Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Sexy. And Gisele Bundchen ain't too bad, either.

Tom Brady threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday in the Patriots' 49-21 victory over the Buffalo Bills to secure home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Brady finished the regular season with 5,235 passing yards, good for second most in NFL history behind Drew Brees' 2011 total of 5,486. After a first-round bye, Brady and the Patriots will face the winner of the Texans-Bengals game; his chances of getting another Super Bowl ring currently stand at 4/1 according to Vegas.

Honorable Mention: Jay Feely hit another game winning field goal as the Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 23-20, in overtime. Feely had a rough start to the season, going 6-for-11 on field goal attempts before getting on track and finishing 19-for-24 (79.2%).

Miscellaneous: Ryan Mundy will step in as the starting free safety and LaMarr Woodly will likely return to the starting lineup when the Steelers visit Denver during Sunday's wild-card game. Jake Long and Steve Hutchinson were placed on the Injured Reserve. New Jaguar Morgan Trent picked off a pass for the second straight week.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Jeff Backus

Jeff Backus [illegally] kicks some Jared Allen ass

Left tackle Jeff Backus has started every Detroit Lions' game since the team drafted him with the 18th overall pick in 2001. That's eleven straight years and 175 consecutive games without missing a start, good for the longest streak in franchise history. All has not been sunny for Backus, however, as the Lions have been the laughing stock of the NFL over that time, with fans repeatedly calling for him to be replaced. I'm uncertain as to why Backus developed into everyone's favorite scapegoat for the Lions' woes, but it's nice to see this former Michigan athlete finally get a reprieve from ugly losses and fan criticisms.

Against the Chargers on Christmas Eve, the Lions clinched their first playoff birth since 1999 and Backus played well: he didn't give up a single sack and paved the way for two third down conversions on third and short. "Detroit Lions offensive tackle Jeff Backus dominant against the San Diego Chargers," read an Mlive headline after the game while Pro Football Focus wrote,"Jeff Backus has really put together some nice performances as of late. In the last five games, he has graded out as an 8.7 while only allowing one quarterback sack and one quarterback hit." After a challenging eleven year start to his NFL career, hopefully this is the sign of better things to come for Backus and his Lions.

Honorable Mention: Brady again threw for 300 + yards last week as he lead the Patriots to their 12th victory of the season by overcoming a 17 point first half deficit to defeat the Dolphins, 27-24. Although on pace for much of the year, Tom Brady won't beak Dan Marino's 1984 single-season passing record of 5,084 yards because Drew Brees beat him to it, breaking the record on Monday Night Football. But with only 190 yards separating Brady and Brees, it's still possible for Brady to end this season with the record. Saints coach Sean Payton has a history of resting his starters in the second half of the final regular season game and may do so again with the Division already sewn up and nothing to gain if the 49ers take care of the lowly Rams as is expected.

Miscellaneous: Braylon Edwards caught a nine yard pass on Sunday but was cut by the 49ers after the game. Morgan Trent, now with Jacksonville, recorded his second career interception last week to go along with four tackles. Jake Long returned from his biceps injury against the Patriots but left the game after re-aggravating it. Martell Webb was cut from Tampa Bay's practice squad. Jake Long, Tom Brady and Charles Woodson were named starters for the 2012 Pro Bowl.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Leon Hall

Former Michigan Wolverine and first-round draft pick, Leon Hall, starts at cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals. Shockingly, they have the NFL's number 2 ranked defense, giving up only 278 YPG. That's second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers and just in front of the Baltimore Ravens. On Sunday, Hall recorded 5 tackles, two pass deflections and a nice-looking interception in a 27-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Hall's interception came with only 2:36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, taking away any hopes of a Colts comeback. The interception was the first of the season for the Bengals' defense and the 19th of Hall's relatively young career. Fellow ex-Wolverine CB, Morgan Trent, also saw playing time as a member of the Bengals' dominating defense of doom on Sunday, but he did not register on the stat sheet. Cincinnati holds a 4-2 record heading into their bye week.

Honorable Mention: The Houston Texans lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday by a score of 29-14, but Texans defensive lineman Tim Jamison lit up the stat sheet on a single play when he "strip-sacked" Joe Flacco and then recovered the fumble. Watch video of the play here. He had two tackles, two TFLs, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the day.

