Let the quarterback controversy begin!

March 21, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / 1 Comment

Vick a backup or possible starter?

The second Michael Vick put his John Hancock on a Jets contract signaled the beginning of the next great quarterback race for Gang Green. Only this time around, Tim Tebow is nowhere in sight. While Geno Smith is the Jets future and should be the player the Jets should develop, the mere presence of Vick means that the Jets are looking to make the playoffs in 2014. While many believe Vick will accept the backup role and simply mentor the young signal caller, it is clear that he is here for one reason, the chance to start.

Michael Vick is a competitor. If he can beat out Geno Smith and be a starter in this league again he is bound to claim the starting job. While I was never a big fan of bring in Vick, there is no question he will bring significant competition to the Jets quarterback race. Could he start again or even play 16 games? I don’t see it. However, I can see him being a good relief quarterback for Smith or a guy that can make a spot start for the Jets. If anything, his knowledge of Marty Mornhinweg’s system will make Vick a great option should Geno Smith struggle. Can Vick be the quarterback to get the Jets back to the playoffs or will his presence help Geno Smith develop? Only time will tell.

New Flight Plan: Sanchez cut by the Jets

March 21, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Will a change of scenery help Sanchez rebound?

Jets fan rejoice! Mr. Butt fumble has gotten a one way ticket out of Metlife stadium as the Jets cut the incumbent Mark Sanchez. With the signing of Michael Vick, it was just the final nail in a bizarre career for the former USC Trojan. A career filled with highlights that include: two AFC Championship appearances, eating hot dogs on the sideline, GQ covers, hair bands, and of course butt fumbles. Despite his achievements, Jets fans will only remember the quarterbacks colossal failures and futility under center.

Did the Jets really give Sanchez a fair chance? Of course not. They never effectively developed him and put the pieces around him to be successful. While much of the blame still resides on Sanchez, he is not the only one to blame. Whether it was the lack of playmakers on offense, a effective offensive coordinator, or the Tim Tebow debacle. Either way, it is clear that the Jets hope to develop Geno Smith into the team’s first franchise quarterback since Joe Namath with Michael Vick as an insurance policy.

Will Sanchez succeed in the NFL? Only time will tell

Despite his lackluster career a change of scenery could be just the thing for Sanchez. Should he be a starter right away? Absolutely not. However, if he goes to a team and competes for a starting job, he could win a starting job. If that doesn’t work, he could be a solid backup and get the chance to start down the road. It won’t be easy, but Sanchez still could succeed in the NFL. It just won’t be for Gang Green in the Big Apple. What do you think will happen to the Sanchise? Comment below

Call to Arms! Why Rafael Montero should be Mets fifth starter

March 7, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Montero should be in the Mets rotation

The New York Mets already have their fifth starter, an his name is not Noah Syndergaard. As much as my fellow Mets fans would like to see Syndergaard at Citi Field in April, he will not be there until at least june. It will be the same song and dance that Harvey and Wheeler went through where the Mets will have him pitch in the minors, get ready, and ultimately come up by midseason. However, the Mets do have a young arm that is ready to make an impact in the rotation by April, Rafael Montero.

Enough with the competition! If Daisuke Matsuzaka or John Lannan are the fifth starter by opening day the Mets are making a huge mistake. They are both done. Instead, the Metropolitans should develop one of their top prospects who has been great this spring. While some may argue the Jenrry Mejia is a better option, and while I really like Mejia, he is coming off a major injury last year and its better if the Mets just take it slow. Mejia needs to build up his arm again and making a few Triple A starts to regain his confidence and stamina would be ideal before heading north with the big club.

As for Montero, he is ready. While he may not have the top of the line stuff compared to Syndergaard, Montero has the potential to be a great middle of the rotation starter. While his fastball sits in the low 90s, it has very good life and he locates it very well. His off speed arsenal is above average and he can mix and locate all of his pitches extremely well. However, the reason I really love Montero as a player is that he just has a good feel for pitching.

He may not be an ace, but Montero reminds me of Pedro Martinez

Watching Montero in the Futures game at Citi Field game last year, he reminded me of another pitcher the Mets once had, Pedro Martinez. When he was a Met, Martinez did not have the overpowering fastball he once did, but was effective because of location and mixing his pitching well. With his small frame and ability to mix, Montero reminds me of Pedro Martinez later in his career. He might not blow it by hitters, but he can fool batters by keeping them off-balance by mixing his pitches in all counts.

With his impressive spring so far, the Mets should look at Montero’s 2013 campaign and realize he is ready for the majors. In 2013 between Double A and Triple A Montero had a 12-7 record, 1.10 WHIP, 2.78 ERA, and 150 strikeouts in 27 games. He might not be the top of rotation prospect the Mets have grown accustomed to in the past three seasons, but Montero is a work horse that would solidify the back end of the rotation. If he continues to pitch well in Port St. Lucie, there is no reason why Rafael Montero shouldn’t be in Queens coming opening day.

Who do you think should be the Mets fifth starter? Take our poll

That got out of hand fast!

March 6, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Right you are Mr. Burgundy

If you love hockey fights, you gotta check this one out! During last nights matchup between the Capitals and Flyers, things got heated fast after some chippy play from both teams. Click Here to see the whole fight in all of it’s hockey glory. If it wasn’t apparent already, just check out this video just to see how much the Flyers and Capitals hate each other. Fast forward to the 55 second mark if you want to skip how the fight started. Gotta love hockey, the mix of skill and brawn that no other professional sport can match.

