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Season Preview 2009 Minnesota Vikings

By Richie Denis | July 1, 2009 | Vikings War Cry

Anthony Chergosky from DailyNorseman.com gives us a look at the 2009 Minnesota Vikings. When you think of the 2009 Minnesota Vikings, two words probably enter your mind: Brett Favre. But when taking a look at the team, its chances of repeating as NFC North champs, and its opportunity to go further in the playoffs than it did last season, Favre is just the tip of the iceberg. All over the field and on both sides of the ball, the Vikings are a team built for success this season. This team's bread and butter is still its ability to run the...

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Under the Raider: Michael Bush

By Patrick Patterson | June 30, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

Photo by Patrick A. Patterson/TFDSsports.com

Michael Bush was drafted by the Oakland Raiders out of the University of Louisville in the fourth round of the 2007 draft. He was unable to play his rookie season, as he recovered from a broken leg, however the Raiders will be expecting big things from him in the 2009 season.

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: Adrian Peterson, Darren McFadden, Kansas City Chiefs, Michael Bush, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kansas City Chiefs Offseason Report Card: Defensive Free Agency

By Jon Yoon | June 29, 2009 | Home of the Chiefs

First, let me say that I know people are expecting me to grade the Chiefs' 2009 draft. I read through my colleague Ryan Brown's article on MVN, and it pretty much says everything I need to say. That being said, I will now shift gears toward the Chiefs' defense. Let me first say that I am and always have been a strong advocate of moving to a 3-4 defense. It does concern me that the defense is starting to become a little trendy, with the Packers and the Broncos also shifting to that defense. However, as we saw with the 49ers and the Jets, running a 3-4 requires your front office to understand how to bring the right players in for that scheme. Scott Pioli knows how to run a 3-4 and it shows. ...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: 3-4, Aaron Curry, Clancy Pendergast, defense, Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Tyson Jackson

Matt Cassel Deserves Better Than the 2009 Chiefs

By Jon Yoon | June 27, 2009 | Home of the Chiefs

First, let me mention that I happen to really like Matt Cassel. I love his potential. I am well aware that the knock on him is that he often struggles to make his reads in a pro set offense, but I love his work ethic and I love his mechanics, both of which make me believe he will be a very quick study. I also hate that every single supposed expert and analyst railed on him for having targets like Wes Welker and Randy Moss to throw to. I don't remember those same analysts questioning Carson Palmer when he had big league targets like Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Big Ben for throwing to Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. ...

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, NFL, offense, offensive line, Scott Pioli, Todd Haley

Is Mike Brown the New Version of Rodney Harrison?

By Ryan Brown | June 26, 2009 | Home of the Chiefs

The Chiefs announced the signing of safety Mike Brown on Wednesday, which seemed like a surprising move, given that the team had two starters in Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard - plus they drafted DaJuan Morgan in the 3rd-round last year. However, in retrospect, the move makes sense when considering the man who made the signing. Back in 2003, Scott Pioli signed safety Rodney Harrison, who was a salary cap casualty of the San Diego Chargers. Harrison was 31 at the time, and was considered by many to have lost a step. All he did after that was be named defensive captain of the Patriots, win two Super Bowls (including one where he had 7 tackels, 2 INT's, and a sack) and create the 30-30 Club - the only person in the history of the NFL to record 30 sacks andn 30 INTs in a career. A quick disclaimer here - I...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Bernard Pollard, Jarrad Page, Kansas City Chiefs, mike brown, New England Patriots, rodney harrison, san diego chargers, Scott Pioli

