Happy Friday, all! The week is nearly over and its time to overload on sports this weekend.  

MLB--THE DOPES ARE DOPING

With the recent report coming out of ESPN that their investigative television arm, OTL (Outside the Lines), has discovered that Major League Baseball intends to suspend around 20 players up to 100 games each for multiple performance enhancing drug (PEDs) violations.  This could be the biggest PED scandal in all sports (well, maybe there are some who would argue that the Tour de France cycling blood doping scandal of 2006 will end up having been bigger, but I’m not in Paris--I’m an obnoxious American--and I haven’t ridden a bike since I crashed my first car as a teenager).

The two biggest names on the list are Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees and Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. Reports indicate that both would receive basically a double-suspension: 50 games for 1st offense of being listed as receiving PEDs from the scumbag drug-dealer Biogenesis founder, Tony Bosch; and the second offense and another 50 games for previously lying to MLB about any connection to scumbag drug-dealer Biogenesis founder, Tony Bosch.

Obviously, this is huge news for MLB and yet another black eye as the suspensions and subsequent appeals process and lawyering will likely keep this in the news for a long time.  If Bosch sounds familiar, he was the greasy, slicked-back hair and sunglasses-wearing distributor in the Red Sox and Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez’s 2009 drug test failures. After coming to the attention of MLB then, he resurfaced again as a central figure in former Yankees Bartolo Colon and Melky Cabrera’s suspensions.  

The list of players implicated have severe ramifications on pennant races beyond the two MVPs (A-Rod & Braun), as the list includes players in the midst of contending such as Melky Cabrera of the Blue Jays, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers, pitcher Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals (although reports indicate Gonzalez may not be disciplined as his mention may involve legal supplements), Jesus Montero of the Mariners, and Jhonny Peralta of the Tigers.  Add in the players on teams not in contention further weakening those squads, and at best these players having to play with pending appeals and daily haranguing and questioning from the media, and there is a significant impact on performance and races.

This is a headache that is just beginning for any players mentioned in the report, and no amount of Asprin is going to make this headache go away anytime soon.

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BOSTON RED SOX--SPAHN AND SAIN AND PRAY FOR RAIN:

George V. Hern, sports editor of the Boston Post back in 1948 wrote a famous poem for the Boston Post:

First we'll use Spahn

then we'll use Sain

Then an off day

followed by rain

Back will come Spahn

followed by Sain

And followed

we hope

by two days of rain.

which was eventually shortened by the Boston fan base to just: “Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain.”  After hall of fame pitcher Warren Spahn and teammate Johnny Sain combined to go 8-0 over 12 days (not games, 12 days) during the Boston Braves one run to the National League pennant, the sports pages had a little fun with the dynamic duo at the top of the rotation.

Why delve into the history of Boston sports--especially referencing a title run by a team that hasn’t played in Boston for over 50 years?  Because in 2013, the modern day American League Boston Red Sox have their own version of a similar top of the rotation one-two punch. Of course, I haven’t seen many poems written in the honor of Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester.

Buchholz and Lester, and pray for...no Fenway molesters?

Lester and Buchholz and pray for...does anything rhyme with Buchholz?

(OK, so poems are not going to happen!)

As a team (through 5/29/2013), the starters have a 3.69 ERA, average 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 2.39 strikeout to walk ratio.  The key components of that surge in pitching performance and subsequent rise to the top of the AL East, have been Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. Buchholz is 7 -0 with a 1.73 ERA in his first ten starts. He averages a strikeout per inning, and has allowed opposing batters a .194 batting average and sports a tidy 1.05 WHIP (average of combined Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched). Lester has hit a few bumps recently, but he is still sporting a 3.34 ERA in eleven starts with a 6-1 record. Lester has 60 strikeouts in 72⅔ innings. He has held opposing batters a .225 batting average and sports a WHIP of 1.11.  

Between their top two starters, the Red Sox two stars are a combined 13-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 145⅓ innings (through 5/29/2013).  Unfortunately, Buchholz was pushed back for two starts with a right AC Joint issue that the team kept insisting is not serious. Fortunately, he looked just as good as usual in a 5 inning complete game shutout in a rain-shortened appearance. Lester has had two rough starts the past two starts, causing his ERA to jump from 2.72 to 3.34 as he allowed 9 earned runs in 13 innings.  

