SB Nation - Buster Davis

State of the AFC West

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:57:09 -0000

Hello Bolts From The Bluers. Most of you know me as " 'tec". Now, apparently, I have a real name that appears next to my previous anonymous user-name. Incidentally, good news everyone!

I had the idea to do a weekly write-up on the state of our conference. For those that don't know, the Chargers play in the AFC West. This division consists of the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos. What I will be doing is updating everyone on the status of the division: standings, notable good and bad performances, significant injuries, upcoming match-ups, etc. I'm just going to give it a go the first time around; everyone should add suggestions in the comment field below to make this better since site is for the fans!

Catch the rest AFTER THE JUMP!

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	0	133	66
San Diego	3	3	161	143
Oakland	2	5	62	177
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 10.27.2009 at 1:30 AM PDT)

As we all painfully know, Denver is leading the division at 6-0 while the Chargers are trailing behind in second at 3-3, which is 3 games back. With 10 games to go, and both teams done with their bye, there is still significant time left for the Chargers to catchup. Of course, we all know that we came back from 3 games down with 3 games to go last season, so anything is possible. Oakland is only 4 games back and Kansas City is only 5 games back, but nobody expects them to make any noise in the division. (Sorry AP don't ban me).

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos were on a bye this week so there isn't much to say except that, if it is even possible, they got even healthier. The Broncos currently have no players on the injury report for their upcoming game against the Ravens. The only downside to their bye is that their schedule get's much tougher from here on out. 5 of their next 7 games are against tough opponents: @Baltimore, vs. Steelers, @Washigton, vs. San Diego, vs. New York, @KC, and @Indianapolis. That is a tough schedule for any team to play, regardless of how well they are playing. It will be tough to get out of that stretch with a winning record and a healthy roster. The Chargers, on the other hand, have a much easier schedule. Here is a look at the Broncos' injury report.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Another team's recent exploits that Charger fans are familiar with is the Kansas City Chiefs. As we saw, the Chiefs aren't doing anything well. Things aren't clicking on offense or defense. Matt Cassel isn't panning out so far to what the Chiefs had hoped; the argument could be made that the players around him aren't very good, but his play isn't helping matters. It appears as if he is the "system QB" that everyone thought he was, surrounded by excellent players. Only time will tell. The running game, with Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson, isn't doing much either. Add in the "twittergate" message from Johnson criticizing his coach, who knows how much longer he'll be around. This is compounded by injuries to the offensive line. The Chiefs only scored once on Sunday, to WR Dwayne Bowe, the only bright spot on the team it seems. Center Rudy Niswanger was injured during our game last Sunday and looks to be out for week 9. Left tackle Branden Albert had to sit out the game against the Chargers as well. The good thing is, the Chiefs are on a bye this week, so they will have time to rest and heal up. The bad news is, they still have 9 games to play.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	10/26/2009
Jarrad Page	shoulder	10/26/2009
Branden Albert	ankle	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The losers of 11 or more games over the past 6 seasons look like they will continue that streak. The Raiders can look decent one game and then look like absolute crap the next. Their game on Sunday represented one of the later. The Raiders got pasted 38-0 playing at home against the New York Jets in a game that was blacked out because they failed to sell out the game. Raiders fans are usually pretty loyal, so it says a lot that the Raiders are so bad that even Raider fans can't watch them. Most of this has to do with the horrific play of former first round draft pick Jamarcus Russell. In fact, he played so poorly in the first half of the game (2 INTs and a lost fumble), he was benched and replaced by journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. Speaking of first round picks, brilliant selection Darrius Heyward-Bey continued his ho-hum season with 2 catches for 28 yards. It isn't pretty on the defensive side of the ball either; the Raiders gave up 447 yards of offense including a whopping 316 yards on the ground. Chaz Schilens, a SDSU product WR whom the Raiders had high hopes for, has been sidelined the whole season, while other injuries to the offensive line have weakened the run offense. However, the Raiders problems run much deeper than injuries, as it is painfully obvious to everyone in the NFL except for a few lone stragglers.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	10/26/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	10/26/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

