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The coach of the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals, Ken Whisenhunt has gone on record saying Anquan Boldin could be traded before the draft. O the rumors begin. A lot of analyst believe that the Jets will be going hard and heavy after Boldin, due to the lack of a wide receiver. The Jets released Laverneus Coles early in the free agency period, cutting cap room and granting Coles his wish. But that move left a void at wide receiver that many think Jericho Cotchery cannot fill. Many believe, as do I, that the Jets need a burner on offense, a guy that can’t out run everybody. David Clowney, who had a spectacular preseason, showcasing his great talent, is that kind of receiver. Clowney can outrun anybody, he was supposed to get a lot of balls thrown his way last year, but he broke his collar bone in the preseason and only got one catch in his limited season. Clowney has talent, there’s no doubt about that, but I don’t think he will ever be the player Anquan Boldin is. I would definitely love for the Jets to pursue him. It is just a question of how much the Cardinals will be asking for. Would they demand the 17th pick, and will the Jets give it to them? Boldin is definitely better than any receiver the Jets could draft, but the Jets might feel that they have a bigger hole to fill with that pick, notably if a runningback or quarterback remains. I Believe the Jets will be involved, but I don’t know if they’ll just kick the tires or make a legitimate attempt. I would definitely be willing to part with the second and third round picks, maybe even another pick next year, but it is likely the Cardinals will be looking for something close to what the Lions got for Roy Williams.

Mike Pelfey will miss his next start because of tendinitis. That’s not good news for the Mets as they are depending on Pelfrey this season. The Mets success will follow with the success of the pitching staff, and without Mike Pelfrey, there isn’t much depth. Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Nelson Figueroa are likely candidate sot replace him until he is back.Reportedly Pedro Martinez received interest from several teams in the last 10 days. There’s no evidence that says the Mets were involved.Oliver Perez had a good start the other day; I believe he only gave up three hits. That’s good, but now he needs to be consistent. He needs to shake this Good Ollie bad Ollie nonsense, its put up or shut up for Perez, especially after he got that big deal last winter.

The Giants are looking to trade outfielder Aaron Rowand. First let me start by saying that the whole Giants organization is an absolute mess. The Giants are in no shape to compete and should clean house, except for the young kids, specially Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval. Anyway, Rowand is still owed 44 million dollars by the Giants so it would be hard to find a taker unless the Giants put up the rest of the money. That?s another thing that?s wrong with the Giants, they gave out huge contracts to these players, who don?t play up to them, and the Giants had no business getting them because they weren?t ready to compete (Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand). I?m sure there will be many teams interested as long as the Giants aren?t asking for an unreasonable deal, and pay off some of the contract.In my opinion, Jake Peavey will most certainly be out of San Diego by the July 31st trade deadline. The Padres could get a premium package of players in return and free themselves from the remaining $63 million left on his deal. Some people believe that the economic downturn could prevent other teams from considering Peavy. The Padres will certainly be in an interesting situation, do they lower their asking price in order to get teams to accept the contract, or do they pay off some of Peavy?s deal in exchange for a better package? That decision will probably belong to the team making the deal.The Pirates acquired Delwyn Young from the Dodgers in a deal today. The Dodgers will receive two minor-league players to be named later. This trade is moot, the Pirates will never compete until they start spending a little money. They have some good young guys but they need to start building around them. You would think that Philadelphia?s success, including winning the World Series, would drive the Pirates to try harder and spend more money, in order to keep the fans in the seats, not that many people go anyway.Matt Holliday?s future is beginning to be pondered. Billy Bean pulled off a great deal by basically trading away a few nobodies for Holliday. It?s not like the A?s ever try to win it all anymore, so Holliday could very well be dealt at he deadline. But Billy Beane is a smart man, he knows that if Holliday does leave, the A?s will receive two draft picks in exchange because Holliday will be a type A free agent. I am almost certain that Holliday will become a Yankee because of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui?s contracts coming off the books. Holliday also spoke out saying that he has always wanted to be a Yankee, his swing is perfect for the new stadium as well. Another interesting thing that come sot mind is that the Yankees might make a deal for Holliday before the deadline because of the injury to Xavier Nady. That would be interesting though I don?t know how comfortable I would be trading away top prospects for a guy that I think will be a Yankee next year anyway. It depends on how the team is hitting at the break, and whether or not any of the young guys can get it done. It will also hinge on the health of Hideki Matsui and whether or not he can play on a consistent basis and hit on a consistent basis.Brad Penny was a great pickup for the Red Sox. Penny has always had great stuff, dating back to his days with Marlins, and I was surprised teams were not giving him a look during the Winter. That might had something to do with the amount of pitching available, but still. The Sox got him on a one year deal and if he is able to have a comeback season, he could be in line for a big contract due to the lack of pitching available next winter.The Red Sox are also continuing to negotiate with Jason Bay. The Sox acquired Jason Bay in the three-way deal that landed Manny Ramirez with the Dodgers. I doubt the Red Sox will let this guy get away after the used up Manny Ramirez to get him. Bay is still a great hitter, and his swing is perfect for Fenway Park. I think something will likely be done by July.Tom Glavine?s career remains up in the air due to his recent shoulder surgery. I think this guy should just retire, he got his three hundredth win, he can?t pitch anymore, Tom Glavine will always be remembered in New York for beating the Mets as a Brave, and a Met, you can?t forget that last game of the season against the Marlins two years ago.

