Trade #2 Pick?

Former Baylor QB and Heisman Trophy Winner Robert Griffin III.

Former Oklahoma St. WR Justin Blackmon.

ESPN's NFL analyst Adam Schefter has confirmed the St. Louis Rams will trade their second overall pick. The Rams were expected to do this considering they didn't need a quarterback. The Rams used their first overall pick in 2010 on QB Sam Bradford, and the Rams expect to grow with him as their quarterback. The Rams went 7-9 in Bradford's rookie season, and were a win in Seattle away from winning the NFC West division. Expectations were high, especially after they went 4-0 in the 2011 preseason. However, they quickly fell apart en-route to a 2-14 record, resulting in the firing of Steve Spagnuolo.

Former Baylor QB Robert Griffin III is expected to be the second player taken behind former Stanford QB Andrew Luck. Looking at the draft order, the teams in need of a quarterback in the top 10 are the Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars used their tenth overall pick last year in former Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, but he has performed very poorly and some are wondering if he can improve and become a productive quarterback in the NFL.

The Redskins and Dolphins are two teams who will definitely go after Griffin, but will also pursue Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning if he is released. Since the Dolphins acquired Joe Philbin as their head coach, free agent QB Matt Flynn is most likely the option the Dolphins will go with. The Redskins are in desperate need of a quarterback after playing QB Rex Grossman and QB John Beck this past season. Some are calling for the Redskins to pursue Manning, but others, including Washington D.C. mayor Vincent Gray, have lobbied for the Redskins to trade up to get Griffin.

For the Rams, most people say it's the obvious choice to trade down since there isn't a need for a quarterback. However, it will be best for the Rams to draft a wide receiver in order to give Bradford a receiving threat. If they trade down, for instance, to the Redskins spot at #6, will they be able to draft former Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, the most explosive receiver in the draft? The Minnesota Vikings follow the Rams at #3 in the draft, and they don't have a need for a quarterback either since they used their first round pick last year on former Florida State QB Christian Ponder.

The Vikings could use their third pick on a receiving threat for Ponder as well and draft Blackmon, even though many draft experts believe they former USC OL Matt Kalil. That's a smart choice as well to provide protection for Ponder, but you can't go wrong with Blackmon, as the Vikings currently don't have any receiving threats outside of WR Percy Harvin. Is it worth it for the Rams to give up their second pick in a trade and receive a lot more draft picks or players?

The best situation for the Rams is if the Cleveland Browns trade up from the fourth spot to acquire Griffin. It may be likely the Browns could do that as well because QB Colt McCoy hasn't quite developed into a full-time starter. It's not too expensive either, since McCoy was a fourth-round draft pick in 2010. Whatever the case may be, the Rams should make the best deal possible in order to receive more picks and still obtain Blackmon.

Manningham Gone?

Giants' WR Victor Cruz (left) and WR Mario Manningham (right)
at the 54th Grammy Awards.

WR Mario Manningham was the New York Giants' third round draft pick in 2008, a couple months after the Giants pulled off the unthinkable in beating the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. This past season, Manningham made an amazing catch down the sideline to help the Giants defeat the Patriots again, this time in Super Bowl XLVI. Now, it seems to be a certainty that Manningham will not be a Giant any longer.

Going into the 2012 playoffs, Manningham's contract status was a main topic in New York, but didn't seem important elsewhere. Manningham has been very valuable to Eli Manning, especially in the past three seasons, which have resulted in Manning's first three 4,000 yard seasons. Manningham has been a reliable deep threat, and his footwork and ability to make difficult catches has made him a target for Manning in the red zone.

Manningham scored a touchdown in all three playoff games before the Super Bowl. However, Manningham has battled injuries this past season and only caught 39 passes. Meanwhile, WR Victor Cruz stepped in and became very valuable, catching 82 passes and racking up over 1,500 yards. Cruz is a free agent as well and the Giants certainly intend on bringing back Cruz.

