Preseason: Players to Watch (AFC North)

Pittsburgh Steelers: OT David DeCastro: For a team who ranked 24th in sacks allowed, newly drafted offensive lineman David DeCastro will be extremely important in this team's offensive success. DeCastro weighs in at 6'5", 316 pounds, and is able to contain some of the nation's best defensive prospects. However, it will be interesting to see how DeCastro reacts to the big, skillful defensive linemen in the NFL. If we were to see DeCastro struggling in the four upcoming preseason games, the Pittsburgh Steelers should be worried about their draft pick.

Leon Hall

Baltimore Ravens: DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw: Imagine if opposing offensive linemen had to focus on someone else besides Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata. What if newly drafted linebacker Courtney Upshaw turned into one of the NFL's biggest stars. Upshaw was one of the best blitzing linebackers entering the 2012 NFL Draft, and might be dangerous when factored in to this already dangerous Ravens defense. However, Upshaw has a lot of weight on his shoulders if the Ravens wish to balance out their defense without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs. Hopefully, the rookie will show signs of stardom in the next few preseason games.

Cincinnati Bengals: CB Leon Hall: After an injury to his Achilles tendon, Leon Hall was placed on the IR in 2011, missing the remainder of the season. Hall returned last Friday in the game against New York, with two solo tackles by the end the time the clock hit 00:00. However, rookie corner back Dre Kirkpatrick is expected to miss up to 6 weeks due to a fractured knee. If Kirkpatrick is later than scheduled, Hall will have to bear the burden if leading an already injury-ridden pass defense. Once the rookie returns, and lives up to expectations, the Bengals defense could be ferocious.

Cleveland Browns: QB Brandon Weeden: It only gets worse for the Cleveland Browns; not only are they without Mohamed Massaquoi and Chris Gocong (along with Joe Haden and Scott Fujita who both face suspension), but now, running back Trent Richardson, the 3rd overall pick, has also gone down with an injury. This puts a lot of pressure on rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. Weeden may not have been put in the same class as rookies like RGIII and Andrew Luck, but at 28, Weeden enters the prime of his quarterback career. The Browns are not known to have a lethal passing game, and they are hoping that by the regular season, Weeden will be able to fix that. However, he should be careful, because Colt McCoy will always be lingering on the sidelines.

Post Number 100!

    
     After 11 months worth of writing, The NFL Report has reached the 100 post mark! Mock drafts, predictions, rankings, news updates, comparisons, fantasy football advice are the majority of our posts, and we're glad we could do our best on analyzing the NFL and the players we enjoy watching. Many great things are in store for the 2012 season, with brand new ideas to keep you, the fans, happy. Please make sure to subscribe, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thenflreport! Happy #100 The NFL Report!

Preseason: Players to Watch (AFC East)

New England Patriots: RB Stevan Ridley: Though it has been the Patriots passing game catching all of the headlines, the truth is, the most important question for New England is, "How will running back Steven Ridley perform in 2012?" Ridley is a second year rusher out of LSU, and shall be replacing Benjarvus Green-Ellis, who is now playing for Cincinnati. Especially among Pats fans, Ridley has high expectations going into 2012. He may be small, and not quite the fastest running back out there (40 yard dash time of 4.67), but Ridley managed a yards per carry of 5.1 last season, a positive sign for any rookie. If Ridley looks like he is in tip-top shape this preseason, watch out for the Patriots running game.

Stevan Ridley

Buffalo Bills: RB Fred Jackson: Fred Jackson was on the tear of his life in 2011, on track to get 1,590 rushing yards and close to 10 touchdowns. However, in Week 11, Jackson suffered a fractured fibula and missed the rest of the regular season. Now, we will see if Jackson has fully recovered, or if back-up rusher CJ Spiller deserves to split the carries. Personally, I believe Buffalo should trade away Jackson and start Spiller, but this organization may be pretty attached to their top-dog.

Miami Dolphins: QB Matt Moore: Sadly, quarterback David Garrard will have to under go surgery in order to repair an undisclosed knee injury. This means Matt Moore will most likely start in the Week 1 game against Houston. Until then, Moore will have to "officially" earn the spot over rookie Ryan Tannehill. Moore's performance in 2011 started off slowly, but really got going towards the end of the regular season. Unless there is some sort of meltdown from Moore and extraordinary heroics from Tannehill, last year's starter will once again be named top quarterback.

New York Jets: QB Tim Tebow: TEBOW TEBOW TEBOW. That is all we have heard about this off-season, especially for those who watch ESPN. Now, it is time for this quarterback to live up to the hype. If I could put the entire New York team as a player to watch, I would (especially Rex Ryan), but "The Bachelor" is truly the player everyone will be eyeing. It will be interesting to see just how the Jets will use Tim Tebow in their game plan, and we might be able to get a sneak peak in several preseason games.