I?m a little behind, so let?s recap what?s happened over this past series with the Rays.Game 1:I was hoping Chien-Ming Wang would rebound, and the Yankees would get off to a good start against the Rays, but immediately with one out in the bottom of the first inning, things began to go sour. Needless to say, Wang got burned; he couldn?t find the plate and was serving up meatballs the whole inning. He was pulled in the second with the bases loaded, no one out, the score being 5-0 Rays.Joe Girardi phoned the bullpen and brought in Jonathon Albaladejo to try and limit the damage, but served up a grand-slam to Carlos Pena on a 1-1 count. Albaladejo continued to give up a home run to Jason Bartlett in the third.Well, Wang finished his second appearance going one inning, giving up eight runs, on 61 pitches. So far this season, he has an earned run average of 28.93. The guys in the booth were saying that Wang had a good side session on his throw day between starts with pitching coach Dave Eiland, like C.C. Sabathia, the only difference being that Sabathia was able to solve his problems while everything fell apart on Wang. The main concern to me is whether or not Wang?s terrible performances thus far are because last years foot injury. The thought of whether or not Wang will ever be the same ran through my head. Wang keeps denying that the injury has any effect on him, and he is 100% healthy. Wang also thought live batting practice yesterday, and said he felt really good about it.Melky Cabrera picked up his first hit of the season, and a second one in the fifth to drive in Robbie Cano. Cano picked up a hit and scored a run. Nick Swisher continued his hot streak, hitting a fourth inning home-run. Joe Girardi put Swisher in to pitch an inning as well. He gave up one hit, no runs and struck out a batter. Jorge Posada got two hits and two runs batted in. Cody Ransom got a hit and a run batted in but Ransom cannot hit major league pitchingHopefully Joe Girardi realized that this team needs a long reliever. You need a long man in order to save the bullpen on days like these, especially when you don?t have an off day for a while. Dan Giese, who had a great year last year until he got hurt, is now on Oakland because the Yankees were unable to get him through waivers.Game 2The Yankees wasted a big opportunity in the first inning with bases loaded and no one out. They only scored one run, a sacrifice fly be Jorge Posada, driving in Brett Gardner. Nick Swisher had another great game, but what else is new, he responded to Matt Garza?s brush-back pitch with a solo homerun. He had another hit in the sixth inning as well.The big story of the game was that AJ Burnett had a no-hitter through six innings. That only lasted six innings because things fell apart in the seventh inning. Burnet gave up three hits in a row, a sac fly and the game was tied at two. However, those two runs were the only ones the Rays would score as Burnett finished the game pitching eight innings, giving up three hits, and striking out nine batters. The Yankees did a nice job on offense as well. In the eighth inning, Brett Gardner led off the inning with a solid double and Derek Jeter punched one into shallow right field. Mark Teixeira hit a deep sacrifice fly to drive in Gardner, not that it needed to be that deep to score Gardner.At that point, Mariano Rivera started to warm up to close it out, but that would not be necessary. The same fellows that got it done in the eight got it done in the ninth, especially the captain. Brett Gardner hit a bomb out to center field that landed as a ground rule double, driving in Melky Cabrera, who had another hit today. The Rays caught a break because that ball bounced over, there were more bases to be had. Then the captain delivered the knock-out blow with a three run homerun.Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner both had very impressive games, picking up three hits a piece. Gardner also scored a few runs. Robinson Cano picked up another hit as well.Brian Bruney struck out three batters in a row to seal the win in the ninth.AJ Burnett has gotten off to an amazing start. So far he?s silenced all of the critics who criticized the Yankees for signing him. In his first two starts he has two wins, zero losses, a 2.70 earned run average, and stopped a Yankee losing streak both times out.Game 3By winning this game, The Yankees were able to head home to the new Yankee Stadium with a two game winning streak after it looked like they would certainly drop at least two out of three to the Rays after the first game, which Chien-Ming Wang was absolutely shelled i.Andy Pettitte got into in the third inning. He gave up two runs after retiring the first two hitters of the inningScored in the fourth inning when Nick Swisher picked up a hit and was driven in by a Robinson Cano homerun. Cano?s hot hitting continues, if Nick Swisher was not having a fairytale April, Cano would be the guy were talking about.In the top of the eighth inning, Jeter led off with a long double, and Johnny Damon drove him in by ripping one down the first baseline. Derek Jeter came through again in the top of the ninth, driving in Cody Ransom from second, breaking the tie. Jeter has five hits in his last nine at-bats.Andy Pettitte earned a no decision but pitched a fantastic game, he went 7.1 innings and surrendered three runs on six hits. He struck out four batters.The bullpen was solid once again; neither Brian Bruney nor Mariano Rivera allowed a hit. Bruney earned the win, striking out the only two batters he faced. Bruney has struck-out five batters in a row dating back to yesterday. Rivera picked up his third save of the year and still has not allowed a run.Michael Kay actually spent the time to look up every game Andy Pettitte?s ever pitched, just to see whether or not he?s ever faced another pitcher named Andy before. Apparently not in the regular season, but he has in the post season.Overlook:The Yankees took two out of three games from the Rays, something they did not do often last year. My concerns are with Chien-Ming Wang, he needs to have another great season in order for the Yankees to succeed. Another big story that came out of this Xavier Nady injured his wrist on a through, the same one he had injured previously. He will most likely miss the rest of the season. The loss of Nady is huge, he provided depth in the lineup and on the bench, as well as being a great fielder and a winner. Now Nick Swisher needs to keep swinging a hot bat.

The put Joba in the pen cries are almost certain to take place. They?ll all be saying, if we had Joba Chamberlain in the pen yesterday, Yankees would have won. I am a Joba in the pen supporter, but this wasn?t exactly an example of why Chamberlain should be in the pen, because he pitched six great innings. However, we all know nothing will change this season. The Yankees said earlier this spring that the plan is for Joba to be the closer when Rivera retires, so why isn?t he setting up now? They have Hughes and Aceves in the minors, both who could fill the number five slot in the rotation with as strong as a front four as the Yankees have. Hughes could be great, and then you?d have a lights-out bullpen.The bullpen was poorly managed by Joe Girardi in yesterday?s game. It was our first example of the babying of Joba Chamberlain and how he will be managed the rest of the season when he was pulled after throwing just 88 pitches. I guess that?s a reason to say put him in the pen, but then again it was his first start of the season. Girardi probably didn?t want him to start another inning and get his count up around one hundred, and then have to bring in a relievr in the middle of an inning.The question is why Girardi went to Brian Bruney early. Brian Bruney should have been setting-up for Rivera instead of pitching the seventh. If Rivera was unavailable due to recent usage, Brian Bruney should have been closing. At any rate, he got a one-two-three inning, and Joe Girardi phoned the bullpen and brought in Dimaso Marte to pitch to Kansas City?s three left-handed hitters in a row. That was a good move, as the first two, DeJesus and Teahen were retired. Then Kansas City pinch-hit with Billy Butler. Billy Butler has some pop and kills lefty pitchers, so Joe Girardi called the bullpen again and brought in Jose Veras.There should be no questions asked about that move, any complaints would just be second-guesses because Jose Veras just didn?t get the job done, he walked Billy Butler on five pitches. The switch-hitting Brayan Pena came up to bat. You might not know who Brayan Pena is because, well he?s Brayan Pena, and he doesn?t have a hit this year, but Joe Girardi decided to go with Phil Coke to finish off the eight. Pena?s stats are extremely similar from both sides of the plate, but Joe Girardi felt the need to turn Pena around to the right side of the plate. That was a bad move. Phil Coke has not gotten off to a great start, and being a young pitcher, he just didn?t have enough to get it done. The Royals rallied for three runs in the eight and it was over.Joe Girardi should have left Jose Veras in the game to finish the job because Veras is more experienced.The only reason I?m upset over the loss because they had the chance to win, they had it and they let it slip away. However, the Yankees were batting their ?B-Lineup? which included Melky Cabrera, Cody Ransom, Jose Molina, and Brett Gardner, all four in a row, batting 7-8-9-1. Gardner showed a nice display of what he can do, in the first inning he singled, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. He definitely adds a spark to the lineup, but needs to hit consistently. Melky Cabrera did nothing, I didn?t expect much more. Cody Ransom and Jose Molina did nothing as well. Ransom is really hurting the lineup as he?s now 1 for 20 Alex Rodriguez can?t come back soon enough.Hedeki Matsui picked up another hit and scored a run, hopefully he is starting to heat up. Matsui was a great hitter last year until he got hurt, he has the tendency to pick a month and absolutely light it up. He has the ability to hit ten homers in one month, so watch out for Matsui, at the beginning of last year he was at the top in hitting around May, and then got hurt. He had a hot summer.Nick Swisher continued his hit streak, extending it to five games. Swisher just needs to keep-on-keepin?-on.It?s good to see Robbie Cano picked up another hit and a RBI. Let?s keep it going.The Yankees will be taking on the Tampa Bay Rays next. The Rays stunned everyone by making the playoffs and stunned them even more by making the World Series. The Yankees never fare to well against the Rays, hopefully the revamped team will make a good first impression on the former American League Champs. Let?s take a look at the pitching matchups:Today will be Chien-Ming Wang against Scott Kazmir. Wang needs to rebound from a terrible start against the Orioles. Kazmir always has game, but the Yankees tend to hit him. The key is whether or not Wang has his sinker going. Last time out his sinker just wasn?t breaking, and there was little difference between that and his fastball. Wang also needs to establish his slider as a strikeout pitch and get that going as well. Tuesday will be A.J. Burnett against Matt Garza. Burnett stopped the Yankees slide at the beginning of the season and helped them earn their first win. He had absolutely nasty stuff against the Orioles. Hopefully he?ll throw up another great performance so the Yankees have a chance to win two out of three. Matt Garza is a good pitcher, and will certainly strike out a handful of batters. This might not be Robbie Cano?s best game.Wedsday will be Andy Pettitte against Andy Sonnanstine Pettitte had a great first start, going seven innings, giving up three hits and one run. That run was due to a poor play by Nick Swisher on a ball hit to right field that Swisher should have caught, otherwise Pettitte would have shut down the Royals. Andy Sonnanstine didn?t fare to well in his first start of the season. The Yankee should be able to win this one.Alex Rodriguez will be in Tampa, joining the Yankees for the first time this season while rehabbing after his hip surgery. Rodriguez can?t get back soon enough.

