Bengals Fans, Your Wishes May Come True. But Is It What You Really Want?

The Cincinnati Bengals haven't lived up to expectations this season after being a Super-Bowl favorite in the offseason with a record of 3-6-1 after a devastating loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Not only did the Bengals lose the game but they may have also lost two of their best players -- A.J. Green (hamstring) and Giovanni Bernard (ACL) -- for the remainder of the season. However, now is the time where Bengals fans may get what they've been asking for.

Cleveland Browns Fans Have To Take Notes From Sixers Fans

The Cleveland Browns are winless after 10 weeks of football and are in the basement of the NFL and the only team that has failed to win a game thus far. After an embarrassing 28-7 loss against the division rival Baltimore Ravens, leaving them 0-10 on the season, there are lots wondering if the Browns can win a game this season.

The last team to go win-less (0-16) were the Detroit Lions in the 2008 season.

Head coach Hue Jackson was a big-time hire entering this season. Formerly the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals and was the biggest name, to most, of the off season.

The 2012 no.2 overall draft-selection Robert Griffin III or 'RGIII' signed with the team back in March of 2016 after struggling to recover from nagging injuries, playing inconsistent and being outplayed by former-draft mate Kirk Cousins (third-round selection in 2012). When Griffin signed with the team, there were a lot of analysts and people around the league that felt that the Browns would be a pretty good team and Hue's system would compliment his [Griffin's] abilities and it could help, maybe, resurrect his career. Now, I don't think anybody picked the Browns to win a playoff game but they at least saw a competitive team.

If I were to express what I thought of the current situation of this team, it would be that they remind me of one other professional organization.  That organization being... The Philadelphia 76ers also referred to as the Sixers.

In 2014 the Sixers drafted former Kansas Center Joel Emiid, who was highly scouted and ranked coming out of college. During his lone year at Kansas, Embiid played second fiddle to former no.1-overall-selection Andrew Wiggins. When Emiid was drafted, it seemed as if he had an issue with being drafted to the organization as he was on delay on a video stream. But that wasn't the biggest thing that made fans panic in Philadelphia. Embiid didn't play a game in his first two seasons of being drafted. There were questions, before this season, if he ever would. Through the two years without Embiid the Sixers started a slogan to try to get their fans to "buy-in" to what they were doing and the direction of the organization/team "trust the process" is the slogan that they've been living by. Now, with Embiid playing, the Sixers are showing that they can at least be fun to watch and will be a competitive team as this young team matures. When they get to see 2016 first-round selection Ben Simmons, 2015 first-round selection Jahlil Okafor and Embiid together, that's when I believe the fans will get to see the true "process" that the organization has been talking about.

The Sixers haven't had a winning record since 2011-12 (35-31) which was a shortened season, due to an NBA lockout. That year they lost in the NBA eastern conference semi-finals

The Cleveland Browns organization, not only the fans, should learn to adopt the same attitude as the Sixers. Hue Jackson is a very good coach. We've seen Terrell Pryor Sr. develop into a very good wide receiver and they've even been able to get Isaiah Crowell to look like one of the best running backs in the league. Rome wasn't built in one day, neither were the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs and neither will the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns fans need to be patient, give Hue Jackson some time and TRUST THE PROCESS. There was a reason that Jackson was one of top head coaching candidates last season, there's a reason the Bengals players and organization loved having him in the locker room. This is a team that you have to give time to improve.

The NBA is Very Young at One Position

The NBA is really a guard league. There was one point in time where you needed a dominant Center or Power Forward to be a competitive team. The "big men" in the NBA were the main attraction, at one point, outside of the legendary Michael Jordan. When you think about the legacy of the NBA it's hard to think of a time when there wasn't a very good center or power forward on a good or great team. Think about it. You had Shaquille O'Neil, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and this list goes on and on. Right now, there isn't one traditional center or power forward that I can even name or at least based on one thing that I noticed.

There are some really good centers and power forwards that are beginning to emerge around the NBA. DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, Jahlil Okafor, Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Davis, just to name a few. But these players are all relatively young and all of them were one-and-done players in college (except for Howard, he came out of high school) and their careers are still young, their story is just starting to be written.

 All good things come to an end, even when you don't realize it. Well, last year, two great things came to an end. After nearly 20 years a piece in the NBA, two icons of the power forward position, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett both called it a career. One thing I never realized is how much they still meant to the game. Even though they had both been past their prime. With both Duncan and Garnett now retired from the hardwood, there are no active players inside the top 25 of the all-time rebounds list. Duncan (6) and Garnett (9) were the last two active players on the list after hall-of-fame center Shaquille O'Neil retired in 2011.

The next active player closest to getting into the top 25 is Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard. 

The NBA is now recognized as being a "guard" league and rightfully so. But, the art of being a "big man" in the league is still very much relevant and much needed. One thing that this tells me is that we've got some young players in the league that we'll, hopefully, be able to watch grow and mature into great and maybe even legendary power forwards and centers. One day, you never know, it could turn back into a league dominated by the "big man".

Colin Kaepernick Didn't Vote and It Makes Sense

Do You Trust The Oakland Raiders? I Don't!

 

The Oakland Raiders have been playing great so far against a lot of lack-luster teams. The team is really good and I see a lot of promise but I wouldn't call them one of the best teams in the league just yet. The team is currently sitting at the top of the AFC west at 7-2 but sometimes records can be deceiving, especially come playoff time.

Where Does The Wentz Wagon Stand?

  Carson Wentz made his first career trip to the Meadowlands to face the division rival New York Giants. The game didn't start the way that Wentz, Head Coach Pederson, or Eagles fans would've hoped. Wentz opened with an interception on each of the first-two possessions. Those two possessions pretty much sum up the day for Wentz and the offense. Defense and Special teams kept the game in arms reach and Wentz play better as the game progressed. Unfortunately, the Eagles were never able to capture the lead back and ended up falling to the Giants 28-23. Wentz was 27-47 passing on the day with 346 yards and two interceptions.

Wentz has two passing touchdowns and four interceptions in his last three games.

The no.2-overall-pick of this years NFL draft Carson Wentz started off the season looking nearly flawless, throwing his first 134 pass attempts without an interceptions, getting the Eagles off to a 3-0 start. Since then, the Eagles have gone 1-4 (only win was against the then-undefeated Minnesota Vikings) and Wentz has shown that he has flaws now having thrown five interceptions in four of the last five games.

Wentz, drafted second overall, was drafted to be the Eagles quarterback for the future after the Eagles traded up in the draft to get him. However, it didn't seem as if he would start after the team had already re-signed veteran Sam Bradford and also signed former Kansas City Chiefs backup Chase Daniels. After Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was ruled out for the season with a severe leg injury during practice, they made a trade with the Eagles for Bradford. The Eagles boosted Wentz from third-string quarterback to the starter right before the start of the regular season.

Doug Pederson is just the third head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles since 1999. The team is currently sitting in last place of the division, behind the Redskins who were saved by a tie game with the Cincinnati Bengals.

One interesting thing to remember when looking at this Eagles schedule is the fact that all of the teams losses, thus far, have all come on the road; five of the eight remaining home games are home games. The Eagles aren't in an ideal position in the division standings, after starting the season 3-0. However, they're still in the playoff hunt and the season looks like it could be far from over for this team. Can Carson Wentz keep the Eagles from falling below .500 or could the ship be sinking in Philadelphia? We'll find out more as the Atlanta Falcons (6-3) travel to Philadelphia November 13 at 1:00 PM ET.

NFL: We Made It through 8 Weeks.

