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By Totals 4 U

Welcome the third edition of your 8-week series taking an off-season look at the National Football League. This week follow the trail of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox through the Great Lakes region to check out what has been shaking in the NFC North other than the locals this unseasonably cool spring in the Midwest. This is our back yard so bundle up, leave your Big City troubles at the door, and we’ll throw a couple extra brats on the grill!

Green Bay (13-3 regular season, 1-1 playoffs) The Packers lose just 2 starters from a squad that came within a field goal of the Super Bowl in Brett Favre’s final season and begin the Aaron Rogers (20 of 28 for 218 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) era with a cupboard stocked deep. The young line (19 sacks allowed, 4.1 yards per rush) of the league’s 2^nd ranked offense (378.2 yards and 27.2 points per game) returns with another year of experience, joined by T Joe Toledo (FA-Mia) plus 4^th and 5^th round draft selections G/T Josh Sitton and T Breno Giacomini. WR’s Driver (82 for 1048 and 2 TD), Jennings (53 for 920 and 12 TD), and Jones (47 for 656 and 2 TD) plus TE Donald Lee (48 for 575 and 6 TD) - who seized the starting job from Bubba Franks (cut) - all return to welcome 2^nd round Kansas State draft pick WR Jordy Nelson (Big 12 records 122 catches for 1606 yards and 10 TD in 2007) who’s arrival likely ends the comeback of WR/KR Koren Robinson’s with the Green and Gold. Backs Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn are healthy again to share the load with RB Ryan Grant (188 for 956 yards and 8 TD) while quarterbacks Brian Brohm (2^nd round, Louisville) and Matt Flynn (7^th round, LSU) bring big time college football experience to the depth chart. Coach Mike McCarthy loses only DT Corey Williams (trade, Cleveland) from a defense that posted 36 sacks, 19 picks, and 22 fumble recoveries while allowing 18.2 points per game and added St. Louis free agent SLB Brandon Chillar (41 starts) to compete with Brady Poppinga alongside studs Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk (combined 236 T, 4 ½ S, 3 INT). Aging corners Charles Woodson (37 T, 4 INT) and Al Harris (63 T, 2 INT) get help from 3^rd round Auburn CB Patrick Lee while future Pro Bowler and lethal hitter S Atari Bigby (86 T, 5 INT) has been re-signed. Only 6 of Green Bay’s games this year will be against 2007 playoff teams.

Minnesota (8-8 regular season, missed playoffs) Brad Childress’s crew lost their final pair to end 2007, eliminating them from the post-season…to the relief of NFC contenders. No one was excited to face the #1 ranked team in both rushing offense (164.6 yards per game at 5.3 yards per) and defense (74.1 yards per game at 3.1 yards per) while banking 8 defensive scores. Backs Adrian Peterson (1341 yards/12 TD rushing) and Chester Taylor (844 yards/7 TD rushing) pounding behind the right side of McKinnie, Huchinson, and Birk will again be the plan of attack but don’t completely discount the Viking passing game this season. Minnesota swapped out Kelly Holcomb for Gus Ferrotte at the backup trigger and threw away a 5^th round pick on John David Booty (my finger, elbow, wrist, back, etc. hurts!) but we still think QB Tavaris Jackson (1911 yards, 9 TD, 12 INT) can succeed with his 6 top targets returning plus Chicago free agent WR Bernard Berrian. Even the remarkable job against both the run and pass (38 sacks) done last season by the Viking front seven - which adds Pro Bowl free agent DE Jared Allen (15 ½ S in 14 games) to backers E.J Henderson and Chad Greenway plus tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams - couldn’t hide their coverage liabilities. At safety Mike Doss, Dwight Smith, and Tank Johnson are gone while FS Madieu Williams (FA-CIN) is a major upgrade alongside Darren Sharper, Texan free agent Michael Boulware will be a valuable backup, and 2^nd round pick/tackle machine FS Tyrell Johnson (363 T and 13 INT in 41 college starts) from Arkansas State was a fine grab but little has changed at the corners. CB’s Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin, who combined for just 1 pick while opponents piled up a league worst 281.2 yards passing per contest, will again get the call. The Vikings are not a complete team but they are tough enough to grab a Wildcard spot.