However, this season has been a huge leap forward for the two young starters compared to last season, when Lester suffered through his worst season as a professional and Buchholz had his worst season since his first full season.  Buchholz was 11-8 last year with a 4.56 ERA and Lester suffered through a 9-14 record with a 4.82 ERA.  These two are the key to the Red Sox rotation as they battle for first place one year after a last place finish in 2012.  As their two young guns go, so goes the Red Sox fortune.  

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AROUND THE NFL--MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS:

This is the slow season of the NFL (I like using 17th century nautical terms like “doldrums” and “horse latitudes” when referring to in-between sports seasons so much that a reader once asked if I was a merchant sailor previously--nope, just an English major in college who took too many “Important Writers of the Romantic Age and Industrial Revolution” courses. So with great pains I will restrain myself here), and news is often consumed with one of two reports: injuries, or overly optimistic reports of players that fall into one of the these two categories:  “Player X and Player Y are developing a rapport and are in sync on the practice field during non-contact drills”, or “Player Z is in the best shape of his life and has been making plays all over the practice field and opening eyes in non-contact drills”.  The problem? The qualifier of “non-contact drills”.  Until there are real games, real contact, and the grind of performing while tired, hot, and the pressure mounts, any reports tend to be next to useless.

I grew up reading Will McDonough of the Boston Globe and his groundbreaking NFL Notes Sunday column.  While the Sunday NFL Notes continued, it was hardly ever the same after McDonough passed, though there was some stellar writers such as Mike Reiss (now at ESPN), and Albert Breer (now featured at NFL.com). Most recently, Greg Bedard had been doing an excellent job and has become the latest to use the high-profile position to move on, as he recently moved to Sports Illustrated.  Amazingly, as a Rutgers alumni, Bedard is NOT in training camp as a defensive back for the New England Patriots.  While the Boston Globe refused to see the wisdom of hiring me to write the Sunday NFL Notes column, Sully and Beeze made a horrific mistake they’ll regret the rest of their lives by giving an insane lunatic a forum to share his inane ramblings were nice enough to let me contribute to YouGabSports.com.

Around the NFL this week, there has been a lot of noise out of Detroit, as new running back Reggie Bush, who is well-versed in talented but underachieving offenses, started spouting about the championship level caliber of his new team, which went 4-12 last season. After all his talk about Miami challenging New England in the AFC East these past years, I doubt that the Green Bay fan base is too worried.

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Conversely, Detroit coach Jim Schwartz, starting a new contract extension, has had his owner come out whatever shuttered Ford factory he hides out in for years at a time with the unsaid but implied need to perform or else.  Not often a coach is in that spot in the first year of a three-year contract extension, but going from double-digit wins to double-digit losses with the core of their two big stars (quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson) still intact on offense.  That the team seems as undisciplined as the Oakland Raiders at times is puzzling, as Schwartz comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree which is renowned for not putting up with too much in the way of shenanigans.

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The Houston Texans spent a ton of cash on safety Ed Reed signing him away from the World Champion Baltimore Ravens. Houston is paying Reed $15 million over three years after eleven years in Baltimore.  While still a veteran leader, the cost seemed excessive at the time as the team let younger, more athletic safety Glover Quin depart in free agency to Detroit, where he signed a 5 year $25 million contract.  Quin is only 27 and arguably the better player at this point of their careers. Reed, at 34, was noticeably not the same player the past few years and seemed to have regress with age and injuries.  Now, reports are that Reed--who had hip surgery this off-season after signing with Houston--is now talking about potentially not being able to play in week one.  Remember, in 2010 he underwent hip surgery while in Baltimore and missed the first seven games.  After their debacle in the playoffs against New England, the Texans need to ready to go in week one and put their finish to 2012 behind them, and this injury to Reed raises big concerns.

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No trip through the NFL is complete without checking in with the most controversial coach in the NFL, Rex Ryan of the New York Jets.  The Jets will actually have an entertaining controversy on the field between the numbers instead of solely in the media.  Quarterback Mark Sanchez, one year removed from one of the most ridiculous contract extensions ever given to a mediocre quarterback, is locked in a battle this summer with rookie 2nd round pick, quarterback Geno Smith.  With the media keeping track of statistics by the quarterbacks during OTAs. Seth Walder, who was charting completions and attempts for the New York Daily News on twitter, and reported that Sanchez. He also noted that during practice Sanchez crumbled during a two-minute drill. This looks to be a delicious battle for the back pages of the New York papers all through the summer.