We're now at the half-way mark in the NFL season. We know a lot now. Who are the best teams, worst teams and who isn't meeting our expectations. I talk about the trade the Patriots made that could work out for the team he went to. Also, I think he can be the MVP but his name and game has raised our expectations. I give you my Super Bowl Predictions, I think we'll get a rematch of a recent Super Bowl. 

Bengals Talk: With Derek Forrest

The Bengals are traveling to London to take on the Washington Redskins. With the way the season has been going for both teams this game could go either way. Can Andy Dalton and AJ Green go across the pond and get a win or will Kirk Cousins and company spoil their trip?

I am joined by sports anchor/reporter Derek Forrest of WLWT to talk about this weeks game. 

Brock Osweiler Needs One More Thing Before I Can Tell If He's A Franchise Quarterback

 

 

Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler hasn't looked too impressive through the first quarter of the NFL regular season. With the Texans atop a very mediocre-looking AFC south at 4-and-2 through the first six weeks, it's really a miracle, that record could easily be 2-and-4; they had two victories where they came from behind in the fourth quarter and won (Colts and the Bears). Even with the team being in first place in the division, you can't really say it's been because of the quarterback play. 

Osweiler signed with the Texans this off season, leaving the Denver Broncos, after winning a Super Bowl as the teams backup quarterback; he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second-round of the 2012 draft (57th overall)

Osweiler, who will be 26 this season, is in his fifth season in the NFL and this is his first as a full-time starter. After signing a franchise-player-like contract with the Texans and going to a team that has been longing for stability at the position for nearly five years, it's almost certain to say the pressures on. In his first four seasons, before joining the Texans, he only had 305 pass attempts, 2,100 yards passing and 11 touchdowns (95 percent of these stats came in 2015). 

Coming into the season it was looking as if the Texans were putting the relatively inexperienced quarterback in a comfortable situation. The team already had an all-pro caliber receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. And in the 2016 draft they added former-Nortre Dame receiver Will Fuller and quarterback-turned-receiver Braxton Miller from Ohio State University. Both of these players are speed receivers and have uncanny play-making ability. 

Through the first six games of the season, Osweiler has 1,400 passing yards [24th], 59-percent completion rate, with his touchdowns being locked for a tie with interceptions with 8 each. 

One thing that we fail to really look at, honestly, Brock is in a new system with new players. He turned down the opportunity to remain in Denver with the Broncos, the team his had familiarity with and the team that drafted him.  After being benched heading into the playoffs for a quarterback, who he out-performed, named Peyton Manning; the Broncos won the Super Bowl, the Media had praised Manning and the games that Osweiler had helped them win in the regular season were an after-thought. 

One thing that we have to give any player in a new system, not matter of the pieces around him, is TIME!  With things being the way that they are in this day-and-age, it seems like that the one thing that we don't have to give. Every team is in a "win now" mind state. Is that how struggling teams become successful? or do they get young players, groom them, watch them develop after providing them with the tools to be successful for a handful of years? The goal for any struggling franchise or organization shouldn't be to "win now" it should be for long-term stability and a winning culture. 

 In 2015, the Texans played musical chairs with quarterback, going through several starters throughout the season -- Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden -- And they couldn't find one worthy enough to hold the position. In 2016, they're hoping Brock Osweiler can sit in the seat permanently for years to come. 

Do You Really Think The Bengals Should Fire Marvin Lewis?

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has been mentioned to be on the "hot seat", early, after a slow start to the season. I've been hearing a lot of media outlets and fans saying that Marvin Lewis is one reason for the Bengals 2-and-4 start. However, is firing Lewis something that Bengals fans should really want? I explain why firing Lewis would be a terrible decision for the Bengals organization.

The 2016 NBA Season Will Be Fun, But It's Missing Something.

The 2016 NBA season was really close to becoming the 1999 season, but there's something that saves it. We always hope that players walk away from the game while they're still able to with some respect. These players walked away after giving us everything they had for nearly 20 years. 

I Like The New Kaepernick Deal, Here's Why

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was just awarded his job back after the team suffered it's fourth loss of the season, now to 1-4. He was also awarded something else this week, control over his future. After the 2016 season he can opt out of the two-year deal that he just signed and sign with another team. There are a few teams that could use his talent and I think that he still has a lot left in the tank. 

The Dallas Discussion: The Rookie vs The Relationship

The Dallas Cowboys are in prime position to take the NFC east and they're doing it with a rookie quarterback, Dak Prescott. Now, we know everything sounds good right? Veteran quarterback, Tony Romo might have a problem with this and there's been a lot of discussion as of late. One question everyone has been asking: Who do you play when Romo is healthy? ... I have the answer for you and it could be a no-brainer.

Can Kaepernick Return to Glory?

  The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, was named the starter going into week 6 by head coach Chip Kelly, after the team suffered another loss behind Blaine Gabbert. The 49ers just suffered a loss to the division opponents, Arizona Cardinals 33-21, dropping their record to 1-4 which is good enough for last place in a very tough NFC west division.

Colin Kaepernick on the QB change: Click here

Kaepernick has been the headline of the NFL media, thus far through the NFL season. Not because of his play, but because Kaepernick has started a civil, peaceful movement throughout the NFL that has had a lot of backlash that has come along with it; starting in the preseason, Kaepernick began to kneel during the National Anthem before every game so far this season. This protest has gotten a lot of media attention, both in a positive light and negative. However, the one thing that people haven't been talking about is the 49ers football. After beginning the season with Gabbert as the starter in San Francisco, they find themselves in somewhat of rough spot to compete for their division.  It was surprising, originally, because you would've expected Chip Kelly to want more of an athlete to run his offense. A quarterback like Kaepernick you would think is the ideal fit, with his dual-threat capability to run and pass.

Kaepernick will be making his first start since November 1, 2015. It was originally said that he was benched due to a "bad shoulder", according to former head coach Jim Tomsula.

Through the first five weeks of the season, the 49ers rank near the bottom [26th] in yards per game, second-to-last in passing yards per game, they also are ranked towards the bottom in 3rd-down percentage [20th]. ... On the season, Gabbert has only 890 yards passing with 5 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and  impressively has over 100 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns.  ... They currently have the third fewest passing yards on the season, only the Bills and Packers have fewer; Gabbert has only surpassed the two-hundred-yard mark, through the air, in one game this season.

San Francisco are obviously light-years away from the Super-Bowl-hopeful team that they were just a few years ago, even though it feels like decades, under former-head coach Jim Harbaugh. However, maybe Colin Kaepernick can show that he is still a serious threat at quarterback, and could possibly help turn things around and even make the 'Chip Kelly offense' a respectable thing again.

San Francisco travels to Buffalo to take on the Bills Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.  

Is Luck Running Out For The Colts?

The Indianapolis Colts traveled to London to face their division rival the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 4 of the NFL season. The Colts struggled to move the ball in the first half of the game, trailing at the half 17-6. The Colts did find ground in the second half, out-scoring the Jaguars 21-13 (all 21 points coming in the fourth quarter), but it ended up being too late. They came up short losing 30-27.

The Colts have fallen to 1-3 on the season and have found themselves at the bottom of the AFC South early in the season.

There has been something missing in Indy, or maybe there's something missing from their star-quarterback Andrew Luck.

Now don't take this post the wrong way, I'm a big fan of Luck and I think that his talent could make him a top-5 quarterback in the league.

