32 Teams in 32 Days (Vikings)

Minnesota Vikings 10-6, 1st Place NFC North

Offseason Additions

Sage Rosenfels (QB, Texans)
Karl Paymah (CB, Broncos)
Glenn Holt (WR, Bengals)

Offseason Subtractions

Darren Sharper (S, Saints)
Matt Birk (C, Ravens)
Marcus Johnson (G, Raiders)
Vinny Ciurciu (LB, Patriots)
Napolean Harris (LB)
Michael Boulware (S)

Draft

1. Percy Harvin (WR, Florida)
2. Phil Loadholt (OT, Oklahoma)
3. Asher Allen (CB, Georgia)
5. Jasper Brinkley (LB, South Carolina)
7. Jamarca Sanford (S, Mississippi)

Most Underrated Player: Antoine Winfield (CB)
Most Overrated Player: Bryant McKinnie (OT)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Browns
2. @ Lions
3. 49ers
4. Packers
5. @ Rams
6. Ravens
7. @ Steelers
8. @ Packers
9. Bye
10. Lions
11. Seahawks
12. Bears
13. @ Cardinals
14. Bengals
15. @ Panthers
16. @ Bears
17. Giants

Former Packers: Ryan Longwell (K)

2010 Outlook

When I was writing the section of offseason subtractions I was tempted to add the name Brett Favre to the list because it almost feels like somehow they had him all ready to be their starting QB, and then they lost him. Of course this isn't exactly the case, Brett Favre eventually turned down the Vikings to stay retired and now the Vikings will have to decide between which of their two quarterbacks will start for them; Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson. Quarterback continues to be the weak point of a very good overall football team and adding Brett Favre could have potentially went a long way in getting the Vikings into and past the 1st round of the playoffs. Now it will be up to Jackson or Rosenfels to try and lead the Vikings into the postseason.

The Vikings will start off their schedule with 5 straight games against teams with losing records from 2009. The Browns, Lions, 49ers, Packers, and Rams should give the Vikings a good opportunity to start out with a winning record of 3-2 or better. If they do not take advantage of their first 5 games they could find themselves in trouble because they end the season with 4 of their last 5 games against Arizona, Carolina, Chicago, and New York (Giants).

The Vikings actually had a pretty solid offseason mainly with the additions of Percy Harvin and Phil Loadholt in the draft. Both should be able to contribute right away and Harvin could be a game breaker that teams will always have to keep an extra eye on. They did lose players like Matt Birk, Darren Sharper and Napolean Harris, but all were aging and well past their prime and overall the Vikings will not miss much from those three other than the leadership they provided. On offense Minnesota has a huge opportunity to be a defensive coordinators worst nightmare. Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor make up one of the top 1-2 running back combinations in all of football. T. Jackson, while he needs a lot of improvement, does have the ability to beat teams with his arm and his feet. Percy Harvin could be another play maker for the already talented Vikings, Sidney Rice can be a very good possession receiver and Bernard Berrian is already a very good deep threat that can stretch defenses and force safeties to be honest. It remains to be seen if the Vikings can take all of these pieces and make them into a dominant offense, but the talent is unquestionably there. It will take a huge improvement from T. Jackson to make everything work but if he is able to take that step, the Vikings could potentially have one of the most dangerous offenses in all of football.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Tarvaris Jackson
RB: Adrian Peterson
FB: Naufahu Tahi
WR: Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe
OT: Bryant McKinnie, Phil Loadholt
OG: Steve Hutchinson, Anthony Herrera
OC: John Sullivan

DE: Jared Allen, Ray Edwards
DT: Pat Williams, Kevin Williams
OLB: Ben Leber, Chad Greenway
MLB: E.J. Henderson
CB: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin
S: Tyrell Johnson, Madieu Williams

K: Ryan Longwell
P: Chris Kluwe

32 Teams in 32 Days (Cowboys)

Dallas Cowboys 9-7, 3rd Place NFC East

Offseason Additions

Keith Brooking (LB, Falcons)
Igor Olshansky (DE, Chargers)
Jon Kitna (QB, Lions)
Gerald Sensabaugh (S, Jaguars)
Matt Stewart (LB)

Offseason Subtractions

Terrell Owens (WR, Bills)
Greg Ellis (LB, Raiders)
Zach Thomas (LB, Chiefs)
Chris Canty (DE, Giants)
Anthony Henry (CB, Lions)
Kevin Burnett (LB, Chargers)
Tank Johnson (DT, Bengals)
Roy Williams (S, Bengals)
Tony Curtis (TE, Chiefs)
PacMan Jones (CB)
Joe Berger (OT, Dolphins)
Brad Johnson (QB)
Keith Davis (S)

Draft

3. Jason Williams (LB, Western Illinois)
3. Robert Brewster (OT, Ball State)
4. Stephen McGee (QB, Texas A&M)
4. Victor Butler (DE, Oregon State)
4. Brandon Williams (DE, Texas Tech)
5. DeAngelo Smith (CB, Cincinnati)
5. Michael Hamlin (S, Clemson)
5. David Buehler (K, USC)
6. Stephen Hodge (S, TCU)
6. John Phillips (TE, Virginia)
7. Mike Mickens (CB, Cincinnati)
7. Manuel Johnson (WR, Oklahoma)

Most Underrated Player: Jay Ratliff (NT)
Most Overrated Player: Roy Williams (WR)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Buccaneers
2. Giants
3. Panthers
4. @ Broncos
5. @ Chiefs
6. Bye
7. Falcons
8. Seahawks
9. @ Eagles
10. @ Packers
11. Redskins
12. Raiders
13. @ Giants
14. Chargers
15. @ Saints
16. @ Redskins
17. Eagles

Former Packers: Michael Hawkins (CB)

2010 Outlook

The Cowboys had one of the toughest offseasons of any team in the NFL and in a tough NFC East division it may very well end up costing them a shot at the playoffs. They decided to cut ties with Terrell Owens, but didn't bring in any receiver to replace him. They lost Tank Johnson, and didn't replace him. They lost aging linebackers Zach Thomas and Greg Ellis, and replaced them with worse aging linebackers Keith Brooking and Matt Stewart. They lost young, athletic linebacker Kevin Burnett, and replaced him with 3rd round pick Jason Williams. They lost Chris Canty an up and coming defensive end, and replaced him with a solid but unspectacular Igor Olshasnky. They also lost Anthony Henry, Keith Davis, Tony Curtis and Adam Jones and did not replace them with anybody. About the only position where they arguably upgraded was by letting safety Roy Williams leave and signing Gerald Sensabaugh to take his place.

