We switch to defense, continuing our offseason rankings series with a look at the top 10 rushing defensive linemen and outside linebackers in the NFL… 1. J.J. Watt, Houston Texans — Watt isn’t a pure pass rusher and doesn’t line up as one, but that’s what makes this so amazing. Despite the fact he rushed […]

Our offseason ranking series continues with a look at the men in the middle… 1. Nick Mangold, New York Jets — The 31-year-old six-time Pro Bowler gave up zero sacks on 1,071 snaps in 2014. He hasn’t slipped up one bit. 2. Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys — It takes a lot to make the Pro […]

We continue our offseason dead-time series with the oft-forgotten guys in the middle. Not the ones who snap the ball or the ones who man the edges. Those other guys. Here are the 10 best guards in the NFL… 1. Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens — It’s amazing it took this long for the four-time Pro […]

Alabama has itself the hottest football program in college football, while USC has the largest active alumni contingent in the league, but we’ve determined that all-alumni teams from those two schools wouldn’t stand much of a chance against NFL competition. What about LSU, which has more active players than any school but USC? Let’s take […]

We continue our offseason dead-time series with the guys charged with keeping their quarterbacks upright. Here are the 10 best… 1. Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys — It’s hard to believe the first-team All-Pro is only 24 years old and has already made 63 starts while earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Smith gave up […]

Last month, we established that an NFL team made up entirely of Alabama alumni couldn’t win the Super Bowl. This time, we shift to USC, which has the largest contingent of alumni in the NFL. QB: Carson Palmer — OK, off to a much better start with the veteran two-time Pro Bowler coming off a season in […]

At first, it sounded like a ridiculous rumor — the type of thing that often blooms during the slowest period on the NFL calendar. Peyton Manning in trade talks? But a radio guy named Ben Allbright in Denver as Allbright suggested, there are folks within the Broncos’ front office who are ready to usher in […]

Our offseason ranking series continues with a look at the league’s best tight ends entering 2015. 1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots — This isn’t even close. Gronk led all NFL tight ends with 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014, and the 26-year-old should only get better now that he’s back in the rhythm […]

Indianapolis Colts receiver and Miami product Andre Johnson recently suggested that a team comprised only of Miami Hurricane alumni could win a Super Bowl, which seemed far-fetched considering that there isn’t a quarterback in the NFL from “The U.” But Johnson gave us a nice idea, so here’s our first look at a potential alumni […]

Those of us wrapped up in the world of NFL football sometimes wind up with a skewed view of the game’s importance on an international scale. The reality is that American football is really only supremely popular — fittingly — in America. And even on United States soil, more folks play basketball and soccer than […]

In the dead of the offseason, this is what we do. Last week, we gave you a rundown of the top 10 quarterbacks in football, and now it’s time to break down the running backs. 1. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks: The 29-year-old actually had the second-highest yards-per-attempt average of his career in 2014, amassing 1,200-plus […]

For years, the Cincinnati Bengals deserved their derogatory nickname. Yes, the “Bungles” had no reason to bitch about being the butt of so many football jokes. After all, this is a team that between 1991 and 2004 had zero winning seasons. They went 71-153 during that span, which was the worst record in the NFL […]

Robert Griffin III was inexplicably named the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback like four months ago.  That doesn’t mean much, because veteran backups Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins have plenty of time to outplay the former No. 2 overall pick. And apparently they’re hungry. “Both of them are making their case known, both of them, like […]

Michael Oher doesn’t subscribe to the notion that no publicity is bad publicity. Even though he was portrayed in a likable manner in “The Blind Side,” a 2009 movie about his life, the Carolina Panthers offensive tackle feels the attention he’s received as a result of that film has actually hurt his football career. “People […]

I understand that the St. Louis Rams want to go all-in on a quarterback they believe could finally get their franchise back on track. They traded former top pick Sam Bradford in order to land Nick Foles this offseason and they know that it would probably give a strong impression if they were to award […]