2012 NFL Mock Draft (25-32)

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

To keep Peyton Manning from taking a lot of hits, the Denver Broncos could go and get some help on the offensive line. However, I believe that they will look to improve at defensive tackle. Brodrick Bunkley is unsure if he will resign, and even if he does return, the Broncos still need an interior defensive lineman to put pressure on the quarterback. LSU's Michael Brockers might just be the guy to help boost the defense and really get after opposing pass throwers. His ability to get pressure up the middle will infinitely help Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller to pile on the sacks.

Super Bowl 2012

26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

Watching last year's playoffs, it has become painfully clear that the Houston Texans need someone other than Andre Johnson in the receiving game. Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill might be the answer as well as a steal late in the first round. Although Georgia Tech is obviously known for its running game, the Yellow Jackets did send Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas to the NFL. Hill is a relatively intriguing prospect, as he is virtually an unknown going to the draft. At 6'4" and 215 lbs., he definitely has the body to be a wideout in the NFL. It will all depend on whether or not he can be as good as his Yellow Jacket counterparts. If he does turn out to be as good as them, then the Texans can turn into legit Super Bowl contenders in 2012.

27. New England Patriots: Nick Perry, DE, USC

With two picks in the final six selections of the first round, the New England Patriots could easily trade one of their picks. However, is widely known that the Patriots need to improve their pass rush. Adding Trevor Scott is certainly a step in the right direction, but they did lose Mark Anderson through free agency in the process. Nick Perry can certainly be a good selection for New England. He has the ability to play defensive end in a 4-3 and outside linebacker in a 3-4. He was a force for the Trojans' defense last year and with his combination of ability and size to go along with a number of solid pass rushing moves, he is certainly a great fit for the defending AFC champs.

28. Green Bay Packers: Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

The Green Bay Packers will need to pick up someone who can help with their defensive woes, as they struggled mightily on the defensive end thanks to their inability to get to the quarterback. Green Bay finished with an abysmal 29 sacks last year. The opposing offenses loaded up on Clay Matthews and no one else was able to step up and make a play. Marshall defensive end/outside linebacker Vinny Curry is the player who could make a difference in Green Bay. He racked up 23 sacks in the final two seasons with the Thundering Herd. He still has a lot to learn in order to make a huge impact in the NFL, but he is still more than capable of playing right away.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

While their defense is great enough to get them to the Super Bowl, the Baltimore Ravens need to improve their passing game if they want to take advantage. Lee Evans was a big disappointment for them, and his dropped pass in the AFC Championship Game will haunt Baltimore fans for a long time. The Ravens are still very much capable of coming back to the title game, but Anquan Boldin is not getting any younger and Torrey Smith is really only a deep-threat. Baltimore is in dire need of another wideout whom they can go to in the end zone. While this could be a stretch, South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery could very well be just what Joe Flacco and the offense need. Poor quarterback play ruined his draft stock, but in 2010, he caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns. Picking this late in the draft, the Ravens might not be able to find another player quite as good as Jeffery.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

After getting Randy Moss and Mario Mannigham, it seems as though the San Francisco 49ers have finally addressed their problems at receiver. Now all they need is to address their gaping hole on the right side of the offensive line. Anthony Davis has underwhelmed despite being a first-round selection, and right guard Adam Snyder is just not good enough. Mike Adams could very well be what changes their dynamic on the offensive line. Adams could easily start immediately at right tackle, and Davis would shift inside to right guard. Despite this team relying too much on the running the ball, picking Adams with this pick is certainly going to improve this team's chances.

31. New England Patriots: Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut

If New England chooses to keep this pick, the Patriots will likely look to add some more help on the defensive line. Connecticut's Kendall Reyes would be a great fit as a 3-4 defensive end. He is has the size and speed that allows him to be a force against the run, but he also possesses some pass-rush ability. Reyes could also move inside and play defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. Another option for New England if they elect to go for defensive lineman is Penn State's Devon Still. It's hard telling who head coach Bill Belichick will go after, but I'm pretty confident it will be on the defensive side of the ball.

