Can the NextGen Series bridge gap between youth and senior football? | Louise Taylor

Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Celtic are involved in a new U19 tournament aimed at developing talent

Aspiring professional footballers usually miss out on the globe-trotting gap years enjoyed by many of their 'civilian' peers but compensation has finally arrived in the form of a glamorous European Under-19 competition. Very much a junior Champions League, the NextGen Series, which kicks off across the continent on Wednesday, features 16 clubs including Barcelona, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic.

Between now and November they will compete in four groups, hoping to progress to the knockout stages in the new year. At this juncture, things deviate from the senior Champions League format as NextGen morphs into a mini, sudden-death tournament likely to be staged in the Middle East ? Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha are possibilities ? in January.

Liverpool begin against Sporting Lisbon at Anfield on Wednesday night when it is hoped ticket prices of �5 for adults and �2 for children will attract a sizeable crowd. Frank McParland, the head of Liverpool's academy and reserves, trusts such occasions will enhance the chances of more of his proteges following in the footsteps of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. "There's no doubt the boys are going to be stretched, which maybe can't always be said when it comes to more regular reserve football," McParland says.He hopes NextGen will capture the imagination of Liverpool fans facing up to a rare season bereft of first-team European competition.

With not only Barcelona but Internazionale, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Marseille among those involved, the technical bar is bound to be raised as Mark Warburton sees his brainchild finally spring into life. Warburton dreamed up NextGen during a previous incarnation as Watford's academy director. "I realised 18- and 19-year-olds needed a different challenge to help them make the transition to the first team," he says.

At the time McParland was scouting for Watford. "Three or four years ago Mark and I often discussed how we could improve and advance youth football," he says. "We used to throw ideas around and say how fantastic it would be to put kids from the biggest clubs in England against the giants of Europe. Now Mark's got NextGen off the ground and it's become a reality, it will only benefit our young players."

Defying widespread economic gloom, Warburton has found investors willing to finance the competing clubs' hotel and flight costs in the belief that payback will eventually come in the form of television and sponsorship deals. With broadcasters already in talks with the company, the plan is to expand the competition to 24 teams next season when Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are expected to join.

In time NextGen could not only widen the gulf between the Premier League's elite teams and the rest but potentially prove a more attractive broadcast proposition than the Championship. For the moment though, it is primarily about rectifying the growing disconnect between the demands of reserve and first XI football.

"We want to fill a void," Warburton says. "Apart from an exceptional few capable of jumping straight into first teams, many promising academy graduates have not been provided with enough consistent high-quality challenges. We think we can avoid wasting talent by helping more young players reach senior level.

"The FA Youth Cup aside, English youngsters don't have enough really competitive games; in many reserve fixtures the result isn't all that important. And our competition has educational benefits too; the players will learn a lot from travelling abroad. They'll be out of their comfort zones."

The exposure to big-match pressures allied to the debilitating effects of frequently flying home through the night are cheered by Mark Allen, the head of Manchester City's academy. "Our young players will now be competing against the best in Europe," he says. "The experience will give them a proper platform on which to prepare for first-team life. We see this as an important chapter in the development of Manchester City."

NextGen rules permit three under-20s to feature in an otherwise under-19 ensemble, an allowance Allen regards as eminently logical. "The average age of a Premier League debut is becoming older," he says. "It's 21 or 22 when it might once have been 17 or 18. We have to bridge the gap and prepare everyone for a better standard of football. And who knows you might see the next Lionel Messi at Hyde [City's reserve home]."

Chris McCart, Celtic's head of youth development, believes involvement confers the additional bonus of increasing his club's pulling power. "We're confident our youngsters' style of play will improve but NextGen should also be excellent in terms of youth recruitment," he says. "We can now offer the opportunity of overseas travel and games against the likes of Barcelona."

Few gap years can compete.

