Since It Worked So Well Last Year...

Last season, the Miami Dolphins chose Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. over would-be starting quarterback Brady Quinn out of Notre Dame. A surprising move at the time, the Dolphins apparently had a plan in place as they selected John Beck in the second round. This selection, or lack of, likely had something to do with the fact that the 'Phins will be choosing first overall this coming draft.

With Boston College's Matt Ryan sitting there for the picking, this seems like a no-brainer. Right? Wrong. Miami is reportedly in talks with Michigan offensive lineman Jake Long.

I find it interesting that Tom Condon represents both Ryan and Long. What I find more interesting is the following quote:

The Dolphins are believed to be happy with quarterback John Beck, and they are not considering Ryan as an option with the first pick.

Could the Dolphins be taking a page out of the Browns' textbook that says an offensive line needs to be in place before a quarterback can succeed? Lord knows that Trent Green wasn't the answer, and if Beck gets another shot, it looks like it'll be behind a brand new bodyguard. No word on who they plan on taking with the first selection in 2009.

Darren, Travis. Travis, Darren.

While much of the talks regarding the NFL this week will be regarding the NFL combine and current free agents, running back Darren McFadden may impact both. Word on the street is that he's torching the 40-yard dash, which is helping his assent on draft boards. Enough to have the Cowboys get rid of both of their free agent backs? Only time will tell.

But while McFadden's physical skills are undoubtedly top notch, some are concerned about a few off-field issues. Specifically, fights (one in 2006, one last month) as well as a paternaty suit.

...A Little Rock woman filed a paternity suit against McFadden, seeking child support for her 4-month-old daughter."I took a paternity test and it came back negative," McFadden said Friday. "They wanted me to take another one."

Of course, McFadden would just join a laundry list of current NFL players that are involved in some sort of paternaty troubles. First and 10 Inches favorite Travis Henry will be going through his on a pay cut, so if anyone can help out the soon-to-be first round selection, its the Bronco back.

McFadden hits an obstacle [STL Today]

Weeken Warriors: Link Dump

I apologize for the lack of activity this week, as the whole "real job" thing gets in the way at times. Anyone willing to pay me to do this, please email to the address in the sidebar, and I'll ensure that your RSS readers are filled up daily. Now, here's what a few others have been saying while I've been a working man...

- I wish I had more time to discuss this whole Patriots/Steelers video-taping issue. Thankfully, Ryan Wilson has loads of time and resources over at the FanHouse. Go check it out there. [FanHouse]

- I continue to love Terrell Owens. I think that this may have just made it that much better. [Awful Announcing]

- For those of you that wonder what on earth happens to all of the t-shirts for the losing Super Bowl team [JetsBlog]

- Fantasy Football fanatics may want to adjust their Tight End rankings a bit. Alge Crumpler is no longer in the ATL. [AJC]

- A quick reminder that the world is a very, very unfair place [Sports Illustrated]

- I sure hope to come up with some time in the near future. I think the upcoming NFL draft needs some more blogging [Free Press]

- And while this has nothing to do with football, and I'm a few days behind the curve, this story about Cat Gaffney (Mighty Ducks fans know what's up) deserves some love [Rumors and Rants]

Should The Saints Go With A Running Back?

After Deuce McAllister went down last season thanks to a brutal knee injury (his second in three seasons), the Saints were forced to rely on Reggie "Paparazzi Hating" Bush to carry the load in the backfield. With games of 17, 34, 32, and 64 yards on the ground, it goes without saying that the full time gig did not produce the dividends that New Orleans thought they would receive with the second overall selection.

Though Aaron Stecker had a couple of solid outings towards the end of the season, he will be a free agent this coming off-season and likely not re-signed. Versatile, yes, but the soon-to-be 33-year old has a better chance of being replaced by rookie running back Pierre Thomas (105 yards rushing, 121 yards receiving during week 17) who will cost the team a lot less money and give them a few more years.

So, if McAllister comes back from his injury, the Saints will be back to a three-back arsenal. Or will they? An article in today's edition of the New Orleans Times-Picayune hints towards the possibility that the Saints will not bring McAllister back - thus, saving the team $1 million in a roster bonus that will be due to the veteran. After finishing 7-9 this season, General Manager Mickey Loomis says that he would like to "do what's best for the team and Deuce."

If the team opts against re-signing McAllister, can they possibly feel that Bush and Thomas are enough to rely on? Drafting another back this season would not be far-fetched, but given the youth that is currently in tow, using their first round selection on a running back seems like a poor allocation of assets. The other option? Free agency, of course. Thankfully for New Orleans, the Free Agent running back scene is pretty rich.

Possible options include Michael Turner (UFA), Marion Barber (RFA), Jamal Lewis (UFA), Fred Taylor (UFA), Julius Jones (UFA) and a slew of other veteran-types. With the Cowboys expected to sign Barber to a three-to-five year extension, this almost ensures that Jones will be for the having.

A lot can happen between now and March, when the Saints have to declare their future with McAllister, but if I were a fan, I would not count out seeing a new name in the backfield of New Orleans come this fall.

A Demographic Disadvantage In The Midwest?

While I touched on the topic in today's minute over at CSM, I thought that this would be a better forum to discuss the possible demographic disadvantage of schools in the Midwest - specifically the Big Ten.

Terry Pluto's Sunday talking points were very intriguing, as he discussed a theory that he has had for years. It is the same notion that has plagued businesses all across the Midwest, with a lot of families - and thus, students - moving out of the Midwest due to lack of opportunity. Families leave, businesses suffer due to lack of revenue generation, and then said businesses relocate to a more lucrative area; typically the South or even the West Coast (if not overseas).

Well, it appears that the same level of demographic shift is going on in college football, with a lot of talent relocating at the high school level, making it that much more difficult to recruit players to come back North. Terry's research has definitely backed up his notion, especially this season:

"I went through the list of the top 50 high school senior football prospects on ESPN.com, supplied by Scouts Inc. Not a single Ohio kid was on the list. Nor was anyone from Michigan or Indiana. There were three from Pennsylvania. The highest rated Ohio kid on a longer list of 100 was DeVoe Torrence, the Massillon running back at No. 64. He is committed to the Buckeyes."

In fact, 32 of the top 50 recruits in the country are from Florida, Georgia, Texas or Alabama - smack dab in the middle of SEC country.

Perhaps the Big Ten's bowl record against the SEC is telling us a lot more than how much more talented one team (or in this case, Conference) is than another. As families continue to flock south, the collegiate athletic programs will also continue to evolve in those areas. It wouldn't be surprising to see the number of recruits in the aforementioned areas increase over the next few years, as there may even be a lagging effect given the seasoning that future highschoolers will receive in the coming years.

There's a reason that shows like Friday Night Lights are not set in areas like Detroit or Pittsburgh. And as long as current trends continue, the talent gap could widen a lot more before it even begins to narrow.

Terry's Talkin' [Cleveland Plain Dealer]