtics and Cavs remained healthy throughout the upcoming season, I'd say the Celtics would have the better chance to win it all. Especially considering the way they play defense with Garnett active and on the floor. Add Rasheed's defensive experience to that mix, too.

But back to Cleveland. By this point many of us already know that Ferry traded Ben Wallace, a second-round pick, and "cash considerations" to the Phoenix Suns for Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq looked pretty sharp last year, better than he did the previous season, but is he THE answer for Cleveland? Does he really take them over the top?

Is he THAT much better than Zydrunas Ilgauskas at this stage in both of their careers? Will he make THAT much of a difference?

These are all questions that will have to be answered during the upcoming season. However, I believe the answer to most of those questions will be, "No."

Shaq's still one of the better centers in the league—in large part because it's a weak position talent-wise—but there's no guarantee of harmony with LeBron James.

On a personal level, sure. But basketball wise, Shaq's been known to clog things up and slow an offense down to a halt. This is old-age Shaq, I'm talking about. Could he hinder LeBron's development in some way?

Sure. It's a possibility.

Let's not forget that the Cavs also added swingman Anthony Parker, a very reliable outside shooter with an excellent team attitude. Savvy move there.

Dallas Mavericks: Re-signing Jason Kidd makes more sense with Shawn Marion in the picture. When Mark Cuban was talking about bringing Kidd back BEFORE the Marion trade, I was scratching my head (depending on the size of the contract, obviously).

But Dallas sent Antoine Wright and Devean George to the Toronto Raptors for Marion—who had a bit of a lost season last year—and then followed up with Kidd to complement "The Matrix."

What Marion does, though, is bring new life to this Maverick unit. I feel like I've been seeing the Dirk Nowitzki-Josh Howard-Jason Terry show for centuries now. It wasn't working out with just them and Kidd or his predecessor Devin Harris (man, they'd love to have him back).

But Marion brings a new element.

He's still explosive, and Kidd is the type of point guard that can bring out the best in Marion's game. Like Steve Nash, Matrix's teammate in Phoenix, Kidd loves to push the tempo and get the ball to finishers on the break.

Marion is a finisher. And he can defend. I like the way this lineup looks: PG-Kidd, SG-Terry, SF-Howard, PF-Marion, C-Nowitzki. And obviously Marion and Nowitzki can split the center-guarding responsibilities depending on the opposing team and matchup situation.

Cuban also acquired power forward Kris Humphries in the Marion deal, and Humphries is a guy who has always performed well despite limited opportunity to shine. He's very active on the boards and is an underrated finisher in the paint. He can certainly contribute valuable minutes off the pine.

Detroit Pistons: Sure they lost Rasheed Wallace on the open market, but it was time for a change in Detroit. It started with the Chauncey Billups trade during the '08-09 season, and Joe Dumars was right to begin breaking up the core.

Should Billups have been the first one to go? From a basketball standpoint, no. From a monetary and future consideration standpoint? Probably, yes.

So now 'Sheed's out of the picture, and in come Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. These aren't the type of players we've been used to seeing in Detroit the past decade. Deeetroit Basketbaaaaaall (loudspeaker guy) has been about defense, slow tempo, and keeping the score close.

Well, it wasn't quite working last year; things basically slowed to a dead stop. In part because the team's core was aging, but mostly because the East became too strong with the Cavs, Celtics, and Magic. The Pistons, the way they were (Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Wallace) couldn't contend with the big boys anymore.

With that in mind, Dumars has decided to shoot for a more explosive offense. He's certainly heading in the right direction with Gordon and Villanueva. Gordon is one of the most dangerous volume scorers in the NBA, and Villanueva can really light it up for a 4-man. Will they defend?

Well, that's another story. But Prince and Hamilton will still be there to anchor the defense, as far as understanding of rotations and responsibilities go. They can tutor the newbies.

I also loved the Michael Curry firing. It was definitely a mistake hiring him in the first place, but at least Dumars abandoned ship at the appropriate time. One year of terrible half-court sets and poor fourth-quarter preparation was definitely enough. Dumars needed a new coach for this new unit, and he has one.

I think another move is on the horizon for this franchise, considering the overload with Rodney Stuckey, Hamilton, Gordon, and Will Bynum (recently re-signed). Their offseason may need to be re-evaluated at a later date. Time will tell.

San Antonio Spurs: I don't love Richard Jefferson (I watched him very closely for a long time, I'm a Nets fan), but I think this is the right fit for him. Jefferson's not the man for a go-to type job, instead he's better suited as a quality complimentary player. That's exactly what he'll be in San Antonio, or at least I assume that's what head coach Gregg Popovich has in store for RJ.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili will continue to be the cornerstones, but their collective performance should be elevated by the additions of Jefferson and veteran power forward Antonio McDyess. 'Dice is a Spur-type player, a quality fit for Popovich's style and the fabric of the organization.

This team has improved. The Bruce Bowen/Fabricio Oberto minutes-with-limited-production thing wasn't working. Bowen's not a shutdown defender any longer, either.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards making a quality offseason move?

What planet is this?

This can't be real.

But yes, in fact it is. The Washington Wizards traded a first-round pick, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila, and Oleksiy Pecherov to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Perfect time to dump a lottery selection for proven talent, because this draft class was unspectacular to me.

Foye hasn't even hit his prime yet...what a steal. Miller is a nice asset to a core already including Gilbert Arenas (back and healthy), Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Andray Blatche.

The only issue with the deal is, will there be enough shots to go around? Arenas, Butler, and Jamison aren't exactly the most unselfish of players. Hey, who am I trying to kid—they are straight-up hogs.

But it's a style that nearly got them past the Cavaliers in the playoffs a few seasons back, and one that could possibly succeed with both Foye and Miller in the fold. Key word: "possibly."

Larry Bird's Pacers: A Whiteout?

VSN Writers — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:56:16 -0400

Last week, I’m sitting in my favorite eatery and I see a discussion on TV about the Indiana Pacers.

Why are the Pacers in the news? I see the words sliding across the screen: “Pacers facing diversity problems.”

What type of diversity problems are the Indiana Pacers having? Is this an episode of "The Office?"

Upon arriving home, I checked out the Pacers upcoming roster on the Internet and sure enough, they will be lacking some color this upcoming season. .

Putting it bluntly, the Indiana Pacers will be very white.

What I don’t understand is, why this is newsworthy? Is there a specific number of whites, blacks, foreign-born players, etc. per squad in the NBA? Is there a limit on the number of forwards, guards, and centers too? As I see it, each team can field the best players they can put on the court (per salary cap rules, money available, etc.).

But now color (or lack there of) is an issue?

As of now, the Pacers have six white, American-born players on their roster. Those players are: Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, Travis Diener, Jeff Foster, and Tyler Hansbrough.

Hansbrough is their first round pick out of North Carolina. Dunleavy and Murphy are starters. Foster has started, but was sidelined by injuries. Diener comes in off the bench.

GM Larry Bird has taken some heat for putting this group together. According to Bird, he simply wants players who can play. He doesn’t care what color they are, he just wants them to give everything they've got and put the Pacers back in the playoffs.

If anyone would know about playoffs, it would be Larry Legend. As a matter of fact, Bird would also know a thing or two about playing on some teams that were relatively white, too.

The last time Bird and the Celtics won the title, it was 1986. That ’85-’86 team defeated the Houston Rockets in six games. The Celtics roster that year, along with Bird, were: Danny Ainge, Rick Carlisle, Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish, Bill Walton, Jerry Sichting, Scott Wedman, Sam Vincent, Kevin McHale, Greg Kite, and David Thirdkill. Of the twelve, eight are white.

The following year, the Boston played Los Angeles in a classic seven game series, won by the Magic Johnson-fueled Lakers. On that Celtics team were: Bird, McHale, Johnson, Parish, Ainge, Darren Daye, Fred Roberts, Sichting, Vincent, Walton, Kite, and Conner Henry. Once again, eight of the twelve are white.

Have times changes so much that color has become that big of a difference? I really don’t know. But I don’t think Bird should be catching so much heat when he has six of twelve white players.

Is this a diversity crisis? I hardly think so. If the Pacers win fifty games, no one will think twice.

Then again, maybe they will.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Baltimore Ravens 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:18:10 -0400

2008 Summary:

Following a disappointing 2007 season, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome decided to end the Brian Billick regime and introduce a bit of youth into both his coaching staff and an anemic offense by hiring 46-year-old John Harbaugh, formerly of Philadelphia, to be the teams new coach and then they would trade up with the Houston Texans to select their quarterback of the future in Joe Flacco.

With a new coaching staff and no real experienced starting quarterback in the making, the Ravens were slated by many experts to not be much of a factor in 2008. Which, coming off of a 4-12 season, made a bit of sense.

However, Flacco proved to be exactly what the Ravens would hope for and a whole lot more, and maybe most importantly of all—the Ravens defense returned to its dominating ways after suffering an injury riddled 2007.

It was exactly the combination that nearly took the Ravens all the way to their second Super Bowl appearance this decade.

Baltimore's season started well, but the Ravens didn't exactly embody the look of one of the AFC's elite teams just yet. Flacco was restrained heavily in the teams opening day matchup against Cincinnati, as he was thrusted into the teams starting lineup in large part due to injuries to Troy Smith and Kyle Boller. Still the rookie connected on half of his 29 throws and paced the team to a 17-10 victory over the Bengals.

Following an unexpected bye week in Week Two, due to Hurricane Ike ravaging the Texas coastline, the Ravens would go on to play 19 straight games without a week off.

After a victory over the hapless Browns, the Ravens would endure a hellacious three-game stretch with matchups against Pittsburgh and Indianapolis on the road and a home game against the Titans sandwiched in between. The young Ravens would lose all three matchups, sending their record to 2-3 on the season, but the experience they gained from these losses would propel them the rest of the season.

Baltimore would go on the road to Miami, a future playoff preview, and defeat the Dolphins easily. Flacco began to come of age and the Ravens would take the victory over Miami en route to winning seven of their next eight games, including dominant performances over NFC East contenders Philadelphia and Washington.

The stage would be set for a rematch with the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore would be winning the defensive struggle for much of the game when a controversial touchdown call was awarded in favor of the Steelers to give Pittsburgh it's second straight AFC North title and send the Ravens into the race for a wild card spot.

Baltimore would close out the 2008 regular season with back to back dominating performances against Dallas and Jacksonville and finish the season 11-5, giving the Ravens the 6th seed in the AFC Playoffs. Baltimore would be matched with Miami in a rematch of their Week Seven encounter, and once again the tenacious Ravens defense would lead the way as five Dolphin turnovers led to a 27-9 blowout victory in the opening round.

The week after, the Ravens defense would again take advantage of their opponents costly mistakes as Baltimore would go into a hostile LP Field and silence the Titans en route to a 13-10 victory over the AFC's top seed.

The dream run would end however, with the third matchup of the season against their hated rivals from the Steel City. The Steelers' No.1 defense would harass rookie Joe Flacco all game and its offense would provide the big play at the right time as Pittsburgh would punch its ticket to Tampa with their third victory of the year over Flacco's Ravens by the score of 23-14.

The season, despite falling a game shy of the Super Bowl, was a huge success for John Harbaugh's first year in Baltimore. Joe Flacco surpassed all expectations and a hungry Ravens defense led by future Hall-of-Famer Ray Lewis and playmaking safety Ed Reed would return to their dominant form.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
CB Dominique Foxworth (Atlanta)
C Matt Birk (Minnesota)
KR Chris Carr (Tennessee)
TE L.J. Smith (Philadelphia)
WR Kelley Washington (New England)
QB John Beck (Miami)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
None

2009 Offseason Departures:
C Jason Brown (St. Louis)
LB Bart Scott (New York Jets)
FB Lorenzo Neal (Oakland)
S Jim Leonhard (New York Jets)
QB Kyle Boller (St. Louis)
LB Nick Greisen (Denver)
CB Corey Ivy (Cleveland)
DE Marques Douglas (New York Jets)
QB Todd Bouman (Jacksonville)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-23. Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
2-57. Paul Kruger, DE, Utah
3-88. Lardarius Webb, CB, Nicholls State
4-137. Jason Phillips, ILB, TCU
5-149. Davon Drew, TE, East Carolina
6-185. Cedric Peerman, RB, Virginia

2009 Outlook:
There are several reasons for Raven fans to be excited as they enter 2009. The growth of Joe Flaccofrom Week One to the playoffs alone would be reason enough to believe the Ravens future is exceptionally bright, but the Ravens defense will also return a large part of its core from a season ago.

Offensively, the Ravens retooled their offensive line in the offseason by selecting Michael Oher in the first round and signing Matt Birk to fill the void left by Jason Brown's departure in free agency. Oher and Birk will both be instrumental parts to the Ravens offense, as once again Baltimore figures to rely heavily on the run. Willis McGahee, LeRon McClain, and Ray Rice should all log extensive playing time in 2009, with rookie Cedric Peerman having an outside shot at also getting a few touches every now and then.

Cam Cameron's offense however will go as far as their talented young quarterback will take them. Flacco posted a solid rookie season, with a rating over 80 and a solid 14/12 touchdown to interception ratio. One could expect the workload for Flacco to increase in his second full season as starting quarterback, and once again Flacco will have wideouts Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton to throw the ball to. The Ravens added tight end L.J. Smith to pair with returning starter Todd Heap and rookie Davon Drew. However, the Ravens desperately need a target that can stretch the field for their young quarterback, so wide receivers Demetrius Williams, Marcus Smith, Yamon Figurs, and free agent addition Kelley Washington, will all have a shot to be the Ravens third wide receiver in 2009.

Defensively, the Ravens will have a new defensive coordinator running the show after Rex Ryan left to coach the New York Jets. Former Ravens linebacking coach Greg Mattison will now oversee the Ravens defense, and most of the unit will return in tact from a season ago. Bart Scott will be the most notable departure, as he left via free agency to join Rex Ryan's Jets, however the team retained linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs—both of which were also free agents. Rounding out the Ravens linebacking corps will be the tandem of rookie Paul Kruger and Jarret Johnson, along with new inside linebackers Tavares Gooden and Jameel McClain.

The Ravens defensive line will be identical from the same unit as a season ago with monster nose tackle Kelly Gregg being joined by veteran Trevor Pryce and Haloti Ngata.

In the secondary, once again Ed Reed will be hounding receivers from his free safety position. He will be joined at safety by Dawan Landry and Tom Zbikowski. At cornerback Domonique Foxworth, the Ravens biggest free agent acquisition of the offseason will be penciled in at right corner with Fabian Washington, Samari Rolle, and Frank Walker rounding out the rest of the Ravens corners.

On special teams, Steven Hauschka and Graham Gano will battle it out in camp to be the Ravens new place kicker, while free agent signee Chris Carr will take over the punt returning duties.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	Kansas City
Sun 9/20	at San Diego
Sun 9/27	Cleveland
Sun 10/4	at New England
Sun 10/11	Cincinnati
Sun 10/18	at Minnesota
	bye
Sun 11/1	Denver
Sun 11/8	at Cincinnati
Mon 11/16	at Cleveland
Sun 11/22	Indianapolis
Sun 11/29	Pittsburgh
Mon 12/7	at Green Bay
Sun 12/13	Detroit
Sun 12/20	Chicago
Sun 12/27	at Pittsburgh
Sun 1/3	at Oakland

2009 Prediction:
The Ravens far exceeded any expectations from a year ago, and many will expect this team to continue what they started in 2008. However, it will be difficult to repeat what happened last season, as the Ravens didn't really improve upon an offense that finished 18th overall in total yards and an ugly 28th overall in passing yards.

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome tried desperately in the offseason to land a big time receiving threat for his strong-armed quarterback Joe Flacco. However, he came up short and the Ravens wide receiving corps appear to yet again be one of the worst in all of football. With an aging defense and tough conference, the Ravens will be hard pressed to improve upon their 11-5 record from a season ago and get back to the playoffs.

Predicted Finish: 9-7, 2nd place AFC North

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Miami Dolphins 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:03:47 -0400

2008 Summary:
In 2007, the Dolphins were widely considered the laughing stock of professional football. Had it not been for Greg Camarillo's efforts in an overtime game against Baltimore, Miami would have beaten Detroit to the punch and finished the season imperfect at 0-16.

So with all of one win under the belt of the Dolphins, it shouldn't come as much of a shock to anyone that no one expected anything from this Miami squad in 2008.

But a series of events changed that. Bill Parcells decided against going to Atlanta to be the vice president of football operations at the eleventh hour and instead joined the Dolphins front office—and in doing so, began to rewrite the culture of the franchise.

Immediately coach Cam Cameron was dispersed, and Parcells hired longtime assistant Greg Sparano to take over as the new Miami front man.

And just before the Dolphins were to embark on the 2008 season, Brett Favre changed the complexity of the AFC East when he unretired and was traded to the Jets, leaving New York to release Chad Pennington where Parcells and Sparano awaited with open arms.

Suddenly, the team that couldn't catch a break in 2007 was beginning to see their luck turn.

This would increase ten fold after Week One, when Patriots MVP Tom Brady would go down with a season ending knee injury, leaving the AFC East up for grabs.

With a veteran quarterback with a huge chip on his shoulder and a cast of reliable veterans on both sides of the ball, the pieces were in place for the biggest regular season turnaround in NFL history.

As fate would have it, the Jets and Dolphins would matchup against each other in Weeks One and 17. Brett Favre and Chad Pennington both played under center to start the season, with each of them being relatively unfamiliar with their new teams offenses.

The first matchup would go to Favre's Jets, and following a thorough beat down at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, the Dolphins would fall to 0-2 on the season and produce an even less remarkable 20th loss in their last 21 regular season games dating back to the 2006 season.

It was then that coach Greg Sparano needed a spark.

The NFL was about to be introduced to an offensive formation known simply as the "Wildcat." The formation itself seemed simple enough to figure out, and was for all intents and purposes just a modern day variation of the single-wing offense.

But that simple wrinkle would be incredibly hard to defend, and when it was unleashed against the hated Patriots, the league took notice. Miami would travel to Gillette Stadium and unleash a 38-13 beat down of the Patriots, bringing New England's 21-game regular season winning streak to a screeching halt.

The week after, the Wildcat would do it's work again, this time pushing the Dolphins to a seven point victory over San Diego.

After a heart-wrenching loss to the Houston Texans, a game Miami lost with just three seconds to play, the Dolphins would have a game with the Baltimore Ravens, a matchup that would prove to be somewhat prophetic to Miami's future. The Ravens would shut down the Dolphins "Wildcat" attack, only surrendering 71 yards rushing to Miami with Ronnie Brown only getting two yards per carry on his 13 attempts.

Miami would return to a very easy schedule, and rattle off victories in nine of their last ten games against teams with records of .500 or worse—with their lone loss being to the only team to be able to finish above .500 in 2008, and as fate would have it they would close the season in the Meadowlands with a victory over the New York Jets, giving Chad Pennington a trip to the playoffs and a division title all while sending the Jets packing for the season.

However, the Dolphins luck would change in the playoffs. They drew, perhaps, the worst possible matchup they could have hoped for in the first round. The Baltimore Ravens returned to South Beach, and just like they had done the first time, the Ravens shut down Miami's offense and made quick work of the Dolphins.

But the 10-win turnaround and shocking AFC East title was predicted by few, if any. And while the Dolphins saw their postseason end relatively quickly, the fact they even got that far was a victory in itself.

2009 Free Agency Additions

S Gibril Wilson (Oakland)
C Jake Grove (Oakland)
DE Jason Taylor (Washington)
CB Eric Green (Arizona)
G Joe Berger (Dallas)

2009 Trade Acquistions

DT Tony McDaniel (Jacksonville)

2009 Offseason Departures

C Samson Satele (Traded to Oakland)
CB Andre Goodman (Denver)
S Renaldo Hill (Denver)
C Al Johnson (New England)
QB John Beck (Baltimore)
FB Boomer Grigsby (Houston)

2009 NFL Draft

1-25. Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
2-44. Pat White, WR/QB, West Virginia
2-61. Sean Smith, CB/S, Utah
3-87. Patrick Turner, WR, USC
4-108. Brian Hartline, WR, Ohio State
5-161. John Nalbone, TE, Monmouth
5-165. Chris Clemons, FS, Clemson
6-181. Andrew Gardner, OT, Georgia Tech
7-214. J.D. Folson, ILB, Weber State

2009 Outlook

After shocking the world with their 11-5 record in 2009, Tony Sparano will look to continue the Dolphins success and will once again have Chad Pennington under center to direct his offense.

However, Chad Henne is being groomed to start for the Dolphins in the not so distant future, so if Pennington were to stumble out of the gate or miss a game or two due to injury—Henne may very well be the starting quarterback in Miami for much of the season.

All eyes will be on Miami's ability to run its patented 'Wildcat' offense, and they added a perfect fit for that offense in the draft with former West Virginia standout Pat White. White will figure to be the sort of "jack-of-all trades" player for the 'Fins, but could do the most damage out of the "Wildcat."

The "Wildcat" offense is also headlined by Miami running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, along with fullback Patrick Cobbs. When the Dolphins are not in the tricky formation, Brown will typically be the teams go-to player on offense.

The Dolphins wide receiving corps will once again feature a cast of relatively unknown players headlined by starters Ted Ginn and Greg Camarillo. Miami will also utilize the services of Davone Bess and rookies Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline.

