2. Detroit- Ndamukong Suh Defensive tackle (DT) Nebraska: Arguably the best player in the draft, Suh is perfect for what ails a putrid Lions defense.

3. Tampa Bay- Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma: Tampa Bay is going to take whichever of the two stud DTs are available. They prefer Suh but will be happy with McCoy who is unbelievably athletic for a big man.

4. Washington- Russell Okung Offensive tackle (OT) Oklahoma St.: Okung is a prototypical left tackle in the NFL; he has size, nimble feet and good intangibles that will have a long career as a starter.

5. Kansas City- Bryan Bulaga OT Iowa: Scott Pioli will agonize over selecting Bulaga or Eric Berry. Bulaga will be the pick because of the importance of left tackle over free safety.

6. Seattle- Trent Williams OT Oklahoma: Williams has the potential to be an elite left tackle in the NFL. He is blessed with tremendous athleticism as well as size.

7. Cleveland- Eric Berry Signed (S) Tennessee: Berry might be the best player in the draft. Mike Holmgren will love to have Berry, who draws Ed Reed comparisons, in his secondary for many years to come.

8. Oakland- Anthony Davis OT Rutgers: Al Davis makes projecting the Raiders’ draft picks nearly impossible. Davis has unlimited potential and athleticism, but is lazy and has off the field issues. Sounds like a Raider special.

9. Buffalo- Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame: They would love one of the top three tackles to fall into their laps, Clausen could turn the franchise around.

10. Jacksonville- Rolando McClain Middle linebacker (MLB) Alabama: McClain will give the Jags a playmaking MLB and bump Daryl Smith outside where he is better suited.

11. Denver- Dez Bryant Wide receiver (WR) Oklahoma St.: I don’t think Josh Mcdaniels wants to deal with another troublesome wide out, but with McClain off the board they have to take Bryant.

12. Miami- Dan Williams Nose tackle (NT) Tennessee: A reach, but nose tackle is a huge need for the Dolphins with Jason Ferguson facing an eight game suspension.

13. San Francisco- Joe Haden Cornerback (CB) Florida: Haden is the best corner in the draft and will help a weak and aging secondary.

14. Seattle- Derrick Morgan Defensive end(DE)/ Outside linebacker(OLB) Georgia Tech- They have a huge hole at defensive end, Morgan fits perfectly. Spiller will be tempting.

15. New York Giants- Sergio Kindle OLB Texas: Kindle is a physical specimen with favorable comparisons to Brian Orakpo. The Giants will be praying Rolando McClain falls to them.

16. Tennessee- Kyle Wilson CB Boise St.: Wilson has been climbing draft boards around the league. He can be the playmaker the Titans desperately need in the secondary opposite Cortland Finnegan.

17. San Francisco- CJ Spiller Running back (RB) Clemson: Spiller will be too good to pass up for the 49ers. They need a right tackle but they will address this in the second round.

18. Pittsburgh- Mike Iupati Offensive lineman (OL) Idaho: Iupati is by far the best interior offensive lineman in the draft and he can also play tackle. He will be a staple at guard or tackle for a long time in Pittsburgh.

19. Atlanta- Jason Pierre Paul DE South Florida- Boom or bust product that could have an enormous impact for the Falcons.

20. Houston- Patrick Robinson CB Florida St.: Dunta Robinson’s departure left a huge void in the secondary that will have to see Peyton Manning twice a year.

21. Cincinnati- Jermaine Gresham Tight end (TE) Oklahoma St.: Gresham will give Palmer another target and should help the Bengals offense become dynamic again.

22. New England- Brandon Graham DE/OLB Michigan- Graham is a Belichick type of player, a hard worker who will thrive as a Patriot. Very similar to Lamar Woodley.

23. Green Bay- Jerry Hughes OLB TCU- Hughes will be a great compliment to Clay Matthews at outside linebacker. Hughes will be a solid pass rusher.

24. Philadelphia- Earl Thomas S Texas: The Birds need to replace Brian Dawkins and will be delighted if Thomas falls into their laps.

25. Baltimore- Jared Odrick DE Penn St.: Perfect fit, great compliment to Haloti Ngata.

26. Arizona- Charles Brown OT USC: Brown will be a bit of a project but he has the potential to be a very good one.

27. Dallas- Taylor Mays S USC: Mays is one of the most publicized players in the draft. Hits like a linebacker, runs like a defensive back.

28. San Diego- Ryan Matthews Running back (RB) Fresno St: The perfect storm for the Chargers, they get their back of the future. Terrance Cody will be a thought too.