Well C.C. Sabathia rebounded nicely from that abomination of an opening day start. The big guy went seven and two thirds innings giving up six hits and zero runs while striking out six. It was an unusually cold day, leading me to believe that Sabathia wouldn?t have that great of an appearance, but he proved me wrong. He had absolutely nasty stuff today. This is the guy that the Yankees paid a fortune for, not that imposter who lost to the Orioles game one. He was hitting 96 miles per hour consistently, and unlike his first start of the year, he walked zero batters.Nick Swisher continues to be the big story. This guy is unbelievable. He had an RBI triple early in the game and then hit a two run homer later on. He picked up two walks as well. This guys Mickey Mantle like start is one to write home about, he?ll keep starting as long has he keeps swinging a hot bat. He has nine RBI and two HRs in five games.Jorge Posada continues to impress, picking up two more hits and three more runs batted in. It appears as if he is returning to 2007 form.Robbie Cano failed to pick up a hit today, you just have to hope that this doesn?t mess with his head and he starts swinging at everything again.Xavier Nady picked up two hits as he tries to prove that he deserves some playing time despite the emergence of Nick Swisher. Hedeki Matsui picked up a hit. It makes sense that Nady or Matsui would lose time, and Matsui seems like the leading candidate due in order to keep him fresh and healthy down the stretch.The bullpen slipped up a bit as Jose Veras gave up a run. Overall it was another great game, we?ll see what Joba Chaimberlain has tomorrow, hopefully he?ll keep the winning streak going.

The Mets designated utility man Marlon Anderson for assignment. This move wasn?t really a surprise; it had been rumored because the Mets needed to make room for their fifth starter, Livan Hernandez. Hernandez, half-brother of Orlando Hernandez, will start tonight against the Marlins.Anderson is thirty-five years old and was hitless in his only four at-bats for the Mets this season. He didn?t have that good of a spring either, hitting .208 with poor on base and slugging percentages. I don?t know how much Livan Hernandez can give the Mets, and I don?t think it will be that much. Sure Livan has ?a rubber arm? so to speak, but he really was never all that great, but he is an innings eater and that?s what the Mets are looking for, at least out of the number five slot. And if things don?t work out, they will most likely bring up someone from the minors or make a deal for one of the big names that will be available at the deadline.Or maybe the Mets will bring back Pedro. Apparently, a "longtime friend" of Pedro Martinez said that Pedro "fully expects" to play in 2009. It seems Pedro does not want to budge from his $5MM asking price. Teams, including the Mets tried to offer Pedro an incentive-based deal, but Pedro feels he should not have to pitch for his money because of his track record. His agent said that he already attracted interest from a number of teams and he's expecting more calls when holes appear in rotations around the league. I think Pedro doesn?t deserve more than an incentive based deal because of his performance the last two seasons and his inability to stay healthy. However, a team will probably offer him a guaranteed contract as soon as players start to get hurt. Pedro will probably sit tight until the All-Star break.The Natioinals signed lefty specialist Ron Villone to a minor league deal. Gees who knew Ron Villone was still pitching, I remember a few couple of years ago with the Yankees he was either good or horribly terrible. He was with the Mets earlier this spring but will report to the Nationals triple-a organization.There has been a lot of talk about the Brewers trying to get Corey Hart and Yovani Gallardo signed to extensions. Those are two rising stars that will be great ballplayers. The Brewers need to keep those guys in Milwaukee for the rest of their careers; they are great players to build a team around. Gallardo will be an ace and Hart will be an all-star for years to come.Some people are wondering who the next $200 million contract will go to. Currently, Alex Rodriguez is the only player to have reached such a figure. The player with the best shot was Mark Teixeira, but that didn?t happen. Some people are saying Matt Holliday or Jose Reyes, but there?s no chance. Holliday is a great player, but he?s not that great. He will most likely end up a Yankee next year with Johnny Damon and Hedeki Matsui?s contract expiring. Reyes does not deserve $200 million at all. The guy who does deserve it is Albert Pujols. In fact, some speculate that he will top A-Rod?s contract when he signs his next deal.Apparently it was Brian Cashman?s persistence that finally caused Hal Stienbrenner to give the go-ahead on signing Mark Teixeira. That?s interesting, I?m sure Hank was all over Tex as well. The Arizona Diamondback mysteriously pulled their three year $54 million offer to Brandon Webb some time ago. It turns out now that t was due to injury concern. Webb is one of the top, most consistent pitchers in the league. It would be a shame to see this guy eventually fade away due to injury.

The Bills might be making a play for former Carolina running back DeShaun Foster. This is most likely due to the fact that Marshawn Lynch was suspended for the first three games of the season. Lynch can appeal to get the suspension down to two games, but keep in mind he was brought up on some very serious charges. Last year?s backup, Fred Jackson is not currently under contract. Foster showed some glimpses of a great running back in Carolina but never amounted to much. If the Bills are determined to go the veteran route, they could look at Warrick Dunn, Michael Pittman, or Franco Harris. If the Bills wanted to look to the draft, they could pick up premium running back in the first round such as Chris ?Beanie? Wells or Knowshawn Moreno. Another Bill, safety Donte Whitner was arrested today. He was arrested in Cleveland, for aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Whitner was a first-round pick back in the 2006 draft. He was a former Ohio State standout and has done great in his first three NFL seasons. When will these NFL players learn? Stop breaking the law, you are a public figure and are supposed to be role models for kids. First Adam Jones, then Michael Vick, then Plaxico Burress. It?s disgusting, sure you have the steroid scandal in baseball, but I think this is worse. These guys need to grow up for crying out loud, stop breaking the law.Some people are wondering if the Bears gave up too much for Jay Cutler. My opinion is that the Bears were the only team that could afford to give up that much for Cutler. They already had an abundance of picks, and a some-what decent quarter back to swap in Kyle Orton. The bottom line is Jay Cutler is a top quarterback and will be for the next ten years. I wanted the Jets to make a play for Cutler, but I don?t think I would have wanted them to give up two first round picks plus. People need to remember that Kellen Clemens was ahead of Cutler on a lot of boards on draft day. You can?t judge Clemens on his performance two years ago behind a swiss cheese offensive line. The guy has intangibles and a great arm. I am interested to see what he and Brett Ratliff bring to the table this offseason. Though I think ultimately Clemens will be starting behind center. As far as the Bears go, they needed Cutler. They spent too much time messing around with Rex Grossman, even though he brought them to a super bowl. Kyle Orton showed some talent but I guess the organization didn?t think he had too much promise. Now Bears fans can?t complain about their quarterback situation. However, this trade does have a trickledown effect on the Jets. The Broncos are picking ahead of the Jets and they could be another team interested in drafting a quarterback. That would mean less of a chance of the Jets getting Mark Sanchez or Matt Stafford. I for one am not a Josh Freeman believer, but a lot of scouts and analysis?s are saying that his guy will be the best quarterback in the draft and people will remember this year as ?the josh freeman? draft. The kid has talent, but remembers that e didn?t play against great competition in college. If he is available in the second round, the Jets must take him.It seems as if the Seahawks are beginning to fade away. Last year ended their streak of playoff appearances and Coach Mike Holmgren has retired. Matt Hasselbeck began to show age and that he wasn?t all that good while Seneca Wallace showed some skills. Reports are also saying that left tackle Walter Jones. Could be o his way out. Jones is 35 and is recovering from microfracture surgery, a crapshoot proposition aimed at creating scar tissue that simulates the cartilage no longer present in a portion of a guy?s knee. Jones acknowledged that the surgery could force him into retirement. With the fourth pick in the draft, Seattle could go in multiple directions. They could draft an available quarterback such as Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez, they could take receiver Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech, who I think is the best player in the draft despite the fact he is recovering from an injury. Or they could take one of the top offensive linemen hat might be available. Whatever the Seahawks decide to do at the number four pick will certainly have a massive effect on how the draft shapes up.I can?t believe the Bangles signed Tank Johnson, haven?t they learned from all of their other players who have been in trouble with the law?Jets Tight End, Dustin Keller, says he is working on his blocking skills. If Keller can gain the ability to block, he could be the best Tight End in the league. He already showed off his superb receiving skills, and showed that he?s a receiver in a tight end?s body, but he lacked in the blocking department. With Chris Baker in New England, Keller needs to focus on blocking this offseason.

