August 21, 2009
We did the quarterback tiers of heaven thing on the site today, so let's give the running backs some love with our Fantasy Fix position preview below.
All our Fix shows are on a fancy page over at NBC for easy access. This RB preview starts out with a little cameo by a fellow Tulane alum.
June 03, 2009
ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer has been leveling Jay Cutler on NFL Live and related programs since Cutler's spat with the Broncos began. For over three months now, Dilfer has criticized Cutler for his decision making in "crucial situations." Dilfer has also indicated that he believes Cutler was a product of Denver's skilled receiver corps, and is in for some sort of "rude awakening" surrounded by Chicago's.
Dilfer is an outstanding analyst overall -- his rehash of Tony Romo's delivery is impeccable -- but I sense jealousy in these comments. Dilfer, who did not possess anything close to Cutler's skill set as a player, often hints that he believes quarterbacks should be game managers, not risk takers. Kinda like him.
I watched a lot of the Broncos last season, and Cutler undoubtedly needs to improve his composure. Too often Cutler tanked when his team was losing. His TD to INT ratio was 13:6 with the score tied or Denver ahead. It was 12:12 when the Broncos were down.
Continue reading "Dilfer Off the Mark; Cutler will make Bears WRs" »
April 13, 2009
Michael Lombardi has been all over the trade winds blowing out of Cleveland the past couple of days. He stated Sunday that the Browns have No. 1 picks on the table for both Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards and followed up Monday with the revelation that the team is holding out for more than first-round pick for Edwards. So where might the drop-plagued playmaker wind up?
1. Giants – The prohibitive favorites. The Giants desperately need a big, playmaking wide receiver to fill Plaxico Burress’ shoes. While they have an extra pick in both the second and third round, they don’t have the roster space to carry a draft full of rookies. Throw in the fact that the teams have already tossed Edwards name around in trade talks, and it makes even more sense.
Continue reading "Where might Braylon Edwards wind up?" »
March 17, 2009
Bears coach Lovie Smith announced on Monday that last year’s third-round pick, Earl Bennett, will be given a chance to compete for a starting job this summer.
At first glance it’s a bit of a surprise considering the rookie didn’t record a single catch last year. But the local media has been trumpeting Bennett’s emergence since the offseason began.
Is Bennett worth the disproportionate offseason buzz?
Continue reading "Could Earl emerge as a pearl in Chicago?" »
February 24, 2009
I posted my free agency primer on quarterbacks today, which came on the heels on Messrs. Silva and Wesseling breaking down linebackers and receivers. The quick conclusion to make after examining the quarterback position: there are no easy solutions available on the market, and there are fewer teams than you think that are desperate for a quarterback.
Byron Leftwich is my favorite player available, and he’ll need a perfect situation to succeed. That’s why he looked good off the bench for the Steelers and not so good for the Vick-less Falcons the year before. With the Vikings going for Sage Rosenfels, the biggest wild cards in free agency are the Bears and Chiefs. Both should be looking for someone to compete to start with their incumbent quarterback.
Other teams, like the Jets and Lions, should be looking for that kind of player, but they could be willing to wait the market out. Not a bad decision.
This is a fluid market, with Matt Cassel, Derek Anderson, and possibly Matt Leinart and Vince Young becoming available near the draft. If you can’t acquire one of those quarterbacks, I suspect there will be serviceable backup-types like Rex Grossman, J.P. Losman, Patrick Ramsey, and Kyle Boller just sitting out there, hoping to get a job. There will be a lot of former first-round picks looking for work this off-season, and not all of them will find it.
February 18, 2009
Jerry Jones’ latest statements hinted that Terrell Owens may not be released after all. With nearly every national football writer predicting the opposite, the star-crossed Cowboys owner/GM may just be trying to keep the media wolves at bay.
