Unpredictable Season Ahead
For a while there I got worried, worried that the NFL and NFLPA would think of themselves and not the fans, or their bottom line. The NFL season was heading quickly into a long-lasting labour fight that seemed it was never going to be solved. With the many different reports of getting close to a deal and then reports of no such thing it seemed like there was no way to know what would happen. As the preseason approached the sides were still deadlocked not being able to agree on a settlement. Then it finally came the agreement that would allow the NFL to continue playing and letting every NFL fan out there let out a sigh of relief. The only casualty was the Hall of Fame game that is essentially an extra preseason game meant as a part of the celebration for the Hall of Fame inductees. Luckily for fans, that was the only casualty as the regular season will go on as planned. With the shortened training camps this season will be very unpredictable as many teams will have a longer adjustment period. It is very up in the air over who will win Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis this year but a good bet are the teams that are already established with good veteran players and a consistent coaching staff. This means that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers may have some of the best chances to return to the Super Bowl this year but there are a number of teams that have made significant changes in order to compete with the top teams. With the season fast approaching here are some big stories to look for in the 2011 season.
Eagles Free Agent Frenzy
The Eagles made the best of a short free agent period signing the biggest free agent and a number of other big parts to their. The biggest signing was cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha as the Eagles swept in a got him without anyone knowing they were in the hunt. They also added defensive end Cullen Jenkins to create what another new recruit called a “Dream Team.” This new recruit was new backup QB Vince Young who the Eagles signed in what could only be an idea for a lot more wrinkles in an offence. They also got RB Ronnie Brown making many people believe they may be a favorite for the Super Bowl. We will see how these signings will affect the NFL as the Eagles “Dream Team” will be under constant scrutiny.
New Coaches
There will be 4 teams with brand new head coaches this year and a number of other teams that will have new coordinators. Perhaps the biggest new coaches are in San Francisco and Denver as Jim Harbaugh will take over the 49ers and John Fox will take over the Broncos. The 49ers will be trying to get back to greatness as they take on former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh who is looking to repeat his brothers success, John Harbaugh is the head coach of Baltimore, in the NFL. Meanwhile John Fox who was one of the longest tenured coaches in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers will move on to Denver to try to bring them back as well. These new coaches will need to impress as the NFL and the fans do not have much patience for any coach when their team is not doing well.
QB Carousel
The NFL’s shortened offseason provided for an extreme amount of movement that has never been seen before. One of the biggest positions in this activity was the QB position as there will be many new pivots in the NFL this year. Longtime Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck has moved on as he signed with the Tennessee Titans who were in desperate need of a QB after releasing Vince Young and having Kerry Collins retire. The best back up in football last year was Kevin Kolb and as a result the Eagles were looking for a big price to trade him. They did this when they traded Kolb for a first round pick and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals hope that they have finally found a QB since searching after Kurt Warner brought them to the Super Bowl. Also Tavaris Jackson will look to replace Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle while Jackson’s spot will be taken by Donovan McNabb on the Vikings. All of these QBs will be under the microscope as with the coaches there is even less patient with new QBs.
With all of these stories there is still one main question from everyone will be who has what it takes to win the Super Bowl this year. Can the Green Bay Packers repeat as champions or will they suffer from a Super Bowl hangover? Can the Eagles dethrone the Packers as the NFC champions with their “Dream Team?” Or will it be an AFC team this year as the Patriots have reloaded and the Jets continue to claim they are the best team. Follow along as I preview division by division and see who has the best chance of going to Indianapolis this year.
The Sport Addiction 