The Key To A Quick Start For The Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys report to training camp in San Antonio, Texas today and practice starts tomorrow.

Now that all the off season chatter about Terrell Owens’ departure and Tony and Jessica splitting up is behind us, it is time to look at what it will take to get the Dallas Cowboys back on top of the NFC East and ready to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl.

The NFC East is once again the toughest division in the conference if not the entire NFL.

While every year the talk is how the Cowboys play in December and January, it is imperative the Cowboys get off to a quick start in 2009.

2008 was a disappointment and the team needs to prove they are more like the 13-3 team of 2007 than the 9-7 lackluster team of a year ago.

Granted it is crucial that Tony Romo and the offense gel quickly and put some points on the board.

But the determining factor on whether or not the Cowboys will be a force this year comes down to: The Front Seven must stop the run.

In 2008 the Cowboys defense ranked 12^th in the NFL against the rush giving up an average of 106.6 yards a game and 4.2 yards per rushing attempt.

Nightmares of last season’s Week 16 loss to Baltimore continue to haunt the Cowboys fans.

The defense gave up 265 yards rushing that day which included two fourth quarter touchdown runs of 77 and 82 yards.

That performance was the nail in the Cowboys coffin and ended any real play-off hopes for 2008.

This season will start facing six opponents that will rely heavily on their running game.

Game 1 at Tampa Bay: The Bucs will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, probably Byron Leftwich, as well as a new offensive system under new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski.

The Bucs will be more committed to the running game with the addition of Derrick Ward who rushed for 1,025 yards with the Giants last season.

Last year the Bucs ranked 15^th in the NFL in rushing with 114.8 yards per game.

Game 2 home vs. New York Giants: The Giants led the NFL in rushing in 2008 with 157.4 yards per game. In the two games vs. Dallas in ’08, they averaged 136.0 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.

Brandon Jacobs, who missed the second game against Dallas last year, will return for the Giants this year.

Without a proven number one receiver for Eli Manning to rely on look for the Giants to continue to pound the ball, especially early in the season.

Game 3 home vs. Carolina Panthers: Well the first Monday Night game in the new Cowboys Stadium does not get any easier for the Cowboys run defense.

The Panthers averaged over 152 yards per game rushing last year to rank third in the NFL.

They bring back the one-two punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to try and overwhelm the Cowboys front seven.

Game 4 at Denver: Last year although the Broncos were devastated by injuries at the running back position and they had Jay Cutler at quarterback, they still ranked 12th in the league in rushing.

To put that in perspective, the Cowboys ranked 21st in the NFL in rushing offense in 2008.

This year, the Broncos have number one draft choice, Knowshon Moreno, along with free agent pick-ups Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan to lead their running game.

Plus they now have Kyle Orton playing quarterback. Believe me the Broncos will want to establish the running game each week.

Game 5 at Kansas City: Running Back Larry Johnson only played in 12 games for the Chiefs in 2008 but he still had 874 yards rushing while the team ranked 16th in the league.

New QB Matt Cassel will have to go to battle with only one legitimate threat on the outside in WR Dwayne Bowe.

Look for Johnson to be called on early and often in the Chiefs game plan.

Game 6 home vs. Atlanta: Well the Cowboys face the number one ranked Giants and the number three ranked Panthers so you might as well add the number two ranked Falcons to the mix.

Michael Turner powered the Falcons with 1,699 yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns.

As you can see the first six games will present some very big challenges for the Cowboys front seven. So who will be responsible for plugging the holes for the Cowboys in 2009?

Defensive End Marcus Spears: At 6’4” and 315 pounds Spears has good size and strength. He had 35 tackles and one forced fumble in 2008.

He is not much of a playmaker and tends to disappear at times.

Nose Tackle Jay Ratliff: Probably the biggest surprise for the Cowboys defense in 2008.

Ratliff earned Pro Bowl recognition with his 51 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He is solid and can create congestion along the line of scrimmage.

Defensive End Igor Olshansky: Olshansky comes in to replace Chris Canty who took the free agent train to the divisional rival New York Giants.

Olshansky plays the run well. At 6”6” and 309 pounds he is ideal as a defensive end in the Cowboys 3 – 4 defense.

Plus he played under Coach Wade Phillips defense when Phillips was at San Diego.

Outside Linebacker Anthony Spencer: Perhaps the biggest question mark on the front seven, Spencer steps in to fill the shoes of the departed Greg Ellis.

Spencer, in his third year out of Purdue, has excellent ball awareness to come off blocks and make plays.

As a former first round draft choice, the expectations are high that Spencer will be a force opposite Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware.

Inside Linebacker Bradie James: The heartbeat of the Cowboys defense. James led the team with 116 tackles in 2008.

He is aggressive and fills the hole quickly. He continues to improve his playmaking skills forcing three fumbles last season.

Inside Linebacker Keith Brooking: The long time Atlanta Falcon joins Olshansky as a new addition to the front seven.

Age is the maintain question for the 33 year old, 12 year veteran. But durability has not been an issue for Brooking who has started every game over the past seven seasons for the Falcons.

Outside Linebacker DeMarcus Ware: If James is the heartbeat then Ware is the lifeblood of the Cowboys defense.

Ware played like the Defensive Player of the Year last year, he finished 2^nd to the Steelers James Harrison . Ware forced six fumbles and had a league leading 20 sacks.

