|
Fantasy Football Strategy, Advice, and Commentary |
|
 By: Dave Stringer — July 2, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
If you’ve played Fantasy Football for any length of time, then it’s happened to your team. Saddled with a severely underperforming high draft pick or costly auction player, your team has sunk to the bottom of the standings with little hope of re-emerging short of an outstanding performance on the waiver wire.
When this happens in re-draft leagues, your team is generally finished. When it happens in dynasty leagues, you can try to salvage your season by sacrificing assets from future years but often times you are left making bad trades because your opponents know that you have a huge hole to fill in your line-up.
A fantasy bust can happen for a number of reasons and every year there is plenty of speculation on which players are prime candidates to be a bust in the coming season. Generally, age, injury issues or competition (and thereby opportunity) are the prime reasons for a player adding the bust label to their name. Occasionally, a player just has a down year for fantasy purposes, quite often because of a reduced number of touchdowns.
We’re focused here on players that were top performers in 2008 looking to repeat in 2009, or were top performers in prior years but not in 2008 and expected, by Joe Average fantasy player, to rebound this year. With all due respect to Joe Average, here are ten players that are likely to score fewer fantasy points this year or are unlikely to meet the lofty expectations you’ve surely been reading about.
QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears – Cutler’s offseason move from the Broncos to the Bears seriously hinders his value as a top fantasy quarterback (see previous comments). With the pass heavy Broncos in 2008, Cutler ranked third in points in most leagues. Basically, the Bears will be more competitive than the Broncos were last year and rely more heavily on the run so Cutler will not throw the ball anywhere close to the 616 times he did last season. Expect 100 or so fewer attempts and Cutler landing somewhere between a low end starter and top backup.
QB Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys and the rest of the football world found out in 2008 that Romo’s not quite the dominating presence at the quarterback position that they thought him to be. Forced to throw more than in the past, Romo struggled at times despite having a receiving cast of Terrell Owens, Roy Williams and Jason Witten. With Owens being shown the door, the inconsistent Williams will need to step up his game as will the forgotten Patrick Crayton or one of Miles Austin and Sam Hurd. With uncertainties at wide receiver and a stable trio of running backs in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, look for the Cowboys to be more focused on their running game in 2009.
QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons – Ryan had a phenomenal rookie season and figures to build on his success in 2009 with the return of Roddy White and Michael Jenkins as well as the addition of Tony Gonzalez at tight end. However, Ryan is a prime example of an exciting young player who is more valuable in real football than in fantasy football. The Falcons will continue to pound the ball with the one-two running combination of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. Ryan was fantasy football’s 16th ranked quarterback last season and he figures to move up from there but not significantly. Don’t bite the hype on Ryan.
RB Thomas Jones, New York Jets – Jones will be a 31-year old running back coming off a career season by the time the 2009 season begins. His 241 fantasy points in 2008 were 40 more than his previous high and 67 more than he averaged over the previous four seasons since becoming a starter with the Bears. With Brett Favre and Laveranues Coles leaving and being replaced by Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney and Brad Smith, opponents will focus on stopping the Jets running game in 2009. Expect them to be successful.
RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers – Williams was fantasy football’s top running back in 2008, running behind a powerful offensive line. With the Panthers returning all five starters on the offensive line and expecting the same 11 starters on opening day, it would make sense that the team’s top running back would be in line for a repeat performance. However, it’s hard to imagine Williams scoring 20 touchdowns again this year with Jonathan Stewart expected to take on a larger role entering his second season. Williams may end up as a decent number one running back but there is huge risk to taking him as a top five running back.
RB Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts – Here’s the good – he’s currently the starting running back for an offense that figures to be amongst the league’s best in 2009. Here’s the bad – he’s been injury prone, he just had arthroscopic knee surgery and the team used its 1st round pick on his position (Donald Brown). There have been glowing reports about Brown coming out of Indianapolis this offseason but it remains to be seen how he performs with the pads on especially in blitz protection given the team’s huge reliance on Peyton Manning at quarterback. Addai could have a huge year but he’s the type of player who somebody in your league will gamble on before they should and exactly the type of potential bust who could ruin your season.
