MCNABB TO THE SEAHAWKS?

I’m surprised no one is talking about this one yet but it seems like it could be a very good possibility. Donovan McNabb clearly needs a fresh start and its all but set in stone that McNabb will be released before the season starts. I’m not saying this is the right move for the Redskins, who clearly have no real backup plan without McNabb, but it is going to happen nonetheless. If he is released, he will not consider any team that is not a playoff contender and most likely will not ask for a ton of money to be signed.

Despite being a 7-9 team last year, the Seahawks were able to make a playoff run, benefiting from playing in the worst division in the NFL. The Seahawks have already said that their number one priority in free agency is to bring back Matt Hasselbeck, but they have already offered him a contract that he turned down and it does not look like the Seahawks are going to raise that offer significantly. I see Hasselbeck getting a large 2-3 year contract from a different team and the Seahawks not matching the offer. There is also talk of the Seahawks bringing in Matt Leinart and reuniting him with Pete Carroll, who he went an unbelievable 37-2 with at USC. I know Carroll has been all about trying to help jump-start the careers of his old USC players (see Mike Williams and LenDale White), but why would he take a risk on a player like Leinart who has yet to have any success in the NFL when he could take a low cost risk on a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback who is at the end of his career and hungry for another shot at the Super Bowl? 

TOP RUNNING BACKS OF 2011: 10-1

Here's the top 10 running backs that I would want leading my team. Every guy on this list is an incredible talent.

10. Jamaal Charles: Like most NFL fans, especially fantasy football fans, I was extremely confused about the limited amount of carries Charles got last season. I love Thomas Jones, but he is at the end of his career and should not have led the team in carries. Jones averaged 3.7 yards per carry while Charles averaged an unbelievable 6.4 yards per carry. It does not take a math wiz to figure out who should have been starting out of those two. Charles is also a great receiver out of the backfield. He has the potential to be as good as Chris Johnson.

9. Frank Gore: Injuries have really slowed him down, but he is an absolute beast and deserves to be in the top 10. He does not have elite speed, but he is a tough runner and an amazing pass blocker. Every year he is one of the 49ers top receivers on top of tallying up four 1000 yard rushing seasons despite all of his injuries. He has been playing with just awful quarterbacks and has still produced at a very high level.

8. Steven Jackson: Jackson is probably the most underrated running back in the NFL. He is a bigger back, yet catches the ball like a receiver, which is extremely rare. He had one amazing season in 2006, but has not had the supporting cast in St. Louis for him to repeat those numbers. I really hope he has at least another 2-3 years of elite play left in him because Sam Bradford is the quarterback the Rams have been looking for to take pressure off of Jackson. Jackson has been the Rams’ entire offense for years and it will be fun to watch him run with some help on offense.

7. Michael Turner: Turner is one of the biggest starting running backs in the NFL and yet he is still one of the fastest. The guy is almost impossible to bring down and if he gets into the secondary, there are few defensive backs in the league that can even slow him down. Only reason he is not higher on the list is because of his ineffectiveness on passing downs and some injury concerns.

6. Peyton Hillis: There is no way this guy is going to be a one year wonder. He has some problems with fumbling, which is apparently caused by having enormous biceps. That’s a problem that most players would love to have. He started the season as a fullback and ended up on the cover of Madden 2012. That’s a much more impressive story than Michael Vick’s comeback. Unless his injury problems come back, I don’t see him slowing down at all in 2011. He was the only reason the Browns were able to generate any sort of offense last season. He benefits from running behind a great offensive line, but he broke more tackles than anyone else in the NFL last season. On top of that, he had a staggering 61 catches, which was second on the team. He has only showed the tip of his potential and I think he’s going to have an incredible career.

TOP RUNNING BACKS OF 2011: 20-11

NEW FORMAT: Counting down. Hopefully this help builds some suspense for you guys!

20. Pierre Thomas: Thomas is one of the most unappreciated running backs in the NFL. His recent slue of injuries is concerning, but the guy has produced at a very high level every time he has been on the field. He looks like the player that should have been taken second overall, while Reggie Bush looks like the guy who went undrafted (in case you didn’t follow that, the exactly opposite is true).

