The Denver Broncos perfected the art of "zone blocking" and obviously are known for their smaller, but athletic offensive line (that has in the past cheated with chop blocks, etc.). However, those type of cut blocks and zone schemes are part of the zone blocking on the offensive line.

More and more teams are moving to this method, out of necessity (having smaller o-linemen) or because of the success it can bring. So, when drafting your fantasy team, look beyond your magazines and look beyond basic numbers and pay attention to teams that are switching schemes, either offense or defense. Zone blocking has turned unknowns into Pro Bowlers and can lead your fantasy team if you select one of these beneficiaries of zone blocking. Runners who run directionally, with a quick burst can thrive in a zone blocking scheme.

In this case, let's talk about the fantasy implications of some zone blocking schemes.

Denver Broncos - This is where it all started and where Mike Shanahan perfected it. And from Terrell Davis to Mike Anderson there have been many benefactors along the way. The most recent benefactor is Selvin Young, a waiver wire stud from last year. This year you can count on Young to take full advantage of the full-time job and put him down for 1,000 easily and at least 7 TDs.

Oakland Raiders - Never ones to let their rivals one up them, the Raiders employed zone blocking last year and led the NFL in rushing attempts. Compile that figure with the drafting of Darren McFadden, and Jamarcus Russell still being very inexperienced and expect a heavy amount of running from the men in black. Expect McFadden to get a little over a half of the carries while Justin Fargas will get the remaining. As such, both are just average fantasy RBs, but have a leg up on other RBs at the same tier level as them as they'll be in a nice running scheme that suits their styles.

Houston Texans - The Texans were so disatisfied with their running last year that they brought in zone blocking expert Alex Gibbs to coach the o-line and of course Gary Kubiak (former Bronco) is the head coach. So, the Texans are switching their blocking, big deal, right? Well that's good news for Chris Brown, who is supposed to be the backup to the washed up Ahman Green. Brown could be a nice sleeper pick. Also, in deep leagues, especially keeper leagues, keep an eye on Steve Slaton. At West Virginia they ran zone blocking for the spread offense and Slaton is the right type of back to prosper in such a system.

Green Bay Packers - Their switch last year to zone blocking netted them a trip to the NFC championship and led to a rising star in Ryan Grant. Grant is perfectly suited for this system and that's why I say don't hesitate to take Grant in Round 1.

Detroit Lions - Mike Martz is gone (thank God), so in comes a new system. The entire Lions offense will benefit from this zone blocking, not just the running game. Jon Kitna won't be chucking the ball all the time, Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson will be more open by an improved running game. Speaking of running, the Lions moved up in the draft to take rookie Kevin Smith for one reason - he ran in a zone blocking system in college at Central Florida. For this reason, of all the rookie RBs, I like Kevin Smith the most. 1,000 yards isn't out of the realm of possibility in this system. Watch how closely the Lions o-linemen are picking the scheme up in training camp

The best slugger on the trade market has landed in Anaheim, as Mark Teixeira was dealt from the Braves to the Angels in exchange for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek.  It marks the second straight year that the power-hitting first baseman has been traded at the deadline.

The Angels will likely bat the switch-hitting Teixeira behind Vladmir Guerrero, giving him a great chance to produce runs. Teixiera was hitting .283 with 20 HRs and 78 RBIs at the time of the deal with 27 doubles and a .512 SLG. 

The Braves were not going to resign the free-agent-to-be and got good value in the 25-year old Kotchman and the heralded propsect, Marek. At 25, Kotchman still has upside and will fill the void at first in Atlanta, where things are looking bleak for the near future. Marek was also one of their top prospects. A move to the pen this year has him looking like a potential closer.

"They have the best team in baseball. I'm not going to go over there and make them any different, other than just hopefully add a few more runs. They have all the pitching they need, they have great defense," Teixeira told ESPN.com.

The Angels already have the best record in the game (65-40). But their offense ranks just ninth in the American League in runs scored and 11th in on-base percentage. And their .399 team slugging percentage ranks 10th in the AL and 22nd in baseball.  The addition of Teixeira should help them improve on those numbers instantly.

Does anybody else get the feeling that Packers' GM Ted Thomspon is in the middle of a Southwest Airlines' commercial?  We are all just waiting for the ding and $69 flight to anywhere in the US to pop up. The problem is if Aaron Rodgers flops, Thompson will need to book a flight out of Green Bay.

Brett Favre has faxed his reinstatement request to the league office, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Green Bay is now forced to make a decision -- accept Favre back, trade him or release him. It's a tough call for the team to make.  Favre has left them and Rodgers hanging in the balance year after year, but if you don't want him you have to give a chance to play elsewhere.

Surpringsly when I was in Milwaukee earlier in the month and reading the blogs on some of the newspapers that cover the Packers, it appears that most of the "Cheeseheads" are pointing the finger at Favre.  I can see the point, I just don't agree with it.

Favre didn't want to retire in March, the team forced his hand. Now, he wants to play. If they don't want to let him it's understandable. It's time to move on and look towards the future. But Favre led that team to a division title last year and all the way to a NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field. Clearly, there are teams that want and need him.  The Packers just don't want to see him go to the competition (mainly Minnesota or Chicago). 

