So, with the new season a few months away and the draft over with mini camps fully underway, there isn’t much to do except reflect on last season’s spectacular performances.  So, here’s a look at the top five touchdowns of the 2009-10 season.

# 5 – DeSean Jackson’s Punt Return

There is hardly a player in the NFL that can return a punt in a more impressive fashion than DeSean Jackson.  Here’s a 72-yard return against the New York Giants.

# 4 – Jacoby Jones goes 95 Yards

Jacoby Jones turned more than a few heads when he ran nearly the entire length of the field for to give the Houston Texans a three touchdown lead over the Oakland Raiders.

# 3 – Brandon Stokley shocks Cincinnati

This was a near interception/near incomplete that was batted up into the air only to be caught by Stokley.  He ran 82 yards to for the game-winning touchdown.  Plus, Gus Johnson’s reaction to the amazing play makes it all the better.

# 2 – Brett Favre over the 49ers

It was a last ditch effort that paid off in a huge way as this touchdown pass put the Vikes into the NFC Championship.

#1 – Tracy Porter’s Super Bowl Pick

We all remember it, it was the game that sealed the deal for the New Orleans Saints, giving them their first Super Bowl win.

It’s reached that time of the offseason when the NFL gives their rookies a taste of what it’s like to compete in the big league.  The NFL mini camps kicked off last Friday with 24 teams hitting the field for some drills.  This included Indianapolis, Arizona, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Kansas City, Miami, Minnesota, New England, both of the New York teams, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Tennessee.  Jacksonville started theirs on Saturday.

Only seven of those 25 teams will have veterans on the field wit the new guys, running them through their paces as they adapt to the life of a pro football player.  Six other teams will start up their mini camps later on this month, but the Houston Texans until June.

Early news coming out of these mini training sessions is that St Louis, Detroit, and Tampa Bay have hope for the upcoming season.  The three finished off last season as the worst in the NFL, but they grabbed three of the most talented college players in the draft: Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, and Gerald McCoy.  Though there is still plenty of work to be done for these three teams, things are starting to look up.

On a side note that has little to do with mini camps, Tim Tebow’s number 15 Denver jersey has come in number one in April sales.  Let’s hope the decision to draft Tebow will payoff in more important ways when the season starts.  Veteran QB Donnovan McNabb’s number 4 Washington jersey came in second.

With the dust settling on the Draft, it’s time to have a look at all the teams’ decisions and evaluate the best and the worst.

New York Jets
The Jets made some big moves this offseason and capped it off with some excellent Draft picks.  First, they cut guard Alan Faneca and traded RB Leon Washington.  They supplemented the former with OL Vladimir Ducasse and the latter with Joe McKnight.  They also added first round pick CB Kyle Wilson from Boise State to their lineup.  Together with Antonio Cromartie and Darrell Revis, they have the major defensive potential.  Though, with all of their money delegated to other positions on the field, they are still lacking when it comes to a Kicker.

Minnesota Vikings
They may have just lost out on the Super Bowl last season, but they are shaping up to be Super Bowl favorites in the new season.  They started off by replacing RB Chester Taylor with Toby Gerhart (Heisman runner-up).  They also grabbed CB Chris Cook, who will be the biggest CB on the team at 6’2”.  All three acquisitions add some fresh talent to their respective positions, making the team stronger in the long run.  The only question that remains is that of Brett Favre.  Will he return for another season?  An answer will probably come just after training camp has wrapped up, but perhaps Minnesota should have looked into longer term QB plans.

While these two teams used the Draft to their advantage, some teams made a few picks that left plenty of NFL fans and experts scratching their heads.

Denver Broncos
Their first round pick of QB Tim Tebow may have cocked a few eyebrows, but as the guy has shown some drastic improvement and dedication throughout the combine he’s probably a pretty decent decision.  But, they it was followed up with such picks as OL Zane Beadles who was clobbered in the Senior Bowl.  Coach Josh McDaniels also took WR Demaryius Thomas instead of Dez Bryant for ‘purely football related’ reasons that we may never understand.  These are some big reaches on Denver’s part and it will be interesting to see if any of them actually payoff, especially when you consider that McDaniels’s career might well be on the line if the Broncos have another spiraling season.

Jacksonville Jaguars
There was little doubt that Jacksonville would be heading into this draft with their eyes firmly set on defense.  However, they shocked more than a few people when they picked up Tyson Alualu with their first round pick.  The kid has talent; no one is disputing that.  But, he wasn’t likely going to be scooped up in the first round.  The Jags could have used that pick to get a much needed QB.

There were plenty of other teams out there that made some big (and risky) moves in this year’s Draft.  We’ll see how it all pans out when the regular season rolls around in September.

The 2010 NFL Draft is finally here and this year it should be bigger and better than ever.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the Draft, the NFL has decided to expand the selections over three days.  The red carpet is rolled out and plenty of celebs are slated to make appearances.  This includes Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Milano.  There will also be plenty of NFL legends making an appearance, including Joe Montana, Dan Marino, and Barry Sanders.  Many are predicting more than 39 million viewers as the media coverage includes two nights of prime time.

