NFL Picks Week 3: The Risk of Trading Trent Richardson

I swear news always break when I go to the gym. This is an unfortunate thing for me because most of the time when SportsCenter or one of ESPN/NBCSN/FOX original programming is on, I tend to watch reality television instead.  Why? Well, it is live-action absolutely brain-numbing entertainment that I can enjoy when I work out, do not judge me. My latest miss was Trent Richardson getting dealt to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2014 first-round draft pick. There is so much to look at with this trade, but right now, it makes Indianapolis smell like a rose and Cleveland like hot garbage. The key word for Cleveland is right now.

Indianapolis finally has their rushing attack to go along with Andrew Luck. This is something Peyton Manning lacked periodically throughout his Indianapolis career and the Colts front office made sure they would not have the same thing with Luck. The former number one draft pick gets a running back who can wear teams down late in games, pass protect and occasionally provide a safety valve in the backfield for passing. The Colts really have all you need in an offense when it comes to weapons although they miss a big part with a weak offensive line. It is hard to tell whether Richardson will do well there because every system is different, but going to one with an offensive coordinator who runs their offense like a college team, it seems like it would bode well for Richardson.

Cleveland is dealing with a public relations disaster. It is a damn good thing they are on the road this week. The fans basically feel like the team has given up the season in Week 3.  The value may never be higher for Richardson and they had to pull the trigger or they really do not give a shit about the fans. The latter is very possible. Cleveland wants to start fresh with their guys, their attitude and get everyone on the same page. The 2014 NFL Draft now becomes extremely important for Cleveland with their cornucopia of draft picks. If they mess up the 2014 NFL Draft, it will be the undoing of this franchise, not just the front office. These are the type of moves that define a franchise. Cleveland fans deserve to be pissed, but you never know what's down the pipeline.

St. Louis (1-1) at Dallas (1-1) (-4) 12:00 pm (FOX) - Fun game I think in the early slate of games. After St. Louis woke up from their slumber, they played pretty well on Sunday afternoon against Atlanta. Sam Bradford played one of his best games to date. Dez Bryant had a big game albeit a bad drop battling through injuries and will definitely could have a major impact again with Julio Jones having a 150+ yard game against this secondary. I really do not have a read on this game. I feel like it will be close and competitive with Dallas pulling it out. DAL 23-20

San Diego (1-1) at Tennessee (1-1) (-3) 12:00 pm (CBS) - In the first two weeks, these are the two teams I had a complete misfire on. San Diego's offense looks rejuvenated with Ken Wisenhunt calling plays for Phillip Rivers. Tennessee should be 2-0 but they let Houston find a way to win the game at the very end. This is the home opener for the Titans and I think they come in there with a little more fire than usual plus even with Rivers playing better, I worry about that defense. TENN 27-17

Cleveland (0-2) at Minnesota (0-2) (-7) 12:00 pm (CBS) - What an awful combination for Cleveland. They have to travel to the Metrodome for the Vikings first home game, Brian Hoyer is starting at quarterback and the Trent Richardson trade has people shook on the team. Minnesota needs this win badly and they smell blood in the water. Big day from all parties involved in the Minnesota offense. MINN 31-14

Green Bay (1-1) (-3)  at Cincinnati (1-1) 12:00 pm (FOX) - See our Packer preview up earlier this morning and feel free to check out the Packer playlist as well.

Tampa Bay (0-2) at New England (2-0) (-7) 12:00 pm (FOX) - The Adrian Clayborn Bowl!! Remember the former Iowa defensive end looked he impaled Tom Brady's knee in training camp when these two team scrimmaged. The Patriots have not been impressive thus far, but they will have a chance to make a statement. I also really think Tampa Bay's chemistry is still warped and not really working right now. This one will be closer than the spread leads on because the Patriots receivers are bad then add a tough secondary, it will become very tough for the Patriots receivers to get open leading to another frustrating day for Tom Brady. NE 24-20

Arizona (1-1) at New Orleans (2-0) (-7) 12:00 pm (FOX) - This should be a real fun matchup with Drew Brees and his receiving core versus the stacked secondary of Arizona.  It comes down to what 'weak link steps up for the team?'  Arizona offense or New Orleans defense? The Saints have sneaky been good on the defensive side of the football and the Cardinals are using a weaken Larry Fitzgerald. I like the Saints to pull away late in this one. NO 28-17

Detroit (1-1) at Washington (0-2) (-1.5) 12:00 pm (FOX) - Man... Washington is a in a must-win situation. The Lions do not really play well on the road, but they have a potent offense who could explode against the Redskins defense. If Detroit wants to be the team that some people have talked about in September, they need to win these kind of football games where they are a small underdog against a weaker opponent. The Lions looked weak without Reggie Bush who may or may not play plus the Redskins will channel all of the negative talk towards them this week. WASH 30-21