GROUPS AND FIXTURES

Group One: Barcelona, Celtic, Manchester City, Marseille

17 Aug Marseille v Celtic

31 Aug Celtic v Barcelona

14 Sept Celtic v Marseille

15 Sept Man City v Barcelona

28 Sept Barcelona v Marseille

5 Oct Marseille v Man City

17 Oct Man City v Celtic

19 Oct Marseille v Barcelona

2 Nov Barcelona v Man City

7 Nov Celtic v Man City

23 Nov Barcelona v Celtic

24 Nov Man City v Marseille

Group Two: Liverpool, Molde, Sporting Lisbon, Wolfsburg

17 Aug Liverpool v Sporting

18 Aug Molde v Wolfsburg

31 Aug Sporting v Wolfsburg

7 Sept Molde v Liverpool

14 Sept Liverpool v Wolfsburg

21 Sept Sporting v Molde; Wolfsburg v Liverpool

29 Sept Liverpool v Molde

5 Oct Molde v Sporting

19 Oct Wolfsburg v Sporting

2 Nov Wolfsburg v Molde

15 Nov Sporting v Liverpool

Group Three: Ajax, Aston Villa, Fenerbahce, Rosenborg

17 Aug Ajax v Aston Villa

7 Sept Ajax v Fenerbahce

28 Sept Aston Villa v Fenerbahce

12 Oct Rosenborg v Fenerbahce

26 Oct Fenerbahce v Aston Villa

2 Nov Aston Villa v Rosenborg

9 Nov Fenerbahce v Ajax; Rosenborg v Aston Villa

16 Nov Fenerbahce v Rosenborg

22 Nov Aston Villa v Ajax

TBC Ajax v Rosenborg; Rosenborg v Ajax

Group Four: FC Basel, Internazionale, PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham Hotspur

17 Aug Basel v Tottenham

31 Aug Basel v PSV; Tottenham v Inter

14 Sept Inter v PSV

28 Sept Inter v Basel; PSV v Tottenham

19 Oct Basel v Inter; Tottenham v PSV

2 Nov Inter v Tottenham; PSV v Basel

23 Nov Tottenham v Basel; PSV v Inter

• Aston Villa
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Tottenham Hotspur
• Celtic

Louise Taylor

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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/16/nextgen-series-youth-senior-football

Ron Edwards Sedrick Ellis Fred Evans Ronald Fields

Scouting Notebook, Preseason Week 1: Jaguars at Patriots

A few personnel notes from New England's Thursday win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Pats celebrated a home beatdown, trumping Jacksonville, 47-12.��

New England Patriots

Mallett hits a new level
Having watched a lot of tape of Ryan Mallett at Arkansas, I didn't expect to see him moving as well as he did in his first NFL game. He looked much quicker with a good bounce with his backstep out from under center, rolled into playfakes, and was very comfortable with three- and seven-step drops. He's still a balkier thrower under pressure than I would like, but I saw some intriguing improvements in this game. Everyone knows that Mallett has an amazing arm ? if he can put the little things together that I had put past him coming out of Arkansas, the Patriots could be in line to prove a lot of people wrong. As he played in the second half, we'll see what happens when he's going up against better players and more complex defenses.

Solder gets the little things right
Left tackle Nate Solder was another work in progress in school ? the former Colorado tight end is still learning the nuances of the tackle position, and he's looked pretty iffy at times, especially when dealing with back-end pressure. But against the Jaguars, I saw a player more consistent with his power moves off the line, kick-stepping back with aplomb and burying defenders with well-times and well-executed cut blocks. Solder also got out left in coordinated slide protections, using his agility and strength to wall off linebackers at the second level in outside running plays; he's also very quick and agile on tackle pulls. He's still getting his technique together in straight dropback pass-protection (too awkward when making the turn with the pass rusher on the "dip and rip", but I like what I saw in other areas. With little time to get Solder's technique together to face an NFL defense, the Patriots show once again the rewards of a true focus on technique and fundamentals.

New England's 4-3 conversion a mirage?
As expected to anyone who knows Bill Belichick's history of multiple and varied fronts, the talk about the Pats moving to a true 4-3 seems overblown ? it's just that, in players like Albert Haynesworth and Mark Anderson, they've taken on players better-suited to those fronts. But as much as the Patriots used fronts with four down linemen, they also bring different blitz packages and use fronts with three down linemen and a standup Leo/Elephant end. The real effectiveness comes from the ability to stunt and twist and bring different kinds of pressure inside. We'll be looking at how specific responsibilities work in Belichick's fronts through the preseason and regular season, but for now, assume that the alleged 4-3 move is actually a case of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gabbert Gabbert Hey!
When looking at tape of the 2011 draft class, I thought that Missouri's Blaine Gabbert was the best of a flawed group of quarterbacks. He doesn't have a rocket arm, but I liked the way he could fit throws in tight windows using timing and movement. Against New England's defense, Gabbert had his moments ? but just as often, he would be caught using too much escapability to avoid keeping his eyes downfield and trying to extend the play. However, his feel with play- and boot-action showed up full bore ? he sometimes sells the playfake too quickly, but he's great at getting a good backdrop going, bouncing off his back foot, and stepping into the throw. No issues with core fundamentals in that sense; just some timing and awareness issues that need to be worked out over time.

