Pittsburgh Steelers Willie Parker Jerome Bettis Duce Staley Vernon Haynes LenDale White

Throughout the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers were primarily linked with two players -- Southern Cal TB LenDale White and Ohio State C Nick Mangold. They wound up drafting neither, instead trading up in the first round to snag Ohio State WR Santonio Holmes. 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
But what about the empty parking space left by The Bus? For years, Jerome Bettis was a fearsome battering ram in the red zone for Bill Cowher's team, an industrial-strength force for moving piles of defenders. Now, he's retired to the broadcast booth.No problem. Let Willie Parker handle the pretty boy stuff, the outside work that yanks the crowd to its feet. Let Verron Haynes back him up. The Steelers still have two big backs to step in where Bettis left off.One of them, of course, is Duce Staley, who missed most of last season after knee surgery in August. Acquired as a free agent from Philadelphia prior to the 2004 season, the University of South Carolina product rushed for 707 yards in his first seven games as a Steeler before suffering a hamstring injury. Late in that season, he returned only to have a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee.At the moment, though, Staley seems to be relatively healthy and ready to use his 5-11, 242-pound frame for serious leverage. "The knee feels better, a lot better," he said during mini-camp.Should that be overly optimistic, however, the Steelers still have another option -- seventh-round draft pick Cedric Humes, who just might be this year's Willie Parker.Listed at 6-0, 233, Humes ran a 4.52 at Virginia Tech's pro day and has been timed as quick as 4.42 on the school's indoor rubber track. The team's draft report noted: "Humes ... is built along the lines of a fullback, but has outstanding timed speed for a player his size."A mini-bus, perhaps. In fact, eight of Humes' 11 touchdowns for Virginia Tech last season came near the goal line.Humes' problem at Virginia Tech was the same as Staley's in Pittsburgh -- injuries. He broke a bone in his right leg as a Tech junior, then lost a Jets 6 Sanchez Jersey
few games as a senior with a broken bone in his left arm. Both injuries were freakish, however, and tagged Humes more as being unlucky than fragile.There are reasons why the Pittsburgh Steelers are perennial Super Bowl contenders, and astute scouting of the college talent pool is one of them. They did think seriously about White, said director of football operations Kevin Colbert, but felt the need at wide receiver was more acute. Then they picked up a poor man's White -- Cedric Humes -- very late in the draft."I always thought the Steelers would be a good fit for me," said Humes. "I definitely believe I can be the short yardage guy."Duce Staley would undoubtedly disagree. It's a nice problem to have.

San Francisco 49ers Michael Huff Haloti Ngata A.J. Hawk

The San Francisco 49ers might just be the most "needy" team in the NFL right now. They need help at virtually every position on both offense and defense. For that reason, their best bet would be to trade down that sixth overall pick that good fortune bestowed upon them last Friday.Although there are some very attractive prospects that will likely still be available when the 49ers step up to the podium in late April, such as S Michael Huff, DT Haloti Ngata, and LB A.J. Hawk, trading down should give Mike Nolan and his staff a chance to pick up one or 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
two extra players and improve the overall talent pool of the franchise.The problem is that trading down in the NFL draft is easier said than done. Teams are unlikely to trade up unless they are assured of picking up the player that they are targeting. That means that if such a trade does go down, it likely won't be cemented until the 49ers are actually on the clock.Tomorrow we'll take a closer look at the San Francisco 49ers top options should they choose to hold on to that sixth overall pick.

San Francisco 49ers "Will Frank Gore be a top-three fantasy RB?"

