TA's Take

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division 1. Boston Celtics 61-21 2. Brooklyn Nets 51-31 3. New York Knicks 45-37 4. Philadelphia 76ers 41-41 5. Toronto Raptors 20-62 Central Division 1. Indiana Pacers 55-27 2. Chicago Bulls 48-34 3. Detroit Pistons 44-38 4. Cleveland Cavilers 39-43 5. Milwaukee Bucks 30-52 Southeast Division 1. Miami Heat 64-18 2. Atlanta Hawks 46-36 3. Orlando Magic 36-46 4. Washington Wizards 25-57 5. Charlotte Bobcats 17-65 Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 1 1. Miami Heat over 8. Detroit Pistons 2. Boston Celtics over 7. New York Knicks 3. Indiana Pacers over 6. Atlanta Hawks 5. Chicago Bulls over 4. Brooklyn Nets Round 2 1. Miami Heat over 5. Chicago Bulls 2. Boston Celtics over 3. Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Finals 2. Boston Celtics over 1. Miami Heat Western Conference Northwest Division 1. Oklahoma City Thunder 60-22 2. Denver Nuggets 53-29 3. Minnesota Timberwolves 46-36 4. Utah Jazz 41-41 5. Portland Trailbl

The Patriots offense has not had a running game like this since 2004 when Corey Dillon was taking handoffs from Tom Brady. The Patriots have had a number of running-backs line up in the backfield over the last eight years from Laurence Maroney to Fred Taylor to BenJarvus Green-Ellis and none of them were able to replicate Dillion's production. The Patriots have been unable to find their next great running-back until now. Stevan Ridley has emerged as the Patriots lead rusher and he's running with it, pun intended. Ridley has 4 touchdowns and is currently fifth in the NFL with 490 rushing yards. He has back to back 100 yard games and 3 on the year. He is showing the ability to not only pound the rock up the middle but also bounce it outside and show his speed to the corner. He reads defenses extremely well, finds the holes and makes beautiful cuts. He is the most complete back the Patriots have had in a long time. Everyone has tried to come up with reasons why the Patr

1. Tavon Wilson will supplant Steve Gregory at FS by Week 8. Wilson will be this team's starting Free Safety by Week 8. I've been extremely impressed by him in the preseason and think the Patriots found something in Wilson. I think Gregory will be solid and really help this Defense but Wilson will be better and they will switch roles by mid-season. Wilson will start and Gregory will play in sub packages. This move will be based on performance and not injury. Gregory will be healthy and a contributor all season long. 2. Jermaine Cunningham will have 10+ sacks. Whether he eventually starts at DE or strictly comes in on sub packages Cunningham will have a great year rushing the passer. I could see his role coming together exactly like Mark Anderson's did last season. First half of the year he played during pass rushing situations and recorded 5 sacks and then eventually started by December and continued his strong play and record another 5 sacks. Cunningham's 2012 se

1. Aaron Hernandez will lead the Team with over 1,300 receiving yards and 12 Touchdowns. I expect Hernandez to be the focal point of this offense moving forward. I think Josh McDaniels will be able to utilize him like no other player. He will line up at TE, WR, and RB. Hernandez also has a chance to lead the Team in receptions, he should have over 100 but I'll still give the nod to Welker in that category. He might even add a couple hundred yards rushing. Hernandez is a special player and will show it in 2012. 2. Brandon Lloyd will have 75 catches. I believe Lloyd will have a pretty solid season for the Patriots but won't be off the charts. He is not the second coming of the 2007 Randy Moss. I can see him having around 75 catches for 1,000 yards and 7 Touchdowns. He is going to be the 4th option on this team behind Hernandez, Welker and Gronkowski so those numbers will be great for a 4th option. 3. Rob Gronkowski will have 10 Touchdowns. I think Gronkowski is going

