Boiman getting crash course in Lions defense
Football Betting Lines
09/01/2010 -
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) - Rocky Boiman isn't going to get a chance to ease his way into the Detroit Lions' defense.
It's going to be more like cramming for final exams in his days at Notre Dame.
The veteran linebacker signed with the Detroit Lions earlier in the week and is scheduled to play in Thursday's final preseason game against Buffalo.
``We didn't bring him in here to stand around,'' Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Tuesday. ``He's here to play. We expect him to be out there against the Bills.''
Learning an NFL scheme in three days sounds like an overwhelming task, especially for a middle linebacker who will be responsible for defensive calls, but Boiman has an advantage.
The 30-year-old started his career with the Titans, with Schwartz as his defensive coordinator and Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham as his position coach. Then he later played for the Chiefs when Cunningham was the defensive coordinator.
``He knows the scheme and he knows the terminology,'' Schwartz said. ``That will help him a lot.''
Boiman's history with Schwartz and Cunningham is the reason he was called to Detroit this week. The Lions were already struggling with inexperience at linebacker before injuries to DeAndre Levy, expected to start in the middle, and Jordon Dizon, his main backup.
``We worked Rocky out before training camp, and he did a nice job, so we knew he was in shape,'' Schwartz said. ``We kept him in mind in case we ended up in this kind of situation, where we found ourselves short-handed late in camp. He was a guy that we knew we could fit into the system fairly quickly.''
That doesn't mean Boiman is having an easy week.
``Learning this is going to take every waking minute I have before the game,'' he said. ``And there's still going to be stuff I don't know.''
Boiman won a Super Bowl ring with Indianapolis in 2006, but has bounced around the league in the past two seasons.
``I've been in Cincinnati, my hometown, just trying to stay in shape and waiting for someone to call,'' he said. ``I knew I had a really good workout with the Lions before camp started, and I have a comfort level with coach Schwartz and coach Cunningham, so this was a good place for me to land.''
Boiman also brings versatility, which will help him after Levy returns from a groin injury.
``He's a guy that we can use in the middle or on the outside, plus he can play special teams,'' Schwartz said. ``That's what you need from that part of the roster.''
Boiman said he doesn't have a preference, since he's never had a chance to settle at one linebacker spot.
``My whole career, I've been bouncing around from one position to another, so that's what I'm used to doing,'' he said.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
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