Texans Look To Make Leap To Playoff:
It's tough going in the AFC South. The Indianapolis Colts are one of the best teams in the league. They've been towards the top of the division since its inception in 2002. Peyton Manning doesn't miss games and seems to find offensive replacements every season. It looks like another team from that division is poised to make some noise. The Houston Texans are suppose to take the expected leap towards the playoffs. They have a potent running attack stemming from head coach Gary Kubiak's tenure with the Denver Broncos.
Matt Schaub has been a fantasy stud the past few seasons. Andre Johnson is in the discussion for the best wide receiver in the NFL. Steve Slaton had a solid year two seasons ago, but they're expecting a lot more from their running game this upcoming season. Arian Foster is the complementary back that will spell Slaton. Kubiak is an interesting coach in the fact that he loves using tight ends. He has some of the better receiving TEs, but all three are coming off injuries during the 2009 season. The headliner is Owen Daniels. Expect Daniels to get a lot of catches this season because Kubiak loves to switch it up out of the two tight end sets. Full Story..
Short List of Rookies Expected to Make Instant Impact:
The NFL is upon the fans and that means a lot of things. One thing it means is fresh draft picks will impact teams and make them better on both offense and defense. Ryan Matthews, Jahvid Best, Jermaine Gresham, Sean Witherspoon, Dez Bryant and C.J. Spiller will all improve their respective teams. Matthews, Best and Spiller will have the most immediate impact just because they're all running backs. The adjustment isn't that difficult from college to the NFL. Gresham will play in a quality offense, being a solid third option behind Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. He's going t be open against slower linebackers because the safeties will be protecting the deep ball against T.O. and Ochocinco.
Matthews is replacing an important player in San Diego Chargers history in LaDainian Tomlinson. The team will look to build upon their 31st ranked running offense last year. Matthews will be the workhorse that will improve the ranking. He's having an impressive preseason, averaging 5 yards per carry average. He's also showcasing great hands, making him an asset in the passing game along with the running threat. Expect Matthews to get about 200+ carries, resulting in a 1000 yard season and most likely the offensive rookie of the year.
Best brings a lot of talent to the Detroit Lions. He will quickly become second year quarterback Matthew Stafford's best friend because of all the things he can do on the field. He has tremendous quickness and recognizes the blocking schemes. He will also be asked to catch the ball out of the backfield when teams decide to double cover wide out Calvin Johnson. All the talent that Best has, along with Kevin Smith recovering from injury means Best could see 15-20 touches per game. He will definitely improve the Lions offense and give the franchise a stud running back for the first time since Barry Sanders. Full Story..
Bryant Among First Cuts:
The end of the preseason in the NFL usually means quite a few things. Teams are figuring out which players performed well enough to make the final 53 man rosters. Cut down day is coming soon, but some notable players have already gotten the ax. The biggest name yet is Antonio Bryant. The Cincinnati Bengals will be left with about $8 million of Bryant's guaranteed money from his four-year $28 million deal.
Bryant was suppose to be the second wide receiver for Carson Palmer and the Bengals. He was nursed along with a sore knee through mini camps and other offseason work outs. The Bengals coaching staff become quiet whenever the subject of Bryant's knee came up. It never seemed to heal properly and the Bengals will eat the guaranteed money. He quickly became expendable once the team brought in Terrell Owens. Owens quickly became the top receiver in the preseason, this along with the development of rookie Jordan Shipley led to Bryant's release. The interesting thing this season is the fact that in cutting players doesn't mean taking a hit to the salary cap because of the uncapped year. This allows teams to shed poor contracts from under performing players or aging veterans that have back loaded contracts. Bryant may catch on with another team, but he has to prove the health of his knee before another team will sign him. Full Story..
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