Brian Brohm Gets Second Chance

Once considered a top prospect and possible first overall draft pick, Brian Brohm soon became an afterthought. Drafted 56th overall in the second round by the Green Bay Packers, Brohm was squeezed into an already crowded quarterback depth chart with little chance of ever starting for the Pack.

The situation proved to be too much for the young quarterback. He lost confidence and, eventually, lost his roster spot too. Green Bay put him on their practice squad just two seasons after entering the league as one of the most prolific passers in college football.

From star to afterthought in just two short off seasons. Luckily for Brohm, he found a new home and to be quite honest, it couldn't have worked out better for him.

The Buffalo Bills signed Brohm off the Packers' practice squad on November 19, 2009. Just a few weeks later he found himself starting his first ever NFL game behind a patchwork offensive line and in a system he barely knew.

Don't feel sorry for Brohm though, that was valuable experience and an ice breaker to help build his, previously shattered, confidence.

So Brohm entered this season in a much better situation than the one in Green Bay. He was in a, truly wide open, quarterback competition. Even better, all four quarterbacks involved in this race for the starting spot were new to the system and new to the coaches. Even ground, and a perfect opportunity for Brohm to show why he was so highly touted in college.

Brohm started off a little shaky in rookie mini camp (in which players with less than two season were invited to participate). By all accounts and reports, Brohm was struggling to pick up the system.

However, the third year signal caller has shown significant improvement over the course of mini camps and OTAs since rookie camp. More importantly, he has showed he knows how to run the red zone offense, drawing some compliments from both the Buffalo News and WGR550 who publish reports following each practice.

His steady improvement has been something encouraging for the young prospect. It is my opinion that he has the most upside out of any quarterback on the roster currently. That may not be saying much however. Incumbents Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick have shown little more than being able to be adequate backups. Some fans may argue that Edwards has shown more than that, but it really is hard to judge a player who hasn't completed a full season healthy since high school. Edwards is an intelligent player with solid mechanics and above average accuracy. However, his laundry list of injuries and his unwillingness to throw the ball down field have done little to impress me, or pretty much anyone else.

So in a wide open competition against Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Levi Brown (seventh round pick out of Troy), Brohm has just as much a shot as anyone to be the Bills' new starter.

Brohm has drawn praise from new head coach Chan Gailey. Gailey stated at the end of Buffalo's mandatory minicamp that Brohm as made "a jump" in the competition. But what does that mean? A jump from third to second? A jump from second to first? A jump from third to first? We will not know until camp.

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"The last two weeks he's made a jump in my opinion. I thought he practiced well. We'll have to see how he progresses once we get pads on and all that. But I thought he made a good jump."- Chan Gailey

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Brohm however, has expressed that he is ready to take a hold of that starting spot.

"I've had two years in the NFL to get used to everything and get myself prepared," Brohm told the courier journal. "I feel like I can fully compete for this starting job. I feel like I'm ready to take charge out there. We'll see what happens. But I feel like I'm at a position where I'll be able to put my best foot forward and make a legitimate run at the starting job."

Potential? Check.
Opportunity? Check.
Confidence? Check.
Support? ...

Well, Gailey may have said Brohm has practiced well, but we won't know if he "supports" the young QB until training camp opens up later this month.

However, there is one big-name who has already publicly voiced support of Brohm. Thurman Thomas.

“I’ve got my money on Brian Brohm,” Thomas told WGR. “There’s just something about him. When I was over there, we had a great conversation. He was picking my brain about how Jim Kelly used to do things.”

Thurman went on to say:

“He told me ‘I got kind of lazy and didn’t put in the work I was supposed to put in,’” (referring to Green Bay).

Brohm however does not appear to be lazy this off season. He is putting in a lot of work and making the most of his reps. He is making big plays, plays in the red zone and plays on the run. He is at the very least keeping the quarterback competition close.

At this point in time, that's about all you can ask of Brohm. He still has time to seize the job.

Gailey says that no matter what his depth chart looks like headed in to training camp, it is subject to change.

If Brohm could take a hold of the starting spot, he may just keep it. His college resume is impressive and he is young yet. The league is filled with stories of late bloomers and players that took a few seasons to adjust.

I have to say, I'm pulling for the guy. But who wouldn't be amongst the Buffalo faithful if he somehow turned out to be one of the biggest steals in NFL history and lived up to his college potential?

One thing is for certain, he has a second chance and he better seize the day if he ever wants to start in this league.

AHL Team Foreshadowing Bigger Things?

Earlier in 2010, the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL announced they were disbanding. Shortly after it was discovered that OKC was trying to purchase an AHL team. The American Hockey League is the farm league for the NHL.

Shortly after that, the AHL approved a team for Oklahoma City, and OKC quickly moved to buy the Edmonton Oilers' dormant AHL franchise; The Edmonton Road Runners.

The team will play out of the, soon to be renovated, 14,000 seat Cox Convention Center in downtown OKC. It is right across the street from another professional franchise that moved to Oklahoma and is flourishing; The OKC Thunder of the NBA.

With the NBA working out so well in OKC, and the prospects of an AHL team headed to the Sooner State, what's next?

Some think that this AHL franchise, if successful, will be the launching pad to creating a bigger hockey market in Oklahoma City. Which would eventually lead to an NHL team in Oklahoma.

Now, that idea is far away. It could not possibly happen anytime soon, and a lot would have to happen to get the operation running.

