BUCS ACQUIRE REVIS
After a ton of talk all offseason long, the Jets finally pulled the trigger on a trade sending Pro Bowl cornerback Darrell Revis to the Buccaneers in exchange for a pair of draft picks, including the 13th overall selection in this week’s draft.  Tampa Bay then inked Revis to a $96 million deal…MORE

MCLAIN ARRESTED AGAIN
Recently signed Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain likely won’t stay on the team long. McClain was arrested over the weekend in his hometown of Decatur (AL) for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. It is third time that the troubled defender has been arrested while returning home. With no money guaranteed in his new deal, he is likely to be released…MORE

JETS EYE IVORY
Running back Chris Ivory has long been buried on a deep backfield depth chart in New Orleans, but he may finally get a crack for regular NFL carries. Several reports indicate that the Jets are willing to part with a 5th Round draft pick to acquire the running back. If he winds up in New York he’d be the favorite for early-down work while mixing in with Mike Goodson and Bilal Powell…MORE

LACY’S STOCK FALLING
Most mock drafts have Alabama running back Eddie Lacy as the first running back to go off the board in this week’s NFL Draft. However, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is reporting that many teams have now moved UCLA’s Jonathan Franklin ahead of him at the position on their draft boards…MORE

DOLPHINS AT CROSSROADS WITH ALBERT
With Chiefs expected to draft a left tackle with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday incumbent starter Branden Albert is on the trading block.  The Dolphins, who lost starter Jake Long in free agency, are the main team of interest. However, Albert’s high salary demands are slowing down progress in the deal getting done…MORE

MANNING USES MOVIES TO CONNECT
Consider that some of his teammates weren’t even alive when he was in high school, 37-year old Peyton Manning is using movies as a way to relate to younger players on the Broncos.  He has assigned some classic comedies from the 80’s such as “Vacation”, “Fletch” and “Stripes” for his teammates to watch…MORE

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With Darrelle Revis out of the season due to injury the Jets have turned to Antonio Cromartie. He hasn't missed a beat for New York and from a fantasy standpoint he is filling in for Revis as well as be the player fantasy wide receivers go to die. He's shutdown a pretty impressive group of wideouts.

WR stats vs Cromartie this year...

Brian Hartline (twice) 1-41, 4-41

Michael Crabtree 2-15

Andre Johnson 1-15

Reggie Wayne 5-87

Brandon Lloyd (twice) 1-6, 3-26

Sidney Rice 2-54-2

Chris Givens 4-19

Larry Fitzgerald 1-23

Justin Blackmon 6-57

*That doesn't translate into good things for Week 15's matchup with the Titans' Kenny Britt.

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Quarterback Mark Sanchez posted career highs by passing for 26 touchdowns and 3,474 yards. With his six rushing touchdowns added (second in NFL by QB), Sanchez finished 2011 as a top 10 fantasy producer at the position. While he did have nine multiple TD pass games and eclipsed 300 yards passing three times, the Jets’ signal caller also have eight games where he failed to throw for at least 200 yards and a couple of scoreless efforts. He was intercepted 18 times during in the season and at least once in all but four games.

SCHEDULE
The Jets have the 20th ranked schedule in the league and only six matchups out of 16 come against teams that finished 2011 with a winning record. The bye week don’t come until November which should give fantasy owners time to deal with lineup quandaries. The first half is favorable with a stretch of 4 out 5 games at home included. The December slate of games vs. Arizona, at Jacksonville, at Tennessee, and vs. San Diego (Weeks 12-16) is fantasy friendly down the stretch.

STUD
While Shonn Greene lacks the break-away speed to be viewed as an elite playmaker or fantasy running back, he will be a workhorse in the Jets’ attack in 2012. He rushed for a career-high 1,054 yards a year ago despite another slow start to the season and caught a surprising 30 balls out of the backfield. The arrival of new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano suggests an even bigger workload for Green in the season ahead. His 10 rushing touchdowns through three seasons of play is a minus, but he should be viewed as a solid RB2 in 2012.

