THE NFL INSIDER
By Michael Jessen
June 21, 2002 Random thoughts on 2002: Moss to be boss again...Ricky will shine in the sun...Reality bites the Pats...We're saving our 2002 NFL regular season, playoff and Super Bowl picks for early August, but with training camps set to open in just about a month we've taken a look into the "Insider" crystal ball and have some early picks in some special categories.
MVP:
AFC -- Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins. Team that desperately needed a franchise back got a great one in a pre-draft trade. Sure sounds like a good idea to us.
NFC -- Randy Moss, WR, Vikings. For at least this season while things are still fresh with new Vikings' head coach Mike Tice, Moss will try hard every week. And that's all he really needs to do to be the league's best player.
Biggest surprise:
AFC -- Cincinnati. Actually, we're just playing the percentages here. After drafting so many times in the top 10 in recent years picks, the Bengals have to surprise sometime.
NFC -- Minnesota. See above...If Randy Moss is trying, we're buying!
Biggest disappointment:
AFC -- New England. What goes up, must come down. Especially when what went up wasn't that good in the first place. Ultimately, we hope we're wrong about this one. The Patriots are easy to root for, but if there was ever a Super Bowl champion set up for fall, it's these guys.
NFC -- Chicago. We're still confused how the Bears won 12 games last year.
Rookie of the year:
AFC -- William Green, RB, Browns. Nothing impacts quicker than a stud franchise back.
NFC -- Donte Stallworth, WR, Saints. New Orleans has big plans to go deep this fall and the Aaron Brooks-to-Stallworth combo will be the talk of the league. We also have a good feeling about new Lions' QB Joey Harrington, but he may not have the supporting cast in Detroit.
Rookie bust:
AFC -- Bryan Thomas, DE, Jets. We just don't think a kid can be big-time first-year player coming out of Alabama-Birmingham.
NFC -- Javon Walker, WR, Packers. What was Mike Sherman thinking when he traded up for this guy?
Most intriguing coaching story:
AFC-- Bill Callahan, Raiders. Al Davis gets to push around a powerless head coach. Privately, the players are saying it's "back to Bugel."
NFC -- Steve Mariucci, 49ers. If Mooch bingos it to the Super Bowl, he wins. If not, it could get ugly in 49er land.
Person to be missed the most:
AFC -- Jon Gruden. The Raiders look very ordinary without 'Chucky'. The squad were old last year. And that was before signing LB Bill Romanowski and DB Rod Woodson.
NFC -- Correll Buckhalter, RB, Eagles. The Eagles thought they could get over the hump with Buckhalter as their feature back. So they backed off Warrick Dunn and didn't draft a RB in the first round. Then Buckhalter blew out his knee running in shorts and a T-shirt without being hit on the first day off minicamp last month. Ouch!
Hottest assistant:
AFC -- Norv Turner, offensive coordinator, Dolphins. With the addition of RB Ricky Williams, Miami will consistently score in the high 20s this coming season and Turner will get much of the credit.
NFC-- Marvin Lewis, defensive coordinator, Redskins. Lewis has been high on everybody's list the past couple of seasons; no problem with his on-field coaching which won't be hurt having emerging Redskins' LB Lavar Arrington wreaking havoc all over the field, but Lewis has to improve his interview skills. He had the Bucs job locked up this past off-season, but blew it in his five-hour meeting with the Glazers.
Most improved team:
AFC-- Cleveland. The Browns beefed up an already solid defense with the addition of veteran free agents DE Kenard Lang, LB Earl Holmes, and SS Robert Griffith and finally have a true franchise back in William Green to complement QB Tim Couch. In fact, the Browns might be one superstar WR away from being a Super Bowl team.
NFC -- Dallas. If enigmatic Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones keeps getting 'attaboys' for his offseason moves - this year he upgraded an already pretty good defense with the addition of free agents DT La'roi Glover, LB Kevin Hardy and CB Bryant Westbrook, not to mention adding hard-hitting SS Roy Williams in the draft, and added promising young QB Chad Hutchison to the mix behind center - he might never hire a 'real' GM.
Early favorite to get the #1 pick in 2003:
AFC-- Jacksonville. If either QB Mark Brunell or RB Fred Taylor ever go down again, the Jaguars are too thin to survive.
NFC -- Carolina. The Panthers will be what you get when you pass on a Joey Harrington and go to war with Chris Weinke. The good news in Carolina: Say hello to Byron Leftwich, Dave Ragone, or even Drew Henson.
