Are the Ravens in trouble?

By: Michael Tellier

Through the course of the offseason many NFL analysts have questioned whether the Baltimore Ravens will have the team they did a season ago when they went on their unbelievable Super Bowl run.  The Ravens parted ways with key defensive veterans Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, and on offense said good bye to Anquan Boldin.  Now I thought the team would be in trouble after seeing that they had lost these three key players, but now that TE Dennis Pitta has gone down with a season ending hip injury, I think the Ravens are in some serious trouble.

QB Joe Flacco proved last season that he can get the job done under pressure, but I think for the Ravens offense to be successful this season they will need to hand the ball off more to RB Ray Rice. 

Plain and simple the Ravens don’t have the receivers that they had a year ago, and they will need to mix things up a bit more I think if they want to be successful.  Not to mention the fact that their defense will be weaker this season as well; which means they will really need to control the tempo of the game.  They won’t be able to go three and out on offense and rely on that stellar defense to hold teams off.    Reply to:

Is Dion Jordon really ready to return?

By: Michael Tellier

Miami Dolphins rookie defensive end Dion Jordan has already made a big impression on his teammates and sports analysts.  Jordan was on the non-football injury list for a surgically repaired shoulder. He was scheduled to miss up to two weeks of training camp, but has returned to practice already.  Is this a smart decision?

I realize that Jordan is a rookie and he is battling it out for a starting position right now.  I also realize that if he were to miss practice until after the final roster cuts that he would not be eligible to play for the first six weeks of the regular season.  But I still think returning to practice on day one of wearing full gear is a bit fast.

Shoulder injuries are not something you can take lightly, and even if Jordan was not to win the starting spot at defensive end, the Dolphins could still use him as an outside linebacker.

Some NFL analysts have said that the reports are not 100% accurate and that Jordan has not been participating for the full contact aspects of practice.  I really hope this true because Jordan is a young, athletic, talented player who could really help the Dolphins defense out this year; but if he pushed in to returning to practice too quickly, his career could be over before it begins.

Will the Packers struggle on offense without Jennings and Driver?

By: Michael Tellier

After losing offensive veterans Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, the Packers may take a step back offensively in the upcoming season.

Despite the fact that Driver and Jennings only accounted for 11.9% of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers completions in 2012, I still think that both players are extremely good under pressure, and they had both formed a solid relationship with their QB.

I’m not saying that the cheese heads won’t win the division without these two players; in fact I still think that they probably will.  They still have Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley, who have both proven to be valuable assets on offense.  I just think that if they get in to the playoffs, they will need someone like a Jennings or Driver to help them advance.

Rodgers in my opinion is easily one of the top five QB’s in the NFL, and that’s why I still think Green Bay will be ok.  And who knows, long term this might be good for them since both players are no longer in their prime anyways.

Is Kaepernick’s decision to wear Dolphins hat that big of a deal?

By: Michael Tellier

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick has received a lot of negative press lately for a photo that came out showing him wearing a Miami Dolphins cap at a fourth of July party.  Is this as big of a deal as people have made it out to be? I would say yes and no.

It’s bad because fans see the photo and they feel betrayed, and it could also hurt his relationship with his teammates, who may also feel a bit betrayed.  Kaepernick is a 49er and he should only wear their stuff, but I think the situation has been taken a bit too far.  For all we know the guy was probably just wearing a cap that matched his outfit, which still doesn’t make it right but I don’t think it makes him a traitor either.

I mean there is no doubt that he made a mistake, but if the guy wins football games for you, then who really cares.  Instead of making the guy feel like dirt, fans should forget about it.  Kaepernick has already apologized for his actions and that’s all he can really do.

If the fans continue to ride him and treat him like he’s a traitor, and his teammates give him the cold shoulder, all that will do is drive him away from San Francisco.  I think it would go a long way with the young QB if his teammates and fans took the high road.

Plain and simple the 49ers have an opportunity to have a great team that could win several Super Bowl’s; but I can almost guarantee that they won’t be able to accomplish much of anything if the fans and teammates are alienating their young star QB.   

RGIII is the real deal

By: Michael Tellier

Robert Griffin III is without a doubt the real deal.  Now I’m sure that I’m not telling people anything they don’t already know, but this guy’s toughness needs to be recognized.

After seeing the rookie QB struggle with pain down the stretch of last season, I saw the resiliency in him.  I’m not sure that there are too many rookies’ out there that would have played through the injury that he had; not to mention the fact that he was doing more than competing, he was winning.

Last month Griffin III was asked if he would be healthy enough to start training camp, and he responded “without a doubt.” However, I had my doubts.

However, those doubts are gone now.  According to a source, the sophomore QB has been doing very well.  His long speed is back, he cuts well and there is no sign of a limp when he walks.  The source also said that he wasn’t sure what test the team’s medical group has put RGIII through, but whatever it was “he completely smashes it.”   The Redskins organization has also said that they are “astonished” by his progress.

