32 Teams in 32 Days: Buffalo Bills

Were back at it again today as we take a look at my favorite team the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are coming off of a 6-10 season that saw them finish last in the AFC East and missed the playoffs for for the 14th consecutive season. Rookie QB E.J Manuel battled injuries throughout the year and the team could never get on a roll and win a couple of games in a row. Along with missing the playoffs in 14 straight seasons, they have had 9 consecutive losing seasons. But, they look to make some noise this year and maybe break both of those streaks this season. There aren't any real position "battles" going on, just some positions where a player is fighting to really just lite a fire under the starter. And don't forget to tune in tonight to take a look at the Bills as they play their second preseason game against the Panthers.

Right Tackle: Erik Pears vs Cyrus Kouandjio and Right Guard: Kraig Urbik vs Chris Hairston

Pears is the far out front runner at this position as the rookie Kouandjio out of Alabama has really not progressed as much as expected so far in camp. Pears real competitor might be rookie 7 round pick Seantrel Henderson out of Miami. As you may have read in one of my previous writings, that Henderson does not lack talent at all as he fell to the 7 round due to off the field issues. He was really good in the first preseason game at left-tackle as he filled in for Cordy Glenn and has had a good training camp so far, so he is definitely a player to keep an eye on.

There is the situation with some positions on defense as guys are projected starters and others just fighting to show what they have.

Free Safety: Da'Norris Searcy vs Duke Williams vs Johnathan Meeks and Weak Side Linebacker: Nigal Bradham vs Preston Brown

Searcy has had a strong camp so far and was thought of to be the starting free safety coming into camp alongside SS Aaron Williams. He has a big role to fill for the departed Jarius Byrd, who is one of the best safeties in the league. Williams and Meeks are both second year guys battling each other for the backup safety position. Then you have weakside linebacker, which is another position that has big shoes to fill after Reigning defensive rookie of the year Kiko Alonso went down with a torn ACL. Bradham came in to camp expected to fill that role and that looks like what is going to happen but, he is being pushed by rookie Preston Brown.

Now that we have looked over some of the position battles in camp lets look at some key players for the Bills this year:

E.J Manuel- Probably the most important/crucial player on the team, Manuel enters his second season at the helm of this Buffalo offense. As a rookie he struggled with injuries and inconsistency as he could just not air the ball out like they had hoped. But, this year he looks to prove his durability and regain his accurate touch that he had at Florida State and really help this football team make a big step forward in the league. They went out and got him a true weapon in receiver Sammy Watkins out of Clemson and pair him up with 2 year man Robert Woods, Mike Williams, and speedster Marquise Goodwin. They also have a solid trio of RB's in CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson, and new pickup Bryce Brown. So with these weapons in the arsenal it is now up to Manuel to lead this team to new heights.

Mario Williams- Williams leads this fierce defensive line which also includes fellow pro-bowlers Kyle Williams (10.5 sacks in '13) and Marcell Dareus (7.5 sacks in '13). Also, don't forget his fellow outside pass rusher Jerry Hughes, who came over from the Colts last season and contributed 10 sacks himself.  The former number 1 overall pick led this team with 13 sacks last year and has always been a force coming off the edge and putting pressure on the QB. Look for him to have an equal or even better season this year as him and the rest of this d-line have to step up even more with the absence of Alonso and the departure of Byrd.

Brandon Spikes- This may seem like a surprise but, Spikes might be the key to this defense this season. He comes over from the Patriots where he has had a solid couple of seasons and now has to replace Alonso in the middle of this defense. It will be hard to have a season like Alonso did last year but, I truly believe Spikes  has the capabilities to have a season near it and has to step up as the leader of this below-average linebacker corps.

X-Factor- Sammy Watkins

The much hyped rookie receiver from Clemson is looked upon to come into this offense and be an immediate game changing play maker. He has all the tools to be a great receiver in this league with his combination of blazing speed and less known about strength. His college numbers are ridiculous to the tune of 101 catches for nearly 1500 yards and 12 TD's a season ago. He is also one of only four ever be named a first team all american as a true freshman joining Herschel Walker, Marshall Faulk, and Adrian Peterson. If he can repeat the numbers of some other rookie receivers that have come into the league recently (Julio Jones, AJ Green) the Bills will have a very efficient offense.