29. New York Jets- Carlos Dunlap DE Florida: Has the potential to be elite, if he gets motivated Rex Ryan has a gem.

30. Minnesota- Maurkice Pouncey Center (C) Florida: Will be a great pro for many years to come. Adrian Peterson should be ecstatic.

31. Indianapolis- Roger Saffold OT Indiana: Saffold has climbed the boards recently and while he is a reach, they need to keep Manning upright.

32. New Orleans: Sean Weatherspoon OLB Missouri: Could be a steal in the draft. Great all around player.

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Sproles is an interesting case. He certainly is dynamic, but it’s hard to say what the market is going to be for 5 feet 6 running back. Thomas Jones is expected to be cut by the Jets this week. The emergence of Shonn Greene and the expected return of back Leon Washington, coupled with Jones being due a $3M roster bonus made him expendable. I could see Jones landing in Cleveland, Tampa Bay or Detroit.

The final back who was given his walking papers was Brian Westbrook. Westbrook as most know has been plagued with concussion problems. This could scare many teams away, but I, like many, believe he still has enough left in the tank to be a big contributor somewhere. Now on to defense.

Defensive Line (DL); Julius Peppers (UFA) Peppers is likely the biggest prize available in free agency this off season. There has never been a doubt about his athletic abilities, but it has been his effort that has been questioned. Peppers became disinterested with playing in Carolina, leading to a slip in his performance. He claims that he is going to take his game to a whole new level at the age of 30. Whoever lands this high profile pass rusher better hope so because they are going to break the bank. New England, Chicago and Philadelphia are rumored destinations.

Aaron Kampman (UFA): While his struggles since being moved to outside linebacker in the 3-4 set were slightly overblown, there is no denying Kampman’s production has slipped. In nine games he picked up three and a half sacks, a far cry from the 37 he registered in the previous three seasons. Kampman is on the down side of his career and the knee injury he suffered in 2009 will make teams very leery of him. I would look for him to return to rush defensive end in a 4-3 scheme.

Jason Ferguson (UFA): In a year that looked like there would be many high end interior linemen available, it turned out Ferguson was the best of the bunch. Vince Wilfork, Casey Hampton, Ryan Pickett, and Aubrayo Franklin were all franchise tagged by their respective teams. There are too few quality nose tackles available to let them test free agency. Ferguson is far past his prime but is still a serviceable nose guard. Teams transitioning to the 3-4 could use his services. Buffalo could potentially bring him in or Miami could retain him.

Linebacker (LB); Karlos Dansby (UFA): Dansby was arguably the best player on an average Cardinals defense. Dansby can play any scheme and can play any position at linebacker. These two facts coupled with the fact he is immensely talented will get him a contract somewhere. The Cards choose not to franchise so he is free to go wherever he wishes. Miami and the Giants could be great fits for the supremely talented linebacker.

Keith Bulluck (UFA): Bulluck has been a mainstay on the Titan defense his whole career. Bulluck is a who professional that any young player can learn a lot from. It would be strange to see him in a different uniform. Tennessee general manager Mike Reinfeldt has stated that they wish to retain Bulluck.

Defensive Back (DB); Dunta Robinson (UFA): The Texans have parted ways with their former first round pick. They elected not to slap a franchise tag on Robinson, making him the premiere cornerback available this offseason. Robinson has been inconsistent for Houston and really struggled last season. Free agent corners have had a history of signing lucrative contracts and often being overpaid. Robinson seems poised to carry on those trends.

Darren Sharper (UFA): The veteran safety has been inconsistent in his time Minnesota but he came up with a fantastic 2009 campaign for the Saints. Sharper tied for the league leads in interceptions with nine and set a record in intercept yards with 376. Though Sharper is a gambler and is pretty poor in run support, he is a certified ball hawk. I would be surprised if the Saints let him go.

Antrel Rolle (UFA): The Cardinals had no interest in paying Rolle a $4M roster bonus so they decided to part was with the University of Miami All-American. Rolle will be eager to test the free agent waters this offseason. Arizona is still planning on trying to sign Rolle to a long term deal, but like with many young defensive backs, teams will often over pay. I could see the Giants or Dolphins breaking the bank on him.

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If this is an uncapped season (one with no salary cap) it becomes a whole new ball game. The big issue with an uncapped year is the effect it is going to have on players who were set to become unrestricted free agents (UFC). Normally a player could test the open market once his contract expires after four seasons. However if there is no salary cap they will not become unrestricted free agents until after their sixth season.

So if no deal is struck by March 5 these players will become restricted free agents (RFA)and their teams can place tenders on them which will give them the right to match any offer and receive draft pick compensation if they choose not to match the contract offer. Confused yet? Here is a look at some notable offensive players that will be relegated to restricted free agency or who will remain unrestricted free agents this offseason. All statuses will be based on an uncapped year which is likely.

