Before we get started on our week four projections, I’ve got a bone to pick with Matthew Berry a.k.a. “The talented Mr. Roto” who works over at ESPN. While I will admit that he’s probably better at this than I am, he does just about everything I hate when it comes to his “Love ‘em, Hate ‘em” column. He picks about 50 guys for each, he says he doesn’t pick the obvious ones (even though this week he loves Marshawn ...Read More

Under the coaching and recruiting of Head Coach Ron Zook, the Fighting Illini went from a perennial loser to a serious contender in the Big 10 overnight. In 2007, they posted a 9-4 record overall while finishing 2nd in the Big 10 with a 6-2 record and making their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1984. Last season, the Fighting Illini's "coming out party" was on November 10th when they defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes 28-21 in Colombus. ...Read More

Any teams looking for a quality backup running back, especially one with starting experience, can thank the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh cut Najeh Davenport, who started for the Steelers at the end of last season in the wake of Willie Parker’s injury. Davenport looked like a keeper during the Week 15 game at St. Louis last season when he rushed for 123 yards and caught a 32-yard pass on a fake punt. But he was held to 25 yards on 16 carries ...Read More

Now that the NFL Draft is over, it's time to take a look back at some of the big winners from the weekend. Two teams who came into the draft needing a great weekend to aid their rebuilding process were the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. They did just that, but they weren't the only teams that did well on Saturday and Sunday. Winners Kansas City Chiefs: Undoubtedly the biggest winner. Thanks to the Falcons taking ...Read More

Yesterday, I analyzed the options that teams with picks 1-8 in the upcoming NFL Draft have, and what talented prospects they're most likely to pin their hopes and dreams on. Today, I give a rundown of picks 9-16, starting and ending with offensively-productive who need help on defense to enhance their playoff chances, the Cincinnati Bengals at #9, and the Arizona Cardinals at #16. 9. Cincinnati Bengals: We know they're going defense, but what direction will they go? The Bengals ...Read More

The NFC West, at least in its current incarnation, has never produced a Super Bowl champion, and the last team in the division to win the Big Game was the St. Louis Rams in 2000. Needless to say, the division has been fighting for respectability for nearly a decade. At least one team, the Seahawks, is a legitimate Super Bowl threat and this year’s draft is an important one, as they may only need a player or two to get ...Read More

Another draft domino fell on Thursday, as Chris Brown wrapped up a move from one AFC South team to another, going from the Titans to the Texans, where he'll be the next hopeful to try to nail down the starting spot in Houston's backfield. On a related note, given that I've had the Texans taking him in the first round in April for the longest time, Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart is going to be sidelined for the next four ...Read More

After Darren McFadden's crazy awesome NFL Combine, it immediately became apparent that he would be the first running back selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.  Now, only if the 2nd best option was as clear..... Most scouts and fans are split over 2 power backs.  Rashard Mendenall, from Illinois, is a 5'10", 225 lb nightmare for opposing defenses.  He runs a sick 4.37 forty and can catch balls out of the backfield before turning up-field and becoming a human battering ram.  His style is ...Read More

Dozens of draft prospects went into the NFL scouting combine looking to improve their draft standing by impressing the plethora of scouts and coaches in attendance in Indianapolis. From the sure bets to the sleepers, just about everyone had a little something to prove and improve. And, after nearly a week of interviews, drills, examinations, and in general being sized up, down, and every way possible, there were a lot of prospects who jetted out of Indy in a far ...Read More

For quite a while on Sunday afternoon, much of the talk was about Arkansas' Darren McFadden and his apparent combine-best 4.27 40 time that he posted. However, when the official numbers came out, McFadden was knocked off of the top by East Carolina's Chris Johnson. Johnson's best time on Sunday had been an unofficial 4.29, which put him just behind D-MC, but when the official times came out, Johnson bested McFadden, whose 4.27 became a 4.33 - still plenty ...Read More