What Fat Albert Felt Like Today

The most hated athlete in DC (stop smiling Agent Zero) has failed at everything this offseason (other than picking up a fat $21 million bonus check). First, he tried to get traded and failed, then lost the respect of his teammates, and now, in his first day in training camp, failed his conditioning test. The details are murky, but it sounds like Shanahan was out to get him a little bit. According to Jason Reid, not-as-Fat Albert showed off his offseason weight loss and "killed it" in the first portion, but then look a bathroom break and then Shanahan made him do 1 more sprint, and Fat Albert failed. By bathroom break, I am pretty sure that means Fat Albert ran straight to the throne and puked.

Most reports say he had to run 3-300 yard sprints, but Reid's report refers to 3 'phases' and states that Fat Albert left for the bathroom midway through the 2nd phase, which makes the test sound like more than just 3 identical sprints. Does this mean Fat Albert ran 1 good '300', then was doing well on the 2nd but had to stop and puke, so Shanahan made him run a 3rd? If so, Shanahan sounds like a generous man offering him the opportunity for a 3rd sprint. The other reports seem to indicate that Fat Albert ran 2 great '300s', then immediately puked, and Shanahan somehow made up a ridiculous reason after the fact to make Fat Albert run a 3rd that was not part of the original test. So many questions! Only a few guys on the field know what really went down, but I did dig find this exclusive footage of Fat Albert's experience:

The bright side, in addition to the existence of that video, is that Fat Albert is in better shape than last year, and will soon pass the test and be back practicing as usual. Who knows when he will get back into the starting defense, but baby steps everyone......

Now What?

The slow slog of summer has begun approximately 1.5 months too soon. If you're an insane person like me, you had carved out much of your free time for the next six weeks to allow for fretting by day and watching Caps games by night. I actually planned a bachelor party around the potential dates of the Stanley Cup Parade. So I'm feeling pretty empty right now.

Bill Simmons tweeted before Game 7: "If the Caps blow Game 7, DC vaults past Seattle for Most Depressed Sports City honors." I'd say the crown fits. Wouldn't you?

So, what do we have to look forward to until Redskins training camp begins the miserable cycle of DC sports seasons anew? Here's the quick rundown:

Washington Capitals
June 25-26 draft. Perhaps an exciting trade in the works? I'm thinking sign-and-trade Fleischmann for a bale of hay.

July 1: Free agency begins. Probably gone: Shaone Morrissonn, Brendan Morrison, Joe Corvo, Scott Walker. Possibly gone: Eric Belanger. Hopefully re-signed: Boyd Gordon, Eric Fehr, Jeff Schultz. Hopefully newly signed: Free agent stay-at-home and make-yourself-at-home-in-DC Russian defenseman Anton Volchenkov no later than 12:01 AM July 1.

Other potential intrigue: The kids (including American Hero John Carlson, future blueline fixture Karl Alzner, future next-Dale-Hunter Stefan Della Rovere, future 2nd line center Mattieu Perrault and potential future goalie Braden Holtby) go for a second straight Calder Cup championship with Hershey.


Washington Redskins
Endless RI posts falsely boosting our hopes and dreams for the Shanahan era. They've already started: "Redskins Receivers Should Have Great Success In Shanahan's Scheme." Anyone who buys into posts like this, I have a sex-switching unicorn I'd like to sell you.

Other potential intrigue: The Haynesworth saga: Will he stay or will he go?


Washington Nationals
They're currently above .500. They have good chemistry or something. They also have a pretty big NEGATIVE RED run differential, a sure sign they're in for a fall. Most exciting thing to look forward to: Strasburg's late July call-up. It's only a matter of time before Bodog posts a prop-bet on the over/under date for that inevitable happening. When it does, I'm putting all of my current liquid assets (approximately $312.43 plus a coupon for a free coffee) on the under.

Other potential intrigue: Bumbling ownership group and team President Stan Kasten - what new travesty of mismanagement can they think of next?


