June 12, 2007
Welcome if you are reading the fantasy mill for the first time on profootballtalk.com. If you are reading on Rotoworld, you can take a peek at our new Fantasy Mill at PFT.
A few morning links that didn't make the morning news ...
Why do I get the feeling that Lane Kiffin is preparing us for JaMarcus Russell to start in September?
"JaMarcus looked really good (Monday)," coach Kiffin said. "Without going back to watch the film, it was JaMarcus' best practice since he's been here."
I'm not touching any Raiders quarterback in fantasy leagues this year, but Russell will be projected to make about 12 starts.
Jean-Jacque Taylor is on fire since getting a columnist gig at the Dallas Morning News. He's right on with this Greg Ellis analysis. It's no time to be asking for a pay raise. Ellis should be happy he's so well paid coming off a torn Achilles.
Continue reading "Linked: Russell getting ready?" »
June 11, 2007
As addicted readers of Florio since the early days (when his completion percentage wasn't quite as Montana-like), Rotoworld.com is thrilled to start a partnership with profootballtalk.com. Rotoworld has been cranking out the most detailed and timely player news on the web since 1999 for fantasy junkies and regular newshounds alike. We've grown into the most trafficked fantasy news site out there and hopefully we can give you a taste of what we do on the Fantasy Mill. Like Florio, we're not necessarily targeting the casual football fan.
But you didn't click the link to read an infomercial and that's not what the Fantasy Mill will be about. After this post, that is. I'll write about the big fantasy news of the day with analysis on this blog. We'll have links and headlines to all our top stories right next to it. Below that will be our latest player news updates, with posts and links updated around the clock. (Still working out some minor technical issues there)
The NFL is about to enjoy it's quietest time of year, but we'll be ramping up our coverage heading into late July: when fantasy draft season and training camp starts. If you have feedback, questions, or want to see something on the Fantasy Mill, drop me an email. I'll be back in the morning with all the fantasy updates and more from the morning papers.
- Gregg Rosenthal
Criticizing the Sopranos series finale is like a Patriots fan questioning a Bill Belichick decision. I can't do it. It's not my place to doubt a near-genius at the top of his craft. The Sopranos was the greatest filmed entertainment I've ever seen, an 86-hour dissection of family, life in the 2000's, everything. The fact that it ended, like many of their episodes, on an existentialist bent, doesn't surprise me. I think the stunning two episodes leading up to the finale raised expectations too much for a bloody finale. David Chase usually fired his big guns before the last shows, when you least expected it, and that was the case in the amazing last season. I'm thankful we were able to watch it so long.
As I wonder if A.J. ever gets a chance to be the next great D movie producer, here were the links I found on a quiet Football Monday morning ...
Miami had their minicamp this weekend. Cam Cameron is rightly talking about a youth movement. That means two rookie starters on the offensive line. It also means Derek Hagan, suddenly Cameron's pet project, is going to get playing time. Hagan has a lot of potential. He makes the spectacular grab, but drops the easy one. I could see Miami getting rid of Marty Booker before the season and handing Hagan the starting job if he progresses.
Booker in trouble?
Ted Ginn is another candidate for the starting job. After all the concerns about his foot, he was reportedly flying by defenders at minicamp. Cameron compared him to Desmond Howard, which I'm not sure is a good thing. For fantasy leaguers, I wouldn't expect much out of Ginn as a rookie.
Continue reading "What do you want, a boutonniere?" »
June 08, 2007
Just got off the phone with our buddy Mike Dempsey on 1010XL in Jacksonville. He reported on his radio show that Culpepper and the Jaguars were talking about restructuring his contract Thursday night.
At some point during the process, Culpepper apparently decided Jacksonville was not the right fit for him. Or that he needs totest free agency. A failure to negotiate with Jacksonville should nearly kill any chance of a deal there. We have to think that Culpepper has a team lined up, but who?
Reports out of St. Louis indicate they aren't interested. There hasn't been a peep coming out of Baltimore. Culpepper is acting as his own agent and better know what he's doing, because there may not be a better situation for him than with the Jaguars.
Oh, and what do you think Byron Leftwich is thinking right about now?
Daunte Culpepper is tired of being traded. So he's doing his best to make sure one doesn't happen.
“All I’m going to say to any team that’s interested in my services, just sit tight. Because I’m not going to agree to a trade," Culpepper said.
Cam Cameron practically admitted the Dolphins had a deal for Culpepper.
"There’s some things that Randy’s working on that if I comment could jeopardize our ability to work with him. That’s all we can say at this point.”