I don't need to rehash anything about the Chargers so I will focus on our next division match-up which is of course the Oakland Raiders, this Sunday, at Qualcomm stadium. Of the aforementioned games where the Raiders looked decent, the Chargers game on MNF to open the season was one of them. The Raiders played us tough on both sides of the ball which resulted in numerous Charger injuries and a close call in Oakland. Fortunately, I don't think our 13th straight win over the Raiders will be as tough as the 12th. For one, the Raiders always play us tough at home and struggle at Qualcomm. Second, LT and Sproles are both healthy and the Raiders run defense is struggling mightily. The Chargers are going to continue to use the run game, especially since the Raiders have a decent secondary. Third, I don't think the Raiders will play with the same intensity they did the first time around. This team has been beaten down all season, gotten pushed around at home and on the road, and are coming off the Jets game in which they scored zero points and their starting QB was benched. Additionally, the Charger pass rush and defensive line play has looked much improved over the last two games. Raiders coach Tom Cable has said that Jamarcus Russell will start on Sunday; he is terribly inaccurate with all day in the pocket, if the Chargers put pressure on him I expect a game similar to the one Matt Cassel managed against us last Sunday. For the first time in awhile, the Chargers are mostly healthy except for All-Pro center Nick Hardwick, who is expected back in December.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	10/27/2009
Buster Davis	other-illness	10/26/2009
Vaughn Martin	hamstring	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Texans Sign Tutan Reyes & Darnell Bing

Mike Kerns — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:08:51 -0000

In a move to provide depth to a quickly diminishing position, Houston signed Tutan Reyes to their active roster yesterday. Darnell Bing was also signed to the practice squad after Buster Davis was released yet again.

Reyes, a 31 year old, 6-foot-3, 310-pound 10th-year pro, has played in the league for seven different teams since being drafted by New Orleans in 2000 out of Ole Miss. He isn't expected to start, but could easily step in if asked to. Rookie Antoine Caldwell and veteran Chris White are expected to battle for the vacancy left by the injuy to Mike Brisiel.

"Some of the terminology is pretty similar to what I've seen in the past in the league," Reyes said. "I'll learn the offense, get in there and provide depth. If they need me to step in there and play, that's what I'm here for."

Darnell Bing was a first-team All-American safety at USC in 2005. He moved to outside linebacker after being drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round in 2006. Bing played in four games with the Detroit Lions earlier this season, recording four special teams tackles and a fumble recovery, and was released on Oct. 6.

Who Is The Odd Man Out?

Jake — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:23:02 -0000

More photos » by James Nielsen - AP

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The Houston Texans front office had a busy day on Sunday. First the team welcomed back disgruntled corner back Dunta Robinson. Despite the frustration of not having your starting CB in camp, Gary Kubiak went beyond the usually coach cliche speak and seemed to be genuinely happy to have him back. Dunta himself stressed continually that there are no hard feelings between himself and Rick Smith because "it's just business." Neither Kubiak nor Dunta were certain that he would be able to play against the Jets this coming Sunday.

Also, the Texans signed eight players to their practice squad; Buster Davis (LB), Arian Foster (RB), Brett Helms (C), TIm Jamison (DE), Darnell Jenkins (WR), Jesse Nading (DE), Mark Parson (CB) and Adam Stenavich (OT). I personally am happy that we kept Foster and Jamison, both of whom I was worried might get scooped up by another team..

The one move that I am most curious about, though, is the one that hasn't been made yet. Dunta's presence brings our roster to 54 players, and as of yesterday it is supposed to be done to 53. The last transaction listed on the Texans website is the signing of Robinson. I'm sure that a cut has been made or will be made before the day is out, but I'm just curious as to who it will be. bfd thinks that Nick Fergusun might get the axe, and that Glover Quin will be switch to the safety position. What's your guess?