QB: Chad Pennington (UFA), will certainly be finding a new home, as Chad Henne has taken over in Miami. I am a big fan of Pennington and he could be a good temporary answer for a team trying to find a franchise QB.

Kyle Orton (RFA): Orton is a gritty player and Denver should plan on keeping him. I don’t see any team wanting to give up future draft picks for him however. Everybody should do themselves a favor and Google his drunkathlete.com pictures. Truly great stuff.

Jason Campbell (RFA): He is the most intriguing quarterback potentially available. I have always thought Campbell has been getting a raw deal in DC. He has a suspect cast of receivers and zero offensive line. Despite these facts he had the best statistical season of his career. I expect to see him wearing a Skins jersey on opening day, but I would also expect to see a prized rookie QB wearing one as well.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (UFA): There is no doubting LT’s status as a free agent, San Diego parted ways with one of the best backs in the last 15 years. LT is definitely past his prime but he will be picky with where he goes. I see Green Bay, Houston, and New Orleans as landing spots with DC as a dark horse.

Chester Taylor (UFA): After spending a few years backing up Adrian Peterson, Taylor could be looking to greener pastures. He is a great third down back and the Vikings should do their best to hold on to him.

WR: Terrell Owens (UFA): As usual there are many questions regarding TO’s future in the NFL. While his skills have diminished slightly, I still believe he is an elite receiver in the league. He showed flashes of brilliance despite being stuck in Buffalo with no quarterback and no offensive line. Chad Ochocinco claims that Owens is going to be lining up as a Bengal in 2010. That would be one of the most dynamic and mouthiest receiving tandems in years.

Brandon Marshall (RFA): Marshall is one of the most talented wideouts in the league, not to mention one of the most controversial. He has the ability to take over games and has showed that he does not need an elite quarterback to do so. Marshall has been upset with Denver management for some time and it will be very interesting to see how he will perform if he is forced to play on a tender. I would not be shocked if Denver moved him for some draft picks.

Vincent Jackson (RFA): The hulking wide receiver has proved to be among the elite in the NFL. Jackson has found remarkable chemistry with his outspoken quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers should make locking up Jackson one of their top priorities this spring.

O-Line: Marcus McNeil (RFA): Another key component of the San Diego offense is going to be looking for a paycheck this offseason. He is one of the most hyped left tackles in the game despite a substandard 2009. McNeil is grossly underpaid as he has clearly out-earned his rookie contract, he was a second round pick. He will definitely be looking for a hefty raise.

Willie Colon (RFA): I am sure all Steeler fans reading this are familiar with Colon’s inconsistent play. He moved to right tackle this season and did a much better job of keeping Big Ben off of the turf. He is an average run blocker but he should be good enough to earn a reasonably long term contract.

Bobbie Williams (UFA): Most people have that same reaction when hearing Williams name. He is one of the most underrated guards in the game and was arguably Cincinnati’s best lineman in a year in which they struggled to protect Carson Palmer. Expect the Bengals to lock up Williams and for him to continue to pave holes for Cedric Benson and the rest of the legal infraction laden backfield in Cincinnati.

Next week we will take a look at the defensive side of the ball.

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First, I believe that the fans are starting to really see what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been striving for; an NFL where any team has a legitimate chance to win any game.

Secondly, the Saints, Colts, and Vikings are not the untouchable god-like teams many analysts portray them as. Between these three teams, they have had ten games in which they have won by less than five points (six belonging to the Colts).

Thirdly, my dark horse team to watch out for is the Denver Broncos who play a relatively easy schedule and have a good chance at reclaiming the division lead.

Fourthly, the Dallas Cowboys will continue their tradition of collapsing in December.

Lastly, watch out for the two hottest teams playing their best football at the right time: The Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers.

Going into week 14, the teams remaining in playoff contention are split into the two conferences by their standings.

AFC: Current Records Remaining Games
Indianapolis 12-0 DEN, @JAX, NYJ, @BUF
San Diego 9-3 @DAL, CIN, @TEN, WASH
Cincinnati 9-3 @ MIN, @SD, KC, @NYJ
New England 7-5 CAR, @BUF, JAX, @HOU
Denver 8-4 @IND, OAK, @PHI, KC
Jacksonville 7-5 MIA, IND, @NE, @CLE
Baltimore 6-6 DET, CHI, @PIT, @OAK
Miami 6-6 @JAX, @TEN, HOU, PIT
NY Jets 6-6 @TB, ATL, @IND, CIN
Pittsburgh 6-6 @CLE, GB, BAL, @MIA