Early in his career, Luck was somewhat a hero for Indianapolis. He was drafted first overall in the 2012 NFL draft and was giving hope to a fan base that had just lost one of the greatest professional athletes that town has ever had, and one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning just a few years earlier. Through his first three seasons, Luck had over 10,000 passing yards, 86 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing. And most impressive, he helped lead the Colts to the playoffs all three years and in 2014 they made it to the AFC championship game, but ended up losing to the New England Patriots. However, even though they didn't win, that gave the city a lot of hope and even Super Bowl dreams for the near future.

2015 was a very down year for Luck and the Colts. Not only did the team not make the playoffs, Luck didn't finish the season due to injury. Injuries were bound to happen for Luck, though he's never really suffered any major injuries prior to this in his short career. If this team doesn't want a repeat of the 2015 season, for Luck, they need to do a better job in pass-protection; he has been sacked 15 times through the first four games, leading the NFL.

I think the major problem for this Colts organization is that they're trying to continue to build in places they don't need to. Since drafting Luck in 2012, the Colts have drafted one offensive lineman in the first round and have only drafted one the defensive player; they drafted Bjoern Werner in 2013 (Werner was recently released) with their first-round selection, the very next player drafted was defensive back Xavier Rhodes and five selections later linebacker Alec Ogletree was selected - both are showing that they're pro bowl-caliber players.

The Colts are giving up 31.3 points per game, through four games, this season; they're near the bottom of league in yards given up, also, allowing 383 yards per game. 

I wouldn't give up on this Colts team just four games in. A 1-3 start isn't the ideal start for any team, especially one who has one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck. And I don't think it's time to start pointing the finger at him, he's not responsible for a lot of the recent hiccups on the team. It is time to start looking at the head coach, Chuck Pagano, who was on the hot-seat all of last season and maybe even the people in the front office.

Week five could dictate the remainder of the Colts' season, as they are 1-3, which is tied for second place in a woeful AFC south. Can Luck and the Colts prevail in a game against a Bears team that looks to be depleted on both sides of the football, or has luck run out for Andrew & company in the 2016 season?

Could Marvin Lewis Be The Downfall Of Marvin Lewis?

 

The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a tough loss, Sunday, at the hands of the defending Super Champion Denver Broncos 29-17, falling to unimpressive record of 1-2. On the same day that Les Miles was fired from, I question if this start could jeopardize the job of, Bengals head coach, Marvin Lewis. 

Lewis, hired in 2003, has the second longest head coaching streak with one team of all the active coaches in the NFL, only Bill Belichick has been remained with one team longer.

The Bengals have been one of the most impressive organizations for nearly a decade. Coach Lewis has a record, in the regular season, of 113-94-2; In the playoffs, he has yet to get a win carrying the record of 0-7. Before Marvin Lewis arrived, the Bengals were one of the leagues worst organizations for half of a decade or so. The Bengals had a record of 16-48 between 1999-2002, prior to hiring Lewis. In his first few seasons; 2003-206, the team had a record of 35-29. It's been a very interesting career that coach Lewis has had in Cincinnati. I've witnessed the attitude of Bengals fans change in the city drastically, and it's been for the better. The organization and team went from one of the worst in the league to being, now, one of the most well-ran in the league.

But when we look around the league, we can look and see that Lewis has a trusted system that he's built over the years. Over the past four seasons, he has put out three coordinators into head coaching positions - Hue Jackson, Mike Zimmer and Jay Gruden - it's hard to ignore that. I think the way that fans really feel about Marvin Lewis stems from what he's done in the regular season not being able to translate in the playoffs. Bengals fans and the city of Cincinnati haven't seen a playoff win since 1990. I believe that a lot of Bengals fans think that Lewis can get the team any further than he already has, and that's an early exit from the playoffs, with the Bengals being 0-7 with him as the head coach.

One thing that the Bengals have been successful at during the Marvin Lewis era has been developing and drafting talent. There have been quit a few players to sign with the Bengals and "revive" their career or become more successful than they did on a previous team. A few examples are guys like: John Kitna, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson and Reggie Nelson just to name a few.

The Bengals are currently 1-2 through the first three weeks of the 2016-17 season, currently in third place in the AFC north, only the Browns (0-3) have a worse record in the division. The Bengals have made the playoffs for five consecutive years now, hoping to make it six this season. But, in order to achieve that, the Bengals have to overcome early season struggles and get back on a winning path.

The Bengals will have a challenge in front of them this Thursday night, as they play the Miami Dolphins (1-2) who are looking to turn around their season as well. This game will tell a lot about which direction the Bengals season will go, it's statistically unlikely the Bengals will make the playoffs if they lose in the game against the Dolphins and go 1-3. However, this could be the game the Bengals need to get back into the early playoff conversation.

Can the Bengals turn things around? or will the Bengals end their playoff streak at five consecutive years?

You can watch the Bengals-Dolphins game on NFL Network, Thursday at 8:25 PM ET.   

How Long Will The Wentz Wagon Roll?

 

Carson Wentz on draft day (Left)

The Eagles are one of the biggest topics in the NFL right now. Young, hot quarterback. First-year head coach and a new-look Jim Schwartz defense. The Eagles were suppose to be at the bottom of the NFC east all season, according to projections, but they find themselves atop of the division at 3-0. But how long will people be on the "bandwagon" of the rookie quarterback Carson Wentz? What early success could potentially lead too? I tell you why I don't really care for early success by Wentz and the record you should expect. 

There Is Hope For The Browns, Just Watch

The Cleveland Browns are having another, yet unfortunate, rough start to a season that was suppose to show a lot of promise. They lose their starting and back-up quarterback, first-round draft pick Corey Coleman and a few other key pieces.... But there's a bright spot in it all. 

What an 0-2 Start Means For the Buffalo Bills

  The Buffalo Bills suffer a second straight loss to open the season, coming off a short week, falling to the division foes the New York Jets 37-31. The Bills coming into the game had the Jets' number, as they swept them last season, beating them 22-17 in both games.

The Bills opened up the season, Sunday, losing to the Ravens 13-7. The Buffalo Bills are in a very tough AFC east and an 0-2 start isn't a great way to start your season, especially when you're expected to compete for your division and you haven't even played the best team in your division. It's obvious that there's a lot of talent on the Bills' roster but it's about it coming together. Quarterback, Tyrod Taylor looked very impressive in a disappointing loss, throwing for 297 yards, three touchdowns on 18 pass completions. There are some concerns though when looking at this team. former first-round selection Sammy Watkins seems to be nursing an injury; LeSean McCoy hasn't had an 100-yard rushing game since 12/6/2015 and he's only rushed for 100 yards in one of his last eight games.

It seemed like head coach Rex Ryan had finally gotten this Bills team to be playoff contenders in the AFC and a lot of people thought they could be a team to dethrone the division champion New England Patriots.

The Bills have their bye-week on week 10 and heading into it, based on the way their schedule looks, this could easily be a 2-7 team. The next three games for the Bills: Arizona, @ New England, and @ Los Angeles. If the Bills don't get it turned around and get back to a competitive state by mid-season, the Bills could make a head coaching change.

Rex Ryan is currently 8-10 as the Bills head coach; he hasn't coached a team into the playoffs since 2010 (Jets).

Will Fuller Impresses In Debut

In his very first game in the National Football League, Texans rookie, Will Fuller has an exceptional game that he'll probably never forget reeling in five receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Fuller, the no.21 draft selection in the 2016 NFL draft, was the second receiver taken in the draft (Corey Coleman was drafted at no.15). Coming out of Notre Dame Fuller was known for being a speedster and a big-play threat, but his route-running ability was still an unknown. In his last two seasons at Notre Dame, Fuller had back-to-back seasons with 1,000-yard and double-digit touchdown seasons. He has done something that not even players like A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones or Antonio Brown have done in their first game.

