[OLPC-Games] Dan Shonka, NFL Players To Watch This Season

[Super Star]

Dan Shonka, NFL Players To Watch This Season


Of course quarterbacks and running backs get all the attention. They score
touchdowns, they sell Chunky Soup, and they get to bang the homecoming
queen. They're the ones with the big contracts and the guys who can be
rewarded with either too much blame or too much credit.

Then there are the dozens of free agents that meander into your team's
locker room each year. One team's trash is another team's treasure kind of
deal. These hired guns are generally heralded as the Missing Link, and you
know you're guilty of over-hyping some journeyman nickel back or offensive
tackle to your wife or co-workers.

Then there are the rookies. The quick fix. The hotshots. They are the future
and the present. Every team is hoping that they scored not only that
first-round blue chipper, but that late-round gem that can turn a team from
wannabe to world champs quicker than you can say "signing bonus".

This season in the NFL there are a slew of guys whose performances will have
a direct connection to their team's win-loss records. It will be very
interesting to see how guys like Kurt Warner (Arizona), J.P. Losman
(Buffalo), Deshaun Foster (Carolina), Randy Moss (Oakland) and Mike Williams
(Detroit) will perform. Very interesting indeed.

That being said, right now I have no interest in any of those subcategories
of players. I'll leave the big-name free agents, cocky rookies and
pretty-boy quarterbacks to be talked about by the gossip mongers and bobble
heads.

Instead, I've compiled a list of players who might make for exciting talk at
the water cooler but will play a crucial role in determining the course of
their team's franchise in 2005. Some are names you know, some are names you
may have heard in passing. In my estimation these guys represent the types
of storylines - veterans holding on to that last chance, disappointing draft
picks seeking salvation, unheralded role players trying to break into the
big time - that make the NFL worth watching.

*Ryan Sims, DT, Kansas City*
Remember back in 2002 when the debate between which North Carolina defender
- Sims or Julius Peppers - should be taken first nearly reached Manning-Leaf
proportions? Well, their NFL careers have almost been as lopsided. Sims is
in his contract year, and is the most naturally gifted player on a defensive
line that has been a sieve for the last four seasons. The Chiefs will
feature as many as five new starters on defense, including two new
linebackers and two new bodies in the secondary. But if Sims can't hold down
the point of attack (only 30 tackles and two sacks in 2004) those guys will
be getting a lot of work.

*Darrell Jackson, WR, Seattle*
Dropped passes grounded the Seahawks last season, and Jackson was as guilty
as anyone. Koren Robinson is in rehab and no longer with the team, leaving
Jackson as the true No. 1 guy in the Seattle passing game. Jackson had 87
catches for 1,199 and seven touchdowns last season. That's not enough.
Jackson will need to not only achieve those numbers again, but set an
example by holding onto just about anything he gets his hands on and making
clutch catches that keep the sticks moving.

*Nate Kaeding, K, San Diego*
Kaeding, the cherub-faced kicker for the Chargers, was a revelation as a
rookie in 2004. Kaeding was 54 of 55 making extra points, and 20-for-25 with
field goals. However, he was also responsible for missing the kick that more
or less ended his team's season. He shanked a 40-yarder in overtime in a
first-round playoff loss at home to the Jets. That's forgivable, but Kaeding
missed his first three kicks off the preseason. Those three kicks were
between 40-46 yards and in a steady rain, but if there's one thing a kicker
can't have, it's wavering confidence.

*Seth Payne, NT, Houston*
People are expecting big things out of the Texans this season. If that's
going to happen, the defense needs to perform better than its 23rd overall
ranking in 2004. Payne will be a huge part of that. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound
nose tackle is the fulcrum in the Texans 3-4 system. With young linebackers
behind him, Payne needs to cause some havoc up front to take some pressure
off guys like Jason Babin. Payne has had injury problems in the past, but
the ninth-year man out of Cornell impressed Houston brass enough to warrant
them resigning him in the offseason.

*John Tait, LT, Chicago*
Tait was the Bears prized free agent signing in 2003, inking a $33.65
million deal. Tait, who was part of those dominating Kansas City lines a few
years ago, was solid at right tackle for Chicago last season. However, the
Bears yielded a league-high 66 sacks which prompted Tait to approach coach
Lovie Smith and offer to switch to the critical left tackle position. Well,
with Rex Grossman out for the year Tait's importance becomes even greater.
If the Bears are going to win with Chad Hutchinson he's going to need plenty
of time to survey the field.

*DeAngelo Hall, CB, Atlanta*
The electrifying Hall suffered a hard-luck hip injury last year that caused
him to miss six games. He came back for the end of the season and the
playoffs and performed admirably, intercepting two passes and scoring one
touchdown. Atlanta had the 23rd-ranked pass defense in the league last
season, and didn't make any noticeable upgrades. In a division with Joe
Horn, Steve Smith and up-and-coming Mark Clayton, the Falcons are hoping
that Hall can be the shutdown corner that their defense has been missing.

*Chad Brown/Monty Beisel, LB, New England*
Its got to be pretty tough to come in as a low-key free agent and find
yourself filling in for the heart-and-soul of the two-time defending Super
Bowl Champions. Well, with Tedy Bruschi sidelined as a result of his
offseason stroke and tough-as-nails Ted Johnson retired, that's precisely
where Brown and Beisel find themselves. To make matters worse, Mike Vrabel
suffered a lower leg injury and has been sidelined for the Pats. Beisel came
over from Kansas City and their pathetic defense, and Chad Brown is hoping
to recapture a bit of the nastiness that he exuded throughout the mid-90's.
However, they're replacing two New England legends and better come out of
the corner swinging.

*Jimmy Smith, WR, Jacksonville*
The 36-year-old Smith is hoping that he can keep the magic going for one
more season. Smith showed no signs of slowing in 2004, finishing with 74
catches for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns. He is the only proven wide
receiver that the Jaguars have and one of the few guys that quarterback
Byron Leftwich trusts in the clutch. The Jaguars defense is going to be one
of the best in the AFC this season. But the question mark is whether or not
this team can put up enough points to earn a playoff berth. The only way
that happens is if Smith stays healthy and tutors some of the Jags young
receivers.

*Jonathan Ogden, LT, Baltimore*
The guy is an eight-time Pro Bowler and potentially a Hall of Famer.
However, he looked as if injuries and age may have robbed him of a step last
season. The Ravens restocked their offense at the skill positions this
offseason, and Todd Heap, Jamal Lewis, Derrick Mason and rookie Mark Clayton
are ready to put up some points. However, center Casey Rabach and left guard
Bennie Anderson both split this summer, and temperamental Orlando Brown
declined sharply in 2004. If the Ravens are going to make another push for
the AFC crown, they're going to need Ogden to anchor that offensive line.

*Roy Williams, SS, Dallas*
Last season the Cowboys yielded 31 passing touchdowns, fourth-worst in the
league. They addressed that problem by signing Anthony Henry from Cleveland
this offseason. With Henry and Terrance Newman holding down the outside,
Williams should be free to roam the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc in the
way that he did in 2003. Williams is at his best when he's delivering
vicious hits on running backs and receivers coming across the middle, or
flying through the line on a safety blitz. With Dallas switching to the 3-4,
and time running out on the Tuna, Williams need a big year.

*Doc's Sports Recent Items Of Interest:*
NFL season predictions<http://www.docsports.com/2005-nfl-season-predictions.html>
2005 NFL preview <http://www.docsports.com/2005-nfl-season-preview.html>
football picks <http://www.docsports.com/football-picks.html>

Doc's Sports Handicapping Service
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trusted names in sports handicapping information. Visit Doc's website for
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