Jose Guillen was out of the lineup for Kansas City with an injury. He?s headed to the disabled list. Kauffman Stadium looks nice; they renovated the stadium, spending $250 million on the place. In the outfield, they added a party deck in right field, a concourse in center and the Royals Hall of Fame in left. There are new club seats behind the plate, a new press box and much wider concourses. It looks nice, but it always did. I wonder why they would spend that kind of money on the place during these economic times, I?m sure more people won?t go because of it and ticket prices probable went up because of it. They had a ceremony with fans holding banners in the outfield and a bunch of players of the past. They had Willie Mays Aikens, Jim Eisenreich, Ed Hearn, Dennis Leonard, John Mayberry, Fred Patek, Jamie Quirk, Joe Randa, Paul Splittorff, John Wathan, Willie Wilson, Frank White and George Brett. I don?t know why they didn?t announce Davis Cones name, he was there doing the broadcast for the YES network. I was expecting a 4:10 pm start, but the game didn?t get underway until 4:35 or so. I hate when they do that. I?m sure it had something to do with the opening day ceremony, but they should have calculated that in when they publish the first pitch time.The KC fans booed Kyle ?The Farnz? or ?Farnzie? Farnsworth when he got introduced. He?s already hated here too after blowing that lead the other day. Farnzie has great stuff, he?s just a head case, Joe Girardi knew how to use him and manage him, he started doing pretty well last year until the Yankees sold high at the deadline and swapped him for Pudge Rodriguez. Pudge obviously didn?t work out.The Yankees got to face former Yankee great, Sidney Ponson. Right away Posada drove in two runs with a single. The ball was mishandled by Mike Jacobs over at first base. Joe Girardi managed Jacobs back in Florida; he was traded to the Royals this winter. Jacobs has some potential, and a lot of power. He can hit 30 home runs if he wanted to.Pettitte absolutely dominated. He had a little hiccup when he walked Billy Butler. Then Jacobs picked up an RBI double when Nick Swisher misplayed a ball in shallow right field. Swisher and Cano both went for the ball, it looked like Swisher called off Cano but I don?t think he ever saw the ball. He made a last second dive at the ball but it was deflected off his glove and rolled a couple of feet to his right. He got up, tracked it down, and made a terrible throw that was at least 45 feet up the third base line, trying to make a play at the plate. I hope that wasn?t the bad side of Swisher we saw.Cano had another great game, picking up two hits. He?s eight for thirteen now. I really feel that this is the new and improved Robbie Cano. He?s got a new stance and is being patient at the plate. He picked up another walk today. If he can be the feared hitter that he can be, we?ll all be glad we didn?t trade him to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp. Everyone knows Robbie has a batting title in his future; let?s hope it?s this year.Nick Swisher redeemed himself later on with an RBI double, he?s absolutely on fire.Kyle Farnsworth came in to pitch in relief for the Royals and of course he struck out the side. All the players on the Yankee bench were probably thinking to themselves, ?why couldn?t he do that here? as were all the Yankee fans. Joe Girardi was probably smiling thinking, ?Atta boy Kyle, I told them so.? Pettitte had a great game, he went seven innings, giving up three hits, one walk, one run, and fanned six batters. If Nick Swisher caught that fly ball earlier in the game, Pettitte would have had a shut-out. I was impressed with Pettittes start, they attributed last year?s poor season to the fact that he didn?t have a normal spring and couldn?t prepare properly because he was back and forth to Washington for all of that HGH and Roger Clemens garbage. Pettitte is the fourth starter this year so no one expects him to put up seventeen wins, but if he holds up at the end, he could.Mark Teixeira picked up a hit in two official at-bats, he was walked twice. It?s good to see Tex is getting it going, a hot start is important for him. Imagine how good this lineup will be when Alex Rodriguez comes back, Tex, Rodriguez and Cano, will be awesome.Posada had himself another fine performance, he picked up a hit and two runs batted in. I?m surprised by how well Posada has come back from surgery. His arm looks great and he?s been hitting well. I don?t expect the Yankees to let him catch more than five out of seven games, and I?m sure they?d be more than pleased with that. I?d settle for .270 out of Posada but he could very well hit anywhere from .280 to .300. However, it all depends on how he holds up down the stretch. I didn?t like that the Yankees left thirteen runners on base and struck out eleven times, especially when you?re facing Sidney Ponson and Kyle Farnsworth, but it?s early.You have to love how lights out the bullpen has been lately; Today Bruney and Rivera combined for two innings, giving up one hot and zero runs. Rivera picked up his first save of the season today as well.

Oliver Perez was absolutely terrible yesterday, I guess that was the ?bad Ollie? that showed up. You don?t know how badly I hate the term ?good Ollie? and ?bad Ollie?. Obviously the second guessing has begun with Mets fans complaining about how they paid this guy that big contract but didn?t sign Derek Lowe. I heard the broadcasters say he was something like 215 pounds. That?s overweight. The fact remains that Oliver Perez has a lot of talent, he?s just a head case, and I?m beginning to wonder if he?ll ever live up to his potential. But before met fans start getting on him, you have to remember that it was one start, if he continues to pitch terribly for the Mets, then I can see them making a deal for a starting pitcher, especially with the question mark of Livan Hernandez. I know they?ve got some arms down in the minors, but I don?t think that will cut it. I could see the Mets making a play for Jake Peavy or Roy Halladay. Peavy is a tricky situation, he will certainly be available and is regarded by some as one of the best pitchers in the league, so he would definitely command a premium package of prospects. That package would most likely include Fernando Martinez, who has fallen off the map a little bit as the Mets top prospect. However, buyer beware with Peavy, he pitches in one of the most pitcher friendly ballparks in the league, his ERA is around 1.00 higher when he?s not pitching there. That could be a case of a pitcher pitching better in his home stadium, or a product of the park. Roy Halladay is considered by some, including myself as the best pitcher in the league. That?s right, he?s better than Johan Santana. Halladay finishes games and is an absolute wiz on the mound. He will definitely be available at the trade deadline because the Toronto Blue Jays are trying to cut payroll for next year. If Halladay will be traded, the Mets need to jump on that fast. There is absolutely no chance that the Blue Jays will trade Halladay to the Yankees but I still think the Yankees should do anything possible to try and obtain this guy. He is the best pitcher in the league. Kevin Millwood will most likely be available unless the Rangers are making a playoff push, which very well could happen. Millwood had a solid start in the season opener against the Indians. He is a consistent pitcher who the Mets should defiantly take a look at. He would command less of a package than any of the other big names that will be available. Roy Oswalt could be available as well. This guy might be past his prime, but is still a great pitcher, he would command less of a package than Peavy and Halladay, and could be a viable option for many teams.Big Mike Pelfrey didn?t fare to well in his first start of the season either. He got the victory, but allowed four runs on five hits and four walks, while only striking out two over five innings pitched. The bullpen didn?t help out to much allowing three runs on four hits and five walks in four innings. However, Frankie Rodriguez picked up his second save in that game.I was somewhat surprised when the Mets signed Gary Sheffield, but the move did make sense. Sheffield has almost nothing left in the tank but could provide the Mets with some quality games. However, Sheffield does have a big mouth and it can get him into trouble sometimes. A few years ago he called Joe Torre a racist. That is an absurd comment, and a terrible thing to call someone. It seemed like the whole league was against Sheffield for that comment and he started to feel the pressure and told them to go ask Kenny Lofton, who shot Sheffield down. He even when on to say when he was asked what about Derek Jeter that Jeter doesn?t count because he?s only half black. Bottom line is the guy is a scumbag and a steroid user and doesn?t respect the game. I remember one time back in Milwaukie I think it was, a game went into extra innings, Sheffield was playing third base at the time. It was hot and Sheffield was tired so he purposely through the ball over the first baseman?s head, allowing the winning run to score. I don?t remember how it came out that he did it on purpose, but the fact is that he did. I would never take that looser on the Yankees ever again. I never really like him when he was on the Yankees either, Joe Torre had to go out of his way to try and fit Sheffield into the lineup back in 2006 after he returned from injury. This was at the point where the Yankees were starting to click, they plugged him in at first base during the ALDS against the Tigers and it looked like the guy wasn?t even trying. The guy was a former infielder and he played a terrible first base, like he?s never played the infield before. He definitely wasn?t trying. If Sheffield has a slow start people will be saying it?s because he is pressing for his 500th homerun. It?s interesting that the Tigers released him one homer short of 500, they must have really not liked him.Billy Wagner?s hitting the rehab trail hard, and reports are saying that he could be back late July or early August. That?s good news for the Mets, but I don?t think he will be pitching in a Mets uniform again. That is because I don?t think he will be able to bounce back that quickly. A bullpen with Rodriguez, Putz, and Wagner would be a pipe dream but it?s possible that he is traded once he is back from injury to a team that needs a closer or set up guy. Hey, if he went to the Yankees to set up, would they play Enter Sandman? Anyway, that?s one Yankee?s fan opinion on the Met?s situation.

The Yankees finally picked up their first win of the season yesterday, they're still in last place though. They got some great pitching. Burnett did great even though he only went five and a third innings and gave up seven hits, he only allowed to runs and picked up the yank's first win of the season. He fanned six batters as well. The bullpen was great, they gave up zero hits. Coke, Veras, Bruney, and Rivera were great, six strikeouts between them in three and two-thirds innings. I was especially excited when the Yankees signed Burnett, I?ve always liked him and thought he was a great pitcher, but maybe that?s just because he always beat them. He definitely has electric stuff, but he has to stay healthy.Nick Swisher had himself a great game. Swisher has gotten off to a great start. He had a big pinch-hit double in game one as well as a career day yesterday. He bummed three hits in five at-bats. He picked up five runs batted in. Swisher?s a switch-hitter so Joe Girardi will get some flexibility in the lineup when Xavier Nady or Hedeki Matsui aren?t hitting. I don?t think he?ll take over the right field job completely, but I think we?ll see a lot more of him in a platoon with Nady. Swisher was a top prospect and has always had big potential, anyone who?s read Moneyball by Michael Lewis knows that, and we?re starting to that potential. Swisher also brings a lot of energy, fieriness, heart, and a will to win. That?s something that has been missing for a while. We started to see some of that energy with Joba Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano. Some people say that doesn?t matter in baseball, it?s not like football, but I think it makes a difference, just look at guys like Pete Rose and Paul O?Neal. If he plays half as well as he?s been playing, don?t be surprised if he starts seeing 60% of the time in right field.Mark Teixeira?s finally starting to hit the ball. He?s got three hits now, one of them being a homer. It was actually hilarious to see all the Baltimore fans boo him like he was Barry Bonds, and then when he got out they would cheer like they just won the World Series. For those of you that don?t know, Tex is from Baltimore and Baltimore was in on Teixeira early on in free agency, but they fell way short after the Yankees and Red Sox got involved. It?s funny how Baltimore fans feel like Mark Teixeira betrayed them because their general manager talked to the guy once.Hopefully Robinson Cano has finally figured out that the season starts in April, Cano has gotten off to an unusually strong start. So far he has six hits in eleven at-bats. He?s got a home run and three runs batted in. I?m especially happy that he has three walks as well, Cano has a tendency to not be patient and swing at every thing, hopefully he is starting to mature into the hitter that he has the potential to be. He should be the future number two or five hitter.People are always getting on John Sterling for poor broadcasting, but sometimes I find Michael Kay is clueless, I?m not sure if he?s trying to be funny but well, I don?t know what to say. Ken Singleton?s an enabler too. The other day YES showed a shot of the stands, there was a hot dog guy was selling a lady a hot dog, Singleton says ?Ketchup or mustard?, the guy picks up the ketchup, puts it down and squirts it with mustard, Kay and Singleton erupt. Yesterday they were trying to name everybody who had a name that had anything to do with money. Kevin Cash, Brian Cashman? etc.One more interesting thing, they were talking about this during the game, Baltimore has always been a bit peeved that there are always more Yankee fans at their games than Oriole fans, so this year to make sure there were no Yankee fans at opening day, they made it so that in order to buy tickets to opening day, you had to buy tickets to eight other games, but none of them could be Yankees games, that probably kept some Yankee fans from making the trip.

Let the Yankee hating comense. I can just hear what all the haters saying ?they spent a billion dollars a pound on C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira and they suck, they can't even win a game, they can't even beat Jeremy Guthrie and the Orioles. The Yankees aren?t going to make the playoffs.? That?s what you'll be hearing, but let?s take a look at the facts.The Yankees are notorious for getting off to bad starts. In fact, they almost always get off to a bad start.C.C. Sabathia got off to a terrible start last year in Cleveland, and usually has bad starts. After he settles down you just have to look back a year to see what he'll do. It was also his first start as a Yankee, so cut him some slack, give him a few games and he'll start earning his weight in gold (literally).It also was Mark Teixiera?s first game as a Yankee and if that isn?t nerve-racking enough, try having people boo you like you?re Barry Bonds, and then cheer like they just one the World Series every time you make an out, so we have to cut Tex a little slack as well.I know this sounds like a second guess, but I think Girardi left Coke in too long, a small bullpen mismanagement, but its the first game of the season.

How bout the new stadium. It looks amazing. Although at one point they showed an angle out to right field and for a second i though i was looking at the old stadium. There a couple of thing im ticked off about though. I read in the paper the other day that YES network was complaining about the way the nets behind home plate were set up. They get in the way of what they call the high-home camera. They are going to have to shoot through the nets until they can solve the problem.So when i heard this i didn?t know what to expect. The first thing that came to mind was that this is the New York Yankees we're talking about it?s Yankee stadium, they spent all this money and have to live up to how great the old stadium was. Then you have a bunch of idiots that give us obstructed view seats at the stadium and and now, obstructed views at home. I was watching the exhibition game against the Cubs yesterday, Aaron Miles was on second base and Derrek Lee smacked one to center field. The high home camera was used to show Brett Gardner field the ball and throw it home. If i remember correctly, it was also used to show the play at the plate. I didn't notice the nets until i got a text message about it from someone else, so I had to rewind it and re-watch the play. I probably didn't notice it the first time because I wasn?t looking for it, but after re-watching it, I was ticked off. It?s a real bummer to find out that there is all these thing wrong with the new stadium. The obstructed views i was referring to at the stadium are when you are sitting in the bleachers against the restaurant, you cant see the other side of the outfield. The Yankees responded to those by hanging some hd tv's on the wall and slashing the prices of those tickets. There are also some in the top row of a section, i cant remember off the top of my head, but there are support bars that hang over and if you're in the last row, you cant see home plate. The play from the outfield to the plate is one of the most exciting plays in baseball, I?d hate for it to be diminished because of some knuckle-head?s terrible planning.

So Gary Matthews is going to be traded. I wouldn't hate if the Yankees gave up a couple of nobodies for him. He had a great year a few years ago and might just need a change of scenery. Definitely a better hitter than melky cabrera and brett gardner. He's a great fielder too. The angels would have to eat most of his huge remaining contract. He might be a good fit to play the corner out field positions for the mets as well.

I'd love for the yankees to go the youth route, they've got a lot of great young arms. They have Austin Jackson, who will eventually take over center field. He's going to be a great ball player. They also have catchers Jesus Montero and Francisco Cirvelli. They're both great hitters especially Montero, he's going to be a big time power hitter. The only concern with him is that he'll get too big to play catcher. First base seemed like a likely landing spot for him until they signed Teixiera. Now i guess he'll be a DH. As much as the yankees said they were going with the youth last year, we all saw what they did this off-season. Matt Holliday is pretty much a lock to replace Damon or Matsui in left field next year.

post your thoughts here.The yankees have to get off to a great start without A-Rod. that way there wont be too much pressure on him when he comes back. Obviously the Teixiera signing looks brilliant now. /also, Hideki Matsui must hit like Hideki Matsui, when he's hot hes an elite hitter.

With the injuries mounting, Team USA has considered the unthinkable (at least for Bud Selig): They could forfeit the tournament if they continue to lose players. On Sunday, the team?s backup catcher had to play left field, and we?ve seen a steady stream of players exit with various aches and pains. While I certainly appreciate the international drive behind this tournament and the compelling games and storylines, news of a forfeit lends the WBC an aura of mismanagement. It seems like a hastily assembled event with no effort to court or accommodate the star players that would lend it legitimacy. I can see why the Yanks don?t want their players participating, and if other teams follow suit, those behind the tourney will have to assess their 2012 aims.

i set up a league. anyone who wants to join, just send me a message.

Although i would like to see more double headers, the season is perfect the way it is. The fact that you could play 162 games and still end up tied with another team says enough.

You have to pick the Dodgers in the NL west especially since it looks like there going to bring back Manny. The Yankees are the best team on paper in the AL east, and they'll win it all if the stay healthy. The Red Sox however, had a few under the radar signings that could be big contributes. The AL east has three teams that could make the playoffs.

The New York Jets announced that Rex Ryan has been hired as the Jets head coach. The announcement was made by Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson and Executive Vice President/General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. Ryan will be introduced during a 10AM press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ. ?Rex is revered by his players and respected by his peers around the NFL for his innovative schemes,? Johnson said. ?There is no doubt in my mind that Rex has the expertise and instincts to build on the foundation that we have in place and take this franchise to the ranks of the NFL?s elite. He will bring an aggressive, physical brand of football that will captivate our fans and ignite their passion. I appreciate Mike Tannenbaum and all those involved for the time and energy they invested during this search. Thanks to their efforts, we got the right man for the job.? ?I?d like to thank Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,? said Ryan. ?It?s been a dream of mine to become a head coach in the NFL. Coming here to the New York Jets, where my father once coached and was part of the Super Bowl III staff, is fantastic. I look around at the facilities and the people they have in place and see a first-class organization. I?m just proud to be part of it.?

A fantasy baseball league would be great. but as echo said i dont think there's much interest here. if we can get at least 8 then why not?

This is something that caught my attention. Not only does Julius Peppers want out of Carolina, but he wants to play linebacker in the 3-4 defense. Get on the horn Mike Tannenbaum! He apparently also doesn’t want to play for any team that uses a 4-3 defense. His agent Carl Carey said on saturday that “He certainly feels that he can excel and thrive in a 3-4 defense,” This narrows significantly the field of potential suitors, and reduces Peppers’ overall leverage. So maybe a 3-4 defensive isn’t a dealbreaker. “He is also open to just another system in general that will allow him to maximize his athletic abilities,” Carey added. It’s unclear whether Peppers envisions himself a defensive end or a linebacker in a 3-4 set. As a linebacker, he’d assume a three-point stance and rush the quarterback on passing downs. As a defensive end, his role on many plays would be to tie up blockers so that linebackers could pursue the ball. Peppers’ stance virtually guarantees that the Panthers will apply the franchise tag to Peppers, and then the Panthers likely will trade him to a new team, which would sign him to a monster deal. With the likely hireing of Rex Ryan as the Jets head coach, i dont see why Julius Peppers would want to play anywhere else (except the Patriots) and i dont see any way the Jets wont want him.

I'm suprised that Orlando Hudson is still availible. With the talent this guy has, he should have been snatched up a while ago. I guess it's the economy.Why wont the mets sign Hudson? The seeming lack of interest in free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson has been one of the biggest mysteries of the offseason, but it's still too soon to jump to conclusions. The Indians explored signing Hudson before trading for Mark DeRosa to play third base. The Nationals, White Sox and Giants all have needs at second base, whether they admit to them or not. The Braves still could acquire a second baseman and move Kelly Johnson to left field, though they are unlikely to spend big on another free agent. The Mariners also could be in the market at second if they move Jose Lopez to first base. Hudson, coming off surgery on his left wrist, has resumed all baseball-related activities. He continues to seek a contract of three or more years, executives say, but ultimately could settle for a shorter term with the right team ? say, the Mets or Yankees. Both of those clubs currently are set at second, the Mets with Luis Castillo, the Yankees with Robinson Cano. A trade of either appears unlikely, but Hudson could land with another team ? most likely, the Nationals ? if his market in New York fails to develop. Trading Cano and signing Hudson would work for the Yankees financially ? Cano is owed $25 million over the next three seasons, and the Yankees could pay Hudson a similar figure. But the Yankees, confident that Cano will rebound from an off year, only would trade him if they received a significant return. Personally, I am pro Cano. The Mets, on the other hand, would love to get rid of Castillo, who bombed last season in the first year of a four-year, $25 million deal. Castillo, 33, batted .245 and missed nearly two months with a strained left hip flexor, and no team is willing to take the rest of his contract. "No, Castillo did not have a good year last year," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Friday. "But we're talking about a guy who for 10 years was close to a .300 hitter (Castillo entered last season with a .294 career average). We feel he's going to bounce back." Minaya mentioned Thursday on the Mets' cable network, SNY, that the team might sign a free-agent hitter to a one-year contract once it polishes off its rotation. When asked to clarify, he sounded cool to the idea of adding a left-handed hitter such as Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu or the most expensive right-handed hitter on the market, Manny Ramirez. "Most of the hitters are left-handed ? I don't see us doing a left-handed hitter," Minaya said. "It's going to be a real low-end right-handed hitter if we do anything." Hudson is a switch-hitter. His effervescent personality would be perfect for a Mets team that has collapsed in each of the past two Septembers. And the high-energy, slick-fielding double-play combination of Hudson and Jose Reyes would be a fan's delight. The problem is, the Mets already are paying two managers, Willie Randolph and his replacement, Jerry Manuel; and two closers, the injured Billy Wagner and his replacement, Francisco Rodriguez. Paying two second basemen would be a stretch at a time when the Mets' bigger priority is probably upgrading the combination of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis in left field. But the only way the Mets could move Castillo would be if they assumed the bulk of his remaining salary. Hudson will find work. The question is where.