WR Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals – Ochocinco is 31 years old and coming off a 540 yard, four touchdown performance, his worst season since his rookie year in 2001. His apologists will argue that Ochocinco suffered with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback last season and that he is ready for a rebound year with Carson Palmer back behind center. That is certainly possible but it’s also possible that Ochocinco is a player who has never honed his craft and he is now at the age where he cannot produce big numbers based on his declining natural abilities. Plus, he has plenty of up and coming wide receivers behind him on the depth chart. He’s high risk/high reward and only worth the risk at the right price.
WR Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneeers – Bryant enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, finishing as the eighth ranked receiver with 1,249 yards and seven touchdowns. However, the combustible Bryant will go from having Jeff Garcia at quarterback to one of Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown or rookie 1st round pick Josh Freeman. The Bucs will likely focus on establishing their running game with a solid one-two punch in Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham running behind a young, powerful offensive line. It’s anyone’s guess how the mercurial Bryant will react if his production diminishes one season after a career year. Buyer beware.
WR Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers – Every year, the NFL playoffs produce surprise performances and Holmes certainly fits the bill as the Super Bowl MVP. Holmes is a burner with big play ability who had an outstanding game in the Super Bowl, he’s heading into just his fourth year in the league and it’s likely that performance combined with his age will result in him being taken in drafts and auctions higher than he should be. Holmes will benefit from the departure of Nate Washington but it’s worth noting that he had only two games of double digit fantasy points in 2008.
WR Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints – Moore had a huge season last year, finishing with 928 yards and a whopping ten touchdowns playing in New Orleans high-powered offense, making him fantasy football’s 12th ranked wide receiver. The problem is that Moore isn’t really all that good and his season was basically the result of a convergence of events unlikely to happen again. The team’s top wide receiver (Marques Colston) missed significant time as did their prized free agent acquisition at tight end (Jeremy Shockey). Their former 1st round pick at wide receiver (Robert Meachem) played well at times but was inconsistent. Their multi-talented running back (Reggie Bush) also suffered an injury and their old, reliable power running back (Deuce McAllister) finally broke down. And so they turned to their not very big, not very fast former undrafted free agent wide receiver. In the six games that Bush missed, Moore averaged 15.5 points per game. In the other ten games, Moore averaged six points per game. In the five games in which Colson, Bush and Moore all played, Moore averaged 3.3 points per game. Remember that when you decide to overpay for Moore.
By: Dave Stringer — June 23, 2009 @ 10:41 am
The NFL has suspended Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth after his plea bargain with Miami prosecutors for his role in the death of a married father of a 15-year old girl. Stallworth struck and killed Mario Reyes while driving under the influence early in the morning and plead guilty to DUI manslaughter last week. The plea agreement was heavily criticized because it called for only 30 days in jail as well as financial compensation for Reyes’ family, in addition to a lengthy period of probation, a lifetime driving suspension and two years of house arrest.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Stallworth indefinitely but indications are that Stallworth will face a lengthy suspension. Goodell used strong language throughout his press release, leaving little doubt where the league stands on these types of situations and that Stallworth’s punishment from the league will be severe.
Goodell commented that Stallworth’s actions were “inexcusable” and “caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL.” He also stated that Stallworth’s conduct “plainly violates the Personal Conduct and Substances of Abuse policies” and that “there is ample evidence to warrant significant discipline under both policies.” Finally, Goodell stated that “all NFL employees recognize that alcohol-related violations of the law will not be tolerated.”
The league has come down hard on repeat offenders of the league’s Personal Conduct policies. Former Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones received a six game suspension after receiving an indefinite suspension for his numerous legal issues. Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry faced an eight game ban for repeated violations of the law and Rams defensive end Leonard Little faced an eight-game ban after he struck and killed a Missouri woman while driving under the influence. Little was suspended in 1999 at a time when the league was more lenient regarding suspensions for violations of the law.