He is the best playmaker on the team and can make tackles from sideline to sideline.

So there you have it. While all the media attention is on Romo, Barber, Witten and Roy Williams, the key to the Cowboys in 2009 will be Spears, Ratliff, Olshansky, Spencer, James, Brooking and Ware.

Let’s hit the field.

Jason Garrett – Just Gimme Three Steps

In the tradition of the classic Southern Rock song Gimme Three Steps by Lynyrd Skynyrd, here are three steps for Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett to take in order to get the Cowboys offense back to the juggernaut it looked like for the first 13 games of the 2007 season.  

Garrett could have more pressure on him than Head Coach Wade Phillips does heading into the 2009 campaign.  Just a year ago the Cowboys signed Garrett to be one of the highest paid assistants in the league and the unofficial “Head Coach-in waiting”. Boy how things can change; after a 9-7 season and scoring only 362 points (10^th in the NFC) not to mention his well-publicized meeting with T.O. and the receivers over Jason Witten and his dominance of the offensive game plan, Garrett now must right the ship and do it fast. Plus he will have to do it without the playmaker Owens who is off to Buffalo. 

So how can Garrett turn things around in the tough NFC East? Here are three steps that if the Cowboys take should result in a powerful offense that will have all the fans in the new Cowboys Stadium believing a Super Bowl run is in the cards. 

1. Run the Ball More: As hard to believe as it might seem with Tony Romo and Jason Witten on the offensive side of the ball, there is no doubt the strength of the unit is at the running back position. The Cowboys have three running backs 25 years old and younger Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.  Last season they combined for over 1,600 yards and a 4.5 yard per carry average while scoring 12 touchdowns. Yet they only carried the ball 360 times compared to 578 passing attempts. With arguably the best pack of running backs in the game they deserve more than 37% of the offensive snaps.  

2. More Two Tight-End Sets: But not in the way you think. This is not a recommendation to line up in the traditional two tight end formation and just pound the ball. Again the philosophy here is more in line with step one with getting your best players more involved. By running two tight end sets you get not only Jason Witten on the field but you get second year tight end Martellus Bennett out there at the same time. With the departure of Owens the receiving corps appears weaker than in the past. By inserting Bennett it makes it possible to use Witten in the slot in a Dallas Clark like role. But don’t underestimate Bennett he has the ability to stretch the field and with both he and Witten out there the opponents will have a multitude of match-up problems. 

3. Roll Out the “Wildcat” Package: Once again with the idea of getting as many playmakers on the field as possible the Cowboys need to install their version of the “wildcat” formation and make it a part of their regular offensive game plans. The package became popular a couple seasons ago at the University of Arkansas when they used it in order to get both their top running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones on the field at the same time. Yes that same Felix Jones now residing in the Cowboys backfield. The Cowboys also have two wide receivers on the team that saw significant amount of time at the quarterback position in college. Both Patrick Crayton and Isaiah Stanback played quarterback in college and would be a natural fit for the wildcat package. 

Granted these aren’t brand new ideas and I never claimed to be a rocket scientist but as a 10 year Cowboys season ticket-holder who has re-upped for tickets in the brand new stadium, I have sat through too many games that look the same. Try to run once, maybe twice and when that doesn’t work have Romo drop back to pass. The Cowboys have the offensive weapons to be one of the most dangerous teams to match up against but for too long we make it easy on the opposing players and coaches to prepare and adjust to our game plan. It is time to use the entire arsenal we have and it can be done in three easy steps.

A Minor Adjustment

Baseball, is it still our national pastime? If you are a baseball fan, then most of the headlines you have heard over the past few weeks have centered around ARod or how economic turmoil is affecting the new Yankee stadium and their premium seat prices. With the way families across our country are struggling, Major League Baseball has become too expensive for many of them to go to games this year. 

So where can a family go for good entertainment and value for their hard-earned money? Well don’t give up on baseball. Just adjust a little and give Minor League Baseball a shot. That’s what I recently did over the past couple weeks. 

A couple weekends ago, I flew back to North Carolina where my parents live as do both my brother and sister and their families. It was my Dad’s 76^th birthday so I decided to take him out to see the local minor league baseball team play. So on Friday night I took my Dad, brother and 10 year old nephew out to see the Kinston Indians play. The K-Tribe as they are called play in the Class A Advanced Carolina League and are a Cleveland Indians minor league affiliate. 

The Indians play their games in Grainger Stadium. This year Grainger Stadium is celebrating its 60^th anniversary. Yes the stadium is so old that I played Babe Ruth Baseball there for four years during my high school days. In some ways the stadium is still the same, the tobacco warehouse is still out beyond right field (although from what I can gather it is no longer being used) and the dimensions are the still the same including the 380’ sign in left center that I magically hit one over back in 1978. 

But some things have changed. The organization has done an amazing job refurbishing the old park. The new concession stands, ticket office, clubhouse and press box look tremendous. The place was packed. I was surprised at how many people were there over 2,300 on a Friday night in April. Plus it was quite a bargain. Best tickets in the house $6 each and kids get in for $4. The four of us had a great time, enjoyed a great game and indulged in the typical baseball buffet of hot dogs, peanuts, and ice cream for less than $50. We would have spent more than that going to a movie! 

