Smith and Golic – not the Golic from “Saved by the Bell: The College Years”, as it turns out - both [...]]]> So, I’m watching “NFL Live” – why wouldn’t I be, right? Nothing screams “NFL!” like late June - and during a segment, ESPN’s Michael Smith, Mike Golic and Cris Carter debated which quarterback under 30 is the best in the league.

Smith and Golic – not the Golic from “Saved by the Bell: The College Years”, as it turns out - both put our guy Aaron Rodgers at the top of the list. Carter went with Nasty Ben (aka, Ben Roethlisberger).

You didn’t really think Carter would give love to a Packer, now did you?

Anyways, that got me to thinking: I certainly love Rodgers and have a hard time believing I’d pick any other quarterback under 30 to guide my favorite team. But, being the football geek that I am, I had to investigate it just to make sure.

(Reminder, ladies: I’m single)

My first step: Figuring out the list of candidates.

I came up with seven possible names. Keep in mind, I was pretty inclusive with the first step:

Philip Rivers, Matt Schaub, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan, Rodgers and Nasty Ben. Tony Romo just turned 30 in April, so that’s why he’s not on the list. And JaMarcus Russell just barely missed the cut – barely.

Second step: Whittling down the list.

Cutler, Schaub and Ryan were the first three to fall. Cutler lacks discipline and I have major doubts about his ability to be an actual leader. My “Second Coming of Jeff George” feeling about him hasn’t subsided yet.

Schaub is certainly capable of putting up massive numbers. Last season alone, he put up 4,770 yards, 29 touchdowns and just 15 picks. Of course, last season was also the first time he made it through an entire 16 games. He needs to be better at avoiding the injury bug to earn serious consideration.

Truth be told, I think Ryan is headed for elite status…but not quite yet. His numbers from last season aren’t great (2,916 yards, 22 touchdowns, 14 interceptions in 14 games) and, sometimes, he still plays like it’s a Thursday night game at Virginia Tech. In other words, he needs to work on his decision-making. But he’s there as a leader already. He’s one of the main reasons the Falcons kept playing hard even after they were eliminated from the playoffs.

That, of course, left me with four options: Rivers, Manning, Rodgers and Nasty Ben.

Each of the four brought something to the table.

Over the past two seasons, the Chargers have become Rivers’ team. He’s certainly proven he’s worthy of such a title, throwing for over 8,000 yards with 62 touchdowns and just 20 interceptions in that time span. Rivers also has a swagger to his game that I like. He’s cocky, but it never clouds his on-field performance.

Manning’s a great fit for the running game/playaction passing system that the Giants run and has never buckled in the face of pressure that would wreck most of us. Seriously, can you imagine being Peyton’s little brother and playing in New York City? And, oh yeah – he’s got that Super Bowl ring, too, which never hurts your case.

Rodgers has put up two massive seasons and, like Manning, has never been broken by the massive amount of pressure he’s consistently been under. He’s also quieted the naysayers who questioned his toughness prior to taking over as starter. As his skill position players – like Jermichael Finley – continue to grow, he should only get better.

Nasty Ben is capable of putting up ridiculous numbers – I believe us Packers fans saw that firsthand last season – and has great improvisational skills. He’s also, hands down, the toughest quarterback in the league to tackle (there’s no way he plays at the 241 pounds he’s listed at). And if Manning’s one Super Bowl ring is impressive, what can you say about the two Nasty Ben has to his credit?

Again, though, I had to make the cuts.

The first name to go was Nasty Ben’s. The two rings are great, but with a nickname like that – and the allegations that brought on such a nickname – is there any way I could pick him? No.

Down to three. Easy enough, right?

Here’s why I didn’t pick Manning: His overall numbers. In five seasons as a full-time starter, he’s averaged roughly 3,500 yards passing, 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions a season. Those numbers aren’t bad at all, nor is his completion rate (consistently hovers in the high 50-low 60 percent range), but they don’t necessarily scream “franchise quarterback.” Now I know there’s more to that status than mere numbers, but I wonder how Manning would fare in an offense that was passing-based.

You probably think you know what’s coming next. Guess again.

Here’s why I didn’t pick Rodgers: The postseason. I’m fully aware that he’s only been at the helm for two seasons and that one player – even a quarterback – can only do so much. But with the competition he’s up against here, I had to factor in that he’s 0-1 in the second season. If I was to go back and do this list again in a year or two, Rodgers very well could have some gaudy postseason victory numbers. I hope that’s the case. But, as of now, it isn’t. So, looking at it objectively, he can’t be my selection.

My choice would be Rivers.

He’s got the numbers (see: above) and has had success in the postseason (a 3-4 record, yes, but also an AFC Championship Game appearance). He’s faced his share of pressure – the offense became his only after it was LaDainian Tomlinson’s – and has put up his numbers without the help of a big-time wideout (Antonio Gates is a tight end, remember). Despite his cocky demeanor, he seems like a solid guy off-the-field, as he’s married with four kids. Not that that’s always stopped guys before, but as of now, he’s steered clear of any trouble. All in all, I’d feel the most comfortable handing over the keys to him.

That’s my take. What’s yours?

-Chris Lempesis

There’s a bit of NFL activity (minicamps, OTAs, arrests, blanket apologies, trial delays, accusations, etc.) but overall it’s pretty quiet.

What better time to roll out OBOD’s first ever power rankings, right?

Absolutely!

The NFL odds for the 2010 season have long been up. And about a month ago, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King gave his power rankings [...]]]> So, it’s mid-June.

There’s a bit of NFL activity (minicamps, OTAs, arrests, blanket apologies, trial delays, accusations, etc.) but overall it’s pretty quiet.

What better time to roll out OBOD’s first ever power rankings, right?

Absolutely!

The NFL odds for the 2010 season have long been up. And about a month ago, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King gave his power rankings (with the Pack being No. 1).