Season Outlook:

The 2014 schedule is listed below... While the Bills are right in the middle of the pack in strength of schedule, (meaning the teams they play this year had a combined record of .500 last year), I believe their schedule is a little tough than that. Of course you have the two games against the Patriots who they have historically struggled against, they also have other tough games like at Chicago to start the season and at the Broncos later in the season. This year is hard to predict because it's hard to predict how much Manuel is going to step up, but, if they can go at least 4-2 in the division, I see them going 9-7 with a chance of sneaking into a wild card spot. And remember check back tomorrow as I take a look at the Carolina Panthers.

        

32 Teams in 32 Days: Baltimore Ravens

Were back at it again today as we will dive in and take a look at the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are coming off of a 8-8 season that saw them miss the playoffs. They headed into week 17 against the Bengals needing a win and Dolphins loss against the Jets. The Dolphins lost, so all Baltimore needed to do was beat the Bengals and they would capture the second wild card spot. But, the game did not go as planned and ended up being a really disappointing loss as they were beaten 34-17 despite Bengals QB Andy Dalton throwing 4 interceptions. This year they look to get back to their ways and return to where they were 2 years ago when they won the super bowl. As a team they have had their share of off the field issues, highlighted by Ray Rice's incident this off season. But, they want to put those things behind them and just get back to playing football. So to start, let's take a look at some of the position battles that are going on in camp right now. And don't forget to tune in tonight to take a look at the Ravens as they play their first preseason game against the 49ers.

Defensive Tackle: Brandon Williams vs Timmy Jernigan

These two players are fighting to fill the void left by Arthur Jones and play on the d-line alongside all-pro Haloti Ngata and Chris Canty. Williams is a second year man out of Division ll Missouri Southern State and played only 93 snaps last year as a rookie. Then you have Jernigan who is a rookie out of Florida State and had a very solid career and finished strong last season with 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. So we haven't seen much of either of these guys so expect anything when it comes to this battle. But, watching Jernigan play at Florida State and reports that he has had some good practices so far, I am going with him.
Pick- Jernigan

Right Tackle: Ricky Wagner vs Jah Reid

A not so exciting to the eye competition but, a huge impact spot on the team has Wagner and Reid battling it out at Right Tackle. They are looking to fill the void left by the departed Michael Oher who went to the Titans in free agency. I really think this is Wagner's job to lose as he was the backup right tackle for Oher last year. Reid has been a career backup guard who is looking to move to tackle but, will need to put on a show in camp to win this job.
Pick- Wagner

Free Safety: Darian Stewart vs Jeromy Miles

The Ravens need someone to step up at free safety this year as last year's starting free safety Matt Elam mover to strong safety this season to replace the departed James Ihedigbo. The main two competitors in this competition are Stewart and Miles. Stewart is a fifth year guy who came over from the Rams this off season and reports out of camp are that he is in the lead in this competition and they like him because of his familiarity with Steve Spagnuolo who is the Ravens secondary coach. Miles is a guy who has really been getting his only chance when Stewart moves to CB, so it may not be a competition after all.
Pick- Stewart

Now that we have looked over some of the position battles in camp lets look at some key players for the Ravens this year:

Terrell Suggs- Suggs became the voice of this defense last year after Ray Lewis retired and he looks to build on a season last year where he recorded 10 sacks. Suggs is a player known around the league for his physical nature and paired up with Elvis Dumervil gives the Ravens two really good end ruskers who look to put constant pressure on the opposing QB.

The CB as a group- I believe this group of CB needs to take it to another level this year with the departure of Corey Graham who went to Buffalo. You have Ladarius Webb and Jimmy Smith on the outsides who the Ravens are going to be relying on big time in division match-ups against teams like the Bengals who can really air it out.

