GIVE ME THE ROCK & LET ME DO MY THING

As you all know the 2009 football season is around the corner (25 days to be exact), which can only mean one thing. It’s time for STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’s ANNUAL POSITIONAL RANKINGS! This is a lot of fun for me, because these rankings are not based on last year’s numbers or any other statistical criteria. They are simply based on my opinion of what the player will do in the upcoming season. I simply ask myself, “If I was starting a team today, who would I want in this position?” Over the next couple of weeks, I will be ranking all 32 teams according to their Defenses, Receivers (including Tight Ends), and the all important Quarterback. However, those rankings will have to wait. Because this week, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE RUNNING BACKS! These are the guys who simply tell their coaches to, “Give me the rock & let me do my thing!”

Feel free to use these as well as the forthcoming rankings for your fantasy football draft, FREE OF CHARGE! When you win your league, just be sure to (as rapper Drake titled his upcoming classic album), THANK ME LATER!

Now for the rankings:

#1 Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – Was there any doubt? If you don’t think that Peterson is the best running back in the game right now, you should just stop watching football, because YOU OBVIOUSLY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE GAME! He is the total package. He has the speed of Devin Hester, the power of Earl Campbell, and the shiftiness of Marshall Faulk. THIS GUY IS SPECIAL! He is a once every ten years type talent. If he stays healthy all season, HE WILL GAIN OVER 2,000 YARDS RUSHING THIS SEASON!!!! This season really has a chance to be special for Peterson, because the Vikings actually have another weapon on offense. Defenses also have to keep an eye on the equally fast Percy Harvin, who will line up all over the place and be a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. That being said, Peterson has an outside shot of topping Eric Dickerson single-season rushing yards record of 2,105. He is so much better than everyone else, that I had a hard time deciding who I would put at #2. After much though, I finally decided….

#2 Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – Putting anyone else at #2 just didn’t seem fair. He is just too good to say that anyone is the second best running back.

#3 Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – This is not a typo. He is actually this good.

#4 Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia Eagles) – It’s amazing that one back can do as much for his team as the Eagles ask of Westbrook. He is simply the engine that makes them go. He can easily rush for 2,000 yards AND have another 500 – 800 receiving yards. He is the most complete back the league has seen since Future Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. The Saints should really study Westbrook, because he is the model for what Reggie Bush should be.

#5 Michael Turner (Atlanta Falcons) – People thought that I was out of my mind ranking him so high last year (I had him ranked 12th going into last season) considering that he had a grand total of 1,257 rushing yards in his four seasons as LaDanian Tomlinson’s back up in San Diego. But obviously I was on to something. He is a beast. He is a power back with very good speed. He should put up big numbers this year considering that the Falcons have a passing game that must be respected. The mere presence of Tony Gonzalez will help Turner immensely.

#6 DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers) – Up until last season, Williams had been having a slightly better than average NFL career. He was considered a reliable back, but nothing special. Then the Carolina Panthers drafted Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams WOKE UP! He showed that he is definitely a player that teams must fear and game plan for. He also has the advantage of splitting carries with another top-notch running back in Stewart. This keeps him fresh, which allowed him to absolutely explode during the latter portion of the seasons. He reminds me a lot of Turner; only his is a little bit faster, but not quite as powerful.

#7 Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys) – Looking at the Cowboys roster, it is obvious what their offensive strategy will be this season. THEY WILL RUN THE BALL!!!! The Diva that cries when he doesn’t get the ball is someone else’s headache now, which will allow the offense to focus on what they do best. Run the football and throw it off play-action to the tight end. They have three very good and very different running backs. The best of the bunch (and also my personal favorite) is Marion “The Barbarian” Barber. He is a beast. He actually tackles defenders. He runs with reckless abandon, and never avoids contact. He will be the heartbeat of this team this season, and cause the hearts of the defenders responsible for tackling him to skip a beat.

#8 Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) – His speed is absolutely sick. He took the league by storm last year, by seemingly coming out of nowhere. This year that will not be the case, because stopping him will be priority #1 for every defense that the Titans face this season. Unfortunately for the defenses, it won’t matter. You can prepare for him all you want, but you still won’t be able to catch him. He is simply too fast.

#9 Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders) – I am expecting the Raiders to win 8 games this year, and McFadden is the main reason why. Just watch him this season; he is going to have a breakout year. Not only is he a great runner, he also has great hands and will catch a good number of passes this year. He will also throw a touchdown pass or two. All of those things only complement the fact that he will be a GREAT running back in this league for many years to come.

#10 Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) – This is my guy. He is simply an excellent football player. He always picks the right hole and rarely gets tackled for a loss. He is also excellent at picking up blitzes, and is tough as nails (I guess they raise them that way at THE U). The thing I like most about Portis is that you know what you are going to get from him year in and year out. That is 1,500 yards. He is a great all-around football player.

#11 LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers) – Was once the unquestioned best back in the league. Then age and injury began to trip him up. I still think that he has a lot left in the tank, and I also think that he will have a vintage LT season this year. Granted, he won’t have another season like 2006, but he will still be good for about 1,300 yards and around 15 touchdowns. He may no longer be THE BEST back in the league, but he is certainly still ONE OF THE BEST backs in the NFL.

#12 Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) – This guy is a machine. Just give him the rock and let him work. He is an interesting back because he doesn’t do anything special, and he doesn’t have jaw-dropping physical ability or blazing speed. But somehow he always manages to have solid numbers when the game is over. This year should be big for him because he is playing with a REAL QUARTERBACK in Jay Cutler, that defenses must respect. He won’t see a lot of eight man fronts, which means that he should run wild. Look for big things from Mr. Forte.

