NFL archive

Although it’s not clear how a new collective bargaining agreement will affect commissioner Roger Goodell’s ability to hand out discipline to NFL players, look for Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson to be suspended at least a game or two following an arrest over the weekend.

Benson was released from an Austin, Texas, jail on Sunday following an arrest on an assault charge, the second year in a row he has gotten into trouble in his home state. Benson was a free agent after leading the Cincinnati Bengals in rushing each of the last three seasons. He hoped to stay with the Bengals and worked out with players in Cincinnati during the NFL's lockout.

Travis County sheriff's spokesman Roger Wade said Benson was arrested in downtown Austin on a misdemeanor count of assault with bodily injury with family violence. Benson attorney Sam Bassett said in a statement the arrest followed "a conflict" between Benson and a male former roommate.

Last year Benson was charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly punching a bar employee in the face. That case is pending, but Benson wasn’t suspended for that. Benson's trial for that incident was scheduled to begin on June 27, but at the request of Benson's lawyers, it was delayed until Aug. 29.

Benson has rushed for more than 1,000 yards the last two seasons and has 11 100-yard games since signing with the Bengals in 2008. But it’s now likely the team lets him walk as it’s Benson’s fourth arrest in three years. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the lockout ends.

It has been a rough week or so for the Bengals. Benson’s arrest came on the heels of safety Marvin White's arrest Thursday in Louisiana and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones' arrest by Cincinnati police a week ago after an incident at Scene nightclub. The Bengals have had 35 arrests since 2000, which is the most in the league. Prior to last week's arrest of Jones, the Bengals had gone more than a year without an arrest.

Bet on NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

With the NFL lockout almost at a close free agent news is starting to heat up. The latest is the rumors of Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Marc Bulger as the free agent back up plan for Arizona if a trade for Kevin Kolb doesn't go through. Arizona is in desperate need of a competent starting quarterback.

Unfortunately according to reports Bulger is happy holding the clipboard.

"Marc Bulger doesn't want to play in Arizona according to my source," said sports radio host Mike Jurecki on XTRA 910 Phoenix.

Former teammate Kurt Warner said the same months ago on the NFL Network. Though it's difficult to believe an NFL pro wouldn't want to compete to be the starter, perhaps Bulger is just happy in Baltimore as Joe Flacco's backup.

In terms of starting options for the 34-year-old veteran Bulger will have a few when free agency actually kicks off. Along with Arizona the Tennessee Titans are looking for a stopgap starter as rookie QB Jake Locker learns the role. The Washington Redskins will be looking for a starter after they let go of Donovan McNabb (head coach Mike Shanahan has been saying John Beck will be the starter but we'll believe that when we see it). And the Minnesota Vikings need a stopgap until rookie Christian Ponder is ready.

Bulger has had a solid NFL career before a quick decline led to him signing as a backup with Baltimore. He topped 4,000 yards in the 2006-07 season and had more than 20 touchdowns three times in his career. Although his last two years in St. Louis were less than stellar, the belief is with some help he's as solid a free agent QB as any of the other big names.

NFL free agency is slated to begin on July 28, we'll see how happy he is playing second fiddle when the offers roll in.

Bet on NFL Futures right now in the Bodog Sportsbook! Bodog, be a player.

Hold on football fans, your NFL betting will have to hold off for a little bit longer.

We’ve been hearing a new NFL collective bargaining agreement was nearing the endzone, but it looks like a flag’s been thrown. The NFL Players Association did not vote on the new CBA settlement as planned Wednesday.

It appeared champagne corks would be popping by this Friday, one week the original due date for the deal. Unfortunately, it appears it’s going to drag out a little longer once again. Former NFL center and current NFLPA president Kevin Mawae downplayed the fact that a new deal is imminent.

“We’re not tied to a deadline of July 21,” Mawae said via ESPN-com. “Our timeline is to get a deal that’s best for the players.”

Owners planned to vote on the deal Thursday. However, NFL Network legal analyst Gabe Feldman speculated that the owners may have to wait until the players sign off on the deal before they can do the same.