Poz looks good in new home
New middle linebacker Paul Posluszny should be a big asset for the Jags ? I really like the way he sifts through blockers and keeps the play in front of him. He'll obviously get blocked out at times, but he's rarely faked out of position and he's great at sealing one sideline or the other to facilitate other tacklers making plays. I'm not convinced that he has intermediate coverage ability, but the Jags have other linebackers for that.

Cal's Alualu is one to watch
Last season when I watched the Jags' defense, it was often to look at tackle Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton, who may be the most underrated in the league at his position. In this game, I wanted to get a better look at former Cal DT Tyson Alualu (after all, it is Mike Silver's birthday; might as well scout a Golden Bear!) ? and boy, did I come away impressed. Alualu has unbelievable side-to-side speed for a guy his size, and he can peel off a blocker with great quickness to help stop a play to either sideline or upfield. Bigger blockers can stand him up at times, but he's relentless after the block ? he'll keep pushing and trying to get around. As much as he's good as a three-tech right on the line, I�like him even more when he's lined up back about a foot in the "flex fronts" Tom Landry invented. When he has that extra step to get up to speed and can add rip and swim moves, Alualu is a tough man to stop.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Scouting-Notebook-Preseason-Week-1-Jaguars-at?urn=nfl-wp5060

Le Ron McClain LeSean McCoy

St�le Solbakken already under pressure as defeat leaves K�ln bottom | Raphael Honigstein

A disconnect between grand ideas on the bench and on-pitch realities is a big problem in a league that wants instant evolution

Before the match, Ralf Rangnick and St�le Solbakken had a lot in common. Both managed teams that were 17th ? and last ? in the table, jointly on zero points, zero goals scored and three conceded. Their opening defeats ? Schalke's loss at Stuttgart and K�ln's destruction at the hands of Wolfsburg in the Rhein-Energie-Stadion ? were so bad that their future in the job was questioned by some sections of the German media. Both seemed to face a simple but insurmountable problem: their conceptual approach to tactics jarred with highly individualistic or, in places, randomly put-together squads.

A disconnect between grand ideas on the bench and much more mundane realities on the pitch is fast becoming a common problem in a league that wants instant evolution. Everyone is keen to emulate J�rgen Klopp's superb Dortmund team without having the appropriate hardware or patience to do so. A significant part of the Bundesliga's entertainment factor this year can be attributed to these structural schisms, the results of which make for Frankenesque oddities. Think ? if you dare ? puppies infused with T-Rex DNA, chimps who labour under the delusion that they're a flock of migrating geese or particularly unfortunate Wolpertingers.

Schalke v K�ln promised plenty of freak-show action in that respect and did not disappoint. The visitors were at first brilliantly efficient to take the lead while the Schalke defender Christoph Metzelder was receiving treatment off the pitch ? Lukas Podolski finished off the slick counterattacking move. Afterwards, their two rows of fours moved in almost perfect unison, "as if the players were connected by invisible sticks" (K�lner Stadt-Anzeiger), a bit like Milan's fabled "accordion" in the Sacchi days, even. Alas, those sticks were shattered and the music stopped completely when Schalke were awarded a penalty shortly before the break. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar equalised from the spot after Kevin McKenna had handled the ball in the box.

Cue discontent, outrage and a total lapse of tactical discipline after the restart. K�ln stopped running, playing and functioning altogether as Schalke, by no means superb, ran riot. Lewis Holtby scored his first goal for the Royal Blues, Huntelaar completed a hat-trick and Ra�l chipped Michael Rensing from a few metres out ? a classic, nonchalant effort that will feature heavily in "best of season" lists come May 2012. "I expect nothing less of him, he converts six out of eight of those in training every day," Holtby said. "He's world-class."

