dallascowboys

The chants ring loud and thunderous in the H.H.H. Metrodome every time cornerback Fred Smoot makes a tackle or intercepts a pass. Hopefully in 2006, the chants are heard more often than in 2005.The Minnesota Vikings signed Smoot on March 8, 2005 to a six-year, $34 million contract with $10.8 million in bonuses. With that kind of investment, the team thought they were solidifying their pass defense and adding an All-Pro to play alongside Antoine football jersey Winfield. It seemed like the two would be an elite tandem in the league.Unfortunately, Smoot didn"t have a season to remember. Smoot was marred by his inexplicable credit card purchase, which he claimed wasn"t his, for the boats involved in the infamous "sex cruise." His trial date is set for May 30. Aside from the bye week troubles that will no longer occur in Minnesota, Smoot had an average season, which was also dotted with a collarbone injury that force him to miss a month. So after all the trouble and injury, he finished with a very average 41 tackle and two interception season.Oh, and there was that torching given to him at the expense of Carolina Panthers All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith. Smith embarrassed Smoot for 11 catches, 201 yards and a touchdown. In defense of Smoot, not only did Smith manhandle almost every other opposing defensive back he faced, but defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell effectively left Smoot out to Cowboys jerseydry in that game. The game plan produced by the now ex-coordinator was horrendous and disastrous from the start. He had Smoot playing man coverage, but 10 yards off the receiver at the line, and with no safety help over the top. There isn"t a single cornerback in the NFL that could succeed in that situation.If you remove that game Colts jersey from Smoot"s resume, suddenly his season doesn"t look so bad. Couple that with the fact that he will return fully healthy and won"t have to play with any pending investigations against him, meaning he should be more focused. A focused Smoot is an elite cornerback, capable of coming up with a game-changing play at any moment. Look for Smoot to bounce back and earn his paycheck in 2006. In doing so, he will help turn a good Vikings defense into the upper echelon defense the team has been lacking for many years.Get more Fred Smoot insights Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka

If you"re having trouble imagining just what the heck the Green Bay Packers" offense might look like, you"re not alone. Right now, it frankly looks like a bit of a mess. While we know the Pack will be running a West Coast Offensive scheme in 2006, the depth chart at receiver is hardly set beyond Donald Driver. Brett Favre is optimistic about learning the new gameplan, but is reportedly extremely shaky in terms of performance thus far. And the word on injured Ahman Green is ... well, it"s non-existent.After messing around with Green Bay media, fans and front office for a few winter months, Favre announced he"d be returning to the field for the "06 season. Since appearing at camp, Favre has been nothing but smiles and is nfl jerseys optimistic about his team"s chances after their disastrous 4-12 campaign of last season. Sound bites like "this is ... the most talented team I"ve been on" and "I really believe that we"re going to be better than people think we will" and the inevitable "happy to be here" may play well to the faithful, but make for little more than a smokescreen behind which lurk darker concerns.Despite the fact that his arm "feels great," Favre has had enough problems in recent practice sessions that Coach Mike McCarthy noted a few "bad decisions" to the media after his QB threw five interceptions in a Monday practice session. McCarthy questioned the old guy"s discipline that evening, but was outwardly more optimistic yesterday.Of course, yesterday saw Favre run the two-minute to no avail. A pair of completions by Brett, including a 57-yarder to Greg Jennings, had the QB looking good, but an interception halted his would-be TD. McCarthy defended this decision, however, saying that Favre had made the right read. Favre left practice Tuesday with an injury, but the hit to the leg was not all serious.Jennings" play should probably be viewed as a positive, since the second-round pick is showing nice maturity and could very well win himself the No. 2 receiver spot in the free-for-all going for that position. Should Jennings work out to the ideal some reports have him at, the Packer front office can take great pride in a shrewd deal that Vikings jersey had them moving Javon "Favre"s Favorite Target" Walker for the youngster on draft day.Meanwhile, mum"s the word from Wisconsin on Green. At the press conference kicking off Packer camp, McCarthy stated that more details on his wounded RB"s (Green and Najeh Davenport) would be apparent after the first physical. That was last Friday. Since then, Davenport, Samkon Gado and Noah Herron have all seen plays running the ball. Word out of camp is that McCarthy and co. are toying with a "tailback-by-committee" game plan, which would seem to indicate that Green won"t be seen for a while.Davenport reportedly impressed McCarthy during the Friday practice which marked "the first time [McCarthy] has been around him live." Davenport is approaching the press modestly, not willing to say definitively that he"s "back in the groove" after an ankle injury that kept him out of serious training from October to February. The injury-prone Davenport has missed 25 games over four seasons.Gado, by most accounts, is still having some difficulty adapting to McCarthy"s zone-blocking scheme, difficulties first reported during mini-camps. Gado would be Steelers jerseyssential in a platoon system, as his game contrasts nicely with Davenport"s straightforward power running game. On the other hand, having few problems with the zone blocking is young Herron, the 244th selection of the 2005 NFL draft who was used in a pinch last season to great success. Since McCarthy"s system is similar to that which Herron played under at Northwestern, this tailback has a head start on Davenport and Gado, and is doing the best he can to hold on to the position he first won by default. Once taken for granted as a possible third-stringer, Herron would today certainly be worked into a "committee," with the sky quite possibly the limit. Herron could be Green Bay"s future, but whether he"s Green Bay"s tomorrow remains a question.In fact, the Herron question is one among a multitude. The Pack looks to start a season with an aging nearly-retired QB forced to learn a new system under a new head coach with an unknown starting set of receivers and an undefined committee at tailback. The one overriding question to face before September therefore becomes: Will the Packers in fact be ready for some football?Watch how it all shakes out for the Green Bay Packers

Entering the 2006 regular season, the Seattle Seahawks have some of the highest expectations in the National Football League. Much of the confidence people have in Mike Holmgren"s team comes from its superb offense, which finished last season tops in the league in total yardage and second in points scored. Thanks to that tremendous unit, the Seahawks marched all the way to Super Bowl XL, where they lost controversially to the Pittsburgh Steelers.This season, 30-year-old Matt Hasselbeck returns under center. Considering he was once an unheralded backup quarterback in both Green Bay and Seattle, it"s hard to believe how far the former Boston College standout has come. The two-time Pro Bowler had his best season in 2005, tossing for 24 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 3,455 yards. Since Hasselbeck"s in his prime, look for him to continue performing to an elite level in "06.Much like the QB position, the Seahawks return a familiar stalwart in the backfield. Defending NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, who set an all-time record with 28 touchdowns last year, remains the No. 1 man on the roster. The former first-rounder also eclipsed the 1,800-yard rushing mark last year, making him arguably the best back in the game. However, what goes up must come down, which means the 29-year-old probably won"t approach either his yardage nfl jerseys or touchdown totals from last year. Still, the 218-pounder"s a top-notch performer capable of carrying the Seahawks every week, though he likely won"t need to.At wide receiver, the Seahawks are clearly questionable. Top man Darrell Jackson is certainly above average when healthy, but that seems like a rarity. Jackson is battling injuries once again this preseason, and hasn"t even practiced or played yet this summer. Obviously, that spells trouble.Following Jackson in the starting lineup will either be Bobby Engram or Nate Burleson. Of that pair, the newly acquired Burleson has the most potential of the two, but Engram brings veteran steadiness. Since Burleson, a former Viking, was signed to such a large deal in the offseason, it would be hard to envision him not starting. Burleson, who was once a 1,000-yard receiver, will have a tall order ahead of him trying to replace the departed Joe Jurevicius.The tight end position in