NFL opinions, rumors, and fantasy football discussion

The NFL Draft has earned a reputation for being little more than a crapshoot. Considering the number of hours NFL scouts spend poring over game tapes, watching athletes run sprints, and quizzing them to find a “Wonderlic” score, it’s a bit odd that there are no “sure things.”

Even players drafted first overall in the draft and guaranteed $30-40 million can go “bust” in an instant. Or they could live up to their expectations and go “boom,” retiring on their own terms after a solid career. That’s the excitement of the NFL Draft and why fans actually care enough to tune in for hours at a time to see who their team thought was the best available college player.

The NFL Minute launched April, 2007 hoping to make an impact and inform fantasy footballers with the latest news and advice. Since then, it has gone through several distinct periods of development. First, the news/analysis period in which I took it upon myself to break down every bit of news that hit the wire. Second, the opinionated columns and editorials period during which I told readers how I feel about the Patriots cheating, Brett Favre’s MVP candidacy, and the Giants winning the Super Bowl. Third, was the “I need to rethink this site and what it’s all about period,” in which almost no updates were made from February to April, 2008.

This is the fourth stage of development.

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The Ravens and Ray Lewis apart? Not if team owner Steve Bisciotti can help it. “If he becomes a free agent next year, I think the Ravens would probably outbid other teams,” Bisciotti said. “We know Ray’s value more than the other teams. We know the leadership he brings to the team. We know the commitment and the effort he gives to winning.” The Ravens and Lewis have had disputes about extensions in the past, but with the defense’s collapses growing more frequent during the season and the offense’s continued apathetic play, it makes sense to keep an icon and leader like Lewis around.

If the Cowboys get a deal done, we’ll hear about it within the next few days. “It’s probable, if we’re going to get something done, we’ll do it while we’re here at these meetings,” Jerry Jones said. “…We’ve got some more talks we’ve got to do with the Titans, and we will do that while we’re here.” The meetings referred to by Jones are the owners’ annual meetings, when the league’s owners, general managers, and coaches meet in Florida to discuss changes in the NFL, so Jerry Jones (who’s clearly making the call on this one) can meet with the Tennessee Titans officials face-to-face to discuss Pacman. It seems likely the Cowboys will acquire Jones. They’ve shown serious interest in the Titans defensive back and since the Titans aren’t asking for a lot — a fourth round pick this year and a sixth round pick next year — the upside of Jones almost certainly outweighs the costs to acquire him.

The Packers are reportedly interested in acquiring Pacman Jones from the Tennessee Titans, who Jones has all but vowed he will never play for again. There are, of course, a few things wrong with this rumor. First and foremost, the Packers have two of the better corners in the AFC, Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Second, and just as important, general manager Ted Thompson rarely makes a significant free agent signing, nor does he make a controversial one. Of course, signing Pacman would fall under both categories.

The rumor does have a few things going for it, though. Both Harris and Woodson are in their 30s and the Packers may want to sign the uber-athletic Pacman Jones to be the team’s future. Harris also showed serious signs of decay last season, getting burned by good wide receivers and frustrating Packers fans.

Jon Ogden isn’t reporting to minicamp, but there’s still no word as to whether or not he’ll retire. But at least he’s made a timeline: next month, before the draft. “If I can’t play football the way I’m used to playing, then I’m not going to return,” Ogden, 33, said yesterday. “If I think I can, I want to give it a shot.” The loss of the future hall of fame tackle will be detrimental to the Baltimore Ravens, who have already struggled to establish themselves on offense. And it’s definitely not going to be good for new head coach John Harbaugh, who enters a system where former head coach Brian Billick was fired this season after years of failed attempts to build an offense.

Pacman Jones has made it clear that his days with the Tennessee Titans are over. At a charity basketball game this weekend, Pacman signed a ball with the number 21 — the number of former Dallas great Deion Sanders — instead of his own number, 32. But his agent is adamant in denying that any deal has been made, yet. “You would think the Titans would tell me they had traded him if they had,” agent Manny Arora said. Of course, a deal will likely be done soon to ensure Pacman does have the opportunity to wear number 21 next season.

The latest draft talk rumors have the New England Patriots considering Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, going so far as to fly the standout prospect to New England for an interview of sorts. Widely considered the most athletic player in the draft, and arguably the best prospect, McFadden has caught the attention of plenty of teams, but the Patriots are the most interesting.

It’s not because he’ll fit in well — which he likely will, with Bill Belichick making the calls — but because it begs the question, where will he fit in? Laurence Maroney was the team’s starter last season, but he missed plenty of time due to injuries. And while the Patriots managed to by without a running game (in fact, they tore opponents apart without a dominant runner), the team could clearly use a game-breaker like McFadden. McFadden could prove himself a worthy upgrade, but should the Patriots draft him and invest a massive signing bonus in a position already loaded with considerable depth and talent?

What You Say: Quarterback

What I Say: Offensive Line, Wide Receiver, Safety

Unlike most fans, I don’t think that the Bears greatest need is at quarterback. Rex Grossman is still a relatively inexperienced and young quarterback at roughly the same stage of development as a player like Matt Leinart (considering actual game time — Grossman, as most will remember, had a history of injuries).

But the team does have other issues on offense. The Bears struggled for the first time in years to run the ball effectively and the quarterback, whether it was Griese or Grossman or Orton, had little time in the pocket. That reflects on the offensive line. Meanwhile, tackle Fred Miller and guard Ruben Brown are both nearing the end of their career. Clearly, the Bears should do something in the draft to acquire some new talent on the line.

What You Say: MLB, FS, and WRs

My Top 3: DL, WR, and TE

Albert Haynesworth has been a great defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans for a considerable amount of time now, but his contract expires after the season. Whether the team keeps him around via the franchise tag or a long-term deal or lets him go to free agency remains a question. The team also no doubt could use someone to play opposite him at tackle.

After watching the Titans struggle over the past several seasons, it’s become incredibly apparent that the team has a gaping hole when it comes to talent at receiver. Vince Young is a good, young quarterback who has struggled at times because of his receiving talent. Acquiring some help at wide receiver, as well as tight end, could make the Titans a more threatening team. And considering what they’ve accomplished without great talent on offense, they could finally give Indianapolis a real run for the division.