Final Cuts: Down To 53

Jake — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:38:25 -0000

Here are the 20 cuts and 2 injury waivers that did not make the final 53 man roster:

- Alex Brink: QB

- Arian Foster: RB

- Jonathan Evans: FB

- Clark Harris: TE

- Darnell Jenkins: WR

- Mark Simmons: WR

- Brett Helms: C

- Adrian Jones: G

- Adam Stenavich: OT

- Brandon Torrey: OT

- Cliff Washburn: OT

- Josh Leonard: DT

- Tim Jamison: DE

- Jesse Nading: DE

- Khary Campbell: LB

- Buster Davis: LB

- Toddrick Verdell: LB (Injury Waiver)

- A.J. Davis: CB (Injury Waiver)

- Deltha O'Neal: CB

- Mark Parson: CB

- Matterral Richardson: CB

- Brandon Harrison: FS

To me, the most surprising cuts are Arian Foster and Brandon Harrison. I know that John Busing has had a good preseason, but I still had a sneaking suspicion that Harrison would win that spot. Also, even though Moats has shown more this training camp, Arian Foster showed more upside, which I thought would win him a spot especially given his similarity to the oft injured Chris Brown. Lastly, I'm a little surprised that Chaun Thompson beat out Buster Davis, although I think tht is of little consequence either way.

What do you think of the final roster, BRB?

Decision Day: 53-Man Roster Speculation

bigfatdrunk — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:13:47 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

3 months ago: Houston Texans' David Anderson (89) congratulates James Casey (86) after Casey's 11-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Rex Grossman during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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With cuts due by 3pm CDT (I believe, please correct me if I'm wrong), I wanted to pontifibate one last time on the 53-man roster. It's not going to be much different than my first take.

As a refresher, here's the composition of the Texans original 53-man roster last year:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

Again, there's substantial reason to believe the roster will be similarly composed. So here goes:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Arian Foster (over Ryan Moats)
1 FB: Vonta Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis, Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Again, that leaves us with 52 of the 53 spots. I think it's going to come down to:

Rex Grossman: He'll be tough to cut after last night's performance.
Glenn Martinez: Was a fiend on special teams all preseason.
Joel Dreessen: Your basic, but very good, utility TE.

After Anthony Hill's performance last night, I believe Dreessen takes the last spot. While Casey needs some time to mature into the position, Hill is definitely not ready. Dreessen will be the steady hand.

As far as Grossman, I believe there's a chance he still makes the team over Jeff Zgonina. Kubiak hasn't shown any indication he's going to take three QBs, and after last night's game, he seemed pretty non-committal about keeping Rex. Personally, I don't believe Rex makes the team.

I'll be out of town when the cuts are made, but I'll be back this afternoon.

bfd's First Take at the 53-Man Roster

bigfatdrunk — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:31:53 -0000

Great discussion last week on the possible composition of the 53-man roster started by Texans-Brocos. Here's my take with a little bit of background.

Last year, the Texans' opening roster consisted of:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

I think it's reasonable to believe the 2009 roster will be similarly composed. After last night's game, here's my guess as to how the 53-man is shaping up:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Ryan Moats (depending on his injury)
1 FB: Vonta "Human Coke Machine" Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones (almost by default)
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill (no Joel Dreessen, which is our loss)
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers (depending on his health, obviously)
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina (no Travis Johnson)
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis (depending on Cato June's health), Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden (no Dunta Robinson...just in case)
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Several differences from last year, though nothing crazy. Last year, we carried 6 DEs and 5 DTs, whereas I have us carrying 5 DEs this year. Sadly, I still have us carrying Jeff Zgonina as I just don't see anybody on the roster otherwise. There's the difference in OGs and OTs, and I have us keeping 5 CBs and 4 Ss, where that was swapped last year.

Also, and I doubt you noticed, but I have listed only 52 players for 2009. If Dunta signs, I do believe we'll keep 6 CBs on the roster as I believe the Texans, rightly so, would be afraid to release either McCain or Molden, who are the two I believe to be most on the bubble. I also believe that one of the CBs will be in line for a position change to S.

One guy who really intrigues me is Glenn Martinez, as he was the most "on" last night. He can return punts and kickoffs and looks like an excellent gunner on special teams. As I said in the game thread, he reminds me of Steve Tasker in the way he plays. There's a chance he overtakes Jones, but because we're carrying extra CBs, it'll make it tougher for Martinez to win a job.

What do y'all think?