Owens has a roster bonus due in June, so the Cowboys could make sure he’s on his best behavior before making a final decision. What’s clear is that a faction in Dallas, reportedly led by Stephen Jones and Jason Garrett, does not love them some T.O. Let’s say, for the sake of February chatter, that this faction wins out and Owens is released.
Where would Owens go? More importantly, who would be desperate and crazy enough to want Owens?
With a hearty assist to the geniuses at Beckett’s publications, here’s Rotoworld’s best guess for potential Owens landing spots.
1. Raiders: Owens will go where he’s paid the most – period. And Al Davis showed with Javon Walker that he’s not afraid to overspend to get JaMarcus Russell some help. Davis also isn’t the type of owner to worry about chemistry much.
2. Ravens: They have a huge need at the position and have shown prior interest. They also have a veteran locker room that could handle Owens. The trickiest part of the equation here might be the salary cap. Baltimore also wants to find room for Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott.
3. Redskins: The Fighting Cerratos don’t really have the cap room, but they have to be near the top of the list of teams crazy enough to do it. Dan Snyder also invested three picks at receiver in the 2008 draft, with initially poor results. Owens would fix the position quickly and amp up Washington’s NFC East rivalries.
Continue reading "Teams that could take on T.O." »
February 13, 2009
NFL Network’s Steve Wyche has sources that say T.J. Houshmandzadeh is as good as gone in Cincy. Despite Mike Lombardi’s evaluation, I’d take him over Antonio Bryant and any other free agent receiver. The Titans, Bucs (If Bryant leaves), and Eagles were mentioned by Wyche as possible landing spots. Those all make sense, but the Eagles may feel comfortable with DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, and Jason Avant now. The Titans have a big receiver need and were reportedly willing to give up a high pick for Torry Holt last year. Housh would be perfect there.
Off the top of my head, here’s how I’d rank possible landing spots, not including Cincinnati.
Continue reading "Where will Housh land?" »
December 23, 2008
Like any Matt Forte owner, I wanted to puke last night around 11PM. The fourth quarter started, Forte had gained twenty yards all evening, and the other Adrian Peterson played the two previous series for Chicago. It looked like Forte may be done for the evening, but there was no injury update. Where was Suzy Kolber when you needed her?
My wife, calling on her way out of work, sagely assured me Forte would be fine: He always finds a way. I should have known. There are better running backs in the NFL and there were more valuable fantasy assets, but no one was more consistent than Matt Forte in his rookie season.
Forte re-entered the game and kickstarted the pathetic Chicago offense with a 14-yard screen pass. He finished with 81 fourth quarter yards, a touchdown, and helped saved the Bears season for another week. I suspect his final touchdown plunge, aided by a favorable spot on a fourth-down before it, decided a lot of championships.
In standard leagues, Forte scored at least 10 fantasy points in every week but one - he had eight against the Eagles. In a league full of committees, Forte has reached 363 touches. His season started on the national stage with a huge performance against the Colts, and finished the same way against the Packers. He showed up every week in between. That's the stuff of championships.
December 12, 2008
That was a big drive for Kyle Orton at the end of regulation Thursday night to send the game to overtime. If he doesn't drive Chicago 60 yards at the end of regulation, then draw a PI on Devin Hester in OT, it's an uncomfortable ten days in Chicago. The playoffs would look unlikely and perhaps so would Orton's future. He nearly threw that game away.
Now we won't remember the 40 attempts for 172 yards and two picks, the second of which was inexcusable in the fourth quarter. We'll forget that Orton's best plays were poor throws to Hester on long penalties. Instead, we'll remember the composed finish and the classic empty-handed spike. Winning ugly: Just Orton being Orton.
December 10, 2008
Very exciting to get a good Thursday night game after the Raiders-Chargers debacle last week. The winner of the game still has legitimate playoff hopes, especially if Chicago wins. Below is video confirmation of my thoughts on the Bears-Saints. Watching it now, I have to admit that calling Lance Moore a WR3 wasn't quite accurate. Despite my misgivings, he's ranked in the top-20 in my initial rankings, which weren't complete at the time of taping the show.
