Brewerfan.Net Update

Brewerfan.Net has their new top 50 prospects listed. The top 5 is as follows:

1. Alcides Escobar (SS)
2. Mat Gamel (3B)
3. Brett Lawrie (2B)
4. Jonathan Lucroy (C)
5. Angel Salome (C)

For the rest of the top 50 check out www.brewerfan.net!

The Good and Bad of Preseason Week 1

Here were some of the best, and worst stat lines of week 1 of the preseason...

The Good

Quarterback

Matt Schaub (Texans) 7-7, 100%, 70 yards
Trent Edwards (Bills) 10-10, 100%, 79 yards
Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bills) 13-16, 81%, 143 yards
Chris Simms (Broncos) 11-17, 65%, 142 yards, 2 td's
J.T. O'Sullivan (Bengals) 9-11, 82%, 100 yards, td
A.J. Feeley (Eagles) 18-24, 75%, 211 yards, td
Drew Stanton (Lions) 8-13, 62%, 114 yards, td, 4 carries, 59 yards rushing

Running Back (ypc is yards per carry)

Tyrell Sutton (Packers) 16 carries, 91 yards, 5.7 ypc
Javon Ringer (Titans) 7 carries, 51 yards, 7.3 ypc, td
Aaron Brown (Lions) 6 carries, 47 yards, 7.8 ypc, 2 catches, 51 yards, td
Michael Turner (Falcons) 6 carries, 63 yards, 10.5 ypc
Donald Brown (Colts) 5 carries, 58 yards, 11.6 ypc
Chester Taylor (Vikings) 4 carries 31 yards, 7.8 ypc, td, 1 catch, 13 yards
Samkon Gado (Rams) 9 touches, 148 all purpose yards, td
Darren McFadden (Raiders) 4 carries, 63 yards, 15.8 ypc, 1 catch, 9 yards

Wide Receiver

Kenny Britt (Titans) 5 catches, 89 yards, td
Chris Henry (Bengals) 7 catches, 100 yards, td
Robert Meacham (Saints) 3 carries, 77 yards, td
David Clowney (Jets) 3 catches, 102 yards, td
Julian Edelman (Patriots) 5 catches, 37 yards, 1 punt return, 75 yards, td
Justin Harper (Ravens) 4 catches, 57 yads, td

Tight End

Jared Cook (Titans) 6 catches, 56 yards
Chris Baker (Patriots) 3 catches, 22 yards, 2 td's

Defense

Desmond Bishop (Packers) 4 tackles, sack, int, forced int
Stylez G. White (Buccaneers) 3 tackles, sack, int
Ellis Lankster (Bills) 2 tackles, 2 int's (dropped a 3rd)

The Bad

Quarterback

Charlie Whitehurst (Chargers) 15-29, 52%, 193 yards, td, 2 int's, fumble lost
Kerry Collins (Titans) 4-9, 44%, 37 yards, 2 int's
Jay Cutler (Bears) 5-10, 50%, 64 yards, int
Brett Basanez (Bears) 3-11, 27%, 26 yards, td, 3 int's
Kyle Orton (Broncos) 9-16, 56%, 89 yards, 3 int's
Colt Brennan (Redskins) 4-12, 25%, 43 yards, int
Pat White (Dolphins) 2-7, 29%, 14 yards, int, 6 carries, 20 yards, 3.3 ypc

Running Back

Cedric Benson (Bengals) 8 carries, 28 yards, 3.5 ypc, fumble

Brewers Week in Review

Week of August 10th-August 16th

Monday August 10th: Off Day
Tuesday August 11th: vs. San Diego Padres, lost 6-13
Wednesday August 12th: vs. San Diego Padres, lost 5-6
Thursday August 13th: vs. San Diego Padres, won 12-9
Friday August 14th: vs. Houston Astros, won 11-2
Saturday August 15th: vs. Houston Astros, won 6-2
Sunday August 16th: vs. Houston Astros, lost 5-8

Record: 3-3 Runs Scored: 45 Runs Against: 40 Overall Record: 58-59 (3rd Place NL Central)

Player of the Week

Ryan Braun: 7-26, 0.269, 4 home runs, 7 runs, 7 rbi's, stolen base
-Third time Braun has won player of the week and second in a row

Pitcher of the Week

Mike Burns: 7.0 innings pitched, 2.57 ERA, 1.00 whip, 7K's, Win
-First time Burns has won pitcher of the week