Bernard Pierce- Pierce will be filling in for Ray Rice the first two games of the season because as you probably have heard, been suspended for assaulting his wife this off season. Pierce has the capabilities to step in and be a first string running back. He will be huge throughout the season and especially the first 2 games as the Ravens don't want to fall into an 0-2 hole to start the season.

X-Factor- Steve Smith
Smith comes to the Ravens this year after a long and successful stint in Carolina. He is near the tail end of his career but, still has that fiery attitude that helps him get into the heads of some of the younger secondaries in the league. He doesn't back down from anyone and if he can have the same success as he did in Carolina it could be a huge weapon for this offense who already have one of the more explosive receivers in the league in Torrey Smith.

Season Outlook:
The 2014 schedule is listed below... They start off right out of the gate with three straight division games. If they can come out of those three games with a 2-1 or even 3-0 record they can really put themselves in the drivers seat for the rest of the season. They have a few tough games like at Indianapolis and at the Saints but, other than those games I really can see them having very good success with their schedule. I see them going 11-5 and winning the AFC North and being a 3 seed come playoff time. And remember check back tomorrow as I take a look at my favorite team the Buffalo Bills.

32 Teams in 32 Days: Atlanta Falcons

Well I have been doing this for only 3 days and i have already missed a day so lets just say that is not a great start. But, nevertheless lets get back at it today with a look at the Atlanta Falcons. Last year the Falcons may have been arguably the most surprising team in the league, but not in a good way. They finished last season with a 4-12 record and their four wins came by a combined total of 16 points. So to say last season was a step back from their NFC championship game run 2 seasons ago is a vast understatement. We can cut them some slack though as they faced many injuries including Julio Jones for the season early last year and Roddy White being on and off the field game to game. But, this year I believe they will get back to their winning ways and compete with the Saints for the top spot in the division. First, lets take a look at some of the position battles going on in camp now. Also, keep an eye on these battles yourself by watching Hard Knocks on Tuesday's at 10 p.m on HBO.

Free Safety: Dwight Lowery vs Dezmond Southward

Lowery is a veteran guy who has spent 6 seasons in the league with the Jets and the Jaguars. Lowery was brought in as a free agent this off-season and most people assumed he would probably take over for the departed Thomas DeCoud who signed with a division rival in the Carolina Panthers. But, it wasnt such a shoe-in after they drafted Southward in the third round of this years draft. Southward is a big physical presence out of Wisconsin who has the ability to play both safety spots. 

Not only is Lowery battling Southward, he is also always battling injuries as he has only played in 12 games total over the past 2 seasons. And sure enough he was diagnosed with a concussion a few days ago and now the competition is wide open.

Pick-Southward

Running Back: Jacquizz Rodgers vs Devonta Freeman

While Steven Jackson is the starter but battling a hamstring injury and probably will miss the preseason, these two are battling out for who will get more touches behind Jackson and who may even cut into some of Jackson's touches. Rodgers has been with the Falcons and I believe his best attribute is his receiving ability and work in the open field. Freeman is a rookie out of Florida State who ran for over 1000 yards and 14 TD last year and has shown the ability to be an every down back. And so far is has showed it in camp and is ahead in the competition right now. Don't be surprised if this kid starts some games during the season and shows us all his outstanding ability.

Pick- Freeman

Nickel Back: Robert McClain vs Javier Arenas vs Josh Wilson 

Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford already have the outside on lock so these three players look to battle it out for the nickel position. McClain was in this position last year but, Arenas and Wilson are looking to come in and earn that spot. They all had below average cover statistics last season so I believe McClain will hold onto this spot.

Pick-McClain

Now that we have looked over some of the position battles in camp lets look at some key players for the Falcons this year:

Julio Jones- Jones played in only five games last years before he had his season ended by injury. But, in those five games he had 41 catches for 580 yards and 2 TD. He is a serious deep threat and can run by any CB in the league. If he can stay healthy and repeat his numbers from 2 years ago where he had almost 1200 yards and 10 TD and pair him with Roddy White again, the Falcons will be a very hard team to slow down. 

