Sports Betting Professor

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

If you aren't following Bernie Miklasz on Twitter, now might be a good time to start. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist just let followers know that the Rams have retained Goldman Sachs to help find a buyer for the team, and that selling to an out-of-town buyer could be an option.

This should shock no one. Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom has been open to offers. The latest development means the team will be seeking a buyer. It's what an owner does when being "open to offers" doesn't produce a buyer. 

Miklasz has filed a column providing additional details and analysis:

• Rosenbloom wants to sell to local owners, but none have stepped forward.
• Rosenbloom declined comment to Miklasz, saying he didn't want to disrupt efforts to build a winner. Might be too late on that one.
• The Rams can break their stadium lease agreement after the 2014 season if the Edward Jones Dome does not rank among the top eight NFL stadiums. Miklasz called that "virtually impossible" given that about two-thirds of NFL teams will have stadiums newer than the Edward Jones Dome by 2010.

Moving the Rams back to Los Angeles jumps out as an obvious possibility. The league has wanted to return to the city. The Rams have roots there. I'm heading to St. Louis for Rams minicamp next week. The team won't be gone by then, of course, but the NFL's future in St. Louis appears more tenuous without strong local candidates among potential buyers.

I had expected the Rams to take this step earlier given the massive estate-tax bill the current ownership group assumed once longtime owner Georgia Frontiere passed in January 2008. A prominent St. Louis tax expert provided the following information to me at that time:

The tax is due nine months after the date of death.

Upon application, the IRS has discretion to extend the payment date. This is usually for a limited amount of time. An extension prevents late-payment penalties, but interest will still be due from the original due date for payment.

There are also circumstances where payment of the tax can be deferred for a number of years. (Again, interest must still be paid.) Whether extended deferred payment is available is often a complicated question.

Ms. Frontiere's estate might be able to borrow to pay the tax. Or it might have assets other than the franchise that it can liquidate to pay the tax. Absent those options, and absent a deferral as described above, the estate would probably consider selling its interest in the franchise.

I asked the Rams to clarify this last season. They refused. I had not followed up on the matter this offseason. I do not know to what extent the estate-tax situation might be playing into Rosenbloom's decision. However, I wanted to pass along the information at this time, as it could help us understand one of the potential issues.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Just as I arrived at Minnesota's second day of minicamp, fashionably late after skipping the stretching portion, I saw the Vikings' offense in a decidedly unfamiliar formation.

Rookie Percy Harvin was lined up as a shotgun quarterback. Sage Rosenfels was split out wide.

What?

Yep. The Wildcat.

I've spent most of the past month believing there was no way that coach Brad Childress would consent to such a trendy formation, even after the Vikings' decision to draft Harvin — an ideal fit for the Wildcat — in the first round. Childress is a traditional, meat-and-potatoes offensive coach who never embraced the formation as it became fashionable last season.

But the Wildcat was in plain sight Saturday morning. Harvin, tailback Chester Taylor and receiver Darius Reynaud were all rotating in the quarterback role. You can only imagine how dangerous this could be when defenses follow tailback Adrian Peterson wherever he goes.

"I like [the Wildcat]," Peterson said. "You've got guys out there: Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Chester, me and the quarterbacks. When you get the majority of those guys on the field you really can create some things."

This is the time of year when teams experiment with their schemes, and there is no guarantee the Vikings will use the Wildcat in 2009. But I give Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell some credit for dusting off their playbook to maximize the skill players on their roster. (And make no mistake. Harvin is a good fit for the Wildcat, but so is Taylor. Using Taylor would eliminate one of the biggest pet peeves of the Black and Blue blog: Not getting him on the field with Peterson enough.)

On draft day, according to Bevell, Childress asked for a package of plays that would utilize Harvin's unique open-field running ability.

Bevell estimated he drew up a list of 20-30 plays. Half of them are totally new to the offense, Bevell said.

"We're up there trying to diagram everything we can," Bevell said. "We're looking at things we do. We're looking at things other teams have done."

I don't mean this to sound patronizing, but this really is a big step for the Vikings' offense. Many of us have wondered if the Vikings would just assimilate Harvin into the structure of their established offense. But it appears they might use Harvin's arrival as a catalyst for mixing things up in a broader way.

"Fortunately for us," said defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, "I'll be watching other teams try to defend [Harvin] and Adrian. And good luck to those defenses. We're fortunate that he's here."

