hammerhead johnson

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Sep 2, 2005 -> 05:57 PM) As for the Colts, maybe I am a little optomistic about their D, but they finished 29 last year, added a Pro-Bowl calibur defensive tackle, get Bob Sanders back, and used their first two picks in the secondary. I could buy number 20, which is I guess lower than I said. Either way, they still made the playoffs with that horrendous D and I doubt the results change much. Hammer, some of the D's on that list don't thrill me much, like the Browns, St. Louis, and Tennessee, and the Vikings have some brutal LB's with only Williams impressing me on the line. Granted the Colts might not be better, but I don't think they're that far behind some of them. I agree, the Vikings LB core is going to be terrible because they lack brains as a unit, but their defense overall: DE: Kenechi Udeze (Solid), Lance Johnstone (Solid) DT: Kevin Williams (Monster) DT: Pat Williams (All-Pro Caliber) DE: Erasmus Jones (Solid) OLB: HOLE MLB: HOLE OLB: HOLE CB: Antoine Winfield (All-Pro Caliber) SS: Corey Chavous (Solid) FS: Darren Sharper (Solid) CB: Fred Smoot (All-Pro Caliber), Brian Williams (Solid) They have a Top 10 D-Line (arguably) and a Top 8 secondary (obviously) in the NFL. I'd say that they are much, much, much better than the Colts. Tennessee ain't nowhere near as bad on D as I've been reading in all of my football preview mags. They have no good pass-rushing defensive ends, which is going to put a s***load of pressure on the young CBs, but overall, I'd give them a major edge over the Colts. They have proven over the years (and then some) that they know how to draft quality defenders. DE: HOLE DT: Albert Haynesworth (All-Pro Caliber) DT: Rien Long (Solid), Randy Starks (Solid) DE: HOLE OLB: Peter Sirmon (Solid), Rocky Boiman (Solid) MLB: Brad Kassell (Solid), Rocky Calmus (Solid) OLB: Keith Bullock (All-Pro Caliber) CB: ??? SS: Tank Williams (All-Pro Caliber) FS: Lamont Thompson (Solid) CB: ??? I'll put question marks next to the CB slots because I don't know what Pacman and Woolfork are going to do this year. While you can certainly expose the Titans through the air, they should be awfully good against the run. Next up, we've got St. Louis. They're not as bad as people think. While the only true defensive playmaker that they have is Leonard Little (some would argue Archuletta), they are not terrible in any one facet of defense. DE: Leonard Little (All-Pro Caliber) DT: Ryan Pickett (Solid) DT: HOLE DE: Tyoka Jackson (Solid) OLB: Dexter Coakley (Solid) MLB: Chris Claiborne (Solid) OLB: Pisa Tinoisamoa (Solid) CB: Jerametrius Butler (Solid) SS: Adam Archuletta (Solid) FS: HOLE CB: Travis Fisher (Solid) However, they will be on the field a s***load, much like Cleveland: DE: Orpheus Roye (Solid) DT: Jason Fisk (Solid) DT: Alvin McKinley (Solid), Kenard Lang (Solid) OLB: Matt Stewart (Solid) ILB: Andra Davis (All-Pro Caliber) ILB: HOLE OLB: Chaun Thompson (Solid) CB: Gary Baxter (All-Pro Caliber) SS: Sean Jones (Solid) FS: Brian Russell (Solid), Brodney Pool (Solid) CB: Daylon McCutcheon (Solid) The Browns are surprisingly deep on defense, and trust me, I won't be surprised if they're waaaay down there in the rankings because they're gonna be an extremely exhausted unit in the latter stages of games. But they are Top 20 IMO, and much better than the Colts.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Sep 2, 2005 -> 05:27 PM) Didnt the Ravens win the superbowl with Dilfer who than lost his job the next season and tell me again who Tampa won the superbowl with who has also lost his job..... Both those teams won with defense and mostly a solid running game something we are trying to do. I hear that. However, both Baltimore and Tampa Bay had what I would call legendary defensive squads that you could mention in the same sentence as the 85 Bears, 70s Steelers, 70s Raiders, etc.