That said the consensus is a deal will get done. Super agent Tom Condon, who represents big names like Peyton Manning, believes the deal will eventually get the players’ vote. Also, the Bodog Sportsbook already has odds to win the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year and NFL Futures to win Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 and they don’t plan on taking them down.

If a deal is done on July 21 free agency should is slated to kick off on July 28. NFL odds could change for the worse once big names start finding new homes, therefore if you have the inside track of deals — like Arizona’s imminent trade for Kevin Kolb — we suggest you place your bets while the odds are ripe.

Bet on NFL Futures right now in the Bodog Sportsbook. Be a player!

We could know in a matter of a few hours whether the NFL is open for business after owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA on Thursday by a vote of 31-0 – naturally the Raiders, being the Raiders, abstained.

Now it’s up to the players to ratify – they have a conference call scheduled for 8 p.m. It only takes a simple majority for the players to OK the deal. They may not do it tonight as there is a lot to go over, but they very well could because the pressure is clearly on them now. However, in a letter sent to all NFL players Thursday night, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said issues still remain that must be resolved. So perhaps this isn't quite over yet.

"As you know from yesterday, issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open, other issues such as workers compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms remain unresolved," Smith said. " There is no agreement between the NFL and the players at this time."

There has been one casualty of the over four-month lockout: the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame Game, which is annually the first preseason game, between the Bears and Rams has been canceled. But if players OK the deal tonight or tomorrow, team facilities will open Saturday. The likely start of training camps is estimated to be Aug. 1, but free agency would start Wednesday. The new 10-year CBA has no opt-out clauses for either side, meaning there will be labor peace until 2021 if the NFLPA ratifies the deal. The owners have demanded that players must recertify as a union and provide evidence by Tuesday that a majority of players have signed union authorization cards.

Here are the key points of the new CBA:
*-Players receive 48 percent of revenue in first portion of deal
*-$120 million salary cap; team minimum 89 percent ($106.8M) as long as league spends 99 percent ($3.8😎
*-Veterans earn free agency after fourth season
*- Four-year rookie contracts, with team option for fifth year
*-Lower rookie salaries, with cap on team spending for rookies
*- Later training camps, no more full-contact, two-a-day practices
*-Offseason team activities (OTAs) reduced from 14 to nine

Now is the time to bet on 2011 NFL futures at Bodog Sportsbook!

A tight end has never won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Could the Minnesota Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph be the first to do so in 2011? He is 25/1 on Bodog’s NFL odds to win the award.

The Vikings have had some good success with Offensive Rookies of the Year. The franchise has had five winners, including two of the past four: running back Adrian Peterson in 2007 and receiver Percy Harvin 2009. Of course Rudolph may have to compete with the guy who might be Minnesota’s starting quarterback this season in first-round pick Christian Ponder from Florida State, who is 18/1 to be named top offensive rookie.

Rudolph was taken at No. 43 overall and was the first tight end drafted and first Notre Dame player in April’s draft. The 6-foot-6, 259-pounder caught 28 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns last year in his junior season and missed the Irish's final seven games due a hamstring injury. He totaled receptions for 1,032 yards with eight touchdowns and started 28 of 29 career games played in his three seasons at Notre Dame. Rudolph totaled the fourth-most receptions and receiving yards by a tight end in school history. He holds the single-game school record for catches and receiving yards by a tight end, which came last Sept. 11 when he had eight catches for 164 yards against Michigan. His 95-yard touchdown catch in that game was the longest by an Irish tight end and second-longest overall in school history.

It’s not clear if Rudolph will get on the field a lot as a rookie. Tight end didn't seem to be a huge need for the Vikings because they have Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan. But all are entering the final season of their contracts. Rudolph's presence could make it difficult for Dugan to make the 53-man roster. And Randolph could see a lot of playing time this season if he can pick up the blocking scheme because offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave likes to use two-tight end sets.

Bet on 2011 NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

The Buffalo Bills haven’t had an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year since linebacker Shane Conlan won the award in 1987. Can former University of Texas cornerback Aaron Williams be the third Bill to be named top defensive rookie? He is 18/1 on Bodog’s NFL odds to win.