DUD
After coming into 2011 as a top 20 fantasy wideout in nearly everyone’s rankings, Santonio Holmes produced career lows in receiving yards (654) and receiving average (12.8 ypc). Part of that could be blamed on the inconsistency at the quarterback position, but Holmes also needs to shoulder some of the blame. His off-the-field antics and locker room squabbles have been a huge distraction. He did catch eight touchdowns last season, but failed to have a single catch of over 40 yards after posting six such receptions in the previous two years.

SLEEPER
Joe McKnight is the odds-on-favorite to be the Jets’ No. 2 runner after LaDanian Tomlinson’s retirement. He’s athletic and has the ability to be a nice change-of-pace back in a Jets’ system that could yield him 8-10 touches per game. He has the potential to be a RB4 or RB5 on any roster and will see his value skyrocket should Greene go down with an injury or struggle mightily.

NEW ADDITION
The Jets desperately needed a vertical threat in their passing attack and got one when they drafted wide receiver Stephen Hill with their second-round pick in April’s draft. His 4.3 40-speed at the combine coupled with his 29.3 yards per catch as a senior at Georgia Tech made him a logical choice for the Jets. His 6-4 frame makes him logical replacement for Plaxico Burress in the red zone and he’s expected to start opposite of Holmes in the team’s passing game. He’s a bit raw so his production may be limited as a rookie, but the upside is definitely there long term.

POSITION BATTLE
The team gave up a fourth-round pick to acquire Tim Tebow from the Broncos after they signed Peyton Manning free agency. With Sparano, who was the first to implement the “Wildcat” offense while the head coach in Miami, now the team’s offensive coordinator Tebow likely couldn’t haven’t found a better fit. Sanchez is still the starter and will get the bulk of the snaps under center, yet Tebow is going to get on the field. If the team flourishes under Tebow and Sanchez struggles a controversy could quickly develop in the Big Apple.

BENCH BUILDER
Dustin Keller enjoyed career highs last season with 65 receptions for 815 yards and five touchdowns. However, for the second straight year he started off hot before sputtering down the stretch. The off-season additions made by the Jets did little to help his value.  The potential has always been there for Keller, but for the most part he’s been viewed as a disappointment by owners. Still, if you miss out on one of the big name tight ends early on in your draft, you can get a low-end TE1 for next to nothing later on that will offer production in Keller.

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Here’s a quick take on all the impending quarterback battles to watch as training camp approaches (incumbent list first):

Mark Sanchez vs. Tim Tebow (NYJ)
The circus that is the New York Jets brought Tim Tebow to the show and with the media presence there things could get ugly.  The Jets are a run-first team and that won’t change, but if Sanchez can’t cut down on his turnovers (26 last year) his leash will be short. Expect Tebow to be used in certain packages, but Sanchez should still easily remain the primary guy under center.

Kevin Kolb vs. John Skelton (ARZ)
Last season’s free-agent addition of Kevin Kolb did not pay dividends for the Cardinals in 2011. Kolb only played in nine games due to injury and threw just nine TD’s with eight interceptions while averaging just 217 passing yards per game, including just one 300-yard day. Skelton developed chemistry with the team’s start wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and went 5-2 as a starter down the stretch. Kolb is currently listed atop the depth chart, but this job is up for grabs this preseason.

Tavaris Jackson vs. Matt Flynn (SEA)
The team was able to lure Green Bay backup Matt Flynn to the Emerald City and the newcomer will have a leg up on Tavaris Jackson heading into training camp. Flynn is mostly unproven, but did show flashes of brilliance in minor action last year for the Packers. The Seahawks are not the Packers though so he’ll have to prove he can do well on his own. Jackson will get his chance again if Flynn falters.

Matt Hasselbeck vs. Jake Locker (TEN)
The 36-year old Matt Hasselbeck is clearly nearing the end of his career.  After the team invested heavily in Jake Locker in last year’s draft it’s only a matter of time before they give the youngster a crack. Hasselbeck is still capable of winning games though so it might take an injury or a slow start to make the Titans’ brass pull the trigger. It’s not a matter of if, but when Locker gets a look.

Matt Moore vs. Ryan Tannehill vs. David Garrard (MIA)
They wanted Peyton Manning or at least Matt Flynn, but the Dolphins had to settle on free agent David Garrard to build depth at the position. That led to the team drafting Ryan Tannehill earlier than many teams projected him.  He is very raw, but the rookie should benefit from his college coach, Mike Sherman, now serving as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator. Veteran incumbent Matt Moore help a team that started 0-7 finish with some respectability a year ago while passing for 2,497 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions. It’s anybody’s job, but it would be surprising if Moore was not the starter come Week 1.