Based on Goodell’s efforts to strengthen the league Personal Conduct policies, his previous suspension decisions and Little’s eight-game suspension in 1999, a 12-game ban seems very likely with an outside chance that Stallworth is suspended for the entire 2009 season.
Fantasy Football Impact
It is worth noting that since Stallworth’s arrest, the Browns have signed free agent wide receivers David Patten and Mike Furrey and used 2nd round draft picks on Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. With Braylon Edwards clearly established as the team’s top wide receiver, standout returner Josh Cribbs occupying a roster spot at wide receiver and the Browns unlikely to give up on 2007 7th round pick Syndric Steptoe, Stallworth does not appear to be in the team’s plans for 2009.
In fact, it is likely that he remains on the team’s roster only because releasing him would result in a $7.6-million salary cap charge. With a salary of under $1-million for 2009, there is a strong possibility the team will pay a pro-rated portion of his salary for the year (and likely request he not attend at the team’s facilities) rather than release him. This exact scenario played out in the Falcons decision to retain Michael Vick on their roster for 2008. In addition, if the CBA is not extended and 2010 is an uncapped year, the team can release Stallworth in 2010 with no cap charge.
In essence, it appears the Browns have given up on Stallworth and if he plays in 2009, which seems unlikely, it will be with another team, requiring him to learn a team’s playbook in short order. If the Browns have given up on him, then you should too in your fantasy league.
By: Dave Stringer — June 17, 2009 @ 11:00 am
After Brett Favre’s appearance on Joe Buck Live, there can be little doubt of his intentions regarding the 2009 season. During the course of his appearance on the show, Favre told Buck the following:
- he plans on playing in 2009 provided his arm is healthy,
- the Vikings are the only team he has had discussions with,
- he has received advice from Vikings trainers on how to rehabilitate his arm,
- he chose not to sign with the Vikings earlier and attend their organized team activities, and
- the team is a perfect fit for him.
Based on that, it’s fair to conclude that the only thing that would prevent Favre from suiting up with the Vikings in 2009 would be if his bicep does not recover from his recent surgery.
Fantasy Football Impact
There are always two issues with acquiring a player for your fantasy league – production and value. Favre has generally been a solid fantasy performer and that was the case in 2008 with one important caveat. His 2008 production can be broken down into two categories – pre- and post-bicep injury.
Over the first 11 games of the season, Favre was averaging 15.2 points per game. His points per game were reduced dramatically over the season’s final five games of which only one was against a solid defense (Miami), going down to 9.8. In New York, Favre was surrounded by a solid offensive line, career seasons from the team’s two running backs (Thomas Jones and Leon Washington), two solid wide receivers in Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery and a solid rookie tight end in Dustin Keller.
With the Vikings, Favre would benefit from a solid offensive line, albeit one in transition at the centre and right tackle positions. The team also has fantasy football’s number one performer in Adrian Peterson and his solid backup, Chester Taylor. Bernard Berrian is a solid deep threat and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is coming off a career season. In addition, Bobby Wade is a solid slot receiver plus Sidney Rice and rookie 1st round pick Percy Harvin have intriguing potential.
In summary, the Vikings are quite similar to the Jets on offense with a better pair of running backs and a group of wide receivers without the history of production of Coles and Cotchery but with decent upside.
That being said, the biggest issue with Favre is that he is always drafted before he should be or his auction cost is more than it should be. With one more year on his resume and no solid number two receiver, he ranks as a low end backup fantasy quarterback who has little chance of putting up top ten fantasy stats.
By: Dave Stringer — June 16, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
In a move that that should surprise no one, Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall has reportedly requested a trade. The talented wide receiver, who stands to earn $2 million in 2009, has been unhappy with his contract situation and took his issue up with team owner Pat Bowlen in a meeting and then packed up and headed out of Denver.
Marshall is obviously a key component in the Denver offense and he brings prototypical wide receiver ability to the team’s passing game. Big, strong and fast, Marshall has the physical ability to be a Hall of Fame wide receiver. Unfortunately, for all his physical ability, he brings very little to the table in terms of maturity and his mental capacity.