A Cowboy Standoff

    "It's very serious....he's got to grow up" This is only a portion of the words spoken by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones when asked about wide receiver Dez Bryant's struggles at home. Bryant has been battling with off the field issues, most recently a domestic violence crime filed by his own biological mother. Though he may be Dallas' number one weapon at wide receiver, Jerry Jones is fed-up with his behavior. The Cowboys, who missed the playoffs last season after a loss to New York, are not off to a great start in 2012, and this ongoing feud is the main problem.
     Dez Bryant attended Oklahoma State University for a football scholarship, and was named one of the nation's top wide receivers. After a monstrous sophomore year, Bryant was ruled ineligible to play as a junior once he lied to NCAA investigators. The fact that he missed the majority of his final season hurt his draft stock by the time April rolled around. In fact, the All-American fell to the 24th overall spot, a pick acquired by the Dallas Cowboys. 1,489 receiving yards later, Bryant was charged for assaulting his mother on July 16th, 2012. This was not the first time Bryant got in trouble with the law; in March of 2011, two lawsuits were filed against the star wide receiver for not paying for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. Obviously, these brand-new assault charges were the last straw for Jerry Jones. "The reason I hadn't talked to him is because I'm so pissed that I'm not ready to talk to him. When I get all my stuff together, I'll talk to him." Traditionally, a fight between a player and a team official in any sport never fares well for either side.
     Luckily, the two have taken major stride towards being more cooperative with each other since the fight. Bryant and Jones have met, talked about the incident and hopefully are on the same page. We will see how the recent events affects the Dallas Cowboys' play in 2012, but it will be hard for the Dallas franchise to forget about this cowboy standoff.

    

    

Preseason: Players to Watch on All 32 Teams

     The wait is over; after weeks of watching analysts bickering over Tim Tebow on "Sportscenter," it is time for the preseason. Though it is not the games themselves that we enjoy watching. No, no, no, the preseason is a symbol if anything else, giving us a glimpse of opening day which is only a few painful weeks away. In anticipation of September, The NFL Report will go by division, discussing each player to watch for all 32 teams. Be sure to comment, subscribe, or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thenflreport! Also, if you wish to set up a link exchange, email me at ledzepfan09@gmail.com! Enjoy!

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Best NFL Memes (July Edition)

     Have a favorite meme relating to the NFL? Email it to me at ledzepfan09@gmail.com, and I will use it into my next meme post. Also, if you wish to make your own meme, I recommend visiting http://memegenerator.net/. Thanks for the read! Be sure to comment, subscribe, or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thenflreport!

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NFL Report Update: Terrell Owens

Breaking News: FOX Sports Insider Jay Glazer reports Terrell Owens has signed a one-year-deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Owens was an unsigned free agent in 2011 after spending his 2010 year with the Cincinnati Bengals. Owens managed 983 receiving yards with 9 touchdowns while in Cincinnati.

Credit: Getty Images

NFL Report Update: Justin Blackmon

Breaking News: Finally, wide receiver Justin Blackmon and the Jacksonville Jaguars have come to terms on a four year deal. Blackmon was the last rookie drafted in the first round to sign with his team. Blackmon's DUI arrest last June created problems between the two sides, but now, Blackmon can put on the pads and play in their first preseason game against the New York Giants.

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Training Camp Battles: Tannehill vs Garrard vs Moore

     Our final installment for training camp battles is rewarded to the Miami Dolphins, and quite possibly the most competitive battle in training camps as of right now. NFL newcomer Ryan Tannehill appears to be in third place for this competition, but remains a viable candidate. As a senior at Texas A&M, Tannehill  put up decent numbers; 3,744 passing yards, 33 total TDs, and 15 INTs. His leadership came in to question though when guiding his team to a 7-6 record in 2011. Luckily, the rookie showed his skills during a training camp scrimmage, keeping him in the race. The second quarterback on this Miami roster is Matt Moore. Moore was the Dolphins starter for 12 games last season, and was just 3 yards away from 2,500 passing yards. After a slow start (0-4 in his first four games), Moore and the Miami Dolphins went on a hot streak, going 6-3 after his first few games. Obviosuly his role as starter was doubted by Miami personal, for they went out and signed two quarterbacks in the offseason. One of those quarterbacks was David Garrard, Jacksonville's starter in 2010. Garrard suffered a herniated disk, and decided to skip the 2011 season to prepare for 2012. Throughout Jacksonville's struggles, Garrard managed great staistics, where he even surpassed the 100 passer rating mark (102.2). In 2010, he posted a career best in passing touchdowns (23), rushing touchdowns (5), and total touchdowns (28). The fact that he missed last year hurts his stock, but his statistics might just put him in the lead.

Bottom Line: Mobility, accuracy, and leadership are all apparent attributes when Garrard is at his best, which is why he deserves top-dog over last year's starter, Matt Moore.

If you like football, or any sport for that matter, be sure to check out TC Huddle: interesting articles, up to date staistics, and much, much more! Also, if you want your blog featured in one of our blog posts, email me at ledzepfan09@gmail.com!

