This is one of the quietest times in the NFL calendar, with early July being the only thing that comes close. In a few weeks the Scouting Combine hits, then free agency, then teams start their offseason programs shortly thereafter.

I usually take my vacation now, but I'm delaying it about six weeks this year to go see the Sox play in Japan, assuming I can get tickets this week. Instead, I'm mostly starting my advance work on our magazine, whose due date gets earlier each year.

One enjoyably odd exercise I'm participating in is a day-after Super Bowl Mock Draft done by email. First time I've ever done one before free agency, or the NFL Draft for that matter. I will write about the results for next week, but wanted to mention one decision I was just faced with. Late sixth-round, I need a running back and they represent the best value for my team.

Continue reading "Early Mock Decision" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I cleaned out my inbox after my trip, and found a good question on what new/old Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger could have on the team's fantasy fortunes.

'Dinger's hire is good news for LenDale White and Vince Young. The Titans, under Heimerdinger, were a power running team that finished in the top 11 in rush attempts each season, finishing in the top four twice. They weren't that successful per-play, but they loved to grind the ball. That fits White's style well, and could mean 325+ carries if he stays healthy. White just went in the middle of the fourth round of a day-after season Mock Draft I'm in the middle of. He could be a great value again.

Continue reading "Heimerdinger should help Titans" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mike Pereira, the NFL Vice President of Officiating, spoke on the NFL Network about Eli's Escape from Super Bowl XLII. He said that the official Mike Carey was approaching Manning as Jarvis Green grabbed his shirt, and was a split second away from calling in the grasp. Eli got loose, and the correct no-call was made.

Asked if it was a borderline in the grasp call, Pereira said, "That was even inside the borderline."

Overall, Pereira thought the Super Bowl was a "clean game" that was well called. I can't disagree - they did a good job overall. Like the rest of the playoffs, they appeared to let the players decide things more than usual. He said the officials were the most euphoric he'd ever seen in the locker room because they were honored to be part of such a great game.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Seahawks introduced Jim Mora as their 2009 head coach today in one of the most head-scratching moves of the offseason. Mora's final two seasons in Atlanta were disasters and Seattle wasn't going to face competition for his services next year. What's the rush?

Like Pete Carroll with the Patriots, Mora specialized in the sort of cheerleading and back slapping that rarely works for long in the NFL. His player-friendly approach was popular in the locker room, but he spent half his time as a head coach putting out media fires, many of which he started. He seems to be a good defensive coach, but his units in Atlanta were mediocre to poor.

Continue reading "Hiring Mora now makes no sense" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1910)

First of all, I want to say thank you to the outpouring of support during these difficult times. I've received an embarrassing number of emails and texts wondering how I'm coping, and yes, it's time to move on. Most of them approach me as if someone passed away. It's time to move on.

Combing through the RSS feeds today, I noticed the quiet death of a longer dynasty: HBO's Inside the NFL is no longer!

The show was in its thirty-first season, and is going to continue in some form elsewhere next year. The NFL owns the rights to the show, but all the talent had contracts with HBO, so the lineup could change.

Continue reading "Another Dynasty Falls" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm always wary of changing my opinion on a player too much because of their playoff performance. This tends to happen more often in fantasy baseball than football, but Eli Manning will be an interesting test case after his outstanding run.

Here arehis regular season and playoff totals compared

Comp. %/ TDs-INT-YPA-YPG
Season: 56%/ 23-20-6.3-209
Playoffs: 61%/ 6-1-7.2-215

Continue reading "Do the playoffs change Eli's draft stock?" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Speaking on NFL Network, Brian Westbrook formally apologized to fantasy footballers for laying down short of the end zone at the end of Philly's Week 15 win over Dallas. Of course, he said he would do it again. But it's nice to know he's thinking about us.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

At my wife's request, I promise to stop writing so much about the Pats sooner than later. But wanted to point out the first comments from Bill Belichick since Sunday night, including why he left the field early.

Continue reading "Belichick speaks on leaving the field" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Outside of the Giants organization and the Manning family, no one was happier Sunday night than former GM Ernie Accorsi. (Even if another fan in the crowd heckled him.) The team Accorsi put together, with the help of GM Jerry Reese's great rookie class, validated Accorsi's vision with a championship.

Continue reading "The Giants can stand pat on offense" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've heard arguments that the Patriots wouldn't have been the greatest team ever because of how close their final ten games were. I can understand that, and wrote a number of times in this space that they weren't much more dominant than their 2003 and 2004 teams because they didn't peak late.

With that said, they beat eight of 11 playoff teams during the year, including five in their final ten games. They were outplayed throughoutthe Super Bowl, yet had a chance to put away the game many times. They have roster improvements to make, but they don't need to blow up their system because of a three-point loss.

Here's what the Patriots should address this offseason.

Continue reading "What the Patriots do now" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)