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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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
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Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
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Big Ten Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa

Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.

Should be in:

Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?

Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.

Work left to do:

Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.

Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.

Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.

Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.

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