1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50

31. OT Doug Free (Dallas)- resigned 4 years 32 million 17 million guaranteed

Played surprisingly well in 2010, his first year as a starter. He’ll get a lot of money no matter where he goes.

32. TE Owen Daniels (Houston)- resigned with Houston 4 years, 22 million, 6 million guaranteed

When healthy he’s one of the best tight ends in the league, but he keeps tearing his ACL. One more could end his career.

33. FB Vonta Leach (Houston)- signed with Baltimore 3 years 11 million

The best fullback in the league and a huge part of Arian Foster’s success. The Texans can’t let him go. He also had 76 career catches.

34. 3-4 DE/DT Richard Seymour (Oakland)- resigned 2 years 30 million 22.5 guaranteed

He was once one of the best defensive linemen in the game but at 31, he’s not the same player anymore. He’s still an above average one and has experience in both a 3-4 and a 4-3.

35. DE Jason Babin (Tennessee)- signed with Philadelphia 5 years 28 million 6 million guaranteed

He had 12.5 sacks this season, but his previous career high was 5 and he’s 31 in May. Giving longterm deals to 30+ year old defensive ends after one year of success is normally a bad idea.

36. OT Matt Light (New England)- Resigned 2 years 12 million 7 million guaranteed

He’s not quite the player he was in his prime, but he was a big part of the reason behind the Patriots success this year as the line as a whole protected Tom Brady very well. He struggled with more athletic pass rushers against the Jets however and he’s over 30.

37. OLB James Anderson (Carolina)- Resigned 5 years 22 million

One of the bright spots on Carolina’s 2-14 team, Anderson stepped in with all the injuries at linebacker and had 130 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

38. WR Steve Smith (NY Giants)- signed with Philadelphia 1 year 4 million

He’s got injury problems, but he caught 100 passes in 2009 and he’s only 26 this offseason so he’s worth a good amount of money.

39. DE/RLB Mathias Kiwanuka (NY Giants)- resigned 2 years 8.6 million 4.6 million guaranteed

Injury prone, but extremely athletic. I think his potential would be best maximized in a 3-4, but he has 23.5 sacks in 5 years with the Giants, as a former first round pick.

40. MLB Kevin Burnett (San Diego)- signed in Buffalo 4 years 22 million 9 million guaranteed

A do everything linebacker, Burnett has settled into his role in the middle of San Diego’s 3-4 with 95 tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 picks last season.

Prediction: Buffalo

San Diego decided he was asking too much and signed Takeo Spikes instead. That doesn’t completely rule out a return to the Chargers as they play a 3-4 scheme that starts 2 middle linebackers, but right now it seems more likely he rejoins former teammate Shawne Merriman in Buffalo, another 3-4 team. 

By Paul Smythe 

The Miami Dolphins traded WR Greg Camarillo to the Minnesota Vikings for CB Benny Sapp.

You may not know this, but Greg Camarillo was my favorite player on the Miami Dolphins offense. What I liked about him so much was the fact that he was so consistent and we could always count on him to play well. Even when the Dolphins weren’t that great, Camarillo still did well.

That is why I am very, very disappointed that Miami traded him away. What really gets me, though, is that they traded him away for a cornerback.

The Miami Dolphins already have a lot of young, talented CBs. We don’t need any more. Camarillo made a difference in the games. He caught some pretty important passes last season, and you know he will be able to do it again.

Too bad he won’t be doing it for the Dolphins.

This is probably the biggest mistake the Dolphins have made since last season. Jason Taylor was good, but we didn’t really need him too badly. Camarillo is a consistent player that can do whatever is required of him.

I don’t understand why we would trade him for a player that we don’t really need right now.

I understand that we have Brandon Marshall now. He will be a huge help to the passing offense and he reduces the amount we need Camarillo, but he still doesn’t eliminate the fact that we need Camarillo.