Colts essentially cut WR Roy Hall, sign several new players

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:58:58 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Roy Hall makes a catch during the NFL football team's minicamp in Indianapolis, Friday, June 5, 2009. Hall was placed on the injured-waived list today. His career in Indy is likely over. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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As the discussion in the FanPost comments suggests, this move was a bit of a surprise for some folks. Roy Hall, a prospect at WR since the Colts drafted him in 2007, has been placed on the injured-waved list. This means that Roy can sign with another team. If he can't sign, he's then placed on the Injured Reserve (IR) list. Either way, his career with the Colts is over. This is now the third straight year Hall's season with the Colts was cut short because of injury. Hell, we still don't even know what his current injury is.

Roy developed as a player, but could never stay healthy to showcase any talent on the field. We wish him the best and hope he can get healthy enough to make a difference in this league. Also released was OG Tom Pestock.

After the roster spots for Hall and Pestock were cleared, the Colts re-activated Samuel Giguere from the PUP list and signed two additional players: Walter Mendenhall (a rookie out of Illinois State and older brother of Steelers back Rashard Mendenhall) and Rudolph Hardie, a DE drafted two years ago from Howard University.

You might remember Rudolph Hardie from our draft profile of him in 2008. We thought the Colts would draft or potentially sign Hardie because he seemed to fit the kind of player the Colts love. We wrote:

Despite these weakness, there is a reason Hardie keeps popping up on people's sleeper draft pick lists: He has the tools to become a very good pass rusher, and team looking for DE depth could find a gem in Hardie. Look for a Cover-2 style team, such as the Colts, Vikes, or Bucs, to draft Hardie.

It's always kind of cool to see a player you thought the team would be interested in eventually sign. We saw the Colts do this with Buster Davis and Rufus Alexander recently. We stated (waaaaay back in the day) that Alexander and Davis were good fits for the Colts. Hopefully, Hardie will find a way to stick around on the Colts roster, unlike Davis and Alexander.

Like Hardie in 2008, Walter Mendenhall is viewed by some as a possible "sleeper" player that went undrafted because he played at a small school:

Older brother to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashad Mendenhall, the Illinois State product is just as big and strong carrying the ball. His game film is outstanding as Walter shows power on the inside, speed in the open field and the ability to slip tackles then create yardage.

Mike Hart has been ruled out for tomorrow night's pre-season game against the Vikings. with Joseph Addai likely not to see much action, and with Donald Brown being a high priced rookie, signing Mendenhall feels more like a "warm body" roster move. However, as we have seen in the past, if you show you can play, the Colts will keep you.

Playoffs?!? You Want To Talk About Playoffs?!? - Part One: AFC

Ken Meringolo — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:15:08 -0000

I do want to talk about playoffs, Jim. The Baseball All-Star break is when I like to make my off-season NFL playoff predictions. Speaking of the mid-summer classic, can we just take a second and take note of the Home Run Derby? Was anyone else bored to tears? One contestant, Nelson Cruz, went 3 hours between swings. Things I could do in that time:

1) Have sex 5,786 times

2) Have 879 meaningful conversations with friends of mine
Me: "Dude."
Friend: "You too, dude."

3) Decide to get serious about dieting and exercise

4) Decide that "Organic" Cookies and Cream ice cream fits into my new dietary outlook

5) Scrap my new healthy outlook in favor of adding hot fudge, brownies and whipped cream to my "Organic" ice cream.

6) Piss off my wife no less than a dozen times
Wife: "What kind of game is this? Is the guy throwing the pitches trying to throw it hard? Why is that big net in front of the pitcher? And what is with all the kids on the field? Can't they get seriously injured? Why is that guy wiping the other guy's sweat off of his head?"
Me: "I'm sorry, did you just ask me a question?"

7) Conceive my 2009 NFL Playoff picture.

Much like the weather in the mid-Atlantic region at this time of year, the art of picking playoff teams in July is hot and sticky (assuming we don't live in Bizarro World where mid-July temps hit highs of 79,80 and 81 degrees.) You have to lean on a couple favorites. You have to lean on a couple head coaches. And you have to pick a couple of surprises. That said, my 2009 NFL Playoff predictions:

Let's start with the AFC. Keep in mind that the only thing more foolish than picking playoff teams right now is picking the order in which they will qualify (i.e. who has home-field advantage). OK, that's a lie...there are plenty of more foolish things and I have engaged in a good number of them, but for the purpose of this article, please treat the six teams from each conference as equal. If it helps, think of each team as a moderately attractive, disease-free girl that--after a few adult beverages--is indistinguishable from the group. You would be happy to take one home and would most likely consider beginning a potentially life-ruining relationship with any of them. We start with the favorites after the jump..