Detroit (7-9 regular season, missed playoffs) The Lions collapsed under the league’s worst defense (393.6 yards per game) with a 1-8 finish, but Matt Millen has made the most of the off-season. Starters CB Fernando Bryant and SS Kennoy Kennedy are gone from a secondary that was toasted for 274.2 yards per game and 32 TD passing, joining LB Boss Bailey and DE Kalimba Edwards in getting cut. DT Shaun Rogers was traded to Cleveland for CB Leigh Bodden (88 T, 6 INT) who becomes Detroit’s #1 corner opposite the re-signed Stanley Wilson, backed up by Fisher (re-signed), Smith (re-signed), and Brain Kelly (FA-TB). Free agent SS pickups Dwight Smith (MN) and Kalvin Peterson (TB) are upgrades plus all this depth improves the Lions’ not so special teams coverage (12.1 yards per punt, 26.9 per kick). Quality draft day attention to the stoppers added blazing OLBs Jordan Dizon (2^nd round, Colorado) and Cliff Avril (3^rd round, Purdue) plus 3^rd and 7^th round DT’s Andre Fluellen (Florid State) and Landon Cohen (Ohio) add depth as does Seattle free agent DT Chuck Darby. Coach Marinelli’s explosive passing game returns starting QB John Kitna (63.3% for 4068 yards, 18 TD, 20 INT), backups Stanton and Orlovsky, plus all 4 top receiving targets but didn’t greatly help the league’s 2^nd-worst rushing attack (80.5 yards per). Top backs Kevin Jones (cut) and T.J. Duckett (FA-SEA) and their combined 916 yards and 11 TD rushing are gone, leaving Tatum Bell (44 for 182 and TD) and 3^rd round pick Kevin Smith (2576 rush yards for Central Florida in 2007) but the bigger problem is an offensive line that surrendered 56 sacks in 2007. Subtract free agent G/T Damien Woody to the Jets and add 1^st round pick Boston College RT Gosder Cherilus who struggled his senior season (7 penalties, 5 ½ sacks) while playing out of position. Much has been done and much needs to be done for this squad.

Chicago (7-9 regular season, missed playoffs) With 12 draft the Bears chose to largely sit free agency out, grabbing only WR’s Marty Booker (Miami) and Brandon Lloyd (Washington) to replace Muhsin Muhammad (cut) and Bernard Berrian (FA-MIN). Offensive line was the major need (43 sacks, 3.1 yards per rush) for Coach Lovie Smith, resulting in the release of RT Fred Miller (if you can’t block, can you at least stay onside?) and LG Reuben Brown with help coming from the college ranks. The 14^th overall pick snatched Vanderbilt LT Chris Williams (2 sacks last 1558 snaps) - allowing John Tait to move back to RT - while a pair of 7^th round steals purloined Georgia G Chester Adams and All-Big 10 Michigan T Kirk Barton. RG Garza and C Kreutz stay put while Terrence Metcalf, Josh Beekman, and John St. Claire battle for LG. Behind the upgraded line will again be QB Rex Grossman and backup Kyle Orton with Brian Griese traded to Tampa Bay for a second round pick that adds 6’2” 222 Tulane RB Matt Forte who rushed for 2127 yards and 23 TD for Tulane in 2007 and may take the top job from Cedric Benson (DUI arrest) and Adrian Peterson. 3-time All-SEC WR Earl Bennett (3^rd round, Vanderbilt) and 6’6” 218 WR Marcus Monk (7^th round, Arkansas) add firepower while TE’s Desmond Clark (re-signed) and Greg Olsen will get plenty of downfield grabs. The Bear 29^th ranked defense (247.1 pass, 122.9 rush) got less attention with DT Walker (cut), S Archuleta (cut), and LB Ayanbadejo (FA-BAL) gone while starters LB Lance Briggs and FS Brandon McGowan re-signed but their is hope for this group. SS Mike Brown returns from injury to help CB’s Tillman and Vasher plus 3^rd round Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison is a huge addition to a line that racked up 41 sacks last season. PR/KR Devin Hester (6 return TD in 2007) can’t carry this team again…can he?