New York Giants (0-2) (-1) at Carolina (0-2) 12:00 pm (FOX) - Both teams in desperate need for a win. If the Panthers lose again, Ron Rivera's seat will get extremely hot. If the Giants lose, we can start up the 'Fire Tom Coughlin' columns for the 904th time which let's be honest would be fun.  The Giants are struggling as a team whether it be with turnovers or their defense being average at best. This will be an unexpected shootout. Eli Manning and Cam Newton both have the opportunity to have major games this week as the defensive backfield of both teams does not look great. I will trust Manning and Coughlin in a late game situation more so than Rivera who is basically as trustworthy as a three dollar bill. NYG 38-34

Houston (2-0) at Baltimore (1-1) (-2.5) 12:00 pm (CBS) - If there is a game where I will tell you to 'Lock it up', it is strangely Baltimore. I am not buying into anything Houston is selling right now. The Texans escaped two games with two great fourth quarters, that's it. I do not know if Baltimore will allow such a thing. Sure, this has not been the best start for the defending Super Bowl champs, but this is the game where everyone starts to come together for them. BALT 28-13

Atlanta (1-1) at Miami (2-0) (-3) 3:05 pm (FOX) - This is a Katy Perry 'Hot and Cold' game for me. I am hot on Miami. I know they do not play well at home, but the Dolphins look like the real deal this year with a tough defense plus Ryan Tannehill keeps doing good things. I am cold on Atlanta. They have a ton of key injuries with Sean Weatherspoon, Kroy Biermann and Steven Jackson. Matt Ryan can only do so much and their defense does not really surprise anybody. I will take the Dolphins in a solid win. MIA 21-16

Buffalo (1-1) at New York Jets (1-1) (-3) 3:25 pm (CBS) - Maybe I am alone here, but it is weird to see both these teams .500 with a legitimate thought they could be 2-1.  E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith are also taking center stage against each other. The Jets and Bills actually play more defense than people give them credit for and we will see it displayed, overshadowing the Smith/Manuel matchup for most of the game. I will take the Bills because it would not truly be an NFL season if Buffalo did not start off blazing hot. BUFF 16-13

Indianapolis (1-1) at San Francisco (1-1) (-10) 3:25 pm (CBS) - Indianapolis did add Trent Richardson but this team has some problems right now. Their offensive line is a mess and hearing that before facing San Francisco on the road is probably not a good thing. Additionally, I expect Colin Kaepernick to do a lot more running this week as the Colts struggled with Terrelle Pryor ability to get out into space. The Niners will roll in this one. SF 30-14

Jacksonville (0-2) at Seattle (2-0) (-19) 3:25 pm (CBS) - There is no way Seattle is covering this spread. I realize the Seahawks can put up points with offense, defense and special teams, but Gus Bradley, the Jaguars head coach did coach the Seahawks defense, he knows them a little bit better than Las Vegas is giving him credit for.  Seattle will win this game, but in no way, do they cover this spread. SEA 35-20

Chicago (2-0) (-3) at Pittsburgh (0-2) 7:30 pm NBC - The Steelers need this win badly, but I just do not know what this offense can really do right now. I would love to tell you Pittsburgh is going to come in there and reverse their fortune but I cannot. Chicago's offense looked like a well-oiled machine in the first two games plus they have a secondary that can create some nightmares for Ben Roethlisberger.  I am not picking Pittsburgh until they show me something.  CHI 24-14

Oakland (1-1) at Denver (2-0) (-15) 7:40 pm ESPN - Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football is like a fine wine or a good bourbon. You just know it will be smooth, clean and great. Denver rolls again and gets 40 again. DEN 45-17

Straight up: 23-9
ATS: 14-18 (Complete newbie central here)

Charlie.

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32 in 31: Oakland Raiders

Another year of 32 in 31. Sports News on Tap takes the month of August to preview the National Football League. We spend every day of the month looking at a new team and how they will fare in 2013.

The Oakland Raiders have officially set themselves up to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this upcoming season, and you know what? I'm alright with that. Maybe it's a breath of fresh air to watching the Bucks fool themselves into thinking an 8 seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference can contend for a championship (I digress), maybe it's because I've cleared myself to jump on the Packers' bandwagon before the season starts instead of just waiting until Week 17 and beyond.

Anywho, the Raiders have undergone a huge overhaul over the last few seasons with the passing of Al Davis and the subsequent hiring his son, Mark Davis, made in new GM Reggie McKenzie. It's not to say that the Raiders couldn't wait for Al to kick the can but things had spiraled out of control pretty fast in Alameda with the Raiders not winning more than five games in a season from 2003-2009. They had a total of 29 wins over that seven year span.

Now, they are in full rebuild mode and have gotten rid of most of Al Davis' "Scholarship Players" and are looking at adding another good young piece after this coming year.