No NFL fan is immune to the hype surrounding this Draft.  The sportsbooks are even getting into the spirit of things.  BetUS has updated their odds and are now a few new props.  This includes:

Number of quarterbacks taken in round one
Over 2 QBs: -700
Under 2 QBs: +400

Number of running backs taken in round one
Over 1 ½ running backs: -350
Under 1 ½ running backs: +225

Number of wide receivers and tight ends taken in round one
Over 2 ½ WRs and TEs: -130
Under 2 ½ WRs and TEs: -110

Number of offensive linemen taken in round one
Over 6 ½ OL: -300
Under 6 ½ OL: +200

Number of defensive tackles taken in round one
Over 4 ½ DF: +150
Under 4 ½ DF: -200

Number of defensive ends taken in round one
Over 4 DEs: -250
Under 4 DEs: +175

Many mock drafts have QB Sam Bradford as the odds-on favorite to be the first pick.  It’s no wonder as the St Louis Rams were ready to sign the contract after seeing Bradford’s impressive performance during his pro day earlier in the month.  Though, in recent weeks, there has been some chatter about the Browns approaching St Louis about a possible trade for the first round pick as they also have their eyes on the Sooner’s QB.  My guess is that St Louis isn’t going to pass up on this opportunity as they’ve made it no secret that they’re in the market for a new quarterback.

Rounding out the top three potential picks are Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy.  Expect Suh to go before McCoy.  Both are fantastic players, but Suh’s size and athleticism make him a huge asset as a defensive tackle.  The Detroit Lions are likely to pick him up as they are holding the number two pick.  Though there are a few predicting offensive tackle Russell Okung to sneak in before Suh.  He’s a solid player, but Suh is a smarter pick in my eyes.

Of course, you can’t count out media darling Tim Tebow.  He could be a sleeper in this Draft.  There aren’t too many mocks out there predicting that he’ll go in the first round, but he could surprise a few people.  His modified throwing style did impress a few scouts throughout the combine, and he’s a PR dream.  The media flocks to this kid wherever he goes, and he’s shown that he knows how to charm.  Though he might be an asset, he needs too much development to go in the first round.  Second or third seem more likely.

In other NFL news, the new schedule has been released, and the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints will kick off the new season by hosting the Minnesota Vikings.  Plenty will be tuning in to see this conference championship rematch.  Speaking of the Vikes, BetUS is also offering some Brett Favre props.  The superstar QB has yet to resign with Minnesota or enter his third (and possibly final) retirement.  BetUS is offering the following odds:

Will Brett Favre play in week one of the 2010-11 season?
Yes: -250
No: +175

Check out the full 2010-11 schedule at NFL.com, and don’t forget that the 2010 NFL Draft is set to take place on Thursday, April 22. Get to BetUS to put down all your wagers before the prime time selection process gets underway.

16 college superstars have accepted invitations to the NFL Draft, for a spot in the NFL.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy are two of the rumored top three picks that have accepted their invitation to this year’s Draft. St Louis has made no secret about making Bradford their top pick, and making him the highest paid rookie to date.  McCoy and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh round out the supposed top three picks, and there is still plenty of speculation where these two will land.

Top prospects aside, the good news for all college hopefuls is that the NFL has extended the Draft to three days thus increasing the number of invitations to go out. Oklahoma has a few players heading to the draft.  Besides Bradford and McCoy, offensive tackle Trent Williams.  Other players to accept include:

Running backs – CJ Spiller (Clemson), Jahvid Best (Cal)
Offensive tackles – Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) and Bryan Bulaga (Iowa), Trent Williams (Oklahoma)
Defensive ends – Derrick Morgan (Georga Tech)
Defensive Tackle – Lamarr Houston (Texas), Jared Odrick (Penn State), Dan Williams (Tennessee)
Cornerbacks – Joe Haden (Flordia), Brandon Ghee (Wake Forrest)
Receivers – Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)
Safteys – Eric Berry (Tennessee)

With the Draft set for April 22, BetUS is getting in to the spirit by offering some new odds, including the following:

Which player will get drafted first?
Ndamukong Suh: -500
Gerald McCoy: +300

Earl Thomas: +160
Joe Haden: -200

Golden Tate: +200
Demaryius Thomas: -300

Russell Okung: -700
Bryan Bulaga: +400

Will Sean Weatherspoon be selected in Round 1?
Yes: -500
No: +300

Will Golden Tate be selected in Round 1?
Yes: +175
No: -250

Will Brian Price be selected in Round 1?
Yes: -250
No: -250

Will Demaryius Thomas be selected in Round 1?
Yes: -150
No: +110

Be sure to check it out to put down a little action as the Draft nears.  And, don’t forget to keep checking NFLBettingOnline.com for more NFL updates.

There were plenty of questions surrounding Donovan McNabb’s inability to be picked up for the upcoming season.  Plenty were scratching their heads, wondering why any team in need of a QB would pass up a high caliber starter with a reliable professional record.  He wanted to stay with Philly, but was finally traded to NFC East rival Washington on Easter Sunday.  Despite the move, the star QB is looking forward to the new opportunity with the ‘Skins.

He certainly fills a huge hole in the Washington team who has been searching for a reliable QB since 1991.  The suits think they’ve finally found leadership in McNabb that the team has too long been lacking.  As a six-time Pro Bowler, McNabb brings plenty of experience to the position.  He also brings the ability to turn teams around, as he did for the Eagles in his first full season as starter.  Just two years after being drafted, the QB led the ailing Eagles to their first playoff berth in 18 years.  He also helped the franchise secure four straight conference titles and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX.

So, will the 34 year old be able to do the same for the Redskins?  Well, with the addition of new coach Mike Shanahan (who also coached famed QB John Elway whose career is being compared to McNabb’s) and a reliable QB, the team is hoping to move up immediately.  An improvement on last season can’t be that hard as they posted a 4-12 record – the worst in 15 years.  Though, overall improvement and a Super Bowl appearance might be a little trickier as Washington has a history of finishing off the brightest of careers.  Whatever happens, it better happen quick as there are plenty of Washington fans out there anxious for their team to start winning some games.  It will be interesting to see if McNabb and Shanahan can pull it off.