19. Marshawn Lynch: After pulling off one of the best runs in a playoff game of all time, Lynch has catapulted himself back into the minds of NFL fans and personnel. He has a ton of potential to be an every down back, but he needs to keep focused on playing football in order to get back to playing at the Pro Bowl level (Lynch went to the Pro Bowl in 2008 with the Bills).

18. DeAngelo Williams: Why this guy is ranked in the top 15 on NFL.com makes no sense to me. He has a ton of potential, but he simply cannot stay healthy. He put up crazy numbers at the end of the 2008 season, but he has been inconsistent at best since. Once he and Jonathan Stewart went down with injuries, no name running backs Mike Goodson and Tyrell Sutton playing better than both of them behind a great offensive line. Williams need a new start out of Carolina and maybe he can find some of his old magic and stay healthy.

17. LeGarrette Blount: It is not often to hear this said, but the Bucs would have won about half as many games last season if it were not for this undrafted rookie. The Bucs have been looking for a solid, durable running back since Cadillac Williams first injury years ago. Blount ran for over 1000 yards in just seven starts. He does not have potential on third downs, but he is still a beast between the tackles. He lacks top end speed because of his size, but he has rare quickness and agility that makes him explosive. He runs a lot like Brandon Jacobs in his prime.

16. Cedric Benson: After being a huge disappointment in Chicago, Benson has put together a solid resume. He surprisingly puts up his biggest numbers against the better run defenses in the NFL. He is an underrated pass catcher, but his main skill is pounding the ball up the middle and tiring out defenses. The Bengals HAVE to retain him once free agency begins if they have any hope of Andy Dalton progressing in his rookie season.

TOP RUNNING BACKS OF 2011: 21-30

 Sorry it looks like I’m just copying NFL.com’s articles, but after doing my top quarterbacks of 2011 (http://tinyurl.com/3cdav45), I saw NFL.com’s top running backs in the NFL (http://tinyurl.com/3j26ylq) and I was shocked that both Frank Gore and Peyton Hillis were out of the top ten. Because of this, I simply had to write this up because I could not disagree more with their rankings. Here are my top 30 guys that I would want running the ball for my team in 2011, starting with 21-30.

21. Jonathan Stewart: Like most of the players on the Panthers roster, Stewart had a simply awful 2010 season. After scoring 10 rushing touch downs in each of his first two seasons, he only score 2 and ran for just 770 yards, the lowest of his career. However, he is still only 24 years old and it does not look like the Panthers are going to bring back DeAngelo Williams, so he should be taking over that top spot on the depth chart. With Cam Newton likely starting at quarterback next season, Stewart could be running the ball well over 300 times next season. If he can stay healthy, which is a big if, look for him to prove that he can carry an offense on his back.

22. Jahvid Best: In the first two games of 2010, Best showed the world why the Lions traded up to get him in the first round. However, after just those two games, he showed people why a lot of teams had him as a second round player at best (no pun intended). He has some serious durability concerns because of his small size. If he can avoid injuries, or at least play through some injuries with more success, he can be one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL.

23. Fred Jackson: What Jackson has been able to do for the Bills should not be over looked. He has averaged almost 1000 yards rushing and 40 catches over the last two seasons and made Marshawn Lynch expendable. He did all of this on one of the worst teams in the NFL that has had the worst offensive line in football for at least the last two years. And he has averaged well over 4 yards a carry, which is extremely impressive considering they have had one of the worst passing games in the NFL over that time period. He’s already 30 years old so he won’t be getting any better, but he still has plenty left to offer for at least another year or two.

24. Knowshon Moreno: Moreno’s first two seasons with the Broncos have been a disappointment after being selected 12^th overall in the 2009 draft. However, he has shown flashes of potential. If he can remain healthy, he might be able to solidify himself as the every down back the Broncos thought they were drafting.

25. Mark Ingram: If it were not for the questions about his knee, Ingram would be much higher on this list. I don’t care what people say about his timed speed and all the rest of that, he is an every down back. He did not catch the ball much in college, but he has underrated hands and is great in pass protection. I see Ingram being the difference maker in two or three games next season that help the Saints win their division once again. 