The Cowboys did however take an interesting philosophy heading into the draft, one that will either really pay off, or one that will set them back for a couple years while they try and recover. They didn't have any selections in the first two rounds but had 12 selections in rounds 3-7. Instead of selecting high priced day 1 players they instead chose to go with quantity over quality. In doing so they selected 12 "value" selections. These were all players who had 2nd-3rd round talent, but in college for whatever reason they didn't perform up to their abilities. The Cowboys are hoping of their 12 second day selections that they hit on 3-4 players who underachieved in college but will step up their game in the pros. If they hit on enough players they will get really good young, cheap talent, but if all the players continue to underachieve they will end up with 12 players who won't be on an NFL roster in 3 years.

Overall the Cowboys lost 3 of their last 4 games and have still not won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl win. If the Cowboys want to win this season they are going to have to rely on their physical offensive line and the running of Marion Barber and Felix Jones. In the NFL winning starts from the top with the President, General Manager and Head Coach and the bottom line is that if I were a fan of the Cowboys I would not feel comfortable with my team being in the hands of Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips. They have not shown over the course of the past half-decade that they are capable of managing an NFL team to anything other than financial success. It is no secret that the Cowboys know how to make money, but lately they seem to not have any idea on how to win an NFL championship.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Tony Romo
RB: Marion Barber
FB: Deon Anderson
WR: Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton
TE: Jason Witten
OT: Flozell Adams, Marc Columbo
OG: Kyle Kosier, Leonard Davis
OC: Andre Gurode

DE: Marcus Spears, Igor Olshansky
NT: Jay Ratliff
OLB: Anthony Spencer, DeMarcus Ware
MLB: Bradie James, Keith Brooking
CB: Terrence Newman, Mike Jenkins
S: Gerald Sensabaugh, Ken Hamlin

K: Nick Folk
P: Mat McBriar

The Pros and "Cons" of Michael Vick

Numerous online reports today still have the Packers as interested in former Atlanta Falcon's quarterback Michael Vick. Here is a list of pros and cons that Ted Thompson will have to weigh when considering signing the talented yet troubled star.

Pros

1. Vick is an extremely talented athlete who could help in a variety of different offensive schemes. The NFL last year saw the rise of the Wildcat offense but more than that the NFL saw a rise in coaches using creativity when designing offensive plays. The Wildcat could just be the beginning of new formations, gadgets and player personnel packages that try to throw defenses off. Michael Vick would immediately become the number one player in the NFL at running the Wildcat and the number one player to use in trick or surprise packages. His ability to both run and throw the football make him a complete match-up nightmare for defensive coordinators. The reason that the Falcons couldn't utilize him this way in Atlanta was because he was their franchise quarterback and they were paying him to be an every down player. If they would have ran him around in different formations and wildcat offenses he would have had a better chance at getting injured and as a franchise quarterback that's not a risk that a team can take. In Green Bay, Vick would probably be on a 1-2 year deal which wouldn't pay him very much money at all and the Packers could run him out in any formation that they wanted and if he got hurt it wouldn't be the end of the world.

2. Vick would be an upgrade as the Packers backup quarterback. This point is slightly debatable since he hasn't thrown a football in over 2 years and even when he was in his prime he wasn't completing over 55% of his passes and in this offense a quarterback needs to be very accurate. But overall Vick has been a franchise quarterback and even beat the Packers in Lambeau in a playoff game whereas Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm haven't ever started an NFL game. If Vick can get playing anywhere close to the level he was playing at before his fiasco he would be one of the top backups in the NFL.

3. Vick wouldn't have to play for the first 4-5 weeks. While this could be looked at as a negative, this could be a positive for the Packers. For those first 4-5 weeks he would be on the reserve-suspended list and wouldn't count against the active roster. This would give Vick more of an opportunity to get in NFL shape and learn the Packers system.

Cons

1. Media attention. If Vick is signed by the Packers it could get big media attention and could be cause for a distraction. Just the fact that Ted Thompson said that he didn't rule out signing Vick was cause for it to be a headline story on ESPN, CBSSports, and CNNSI so its not hard to imagine that the Packers signing Vick would be an even bigger story that could even potentially attract national media. If that would be the case it probably wouldn't be worth all of the attention for a glorified backup quarterback and Wildcat runner.

2. One of the biggest concerns for the Packers would have to be the use of an extra roster spot for a specialized player. If Vick was on the roster as a quarterback the Packers could very well be forced to cut ties with Matt Flynn. Even though Flynn is ahead of Brohm as of right now, Brohm was a 2nd round pick last season and its hard to imagine the Packers cutting ties with Brohm after only one full season. They could try trading Flynn as well but they would maybe get a 6th round pick in return for their 7th round pick investment. If they decided to keep both Flynn and Brohm it could mean a valuable roster spot at another position such as WR, FB, or CB. A problem with keeping 4 quarterbacks is that none of them can play special teams, so it limits the Packers there as well. One advantage is that the Packers would be able to deactivate B. Brohm completely and designate M. Flynn as an emergency 3rd quarterback and just activate Rodgers and Vick during the game, so it wouldn't really cost the Packers a gameday roster spot.

3. Another concern is that Vick may not be up to par after his long layoff. I touched on this earlier that it may help that he can't play the first 5 weeks due to his suspension, but overall he may not be as fast, agile, or as consistent of a passer as he used to be. Even in just 2 years the speed of the game can increase to the extent that it may effect Vick for the first few games while he gets his feet back underneath him.