"Total system failure" was Stadt-Anzeiger's verdict. Solbakken, to his credit, did not hide behind platitudes. "The whole team [set-up] wasn't right, therefore the manager is to blame," the Norwegian said. "Inside this feels like hell for me, it's a catastrophe. Next week, there will be lots of pressure from the supporters and the media." The 43-year-old said he continues to believe in his concept but is unsure how quickly he will be able to implement it successfully. "It's hard to tell when the system will start working," the former Copenhagen manager said. "There's no other way but it has to be quick. As long as I'm here, we will follow this plan. That's why the club bought me. There won't be a compromise."

Solbakken's past success and reports from Denmark suggest that he belongs to the gang of young, smart and technically minded managers who are increasingly making their mark on European football. It is questionable, however, if K�ln, with its toxic mix of tabloid power, supporter daydreams and at times less than committed playing staff is the right club for such a radical, long-term strategy. Stadt-Anzeiger wondered whether such an experiment might not be better suited to the fourth division, a league without relegation this season. "The players don't fit the system, there are no alternatives in the key positions and there's a lack of character in the team", wrote the tabloid. The fact that Podolski, the deposed captain, finished the game with the least amount of ground covered of all K�ln players (9.5km) was only marginally less surprising than Cesc F�bregas's move to Barcelona.

The sporting director Volker Finke, who made his name with Valeriy Lobanovskiy-inspired pressing and passing football at Freiburg in the 1990s, seemed genuinely shocked by proceedings. "I won't comment on what went wrong, that's the manager's job," the 63-year-old said. "The situation is more than annoying. But it was obvious that it would take time to put new team tactics into place. It's too early for the big, global questions." It surely is, but that won't stop K�ln posing them anyway ? if the team lose against Kaiserslautern next weekend. Solbakken might not have taken enough care to check out his employers but he is obviously a man au fait with the strange customs of the Bundesliga. "See you next week," one journalist said on Saturday; "I hope so," came the reply, with a wry smile.

Talking points

? The emphatic win gave Ralf Rangnick a bit of breathing space. But the lingering conflict with Ra�l is far from resolved. The 34-year-old is unhappy about having to play deeper and missed the good old days under Felix Magath, who gave the striker plenty of freedom as well as preferential treatment off the pitch. There is no more talk about an extension of his contract, no more partying with the fans, no more interviews with the German media. Ra�l has refused to take a seat on the team council in a move that has been interpreted as a goodbye gesture. "The diva wants to get off," wrote Bild. Blackburn Rovers are rumoured to be preparing a bid but Venky's must be careful: in contrast to all the Rovers owners' other half-hearted, PR-driven bids this one would actually stand a good chance of being accepted, at least as far as Schalke are concerned.

? Robin Dutt has similar problems with another great in the twilight of his career: Michael Ballack. The new Leverkusen manager has talked himself into a corner over the decision to rotate Ballack and Simon Rolfes in central midfield, sending out mixed messages that have left everyone a little miffed. "It's an honour to sit on Bayer's bench," Dutt said, a view that is shared by neither player. Against Werder, Ballack started but was fairly anonymous. Rolfes came on for the former Chelsea player with seven minutes to go and turned provider for Michal Kadlec's winner two minutes later. "We don't just have a superb first XI but a fantastic bench, too," Rolfes said diplomatically. "Individual feelings are not important." They will be, one suspects, once the Champions League comes around. Werder found a simple explanation for the 1-0 defeat, by the way. "The last bit of horniness was missing," declared Per Mertesacker, who is still waiting for Ars�ne Wenger's call.

? A flukey last-minute goal by Bayern Munich to win a game, after a less than sparkling performance? Unbelievable, Jeff. Jupp Heynckes's team only avoided two barren opening matches when Luiz Gustavo squeezed a shot past the Wolfsburg goalkeeper, Diego Benaglio, in stoppage time. The win gave Bayern plenty of licence to go into raptures over their "winning mentality" but there was little to impress the neutrals: the visitors struggled to cope with Felix Magath's muscular pressing game and created next to nothing in the final third. On the plus side, there was no dodgy facial hair whatsoever from Manuel Neuer and no wobbles either as the Bayern back four played one of its more convincing matches in living memory.

