Bleacher Report - Articles by Football Maniaxs

How Miami Lost To The Saints: Whose Fault?

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:01:01 -0400

By Fred Schwager.

Week Eight of the NFL season is on the horizon, and we will be reaching the halfway point for some teams. First, we’ll start off with a quick look back at the game in Miami, the one I predicted would be a Miami upset.

Then, we'll look at the Vikings vs. Lambeau, the NFC East showdown between the Giants and Eagles, the Jay Cutler watch and at how brutal the AFC North is going to be.

The fact that Miami lost at home against New Orleans rests solely on the shoulders of the coaching staff: Tony Sparano’s decision to make the halftime timeout aside (as that is a mistake that might happen once in a while), Miami still had a 24-10 lead, and they were to start the second half with the ball.

So, Miami, a running team that ran the ball well in the first half, decides this is the time to dial up the pass. On their first two drives, they called five pass plays and one running play. The result was an interception that was returned for a touchdown and a three-and-out. Their next two possessions, they dial up five running plays and one pass, resulting in another three-and-out and a field goal (as they got the ball back off of a turnover, in field goal range).

Miami needed to mix it up more than that. It’s hard to expect to beat the Saints when you run 16 plays (punts and field goal included) over four drives. Miami’s next three drives featured eight called pass plays, and one running play. Those drives yielded seven points, and two more three-and-outs. Miami is now down 37-34, and the Saints have the ball with eight minutes to play.

There’s no excuse that the game could ever reach that point. Miami had the ball seven times, called 14 pass plays and seven running plays. Both of Chad Henne’s interceptions came in the second half, and both were returned for touchdowns. That’s not what they do, and there’s no reason anything should have been changed after a very solid first half. They needed to eat up clock and limit Drew Brees’ chances, and they did nothing of the sort...

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NFL's Week Seven Pick'ems: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Football Maniaxs — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:45:56 -0400

With six weeks in the books, the playoff picture is starting to take form. The Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints are all undefeated and are taking cotrol of their divisions.

The Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans remain winless. The Titans will at least not drop to 0-7, as they have a much needed bye this week.

My record for the season is 58-32.

1) Minnesota Vikings (6-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)—This is probably the premier matchup this week and features two teams that are throwing the ball very well. Quarterback Brett Favre leads a Viking offense that is second in the NFL in points scored. He has 12 touchdowns, just two picks and a quarterback rating of 109.5. Ben Roethlisberger is leading the NFL in passing yards (1887) and has the fourth best passer rating in the NFL at 104.5.

When you think Steelers and Vikings you think Steel Curtain versus Purple People Eaters, not a passing shootout. I look for a very close high scoring game, but I think Pittsburgh is a tough place to play and this is the weekend the Vikings lose for the first time.

I don't see running back Adrian Peterson having a big game and the Steelers are much tougher at stopping the pass than the Vikings are, which should lead to more points for the Steelers.

Winner: Pittsburgh

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2009 NFL's Week One Power Rankings

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:56:45 -0400

By Derek Lofland, NFL director at Fantasy Football Maniaxs

Our first power rankings of the 2009 season feature a familiar team at the top of the list. Our rankings are a reflection of the success teams experienced in 2008, combined with the moves they made in the offseason and how they have looked in the preseason.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)—Until someone dethrones the Super Bowl champions, they start the season No. 1. While the Steelers did not add any big free agents, they return the best defense in the NFL and almost all of the key contributors from the 2008 team that won the Lombardi Trophy.

2. New England Patriots (11-5)—The Patriots, who went 16-0 in the 2007 regular season, had some problems repeating that success in 2008 when Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the opener.

Brady and Randy Moss have looked great in the preseason, although Brady did suffer a shoulder injury in the preseason game against Washington. New England has an excellent chance to dominate the AFC this year, but they need Brady to stay healthy.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1)—The Eagles have a lot of expectations with the additions of WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy via the draft, and veteran free agents OTs Jason Peters and Stacey Andrews to the offensive line. They also have a lot of attention since they decided to add QB Michael Vick. If RB Brian Westbrook and McNabb can stay healthy, this team should be in position to win their first Super Bowl and first NFL Championship since 1960.

4. New York Giants (12-4)—The Giants have to find a receiver to replace WR Plaxico Burress, otherwise they are doomed to suffer the same slump they went through at the end of last season without a dependable No. 1 option. If first round pick Hakeem Nicks can have a breakout rookie season, the Giants could easily be playing February football, as their running game and defense are second to none and Eli Manning has the experience at quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

5. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)—With the addition of QB Brett Favre, the Vikings shoot up into my top five. Defenses are going to have to decide whether they want to play RB Adrian Peterson with eight or nine in the box and allow Favre to have single coverage in the pass game, or whether they want to try to stop Peterson with six or seven guys. DTs Kevin and Pat Williams might still be forced to sit out the first four games of the 2009 season, but the schedule is pretty forgiving to start the season with games against the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay, none of which had winning records in 2008. The addition of Favre gives the Vikings a complete team and a chance to compete for a Super Bowl, provided his 40-year-old body can stay healthy.

6. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)—The Falcons won’t be able to sneak up on the rest of the league this year, as they have a great young offensive core on with QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White. TE Tony Gonzalez adds another dimension to the offense if he can play at the same level he has played his entire career in Kansas City. The question is whether the defense can improve from its 2008 showing, in which it ranked 24th in yards allowed.

7. Tennessee Titans (13-3)—They have a great running back combo with Chris Johnson and LenDale White leading the way, and QB Kerry Collins gives them veteran leadership at quarterback that does not make many mistakes. Albert Haynesworth left in free agency for the Redskins, which is going to hurt the defense, but they still should be very good in 2009.

8. Carolina Panthers (12-4)—The Panthers had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL with 2,437 yards and a league-high 30 touchdowns. DE Julius Peppers was franchised, which kept them from adding a lot of free agents but kept on of the best defensive ends in the NFL on their team. The biggest concern is whether QB Jake Delhomme at 34-years-old can still make the plays to keep defenses guessing. Having WR Steve Smith is huge, but Delhomme has to play better if Smith is going to dominate the NFL as he did in 2005.

9. San Diego Chargers (8-8)—Having DE Shawne Merriman back from knee surgery on defense will be a big help, and if RB LaDainian Tomlinson can stay healthy, defenses are going to find it tough to stop both him and QB Philip Rivers. I have them going to the AFC Title Game, but I think they will be around the ninth spot in the NFL power rankings for the regular season, because Head Coach Norv Turner always manages to have this team underachieve in the regular season.

10. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)—Losing defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, LB Bart Scott, SS Jim Leonhard and DE Marques Douglas to the Jets was a big loss. The leaders of the defensive front seven (MLB Ray Lewis, OLB Terrell Suggs and DL Haloti Ngata) remain with the team, and QB Joe Flacco should progress in his sophomore season, especially seeing WR Derrick Mason decided not to retire. Baltimore is still a dangerous team, but they probably fell a little bit further behind the Steelers in the AFC North.

11. Indianapolis Colts (12-4)—I have reservations about putting them in the top 10 with Coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks no longer with the team, and offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd relegated to “special consultants.” This team has underachieved in the playoffs the last two years, going 0-2 against the Chargers, a team that finished 8-8 last year. I think this team takes a step back in 2009.

12. Arizona Cardinals (9-7)—Keep in mind that this is a 9-7 team that got hot at the right time to qualify for the Super Bowl. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin led the receiving core and QB Kurt Warner had a fantastic year, but he is still turning 38-years-old. Unlike Favre in Minnesota, he isn’t going to be able to hand the ball of 25 times to a player like Adrian Peterson; they need him to sling the ball all over the place in order to win. The Cardinals desperately need Tim Hightower and rookie Chris “Beanie” Wells to give them some solid runs and provide balance to this offense. The defense has looked pretty bad this preseason, in particular against the Green Bay Packers, when they gave up 38 first half points.

13. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)—The question isn’t with the talent, if it was just about talent, the Cowboys would be worthy of a top five ranking. This team sacrificed the talent of Terrell Owens for better chemistry. The Cowboys still have offensive firepower with QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber and TE Jason Witten; all have made the Pro Bowl in the past. I am not going to lie, I was not happy with their 31-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders, even if it is just preseason. The Raiders were crushed 45-7 by the Saints, when Sean Payton had to pull the starters out before the end of the half. The Cowboys have no business losing to the Raiders, EVER, and that loss gives me concern that the Cowboys are going have the same problems playing hard and smart every game, something that kept them out of the playoffs last year.

14. New Orleans Saints (8-8)—The Saints have the best pass offense in the NFL, led by Drew Brees. Brees was the first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards since 1984 and missed Dan Marino’s league record by just 16 passing yards. The running game is going to improve with Pierre Thomas appearing to be the starting back and Reggie Bush more of a receiving option. I also like the fact that TE Jeremy Shockey appears healthy and ready to contribute this year. If the Saints defense can play better this year, the NFC South is going to have three teams again competing for the title.

15. Chicago Bears (9-7)—QB Jay Cutler is really going to help this offense, but it might not be enough this year because they don’t have a No. 1 receiver at his disposal. Matt Forte can help both as a running back and as a receiver out of the backfield. They need the defense to get back to playing the solid ball they played in 2005 and 2006, but their job of winning the division just got a lot tougher with the signing of Favre in Minnesota.

16. Miami Dolphins (11-5)—The Dolphins went from 1-15 to 11-5 in one season, but it is going to be hard to repeat that success in 2009. In 2008 they had the the fewest turnovers in the NFL and went 7-1 against the AFC West and NFC West, which were easily the two worst divisions in football.

The Dolphins draw the toughest schedule in the NFL this year, which should reduce their win totals slightly. The Dolphins aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year, so QB Chad Pennington and RB Ronnie Brown are going to need to have their best seasons to survive this schedule.

17. Green Bay Packers (6-10)—The Packers have a promising young offense led by QB Aaron Rodgers, who has been the MVP of the preseason this year. The Packers first unit offense hasn’t even had to punt this preseason. I am still not sold on the 3-4 defense the Packers are implementing; I think it has looked good because of the teams they played in Cleveland and Buffalo and the players that didn’t play for Arizona in WRs Boldin and Steve Breaston. That said, their good play has not gone unnoticed and they appear to be ready to contend in a NFC North that went from being a weaker division to one on the rise.