It's a tricky situation because Culpepper is his own agent. In the end, the Jaguars and the Dolphins could work out a deal, but Culpepper could make it very difficult on all parties by refusing to restructure his contract. I'm not sure Culpepper can really do anything in the end. He's still Miami property, at least for now. The two sides could work out a conditional trade that only goes into affect if Culpepper actually plays for the receiving team, like the Jake Plummer deal earlier this offseason.
We are hearing that Culpepper is headed to the Jaguars through our friend Ryan Houston at FFChamps.com. Any deal would require a physical, and we can't get the news confirmed elsewhere at this point. We will say Houston hasn't steered us wrong before.
If Culpepper was moved, he would provide leverage against Byron Leftwich entering the final year of his contract. Leftwich would remain the heavy favorite to be the team's Week 1 starter, but Culpepper would provide an attractive safety net. First we have to see if the trade actually happens. Then we have to see Culpepper play somewhere near close to 100% on a football field. It's been almost two years since that's happened.
Eric, "The Penguin", Mangini is not letting up in his second season as a coach. Mangini became well known for a grueling first training camp last season.
"If anything, he has put his foot more on the gas," Jets receiver Laveranues Coles said yesterday. "I look at the calendar every day, and I'm just dreading the fact that (training camp) has to come around."
I remember Jim Mora (Sr.) once saying that coaches should always err on the side of working their team too hard in their first training camp. You can always ease off the pedal. Looks like Mangini isn't ready for that.
Jerry Jones, promotion maven that he is, likes the fact that Tony Romo likes the fact that Tony Romo has a colorfull off-field life. That's great, but the implication in this story that Romo's star wattage and Hispanic Heritage somehow had something to do with his "franchise quarterback" status is either insulting or ridiculous if true.
Laurence Maroney is looking more like Manny Ramirez every day, which probably isn't a good thing.
The forgotten members of the New England receiver group are Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell. Gaffney especially got a rough shake. He had the best stretch of his career in the playoffs last year, gaining 244 yards with two scores in three games. Now he has a serious uphill battle just to make the team.
I understand the Patriots needing to upgrade, but a lot of articles imply that the team came up one wide receiver short of the Super Bowl last year. To repeat: the Patriots averaged 32 points in the playoffs last year, including 34 in the AFC Championship. Their defense, especially at inside linebacker, was the problem.
Someone also needs to tell Kelley Washington that he's a roster cut walking if everyone stays healthy.
It's early, but the reports about Pittsburgh second-round LB LaMarr Woodley are outrageously positive. First-round pick Lawrence Timmons has barely seen the field, so Woodley looks more likely to start in Week 1 at this point.
A position coach on Woodley, "Compared to the other guys we've had here and trying to make the transition with them, he's further along than anybody we've had."
Could Dwayne Bowe take Eddie Kennison's starting spot? Admittedly, I assumed Bowe would play opposite Kennison, not replace him. Herm Edwards is all about the youth movement this season and it's not hard to imagine a scenario where Bowe is starting opposite Jeff Webb late in the year.
If you are looking for John Elway reality show racing updates, the Rocky Mountain News has intense coverage.
Ray Lewis recommends sleeping 12-14 hours a day for maximum health. Which would have made me NFL-ready when I was in college.
June 07, 2007
Quiet day on the blog today because of a busy day in the real world. We taped two Fantasy Fix shows and Rotoworld.com has made a long-anticipated move to NBCSports.com's Stamford, CT. world headquarters. So I'm showing everyone where the utensils are stashed. It doesn't help that our Fix crew is moving in slow motion after Tiffany's birthday last night.
Still kept busy on the news page today (Just like a blog, without the mugshot).
It was a rough afternoon for the Dolphins. Daunte Culpepper is asking for his release and slamming the organization for rushing him back from his ACL tear and for droping him now.
Cameron wants no part of Culpepper
Culpepper has a point in relation to last year. It was clear early that Culpepper wasn't right, but he continued to play. He wound up undergoing more intensive surgery in November, the severity of which was covered up by the team. The team's doctors obviously didn't forsee the problems in his rehab before they gave Culpepper a big contract.
Culpepper's issues are in the past, though. Michael Silver's jarring article about the dissension among the Dolphins regarding the Ted Ginn draft pick could actually affect this season.
Ginn has enough pressure and criticism coming from the Miami fanbase and media. Knowing his own teammates don't want him can't help.
"With the ninth pick they took a guy who is basically a kick returner -- a hurt kick returner. Here were are in June, and he hasn't been in camp yet. Maybe he'll come in eventually and become a better route-runner and make some plays. But I couldn't believe it then, and I can't believe it now," defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said.
