Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan P

The Biggest Moves in the 2009 NBA Free Agency Period

Ryan P — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:51:21 -0400

The 2009 NBA Free Agency period has been a good one. Many people coming into this period overlooked it because of the massive class of 2010. So far, it hasn't been as good was next year will be, but there have been some significant moves. There is still time for some more signings, and there are some good players left, but this slideshow lets you recap what has happened so far.

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Toronto Blue Jays' 2009 Season Preview

Ryan P — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:52:04 -0400

The 2009 Toronto Blue Jays team is an interesting one. Personally, I believe that our offense is a good one.

The lineup looks like this:

Marco Scutaro, Aaron Hill, Alex Rios, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Scott Rolan, Adam Lind, Rod Barajas, and Travis Snider.

I believe that if Vernon Wells has a solid year, so will the rest of the team. The only problem that I notice with this team is pitching.

Here is the rotation:

Roy Halladay, Jesse Litch, David Pursey, Scott Richmond, and Ricky Romero.

As can be seen, Roy Halladay is the only man who lasted the entire year in the rotation in 2008. Jesse Litch was bounced from AAA and the bigs all year.

As far as Pursey and Richmond, they came in late in the year when Shawn Marcum and Dustin McGowan went down. Romero, however, did not participate in the rotation at all last year.

Our bullpen was the best in the majors last year, and has not changed much:

B.J. Ryan, Jeremy Accardo, Scott Downs, Jesse Carlson, Brian Tallet, and Casey Janssen (who might still battle to get into the starting rotation).

The change that I can point out is BJ Ryan. His arm has gotten weaker and his health is in question. I do believe, though, that if he does go down sometime during the year, Jeremy Accardo, who closed most of the games last year, is a great replacement.

General manager J.P. Ricciardi did little to improve the team in the offseason. As mentioned before, I think the offense will score runs. This season will come down to the pitching. If some of these young arms can stay consistent, I think the Jays can surprise some people, although it is unlikely.

If the Jays reach the halfway point of the season with a bad record, it is likely that ace Roy Halladay will ask for a trade. If so, J.P. will likely be fired (which he should have been already), and the team will begin to rebuild.

It is a mystery if the Jays will play well this year, and I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Should Jay Triano Stay As Raptors Head Coach?

Ryan P — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:39:27 -0400

The 2008-2009 NBA season for the Toronto Raptors has been a disappointing one. With high expectations coming into this year, it is easy to see that Toronto have not even come close to matching them. After the Raptors started the season 3-0, they soon slided below .500 and fired head coach Sam Mitchell. His replacement was assistant Jay Triano. He has not done a terrible job, but not a good job either.

The Raptors are a team that has a good starting line-up with Calderon (who has been injured for most of the season), Parker, Marion (acquired in a trade with Miami for Jermaine O'neal), Chris Bosh, and Andrea Bargnani.

The major problem with this team is their lack of depth. They clearly have no bench. The only consistent names I can think of are Joey Graham and newly acquired Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

Because of this lack of depth, does this not make Triano the problem?

Let's look at the positives and negatives of his time as head coach:

Positive:

Andrea Bargnani has become a very consistent centre (which is where he belongs) and has proven to be an elite player on the team.

Joey Graham (who was given zero minutes under Sam Mitchell) has become a great energy booster off the bench.

The team has now taken a turn for the best at the later stages of the year, now on a four-game winning streak, with the team looking very confident and playing as a group.

Negative:

The Raptors will miss the playoffs.

Triano's record is well below a good one.

Triano lacks experience as a head coach.

Verdict:

I believe that the problem with this team is more than the coach. If you look at the statistics in lost games, the only productive players are in the starting line-up. There is no support from players such as Jason Kapono, and the overall guard position.

If he returns, it will not be a tragety, but I still believe the Raptors can do better.

Cleveland Browns Should Trade for Jay Cutler

Ryan P — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:14:11 -0400

Jay Cutler is arguably one of the best rising stars in the NFL. He's an elite quarterback that most of the 32 teams in the NFL would want.

In the many days of speculation since it was determined likely that he will be traded, several teams have been mentioned as good fits for him. The Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, and Cleveland Browns are among them.

I took a long look at that list, and the one that really stood out was Cleveland.

Now, I'm sure many would ask, why Cleveland? Three reasons for you:

They have two QBs to offer (Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn) in return for Cutler.
They are a team in need of a superstar.
They are a franchise that deserves something to be excited about.

So far, this offseason has proven to be one of rebuilding for Cleveland. They traded Kellen Winslow for picks and released Joe Jurevicius and Kevin Shaffer. They've made additions which are not great, but not bad: Ivy, Royal, St. Claire, Womack, Bowens, and Barton are among those picked up.

With the fifth pick in this year's draft, they are looking to bolster their defense with someone like Aaron Curry (if he slides down that far), Brian Orakpo, or B.J. Raji.

So in addition to these changes, why not get an impact QB? People may argue that Quinn is a star in the making, but who knows? He has only had three starts to his name: one win and two losses (one of which was to Cutler and the Broncos). They have Derek Anderson, who had a Pro Bowl season in 2007 but was dreadful a year ago.

As mentioned before, this team needs a spark. As a Browns fan myself, we are sick of taking chances; we want to win and we want to win now.

Jay Cutler is a proven quarterback in the NFL who has never made the Playoffs only because his team's defense has been horrible. This offseason, the Browns are looking to bolster their D with some nice additions and their first-round pick.

The Browns have a quietly talented team: Players like Braylon Edwards and Jamal Lewis are criminally underrated. But as I said, they need a spark. Cutler would provide just that.

If I'm Cleveland, I'd find a way to get it done.