It's obvious that Fuller has the chance to be special and it's even more obvious that the Texans noticed this during the NFL draft when they selected him in the first round. The Texans start off their season at 1-0 with the huge 23-14 victory over the Chicago Bears and Fuller was one of the big reasons they walked away with the victory. Fuller and the Texans have a bigger test in week 2 as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs, a rematch from the playoffs last season. The Chiefs won in convincing fashion the last time these teams met on the field. However, Fuller hopes to be the difference-maker and help the Texans get off to a 2-0 start and maybe even more...

AJ Green Goes To A New Level

  In the opening game of the 2016 season, the Cincinnati Bengals traveled to face the New York Jets, one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2015 and projected to be even better this season. One of the spotlights of this game was Darrell Revis going against AJ Green.

Green, entering his sixth season, came out and showed why he's one of the league's best. There's was a lot of talk about how Revis, who has been one of the premiere defensive backs since he entered the league, and how his physicality could be too much for Green's style of play. Green proved that would not be the case, having one of the best days as a receiver in the NFL with 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown, as the Bengals rallied back after trailing late in the fourth quarter, winning 23-22.

Green has faced-off against Revis just one time, thus far, in his NFL career, prior to today. The first time Green went up against Revis was in 2014, during Revis' very short stint with the New England Patriots. In that game Green had five receptions for 81 yards and a receiving touchdown. However. what was more notable about the battle is that Green also had a fumble, also the Bengals and Green were on the losing end of the game that day 43-17.

There has been a lot of speculation and question about what the Bengals "new " offense would look like after the departure of former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamad Sanu... as all three are on new teams. There was a lot of turnover, as far as the roster goes, this off-season. Now, more than ever, there's a lot of pressure on Green to perform and show sumptuous leadership on the field as he's the most veteran in the wide receiver group, as far as experience with the team. The Bengals next game is Sunday, September 18 as they travel to take on the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers at 1;00 PM ET on CBS.

Melvin Gordon: Charged Up For His Second Year

Melvin Gordon, the 2015 first-round draft pick for the San Diego Chargers seems to be primed for big second year after a lack-luster rookie campaign.

The Chargers have been searching for a franchise running back since parting ways with their franchises rushing leader and future hall-of-famer LaDainian Tomlinson, famously known as "LT", in 2010.

 Gordon, the former no.15 overall selection, was the second running back taken in the 2015 draft and one of the two running backs selected in the first round (Todd Gurely was the other, drafted no.11 by the Rams). After rushing for 641 yards on 184 attempts, 3.5 yards per carry. One thing that stands out even more than a very sub-par ypc is that Gordon, who had 45 rushing touchdowns at Wisconsin, failed to find the end zone in 2015. During the preseason it looked like Gordon has become more comfortable in this Chargers offense, in the limited time that we saw him, rushing for 81 yards on 13 carries and adding a rushing touchdown. With the reserved back Brandon Oliver out for the 2016 season, due to injury, expect for Gordon to touch the ball a lot more.

The San Diego Chargers open the season on Sunday, September 11 at Kansas City. It'll be a good first test for Gordon. The Chiefs, a division foe, was the 8th best team against the run in 2015, allowing just 92 yards per game on the ground and only 7 rushing touchdowns the entire season. Can Gordon show that he was worth taking with the no.15 pick? Can he prove that he's the franchise running back that the Chargers have been looking for? This will be a big year for Gordon. 2016 could be the year to show what Gordon is going to be. Beast or bust. 

NFL: 10 Fantasy Sleepers You Need To Look For During The Season

We're less than one week away from the start of the NFL regular season. You know what this means, right? People are starting to get their fantasy drafts underway. Every season when preparing for your drafts, one of the most common thoughts is who will be the fantasy "sleeper" or steal that I can either get off waivers or draft in the later rounds. It's bound to happen especially with roster moves, rookies coming into the league, and also injuries.
For the 2016 NFL season, I have 10 players that are sure to make an impact from a fantasy standpoint.

1. Sammie Coates - With the Steelers having Martavis Bryant out for the season, due to suspension and I don't really think Markus Wheaton is going to improve more than what he is. The Steelers will be looking for a big-play receiver and I believe that Coates will be that person. With the type of vertical offense that they like to run, it fits Coates skill set perfectly; he's a tall, fast, athletic receiver. With Antonio Brown bound to draw double-coverage almost every play, expect to see Coates get open for some big plays and many of those plays could end up in the end zone. 
2. James White - The New England Patriots always seem to get the most out of their players in some way. For nearly the past two decades people have been trying to figure out if it's the system or the players that makes some of these players so great. But, none the less, I expect a new player to emerge in this offense. Running back James White, since coming into the league hasn't made much noise. With the news breaking of Dion Lewis having knee surgery that is bound to have him out for the entire '16-17 season, they'll be looking for another change-of-pace back to couple with heavily talented LeGarrett Blount, and I really think that White will be that player. He was one of the great University of Wisconsin running backs and in the Patriots system, he should thrive; he doesn't have to be an "every down" back and he looks like he's become a much better pass-catcher as well. I see James White ending up in the end zone a lot this season. 
3. Chris Moore - The Baltimore Ravens offense is looking for a consistent target for quarterback Joe Flacco after Steve Smith Sr. retires. They drafted Brashard Perryman in the 2015 NFL draft in the first round, his health is still at question. Last season wide receiver Kamir Aiken stepped up big for the team when they had no other targets and he finished the year strong, but I don't know if he's the guy that is going to be a consistent target. Rookie wide receiver, Chris Moore from the University of Cincinnati could be that guy. He's a long, fast, deep-ball threat and he fits the offense perfectly. One of the best things about Moore is that he goes up to fight for the ball on all of the 50-50 passes and he wins majority of those battles. With Perryman's health being at question and Steve Smith Sr. being on, what seems to be, his final stretch, I believe that we see Moore get a lot of playing time this season and I see a lot of passes going his way and I believe we'll see him in the end zone through the year. In four years of playing at Cincinnati, Moore had 119 receptions, 2,300 yards receiving and 26 touchdowns, not to mention there was an increase his receiving production every season.
4.  Tevin Coleman - In 2015 there were very high expectations for Coleman in Atlanta. However, an injury sidelined him for the early part of the season and teammate DeVantae Freeman's miraculous start to the season made Coleman the permanent second-string running back for the remainder of the season. The bright side is that Coleman will be entering the season with another year in the system, he's got a chip on his shoulder and he finished the 2015 season strong - he averaged 4.5 yards per carry on the season and showed he can carry the load when he's called on, as he rushed for 118 yards on 18 carries against a very good Minnesota Viking's defense - Coleman and Freeman can be a great tandem and I see Coleman getting majority of those carries around the goal line, that screams FANTASY GOLD! 
5. Kevin White - The Chicago Bears offense is full of young skill players. White, the first-round pick by the Bears in 2015 will hope to be healthy this season and get his first taste of NFL action after being sidelined for his rookie season with injury. He has all the tangibles to make him a great receiver - he's fast, has a big body frame and is a very good route-runner - not to mention he gets to play along side of a pretty good receiver in Alshon Jeffery. Everyone knows that Jay Cutler lets the ball fly and with the departure of Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett, there will be plenty of opportunities for White in this offense to make plays. 
6. Willie Snead - There are three things in life that are guaranteed: Death, taxes and Drew Brees, if healthy, will put up at least 3,500 passing yards in a season. The Saints offense looks a lot different than it did just three years ago, it's full of young, inexperienced receivers. In 2015, Sneads rookie season, he had 69 receptions for 984 yards and three touchdowns. Those are great numbers, but i expect these numbers to increase in 2016. Snead looked like one of the more dependable receivers in the Saints offense and earning the trust of Brees could help him get more red zone targets and that leads to more fantasy points. I think Snead has the potential to be a top 15 fantasy receiver. 
7.  Ameer Abdullah - The Detroit Lions lost a major staple of their organization and offense with the unexpected retirement of Calvin Johnson after last season. We don't know who Matt Stafford's go-to guy will be now. But one thing that I do know is that their are now some opportunities for other players to emerge in the offense and make plays. Former first-round pick Ameer Abdullah was drafted to do just  that, make plays. Even though he isn't list as the starter, I still think that his big-play abilities will help this offense to perform at a high level. 
8. Tajae Sharpe - Not only is this receiver a sleeper in fantasy, he was a sleeper in the NFL draft; Sharpe was drafted in the fifth-round, with the no.140 overall pick. In 2015, at the University of Massachusetts, he led the NCAA in receptions (111), 12th in receiving yards (1,319) and caught 5 passes for touchdowns. I expect Sharpe to add a lot to a receiving core that has been fairly mediocre for nearly half of a decade, especially because it looks like he's the clear number one option in the group of receivers on the roster.   
9. Matt Jones - The Washington Redskins no longer have Alfred Morris, he signed with the division rival Dallas Cowboys and there could be an open competition through the first couple of weeks; right now, Matt Jones is listed as the no.1 running back on the depth chart and Chris Thompson is listed as the no.2 option. I think that, if he can stay healthy, Jones can make a huge impact on this Redskins team. As a rookie, in 2015, Jones rushed for nearly 500 yards and three touchdowns in a part-time role. The only concern I would have about Jones is he did have more fumbles than he did rushing touchdowns in his rookie campaign. 
10. Alex Collins - Surprisingly, this running back not only fell in the draft, he fell to the one team that you don't want to give a running back with the power and speed that Collins possesses. Even though he's a rookie and he didn't win much while at Arkansas, he still put up very impressive numbers on some very mediocre offenses. In 2015, Collins had nearly 1,600 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He's listed as the last RB on the depth chart but I believe that he could see a lot of snaps this season. second-year running back Thomas Rawls is coming off of an injury and I'm not sure how much Pete Carroll is sold on his as the starter. Last season, when Lynch went out, Rawls stepped up and provided a much needed spark for the offense and helped a lot in the running game. However, I believe this will be a "running back by committee" year to determine who will be the starter going forward, I expect Collins to be in the conversation by week four of the season and should be able to get a decent amount of carries on the season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and New York Jets Both Won With The New Contract

