Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Trouble has followed wide receiver Justin Blackmon wherever he goes during his career as a pass catcher. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy was suspended by the coaching staff for one game during the 2010 season in Stillwater for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. After being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2012 NFL Draft with the fifth overall pick in April, Blackmon again found himself arrested for DUI in June but avoided league discipline.

Third time’s a charm (or not depending on how you look at it) as Blackmon was arrested again just 11 months later and blew a .24 (three times the legal limit) on a breathalyzer test. This time the league was not willing to look the other way as the now habitual offender will be missing the first four games of the 2013 season.

Even with that four-game ban, Blackmon still has potential just oozing from everywhere entering his second NFL season. On a 2-14 Jaguars team that was impossible to watch a year ago, he was perhaps the lone bright spot with 64 catches for 865 yards and five touchdowns. Blackmon’s coming out party was an exquisite seven-catch performance in Week 11 against the Houston Texans where he racked up a monstrous 236 yards receiving to show off his game-breaking potential.

There is no disputing his spot atop the wide receiver depth chart in Jacksonville, but the team does hope his absence will allow additional complementary pieces to emerge. Cecil Shorts showed serious promise last season, and the team signed Mohamed Massaquoi in the offseason to further bolster the receiving corps. Jordan Shipley and rookie Ace Sanders round out a unit that doesn’t look all that bad on paper.

It may be another miserable year for Jags in terms of wins and losses, but Blackmon should show just how valuable he is when he returns from his four-game suspension in Week 5 at the St. Louis Rams. Regardless of whether it is Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne under center in 2013, Blackmon figures to see some serious production once he gets back in uniform for the Jaguars.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

There comes a point in every athlete’s career where the rubber meets the road so to speak. The 2013 season has the look of that very moment for running back Ryan Mathews who has been nothing but a disappointment up until this point in his three-year career. The San Diego Chargers need to see something this coming year that tells them Mathews is worth keeping around with his rookie contract nearing its end.

Obviously the hateful messages that some so-called “fans” have been posting toward the ball carrier on Twitter are completely uncalled for, but it does go to show that there is some serious unrest about Mathews in San Diego. The back has played just 38 of a possible 48 games during his career with injuries impacting him at nearly every juncture along the way. He opened up on that topic earlier in the offseason, and showed just how much the inability to stay on the field and help his teammates has negatively affected him.

While it’s certainly a positive step for Mathews to be working to stay on the field, that didn’t stop the Bolts from going out and purchasing some insurance this offseason. Danny Woodhead was signed as a free agent from the New England Patriots, and he figures to be a serious threat to take carries away from the incumbent back from the get-go. Woodhead’s do-everything approach including being a versatile receiver out of the backfield fits perfectly into what new head coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt want to do in the upcoming season.

It could be argued that coaching is what has held Mathews back during his time with in San Diego. Norv Turner ran a pass-based attack that rarely (if ever) balanced itself out leaving most running plays to be predictable and easy to stop for opponents. This new-look offense should utilize the back more frequently and allow him to gain a rhythm which is an often underrated aspect of being successful as a runner.

There are plenty of arguments that could be made to defend Mathews’ lack of production to date, but the number that’s difficult to defend is 3.8. That is the average yards per rush that Mathews gained on his 184 rushing attempts during the 2012 season. If the former 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft can’t find a way to significantly boost that in the upcoming year, he may be taking his mediocre production elsewhere in the near future.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With a mish-mosh of characters in 2012, the St. Louis Rams managed to survive quite well on the offensive line. Even though several of the Week 1 starters missed quite a collection of games from there on out, the team managed to make things function with a patchwork unit that did alright for itself.

Now entering the 2013 season, many believe that the Rams have upgrade their line significantly even though more than 50 percent of their offensive snaps at that area are longer on the roster. Guys like Barry Richardson (16 game starter), Robert Turner (16 game starter), Quinn Ojinnaka (five game starter), and Wayne Hunter (four game starter) have all moved on to greener pastures. That’s a collective 41 games started or in other words 52 percent of the total games started at the five offensive line positions.

So how has the unit upgraded?

Obviously the signing of a big-name like Jake Long does wonders for the perception of any team, but he has suffered with injuries in the past few seasons. His acquisition has allowed Rodger Saffold to move over to the right tackle spot, but he has little to no experience at the position aside from this offseason and his high school days.

On the interior, center Scott Wells was the primary signing last offseason at center, and he is finally healthy after an injury-plagued 2012. Rokevious Watkins (who is suspended for the first game), Chris Williams, and Shelley Smith are among the three guys competing for the left guard spot while Harvey Dahl is penciled in at right guard with rookie Barrett Jones figuring in heavily as a depth component at all three positions.

