Anyone who follows Ochocinco on his Twitter account knows that he’s been clamoring for the Bengals to sign T.O. for quite a while now. Between the tweets of his bad luck in love and his clothes, Ocho has made it clear that he believes Owens and himself would give secondaries sleepless nights. There’s a chance that this could very well happen. There’s also a chance those two could give Marvin Lewis his fair share of sleepless nights as well.

Lost in the shuffle of all of this is Antonio Bryant. The Bengals signed him earlier in the offseason with thoughts of him lining up opposite of Chad. With T.O. now in town, Bryant sort of becomes the forgotten man. Who knows how he’ll react to this, but the Bengals seem to have a possible tinder box at the receiver position.

Of course, none of these guys will be worth a lick if Carson Palmer isn’t able to pick up his game form last year. Palmer had a rough year last year and the Bengals have to be hoping he’s able to regain his form from several years ago. I’d be willing to bet he’ll get back in the groove, but he’s got to do it quick. The collective patience of the receivers in Cincinnati is probably going to be pretty low. And if they all don’t get balls thrown their way, in copious amounts, Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer better be ready to hear about it.

Technorati Tags: Antonio Bryant, Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals, Marvin Lewis, NFL, T.O., Terrell Owens

A few months back Mike Vick decided to throw himself a party at a nightclub to celebrate his 30th birthday. The party was welcome to the public. Several minutes after Vick left the party, his former partner in his dog-fighting ring Quanis Phillips, was shot in the leg outside the party. An investigation ensued, obviously, as towhether Vick had anything to do with the shooting. As it turns out, he didn’t.

But you still have to shake your head at the sheer stupidity of Vick. Throwing yourself a public party where anyone can attend is one thing for the normal person, but not for a person in Vicks situation. One would think that trying to stay out of trouble and avoiding situations like the one he got himself into would be common sense. But I think Mike Vick has shown that he lacks a lot of common sense, which isn’t always that common.

This should be an interesting year for Vick, as well as the Eagles. With McNabb gone, Kevin Kolb will be taking the starting quarterback spot. But if Kolb fails to make anything happen, don’t be surprised to see Vick come in and replace him. Either way, I would expect to see a little more of Mike Vick on the playing field, if for any other reason, to try and increase any potential trade value he has.

Technorati Tags: Kevin Kolb, Mike Vick, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles

Ferguson was definitely a priority for the Jets, he’s becoming a dominant left tackle and with franchise quarterback Mark Sanchez looking to stick around for a while this was a good move. Now Ferguson is locked in and Sanchez has his blind side protected for the next 6 years.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis could learn a thing or two from his teammate. Revis made it clear earlier this offseason he wants a new deal. Not only that, he wants to be the highest paid corner in the league. Rex Ryan hasn’t helped matters any, he’s constantly telling everyone that Revis is the best corner in the league and that he’s the most important part of their defense. This only gives Revis more leverage for the contract he’s seeking.

It will be interesting to see how Revis and teammates Nick Mangold and David Harris respond to this. All three have made it clear they’re looking for new contracts. The Jets have been busy spending so far this offseason bringing in high profile free agents. They may have to shell out some more dough to keep their star core group of players happy.

Technorati Tags: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Darrelle Revis, David Harris, New York Jets, Nick Mangold, Rex Ryan

With potentially more attention being paid to the Ravens passing game, Ray Rice may be the biggest benefactor. Last year Rice rushed for over 1300 yards at an average of 5.3 yards per carry. He also caught 78 passes for over 700 yards, averaging 9.0 yards per catch. Those numbers are nothing to scoff at, and they may improve this year.

It’s hard to imagine people overlooking Ray Rice, but even if he does get attention there’s no way he’ll get all of it. Where Rice could really do damage is on draw plays and screens. The Ravens passing game will be respected by defenses this year, and the more the second and third levels of the defense respect the passing game the more Rice could be a serious threat.