 3,900 passing yards, 31 TD and nearly 60% pass completion - as he and the New York Jets fell short of making the playoffs. But it is a team that looks to be headed in the right direction, led by head coach Todd Bowles who is entering his second year as a head coach in the league. Even though the Jets were known in 2015 for their top-tier defense, it's offense is what had people excited throughout the season, it's something that hasn't been talked about in reference to a Jets team, really since the early 2000s.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is coming off of a career season in 2015 -

In 2015, The Jets ranked 10th overall in offensive yards per game, 13th in passing offense, 10th in rushing offense and 11th in points per game. If that's not enough to impress you, just think about this, they also were the only team in 2015 to have a top five, based on yards, running back (Chris Ivory) and wide receiver (Brandon Marshall).

After months of negotiation, the Jets organization and Fitzpatrick came to an agreement for a one-year deal worth $12 Million, fully guaranteed. It's not the long-term deal that the quarterback had been wanting but the money (guaranteed) did meet what he was looking for. And I am happy that he finally did get paid, he had a season that lived up to the pay. However, I believe the Jets played their cards right in this case by not offering the long-term deal. They don't have to commit to a quarterback who, going into his 11th season, has yet to really prove anything as a starter in this league. In this one year the organization can find out a few things: Can he [Fitzpatrick] replicate the season he just had? Can he help get this Jets team back to the playoffs? Will he prove that he's worth giving a long-term contract at the age of 33 (turning 34 in November).

I acknowledge the fact that Fitzpatrick had a very good season, played consistent through majority of the season and had surpassed a lot of expectations in 2015. But, was that enough? As a starter in the NFL Ryan Fitzpatrick has yet to lead a team to the playoffs. He's had some opportunities to prove himself through the years, as a journeyman, playing on 6 teams in the past 11 years and hasn't been able to get the job done.

In my opinion, the Jets paid accordingly. They paid a quarterback who had a career year, what he deserved and for perfect length. I do think he is a serviceable quarterback, just not long-term contract worthy ... I voiced my opinion on twitter how I feel about Fitzpatrick's game.

I respect him for holding out, I really do. But I can name 26 starting quarterbacks that I'd take over Fitzpatrick.

— Mario DeRamus (@SimplyMario_) July 29, 2016

And here's the list:

1. Tom Brady
2. Andrew Luck
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Derek Carr
5. Jameis Winston
6. Blake Bortles
7. Matt Ryan
8. Russell Wilson
9. Matt Stafford
10. Andy Dalton
11. Tony Romo
12. Ryan Tannehill 
13. Philip Rivers
14. Eli Manning
15. Joe Flacco
16. Teddy Bridgewater
17. Jay Cutler
18. Carson Palmer
19. Alex Smtih
20. Colin Kaepernick
21. Cam Newton
22. Drew Brees
23. Ben Roethlisberger   
24. Robert Griffin III (on the fence)
25. Tyrod Taylor (on the fence) 
26. Brock Osweiler (on the fence) 

Some players you may not agree with me, but I know you can't debate 20/26 listed quarterbacks are better.

The list above isn't a knock on Fitzpatrick's talent and abilities. Rather, it's showing how good of deal it is from his end and how deserving he is for the year that he had. 2016 looks to be a test for Jets and Fitzpatrick in a very tough AFC east division; The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills look to be on the same quest to dethrone the New England Patriots, who have won the division the last seven, consecutive, years. Can Fitzpatrick prove he's worth a long-term contract and lead the Jets to their first AFC east title since 2002?

NFL: 5 Players That Are Set For A Breakout Season In 2016

  With NFL training camps approaching in a week or so, there are a lot of new faces some teams and there are some players entering the second year of their contracts. Every season we see a few breakout players that seem to come out of nowhere. This year, I don't believe anything will change. I see a lot of potential for a certain five players to have a sumptuous season.