In other words, the Rams might be green in terms of starts from a year ago, but they have plenty of promise heading into this coming season. What that hopefully means is that quarterback Sam Bradford can avoid starting another consecutive sack streak like the team finally snapped late last season. And the club has to be optimistic that despite losing the leadership in their backfield from Steven Jackson’s departure, the combination of rushers in Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead, and Zac Stacy can collectively replace his production on the field.

The line may be a bit green in terms of starts for the club a year ago, but don’t let that cloud your view of their potential. It hurts to lose as many key depth components as the Rams did along the line this offseason, sure, but if the guys up front can stay healthy in 2013, that will quickly become an afterthought.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

After the Indianapolis Colts spent their top two picks in the 2012 NFL Draft on Stanford teammates quarterback Andrew Luck and tight end Coby Fleener, expectations for the rookie combo were sky high. Obviously Luck lived up to the billing and then some by taking a 2-14 team from the previous season to an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance. Fleener, on the other hand, struggled with injuries including an ailing shoulder that forced him to miss four games in his first season.

While injuries may have prevented Luck and Fleener from hooking up as regularly as they did the previous season with the Cardinal in Palo Alto, the two figure to really accelerate their development in year two with the Colts. Despite missing those games last season, Fleener still managed to haul in 26 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Strangely enough his best effort came in Week 1 with six catches for 81 yards on 10 targets against the Chicago Bears.

What happened as the season moved on was the more reps that Fleener missed in practice, the less Luck looked his way during games. Fellow rookie tight end Dwayne Allen actually overtook him on the depth chart down the stretch as he ended up with 45 grabs for 521 yards and three scores on the season.

Rather than looking at these two as competitors on the roster, however, Indianapolis should look to utilize this duo the way the New England Patriots use Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. It’s becoming a dual tight end league, and Indy has a favorable outlook for years to come with their two youngsters.

Fleener is definitely the superior in terms of physical stature at 6’6” 252lbs. as opposed to Allen at 6’3” 255lbs. His athleticism figures to make him a more explosive downfield target whereas Allen looks the part of the prototypical old-world tight end better equipped to work between the hash marks and pick up yardage in small chunks.

Staying healthy will be critical to Fleener’s development during training camp, and getting as many reps as possible in the offense with Luck will play a large part in just what kind of role he has in 2013. The Colts have the tools in place to become a true force in the AFC for the next decade with how well they drafted a season ago. Fleener is a huge piece of that puzzle so expect him to see a lot more balls thrown his way during the upcoming season.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

To say that the offensive line was a mess for the San Diego Chargers a year ago would be a severe understatement. Quarterback Philip Rivers was sacked 49 times and hurt the turf on far more occasions than that during the course of the season. The team addressed those issues during the offseason with a few free agent signings as well as first round draft pick D.J. Fluker, but a question still remains in San Diego.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide tackle is a massive individual at 6’5” 339lbs., but some analysts still believe he would be best suited at guard at the NFL level. Fluker’s straight ahead mauling style would work well at the guard position, but he excelled as a tackle in college. Mike McCoy addressed those questions after the team’s mini-camp as he told reporters:

“Anything is possible. But where he is right now is where we think we are keeping him.”

Clearly the team could use an upgrade at right tackle where Jeromey Clary has been underachieving for the past three to four seasons. Kicking Clary inside to guard would mask some of his deficiencies as far as pass protection is concerned and get him closer to the center so that he isn’t committing false start penalties on an every drive basis as usual. That’s why McCoy is optimistic about Fluker remaining at tackle where he is most comfortable.

The man under center in Rivers is just as pumped about the new-look line as he told USA TODAY Sports:

“It’s been exciting to see how that group has taken form. There’s a lot of experience in there, and some new guys that are ready to go. Towards the end of last year, we were having a hard time dressing seven or eight guys hardly.

“It’s definitely going to be a group that has more depth and experience than we’ve had.”

As for how they will actually line up, that remains anybody’s guess, but the Chargers have gained plenty of flexibility along the line this offseason. Out are guys like Tyronne Green, Louis Vasquez, and Jared Gaither, and in are King Dunlap, Chad Rinehart, Max Starks, and Fluker. The new zone-blocking scheme under offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris will certainly give this team a fresh look in the trenches.