4. Durability was always a concern with Vick when he was a starter, and now running him at linebackers on a consistent basis should wear Vick down even more than usual. It would be a long shot that if he was more of a runner and less of a passer if he would be able to maintain healthy in the hard hitting NFL.

32 Teams in 32 Days (Redskins)

Washington Redskins 8-8, Last Place NFC East

Offseason Additions

Albert Haynesworth (DT, Titans)
Renaldo Wynn (DE, Giants)
Dave Rayner (K, Bengals)
Robert Thomas (LB, Raiders)
Hunter Smith (P, Colts)
Jeremy Bridges (OG, Panthers)
Marcus Mason (RB, Jets)
Mike Williams (OT)
Roydell William (WR)

Offseason Subtractions

Jason Tayler (DE/LB, Dolphins)
Justin Geisinger (OG, Panthers)
Demetric Evans (DE, 49ers)
Ryan Boschetti (DT, Raiders)
Ryan Plackemeier (P)
Pete Kendall (G)

Draft

1. Brian Orakpo (DE/LB, Texas)
3. Kevin Barnes (CB, Maryland)
5. Cody Glenn (LB, Nebraska)
6. Robert Henson (LB, TCU)
7. Eddie Williams (TE, Idaho)
7. Marko Mitchell (WR, Nevada)

Supplemental Draft

3. Jeremy Jarmon (DE, Kentucky)

Most Underrated Player: Chris Cooley (TE)
Most Overrated Player: Clinton Portis (RB)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Giants
2. Rams
3. @ Lions
4. Buccaneers
5. @ Panthers
6. Chiefs
7. Eagles
8. Bye
9. @ Falcons
10. Broncos
11. @ Cowboys
12. @ Eagles
13. Saints
14. @ Raiders
15. Giants
16. Cowboys
17. @ Chargers

Former Packers: Dave Rayner (K), Robert Thomas (LB)

2010 Outlook

The NFL's biggest and most expensive free agent this offseason was none other than new Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. The Redskins signed Haynesworth to a deal totalling more than $100 million to shore up their defensive line, but they didn't stop with Haynesworth. They also drafted Brian Orakpo out of Texas who will play on the defensive line in passing downs, signed Renaldo Wynn away from division foe New York, and in the 3rd round of the supplemental draft they selected Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon. Teamed with Phillip Daniels, Cornelius Griffin, Kedric Golston and Andre Carter, the Redskins should now have a very formidable defensive line.

While improving the defensive line was the Redskins' main objective in the offseason their improvement on offense will largely be based on improvement from young players already on the roster. Last years rookie class brought them WR's Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly as well as tight end Fred Davis. Those 3 will be expected to contribute much more in 2010 than they did last season. The biggest improvement the Redskins need though is from QB Jason Campbell. Campbell made large steps forward last year in Jim Zorn's new offense, but this will be a make or break year for Campbell. If Campbell can break through and have a Pro-Bowl caliber season he will cement his job as Redskins' franchise quarterback. If he digresses this season it may very well be his last as the starter in Washington.

Overall the toughest challenge facing the Redskins this season is their incredibly tough division. New York and Philadelphia were the playoff teams from a year ago and both teams have actually improved themselves this offseason. Albert Haynesworth should be a huge addition to the defense and the reviews for both Jarmon and Orakpo have been very good out of Redskins camp so far. The Redskins did absolutely help themselves this offseason and personell wise should be a better team with the additions of Haynesworth, Orakpo, and Jarmon, & should more than offset the loss of Jason Taylor and Marcus Washington who had very pedestrian seasons from last year. With that line of thinking it would be easy to assume that the Redskins would be better than their 8-8 season from a year ago, but with as tough of a division as they are in, it's not safe to assume anything.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Jason Campbell
RB: Clinton Portis
FB: Mike Sellars
WR: Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El
TE: Chris Cooley
OT: Chris Samuels, Stephon Heyer
OG: Derrick Dockery, Randy Thomas
C: Casey Rabach

DE: Phillip Daniels, Andre Carter
DT: Cornelius Griffin, Albert Haynesworth
OLB: Brian Orakpo, Rocky McIntosh
MLB: London Fletcher
CB: Carlos Rogers, DeAngelo Hall
S: LaRon Landry, Chris Horton

K: Shaun Suisham
P: Hunter Smith

32 Teams in 32 Days (Eagles)

Philadelphia Eagles 9-6-1, 2nd Place NFC East

Offseason Additions

Jason Peters (OT, Bills)
Ellis Hobbs (CB, Patriots)
Stacy Andrews (OL, Bengals)
Sean Jones (S, Browns)
Leonard Weaver (FB, Seahawks)
Rashad Baker (S, Raiders)
Eldra Buckley (RB, Chargers)

Offseason Subtractions

Brian Dawkins (S, Broncos)
L.J. Smith (TE, Ravens)
Lito Sheppard (CB, Jets)
Tra Thomas (OT, Jaguars)
Correll Buckhalter (RB, Broncos)
Greg Lewis (WR, Patriots)
Sean Considine (S, Jaguars)
Jim Johnson (Defensive Coordinator)
Stewart Bradley (LB, Torn ACL)

Draft

1. Jeremy Maclin (WR, Missouri)
2. LeSean McCoy (RB, Pittsburgh)
5. Cornelius Ingrim (TE, Florida)
5. Macho Harris (CB, Virginia Tech)
5. Fenuki Tupou (OT, Oregon)
6. Brandon Gibson (WR, Washington St.)
7. Paul Fanaika (OG, Arizona St.)
7. Moise Fokou (LB, Maryland)

Most Underrated Player: Trent Cole (DE)
Most Overrated Player: Darren Howard (DE)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Panthers
2. Saints
3. Chiefs
4. Bye
5. Buccaneers
6. @ Raiders
7. @ Redskins
8. Giants
9. Cowboys
10. @ Chargers
11. @ Bears
12. Redskins
13. @ Falcons
14. @ Giants
15. 49ers
16. Broncos
17. @ Cowboys

Former Packers: Tracy White (LB)

2010 Outlook

No playoff team from a year ago tried to improve themselves more in the offseason then the Philadelphia Eagles did. The Eagles have been to plenty of NFC Championship games and have even played in a Super Bowl with Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb but they are trying to do everything in their power to finally make one last surge towards winning a Super Bowl. On offense they added Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Cornelius Ingrim, Jason Peters, and Leonard Weaver who will all contribute on offense. They did lose Greg Lewis, Correll Buckhalter, L.J. Smith, and Jon Runyan, but their incoming players are far superior to the players that they are losing.

