Everybody has their favorite players and guys they pull for when the Draft rolls round, so let me know who you’re looking at and who you would want on your team.

ROUND 1: JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin:  I fell in love with JJ Watt sometime in November while watching him carve up Big Ten offensive lines.  He has a great motor and doesn’t give up on any play.  He has great size at 6’6″ and 290lbs (he’s bigger than Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn, two other DE I like).  Realistically, his size will also allow him to switch inside to play DT in a 4-3 scheme as well.  In addition to Watt’s size, he has some great intangibles.  He started his career at Central Michigan as a TE, so he understands how offenses work.  He has great vision, as well.  In 2010, Watt batted down 8 passes; that’s more than Bowers and Clayborn had in their careers.  His athleticism won’t blow anybody away (4.85 speed), but he’s a complete package.  21 tackles for loss and 7 sacks means he can get into the offensive backfield and impact the game.  If drafted by the right team, I see Watt succeeding in the NFL for years to come.  (I gushed over Watt in a previous article)

ROUND 2: Jake Locker, QB, Washington: Locker’s draft stock took a hit after his poor Senior season.  He’s always had accuracy issues and hasn’t gotten past 58% completion percentage.  He has an injury history.  Too often, he disappears in the big games (5 completions in the Holiday Bowl; 4 completions against Nebraska).  Even with questions abound, Locker is an undeniably talented individual.  I’m not sure there is another quarterback with as good of an overall package.  Prospects Colin Kapernick and Tyrod Tayler are certainly faster and more athletic, but they do not have the passing ability that Locker has.  Despite his ups and downs, Locker’s teammates love him, he’s a great leader.  He has more heart than most, and will not back down from a challenge.  I think a team with an established starter should take a chance on him in the 2nd round (not worth a 1st rounder) and let him develop ala Aaron Rodgers.

ROUND 3: Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State: Depending on who you ask or what you read, Rodgers is as high as a late 2nd round pick or a early 4th round pick.  The vacillation is no doubt due to the questions regarding ‘Quizz’s size.  There are six guys I would put ahead of Rodgers: Mark Ingram, Mikel LeShoure, Daniel Thomas, Ryan Williams, Jordan Todman and Kendall Hunter.  Of those six, Rodgers is by far the smallest.  He’s also one of only two “draftable” RBs who have 3 career 200+ attempt seasons (undersized in his own right, Noel Devine is the other), and the only with 3 250+ attempt seasons.  So, despite his diminutive size, he’s durable and tough.  Rodgers suffered one injury in 2008 that forced him to miss two games and leave a third early.  Not counting those three contests, Rodgers has never had fewer than 14 carries per game.  Did I mention that Rodgers has also averaged 50+ receptions and 300+ receiving yards per season?  If it weren’t for his size, Rodgers, in my opinion, would be the undisputed #1 RB in the draft.

Next Week: Rounds 4-7

“A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.”

-Vince Lombardi*

Football fans have no idea if we’ll see NFL football played in 2010.  Right now, I’d estimate the chances are 40/60 in favor of a lockout.  We’re more likely to see a shortened season, but I’m not sure that’s a better situation.  Thankfully, we will have the NCAA game (watch how many FCS games find their way onto the air) and even the UFL to fall back on, but it’s a sad time for NFL fans.

As you’ll read below, I’m not really interested in the labor talks.  I’ve begun tuning out of Sportscenter and similar programs when the topic comes up.  John Clayton and Adam Schefter used to be mandatory listening on the ESPN airwaves, but lately, I don’t go out of my way to hear the news.  Unfortunately, my blog will lose some of its luster if I don’t want to harp on the daily banality of the labor dispute, so don’t be surprised to find some non-football pieces.  It’s not that I’ve lost my love, it’s that my desire to write is forcing me to find another, less odious topic.  The Draft is still of great interest to me, and many fans, so I’ll do my best to cover the event and include plenty of Mocks and player analysis.  Hopefully once July rolls around, we’ll be on here discussing training camps and the merits of the pre-season and not how deleterious a locked out season may be.

The following may be a long read (1400 words total), but you may find it interesting if you’re a “regular” fan and are frustrated with the goings-on.  I’m not an anti-trust lawyer.  I’ve never read a CBA in my life.  Like I mentioned, I’m not even paying 100% attention on the newest announcements coming from the NFL’s mediation sessions.  So, you may disagree with what I’m saying, but keep in mind it’s just an opinion on how I’d like things to play out.

