How did I miss this? Pete Prisco wrote his annual Overrated/Underrated article, and it took me five days to finally read it. Per usual, Prisco makes some stupid judgments, like calling Adam Vinatieri overrated. Even Eddie over at Big Blue View thought that was dumb. Prisco tries to save face with his description, but it makes little sense:

Overrated: K Adam Vinatieri. He wasn't his usual self last season, missing six field goals and having two extra points blocked. He's still pretty good, but he wasn't as good as in the past last season.

I mean, for the first time in his entire career, Vinatieri has a sub par year by his standards: He didn't make every big game kick and he was a reason why the Colts lost the game at San Diego. But looking at the season, if Vinatieri had been his usual self, the Colts likely would have been the second seed in the AFC heading into the playoffs (which is what they were in 2007). Adam still converted 79% of his FGs and had 9 touchbacks. The two blocked kicks were because Russ Purnell can't friggin' coach his special teams unit's front line.

Vinatieri is fine, and Prisco needs to go back and actually WATCH the Colts play before he makes another "overrated" assessment.

Now, the Colts aside, Prisco does make good observations for other teams. I can only assume it is because he actually watched them play, unlike the Colts. Prisco is now officially calling Reggie Bush overrated. I said that two years ago and got blasted on this site for it.  Sometimes, being right is not always being popular:

Is two years in the NFL enough to earn somebody overrated honors? It is for Reggie Bush.

Bush came into the league as a player many expected to be a Marshall Faulk-type of runner, a home-run threat every time he touched the ball, a star in the passing game. Two seasons into his career with the New Orleans Saints, Bush is a runner who tiptoes into the hole, a player who is far more hype than production. >

When the Saints used the second pick in the 2006 NFL Draft to take Bush, some speculated he could be a 2,000-yard rusher. They meant in a season. He's just over halfway to that number in two. Bush, who has 1,146 rushing yards in two seasons, gets the nod this year as my most overrated NFL player. In 28 NFL games, Bush has one 100-yard rushing effort. His 3.7 career average per rush is not impressive at all. He does have 161 catches in two seasons, but the Saints expected a lot more with him running with the football when they selected him.

So, Reggie bush is the most overrated player in the NFL. Guess who is the second most overrated?

Overrated: QB Vince Young. He's young and still learning, but you'd think he's a superstar the way the media talks him up. He's far from it.

Ouch! Prisco goes so far to say that Vince young should "thank" Reggie Bush for sucking, because if Bush wasn't the most useless RB in football, all the attention would get focused squarely on Vince and his crappy QB play.

A few other interesting overrated players: CB Asante Samuel, CB Antonio Cromartie,CB DeAngelo Hall, and CB Rashean Mathis. That's pretty much the who's who of corners in the NFL. I guess Pete doesn't think these guys live up to their hype.

My favorite overrated player, Dallas's Roy Williams, got his usual you suck and it's obvious treatment:

They should retire this spot for him. He has been overrated for years -- he won my overall honor a few years ago -- but he still goes to Pro Bowls. How?

Back to the Colts, Prisco says Gary Brackett is the most underrated Colt. I gotta agree with that. Most overrated? No offense, but my suggestion is Joseph Addai. It's not because he sucks or anything (far from it), but the Colts tried to use his as a "feature" back last year, and he broke down. Addai is not a 25 carry-a-game back. He can do 20-25 touches, but not 25 carries, plus 5 receptions a game. Addai's reputation is that he is a 25 carry RB, and I don't think that' true. I think Addai works best when he is splitting carries.

What's your choice for most overrated Colt?

More fun from Vince Young. Last week he said his rookie year (which produced a Rookie of the Year award and a Pro Bowl nod) was so stressful for him that he nearly retired. Now, Vince is saying he never really planned to hang them up. OK, I guess that means that NFL.com writer Thomas George misquoted Vince when he wrote this:

At age 24 -- only one year into his NFL career -- [Vince Young] said he considered retirement.

"I really thought long and hard about it," Young said on Thursday after practice. "There was so much going on with my family. It was crazy being an NFL quarterback. It wasn't fun anymore. All of the fun was out of it. All of the excitement was gone. All I was doing was worrying about things.