By Michael Jessen
June 21, 2002 Random thoughts on 2002: Moss to be boss again...Ricky will shine in the sun...Reality bites the Pats...We're saving our 2002 NFL regular season, playoff and Super Bowl picks for early August, but with training camps set to open in just about a month we've taken a look into the "Insider" crystal ball and have some early picks in some special categories.
MVP:
AFC -- Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins. Team that desperately needed a franchise back got a great one in a pre-draft trade. Sure sounds like a good idea to us.
NFC -- Randy Moss, WR, Vikings. For at least this season while things are still fresh with new Vikings' head coach Mike Tice, Moss will try hard every week. And that's all he really needs to do to be the league's best player.
Biggest surprise:
AFC -- Cincinnati. Actually, we're just playing the percentages here. After drafting so many times in the top 10 in recent years picks, the Bengals have to surprise sometime.
NFC -- Minnesota. See above...If Randy Moss is trying, we're buying!
Biggest disappointment:
AFC -- New England. What goes up, must come down. Especially when what went up wasn't that good in the first place. Ultimately, we hope we're wrong about this one. The Patriots are easy to root for, but if there was ever a Super Bowl champion set up for fall, it's these guys.
NFC -- Chicago. We're still confused how the Bears won 12 games last year.
Rookie of the year:
AFC -- William Green, RB, Browns. Nothing impacts quicker than a stud franchise back.
NFC -- Donte Stallworth, WR, Saints. New Orleans has big plans to go deep this fall and the Aaron Brooks-to-Stallworth combo will be the talk of the league. We also have a good feeling about new Lions' QB Joey Harrington, but he may not have the supporting cast in Detroit.
Rookie bust:
AFC -- Bryan Thomas, DE, Jets. We just don't think a kid can be big-time first-year player coming out of Alabama-Birmingham.
NFC -- Javon Walker, WR, Packers. What was Mike Sherman thinking when he traded up for this guy?
Most intriguing coaching story:
AFC-- Bill Callahan, Raiders. Al Davis gets to push around a powerless head coach. Privately, the players are saying it's "back to Bugel."
NFC -- Steve Mariucci, 49ers. If Mooch bingos it to the Super Bowl, he wins. If not, it could get ugly in 49er land.
Person to be missed the most:
AFC -- Jon Gruden. The Raiders look very ordinary without 'Chucky'. The squad were old last year. And that was before signing LB Bill Romanowski and DB Rod Woodson.
NFC -- Correll Buckhalter, RB, Eagles. The Eagles thought they could get over the hump with Buckhalter as their feature back. So they backed off Warrick Dunn and didn't draft a RB in the first round. Then Buckhalter blew out his knee running in shorts and a T-shirt without being hit on the first day off minicamp last month. Ouch!
Hottest assistant:
AFC -- Norv Turner, offensive coordinator, Dolphins. With the addition of RB Ricky Williams, Miami will consistently score in the high 20s this coming season and Turner will get much of the credit.
NFC-- Marvin Lewis, defensive coordinator, Redskins. Lewis has been high on everybody's list the past couple of seasons; no problem with his on-field coaching which won't be hurt having emerging Redskins' LB Lavar Arrington wreaking havoc all over the field, but Lewis has to improve his interview skills. He had the Bucs job locked up this past off-season, but blew it in his five-hour meeting with the Glazers.
Most improved team:
AFC-- Cleveland. The Browns beefed up an already solid defense with the addition of veteran free agents DE Kenard Lang, LB Earl Holmes, and SS Robert Griffith and finally have a true franchise back in William Green to complement QB Tim Couch. In fact, the Browns might be one superstar WR away from being a Super Bowl team.
NFC -- Dallas. If enigmatic Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones keeps getting 'attaboys' for his offseason moves - this year he upgraded an already pretty good defense with the addition of free agents DT La'roi Glover, LB Kevin Hardy and CB Bryant Westbrook, not to mention adding hard-hitting SS Roy Williams in the draft, and added promising young QB Chad Hutchison to the mix behind center - he might never hire a 'real' GM.
Early favorite to get the #1 pick in 2003:
AFC-- Jacksonville. If either QB Mark Brunell or RB Fred Taylor ever go down again, the Jaguars are too thin to survive.
NFC -- Carolina. The Panthers will be what you get when you pass on a Joey Harrington and go to war with Chris Weinke. The good news in Carolina: Say hello to Byron Leftwich, Dave Ragone, or even Drew Henson.