32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

The New York Giants definitely have a lot of holes to fill, so they could use this pick in a number of different ways. They need help on the offensive line and at inside linebacker, but they also need to upgrade at tight end. Jake Ballard, although a solid fill-in last year, isn't really a long term solution. Stanford's Coby Fleener is the highest-rated tight end in the draft this year, and someone who can provide an immediate impact. He is a solid route runner and is smart enough to know how to exploit the middle of the field. Should they decide to pick him, he is certainly a perfect fit for Eli Manning and the Giants' passing attack.

2012 NFL Mock Draft (25-32)

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Who Will Miss the NHL Playoffs From the West in 2012?

Yesterday, I predicted the top eight teams in the West, with a caveat that, while picking the Columbus Blue Jackets for the last playoff spot, it is more than likely that Calgary will be there instead. So, I have no choice but leading with the Flames on the list of teams that we think won't make the playoffs.

1. Calgary Flames: If I were completely objective and rational, I'd put Calgary into the playoffs, based on the way they finished last season. If they keep that rate up, they can do even better than eighth. They lost defenseman Robgyn Regehr over the summer, and they didn't add much, so there is a good chance they won't play as well as they did late in the last season. Who knows? This is a big guess anyway.

Nfl 2012

2. Phoenix Coyotes: The loss of Ilya Bryzgalov in goal will be devastating. So will be the departure of Vewrnon Fiddler, Ed Jovanovski, and Eric Belanger. It's hard to see how the offseason additions will make up for the offseason losses. Having said that, though, if things click, the Coyotes still could make the playoffs.

3. Minnesota Wild: Defense seems to be a challenge this year. Plus, it looks like a front office "tear it down before we build it back up" situation. So, why then, are we picking the Wild at 11th rather than lower? We think they'll play reasonable solid hockey for the talent level that they have in place.

4. Nashville Predators: A lot of people think Nashville, coming off a playoff win last year, will improve this year. In fact, it would be easy to pick them for the last playoff spot. But, it just seems that things just aren't right. They lost a lot of people in the summer, and I'm not sure really good players like Shea Weber can make enough of a difference.

5. Edmonton Oilers: We love Edmonton fans. We think they need a moral victory, if not the first choice in the NFL draft. So, we're not picking them last. We're picking them two spots from last. We can't see the Oilers making the playoffs, but we can see them dropping below 13th.

6. Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche are in a deep amount of hurt. But maybe not. Maybe the will squeeze into the playoffs. Maybe we are out of our minds to pick them this low. New goaltenders are always scary. Look for a tough year in Denver.

7. Dallas Stars: We may be the only people who pick Dallas last. The ownership issues make things tough. They won't make the playoffs. Quite simply, they need to rebuild, and that's what they will do. Look for them to get a very high draft pick.

Who Will Miss the NHL Playoffs From the West in 2012?

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2012 Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Needs

The Philadelphia Eagles made a huge splash when they added some big-time names to the roster last season, which in turn led new backup quarterback Vince Young to label the Eagles as the "Dream Team." Despite the lofty expectations that came with their intimidating name, the team quickly descended from its high perch and delivered a hugely disappointing 2011 campaign. The Eagles weren't even able to make the playoffs, ending up with a record of just 8-8. The team did show signs of life late in the year, and it wouldn't surprise me if they had a major rebound season in 2012. In order to do so, they need to continue to address some of the big holes they overlooked last year. Here are some of the Eagles' big additions and subtractions so far in this young offseason, plus a breakdown of their biggest needs heading into the draft.

