Detroit Lions are going to beat you in Super Bowl

I guess I'm not dreaming, I guess it's really happening,'' LeBeau said during a conference call Tuesday. "I have a strong sense of history, and that's the largest impact it has on me. I'll be part of NFL history forever ... that's what makes me shake my head a little bit.

"It's 10,000 dreams come true and I just count my blessings every day.''

LeBeau played for 14 years in the NFL and then spent the next 37 years as a coach in the league. He recently was elected to the Hall of Fame as a candidate from the Senior Committee.

In response to a question about Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Polamula calling LeBeau the greatest coach of all time, LeBeau said, "It's probably been the most humbling experience of my career -- the way my players talk about me. It's absolutely the highest compliment that's been paid to me, how these men respond and talk about me.

However, Suh is the only player taken in the top five who is not represented by agent Tom Condon's firm. It would seem to make sense for Parker to wait for the contracts to come in for No. 1 pick Sam Bradford and No. 3 pick Gerald McCoy and then slot Suh in the middle. It wouldn't look good for Parker if McCoy, who plays the same defensive tackle position as Suh, to come up with a better contract. That could be very damaging for Parker as he tries to recruits rookies in the years to come.

The Rams, meanwhile, have indicated they hope to get Bradford signed before their camp opens on Thursday, another sign that any potential holdout by Suh would be a short one.

We have video proof that the new Detroit Lions jerseys are going to beat you in Super Bowl XLV this winter.

OK, so it's video from the "Madden NFL 11" videogame. But it's still pretty cool, and it's not like we know what a Super Bowl celebration really looks like around here.

Check out virtual Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Marquand Manuel(!), Kyle Vanden Bosch, Jared DeVries, Kevin Smith and more celebrating their big virtual win over Indianapolis

The Green Bay Packers proved to be one of the better balanced teams in the NFL

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports Sunday that it reviewed land records and has calculated the Packers spent the $27 million over the last five years, acquiring more than 28 acres.

Team officials say the land purchases are the first step to developments that would create franchise revenue that wouldn't have to be shared with other NFL teams.

The Green Bay Packers proved to be one of the better balanced teams in Ryan Grant the NFL last year en route to an 11-5 regular season straight up record in which they got they lost just 4 times against the spread in NFL predictions. Green Bay has opened at online sportsbooks  as one of the favorites to win it all for 2010 as a 12-1 choice in Super Bowl odds with an over/under win total of 9.5 OVER (-160). Green Bay finished 2009 3rd in the NFL for scoring and 7th overall for points allowed. The Packers were the best team in NFL betting  for turnover margin as defensive coordinator Dom Capers led a remarkable turnaround on that side of the line. The only downer for the defense was their sieve like performance in the playoff shootout loss at Arizona.

General Manager Ted Thompson has methodically built the Packers jerseys through the draft and they have been one of the youngest teams in the league but now have enough seasoning where many believe they can make a run in NFL odds for the Super Bowl. After the offensive line struggled early in 2009 head coach Mike McCarthy changed the passing game tactics and ordered shorter routes. That helped cut down on a bad season total of 50 sacks taken by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who passed for 4,434 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 7 interceptions last year. Bet the 2010 Green Bay Packers 12-1 as longshots to win the Super Bowl in NFL predictions with a 10% bonus.

Look only to the Chicago Bears, who haven't had an elite quarterback since Sid Luckman retired in 1950. The Packers football jerseys themselves went more than two decades from Bart Starr to Brett Favre, the same for the Pittsburgh Steelers between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. Likewise, the New York Jets can only hope Mark Sanchez becomes their next Joe Namath, who last played for them in 1976.
Donald Driver More recently, the Miami Dolphins have had 14 different starting quarterbacks since Dan Marino retired in 1999; the Denver Broncos have drafted two quarterbacks in the first round over the past five years in their ongoing search to replace John Elway, who retired in 1998; and the Buffalo Bills, who have had only three winning seasons in the 14 years since Jim Kelly retired in 1996, remain so dire in need at quarterback that Packers cast-off Brian Brohm is competing for their starting job this year

some players off the 2010 Detroit Lions roster

There's a stiff breeze in the jet stream over the Great Lakes State these days, and Kaizen Magician Mayhew's "kite" is gaining altitude at flank speed.