Bucs Unveil New Uniforms

March 3, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Out with the old and in with the new

Tampa Hey! The Buccaneers have just released their newest uniforms for the 2014 season. In an attempt to combine their historic past with a new future, the Bucs new threads combine the nostalgia of Tampa’s rich history into a new sleek design. First the colors. I love black. In my opinion you can almost never go wrong with black and these uniforms are no exception. The black pants and shoulders are intimidating and sleek. The focus on red and the reintroduction of the creamsicle color are also well executed. While black is the primary color other than the white on the jersey, the red and orange are great accent colors that really pop. However, I do have some issues with the Bucs new jerseys. While the home jersey has not been revealed yet, I can assume that it will the same uniform except with a red jersey instead of white there are some poor design choices. While I love the black in this uniform, there is still not enough. While there could be a black jersey too, I still think it would have been better if the Bucs decided to use a black helmet instead of the pewter color. The helmets are ok, the new logo is great but other then that they’re nothing special. They would have looked better if the were all black helmets. My other big knock on the jerseys is the numbers. True, I do give Tampa credit for trying something different. Just the style and the amount of white within the numbers make them look odd. It would have been better in a different font, or if the numbers were just a solid red without the white accents. Overall, these jerseys are overall an improvement over the Bucs previous installment. Good jerseys, but not great. Grade: B

Do you like the Buccaneers new uniforms? What was your favorite? Take our poll!

New York Jets Mock Draft (2.0) Post Combine

February 27, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Round 1: Odell Beckham Jr. WR LSU

While I would like to see the Jets take Eric Ebron from North Carolina with the first pick, with his great combine it looks like he will be off the board as a top 15 pick. If Ebron is here, he should be the pick, but I don’t see that happening. I also don’t see the top three receivers on the board at this point either, but there is still some great receivers available. While he may lack great size, Beckham makes up for it with a great ability to get open and soft hands. He is a guy that can do a lot of damage in space and can stretch the field with a 4.43 40 that he ran at the combine. Think of him as a Cecil Shorts or Desean Jackson, not a big target, but a receiver that needs to get touches in a game. If Geno Smith is going to develop the Jets need to give him some play-making receivers and Beckham would be a nice fit.

Round 2: Allen Robinson WR Penn St.

Surprised the Jets would take back to back receivers? Don’t be. It’s no secret that this is a position the Jets need to upgrade either throughout the Draft or free agency. With the rumors of Holmes and Hill on the chopping block, The Jets will have holes to fill. After picking Beckham for his speed in round one, it’s time for the Jets to get a big bodied receiver in Robinson. While he had a lackluster combine running a 4.60 40, he would still be a great value pick in round 2. While he may not have great speed, he has great hands and would be a great possession receiver. His 6’2 size and 39 inch vertical make him a third and red zone threat the Jets have desperately been lacking.

Round 3: Troy Niklas TE Notre Dame

While the wide receivers had a great combine, tight ends not named Eric Ebron struggled. With the tight ends falling in this draft the Jets may luck out in the top of the third round by getting a second round tight end in Niklas. While he won’t be an explosive tight end, he is a guy that can run across the middle and make catches. What makes him really special is that he is one of if not the best blocking tight end in this class. Given that the Jets love to run the ball so much, a tight end that can catch and block only seems to good to be true.

Round 3: Terrence Brooks: FS Florida St.

While the offense could always use another weapon here, you know Rex Ryan will need some help on defense. Brooks ran a great 4.42 40 at the combine and shows very good range in the secondary. While he may not be one of the elite safeties in this draft, he projects as a player whose range and ability to play physical man coverage fits right into Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme. A starter from day one who could help the Jets woeful secondary.

Round 4: Ross Cockrell: CB Duke

It’s no secret Rex Ryan loves to collect cornerbacks in the Draft. With the Antonio Cromartie contract situation still up in the air, it would be wise to add some depth. While he may not have the best speed, Cockrell has that size at 6’0 that the NFL is looking for in cornerbacks. Idzik had success drafting big physical corners late in the Draft in Seattle, so maybe Cockrell will be on the radar. He may struggle in zone coverage, but he is very good in man to man coverage, which the Jets utilize the most. This could be an intriguing pick who could be a solid corner in the NFL one day.

Round 5: De’Anthony Thomas: OW Oregon

It’s no question that the Jets need offensive weapons and there maybe limitless possibilities in terms of utilizing De’Anthony Thomas. While his 40 was 4.50, there is no question no player in college football was more dangerous in space then Thomas. With X factors like Percy Harvin in the league, the Jets should take a shot on Thomas. Best case scenario is he becomes an offensive weapon that can lineup at running back or receiver and can break off big plays. Worst case scenario is he becomes an explosive return man, another position the Jets are looking to upgrade.

Round 6: Aaron Lynch DE USF

While the Jets certainly don’t need another defensive end, Lynch is too enticing to pass up. at 6-6 250, he could be a great piece on defensive being able to play the stand up 3-4 outside backer or with his hand in the dirt. While his motor is a question, at this point this kind of athlete is too good to pass up. With a similar build and style to Quinton Coples, and with Coples beginning to turn the corner at linebacker, the possibility of both these pass rushers opposite one another on the Jets defense could be a nightmare for opposing offenses. There are risks here, but this is one risk the Jets should take.

Round 7: Tyler Larsen C Utah St.

While Nick Mangold has been a great center for the Jets, last season he started to show some regression. The Jets should maybe start to groom a replacement for Mangold and Larsen is a perfect fit. He’s a versatile lineman that could provide depth at guard and center. A powerful blocker that can punish in the running game who is very comfortable snapping and pass blocking. While Mangold could rebound, this would be a smart investment to have a solid backup option just in case.

Do you agree you disagree? Who do you think the Jets should draft? Like and comment below.

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