It is very possible that he could be the next Wes Welker. Welker was traded to the Patriots from Miami a few years ago, and then he flourished into a great receiver. I almost don’t want Camarillo to do well because it would mean the Dolphins made a bad move, but I would rather he does because he was my favorite Dolphins offensive player.

Good luck to Camarillo, and I will be rooting for him. He is a great player, and it is a shame to see him go.

http://www.dolphinshout.com

Week 15, this team sat at 8-5 needing just a win in Indianapolis to eliminate the Colts from the divisional race and clinch the team’s first playoff berth since 2007. However, they lost that game and then went on to drop their next two, Washington and Houston, to finish 8-8 and once again out of the playoffs.

It’s worth noting that two of their wins were won on last second fluky plays, a Hail Mary vs. Houston week 10, and a 59 yard field goal week 4 vs. Indianapolis. They could have easily been 7-9 or 6-10 with losses in overtime in either of those games. Other than those two wins, it’s worth noting that their best win in terms of opponent winning percentage was a week 14 38-31 home win over the Oakland Raiders who finished 8-8 and even that win took some last second magic.

Their defense is a mess, especially their pass defense. They rank 32^nd in the league against the pass in terms of YPA, dead last, even worse than division rival Houston. That’s no way to consistently beat elite teams. They also can’t get any pressure either, ranking tied for 2^nd worst in the league with a mere 26 sacks (tied with Tampa Bay and only behind Denver).

Offensively, their prized possession is Maurice Jones Drew. MJD, who battled injured all year, still rushed for 1324 yards and received another 317. He only fell short to Arian Foster in the rushing title race because he missed the last two games of the season with injury. Still, he finished 5^th in the league in rushing despite not breaking the 300 carry mark.

However, at quarterback, David Garrard has his good days and his bad days. There have been the occasional cries by fans for him to be benched, but he does turn in some nice performances. Backup Trent Edwards only has bad days so they may be looking for a new backup/quarterback in waiting this offseason. Mike Thomas is their #1 receiver, but he lacks elite size and his compliment Mike Sims Walker is very inconsistent with his play.

Wow this is a surprise. I would have though Saturday would sign with the Broncos in Denver and rejoin Peyton Manning, but I guess I can see why he went to Green Bay. After all, they did recently win a Super Bowl and they do have a gaping hole at center. The Packers are getting Saturday for 8 million over 2 years and I’m assuming only one of those years is guaranteed.

He’s still a great player who ranked 5th on ProFootballFocus last season and he’s a much safer option for the Packers than an unproven rookie or unproven career backup Evan Dietrich-Smith. Scott Wells ranked 4^th last season so unless Saturday declines, they probably won’t notice much of a difference and he’s a lot cheaper than Wells (4 years 24 million), though Wells is much younger. I definitely understand why the Packers did this.

Grade: A

By Kevin Harrison

1. Not sure why the Jets and Giants are not playing on 9/11 for the 10^th anniversary but I have no problems playing the Cowboys to beat “America’s Team” on this very special evening home opener.  This will be a battle of minds: Rex Ryan vs. Rob Ryan.

2. Love that the Jets play the Giants at home on Christmas eve which is a Saturday.  This won’t mess up my annual day on Christmas at the Movies as well.

3. Having FIVE prime time games is rough but the wife loves it as that’s five Sunday’s that are not messed up.  (Dallas at home in Week 1, a Sunday night in Baltimore (Week 4), a Monday night home game against the Dolphins (Week 6), a Sunday night home game against the Patriots (Week 10) and a Thursday night game in Denver (Week 11).  Three are at home, two are away.

4. How can the NFL schedule the Jets at home on Sunday night vs. the Patriots and then FIVE days later a ROAD Thursday night game in Denver?  So, basically, you watch film on Monday.  You don’t get your typical Tuesday off and have to practice just Tuesday and Wednesday and then leave Wednesday night for a Thursday game.  That’s rough.