Additions:

Nfl 2012

ILB DeMeco Ryans

OT Demetress Bell

G Steve Vallos

Subtractions:

OT Winston Justice

DE Juqua Thomas-Parker

WR Steve Smith

DT Trevor Laws

C Jamaal Jackson

Top 5 Needs:

1. Outside Linebacker

Despite all the additions they were able to make last year, the Eagles featured one of the worst starting linebacker corps in the entire NFL. As a result, their defense was left powerless against the run. Philadelphia traded its fourth-round pick for DeMeco Ryans, but the Eagles urgently need to add some help on the outside. Against their normal judgment, the Eagles need to go after linebackers early, unless they can target the player that can be had in the later rounds.

2. Defensive Tackle

Through smart picks, I believe that this is the one area that the Eagles could improve right away through the draft. Cullen Jenkins played well, but Mike Patterson is better suited as a reserve. Head coach Andy Reid is known for going after linemen, so he might just have eyes for Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox with the 15th overall pick.

3. Safety

The Eagles' starting safeties proved to be a disappointment last year. Nate Allen improved at free safety as the season went on, and he is pencilled in to be the starter in 2012. Rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett and Kurt Coleman, however, played horribly at strong safety. The Eagles still see potential in Jarrett and they may not give up on him just yet. However, if they went after Alabama's Mark Barron, then they could truly solidify their unit. Barron is widely considered as the top safety in the draft, and he has incredible instincts against the pass and is great against the run. If they do decide to go on a different direction and upgrade on the front seven, they might just bring some help via the free agency.

4. Wide Receiver/Tight End

Despite the fact that the Eagles were able to re-sign DeSean Jackson, it is pretty clear that quarterback Michael Vick would greatly benefit from a big wideout or tight end that he could really rely on in the red zone. No wideout on the team had more than five touchdown catches all season. Philadelphia has a number of players more than capable of making plays in the open field, but without a good wideout or tight end, then this squad will have some trouble when it gets deep inside opponents' territory.

5. Quarterback

After his incredible run in early 2010, Michael Vick hasn't been the same, and he is one hit away from being sidelined for a number of games. Rumors have swirled that the Eagles are looking into moving up to grab Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill. While there may not be truth to those rumors, the Eagles would be better off if they can find someone they can groom over the next couple of seasons.

2012 Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Needs

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How to Create a Business Budget for 2012

Just into the first quarter of 2012, you're probably wondering about how to do things better. Or how to do things differently. In today's tight economy, one thing many small businesses need to do is to learn how to manage their marketing budget. Because either you manage it...or it is going to er, "manage" you.

Fox Business.com reported recently that a 30-second spot at the Super Bowl cost .5 million. Now some companies are spending that much (and more) for their marketing budgets. But for more small companies, they may not even "have" a budget. So they spend money as they need to - on marketing. In the short term, this seems wise. But to help you plan long term, and to best understand your marketing needs, this is shooting yourself in the foot, over and over again. Save yourself the time & hassle, and learn to set a marketing budget, now.

Super Bowl 2012

How do you set a marketing budget? Every company's needs are different. Look at your business plan, goals for the year. Do you want to attract new customers? Have you opened new stores/locations in a new area? Basically, if you are looking for additional growth, you probably will have to spend more on marketing than you were planning to. Try to find what you've spent on marketing for the past two or three years, and why you chose to do marketing at that time (a sale, a promotion, bring in new business, etc.).

Not all marketing costs money. Some things, like social media and networking, often simply cost time and effort. Think about that for a moment. A successful small business I know does something about marketing every single day. You heard me: every single day. Like brushing your teeth. Even if business is so hectic, you couldn't imagine another customer or client walking through the door. But this example is helpful because doing regular marketing pays off. Even if you don't do things every day, if you do things every week, they will start to bring in results. But setting that marketing budget is helpful because you are planning for your success instead of going about it when you think about marketing occasionally, when you realize you "need" to market just before a sale or a promotion. You always need to be marketing!

Study your competition and learn from them. You may not want to do everything your competition does. And just because something is successful for your competition doesn't necessarily mean that it will be successful for you. You need to find what you would enjoy doing and what "fits" your small business to a "T." But by studying your competition, you can best create your marketing plan because you'll develop ideas and strategies for marketing. Instead of doing what you've always done, you'll find new tactics for marketing.