Now it’s time for us to weigh in.

Let’s do that right now, shall we?

As always, enjoy.

32. St. Louis Rams – Positives if you’re a Rams fan: Steven Jackson. Negatives: Everything else, especially the fact that your team is going to be handing out roughly $80 million to a rookie quarterback (Sam Bradford) who’s never played in a pro-style offense. At least you have the Cardinals, right guys? Well, until they get swept in the first round.

31. Buffalo Bills – There’s a really good chance Brian Brohm – yes, that Brian Brohm – will head into training camp as the Bills’ No. 1 quarterback. Is there a way a team can finish worse than 0-16? Maybe -3-16?

30. Cleveland Browns – I sincerely hope Mike Holmgren is in it for the long haul in Cleveland, because it’s going to take at least another year – likely two – to get the Brownies back to legitimacy. In short, there just isn’t a great deal of talent there.

29. Kansas City Chiefs – Kansas City had a good draft this season, no question about it, and a good portion of those players will have chances to start – or at least play significant roles – this season. The downside to that? If you have a lot of rookies playing significant roles, that means the rest of your team isn’t very good. Such will be life for the Chiefs in 2010.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – This is going to sound weird, considering I have the Bucs as the fifth-worst team in football right now, but I like the direction in which they are heading. The team’s very solid draft should provide a young nucleus moving forward and quarterback Josh Freeman has some real upside. That said, you have to take your lumps before you learn how to win and I think Tampa Bay will experience a lot of those this year.

27. Oakland Raiders – The silver-and-black only turned in five wins last season, but four of them came against teams that either made (Cincinnati and Philadelphia) or just missed (Pittsburgh and Denver) the playoffs – so that’s good! Seriously, I do think the Raiders are headed in a positive direction. The JaMarcus Russell experiment has finally ended and the team had a pretty darn good draft. But the team is likely still a year away. Come 2011, though, Oakland could be ready to do some things…if there’s football in 2011, that is.

26. Seattle Seahawks – The Pete Carroll/John Schneider regime in Seattle began with a very questionable move (trading waaay too much for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst). Things improved after that, as the Seahawks turned in a very good draft. Still, there isn’t a whole lot of talent on this team – rookies take time, remember – and I continue to wonder just how good of a coach Carroll actually is. It’s third place in the NFC West again for this squad.

25. Detroit Lions – For the first time in, well, ever, the Lions can hang their hats on their very good offseason. This team will get to the quarterback much, much more than it did in, well, ever, and if Matthew Stafford can avoid getting murdered behind that o-line, he’ll make a nice jump in year two. This team is headed for six-to-seven win territory.

24. Chicago Bears – Jay Cutler will be better in 2010, if only because I’m not sure how he could be worse. That, and an intriguing group of young wideouts, will help Chicago’s cause somewhat. The defense, even with new addition Julius Peppers, is going to be pretty bad once again, though, landing the Bears solidly in the six-to-seven win group with Detroit. Make sure that realtor’s number is handy, Lovie.

23. Washington Redskins – The Donovan McNabb/Mike Shanahan Era has begun in D.C. That alone will help Washington’s cause. However, there’s also this: A weak o-line, a cancerous defensive tackle (Fat Albert) and a Larry Johnson/Clinton Portis/Willie Parker axis of terror at running back. Not good at all.

22. Denver Broncos – Will the real Denver Broncos please stand up? Denver, a team that was the toast of the league for the first half of 2009, ran out of gas faster than a BP oil spill during the second half (look at us – we’re being topical!). Can the Broncos regain that magic? Without Brandon Marshall gobbling up passes, the prognosis seems negative. At least the fans can spend their money on Tim Tebow jerseys instead of playoff tickets.

21. Arizona Cardinals – Hands down, the biggest dropoff in the league has been experienced in Arizona. Kurt Warner has moved on to the next phase of his life, leaving Matt Leinart/Derek Anderson to fill the void (gulp). Anquan Boldin is also gone, leaving no one to take heat off Larry Fitzgerald. The defense suffered some losses, too. Bottom line: The Cards will struggle to win eight games this season. Hope you enjoyed the last few years, Cards fans.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jacksonville seemed poised for the postseason in ‘09, heading into the final month at 7-5. The Jags didn’t win a game the rest of the way, though, and finished a disappointing 7-9. Had the team put together a solid offseason, things could have been fixed for this year. The Jags didn’t get it done. Signing Aaron Kampman will help somewhat – provided his knee fully heals – but they didn’t do much else in free agency and their draft was abysmal. Seven wins sounds about right for this team again.

19. Carolina Panthers – Once Carolina finally pulled the plug on Jake Delhomme, the Panthers got it going, finishing 4-1 with Matt Moore at quarterback. The team still has a lethal running back duo (Jonathan Stewart/DeAngelo Williams) and a not-yet-finished Steve Smith. Even though Julius Peppers only showed up half the time, the defense will struggle with him no longer there as Peppers brought a whole lot of attention his way. The Panthers feel like an eight-win team again, but if some things break their way, they could finish better than that.

18. Philadelphia Eagles – The future is now in Philly as the starting QB job is now officially Kevin Kolb’s. Kolb will have his ups-and-downs – not everyone is Aaron Rodgers right off the bat – but should be okay, thanks to a nice corps of playmakers. The defense is going young, though, and will take at least a season to jell. The 2011 season will be when the Eagles arrive…if there’s football in 2011, that is.

17. Houston Texans – The song remains the same for the Texans. The offense will once again be capable of scoring 30-plus points each week, but the defense is still a major question mark (especially with Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing suspended for the first four weeks). It’s a shame, too, because the defense only has to be average for the Texans to finally crack the postseason. I don’t see that happening this season, though.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers – With Nasty Ben (I’m trying out a new nickname for him – what do you think?) suiting up for all 16 games, the Steelers are much higher in these rankings. But, of course, he won’t be, and with him missing that much time, I’m just not sure how the Steelers can make it back to the postseason. They’re known for their running game/defense, but really, the whole team has centered on Nasty Ben for quite some time now.

