NFL Previews

[philster]

Just to pass time, (and this is probably gonna end up as a conversation between me and Josh for the most part, but feel free to chime in if anybody else wants to)...

I'd like to take out quotes from previews magazines for the NFL 2005 season, and see if you agree with them. I won't be typing out whole articles, but instead just things I found to be interesting.

First off I guess we should start with your favorite team Josh

Quarterbacks - The Dolphins invested a second-round pick in A.J. Feeley, but they haven't invested much confidence in him. For the second consecutive year, Feeley will have to compete for the starting job - this time with Gus Frerotte, who was close to [former Vikings coordinator and current offensive coordinator of the Dolphins Scott] Linehan the past two years in Minnesota.

The big question is how the Dolphins will conduct the competition. Last season, Feeley and Jay Fiedler split snaps in training camp. The end result was that neither was well prepared to run the offense, and the players around them weren't prepared to play with them.

The passing game was abysmal last year, with a league-record eight interceptions being returned for touchdowns. Feeley has a quick release and a strong arm - and displayed toughness last year through all the hits he absorbed. He can move decently in the pocket, but he's not a great runner. Feeley needs to deal better with negativity and build the confidence of teammates and coaches. His attitude last season put off some.

Frerotte, who turns 34 before the season starts, has a strong arm and a good release, but, like Feeley, doesn't run well. If Frerotte doesn't win the starting job, he will face the likelihood of being a backup the remainder of his career. Sage Rosenfels, who has shown a strong arm and a nice touch, is the No. 3. Grade: D

...any comments on this?

[Venom65437]

They need to stop drinking the haterade.

I'll get into more detail later, when I'm not so tired, and hungry, and cranky....

[philster]

Wise words

[philster]

Ok, let's try a different preview magazine on the same subject:

Quarterbacks

In a move that will define his tenure as Miami's top decision-maker, GM Rick Spielman sent a 2005 second-round choice to the Eagles for A.J. Feeley, who had gone 4-1 in 2002. Dave Wannstedt never warmed to the newcomer, however, making him split snaps with incumbent Jay Fiedler during training camp and yanking him in and out thereafter.

Taking a beating behind a bad offensive line, the strong-armed Feeley showed promise and toughness but could not avoid some disastrous mistakes, many of which were returned for scores.

Even if Feeley improves under the new staff, it still might not be enough to hold off veteran signee Gus Frerotte. Frerotte, who turns 34 in late July, has made only 20 starts since 1998, but one was a near-perfect performance in Scott Linehan's system in Minnesota in 2003. Frerotte's relationship with Linehand, the Dolphins' new offensive coordinator, gives him the same advantage over Feeley that Fiedler had last summer.

* * *

No love for Feeley is there?

[Venom65437]

Ok, honest opinion of Feeley, with of course a little bit of bias in there. How can there not be, I mean we are discussing my first true love, but I digress...

I think Feeley should be given the starting job outright, no contest, no nothing. While anything can happen in the NFL, chances are, Miami isn't winning the Super Bowl this year. Because Dave Wannstedt was to in love with Jay Fiedler to give A.J. the job outright, we don't know what he can do.

Anyone who watched Feeley throughout the year saw him get progressively better. Sure he made mistakes that would make you cringe sometime, but this was a guy who hadn't even played a full year of football, since HIGH SCHOOL. He's still raw, and unknown. I think he needs to be given the job and let's win or lose with him. If he's bad, then we'll be in good position to draft a QB anyway. If he's good, then we found our QB and can work on other issues on the team.

I personally feel A.J. can be a good QB. He can hit throws not just any QB can do. If you saw his TD aganist Cleveland last year, I defy someone to name 5 other QB's that could have hit that throw, that looked like Dan in his freakin' prime. Not that I'm saying I think A.J. can be Marino, but I think he can be a hell of a A.J. Feeley if given the job for the whole year, with no chance of losing it.

Just my opinion.

[philster]

Still in the NFL isn't the motto that you're only as good as yesterday?

I think some teams don't have the patience to develop players, and Miami may be one... after all it seems to me they've been entrenched in a tradition of using young, great players from the set-go for a while now, and if they didn't like anybody that much after the first 2 years, there's no more hope for them.

[Venom65437]

Well, A.J. hasn't even been allowed to play a full year in a Miami uniform yet...

[philster]

Well Rob Johnson was an outstanding back-up, so was Ray Lucas...

Until, of course, they both became starters.

I was thinking maybe the coaches see Feeley in being in that same category. Ready to rise to the occasion, but just inconsistent.

[Venom65437]

Ray Lucas was GREAT starting for the Jets, I don't know what happened in Miami.

And I always loved Rob Johnson, anytime your defense is going to get 8 sacks and 5 turnovers a game is always nice.

[philster]

Well, from an opponent's perspective... lol

[philster]

I guess that's a good lead-in to a report on a different team.

Buffalo Bills -

Receivers

The Bills hit a bull's-eye with Lee Evans, one of seven first-round receivers selected in 2004. The speedy former Wisconsin Badgers gave Buffalo the ability to stretch the field again after the loss of Peerless Price. Evans finished with a team-best nine touchdowns receptions and took some heat off Pro Bowl veteran Eric Moulds. Moulds rebounded from an injury-plagued '03 to catch 88 balls, fourth-most in the AFC. With 594 career catches, third-most in club history, he shows no signs of slowing down.