Then this past Sunday, I organized an outing for my church to attend a baseball game together at our local minor league team the Frisco Roughriders who are an affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play in the Double A Texas League. My son Robbie’s best friend, Sean, (who I think of like my 2^nd son) is the Corporate Marketing Manager for the team. He hooked our group up with a fabulous package. Check this out for $15 a person we got great seats behind the first base dugout, all you can eat food and drinks including hot dogs, hamburgers and brats and even a free Roughriders baseball hat. 

Now if that isn’t a family stimulus package then what is? Our group of 30 had an incredible time at the game, enjoying each other’s fellowship and watching the great game of course while stuffing ourselves silly with ballpark fare.  

Just think about it. Aren’t these two instances examples of what going to a baseball game is supposed to be all about? Getting together with family and friends and spending three hours just soaking it all in. How far from a minor league baseball team do you live? Next time you are looking for something to do give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed. 

Are you LinkedIn?

I am sure you have heard the old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. Believe it or not there is a lot of truth to that. A lot of people’s success can be attributed to the power of networking.  

In Chinese the word Guanxi literally means “relationships”. It is the first word any businessperson learns upon arriving in China and has been touted as one of the main strategies used in the booming Chinese economy. So what does Guanxi have to do with me you ask? 

In order to be successful in your industry and continue to grow and develop your business it is of the utmost importance that we focus on our Guanxi talents. The “art of relationships” as some Chinese business leaders refer to it. The personal connections we develop are vital to doing business. All things being equal, people like to deal with people you know and can rely on. 

Guanxi goes back thousands of years and is based on traditional values of loyalty, accountability and obligation. Over the years it has grown into connections, personal relationships and networking. It is relationships that can inform and educate you. So as you move forward stay focused on the core art of Guanxi which is skillfully building mutually beneficial relationships. 

There is a tool now to help you build mutually beneficial relationships known as LinkedIn. Remember your old rolodex? Think of LinkedIn as your superconductor rolodex. From LinkedIn website: “The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.”

The network you have developed throughout your career is one of your most valuable assets. On LinkedIn you can “Manage the information that’s publicly available about you as a professional; find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts who come recommended; be found for business opportunities and find potential partners and gain new insights from discussions with likeminded professionals in private group settings.” 

The Groups feature is another valuable tool that LinkedIn offers. This allows users to establish new relationships by joining alumni, industry, or other professionals groups and network for business opportunities, news and feedback on ideas. 

You can view my profile on LinkedIn HERE . It is free and very easy to get set up on LinkedIn. Take your power of guanxi to the next level and get “linked in” today.

2009 Buyline NFL Mock Draft “part three”

T minus 12 days and counting before this year’s NFL draft kicks off. In part III of The Buyline’s 2009 NFL Mock Draft we look at picks 21 through 32 to finish our first round predictions.

21. Philadelphia Eagles – Needs: RB, OL. Who is the Eagle’s best player? Brian Westbrook without a doubt. Who breaks down at some point during the season? Brian Westbrook without a doubt. The Eagles also need to look for OT Jon Runyan’s eventual successor but with five tackles off the board already and no running backs selected yet, the Eagles have their choice and they will select Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno. He will be the perfect compliment to Westbrook and the Eagles offense will add a very dangerous weapon to Donovan McNabb’s arsenal.

22. Minnesota Vikings – Needs: WR, LB, OL. The Vikings have the best running back in the game, Adrian Peterson. They traded for quarterback Sage Rosenfels to come in to lead the offense. Visanthe Shiancoe emerged as a quality TE, but Bernard  Berrian was a disappointment as the number one WR option. So I look for Coach Brad Childress to add another play-maker to his offense by selecting WR from Maryland Darrius Heyward-Bey. He has a rare combination of size, speed and athleticism to make an instant impact. His speed on the turf in the Metrodome will bring a new dimension to the Vikings offense.

23. New England Patriots – Needs: DL, LB. First of all Tom Brady is back. Patriots fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The leader of this team is healthy and will be back to lead the offense. However the leader of the defense is gone as the Patriots traded Mike Vrabel to Kansas City this off season. So what will the Patriots do? Re-load naturally. They will select a player in this year’s draft with the best NFL pedigree. LB from USC Clay Matthews. Matthews has the versatility the Patriots look for at the linebacker position.

24. Atlanta Falcons – Needs: DL, TE, OL. The Falcons will be tempted to look for defensive line help, so local favorite Georgia Tech’s Michael Johnson and Tennessee’s Robert Ayers are both possibilities. But what I think the Falcons can really use is another dimension to their offense to continue the development of 2nd year QB Matt Ryan. A field stretching tight end that can run the seam routes will continue to help open it up for the Falcons running game as well as the emergence of receivers Roddy White and Michael Jenkins. I look for the Falcons to select Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 24th selection.

25. Miami Dolphins – Needs: CB, DL, WR. It would be very “un-Parcells” like to select a wide receiver in the first round but for the Dolphins to continue to compete in the tough AFC East they will have to score points. A definite possibility is Hakeem Nicks the receiver out of North Carolina. He has plenty of big-play potential and would change the dynamics of the Dolphins offense. However with the Dolphins having to go up against Randy Moss and now Terrell Owens twice during the season a big corner to match-up makes more sense in this deep WR draft. So I look for Parcells to pull a surprise and select the 6’3”, 210 lbs corner out of Utah Sean Smith with this pick.