NFC:
New Orleans 12-0 @ATL, DAL, TB, @CAR
Minnesota 10-2 CIN, @CAR, @CHI, NYG
Arizona 8-4 @SF, @DET, STL, GB
Dallas 8-4 SD, @NO, @WASH, PHI
Philadelphia 8-4 @NYG, SF, DEN, @DAL
Green Bay 8-4 @CHI, @PIT, SEA, @ ARZ
New York Giants 7-5 PHI, @WASH, CAR, @MIN
Atlanta 6-6 NO, @NYJ, BUF, @TB
San Francisco 5-7 ARZ, @PHI, DET, @STL

Here is how I see the playoff picture panning out:

AFC: Predicted Records Reasons
Indianapolis 14-2 Too many close wins, lose NYJ and in JAX
San Diego 11-5 Hot and cold teams with losses to DAL and TEN
Cincinnati 11-5 Defense helps them win against MIN and KC
New England 10-6 Get road win in Buffalo but still lose in Houston
Denver 11-5 Have easy remaining schedule, can’t beat IND
Jacksonville 10-6 Ends Indy’s bid for 16-0 season
Baltimore 10-6 Go 4-0 but still not good enough for playoffs
NY Jets 10-6 Go 4-0 also but share Ravens futility
Miami 9-7 Can’t beat JAX to make playoffs
Pittsburgh 7-9 Can’t stop their slide and miss playoffs

NFC:
New Orleans 15-1 Lose CAR with starters sitting for rest
Green Bay 12-4 Hot streak drives them to the division crown
Philadelphia 11-5 Eagles offense gets hot at the right time
Arizona 11-5 Offense not good enough for Packers defense
Minnesota 11-5 Brett Favre chokes in December
New York Giants 10-6 Can’t win big divisional home game against PHI
Dallas 9-7 Dallas chokes as usual, Tony Romo possibly cut
Atlanta 8-8 Without Matt Ryan they stand no chance
San Francisco 7-9 Offense cannot help out defense

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The honeymoon is over for the Jets. Rex Ryan needs to stop complaining about everything and worry about finding the team that started 3-0.  The good news is Oscar Meyer will be hollering at Mark Sanchez soon.

I think that the Fins are the second best team in the division but they can’t seem to close games this year.  I was wrong about the wildcat; they are the only team that can pull it off.

Everybody wants to blame Trent Edwards in Buffalo, but how can you blame a quarterback that is playing behind the worst O-line in the NFL.  Silver Lining:  Jairus Byrd is tied for the league lead in picks, and is my pick for defensive rookie of the year.

The Bengals are the biggest surprise of the year.  First reaction would be to say it’s because of Carson Palmer, but Cedric Benson’s resurgence, and a surprisingly sticky defense, have Cincy looking for a division crown.

Pittsburgh has rebounded nicely from a shaky start to win five in a row.  If I could have one team play for my life tomorrow, I think it would be the Steelers.  My favorite player on the team might be Jeff Reed.  He was arrested once again in an alcohol related incident, needless to say, the man gets it in.

Baltimore really perplexes me.  Despite a 3-0 start they sit at 4-4.  To hop on the cliché train for a minute, a few plays here or there, and they are 5-3 or 6-2.  I believe they are a playoff team, but time will tell.  Two large contests loom with the Steelers.

Cleveland is a mess, not much else to say here.

The Colts look great so far this year.  Peyton Manning is the best quarterback today and has turned Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie into household names.  The defense will need to overcome losing three starters in the secondary, but they appear capable, as they have allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL.

Houston has impressed me so far this year.  I always thought the team was close to being good, but that they could never get over the hump.  Matt Schaub has, for the most part, avoided the pick 6 that has plagued his career and Andre Johnson is still the best wideout in the league.

Jacksonville has me all sorts of irritated.  I don’t see any reason for them to be 4-4, but somehow they are.  I don’t know how you get housed 41-0 by an average Seattle team, get blown out by the Titans, but beat Houston, and almost upset Indy.

Chris Johnson leading the league in rushing is the only positive thing you can say about the Titans.  Vince Young is finally at the helm; hopefully his passer rating will eclipse his Wonderlic score.

I admit I was wrong about Denver when I said they were the worst team to ever be 3-0.  However, I still do not buy that they are this good.  Their defense has been very impressive and Kyle “The Bottle” Orton has managed the game extremely well. Don’t be shocked if they miss the playoffs.

I’m hard pressed to get too excited about San Diego, but with that being said, I think they are pretty good.  I see them nudging Denver out of the top spot in the West by the end of the season.