Basically, Marshall is asking the Broncos to reward him with a long term contract extension with average salaries of $10 to $12 million per year despite the fact that he is coming off hip surgery in March and refused to perform his rehabilitation in Denver, despite his numerous run-ins with the law, despite his questionable character and decision-making skills, despite his receiving a one-game suspension in 2008, despite the fact he has outstanding legal issues that could result in another, more lengthy suspension.
Or the team can let him play this year for $2 million, see if he continues to produce and stay out of trouble and then enter into negotiations on a long-term deal near the end of the season knowing that Marshall will be a restricted free agent, provided 2010 is an uncapped year. In this situation, leverage exists solely with the team and not the player.
Marshall clearly does not understand the business side of the NFL or he is getting very poor advice from his agents and advisers or some combination of the two. Nonetheless, he is attempting to force the team’s hand knowing that they caved in to the demands of quarterback Jay Cutler and may be unwilling to enter the season with an unhappy star wide receiver in a holdout situation. Plus, by going public, he reduced the team’s ability to receive fair value in a trade.
Add it all up and it’s another in a long line of puzzling and questionable decisions or actions on Marshall’s part.
Fantasy Football Impact
Marshall is the most talented player in the Broncos offense so his availability and production impact every skill position player on the team. Eddie Royal is not likely to be nearly as productive if he receives extra attention from opposing defensive backs. Ditto for tight end Tony Scheffler. The team’s running backs will face more eight man fronts if Marshall isn’t in the line-up and quarterback Kyle Orton will lose his best security blanket and deep ball threat. The team signed wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to provide depth at wide receiver and ostensibly help replace Marshall if he holds out or is traded but he’s never reached his potential and never will.
As for Marshall, unless this situation is resolved peacefully before training camp and his hip proves to be unhealthy, he has become a much more risky player in fantasy leagues. Although he is extremely talented and has the potential to be a top five wide receiver even with Orton at quarterback, the question marks are beginning to add up. At this point, with contract issues, injury issues and quarterback issues, he ranks as a number two wide receiver but with a big upside. Buyer beware.
By: Dave Stringer — April 4, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
The Giants finally decided to move on without Plaxico Burress. With the troubled wide receiver’s legal issues not going to be sufficiently resolved prior to the draft, the team decided they could no longer wait to decide his fate.
Burress has been a major piece of the Giants offense since signing with the team as a free agent prior to the 2005 season after five years with the Steelers. His monster season in 2007 helped propel the team to a Super Bowl championship.
The obvious assumption from this move is that the Giants will make a run at one of Braylon Edwards, Anquan Boldin or Chad Johnson. However, such a move would not be consistent with the overall philosophy of general manager Jerry Reese, who has used free agency to bring in marginally priced veterans to plug holes. A more likely option would be the team bringing back Amani Toomer or signing former Ram Torry Holt and also addressing the position in the draft.
Look for the Giants to take a receiver in the 1st or 2nd round of this year’s draft. They currently have one pick in the 1st round in addition to two picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. If a receiver starts falling, they have the ammunition to move up to get them.
Fantasy Football Impact
Quarterback Eli Manning obviously suffers with the loss of his number one receiver but the numbers suggest Burress’ absence could be overstated. The assumption that Manning’s production suffered with Burress out of the line-up was more fantasy myth than fact. He averaged roughly 14 points per game with Burress in the line-up or on the sideline. However, Manning did benefit from having four games against the NFC West in 2008 when he averaged over 20 points per game against teams from that division. Perhaps that is indicative of his ranking as a fantasy quarterback. With or without Burress, Manning is a solid backup on your fantasy roster.
Wide receivers Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, Mario Manningham and Sinorice Moss figure to benefit from Burress’ departure as well as tight end Kevin Boss. Boss figures to benefit the most as he now becomes the team’s top receiving target in the red zone. Smith seems best suited as a number two or three receiver while Manningham is likely the only receiver currently on the roster with the potential to develop into a top wideout. Hixon has flashed some big play ability but does not seem capable of filling in as a number one receiver.
