Plenty of research can be carried out during the NFL off-season, and one of the most fulfilling activities is to study the depth charts of all the 32 teams. Perusing those charts, this week, brought home how much young talent there is within the NFL, and that is before you even start to look at the draft of 2012.

So, confining our look to players who have already made a start in the NFL, who are those that we think can go on and have a Hall Of fame career?

Wide receiver is a position where the NFL is loaded with talent, and several youngsters have certainly taken the eye in that spot, but none more so than the Bengals A.J. Green. He is undoubtedly the best of the bunch, as things stand.

An ideal size for the modern receiver, he has the speed to go deep plus plenty of quick moves to free himself for short routes; most importantly he can come inside and catch the ball over the middle, displaying admirable toughness.

He finished his rookie campaign with 65 catches for 1,057 yards and seven TDs, and we would be looking for all of those numbers to rise significantly in his second season.

No feature on young players would be complete without a mention of the Patriots tight-end, Rob Gronkowski, only 23, and in just his second season in the league, he could lay claim to the title at being the best in his position in the NFL.

An ominous target for Tom Brady, especially on third down, where he can be a real go-to-guy, he is also one to look out for in the red-zone. His giant frame is a huge advantage but, to go with his size, he also has speed and agility.

He hauled in 90 balls for 1,327 yards and 17 TDs (a record for tight ends); he also had multiple TDs in seven different regular season games. Gronkowski is a popular pick with fans making online bets on the NFL.

So far, we have taken a look at two offensive players and, although sometimes defensive players take longer to develop and make an impact, two young men really made an impact, last year. One of them already has a Super Bowl ring to his name, and it would not surprise us if the other achieved that feat in his career.

The two that we speak of are Jason Pierre-Paul and Von Miller. The latter player didn’t waste any time fitting into the Broncos defence, and proved not only to be a very effective pass-rusher, finishing with 11.5 sacks, but he can also use his agility and speed to drop into coverage.

Pierre-Paul had a dominating season that resulted in 86 tackles and 16.5 sacks, and he did all of this damage despite only starting 12 of the 16 regular-season games. On several occasions he proved what a dominating presence he is, and we can see him being a driving force in the NFL for many years to come.

For football fans north of the border, visit the CFL online betting website for more information on your favourite team.

The champagne has just settled and Roberto Mancini can rest back satisfied having led Manchester City to the Premier League title, but the Italian manager is already plotting for more success in the coming years.

The Citizens secured their first league title for 44 years in the most dramatic of circumstances, as Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero both scored injury time goals to bring the Premier League title to the Etihad.

What made the victory even sweeter was the fact they beat their city rivals Manchester United to the title, after lagging eight points behind their neighbours only weeks before.

Mancini, who led City to their first trophy for 35 years last season when they won the FA Cup, will now go down in the club folklore for bringing the Premier League title and is likely to have more funds to further strengthen the multi-million pound squad during the summer.

The current premier league betting with www.betvictor.com already has them as favourites to retain their title, with many tipping City to dominate over the coming years.

Mancini admits he is not satisfied with just one Premier League title, with further trophies definitely on the Italian manager’s mind.

“We are happy because we won this trophy after 44 years,” the Italian said. “We changed the history of this club by beating a strong team like United.

“Now I hope we can continue to win.”

City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak told the club website he was impressed with how Mancini led the team to fight back and win the title. He admits the manager is a “winner” who he will back to win more trophies for City – which must be music to the ears of fans.

Indeed the champions league betting from www.betvictor.com already suggests punters believe they can launch a sustained assault on Europe’s premier competition next season.

The Central Coast Mariners have warned they will not be railroaded into allowing in-demand coach, Graham Arnold, to join Hyundai A League rivals, Sydney FC.

The Gosford-based franchise recovered from a disastrous 5-0 defeat by Seongnam to beat Tianjin Teda 5-1, on Tuesday, and breathe new life into their Asian Champions League campaign.

It means the Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium club, regular season winners of the Hyundai A League, must beat Nagoya Grampus in their final group match, in Japan, in a fortnight, to reach the round of 16.

The Sky Blues have made no secret of their desire to bring in Arnold but Mariners chairman, Peter Turnbull, has insisted his club alone will set the conditions of any move.

Sydney-born Arnold, manager of Sydney United in the 1980s, and of the Australia national side, has already received a final offer from his hometown club, but Turnbull has insisted that he will not return to the negotiating table until the Mariners know their Asian Champions League fate.

“While we’re well aware of Sydney’s interest, what we’ve said all along is that this decision will be made on our timetable, not theirs”, Turnbull said.

He added: “Arnie is still contracted to us, and we’ve made it clear to him his priority, and our priority, is to try and get through to the [ACL] knockout stage. That means we have closed down all negotiations until after the team plays in Japan. That’s the time to make decisions as important as this.”

