This will be Graham's second time to play behind Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels; he was Daniels’ back up during Grahams first year in college.

The Texans are a tight end heavy team, and Graham is number four on the depth chart not only behind Daniels, but Joel Dreessen and James Casey as well. Nevertheless, Graham is a solid draft choice for a team that runs as many double tight end sets as the Texans do on Sunday mornings.

According to the Chronicle, Graham signed a four year $2.59 million deal including about an $800,000 signing bonus.

Graham was select first team All Big-Ten for two consecutive years in a row during his 2008 and 2009 college seasons. While engaged in his college career, Graham had 121 receptions with 16 touchdowns and over 1400 yards.

Coming in the league at 6’3” and 241 pounds, Graham is not just a receiving tight end, but has been commended for his blocking ability as well.

Due to injuries sustained by both Dreessen and Daniels, expect to see tons of No. 88 Garrett Graham during the 2010 preseason games. Once the regular season kicks off, Garret Graham will be a valuable addition to the Texans special teams unit, and should creep into the offensive scheme as the season progresses. 

Graham may even become more valuable if the Texans and Owen Daniels can’t come to terms for the 2011 season…that is if there isn’t a lock out anyway.

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Things have not gone well for the St Louis Rams over the course of the last three seasons, and it reached an all-time low in 2009, as the Rams posted their worst overall record in franchise history, 1-15.

However even with the poor finish the Rams decided that they would keep head coach Stave Spagnuolo, as they trust he will get this team back into contention in the NFC West. Below is my 2010 St Louis Rams preview and my prediction on where they finish the season in the NFC West.

Offense

Despite all the losing that has been going on in St Louis over the last three seasons (six wins combined), one staple for this team has been running back Steven Jackson, who put up his fifth straight 1,000 yard season in 2009 rushing for 1,416 yards. Jackson however only found the endzone four times in 2009, but I still believe this is the most underrated back in the NFL, as I think he would be in the MVP conversation on a better team.

Jackson could be getting some help, as the Rams selected Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the No.1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. Bradford will likely start the season on the bench behind A.J. Feeley, but if he is as good as advertised he will keep opposing defenses from loading the box to keep Jackson in check.

The Rams are sticking with what they have at the wide receiver position, and they need a lot of players to step up this season, as Jackson led the way with 51 catches last season. Donnie Avery will come into the season as the No. One target on the outside, after catching 47 passes for 589 yards and five scores in his second season.

Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Brandon Gibson, Danny Amendola, and rookie Mardy Gilyard will all fight for playing time in training camp, and at least one of these guys has to step and produce.

It’s almost as if the Rams are getting two new starters at the two tackle spots this season. 2009 first round pick Jason Smith started just five games last season at right tackle, but will make the switch to left tackle. The Rams used their second round pick on tackle Rodger Staffold and he is expected to start right away on the right side. Center Jason Bell lived up to expectations in his first season with the Rams, and enters into the 2010 season as the leader of this group. Jacob Bell is back at left guard, while Adam Goldberg, Hank Fraley, and John Greco will fight for the starting job at right guard.

Defense

The Rams are hoping for a breakout year for third year defensive end Chris Long, who was the team’s first round pick back in 2008. Starting opposite of Long at the other end spot will be either Victor Adeyanju or veteran James Hall. The Rams added some much needed depth at the two defensive tackle spots, as they welcome veterans Chris Hovan and Fred Robbins to a unit that already features two promising young players in Darell Scott and Clifton Ryan.

At linebacker, the Rams have added two new starters over the offseason, as they traded with Dallas for outside linebacker Bobby Carpenter and signed veteran Na’il Diggs to start at the other outside spot. James Laurinatitis led the team in tackles in his rookie season, and figures to be  a stud here for years to come.

In the secondary, the Rams will more than likely send Ron Bartell out at the left corner spot. The other starting job will likely be up for grabs during training camp with Justin King, Bradley Fletcher, and Jerome Murphy all fighting for playing time. The Rams will bring back the starting safety duo of Oshiomogho Atogwe and James Butler this season.

Prediction—Fourth NFC West

While I don’t have the Rams finishing outside of the basement in the NFC West, I think this team has the potential of really turning things around this season and I look for them to be much more competitive than they have in years past. I think four to five wins would be a success for this organization.