Kansas City has been a huge disappointment.  I’m glad that the Matt Cassel pick-up has done wonders for their offense (sarcasm).

Oakland is offensive.  Gee I guess the fact that Jamarcus Russell can throw a ball 50 yards from his knees wasn’t that important after all.

Dallas has been the most consistent team in the NFC East so far this year.  Romo looks good, but he does this every year until December begins.  If I hear anymore talk about how wonderful Miles Austin is, I may have to throw myself into oncoming traffic.

The Eagles have been great in flashes, but downright sloppy at times.  One week they are laying an egg the size of McNabb’s gut in Oakland, the next they are dismantling the G men.  I still think Philly is very good and will make a playoff run.

The Giants have dropped four in a row and have their faithful worried.  Eli has been ordinary and the once great defense has been continually shredded.  Despite the stumble, don’t be surprised if they sneak into the playoffs.

The Skins are an organization in shambles.  Until Daniel Snyder turns over power to somebody with a clue, the team is destined for failure.  Their O-line is in the conversation with Buffalo’s for the worst in the league.

Minnesota looks awesome, and I fear they may be the best team in the NFC.  Peterson is still dominant and the defense is stingy.  Brett Favre looks great (I had to have a shot of vodka to stomach that comment).

Thankfully Jay Cutler has looked pretty average this year for the Bears.  He has not been the savior they had hoped and they appear to still be an average team.  In Cutler’s defense, Devin Hester is the number one receiver.

The Pack seemed to be a threat to Minnesota earlier this season but now they look like a team that will have to scramble for a wild card.  Aaron Rodgers has been good but has been running for his life.

Detroit looks better and they are 1-7, that shows how bad they were last year.  Matthew Stafford looks to be a good bet for the future.

New Orleans just keeps winning.  I still refuse to buy that they are this good, however.  The offense is almost unstoppable but if they are forced to travel to an outdoor stadium in January, there may be trouble.  Home field will be imperative for the Saints, and luckily for them, if they don’t get the No. 1 seed it will probably be Minnesota, another dome team.

Atlanta is hot and cold but overall still a very good team.  Matt Ryan seems to be for real and if Michael Turner can get it going they will be in good shape for a wild card berth.  I tip my cap to Mike Smith for challenging DeAngelo Hall to a fight; I don’t like “D-Hall” either.

Carolina is a very average team that needs to be reshuffled.  Priority number one, get a new starting quarterback, Delhomme is a turnover waiting to happen.

The good news: The Bucs won a game. The bad news: They did so while wearing those orange creamsicle jerseys.

Arizona is doing their usual off and on behavior in the regular season.  When the switch is flipped, the offense is among the best in the league.  They will walk to the division title, and be a tough out in the post-season.

The 49ers looked to be a threat to the Cardinals but those hopes quickly diminished.  They are 0-3 since Crabtree debuted. Just saying.

Seattle is on the rise and is a year or two away from being good again.  The only thing is, they need to help Hasselback be healthy in two years.

The Rams: see Cleveland’s description.

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An underachieving team is among the shortest routes to the hot seat. It should not be hard for anybody reading this to figure out an example of one of these teams. Another avenue to the hot seat is a coach who continuously misuses his talent. Being too cute with your play calling or putting your team in a bad position is another one-way ticket out of town. The league is about winning, not about wallowing in mediocrity, and these five coaches are on the cusp of learning that all too well.

5. Marvin Lewis: Perhaps nobody has been posted up on the warm chair longer than Marvin Lewis. Many were sure Lewis was going to be pink slipped after last season, or even the year before. Since Cincinnati posted an 11-5 season in 2005, Lewis saw his troops dip its win total each of the following year until they bottomed out with a 4-11-1 season last year.

Perhaps Bengal president Paul Brown gave Lewis a pass since franchise quarterback Carson Palmer has been dinged off and on the last few years, mainly last season. Personally I was shocked when Lewis was retained after last season. A long time Marvin Basher, I began rooting for him to succeed by the end of this summer after watching the latest season of Hard Knocks, which gave an inside look at training camp with the Bengals. For some reason, I have found a soft spot in my heart for the beleaguered coach. Lewis has done a good job this year. If not for a lucky Brandon Stokley Hail Mary the Bengals would be sitting pretty at 3-0.

4. Wade Phillips­: Generally when you fail once as a head coach, it is pretty rare that you succeed later in the NFL. Wade Phillips is flirting with another disappointing season. Some might call going 13-3 two years ago an accomplishment, but when you take into account that they were dispatched in their first playoff game by the Giants at home, that is a cause for concern.

