June 05, 2007
This entry and my column today wraps up our Minicamp Tour that has taken place all over the Rotoworld/NBCSports.com family of networks over the last few weeks.
I'll get back to regular blog topics over the next few weeks while we polish off our second magazine. OTA and minicamp season will wrap up for the most part before the end of June in anticipation of the only truly "dead" time of the NFL calendar leading into training camp in late July.
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Craig Davis has impressed at early Chargers workouts, justifying for now a pick that surprised most analysts in April. San Diego has been looking for someone to replace Eric Parker in the starting lineup for a while, and Davis should fit the bill by 2008. He and Vincent Jackson would make for one of the most physical starting wideout combinations in the league. … This is a good season to grab Antonio Gates. His ADP will sink a round or so based on a slightly-down 2006 season. But the Chargers are planning to line him up out wide more often, and there is still a serious gap between Gates and the second-best fantasy tight end. … One slight concern for LaDainian Tomlinson owners will be whether San Diego tries to get their “money’s worth” out of Michael Turner this year. It would make sense to lighten LT2’s heavy load, especially early in the season, in anticipation of a playoff run. … IDP owners looking for value should focus on Stephen Cooper and Matt Wilhelm, San Diego’s new starting inside linebackers. The scheme will make them look great, and their relative no-name status will keep them undervalued.
Who might be the next Mike Bell?
Broncos offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger can envision Daniel Graham catching 55 passes this season. His high was 38 in New England and he’ll be competing with Tony Scheffler for tight end targets in Denver, but there is potential for Graham to matter. His hands improved as a Patriot (to just-below-average) and he’s a better downfield threat than you’d think. A lot depends on Scheffler’s foot. If the second-year pro is 100% before Week 1, I think the tight ends might cancel each other out. … Brandon Marshall will start the offseason in the starting lineup as Rod Smith recovers from hip surgery. If Marshall plays to his potential, he shouldn’t lose the job all season. … Deep leaguers should take note: Cecil Sapp has converted from fullback and is now Denver’s third tailback behind Travis Henry and Mike Bell. The Broncos tend to have fantasy stars emerge from nowhere (Bell, Reuben Droughns), so he’s worth keeping an eye on.
Contender for best team blog on the web, Redskins Insider returns from a brief vacation with a trio of posts Monday.
Lots of great stuff in there, from updates on Alex Brown and Lance Briggs trade situations, to doubts about Clinton Portis' readiness for the preseason. Rocky McIntosh, who I expect to have a huge season, is having a nice offseason.
Matt Hasselbeck has a good point regarding the new positions for his receivers. It's not a huge adjustment in practice because Darrell Jackson barely practiced anyway. I only hope D.J. Hackett can keep up his level of production at the split end spot. He's talented enough to make any position work and should have a chance to catch more touchdowns that way.
As a Patriots fan, I couldn't agree more with the sentiment in this article. Where are the Patriots going to manufacture their disrespect from? Their best seasons (2001, 2003, 2006) are traditionally the ones in which they sneak up on the NFL a bit. 2004 was really the only season where they stayed at the top of the mountain the whole way. The most disappointing years in the Belichick era (2002, 2005) were ones with great expectations.
I'm not worried about the 2007 team, but it could take the team a while to gell. As usual. If there is one defining trait of the Belichick era, it's that they close stronger than they start. And with a much harder schedule, it's not hard to imagine a disappointed fanbase despite a 11-5 record. We've become way too spoiled.
Could Kenny Irons be used in tandem with Rudi Johnson? Maybe Irons isn't the Rudi clone I thought. He certainly has some of the skills you would want to use on third downs. The Bengals would probably get a better running game if they decreased Rudi's carries by 50-75. The idea could make Rudi a slightly riskier pick at the end of the first round in fantasy leagues.
Keenan McCardell could ruin any fantasy potential that Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones have this season.
Some interesting notes at Bears practice Monday. Greg Olsen is standing out with Desmond Clark absent. Adam Archuleta and Alex Brown are working with the second team, at least for now. Lovie Smith likes sending messages in offseason practices. He's not happy with Brown's trade request and Arch won't be handed anything.
June 04, 2007
Trent Green doesn’t believe he has a “fair chance to compete” in Kansas City because Herm Edwards told him that someone would have to beat out Brodie Croyle by a wide margin to secure the starting job. That’s sobering news for the Damon Huard fan club, of which I’m a member. It should also be a warning to those still ranking Larry Johnson second in fantasy leagues. It’s hard to score touchdowns with a bottom-five passing game. I hope Croyle proves me wrong, but he’s fighting an uphill battle considering the re-made offensive line and young receiver group.
Edwards mentions Jeff Webb and Chris Hannon every chance he gets. First-round pick Dwayne Bowe may very well be the team’s Week One starter, but he may rotate snaps with the second-year players. If Croyle starts for most of the year, I doubt any receiver on the Chiefs will be consistent. Even Eddie Kennison may be an end-of-the-bench fantasy guy. ... With Larry Johnson a risk to break down, keep an eye on the battle for his backup spot. It wouldn't be a shock if rookie Kolby Smith got the nod due to Michael Bennett's durability issues.
