May 31, 2007
This story is gratifying in so many ways and ends my day here beautifully.
Not only is Chad Johnson racing a horse, but the match-up has a name ("Man vs. Beast") and will be simulcast to 400 outlets across the country and in South America.
Looks like that Ocho Cinco marketing broadened Chad's appeal.
Okay, I'm running out of .Com headquarters in Stamford back to New York for the night. One more minicamp update coming ...
Is Jones tough enough?
Matt Jones is getting a reputation in Jacksonville for being soft. Lower leg injuries continue to bother the former quarterback, as he missed three weeks of OTA work because of hamstring injuries. Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford surprisingly opened the offseason as the team’s starters, which looks like Jack Del Rio trying to send a message to Jones. It doesn’t appear to have taken hold.
My initial projections for Jones were optimistic, but our buddy Mike Dempsey at 1010XL in Jacksonville doesn’t believe he’ll ever be consistent. Dempsey has kicked my fantasy teams around enough to listen closely. He also believes Mike Walker, the team’s third-round pick, has a big future with the team. Walker had a setback in his recovery from his ACL surgery that may slow down his rookie year, but he could start in 2008. When you throw Dennis Northcutt into the mix, it’s quite possible all the Jacksonville receivers will cancel each other out. Again.
The friction between Byron Leftwich and Jack Del Rio is getting a lot of attention in the press, but it’s not a huge story. Leftwich will have the job if healthy. Staying on the field has been his biggest problem the last two years.
He lies again!! Despite repeated claims that he wouldn't get a haircut until he won the Super Bowl, Vick has cut off his locks. You just can't trust this guy.
Bobby Petrino is impressed.
"He looks good. I like it. He's got a big smile on his face and a nice haircut."
I'll give Petrino credit for joking around while the sky is falling before his first season starts.
Note: For analysis on what life might be like after Vick, check out my latest camp tour column over at Rotoworld.
May 30, 2007
Could a new football league possibly work? Taking on the NFL would be nearly impossible, but I believe there is enough interest from fans to support more pro leagues. The AFL didn't quite make money in the short run, but it did damage the NFL enough to force a merger. Of course, it's hard to overestimate how much better shape the NFL is in today than the 1960's.
The only way a new league could work is with a group of deep-pocketed owners that don't mind losing money, possibly for a long time. Owners like that wouldn't be easy to find, but Mark Cuban seems like one man crazy enough to do it. The new league would have to acquire premium talent. If teams offered enough money, players at any level would follow. They did with the USFL, just like the AFL. Players will take the sure thing when it comes to cash. Joe Nocera writes for the NY Times' Play magazine that the UFL would offer more money to rookies not subject to the NFL's salary structure.
One option would be to eventually go after high school seniors and college underclassmen. This would be declaring war on the NFL, but perhaps that's the only way. Pete Rozelle himself, working for the Los Angeles Rams in 1960, lost prize recruit and Heisman winner Billy Connor to Bud Adams and the AFL's Houston Oilers, largely because the NFL had illegally signed Connor before he was even eligible to be drafted.
In 1966, it was Giants owner Wellington Mara who escalated the war between the leagues when his team broke a seven-year unwritten rule by signing away Buffalo's veteran kicker Pete Gogolak. It was the first time either league attempted to sign a veteran player from the other league. AFL Commisioner Al Davis was incensed, and soon the AFL Chargers were offering contracts to three Giants players. The two leagues merged a few months later.*
The lesson I take from these examples? All is fair in business and war. The NFL will do what they have to in order to protect their interests and would be very difficult to dent at this point. The UFL would have numerous obstacles, including stadium financing. But the NFL has nurtured so much passion for football in America, the right group of owners may just have a shot to gain a foothold. If owners were willing to pay more to mid-round draft picks, they could get decent players. If the MLS and WNBA can survive, however marginalized, surely another pro football league could make an impact.
* Thanks to Michael MacCambridge's incredible book America's Game for providing the research here.
Lots of links today, many from this morning, and a few tasty leftovers from the holiday weekend.
I crave information, basically anything related to football. There is a line, however, where it all becomes too much. Finding out how many beef sticks Tank Johnson eats in jail crosses the line. Do people really care about this?
Jeff Garcia and Jon Gruden have had a crush on each other for a while. This probably won't end well for either guy. Or Chris Simms.
The other man
This is the type of ridiculously positive article you expect on a team site. But since it's about Maurice Stovall, a player I own, I'm eating it up. The kid may struggle to stay healthy because he runs so upright, but he looked like he belonged last year.
Speaking of team sites, it was pretty surprising to see ChicagoBears.com declare that Michael Okwo is more talented than Jamar Williams. Okwo remains the long-term favorite to take Lance Briggs' job.
Any article that ends with a player wanting to get a mullet is going to get a link here. Although Jared Allen has a long way to go to match this one.
