Athlon Sports Features
NFL: Free Agency Preview
The craziness of NFL free agency begins Friday. Mike Nahrstedt previews the upcoming open-market period and explains what could happen if a new CBA isn't reached before Friday.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Combine - Defense
Put down your stopwatch and step away from the orange cones, the NFL Scouting Combine is officially over. Check out which defensive players made the most of their job interview in Indianapolis.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Combine - Offense
While the Vancouver Olympics were wrapping up, the NFL Scouting Combine was just getting started. Check out which offensive players made the most of their job interview in Indianapolis.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Lockout Would Cost League Too Much
The NFL, by any calculation, is at the height of its all-time popularity. So it would be a shame if the owners and players managed to screw that up with a 2011 lockout.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Athlon's All-AFC and All-NFC Teams
The Pro Bowl has turned into a joke, but that doesn't mean the league's All-Stars should be discounted. Here's how Pro Bowl lineups would look if it were up to Athlon Sports, plus picks for the major award winners.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Athlon's All-Rookie Team
Some of them were the stars of last April's Draft and others flew under the radar, but all of Athlon's Rookie Team members excelled in their first season in the league.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Greatest Moments in Super Bowl History
We prepare you for Super Sunday with a little history lesson. Our writers have gone list crazy in identifying the best of the best in the 43-game history of the Super Bowl.
[FULL STORY]NFL: End of the year power rankings
The NFL playoffs are set to begin this weekend but first, Mike Nahrstedt wraps up the regular season with the final edition of his Power Rankings column.
[FULL STORY]Rams get Draft's first pick with loss to 49ers
The 49ers finished their season with an even 8-8 mark, but their victory over the Rams Sunday was more important because it gave St. Louis the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 17 Preview
It's the final week of the NFL's regular season, and that means there are some huge games on the slate ... and plenty of unimportant ones. Mike Nahrstedt runs through them all in his Week 17 Preview.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 16 Power Rankings
The Colts sat their starters and took their first loss of the season, but did Mike Nahrstedt bump them from the top spot of this week's power rankings?
[FULL STORY]Warner joins Tarkenton as Cards rout Rams
Kurt Warner tossed two touchdowns and became just the second player in NFL history to throw at least 100 TDs for two teams, as the NFC West-champion Cardinals earned their third consecutive season sweep of pitiful St. Louis behind a 31-10 decision.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 15 Preview
The Bengals play one of their biggest games of the season Sunday at San Diego with very heavy hearts. Mike Nahrstedt looks at that game and the other 14 on the weekend slate in his Week 15 preview.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 14 Preview
We have reached the season’s quarter pole, the point at which the big games get bigger and the lesser games start to fall off the map entirely. Mike Nahrstedt looks at them all in his Week 14 NFL Preview.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 13 Power Rankings
The Colts and Saints remained undefeated in decidedly different fashions this week but they're both still atop this week's power rankings.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 13 Preview
The Titans seem to be a team of destiny, but they will face their stiffest challenge yet against undefeated Indianapolis this week. Mike Nahrstedt looks at that and the other 14 games on the Week 13 NFL slate.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 12 Power Rankings
What a weekend of football. The Thanksgiving Day games were pretty much snoozers, but Sunday brought a number of come-from-behind wins and Monday showcased the powerful Saints. Mike Nahrstedt sorts through the excitement to bring you his Week 12 NFL power rankings.
[FULL STORY]NFL: Week 12 Preview
The Thanksgiving appetizers are in the bag but there's still plenty of football left to be played in Week 12. Mike Nahrstedt takes a look at the remaining 13 games on the slate.
[FULL STORY]Fantasy Updates - PlayerScope
Marc Bulger
The Rams placed Bulger on injured reserve, ending his season. Rookie Keith Null is expected to start at QB in Week 16, though Kyle Boller would go if healthy....
[FULL STORY]Steven Jackson
Jackson (back spasms)has yet to practice this week, but that has been the norm for him the last few weeks. Fantasy owners, however, should continue to start him because he has still been effective on Sundays....
[FULL STORY]Donnie Avery
A shoulder injury suffered last week against Chicago will probably hinder Avery for the remainder of the season. Word has it that he will try to play this week....
[FULL STORY]Keenan Burton
Burton suffered what appears to be a season-ending knee injury in the Rams' loss to New Orleans on Sunday....
[FULL STORY]Kyle Boller
Boller will start the Rams' Week 4 game at San Francisco. Marc Bulger is out with a shoulder injury....
[FULL STORY]Laurent Robinson
After suffering a broken fibula in Sunday's game against the Packers, Robinson will miss the remainder of the season. Keenan Burton is expected to replace him in the starting lineup....
[FULL STORY]Samkon Gado
Gado is making a strong case for the backup job to RB Steven Jackson. Gado scored two touchdowns against the Bengals on Thursday night, one on a 16-yard run and the other on a short shovel pass. He has rushed for 131 yards on 23 carries in the preseason....
[FULL STORY]More Inside Athlon Sports ...
Vacchiano: Patroits are the favorites in '07
A lot of things can change between now and next February. But the events of draft weekend, and some of the events of the two months before, have Ralph Vacchiano convinced that the Pats are the early favorite to win Super Bowl XLII.
Vacchiano: Quinn's value being overlooked
No player in this year’s draft has seen his stock yo-yo more than former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. Ralph Vacchiano says the "Golden Boy" will be a great pick up for whichever team doesn't out-think themselves.
Vacchiano: NFL must send message to teams
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Pacman Jones and Chris Henry on Tuesday for their off-the-field problems. Ralph Vacchiano applauds the decision but says the league should focus on punishing the teams as well.