#13 Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) – It is really unfortunate for Jackson that his team has a less than average quarterback and worst receivers than a good high school team. This means that he will face 8 to 9 man fronts all season. He is their only weapon, and trust me, if I can see that fact so can defensive coordinators around the league. That being said, Jackson is a freight train. The power and speed combination that he possesses is second only to Adrian Peterson. He also has great hands, which is really surprising for a back his size. Although the Ram’s will be terrible this season, he will at least make them watchable and mildly competitive.

#14 Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos) – Although he is playing for the dumbest coach in NFL history (that even includes Mike Tice), I expect big things from the rookie. He is a bundle of energy that seemed to never wear down at Georgia. He has great moves in the hole, very good speed, and he is MUCH STRONGER than he looks. He will undoubtedly get the undivided attention of defenses because his quarterback is a dumb downed version of Trent Dilfer, who is jealous of Chad Pennington’s arm. Thanks to Head Coach Josh McDaniels, HIS NAME ISN’T CUTLER. That being said, I still fully expect this rookie to take the league by storm.

#15 Joseph Addia (Indianapolis Colts) – Addia is a very smart and talented player that has proven not to be very durable. Along with a high football IQ, Addia is also a great receiver out of the backfield and picks up blitzes very well. The good news for him is that he is never the first priority for defenses because he plays with Peyton Manning. The bad news for him is that your team took another running back in the first round of the draft. We will really see what Addia is made of this year, because there will be a talented rookie in Donald Brown pushing him all season.

#16 Steve Slaton (Houston Texans) – I have been singing his praises since he entered the league, even when other people thought I was stupid for doing so. Look s like I got that one right. This is a very good running back. He is a real speedster that simply knows how to run the ball.

#17 Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants) – The second coming of Jamal Lewis in his prime (but not quite as good). He is the definition of a power back. The Giants running game suffered immensely last season after that genius that plays wide receiver shot himself. Jacobs will probably miss Plax more than any other Giant simply because defenses can now make him the focal point of their game plan.

#18 Laurence Maroney (New England Patriots) – Man is he glad that Brady is back. Maroney is a very good back that will have a great season, simply because no one will be paying him any attention with Moss and Brady on the field. The only thing that will hurt Maroney this year is the fact that he has to split carries with two other solid backs in Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk.

#19 Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) – People think of him as a small running back. THEY ARE WRONG! He is short, but NOT SMALL! He is built like a tank, and is fearless. He is an excellent inside runner and has the speed to break long ones. Don’t sleep on Jones-Drew, because he is an absolute beast. Coming out of college, he compared himself to Reggie Bush. So far, it looks like he sold himself short.

#20 Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens) – I want everyone reading this to pay attention to Ray Rice this season. It will become obvious why he will be forcing Willis McGahee to the bench.

#21 Frank Gore (San Francisco 49er’s) – I said it last year, and I will say it again. I just don’t understand all the love for this guy. To me he is a good NFL running back, BUT NOTHING SPECIAL. I think that I am a pretty good judge of talent, and I honestly am missing something when it comes to this guy.

#22 Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo Bills) – Once he returns from his three game suspension he will have a significant impact on the Bills’ season. In my opinion, he has all the tools to be great, but he hasn’t managed to reach his full potential as of yet. I hope he does.

#23 Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) – He is on this list because he WILL TAKE THE STARTING JOB FROM WILLIE PARKER THIS SEASON. Also, he will be much higher on this list next season. He will be great, and this year he will start to prove it. He is huge and ridiculously fast. Last time I checked that was a great combination for a running back. I really think that he is focused on what it takes to be great after being humbled by Ray Lewis last season.

#24 Thomas Jones (New York Jets) – Jones is a good, hard-running, dependable veteran. There are no frills with this guy. He is simply a solid running back. Don’t be surprised if his carries are cut in half this year, because Leon Washington has proven that he is indeed ready for prime time. They should pretty much split carries evenly. This should also be his last year with the Jets.

#25 Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins) – Last year many of my readers said that I was too harsh in my assessment of Brown. All I said was that he was a bust considering that he was drafted #2 OVERALL! Although I must give him credit for having a decent season last year, I AM STANDING BY MY STATEMENT THAT HE IS NOT A GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYER!!!! The Wildcat Offense was his saving grace last season, and he really thrived in it. For that I commend him. But we all know that gimmicks in the NFL don’t last very long. By the end of last season, teams had figured out the Wildcat, and Brown REALLY STRUGGLED! (This year Pat White will handle those plays, thus taking away most of Brown’s best opportunities.) I am not a fan of his, and I have him ranked right where he belongs. I still can’t believe that he was drafted second overall, when his talent says that he should have been a late second round pick.

#26 Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions) – He is the definition of nothing special (and he plays for the Lions, how fitting). He isn’t really fast, nor is he a power back. He is simply a workhorse back that isn’t easy to bring down. He is dependable and takes pretty good care of the ball. He isn’t a game breaker, but he isn’t a game blower either. Simply put, he is solid.

#27 Jamal Lewis (Cleveland Browns) – His best days are clearly behind him. On a good team he would be a great short-yardage and goal-line back. But he is on a bad team, and thus the starter. He is a solid power back, but nothing more at this stage in his career.

#28 Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs) – He carried the ball waaaayyyyy too much early in his career. All of those carries have caught up to him like years of drinking catches up to alcoholics. He had good speed and power a few years back. What he is today? No one knows.

#29 Cedric Benson (Cincinnati Bengals) – He is also a charter member of the “Ronnie Brown – I Got Drafted Way Too High” club. He is a slightly bigger bust than Brown, which makes sense because he was drafted two spots after him in 2005. In Chicago he was an under-achieving head-case. We will see what he will be with the Bengals.