OFFENSE

What ever success the Raiders are going to have this year, it'll hinge on star running back Darren McFadden. McFadden has shown himself to be one of the best running backs in the NFL when he's healthy, however he's yet to play anywhere near a full season since he entered the league back in 2008. If he can get something like his production in 2010 (1,157 yards and 7 TDs), the team can do some things this year. If he can't stay on the field it's going to be a long year. They picked up Rashad Jennings who is a capable backup and figures to get some tick when DMC inevitably goes down for at least a game or two.

Last year, the Raiders had entered the season with QB Carson Palmer going into his first full year as the quarterback of the team. He hadn't played a snap with Darren McFadden so that left many fans excited for what the team could do. They ended up going 4-12, so I won't say more.

Enter Matt Flynn, the once coveted back up out of Green Bay who got beat out by rookie sensation Russell Wilson after signing a big contract with the Seattle Seahawks before the 2012 season. Many fans, myself included, are intrigued by Matt Flynn but he just hasn't done enough on a regular basis (and in meaningful games) to warrant me getting overly worked up about his abilities. Darrius Heyward-Bey (probably the face of the Davis "Scholarship Players") is now gone to Indianapolis but Flynn's got some solid wide outs to toss the rock to in Denarious Moore and Rod Streater, but solid might be a stretch.

Given the departure of TE Brandon Myers, the tight ends will be a circus unless one of the rookies (Nick Kasa out of Colorado or Mychal Rivera from Tennessee) can step up and be a needle mover. Can't forget to mention Marcel Reece. Dude's a boss at FB. He does it all but is mainly a big receiving threat out of the backfield. He also could see some snaps as a TE.

As far as the line goes, they're in good shape at LT and at C with Jared "Hulk" Veldheer and Stefen Wisniewski but right tackle is probably the weakest link with Khalif Barnes. Not sure how he still has a job but In Reggie We Trust. They also added veteran guard/center Andre Gurode to the mix to stabilize the young line.

DEFENSE

The defensive unit of the Oakland Raiders was embarrassingly bad last year and they have seen a huge overhaul for the upcoming 2013 season. Gone are Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, and Michael Huff. Arguably their biggest pickup is veteran safety Charles Woodson who returns to the Blackhole after seven seasons in Green Bay. He'll bring a lot of leadership and championship pedigree to a young secondary.

The linebackers are led by Miles Burris who had a really nice rookie year for the Raiders at one of the OLB spots but his status for the start of the season is in doubt after he had post season knee surgery and hasn't played a lick in camp this year. McKenzie is looking at rookie Sio Moore to come in a play a decent amount this year as he looked good in the preseason opener against Dallas. Otherwise, there are a few stop gaps in Kevin Burnett and Omar Gaither to take up space.

Pretty much the entire defensive line is stop gaps, save for DE Lamarr Houston, who is a beast (48 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2012).

SPECIAL TEAMS

I hate to say it but nine-time All-Pro punter Shane Lechler is gone. He's been replaced by Chris Kluwe but it still stings a bit. However, I am thrilled that the Raiders have decided to lock up kicker Sebastion Janikowski and he may die a Raider. I mean that literally too. All jokes aside, Seabass is a great kicker with a huge leg so he seriously is one of my favorite Raiders of all-time.

The Raiders also picked up returner Josh Cribbs in free agency to see what he has left in the tank.

KEY ADDITIONS

S Charles Woodson, QB Matt Flynn, DT Pat Sims, CB Tracy Porter, G/C Andre Gurode, RB Rashad Jennings

KEY DEPARTURES

QB Carson Palmer, DT Richard Seymour, TE Brandon Myers, P Shane Lechler, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, DT Desmond Bryant, FS Michael Huff, etc. The Raiders will have a new look in 2013, that's for sure.

RAIDERS DRAFT PICKS

CB D.J. Hayden, OT Menelik Watson, LB Sio Moore, QB Tyler Wilson, TE Nick Kasa, RB Latavius Murray, TE Mychal Rivera, DT Stacy McGee, WR Brice Butler, DE David Bass.

Obviously, keep an eye on first round pick DJ Hayden, especially after McKenzie traded down and took him. As I previously stated, I like Sio Moore to make some impact. McGee is a guy that is thought to be very talented but might not have it between the ears at this point in time. It'll be interesting to see how he holds up this year.

GAME TO WATCH

Week 3 or 17 against Denver - The Raiders aren't going to make a whole lot of noise this year but anytime they can put up a good fight against a championship caliber team, I'm all for it.

PREDICTION

3-5 wins: Like I said, the Raiders aren't expecting to do much this season but it'll be a good time to try these young guys out and see what you have. If you suck and win only two or three games, you're looking at picking up Jadaveon Clowney in the draft and that's cool with me. Or, you could see a huge year from McFadden, Flynn plays well and the offense is good enough to get the team five or six victories. The defense will be pretty bad anyway you shake it though. That should prevent them from getting anywhere near the playoffs in 2013.

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