With the NFL season wrapped up and the rookie combines around the corner, it’s time for teams to take a hard look at who is out there in free agency. No one will be able to sign until March 5^th, but names keep floating around and some big free agents will be hitting the market shortly.

Sportsbook: Top Players on the Move

Julius Peppers CAR DE

Peppers has been one of the elite pass rushers in the game since he left the University of North Carolina. Now 30 years old, Peppers is going to leave via free agency and teams may be willing to give Peppers a monster deal. With 10.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles Peppers would be a nice commodity to add to any team that runs a 4-3 defense. If he were to play in a 3-4, he would likely take a role similar to DeMarcus Ware’s with the Cowboys.

5dimes review: Expected suitors: Patriots, Bears, Packers, Falcons, Giants

Chester Taylor MIN RB

Chester Taylor has been relegated to a backup role with the Vikings since they drafted Adrian Peterson. Although A-Pete has a bad case of fumblitits, it is unlikely that the Vikings can afford to pay two RB’s a starter’s salary. Taylor had been rumored to be getting a franchise or transitional (if there is no cap) tag, but at 7 million plus, that is a lot for a second back when you have one of the best in the league already on your team. Taylor is all but a lock to be on a new team and they will like what they see with him. Taylor is an exceptional receiving back and excellent in screens. His speed still seems good and the lack of reps recently may have extended his career. Look for a team with a young QB or a team running a west coast offense to make a bid for Taylor.

Expected suitors: Lions, Seahawks, Bears, Texans

Keith Bulluck TEN OLB

Bulluck has been one of the best linebackers in the league for many years, but his production dropped last year as the Titans defense struggled without Albert Haynesworth who left for Washington last offseason. Bulluck was forced to sit the last two games of the year due to injury, but if he can get healthy and be even 75% of what he was, Bulluck can be a game changer for a team with poor linebackers. Bulluck has spent his entire ten year career with the Tennessee Titans but is likely moving on this offseason.

Sports tips: Look for the Rockland County, New York native (where this article is currently being written from) to come back home and play for a team that is hurting real bad at linebacker, The New York Giants.

Expected suitors: Giants, Eagles, Colts

Reggie Bush NO RB (restricted)

Reggie Bush has been somewhat of a disappointment in the NFL. Drafted #2 overall a few years back, Bush has not lived up to his contract and the Super Bowl Champion Saints, will likely not pay over eight million dollars to keep a punt returner and backup running back. Bush has shown glimpses of the stuff that made him the #2 pick years ago but has been averaging less than 10 touches a game including returns. Look for him to be a hot name this offseason as Bush will likely fill a change of pace back role for a lucky team that will pay him. Seattle signed Bush’s college coach Pete Carroll to be President of Football Operations and Head Coach. They are the prohibitive favorites to land Bush.

Expected suitors: Seahawks, 49ers, Lions, Redskins

Jason Campbell WAS QB (restricted)

It appears that the rocky marriage is over between the Skins and Campbell. Campbell has had a different playbook every year he’s been in the league and is going to be the scapegoat for owner Dan Snyder’s screw-ups. Now with Mike Shanahan as head coach and GM, expect the skins to draft either Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen to lead them going forward. Campbell is better than most believe however, and would be a nice fit on a team with QB issues.

Expected suitors: Rams, Seahawks, Bills, Raiders

Cincinnati Bengals Love Their Troubled Players

It’s not a surprise to any bookmakers by now (bookmaker reviews) that the Cincinnati Bengals are signing more troubled players. The offseason is very young but the Bengals are already making moves that are raising eye brows.

The Bengals acted quickly and signed free agents Matt Jones and Pacman Jones. Both players are coming off of suspension and both players have dodged felony charges.

The Bengals are planning to use Matt Jones as a tight end in the coming year as he just hasn’t panned out as a wide receiver. He could be a good receiving tight end to start but he has a long way to go with his blocking.

Meanwhile, Pacman might have some talent but people will be wondering just how much. He hasn’t had a good season in a while and the risk may be too high in comparison to the reward.

Nonetheless, the Bengals are rolling the dice once again.

Michael Vick Expected To Be Traded

Sportsbetting fans watched the NFL experiment that was Michael Vick last year and it didn’t work in Philadelphia. As long as Donovan McNabb is still around in Philadelphia, the Eagles have no use for Vick.

As it stands, they are shopping the quarterback, which could turn out to be a valuable asset as the draft approaches. The St. Louis Rams and Buffalo Bills are the teams interested and both teams are in dire need of a quarterback.

Either way, expect Vick to be shipped off at some point this offseason and he’ll get a crack at starting somewhere. In Philadelphia, that just isn’t likely and they clearly don’t need to spend so much money on a backup quarterback who plays one or two snaps per game as a running back.