the Pacific Northwest will see 6-foot-4, 265-pounder Itula Mili as the opening day starter, assuming his recent knee sprain heals in time. The 33-year-old only played in two games last season, but he was known as a dependable blocker/receiver prior then, catching Dallas Cowboys jerseya combined 112 passes between 2002-2004. He"ll hold down the fort until former first-round pick Jerramy Stevens returns from a preseason knee injury. Seattle"s offensive line is where the winds of change blew in the most during the offseason. The team waved goodbye to left guard Steve Hutchinson, one of the best in football, who signed a massive deal with the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, 27-year-old career backup Floyd Womack is tentatively inserted into the starting lineup, but he can"t seem to stay healthy at all. The door remains open for inside linemen Chris Spencer, a first-rounder in the "05 draft, and Rob Sims, who was drafted in the fourth round out of Ohio State last April.Teaming up inside with either Womack, Spencer or Sims is right guard Chris Gray and center Robbie Tobeck, two o-line sages who have a combined 25 years of experience under their belts. Tobeck"s excellence was finally recognized last year, as Indianapolis Colts jersey the 36-year-old made the trek to his first Pro Bowl. Gray, meanwhile, hasn"t missed a game this millennium, starting in 96 consecutive contests. Rounding out the Seahawks" starting line is their two tackles, left man Walter Jones and, on the right, Sean Locklear. The 308-pound Jones is hands down the best left tackle in the league, while Locklear, a 25-year-old, burst onto the scene last year, starting in all 16 games and taking only four penalties.In terms of offensive depth, Seattle is difficult to beat. Players like backup RB Maurice Morris, WR"s D.J. Hackett and Peter Warrick, and linemen Tom Ashworth and whichever two players lose out on the LG job jump to the forefront.Final prediction: Once again, underappreciated coordinator Gil Haskell"s offense will finish this season near the top of the NFL. If the group doesn"t end the year standing at the peak of the league"s mountain of offenses, it will be mighty close. With guys like Hasselbeck, Alexander and Jones, that"s not at all far-fetched.--Got feedback? Connor J. Byrne responds to your questions and comments: cbyrneSign up for our free e-mail alerts at the top right-hand corner of the page for the latest Seattle Seahawks articles sent directly to your inbox.

Although the Carolina Panthers are among the elite teams in football, many still question their running back position. The Panthers bring DeShaun Foster, Nick Goings, Eric Shelton and Jamal Robertson as the top four backs on their depth chart. The main point of concern which leads people to question this group of backs is the fact that all have been injury-prone in the past. On the contrary, the Panthers" offensive coaching staff and front-office is confident in the health of their lead trio of backs.For openers, the Panthers bring the highly talented, yet oft injured Foster, who is officially penciled in as the team"s No. 1 back for next season. After starting last season behind veteran bruiser Stephen Davis on the Panthers" depth chart, Foster took nfl throwback jerseys over and had a big season with 879 rushing yards and 372 receiving yards. He was also second on the team in receptions with 34, so he undoubtedly has an opportunity to be one of the league"s best all-purpose threats, if he can stay healthy. In four seasons, Foster, a former second-round pick from UCLA, has appeared in just 33 out of a possible 64 games. However, the Panthers put a lot of trust in Foster"s future health last month as they re-signed the 26-year-old to a three-year contract worth a hefty $14.5 million. Foster"s contract came just 10 days after the Panthers released Davis because of salary cap constraints. Clearly, the Panthers have put their faith in Foster, and for once, they better hope he stays healthy. If his health can hold up for a full season, the Panthers will have one of the league"s finest dual-threats.In the event that Foster fails to stay healthy, the Carolina Panthers can always bring the 28-year-old Goings to Minnesota Vikings jersey the table. Goings isn"t necessarily a well-known entity, but he"s an above-average back with the ability to bang up opposing defenders with his 225 pound frame. In extended duty in 2004, Goings rushed for a surprising 821 yards and six touchdowns. He was also among the Panthers" leaders in receptions that year with 45. Thus, much like Foster, Goings has proven to be a nice all-purpose