#30 Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers) – One year wonder, who got paid and made the Packers wonder why they paid him. This year he must prove that he is worth the money that he got or he will definitely be cut.

#31 Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints) – He will replace Deuce McAllister as the Saints primary running back, which will free Reggie Bush up to do his thing. He is a capable back that won’t get much attention playing in that pass happy system.

#32 Chris Wells (Arizona Cardinals) – He is widely viewed as a power back. Personally I think he has more Shaun Alexander than Jamal Lewis. Although he has good speed for a back his size, HE IS SOFT! He won’t be very good in the NFL, especially this season.

#33 Earnest Graham (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Nothing personal, he just isn’t anything special. He is a good player, but then again everyone in the NFL is a good player (except for former Falcon safety Brian Scott, who is now playing in Buffalo).

#34 Julius Jones (Seattle Seahawks) – CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY's 2009 MR. IRRELEVANT!!!! Someone had to be last, and it is Thomas' little brother. He is simply the worst starting running back in the NFL. That is all I have to say about him.

There will be no Baller and Scrub of the Week this week because I have chosen to use that space to say MICHAEL VICK IS BACK!!!!

The fact that he signed with the Philadelphia Eagle was a surprise to everyone. However, it was a wise move by both parties. The Eagles are a team that has an established starter in Donovan McNabb. They also have a strong offensive coaching staff. This will allow Vick an opportunity to really work on the fundamentals and learn from one of the best quarterbacks and coaching staffs in the game today.

By signing Vick, the Eagles gave themselves the best backup quarterback in the NFL for this season, and a great trade commodity for next off-season. This is truly a match made in football heaven. The best-case scenario for the 2009 Eagles is as follows:

• They get off to a great start, maybe 7 – 1 after eight games.
• McNabb tweaks an ankle and has to miss 3 weeks
• Vick starts those three games and plays great (Shows the rest of the league that he is indeed ready for prime time)
• McNabb returns and leads the Eagles to the Super Bowl (where they lose to the Patriots again.
• Vick is traded this off-season for a first and a third round draft pick to a team looking to upgrade their quarterback (my guess is either Carolina or Washington).

This could really happen because Vick signed a one-year contract with a team option for a second year. The second year salary is slightly more than $5 million, which is cheap for a Pro Bowl Quarterback. Every team in the league would trade for a Pro Bowl Quarterback with a $5 million salary. That is a great bargain.

As you all know, I am a huge Vick fan. I really hope that he takes this opportunity to study the game (become a Peyton Manning like football nerd) and make the most of his second chance in the league. During the first portion of his career, he was playing on raw talent and athletic ability. Just imagine what he would have been if he studied and understood the game.
Hopefully we won’t have to imagine long, because we will get a chance to see.

MY FAB FIVE

****Disclaimer: We are now in the month of August. This is significant because NFL training camps have officially started, and the football season is quickly approaching. I am going to be completely honest with you, I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!! This means that until next February when the Eagles and Patriots meet in the Super Bowl, about 92% of the entries on this blog will be football related (primarily NFL, but I will talk about the kiddies running around on campus as well). Basically, what I’m saying is that it’s time to GET INTO FOOTBALL MODE, and no one will bring you football insight and opinions better than STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!****

Before I start, I would like to apologize to my regular readers for leaving you hanging for so long. I know that it has been a month since my last post, but it has been quite the busy month. I celebrated a birthday (thanks to my wife for a wonderful dinner and my family for celebrating with me). I also finished another semester of my MBA Program (the workload for summer classes is intense to say the least), and I have changed jobs (which we all know is a job in itself). The last month was definitely worth all of the hard work, because I am one semester closer to my Master’s Degree and I absolutely love my new job. Thank you for your patience and I will try to keep the prolonged absences to a minimum in the future, because I MISSED YOU GUYS!!!!

NOW, LET’S GET TO IT!!!!

There are 1,696 active players each week in the NFL. The fact that these select athletes are playing on Sunday’s tells you just how good they are. Now everyone in the NFL is not a superstar or even a great all-around player, there are those who are role players that simply do a particular job well enough to earn a living at it. For example, Kevin Faulk (of the New England Patriots) has been a third down back for virtually his entire career. This is because he is excellent at picking up blitzes, running draw plays, and catching screen passes. Being able to do these jobs well has allowed him to earn a great living as a NFL player for the past decade or so. There are also players like Keith Brooking (formerly of the Atlanta Falcons and now of the Dallas Cowboys) who has become the best tackler beyond the first down marker in the entire NFL. His role is to get burned by all running backs and tight ends that he has the misfortune of covering and waiting until a player gets the first down and then tackling them. He does it so well that he has made a living doing this for the last ten years.

There are also those players that I consider to be very good players. These players cause opposing coaches to account for them in their game plans, and will have long productive careers and even make multiple Pro Bowls. These players include such guys as Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward, Clinton Portis, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham just to name a few.

Then there is the group of players that are basically walking Hall of Famer’s. These players have Hall of Fame credentials and it is just a matter of time until they are enshrined in Canton. Examples of players that fall into this group are Ray Lewis, Terrell Owens, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Tony Gonzalez.

These are only examples of the players that I believe fall into these specific categories. There are many more that could easily be put into each. Also, you may have noticed that I have not included any quarterbacks (nor will I include any in the list that follows) because it is virtually impossible to compare the quarterback position with the other positions on the field. They are just measured differently than everyone else. However, I will be doing my annual quarterback rankings before the season kicks off.

You may have wondered why I didn’t mention certain players as my examples of future Hall of Famer’s. They were omitted because they are not only future Hall of Famer’s but they are also THE TOP FIVE PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE TODAY (regardless of position, but not including quarterbacks for the reasons mentioned above). I know that this will be a controversial list because I am choosing only five players out of the entire league, and some of you will certainly disagree. That being said I AM STANDING BY MY LIST, and I invite you to challenge it. However, if you disagree, you must tell me why and who you would take off of my list. I look forward to your feedback.