2004 Offer Board

74 total offers

QUARTERBACK (3)
Chad Henne - West Lawn, PA (Michigan)
Blake Barnes - Baldwyn, MS (Georgia)
Rhett Bomar - Grand Prairie, TX (Oklahoma)

RUNNING BACK (11)
Roger Allison - Lake Orion, MI (Michigan)
Mike Hart - Syracuse, NY (Michigan)
Max Martin - Madison, AL (Michigan)
Greg Coleman - Iowa City, IA (Iowa State)
Derron Thomas - Reserve, LA (Miami)
Bobby Washington - Miami, FL (Miami)
Tony Temple - Kansas City, MO (Missouri)
Erik Haw - Columbus, OH (Ohio State)
Ja'Kouri Williams - Plaquemine, LA (Tennessee)
George Bell - Fayetteville, NC (Virginia Tech)
Purnell Sturdivant - Norfolk, VA (Virginia Tech)

WIDE RECEIVER (11)
Adrian Arrington - Cedar Rapids, IA (Michigan)
Keston Cheatham - Pomona, CA (Michigan)
Doug Dutch - Washington, DC (Michigan)
Morgan Trent - Orchard Lake, MI (Michigan)
Lonnell Dewalt - Bowling Green, KY (Kentucky)
Ted Ginn, Jr. - Cleveland, OH (Ohio State)
Cameron Colvin - Concord, CA (Oregon)
Jaison Williams - Culver City, CA (Oregon)
Desmond Tardy - Indianapolis, IN (Purdue)
Chris Ogbonnaya - Houston, TX (Texas)
Ryan Graves - Venice, CA (UCLA)

TIGHT END (4)
Mike Massey - Cleveland, OH (Michigan)
Kellen Freeman-Davis - Adrian, MI (Michigan State)
Dale Thompson - Corona, CA (USC)
Brad Allen - Venice, FL (Vanderbilt)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (6)
Micah Jones - Mayfield, KY (Kentucky)
Kellen Heard - Wharton, TX (Miami)
Kyle Mitchum - Erie, PA (Ohio State)
Steve Rehring - West Chester, OH (Ohio State)
Gerald Cadogan - Portsmouth, OH (Penn State)
Chilo Rachal - Compton, CA (USC)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (8)
Jeremy Ciulla - Kennesaw, GA (Michigan)
Grant DeBenedictis - Boca Raton, FL (Michigan)
Brett Gallimore - Riverside, MO (Michigan)
Alex Mitchell - Bay City, MI (Michigan)
Dumaka Atkins - Sarasota, FL (Florida State)
Greg Harrison - Shenandoah, PA (Penn State)
Josh Winchell - Southaven, MS (South Carolina)
Thomas Herring - Los Angeles, CA (USC)

CENTER (0)

DEFENSIVE END (8)
Eugene Germany - Pomona, CA (Michigan)
Tim Jamison - Harvey, IL (Michigan)
Charles Alexander - Breaux Bridge, LA (LSU)
Calais Campbell - Denver, CO (Miami)
Dion Gales - LaPlace, LA (Mississippi)
Vernon Gholston - Detroit, MI (Ohio State)
Ryan Baker - Indianapolis, IN (Purdue)
Jeff Schweiger, Jr. - San Jose, CA (USC)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (9)
Alan Branch - Albuquerque, NM (Michigan)
Will Johnson - Lake Orion, MI (Michigan)
Marques Walton - Chicago, IL (Michigan)
Dwayne Hendricks - Millville, NJ (Miami)
Corey Mills - Memphis, TN (Mississippi)
A.Q. Shipley - Coraopolis, PA (Penn State)
Craig Bokor - Aliquippa, PA (Pittsburgh)
Williams Morrisey - Silsbee, TX (Texas A&M)
Nick Hayden - Hartland, WI (Wisconsin)

LINEBACKER (5)
Chris Graham - Indianapolis, IN (Michigan)
Chris Rogers - Wexford, PA (Michigan)
John Thompson - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Marcus Freeman - Huber Heights, OH (Ohio State)
Dan Connor - Wallingford, PA (Penn State)

CORNERBACK (2)
Charles Stewart - Farmington Hills, MI (Michigan)
Rod Council - Charlotte, NC (Louisville)

SAFETY (5)
Jamar Adams - Charlotte, NC (Michigan)
Kyle Jackson - Neptune Beach, FL (Florida)
Craig Steltz - New Orleans, LA (LSU)
Devon Lyons - Pittsburgh, PA (Ohio State)
Sirjo Welch - Columbus, OH (Ohio State)

KICKER (2)
David Lonie - Iowa Falls, IA (California)
Dave Brytus - Imperial, PA (Purdue)

The All-Rodriguez Team: Defense and Special Teams

Brandon Graham probably just killed a man

This is the second installment of the All-Rodriguez Team (offense here), the brightest and best of the players coached by Rich Rodriguez and his bumbling henchmen defensive colleagues.

