4. I think you'd be surprised at the one name I've heard the most about in the past three or four days.

I don't mean the guys at the very top of the draft -- I'm talking more about, say, 10 to 25. One name:Maurkice Pouncey. (Full draft profile on Pouncey here.) So many teams look at him and say, "He's a plug-and-play player for the next 10 years.'' Meaning you can put him in the lineup for the next 10 years and not worry about it. Solid as a rock. There are, quite literally, six teams seriously considering him in the middle 15 picks of the first round.

Hate this news, Pouncey is who I was hoping for, I'd love Brown but I think he'll be gone, was really hoping this guy would be around to play guard for us before taking over for Jeff. I just hope we don't reach horribly for OL help if these guys are gone.

There should be some quality on the defensive side of the ball available at the end of the first from all the available prognostications, would prefer we grab one of those guys rather than someone like Saffold at 31.

  I think we all agree here that the most pressing needs for this team are o line, DE depth and CB/KR. For me, right behind these needs which we have discussed quite a bit recently is linebacker help. Sure we tied up GB, that was great and I love Clint Session but I have been distinctly underwhelmed by Philip Wheeler and the contribution he has made to the Colts. Behind them who exactly is there.... maybe Hagler if we resign him?

  Anyway, although I don't get to watch too much college ball here in the UK, just the occasional game on ESPN America, 2 players that caught my eye this year were (in my order of preference) Navarro Bowman of Penn State and Roderick Muckelroy of Texas. I deliberately haven't gone after the real big name guys that will likely go in the first 2 rounds as I don't think this is realistic for this team. Whenever I watched Penn State or Texas this last year, these 2 guys seemed to be always involved for their respective D's, racking up a tonne of tackles and not infrequently making big plays. I realise that Bowman has had some behaviour issues off the field but mr Polian loves Penn State and I think being in an environment like the Colts dressing room could help straighten him out. So, my feeling is that picking up someone like Bowman in the 3rd or maybe Muckelroy if he slips to the 5th could really help out our Colts next season. I'd love to hear what you guys think, reasonable shout or shut up dude and stick to talking about soccer?  

Aaron Kampman signed a multiyear deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars late Saturday night, a league source told NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora. The Pro Bowl pass rusher, who was in Jacksonville for a free-agent visit on Saturday, will be announced at a team news conference on Sunday.

OK, can we please address the O line urgently in the draft this year, think the Jags have finally wised up to the fact  that the only way they are going to beat Indy is by putting Peyton on his backside.... a lot! I really loved Kampman as a player 2 years ago, last year wasn't too hot what with the Packers changing their defensive scheme but I think this guy could really cause us some problems with the Jags.

Of course they could draft Tebow to play QB for them in which case this becomes a moot point as he throws more picks than Delhomme, c'mon LOLcats you know it makes sense!

Sorry about doig this guys but I have no choice. I've moved this week and thus have no internet connected at my new place, my work internet access won't even open stampede blue never mind the prediction contest and this current internet I'm using at the gym, won't allow me to make my picks in the normal way. So, I'm making a fanpost in the hope that mgrex will still accept my weekly picks for the ATS copetition. 

ATS picks for week 4:

Chicago -9.5 (I don't know why, I think Forte might finally have a break out game)

Cinciatti -5.5 (the Browns are just terrible)

Oakland +9.5

Seattle +8.5 ( We'll win, but without all those defensive stars, I reckon by 7)

Tennessee -2.5

KC +8.5 (at home I reckon they keep it respectable)

New England -1.5 ( I now hate myself, but if Welker plays i reckon NE take this one)

Tampa Bay -6.5

Buffalo -1.5 ( is it wrong to say the fish are 'battered' right now?)

NYJ +6.5 ( saints win but jets keep it close)

Dallas -2.5 ( not buying the broncos yet)

StLouis +9.5 ( i'll probably regret this pick

SD +6.5

GB +3.5 ( I hate Brett Favre, repeat x 1000)

Apologies again for the inconvenience, hope you don't mind including these mgrex. Cheers. Oh, and go Colts!!!

