If the season started today, and your only guide to which quarterback you would take was based on preseason play, who ya got: Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford or Drew Brees?

It’s hard to pull off a blind sample like that, but my co-host Bucky Brooks and I let you know who is balling right now and who could have his team in play once the postseason comes around on the most recent edition of the Cover Two Podcast.

So who ya got?

Probably not Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, right? Well, say what you want, but Henne has looked like a totally different quarterback the past two preseason games and Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero explains why. Salguero also lets it rip on whether he’s buying into Henne and how much of a difference Reggie Bush makes.

We all believe Miami’s defense is going to be really good, but not because it has the top cornerback tandem in the NFL. Sorry Vontae Davis, but we like your confidence. We also like the confidence Bills rookie defensive tackle Marcell Dareus displays during his appearance.

Darius (foot) also updates us on his health and whether he’ll be ready to go Week 1. More importantly, he keeps it real on how much joy Alabama coach Nick Saban brought to the game.

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Courtesy Antigen Realty

Former Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has listed Poway, Calif., home for sale, and if we can take up a collection, we could probably raise the $5,210,000 needed to purchase the place.

Although, I think we can get that price down to $5 million in this economy. Or, in other words, if every reader who has ever left a negative comment on one of my Pick Six columns donated a buck, we could get that place by next week.

The five-bedroom, nearly 10,000-square foot house is rather stunning when you look through all of the pictures (and you can do that here). You need to see it to believe it.

You know what the house reminds me of the most — one of those houses that they rent to hold those MTV “The Challenge” shows.

You can join the Rank Amateurs via Twitter or via Facebook. Be sure to catch the latest on the Dave Dameshek Football Program.

Packers WR Don Hutson (left) during his playing days, and Ellen DeGeneres on Friday at Saints practice (Courtesy of the New Orleans Saints).

Ellen DeGeneres joined the Saints at practice Friday in Oxnard, Calif., and with the NFL being a copycat league, the Falcons immediately brought in Conan O’Brien, the Buccaneers added Jimmy Kimmel and the Panthers signed Jay Leno.

Oh, the poor Panthers. They still can’t catch a break.

You might ask why DeGeneres was at practice in the first place – perhaps teaching them some dance moves? DeGeneres, a native of Metairie, La., has long been one of the most visible and vocal Saints supporters. In fact, Saints QB Drew Brees gave DeGeneres’ mother a pair of Super Bowl tickets two years ago.

And yes, I know entirely way too much about this.

The key question I have: Why is she dressed like Hall of Fame and ex-Packers WR Don Hutson?

Dave and Rank bring in Zach “The Blue Horseshoe” Rosenfield of Accuscore.com for a division-by-division forecast of which teams are playoff bound. Spoiler alert: the Bengals do not figure into that equation.

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With only a fortnight left ’til the season kicks off, Dave and Rank welcome NFL Network/Atlanta Falcon/Florida State Seminole/good guy Jamie Dukes to the studio to kibbitz about Peyton Manning and the Colts’ QB situation, Chris Johnson’s future in Tennessee and the Miami Hurricanes’ mess.

The fellas also throw a pity party for a couple of deserving NFLers. You know who else deserves a pity party? Anyone who doesn’t listen to this show.

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Seattle wide receiver Mike Williams made one of the more remarkable comebacks to the NFL last year, grabbing 65 catches after being out of football for two seasons. His maturation and recognition of what nearly cost him his career are among the subjects he speaks to on the Cover Two Podcast this week.

Williams discusses his lingering toe injury that has limited him in the preseason, how his role is being impacted by the additions of Sidney Rice and Zach Miller as well as the quarterback competition between Charlie Whitehurst and Tarvaris Jackson. To Williams, the starter has already been decided.

You’ll also want to hear his take on who he thinks could be an inspirational breakout player like he was last season. It’s not a Seahawks player and Williams’ take is pretty moving.

The Colts’ signing of veteran quarterback Kerry Collins points to several things, namely starter Peyton Manning might not be ready to start the season and that current backup Curtis Painter isn’t up to the task. There is something bigger and more important, though, in regard to the team that my co-host Bucky Brooks and I point out.

Brooks gives his take on Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson being back on the field after having seizures early in training camp and how he could make a huge difference in the “Dream Team’s” defense.

Lastly, if you had to choose: Fred Jackson or C.J. Spiller; Kevin Kolb or Colt McCoy; Tramon Williams or Brent Grimes; Whitehurst or Jackson, who do you want? Hear what we have to say on the Cover Two Podcast.

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Carolina’s top pick Cam Newton made his first start of the preseason Friday and even though he didn’t exactly light it up against the Dolphins, it’s his job to lose. At least according to Bucky Brooks and me on our latest Cover Two Podcast.

Will Jaguars rookie QB Blaine Gabbert join him in the starting lineup Week 1? We asked Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio, who was non-committal. He did offer up this riveting compliment of veteran David Garrard‘s performance Friday against Atlanta: “He was okay.” That was pretty much it. Del Rio did have some promising things to say about his defense, which is something he couldn’t say about his last few defenses. In fact, you might get a kick out of what he did say.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, the Falcons’ beat writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also joined us on Cover Two and kept it real about the offensive line’s play against the Jags. If you’ve never had the pleasure of dealing with D-Led, you will when one of the NFL media’s most colorful journalists breaks it all down, including his take on his favorite team from childhood — the Cleveland Browns.