26. Baltimore Ravens – Needs: LB, WR, CB. Rest assured the Ravens will use an early pick to select a WR to add to Joe Flacco’s attack it just won’t be their first pick. They first must address the defensive side of the ball. Not only did they lose defensive coordinator Rex Ryan who is now head coach of the Jets but they lost LB Bart Scott and CB Chris McAllister. Plus Ray Lewis is not getting any younger. While an inside backer like Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis would be a natural fit in the Baltimore defense, I think they look outside and go with Northern Illinois’  Larry English. English played defensive end in college and earned MAC defensive player-of-the-year honors but he projects to an outside linebacker in the pros and should slip in nicely for the departed Bart Scott.

27. Indianapolis Colts – Needs: DL, WR, LB. Can you imagine Peyton Manning without Marvin Harrison? Believe it or not that time has come. The Colts will be tempted to use this late first round pick to find his replacement and I am sure Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie will peak their interest. He is a “mini Marvin” while lacking dazzling speed he is an effective route runner and knows how to get separation. Sound familiar? But as I’ve said many times this is a deep WR draft and they can grab a quality WR in round 2 so I look for the Colts to give Dwight Freeney and the defense some help by selecting DE from Tennessee Robert Ayers.

28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina Panthers) – Needs: OL. By using their earlier first round pick to take the work load off Brian Westbrook, the Eagles can now look to add depth to their offensive line. LT Tra Thomas left for Jacksonville via free agency and we previously discussed RT Jon Runyan’s age so the logical pick is the 6th offensive tackle selected in the first round UConn’s William Beatty. Beatty is 6’6” and will fit in nicely along the Eagles offensive front.

29. New York Giants – Needs: WR, DL. The Plaxico factor. Plaxico Burress has been cut and the Giants will take no chances and get Eli Manning a receiver he can count on. While Nicks could be the pick here, look for the G-men to select local Jersey product out of Rutgers Kenny Britt. After just three years at Rutgers Britt is the Big East’s all-time leading receiver with over 3,000 yards. He is a tall, lanky receiver with no fear going over the middle a la Keyshawn Johnson.

30. Tennessee Titans – Needs: WR, DT. Any other year the obvious would be select a defensive tackle to fill the void created by Haynesworth leaving. But this year is weak as far as options at defensive tackle. The one possibility would be Mizzou’s Evander Hood but he has second round grades. So why not follow last year’s philosophy and add another playmaker to the offense. It worked with the addition of RB Chris Johnson and this year the Titans will add WR Percy Harvin from Florida. Johnson and Harvin will give the Titans two of the fastest players in the NFL.

31. Arizona Cardinals – Needs: OL, RB. Is Tim Hightower an every down back? Will Edgerrin James depart? Regardless to the answers to those questions the Cardinals will select a running back and there are still plenty of options available. There are four RB’s that could squeeze their way into first round money. Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy, Iowa’s Shonn Greene, UConn’s Donald Brown and Ohio State’s Chris Wells. While I think the Cards should go with McCoy who is not only a great rusher but an excellent receiver I think they will go with the Buckeye and select Beanie Wells.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Needs: OL, CB. The Steelers need a cornerback and there are still three available that would be quality picks. Vanderbilt’s D.J. Moore, Wake Forest’s Alphonso Smith and Illinois’ Vontae Davis. While it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Steelers select Davis, I think D.J. Moore fits their scheme better and is better in run support and he will be the last pick of the first round in 2009.

  

 

2009 Buyline NFL Mock Draft “part two”

Well it really did happen, the Broncos traded quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears for two first round draft choices including this year’s #18 selection as well as quarterback Kyle Orton. So now the big question is what will the Broncos do with both the #12 and #18 selections? Will they try and move up and get their quarterback of the future? My guess is no. I think new Coach Josh McDaniels has seen enough tape of Kyle Orton that he is willing to give him a shot. So Denver will use their two picks in this part of the draft to add two play-makers to their woeful defense. And keep in mind, next year’s quarterback draft class should be pretty solid with Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford from Oklahoma likely to come out joining Texas QB Colt McCoy and Florida’s Tim Tebow in a marquee class. So the Broncos who will have two first round picks again next year could have their choice. If you were McDaniels would you rather have Stafford or Sanchez this year and no defensive help, or take two defensive starters and use your two picks next year to finagle your way into Bradford or McCoy? 

11. Buffalo Bills – Needs: OL, DL, TE. So how many times will we have to listen to Chris Berman and all the other draft analysts mention T.O. leading up to this pick? Owens has definitely raised the Bills media profile if nothing else. While my initial reaction was the Bills should and would select TE Brandon Pettigrew out of Oklahoma State, the addition of T.O. brought back memories of Owens and Jason Witten’s issues vying for the quarterback’s attention. Instead I think they use the spotlight-grabbing Owens as a distraction to select the troubled tackle out of Alabama Andre Smith. While questionable work ethic during the combine and pro day has dropped Smith from a top three pick, he still has the natural ability and with the focus on Terrell Owens maybe the Bills are just what Smith needs to fit in and learn what it takes to be a professional.

12. Denver Broncos – Needs: DE/OLB. Talk about distractions. Has any team had more distractions this off-season then the feud between new Head coach Josh McDaniels and star quarterback Jay Cutler? The Broncos will turn from the offensive madness and use their first draft choice to fill their major need of rushing the passer. The Broncos use the 12th pick in the draft to select Everette Brown defensive end from Florida State.