"My teammates helped lift me out of it. I prayed really hard. And I began to focus on God's calling for me. Play football. Be a role model."

So yeah, looks like Thomas George pulled a John Tomase, right? I mean, that has to be a misquote, because it states pretty clearly that Vince Young considered retirement. Vince even said he thought "long and hard about it." Well, no. Vince wasn't misquoted. He just said something stupid, again:

In an interview with the Tennessean on Thursday, one week after Young told an NFL.com reporter that he thought about hanging it up after his rookie season, Young said that while the pressures of being a quarterback are pretty intense, he never really planned to quit.

"I was never going to quit football,'' Young said. "Football, that is my pride and joy, it is my dream. I am playing my dream. And I don't plan on giving that up any time soon.''

But at the same time, Young didn't say that he was misquoted in last week's story, when he said that he thought long and hard about retiring. Now he's saying that everything had been "blown out of proportion." It seems that the pressure and constant attention that came with being the Titans' star made for a tough adjustment.

OK Vince, you need to make up your mind. You lied in one of those interviews; either the one with NFL.com or the one Thursday with the Tennessean. You cannot one minute say you contemplated retirement and in, in two days later, say you never planned to do it. Either Thomas George misquoted Vince (which Vince says he didn't) or Vince is lying to the Tennessean about his retirement talk.

You can't have it both ways.

At this point it's moot. Who cares if Vince Young wants to retire or not. The point is this is yet another example of Vince Young's utter and complete stupidity. For people like me, it provides enjoyable entertainment. For Titans fans, I offer up the same warning I gave Jaguars fans regarding Byron Leftwich: Vince Young lacks the mental toughness to quarterback your team.

Oh, and he's a complete dumb ass to boot.

Vince Young pondered retirement after his rookie season. No really, I'm not kidding. Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images

We Colts fans (and AFC South fans in general) have had our fun at Vince Young's expense. Vince is a highly talented athlete who, let's face it, is not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. To put it bluntly, the dude is dumber than a sack of hammers. You don't need a Wonderlic test to know this, as Vince pretty routinely says and does stupid things. Since 2006, the Titans have dumbed down an already dumbed down offense in order to help Vince Young progress, and all it has done is produce 30 INTs and only 21 TDs from the University of Texas product. In 2007, Vince Young averaged a 6.7 yards per completion, fumbled 10 times (lost 3 of them), and generated a QB rating of 71.1. We saw him pout, whine, physically attack teammates, and (when crunch time came) he sat on the sidelines and watched Kerry Collins lead the Titans into the playoffs.

Yet, despite his horrid play, bad leadership, laziness, and questionable off-the-field conduct that had him disciplined by the Titans, we saw numerous apologists make excuse after excuse for Vince Young's actions. Now, the excuses need to stop and Titans fans need to start seeing reality. They need to start clamoring for change if they ever want to see their team in a Super Bowl anytime soon.

They need to start screaming for Vince to get cut. Not traded. Not benched. C-U-T. Cut. 

Why? Because following his rookie season, which saw him win the 2006 Rookie of the Year award and a trip to the Pro Bowl, Vince Young nearly quit football because it was, essentially, too hard:

"I really thought long and hard about it," Young said on Thursday after practice. "There was so much going on with my family. It was crazy being an NFL quarterback. It wasn't fun anymore. All of the fun was out of it. All of the excitement was gone. All I was doing was worrying about things.

Translation:

via images.inmagine.com

Seriously. Are you kidding me!

Could you imagine if someone like Peyton Manning or Eli Manning had said something like this following any of the seasons prior to them winning Super Bowls. Media trolls and, likely, the same people making excuses for Vince Young would have jumped all over it, propping it up and using it as an example of how the Mannings are nothing more than spoiled little rich kids who choke under pressure. If Donovan McNabb had ever said ANYTHING even remotely close to Vince Young's confession, Philly media and fans would boo him every single time he set foot on the field. However, when Vince Young says he almost quit on his team, fanbase, and the NFL following a very successful rookie season, we get nary a peep from Vince fans.

Typical, I know.