As Lance Moore owners like myself debate whether to start him at Chicago despite his recent downturn, keep this in mind: Chicago's pass defense isn't as bad you think.
Yes, it's "ranked" 28th in pass defense. But that's quite misleading. It's faced the most attempts in the league, and is actually ninth in net yards-per-attempt allowed. It has intercepted 19 passes, which is second in the league. Add it all up, and the Bears are a slightly tougher than average allowing fantasy points.
Continue reading "Bears pass defense isn't that bad" »
September 26, 2008
Four matchup previews with Tiffany below, including Raiders/Chargers.
The Sunday Night Preview is after the jump. I know there will be a lot of questions about Westbrook. I doubt he'll play, but you never know. I would only wait for him if you have a capable option (Correll Buckhalter) to replace him in the late games.
Continue reading "Fix time" »
August 22, 2008
So the preseason is a sham. But Week 3 is easily the most useful time, a good indication of what coaches are thinking going into the season. After dress rehearsals this week, Week 4 is a serious waste of time for everyone involved. So what did we learn from the Bears vs. 49ers game last night?
1. Chicago's receivers are impossible to draft. Rashied Davis looks like the number one, playing almost every down. I watched closely and Brandon Lloyd, Devin Hester, and Marty Booker rotated after him evenly. Good luck finding consistency there.
2. When the 49ers first team lines up with two tight ends, like they did the majority of the time, they could be a nasty run-blocking unit. Vernon Davis is one of hte best blockers in the league and Delanie Walker has the size to make a difference. They cleared big holes for Frank Gore, which was nice to see. Davis also was active as a receiver and even lined up in the backfield.
3. J.T. O'Sullivan reminds me a lot of a poor man's Kitna. Pretty throws, a lot of improvisation, and big mental mistakes. It could be a fun ride, making JTO a reasonable QB2 pick in the last rounds if you draft a top-5 QB. He won't last 16 games, but there may be some yardage there.
4. It's hard to tell how the 49ers receiver depth chart will shake out because Arnaz Battle and Bryant Johnson are hurt. For now, Josh Morgan is the starter.
5. Kevin Jones looked healthy enough to make the team and be Matt Forte's backup.
July 31, 2008
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.)
July 21, 2008
While the Redskins have started camp, the rest of the league doesn't all get into the swing of things at the same time until this weekend. Once that happens, we'll have more news affecting fantasy leaguers in a week than we had all offseason. It was mostly quiet while I was gone for a few days last week, but here are a couple items that caught my interest.
Kevin Jones could start the regular season on the PUP list. Any downgrade of Matt Forte because of Jones' addition should be minimal.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Recovering RBs" »
July 15, 2008
If you had your eye on Matt Forte this draft season, Kevin Jones' signing isn't such a bad thing. Forte was going to be on every "sleeper" list, including ours. Jones' addition to the backfield may change the perception of Forte without changing his numbers much.
First, Jones has to prove he's healthy. He's coming off a Lisfranc foot fracture (which flared up last year) and a torn ACL. He hasn't topped 186 carries in three years, and isn't likely to this year. IF Jones can get ready for Week 1, he's likely to be a role player. The Bears will bring him along slowly. When I re-calculated the Bears projections Tuesday, Jones primarily took his carries from Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe, not Forte.
Continue reading "Does Kevin Jones dull Matt Forte's shine?" »
June 09, 2008
So Cedric Benson is already gone. The only question is what the Bears do in their backfield now. The easy answer is that they give Matt Forte the ball 300 times and see what happens. They love his three-down skills, but they can't rely on a rookie that much without insurance.
Forte is the presumptive starter, but I suspect they want more than Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe behind him. Until we know who the veteran is, we can't fully evaluate Forte's 2008 fantasy value.