And I'm choosing players for a 4-3, not that moronic 3-3-5* they tried to shoehorn in there.

DE: Brandon Graham (2009)
64 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Graham was the single most dominant defensive player during Rodriguez's tenure.  He put up ridiculous numbers for a bad defense, even though he was double-teamed frequently.  And the best thing about Graham was the way his motor improved throughout his career.  He ate his way into playing defensive tackle as a freshman, but by his senior year in 2009, he never stopped going 100%.  That year turned him into a first round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles.

DT: Mike Martin (2009)
51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Martin seemed like a better player at the beginning of 2010 than in his sophomore year, but a couple sprained ankles slowed him down as a junior.  Even as a crippled junior, though, he would have deserved to be on this team.  Undersized for a nose tackle at 299 lbs., he still defeated double-teams on the regular.

DT: Ryan Van Bergen (2009)
38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown
Van Bergen's production in 2010 was virtually the same as 2009, but technically, all thirteen games he started in 2010 were at the defensive end position.  I need a tackle, and he's my man.  He's another high-motor guy who played well at DT despite having the body of a strongside end.  I was tempted to choose Terrance Taylor here based on overall talent, but Taylor really didn't produce much in his only season under Rodriguez (2008: 35 tackles, 1.5 sacks).

DE: Tim Jamison (2008)
50 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Jamison didn't really stand out in 2008, but I think Michigan fans were shell-shocked by how bad the team was overall.  And while Jamison wasn't a huge difference maker, he would have fit in just as well on a good defense, too.

LB: Steve Brown (2009)
80 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble
I don't know if Brown was miscast as a safety or if he was just coached poorly in his first three years, but he took a quantum leap as a senior when he was moved to the SAM linebacker position.  Brown never came off the field, playing linebacker on a first and second downs and then becoming the nickel back on third downs.  Brown's position change was perhaps the best personnel move of Rodriguez's tenure, and Brown parlayed it into being a late draft pick by the Oakland Raiders.

LB: Kenny Demens (2010)
82 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup
I will be the first to admit that I was not enamored with Demens during his first couple years, but he made me a believer in the second half of the season.  He only started seven games after backing up Obi Ezeh for the first half of the year, but he still ended up third on the team in tackles.  I still think Demens makes some poor decisions due to being overaggressive in attacking the line of scrimmage, but that's probably better than whatever Ezeh did from 2008-10.

LB: Jonas Mouton (2010)
117 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries
Based on statistics alone, Mouton was borderline First Team All-Big Ten.  He averaged 9.8 tackles a game (which was .9 more than teammate Jordan Kovacs and 1.1 more than the next best Big Ten player, Indiana's Tyler Replogle) and led the conference in tackles, despite playing in only twelve of Michigan's thirteen contests.  But players on bad defenses don't get much respect, especially when they make some inexplicably bad plays (see the long TD run by Illinois's Jason Ford).  With a solid supporting cast, I think Mouton's play would have stood out more.

CB: Donovan Warren (2009)
66 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 1 touchdown
Warren thought his junior season would propel him to NFL stardom, but just like Ernest Shazor, he left early and didn't even get drafted.  Four interceptions isn't too shabby, and it helps that one (vs. Iowa) went for a touchdown and another (vs. Indiana) was a fantastic diving interception that preserved a victory for the Wolverines.

CB: Morgan Trent (2008)
41 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups
Michigan fans will hate me for this, but Trent beats out James Rogers.  This just shows how poor Michigan's defense was over the past three years, because everybody's whipping boy was the second-best cornerback.  The thing that bugged me about criticism of Trent was that he took a lot of heat on message boards for playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, but that was clearly a coaching decision.  I think Michigan fans realized this by 2010, and if Trent had played for Michigan a year or two later, he might not have drawn as much ire.  Trent wasn't the most agile corner, but he did have good speed and was a better tackler than many gave him credit for.  All that being said, I would actually like to put Troy Woolfolk here, but I need a free safety.