AFC  AFC East  1. New England Patriots 15-1 The Patriots made sure to Improve the Defense in the Offseason adding Hightower, Jones and Gregory. Winning 13 games in 2011 with the 31st ranked Defense was Incredible, with an Improved Defense in 2012 15 wins is not out of the Question.  2. Buffalo Bills 9-7 Added Talent on Defense with Williams and Anderson will help but I still don't think they have the Coaching and consistency on Offense to make the Playoffs. 3. New York Jets 5-11 This is gonna be a train wreck. Tebow will start by week 10 but by then it will be too late. This Team will be lucky to win 5 games.  4. Miami Dolphins 3-13 Rebuilding is an understatement. This Team has very little talent, they have a long way to go. I believe Tannehill will be solid but he will have his rookie struggles and he has no weapons to work with.  AFC North 1. Baltimore Ravens 11-5 The Ravens Defense is aging and the Offense still needs to prove it can win games. The will

Here's my Final 53-man Roster Projection for the 2012 Season. Quarterback - Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer (3) Running Back - Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen, Jeff Demps (4) Wide Receiver - Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater (5) Tight Ends - Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Daniel Fells (3) Offensive Tackles - Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Matt Kopa (4) Interior Offensive Line - Logan Mankins, Dan Connolly, Dan Koppen, Brian Waters, Ryan Wendall (5) Defensive Tackles - Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick (4) Defensive Ends - Chandler Jones, Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Trevor Scott, Jake Bequette, Justin Francis (6) Linebackers - Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Dont'a Hightower, Bobby Carpenter, Jeff Tarpinian, Mike Rivera (6) Cornerbacks - Kyle Arrington, Devin McCourty, Ras-I Dowling, Marquice Cole, Alfonzo Dennard (5) Safeties - Pat Chung, Steve Gregor

Here's my first Patriots 53-man Roster Projection for 2012. Quarterback - Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer (3) Running Back - Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead, Jeff Demps (4) Wide Receiver - Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater (6) Tight End - Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Daniel Fells (3) Offensive Tackle - Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Matt Kopa (4) Interior Offensive Line - Logan Mankins, Brian Waters, Dan Connolly, Nick McDonald, Ryan Wendell, Donald Thomas (6) Defensive Tackles - Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick (4) Defensive Ends - Chandler Jones, Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Trevor Scott, Jake Bequette, Justin Francis (6) Linebackers - Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Dont'a Hightower, Bobby Carpenter, Jeff Tarpinian (5) Cornerbacks - Kyle Arrington, Ras-I Dowling, Devin McCourty, Sterling Moore (4) Safeties - Pat Chung, Steve Greg

1. Deion Branch vs. Jabar Gaffney - #3 Wide Receiver. 2. Chandler Jones vs. Jake Bequette vs. Rob Ninkovich vs. Trevor Scott vs. Jermaine Cunningham - Starting Defensive Ends. 3. Stevan Ridley vs. Shane Vereen - Starting Running-back. 4. Devin McCourty vs. Kyle Arrington vs. Sterling Moore vs. Ras-I Dowling - Starting Cornerbacks. 5. Dan Connolly vs. Dan Koppen - Starting Center.

1. Chandler Jones - DE/OLB 2. Dont'a Hightower - LB 3. Shane Vereen - RB 4. Brandon Lloyd - WR 5. Devin McCourty - CB/S 6. Steve Gregory - S 7. Jake Bequette - DE/OLB 8. Ras-I Dowling - CB 9. Ryan Mallett - QB 10. Nate Solder - OT 11. Jermaine Cunningham - DE/OLB 12. Nate Ebner - ST/S

1. Will Devin McCourty play at Cornerback or Safety and will he play well? Can he return to his 2010 form or will he continue to struggle as he did in 2011? I would personally like to see McCourty start at Safety along side Pat Chung with Kyle Arrington, Ras-I Dowling and Sterling Moore as your primary Cornerbacks. I think after watching last season that McCourty is likely to become a better Safety than Cornerback at this point. The Patriots did sign Safety Steve Gregory in Free Agency so that in addition to the Draft selection of Tavon Wilson could put McCourty back in the Cornerback Mix.  2. Will Chandler Jones make an Immediate Impact? Can he become the Starting Defensive End by the start of the Season or will he just be a Situational Pass Rusher? I think there is a good chance Jones will be just a Situational Pass Rusher to start the Season but by Mid Season he will become this Teams Starting Defensive End. I look for Chandler Jones to make a Huge Impact this Season. I believe