Now, you can ignore setting a marketing budget. Some small businesses do. But they wind up on that frantic treadmill, always thinking short term about their marketing instead of able to think long term. When you create a marketing budget and plan for your marketing, you offer your business the opportunity to grow and develop. It is like the difference between creating a business plan - and choosing to run your business without one. It's entirely your choice!

How to Create a Business Budget for 2012

Article written by Lawrence Reaves, writing on behalf of http://www.galorath.com - providing software estimation tools for complex business projects.

Developing a Career in Sports in the UK

In 2010 research was published showing that growth of the sports sector in England had outstripped the UK economy and that the number of people with sports related jobs had reached 441,000, nearly 1.8% of all employment in England. Sport and fitness covers a large sector of employment comprising professional, commercial and voluntary sports clubs, leisure centres, swimming pools, gyms and fitness clubs and Stadia. These are run by a variety of Local Authority services, Trusts, private operators and voluntary or community organisations.

The great news for people considering developing a career in this industry is that the workforce has a high proportion of young people working within it - some 24% are in the age range of 16-24.

Super Bowl 2012

Golden Decade of Sport
There's never been a better time to consider entering the sports industry. Over the next 10 years we have lots of big events happening in the UK which the government hopes will help establish sport and fitness as a much bigger part of our daily lives and encourage younger people to be more active. Here's a few examples of the main events happening over the next 10 years:

2010
Ryder Cup, Celtic Manor, Newport, Wales
World Lacrosse Championships, Manchester
Women's Rugby World Cup, London
ATP Tennis World Tour finals, The O2, London

2011
World Short-Track Speed Skating Champs, Sheffield
Football Champions' League final, Wembley, London
ATP Tennis World Tour finals, The O2, London

2012
Olympic & Paralympic Games, London

2013
Rugby League World Cup

2014
Commonwealth Games, Glasgow

2015
Rugby Union World Cup

2019
Cricket World Cup

Bidding for:

Super Bowl (2015 or 2017 rumoured)
Football World Cup 2018
Commonwealth Games 2018 (Cardiff, Sheffield or Liverpool).

What Can You Expect?
The average salary after training is between 20k and 35k in the sport and fitness industry. You can expect to have to work shift patterns and weekends in a lot of cases. Working in the industry can offer international opportunities as sport transcends boundaries typically there in other industries. The sports industry is expected to continue to grow at a much faster rate than the rest of the UK economy so domestic opportunities should increase.

Which Sector or Specialisation
There are far more opportunities in the leisure industry than in sports in roughly an 80/20 split. Everyone has heard of the big names in the industry but most clubs and organisations are actually quite small in terms of numbers of employees. This means that you can feel like you're contributing much more than with a small organisation but also that it may be harder to find work initially.

Planning Your Career
An absolute priority has to be to plan your career. Investigate what routes are open to you and think about what is realistic but challenging. You can change your plan as often as you like but you should always have a career plan.

Summary
There's never been a better time to develop a career in the sports industry. With some detailed research and career planning you should be able to carve out your ideal career with the very real possibilities of international travel and working for big brand names.

Developing a Career in Sports in the UK

Start your career planning process by visiting GlobalSportsJobs where you'll find the latest sports jobs advice and content

2012 New York Giants Offseason Needs

The 2011 postseason saw one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NFL history. Despite people writing off the New York Giants after losing five of six games late in the year, they put forth a finish that shocked many. First, the Giants won their last two games to clinch the division title. From there, the Giants would go on an improbable run by defeating the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots en route to a second Super Bowl win in five years. The Giants handily proved that it matters more how you end the year, than how you started it. The shock of the Giants' run may have worn off and the NFC East is as tough as ever, but it seems that New York is ready to contend for years to come. Here are some of the Giants' big additions and subtractions so far in this young offseason, plus a breakdown of their biggest needs heading into the draft.

