dallas cowboys

Quick review time. The Cowboys entered the 2011 NFL Draft with major holes at offensive tackle and safety. They had a need at defensive end, inside linebacker and could use help at cornerback as well as offensive guard. If there was a future stud at defensive tackle, he was worth taking. Those were the perceived needs when analyzing the current roster.

The Cowboys fulfilled the major need at offensive tackle with the top prospect at the position, USC's Tyron Smith. From there though, we caught a glimpse at how the Cowboys brass sees things, and the vision was a lot different than the one a lot of fans had.That's not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes, the confusion is warranted. Only time will tell for this draft class, which is always the case for both positive and negative opinions............

miami dolphins

The long wait is over. Draft Day is finally here! And we will have you covered throughout the three day event. So be sure to check back often for update and join us for our live threads as the 2011 NFL Draft unfolds. Also be sure to follow me on Twitter, where I'll be posting whatever random thoughts strike me as I typically do as well as re-tweeting any important or relevant NFL Draft news from the many respected analysts and reporters.

If you're like me, then you probably feel like a kid on Christmas morning right now. You're laying in bed, anxiously awaiting your opportunity to run down the hall or down the stairs and see what Santa Claus left you. Except today, we are all waiting to see what Santa Ireland leaves us under the NFL Draft tree..........

seattle seahawks

An odd trade led to the Oakland Raiders picking up the 92nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Where trades are normally made as the team giving it up is on the clock, the Raiders made a trade in advance with the New England Patriots, swapping picks well ahead of time to secure the late-third round pick. And with the pick, the Oakland Raiders selected Joe Barksdale, an offensive tackle from LSU.

Barksdale is the second offensive lineman taken by the Raiders, with the fastest cornerback sandwiched in-between. As much as Al Davis and the Raiders are typically ridiculed, their 2011 draft seems normal, though unspectacular............

seattle seahawks

With the first two picks of the 2011 NFL Draft the Seattle Seahawks have chosen offensive linemen. This in itself isn't much of a story, but taken from a wider view it says quite a lot. The Hawks have decided, as Brandon Adams at 17Power so eloquently put it in his reaction article tonight, to take a road less traveled in today's NFL - one occupied by a run-first offense. The major trend in NFL Champion teams is one characterized by pass-happy, gun slinging quarterbacks putting their respective teams on their backs and leading them to victory. If you looked at it in a statistical fashion you'd conclude that passing a lot is the best way to win a championship. Teams that pass more, win more.

Now let's look at it from a different angle. The NFL has a lot of parity so you see a lot of turnover in the playoffs, but the teams that stay in the playoffs year in and year out have elite talent at QB. What do you do if you have an elite talent at QB? You put the ball in his hands and tell him to win the game. So what happens if you don't have an elite quarterback, like probably 90% of the NFL? You certainly don't try and just pass more despite your obvious disadvantage in the realm of passing, you'd lose the turnover battle badly and get blown out in many games. This may or may not have happened with the Seahawks in 2010.
Here's my point: it's very difficult to find an elite, top tier quarterback. Teams struggle for decades to find that elite talent and putting that piece in place can change the entire landscape of a franchise. Instead, the Seahawks are building a team predicated on running the ball. I pointed out Kansas City's scheme and strategy and it got them to the playoffs last year where they lost to a very, very good team called the Ravens. They got there behind the QB play of Matt Cassel, the most boring Pro-Bowl QB ever. KC isn't done either, they'll be back next year after having a very decent draft so far these last two days. On the other hand, look at Denver. They had an extremely effective and exciting passing game centered around Kyle Orton but lacked anything resembling a rushing attack, and they just so happened to pick 2nd in the draft yesterday.......................

Ryan Mallett

Two youngsters added to a group of old running backs. One potential successor to Tom Brady.

And no pass rushers.

The New England Patriots stuck to their traditional draft strategy on Friday – focusing on their ratings of players and not their positions of need and stocking up on draft choices.

They added picks in the first and second rounds next year in the first two days of the draft. But they didn't address the need for an improved pass rush. They finished 14th in the NFL last year with 36 sacks.

Coach Bill Belichick hopes that can get better with help from outside linebacker Jermaine Cunningham, who had one sack as a rookie last year, and others who are still progressing.

2011 Dallas Cowboys

Week 1, September 11: at New York Jets (Sunday Night)

Week 2, September 18: at San Francisco, 3:05 CT

Week 3, September 26: WASHINGTON (Monday Night)

Week 4, October 2: DETROIT, Noon

Week 5: BYE

Week 6, October 16: at New England, 3:15

Week 7, October 23: ST. LOUIS, 3:15

Week 8, October 30: at Philadelphia (Sunday Night)

Week 9, November 6: SEATTLE, Noon

Week 10, November 13: BUFFALO, Noon

Week 11, November 20: at Washington, Noon

Week 12, November 24: MIAMI (Thanksgiving Day)

Week 13, December 4: at Arizona, 3:15

Week 14, December 11: NEW YORK GIANTS (Sunday Night)

Week 15, December 17: at Tampa Bay (Saturday Night)

Week 16, December 24: PHILADELPHIA, 3:15 (Saturday)

Week 17, January 1: at New York Giants, Noon

Football Fans and NFL Cities Should Go on Strike

If the game again from the NFL owners to pay their demands greedy and unreasonable for the game paid less for professional soccer players, and I hope that the players strike.
When he finally, I hope the fans strike. More importantly, I hope that the mayors and state governors that the cash-strapped municipalities to go on strike, or at least enter the financial equivalent to the exclusion of the owners of NFL players threatening.
One wonders what is going on in the minds of the owners, who are demanding a greater share of the top $ 9 billion in annual revenue. Yes, the players (many of them, anyway) amount of money silly, and it's irritating to those fans that a great deal less than a day of hard work, or can not do so because they are unemployed to see groups of men in pads and tight pants make millions to play a game. But compared with the mind, and the owners: They get $ 1300000000 information on the cost of the click, and then about 40 percent of income, and since then, with the rest going to pay salaries for the player. Now, owners of another $ 1000000000 from the top.

My grandfather’s test works in NFL

 After all this time, Charles Wonderlic still can’t help but be amazed that his family name is synonymous with NFL talent evaluation.

His grandfather, E.F. “Al” Wonderlic, didn’t have a keen eye for judging the quality of a quarterback’s throwing motion or a cornerback’s backpedaling skills. He did, however, know a thing or two about gauging one’s intelligence, and in 1937 he devised a written examination that does precisely that.

In 1975, the NFL began giving potential draft picks what has since simply become known as “The Wonderlic,” a timed and proctored assessment that measures an individual’s ability to learn, understand instructions and solve problems. The questions cover areas such as word and number comparisons, simple math, sentence forming, and graphs.

Charles was 12 at the time, so he didn’t quite grasp the significance of it all. But while making his annual visit to the NFL Scouting Combine — where college prospects are taking the test, along with being put through a battery of physical drills to help determine their draft worthiness — he reflected on its staying power.

“It works,” Wonderlic said. “People don’t do things for long periods of time that don’t work. Things don’t last 35 years for happenstance.”

NFL talent evaluators like “The Wonderlic” because it can be conducted with relative quickness and efficiency. However, through the years, it has weathered a fair amount of controversy. From time to time, critics have challenged its validity, asking a basic question: Why would anyone care how bright a football player is, especially one who has the physical qualities necessary to play the game at the highest level?

“Go ask any of the players if they think that intelligence matters on the field,” Wonderlic said. “What do you think they’re going to say, no? Of course it does. There are different jobs that have different mental demands.

“In this case, we’re not saying that we’re looking to hire the brightest people necessarily. We say there’s a certain amount of intelligence necessary to perform. More is better, usually, but people learn at different speeds.”

Sample 'Wonderlic' Test

One of the more interesting tests the players at the NFL Scouting Combine have to take is not even on the gridiron. It's in the classroom and it's the intimidating 'Wonderlic' Test, which supposedly goes a long way towards measuring a player's "Football IQ." The history of the test includes some very interesting scores, both at the high and low end. A few years ago, former University of Texas and Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young reportedly scored a '6' on the test. At the same time, Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick scored a '50' and Washington Redskins QB Donovan McNabb got a '14' on his test.

Does this really matter in terms of translating into a good, or bad NFL player? That still remains to be seen with scores all over the place for both good and not-so-good players in the league. Regardless, it's still an interesting topic for conversation around the NFL Combine.

Keith Olbermann Leaves MSNBC

Keith Olbermann has left MSNBC, anchoring his last 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann' on the news network Friday evening. Watch video of Olbermann's announcement below.

Following his exit, MSNBC released the following statement:

"MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of Countdown with Keith Olbermann will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors."