Favorites

Indianapolis: The loss of two coaches this off-season (offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd, click here for an older article talking about it) would be a bigger deal if they weren't going to be around at all. But it is possible/likely that they will assume "consultant" roles, offering a little bit of transition insurance. Besides, Peyton Manning is pretty much the de facto offensive coordinator anyway, right? Who is going to come in there and tell him how to run that offense? The last time I checked they weren't interviewing Steve Spurrier as the new offensive line coach, so they will probably have at least some quality pass protection in the game plan each week. Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez are top-notch wide receivers, and Dallas Clark continues to be a first-class pass-catching tight end. The offensive line continues to be anchored by one of the best centers in the league--Jeff Saturday--and the running back position is as solid as ever with Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown. On defense, they continue to boast a potent pass rush and with Bob Sanders on the field, they have a secondary with some bite.

Pittsburgh: I am not picking this team to win their division (see below), but I am picking them as a favorite to make the playoffs, because they just always seem to get there. I like their coach, Mike Tomlin, because he really seems to get the most out of his team and always appears to be in control of both himself and his sideline. His job is made easier by the presence of some veteran leadership on the field that often becomes the difference (in their favor of course) in close games. The defense plays an intense brand of football, led by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. On offense, one could make the argument that Big Ben is to blame for at least half the times he is sacked, or that he can morph into Brett Favre sometimes and make bad decisions with the ball. But I am a firm believer that the most important stat for NFL quarterbacks is wins. He holds the career record as a starting QB in Pittsburgh franchise history, with a 59-22 record (.728 winning percentage). And he holds the NFL record for most wins as a starting quarterback in the first five seasons (regular season only) with 51 from 2004-2008. Predicting this team will go to the playoffs is like predicting Leonardo DiCaprio will bang a supermodel.

Head Coaches

Tennessee: Jeff Fisher is just about as lock-solid of a coach as there is in the league. He is entering his 14th season as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans franchise, holding the current mantle of longest tenured coach with one team among active coaches. His 120 wins there is a franchise record and his five playoff appearances over the last nine seasons is better than all but five teams in the whole league. With all due respect to the Steelers and Ravens, I think it is Jeff Fisher who molds the toughest team in the league each year. They know who they are (I usually hate it when people say this kind of thing, but this team embraces its identity on offense and defense) and the coach gets the credit for that. He has a keen awareness of what it takes to win, and he is not afraid to make a decision in pursuit of winning--like benching the young but unstable Vince Young in favor of the old and decrepit (yet sober) Kerry Collins, or dealing with the debacle of Pacman Jones. It doesn't hurt that his roster is plenty talented and that he is able to trot out a very special player in Chris Johnson in the backfield. Finally, he rocks a killer 'stache. Respect.

New England: You could argue that this team belongs in the Favorite category, but we might as well face the fact that this team is extremely well-coached (for anyone still in denial.) Bill Belichick has complied a 102-42 record in nine regular seasons. His Patriots teams are 14-3 in the playoffs and 3-1 in the Super Bowl. They only missed the playoffs last year on a tiebreaker, sitting home despite their 11-5 record. I don't see them going back-to-back seasons watching the postseason on TV. Tom Brady is back. Randy Moss and Wes Welker are basically unstoppable and their stable of running backs might be the envy of the league (seriously, read this list: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patrick Pass). I personally like Green-Ellis and Pass a lot and chances are they may not even need them--until the playoffs. Does this remind you of another coach who always seemed to have some fresh legs for the postseason? Does Timmy Smith ring any bells? Belichick could lean on this group of running backs all the way to Miami this year. And the stupid part is that this offense is pretty much going to be based on Tom Brady airing it out to Moss, Welker and Ben Watson. And the rich get richer.

Default

San Diego: I simply can't stomach Norv Turner on TV in late December and January, but someone has to go to the playoffs from the AFC West. And come on...this roster should have gotten 14 wins last season. The Chargers are capable of it again this year. Norv will figure out a way to knock that down to 9 or 10...which will be good enough to win that division me thinks. God do I want to pick Kansas City here. Give Scott Pioli and the Todd Haley/Matt Cassell combo another year and time to grow and this team should be able to make some noise.