I’m not a fan of all the back and forth banter about who is saying what, to whom and what impact it may have.  Major US sports have been down this road before.  We’ve lost full seasons (the NHL is so far the only major league to do so), partial seasons (NHL, NBA, MLB) and even played with replacement players (NFL, MLB).  None of the current issues are surprising, groundbreaking or all that difficult to figure out.  Ultimately, it comes down to Billionaires arguing with Millionaires over hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Both sides are looking for resolution for their “needs” and “wants.”  I see four major issues, two per side, which fit well together to form a compromise.

First and foremost, the NFLPA wants a larger share of the profit for its players.  Fine, I can see their argument.  Truthfully, owners really don’t have a leg to stand on here.  If the NFLPA were asking to double their current share, I could see the reservations; a gradual increase, to go along with increases in inflation and cost of living makes sense to me.

When the owners concede to the increase, and I believe they will, they’ll immediately ask for one thing in return: an 18 game schedule.  There’s obviously no direct research or evidence yet into the possible effects of an 18 game regular season versus a 16 game regular season over the course of a career; simple logic, though, tells us it’s more wear and tear for a player and will ultimately lead to a shorter amount of years in the league.  The average NFL career is somewhere around 3-5 years (I’ve heard just about every possible decimal in between), so players are looking at an average of 6-10 more games over the same career length.  It’s more than a 10% increase in games played (or decrease in career length, if you’re pessimistic) and would put the average player on the shelf a half-season earlier.  (See my below note regarding this point,  I didn’t want to clog up my four point plan here with it)^

The players got what they wanted, so they’ll have to cave into the owners on the extended schedule.  Knowing the NFLPA, they’ll hit their next hot button issue: player benefits.  For as violent as the game is, the NFL does a poor job of keeping up with player health after they retire.  I think it’s partly due to the anonymous nature of many players (other than the big name QBs, RBs and WRs, could you pick anybody out of a lineup?) and the fact that career length can vary greatly and end for many different reasons (including injury, off-field legal issues, etc).  I’m a firm believer that the NFL needs to step up and figure out a way to help out its former employees.  Tragic cases such as the recent suicide of Dave Duerson, which has been allegedly tied to his NFL career, are a constant reminder of how real the post-career traumas are for players.

Finally, the NFL will fire back and propose one more compromise to level the CBA.  The extra money will have to come from somewhere and I think that will come from one of two places (or both).  First, the NFL needs a rookie wage scale desperately.  Boys (yes, boys) three years out of high school should not be making tens of millions of dollars in the NFL.  Your first contract should be somewhat predetermined (based on draft position and on-field position) and if you play well, then you cash in for the big bucks.  The high salary going to the top draft picks has made those selections undesirable and flies into the face of the NFL’s presumed parity.  If the Panthers save $5 million on their #1 overall pick, they can place it elsewhere.  I’m not an expert, but that money could go to other veteran players, or maybe the salary cap is re-structured to reflect the lessened amount young players will earn.  For example, if teams would save, on average, 10% per year due to lesser salaries for rookies, that money should be put somewhere else.  Either the league’s cap could be lessened (and the difference be put towards player benefits) or the veteran minimum salary (and as the dominoes fall into one another, all veteran salaries) be increased.  Either way, the veteran players would benefit.  As it stands right now, a player is better off being drafted in the Top 10, never playing a down, taking the guaranteed money and retiring than attempting to play out a successful career.  Players who have put in the time and effort in the NFL, should be rewarded, not somebody who got lucky with a soft non-conference schedule at a BCS school.

There’s my plan.  Until we have some sort of resolution, I won’t be speaking of the madness.  It frustrates me and forces me to face the reality of a lost season.  Working with kids for the better part of my life has taught me that sometimes the best way to move along from a temper tantrum throwing toddler is to ignore them and pretend that they aren’t getting to you.  Maybe the NFL and the NFLPA will heed my silence and work this thing out.

*Most credits I’ve found online have this as a Lombardi quote, but I did find one site that noted Frank Leahy as the speaker.