In November Olbermann was suspended by the network for making political campaign donations. Olbermann made donations to Democratic House Representatives Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and to then Kentucky Senate contender Jack Conway. All three politicians previously appeared on 'Countdown.' His donations violated MSNBC policy because they were not cleared by the network.

Juggling their schedule, MSNBC further announced that "Starting Monday, January 24, 'The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell' will move to 8PM ET and 'The Ed Show,' hosted by Ed Schultz, will move to 10PM ET. 'The Rachel Maddow Show' will continue to air live at 9PM ET

Laura Vikmanis: NFL’s Oldest Cheerleader at 42

Sunday night we will know the glory of the two teams compete in the Super Bowl this year will be. And none of them will not be the Cincinnati Bengals. They have a very bad season, and nowhere near even making the playoffs.
But this does not mean that the Bengals did not let an outstanding product in this area. Because what they did. Was not only soccer team. One of the cheerleaders, girls bin. (Get it and the Bengals? Oh ... does not matter). The wonderful thing about bin girls? Or 42 years) of two children.
A few years ago, and the magic of Laura Vikmanis Cincinnati Bengals game, which adorn those who advocate the sidelines, so much that she decided she wanted one. Only one problem. As a mother of two busy, they were not exactly in the best shape of her life. So she worked hard and tried for the team when she was 39. She refused to be intimidated. In the end, it was 20 years older than many of the young women were competing. Although it may come all the way through the workout the past, the team said it in the short term and not a little.
But did not let your hair down. A year later, she "buckled down and focus on fitness [her] is unprecedented, which turned out to be Ben Girls tests Vikmanis and the second time was a charm and began pouring the team. Saw the captain and Tara Wilson Vikmanis" large form "for the team cheer.
Vikmanis that once her age as a disadvantage to see for the first time as a feature. He was an inspiration for women to know their ignorance of that age. However, she conceded that she was a little strange to be the oldest of all the players who is cheering. "At least I'm not like the old coach," she jokes. "It is a little older than me."
I am proud of Laura. Here's my mother who is the goal, and achieve in spite of the long-running dispute. In doing so, was able to say that people countless that anything is possible, especially her two daughters.

The NFL Today on CBS Quotage For Week 17The NFL Today on CBS Quotage For Week 17

Immigrants: I think Atlanta will be No. 1 seed after today they will beat Carolina. If there is a loss is good, and I think that Mike Smith had since Monday night against the New Orleans Saints. I woke up the Atlanta Falcons and let them know that they were beaten at home loved. I think they will win and the imprisonment of No. 1 seed, and the road to the Super Bowl runs through the Georgia Dome.

(In St. Louis center Hamilton Sam Bradford)
Bill Cowher, I saw Sam Bradford last few weeks. I think he hit the rookie wall. I tell you now that I've seen. I saw him with Ben Roethlisberger at the end of the season.

(On the question of Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer is better off without Terrell Owens Chad Ochocinco)
Dan Marino: I say yes. Carson was a great game last week. And young people, and this is the first time I saw him smile on the sidelines of each year. Chad is a distraction. T.O. Was a productive year, but he is 38 years. Go with the players, and keep on smiling Carson Palmer.

(On if anyone can beat the Patriots)
Cowher: I've played well, but the story says that last year that the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs, and forced four shifts Tom Brady. And was able to run the ball 230 yards. This is a football team that I see them and they are not taking it, as they did in the past. And will pass the time on defense. I think their defense is still very young. I do not think it is extensive. So yes, they play very well, because they are not beating themselves, but they are at risk.

Sharp: I think that the Baltimore Ravens may have to go and win, and I think the Indianapolis Colts ... But I think they had been beaten very popular. Defending young people, and they do not play well, especially pass rush.

Marino: I do not always agree with Bill Belichick Tom Brady play in the end of some of these games, as it does not mean anything to them. But at the same time they are a team different from last year in the playoffs ... They are a different team and turn the ball over. The only way I see them losing at home if they prevent them from transferring the ball over the other teams and give them a chance to beat him because of it.

Bradford gets $50 million guaranteed, buys a ping-pong table

Rams made the center Sam Bradford in the selection of the first year in the draft resolution. Bradford Rams have a contract with guaranteed $ 24000000 $ 26000000 to sign and are more likely to ensure a timely manner. How do you use this money? Has a ping pong table. Bradford offered to that factoid in an interview with ...