QUOTE(Spiff @ Sep 2, 2005 -> 05:42 PM) Are you saying you don't believe in Gary Brackett and Donald Stickland? Those two would absolutely wreck shop in NFL Europe. It's not that the Colts haven't tried to accumulate some talent on defense. It's just that most of their draft picks in recent years have been duds. Just look at their LB and DB depth charts. In retrospect, letting go of Mike Peterson was retarded. Although, in fairness, they can't go out and sign many impact players on defense because all of their money is tied up in that offense. If I'm looking for super bowl contenders, I'll go with the most balanced, deepest teams on both sides of the ball. Right now, you have New England. Nobody else even comes close.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Sep 2, 2005 -> 05:14 PM) Ok I dont think the debate is between whether which team is better... its obviously the colts.... and while their defense has improved its still weak in the LB and Secondary departments.... So they will prob finish in the 15-25 range. No way, dude. First off, that's a pretty big freaking range. The teams in that range would be much, much better defensive teams than the Colts. 16-21 (No particular order) Minnesota NY Giants Tennessee Cleveland St. Louis Arizona 22-26 (No particular order) Cincinatti Miami Houston Oakland Seattle Can you make an argument for the Colts over any one of these teams in the 16-26 bracket? Perhaps Seattle and Oakland, but that's it. And I know that certain people will tell you to wait until they start playing the games to evaluate them, but you ain't gotta wait that long. This Indianapolis defense is going to suck BIG TIME, a bottom 1/6 defense for certain.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Sep 2, 2005 -> 04:31 PM) Plus the Colts' D should be middle of the pack with the addition of Simon No way, Zoom. While I like the D-Line, their LB core is atrocious, and their secondary is incredibly raw. They're in the 27-32 bracket with these teams IMO: Indianapolis Detroit New Orleans San Francisco Green Bay Kansas City And a major lack of depth at LB and in the secondary is going to mean insanely awful coverage on special teams, which is absolutely huge.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Sep 1, 2005 -> 02:05 AM) But at Finley's age, you go where you are most likely to win a ring. At 32, he should have two more quality years left in him. But yeah, there's definitely a chance that he could be mediocre from here on out. It's tough to call when guys are in that 31-34 age bracket.

Finely should have gone to Denver. That would have been a perfect fit IMO. With the Nuggets prolific 3/4/5 drawing people into the paint, he'd be getting plenty of open looks out on the perimiter, and more importantly, 30+ minutes of playing time per game. Now he has to steal minutes from the fan-favorite Manu Ginobli. Maybe he just doesn't want to leave Texas, I dunno.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 09:12 PM) Not deep at LB huh? How about Urlacher, Briggs, Odom, Hillenmeyer, Ayanbadejo, and Woods? Odom, Hillenmeyer, Ayanbadejo, and Woods are glorified special teams players. If any one of those guys is starting for you or even posing as the main back-up at the OLB slots, that can not be good. QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 09:12 PM) DE: Ogunleye = All-Pro DT: Harris = All-Pro Caliber DT: Scott = Solid DE: Brown = All-Pro Caliber LB: Hillenmeyer = Solid LB: Urlacher = All-Pro LB: Briggs = All-Pro Caliber CB: Tillman = All-Pro Caliber CB: Azumah = Solid FS: Green = Solid SS: Brown = All-Pro Best defense of all time. My version: DE: Ogunleye (All-Pro Caliber) DT: Harris (All-Pro Caliber) DT: HOLE DE: Brown (Solid) LB: HOLE LB: Urlacher (All-Pro Caliber) LB: Briggs (Solid) CB: Tillman (Solid) CB: HOLE FS: Green (Solid) SS: Brown (All-Pro Caliber) And Ogunleye isn't exactly what I'd call a run-stuffer. He's just prolific when it comes to the pass rush. I can just as easily call him merely solid overall, as a lot of people outside of Chicago have. But that is the extent of my Bears homerism.