On defense the story is a little bit different. The biggest loss is the tragic death of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, who was arguably the best in the business. Taking his place is young and bright secondary coach Sean McDermott. McDermott was actually considered for the vacant Packers defensive coordinator position and is considered an up and coming coach. The Eagles will lose a lot of leadership with the loss of Johnson as well as Brian Dawkins to Denver and with the injury of Stewart Bradley to injury. Lito Sheppard moving on to the Jets will be countered with the addition of Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots and former Brown, Sean Jones will compete with Quintin Demps and Quintin Mikell for the starting safety spots. Even with all of the loses on defense the Eagles still boast a very potent and dangerous defense for opposing offenses to go up against.

Overall the Eagles are still a very good NFL team that can compete with anybody in the NFL. The window for the Eagles to take advantage of Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook playing at a high level is closing fast and they may only have 1-2 years left to make a Super Bowl push with those two leading the way. The Eagles tried to give Donovan McNabb as many weapons as possible in the last 2 drafts by selecting Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, and Cornelius Ingrim and if those 4 can develop quickly the Eagles could have the perfect balance of youth and experience to finally push them towards a Super Bowl win.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Donovan McNabb
RB: Brian Westbrook
FB: Leonard Weaver
WR: DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis
TE: Brent Celek
OT: Jason Peters, Stacy Andrews
OG: Todd Herremans, Shawn Andrews
C: Jamaal Jackson

DE: Darren Howard, Trent Cole
DT: Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley
OLB: Chris Gocong, Omar Gaither
MLB: Akeem Jordan
CB: Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown
S: Quintin Mikell, Quintin Demps

K: David Akers
P: Sav Rocca

32 Teams in 32 Days (Giants)

New York Giants 12-4, 1st Place NFC East

Offseason Additions

Chris Canty (DE, Cowboys)

Rocky Bernard (DT, Seahawks)

Michael Boley (LB, Falcons)

George Wrighster (TE, Jaguars)

C.C. Brown (S, Texans)

Andrew Carnahan (OT, Chiefs)

Allen Patrick (RB, Browns)

Kelvin Smith (LB)

Shaun Bodiford (WR)

Lee Vickers (TE)

Offseason Subtractions

Plaxico Burress (WR, Jail)

Derrick Ward (RB, Buccaneers)

Renaldo Wynn (DE, Redskins)

James Butler (CB, Rams)

Craig Dahl (CB, Rams)

Sam Madison (CB)

Sammy Knight (S)

R.W. McQuarters (CB)

Amani Toomer (WR)

Jonn Carney (K)

Jerome McDougal (DE)

Reuben Droughns (RB)

Draft

1. Hakeem Nicks (WR, North Carolina)

2. Clint Sintim (LB, Virginia)

2. William Beatty (OT, U-Conn)

3. Ramses Barden (WR, Cal Poly)

3. Travis Beckum (TE, Wisconsin)

4. Andre Brown (RB, N.C. State)

5. Rhett Bomar (QB, Sam Houston State)

6. DeAndre Wright (CB, New Mexico)

7. Stoney Woodson (CB, South Carolina)

Most Underrated Player: Corey Webster (CB)

Most Overrated Player: Eli Manning (QB)

2010 Schedule

1. Redskins

2. @ Cowboys

3. @ Buccaneers

4. @ Chiefs

5. Raiders

6. @ Saints

7. Cardinals

8. @ Eagles

9. Chargers

10. Bye

11. Falcons

12. @ Broncos

13. Cowboys

14. Eagles

15. @ Redskins

16. Panthers

17. @ Vikings

Former Packers: Orrin Thompson (OT), Shaun Bodiford (WR), Dave Tollefson (DE)

2010 Outlook

While the New England Patriots are the number 1 team in all of football in player evaluation and using the draft, free agency and trades to build a team, the New York Giants are absolutely team 1-A. No NFC team over the past half decade has done a better job of not only evaluating talent, but also creatively finding ways to draft, sign and trade for the talent they discover. When filling out my most underrated portion for the Giants, about 10 names screamed out at me who are legitimately underrated players for the Giants. Just about their entire starting offensive line doesn't get the credit they deserve, Barry Cofield is an immensely underrated talent at DT, and both Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are the 2 best non-talked about corners in all of football.

The main reason that the Giants have been so successful has been their ability to draft outstanding players in all rounds of the draft. This season was no different. Hakeem Nicks was one of my favorite receivers in all of this years draft and I honestly think he could be better than any of the receivers taken before him. Clint Sintim and William Beatty were complete value picks who can help right away if need be, but will both be starters in 2-3 years for sure. Ramses Barden was their one gamble but if it pays off look out. Barden is 6'6'' 227 and has great ball skills and if he develops as an every down player they just may have gotten the steal of the entire draft. T. Beckum was the most underrated tight end in the draft and if he would have been healthy last season he almost for sure would have been a late 1st or early 2nd round pick and running back Andre Brown was my sleeper of the entire draft. He has a great speed for his size and projects very well as a runner in the NFL.