Plaxico Burress will get his $1 million after all.

The now-ex-Giant receiver beat his old team in their arbitration fight Monday when a Special Master ruled that the Giants must pay Burress the final, $1 million payment of his signing bonus that they withheld back in September. The Giants contended that Burress' actions violated behavioral clauses in his contract that forfeited the payment.

Special Master Stephen Burbank, who heard the case last Wednesday at the University of Pennsylvania law school, did not agree.

"We agreed in the 2006 (Collective Bargaining Agreement) extension that there would be no forfieture of signing bonuses unless it was a holdout situation," NFL Players Association General Counsel Richard Berthelsen told the Daily News. "And in that case, it could only be 25 percent, but the Special Master ruled that language didn't apply."

[UPDATE]: I edited your FanPost so your quotes would indeed appear in box quotes. --bbs

A couple of things:

Firstly, what in the name of all things good and pure is a special master??? I don't know if that's common language on your side of the pond, but I have never heard that phrase before in the UK. I don't know what Mr Burbank looks like, but in my mind it's like this:

Anyway, basically, we have just had a fanpost on this site about whether the colts should consider doing a deal for plax. I think we have unanimously said NO!!! To me, it is bare faced cheek from that man to demand this one million dollars from the Giants organisation. His behaviour has been nothing short of disgraceful and he may well have cost his franchise back to back SB's through his stupidity. I can think of no other profession in the world where you could expect to receive a one million dollar bonus having done nothing productive for your employer and in fact committing a serious felony. I like to think that any reasonable human being would have declined that money on the grounds that it simply had not been earned, Lord knows, he's already made many millions of dollars. If he had done so and shown some genuine remorse for his actions then I think people would forgive him and endeavour to help him rebuild a shattered career, as it is, I can feel no sympathy for the man's troubles.

He is a model of unprofessional behaviour, selfish and egocentric, the anti-Peyton, the mere thought of him in a Colts uniform makes me ill. I am sure that the 'Special Master' has technically made the correct decision based on wording in the contract but to the average Joe this cannot make any sense and is in fact, in my opinion highly insulting to millions of hard working law abiding citizens. So I guess I'm saying this might be technically correct, but morally how can it be anything but wrong.

I've just been on nfl.com watching a video of supposed experts unanimously declaring that the broncos ABSOLUTELY NEED to bring in a new franchise QB via the draft, and that they should be willing to trade up in order to guarantee getting Mark Sanchez. I'm sorry, but that has to be one of the most retarded things I have ever heard. Kyle Orton is a more than passable NFL QB who has the potential to thrive in the new McDaniels offence. And Simms, well, I'd frankly be delighted if we had him as a backup to #18. If he can get back to his pre-injury form there might even be a pretty good training camp QB battle between neckbeard and the spleen.

With the picks the broncos have, they have an amazing chance to completely overhaul a frankly terrible defense, If I were a bronco fan, I'd be devastated if they didn't look defense on at least four of their top 5 picks, which are all in the first 3 rounds, and I'd want a RB with the other. To me, the rest of their offense is actually pretty good, young with excellent potential. If they trade their 2 first round picks to move up and get Sanchez as nfl.com suggests surely that is the worst decision in the history of their franchise. I don't think the Broncos FO is that monumentally stupid, just Mike Mayock but i'd be interested to see what you guys think.

Two things:

First, massive shout out to the D. After getting totally crushed for 3 quarters, they stood up and made just awesome plays in the 4th quarter to eventually win us the game. Unbelievable effort right there.

Secondly, can you say MVP. Please, do not tell me Peyton is not winning this award, that was a wicked good game. I'm betting that those jags fans over at rivercityrage who were calling Peyton the most over-rated QB ever are looking a bit sheepish right now, cause he just killed your team!

GO HORSE!!!