Brooks is riled up about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell transferring Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor‘s five-game suspension by the NFL. I also have some pretty zesty thoughts on Baltimore coach John Harbaugh somewhat apologizing for adding a late touchdown in a preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs. There was no need to, especially since coaches are always telling us about how much the preseason doesn’t matter.

And if you’re still reeling about the recent news coming from “The U,” you won’t believe who we might have spotted in one of the pictures of alleged debauchery.

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Dave and Rank discuss the Eli Manning and Terrelle Pryor stories, then welcome NFL.com fantasy guru Michael Fabiano in-studio to break down their recent Experts League fantasy draft and breakout/bust candidates. Dave also charges Fabiano with a violation of the Fan Conduct Policy.
Careful handling this podcast, ‘cause it’s red hot.

Hide the women and children. Based on NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks’ training camp report on the Raiders in our most recent Cover Two Podcast, the fans of the Silver & Black might get a little worked up.

Carolina Panthers LB Thomas Davis kicked off the show by invoking the “worst-to-first” refrain about his team’s chances in the rugged NFC South. It’s happened nearly every season in the division, so don’t think he’s crazy. Davis said the defense will hold things down while the offense gets up to speed. He also said that rookie QB Cam Newton is a prototype well ahead of his time. Someone call George McFly.

I also had the skinny on recent training camp stops with the Eagles, Panthers and Jets and drop the names of a few players no one is talking about who could emerge as surprises. All are receivers, and two are rookies.

We also get the inside scoop on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from beat writer Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times. Holder really breaks down the decision to let MLB Barrett Ruud walk in free agency and the risk the team took by doing so. He also brings up the catch phrase coined by Raheem Morris – “Youngry” –  that the Bucs hope catches on.

Then again, when Morris hears my take on the term he might be “Yangry.”

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In case you hadn’t heard, the Hall of Fame induction party for Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders was “off the chain”, as the kids would say. Nelly and Snoop Dogg were awesome. Or at least that is what I heard. I declined my ticket, as I would instead put $3 into the jukebox at Buffalo Wild Wings in order to download the Allman Brothers Band entire “Eat a Peach” album (and a few Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes, too), much to the delight of my Canton, Ohio brethren (now that was a party).

In any event, we scored some photos and we want you, the NFL.com user, to provide the captions.

My caption: “Sure, Nelly, it may be getting hot in herre, but you couldn’t wear a nicer T-shirt?”

My caption: “A Snoop Dogg appearance has not seemed this out-of-place since “Old School.” Or maybe, “Hi, this is Snoop Dogg for Century 21, and do I have a three-bedroom condo for you.”

Yes, I am embarrassed for myself. But you can catch Snoop’s tribute to Primetime right here.

You can talk to Adam Rank about Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band via Twitter or via Facebook. Oh,
and be sure to catch the latest on the Dave Dameshek Football Program.

Snoop Dogg sings for Deion Sanders and friends during a post-enshrinement party. (Chris Law/NFL)

CANTON, Ohio — After all the tributes and tears, it was Snoop Dogg who tied a bow on things (no disrespect to Deion Sanders tying his do-rag around his bronze bust).

Dressed in a gold blazer, Snoop paid tribute to Deion with over an hour of music, including a special duet with Deion himself.

St. Louis native Nelly kicked things off in front of a crowd that included Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Jones, Jim Kelly, Michael Irvin, Dan Marino, Bruce Smith, Eric Dickerson, John Randle, Sterling Sharpe, and Terrell Davis.

Marshall Faulk jumped on stage while Nelly paid tribute to his St. Louis roots and what Faulk meant to the city.

But it was the D.O. Double G who brought down the house, echoing Deion’s Pro Football Hall of Fame speech tribute to his mother with a shout out to all the moms in the crowd: “The mamas are the backbone” would be the line to take away before Snoop and Deion closed things out with a rendition of Prime’s own 1994 hit “Must Be The Money” that would have made MC Hammer proud.

Truth.

– Aron Angel

An emotional Deion Sanders discusses a memorable evening with the NFL Total Access crew.

What were the six most memorable moments from Saturday night’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony?

Was it Shannon Sharpe stumping for his brother, Sterling? Marshall Faulk giving a shout-out to Georgia Frontiere? Or Deion Sanders‘ moving tribute to his mother?

Adam Rank has you covered in his Hall of Fame addition of “Pick Six.”

Deion Sanders caps off a memorable evening by applying one of his trademark looks to his bust. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)

CANTON, Ohio — Leave it to Deion to put the exclamation point on a powerful evening with they type of moment that only he could create.

After Ed Sabol‘s inspirational video and Shannon Sharpe‘s powerful speech and selfless tribute to his older brother, it was Sanders who stole the show with a poignant tribute to his mother.

Then he capped it all off by tying his trademark do-rag around his bust.

Is it just me, or does that thing look nothing like him?

– Aron Angel

Deion Sanders caps off a memorable night with a rousing speech and a moment that only “Prime” could create.