But, don't be mistaken. There IS a market for hockey in OKC. But, more importantly, there is a market for professional sports. Some thought it would never work with big collegiate programs in the area such as the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys. But the Thunder isn't just working out in OKC, it is thriving.

The Oklahoma City Blazers franchise is regarded as one of the most successful hockey teams in the CHL's history drawing huge crowds nearly every game. Those fans have not left Oklahoma.

With the way the Winter Olympic turned out, and how USA hockey fared it was only natural that hockey would become a topic of national conversation once again. Not to mention local collegiate teams have been having success in club hockey, drawing surprising crowds and growing fan support.

I had the chance to talk to a former OKC Blazer player in Marco Cefalo. Cefalo told me that having the NHL in Oklahoma is not only possible, but by acquiring an AHL franchise the foundation has been lain.

"Definitely there is a market for hockey in Oklahoma," Said Cefalo.

"I think that hockey awareness has gotten bigger and bigger. Especially down here in the south as time goes on."

"I think they made the right move in going for the AHL first and seeing what kind of fanbase we can develop for that."

Could having an AHL franchise inevitably lead to a NHL team coming to Oklahoma? It's possible. After seeing the kind of success the Thunder have had, and the reaction by fans to having their own professional team, I'd say anything is possible.

Cushing Busted

Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was busted this week for performance enhancing drug use. Cushing will be suspended for four games in the 2010 NFL season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Cushing was voted to the pro bowl last season, his rookie year, after posting 133 tackles, five sacks and four interceptions. He was also voted defensive rookie of the year.
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that prior to the news of his substance abuse, Cushing deserved the defensive rookie of the year honors. His very productive season was not only a joy to watch, but blew nearly every other rookie performance out of the water. Almost.
The defensive rookie of the year runner-up, free safety Jairus Byrd of the Buffalo Bills, posted 45 tackles (33 totals), and tied for the league lead in interceptions with nine. That was in just 14 games, and only 11 starts. Not to mention, Byrd played injured for the entire season. This "Byrd of prey" did all of this legally.
So should Cushing forfeit his rookie of the year honors?
Donte Whitner of the Buffalo Bills believes so. Posting on his twitter account following the news of Cushing's transgressions, Whitner expressed his opinion on the topic. Whitner wrote on twitter:

• "I don't respect (guys) that CHEAT!"
• "They should take his Defensive rookie of the year away!"
• "Give the defensive rookie of the year to Jarius Byrd...he did it the RIGHT way!"
• "In the Olympics...track & field if u win the GOLD but get caught taking roids, what happens? It goes to the 2nd place guy! J. Byrd!"

Like it or not Texans fans, Whitner does have a point. When you cheat, and I think it's common knowledge that using performance enhancing drugs is cheating, then you must face the consequences. At this point in time, all Cushing is facing is his suspension and that's how it should stay. For now.
Unless it can be proven that Cushing used performance enhancing substances prior to, or during, the 2009 season, Cushing will keep his award. It's a sad thing to think someone may have cheated and gotten away with it, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.
Do I think Cushing deserved the award? His performance was deserving, but his methods are open to questioning.

So long, Russell...

The Oakland Raiders haven't been a winning team in what seems like an eternity. Blame can be placed on a number of factors, but the one that keeps popping up is poor drafting. No recent draft pick is more monumentally worthy of the "bust" label than quarterback JaMarcus Russell.
Overweight and under productive, Russell was finally given the boot Thursday, and a new era of Oakland Raider football can begin.
Russell was taken No. 1 overall just three short years ago and yet he is already being labeled by media members as the biggest draft bust of all-time.
While I personally, like to give a quarterback at least five years in the professional ranks before throwing them under the bus, it is very likely that JaMarcus is worthy of such negative recognition.
Russell was an athletic freak of nature coming out of college. The way scouts and media types were fawning over him was enough to make you sick (see: Tim Tebow). However, Russell lacked what a quarterback needs to succeed in the league: work ethic, confidence and conditioning.
What he lacked in intangibles he sure didn't make up for in production. Russell appeared in four games as a rookie, completing 54.5% of his passes for 373 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. In his sophomore season, his accuracy regressed, however he showed flashes of his athleticism and the potential which sky rocketed his draft stock. Russell played in 15 games completing 198 of 368 passes (53.8%) for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
It was last year however, which inevitably forced Oakland owner Al Davis' hand in cutting JaMarcus. Russell played in 12 games, but completed just 120 of 246 passes for 1,287 yards, three touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Talk about your major let downs...
Russell never seemed to grasp the NFL game, and with Oakland trading for former Washington Redskins' quarterback, Jason Campbell, the former No. 1 overall pick became expendable.
Could Russell get picked up by another team and succeed in the NFL? Well, you must never say never. Weirder things have happened in the league. But, at this point in time, my magic eight-ball is telling me that JaMarcus Russell's future in the league is bleak.
It's said to see athletic talent like that just not have the drive it takes to succeed in the NFL. But then again, we see it happen a lot. *ahem* Ryan Leaf *ahem*.
The one good thing to come out of this whole mess, is that Al Davis seems to be stepping aside a little bit draft wise. This year, the Raiders had one of the best drafts in the NFL, in my opinion, and became a better team because they didn't reach for players like they have in the past. Also, it's good to see Davis admitting a mistake by allowing the Raiders to cut their losses with Russell, and it allows a once proud franchise the liberty to move forward.

So where does JaMarcus Russell go now?
I hear the UFL is hiring...