In fact a possible increase in LB play

he isn't much of a playmaker (in fact more of a liability) against the pass .. has questionable ability to change directions ... can occasionally get too high when taking on blockers ... hip fluidity is mediocre ... and lacks the ability to play the Tampa 2 WILL. He is, however, a high character player and a 4yr starter coming out of a top school. The prototype draft pick for Tim Ruskell.So.. 3 deflected passes. and 2 forced fumbles. these numbers are certainly not bad, but compare them with this..After logging only 5 starts, David Hawthorne has 71 tackles. 3 sacks. 5 deflected passes. 3 interceptions. and 2 forced fumbles. I know what your thinking, Curry plays OLB and Hawthorne plays ILB. This may be the reason why Hawthorne out preformed him.. right This hold no bearing on stats, (and althought stats aren't always reliable) and this kind of outproduction, of Curry, by Hawthorne, with 5 less starts overall does mean something.. very high upside and could start at left tackle immediately.Imagine how the season might be going if we had taken Monroe.. our OL might be preforming better and therefore our offense might be more consistent. Also, with a player like Hawthore, I see no dropoff in LB production (except with the Tatupu injury). In fact, a possible increase in LB play. So, this alternate future looks nice.QB Mark Sanchez: Is a raw player, with a tremendous amount of talent (think Aaron Rogers). He has good height and adequate bulk .. a high level of production (if only for one season) .. extremely fluid athlete .. above average mobility ...

strong arm and can make all the NFL throws, but it isn't elite ... consistent accuracy ... very quick release ... great footwork .. throws a sweet deep ball ... highly intelligent ... spent four years at USC around a traditional West Coast playbook ... reportedly great work ethic ... extremely high upside.I know, Matt Hasselbeck still has a few years in him at this point (perhaps more if we had taken Monroe), but Sanchez as a prospect this year has a better skill (and in all likelihood will be a better player long-term) than Jimmy Clausen. Given two years behind Matt, this guy could have been our next great superstar... the kind that lives up to the hype and can flat out play.This alternate future also looks much nicer than the present.There are reasons why we took Curry, like his elite size and strength, his in line speed, his alma mater, his aggressiveness, his great tackling form, etc... however I think hindsight shows that we made the wrong decision. And yeah, I know, hindsight is a btch.I believe that we ought to remove Tim Ruskell. I know, it sounds extreme. However, this team will only continue to get top 5 - top 10 picks as long as he continues to botch them.. and I'm sure that others would agree with that statement.This is not a one time offense, this is a pattern. Again and again.. Tim Ruskell, with his SAFE prototype has, quite simply, made some BAD decisions in the 1st round. This influx of 1st round duds (save Lo Jack, who is still on the fence) coupled with injuries (also a consequence of our drafting.. see Chris Spencer) has kept our team out of serious contention for long enough.Although we will not trade Curry (it has happened before with first round players who bordered on busting) I'm not advocating that. I think it is just unrealistic, although depending on what we could get might not be a bad option. Although things aren't working out this season for Curry, the least we can do is aviod making the mistake of allowing Tim Ruskell to make another mistake.. I have a two word alternaitve to Ruskell.. and its not a definite proposition.. but.. Mike Shanahan.Now that I've gone and said that.. I'll leave you to post angry comments about Mike Shanahan..Regards-Shawn.