QUOTE(rangercal @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 11:40 AM) Nathan Vasher would start for more than half the teams in the NFL, I think they will be fine in that area. Vasher shouldn't be starting for anybody. He's good against the run, but god damn, from everything that I have witnessed, he can't cover for s***. Yep, the Bears have major holes in terms of depth at CB and LB. And that's why they're not in my elite 4: New England Jacksonville Buffalo Carolina Teams like the Eagles, Ravens, Bears, Jets, etc have some serious star power in their starting units, but if numerous guys get injured, well, you know how it goes. Depth prevails.

QUOTE(SoxFanForever @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 07:12 PM) Losing 2 guards is losing all of your O-Line? They kept their two great tackles and get their pro bowl center back from injury. However, I guess 2 guys make an offensive line these days? Mike Wahle is one of the best guards in the business, and Marco Rivera is damn good. You could argue that they'd both make a Top 20 Guards list in the NFL. You can't just replace those guys with adequate (or worse) players and hope that they'll still have a Top 10 O-Line. They won't. Clifton and Tauscher are good tackles, but they're not exactly elite. Flanagan is still one of the best centers in the business, though. QUOTE(SoxFanForever @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 07:12 PM) As far as defense, I think that the Pack D will be much improved this year. They will be a bend but don't break type of D. I really think Jim Bates can help turn them around. From what I have seen in the pre-season they have had much more sure tackling, played more physically and looked more organized overall. They have not given up a big play pretty much the whole pre-season. I think most Dolphin fans can attest to how good Bates is and how much is coaching and preparation can help turn a D around. I think that the Packers will have the worst defense in the entire NFL outside of maybe the Saints and 49ers this year. HOLES = Adequate players, or worse Solid = Above average NFL player CB: HOLE FS: HOLE SS: HOLE CB: Al Harris (Solid) OLB: Nail Diggs (Solid) MLB: Nick Barnett (All-Pro Caliber) OLB: HOLE DE: Aaron Kampman (Solid) DT: Grady Jackson (Solid) DT: HOLE DE: Kabaar Biamila (Solid) That is what I would call swiss cheese. I'm sure that a player or two will step up, but it would be tough to find a team that has less depth on defense than the Packers. I guess that an optimistic outlook is all one could have during preseason, but the honest-to-god truth is that this defense really sucks. Just to clarify, Biamila is all-pro caliber against the pass, but he can't do much against the run, and therefore, I have him down as a solid overall player. Some might disagree. So, you're a Packers fan, huh?

We have jack s*** for depth at WR, so yeah, I'd be glad if we signed him (even with the injuries). It seems like 7 out of every 10 quality wide receivers in the NFL have attitude problems, so it ain't that big of a deal if you really think about it. Cincinatti has excellent pieces at the WR slot. Chad Johnson is one of the best in the league, and Houshmandzandah or whatever the f*** his name is is a damn good receiver. They can afford to release Warrick without thinking twice about it. Now, the Falcons cutting Price with their lack of depth at WR is very alarming. That guy went from borderline all star to scrub in the blink of an eye.