NOTE: A new article will be posted each Wednesday throughout the season breaking down a major match up for the upcoming weekend. For now, enjoy the above and plan on checking out our weekly analysis all season long.

By Totals 4 U

Welcome to the second edition of our 8-week series taking an off-season look at each of the National Football League’s conferences. This week we have selected the home of your 2007 AFC Champions with a look at what these franchises have been up to and the direction they are heading this upcoming season. Be sure to check in for a new article each Thursday the next couple months and away we go…

New England Patriots (16-0 regular season, 2-1 playoffs) Bill Belichick’s crew came within 35 seconds of running the 2007 table into the history books and returns both lines plus the bulk of offensive firepower that piled up 38.8 points per regular season game - 8.4 points per game more than the next-best Cowboys. WR Dante Stallworth left for Cleveland and Seattle’s TE Marcus Pollard was added while receivers Moss, Washington, and Gaffney resigned with the Pats but the real off-season action took place among the New England linebacker and defensive backfield ranks. Aging backers Rosevelt Colvin and Chad Brown are gone while Pierre Woods, Tedy Bruschi, and Larry Izzo have been resigned to battle Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas for playing time in the 3-4 but they will have plenty of incoming competition with the signing of LB Victor Hobson away from the Jets plus 1st and 3rd round draft picks OLB Jerod Mayo (Tennessee) and OLB Shawn Crable (Michigan). Throw in the possible additions of Junior Seau (may retire) plus Eric Alexander (team’s exclusive rights free agent) and New England is positively stacked at the position and likely deadly on special teams. In the defensive backfield the competition for jobs will be just as fierce with the return games again also getting a boost. Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, and Eugene Wilson rode the free agent train out of town while corners Fernando Bryant (Detroit), Lewis Sanders (Atlanta), Jason Webster (Buffalo), and S Tank Johnson (Minnesota) rode it in plus 2nd and 4th round draft picks scooped up Colorado’s CB/KR Terrence Wheatley and Auburn’s CB Jonathon White. The 3rd round selection of Kevin O’Connell likely sends backup QB Matt Cassell packing. A returning #1 offense, a younger and faster #4 defense, and beefed up special teams. Meet the new boss; same as the old boss!

Buffalo Bills (7-9 regular season, 0-0 playoffs) A squad that finishes the season with the 31st ranked offense and 31st ranked defense to miss the playoffs for the 8th consecutive year has plenty of needs and GM Russ Brandon has cut dead weight like CB Jeremetrius Butler (15 T), WR Peerless Price (7 catches), and RB Anthony Thomas (2.5 yards per carry) while filling pressing holes and banking $78 million to play 8 games over 5 years in Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Backup QB JP Losman was rumored draft day trade bait but the Bills sat pat and have 2 solid arms with QB Trent Edwards (1630 yards, 7 TD, 8 INT) and Losman while resigning C Matt Whittle and T Matt Murphy keeps depth intact for a line that helped rookie RB Marshawn Lynch rush for 1115 yard and 7 TD in just 13 games and backup Fred Jackson pile up 300 yards in just 58 carries. Buffalo’s key need was at defensive back where the Bills allowed 247.4 yards per game. Eagles free agent CB Will James was added and college football’s top cover corner Leodis McKelvin was snatched with the 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft in addition to 4th round pick CB Reggie Corner (Akron) and 7th round pick Kennard Cox (Pittsburgh). Just 26 team sacks in 2007 were answered with the acquisitions of DT Spencer Johnson (FA-ATL), DT Marcus Stroud (Jacksonville trade), LB Kawika Mitchell (FA-NYG) and 3rd round pick Virginia Tech DE Chris Ellis (8 ½ sacks in 2007). Coach Dick Jauron wanted to add a big receiver to his smallish corps (top four wire receivers 5’10” or less) and he got three with a steal of a 2nd round selection 6’6” 221 Indiana WR James Hardy, 7th round pick 6’2” 210 WR Steve Johnson (led SEC in yards and touchdowns), plus 6’6” 270 Atlanta free agent TE Courtney Anderson to compete at a position that will be back under new O-Coordinator Turk Schonert. Call us crazy, but we see a playoff team in the making.