Barring a trade for Edwards, Boldin or Johnson, look for the team to rely on its running game more in 2009. However, the team struggled to score with Burress out of the lineup so the touchdown count for Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware might suffer with this move. Jacobs remains a solid number two fantasy option but a breakout season now seems less likely.
By: Dave Stringer — April 3, 2009 @ 7:57 am
The NFL saw its first blockbuster trade in years yesterday when the Broncos dealt quarterback Jay Cutler and a 2009 5th round pick to the Bears for Kyle Orton, 1st round picks in 2009 and 2010 and a 3rd round pick in 2009. The Bears were forced to deal significant assets in order to acquire Cutler due to the demand for his services from teams such as the Jets, Bucs and possibly the Redskins.
Chicago obtains a player who becomes their best quarterback since Erik Kramer in the mid-1990’s and most recognized name at the position since Jim McMahon nearly 25 years ago. His presence immediately ignites a Bears offense that struggled at times in 2008 but still managed to average over 23 points per game. Cutler is a talented quarterback already ranking amongst the league’s best players at the position. However the Bears clearly overpaid to acquire his services. It says here that Bears general manager Jerry Angelo paid the price of a Hall of Famer but only got a potential Hall of Famer in return.
It’s worth noting that the Broncos actually scored fewer points than the Bears in 2008.
The Broncos offense clearly suffers in the short term as a result of this trade but the team likely wins in the long term provided they can turn their draft pick bounty into solid players on the defensive side and perhaps a new franchise quarterback. Embattled rookie head coach Jay McDaniels escapes the wrath of the Broncos faithful only because Angelo’s previous ineptness at acquiring a solid quarterback in many ways forced his hand.
Not to be lost in the days news was the Bears acquisition of former Rams Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Pace. Only a week ago the Bears were in a mess at the tackle position but Pace’s signing and that of Kevin Shaffer solidifies the team’s depth at the position. Pace will remain on the left side while Shaffer will battle with 2008 1st round pick Chris Williams to start at right tackle.
Fantasy Football Impact
Chicago Bears
The biggest winners in this trade from a fantasy perspective are Bears wide receiver Devin Hester and tight end Greg Olsen. Hester is clearly the team’s most talented receiver and is capable of making the big plays that Cutler’s strong throwing arm provides. Olsen also vaults up the rankings at tight end with an outside chance of landing in the top five. Olsen averaged 10 yards per reception last year while Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler averaged over 16 yards per reception.
Whoever ends up winning the battle to start opposite Hester also comes out on top in this deal. The list of candidates includes Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis. Keep in mind that Bennett played with Cutler at Vanderbilt so he may have a head start on winning this battle due to his familiarity with Cutler.
With the team now lacking draft picks, any other wide receiver acquisitions will come through free agency. Bears coach Lovie Smith has a history with former Rams wideout Torry Holt and he would clearly provide a major upgrade at the position.
Cutler’s the big loser in this deal and falls out of the top five in the quarterback rankings, perhaps all the way down to the 10th spot. His weapons are greatly diminished and he moves to an offense that relies far more on the run and short passing game than Denver likely will under McDaniels.
Running back Matt Forte likely benefits due to increased touchdown opportunities and his rushing yardage outlook isn’t affected due to the counterbalancing effects of Cutler and Pace. Overall, his ranking remains in the top 10 but he moves closer to the top five.
Denver Broncos
If Cutler’s the big loser then it stands to reason that Kyle Orton is the big fantasy winner albeit with a rather large caveat. Orton picks up outstanding weapons in wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal as well as tight end Tony Scheffler, provided he isn’t traded as has been rumored. Orton ranked as a decent fantasy backup in 2008 but moves into low end starter territory with his move to Denver. Here’s the caveat – how long is he the starter? If the team takes a quarterback in the 1st round, Orton might find himself on the bench midway through 2009.