15. Cincinnati Bengals – In many ways, the Bengals were the feel good story of the NFL in 2009. They cooled off dramatically as the season wound down, though, and I have doubts as to whether or not they can do it again. Carson Palmer has to be better than he was last year and, really, can Cedric Benson and the defense surprise people like they did last year?

14. Tennessee Titans – I picked the Titans to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl before last season. They paid me back by starting 0-6. Then, inexpicably, Vince Young took over as starting quarterback and the team rallied for an 8-2 finish. Those good vibes, plus the fact that Tennessee has the best running back in football (Chris Johnson), make the Titans a dangerous team heading into 2010. As long as Johnson doesn’t hold out, of course.

13. San Francisco 49ers – Despite the fact that San Fran’s draft wasn’t as good as many “experts” claim it was, I still like the team’s chances this season. The Niners play in the worst division in football, so that alone should equal no less than five wins right there. Alex Smith finally showed some flashes last year and the trio of Vernon Davis/Michael Crabtree/Frank Gore is very, very good. There will be a home playoff game in the Bay this season.

12. Miami Dolphins – Miami owner Stephen Ross went out on a limb recently, saying he thinks his team will reach Dallas in February. I don’t necessarily agree with Mr. Ross, but I do like where the ‘Fins are headed. Chad Henne will make a big step forward, thanks to newly added wideout Brandon Marshall. Miami runs the ball well, plays solid defense and has an underrated head coach (Tony Sparano).

11. Atlanta Falcons – Last year was supposed to be one of greatness for Hotlanta. Then came the season. The Falcons struggled running the ball, Matt Ryan got hurt for a stretch and the defense wasn’t great. Still, I love the way the team played for pride even after being eliminated from the playoffs. That carries over as I feel a bounce back season coming for Atlanta. Ryan’s the real deal.

10. New York Giants – Like the Broncos, the Giants – my preseason Super Bowl champs (double gulp) - were looking like an elite squad midway through last season. A 5-2 record quickly evaporated, though, as Big Blue scuffled to an 8-8 finish. I have a feeling New York will bounce back. The defense will stay healthy and improve and wideout Hakeem Nicks should have a massive year two.

9. New England Patriots – The Pats went young on defense last season, and the growing pains showed mightily at times. That group will be much better this season. Plus, there’s still those guys named Belichick and Brady at the helm, which is nice. If Wes Welker’s knee can heal sooner rather than later, the Pats will be just fine.

8. Dallas Cowboys – Everyone is heaping praise on the Cowboys, some going so far as to say they will be the first team to ever play a Super Bowl in their own ballpark. Dallas is a very good team, no question about it, but it has some holes, namely along the o-line. Plus, to get to a Super Bowl, you have to do well in the playoff games that precede it - something Tony Romo has yet to do.

7. Minnesota Vikings – I love how everyone who makes these rankings says, “Well, the Vikings’ ranking depends entirely on whether or not Brett Favre returns.” Seriously? We all know Favre is coming back. That being the case, the Vikings will be very good once again (with a special assist to some judges here in the Twin Cities). And, yes, I feel sick about writing that last sentence.

6. Baltimore Ravens – Love, love, love what Baltimore has done during the offseason. Adding Anquan Boldin gives the Ravens the big-time receiving threat they’ve seemingly never had. Ray Rice is scary good, an already tough defense was bolstered big-time in the draft and Joe Flacco could very well make “the leap” this season. Don’t be surprised if Baltimore is in Dallas come February.

5. Green Bay Packers – Since this is a Packers blog, I’ll go a little deeper here. As of now, I absolutely love where this team is at. The strong finish to last season, plus the massive comeback against Arizona in the playoff loss, gave us many glimpses of just how scary this team can be. A (mostly) young offense is only going to get better and better and it starts at the top. Aaron Rodgers is right on the verge of becoming a top five quarterback and players like Jermichael Finley and Greg Jennings can easily do the same at their positions. The offensive line has (finally) solidified, for the most part, and top pick Bryan Bulaga provides crucial depth. The defense, tops against the run last season, has a full year of the 3-4 scheme under its belt and I fully expect Dom Capers to roll out a few new wrinkles. Questions exist as to the depth at the corner/LOLB spots, but I think someone will emerge at corner (stay healthy, Pat Lee) and Brad Jones should be fine opposite Clay Matthews. Regardless, in the salary cap era, every team has some holes, but the Pack’s holes don’t appear to be crippling. In the end, I just feel like this is the season Green Bay really arrives. Does that equal Super Bowl? I can’t say – but in a slightly down NFC, the rising Packers certainly have a shot.

4. San Diego Chargers – San Diego’s epic choke job in the divisional round loss to the Jets took a great deal of shine off a team that had won 11 straight games during the regular season. The Chargers will bounce back, led by a top-five quarterback (Philip Rivers) and an improved emphasis on the running game, thanks to first round pick Ryan Matthews. Now, if only Nate Kaeding can hit a few kicks…

3. Indianapolis Colts – As usual, Indy has stayed fairly quiet during the offseason. September will come, everyone will remember, “Oh yeah – Peyton Manning is their quarterback, isn’t he?” and the Colts will rip-off another 12-win season. Sunrise, sunset.

2. New York Jets – The J-E-T-S have added a boatload of talent (Antonio Cromartie, Santonio Holmes, etc.) that contains a boatload of character issues. Those matters clearly mean nothing to head coach Rex Ryan, though, and the real reason the Jets are No. 2 here is this: A proven formula of great running game plus great defense and a young quarterback (Mark Sanchez) with the potential for a breakout season.