FS: Troy Woolfolk (2009)
46 tackles, 1 pass breakup
Woolfolk could fit on this team at cornerback or safety, but Michigan's horrible defense was horribler once Woolfolk moved to corner for the second half of the year.  The Wolverines gave up 23 points per game with him at safety, an average that ballooned to 37 points per game (not counting FCS soup can Delaware State) once he switched to cornerback.  His statistics aren't great, but stats don't tell the whole story.  He was a consistent presence, a solid tackler, and had the speed to prevent some big plays.

SS: Jordan Kovacs (2010)
116 tackles, 2 interceptions, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
For two years, I've been hoping that someone more athletic would take Kovacs's job.  But I've got to give credit where credit is due - Kovacs has been the best guy so far.  He rarely gets out of position, and I didn't see a more dependable open field tackler on the team.  His 116 tackles (second only to Jonas Mouton in the Big Ten) speak for themselves, but he fills up the stat sheet in other ways, too.  You can't help but love the guy.


P: Will Hagerup (2010)
33 punts, 1440 yards, 43.6 yards per punt, 11 punts inside the twenty
This was the most difficult choice of the entire All-Rodriguez team, a head-to-head matchup between Hagerup and Zoltan Mesko 2009.  Mesko averaged 44.5 yards per punt in 2009, but fully one-third of Hagerup's punts were downed inside the twenty yard line (only 28% of Mesko's were downed inside the twenty).  If you have a good offense (which this squad does), then you want a guy who can pin the opposing team deep.  It doesn't matter if you can boom a punt when your offense moves the ball down the field before having to give it up.  But if you do need a long punt, Hagerup has a 72-yarder to his credit.  Both players would be good choices, though.

K: Jason Olesnavage (2009)
11-for-15 on field goals (73.3%), 42-for-43 on extra points (97.7%)
Special teams weren't a strength under Rodriguez, but Olesnavage was pretty solid.  Along with being nearly perfect on extra points, he was 9-for-10 on field goals longer than 30 yards (only 2-for-5 from 29 yards in).

PR: Martavious Odoms (2008)
10 returns, 126 yards, 12.6 yards per return, 1 touchdown
Do I have to choose?  Seriously, this is painful.  Punt returns have been atrocious since 2008.  Odoms is really the only choice, even though he seemed to muff a punt every other game.  That's not an exaggeration, either.  I wish it was.  I can either choose Odoms (who did have an exciting 73-yard touchdown against Purdue), or a handful of guys who averaged somewhere around two or four yards a return (Donovan Warren, Greg Mathews, Jeremy Gallon).  I would like to choose Drew Dileo, who looks like the best returner for the near future, but he only had 2 returns for 13 yards in 2010.

KR: Darryl Stonum (2009)
39 returns, 1001 yards, 25.7 yards per return, 1 touchdown
Partially due to the defense giving up a ton of points, Stonum had the most kickoff return yards in any season in Michigan history.  He beat Steve Breaston (2004: 28 returns for 689 yards) by 312 yards.  His 94-yard touchdown return against Notre Dame was one of the most exciting plays of the year.


*For clarification purposes, the 3-3-5 itself is not a moronic concept.  It can work, just not when your personnel is more suited for a 4-man front and your defensive coordinator is clueless about how to run it.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Steve Breaston

Steve Breaston had been injured for several weeks, but he returned on Sunday for the Arizona Cardinals' 38-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He caught 8 passes for 147 yards.

Honorable mention: Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Morgan Trent made 9 tackles, 2 assists, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup in a 22-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Leon Hall

Cornerback Leon Hall now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals

Leon Hall, currently of the Bengals, had 5 tackles, 1 quarterback hurry, 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups in Sunday's 20-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers.  The Panthers were quarterbacked by former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Honorable mention: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne completed 26/44 passes for 363 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a Sunday night loss against the Jets.

Dishonorable mention: Braylon Edwards got arrested for DWI last week in New York.  His punishment from the team?  He had to sit in the corner and think about what he'd done for the first 15 minutes of Sunday night's game.  Then he was allowed to go out and catch 2 passes for 87 yards and 1 touchdown to help the Jets beat the Dolphins.  Rex Ryan said that Edwards suffered enough by "being embarrassed" and would endure no further punishment from the team.  In other news, Rex Ryan is a joke.  Furthermore, I have yet to hear Michigan fans attack Edwards with the same amount of hatred as they have shown for Morgan Trent.  Trent would have been much better off to drive around drunk and endanger a bunch of people's lives than to badmouth Rich Rodriguez.