Yes, I know it's the first week of April. Yes, I am aware that fantasy baseball just began. But with a revamped roster thanks to free agency, the San Francisco 49ers have stoked this writer's urge to prognosticate about 2007 fantasy football. For the first time in years, the 49ers actually possess Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
several players who are relevant to fantasy football, both on offense and defense. In fact, the Niners have too many to restrict to just one article. The first player to be profiled from a fantasy perspective is running back Frank Gore. Right now, I have Gore is listed as the fifth-best overall player in fantasy football for 2007, behind LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker and Steven Jackson. The reason for this is simple: probability. Gore has experienced one productive year while each of the other four has had at least two. That means until Gore has multiple solid seasons consecutively, he remains the wild card of the bunch with something to prove. Tomlinson and Johnson are studs who have produced consistently for more than one season. Tomlinson is an absolute freak of nature, and Johnson may find himself as the Chiefs' only offensive weapon in '07, meaning he should get the ball more than any other back in the league once again.Parker is ranked higher than Gore because he had 16 total TDs to Gore's nine in 2006. Also, as the 49ers' primary goal line option, Gore fumbled multiple times inside the 5-yard line; Parker didn't.Jackson is above Gore because he plays in an offense loaded with playmakers who ease the burden on him to produce, meaning that opposing defenses can't focus solely on him. On top of that, Jackson had 90 catches for 806 yards and three TDs in '06 which would be a solid year for many wide receivers. Gore's a very good receiver (61 catches, 485 yards and a score last year), but he's not on Jackson's level.Another thing that separates these four from Gore is injury history. Gore blew out both ACLs in college at the University of Miami and also required surgery on both shoulders following the 2005 season. Meanwhile, 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
Tomlinson hasn't missed a game in six years; Johnson has played in all 32 over the past two years, and any games he missed prior to that were because of his position on the depth chart, not injury. Parker has missed only one game in two seasons as a starter and Jackson has only missed three games in as many years. Gore's past injuries are now well-known to almost every football fan, meaning that selecting him comes with more risk than any of the four players listed in front of him. However, don't let that dissuade you from selecting him. With the addition of wide receiver Ashley Lelie and with tight end Vernon Davis healthy for an entire season, opposing defenses can no longer focus on stopping Gore alone. Quarterback Alex Smith also has the benefit of another season under his belt, and if he progresses in Year Three like he did last season, the Niners' offense could be among the league's most productive. Even with the possibility of injury in mind, Gore should be a lock for another 1,600+ rushing yards, with an additional Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
500+ yards receiving and 8-10 total touchdowns, meaning that selecting him at number five or even a few spots earlier isn't a stretch at all. Can he outperform Parker and Jackson and ascend to the elite status of L.T. and L.J.? With steady production in '07, Gore's name could be mentioned among the fantasy elite for seasons to come. Questions? Comments?

Cato June Profile Week 8

It's tough to grab headlines on a team with highly paid stars named Manning, Harrison, Wayne and Vinatieri. After all, the can put 35 to 40 points on the board in any given week.But if it weren't for starting outside linebacker Cato June, it's likely the would not have a perfect win-loss record this season.On Sunday, against the Redskins, June was a tackling machine, leading the team with 10 takedowns and five assists. He played a big part in keeping Clinton Portis in check and out of the end zone (Portis gained a pedestrian 43 yards on Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
the ground). And a few of his stops were on key third-down plays.Though it certainly wouldn't surprise his teammates or coaches, June now leads the NFL in solo tackles with 46. He tops a list that includes Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs of Chicago, Ray Lewis of Baltimore and Zach Thomas of Miami. So, he's in pretty good company.And he has been taking his game higher each year since being drafted out of Michigan in 2003. Barring injury, the linebacker from Riverside, Calif. figures to string together his third consecutive 100-plus tackle season in 2006 (solo and assisted combined). He registered 110 in 2004 with the Colts and 102 in 2005. At his current pace, June would finish the year with a whopping 162 tackles.June is probably best known outside the team for his five interceptions last year, returning two for touchdowns. Along with the Cincinnati Bengals' Odell Thurman, he led the league in interceptions among linebackers.Obviously, some will say June's number of tackling chances has increased this year due to injuries throughout the Colts' defensive unit. Corey Simon hasn't played a snap, Dwight Freeney has been hampered by injury, Bob Sanders hasn't seen the field in three or four weeks and the tackles have experienced an off-year stopping the run as a whole.On the flip side, June doesn't play in the middle, where, logically, most tackling opportunities come from, but rather on the outside.Challenges continue to mount for the team, which was without Steelers 10 Santonio Holmes jersey
defensive tackle Montae Reagor last Sunday (car accident) and lost safety Mike Doss (knee) for the remainder of the year. But Sunday's solid effort against one of the league's more effective rushing teams, combined with the fact that Sanders and Reagor are returning to the field soon, has to give the Colts hope for a better second half of the season defensively. No doubt Cato June is looking forward to some help.Get your fix of commentary