Add in, of course, that neither quarterback has any competent receivers to throw the ball to, and the New York headache that was to have left when super-hype quarterback Tim Tebow was released will not go away. Reports today indicate that the Jets only competent pass-catcher, Santonio Holmes, may not be ready for training camp after two surgeries for a Lisfranc injury (foot) that caused him to miss 12 games last season.  

Of course, Holmes is not the only walking wounded at wide receiver in greater New Jersey. Jets wideouts Jeremy Kerley, a heel injury; Clyde Gates, a hamstring injury; and last year’s second round draft pick Stephen Hill, a knee injury; leaves the Jets weakened at a weak position in OTAs.

A weak offensive line (an offensive offensive line, no?), a dearth of playmakers on offense, and a defense that traded its best player (Darrelle Revis), is a recipe for more dysfunction for the most dysfunctional family on the Jersey shore.

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Finally, the news out of New England is pure panic and hand-wringing in regards to star tight end Rob Gronkowski.  With Gronkowski under the knife yet again for his forearm--which is a good sign actually, as it means the infection was cleared out and the doctors successfully replaced the old plate in his arm--and out for at least two months, the great unknown surrounds his back injury. As coach Bill Belichick is notoriously tight-lipped (loose lips sink ships--remember, he grew up in Annapolis, MD around the US Naval Academy as his father, Steve--a Navy veteran in WWII-- was a scout for the Navy football team for over 30 years), no one knew much about Gronkowski playing through chronic back pain.  Reports fly fast and furious about the injury on Twitter, news sites, blogs, and over the water cooler, but the fact is that no one really knows and until he sees his doctor in a few weeks, no one knows what the next step is for Gronkowski.  In my opinion, if he’s out two months for the forearm, have any necessary back surgery and put him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and get him as healthy as possible for the second half of the season and the playoffs.  Any extra time to heal the forearm and not rush back is a positive.  The Patriots are built to survive without any player (other than Tom Brady, 2008 excluded) on the roster, and caution is recommended with such an important player.

* * *

NHL--DOUBLE (OVERTIME) TROUBLE

I paid the price at work on Thursday, as staying up past midnight for the Boston Bruins to put away the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals made for a short shift of sleep.  Bruins center Patrice Bergeron scored after over 35 minutes of overtime to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the series against the heavily favored Penguins. The Bruins are one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three years.

The Penguins corrected a number of mistakes from the first two games and got excellent goaltending from Thomas Vokoun after his sieve-like performance the first two games of the series. The Bruins scored first in the first minutes of the initial period with the NHL Playoffs leading scorer David Krejci’s shot deflecting off the Pittsburgh defenseman’s skates and past Vokoun.  Credit Pittsburgh with not folding their tents and going home, as Pittsburgh tightened up on defense and eventually tied the game in the second period with a nifty goal by Chris Kunitz.

The Penguins and Bruins both had ample opportunities to score in the third period and first overtime.  Both teams benefited from excellent goaltending with Boston goalie Tuukka Rask making 53 saves and Vokoun stopping 38 shots on net.

For Pittsburgh, it is demoralizing to go on the road after laying an egg in back to back games at home and then playing their best game of the series (of the month? of their entire playoff run so far?) and still losing the game in heart-breaking fashion.  For Pittsburgh, they have a game four in Boston to try to extend the series.  As Bruins fans are well aware, a 3-0 lead is never safe in any series and they need to wrap this series up and then wait for the next challenger in the West.

* * *

OK, that’s it for today...thanks so much for indulging and reading.

For those of you who made it this far and are thinking, “who the heck is this idiot writing this bologna?”, I’m Hal Bent.  To answer your next thought “So what. Who cares?”, well I’m from the Boston area (heading south towards the Cape) and have been a sports enthusiast my entire life.  My earliest sports memory involves the Red Sox losing the one game playoff after their incredible collapse during the season against the Yankees in 1978 and that set the stage for a lifetime of sports pathos aplenty.

Some of the regulars here know me from other sites and I've been a lurker and commenting on posts occasionally. If you don't know me...well, you were lucky up until today. The boring stuff about me is that I’ve written for http://www.BostonSportPage.com since 2005, write about the New England Patriots for http://www.MusketFire.com, am a (heck, currently the only) contributor to the comic strip humor site http://www.DailyComicsReview.com in my non-sports writing, will contribute to a start-up football site (launching July 1) http://www.cover32.com also I contribute, linger, and learn about other sports I don’t follow passionately (yet) at http://www.t-s-b-n.com, and am excited to contribute here at YouGabSports. I am on Twitter far more often than I should be and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/halbent01. I am on the F-Book (as some wryly call it) at http://www.facebook.com/HalBent3.