Blaine Gabbert vs. Chad Henne (JCK)
It is sink or swim time for second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was dreadful at times as a rookie. The team has added some weapons to throw to, highlighted by first-round pick Justin Blackmon.  With a big contract Gabbert is going to be given every chance to succeed, but Chad Henne will be chomping at the bit to get a chance of his own. This could be both of these players last legitimate crack at a NFL starting job if they falter. Gabbert is the guy for now, but he likely won’t be for long.

Colt McCoy vs. Brandon Weeden (CLE)
You don’t spend a first-round pick on a 28-year old quarterback unless you guy to play him right away, but this is the Browns so you never know. All signs point to rookie Brandon Weeden starting over veteran Colt McCoy, who has thrown for 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in two years with the team over 21 starts. During that span McCoy has had just one 300-yard game. Weeden won’t have a ton of weapons, but if fellow rookie Trent Richardson is as good as advertised he could find some moderate success quickly.

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We look back at what proved to be a monumental news day in the NFL…

SAINTS PUNISHMENT DELIVERED
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the verdict in the Saints’ Bountygate and delivered easily the harshest punishment of his tenure as commissioner and one of the most severe acts of discipline ever dealt to a professional sports franchise.

When the dust settled head coach Sean Payton was suspended without pay for a year, former defensive coordinator Greg Williams (now w/STL) was suspended indefinitely, GM Mickey Roomis was fined and suspended for the team’s first eight regular-season games and the team was stripped of 2nd Round picks in 2012 and 2013.

TEBOW DEALT TO THE JETS
One day after signing free agent quarterback Peyton Manning the Denver Broncos traded Tim Tebow to the New York Jets along with their seventh round pick in exchange for the Jets 4th and 6th Round selection. In addition, the Jets will reimburse Denver half of the $5 million advance on Tebow’s contract.

Shortly after the deal was announced there was a minor snag in the contract which opened the door for Jacksonville to re-enter trade discussions. However, in the end Tebow choose New York over his hometown Jaguars. He is expected to be the backup to Mark Sanchez, but will likely be used in some Wildcat-type packages by new offensive coordinator Tony Sporano.

BENGALS SIGN LAW FIRM
Two days after he visited the Queen City, the Bengals signed free agent running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis to a three-year deal.  The former Patriot will replace Cedric Benson on the team’s depth chart for the time being though the team could still add another running back in April’s draft.

Green-Ellis, 26, has scored 24 touchdowns over the past two seasons for the Patriots.  The team also welcomed Michael Bush to town earlier this week, but the former Raider has several suitors and is likely to command a larger contract.

SMITH STAYING IN SAN FRAN
The 49ers made it official on Wednesday that Alex Smith will remain under center for the foreseeable future in San Francisco. The team made a run at signing Peyton Manning, but quickly locked up Smith after the future Hall of Famer opted for Denver by agreeing to a 3-year, $9 million deal.

Smith posted career highs in 2011 by completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 3,144 yards and a 90.7 QB rating. He threw 17 touchdown passes and just five interceptions while starting all 16 games.

QUICK LINKS
--Ward Retires A Steeler
--Caldwell Headed To Denver
--Bills Sign DE Anderson
--Texans Deal Ryans

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Let's check out someheadlines from around pro football...

FISHER RIDING WITH RAMS (WPTV.com)
It appears as if Jeff Fisher has opted to take the offer to coach St. Louis Rams rather than staying in the AFC with the Miami Dolphins.  It appeared as if Fisher was leaning heavily towards Miami as late as Thursday night, but the two sides couldn’t agree upon the structure of the organization, according to sources. Before sitting out last season, the veteran head coach spent 16 years with the Titans/Oilers franchise. Only six coaches spent more time on the job for one team. Fisher has a 142-120 career record and has led his team to 12 wins or more four times…MORE