Additions:

Super Bowl 2012

OLB Keith Rivers

OT Sean Locklear

TE Martellus Bennett

CB Antwaun Molden

Subtractions:

RB Brandon Jacobs

WR Mario Manningham

CB Aaron Ross

ILB Jonathan Goff (free agent)

OT Kareem McKenzie (free agent)

Top 5 Needs:

1. Offensive Tackle

The Giants seem to have moved on and have no plans to bring back starting right tackle Kareem McKenzie, and I believe Will Beatty is just not good enough to be the answer on the left side. David Diehl can obviously play left tackle if needed, but the Giants need to make sure they find someone who is a capable replacement for McKenzie. Second-year tackle James Brewer is an option, but the Giants don't seem too convinced about him starting for the long run.

2. Tight End

Jake Ballard came on strong late in the season and provided a huge boost for the Giants. He came out of nowhere to catch 38 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL late in the season and the Giants could use an upgrade or added depth at this spot. Stanford's Coby Fleener could just be the guy the team goes for with the final pick in the first round, as he is the highest rated tight end in the draft and a perfect fit for quarterback Eli Manning and the passing attack.

3. Running Back

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw formed a pretty good tandem in the backfield when healthy. Sadly, Jacobs decided to leave New York to sign a big contract with the 49ers, leaving the Giants in need of someone who can spell Bradshaw. It's no problem, though, as the Giants should be able to find help at the spot with of their picks later in the draft.

4. Middle Linebacker

New York made a splash when they traded for promising outside linebacker Keith Rivers, and he should make an immediate impact right off the bat. With Rivers on this squad, New York has the option of moving Michael Boley inside. Whatever the Giants decide, this won't be as big a need going into the draft. However, it wouldn't hurt to add some additional depth at this spot.

5. Safety

Antrel Rolle's subpar season last year has a lot of people questioning his skill and talent as a team player; however, what most people fail to realize is that Rolle played out of position most of the year to compensate for the Giants' losses at corner. When Rolle played nickel back, he played extremely well and the Giants may opt to use him at that spot in 2012. This need really isn't that pressing, but it would definitely be helpful to add more depth, whether at the draft or through free agency.

2012 New York Giants Offseason Needs

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Tom Brady Stays In New England

Tom Brady will officially be with the New England Patriots for another four seasons. His contract extension has been signed and it's paying him out a million signing bonus. The Pats knew what needed to be done and they did it.

On top of his wonderful signing bonus, his annual salary has increased as well. His 2010 salary went from .5 million to .5 million for this current season. Although he his salary for this year was only .5 million, he had plenty of bonuses paying him as well. He has those lined up in his new deal as well.

Nfl 2012

In 2011 and 2012 Brady's salary will drop to .75 million. Then the following two seasons, 2013 and 2014 it will increase to .75 million. His 2010 and 2011 salaries are guaranteed as well.

His bonuses will leave his family tree happy for many generations. Just for being on the roster next season he'll earn an extra million and between 2012-2014, he can earn another million in roster bonuses. That's an extra million right there!

Who said roster bonuses were enough? What about workout bonuses? Just for working out over the next four seasons, he'll pick up an extra million. That's 0,000 in bonuses per year for working out.

Bonuses are great, but he won't get them if there's an unfortunate injury. For this reason, Brady and his agent guaranteed .5 million in his contract. Regardless of his health of the next four years, he's getting paid big bucks!

So he's taking home .5 million and he has another million to earn in bonuses. If he gets hurt, the bonuses are unreachable. Oh and let's not forget about how much he makes in endorsements!

Tom Brady has been the best QB in the NFL over the last decade. He's brought championships to New England, but let's see if he can still do that!

Tom Brady Stays In New England

In addition to writing about sports, this author also writes about home renovations. He recently wrote about the best exterior hardware including garage door hardware.