The even less interesting stuff about me is that I am a fan of all sports: baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, and Texas Hold ’em Poker.  I love baseball analytics, which is odd because I was horrible at math.  I am a fan of all Boston sports teams, the Washington Redskins (long, boring story), the St. Louis Cardinals (even longer, more boring story), and a huge English Premier League footy fan strongly aligned with the People’s Club, the true pride of Liverpool, the Everton FC Toffees (I refuse to let Red Sox owner John Henry shove the Liverpool FC team down my craw like he has been attempting to do since purchasing the collection of whining maggots not worthy of wearing blue--I’m talking to you, Suarez club.

Yet even more unremarkable information about me is that I am a craft-beer enthusiast, watch and read tons of sci-fi and action thrillers, an unabashed fan of horrible, cheesy, unwatchable, and unintentionally funny movies.  I watch too many cartoons and anything that makes me laugh. I obsess over Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, comic strips, comic books, comic book movies, graphic novels, websites about comic books, cartoons about comic books, and books about comic books.  I am involved in more fantasy sports leagues than I should be in more different sports than I should be, spend too much time thinking and strategizing in regards to them, play sports video games, love the Sports Mogul games online, and still have my Strat-O-Matic games back 20 odd years--even if only to have my 1988 Ricky Henderson Strat-O-Matic card--the greatest Strat-O-Matic card other than Ken Phelps.  Somehow I function in regular society and at a government 9 to 5 job and meet up regularly to continue an ongoing 20+ year argument originally about about the Modern American Poets and has evolved into other literature, sports, and life, the universe and everything with my best friend at the local watering hole each week.

I’m married to an incredible, beautiful woman who all my friends believe (this is their most popular theory they’ve come up with) that I have kept drugged with some kind of mind-altering concoction for 15+ years to make her believe she is really married to someone more handsome, richer, and not a dingbat like I am. I also have two unique, intelligent, and wonderful children who look and take after their mother (thank God!), but have next to zero interest in sports (WWE Wresting and Monster Trucks, yes. Disney tween shows and video games, yes. Sports--other than live events where the interest ranges to merchandise and food only, not the product on the field so much--no.).   

So that’s me (I decided to keep the introduction at the end so no one felt guilty skipping it) and want to again make sure I point out who you have to blame thank Sully and Beezer for reaching out and letting me contribute here, and thank you for reading.

Have a great weekend, all!

Your 2010 NFL All-Rookie Team :

Quarterback : Sam Bradford, Saint Louis Rams

 

He gets this spot easily, yet almost by default.

Jimmy Clausen, of the Carolina Panthers, was second amongst rookies with 299 passing attempts in a mostly horrid season for the youngster. Cleveland's Colt McCoy could have had this slot, but he was unable to stay healthy when called upon. 

Bradford threw for 3,512 yards and 18 scores against 15 interceptions. He accomplished this on a team that was hit hard by injuries to their wide receiver corps. The Rams won three games total in the previous two seasons combined, but Bradford led them to seven victories this year while taking every snap. 

Yet he came up real small when Saint Louis needed him most.

In their regular season finale against Seattle, where the winner would grab the AFC West title and get into the playoffs, Bradford couldn't get his team into the end zone against a very bad Seahawks defense. While throwing an interception on 36 attempts, he gained just 155 yards on 19 completions. 

Next season will be one to watch for Bradford. Not only should all of his receivers be healthy, the Rams may draft him a few more weapons for the sake of depth at the least. His future is looking decent so far, ask Saint Louis fans who never expected to see their team get so close to a playoff berth in 2010.

 

 

 

Running Back : LeGerrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

While having a long, strange trip on the gridiron, Blount has excelled on the field on every level. After two 1,000-yard seasons in junior college, he went to Oregon University and promptly gained over 1,000 yards in 2008. He missed the 2009 season after punching an opponent in the first game of the year. 

The NFL was skeptical of Blount's ability to control his anger, so no one drafted him for the 2010 season. The Tennessee Titans signed him as a free agent, but cut him on the last day of preseason after signing a veteran linebacker to add depth on defense. His highlight was a training camp fight, which is an extremely common occurrence, after having his helmet ripped off in a drill. 

Tampa Bay signed him right away, but didn't actually play Blount until the third game of the season. After 10 carries for 30 yards in his first two games, the Buccaneers began to give him the ball more in week seven.