? After a buildup that was completely dominated by Mario G�tze's fine performance for the national team against Brazil, Dortmund somehow managed to lose a match that they completely dominated, too (G�tze looked a little tired, though). The Hoffenheim midfielder Sejad Salihovic scored with a 33m free-kick rocket that left Roman Weidenfeller clasping at thin air. "I don't know about the other goals that were scored today but this one will be hard to beat," J�rgen Klopp said. His colleague, Holger Stanislawski, professed to drinking "five or six bottles" ? of water, one hopes ? and sweating his heart out on the touchline. But the final whistle may not have been the end of the matter. In a remarkable development, away supporters alleged that their section was targeted by a high-pitch noise that piped up every time they were singing abusive anti-Hoffenheim songs (There is plenty of ill-feeling between the clubs after the Borussia chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke criticised 1899's business model ? their reliance on a wealthy benefactor ? last year). "It was a very loud, shrieking sound," Dortmund's supporter liaison officer told Ruhrnachrichten. A fan captured the alleged offending noise on a video(at 4:00), and charges have been pressed with police. "We are totally surprised," Hoffenheim said. "No one had any knowledge of this." The club later said one fan had brought "a very loud horn" into the stadium. On Monday afternoon, Hoffenheim said an employee had confessed to installing a noise apparatus "without authorisation". "[The club] distances itself from this action and apologises to all football fans," Hoffenheim said. "The man was not aware of the magnitude of his actions, which was meant to be playful in nature." Hmm. "Those who insult me over the course of 90 minutes shouldn't be so touchy," Hoffenheim's sugar daddy Dietmar Hopp said dismissively. If the noise was indeed played in by the speaker system, however, Dortmund might well have grounds to challenge the result: Bundesliga regulations prohibit the emittance of any sound in open play.

Results: Hoffenheim 1-0 Dortmund, Schalke 5-1 K�ln, Gladbach 1-1 Stuttgart, Wolfsburg 0-1 Bayern, Hamburg 2-2 Hertha, N�rnberg 1-2 Hannover, Freiburg 1-2 Mainz, Leverkusen 1-0 Bremen, Kaiserslautern 1-1 Augsburg.

The latest Bundesliga table

• Bundesliga
• K�ln
• Schalke
• European football

Raphael Honigstein

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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/15/stale-solbakken-pressure-koln-bottom

Ryan Sims Le Kevin Smith Shaun Smith Ndamukong Suh

Arian Foster believes in ?good karma? over holding out

�

Unlike AFC South division-mate and fellow former NFL rushing champion Chris Johnson, Arian Foster of the Houston Texans is not worried about the fact that he's set to make just $525,000 on an exclusive right free agent tender one year after he led the league in rushing yards with 1,616, rushing touchdowns with 16, and yards from scrimmage with 2,220. An undrafted free agent out of Tennessee, Foster came into the league in time for the 2009 season and put together a sophomore campaign that nobody could have possibly expected.

But while Johnson hasn't reported to camp, even as the Tennessee Titans say that they're willing to make him the highest-paid running back in the NFL, Foster, who will be a restricted free agent next season under the new CBA rules, reported to camp on time ? even though he's grossly underpaid by any standard.

Why the different view? Between his upbringing and his undrafted status, Foster recently told ESPN's Paul Kuharsky, he learned that there's nothing to be gained in his own mind by pressing the issue.

"I grew up where sometimes the lights weren't on or sometimes we didn't eat dinner at night. You know, my daughter lives well, my wife lives well and I live well," Foster said "I believe in karma. You take care of the universe; the universe takes care of you. You can't run around thinking negative all the time. You neither."

This despite the relatively short shelf life of the average running back, and the mild pulled hamstring Foster's been contending with this preseason.

"Track athletes run year-round and pull hamstrings," he said. "They are going to happen to most athletes who do sprinting. And they focus on that and they try to do preventative exercises to prevent (pulled) hamstrings but hamstrings just happen.

"I'm in great shape. I'm hydrated, I stretch, I do yoga. It just happens," he said.

Texans owner Bob McNair recently told the Houston Chronicle that Foster will have to prove himself beyond 2010 to be paid like a marquee back. "I think Arian understands if he performs this year, shows that he can be consistent, he'll be rewarded," McNair said. "That's how the game works, but you don't do it based on one season."