Williams will have to compete with the Bills’ first-round pick, former Alabama star Marcell Dareus, who is among the favorites on Bodog at 18/2. Williams was taken with Buffalo’s second-round pick in April’s draft at No. 34 overall. Buffalo’s first four picks in the draft were all defenders. Williams was stellar pass defender at Texas but also can rush the quarterback. Just ask former Oklahoma star and Heisman winner Sam Bradford. Two years ago during the annual Red River Shootout against the Sooners, Williams' blitz from the right corner in the first quarter of Texas' 16-13 victory proved to be the move that knocked Bradford out of the game and ended his college career.

Williams (6-foot, 205 pounds), who was a two-year starter at Texas, appeared in 37 games and led the Longhorns in pass breakups with 13 in 2010. He also had six forced fumbles in his career but only four interceptions. After playing mostly outside on the boundary in 2009, Williams saw most of his work in the slot in 2010. GM Buddy Nix said that versatility as an asset. The Bills GM said Williams will begin his career at cornerback with the Bills with safety a possible option down the line. Williams says cornerback is his best position. He is experienced at covering big quality receivers, having played against the likes of Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant and Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree.

Bet on 2011 NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

The Green Bay Packers haven’t had an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year since 1972 when running back John Brockington won the award. Could former Kentucky receiver/return man Randall Cobb make the Super Bowl champs even stronger by winning the award in 2011? Cobb is 20/1 to win the award on Bodog’s NFL odds.

The Packers used their second-round pick in April’s draft, No. 64 overall on Cobb. You might be wondering why a team with three very good receivers in Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and James Jones would take another receiver with such a high pick. Well, Driver is 36 years old and Jones might be a free agent. Plus the Packers run plenty of four- and five-man receiver sets, so Cobb, who also played some running back at Kentucky, could get on the field right away. The one downside is Cobb is only about 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, which is small for an NFL receiver. But Jennings is only about an inch and 10 pounds bigger.

Last season, Cobb averaged 7.7 yards per carry in the running game (55 carries for 424 yards) and also caught 84 passes for 1,017 yards. He finished with 2,396 all-purpose yards — 1,441 yards (12 touchdowns) from scrimmage and another 955 yards (one touchdown) on punt and kickoff returns. Those all-purpose yards were an SEC record. Cobb’s 6.5 receptions per game led the SEC and he threw for three touchdowns in limited attempts at quarterback. Cobb returned two punts for touchdowns in his career and averaged 24.6 yards on kickoff returns. It’s probably on the return game where Cobb will really contribute as a rookie as that was arguably Green Bay’s biggest weakness last season.

Bet on 2011 NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

News says the owners and players are hoping that lockout will end today, Monday.
Let's see what will happen.
Hopefully, we're gonna have football really soon!

Start placing bets on NFL odds pro football is back.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports revealed on his Twitter in the wee hours of Monday morning that both sides have agreed to a new NFL deal. Barring any unexpected, last second surprises votes should come in from the NFLPA side and should sign on the dotted line before the day is out.

Teams can start signing rookies and talking to free agents by Tuesday, but ESPN is reporting that free agency can kick off as soon as Monday afternoon. Get ready to get months of NFL transactions condensed into one crazy night.

According to the proposed timeline, 10 teams would report on Wednesday, 10 more on Thursday and 10 additional teams on Friday. The New York Jets and Houston Texans would be the last two teams to report, on Sunday. There’s just 14 days until pre-season games begin. There will be no Hall of Fame game this year.

A new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement getting done before August was on the rocks just days ago. The owners were able to vote on the player’s proposed deal but supposedly added new wrinkles into the deal that irked the NFLPA. However, owners and players worked all weekend and ironed out any issues both sides may have had.

We suggest those looking to bet on NFL Futures do it now before all the free agent transactions go down and change the odds.

Guess what? Football’s back. Bet on NFL Futures right now in the Bodog Sportsbook. Be a player.