1. Melvin Gordan: In his rookie campaign, Gordan, the 2015 no.15 overall draft selection by the San Diego Chargers didn't look too impressive. Injuries, bad player after bad play, and just looked like he hadn't played football in years. This is just showing that the NFL is much different than college football. In College Gordan was a Heisman finalist and an All-American, while also breaking the record for most rushing yards in a single game before having that record broken soon after. The Chargers had an awkward stage of trying to make the Gordon work in their system than trying to get their system to work for Gordon. In 2016-17, look for Gordon to get a lot more touches, having a healthy Keenan Allen and the addition of Travis Benjamin to the team should take an enormous amount of pressure off of Gordon and the other running backs. 
2. Phillip Dorsett: After a very forgetful rookie season in 2015, I think Dorsett has a chip on his shoulder. Don't forget that the Colts had a lot of offensive line issues, Andrew Luck was injured for a major portion of the season, and most rookies have growing pains. Dorsett was already at a disadvantage for playing time; the young receiver was fighting for snaps with TY Hilton, Andre Johnson and Dontae Moncrief. With Luck coming back, hopefully healthy, I'd expect for all of the receivers to see a 'spike' in their stats, Dorsett maybe more than any of the other receivers. One thing I like most about this young receiver is the fact that he can play on the outside or in the slot, a lot of people compare him to his teammate Hilton, maybe even more explosive - He was drafted no.29 overall in the 2015 draft for a reason, it'll show in the 2016-17 season. 
3. Shawn Williams: This is NOT just a  list for offensive player! The Bengals will be entering the 2016 season missing a major piece of a defense that has been so dominant over the past several years. Free-Agent Safety Reggie Nelson, explored his options, choosing to sign with the Oakland Raiders after reviving his career in Cincinnati. Nelson tied for the most interceptions in 2015 and helped lead the Bengals to the postseason and one of the most successful regular seasons in the past 20 years. Now, let's talk about who could fill his shoes. Safety Shawn Williams, third-round draft selection in 2013, looks ready to do just that. I believe he'll be a big-time player. If you go back to the week 7 game vs the Steelers, Williams got a big-time interception late in the fourth quarter when the Bengals needed it, they were trailing 10-6 with a little over six minutes remaining, the Bengals ended up scoring on the next drive and getting the win 16-10. With Williams sure to get more snaps as a starter in 2016, look for him to emerge as one of the best safeties in the AFC in the next two years. 
4. DeVante Parker: The only word that I can think of to describe Parker is dominant. I don't think he'll be a top 5 receiver in the next two or three years, no. However, I think that putting him in an offense that just lost their starting running back, has Jarvis Landry (who is one of the most talented receivers in the league), has an offensive minded  head coach in Adam Gase, and has something to prove as the no.14 overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft. In the final six games of the 2015 season, Parker had 22 receptions, over 400 receiving yards, and got all three of his receiving touchdowns. In 2016 Parker will pick up where he left off. With an offense that'll surely look more vertical, look for Parker to benefit the most of any other player, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill. 
5. Jeremy Langford: With Matt Forte our of Chicago they need someone to hand the keys over to in the backfield. Langford saw his fair share of carries and opportunities to play in 2015, as a rookie. In 2016, he'll more than likely be the guy. If Langford plays the same as he did in 2015 he should be a great replacement for Forte. Not as dynamic of a runner, but he is a great pass-catching running back like Forte and has great vision, running through the holes. The Bears are going to be fairly young on offense and the best chance they have to be competitive is to lean on the running game. Jay Cutler will have his hands full this years trying to adjust to a life with no Martellus Bennett or Matt Forte. But I think that Cutler and Langford will develop a great chemistry through camp and it'll transfer to the regular season.    

Every season we see players emerge and shine bright under the big lights on Sundays, 2016 won't be any different. We all ask ourselves at the beginning of every season, who will be the next player to tear up the field and make that splash throughout the league? The 2016 NFL season looks to be another great one and I'm sure these five players are sure to make their mark on it. 

It's Almost Time, Kobe

  It's been a great run for Kobe Bean Bryant in the NBA. However, just like anything else, all things, good or bad must come to an end at some point.  Bryant announced this would be his final season earlier this season in the Player Tribune in the form of a farewell poem/letter to the game he gave his all to.
  
 "I played through the sweat and hurt. Not because challenge called me. But because you called me" - Kobe Bryant

Bryant, 37, has been making this season worth it for basketball fans, even if his team isn't winning and he isn't even averaging over 20 points per game. But he's been having a lot of fun with the fans, other players and the media. Through what has been a difficult season for Bryant and the Lakers, having only won 15 games (15-59) and only having a better record than the Philadelphia 76ers (9-65), thus far, it's obvious that Bryant is content with what he's accomplished through his career and is finally accepting that it's his time to walk away from the game that he has helped to revolutionize and helped grow to the level that it is today.

Over the past three years or so, Bryant has battled injuries and between the 2013-14 & 2014-15 season he played in a total of 41 games due to injury. A lot of people wondered if he'd be able to make it through half of the 2015-16 season. To be honest, after the past two seasons ended early for Bryant, I thought that he would've hung it up before this season.

Bryant has appeared in 58 of this seasons game so far. With the Lakers having eight games left on their schedule, barring injury, Bryant is scheduled to play in every game.

Even with the Lakers being one of the more dysfunctional teams and organizations right now, there's been something special about their season. It's all been centered around Bryant. That's not necessarily a bad thing either, it's been one of the very few bright spots of their season. Quit honestly, I can't say that I've seen a player receive so much love from sports fans of every city/team, the media, and even the players from other teams since Michael Jordan in his final season with the  Washington Wizards.

Bryant is averaging 16.9 ppg, 3 ast, 3.9 rebs on a career low 35-percent-shooting.  

The next Lakers game is Wednesday, March 30 @ 10:30 vs the Miami Heat on NBATV.  Bryant's final game of his career is projected to be Wednesday, April 13 @ 10:30 vs the Utah Jazz on ESPN. Circle your calenders and set your DVRs, you don't want to miss this.

Through his career, we've seen Kobe Bean Bryant do and go through so much, he's grown as a player and a person, on and off the hardwood. From his first few years of coming off the bench, winning three titles and making the Lakers a Dynasty, again, in the early 2000s with Shaquille O'Neal, he suffered through a rough patch after Shaq's departure, nearly had his marriage and reputation fall apart, another run in the finals with Pau Gasol to capture two more titles in 2008-09 & 2009-10 (no.4 & 5) -- after losing to the Celtics in 2007-08. To me, all of this proves one thing to me. It's not only his physical abilities that made him one of kind, but it was his mentality. He could've broke down and lost his focus through the hardships, but you could make an argument that after going through those tough times made him a better player. He's one of a kind and he'll be missed by all sports fans. 19 seasons is what he gave to the sport that he loved, now he'll be able to soak it all in and reflect on an illustrious career.

Thank, Kobe. Farewell.

Can Tom Brady Get the One Victory We Didn't See Coming?

  The New England Patriots are coming off an AFC championship game loss to the Denver Broncos, one year after winning the Super Bowl over the Seattle Seahawks. But this pattern seems to be the norm for nearly two decades now for the Bill Belichick led team. And next year I think most people can expect a good run from the Patriots as well.

I think that by now "The Patriot Way" is a phrase that all football fans are familiar with, it's not only a style of football but a standard that has been set by Belichick and his staff. Quarterback, Tom Brady has been the "poster child" for the Patriot's organization/team for nearly two decades.

In his Career, Tom Brady has:

• 58,028 passing yards (5th all-time)
• 428 Touchdowns (t - 3rd all-time)
• Six Super Bowl appearances, winner of four of them and MVP of three.
• NFL MVP (2x) - 2007 & 2010

However, even with all of his career accomplishments, it's one thing that we could be overlooking. 

Brady, 38 and will be 39 years of age by the start of next season, doesn't seem to be slowing down on the field as far as his production goes.  Just this past week the Patriots locked up the veteran quarterback for an additional two years, with a contract extension that goes through 2019 (he'll be 42 years of age).

Why is this important?

Historically, it hasn't worked out well for players at the age of 40 or older. As we've seen recently with aged athletes like Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning, it's very common for aged superstar athletes to have a decrease in production.

Manning, 39, had 9 passing touchdowns and 17 interceptions through 10 games before being sidelined for a foot injury. But was this lack of production and bad play due to the foot injury or did father time play a role in the downward spiral of Manning's production? The one thing that's saving Manning's name right now is that his team is coming off a Super Bowl victory and well his legacy, honestly.

