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Braylon Edwards: "It's a business."

By Nate Atkins | July 1, 2009 | Browns Bites

Note: It's been a while. Too long of a while, actually, since I last posted here. I wish I could have but life has been busier in the last two months than I can remember for quite a while. For that, I apologize.What many do not understand about the National Football League is that it IS a business. Organization-wide respect and integrity are nice, but in the end moves are made from a business standpoint. Every owner and organization wants to get better. As Browns fans know too well, some just are more successful in their attempts than others.At least Braylon Edwards realizes this and, at least publicly, is not bitter about the organization's grumbles about him over what has been close to a year now. For someone who has dealt with maturity issues for a long time, it's good to see this out of Edwards."I never said I wanted...

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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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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...

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Greg Ellis says "Yes" to the Raiders

By LDizzle | June 15, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

DE Greg Ellis now a Raider

According to Calvin Watkins of FanHouse.com, former Cowboy LB/DE Greg Ellis will be signing a 3 year contract to become a Raider later today. Financial terms were not disclosed. There were many who thought that Greg Ellis may become a Raider (or at least hoped). I was not among those people. He does not fit the mold of the type of player this Raider team has been focusing on this offseason. Ellis is the type of player the Patriots were thought to have interest in. He is over 30 (He'll be 34 in August) and is somewhat of a "tweener" which works great in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme. Plus the Patriots are in the market for a DE/LB these days so it seemed like the obvious fit....

Read more | 9 Comments | Tags: AFC, AFC West, Al Davis, Calvin Watkins, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Derrick Burgess, Greg Ellis, Mike Florio, Mike Zimmer, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Tom Cable

Tidbits For A Rainy Thursday

By johnfennelly | June 11, 2009 | Big Blue 101

Not much happening....... As you know coach Tom Coughlin will be joining some other current and former coaches on a trip to Iraq later this month. Coughlin holds the military in high regard and is involved with many charities and fundraisers for members and families of the armed services.... The beat writers have been digging around the past few days....here's a few nuggets.. NY Post - Paul Schwartz interviewed LB Michael Boley.......readNewsday's Tom Rock on WR Steve Smith...........readThe Daily News' Tim Smith says RB Brandon Jacobs wants to get into Boxing promotion.....readMichael Eisen of Giants.com is reporting that WR Hakeem Nicks is throwing out the first pitch at tonight's Mets-Phillies game at Citi Field.....readMike Garafolo on Jesse Armstead opening a car dealership in NJ.....readPat Traina says Guy Whimper's days may be numbered.......read...

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Super Bowl XLIV: A Patriots-Giants Rematch

By johnfennelly | June 11, 2009 | Big Blue 101

Brady, Pats Seek to Avenge XLII Loss Is it too early to write an article like this? Of course it is. Before you read this, assume you are a jury an I am the judge and I just instructed you to apply facts - not emotion - to your verdict. The best team in the AFC is the New England Patriots. The best team in the NFC is the New York Giants. Should everything hold true to form, these two clubs will meet in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on February 7th, 2010. New England The plain truth is the Patriots have been accused of many things (and rightfully so), which has led to most non-Patriot fans despising them like some kind of movie villains. That doesn't change the fact that they won 10 games without the best player in football - QB Tom Brady - last season. Brady's comeback...

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David Tyree: The "Forgotten" Hero Returns

By johnfennelly | June 5, 2009 | Big Blue 101

There are few times when Giants GM Jerry Reese reveals his poker face. This past spring, after the Giants released Plaxico Burress and cut ties with Amani Toomer, that face was showing.The Giants needed a receiver, or two, or three. The fans became frantic, and the media fed into that panic like a feeding frenzy.Reese decided to solve his problem with overkill. He went to the draft table in April and grabbed as many highly touted receivers he could get his hands on. Hakeem Nicks, the one with the magic hands. Ramses Barden the towering, Plaxico-like scoring machine and Travis Beckum, an explosive tight end.Before the draft, Reese's team had no veteran receiver on it's roster. His starters were journeyman Domenik Hixon and slot receiver Steve Smith, who are both capable players but hardly the caliber that instill fear in opponents.The other receivers on his roster were two high draft...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: David Tyree, New York Giants, News & Notes

Who's the NFL team of the decade?

