Bleacher Report - Articles by Jesse Abelson

2009 NCAA Tournament Predictions: South Bracket

Jesse Abelson — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:22:46 -0500

Winning teams in bold...

First Round

1 North Carolina

16 Vermont

8 Maryland

9 Kansas

5 Arizona

12 Florida State

4 Purdue

13 UNLV

6 Davidson

11 Kentucky

3 Texas

14 Missouri

7 Louisville

10 Miami (FL)

2 Duke

15 Cincinnati

Second Round

1 North Carolina

9 Kansas

5 Arizona

13 UNLV

6 Davidson

3 Texas

10 Miami (FL)

2 Duke

Sweet 16

1 North Carolina

5 Arizona

6 Davidson

2 Duke

Elite Eight

1 North Carolina

6 Davidson

NORTH CAROLINA WINS SOUTH BRACKET AND ADVANCES TO FINAL FOUR.

Minnesota Vikings' 2009 Playoff/Draft Predictions

Jesse Abelson — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:28:43 -0500

We will start with the NFL Playoffs.

Vikings Vs. Philadelphia

This is going to be a very close game. Philadelphia will be blitzing and stacking the box so AP and Chester Taylor cannot run very efficiently. Philadelphia is a very explosive team, but will not be able to run the ball with Pat Williams coming back. It will come down to the Defense and the Quarterbacks.

Prediction

Vikings 23, Philadelphia 21

Key Players: Jared Allen 2.0 Sacks, 1 TFL

Tarvaris Jackson 210 Passing Yards 2TD 1 INT

Donovan McNabb 312 Passing Yards 1TD 2 INT

Adrian Peterson 89 Yards 1 TD

Minnesota Vs. Carolina

Carolina is a well balanced team, and Jake Delhomme is playing great this year. Minnesota beat Carolina earlier this year but will have a tough time winning this game.

Prediction

Carolina 17, Vikings 10

Key Players: Adrian Peterson 117 yards 1 TD 2 Fumbles

Tarvaris Jackson 175 yards 0 TD 0 INT

Jake Delhomme 275 yards 1 TD 0 INT

DeAngelo Williams 46 yards 1 TD

Now, onto the Draft.

First round: Don't be surprised if the Vikings trade out of the first round or down. They do not have any glaring needs and would like more draft picks but for now, let's say they don't trade down.

The Vikings take the best player available. There is no offensive tackle worth taking and no cornerback worth taking since Malcolm Jenkins, Vontae Davis, and D.J. Moore are all taken, so the Vikings go for the best player available, which is: Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Aburn.

I know we have the two best defensive tackles in the league arguably, but with Pat Williams at the end of his career, and with him getting injured, they need a good replacement and Sen'Derrick Marks is a Top 15 prospect.

Second Round: The Vikings need a corner back and a right tackle. Here they have two options. There is first round talent in both those positions still available. They decide to go with defense and take a cornerback, Domonique Johnson, CB, Jackson State.

This guy is tall, fast, and a very good cornerback. The Vikings need someone like him, because Cedric Griffin cannot consistently guard opposing wide receivers.

Third Round: Now is where the vikings decide to finally draft an offensive tackle and take Alex Boone, OT, Ohio State.

Alex Boone has not had a very good season, but he should make up for that at the combine. He can play both tackle positions, so if Bryant gets in trouble again, he can step up and play there.

Fourth Round: Jorvorskie Lane, FB, Texas A&M

Fifth Round: Willie VanDeSteeg, DE, Minnesota

Seventh Round (1) Brooks Foster, WR, North Carolina

Seventh Round (2) Rich Ohrnberger, OG, Penn State

Early Minnesota Vikings Offseason Prediction

Jesse Abelson — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:29:36 -0500

I know this is like three months too early, but I am really bored and have nothing better to do, so I am going to try to predict what is going to happen during the offseason this coming year.