^My thinking regarding the extended season is that it also benefits the player.  We know that NFL contracts aren’t “guaranteed” so one could argue that playing as many games (and, in turn, earning as many game checks as possible) at a younger, presumably healthier, age could help you earn more.  For example, consider that in the current 16-game format Player X (barring injury) will play his 100th NFL game in Season 7, Week 4; in an 18-game format, however, he’ll play that game in Season 6, Week 10.  If you could stay injury-free, you’re looking at getting to that milestone about a year earlier and an entire training camp and pre-season sooner.  Again, that is if you stay healthy, if you’re injury prone and your individual game checks are diluted by 10% you will suffer in the new format.  I just want to prove that you can flip just about any argument in labor talks so it fits your side of the coin.  (My thought process here is for the average player, who if they suffer a major injury, will likely be cut by the team at some point.  Remember, players are paid for pre-season games, however, my thinking is that if they add more “real” games in place of “fake” ones the players will request some sort of salary restructuring.  It would be tough to argue that the 2nd pre-season game is “worth” the same amount to a player as a game on Week 19)

NFL Team Name Origins – RootZoo Sports Articles.

It’s sort of like the “east coast bias” in other sports.  Generally, teams and games on the East Coast get more attention and television airtime because a disproportionate amount of people live in the Northeast and due to television and newspaper time constraints and deadlines (the NY Times and the USA Today can’t write about the Spurs/Lakers game as well [if at all] as the Magic/Heat game because by the time the game is over they may have 45 minutes before printing).  There’s no doubt that a topographical map of the United States of College Football would concentrate the population in the Southeast (Texas and Florida are high school football breeding grounds).  The NYC metropolitan area only has Rutgers to root for.  Boston has BC, but they’ve only had 2 10-win seasons in the last 25+ years.  Philadelphia has Villanova who is at the top of the FCS game, but relies on Temple and transplant fans from Penn State and Rutgers in the FBS.  Long story short, there is a definite Southeastern bias in the college football world.

A majority of fans (myself included) get their sports news from media outlets such as ESPN, CBS College Sports and any of dozens of regional sports networks.  When these networks prejudice their programming towards certain teams or certain regions, it takes a very keen eye to differentiate and realize what’s happening.  If you don’t have cable (which a portion of Americans do not), you have a limited number of football games you can watch each Saturday.  Generally, you will get any Notre Dame home games and the SEC game of the week on CBS.  If you are lucky enough to have cable, you have many more options.  ESPN’s coverage tends towards the Big Ten during the daytime hours, but there are plenty of SEC games left over that weren’t selected by CBS.  On my cable system, one of our local regional networks, MSG (home of the Rangers and Knicks games), plays host to the SEC Network!  Figure that one out. For the most part, as a fan, you are forced to watch what the networks will broadcast, and generally that is what will garner the most eyeballs.

I don’t fault ESPN or any other media outlet; they do what they do to sell advertisement space and to drive ratings.  If a higher proportion of the college football world root for Florida and Tennessee, then damn it, broadcast those teams.  Unfortunately, this same bias leaks into other programming such as pre-game shows and commentary/analysis shows.  I wish I had statistics for the number of mentions of SEC and their teams during a typical broadcast, but I would bet that it was proportionately higher than other teams and conferences on normal days (obviously, leading up to the BCS game the talk will be for the SEC and the PAC-10).  These shows, like College Game Day or College Football Live on ESPN, are at the base of our acquired sports knowledge.  It’s analogous to the debates on whether or not to teach evolution or creationism in school.  Depending on where you grow up (aka what channels and programs you watch) and what your school teaches (aka what regions/teams you bias) you will likely live your life believing that theory (aka which teams are best).

Anyway, back to my point… The people who vote in the human polls rely on the same news and media that other fans do.  Sure, some may have some inside information and may be “in the know” but in reality, they don’t know all that much about every team.  The final USA Today Coaches Poll actually has 37 teams ranked because 12 teams also received votes.  Do you mean to tell me that Nick Saban of Alabama could rattle off statistics or even starting players of Tulsa or San Diego State?  Maye he knows of the top guys, but does he know enough to make an educated estimation of their place amongst Northern Illinois, West Virginia, Iowa and Miami (OH)?  I doubt it.  Human (poll) nature is to go with your gut, and that is easily influenced by what you see, read and hear through the media.  If Cam Newton was on Iowa and they still finished with the same record, I guarantee they would be ranked higher because of the airtime the Hawkeyes would have received.