A few quick hitters before I check out:

• Veteran Ryan Cook worked at right tackle with the first team Saturday after rookie Phil Loadholt handled that role Friday. You would expect that rotation to continue into training camp.
• Many of you have asked about the competition between Tarvaris Jackson and Rosenfels. I'm always hesitant to draw conclusions based on minicamp practices. I can tell you they're rotating with the first team on a fairly equal basis. Rosenfels looked sharp Saturday morning.
• Peterson said he has dropped his body fat down to six percent this offseason and currently weighs 216 pounds. That's actually two pounds less than where he played last season, but Peterson said he plans to add a few more before training camp. Regardless, it's highly unlikely Peterson will reach the 230-pound level he predicted earlier this offseason.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Miami Dolphins

• Palm Beach Post columnist Dave George likes the idea of Chad Henne taking over for Chad Pennington this year, not next.
• South Florida Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde wonders if Ted Ginn will break out in his third season.
• Ronnie Brown proclaims himself an elite NFL running back, Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero writes.
• Brandon Frye has been the benefactor of right guard Donald Thomas' injury, Nick Schmit writes for the Sun-Sentinel.

Buffalo Bills

• Niagara Gazette sports editor Tim Schmitt notes nobody's talking about how cornerback Leodis McKelvin hurt his finger. It wasn't football-related.
• Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan catches up with defensive tackle Marcus Stroud about building off a fine first impression.
• Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com takes a look back on how the Bills managed to go winless in the AFC East last year.

New England Patriots

• Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald chats with cornerback Shawn Springs about going from new guy to leader.
• Quincy Patriot Ledger reporter Glen Farley writes outside linebacker Shawn Crable was reduced to mental reps as a rookie.

New York Jets

• New York Post reporter Mark Cannizzaro looks at the longest shot to make the roster: long-snapper Anthony Harris.
• Gary Myers of the New York Daily News writes the Jets are among the growing list of teams to hit the lottery.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Cornerback Antoine Winfield's absence dominated the headlines from the first day of Minnesota's minicamp, but I wanted to circle back with a few more observations. In no particular order:

• Rookie Phil Loadholt worked at right tackle with the first team for all of the drills I saw. Last year's starter, Ryan Cook, replaced the injured Anthony Herrera at right guard. Herrera is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and isn't likely to be ready to practice until training camp, coach Brad Childress said. It's not clear who would have been at right tackle had Herrera been healthy, but I think everyone agrees it's just a matter of time before Loadholt takes over the job. I got a question on our new Facebook page (Kevin Seifert Espn) about comparing the size of Loadholt and left tackle Bryant McKinnie. Here's my observation: McKinnie is taller and Loadholt is thicker.
• Part of the agreement between the Pro Football Writers of America and the NFL is that media members can watch the entire minicamp practice so long as specific proprietary information isn't reported. Mostly, that includes detailed descriptions of plays and formations that could aid an opponent if divulged. That said, I can tell you that the Vikings were using rookie receiver Percy Harvin in some new and intriguing ways, some of them involving the backfield. We've had some discussions on this blog about whether the Vikings might or might not take advantage of Harvin's versatility, but very early indications are that they will make some adjustments.
• It was to see defensive end Kenechi Udeze back on the field and practicing in full, working with defensive reserves on a rotating basis. Udeze missed last season because of leukemia and is attempting a remarkable comeback. I'll have more on his story next week.
• Coach Brad Childress went out of his way to downplay comments attributed last week to nose tackle Pat Williams, who seemed to be questioning the work ethic of quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Childress called Jackson "one of the hardest-working guys you're going to find on this 85-man roster right here." He also defended Williams and said: "I've listened to Pat talk to Tarvaris about that since Tarvaris has been here. I'm not sure his comments [should be] cast as criticism." I'm in agreement. I've said all along that Williams sometimes struggles to make a clear point. I highly doubt he intended his comments to be biting. In fact, Childress said Williams visited him the next day in his office to explain.
• Speaking of quarterbacks, Jackson took the first snaps of the team drills before rotating with Sage Rosenfels. Jackson threw a pretty pass down the left sideline to Bernard Berrian, who had run past cornerback Benny Sapp.
• As for That Other Quarterback, Childress said "nothing has changed" on the Brett Favre front since he discussed the matter last week. If the Vikings had a Friday deadline for signing Favre, it passed quietly. I still don't think we're close to a resolution on this issue.

That's it for now. Check back throughout the weekend for more.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC presidents have spoken, and the days of signing as many players as a coach wants  in this league are over.

Starting immediately, the SEC will cap football signees each year at 28. The coaches had favored capping it at 30, but the presidents voted Friday to cap it at 28.