Brandon Graham: Infallible Superhero

Recently, outgoing Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham was asked about Rich Rodriguez. He said:

After the season, we said that, ‘you can’t be up for so long, eventually you have to pay taxes,’ ” Graham said on Saturday. “That’s how we look at it until we get it back up. That’s what we’re going to do. I hope them boys get right next year. Because coach (Rich Rodriguez has) only got one more year — if they don’t do (anything). Because of the allegations, and then, if you have a bad year, then you’ve got to get someone new.

Last week I wrote a post about Morgan Trent making similar comments about Rodriguez's tenure at Michigan. Trent said:

I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that. Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment.

Representative of the Michigan online community, MGoBlog responded to Brandon Graham's statements with, "[These comments] don't say anything about Rodriguez, really. They say something about the guy offering the quote. Brandon Graham, as per usual, is win."

Compare this to MGoBlog's statement that, "The obvious contrast is with Morgan Trent, who sold out the program in a statement. He's just talking out of his ass because he dislikes RR, and I hereby excommunicate him."

My intention here is not to accost Brian, MGoBlog's originator. But since he's a knowledgeable Michigan fan, and someone other Michigan fans look to for leadership, his sentiments are echoed by many fans. These two statements are remarkably similar; the only significant difference lies within Trent's opening statement that "I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken." And since the allegations told us all "what happened" and "what kind of rules were broken," I don't see how Trent's re-statement of public knowledge could possibly be damning.

My intention here is also not to attack Brandon Graham. What he said is probably accurate - this very well could be a do-or-die year for Rodriguez at Michigan. But the disparate reactions to each player's statement lie not in what was said, but who said it. As a likely first round draft pick this year, Graham has been afforded more leeway. He is our hero, so he can say anything he wants. Trent, on the other hand, had an up-and-down career and didn't get picked up until the sixth round of the 2009 draft; therefore, Michigan fans felt compelled to denigrate him in various uncouth ways.

This is nothing new. Talented and respected people get more slack. This is why Hollywood actors never serve time for domestic abuse or drug possession. It's why it was such a huge deal that New York mayor Michael Bloomberg *gasp* wanted criminal mastermind Plaxico Burress prosecuted to the full extent of the law for possessing a weapon illegally. In many instances, someone like Burress would get slapped on his left wrist while signing an autograph for the judge with his right hand.

But let's call a spade a spade - either Graham and Trent were wrong to say what they did, or neither statement was a big deal. I don't have a problem with either statement.

In Defense of Morgan Trent

Former Michigan cornerback Morgan Trent (#25):

former team captain, 6th round draft pick, enemy of the state

On the heels of reports from the Detroit Free Press, the NCAA launched an investigation into alleged infractions by Rich Rodriguez and his staff at the University of Michigan. On Monday night, the NCAA's allegations were made known to university administrators. On Tuesday afternoon, the university held a press conference, at which both head coach Rich Rodriguez and soon-to-be athletic director David Brandon admitted making past mistakes. Also on Tuesday afternoon, former Michigan cornerback Morgan Trent was interviewed by the Detroit News and said the following:

"I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that.

"Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment."

These comments immediately set off a firestorm in the Michigan blogosphere. In various places, I found quotes like "Morgan Trent is a piece of shit" (MGoBlog's message board), "While you're talking to the press Morgan, how bout telling us how Dwayne Jarrett's ass tastes?" (Genuinely Sarcastic), and "[Morgan's] father should have done us all a favor and pulled out. Or worn a rubber. Or punched your mother in the stomach" (a blog aptly named The Toolshed). Meanwhile, Trent was a sixth round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals and locked down their nickel cornerback job, making 28 tackles, 1 sack, and 4 pass breakups in his 2009 rookie season. If he's "truly horrible at football" (another MGoBlog message board post), then put me down as somebody who wants to be truly horrible at football, too.

As I was reading these comments - and responding to some - I couldn't help but feel disappointed in Michigan's fan base. Not only are the allegations perhaps the biggest letdown of the Rodriguez era, but Wolverine fans came out of the woodwork to denigrate and attempt to discredit Trent by insulting his body of work at Michigan.