For years, I told Jaguars fans that Byron Leftwich, another over-rated first round bust of a QB whose fans made all kinds of excuses for, needed to get cut in order for Jacksonville to take its team to the next level. Yet the Jags held out hope for "Fatty McButterpants" to finally come around, even though he couldn't do the most basic task a QB is required to do in the NFL: Throw accurately from the pocket. The same is now true for the Titans. If Titans fans want to see their club actually win games and go somewhere in the playoffs, they need to get rid of Vince Young and start over.

Real NFL QBs with a desire to work hard and win do not legitimately contemplate retirement after their rookie seasons. You can draw any kind of conclusion you want from Vince Young's statement, and likely spin it into an excuse. Maybe he had family problems. Maybe he was dealing with personal issues. Maybe he was just talking out of his ass.

Maybe, but doubtful.

The reason Vince Young likely contemplated quitting football was because, unlike college football, you actually have to WORK to be good. No more showing up on game day and "doing your thing." You must live, eat, breath, and sleep football for close to 300 days a year, minimum. You don't just show up and play. You work, and work, and work, and work, and work some more. Then, you play the games. It seems here that Vince doesn't like the work part of playing football. It isn't "fun."

Please, pass the Patron and cry me a river.

You will pardon me if I have little sympathy for someone who thinks that football isn't "fun" even though he was paid $26 million in signing bonus money. Heaven forbid Vince Young actually had to work in order to justify that money before he ever tried to throw an NFL pass. I will likely get flamed for this story, as I always do when I call Vince Young out for the fraud he is. But sometimes the truth hurts and people lash out at the messenger rather than face reality. This has nothing to do with the University of Texas or the Tennessee Titans. Both are excellent institutions in their own rights. This is about a player who is held to a different (and lesser) standard than other players at his position, and is given a pass when other players are not. Sports both builds and reveals character, and in Vince's case professional sports has revealed much of his inner life. He is not a hard worker. He is not a clutch player.

He is not a franchise QB.

Like I always say with Vince Young: If he ever turns it around and develops into a real quarterback, I'll be the first one to stand up and say I was wrong. However, I doubt that will happen. Vince Young is likely yet another over-rated college star who lacks the toughness, character, and work ethic necessary to become a great NFL player. His recent comments enforce this, and if his play continues to stagnate, it will be hard to take Vince apologists seriously anymore.

Jimmy at Music City Miracles also commented on Vince Young's "retirement" talk today as well.

UPDATE: Even Peter King thinks Vince Young is a sketchy character, and the Titans should be concerned:

I think if I'm the Titans, I'm not feeling very good about my quarterback right now. Did you see what Vince Young told Thomas George of NFL.com?

...

Wow. The Titans hand Young the keys to their franchise, he misses a plane to one of his rookie-year games (Philadelphia), and now he admits he thought of quitting at the end of the year? Now there's a solid guy.

Hope everyone had a fun and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. I know I needed a break. I wish I could say I spent the time catching up on Colts news, but the truth is I spent most of the three-day weekend doing absolutely nothing... and it was GREAT!

And speaking of Colts news, we've got a healthy share for you today:

• Thanks to metal_militia for posting the story that the Colts brought former Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin in for a physical recently, and that he passed. I sounds like Dungy wants Colvin on the roster, and both Colvin and his agent are looking to either iron out details with Polian, or shop around a bit before finally "settling" on Indy. Regardless, if Colvin is on this roster, the Colts have stated he will be here as a pass rushing DE. This is ideal for Colvin, who is not an every down player.


• Speaking of DEs,  Pro Football Weekly has some interesting news regarding rookie Marcus Howard:

Word out of Indianapolis is that the Colts plan on undersized (6-0, 237) rookie DE Marcus Howard alleviating some of the pass-rushing burden from Dwight Freeney, who will make his return from a season-ending foot injury. Howard is incredibly raw, but we’re told the coaches will be looking for him to be nothing more than a pass rusher, a role in which the Georgia product could excel with his blistering speed. Strictly from a speed and quickness perspective, Howard may even be superior to Freeney.