He had four games of over 100 yards, but never carried the ball more than 26 times and had just three games of 20 or more carries.  His biggest game may have come against Seattle, where he ran for a career-best 164 yards that was the most rushing yards in a single game by a rookie in 2010.

Blount is the only rookie in the 2010 season to rush for over 1,000 yards, getting 1,007 total. He wasn't used much in the passing game, catching just five balls all year. His six rushing touchdowns were the second most by an NFL rookie, and he averaged five yards per carry. 

Blount was not only a big reason why the surprising Bucs won 10 games this year, but he can maybe be viewed as a savior to the young team. Tampa Bay had issues at the halfback position before he took over. Cadillac Williams is a veteran best used in the pass game, and the rest of the group is unproven. Injuries hit the position hard, and fullback Earnest Graham's 20 carries this season was the third most on the team. 

Though the quarterback crazy media might push Bradford as Offensive Rookie of the Year, Blount is the most deserving of this award in 2010. Unfortunately his past might be held against him when the votes are tallied.

 

 

Running Back : Chris Ivory, New Orleans Saints

 

The defending champion Saints came into 2010 expecting to use Pierre Thomas, Lynell Hamilton and Reggie Bush as their ball carriers. In training camp, the undrafted Ivory impressed the coaches and made the squad after Hamilton suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason game. 

Then Thomas and Bush got hurt with the type of injuries that let them contribute little to the team this season. Ivory was called up in the third game of 2010 and became the primary carrier in a backfield where he split carries with veteran Ladell Betts and others. 

His career-best total of 23 carries was the only time this season where he had more than 15 carries, but the lack of touches did not prevent him from rushing for 100 yards twice. One was a 158-yard explosion against the Buccaneers. 

Ivory missed two games and had just 14 carries in the last month of the season. Part of the reason was a foot injury, yet Thomas and Bush had also returned to start touching the ball more often.

Despite all of this, the 716 yards Ivory rushed for are the second most by a rookie this year. Yet he caught just one ball all year. As the Saints go in the playoffs, Ivory might get used in short yardage situations even though he led the team in rushing yards and scores at a 5.2 yards per carry average.

He bailed a Saints team out of trouble by coming out of virtually nowhere this year, and his impact could be a big reason the Saints get to defend their championship.

 

 

Wide Receiver : Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

The NFL has had three guys named Mike Williams play wide receiver, and there are three players in the league now with the name. But no other Mike Williams had a bigger year than the rookie in Tampa Bay. 

Despite a promising start to his career in college, Williams was suspended in 2008 and quit football after seven games in 2009. This caused him to drop to the fourth round of the draft before the Buccaneers snagged him. 

He scored in his first NFL game and kept going. Catching a ball in every game this year from a second-year quarterback learning the game himself, Williams led all rookies with 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

He accomplished this by being a good route runner with the ability to get deep. With a long of 58 yards, Williams averaged 14.8 yards per catch on the season on a young receivers corps. He also outperformed second round pick Arrelious Benn, who had 25 catches himself this season. 

The future looks very bright for the young Buccaneers. As the kids get older and learn the game better, they have a good chance of winning more than the 10 games they won this year. Mike Williams should be right in the middle of this surge.

 

 

Wide Receiver : Jordan Shipley, Cincinnati Bengals

 

When Cincinnati drafted Shipley in the third round, there was a question of how much playing time he would get. The Bengals starting receivers, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, demand the ball often and create chaos when they feel slighted. Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell are a pair of third-year players the team is excited about, and Jermaine Gresham is a tight end drafted in the first round. 

Shipley still found a significant niche on the team. His 52 receptions were the second most by all rookie wide receivers, and 30 catches were good for first downs.  Though he missed one game due to a concussion, he had two receptions of over 40 yards. Only three rookies had one more. 

Dez Bryant of the Cowboys deserves mention, but he didn't have to fight for passes to get thrown at him like Shipley did. Bryant still had less receptions and first downs, but did score three more times than Shipley did. 

Owens is as good as gone, and Ochocinco may follow now that Simpson and Caldwell showed what they could do after the geriatric loudmouths decided not to play the last two games of the year. Shipley will probably stay in his third down slot role, but he certainly was much more productive this year than many expected.

 

 

Tight End : Ron Gronkowski, New England Patriots

 

Though Gronkowski shared snaps with fellow rookie Aaron Hernandez and veteran Alge Crumpler, his 10 touchdown receptions are the most by any rookie tight end and the second most by any rookie. His 11 receptions of 20 yards or more was also the second most by any rookie in 2010, and his 30 first down catches is also second amongst all rookie tight ends. 