1. First off, sadly, I think that the Vikes will not make the playoffs, most likely because Brad Childress is a horrible head coach. I think we will fire him and hire someone like Bill Cowher to run our team.

Chance of that happening: 62 percent

2. Next, we have four options at quarterback: stick with our current quarterback for another year or two, sign Matt Cassel, trade for someone like Derek Anderson, or draft a quarterback.

Personally, I don't think that the Vikes will be drafting high enough to get a Matt Ryan-type of rookie quarterback, so I don't think that wold work very well. I think our best option would be to sign Matt Cassel.

Chance of that happening: 46 percent

3. The Draft. Here is my Minnesota Vikings 2009 mock draft:

Round 1: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

The Vikings look to be set on the O-line, but if Bryant Mckinnie gets in trouble again, they will need someone good to take over. Also, Ryan Cook has struggled a lot this year. The Vikings need an offensive lineman; I'm just not sure that they will see that as a first-round need.

Chance of player getting drafted: 31 percent

Chance of same position getting drafted in same round: 45 percent

Round 2: Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 310

Oghobaase recorded 96 tackles and nine sacks. He bench presses 355, squats 505, and power cleans 320. Oghobaase carries a 3.6 GPA and 1020 SAT.

Sounds pretty good to me. Pat Williams is at the end of his career, and we need someone like Oghobaase who can fill in for him and stop the run.

Chance of player getting drafted: 35 percent

Chance of same position getting drafted in same round: 52 percent

Round 3: Domonique Johnson, CB, Jackson State

Tall, fast, and helps us out at cornerback because we don't have the best, and Winfield is at the end of his career.

Chance of player getting drafted: 24 percent

Chance of same position getting drafted in same round: 39 percent

Round 4: Jorvorskie Lane, FB, Texas A&M

Click Here

If you look at the video, I think that explains a lot. We don't have a fullback, and we need one.

Round 5: Marcus Thigpen, RB, Indiana

Would be used as a kick returner.

Round 6

No Selection.

Round 7 No. 1: Jeff Moturi, WR, UTEP

Round 7 No. 2: Jared Bronson, TE, Central Washington

Free Agents

Vikings Free Agents. I believe the Vikings will re-sign all of the players, except Darren Sharper.

I believe the Vikings will pick up Matt Cassel during the offseason.

Projected 53-Man Roster

Offense

Quarterback

Matt Cassel

Tarvaris Jackson

John David Booty

Running Back

Adrian Peterson

Chester Taylor

Maurice Hicks

Fullback

Jorvorskie Lane

Jeff Dugan

Naufahu Tahi

Tackle

Ryan Cook

Bryant McKinnie

Marcus Johnson

Andre Smith

Guard

Steve Hutchinson

Anthony Herrera

Artis Hicks

Center

Matt Birk

John Sullivan

Tight End

Visanthe Shiancoe

Jim Kleinsasser

Garrett Mills

Wide Receiver

Bernard Berrian

Bobby Wade

Sidney Rice

Jaymar Johnson

Aundrae Allison

Defense/Special Teams

Defensive End

Jared Allen

Ray Edwards

Brian Robison

Otis Grigsby

Defensive Tackle

Kevin Williams

Pat Williams

Fred Evans

Ellis Wyms

Vince Oghobaase

Linebacker

E.J. Henderson

Ben Leber

Chad Greenway

Vinny Ciurciu

Erin Henderson

David Herron

Cornerback

Antoine Winfield

Cedric Griffin

Charles Gordon

Marcus McCauley

Domonique Johnson

Safety

Madieu Williams

Tyrell Johnson

Eric Frampton

Husain Abdullah

Kicker

Ryan Longwell

Punter

Chris Kluwe

Long Snapper

Cullen Loeffler

Joey Porter Talks About Michael Vick's Possible Return To The NFL

Jesse Abelson — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:28:39 -0500

I just found this on Yahoo Rumors. Here is the article.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter commented on the possible reinstatement of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and, as usual, Porter shot right from the lip, according to a report on EPSN.com. Vick was convicted for his role in a dogfighting ring and is serving time in a Kansas federal prison. He's scheduled to be released next summer.