The NFL right now is more about play in the trenches than it ever has in the past. Teams that can protect their quarterback and on the flip side teams that can get to the quarterback with only 4 guys or stuff the run primarily because of their down-lineman are going to have tremendous success in this league. The Giants have the best defensive line in football easily and their offensive line is in the top 5. If the Giants need to stop the run they can line up with Justin Tuck, Barry Cofield, Rocky Bernard, and Chris Canty on the line and there isn't a team in football who is going to find a whole lot of daylight with those 4 in the lineup. If they need to get to the passer, they can put a 4 man line of Kiwanuka, Tuck, Canty and Umenyiora on the field and that is single handedly the best pass rushing defensive line in all of football, maybe of the past decade.

With all the amazing positives that I've gone over about the Giants so far there are still some areas that need to be worked on. Most importantly Eli Manning needs to improve his accuracy and needs to improve the passing game. With that being said the Giants are going to very much miss Plaxico Burress as a weapon downfield and Amani Toomer as the go to guy when a big first down was needed. Young receivers Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Sinorice Moss are going to have to step up if this offense wants to be in the top 15. The Giants will also be hurt by the loss of Derrick Ward moving to Tampa, but overall a backfield of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Andre Brown would leave a lot of other teams very jealous. The Giants have put themselves in a great position to make another run at an NFC East title and maybe even a Super Bowl run, they will have to go through one of the toughest divisions in all of football to do it, but they have built themselves a very competitive team against any team that they face.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Eli Manning

RB: Brandon Jacobs

FB: Madison Hedgecock

WR: Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks

TE: Kevin Boss

OT: David Diehl, Kareem McKenzie

OG: Chris Snee, Rich Seubert

C: Shaun O'Hara

DE: Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck

DT: Barry Cofield, Chris Canty

OLB: Michael Boley, Danny Clark

MLB: Antonio Pierce

CB: Aaron Ross, Corey Webster

S: Kenny Phillips, Michael Johnson

K: Lawrence Tynes

P: Jeff Feagles

Brewers Month in Review

July 1st-July 31st

Games Played: 26

Record: 9-17

Runs Scored: 114

Runs Against: 150

Record @ Home: 5-9

Record Away: 4-8

Longest Winning Streak: 2

Longest Losing Streak: 3

Overall Record: 51-52 (Tied 3rd Place NL Central)

Player of the Month

Prince Fielder: 29-92, 0.315, 5 home runs, 19 runs, 17 rbi's, 1 steal, 2 errors

-2nd month in a row Fielder has won player of the month

Starter of the Month

Yovani Gallardo: 37.1 innings pitched, 3.88 ERA, 1.43 whip, 45 K's, 2 wins 3 losses

-2nd month in a row Gallardo has won starter of the month

Reliever of the Month

Todd Coffey: 14.1 innings pitched, 1.28 ERA, 0.71 whip, 16 K's, 1 win 0 losses

Goat of the Month (Player)

J.J. Hardy: 20/92, 0.217, 3 home runs, 8 runs, 13 rbi's, 2 errors

Goat of the Month (Starter)

Mike Burns: 13.2 innings pitched, 10.23 ERA, 2.12 whip, 14 k's, 1 win, 2 losses

Goat of the Month (Reliever)

Carlos Villanueva: 12.1 innings pitched, 11.16 ERA, 2.23 whip, 6 K's, 0 wins, 4 losses

-Villanueva also did start one game for the month but had more relief apperances, 2nd month in a row that Villanueva has been the goat of the month for relievers.

Players Who Played Well

C. Hart: 25-82, 0.305, 2 home runs, 10 runs, 6 rbi's, 3 steals, 2 errors

R. Braun: 28-105, 0.267, 5 home runs, 18 runs, 13 rbi's, 3 steals

M. Cameron: 26-85, 0.306, 3 home runs, 14 runs, 12 rbi's, 2 errors

F. Catalanotto: 9-30, 0.300, 1 home run, 2 runs, 4 rbi's, 1 steal

C. McGehee: 18-60, 0.300, 3 home runs, 10 runs, 12 rbi's, 4 errors

C. Counsell: 28-96, 0.292, 2 home runs, 16 runs, 9 rbi's, 2 steals, 1 error

F. Lopez: 14-40, 0.350, 4 runs, 2 rbi's, error

M. Parra: 24 innings pitched, 3.75 ERA, 1.63 whip, 23 K's, 2 wins, 0 losses

T. Hoffman: 6.2 innings pitched, 1.45 ERA, 1.61 whip, 4 K's, 5 Saves

M. DiFelice: 10 innings pitched, 2.70 ERA, 1.20 whip, 9 K's, 0 wins, 1 loss

Players who struggled:

B. Hall: 3-17, 0.176, 2 runs 2 rbi's, error

J. Kendall: 20-86, 0.233, 5 runs, 4 rbi's, 1 steal, 1 error

J. Gerut: 4-18, 0.222, 1 run, 2 rbi's, 1 error

M. Rivera: 0-9, 0.000, 1 run

J. Suppan: 27.1 innings pitched, 6.64 ERA, 1.85 whip, 13 K's, 0 wins 2 losses

S. McClung: 13.1 innings pitched, 10.31 ERA, 2.21 whip, 6 K's, 0 wins 2 losses

M. Stetter: 7.2 innings pitched, 6.25 ERA, 1.94 whip, 5 K's, 0 wins, 1 loss

C. Smith: 15.2 innings pitched, 5.92 ERA, 1.45 whip, 10 K's

C. Narveson: 3.2 innings pitched, 5.63 ERA, 2.19 whip, 2 K's

R. Swindle: 3.0 innings pitched, 9.00 ERA, 1.33 whip, 2 K's

T. Dillard: 4.1 innings pitched, 13.17 ERA, 2.93 whip, 1 K, 0 wins, 1 loss

Brewers Week in Review

Week of July 27th-August 2nd

Monday July 27th: vs. Washington Nationals, lost 6-14

Tuesday July 28th: vs. Washington Nationals, lost 3-8

Wednesday July 29th: vs. Washington Nationals, won 7-5

Thursday July 30th: vs. Washington Nationals, won 7-3

Friday July 31st: @ San Diego Padres, lost 7-11

Saturday August 1st: @ San Diego Padres, lost 2-4

Sunday August 2nd: @ San Diego Padres, won 6-1

Record: 3-4 Runs Scored: 38 Runs Against: 46 Overall Record: 52-53 (Tied 3rd Place NL Central)