For many who study the NFL Draft relentlessly, they may be saddened somewhat to see "one of their guys" not make the final roster.  Some may be relieved to find certain youthful players placed on the practice squad, only to have them relocated to the greater Miami-Dade area.

That's one rotten Tuna!  What a stinker!

 When we consider the breakdown of the fifty-three man roster, we immediately account for three on special teams, so that leaves fifty.  Are the remaining fifty evenly dispersed between the offensive and defensive sides of the ball?

 Well, if the final roster from the 2009 campaign is any indication, there Calvin Johnson will be twenty-five players on offense and twenty-five players on defense in 2010.

 With that in mind, I'll focus on just the defensive side of the ball and how the position battles will "squeeze" some players off the 2010 new Detroit Lions jerseys roster.

 The final 2009 roster was comprised of nine defensive linemen, seven linebackers, and nine defensive backs.  I will use the same approach when allotting the cast of my prognosticative 2010 Detroit Lions opening-day roster on defense (as of July 21, 2010).

 Only DE Cliff Avril will return as a starter on the defensive line from the 2009 squad, adding DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DT Ndamukong Suh, and DT Corey Williams to round out the new front four.  Also rotating on the defensive line will be DE Turk McBride, DE Jason Hunter, DE/DT Andre Fluellen, DT Sammie Lee Hill,  and DT Landon Cohen.

 Only SLB Julian Peterson returns as a year-long starter at his 2009 position.  DeAndre Levy gained excellent experience at the weak outside linebacker position before moving inside to his final destination at MLB, the position for which Levy was drafted.  From all accounts, the vacated spot, WLB, left by the departed Ernie Sims is Zack Follett's job to lose.  I hope Zack grabs the "tiger by the tail" and becomes the nasty-mean 'backer he was at the University of California.

 How about a Zack Attack on the Breaded Veal Cutler, Lions fans?  Steam rollin' it with the Pain Train!!!

 Rounding out the 2010 Detroit Lions linebacker corps will be Jordon Dizon, Vinny Ciurciu, Caleb Campbell, and Landon Johnson.

 Only FS Louis Delmas will return to start in the 2010 new Detroit Lions jerseys secondary, as Martin Mayhew made wholesale changes after the performance of the 2009 defensive backfield.  At this point, I believe

Chris Houston and Jonathan Wade will start at cornerback, and C.C. Brown should emerge as the other starting safety.

 Completing the complement of defensive backs will be CB Amari Spievey, CB Eric King, CB Dré Bly, FS Ko Simpson, and SS Marvin White.

 Based on the comments of the players currently comprising the Detroit Lions defensive backfield, I find it appropriate to share another pearl from "Winnie"

Thanks to an ample salary and hefty signing bonus, the bulk of which the Detroit Lions will pay out to their star rookie quarterback this year, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft placed 11th on the list with $27.65 million, only $750,000 of which comes from endorsements.

Sure, Matthew Stafford earned less than the gigantasaurus hitters like Woods (No. 1 with $90 million) and Grand Rapids' own Floyd Mayweather (No. 3 with $60.25 million), but he's up there with names like Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and (No. 10 with $27.77 million) and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (No. 9 with $30.8 million).

If you leave out endorsements, however, Stafford shoots up to No. 3 on the list – behind Mayweather (No. 1 with $60 million) and baseball's Alex Rodriguez (No. 2 with $33 million).

There will certainly be those who are shocked that Stafford – as a second-year player and after a season during which he started 10 games, completing 201 of 377 passes for 2,267 yards and 13 TDs vs. 20 INTs – could exist among two of the world's best golfers, the world's best pound-for-pound fighter and many other highly accomplished and decorated athletes.