The Ravens have always been known for their defense, but this is starting to change. John Harbaugh is starting to really put his stamp on this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Flacco showed steady improvement in his first two seasons and looks to continue that improvement this year. The real centerpiece of this offense may wind up being Ray Rice. He’s a serious threat in the running game and he could turn out to be a reliable outlet for Flacco when things don’t look so good downfield. This could be the year Rice emerges as an elite all around running back in the mold of a Marshall Faulk.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh, Ray Rice

The Bengals signed Benson to a two year, $7 million contract last offseason, but Benson feels like he could be getting more out of the team. It’s hard to argue that Benson may have been underpaid last season, considering he put up over 1200 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry in 13 games. And since it seems like every player who feels they’re getting the short end of the stick money wise wants to try and re-do their deal with the uncertainty of everything between the league and the players, it’s hard to blame him.

But the Bengals may want to hold back on their willingness to award Benson. The Bengals haven’t been immune to doing stupid things, and rewarding a guy for one good season may not be in the teams best interest. I’d be shocked if Benson held out because he’s unhappy with his contract. So maybe the Bengals should let him ride out his current deal and see what he does this year, now that everyone is aware of what kind of threat he is.

It could be a pricy risk for the Bengals, especially if he has another good season. If he plays like he did last year, he’ll have way more leverage when it comes to contract talks. But that’s a risk the Bengals should be willing to take. Productive running backs are becoming less of a rarity in the NFL, and while Benson had a good year last year he didn’t have a great one.

Technorati Tags: Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals, NFL

His biggest problem seems to be the fact that he feels the Redskins aren’t using him properly. And I suppose if I was in his position, I’d be worried too. I mean, if you know your limits and someone is asking you to do something outside of them that you know you can’t do effectively, there’s cause for concern. I’m sure Albert doesn’t want to be exposed, even though he’s slowly doing it himself.

The Redskins are making a push to a 3-4 defense this year, and Albert knows he doesn’t fit that scheme. He’s a 4-3 defensive tackle. He can’t play the nose in a 3-4 and he can’t play end in a 3-4. So he feels the most professional solution to this problem is not to be professional about it.

Here is a guy whom Mike Shanahan gave the opportunity earlier this year to either A) sign for his release or B) sign to take his $21 million roster bonus. He chose the roster bonus. Now he’s putting the Redskins through the ringer. I think that’s all that needs to be said about what kind of person Albert is.

But he’s put his current employer in a really bad situation. The Redskins have a few options. They could bite the $21 million and kick his ass to the curb, but I don’t think Dan Snyder is ready to do that. They could try and reason with him and work out some sort of amicable solution, but Albert doesn’t seem to be the type to do anything that doesn’t result in him getting 100% benefit from it. Or they could try and trade him. But with so many teams moving to the 3-4, and the fact that he’s grossly overpaid, he’s becoming less and less of a commodity. The players that are attractive are the ones that have some versatility, something Haynesworth doesn’t have.

So while it’s easy to say the Redskins were fools to sign him to such a large contract, which they were, you have to feel for them a little on this one. They’re essentially being held hostage. And for a team trying to erase a culture that creates greedy monsters like Haynesworth, that’s not a good position to be in.

This situation is going to get worse before it gets better. The Skins may just be better off eating the $21 million and dropping this guy like a bad habit because the other two scenarios I mentioned don’t seem like they’d work. One thing is for sure, Albert Haynesworth is nothing more than a greedy, self centered, me first person who doesn’t deserve the luxuries a TEAM sport has provided him.

Technorati Tags: Albert Haynesworth, Dan Snyder, Mike Shanahan, NFL, Washington Redskins

But has the league opened pandoras box by making a “one time” acception for New Jersey? Earlier today Redskins owner Dan Snyder voiced his opinion on how he believes Washington is “ripe to get one.”. Washington would no doubt be an excellent venue for the Super Bowl. It is the nations capital and FedEx field holds over 90,000 people which would be filled to the brim.