Player of the Week

Prince Fielder: 9-29, 0.310, 2 home runs, 4 runs, 7 rbi's, error

-Seventh time Fielder has won player of the week

Pitcher of the Week

Yovani Gallardo: 7.0 innings pitched, 3.86 ERA, 0.86 whip, 11 K's, win

-2nd time in a row Gallardo has won player of the week and 4th overall

Goat of the Week

Jeff Suppan: 5.1 innings pitched, 17.65 ERA, 2.75 whip, 4 K's, loss

-2nd time in a row Suppan has been the Goat of the Week

Players who played well:

F. Lopez: 8-29, 0.276, 4 runs, 5 rbi's

C. Counsell: 6-21, 0.286, HR, 4 runs, 4 rbi's

R. Braun: 8-28, 0.286, 2 HR, 6 runs, 4 rbi's

C. Hart: 8-24, 0.333, HR, 6 runs, 3 rbi's, 2 stolen bases, error

C. McGehee: 5-16, 0.313, 2 HR, 4 runs, 3 rbi's

C. Smith: 2.0 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 whip, 2 K

T. Hoffman: 2.2 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 1.82 whip, 4 K, save

-5th time in a row for Hoffman

T. Coffey: 5.0 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 whip, 4 K

-3rd time in a row for Coffey

Players who struggled:

J.J. Hardy: 4-18, 0.222, 2 rbi's

J. Kendall: 1-20, 0.050, 2 runs, rbi

M. DiFelice: 1.1 innings pitched, 8.18 ERA, 2.73 whip, K

R.J. Swindle: 3.0 innings pitched, 9.00 ERA, 1.33 whip, 2 K

T. Dillard: 4.1 innings pitched, 13.17 ERA, 2.93 whip, K, loss

B. Looper: 5.0 innings pitched, 10.80 ERA, 2.20 whip, 3 K, loss

M. Burns: 5.2 innings pitched, 5.19 ERA, 1.92 whip, 3 K, loss

C. Vargas: 1.1 innings pitched, 16.36 ERA, 3.64 whip

Transactions:

July 27th: Optioned Mike Burns to Nashville

July 27th: Recalled R.J. Swindle from Nashville

July 30th: Placed Jeff Suppan on 15 day DL

July 30th: Optioned Bill Hall to Nashville

July 31st: Recalled Hernan Iribarren from Nashville

July 31st: Recalled Mike Burns from Nashville

July 31st: Traded Vinny Rottino to the Dodgers for Claudio Vargas

August 1st: Optioned Tim Dillard to Nashville

August 1st: Activated Claudio Vargas

August 2nd: Placed Corey Hart on 15 day DL

August 2nd: Recalled Bill Hall from Nashville

32 Teams in 32 Days (Chiefs)

Kansas City Chiefs 2-14, Last Place AFC West

Offseason Additions

Todd Haley (Head Coach, Cardinals)

Matt Cassel (QB, Patriots)

Zach Thomas (LB, Cowboys)

Mike Vrabel (LB, Patriots)

Travis Daniels (CB, Browns)

Monty Beisel (LB, Cardinals)

Bobby Engram (WR, Seahawks)

Tony Curtis (TE, Cowboys)

Eric Ghiaciuc (C, Bengals)

C.J. Jones (WR, Patriots)

Corey Mays (LB, Bengals)

Terrence Copper (WR, Ravens)

Mike Goff (G, Chargers)

Rodney Wright (WR, Bills)

Sean Ryan (TE, 49ers)

Offseason Subtractions

Herman Edwards (Head Coach)

Tony Gonzalez (TE, Falcons)

Damon Huard (QB, 49ers)

Pat Thomas (LB, Bills)

Will Franklin (WR, Lions)

Andrew Carnahan (OT, Giants)

Donnie Edwards (LB)

Patrick Surtain (CB)

Adrian Jones (OL)

Draft

1. Tyson Jackson (DE, LSU)

3. Alex Magee (DT, Purdue)

4. Donald Washington (CB, Ohio State)

5. Colin Brown (OT, Missouri)

6. Quinten Lawrence (WR, McNeese State)

7. Javarris Williams (RB, Tennessee State)

7. Jake O'Connell (TE, Miami (OH)

7. Ryan Succop (K, South Carolina)

Most Underrated Player: Dwayne Bowe (WR)

Most Overrated Player: Matt Cassel (QB)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Ravens

2. Raiders

3. @ Eagles

4. Giants

5. Cowboys

6. @ Redskins

7. Chargers

8. Bye

9. @ Jaguars

10. @ Raiders

11. Steelers

12. @ Chargers

13. Broncos

14. Bills

15. Browns

16. @ Bengals

17. @ Broncos

Former Packers: Ingle Martin (QB)

2010 Outlook

The very first move that the Chiefs made this offseason was bringing in new general manager Scott Pioli from the Patriots which I immediately fell in love with because over the past decade no team has made better personnel decisions than the Patriots. After this offseason however I'm wondering if hiring Scott Pioli was really the right decision for the Chiefs as many of their offseason moves were extremely questionable. I think the hiring of Todd Haley was a solid hire and he should do a find job as head coach of the Chiefs, but as far as the signing, trading and drafting of their players, there left a lot to be desired.

The biggest offseason move was trading for New England quarterback Matt Cassel. This was also the most disappointing move the Chiefs made. If Matt Cassel couldn't take New England's offense with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Ben Watson, Kevin Faulk, Lawrence Maroney a stellar offensive line and a team that was 18-1 the previous season to the playoffs, how is he ever going to take any other team to the playoffs? I am in no way suggesting that the Patriots not going to the playoffs was completely because of Matt Cassel, but Cassel was more of the problem than he was the solution. The Patriots also have a history of making average players looking much better than they actually are, players like Deion Branch, David Givens, and Daniel Graham who don't look anywhere near as good as when they were on the Patriots. It wouldn't surprise me if Matt Cassel never lead the Chiefs to the playoffs even in a division as weak as the AFC West.