For a complete look at the upcoming season check out our complete 2010 NFL predictions . Make sure you have the best odds for every game this season with our live NFL odds feed. 

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The San Francisco 49ers 8-8 record in 2009 was their best finish since going 10-6 in 2002.

It was the second straight season that the 49ers finished second in the NFC West, and they appear to have their best shot to win the division in years with the Arizona Cardinals losing star quarterback Kurt Warner to retirement. 

Still this team has to perform before they simply get the division handed over to them.

Below is my 2010 San Francisco 49ers preview, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the NFC West.

Offense:

Just how good the 49ers will be in 2010 will depend on the play of quarterback Alex Smith, who looks to finally live up to his potential after being drafted No.1 overall back in 2005.

Smith played well at times in 2009, but still has plenty of room for improvements. The 49ers added another former No.1 overall pick in David Carr, who will step in as the lead backup to Smith.

One thing that has to make you think Smith will have a better season is the big improvements the 49ers made up front on the offensive line.

The 49ers had two first round picks and used them on tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati. Davis will step in right away at right tackle, while Iupati will join forces with left tackle Joe Staley at left guard.

With the new additions, look for 2009 right tackle Adam Snyder to battle Chilo Rachal for the starting right guard spot. This unit figures to make drastic improvements this season.

Look out for the 49ers running game this season, as the improved offensive line should pave plenty of big holes for running back Frank Gore, who had one of his best seasons of his career in 2009 with 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Gore has been a workhorse for this offense in his five years with the team, but the plan is to spell him more in 2010 and allow second year back Glen Coffee and rookie Anthony Dixon to take over some of his carries.

The 49ers might have had to wait a little while to see what they got in 2009 first round pick Michael Crabtree, but they have to be excited that this guy is in a 49ers uniform for some time to come.

Crabtree looked very impressive in 11 starts last year grabbing 48 passes for 625 yards and two scores. I look for Crabtree to have a monster second season, and will soon be grouped with the other elite receivers in this league.

The 49ers also have a solid No.2 receiver in Josh Morgan and one of the league’s top tight ends in Vernon Davis, who led the team with 13 touchdown receptions in 2009.

Defense:

The 49ers were one of the top rush defenses in the NFL last season, and that doesn’t figure to change in 2010 as all three defensive lineman return.

Aubrayo Franklin has been a pleasant find at nose tackle, and his solid play forced the team to use the franchise tag on him.

Defensive end Justin Smith has a motor that never seems to stop, and fellow defensive end Isaac Sopoaga has been a reliable starter playing in 79 of the teams last 80 games.

Another reason the 49ers have been so good against the run is All Pro middle linebacker Patrick Willis, who rarely lets a runner get by him.

Takeo Spikes is back to play alongside Willis in the middle and has surprisingly played well despite getting up there in age.

Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson are back on the outside, and the team is hoping to get a much better season of Haralson in 2010.

The 49ers were 21st in the league against the pass in 2009, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that star corner Nate Clements started just six games.

Clements is back and healthy for the 2010 season and will once again team up with Shawntae Spencer.

The 49ers bring back 2009 starting safeties Michael Lewis and Dashon Goldson, but used their second round pick on USC safety Taylor Mays, and it won’t be long before he finds himself making big plays for this defense. 

Prediction —1st NFC West:

I think the 49ers could win the West going just 9-7, but I think they end up finishing the season right around 10-6.

The key will be making sure they at least win one of two against the Cardinals and avoid any upsets against the Seahawks and Rams.

For a complete look at the upcoming season, check out our 2010 NFL predictions .

If you plan on betting the NFL this season, then you want to make sure you have the best NFL odds for every game, and that is exactly what we provide at Betfirms.

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The Seattle Seahawks have put their team in the hands of former USC head coach Pete Carroll, who looks for more success in his second stint as an NFL head coach.

Carroll came in right away and made a number of changes and additions on both sides of the ball, and he seems to have everyone buying into his system. He decided to stick with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, but brought along Jeremy Bates from USC to be the teams new offensive coordinator.

Here is a quick preview to the 2010 Seattle Seahawks, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the NFC West.

Offense:

Seattle passed on the opportunity to grab a young quarterback in the draft, and that means they are counting on veteran Matt Hasselbeck to come out and play like he has in years past.

