The Cobra
08-22-2011, 10:34 PM
Cobra....
Well kids, it`s almost ...TIME !!!...FOOTBALL TIME !!!! and a ton of tweaks have gone on with every team to try and make them a contender to the Super Bowl. Here`s a few of the major "tweaks"-----what do you guys think???? I see this season shaping up to be a war between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots for the right to represent the AFC. Who do you think is the guy that puts their new team over the top??
As per TSN
We're midway through the pre-season and the NFL is finally taking on a semblance of familiarity. After a whirlwind free agency period and start to training camp, teams are at last back in their accustomed to routines, and we can step back and evaluate all the off-season dealings.
With so much player movement in such a short period of time, fans are still getting used to all the new acquisitions around the league. Which of all the new pick-ups will have the greatest impact on his team this upcoming season?
Nnamdi Asomugha - Philadelphia Eagles: Asomugha was the biggest of all the big pickups by the Eagles this off-season. The All-Pro cornerback was arguably the best free agent on the market, and surprised a lot of people when he signed with the Eagles, a day after the team acquired Pro Bowler Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Arizona. Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie join another Pro Bowl cornerback in Asante Samuel to help form a remarkable secondary in Philadelphia, one of the reasons the Eagles are considered by so many to be Super Bowl contenders.
Sidney Rice - Seattle Seahawks: Last year's NFC West champs are going with a new quarterback this season in Tarvaris Jackson, and will need to give him as much help as they can. Sidney Rice, one of the top free agent wide receivers this off-season, will be a familiar face for Jackson - the two spent the last four years in Minnesota together. Rice only played in six games last year after the start of his season was delayed due to injury, but the 24-year-old is only a year removed from a 1,300-yard campaign. Along with another big free agent pickup - former Oakland Raider Zach Miller - the Seahawks have significantly upgraded the weapons at Jackson's disposal.
Kevin Kolb - Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have one of the true difference makers in the league in receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and now they think they have someone to throw him the ball for the first time since Kurt Warner retired after the 2009 season. The Cardinals paid a hefty price in Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick for Kolb, but they're banking on the young QB becoming a solid starter in Arizona. Kolb showed flashes behind Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick in Philadelphia, and will have a chance to put it all together as a Cardinal this year.
Johnathan Joseph - Houston Texans: Some experts thought that the Texans were just an Asomugha-signing away from being real contenders in the AFC this year. But Houston, after falling out of the Asomugha race early, settled for the next best free agent cornerback, former Cincinnatti Bengal Johnathan Joseph. If Joseph can stay healthy, he'll be an important cog in new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' scheme and just might help the Texans finally put it all together and make it into the post-season this year.
Albert Haynesworth - New England Patriots: If Haynesworth was traded to any other team than the Patriots, he wouldn't make this list. But if Bill Belichick can work his magic and get the underperforming defensive tackle to play up to his talent level - like he did before signing a mega-deal with the Washington Redskins - he'll be one of the most impactful pickups of the off-season. It's a big if, but Belichick has revived players' careers before, and in the stable environment that is New England, it's worth the risk.
Matt Hasselbeck - Tennessee Titans: The Titans had a rough season last year, finishing last in their division, but have a number of weapons on offence which could help turn things around quickly. A big reason for their rough 2010 was the inconsistent play at quarterback, and while the future at the position belongs to first-round draft pick Jake Locker, 2011 will be Hasselbeck's. If Hasselbeck, a former Pro Bowler, can provide steady play behind centre while also relying on Chris Johnson and the running game, the Titans may be able to jump back into the mix in the AFC sooner rather than later.
Other off-season acquisitions that could be big difference makers for their new teams include defensive linemen Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin, who both signed with the Eagles; defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, now in New Orleans; receivers Braylon Edwards (49ers) and Chad Ochocinco (Patriots); and running back Reggie Bush, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins.
Well kids, it`s almost ...TIME !!!...FOOTBALL TIME !!!! and a ton of tweaks have gone on with every team to try and make them a contender to the Super Bowl. Here`s a few of the major "tweaks"-----what do you guys think???? I see this season shaping up to be a war between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots for the right to represent the AFC. Who do you think is the guy that puts their new team over the top??
As per TSN
We're midway through the pre-season and the NFL is finally taking on a semblance of familiarity. After a whirlwind free agency period and start to training camp, teams are at last back in their accustomed to routines, and we can step back and evaluate all the off-season dealings.
With so much player movement in such a short period of time, fans are still getting used to all the new acquisitions around the league. Which of all the new pick-ups will have the greatest impact on his team this upcoming season?
Nnamdi Asomugha - Philadelphia Eagles: Asomugha was the biggest of all the big pickups by the Eagles this off-season. The All-Pro cornerback was arguably the best free agent on the market, and surprised a lot of people when he signed with the Eagles, a day after the team acquired Pro Bowler Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Arizona. Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie join another Pro Bowl cornerback in Asante Samuel to help form a remarkable secondary in Philadelphia, one of the reasons the Eagles are considered by so many to be Super Bowl contenders.
Sidney Rice - Seattle Seahawks: Last year's NFC West champs are going with a new quarterback this season in Tarvaris Jackson, and will need to give him as much help as they can. Sidney Rice, one of the top free agent wide receivers this off-season, will be a familiar face for Jackson - the two spent the last four years in Minnesota together. Rice only played in six games last year after the start of his season was delayed due to injury, but the 24-year-old is only a year removed from a 1,300-yard campaign. Along with another big free agent pickup - former Oakland Raider Zach Miller - the Seahawks have significantly upgraded the weapons at Jackson's disposal.
Kevin Kolb - Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have one of the true difference makers in the league in receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and now they think they have someone to throw him the ball for the first time since Kurt Warner retired after the 2009 season. The Cardinals paid a hefty price in Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick for Kolb, but they're banking on the young QB becoming a solid starter in Arizona. Kolb showed flashes behind Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick in Philadelphia, and will have a chance to put it all together as a Cardinal this year.
Johnathan Joseph - Houston Texans: Some experts thought that the Texans were just an Asomugha-signing away from being real contenders in the AFC this year. But Houston, after falling out of the Asomugha race early, settled for the next best free agent cornerback, former Cincinnatti Bengal Johnathan Joseph. If Joseph can stay healthy, he'll be an important cog in new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' scheme and just might help the Texans finally put it all together and make it into the post-season this year.
Albert Haynesworth - New England Patriots: If Haynesworth was traded to any other team than the Patriots, he wouldn't make this list. But if Bill Belichick can work his magic and get the underperforming defensive tackle to play up to his talent level - like he did before signing a mega-deal with the Washington Redskins - he'll be one of the most impactful pickups of the off-season. It's a big if, but Belichick has revived players' careers before, and in the stable environment that is New England, it's worth the risk.
Matt Hasselbeck - Tennessee Titans: The Titans had a rough season last year, finishing last in their division, but have a number of weapons on offence which could help turn things around quickly. A big reason for their rough 2010 was the inconsistent play at quarterback, and while the future at the position belongs to first-round draft pick Jake Locker, 2011 will be Hasselbeck's. If Hasselbeck, a former Pro Bowler, can provide steady play behind centre while also relying on Chris Johnson and the running game, the Titans may be able to jump back into the mix in the AFC sooner rather than later.
Other off-season acquisitions that could be big difference makers for their new teams include defensive linemen Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin, who both signed with the Eagles; defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, now in New Orleans; receivers Braylon Edwards (49ers) and Chad Ochocinco (Patriots); and running back Reggie Bush, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins.