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Filed under: Giants, NFC East

Where new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan only kept two of his six draft picks, the Giants kept all five of the players they chose in April who are healthy. Linebacker Adrian Tracy and defensive back Chad Jones are on injured reserve.

Only two starters from last year’s Giants, defensive tackle Fred Robbins, who signed with St. Louis as a free agent, and middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, who retired, are gone — replaced by holdovers Chris Canty and Jonathan Goff. Two is also the number of rookie free agent receivers on New York’s roster. Derek Hagan and Domenik Hixon have been replaced by Duke Calhoun and Victor Cruz, who led the NFL with 297 receiving yards and four touchdowns in preseason.

The departures of Hixon and defensive tackle Jay Alford (the first of eight members of his 2007 draft class to be let go) leaves 22 Giants who played in the unforgettable upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots 31 months ago in Super Bowl XLII.

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Filed under: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, NFL Predictions, NFL Analysis

According to Webster’s dictionary, the first known use of the word “prediction” was in 1561, perhaps in connection with the caber-tossing competition in Northumberland.

In the 21st century, it’s something NFL fans take very seriously — at least those folks who keep track of everyone’s predictions, so at the end of the season, the Super Bowl and awards decided, they can call out those who erred.

And we all do of course.

For the record, I erred on the big one last season when I didn’t have the Saints in the playoffs, then had the temerity to pick the Giants as my Super Bowl winner (looked OK when they were 5-0) and was duly chastised in public by a blogger. He didn’t note that I correctly pegged Percy Harvin as the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

For the record, I don’t take these things very seriously. I take them as fun to have in a business where fans and pundits (self-appointed or otherwise) know as much as the “experts”

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Filed under: Ravens, NFL Free Agency, NFL Rumors

The Ravens and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh agreed on a one-year contract, adding another weapon to quarterback Joe Flacco’s ever-growing arsenal in Baltimore. The deal will be worth $850,000, according to the National Football Post. Seattle cut Houshmandzadeh on Saturday.

Baltimore acquired Anquan Boldin from Arizona in a March trade, then signed Donte’ Stallworth later in the offseason — Stallworth is out for several weeks with a broken foot. But with or without Stallworth, the Ravens could have one of the NFL’s top offenses. In addition to Boldin, Houshmandzadeh and Stallworth, the Ravens return veteran stalwart Derrick Mason, talented tight end Todd Heap and blossoming star RB Ray Rice.

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Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

Mike Shanahan arrived in Washington in January with the task of changing the “what me worry?” culture that some felt had become pervasive at Redskins Park the past two seasons under predecessor Jim Zorn.

Shanahan has changed the roster during his eight months as the Redskins’ coach, but not as much as might have been suspected. Less than half of the players, 20, on the 53-man roster that survived Saturday’s cuts had never donned a Washington jersey before his arrival.

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Filed under: Patriots, AFC East

Not that anyone thought Logan Mankins was going to beat Darrelle Revis to his contract signing, but the fact that Revis finally did come to terms with the New York Jets late Sunday night certainly can’t help Mankins in his holdout with the New England Patriots.

Now the left guard is the lone remaining high profile player choosing to take his ball and go home until he becomes the highest paid guard in the NFL — and it doesn’t appear he intends on changing his stance. And the Patriots are prepared to move on without him, whereas the Jets clearly didn’t want to face the prospect of starting the season without their best defensive player.

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Filed under: Broncos, AFC West

The Denver Broncos‘ moves to reach the 53-player limit included more than a few reminders of the team’s injury-filled training camp and preseason.

Pass-rushing linebacker Elvis Dumervil and running back LenDale White were both placed on season-ending injured reserve in a blow to units on both sides of the ball.

The Broncos had held out some hope that Dumervil, whose team-record 17 sacks led the NFL last season, would be able to return from a torn pectoral muscle in December but ultimately, after consulting with doctors and the player himself, decided Dumervil would be better off taking a full year to recuperate. Dumervil tore the pectoral muscle during a 1-on-1 pass-rushing drill in the first week of training camp.

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Filed under: Chargers, AFC West

The Chargers‘ 53-man roster was weighted toward defense after the team reached the season-opening limit by releasing 23 players.

The moves left the Chargers with 29 defensive players, 21 on offense and a kicker, punter and long snapper.

Coach Norv Turner said the makeup of the roster gave him flexibility to make personnel adjustments from week to week, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of a particular opponent. Game-day active rosters are limited to 45 players.

“In terms of depth and versatility, I don’t know that you could ask for more from our roster,” Turner said, according to Chargers.com.

Among the players released by San Diego were wide receiver Josh Reed, a free agent who was signed as a hedge against the holdout of Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson. The Chargers could afford to let him go after trading with Dallas for veteran receiver Patrick Crayton.

“We had some close calls there and situations that took a turn,” Turner said. “When you make a trade or claim a player, that changes your mindset.”

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Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins, NFC East

Only one kicker has ever been named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, Washington’s Mark Moseley in 1982. The first coach to hire a fulltime assistant to coach special teams, George Allen, earned his greatest success with the Redskins, including the signing of Moseley, in 1974.

Allen’s first special teams coach, Dick Vermeil, turned the moribund Philadelphia Eagles into a playoff team in his second season and a Super Bowl contestant in his fourth. The most prolific return man in NFL history, Brian Mitchell, played his entire 14-year career in the NFC East with the Redskins, Eagles and New York Giants, missing only Dallas.

And the NFC East’s track record on special teams isn’t just history. No NFC division has more seniority among its special teams coaches than Philadelphia’s Bobby April (20th season working with the position group), Dallas’ Joe DeCamillis (18th) and Washington’s Danny Smith (12th).

So who has the NFC East’s best special teams?

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Filed under: Dolphins, AFC East

Prior to Monday morning’s practice, the Dolphins added seven players to their eight-man practice squad, leaving one spot yet to be filled. Rookie tight end Nathan Overbay, who was with the Denver Broncos in training camp, is the one new face among the additions, joining defensive back Jonathan Amaya, defensive end Ryan Baker, guard Ray Feinga, linebackers Chris McCoy and Austin Spitler and wide receiver Julius Pruitt.

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Filed under: Buccaneers, NFC South

Michael Clayton, the former Bucs’ wide receiver, tried to prepare for the day he could not play football by starting urban clothing stores. He learned some business acumen in college at LSU working for some notable bankers and he wanted to invest and be ready.

The end may be near, and sooner than expected.

The Bucs cut Clayton this weekend. They still owe him $3 million in guaranteed money, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

Clayton played for Nick Saban’s national championship team at LSU and he said Saban recruited him with that old plea of “Make a 40-year decision, not a 4-year decision” meaning come to LSU and we’ll get you ready for life after football.

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