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’s TOP 5 PLAYERS IN THE NFL ARE:

#5 DeMarcus Ware (Outside Linebacker – Dallas Cowboys) – He is simply a beast and the unquestioned best outside linebacker in the NFL. He has played 4 seasons and has 53.5 SACKS! For those not good at math, that is an average of 13.375 per season. He had 20 IN 2008 ALONE! The best thing (or worst thing if you play quarterback) about this guy is that he is only 27 years old, which means that he is just entering the prime of his career. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer, and has a serious chance at passing career sack leader Bruce Smith on the all time sack list. He currently has 9 more sacks that Smith had after four years. Also, Bruce Smith never had more than 19 sacks in a season, and he only did that once. So barring injury, I like DeMarcus’ chances. (Play the video below to see DeMarcus in action).



To be perfectly honest, I briefly considered Shawne Merriman for this spot. Then I remembered this (see video below) and quickly remembered that DeMarcus is better.




#4 Larry Fitzgerald (Wide Receiver – Arizona Cardinals) – I have been a huge Fitzgerald fan since his college days at Pittsburgh. He is a beast. If it wasn’t for the guy two spots ahead of him on this list, he would be the best receiver in the entire NFL. He is 6’3” and a rock solid 217 pounds. This size allows him to catch all jump balls that are thrown anywhere in the state in which he is playing, and also run through defensive backs like they are the banners that high school football teams break through before games. His hands are impeccable, possibly the best in the game. He also catches the ball with one hand (right or left, it doesn’t matter) better than most receivers catch it with two hands and their chest. The only knock on Fitzgerald is that he doesn’t have blazing sub 4.3 40-yard dash speed. Have you ever seen him get caught from behind? I sure haven’t, which must mean that he is fast enough. (Play the video below to see Fitzgerald in action).




#3 Adrian Peterson (Running Back – Minnesota Vikings) – I’ve never seen a power back that could run this fast. He actually prefers to run over defenders (the exact opposite of Shaun Alexander) than run around them. But sometimes just to keep his Madden speed rating up, he simply runs by people. He is without a doubt the best running back in the NFL. He is so good, I can’t even think of the second best running back in the NFL off the top of my head. He makes everyone else look average. It’s like he is Michael Jordan and the NFL defenses that he plays against are Craig Ehlo. He averages over 5 yards per carry, which means that he gets a first down every two carries. The most amazing thing about Peterson’s production is the fact that he plays on a team with a young (although he will be good) quarterback and basically no talent at wide receiver (Percy Harvin will be a good addition this season). So, basically he faces a minimum of 8 players and usually 9 or even 10 players in the box on every play. Yet he still dominates! He is only 24 years old, so if he can stay healthy (that is a big if considering his college career), he still has 6 amazing years left. Let’s just sit back and enjoy. (Play the video below to see Peterson in action).




#2 Randy Moss (Wide Receiver – New England Patriots) – No disrespect to Jerry Rice, but RANDY MOSS IS THE BEST RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY! He simply has more natural ability than anyone to ever play the position. He is an inch taller than Fitzgerald, and DOES HAVE THE BLAZING SPEED! (ask DeAngelo Hall) He simply makes catches that other human beings simply do not have the physical ability to make. As far as I am concerned HE IS NOT HUMAN! He cannot be defended. I have seen him beat triple coverage to catch a pass with his forearm. Who else can do that? I’ll give you a minute to think about it……. Still thinking?....... OK, I will give you the answer. NO ONE! Oh by the way, he also holds the single season touchdown record with 23! What more can I say? (Play the video below to see Moss in action).



By the way, as the video in the top right corner of the screen shows, Randy Moss also influenced the name of the blog. (Please see the video below for more).




AND NOW, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL (regardless of position, but not including quarterbacks) is……… drum roll please………

#1 ED REED (Free Safety – Baltimore Ravens) – I have never seen a defensive player control the game the way Ed Reed does. Truthfully, I don’t even know what position he plays. NFL.com lists him as a Free Safety, but you rarely see him consistently lined up in one place, yet he always seem to be lined up in the right place. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the Ravens actually had plays in their defensive playbook called “Ed Reed Interception”, “Ed Reed Forced Fumble”, “Ed Reed Fumble Recovery”, and “Ed Reed Touchdown Return”. Whenever the Ravens need a turnover, he makes it. If the offense is struggling, he simply takes it upon himself to score touchdowns on the defensive side of the ball. If that isn’t enough, whenever the Ravens need a key punt return and they send Reed out to be the return man, he simply takes it to the house. I often wonder why quarterbacks ever throw the ball in his general vicinity. Apparently he wonders the same thing (see video below). He is also tough as nails, hits like a Mack truck, has better hands than most NFL receivers, has a nose for the end zone, and obviously understands offenses and reads routes better than most quarterbacks. He is also arguably the best receiver in the NFL once he gets the ball in his hands. He is hands down, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL!!!! If you disagree (and you are entitled to your opinion), YOU ARE WRONG!!!! (Play the videos below for more on Ed Reed).





**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT: CONGRATS TO MY HOMEBOY AND REGULAR STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! READER AND CONTRIBUTOR CARL ON HIS ENGAGEMENT! I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY FOR YOU AND THE LITTLE LADY!**


AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK


BALLER: Josh Willingham (Washington Nationals Outfielder)- As most of you know, I am not the biggest baseball fan in the world. That being said, very rarely will I honor a baseball player with my highest weekly honor as the Baller of the Week. For that to happen, he must do something truly special. This past week, Josh Willingham hit TWO GRANDSLAMS IN ONE GAME!!!! That is special and will earn you Baller of the Week status. Although Willingham is not a household name and plays for the worst team in baseball, he truly did do something special. He definitely deserves to be this week’s Baller of the Week. Where his career goes from here is anybody’s guess, but at least he has this honor that no one can take from him.