Continue reading "Linked" »
Avoiding offseason hype is a habit of a successful fantasy leaguer. With that in mind, it’s best to try to ignore the buzz machine in Houston surrounding the new Matt Schaub-led passing game. Schaub is reportedly picking up the offense well, but Gary Kubiak was positive about David Carr at this time a year ago. Be especially leery of the puff pieces surrounding Kevin Walter, Houston’s new number two receiver. The guy has 47 career catches in four seasons. He’s a great blocker and willing learner, but that doesn’t show up in the box score.
Daniels may be the team's second best receiver
When Jacoby Jones was drafted, I thought the Lane University third-rounder would be the favorite to start opposite Andre Johnson. Early minicamp reports suggest Jones will take time to adjust to the NFL, which isn’t a huge surprise. It would surprise if Walter is still starting in Week 17. It would also surprise me if any Texan receiver besides Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels are worth owning in 12-team leagues this season. Even Daniels is borderline in a crowded tight end field. Jerome Mathis is struggling with hamstring issues again and Andre’ Davis has been dropped by three teams in three teams. This squad reminds me a lot of the Bills receiver group - one truly great young star and a whole lot of filler.
May 29, 2007
This man needs a backup
Note:I started a team-by-team look at minicamp season in my column today. I'll finish the rest of the AFC here on the blog this week.
I have been driving the DeDe Dorsey bandwagon since mentioning him on the Fantasy Fix and an Offseason Lowdown column in March, and there is still plenty of room available. But it's starting to get a little more crowded.
After an Indiana News article called Dorsey and CFL star Kelton Keith co-favorites for the number two job in Indianapolis, Colts.com admits Dorsey is the favorite. The second-year pro impressed at the team's recent minicamp and has the versatility the Colts look for. While the team won't employ a straight commmittee approach like last year, the backup to Joseph Addai will probably get more work than your average handcuff. And since we're talking about the best offense in football, any backup to Addai will be a major late-round sleeper. ... Owners looking for a reason to believe the Colts passing game can improve this year should look no further than their defense. On paper, it could be worse than the unit that forced Peyton Manning to pass like crazy last year. 575 pass attempts is possible, which would lead to bigger numbers for Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne. ... Anthony Gonzalez missed the team's mandatory minicamp because of an NFL Rookie event. He should slot into the third receiver role before long, but keep an eye on Roy Hall, his old teammate at Ohio State. Hall is 240 pounds and will probably be converted into a catch-first tight end. Perhaps he'll give Dallas Clark a run for his job in a year.
Another day, another article hammering Lendale White for his lackadaisal work ethic. This time, it's Jeff Fisher getting on LenDale's case.
“Everybody else managed to make it back, he didn’t,” Fisher said. “Maybe there are things that are more important to him than things that we are doing. I’ll assume he’ll be back at some point today. He had some kind of flight problem or something like that,” Fisher said. “No one else seemed to have flight problems. ... I’ve been on record with being disappointed with him. I hope to have him back on the practice field, but again everybody else was here and he wasn’t. I’m anxious to hear what kind of excuse he has.”
Fat, lazy, and stupid is no way to go through an NFL career. And White is going to make it roughly as far as his old teammate Mike Williams if this keeps up.
After canvassing some opinion across Fantasy Nation, especially the people that work in the industry, I can't imagine White's stock getting much lower unless he gets released. And that's why it may be time to go after him in keeper leagues.
Unlike Williams, White looked very capable between the lines when he played as a rookie. He is only 22 years old and his only competition for carries this season is Arizona's Chris Henry, who has very little track record.
It's late May, and the impact of minicamp stories are always overblown. Just about everything from this summer will be forgetten when real practices with tackling start in August. White may not 'get it' by then, but he will be a great candidate to be undervalued in fantasy leagues if he does.
I make a habit of going after reclamation projects on my fantasy teams. Swimming against the popular current for talented players is the best way. It doesn't always pay off, but acquiring premium talent on the cheap pays dividends in the long run. White owners may be ready to panic and sell him for a third receiver or backup running back. I'd take a shot.
Braylon Edwards is practicing again with the Browns, but Romeo Crennel has temporarily demoted him to the third team offense.
Players like Travis Wilson and Tim Carter were likely slotted ahead of Edwards. Coach Romeo Crennel says it's because Edwards, "Missed one day and fell behind."
Edwards skipped the first day of OTAs last week for what he says was a family emergency, but it's clear Crennel doesn't buy it. Or that Edwards has used up all his excuses and this is a case of a coach finally making a stand. Edwards is going to be Cleveland's starter and best receiver before training camp. Crennel is spending the months before it trying to get his head screwed on tightly.
Edwards has been impressively productive as a pro considering the talent around him and the ACL tear he suffered as a rookie. That's why we projected Edwards to make a major leap in production in his third season. A sterner hand from Crennel can only help.
May 25, 2007
With our two-tiered magazine schedule, I get to take my first Memorial Day weekend off since I started this job. So why do I feel guilty about it? Anyhow, enjoy one of the quietest times of the NFL news cycle and I'll see everyone with a new column Tuesday.
In the meantime here is our football fantasy fix for the week. Check out the graphics!
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