QUOTE(DukeNukeEm @ Aug 30, 2005 -> 01:53 AM) Brandon Noble solid? Yes. When his knee isnt blown out. Unfortunatly, he's the Rex Grossman of NT's. The Skins have 1 good defensive lineman, and that is 3T Cornelius Griffin. Brandon Noble, when healthy, can tie up two blockers and make that LB core all the more effective. I'm assuming health this year until he gives me a reason to think otherwise. Renaldo Wynn is still a very effective DE. He's getting up there in age, though. QUOTE(DukeNukeEm @ Aug 30, 2005 -> 01:53 AM) LB's took a HUGE hit with the loss of Pierce who was without a doubt the leader of that defense. Lemar Marshall isnt solid. Lemar Marshall is a very smart player and he doesn't miss very many tackles. He's not as good as Pierce, but he's still a solid overall player. What makes you think otherwise, specifically? QUOTE(DukeNukeEm @ Aug 30, 2005 -> 01:53 AM) FS Sean Taylor is awaiting charges after he shot at somebody. 4 Years in Prison is what he could get. Stay Tuned. Marcus Washington, LaVarr Arrington, Shawn Springs and Carlos Rodgers are the only players I would take playing for the Bears. I'd take a clean Taylor, but for now he's a cancner who's demanding more dough than Ed Reed. That's fine, I'd be inclined to agree that if you combined the Bears and the Redskins defensive starters, we'd have about 6 players and they'd have 5. All things considered, the Redskins are a Top 5 defense in the NFC, and that's not due to the presence of only 5 or 6 players. They're a pretty deep squad with very few holes.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 10:16 PM) I gotta say, Faulk was the name that jumped out at me too. All the reasons you think Jackson isn't that good, don't they make Faulk's troubles seem even worse? Faulk's got that one-in-a-million type elusiveness though, you know? He's one of the best RBs of all time. And I know that 32 is old in RB terms (particularly), but if he's even 80% healthy, he's gotta be a second tier guy at this point in his career. It's also worth noting that he averaged only 14 carries a game last year. Even at his age, if you gave him 20 carries a game, he could rack up some serious yards IMO. But they will conserve him with that "formidable duo" in mind. And you know what? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he averaged 4.5 yards per carry this year assuming that he's at least 80% healthy, because he'll still make a lot of people miss with that elusiveness. I'll concede that I wouldn't draft him in a fantasy league due to limited play-making opportunities and injury potential. I'd just as soon draft Thomas Jones, and that ought to say it all as I don't even have him in my Top 25.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 09:34 PM) Yeah, Stephen Jackson is their clear-cut go-to RB at this point. That should definitely be a formidable 1-2 punch, kind of like what the Chiefs have in Holmes/Johnson and what the Bears could have in Benson/Jones.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 09:24 PM) Well I like it mostly except for some changes.. Chris Brown, Domanick Davis, Westbrook, and Steven Jackson up a level. Deshaun Foster and Marshall Faul down a level... Jackson is starting over faulk this year. Also Willis McGahee shouldnt be an the elite if julius and kevin jones arent. And some could argue putting Jordan up a level with the kind of offense Oakland is having but I dont mind where you put him. On a sidenote I agree I wouldnt really be surprised if the Redskins beat us. But a lot of people outside of Bears fans think we are a bad team and I dont really agree with that.... Im expecting at least 7 wins and if Kyle Orton isnt 2 bad i wouldnt be surprised with 10-11. Although what im really expecting is a 8-8 or 9-7 season. You think that Steven Jackson is a second tier caliber back? I think that he is made to look better than he actually is due to the fact that they have a damn good O-Line and an absolutely terrific WR core in St. Louis. Therefore, teams don't really focus as much on a Stephen Jackson as they would for a McGahee or somebody like that when trying to come up with a game plan. Damn, has Marshall Faulk fallen that far in the RB rankings? He's old and injuries have taken their toll, but I'd still have to put him in the second tier. I could be completely wrong about that. Chris Brown and Domanick Davis have definitely shown flashes. I'd put them at the top of the adequate-to-solid list. I also think that DeShaun Foster might be the most underrated RB in the NFL.

