July 31, 2008
A few readers have asked if LaMont Jordan was draftable now that he's in New England. As our latest Top 200 says, the answer is yes.
Continue reading "LaMont lives again" »
Mark Bradley is the new Maurice Stovall. When I went back to look at the first edition of our 2007 magazine, Stovall was ranked absurdly high. Sometimes you project roles and favorable situations, and sometimes you project wrong. The key is recognizing quickly when it's not going to happen. Stovall quickly fell out of favor despite a good situation, and Bradley appears to be doing the same in Chicago.
Before his knee surgery, the talk was about Bradley being the team's number one receiver. Now he looks no higher than fourth on the depth chart, and he may get cut. I spent most of the day with wholesale updates to projections, and Bradley is now way off the top 200. Devin Hester and Brandon Lloyd benefited mostly, although I still have Marty Booker as the top-ranked Bears wideout ... at WR60! (Hester is WR63, but that doesn't include special teams touchdowns.)
Defining a Rotoworld guy is like the old Supreme Court quote about defining porn: "I know it when I see it." I don't know what the qualifications are, but I wind up attaching to players up, down, and off the draft board. Logan Payne is definitely a Rotoworld guy.
Payne has been wowing reporters at Seahawks practice since last season. He's taken it up a notch in camp this year, and the puff pieces are getting out of control now.
Payne's role remains uncertain, but he could pass Courtney Taylor to be the team's third receiver by the end of camp. Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson aren't really long-term solutions as starters, so the potential is there for him to stick. He's more of a dynasty league pickup or a very deep redraft pick at this point, but I love the system and his playing style. We'll keep a close eye on him, like all Rotoworld guys.
July 30, 2008
Is Brandon Jackson's non-stop positive press becoming a problem for Ryan Grant or is this just a way for the Packers to pressure Grant into coming to camp? Let me know what you think; I'll be back a little bit before the chat.
Tiffany doesn't dig Donovan McNabb this year, but I do. And is there really a difference between Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis? Also, L.J. Smith has fallen so far, he doesn't make the show. But I see him draftable in the final rounds as a solid TE2.
Anyone interested in being a guinea pig? I am going to try some new liveblog software out this afternoon, and I'm hoping you can help. Instead of liveblogging an episode of NFL Live, we'll use it as a chat to answer some questions. I have to keep it pretty quick today, but if all goes well, we'll make it a regular and longer feature here. We'll go from 4:30PM-5:00PM. Hope to see you there.
People make fun of New England's secretive injury reports, but the lack of information works. That's how a star like Wes Welker can miss the first week of training camp (not to mention a June minicamp), and no one even notices. The focus is on the healthy players. The injury probably isn't serious, but no even knows what the injury is. The Boston Globe's sage beat writer Mike Reiss says the situation could be similar to last camp, when Randy Moss sat out most of practice. I tend to agree, but I also know people weren't concerned with Richard Seymour at this point last year. He missed the first seven weeks of the season.
Welker looked healthy when Rotoworld talked to him this summer, but a similarly ranked injured player on another team would undoubtedly create a bigger stir. Welker shouldn't be moved on draft boards, of course, but keep an eye on him.
July 29, 2008
Darrell Jackson was on my busts list last season, but he made the sleeper list in this year's draft guide. It's all about value and draft slot; you are getting a lot of upside with Jackson for a WR5 pick in Denver. (Taken as a WR3 as a 49er, not so exciting).
Early developments support Jackson's case. He is playing ahead of Keary Colbert at Broncos camp. And if Brandon Marshall's suspension is long, as expected, Jackson will get even more targets during the first portion of the season. Once Marshall's suspension comes down, look for Jackson to get a small bump in the projections.
The system and quarterback are plusses in Denver. While Jackson will drop plenty of passes, he knows the system and can get open. Like in Seattle, Jackson could be a far better fantasy player than he is NFL player this season.
As if replacing Jonathan Ogden wasn't going to be hard enough, the Ravens have watched two tackles carted off the field in the span of a week. First Jared Gaither, now Adam Terry. Terry's injury looks like it could be serious, although it's too early to tell.
I like Baltimore's hard-nosed young line, but injuries like this, if they prove to be serious, can be devastating for shaky quarterbacks. Keep an eye on the situation, but this is another reason to be wary of Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, and the rest of the Baltimore passing game.
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