1. New Orleans Saints – The Saints haven’t been that busy this offseason - okay, minus that whole Vicodin scandal – but that doesn’t matter. I’m a firm believer in the theory that the champs are the champs until they are knocked out. No TKOs on account of free agency/the draft. New Orleans still has the best coach-quarterback tandem in the league, which doesn’t hurt its cause, either.

So, what do you think of my rankings? Comment, baby, comment!

-Chris Lempesis

I mean, I know they signed a receiver from the CFL recently. But I’m not going to talk about it.

Lately, though, there’s been a slight flurry of activity. And with [...]]]> It’s been a minute since we’ve given our thoughts on any actual, real news surrounding the Green Bay Packers. That’s mainly because, well, there hadn’t been much.

I mean, I know they signed a receiver from the CFL recently. But I’m not going to talk about it.

Lately, though, there’s been a slight flurry of activity. And with it being Friday and all, we figured it’d be a good time to check back in.

(Side note: We’ve been having waaaay too much fun with our Twitter and newly created Facebook pages. We’ve added some new stuff to the Facebook page – some photos of us – and we’d love it if you checked it out.)

• Cushing re-wins DROY award…Matthews re-finishes third

Wednesday, the Associated Press held its unprecedented re-vote for the 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing re-won the award, despite being suspended the first four games of next season for failing a test for PEDs. Green Bay’s Clay Matthews, a good friend and collegiate teammate of Cushing’s, finished third again.

I have a few thoughts on this whole saga. First, I’m not going to lie; Cushing’s failed test does raise some significant questions, at least in my mind, about Matthews. This might be a “guilt by association” situation, yes, but facts are facts: Matthews and Cushing are close friends who spent a lot of time working out together (at least while in college). You have to think they shared secrets about their respective regimens, from time-to-time, and there were questions about both before the ‘09 draft.

I’m not saying we should expect Matthews to suffer a similar fate as Cushing or anything. And, believe me, I hope he doesn’t. But if it does happen to Matthews at any point, I am saying none of us should be surprised.

Secondly, I think Cushing’s an idiot for essentially giving us the, “I don’t know how the hCG got into my system” defense. Seriously, does that work after you turn 10 years old? Didn’t think it did. Just fess up and admit to what you did, Brian. It’ll work to your favor in the longterm. We as a society hate people who lie. We hate cheaters, too, but we ultimately forgive them if they are honest.

Finally, I think the AP is stupid for what it did. That organization has now set a dangerous precedent going forward. They’ll now have to do this every single time a player tests positive for something. Slippery slope, fellas.

• Lang out until training camp

Right tackle T.J. Lang, coming off a promising rookie season, will be out until training camp as he recovers from recent surgery on his left wrist.

This is a fairly serious setback for a player like Lang. It’s good that he won’t miss any time in camp, barring any setbacks in recovery, but he’ll miss a ton of weight room time. For a young player like Lang, that’s crucial. It’s been said over-and-over that players make the most significant leap in strength from year one to year two and I believe it.

Lang can likely still work on lower body stuff, which will help. But I doubt he can do much in terms of upper body strength now and it could take him a bit longer to fully get into game shape. Just another reason why I’m glad Mark Tauscher was re-signed.

• Packers bringing in another Harrell?

Green Bay will reportedly bring in quarterback Graham Harrell for a workout next week. Harrell was a standout at Texas Tech – what QB isn’t in that system, though – but went undrafted in ‘09.

He spent last season playing in the CFL (dammit, I was hoping to avoid any CFL talk in this post), but was released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders recently.

The Packers already have a couple of young, developmental quarterbacks on the roster, as of now. But head coach Mike McCarthy apparently has interest in adding more. I have no problem with that, really, because as I’ve said repeatedly, I truly believe the team is hoping for one more good preseason out of Matt Flynn before attempting to trade him after next season. That being the case, Green Bay needs to find its next Flynn.

Maybe it’s Harrell. Hey, he couldn’t be any worse than Justin…could he??

(Oh, and for those out there who have raised the idea of bringing in JaMarcus Russell, I think it’s a fine idea. You can never have enough depth on the offensive line.)

• Finding chinks in Jared Allen’s armor

Okay, so this last one isn’t really news or anything. But, living in Minneapolis, I’m constantly reminded of how much the people here love Jared Allen. That, of course, only serves to constantly remind me of how much I hate him.

This week, I set out to find a few chinks in his armor. I think I did:

1. Did you know that, last season, Allen only had five sacks against left tackles not named Daryn Colledge, T.J. Lang or…well…whoever plays that spot for the Chicago Bears?
2. Did you know that Allen, in 2008, only had four sacks against teams not named Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay and Houston?
3. Did you know that Allen’s a disgusting redneck – make that “pretend redneck” – with a mullet? Okay, that’s not really a chink, I just wanted to say it.

Finally, if the Packers are looking to rattle Allen this season, I think this guy just showed them a way to do it.

Have a good Friday, everyone.

-Chris Lempesis

This particular post, while not part of any series, is really the first of those special posts. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for quite some time now.

Question: IF the Green Bay Packers never existed – and everything else [...]]]> Last week, I wrote about some special posts/series we’d be rolling out during the dead zone period.

This particular post, while not part of any series, is really the first of those special posts. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for quite some time now.

Question: IF the Green Bay Packers never existed – and everything else was the same in my life, meaning I’m still a huge, sick NFL fan from Marquette, Michigan currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota - who would I root for?

First, let me just say that being an NFL fan would suck if the Packers never existed. I mean, seriously.

Again, though, I have to pick some team.

The most obvious route would be to pick a team from the NFC North. I’m a midwestern boy, after all, and regional pride should count for something, shouldn’t it? Well, that doesn’t work for the following reasons.