Hasselbeck will have to improve on his touchdown to interception ratio in 2010, as he had 17 touchdowns to 17 interceptions in 2009. The Seahawks added Charlie Whitehurst to come in and be the No.2 behind Hasselbeck.

The Seahawks added running back Leon Washington this offseason, and if he can come back healthy from a broken leg that cost him most of 2009, he adds a home run threat out of the backfield any time he touches the ball.

Holdovers Julius Jones and Justin Forsett will compete with Washington for carries this season.

The Seahawks used their second round pick on wide receiver Brandon Tate, and he figures to step in right away and produce for this team.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the teams No.1 threat on the outside and put together a pretty solid year in 2009 grabbing 79 catches for 911 yards, but needs to up his touchdown total from just three.

Deon Butler and veteran Deion Branch will compete for the No.2 spot, but both figure to play a big part in the offense this season.   

Seattle used the No.4 overall pick in the draft on Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung, and he will step in right away and fill a huge hole at left tackle, as veteran Walter Jones retired this offseason.

Sean Locklear will head back to his more natural position at right tackle, while the interior of the line remains the same.

Defense:

The Seahawks are hoping that they can show some improvements on this side of the ball, and it will start up front on the defensive line.

With veteran defensive end Patrick Kerney no longer with the team, Red Bryant will likely team up with Lawrence Jackson at one end spot, while Chris Clemons is projected to start at the other.

Collin Cole and Brandon Mebane are back at the two tackle positions, and will need to continue to show improvement.

Kerney led the Seahawks with just five sacks in 2009, so someone has to step up and put pressure on the quarterback for this side of the ball to have any chance at getting better.

Seattle has to be hoping that 2009 first round pick Aaron Curry will be much better in his second season with the team, and I think he will as long as veteran Lofa Tatupu is able to stay healthy, as Tatupu played in just five games in 2009.

Will Herring looks to have the edge at the other outside spot, if veteran Leroy Hill has to miss any time because of legal issues.

Another rookie figures to step in right away and start in the secondary, as they used their second first round pick on Texas safety Earl Thomas.

Veterans Lawyer Milloy and Jordan Babineaux will compete for the starting strong safety role.

Marcus Trufant and Josh Wilson are back at the corner positions, but look for Kelly Jennings and rookie Walter Thurmond to get in the mix in nickel and dime packages.

Prediction —3rd NFC West:

I like the direction Carroll has the Seahawks headed in, but I don’t think they have enough talent to compete for the division right away.

I do look for this team to show some improvements this season and could finish right around 7-9.

For a complete look at the upcoming season, check out our 2010 NFL predictions .

If you plan on betting the NFL this season, then you want to make sure you have the best NFL odds for every game, and that is exactly what we provide at Betfirms.

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Can the Arizona Cardinals stay on top the NFC West without quarterback Kurt Warner?  That is the question everyone is asking heading into the 2010 season.

Warner led the Cardinals to their second straight division title in 2009, as the Cardinals finished up the regular season at 10-6.

After beating the Green Bay Packers in an overtime thriller in the first round of the postseason, the Cardinals were no match for the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round and their season was over.

With the West a little below average talent wise, there is still a chance that the Cardinals could win the division without Warner this season, but there is no question this team will have a much different look.

Below is my 2010 Arizona Cardinals preview and my prediction on where they finish the season in the NFC West.

Offense:

The Cardinals will either turn to fifth year pro Matt Leinart or free agent pick up Derek Anderson to take over for Warner at quarterback.

Leinart started 16 games in his first two seasons with the Cardinals before Warner took over. The hope is he took the time off to really learn what it takes to be an elite NFL quarterback.

Anderson has a little more starting experience with 31 starts over the last three years, but really fell off the past two seasons after earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2007.  We likely won’t know the starter until after training camp.

Regardless of who wins the starting quarterback job, look for the Cardinals to run the ball more than they did with Warner under center.

That means we could see a big season out of second year pro Beanie Wells, who led the Cardinals with 793 yards and added seven touchdowns.

Also look for Tim Hightower to get plenty of carries, especially in short yardage situations, as Hightower led the way with 8 rushing touchdowns in 2009.

The Cardinals traded away former Pro Bowl wide receiver Anquan Boldin this offseason, but the unit likely won’t take as big a hit as people might think.