After trading for Cassel they continued to make very questionable moves, trading for or signing veterans like Mike Vrabel, Zach Thomas, Monty Beisel, and Bobby Engram, players that teams that are contending would sign to a 1 year deal to help them reach the playoffs, not players who are passed their prime and won't help in the rebuilding process. The Chiefs also had nowhere near the draft picks that a rebuilding team needs. They only had 8 draft picks and 6 of those picks were in the 4th round or later and 3 of them were in the 7th round. Even when they did have draft picks they didn't get as much out of them as the probably could have. Tyson Jackson should be a really good NFL player but fellow defensive lineman B.J. Raji projects much better in a 3-4 defense than Jackson does and the selection of 3rd round pick Alex Magee was a reach and a player who will have to work hard to contribute to the Chiefs this year or next.

The one other question that I have about the Chiefs is their choice in defense. I understand that the move to the 3-4 is the popular move right now, but players such as Glenn Dorsey, Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali, three of their main defensive players all seem to fit better in a 4-3 than a 3-4 and could take time to transition. Overall with all of these things being said I think it could be another long season for Chiefs fans. It will be tough to not do better than the 2-14 record they posted last season and I really think that if this team starts coming together they could start to realize some of their talent towards the end of the season when they play Denver (twice), Buffalo, Cleveland, and Cincinnati in their last 5 games. But anything over 5-6 wins would be a major achievement and accomplishment for Todd Haley and company.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Matt Cassel

RB: Larry Johnson

FB: Mike Cox

WR: Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley

TE: Brad Cottam

OT: Brandon Albert, Damion McIntosh

OG: Brian Waters, Mike Goff

C: Rudy Niswanger

DE: Tyson Jackson, Alfonso Boone

NT: Glenn Dorsey

OLB: Mike Vrabel, Tamba Hali

MLB: Derrick Johnson, Zach Thomas

CB: Brandon Flowers, Travis Daniels

S: Bernard Pollard, Jarrad Page

K: Connor Barth

P: Dustin Colquitt

32 Teams in 32 Days (Raiders)

Oakland Raiders 5-11, 3rd Place AFC West

Offseason Additions

Samson Satele (C, Dolphins)

Jeff Garcia (QB, Buccaneers)

Khalif Barnes (OT, Jaguars)

Lorenzo Neal (FB, Ravens)

Gary Russell (RB, Steelers)

Bruce Gradkowski (QB, Browns)

Marcus Johnston (OL, Vikings)

Ryan Boschetti (DT, Redskins)

Offseason Subtractions

Jake Grove (OG, Dolphins)

Gibril Wilson (S, Dolphins)

Ronald Curry (WR, Lions)

Justin Griffith (FB, Seahawks)

Rashad Baker (S, Eagles)

Kalimba Edwards (DE)

Kwame Harris (OT)

Ashley Lelie (WR)

Draft

1. Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR, Maryland)

2. Michael Mitchell (S, Ohio)

3. Matt Shaughnessy (DE, Wisconsin)

4. Louis Murphy (WR, Florida)

4. Slade Norris (LB, Oregon State)

6. Stryker Sulak (DE, Missouri)

6. Brandon Myers (TE, Iowa)

Most Underrated Player: Thomas Howard (LB)

Most Overrated Player: Darren McFadden (RB)

2010 Schedule

1. Chargers

2. @ Chiefs

3. Broncos

4. @ Texans

5. @ Giants

6. Eagles

7. Jets

8. @ Chargers

9. Bye

10. Chiefs

11. Bengals

12. @Cowboys

13. @ Steelers

14. Redskins

15. @ Broncos

16. @ Browns

17. Ravens

Former Packers: Javon Walker (WR), Chris Johnson (CB)

2010 Outlook

Former 1st overall pick JaMarcus Russell hasn't played up to potential, 1st round pick Darren McFadden rushed for under 500 yards last season and his longest gain was only 50 yards, 1st round pick this year Darrius Heyward-Bey was considered a reach and also considered only the 3rd best player at his position on the draft board when they selected him, 2nd round pick Michael Mitchell most teams had ranked as a 5th round pick or later, former 1st round pick Robert Gallery was a bust and has since had to move to guard in order to cover up his pass blocking deficiencies, former 1st round pick Michael Huff has underperformed and hasn't lived up to the billing of a 1st round pick, Tommy Kelly was resigned last year to a huge offseason contract and responded with less than a handful of sacks, Javon Walker signed a huge free agent contract that was deemed to be way over market value and he responded by playing in 8 games and catching a total of 15 passes for 196 yards and 1 td, they spent a 1st round pick on kicker Sebastian Janikowski... the list of offseason Raiders mistakes is a mile long and there is a significant reason that this team is as poor of a team as they have been since losing the Super Bowl to Tampa Bay.

The Raiders have been obsessed with extremely speedy players such as McFadden, Fargas, Hewyard-Bay, Johnnie Higgins, Chaz Schielens, Chris Johnson, Justin Miller and Stanford Routt, and while drafting speedy players instead of NFL ready football players they have built themselves a team that cannot win football games consistently. There is no argument that the Raiders have one of the fastest, most athletically gifted teams in all of football, but their low football IQ, paired with the fact that the young players haven't had any substantial coach and instead have had seemingly a new coach every year really makes it tough to develop all of the talent they have into a team that can win on Sundays.