QUOTE(Queen Prawn @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 09:04 PM) Poor stinky butt ended up with hairless balls because of that. And there are those among us who voluntarily choose to do so.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 08:30 PM) It depends on what you use as your criteria. I can see McGahee as elite, but that's based more on potential than performance. Ahman Green isn't what he was as he's coming off a down year, is fumble-prone, and his O-line isn't looking all that great... I could definitely see Dillon as elite, maybe in place of Green. Yeah, I suppose that all of those guys could fall somewhere between Solid and Elite. I understand what you're saying about Green, although I still think that he's a monster.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 08:19 PM) Definitely debatable as I could see guys from each list being switched... Who do you think should be switched? You think that Martin, Barber, and Dillon should be in the elite category? Do you think McGahee is overrated? I can see that.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 04:28 PM) The good thing is the first week we play a not so good Redskins team who lost an important CB and DT to their defense and lost both their starting WR's. This defense ain't no joke. I believe this is a Top 5 defense in the NFC: DE: Renaldo Wynn (Solid) DT: Brandon Noble (Solid) DT: Cornelius Griffin (Solid) DE: HOLE OLB: Lavar Arrington (All-Pro Caliber) MLB: Lemar Marshall (Solid) OLB: Marcus Washington (All-Pro Caliber) CB: Shawn Springs (Solid) FS: Sean Taylor (All-Pro Caliber) SS: HOLE CB: Walt Harris (Solid), Carlos Rogers (Solid) They also have a pretty good offensive line and one of the deepest backfields in the league: RB: Clinton Portis (All-Pro Caliber) RB: Ladell Betts (Solid) FB: Chris Cooley (All-Pro Caliber) FB: Mike Sellers (Solid) They also have pretty good special teams (kicking and punting wise, anyway). Now, this s*** ain't football law. You could argue that Cooley ain't all-pro caliber, and you wouldn't be way off base. But that is one deep f***ing backfield any way you slice it. Like us, they have a major hole at the QB slot, no quality tight ends, and jack s*** for depth at WR. I'd say that we're pretty evenly matched, except that our defense has a much higher ceiling in terms of potential devastation. I can tell you right now that I won't be the least bit surprised if they beat us, especially with Blache looking for revenge.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 01:17 PM) Well Thomas Jones is Thomas Jones, he's not in the top half of starting RB's in the league, hence why they drafted Benson. That's exactly right. I would say that he's not even in the Top 25. How I see it, in no particular order: Elite Shaun Alexander Deuce McAllister Ahman Green Ladanian Tomlinson Priest Holmes Willis McGahee Jamal Lewis Edgerrin James Solid Marshall Faulk DeShaun Foster Kevin Jones Clinton Portis Tiki Barber Julius Jones Corey Dillon Curtis Martin Rudi Johnson Somewhere in between Adequate and Solid Steven Jackson Marcel Shipp Thomas Jones Mike Pittman Warrick Dunn Michael Bennett Mewelde Moore Brian Westbrook Lamont Jordan Larry Johnson Tatum Bell Travis Henry Lee Suggs Duce Staley Jerome Bettis Domanick Davis Chris Brown Dominic Rhodes The adequate-to-solid crowd are guys that won't hurt you, but they're not exactly franchise backs. Faulk and Martin are kind of old already, and therefore, I can't call them elite at this point (although you can still make a good argument for Martin). You could make good arguments for Corey Dillon and Tiki Barber as well, but I hesitate to call them elite, although the numbers they put up last year would indicate otherwise. This year's class is obviously very promising with Brown, Benson, Williams, etc.

QUOTE(Spiff @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 06:23 PM) mislead much? Did you decide to step down from your admin position like ss2k5 and kapkomet? Admins have been dropping like flies recently, god damn.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Aug 29, 2005 -> 07:13 PM) I don't even like tupac, but please don't put those 2 in the same sentence... Okay, I can see your point. Tupac is like the best of the worst I guess you can say, whereas, you couldn't possibly put on anything that sucks more than a 50 Cent song.

False Alarm, how good is stuff like De La Soul, Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Rakim, RUN DMC, etc? And that's really only the tip of the iceberg. And yes, I am of the opinion that one must be damn near braindead to enjoy the subject matter in Tupac or 50 Cent songs. But you don't have to listen to that nonsense, as there are literally hundreds of great old school/underground hip hop acts out there with conservative lyrics and jazz fusion based beats. It's really a wonderful genre, but you need to surround yourself with the proper influences. And sure, there are exceptions out there. I have a good buddy who likes Tupac. He's an intelligent, family-oriented man, so hell yeah I'm baffled. It turns out that he's just a glorified head-nodder who doesn't even pay attention to the lyrics. But you can rest assured that exceptions are few and far between. They say that you are what you eat. I'm saying that you are what you listen to.

I can't make my wife watch something that she absoluely hates. That would be like me sitting down with her and having to watch Newlyweds or some other horrendous crap. Therefore, I go to my office and listen to games on the radio.