New York Jets (4-12 regular season, 0-0 playoffs) A quarterback controversy is certain this season between QB Chad Pennington (68.8% completions, 1765 yards, 10 TD, 9 INT) who started the first 8 games of 2007 and QB Kellen Clemens (52.0% completions, 1529 yards, 5 TD, 10 INT) who took over at mid-season but at least it will happen behind a premier offensive line. As part of a house cleaning that included letting go starters FS Eric Coleman, NT Dewayne Robertson, and LB Victor Hobson plus key players CB Andre Dyson, WR Justin McCareins, and C Wade Smith to free agency and outright release, GM Mike Tannenbaum cut starting LG Adrien Clark and starting RT Anthony Clement. Big free agent bucks brings in LG Alan Faneca and RT Damien Woody to join LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson, C Nick Mangold, and RG Brandon Moore to punch holes for RB Thomas Jones (310 for 1119 yards and 1 TD) while the passing game takes a back seat. New York’s defense was pushed around last year for 134.8 rushing yards per game so the Jets traded for Carolina DT Kris Jenkins and picked up free agent ROLB Calvin Pace from Arizona - each will take starting roles. As far as the NFL draft was concerned, Coach Eric Mangini didn’t get much immediate help, despite 2 first round selections. We disagree with the pundits who say that Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston (14 sacks in 2007 against Big 10 linemen) is overrated and a mistake at the 6th overall pick but he projects to ROLB in the J-Men’s 3-4 defense where they dropped coin to pick up Pace while using the 30th overall selection on Purdue TE Dustin Keller conjures up images of drunken, foul mouthed Jets fans screaming like stuck pigs for the ESPN cameras. Starting TE Chris Baker (41 for 409 and 3 TD) is decent plus free agency yielded TE Bubba Franks from Green Bay. Pour me whatever the guy in the Blair Thomas jersey is having.

Miami Dolphins (1-15 regular season, 0-0 playoffs) Losing 6 games by a field goal may tempt some to build on existing personnel, but GM Jeff Ireland and VP/Football Ops Bill Parcells are not those guys. Parcells is famous for cleaning house and bringing in big, tough guys which has sent packing starting QB’s Trent Green (cut) and Cleo Lemon (FA-Jacksonville), top receiver Marty Booker (cut), plus the squad’s second and third leading rushers Lorenzo Booker (trade to Philadelphia) and Jesse Chatman (free agent Jets) as well as offensive linemen L.J. Shelton, Rex Hadnot, Anthony Alibi, Marvin Dukes, and Joe Toledo with Chris Liwienski and Cory Lekkerkerker soon to follow. Oakland free agent QB Josh McCown takes over at the trigger while 2nd-year John Beck (60 of 107 for 559 yards, TD, 3 INT) and 2nd round selection Chad Henne battle for the future. LT Vernon Carey moves next to 4th round pick RG Shawn Murphy (son of baseball’s Dale Murphy) while the NFL Draft’s overall #1 LT Jake Long will start next to 49ers free agent LG Justin Smiley. RB Ronnie Brown (119 for 602 and 4 TD) and Ricky Williams return from season-ending injuries, while TE Anthony Fasano (trade Dallas) and WR Ernest Wilford (free agent Jacksonville) join WR Ted Ginn Jr. (34 for 420 and 2 TD. Defensively, DE Jason Taylor (11 of teams 30 sacks) doesn’t fit Parcells’s mold and may join DT Keith Traylor and DT Anthony Bryant who have been sent packing with LB Zach Thomas and LB Derrick Pope. Miami grabbed 3 defensive ends in the draft including 2nd rounder Phillip Merling from Clemson while free agency/trades bring LB’s Reggie Torbor, Charlie Anderson, and Akin Ayodele, DB’s Chris Crocker, Keith Davis, and Nate Jones, plus DL’s Jason Ferguson and Randy Starks. A new roster, a new Head Coach in Tony Sparano, and new results? The Dolphins couldn’t help but improve.

***NOTE: Weekly college and pro football articles will be posted every Wednesday throughout the season for a major weekend match up so we hope to see you here every week and best of luck this year!*** - The Champs at #1 SPORTS