SCRUB: LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nike – This may be a little late because I have been on blog vacation, but after GETTING DUNKED ON BY Xavier's Jordan Crawford at HIS BASKETBALL CAMP, LeBron and/or the people at Nike decided to confiscate the tape of the dunk. First of all, everyone who plays basketball at a high level for a long time will eventually get dunked on. It’s like how every quarterback will throw an interception, every pitcher will give up a homerun, and I have never met a running back that never fumbled the football. Therefore it was totally weak of you to go all A-ROD (about your image) and try to hide the tape. You know that we live in the era of YouTube and camera phones, so you know someone else was recording besides the cameraman. The tape was going to eventually leak, and guess what, IT DID!!!! (Please see below). But seriously LeBron, Jordan Crawford? WOW! I could see if it was a player destined for NBA stardom, but it was Jordan Crawford! Honestly, until this happened I wouldn’t recognize him if he was on TV in uniform, with his name on the screen in a graphic below him. He got you, so let him have his moment. It was very weak of you and/or Nike to try to hide that tape.



This week, I am adding another award. You have seen the Baller and Scrub of The Week, but now I would like to award my SCRUB OF THE MILLENIUM AWARD. This award can only go to one person, and I bet you know who it is….

SCRUB OF THE MILLENIUM: Brett Favre (“Retired (maybe) NFL Quarterback”) – Come on, did you really think I was going to write this entire entry without taking a shot at my favorite Diva? If you did, shame on you and you obviously don’t pay attention to the blog. After creating a media circus and being in the spotlight all off-season, THE DIVA has decided to “stay retired”. Since throwing the interception that cost the Packers a chance at going to the Super Bowl, THE DIVA has held a tearful press conference to retire (which was very weak by the way), then decided he was bigger than the NFL and the Packers and that he wanted his old job back. The Packers MANNED UP! and decided not to allow the tail to wag the dog, and continue to kiss Brett’s rear and give him what he wanted. They were tired of his DIVA behavior. He had also contemplated retirement and had the organization on pins and needles for the previous couple of seasons before the 2008 season. Not only did they not welcome him back, they also blocked him from going to the team of his choice. Instead of playing for the Vikings, THE DIVA was traded to the Jets, where he again led the league in interceptions and missed the playoffs. Not only did they miss the playoffs, they lost to Chad Pennington (the player the Jets got rid of to make room for Favre) and the Miami Dolphins in the game to determine the Division Championship. Poetic Justice!

After the season, THE DIVA retired again. He later, decided that he wanted to play again, this time for the Vikings. Viking’s coach Brad Childress immediately ended his relationship with his current quarterbacks to go after an older woman. Poor Brad, he didn’t know that THE DIVA was a tease who liked attention, but had commitment issues. Brad should have kept his crush on the low until he was sure he got the girl, so not to hurt the feelings of his backup plans. But being head over heels like he was, he went all in, AND GOT PLAYED!!!! After having surgery and working with the Viking’s training staff and coaches during the summer, THE DIVA decided not to play after all. So now, THE DIVA IS back in Mississippi riding a tractor in a pair of Wrangler jeans, while Brad is buying candy and flowers for his current quarterbacks and telling them that he wanted them all along. Kinda like what Diddy had to do when he went back to his longtime girlfriend after Jennifer Lopez dumped him. The DIVA has struck again and it is really annoying how all of these NFL teams and media types keep fawning over this guy.

Truthfully I don’t understand all of the hype over Favre. I know that he has thrown for a gang of yards and touchdowns, but he has also thrown for a gang of interceptions (the most in NFL history). Last time I checked, he also had the same amount of Super Bowl victories as Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson (where's the love for them?). He is also almost 40 years old. HE IS DONE! If you don’t believe me, look at how last season ended. I know, some people will claim the injury excuse. But if he was injured, he shouldn’t have been playing. Also, if he was injured at 39, why do think that he will remain healthy at 40. It just doesn’t make sense. Brad Childress and the Vikings got played, and they deserved it.

PICKING WINNERS

Every preseason, NFL fans and analysts attempt to predict how the upcoming season will unfold. They often base these predictions on such factors as how teams finished up the previous season, what players were added or subtracted from each team, how well each team did in the draft, and who is coaching the teams. These are all ways that people make educated predictions. Then you have those who make decisions based solely on emotions. This is when you hear phrases like, “The rebuilding is finally over and we are ready to make the playoffs” (Lions fans). You also hear, “Our defense is great, all we need is consistent QB play and our defense will carry us to the Super Bowl” (Bears and Ravens fans). Then my personal favorite is the “if” fan. This guy invents a way for his pathetic team to have a chance in the upcoming season. For instance, “If Brodie Croyle plays like Peyton Manning and if Larry Johnson returns to form, and if our defense play up to their potential and be the best unit in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs will be playing in Tampa on February 1st” (Chiefs fans). Let’s be honest we all like to put on our prognosticator hat and predict what will happen in the upcoming season. It’s fun and if you are correct, you feel like a genius. If you’re wrong, who cares because the people who will point out to you that you were wrong, were probably just as wrong or even more wrong than you were. No matter what happens we all tend to look back at the season and find some way to make our initial predictions seem as though they were right.