Goat of the Week

Mitch Stetter: 1.0 innings pitched, 27.00 ERA, 9.00 whip (in 4 appearances)
-First time Stetter has been goat of the week

Players who played well:

F. Lopez: 12-26, 0.462, HR, 5 runs, 6 rbi's, error (4th time in a row)
M. Cameron: 6-23, 0.261, HR, 4 runs, 4 rbi's
P. Fielder: 10-24, 0.417, 3HR, 3 runs, 7 rbi's
C. McGehee: 4-10, 0.400, 4 runs
F. Catallanotto: 5-10, 0.500, 3 runs
M. Rivera: 3-6, 0.500, 2 HR, 3 runs, 5 rbi's
Y. Gallardo: 6.0 innings pitched, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 whip, 7 K's, Win
T. Hoffman: 2.0 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 whip, 2K, Save (7th in a row)
C. Villanueva: 5.2 innings pitched, 3.46 ERA, 1.35 whip, 4 K
J. Calome: 3.1 innings pitched, 2.90 ERA, 1.29 whip, 2K
C. Vargas: 4.0 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 whip, 3 K

Players Who Struggled:

M. Parra: 5.2 innings pitched, 10.38 ERA, 2.89 whip, 7K, win
T. Coffey: 3.0 innings pitched, 9.00 ERA, 2.33 whip, 3K, loss
D. Weathers: 3.1 innings pitched, 11.61 ERA, 3.27 whip, 2K, loss
M. DiFelice: 2.0 innings pitched, 13.50 ERA, 3.00 whip, 3K
B. Looper: 11.0 innings pitched, 7.36 ERA, 1.64 whip, 4K, loss

Transactions

August 10th: Optioned Chris Smith to Nashville
August 11th: Activated David Weathers
August 12th: Designated Bill Hall for assignment
August 12th: Optioned J.J. Hardy to Nashville
August 12th: Recalled Alcides Escobar from Nashville
August 12th: Recalled Jason Bourgeois from Nashville

Packers Preseason Week 1

Here are my top 10 observations from the Packers first preseason game against the Browns:

1. There have been rumblings that the most improved player on the entire Packers roster this offseason was none other than quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers' numbers were so good a season ago and he played so well for his first season as a starter that I found this statement unbelievable and couldn't imagine that he could have gotten that much better. Well, I was wrong. Aaron Rodgers looked fantastic and is the most improved Packer this offseason. His mechanics, footwork, and arm strength were all superb and his touchdown to Driver looked effortless. There are very few quarterbacks who are able to stay composed that long in the pocket, step up past pressure and then fire an absolute bullet while running forwards to a wide open Donald Driver. The theme of this entire blog is that it is just one game, but it's hard not to come away impressed with Rodgers. One last point on A-rod. I have never heard a team so easily and openly talk about who is in charge and control of a team more than this Packers team talks about Aaron Rodgers. Whenever any player is asked who is in control of this team everybody always answers Aaron Rodgers, but it never, ever stops just there. They almost always go on to praise him and go out of their way to make it blatantly and obviously clear that they all believe in Rodgers and that it is unquestionably him that is the man on this Packers team.

2. The Browns looked absolutely terrible. Not sure how great the Packers can feel after a 17-0 victory when they played a team that looked completely lost. The defense couldn't get off the field and had no prayer of stopping a Green Bay running attack that wasn't exactly extra ordinary a season ago. The offense looked predictable and out of sync and overall the Browns need a lot of work. Still a long way to go before the regular season, but the Packers have to feel happy that they play the Browns when it counts later this season.

3. Green Bay has 5 running backs who could make an NFL roster. There is a slight asterisk next to this point because K. Lumpkin and T. Sutton both need to prove that they can pick up a blitz, something that wasn't asked of them against the Browns, but all 5 are capable of making a 53 man roster in the NFL. While Grant has the team made, the other 2 positions (assuming the Packers keep 3 and not 4) should be interesting. B. Jackson was the Packers second round pick so it's hard to imagine Ted Thompson releasing him or trading him for anything less than a second round pick (which they wouldn't get). D. Wynn has had the best training camp, but had arguably the worst showing of the 5 backs on Saturday. Lumpkin and Sutton were both undrafted but both are unique runners who are talented enough to make this Packers team. Smart money is still on Grant, Jackson and Wynn though.

4. Quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm both looked significantly better than a season ago. Flynn looked like he had a great grasp of the offense and his athleticism helps him make up for some of his inexperience. While it would be easy to look at Brohm's numbers and say he was terrible, he actually didn't play nearly as bad as his numbers were. He had two INT's that weren't his fault and his biggest gaff of the game was actually a crossing pattern when he was behind his receiver. Brohm still looked a little slow at diagnosing the play, but he was still much more confident than a season ago.

5. Matt Flynn is still far ahead of Brian Brohm. Even though Brohm was the second rounder and Flynn was the 7th rounder, Flynn is in command of this battle and he may never relinquish his rights to the spot. It's still too early to label Brian Brohm a bust and Aaron Rodgers had many of the same struggles that Brohm is having in his first two seasons. It's easy to say though that the Packers at this point have very little to show for their second round investment in Brohm and would probably be better off currently with an experienced veteran than a player they hope will develop in a year or two.

6. Outside of Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley and Desmond Bishop look to be the other two most improved Packers. Everybody will immediately say that Finley's receiving abilities are where he is starting to shine through, but he showed signs of that even last year. His two newest attributes are blocking and confidence. It's amazing to see how far Finley's blocking has come in one year. Last year he really struggled with it and this year he looks like he's not afraid to block anybody. His gained confidence is what makes his amazing receiving skills that much more potent. If a ball is thrown his way, he's going to get it and he's going to try and make a big play out of it. Last year he seemed like a deer in headlights, this year, he looks like he's ready to have a huge breakout season. Bishop meanwhile had an INT, pressure which caused an INT, and a sack. He just flat out makes big plays when he is on the field.

7. My biggest concern when the Packers originally moved to the 3-4 was the lack of skilled linebackers to run a 3-4 up to its fullest potential. After watching the first preseason game and seeing what has happened in training camp so far, the Packers almost seem to have too much depth at linebacker. Kampman, Thompson, Matthews, Hawk, Chillar, Barnett, and Hodge all could start and all will see action as the Packers rotate their linebackers around more this season.

8. The Packers need to time their blitzes better. Not a huge problem, but one that stood out and needs to be fixed before the season. Overall their defense looked much better than last season, but their blitzes were many times mistimed and because of it the Brown's quarterbacks were able to adjust before the snap.

9. Still way too many penalties. A huge emphasis this offseason was cleaning up penalties and it looks like Mike McCarthy is going to have to get after his guys even more because the penalties would have killed the Packers against a better team.

10. Quinn Johnson may not start this season, but he will make the 53 man roster. The Packers have a tough decision to make with Korey Hall, Quinn Johnson, and John Kuhn all on their roster at fullback, and only likely to keep two. Many teams only keep one fullback but the Packers in recent years have kept two and last year went with Hall and Kuhn. It is very unlikely that the Packers would only keep one and just as unlikely that the Packers would keep all three. They could maybe keep all three fullbacks and only keep two tight ends because of Tory Humphrey's injury, but I wouldn't bet on it. Look for Hall and Johnson to make the team and Kuhn to catch on somewhere else in the NFL.

32 Teams in 32 Days (Rams)

St. Louis Rams 2-14, Last Place NFC West

Offseason Additions

Steve Spagnuolo (Head Coach, Giants)

Jason Brown (C, Ravens)

Orien Harris (DT, Lions)

James Butler (S, Giants)

Mike Karney (FB, Saints)

Laurent Robinson (WR, Falcons)

Kyle Boller (QB, Ravens)

Offseason Subtractions

Torry Holt (WR, Jaguars)

Orlando Pace (OT, Bears)

Brett Romberg (OL, Falcons)

Pisa Tinoisamoa (LB, Bears)

Nick Leckey (OL, Saints)

Brandon Gorin (OL, Broncos)

Brian Leonard (RB, Lions)

Fakhir Brown (CB)

Dante Hall (WR)

Dane Looker (WR)

La'Roi Glover (DT)

Corey Chavous (S)

Drew Bennett (WR)

Trent Green (QB)

Draft

1. Jason Smith (OT, Baylor)

2. James Laurinaitis (LB, Ohio State)

3. Bradley Fletcher (CB, Iowa)

4. Dorell Scott (DT, Clemson)

5. Brooks Foster (WR, North Carolina)

6. Keith Null (QB, West Texas A&M)

7. Chris Ogbonnaya (RB, Texas)

Most Underrated Player: Oshiomogho Atogwe (S)

Most Overrated Player: Alex Barron (OT)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Seahawks

