Cowboys coach Phillips faces tough over-the-shoulder catch
He went 13-3 in his first season as Cowboys head coach, but Wade Phillips failed to deliver a playoff victory. Now the noted nice guy must deal with his replacement only a Jerry Jones audible away, Pete Prisco says. 

How well do we really know the distant Harrison?
When the news broke that Marvin Harrison could have been involved in a weekend shooting, most people asked 'Could Marvin have done this?' The answer is who knows? No one really knows these athletes and what they are capable of, Pete Prisco says. 

Prospect Samardzija won't second-guess his diamond decision
Jeff Samardzija took a big contract from the Cubs to play baseball and leave football behind. The former Notre Dame football star says he has no regrets, only the same goals as his Tennessee Smokies teammates, he tells Pete Prisco.  

Insider: Heads up, veterans, draftees want your jobs
You can bet that veterans are working a little harder this week. After teams inject youthful talent in the draft, veterans everywhere are feeling the pressure. Pete Prisco breaks down the biggest battles to come.  

Drafting '09: Georgia QB Stafford starts out as top dog
The smoke hasn't cleared on the 2008 draft, but Pete Prisco likes to stay at least one ahead. He delivers his top 32 prospects for 2009 with Georgia's big-armed QB Matt Stafford atop the list. 

Draft grades: Chiefs set the curve
Way to go, Chiefs. With several trades, they were able to stockpile draft picks and the front office scored big time, grading an A+ from Pete Prisco. The Cowboys, Dolphins, Giants and Redskins did OK, too, earning A's. 

Let's see if the Ravens get Bollered-over by Flacco
Another draft, another Ravens move that has Pete Prisco rubbing his eyes. Raw QB Joe Flacco at No. 18? Really? With Kyle Boller's failure still fresh in Baltimore, it's wrong to bank on a player with as many cons as pros. 

Mock this: Here's how I would run things
Getting nauseous on mock drafts? Pete Prisco feels your pain. He's sick and tired of guessing where players might end up. In fact, he's ready to take over and start directing. So, in a Prisco utopia, here's how the draft will go. 

Draft notebook: Smart move by Chiefs in Allen swap
Kansas City's looking pretty good with its Jared Allen trade to Minnesota. The Chiefs could end up drafting Chris Long, too, Pete Prisco says in his draft notebook, while the Fins may go after Jake Long's Michigan teammate, Chad Henne. 

Mock draft: This draft might make a mockery of my picks
Jake Long means some of us mockers have gotten one right. Thanks, Pete Prisco says before projecting the rest of the first round. 

Seattle fans, I knew what I was talking about
Forgive Pete Prisco for boasting about his past words, but he did call Seattle cutting former MVP Shaun Alexander. The running back is as soft as he is selfish and all other teams in the league should stay away.  

Bad draft? 2008's iffy, but here are five that truly stunk
Scouts are in agreement the 2008 draft lacks depth and isn't so hot in general. Pete Prisco isn't ready to agree yet, but he does call out five drafts - 2002, 2000, 1997, 1992, 1991 -- that go down as lame. 

Better-Than Team: Cleaning up after stubborn scouts
It happens every year: over-analysis stirred with herd mentality. So Pete Prisco ponies up his annual list of 25 prospects who are better than their draft grades, starting with Louisville QB Brian Brohm. 

McNair departs as good one who might have been better
There were a lot of things to admire about Steve McNair as a quarterback, and Pete Prisco is on board with all of those. But he can't help but wonder how good McNair would have been had he applied himself in the offseason a bit more. 

RB draft preview: After McFadden, no need to rush to get back
Need a quick back? You can find it. How about a bruiser? He's out there, too. Any kind of running back you need is in this year's class, and Pete Prisco says teams won't have to reach to draft them. 

Schedule top 10: It's not taxing to find most intriguing games
Bless the NFL; schedule day certainly takes some of the angst out of tax day. A grateful Pete Prisco gleefully tears through the 2008 schedule and picks out 10 of the games he can't wait to see. 

WRs draft preview: Class is deep but bit small on top
DeSean Jackson is a big-play machine, but he's small at 5-feet-10 and 175 pounds. Pete Prisco says teams that pass on the California flier will come to rue the day. 

Tight end draft previews: Converted receivers ready to dominate
Fred Davis and Dustin Keller are at the top of most teams' lists of tight end prospects. Davis and Keller both entered college as receivers, only to change positions. It's a trend Pete Prisco is enjoying. 

QB draft preview: Underrated Henne shows shades of Brady
The similarities are there. Good Michigan QBs who finished with great bowl games. Tom Brady slipped to Round 6, but Chad Henne's big finale against Florida has his draft stock rising, Pete Prisco says. 

Cost-conscious Jaguars jump gun with Garrard deal
Why do you give your QB, who still has much to prove, $9 million in guarantees when you are laying off people making $30K? In the case of the Jaguars, it's because there are lots of tickets to sell, Pete Prisco says. 

Position draft previews: Lots of offensive tackle help available
As NFL teams play more spread offenses against speedy pass rushers, good offensive tackles are more important than ever. Pete Prisco says this year's draft brings good news, because there are a lot of them out there. 