• Pro Football Weekly (again, this is PFW, not PFT) also has some news on rookie TE Jacob Tamme:

  With the uncertainty surrounding Colts WR Marvin Harrison — both in terms of his rehabilitation from the knee injury that sidelined him for most of ’07 and his possible connection to a Philadelphia gunfire case — we’re hearing that the Colts are planning on expanding the already significant role of their tight ends in the passing game. Currently one of the most dangerous tight ends in the game today, Dallas Clark will continue to line up throughout the formation to exploit his size-speed gifts. But it won’t be just Clark who will be asked to shoulder a receiving load at the TE spot. Word out of Indianapolis is that the team has big plans for rookie Jacob Tamme. An intelligent, wiry player with great hands and poor blocking ability, Tamme won’t provide much help to the running game as Clark’s bookend in the twin-TE sets, but the coaches are scheming ways to utilize his natural receiving abilities. With a dearth of legitimate WR depth, look for Clark and Tamme to act as de facto wideouts in a good number of offensive sets.

  I can understand talking about Marvin's status in terms of his rehab, but this insistence on bringing up this Philadelphia thing when He. Is. Not. Even. A. Suspect. in the incident (let alone getting charged with anything illegal) is now beyond the point of stupid.


• One minute, AOL Fanhouse is bashing the city of Indianapolis for getting the Super Bowl in 2012. The next, they are praising Indy, and bashing those who bash the Hoosier capital. Here, The Sportz Assassin takes a shot at ESPN resident idiot Gene Wojciechowski:

  Boo-hoo. The Super Bowl won't be held in Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, Houston or Southern California. Places that the surrounding madness of the game loves to go. Media guys and fans long for taking a vacation doing their job in the best possible weather and to hell with everyone else. Indianapolis, a beautiful city, can't have the game because the people covering it will miss out on the sunny games.
  
  Oh, and spare me the "experience of a lifetime" for fans blast. Real fans can't go to the Super Bowl. It's about you, the media guy and the business partners that populate Super Bowl cities like locusts.

  Curious how Sportz Assassin did not reference a writer in his own network (Ryan Wilson) who had bemoaned Indy getting a Super Bowl site bid.


• And finally, for those of you that care, Dominic Rhodes and Melvin Bullitt have switched numbers, at least according to Colts.com's roster chart. Dom has #33. Bullitt has #38. Melvin better have gotten some serious bread from Dominic for giving up that number.

Later today, look for me to take a few shots at our favorite punching bag in Tennessee, Vince Young. He said something recently that pretty much sums up why he is a total bust of a QB, and why the Titans need to cut his fat, sorry butt if they want any chance of winning a Super Bowl in the next 10 years.

I gave some stats a couple days ago, and got some really good responses.  It seems like the idea of picking a franchise quarterback, based on his college performance, is not as cut and dry as some may think.  For the most part, everyone was in agreement that Quarterback D was the best choice.  Here is the table again, with the quarterback's name included this time:

So everyone wants Matt Leinart, eh?  He, no doubt, had a great college career, going 37-2 as a starter at USC.  I painfully sat through two of those wins, one as a senior, and the "Bush Push" game.  However, the jury is still out on Leinart as a pro.  If I had to make a decision right now, I'd say he was not a franchise quarterback in the NFL.  He has made some really dumb decisions outside of football, which means he'll probably make some really dumb decisions on the football field.  He doesn't seem to have the work ethic needed to succeed in the NFL, but only time will tell.

As PB noted in the comments in the original article, Vince Young also had his rushing numbers from college, that really helped his stats.  I'd have to say he was drafted in the Top 3 because of his ability to run the ball, as his passing stats are below the others.  He also made a great point about Matt Ryan:

Anyway, Matt Ryan’s got a LOT of pressure on him.

I think Ryan is the worst of the bunch, yet he'll have the most money of any of them up front.  Personally, his high number of interceptions will be very problematic.  He made a lot of plays at the end of games, which made the highlights, but also made a lot of dumb decisions, like all the interceptions.  It seems fishy when the best thing about him is "his intangibles are off the charts."  It is screaming "his measurable stats aren't good, but he is the best quarterback, so we need something to be good about him.  Immeasurable 'Intangibles'". 

Peyton also did quite well for himself in his 4 years at Tennessee.  He seems like a pretty good franchise quarterback.