I expect the Bears to start snooping around available backs (Kevin Jones, Shaun Alexander, and Travis Henry are options) to find a backup. If their prices are too high, Ron Dayne and Anthony Thomas could be alternatives. Just imagine, the A-Train and Marty Booker back together in Chicago. We'd be a Craig Krenzel away from reliving the worst offense of the last five years.
Cedric Benson is making this too easy on the Bears. The team wants to hold on to him too long, to avoid admitting they made a mistake. But after his latest arrest, they have their excuse to cut him.
GM Jerry Angelo won't guarantee Benson is staying put, and many think today will be his last as a Bear. If I had to bet on it, I'd put Benson's odds of staying at one-in-three.
Continue reading "Benson is making it easy on Bears" »
May 21, 2008
Well I have my first projection to change since finishing our first magazine last week. I optimistically projected Mark Bradley as quite the late-round sleeper, but news of another knee surgery hurts. He hasn't been able to stay healthy since tearing his ACL in 2005. The number one receiver potential is there, but he has to be downgraded until he shows he's healthy in training camp. Unlike Andre Johnson, it sounds like Bradley isn't certain to be ready for the start of camp. Which may indicate that the surgery is more serious than your average "scope."
If Bradley can't get healthy, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Brandon Lloyd may be competing to start. I can hear the Bears fan teeth gnashing from here.
Update: Bradley says he'll be ready for camp and the Bears still call him questionable. It was an arthroscopic surgery, which is good. And Lloyd ran with the ones on Wednesday. Yikes.
May 20, 2008
Some people, including new signee Brandon Lloyd, have doubted whether Rex Grossman will truly have to compete for the Chicago starting job with Kyle Orton. Those doubts should have been put to rest Monday, when Kyle Orton opened up OTAs taking the majority of first-team reps. We suspect Grossman will get the nod today, but it's clear Orton will be given a real chance.
No offensive depth chart is more up for grabs than Chicago's. Lovie Smith created a stir last week calling Cedric Benson the starter, but what else is he going to say? Brad Briggs of the Chicago Sun-Times puts it well:
Continue reading "Competition in Chicago" »
April 21, 2008
He's not exactly Lewis (or Clark), but Lance Briggs may be exploring unchartered territory this offseason. He may be the first player to express displeasure about his contract the month after he signed it.
Briggs has already passed up $250,000 by skipping Chicago workouts. Maybe he just doesn't feel like going, but the Chicago Sun-Times thinks Briggs may not be happy with how much he got versus Calvin Pace. Let's hope this is untrue. The Bears were willing to pay Briggs more than any NFL team. He signed it a month ago!! This could lead to a whole new genre of annoying Rotoworld posts.
April 11, 2008
We've got a bit of surprise with the fourteenth pick - and I like it. The more I hear about this guy, the better chance it sounds like he could go before Chicago is even on the clock.
With the 14th pick, the Chicago Bears select - Branden Albert - G - University of Virginia
While various offensive skill position players may be tempting, interviews this off-season seem to indicate that Grossman/Orton will battle for the starting QB job and that Benson will be given one more chance to prove he can be productive. Therefore, Chicago management should choose to address their offensive line with their first pick.
Chicago’s blueprint for success relies on using their defense and special teams to set up the offense with short fields and running the ball effectively.
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock Draft: Pick No. 14" »
April 02, 2008
Last year, I said it was insane to consider drafting Devin Hester. He looked better than I expected, but still was far from a fantasy option with 299 yards receiving and two scores.
I was more optimistic about his chances going into this season if he was given a chance to start, but it sounds like that isn't happening. Lovie Smith on Hester:
Continue reading "Don't Bank on Hester Starting" »
March 10, 2008
March 05, 2008
Once upon a time, Julius Jones was getting taken near the first round of fantasy drafts. Sorry about that one. Now he's the most interesting running back left on the free agent market. Let's rank where he could end up by projected 2008 fantasy value.
