AGRI Biz

The JaMarcus Russell experience is over in Oakland. After wasting more than $39 million for only seven wins in 25 starts over three years, the Raiders released the top overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Oakland still owes $3 million to Russell, who completed just 52.1 percent of his passes in his career with 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, 15 lost fumbles, and a passer rating of 65.2. Russell now joins Ryan Leaf, ...

This is one of the weakest linebacker classes, especially on the inside, in this decade. There are some decent pass rushers in the lot, but not many traditional 4-3 linebackers with the size to play the run. With a dearth of talent at the position, look for the good ones to be picked early and often. There is a chance that four or five linebackers will go in the first round and many ...

NFL personnel execs place a high value on defensive linemen and you'll see them fly off the draft board early and often. Of premium value are pass rushing defensive ends. The NFL has become a passing league and teams will pay big dollar to anyone who can get to the quarterback. While there isn't a bona fide superstar in the mix this year, there are a bunch of solid prospects in this ...

Offensive tackle, one of the glamour positions in the NFL Draft, is taking center stage once again. Four left tackles are predicted to go in the top 10 by certain draft pundits and as many as seven could be taken in the first round. Drafting a blue chip left tackle is a close as there is to a sure thing in the draft. History is loaded with examples of tackles, particularly on ...

Tight end is one of the deepest positions in the entire 2010 NFL Draft, even though only two prospects may go in the first round. Quality pass catchers and solid blockers abound and that depth will be found through all seven rounds. Some of the top prospects are hybrids who will be shifted to the H-back slot or play only in passing situations. Teams needing a tight end will find themselves with plenty ...

With the NFL Draft quickly closing in, I decided to throw my hat into the draftnik arena with my very own position-by-position rankings. Each position will be profiled over the coming days, leading up to my 2010 mock draft, which will be released next Wednesday or Thursday. The position rankings aren't based on what draft guru's like Kiper, Mayock, or Lande think. They are based on my observations of games I've attended ...

Ben Roethlisberger got some good news today when Fred Bright, the district attorney of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit in Georgia, announced he will not prosecute the sexual assault case against the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback. "We are not condoning Mr. Roethlisberger's actions that night,'' Bright said at his news conference. "But we do not prosecute morals, we prosecute crimes." Big Ben dodged one bullet, but he isn't out of the woods ...

The Steelers were heading into the 2010 NFL Draft with their focus away from the wide receiver position. And for good reason. Pittsburgh already had Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Mike Wallace in the fold, and locked up Arnaz Battle and Antwaan Randle-El in free agency. Receiver just wasn’t much of a concern to the franchise. Until now. Thanks to Holmes, aka "Mr. Wake n' Bake ," things have changed. As if his legal problem in ...

The Pittsburgh Steelers were surprisingly busy little bees during the first wave of free agency. Kevin Colbert, Steelers director of football operations, shelled out over $63 million dollars in contracts to lock up eight players. Unusual to say the least for the normally free agent shy franchise. The moves were solid and addressed various needs. Bringing back Ryan Clark and signing Will Allen from Tampa Bay strengthens the safety position. Add to ...

With the new year in full swing and resolutions set, it's time to take one last look back at the past decade. Time flies by too quickly, but with reflection, we can preserve it in our minds like it was yesterday. Last week, I focused on the offensive side of the ball selecting the Pittsburgh Steelers' All-Decade team. Now we take a look at defensive and special teams to complete this look ...