They still have one of the best receivers in the NFL in Larry Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston has proven he can get the job done as the No.2 threat.

Look for third year pro Early Doucet to get in on the action more this season.

Not a lot of production is expected out of the tight ends Ben Patrick, Anthony Becht, and Stephen Spach in the passing game.

The Cardinals added veteran left guard Alan Flaneca this offseason to help shore up the offensive line.

The addition forces 2009 starter Reggie Wells into a battle with Deuce Lutui at the right guard spot. Wells could also be used at right tackle if needed, but it looks like that position will come down to Brandon Keith and Jeremy Bridges.

Left tackle Levi Brown and center Lyle Sendlein are both back.

Defense:

All three starters are back on the defensive front and we could see a big season out of defensive ends Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell.

Veteran nose tackle Bryan Robinson will likely lose his starting job to rookie Dan Williams, who the Cardinals selected with their first round pick.

The Cardinals lost a leader and one of their best defensive players this offseason when Karlos Dansby signed with the Miami Dolphins.

With Dansby gone, look for Paris Lenon to take over in his spot next to the solid Gerald Hayes, who needs to fully recover from a back injury that slowed him down last season.

The Cardinals are hoping that the addition of veteran outside linebacker Joey Porter will give them a big boost in the pass rush.

Clark Haggins will be the other starting linebacker on the outside, and is the leader of this group now that Dansby is gone.

The Cardinals lost free safety Antrel Rolle this offseason, but added Kerry Rhodes to team up with strong safety Adrian Wilson.

Greg Toler figures to step into the vacated starting corner spot opposite of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Prediction —2nd Place NFC West:

I don’t think the Cardinals are going to fall back into the bottom half of the West this season, as they still have a pretty talented football team.

If Leinart or Anderson can step in and play up to their potential, this team could easily win the division. For now I have them finishing the season at 8-8.

For a complete look at the upcoming season, check out our 2010 NFL predictions .

If you plan on betting the NFL this season, be sure to check back for our live NFL odds section that gives you the best chance at coming away with the most money.

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It was pretty hard to ignore the absence of No. 15 from training camp on Wednesday. And for once, this sportswriter is going to come down and say he agrees with Tim Tebow.

If Josh McDaniels and the front office made the decision to draft the kid as the "future of the franchise" quarterback, then they ought to be prepared to pay him. And yes, as a quarterback, you should get a salary premium over a guy like Dez Bryant with the Dallas Cowboys. As long as you were drafted in the same ball park range.

It is truly mind-numbing that this issue wasn't taken care of sooner, as Tim has publicly made it seem like he has a real interest in getting into the locker room and leading by example. In this situation, his clear lack of urgency seems to show that he doubts he'll be making a huge contribution to the offense any time soon.

Sorry, Gator fans.

However, if the team values him and wants to develop him, how was this issue not foreseen?

The Denver Broncos have developed a habit of getting themselves into trouble with contracts. During Brandon Marshall's entire stay in Denver, over the course of three 100 catch seasons, he never made more than two million dollars in a season. Comparable receivers were making five times as much as he was.

By comparison, a 700-year-old Terrell Owens who couldn't find a team until now signed with the Cincinnati Bengals for that much. To be a number two receiver.

Did that lead to Marshall be disgruntled in Denver? Of course it did.

If your guy is a star player, pay him like a star player. I'll always think Brandon Marshall had irreplaceable talents (unlike Jay Cutler) and that Denver made a mistake in not appeasing him.

Then this whole off season there was a cat fight between the front office and new defensive super star Elvis Dumervil. The guy led the NFL in sacks last season and has become synonymous with the term "pass rusher."

The Broncos finally decided that one guy from the class of 2006 was worth keeping, though getting the numbers crunched was apparently like pulling teeth.

Every team has trouble working out the finances for one player or another, and very often, one of those players ends up being one of the team's stars. However, in Denver, it seems like there are contract troubles with every star that is brought into the door.

In Tebow's case, Josh McDaniels called to relay how "disappointed" he was that Tim hadn't made it in to camp.

Why are you calling Tim Tebow, Josh? Why not call Pat Bowlen and ask who the yuppie is down in contracts who spends half the day sitting on his hands and the other half of the day napping? Tim Tebow can't magically get better terms offered to him unless he does exactly what he is doing.

