Notes from Round One of the 2012 NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

The 2012 NFL Draft may not have been mysterious when it came to the first two picks, but the madness began before the event even started with a mega-trade! The excitement continued throughout the night and I’m here to recap as much as my fingers can manage!

-As advertised, Minnesota didn’t want to stay at number three. Oddly enough, they only moved down one spot to four, trading with Cleveland. The Browns moved up to take Alabama running back Trent Richardson ahead of whoever else might have been calling the Vikings (which was probably Tampa Bay). At first glance I was alright with the idea of ensuring you’d get your man. After seeing the trade details? The ransom was sorta insane. The Browns gave back their first, fourth, fifth, and seventh round picks for what ended up being an insurance trade. Cleveland has a lot of picks in the first few rounds (they had 13 overall), so it’s clear now they’re going for starters and not depth. I’m not crazy about the trade for a running back, but they had a glut of picks to use. For Minnesota, it was brilliant. They got three extra picks by selling a team on moving up one spot and still got their left tackle.

-Jacksonville dept the trade train rolling, swapping up for Justin Blackmon at number five with Tampa Bay. In Blackmon they’re getting a legitimate receiver to go with the overpaid Laurent Robinson to give Blaine Gabbert receivers who can actually catch a pass. But after the bounty Cleveland hand to shell out, Tampa only got a fourth round pick? Odd. Still, the Bucs used that seventh pick to get safety Mark Barron and bolster their own secondary. (Later on the Bucs would also add running back Doug Martin, making it a decent first day for Tampa.)

Manning For All: Peyton's Chances with Every NFL Team posted by Joe Anello

"And as I go, I go with just a few words left to say. A few words I want to address to Colts fans everywhere. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I truly have enjoyed being your quarterback.”

Those were the last words from the always-classy Peyton Manning on Wednesday as he finished saying goodbye to the Indianapolis Colts. Fighting back tears, Manning and owner Jim Irsay made their statements and answered a few questions related to the QB’s departure as well as their prospective futures. They were emotional, I was emotional, it was emotional. But after the press conference ended there was only one question on the minds of NFL fans:

Where will Peyton Manning play in 2012?

As it looks like it’s going to be a short process before Manning decides on one of his surely many suitors, we don’t have time to debate. Since even an 85 to 90% Peyton Manning is better than three-fourths of the starters in the league, there are a ton of teams where he would be an upgrade. With that in mind, I’m going to go through EVERY team and describe why they might (or might not) want Manning, Peyton’s likely thoughts on the landing spot and the chance it might actually happen. I’ll preface this list by saying it’s reported that he might want to stay within the AFC and that I’m not taking the offensive system into consideration all that much. (If you’re getting Peyton Manning, you can tweak your damn offense or he can run the hell out of whatever you got. Shouldn’t be an issue.) He’s already starting making visits on his whirlwind free agency tour, so let’s get started!

The Final Drive: Week 17, 2011-12 posted by Joe Anello

The 2011 NFL regular season ended with a bang with some great finishes and superb drama on Sunday. Records were set by a back-up QB, a team captain was benched for “quitting” and a fat-handed QB lost missed out on the post-season. The Final Drive must begin!

This makes me beyond furious. Mike McCarthy takes out his MVP quarterback and starts a fourth year back-up with one career start in Matt Flynn, and f*cking records are broken. Six touchdowns? 480 yards? Who wouldn’t want to be Matt Flynn right now? That guy is about to make BANK as a free agent. Blow me Green Bay. Take your awesome quarterback development and blow me.

(6-10) Miami Dolphins 19
(8-8) New York Jets 17
Mark Sanchez: 3 interceptions. Santonio Holmes: benched and called out as a whiny quitter by his teammates.  (Seriously. Worst team captain ever.) Bart Scott: flips off a photographer and refuses to talk to the media (For once). Finally seeing theses loathsome Jets miss the playoffs is SO satisfying to me. Take it Rex Ryan. Take it hard.

I don’t give a crap about the result of this game. What I do care about is DeSean Jackson deciding to actually play like he means it and be remorseful for his completely idiotic actions this season in the last game of the year. I’d be surprised (not stunned though) if the Eagles kept Jackson around. Maybe franchise him and get him on a one-year deal, but you would have thought he’d have been on better behavior once he showed up to 2011.

Cleveland Browns posted by Edward Stefanyak

Taking the Browns to the Toilet Bowl...

Really? Really, Cleveland? You came back to the NFL, and you still haven't produced a professional football team! As a Browns' fan, it's embarrassing, truly embarrassing.

Year in and year out, I watch the Browns regress. I watch my beloved Browns get spanked by the Ravens and Steelers. If we actually beat those teams, made the playoffs, and won the Super Bowl, I wouldn't know how to act. I'm so numb to losing that I'm not sure how to react after a win. I just expect to lose-how pessimistic. It's difficult being a Browns' fan, so I feel your pain as a die-hard fan. I can't even accept the Steelers or Ravens as our rivals. You have to win some games against your opponents to consider them rivals.

