Freak Of Nature

Freak Of Nature

Cam Newton is not the norm in the world of NFL football, he is a freak of nature. This rookie QB has come in and taken the football league by storm and there is no football expert who saw this coming. How could anyone have predicted over 800 yards of passing in his first two starts as a NFL quarterback. Yes I know he was the first player taken in this year's NFL draft, but he's still a rookie who had a lot of questions coming into this season. And let us not forget no offseason time with his coaches so how could anyone see this kind of play coming.

One can see this young quarterback didn't just sit back during the lockout taking pats on the back for being the number overall draft pick in this year's draft, thinking look at me I made it. He spent all that off time working on the things people saw as shortcoming in his game. It's only been two games but Cam Newton has proven his na-sayer wrong about his ability to play quarterback in the NFL. There is no doubt this rookie QB will have his peaks and valley this season, however one thing that can't be question at this time is the Carolina Panthers decision to take Newton as their guy to lead their team.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

Don't be fooled by what you see ( this! ) preseason.

Don't be fooled by what you see ( this! ) preseason.

It's very easy to get caught up in all the preseason hype of rookie play in the NFL. I have one thing to say to fans around the NFL don't get fooled by what you think you see in theses preseason games, because they are just that preseason games. Without the benefit of offseason workouts and mini camp GM's and coaches will be force to use preseason game to evaluate rookies and free agents on the fly. So understand as this preseason go's on that the players theses rookies are going against will not be on teams rosters when the season start.

Let me know which rookies from this year draft you think will make an impact this coming season.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

So much to do, so little time

So much to do, so little time

With the end of the NFL lockout here it's time to turn our attention to which teams in the league have done their homework and are best prepared to take on one of the biggest test in NFL history. How can you squeeze four months of work into two or three weeks ( signing your own free agents, rookie free agent signing, signing drafted rookies, and trying to sign free agents that might help your team ) not to mention getting players into camp and ready to start the 2011 season. This is a huge mountain to climb and not even the best teams in the league can be fully expected to know how to handle something this league never seen before.

There is going to be a lot of mistakes made over the next few weeks, as teams find time is not on their side with only 14 days between reporting to training camp and their first preseason game. A lot of teams will be force to sign veteran players they might think twice about just to fill rosters spot. With the lockout all but destroying this year's rookies class chances of being any help this coming season, Christmas has come early for a lot a veteran players who might find it hard to make any roster next season. So fans will get a sense of which teams in the NFL made the most of the unwanted time off the lockout gave them.

In my opinion there is only a hand full of teams in the NFL with the ability to withstand the free-for-all that's going to take place over the next two or three weeks. The Green Bay Packers, Pittsburg Steelers, New England patriots, and the Baltimore Ravens. Theses four teams have very solid systems in place and with so much to do and little time to get it done they seem to be miles in front of the other teams in the league. With rosters coming back basically in tack, they can come out running. It's not that they don't have decision to make, however their's are minor compared to other teams looking at free agency to shape their rosters for the coming season. NFL football is back!! So let's see how many teams can pass a test that may never be seen in sports again.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

Five things to look for in the NFC north this season.

Five things to look for in the NFC north this season.

With the start of training camp less than two months away and yes I see the season starting on time, I've come up with five things to look for in the NFC north in the 2011 season.

( # 1) rookies from this years draft will have Little or no impact on this coming season. Unless the players cave in to owners demands over the next fews day and not wait for the judges ruling on the legality of the lockout ( which could take up to three weeks ) coaches will have very little time to work theses guys into their game plans. This is really to bad considering Chicago and Minnesota drafted for instant needs. Trying to input rookies into the starting lineup is bad enough with a full session of off season workouts and mini camps, the lockout has all but destroyed any chance for rookies to get the needed reps or time with coaches to be much help this year.

( # 2 ) The Super bowl champ's Green Bay Packers as scary as it might sound are going to be a better team this season. This team's make up is just that good. From top to bottom they have the best team in the NFC north and the motivation of knowing they finish second in their division last season. I think if the rest of the NFC think there might be a Super bowl hangover attached to this team, they will be sadly mistaken. You will see a more balance offense with James Stark and Ryan Grant running the football which will open up an already potent passing game. And with Jermichael Finley coming back from injury the Packers will be a very hard team to stop offensively. The Packers defense speak for it's-self even with an aging Charles Woodson the Packers have the best defense in the NFC north and a lot of young players who will get nothing but better.

Record 12-4

( # 3 ) The Chicago Bears will take a huge step backwards next season. The Bears have the look of a team that will self-implode in 2011.Their failure to fully to stay out in front of the Jay Cutler situation might be their un-doing. It's hard to believe a team that just won 11 games and the NFL north may be the team in the NFC to take the biggest fall. There is a serious chemistry problem in Chicago from the front office to the assistant trainer on the sideline. You need to answer three questions on the Bear's going into next season to get a feel for the team you might see. Do you trust the quarterback, the coaching staff, or the front office, if you answer no to any of theses questions expect a long season in chi-town.

