Lions WR Johnson expects to be twice as good

Lions WR Johnson expects to be twice as good
Calvin Johnson is setting high standards for his second season. He expects to be twice as good as last year according to the Detroit News.

Johnson arrived in Detroit with high expectations from others for his rookie season with the Lions. They might have been unrealistic, but they were a product of being drafted second overall with a rating as one of the best prospects in a decade. Johnson's statistics were respectable — 48 catches, 756 yards and five touchdowns�— but he was not a dominating player. His performance didn't meet his standard.

"Last year, I'd say I could have done twice as good," Johnson said Wednesday. "If the top is 10, I'd say I was a five last year."

Favre would consider returing in injuries ravaged Packers
If the Green Bay Packers are ravaged by injuries this season, Brett Favre might consider returning should the team reach out to him.

"It would be hard to pass up, I guess," he told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. "But three months from now, say that presents itself, I may say, you know what, I'm so glad I made that decision. I'm feel very comfortable in what I'm doing and my decision. Yeah, I can probably be up there doing that and playing, but again, I don't know. It's only speculating. I think the world of that team. I had a lot of fun, not only this year, but over my career."

But if Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury?

"Aaron has fallen into a great situation," Favre said. "And if that opportunity presented itself and they did call, it would be tempting. And I very well could be enticed do it."

Malcolm Kelly, potential first round WR, is slow and angry
The junior from Oklahoma is projected to be a first-round pick, and is even listed first at the wide receiver position on many draft boards. But he had a bit of a setback at Oklahoma's pro day, however, clocking in at a glacial 4.68 in the 40-yard-dash. Michael Vick has teammates in the joint running raster than a 4.68.

Why the slow time? Two reasons, according to Kelly: 1) the OU coaching staff hates him, and 2) they changed the running surface on him at the last minute.

From The Oklahoman (via, once again, FanHouse):

"I had everything set up for where I wanted to (run) at,” said Kelly, who had a heated argument with (OU strength and conditioning coach) Schmidt after the workout, at one point even throwing his cleats into the turf. "I get up here this morning and it's a whole different deal. I was slipping all over the place during my drill work. I can't say I'm pleased with anything today.”

[...]

"Certain people have tried to hold me down, and they know who they are,” Kelly said after the workout. "I wouldn't say the whole OU coaching staff, but certain people, I would say that.”

"This is my life. You know what I'm saying? This ain't no school. This ain't no classroom. This ain't got nothing to do with that," Kelly said. "This has to do with me; my family. This is what I do. I play football. And I'm supposed to come out here and run as fast as I can."

For whatever it's worth, I think Kelly's got every right to bitch about the surface being changed on him at the last minute. He prepared for weeks to run on a certain surface, and if it gets changed at the last minute, even if the effects are only psychological, it can be a pretty big deal. Someone, somewhere along the line, did him dirty.

My hope is that teams would understand, especially since Kelly had also run in the 4.4s and 4.5s at the NFL's official combine. Hopefully, this turns out to be much ado about nothing.

Raiders fascinated with Gholston?
At a time when many league observers believe that the Oakland Raiders won't be able to resist the 4.33 speed of running back Darren McFadden with the fourth overall pick in the draft, a league source tells us that there are "strong indications" that the Raiders will select Ohio State linebacker/defensive end Vernon Gholston according to Profootballtalk.com

Gholston's stock has improved dramatically as a result of pre-draft workouts. If drafted by the Raiders, he would likely supplant Jay Richardson at right defensive end.

And if the Raiders pass on McFadden, look for the Cowboys to try to make a move north, possibly by trading their two first-round picks (No. 22 and No. 28 overall) to the Jets at No. 6 or the Patriots at No. 7.