Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine's Day: NFL Style

With a ton of high priced free agents about to hit the open market, I thought it would be fun to try to pair these guys with some intriguing suitors for a Valentine's Day special. Here goes nothing.

Mike Wallace sprints to the Panthers, giving Cam Newton a long term answer at wide receiver:
Maybe this is just me dreaming of fantasy football season already, but this is the type of move that the Panthers need to make to help Newton develop. As I've said all along, they made a huge mistake by trying to surround him with as many high priced running backs as possible when the NFL has transformed into a pass happy league, and it has really hurt the entire team. Steve Smith has been clamoring for the Panthers to add other receiver for about half a decade, now it is time that they do so.

Greg Jennings pulls a Brett Favre and jumps town for the Vikings and some payback:
With Percy Harvin all but gone, the Vikings biggest weakness is about to get even bigger. Adding Jennings would give the Vikings a savvy veteran to help a group of young receivers. Christian Ponder really struggled without Harvin the second half of the season and he would certainly go gaga for Jennings. This could become a couple that the Packers fear for years to come.

Wes Welker stays with his Brady-boy:
Has there been a more productive couple over the last six seasons? Not even close. Welker is not 100 catch guy on any other team. Tom Brady would not be nearly as productive without this guy being about as reliable as they come. He has gotten a lot of flack for dropping passes over the last few years, but he is still one of the best in the business and he deserves to be paid like one. Despite my hatred of the Patriots, it would be a shame to see these two apart for the end of their careers.

Reggie Bush might be the Packers missing piece to get back to the Super Bowl:
As bad as the Packers defense has been over the last two seasons, the run game has been equally horrendous. They have not had a legit rushing threat since Ryan Grant was in his prime. Just imagine how dangerous Aaron Rodgers could be if he could check down to a guy like Bush. These two could be scary good together.

Dwight Freeney and Chandler Jones would be the best pass rushing duo in the NFL:
This combo would once again make the Patriots the favorite to win the Super Bowl. This is a move that just makes too much sense to not happen. Freeney is an undervalued asset after a couple of rough years, and Bill Belichick loves a good deal.




Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Is Joe Flacco Elite?

Joe Flacco got rid of his moronic mustache and
then won a Super Bowl. Coincident, I think not.
The short answer, no. Now here is the long answer.

This will be a question that rages on all offseason long. With Flacco's contract up, he will certain want to be paid like he is elite after one of the most impressive runs by a quarterback in playoff history. However, I do not think it would be wise for any team to pay him with the likes of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and I truly doubt the Ravens will make that mistake.

The conversation on Flacco's worth might rage on for another year or more because it is likely that the two sides do not find any common ground in their contract negotiations and Flacco gets the Franchise Tag for one more season before he is handed the elite money he desires.

Back to the question at hand. Let's start with what it means to be an elite quarterback. To be an elite quarterback, you must be the unquestioned leader of your team, you must be able to win by putting your team on your back, and you must make the players around you better. Has Flacco done all of that through the last four playoffs games? Absolutely. However, to be considered elite, you must do all of those things consistently. Four games, no matter how important those four games are, should not quiet the questions about Flacco's wild inconsistencies that he has shown throughout his career.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Harbaul Prediction

John and Jim Harbaugh are the first siblings to
ever face off against each other in a Super Bowl.
In case you haven't heard, the two Harbuagh brothers, John and Jim (good luck keeping them straight) are coaching against one another in Super Bowl XLVII.  Then again, if you didn't know that, you aren't the type of person that would be reading a blog like this one, now would you?

For 20 weeks of football, the OXen have picked against one another.  However, with just one game and a mutual agreement on the winner (which is good for Austen, as he won't fall farther behind in a playoff in which he's 2-8 in Pick 'Em), it's unfair to force one guy to go with the other team.

Here are a few factors that we will try to predict to see who might have more insight on this game:

-Winning Team
-Score and Spread
-Game MVP