Each season, I challenge a couple of my friends who are also huge NFL fans to put our picks in writing and review how well we did at the end of the season. In the past we have done pretty well. For instance, during the 2007 NFL draft I boldly predicted that the New England Patriots would have a perfect regular season and win the Super Bowl. Everyone thought that no team would go through a regular season undefeated and questioned my sanity. Although they did eventually lose the Super Bowl, I was very proud of my prediction about the perfect season. I was also correct in boldly stating that former MVP Shaun Alexander would absolutely suck once he got a new lucrative contract from the Seattle Seahawks (He will be watching this season from home just like you and me). Another surprisingly accurate pick occurred when one of my friends boldly picked DeMeco Ryans to win the 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year and he was correct.

I have decided this season to up the ante. Instead of simply putting my picks for the 2008 season down on paper, I have decided to make them available for the entire world to see. (If you are confident enough to do the same, please post them in the comments section. You don’t have to pick everything, just the categories that you feel comfortable putting your name and reputation on.)

I hope everyone enjoyed the series of posts ranking various NFL positions and units. I had a lot of fun doing it and the feedback and comments I received were awesome. They were all leading up to this moment. My friends and I pick EVERYTHING including team standings and rankings, individual awards and rankings, and we even make a BOLD PREDICTION about the upcoming season.

IT IS NOW TIME TO MAKE MY 2008 NFL PICKS!!!! Sit back, enjoy, and get your comments ready.

****NOTE****
These picks were very difficult to make because they were made according to what I think will happen and not what I hope will happen. I tried very hard not to let emotions or “fandom” interfere with my thinking while making these picks.

MY 2008 NFL PICKS ARE A FOLLOWS….

DIVISIONAL STANDINGS:
NFC SOUTH
1. Saints
2. Buccaneers
3. Panthers
4. Falcons

NFC EAST
1. Cowboys
2. Eagles
3. Redskins
4. Giants

NFC NORTH
1. Vikings
2. Packers
3. Lions
4. Bears

NFC WEST
1. Cardinals
2. Seahawks
3. Rams
4. 49er’s

AFC SOUTH
1. Colts
2. Jaguars
3. Texans
4. Titans

AFC EAST
1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Jets
4. Dolphins

AFC NORTH
1. Browns
2. Bengals
3. Steelers
4. Ravens

AFC WEST
1. Chargers
2. Raiders
3. Broncos
4. Chiefs


PLAYOFF TEAMS:
NFC
1. Cowboys
2. Saints
3. Vikings
4. Cardinals
5. Eagles
6. Redskins

NFC Championship Game:
Cowboys v/s Vikings


AFC
1. Colts
2. Chargers
3. Patriots
4. Browns
5. Jaguars
6. Texans

AFC Championship Game:
Colts v/s Patriots

Super Bowl:
Colts v/s Cowboys

Super Bowl Champion:
Colts


TEAM RANKINGS:
#1 Offense (Highest Scoring):
Colts

#32 Offense (Lowest Scoring):
Chiefs

#1 Defense (Fewest Points Allowed):
Vikings

#32 Defense (Most Points Allowed):
Rams

Most Special Teams Touchdowns:
Bears

Best Regular Season Record:
Colts

Worst Regular Season Record:
Falcons


INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
MVP:
Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year:
Peyton Manning

Defensive Player of the Year:
DeMarcus Ware

Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Darren McFadden

Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Curtis Lofton

Coach of the Year:
Brad Childress


INDIVIDUAL LEADERS:
Passing Yards:
Carson Palmer

Passing TD’s:
Peyton Manning

Rushing Yards:
Adrian Peterson

Rushing TD’s:
LaDanien Tomlinson

Receiving Yards:
Chad Johnson

Receiving TD’s:
Randy Moss

Sacks:
DeMarcus Ware

Interceptions:
Antonio Cromartie

Tackles:
Patrick Willis

Defensive TD’s:
Antonio Cromartie

BOLD PREDICTIONS:
1. Marion Barber and Felix Jones of the Dallas Cowboys will both rush for at least 1,000 yards this season.
2. Brett Favre will throw more interceptions than touchdowns.

These picks are just one man’s opinions and predictions about the upcoming NFL season. I know that many of you will disagree with many of my picks. If you do, please comment and let me know. There is only one condition, if you disagree with one of my picks you must tell me who you would pick in their place and why. Also, if you have any questions about why I have picked a certain team or player in a particular place, simply ask me in your comment and I will reply with my reason. I look forward to hearing from you.

****NOTE****
We are now only 11 days away from the season opening kickoff. Get your popcorn ready. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

FIRST WE’VE GOT TO STOP THE RUN

The title of this entry has to be the most overused “coach-speak” phrase in the history of football. Every time a coach is asked what he has to do to win the upcoming game, the answer is always, “First, we’ve got to stop the run.” Although it is a safe and generic answer to the question, I don’t think that the coaches are always being honest. For instance, when facing the Patriots last year, do you think that any coach went into the game focused on stopping Laurence Maroney and forcing Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker to beat them? Another example would be the Miami Dolphins of last season. If opposing coaches were totally honest, they would say that their first priority in game planning for the Dolphins was to convince their players to stay awake during the game. I also don’t think that any team has ever went into a game against the Colts saying that they are willing to let Peyton Manning have a big day, as long as Joseph Addai is held in check. Although this cliché isn’t always used appropriately, it remains true that a team that can run the ball and stop the run often has a good chance of being successful.

I must admit, compiling these rankings was quite the task. I first struggled with the decision of ranking tandems or projected starters. After several conversations with members of my “inner-circle,” I decided to keep the rankings to projected starters. Then I was faced with the task of actually ranking the players. Ranking the running backs proved to be a much more difficult task than ranking the quarterbacks. Because running backs have proven to be so easy to find at the NFL level, it is rare that a team sticks with one very long if they feel as though he is not effective. Therefore the players on the bottom portion of the list were not very easy to rank. While compiling these rankings, I also discovered that there is a thin line that separates bad, average, and good NFL running backs. This fact made the middle portion difficult to rank. With all of that said, I decided to take a crack at it anyway. I did not rank these players according to their 2007 season or how I think they will do in 2008. I simply asked myself, “If I were starting a team today, who would I want my QB handing the ball off to?”

