Weekly Haze

Here are this week’s great reads:

• RBBC is trying to take over the world … err … NFL. [PAFFL.com]
• Why Bills Parcells and Co. should keep Ronnie Brown off the field early next season. [Real Football 365]
• A collection of fantasy football goodness from our favorite librarian. [Fantasy Football Librarian]
• Willie Parker tops this list of veterans looking over their shoulders in 2008. [Fantasy Football Goat]
• Say it a’int so, Cedric Benson. I grew up down the street from Matt Forte, so you know who I am pulling for this season. [FanHouse]
• Of all the people to get in trouble with the law. [The Big Lead]
• Good idea or not: Trading down in the first-round of a fantasy draft. [The Fantasy Football Geek Blog]
• Some players did benefit nicely following their team’s 2008 NFL Draft. [Fantasy Football Fools]

I will be a guest on the Fantasy Football Goat’s podcast tonight (check out last week’s podcast). As soon as the show is published, I will be sure to link to it from here for your enjoyment!

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

Steve McNair to retire

Not going to write a huge post about this, but Baltimore quarterback Steve McNair has decided to retire.

That leaves Kyle Boller and Troy Smith as the most prominent quarterbacks on the Ravens’ roster. The Baltimore front office might be taking a longer, harder look now at Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.

I am glad McNair decided to hang ’em up before the NFL Draft. Had he waited until after the draft and the Ravens failed to draft a quarterback, it would have been a pretty sorry move on McNair’s part. This way, it allows the Ravens to prepare accordingly for next season by addressing the quarterback position in the draft, if they choose to do so.

Weekly Haze

Here are this week’s great reads:

• A little sneak preview of our mock draft coming your way next week. [The Fantasy Football Geek Blog]
• The 2008 schedule has been released. [NFL.com]
• And the Saints got the shaft from the scheduling gurus. [Shutdown Corner]
• But at least Deuce McAllister will be around for a little longer. [NFL NewsBreak]
• If you are gearing up for the NFL Draft next weekend, this three-round mock draft should satiate your appetite for the next 30 minutes or so. [Football Jabber]
• It was too late to get in about five minutes after this was posted, but if you want to watch it should be good. [The Big Lead]
• Thank goodness. [The NFL Guru]
• 20 years of No. 1 picks and a little analysis to boot. Nice read. [The NFL Minute]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

Weekly Haze

Here are this week’s great reads:

• Matt Ryan to the New York Jets at No. 6? I just do not see it. [RotoWorld]
• In case you missed it, Chris Henry got himself in trouble again. And the Bengals finally cut ties with this guy. [Shutdown Corner]
• Why Oakland should take Darren McFadden in the first round. [NFL FanHouse]
• Maybe a Brett Favre comeback is not completely out of the question. [ProFootballTalk]
• Why Miami should not take Matt Ryan in the first round. [Shot to Nothing]
• Some statistics comparing fantasy football to fantasy baseball. [The Fantasy Football Geek Blog]
• Is NFL Players Union Executive Director Gene Upshaw on the way out? One only can hope. [Every Morning Quarterback]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

Last early mock draft update: 21 – 31

Well, this is it.  The last installment of The Hazean’s early NFL mock draft series.

I want to give everyone enough time to digest these early mock drafts before the real draft at the end of April. That way you guys have time to forget about how bad these mock drafts have been each and every time, or how your team never got the right player. Hey, I tried.

But I also want to clear the way for The Hazean’s second-annual mock draft, which will be coming your way the week of the NFL draft. We have assembled a group of fine participants for the mock, which will get started in early April. Make sure to spend some time visiting their blogs/sites.

In the meantime, enjoy this, the final installment, of The Hazean’s early mock draft series. Hit the jump for the final third of the 2008 draft.

Last early mock draft update: 11 – 20

Big changes have happened to the middle part of the first round after the transactions of free agency.

There are a few newcomers to the crop. Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah and Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams — both offensive tackles — make their way into the first round in the latest mock.

Several other players moved up or down this time around as well.

One notable move is Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart, who, despite recently having toe surgery which will keep him out of action for several months, moved up a couple spots to Detroit. For the rest of picks No. 11 – 20, hit the jump.

Weekly Haze

Here are this week’s great reads:

• Free agency has been good for some players, but not so good for others. [RotoWorld]
• Shaun Alexander may be out of Seattle sooner rather than later. [FanHouse]
• The Jets have done very well in free agency. [Every Morning Quarterback]
• Taking a deeper look as some of the moves so far this offseason. [Fantasy Football Librarian]
• An early prediction for the AFC East. [Fantasy Football Goat]
• Replacing a legend: It might not be so easy for Aaron Rodgers. [Football Jabber]
• Chris Long appears to be the consensus No. 1 pick according to mock drafters. [The Big Lead]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

Last early mock draft update

With April approaching and free agency slowing to a trickle, the NFL offseason is about to enter into its next lull period. That, of course, will end near the latter days of April when the NFL Draft coverage kicks into high gear.

We started these early mock drafts back in January and this now is the third edition. And the final edition. We want to give our readers enough time to digest this information but enough of a gap to prepare for The Hazean’s second-annual mock draft, which will being on April 7 behind closed doors. After all the picks are in the books, the first-round mock will be posted the week preceding the NFL Draft to get everyone geeked for the event. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, hit the jump to enjoy the first part of our last early mock draft with the top-10 picks. Hopefully we got it right this time.