Round 1  1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis, C, Kentucky 2. Charlotte Bobcats - Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas 3.  Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal, SG, Florida 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky 5. Sacramento Kings - Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina 6. Portland Trail Blazers - Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State 7. Golden State Warriors - Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse 8. Toronto Raptors - Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut 9. Detroit Pistons - Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut 10. New Orleans Hornets - Austin Rivers, SG, Duke 11. Portland Trail Blazers - Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois 12. Houston Rockets - John Henson, PF, North Carolina 13. Phoenix Suns - Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina 14. Milwaukee Bucks - Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Perry Jones III, PF, Baylor 16. Houston Rockets - Terrence Ross, SG, Washington 17. Dallas Mavericks - Terrence Jones, PF, Kentucky 18. Houston Rockets - Arnett Moultrie

Round 1 27. WR Kendall Wright, Baylor - It was reported that the Patriots went to Baylor for a last minute Private workout with Wright earlier this week. The Patriots did the same with Nate Solder last season and made the Pick. I can see the same scenario playing out with Wright. Wright is a versatile Receiver that can add a Dimension to the Patriots Offense that they don't currently have. He can play outside or in the slot. He plays extremely fast. A potential replacement for Wes Welker? 31. OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama - The Pass Rushing Outside Linebacker the Patriots have been looking for, for years. Upshaw is highly Instinctive, a great competitor, and a 4 down player. He is a leader on and off the field and is a Winner. I love everything Upshaw brings to the table and would love to see the Patriots Draft him. Round 2 48 . FS Harrison Smith, Notre Dame - After players like Matt Slater and James Ihedigbo saw significant time opposite Pat Chung last year the Patrio

Round 1 1. Indianapolis Colts - QB Andrew Luck, Stanford 2. Washington Redskins - QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor 3. Minnesota Vikings - CB Morris Claiborne, LSU 4. Cleveland Browns - RB Trent Richardson, Alabama 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina 6. St. Louis Rams - OT Matt Kalil, USC 7. Jacksonville Jaguars - WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State 8. Miami Dolphins - QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M 9. Carolina Panthers - DE Quinton Coples, UNC 10. Buffalo Bills - S Mark Barron, Alabma 11. Kansas City Chiefs - LB Luke Kuechly, BC 12. Seattle Seahawks - OLB Melvin Ingram, South Carolina 13. Arizona Cardinals - OT Riley Reiff, Iowa 14. Dallas Cowboys - DE Michael Brockers, LSU 15. Philadelphia Eagles - DE Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State 16. New York Jets - WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame 17. Cincinnati Bengals - CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama 18. San Diego Chargers - DE Chandler Jones, Syracuse 19. Chicago Bears - DE Whitney Mercilus,

Round 1 1. Indianapolis Colts - QB Andrew Luck, Stanford 2. Washington Redskins - QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor   >>>>> 3. Minnesota Vikings - OT Matt Kalil, USC 4. Cleveland Browns - RB Trent Richardson, Alabama 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - CB Morris Claiborne, LSU 6. St. Louis Rams - WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State 7. Jacksonville Jaguars - DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina 8. Miami Dolphins - QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M 9. Carolina Panthers - DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State 10. Buffalo Bills - OT Riley Reiff, Iowa 11. Kansas City Chiefs - LB Luke Kuechly, BC 12. Seattle Seahawks - DE Quinton Coples, UNC 13. Arizona Cardinals - OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford 14. Dallas Cowboys - S Mark Barron, Alabama 15. Philadelphia Eagles - DT Dontari Poe, Memphis 16. New York Jets - WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame 17. Cincinnati Bengals - OG David DeCastro, Stanford 18. San Diego Chargers - DE Whitney Mercilius, Illinois 19. Chicago Bears