13. Washington Redskins – Needs: OL, LB. The tackle position is definitely an area of need for the Redskins. Both their starters Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen have over 10 years in the league. They stepped out and signed this year’s premier free agent DT Albert Haynesworth to fill the middle of the line. Now they must decide do they “reach” for the 5th best offensive tackle in the draft or do they look for help in the linebacker corps? I think the age at tackle is just too much to ignore and the Washington Redskins will make offensive tackle Eben Britton of Arizona the 5th offensive tackle taken in the first 13 picks.

14. New Orleans Saints – Needs:  LB, DB. The Saints have a need in the defensive backfield both at the corner and at free safety and they find themselves in the position of having their choice of all available defensive backs in this years draft. And although I tend to discount CB’s from the Big Ten (come on how many great passing teams are there to defend in the Big Ten?) I think the Saints will use the 14th pick in the draft to select Malcolm Jenkins from The Ohio State University. A poor showing at the combine has caused this Buckeye to drop out of the top ten but his size and ball awareness makes him a candidate to fill either the cornerback or free safety need the Saints are faced with.

15. Houston Texans – Needs: WR, OL, OLB It sure seems like they have gone heavy on defense the last 3 drafts and if they are finally going to make the play-offs they need to score points. A compliment to Pro Bowl WR Andre Johnson is a definite possibility here as is a trade down with a team looking for a quarterback. Would the Jets, Bears, Bucs, or Lions pull the trigger on a trade to move up a few slots for a chance at USC’s Mark Sanchez or K-State’s Josh Freeman? If I were the Lions or Bucs I would strongly consider it. But the clock runs out and the Texans are going to use the 15th pick in the draft to select Brian Cushing LB, USC. By the way, get ready Trojans fans there will be a lot of “from USC” being heard in the next half dozen picks. 

16. San Diego Chargers – Needs: LB. Boy did the Chargers miss Shawn Merriman. Granted Phillip Rivers could use an upgrade at wide receiver to go along with Vincent Jackson but really was the offense the problem? No the defense needs to get back on track and San Diego will make it two Trojans linebackers in a row when they select linebacker, from USC, Rey Maualuga. Maualuga’s size and explosiveness would make him a great fit at inside linebacker in the Chargers’ 3-4 defense

17. New York Jets  – Needs: QB, WR. Yes the loss of WR Laverneus Coles creates a huge hole in the offensive attack of the Jets but really can you believe their starting quarterback will be Kellen Clemens? Or Erik Ainge? Or Brett Ratliff? Now Thomas Jones may not end up leading the league in yards rushing but my money’s on him to lead the league in number of carries. How are the Jets going to move the ball? New head coach Rex Ryan will have the defense ready. Especially with the additions of LB Bart Scott, CB Lito Sheppard and S Jim Leonhard. The Jets will use the 17th pick in the draft to select their quarterback of the future, a quarterback who is at least familiar to “big city” lights as they announce the 3rd USC Trojan in a row; quarterback Mark Sanchez from USC is their pick.

18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago in the Jay Cutler trade) – Needs: QB, LB, DT. Is Kyle Orton the answer? Probably not. Will the Broncos select Josh Freeman to replace him? Probably not. Denver may try and trade up and select Sanchez or they could be tempted to add RB Knowshon Moreno out of Georgia but the Broncos still need help on the defensive side of the ball. The Broncos will look to solidifying their front seven by selecting DE from LSU Tyson Jackson. Jackson and Everette Brown, the Broncos earlier pick at #12 will give the Broncos an instant makeover pass rush.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Needs: WR, QB, LB, DL. Joey Galloway is gone, Mark Clayton might as well be so you figure the Bucs need a receiver. But LB Derrick Brooks is also gone. How do you replace the leader of your defense? The Bucs are looking to copy the Steelers road to success by hiring a young defensive-minded Mike Tomlin-esque coach in first year coach Raheem Morris. So to follow that blueprint you must start with defense. The Bucs use the 19th pick to select defensive tackle Peria Jerry from the University of Mississippi to be the foundation of their front seven.

20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas Cowboys) – Needs: see #1. Well it looks like it might just work out for the Lions. First they went away from conventional wisdom and selected OT Jason Smith with the first overall pick to start rebuilding the offensive line. Now via the trade of WR Roy Williams last season they sit with the 20th pick poised to select their quarterback of the future. Kansas State’s Josh Freeman will be the Lions selection.

2009 Buyline NFL Mock Draft “part one”

Hard to believe but the 2009 NFL Draft is less than a month away. There are numerous websites out there forecasting who will pick who and when. But really what do all those so-called experts know? Over the next several weeks I will be unveiling my own first round predictions in the first ever Buyline NFL Mock Draft. The first 10 selections are as of today. Of course, things can always change especially regarding the Broncos current fiasco with star QB Jay Cutler and their plans on trading him. But as of today with no trade being done here is how I see the top ten going…