5. Love that we start the season at home for two straight games but the NFL gave us THREE straight road games after that.  And the three road games are not easy – in Oakland which is always an issue for Gang Green, and then in Baltimore and then in New England.  OUCH!

6. You can’t complain about the first three games of the year being against non-playoff teams – Cowboys, Jaguars, and Raiders.

7. For the entire schedule, there are only FIVE games against playoff teams – Patriots (2 X), Ravens, Eagles, and Chiefs.

8. We get another shot at the Ravens after playing scared against them to open up the 2010 season.  I love that this is a night road game since Oct. 2 is my birthday so I can still be with the family for a good dinner and celebration.

9. The Bye week falls at a perfect time during Week #8.

10. The Jets have only two long flights this year, at Oakland and at Denver.

11. I love that the Jets don’t play at home to end the season for the first time in a few years in the freezing cold as then end this year in Sunny Miami.

12. In the last 5 games of the year, the Jets only play an AFC East opponent once and that’s the finale in Miami.  Shouldn’t the last quarter of the season be against divisional opponents.

13. Jets play the Chargers in the 1^st half of the season where the Chargers mostly stink the first half of the season.

14. There are NO 4:15 pm home games. All home games are either at night or at 1:00 pm

15. In a 4 week span towards the end of the season, the Jets play three out of the four NFC East teams – Redskins, Eagles, and Giants.  We should be playing AFC East teams at this part of the year.

http://khbirdmantalkingjets.blogspot.com/

Go back to Jets Fan Spot 

By Vince Vitale 

Well it seems like if the St. Louis Rams did not have bad luck they would not have any luck at all. After losing several players to injury on Sunday the Rams have now lost LB Josh Hull who tore his ACL in practice today. Hull has been placed on IR and will be lost for the season. With Chris Chamberlain fracturing a toe against the Cardinals the Rams are now down to 4 healthy linebackers James Laurinaitis, Na’il Diggs, Larry Grant, and David Vobora for the game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. As I continually state the lack of depth on the St. Louis Rams will play a major role in their 2010 season and early injuries certainly will not help.

http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Trade for Arizona: Next to Derek Anderson, I guess any quarterback is worth a 2^nd round pick, a legitimate starting cornerback who is still only 25, and a long term extension worth 5 years 63.5 million dollars with 21 million in guarantees. Kolb is not worth that. He’s put up mediocre stats in Andy Reid’s offense, an offense that makes quarterbacks look better than they are. Remember when the Dolphins traded a 2^nd rounder for AJ Feeley? How’d that work out? Plus, he’s already 27 next month so it’s not like he’s got a ton of untapped potential.

The reason I don’t hate this move is because Larry Fitzgerald wanted Kevin Kolb. Larry Fitzgerald is a free agent after next season. If they had waited until next offseason, Fitzgerald could have easily left. Sure, they could have traded a 2^nd or a 3^rd for Kyle Orton and hoped that would have been enough to please Fitzgerald, but Fitz specifically requested Kolb, which is probably why Philadelphia was able to drive the price up so high. The Cardinals didn’t have a choice.

Now they need to sign Fitz to a long term deal. If they don’t, they risk him realizing Kolb isn’t actually that good and then Fitz leaving anyway after what’s probably going to be an 8-8 season. I have mixed feelings all around on this one. They way overpaid, but they kind of had to. This move is a good move if they can convince Fitz to sign an extension in the next few days or weeks, but if they can’t, then it’s a horrific move.

On one hand, Fitzgerald is not a quarterback and it might not be smart to let a non-quarterback run your team like this. On the other hand, Fitzgerald is their best player. He had 1137 receiving yards last year even with all the crap they had at quarterback. He’s never been a diva. In fact, he was willing to take a pay cut if it meant they could resign Anquan Boldin. If he wants Kolb, it’s not because he’s worried about his stats. It’s because he wants to win and he doesn’t want to go through another 5-11 season.