Anazlying the Chiefs' Draft

By Ryan Brown | June 23, 2009 | Home of the Chiefs

Hey, better late than never, right? Since I was indisposed this year during the draft, I was unable to conduct what I was hoping would be an annual tradition - drinking beer and saying "WTF?" every time the Chiefs made a draft pick. It worked well last year, but unfortunately I wasn't able to follow up in 2009. That's sad, actually, because this was the first year of Scott Pioli's reign of terror...er...general management. I think it would have been interesting to berate him on the spot rather than two months later. However, we'll berate him (or praise him) as we see fit now. Seeing how this is the absolute Bermuda Triangle for NFL news, we have to takes what we's can gets right now. Without further ado... 1st Round - #3 overall - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU - I guess if at first you don't succeed, take another LSU defensive...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Alex Magee, Colin Brown, Derrick Johnson, Donald Washington, Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, Michael Crabtree, mike vrabel, Scott Pioli, Tony Gonzalez, Tyler Thigpen, Tyson Jackson, Zach Thomas

Broncos Should Re-Build

By Shawn Zobel | June 18, 2009 | Zobel's Corner

In just his third year in the league, Jay Cutler threw for 4,526 yards and 25 touchdowns. While he also threw for 18 interceptions, Cutler's aggressive mentality at the quarterback position is what makes him such a good player. Nearly the definition of a franchise quarterback, Cutler's gritty, competitive attitude has brought him up the the elite status as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. So when the Denver Broncos decided to give in to Cutler's trade demand this offseason, and ship him away to the Chicago Bears for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and Kyle Orton, it really made you wonder what they were thinking and what their new plan was for the future.While Cutler owned a 17-20 record as a starter, you have to remember that he's only entering his fourth year in the league. Stars don't grow overnight. It takes time to develop into...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler, NFL

NFL Great Debates: What to Do with Michael Vick?

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Which team is the best spot for Michael Vick if he overcomes the enormous hurdles necessary to get on the field this year?Greg Trippiedi says Vick shouldn't be a starting quarterback:It's pretty clear that Michael Vick is not going to have a job waiting for him when he gets back. He's 29 years old -- too old and too young in different ways. Vick's open field running abilities were already in decline when we last saw him, and that was in 2006. But that doesn't mean he won't stick somewhere. He's still got a good five or six seasons ahead of him as an effective athlete. The question though remains: Where will Michael Vick fit in, and who will take a chance on him? I don't think Vick is a good fit on a team with a clear need...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: NFL

Derrick Williams, Jarron Gilbert, Jared Cook Lead Round 3 Recap

By Greg Trippiedi | April 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Process points become negligible after the first day, so lets look at round three and the players that each team got in the middle of the draft.65. New York Jets -- Shonn Green, RB, IowaThe Jets traded up for this pick, so the Green pick was really disappointing. I didn't think he was anywhere near the best available, and with this being the first pick of the day, I expected a great pick here.66. St. Louis Rams -- Bradley Fletcher, CB, Iowa67. Kansas City Chiefs -- Alex Magee, DE, PurdueThe Chiefs pick their second 3-4 DE of the draft. So what does this mean for Glenn Dorsey? Will he split time with Magee and Tyson Jackson, or is he already on his way out?68. Chicago Bears -- Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose StateChicago moves forward looking for best player available, while making sure to add a defensive lineman every year. ...Read more

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Alphonzo Smith Trade, Rey Maualuga, Pat White Highlight NFL Draft's Second Round

By Greg Trippiedi | April 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The second round of the 2009 NFL draft was fronted by some high profile trades. Both the Panthers and the Broncos traded first round picks in 2010 for players they had first round grades on, but drafted in the second round. Pat White ended up getting drafted by the consummate "Wildcat" offense, which seems like a good fit, if not a reach. Inside linebackers Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis slipped through the first round, but got drafted by teams in the second with defensive issues. They'll step in right away and help those situations.However, it was some lesser known prospects who will be the story of the second round in a few years.33. Detroit Lions -- Louis Delmas, S, Western MichiganDelmas is a local product who was clearly head and shoulders above all the other safeties in this draft. After going with the QB with a steep developmental curve in...Read more

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Matthew Stafford Highlights Top Five Picks