So, what is the actual problem? Coaching, management, players, a combination of all three? Let's take a look.

Coaching: I like the defense. I think that Dick Jauron is doing a good job. Yes, we probably need another safety, cornerback, linebacker, and defensive end, but we have some solid players on defense. We have something to work with. The recent draft picks and free agent signings panned out for the most part. Unfortunately, our special teams and offense are lacking. Ever since Brad Seely left to for San Francisco, our special teams' unit looks ordinary. During the Eric Mangini era, Seely made us a top tier special teams' unit. Pat Shurmer's offense is also struggling. I don't know if it's the play calling, lack of OC, or lack of playmakers; I just know that our offense is sub par.

Management: It's hard to believe that Mike Holmgren allowed Pat Shurmer, a first year HC, to be the HC and OC. That seems like a lot of responsibility for a first year HC. Some people believe that Holmgren should have kept Mangini to be the HC and focus on the defense. However, Mangini would have little input on the offensive side. An experienced OC would have been brought in to install the WCO. Keep in mind; that plan was never in place. That was just the opinions of some of the fans. 

Joe's 2011 Thursday Night Preview: Browns at Steelers posted by Joe Anello

HAHAHAHAHAHA. I’m sorry, did you want analysis of this latest edition of Thursday Night Football? …Really? Okay, here it goes.

NFL Network is the place for an AFC North division match-up that will serve as a measuring stick for both teams involved. We can see how serious Pittsburgh really is about winning their division by how hard they play against a supposed soft opponent. Cleveland can gauge itself versus the rest of their Northern brethren by mounting a valiant effort tonight.

(4-8) Cleveland Browns at
(9-3) Pittsburgh Steelers

Okay Cleveland fans, let’s talk some Browns. You’ve got Colt McCoy struggling to impress management, who are almost assuredly need to take a good hard look at drafting another signal-caller come April. Tonight, he gets front-and-center with James Harrison, who has been wrecking quarterbacks with reckless abandon since coming back from injury. Cleveland doesn’t have enough talent on offense to hang with the Steelers at all, especially if Peyton Hills can’t get on the field consistently. They have solid parts on the defensive side of the ball, but they’re not cohesive enough to put up much resistance against Big Ben.

On the Steeler side of the ball, things should be smooth sailing tonight. Their offensive line has been problematic in 2011, but there’s not enough pass-rush coming from the lowly Browns. Ben’s wide receivers are going to blow by the opposing corners, but I’m expecting a big night from Heath Miller. Even without Polamalu, what’s there for the Steeler defense to worry about? Colt McCoy can’t complete passes more than ten yards down the field, so Mike Tomlin will stack the box against him and force him to beat their corners with quick, precision passing. (Which won’t happen.) This could get ugly y’all.

Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The AFC North posted by Joe Anello

Likely the roughest division in the NFL, the AFC North has long been the stomping ground for Big Ben and the Steelers. Last season the Ravens fell short of dethroning the eventual AFC Champs and are looking to finally make it over that yellow and black speed-bump. Cincinnati  has overhauled key positions and look to rebuild while the Browns are slowly regaining traction in the division. The AFC North takes center stage!

Pittsburgh Steelers

After dropping a heartbreaker to the Packers, Ben Roethlisberger got himself married and refocused towards becoming a better quarterback. Early study of his footwork would even suggest he’s done so. At first thought during this offseason, I wasn’t sure the Steelers had the firepower to hold onto the North. Now that I’ve re-examined their roster, I’m sure that they’ll be just fine. Ben’s group of young receivers have plenty of explosion after you get past Hines Ward, whose production is sure to drop off. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders can rip the top off any defense. Rashard Mendenhall is always a tough runner, but he’ll need better cohesiveness from his offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey is a quality center, but left tackle Jonathan Scott has a lot to prove while protecting the franchise QB. Always at the top of the league, the Steeler defense should be no different this season, at least when it comes to defending the run. Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel are heavy-hitters up front, but the Pittsburgh linebackers hit even harder. Between LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons and the sack-happy James Harrison, I’m not sure who’s more intimidating. I still get concerned with their corner depth and their ability to keep up with teams that like to spread to 4-wide though. Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu are two safeties at the top of their game, each with the ability to lay the wood and defend in pass coverage. It’s an easy prediction to say they’ll get right back on top.

2011 Preseason Recap: Bears 24, Browns 14 posted by Joe Anello

And that’s a wrap folks! In their fourth and final preseason outing, the Bears took care of the Cleveland Browns 24-14. Taking their last looks at their roster before trimming it down, the Bear coaching staff has their work cut out for them. Here are my thoughts from tonight’s (still meaningless) win.

Associated Press

-Showing off Chester Taylor were we? It looks like we were showcasing Taylor for an impending trade. He got to take more handoffs in tonight’s game than any game I’ve seen him in before. (Probably not true, but it felt like it.) I can’t believe we’re going to keep him on the roster, unless Kahlil Bell or Marion Barber’s injuries are more serious than initially reported. We’ll milk a 6th round pick out of somebody.