Ravens Sign Stallworth

Donte Stallworth was looking for another chance and people making their NFL betting picks know that the Ravens are in desperate need of a wide receiver.

Naturally, it made sense for the Ravens to sign a wideout but some eyes were opened when they signed formerly suspended Stallworth.

While he did kill a man last year via a drink and drive, the reality is that Stallworth has paid his dues and will get another shot in the NFL. We’ll see what type of impact he can make after spending a year off on the sidelines.

March 5^th is the first day of free agency, which NFL betting fans know is always a free agent frenzy. There will be an interesting dynamic thrown into the loop this year as for the first time in a long time, the NFL will have an uncapped salary season.

Free agency this year will bring a shorter crop of young prospects as many of them will now be restricted for one more year because of the league rules. Nonetheless, here is a rundown of some key free agents.

Chad Pennington of the Miami Dolphins would like to return to Miami, but he’ll likely only have a backup role there. Coming off another season-ending injury, Pennington may be facing a backup role anywhere he goes. He is still a serviceable starter for some teams and he would be among the better backups if he was forced into a No. 2 role.

Another team could lose a player who started the year as a No. 1 contributor at a position after being supplanted by a good young prospect, and that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker.

Those who bet on NFL know that Parker’s days were numbered as soon as the Steelers spent a first-round pick on Rashard Mendenhall. Parker could be an enticing commodity to some as a speedy complementary back.

On defense, we all know that the 3-4 defense has been quite the fad in the NFL and a lot of teams looking for a playmaker might take a look at Julius Peppers. The recent rumor has been that he’s a good fit for outside linebacker in that set up but don’t be surprised if teams opt to keep him at defensive end in a 4-3, where he is a Pro Bowler as is.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints, who were exactly the favorite for NFL picks in the Super Bowl, will have to find a way to keep safety Darren Sharper, who led the league in interceptions. Sharper is a free agent and the Saints may opt to slap the franchise tag on him before he starts looking around.

Meanwhile, there will be some intriguing names thrown around as well such as Plaxico Burres, Matt Jones and even Pacman Jones. The latter two have worked out with the Cincinnati Bengals and may get a shot with the team who likes former troubled players.

It should be a busy March so keep an eye as the dates on the calendar approach.

US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook review) didn’t give New Orleans much of a chance in their Super Bowl showdown with Indianapolis on Sunday, and neither did many in the sports betting industry who give NFL picks, and it didn’t look good for a while. But one play changed the look of the game, and the Saints are now celebrating their first Super Bowl win.

Peyton Manning was 31-of-45 for 333 yards and a touchdown, but it was his pick to Tracy Porter that was run back for a touchdown in the fourth quarter which sealed the Colts’ fate.  The Colts even ran the ball more than usual, and Joseph Addai had 77 yards and a score on 19 carries. Indy gained 432 yards to the Saints’ 332 yards, but the Colts made a couple of critical mistakes, and while the Porter pick was huge, the second half started the comeback.

Sean Payton made the gutsiest call in Super Bowl history, as his onside kick threw everyone in Sun Life Stadium off guard. The Saints went on to outscore the Colts 22-7 in the second half of the game, and they stuck with the gameplan they created going into the game. The Colts refused to let the Saints beat them with their crew of deep threats, but like Manning did against the New York Jets in the AFC championship game, Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees did the same against the Colts. Brees took his check-down throws and moved the ball, and he ended up going 32-of-39 for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 32 completions by Brees tied a Super Bowl record, and Marques Colston and Devery Henderson caught seven passes apiece for the Saints.

NFL lines had the Saints as a 4.5-point underdog in this contest, and they showed a lot of poise and courage in this game. They started off very slow, but they never panicked and stuck to their plan. The onside kick was a huge blow to the Colts, and then the Saints systematically broke them down. New Orleans has also lived and died with turnovers this year, and their eighth forced turnover in three playoff games clinched the title. Also, it can’t be understated what Brees did during this postseason run. Brees went up against Arizona’s Kurt Warner, Minnesota’s Brett Favre and Manning, all three of whom should end up in the Hall of Fame, and Brees outplayed them all, failing to throw a pick throughout the playoffs.

Those who were looking for a shootout were disappointed as the 48 combined points were under the posted total of 56.5. Still, that had to be the only thing that Super Bowl betting players had to be disappointed with in this brilliant game.

The Super Bowl is just a few days upon us.  This is the Super Bowl that we’ve dreamed of since the fourth week into the season.  Many of us after just a few weeks into the season easily predicted that the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints would face each other in the Super Bowl and we could easily be treated to what could be the best Super Bowl EVER.

The last two Super Bowls have been outstanding and the Patriots vs. Panthers Super Bowl was phenomenal as well, but this one has the makings of what could be the BEST SUPER BROWL EVER.