1. Detroit Lions – Needs: Everything (hey they went 0-16) OL, Playmaker on defense. Ever since the Lions have been “on the clock” which has been since about week 12 of last season, most of the talk has been about Georgia QB Matthew Stafford as being the pick for the Lions. However I think new Head Coach Jim Schwartz has convinced management that he needs to put his stamp on this team. As much as the defensive minded Schwartz would love to anchor his defense with Aaron Curry the linebacker out of Wake Forest, he spent enough time under Jeff Fisher at Tennessee to realize the importance of establishing a running game. So with the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Jason Smith, tackle from Baylor. Smith, who has emerged as the top offensive lineman in the 2009 class will be a building block along the lines of the Dolphins Jake Long in last year’s draft.
2. St. Louis Rams – Needs: OL, WR. Two all-time Rams greats are no longer with the team. Future Hall-of-Famers tackle Orlando Pace and wide receiver, Torry Holt both were released this off-season. The offense is in desperate need for a playmaker to take the pressure off RB Steven Jackson and WR Michael Crabtree would be a tremendous addition to the team. But protecting QB Marc Bulger is an even higher priority so look for the Rams to use the second pick of the draft on an offensive tackle of their own by selecting Virginia’s Eugene Monroe. Monroe is huge at 6’5” and 315 lbs and will takeover for Pace in covering Bulger’s blindside.
3. Kansas City Chiefs – Needs: DE, OLB. Another team with a new regime at the helm. This is the start of the Scott Pioli era in Kansas City. Pioli, part of the braintrust that built the New England dynasty takes over and looks to make his mark. While the Chiefs could use offensive line help themselves, Pioli’s draft history in New England shows he rarely selected offensive lineman in the first round. He also might be intrigued with taking a QB for new coach Todd Haley to develop, but again his history shows he knows how to find gems later in the draft i.e. Tom Brady and Matt Cassell. I look for Pioli to go for a playmaker on defense in the mold of the Patriots Richard Seymour, so with the 3rd pick in the draft the Kansas City Chiefs select Brian Orakpo, defensive end from Texas. The Lombardi, Hendricks and Nagurski award winner will bring his rough, tough, competitive style of play to the Chiefs defense.
4. Seattle Seahawks Needs: OL, QB, OLB Both QB Matt Hasselback and tackle Walter Jones are old and the Seahawks need to address replacing them. The free agent signing of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh filled a huge need for an offensive go-to-guy. The Seahawks would take Smith or Monroe if either are still available, if not they will go to the defensive side and choose between Curry and B.J. Raji, the best defensive tackle in this year’s draft. I say Seahawks pick B.J. Raji, DT out of Boston College.
5. Cleveland Browns – Needs: RB, Pass rusher. The Browns main problem on defense has been putting pressure on the quarterback. This will cause them to look long and hard at two edge rushers Penn State’s Aaron Maybin and Florida State’s Everette Brown. However I think they will be shocked to see Curry still on the board so with the 5th pick in the 2009 NFL draft the Cleveland Browns select Aaron Curry, linebacker, Wake Forest University. Curry is cut from the same cloth as the 49ers Patrick Willis and will be the leader of the Browns defense for the next decade.
6. Cincinnati Bengals – Needs: DL, WR, OL. The Bengals are another team that will find it too hard to pass on a player that has slipped right into their laps. Although they could really use offensive line help and tackles Michael Oher from Ole Miss and Bama’s Andre Smith are still on the board, the Bengals can not afford to pass on perhaps the top player in the draft WR from Texas Tech, Michael Crabtree. Crabtree will immediately fill the void created by Houshmandzadeh’s departure and provide security should the “Ocho Cinco” show start getting out of hand again.
7. Oakland Raiders – Needs: WR, DB. Al Davis loves speed. He will take this opportunity to look to round out his own offensive “triplets” and he adds to his last two years first round choices QB JaMarcus Russel and RB Darren McFadden the speed and ability of Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin. Not only will Maclin step right in to the number one receiver’s role but should add excitement to the return game as well.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars – Needs:  LB, WR, QB. The Jaguars haven’t had a top receiver since Jimmy Smith was in his prime and they were so close to getting one of the top two receivers in Crabtree and Maclin. Fortunately for them this is a deep draft at the WR position and the Jaguars will still be able to grab a quality receiver in the 2^nd round. Here they will have to decide to take QB Matthew Stafford or trade the pick to any of the teams that will be sure to come calling. Either way the 8th selection in this year’s draft is Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford.
9. Green Bay Packers – Needs: DB, TE, DE/OLB. New defensive coordinator Dom Capers will be campaigning for the Packers to give him another edge rusher to play opposite Aaron Kampman. With both Brown and Maybin available, they will have their choice. I look for the Packers to select Penn State’s defensive end Aaron Maybin.
10. San Francisco 49ers – Needs: LB, OL, WR. While new coach Mike Singletary would surely like to add a pass rusher to his defense, I think he really wants to go back to the grind it out rushing game he was so familiar with during his playing days with the Bears. The 49ers have one of the top backs in the game in Frank Gore and I think the 49ers will jump at the chance to add a huge left tackle to help open the running lanes for him. With the 10th pick in the 2009 NFL draft the San Francisco 49ers select former Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher. Oher has been rising up teams draft boards and his huge size and strength will give Singletary exactly what he is looking for.

Next week we will look at picks 11 thru 20 and make any updates to the top 10 should any team-changing trades come down between now and then. Stay tuned…

A Call to Service

President Obama crusaded for volunteerism in his Inaugural address, urging Americans to pitch in around their communities during these difficult times. Many Americans who have unfortunately been laid-off, are finding volunteering and serving in various capacities throughout their neighborhoods rewarding both personally as well as professionally as it provides them with opportunities to not only help others but to hone their work skills and network with various members of the community. 

According to survey data from the Corporation for National Community Service in Washington, D.C., in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 60.8 million Americans donated 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service. However the amalgamation of the economic downslide and the decrease in charitable donations means volunteer work has become even more important. What can I do to help?

