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Sporting News, The, Dec 13, 2004

The Patriots' Vince Wilfork is my defensive rookie of the year. He came in and has really made an impact inside on a Super Bowl-winning team. He's more of a run plugger, but he also gives you that strong inside push in passing situations. I've seen traits of dominance in his play.... I have a lot of respect for the Panthers.

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I don't know who leads the league in I.R. injuries, them or Cleveland, but to have 13 guys on I.R. and still make a run at a playoff spot this late in the season says a lot about the work they've done as a staff and as players.... If I were the Chargers' G.M., I would figure out a way to keep Drew Brees next year. I would definitely use the franchise tag on him. The quarterback position is so valuable, you've got to have two guys there. And with the way Brees is playing and the way guys are responding to him, I'd have to go with him. I wouldn't want to go into next year with an untested player who's hardly taken a snap, even though he's Philip Rivers and they paid him a lot of money.... The continuity the Packers have had on their offensive line in the last four or five years is unbelievable in salary cap football. Their guys are solid technicians who play smart and play well together. In this league, it's what we're all shooting for: to have a good group of guys come together and mature all at the same time.... The Colts' Robert Mathis wreaks havoc with his pass-rushing ability. He's quick off the ball and has real good hand use, and he's capitalized on being the benefactor of all the attention Dwight Freeney receives on the other side.... Josh McCown probably deserved a longer lease than what he got. His numbers weren't that bad, and the Cardinals had won three out of four before he got benched. Nobody knows his team better than Denny Green, but when you look at it from the outside, it makes you wonder if there's something going on there. It would be hard to go back to McCown now and have the kid have any confidence in you.... Tory James has found his niche with the Bengals, and he's produced. He went to a team that understands defense through the head coach and his system. James has found a system that suits his talents, and he's responded with 11 interceptions over two years.... The most impressive thing about Ben Roethlisberger is that Pittsburgh's veterans have really embraced him as their offensive leader. If you're a rookie and you can come in and have veterans give you that kind of respect, that's impressive.... Getting cut might be a good thing for Martin Gramatica. It will help him refocus and kind of remember what got him in the league in the first place. He had five kicks blocked last year. It's hard to blame the snapper and holder on all of them.

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Sporting News, The, Dec 13, 2004

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