18. Houston Texans (8-8)—The Texans have to keep QB Matt Schaub healthy if they are going to compete in the AFC South; his health will greatly impact RB Steve Slaton and WR Andre Johnson for the better. Mario Williams is becoming a top defensive end, but he can’t carry this defense alone and it is time for the other high draft picks to step up on defense. I like Houston as a dark horse to win the AFC South, but for the power rankings they have to start in the middle of the pack until they can prove they are better than the .500 record they have finished with the last two years.

19. Washington Redskins (8-8)—DT Albert Haynesworth was the biggest signing of the offseason, but if the Redskins are going to win the tough NFC East, QB Jason Campbell has to step up and show he was worth the first round pick the Redskins invested in him a few years back. If he struggles, RB Clinton Portis will struggle to carry the team alone and the Redskins will have a hard time competing in the brutal NFC East.

20. New York Jets (9-7)—The Jets will benefit from MLB Bart Scott and CB Lito Sheppard, as their defense was pretty solid in 2008, especially against the run. QB Mark Sanchez takes over as the starting quarterback, but the loss of Laveranues Coles leaves the receiving core very thin. The Jets need big years out of RBs Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and rookie Shonn Greene to keep the defense off the field and give the offense a chance to score some points. The Jets are headed in the right direction, but it is going to take time for them to win with a rookie QB.

21. San Francisco 49ers (7-9)—Mike Singletary changed the culture in San Francisco, as they played smarter and harder to finish the season 5-4. Promising young LB Patrick Willis leads the defense, and the offense has a very productive back in Frank Gore. The big question is at quarterback, where Shaun Hill beat out Alex Smith for the starting job. Rookie WR Michael Crabtree should help Hill, if he ever signs. His hold-out is a major setback for an offense that was looking to take a step forward in 2009.

22. Seattle Seahawks (4-12)—The key for them is for QB Matt Hasselbeck to stay healthy in 2009 like he has been in preseason. He looked very good against Denver, but Denver is not exactly a great measuring stick for offensive progress. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will really help their offense at WR and LB Aaron Curry should be a welcome addition on defense. I have them starting this low, because of their 2008 4-12 record, but I expect them to be much higher when the season ends and possibly take back the NFC West.

23. Buffalo Bills (7-9)—Bringing in WR Terrell Owens was a big move to help bolster a sluggish offense. If he can fit in with this team and return to his 2007 form, the Bills have the potential to score a lot of points through the air. QB Trent Edwards needs to take the next step, and they have to survive a costly three-game suspension to Pro Bowl RB Marshawn Lynch. They’re in a tough division and have a tough schedule, so the Bills have a lot of work if they are to make the playoffs for the first time this decade.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)—The Jaguars rebuilt their offensive line in the draft hoping to help Maurice Jones-Drew realize his potential by becoming a 1,000-yard back for the first time in his career. QB David Garrard needs to return to his 2007 form and the addition of veteran WR Torry Holt could help in that regard. The 2009 season is going to be tough for the Jaguars: they have a good enough team to win some games, but are stuck in a division with a lot of talent.

25. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)—QB Carson Palmer injury really setback this offense and was a big reason they scored a league-worst 204 points last season. If he can come back healthy, WR Chad Ochocinco should have a much more productive year, which should then help Cedric Benson give them a running threat. If the defense can build on a decent 2008 season, the Bengals could really surprise some people in 2009, but it starts with Palmer staying healthy.

26. Oakland Raiders (5-11)—The Raiders have some talent, but it’s hard to have that talent mesh well when they have such little direction from ownership and the front office. They have a strong running game and a good pass defense, but it’s hard to see those qualities when the defense cannot stop the run and when the offense was last in the NFL in passing yards in 2008. The good news is that the rest of the division is in such turmoil, that the Raiders might actually be the second best team in their division.

27. Cleveland Browns (4-12)—It’s not a good sign that new coach Eric Mangini has still not decided on a starting quarterback, which means that neither Derek Anderson nor Brady Quinn has established themselves as a good starting option. WR Braylon Edwards was a big underachiever and starting RB Jamal Lewis is 30-years-old this season. The defense is still a work in progress and with the division they are in, they will be very lucky if they can finish out of the cellar in 2009.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)—QB Byron Leftwich won the starting job, which means the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a statue for a quarterback. Head Coach Raheem Morris is a good defensive mind, but he had better hope that free agent RB Derrick Ward has a big season on offense and that TE Kellen Winslow is able to live up to his potential. That is because I don’t see WR Antonio Bryant repeating his success from 2008, which means this offense has the potential to be one of the weakest in the NFL.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14)—This is a team in turmoil. QB Matt Cassel hurt his knee and is in doubt for the season opener, and coach Todd Haley gave offensive coordinator Chan Gailey a pink slip just two weeks before the season is set to begin. The Chiefs were 2-14 last year and they have the potential to start very slow if their defense doesn’t improve and their offense can’t get their act together.

