Making a bad situation worse
Another reason to avoid Kevin Walter
I originally wrote this Keenan McCardell reaction article on Monday night, before the signing was disputed, reported again, disputed, and now is official. I'm now struck with how similar the situation is to Eric Moulds' signing. An old guy you don't want signed, making the younger options on the team less desireable.
Its not like we needed another reason to avoid drafting Kevin Walter. The nominal Texans starting receiver across from Andre Johnson received a fresh dose of competition Monday with the news that Houston has agreed to terms with Keenan McCardell.
For fantasy leaguers, the receiver spot across from Johnson has long been a sinkhole to be ignored. McCardell’s signing cements that tradition being upheld in fantasy drafts this month. McCardell essentially replaces Eric Moulds on the Houston roster as the heady, slow veteran. The Chargers gave up on McCardell by the end of last season, when he had 36 catches and finally started showing his age. It’s uncertain if he’ll also take Moulds’ spot in the starting lineup, but I don’t think Houston signed him to be inactive on Sundays.
So what about Walter and Jacoby Jones?
We’ve heard all summer that the Texans love Walter and want him to get more involved. Jones has been pumped up as a deep sleeper by places like Rotoworld because he had a great opportunity has a rookie. The signing of McCardell, however, is an indictment of both players (not the Michael Vick kind), especially Jones.
What little we’ve heard about Jones thus far this offseason indicates that he has a lot of learning to be ready for pro football. That’s hardly surprising considering he comes from Lane University. Like physically talented wideouts Vincent Jackson and Brandon Marshall before him, Jones will take some time.
My guess is that McCardell and Walter will split the number two and three roles early in the season. Perhaps Walter will remain the starter, but I’m not sure it really matters. Owen Daniels, Houston’s emerging young tight end, is the only Texan receiver besides Andre Johnson that should be selected in fantasy drafts.
* Back with some self-promotion and an update on what I did with my draft in a bit. Only one of you made the same choices I did.
Comments