Denver Broncos at a very deep level

Today, the struggling newspaper industry claimed another piece of Denver's mainstream media pie.

Frank Schwab, the Gazette's Broncos jerseys beat writer, announced via Twitter today that the CSG will be closing its Broncos beat. Schwab will remain with the paper but move over to cover the Air Force beat.

Schwab, who has covered the Broncos since 2003, served as the AP's Denver-based NFL awards voter (for honors such as MVP and all-pro), meaning the committee will have to select a new representative in 2011.

It's a curious decision by the bigwigs at CSG. The Gazette's online Broncos coverage tops its sports page views, and one would assume it does its fair share in the hard copies. If a beat had to go, why cut your paper's most popular?

 I consider the games before bye weeks absolute toss up games. Teams are still getting used to off season personnel and scheme changes, and we don't really see the "true" team until later on in the season.

    Denver's first six games were won both on Knowshon Moreno luck and hard work. Week 7 was our bye week and then we went into Baltimore which was the catalyst for the demise of our season. The advantage to a bye week for teams facing a hot team is that they have time to really study up on why that team has been hot. Baltimore made all the right adjustments, offensively. They went into a no huddle offense and didn't give Denver's defense any time to rest or strategize. Denver didn't give itself any time to rest on defense either as the offense struggled. For the first time in the season, Baltimore exposed the weakness in our front three on defense, and from there on out, teams that pounded the ball inside eventually wound up breaking through for a big play. The Broncos never recovered from that loss.

     I don't want to say that the first six games were all smoke and mirrors. It's just that opponents made the correct adjustments to their game while the Broncos didn't, nor did they have the personnel to. Now, with a bigger and more experienced defensive line, I believe that we've eliminated a lot of our problems on run defense.

What Kim is saying is that Denver "jumped" people early on. The 3-4 defense and the blitzes from anywhere idea took advantage of people still trying to find their game. It was after enough film on Denver was available did people figure it out. Denver had weaknesses.  Zoltan and I have been saying for months, Jack better have his team buttoned up and ready day one. Denver is coming.

On paper, the defensive secondary looks like a real strong unit. Are there holes in the secondary the Jaguars can exploit?

    Sure, there are always holes you can expose in a defense even with Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins in the secondary. I wouldn't recommend throwing in Bailey's direction, however. If the Jaguars can get their run game going, it's going to open up the field, maybe even cause the Broncos secondary to cheat up a bit. That's when the Jaguars could try throwing in Andre' Goodman's direction. Don't mistake him for a hole in the defense, however. He had 5 INTs last year and we couldn't have asked for a more complete corner to play opposite Bailey.

     I'd say your best chance of exposing the Denver secondary comes from balancing the offense.

This is so true it should be read to the entire Jaguar team. Read her words again and let it sink in. David Garrard under center, double tight end set, Brian Dawkins edging up in run support, can you see it?  Play action pass, Dawkins bites, Marcedes is open over the middle. This was done by the other teams. Maurice Jones Drew will scare Denver into letting Marcedes get open. She is telling us the game plan here. Run the ball, be effective running and the passing opens up wide.

The New York Giants waived injured wide receiver

This was not a surprising decision. Elway had contemplated retirement after the first Super Bowl win, and he still was undecided into the summer. He decided to give it one more go and he was rewarded with another ring.

That's right, Morgan Bruce Reeves claims that – honest-to-gracious-glory-be – Detroit drafted him in 1981. Yet the South Carolina gubernatorial candidate somehow doesn't show up anywhere  in NFL annals.

He explains an assault-and-battery charge Calvin Johnson on arrest record to WACH-TV in Columbia, S.C. by saying he was defending himself from hippies:
   
"I had six little hippies, I call them, ran me off the road twice with my R Calvin Johnsonolls Royce. I pulled over, and what those hippies didn't understand is that I hit linebackers everyday for a living in the NFL, and I beat six of them," Reeves says. I knocked them out."