Baltimore Orioles
Most recently, they swept the sorry Boston Red Sox. 7-19 and climbing! Wieters is pretty good but not quite savior-esque...yet. Roberts is injured (he's getting old, totally predictable), Jones and Markakis are barely hitting and our best player (Ty Wigginton) is a free-agent cast-off whose hot streak will inevitably end. The AL East crown is theirs to lose.

I'm watching closely the progress of the O's future ace, lefty Brian Matusz. Dude is awesome (3-1 K/BB ratio, 1.34 whip, I think that's good). Rookie of the Year type stuff. I have a man-crush. You should too.

Other potential intrigue: When will the rest of the Cavalry arrive? Chris Tillman just pitched a no-hitter down in AAA. Rad.


Washington Wizards
Ironically, the team I'm least interested in owing to their perpetual sorry state and the waste of time that is rooting for a non-Lebron/Kobe/Howard/Wade/Durant/Duncan NBA team, will provide us with the most interesting moment this summer: the NBA DRAFT LOTTERY!! Where hopes and dreams of NBA teams are either made or shattered for the next decade. Consensus #1 pick John Wall is a franchise-changer in the mold of Dwyane Wade, but with a sweeter high school highlight video and more easily rappable name for Wale to throw into a verse. The Wiz have a 10.3% chance of getting the #1 overall pick.

Barring this miracle, apparently the Wizards have more free agent money than originally thought. That's a nice Plan B in case hinging our entire hopes and dreams on a 1 in 10 chance falls through. I bet they sign LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant and Joba Chamberlain.

Other potential intrigue: New owner Ted Leonsis changing the uniforms and/or team name back to the red, white and blue? Man do I hope so...probably too soon. Leonsis is too savvy to trample all over a DC icon like Abe Pollin before it's time. But 93% of fans want it and Leonsis is a man of the people so it's happening sooner or later.

***

It's going to be a long summer. In the meantime, enjoy The Human Centipede.

The Truth on McNabb and Trading Fat Albert - Can't Have it Both Ways

I thought the Redskins were going to give us a relatively quiet offseason by merely hiring a new coaching staff to go with a new GM, cutting some big-name tenured veterans, and then almost doing something crazy like reaching for a QB with the #4 overall pick - run of the mill around here. Silly me! We opted instead to make the biggest move of the offseason by trading for the longtime starting QB of an arch-rival and are now actively shopping the most expensive and arguably best defensive player in the NFL. It has taken me a few days to digest everything, but I knew right away that I am not a fan of the McNabb deal for the following reasons:

• Check the stats and metrics, he only gives us a modest upgrade over JC. I think people underrate JC, and overrate McNabb.
  
• JC is getting a year older in a good way, and McNabb a year older in a bad way.
  
• McNabb comes from a team with a superior offensive line and better weapons to achieve those better stats.
• McNabb has never had to learn a new offense, so those slightly superior stats come from a comfortable offense. Given that JC has been in a new offense almost every year of his career, we actually have some idea of how he will perform, McNabb has not been in this situation since his rookie year. This is just one more reason to think that next year's JC and McNabb on the Redskins will not be all that different.
• We are a rebuilding team that needs all of its picks/young players and does not need older players who will not be here very long.

Everything seems just dandy right now though

But McNabb can give us the 1-2 more wins we need to make the playoffs you say? A minor improvement is all you need in some games to get a win, this is true, but that assumes our defense will be at least as good as it was last year. Bare in mind that our mediocre defense is undergoing a dramatic change to a 3-4 formation, and we really have no idea what to expect.