That leaves Manningham as the odd man out. The new collective bargaining agreement has put the Giants in a tough bind last offseason and this offseason as well. The Giants will probably have to shed players this offseason as well just to be flexible to retain key players. Last offseason, RB Brandon Jacobs took a paycut to help the Giants re-sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants will mostly likely ask Jacobs to take another paycut in order to keep some players.

While the Giants have WR Hakeem Nicks and mostly Cruz for next season, losing Manningham can be a setback for the Giants' offense. Manning loves to place tight passes to Manningham because he is the most athletic and has the best footwork out of all the receivers. Now Manning will have to find a new red zone target, in which Nicks and Cruz are certainly capable as well. WR Domenik Hixon tore his ACL this past season and most likely will not be back either, so the Giants definitely need someone to step into that third receiver role the way Cruz did this past season.

WR Ramses Barden has been expected to be a major contributor for a couple of seasons now and he just hasn't been that guy. At 6'6", he is certainly capable of being the go-to guy for Manning in the red zone. The Giants also have WR Jerrel Jernigan, who is fast. He is capable of being a deep threat down the sideline, while getting Cruz back to the slot receiver role in which he has thrived. In all, there are many questions to be answered by Jerry Reese, but with two Super Bowl rings on his finger, he is more than capable of coming up with the solutions.

Henne Won't Return



Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne.

 The Miami Dolphins are making it official that they plan to let QB Chad Henne become a free agent once free agency begins March 13. Furthermore, the Dolphins don't plan on offering a contract to Henne, essentially ending his tenure with the Dolphins. With the acquisition of former Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as head coach, this news only increases the speculation that the Dolphins will go after Packers' backup quarterback Matt Flynn.

Henne was 13-18 as a starter for the Dolphins. Henne started 13 games in the 2009 season after QB Chad Pennington suffered a season-ending injury yet again. Pennington led the Dolphins to an 11-5 record and an AFC East division title the year before, and then lost to the Baltimore Ravens at home in the AFC Wild Card round. After Henne suffered a season-ending injury this past season, QB Matt Moore led the Dolphins to a 6-6 record and played a lot better than Henne.

This ultimately convinced the Dolphins enough that they didn't have to give Henne another contract since he didn't appear to be their quarterback of the future. Since Moore did better, he is certainly an option at that position. However, Moore did the same thing with the Carolina Panthers during the 2009 season, when he took over for an injured QB Jake Delhomme and had a great ending to the season in which the Panthers were awful. The Panthers were 4-1 in the games Moore started after taking over for Delhomme.

Moore came into the 2010 season as the starting quarterback, but it appeared the magic he had during the end of the 2009 season disappeared. He started off poorly, even though he appeared to have a short leash. Rookie QB Jimmy Clausen took over and played poorly as well. Moore would start again after poor play from Clausen but was placed on injured reserve shortly after due to injuries.

So the Dolphins don't exactly know what they're going to get from Moore next season either. Flynn is certainly a good option, but he has only started two games in his career. However, those two starts were very impressive. In his first start, during the 2010 season against the AFC-leading New England Patriots on the road, he threw for over 300 yards and kept the Packers in it until the end. In his second start, he threw for a franchise record 480 yards and six touchdowns against the playoff-bound Detroit Lions.

QB Peyton Manning is certainly another option the Dolphins can toy with. His health has been the biggest question mark of the season, so that is a risky idea. Also, Manning will turn 36 next month, so he is not a long-term solution at all. The best move for the Dolphins will most likely be taking a chance on Flynn, or trading up in the draft to acquire a long-term quarterback. Whichever option they go, they all seem better than sticking with Henne.

Moss Return?

WR Randy Moss with QB Tom Brady during the 2007 season.