The one upside to this whole "father time" vs aging player battle is that, no matter what, when it comes to the elite players who suffer a downfall in their production it's only remembered temporarily; we don't talk about the Michael Jordan years when he was with the Wizards, we talk about his iconic moments and his championship years with the Chicago Bulls. We don't talk about Joe Montana with the Kansas City Chiefs, we talk about his glory days with the San Francisco 49ers.

We often see these aging players become one-dimensional in sports and that's when we can start to notice them fading in production. Derek Jeter, even though he was never known to be a home-run hitter, when he got older teams knew he most likely wasn't going to hit the ball very far. In 2010, teams knew that Shaquille O'Neal wasn't going to do the same things in the post area as he would've in 2000.

What does all of this mean for Brady? Can we really expect a decrease in his performance? Can his body hold up another three season? Could he win another MVP or Super Bowl and continue to play at an elite level through the age of 42?

Right now, they say father time is undefeated. But, could Tom Brady be the one to finally defeat him? Or will father time remain undefeated?

In 2015 Brady passed for 4,770 yards, 36 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while completing 64 percent of his passes.

stats via NFL.com and ESPN.com

NFL: Who The Cleveland Browns Should Draft With Their First-Round Pick.

  With the NFL combine beginning this week and the draft inching closer, I've been looking at a lot of options and scenarios for the Cleveland Browns and new head coach Hue Jackson. The Cleveland Browns are coming off of another awful season finishing 3-13, last place in the AFC north. It's been nearly a decade since the Browns have finished with a record better than 8-8 (.500) or better - They finished with a record of 10-6 in 2007 - And I can't say that it's all draft related but that's really where the season starts and how most teams begin to change the culture of their team.

This years draft seems to be fairly talented but it has a lot to live up to. The Browns have the no.2 overall pick and usually that's a good thing when you're trying to build up the program and you have a new head coach. Most critics/analysts would tell you that's where you draft a quarterback, especially since the Browns are in the market for a new one. Josh McCown's time was up and he clearly was never the long-term answer; Johnny Manziel couldn't seem to stay out of his own way and he stayed in the news about more off-the-field issues than his performance on it.

But, this year it might not be that simple. I don't know if there's that clear-cut no.1 quarterback that's worthy of being a "franchise" player or one that will change the culture of the organization.

There have been a lot of analysts that are projecting University of California quarterback, Jared Goff to be drafted to Cleveland. Goff, 6-foot-4 is a traditional pocket-passer, started three seasons in college and ended with an overall record of 13-23. Statistically, his numbers make it seem like he's a sure thing. However, how many teams have we seen quarterbacks get drafted high in the first round because of their college stats and no work out? We've seen it more times than we'd like to in the past decade alone.

Goff's stats from Cal:

• 2013: 18 TDs 10 INT's 60.3 Comp%
• 2014: 35 TDs 7 INTs 62 Comp%
• 2015: 43 TDs 13 INTs 65 Comp%

But what if the Browns decided to go outside of the quarterback position, which I think they should, and went with a skill position player?

Newly acquired head coach Hue Jackson, had a lot of people impressed this past season with the strides that Bengals quarterback made under him, in his very complex offense. Dalton had best season as a professional, thus far, with Jackson as the offensive coordinator. However, in all fairness to the Bengals and taking nothing away from Jackson, the Bengals had a lot of good players surrounding Dalton and they played a vital role in his performance/success this past season also.

There's nothing that leads me to believe that Jackson can't accomplish the same with a quarterback that's already in the league that might be looking for a new "home". Robert Griffin III is said to be available? Ryan Mallet? Sam Bradford? ... And these are guys that, in the right system, can really contribute a lot to a team and they're still fairly young players.

There's is one player that comes to mind in this draft that I believe could be a difference maker and help this team turn things around ... Ole Miss receiver, Laquon Treadwell.   

Treadwell, 6-foot-3 is something that the Browns organization has been missing ... No, I didn't forget about Josh Gordon but since he didn't play last season and is currently still suspended I can't include him on the roster ... He's bigger in stature and he is a good route-runner and explosive downfield as well. Coming off of his best season as a junior at Ole Miss after suffering a very serious leg injury the previous year before in a game against Auburn, while running into the end zone for a touchdown. 

A lot of people didn't think Treadwell would ever be the same after that injury.  After putting in the work in the offseason and rehabbing, he came back just in time for the start of the 2015 season.

In his 2015 campaign Treadwell caught 82 passes for better than 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns. Not too bad for a guy coming off of a broken leg.

It was just reported that Treadwell would not be running the 40-yard-dash at the combine. This may draw some red flags with some coaches and organizations, but overall I don't think it'll be that big of a deal.

Top WR prospect Treadwell won't run 40 at #NFLCombine

See his explanation for decision: https://t.co/EWkV80q7EB pic.twitter.com/543z1GkzLG

— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) February 22, 2016

I know, I know. Drafting a receiver that early isn't smart, and it's too risky... But is drafting any player a sure thing?  I mean it's your first-round, they're suppose to be your best picks.

Since 2010 the Browns have had eight first-round picks:

• 2010: Joe Haden,  Corner back
• 2011: Phil Taylor, Defensive tackle 
• 2012: Trent Richardson, Running back; Brandon Weeden, Quarterback
• 2013: Barkevious Mingo, Linebacker 
• 2014:Justin Gilbert, Corner back; Johnny Manziel, Quarterback
• 2015: Danny Shelton, Defensive tackle

Key Point: 4/8 of the players are currently projected to be on the roster for 2016

None of the eight first-round selections were there a wide receiver taken. Along the way the Browns have passed on a lot of good talent at the receiver position. These players include: Kendall Wright, Michael Floyd, Tavon Austin, DeAndre Hopkins, Kelvin Benjamin, Brandin Cooks, Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Algholor, Breshad Perriman, DeVante Parker, Julio Jones, Sammy Watkins.

But there's no point in talking about first-round selections of the past, honestly. Hue Jackson has a chance to come in and leave a mark on this organization and help turn around an organization that has been struggling since they came back into the league in 1999. There's been very little consistency, poor coaching jobs and the drafting hasn't been too much better, to be honest.

Playing professional football isn't easy, that's why so few people can do it. Coaching professional football or any sport, for that matter, is equally as tough, that's why fewer people do it. Being able to actually is going to work out in "your" system is hard to tell. Well, sometimes damn near impossible just judging players off of film from college, the NFL combine, and a glorified workout known as an NFL Pro day.

I don't know what the Browns will do with the no.2 overall draft selection. However, I do know Hue Jackson is the type of guy to take risks and I know that he loves his skill position guys.

Also, think about this. When drafting that high in the first round, you have to ask yourself, can this player help change the culture on the field and in the locker room? Goff put up numbers but wasn't winning much at Cal. Treadwell, on the other hand, helped change the culture at Ole Miss and helped them to be one of the top teams in the SEC and all of college football.

There's no point in having a young "franchise" quarterback with no weapons around him to help him.

Currently, the best receiving options in Cleveland are Travis Benjamin, Gary Barnidge, Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins

The One Problem I Might Have With the NBA All-Star Game This Year

  The NBA all-star weekend is a very big event in sports and entertainment, each and every year. We see a lot of former players in attendance, current players and a lot of celebrities. They usually do a pretty good job with the event as a whole. It's the biggest all-star event of all professional sports - It's more entertaining than the NFL pro bowl and seems to be more popular among the masses than the MLB all-star weekend.