So, from week to week and year to year, we talk about the SEC and it’s presumed dominance, but in reality we are inflating the effect.  As I mentioned at the start, Auburn has proved they are the best team in the Nation (or a very close second to TCU), but are they that much better?  They beat a gimmicky Oregon by 3 points.  They had three 3-point games in the regular season against Mississippi State, Clemson and Kentucky (a combined 20-16 in the regular season; Clemson and Kentucky finished 6-6 and squeaked out bowl games, which they lost).  You can make two points here, 1) the mid-tier (Mississippi State or Kentucky) of the SEC is so good it can nearly beat the upper-tier or, 2) that Auburn (and by osmosis, the SEC) isn’t far and away the best team.

I’ll go with the second.

PS- I started out writing this as a quick hitter type of article but ended up spending an hour crafting the ideas.  I think I’m going to turn this into something more substantial and do some research and see what results show up.

The other day when working on my first NFL Draft lead-up, I came across a site I wish I found years ago: cfbstats.com.

The sheer amount of statistical analysis that can be done using cfbstats.com is exhaustive.  I’m sure I haven’t even scratched the surface yet.  So, you’re a Cincinatti fan and want to take a closer look at backup QB Chazz Anderson’s stats.  You can find that he’s averaging 13.3 yards rushing per game or that he’s just 2-6 for 12 yards in the Red Zone; useless stats for many, but entirely important to others.  The game logs and situational stats are a must for any writter, blogger or any bar bet.

Considering the dearth of quality stat websites, cfbstats.com amazes me.  Honestly, I would love to know how the site’s author compiles all the information, but I’m sure that’s a trade secret they would rather keep quiet.  Take a few minutes to go peruse the site and definitely bookmark it for next season when you need some stat help.

Guidry, the Hawks DB coach in 2009 and 2010, got the gig after Mike Haywood jumped to take the Pitt job (he’s since been fired for off-the field issues).  Guidry also coached at his alma mater, McNeese State and at the high school level.  I’m not sure winning one bowl game against a Sun Belt opponent warrants a head coaching job, but I hope the new coach, Don Treadwell (former OC at Michigan State) gives him a spot on his staff.  Guidry showed he is a good motivator and can get the most out of his players.  In 2010, Miami’s overall pass defense was ranked 57th (higher than Michigan State, and other bowl teams) and they were ranked 34th in terms of completion percentage.

Guidry may not be a sexy pick for a promotion, but I think he should be given the shot.  Give him a defensive coordinator position (even at the FCS level, maybe back at McNeese State) and see if he can prosper.  My bet is he can.

From: First Up » Video: Lance Guidry’s GoDaddy.com Bowl speech | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com.

Overrated

Mark Ingram (ESPN Scouts Inc. Overall #24): There’s no denying that Ingram is skilled, but I just don’t see him 1) as a First Round pick, and 2) as a starter in the NFL.  I’m sure I’m in the minority on this, but I just don’t see it in Ingram.  Maybe what I’ve seen of him through his career were “bad” games, maybe, but I’m going with my gut.  When it comes to competing in the NFL, it’s a day to day grind that pits you against some of the best athletes in the world (not Duke, against who he rushed for 151 yards [17% of his season total] and 2 TDs on a 16.8 yards per carry average). Ingram would have benefited had he been able to come out last year (too bad for that communist 3-year rule, right Maurice Clarett?) after his monster 1,658 yard, 17 TD season.  His total numbers are down this year (875 yards, 13 TDs) although he still has a high yards per carry average of 5.5 yards.  I think Ingram would fit nicely with a team who wants to employ a two-back scheme.  My prediction for him is #33 to Carolina.

Justin Blackmon (#25):  Justin Blackmon has more talent in his right big toe than I have in my entire body.  I know that.  I admit that.  I don’t think his talent is overrated, but I question is intangibles.  Blackmon lit the Big 12 on fire (he was the first WR selected as Player of the Year) with 111 receptions for 1,782 yards and 20 TDs.  Those are incredible numbers, no doubt, but what about 2009 when Dez Bryant was suspended for a majority of the season?  Blackmon had 20 catches for 260 yards and 2 TDs; hardly mouth watering statistics.  When he was given the opportunity in 2009, Blackmon had 4 or less catches every game and did not have any plays longer than 32 yards.  I would argue that new coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s (headed to WVU after one season) scheme led to Blackmon’s explosion and fear that some NFL team may being buying blind.  For all of you that I haven’t swayed yet, how about this story: In October, Blackmon was arrested for speeding (30+ MPH over the speed limit) and DUI (he’s only 20 years old, so any BAC is against the law).  Blackmon was visiting former teammate and current Cowboy, Dez Bryant, and had three other people in the car with him.  To me, this suggests an immaturity that could get you in trouble in the NFL.  Unfortunately for Blackmon, I’m not sure I see a spot for him at the end of the First Round.  Many of the teams don’t need a WR (Eagles, Saints, Jets, Ravens) and most of the others wouldn’t take a chance on a guy of questionable character (Colts, Steelers, Falcons).  I’m left with the Chiefs, Packers and Patriots who may take a shot on Blackmon.