WR Randy Moss announced on his 35th birthday that he would be returning to the NFL for the 2012 season, setting off a number of opinions on where he can potentially land. Moss stated that he took this past year off of football because he had personal matters to tend to. Now that those personal matters are apparently handled, Moss plans on latching on with a team and continue his Hall-of-Fame career.

The big question now is who will actually sign Moss. WR Terrell Owens also expressed his desire to sign with a team this past season after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the offseason. Owens was not signed by an NFL team, instead taking his act to an indoor football league for $500k. It's no secret that Owens now has financial problems, so he'll most likely continue to pursue an NFL career.

It doesn't appear that Moss has financial problems, but which team is going to take a receiver up in age who has a history of shutting it down at certain moments? Also, this offseason is loaded with quality free agent wide receivers who can come in and produce right away. Those names include WR Vincent Jackson, WR Desean Jackson, WR Dwayne Bowe, WR Marques Colston, WR Steve Johnson and WR Mario Manningham.

Reggie Wayne is a veteran wide receiver who is also available on the free agent market who comes with no baggage. In the 2010 season, Moss played with the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and the Tennessee Titans. His production in all three stops were awful, which included being released outright by the Vikings for an alleged incident at practice with a restaurant owner. There were times when Moss wasn't even on the field ahead of the three or four receivers on the depth chart for the Titans.

Owens will most likely not be able to play with another team, and I see the same occurring for Moss. He has burned so many bridges in his career by shutting it down whenever he felt like doing so. WR Hines Ward is also rumored to be cut soon by the Pittsburgh Steelers, so he is another veteran receiver without any baggage teams will certainly be interested in.

Moss will also need a solid quarterback to play with to keep his production at a satisfactory level. Moss is not the same player he once was, and when given an average or bad quarterback, he hasn't produced at all. It is plausible that the Patriots can bring him back, since Josh McDaniels is returning to become their offensive coordinator again. However, at this point, the Patriots are the only logical choice for his career.

And The Winner Is?

Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, IN.

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady.

New York Giants QB Eli Manning.

Super Bowl XLVI is one day away, and the two weeks of ESPN shows and analysts trying to analyze every single facet of the game will go out the window tomorrow. The New York Giants and the New England Patriots will lay it on the line to be crowned world champions. This isn't the first time they've battled for the Lombardi trophy either. Super Bowl XLII saw the Giants stun the undefeated Patriots, so Patriots' fans are certainly looking at this game for revenge.

In the past several Super Bowls, we have seen good quarterback matchups, and this one will not be any different. Eli Manning declared before the season started that he was elite and deserved to be right up there with Tom Brady. If Manning hasn't proved himself to the doubters yet, then you're probably convinced he'll never be good. Brady has already proven his Hall of Fame worthiness, winning his first ten playoff games and three championships in his first four seasons as a starter.

As for this game, there are several intriguing matchups to watch out for. These matchup problems for both teams could prove to be the difference, as I'm very sure Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin have pointed them out and made their respective teams aware of it.

For the Giants defense, just as it was in Super Bowl XLII, getting pressure on Brady is critical. While the Patriots may not have as many offensive weapons as they did four years ago, giving Brady time in the pocket to find open receivers will hurt the Giants a great deal. While the Giants' defense have looked better lately, they have been porous throughout the season, and Manning has saved them numerous times throughout the season.

The Giants as a team were outscored during the regular season, and if it wasn't for the pass rush of the front four, it could've been a whole lot worse. The loss of Terrell Thomas in the preseason pressed Aaron Ross into starter's duties, and he hasn't looked good for most of the season. Antrel Rolle has been running his mouth most of the season, but hasn't necessarily backed it up. The one bright spot in the secondary has been Corey Webster, who has proven to be better than a decent corner.

Manning's 4,933 passing yards and 15 4th quarter touchdowns have saved the Giants season. Manning has led the Giants from behind in six of the nine wins this season, making him a longshot MVP candidate. Second-year receiver Victor Cruz has also been a bright spot working the slot position, racking up over 1,500 receiving yards en route to a Pro Bowl caliber season. Hakeem Nicks also had over 1,000 receiving yards, and Mario Manningham has been a great receiver as well when healthy.