  This year we've seen Kobe Bryant being celebrated almost every game, rightfully deserving, after announcing early this season that it will be his final. And going into the all-star weekend that will take place this weekend, starting tonight, we've been hearing so much about Kobe Bryant and what his legacy will be. However, all of this attention on Kobe is taking away from another great player in NBA history, 'The Big Ticket' better known as Kevin Garnett.

All of this attention to Kobe is much deserved and he's been a great professional in the league during his time. He hasn't always been the most liked player in the league but he's always been productive on the court and we've seen him go from the highest mountain's (NBA championships) to the lowest valley's (struggling teams, injuries, and locker room issues) and through the adversity he came back out on top and he was able to get the Lakers back to a contending team in the late 2000s and win two more championships.

I'm fine with celebrating one of the best to ever do it. But, I'm a firm believer that if you do it for one you should do it  for most.

Garnett, 39, is nearing the end of a great, lengthy career. He's 17th on the all-time scoring list, 9th in rebounds, 17th in blocked shots. We've witnessed Garnett carry the Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs in his younger days and even reached the western conference finals. One of the most memorable moments in sports history has to be seeing Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen win an NBA championship in the 2007-08 season  with the Boston Celtics as the original "Big Three" and during one post-game interview you heard him [Garnett] say the famous line,  "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!", But, in all fairness, we don't know that it's his final season. It's obvious that he is now in more of a mentor/leadership position with the Timberwolves. 

I said all of that to say this. I hope that this is not Garnett's final season and hopefully the NBA will "roll out the red carpet" for him like they did Kobe this season and give him a fairwell tour as big as the one that Kobe has had, thus far.

Garnett has played in 38 games this season and is averaging 3.2 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 14 minutes per game.
 

 

12 Facts For Super Bowl 50

  This Sunday is the day of the "golden" Super Bowl. Super Bowl 50 is sure to be a great game and event. The Carolina Panthers are coming off of their best season in franchise, led by quarterback Cam Newton who will likely be the MVP of the league; the Denver Broncos have the number one defense in the league and even though Peyton Manning had the worst statistical season of his career, leading the league in interceptions, and missed a good portion of the regular season with a bad foot injury, he got things turned around ever since he was inserted back in the offense.

Will Cam Newton and the Panthers end this magical season with a Super Bowl victory? Or can Peyton Manning ride off in the sunset like John Elway and win the "golden" trophy?

Here are 12 facts that are sure to capture your interest for the big game:

1. This is the fourth consecutive year that there will be an African-American quarterback in the Super Bowl. 
2. Super Bowl XXXIV (St. Louis Rams vs Tennessee Titans) in the 1999-00 season is the last time there was a Super Bowl with no interceptions thrown. 
3. Cam Newton has faced a team with Peyton Manning on it once in his career, 2012, and the Broncos defeated the Panthers 36-14.
4. The last two SEC (South Eastern Conference) quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl were Peyton and Eli Manning. 
5. Two of the last three Super Bowl's played in California were won by an NFC team. 
6. Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl MVP's have been quarterbacks - the three who weren't quarterbacks: Malcolm Smith, Sea (LB); Santonio Holmes, Pit (WR); Hines Ward, Pit (WR)
7. The last time the Panthers were in the Super Bowl, 2004, the game was on CBS and they were defeated by the New England Patriots 32-29. 
8. In the past 10 Super Bowl's only two quarterbacks have a rushing touchdown - Colin Kaepernick and Ben Roethlisberger - while Cam Newton had 10 in the regular season and has two in the playoffs. 
9. Cam Newton is the first quarterback from Auburn to start in a Super Bowl. 
10. There have been only four running backs in the past 10 years to rush for over 100 yards in the Super Bowl - Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, Thomas Jones, Dominic Rhodes - three of the four players were on the losing team. Dominic Rhodes is the only one who was on the winning team (Colts 2007).
11. Peyton Manning is the first quarterback in Broncos history to take the team to the playoffs four consecutive seasons. 
12. The Carolina Panthers are undefeated (10-0) when they eclipsed 30 points. 

I'm not very good with predictions, it's not really my thing. However, for the sake of it being Super Bowl 50, here's mine:

I think that the Panthers are the better overall team. I would love to see Manning get his second ring, in what could potentially be the final game of his NFL career. But I think the better team will win and that's why I like the Panthers to win this game 31-24

'Dab'.Win.Repeat.

The Carolina Panthers (15-1) are on their way to the Super Bowl, the second time the franchises history (first time was 2004, they were defeated by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots). This is a completely different team than that 2004 team. No disrespect to that team, because they played very well in the playoffs, but this Carolina team has a certain edge to it.

The Panthers, led by regular-season MVP Cam Newton have had an amazing season in 2015. It didn't go exactly the way that people predicted in the off season, however. During training camp they lost Cam's favorite target from a year ago, second year player, Kelvin Benjamin. A lot of people thought this would be a lost season for them. It was just a year ago that the NFC south was, by record, the worst division in the league - they won their division with a record of 7-8-1, that's far from the record of 12-4 that they ended their season with in 2013 - but they've proven that this team is the best team in the division by winning it  three consecutive seasons.

I think that people started to take this team serious after a win, on the road, against a very good Seattle Seahawks team in week 5. And people started talking about a potential Super Bowl appearance after a great 10-0 start - people were even talking about a possible undefeated season after a 14-0 start (which didn't happen, obviously) but it just proves how serious this team is.

But the 2015-16 season wasn't a smooth ride by any means. They did face a lot of criticism for their celebrations after wins, and it started to really started to come out as their win total increased and celebrations got bigger. And what really ignited the criticism was the letter that a woman wrote after their 27-10 win against the Tennessee Titans. There was even some issues that the Titans players had with the celebration dances, especially with a dance that Cam did after a touchdown run called "the dab". But what's interesting is the Panthers were unapologetic about their celebrations during the game. They actually started to celebrate more. And it went from a Cam Newton thing and now became a team thing. After wins they would do team celebrations and even took a picture with the whole team doing the 'dab'.

Here is a great article written by Nick Schwarz of USA Today Sports, about the woman who wrote a letter to the Charlotte Observer after the Panthers defeated the Titans: Click here

I believe that they [the Panthers] got a lot of criticism early on because they weren't doing things the traditional way. Cam isn't the traditional quarterback. They don't have an amazing receiving core that's been on the field all year. But they're not a traditional team and sometimes it's refreshing to see that; Batman wasn't the traditional superhero either but he always got the job done. Not everyone like him or the way he did things but he always did his job, Gotham always survived.
 
If you noticed one thing. Cam Newton really became a true last season. Even after losses he took ownership for his mistakes and he demanded better from himself even before the other players on the team. And this year he's showing that you can still have fun playing football, he does and he shows that he loves the game. He got a lot of criticism for his lengthy celebrations but he also turned the 'dab' into a cultural phenomenon. Everyone was doing the 'dab' - I saw video's of older people on the news doing it to little kids at the games. 

For the Carolina Panthers the stats show that they had a reason for celebrations throughout the season. They finished first in points per game and second in rushing yards per game. Both contributing to a special season, the best in Panthers franchise history. Also, They finished with the sixth in total defense, as far as yards allowed per game, sixth in points allowed per game; they were also first in takeaways this season (39) - leading with both interceptions  (24) and fumbles recovered (15).

The Panthers are headed to Super Bowl 50, a year of gold. It almost seems fitting, too. A team that really came into the season with not great expectations by the media/analysts. But, it's a team that showed support to one another, faced adversity throughout the season - even going back to a scuffle in the off season between Cam Newton and defensive back Josh Norman. But they've walked this journey together, done the 'dab' and they've continued to show results on the field with every win.