I found what John Madden said earlier tonight about Seahawks FB Mack Strong very telling. He said Leonard Weaver, unlike Strong, could possibly carry the load for Seattle if Shaun Alexander was hurt. That might give Weaver the edge in winning the starting fullback job.

Pro Football Prospectus writes that Mack Strong had a massive decline last season that greatly hurt the Seattle running attack. Cutting him would probably be an addition by subtraction. Madden's comments probably weren't said out of the blue, either. I'd bet on Weaver winning the job and being Seattle's third running back by default.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seneca Wallace is playing into the fourth quarter, just throwing a nice touchdown throw to Ben Obomanu, who I mentioned before the game as someone who wanted to make a big impression. Obomanu now has five catches for 83 yards and a score, greatly helping his chance to make the team.

Meanwhile, with Wallace playing so long, the Seahawks don't seem overly interested in seeing what David Greene has to offer.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jerome Bettis chimed in with his top-five fantasy backs at halftime Sunday night, and there's just one big difference between his list and our draft guide rankings. Bettis has Shaun Alexander ranked second; we have Alexander ninth. There is a lot of disagreement out there in fantasy circles about Alexander's value.

Alexander will score when he's healthy, but we think he's an injury risk who doesn't catch enough passes for a top-five grade. That said, Bettis had four of our top five backs included in his list, so maybe he's reading Rotoworld after all.

Fresh off his star-making turn last season on The Fantasy Fix, Cris Collinsworth remains the Most Valuable Member of Football Night in America for his support of Rotoworld, reading our top-five running backs on the air tonight and plugging our draft guide.

It's still a huge rush seeing Rotoworld's name on national television like that. We've come a long way. All the way to Bob Costas' homepage.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's the Naanee, Sproles, and Floyd show in San Diego. My man Naanee caught a 17-yard pass. He may be a project, but physically he reminds me of Vincent Jackson. Very quick for a big guy.

Darren Sproles could be locking up a roster spot with 61 total yards in six touches. He's too versatile to keep off the team.

Floyd made up for an earlier drop with two catches, including a 14-yard score. He has three grabs for 45 yards on the night, but he's playing longer than Craig (Buster) Davis, which indicates he's further down the depth chart.

Update: In the time it took to write this, Naanee caught another pass. Hall of Fame?

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Legedu Naanee sighting! The former quarterback is playing early and caught a seven-yard pass. You take Buster Davis, I'll take super sleeper Nanee.

My wife just came up with a very female nickname for Lofa Tatupu: Low-fat Tofu. Not bad.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

John Madden said he expected Jim Mora Jr. to coach in the league again very soon. But is it really that easy? I know Mora wants to be a head coach again, but I remember hearing similar things said about Mike Tice, Jim Haslett, Mike Martz, and Jim Fassel when they got fired. Unless you are high profile coordinator, sometimes it's hard to keep your name in the headlines and atop interview lists.

Mora's coaching reign in Atlanta ended in ugly fashion. The Atlanta defense (his speciality) for the Falcons was always mediocre. Better coaches have received only one shot.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It seems like only yesterday he was leading fantasy teams along with Drew Bennett to championship games in 2004. He was the Matt Schaub of his day, but Volek's unseemly exit from Tennessee hurt his stock within the league. Norv Turner could be the best thing to happen to Volek's career if he's a good student.

Volek is currently holding the ball too long, getting sacked on successive plays, and losing a fumble on the second one. He's battling Charlie Whitehurst for the backup job.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've had a healthy disagreement around the Rotoworld.com offices (actually IM) over Craig (Buster) Davis the last week. Rotoworld rookie of the year candidate Pat Dahl and Evan Silva are high on him. I'm concerned about any rookie wideout, especially one on a team where he'll be a fourth option at best. Plus he's known for lax work habits.

Well, I'm taking this opportunity to claim total victory. Davis just bobbled a pass along the sideline, then fumbled a handoff. He'll be lucky to make the team.

Malcom Floyd, meanwhile, made a nice first-down conversion, then dropped a wide open pass. Vincent Jackson lost a fumble. With Eric Parker hurt, San Diego has to have some concerns about the most inexperienced wideout group in the league. It's not a good sign when a third-year player from Northern Colorado with 30 career catches is your number one wideout by far.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Couldn't blog during the first drive, but it wasn't surprising to see Shaun Alexander drop a pass. The guy simply has never developed receiving skills. He fell all the way to 12 catches last year, and there's no reason to think he'll improve this year.

That's why I don't want any part of Alexander in the top-five of my draft. Just way too much downside. I'm surprised more touts and fantasy owners don't agree.

Seattle on their second drive, Alexander and Hasselbeck are already out. Viva Viagra!

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Already an update on Craig Davis, our number one player we're watching tonight. Floyd started in a three wideout set, along with Malcom Floyd.

It's a reminder that Floyd could rotate snaps with Davis early in the year. Floyd did show some potential when he got playing time last year, so he can't be totally discounted. It's a situation to watch this month.

Update Davis was targeted on San Diego's first play from scrimmage, a first down where he came in motion. Nice to see him featured in the offense.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Breaking News from San Diego: Craig Davis wants to be called "Buster" from now on. But there is a Buster Davis playing linebacker in Arizona, also in his rookie season. Yet another reason not to draft him.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We won't get to see LaDainian Tomlinson or much of Shaun Alexander tonight, but there are a few players to keep a close eye on during the Sunday Night Seattle-San Diego tilt. These aren't all sexy storylines, but preseason action is for the diehards.

1. Craig Davis- San Diego is expecting this surprise first-round pick to step up into a starting role with Eric Parker hurt. There are mixed scouting reports on Davis, but he has impressed in camp when healthy. Like most rookie receivers, we're skeptical about his value in fantasy leagues.

2. Hackett vs. Burleson - D.J. Hackett has earned the starting job opposite Deion Branch with his strong play the last few years. But former Viking Nate Burleson has reportedly had a strong camp and is challenging for snaps. Hackett owners shouldn't worry too much, but Burleson could wind up taking playing time from slot man Bobby Engram.

3. Third Running Backs - Both these teams are thin at running back, and it's uncertain who will claim the third running back spots. Darren Sproles needs a good preseason to keep his NFL career going for San Diego. Leonard Weaver and Marquis Weeks are battling for the Seahawks.

4. Young backup quarterbacks - Charlie Whitehurst for the Chargers is trying to show growth in his second season so he can pass Billy Volek on the depth chart for good. If David Greene of the Seahawks shows something in the preseason, backup Seneca Wallace may play more at other positions.

5. Diamonds in the rough - This are important games for unheralded receivers. I've heard Legedu Naanee from San Diego has some impressive physical skills. Courtney Taylor and Ben Obomanu have some long-term potential in Seattle.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 07:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)