"He's already been punished enough," said Porter (referring to Vick's possible reinstatement after serving his sentence), who owns a pair of pit bulls and a Maltese. "They gave him his penalty. He paid his penalty. What else should they do to him now?

"All it was was dogs. They act like they don't even like pit bulls anyway. That's the funny thing about it if you want to get back on that topic. I got pit bulls, I got to put them under a different breed just to travel. So you can't even fly pit bulls nowhere.

"It's a breed they don't care about. It's not like he was fighting er spaniels or something that they like. They don't really care too much about pit bulls."

Profootballtalk.com reported that Porter let his pitbull loose and it killed a miniature horse.

This is sure to get PETA on Porter's tail. This could be one of the stupidest things I have heard from a professional football player in...about two weeks. I don't know if this is just offensive to me because I am an animal lover, but this is a stupid thing to say. Porter is leading the NFL in sacks and is having a great season, and then to say something as stupid as this, he is sure to get a lot of negative publicity.

Minnesota Vikings Let Another One Slip Away, Fall to 5-5

Jesse Abelson — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:58:59 -0500

As I watched the final drive of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay game, I was hoping that somehow the Vikings could pull off a miracle win.

Having to drive 80 yards with no time outs left in 1:55 is hard enough for any team.

Having to do it without being able to hand the ball off to the best running back in the NFL and letting the outcome of the game rest in a 37-year-old quarterback who runs a 40 yard dash in about 12 seconds—and has thrown more interceptions this year than touchdowns—is a different story.

In the first half, Adrian Peterson had 71 rushing yards on 13 carries. That is about 5.5 yards per carry. In the second half, he had only six carries. After the Vikings couldn't convert on a 2nd, 3rd or 4th and two, I came up with two conclusions:

1) The Vikings need to fire Brad Clueless and hire someone else to coach the Vikings. This team is a "ready to win" team except for the coaching.

It was Brad Childress who decided that Tarvaris Jackson was the future Quarterback for the Vikings. That isn't working out very well.

It was Brad Childress who decided not to give the ball once to Adrian Peterson in the fourth quarter including when it was 2nd, 3rd, and 4th and two. We need to fire him and hire someone that knows how to run a team.

2) The Vikings need a better quarterback. Gus Frerotte couldn't run even if if his life depended on it. Next year there will be many options.

Since the Vikings seem to like small college quarterbacks, (i.e. Tyler Thigpen, Tarvaris Jackson) there is a little-known quarterback named Nathan Brown who plays for Central Arkansas.

So far he has thrown 29 TDs and three INT this season. He is best fit for a west coast offense and can run.

There is also the chance Minnesota can try and sign the Patriots' Matt Cassel as a free agent, or we could trade for someone like the Browns' Derek Anderson.

NBA's Most Over/Underrated Players

Jesse Abelson — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:03:00 -0400

Every sports team has their star player, and almost every sports team also has an overrated and an underrated player. Thinking about it, I made this list of some of the most over and underrated players in the league.

Six Most Overrated Players

1. Yao Ming

Yao Ming is 7 feet 6 inches. Without his height he would not be a good basketball player. Even with his height he is not outstanding. He is a God in China and has started for the Western Conference All-Star team for 6 years in a row. Yao is good but is not great.

2. Jason Kidd

3. Shaquille O'Neal

4. Gilbert Arenas

5. Carmelo Anthony

6. LeBron James

7.Jermaine O'Neal

He proved that he can't stay healthy for a long period of time. He put up just mediocre numbers last year, but when the raptors trading for him, they act like they traded for a superstar and are now instant contenders.

Six Most Underrated Players

2. Al Jefferson

3. David West

4. Hedu Turkoglu

5. Yi Jianlian

6. Rasheed Wallace

Early Two-Round Mock for 2009 NFL Draft

Jesse Abelson — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:00:36 -0400

This mock draft is assuming Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Knowhson Moreno and Matt Stafford stay in school for next season.