4. Tampa Bay - The Bucs have "expressed interest" but haven't visited with Jones. He could caddy for Earnest Graham there, but they already have a speed threat with poor instincts - Michael Bennett. Julius could hope following his brother's career path leads to similar results.
3. Tennessee - Bad sign for Chris Henry that the Titans are hosting Jones on Wednesday. LenDale White will keep his starting job, but the Titans would like some speed off the bench. Jones would be an RB4 in fantasy leagues here.
Continue reading "Pick a home for Julius Jones" »
Bears fans don't know how to feel about the Marty Booker signing. Rotoworld Comeback Writer of the Year candidate Scott Morrow said it was, "Kind of comforting and kind of sad." I'd lean towards comforting, but it almost didn't happen.
The Patriots had a standing offer to Booker, and set a deadline for a decision last night. It came down to the wire, but Booker chose the Bears. That decision was either the cause or the effect of New England's Jabar Gaffney deal, although I suspect Booker was first in line.
Continue reading "Booker was almost a Patriot" »
February 26, 2008
Some news and notes picked up from this morning's news ...
The always quotable Antonio Pierce is requesting a new segment in NFL Films highlight films.
"Show the highlights of all the players we beat, crying, with that stupid look on their faces, saying, 'How did we lose?"
Darren McFadden ran a 4.33 in tennis shoes.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Giant Schadenfreude" »
February 19, 2008
The Bears are doing their best to keep all the free agents, and for that they should be commended. They have been known to pinch pennies in recent years, so this is a good sign.
It doesn't mean that it's remotely realistic.
Lance Briggs is gone. Even Rotoworld sophomore slump candidate of the year and noted Bears expert Patrick Dahl agrees. The Redskins are probably ready to make him the highest paid linebacker in the league, salary cap be damned. While the Bears' offer is probably fair, they won't pay him more than Brian Urlacher.
Continue reading "Bears can't keep Briggs and Berrian" »
February 18, 2008
NFL teams are usually lying when they say a release is for salary cap reasons. Quality players stick; underperformers don't. That was the case Monday when the Bears released Muhsin Muhammad, but extended DE Alex Brown's contract.
Muhammad wasn't that expensive to keep, but he was taking away playing time from younger options like Devin Hester and Mark Bradley. He's turning 35 and only caught forty passes last season. He will probably find a slot role somewhere, possibly back in Carolina, but he needs to be a role player, not a starter.
Continue reading "Bears will spend on wideouts now" »
February 15, 2008
I wrote up the first six rounds of my "Day After Super Bowl" Mock Draft earlier this week. Here are a handful of notable names that fell far into the mid-to-late rounds.
Edgerrin James, 7.01- Arizona should get someone to split carries, so this is about right. I don't they will cut him though.
Continue reading "Falling Big Names" »
January 03, 2008
If I was a smart blog writer, I’d break up this top-ten busts of the year into ten posts, increase the amount of hits, set up some content in a slow time of year, and everyone would be happy. But I’m too impatient. Let's break it into two more posts, all in one day.
10. Cedric Benson, Bears - It’s never a good sign when fantasy owners are relieved by season-ending injuries. The Bears stayed faithful as long as possible, but it’s hard to imagine Benson being handed the unquestioned starting job next year, no matter what he says.
9. Travis Henry, Broncos - Like Benson, injuries were a factor. But the reality is that Henry suited up 12 times, and he didn’t top 51 rushing yards in his last seven games. What looked like a great marriage for Henry in Denver could end after one season.
8. Mark Clayton, Ravens - No one gave fantasy owners less on this list than Clayton. He was drafted as a solid WR3 (Average Draft Position among top 30 wideouts), and never showed up for his third season. The Baltimore offense doesn’t fully explain his struggles because Derrick Mason has a similar style game.