How could the league possibly say no to Washington without looking like it’s playing favorites with New Jersey? And if they make another acception with Washington, how could they say no to the likes of Green Bay, Pittsburgh or Chicago? I wasn’t really for the Super Bowl in New Jersey, but now that they’ve got their chance I think it’s only fair they open the doors and give everyone a chance to host the big game. Something tells me Dan Snyder is going to get his way on this one. And if that’s the case, the Super Bowl will become a traveling show hitting every NFL city. That may not be a bad thing.

The Giants have not been able to recapture the success they had in their Super Bowl run a few years back. The defense has struggled, so has the run game and Eli performs well when everyone else around him does, which didn’t happen last year. Guys like Brandon Jacobs were to busy telling everyone how good they were instead of actually proving it. While the defense still has some question marks, the offense should be quite a bit better this year. Eli has a bunch of young, talented receivers to choose from and one or two will step up this year. Last year the defense was 30th in the league for points allowed. If they can cure that problem the Giants should be back on track.

9. New England Patriots

Many people feel that the magic has run out in New England. But I think every team in the league would hope to still be as good as the Patriots are once their magic ran out. This is a really big year for New England though. The offense will still produce as long as Tom Brady stays off the turf. The big question is the defense. The Patriots have virtually turned almost all of their defense over from 3 years ago. They are now stocked with youth and they’re hoping a few new leaders rise up from the ashes. If the defense struggles again this year there may be some big changes. If the defense finds chemistry there in for another serious run.

8. Dallas Cowboys

They finally made it over the hump last year. Well, Tony Romo finally won a playoff game so I consider that a hump to get over. Going into this season the Cowboys look scary good. Down the stretch last year their defense played lights out. DeMarcus Ware is now becoming one of the most dominant defensive players in the game and I think this year teams are going to really start to gameplan around him. The offense is dripping with talent, on paper they might not be matched. But it all still rides on the arm of Romo. If he can improve on what he did at the end of last year and start showing a little more maturity the Cowboys may be hosting the Super Bowl next year.

7. New York Jets

The Jets had a really nice playoff run last year and look to emerge this year as a real powerhouse. If you don’t believe it just ask them, they’ll tell you how good they think they are. They were active in free agency, landing LaDainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes. But a key loss may be letting Thomas Jones slip away. They were really able to ride him out last year which helped take a lot of the pressure off rookie Mark Sanchez. Last year nobody expected the Jets to do anything. This year, with all the hype they’re giving themselves, people are expecting a lot more out of them. Will they or won’t they live up to all the hype? It will be fun to watch.

6. Green Bay Packers

The Packers have found life after Favre and they’re liking it a whole lot. Aaron Rodgers has really blossomed into an elite quarterback and he’s got lots of talent around him to work with. The defense was tops in stopping the run and Clay Matthews III showed real promise as a rookie last year. If the Packers want to take the next step, they need to find a solution to their biggest problem, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings owned that Packers last year and that’s something Green Bay will be focused on fixing this year.

5. Minnesota Vikings

Even though they didn’t win the Super Bowl last year the Vikings could still be looked at as having the best season. The defense was dominant and Brett Favre was exactly what the offense needed. All signs are pointing for Favre to return and if he does I don’t expect the Vikings to skip a beat. But Favre will be one year older and once you start getting into your playing twilight your game can deteriorate pretty fast. As much as nobody likes to admit it, teams will be going after Favre wanting to punish him. The Vikings are going to really have to protect Favre if they want to have a repeat of last year, minus losing in overtime in the NFC championship game of course.