It seems every year some nitwit at ESPN or NFL Network says This is the year the [insert inferior AFC South team here] will overtake the Colts in the AFC South. They said it last season after Vince Young's rookie year. They said it the year before, after Jacksonville drafted Maurice Jones-Drew. They said it before that, when they actually thought that Steve McNair was a better QB than Peyton Manning. They've said it since 2003, and six straight AFC South titles later, they still don't get the hint. The Colts aren't going anywhere.

However, this year the racket is louder and (even worse) listened to a little more because the AFC South is now the best division in football. In 2007, no team had a losing record in the AFC South, and the "cellar dweller" 8-8 Houston Texans would have made the playoffs if they'd played in any other AFC Division. In the off-season, one AFC South team made "big moves" to try and unseat the Colts: The Jacksonville Jaguars.

I saw this diary by Jaguars fan remleym over at Big Cat Country, and like most rantings from Jags fans, it made me chuckle. Pretty much anything Jags fans do makes me chuckle. My favorite memory of covering the 2008 Draft is Chris getting up to use the head, and while he was gone the Jags traded up to the #8 spot. When he came back to the table where John and I sat, he asked us if anything happened. John and I tried not to snicker, and responded nonchalantly, Oh nothing much. By the way, the Jaguars are on the clock.

Chris' face when we said this was as priceless as a Peyton Manning MasterCard commercial.

DE Derrick Harvey, via www.orangeandbluehue.com

The Jaguars' draft day maneuvers were one of many off-season moves designed energize the team for a potential Super Bowl run. In 2007, the Jags won their first playoff game in almost a decade, physically beating the snot out of Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They then went to New England and got waxed by the Patriots despite a tremendous game by QB David Garrard. The reason the Jaguars lost to the Patriots, and the reason they have not won a single AFC South title, is their lack of a pass rush. Despite what you may have heard about the Jaguars defense, it really isn't all that good.

Now before I get flamed, hear me out. The Jaguars are a very good team at shutting down an opponents running game. However, against the pass, the Jaguars flat out suck. They can't pressure the QB and their secondary is highly suspect. The Jaguars defense in 2007 allowed opposing playoff QBs to complete 78% of their passes for 599 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs.

In the modern NFL, that is a sucky defense.

Tom Brady torched the Jaguars in the 2007 post-season.

So, after their playoff exit, the Jaguars decided that throwing the football is a good thing to build your offense around. However, if you are going to throw, you must, must, MUST stop the other team from throwing. This means you need a pass rush. This is why the Jags traded up to get DE Derrick Harvey at pick #8 overall, and drafted DE Quintin Groves in the 2nd round. The Jags also landed WRs Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson in free agency to boost their passing attack. They jettisoned steroids cheater Marcus Stroud (DT), and they will soon part ways with 2005 draft bust WR Matt Jones. David Garrard is firmly entrenched as the starting QB, and head coach Jack Del Rio has a nice contract extension. They also added defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to their staff to go with secondary coach Donnie Henderson. On the surface, these are all good moves, and it's hard not to get excited if you are a Jags fan.

But, look closer.

All of you, take a look at the Colts roster and the Jaguars roster. Look at their proposed starting lineups on offense, defense, and special teams. Now, after looking at those areas, can you honestly (and with a straight face) tell me that the Jaguars have done enough to overtake the Colts? No, you can't.

There is not one single area where Jacksonville is "better" than Indy. Maybe their special teams coverage units. Maybe. Everything else is a clear advantage for the Colts. Indy's QB, WRs, o-line, d-line, TEs, CBs, safeties, LBers, kicker, and punter are all better than Jacksonville's. Even the running back position favors Indy. The Jags have two studs in Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, arguably the best RB tandem in football. But after them, there isn't much. They Colts have four starting caliber RBs, including rookie Mike Hart and Pro Bowler Joseph Addai. Despite Jacksonville's additions to their coaching staff, Indy's staff is still better. Tony Dungy, Tom Moore, and Howard Mudd are legends. Ron Meeks turned one of the worst defenses in NFL history into the best scoring defense in 2007, and RB coach Gene Huey is the most under-rated position coach in football.