Some may look at the uncertainty with Fluker as a tackle or a guard as a negative, but for the Chargers it’s a huge positive. After spending last season helping Rivers up from the ground more often than not, hopefully the line can at least be more effective at doing its job in 2013 and keep the man in the pocket upright. There’s no doubt the big man from Bama will play a big role in that, regardless of where he actually ends up playing on the line.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Taking a player at the very beginning of the second round in the NFL Draft is now essentially a late first round pick in the eyes of many. As a late first rounder, certain expectations are placed above said pick, and when that potential remains unrealized many begin to question the logic of the selection in the first place.

Right now with the St. Louis Rams there are plenty of question marks surrounding last year’s top of the second round choice in wide receiver Brian Quick. There was tons of optimism coming out of rookie mini-camp last year when Quick first arrived on the scene, and many coaches and players alike were raving about his potential impact with the team.

Even with that initial hype, it seems that Quick may still be stuck at the number four spot on the team’s depth chart as far as receivers are concerned. That is really worrisome news given the fact that he manned that spot a year ago when both Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, both of whom left via free agency this offseason, were still with the team.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Quick is “doing a lot better” and has “stepped up this year, but he remains stuck in the four receiver spot with the team. The main cause for Quick being stuck in neutral is Austin Pettis who has been the standout of the offseason thus far. Schotty went on to explain the logic behind this to the team’s website saying:

“Quite honestly, (Pettis) is probably having the best camp of all the skill players. He’s a tireless worker, very competitive, can play all the spots which helps and he’s having a tremendous spring.”

Last season Pettis really established a rapport with quarterback Sam Bradford down the stretch as he caught multiple passes in four of the team’s final five games including two five-reception games in Weeks 14 and 15. With just 8.7 yards per catch (YPC) however, Quick could overcome Pettis with his 14.2 YPC from a season ago. There’s something to be said for consistency, but Quick clearly has the edge in upside which may warrant more playing time as time moves along.

Coming from a small school can take a little while to adjust to the league, and Appalachian State certainly qualifies in Quick’s case. Receivers coach Ray Sherman actually compared Quick to another former small schooler turned All-Pro in Terrell Owens last offseason which speaks volumes to his potential. Once the light finally comes on for Quick the Rams will be in the position to really reap the benefits of his physical talents.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

When a team selects a player in the top of any given NFL Draft, the odds are that expectations will be sometimes disproportionately high one said player. With the Cleveland Browns, their selection of Barkevious Mingo out of LSU with the sixth overall selection in this past April’s draft put some immediate anticipation on what he could provide to the team. As of right now, the jury is still out on what to expect in year one.

During minicamp, the Browns were using Mingo behind veteran free agent addition Paul Kruger and incumbent leading pass rusher Jabaal Sheard. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the rookie won’t be used in the upcoming season, but he may not earn a starting gig.

“Right now, the other two guys are better,” outside linebackers coach Brian Baker told The Plain Dealer during minicamp. “Every place I’ve been, I’ve always played the best guys and played those guys in the best positions. So if Barkevious beats one of those guys out, he’ll be a starter. Until then, they’re the starters.”

It seems simple enough to say, but the fact that Mingo hasn’t been wowing coaches as of yet is a bit concerning for a Browns franchise that hasn’t exactly had the best luck in the draft during their reincarnated history. Busts like Tim Couch and Courtney Brown still haunt the franchise as picks that were highly touted yet never panned out.

Clearly Mingo is going to get playing time, and at a position like outside linebacker where the team will utilize a rotation it really doesn’t matter who starts. Affectionately known as “KeKe”, Mingo has some serious upside potential that could really lead to big things for the lean pass rusher.

He told USA Today immediately after the draft that he expected to come in and fight for a job coming into camp. That type of attitude will go a long way in determining just how successful KeKe is in his first season with Cleveland. With the team having Sheard already entrenched at the position and big-time free agent acquisition Kruger joining the squad this offseason, Mingo has some solid mentors to learn from as a rookie.

Lining up against a tackle the caliber of Joe Thomas will certainly help him hone his craft over the years as well. If a pass rusher can learn to beat arguably the top left tackle in the business on a daily basis in practice, going up against the opposition’s blindside protectors should be a breeze.

Training camp will go a long way in determining just how much of the field KeKe sees in year one, but it wouldn’t be outlandish to expect him to see around 50 percent of the defensive snaps in 2013. It’s going to be a learning process for Mingo as a rookie, and he will likely have some streaky play this coming season.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

There is something to be said for a “honeymoon” period in any relationship. Whether it’s of the romantic variety or a professional one, those first moments with a partner in crime are generally the best when viewed with hindsight. For San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and his time spent with former head coach Norv Turner, that concept couldn’t have anymore truth to it as the upcoming Norv-less season approaches.