The 13 yards per catch he got in 2010 leads all rookie tight ends with 14 or more receptions. His 42 receptions are the fourth most by rookie tight ends in a season where many excelled. Hernandez had 45 himself while Kansas City's Tony Moeaki had 47 and Cincinnati's Jermaine Gresham led the way with 52 this year.

Gronkowski's 546 receiving yards were just 10 less than Moeaki, the leader amongst rookie tight ends this year. Besides Gresham, Moeaki and Hernandez, several other rookie tight ends had excellent seasons. Jimmy Graham of the Saints, Andrew Quarless of the Packers and Michael Hoomanawanui of the Rams all were important members of their teams. 

Gronkowski's brothers, Dan and Chris, also play in the NFL. While there are several to pick from at this position, none that can be called the wrong selection, I chose him because of the total impact of his catches.

Though he split time, Gronkowski made the most of every opportunity. Whether it was stretching the seam, moving the chains or putting points up on the board. It has to make Patriots happy knowing they have two excellent youngsters at this position for the next several seasons.

 

 

Offensive Tackle : Rodger Saffold, Saint Louis Rams

 

Exciting things are happening in Saint Louis, and maybe the offensive tackle slots are the most fun to watch.

The Rams drafted Jason Smith with the first overall draft pick in 2009, then moved him to the right side so Saffold could man left tackle. Both players are 6'5" and 306 lbs and athletic. Saffold has played so well that NFL general managers have said they regretted passing on him in the draft.

Though the Rams dumped a bunch of money into their rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, it will be up to Smith and Saffold, who protect Bradford's blind side, to keep him upright and injury-free to earn his keep.

 

 

Offensive Tackle : Trent Williams, Washington Redskins

 

With a nod to San Francisco's Anthony Davis and Green Bay's Brian Bulaga, Williams has fought through a difficult year of nagging injuries and poor blocking by his teammates. 

Though he missed just two games, he was dinged up most of the year. The Redskins were in huge trouble when perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels suffered a career-ending injury last season.

Williams stepped in right away and quickly proved he has Pro Bowl ability, hopefully manning the position for many years to come.

 

 

Guard : Mike Iupati, San Francisco 49ers

 

Iupati showed 49er fans right away why he was a first round pick. He started every game and showed tremendous ability at left guard. He also has the ability to play offensive tackle. 

Though the Niners struggled on offense in 2010, Iupati was not the reason. He generally wins his blocks, especially while run blocking.

He and Anthony Davis were drafted in the first round this year to help the offensive line. They started every game and have given San Francisco no reason to regret drafting either one. 

 

Guard : John Jerry, Miami Dolphins

This third round draft pick earned a starting job in the beginning of the season for two games until he was replaced for four games. He was reinserted into the lineup in week eight and stayed there the rest of the season. 

At 6'5" 328 lbs., Jerry is a mammoth guard who the Dolphins hope can help them for many seasons to come. He has gotten off to a pretty good start thus far.

 

 

Center : Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Pittsburgh drafted Pouncey to start, and he has done so all 16 games. The Steelers brass loves him so much that they are even mentioning him in the same breath as Hall of Famer, and Steelers legendary center, Mike Webster.

High praise indeed, and nothing more can be added in superlatives after that.

 

 

 

Defensive Tackle : Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions

 

The runaway winner of the 2010 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Suh led all rookie linemen with 66 tackles and 10 sacks. He also found time to intercept a ball and return it 20 yards, defend four passes and score a touchdown off of a fumble recovery. 

Suh is a huge reason why the Lions, who on two total games in the previous two years, won six games this year and lost seven by 27 total points. Detroit finished 2010 strong with four straight wins, giving hope that the playoffs are not far away for a franchise that hasn't reached that level since 1999.

When they do, Suh will most likely be leading the way.

 

 

Defensive Tackle : Tyson Aluala, Jacksonville Jaguars

 

Alualu was second amongst all rookie defensive tackles with 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was one the few consistent Jaguars on an otherwise anemic Jacksonville defense.

He was also durable, playing in all 16 games. Jacksonville now has young defensive tackle duo in Alualu and Terrance Knighton that they hope can one day be at least as effective as John Henderson and Marcus Stroud were earlier this decade when the pair went to multiple Pro Bowls.

 

 

Defensive End : Lamarr Houston, Oakland Raiders

 

Not only did Houston lead all rookie defensive ends with 39 tackles, but he led all rookies with two fumble recoveries. He also chipped in five sacks and forced a fumble.