ANOTHER MANNING IN NEW YORK? (NFL.com)
Speculation is growing that the Indianapolis Colts will indeed use the first pick of the draft on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.  That is only adding fuel to the fire that incumbent signal caller, Peyton Manning, is expendable. After missing the entire season due to a nagging neck injury and recovering from three surgeries is not even clear if the future Hall of Famer will even play another down in the NFL. However, if he is cleared to return it only makes sense for it to be somewhere else. The talk of the Jets scrapping Mark Sanchez and getting Manning has intensified, but there are several reasons is unlikely to happen…MORE

JAGUARS TURN PAGE (Florida Times-Union)
The Jacksonville Jaguars pegged Mike Mularkey as their third head coach in franchise history early this week.  The former Bills head coach has spent the past four seasons as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta, where he's been working with Matt Ryan since his arrival to the league. Now, the Jaguars' brass is hoping he can get something out of Blaine Gabbert, who completed 50.8 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a rookie. The team opted to retain Mel Tucker as defensive coordinator and named former Falcons QBs coach Bob Bratkowski offensive coordinator, a role he held for nearly a decade in Cincinnati...MORE

KITNA CALLS IT QUITS (Dallas Morning News)
Dallas backup quarterback Jon Kitna has opted for retirement after 15 years in the league. The 39-year old entered the NFL in 1997 with Seattle as an undrafted free agent from Central Washington. He finishes with 2,677 completions for 29,745 yards and 169 touchdowns with 165 interceptions in 141 NFL games with Seattle, Cincinnati, Detroit and the Cowboys…MORE 

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Winning NFL picks, odds and power rankings all from our friends at Doc's Sports Service.

JUDGE FORCES MEDIATION (ESPN.com)
Judge Susan Nelson has ordered mediation between the NFL players and owners to begin in Minneapolis on Thursday. Nelson is still considering lifting the lockout after the players dissolved their union which clear the way for a long, drawn out court battle. The good news is that the two sides are talking again for the first time since March 11. The bad news is no end remains in sight and with the draft approaching quickly many teams and pending free agents remain in a quagmire…MORE

NEWTON IN QUEEN CITY (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was in Cincinnati on Monday to visit with the Bengals, who have made it clear that they covet the Heisman Trophy winner. He is set to visit Cleveland on Wednesday and Denver this weekend as well as a stop in Washington D.C. on April 18 with the NFL draft just two weeks away. With Carolina (No. 1 overall pick) and Buffalo (No. 3) reportedly highly interested in Newton it remains to be seen if he will be available to the Bengals with the fourth overall selection…MORE

JETS NOT INTERESTED IN MOSS (FOXSports.com)
A reliable league source tells FOXSports.com that the Jets have "no interest" in bringing in the talented but troubled wideout. Multiple reports this week indicated the Jets had serious interest. Sources tell FOXSports.com that coach Rex Ryan talked in glowing terms about Moss as a way to motivate Jets free agent Santonio Holmes. Moss was terrible last season while playing on three different team and it remains to be seen what he still has to offer…MORE

BRONCOS WANT TO MOVE DOWN (ProFootballTalk.com)
Many are suggesting that it makes sense for the Denver Broncos to trade down from the No. 2 overall spot in the draft, but much of it will depend on what Carolina does with the top pick.  Miles Klis of the Denver Post wrote that the team would like to move back, but in stay in the top eight while acquiring an extra pick. There are always teams that want to move down, but few clubs that want to move up. With the uncertainty surrounding the league entering this draft it is going to be hard to pull off…MORE

PRESEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED (NFL.com)
Assuming the season actually begins the Rams and Bears will face-off in the annual Hall of Game. The NFL released the complete preseason matchups on Tuesday in the midst of a lockout, taking even more luster out of what had little luster to begin with, the preseason. Exact dates and times for games not shown on national TV will be announced later…MORE

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A quick look at this weekend’s NFL matchups…

GREEN BAY PACKERS (12-6) AT CHICAGO BEARS (12-5)
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. / FOX-TV
Line: Packers by 3.5 / Over-Under 44

Overview: The Packers hit the road for the third straight week of the playoffs. After knocking off the Eagles and the Falcons respectively, Green Bay now is set to face Chicago for the third time this season. The Bears took the first game in Week 3 at home 20-17, but fell to the Packers 10-3 in Week 17. That win propelled Green Bay into the postseason and they have followed it up with a pair of impressive wins at Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Aaron Rodgers has been amazing thus far in the playoffs and is going to be tough to cool off. However, the Bears have had some success with it in the past. Both defenses have played top notch of late. The Packers’ recently-discovered running game will likely not be a factor against a Chicago D that held them to 63 yards rushing per game in two tilts this season. The game will likely come down to Jay Cutler. If the Bears’ signal caller can play near the level he did against the Seahawks, the home team will likely prevail.