2. @ Redskins

3. Packers

4. @ 49ers

5. Vikings

6. @ Jaguars

7. Colts

8. @ Lions

9. Bye

10. Saints

11. Cardinals

12. Seahawks

13. @ Bears

14. @ Titans

15. Texans

16. @ Cardinals

17. 49ers

Former Packers: Samkon Gado (RB)

2010 Outlook

It doesn't seem all that long ago that the St. Louis Rams were the greatest show on turf and one of the most exciting teams in all of sports to watch. These last couple of years though the Rams have been anything but exciting. Last season the Rams were the 3rd worst scoring offense in all of football and nothing seemed to work for the offense. Running back Steven Jackson was considered one of the best running backs in football, yet he was only barely able to reach 1,000 yards with a 1042 yard season. Passing the football Marc Bulger and Trent Green combined for 19 interceptions while throwing only 11 touchdowns. The offense was nothing short of pathetic, the Rams realized it, and the whole team is set to start over in 2010.

The restart began with bringing in New York Giants defensive coordinator and blitz creator extraordinaire Steve Spagnuolo. This will be his first head coaching job in the NFL and he will try to bring his aggressive style to a St. Louis team that is desperate to find an identity. While the Rams maybe didn't make any sexy moves this offseason, bringing in center Jason Brown from Baltimore was clearly one of the best moves in free agency, pair that with drafting offensive tackle Jason Smith with the 2nd overall pick and the Rams already are starting to get an identity on offense. With Alex Barron, Jacob Bell, Jason Brown, Richie Incognito and Jason Smith across the offensive line, the Rams give themselves a great opportunity to be extremely better on the offensive line and will probably boast the best offensive line in the division. If they can come together as a group it should open holes and opportunities for Steven Jackson to excel and if Jackson gets going Bulger should be able to take advantage of play-action and increased time in the pocket to significantly improve his numbers from a year ago. The biggest weakness for the Rams right now on offense is a lack of playmakers. Jackson is a power runner who can make explosive plays, but defenses can key on him. Donnie Avery should have his share of big plays, but teams can also keep a safety over the top of him. Outside of Jackson and Avery teams will not be afraid of Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Randy McMichael, or Billy Bajema in any way, shape, or form.

It will be up to young players taken with high draft choices to turn around a defense that also struggled a season ago. Chris Long, Adam Carriker, James Laurinaitis, and Tye Hill are all 1st or early second round picks that will be starting this season and need to prove that they were worth their early selection in the respective drafts. The biggest move on the defense that the Rams made was bringing in coach Spagnuolo as he was able to recreate the Giants defense and had a huge hand in the Giants winning a Super Bowl 2 seasons ago. Let's not forget that he was the defensive coordinator that was able to get the best of Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and company two seasons ago when nobody else could. It will take some time for the Rams to pick up the new philosophy and defensive schemes as well as for the Rams to put the players in place to be able to run the scheme more effectively but the defense as is should at the very least be solid.

While the Rams aren't exactly a team that other franchises are going to be fearing when they see them on their schedules, the Rams open with a pretty easy schedule themselves. In the Rams first 9 games they only play two playoff teams from a season ago (Minnesota and Indianapolis) and they play both of those games at home. It may still be a while yet before the Rams are looked at as an exciting team and they may never be the greatest show on turf ever again, but the Rams made moves in the offseason that should pay dividends in the coming years. Of all of the teams that started rebuilding this offseason, the Rams did one of the best jobs by getting Steve Spagnuolo, Jason Brown, Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis all in one offseason.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Marc Bulger

RB: Steven Jackson

FB: Mike Karney

WR: Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton

TE: Randy McMichael

OT: Alex Barron, Jason Smith

OG: Jacob Bell, Richie Incognito

C: Jason Brown

DE: Leonard Little, Chris Long

DT: Adam Carriker, Clifton Ryan

OLB: Chris Draft, Will Witherspoon

MLB: James Laurinaitis

CB: Tye Hill, Ron Bartell

S: James Butler, O.J. Atogwe

K: Josh Brown

P: Donnie Jones

32 Teams in 32 Days (Seahawks)

Seattle Seahawks 5-11, 3rd place NFC West

Offseason Additions

Jim Mora (Head Coach)

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR, Bengals)

Cory Redding (DT, Lions)

Ken Lucas (CB, Panthers)

Collin Cole (DT, Packers)

Justin Griffith (FB, Raiders)