Matt Ryan- Going into his seventh year, the Boston College product will again benefit with his whole wide receiver corps healthy and ready to go. Ryan didnt have a bad season last year as he threw for over 4500 yards but his TD:INT ratio was an average 26:17. This was a result of him trying to squeeze balls into small windows and not having 100% trust in the receivers that were running the routes. Ryan makes or breaks this team as they heavily rely on him to be a leader out on the field. 

Osi Umenyiora (and the rest of the d-line)- Umenyiora who led the team with 7.5 sacks last year has to match or improve on that number this year, as does the rest of the d-line. The whole unit has to step up and help out the linebackers as they lost the heart of their defense Sean Weatherspoon for the whole season. 

X-Factors- The RB's 

If this group of guys is able to give some balance to this offense with a power running game, it makes the offense that much better. If Jackson is gonna be hobbled, Rodgers and Freeman have to step up and fill or exceed his role in order to keep defenses off-balanced and not solely focused on White and Jones on the outside. 

Season Outlook:

The 2014 schedule is listed below... If this team can stay healthy, their offense will be able to carry them to many wins. I can realistically see the Falcons having a big bounce back season and going 12-4 as they are out to prove last year was a fluke. I see them winning the division in a tie-breaker over the Saints and being a 3 seed come playoffs. And remember check back tomorrow as I take a look at the Baltimore Ravens. 

   

32 Teams in 32 Days: Arizona Cardinals

Lets get things started!!...The first team we are going to review in my 32 teams in 32 days is the Arizona Cardinals. Last year the Cardinals were a very solid 10-6 but finished third in the tough NFC West behind the Seahawks and the 49ers. This was a huge bounce back season after 2012 which saw them start 4-0 but win only one of their final 12 games. I think a big part of this turnaround had to do with new head coach Bruce Arians, who won the 2012 coach of the year after he posted a 9-3 record as an interim with the Colts due to Chuck Pagano taking a leave of absence after he was battling cancer. It will be tough again this year to keep up in that division but they are looking to get over the hump and fight into a playoff spot. Now let's see why they can repeat last years success as they have many of their key players returning this season that are looking to knockoff one of the 2 NFC powers in that division.

First let's take a look at some of the position battles, there are not any high profile battles but some smaller ones that are still significant and will be worth keeping an eye on:

Tight End: Rob Housler vs Jake Ballard vs John Carlson

• This is probably the most significant battle as you have last years starter Rob Housler battling it out against Jake Ballard and newcomer John Carlson. The Cardinals really did not incorporate the TE much into their offensive attack as Housler had 39 catches for 454 yards and one touchdown. That is not to significant for a TE in today's game as they are being more and more incorporated into a teams game plan. Then we have Jake Ballard who really has not been healthy in his brief career and probably will just be used more as a third tight end. Finally, there is newcomer John Carlson who comes over from the Vikings. He didn't do much last year but, had some pretty solid seasons earlier in his career when he was with Seattle that included a couple 50+ catch, 5+ TD seasons. He is Housler's main threat and probably will see some passes fly his way this year.

Pick: Housler

Right Guard: Paul Fanaika vs Anthony Steen vs Earl Watford

• The Cardinals finally have the left side of their line set unless second year man Jonathan Cooper hasn't fully recovered from a broken leg that caused him to miss his whole rookie campaign. But, the right side of their line is a toss up right now, none of these guys are going to do anything spectacular and perhaps will probably be below average. The job can change hands every day at camp so I have no true idea but ill go with...

Pick: Watford

Outside Linebacker: John Abraham vs Matt Shaughnessy vs Sam Acho vs Alex Okafor vs Marcus Benard

• There is a slew of players who will be battling for the 2 OLB positions. You have Abraham and Shaughnessy who are the returning starters but Abraham has been out of camp after it was revealed he had been arrested for a DUI in the off season. Then you have Acho and Okafor who were both out injured last year but, are very high talented young guys who will give the two staring vets a run for their money. As long as Abraham gets in shape and into camp he will have one the jobs after he paced the team with 11.5 sacks last season. 