The youngster has the ability to line up anywhere along the line of scrimmage for Oakland. He earned the starting job at left defensive end immediately and was only shut out without a stat in one game all year.

He gives the Raiders a reason to be excited for their future.

 

 

Defensive End : Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati Bengals

No one has ever questioned the talent Dunlap possesses. Yet, after a disappointing college career that also had issues off of the field, most questioned his work ethic. He dropped to the second round of the draft over this before the Bengals tabbed him. 

He was brought along slowly at first, not playing in four of the first five Bengals games, then eventually spotted in certain situations before earning more snaps. He turned it on in the 12th week, getting 8.5 of his 9.5 sacks in the final six games. 

His 9.5 sacks led all rookie defensive ends and was the second most by any rookie. If he can keep up his current pace, the Bengals have a future superstar. The only question is if he can keep his head and heart into the game.

 

 

Outside Linebacker : Koa Misi, Miami Dolphins

Misi might not get a lot of notice because his bookend, Cameron Wake, had a great year that put him in the Pro Bowl, but the second round draft pick has done well himself. 

He leads all rookie outside linebackers in sacks with five, and his 41 tackles are the third most amongst rookie OLBs. He has also forced two fumbles and pounced on a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. 

At 6'3" 251 lbs., Misi is a excellent physical specimen for the strong side linebacker slot. He hits with tremendous force, yet has the athleticism to run down opponents.

Wake, though 28 years old, is in his second NFL season after an amazing journey that led him through the CFL at one point. He and Misi could be quite a force for several years to come.

 

 

Middle Linebacker : Rolando McClain, Oakland Raiders

 

McClain has shown why he was a first round draft pick this year. His 85 tackles are the second most by any rookie middle linebacker, just three behind the leader. He also has half a sack, an interception, and seven defended passes. 

The Raiders defense wasn't great this year, especially against the run. McClain, along with safeties Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff, were extremely busy all year. Too often having to tackle opponents that had already gained several yards.

This is an area Oakland needs to fix for 2011, but they can depend on McClain being there to stop the run regardless. 

Pat Angerer of the Colts deserves mention because he led all rookie middle linebackers in tackles, and Darryl Washington of Arizona also deserves mention.

 

 

Outside Linebacker : Kavell Conner, Indianapolis Colts

Many NFL fans may not realize that Conner leads all rookie outside linebackers in tackles. His 57 tackles are 15 more than the next rookie OLB. 

He was almost an afterthought when drafted in the seventh round. After sitting out the first game, he had five tackles in the second week before doing nothing until week 10.

Since then, he has been on a tear, getting 52 tackles in the last eight weeks. It was a huge help to a Colts team that has defensive linemen who cannot stop the run, as well as the fact the linebacker corps was besieged by injuries as the season progressed. 

Conner is not asked to blitz or even defend against the pass, but he has been a much-needed tackling machine for the Colts when opponents run the ball.

 

 

Strong Safety : T.J. Ward, Cleveland Browns

 

The Kansas City Chiefs Eric Berry, with his 92 tackles, two sacks, four interceptions, 13 defended passes, and a touchdown, will certainly get some Rookie of the Year votes.

Ward, however, led all NFL rookies with 123 tackles. He also picked off two balls and defended 12 passes. Cleveland struggled this season, and part of the reason was their mediocre offense.

The defense was decent, ranking 13th in points allowed. Ward and fellow rookie Joe Haden give the team hopes for the future after excellent rookie years. Haden led the team with six picks and his 24 defended passes was tied as the most by all rookies. 

Ward was the run stopper the team needed this year, and Cleveland will look to bolster their front seven in the off season to help him. If this is accomplished, Ward can help out on the pass more.

The Browns expect great things from their young secondary, and Ward is an important piece to that equation.

 

 

Free Safety : Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks

It really is no surprise Thomas gets this slot, most expected he would before he was even drafted. Not only did his five interceptions lead all rookie safeties, but his 75 tackles led all rookie free safeties. 

While his 12 defended passes show the ability has Thomas against the pass, his 64 solo tackles also show how sound a hitter he is in technique.

Philadelphia's Nate Allen, Tampa Bay's Cody Grimm and the Chiefs Kendrick Lewis all showed their excellent abilities this season, but Thomas was head and shoulders above all rookies at free safety. 

He is a huge reason the Seahawks made the playoffs, and Seattle fans can get ready to see Thomas do more as his career goes along.