7. Vince Young, Titans - Statistically, it was hard to argue against Young going into the season. He was a top-five fantasy QB when he played as a rookie. Fantasy Nation’s gut didn’t love him, though. His ADP was eighth, we ranked him ninth. He finished 17th and only 26th in per-game average. Trust the gut.
6. Larry Johnson, Chiefs - Don’t let LJ’s solid three-game finish before his foot injury cloud his season. He was held to five fantasy points or less in half his games, and didn’t score until Week 5. He put his owners in a huge hole, he got hurt, and then he gave out false hope that he might help them in the fantasy playoffs.
We'll finish off the busts in the morning, along with the second half of the Top 30 keepers. Thanks for the patience. In the meantime, check out today's supersized Playoff prop bet edition of the Fantasy Fix, which unfortunately includes an Omar Epps impression. If that doesn't keep you from clicking, I don't know what will.
December 27, 2007
The rankings are up, the Fix is taped, and we're back at Pancake Blocks after a couple holiday half-days. Week 17 ahoy!
I am going to try to avoid looking at next year this week. We have all offseason to review '07 and look ahead to '08, and there are still plenty of fantasy championships this week, whether it's a good idea or not. Let's start with some quickie lists of guys likely to see a spike in value this week.
Continue reading "QB Spikes" »
November 29, 2007
If the Bears weren't going to look for a new starting running back before Cedric Benson's injury, they probably will now.
He's facing a long rehab and didn't impress this season. He still struggles with blitz pickup, and some believe the offense will be better without his limitations.
Continue reading "Is that it for Benson?" »
September 28, 2007
It looks like Anquan Boldin will probably miss Sunday's game, making Bryant Johnson a decent wideout pickup if you are in trouble. Johnson, though, has looked slow to pick up Ken Whisenhunt's offense and has struggled this year. He's always been serviceable as a fill-in starter the last few years, but that was under Dennis Green. I'm ranking Johnson 47th at wideout.
If I was going for a deep sleeper at wideout from that game, I'd much rather go for Nate Washington against a Cardinals secondary that can be exploited. He's entering the rankings at 41.
September 26, 2007
Well, it looks like Lovie Smith will finally put Rex Grossman, his fantasy owners, and Bears fans out of their collective misery. It was only twelve months ago when Rex was being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate. Now Kyle Orton looks like a better option.
It all started going wrong on that Monday night game against Arizona, starting a 17-game stretch where Rexy threw 18 touchdowns, 27 interceptions, and six lost fumbles.
I don't expect Brian Griese to be a fantasy savior in Chicago, although he will post good stats this week against the Lions. Griese's upside is somewhere around Chad Pennington.
The only player truly hurt by the change is Bernard Berrian. Rex could throw the deep ball well and Berrian knows how to catch up with any pass. Griese is a dink-and-dunker, which means less vertical throws and more safe passes to Muhsin Muhammad and the tight ends.
September 23, 2007
The Bears lost more than a game tonight.
They may have lost the remaining shreds of Rex Grossman's confidence.
They lost Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher, and Ruben Brown to injury. Tommie Harris left after taking a shot to the groin, a feeling that the entire city of Chicago can empathize with.
As Rotoworld cohort Patrick Dahl points out, this game was very similar to the Chargers loss. Chicago was dominated in time of possession. Both San Diego and Dallas have physical 3-4 defenses, and big-bodied offensive lines that can tire out a speed-oriented defense.
The Bears are now two games behind Green Bay, with a Week 5 game against the Packers looming large.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by tonight. Be back tomorrow with The Morning After.
Last year, when Rex Grossman was his lowest, the Bears went into St. Louis on Monday Night Football in Week 13 with Grossman's job very much on the line. Facing one of the worst defenses in the league, Grossman had a fine game and all was well again. He held on to the job for the rest of the year.