Without further ado, my rankings are as follows….

1. LaDanian Tomlinson (Chargers) – He is hands down the best in the game right now. He can run past, around, or simply through defenders effortlessly. He also catches the ball extremely well coming out of the backfield and when split out wide. Just to show off, he also throws touchdown passes from time to time. He is a complete back that currently has no equal. He will definitely break Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record if he decides to play long enough and stays healthy (he is less than 8,000 yards away).

2. Adrian Peterson (Vikings) – WOW!!!! that’s all I have to say about him. IF HE STAYS HEALTHY (which is a big if, because he has proven to be injury prone), HE WILL BREAK THE CAREER RUSHING RECORD that Tomlinson sets. The best comparison for him is (don’t get upset when I say this) Jim Brown, which is extremely high praise.

3. Steven Jackson (Rams) – This guy is an absolute beast. I would be afraid to tackle him, as most defenders are. He simply runs through would-be tacklers and then puts on the after-burners. No man that big should be that fast. He is a home-run threat from anywhere on the field.

4. Brian Westbrook (Eagles) – This is Marshall Faulk 2.0 or the player that Saints fans dream that Reggie Bush will become. He is the ultimate weapon. He is equally a good receiver as he is a runner, which is needed because the Eagles receiving corps would be better if it consisted of Pharaoh Goolsby, Northside Marty, and Scott (no offense to my loyal readers). He is good for 2,000 to 2,500 combined rushing and receiving yards each season. He is also a great return man if needed. There aren’t many backs in the history of the NFL who are that versatile. I can only think of two, Marshall Faulk and Gail Sayers.

5. Joseph Addai (Colts) – Having him this high may raise a few eyebrows, but he is really this good. Some may say that he is never the focal point of defenses because of the Colts passing attack. That is true, but he is an integral part of that passing attack and still gains over 1,000 yards on limited carries. He is also a touchdown machine when called upon in the red zone.

6. Darren McFadden (Raiders) – I know that he is just a rookie and has not played an NFL down, but he is already a top ten NFL running back. If you don’t believe me, simply look at Adrian Peterson’s season from a year ago. They are the same player. They both have Jamal Lewis type power with Devin Hester type speed (although they are not quite as fast as Hester). His rookie season will mirror that of Peterson’s, and he will be unstoppable. He is so good that even the inept Oakland Raiders can’t mess up his career.

7. Marion Barber (Cowboys) – He is known as “Marion the Barbarian” for a reason. To quote the one hit wonder rapper – Bone Crusher, “HE AIN’T NEVER SCARED!!!!” This guy runs with reckless abandon. To get an idea of his running style, picture Shaun Alexander and then THINK THE EXACT OPPOSITE. He never runs out of bounds as Alexander often did (by the way that scrub is out of the league now). What I like about him more than anything else is the fact that he makes defenders pay for trying to tackle him. They often feel more pain from the hit than he does. Another cool thing about him is that he does not stiff-arm defenders, instead he simply slaps or punches them in the helmet. That move is more effective than the stiff-arm and way cooler. Because of his reckless running style, it is imperative that he has a quality backup, which he does in Felix Jones. They also have Tarshard Choice in the mix, so the Barbarian can be as reckless as he wants to be.

8. Clinton Portis (Redskins) – Don’t let the loud, flashy, pimp-style clothing fool you. Mr. Portis is a monster. He is one of my favorite personalities (if you haven’t seen the costumes that he wears when meeting with the media, check out the video below) and running backs in the NFL. He is good for between 1,200 and 1,500 hundred yards each season, no matter who he is playing for or how bad or inconsistent their passing game is. He has game breaking speed and has also bulked up. He can run between the tackles or get to the corner. Simply put, he is the truth.



9. Edgerrin James (Cardinals) – Some people forget how good this guy is since he has moved on from Indy to Arizona. Just keep in mind that he has topped 1,000 yards each year in Arizona, behind quite possibly one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. He is the model of consistency. The past two years he has had to break three tackles just to get to the line of scrimmage, but that hasn’t stopped him. He is still one of the top backs in the league.

10. Jamal Lewis (Browns) – Do you want to try to tackle him in the open field? I didn’t think so.

11. Laurence Maroney (Patriots) – He was Marion Barber’s backfield mate in college (at the University of Minnesota) and is almost just as good. He is an excellent runner who fully takes advantage of the fact that defenders are often pre-occupied by Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

12. Michael Turner (Falcons) – I know, I know, he has never been a starter and he is on a terrible team and running behind a terrible offensive line. That may all be true, but he will be one of the few bright spots for the Atlanta Falcons this season. He will be a consistent Pro Bowler soon. He has all of the tools to be great and he learned watching the best (LaDanian Tomlinson). Although the Falcons will be terrible this year, keep an eye on Turner and Jerious Norwood, because they will be one of the best running back tandems in the league, especially after they get some capable offensive linemen.

13. Willie Parker (Steelers) – Great speed, but needs to learn to run better between the tackles to reach his full potential. If he ever figures out, the league had better watch out.

14. Fred Taylor (Jaguars) – If it weren’t for injuries over the course of his career, Taylor would be one of the all-time greats. He is a smart player who makes the game look easy. He simply always knows where the hole is. It is also great that he has a stud backup in the human bowling ball, Maurice Jones-Drew. Taylor is still a very good back, even at this stage of his career.