And what about Johnson? After all, Foster could relate to Johnson's situation more than most ? there aren't too many NFL rushing champions paid less than a million dollars per year.

"I think Chris Johnson is a grown man and he needs to do whatever he thinks is best for him and his family," he said.

As he concluded to Kuharsky, Foster is guided by a different voice.

"I'm a humanitarian."

That aside, there are reasons for Foster to worry this year. One of the main reasons for his great success last season was the dynamic blocking of fullback Vonta Leach, who's now in Baltimore. When I talked with him recently, Foster discussed the value of Leach and the continuity of the Houston running game. He also didn't sound at all concerned about his contract when I asked him about it.

"Whatever the system's going to be, it's going to be ? but people who are proven in the league should be getting a little more compensation for what they're worth. Absolutely. My opinion is null and void, though, because I don't write any checks [laughs]."

Arian Foster is certainly a rare bird in a league where players frequently have to use whatever leverage they can attain to get when they deserve. Let's just hope his neutral position works out for him in the end.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Arian-Foster-believes-in-good-karma-over-holdi?urn=nfl-wp5054

Michael Bush Reggie Bush Rock Cartwright Tim Castille

Chicago?s offensive line is in midseason form, and that?s not good

Just as there are good things to be taken away from any loss, there are negatives to be drawn from any victory. In the case of the Chicago Bears' 10-3 Saturday win over the Buffalo Bills, the nine sacks allowed by the Bears' offensive line ? starters and backups ? was more than just a preseason anomaly.

In 52 defensive snaps, the Bills amassed nine sacks, nine tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits. So, on 26 of their plays (a full half of their offensive snaps), someone was in the backfield, getting their clocks cleaned.

From left tackle J'Marcus� Webb's Facebook account:

Remember Webbies, last night's game was the first pre season and we have only had two weeks of practice. Stay positive! We'll get it together! Bear down!

Well, as nice a sentiment as that is, it doesn't address the larger problem ? namely, that the Bears' offensive line was just about as horrible last season as it is now. In a 17-3 Week 4 loss to the New York Giants in 2010, quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half before leaving the game with a concussion.

And this happened before they said good-bye to veteran center Olin Kreutz, signed former Seattle Seahawks first-round center Chris Spencer to a two-year, $6 million contract, named Spencer as the backup center, kicked guard Roberto Garza over to starting center, took Webb from right to left tackle, and put 2011 first-round pick Gabe Carimi at the right tackle spot (despite the fact that Webb was pretty bad at right tackle in 2010). The only guy staying put from last year is left guard Chris Williams, and the former first-round left tackle may be the most frustrating player on the line from a potential perspective.

All that movement may have been interesting, but it certainly didn't help. Webb was absolutely posterized by Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman, a player who hasn't been an effective pass rusher on a week-to-week basis since 2007, and a Bills front seven that finished dead last in each of Football Outsiders' primary defensive line stats blew up that line from left to right.

Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune put the problem thusly:

What the Bears line needs at this point isn't Kreutz (that ship has sailed) or Willie Colon (they swung and missed at the Steelers lineman), or Bryant McKinnie (he's still out there but not a viable option).

What the Bears line needs is time.

The players need reps. They need tape sessions with coach Mike Tice. They need technique work on the side. They need to become more familiar with the protections. Each player needs to get a better feel for the player or players lined up next to him.

Well, here's the potential problem with that, and quite possibly the overall problem with the Bears' line beyond talent evaluation (Jerry Angelo and Tim Ruskell and the team's front office are on the hook for that). If offensive line coach Mike Tice is playing to form from the 2010 preseason, he hasn't even installed line protections yet.

When Williams allowed multiple sacks against the Oakland Raiders in last year's preseason, Tice said that it wasn't really the player's fault ? it was Tice who refused to give Williams help in pass protection.

Tice, from ESPN Chicago last August:

You have to carry a lot of protections, because you really think you know what the other guys are going to do, but sometimes you don't know what they are going to do. You have to have ways to adjust to that. It could be you throw a protection out on a certain day and say let's not do that, even though that was one of the ones you worked on and it was a major one in your plan. Sometimes you need to go to protections to help other players that might be having an off night. [You may say] let's major in this protection so we can keep the tight end in. All of those things come into play, so you need to carry that many protections.

