Image: WR Pierre Garcon, Mount Union Every year around this time of year thousands of college football players from around the country are waiting anxiously for the NFL Scouting Combine list to be published. For most of the top division 1 players, the list is uneventful, already assured of selection in the early rounds, some wont even bother to attend the NFL Scouting Combine. The elite players are worried that an mediocre performance might hurt their already lofty draft status and maybe they are worried about an injury.  read more »

Today, 13 Dallas Cowboys players will take the field in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, more than any team ever, and yet arguably the most talented team in the NFC was unable to win a playoff game to extend an 11 year drought.  Much has been made of this team’s shortcoming this year and the disappointing end to the season, gameplans meticulously scrutinized and questioned and players’ focus on the field called into question.  No matter how frustrated the ending to the 2007-2008 season might have been, there is no doubt that this was a special time in the history of the Dallas Cowboys.   A record setting offensive year, as Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Terrell Owens all set Dallas Cowboys records in their respective categories, and while that is a nice accomplishment to do it while having the kind of winning season they did is almost magical.    read more »

The 2008 NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing and up until today there weren't a lot of fireworks to report. A little disclaimer here, all 40 times are courtesy of the NFL Network and are unofficial, I counted maybe 15 people down on the field with stopwatches and another 40 or so in the stands, so you will see a lot of different quoted times come out. The official electronic times will be released next week.  read more »

John Lynch: The Decision, Part Three

This is a four part article that will be taking a look at one of the best safeties to ever play the game, John Lynch. A decision about his retirement looms, and its ripple effect will be felt throughout the Broncos organization as everything from the Free Agency period to their potentially strong, 8-pick draft will be shaped and altered by whichever lot he tosses into the murky pool that is the Broncos' defensive future. Will it be the decision to retire, leaving $2 mil on the table? Will it be the decision to return, possibly having to accept less playing time and risking injury?

MHR's own Hoosierteacher took some time to look at the John Lynch situation with me, and provided some of his excellent knowledge and analysis of not only Lynch but of the difficult and oft misunderstood nature of the position he plays. We will be getting his take on the situation throughout this series.  read more »

The Dallas Cowboys defense entered 2007 as one of the most talented in the NFC and players guaranteed a step up in performance from the previous year. Yet the defense never truly lived up to its potential, frustrating fans with inconsistent play for most of the year. Significant improvement was shown with Wade Phillips establishing a more aggressive style system yet it just did not seem to be enough. Only a few times throughout the season did the defense step up and take over a game and play outright dominant football. Weaknesses were exploited and multiple times the extraordinary offense pulled the team from the brink, such as the game in Detroit. Taking a look back at the play of the defense in 2007 it becomes obvious that something was missing.

The players never seemed to have the drive to take over the game with a hard hitting mean streak, one that would strike fear into the hearts of the offense. Demarcus Ware, while being an absolute dominant player, is not one to fire up his teammates and lead the troops into battle. Bradie James was elected defensive captain yet his sporadic play does not necessarily frighten opposing teams. Greg Ellis has long been the veteran voice of the defense but he has been unable to get them to turn that corner. With the addition of new coaches that understand Wade Phillips defensive strategies and styles hopefully this coming year might be different. Yet with the team assembled as is, there will always be a missing quality that every championship defense possesses.  read more »