I’m averaging everything out and giving them a C.

Grade: C

Trade for Philadelphia: This move has upside for Arizona, but it’s highway robbery for Philly. They drafted Kolb with a 2^nd 4 years ago and he hasn’t done much to prove he’s a franchise quarterback since then, and yet they were not only able to recoup their 2^nd rounder, but they got a legitimate starting cornerback in DRC who is only 25 years old. Cornerback was a huge need of theirs.

Grade: A

Deal for Seahawks: LenDale White is a risk, but the Seahawks pretty much give up nothing to get him, moving down from 104 to 111 in the 4^th round to get him. If anyone can bring LenDale White’s talent back out, it’s Pete Carroll so I really like this move, coupled with their trade for Leon Washington. The Seahawks have stablized the running back position for a 5^th rounder and a swap for 4^th rounders.

Grade: A

Deal for Titans: What’s the difference between Alterraun Verner and Walter Thurmond. 7 picks, and apparently LenDale White. I know the Titans were done dealing with him, but they pretty much got absolutely nothing out of this deal. White still has some talent. The Titans could have at least gotten an extra pick in the process to use on a replacement. Who is going to spell Chris Johnson in the backfield now? He can’t carry the load on his own.

Grade: C-

Guard/Offensive Tackle

TCU

6-6 349

Draft board overall prospect rank: #104

Draft board overall guard rank: #10

Overall rating: 67 (early 4th)

40 time: 5.20

4/26/11: Cannon has been diagnosed with lymphoma and will undergo 12 weeks of chemotherapy. Best of luck to him in his recovery, but I’m moving him down for obvious reasons. 12 weeks puts us in late July, at best, and chemotherapy isn’t exactly something you can just come off of and be in game shape immediately.  I had a late first round grade on him. I’m dropping him to the 3^rd round because this really is a talented player and pro athletes have bounced back from lymphoma before (Jon Lester) and had great careers.

3/15/11: Marcus Cannon has been TCU’s left tackle for a few years, protecting Andy Dalton’s blindside for one of the most explosive offenses in the league. However, with his weigh in the 360s and 370s, it looked as if he would have to move inside at the next level. Cannon has done a good job of losing about 20 pounds this offseason to get to 349. He ran very well at The Combine for his size and looked to be in very good shape for his weight both in his weigh in and during drills.

He looks sluggish on tape, but not incredibly sluggish and I think this guy could be a right tackle in the right scheme. If not, he’s a guard and most teams will still look at him as a guard. He’ll be a dominant run blocker and an immovable object no matter where he plays. I think he has a very solid future in the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Leonard Davis

By Paul Smythe

Training camp is finally here.

Now we can finally watch football again and follow position battles on the Miami Dolphins that we have been discussing for months. No longer are we just speculating about certain situations. Now we can actually see how the situations unfold. Situations like who will step up as a starting free safety and who will emerge as starters on the defensive line.

I am no longer bored. The Miami Dolphins have come to the rescue.

And, as the Dolphins enter training camp there is much optimism by the players about how they will perform this year. There is also a whole lot of optimism among Dolphins fans. This is one of the best Dolphins teams we have seen in years.

Think about it. Is there any team that has looked this good to you in the last ten years?

The funny part about that is that most people outside of the Dolphins fans underrate Miami. They don’t predict much from South Beach in 2010. If you take away the article written by Michael Lombardi on NFL.com then there really isn’t much else outside of Miami that gives the Dolphins any kind of good prediction.

Don’t worry. Predictions mean nothing when it comes to game time. Sure, they are a good indicator of how a team will perform when they do play, but they are definitely not 100% accurate. Nowhere close.

One thing I am sure of is that this will be a better year than last. Of that I am absolutely certain. We have only gotten better.

While other analysts have been paying attention to the New York Jets and New England Patriots they have been missing out on the best team in the AFC East. They will find out soon enough, though.

http://www.dolphinshout.com/