So for all you fantasy football players out there, if you were thinking about not drafting RGIII because of his injury last season, I would rethink that.

Could Lamar Miller be the answer at running back for Miami?

By: Michael Tellier

When I heard that Reggie Bush had left Miami I tried to figure out who they would try to pick up to replace him.  I never thought that they would ever consider Lamar Miller as their starter.  But considering the fact that he averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 51 attempts, Miller could be a decent fit for Miami.

Even though Miller is only going in to his second season in the NFL I think he could have a very productive season; and so does a few others who have worked out with him this summer.

Miller has been learning a lot from San Francisco 49ers RB Frank Gore in the offseason at Bommarito Performance Systems in North Miami Beach.  Bommarito has trained many backs over several years including Maurice Jones-Drew; however, Miller has left a lasting impression on him: "He's the fastest running back I've ever seen."

Miller may not get the Dolphins the yards that Bush did, at least not right away.  But I do think that It’s a good move trying to develop their young players.  So in the long run this might turn out to be a very smart move.

Is Stafford’s contract extension good or bad?

By: Michael Tellier

The Detroit Lions have been hard at work this week trying to sign QB Matthew Stafford to a contract extension.  The proposed three-year extension includes $53 million, and he will receive $41.5 million guaranteed.  And according to ProFootballTalk.com, he will also receive a $27.5 million signing bonus.   Are the Lions making a good move or a bad one; I think this is a smart move.

There are a lot of things I love about Stafford.  He has good mobility, a good arm, he’s extremely tough and he never gets down on himself or his teammates, which is what a true leader does.

He does however need to work on his decision making at times though.  He tends to throw a lot of interceptions, and I think that a major reason for that is because he is forced to throw the ball between 40-60 times a game, which needs to change.

With the addition of RB Reggie Bush that will help take the pressure off of Stafford; especially considering the fact that Bush is also a threat to make some difficult receptions.  I am glad that they chose to sign Bush before they worked on Stafford’s extension because it tells me that maybe they are rethinking their offensive strategy a little bit.

The Packers are most likely going to be the division favorites at the beginning of the season, but the cheese heads have lost a lot of their core offense, which could help open the door up for the Lions.  After the catastrophic season that Detroit had last season, I think that they could potentially earn a wild card berth this season, or finish right around 500.

Ravens defense will need time to rebuild

By: Michael Tellier

With Ray Lewis,  Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Dannell Ellerbe and Bernard Pollard now gone from Baltimore, I think it’s safe to say that the Ravens will not be the same on the defensive side of the football this coming season. 

However, many people feel as though the defense may be even better this season.  Last season was not a banner year for the Ravens defense.  They finished 17^th in the NFL for average yards allowed per game (350.9), and they were tied for 12^th in the league for points allowed per game (21.5).  But for me I look at how poorly the defense played at the beginning of the season, and also how they finished it.

The Ravens had to deal with the injury of Lewis, which left him sidelined for a huge chunk of the season, along with Reed missing a few games as well.  The defense obviously proved in the playoffs that their defense was much better than the way they played through the course of the regular season.

Baltimore has made a few moves in the offseason getting Veteran Michael Huff and safety Matt Elam along with several others.  But I’m still not convinced, and I think the defense will need time to mold before they get back to where they were.  I really don’t think that losing the heart and soul of your defense is going to help.  At least not right away.

It’s good that the Ravens defensive Coordinator Dean Pees is excited for the coming season, I won’t argue with that.  Getting some new blood on defense might just be what that team needs.  But I personally think that the defense will struggle for at least one season.

The Dolphins will be the Patriots biggest competition in the AFC East

By: Michael Tellier

I truly believe that the Miami Dolphins can upset the New England Patriots this season and win the AFC East.

The Dolphins have made a lot of big moves during the off-season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.  Acquiring TE Dustin Keller, WR Mike Wallace and WR Brandon Gibson should give second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill more options on the field.  And let’s not forget about WR Brian Hartline who has proven to be a valuable tool on offense, and according to sources, Hartline has looked very good through mini-camp.

I’m still not sold on Keller because of the atrocious season he had last year, and I really don’t think he holds a candle to Anthony Fasano, but he does have the potential to prove me wrong.

The Patriots are obviously still the favorite to win the division, but they have lost a significant amount of their offensive core, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Dolphins took the division.  And let’s not count out the Buffalo Bills just yet.  Even though the Bills have been an average team at best the past few seasons, I still think that they will be a tough team to beat this year.  Kevin Kolb is a veteran QB who can get the job done, and even though I don’t think he’s the future of the Bills organization, I do think he can make some noise while he is in Buffalo.

All-in-all I think it should be a very interesting season this year.  These three teams always play each other tough, and I’m sure that there will be at least a few upsets here and there through the course of the season.  The only team in that division I would completely write off for this season is the New York Jets.  Do yourself a favor, and get rid of Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan and start rebuilding.