I hated Greg Blache because I think his scheme was too conservative for a team that has playmakers, particularly for a team with an offense that needed every advantage it could get. I really thought a new coordinator could unlock the potential of our defense, but I certainly don't think that will happen right away in a 3-4 scheme. Our defensive line was our strength personnel-wise, with Haynesworth, Gholston, Griffin, and Montgomery in the middle, and Carter and Rack outside. In a 3-4? Rack will be a terror, but Carter is out of position, Griffin has already been cut, Gholston is an undersized nose tackle and so-so DE, and Haynesworth's talents are wasted in a 3-4 front. I think Anthony Montgomery could be a great nose tackle, but, on the whole, this scheme does not play to the strengths of our personnel.

Fat Albert must have skipped lunch, because he looks hungry!

Which brings me to the idea of trading Fat Albert, who I think is still absolutely dominant as a 4-3 DT. In a 3-4 defense, I think he will be excellent as a NT or DE, but his playmaking ability will be severely limited. As a 4-3 DT, I think he is worth the money he is being paid as the most expensive defensive player in the league, but in a 3-4, he likely will not be worth that money due to circumstances beyond his control. This leaves the Redskins with an overpaid, polarizing personality who has plenty of trade value. That said, we have already paid him the bulk of his contract, and actually have an underpriced asset who could be the key to this 3-4 defense working immediately.

My take is that the Skins already missed the boat on getting rid of his massive contract when we gave him that $21 million bonus a week ago, so the reason for wanting to get rid of him now is that the new regime wants a fresh start with players who are all 'on board'. Haynesworth is already at odds with Shanahan, and it appears to be Shanahan's way or the highway. I usually wouldn't mind moving Haynesworth, despite that fact that I still think he is the best defensive player in football, because of the 3-4 switch and the fact that we are rebuilding and want good team chemistry. But doesn't trading Haynesworth directly conflict with the McNabb trade? The reasons for trading Haynesworth are similar to the reasons for not trading for McNabb. Either you rebuild, or your try to win now, you can't have it both ways. The Skins have already traded away picks for a 32 year old quarterback, which means that we want to win now, and if we want to win now, we are better off with Fat Albert, ego, fake injuries, contract, and all, than draft picks.

(Images courtesy of cantstopthebleeding.com and sportingnews.com)

Week 6: Chiefs 14, Redskins 6 - Knee Jerk Reactions

Football season is in full swing! The hair pulling, TV-screaming, remote control throwing and furious cigarette smoking is in full force. Before I let rationality cloud my judgment, here are my knee-jerk reactions from the sixth game of the season:

-Channeling Conan O'Brien here: "Watching the Redskins. Some say a waste of time. Others say: an incredible waste of time."

-I no longer have the energy to feel anger. Only sadness. At this point, what do we have to hope for? That one day Snyderrato will magically flip the switch from "incompetent meddling idiots" to "patient efficient and clever"? That our ridiculous long-term salary commitments will disappear, or that the players with these contracts will improve as they inch towards football senility? It's going to be a long and brutal 5-10 years at least. Probably longer. Hence, sadness.

-If Zorn makes it past the bye week still employed, I will post a naked picture of myself on this blog. And I'm not saying that just to attract more readers, even though that's a probable consequence (I am a beautiful specimen).

-Haynesworth and Golston were beasts inside, and Carter played great again. And the silverware on the Titanic was top-notch.

-Orakpo rushing from end is a beautiful thing. We've said it before, we will say it until we're blue in the internet face: it's not rocket science. PLAY HIM AT END PERMANENTLY. Christ on a crutch.

-Did you see that play where D******* Hall tackled a slow, plodding QB late in the game before he was dragged 8 yards for a first down? I nearly peed my pants.

-Campbell was absolutely horiffic. And all you Collins-lovers out there, how'd he do replacing JC17?

-Heyer does not belong in the NFL. Mike Williams is not completely awful though.

-Portis not getting in the end zone on the long run is another in a long line of signs that he is washed up. Why can't he cut it inside and take it to the house? You and Sellers and one guy to beat and you can't get past him????? And did anyone NOT foresee a field goal after he was tackled?

-Speaking of Portis, I was a big fan of benching him to light a little fire under him. Lasted for one play.