To briefly recap Trent's career at Michigan, he was recruited in 2004 out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's as a wide receiver. He switched to cornerback during bowl practices of his freshman year, during which he redshirted, and played sparingly as a redshirt freshman. He became a starter opposite Leon Hall in the 2006 season, taking part in an embarrassing Rose Bowl loss to USC and The Horror against Appalachian State in 2007. In Rodriguez's first season at Michigan, 2008, Trent started the entire year at cornerback, but his solid - although not spectacular - play took a step back in the one-year experiment where cornerbacks coach/defensive coordinator Scott Shafer installed a failure of a defense, was neutered mid-season in favor of the 3-3-5 stack, and was promptly fired at the end of the season. It's not a coincidence that Trent's season as a fifth-year senior was a disappointment - he was undone by poor coaching and a poor scheme. Despite the poor coaching, he was named one of four team captains at the end of the season.

Trent finished his career as a 41-game starter, tallying 149 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 24 passes defensed. In addition, he did things like this (fast forward to 3:35) and this:



Now, should Morgan Trent have said the things he did? Probably not. Trent really added nothing that people didn't already know, and if he thought about it, he surely would have known that such comments wouldn't help Michigan's precarious position in the local and national media.

But he spoke the truth.

I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. Trent played at Michigan during the 2008 season, when some of these allegations took place. He was there. He saw it. Even if he didn't know at the time that rules were being broken, he's an insider - he knows more than any fan could. He might remember grad assistant Alex Herron showing up to 7-on-7s. He might remember practices going for an extra 20 minutes.

I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that. An infraction is an infraction is an infraction. You can't go back and change history, no matter how much you want to do so.

Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. That's true. It's not. Michigan is 8-16 over the past two years and they're on the verge of "major infractions" (the NCAA's words, not mine).

I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen at Michigan. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. This is a common sentiment amongst Michigan fans, media, and - let's face it - people within the program. Nobody knows how long Rodriguez has to right the ship. Some think that another losing season would get him fired. Some think he should get at least four years. I'm sure incoming athletic director David Brandon ponders the same question; he's been publicly supportive of Rodriguez, but he knows that Michigan can't endure infractions and losing seasons forever.

To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment. Does anybody want to argue that losing to MSU, Illinois, and Purdue wasn't embarrassing? How about the 45-24 loss to Wisconsin?

All the ire directed at Trent is a defense mechanism. After decades of admiring Bo Schembechler and his disciples, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr, Michigan fans cannot bring themselves to criticize the people who are truly to blame for what is happening right now at the University of Michigan - Rich Rodriguez and his staff.

A poster on MGoBlog said something to the effect that it makes him angry that "Haters are bringing down my Camelot." Yes, the Free Press did some digging - much of it unethical - and jump-started the investigation. But the crux of the issue is that Rich Rodriguez broke the rules. He overscheduled practice times. His staff watched off-season 7-on-7s when they shouldn't have. His staff punished players who skipped class. All of those things went against the rules that were put in place by the NCAA.

I'm not calling for Rodriguez to be fired. Far from it. Firing Rodriguez at this point would set the program even further back than it is. Barring any further infractions, he needs to keep his job through the 2010 season, and probably even 2011. But the tenuous hold he has on his job isn't entirely due to outside forces. From the onset of his Michigan career, he was put in a tough position with the roster and personnel and media working against him, but this attack from the NCAA and the media falls squarely on his shoulders.

Michigan fans, your anger is misplaced. Be angry at the Detroit Free Press for the unethical ways they tricked young football players into answering their slick questions last summer. Be angry at the NCAA for having rules that student-athletes shouldn't be punished for skipping classes. Be angry at Rich Rodriguez for letting things get out of control. Cancel your subscriptions, send letters, send e-mails. Let's not lose perspective of who's actually to blame.

Go Blue!

2009 NFL Draft Review: Michigan

One of the reasons I wanted to start a blog was so I could have my predictions and analysis somewhere where I could review them. Predicting how recruits will pan out is a very long process, but predicting the NFL draft is quick and easy. Here's how I did in retrospect...

Morgan Trent
Prediction: 4th round
Where he went: Trent went to the Bengals with the sixth pick in the 6th round. It looks like I overvalued him a little bit. The current Wolverine players have hinted that some of the outgoing players never bought into the new regime, and I've heard rumors that Trent was one of those. Perhaps some NFL teams heard those same rumors and dropped him down a bit for attitude issues. Or maybe nobody thought he was very good.