Picks: Abraham and Shaughnessy

Now that we have looked over some of the position battles in camp lets look at some key players for the Cardinals this year:

• Patrick Peterson- This is an obvious one as Peterson is their best player and a top 3 CB in the league. Fresh off his new contract which made him the highest paid CB in the NFL I believe Peterson is ready to get back on the field and cement his position as one of the top CB's in the league. He is also planned not to be involved in the return game this year so he can focus solely at CB which will make him that much better.

• Carson Palmer- The free slinging QB is back for his second season at the helm of the Cardinals after a 2013 season that saw him complete 63% of his passes for 4274 yards, 24 TD and 22 Int. He will always throw for a lot of yards based on the sheer fact that they throw the ball a lot, so it might help to try to get more balance this year as it may help the passing game. He has to improve on the TD:INT ratio if they want to beat some of the defenses they will be up against. You just cant turn the ball over against the quality of teams they will be facing week in and week out.

• Michael Floyd- We all know what Larry Fitzgerald can do as he is year in and year out one of the best receivers in the league so we don't even have to talk about him. But, I believe Floyd will be a huge part of their offense this year after coming off of a very solid season where he caught 65 passes for 1041 yards and 5 TD. He is a strong receiver at 6-4 220 lbs and looks to out muscle smaller defenders. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for over 1500 yards this year and 8-10 TD.

X-Factors: Tyrann Mathieu and Andre Ellington

• Tyrann Mathieu- An exceptional play maker/game changer and always seems to be where the ball is defines Mathieu the best. He saw his rookie season cut short last year as missed the final 3 games with a torn ACL, but before the injury he put up some really good stats that included 65 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack, 1 FF, and 9 passes defended. If he is able to say healthy the whole year, he will be a great player in the secondary as he moves to free safety.

• Andre Ellington- A season after their leading rusher was Rashard Mendenhall who rushed for 687 yards, look for Ellington to be one of the leagues breakout players. The second year man out of Clemson has exceptional speed and good hands out of the backfield and really begs the question why he didnt see more playing time last year as he simply is just a spark in that offense. Even with limited playing time he was able to rush for 652 yards and 3 TD while picking up 5.5 YPC and catch 39 passes for 371 yards and another TD. This year expect more games like the one he had against the Falcons in wee 8 where he ran for 154 yards on only 15 carries. 

Season Outlook:

• The 2014 schedule is as follows... In my opinion they have a pretty tough schedule that obviously includes their division opponents and other teams like the Broncos, Lions, and Eagles. The last three games of the season will be huge as they can make a serious statement and a push into the playoffs if they can handle their division rivals... I see them splitting with each team in their division and overall going 9-7 and missing out on the playoffs. And remember check back tomorrow I will be diving into day 2 with a look at the Atlanta Falcons.

 

Observations from the Hall of Fame Game

People were excited that football was back and sat down yesterday and tuned into some of the Hall of Fame game. They probably watched the first couple series and then became uninterested when the starters were pulled. I don't blame you as some of the play of the 2 and 3 stringers can lack fundamentals and makes the game not move smoothly. But, as a Bills fan I sat down and watched most of the game yesterday and came away with some quick observations for both teams.

Buffalo Bills Observations:

   

•    I believe the Bills player who showed me the most yesterday was rookie tackle Seantrel Henderson who was a seventh round pick out of the University of Miami. Now Henderson's talent was never really a question as he was highly sought out of highschool by many powerhouse colleges. But, throughout his career at Miami he was suspended 3 times for incidents that were marijuana related and that is why he fell to a seventh round pick. Back to yesterday's game, I thought he did a really solid job in pass protection including keeping Jason Pierre-Paul in check and easily handling the backups. He is fighting for a spot on that line and with last nights performance he should move up on the coaches radar.
•    Quarterback EJ Manuel played a couple of series and his trouble was with getting passes batted down at the line as three of his seven passing attempts were knocked down at the line; and one other incompletion should have been picked by the Giants. He will fix that problem as the preseason moves along. 
•    The defensive line starters had a couple nice series including Kyle Williams forcing a fumble and Keith Rivers recovering after Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes got good pressure off the edge.
•    As far as the receivers go much hyped up rookie Sammy Watkins played one series and his one target was overthrown by Manuel. Mike Williams a guy they brought in this offseason had one nice catch and run on a screen pass. Second year man Robert Woods ran a couple of good routes on Giants CB Walter Thurmond and added a TD catch on a fourth and goal play. Finally TJ Graham, showed some strong hands and good fight on one catch when he dragged a couple defenders for a first down.