By Beth | June 3, 2009 | The Patriot Act

Brad Gagnon at The Score put out an interesting challenge on his blog last week, calling on sports fans to answer, Who's the team of the decade?My answer is obvious, but not just for the reasons you might think. Brad makes a great statistical case for the Patriots over at his place: they have won the most Super Bowls (3), are tied for the most conference titles (2), tied for the most division titles (6), have the best regular season record (102-42), and the best playoff record (14-3). They also own the first perfect regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and before that, a streak of 21 consecutive regular-season wins, more than that if you count the playoff games in between. Then Brad has to go and sully my glowing feelings of pride by noting, correctly, "It's safe to say that the Pats would've had this thing locked...

Read more | 5 Comments | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Bob Kraft, Brett Favre, Derek Jeter, Drew Bledsoe, Indianapolis Colts, John Thomase, Matt Walsh, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Patriots, Peyton Manning, Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams, Tom Brady, Tony Dungy

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

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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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Green Bay Trades Up For Matthews, Colts Nab Donald Brown

By Greg Trippiedi | April 25, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Pick 26, Green Bay Packers -- Clay Matthews, LB, USCI really like the Packers' decision to make this trade. They go up, get a player who has slid down further than was expected, and use him as you transition to the 3-4 as an outside linebacker. I think this is one of the more imaginative moves of the drafts to this point, and Green Bay is doing quite the job in their defensive transition.Green Bay Packers: 11 pointsPick 27, Indianapolis Colts -- Donald Brown, RB, ConnecticutFollowing the lead of successful teams who have employed two running backs, the Colts have paired Donald Brown with Joseph Addai. Addai's contract runs through 2010, but Donald Brown will be asked to help improve an offense that ranked 31st in rushing last season. The Colts probably could have grabbed a running back later for the same effect, but they must have really prefered Brown...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, NFL, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans

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 Outsider Mock Draft: Giants Acquire Harvin

By Anthony Hall | April 10, 2009 | MVN Outsider

With the 29th pick in NFL Outsider's 2009 Mock Draft, Giants blogger Rich of Big Blue 101 selects Percy Harvin (WR, Florida).As we all know, Plaxico Burress is no longer with the New York Giants, and it is clear that the team needs a replacement. The way this mock draft has gone, there is not a big receiver capable of replacing Burress on the board, so the Giants need to change their approach. We know that the Giants have been involved in trade talks with the Browns regarding receiver Braylon Edwards and they have also been linked to the Cardinals for Anquan Boldin and the Bengals for Chad Johnson on rumor mills. If no trade is made, and the draft shakes out like this, I think the Giants should select the dangerous Percy Harvin from the University of Florida. Harvin would give the Giants a threat in the return game...Read more

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NFL Top 101: BC's Raji Leads the 100+ Best Prospects in the 2009 NFL Draft

By Greg Trippiedi | March 23, 2009 | MVN Outsider

I'll just say it flat out: this list is not going to perfectly match the MVN Positional Top 10 lists from the last month or so. Things have changed. Draft stock is up, or down, on certain players, and on others, the author of this article has just wizened up a little bit. There will be plenty of prospects on this list who simply were left off of the positional lists, and likewise, as more information on the prospects comes available, some guys dropped out of the top 101 entirely. As NFL fans, you guys/gals know the draft drill by now, so I'll just jump right into the list. Selections that might be perceived as controversial are highlighted and explained, if only to make it a bit harder to blast in the comments section.Tier One: The Elite Talent1. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston CollegeThe NFL's next Haloti Ngata/Albert Haynesworth (depends on...Read more

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NFL Outsider Mock Draft: Mid-March Mock Madness (1st Round)

By Greg Trippiedi | March 16, 2009 | MVN Outsider

This month's mock draft is coming in a three round series over the next two weeks. One QB has been bumped up to the first round from the second, while a few lesser-known names populate the back end of the first round. Meanwhile, offensive talent dominates the top ten.Detroit Lions: Jason Smith, OT, BaylorThe Lions are committing on improving the quality of the offensive line, which seems to be a smart investment with the obscene money at the top of the draft. This pick will likely be decided between Smith and Eugene Monroe in a contract bidding war. The loser is shipped off to Missouri on a Greyhound.St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT, VirginiaBoy, wouldn't the Rams totally screw over everyones Mock Draft if they went with Stafford or Curry with this pick? That would really suck. Especially for Rams fans, who would be treated to another year of pathetic...Read more

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