Last season, Phillips and Dallas out did themselves again by losing three of their final four games. The crescendo was a 44-6 in week 17 against Philadelphia. Phillips does very little with a huge amount of talent. His in game coaching has always left something to be desired; most recently on Monday Night Football, his team had second and goal from the one. They had been dominating Carolina at the line of scrimmage all game, but instead of pounding the ball, they threw consecutive fade patterns. For those of you who want to blame offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, you are correct, but Phillips should be insisting on a run. Wade’s “Boys” better buckle down if they want their coach to still have a job.

3. Dick Jauron: This one holds a very special place in my heart, as I am a diehard Bills fan. “Cagey” Dick Jauron as Rich Eisen refers to him, has been the subject of intense scrutiny the past two seasons. As I stated in the first paragraph, wallowing in mediocrity will always get you on the hot seat.

Nobody does this better than Buffalo. Jauron is shooting for his fourth straight 7-9 season. I, like most Bills fans, are fed up with this consistent average play. Almost all of the players are on record saying they love playing for the coach. Jauron has made a career out of getting his team to an average season. I truly believe Jauron is a decent coach, and probably the best on this top five, but he is far too cautious, and has never been able to beat a good team. He is gone after this year.

2. Norv Turner: Turner is the best example of wasting talent on a team. Anybody who has seen the film “A Bronx Tale” remembers the quote, “The saddest thing in the world is wasted talent,” but I digress. Turner appears to be ready to squander San Diego’s deep talent pool again. He has never had more talent to work with, but he has found a way to mess it up.

Turner has the tendency to get too cute with his play calling and often outsmarts himself, I.E. the trap play to Darren Sproles after Rivers had thrown for 400+ yards. He has done better than others on this list in the post-season and regular season but this is not enough for a team of this caliber. I think if San Diego sputters again this season, he may get his walking papers.

1. Jim Zorn: Zorn is a runaway for the number one spot on my list. Week by week this season he is getting closer to the unemployment office. His first mistake was feuding with the team’s best player last season, Clinton Portis. In back-to-back games this year, Zorn made a great case to get fired. In a 9-7 win over the abysmal Rams, the Skins’ coach made one of the more unintelligent decisions of the year. With a 9-7 lead late in the fourth quarter, Zorn elected to go for it on consecutive fourth and ones.

Washington picked up the first attempt but not the second. Now if he picks up both, he looks like the aggressive genius coach, but this was not the time for ego stroking. Your defense had given up only seven points the whole game, so why not knock through a routine field goal and give yourself a five point lead and let the defense finish the job. The following week, Zorn elected to go for the end zone on a fourth and goal from the one instead of putting Washington up 3-0 on the road against a team with a 19 game losing streak. Intelligence is not in the arsenal of this man.

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2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor- The Rams have passed on taking an elite offensive tackle the last several years. I highly doubt they will do that this year with two great offensive tackles sitting in front of them. I think the Rams decide to go with Smith because of his run-blocking ability and his finisher’s mentality.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia- Though the Chiefs drafted tackle Branden Alberts with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 draft, I think there is no way they pass on Monroe. They need to protect their new quarterback, Matt Cassel. And what better way to do that than drafting an elite left tackle.

4. Seattle Seahawks: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest- The Seahawks luck out with this pick, and get arguably the best player in the draft. Curry will make the Seahawks linebacking core the best in the NFL.

5. Cleveland Browns: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College- I know almost every mock draft out there has the Browns taking a rush outside linebacker. I think they decide to take Raji and sure up a defensive line that is forced to stop the run in a division that constantly runs the ball.

6. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama- Even if Smith does not turn out to be a premiere left tackle, he will likely become a solid right tackle. Nonetheless it is an improvement to their offensive line.

7. Oakland Raiders: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech- I have heard talks that the Raiders could take Darrius Heyward-Bey with this pick. He may not be the fastest wide receiver in the draft, but he is the best.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri- The Jaguars constantly draft wide receivers in the first round and every time they miss. This time they get it right with Maclin, he is going to be special for the Jaguars because of his versatility, speed and ball skills.

9. Green Bay Packers: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas- Though the Packers are hoping that Raji falls to nine, they will be more than happy to take Orakpo.

10. San Francisco 49ers: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss- Oher gets drafted this high because tackles in the NFL have become more of a commodity. And I do not expect the 49ers to give up on quarterback Alex Smith just yet.

11. Buffalo Bills: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee- Ayers stock has sky rocketed over the past month and with good reason, he is arguably the best 4-3 defensive end.

12. Denver Broncos: Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern California- Sanchez is, in my opinion, the best quarterback in the draft.

13. Washington Redskins: Everette Brown, DE, Florida State- The Redskins have no pure pass rusher, and Brown could possibly be that guy.