Marshall is the Broncos biggest fantasy loser with this trade given that a large portion of his production came from Cutler’s long passes and risky throws to him in traffic. Simply put, Orton will make far fewer of those throws than Cutler would have. Royal and Scheffler don’t likely see much of a drop in value given that Orton will frequently check down and both players figure to be featured in the short passing game.
The team’s running backs likely suffer but realistically none of them were going to be relied on from a fantasy perspective, at least until one of them emerged during the season, if that even occurs at all.
By: Dave Stringer — March 30, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
The NFL rookie draft has taken on a larger than life persona over the past 20 years as fans and pundits attempt to decipher the positional needs of their team and other teams and weed through the information and misinformation that each team supplies. Basically, it’s an exercise in futility to try to figure what is real and what is fake.
Nonetheless, mock drafts are great fun for a number of reasons. First off, they are great for finding out who are the most knowledgeable columnists, and it’s not based on their ability to predict which team takes what player. Occasionally, a mock will have a team taking a player and the reasoning will defy logic. A quarterback to the Browns when they have two? A 295-pound nose tackle going to a team that employs a 3-4?
Secondly, it’s an opportunity for discovering perspectives different from your own. The Chargers taking a running back in the 1st round when they re-signed LaDainian Tomlinson and franchised Darren Sproles?
Finally, watching players rise and fall is simply a fascinating experience when they have had up to four years to showcase their ability ON THE FIELD. Chris Wells looks like a surefire top five pick then runs a slow 40 at the combine only to run a much better 40 a few shorts weeks later. Where else can you find such theatre of the absurd? On to my own mock draft. Mocking comments welcome.
- Detroit – OT Jason Smith – Let’s give new coach Jim Schwartz the top tackle in terms of run/pass blocking skills. If they can run, Daunte Culpepper can throw it up top.
- St. Louis Rams – OT Eugene Monroe – They would love LB Aaron Curry but a combination of Alex Barron and Jacob Bell at tackle isn’t very inspiring.
- Kansas City Chiefs – LB Aaron Curry – New GM Scott Pioli gets to pick between Curry and DT B.J. Raji and goes with the multi-faceted linebacker who also happens to be the safest pick in the draft.
- Seattle Seahawks – QB Matthew Stafford – They would prefer an offensive tackle when faced with the choice of Stafford and Raji, and go with the quarterback due to Matt Hasselbeck’s age (34 in September) and off-season additions of Colin Cole and Cory Redding.
- Cleveland Browns – LB Brian Orakpo – Desperate for pass rushing help, team goes for the player with perhaps the most pass rushing potential as an outside linebacker in the 3-4.
- Cincinnati Bengals – DT B.J. Raji – Team gets a steal as the draft falls their way for once. Coach Marvin Lewis can’t turn down the draft’s best defensive tackle to add depth to the team’s lacklustre defensive line talent.
- Oakland Raiders – WR Michael Crabtree – Raiders have perhaps the worst wide receiver depth chart in the league so this one is a no-brainer.
- Jacksonville Jaguars – OT Michael Oher – They would love Smith, Monroe or Raji but are forced to reach a little for Oher.
- Green Bay Packers – OLB Everette Brown – Moving to the 3-4 and are desperate for a DE with size or a pass rushing OLB. Brown offers more upside than any of the draft’s large DE’s so he’s the pick.
- San Francisco 49ers – CB Malcolm Jenkins – Walt Harris isn’t getting any younger and Shawntae Spencer’s days may be numbered due to a knee injury last year and $3.5-million cap charge despite his backup status.
- Buffalo Bills – LB Rey Maualuga – Would love a pass rushing DE but value is at LB and Paul Posluszny has the ability to move outside to accommodate Maualuga at MLB.
- Denver Broncos – LB Brian Cushing – Team needs help at every position on defense so they go with the best defender left on the board.
- Washington Redskins – OT Andre Smith – Team needs help at DE and OLB but always goes with veterans on the defensive line and no OLB is worth this pick so they gamble on Smith and attempt to get younger on the offensive line.