Some NFL links this morning as I get over the fact that Eric Mangini is infinitely cooler than I am. And cooler than his old boss.
The most ridiculous talk radio fueled debate of the last few weeks? Is Tony Romo becoming too Hollywood?
The Dallas Morning News gets it right, while the usually excellent AOL Fanhouse blog and Fort Worth Star-Telegram try to tell Tony Romo how to do his job and lead his private life based on what they know from reading tabloids.
Romo has climbed from a small school quarterback to an undrafted free agent to near the top of a highly competitive profession. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt that he knows how to do his job and live his life. Joe Namath, Joe Theisman, and Tom Brady didn't exactly struggle after dating starlets.
Johnnie Morton's MMA career? Gone in 38 seconds. Nice to get knocked out and suspended.
A solid scouting report on Kevin Jones by MLive.com's Tom Kowalski. The reports surrounding Jones' foot continue to be positive, but really it's too early to know anything.
Tarvaris Jackson bounces back from a rough Saturday at Minnesota minicamp. Rarely do you hear such uniformly negative reviews at a summer session.
Not a good sign for Robert Meachem that he was "overshadowed" by Rheema McKnight and Dante Ridgeway.
Here's a look at the Bengals backfield. It was a surprise that running back was such a priority for Cincy, but Kenny Watson is just a guy and the team probably isn't counting on Chris Perry this season.
June 01, 2007
It’s a mystery who will be the Week 1 starting quarterback in Oakland next year. Some reports have said Josh McCown is locked into the role, but the Oakland Tribune thought Andrew Walter was ahead of him at minicamps. Neither player has much NFL success, so the coaching staff could get impatient quickly and throw JaMarcus Russell into the mix.
I’ve heard multiple outlets scoff at the starting combination of Ronald Curry and Jerry Porter, as if the Raiders are somehow going to be in trouble without a jogging Randy Moss and Alvis Whitted. Curry and Porter are an above-average duo and would produce 1,000-yard seasons in the right offense. I projected nearly 1,800 yards between them initially, but I’m a little nervous that the quarterback situation will sink the whole operation. … One thing the starters shouldn’t worry about is their teammates stealing receptions. Travis Taylor is probably the favorite for the third receiver role and is the definition of replacement level. Mike Williams could get bumped off the team if he doesn’t get healthy soon.
LaMont Jordan has reportedly looked solid at early OTAs catching the football. He needs to impress the new staff fast to get ahead of Dominic Rhodes and eventually Michael Bush. Bush won’t be ready for full contact work until training camp at the earliest. The Raiders are one of the key teams to watch in August because so much is uncertain.
This is puff piece season. Nearly every incoming rookie or rehabbing veteran has a reason why this season will be better than the last. That's why I started to wonder over the last few weeks if the lack of positive press (or any) on Titans running back Chris Henry was a problem. With LenDale White out, he's been able to take first team reps.
Now the Nashville Tennessean says that Henry hasn't been "overly impressive," and they are talking to Chris Brown about re-signing him. The Titans might not like what they see thus far out of Henry or believe he's ready.
Things can change quickly in training camp, but I've got a mental red flag attached to Henry until I hear differently.
It takes a lot to offend me, but this article managed to do it. There have to be better targets to mock than 350-pounders that have battled alcoholism and depression.
If you ever wanted to see Fred Taylor and Samari Rolle almost sucked out of a moving plane, we'll now's your chance.
What do these guys all have in common? Oh, they're tall.
I like the nickname for the Jets new cornerback duo, Revis and Butthead. (Justin Miller playing the role of the latter)
I'm working on our next magazine as much as possible today, but will post a little more minicamp tour before the afternoon is up. Thanks for stopping by.
LenDale White finally returned to practice Thursday, just in time for practices to end for three weeks. May stories tend to fade, so I’m more concerned with what Jeff Fisher thinks of him in mid-August. White's inactivity gave rookie Chris Henry a chance to show what he can do.
Keyshawn Johnson’s retirement is rough news for Vince Young. With an inexperienced wideout group, Young will be forced to rely on tight ends Bo Scaife and Ben Troupe. Scaife is solid, but has faded late in the season twice in a row. Troupe is in a contract year and has been a disappointment despite similar skills to Ben Watson. Tennessee’s roster demands that Troupe get one more shot, so we’re not giving up on him yet.
Brandon Jones is the only Tennessee wideout worth drafting. If I had to guess the other Week 1 starter, I’d say it will be either Courtney Roby or Roydell Williams. Williams is reportedly having a fine offseason. Justin Gage and rookie Paul Williams are also in the mix. David Givens looks likely to start the year on the PUP list and could miss the whole year. The Titans are doing their best to stack the deck against Young.
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