14. New Orleans Saints: Brian Cushing, OLB, Southern California- I would not be surprised to see Cushing go as soon as 11, he is the most versatile defensive player in this draft.

15. Houston Texans: Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Ohio State- Though the Texans have Steve Slaton, they know the biggest trend in the NFL is a two back system, and Wells brings the thunder to compliment Slaton’s lightning.

16. San Diego Chargers: Tyson Jackson, DE, Louisiana State- They have to replace Igor Olshansky, he was important to that front seven.

17. New York Jets: Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State- The Jets need more help in their secondary and having solid nickel back is a must.

18. Denver Broncos (From Chicago): Rey Maualuga, ILB, Southern California- Maualuga will bring Denver a defensive presence they lack.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Clay Matthews, OLB, Southern California- Matthews will be a great replacement for Derek Brooks. They could also go with Peria Jerry.

20. Detroit Lions (From Dallas): Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State- Maybin will not drop this far, but if he does, it is because he is looked upon as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Eben Britton, OT, Arizona- We all know the Eagles, they love their tackles.

22. Minnesota Vikings: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State- Pettigrew will be great for the Vikings run game with his blocking.

23. New England Patriots: James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State- Laurinaitis will be a great replacement for Tedy Bruschi in the near future.

24. Atlanta Falcons: Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss- The Falcons will be ecstatic to take Jerry, he is the quickest defensive tackle in the draft, and they need him.

25. Miami Dolphins: Evander “Ziggy” Hood, DE/DT, Missouri- Hood will be a solid 3-4 defensive end, the Dolphins need more defensive help.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia- Willis McGahee is not exactly a dependable running back. And at 26 Moreno is a steal and the best running back in the draft.

27. Indianapolis Colts: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland- The Colts have no burning needs, but Heyward-Bey is a solid wide receiver, why not take him?

28. Philadelphia Eagles (From Carolina): Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut- Brown will help give Brian Westbrook a break when he needs it.

29. New York Giants: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State- Though the Giants could go running back, Robiskie is the big receiver they need to help replace Plaxico Burress.

30. Tennessee Titans: Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois- Wide receiver is an option, but English helps improve the defensive line. There will be lots of receivers to choose from in the second round.

31. Arizona Cardinals: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh- McCoy is a steal at 31; he has the best footwork of all the running backs in the draft.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers: William Beatty, OT, Connecticut- Beatty has a brighter future than any of the Steelers offensive lineman.

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For all of those people who say Cutler is a whiney quarterback, it is very hard for me to disagree with that statement. But let’s look at the whole situation from Cutler’s point of view, he was the quarterback on the number two ranked offense in the NFL, mind you, without a serious running back to carry the load. And he was also promised that there would be no change to the offensive coaching staff after the firing of Mike Shanahan, which was not the case almost immediately after Josh McDaniels was handed the position of head coach. As far as I am concerned, Cutler deserved to be upset; he was lied to constantly by Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and McDaniels.

The people who say that Cutler makes too many mistakes do not understand football and Cutler’s situation in Denver. I cannot think of too many quarterbacks who were in a similar situation as Cutler, he had the worst defense in the NFL and a poor run game, yet he still put up big points. Cutler may have made, what people call, bad decisions because he was forced into those situations where he had to take risks.

Cutler is a great quarterback because he take risks, can make NFL throws and does it game in and game out. We hear about his mistakes, but when he takes risks and makes something positive out of it, we call it a great play. Cutler’s mentality is similar to that of the beloved Brett Favre and he has the arm and the skills to back it up.

Now that Cutler is on a team with a solid defense and a couple of running backs who can possibly take pressure off of him, he has a great chance of winning now. The only downside for him now is the fact that he does not have a solid wide receiver to throw to. But as we all know, a great quarterback can make an average wide receiver look good. I predict from what I have seen this offseason, the Bears will have a better season than the Broncos. Like it was mentioned before, the Bears are ready to win now; Cutler makes the Bears that much better. The Bears are a potential Super Bowl team again with Cutler under center.

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We have witnessed the largest contract ever signed by a defensive player, controversial trades and legendary players leave their long time home.

As exciting as this offseason is, there have been a lot of bad moves made that make you scratch your head. But there were a lot of moves that made sense and actually had some legitimacy. Here are the top five.

1. Washington Redskins sign Albert Haynesworth: As you all know I am very high on Haynesworth, I feel he is the best defensive player in the NFL and he has showed it the past two seasons. The Redskins landed the hottest name in free agency when they signed Haynesworth to a seven year $100 million deal. Did the Redskins pay a lot of money? Yes. Did they pay too much money? Maybe. But if anyone deserved a big contract as defensive player, Haynesworth is the guy.