30. Denver Broncos (8-8)—This team just keeps plummeting in my rankings. First, they traded QB Jay Cutler to Chicago. Then Kyle Orton looked awful, Chris Simms hurt his ankle and now Orton has a dislocated finger that may keep him out a while. Star WR Brandon Marshall is suspended for the rest of the preseason for being a circus in practice. Josh McDaniels looks to be over his head and incompetent. This looks like a locker room that has already turned against him, as they have looked awful going 0-3 in the preseason. This could become very ugly in Denver and I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish last in this terrible division.

31. St Louis Rams (2-14)—It’s going to be another long season for the Rams, as they are a rebuilding project in a division without a dominant team. Despite playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, the Rams managed only two wins last season. Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson need to stay healthy and play like they did in 2006. Former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was hired as coach to turn around a Rams defense that gave up 465 points last season, which was only outdone by the 0-16 Lions.

32. Detroit Lions (0-16)—Until the Lions win a game, they are the worst team in the NFL. The pressure is going to be on them to win early, because the longer that losing streak goes on, the bigger the distraction will become. WR Calvin Johnson and promising second year RB Kevin Smith give them something to work with on offense. Unfortunately, neither QB Daunte Culpepper nor Matthew Stafford have played well enough to win the starting job, but the good news for whoever earns the nod is that there is nowhere to go but up in 2009.

2009 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs (September Update)

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:28:17 -0400

By Derek Lofland. (Fantasy Football Maniaxs)

We've been going back and forth all offseason about about our No. 1 Fantasy Football Running Back for 2009 between Peterson and Turner. Who makes the final edition of the rankings at the top?

Note: These are seasonal rankings, not keeper or dynasty. Keep in mind that not everyone is going to have the same list, because there are so many scoring systems in fantasy football. All point totals are courtesy of ProFootballReference.com, which uses a scoring system of one point per 25 yards passing, one point per every 10 yards rushing or receiving, and six points per every touchdown pass, catch, or rush. There is also a two-point penalty for interceptions, but ProFootballReference.com did not give a penalty for fumbles.

1) Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – You can’t go wrong taking Peterson or Michael Turner with your first pick, but I like Peterson a little more with Brett Favre at quarterback because teams are going to have to be cautious about putting eight or nine in the box to stop him. Peterson is going to be a serious candidate for 2,000 yards rushing and 15 to 20 rushing touchdowns this season.

2) Michael Turner (Atlanta Falcons) – He also received a big boost with the signing of Tony Gonzalez at tight end, which means defenses are going to have more weapons to guard against in the goal line situations. I look for Turner to also have a huge year with numbers very close to Peterson.

3) Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) – QB Jay Cutler signing with the Bears is going to help him improve on his 3.9 yards per carry average from 2008. Expect many receptions as well with the Bears lacking a dominant No. 1 receiver.

4) DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers) – The presence of Jonathan Stewart is always a concern, but Williams had 1,515 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns with Stewart stealing carries last year. The Panthers have no weapons in the passing game other than WR Steve Smith, which means there will be plenty of carries to go around.

5) Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) – The only thing I disagree with people on is that the departure of Fred Taylor is going to be mean more yards for MJD. Taylor only had 143 carries, 556 yards, and one rushing touchdown last year. MJD is a great scoring threat, already having tallied 38 rushing and receiving TDs in his first three seasons in the NFL. The problem is that he isn’t a big yardage back, and while I expect him to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career, I don’t expect him to top 1,300 yards like I do the guys that are listed above him.

6) Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants) – This guy is so undervalued considering the numbers he puts up. In 2008, he had 1,089 yards rushing and 15 rushing touchdowns despite playing with another 1,000-yard back in Derrick Ward. Ward is now in Tampa Bay, which means Jacobs should receive more carries, provided he can stay healthy. Ahmad Bradshaw acts as a nice handcuff, which helps Jacob’s value, because you can guarantee yourself the Giants’ rushing attack, which was the best in the league last year.

7) Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) – He was the MVP of the first half of the season, before tailing off in the second half of the season. His age (28) and career carries (2,052) are the reason I rank him below the other guys, but there is no denying what this guy has accomplished in his fantastic career.

8) Steve Slaton (Houston Texans) – I wasn’t surprised that he was able to put up 1,282 yards rushing last year, but it was the nine rushing touchdowns that were surprising. He is very athletic, and with no running back there to steal carries and WR Andre Johnson there to keep eight people out of the box, expect another big year from this young emerging star.

9) Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) – I’d have him a little higher if LenDale White wasn’t there to steal carries and touchdowns, but Johnson was a big producer last year despite White’s success. Kerry Collins isn’t going to throw the ball a lot, so there should still be plenty of carries for both backs.

10) Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia Eagles) – He is turning 30 years old, but the good news is that he only has 1,247 career carries, which means he should still have some gas in his tank. He has had some surgeries on his knee and ankle this offseason, so consider taking LeSean McCoy as a handcuff in case Westbrook’s body fails him during the season.

11) Steven Jackson (St Louis Rams) - I am sick of him being ranked in the top 10 because of one monster season in 2006. He is a terrific talent and some of his struggles are due to playing on a very bad team, but until this guy stops missing four games a year and playing inconsistently, 1,042 yards and seven rushing touchdowns should not equate into a first-round pick.

12) LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)- He is 30 years old, has 2,657 career carries, has a quarterback in Philip Rivers that can throw the ball with the best of them, and was plagued by injuries last year. He is a first-ballot Hall of Fame running back and one of the best to ever do it. He will have some big games this year in a weak AFC West, but he is no longer first-round material, as he can’t be counted on to stay healthy the entire season.

13) Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys)- This is another player that needs to stay healthy. However, with the big offensive line the Cowboys have, solid quarterback play from Tony Romo, and weapons in the passing game like Roy Williams and Jason Witten, I’m going to have faith in him for one more year that he can produce at a high level.

14) Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers)- Head coach Mike Singletary likes to run the ball a lot more than former offensive coordinator Mike Martz did, which means Gore is going to see a lot more touches. Health is always a concern with him, but so far, the injuries that dogged him at the University of Miami have not taken a toll on him in the NFL.

15) Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints) - I think Thomas is going to have a really nice season. Teams can’t stack seven in the box with Drew Brees there and Thomas is going to receive the bulk of the rushing opportunities, with Reggie Bush being more of the third down back and receiving threat. Look for Thomas to top 1,000 yards this season and approach 10 touchdowns.

The Rest:

16) Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins)

17) Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers)

18) Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders)

19) Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions)

20) Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers)

21) Willie Parker (Pittsburgh Steelers)

22) Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts)

23) Derrick Ward (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

24) LenDale White (Tennessee Titans)

25) Thomas Jones (New York Jets)

26) Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos)

27) Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo Bills)*

28) Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs)

29) Cedric Benson (Cincinnati Bengals)

30) Reggie Bush (New Orleans Saints)

31) Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens)

32) Chris Wells (Arizona Cardinals)

33) Fred Taylor (New England Patriots)

34) Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts)

35) Jamal Lewis (Cleveland Browns)

36) Julius Jones (Seattle Seahawks)

37) Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants)

38) Leon Washington (New York Jets)

39) Chester Taylor (Minnesota Vikings)

40) Felix Jones (Dallas Cowboys)

41) Tim Hightower (Arizona Cardinals)

42) Fred Jackson (Buffalo Bills)

43) LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles)

44) Sammy Morris (New England Patriots)

45) Darren Sproles (San Diego Chargers)

46) Michael Bush (Oakland Raiders)

47) Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers)

48) James Davis (Cleveland Browns)

49) Jerious Norwood (Atlanta Falcons)

50) Edgerrin James (Seattle Seahawks)

*Suspended first three games of 2009 season

Check out our latest rankings at every position including defensive players.

Will Terrell Owens Be a Fantasy Football Force in 2009?

Football Maniaxs — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:13:40 -0400

By Antonino Buccellato

As soon as Terrell Owens signed to play for the Buffalo Bills on March 7, 2009, (three days after his release from the Dallas Cowboys) for the upcoming season, Fantasy Football Owners started pondering the inevitable questions about his draft value.
Naturally, there are a few factors to consider in determining that value.

A few select individuals who believe in historical trends may fear that “Father Time” finally catches up and tarnishes Owens' fantasy production at the age of 35, which is generally the time when a wide receiver stops being productive at a high level. (The Colts’ Marvin Harrison and 49ers’ Isaac Bruce bring good evidence of that, as neither reached the 1,000-yard mark the past two seasons, although Harrison only played in five games in 2007.)

Another group of people may want to cash in on what could be one of his last hurrahs. See Brett Favre going to the Jets last year affecting the entire offense positively most of the season, (20 TDs, 13 INTs) except for the last five-game stretch collapse (2 TDs, 9 INTs).

Different arguments can sustain each case. Therefore, analyzing the past, and predicting the future of a player can help answer those legitimate questions.

1) Owens traditionally plays well in his first year with a new team, only to steadily drop his production each year thereafter.

His case belongs to the “Stats do not lie” department, as evidenced by his career numbers after the Hall of Fame veteran presence of QB Steve Young, with whom he played with from 1996 to 1998 and three games in 1999, deserted him.

Leaving his adjustment period in the league out of the equation, (including his breakout third year of 1,097 yards and 14 TDs) his receiving yards in San Francisco starting from Year Five were 1,451 yards, 1,412 yards, 1,300 yards (all Pro-Bowl seasons), and 1,102 yards in his final season in a 49ers’ uniform.

As soon as he joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004, he went on to record 1,200 receiving yards in 14 games and 15.6 yards per catch, his career-high up to that point. He also rolled for another career-high that season with seven 100-yard games.

He bettered that YPC to 16.2 in his final season there, but only produced 763 yards in seven games in a suspension (by the team) plagued season, as his bad behavior started to emerge sooner than expected.

The Cowboys’ adventure begins in 2006 when he posted 1,180 yards and 13 TDs due to the team switching quarterbacks at almost the midseason point...

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The Effect of Derrick Mason's Retirement on Fantasy Football

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:06:45 -0400

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason surprisingly retired from the NFL after a productive 12-year career. The two-time Pro Bowl selection retires with 790 receptions, 10,061 receiving yards, and 52 receiving touchdowns.