*Asterisk indicates another team is expected to own the same record.

First round

1. *Detroit Lions: Michael Oher, OT

Detroit needs a Quarterback, but no Quarterback can be good against a horrible Offensive Line. Michael Oher can play guard or tackle. In seven games this season, Detroit has surrendered 25 sacks and has the second worst rushing game in the NFL. If the lions do not take an Offensive Lineman look for them to take a Quarterback.

2. *Kansas City Chiefs: Sam Bradford, QB

It's never good when you have to have Tyler Thigpen as your starting Quarterback. Sam Bradford reminds me of Matt Ryan. They are both 6'4, have a very accurate pass, and can throw the deep ball very well. Tyler Thigpen has had one good game so far, If he keeps having a solid season, look for the Chiefs to go for an Inside Linebacker.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: Eugene Monroe, OT

This is very simple math. The Bengals have given up 28 sacks in 8 games, allowed only 3.4 yards per carry and the starting left tackle is almost 30 years old. They need help on the Offensive line because once Carson Palmer comes back they will be better.

4. Oakland Raiders: Michael Crabtree, WR

Oakland is a very young team, the have JaMarcus Russell at Quarterback and McFadden at Running back. But who do they have at Wide Receiver? Their leading receiver is Tight End Zack Miller and next is 30 year-old Javon Walker who only has 12 catches this season. The Raiders need a Wide Receiver, and Crabtree is the best one available.

5. Seattle Seahawks: Andre Smith, OT

6. Houston Texans: Malcolm Jenkins, CB

7. San Fransisco 49ers: Taylor Mays, S

8. *Miami Dolphins: Vontae Davis, CB

9. *Minnesota Vikings: Mike Mickens CB

10. St. Louis Rams: Ciron Black, OT

11. Cleveland Browns: Chris Wells, RB

12. Baltimore Ravens: Jeremy Maclin, WR

13. San Diego Chargers: Alex Boone, OT

14. New England Patriots: James Laurinaitis, ILB

15. New Orleans Saints: Brian Cushing, OLB

16. Green Bay Packers: Michael Johnson, DE

17. New York Jets: Rey Maualuga, ILB

18. Indianapolis Colts: Fili Moala, DT

19. Arizona Cardinals:LeSean McCoy, RB

20. Washington Redskins: Joe Burnett, CB

21. Philadelphia Eagles (From Carolina): William Moore, S

22. Chicago Bears: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Percy Harvin, WR

24. Atlanta Falcons: Myron Rolle, S

25. Buffalo Bills: Alex Mack, C

26. Philadelphia Eagles: George Selvie, DE

27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Duke Robinson, OG

28. Detroit Lions (From Dallas): Tyson Jackson, DE

29. Denver Broncos: Brandon Spikes, ILB

30. Jacksonville Jaguars: Sen’Derrick Marks, DT

31. New York Giants: Gerald McRath, OLB

32. Tennessee Titans: Juaquin Iglesias, WR

Second round

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Darry Beckwith, ILB

2. Detroit Lions: D.J. Moore, CB

3. Cincinnati Bengals: Greg Hardy, DE

4. Oakland Raiders: Adam Ulatoski, OT

5. Seattle Seahawks: Brandon LaFell, WR

6. Houston Texans: Brandon Tate, WR

7. San Fransisco 49ers: Greg Middleton, DE

8. Minnesota Vikings: Nathan Brown, QB

(Surprising pick, but Nathan Brown has 21 touchdowns and one interception this season, including a three-touchdown performance against Tulsa. He's perfect for the West Coast Offense, too.)