My Pick: I don’t trust Cutler and I picked the Packers to win it all in August. Green Bay will make them wish they had knocked them out. The Bears contain Rodgers, but not enough to win…PACKERS 23, BEARS 17

NEW YORK JETS (13-5) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (13-4)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. / CBS-TV
Line: Steelers by 3.5 / Over-Under 38.5

Overview: The sixth-seeded Jets find their way back to the AFC Championship game for the second straight season. To get there, Rex Ryan’s troops came up with impressive road wins over Indianapolis and New England.  Quarterback Mark Sanchez continues to sizzle in the postseason and the Jets’ defense is living up to its pre-season billing. The Steelers mounted a rally to comeback and beat the Ravens last week after having a first-round bye. The two teams met at Heinz Field in December and the Jets walked away with a 22-17 victory.

Unlike the playoff’s first two opponents, the Jets are going to meet a team that will match them physically.  The Steelers have the home-field advantage, but they are 6-3 this season at home and have lost there in the playoffs several times in recent years. Ben Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl rings and talented receivers around him, but Pittsburgh’s offensive line has struggled all season due to injuries.  The Jets are going to have to get pressure to come out victorious.

My Pick:  The Jets will pull it out on the road by shutting down Pittsburgh and make them one dimensional. Santanio Holmes is productive in his day of revenge…JETS 20, STEELERS 17

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As if the Jets haven’t embarrassed themselves on the enough over the last two weeks on the field, the team took another PR hit when news broke that Sunday night that strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi intentionally interfered with Dolphins CB Nolan Carroll during a punt return in the team’s 10-6 loss.

I’ve often wondered what has kept people from doing that in the past, but still in my nearly three decades of watching football at all levels I’ve never seen or known of somebody to actually do it.

Alosi addressed the incident in a statement released by the team:

"I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment. My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for. I spoke to (Dolphins) Coach (Tony) Sparano and Nolan Carroll to apologize before they took off. I have also apologized to (Jets owner) Woody (Johnson), (GM) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (Jets coach) Rex (Ryan). I accept responsibility for my actions as well as any punishment that follows."

Hopefully the league takes this matter as serious as they do with these “questionable” hits that they’ve been fining players for. It’s pretty sad that this would really happen at the professional level.

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After days of speculation, the NFL made it official on Tuesday announcing that the 2014 Super Bowl will be played in New York (really East Rutherford, N.J.).

There have been plenty of people express their concerns about playing the biggest game in a cold-weather, open-air facility. But aside from weather, there hasn’t been any other argument made against the move.

I don’t get the whole weather argument. This is football. Some of its greatest and most memorable games of all-time have come in cold weather. Sure, it is the Super Bowl and it is important. However, is it any more important than the AFC-NFC championship games leading up to it? At the end of the day the answer is no.

It is a much bigger issue when the Yankees are playing a World Series game in the Bronx in November. Baseball is not made to be played in the elements, football is.

Here are several good reasons that New York is a perfect fit:

THE CITY – The Big Apple is the perfect venue to host the Super Bowl. It is the biggest sporting event in the world coming to the nation’s biggest city.

ENTERTAINMENT – There will be plenty of stuff for people to do in New York City. Plus, can you imagine the star power at this game. The Super Bowl is always a haven for celebrities to flock to. With the game in New York, there will be headliners everywhere.

ACCOMODATIONS – Unlike when Jacksonville held the event there will be no problem with hotels, cabs, or restaurants for people to go to.

MEDIA – Media Day will be like never before with more media members calling New York home than any other market.

ELEMENTS – Let’s face it most of it will be watching from a couch or bar stool, so why do we care about the weather. The more snow the better. It is what makes football great!

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