Pick which team will win the Super Bowl
The NFL playoffs are almost upon us, so which team is your early favorite to win the Super Bowl?
It is hard to root against the Green Bay Packers, but something about the defensively challenged New England Patriots intrigues me. While all of the playoff spots haven't been finalized, we have a pretty good idea of which teams should be there in January. For the sake of fairness, I have included every playoff-eligible team in the following poll. Tap your mouse here for more »
Thursday Thoughts: LaMichael James’ decision and a fantasy football sleeper
I probably should be writing about fantasy football right now, but the news of Oregon Ducks junior running back LaMichael James' plan to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft is on my brain. His decision is not surprising, but what might be is where this ultra-productive talent comes off the board in next April's extravaganza. Tap your mouse here for more »
The ball is in Peyton Manning’s court
Should the Indianapolis Colts try to trade the face of their franchise, none other than one Peyton Manning, this offseason?
I say yes, only if the price is right - AND the Colts have already secured the rights to selecting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck by "earning" the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Tap your mouse here for more »
Adding Terrell Owens would be a fantasy folly
Drew Rosenhaus proclaimed his client, Terrell Owens (knee), to be 100 percent and ready to contribute for an NFL team.
"I just watched Terrell go through a full football workout and he looked awesome!" Rosenhaus said. "He is 100 percent healthy and ready to play right now!" Tap your mouse here for more »
Do battle with me and win some cash!
Let's duel! Fantasy duel, that is.
The fantasy football season has plenty of fun to offer, but what you never had the opportunity to do each week - until now - is play against yours truly. Our friends at FanDuel.com have setup challenges that allow you to enter into the fray against industry experts, including myself. Tap your mouse here for more »
I just can’t help myself
I know you are tired of hearing about him, and I have a nearly exhausted my tolerance for writing about him, but Brett Favre may not be as done as people think.
The 41-year-old "retired" legend says his arm feels as good as ever, but he doesn't want to keep putting his body through the beatings it takes to play quarterback in the NFL. It's hard to fault him, and I want to believe he is being genuine, but the streak is over, so the pressure is off. Tap your mouse here for more »
Tiki Barber planning a return to the NFL
Tiki Barber is coming out of retirement, eh? Wait ... that Tiki Barber?!?! You know, the one that played running back for 10 seasons and hasn't been in pads since the 2006 season ended?
Yup, that's the one.
Ronde Barber, Tiki's brother, recently signed a one-year deal to presumably finish his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tiki wants to play for the Bucs, and that marriage may not actually end as poorly as his last one.
Tiki turns 36 years old April 7, and while over the past four seasons his body hasn't taken the beating of an NFL player, he is still 36 years old with 15,632 offensive yards on his odometer.
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Will the Bucs bite? Maybe. They have shown a tremendous amount of loyalty toward Ronde. Barber could mentor LeGarrette Blount, but Antonio Pierce strongly disagrees with that notion.
Can Tiki get back into football shape and be a legitimate contributor again? Probably. He is reportedly 198 pounds (played mostly at 208 pounds) and said he was surprised by how little strength he lost. Of course, he is probably just saying that. Barber's best bet is to return as a change-of-pace and/or third-down back; in other words, he shouldn't bulk up to 208 pounds again.
Regardless of why Barber is returning (he says he has the itch again, others point to his spousal and child support woes), he has a hell of a mountain to climb to even land on an NFL roster and stick into the regular season.
Teams that could be interested in him: Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins.
Denver and the Saints have coaching connections to Barber, while the Redskins like to defy logic. You could probably even make an argument for the Oakland Raiders, strictly based on their history of ridiculous personnel moves.
My vote is he joins the Buccaneers. Optimistically, I want to think Barber can play a small but meaningful role for an NFL team in 2011, but reality outweighs my optimism.
Fantasy owners need not become excited, and if you're drafting now, avoid Barber in all standard formats.
I'll leave you with this: Did you ever expect to see Tiki Barber unretire before Brett Favre?
Dave Duerson’s death should open eyes
The unfortunate passing of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson last week rekindles the hot-button topic of player safety in the NFL.
Duerson took his own life, but he asked for his brain to be examined for the benefit of living current and former footballers everywhere. While his story is distressing, Duerson perhaps ended his own life with a bid for offsetting unselfishness. Tap your mouse here for more »
Antonio Gates suffering from plantar fasciitis
San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (foot) is suffering from plantar fasciitis and popped the plantar fascia in his right foot in Week 8, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "My (right) foot was on fire," Gates said. "It was so bad, it was like my toe and ankle didn't bother me anymore."
According to Dr. Phillip Kwong, a foot specialist, people find it difficult to walk for two weeks or more after tearing a plantar fascia. "I think it's going to be really tough to play with any proficiency this Sunday, unless they do a remarkable job anesthetizing him," Kwong said. "... He has a lot of demands on him at his position. This injury will make it difficult for him to push off and be explosive."
Gates has been able to play in relative comfort thanks to pain killing injections, but the hurt is almost intolerable when those wear off. He declared privately after San Diego's Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans that he was out for Week 9 against the Houston Texans. Tap your mouse here for more »
Minnesota Vikings waive Randy Moss
The Minnesota Vikings have waived wide receiver Randy Moss, reports NFL Network's Michael Lombardi. Tap your mouse here for more »
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