For the Patriots defense, limiting the Giants offense is key as well. Even though Manning did throw the game-winning touchdown to Jake Ballard earlier this season against them, the Patriots' defense did a solid job against them. It's going to take one of those efforts again. Andre Carter led the Patriots with 10 sacks, but was lost for the season when he tore his quad tendon against the Denver Broncos in December. That means guys like Shaun Ellis and other defensive ends will have to provide the pass rush, which doesn't seem too likely.

Kyle Arrington has been a solid corner for the Patriots the past two seasons. However, outside of Arrington, there hasn't been much stellar play from that secondary. Patrick Chung is a duplicate of Antrel Rolle -- a guy who talks a lot but doesn't produce much. The only difference with Chung is that he talks on the field, but his contributions have been very overrated. If Julian Edelman is playing the slot as well, he's going to need a ton of help from others, or it could turn into a field day for Cruz.

The Patriots' offense, despite not having many weapons, are still explosive because of Brady alone. Wes Welker will be exploiting the Giants' linebackers and secondary working the slot. A big deal has been made about Rob Gronkowski's injury. However, Aaron Hernandez is a better receiving tight end, and is way more than capable of picking up the slack. Gronkowski is a better blocking tight end, and the Patriots will be sure to chip the defensive ends on every pass play to slow down the pass rush.

This game looks like it will certainly come down to the wire like it did four years ago. The Giants have the better team, but the Patriots have Brady, who's better than everyone on the football field. He is enough for the Patriots to win the game. Now is the time for the Giants' secondary to play its best game of the season. The Patriots offense had more than enough time to prepare for that fearsome pass rush.

However, unlike four years ago, Manning is the biggest threat on the Giants and the Giants' offense is key in them winning the game. The running game will need to exist to provide a balance. The receivers do drop passes at the worst times, so they'll need to be on their A game throughout. The Giants do have the better team across the board, so that'll be enough for them to come away Super Bowl champions.

New York Giants 27, New England 21

Choosing To Play The Game

Former Chicago Bears CB Dave Duerson.

Former Philadelphia Eagles safety Andre Waters.

Over the last several years, the talk of concussions among retired NFL players and current NFL players has probably doubled...or tripled. When Andre Waters and Dave Duerson committed suicide at young ages after their playing careers were over, the NFL was doomed. Waters, a former Philadelphia Eagles safety, was only 44 when he killed himself in 2006, and a subsequent brain exam indicated his brain looked the part of an 85-year old man.

Duerson, a former Chicago Bears' defensive back and member of the 1986 Super Bowl winning team, took his life at 50 just a year ago. Duerson purposely did not shoot himself in the head so it can be examined, and the results were exactly what everyone was expecting. Many other players in the NFL have dealt with many concussions and in retirement, still happen to be dealing with them.

This latest lawsuit from a number of retired players against the NFL was inevitable. However, how is it possible that you knew injuries, including ones to the head, were a part of the game and you still happen to place blame on the NFL? Recently, guys like Maurice Jones-Drew and Brian Urlacher have openly stated that they would hide concussions. Plenty of players did the same 20 to 30 years ago.

The NFL probably didn't educate much on the severity of concussions and its long-lasting impact. However, you do know when you strap on the helmet and lace up the cleats, you may be paralyzed, you may severely break your leg or get knocked senseless. There are dangers with a lot of occupation that you know going into it, but you take that risk because you love that occupation.

These players have no one to blame but themselves. Why continue to play a game when your brain is bruised and battered? Why stay in a game after a concussion when you probably can't even see the field correctly? This is almost like an overweight person suing McDonald's because they ate it everyday and resulted in health problems. Grown men should not be blaming their issues on others. It sucks to live the life you live now, but you knew what you were getting into.