J.T. O'Sullivan is not going away. If he looks halfway decent this weekend against the Packers, he's going to start Week 1 for the Mad Mikes in San Francisco. I admit that I didn't take it seriously when O' Sullivan was mentioned as a serious candidate to start early in the off-season.
O'Sullivan was a Rotoworld favorite all the way back in 2004 as a Saint, even before he won NFLE MVP honors as a member of Frankfurt. He got dealt to Green Bay in a deial to acquire Mike McKenzie, then bounced around to seven teams in five years before finding a home in Mike Martz's bosom in Detroit.
Continue reading "The year Martz's magic runs out?" »
August 14, 2008
I'm not sure how to react to the most recent article on Antonio Gates' toe. On one hand, he's still feeling a "high level of discomfort." He says the pain is tolerable, but it's there. On the other hand, he's running routes again. The local beat writer says Gates looked close to "All Pro" form. Everyone plays in some sort of pain, so how close is Gates to being ready to go?
Continue reading "Time to Panic? Antonio Gates" »
August 13, 2008
It's a draft guide afternoon for your Kevin Arnold wannabe. But I've got all the columns you want on projected carries in the AFC and NFC. Eight more teams projected tomorrow, and a few more videos to roll out, like the one below on the Packers. That helmet-less score the other night reminded me how dynamic James Jones could be, if Donald Driver wasn't in his way. Those two could cancel each other out more than Driver owners want. I hope to be back with some thoughts on Antonio Gates later today.
At what point do we start to re-evaluate Steven Jackson because of his holdout? There is disagreement about whether the two sides are talking, and no agreement is imminent.
People are freaking out in St. Louis, but our rankings show I haven't panicked yet. My loose cut-off is next weekend. If Jackson is back before then, he has two weeks to get ready. Perhaps he'll start a bit slower than normal, but this is a well conditioned athlete.
Rams training camp, and it's two-a-days are ending. Expect discussions to pick up shortly and for a deal to be hammered out. If we aren't getting close to a deal by this time next week, then I'll start to worry.
Are you guys moving him on your cheat sheets?
It's that time of year. Depth charts are coalescing. Decisions are being made. Starters will actually play some extended minutes this week. The season is so close, you can smell the point spreads.
Tony Sparano, who is presiding over an entertaining camp in Miami, said it best when describing his decision to give Chad Pennington and Chad Henne all the snaps at practice recently.
"We're kind of out of the hurtin'-people's-feelings business right now. We're getting into the real deal."
And the real deal doesn't include a whole lot of Josh McCown, John Beck, and Ernest Wilford.
August 12, 2008
The Bengals backfield has preoccupied me throughout the off-season. Now it's mid-August, and the picture isn't that much clear.
They say they want Rudi Johnson to carry the load, but he's barely practiced because of another hamstring injury. Those counting on a bounceback season should be wary. Kenny Irons is gone, so we saw a committee of Kenny Watson and Chris Perry Monday night.
The nice folks at NFL.com put together a highlight package for Perry. He showed surprising power. It's clear he's healthier than he has been since 2005. But he's not the type of back that can carry a full load. I found it interesting that he and Kenny Watson would routinely replace each other on third downs. They are interchangeable parts, and I suspect they will split the load evenly when Rudi gets hurt again.
August 11, 2008
In a transition year for the Seattle passing game, Bobby Engram was the one guy Matt Hasselbeck knew he could count on. Now Engram is gone with a cracked shoulder, probably for the first three-to-five weeks of the season. Fantasy owners would always rather see a broken bone than any ligament damage, but it will still be a tough recovery for Engram, now 35.
Before the injury, we had Engram pegged as perhaps the last safe WR3 pick, an eighth-round pick. That was slightly lower than his average draft position. In my updated projections, Engram is projected for 13 games and falls all the way to WR46. That would put him as an eleventh round value, although I will give him a small boost in our top-200. You'd rather have Engram's production in 13 games than equal production from Drew Bennett in 16 games. Engram is no Steve Smith, but he's worth saving a roster spot for.
Continue reading "Seahawks lose their third down machine" »
Lions vs. Giants notes
For those keeping score at home, Derrick Ward entered the game before Ahmad Bradshaw. That’s something to continue monitoring. … Sinorice Moss has to make plays to get a job in New York, and he started well with a 49-yard grab. … David Carr appears to be behind in the battle to be Eli Manning’s backup, although both he and Anthony Wright played well enough.
The Lions run blocking in this game was insanely bad. Tons of missed blocks and tackles in the backfield. Drew Stanton led the team in rushing. Both Tatum Bell and Kevin Smith looked mediocre, although Bell looked worse. Calvin Johnson dominated Corey Webster while he played.
I took some notes while watching a few of the preseason games this weekend, and I thought you guys might want to take a look. I tried to clean them up for your edification. One more game's notes coming up here, then a full column on the weekend in fantasy in the Daily Dose coming shortly.
Ravens vs. Patriots
All the Baltimore quarterbacks struggled in the opener. Kyle Boller made some plays, but turned the ball over twice. Troy Smith could have been picked off twice and did not look composed whatsoever. He reportedly has followed up the game effort with two ugly practices. He will get to start next week. Joe Flacco doesn’t appear to have a chance to start Week 1. He threw only three passes. My takeaway here: Baltimore’s offensive line threatens to be terrible. The quarterbacks had no time. This could make them one of the worst offenses in the league, as usual. … Ray Rice is getting huge love form the Baltimore press, but struggled in his first appearance. It comes back to the line once again. I will move Rice up the depth charts following news of Willis McGahee’s injury. (More on that later).
Continue reading "Preseason Notes: Ravens vs. Patriots" »
August 08, 2008
Anything is game this week. Let's talk preseason Week 1, draft strategy, position battles, sleepers, and all the rest. I'll be here at 2:30
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