My Thoughts On The Brian Cushing Sitch

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 17, 2010

This whole Brian Cushing situation seems to be really creating a firestorm. If you’ve been out of the loop Cushing tested positive for a banned substance, and was suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season. He claims he didn’t take a steroid, but he tested positive for hCG which is a commonly taken to mask any evidence of steroid use.

The league also decided to re-vote on the defensive rookie of the year honors from last year, which Cushing won by a landslide. Somehow Cushing still came away with the honor the second time around.

I really don’t know anything about steroids or masking agents or any of that jazz. But what I do know is that Cushing tested positive for a banned substance and because of that he should be suspended.

Cushing is pleading his innocence in the whole case, which really doesn’t surprise me. And I guess that’s what bothers me about this whole situation. It seems that a lot of people these days are either unwilling to accept blame for something they did or they rationalize what they did to make their actions seem acceptable.

Cushing has been proven guilty, yet he claims he didn’t take anything. He doesn’t know how the banned substance got in his body. He’s a big man, whether or not he got big because of steroids may never truly be known. But no matter how big he may look, he’s not a big enough man to come out and admit he made a mistake.

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Chicago Bears Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 11, 2010

The Bears had minimal draft picks this year as Jerry Angelo continues to erratically try and assemble a competitor. Their first pick was in the third round and they used it on Florida free safety Major Wright. He’s a solid player and the Bears needed help at the position so he should fit in.

They added another edge rusher to possibly spell off Peppers every once in a while by drafting Northwestern end Corey Wootton. He’s a big, athletic kid that, if healthy, will be able to contribute. The secondary saw a little more help brought in with Kansas State corner Joshua Moore being drafted. He should help bring some depth there. An interesting pick in Dan LeFevour, quarterback out of Central Michigan. He should turn into a serviceable backup for Jay Cutler under the guidance of Mike Martz and could one day be a starter somewhere.

West Texas A&M offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb is a large individual who, with a little work, should be a quality backup. The Bears were very active in free agency and have improved their team on paper. Now, if they can only get Jay Cutler to lead the league in touchdowns rather than interceptions they might get somewhere.

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Carolina Panthers Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 11, 2010

The clock is ticking for John Fox in Carolina. Putting out an underachieving product every year is wearing thin on the Panthers organization and this could be his last shot. Luckily for him Jimmy Clausen fell right into their hands. The Notre Dame quarterback was though to be going in the first round but slipped into the second because of character issues. The Panthers put all that aside and made the right move here.

In need of a bookend for Steve Smith they grabbed LSU receiver Brandon LeFall. He struggled a little last year in the tough SEC but he could develop into a nice compliment to Smith. They took another quarterback , Appalachian States Armanti Edwards, who is a gifted athlete and could be an interesting change of pace. The were able to steal South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood in the 4th round. He’s an instinctive player who can get after the quarterback. losing Julius Peppers created a need at the end of the defensive line, so they drafted end Greg Hardy out of Mississippi. While he’s no Peppers, he’s got great talent and could be groomed into a suitable replacement. They took another big receiver, Baylors David Gettis who could be a nice red zone target.

They were able to stockpile their secondary taking Jordan Pugh from Texas A&M, R.J. Stanford from Utah and Robert McClain from UConn. All three should be competitive and provide good depth. They say threes company, so they grabbed Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike. Pike is an interesting prospect who looks a lot like current Ravens QB Joe Flacco. I’ll say one thing about the Panthers, they should have really good competition at quarterback this training camp.

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Baltimore Ravens Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 10, 2010

Every team in the league shuddered when the Ravens made their first pick. Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle is a stud. Injuries caused him to slide but he’s a top 10 talent. If he can develop under the Ravens guidance he will be a force in the league for a while.

If teams thought it was hard running up the middle on the Ravens defense it’s going to look downright impossible now. The human mountain Terrence Cody from Alabama will literally plug the middle for the Ravens and is an eventual replacement for current anchor Kelly Gregg at the nose tackle position. Tight end is a strong position for Baltimore and it just got stronger. They drafted tight ends Ed Dickson from Oregon and Dennis Pitta from BYU. Both guys are big and athletic with good hands and gives really good depth to the position. Utah receiver David Reed brings scary speed and could wind up being their return man.