player who can puzzle the opposition on a good day. Certainly, many NFL teams would be more than happy to have him as a backup or change of pace player.One player who hasn"t gotten much notoriety on the Panthers is the 22-year-old Shelton. Subsequent to being drafted in the third-round of the 2005 draft, Shelton broke his foot last September in a preseason game, and that forced him to miss all of last season. At the University of Louisville, Shelton was extremely impressive as he led the team in rushing and regularly dominated opposing defenses, even though he had to split carries with former teammate and current Buffalo Bills reserve running back Lionel Gates. Weighing in at a whopping 249 pounds, Shelton will be able to step in as the heir apparent to Pittsburgh Steelers jersey the departed Davis if he pans out the way Carolina hopes. He has the opportunity to be a major factor around the goal-line with his imposing bulk. Out of all the Panthers" running backs, it may be the 29-year-old Robertson who ends up as the odd man out. The five-year veteran has never proven to be capable of winning a job or even carrying a load for a single game. He will likely end up having difficulty making the Panthers" roster, since he has three superior backs ahead of him. In the event that Robertson does earn a roster spot in Carolina, it"ll likely be due to an injury to one of the Panthers" other backs; Robertson"s other hope is to make the team as a special teamer, since he"s solid in that aspect.If the Carolina Panthers end up contending for a Super Bowl title next season, it will be due in no small part to the success of their running game. Therefore, it is imperative that Foster gets the job done and stays healthy as the starter, and it"s also of high importance that Goings and Shelton provide legitimate threats as reserves. If not, the Panthers will be looking at a redo of their NFC Championship game loss last season, as their running backs were shut down because of injuries. The result? A humiliating 34-14 defeat. Obviously, nobody in Carolina wants to see that nightmarish scenario played out again.--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne

The Arizona Cardinals are in the mess are proceeding to the NFL cost-free bureau period, and additionally they have no a sole to blame but themselves. Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is owed a bottom salary of .5 million dollars for your 2008 season, many thanks towards the incentive-laden rookie offer that the Cardinals agreed to once they created him nfl throwback jerseysthe 3rd choose inside of the 2004 NFL draft. as being a bottom salary, the whole contract will matter versus the team’s 2008 salary cap, which signifies about 15% while using hat is tied into a sole player. That will ensure it is really difficult for your Cardinals to hang on to all one other avid gamers they need to keep, this kind of as linebackers Karlos Dansby and Calvin Pace, running back again Edgerrin James and both quarterbacks, Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner. They appear to by now have resigned themselves to sacrificing 3rd obtain Bryant Johnson. Cardinals common manager Rod Graves acknowledges that once the group cannot convince Fitzgerald to re-do his deal, there are are proceeding to become severe trouble: “We’ll need to Vikings jersey see how the landscape develops as we try out and get these contracts signed. … I really feel a great offer will depend on Larry Fitzgerald’s deal, regardless of whether we are able to get some component in spot that will permit us some flexibility. If not, we could really good be faced with some really tough choices lower the road. “We haven’t talked candidly about wherever individuals tough choices may maybe be. We know if this offer isn’t really restructured, it’ll entail us owning to Steelers jersey make some tough moves.” But really, why need to Fitzgerald play ball, unless of course the Cardinals are prepared to supply him a significant increase lower the road in swap for much less money now? Ultimately, the Cardinals would be the ones who agreed to this cap-crippling contract, and if they did not method good satisfactory to become ready for just about any .5 million dollars hat hit, which happens to be their problem, not Fitzgerald’s. I have great interest in wholesale china goods such as wholesale jerseys, wholesale cell phones, wholesale jerseys and wholesale golf clubs. As a famous wholesaler, I have engaged in this line for more than 10 years. I am glad to share experiences of china wholesale with you. So more information please come to our store supply.,