-Landry is a clown. I'm not really on the fence with him anymore. He overpursues more than a cougar at closing time.

-Did anyone else see that the TAMPA BAY BUCANEERS SCORED 21 POINTS? And that the Saints put up 34 on the Giants in the first half alone? We have to have the longest streak without 20 points in the NFL. I know, I'm so greedy.

-How 'bout that CBS feed cutting out for a solid 15 minutes? Feel free to share in the comments what you did during these 15 minutes. Or any jokes about why it happened.

-2-14 is the goal for me now. High draft pick, and an ever-so-slight chance that Snyder wakes up and realizes how bad Vinny Cerrato is, and actually fires him. That's when the next adventure starts. Remember, adventures can often suck, though they can also end in glory.

[Image via Mr. Irrelevant]

Week 5 Picks, Is There Hope?

No, not the Skins, we are still hopeless despite the win last week. But I am seeing some signs of life in the Football Outsiders (FO) picking system, which went 9-5 last week to break their string of 3 weeks under .500. FO will still have to pick at about 58% the rest of the way to make it back to 55% of the season (the money making threshold), but that number doesn't seem as crazy for them to reach anymore. As I've said before, the FO system should improve as the season goes on, because it has more actual data upon which to base its picks.

The best part of the FO system maybe finally putting it together.........they LOVE the Skins this week! Okay, maybe LOVE is strong, probably more like go steady, but we are the #2 pick of the week against the spread, which I like to see. The reason I don't say LOVE, is that we are only the #8 straight-up pick, so FO basically sees this game as pretty even, with the Skins as slight favorites. Is it the Shermanator Lewis making a difference? Actually it's the Panthers, who FO has ranked as the worst team in the NFL thusfar. Hey, a wise man once told me, ass is ass, and a win is a win.

The standings:

Sports Guy: 5-9 last week, 39-23 overall (62.9%)

DCLS: 5-9 last week, 32-30 overall (51.6%)

Random monkey throwing shit at a dartboard: 31-31 overall (50.0%)

Football Outsiders: 9-5 last week, 28-34 overall (45.2%)

FO's 'locks of the week' are still 0-2, their 'reasonable' picks are 5-12 and their 'stay away' picks are 23-20, so their most assured picks have actually been their worst.......sounds about right for the Skins.As usual, the FO picks are listed in order of confidence, and I have bolded a team wherever I differ (home teams in CAPS).

1. Indianapolis -3.5 over TENNESSEE - This is FO's first 'lock of the week' in 3 weeks. I could see the Titans keeping this close, but you have to like Indy here.


2. Washington +3.5 over CAROLINA - Shermanator!! Jake the Snake will be eating Fat Albert's blubber all day. I hedged my bet slightly here by purchasing http://www.firejimzorn.info/, which will eventually have something cool on it, like another picture of the Shermanator.


3. KANSAS CITY +9 over Dallas - Tony Homo, he of the lukewarm water in his veins, I will not pick your mediocore team until it shows me some consistency. By the way, if KC manages to fall to the pussy of Romo, then the Skins will have opened the season against 6 winless teams when we play the Chiefs next week, wow.


4. Cleveland +6 over BUFFALO - This is painful, but probably not so painful because I will do everything in my power not to watch this game.


5. MIAMI +1.5 over New York Jets - Sanchez is not for real, he is doing absolutely nothing behind a superb o-line. FO has him as the 3rd worst QB in the league so far, ahead of only Delhomme and Jamarcus Russell. The only place I want to be ahead of Jamarcus is at the buffet line, zing! Amazing how supposed experts can't get off his johnson, while Jason Campbell has been much better in a much tougher situation and everyone thinks we should bench him. Life isn't fair.


6. Houston +5.5 over ARIZONA - The Cards have not been great, and Houston probably about the same, so I'll take the points. This is a big game for both teams, who both need to get going soon to have any shot at the playoffs. Where is Jesus for you now Kurt Warner?