After this performance, Grossman probably only has one game left to save his job. And he gets the ultimate gift on the schedule next week: The Lions. If the Bears truly want a change, they will make it now. If they still believe Rex can recover, they will let him rack up stats against the worst secondary in the league and pretend everything is fine.
So Bears fans still out there ... Do you want to see Griese? Kyle Orton, anyone?
Expect a lot of Cedric Benson talk this week if the Bears don't pull this game out. He's not usually a fumbler, but that's two costly ones early this season.
More importantly, he's averaging 3.2 yards-per-carry as of this writing. I'm surprised to see Dallas contain the Bears so much, and a lot of blame can be assigned to the aging Bears O-line.
Of course Benson's average is still about a yard higher than LaDainian Tomlinson and those fightin' Chargers.
Perhaps I'm just eager to pick on Rex Grossman (fun for everyone!), but I think a veteran quarterback would audible out of a third-and-goal from the two-yard line when he sees six defensive backs in the game.
Grossman didn't change the play to a run, his receivers were outnumbered, and Rex threw the ball away. Do defenses know that Grossman doesn't change plays? Does he change plays? Some Bears fans can let me know I'm just seeing things here.
With Devin Hester and Greg Olsen becoming receiving options, Muhsin Muhammad is losing snaps and targets. Last week Rashied Davis got more looks. I saw Bernard Berrian stay on the field a few plays back while Muhammad came out in favor of Hester.
Of course, Muhammad makes his first catch of the game while I'm typing this. So I'm an idiot.
After the guy from Heroes pushes the opening kickoff out of bounds, Cedric Benson rips off a couple runs before a Bernard Berrian and some pressure on Rex Grossman stops a drive.
Look for Dallas to send tons of extra guys at Grossman. His repuation around the league is that he doesn't step into his throws when the pressure is in his face. Dallas is undermanned, but will probably gamble anyhow.
Still at NBC world headquarters in lovely Stamford, CT after an action-packed Fantasy Fix Live this morning. Thanks to everyone for calling in! OK, this is the first regular season liveblog. I'll blog the game, and answer some general questions based on the Week 3 play today. Here's who I'm watching tonight.
Rex Grossman - If he can't light up the Cowboys secondary, he can't light up anyone. Brian Griese is reportedly only a few bad games away.
Cedric Benson - Should take advantage of Jason Ferguson's absence.
Bernard Berrian - Slowly growing into a true number one receiver. No one on the Cowboys can keep up.
Muhsin Muhammad - Slowly trending towards irrelevence. Needs to get Rex's attention.
Greg Olsen - NFL debut, I doubt he will be a consistent factor.
September 17, 2007
Cedric Benson did what he had to on Sunday. He had a solid matchup at home and took advantage with 110 total yards against the Chiefs. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, 85 of those yards came after initial contact.
Benson's toughness has been questioned, so that final stat could show he was running with something to prove.
Continue reading "Game Ball: Cedric Benson" »
September 05, 2007
I'm busy working on Goal Line Stand rankings and comments, but I just got my hands on the first NFL injury report.
Here were the headlines.
* Drew Bennett (thigh) didn't practice again, but Torry Holt did. He's not even on the injury report. You can all breathe a big sigh of relief.
* Greg Olsen sat out practice. I'm guessing he's less than 50-50 to play this week.
* Terry Glenn is back fully practicing. It looks like he'll play, although perhaps not with a full complement of snaps.
* Clinton Portis is fully practicing again, although he is listed on the report. Keep reading reports on him, but all signs are good thus far.
* Kevin Jones finally returned to practice, although not as a full participant. Still, it's a big step. We'll keep reading for the details.
That's about it. Week 1 is always quiet. I'll be back in the morning with rankings, some 100K picks, and the vindication of DeDe Dorsey.
August 22, 2007
Not a good sign for the Bears when the Chicago Sun-Times' lead football article Wednesday morning is about fifth-graders giving Rex Grossman advice about taking snaps from center.
