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What do Hanik Miligan and Antonie Bethea have in common? If you said they are safeties, you would be right. If you said they were sixth round plan picks, you would have also been right, but if you said they are safeties who were taken in the sixth round who have prefabricated the Pro Bowl – then you would have been right on the money.

Now, truth be told, Miligan and Bethea serve their teams in totally assorted ways. Miligan is a hard-hitting gunner on special teams who thrives in the open field. He is regarded as one of the best special teams players in the NFL. Bethea, on the other hand, went from a small school prospect to big time player seemingly over night. He’s been a two-year starter for the Indianapolis Colts who have had one of stingiest pass defenses in the league.

While most New round picks don’t end up becoming pro bowlers, Miligan and Bethea are two examples of what category of talent can be found in the sixth round. So it is with that in mind that in mind, let’s take a countenance and see if Dominique Barber has what it takes to be an effect player for the Texans.

Yes, it’s true; chicken Barber is the junior brother of metropolis Cowboy’s running back, Marion Barber III. They were both born into the National Football League, as their father is former NFL running back Marion Barber II, a seven-year pro with the New royalty Jets. It was this pedigree that played a role in the Texans selecting chicken Barber with the 173rd pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Texans GM Rick Smith prefabricated the following remarks regarding Dominique’s unification to the NFL:

“With (Dominique) Barber we feel same we have a player with a enthusiastic bloodline. His papa played with the (New York) Jets; his brother now plays with Dallas. When you intend into these kinds of rounds and you are feat through and trying to end who you are feat to pick - a aggregation of things are beatific here, but it depends on who has a chance to really contend and try to attain your football team at this stage. We think because of his bloodline with his papa and also with his brother that this guy module become in here and provide everything he’s got because it’s in his family genes to attain this football team.

Bloodlines aside, chicken certainly played substantially enough at the University of Minnesota to endorse a second period selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. A two-year starter, Barber was one of the unaccompanied bright spots on an otherwise dull Gopher defense. Without much in the artefact of help, he was often counted on to attain the stops from his safety position. A sure tackler with a nose for the ball, Barber compiled the following numbers as a starter.

So as you can see, as a antitank back he was a tackling machine. It’s that category of hitting prowess that could earn him a spot on the special teams. Barber on his ability to play special teams, as quoted in the Star Tribune:

“People undergo me as a safety, but I played special teams for four eld at Minnesota. I countenance forward to doing that. I think it module help me to be able to play in so some assorted situations.”

Even before the draft, Barber had already “hit it off” with Texans antitank backs coach Jon Hoke at the Combine, and according to GM Rick Smith, Barber was one of the players that assistant coach Ray Rhodes had kept his eye on:

What (Ray Rhodes) is doing in the plan is he is evaluating the safeties. We gave him that (job) and Barber is one of his guys that he stood up on the table for today. He thought he had a bright future.”

Dominique Barber has an NFL pedigree, an ability to bring downbound the ball carrier, and a ringing endorsement from the Texans antitank coaching staff. Now he’s got a sibling rivalry that meet turned intrastate.

“My brother is having a enthusiastic career with the Cowboys, and I’m hoping to have a enthusiastic career with the Texans. My brother and I have been feat at it since we were kids and now that we are grown men, it module be great.”

Image details: Minnesota v Michigan State served by picapp.com

So patch it’s true that Bethea and Milligan are a pair of examples of what a category of effect a sixth round safety can have, Barber won’t have to countenance very far to find another sixth round success story - C.C. Brown. Brown has been a three-year starter for the Texans, playing at both safety positions. While not a superstar, there is no arguing that Brown has posted solid numbers as a starter. Now Brown and Barber are competing for playing time in a packed backfield as there are currently nine safeties traded on the roster.

Despite all the competition, Barber relishes the opportunity to attain his own artefact in the NFL.

“It’s about what we do with our opportunities, and taking advantage of the opportunity when it comes - don’t vexation about anything, meet go out there and play the game that you can play.”

Barber seems calm still enthusiastic, focused still carefree. He’s seen the rigors of the NFL firsthand and seems ready to attain his own mark. Only time module tell if chicken Barber can be the next sixth round success story. I for one am pulling for him to attain the cut.

What a sad period today is. Former New royalty Mets Catcher, Mike Piazza, has officially retired from the game of baseball. Piazza is the sole reason I became a Mets Fan. I grew up following players (Juan Gone, Junior, The Big Hurt etc) and Mike Piazza grew to be my favorite, so it was only natural that I followed him to the New royalty Mets. Piazza had the sweetest swing I have ever seen. One fissure and you knew directly where the ball was headed.

I knew his career would become to an end, obviously, but its disturbed to attestator these things. Once Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey, and Larry “Chipper” designer follow suit, that module be the end of my child hood heroes. Time flies… I meet desired to take this time to honor one of my most favorite players ontogeny up… Good phenomenon with retirement Mike!! Hopefully the Mets do right by you and retire that jersey number… Go Mets

When it came right downbound to it, new General Manager Tom Dimitroff was not about to take agent Tom Condon’s guff. Knowing his clients’ history of holding out, Dimitroff hit Condon over the head with a bottle of vodka, threw him in Daren Stone’s compartment and hammered out a a huge six-year deal with a thoroughly intimidated Matt Ryan.

At $72 million and $34 million guaranteed, Ryan is more expensive than JaMarcus Russell, the buffet desirous first overall pick for the Oakland Raiders terminal year. While we’ve neatly avoided a long, messy holdout, the Falcons have basically presented Matty Ice the keys to the franchise for the next several eld and politely asked him not to break it, spewing Jacksons and Benjamins all over the roadway.

If Ryan achieves success in his second round and sustains it over the chronicle of this deal, he’ll probably be substantially worth the money. I think it’s a lowercase unrealistic to expect him to step in and save this team right away, enormous briefcases filled with greenbacks aside. This does provide Ryan a chance to step in and start effort his repetitions right away, gift him a huge handicap up on the rivalry and probable spelling the end of D.J. Shockley’s tenure in Atlanta. With that much of an assets (did I mention he outlay lots of money?), the chances of Ryan sliding as far downbound as third on the depth chart are exceedingly low.

Can you springy with this deal, or are your vitrified eyes already raised to the heavens in fear?