Credit: Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel

Training Camp Battles: Hasselbeck vs Locker

     The Tennessee Titans are dealing with the classic quarterback battle, where they must choose between youth and experience. Matt Hasselbeck is on the wrong side of 30, only a few years out of retirement. What once was Seattle's biggest star is now fighting for the starting job in Tennessee. The future HOF had one of his best seasons last year, passing for 3,571 yards, 18 TDs, and a completion percentage of 61.6%. His performance in 2011 was by far his best since '07, and will make it extremely difficult for Locker to win over the starting job. On the other hand, we have 24 year old sophomore quarterback Jake Locker. As a junior in college, Locker threw for 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns, leaving many to speculate wether he is the favorite to win the Heisman as a senior. However, after a disappointing senior season, not only did he miss out on Heisman honers, but he fell to 8th overall in the 2011 Draft. Locker had an uneventful rookie season, playing in 5 games with 542 passing yards, 4 passing TDs and 1 rushing TD. The Washington-alum appears to be dead even with Hasselbeck in this year's quarterback competition, for they both seem to get an equal amount of snaps throughout the duration of training camp.

Bottom Line: Hasselbeck deserves the starting job, but if age were to catch up with this veteran, Locker should finish out the season.

Credit: Jae S. Lee, The Tennessean

NFL Report Update: Andy Reid

Breaking News: This morning, Garrett Reid, son of Andy Reid, was found dead at the Eagles Training Camp. The 29-year-old's death is still under investigation, but his passing has deeply affected the league. Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement saying,"We are deeply saddened by the news about Garrett Reid. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy, Tammy and their family. We will support them and the Eagles in any way we can through this difficult time." Andy Reid is believed to return to training camp later this week.

Football in the Olympics?

     Earlier in the day, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the sport is fighting to become a part of the Olympic games. Football...in the Olympic games? There are some things football fans just can't picture, and football in the middle of the summer is one of them. First of all, the injury risk would turn away many of our league's stars, because no player making millions of dollars for their play wants to be hurt right before the start of the season. A report released in 2010 states an average close to 3.5 players per team per week suffers an injury. So would these games look identical to the Pro-Bowl; highly regarded players who are not willing to play their hardest due to the injury risk? And what about international competition? There are close to 65 other countries with a style of play somewhat identical to the NFL, a list that includes regions like Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. However, the skill level would not even be close to resembling the players found in the National Football League. With so much history and purpose behind this American-bred sport, opposing competitors wouldn't stand a chance. A compromise that could be made would be to play college stars on the American team to make it slightly more competitive. Even if university's were not willing to play their stars, the Olympic team administrators could start the nation's top high school prospects. Many (including myself) do not believe sports such as basketball should be a part of he Olympic games, especially when we see Kobe Bryant and LeBron James running circles around bottom-tier squads. The bottom line is that football's biggest stars should watch the Olympic games from home in 2016, so come September, we are hungrier than ever to watch the game we love.

Training Camp Battles: Flynn vs Jackson vs Wilson

     Seven months ago, Matt Flynn was a nothing; just a second-string quarterback with a successful college career and one pro start under his belt. However, by the time Week 17 rolled around on New Year's Day, the Packers were assured to have a first round bye, and therefore safe to bench their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Flynn ended up throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns, while breaking two separate records in the process. He may not have gotten any more playing time, but Flynn was on everyone's radar. One of those watching was Seahawks head coach Pete Caroll. Once the LSU-alum became a free agent, Carroll quickly scooped him up, signing him to a 3-year, $26 million contract. As for Tarvaris Jackson, this ex-Viking had by far his best season in 2011, throwing for 3,098 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs, and a passing percentage of 60.2. He may have disappointed many due to his poor play from 2006 to 2010, but in 2011, Jackson finally showed what he is capable of. Sadly, Jackson was unsuccessful in raising his team's record, which stayed at a mere 7-9. The final nomination goes to the rookie out of Wisconsin, quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson led the Badgers to an 11-2 record, a Big Ten Title, and a spot in the Rose Bowl. By the end of the regular season, his 3,175 passing yards and 40 total touchdowns ranked him ninth in the Heisman voting. The third round pick might not be the favorite in this competition, but he is not a bad number three option.

Bottom Line: Flynn appears to be the leader and rightfully so. If the newly acquired free agent were to cool off, and Seattle begins to struggle, Pete Carroll will return to Jackson as head-honcho,

NFL Report Update: Cleveland Browns

Breaking News: The Cleveland Browns are now under a new ownership, soon to be run by businessman Jimmy Haslam. The previous Browns owner, Randy Lerner, was head-chief since 2002, whereas his father has been a part of this organization since its revival in 1998. Browns fans have struggled to keep faithful within the past four years, due to the fact that their winning percentage tops out at .390 in that span. The deal is still pending among NFL officials.

NFL Report Update: Ben Roethlisberger

Breaking News: Today, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced he had suffered a rotator cuff tear last November when playing the Baltimore Ravens. Though he insists his arm is strong and healthy, this recent report only adds to Pittsburgh's troubles. Frankly, 2012 has been a year to forget for the six-time champions.