Lets face it Colts fans Peyton Manning is great; but how far will his greatness take Indy? Not too far I am frankly tired of the managments philosophy of going the cheap route and staying away from big free agents. Reggie Wayne is not going to be the big time play maker, I can see him being a hold out at seasons end demanding a trade out, if things go the way its starting to look. Houston is building a team that is designed to beat the colts they are getting better and better. If Houston ends up getting Nnamdi Asomugha, which is rumored. Im afraid thats going to be the nail in the colts coffin. Indi fans we can hope for a Wild card Birth at best, dont count on that with AFC east. And Houston will end up winning the AFC South.

Sometimes people just don’t know when to walk away. Hopefully Brett Favre isn’t one of those.

Of course Favre’s 2010 season with the Minnesota Vikings was a disaster, with Favre ending the season injured on the bench and the Vikings, who were one of the preseason Super Bowl favorites, finishing 6-10 and tied for last in the NFC North.

Favre said this offseason that he had retired for good. But now comes news that the Philadelphia Eagles would like to have Favre as a backup to Michael Vick – the Eagles are expected to trade current backup Kevin Kolb when the NFL officially opens for business on Tuesday. It’s hard to imagine a future Hall of Famer like Favre coming back to back up someone else.

Vick, for what it’s worth, tweeted the following Sunday morning when the news broke that the Eagles were interested in Favre: "I would be honored to have Brett Favre as a backup. That will be amazing learning how to toy with defenses the way he did his whole career."

The post was soon removed from Vick's Twitter account

Favre's agent says talk of his client attempting another NFL comeback is just "speculation." Bus Cook said on Monday morning that Favre hasn't talked to him about any sort of comeback and to his knowledge, Favre "hasn't talked to anybody else about a comeback" either.

The one lure of possibly going to Philly is that Favre is tight with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, two of his former assistant coaches in Green Bay.

Bet on NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

Are you ready for some football? You better be, because fans are about to get a major dose of it because the NFL lockout is officially over. The NFL Players' Association executive committee has voted to accept the labor settlement with the NFL. The vote was unanimous. The deal now goes to the 32 team player representatives for approval, but that’s just a formality.

Trades can be made beginning Tuesday and free-agent signings can be filed with the league office Friday at 6 p.m. ET, according to ESPN. Teams may begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents beginning Tuesday. There will not be an exclusive negotiating period for teams to sign their own free agents. Teams can also sign their own draft picks and undrafted free agents beginning Tuesday. Players will begin arriving at team facilities Tuesday to vote to recertify the NFLPA as a union. Once they do, they can negotiate terms for the league’s drug programs, player discipline fines, workers compensation, etc.

It’s going to be a frenzy unlike anything we have ever seen in American sports.

Training camps will begin Wednesday for 10 teams, Thursday for 10 teams, Friday for another 10 and Sunday for the remaining two (reportedly Jets and Texans), only 15 days before the first preseason game. The Super Bowl champion Packers are set to report on Friday.

Owners overwhelmingly approved a proposal last week, but some unresolved issues still needed to be reviewed to satisfy players; the owners do not need to vote again. The only thing truly lost was the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame game between the Rams and Bears.

So who benefits from this? Certainly teams that return mostly intact, from the field to the front office. Clubs that have new coaching staffs obviously are going to be at a disadvantage as they try to cram in an entire offseason into just a few weeks.

It’s now time to bet on NFL futures at Bodog Sportsbook!

It’s day 2 of the NFL’s return, and though teams can’t sign players until Friday transactions are already going down that will shift NFL odds.

In the NFL betting world quarterback movement will have the biggest impact.

Get your NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook right now!

Seattle Seahawks

News out of Seattle is quarterback is Matt Hasselbeck is gone and the Seahawks have replaced him with Minnesota QB Tavaris Jackson. Word is Jackson has already agreed to a deal in principle and he’ll be the likely starter for week one.

The Seahawks won the NFC West with dicey QB play and the Seahawks believe they can do the same without the help of Hasselbeck. But is Jackson really an improvement? Brett Favre’s former backup could barely get it done with Adrian Peterson in his backfield.