"Christmas Wish List" Commentary

Ah, that magical time of the year, when our thoughts turn to all those things we would love to see under the tree on Christmas morning. We may have compiled a wish list of all the cool stuff we want. You know -- the shiny new iPod, a lifetime subscription to the NFL Network, an Xbox 360. You get the picture.As Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
for the , it's no doubt they have a list of their own. Because going into this year, the franchise certainly had lofty goals for the 2006 season.Now, because RealFootball365.com writers have no fear, we recently snuck into Tony Dungy's office at the RCA Dome, rifled through his paperwork and found the Colts' holiday wish list. Here's what we found:1. A fourth straight division title--With a win this weekend versus the Tennessee Titans, the Colts will get their first wish and a playoff game at home, too. Their hopes beyond that -- a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the postseason -- could come as bonus gifts during the following weeks.2. A solid running game to balance their offense--Well, after Sunday night's hammering of the Philadelphia Eagles, they can cross this one off right now.Joseph Addai set a Colts rookie record by scoring four touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 171 yards. Dominic Rhodes chipped in with a solid effort as well, giving the team a running game its remaining opponents must contend with in the games ahead.3. A healthy team--Santa may have a tougher time getting Dungy this one. Dallas Clark took a vicious hit to the lower leg against the Eagles and will miss significant time (and possibly the rest of the year) with a knee injury.Bob Sanders is practicing again this week, but it's safe to say that he will not be 100 percent healthy at any time this season. The Colts hope to have him back once again for this weekend's game at Tennessee.Montae Reagor missed the last six games after sustaining injuries in an auto accident on Oct. 22. He was officially lost for the year this week when he was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. At the moment, their injury list continues with the following players listed as questionable: safety Antoine Bethea (shoulder), defensive end Raheem Brock (chest), guard Ryan Diem (abdomen), linebacker Gilbert Gardner (rib), cornerback Nick Harper (groin), linebacker Keith O'Neil (ankle), wide receiver Brandon Stokley (knee) and tight end Ben Utecht (knee).4. Another receiver to replace Clark--The team's front office didn't wait for Santa to come through on this wish. Instead, Indy signed veteran receiver Ricky Proehl this week. Proehl will give the Colts another set of dependable hands to catch Peyton Manning's passes and, hopefully for Indianapolis, make clutch receptions; the ageless Proehl certainly has throughout his career.There is still over a month left for 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
Indianapolis, with its final two games versus Houston on Dec. 24 and Miami on Jan. 31. We'll have to wait to find out how many of the Colts' holiday wishes come true until after they finish the regular season. But then, isn't the anticipation the best part about the holidays?

