FanHouse Stephen McGee

There was much consternation around the NFL when the Vikings brought Brett Favre back. The move raised plenty of questions about Favre's ability to help Minnesota, too -- adding an old quarterback with a partially torn rotator cuff who's coming off biceps surgery was certainly a gamble.

But for the Vikings, it's worth risking the season.

NFL teams need elite quarterbacks to succeed at an elite level. Adding Favre makes Minnesota's offense one of the best in the NFC, if he's used right.

Here's the deal: Upper Deck got a bunch of NFL rookies together and offered up a free autographed Michael Jordan jersey to the guy with the best touchdown celebration.

Random, sure. But also worth the four minutes you would otherwise spend staring at an Excel spreadsheet while thinking about taking a smoke break.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Mr. BCS Goes To Washington -- Except I have a feeling Jimmy Stewart would find some way to rail against the BCS, however wrongheadedly. You see, the big word in the halls of Congress on Friday was "fair" but don't let that confuse you. While the Mountain West and certain members of Congress are using the fairness term to stoke public support, their real concern is about money.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Jerry Jones might be a little eccentric, but the guy can spot talent. When it isn't top picks like Troy Aikman or Emmitt Smith coming to the Cowboys, it is undrafted guys like Tony Romo or late third-round guys like Jason Witten. Even Patrick Crayton in the seventh round was a success for Dallas.

This year, the Cowboys traded down, but didn't really snag anyone that is going to blow your hair back. Jason Williams of Western Illinois is a player that might see some time for Dallas this season. In college, Williams was a fumble-forcing machine, knocking loose six his senior seasons.

There are usually a few surprises over the course of the NFL Draft. Maybe I watch too much college football, but I was stunned during the fourth round Sunday.

That was when the Dallas Cowboys selected Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee with the 101st overall pick. I understand that college stats don't mean much when it comes to having NFL-caliber talent, but this seemed quite odd to me.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

From Mike Shanahan's firing to the Jay Cutler trade, the Broncos are almost unrecognizable from the team that finished last season. After three playoff-less seasons, that may not be a bad thing.

The upheaval does make it difficult to predict where they'll look on draft day, however. A new coach and general manager running their first draft don't have a track record to use as a guide, which should make the Broncos a team to watch on April 25.

With less than 90 days to go until the start of the 2007 college football season, the FanHouse is exploring the impact players in each conference. Although Vince Young no longer dominates the headlines, the Big 12 still has its share of stars worthy of celebration.

What follows are one man's picks for Big 12 impact players on offense, defense and newcomers.

Offense

Colt McCoy - Texas: He got banged around quite a bit at the end of last year, but in response McCoy beefed up and returns as one of the nation's most efficient passers. Kid is legit, completing 68% of his passes for an NCAA freshman record 29 touchdowns.

Chase Daniel - Missouri: Daniel's a bit of a wild one, but he has full command of a potent Missouri offense. The Tigers are darkhorse league title contenders thanks to Daniel's heroics as both a passer (63% completions, 3,527 yards and 28 touchdowns) and runner (379 yards, 4 touchdowns).

Stephen McGee - Texas A&M: The Aggies are always going to pound the ball on the ground, but McGee's versatile enough to contribute as both a runner and passer. He famously scored the winning touchdown against Texas last year, driving his team down the field. McGee rushed for 666 yards and 4 touchdowns last year to go with 2,295 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and a fine .620 completion percentage.