4. Indianapolis Colts

Let’s see, is Peyton Manning still the starting quarterback in Indy? Yup, which means you can pencil the Colts in for a spot in the top 5. Manning was his typical self last year, and with Anthony Gonzalez back at full help he’ll have a full arsenal of weapons to choose from. Donald Brown could emerge as a workhorse in the backfield and may wind up being more reliable than Addai. Something that may turn into a concern for the Colts is the status of Robert Mathis and his current contract situation. He wants it reworked and may wind up sitting out training camp if  he doesn’t get what he wants. He’s a big part of their defense and it’s definitely in their best interest to keep him around for a little longer. Either way, they’re still going to be as dangerous a team as any.

3. San Diego Chargers

Could this be the Chargers year? After a few years of bridesmaid status, the Chargers look ready to be the ones standing on the alter this year. Losing LaDainian in the offseason was offset by drafting Fresno State stud Ryan Mathews. The Chargers shocked a lot of people moving up in the draft to get him, but San Diego may get the last laugh on that one. He may bring that running game back to where it was 4 years ago. The person feeling the most pressure could be head coach Norv Turner. If he fails to take all that talent to where everyone expects them to go this may be his last year as a Charger.

2. Baltimore Ravens

When I look at the Ravens roster I think to myself who is gonna beat these guys this year. Joe Flacco is entering his third year and he’s finally getting some toys to play with. They brought in Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin and that should really help the passing game. Oh yeah, and they’ve got Ray Rice. If Rice doesn’t lead the league this year in yards from scrimmage I’ll be totally shocked. He’s got all the tools, and I mean all, to become a truly great running back. If the Ravens were hard to run against last year, they may be down right impossible to run against this year. The team was able to draft Terrence Cody in the second round, and he’ll plug up the middle of that defense. The one question mark for the Ravens is their secondary. But if Suggs bounces back, and first round pick Sergio Kindle can provide some pressure as well, the secondary won’t be as much of a concern.

1. New Orleans Saints

It’s hard not to rank these guys at the top considering virtually the same team will be back again this year. The Saints had a storybook season last year, beating the Colts in Super Bowl 44. Even with one of the best offensive showings last year, Gregg Williams defense was what really pushed the Saints into the elite category. Another year in the system should mean the defense may be more effective this year. Providing they don’t let the Super Bowl go to their head and they can stay focused on the task at hand, which is always the next game, they’ll be in good shape.

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Denver won their first six games of the season last year. Then they had their bye and everything went south, losing 8 of their remaining 10 games. But this will be Josh McDaniels second season as head coach and the team should be more familiar with the system. Losing Brandon Marshall was a big blow, he was Kyle Ortons security blanket. They were able to draft a talented receiver from Georgia Tech in Demaryius Thomas though. There’s a real good chance he won’t be as productive as Marshall but he helps fill the void a little. The quarterback situation will be the most interesting thing to watch this year. The team drafted Tim Tebow and traded for Brady Quinn, so competition should be intriguing.

20. Washington Redskins

The Redskins have been habitual underachievers for quite some time now, spending money on big name free agents that never seem to pan out. Well there’s a new sheriff in town and he’s intent on putting a stop to ridiculous spending. Two big moves this offseason for the Skins, hiring Mike Shanahan as coach and trading for Donovan McNabb, are almost certain to change the look of this team. They’re in probably the toughest division in football, but that competition may bring out the best in this team. Things are going to be different in Washington this year.

19. Houston Texans

Coming off their most successful season in franchise history, expectations for the Texans are growing. Matt Schaub looks to have another strong year and is surrounded by playmakers in Steve Slaton, Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. The defense was strong last year with the emergence of rookie linebacker Brian Cushing. Even with Cushing being suspended for the first four games of the season I look for the Texans to come out of the gate strong. The big question will be can they take their game to the next level.

18. Miami Dolphins

Chad Henne must be the happiest player in Miami right now, the team swung a deal and snagged receiver Brandon Marshall from the Broncos. This will help out this offense in a pretty big way. There will probably be less wildcat from Miami this year as I’m sure they’re going to try and put a little more on the shoulders on Henne. They lost two of their pass rushing specialists in the offseason, Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, but they’re hoping emerging linebacker Cameron Wake can start to put up the kind of numbers he did north of the border a few years ago.