And if you don't, well, USE those protections until the regular season begins, especially when you have a bunch of new linemen? You get what the Bears got last preseason, and this preseason, and quite possibly what the Bears will get going into the regular season. The Bears ranked very low in most of FO's 2010 offensive line stats, and this season, they're going into a season with a center who's never made line calls before.

If I was Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, I'd take a good look at my insurance policy.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Chicago-s-offensive-line-is-in-midseason-form-a?urn=nfl-wp5125

Matt Hasselbeck Chad Henne Shaun Hill Brian Hoyer

Young quarterbacks struggle and survive in preseason?s first day

�

In the first day of the 2011 preseason, we saw some new (and newer) NFL quarterbacks throw down some interesting performances. Most of the time, rookies are going against the second-teamers, so it's far from indicative of future performance, but as tough as it is to play the position in the NFL, any good start helps.

Tebow gets better, bit by bit
We'll start with a second-year quarterback who's been in the news quite a bit lately. Dealing with the Denver depth chart issues has been taxing, but in going 6-of-7 for 91 yards in a 24-23 loss to Dallas, Tim Tebow looked surprisingly conversant in his dropback mechanics and with play-action for a former spread quarterback. He also made one amazing play under pressure; heading left out of a broken pocket and then circling back right to get a swing pass out to receiver Britt Davis (Of course, the fact that he was over the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball ... now, that's a problem).

As head coach John Fox said after the game, Tebow's still a work in progress, but I like the sense of improvement and ability to improvise. I think he's ultimately going to be a limited-palette quarterback requiring a team to fit its offense to his skill set, but he does have specific attributes that shouldn't be ignored.

Cowboys backup McGee advances on encouraging 2010 play
The guy on the winning side of that game, third-year quarterback Stephen McGee from Texas A & M, built on his strong end-of-2010 performances by throwing three touchdown passes. McGee, another former read-and-run guy, seems to have a better understanding of route timing than a lot of young quarterbacks; I like his ability to anticipate his receiver's movements on the run. McGee's a guy to keep an eye on in this preseason.

Mallett overcomes (some) mechanical issues in Patriots debut
One rookie I wasn't so high on, based on his college tape, was Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. Now backing up Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer in New England, Mallet actually availed himself fairly well. He went 12 of 19 for 164 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots' 47-12 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars ? he was quicker out from under center than I remembered, wasn't quite as�sluggish on the run, and made some good throws (though that windup is still a concern).

Gabbert learning on the run
Mallett's counterpart on the Jacksonville side, former Missouri standout Blaine Gabbert, showed the fine base mechanics he displayed in college ? I thought he was the best of this draft class at rolling out of the pocket from shotgun and under center, understanding play-action and boot-action in the process, and throwing on the run. As long as Gabbert keeps his eyes front when he's rolling out, and doesn't push the ball when throwing from the pocket, he's going to develop pretty nicely. He went 9 of 16 for 85 yards, got rolled around by New England's defense a bit, and got a different level of the learning process.

Another Portis tries to bank on NFL success
Finally, Seattle Seahawks undrafted free agent Josh Portis from Cal (Pa.) showed some good stuff in his team's 24-17 comeback win over the San Diego Chargers. Portis, a natural running quarterback with some pro-style experience, looked pretty good with play-action and hit tight end Anthony McCoy in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter through a decent-sized window. Portis' athleticism is his X-factor; it's when he's allowed to display his quarterback acumen against a starting defense that we'll see where he really is on the journey.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Young-quarterbacks-struggle-and-survive-in-prese?urn=nfl-wp4983

Ricardo Mathews Gerald McCoy Tony McDaniel Brandon Mebane

It?s all fun and games until an Atlanta radio guy is called a ?homer?

It starts off sounding like your average, peaceful sports radio call-in -- radio host Beau Bock believes the Falcons are the brink of something special, and caller Tim from Stone Mountain isn't sold.

But apparently, discussing the potential merits of Atlanta Falcons Harry Douglas and Jacquizz Rodgers demands extreme anger. Then someone gets called a homer, and it's on.

Irrational football anger is here. Real, actual football can't be far behind.

Gracias, Real Clear Sports.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/It-s-all-fun-and-games-until-an-Atlanta-radio-gu?urn=nfl-wp4955

Thomas Clayton Patrick Cobbs John Conner Mike Cox