Terrance Taylor
Prediction: 5th round
Where he went: Taylor went to the Colts with the last pick of the 4th round. While my prediction was off, it was as close to being correct as I could possibly be . . . without actually being correct.

Tim Jamison
Prediction: 7th round
Where he went: Jamison ended up signing as an undrafted free agent (UFA) with the Houston Texans.

Brandon Harrison
Prediction: UFA
Where he went: Harrison signed with the Indianapolis Colts. They already have a 5'9" strong safety in Bob Sanders, but here's a clone. I honestly think Harrison might be able to stick on a team like the Colts. His strength is in playing close to the line of scrimmage, and the Colts defense would potentially give him that opportunity.

Mike Massey
Prediction: UFA
Where he went: Massey signed with the Browns. I'm pretty sure this is nothing more than the Browns saying, "Hey, you're from Cleveland - let's make the hometown fans happy about seeing a local product on the roster!"

Carson Butler
Prediction: UFA
Where he went: Butler went to the Green Bay Packers. They have a history of thuggish tight ends (Mark Chmura liked 16-year-old girls a little too much, for example), but I think Butler's on-field attitude will get him shooed away faster than his off-the-field behavior.

2009 NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Morgan Trent - CB
Morgan Trent came to Michigan as a wide receiver but moved to defensive back during bowl practices of his true freshman season. He played pretty well in 2007 but took a lot of blame for Michigan's defensive woes in 2008. Scouts - and fans - think Trent lacks the fluid hips to be a corner in the NFL. Because of this, I think Trent projects as a free safety at the NFL level. He's a decent tackler who has improved in that area over the last couple years; he doesn't match up well against running backs at times, but he's willing and able to hit receivers. And roaming centerfield doesn't require the same fluidity as cornerback. He could also fit into a defense that plays a lot of zone coverages as a cornerback.
Projection: 4th round

Terrence Taylor - DT
At the end of Taylor's junior season, there were some who thought Taylor could have been a first round pick. I disagreed. It's not often that you see undersized DTs (he's 6'0" and 306 lbs.) go in the first round, so that was overly optimistic. A year later, Taylor looks likely to go in the fourth round or so. He rarely made big plays at Michigan and while he's fairly adept at holding up against double teams, that job gets more difficult in the NFL. He reminds me of William Carr, who was an All-American (Taylor wasn't) and a seventh round draft pick by the Bengals. Still...
Projection: 5th round

Tim Jamison - DE
Michigan fans (including me) kept expecting Jamison to break out in a Wolverine uniform, but he never really did. He mostly played right defensive end and suffered from weight issues early in his career. He measured in at 6'2 1/2" and 256 lbs. before the draft, which is probably a good weight for him. Some suggest that he would make a good outside linebacker in a 3-4, but with his 5.09 time in the forty yard dash, I disagree. I think he's purely a defensive end. He holds up decently against the run, but he's not much of a pass rusher.
Projection: 7th round

Will Johnson - DT
Despite Johnson's eye-popping 47 reps at 225 lbs. on the bench press, he never produced much in college. He's a little stiiff and doesn't do much more than holding his own against double teams. I have a very hard time believing that a team will spend a draft pick on Johnson. He reminds me of Baltimore Ravens nosetackle Kelly Gregg, but Gregg was All-Big 12 for two years. Johnson doesn't hold equivalent accolades. Johnson could stick as a nosetackle, but I doubt it.
Projection: Undrafted

Brandon Harrison - CB/S
Harrison is 5'9", 205 lbs., and fast. Unfortunately, he's never been a great football player. He's a solid tackler but not a big playmaker in the passing game. He played safety as a freshman, slot corner as a sophomore and junior, and strong safety as a senior. He never really found a position. Harrison's best chance is to contribute on special teams and be a backup strong safety, but I doubt he'll hang around in the league.
Projection: Undrafted

Carson Butler - TE
I'm not going to lie - Butler seems like an asshole. He participated in the St. Patrick's Day Nerd Massacre, punched random people on the field, and pissed off the coaches non-stop. I wouldn't want him on my team. But he's 6'5" and runs the forty in the 4.5-4.6 range, so some GM/coach will give him a shot. Once they see him false start/hold/whiff on a block on the same play, they'll send him packing.
Projection: Undrafted

Sean Griffin - LS
Griffin is a very good long snapper and while he probably won't get drafted (long snappers rarely do), I do expect that Griffin will hang around the NFL for a while.
Projection: Undrafted