7. ST. LOUIS +10 over Minnesota - Rams? Really? Peterson got a woody when he saw this on the schedule.


8. New England -3 over DENVER - Ok, we get it, the Broncos' D is good, but they are still not as good as their record indicates. The Pats on the other hand, they just beat one of the top-5 teams in the league. Moss vs. Bailey should be awesome.


9. DETROIT +10.5 over Pittsburgh - The Steelers have not been impressive, but it's actually been there D that's been down, which I think is some kind of fluke. Matthew Stafford, meet James Harrison.


10. Tampa Bay +15 over PHILADELPHIA - 15 points is a ton, but a team with a pass rush should make Josh Johnson look like the guy who is rated a 57 in Madden.


11. Jacksonville pick 'em over SEATTLE - Hasselbeck or no Hasselbeck, I am off the neon green bandwagon..............for now.


12. Oakland +14.5 over NEW YORK GIANTS - Giants are the #1 straight-up pick, although I can see Oakland's D keeping this somewhat close on the scoreboard, but then I couldn't get Jamarcus Russell under pressure! Jamarcus Russell under pressure! Jamarcus Russell under pressure! Jamarcus Russell under pressure! out of my head.


13. Atlanta +2.5 over SAN FRANCISCO - I think Vegas saw my Singletary felating article last week, because I think Atlanta is the better team. FO actually has these teams ranked next to each other overall.


14. Cincinnati +8.5 over BALTIMORE - So I may have been wrong about the Bungles being for real, I think I sprained an ankle jumping on and off that bandwagon. You have to like the Ravens to bounce-back at home and FO has the Ravens as their #4 straight-up pick, but I'll take the 8.5 points for a team with wins over the Steelers and Green Bay, and what should have been a win over Denver.
    

So for those of you who just skimmed to the end, the moral of the story is go out there and put some dough on the Skins.

Week 1: Giants 23 - Redskins 17: Knee Jerk Reactions

Football season is finally upon us! The hair pulling, TV-screaming, remote control throwing and furious cigarette smoking has finally commenced. Before I let rationality cloud my judgment, here are my knee-jerk reactions from the first game of the season:

-DeAngelo Hall is garbage. Not just overrated, but noticeably bad at football. He got schooled all day by the likes of the other Steve Smith and he tackles like a fourth grader. You can't tell me the 'Skins aren't better off with 47-year-old Shawn Springs for 10 games a season.

-Smoot is losing it. This makes me sad. The Manningham TD was unacceptable.

-I've been on the fence about Laron Landry for the past year now, what with his knuckleheaded off the field behavior (snubbing signings and fans) and often on-the-field knuckleheaded behavior. Today did not help sway me to the positive side. Missed tackles, idiotic penalties...he needs to rein it in and soon.

-The Giants are built from their lines out. Their O-Line gives Eli all day to throw, and it's why a QB with his marginal abilities can get it done with marginal RBs and WRs. The three times the 'Skins actually hurried him? Sack, fumble, interception, and one 15 yard completion. Meanwhile the Giants D-line is a handful. Besides the opening run, Portis had nothing all day. Vinny Cerrato, please take notes.

-When your starting wideouts combine for 3 catches and 12 yards, you're not going to win.

-Campbell had an awful game. The forward-pass interception was bone-headed, the fumble was careless, and he missed some guys. Was Malcolm Kelly really NEVER open?

-The much-maligned O-line held their own against the Giants for the most part.

-ARE, who I thought I hated after his poor decision making on the end-around option, turned it around and was our best offensive player all day. He belongs in the slot.

-Zorn made some gutsy calls (the end around option, the fake FG), but mostly timid ones. What ever happened to throwing down the field?

-If the 'Skins want to do anything this year, the D needs to be better with the game on the line in the 4th.