I haven't seen a lot of full Giants games this season but I thought whilst watching last nights game that Plaxico Burress might actually have been dumb enough to cost the G men another championship game purely through his own stupidity. I know the Giants didn't have Jacobs, but they've still got 2 quality backs and they couldn't establish a running game worth shit last night. Is the fact that they've lost a receiver who pretty much demanded double coverage of more importance to their running game than Jacobs? Without Plax, teams can play 8 up in the box and concentrate on stopping the run without fear of being burned by the Giants receivers now, and guys like tumor and smith ain't getting open so easily.

From a colts point of view, could that steelers last minute TD come back to haunt us in January. I know we still need to concentrate on actually making the post season and there are a lot of what iffs here, but if the steelers can seal home field advantage by winning out, that could mean we end up having to go back to Heinz Field if everything goes to plan for us. Odds of going there twice and winning twice in the same season? I'm sure dicks like Peter King would say imposible but as long as we've got Peyton under centre impossible is nothing. (that's a little more dramatic than i was aiming for, but wtf, i'll go with it)

right, this is only colts related at a very long stretch of the imagination. Basically, I've got a winner takes all fantasy game this weekend and i need some advice. Should I start Anthony Gonzalez over Hines Ward as my third receiver this weekend. I just don't fancy ward against dallas. Also if you fancy commenting, i need to pick 2 of 3 out of chris johnson, brian westbrook and deangelo williams, this one is hurting my head a lot.

Just took a wander over to the Browns blog, Dawgs by Nature. It's worth checking out, there's a post called 'Sound Off - Who Do You Hate'. A lot of quite rightly pissed off Browns fans calling out the biggest culprits of their woeful season. For anyone who has issues with coach Dungy (cough, Jay16, Nideak), its worth reading so you can get some perspective of what a truly goddam awful coach is, ie Blowmeo Caramel. Unfortunately, it looks as if Derek Anderson will be back to the bench against us, but its not like their WR's can catch the ball anyway, so whoever's playing QB at present shouldn't be much of an issue. I'm looking forward to a colts win that doesn't cause me to have a small stroke.

Tim Jennings, I'm sorry. I'm more than sorry, I'm on my knees and begging forgiveness for every expletive and derogatory comment I ever uttered in your direction, particularly, after the green bay game. I am an asshole. You absolute legend, without that interception in the 4th quarter we probably would be 4-5 right now but with it we managed to go to Heinz Field and win for the first time in 40 years. Take a bow, you hero!!! Fantastic game, I actually think I had a minor heart attack when Ben put up that last Hail Mary. Hopefully this really kick starts us now. Let's all give a shout out to a guy we were really hard on post Green Bay, except BBS I have to say as well as the rest of the team. Fanfu**ingtastic!!!

Obviously, we fans across the pond don't get quite as much information as you guys do in the US and having not been raised on football we probably don't recognise all the subtleties of the game, that said, i'm pretty happy with the Colts draft class. I think Tamme is a great acquisition and provides some high quality back up for Dallas and I hope falling down the draft so far gives Hart a kick up the ass, he could prove unbelievable value for a sixth round pick. My concern is the performance of some of our division and conference rivals. We all know the jags are going to be a stif challenge this year, they were aggressive in the draft and have clearly been looking to acquire some players which will cause Peyton problems. Derrick Harvey clearly has fantastic potential and i've heard a lot of good things about Quentin Groves, would be good to hear what you guys think about these acquisitions. I still think we'll take them home and away but they are going to be tough, tough games this time round. Lastly, I wanted to mention the Steelers. Personally, I'm surprised they waited so long to address the O-line as 100 million dollars worth of QB getting put on his ass every second play doesn't make much sense. That said, Mendenhall looks the genuine article and if Willy Parker can get back to fitness they are going to be scary good out of the backfield, throw in limas sweed as another offensive weapon and Heinz Field is not looking like a fun place to go and play football. Let me know who you think were the winners and losers from the draft.