After being a massive bust in free agency, Ernest Wilford will try to transition over to tight end, and may need to quickly catch on to that position to even make the Fins roster in 2009.

The Dolphins offensive line will return intact for the most part, with bookend tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey highlighting the unit. Jake Grove comes to Miami from Oakland to be the teams new center, and guards Justin Smiley and Ike Ndukwe round out the starting five.

On defense, Miami's strength will once again be at linebacker as 2008 AFC sack leader Joey Porter will be joined by former long time Dolphin Jason Taylor at outside linebacker. While the inside will be manned by Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele.

The Dolphins defensive line will be anchored by nose tackle Jason Ferguson with ends Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford playing alongside him.

After struggling for much of the season defending the pass, Bill Parcells elected to address the Dolphins secondary heavily in the offseason by signing safety Gibril Wilson and corner Eric Green, and also selecting corner Vontae Davis and safety Sean Smith in the draft. Green and Davis will be joined by incumbent starter Will Allen and Jason Allen, while Wilson will be joined at safety by Yeremiah Bell.

The Dolphins place-kicking duties will be handled again by Dan Carpenter. While Ted Ginn and Davone Bess figure to split the return duties.

2009 Schedule

Sun 9/13	at Atlanta
Mon 9/21	Indianapolis
Sun 9/27	at San Diego
Sun 10/4	Buffalo
Mon 10/12	NY Jets
	bye
Sun 10/25	New Orleans
Sun 11/1	at NY Jets
Sun 11/8	at New England
Sun 11/15	Tampa Bay
Thu 11/19	at Carolina
Sun 11/29	at Buffalo
Sun 12/6	New England
Sun 12/13	at Jacksonville
Sun 12/20	at Tennessee
Sun 12/27	Houston
Sun 1/3	Pittsburgh

2009 Prediction

The Miami Dolphins were one of the best stories of the 2008 season, as their quick one-year turnaround showed that the NFL continues to have league wide parity on a seasonal basis.

The quick and sudden turnaround for the defending AFC East champions may be short lived however, as not only will their 2009 schedule get significantly tougher from a year ago, but the hated New England Patriots will see the return of Tom Brady along with a slew of other roster moves that should make them the team to beat yet again.

However, this is not a team short on talent, as Bill Parcells has quietly assembled a roster filled with young playmakers at just about every position. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if the Dolphins were to contend in the AFC, but they need a lot of things to break their way yet again—particularly at wide receiver, where the team looks to be without a reliable go to target for Chad Pennington.

The Dolphins will make plenty of highlight reels with their fun "Wildcat" offense, they will however not make the postseason due to a stronger schedule and generally strong AFC.

Predicted Finish

8-8, Second AFC East

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Atlanta Falcons 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:01:52 -0400

2008 Summary:
Entering 2008, the Falcons figured to be in rebuilding mode. They were fresh off a horrifying 2007 season that saw the cornerstone of their franchise be imprisoned for dog fighting; a rotation at quarterback that featured Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, and Chris Redman at the helm; and if that weren't fun enough, their head coach quit on them in the middle of the season to head back to the college ranks.

So it was easy to see why no one expected much of anything from the Falcons in 2008.

But what a difference a great offseason can make.

The draft brought the Falcons a franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan, along with a solid offensive tackle Sam Baker, linebacker Curtis Lofton, and wide receiver Harry Douglas. Free agency brought them running back Michael Turner, who had played primarily in the shadows of perennial All-Pro LaDainian Tomlinson, and place kicker Jason Elam.

All these pieces would come together and become instrumental to the Falcons success in 2008, especially Ryan and Turner.

But maybe we all should have seen the Falcons improvement coming when Matt Ryan's first pass as a pro was a 62 yard touchdown and Michael Turner's first game as a starting running back in Atlanta saw him rush for 220 yards and two scores.

Still, the Falcons flew under the radar for much of 2008, and many were wondering when the wheels would come off and when the young Falcons would finally show their youth and inexperience.

It never really happened.

After the Tampa Bay Bucs defense gave Ryan a quick lesson in Week 2, the eventual Rookie of the Year would lead the Falcons to victory in three of his next four starts, including a road victory over the Packers in Week 5 and a thrilling come from behind home victory over Chicago the week after.

Entering the bye week, the Falcons, a team left for dead by everyone, were 4-2 and tied for first place with a rookie quarterback at the helm.

And yet...no one believed in them.

The week after, critics felt relieved when the Philadelphia Eagles beat them 27-14. But even then the Falcons were only down by six late in the fourth quarter. A sign this team, despite the eventual loss, was growing into a legitimate threat.

A week later Atlanta would go into Oakland and run all over a hapless Raider squad en route to a 24-0 shutout victory. The victory would carry the Falcons record to 5-3 on the season and would begin a stretch where the Falcons would win four of five games including a blowout victory over Carolina, and convincing wins over New Orleans and San Diego.

Following a close loss to New Orleans in the Superdome, the Falcons would rattle off three consecutive victories to close out the season and clinch the 5th seed in the NFC Playoffs—and in the process nearly clinch the NFC South—finishing one game behind the eventual division champion Carolina Panthers.

The storybook season would finally come to a close in the first round of the playoffs when the Falcons would run into an Arizona Cardinals squad that was getting hot at the perfect time. Ryan finally looked like a rookie quarterback and was outplayed by the veteran Kurt Warner, but the Falcons could hold their heads high as they went toe-to-toe with the eventual NFC Champions for much of the game.

Following this surprising season, the Atlanta faithful figure to have a lot to look forward to.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
LB Mike Peterson (Jacksonville)
C Jeremy Newberry (San Diego)
C Brett Romberg (St. Louis)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
TE Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City)

2009 Offseason Departures:
CB Domonique Foxworth (Baltimore)
LB Michael Boley (New York Giants)
LB Keith Brooking (Dallas)
DT Grady Jackson (Detroit)
DT Rod Coleman (New Orleans)
QB Michael Vick (Waived)
S Lawyer Milloy (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-24. Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
2-55. William Moore, SS, Missouri
3-90. Christopher Owens, CB, San Jose State
4-125. Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond
5-138. William Middleton, CB, Furman
5-156. Garrett Reynolds, OT, North Carolina
6-176. Spencer Adkins, OLB, Miami, FL
7-210. Vance Walker, DT, Georgia Tech

2009 Outlook:
Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith enter their second season hoping to build off of a 11-5 season from a year ago that culminated in the teams first playoff appearance since the 2004 season, when Atlanta would fall a game shy of the Super Bowl.

Once again, Matt Ryan will be in control of the Falcons offense, coordinated by Mike Mularkey. Ryan will have the potent dual rushing attack of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood behind him. Turner proved to be the best free agent acquisition in 2008, as he carried the Falcon offense with nearly 1700 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. Norwood was also a reliable change-of-pace back for Atlanta, as he averaged over 5 yards a carry and had over 800 yards of total offense.

Ryan's development also seemed to help out the young Falcon wide receiving corps of Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, and Harry Douglas. White really came into his own in 2008, and instantly became Matt Ryan's favorite target. The talented receiver posted career highs across the board when he caught 88 passes for 1382 yards with 7 touchdowns. Jenkins also burst onto the scene by posting the best numbers he's had as a Falcon with 777 yards and three touchdowns as well.

But Dimitroff also noticed that defenses began to figure out the Falcons offense down the stretch in 2008, especially in the playoff loss to Arizona. He went out and got his young quarterback veteran Tony Gonzalez, in hopes of giving his bright young quarterback a reliable target over the middle to keep defenses honest to the play-action pass.

On the Falcons offensive line, Sam Baker will resume his spot protecting Ryan's blind side at left tackle. Tyson Clabo will start again at right tackle, and only surrendered 2.5 sacks in 2008. The Falcons are also strong on the inside with guards Justin Blalock and Harvey Dahl. Center Todd McClure should return, but was rumored to be considering retirement. In the event that occurs, Dimitroff went out and signed two veteran centers in Jeremy Newberry and Brett Romberg.

Defensively, despite the Falcons finishing 11th overall in points allowed, the team still struggled at stopping opponents from moving the ball. Their rush defense in 2008 was miserable, as they finished the year ranked 28th at stopping the run. Defending the pass wasn't any prettier, as they finished 21st as a unit and gave up 7 yards per completion.

Still, they were able to constantly bend and not break a year ago, but will be tested much more in 2009. This coming season the Falcons will have a new starting defensive tackle with rookie Peria Jerry taking over on the front line where he will join starter Jonathan Babineaux. Jerry's addition is important given Rod Coleman and Grady Jackson both leaving in free agency. John Abraham returns at right defensive end, and led all Falcon defenders with 16.5 sacks in 2008. Abraham will need help getting to the passer however as Jamaal Anderson, the Falcons starting left end, has gotten to the quarterback about as frequently as the last Jamal Anderson to suit up in Atlanta did.

The linebacking corps will look noticeably different as Keith Brooking and Michael Boley both left in free agency. Curtis Lofton will remain in the inside and be joined by former Jaguar Mike Peterson and the rotation of Coy Wire and Robert James.

A very young Falcons secondary will be headlined by corners Chris Houston and Von Hutchins, with safeties Erik Coleman and Thomas DeCoud also in the mix. Rookie William Moore could very well wind up starting for the Falcons defense sometime in the 2009 season however.

Jason Elam will return as place kicker for the Falcons, and is coming off of a great first season in Atlanta as he connected on all but two kicks in 2008.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	Miami
Sun 9/20	Carolina
Sun 9/27	at New England
	bye
Sun 10/11	at San Francisco
Sun 10/18	Chicago
Sun 10/25	at Dallas
Mon 11/2	at New Orleans
Sun 11/8	Washington
Sun 11/15	at Carolina
Sun 11/22	at NY Giants
Sun 11/29	Tampa Bay
Sun 12/6	Philadelphia
Sun 12/13	New Orleans
Sun 12/20	at NY Jets
Sun 12/27	Buffalo
Sun 1/3	at Tampa Bay

2009 Prediction:
The Falcons caught everyone by surprise a season ago when rookie Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner took the league by storm and led the Falcons to their best record in four years.

But while this was a great story, lost in all of this is just how beneficial a weak schedule was to the Falcons cause. Atlanta drew the luxury of playing two of the weakest divisions in football (the AFC West and NFC North) and used that greatly to their advantage as they went 7-1 against the two divisions. They also beat up on a Rams team with no real drive to play in Week 17 of the season, and that gave Atlanta 8 of their 11 victories in 2008.

2009 should be a different story in terms of strength of schedule. The Falcons schedule will have them play the AFC and NFC East, as well as a tough six games versus their division that features the explosive Saints and still dangerous Panthers.

While Atlanta was definitely one of the feel good stories in 2008, they may be brought back to reality somewhat in 2009 as a weak defense from a season ago seemingly did little to improve itself in the offseason.

Matt Ryan is definitely on the brink of becoming something special, but he will have to wait at least another season before he gets his shot at redemption in the postseason.

Predicted Finish: 7-9, 3rd NFC South

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

New England Patriots 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:58:10 -0400

2008 Summary

The New England Patriots experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows to kick off the calendar year of 2008. Unless you were living in a cave for most of 2007, you were aware at the Patriots run at perfection.

New England did the unthinkable for the entire regular season and first part of the postseason when they ran roughshod over the league en route to posting the first 16-0 regular season in league history as well as the first ever 18-0 start.

But that all came crashing down in Super Bowl XLII, when the New York Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets in modern day sports history. Led by a tenacious pass rush that disrupted the aerial circus all evening and a strangely poised Eli Manning, the Giants ended the Patriots quest at perfection with a 17-14 victory that will go down in the annals of history as one of the best games ever.

Entering the 2008 regular season, many believed the Patriots would end the string of teams that seemingly couldn't shake the heartbreaking championship loss just months prior. Fans called this the so-called "Super Bowl Loser Curse" and unlike many superstitions, this one seemed to hold water.

Only the 2006 Seahawks had been able to make the playoffs following a loss in the Super Bowl this decade, but when you looked at the level of competition in the Patriots division and a roster that was loaded from top to bottom, the Patriots return to the playoffs seemed like a foregone conclusion.

Then, relatively unknown Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard changed that a mere seven minutes and change into the first quarter of the opening day game when an unfinished block by the usually reliable Kevin Faulk led to an unfortunate low hit on Tom Brady's knee.

Brady's knee was ripped to shreds, the Patriots season suddenly took a new look. The Super Bowl loser curse appeared to have struck yet again.

But the Patriots would not go down without a fight, as should be expected from a team coached by Bill Belichick. Untested quarterback Matt Cassel would become the starter the rest of the season, which became a new role for him.

Cassel hadn't started a game since his senior year of high school, but as the weeks passed by and as Cassel became more and more comfortable with Josh McDaniels offense, the longtime backup to Tom Brady started to look the part of an NFL starting quarterback.

After doing just enough to get by the Brett Favre led Jets, the Patriots hosted the Dolphins and were ripped to shreds by a new offense that no one had seen before. The 'wildcat' outsmarted Belichick's defense all afternoon as Ronnie Brown ran for four touchdowns and threw another during Miami's 38-13 pounding of New England.

The loss sent shockwaves all throughout the NFL. The Patriots from last year appeared to be dead and gone. Writers and pundits from all over were ready to christen New England's season as an afterthought and began looking at other teams in football as the new favorites.

Maybe that's what fueled New England long enough for them to stay alive in 2008. Because following the loss to Miami the Patriots would win four of their next six contests and were tied at the top of the AFC East with the New York Jets at 6-3.

And as fate would have it, the Patriots would just so happen to have a game scheduled with those New York 'Bretts' in Week 11 of the season. At the time, it seemed like the game would determine who would be in the drivers seat the rest of the way.

Matt Cassel put together the game of his career, and outgunned the legendary Favre by throwing for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns including a touchdown pass to Randy Moss that would send the game into overtime with one second left in regulation. The Patriots erased a 24-6 deficit and tied the game at 31.

However, the Patriots defense would not be able to hold the Jets again, and a Jay Feely field goal in overtime would send the Jets to the victory and put the Patriots a game out of first place.

Cassel and the Patriots would get their revenge over the Dolphins a week later with a 48-28 beat down at Dolphins stadium. Cassel became the fifth quarterback since the merger to throw for over 400 yards in back to back games, and the Patriots were sitting at 7-4 in the division, still a game behind the Jets. The Dolphins were 6-5 and an afterthought in the division.

But that afterthought wouldn't lose another game for the rest of the regular season, and the Jets would begin to free fall. The Patriots were in the unfortunate situation where winning out wouldn't even guarantee them a playoff spot due to the strength of the AFC as a whole.

A date with the Pittsburgh Steelers loomed on the horizon, and the Steelers were looking for blood after being torn to pieces a season ago. Matt Cassel had not yet experienced a defense as tenacious and relentless as the Steel Curtain, and after posting back to back 400 yard, 3 touchdown performances he was grounded with only 169 yards and two interceptions.

The Steelers went on to win 33-10, leaving the Patriots with a huge loss down the stretch.

Cassel and the Pats would go on to post a perfect 4-0 mark in December, but it wouldn't be enough. The Colts would finish 12-4, with one of those wins being a late game victory over the Patriots back in Week 9, and the Ravens would also finish 11-5 but held tiebreakers over New England which assured them of the final playoff spot in 2008.

And so the Super Bowl losers curse took it's batting average to 8 of 9 this decade, and the Brady-less Patriots were left watching the postseason from the comfort of their own homes despite finishing 2008 with three more victories than the AFC West champion Chargers.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

CB Leigh Bodden (Detroit)
CB Shawn Springs (Washington)
TE Chris Baker (New York Jets)
RB Fred Taylor (Jacksonville)
LB Paris Lenon (Detroit)
S Brandon McGowan (Chicago)
C Al Johnson (Miami)
DE/LB Tully Banta-Cain (San Francisco)
WR Joey Galloway (Tampa Bay)
LB Vinny Ciurciu (Minnesota)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

TE Alex Smith (Tampa Bay)
WR Greg Lewis (Philadelphia)

2009 Offseason Departures:

QB Matt Cassel (Traded to Kansas City)
LB Mike Vrabel (Traded to Kansas City)
CB Ellis Hobbs (Traded to Philadelphia)
S Rodney Harrison (Retired)
FB Heath Evans (New Orleans)
RB Lamont Jordan (Denver)
WR Jabar Gaffney (Denver)
ST Larry Izzo (New York Jets)
WR Kelley Washington (Baltimore)
DE Darrell Robertson (Kansas City)
LB Bo Ruud (Cleveland)

2009 NFL Draft:
2-34. Patrick Chung, SS, Oregon
2-40. Ron Brace, NT, Boston College
2-41. Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
2-58. Sebastian Vollmer, OT, Houston
3-83. Brandon Tate, WR, North Carolina
3-97. Tyrone McKenzie, LB, South Florida
4-123. Rich Ohrnberger, G, Penn State
5-170. George Bussey, G, Louisville
6-198. Jake Ingram, LS, Hawaii
6-207. Myron Pryor, NT, Kentucky
7-232. Julian Edelman, WR, Kent State
7-234. Darryl Richard, DE/DT, Georgia Tech

2009 Outlook

The Patriots immediately become contenders again as long as franchise player Tom Brady recovers from the ACL injury he suffered a year ago. Luckily for the Patriots, Brady tore the ACL early enough in the season in that he should be fully recovered in time for training camp.

Depth for the Patriots may be a concern however should the Patriots sustain another injury to Brady as Kevin O'Connell and Matt Gutierrez will compete for the backup position in camp, but neither guy appears to have the same skillset as Matt Cassel did.

Brady will once again inherit an offense with a ridiculous amount of talent at wide receiver. Randy Moss may once again claim the title of best receiver in football with Brady's return and Wes Welker is without question the most dangerous slot receiver in football.

The Patriots also added veteran Joey Galloway and acquired Greg Lewis from the Eagles. As if that wasn't enough, the Patriots took a flier on the very talented Brandon Tate out of North Carolina in the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Tate had character concerns and off-field troubles, but could be the latest steal for the Patriots franchise if he is able to not be a problem in the Patriots locker room.

While the Patriots again appear to be the team that spreads it out via the pass, they would like to assimilate some sort of a running game and will deploy a running back by committee approach in 2009 led by Laurence Maroney and free agent acquisition Fred Taylor.

New England will also rotate third-down specialists Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris into the equation, but it remains to be seen if one of these guys will not make the roster as BenJarvus Green-Ellis is also a young back with potential.

The Patriots offensive line returns in tact from the team that went 18-1 in 2007 with Matt Light and Nick Kaczur starting at tackle, Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal starting at guard, and Dan Koppen starting at center.

Defensively, the Patriots lost veterans Rodney Harrison (retirement) and Mike Vrabel (traded with Matt Cassel to Kansas City) in the offseason, but replenished their roster with young talent in the draft.

New England's defensive line remained in tact and will be headlined by perennial pro bowler Richard Seymour. Vince Wilfork will rotate at nose tackle with rookie Ron Brace and Ty Warren will start opposite Seymour at the other 3-4 defensive end position.

The linebacking corps will be headlined by 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo and longtime vet Tedy Bruschi. The Patriots will also see the return of Adalius Thomas, who missed a large part of last season with a broken forearm.

Pierre Woods will start opposite Thomas and the Patriots will also rotate free agent acquisitions Paris Lenon and Tully Banta-Cain in and out of a very deep unit.

The Patriots secondary will be without Ellis Hobbs after he was traded to Philadelphia, and the aforementioned Rodney Harrison, but they added Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs to a relatively young defensive backfield.

Second round picks Darius Butler and Patrick Chung should also see lots of playing time, and former first round pick Brandon Meriweather will become the official full-time starter at strong safety.

2009 Schedule

Mon 9/14	Buffalo
Sun 9/20	at NY Jets
Sun 9/27	Atlanta
Sun 10/4	Baltimore
Sun 10/11	at Denver
Sun 10/18	Tennessee
Sun 10/25	at Tampa Bay
	bye
Sun 11/8	Miami
Sun 11/15	at Indianapolis
Sun 11/22	NY Jets
Mon 11/30	at New Orleans
Sun 12/6	at Miami
Sun 12/13	Carolina
Sun 12/20	at Buffalo
Sun 12/27	Jacksonville
Sun 1/3	at Houston

2009 Prediction

The NFL will take note, Tom Brady is back and so too will be the New England Patriots.

As is usually almost always the case, Bill Belichick and company continued to add key cogs to an already explosive team and will once again be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Of course all of this is with the assumption that Brady's knee is indeed healthy and that he will be able to start all 16 games in 2009. If Brady were to miss any extensive period of time again this year, the Patriots will not be as lucky as they were with Matt Cassel stepping in to keep the Patriots in the thick of the AFC Playoff Picture.

I'll go out on a limb and say Brady will return to form, and that this Patriots team can very well be better than the one we saw two seasons ago - although they won't run the table, which in the long run will probably be better for them anyway.

The run to Miami will go through Gillette Stadium in the AFC. And whether you love them or hate them, the New England Patriots are back.

Predicted Finish: 13-3, 1st place AFC East

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:55:44 -0400

2008 Summary:

The Philadelphia Eagles have consistently been one of the best teams in the NFC under Andy Reid and with Donovan McNabb under center, with several trips to the conference title game and one appearance in the Super Bowl this decade.