1. As I wrote back in November, I could never root for the Detroit Lions.
2. I’ve crossed off the Minnesota Vikings because they wear purple and have had far too many despicable characters. Plus, they have this guy as their announcer.
3. I could never root for a team from Chicago (i.e., the most overrated city in the United States). That’s right. I said it.

So, that left me with roughly 28 options. I have to assume, for the purposes of this discussion, that I’ve been rooting for said team my entire life. Since I became a football fan in the early 1990s, that eliminates the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns (part two) and the team they became, the Baltimore Ravens.

Down to 23. I also have to assume the team was, at the very least, decent when I began watching football. Otherwise, why would I root for them in the first place? Not saying I’d be a front-runner – that eliminates you, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers – but there’d have to be more wins than losses.

There couldn’t be any sort of geographic movement involved, either, as I hate, hate, hate it when teams move. Goodbye St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders. For good measure, let’s throw the Indianapolis Colts in there, too, as they used to be in Baltimore. My father looked at the Colts as his second team of sorts in his younger days – he was a huge Johnny Unitas fan – and it has always bothered him that they left.

The list now stands at 16 (I’m updating the numbers for myself as much as you; I went to a Big Ten school so my math obviously sucks). Here’s a stipulation that should whittle that number considerably: The team’s history. Namely, do they have one?

The team I’d pick would have to be a team with a great tradition. Again, that doesn’t mean they’d be in the Super Bowl or even the playoffs every year, but there’d have to be a solid past. Even when I was a kid, that sort of stuff mattered to me. San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots – please make your way to the exits.

We’ve reached the final eight. Those teams are: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.

You know what? Take the Dolphins off of there. They fit the criteria, up ’til now, but they play in Florida. I grew up in the U.P. No warm weather teams for me. Plus, we always laughed at the Dolphins when they struggled in cold weather, which was, well, always.

We now stand at seven. Here’s where it gets tricky.

When trimming the final seven, I decided to factor in marketability, meaning they’d have to be a team that was shown on television where I lived. Pittsburgh wasn’t on much, from what I remember, so it’s gone. Down to six. The other teams all got their share of time where I was at, but four teams really stand out: the Giants, Redskins, Eagles and Broncos.

And those teams indeed are the final four on my list.

Denver is the first team to fall from that group. Even then, the AFC always felt foreign to me. It was like the NFC, but just a little off. Sort of like Canada.

Three is now the magic number and if you followed football back then, it makes sense that the Giants, Eagles and Redskins would be the last teams standing. The NFC East was very much the power division back when I started watching football and many of those divisional games were the late, national games, broadcast on CBS (for our younger readers, CBS was the NFC Network back then; NBC had the AFC games). Even as a kid, I loved those games, especially later in the year as the weather got nastier. And, boy, did those teams get jacked up for those games. The Packers stunk back then, so it was nice to see two teams that actually, you know, had something to play for.

Philadelphia had Randall Cunningham and, man, he was impressive to watch, especially if you were a young kid back then. But there was something about that defense – and head coach Buddy Ryan in particular – that always bothered me. They seemed mean, dirty, illegal. I hope no one pelts me with snowballs for saying this, but sorry Philly, you’re gone.

And then there were two: Washington and the New York Giants.

The ‘Skins have a lot going for them – Joe Gibbs was an honorable man, the offense was fun to watch, they had the fastest man in football (corner Darrell Green), they played in the nation’s capital and had a great, great history.

Ditto for the Giants – Bill Parcells was a great coach (and even better quote), the defense was tough, yet clean, they had marquee players (Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor), they played in a cool stadium (come on, Giants Stadium? Forget about it) and had an epic history. 

I had one more factor to consider: The “buzz” factor. Which team consistently carries more buzz? It’s there with the ‘Skins, sure, but not always. Lately the “buzz” surrounding them has been about what a trainwreck they are, for example.

With the Giants, though, it’s always there. No matter what, the Giants just have this thing, this appeal, to them. Part of it stems from playing in New York, no doubt, but it’s more than that. I can’t explain it, but for whatever reason, that team just matters, whether you live in New York, Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego or Marquette, Michigan. When they’re on, you’re wondering how they’re doing, whether you want them to win or lose. Even if you don’t care about the result, you’re interested in the score. 

They’ve got it – and that’s why they are my choice.

 What say you, OBOD readers? Who would you choose? We’d love to hear from you on this one. Comment, baby, comment!!

-Chris Lempesis

Nathan asked in his e-mail: “At what price comes winning – would we tolerate a Roethlisberger with the Pack if he brought [...]]]> (Thursday, I wrote about a topic submitted to us by one of our readers, Nathan Heineke. Unfortunately, I was not able to touch on the final part of Nathan’s multi-layered question. I will do that now.)

Nathan asked in his e-mail: “At what price comes winning – would we tolerate a Roethlisberger with the Pack if he brought home the rings?”

It’s an interesting, and difficult, question to answer.

Originally, I was certain we would not tolerate such a player on the Green Bay Packers. The first thing – or should I say, person – that came to my mind was Mark Chmura.

When sexual assault allegations were leveled against Chmura in 2000, stemming from an incident at a post-prom party in Waukesha, it didn’t take long for Packers fans to collective turn on the former Pro Bowl tight end. He had yet to go to trial, but to many of us, he was already guilty of terrible judgement. As such, he was no longer someone we considered “one of us.” The organization clearly agreed, quickly releasing Chmura (who was, of course, later found not guilty on all charges).

The idea of a player needing to be “one of us” – or, as some put it, “Packer People” – was really started by Ron Wolf, the same man who released Chmura. It’s essentially a nice way of saying that anyone who plays for the Packers must also be a person of high character. Wolf was always a big believer in the idea that you could not win with bad character people. Mike Sherman and Ted Thompson have followed Wolf’s thinking, for the most part, and it’s become a fairly important factor in the decision-making process for the organization. Not all organizations take the same approach (see: the Cincinnati Bengals).