''It's very easy to take snaps,'' said fifth-grader Jimmy Smolik, 10, a quarterback for the St. Linus Hawks in Oak Lawn. ''Just open your hands and wait for the ball, and then you close your hands.''
Continue reading "Rex's little helpers" »
August 09, 2007
I was getting ready to leave the office, and realized I haven't written anything to antogonize Bears fans yet today. So here goes.
The fantasy owners drafting Devin Hester are out of their gourd. I saw Hester taken with a few rounds remaining in one of my industry drafts over the summer and thought the owner was acting alone. But it just happened again, by an industry titan who I greatly respect, so clearly some intelligent football people disagree with me.
Hester is now getting drafted as a flier in 12-team leagues on average, according to MockDraftCentral.com. I don't get it. It's hard enough to make a fantasy impact if you are any second-year receiver. Consider the factors working against Hester.
Continue reading "The Hester Insanity" »
July 20, 2007
Moose will be watching this battle
# 27. Bears third receiver: Mark Bradley vs. Rashied Davis
Bradley still has number one receiver upside; Davis, the former Areana Leaguer, does not. Bradley probably can’t push Muhsin Muhammad out the door just yet, but I think it’s a bigger possibility than most Bears fans realize.
Bradley looked like the future two years ago, and its no surprise he struggled with injuries after he rushed back from ACL surgery. He also showed a lot of skill while averaging 20 yards-per-catch. The problem for Bradley, Bernard Berrian, and Davis is that they all have similar vertical skills. Muhammad is the only one who can bring toughness.
If Bradley has a big camp, I’m looking at him as one of the best deep sleeper picks at wideout.
May 30, 2007
Lots of links today, many from this morning, and a few tasty leftovers from the holiday weekend.
I crave information, basically anything related to football. There is a line, however, where it all becomes too much. Finding out how many beef sticks Tank Johnson eats in jail crosses the line. Do people really care about this?
Jeff Garcia and Jon Gruden have had a crush on each other for a while. This probably won't end well for either guy. Or Chris Simms.
The other man
This is the type of ridiculously positive article you expect on a team site. But since it's about Maurice Stovall, a player I own, I'm eating it up. The kid may struggle to stay healthy because he runs so upright, but he looked like he belonged last year.
Speaking of team sites, it was pretty surprising to see ChicagoBears.com declare that Michael Okwo is more talented than Jamar Williams. Okwo remains the long-term favorite to take Lance Briggs' job.
Any article that ends with a player wanting to get a mullet is going to get a link here. Although Jared Allen has a long way to go to match this one.
Continue reading "Linked" »
April 27, 2007
I'd like to see the Mock Draft that had this predicted. The Bears have disregarded all logic and rules, and have already drafted a player! The Bears have selected Jon Beason, linebacker from Miami, at least according to their team website.
Update: In the time it took to write this post, the Bears took the article down. Rats. But it's in the RSS feed from the site.
February 19, 2007
I'm not an NFL 'Insider'. If I was, I could better look for answers for these two rhetorical questions that crossed my mind about the Bears today.
1. Is there something wrong with Ron Rivera? He's interviewed nine times for a head coaching position and hasn't won a job. Now the Bears are letting his contract expire, which means he will be scrambling just to get a decent NFL gig next season. Maybe he's a bad interviewer, which some reports alluded to last year. Maybe it's just circumstance and bad luck. But something tells me there is more to the story.
2. Does Cedric Benson' MRI result make Thomas Jones more or less likely to stay in Chicago? Conventional wisdom suggests the Bears could deal Jones now that Benson is healthy.
But after a rollercoaster two seasons, Benson didn't leave a great final image of 2006 by sitting out the Super Bowl with what turned out to be a mild MCL sprain. Brad Briggs of the Chicago Sun Times mentioned that some questioned Benson's actions in that game. Briggs thinks the Bears should extend Jones. I think they should be happy to get another year out of him for cheap and split the workload.
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