The Onion's take on Madden

http://tinyurl.com/3o9gv9z


This is a hysterical article sent to me by the man, JT Stally. Follow his blog at http://jtstally.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter @JTStally. 

Top 30 Quarterbacks for 2011: 1-10

1. Tom Brady: I hate the guy but I still think he is probably the best quarterback to ever play the game. He has benefited from great coaching during his time, but before Randy Moss got to town, Brady had no one to throw to and still won three Super Bowls. His skills do not seem to be diminishing since he was the MVP of the league last season without Randy Moss.

2. Peyton Manning: His continued lack of success in the playoffs is really the only reason he is not number one on this list. I don’t care what people say, Manning has always had talent around him and he simply does not play his best football at the end of the season. Does not matter how many regular season games he wins, if he doesn’t improve his playoff record, he cannot be thought of one of the greats to play the game.

3. Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers has had probably the best first three years as a starting quarterback of anyone to ever play the game. He was the first quarterback ever to start his career with two 4000 yard seasons, and in his third season he won the Super Bowl with a team that had 15 players on the IR. He has the potential to be one of the best, if not the best, quarterback to ever grace the NFL with his presence.

4. Drew Brees: The only reason Brees is below Rodgers is because Rodgers is much more mobile and Bree’s height limits the type of things he can do in the pocket, making him easier to game plan around. Brees in an unbelievable player and winning a Super Bowl for the Saints after Katrina will always be one of the greatest stories in NFL history.

5. Phillip Rivers: I have never seen a player with better deep throw accuracy. I can remember on numerous occasions watching him fit the ball right between three defenders to one of his tall receivers. Last season he was helping undrafted rookie receivers put up over 100 yards on opposing teams. This guy can throw the ball with the best and if he has some more success in the playoffs, he will be moving up this list.

Top 30 Quarterbacks for 2011: 11-20

11. Josh Freeman: Freeman has displayed an unbelievable amount of poise for such a young quarterback with just two years under his belt. I know he had an easy schedule last season, but the success he had leading the youngest team in the NFL to 10 wins cannot be overlooked. His potential is sky high and the Bucs might have found their first true franchise quarterback.

12. Matt Schaub: I know his numbers are helped by the fact that he gets to throw to the best receiver in the NFL, but there is no questioning this guy’s talents. He has a great arm with above average accuracy. Despite getting older, he is still very mobile in the pocket and throws well on the run. He was well worth the first round pick the Texans gave to the Falcons all those years ago.

13. Matt Cassel: Last year was Cassel’s coming out party as an elite quarterback. The Chiefs have probably the worst receiving corps in the NFL and started a rookie tight end last season, yet Cassel put up career numbers. I was not a believer in Cassel being a top notch quarterback until last season, in which he threw 27 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. The only player with a better TD-INT ratio last season was the guy he used to backup in New England, Tom Brady. On top of all of this, he is dangerous as a runner and his size (6’4 230lbs) makes him very hard to bring down.

14. Matt Ryan: I’m sure most of you are surprised to see Matt Ryan all the way down here, but I have him down here because I am not sold on him being able to carry a team. Michael Turner is one of the best running backs in the NFL and makes life a lot easier for his quarterback. He has also had one of the best receivers in the NFL, Roddy White, and the best tight end to ever play the game, Tony Gonzalez. Ryan was amazing during his rookie season, but he has not really improved that much since then. Ryan is at his best when the game is on the line, but he has to play much more consistently, especially in the playoffs, in order to move higher up this list.

15. Joe Flacco: I almost put Flacco above Matt Ryan because of his massive improvements over the last few seasons, but I ultimately put him here because of his inconsistent play. The entire second half of their playoff loss to the Steelers, the Flacco lead Ravens’ offense put up 28 yards. I’m sure the Steelers had at least one play that went for more than 28 yards. That’s unacceptable and that is what ultimately got Jim Zorn fired as their quarterback coach. Flacco is still developing and if they can find a decent speed receiver to go with all their possession guys, he could take it to the next level in 2011.