The 2008 season started off differently for the Eagles than it had in recent years though, and it eerily followed the path of the 2007 season which saw Philadelphia finish a disappointing 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

After demolishing the Rams to open up the season, the Eagles would drop three of their next four games including crushing blows to Dallas and Chicago—each games the Eagles could have easily come out on top had they not committed costly errors late in the game.

Following a victory over the 49ers, the Eagles entered the bye week with a 3-3 record. Following back to back victories over Atlanta and Seattle, the Eagles would encounter their first taste of adversity of the season as they would go winless in their next three games, losing to division rival New York, tying with the hapless Bengals, and getting blown out against the Ravens.

It was getting so bad for Philadelphia that at one point, Donovan McNabb was benched in favor of the untested backup Kevin Kolb. The benching would be short lived, as McNabb would be inserted back into the lineup in time for a Thanksgiving Night matchup against Arizona.

From there, the Eagles would take off. They would close out the 2008 season winning four of their last five games, including a 44-6 beatdown of Dallas with the final playoff spot in the NFC going to the victor.

As was usually the case, the Andy Reid led Eagles would pick up tremendous momentum and carry that into the postseason, the only question about this Eagles squad was just how far they would be able to carry that momentum. After their burst to close the season, the Eagles finished the year ranked in the Top Five in total defense and ranked 6th overall in points scored. It was a potent combination that made them your atypical 9-6-1 squad heading into the playoffs.

The red-hot Eagles would draw the 6th and final playoff spot, meaning their postseason would be on the road for as long as they kept winning. This didn't seem to bother the Eagles one bit as the team that struggled to win on the road in the regular season suddenly became road warriors in January. They began the postseason with a convincing 26-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and then followed that up with another dominant performance in the Meadowlands against the top-seed Giants where they would win 23-11.

This would set up an unthinkable NFC Championship matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, and a rematch of a contest on Thanksgiving that saw the Eagles put up their best offensive performance of the season.

The title game would go slightly different however. A red-hot Cardinals team that was playing its best football in franchise history jumped out to a 24-3 lead, and while the Eagles rallied to take a 25-24 lead late in the 2nd half, the Cardinals offense and Eagles miscues would be too much to overcome and the season would finally come to a close as Donovan McNabb would see his record in the NFC Championship fall to 1-4.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
FB Leonard Weaver (Seattle)
S Sean Jones (Cleveland)
G/T Stacy Andrews (Cincinnati)
S Rashad Baker (Oakland)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
CB Ellis Hobbs (New England)
T Jason Peters (Buffalo)

2009 Offseason Departures:
CB Lito Sheppard (Traded to NY Jets)
WR Greg Lewis (Traded to New England)
T Tra Thomas (Jacksonville)
S Brian Dawkins (Denver)
TE LJ Smith (Baltimore)
S Sean Considine (Jacksonville)
T Jon Runyan (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-19. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
2-53. LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
5-153. Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
5-157. Victor Harris, CB/S, Virginia Tech
5-159. Fenuki Tupou, OT, Oregon
6-194. Brandon Gibson, WR, Washington State
7-213. Paul Fanaika, G, Arizona State
7-230. Moise Fokou, OLB, Maryland

2009 Outlook:
The Philadelphia Eagles will enter 2009 as favorites to contend for the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl, assuming the key players on the roster stay healthy.

Coach Andy Reid will enter his 10th season with the Eagles, and his seat may not be any warmer than it will be this year. That's because the offseason saw the Eagles add many key players to positions of need, and now the pressure will be on this team to finally get over the hump.

As has been the case since Reid took over, Donovan McNabb will be the man under center for the Eagles offense. He will be joined by one of the most explosive players in football in the backfield in Brian Westbrook. Westbrook however had surgery on his ankle that could cause him to miss some time early in the season, so his backup, rookie LeSean McCoy out of Pittsburgh, may be pressed into action a little faster than originally expected.

Nonetheless, McNabb will have no shortage of weapons in the passing game, with playmakers DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis slated as the starting wide receivers and first round pick Jeremy Maclin likely to see lots of playing time playing in and out of the slot. After watching L.J. Smith leave in free agency to Baltimore, tight end Brent Celek will become the starter with rookie Cornelius Ingram and Matt Schobel playing behind him.

Perhaps the one unit that was overhauled the most was the Eagles offensive line. Philadelphia used one of their extra first round picks in the 2009 draft to acquire Jason Peters from the Buffalo Bills and signed Stacy Andrews, a free agent from the Cincinnati Bengals to fill holes on their line. Stacy will play with his brother Shawn Andrews, who will line up next to him at right tackle. Rounding out the Eagles line are center Jamaal Jackson and left guard Todd Herremans.

Defensively, the Eagles will return most of the same guys that produced the third overall best defense in football a season ago. One noticeable departure will be that of Brian Dawkins, long said to be the heart and soul of the team. Dawkins departed in free agency to join the Denver Broncos and will be replaced in the secondary by free agent acquisition Sean Jones.

The rest of the Eagles secondary is very good, the Eagles finished 2008 ranked third against the pass and a large reason for that was the play of their marquee free agent signing from a year ago, cornerback Asante Samuel. Samuel will have a familiar teammate lining up alongside him as the Eagles also acquired cornerback Ellis Hobbs during the draft. Hobbs will figure to replace Sheldon Brown at some point in time, who is demanding a trade and refusing to report to the Eagles. Should Brown and the Eagles reconcile their differences for a season however, the Eagles secondary will become that much better.

On the Eagles defensive line, Philadelphia will deploy rush ends Darren Howard and Trent Cole from the right side and Juqua Parker from the left side. In 2008, the three pass rushing ends combined for 24 sacks and will need to do that again if the Eagles defense is to remain a force in the NFC. Defensive tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson will be called upon to slow down the running game and free up the Eagles linebackers.

In the Eagles linebacking corps, a very young unit will be headlined by inside linebacker Stewart Bradley. Bradley will be flanked by Chris Gocong and Akeem Jordan with Omar Gaither also playing extensively.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	at Carolina
Sun 9/20	New Orleans
Sun 9/27	Kansas City
	bye
Sun 10/11	Tampa Bay
Sun 10/18	at Oakland
Mon 10/26	at Washington
Sun 11/1	NY Giants
Sun 11/8	Dallas
Sun 11/15	at San Diego
Sun 11/22	at Chicago
Sun 11/29	Washington
Sun 12/6	at Atlanta
Sun 12/13	at NY Giants
Sun 12/20	San Francisco
Sun 12/27	Denver
Sun 1/3	at Dallas

2009 Prediction:
In 2008 the Eagles played much better than their 9-6-1 record would indicate. While it took them a little while to get things going, the Eagles let games slip away from them against Dallas, Chicago, and Cincinnati early on in the season.

Finally though, after a blowout at the hands of Baltimore, the Eagles woke up. They would win six of their last seven games before falling to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game, and even then Philadelphia had several chances to pull off the come from behind victory.

There may have not been another team in football that had as productive an offseason as the Philadelphia Eagles, and if Brian Westbrook and other key components can stay healthy—the Eagles weapons up and down the roster will carry them to another division title and possibly the best record in the NFC.

Predicted Finish: 12-4, 1st Place NFC East

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Minnesota Vikings 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:53:09 -0400

2008 Summary

Entering the 2008 season, the Vikings were tabled by many experts as being a consistent quarterback away from seriously contending for a Super Bowl Championship.

And for good reason.

The Vikings were loaded with talent on the offensive line and had the most explosive young player in the game in Adrian Peterson. They had just added speedy Bernard Berrian and a raw but talented playmaker to play alongside him in Sidney Rice.

Couple this with a good defense with easily one of the best defensive lines in football, and you could see why the Vikings were liked by all the so called pundits.

However, they could not fill the one position that they absolutely needed to take the leap from average playoff team to bonafide championship contender. They desperately needed a quarterback, and it would be shoddy play from this position that would wind up ending the Vikings season prematurely come January.

This would become clear from the early point of the season when Tarvaris Jackson played miserable in the first two contests, but the Vikings still barely lost the games. Out of the gate they were 0-2 but they felt like they should have had that record reversed. Coach Brad Childress decided to make a change.

Out was Tarvaris Jackson, in was journeyman quarterback Gus Frerotte. And while the experiment to sit down a young quarterback in development for the veteran quarterback paid off huge dividends in Arizona, it didn't fare out as well in Minnesota.

Initially when Frerotte was named the starter, the Vikings split their next two games and subsequently fell to a 1-3 start. The call for Brad Childress' job grew louder and louder. It was only one month into the season and the media darlings to make a run at the Super Bowl were only a game ahead of the worst team in professional football in the standings.

This would set up a very pivotal Monday Night matchup with the New Orleans Saints. If the Vikings lost, they would drop to 1-4 and have a long path just to get back to .500, but if they won suddenly they are 2-3 with the Lions awaiting them the following week.

And despite Reggie Bush returning two kicks for touchdowns and Drew Brees throwing for 330 yards—the Vikings somehow won. They did this by scoring 30 points, which would be a number that almost equaled Adrian Peterson's rushing production on the night.

Instead the Saints beat themselves with two fatal mistakes on special teams, and a bad call that helped keep a fumble ruled as a fumble led to the Vikings saving their season.

From there, the Vikings picked up momentum. The Vikings would rattle off wins in seven of their next nine games. Adrian Peterson would punish defenses on a weekly basis, and despite the average quarterback play they were getting from Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson—they were winning ballgames.

But despite all of this, the slow start nearly cost the Vikings the division title. The Chicago Bears were still hanging around and with a win and Vikings loss to the New York Giants in Week 17—they would start the postseason on the road in Chicago.

Ultimately, the Bears would lose on the road to a hot Houston team, rendering the performance in Week 17 moot. But in the finale, played primarily against the Giants backups, the Vikings looked anything but like a playoff contender.

And like Bill Parcells famously said, "You are what you are." The Vikings struggled with the 2nd and 3rd stringers from the Giants, and really struggled with the Philadelphia Eagles first teamers in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Eagles would finish off the Vikings season by the count of 26-14, leaving Brad Childress to wonder how the season would have gone had they had a playmaker at their most important position.

After the Jets would wind up free falling, the door was now open for Brad Childress to get his man, and all signs are pointing to a former Vikings killer becoming the new starting quarterback in 2009.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

QB Brett Favre - (rumored/Jets)
CB Karl Paymah (Denver)
WR Glenn Holt (Cincinnati)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

QB Sage Rosenfels (Houston)

2009 Offseason Departures:

C Matt Birk (Baltimore)
S Darren Sharper (New Orleans)
T Marcus Johnson (Oakland)
LB Vinny Ciurciu (New England)

2009 NFL Draft:

1-22. Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
2-54. Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
3-86. Asher Allen, CB, Georgia
5-150. Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina
7-231. Jamarca Sanford, S, Ole Miss

2009 Outlook:

That black cloud that is coming to the Twin Cities is none other than the Brett Favre attention circus. Favre has resumed his quest to become a Minnesota Viking, a quest he could not fulfill a season ago and instead wound up playing as a member of the New York Jets where he would wind up imploding down the stretch and almost single handily cost the Jets a playoff spot.

But when put like that, it's no wonder Brad Childress wants Favre.. after all Tarvaris Jackson has done that his entire career.

All jokes aside, it appears much of 2009 will circle around Favre. Even if he doesn't come back and wind up playing in Minnesota, the questions will still be asked about how the season would have gone with No. 4 at the helm.

Should Favre decide to comeback, he would become the starting quarterback almost by default and offseason acquisition Sage Rosenfels would be regulated back to clipboard duty. This would give the Vikings four quarterbacks, likely leaving Tarvaris Jackson as the odd man out as John David Booty is younger and cheaper than Jackson.

Whoever is at quarterback for opening day against the Browns in Cleveland will have the luxury of handing the ball off to the reigning rushing champion and best overall back in the game now Adrian Peterson.

Peterson has been nothing short of phenomenal in his first two seasons as a Viking, and should pick up right where he left off a year ago—especially if Favre or Rosenfels can make defenses have to think about the passing game.

Chester Taylor will once again be Peterson's backup, and he is also capable of lighting up a defense given the appropriate amount of touches.

At wide receiver, the Vikings will add first round pick Percy Harvin to their wide receiving corps, giving the Vikings another very fast playmaker on the outside. Bernard Berrian will again be the top wide receiver in Minnesota and is one of the best deep threats in the division, and Sidney Rice continues to develop into a good wide receiver and could start opposite Berrian with a solid camp.

The Vikings offensive line will remain strong with Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson blocking on the left side of the line. Center Matt Birk left free agency to join the Ravens and will be replaced by John Sullivan in the starting lineup. On the right side of the line, Anthony Herrera will remain at right guard and second round pick Phil Loadholt should start at right tackle for the Vikings.

Defensively, the Vikings front four is as good as it gets in football. Kevin and Pat Williams will anchor the middle of the defense which was the best in the league a season ago at stopping the run.

On the outside Jared Allen will return for a second season in Minnesota, Allen had a great 2008 year in the purple attire as he registered 14.5 sacks in his inaugural season as a Viking. Ray Edwards will start opposite Allen and is an underrated pass rusher in his own right.

The Vikings linebacking corps is also a solid unit, headlined by inside linebacker E.J. Henderson. Henderson will be flanked by outside linebackers Chad Greenway and Ben Leber, and looks to bounce back after missing most of last season due to injuries.

In the Viking secondary, Antoine Winfield returns at left corner. Playing alongside him will be Cedric Griffin and free agent addition Karl Paymah. At safety, the Vikings will deploy the same starters as they did a season ago when Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson take the field.

2009 Schedule

Sun 9/13	at Cleveland
Sun 9/20	at Detroit
Sun 9/27	San Francisco
Mon 10/5	Green Bay
Sun 10/11	at St. Louis
Sun 10/18	Baltimore
Sun 10/25	at Pittsburgh
Sun 11/1	at Green Bay
	bye
Sun 11/15	Detroit
Sun 11/22	Seattle
Sun 11/29	Chicago
Sun 12/6	at Arizona
Sun 12/13	Cincinnati
Sun 12/20	at Carolina
Mon 12/28	at Chicago
Sun 1/3	NY Giants

2009 Prediction:
On paper the Vikings undoubtedly have a wealth at talent on their roster. They have the leagues best running back in Adrian Peterson, game breaking type receivers in Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin, and some of the best defensive players in football on their defensive line.

But the black hole sized void at quarterback cannot be ignored. Even if the Vikings sign future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre to a one year deal, or just start Sage Rosenfels, I still think the Vikings have many question marks surrounding this key position.

Favre's health is unclear, and he will turn 40 in October making him the oldest starting quarterback in the league. Sage Rosenfels career is best known at this point for his late game choke job in Indianapolis as a member of the Texans a season ago, and really doesn't look like someone that will be exceptionally better than Gus Frerotte or Tarvaris Jackson.

With that said, the NFC North has greatly improved from a season ago. The Packers are loaded on offense and are slowly retooling a defense that constantly let them down in 2008. The Bears made the most talked about move of the offseason when they traded for disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, and should be healthier in 2009 than they were a year ago.

All these moves or a lack thereof from the Vikings point of view, are catching up to them. They had the luxury of a soft schedule and soft division in 2008, they won't have that in 2009.

Even with Brett Favre at quarterback.

Predicted Finish: 7-9, 3rd place NFC North

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Cincinnati Bengals 2009 Prevew

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:51:51 -0400

2008 Summary

It seems like forever ago that the Bengals were considered an up and coming team out of the AFC North, and an outside favorite to contend for a deep run into the playoffs.

2008 did little to remind Bengal fans of the anomaly that was the 2005 season, as the franchise became the butt of many jokes around the league in regards to their inability to stay out of the daily police blotter.

The season couldn't have started any worse for the Bengals than it did a year ago. The Bengals got a tough break with two of their first three games on the road against Baltimore and the defending World Champion Giants, and had a game with 2008's best overall team in the regular season, the Tennessee Titans, sandwiched in between.

Not to mention, the health of Carson Palmer gradually went from bad to worse, in the first two starts the Bengals most important player threw for 94 and 134 yards respectively, while posting ratings of 32 and 43 in each contest.

Palmer would go on to start just two more games the rest of the way for Cincinnati before undergoing season ending surgery on his elbow and the Bengals season was basically over at the end of September.

After tough losses on the road to the Giants, Browns and Cowboys - all games in which the Bengals had a shot to win - the Bengals would go on to start the 2008 season 0-8, before finally squeaking by the Jaguars in Week 9 for their first win of the year.

Behind the play of backup Ryan Fitzpatrick and free agent pick up Cedric Benson, the Bengals offense was never a threat to do much of anything. The star wide receiving tandem of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ochocinco would only be a solo performance as Houshmandzadeh still performed admirably in 2008, posting 92 receptions for 908 yards and 4 touchdowns while a disgruntled and seemingly disinterested Ochocinco would have his worst season since his rookie year, only posting 53 receptions for 540 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Ochocinco also went the entire 2008 season without posting a 100 yard receiving game and became such a distraction in the tumultuous Bengals locker room that Marvin Lewis actually suspended him late in the season.

Defensively, the Bengals were actually not that bad a squad. The team posted a 12th overall defensive ranking in 2008, including the 15th overall ranking against the pass and a 21st overall ranking against the run.

While those numbers certainly weren't anything for the ages, under Marvin Lewis the Bengals defense had routinely struggled and finally showed a bit of progress if it weren't for a pedestrian offense that could not put points on the scoreboard.

With all of their struggles, the Bengals did manage to end the season on a three game winning streak to raise their record from 1-11-1 to their final tally of 4-11-1.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
WR Laverneaus Coles (New York Jets)
S Roy Williams (Dallas)
DT Tank Johnson (Dallas)
QB JT O'Sullivan (San Francisco)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
FB Brian Leonard (St. Louis)

2009 Offseason Departures:
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seattle)
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buffalo)
OT Stacy Andrews (Philadelphia)
C Eric Ghiaciuc (Kansas City)
OT Levi Jones (Cut)
LB Corey Mays (Kansas City)
RB Gary Russell (Oakland)
WR Glenn Holt (Minnesota)
OT Kirk Barton (Detroit)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-6. Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
2-38. Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
3-70. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
4-98. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
4-106. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas
5-142. Kevin Huber, P, Cincinnati
5-179. Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan
6-209. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian
7-215. Fui Vakapuna, FB, BYU
7-249. Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis
7-252. Freddie Brown, WR, Utah

2009 Outlook

Marvin Lewis returns for what figures to be his last shot and prolonging his coaching tenure in the Queen City, and 2009 will be a challenging season for the Bengals yet again.

The biggest move the Bengals can hope for next year is the re-addition of franchise quarterback Carson Palmer to the starting lineup. Palmer will be without his favorite target T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who left in free agency to Seattle, so he will rely heavily on Chad Ochocinco to bounce back from his worst season as a pro.

Palmer will also need Laveranues Coles to pick up where Houshmandzadeh left off and become a reliable underneath receiver like he has been for much of his career.

The rushing attack will be paced by Cedric Benson, who finally showed flashes of what the Bears hoped they would get when they drafted him 4th overall in 2005. Kenny Watson will resume his role as the change of pace back and third down specialist.

Maybe the biggest moves of the offseason for the Bengals centered around their offensive line. The Bengals waived former first round pick Levi Jones and were not able to retain Stacy Andrews so in April they selected Andre Smith with their 6th overall pick in the 2009 Draft. Depending on how quickly Smith is able to sign a contract and get into camp, he should be the starting left tackle for the opener.

Defensively, two former Cowboys were brought on board to try and shore up weaknesses on an overall decent defense a year ago. Roy Williams will compete to be the starting safety and Tank Johnson will look to play as the teams starting defensive tackle. Michael Johnson, a third round pick out of Georgia Tech, could be a surprise on the Bengals defensive line as the teams pass rusher.

The draft also brought over USC sensation Rey Maualuga to be the teams middle linebacker, and he will be paired with 2008 first round pick and fellow Trojan alum Keith Rivers in the Bengals linebacking corps.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	Denver
Sun 9/20	at Green Bay
Sun 9/27	Pittsburgh
Sun 10/4	at Cleveland
Sun 10/11	at Baltimore
Sun 10/18	Houston
Sun 10/25	Chicago
	bye
Sun 11/8	Baltimore
Sun 11/15	at Pittsburgh
Sun 11/22	at Oakland
Sun 11/29	Cleveland
Sun 12/6	Detroit
Sun 12/13	at Minnesota
Sun 12/20	at San Diego
Sun 12/27	Kansas City
Sun 1/3	at NY Jets

2009 Prediction

Not many things have gone the way Bengal fans would like to see them go, and that seemingly has been the way for them since Joe Montana was ripping their hearts out in the Super Bowl.

And while the 2009 season likely will not bring a playoff appearance, it could very well begin a transitional period for the Bengals who are slowly turning things around with their personnel.

All that said, two things the Bengals cannot afford will be the two things most people keep an eye on this season (and offseason for that matter as they are the featured franchise on HBO's Hard Knocks) - Carson Palmer's health, and whether or not he will be able to resume playing like he had made a name for, and the teams chemistry given the cast of characters on the roster.

Look for Palmer to stay on the field this year, but still struggle minus a consistent running attack, and for the chemistry of this team to become shaky as the year goes on. The Bengals may turn things around, but it will be another year before we really see the progress.

And for one Marvin Lewis—that one extra year may not happen.

Predicted Finish: 4-12, 4th AFC North

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Dallas Cowboys 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:50:15 -0400

2008 Summary

The Dallas Cowboys were penciled in by many experts as the Super Bowl Champions before the season even began.