By Greg Trippiedi | April 25, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The NFL Draft is under way.Pick 1, Detroit Lions -- Matthew Stafford, QB, GeorgiaThe Lions get their franchise Quarterback. Supposedly. What is more promising is how well they performed the process. The Lions had a deal in principle agreed to with LB Aaron Curry. It was reportedly for $30 million in guaranteed money. But the Lions spent $41 million on the guy they believe will be the next great passer. The Lions are making a stand: they are not going to waste the best years of Calvin Johnson's career with below expectation QB play.How the Lions develop Stafford is more important than who he is coming out of Georgia. He's not a very solid prospect right now, but he's "toolzy" and loaded with potential. The Lions are getting all the process points.Detroit Lions: 5 pointsPick 2, St. Louis Rams -- Jason Smith, OT, BaylorThe best OL player in the draft...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

NFL Outsider Mock Drafts: Trippiedi's Final Call

By Greg Trippiedi | April 24, 2009 | MVN Outsider

As promised, this will be my best attempt at figuring out how the NFL draft will go on Saturday. I'll try to project all logical trades in this space, but certainly won't be able to chart all the action that will happen. Put simply, I'll be satisfied if I nail team intentions correctly in the draft.It seems like the media is catching up to teams in terms of figuring out smokescreens. That should help me a lot in this process. We'll check back on Sunday to see how accurately this two round mock really was (don't get your hopes up).Round 11. Detroit Lions -- Matthew Stafford, QB, GeorgiaJim Schwartz thinks he can win with Matthew Stafford. And if Jim Schwartz thinks he can win with Matthew Stafford, then I agree with him. I'm still not convinced that he's worth the money though. Stafford is a deadly accurate passer who might...Read more

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NFL Top 10: 2008 NFL Draft Process Points from

By Greg Trippiedi | April 18, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Last year, I wrote this following introduction while introducing "process points", a refreshing way to grade a draft before we know how good the players will be. By grading the process, not the overall haul, I hoped to be able to see if teams who draft the "right" way end up with better drafts than teams who act impulsively and out of desperation. Here's what I said while introducing the system:"Which teams are showing desperation? Which teams are calm, collected, stick to the plan, and land their guy when they should? These are the kind of questions that will be answered over the next eight hours. We will use a simple points system as follows and see who has the best first day: 5 points for a "smart" first round selection 3 points for a "smart" second round selection 2 points for a "smart" trade No points for a desperate...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL Draft, Philadelphia Eagles, Process Points, Seattle Seahawks

NFL Top 10: Immediate Impact 2008 Draft Picks

By Greg Trippiedi | April 17, 2009 | MVN Outsider

This list might seem familiar to you. If it does, it's likely because you've seen people vote on the rookie of the year award. That's essentially the same thing. But just before NFL Outsider hits the final stretch run prior to the draft, I'm going to spend a day or two looking back at 2008. What were we right on, and where did we miss the most?This article will look exclusively at players who were drafted last year, and helped to turn potential into wins right away.10. Leodis McKelvin, CB, Buffalo BillsMcKelvin made an instant impact in kick and punt returns, returning the Buffalo special teams unit to the top of the league. This year, he'll look to make an impact on defense.9. Jonathon Stewart, RB/Jeff Otah, OT, Carolina PanthersIt's hard to say which one had a bigger impact on the Panthers' running game, but since I can't give this...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

NFL Top 10: Draft Rumors Abound

By Greg Trippiedi | March 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Today, we'll keep NFL Top 10 very simple, we'll just go line by line and speculate how the first ten picks might turn out, talk about potential draft picks, huge holes, and the latest buzz surrounding the top ten picks as we close in on three weeks to go until the draft.Pick Number One -- Detroit LionsThe Facts: The Lions have narrowed it down to three players; QB Matt Stafford, OT Jason Smith, and LB Aaron Curry.The Speculation: As highly rated of a prospect as Aaron Curry is, no team can afford to invest the obscene money the first overall pick gets into the linebacker position. If Curry wants to go at the top of the draft, he will have to offer to take a deal for less money than Chris Long got last year at No. 2 overall. Considering that either St. Louis or Kansas City is primed to...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

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