Here an opinion on how the next nfl draft will work out. the last few picks are suject to change, depending on how the rest of the playoffs work out. Here it is:Detroit Lions: Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia With Sam Bradford electing to come back for his redshirt junior season at Oklahoma, the Lions might as well begin printing up Matt Stafford jerseys. Stafford's a near-lock to be chosen first overall. Also, Lions owner William Darth Clay Sidious Ford doesn't really care about winning. He just wants money. What brings in more money than a rookie signal caller? Everyone in Detroit will be lining up to buy the new Matt Stafford jersey, especially if he appears to be as promising as Matt Ryan. The Lions can get a quality tackle with Dallas' choice or in the No. 33 slot. Assuming most of the junior quarterbacks remain in school, they won't have the chance to secure a top-rated signal-caller in the 2009 NFL Draft. St. Louis Rams: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama No surprise that Andre Smith declared for the NFL Draft. He won't be downgraded for his suspension in the Airborne Formula Sugar Bowl. Michael Oher could be chosen here, but I went with Smith because the Rams need an upgrade at right tackle until Orlando Pace moves on. At that point, Smith could shift over or just stay at his position. It's been widely publicized that the Rams were ready to pounce on Jake Long if he slipped past the Dolphins. That's understandable, as the injury-ridden Orlando Pace (yes, he's hurt again - what a surprise) will turn 34 during the early stages of the 2009 season, while oft-penalized Alex Barron looks like he's getting benched in favor of guard Jacob Bell, yet another bust acquisition by the Rams. St. Louis needs to draft an offensive tackle as early as possible. Kansas City Chiefs: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC With Sam Bradford going back to school, this selection has become a lot more difficult to predict. A lot of mocks have Aaron Curry going here. I don't see that happening. The last time a player who wasn't a quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive tackle, defensive end or under tackle was chosen in the top three selections was LaVar Arrington (Redskins, 2000). I think Scott Pioli is a slightly better drafter than Daniel Snyder. Assuming the Chiefs go to a 3-4 with Pioli, Curry would be an inside linebacker for them. With trading down nearly impossible at No. 3 (no owner will want to trade up and pay tons of money to an unproven player in this economy), it's safe to say Curry won't be chosen. With Larry Johnson still on the books, I think you can eliminate Wells and Moreno. Wide receiver isn't a prime need, so the Crabtree selection becomes unlikely. A left tackle could happen - the Chiefs would move Branden Albert inside. Orakpo is probably out because he struggled against Alex Boone in the Doritos Fiesta Bowl. Brown is a stronger possibility if he has a great performance at the Combine. The Chiefs are likely to switch to the 3-4, and Brown, a nasty pass rusher coming off a huge year, would fit in perfectly. However, I'm going with Sanchez. A new regime almost always equals a new quarterback. Sanchez is a hot commodity, coming off a brilliant performance at the Rose Bowl, sponsored by Kraft. The knock on him is the lack of experience, but going 28-of-35 for 413 yards and four touchdowns against Penn State pretty much quelled those concerns. If I were running the Chiefs, I'd continue to go with Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen did a remarkable job as the full-time quarterback, commanding Kansas City's offense to 21.6 points per game since Oct. 26. I know he was guilty of a lot of turnovers, but this was essentially his rookie year. He also had a weak running game and a pedestrian offensive line. He'll continue to get better. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech It's pretty much a lock that the Seahawks will choose Michael Crabtree with this selection. Bobby Engram, 36, will be hitting free agency. Deion Branch, who is always hurt, could be a cap casualty. Nate Burleson stinks and is coming off a torn ACL. The rest of the wideouts are terrible. If the Seahawks don't address the position, they can have fun struggling offensively next season.Cleveland Browns: Aaron Curry, ILB, Wake Forest With the hiring of Eric Mangini and the continued use of the 3-4 defense, it looks like this selection will come down to one of three players: Brian Orakpo, Aaron Curry or Everette Brown. The Browns need help throughout their linebacking corps, so either one of the three would make sense. I'm saying it'll be Curry, who will be an instant upgrade in the middle of the 3-4. Orakpo played poorly in the Doritos Fiesta Bowl, while Brown at No. 5 will be a bit of a reach until he blows everyone away at the Combine. Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss I find it remarkable that the Bengals finished the year on a 4-3-1 run. With Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cedric Benson and an inept offensive line that allowed 51 sacks running the show, how did the Bengals win more than two games? In all seriousness, the Bengals need to improve their pass protection if they want to contend next year. With Carson Palmer coming back from his elbow injury, Cincinnati cannot afford to have him get hurt again. Oakland Raiders: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia If Michael Crabtree somehow makes it past Kansas City, Seattle, Cleveland and Cincinnati, which is very unlikely, the Raiders will draft him. Unfortunately for the Silver and Black faithful, that's not very realistic. Oakland needs to improve its offensive line. I know Mario Henderson played well toward the end of the year, but he's not a franchise left tackle that a No. 1 overall quarterback deserves. Unless some defensive player dazzles at the Combine and runs a really quick 40, Undead Al will probably choose the best tackle available. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor David Garrard's interception total has soared from three to 13 in just one year. But don't blame him. He was knocked down more than any other quarterback this season. And according to the sacks totals allowed by NFL left tackles, Khalif Barnes was one of the league's worst, surrendering 7.5 sacks. Jacksonville must take care of its franchise quarterback. The team desperately needs to upgrade Garrard's blind side. Green Bay Packers: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State This could be Brian Orakpo, but given how much he struggled against Alex Boone in the Doritos Fiesta Bowl, Malcolm Jenkins could be higher on Green Bay's draft board. Besides, it's not like the Packers don't need corner help; excluding Tramon Williams, they have two ancient guys at the position, one of whom (Al Harris) told the media that he doesn't expect to be back. Charles Woodson, meanwhile, turns 33 soon, so he won't be able to play corner much longer. He moved to safety in 2008, and will likely stay there on a full-time basis sometime soon, if not right away. San Francisco 49ers: Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State Manny Lawson has been a bust in terms of his ability to get to the quarterback. While Parys Haralson evolved into a dependable pass-rusher, Lawson has compiled six career sacks in 32 games. Terrible. It's time for the 49ers to move on in terms of finding a dynamic sack artist. Everette Brown would be a nice solution; he fits the scheme and he finished the year with 21.5 TFL and 13.5 sacks. Buffalo Bills: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas One of the reasons Buffalo collapsed from a 5-1 record and maintained the same draft position it had in April 2008 is its lacking pass rush. The team finished with 24 sacks on the year, and no player had more than four. I know Aaron Schobel missed most of the year, but the Bills had similar problems even when he was in the lineup. Though he struggled in the Doritos Fiesta Bowl, Brian Orakpo had a brilliant senior campaign, finishing with 15.5 TFL and 10.5 sacks in 11 games. Denver Broncos: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC Mike Shanahan was fired, and Wade Phillips wasn't? What's going on here? Josh McDaniels was hired as the head coach, and he brought on Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator. Nolan will implement his 3-4 defense, meaning the Broncos will be busy scouring for the right personnel to fit that scheme in the next two drafts. They can start by selecting Rey Maualuga, the top pure 3-4 inside linebacker on the board. Maybe he can help the team