John Thompson - LB
I don't think anyone ever thought Thompson would be effective in pass coverage, but I didn't expect him to be so bad at tackling, too. He wasn't a horrible tackler, but for someone nicknamed "Machete" I expected a more solid tackler. If Thompson plays in the NFL, I would think it would be as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense; he's too slow to run sideline to sideline like a 4-3 middle linebacker would have to do. However, regardless of the defensive scheme, Thompson very probably isn't an NFLer.
Projection: Undrafted

Mike Massey - TE
Uh . . . no.
Projection: Undrafted

Mike Barwis balloon slightly deflated

Almost more so than the hiring of Rich Rodriguez in December 2007, the arrival of West Virginia's strength and conditioning coach, Mike Barwis, excited Michigan football fanatics. Rumors abounded that Barwis was an ex-cage fighter, owned pet wolves, and drank battery acid protein drinks. The speed of West Virginia's football team and the success of its undersized offensive line had the Michigan faithful believing that Barwis could turn middling recruits into supermen and good recruits into gods and really good recruits into Barry Sanders.

While Michigan looked faster on the field in 2008, Barwis's program obviously didn't translate into victories. And to be fair, experts say that it takes a full year for a new program to really take effect. So while Brandon Minor and Greg Mathews, in particular, seemed to gain a step in 2008, the coming season is perhaps when we will see the results of Barwis's newfangled approach to strength and conditioning.

So with the 2009 NFL Combine wrapping up last week, I thought I'd take a look at Michigan's invitees and see if Barwis deserves the hype.

Terrance Taylor - DT
As a high schooler, Taylor reportedly ran a 4.85 forty-yard dash as a 6', 285 lb. defensive tackle. Considering that many high school times are inflated, let's add one-tenth of a second to that time and call it a 4.95. At 6' and 306 lbs. this past weekend, Taylor ran a 5.24 forty-yard dash. Taylor supposedly benched 185 lbs. a total of 32 times coming out of high school, a max factor of 381 lbs. This weekend Taylor put up 225 lbs. a total of 37 times (max factor: 500), second in the Combine only to Louis Vazquez from Texas Tech.

Tim Jamison - DE
As a high schooler, Jamison's profile suggests he ran a 4.7 forty-yard dash as a 6'3", 240 lb. defensive end. He checked in at the combine as a 6'3", 256 lb. defensive end - and ran a 5.09 forty-yard dash. Even adding the obligatory +.1 to his high school forty time, he apparently got .29 seconds slower as a sprinter in his time at Michigan.

Morgan Trent - CB
Trent is more difficult to judge. In high school he supposedly ran a 4.4 forty-yard dash, which doesn't seem infeasible, considering he holds the Michigan state record in the indoor sixty-yard dash and the indoor 200-meter dash. Reports out of Indianapolis have him running anywhere between a 4.42 and a 4.53 at the Combine, so he probably didn't get any slower - but he probably didn't get much faster, either. Speed seems to be a wash with Trent. He did, however, bench 225 lbs. twenty-three times at the Combine, which tied him for fourth amongst cornerbacks and seventh of all defensive backs. At 6'1" and 193 lbs., Trent's weight didn't fluctuate much since Barwis's arrival, although he did seem sturdier and made some excellent hits in the 2008 season.

Sean Griffin - LS
Griffin's numbers at the Combine probably affect him less than the other three. He checked in at 6'2" and 242 lbs. As an excellent college long snapper, his snaps aren't the issue. The biggest question about Griffin will be his strength and speed for getting down the field and making tackles. Long snappers are often the first ones off the line to release and start covering punts downfield. Griffin turned in a 5.14 forty yard dash at the Combine, which is not a particularly good number for someone who weighs just over 240, whether he's a long snapper or not. It's somewhat curious that Griffin even got invited to the Combine, considering that he never played a down at any other position.

Conclusion
The stories about Barwis improving strength seem to hold some truth. Morgan Trent and Terrance Taylor both did very well in the bench press. Regarding speed, Trent's 4.53 forty time was somewhat disappointing, considering he has generally been considered one of the two or three fastest guys on the team. However, he did better than expected in the agility drills, so perhaps he's faster than a 4.53 and that was just an aberration.

These players - in addition to safeties Brandon Harrison and Charles Stewart, linebacker John Thompson, defensive tackle Will Johnson, and tight ends Mike Massey and Carson Butler - will have a chance to improve these numbers at Michigan's Pro Day on March 13.