Roethlisberger, through and through, does not seem like a “Packer Person.” He comes across as rude, arrogant and intolerant of those he deems to be beneath him. Even his own teammates have turned against him in the past and, again, that’s not even mentioning the sexual assault allegations that have been thrown at him.

So, there it is, cut and dry, right? We wouldn’t tolerate him, would we?

Then, of course, my mind quickly drifted to Chmura’s old drinking buddy, Brett Favre. If Chmura provides us a (somewhat dated) reference of how the team might handle a player dealing with sexual assault allegations, Favre provides us a (somewhat dated) reference on how the team might handle a quarterback going through numerous off-field issues.

So many people, especially the idiots at ESPN, like to gloss over Favre’s checkered past now, but we all remember how he used to be. An admitted alcoholic and drug addict – with a wife who almost left him on at least one occassion – Favre was very much a PG-13 version of what Roethlisberger is now. We know more about Roethlisberger’s non-sexual assault-related bad behavior than we do Favre’s, true. But that’s likely because of today’s 24-hour news cycle and the fact that, as I’ve always said, a lot of the Packers get their incidents swept under the rug due to Green Bay being a smaller city and more protective of its football team.

And it was when I thought about Favre that I came to this ultimate conclusion: We would, as sad as it might sound to some, tolerate Roethlisberger if he were on the Packers.

(I’ll give you a moment to calm down. Okay. We good?)

At numerous points during Favre’s struggles, the organization and fans stuck by him. A lot of that had to do with Favre genuinely seemingly like a good person (came up snake eyes on that roll, huh?). Again, Roethlisberger wouldn’t have that going for him if he were in Green Bay because he seems like an utter prick.

He’d have this though: Two Super Bowl championships (for the purposes of this discussion, I’m assuming Roethlisberger has been a Packer his entire career and done everything in Green Bay that he’s done in Pittsburgh.)

We stuck by Favre because, even then, he was a larger-than-life figure, yet someone whom we felt we knew. But let’s not kid ourselves, either – we also stuck by him because he was a winner, a three-time MVP who brought us our first Super Bowl title in nearly 30 years. If Favre had been mediocre or even simply average, it’s unlikely the organization and fans would have stuck by him as vigorously as we did. Remember, Roethlisberger and Favre play the most important position not just in football, but in all of sports. That goes a long way in making such decisions.

It’s even harder today to both win games and find good quarterbacking than it was 15 years ago, something that only furthers my case. And, really, that’s what we as Packers fans care about more than anything – winning. We are as passionate a fan base as you will find in sports, professional or collegiate, and we need Green Bay to be good, to win. We want our players to be good people; we need them to be winners. There’s a huge difference, whether some of us are willing to admit that or not.

(Example: The Packers had a great run in the 1990s. We got a title of out it. The Dallas Cowboys got three in that decade. If you could switch players, meaning all the guys who played for Dallas would have played for Green Bay and vice versa, and the success was exactly the same – meaning we’d have won three titles – would you do it? Believe me, it’s not as easy an answer as you might expect.)

Don’t get me wrong, though. We’d be every bit as furious at Roethlisberger as Steelers fans are. Some of us would turn our backs on him, as of now. We’d refuse to wear his No. 7 jersey, we’d curse him while out with friends and we’d talk a big game about how the organization should do everything in its power to get rid of him.

The key words in that last paragraph: as of now. Come July – and especially come September – we’d want him back on that field playing for our squad, because he’s an elite quarterback and, more often than not, he’ll lead the team we care about to victory. Remember, as Herm Edwards famously said, you play to win the games. You don’t just play to play.

With someone like Roethlisberger, we’d know we were playing to win. Is that a sad commentary on us as fans? Perhaps.

To tolerate such a player, would we be selling off a tiny piece of our souls? Again, maybe.

But if you want to win, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. That’s just the way it is.

-Chris Lempesis

I’ve given you the drafts I did not like.

For the final part of our look at the respective drafts of the other 31 NFL teams, I will give you the drafts I am unsure of, as of now.

Wait a second – unsure?

Seems a little anti-climactic, no? Looks like someone [...]]]> I’ve given you the drafts I liked.

I’ve given you the drafts I did not like.

For the final part of our look at the respective drafts of the other 31 NFL teams, I will give you the drafts I am unsure of, as of now.

Wait a second – unsure?

Seems a little anti-climactic, no? Looks like someone didn’t really think this thing through!

I’ll do my best to keep this thing interesting. Don’t worry and, as always, enjoy.

Unsure

Arizona – DT Dan Williams will look good playing next to Darnell Dockett and OLB O’Brien Schofield will be an impact player come 2011. OLB Daryl Washington, though, is merely a solid player. The Cards needed more o-line help and didn’t get it.

Denver – I did not like Denver’s first three picks (particularly QB Tim Tebow and OT Zane Beadles). However, I loved Denver’s next three picks (C J.D. Walton, WR Eric Decker and CB Perrish Cox). Those picks, essentially, cancel each other out, hence Denver landing in the unsure category.

Houston – CB Kareem Jackson and RB Ben Tate are both nice players who fill definite needs. But I have questions about DT Earl Mitchell and LB Darryl Sharpton. Not sure if they’re the players Houston needed to put its defense over the top. The selection of Garrett Graham proves the Texans just love Wisconsin tight ends.

Indianapolis – DE/OLB Jerry Hughes gives Indy another pass rushing terror. LB Pat Angerer (best linebacker name ever) is a nice fit for the Colts defense. Still, the Colts needed o-line help (particularly at LT and C where Jeff Saturday isn’t getting any younger) and didn’t really go after it.

