Preseason NFL Awards

Here’s a look at my picks of who I think will take home some hardware this year for individual achievements.

1) MVP + Offensive Player of the Year– My MVP and Offensive Player of the Year pick for this season is Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, who of course is coming off an incredible postseason run as quarterback leading the Packers to a Super Bowl victory, is coming into this new season with a lot of momentum. The reason I pick Rodgers though is not only because he’s the hottest quarterback in the NFL right now, but he is also getting weapons on the offense back that he did not have from last year’s postseason run including a running game with Ryan Grant and his great tight end Jermichael Finley. I predict Rodgers will win the award leading the Packers to the best record in the NFC this year.

2) Defensive Player of the Year– I’m going to go out on a limb on this one, but I am going to predict that Ndamukong Suh is going to win this award this year. As long as Suh plays every game being what people call a “dirty player” for having a lot of illegal hits, Suh will lead what should be the best defensive line in football this year in the Detroit Lions. I believe that leadership along with his tremendous ability will give him votes to win this award.

3) Offensive Rookie of the Year– I’m going to go with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones for this one. The receiver from Alabama is going to be around a teriffic offense led by Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White and I think that this will give Jones matchup problems for most defenses. Throughout preseason, he has already shown an electrifying ability that he possesses and he will make that already potent Alanta offense even stronger.

4) Defensive Rookie of the Year– This award I am going to give to Patrick Peterson, the cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals. Even though Cam Newton was drafted first by the Carolina Panthers, many people thought that the LSU cornerback was the best pure player in last years draft. Combine this with an NFC West division that is really lacking in great passing games and I think Peterson can really shut down a lot of opponenets great receivers.

What are your picks for these awards? Let me hear what you think!!

Is Ochocinco a goner?

Saying Chad Ochocinco is having a disappointing preseason is an understatement.

Ochocinco with the Bengals

In two games (he was held out of the first exhibition match) he’s been limited to two catches and 14 yards and one touchdown.  He was also flagged for pass interference against Detroit (a ten yard penalty) so it’s like he’s netted only four yards.

QB Tom Brady says Ocho’s poor performance is based on a lack of familiarity with team’s system.  “He’s been frustrated because he doesn’t feel he’s been himself, because he’s still thinking a lot about what he needs to do, rather than react” Brady told WEEI yesterday.

Ochocinco spent his first ten seasons with the lowly Bengals and earlier today told reporters he’s comfortable with his progress. “I’m doing just fine. I’m not sure why or how it is, but coming from any place where you’ve been ten years, to come here and learn the verbiage and learn as much as I have the past three weeks, he said.  “I’ve done extremely well. It’s been fun, it’s been enjoyable.”

There’s been a lot of comparisons, especially on talk radio, between Ocho and Joey Galloway (I’ll forgive you if you forgot Galloway’s stay in New England; he caught seven passes as a Patriot before being cut three games into the 2009 season).  But there’s really no comparing the two.  Galloway was 38 when he joined Brady’s bunch, Ocho is only 32.  Galloway had 70 catches in his two seasons before coming to New England, Ocho had 67 last year alone.

Another comparison is Randy Moss.  And while Ocho’s closer talent-wise to Moss than Galloway, it’s still not fair to link the two.  Moss famously said “I play when I wanna play” and had reputation for not trying on plays.   Ocho’s biggest knock?  He likes to tweet.  So what?  Vince Wilfork is big on Twitter.  So are Zoltan Mesko, Devin McCourty and about two dozen other players.

So cut the man some slack New England.  It’s only the preseason.

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Vick, Eagles Agree To New Deal

Last season, Michael Vick electrified the league throwing for 21 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions while running for another 9 touchdowns

The Philadelphia Eagles have been the talk of the off-season with the money they’ve been giving out to free agents. And today they continued throwing around the cash, believing that they have the face of their franchise, givingquarterback Michael Vick a new 6 year deal.

A league source told ESPN’s Andrew Brandt that the deal is worth a total of 100 million dollars. Another source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the deal has 40 million dollars in guaranteed money.

Vick has come quite a long way since being released from prison only a few years ago and was picked up by the Eagles for literally nothing. Then, last year, he was the breakout performer and most exciting player to watch in the NFL eventually leading the Eagles to an NFC East division title.

With this new contract, Philly hopes they have locked up the guy who can lead them to one or multiple championships in the coming seasons.

Verlander for MVP? You’re kidding right?

A pitcher winning MVP? Insanity.

No.

I’m sorry, but no.  It’s driving me crazy, there are too many people out there, throwing this around.

There is little more than a small case that can be made for Justin Verlander to win the MVP in my mind, and if it were up to me, a pitcher wouldn’t even be able to win the award.

Let’s be real, pitchers have their award, it’s called the Cy Young award (which Verlander undoubtedly should and will win in my opinion) and beyond that fact there is also the reality that as good as Verlander is, he pitches once every five days and if he is lucky, he pitches in 30-35 games for his team every year.