The past two seasons Haynesworth has changed the way the defensive tackle position has been played. Teams put so much emphasis on him because he is such a play maker. Adding Haynesworth to the Redskins’ defensive line makes the future right defensive end a lot easier, which will result in a lot of sacks.

2. New York Jets sign Bart Scott: With the addition of Scott to the Jets linebacker core, the Jets finally have credibility as a competitive 3-4 defense. Are David Harris and Calvin Pace good players? Yes they are, but Scott brings that element of defense that the Jets never had before, leadership and a winning mentality.

I feel that the Baltimore Ravens made a mistake not signing Scott over Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Scott will be an impact player for the Jets, and you will see what a difference he makes.

3. Buffalo Bills sign Terrell Owens: I am almost positive that people reading this article are disagreeing with this choice, but you have to look into it and put your biases aside. Owens is still a great player, the Bills need a serious playmaker on offense, and they are only signing him to a one year deal.

This seems like a great move by the Bills, if Owens gives them any trouble this season, they do not have to worry about him next season. This could honestly be Owens’ last productive season, and signing him to a one year deal may be worth the risk. With some tweaking done to the Buffalo defense and the addition of Owens, the Bills could make some noise next season.

4. St. Louis Rams sign Jason Brown: The Rams need to continue making moves like this one and keep adding young talent to both their offensive and defensive lines. We all know that football starts in the trenches, and the addition of Brown is a great move by St. Louis.

With the draft coming up soon on April 25, they could go offensive tackle with the second overall pick, but I am not convinced that they will pass on Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry. Nonetheless, Brown will be a great anchor for the Rams offensive line.

5. Houston Texans sign Antonio Smith: The Texans are slowly becoming a serious team to be reckoned with. With the addition of Smith, this gives that Texans defensive line the extra pass rusher they need to make their defense more efficient.

Texans defensive linemen Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye will be very happy to have Smith on the left end of the defensive line.

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As many members of the media who do not actually know what it is like to be a Philly sports fan will tell you, the city hates Donovan McNabb.  They would have you think that every Eagles fan was there booing McNabb when the Eagles drafted him.  They might even make you think that it was our decision to bench McNabb at halftime against the Ravens earlier this year.

As much as the national media does not know what they are talking about when it comes to the topic of Philly fans, the truth still remains that there is a large percentage of fans that will never like McNabb and won’t rest until the Eagles get rid of him.  Unfortunately, these same fans used the loss against the Cardinals as fuel for their argument that he does not have what it takes to win.

The problem is that these are the fans that really do not know the game of football and are quick to look at a couple of plays where McNabb was less than perfect and use that as the reason they lost.  Anyone who watched the NFC Championship game saw the Cardinals march down the field with ease the entire first half and most of the fourth quarter.  The reason the Eagles made it to where they did (besides miraculous wins by the Raiders and Texans) was their defense.

They kept the Eagles in every game down the stretch and were the primary reason that they won their first two playoff games. The coaches made little to no adjustments to attempt to slow down the Cardinals offense and it showed when they repeatedly moved the ball with ease. The defense is to blame for the loss, not McNabb.

To blame McNabb for the loss is unintelligent. He did miss some throws that could have potentially led to big plays; but give him credit for what he did. He threw three touchdown passes in the second half, had a total of 375 yards and led the Eagles back from an 18-point deficit.

He did all of this when the Eagles were forced to throw the ball and become one-dimensional.  Arizona knew the Eagles had to come out and pass and they still could not defend against him.  The throw to DeSean Jackson for the 62-yard touchdown, particularly, was one in tight coverage that could not have been thrown any better.
The thing that it comes down to regarding McNabb’s future is that there is no one on the Eagles roster who could have done any better than him, and it’s not even close.  He is still one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and to think that Kevin Kolb could have done any better against the Cardinals with that group of wide receivers is absurd.

I am not saying anything ground-breaking when I say that the Eagles need a wide receiver. It was rare that he even had a receiver open last Sunday.

They have to help McNabb out and make it so that defenses can not just key in on Brian Westbrook.

When they did have a top-notch receiver (Terrell Owens), the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2004 and came close to defeating the New England Patriots.  Jackson and Kevin Curtis are good number-two receivers, and I love Jason Avant in the slot and on third downs.  Brent Celek’s 10 catches and two touchdowns against Arizona showed that he could potentially be a playmaker in the Eagles’ offense.  But they need a number-one wide receiver if they are going to get any further and eventually win a Super Bowl.

So anyone that wants to throw McNabb out of town, go ahead.

But you’ll be sorry when he’s gone.

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