The acquisition of WR Jerry Porter is not enough to make the Jags better than the Colts.

via www.raidersjersey.net

So, knowing all this, I don't think it is rational or prudent to claim the Jaguars have done enough to overtake the Colts in the AFC South. Of course, anything can, and likely will, happen in the 2008 season. But, right now, just looking at both rosters, the Jaguars are not better than the Colts. Not even close.

Earlier this week, Matt Ryan signed a 6 year, $72 Million deal, with $34.7 Million guaranteed.  This, in my opinion, is utterly absurd.  I could go on and on about how ridiculous this is, but I'll point you in the direction of The Daily Norseman, SBNation's Vikings blog.  Gonzo has a great article expressing my exact feelings about the entire situation much better than I ever could have.  Here's the main idea:

There is NO reason for NFL teams to pay the amounts they're paying now to guys that haven't even attended an NFL Training Camp yet, never mind played in an NFL game.  The NBA does it, and it's one of the few things that they actually do better than the NFL.  The NBA doesn't have contract holdouts, they don't have to give potentially franchise-killing contracts to rookies. . .heck, even LeBron James had to earn his big payday. . .and teams know what they're getting into before they make their selections.

Make sure to check out the rest of his article. He makes some other great points.

Here's an exercise for you:  I've put together the college stats for 6 quarterbacks drafted in the first round the past 3 seasons, minus Joe Flacco, as his stats are skewed by playing in Div 1-AA.  The QBs are:

• Jay Cutler
• Matt Leinart
• Vince Young
• Brady Quinn
• JaMarcus Russell
• Matt Ryan

I've also included a 7th mystery quarterback, who was drafted some years ago.  I've used the NFL's version of QB Rating, rather than the college Rating system.

Tomorrow or Saturday, I'll post who each quarterback is, along with Stampede Blue's consensus choice of franchise quarterback.

Also, Tony Dungy will be joining Mike and Mike live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 7:45 tomorrow (Friday) morning.  You can hear it on ESPN Radio, and watch it on ESPN2.

I will never understand Peter King. I mean really! I just don't get it. Peter will surprise me with excellent nuggets like this:

I've got to see Philip Rivers perform at a high level consistently to think this is a Super Bowl winner, particularly in a conference as tough as the top-heavy AFC.

And this:

I want to like Vince Young, and his improvement from 52 to 62 percent in accuracy from his rookie year to his second season helps a little. But this is the year he's got to start being consistent if the Titans are going to make the playoffs again and again. He threw nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions last year.

But then, he'll go a say something stupid, like rank the Patriots ahead of the Colts going into 2008.

Peter cites the Patriots doing nothing as a sign they will be fine in 2008. This is funny compared to last year, when the Colts did nothing and the Patriots went on a shopping spree, prompting people like Peter King to say had gotten better than Indy. Now, with New England bleeding players and doing little to stop it, while the Colts retain theirs and beef up weaknesses... the Patriots are still better? Huh?

Is it so much to ask for a little consistency with one's logic?

Even New England's draft did not address their offensive line (which was overpowered in the Super Bowl), their defense (which is still old, and allowed Eli Manning to burn them in the 4th quarter), or their running game (which is always hurt). Add to this the fact that New England lost virtually their entire secondary (including Pro Bowler Asante Samuel) to free agency. Meanwhile, Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau are still old and slow, and Mike Vrabel is getting there. Jerod Mayo will help, but a rookie playing in this defensive system is too much to ask for.

Needless to say, New England's defense was not very good in the playoffs last year, in particular the Super Bowl. This puts extra pressure on the offense, which is a pass happy unit that struggles running the ball. Not a good formula for success.

Meanwhile, the Colts are getting Dwight Freeney and Marvin Harrison back. They beefed up their o-line, drafted Mike Hart, and found another speed rusher in Marcus Howard. Their entire starting defense is returning, a top 5 unit that is both young and fast.

So, how is New England considered better?

Speaking of rookie DE Marcus Howard, Tony Dungy really likes his speed.

  Michael Hobson is the biggest fan of the Indianapolis Colts. i believe I saw him at Training Camp last year. Michael goes all out.

If you want to learn more about rookie free agent acquisition Samuel Giguere, click here. However, you might need to brush up on your French. This is the second year in a row the Colts have imported a free agent from Canada. Hopefully, unlike last year's import, Giguere can catch the friggin' football.