With a disappointing loss to the Giants, coming off of the 13-3 regular season, the Cowboys figured to be just as dangerous in 2008.

And at the beginning of the season, it looked like they were going to live up to the billing. The Cowboys started the season 4-1 and looked just as potent on offense as they did a year before that.

But then in a game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Cowboys season would began to take a turn for the worse. Tony Romo would break a finger on his throwing hand during the game, forcing him to miss the next month.

During the time off, veterans Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger would both prove to not be anything remotely close to Romo and the Cowboys would see their record slide from 4-1 to 5-4.

Following the loss, in an effort to keep the offense going and make it even more potent would Romo would return, the Cowboys would complete a rare midseason trade with Detroit to bring talented receiver Roy Williams over to Big D.

Romo would return in time for Dallas to run off 3 straight wins and be in the thick of a very competitive NFC Wild Card race.

But when the Cowboys were sitting at 8-4, the distractions that doomed this team a season ago would resurface when anonymous reports would come out about Terrell Owens having rifts with teammates.

The story, as most Cowboy stories go, would be analyzed by the media with a fine tooth comb and the team would wind up losing 3 of the final 4 games, including a 'win and you're in' situation in Week 17 against Philadelphia to miss the playoffs altogether.

It was a very disappointing finish to a season that began with so much promise and no shortage of hope.

The acquisition of Williams blew up in the Cowboys faces, at least so far, as Williams best output as a Cowboy was a 51 yard receiving day against Seattle on Thanksgiving. He would end the year with only one touchdown in ten games.

The season also wasted one of the best individual efforts by a defensive player in recent memory as DeMarcus Ware recorded 84 tackles, 20 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles in 2008.
But this was a microcosm of the Cowboys season in a nutshell.

There were plenty of good individual performances in 2008, but there weren't many times when it all came together and play as a cohesive unit.

And in the end, it left the Cowboys well shy of their lofty expectations.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

DE Igor Olshansky (San Diego)
SS Gerald Sensabaugh (Jacksonville)
LB Keith Brooking (Atlanta)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

QB Jon Kitna (Detroit)

2009 Offseason Departures:

WR Terrell Owens (Buffalo)
DE Chris Canty (NY Giants)
DE Greg Ellis (Oakland)
DT Tank Johnson (Cincinnati)
CB Anthony Henry (Traded to Detroit)
S Roy Williams (Cincinnati)
CB Pacman Jones (Unsigned)
LB Zach Thomas (Kansas City)
S Keith Davis (Oakland)
LB Kevin Burnett (San Diego)
TE Tony Curtis (Kansas City)
G Joe Berger (Miami)

2009 NFL Draft:

3-69. Jason Williams, LB, Western Illinois
3-75. Robert Brewster, OT, Ball State
4-101. Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M
4-110. Victor Butler, DE/OLB, Oregon State
4-120. Brandon Williams, DE/OLB, Texas Tech
5-143. DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati
5-166. Michael Hamlin, S, Clemson
5-172. David Buehler, K, USC
6-197. Stephen Hodge, SS/OLB, TCU
6-208. John Phillips, TE, Virginia
7-227. Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
7-229. Manuel Johnson, WR, Oklahoma

2009 Outlook

The Cowboys overhauled their roster in the weeks after a blowout loss against the Eagles, addressing team chemistry more than anything. Most notably, the team released the controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens.

With Owens gone, the Cowboys hope the circus that comes with him with leave town as well.

Wade Phillips returns for his third season in Dallas, and the seat could not be any hotter than it will be in 2009 - especially given the 'free agents' in the coaching pool in 2010.

It could very well take a Super Bowl appearance to save Phillips job, and even then it's unsure what Jerry Jones will do.

With that being said, Phillips will inherit a roster that looks noticeably different from a year ago, and it's not just the departure of Owens.

Gone are locker room pests Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson, along with veteran safety Roy Williams and veteran ends Chris Canty and Greg Ellis. Linebacker Zach Thomas, who struggled in the Wade Phillips scheme, left Dallas for Kansas City and was soon replaced by longtime Atlanta Falcon middle linebacker Keith Brooking.

To fill the void left by Canty and Ellis, the Cowboys signed ex-Charger Igor Olshansky.

The defense will once again revolve around one of the most complete players in football in DeMarcus Ware.

Ware was downright unstoppable in 2008, and as scary as it seems, is actually improving as a player with each passing year. Bradie James and Anthony Spencer will round out the linebacking corps, with rookie Jaison Williams also seeing plenty of playing time.

In the secondary, the Cowboys will be led by Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins at the cornerback position. At safety, Dallas will start Ken Hamlin and free-agent acquisition Gerald Sensabaugh. Draft pick Michael Hamlin (no relation to Ken) will provide depth at the position with Pat Watkins.

Offensively, the keys to the Cowboys and subsequently the spotlight will be turned over to Tony Romo. With Terrell Owens now in Buffalo, Dallas hopes to get a much better season out of the other Roy Williams, who struggled mightily in his first season as a Cowboy.

Jason Witten, arguably the best tight end in football now, will remain one of Romo's favorite targets and is basically the Cowboys second option in the passing game.

Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin will try to give the Cowboys a reliable second wide receiver to play alongside Williams, and Martellus Bennett could see more plays on offense after a solid rookie season.

In the running game, the Cowboys discovered they have three solid tailbacks following injuries last season. Marion Barber will once again be the starter but will rotate with explosive back Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Once again, the Cowboy offensive line will be highlighted by big Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis.

2009 Schedule

Sun 9/13	at Tampa Bay
Sun 9/20	NY Giants
Mon 9/28	Carolina
Sun 10/4	at Denver
Sun 10/11	at Kansas City
	BYE
Sun 10/25	Atlanta
Sun 11/1	Seattle
Sun 11/8	at Philadelphia
Sun 11/15	at Green Bay
Sun 11/22	Washington
Thu 11/26	Oakland
Sun 12/6	at NY Giants
Sun 12/13	San Diego
Sat 12/19	at New Orleans
Sun 12/27	at Washington
Sun 1/3	Philadelphia

2009 Prediction

The Cowboys will kick off the 2009 season on the road against the Bucs before opening up their extravagant new billion dollar stadium on national TV against the New York Giants.

With all the glamour and glitz that comes with the new stadium, the product that will be taking the field may not match the product they will be playing in.

Dallas definitely did one thing very well in the offseason; they upgraded the team's chemistry and got rid of many of the main sources of their distractions the past two seasons.

Gone are Terrell Owens, Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson, and that alone could have a major impact on their season.

With that being said, there are still fair questions about the play of Tony Romo when the games take on a much greater scale of meaning.

It's undeniable that in games that Romo has had to win, he has come up short. It's hard to peg how well Roy Williams will replace the void left by Owens and whether or not this offense can flourish without the major distractions.

But even if it does, the Cowboys play in a very difficult division with a tough schedule and may be the odd team out in the NFC for a second straight season.

Which isn't exactly the way you would like to open a new billion dollar stadium.

Predicted Finish: 9-7, 3rd place NFC East

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Zack Attack's 2009 Fantasy Football Preview

VSN Writers — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:33:05 -0400

It's that time of year again, football fans.

Most of you are preparing for your upcoming fantasy football drafts, trying to find the diamond in the rough.

I'm sure a lot of you guys are buying the magazines that come out every year, researching the stats and looking at the rankings.

I do the same.

But I'm here to give you guys my first-ever attempt at my fantasy rankings and predictions.

So kick back, have a good read, and enjoy it.

I'll start with running backs.

We all know the Adrian Peterson is the best back in the league, and will most likely go No. 1 in almost every draft this year.

Peterson will put up his numbers and, if he stays healthy, will continue to prove he is the best back in the league.

Peterson will get you your 1,000 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He is a flat out fantasy stud.

After Peterson there's a group of about four guys who can contend to be the best back in the league.

Including Peterson, you get what I call the "Fantasic Five," with a tie at fifth place. The Fantastic Five will be in every posistion article I write in my fantasy preview.

The Fantastic Five is the top five players at their posistion, fantasy wise.

My list goes as follows:

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings.

Peterson is a fantasy monster. Last year he racked up 1,885 total yards. 1,760 of those were rushing. He only finished with 10 touchdowns, but split some time with Chester Taylor.

The thing to worry about with Peterson is fumbles. Last year he fumbled four times, and lost three of them.

Another thing to look at is his receiving production. For as good as a back that Peterson is, he only caught 21 passes for 125 yards and zero touchdowns.

But dont let those stats bring you down.

Peterson is a safe pick for No. 1 overall.

2. Michael "The Burner" Turner, Atlanta Falcons

We new this guy could play. When he got his contract from Atlanta, he showed just that.

Turner put up monster numbers last year. He had 1,699 yards on 376 attempts with 17 touchdowns.

Turner is a workhorse, but that might hurt him.

Getting the ball that much during a season does a lot to a running back. He might not be as good towards the end of the season as he was in the earlier parts of the year.

If Turner puts up those numbers again, he will be a great top-five pick. But can he carry the workload again? I believe he will.

Having Matt Ryan on your team isn't bad either. Ryan may take the pressure off Turner and have the defenses worried about the pass.

Thats when Turner is at his best.

3. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles

Westbrook is a fantasy monster. Not only does he put up the yards and touchdowns, but the guy can catch as well.

In fact, last year he had 402 receiving yards on 54 receptions. A nice number for leagues that support the receiving category. Westbrook also notched five receiving touchdowns.

That gave him a grand total of 14 touchdowns.

Westbrook also missed two games last year due to injuries. A knock on him that could hurt his fantasy value.

This year's schedule also favors Westbrook. He only faces one team from the top five rushing defenses last season: the New York Giants.

The Eagles play them twice. So Westbrook could torch up some soft defenses.

4. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Forte had a great rookie season. Putting together a nice 1,000 yard season and adding eight touchdowns to boot. Forte was in on a lot of downs for the Bears. You can say he is an every-down back, which is hard to find nowadays in the NFL.

Forte had a good year receiving-wise also. Catching 63 passes for 477 yards and scored four touchdowns.

With the Bears acquiring Jay Cutler and no real threat at the wide receiver position, Fortes' numbers could go up. I expect Cutler to find Forte a lot in the open field.

One thing that worries me about Forte is the workload. Last year he was in on over 93 percent of the Bears' offensive possesions. Thats a lot for a rookie.

The Bears also face three of last years top-five rushing defenses. Pittsburgh, Arizona and Minnesota twice.

If the Bears plan to have a big year from Forte, they need to use him wisely.

T-5. Thomas Jones, New York Jets

Jones had a great rushing year last year. In fact, he lead the AFC in total rushing. Something thats not easy to do.

This is the same Thomas Jones that was a force for Chicago in their 2006 Super Bowl run. But he was traded so that Cedric Benson would be the No. 1 back in Chicago.

How's that move looking?

Jones should put up similiar numbers this year. With rookie Mark Sanchez as the quarterback, the Jets might give Jones the ball to take the pressure off Sanchez.

Jones finished last season with 1,312 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, and was a force in the backfield.

If Jones can provide those numbers again this year, people might regret passing on him.

T-5. Deangelo Williams, Carolina Pathers

Williams came out of nowhere last year. He split time with Jonathan Stewart, but still managed to put up good numbers.

Williams carried the ball 273 times and finished with 1,515 yards. He also had 18 touchdowns, which is a great number for fantasy football.

Williams found the endzone a lot last year. It might not be a bad pick to take him No, 2 or 3, but remember that he will share carries with Stewart.

Williams also has speed to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball. Something that would be good for fantasy owners.

Theres the Fantastic Five, well in this case six, now lets look at some other backs.

On the outside looking in is Chris Johnson. Johnson had a productive rookie season last year. He is also one of, if not, the fastest running back in the NFL.

The problem is LenDale White. Johnson is part of the "smash N-dash" combo the Titans use, giving the ball to White a lot at the goal line. That limits some of the touchdowns that Johnson could be getting.

Still 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns isnt bad for your team.

Ronnie Brown is also on the brink of making my top five. He put up good fantasy numbers last season, including a monster game. In the debut of the Wildcat, he shined. But teams have seemed to figure that out.

Brown is also injury prone, which is a negative for fantasy owners. Who needs their starting running back out in a pivital playoff run?

Steven Jackson and Ryan Grant also make good cases for the top five. But I'm just not having it. Jackson had a good year last year with 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns, but thats not top five worthy.

Grant put up 1,203 yards which isnt bad. But he had just as many fumbles as touchdowns last year—four. That's not going to get you points for your team.

Now, on to the Sleepers. Ahhh, yes the guys that you hope to steal late in the second round or even later. The guys that you want to brag to your opponents about all year long and rub it in their faces.

My favorite canidate for a sleeper is Steve Slaton. The kid has blazing fast speed, and has a nose for the endzone. Nine touchdowns and over 1,000 yards in fact. Not too many people in your league will notice Slaton. But if he is there in the second or third round, grab him.

Kevin Smith is also on the sleeper list. WOW! Yes, the Lions actually won something last year. A running back than can produce. Too bad the rest of the offense couldn't. Smith had only 976 yards, but he made up for it by finding the endzone nine times.

Smith should be around in the fourth to fifth round.

Now on to the avoid list. These are the guys to avoid and are likely on the downside of their careers.

Let's start off with the most popular running back in football a couple seasons ago, LaDainian Tomilinson. The guy is flat out on his downward slope. He looked so bad at times last year, that people were wondering, "Whats going on?"

Well, except for the guys that do the Madden Rating updates. They still had him in the high 90s throughout the season.

LT did finish with over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Point is, he did look pretty bad at times last season and injuries are starting to catch up with him. If he struggles early, expect Darren Sproles to take his place.

Larry Johnson was also a good fantasy choice—a couple years ago. But last year showed he was on the downside of his career. He finished with 874 yards and only five touchdowns.

Well that wraps up this edition of my first-ever attempt to do fantasy football rankings.

Some of you may argue and disagree on these rankings, but that's what I wrote the article for.

A good journalist always has people that don't agree, and sparks debate.

Enjoy.

Zack Pearson (Zack54attack)

www.vsngaming.com

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:14:15 -0400

2008 Summary:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 2008 season as the defending NFC South Champions, but they brought this title with them into the season with a quarterback controversy swirling around the franchise.

Up in Green Bay, a once retired then un-retired quarterback by the name of Brett Favre was itching to return to the league and that immediately drew the interest of Bucs head coach Jon Gruden, who had long been a fan of the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback.

The Bucs would fail to offer the Packers enough to land Favre, and he would ultimately wind up a New York Jet, but what came about from Gruden's interest in the grizzled vet was a rift with his incumbent starting quarterback, Jeff Garcia.

That rift would extend all the way into the regular season, when Gruden suddenly benched Garcia for the re-acquired veteran quarterback Brian Griese following a season-opening loss at the hands of the Saints.

Griese would start the next three games for the Buccaneers, and win all three games, including a come-from-behind effort on the road against the Chicago Bears, in which he would throw a career-high 67 passes.

The Bucs would sit at 3-1 before a matchup against the Broncos in Denver when Griese would be knocked out of the game with an injured elbow.

Garcia filled in the rest of the way, and although he was unable to lead the Bucs to their fourth consecutive victory, he would not relinquish the starting job again until Week 15 when he would miss a game against the Falcons due to a calf injury.

Following the loss to the Broncos, the Garcia-led Bucs would go on an extensive hot streak and win six of their next seven games. Garcia's play and a stingy Buccaneer defense were paramount to the team's success.

Garcia would only turn the ball over one time during this stretch and complete over 70 percent of his passes in five of the seven games.

The season suddenly changed, though, after a date on Monday Night Football with their division rival Carolina Panthers.

With both teams entering the game at 9-3, many believed the victor of this game would wind up winning the division and possibly go on to clinch home-field advantage for the remainder of the playoffs.

What would happen however, would change the Bucs season for the rest of the way. The Panthers running back tandem of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart would run completely over the Buccaneer defense, as the duo combined for 301 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

The Panthers would claim first place as their own, while sending the Bucs crashing back to earth.

The next week, the same problems would arise, this time with Michael Turner rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown in an overtime victory for the young Falcons.

A week later, the Bucs would return home to close out the season against AFC West opponents San Diego and Oakland and a reeling Tampa Bay defense would be picked apart once more.

First the Chargers, led by Philip Rivers, would pick the Buccaneers defense apart left and right as behind Rivers' touchdown passes, the Chargers would defeat Tampa Bay 41-24.

This sent the Bucs to their third straight defeat and on the brink of missing the postseason after once being 9-3 and widely seen as a possible Super Bowl contender.

It was almost fitting that ultimately the Jon Gruden era would end with a loss to his former Raider club after it began with a Super Bowl championship at the hands of that same team.

Once again, with the Bucs simply needing a win to get into the playoffs, the Buccaneer defense could not make a stop when it absolutely had to have one, and the Raiders would stunningly end the Bucs season with a 31-24 victory.

Shortly thereafter, the rebuilding process began. Jon Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen were both fired, Jeff Garcia was not retained, and Monte Kiffin left to the University of Tennessee to be the new defensive coordinator on his son's staff.

The once heir apparent to Kiffin, Raheem Morris, would become the team's head coach. The Jon Gruden era was officially laid to rest.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
RB Derrick Ward (New York Giants)
LB Angelo Crowell (Buffalo)
QB Byron Leftwich (Pittsburgh)
K Mike Nugent (New York Jets)
LB Niko Koutouvides (Denver)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
TE Kellen Winslow (Cleveland)

2009 Offseason Departures:
LB Cato June (Houston)
CB Phillip Buchanon (Detroit)
LB Derrick Brooks (Unsigned)
RB Warrick Dunn (Unsigned)
DT Jovan Haye (Tennessee)
QB Jeff Garcia (Oakland)
DE Kevin Carter (Unsigned)
WR Joey Galloway (New England)
WR Paris Warren (New Orleans)
WR Ike Hilliard (New York Giants)
TE Alex Smith (Traded to New England)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-17. Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
3-81. Roy Miller, DT, Texas
4-117. Kyle Moore, DE, USC
5-155. Xavier Fulton, OT, Illinois
7-217. E.J. Biggers, CB, Western Michigan
7-233. Sammie Stroughter, WR, Oregon State

2009 Outlook:
The youngest coach in franchise history will fittingly begin his new regime tied to young quarterback Josh Freeman, the team's first round pick in 2009 and possible starter from day one.

Freeman is only 21 years old, but his size and cannon arm may be enough for coach Raheem Morris to warrant giving him the keys to the offense and begin his career as the new franchise quarterback.

The Tampa Bay Bucs will have an entirely new look to them when they take the field in 2009. Gone are many veterans that were instrumental to the teams success under previous coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden. Replacing them are younger players who aren't quite yet household names.

Most notably, the Bucs said goodbye to Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Jeff Garcia and Joey Galloway. Longtime defensive guru Monte Kiffin will be replaced by Jim Bates, the former Dolphins and Broncos defensive specialist, but the defense will likely still be under the watchful eye of their 32-year old head coach.

This leaves new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski with the task of developing their new young signal caller, and revamping an offense that was heavily geared towards the passing attack for the past several years.

With Jagodzinski's expertise being a run-oriented offense geared to the zone blocking scheme, while relying heavily on the tight end to make plays in the passing game, it should be no shock that the Bucs two major moves in the off-season were addressing those two positions.

The Bucs did just that, as they signed running back Derrick Ward, formerly of the New York Giants, and they acquired Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow from the Cleveland Browns.

Who will start at quarterback remains to be seen, and likely won't be figured out until the preseason ends. The depth chart is made up of Byron Leftwich, the former starting quarterback in Jacksonville and previous backup to Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, Luke McCown, and the aforementioned Freeman.

Should the Bucs decide to let Freeman observe on the sidelines from the beginning, the job will likely belong to Leftwich.

Aside from Kellen Winslow, the Bucs will have receiver Antonio Bryant back after a career season in 2008. Joining Bryant in the Bucs wide receiving corps will be former rookie of the year Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall.

The running game will be paced by the aforementioned Ward along with veteran Earnest Graham. On the offensive line, the Bucs strength will once again be on their interior with guards Aaron Sears and Davin Joseph flanking center Jeff Faine. Playing the tackle position will be Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood.

Defensively, the Bucs will look moderately different in 2009. Once again however, they will be primarily centered around the play of Gaines Adams and inside linebacker Barrett Ruud.

Adams will anchor the defensive line from the right defensive end position and be joined by fellow linemen Stylez White (formerly Greg White), Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims. Rookie Kyle Moore figures to be in the mix as well, playing on the left side of the Bucs line.

The linebackers surrounding Ruud will be free agent acquisition Angelo Crowell and new starter Quincy Black.

Black will take over for Cato June, who left via free agency to join the Texans, while Crowell will fill the shoes of longtime Buc Derrick Brooks. Jermaine Phillips will also begin his transition from safety to linebacker and rotate with Black.

In the secondary, Jim Bates will have veteran cover corner Ronde Barber to go along with last years first round selection Aqib Talib.