New York Giants – If Jason Pierre-Paul cashes in on his immense athleticism, the Giants will have a dominant DE. G Mitch Petrus is strong and athletic and will start, eventually. I have questions about DT Linval Joseph and S Chad Jones, though. The Giants should have attempted to move up and grab ILB Rolando McClain. That was their one glaring hole.

Pittsburgh – Clearly, the Steelers wanted to upgrade their o-line. C/G Maurkice Pouncey and OT Chris Scott will help that cause. Jason Worilds and Thaddeus Gibson are both fine players, but doesn’t this team have enough linebackers? Finally, for an organization that’s under such scrutiny at the moment, was it really smart to draft a player – like RB Jonathan Dwyer – who has already failed a drug test?

St. Louis – I know quarterbacks sell tickets, but Ndamukong Suh was the best player in this draft. Therefore, he should have been the No. 1 pick. Sam Bradford will need a lot of time to learn a pro offense. OT Rodger Saffold will team with Jason Smith to form a nice bookend tandem and WR Mardy Gilyard has some upside.

Washington – OT Trent Williams was not the best offensive lineman in this draft. Russell Okung should have been the pick at No. 4 and Washington could end up regretting what it did. Still, Williams has upside. OT Selvish Capers needs time, but could end up starting in a year or two.

That wraps up our series. Tuesday, I’ll be back to put the final bow on the Green Bay Packers’ 2010 draft.

Should be fun.

-Chris Lempesis

In part two, I’ll list the drafts I did not like. Later tonight I’ll wrap this series up with the drafts I am unsure of.

And, in case you were wondering, I’ll put the final touches on the Green Bay Packers’ 2010 draft on Tuesday.

Enjoy.

Dislike

Buffalo [...]]]> Earlier today, I listed the teams whom I felt had good drafts.

In part two, I’ll list the drafts I did not like. Later tonight I’ll wrap this series up with the drafts I am unsure of.

And, in case you were wondering, I’ll put the final touches on the Green Bay Packers’ 2010 draft on Tuesday.

Enjoy.

Dislike

Buffalo – Things got off to a great start with the selection of RB C.J. Spiller. I have questions about the rest of the draft, however, particularly passing on QBs Jimmy Clausen in round two and Colt McCoy in round three. And, seriously, the Bills didn’t address their bad o-line until the fifth round.

Carolina – While Buffalo should have snagged Clausen in round two, Carolina should not have. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the Panthers close out the season strong with Matt Moore at QB? They needed more help on defense, though I do like the selection of OLB Eric Norwood in round four.

Dallas – Everyone’s raving about the Cowboys trading up for WR Dez Bryant. Bryant brings value there, I agree, but he doesn’t play LT. Neither do OLB Sean Lee or CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah. Who protects Tony Romo’s blindside?

Jacksonville – The Jags were flat-out ridiculous in selecting DT Tyson Alualu 10th overall. DT Anthony Smith was a bit better in round three. But, once again, Jacksonville fails to add any playmaking talent. At some point, the Jags will do that…right?

Minnesota – The Vikes needed to find a replacement for Chester Taylor. A shifty, quick, pass-catching back would have been nice. What did Minny do? Trade up to grab plodding RB Toby Gerhart (oh, by the way, he’s not a great pass-catcher either). DE Everson Griffen has some potential, but is way too lazy. CB Chris Cook could be good, but has already had injury problems.

San Diego – As I said Thursday night, trading up all those spots to grab RB Ryan Matthews wreaked of, “We’re only one player away,” something San Diego is not. The Bolts needed a nose tackle and some secondary help, but didn’t address those spots until the fourth and fifth round, respectively.

San Francisco – A lot of people have been raving about San Fran’s draft. Am I missing something? The Niners traded up to take an OT, Anthony Davis, with weight problems and questionable commitment. S Taylor Mays is more athlete than football player and OLB Navorro Bowman has a ton of character concerns. G Mike Iupati should be a player, however.

Again, check back later tonight for part three.

-Chris Lempesis

Of course, 31 other teams were hard at work, as well. Some of those teams did well for themselves Thursday through Saturday; others, well, did not.

I’m not smart enough to come up with grades for each of [...]]]> Most of OBOD’s (damn fine) coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft has centered around our beloved Green Bay Packers.

Of course, 31 other teams were hard at work, as well. Some of those teams did well for themselves Thursday through Saturday; others, well, did not.

I’m not smart enough to come up with grades for each of these teams, so I won’t. I’ll simply lump these teams into three categories: Like, dislike and unsure.

In part one, which you are reading, I’ll list the teams whom I feel had good drafts. Part two will feature the “dislike” and “unsure” teams and will run later today.

Should be simple enough, right? I hope so.

(And yes, I know you can’t fully evaluate this stuff until three years from now. But, I’m sorry – writing stuff like this is just too much damn fun for me.)

Like

Atlanta – OLB Sean Weatherspoon, DT Corey Peters and CB Dominique Franks (an absolute steal in round five) will provide immediate boosts to a somewhat sagging defense. Guard Mike Johnson was also a nice pick. 

Baltimore – On first blush, the Ravens appear to have had a grand-slam draft. DT Terrence Cody will team with Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg to give Baltimore the feel of a four-man front with just three players. OLB Sergio Kindle will be another pass-rushing terror and TEs Ed Dixon and Dennis Pitts give Joe Flacco two more solid weapons.

Chicago – The Bears made solid impact with limited picks. S Major Wright and CB Joshua Moore (another fifth round steal) should boost the secondary. DE Corey Wootton will help the line in a big way and QB Dan Lefevour is great value as a sixth-rounder. Crap.

Cincinnati – TE Jermaine Gresham, WR Jordan Shipley and WR Dez Briscoe (can’t believe he was still there in round six) will give Carson Palmer the added weaponry he needed. DE Carlos Dunlap is a character risk, but has great upside. CB Brandon Ghee will be a starter eventually.