- Tonight was the Dane Sanzenbacher show. He was on the field for all four quarters, and was targeted eight times, leading to four receptions. The coaching staff obviously wanted a long look at Dane before throwing him in against starting caliber-defenders. He made himself available and found the holes in Cleveland’s defense, but needs to develop better hands. Though that punt return at the end of the game (no matter the holding call) sorta made up for the muffed punt early.

- Caleb Hanie is definitively the back-up quarterback. I don’t care what flip-floppy tactic Martz/Smith tried earlier in camp. Nathan Enderle is NOT ready for primetime, despite his somewhat adept showings. Hanie isn’t as far along as I think he should be, but his pinpoint throw to Knox in the corner of the endzone proved his skill when he gets time to throw.

Joe's 2011 Preseason Gameday Preview: Browns at Bears posted by Joe Anello

With rosters being trimmed to 53 (down from 80) this week, there are quite a few Chicago Bears who will be fighting for their job on Thursday night. Let’s get to the storylines you should watch for as the Browns come into Solider Field for the last preseason game of 2011.

After the awkward release/non-release that happened/didn’t happen on Monday, the former Vikings running back is still in danger of being released. My thoughts are that Lovie will hold Matt Forte and Marion Barber out of tonight’s contest and didn’t want to give up the depth at RB yet. Whatever the case may be, there’s almost no way Taylor stays on this team for long. Look for a possible trade to alleviate the problem.

The competition at defensive tackle for D-Coordinator Rod Marinelli is shaping up to be a close race. Amobi Okoye has made enough big plays this preseason to make the cut, but former third round pick Marcus Harrison is trying to hang on as a sixth tackle. He’ll get plenty of playing time tonight to make his case.

Rookie WR Dane Sanzenbacher has impressed all camp and preseason, so it should come to no surprise if he’s already earned a spot on the 53-man roster. That being said, he won’t be sitting on the bench much tonight. I expect and nearly demand Dane to get as much playing time as possible in preparation for the regular season. Martz needs an extended look at Sanzenbacher so he can finalize his plans for the position.

The Best and Worst Classes of the 2011 NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

Okay, now that we’ve had some time to digest the draft and some of the immediate ramifications, let’s delve into some of the teams I thought best took advantage of their selections. (Not winners and losers per se, since we can’t actually grade these drafts until three years or so elapse.) Still, what’s the NFL without some premature judging?

The Positive

Cincinnati Bengals

Chad Johnson won’t be back? No problem. Draft A.J. Green. Carson Palmer wants out? Who cares? Draft Andy Dalton. Done and done. The Bengals managed to find capable (on paper anyways) replacements for exiting superstars. Green was clearly the top receiver in this draft, so skipping him wasn’t an option for a team with two likely departing receivers. Getting Dalton in the second round was a surprise, seeing how QB’s practically flew off the shelves in round one. What I love about Cincy’s draft is that they prepared for any eventuality with Palmer without stretching their resources. They let Dalton fall to them and then they snapped him up.

Yes, he's a red-headed quarterback. Now let's move on.

I like how they drafted two linemen with their next picks, especially Dontay Moch, who will get in as a pass-rush specialist. They took another young wide-out in the sixth round with Ryan Whalen, and bookended that pick with two additions to their secondary/special teams unit. The Bengals may not recapture the AFC North in the 2011 season, but they’ll get the chance to in the near future.

How Much I Effed Up: The 2010 AFC Edition posted by Joe Anello

With a lock-out now imposed in the NFL, I decided to take a look back at the 2010-2011 season standings and see where I went right/wrong with my preseason picks. Starting with the AFC, here’s what I predicted… and then what really happened, along with a five-star scale of my correctitude.

The scale is measured thusly:

***** = Dead on. I’m a genius.

**** = 1-2 games off the mark. Not too shabby.

*** = 3 games off. At least I’m in the ballpark.

** = 4-5 games off. The team let me down. (Or I'm a 'tard.)

* = 6+ games off. I should get a pass for these picks because they’re so bad. (That and everyone else probably flubbed too.)

AFC East

New England Patriots

My prediction: 11-5
What actually happened: 14-2
My result: ***

So I didn’t think they’d be THAT good. I guess it’s the Patriot-hater in me. The early playoff exit brought his team back down to earth, but there’s no questioning the talent of Tom Brady, who was unanimously awarded the MVP, and rightly so. If that defense keeps getting better, look out.

New York Jets

My prediction: 9-7
What actually happened: 11-5
My result: ****

Mark Sanchez grew into his role in his second year, making for fewer lows and more highs as he came down the stretch. I’m not completely ready to take the training wheels off yet though. Now that defense needs to get younger.

Miami Dolphins

My prediction: 8-8
What actually happened: 7-9
My result: ****

Chad Henne was erratic at best, leading to his benching for Chad Pennington (for one play) while the losses caused ownership to flirt with Jim Harbaugh. Miami’s offense was a hindrance on the year, losing the games that their defense typically kept close.

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