Torrie Cox and Kyle Arrington will round out the cornerbacks for the Bucs. At safety, Tampa will once again have the underrated Tanard Jackson roaming around at free safety while Sabby Piscitelli will start at strong safety.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	Dallas
Sun 9/20	at Buffalo
Sun 9/27	NY Giants
Sun 10/4	at Washington
Sun 10/11	at Philadelphia
Sun 10/18	Carolina
Sun 10/25	New England
	bye
Sun 11/8	Green Bay
Sun 11/15	at Miami
Sun 11/22	New Orleans
Sun 11/29	at Atlanta
Sun 12/6	at Carolina
Sun 12/13	NY Jets
Sun 12/20	at Seattle
Sun 12/27	at New Orleans
Sun 1/3	Atlanta

2009 Prediction:
For many years under the guidance of Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden, the Buccaneers experienced a great deal of success, culminating in the team winning a Super Bowl in the 2002 season.

Last year, the Bucs were soaring high, winners of nine of their first 12 games and en route to yet another division title before the bottom fell out.

Monte Kiffin announced his intentions of leaving the Bucs to join his son at the college ranks, and the defense appeared to leave the Bucs with him. Tampa would end the season on a 4-game losing skid and the Gruden era would officially end.

All great things eventually come to an end, however, and it appears the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will begin a transitional period under the heralded, but still very young, head coach Raheem Morris.

Morris, at age 32, is the youngest coach in the league and he will be reliant on Josh Freeman, the young 21 year old quarterback the franchise drafted 17th overall in the 2009 draft.

When Freeman starts will be a major question for Morris, with some believing it could be as soon as the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

But regardless of Freeman's entry into the starting lineup, this is a Tampa Bay team that is vastly different on paper than many of the previous ones, and as a result this is a team that could take a bit of time to get things going.

It doesn't help that before the teams bye week in Week 8, the young Bucs will not face a team that finished with a losing record a season ago.

As a result, the Bucs figure to have a rough start out of the gate, and likely will see their record take a hit because of it.

2009 will begin the process of returning the Bucs to prominence, but they are still likely a year or two away from resuming their role as lead dog in the NFC South.

Predicted Finish: 5-11, 4th NFC South

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Ten NFL Players Who Need to Relocate

VSN Writers — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:43:28 -0400

Could you imagine the statistics Calvin Johnson would post in Sean Payton's offense in New Orleans? Having Johnson opposite Randy Moss in New England would give most fantasy football gurus a boner.

Often players with a lot of potential aren't in the right scheme to showcase their true talent. We're going to look at 10 players who could benefit from relocating.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, Wide Receiver

Johnson is one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL and will be around for many years. His statistics are great despite not having a reliable quarterback.

Johnson doesn't get the ball nearly enough. Matt Stafford, being drafted No. 1 overall, can possibly develop into a very good quarterback, but if Johnson had a Drew Brees or Tom Brady-type QB, imagine the numbers he would put up.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders, Cornerback

Asomugha has emerged as the best lockdown cornerback in the NFL. His man coverage skills are second to nobody, and most quarterbacks don't even throw the ball to his side. If you take away Asomugha from the Oakland defense, there really isn't too much to brag about.

If he had a great safety behind him to give him help over the top, Asomugha would be even better than he is now. The Raiders drafted safety Mike Mitchell in the second round from Ohio University, who may be able to help.

Leon Washington, New York Jets, Running Back

Washington has potential to mirror Brian Westbrook's role in Philadelphia. However, he was just an afterthought to Eric Mangini for the Jets last year. Washington has game-breaking potential and is great in the return game as well.

Washington needs to be on a team that will give him more touches and get him in open space with the ball, where he is most dangerous.

D.J. Williams, Denver Broncos, Linebacker

Williams has always had great potential to be a feared linebacker in the AFC. However, injuries have held him back. Denver's defensive line is the biggest question mark on a team with many issues.

In a 3-4 defense, Williams hasn't been able to showcase his talent. He has speed to track down many players, and on a team with a better front four, he could really blossom into a much better player.

Tyler Thigpen, Kansas City Chiefs, Quarterback

When he was drafted out of Coastal Carolina, nobody really expected him to turn heads. Kansas City hasn't stabilized the quarterback position in years. With the trade for Matt Cassel from the Patriots, this would leave Thigpen as the backup.

Thigpen has the potential to be a starter in the NFL if he can be more consistent. He has shown flashes of brilliance and can make plays with his feet as well. With a little experience under his belt now and a change of scenery, Thigpen could turn into a starter.

Martellus Bennett, Dallas Cowboys, Tight End

As a backup tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, Bennett showed up in a couple games for the Cowboys last season. He caught four touchdowns last season. Starting tight end Jason Witten led the team in receptions with 81.

With Terrell Owens out of the picture, Witten may see even more passes thrown his way from Tony Romo. Bennett would really benefit by being on a team that is in need of a receiving tight end.

He can really serve as a great target for any quarterback. He could start for most teams in the NFL, but he happens to be behind one of the league's best tight ends in Witten.

Israel Idonije, Chicago Bears, Defensive Tackle/End

Idonije is a versatile player who can play defensive end or defensive tackle and play on special teams as well. He can be a full-time player, especially after losing close to 30 pounds in the offseason to slim down for new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli.

Idonije has great size and athleticism and could start at DE/DT for most teams. The Bears are stacked with Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunleye, Mark Anderson, Tommie Harris, Dusty Dvoracek, Marcus Harrison, etc.

The Bears often rotate players in, but Idonije is capable of being an every down player.

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers, Tight End

Vernon Davis is a freak and if utilized could be a premier tight end in the league. Since being chosen sixth overall in 2006, he hasn't contributed much. With Alex Smith and Shaun Hill throwing the ball, can you honestly blame him?

He is a hybrid TE/WR out of the University of Maryland that can become a big-time player in the league even with a mediocre quarterback throwing to him. He needs to be more involved in the offense and needs to get the ball.

He would be a very nice fit in a more pass friendly offense. Without a quarterback, Frank Gore has had to carry the load on the ground for San Francisco.

Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wide Receiver

Antonio Bryant had a huge year with 83 catches, 1,248 yards, and seven touchdowns after spending 2007 on the couch. He had several highlight reel catches that left many fans breathless.

Why would he need to relocate after such a stellar year?

With Jeff Garcia leaving for Oakland (R.I.P.), Tampa's options at quarterback are Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich. New coach Raheem Morris isn't planning to play first-round draft choice Josh Freeman early at all.

Bryant's production could diminish with a new quarterback at the helm of the offense. He could also see more coverage, as Joey Galloway left for greener pastures in New England.

Billy Volek, San Diego Chargers, Quarterback

Billy Volek has good starting experience, but for most of his career he has been a designated backup. The only way Volek should see the field as a Charger is if Philip Rivers tears his labia in an estrogen-fueled shouting match with Jay Cutler.

While in Tennessee, Volek was pushed aside for Vince Young—that worked out well for them...right? Volek has good accuracy, but like most unproven quarterbacks, he lacks consistency. He has a good arm and has shown that he likes to throw the long ball and can hit it with accuracy. Volek would be a nice fit throwing to the aforementioned Antonio Bryant in Tampa Bay.

Feel free to comment on the players we've chosen and other players who could benefit from relocating. We aren't saying the players chosen in this article aren't good—only that if they relocated they could be even better.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rush - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Green Bay Packers 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:02:52 -0400

2008 Summary
The Packers were perhaps one fateful drive from a date with the undefeated Patriots in the NFC Championship, then Brett Favre sailed a pass right into the hands of Giants defensive back Corey Webster and the rest would soon be history.

Packer fans figured they had seen the last of Brett Favre.

They would soon realize that Favre had the same psyche of a 14-year old girl trying to cancel Myspace. After announcing his retirement to the world, with tears streaming down his face, the carousel of 'will I come back' or 'will I stay retired' began to hang over the Packers like a dark cloud.

It was then that Packers General Manager Ted Thompson chose to do what few front office head men would have - he handed the keys over to the unproven Aaron Rodgers, and told Favre he was welcome to comeback but as Rodgers back up.

Everyone that follows the NFL knows what would transpire next, as Thompson would trade Favre out of the conference to the New York Jets, and Rodgers would finally begin his career as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers some three years after he was drafted 24th overall.

With all eyes on the young quarterback from Cal, Rodgers shined, leading the Pack to a season-opening victory over the hated Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers would also put in a very Favre like effort, as he played hurt most of the season and yet still looked very much like an All-Pro quarterback in the making as he finished the year with 4038 yards passing and 29 touchdowns.

But what Rodgers couldn't control was the up and down play of the Green Bay defense. And it was the defense that prevented the Packers from being a force in the NFC North for a second consecutive season. The Packers run defense was miserable in 2008, ranking 26th overall and surrendering 4.6 yards per carry. As a unit Green Bay would surrender nearly 24 points a contest, forcing Rodgers and the Packers offense to constantly get into shootouts.

However, the most telling stat for the Green Bay defense was the amount of late leads they would blow. Of the Packers ten losses in 2008, seven of them came after the Packers surrendered 4th quarter leads and six of those losses came on final drives for the opposition.

So while Rodgers would keep setting up his team for victory, the Packers defense would subsequently set Rodgers up for heartbreak.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
C Duke Preston (Buffalo)
S Anthony Smith (Pittsburgh)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
None

2009 Offseason Departures:
DT Colin Cole (Seattle)
DE Jason Hunter (Detroit)
DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-9. B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
1-26. Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
4-109. T.J. Lang, OT/G, Eastern Michigan
5-145. Quinn Johnson, FB, LSU
5-162. Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
6-182. Jarius Wynn, DE, Georgia
6-187. Brandon Underwood, FS, Cincinnati
7-218. Brad Jones, LB, Colorado

2009 Outlook:
The Packers immediately went to work on their defense when they dismissed former defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and hired the notable Dom Capers to run the defense. With the hiring of Capers, the Packers will switch to a 3-4 base defense, meaning the personnel began to get a makeover in the offseason.

However, Packers GM Ted Thompson is a firm believer of building through the draft and he showed as much when he selected mammoth nose tackle B.J. Raji with the ninth overall selection and later traded back into the first round to select USC linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. with the 25th overall selection. Raji's presence on the Packers defensive line should immediately shore up a terrible rush defense from a season ago, and free up their pass rush which was practically invisible in 2008. Meanwhile, Matthews will round out a young linebacking corps headlined by A.J. Hawk and former defensive end Aaron Kampman, who will now play upright and be primarily used as a rush 3-4 backer.

The secondary once again will be led by veteran cornerback Charles Woodson who will be paired up with longtime Packer Al Harris and young corners Jarrett Bush, Pat Lee, and Tramon Williams. Green Bay also features a pair of hard-hitting playmakers at safety in Nick Collins and Atari Bigby. They added Anthony Smith as a free agent from Pittsburgh, who is better known for his guarantee a few years back against the undefeated Patriots than his play on the field.

Offensively, the same cast of characters Packer fans saw in 2008 will be back on the field in 2009. Aaron Rodgers will look to continue his excellent play in his second full season as starter and will have a great set of wide receivers to throw it to with Greg Jennings highlighting the crew. Rodgers and Jennings showed an excellent chemistry in 2008 as the duo connected 80 times for 1292 yards and 9 touchdowns. Veteran Donald Driver, fresh off a 1000 yard season as well, will play alongside Jennings with young playmaker James Jones and perhaps the next good receiver to down Packers green - Jordy Nelson. Donald Lee is also a major threat in the passing game as the Green Bay starting tight end.

Coach Mike McCarthy will once again deploy a running back by committee system with Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson splitting a majority of the carries.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	Chicago
Sun 9/20	Cincinnati
Sun 9/27	at St. Louis
Mon 10/5	at Minnesota
	bye
Sun 10/18	Detroit
Sun 10/25	at Cleveland
Sun 11/1	Minnesota
Sun 11/8	at Tampa Bay
Sun 11/15	Dallas
Sun 11/22	San Francisco
Thu 11/26	at Detroit
Mon 12/7	Baltimore
Sun 12/13	at Chicago
Sun 12/20	at Pittsburgh
Sun 12/27	Seattle
Sun 1/3	at Arizona

2009 Prediction:
Playing in the same division as Detroit and drawing the NFC West as their inter-conference matchup could pay major dividends for the Packers if Dom Capers is able to turn around the defense quickly.

Offensively, few teams in the NFC can really match up with the personnel the Packers will field in 2009. Aside from Arizona with Anquan Boldin playing, there is really not a wide receiving corps top to bottom as good as Green Bay's in this conference. This passing attack makes the Packers a very difficult team to match up against - when the defense does its job.

I am a believer that sometimes all a team needs is a change of viewpoint. Dom Capers track record speaks for itself, as more often than not he turns around defenses and does so quickly.

It should not go without saying just how close this Packer team was to having a much different season than they wound up having. What wound up being 6-10 very easily could have been 10-6 or 11-5 had the Packers been able to close out games.

There will likely be growing pains given the youth and inexperience at some of the Packers key positions on that side of the ball, but a really favorable schedule and a dynamic offense can, and in my opinion will take this team to a wild card berth.

Predicted Finish: 10-6, 2nd place NFC North - Wild Card

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Detroit Lions 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:56:12 -0400

2008 Summary

Lets first go over the Lions victories a season ago.

Okay now that that's out of the way...

In all seriousness, if you look up "ineptness" in the dictionary, it's likely you will find a blurb about the Detroit Lions historically bad season a year ago. If you are new to the game of football, the Lions finished the season 0-16 and are currently riding high on a 17-game losing streak dating all the way back to December 30, 2007.

Or if you would like to take a really positive look at things, the Lions have lost 23 of their last 24 regular season games.

Last season saw the winds of change for the Lions franchise, as the Matt Millen era finally came to a close. However, in much of the same manner as picking up pieces after a tornado destroys a trailer park, the Lions still have a lot of work ahead of them if they are to crawl back into the realm of respectability.

2009 Free Agency Additions

T Jon Jansen (Washington)
LB Larry Foote (Pittsburgh)
WR Ronald Curry (Oakland)
FB Terrelle Smith (Arizona)
TE Will Heller (Seattle)
LB Cody Spencer (New York Jets)
T Daniel Loper (Tennessee)
CB Phillip Buchanon (Tampa Bay)
DT Grady Jackson (Atlanta)
WR Bryant Johnson (San Francisco)
CB Eric King (Tennessee)
RB Maurice Morris (Seattle)

2009 Trade Acquisitions

LB Julian Peterson (Seattle)
CB Anthony Henry (Dallas)

2009 Offseason Departures

DE/DT Cory Redding (Seattle)
CB Leigh Bodden (New England)
DT Shaun Cody (Houston)
WR Mike Furrey (Cleveland)
LB Paris Lenon (New England)
FB Moran Norris (San Francisco)
QB Dan Orlovsky (Houston)
TE John Owens (Seattle)
QB Jon Kitna (Dallas)

2009 NFL Draft

1-1 QB Matthew Stafford - Georgia
1-20 TE Brandon Pettigrew - Oklahoma State
2-33 CB/S Louie Delmas - Western Michigan
3-76 LB DeAndre Levy - Wisconsin
3-82 WR Derrick Williams - Penn State
4-115 DT Sammie Lee Hill - Stillman
6-192 RB Aaron Brown - TCU
7-228 OT Lydon Murtha - Nebraska
7-235 LB Zach Follett - California
7-255 TE Dan Gronkowski - Maryland

2009 Outlook

If you're a Lions fan and you're looking for optimism, at least you can say 2009 cannot be any worse than 2008.

New head coach Jim Schwartz comes over to the Motor City fresh off of coaching the Titans' defense for the past seven seasons, He will immediately try to repair a Lions defense that was absolutely miserable a year ago (32nd overall).

The Lions made some moves they hope can immediately begin this process by acquiring Pro-Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson from the Seahawks and signing cornerback Phillip Buchanon to shore up the Lions paltry secondary. They also added Grady Jacksonto anchor the Lions defensive line and fill the void left behind by Cory Redding.

Offensively, no question all eyes will be on No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford. Whether or not Stafford can beat out late 2008 addition Daunte Culpepper remains to be seen, but when you are making the kind of coin Stafford is making, the question is not "if", it's "when".

New offensive coordinator Scott Linehan will oversee the offense, and more importantly Stafford's development. Linehan, while having a truly horrible stint as head coach in St. Louis, is very respected amongst his peers for his coordinating abilities and should help turn around an offense that was almost as putrid to watch a year ago (30th overall) as its defense.

The Lions offense is not without its budding stars however, as WR Calvin Johnson has quietly become one of the leagues best young talents. RB Kevin Smith also showed flashes during the forgetful season a year ago and should continue to build on that in his sophomore campaign. Draft picks Brandon Pettigrew and Derrick Williams also figure to have major roles for Linehan's offense.

2009 Schedule

Sunday, September 13	at New Orleans Saints
Sunday, September 20	MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Sunday, September 27	WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Sunday, October 4	at Chicago Bears
Sunday, October 11	PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Sunday, October 18	at Green Bay Packers
Sunday, October 25	BYE
Sunday, November 1	ST. LOUIS RAMS
Sunday, November 8	at Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, November 15	at Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, November 22	CLEVELAND BROWNS
Thursday, November 26	GREEN BAY PACKERS
Sunday, December 6	at Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, December 13	at Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, December 20	ARIZONA CARDINALS
Sunday, December 27	at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, January 3	CHICAGO BEARS

2009 Prediction

If you're looking for another Miami or Atlanta "worst to first" story in the making, it's not going to happen here. The Lions will show signs of progress, but will otherwise continue to struggle in a division that greatly improved from a year ago. The best case scenario for the 2009 Lions figures to be 4-5 wins, but they will not duplicate their 0-16 march from a year ago.

Predicted Finish: 3-13, 4th NFC North

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Washington Redskins 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:50:00 -0400

2008 Summary:

They say football is a game of inches, and that cliche really rang true for the Washington Redskins in 2008.

While it's hard to blame their entire season on a single event, it's hard not to wonder what the season would have been like had the Redskins not taken a game off midway through the season.

Under the direction of new coach Jim Zorn, the Redskins were flying high to start the season. Sure they had lost a tough NFC East opening night game against the then defending World Champion Giants, but following that loss the Skins went on a 4-game winning streak, highlighted by back to back come from behind victories against hated rivals Dallas and Philadelphia, leaving Washington at a 4-1 record and having all the looks of a surprise team.

Then a contest against a downright awful St. Louis team at home, loomed on the horizon. The Rams had just fired their coach Scott Linehan and through the first five games of the season looked miserable.

Entering the contest against 4-1 Washington, the Rams had lost their first four games by an average score of 37-10. They looked like they had already quit on the season. And no one would have guessed that the Rams could walk into FedEx Field and come out without another blowout defeat, much less winning straight up.

But they did just that. And the rest of the season would unfold, almost as though it were drawn up that way, in that one fateful loss on a nice October afternoon would prevent them from possibly clinching the sixth and final playoff spot over their division rivals Philadelphia.

Entering the bye week the Redskins were 6-3 on the season. They would go on to lose five of their last seven contests, in large part because of injuries that began to plague star running back Clinton Portis.

Portis was the catalyst of the new Jim Zorn attack, rushing for over 100 yards in five consecutive games before the Pittsburgh Steelers would leave him battered and bruised and never quite the same player the rest of the way.

Following the loss to Pittsburgh, Portis would only eclipse 100 yards one more time the rest of the season, and the rest of the offense would quickly unravel with the Redskins playoff chances.

In 2008, the Redskins defense played outstanding and kept its sluggish offense in many games down the stretch. As a unit the Skins only allowed 18 points a game and had the 4th best total defense in the league.

Their offense on the other hand, while ranking 8th overall rushing the ball, could not put the ball in the end zone. They would only score 16 points a contest, good for 28th in all of football.

The discrepancy in their offense and defense, and a terrible loss to St. Louis would be the ultimate deathblow to the Redskins and their 2008 season.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

DT Albert Haynesworth (Tennessee)
P Hunter Smith (Indianapolis)
G Derrick Dockery (Buffalo)
RB Anthony Alridge (Denver)
WR Roydell Williams (Tennessee)
LB Robert Thomas (Oakland)
G Jeremy Bridges (Carolina)
RB Marcus Mason (New York Jets)
T Mike Williams (N/A)

2009 Trade Acquistions:

None

2009 Offseason Departures:

DE Jason Taylor (Miami)
CB Shawn Springs (New England)
DE Demetric Evans (San Francisco)
DT Ryan Boschetti (Oakland)
T Jon Jansen (Detroit)
P Ryan Plackemeier (Cincinnati)
P Dirk Johnson (Pittsburgh)

2009 NFL Draft:

1-13. Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
3-80. Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland
5-158. Cody Glenn, OLB, Nebraska
6-186. Robert Henson, OLB, TCU
7-221. Eddie Williams, TE, Idaho
7-243. Marko Mitchell, WR, Nevada

2009 Outlook

The Redskins, and in particular owner Daniel Sydner, went back to his roots to kick off the 2009 offseason by signing Albert Haynesworth to a $100-million dollar contract with $41 million of that guaranteed.

They then followed that up by giving cornerback DeAngelo Hall $54-million with $22.5 guaranteed and guard Derrick Dockery $26-million with $8.5 guaranteed.

They also entertained the idea of acquiring Jay Cutler from Denver or moving up in the draft for Mark Sanchez, leading many to believe the days of Jason Campbell as a starting quarterback in the District of Columbia are running out.

Since they were unable to do either thing, the Skins will once again hand the keys over to the former Auburn quarterback, and the usual gang of suspects will once again be in the Redskins lineup.

Clinton Portis hopes to regain the health he had in the first half of the season and pick up from there, and it's safe to say this team will go as far as he can take them. Backup Ladell Betts is a fine change of pace back, but far from the same type of talent as Portis.