There is speculation that the retirement was fueled by the Ravens' failure to grant Mason’s request for an extension entering the final year of his deal.

Mason said a lack of enthusiasm to continue playing was the reason, not his contract situation. One also has to wonder if the recent tragic murder of long-time teammate Steve McNair played into that lack of enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

Mason will be mostly remembered for the eight years he played with McNair and the Tennessee Titans from 1997 to 2004, which included a Super Bowl XXXIV loss to the St. Louis Rams following the 1999 season. Though Mason tallied seven 1,000-yard seasons, he was never a big touchdown scorer.

His best season in terms of touchdown catches was 2001 with just nine touchdowns, which was the only season he ever ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in that category. That lack of scoring kept him from going to the Pro Bowl on a consistent basis.

Mason was a very talented player who was the victim of playing in run-oriented offenses the majority of his career. The lack of an explosive passing offense prevented Mason from separating himself from other receivers.

His low touchdown totals will make him unlikely for serious Hall of Fame consideration despite the fact that he was a very respected and well-known player for the majority of his career.

In terms of 2009 Fantasy Football impact, the retirement of Mason is a mixed bag...

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Baltimore Ravens' Running Backs Report

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:13:14 -0400

By Lawrence Barreca

During the 2008 NFL season, it was referred to as “The Three-Headed Monster.” This trio of distinct running backs, each possessing a unique set of skills, helped lead a rebuilding Baltimore Ravens’ offense to an 11-5 record and the AFC Championship Game.

Led by starter Willis McGahee, the Ravens’ rushing attack ranked sixth in the NFL and third in the AFC. Behind McGahee, former fullback Le’Ron McClain was the bulldozer of the group, scoring 10 of the offense’s 20 rushing touchdowns. He even made his first Pro Bowl appearance, scoring on a “fumble-rooskie.”

The final man of the group, rookie Ray Rice out of Rutgers, showed his playmaking ability on limited action as he totaled 454 yards, averaging 4.2 yards a carry.

Going into the 2009 campaign, the team now loses one member of the triad, while also gaining another. With the loss of starting fullback Lorenzo Neal to the Oakland Raiders, the team must move McClain back to his natural position. This leaves a hole wide open for rookie Cedric Peerman to steal the stage...

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Lorenzo Neal Makes Raiders Running Backs Fantasy Football Relevant

Football Maniaxs — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:24:51 -0400

By Antonino Buccellato

In the past three drafts, the Oakland Raiders have selected potential team fortune changers at key offensive positions—quarterback JaMarcus Russell, tight end Zach Miller, and running back Michael Bush in 2007, running back Darren McFadden in 2008, and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey in 2009—in an attempt of returning their past glory days to the storied franchise.

While the jury is still out on how those players will pan out, and with the majority of fantasy football owners concentrating their search on established players, a May 8 free-agent acquisition by the team went unnoticed by many. The team signed 16-year veteran fullback Lorenzo Neal to a one-year deal.

The 5’11” Neal could very well be the catalyst on this normally anemic Oakland offense that will propel it to uncharted territory. His track record indicates he could at least improve their 10th-ranked rushing offense from 2008, in which Justin Fargas was Oakland's best rusher with 853 yards and one touchdown.

To put that into perspective, it is essential to crunch some past statistics...

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2009 Fantasy Football's Rookie Draft Analysis!

Football Maniaxs — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:20:25 -0400

I recently concluded a rookie draft for a new dynasty league. It’s a 10-team contract league with a salary cap, points per reception, and IDPs.

There were separate drafts for offensive and defensive veterans as well as an insane number of trades of draft picks before, and during, the drafts.

While these particulars might affect the drafting strategies involved, after looking at other recent rookie drafts it does appear to be representative, or at least, as representative as any rookie draft held before training camp in a year where there’s no real consensus on value past the third pick.

Only real drafts for real leagues give you any valid information. The “Expert” mock rookie drafts get pretty ridiculous very quickly. My fellow FF columnists rarely take the process seriously and often don’t even follow the rules of their own draft.

This column already has taken the view that I am really no smarter than most of my readers. After looking at these worthless “Expert mocks,” I am ready to broaden that statement beyond myself and caution you to avoid thinking that something must be right just because you read it in a fantasy football column.

My team is the “Tulsa Roughnecks.” Another of our FF Maniaxs, Chad Samuels, owns the “Washington Imperials” and is co-Commissioner of the league. To prove my point that we experts aren’t necessarily all that bright, I traded down twice in the first round to trade up in other areas because I am a true believer in Percy Harvin.

Round 1
1.1: Belgium Destroyers: RB Knowshon Moreno, Broncos
1.2: Washington Imperials (via Roughnecks): WR Michael Crabtree, 49ers
1.3: Phantoms: RB Chris Wells, Cardinals
1.4: Ottawa Roughriders: RB LeSean McCoy, Eagles
1.5: Waddling Mummies: RB Donald Brown, Colts

1.6: Mummies (via Cripplers): RB Shonn Greene, Jets

1.7: Raccoon City Zombies (via Roughnecks via Imperials): WR Jeremy Maclin, Eagles

1.8: Roughnecks (via Zombies): WR Percy Harvin, Vikings
1.9: Kashyyyk Wookies: WR Hakeem Nicks, Giants
1.10: Legion’s: WR Brian Robiskie, Browns

While I have seen Crabtree fall lower in some drafts, I’ve been saying all along it’s a two-person draft. If you have the No. 1 pick, I’d rate Moreno and Crabtree about even, so take the one that improves your team the most.