Minnesota Vikings

With Jackson already hitting the road to the Northwest talks of Donovan McNabb-to-Minnesota are heating up. However, according to Profootballtalk-com a deal getting done between the Washington Redskins and Vikings is premature. We don’t buy it. The Redskins are likely attempting to squeeze a higher draft pick from the Vikings before letting their high-priced QB walk.

They should be happy to get anything for the veteran QB considering head coach Mike Shanahan dragged his value into the mud last season.

Arizona Cardinals

We’re surprised Kevin Kolb hasn’t bought property in Arizona yet. It's really hard to see him going anywhere else at this point.

The only reason a Cardinals/Philadelphia Eagles deal hasn’t happened is because the Eagles are tougher at the bargaining table than Donald Trump.

The Eagles have been playing coy with Arizona and other squads in the NFL in an attempt to get their lofty asking price of a first or second rounder for Kolb. What’s worse is they are also asking the Cardinals to give up cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but the Cards aren’t willing to deal.

Philly's shrewd dealings have appeared to have backfired, Seattle immediately jumped out of the Kolb race and the Cardinals are now kicking the tires on Kyle Orton in Denver.

But like we said, we expect an Eagles to Arizona trade to happen. Although nobody knows how Kolb will perform over a full season, a bet on the Cardinals to win the NFC West if the deal goes through won’t be a foolish one.

Check out Part 2 for more QB free agency/trade updates!

Get your NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook right now! Bodog, Be a player

It’s day 2 of the NFL’s return, and though teams can’t sign players until Friday transactions are already going down that could shift NFL odds.

In Part 1 of the QB transactions we talked about Seattle, Minnesota and Arizona. Here's Part 2 of all the big QB moves likely to go down.

Get your NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook right now!

Tennessee Titans

The consensus from NFL media is that Matt Hasselbeck is headed to Tennessee. But NFL analyst Steve Young cast some doubt on the Tennessee talk with the possibility of the veteran ending up with the San Francisco 49ers. But considering the 49ers just wasted $5 million on QB Alex Smith we think that ship has sailed.

Hasselbeck makes too much sense in Tennessee: He helped mentor the Titans recent draft pick in college, former Washington QB Jake Locker, and has ties to management. Plus, the Titans are ready to dish out some money to land him. A rarity with Tennessee.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have arguably the most talented QB in the trade/free agent market, unfortunately they refuse to trade him.

Carson Palmer threatened retirement if the Bengals didn’t trade him before the 2011-12 season, and the Bengals have responded responded by “wishing him well” with his retirement.

That’s right, rather than get a high draft pick or player to help their team they’ve decided to call his bluff on principle. In his press conference with the media Tuesday owner Mike Brown said the team is ready to move on without him, but will not trade or waive him.

"Carson signed a contract. He made a commitment,” Brown said. “We expected him to perform here. We relied on his commitment. He's going to walk away from his commitment. We aren't going to reward him for doing it.”

This is why the Bengals have struggled for so long. Stick to principle with Palmer and Chad Ochocinco, but sign has-beens with no principles like Adam “Pacman” Jones.

ESPN Insider said Cincinnati is in talks with former Raider QB Bruce Gradkowski, if he doesn’t work out second-round rookie Andy Dalton will likely be starting Week 1.

Get your NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook right now! Bodog, Be a player.

Listed as just 25-1 to win the 2012 Super Bowl in most sportsbooks, the Miami Dolphins are doing their best to raise their chances via trade and free agency before Week 1.

Miami is already rumored to be heavily involved in a trade for quarterback Kyle Orton, but also made a move nobody expected and grabbed Super Bowl champion and former USC superstar Reggie Bush according to Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer.

Bet on NFL Futures in the Bodog Sportsbook. Be a player!

The deal is contingent on Bush signing a new — and likely lower — contract with Miami. But this has to go through, who can resist South Beach? No players or picks on the Dolphins side of this trade have been revealed.

With an injury prone Ronnie Brown and an aging Ricky Williams at RB, the once powerful Miami ground attack was beginning to grow stale. Bush brings the kind of big play ability the Dolphins have been looking for. He only played eight games last year, but was a deadly dual threat runner during the Saints’ 2009 Super Bowl run.

