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With the 22nd pick in the 2010 NFL (Mock) Draft, the New England Patriots select Jared Odrick, defensive lineman, Penn State. At pick 22, the New England Patriots are stuck in that awful "orange" zone of picks. Most of the elite, proven athletes are off the board. So, too, are the workout warriors who blew everyone away in private session and at the NFL Combine. There are a ton of guys with ...

Much has been made about the possibility of an uncapped year in the NFL if the owners and union are not able to come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement in the next few weeks.á Many fans have simply assumed that means that there's just no salary cap, and that any team can spend what they want on the usual crop of players whose contracts are up. While that ...

As the regular season winds to a close and we begin the playoffs, it becomes more and more crucial for everyone to be at the top of their game. While the stars always get more coverage at this (and every) time of the year, all 90 guys active come kickoff have to be ready to play this game better than they ever have before. Assuming they don't play on your local team, ...

In any number of ways, this past decade could rightfully be called the decade of the passer. In 2009, this is especially true. Now, passing success has always been a large indicator of a team's success, but it seems that having an elite quarterback is the hallmark of every playoff team still alive. It seems a given that having an elite player at such a key position would be a fast track ...

With Mike Shanahan seemingly closing in on a deal to take over the coaching reins in Washington, D.C., hearts are breaking in upstate New York. But having lived in D.C. the past three years, I can tell you it's a familiar feeling for Washington. The excitement when Zorn was hired wasn't what you'd call palpable, but it was real. Redskins fans I knew said they'd have a guy who could provide some much-needed ...

They're shredded. I'm not saying the Patriots can't win the playoffs, but to do so would be a feat on par with what the 2007 Giants pulled off during their improbable run to the title. Now, this is not a knee-jerk reaction (tell me you saw that one coming). This is a simple fact: the Patriots, already on shaky ground to begin with entering the playoffs, now have to attempt to outscore teams ...

In many ways, it's all the Dolphins' fault. It's the Dolphinsùthose pesky, perfect Dolphinsùwho maintain their hold on the national consciousness every year and deprive great teams of the rightful place at the top of the heap. It's those champagne-soaked Dolphins that have skewed the perspective of fans league-wide as to what constitutes a "perfect" season for the better part of four decades. Is it winning all your games? Is it winning the ...

One of the truths you have to accept when you write about a sport like the NFL is just how ephemeral our conclusions can be. For instance, this was written in total seriousness less than a month ago: "There's plenty of head-scratching going on over the sudden collapse of the Broncos, but when the team is 25th in points per game, 19th in passing offense, and just 16th in rushing offense, not ...

Anybody who believes in the old football axiom that winning cures everything clearly didn't see the performance of the New England Patriots on Sunday. It's rare to see a team so dysfunctional on offense in the first half turn around and still win the game despite not getting a phenomenal game from some of its star players. Most obvious among those players was Randy Moss who, if you believe the media firestorm ...

With the decade drawing to a close, there have already been thousands of column inches dedicated to the ultimately meaningless question of (cue dramatic music) Team of the Decade. Chief among those candidates, based on their sudden transformation from afterthought to dynasty, is the New England Patriots. Yet, looking at the New England Patriots team that has taken the field this year, especially on the road in the second half, you'd be ...