Tier 2 is an even shorter list:...

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Can Peyton Manning and the Colts Survive 2009?

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:56:49 -0400

On May 15, it was announced that 70-year old Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore and 67-year old Offensive Line Coach Howard Mudd have retired from the Indianapolis Colts.

There main reason for retiring according to the USA Today was changes in the leagues pension plan. It is possible that if the league makes corrections to the pension policy that the two could return to the team later this offseason.

Otherwise, if a resolution is not reached, the two may return to the team as special consultants once training camp starts.

Peyton Manning has had as much stability in his coaching staff as any Hall of Fame caliber quarterback in recent history. This is a major adjustment for Manning. The only two head coachs he has had since coming into the NFL in 1998 have been Jim Mora from 1998 to 2001 and Tony Dungy from 2002 to 2008.

It was going to be a big enough adjustment having Dungy gone and Jim Caldwell in his place. Tom Moore was the only offensive coordinator Manning had ever had. Howard Mudd is the only offensive line coach the Colts have had since drafting Manning in 1998.

It is amazing that they have been able to keep this continuity. Most times when an offense is as successful as the Colts, for as long as the Colts have been successful, the result is coordinators that become head coaches.

The Colts were lucky that Moore and Mudd were in their late 50s when Peyton Manning got there, but also didn’t have any ambitions to become head coaches. The result has been this continuity, which has been a big benefit to the Colts.

Many fans are going to take two extreme positions. Many of the people that are big fans of Peyton Manning are going to dismiss this as nothing more than a bump in the road. Many of the people that don’t like Peyton Manning are going to be predicting doom and gloom...

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Fantasy Baseball's Week Five Start/Sit

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:11:24 -0400

By John Arias.

There are still some great pitchers and hitters that could produce for your fantasy team this week. I mention a few in this article and my favorite is none other than OF Shin-Soo Choo.

To understand why, you must read this week’s Start/Sit for week 5.

Starting Pitcher in focus: Wandy Rodriguez
Mr. underrated for the 2009 season, is off to a stellar start. In five starts this year, despite a 2-2 record, he has a 1.69 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. A strikeout machine, in 32 innings, he has 27 strikeouts.

Next week, Wandy will face the Nationals on the road, and the Padres at home. If he is available in your league, pick him up as soon as possible! In any formats do not hesitate to start him in week five.

Pitching matchups that I love for week five: Tim Lincecum, Johan Santana, Zach Grienke, Yovani Gallardo, Felix Hernandez, Eric Bedard, Adam Wainwright, Javier Vasquez, Edinson Volquez, Chris Volstad and Fausto Carmona.

Starter to Avoid for week five: Clayton Kershaw
After starting the season strong...

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2009 NFL Draft: First Round Sleepers and Busts

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:08:55 -0400

By The Redshirt Senior.

Watching Mel Kiper, Chris Berman, and the rest of the ESPN crew dissect prospects, one thing was abundantly clear; apparently The Señior knows nothing about football.

Somehow Graham Harrell torches every defense that has the gall to step on the field, yet he doesn't even get drafted?

The draft was full of decisions both puzzling (Javon Ringer didn't get picked until the fifth round?) and certifiably insane (Ohio University's Mike Mitchell in the second round?).

But there's no more debatable ground than the first round, so let's take a look at the first 32 picks through the eyes of someone who doesn't care about potential, just what these guys did when they were the heroes of Saturdays' past.

1. Lions—Matthew Stafford, QB (Georgia)

The guy has always had an elite arm but was there anything Stafford did as a Bulldog that made you think he deserved a six-year, $78 million contract? Stafford never took UGA to the next level and never put the team on his back.

2. Rams—Jason Smith, OT (Baylor)

Smith may be the most overachieving converted tight end in history. He became one of the better linemen in the Big 12, but would you have ranked him ahead of Oklahoma's Phil Loadholt or Duke Robinson?

There's nothing worse than these combine wonders who see their stock rise while players who had better college careers drop. Speaking of which ....

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Will Brett Favre Play in 2009, and Where?

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:04:46 -0400

Be honest. There hadn't been a Favre story since February and you were getting bored. Well now, we have a little development that will cause speculation about whether he is truly retired for good.

The Jets granted the iconic quarterback his release at the request of Favre through his agent, Bus Cook. This move allows him to sign anywhere in the NFL as an unrestricted free agent.

1) Why now? - I think this is pretty obvious. Favre had already asked for his unconditional release back in February, but that request was denied. The reason being the Jets only had Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff on their roster and if Favre was going to comeback, they wanted him to comeback for them.

Things changed on April 25 when the Jets not only drafted a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez, but also traded up to the fifth overall pick to get him.

If Sanchez gets anything close to the $40 million guaranteed Matt Stafford received from Detroit...

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2009 NFL Draft: Who Are the Winners and Losers?