If Miami is able to secure Orton as well this could put them heavily in the mix in the AFC East. Miami has to face Super Bowl contenders New England and the New York Jets twice per year, the addition of a proven QB in Orton and a healthy Bush could shock teams and oddsmakers. Head Coach Tony Sporano was able to push the offensively stagnant Dolphins to a solid 8-8 record against the spread (ATS) last season.

Find the updated NFL Futures after these huge deals in the Bodog Sportsbook. Be a player!

The Seattle Seahawks already shifted NFL futures by grabbing Minnesota’s quarterback, now they’ve picked up its top receiver.

The Seahawks added 2009 pro bowler Sidney Rice Wednesday for four years with $41 million and $18.5 million guaranteed in a move that is till pending a physical.

Bet on NFL Futures at Bodog! Be a player.

It makes sense for Seattle to be adding Vikings. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has already joined the team and naturally he’s brought in players that are familiar with his playbook: QB Tavaris Jackson and now his top target Rice.

Though the loss of Matt Hasselbeck to Tennessee have caused the Seahawks’ NFL odds to win the 2012 Super Bowl to drop all the way to 75-1, with Jackson and Rice on the squad odds to win the division could still be in their favor.

Hasselbeck played 14 games and only threw 14 touchdowns in 2010 and was still able to get Seattle to the playoffs because of the weakness of the NFC West. Seattle doesn’t need much to repeat as division champions.

However, we’re not sure if Jackson is capable of upsetting the New Orleans Saints with 272 passing yards and four touchdowns as he did in the NFC Wild Card.

Seattle is at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 11. NFL odds on the game are still not available

Bet on NFL Futures in the Bodog Sportsbook. Be a player!

You won’t find NFL odds that saw this coming.

The New England Patriots have done the unfathomable and acquired wide receiver Chad Ochocinco via trade from the Cincinnati Bengals after he accepted a restructured three-year contract.

Bet on NFL Futures in the Bodog Sportsbook. Be a player.

ESPN Insider Adam Schefter said via Twitter that New England gave up a late 2012 pick and 2013 pick, no word on what the numbers are on his new contract.

"God is good," Ochocinco said on his Twitter page after the news was revealed.

We would say this move could have a big betting impact on the Patriots, however, their odds — currently at 7-1 to win Super Bowl XLVI — are already tied with the Green Bay Packers as the highest in the Bodog Sportsbook. If QB Tom Brady can help Ochocinco’s career the same way he helped rejuvenate Randy Moss’, we could be in for another 2007-08 Patriots season where they began an uncanny 8-0 against the spread (ATS).

Ochocinco caught 67 passes for 831 yards with four touchdowns last season, just the second time since his rookie season he finished under 1,000 yards receiving. The Pats also grabbed underachieving and underpaid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth from the Washington Redskins. It’s apparent New England coach Bill Belichick believes he can get these two controversial players to play the “Patriot Way”.

As for the Bengals, they are officially back to the “Bungles”. QB Carson Palmer is retired according to owner Mike Brown, and the team’s top receiver is gone. They recently brought in vet QB Bruce Gradkowski to compete with second-round pick Andy Dalton, and have a new star receiver in A.J. Green whom they drafted fourth overall. Their future is promising, but their present is horrifying. The Bengals' odds are 80-1 to win the 2012 Super Bowl and they could get worse. They went 7-9 ATS last year — not bad for a struggling franchise — we’d have a hard time touching them as a wager Week 1 and beyond.

Bet on NFL Futures right now in the Bodog Sportsbook! Be a player!

The New York Giants franchise, long known for defensive prowess, hasn’t had an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year since some guy named Lawrence Taylor won the only rookie award in team history back in 1981. Could 2011 second-round pick Marvin Austin, a defensive tackle from North Carolina, be named top rookie in 2011? He is 20/1 on Bodog’s NFL odds to win it this season.