- New Orleans Saints – RB Chris Wells – Have addressed many defensive needs in free agency so they get a big back to team with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, who struggle in short yardage.
- Houston Texans – OLB Aaron Maybin – They need a pass rushing threat at OLB to take some heat off Mario Williams and Maybin fits the bill.
- San Diego Chargers – S Louis Delmas – Team wasn’t pleased with the play of Clinton Hart last year and doesn’t currently have a player to challenge him. Running back is a possibility but they have Tomlinson, Sproles and Michael Bennett to handle that role in 2009.
- New York Jets – QB Mark Sanchez – Jets go with a young QB in an attempt to replicate the 2008 Ravens who featured a tough defense and a young passer.
- Chicago Bears – WR Jeremy Maclin – The wide receiver needy Bears breathe a sigh of relief the equally needy Jets pass on Maclin.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB Josh Freeman – Luke McCown isn’t the answer and Freeman might not be either but the Bucs gamble on him anyway.
- Detroit Lions – DT Peria Jerry – Lions continue to build in the trenches and take the second best DT in the draft.
- Philadelphia Eagles – RB Knowshon Moreno – Team goes with Brian Westbrook’s eventual replacement and fills a hole created with Correll Buckhalter’s departure.
- Minnesota Vikings – OT Eben Britton – Ryan Cook and Artis Hicks aren’t the answer so the team goes with Britton, who started on the right side until his final year in college.
- New England Patriots – OLB Larry English – Pats go with a prospect who can help out in pass rushing capacity in 2009.
- Atlanta Falcons – CB Vontae Davis – Falcons attempt to replace Dominique Foxworth and provide some competition for Chevis Jackson.
- Miami Dolphins – DT Ron Brace – They need help at CB and would like another pass rushing OLB but the value isn’t there so they go with the draft’s best 3-4 nose tackle.
- Baltimore Ravens – WR Darius Heyward-Bey – Could go CB but with Derrick Mason on his last legs and Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams too inconsistent, they go with Heyward-Bey.
- Indianapolis Colts – DT Evander Hood – Keyunta Dawson and Antonio Johnson combo needs upgrading and the Colts get lucky that Hood falls to them.
- Philadelphia Eagles – TE Brandon Pettigrew – Eagles add another piece to help their woeful short yardage game and team with Brent Celek. OT William Beatty also makes sense here.
- New York Giants – WR Kenny Britt – Barring a trade, the Giants need help at WR and Britt has too much potential to pass up at this spot.
- Tennessee Titans – CB Alphonso Smith – They would like to address MLB and defensive line but Smith offers too much value and fills a need with Chris Carr’s departure.
- Arizona Cardinals – DE Michael Johnson – Everybody has them taking a RB here but they go for Johnson who has the potential to replace and be more effective than Antonio Smith.
- Pittsburgh Steelers – C Alex Mack – Steelers long tradition of outstanding centers has been interrupted by the mediocre play of Sean Mahan in 2007 and Justin Hartwig in 2008.
By: Dave Stringer — March 27, 2009 @ 8:45 am
The Bears, who recently lost projected starting right tackle John St. Clair to the Browns, signed former Brown right tackle Kevin Shaffer to a reported three-year contract. The teams have essentially swapped right tackles with the Browns ending up with the better player for their system.
Nonetheless, the signing is a key one for the Bears because of the implications it has for the organization in this year’s rookie draft. With only the untested Frank Omiyale as an option at right tackle prior to Shaffer’s signing, the team would practically have been forced to use a high draft pick on an offensive tackle one year after selecting left tackle Chris Williams in the first round.
Fantasy Football Impact
The Bears first option was obviously re-signing St. Clair but this move fills a huge hole for the team, potentially allowing them to use their first round pick at the wide receiver position where they are desperate for depth. This is a solid fallback option and the journeyman Shaffer figures to provide better run and pass blocking than a rookie would. Matt Forte and Kyle Orton’s prospects look a little better today.
« Newer Posts — Older Posts »
| |
|
Powered by
WordPress |
|
|