Cleveland – Nice work, Mikey. Holmgren has now officially rebuilt his secondary with CB Joe Haden and Ss T.J. Ward and Larry Asante (the hardest hitter in this draft). RB Montario Hardesty will provide a change-of-pace and G Shawn Lauvao will help things inside. QB Colt McCoy will lead this team in 2011, if not sooner.

Detroit – DT Ndamukong Suh was the best player in this draft. CB Amari Spievey will likely start right away. RB Jahvid Best is an injury risk, but if he stays healthy, he’s a gamebreaker. LT Jason Fox will start by 2011. Crap.

Kansas City – Looks like Scott Pioli is finally figuring it out. S Eric Berry has “All Pro” written all over him and CB Javier Arenas will also sure up the pass defense in a major way. G Jon Asamoah is a beast inside and RB Dexter McCluster and TE Tony Moeaki give Matt Cassel two safety valves in the passing game.

Miami – A typical Parcells-type draft here (i.e., meat and potatoes-style). DT Jared Odrick and OLBs Koa Misi and A.J. Edds will give a much-needed shot in the arm to the Dolphins’ front seven. G John Jerry is an absolute monster.

New England – God know the Pats had enough picks in this draft (a whopping 12). TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez (nice value in round four) will give Tom Brady two more big targets who can move. CB Devin McCourty, DEs Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Deaderick and ILB Brandon Spikes are more promising pieces for The Hoodie’s young defense.

New Orleans – The defending champs focused more on depth and did a good job of it. LT Charles Brown and C Matt Tennant will both start eventually, as will CB Patrick Robinson. TE Jimmy Graham steps in when Jeremy Shockey has to call it a day.

New York Jets – CB Kyle Wilson will be the nickel back at first, but could end up a starter by season’s end. G Vladimir Ducasse has major potential. RB Joe McKnight will be the change-of-pace back if LaDainian Tomlinson can’t get it done.

Oakland – No, you are not reading that wrong. I like what the Raiders did. ILB Rolando McClain starts right away and isn’t likely to give up the job for the next decade. DT Lamarr Houston provides another hog up front. OTs Jared Veldheer and Bruce Campbell both need time to develop, but if they do, Oakland will have two massive bookends for quite some time. QB Jason Campbell will be a good fit for Oakland’s vertical passing game.

Philadelphia – The Eagles clearly felt they needed to perform an overhaul on their defense. The players they added should play a big part in that. DE/OLB Brandon Graham has short arms, but a good motor. DEs Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and Ricky Sapp will also help bring pressure on the quarterback. S Nate Allen and CB Trevard Lindley will improve the back end.

Seattle – I was pretty sure John Schneider was a smart guy before the draft. Afterwards, I’m all but certain of it. LT Russell Okung was the best o-lineman in this draft. S Earl Thomas was a steal midway through round one. WR Golden Tate and TE Anthony McCoy (a steal in round six, failed drug test or not) and the trades for RBs LenDale White and Leon Washington instantly improved Seattle in terms of playmakers.

Tampa Bay – DTs Gerald McCoy and Brian Price will form a nice tandem inside for the next five years or so. CB Myron Lewis and OLB Dekoda Watson (not sure how he was still there in round seven) will also help the defense. WRs Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams (talent as big as his character concerns) will help the stagnant offense.

Tennessee – DE Derrick Morgan will fill Kyle Vanden Bosch’s void. WR Damian Williams has good size and hands. DB Alterraun Verner is a bit undersized, but is also a major playmaker.

Again, check back later today for part two.

-Chris Lempesis 

Nevertheless, I figured I’d offer up some quick thoughts on tonight’s announcement that quarterback Donovan McNabb has been traded from Philadelphia to Washington for a second round pick this year and either a third or fourth round pick next year. After all, the trade does [...]]]> Yes, yes, I know this is a Green Bay Packers blog.

Nevertheless, I figured I’d offer up some quick thoughts on tonight’s announcement that quarterback Donovan McNabb has been traded from Philadelphia to Washington for a second round pick this year and either a third or fourth round pick next year. After all, the trade does involve two NFC teams (who play in the same division, which makes this trade even more shocking) and, like we’ve always said, we at OBOD like to focus on league-wide news from time-to-time.

(Oh, by the way, happy Easter everyone!)

The first thought that comes to mind on this trade: The Eagles better be damn sure Kevin Kolb is a winner. Because while McNabb has only made it to one Super Bowl – which he lost – despite five trips to the NFC Championship Game, the fact remains that he’s made it to five NFC Championship Games. He’s still a top 10 quarterback who, at age 33, likely has at least three very good seasons left in him. Kolb, on the other hand, is still very much an unknown. If he can play, the Eagles should be just fine. If Kolb bombs, head coach Andy Reid won’t be long for Philly - even if he has that new extension in his back pocket.

For Washington, this is ultimately a very good deal. While I like Jason Campbell (he’s never really been given a fair shake, mainly due to consistently subpar supporting casts), McNabb is a massive upgrade. If things work out for him there, he’ll probably sign an extension – this is the last year of his contract – and the Redskins will have a nice three or four year window to do some good things. If things don’t work out, Washington can simply franchise him and trade him next spring, in effect re-gaining whatever it gave up to get him. In other words, a no-lose proposition.

For the NFC East, as a whole, this trade makes New York and Dallas the teams to beat as of now. Philly will likely take, at the very least, a small step back. Washington will be better, no question, but McNabb alone can only do so much (subpar offensive line, lack of real playmakers at the skill positions, etc.).

Finally, for the NFL, this trade is a grand slam as it gives the league two more games that are guaranteed to draw massive ratings next season. Somewhere, Roger Goodell is smiling.

-Chris Lempesis