One does not have to look far to find volunteer opportunities. The best places to start are your local church, schools and community organizations. Another exciting element about serving is you do not have to do it alone. Some of the best ways to help those in need are doing things with a group of people. It can be a group of co-workers, classmates, friends or church members. Recently I participated in two separate events where those of us who served together definitely made an impact on our community. 

It started in response to an article I read in The Colleyville Courier about the Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange food pantry facing a 20% increase in needy families since the beginning of this year. GRACE is a faith-based non-profit relief agency that provides food, clothing, and other emergency assistance to people who are in need in Grapevine, Colleyville, or Southlake, Texas. 

Our company, Bayview Financial, has worked with GRACE over the past 5 years in various capacities like the Feed Our Kids summer lunch program, the Walk for Hunger, providing 100 turkeys each Thanksgiving as well as providing toys and gifts for the Christmas Cottage. We have 38 employees here in our Southlake operation. We too have felt the effects of the financial crisis as we have reduced our staff almost in half since the beginning of 2008 when we had over 75 employees. But we still want to give back to our community and help those in need, so we decided to conduct our own canned food drive. 

During the month of February, any employee could wear jeans to work (normally we are business casual except on Fridays) any day during the month as long as they brought in 4 canned good items that day. We had an outstanding response and the first week of March we delivered 1,224 canned food items to the food pantry. Rusty Thigpen, GRACE Food Pantry Manager, said that our donation should cover the pantry’s needs for about two weeks. In addition to assisting the food pantry we hope to inspire other area businesses to look for creative ways to help GRACE and other area organizations. 

The second event I was a part of was for the Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, whose mission is to be a Christian organization providing love, hope, respect and new beginnings for the homeless. Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County is independent of government funding and the United Way. They serve over 190,000 meals and provide shelter to more than 900 individuals each year; operating on an annual budget of less than $3,000,000. As a result, volunteers are vital to their success. 

My wife, Angie, and I host and lead a weekly bible study for the young adult group at our church, Life Connection Church. Towards the end of last year one of our studies was on identifying each of our spiritual gifts and then developing plans on how to use our gifts. Come to find out that many of the people in our group have the spiritual gifts of giving and/or serving. With this in mind we decided that throughout the coming year our group would undertake several service projects in our community. 

So last Saturday night our group of 12 volunteers went to Union Gospel Mission and worked the “dinner shift”. The dinner shift consists of feeding, serving and cleaning up for three groups of people. The mission does tremendous work not only for the “residents” but also for the people who live out on the streets nearby that come in each night for a hot meal. First the women and children who live at the mission come in for their meals. Our team prepared the plates, delivered them to the people as they sat at their tables and then bused the tables when they were finished.

The same procedure was done on the second group which consisted of the men that live at the mission as well as the third group which is when the mission opens their doors to the people who do not live in the mission. In total we served over 250 meals in the three hours we were there. It was a very rewarding and humbling experience for all of us. 

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 NLT. What greater call to service is there? 

Who have you served lately? 

What’s With All This Madness?

Today kicks off what is now commonly known as “March Madness”. The NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament. It is arguably the second biggest sporting event of the year behind the Super Bowl. Don’t believe me? Come on tell me really how many brackets have you filled out this year? 

So what started all this madness? Most so-called “experts” refer back to the 1979 National Championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State when the world was introduced to the very first Magic vs. Bird showdown. That battle won by the smiling freshman Earvin “Magic” Johnson is credited with creating the buzz that is now known as March Madness. 

The madness was further cemented by two events that followed a few years later. The first was the 1982 Championship game between North Carolina and Georgetown. This was another marquee match-up, this one featuring two coaching legends, Dean Smith and John Thompson. Carolina was lead by All-American forward James Worthy while Georgetown relied on freshman center Patrick Ewing. But the memorable moment of the game that made it “one for the ages” was the game winning basket made by the “relatively” unknown freshman guard from North Carolina, Michael Jordan. 

But what really pushed March Madness over the edge happened the next year. It can be called the introduction of the “Cinderella” factor. In 1983 the North Carolina State Wolfpack led by Coach Jim Valvano were the number six seed in the West Region. Every game they played was close, so close in fact that they earned the nickname “Cardiac Pack” for all the anxiety they bestowed upon their fans, of which I was one. Having attended NC State I was on pins and needles watching every second of every game. 

The Wolfpack defeated Ralph Sampson and the number one seeded Virginia Cavaliers 63-62 in the West Regional final. Then after beating Georgia 67-60 in the National semi-finals, the Pack knocked off a second number one seed, Houston’s Phi Slamma Jamma, with Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, in a historic national title game in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jimmy V’s frantic postgame search for somebody to hug is still the most enduring image of this game. Lorenzo Charles’ last-gasp slam dunk of a Dereck Whittenburg air ball (or was it a pass?) won the game. The slipper fit and the Cinderella Wolfpack were National Champs. 

There have been so many lasting memories over the past 25 years that the madness has grown beyond anyone’s imagination. I bet even the folks at CBS never imagined the madness would be what it is today. Do you remember the 1985 Championship game when another Cinderella the Villanova Wildcats upset the heavily favored Georgetown Hoyas to claim the title? Or how about the 1991 Richmond team who became the first 15th seed to knockout a number two seed Syracuse in the first round? We can’t forget the 1992 East Regional Finals when Duke’s Christian Laettner hit a buzzer-beater shot to beat Kentucky 104-103.