rank outside the bottom five in defense for the first time in ages. Washington Redskins: Eben Britton, OT, ArizonaThe Redskins have major problems at right tackle. Jon Jansen, who turns 33 in January, is playing on his last legs. Eben Britton would fit in well on the right side, and could potentially slide over to the blind side once Samuels' time is up. New Orleans Saints: James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State It's going to be tough for the Saints to retain Jonathan Vilma. Should they extend Vilma or re-sign him prior to the opening day of free agency, they'll be forced to forfeit a No. 1 selection. They can always re-sign him in March and shift him over to weakside linebacker, however.Regardless, New Orleans really needs an upgrade at middle linebacker. The way I see it, this selection is James Laurinaitis in all likelihood, with Brandon Spikes and Taylor Mays returning to school. Houston Texans: William Moore, S, Missouri Defensive end is definitely an option here (Aaron Maybin or Michael Johnson), but Houston's secondary has been an abomination for years and has always missed a ball-hawking leader. William Moore can be that guy. Vontae Davis is also a major option if Dunta Robinson is let go. San Diego Chargers: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State It's amazing how much can change in half a year. In August, LaDainian Tomlinson was going first in nine out of 10 fantasy football drafts. Now, there's speculation that Tomlinson could be let go. RotoWorld, meanwhile, reported that several NFL executives don't believe LT2 is even worth a Day 1 selection at this point. With Darren Sproles also hitting free agency, the Chargers need to secure a top-tier running back in April's draft. New York Jets: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois A few days prior to the Jets-49ers game, I wrote a short column for USA Today's Sports Weekly, opining that Shaun Hill was a great fantasy start that weekend. My reasoning was that the Jets gave out 240-yard passing performances like candy on Halloween. Hill went on to throw for 285 yards and two touchdowns. That's one of about 5,000 examples that proves the Jets desperately need corner help.Chicago Bears: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech The Bears really need help at receiver, and with mega-talents like Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin on the board, choosing one of them is a possibility. But I doubt Chicago does that. The Bears will upgrade their perennial strengths - the offensive line and defense - before anything else. It sounds weird to say this, but the Bears need help at defensive end. Prior to playing the Rams, who count more as a Big XII team than an NFL squad, starters Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye had just five combined sacks in 10 games. Mark Anderson, meanwhile, recorded only one sack. Chicago needs to upgrade its pass rush. Everyone talks about Michael Johnson not performing up to his physical talents, but the athletic end recorded 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks and seven passes broken up. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia When Cadillac Williams went down with yet another injury, I immediately thought of giving the Buccaneers a running back at No. 19. With Earnest Graham coming off injury, Warrick Dunn turning 34 and Cadillac a virtual unknown, Tampa Bay really needs help at running back. Knowshon Moreno is a steal here. He and Chris Wells would be top-10 prospects if the need for running backs hadn't diminished. Detroit Lions: William Beatty, OT, Connecticut Is this a bit of a reach? I think so. But as we saw last year, the offensive tackle position is in such high demand that teams don't really have a choice but to target those players early. See Sam Baker and Duane Brown as prime examples. The Lions surrendered 52 sacks in 2008. They desperately need a dominant left tackle, allowing Jeff Backus to slide inside. Arizona Cardinals: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh The Cardinals were somehow able to run the ball at Carolina, but that doesn't change the fact that they need an upgrade in the backfield. Edgerrin James' days in Arizona are numbered, while Tim Hightower does too much dancing around. I also considered Aaron Maybin here. Minnesota Vikings: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt I really want to give the Vikings an offensive tackle, but with all of the top-tier players at that position off the board, Minnesota could look to address its second greatest need, which is cornerback. Cedric Griffin has had an up-and-down season, and Minnesota simply needs more consistency in its defensive backfield. D.J. Moore's dynamic return ability makes this pick more lucrative. New England Patriots: Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State Bill Belichick added a young inside linebacker to his roster last April. He may look to upgrade the exterior this time around. The Patriots struggled to put pressure on the quarterback at times (31 sacks) and Mike Vrabel, though still dependable, will be 34 in August. Something has to be done about this. Atlanta Falcons: B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College Atlanta did an incredible job rebounding off its disastrous 2007 season. The team barely has any holes left on its roster, but one glaring one is at nose tackle, which is the main reason why they couldn't contain Arizona's woeful rushing attack. Miami Dolphins: Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma The Dolphins can take care of a huge hole at left guard by drafting Duke Robinson in this spot. With Jake Long and Robinson on the left side, Miami would boast one of the elite rushing attacks in the league. Baltimore Ravens: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri Mark Clayton has started playing really well lately, but with Derrick Mason, who just turned 35, a year away from hitting free agency, it's time the Ravens begin developing their next No. 1 receiver for Joe Flacco. Indianapolis Colts: Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss Both sides of Indianapolis' run defense has to be addressed. Defensive tackle has always been a problem for the Colts, especially after the Ed Johnson marijuana scandal. I could see the Colts taking the best available player in terms of a running back, defensive tackle or offensive tackle. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State According to 610 WIP, the Eagles tried to deal for Kellen Winslow Jr. prior to the trade deadline. If they're so desperate for a tight end, they have to take one early in the 2009 NFL Draft, right? It's no surprise the Eagles wanted Winslow so bad; it's pretty much a miracle when L.J. Smith doesn't drop a pass. When Andy Reid franchised him last spring, I really questioned the move. Big Red won't make the same mistake twice.New York Giants: Paul Kruger, DE, Utah This pick really depends on what the Giants do with Mathias Kiwanuka once Osi Umenyiora comes back. If they bring Kiwanuka back to strongside linebacker, they'll likely take a defensive end in Round 1. If they keep Kiwanuka up front, they'll choose a linebacker like Clint Sintim or Brian Cushing. Wide receiver is also an option, but this draft is so deep at the position that the Giants can take someone like Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks or Brandon LaFell in the second round. Tennessee Titans: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida Yeah, I know... the Titans don't draft receivers. Hey, miracles can happen, and maybe they'll be embarrassed because everyone made fun of them for not taking one last year. In all seriousness, Tennessee has proven in the past that they look for skill-position players with great 40 times. Percy Harvin would qualify for that. Philadelphia Eagles: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma Andy Reid loves large offensive linemen. Whatever the reason may be - some argue that he's insecure about being the only massive man in the room - you have to believe that Reid will draft two mammoth linemen in the first three rounds. Like the Lions-William Beatty pick, this is a reach. But as I noted, expect teams to reach for tackles come April. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Mack, C, California The fact that the top guards and tackles are off the board shouldn't deter the Steelers from drafting a lineman. They need all the help up front that they can get. Alex Mack, whom many consider to be one of the top center prospects in a very long time, could be next in the line of great centers who have played in Pittsburgh.