AGRI Biz

When is the last time you heard anyone describe a New York Giants middle linebacker as rugged or hard-nosed?  Monday the Giants signed undrafted rookie free agent LB Lee Campbell out of Minnesota and the former Gopher has some impressive stats.  Campbell led the Golden Gophers in tackles for three straight years, including a fantastic senior year when the middle linebacker racked up 119. The underrated Campbell's 119 tackles last fall ...

At this point in the offseason, most of the additions by NFL clubs have been made. Obviously, that can change. Just last season, the Oakland Raiders acquired defensive lineman Richard Seymour by trade only a week before the regular season.  Nevertheless, it's safe to discuss the majority of moves made thus far for any team.  Here I will focus on the AFC West. The San Diego Chargers are still the team to beat in ...

Call it "Rookie-Mania" if you'd like and perhaps the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may catch a seasonal case of it this summer. The primary symptom is taking first-year players and throwing them into the starting lineup. That could be the case with the Bucs, and the primary suspects are the duo of newly-drafted wide receivers Arrelious Benn from Illinois and Mike Williiams, the one-time problem child from Syracuse. "Both have size and that's what ...

In the current age in the NFL, the running back position has changed. Every team has their starter. Some teams have a change of pace 'back and some have a goalline/short yardage 'back. Even some teams have all three. The Cleveland Browns will have all three and then some. Their offensive backfield is shaping up to be a top 10 in the league. It will take awhile but by midseason, the ...

To me, Oakland had the most intriguing story on draft day. Not for what they were doing, but for what they weren't doing. After years of reaching on players who were nothing more than track stars, the Raiders surprisingly didn't. That doesn't mean, though, that they didn't take those players if they fell. Here's my breakdown of the Oakland Raiders' astounding draft day performance. Begin Slideshow

During the 2008 NFL Season, the Pittsburgh Steelers enjoyed having the best pass defense in the NFL. That same defense led them to their sixth Lombardi Trophy. It seemed a long way away from the days of Chad Scott, Dewayne Washington and Lee Flowers. But the 2009 season was considerably different. The Steelers were ranked 16th against the pass. And that led them to an early off season, not qualifying for ...

In this way-too-early-to-be-all-that-accurate prediction, I will attempt to break down the Green Bay Packers’ 2010 season using some of the newly acquired schedule details, draft results, and player signings.   While many details will change between now and Sept. 12 (injuries, acquisitions, cuts, etc.), this projection should serve as a basic model for the most likely results—with a few surprises to keep things interesting.       Week One: @ Philadelphia (Sun., 4:15)—WIN   The Philadelphia Eagles are ...

My bold prediction for the 2010 season: Sam Shields earns special teams player of the year. Yes, I know that Shields is an undrafted rookie and is not even close to being a lock to make the team. But look at his stats, speed, and versatility, you can pretty much determine that Shields could be the undrafted steal of the year. He can also be an option at cornerback. As any Wisconsin ...

When the Browns drafted Colt McCoy last week, that couldn't have made Brett Ratliff happy. Ratliff was the Browns third quarterback last year, and prior to the draft, his position hadn't changed with the addition of Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. Ratliff was brought in by head coach Eric Mangini, so he probably felt his position on the team was pretty solid, and that he may even have a chance to compete ...

It has not been a good offseason for JaMarcus Russell. After getting benched last season, his time with the Raiders appears to be coming to an end. Russell now is getting the "Draft Bust" label, and he reportedly has put on a lot of weight this offseason. The Raiders traded for quarterback Jason Campbell, and the roster already has Charlie Frye and Kyle Boller on it as well. Russell doesn't have many options ...