Schools can only bring in a maximum of 25 players each fall, but some schools over-sign and then whittle that number down to get to 25.

The SEC schools can probably thank Ole Miss and Houston Nutt for this new legislation, which will go into effect whether it passes at the national level or not. The Rebels signed 37 players in February. Of course, Arkansas also signed 32.

Also, the football coaches had wanted to expand from two to four graduate assistants, but that proposal was shot down.

Slive ended the meetings by announcing that the league will distribute about $132.5 million to its 12 schools for the 2008-09 fiscal year. That's a 4 percent increase from last year.

Next year, when the new television contracts with ESPN and CBS kick in, that figure will climb even more, or in Slive's words, be "more robust."

What recession, right?

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

In conjunction with the story about what kind of football player LeBron James would be, I asked you who you thought belonged on an AFC South basketball team.

(Thanks to Charles in Jacksonville who pointed me to this at jaguars.com. Ryan Robinson recently asked some players to put together their team of teammates.)

Some of you really got into it, so here's a sampling of the best responses before I give you my starting five. Special props to the first two here, for the way they framed each selection in the context of an NBAer:

Dan in Neptune Beach, FL: PG – Maurice Jones-Drew (Nate Robinson) SG – Courtland Finnegan (Shane Battier) SF – Andre Johnson (LeBron James) PF – Keith Bulluck (Ron Artest) C – Marcedes Lewis (Tim Duncan) Smallish lineup, but defensive oriented.

Darren in TN: Like the "Pick an AFC South b-ball team" idea, so I'll give you mine. PG- Chris Johnson (Titans) ~ Probably would be the fastest player in basketball, would be compared to Chris Paul, he could drive into the lane and score easy layups blowing by defenders, and he could probably drain jumpers too. SG- Reggie Wayne (Colts) ~ A pretty big guy but not too big (i.e. Kobe Bryant) that could push into the defense and get dunks and layups as well as shoot jumpers when needed. SmF- Bob Sanders (Colts) ~ I could see this guy being a LeBron James type that would give it his all to score points, plus he'd be a threat on defense like LeBron. PwF- Andre Johnson (Texans) ~ A big guy who reminds me of Kevin Garnett, big guy who can shoot jumpers, make dunks, and play great defense. C- John Henderson (Jaguars) ~ I would have picked Albert Haynesworth but he's no longer in the AFC South. Henderson is a big big guy like Shaq but not as tall. He would knock guys down getting into the paint and slamming down dunks and blocking shots.

Also considered: Maurice Jones-Drew, Steve Slaton, Vince Young, Michael Griffin.

TSizzlefoRizzizzle12: I don't know why we'd use Chris Johnson as a point guard, quickness doesn't translate into skill and CJ is nowhere near tall enough (talk Aaron Brooks all you like, but there's only one in the NBA). Also, running a true center is inconceivable, the tallest players in the NFL are 6-8 while the tallest in the NBA are anywhere from 7-0 to 7-6 (so we're going to play small ball here, spread the court with athletic slashers and good shooters).

PF: Mario Williams (I agree with the consensus I guess, he's very athletic and strong)
PF: Jared Cook (that athleticism that wows people at camp would be put to good use here)
SF: Andre Johnson (Read: Jared Cook)
SG: Vince Young (Prototypical size, good speed and athleticism, streaky)
PG: Justin Gage (He played basketball, remember? I'd feel better with a former player at the most important position on the court)

I leave out Jags players only out of my unfamiliarity with the franchise

okaythisisajoke: Connor Barwin played college basketball.
I'd say:
C: Mario Williams
PF: Marcedes Lewis
SF: Connor Barwin
SG: Vince Young
PG: Bob Sanders/Chris Johnson

I'd be OK with any of the RBs playing PG; Slaton, MJD, or Addai. But Chris Johnson is the fastest; he'd be our Monta Ellis or Aaron Brooks. We definitely lack height in the paint no matter how you slice it, but Mario and Lewis both have the strength to box out. Plus, Mario can jump pretty damn high. I assume Barwin is fundamentally solid if he played, so he's our talent pick. The rest are just based on athleticism; Vince Young has length and speed, like a T-Mac, Durant, or Tayshaun.

bpenner21: PG- Peyton Manning- more for comedy, but hey he'd get you the ball and can read the d and possibly his accuracy can translate into a shot if necessary. Plus good basketball sizeSG- Andre Johnson- Crazy athlete and X factor
SF- Justin Gage- Has the size and speed
PF- Vince Young- Another guy with pure athletism with good size and a play maker
C- Mario Williams- can bounce with the big boys to get the boards and would be a beast down in the paint