Boy, you just can't make this stuff up! It's enough to make Democratic Senatorial candidate Alvin Greene with envy (see what I did there?).

Hixon, who will spend 2010 on injured reserve after tearing his ACL Matthew Stafford  last month, could be of some interest to a team who is willing to pay his one-year, $1.684 million salary for the right to stash him away and re-sign heading into next season (if there is one).

He ranked second in punt return average in the NFL last season.

Here's some analysis in a story posted on Betus.com about the win projection: "Last season the Lions football jerseys went just 2-14, however, so the total makes sense in that respect. They only managed to beat the Redskins and the Browns, and they lost all their road games. But in an odd way, the season seemed like a bit of a step forward for the battered Detroit franchise."

The article, to no surprise, references the progress made by several rookies last season, notably quarterback Matthew Stafford, linebacker DeAndre Levy and safety Louis Delmas. It also praises drafts picks Jahvid Best and Ndamukong Suh, but warns that learning to win will be difficult in a competitive NFC North.

The Chicago Bears have big plans for the future

For those that are actually concerned about the man behind the seven votes he received, Vic Hall was a wide receiver in perhaps the Bears mind only. He was primarily a cornerback/ST player with Virginia, while also having a small bit of skill at QB, but wasn't a huge stand out at any one position. That's really all there is to say unless you're in the market for 5ft 9in conversion jobs at wide receiver.

However, there is a lot more to say about Fort Knox, so follow me below  while we Jay Cutler take a look at the second player with golden connotations on the team. Also, don't forget to vote in this round as we have quickly removed most of the chaff making this vote even more important to keeping your favorite receiver in the game.

Taking a look at the voting, Johnny Knox raced past the other receivers much like he does to cornerbacks on the field. Knox ended up with over 400 votes, which is close to a 300 vote margin over his next closest competitor, Devin Hester. If Johnny Knox continues his development as a receiver this year, Knox will singlehandedly go down as the nail in the coffin when it comes to who got the better end of the Cutler from Denver deal. Franchise QB and a possible pro-bowl receiver for a couple of first rounders? Yes. Please.

 

Cutler took the blame but he has a chance to come out and redeem himself this year. He doesn't have a ton of help on offense but the Bears jerseys have a better all-around team which should allow Cutler's mistakes from trying to do too much not stand out as much should they occur.

 

The Bears won't be a favorite according to the NFL against the spread odds in most Chris Williams games but they will be a solid all-around team with a chance to make some noise, win the NFC North, and perhaps get into the playoffs. At the projected win total of 8, the Bears have a lot of work to do to make betting fans happy this time around, however.

The defense could be much improved with the addition of Julius Peppers via free agency adding to a pass rush that has languished in recent years. Brian Urlacher should be back for a defense that will all of a sudden gain two premium impact players this season.

In this preview of the Detroit Lions

The defense rests

The Lions jerseys were dead last in every defensive category except one. They allowed an average of 399.2 yards per game including 265 through the air. They gave up 30.9 points per game more than a touchdown worse than any other team in the league.

It's no wonder that the Lions are listed as 90/1 long shots to win the NFL title and 50/1 to capture the NFC crown. If you're a glutton for punishment, you could always put down a few bucks on the Lions to win the NFC North (+1500).

Youth is served

Detroit is pinning its 2010 hopes on the continued development of Matthew Stafford and the arrival of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Stafford was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft and immediately installed as the starter by head coach Jim Schwartz. He started 10 games, passing for 2,267 yards and 13 touchdowns, and enjoyed his finest day as a pro in Week 11 when he threw a touchdown pass on the final play of the game to beat Cleveland, 38-37.

Stafford finished that game with 422 yards, a rookie record, and five touchdown passes but suffered a separated shoulder on the next to last play of the game that ended his rookie campaign.

Can somebody lend a hand?

Stafford's receivers need to step up, especially former first-rounder Calvin Johnson who had a team-high 67 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns.

The Lions football jerseys running game has to be more productive if for no other reason than to give Stafford a break. Detroit had the sixth-most pass attempts in the NFL last season, a sure-fire way to burn out your QB.