This leaves my two surprise teams duking it out for the last spot.

Surprise Contenders

Houston: TheTexans are a trendy pick this off-season I know. And they have let down a lot of prognosticators the last year or two after being picked to climb up from the cellar of the AFC. This year, I am a believer. I like what Gary Kubiak is doing down there on offense. Andre Johnson is probably the best wide receiver in the league, with all respect to Larry Fitzgerald. The dude can straight up dominate a game. This is despite teams doing everything in their power to keep Matt Schaub from getting him the ball (when Schaub is healthy, which he will be again at the outset of this season.) Steve Slaton and Chris Brown are more than serviceable in the backfield and they have quietly assembled a very sturdy offensive line. What I am really basing this pick on is defense though. I am going all in with these guys. I love their defensive line, with Mario Williams quickly becoming the class of his position. Their linebacking corps should be fast and mean, with DeMeco Ryans proving to be a force in the middle. Brian Cushing will start right away and Xavier Adibi looks set to hold down the other OLB spot. They also have Cato June and Buster Davis in the fold, giving them a formidable group. If the secondary can hold its own, they should get to playoffs for the first time...ever.

Cincinnati: I actually like this team to win the AFC North. From 4-11 to the division crown in the following year you ask? That is my bold prediction for the AFC (which really turns the wild-card race into a Houston vs. Pittsburgh competition then doesn't it?) If Carson Palmer can return to form--and it says here that he will--then this team will score plenty of points, and they will be able to do it against the defenses in their division and the rest of the AFC. Ocho Cinco and Lav Coles are a better than average WR duo and Chase Coffman could end up being the breakout rookie receiver this season (albeit at the tight end spot.) In Marvin Lewis, they have a defensive-minded coach that seems to be getting more comfortable with the personnel he has collected the last few years. It is a young group, featuring the return from season-ending injuries last year of Keith Rivers at OLB, and Johnathan Joseph at CB. Leon Hall has fallen into the trappings of being a Bengal, recently avoiding jail time in a drunken driving case by pleading to a reduced charge, but he is a very gifted young corner, and will factor into that defense this season in a major way--after whatever discipline comes his way from the Commissionator, Roger Goodell. Leap-frogging Pittsburgh and Baltimore is a daunting task, but I figure something like that happens every season, so I will pin my soothsaying reputation to the Bengals.

Come back tomorrow for the NFC playoff predictions.

(Images via www.1070thefan.com, steeshes.files.wordpress.com)

Colts re-sign LBer Tyjan Hagler

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:30:29 -0000

In a rather interesting move, the Colts have re-signed Tyjuan Hagler, who was once the Colts starting SAM backer before a silly weight lifting injury cost him his starting job. Hagler was a back-up last year at WILL, and seemed to play well when called upon. However, when Gary Brackett went down with a leg injury late in the 2008 season, rather than start Hagler at WILL or MIKE, they started Buster Davis. This move essentially benched a seemingly heathly Hagler (once a starter) for Davis (a back-up).

Hagler lost his starting SAM spot to Clint Session in 2008, and with Session moving to WILL in 2009, Hagler will need to unseat second-year linebacker Philip Wheeler to regain his old job.

No details on the deal, but it smells of a vet minimum agreement.

With Hagler re-signed, the Colts go into the draft "ok" at linebacker depth. Still, don't be surprised to see one get drafted early. Tip to bluegirl and her ninja-like FanPosting skills.

BREAKING NEWS: Texans Sign Cato June

Tim — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:58:20 -0000

Tip o' the cap to jkoy20 for letting me know that your Houston Texans have signed Cato June:

The Texans have agreed to a contract with free agent outside linebacker Cato June. He will sign a one-year contract worth $1.5 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus. The deal could be worth as much as $2 million.

I dig this move. A lot. Cato June has been productive throughout his NFL career; even if he never returns to the Pro Bowl form he showed in Indianapolis a few years ago playing in the Tampa 2, his arrival, at the very least, creates better depth at LB and should push Xavier Adibi.

Riddle me this: Do the recent acquisitions of June and Buster Davis affect the possibility (or probability) of going LB at No. 15?