Young and Hollywood Leinart: Two degrees of separation
Matt Leinart and Vince Young are having eventful offseasons. One seems to be living the high life, not working at his craft. The other is pursuing his degree. Which one is being selfish? Pete Prisco has a surprise answer. 

Besieged Belichick endures media, plays sympathy card
The alleged damning Super Bowl XXXVI video remains a ticking bomb that could blow up on Bill Belichick. Pete Prisco says it could have the power to cast a mushroom cloud over Belichick's reputation and legacy. 

AFC West: Chargers clearly in charge as draft nears
They don't really need anything in the draft, at least not the way the Raiders, Broncos and Chiefs do. The elite Chargers have the bonus of a deep, star-studded roster, Pete Prisco says. 

Notion to regulate hair length more rigid than necessary
Spygate, labor issues ... hair? Despite all the problems hanging over the NFL's head, the proposal to regulate players' hair length has become a growing debate. It's a hair-brained idea that lacks importance, Pete Prisco says. 

AFC North: Pittsburgh needs big draft to hold off improving Cleveland
The Steelers need offensive line help -- and possibly a big-time WR -- to keep Big Ben happy and Pittsburgh ahead of hard-charging Cleveland. And the Bengals could really use a stud defender, Pete Prisco says in his AFC North draft needs. 

AFC South: Surprise, surprise ... Colts still tops in division
It's all about winning, and the Colts aren't lacking in that department. For the Jaguars, Titans and Texans to catch up in the AFC South, they'll need to stock up in talent -- and it all begins in April's NFL Draft, Pete Prisco says. 

Grading QBs: Does your team have what it takes?
It's the one position that can make or break a team: quarterback. So how does your squad stack up? Professor Pete Prisco hands out grades, with a lot more Ds than As.  

AFC East: Even the Patriots have needs to fill
In the AFC East, New England reigns supreme. After a Super Bowl run, the Pats need to address their lack of corners. The Jets sure could use a QB while the Bills should get a playmaker and the Fins need help, well, everywhere, Pete Prisco says.  

Lee plays big for Western Kentucky, fallen teammate
Homesick as a frosh, Courtney Lee nearly left Western Kentucky. But a friendship with Danny Rumph kept Lee around. Nearly three years after Rumph's sudden death, Lee and 12th-seeded WKU play on for Rumph, topping San Diego 72-63 for a Sweet 16 berth, Pete Prisco says.  

Villanova's Wright brings substance with the flash
He's smooth and stylish, a nice guy off the court and great with the media. But after Jay Wright takes Villanova into the Sweet 16 with Sunday's no-drama victory over Siena, Pete Prisco says that foremost, the guy can really coach. 

Tampa's freaky Friday is first of its kind -- but not the last
This won't be the last time, Pete Prisco says in the wake of four upsets in Tampa. Among the factors at play, perhaps none is bigger than fear -- or, the lower-seeded schools' lack of it. 

'Nova demonstrates that Tampa turmoil is well-oiled upset machine
Villanova trails fifth-seeded Clemson by 18 late in the first half, which can only mean one thing: victory for 'Nova? Correct, 75-69, which is par for the course at the Turmoil in Tampa, Pete Prisco says. 

Hasbrouck's Siena heroics tough for opposition to stomach
A stomach virus derailed Kenny Hasbrouck's big-time program dreams. Now it's another large school -- Vanderbilt -- that is feeling sick after Hasbrouck sparks a momentous Siena upset, Pete Prisco says.  

Soon, the Toreros might go where everybody knows their name
San Diego who? It sure doesn't have the prestige of UConn, but that doesn't stop it from shocking the fourth-seeded Huskies in overtime. This upset might just make the fearless Toreros household names, Pete Prisco says.  

Kid from Kentucky has his one shining moment
Ty Rogers hails from Eddyville, Ky., a three-stoplight town where he dreamed of hitting the big shot. Along with big-city kid Tyrone Brazelton, the two Western Kentucky seniors put their school in the second round and in the annals of 'One Shining Moment,' Pete Prisco says. 

Ryan's 'OK' workout proves nothing but lack of greatness
QB Matt Ryan finally takes the field for his much-anticipated workout and does OK, but finishes below expectations. So what's this mean for the draft? Expect Miami, St. Louis and Atlanta to take a pass on the passer, Pete Prisco says.  

Leftwich's sudden fall, unemployment hard to figure
Byron Leftwich was a No. 7 overall pick five years ago and the starting QB for the solid Jaguars as last season neared. Now? No job and no prospects at age 28. It doesn't add up, Pete Prisco says. 

Rebuilding Falcons decide: Skills aside, Hall has got to go
DeAngelo Hall has cover talent that's hard to find now. But the Falcons decide his price tag and attitude make it a good idea to deal him for draft picks and move on, Pete Prisco says. 

Main feast is over, but some free-agent leftovers look tasty
The big-name talent flew off the shelves. But Pete Prisco says there is plenty of less-obvious talent still available, starting with a No. 3 receiver who could fit the bargain profile.