17. Arizona Cardinals

With Kurt Warner retired the Cardinals have some pretty big shoes to fill. They grabbed former Browns starter Derek Anderson, which indirectly tells you that Matt Leinart may not be the guy they thought they were getting when they drafted him. The Cardinals are still stacked with talent and Ken Whisenhunt has seemed to genuinely turned things around in Arizona, especially on the defensive side of the football. The addition of Joey Porter should bring a new level of intensity to a pretty athletic defense.

16. Tennessee Titans

I think everyone was surprised to see how poorly the Titans started out last year. They made up for it down the stretch though. Vince Young really seemed to mature quite a bit last year. It was almost like, if you watched the Titans games, you could see it happening with each snap he took. It will be tough for Chris Johnson to repeat the kind of performance he had last year, but if Young continues to grow as a quarterback that’s okay. This is a young football team and Jeff Fisher is a great teacher so I expect them to be more like the second half Titans of last year.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

The Kevin Kolb era is officially set to get under way in Philly this year. The team seems confident with how they’re sitting at the quarterback position, at least I would think they do or they wouldn’t have gotten rid of McNabb. I doubt Kolb will come in and not skip a beat, he’s gonna have a learning curve. Who knows, we may even get to see Mike Vick at some point during the year. Regardless the Eagles are still a good football team. Second year runningback LeSean McCoy is a player to keep an eye on, he’ll be relied on a little more this year.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers seem to be in some sort of rut right now. They missed the playoffs last year, they traded troubled receiver Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger is, well, being Ben Roethlisberger. It’s going to be real interesting to see how they manage without big Ben for the first six games of the season, or maybe more. Pittsburgh is in quite the situation and next year could go either way for them. The secondary is going to have to improve if they want to keep the Bengals and Ravens from throwing the ball all over the field on them. Those first six games without Ben will really set the tone for what kind of season they’re going to have.

13. Atlanta Falcons

Last year was a bit of a disappointment for the Falcons. Matt Ryan kind of plateaued last year, which isn’t uncommon for second year players. He should bounce back and so should the whole team. Bringing in CB Dunta Robinson should help shore up a porous secondary that ranked near the bottom of the league last year. Michael Turner showed up to mini-camp slimmed down from this time last year, he’s down to around 245 from 260. I’m not sure they can knock the Saints out of that top spot in the South, but they should give them a better run for their money.

12. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are going to be a trendy pick this year. If Alex Smith can start being a consistent quarterback this team could have a breakout year. The defense is solid and so is the running game.  Bringing in Teddy Gin is a nice compliment to Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis and he should help the return game as well. The NFC West is ripe for the picking and this is the 49ers chance to take it over.

11. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals, especially their defense, really snuck up on a lot of people last year. Carson Palmer had a decent year but they’re going to need more out of him this year if they want to be a real threat to the AFC crown. Bringing in Antonio Bryant was a great move for the team and he should work great opposite Chad. Consistency has never been a strong suit for Cincinnati though under coach Marvin Lewis. They should be able to come out and be a better team this year, but you just never know with the Bengals.

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It was widely believed that New York/New Jersey would wind up hosting the event. There’s no bigger game than the Super Bowl and there’s no bigger city than New York, so it seems like a good fit.

There will be lots of criticism of the choice though. There are people out there who believe that having it in New York could wind up being a mistake. Everyone knows what the weather can be like in those parts in February and it could be a factor.

There’s the chance that getting to the stadium could be very difficult if a storm were to hit the area just in time for the big game. There’s also the argument for playing the game in as fair conditions as possible, as to avoid any possible advantages for one team over the other.

All of that was put aside though to get the game on the biggest stage it’s ever been on. One thing is for certain, it will be a spectacle.

Technorati Tags: New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, Super Bowl 48