15. Ryan Grant (Packers) – You saw him during the second half of last season and in the playoffs. Although it took Green Bay a while to give him a shot as a starter, he took full advantage of his opportunity (they just gave him more STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!). He has also proven that he can run in all types of weather conditions, which is important during the second half of the season, especially in Green Bay.

16. Marshawn Lynch (Bills) – A complete back that is often overlooked because he plays in Buffalo. Watch him closely this year, you will be in for a treat.

17. Deuce McAllister (Saints) – Although he has an injury history, when healthy he is a great power back. I would definitely want him on my team. He is the perfect complement to Reggie Bush. A back like Deuce, allows Reggie Bush to do the many multitude of things that he does. He is a no non-sense back that is a straight-ahead runner and is tough to bring down.

18. Larry Johnson (Chiefs) – Some people think that he should be higher and that he is definitely a top ten and possibly a top five back, but those people are wrong. LJ is not as good as people have told him is. He is simply a compiler. He reminds me of Jamal Anderson (the former “Dirty Bird”), because he simply gets a lot of yards because he gets a lot of carries. Any NFL back can go over 1,500 yards if he carries the ball over 400 times per season. There is just nothing special about his talent, although I will give him credit for his toughness and durability. He simply gets the ball and runs forward until someone tackles him. Then gets up and does it 40 more times each game.

19. Willis McGahee (Ravens) – At one point I thought that I saw flashes of greatness from him. Apparently I was wrong. Although he isn’t what I thought he would be, he is still a good solid back.

20. Rudi Johnson (Bengals) – Although he is good, he should be better. I mean he plays on a team with “The Prototype” at quarterback and “Ocho-Cinco” & “TJ Whosyomomma” at wide receiver. Does anyone go into a game against the Bengals focused on stopping the run? I don’t think so. He should absolutely dominate, but he doesn’t.

21. Frank Gore (49er’s) – It’s funny to me, that he is mentioned as an elite running back by some of the so-called “experts”. I honestly don’t know what they see that I am missing. I must be missing something, because in my eyes he is simply average and nothing more.

22. Thomas Jones (Jets) – He is a solid NFL running back, who is only as good as his line. He is one of those backs that gets three yards on plays that are designed to get three yards and four yards on plays designed to get four yards. He always has been and always will be as good as his offensive line. He is not a game breaker, but is a solid player.

23. Brandon Jacobs (Giants) – He is a poor man’s Jamal Lewis, but not as good. (Shout out to Tiki Barber, I bet you didn’t think that they could do it without you.)

24. Cadillac Williams (Buccaneers) – This guy should be suing John Gruden and the Buccaneers for overuse. When he is healthy, he is an absolute menace in the mold of Clinton Portis. I would have definitely had him higher on this list if I had faith that he could finish a season. The amount of carries that he gets has to violate some type of child-labor laws, and have probably led to his many injuries. Although it is a total coincidence, look who is next in my rankings. It looks like he is still ahead of Ronnie Brown, just like their days at Auburn. I guess some things never change.

25. Ronnie Brown (Dolphins) – Can you believe that this guy was the # 2 PICK IN THE NFL DRAFT? I said it on draft day and I will say it now. THAT WAS A STUPID PICK! It was almost as bad as Alex Smith going #1. He absolutely sucked his first couple of years in the league. He was playing like a sixth round draft pick although he was the second overall pick in the draft. Unfortunately for him, when he finally began to play like an early third round pick last season he got injured. The first couple of games of last season were a total aberration, and no one should expect much from him during the rest of his career. Look for the ever-dependable and always sober Ricky Williams to be the full-time starter by the middle of the season.

26. Kevin Smith (Lions) – All he did in college was gain yards. I don’t expect anything different from him in the NFL. He will share the load with Tatum Bell, which should make for a pretty decent tandem. Also, he won’t get much attention from opposing defenses because of the two amazing receivers that he will be sharing the field with.

27. DeAngelo Williams (Panthers) – The epitome of average. He simply is what is he is. He will be sharing carries with rookie Jonathan Stewart, which will be a good thing for the Panthers and possibly a bad thing for Williams.

28. Julius Jones (Seahawks) – He along with TJ Duckett were signed to replace Shaun Alexander. I am guessing that the Seahawks thought that the two of them would add up to one capable running game. I don’t know what type of math they’re doing, but where I’m from, 1 under-achieving running back + 1 under-achieving running back = 2 under-achieving running backs. Not a capable running game.

29. Matt Forte (Bears) – I really hope that this guy survives the season. Due to the fact that he will have either Dumb or Dumber at quarterback (Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton), defenses will be keying on him all season.

30. LenDale White (Titans) – I simply don’t trust him. He strikes me as the type of person who wants to be a professional athlete simply for the STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! He doesn’t seem to always take the game seriously and is often out of shape. He also doesn’t possess the killer-instinct or fearless attitude that I like to see in a running back.

31. Ahman Green (Texans) – In his day, he was really good, but his day is clearly gone. At this point he is simply collecting checks and that is not the type of back that I want on my team.

32. Selvin Young (Broncos) – He will probably have some success because he is a running back playing in Denver. He is ranked this low simply because I have not seen anything from him in college or in the NFL to rank him any higher. With all of that being said, don’t be surprised if he is the latest of the Denver 1,000 yard rushers. There is a good chance that he can become a good running back, but there is an equally good chance that he could totally suck. I guess we will have to wait and see.

As with my quarterback rankings, these players were ranked without researching any stats. I simply listed them in the order in which I would want them on my team today. If anyone disagrees with where their favorite player or any other player is ranked, please comment and let me know.

****NOTE****
WE ARE NOW 32 DAYS AWAY FROM KICKOFF. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!