-The offense is, overall, exactly the same as it was in the second half of last year: limited. Run left, dink and dunk, Cooley over the middle, one deep bomb attempt a game. It's a formula for, I don't know, 17-ish points per game.

-CAMPBELL. SHOTGUN. CAMPBELL. SHOTGUN. CAMPBELL. SHOTGUN. CAMPBELL. SHOTGUN. If I don't hear those two words at least 20 times a game from the announcers, I will be an angry man.

-While we're at it, let's try the hurry up earlier in the game, no? Yes, the Giants were in the prevent, but Campbell looks comfortable when he is in a rhythm like that. I like what JC does when he is comfortable, don't you?

-Orakpo was quiet.

-Fletcher is a tackling machine. 11 solo, 7 assists, a pass defended. If he gets hurt, call it a season.

-Big Al did what he got paid to do.

Mostly bad things happened today. But it's just one game, against a Super Bowl contender, in their house, on opening day. It could have been worse. Some might say it should have been, and the score doesn't really reflect how easily the Giants dominated this game.

More analysis to follow from the rest of the DCLS crew.

Sporting News Manages to Be Even More Full of Crap Than ESPN

While perusing the DMV on Mr Irrelevant this morning, I came across this embarrassing article from the Sporting news on the top-100 players in the NFL. This list did come from a supposed panel of experts, but come on, this is awful, and I'm not just saying that because it is very different from the DCLS Redskin rankings, which used far different criteria. Age is excluded here, but name-players are far and away overvalued, although I do enjoy seeing Fat Albert as the #1 defensive player (and also find it hard to believe that he isn't as good as Fitzgerald or LDT right now).

Some of the lowlights:

• Ray Lewis #11.
• Brees behind Big Ben.
• Nnamdi Asomugha is the #8 defensive player, yet is probably the best player in the league relative to his position; he is head and shoulders above every other CB.
  
• Brian Dawkins at #39. Maybe he ranked there about 8 years ago. Find me the GM who thinks he is better than LaRon Landry and I will show you the Cincinnati Bengals.
  
• TO at #33 is probably the most egregious listing. There is a place for over the hill receivers like him, Dancing With The Stars, not a list of top-100 NFL players this season.
  
• No wait, Vick at #88 is just absurd. He hasn't played in 2 years and is a 3rd string QB. Wow. Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, and Tony Homo did not make the list.

I could run Football Outsiders metrics for days explaining the horror of this list, but I'm getting dizzy just trying to wrap my head around its logic. Maybe they used some votes from a few years ago to boost the old guys...

(Image courtesy of thebestgspot.com)

Ranking the Top 25 Redskins

Picture this extremely unmagical and highly unrealistic scenario:

The Redskins were suddenly contracted.

What would happen next is a dispersal draft would take place, relocating our beloved Redskins one-by-one to different cities around the league.

Obviously, teams would draft in consideration of a number of variables such as team needs, ability, character, age, contract status, etc.

For the sake of this blog post, and the big board below, we have decided to disregard all things contractual in an attempt to assess the true value of each player on the football field.* However illogical it may be, for the moment try to imagine if every player made the league minimum, was signed to a life-time contract, and the Skins were no more. Which current Redskins possess the most value in a dispersal draft in this super messed up circumstance?