If the Raiders are to be any sort of threat this season at all they are going to need to pound their running game with three very solid running backs in Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush. If they can take the pressure off of Russell/Garcia to have to make plays they may be able to put up some consistent points on offense. On defense they do actually have some very talented players. Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard and Nnamdi Asomugha are Pro-Bowl caliber players and the rest of the defense is solid enough that other teams will have to at least earn their points. Overall the present nor the future look bright for the Raiders and the overall management of the Raiders is considered by many the worst of any team in all of professional sports. But eventually if the Raiders get enough top 10 picks maybe they will learn how to put them to good use.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: JeMarcus Russell

RB: Darren McFadden

FB: Luke Lawton

WR: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Johnnie Lee Higgins

TE: Zach Miller

OT: Khalif Barnes, Mario Henderson

OG: Cooper Carlisle, Robert Gallery

OC: Samson Satele

DE: Jay Richardson, Derrick Burgess

DT: Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren

OLB: Thomas Howard, Ricky Brown

MLB: Kirk Morrison

CB: Nnamdi Asomugha, Chris Johnson

S: Michael Huff, Hiram Eugene

K: Sebastian Janikowski

P: Shane Lechler

32 Teams in 32 Days (Broncos)

Denver Broncos 8-8, 2nd Place AFC West

Offseason Additions

Josh McDaniels (Head Coach, Patriots)

Kyle Orton (QB, Bears)

Brian Dawkins (S, Eagles)

Andra Davis (LB, Browns)

Renaldo Hill (CB, Dolphins)

Correll Buckhalter (RB, Eagles)

Andre Goodman (CB, Dolphins)

Chris Simms (QB, Titans)

Jabar Gaffney (WR, Patriots)

J.J. Arrington (RB, Cardinals)

Darius Walker (RB, Texans)

Scott Young (OG, Browns)

Darrell Reid (DE, Colts)

Ronald Fields (DT, 49ers)

Lonie Paxton (LS, Patriots)

LaMont Jordan (RB, Patriots)

J'Vonne Parker (DT, Panthers)

Matt McChesney (DT, Dolphins)

Nick Greisen (LB, Ravens)

Brandon Gorin (OT)

Offseason Subtractions

Mike Shanahan (Head Coach)

Jay Cutler (QB, Bears)

Tom Nalen (C, Retired)

Karl Paymah (CB, Vikings)

Erik Pears (OT, Raiders)

Patrick Ramsey (QB, Titans)

Mike Leach (TE, Cardinals)

Niko Koutouvides (LB, Buccaneers)

Anthony Alridge (RB, Redskins)

Jayson Foster (WR, Steelers)

Dre Bly (CB)

Ebenezer Ekuban (DE)

Nate Webster (LB)

Darrell Jackson (WR)

Tatum Bell (RB)

Michael Pittman (RB)

Selvin Young (RB)

Marlon McCree (S)

Dewayne Robertson (DT)

Marquand Manuel (S)

John Engelberger (DE)

Jamie Winborn (LB)

Draft

1. Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia)

1. Robert Ayers (LB, Tennessee)

2. Alphonso Smith (CB, Wake Forest)

2. Darcel McBath (CB, Texas Tech)

2. Richard Quinn (TE, North Carolina)

4. David Burton (S, Notre Dame)

4. Seth Olsen (OG, Iowa)

5. Kenny McKinley (WR, South Carolina)

6. Tom Brandstater (QB, Fresno State)

7. Blake Schlueter (C, TCU)

Most Underrated Player: Ryan Clady (OT)

Most Overrated Player: Champ Bailey (CB)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Bengals

2. Browns

3. @ Raiders

4. Cowboys

5. Patriots

6. @ Chargers

7. Bye

8. @ Ravens

9. Steelers

10. @ Redskins

11. Chargers

12. Giants

13. @ Chiefs

14. @ Colts

15. Raiders

16. @ Eagles

17. Chiefs

Former Packers: Brandin Gorin (OT), Kenny Peterson (DT)

2010 Outlook

The Broncos are the ultimate rebuilding team of the 2009 offseason. They cleaned out their entire coaching staff, traded away their franchise quarterback, signed over 20 free agents, released or traded away 20 more players and drafted 10 players, 7 of which were 4th round picks or higher, meaning they have a very high probability of making the team. The Broncos will boast the most significantly changed team from 2009-2010 for better or for worse.

While the Broncos rebuilt in the offseason, the schedule makers were not kind to the Broncos at all. Arguably their 3 easiest games all season come in their first 3 weeks when they play the Bengals, Browns, and Raiders. The reason that is frustrating for the Broncos is because they have a new coach and a significantly new team so it will probably take more than 3 games for them to all be on the same page. So even with the easy start to the season, a 3-0 start is very unlikely for them. And after they play those first three games they have an absolute gauntlet. Check out their next 8 weeks: Cowboys, Patriots, Chargers, Ravens, Steelers, Redskins, Chargers, Giants. There is a fantastic chance that after their first 3 games they will be underdogs for the following 8 weeks. In their last 5 games they do have easier games against the Raiders and the Chiefs (twice), but also have to play Indianapolis and Philadelphia. On paper this is easily one of the hardest schedules for any team in all of football.

It will for sure be an interesting season for the Broncos with all of their new players, it was probably a good idea for the Broncos to start rebuilding. It's never a good sign when a team cuts a significant portion of their team: Dre Bly, Ebenezer Ekuban, Nate Webster, Darrell Jackson, Tatum Bell, Michael Pittman, Marlon McCree, Dewayne Robertson, Selvin Young, Marquand Manuel, John Engleberger and Jamie Winborn, and not one other NFL team signs ANY of them. The hard part for the Broncos was the offseason drama with Jay Cutler. Losing a franchise quarterback like Cutler who still had a ton of potential was a really tough pill to swallow. Just maybe some fresh blood and some healthy players will improve an 8-8 Broncos team from a year ago and push them into the playoffs. I just don't see that happening in 2010 though.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Kyle Orton

RB: Knowshon Moreno

FB: Peyton Hillis

WR: Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal

TE: Daniel Graham

OT: Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris

OG: Ben Hamilton, Chris Kuper

OC: Casey Wiegmann

DE: Tim Crowder, Darrell Reid

NT: Marcus Thomas

OLB: Boss Bailey, Elvis Dumervil

ILB: Andra Davis, D.J. Williams

CB: Champ Bailey, Jack Williams

S: Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill

K: Matt Prater

P: Brett Kern