New York Giants Observations:

•    The thing I noticed most on the Giants side of the ball yesterday was the good running from Rashad Jennings, rookie Andre Williams, and Peyton Hillis. All three of these guys can bruise defenders and fight for extra yards, especially Hillis who is always running over defenders. Andre Williams had a handful of good runs including one for a TD. And Rashad Jennings showed good hands out of the backfield on a few screen plays which he is looking to stay on track with after he caught 36 passes last year with the Raiders. 
•    Eli Manning was solid in his first appearance as he completed a lot of short and intermediate routes finishing 6/7 for 43 yards. Backup QB Ryan Nassib looked a little shaky going 7/12 for 139 yards, as he tried to squeeze some balls into windows that just were not open. One of these included a inexcusable interception that was picked off by rookie LB Preston Brown. But he did throw a 73 yard TD pass to Corey Washington that ended up being the game winning score.
•    On the defensive side of things I saw some good pressure put on the QB by second year DT John Hankins out of Ohio State. Also, Prince Amukamura looked pretty solid in coverage in the few series that he played. 

Those are some of the things I observed yesterday let me know if you saw anything different or agree/disagree with my observations. And remember stay tuned as I begin 32 teams in 32 days today with the Arizona Cardinals. Check it out for my thoughts on the team and their outlook, it will be posted later tonight. 

    

FOOTBALL IS BACK BABY!!!

     Alright I know it is just the hall of fame game which is really more for just show then actually getting a good look at some players. But, nevertheless tonight marks the beginning of the 2014 NFL season. Over the next four weeks we will all be glued to social media trying to get updates on every camp and find out who will position battles and get that staring job. And like always there are many interesting ones that will heat up over the course of the next month.

                                                       

     We will have a close eye on the QB battle in Cleveland between Brian Hoyer and the much talked about rookie Johnny Manziel; the QB battle in Jets camp between Geno Smith and Mike Vick, along with many others that are sure to excite.
   So tonight in the Hall of Fame game we have the Buffalo Bills vs the New York Giants. The giants are looking to bounce back this season especially Eli Manning and the Bills are trying to end a dreadful playoff drought and much of their success will hinge on the play of QB EJ Manuel. Tonight we should see the starters play a couple of series at most and then watch the backups go all out in an effort to assure themselves a spot on the roster.
     Since I'm a big Bills fan I will note some battles to keep an eye on are on the offensive line as there will be many moving parts with Center Eric Wood really being the only "no question" starter right now with usual LT Cordy Glenn on the non football injury list. One other thing to watch is who will step up at the WR position after rookie Sammy Watkins and second year man Robert Woods. Keep an eye on Mike Williams, speedster Marquise Goodwin and player favorite Chris Hogan.
 
Also stay tuned on my blog and Google+ as I will be beginning my own version of 32 teams in 32 days tomorrow with a look at the Arizona Cardinals. Come back each day as I will be diving into every team examining things like position battles, depth charts, key players, and a season outlook

Trades Other Than The Blockbusters

Of course we are all interested in the trades that involve the stars but, we cant forget about some of the other smaller trades that went down and will be overlooked by most, but can play a really important role in a teams fight to the playoffs. It is not always about getting the big name guy, sometimes it is about getting the guy that fits into a role that you need help in.

Let's get to it and review some of the "smaller" trades at the deadline.