If you want the kid in camp, call the man with the pocket book.

Ultimately this will be viewed as a negligible stall in what I hope will be a very good career in Denver for Mr. Tebow, but this is a situation of stupidity rather than necessity.

Is it hard to feel bad for a kid who is about to become a multi-millionaire who spends all of his time playing the best game in the world? I'd say it is.

But somehow, the Denver Broncos front office can get me to that point in what has turned into a four-year spree of truly maddening decisions.

Lets not shoot for making it five, OK Pat?

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Maybe the biggest surprise release of the 2010 off season was Jaguars DT John Henderson.

After being released, speculation emerged that Henderson was washed up and no longer a Pro Bowl caliber tackle. Reports suggested Henderson had character issues and coach Del Rio didn’t want the distraction any longer.

Is he washed up? The truth may be hidden in the details.

Because none of us actually know how much Henderson has left in the tank or what went on behind closed doors in Jacksonville, lets look at the facts of the off season.

Beginning in March, the Jaguars set out to improve on their league worst 14 sacks last season. (In fact, the Raiders were 2 sacks away from being in the top 10 in sacks with 37) They signed Aaron Kampman to a contract worth over $5 mil per season – not to mention a hefty signing bonus.

The Jags followed up this move by drafting California DT Tyson Alualu with their 10th overall selection and DT D’Anthony Smith with their next pick. Both are listed under 300 lbs and reflect the emphasis the Jags are placing on athletic interior lineman to get after the quarterback.

While Alualu isn’t signed, his contract will most likely amount to about $4 million per season based on where he was selected. The Jaguars are still paying Derrick Harvey whom they selected 8th overall 2 years ago. He is guaranteed $17 million and has 3 years left on his rookie contract.

With John Henderson set to make $5 million in 2010, the Jaguars had entirely too much money invested in a young unproven line. To keep Henderson would only force their young talent to watch from the sidelines. Thats a good plan for young quarterbacks – a bad plan for young lineman.

The Jaguars weren’t getting any quarterback pressure out of Henderson (about 3 sacks per season over the last 5 years) so at 31, he simply wasn’t a part of their future.

It’s rumored that Jacksonville tried to get picks for him on draft day once they had gone ’all-in’ on tackles, but prying away picks from teams on draft day can be difficult. Decisions to trade for an expiring $5 million contract are generally not made in a draft room particularly if it had not previously been discussed.

Of the teams Jacksonville reportedly called, its unlikely any of them knew if Henderson would be interested in their city and scheme in time to be comfortable making the expensive trade.

With the potential that often lies in rounds 4-5 combined with the near league minimum salaries they receive, it makes perfect sense why no one pulled the trigger on Henderson during those rounds.

After the 5th round passed, Jacksonville may have remained on the fence and been unwilling to part with him for a 6 or 7 round pick, but ultimately their hands were tied.

On April 26, just 2 days after the final round of the draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars cut John Henderson.

In the coming days nearly every team was rumored to take a look at Henderson.  Most were just that – rumors, but ’Big John’ realistically had his choice of teams depending on the money he was willing to take.

As for his character, Henderson was reportedly willing to play any scheme his new suitor wanted. That’s a far cry from another University of Tennessee DT making nearly $40 million guaranteed on a resume very similar to Henderson.

Both Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson came into the league in 2002. Since then, Henderson has 29 sacks to Haynesworth’s 28. Albert’s big contract came the year after he posted his career high in sacks – 8.5.

While its true Haynesworth has played in 22 fewer games because of injuries and suspensions , what good is a player on the sidelines on Sunday afternoons? John Henderson has missed 4 games in 8 seasons.

The Raiders aren’t in need of pass rushers, but last season they were arguably the worst in the league at stopping the run. John Henderson can stop the run. And with Jamarcus Russell spending most of his time in the court room and off the football field, the Raiders offense may actually give their defense a few moments to rest between each series.

It’s hard so say where, when and how John Henderson will be used this year, but it should be something to look forward to. In terms of his age, 31 is not too old to be effect at DT – particularly one whos responsibility is to hold the line rather chase the quarterback.

Theres reason for optimism in Oakland this year and Henderson could be a big part of this team slapping around some teams in the AFC West.

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