On the Bench
Kerry Collins- Has the size, will make VY sweat
MJD- Good vision, quick, ain't scared of nobody
Steve Slaton- Would quicken pace of the game if needed
Reggie Wayne- Manning to Wayne for the alley oop??
Bob Sanders- Just because he's Bob Sanders

brandvold3: PG: Maurice Jones-Drew (Jags)…fast and smart
SG: Chris Johnson (Titans)…one of, if not, the quickest player in the league
SF: Andre Johnson (Texans)…crazy athletic
PF: Mario Williams (Texans)…moves good for a big
C: John Henderson (Jags)…would man the boards and control the paint

Bench:
Vince Young (Titans)…versatili ty and athleticism allows him to play 1,2, 3 possibly
Dwight Freeney(Colts)..firs t big off the bench whos quick and could hold own in the block
Reggie Wayne (Colts)..athletic and versatile who could play 1,2 or 3 if neccessary
Greg Estandia (Jags)…big man who could block shots with length
Rashean Mathis (Jags)…athletic, quick, could run the show if needed

I think that we would run-n-gun a little with this team

Michael Pablo: PG- Cortland Finnegan- I heard he looked pretty good this summer at a charity game
SG- Andre Johnson- Such raw athleticism
SF- Jared Cook- Same as Johnson. Combination of size and athletic skill set make him a good option
PF- Mario Williams- Very good size, athleticism combination
C- John Henderson- he's gotta play some mean low post D 
 

CSinicola24: C – Greg Estandia (Jags) 6-8 – 260 from UNLV (Biggest guy in the division)
PF – Mario Williams (Texans) – 6-6 -280 – More of a Big Baby (Celts) type player
SF – Andre Johnson (Texans) – If your hands are that good, you cant be forgotten
SG – Reggie Wayne (Colts) – U of M standouts are typically good ballers
PG – Maurice Jones Drew (Jags) – The next Spud Webb?

Chari in Syracuse: PG: Steve Slaton-small quick and good decision maker SG: Justin Gage-tall physical guard, good be great defensive player. SF: Peyton Manning- point forward and team leader PF: Marcedes Lewis- Big body and great leaper. Could be big time rebounder. C: Greg Estandia- I believe the tallest player in the division. More height and strength on the inside. Other sport star: Check out Jarett Dillard's vertical and lets put him in the high jump on the track team.

AntAnt90: Point Guard: Chris Johnson – (TITANS) Johnson can be very similar to Houston Rockets guard Aaron Brooks because of the speed.
Shooting Guard: Vince Young – (TITANS) Nice size. Has speed to get to the hole.
Small Foward: Andre Johnson – (TEXANS) Pure length. Reminds me of a Lamar Odom.
Power Foward: Jason Jones – (TITANS) Big guy that has the size to be physical in the paint. (6-5 275)
Center: Mario Williams – (TEXANS) The biggest, best athlete in the division.

BoSox3091: Center – Mario Williams (Texans): Big body to stir things up down low
Power Foward – Dwight Freeney(Colts): Quickness and size at this position is key
Small Foward – Dallas Clark(Colts): Has the agility and size for the position
Shooting Guard – Vince Young(Titans): Size and athleticism to play the 2 guard
Point Guard – Maurice Jones-Drew(Jags): Speed and quickness to get to the hoop

awr2h: Center- Mario Williams (Texans): Big, strong, and athletic
Power Forward- Jared Cook (Titans): Tall and good jumping ability
Small Forward- Marcedes Lewis (Jags): Seems to have the skill set
Shooting Guard- Andre Johnson (Texans): Tall and fast
Point Guard- Chris Johnson (Titans): Fast, good vision, and good leaping ability

James Neil: I don't know about the rest of the team, but two positions are not up for debate. Peyton Manning must be the point guard, because of his ability to direct the team, call the plays, and set everyone in the right position. The other must, Mario Williams has to be either the center or power forward. In addition to being able to beat out any other player at those positions from any other division, I understand that he was a heck of a player in high school in North Carolina. He's just too strong and quick to be left off this team.

Justin in Alcoa: PG-Andre Johnson SG-Justin Gage SF-Vince Young PF-Jason Jones C-Michael Roos. Gage is 6'4 and played basketball at Mizzou. Andre and Vince are both tall and have great atheleticism. VY played in high school and averaged over 25 a game. Andre averaged 34.3 ppg and 12.2 rpg in high school. Jason Jones lettered in basketball in high school. Roos is huge, at 6'7 and 315 lbs. He also lettered as a basketball player.