Austin was considered a first-round talent but was available at New York’s 52nd overall pick because of some character concerns. Austin was expected to be one of the top defensive players in college football last year for the Heels but was suspended for all of last season because of a violation of team rules as well as improper contact with agents. That came after he was cited for a misdemeanor noise ordinance violation, a driving without registration citation, a citation for improper window tinting and a two-game suspension in 2009 for arriving late to class.

As a sophomore, Austin started 11 games at right tackle. He ranked ninth on the team with 38 tackles (21 solos), but just one sack. Austin then earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors while starting 11 games in 2009. He totaled 42 tackles (22 solos), 10-best on the team. He did match his career-highs with four sacks and six stops behind the line of scrimmage, adding six QB pressures.

The Giants felt they needed a defensive tackle in case Barry Cofield leaves. But the team selected another defensive tackle, Linval Joseph, with their second-round pick in last year’s draft. The Giants’ rationale in taking Austin was the same as it was in their selection of first-round pick Prince Amukamara, a cornerback from Nebraska — favoring talent above needs. In Austin (6-foot-2, 312 pounds), the Giants believe they got a player that would have been drafted in the top 15 if not for the off-the-field issues.

Bet on 2011 NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

The Cleveland Browns have had only one NFL Rookie of the Year in their history: linebacker Chip Banks in 1982. Could 2011 first-round pick Phil Taylor become the second Defensive Rookie of the Year in franchise history? Taylor is 25/1 to win the award on Bodog’s NFL odds.

The Browns were one of the big movers and shakers in the first round of April’s draft. First they swapped the sixth pick in the first round to the Atlanta Falcons, who used it on Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. Cleveland got a huge haul from Atlanta: their first-, second-, and fourth-round selections in 2001 and first- and fourth-round picks in 2012. But then with defensive linemen flying off the board, the Browns sent the Kansas City Chiefs the 27th overall pick acquired from Atlanta and the Browns' third-round selection, No. 70 overall, for the 21st spot. And that’s where Cleveland drafted Taylor, a defensive tackle from Baylor.

Taylor registered 107 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception in his collegiate career. During that time, Taylor gained experience as both a strong-side defensive tackle (nine starts) and nose guard (13 starts). While at Baylor, Taylor earned second-team All-Big 12 Conference honors as a senior. Taylor is listed at 6-foot-3, 337 pounds. At Baylor, he played in the 4-3 defense. So the new 4-3 being installed by Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron should be comfortable for him. Taylor will line up on either side of Ahtyba Rubin, giving the Browns' new, four-man front a potentially formidable interior on running downs. But Taylor may come out on passing downs considering he had only 2 1/2 sacks in two seasons at Baylor (he started his college career at Penn State).

Bet on 2011 NFL futures now at Bodog Sportsbook!

The Philadelphia Eagles really are becoming the NFL’s version of the star-studded Miami Heat as the Eagles added yet another former Pro Bowler via free agency on Tuesday in ex-Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown.

Brown has lost a step at age 29, but the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft still is a good receiver out of the backfield, an excellent blocker and can even play some quarterback if/when the Eagles want to run the Wildcat. Brown rushed for 4,815 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 184 passes for 1,491 yards with Miami. He ran for 1,000 yards in 2006 and made his only Pro Bowl team in 2008. Last season, Brown averaged a career-low 3.67 yards per carry, rushing 200 times for 734 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 33 receptions. He won’t be the featured back in Philly but is a nice complement to the starter, LeSean McCoy. Before adding Brown, the Eagles’ only other experienced running back was Eldra Buckley, who has just 36 carries in two years with the Eagles. The team drafted Dion Lewis out of Pittsburgh back in April.

The biggest knock on Brown is his susceptibility to injury; he's missed 16 games since 2007 but did play all 16 in 2010. That Eagles offense should be tremendous with Brown joining McCoy, Michael Vick and WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Brown is the latest in a flurry of moves which have brought CBs Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Cromartie came via trade) DE Jas0n Babin, DT Cullen Jenkins and QB Vince Young to Philadelphia, which last won an NFL title in 1960. All these additions have jumped the Eagles to the third-favorites on Bodog’s NFL futures at 8/1 to win Super Bowl XLVI.

Bet on the NFL now at Bodog Sportsbook!