While Moulds and Evans make a formidable 1-2 punch, the Bills were not happy with their depth and used their first pick in the draft (55th overall) on flashy Miami product Roscoe Parrish. The 5'9" Parrish has speed to equal Evans and will give Buffalo another dimension from the slot, where he is expected to replace Josh Reed (16 catches).

The Bills added promising tight end Kevin Everett, another down-field threat, in the draft to complement Mark Campbell and Tim Euhus, who are coming off knee surgeries.

* * *

Different report:

Receivers: Speed is the word. Moulds, Evans and Parrish would be a formidable relay team in a track meet. At 32, Moulds still is a dangerous deep threat with excellent size, hands, and strength. He's adept at beating bump-and-run coverage and has excellent body control to make tough catchs in the air or in traffic. Last season, Moulds was used in motion more than ever, which allowed him to get clean releases.

It won't be long before Moulds passes the baton to Evans as the team's top receiver. Evans runs polished routes, gets in and out of breaks quickly and is explosive after the catch. His top-end speed allows him to separate from defenders when making catches in stride. Evans and Moulds should form one of the league's most dynamic duos.

The team needs more production from the slot. Incumbent Josh Reed has been a disappointment and will be challenged by Parrish, who has more speed and playmaking ability than Reed. Parrish (5-10, 168) is small but tough and fearless and will fight for every ball. Reed has the short-area quickness to get open on intermediate routes, but he tends to drop catchable passes, which hurts his confidence.

Sam Aiken could emerge as the No. 4 receiver after working hard to improve his route running. Jonathan Smith and Drew Haddad are possession guys fighting for a roster spot.

The team hopes tight ends Mark Campbell and Tim Euhus will be contributors in their returns from major injuries. Both are good receivers, particularly on seam routes, and serviceable blockers. The team was counting on Kevin Everett, its third-round pick, to give the offense another downfield receiving threat and provide insurance behind Campbell and Euhus, but he suffered a torn ACL in a spring mini-camp. Ryan Neufeld, the third tight end last year, might stick because of his versatility. Grade: B

* * *

(This is me talking here)

I'll just state the obvious, receivers don't mean splat (or maybe it does ) if Bills' new second-year quarterback J.P. Losman isn't able to get the ball to them, and running back Willis McGahee proves to be disappointing. But just in case that Losman IS able to get them the ball, think they can run all over your defensive backs, Josh?

[Venom65437]

Barfalo doesn't scare me.

Personally I think they made a mistake by not letting Drew Bledsoe play one more year. I know he is a statue in the pocket, but by starting basically a rookie, I think they are taking a step back on a team that was ready to take the next step. If he doesn't work out, then what do they do? That said, Barfalo has a ton of weapons, and J.P. shouldn't be too bad, but you never know. Young QB's haen't fared well aganist the Dolphins for about the past 8 or 9 years.

Anyway, we'll see, as for our DB's, it's hard for me to have an opinion on them until I see them play. Sam Madison is our only returning starter.

[philster]

Heh, you're speaking from an opponent's perspective again... of course you wanted Bledsoe back there slinging the ball.

[Venom65437]

No I'm not, I really believe they should have kept Bledsoe one more year.

[philster]

I was kind of being tongue of cheek there...

Okay, let's see what these magazines have to say about ol' Drew.

(Athlon Sports)

Dallas Cowboys -

Quarterbacks:

Bledsoe will be the Cowboys' eighth starting quarterback since Troy Aikman retired after the 2000 season.

The Cowboys claim they did not sign Bledsoe to a three-year, $14 million contract to provide a stop-gap until Drew Henson is ready. But Bledsoe hasn't started a playoff game since 1998, was 23-25 as a starter in Buffalo and was sacked 141 times the last three seasons. (Whoa!) He refused to play backup to J.P. Losman in Buffalo and was released.

Henson, who spent three seasons in the New York Yankees organization after starting one season at the University of Michigan, was 10-of-18 for 78 yards with one touchdown and one interception last season. He started one game, on Thanksgiving Day, but was pulled in the second half

* * *

(Sporting News)

Quarterbacks - Bledsoe, 33, wants to prove he's not over the hill, and Parcells is going to give him every opportunity to do so.

Parcells coached Bledsoe for four seasons in New England and thinks he can be a terrific player in Dallas because he will have a good running game as support. Bledsoe struggled last season with the Bills until running back Willis McGahee was inserted into the lineup.

Bledsoe tends to hold the ball too long in pursuit of big plays, which is why he's sacked a lot. But the Cowboys hope that with tight end Jason Witten (A Tennessee boy! ;D) and wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson providing solid underneath threats, Bledsoe will unload the ball more quickly.

Drew Henson, who threw more than 5,000 passes in the first three months of the offseason, remains a work in progress. The Cowboys hope he'll be ready to challenge Bledsoe for the starting job in 2006. No. 3 quarterback Tony Romo has a powerful arm but makes too many impulsive throws when under duress. Grade: C

* * *

( This is me talking here )

You know, I NEVER thought Bledsoe would play for Parcells again... weird how that works.