Paul in Arlington, VA: PG – Maurice Jones-Drew SG – Reggie Wayne SF – Andre Johnson PF – Bo Scaife C – John Henderson (would have been Haynesworth)

Jeff in Jacksonville: Paul my starting 5 would be, Point Guard (Chris Johnson – Speed ability to cut to basket),Shooting Guard (Peyton Manning – Most Accurate QB in the league, you need a sharp shooter) Shooting Forward (Andre Johnson – Best Athlete in AFC South), ,Power Forward (Greg Estandia – most athletic TE on Jags and he is 6'8 265), Center (John Henderson – Now that Haynesworth is gone Big John will have to man the middle, I bet he could give shaq a run for his money).

My Reserves would be Maurice Jones-Drew (PG), Reggie Wayne(SG), Vince Young (SF), and Richard Angulo "6'8 – TE" (PF/C).

Lastly I would sign Free Agent Matt Jones, and Reggie Williams to fill my final two spots since they wouldnt be busy playing football. Paul I would give up almost all of these guys if you was to give me the Jags 06-07 WR corp and the two DT's. You would have Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, Ernest Wilford and Mercedes Lewis with John Henderson and Marcus Stroud in the middle. All of these guys averaged over 6'4 and where all over 200lbs imagine 5 guys the size of lebron James on your team I'm sure they could win you a NBA championship just make sure not to put them on the football field.

Adam in Houston: SG- Reggie Wayne WR/ Colts PG- Bob Sanders S/ Colts SF- Jevon Kearse DE/ Titans PF- Connor Barwin DE/Texans C- Mario Williams DE/ Texans

Carson in Houston: Obviously Mario Williams is the big man down low, and by big, I mean 6'7" and 295. Add to that an almost 7'0" wingspan, and it is all too clear that he'd be going Wilt Chamberlain on the rest of the AFC South. Andre Johnson 6'3" and 228 wouldn't make a bad shooting guard either. The Texans TE/H-Back James Casey played minor league ball for the White Sox, but you already knew that.

After reading through all your feedback and my own careful consideration, here's the starting team I'd put on the floor:

PG — Maurice Jones-Drew (running back, Jacksonville)
I think his toughness would be ideal, and since we don't have a lot of height to select from, we're going to have to be tough. I picture him as a real floor general. And we tend to underrate his wheels — he was also a sprinter in high school — because he's compared to Chris Johnson and Steve Slaton.
Backup: Johnson. I'll take Johnson over Slaton as CJ played basketball at Olympia High School in Orlando.

SG — Justin Gage (receiver, Tennessee)
He played three seasons of college hoop at Missouri, averaging over 14 minutes. I envision him playing great defense and being a solid shooter. With the most high-level hoop experience, he's the guy who might settle this team down in pressure moments.
Backup: Vince Young. No denying his athleticism, I just couldn't leave him off and this seems like the spot.

SF — Andre Johnson (receiver, Houston)
The guy is a phenomenal athlete and was mentioned by you in this slot more than anyone at any position. I agree. He lettered in basketball at Miami (Fla.) Senior High School. He's going to be undersized, but should come to be able hold his own defensively against bigger guys. Backup: Connor Barwin played 23 games as a walk-on at Cincinnati in 2006.

PF — Jason Jones (defensive end, Titans)
Going with experience here, where there maybe other athletes who are more attractive or qualify as bigger names. Jones was a stud basketball player at Lathrup High School in Southfield Mich., averaging 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 2003-04 and winning MVP of the Motor City Roundball Classic. I am suitably impressed, and have been told he was "great" in a recent charity game in Nashville.
Backup: Greg Estandia, who was an all-league basketballer as a senior at Moorpark (Calif.) High School. At 6-8, 265 he gives us additional size.

C — Mario Williams (defensive end, Houston)
The best combination of big and athletic to be found in the division, I think. Like anyone in this exercise, he's going to need help when asked to defend a bigger center. As Carson points out above, Williams' giant wingspan is a plus.
Backup: John Henderson. At 6-7, 335 he can wear down some people inside helping make things easier for Williams.

Sixth man/Swing — Reggie Wayne (receiver, Indianapolis)
As brandvold3 points out above, Wayne could be versatile enough to play either guard spot or small forward. I could see him bringing high energy off the bench for a boost on offense or to cool off someone by getting in his face on D.
Backup: Dwight Freeney. At only 6-1, he's going to have to use his quickness and I'm going to hope he's got a good handle. He earned four varsity letters at Bloomfield (Conn.) High School in basketball and only three in football.