Underrated

Ryan Mallett (#31): With Andrew Luck committing to Stanford and staying for another season, I would make Mallett my number one, NFL-ready quarterback.  Mallett doesn’t have the athleticism of Jake Locker (#23) or Cam Newton (#29), but I’m not convinced either one of them can make all of the NFL throws.  Mallett, in my eyes, has a Brett Favre type arm.  He’s strong and gets the ball to the receivers quick.  In 2009, Mallett’s biggest downfall was his accuracy (55.8% completion percentage), but he improved upon that in 2010 by almost 10% (64.7%).  If he fell somewhere in the middle, he could be a solid starting QB in the NFL.  Mallett had 9 300-yard games in 2010 and 5 in 2009.  In my mind, he’s the best QB in the SEC, by far.  NFL scouts will love his size (over an inch taller than Newton and about 30 pounds heavier than Locker); at just under 6’7″, Mallett is even bigger than “Big” Ben Roethlisberger.  Depending on the ruler (which magically vary in length depending on who is holding them around Draft time), he may be the tallest QB after he’s drafted, right next to Joe Flacco and Derek Anderson.  With Luck off the board, and questions about Newton’s and Locker’s NFL readiness, I think Mallett will go much higher than his #31 rating.   I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals (#5), 49ers (#7), Titans (#8) or Redskins (#10) interested in Mallett.

Julio Jones (#17): I’ve liked Julio Jones since his freshman season and think he’s a close second to the top ranked WR, AJ Green (#5 overall).  His stats aren’t as eyepopping as Justin Blackmon’s, but I don’t care.  For me, Jones passes the eye test.  I’ve heard some analyst, I think from the NFL Network, describe guys as a man, and I think Julio Jones fits that description.  He bounced back from a sub-par sophomore season (43 receptions, 596 yards and 4 TDs) with a much better 2010 (78, 1133, 7).  I should probably mention that during that sub-par sophomore campaign, Jones was the leading WR on the National Champion Alabama team, which certainly adds some weight.  Given the chance, I think Jones can showcase is amazing consistency.  In games in which he played (he missed only one game in his three seasons), Jones was held to zero catches just once, against South Carolina and to one catch just four times.  I think Jones makes a lot of sense for the Redskins (#10) and the Rams (#14).

Honorable Mentions

As you repeat readers know, I’m a huge Michigan fan and end up spending a lot of time watching Big Ten football.  There are two guys that have stood out to me all season and really proved themselves in their bowl game performance.  The first guy to keep an eye on is Cameron Heyward.  Heyward’s stats aren’t as impressive as he is in my aforementioned “eye test” but they aren’t too shabby.  Heyward totaled 48 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.  Heyward has a great motor (I’m sorry I said that, I hate when Draft analysts say that) and can play any of the DL positions effectively.  In the Sugar Bowl, Heyward had 6 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack.  JJ Watt of Wisconsin is another versatile DL propsect that will fit great in an NFL defense.  If you’re not seated, you should probably take a seat before reading Watt’s statistics.  I promise they are impressive.  In 2010, Watt totaled 61 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 7 pass break ups, 1 INT and THREE blocked kicks.  I think Watt fits best as a DE in a 4-3 scheme, but I can also see his athleticism (he was originally a TE) making him a viable 3-4 rush end.

The fact that there has been little rumors besides Jeff Fisher (and he hasn’t been fired yet) going to the Cowboys and the lack of external interviews, it’s gotta be Garrett.

Jason Garrett could be named Cowboys head coach today | Dallas Cowboys Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | The Dallas Morning News.

If you’re interested in your team’s history, I suggest taking a look at “The Helmet Project“.  The site describes itself as the “atlas of football helmets” but I would go even further.  In my eyes, it’s an encyclopedia of football’s history.  You can see the evolution of the logos and uniforms which, in many cases, is telling of the team’s on- and off-field history.