I hope you’ve stuck with us the last two weeks since our playoff record in the last 2 weeks has been 5-1. Not only did I say that the Colts would win by at least 10 points last week and predict a win by 14, off by a mere point, but I boldly called a Saints win by EXACTLY a field goal.  I said the Saints would win by 3 giving the Vikings +3.5 a winning ticket.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS -5

I’ve also won the last two Super Bowl by taking the dogs and the points.  However, it also helped that I hated both opposing teams: the Patriots and Steelers.  I’m an Eagles fan and I did consider the Giants as the lesser of two evils that game.  I took Cardinals +7 last year and Giants +12.5 the year before that.  Will I take the dog again this year?  Let’s see.

Everyone is expecting both teams to score into the 30’s this game as the over/under is set at 56.5.  I think the Colts will win this one, but can the Saints keep it close enough to cover?  That’s a tough one.  I think there’s a good chance the Colts win by 3 or 4 points here.  You know the Saints will be fighting the whole game to keep up with Peyton Manning and the Colts.  The Colts have the better D, but the Saints faced a tough Vikings defense two weeks ago and that didn’t slow them down much.

The Saints were forced to punt more than usual though. They punted 7 times.  Other than a game against the Panthers in week 17, the Saints punter has never kicked the ball more than 5 times in a single game.  Drew Brees still got the job done.  3 TDs from Brees.  The Saints also caught a ton of breaks that game though.  The Vikings threw 2 picks and had 6 fumbles, 3 that were lost!  That made me want to look at the turnover differential.  I was expecting the Colts to dominate this category, but to the contrary: the Saints have a +11 turnover differential compared to the Colts +2.

The thing that makes this game tough to call is because I expect the game to play out like this. First, I think the team to receive the ball first is a huge factor in this game. To make a few bold predictions like saying the Saints will win by exactly 3 points in the NFC Championship, I will throw out a few more predictions purely for your enjoyment: I will say that the team who wins the coin toss will be the team to win the Super Bowl and that the team that receives the ball first will be the team to score first (although not necessarily on their first drive).

I am going to predict that Colts are the first team with the ball and that they are the first team to draw blood via a TD by Pierre Garcon.  For the rest of the game, I think you see the Colts maintain a 7-10 point lead for the better part of 3 quarters.  By the 4th quarter, I think you can expect a score in the range of 27-20.  I think you see the Saints D come to life and hold the Colts to a FG and bump the lead to 30-20. Drew Brees will then drive his team down the field for a TD only to be outdueled by Peyton Manning, who has an easy time scoring.  37-27.  Brees gets one last chance to keep his team in the game, Brees scores to make the game 37-34, but unfortunately, there is just is not enough time for the Saints to pull out the W.

In other words, I expect this game to appear like the Colts are a lock to win as they spend nearly the entire game with a 7-10 lead.  However, late game heroics by Drew Brees and the Saints will pull them within 3 points only to have the clock expire on them.

Take that and run with it.  We’ll see what happens.  It’s going to be a great game.  Enjoy and  Good luck!

Prediction: Colts 37 – Saints 34

Free Pick: Colts Moneyline, Saints +5

Fun Props: Heads (-110), Colts Win Toss (-110), Peyton Manning Over 2.5 TDs (-110), Peyton Manning Super Bowl MVP (-200), Pierre Garcon Scores 1st TD (+800).

With the big game only a few days away, the main focus in the world of football is on the Super Bowl line as it is a last chance for some NFL predictions and picks until August. As always, during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl many NFL teams undergo some heavy changes in the coaching department as well revealing some indicators on players that potentially will be let go.

Offseason Recap

Head Coaches

There have been some big headlines on the Head Coaching front with Pete Carroll leaving USC after one of the most dominant tenures in college history to become the President and Head Coach of the Seahawks. Carroll has been given total creative power and brought with him to Seattle his offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who was allegedly considering the same postion with the Bears before Carroll was given the job. Carroll also brings with him former great linebacker Ken Norton Jr. to be his linebackers coach. It will be interesting to see if Carroll starts stockpiling some of his former USC players.

Other notable head coaching changes:

Mike Shanahan is now the Redskins Head Coach, and allegedly will not get interfered with by meddling owner Dan Snyder.

Chan Gailey becomes the Buffalo Bills new Head Coach in a questionable decision by the Bills front office. Gailey has been out of the game for a year, and has not been highly regarded in many.

Assistant Coaches

The offseason started a little too early for the liking of the New York Giants this year who finished a disappointing 8-8 after a 5-0 start. A big reason for this was the collapse of the defense. 2009 Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan paid for it with his job as the Giants have brought in former Interim-Head Coach of the Bills, Perry Fewell to man the top defensive coaching spot. Fewell coached under Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin as a defensive backs coach in Jacksonville in the late 90’s.