Toughest to leave off: Marcedes Lewis was awfully tempting. But I found it difficult not to mark him down for his tendency to drop passes. This team can't afford to turn over the basketball.

Now who wants to do a baseball team. Kidding. I think. Check back with me during the slow weeks of July.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Simms

I know we addressed this subject Thursday, but there has been a small uproar in Denver concerning the fact that Chris Simms worked out extensively with the first-team offense during Thursday's organized team actiivites (OTAs).

Again, don't fret Kyle Orton supporters. It would be a complete upset if Simms wins the right to replace Jay Cutler as the starting quarterback in Denver.

Sure, Denver coach Josh McDaniels is publicly saying Orton and Simms are competing, but the job is Orton's to lose. Sure, if Orton is terrible in McDaniels' system and Simms is brilliant, then Simms will get the job.

But if the two are equal in camp, the job likely is going to go to Orton, who was part of the Cutler trade with Chicago. The Broncos targeted Orton and he was one of the primary reasons the trade with Chicago was made. Orton has recent playing experience. Simms, who was originally signed to be Cutler's backup, has been riddled by injuries.

It all points in Orton's direction. It will continue that way unless there is a dramatic change during the preseason.

	G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images
	Gaines Adams has worked on becoming more than a one-move guy in his pass rush.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

TAMPA, Fla. — Listen to Gaines Adams and Todd Wash talk a bit. You'll hear some refreshing honesty and maybe get some legitimate hope that Adams finally is ready to justify his lofty draft status.

It would be easy for Adams, a third-year defensive end with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Wash, his position coach, to fall back on the old line about how "sacks don't tell the whole story." Give them both credit for giving the hard — and honest — answer.

When it comes to a defensive end, who was drafted fourth overall in 2007, it's all about sacks. When you walk out of Clemson tied with Michael Dean Perry for the school record with 28 sacks and have a set of skills similar to Jevon Kearse or Jason Taylor, you're supposed to step right into the NFL and produce double-digit sacks every season.

When you run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds at your pre-draft workout and sign a six-year contract worth $46 million, it's supposed to be easy.

Fact is, it hasn't been and Adams and Wash freely admit that and tell you how they're trying to fix it.

"We're hoping his numbers come up from the past years," Wash said. "He's had good pressure on quarterbacks, but he just hasn't had the numbers that we were anticipating out of him."

You can point to someone like Atlanta's Jamaal Anderson, who was a top-10 pick in the same draft, and make a case that Adams hasn't been a total bust in his first two seasons. He had six sacks as a rookie and 6.5 last year while making 38 tackles each season. But those numbers, Adams and Wash say, aren't good enough — and they're right.

"A lot of people want the stats right away," Adams said. "As a football player, I wanted the same and I expected the same. But now I realize there are a lot of things you have to do to make those stats happen and I wasn't doing all of those things. Now I am and I hope that will make a difference."

There are a lot of things different for Adams and the Buccaneers. Start with the coaching change. Jon Gruden is out and Raheem Morris is in. More importantly, Jim Bates is the defensive coordinator and Monte Kiffin and the legendary Tampa 2 scheme are gone.

"We've changed some approach angles from the Tampa 2 and Coach Kiff," Wash said. "What we do now is really defensive-end friendly. I think it's going to allow Gaines, and all our ends, to rush the passer more and be more effective. He's not going to be hunkered down on any big defensive tackles in the tight five. He's playing real wide and he's always going to be playing pass first, which is obviously Gaines' strength."

But there's more to it than simply turning Adams loose as a pure speed rusher. That's basically what the Bucs tried to do in his first two seasons and it brought the knock from fans that Adams had no pass-rush moves.

Adams and Wash don't dispute that one bit.

"He's been kind of a one-move guy; just a spin off his speed," Wash said. "But now we're trying to develop a little bit more and get a little more usage of his hands."

That should be music to Bucs fans everywhere, who repeatedly have watched Adams get handled by some mediocre tackles. Adding some moves sounds good in theory, but Wash and Adams have spent the past several months working hard to make it a reality.

Start with the weight room. Everyone knew Adams had to get stronger and, by all accounts, he has.

"When he came in, he simply did not have the strength to go in there against some of the big tackles," Wash said. "Now, he can man up against these guys. He can play the run and that's also going to help within his pass rush.

"Everybody in the league knows he's a speed guy off the edge. We've got to develop some power moves. With the added strength, it's given him a lot of confidence to try to develop some of those power moves that we've been trying to get him to have in the last two years."

Adams is even more blunt in his assessment of his first two seasons.

