This article has been up for a few days, but I ignored it figuring it was a rewrite of a very similar piece I'd already linked. There is one good note in here though: one of the two guys Smith has been throwing to during the lockout is none other than Jared Cook. We need a break-out year from the Cookie Monster, so I'm definitely glad to hear he's getting in all the work he can. Now all we need is RB to show up so they can work on his run blocking. The Titans will host Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder and Cam Newton Nerton on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nashville. Dalton, Gabbert, Locker and Mallett will be in later this month (paywall). In terrible news that I choose to not believe, USA Today quoted a legal expert as calling the players' chances of getting an injunction to effectively end the lockout a 'long shot'. We need that injunction to work, because getting free agency and trades going before the draft is crucial. The one upshot is that the expert keeps comparing this suit to more normal corporate anti-trust cases, and this is a whole different beast, IMO.
The next Madden game will have more 'realistic' concussion effects, including holding players out for that game automatically and having the announcers note how serious concussion injuries are. If they really want to be realistic about concussions they'd have a series of mini-games where you got the chance to fake like you don't have one and stay in the game. Andrew Strickert considers if the Titans should trade up from 8. Wednesday is a huge day for the NFL lockout, the AP profiles the judge, Susan Richard Nelson, who will hear the injuction/case. Don Banks tabs what he calls 'Five compelling prospects who took unconventional routes to NFL draft'. Several were top recruits who either transfered to small schools or failed to qualify academically, save for some good ones later in the list. Could Randy Moss be headed for the Jets? Matt Bowen writes about how to evaluate a CB on film. Here's this week's MMQ, which is unusually lazy even by Peter King standards. Just head on over to KSK in a little but to make this vaugely-readable. Bill Barnwell of FO talks to Houston-centric journalist, and occasional MCM commenter, Stephanie Stradley about the Texans.Email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com and be sure to follow me on Twitter @AugustWest_MCM