9. Miami Dolphins: Jeff Owens, DT

10. St. Louis Rams: Darius Butler, CB

11. Cleveland Browns: Alphonso Smith, CB

12. Baltimore Ravens: Victor Harris, CB

13. New England Patriots: Kam Chancellor, SS

14. New England Patriots: Brian Orakpo, DE

15. New York Giants: Maurice Evans, DE

16. Green Bay Packers: DeMarcus Granger, DT

17. New York Jets: Javon Ringer, RB

18. Indianapolis Colts: Kenny Britt, WR

19. Arizona Cardinals: Xavier Fulton, OT

20. Miami Dolphins: Derek Pegues, FS

21. Carolina Panthers: Louis Murphy, WR

22. Chicago Bears: Herman Johnson, OG

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cody Brown, DE

24. Atlanta Falcons: Vince Oghobaase, DT

25. Buffalo Bills: Auston English, DE

26. Philadelphia Eagles: Jermaine Gresham, TE

27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Barnes, CB

28. Dallas Cowboys: Trevard Lindley, CB

29. Denver Broncos: Patrick Chung, SS

30. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kraig Urbik, OG

31. New York Giants: Michael Hamlin, SS

32. Tennessee Titans: Tyrone McKenzie, OLB

A Very Early Attempt at the 2009 NFL Draft

Jesse Abelson — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:52:17 -0400

This is a very early attempt at the 2009 NFL Draft. The order is based on how I believe the season is going to end.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Sam Bradford, QB

2. Detroit Lions: Michael Oher, OT

3. Cincinnati Bengals: Eugene Monroe, OT

4. Oakland Raiders: Michael Crabtree, WR

5. Seattle Seahawks: Andre Smith, OT

6. Houston Texans: Malcolm Jenkins, CB

7. San Fransisco 49ers: Taylor Mays, S

8. Miami Dolphins:Vontae Davis, CB

9. Minnesota Vikings: Mike Mickens CB

10. St. Louis Rams: Ciron Black, OT

11. Cleveland Browns: Chris Wells, RB

12. Baltimore Ravens: Jeremy Maclin, WR

13. San Diego Chargers: Alex Boone, OT

14. New England Patriots: James Laurinaitis, ILB

15. New Orleans Saints: Brian Cushing, OLB

16. Green Bay Packers: Michael Johnson, DE

17. New York Jets: Rey Maualuga, ILB

18. Indianapolis Colts: Fili Moala, DT

19. Arizona Cardinals: Knowhson Moreno RB

20. Washington Redskins: Joe Burnett, CB

21. Philadelphia Eagles (From Carolina): William Moore, S

22. Chicago Bears: Jeremy Maclin, WR

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR

24. Atlanta Falcons: Myron Rolle, S

25. Buffalo Bills: Alex Mack, C

26. Philadelphia Eagles: George Selvie, DE

27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Duke Robinson, OG

28. Detroit Lions (From Dallas): Tyson Jackson, DE

29. Denver Broncos: Brandon Spikes, ILB

30. Jacksonville Jaguars: Sen’Derrick Marks, DT

31. New York Giants: Brian Cushing, OLB

32. Tennessee Titans: Percy Harvin, WR

Minnesota Gophers Football Ranked for First Time Since 2005

Jesse Abelson — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:26:16 -0400

The Minnesota Gophers football team is now ranked No. 25 by the AP and USA Today Coaches' polls. The last time the Gophers were ranked was Oct. 15, 2005, when they were ranked 22nd.

Last year, the Gophers finished a very disappointing 1-11, losing six games by seven points or fewer. This year, under second-year head coach Tim Brewster and new offensive coordinator Ted Roof, the Gophers are already bowl eligible and have five more wins than last year.

The Gophers can credit their success to a much-improved defense, a surprisingly good offensive line, quarterback Adam Weber, wide receiver Eric Decker, and freshman running back Deleon Eskridge, who stepped up and filled in for injured running back Duane Bennett.

They were also helped by a great recruiting class led by running back Deleon Eskridge and defensive back Tramaine Brock. Look for the Gophers to in the top 5 in the Big Ten this year, earning them a trip to a bowl game.