Record 6-10

( # 4 ) The Detroit lions will be the second best team in the NFC north but will not make the playoffs in 2011. The lions have the most interesting team in the NFC this coming season. In my opinion they have a better over all team than the Bear's or Viking's even if Matthew Stafford didn't play a down this season. The lion put up the second most points scored in the division without Stafford playing for almost a whole season. They have a very good receiving core, a good running game and one of the best d-lines in football. What's missing with the lions is a history of winning, it's one thing to win when no one expect's it, however it's another thing to win when teams will be waiting for you. Look for the lion to have growing pains this coming season, their secret out, they have a good young team.

Record 8-8

( # 5 ) The Minnesota Vikings will sign a veteran quarterback to help mentor rookies QB Christian Ponder. With a new stadium on the line and needing fan support to make it happen the Viking can ill afford going into the 2011 season with a rookie quarterback and no chance of winning. The Viking will struggle this coming season, no QB, an aging defense, and a huge Brett Favre hangover will be very hard for them to overcome. The term starting over is very hard to do will be the theme of the Viking 2011 season. Minnesota has the look of a last place team for the foreseeable future and Viking fans can only hope the their quarterback situation is handle properly or this could lead to a decade of heartache for them.

Record 4-12

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

It's official NFL Owners and Players have lost their minds

It's official NFL Owners and Players have lost their minds

Now that we have the true first casualties of the NFL lockout ( the rookie symposium having been cancel ) it has become apparent that common sense is no longer apart of NFL football. The Owner have decided with all their wisdom to do the moronic by not taking care of the future of the NFL by not holding the rookies symposium. How hard can it be to get theses young NFL hopeful together to show them the do's and don't of the NFL. To let them know they are a part of the future growth of the league, not an inconvenience to be dealt with at a Later date.

The one true fact that has come out of this hold CBA negotiation is the NFL owners and it's current players have taken a very selfish stand with no regard to what the future of the NFL may look like. First the NFL players union ask these rookies to stay away from the draft to show solidarity for a union they have not yet jointed, taking away any joy that might have come from that day. And than owners knowing they could have relocked the doors after the draft, put their taint on the draft experience by closing the doors before day two of the draft even started.

This was never going to be a pretty situation from the start, the NFL and it's owners along with the players union knew they had a responsibility to this rookies class coming in for months. And with that responsibility come some kind of common sense. There should have been a plan in place knowing this lockout might still be going on at this time. Theses rookies deserve better treatment than their getting knowing they are the future of the NFL. The owners and players of the NFL have been saying all along this fight their having is not about money, but for the betterment of the game. So it's time both sides use a little common sense and understand the 2011 rookies class they are overlooking needs to be more involved for the betterment of the game.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

Rookies head coaches have not yet met their teams

Rookies head coaches have not yet met their teams

Hi my name is.......Hue Jackson, Ron Rivera, Pat Shurmur, Jim Harbaugh Mike munchak All rookies head coaches who have yet to meet their prospective teams.This NFL lockout has put an almost comical twist on the 2011 season. Theses five coaches have been working hard on next season's game plan, without even as much as a hand shake ( because of the no contact rule) with the players they're planing they're game plans around. Now I know Hue Jackson was part of the Oakland Raiders coaching staff last season as their offensive coordinator and know's most of his team; but going from coordinator to head coach take's on a different mind set for players.You go from being one of the guys to being the man. Mike Munchak has been with Tennessee Titans as their offensive line coach for over a decade, but like Jackson he's moving into the hot seat.

With training camps only two months away theses rookies will be at a huge disadvantage going into the 2011 season. Not only are they taking over troubled teams, they are doing it without the ability to get to know just how troubled the teams might be. If you add new Denver Bronco head coach John Fox into the mix ( who has NFL head coaching experience ) that give you six coaches who when this lockout is finally over; will have to spend the needed time they really don't have just introducing them-self's to players they don't know before they can proceed with the jobs they were hire to do. And Let's not forget to all of assistant coaches who come with theses new head coaches.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com

Timeline for NFL rookies.

Timeline for NFL rookies.

With NFL Owners and Players going through mandated negotiating again this week, there's a whole class of NFL drafted rookies and free agents rookies who are still waiting for a call from any NFL team that might want them, knowing the timeline for them is getting to the point of no return. This is the time of the year when rookies and free agents looking to hook up with a new team should be at training facility's around the NFL learning and show casing their skills for coaches. But instead here they sit waiting and watching with the rest of us tying to get some since of what the timeline might be for them to either start or continue their NFL careers.

I may not be a NFL coach, but as a long time die hard NFL fan I've seen enough football to know that the timeline to get theses rookies into camp so coaches might get some kind of production out of them; has gone past the halfway point. With June 7 being the next date for Owners and Players to continue their face to face talks, and both sides still taking a hard stand on their main talking point ( money ) the timeline for this year's rookies class could very well get push into the 2012 NFL season.

Brought to by: AJ Jones from Cambridge
"Let's Talk Football" Visit- www.ajstakeontheNFL.blogspot.com