Speaking a little Tyvon-ese

Slightly belated kudos to Football Inc. for last week’s signing of fourth-round draft pick Tyvon Branch. While all of the hype is certain to be focused on first-round running back Darren McFadden when camp opens next week, it may be Branch who steals the rookie of the year for the Raiders when all is said and done.Though the Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
Oakland brain trust had to work a trade in order to select Branch at overall No. 100, some five safeties were taken ahead of him in the first three rounds: Kenny Phillips of Miami to the New York Giants; Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State, Minnesota Vikings; DuJuan Morgan, North Carolina State, Kansas City Chiefs; Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame, Baltimore Ravens; and Thomas DeCoud, California, Atlanta Falcons.Like all those later recognized as draft steals, Branch was greeted with something of an inexplicable slide down the board; the former member of the Connecticut Huskies certainly appears to be at least as talented as any of the quintet taken before him except for maybe Phillips, and some mock drafts had Branch gone in the second round. Perhaps Al Davis and the gang had designs on DeCoud, forcing their hands to hurriedly get Branch two picks later to kick off Round 4.No matter, for though the season remains tantalizingly in the future, the 2008 draft is past. Branch is the Raiders’ and the Raiders are Branch’s, for better or worse. Here’s to thinking it’ll be the former, and this writer isn’t the only one high on the new safety in town.Opening up the quotebook, then ...“Branch is strong, fast and has started for four years. His measurables have been exceptional. Branch's strong workout numbers compare to only five other players at his position and four have played in the Pro Bowl, while the fifth is a quality contributor in the NFL.” – from the NFL’s official Web site.A bit of strange pre-draft analysis from the league here, and surely we’d all love to know who those mystery four Pro Bowlers are, eh? This call, too, heightens the mystery of Branch’s plummet; can it be that NFL scouts are finally as paranoid about combine results as they were formerly so gaga? This can’t possibly be all about Branch’s much-ballyhooed “small hands,” can it?"...he's a guy that will play special teams and do a tremendous job for you. That's the thing he's really got going for him. You don't find big corners like that who can run and want to play special teams the way he can." – UConn head coach Randy EdsallFew know Branch the player as well as his college coach, of course, and the above quote illustrates why the guy has pretty much already carved a spot for himself on the team. (Except that he won’t be playing corner in the NFL; see below.) Not only did Branch get his John Hancock into the Big East and UConn record books for returning kicks, he also earned a reputation for transferring his tackling ability on punts. While the Oakland passing defense was decent in 2007, special teams were pitiable. Surely Branch will be doing something about the NFL’s eighth-worst team in terms of overall return yardage and second worst in yards per return (5.5? Is this for real?). And perhaps it will be Branch who can augment the even worse special teams tackling; last year’s leader in special teams tackles was Isaiah Ekejiuba with 11, “good” for 36th best in the league."Started 31 games for UConn, playing in 48 over four seasons ... recorded 224 tackles, including 133 solo and 7.5 hits for a loss ... forced three fumbles, recovered two ... defensed 18 passes and bagged three interceptions ... returned 37 kickoffs for 980 yards total (26.5 yards per return), including a single record-setting game in which he returned seven ..." –Branch’s almanac entry"It was definitely out of the blue. It's a great team. They've got a lot of tradition out there. I'm definitely looking forward to it." – Branch on being drafted by the Raiders.“He was happy. It couldn't have worked out no better for me." – Branch on his father’s reaction to his joining the Raiders.Just to endear Branch to Oakland fans a bit more, it turns out his Californian father is a proud citizen of the Raider Nation and had decorated the home with oodles of Raider regalia long before Branch left high school. Tyvon may be no relation to Cliff, but he was born and bred with a healthy desire to someday don the silver and black: Always a plus, regardless of actual physical ability in the oh-so-emotional game of football.“He’s a good, solid player. You talk about his versatility and that jumps off the tapes when you watch him. He’s a hard-hitting young man who’s really fun to watch. We’ve seen about every game they played this year and really we’re excited about him. I know our special teams coach Brian Schneider is real excited about his return ability also.” – Oakland defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.Now, there’s the man you want to hear positivity from; perhaps Davis & Co. did actually want Branch in the fourth round; after all, he does represent Oakland’s second overall pick in2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
the 2008 draft. And from the go, Ryan’s guys have had Branch working out as a strong safety, penciled in behind Michael Huff, and presumably with high hopes that the man puts on a bit more poundage before he has to start full-time. We should be seeing him in a lot of nickel and dime packages this year, though. And how does Branch feel about his new position?“I really didn’t talk to anybody about it. When I got here they put up the depth chart and I saw I was at strong safety. Ever since then I’ve just been working on strong safety. A couple teams that worked me out were working me out at safety so I knew that it was a possibility. ... I didn’t ask any questions. I’m just happy to be here.” – Branch to the media during minicamp.Good soldier.Branching out throughout the year at (11)