Other notable assistant coaches on the move:

Mike Nolan moves from Denver to Miami to be their D-Coordinator.

Romeo Crennel signs to be the D-Coordinator of the Chiefs and Charlie Weis has signed on as O-Coordinator as President Scott Pioli has reinstituted his old championship coordinating team from his Patriots days on the Chiefs.

Mike Martz signs with the Bears to be Jay Cutler’s offensive coordinator

Fired Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn has become the QB’s coach in Baltimore, a job that he used to do well. Zorn was made Head Coach when he was not even being considered as an offensive coordinator around the league. This seems to be a good fit for Zorn, who gets to work with a burgeoning star in Joe Flacco.

Old faces heading to new places

Panthers DE Julius Peppers has been considered one of the best pass-rushers in the game for the majority of his career. The Panthers have been using the Franchise tag on him for many years and look like they will not this year. Peppers is the best player currently on the market, and most certainly the best defensive end.

Potential new home: Green Bay, New England, Kansas City

Other big names potentially on the move:

Donovan McNabb QB, Eagles

Anquan Boldin WR, Cardinals

Joey Porter 3-4 OLB, Dolphins

LaDanian Tomlinson RB, Chargers

Chester Taylor RB, Vikings

Michael Vick QB, Eagles

Reggie Bush RB, Saints

Super Bowl News

The big question approaching Super Bowl Sunday is the health of Colts DE Dwight Freeney. Freeney has been one of the most dominant DE’s in the league this year, like in many other years prior. With two minutes left in the Colts win over the Jets, Freeney tore an ankle ligament trying to avoid hitting Jets QB Mark Sanchez. The Colts pass-rush has done a great job taking the pressure off their extremely young corners. Without a pass-rush, Drew Brees will be tough to stop. Freeney is a game-time decision, but the Colts are practicing as if he will not be able to play. I expect Freeney to get on the field, but a 3^rd degree ankle sprain is next to impossible to comeback from so quickly. If you’ve ever seen one up close and personal, you would understand why.

Betting Tips: The spread without Freeney should be less than the 5.5 points the Colts are currently giving. This game becomes more of a toss-up now and could make for some gaudy offensive numbers for Drew Brees. Brees should be considered as a better value bet for MVP without Freeney playing up to his ability.

While Super Bowl 2010 Odds have the Colts as a 5.5 point favourite, which will be a tough margin, the over/under line of 56 looks to be a much more profitable number to bet on. When the Saints and the Colts hit the field for the NFL Championship game in Miami this Sunday, there is a good chance that it will be a high scoring affair.

The Indy offence is led by Peyton Manning who, with his ability to reading and react to the defence before the snap, put up a league best 4,500 passing yards while only being sacked 10 times in the regular season. Having already won a Super Bowl in 2006, the four time AP NFL Most Valuable player knows how to deal with the pressure and intensity of the big game and will looked upon as a leader on and off the field. He should have a better chance of connecting with All-Pro wide-receiver Reggie Wayne then he did during the Conference Championships.

Even though Peyton Manning put up great individual numbers last game, he only connected with Wayne and tight-end Dallas Clarke for seven receptions and 90 yards combined. Considering both were over 100 receptions and 1100 yards on the regular season, they should have much more productive games this weekend. This does not bode well for the Saints defence.

The one big question mark on the Colts defence is the health of Dwight Freeney’s ankle.  The All Pro defensive end is one of the best pass rushers in the league and, along with Robert Mathis, will be the key to Indy’s pass defence. Pro Bowler safety Antoine Bethea is expected to be in the line-up as well after seeing limited practice time last week with a sore back. The Indy defence is not overly strong already, ranked 18^th, so they hope both will be back because they need all the help they can get.

The Saints have been carried to their first Super Bowl in franchise history on the arm of Drew Brees. The Purdue product’s 109.6 passer rating was the second best since 2005 and lead the offence to a league best 34 passing touchdowns. The only knock on him is inexperience. Brees has never been out of the conference championship round in his nine year career, but with six touchdowns in his two playoff games this season, the experts at US sportsbook reviews know that his nerves should not be a problem.

Reggie Bush has been on a tear in the post season, making big plays on the ground and as a receiver out of the backfield. The Colts are giving up close to 100 yards receiving to running backs over their two playoff games, none of which had the skill of Bush, so there is the strong possibility of Reggie adding to his post-season totals of 149 combined yards and two touchdowns.

Those making NFL picks know the Saints defence is ranked 25^th in the league, boosted by teams having to throw to keep up with their offence, and will be challenged early and often by this Colts offence. Even though they gave up a large number of yards over the season, the Saints only have up 15 passing touchdowns while snagging 26 interceptions, good for sixth and third in the league. Manning had better be careful if he wants a second ring.