1. Albert Haynesworth - This one is pretty much a no-brainer, although the fact that he has only played the full 16 games once in his career is somewhat of a concern. Still, he's the most dominating DT in the game and certainly acts the part.
2. Brian Orakpo - The 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft is making the 12 teams that passed on him look like dinguses. Maybe one of them would learn from their mistake in the dispersal draft? He has the tools to become scary good.
3. LaRon Landry - From a very biased (obviously) standpoint, he is quite possibly the most physically gifted safety in the league. Whether he puts it all together and becomes the star most scouts envisioned when he was drafted still remains to be seen, but he's only 24. I like his chances.
4. Jason Campbell - All you haters can suck it. He's a quarterback. He's the epitome of class. He's got a cannon for an arm. He's only 27. He's big. He's mobile. His teammates love him. Disliking him is an impossibility. He has value, and he has a lot of it.
5. Carlos Rogers - Yea, he drops passes that are thrown right at him. But there's plenty of value in a shutdown corner, which Rogers can be when he's on top of his game. Oh, and there's this.
6. Chris Cooley - He's got great hands, runs good routes, blocks like a champ, never goes down after first contact, and has a smokin' hot wife.
7. DeAngelo Hall - He's only 25, which is weird, because it seems like he's been in the league for about 10 years. He still has elite speed and big play ability. He also still has questionable character and can be inconsistent in coverage. So...
8. Santana Moss - Homerun hitter that can go the distance every time the ball's in his hands. Unfortunately those hands are questionable, as is his ability to stay healthy.
9. Clinton Portis - Ranking this low is no knock on Portis, whom I love in a borderline heterosexual way. But his age (28) and career carries (2,052) aren't headed south any time soon, and the wealth of good young running backs around the league makes him somewhat expendable in this scenario.
10. Chris Samuels - Slowly on the decline but still able to protect the blindside, and pretty well at that. Should have a few more excellent seasons left in the tank.
11. Chris Horton - He had a better rookie season than anyone could have envisioned. He's not the most physically gifted player but always seems to find the ball and make plays.
12. London Fletcher - His age is somewhat a concern but his durability is not, having NEVER missed a game in 11 years. Jesus. Great defensive quarterback who also happens to be a tackling machine.
13. Derrick Dockery - Above average guard who excels in the running game. He turns 29 in a few days, so he's not old, but he's also not young...I don't really have much to say about Derrick Dockery.
14. Casey Rabach - He's 32 but a good center cannot be undervalued. Plus, centers have been known to have pretty long careers.
15. Mike Sellers - He's one of the best fullbacks in the game, Redskins fan or not. He can catch out of the backfield, plow through you, or screw it, leap over you. But most importantly, he is a bruising blocker and a scary-looking dude, the two prerequisites to being a great fullback.
16. Andre Carter - He's 30 years old, by no means a star, and most likely on the decline, but he's still got some value in his underrated speed off the edge. Would probably benefit by not being the primary guy.
17. Malcolm Kelly - Still somewhat of a mystery, although an excellent preseason has restored some of the previous hype. Good hands, GREAT flow.
18. Kedric Golston - He's only 26 and massively underrated, IMHO. Would be a starter on most teams in the league, especially those without the guy ranked first on this list occupying their d-line.
19. Rocky McIntosh- Injuries have slowed him considerably, but he's still tackles like a champ when healthy.
20. Stephon Heyer - He's still very raw but looks to have the size to succeed at right tackle. Wouldn't be an exciting pick, but also wouldn't be baseless or impractical.
21. Devin Thomas - See Kelly, Malcolm, but subtract a few tenths of a second off the 40-time, and add the words "lacks" and "focus" right next to one another.
22. Antwaan Randle-El - Has a lot of value as a slot receiver and emergency quarterback. Can return punts for you if you're not big on production.
23. Cornelius Griffin - Makes the list in spite of his age (32) because of his career body of work and the respect he commands as a defensive leader.
24. Lorenzo Alexander - He's only 26 years old and is without a definite position, but his size and versatility - plays offense, defense, and special teams - and willingness to do whatever is asked of him gets him on this list.
25. Ladell Betts - How many of you knew he is actually 2 years older than Clinton Portis? In football years, however, he's probably about 6 years younger, and has proven to be a more than servicable feature back. In other words, seems like he's got a lot left in the tank.

Guys who just missed the cut: Anthony Montgomery, Kevin Barnes, Rock Cartwright, Marko Mitchell, Colt Brennan

[Images via SI.com, Sean Conroy Blog, and Bleacher Report]

*This also may not be too impractical an exercise as the NFL seems to be headed toward an uncapped season in 2010-2011.