To put that in perspective, Verlander is 20-5 on the season right now, in 29 starts.   Six of those 29 starts were average (4 or more runs), and his team is 21-8 when he pitches. Pretty impressive stuff, but let’s take a look at Josh Beckett of the Red Sox.  Beckett is 11-5 on the season in 25 starts.  four of his 25 starts were average, and his team is 18-7 when he pitches.  Verlanders ERA is 2.38 and Beckett’s is 2.43.

From those numbers, its fair to say that Beckett and Verlander are on the same level this season.  Yet Beckett will not receive consideration for MVP (and rightly so).  Verlander’s 20 wins, as with any pitcher, is more  a product of luck than anything and people seem to be arguing that his wins make him MVP eligible. It’s like people in the press are bored with everyday players winning the award so they want to ‘spice it up.’ Felix Hernandez had a better season last year than Verlander is having this year and he finished 16th in the MVP voting!  Whats the difference? King Felix had a W/L of 13-12, which says nothing about how he pitched.

To tie a nice knot on the above, basically Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball this season, but no pitcher should win the MVP.

Breaking News: Pats cut James Sanders

Anyone looking for a starting safety?

James Sanders, a former fourth round pick out of Fresno State, has been cut by New England. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the story.

Sanders played 15 games last season, starting nine. He recorded 58 tackles, 3 INTs and a forced fumble. He started Saturday’s preseason game against Detroit.

The team had been looking at safeties earlier in training camp, working out former Saint Darren Sharper earlier this month. The team also has safeties Patrick Chung, Brandon Meriweather and Josh Barrett on the roster.

Peyton Manning off the PUP list

Colts QB Peyton Manning has been taken off the team’s physically unable to perform list.

Manning (right) with Painter

The move means he now able to practice.  But Colts fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about him starting the opening week.

The move is mostly a logistical one, as Manning wouldn’t have missed the first six games of the season (players on the PUP list after the season starts must miss at least the first six games before they can return to practice).  The team wouldn’t have signed veteran QB Kerry Collins  if they didn’t have serious doubts about Manning’s availability to play in the season opener at Houston.  Or if they trusted back-up Curtis Painter, who didn’t see any action in 2010, to get the spot start.

Update: Irene forces Saturday Sox-A’s doubleheader

Updating a story posted yesterday, the Red Sox announced last night that the team would be playing a double header Saturday.  The first game will start at Noon with the nightcap at five.

Hurricane Irene is expected to arrive in New England this weekend.  The storm, which could be the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States in three years, is expected to bring heavy rain and wind to the area.

A rained out game on Sunday would’ve been difficult to re-schedule as Oakland and Boston don’t have any common off-days the rest of the season. The team also considered playing two on Friday, but the players voted against it.

There’s also concerns about the team’s return flight to Logan.  After Thursday’s game at Texas, the team will be flying back, but Irene will be approaching the coast at that point.

Updated forecast for Irene

Indians deal for Thome

Thome with the Twins

Jim Thome‘s completed the cycle.  The first baseman/designated who turns 41 Sunday will be with team he started his career with 20 years ago.

Thome waived his no-trade clause to accept a deal to Cleveland.  The Indians had claimed him on waivers Wednesday and had 48 hours to reach a deal with the Twins (Minnesota could’ve simply let him walk had a deal not been reached).  Minnesota will get a player to be named later in the deal.

Thome, his first 12 years with Cleveland. He then went on to play for the Phillies (2003-05), White

Sox (2006-2009) and Dodgers (2009) before signing on with the Twins before the 2010 campaign.  He had recently hinted he’d welcome a return to the Tribe.

Thome will likely take the place of DH Travis Hafner, who’s foot problem could keep him out of the rest of the year.  But Thome isn’t expected to play everyday, according to Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti.

Thome's come a long way since his rookie year

“We will have to manage his playing time,” Antonetti told the AP. “He’s certainly not an everyday player at this point. We’ll work with Jim on this. We’d like to have him out there to impact the team as often as we can. Every game for the team is meaningful. We are trying to win as many games as possible and we’ll see where that takes us.”

Cleveland started the year out strong but is now 6.5 games back of the Tigers in the AL Central and 14.5 games out of the wild card.  The team has been in the middle of the pack offensively all year.

Danica Patrick Announces Move to NASCAR

 

In a news conference earlier today, Indy Car racer Danica Patrick officially announced that she will be joining the NASCAR circuit starting in 2012.

This decision today by Patrick is a big one considering she has become not only one of the more recognizable drivers on the circuit, but also one of the more recognizable athletes with her fame off the track as well.

NASCAR, which is already one of the bigger sports in America with popularity hopes that Patrick can give a new popularity growth to the sport having not only a female on the track, but also a recognizable face.