Your are telling me that if your company forced you into retirement, that you couldn't go get a job with a competitor. Favre didn't sign a non-compete, no players do. He signed a contract and now he's going to play it out, even if it means being the Packers' third string quarterback.  The only legacy being tainted here is the Packers' legacy, man I bet Packers' fans are longing for the days on Ron Wolf now.

The Packers gave Favre a contract and they can't have their cake and eat it too. If they want to keep then put him on the team. 

Add to the mix the holdout of Ryan Grant and the defending NFC Central champs are not getting off to a good start on this season. On Sunday, running back Ryan Grant’s agent termed the Green Bay Packers’ offer to his client “a punch in the face,” in part because it included a signing bonus that was less than the one linebacker Brady Poppinga received with his recent contract extension, according to the Green Bay Gazette.  

Every year their are newbies to fantasy football, for all you welcome to the fun here are some basics from the GSI archives:

MORE FANTASY 101: Starting Your Own League 

Class is in session and it’s now time to learn a bit about fantasy football. This isn’t going to be the type of “Jim Harrick Jr.” class where you can succeed by just knowing that football is played with a football. This is the type of class, like the one Mr. Shoop taught in the movie “Summer School”, where you’ll have a good time but also learn a thing or two. Unlike Mr. Shoop’s class, however, acing this class will not only have you a few steps ahead of your competition, but hopefully a little bit closer to a fantasy football title. But, before you can be taught how to win your fantasy football league, you’ll need to know the basics first.

What is fantasy football?
Simply put, fantasy football is when a person comprises a team of professional football players, and then gets a point value based on the performance of each athlete. The total amount of points that a team accumulates each week is then put up against the points of everyone else in the league. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season is declared the winner.

Now that you have the formal definition of fantasy football, lets get into what it really is. Fantasy football is a way in which men and women can test their projecting and management skills against each other on a weekly basis. These series’ of showdowns culminate with an ultimate winner being declared. Essentially you are a virtual General Manager that has control over every aspect of a team.

How do I get into a league?
There are multiple ways to get into a fantasy football league. The first, and most traditional method is to start a league with a bunch of friends. Get a group of them together, hold a draft, and then track your players as they either make you look like a genius, or have you squirming like you just heard Carl Lewis sing the National Anthem.

The second way of joining a league, which is becoming increasingly popular, is through the Internet. Many companies offer both free, and pay service, fantasy football leagues. What these companies do is bring together a group of people (that may not know each other) that all want to join a fantasy football league. They then put these people in a league together and let them compete against each other. If you want to get your friends together and start your own fantasy league, then many of these companies allow you to do that as well.

The benefit of doing your fantasy football league through one of these companies is that they will usually help you conduct your fantasy draft, and keep track of all the points. This allows everyone to not have to worry about calculating the points, and instead allows them to focus their attention on their team.

How does your team score points?
Each league is different, but the most common statistical categories in which a player can score points is yards, and touchdowns, and in the case of kickers and defense, field goals and turnovers. The more of each stat that your player accumulates, the more points he gets for your team. It’s that simple.

What is a draft?
A draft is a forum in which each person selects which players will be on their fantasy team. A draft can be held over the Internet or in person (depending on how your league chooses to run their league). Once the first person selects a player then the next person is up. Once a player is selected by a person (also called an “owner”), then that player is no longer available to be chosen by another team. This continues until each person in the league has selected a player. Once every person has selected a player, then the person who selected last gets to choose first the next round, and everyone drafts in reverse order (ex. It’ll go 1-10 in round 1 and then 10-1 in round 2). Once all the required positions are filled then the draft is over.

Here are some basic terms that you are likely to come across in the world of fantasy football:

Owner: The person who runs/drafts a fantasy football team (the GM).

Commissioner: The person who is the head of the fantasy league that usually sets the rules, and makes sure that everyone competes fair.

Round: The order in which a player is selected in a fantasy draft.

Trade: When an owner wants to exchange a player(s) to another team in exchange for player(s) on their team.

Transaction: Adding, dropping, or trading a player.

Waiver Wire: When a player is not drafted, or they are dropped from a team, they are put on the waiver wire. A player on the waiver wire is eligible to be picked up by any team.

Team Name: A fictional name that an owner creates to designate the name of their team.

The Cincinnati Reds threw in the towel on 2008 after the final game of the New York Mets series.  It was game number 100 of the season the squad is 2-8 since.  That includes four straight losses and being outscored 28-7 in that span.  This team is so bad that they aren't even going through the motions. 

It is deeply concerning that the veterans haven't stepped up to lead and now the rookies are showing the physical & mental fatigue that goes along with the rigors of their rookie years.  Hopefully the youngsters will realize that they are the only ones that can make themselves winners by hard work. 

The veterans on this team need to be cleaned out.  The imagine has been tarnished and the pride and prestige of this organization has never been taken as seriously by this group of proffesionals.  Their performance is a cheat to the younger players and disservice to the fans.  It is a 100% shame.