"I didn't have the strength to rush with anything more than my speed," Adams said.

Wash and Adams have been working on power moves on the practice field, but there and the weight room aren't the only places they've spent the offseason. People around One Buccaneer Place will first make it a point to say Adams has never been considered a slacker, before adding he's been spending a lot more time at the facility this offseason and seems much more serious about the game.

He's been a regular in the film room and he's doing something he's never done before. In past years, Adams would wait until the week of a game to watch film of the opposing offensive tackle. This spring, he's spent countless hours watching film of every tackle he's supposed to match up against this season.

He's also spent time watching a lot of film of Jason Taylor, who Bates had great success with in Miami, as well as Lawrence Taylor and Kearse. Adams has tried to borrow a bit from each of those great pass-rushers.

But, perhaps more than anything else, he's taken a lesson from himself.

"I came into this league thinking I could just go out and dominate with my speed because that's what I did in college," Adams said. "But it doesn't work that way. You've got to put in a lot of time and effort to really set yourself apart."

Adams is trying to set himself apart. He's gotten physically stronger, become more of a student of the game and grown as a person. It's involved some serious looks in the mirror, but maybe when the season comes, we'll all see the reflection of a strong, smart and productive pass-rusher.

	Paul Spinelli/Getty Images
	The San Diego Chargers hope the return of Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman can help put them over the top.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The San Diego Chargers have been the fourth-winningest team in the NFL since 2003, displaying consistency and stability for more than half of this decade.

But the league doesn't give trophies for the fourth best. It gives trophies for Super Bowl victories, and the Chargers don't have any. It's the only thing separating them from the league's elite.

Since general manager A.J. Smith took over in 2003, the Chargers have won 58 regular-season games. New England leads the NFL with 77 wins over that span. Indianapolis has 75 wins, Pittsburgh has 62 wins and the Chargers are next. The big difference? New England and Pittsburgh have won two Super Bowls and the Colts have added one.

Smith is proud of the Chargers' consistency since he took over, but he is far from satisfied. He wanted to cash in with at least one championship.

"It separates us from the big boys," said Smith, who was well aware of the statistical breakdown when asked about it. "We've really done nothing. The wins are nice. But those other teams have what we want. They got it done. We just have to keep pounding."

San Diego, which kept to its free-agent routine of adding only complementary pieces, continues to have one of the best rosters in the league, and its centerpiece players are either in or close to their primes.

Smith points to the Colts' Super Bowl pursuit as inspiration. Indianapolis kept plugging away in the postseason until it finally won the Super Bowl after the 2006 season. The Chargers have been knocking on the door. They won the past three AFC West championships. San Diego made it to the AFC Championship Game in 2007 and the divisional round last season.

The Chargers are coming off a strange 2008 season, when they started slowly for the second straight year. Despite high expectations, they were on the brink of elimination from the playoffs. They rescued themselves with a torrid December and became the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting the season with a 4-8 record. The Chargers then knocked off the Colts in a wild-card playoff game before losing to Pittsburgh, the eventual Super Bowl winner.

"The guys heard all the talk," Smith said. "Hopefully, last year showed them that talk is just that."

San Diego quarterback and leader Philip Rivers said he believes the team has learned that expectations and reality are two different things. Rivers knows that the Chargers have been one of the best teams in the league.

"The best thing to do is to block out all of the expectations and all the talk, just block it out," Rivers said. "Last year, we talked about an urgency to finish what we started. But last year showed us that anything can happen. So instead of talking or even thinking about things, let's just go and play. … It's nice to know that we're among the league leaders in wins this decade, but the best thing to do is to try to keep everything in perspective and go win games. It really doesn't matter if you don't get it done."

Smith prefers not to discuss a potential Super Bowl run. He routinely mentions that the goal is to reach the playoffs and then see what happens. Smith, however, did admit that he feels comfortable the Chargers will be ready to compete for a playoff spot.

San Diego added linebacker Kevin Burnett through free agency and drafted pass-rusher Larry English in the first round of the draft. The team will also get back superstar linebacker Shawne Merriman. He missed all but one game last season because of knee surgery. The offense virtually remains the same.

Smith is also a huge supporter of head coach Norv Turner. Much maligned, Turner has proved to be a strong playoff coach in his two seasons in San Diego.

"We are comfortable with our pieces," Smith said. "We like what we have … but we have to go show it when it counts. Hopefully, the team is a little sick and tired of getting close. Hopefully, we will put it all together. Until we do, we'll just be another team that is chasing what the big boys have."