Oakland Athletics Get:                Minnesota Twins Get:
OF Sam Fuld                                     LHP Tommy Milone

This is a good trade for both teams and the players involved in the deal. Milone who won 12 games last year and 13 in 2012 was a solid member of the rotation that helped the A's reach the playoffs these past two seasons but, has had some injury problems this year and has been stuck in Triple-A with the ever improving A's rotation. Once the news broke the A's traded for Lester many saw their next move was to trade Milone. Now Milone gets a chance to show his skills and pitch for a team who is in dire need of starting pitching.
In return the A's received outfielder Sam Fuld who is another guy who had a former stint with the team and just like Gomes, goes out and plays every game at 110%. Not to mention that he has made some of the most ridiculous diving catches over his seasons in the league. He will be able to spell Coco Crisp in center and play as a platoon player with Gomes in left.

St.Louis Cardinals Get:              Boston Red Sox Get:
RHP John Lackey                          RHP Joe Kelly
P Corey Littrell                               OF Allen Craig

The Cardinals are able to acquire Lackey (11-7, 3.60 ERA) who has been a decent pitcher this year to bolster their rotation which has and will be a huge question after Adam Wainwright. What makes Lackey attractive is that he is only set to get paid the league minimum of 500K next year. They also get Corey Littrell who is a pitcher that has pitched for the Red Sox high class-A affiliate this year.
For the Red Sow they acquire RHP Joe Kelly who has been a back rotation/spot starter for the Cardinals and really doesn't project for more than a mid-rotation starter at best. Will try to showcase himself this year and fight for a spot in the Red Sox 2015 rotation.
    They were also able to acquire Allen Craig who has battled injury problems and has had an off year. But, if he can return to the form he was the last two years at the tune of .300+ BA and 90+ RBI's, he can be a big threat in the middle of the Red Sox order going forward.

Other Trades:

• The Nationals acquired SS Asdrubal Cabrera from the Indians. Cabrera will most likely shift over to second to from an infield with Ian Desmond at SS and Anthony Rendon at 3B. Nationals must belive Ryan Zimmerman out for a while. Indians got back SS Zach Walters who might flip positions with the rising Francisco Lindor likely gunning for that Indians SS job sooner rather than later. 

• The Orioles acquired LHP Andrew Miller from the Red Sox for P Eduardo Rodriguez. Miller has been good out of the bullpen especially vs lefties who are only hitting .150 off him the year. Rodriguez projects to be a middle-back of the rotation pitcher.

• The Yankees acquired SS Stephen Drew from the Red Sox for IF Kelly Jonson. Drew will be used to spell Jeter. Yankees also acquired UTIL Martin Prado from the Diamondbacks for UTIL Peter O'Brian. Prado is a nice player who can play many positions and handles the bat well, could play an important role in the Yankees playoff push. 

• The Atlanta Braves acquired UTIL Emilio Bonifacio and LHP James Russell from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for C Victor Caratini. Bonifacio is a player with excellent speed and a good bat who can play many positions. Russell will be used as a specialist out of the bullpen.

• The Miami Marlins acquired P Jared Cosart,OF Austin Wates, and INF Enrique Hernandez from the Houston Astros for OF Jake Marisnick, P Frances Martes, 3B Colin Moran. Cosart is a solid young starter who has the stuff to maybe become as high as a number two rotation guy. Marisnick has had some time with the Marlins this year but needs to improve hitting. 

Let me know your thoughts on these trades

MLB TRADE DEADLINE REVIEW

Now that we have all had a night to sleep on it and recover from all the news of some big time trades, we can sit back, relax, and really review the details of all the trades that went down yesterday. There were two blockbuster trades that involved front of the rotation stars. Now lets dive into the details of these trades and my thoughts on these trades.

TRADE:

Boston Red Sox Get:                         Oakland Athletics Get:
OF Yoenis Cespedes                                              LHP Jon Lester
Competitive balance pick                                        OF Jonny Gomes
                                                                              Cash Considerations

This was the first big trade that went down yesterday and it showed that Athletics GM Billy Beane was going all in for a run at the world series (and believing that pitching wins series in the playoffs) as he was able to acquire Red Sox ace Jon Lester for fan-favorite and slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. It was well known that Lester was probably on the move after he was scratched from his scheduled start and there had been rumblings about Oakland being a dark horse in the race for him as they have a strong farm system that seems to breed quality major league players year after year. Most would have to believe that the Red Sox wanted players in return that were major league ready or already had major league experience such as Tommy Milone (who was dealt in a separate deal) or a package of top prospects. But, Beane surprised everybody as he traded Cespedes probably the most well known name on the team and the closest they had to a star on a team consisting of a bunch of good players who fit into perfect roles. In my opinion Cespedes has been the heart and leader of that team with his above-average power and exceptional outfield arm they has given us some of the best highlights so far this year.