Each year just seems to create more madness memories. Did you realize that last year for the first time in tournament history since seeding began, the top seeded team from each of the four regionals made it to the final four: Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA? The Kansas Jayhawks defeated Memphis 75-68 in overtime to claim the crown. 

So what does 2009 have in store for us? Well I deliberately waited until this morning to post this blog to make sure everyone had “locked” in their picks before I shared some of my prognostications with you. First a little insight into my own “bracketology” philosophy. Number one; do not listen to the experts. Don’t get caught up with what Dickie V, Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas or Clark Kellogg predict. In my opinion they all have their own agendas. Next, don’t be afraid to go for the first round upsets. The risk reward is minimal in early stages of bracket challenges so step out and take a shot at the next Cinderella. With that being said my bracket does include two #12’s upsetting #5’s (Arizona over Utah and Western Kentucky over Illinois) as well as a #11, VCU over a #6 UCLA. I also have Maryland a #10 beating #7 California. Finally do your homework on the strength of the “power” conferences. The Big East and ACC were up this year, the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-10 not so much. 

So here’s my Sweet 16. Midwest: Louisville, Wake Forest, Kansas and Boston College (re: BC remember ACC up, Big Ten down BC will upset Michigan State). West: UConn, Memphis, Marquette and Purdue. That’s a #5 and a #6 advancing. I’m just not a believer in Washington coming out of the Pac-10 or Missouri from the Big 12. East: Pitt, Florida State, Villanova and Duke (again its all Big East and ACC). South: UNC, Gonzaga, Arizona State and Oklahoma. Here’s where I went against my “power” conference strategy and picked Arizona State to eliminate Syracuse. One strategy I failed to mention earlier is the “superstar” factor. When teams are evenly matched take the team with the superstar. ASU’s James Harden is one of the best players in the country and he will lead ASU to a spot in the Sweet 16. 

So who makes it to Detroit and the final four? From the Midwest I like Louisville to defeat Kansas and earn a spot. I think UConn will have their hands full with a very talented Memphis team but edge them out to represent the West. In a showdown of Big East powers Pitt will knock off Villanova for a trip to Motown, while the South region will feature a match-up I definitely want to see when the Tarheel’s Tyler Hansbrough faces OU’s Blake Griffin in a battle of big men. As much as I hate to say it I see UNC advancing.

The finals will pit the North Carolina Tarheels against the Connecticut Huskies. Look for the Huskies to come out on top 78-70. Good luck with all your picks. 

What’s Happened to Fantasy Baseball?

It seems like just about everyone you know either plays or knows someone who plays fantasy football. Yes I am one of them. As a matter of fact I have been playing for the past 10 seasons. But what about fantasy baseball? Are there still millions of people who play fantasy baseball? I first started playing fantasy baseball back in 1988. It was quite different back then. There were no internet sites to “run” your leagues for you. You had to wait until the next morning to comb the box scores in the newspaper to find out how your “team” did. 

When I first started playing we had to use a service that we would fax our weekly line-ups into, they would then calculate the results of our league on Monday and fax the results back to us. Our first league consisted of four of us that went to high school in North Carolina together plus four more guys from New York that we did not know. The service we used put us in a league together. We conducted our draft over the phone. There was much debate over who was worthy of the top pick. Should you select the home run slugger, like Jose Canseco or Darryl Strawberry or an all around player, like Ricky Henderson or Tim Raines? 

Well I won that first season and a couple more times after that. Our league stayed together for five seasons. We even had “live” drafts a couple years when all of us would meet in Atlantic City for a weekend of fun and drafting. I also became great friends with one of the guys from New York and we still talk to this day. But for some reason our interest in the fantasy game just drifted away. Maybe because we started playing fantasy football and determined the baseball version was much more time consuming? Did our work and family life just get so busy that we didn’t have the time? Don’t get me wrong a couple of us and our sons have gotten together over the years and played a season or two. But it just wasn’t the same. 

So what has happened to fantasy baseball? Is it the constant steroids story that has created disinterest? First it was Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, then Barry Bonds, then Roger Clemens and now Alex Rodriguez. Over and over all we hear about are steroids. Or maybe it’s the expansion factor. There are so many teams with so many middle relievers and fourth outfielders that you start to lose count. Or maybe it’s just the overall inefficient marketing of baseball. Take a survey today and ask who is your favorite athlete or who is the best athlete and you will get answers like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and even Tiger Woods. I’m not even sure who the first baseball player named would be? Derek Jeter maybe? 

Well I’m up for the challenge. I am going to do my part to recapture that love of the game. I have created a fantasy baseball league on cbssports.com and I am looking for nine others to fill out our ten team league. Can I find nine people out there to commit to actively playing in a competitive fantasy baseball league for this upcoming season? All you have to do is go to cbssports.com and click on free fantasy baseball, create a team name, go to join private league, search for league name The Buyline and enter the league password “bailout”. The on-line automated draft is set for April 1st.

Once the league is set, the real fun begins. We can debate who we should draft. Should we take the home run slugger, like Ryan Howard or Ryan Braun or the all around player like Hanley Ramirez or Jose Reyes? Who is the best starting pitcher CC Sabathia, Tim Linecum or Johann Santana? How about closer Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Papelbon or Mariano Rivera? Are you ready to Play Ball?!?!