It wasn’t a divorce that Rivers sought exactly, but you could tell that the San Diego signal caller was getting a bit weighed down by the constant pressure placed on him by the previous man in charge. While new head coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt are in that aforementioned honeymoon phase entering the 2013 season, something tells me this vibe may last a little longer.

When asked about his adjustments to the new philosophies employed by McCoy and Whisenhunt as opposed to Turner, Rivers smugly told U-T San Diego:

“You haven’t seen the airmails as much? It has been smoother than I anticipated. I had myself mentally ready to struggle a little bit. I don’t know if I can say we’ve struggled.”

Want to get excited about the upcoming season on offense? Now is your chance.

The fact that the offense is all on the same page already at this stage in the overhaul according to Rivers is extremely encouraging. His sarcasm regarding the downfield throws is certainly warranted after some of the poor overthrows he has made over the course of the past two seasons. Given that Whisenhunt and McCoy have simplified things and tried to bring all of the reads in a little closer to Rivers to suit the current personnel is a huge plus for the upcoming season.

Obviously there will be some growing pains with new verbiage and a completely different offensive system, but the Chargers seem optimistic that they will be limited in scope. Arm strength has been a lingering question mark for Rivers throughout his career given his quirky delivery, and perhaps a new offense tailored to his strengths of quick, on-time throws will emphasize his strengths and really help him get his NFL career back on track.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

Depth and competition are two things that really improve a roster in a hurry. For the St. Louis Rams, the safety position is a spot of worry for the upcoming 2013 campaign after both starters from a year ago (Craig Dahl and Quintin Mikell) were let go during the offseason. The team has been doing everything within its power to make sure that those two attributes can be attributed to their depth chart when training camp opens in a little more than a month.

NFL players find new lives in new cities on many occasions in today’s world of free agency, and the Rams are hopeful that their latest signing, Matt Giordano, can fulfill that in his latest stop. St. Louis signed the former member of the Oakland Raiders on Friday to add some (you guessed it) depth and competition to the safety position.

In eight seasons in the league, Giordano has suited up for the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints in addition to his latest two-year stint in Oakland. His two years with the Raiders saw him lead the team in interceptions with five over that two season span.

There really aren’t many weaknesses left on the Rams defensively, but the safety positions remain the biggest concerns. Darian Stewart will be entering his fourth season in St. Louis, but this is the first time he is projected as a starter with the team. Rookie T.J. McDonald figures to have the inside track at the other starting safety gig, but there is no harm in adding an extra body into the mix to push these guys in camp.

Injuries are always a concern for every team as well, and if put in a bind Giordano would be a reliable player to plug in for backup purposes should the need arise. He has 32 starts in 100 career games and 22 of those have occurred over the past two years with the Raiders.

Will this move push the Rams from a fringe playoff team to a Super Bowl contender? Not exactly, but it is definitely a solid acquisition by head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead to give this team some much needed competition at an area of weakness. Even if Giordano doesn’t see much of the field during the season, his presence will have a positive effect on how the current starters fare during the 2013 campaign.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

There are plenty of weak areas on the San Diego Chargers roster, but the defense is one spot that should be considered a strength. It could be argued that the secondary still needs some work, and that is especially true after the veteran turnover that was experienced this past offseason.

With both Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason wearing new colors this fall, the Bolts will have a new look on the corners. Eric Weddle is the only returning starter in the entire secondary with the other three spots all in flux.

Marcus Gilchrist figures to play a big part in assembling the picture that is the San Diego secondary in the upcoming season, but just where he will be playing remains a bit of a mystery. As of right now Gilchrist is penciled in as the starting strong safety with Weddle playing the free spot.

Brandon Taylor had a promising rookie campaign last season that was derailed by a late season torn ACL. His recovery will be huge in determining just how Gilchrist figures into the puzzle in the secondary, but if he isn’t ready to go in the opening week, the corner is likely to switch back to safety where he played a bit in college at Clemson. Many believed a move to safety would be a wise choice for him coming into the 2011 NFL Draft, and the Chargers may be warming up to this position change.

Gilchrist has been productive as the nickel and dime corner along with Shareece Wright in the San Diego secondary during his first two years in the league with 93 combined total tackles and two picks which both came in his rookie year. He’s a super instinctive player with plenty of versatility in the secondary, but no one really sees Gilchrist as the future at corner for this team. As a great open field tackler, a move to safe could really help him to carve out a niche with the Bolts for years to come.

What we know for sure right now coming into the 2013 season is that Gilchrist brings plenty to the table for the Chargers in the secondary. Whether he lines up at safety for sure will likely be settled during training camp and the preseason where his battles with the team’s receivers will determine just where Gilchrist is best equipped to succeed this season.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.