Speaking a little Tyvon-ese

Slightly belated kudos to Football Inc. for last week’s signing of fourth-round draft pick Tyvon Branch. While all of the hype is certain to be focused on first-round running back Darren McFadden when camp opens next week, it may be Branch who steals the rookie of the year for the Raiders when all is said and done.Though the Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
Oakland brain trust had to work a trade in order to select Branch at overall No. 100, some five safeties were taken ahead of him in the first three rounds: Kenny Phillips of Miami to the New York Giants; Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State, Minnesota Vikings; DuJuan Morgan, North Carolina State, Kansas City Chiefs; Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame, Baltimore Ravens; and Thomas DeCoud, California, Atlanta Falcons.Like all those later recognized as draft steals, Branch was greeted with something of an inexplicable slide down the board; the former member of the Connecticut Huskies certainly appears to be at least as talented as any of the quintet taken before him except for maybe Phillips, and some mock drafts had Branch gone in the second round. Perhaps Al Davis and the gang had designs on DeCoud, forcing their hands to hurriedly get Branch two picks later to kick off Round 4.No matter, for though the season remains tantalizingly in the future, the 2008 draft is past. Branch is the Raiders’ and the Raiders are Branch’s, for better or worse. Here’s to thinking it’ll be the former, and this writer isn’t the only one high on the new safety in town.Opening up the quotebook, then ...“Branch is strong, fast and has started for four years. His measurables have been exceptional. Branch's strong workout numbers compare to only five other players at his position and four have played in the Pro Bowl, while the fifth is a quality contributor in the NFL.” – from the NFL’s official Web site.A bit of strange pre-draft analysis from the league here, and surely we’d all love to know who those mystery four Pro Bowlers are, eh? This call, too, heightens the mystery of Branch’s plummet; can it be that NFL scouts are finally as paranoid about combine results as they were formerly so gaga? This can’t possibly be all about Branch’s much-ballyhooed “small hands,” can it?"...he's a guy that will play special teams and do a tremendous job for you. That's the thing he's really got going for him. You don't find big corners like that who can run and want to play special teams the way he can." – UConn head coach Randy EdsallFew know Branch the player as well as his college coach, of course, and the above quote illustrates why the guy has pretty much already carved a spot for himself on the team. (Except that he won’t be playing corner in the NFL; see below.) Not only did Branch get his John Hancock into the Big East and UConn record books for returning kicks, he also earned a reputation for transferring his tackling ability on punts. While the Oakland passing defense was decent in 2007, special teams were pitiable. Surely Branch will be doing something about the NFL’s eighth-worst team in terms of overall return yardage and second worst in yards per return (5.5? Is this for real?). And perhaps it will be Branch who can augment the even worse special teams tackling; last year’s leader in special teams tackles was Isaiah Ekejiuba with 11, “good” for 36th best in the league."Started 31 games for UConn, playing in 48 over four seasons ... recorded 224 tackles, including 133 solo and 7.5 hits for a loss ... forced three fumbles, recovered two ... defensed 18 passes and bagged three interceptions ... returned 37 kickoffs for 980 yards total (26.5 yards per return), including a single record-setting game in which he returned seven ..." –Branch’s almanac entry"It was definitely out of the blue. It's a great team. They've got a lot of tradition out there. I'm definitely looking forward to it." – Branch on being drafted by the Raiders.“He was happy. It couldn't have worked out no better for me." – Branch on his father’s reaction to his joining the Raiders.Just to endear Branch to Oakland fans a bit more, it turns out his Californian father is a proud citizen of the Raider Nation and had decorated the home with oodles of Raider regalia long before Branch left high school. Tyvon may be no relation to Cliff, but he was born and bred with a healthy desire to someday don the silver and black: Always a plus, regardless of actual physical ability in the oh-so-emotional game of football.“He’s a good, solid player. You talk about his versatility and that jumps off the tapes when you watch him. He’s a hard-hitting young man who’s really fun to watch. We’ve seen about every game they played this year and really we’re excited about him. I know our special teams coach Brian Schneider is real excited about his return ability also.” – Oakland defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.Now, there’s the man you want to hear positivity from; perhaps Davis & Co. did actually want Branch in the fourth round; after all, he does represent Oakland’s second overall pick in2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
the 2008 draft. And from the go, Ryan’s guys have had Branch working out as a strong safety, penciled in behind Michael Huff, and presumably with high hopes that the man puts on a bit more poundage before he has to start full-time. We should be seeing him in a lot of nickel and dime packages this year, though. And how does Branch feel about his new position?“I really didn’t talk to anybody about it. When I got here they put up the depth chart and I saw I was at strong safety. Ever since then I’ve just been working on strong safety. A couple teams that worked me out were working me out at safety so I knew that it was a possibility. ... I didn’t ask any questions. I’m just happy to be here.” – Branch to the media during minicamp.Good soldier.Branching out throughout the year at (11)