Campbell will have Santana Moss at wide receiver yet again, and should figure to see more of young WR's Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in 2009. Tight End Chris Cooley will also be a pivotal part of the Redskins offense in both the run and passing game as he is as excellent a run blocker as he is a weapon in the passing game.

The offensive line, as mentioned previously, will see Derrick Dockery come back to the Redskins after leaving for a mammoth deal with the Buffalo Bills a few seasons ago, and Dockery will be joined by tackle Chris Samuels on the left side of the Redskins line. Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas will be the main pieces on the right side of the line and Mike Williams makes his return to the NFL in hopes of seeing some playing time at either guard or tackle for the Skins.

Defensively, all eyes will be on the Redskins big-money nose tackle Albert Haynesworth, a player that can completely dominate an offense if he is on top of his game. The rest of the Redskins line looks very good on paper with Andre Carter and first round pick Brian Orakpo manning the defensive end positions and Cornelius Griffin playing alongside Haynesworth.

In the Redskins linebacking corps, London Fletcher will again be the man in the middle with outside linebacker Rocky McIntosh also figuring to be a major part of the Skins attack.

The Skins secondary will be headlined by playmaking safety Laron Landry, along with corners DeAngelo Hall and Carlos Rogers. Hall had a disastrous stint as an Oakland Raider but played fairly well as a Redskin. Still it will be interesting to see how both he and Albert Haynesworth play following their huge paydays in this offseason.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	at NY Giants
Sun 9/20	St. Louis
Sun 9/27	at Detroit
Sun 10/4	Tampa Bay
Sun 10/11	at Carolina
Sun 10/18	Kansas City
Mon 10/26	Philadelphia
	bye
Sun 11/8	at Atlanta
Sun 11/15	Denver
Sun 11/22	at Dallas
Sun 11/29	at Philadelphia
Sun 12/6	New Orleans
Sun 12/13	at Oakland
Mon 12/21	NY Giants
Sun 12/27	Dallas
Sun 1/3	at San Diego

2009 Prediction

The Redskins certainly grabbed a lot of attention early in the free agent signing period with their mammoth contract given to All-Pro Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth, but for much of the Daniel Sydner era, more noise has been made by the Redskins in March than it has been in the fall and winter.

It's hard to see how this will not be the case yet again in 2009, as when you look at the rest of a very strong division, the Redskins seemingly were content with adding the big named Haynesworth and not much else.

And even though Haynesworth was one of the most dominant players in football a year ago, the serious question will remain with him for the next several seasons in that how much of Haynesworth's dominance came as a result of his talent, and how much came as a result of him wanting to get paid.

In any other division, the recipe of a solid rushing attack with a stingy defense could be enough to net the Redskins a playoff berth or a division title, but not in a division like the NFC East.

Predicted Finish: 7-9, 4th NFC East

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Denver Broncos 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:40:45 -0400

2008 Summary

For the Denver Broncos, 2008 was a tale of two seasons. The exciting beginning, and the disappointing end.

Mike Shanahan and his chosen project of the future, Jay Cutler, seemed to have something really special brewing in the early stages of the season, as Cutler led the Broncos to a 3-0 start while throwing for an eye popping 914 yards and 8 touchdowns.

But the entire time the Broncos were clicking on all cylinders offensively, Shanahan knew the Broncos were extremely fortunate to not be 1-2 at this point in time, given how badly their defense played and how they were literally given a victory by official Ed Hochuli.

Despite this, the Broncos offense was playing so well, that Shanahan and company thought they would weather the storm and get by on Cutler's golden arm.

Shanahan guessed wrong.

A blowout loss at the hands of lowly Kansas City would begin a skid for the Broncos in which they would drop four of their next five games, taking the 3-0 start and washing it away with seemingly the same ease as a Cutler deep ball.

After a loss to Miami at home, which saw the Broncos basically throw the ball on every play, Shanahan's group faced a short week and a huge road game against floundering, but still dangerous, Cleveland. They would go on to win that Thursday Night contest in another shootout - with Cutler throwing for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns.

However, the most alarming stat was not Cutler's passing yardage, but rather the fact even in spite of a game that ranked as the 3rd best outing in franchise history for a Denver quarterback - the Broncos still only won by 4 points against a 3-6 club starting a QB that had never started a professional game before.

And again, despite the defense being miserable, the Broncos kept finding ways to win, as they would defeat three of their next four opponents to take their record to 8-5 and all but clinch the AFC West.

Or so they thought.

With the Broncos only needing to win one of their final three games to seal a trip to the postseason, the Broncos defense surrendered 112 points to close out the year. The finale being a 52-21 drubbing at the hands of the San Diego Chargers, the 2008 AFC West Champions, who were left for dead a month prior to this contest.

The Broncos finished 2008 ranked 29th against the run and the pass, but with the way they played down the stretch, it's hard to find a defense that was any worse than the Denver Broncos.

Offensively, the Broncos finished 2nd in total offense and third in pass yardage per game. But a rash of injuries to the Broncos running backs made a rushing attack virtually invisible down the stretch.

Above all else though, the failure to close out the division would begin a chain of events that would shake up the Broncos franchise more than anyone could have possibly imagined.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

CB Andre Goodman (Miami)
S Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia)
LB Andra Davis (Cleveland)
RB Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia)
RB Lamont Jordan (New England)
S Renaldo Hill (Miami)
WR Jabar Gaffney (New England)
DT/DE Ronald Fields (San Francisco)
LB Nick Greisen (Baltimore)
WR Brandon Lloyd (Chicago)
T Brandon Gorin (St. Louis)
QB Chris Simms (Tennessee)
DT Darrell Reid (Indianapolis)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

QB Kyle Orton (Chicago)

2009 Offseason Departures:

QB Jay Cutler (Traded to Chicago)
S Marquand Manuel (Detroit)
S Marlon McCree (Jacksonville)
T Erik Pears (Oakland)
CB Dre Bly (San Francisco)
RB Anthony Alridge (Washington)
CB Karl Paymah (Minnesota)
LB Niko Koutouvides (Tampa Bay)
QB Patrick Ramsey (Tennessee)

2009 NFL Draft:

1-12. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
1-18. Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
2-37. Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
2-48. Darcel McBath, FS, Texas Tech
3-64. Richard Quinn, TE, North Carolina
4-114. David Bruton, FS, Notre Dame
4-132. Seth Olsen, G, Iowa
5-141. Kenny McKinley, WR, South Carolina
6-174. Tom Brandstater, QB, Fresno State
7-225. Blake Schlueter, C, TCU

2009 Outlook

The Broncos fired Mike Shanahan after the late season collapse, ending his 13-year career with the franchise.

However, maybe Pat Bowlen wishes he could have that one back.

That's because the man he hired, Josh McDaniels, would immediately make the biggest mistake possible by entertaining the idea of acquiring his former pet project in New England, quarterback Matt Cassel.

To say Jay Cutler was not happy was an understatement. Cutler was so ticked off by the reports he was nearly traded, he went AWOL and basically forced the Broncos to move him weeks after Cassel was sent packing to division rival Kansas City.

In return for Cutler, a man that threw for 4526 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2008, McDaniels received Kyle Orton and draft picks from the Chicago Bears.

So now after alienating the teams franchise player, McDaniels is seemingly stuck with a far lesser talent in Orton. And as if that weren't bad enough, his best tight end Tony Scheffler and best wide receiver Brandon Marshall also want to be traded before the start of the season.

But to discuss the players already on the roster, we can talk about the offensive and defensive players that most certainly will still be Denver Broncos for the time being.

McDaniels selected the running back of the future with the 12th overall selection in Knowshon Moreno, and also signed running backs Lamont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington. However Arrington was released after failing a physical during offseason workouts.

McDaniels also brought over free agent wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Lloyd to pair with Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall - should Marshall have a change of heart and elect to play this season in Denver. Assuming Tony Scheffler also suits up in Denver, he will once again be paired with Daniel Graham and draft pick Richard Quinn.

On the offensive line, probably the strongest unit on the Broncos roster, last years first round pick Ryan Clady had a great rookie season and will once again be the starting left tackle for the Broncos. Ben Hamilton and Casey Wiegmann also put forth good seasons a year ago.

Defensively, there weren't many positive things to say about this group a year ago, and their offseason may not change this anytime soon. Former 49ers head coach and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will oversee the defense in 2009, and will have a secondary filled with aging veterans.

Brian Dawkins comes to Denver after a long career in Philadelphia, and will play in the secondary with veteran corner Champ Bailey and free-agent acquisitions Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill. Rookie Alphonso Smith will likely see extensive playing time as well, playing as the 3rd corner in Nolan's defense.

Nolan may have a hard time finding consistency on his defensive line, as rookie Robert Ayers, free agent signee Ronald Fields and Ryan McBean will make up the starters on the defensive line, while Jarvis Moss and Elvis Dumervil will have to transition from a 4-3 scheme to Nolan's 3-4 system with inside linebackers D.J. Williams and former Cleveland Brown Andra Davis manning the middle.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	at Cincinnati
Sun 9/20	Cleveland
Sun 9/27	at Oakland
Sun 10/4	Dallas
Sun 10/11	New England
Mon 10/19	at San Diego
	bye
Sun 11/1	at Baltimore
Mon 11/9	Pittsburgh
Sun 11/15	at Washington
Sun 11/22	San Diego
Thu 11/26	NY Giants
Sun 12/6	at Kansas City
Sun 12/13	at Indianapolis
Sun 12/20	Oakland
Sun 12/27	at Philadelphia
Sun 1/3	Kansas City
Sun 12/27	Tampa Bay
Sun 1/3	at Carolina

2009 Prediction:
It's extremely rare for a first year coach to instantly be on the so called 'hot seat' but that's what Josh McDaniels was able to do for himself this offseason for his domino effect of negative decisions.

The Broncos finished 2008 with one of the best offenses in football, in large part due to their rising star at quarterback Jay Cutler, but they missed the playoffs due to one of the worst defenses in recent memory.

So instead of repairing that, McDaniels decided to tempt fate and see if he could quietly move Jay Cutler to another team in exchange for someone more familiar with his offense in Matt Cassel.

The move, as many know, blew up in his face and now the Broncos have a totally different look to them. Kyle Orton is a decent quarterback with a steady rushing attack and a very good defense, but the Broncos had neither of those things in 2008 and it's unclear if rookie Knowshon Moreno will be able to give them a rushing game in 2009 with no legit threat at quarterback and Brandon Marshall being the latest player wanting out.

And with a great amount of draft picks at his disposal, McDaniels spent only one of those selections on a defensive lineman who arguably isn't even a fit for the scheme they will be transitioning into in 2009 - and he also acquired a 5-foot-9 nickel back for a first round pick in next years draft, a draft that figures to be heavy at the positions Denver is very weak at.

It's unfathomable how bad a first offseason Josh McDaniels has had, and barring the greatest defensive coaching job since Buddy Ryan, the regular season will be just as long and just as bad for the Denver Broncos.

The only question that remains is.. how much time will Josh McDaniels have to repair this?

Predicted Finish: 4-12, 3rd place AFC West

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

New Orleans Saints 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:12:19 -0400

2008 Summary

For the past two seasons since a surprise run to the NFC Championship game, the New Orleans Saints have been the epitome of an inconsistent team. One week their offense, led by star quarterback Drew Brees, will look like a reincarnation of the 98' Vikings or the Mike Martz Rams teams and the next week, they will struggle to protect the ball and generally play down to their opposition.

In 2008 - the inconsistencies we saw from the Saints a year prior to that were ever present once again. The season started off well for New Orleans, as Drew Brees passed for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns in an opening day victory over division foe Tampa Bay.

The next week however, Brees would struggle to get into any kind of rhythm and turn the ball over twice, while the Saints defense would all but disappear in a loss to the Redskins on the road.

The yo-yo effect of exchanging wins and losses would basically become a running theme for the Saints the entire season. Throughout 2008, the Saints offense would post outstanding numbers en route to ranking first in the league in total yards per game, passing yards per game, and points per game.

However, their defense was a whole different story. Last season the Saints defense, an obvious achilles heel for the team, would be ranked 23rd overall and surrender over 24 points a game.

In other words, when the Saints would win, it would come via a shootout - but when their offense would struggle to get into any sort of flow, the game was all but over.

What this resulted in was another very average season. While Drew Brees came within 16 yards of breaking Dan Marino's single season record for passing yards in a season, the Saints quarterback also threw 17 interceptions, with only Brett Favre and Jay Cutler throwing more during the year.

And while it may seem unfair to nitpick about a season that saw over 5000 yards passing and 34 touchdowns, with as shaky a defense and place kicker as Brees was playing alongside, the big interception would often prove to be a deathblow.

As the 2008 season drew to a close, with the Saints finishing at 8-8, coach Sean Payton knew he had to get his franchise quarterback some stability on his other units so that the weight on Brees' shoulders would not be too much for him to handle.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

CB Jabari Greer (Buffalo)
FB Heath Evans (New England)
S Darren Sharper (Minnesota)
LB Anthony Waters (San Diego)
C Nick Leckey (St. Louis)
S Pierson Prioleau (Jacksonville)
DT Rod Coleman (Atlanta)
DE Paul Spicer (Jacksonville)
TE Dan Campbell (Detroit)
OT Anthony Davis (St. Louis)
TE Darnell Dinkins (Cleveland)
WR Paris Warren (Tampa Bay)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

None

2009 Offseason Departures:

FB Mike Karney (St. Louis)
S Josh Bullocks (Chicago)
WR David Patten (Cleveland)
RB Deuce McAllister (Released)
CB Mike McKenzie (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:

1-14. Malcolm Jenkins, FS, Ohio State
4-116. Chip Vaughn, SS, Wake Forest
4-118. Stanley Arnoux, ILB, Wake Forest
5-164. Thomas Morstead, P, SMU

2009 Outlook

New Orleans began to reconfigure their defense by removing Gary Gibbs as defensive coordinator and hiring Gregg Williams to become their new defensive coordinator.

Then between free agency and the draft, the Saints began to add much needed pieces on their depth chart. Veteran safety Darren Sharper was signed to play safety, and corner Jabari Greer came over from Buffalo to fill a spot vacated by the departure of Mike McKenzie.

The Saints also drafted Malcolm Jenkins out of Ohio State, who can play either corner or safety, with their first round pick in 2009.

On the defensive line, the Saints added a couple of veterans to their rotation in Paul Spicer and Rod Coleman, and they surely hope that each aging vet has some juice left in the tank. Bobby McCray and Will Smith will resume their spots as the teams defensive ends, but the Saints will need much more production out of each of these guys as combined they were only able to register 9 sacks in 2008.

Without any doubt though, the leader of the Saints defense is middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Vilma, who came over to the Saints a season ago after being acquired from the New York Jets, led the Saints in tackles with 132 in 2008.

Offensively, the Saints will basically return everyone from their #1 overall attack a season ago, the lone exception being Deuce McAllister. Drew Brees once again will be under center and he should have, for the time being anyway, a healthy Reggie Bush playing behind him.

Bush was on his way to posting career numbers across the board a season ago before injuries cut his season short. Pierre Thomas will be Reggie's main backup this year, and was the Saints leading rusher in 2008.

Brees will have plenty of weapons to get the ball to downfield, with his main targets being Marques Colston and 2008 breakout player Lance Moore. Also complementing these two targets are Devery Henderson and tight ends Billy Miller and Jeremy Shockey, who had a fairly disappointing inaugural season as a member of the Saints.

On special teams, the Saints are one of the best teams at returning punts and kicks, in large part due to No. 25.

However, a major problem a season ago for the Saints was their own kicking game. In hopes of repairing this, the Saints did the rare thing and moved up to draft punter Thomas Morestead in the 5th round.

Garrett Hartley will be the teams kicker to start 2009, after being the third such player brought on by New Orleans a year ago. In 2008, Hartley finally cured the Saints woes at place kicker by going a perfect 13 for 13, but it may have been too late on the grander scale as the Saints lost two crucial games early in the season due to last second field goal shanks.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	Detroit
Sun 9/20	at Philadelphia
Sun 9/27	at Buffalo
Sun 10/4	NY Jets
	bye
Sun 10/18	NY Giants
Sun 10/25	at Miami
Mon 11/2	Atlanta
Sun 11/8	Carolina
Sun 11/15	at St. Louis
Sun 11/22	at Tampa Bay
Mon 11/30	New England
Sun 12/6	at Washington
Sun 12/13	at Atlanta
Sat 12/19	Dallas
Sun 12/27	Tampa Bay
Sun 1/3	at Carolina

2009 Prediction:
Luck was not on the Saints side in 2009, as they played in the most competitive division in the NFC a season ago, and were unable to make the playoffs despite getting a 5000 passing effort from their quarterback and leading the league in points scored and total yardage.

The primary reason for the Saints disappointing 8-8 finish was in large part due to the Saints defense and special teams constantly letting down the Saints offense in the waning moments of the game, and as stated earlier, the games the Saints won came via a shootout and the games the Saints lost came when a pivotal mistake came at the wrong time.

In an effort to repair this, the Saints made an array of moves in the 2009 offseason, and a lot of them are very risky. Gregg Williams was extremely disappointing as defensive coordinator in Jacksonville a season ago, and Darren Sharper is not the same player he once was. The Saints first round selection of Malcolm Jenkins appears to be a good one, but many questions surround Jenkins ability to play corner, and whether or not he is really meant to be a safety at the next level.

However, for all the problems the Saints defense and special teams unit gave its own offense a year ago, the fixes may not have to be as great as they would have to normally be on another team for the simple reason its offense is one of the best in football.

And of course, finishing last in the NFC South seems to have its benefits the following season.

As I expect it will this year.

Predicted Finish: 10-6, 1st place NFC South

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Houston Texans 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:56:17 -0400

2008 Summary

Since their inception in 2002, the Houston Texans have yet to reach the playoffs—or for that matter post a winning season.

The 2008 season was expected to be the potential coming out party for Gary Kubiak's Texans, and then Mother Nature decided to throw the young franchise a major curveball who went by the name of 'Ike'.

That is.. Hurricane Ike.

The deadly hurricane that ravaged the coast of Texas also damaged the Texans Reliant Stadium, forcing the Texans to take their bye week in Week Two of the season and play three consecutive road games to start the year before finally having their home opener in October against the defending AFC South Champion Colts.

And that contest against the Colts, kind of set up the rest of the season for the young Texans. Entering the game, the Texans were without their starting quarterback Matt Schaub due to an illness Schaub sustained shortly before kickoff, and they turned over the offense to journeyman backup Sage Rosenfels.

In one of the more memorable games of 2008, Rosenfels turned the ball over twice in under two minutes - leading to the Colts storming from 17 points down in the 4th quarter to shock the Texans 31-27 and send them to an 0-4 start.

But after that game, the Texans learned a lot about themselves, they realized then and there that they can hang with the best the league had to offer if they only played smarter football. If they could only stay hungry for all 60 minutes and not most of those 60 minutes.

The Texans would go on to win their next three games, and quickly inch back to a 3-4 mark. Incredible considering all the emotional pitfalls the team had already gone through in only half a season.

And then—yet again, the Texans would have another curveball thrown their way. Matt Schaub would sustain a knee injury before the end of the first half in what would become a blowout loss on the road against the Vikings.

Schaub would miss the next month of play with a sprained knee. The Texans would go 2-2, and with Schaub ready to return—Gary Kubiak posed one goal left for his Houston club.

"Finish .500. Finish the season strong, and give us something to build on in 2010."

With Schaub back in the lineup, strong running from rookie Steve Slaton, and great performance after great performance by one of the best receivers in football, Andre Johnson, the Texans did just that as they closed out the season winning four of their last five games to cap off the year 8-8, giving the franchise its best record yet.

And with the 8-8 mark came the one thing Gary Kubiak was hoping to see out of this young bunch. Something to build upon.

The passing offense finished 4th overall in the NFL—in large part to the play of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson's 115 receptions for 1575 yards and 8 touchdowns. As an entire unit, the Texans offense was a force to be reckoned with as it finished 3rd overall.

Rookie Steve Slaton rushed for 1282 yards and 9 touchdowns, and may have won Rookie of the Year had it not been for Matt Ryan's outstanding first season.

Defensively though, the Texans still had a few holes to shore up. As a unit they finished 22nd overall and of the Texans eight losses in 2008, four came by a touchdown or less, and defensive inefficiency coupled with costly turnovers would be the culprit.

And if you took away the play of sensational defensive end Mario Williams and his 12 sacks in 2008 - the Texans unit as a whole would have only contributed 13 sacks on the season.

Needless to say, even the best offenses in football need a more consistent effort from its defense than that.

2009 Free Agency Additions:

LB Cato June (Tampa Bay)
DE Antonio Smith (Arizona)
DT Shaun Cody (Detroit)
QB Rex Grossman (Chicago)
QB Dan Orlovsky (Detroit)
G Adrian Jones (Kansas City)
LB Buster Davis (Indianapolis)
RB Clifton Dawson (Indianapolis)
FB Boomer Grigsby (Miami)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

2009 Offseason Departures:

S C.C. Brown (NY Giants)
CB Demarcus Faggins (Tennessee)
S Glenn Earl (Chicago)
RB Ahman Green (Unsigned)
RB Ron Dayne (Unsigned)
LB Morlon Greenwood (Unsigned)
S Will Demps (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:

1-15. Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
2-46. Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati
3-77. Antoine Caldwell, C/G, Alabama
4-112. Glover Quin, CB, New Mexico
4-122. Anthony Hill, TE, N.C. State
5-152. James Casey, TE, Rice
6-188. Brice McCain, CB, Utah
7-223. Troy Nolan, SS, Arizona State

2009 Outlook

Houston's 2009 outlook looks bright if they are able to keep Matt Schaub healthy for a full 16-game season, something he has yet to do as a starting quarterback for the Texans.