1. Sean Spence, OLB, Miami  2. Chris Rainey, RB, Florida 3. Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois   >>>> 4. Devier Posey, WR, Ohio State  5. Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas  6. Ron Brooks, CB, LSU 7. Charles Mitchell, S, Mississippi State  8. William Vlachos, C, Alabama  9. Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU 10. Emil Igwenagu, TE, Massachusetts 11. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International  12. Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama  13. Malik Jackson, DE, Tennessee  14. Michael Brewster, C, Ohio State  15. Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan State 

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford What I like about him: - Exceptional Football Intelligence - Mentally Tough - Great Leader - Played in a Pro Style Offense at Stanford What I don't like about him: - Throws an Average Deep Ball Best Fit Teams: - Indianapolis Colts 2. Robert Griffin III , QB, Baylor What I like about him: - Extremely Intelligence both on and off the Field - Excellent Deep Ball  - Good Leader - Big Game Player What I don't like about him:   - Dances in the Pocket  - Focuses on 1st and 2nd Reads to much Best Fit Teams: - Washington Redskins 3. Matt Kalil , OT, USC What I like about him: - Versatile  - Great Pass Blocker - NFL Bloodlines - Excellent Awareness What I don't like about him:   - A little under weight  - Not overpowering which effects his run blocking Best Fit Teams: - Minnesota Vikings 4. Justin Blackmon , WR, Oklahoma State

Round 1 1. Indianapolis Colts - QB Andrew Luck, Stanford 2. Washington Redskins - QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor 3. Minnesota Vikings - OT Matt Kalil, US 4. Cleveland Browns - RB Trent Richardson, Alabama 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - CB Morris Claiborne, LSU   >>>> 6. St. Louis Rams - WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State 7. Jacksonville Jaguars - DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina 8. Miami Dolphins - QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M 9. Carolina Panthers - DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State 10. Buffalo Bills - OT Riley Reiff, Iowa 11. Kansas City Chiefs - DT Dontari Poe, Memphis 12. Seattle Seahawks - DE Quinton Coples, UNC 13. Arizona Cardinals - OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford 14. Dallas Cowboys - S Mark Barron, Alabama 15. Philadelphia Eagles - LB Luke Kuechly, BC 16. New York Jets - WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame 17. Cincinnati Bengals - OG David DeCastro, Stanford 18. San Diego Chargers - DE Whitney Mercilius, Illinois   >>>> 19.

American League AL East: 1. New York Yankees - 93-69 2. Boston Red Sox - 91-71 3. Tampa Bay Rays - 90- 72 4. Toronto Blue Jays - 82-80 5. Baltimore Orioles - 67-95 AL Central: 1. Detroit Tigers - 89-73 2. Cleveland Indians - 83-79 3. Kansas City Royals - 80-82 4. Minnesota Twins - 75-87 5. Chicago White Sox - 70-92 AL West: 1. Anaheim Angels - 97-65 2. Texas Rangers - 92-70 3. Seattle Mariners - 70-92 4. Oakland Athletics - 66-96 AL Playoffs: Wild Card Playoff: WC Boston Red Sox over WC Texas Rangers ALDS: 1. Anaheim Angels over WC Boston Red Sox 2. New York Yankees over 3. Detroit Tigers ALCS: 1. Anaheim Angels over 2. New York Yankees National League: NL East: 1. Philadelphia Phillies - 95-67 2. Miami Marlins - 90-72 3. Atlanta Braves - 85-77 4. Washington Nationals - 82-80 5. New York Mets - 72-90 NL Central: 1. Cincinnati Reds - 88-74 2. Milwaukee Brewers - 80-82 3. St. Louis Cardinals - 79-83 4. Chicago Cubs