The 2008 NFL Draft is coming up in a couple days and many die hard NFL fans like to try and figure out which college prospect is going to be selected by which NFL team.  read more »

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 »

Giants 17, Patriots 14

The difference in the game
In my opinion, the difference in this game was each team's ability to rush the passer and protect the quarterback.

The New York defensive line dominated the game. Individual players like Justin Tuck, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Jay Alford kept making outstanding individual plays. Tom Brady had a record setting season in part because the New England offensive line consistently gave him time to throw; when given a chance to scan the field, Tom Brady will shred any defense. But the Giant pass rush consistently got to Brady, sacking him, knocking him down, putting him off rhythm. We haven't been used to seeing Brady knocked around, but that's what the Giants did.  read more »

Welcome to another installment of Football University

Today we take a look at the next evolution in football, which is the emergence of the TE, the elimination of the FB, and the coming of the feared 3 TE systems and formations.

Last week we discussed the 3 major steps in the progression of football.

1. The forward pass (a play innovation)
   
2. Allowing OL to extend hands and arms (a rule change)
   
3. The West Coast Offense and the Cover-2 counters (systems)

Step number four in the march of football ideas may very well be a change in positions.  Just as the flankers and wings of yesteryear vanished, and the original FB became a QB, the change in the future will be dramatic.  The FB will vanish, WRs will ba halved in numbers, and the TEs will become the center of the game.  read more »

The sports world has no greater spectacle than the Pro Bowl. Therefore, we dispatched Zach Everson to write about the Pro Bowl for us. He's out in Hawaii. Jerk. Here's his first dispatch; he'll file again for Monday.

The Super Bowl gets covered by Will and Daulerio; the Pro Bowl gets covered by some guy who contributes to another Gawker site and just happens to be in Honolulu when the game's being played. Consider me Deadspin's Don Criqui.

Originally I had no intention of going to the Pro Bowl. I watched two downs of it on TV last year.

The MLB All-Star game is a classic that's significant because of baseball's history. The NBA All-Star game is, as Simmons puts it, the black Super Bowl. And it's important because this one time, Magic had The HIV, but played in the game anyway and people touched him and they didn't die (even though it was before anti-bac).  read more »

I did not right this dave sparro did of the eagles news reports......
Head coach Andy Reid arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday and sat down with the Philadelphia-area reporters on hand and touched on a variety of subjects -- the Combine and draft process, what the Eagles need to do in the offseason to vault back to the top of the NFC East, quarterback Donovan McNabb and even the league's ongoing "Spygate" case involving the New England Patriots.
Reid, who missed last year's Combine as he took his leave of absence from the team to attend to family matters, is looking forward to reaching out and meeting this year's draft prospects. The Eagles have 60 interviews, 15 minutes each in length, lined up for the next week.  read more »

I did not write this. Dave Spadaro Eagles News reporter did. Head coach Andy Reid arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday and sat down with the Philadelphia-area reporters on hand and touched on a variety of subjects -- the Combine and draft process, what the Eagles need to do in the offseason to vault back to the top of the NFC East, quarterback Donovan McNabb and even the league's ongoing "Spygate" case involving the New England Patriots.
Reid, who missed last year's Combine as he took his leave of absence from the team to attend to family matters, is looking forward to reaching out and meeting this year's draft prospects. The Eagles have 60 interviews, 15 minutes each in length, lined up for the next week.  read more »

This is a great move for former Ravens head coach Brian Billick. He has a great speaking voice, as well as the personality to be interesting and informative in this position. Sitting alongside the other NFL Network people, he will fit in seemlessly and provide decent insight and knowledge to the broadcasts.

However, my first notice of his entry into this position was watching him yesterday give his opinion on what to look for when drafting a college quarterback to be a future starter in the league. I almost fell off my sofa laughing at the irony of this! Here is the league's premier TV network asking a former coach who NEVER was able to take a first round draft pick and develop him into a legitimate NFL quarterbak and this is the best the NFL Network could do to find someone who has done this? I guess the former NFL coaches who have successfully developed college QB's into NFL star QB's pickings was slim!  read more »

Here's every Pro Day workout report I can find that mentions Panthers personnel in attendance. Most were very expected but a couple I found surprising. (Reported via Scout.com)

Notre Dame (March 19)
20 teams were present, including defensive line coaches from Cincinnati and Carolina to watch nine players work out indoors on field turf.

» DL Trevor Laws (6-0 ¾, 304): Only ran position drills and kept the rest of his numbers from the combine.

I love Trevor Laws and hope we land him in the 2nd round.  read more »