David Kirtman (FB, 49ers)

John Owens (TE, Lions)

Offseason Subtractions

Mike Holmgren (Head Coach)

Julian Peterson (LB, Lions)

Floyd Womack (OL, Browns)

Rocky Bernard (DT, Giants)

Bobby Engram (WR, Chiefs)

Leonard Weaver (FB, Eagles)

Maurice Morris (RB, Lions)

Will Heller (TE, Lions)

Howard Green (DT, Jets)

Charlie Frye (QB)

Steve McKinney (OL)

Koren Robinson (WR)

Mike Wahle (OL)

Draft

1. Aaron Curry (LB, Wake Forest)

2. Max Unger (C, Oregon)

3. Deon Butler (WR, Penn State)

6. Mike Teel (QB, Rutgers)

7. Courtney Greene (S, Rutgers)

7. Nick Reed (DE, Oregon)

7. Cameron Morrah (TE, California)

Most Underrated Player: Leroy Hill (LB)

Most Overrated Player: Deion Branch (WR)

2010 Schedule

1. Rams

2. @ 49ers

3. Bears

4. @ Colts

5. Jaguars

6. Cardinals

7. Bye

8. @ Cowboys

9. Lions

10. @ Cardinals

11. @ Vikings

12. @ Rams

13. 49ers

14. @ Texans

15. Bucaneers

16. @ Packers

17. Titans

Former Packers: Matt Hasselbeck (QB), Collin Cole (DT), Jon Ryan (P)

2010 Outlook

Injuries, a lame duck head coach, and the worst pass defense in all of football all lead to a disappointing and frustrating year for the Seattle Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck's health was one of the major issues in 2009, but the rest of his team had just as much trouble staying healthy. In the end Seneca Wallace attempted more passes than Hasselbeck did and nobody for the Seahawks was able to be consistent on offense. Their leading rusher was Julius Jones at 698 yards, their leading receiver was actually tight end John Carlson with 55 catches and only 627 yards, and their leading quarterback was Wallace with only 1532 yards and 11 touchdowns. In total the Seahawks quarterbacks (Wallace, Hasselbeck, and Frye) only threw 18 touchdowns or slightly over 1 per game.

The 2010 Seattle Seahawks are not without hope however, even after coming off a 4-12 season. Matt Hasselbeck should be able to return to form this year and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who they acquired via free agency, should be one of the best targets Hasselbeck has ever had. Add to that an improved John Carlson, and veteran wide receivers Nate Burleson and Deion Branch, and the Seahawks could see a significant production increase in their offense. The big question mark will be whether or not Seattle can run the football. With Maurice Morris off to Detroit it will be mostly up to Julius Jones to get the bulk of the carries, with T.J. Duckett utilized in short down and distances.

On defense Seattle was able to add cornerback Ken Lucas and defensive tackle Colin Cole via free agency, defensive tackle Corey Redding via trade, and linebacker Aaron Curry through the draft. Curry was projected by many as the number one overall player in the entire draft, but Seattle was able to select him with the number four pick. With Curry in Seattle the Seahawks boast maybe the best 4-3 linebacking corps in the entire league. With Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, and Aaron Curry manning the 3 linebacker spots, the Seahawks should be a very formidable defense. Corey Redding and Colin Cole will join Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, Lawrence Jackson, Brandon Mebane and Craig Terrill to make a very formidable 7 man rotation on the defensive line. Last but not least, their secondary also has good depth and a Pro Bowl caliber corner in Marcus Trufant. Joining Trufant are Ken Lucas, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Deon Grant, and Brian Russell. The corners are solid, but Grant and Russell are past their prime and could hold the secondary back. Look for the Seahawks to have a solid bounce back season and return to a much more formidable team than what they showed in their 4-12 disaster of a season in 2009. With an easier schedule and a relatively weak division its not out of the possibility for Seattle to push for a playoff spot in 2010.

Possible Starting Lineup

QB: Matt Hasselbeck

RB: Julius Jones

FB: Justin Griffith

WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson

TE: John Carlson

OT: Walter Jones, Sean Locklear

OG: Max Unger, Rob Sims

C: Chris Spencer

DE: Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp

DT: Cory Redding, Colin Cole

OLB: Aaron Curry, Leroy Hill

MLB: Lofa Tatupu

CB: Marcus Trufant, Ken Lucas

S: Brian Russell, Deon Grant

K: Olindo Mare

P: Jon Ryan