 

 

Cornerback : Devin McCourty, New England Patriots

 

The Patriots knew coming into this year that they had a young secondary with a bright future, and their 2010 first round pick quickly led the way.

McCourty, whose brother Jason plays cornerback in Tennessee, started immediately and soon was the star of the secondary. 

His seven interceptions and 24 defended passes led all rookies, and his 82 tackles was the second most by all rookie cornerbacks. With the other cornerback slot on the Patriots struggling all season, McCourty stepping up was a big boost that helped New England procure the best record in the 2010 season. 

If Darius Butler ever plays to his potential, he and the rest of the secondary in New England (McCourty, Patrick Chung and Brandon Meriweather) could star for years ahead. Even so, the future of McCourty alone is very bright by itself.

 

 

Cornerback : Alterraun Verner, Tennessee Titans

It can't be easy to try to bookend a Pro Bowler, but Verner did a fine job teaming up with Cortland Finnegan.

After sitting on the bench the first two games this year, Verner was called upon due to starter Jason McCourty's injury. He posted five games of double-digit tackles, including a streak of four games to close the season.

His 101 tackles led all rookie cornerbacks, and he showed he was much more than a sound tackler by picking off three passes and defending 14 passes. He also forced a fumble and led all rookies with two fumble recoveries. 

When McCourty got healthy, he could not regain his starting job because of the job Verner did.

It has to make Titans head coach Jeff Fisher happy knowing he has three good cornerbacks on his roster, especially with a rookie like Verner so readily available in run support while performing so well against the pass.

 

 

Kicker : Clint Stitser, Cincinnati Bengals

 

The Bengals have employed the only two rookie kickers this year. Aaron Pettrey was the other, and he lasted two games. Stitser replaced him for the last five games of 2010. He missed one field goal in eight attempts, including a career long of 47 yards, but missed two of 10 extra point attempts.

 

 

Punter : Zoltan Mesko, New England Patriots

Though his 58 punts are the second most by a rookie this year, 14 less that Matt Dodge of the Giants, his 14 forced fair catches led all rookies and his 19 punts inside the 20-yard line was just one less than Dodge. Dodge has 35 punts returned for 535 yards and two scores, as opposed to the 179 yards allowed on 25 returns by Mesko.

While the 44.8 yards per punt average by Dodge led all rookies, Mesko averaged 43.2 and his 38.4 net average was the best by all rookies that outdistanced Dodge and Robert Malone of the Buccaneers by several yards. 

 

 

Kick Returner : Marc Mariani, Tennessee Titans

 

Oakland's Jacoby Ford, who returned three kicks for touchdowns, surely deserves mention here, but Mariani was selected to the Pro Bowl and averaged over a yard more per return on seven more attempts.  

He led the NFL in combined kickoff and punt return yards, and was second in the NFL in kick return yards. Mariani's 1,859 yards off kickoff and punt returns are the 18th most in NFL history. He led the NFL in kick returns, and was second in combined kickoff and punt returns. 

Not only did his 60 returns for 1,530 yard and 42 returns of 20 or more yards lead all rookies, but his four returns of 40 or more yards tied Ford as the most amongst rookies. His 25.5 yards per return average was also the most by any rookie with 22 or more returns. 

Besides Mariani and Ford, rookies like the Redskins Brandon Banks, Buffalo's C.J. Spiller, Jacksonville's Deji Karim and Baltimore's David Reed also stood out as kick returners this season.

Yet it was Mariani who led the way of this excellent class, as his Pro Bowl nod certainly indicates. He scored once on both a kickoff and punt return this year as well. 

 

 

Punt Returner : Brandon Banks, Washington Redskins

 

Mariani might be able to claim this slot too, considering he averaged 12.2 yards on 27 returns.

Banks, however, averaged 11.3 on 38 attempts and led all rookies with six returns of 20 yards or more. He also fair caught seven less balls than Mariani, despite being five inches shorter and 41 pounds lighter. 

The diminutive Banks also averaged 25.1 yards on 46 kick returns, including a 96 yards return for a score. The undrafted rookie was third in the NFL with 431 punt return yards, which led all rookies.

Though he had a few punt returns for touchdowns called back by penalties, the 271 return yards he got in week eight set a Redskins record. He also found time to block a field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri, even though he stands 5'7" and weighs 149 lbs. 

One word to describe Banks is fearless, but exciting also works. He gives Washington a special teams weapon they have lacked since the legendary Brian Mitchell left the team after 1999.