The only way I ever made it off the tee successfully was with my own, patented, swing. Of course that was only after my personally constructed pre-shot routine. Don’t be fooled, a man’s swing thought is a precious thing and can never be revealed. But a pre-shot routine, well that’s a whole different set of clubs. On an objective level, it appears almost foolish, even ridiculous, that a tiny, white ball can generate such tension, confusion, and intimidation in golfers. And yet everyone, from the pros to Joe-shmo’s, has their own approach to quelling the intense mind and body absorbing jitters in golf, whether on the first tee or standing over a three-foot putt on the 18th hole. For some it’s a hip wiggle and others a slight push forward of the hands. Some people have a specific image they need to visualize whereas others choose not to think at all. But really: What is it about golf jitters that spook golfers to the point of almost entirely missing the ball and effectively shattering their confidence for the rest of their roundsThe theory that appears to most resemble reality is that the first tee creates an inner-struggle for golfers because of the infinite realm of possibility. Literally, the ball could go anywhere. For any golfer who has hit on the driving range, we have all "tried something different" and then seen the ball exit the driving range fence and crash into a backyard. Or perhaps we rushed our swing a bit, only to find that after scanning the range the ball advanced only three-feet and sadly to the left.The point being that while those shots remain meaningless on a driving range, they tend to, without reason or intent, rush to the front of golfers’ minds when on the first tee or when hovering over an important shot. I’m the guy you hated to watch on the driving range and then hated to play with on the course why I’m kind of like Charles Howell III: excellent driving range player, but a hardly above average on-course player.On the driving range I felt bound by nothing. Just pick a spot a low shot 115 yards or a three-wood with a fade you name the shot, I’ll find it in my bag. But once I stepped onto the tee box, the golf course had a power over me. It was as if the sand traps, lakes, and hazards became magnets for my golf ball. I don’t know if it was self-doubt or general nervousness, but I could rarely hit a decent shot on the first tee, forcing me to scramble back the rest of the round to remedy the mistakes of the opening holes. You’d think that after performing as Daddy Warbucks on stage in front of 350 people, making the game-winning three-pointer in a championship basketball game and pitching a shut-out in a playoff baseball game I would be prepared for being in the spotlight nope. “And now on the first tee, from Sherman Oaks, California, Will Leivenberg.” In multiple tournaments, I vividly remember that as I bent to plug my tee into the ground, my legs would weaken to the point of tripping over myself, my arms would tense up and the sweat beneath my Titleist hat dripped relentlessly like a broken faucet.If the physical aspect of first tee jitters wasn’t enough, the inner taunting and mental anguish swirling through my mind was almost intolerable.“Don’t go right like you did in the practice round,” I’d tell myself, or “Remember to release the club after impact, but keep your head back.” My pre-shot routine was what ultimately became my backbone when on the first tee in the last few years I played competitive golf. I feel like I specifically combined the routines of Els, Goosen, Mickleson, and Tiger; four of my favorites. I felt most similar to these champions in that I was long off the tee, but relied on my touch around the greens to score. I can envision my pre-shot routine without any strain or effort at all because when I found what worked, it really became a natural component of my golf game.In a way, I went through my pre-shot routine almost as if it were a checklist.Once I found my spot in the tee box that lined up with the shot I wanted to hit, I would place my club just behind the ball to make sure my club height matched up with the height of the tee check. I would take two very slow, deliberate swings in which I would try to feel every motion of every part of my body working together check. Three steps to the left and I was directly behind the ball check. The club is in my right hand, take a deep breath while viewing my battle ground check.As I exhale, I walk slowly into my stance check. Go time: One look at my target, one look at the ball, a deep breath, and then comes the swing thought.As mentioned, my swing thought is something I choose to keep private But here is a glimpse into its origins .. Kyle Field, Thanksgiving Day, the third ranked Texas Longhorns play for their first leg of three to win the National Championship. Entering 2009, the Longhorn's top priority was to play each game as a championship game. This weeks victim:Texas A&M.Their arch rival Texas A&M Aggies have been out of the national spotlight for over a decade, and are simply hoping they can playspoiler to Texas' national title hopesa goal they set at the beginning of the season.As history would suggest, this game plays into the hands of the Aggies, especially since Colt McCoy's career mark is 1-2against A&M.

Can Colt McCoy continue his rampage against the AggiesThe Aggies are strong offensively, touting the seventh ranked offense nationally. Signal caller Jerrod Johnson has had moments of brilliance in a season of agony, and will need to limit his mistakes against a Texas secondary full of ball hawks. To do so Johnson has to take what the defense gives him.The Aggies have good depth at running back with Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray. Time of possession will be critical, as the Aggies look to tire the Texas defense as the the game progresses. If (a big IF) they can run the ball then they'll keep the aggressive Texas secondary off balance, which can open up some opportunities for Johnson downfield.Texas enters the game with the nations third ranked total defense. The scrappy Longhorns have the nations top run defense, giving up only 50.9 yards per game. To put in perspective how good the Longhorns are against the run, the second ranked run defense is Alabama; giving up 70.55 yards per game. That's not even close. The Longhorn's take pride in shutting down the run, which forces Johnson to convert third and long situations. Just when Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp likes to dial up combo blitzes from all angles.Thus far, it seems like we may have a game on our hands.