Surprisingly there was room in the middle of the defensive line to bring in one more guy. Syracuse tackle Art Jones is another large body and if he can stay healthy he’ll see some time. Their offensive line got some more depth adding Morehouse tackle Ramon Harewood. At 6′7″ and 360 pounds he could be the biggest player drafted this year. The Ravens are scary good and they look like they could be the cream of the crop this year.

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Minnesota Vikings Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 10, 2010

There is very little need for improvement with the Vikings, but there’s plenty of room for depth. The Vikings secondary saw their best corner shelved for most of the season last year, so it’s no wonder they wanted to help the position. They drafted Virginia corner back Chris Cook who may see time right off the bat if Cedric Griffin isn’t healthy enough to go come week 1.

Filling the void left by running back Chester Taylor they jumped on Stanford running back Toby Gerhart. He’s a real thumper of a back and should make the Vikings backfield a painful one to deal with. The jewel of their draft was USC defensive end Everson Griffen. Like pretty much every player on the Trojans roster he’s extremely athletic, but he’s a project and I’m sure Leslie Frazier will enjoy working with him. The offensive line needed depth so they drafted Wake Forest tackle Chris Degeare. At 6′4″ he’s a smurf compared to their other tackles and he’s lacking in the smarts department (missed 2008 on academic probation and isn’t familiar with any moves defensive lineman use) but he’s got a good burst and good athletic ability. Linebacker E.J. Henderson went down last year with an injury so they looked to shore up the position. They brought in hometown kid Nathan Triplett from Minnesota and Ryan D’Imperio from Rutgers. Triplett brings really good depth and D’Imperio brings an intense presence that will be well suited for special teams.

Yes, even with ageless wonder Brett Favre, quarterback should be a concern for the Vikings, as much as Brad Childress doesn’t think it is. They drafted UAB quarterback Joe Webb. The Blazers super-athlete quarterback may wind up finding his way to receiver, which tells you Childress may be oblivious to how important the quarterback position is to his team. Second generation footballer Mickey Shuler, tight end from Penn State, adds depth to the position behind emerging star Visanthe Shiancoe. The Vikings will be a tough team again next year. But the fact that Brad Childress is ignoring bringing in a young quarterback to groom behind one of the best ever could be a foolish mistake.

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New Orleans Saints Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 10, 2010

The defending Super Bowl champs are stacked and don’t need a lot of help. They fully expect to be representing the NFC again next year. One area that needed a little depth was corner back. The drafted Florida State corner Patrick Robinson who’s speed and quickness brings in some quality depth at the position.

As good as the Saints offensive line is, it never hurts to have quality backups. USC tackle Charles Brown has good size and is a great developmental project who has a ton of upside. The also added Boston College center Matt Tennant. Tight end got a little more competitive with the drafting of Jimmy Graham out of Miami. He’s another big, athletic tight end out of a school that churns them out and could see some time behind former Hurricane Jeremy Shockey.

They drafted LSU defensive tackle Al Woods who is a good second option at the nose position. Drew Brees is no doubt the man but a little security doesn’t help. Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield is a good fit in Sean Paytons offense and should benefit from great coaching. The Saints will pretty much be the same team this year as they were last year, which is a good thing for Saints fans.

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Indianapolis Colts Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 7, 2010

After losing to the Saints in the Super Bowl, the Colts will no doubt have a sour taste in their mouth. But they should regain their form this year. Injuries on the defensive line made this an area in need of attention. They addressed those problems drafting TCU end Jerry Hughes. He’s an edge rusher in the mold of Mathis and Freeney and should work his way into spot duties during some point of the season.

They selected linebacker Pat Angerer from Iowa. He’s a fast playmaker that brings needed depth to the position. Another area of need is corner back, which brought in USC corner back Kevin Thomas. He’s a gifted athlete will speed to spare and should work well in the Colts defensive scheme. The drafted offensive guard Jacques McClendon who was a standout at Tennessee and should bring some depth healthy competition. While you’re not going to get any better of a receiving tight end than Dallas Clark, it doesn’t hurt to bring in a big, blocking tight end. That’s exactly what Oklahoma giant Brody Eldridge is and he’ll be a contributer right away. The interior of the d-line got some depth with the drafting of Cincinnati tackle Ricardo Mathews, who did a good job in college of plugging up the middle.

Clemson linebacker Kavell Conner brings some speed and toughness to the position and may contribute right away on special teams. One more special teams player was added, cornerback Ray Fisher of Indiana. He should compete for return duties. The Colts did a great job of adding depth and potential to areas where they needed it. This is a typical draft for the Colts and that’s why year in and year out they’re usually at the top of the league.

