The draft is over. There aren’t all that many surprises. Mark Sanchez ended up getting taken earlier in the first round than expected and was sent to the Jets. Michael Crabtree was sent to the 49ers at a worse-than-expected 10th pick in the first round. Otherwise, most of the players were taken as expected. Individual teams are looking at what they have now and looking for the trades that they might need to make as they move forward. The biggest news were about the quarterbacks that were taken, including Sanchez and Matthew Stafford, who went to Detroit at the #1 pick, for the team that really needs a QB this coming year!

The Arizona Cardinals are still trying to shop Anquan Boldin out to other teams, but they say that the chances are high that he will stay with his present team instead. There were reports that the Baltimore Ravens might be very interested in getting him, but this turned out not to work. There has been one team offering something for Boldin, but the Cardinals haven’t said who it was. But they said that they were looking into different trading possibilities, but the offer they received wasn’t even close to what they could have taken for such a talented player. Thus, the chances of him staying in Arizona seem high. He seems to fit in their system very well, so perhaps it’ll be really good for both parties.

The Detroit Lions have unveiled a new logo, which they hope will bring them back from their 0-16 season last year. The team struggled throughout the season, and were ultimately unable to pull out a single win the whole year. Next time, they will be able to pull out at least one win. There are discussions that they might try to get a QB in the upcoming draft. But there are weaknesses in a lot of places for them, so many things could be an improvement. Their new logo is pretty nice though, and it makes them seem a little bit tougher. Plus, it looks a little bit like the Patriots’ logos and uniforms. A good omen?

Football announcer, John Madden decided to retire after he announced his last game which was this year Super Bowl. Madden has been in the business of broadcasting for three decades and is deciding to call it quits midway through his six year contract with NBC sports. Madden clams that his health is fine and at the age of 73, he felt it was time to start spending more time with his family. Madden just celebrated his 50^th wedding anniversary last fall, he also has five grandchildren that are all older.  Cris Collinsworth is scheduled to replace Madden in the both for this year’s upcoming football season. Madden is also known for his travel by bus because of his fear of flying. Traveling by bus took longer to get to games and this caused Madden to be away from his family for a longer period of time.

Kansas City is a very new kind of team this coming year. It’s not clear whether they will be a contender, but with Matt Cassel in the pocket, they could be a real force in the league this time around. Now, they have taken in a Pro-Bowl linebacker (7 times no less) Zach Thomas to put give the team a heavy push and back it up. Thomas was with Dallas last season and was a dominant player. With Mike Vrabel and Derrick Johnson in the linebacker system, the team will be ready to back their line, as it were, very effectively this season. It’s going to be a much better season for the Chiefs than the last couple of seasons were. Get ready for some fun!

The NFL Draft is on the way and there are lots of good players ready for the taking. Of course, there are several QBs that some teams are looking at very closely, particularly those who have been unable to pick up a major quarterback recently. Then there are other kinds of players that are less desired, including those who are in the offensive and defensive lines. It’s not that teams don’t want them, but they’re simply less likely to be taken during the first round or anything. The players that are prospects seem to be mainly the players that people have been watching for awhile anyway, including the players on seuccessful teams as well as those with the potential to develop into impressive players in the NFL. Take a look at the list of the best prospects to see what you think.

Jay Cutler will be a Chicago Bear starting this season. This guy has had a big fracas with the people in Denver but now he’s going to be able to jump into the show in Chicago. Chicago has had a lot of trouble with quarterbacks over the last few decades and will be happy to have a permanent kind of quarterback. In exchange, Denver will get a decent (or perhaps very good) quarterback in Kyle Orton, and several draft picks that will come to the team in the next few years. Hopefully for Chicago, Cutler will be able to play with this team that has been troublesome over the last couple of years. The rest of the team will have to measure up and we’ll see if they do.