Now with Cespedes gone many believe that the A's have lost all their pop in the lineup but, if you look at some other guys numbers, they are more than capable of providing that pop the lineup needs. Im talking about guys like Brandon Moss (23 HR, 72 RBI's) and Josh Donaldson (23 HR, 76 RBI's). Donaldson has shown that he can carry the weight of a team and with guys like Coco Crisp and Stephen Vogt (.351 BA) hitting around these two power threats the A's will be just fine. Cespedes will thrive in Boston as he will constantly play pepper with the green monster while racking up extra base hits.

As far as Lester (10-7, 2.52 ERA) goes the A's add another ace to an already potent and arguably best rotation in baseball. He teams up with the likes of Sonny Gray (12-3, 2.65 ERA), Scott Kazmir (12-3, 2.39 ERA), recently acquired Jeff Samardzija (4-8, 2.92 ERA... don't look at his win loss now as he received very little support from the Cubs) and either Jesse Chavez or Jason Hammel who have both had decent seasons but are struggling as of late. Running out Lester, Gray, Kazmir, and Samardzija in a playoff series will make the A's a tough out vs any opponent.

Also, don't disregard Jonny Gomes, one of the hardest playing and most liked guys in the league, as he rejoins the an A's team who he helped to the playoffs in 2012. He has some pop of his own and like I said he is just another one of those guys who fits right into the A's mold of a perfect role player.

Trade:

Detroit Tigers Get:                        Seattle Mariners Get:
LHP David Price (From Tampa)                        OF Austin Jackson (From Detroit)

Tampa Bay Rays Get:
LHP Drew Smyly (From Tigers)
SS Nick Franklin (From Mariners)
SS Willy Adames (From Tigers)

The second blockbuster trade of the day happened to be a three team trade that included the Tigers getting former Rays ace David Price, the Rays getting Drew Smyly and prospect Willy Adames from the Tigers and Nick Franklin from the Mariners, and finally the Mariners receiving OF Austin Jackson from the Tigers. In my opinion the Tigers got a steal in this deal as the received a legit ace in Price who will team up with an already star studded rotation that includes Max Scherzer (13-3, 3.27 ERA) and Justin Verlander who has struggled this year but we all know what he is capable of. Pair these three up with two very solid back of the rotation guys in Anibal Sanchez (7-5, 3.57 ERA) and breakout pitcher so far this year in Rick Porcello
(12-5, 3.24 ERA) and you have a very deep rotation with a lot of experience.

Like I mentioned before I feel like the Rays could have gotten more from this deal than Smyly a young-ish
(25 years old) guy with some good MLB experience who has made the transition from a reliever to a starter this year and has not been to bad but, I don't see him to be more than a middle of the rotation type of pitcher. Then you have Nick Franklin, who is a switch hitting middle infielder in his second year in the league. He is still a young player at only 23 years of age and has had a solid minor league career but has had trouble finding playing time in the majors as the Mariners have scarcely used him this year. He needs to pick a side of the plate to hit from and focus on that, as both of his swings are sort of quirky. If he can figure that out he should have the hitting presence to get a shot but, his questionable defense is his downside. Finally you have Willy Adames who is an 18 year old prospect that still has a lot of learning to do before getting a serious evaluation.

Lastly in this three team trade the mariners acquired OF Austin Jackson from the Tigers. Jackson has had a couple average years in the majors with around a .275 BA, but where he shines is in the outfield as he is able to use his speed to track down fly balls. I assume he will patrol center field and take over for James Jones who has had a contribution to the lineup in his rookie season. As far as the Tigers go Rajai Davis will most likely take over the job in center field.