Coach Gary Kubiak and Schaub will each have a wide array of weapons at their disposal on offense beginning of course with arguably the best wide receiver in football right now Andre Johnson.

Like Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, Johnson has a frightening combination of size, speed and strength and is just an overall terror to defend for opposing defenses. His presence greatly helps his counterparts lining up alongside him, namely Kevin Walter and tight end Owen Daniels.

With Johnson constantly drawing double coverage, Walter or Daniels almost always face single coverage with a defender and are more than talented enough to make defenses pay in their own right, proven by each players strong outings a season ago.

The rushing attack also came into its own a season ago behind the aforementioned great rookie season from third-round pick Steve Slaton. Slaton brought an entirely new element to the Texans offense, with his all-purpose yardage and threat to make a big play with every touch of the ball. The depth behind Slaton could become a concern though should Slaton go down with an injury as behind Slaton are two very injury prone backups in Chris Brown and Ryan Moats.

On the Texans offensive line, the bookend tackle combination of Duane Brown and Eric Winston did a good job for the most part in the Alex Gibbs zone-blocking scheme, and this should be another solid unit in 2009 should they avoid injuries.

Defensively, it all starts and ends with playmakers Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans. Williams, as mentioned earlier, led the Texans with 12 sacks in 2008 and after being a very controversial 1st overall pick back in 2005, has really come into his own as one of the games elite defensive players.

Super Mario will have some new teammates on the defensive line with him as Antonio Smith comes to Houston after playing with the NFC Champion Cardinals a year ago, and Shaun Cody comes to Houston after playing with the winless Lions.

Ryans on the other hand is one of the more underrated players in all of football, despite winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2006. Ryans has been a tackling machine in his three seasons as a Texan, averaging 131 tackles a season playing the MLB position.

He will be paired with first round pick Brian Cushing out of Southern Cal and former Indianapolis Colt and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Cato June. The Texans linebacking corps should be one of the best in the division, and could very well be one of the best in the league by seasons end.

In Houston's secondary, underrated corner Dunta Robinson will return for another season, but is currently holding out as the Texans franchise player. When he returns in 2009 he will be paired with Jacques Reeves and Fred Bennett.

Safeties Nick Ferguson and Eugene Wilson will resume their starting roles as well.

2009 Schedule

Sun 9/13	NY Jets
Sun 9/20	at Tennessee
Sun 9/27	Jacksonville
Sun 10/4	Oakland
Sun 10/11	at Arizona
Sun 10/18	at Cincinnati
Sun 10/25	San Francisco
Sun 11/1	at Buffalo
Sun 11/8	at Indianapolis
	bye
Mon 11/23	Tennessee
Sun 11/29	Indianapolis
Sun 12/6	at Jacksonville
Sun 12/13	Seattle
Sun 12/20	at St. Louis
Sun 12/27	at Miami
Sun 1/3	New England

2009 Prediction:
The Texans will be a popular choice amongst all the football pundits and so-called experts to be the sleeper team of 2009, and with good reason.

This is a team that offensively, is as good as any in football, and quietly has assembled a great young nucleus of Matt Schaub, Steve Slaton, and Andre Johnson. Defensively, the Texans had trouble slowing other teams down a year ago and let games get away from them. This year, the Texans defense has been reconfigured in such a way that it should no longer be a major liability if the Texans offense is on the sidelines late in the 4th quarter with a lead.

Slowly but surely, the Houston Texans are assembling a lot of good young players and are being coached by one of the brightest offensive minds in the game.

In my opinion this coming season, the AFC South is the strongest division in football, and the Houston Texans - should Matt Schaub stay healthy the entire season - could very well come out on top.

If you're not a believer in this team yet, you will be by the end of the season.

Predicted Finish: 11-5, 1st Place AFC South

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Virtual Football Season Is Upon Us: Just What Is A Gamer To Do?

VSN Writers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:20:40 -0400

It’s that time of year. It’s time for EA Sports to roll out their annual football duo—NCAA and Madden. But I really can’t decide what to do. I’m tired of being disappointed by one, or both of these titles. Don’t get me wrong, I love video football, but it seems that over the last few years EA has come up just a bit short on the football gaming front.

Last season NCAA ’09 did offer up the new (for EA) online dynasty feature. Kudos to EA. They finally stepped up.

Gamers had been clamoring for this for years. Finally it came to pass and was actually a very nice addition. I participated in an on line dynasty with some friends and it was very enjoyable. Other than that it was pretty much the same game as previous versions.

This season NCAA ’10 offers up some new innovations. I can’t wait to see the marching bands, the windsocks, the EA logo on the nets. C’mon!!!! And how about that Season Showdown mode—earth shattering stuff?

EA did come out with an innovative create-a-school feature. You can go on line and create your own school prior to taking it into the game. I do like the sound of this. Wait a minute! This has been done before, hasn’t it? I understand you can take your created school into your on line dynasty, yes, that is new. You customize each player on your create-a-school roster. This is nice. It is time consuming, but it is worth your while if you want every player on your team to be done correctly.

But has the game play improved enough for me to shell out another $60 to EA for this year’s NCAA version? I’m hedging my bets on this one. I’ve been fooled enough to take a serious “wait and see” attitude this time.

What about Madden ’10? Is it improved? Forums boards are buzzing over pro-tak. Is it enough to finally push Madden into the next-gen status football gamers have been waiting for?

What is pro-tak? In a nutshell it takes gang tackling to another level that we haven’t seen to this point in a video game (or so they want us to believe). The videos EA has shown look good. Whether you see a big group surrounding a ball carrier, or you see one guy moving a pile of defenders, it is different. Is it different enough to make you go out and say this is a must buy this year? I don’t know.

As for me I still enjoy 2K’s All-Pro Football 2K8. I believe the game play is very solid. I like the graphics. The customization keeps me coming back for more. I have played in many different leagues here with many different types of teams. I have used college teams, current teams, teams from different eras. The options are limitless.

What do I do this year as the new football games come out? I am still undecided. At this point I’m pretty sure I’m gonna wait and see on the NCAA offering. I simply don’t believe EA has added enough to warrant a purchase on release day. As for Madden, I am leaning in that direction. I think the developers have taken steps to upgrade their Madden product.

My next question is whether to go with Madden for the PS3 or the Xbox 360. There is always a new dilemma.

Until then I will continue to look for online gamers playing some sim 2K8. I hope I can catch YOU on line for a good battle.

Please add your two cents. I’d love to hear from you and what you will be doing this year.

VSN - Tyrd Ferguson

Virtualsportsnetwork.com

San Francisco 49ers 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:07:42 -0400

2008 Summary:

The 49ers entered 2008 a year after making a significant wave in the 2007 offseason, leading many to christen them as the team to watch that season.

Instead, the 2008 season unraveled at the seams, as the Niners would finish that year 5-11 leaving many fans to write them off again a year ago.

And for awhile, that seemed to be the appropriate thing to do.

J.T. O'Sullivan inherited the starting job at quarterback because in large part, he was one of few quarterbacks available on the open market with experience in new offensive coordinator Mike Martz's scheme. Alex Smith, the first overall pick of the 2005 Draft, was all but written off heading into camp and then a re-aggravation of a shoulder injury that knocked Smith out for much of the season before would wind up being the perfect excuse for Nolan (believed to not like him as a player) to shelf Smith for the rest of the season.

So with this disarray at the most important position of an offense, especially one as complex and dependent on the pass as Martz's, many people did not believe the Niners were much of a threat in the weak NFC West.

That prophecy seemed to be dead on, until the Niners dismissed head coach Mike Nolan in the middle of the season for assistant coach Mike Singletary. And with that coaching change, the entire culture of the 49ers seemed to change with it.

Following the first game Singletary would coach for the Niners—a 34-13 blowout loss at the hands of rival Seattle—the Niners would finish the second half of the season 5-3 behind new starting quarterback Shaun Hill, and had it not been for heart wrenching losses to Arizona and Miami, the Niners may very well have snuck in the back door of the postseason with a division championship.

The coaching change seemed to be exactly what the 49ers needed.

Singletary immediately got on the players that Mike Nolan didn't seem to ride hard enough—namely tight end Vernon Davis. He also demanded the team played more sound football and limit their mistakes, and with this philosophy, he clashed with offensive coordinator Mike Martz to a large degree.

But Singletary's philosophy worked. The results were seen in the second half of the season. It was Singletary that benched ineffective J.T. O'Sullivan mid-game against Seattle in favor of Shaun Hill, and Hill would throw for over 2000 yards and 13 touchdowns in the nine games (nine started) he played in. The most important thing Hill was able to do was protect the football. In the nine games Hill played in 2008—he only turned the ball over 10 times. In O'Sullivan's eight and a half games played in—he turned it over an astonishing 22 times.

Defensively, the Niners played much better after the coaching change as well—and after finishing 2007 ranked 22nd against both the run and pass, the Niners became a Top 10 unit against the run and the 13th best unit against the pass—and this number could have been much higher had the defense not played as poorly as it did at the start of the season when they surrendered 28 points or more in six of their first eight games.

Suddenly what seemed like a coaching change just to get to the end of the season, may have revealed itself as the beginning of a turnaround to a franchise that's been relatively meaningless to the football world this decade.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
DE Demetric Evans (Washington)
T Marvel Smith (Pittsburgh)
FB Moran Norris (Detroit)
WR Brandon Jones (Tennessee)
DE/LB Marques Harris (San Diego)
CB Dre Bly (Denver)
QB Damon Huard (Kansas City)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:

2009 Offseason Departures:
WR Bryant Johnson (Detroit)
TE Billy Bajema (St. Louis)
NT Ronald Fields (Denver)
OT Damane Duckett (New England)
CB Donald Strickland (NY Jets)
DE Tully Banta-Cain (New England)
FB David Kirtman (Seattle)
S Keith Lewis (Arizona)
QB JT O'Sullivan (Cincinnati)
TE Sean Ryan (Kansas City)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-10. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
3-74. Glen Coffee, RB, Alabama
5-146. Scott McKillop, ILB, Pittsburgh
5-171. Nate Davis, QB, Ball State
6-184. Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno State
7-219. Curtis Taylor, FS, LSU
7-244. Ricky Jean-Francois, DE/DT, LSU

2009 Outlook:
Mike Singletary will begin his first full season as head coach in San Francisco, and he will oversee a roster that is full of young talent on both sides of the ball.

Singletary's calling is on the defensive side of the ball, and the starting middle linebacker of the 49ers seems like a spitting image of Singletary, and that of course is franchise player Patrick Willis. Willis has been nothing short of sensational in his first two seasons in San Francisco, and may already be the best inside linebacker in the game. Playing alongside Willis is veteran inside linebacker Takeo Spikes. After being released by the Eagles, Spikes panned out to be a tremendous surprise for the Niners and put together a great year for the 49ers.

Since Singletary comes from the old 46 roots and the Baltimore Ravens train of thought, he will run a hybrid 3-4 base defense and the anchor of the defensive line will once again be Justin Smith. Smith finished his first season as a Niner with seven sacks, which was great for a guy primarily assigned to freeing up blockers from the playmakers at linebacker—but he will need more help in getting to the quarterback for Singletary's defense to really flourish in 2009.

If the Niners are able to harness a more consistent pass rush out of Ray McDonald, Manny Lawson, and Parys Haralson, their secondary could become quite formidable with standout corner Nate Clements and hard hitting safety Michael Lewis being the highlights there. The Niners did also add veteran corner Dre Bly to replace Walt Harris, who sustained an ACL injury during an offseason workout program.

Offensively the Niners will have an open competition at quarterback between incumbent starter Shaun Hill and former starter Alex Smith. Whoever winds up winning the job will have quite an array of weapons at his disposal with Frank Gore being the explosive running back behind him and first round pick Michael Crabtree being the highlight of a younger wide receiving corps. Crabtree will be teamed up with longtime St. Louis Ram Issac Bruce, young Josh Morgan, and free agent acquisition Brandon Jones, formerly of the Tennessee Titans.

On the offensive line, the Niners will need Joe Staley to rise to the occasion and be their answer at left tackle. They added veteran blocker Marvel Smith to play right tackle and will hope he is able to avoid the injuries that have plagued him much of his career.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	at Arizona
Sun 9/20	Seattle
Sun 9/27	at Minnesota
Sun 10/4	St. Louis
Sun 10/11	Atlanta
	bye
Sun 10/25	at Houston
Sun 11/1	at Indianapolis
Sun 11/8	Tennessee
Thu 11/12	Chicago
Sun 11/22	at Green Bay
Sun 11/29	Jacksonville
Sun 12/6	at Seattle
Mon 12/14	Arizona
Sun 12/20	at Philadelphia
Sun 12/27	Detroit
Sun 1/3	at St. Louis

2009 Prediction:
The 49ers appear to be a team that is extremely close to being a bonafide playoff contender out of the NFC West. The only thing that really seems to be an issue right now for the Niners is at quarterback—and if Shaun Hill can fill that void this could be a team that can make a lot of noise in 2009.

This is not a team without several questions however. The quarterback issue is the obvious question, but questions about Frank Gore's health, cornerback depth behind Nate Clements and a very skittish pass rush will also come to the forefront as the season progresses.

I think Hill can be a good enough game manager to keep the Niners in games, and I think the Niners defense is good enough to keep its team in games and from time to time steal a victory it really didn't have any business stealing—I just don't know if I can buy into this team being consistent enough over the course of a 16 game season to get into the playoffs.

2009 should be the bridge to a run at a division crown in 2010. The Niners will be good, just not good enough to sneak into the final 12.

Predicted Finish: 8-8, T-2nd NFC West

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Buffalo Bills 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:55:12 -0400

2008 Summary:

The Bills had just stretched their lead on the defending NFC West Champion Seahawks to a comfortable 20-7 margin and were on their way to cruising to an opening day victory, when word broke about something that could have been far more significant to their season.

Over at Arrowhead Stadium, reigning MVP and Bills tormentor Tom Brady (he only threw for nine touchdowns in two games against Buffalo a season ago) had just sustained a season ending knee injury.

The window of opportunity was open.

The Bills would go on to win their next three contests, including come from behind victories against the Jaguars and Raiders in successive weeks, and before you knew it Buffalo had finished the month of September a perfect 4-0.

It seemed like everything was finally breaking the right way for a franchise that had seen more than its share of heartbreak for the past several years.

And then an ill fated road trip to Glendale, Arizona would begin to unravel the Bills season at the seams. Trent Edwards would sustain a game ending concussion at the hands of Cardinal star safety Adrian Wilson a mere three plays into that weekend matchup, and the Bills would be blown out of the building 41-17.

The Bills were like a prize fighter stunned at a violent jab, and while they defeated the Chargers following the bye week, a four game losing streak, with three of those losses coming to their other divisional rivals, would unravel the Bills chances at swiping a Brady-less AFC East once and for all.

After that fateful loss to the Cardinals, the Bills would drop eight of their next 11 games, including all six games against AFC East opponents, and a Bills defense that had started the year so surprisingly well would begin to crumble—surrendering 21 points or more in six of those final 11 contests.

The Bills offense also would not do its defense many favors towards the end of the season, as they failed to score a touchdown in three of their final five football games. Trent Edwards would begin to tail off in large part due to health, as he would throw eight interceptions to only three touchdowns in that aforementioned losing skid. J.P. Losman proved to be ineffective once again in relief, and the Bills rushing attack was disappointing after showing flashes of great success in 2007—with Marshawn Lynch barely rushing for over 1000 yards and eight touchdowns in 2008.

And so a window of opportunity and a great start to the season would be wasted, and with it, another teams disappointing finish to the 2008 season would lead to the Bills becoming one of the major stories in 2009 with the addition of a certain controversial free agent to be—one Terrell Owens.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
WR Terrell Owens (Dallas)
C Geoff Hangartner (Carolina)
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Cincinnati)
RB Dominic Rhodes (Indianapolis)
LB Pat Thomas (Kansas City)
CB Drayton Florence (Jacksonville)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
None

2009 Offseason Departures:
G Derrick Dockery (Washington)
LB Angelo Crowell (Tampa Bay)
CB Jabari Greer (New Orleans)
C Duke Preston (Green Bay)
TE Robert Royal (Cleveland)
LB Blake Costanzo (Cleveland)
QB J.P. Losman (Unsigned)
RB Anthony Thomas (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-11. Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
1-28. Eric Wood, C, Louisville
2-42. Jairus Byrd, CB/S, Oregon
2-51. Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State
4-121. Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss
5-147. Nic Harris, SS/OLB, Oklahoma
6-183. Cary Harris, CB, USC
7-220. Ellis Lankster, CB, West Virginia

2009 Outlook:
Undeniably, all eyes will be on Terrell Owens this season in Buffalo. The 35-year old wide receiver could be on the verge of playing his way out of the league if he continues to live up to the negative expectations that have clouded him his entire career.

With that said, if Owens can keep himself in check, he's still one of the better wide receivers in football if you can live with the drops he will have from time to time. He should instantly make the Bills passing game much better than it was a year ago, when Trent Edwards was either staving off a heavy pass rush due to an ineffective offensive line, or throwing it to a very marginal wide receiving corps. The addition of Owens should free up Lee Evans and allow him to make plays deep down field thanks to his great gamebreaking ability. The Bills will be without Marshawn Lynch for the first three games of the 2009 season due to an off-field issue, so Fred Jackson and former Indianapolis Colts third down specialist Dominic Rhodes will be called into duty during the early stretch of the season.

The Bills offensive line, as kind of touched upon earlier, was generally bad in 2008 so Bills General Manager Russ Brandon decided to overhaul his line by trading last years camp holdout Jason Peters to Philadelphia and by releasing 2006 free agent signing Derrick Dockery. Brandon then drafted center Eric Wood out of Louisville and guard Andy Levitre out of Oregon State with two of the Bills four day one picks in the 2009 Draft. Tackle Demetrius Bell will take over permanently for Peters and be responsible for protecting Trent Edwards blind side, as veteran Langston Walker will resume playing right tackle for the Bills.

Defensively, the two biggest impact players in 2008 were both in the Bills secondary with safety Donte Whitner and rookie Leodis McKelvin both having great seasons a year ago. However, the Bills biggest weakness on defense a season ago was a pass rush that was extremely inconsistent, and the Bills drafted Aaron Maybin with the 11th overall selection to try and jumpstart the anemic Bills rush. Marcus Stroud will resume playing nose tackle for the Bills and attempt to free their linebacking corps of Paul Posluszny, Kawika Mitchell, and Keith Ellison to make plays.

2009 Schedule:

Mon 9/14	at New England
Sun 9/20	Tampa Bay
Sun 9/27	New Orleans
Sun 10/4	at Miami
Sun 10/11	Cleveland
Sun 10/18	at NY Jets
Sun 10/25	at Carolina
Sun 11/1	Houston
	bye
Sun 11/15	at Tennessee
Sun 11/22	at Jacksonville
Sun 11/29	Miami
Thu 12/3	NY Jets
Sun 12/13	at Kansas City
Sun 12/20	New England
Sun 12/27	at Atlanta
Sun 1/3	Indianapolis

2009 Prediction:
Immediately we will see what the Bills will be like in 2009, as they will begin the season on the road against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.

And while Terrell Owens will unquestionably garner a majority of the attention this season, the Bills will only go as far as young Trent Edwards will be able to take them. Last year in the Bills biggest stretch of the season, Edwards was terrible, throwing for three touchdowns and eight interceptions as the Bills went from a 5-1 start to finish 7-9.

The addition of Owens makes one thing clear for GM Russ Brandon, if Edwards is his guy at quarterback, he will have to produce with two playmakers at wide receiver and one of the better young running backs in the game behind him. If Edwards falters, we may see the Bills not only make a coaching change in 2010 but a quarterback change as well.

In my opinion, the perfect opportunity to win the AFC East came a season ago when the Patriots lost Tom Brady to a season ending injury and the Bills drew the luxury of playing the NFC West and AFC West in the same season. This year will be much more difficult to post not only a playoff season - but a winning one as well given the competition in the AFC East and a much more difficult schedule for the Bills.

Predicted Finish: 7-9, 3rd place AFC East

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Seattle Seahawks 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:48:32 -0400

2008 Summary:

How bad did injuries hit the Pacific Northwest last year?

The Seahawks were at one point so desperate for a WR with a semblance of familiarity of the Mike Holmgren offense that they were ready to start second string quarterback Seneca Wallace at one of the positions.

And fittingly, Wallace never made it into the starting lineup because he injured his calf in warm-ups.

All in all, no team in the NFL last season sustained more costly injuries than the Seahawks. As a team, the Seahawks lost more starters to injury than any other. The most notable starters on the Seahawks to miss significant time were Pro Bowlers Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones, and Patrick Kerney. Not to be outdone, the Seahawks lost Nate Burleson for the season, Bobby Engram for the first four weeks of the season, and Deion Branch for half the season.

Oh and Lofa Tatupu, the teams franchise player on the other side of the ball, played the entire season hurt and actually missed the Eagles game with what the team described as a "slew of injuries they could not fit on the injury report."