I may delve deeper into the idea than you care, so I’ll apologize in advance and urge you to go take a look for yourself.  Find a few of your own, and report back.  For everybody else who will espouse my desire to ramble about football history, thanks.

If I had to pick one team to watch for the rest of my life, it would be Michigan.  I’d give up the Scarlet Knights, hell I would even give up the Cowboys (begrudgingly), but don’t take my Wolverines.  Let’s take a look at their helmets first:

Not much change in design for the Nation’s winningest University.  The traditional “winged” helmet design is a part of Michigan’s lore; to change that would be an affront to all the legends that have come before.  My hypothesis (which I have not researched heavily) is that the traditional powers, the all-time best teams make few changes to their logos and their uniforms.

On the flip side, take a look at a school like UConn which has only been a full D1A member since 2002.

1964                                        ~1980                                         ~1995                                      2002

Is there any coincidence that they switched to a simpler, more refined helmet design in 2002?  In my opinion, their earlier helmets (from pre-D1A years) are crude and almost childish.  Compare it to today’s helmet, and I think you’ll see what I mean:

Today’s is crisp and clean and isn’t trying to be flashy and overly creative.  At the same time, though, you can figure out exactly what school it is.  That 1964 logo isn’t very clear since it’s trying to be a stylized football and a “C” at the same time.  In much the same way that it took time for UConn to find it’s place in college football and approach prominence, their helmet design has evolved and improved.

Now let’s look at Purdue.  Did anybody notice what helmet they wore on October 16th this year?  I don’t blame you if you don’t remember, they were playing the paltry Minnesota Golden Gophers.  Here it is:

Notice anything funny?  Why in the world is there a rose on their helmet for a game in October??  I asked the same question.  Some digging through the notes on the Helmet Project site held the answer: “A rose was added to the “P” decal for Purdue’s appearance in the 2001 Rose Bowl game against Washington. This design will be brought back for use during the 2010 home game against Minnesota in recognition of the tenth anniversary of the 2001 Rose Bowl appearance by Purdue.”

Purdue is a traditional Big 10 team (they won their first Big 10 championship in 1918), but let’s be honest, they haven’t found much success in recent memory (they’re 2-6 in Bowl games since 2000). So, I guess it makes sense that they would hang on, for dear life, to their one shining moment since LBJ was president.  I don’t like the gesture.  To me, it seems like they admit that it was a surprise to win the Rose Bowl, and they better celebrate since it may never happen again.  TCU adopted a similar helmet addition for the Rose Bowl this year, but somehow I don’t imagine them celebrating the anniversary in mid-October of 2020.

Okay, by now you get the point I’m trying to make.  I’m sure you could go through the galleries and find similar art imitating life stories, so I won’t fish for more.  What I will do now, though, is show off a few of my favorite helmets I found on here.  There are thousands of pictures on the site, so I bet I missed about 100 great ones.  Here’s my favorites in no particular order:

Denver Broncos, NFL, 1962

Is the horse sneezing?

Denver Dynamite, AFL, 1991

I hear Wile E. Coyote was their RB

Wichita Stealth, af2, 2001-2004

Interesting because of the crown logo, and a stealth bomber does look like a “W”

Kentucky Wildcats, NCAA, 1973-1974

This logo is so intricate, could you imagine having to draw it?

Sam Houston State, NCAA, 1981

Their mascot is the “Bearkat”

You may notice a dedication to the Fantasy Football world that I haven’t had in the past, don’t worry, you’re not crazy!  You’ll see articles and NFL & NCAA picks and predictions thrown in, but they won’t be as regular as if I had more time.  Trying to cover all of the NCAA and NFL bases proved to be quite an overwhelming task for this part-timer.  If you have questions or comments about the college game, please let me hear, because I’m still as much a fan as ever!

I’ll change my menus to reflect the fantasy football focus, including weekly position rankings.  That change should be done sometime in January.  I’ll slowly begin putting out NFL Draft primers and my picks for Keeper and Dynasty league owners as well.  All in all, the changes won’t be drastic, but will help you navigate a bit better.  Any feedback is much appreciated!

For my former faithful readers, thanks for checking back.  For anybody newly stumbling across my musings, welcome.  It’s been a great season so far, let’s cross our fingers and hope for a great finish!

-4thand18