My day was spent, like too many recently, in meetings talking about aspects of my job unrelated to football. I looked forward to coming home, catching up on news, and tossing off a quick post about some light football topic, like making fun of Silva's trade for Jay Z's broken-down buddy.

Instead I got Pat Bowlen's statement about Jay Cutler, a profoundly depressing document. I've believed all along Cutler would stick with the Broncos; any other conclusion made no sense. Negotiations are never over until they are over, but this bombshell is hard to imagine coming back from. As Tom Curran writes, it got personal.

"So tonight (Bowlen) raised a middle finger in Cutler's direction saying, "This one's...for Jay!"

Continue reading "Everyone loses in Cutler saga" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Owner Pat Bowlen all but confirmed in a statement late Tuesday that Jay Cutler will be an ex-Bronco by April 25.

Prior to 9PM ET Tuesday I would've called the chances of Cutler staying in Denver 60:40, with the odds slightly favoring a makeup after some concessions on both sides. But rookie coach Josh McDaniels maintained his stance that "every player is tradeable." Cutler's camp tried to capitalize on the Broncos' initial trade attempt by angling for a new contract. Ultimately it became clear that parting would be best for both sides.

Continue reading "Broncos blink, plan to trade Cutler" »

Posted by Evan Silva at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I wound up accepting the dynasty trade offer as-is following Monday's lengthy debate on this blog. All feedback was greatly appreciated. The discussion was nearly as popular as our first Oklahoma Drill, generating only one fewer comment than the heated Cutler back-and-forth.

The owner I executed the trade with, Smitty from FantasyFootballXtreme, held a similar discussion. For anyone still interested, the thread can be found here.

Continue reading "UPDATE: Welcome aboard LJ, Burner, Lance" »

Posted by Evan Silva at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

The National Football Post revealed their latest in-depth three-round mock draft, with Marc Sanchez -- not Matthew Stafford -- the choice as Matt Hasselbeck’s successor in Seattle.

ESPN.com has posted a half-hour podcast featuring draft experts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.

Cole Pepper (not to be confused with Culpepper) of WOKV in Jacksonville is sticking to three mantras about the NFL Draft: Add a quarterback every year, draft big guys over skill position players, and watch out for college cutback runners.

Continue reading "Skinny Posts: NFL Draft News" »

Posted by Chris Wesseling at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I am in a 12-team dynasty league with others from the industry. No points are awarded for receptions. I have a blockbuster proposal on the table and wanted to get some opinions. Especially from Scott C. -- the dynasty commenter aficionado on this blog.

Here's the offer:

I get
Turner, Michael ATL RB
Johnson, Larry KCC RB
Moore, Lance NOS WR
Round 1, Pick 9 Draft Pick

I give
Gore, Frank SF RB
Marshall, Brandon DEN WR
Washington, Nate TEN WR
Round 3, Pick 11 Draft Pick

I hate giving up Marshall, but the "knucklehead factor" (a Chris Wesseling-coined term) on Baby T.O. is high and I'm somewhat deep at receiver. There are also several late first-round caliber dynasty picks coming in this NFL Draft. We start 1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1RB/WR, 1TE, 1K, 1DEF.

Continue reading "Blockbuster non-PPR Dynasty Trade Proposal" »

Posted by Evan Silva at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

I received an e-mail last week asking me to predict the Patriots’ running back to own this year. The short answer is “none of the above” as each back will be limited by his well-defined role and the unique game plan that Bill Belichik has prepared for each opponent .

Throw in the return of a healthy Tom Brady, and the Pats will pick up their passing attempts again in 2009. None of the Pats running backs will be worth drafting until the late rounds, but let’s go ahead break this one down according to expectations.

Fred Taylor: Has the best chance to take over primary early-down duties, but his value will be limited by his usual lack of red zone work and a single-digit reception total rivaling Michael Turner’s.

Continue reading "Patriots backfield = fantasy quagmire" »

Posted by Chris Wesseling at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I am no draft expert, but it seems clear enough that Michael Crabtree would be a "viable" option for the Browns at number five, no matter how they view Braylon Edwards, who I doubt is going anywhere. A starting wideout group that strong would make any quarterback look better. And Cleveland is the rare team drafting high that is unlikely to take a tackle.

Wideout may seem like a luxury when the team needs a pass rusher, but the Browns should go stick to Best Player Available, if they aren't believers in Brian Orakpo or other pass-rushers.

Silva nails the tight end class in detail.

KC Joyner is rocking the fifth down blog at NY Times. Nicely done.

Curtis Lofton was a nice IDP value last season when he was only playing two downs. Now he's likely to play three. Giddy up.

Norv keeps throwing out specific carry totals for LT2: 320-330. We won't project Tomlinson that high because he has to stay healthy, but it's nice to see the intent will be there.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Fresh off vacation, it sounds like free agent Torry Holt will shop himself around for a while before signing with a team.

GMs will have major concerns about Holt. He is no longer a complete receiver who can beat defenses both over the top and underneath. He is also a career dome player who's never been in a non-Mike Martz style offense. Holt's knee surgery three offseasons ago was only reported as a scope, but there were indications it was more serious. Holt lost a step in 2007 and another in 2008. The 49ers have apparently already written him off because of it.

Continue reading "Where will Torry Holt land?" »

Posted by Evan Silva at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Lot of chatter on the blog lately on the Saints' desire to take a big back. Silva doesn't see the Saints taking Beanie Wells, and I agree. Wesseling wonders if Thomas could see his value get hammered on draft day.

It brings up a question that I have as a Thomas owner: Will his value ever get any higher than it is right now?

Continue reading "Is Pierre Thomas a sell-high?" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

With the NFL Draft just a month away, let's take a look at a handful of players that could lose either short-term or long-term value.

Steve Slaton – There’s been a debate in Dynasty league circles about whether Slaton will be a fantasy stud lead back or a spot-start straight committee back. Gary Kubiak has made it clear that he wants a big, physical runner who is more than just a backup. I’ve had Slaton as a Dynasty league "sell" for awhile as I think his value is headed the way of Willie Parker’s. Worst case scenario: Chris Wells. Best case scenario: Chris Brown.

Pierre Thomas – Due to the Saints short-yardage issues the past two seasons, Sean Payton has been looking for a bigger, more physical situational back. The Saints would be crazy to choose Beanie Wells over defensive help in the first round, but the drumbeat isn’t going away.

Continue reading "Draft-day losers?" »

Posted by Chris Wesseling at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)