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New York Jets Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 7, 2010

The Jets are kind of like that kid in high school that desperately did everything he could to impress everyone all the time. New York was so busy signing big name free agents that Rex Ryan told the media they didn’t need anything in the draft and that they were just going to take the best players available. It’s pretty plain to see why some people expect the Jets to underachieve this year.

Their first pick was Kyle Wilson, cornerback out of Boise State. He’s one of the top rated corners in the draft and possesses all the skills you’d look for at the position. The Jets aren’t in need of a corner so he may not get a chance to display that talent. They added some depth to their offensive line drafting Mass. tackle Vlad Ducasse. He’s a bit of a project, but he’s got excellent feet and could see time at guard with the departure of Alan Faneca.

One key loss for the Jets this offseason was the departure of workhorse back Thomas Jones. The brought in USC running back Joe McKnight, who is far from a workhorse but could develop into a solid playmaker. The also drafted Kentucky fullback John Conner, who decided to put his mission of saving mankind from terminators on hold to pursue an NFL career. To say the Jets have put all their eggs in one basket this year would be fairly on point. They’ll be more pressure on them than there is on Rex Ryans belt, and could be a boom or bust type scenario.

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Miami Dolphins Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 7, 2010

Last season Miami was third fiddle in the competitive AFC East. This year, the Dolphins football savvy owners Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are hoping the team can rise to the top again under their guidance. In need of some defensive line help they drafted tackle Jared Odrick from Penn State. He’s big and strong and can be moved anywhere along the line, although he’ll probably play on the edge where they can take advantage of his reach.

Sticking with the d-line they drafted Utah end Koa Misi. Another big, strong lineman, Misi could be a disruptive force for opposing teams quarterbacks. Offensive tackle John Jerry out of Mississippi brings good versatility to the Dolphins offensive line and will add some quality depth. Miami really stuck with defense this draft selecting two more linebackers. Iowas A.J. Edds and Ohio States Austin Spitler will both come in as development projects and will probably get some playing time on special teams. They added Maryland cornerback Nolan Carroll. He’s athletic and aggressive and should fit well into Miamis scheme. Safety was an area of concern so they drafted strong safety Reshad Jones out of Georgia. He’s an SEC kid who hits a ton and has a nose for the football.

Bringing in one more defensive lineman they drafted Middle Tennessee States Chris McCoy, who they’ll look to convert to linebacker. Miami was competitive last year and probably will be again this year. Whether or not they  can knock the Jets and Patriots out of their way is the real question.

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New England Patriots Draft Review

By Tyler McConachie | Published: May 6, 2010

What would the draft be without New England trading a good chunk of their picks? That willingness to trade paid off for them this year, they had a kings ransom in picks. After trading down twice in the first round they finally decided on Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty. While they didn’t have a glaring need there, they went with McCourty anyways, who was considered to be the best special teams player in the draft. He’ll see time in the rotating Patriots secondary.

This time the Patriots traded up to grab Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski. He missed all of 2009 due to injuries, but is considered to be one of the best tight ends in the draft. They also drafted Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez, whose stock fell due to off the field issues. This fills a huge need for New England at the position. Sticking with Florida, they drafted defensive end Jermaine Cunningham and linebacker Brandon Spikes.  People were shocked to see Cunningham go before Carlos Dunlap, but Cunningham is a better fit in New England. Spikes brings them a thumper in the middle who will probably be starting next to Mayo at the end of the year. Receiver is a little thin in New England so they went after Ohio wideout Taylor Price. Price brings lots of potential, but the Patriots aren’t known for developing rookie receivers so he’s a major project.

The line was given some depth, drafting North Carolina State center Ted Larsen and tackle Thomas Welch from Vanderbilt. Either one of these guys, or both could be starters one day considering the Patriots churn out o-lineman so easily. Both defensive end Brandon Deaderick from Alabama and defensive tackle Kade Weston from Georgia look to add some bodies to a d-line that needs it. Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko could compete for the starting job right away possessing great leg strength and touch. Running with only one backup quarterback last year had New England primed to pick a quarterback. Oklahoma States Zac Robinson should help out at the position. With a young, talented defense, and Tom Brady leading the offense, the Patriots look to make another run.

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