Like most people, I was surprised by the Ginn pick. But the torrent of negativity surrounding the selection has been over the top. The two best offensive linemen in the draft were gone. They didn't believe in Brady Quinn. Give Ginn a year or two before calling him a bust.
One part of the Silver article that has to make Miami fans shudder is the line calling John Beck "extremely shaky" in minicamp. That's to be expected from a rookie quarterback, but Beck is the key to Miami's offensive future. Not Ted Ginn.
June 06, 2007
Asante Samuel has a tattoo on his chest that says "Get Paid." That's why I don't remotely believe him when he says he's going to sit out the first ten games of this season.
Samuel is clearly a man that is concerned about money. In his three-year career, which can be characterized as up-and-down, but ultimately productive, Samuel has roughly made a little under $2 million. If he forgoes the first ten games of the season, he will be passing up $4.87 million! (10/16 of his $7.79 million salary as New England's "franchise" cornerback)
Samuel can more than double his career earnings in ten weeks, but he says he'd rather sit out to prove a point. And for what? Samuel is unhappy that the Patriots will pay him the average of the top-five cornerbacks in the league for one year. He wants "long-term security" in the form of guaranteed money and the Patriots apparently aren't ready to pay the market rate for his services. $7.79 million may not sound like a lot to Samuel, but it's guaranteed. It's a start.
I don't blame Samuel for taking advantage of his right to stay away from the team (he's unsigned) to assist his contract negotiations. Players have been holding out on a regular basis for more than thirty years and it can be used as an effective bargaining tool. But the situation is not like Deion Branch's last year because Branch was slated to make very little money. It's closer to Richard Seymour's dispute from two years ago, which saw the Patriots eventually hand out a monster contract. Samuel's career hasn't been nearly as productive as Seymour's, and that's why he's less likely to get the deal he's looking for in New England.
I don't blame the Patriots for not forking over Champ Bailey money to Samuel just yet. A year ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find an NFL observer that considered Samuel one of the 15 best cornerbacks in football. Samuel had a terrific rookie season and a poor second one. In 2006, his third season, he put together a second half of the year that rivaled any defender in the league. The Patriots know Samuel is very good, but perhaps they aren't yet convinced he'll be consistently great.
The Patriots also know that Samuel is bluffing when he says he'll sit out the year. Just like his agent was lying only four months ago when he said Samuel wouldn't hold out at all. It's insane for Samuel to pass up any portion of his $7.79 million this season to prove a point. That's why he'll be New England's starting cornerback to open the season, one way or another. Then he can get paid.
Miami’s Wideouts – Chris Chambers, Marty Booker, Ted Ginn, and Derek Hagan
Each player here will get a slight upgrade. The group is at risk of canceling each other out in fantasy leagues because they will split up Green’s attention. Green should provide better leadership than the Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington duo of 2006; just don’t expect the improvement to be dramatic.
I still wonder if Booker has a spot on this team if Ginn gets healthy in camp. His release or trade would clear up the picture.
Ronnie Brown
Brown may be the clearest winner in fantasy leagues. The prospect of Cleo Lemon and John Beck starting in Week 1 didn’t bode well for his running lanes. Green should make the Miami passing game respectable, which should take some pressure off Brown.
Chiefs Quarterbacks – Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard
This is what we expected all along, but at least Croyle and Huard will get a bigger share of practice snaps from now on. It’s clear that Herm Edwards wants Croyle to win the starting job, making him the favorite. Huard is coming off a career season and could delay the coronation with a big training camp. Kansas City’s skill players, including Tony Gonzalez, Larry Johnson, and Eddie Kennison, would probably perform better with a veteran at the helm.
Miami Quarterbacks – John Beck, Cleo Lemon, and Daunte Culpepper
Beck can now learn from one of the best as he prepares to take over the Miami job long-term. I expect him to be starting in December if the Dolphins fall out of playoff contention.
Lemon now looks slated to be a career backup. He showed last season that he’s a capable one.
Culpepper is the final part of this equation for fantasy leaguers. The former league MVP runner up is likely to get released or traded for a penny on the dollar in the next few days. Culpepper won’t like it, but he’ll spend his 2007 season rehabbing his image as someone’s backup. Atlanta makes a lot of sense on paper, although the Falcons may be leery of creating any controversy. Jacksonville has been mentioned, but that seems to be asking for trouble. I wouldn’t be shocked if Culpepper winds up on a championship-caliber team like Indianapolis as a true backup.
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