Ladies and gentlemen—your 2008 Seattle Seahawks!

But while it's easy to pin all the Seahawks woes on injuries, good teams do overcome them and the Seahawks were simply not a very good team last season. Defensively, they were putrid—particularly their secondary which had shined only a season prior. Marcus Trufant did have another solid season as teams would rarely throw the ball his direction, but Kelly Jennings presence on the other side could also have had a lot to do with Trufant not seeing many passes thrown his way.

Brandon Mebane and Josh Wilson were both very pleasant surprises for the Seahawks, and were far and away the two best players on that side of the ball a year ago.

Offensively, the Seahawks could never establish any continuity, and they looked nothing like the Mike Holmgren teams the league had grown to know. In 2007—the Seahawks made no question about what type of team they were as they threw the ball more than any team in the league aside from the New Orleans Saints. By doing so they earned the 8th overall passing offense that season.

But 2008 was an entirely different story with all the different starting lineups that Holmgren had to piece together. The Seahawks were only able to muster a passing offense better than three other teams in football, and their rushing attack was slightly better, registering 19th overall in the league. However, two games against the Rams inflated those numbers big time as the Seahawks were able to rush for nearly 200 yards a game against their division foes.

There were a couple of bright spots for the Hawks however, the biggest being rookie tight end John Carlson, who set franchise records at that position and was consistently the best receiving threat the Seahawks had in 2008.

Offensive lineman Ray Willis was also a pleasant surprise filling in for injured components of the Seahawks offensive line, and he was rewarded for his play with a contract extension after the season.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Cincinnati)
CB Ken Lucas (Carolina)
DT Colin Cole (Green Bay)
FB David Kirtman (San Francisco)
FB Justin Griffith (Oakland)
TE John Owens (Detroit)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
DT/DE Cory Redding (Detroit)

2009 Offseason Departures:
LB Julian Peterson (Traded to Detroit)
WR Bobby Engram (Kansas City)
FB Leonard Weaver (Philadelphia)
RB Maurice Morris (Detroit)
DT Rocky Bernard (NY Giants)
T Pork Chop Womack (Cleveland)
TE Will Heller (Detroit)
QB Charlie Frye (Oakland)
DT Howard Green (NY Jets)
WR Koren Robinson (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-4. Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
2-49. Max Unger, C/G, Oregon
3-91. Deon Butler, WR, Penn State
6-178. Mike Teel, QB, Rutgers
7-245. Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers
7-247. Nick Reed, DE, Oregon
7-248. Cameron Morrah, TE, California

2009 Outlook:
2009 will begin the Jim Mora era, and it all hinges on the Seahawks being able to avoid costly injuries yet again to their pivotal veteran players. Specifically, Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Jones.

But assuming they are healthy, this is a team that can easily turn things around in a hurry, given the talent that's in place on the roster.

Offensively, the Seahawks added T.J. Houshmandzadeh to their wide receiving corps and Housh immediately figures to be the teams number one receiver heading into 2009. He will be joined by Nate Burleson, who is coming off of an ACL injury, Deion Branch, and 3rd round pick Deon Butler. All three of these guys have blazing speed, but limited size, so Housh is a very key component to not only the wide receiving corps but the offense as a whole. John Carlson will also be a major part of the offense yet again, and the Seahawks hope he can build on a fantastic rookie season.

New offensive coordinator Greg Knapp will bring his patented zone-blocking scheme to Seattle and with it the Seahawks hope their rushing game can produce in much the same manner that Oakland and Atlanta enjoyed. They will look to Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett to be the 1-2 combination, with second year man Justin Forsett being the change of pace back. However, the rushing game still appears to be the achilles heel for the Seahawks offense.

Defensively, the Seahawks overhauled their staff from a year ago by letting go of every assistant on the staff. Gus Bradley comes over to Seattle from Tampa Bay to be the new defensive coordinator, but he will likely split those duties with Mora. Still both Mora and Bradley have a wealth of weapons at their disposal, particularly at linebacker as the Seahawks will field what figures to be one of the better linebacking corps in football. Lofa Tatupu will be healthy and return to man the middle of the Hawks D and will be flanked by Leroy Hill and first round draft pick Aaron Curry. The team is especially excited about Curry, and they compare him to a younger Derrick Brooks.

The secondary mostly remains the same in 2009, the only difference being Ken Lucas returning to Seattle after being waived by Carolina. Lucas should compete with Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson for the second cornerback slot behind Marcus Trufant. At safety, Brian Russell and Deon Grant are the incumbent starters, but do not be surprised to see young Jamar Adams supplant Russell in training camp.

2009 Schedule:

Date	Opponent
Sun, Sep 13	St. Louis
Sun, Sep 20	@ San Francisco
Sun, Sep 27	Chicago
Sun, Oct 4	@ Indianapolis
Sun, Oct 11	Jacksonville
Sun, Oct 18	Arizona
BYE WEEK
Sun, Nov 1	@ Dallas
Sun, Nov 8	Detroit
Sun, Nov 15	@ Arizona
Sun, Nov 22	@ Minnesota
Sun, Nov 29	@ St. Louis
Sun, Dec 6	San Francisco
Sun, Dec 13	@ Houston
Sun, Dec 20	Tampa Bay
Sun, Dec 27	@ Green Bay
Sun, Jan 3	Tennessee

2009 Prediction:
Unlike many of the teams at the bottom of the leagues standings, the Seahawks were not the team respected by their win/loss total. Despite the onslaught of injuries, the Seahawks were still very competitive in games down the stretch and just as easily could have sniffed the .500 mark had they been able to finish games.

A new coaching staff and a rejuvenated veteran roster may be just what the Seahawks needed to kickstart into gear. And judging by the division they play in, this is a team that can get hot in a hurry and host a playoff game or two come January.

However, questions to remain to circle over this Seahawks team. How healthy is Matt Hasselbeck? How will Walter Jones be able to rebound from microfracture knee surgery? Can the Seahawks get any semblance of a running game? Will the defense improve?

In the end—the season will very likely come down to these questions. And in the end, the Seahawks could find themselves in another familiar spot as division champions.

Predicted Finish: 10-6, 1st NFC West

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Oakland Raiders 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:26:55 -0400

2008 Summary

As per the usual the Raiders were one of the more entertaining franchises to follow in 2008.

And again, it wasn't for their successes on the field, but rather their ageless owner and his usual entertaining moments.

The main topic at hand was the job status of coach Lane Kiffin, who Davis generally despised and attempted to get rid of in a variance of methods one would expect to see on a re-run of Seinfeld.

Ultimately, the coach was fired, a press conference was issued from the mysterious Davis himself, and even more people began to wonder out loud just what direction this once proud franchise was taking under his watch.

The enigmatic Raiders started the season in much the same manner they had started the past several seasons. Blowing games in the waning minutes of the game, like they did against Buffalo and San Diego, or flat getting blown out, like they did in the opening game against Denver and contests against New Orleans and Baltimore.

The Lane Kiffin saga would finally end after the loss against the aforementioned Chargers and interim head coach Tom Cable would take over the rest of the way.

Despite the drama that never disappointed the casual onlooking fan, the Raiders did for the first time since the Jon Gruden years, show signs of progress as a team under Cable.

Jamarcus Russell, with all his critics, managed to string together a 2-game winning streak to close the season with victories coming against upstart Houston and Gruden's Tampa Bay squad. But despite these efforts, Russell's play still was extremely up and down and at times seemed very held back by offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

In the last three games of the year, Russell would throw for six touchdowns to only two interceptions. However in the other 12 games he would start in 2008, Russell would only account for a very pedestrian seven touchdown passes with six interceptions.

The young Raider quarterback may have been restrained by his coaching staff because of the lack of weapons the team would have at wide receiver.

Free agent acquisition Javon Walker would be one of the worst free agent signings in recent memory, possibly only overshadowed by his teammate DeAngelo Hall, and Johnnie Lee Higgins would lead all Raider receivers with 366 yards on just 22 receptions.

Or to put it even worse, first round pick Darren McFadden's 285 yards on 29 grabs would outshine every Raider wide receiver but Higgins in the receiving category. It should be no surprise the Raiders passing offense ranked dead last in the league a season ago.

Needless to say, without tight end Zach Miller (778 yards), the Raiders passing game would be one of the worst offensive units in recent memory. Which in a way makes what they did rushing the football so impressive.

With a less than stellar (and that's being extremely kind) offensive line, the three headed monster of Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush were able to rush for 1773 yards combined and 8 touchdowns.

With all their struggles on offense, it should be no surprise that the Raiders defense was on the field way too much and as a result, would break down over the course of a 60 minute ball game. Nmandi Asomugha continued to showcase himself as the leagues premier shutdown corner, but the rest of the Raider defense was marginal at best in 2008. The defense would wind up finishing the year 27th overall, giving up 24 points a contest. And while the Asomugha lead secondary would finish 10th overall against the pass, teams would have little reason to throw the ball against the Raiders as their run defense ranked 31st overall in the league last year with only the 0-16 Lions claiming a worse effort at defending the run.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
FB Lorenzo Neal (Baltimore)
DE Greg Ellis (Dallas)
OT Khalif Barnes (Jacksonville)
QB Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay)
S Keith Davis (Dallas)
WR Will Franklin (Detroit)
RB Gary Russell (Cincinnati)
OT Erik Pears (Denver)
DT Ryan Boschetti (Washington)
G Marcus Johnson (Minnesota)
QB Charlie Frye (Seattle)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (Cleveland)

2009 Trade Acquisitions:
None

2009 Offseason Departures:
S Gibril Wilson (Miami)
C Jake Grove (Miami)
WR Ronald Curry (Detroit)
S Rashad Baker (Philadelphia)
FB Justin Griffith (Seattle)
LB Robert Thomas (Washington)
WR Ashley Lelie (Unsigned)
OT Kwame Harris (Unsigned)
QB Marques Tuiasosopo (Unsigned)
DE Greg Spires (Unsigned)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-7. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
2-47. Michael Mitchell, SS, Ohio
3-71. Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin
4-124. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
4-126. Slade Norris, OLB, Oregon State
6-199. Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri
6-202. Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa

2009 Outlook:
Amazingly enough, Tom Cable was retained by Al Davis, maybe more or less because no one else wanted the job and Al just gave up, nonetheless Cable inherits the daunting task of trying to turn around a franchise that has finished with no more than 5 wins in a season
since they were decimated by the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.

In an effort to jump start a cumbersome passing attack, the Raiders used their first round draft pick on wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, a pick that was criticized heavily by roughly everyone but Raider fans themselves. Heyward-Bey will definitely give the Raiders a target that has speed to burn, but he is still an incredibly raw player and when the only other wide receivers added to the worst passing offense in the league were Louis Murphy, a fourth round selection out of Florida, and Will Franklin, a free agent acquisition from the 0-16 Lions - well, it's hard to really peg what exactly the Raiders would like to do here. It should be noted tight end Zach Miller is quietly establishing himself as one of the more underrated players at that position, and could very well be the only reliable passing target the Raiders have on the roster.

Jamarcus Russell should remain the starting quarterback for now, but will be pushed in camp and the preseason by veteran Jeff Garcia, formerly of the Buccaneers. Russell or Garcia will likely lean heavily on the rushing attack of Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden, and Michael Bush yet again. The rushing attack could even be more formidable with the addition of blocker Lorenzo Neal. In addition to signing Neal, the Raiders also let Kwame Harris go unsigned in free agency and will replace him with former Jags left tackle Khalif Barnes.

Defensively, as mentioned previously, the Raiders strength is in their secondary where Nmandi Asomugha and Chris Johnson are a very effective tandem. The Raiders also signed Keith Davis and used their 47th overall selection on Michael Mitchell out of Ohio to fill the vacated hole left behind by cap-causality Gibril Wilson.

Mitchell's pick, much like Heyward-Bey, came as a shock to many as he was not even projected to go higher than Round Six by many draft pundits, and some even had Mitchell go undrafted.

However, the Raiders weakness defending the run could be a major issue yet again. The $67.5 million dollar combo of Tommy Kelly and Terdell Sands has been nothing short of a disaster and the Raiders did not really address this in the offseason.

Derrick Burgess is aging and was said to be on the trade block leading up to the draft, and he may very well lose his starting spot to Trevor Scott. Late free-agent addition Greg Ellis will likely line up at the other defensive end position.

The linebacking corps will be lead once again by underrated standout Kirk Morrison. Thomas Howard, Jon Alston and rookie Slade Norris round out the rest of the Raiders linebacking crew.

2009 Schedule:

Mon 9/14	San Diego
Sun 9/20	at Kansas City
Sun 9/27	Denver
Sun 10/4	at Houston
Sun 10/11	at NY Giants
Sun 10/18	Philadelphia
Sun 10/25	NY Jets
Sun 11/1	at San Diego
	bye
Sun 11/15	Kansas City
Sun 11/22	Cincinnati
Thu 11/26	at Dallas
Sun 12/6	at Pittsburgh
Sun 12/13	Washington
Sun 12/20	at Denver
Sun 12/27	at Cleveland
Sun 1/3	Baltimore

2009 Prediction:

The Raiders efforts in the 2009 offseason left many wondering just how "there" Al Davis really is. Their draft, on the surface, looks like it could potentially set the franchise back even further.

Their free for all spending in 2008 was a disaster in every sense of the word, as DeAngelo Hall didn't even make it through the end of the season and was routinely destroyed by every wide receiver he faced. Gibril Wilson was cut due to salary mismanagement, and Javon Walker only had 196 yards and one touchdown after signing a $55 million dollar deal to be a Raider.

And while there is some undeniable talent on the Raiders roster, there are some undeniable holes as well. Nmandi Asomugha is the best cornerback in the NFL by a pretty significant margin, Darren McFadden should be a fine running back, and Kirk Morrison is still one of the leagues best kept secrets on defense—but the rest of this franchise seems to be in a free fall.

Luckily for them, the Raiders play in one of the worst divisions in football, but they still drew a very difficult schedule which includes matchups against six playoff teams.

Look for yet another long season in the Bay Area, and for the Raiders six year streak of failing to win over five games hit year number seven.

Predicted Finish: 3-13, 4th AFC West

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer

www.virtualsportsnetwork.com

Jacksonville Jaguars 2009 Preview

VSN Writers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:27:11 -0400

32 Teams in 32 Days

2008 Summary

David Garrard went tat for tat with MVP Tom Brady that fateful Saturday evening in January. But the eventual AFC Champions had too much firepower for the Jaguars, and a great effort was thought to be the precursor to an even deeper run in 2008.

Then the Jags would come screaming back to Earth.

Injury after injury would plague the Jags offensive line, the defense would regress, and the lack of a decent wide receiving threat would begin to take its toll on a promising season.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, if you wanted to sum up their 2008 season, the word you would use is "disappointment".

And why not? After being within a touchdown of the undefeated Patriots late in the Divisional Round it seemed like the Jags were the team that was about to make the leap. David Garrard almost refused to turn the ball over in 2007, only throwing 3 picks during the year while completing 64% of his passes.

But those numbers also would come with the benefit of strong outputs of the Jags dynamic duo at running back in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, as each back would account for over 1200 yards of total offense.

2008 was a different story for Jacksonville. Fred Taylor looked like his older self, only rushing for 556 yards and a single touchdown behind a decimated offensive line that saw both starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams go down with season ending injuries, starting center Brad Meester miss the first six games of the season and tragically lost backup tackle Richard Collier after Collier was the victim of a shooting incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down with his left leg amputated.

Maurice Jones-Drew for all intents and purposes had a pretty solid year, but was also not the same explosive all-purpose back we had become accustomed to seeing, in large part because of the injury problems on the Jags line.

While Jones-Drew carried the ball 30 more times and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground, his yards per carry dropped to a career low 4.2 yards. He also added another 565 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving.

Despite all the injuries on offense, the Jags defense may have been the most disappointing element of their 2008 season. In 2007 the Jags defense was a solid 15th overall against the pass, but in 2008 they were only 24th in pass defense—surrendering just under 225 yards a game through the air.

Rashean Mathis had another fine season for the Jags, recording 4 interceptions, but the rest of the secondary was gouged and gouged repeatedly as of the 39 touchdowns scored against the Jacksonville defense a season ago—25 of those came through the air.

What all of this led to was a very up and down Jacksonville team to start the season, as they opened the year 4-5 and wound up losing six of their last seven contests to close the season 5-11, leaving the Jags as the only AFC South team with a losing record.

That record could be deceiving though as a wounded and overall banged up Jaguars team would lose six of those 11 contests by 7 points or less.

Which ironically was the difference in wins and losses from the 2007 season.

2009 Free Agency Additions

WR Torry Holt (St. Louis)
T Tra Thomas (Philadelphia)
S Marlon McCree (Denver)
S Sean Considine (Philadelphia)
QB Todd Bouman (Baltimore)

2009 Trade Acquisitions

None

2009 Offseason Departures

RB Fred Taylor (New England)
OT Khalif Barnes (Oakland)
LB Mike Peterson (Atlanta)
S Gerald Sensabaugh (Dallas)
CB Drayton Florence (Buffalo)
DE Paul Spicer (New Orleans)
TE George Wrighster (New York Giants)
S Pierson Prioleau (New Orleans)
G Tuten Reyes (New York Giants)
WR Matt Jones (Cut)
WR Reggie Williams (Unsigned)
WR Jerry Porter (Cut)

2009 NFL Draft:

1-8. Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
2-39. Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
3-72. Terrance Knighton, DT, Temple
3-73. Derek Cox, CB, William & Mary
4-107. Mike Thomas, WR/KR, Arizona
5-144. Jarett Dillard, WR, Rice
6-180. Zach Miller, TE, Nebraska-Omaha
7-250. Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty
7-253. Tiquan Underwood, WR, Rutgers

2009 Outlook

Jack Del Rio returns in 2009, perhaps feeling his seat get a little warmer following an extremely disappointing outing a year ago. The team will have an entirely new look in 2009, literally, as they will showcase new uniforms this season.

But the new rags won't be the only new addition to this Jacksonville team. After injuries decimated the Jaguar offensive line in 2008, Jags GM Gene Smith made it a point to make sure that doesn't duplicate itself again in 2009.

Smith signed veteran tackle Tra Thomas to a deal in the offseason then added tackles Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton in the draft. With guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams returning from season ending injuries a year ago, one of the new rookie Jag tackles could very well see some time at that position.

At running back, Maurice Jones-Drew will now be the main guy as longtime Jag Fred Taylor left in free agency for the Patriots. Jones-Drew will be joined in the backfield by Greg Jones.

At wide receiver, perhaps the Jaguars biggest weakness a season ago, the Jags completely overhauled the depth chart at this position. Gone are first round busts Matt Jones and Reggie Williams and free agent disaster Jerry Porter. Torry Holt was signed to fill one vacated spot, but Jacksonville still looks dangerously thin at the position.

Rounding out the new Jags depth chart will be Dennis Northcutt, Troy Williamson, and Mike Walker. Rookies Jarrett Dillard, and Mike Thomas should also see some playing time as the Jags try to find guys to play alongside Holt.

Defensively, the Jaguars will look very similar to what they did last season. They did however add two veteran safeties to their roster via free agency in Marlon McCree and Sean Considine.

Locker room nuisance Mike Peterson was released and wound up signing in Atlanta, but the Jags linebacking corps should be the strength of the Jacksonville defense with Daryl Smith and Clint Ingram being the highlights here.

Jacksonville will also hope to see much better play out of their young defensive line, showcased mainly by Derrick Harvey, their first round pick from a season ago.

2009 Schedule:

Sun 9/13	at Indianapolis
Sun 9/20	Arizona
Sun 9/27	at Houston
Sun 10/4	Tennessee
Sun 10/11	at Seattle
Sun 10/18	St. Louis
	bye
Sun 11/1	at Tennessee
Sun 11/8	Kansas City
Sun 11/15	at NY Jets
Sun 11/22	Buffalo
Sun 11/29	at San Francisco
Sun 12/6	Houston
Sun 12/13	Miami
Thu 12/17	Indianapolis
Sun 12/27	at New England
Sun 1/3	at Cleveland
Sun 12/13	at Minnesota
Sun 12/20	at San Diego
Sun 12/27	Kansas City
Sun 1/3	at NY Jets

2009 Prediction:

There's good news and bad news for the Jaguar faithful.

The good news is, this is a team that should not duplicate it's 5-11 record from a year ago. It should not be understated how hard injuries hit the Jacksonville offensive line, causing the Jags to almost instantaneously lose their biggest strengths as a whole.

The bad news is, while this team will improve, there are still some undeniable weaknesses on the roster that I believe they failed to address completely, particularly at wide receiver.

Torry Holt is on his last legs, literally and figuratively, and the guys playing behind him are very average at best. Maurice Jones-Drew also will now be asked to carry the workload a lot more than he has, and it's hard to say how well he can handle being an every down back for the first time in his career.

It also doesn't help that the Jags play in the strongest division in the AFC, and arguably the strongest division in all of football, a division that could very well field three playoff teams in 2009.

One of those three could be the Jaguars if they strike gold in the passing game and turn it around on defense.

Realistically speaking though, one of those three playoff teams will not be the Jacksonville Jaguars, as the weaknesses in the passing game will be too much to overcome in this strong AFC South

Predicted Finish: 7-9, 4th AFC South

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hassellbeck - VSN Writer