 

The camps are for boys and girls ages 6 to 14 and the academy is for ages 8-14. The cost for the four-day camp is $159, the academy is $75 and the mini-camp is $89.

 

The camps are designed to improve beginning, intermediate and advanced skills in offense, defense and special teams and are limited to the first 80 participants.

 

The new Detroit Lions jerseys is hosting more than 20 youth football camps throughout the state this summer, including three in West Michigan.

New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith

The Giants had Jones, who could have played professional baseball or football, transferred to the Upper East Side hospital for skin grafts and additional procedures even though it is unclear if he will ever play football for the team. He had signed a four-year deal that included a $826,000 signing bonus.

Jones received an outpouring of sympathy from teammates, who have continued to inquire about his progress. Justin Tuck, who was in Ridgewood, N.J., Wednesday shooting a commercial for EA Sports "Madden NFL 11," said he's been talking to team personnel about the safety.

"I know the Giants," Tuck said. "We're going to do our best to make sure he sees all the best doctors, make sure he has the best chance of this recovery and then after that see what happens."

New York Giants jerseys wide receiver Steve Smith was interviewed by ESPN personality Trey Wingo earlier this week. The interview aired on the ESPN program NFL Live on Wednesday (July 7) evening. Here are the highlights of the very brief interview.

- "Consistency" was the key to Smith's amazing 2009 season (107 receptions in 2009).

- Smith wants to make "more big plays" and "be a spark" for the Giants football jerseys in 2010.

- Expects the Giants to look at every game as if it's a title game in order to avoid meltdown during the second half of the NFL season. Smith said Giants won't fall apart as they did in 2009.

- Giants have "stayed under the radar" during the NFL offseason. Smith thanked the Jets and the new Meadowlands Stadium for this. Believes the lack of attention is good for the Giants.

The New York Jets have crossed former Oakland Raiders

Determined or not, Tomlinson's role remains undefined. He will compete with second-year running back Shonn Greene for a starting spot on the roster. Greene averaged five yards per carry for a total of 540 yards and two touchdowns in 2009.

While Greene is the current favorite to win the No. 1 job, Tomlinson maintains that starting isn't necessarily a priority. He expressed willingness to play whatever role the team required of him.

"Whatever they need me to do, whether it's catching the ball out of the backfield, whether it's picking up blitzing linebackers or running draw plays or screens or what have you," Tomlinson said.

The fact that New York is the biggest media market in the nation and the Jets are the focus of this year's edition of HBO's Hard Knocks means more scrutiny. With the already built-in distractions that come with playing in New York Jets, Tomlinson's less-than-modest guarantee is a bit surprising.

But is it realistic?

The Jets' running back trio of Greene, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington led the NFL in rushing last season.

The Jets added several high-profile players in addition to Tomlinson, including Santonio Holmes, Jason Taylor and Antonio Cromartie. With those additions, some foresee potential locker-room problems. But personalities aside, the Jets have gained a better pass rush, a stronger secondary and a more diverse offense.

The Jets had the No. 1 defense in the NFL last season, and it should be just as good, if not better, in 2010. Darrelle Revis is the game's best corner, Taylor can enhance the pass rush and Cromartie and Kyle Wilson give coach Rex Ryan more of an ability to blitz.

 

 The New York Jets have crossed former Oakland Raiders bust JaMarcus Russell off their list of potential free agents in the wake of his arrest for possession of a controlled substance, according to the New York Daily News.

 

Per the report, the Jets had recently made an exploratory call to Russell's agent.

 

Now, they have no interest in Russell.

 

Russell has a career 65.2 passer rating.

 

He was caught with codeine syrup today during the arrest at his Mobile, Ala., home during an undercover investigation.

 

He's free on $2,500 bail.

 

He has a Wednesday bond hearing and a July 20 court date.

 

Russell struggled with his weight, decision-making and accuracy when he played for the Raiders.