Elsewhere, the future of several Mariners players is likely to be confirmed in the coming days, with contract extensions offered to Patrick Zwaanswijk, Tom Rogic, and defender, Pedj Bojic.

Make the Hyundai A League even more exciting with live in-play betting, or check out some soccer betting tips to get the most from your football gambling.

Just 12 months ago, Darren Clarke became the oldest Open champion since 1967, when, at the age, of 42 he saw off the challenge of Phil Mickelsen and Dustin Johnson.

The Northern Irishman’s success at Sandwich was his first ever Major, having competed in no less than 53 previous events, a record that proves that perseverance pays.

His previous best effort came some 15 years earlier, when he finished tied second behind Justin Leonard at Troon.

He was not a favourite for the win in the British Open odds; only a handful of fans are likely to have been clutching ante-post slips with Clarke’s name on them. However, the Ulsterman brought his vast experience into play on a blustery weekend.

A look back at his career record would have revealed that he was no back number, having collected two World Championships, including the 2000 Match Play, in which he defeated none other than Tiger Woods in the final.

He can also boast five Ryder Cup appearances, and was one of the vice captains during Europe’s 2010 victory. And, just to prove that life really does begin at 40, he posted a couple of seconds on tour, that year, before going one better and landing the Iberdrola Open in 2011.

Now, ahead of the defence of his title at Royal Lytham & St Annes, in July, Clarke, who has dropped out of the top 100 in the world rankings, aims to get back on track, by making a bid for glory at the BMW PGA Championship taking place at Wentworth, at the end of May.

He appears to be very keen on winning a tournament that he first appeared in back in 1992, and, in which he has finished runner-up twice, in 1997 and 2000.

He is sure to get a taste of what he will be up against in the Open, as three of the best players in the world, namely, Rory Mcllroy, Luke Donald, and Lee Westwood are pencilled in to make an appearance at Wentworth, as they too prepare for Open glory.

Detroit Red Wings veteran, Nicklas Lidstrom, says that he is still undecided whether he will retire following his team’s elimination from the play-offs.

Lidstrom has had yet another stand-out season, after previously putting off his retirement by signing one-year extensions in both of the last two off-seasons.

However, he still appears to be at the peak of his powers, having scored 34 points and ended the season with an impressive plus 21 rating. His prowess on the ice has delighted fans of ice hockey betting, this campaign.

Speculation regarding the 41-year-old’s future has been rife, in recent weeks, after the Swede revealed that his body was starting to feel the effects of over two decades in the NHL. He is increasingly playing through a pain barrier.

“You have to be motivated’,’ Lidstrom said. ”You have to have the drive, and that is something I will think about.”

The Red Wings are understandably keen for Lidstrom to extend his career and the lobbying efforts within the camp have already begun.

With four Stanley Cup wins and seven Norris Trophies to his name, the Swede is undoubtedly one of the sport’s modern greats. His teammates believe he is simply too good to quit.

Compatriot, Henrik Zetterberg, has been at the forefront of the campaign for him to confirm his participation in what would be the 21st season of Lidstrom’s career.

However, Zetterberg admits that he is still unsure if his colleague will stay, and that his great friend’s decision will probably come down to him doing what he feels is best for his family.

”Like we’ve been doing the last two or three years, we’re trying’, Zetterberg said. ”I think everyone is, but once again, it will come down to a decision with his family.”

Ivan Basso has admitted that he is looking to get himself into top form, as he heads into the Giro d’Italia, where he will be looking to make it a hat-trick of titles at the season’s first major event.

The Italian has not managed to continue his momentum from last year into the new season, failing to follow up from a stunning 2011 with any race victories so far this year.

The 34-year old is finalising his plans for a busy summer, by competing at the Tour de Romandie, which comes a week after the Team BMC rider finished 35th overall at the Tirreno-Adriatico.

The result was a bit disappointing for Basso, however; it is now a case of getting the miles under his belt, before taking on the first big race of 2012, in Italy.

“I am thinking of this race as a step forward in my journey to the Giro d’Italia. The Giro del Trentino and the Tour de Romandie are the races that will decide if I will be competing for the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey)”.

“I see this race a little like my second season debut; I can’t wait to have the perfect rhythm, and I have to restore my confidence to the dynamics of a race.”

“The Trentino has some very tough climbs, and that will be great for my progress, but keeping up with the best riders will be tough.”

The experienced Basso has been one of the most consistent riders on the circuit, since making his debut back in 1999 with Team Riso Scotti. Since then, the Italian has continued to establish a reputation as a world class stage-race rider.

Basso is currently an outsider in the Tour de France odds, at 80-100/1 in the bookmakers’ window.