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

It's never too early to start looking at the key stretches in each team's schedule, those three or four weeks that could make or break a season. So here goes:

Alabama
Sept. 26: Arkansas at home, Oct. 3: Kentucky on the road, Oct. 10: Ole Miss on the road — It doesn't look like a menacing stretch on paper, but it's still early enough in the season that the Crimson Tide could be sorting things out on the offensive line. And winning at Ole Miss would put them in commanding position in the Western Division race.

Arkansas
Sept. 26: Alabama on the road, Oct. 3: Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 10: Auburn at home, Oct. 17: Florida on the road, Oct. 24: Ole Miss on the road — Talk about a killer schedule. If the Hogs are still standing after this stretch, look out. Nobody in the country has a more difficult road schedule.

Auburn
Oct. 3: Tennessee on the road, Oct. 10: Arkansas on the road, Oct. 17: Kentucky at home, Oct. 24: LSU on the road — The swing game in this stretch is the one at Tennessee. Coming off four straight home games to start the season, the Tigers could really generate some momentum by winning in Knoxville.

Florida
Oct. 10: LSU on the road, Oct. 17: Arkansas at home, Oct. 24: Mississippi State on the road, Oct. 31: Georgia in Jacksonville — Remember, it was at home where the Gators lost last season, and the Arkansas game does fall on the heels of Florida's trip to LSU. If the Gators are going to lose next season, it likely will come during this stretch. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Florida is off the week before the LSU game.

Georgia
Sept. 5: Oklahoma State on the road, Sept. 12: South Carolina at home, Sept. 19: Arkansas on the road, Sept. 26: Arizona State at home — There are a bunch of unknowns for the Bulldogs going into the season, and they sure don't ease their way into the schedule. Surviving the first month of the season will be critical. If they do, this could be a team that surprises some people. If they don't, it could be a long year in Athens.

Kentucky
Nov. 14: Vanderbilt on the road, Nov. 21: Georgia on the road, Nov. 28: Tennessee at home — The Wildcats are gunning for their fourth straight bowl appearance, and here's betting that it comes down to the last three games of the season to find out if they're bowl eligible. Looking at the Wildcats' early schedule, they might have to win two of their last three to keep their postseason streak alive.

LSU
Sept. 26: Mississippi State on the road, Oct. 3: Georgia on the road, Oct. 10: Florida at home — LSU is the only one of the Western Division favorites (Alabama and Ole Miss) that has to face Florida next season, and the Tigers get the Gators coming off back-to- back road games. Winning one of those games against Georgia and Florida is a must if LSU doesn't want to be out of the West race by the middle of October.

Ole Miss
Sept. 24: South Carolina on the road, Oct. 3: Vanderbilt on the road, Oct. 10: Alabama at home — Are the Rebels for real? We find out right away. It's never easy to go to Columbia, S.C., and play on Thursday night. That Vanderbilt trip looms as a trap game right before the home showdown with Alabama. All in all, it's a pretty cushy schedule for the Rebels if they make it through this early stretch.

Mississippi State
Sept. 12: Auburn on the road, Sept. 19: Vanderbilt on the road, Sept. 26: LSU at home, Oct. 3: Georgia Tech at home — Dan Mullen's first two SEC games as a head coach are on the road, which should tell us a lot about his first Mississippi State team. If the Bulldogs can go 2-2 in this stretch, then a .500 or better record at the end of season remains entirely possible.

South Carolina
Sept. 3: North Carolina State on the road, Sept. 12: Georgia on the road, Sept. 19: Florida Atlantic at home, Sept. 24: Ole Miss at home — The start to the season is crucial for the Gamecocks. They have two Thursday night games in the first four weeks, starting with the trip to Raleigh. Anything less than a 2-2 start would be bad news for Steve Spurrier and his ball players.

Tennessee
Oct. 3: Auburn at home, Oct. 10: Georgia at home, Oct. 24: Alabama on the road, Oct. 31: South Carolina at home — More than ever, the Vols have to protect their home turf next season. They get a week off in the middle of this particular stretch, which helps. But that Auburn game at home looms as critical if the Vols want to go to a bowl, as does that game on the back end at home against the Gamecocks.

Vanderbilt
Oct. 31: Georgia Tech at home, Nov. 7: Florida on the road, Nov. 14: Kentucky at home, Nov. 21: Tennessee on the road — There's nothing easy about having a tough nonconference game like Georgia Tech thrown in right before you go to Florida and then it comes down to the two games it always comes down to for the Commodores if they're going to be bowl eligible — Kentucky and Tennessee.