Football Maniaxs — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:39:01 -0400

As always, people that follow the NFL will try to grade drafts that we really won’t be able to accurately evaluate for three years. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to try the week after the draft.

I will discuss five teams that I was impressed with on draft day and five that I wasn’t impressed with.

Considering that I am a Packer fan, I wanted to talk about their draft too, but I really didn’t think they fit into the winner or loser column. So I touch on their draft at the end of the article.

Winners

1) New England Patriots

The Patriots were the big winners in this draft.

They thought that many of the players at the end of the first round looked similar to players in the second or third rounds. They traded down to acquire more picks.

As a result, they had four second round picks and two third round picks. Then they just started accumulating talent on both sides of the ball.

The Pats used their first three picks on defense.

Patrick Chung gives them more safety help at a position where they need to get younger. Rodney Harrison is coming off a serious knee injury and is 37-years old. Ron Brace is a big 330 lb. defensive tackle that fits well in their 3-4 defensive scheme. He provides good depth behind Wilfork.

Darius Butler gives them another young cornerback, a position that they have taken a hit at in the last few off-seasons between the free agent defections, highlighted by Asante Samuel in 2008, and the trading of Ellis Hobbs to the Eagles.

Sebastian Vollmer gives them a massive 6’ 7” offensive tackle to develop.

Brandon Tate is a wide receiver that can also contribute on special teams. The only concern with him is his durability and a positive test for drugs at the combine.

Finally, Tyrone McKenzie gives them more depth at linebacker. Given the position that they were drafting from and the situation on their team, the Patriots knocked it out of the park.

They were 11-5 last year without Tom Brady. If he comes back healthy, they are going to compete for the Super Bowl again in 2009.

They had a good draft last year finding Jerrod Mayo, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

New England didn’t need to find five or six starters for this year in the draft. What they needed to do was replenish their depth and add youth to a team that is built to win now.

By trading down in the draft, they found numerous good prospects that can help on special teams and in backup positions this year with the potential to become stars in years to come.

Their strategy added much more value rather than packaging the picks together and trading up to get one impact player in this year’s draft. The Patriots didn’t get the big names in this draft, but when do they ever do that?

They stuck to their drafting philosophy that has made them the premier franchise in the NFL. There is no reason to believe it will fail now.

2) Philadelphia Eagles

I really like what the Eagles did in the draft as well. They have a veteran team that probably only has a couple of more cracks at Super Bowl contention.

Trading a first round pick for Jason Peters makes sense. Peters is only 27-years-old, so it isn’t like they got a 34-year-old tackle that will only be able to help for a year or two.

Teaming him with Stacy and Shawn Andrews is going to really upgrade their offensive line. Peters was better than any tackle they could have drafted.

Then they selected WR Jeremy Maclin with the 19th pick. That was great value seeing that many experts projected him as a top-10 player.

Some people were moaning about the selection, saying that he is the same player as DeSean Jackson, I’m not really seeing that.

Jackson is 6’ 0” and 178 pounds. Maclin is about the same height, but weighs 20 more lbs. and is one of the fastest guys in the draft.

Granted, he isn’t 6’ 6” and doesn’t remind anyone of Calvin Johnson. But for where they were selecting, that was a great value pick and gives McNabb another target to throw the ball to.

Adding another play-maker was a priority in this draft and taking a taller receiver that couldn’t play as well doesn’t help the Eagles or Donovan McNabb.

I also like the addition of LeSean McCoy at running back to team up with Brian Westbrook. It gives them good depth in 2009 and possibly a replacement for the future.

Cornelius Ingram was a solid selection in the fifth round to give them more tight end depth.

Finally, the Eagles did well in trading a pair of fifth round picks for Ellis Hobbs, who will help their secondary and return units. Unlike the fifth round picks, he will be able to contribute immediately.

The Eagles most immediate concerns were on the offensive side of the ball and they found some players that will not only be the future of this team, but should be able to contribute this year.

It was a great draft for the Eagles and should allow them to compete in the NFC for another shot at the Super Bowl, provided that McNabb and Westbrook remain healthy this season. I’m pretty sure the Giants and Cowboys didn’t like what they saw happening in Philadelphia.

3) Detroit Lions

I think the Detroit Lions did pretty well for themselves in this draft.

I like Matthew Stafford a lot better than Sanchez, and I think Stafford was worthy of the No. 1 pick. The Lions now have a franchise quarterback to build around that can get Calvin Johnson the ball down field consistently.

They also drafted Brandon Pettigrew, who was by far the best tight end in the draft. When you add that to Kevin Smith, the Lions have a very nice nucleus on offense.

Do not underestimate the addition of Derrick Williams as a third or fourth receiver and in the return game. I think he was a solid third round addition.

The one downside is that the Lions allowed 517 points in 2008. It is a defense that needed a lot of help. It would have been nice to add at least one defensive player in the first round.

They did go defense in the second and third round with Louis Delmas, who many considered the best safety in the draft. They also added DeAndre Levy out of the University of Wisconsin to add linebacker depth.

What I like about the Lions draft is that they went into it with the right mentality. They were 0-16 last year, and 0-16 teams can worry about upgrading certain positions. Winless teams need to upgrade everywhere.

Detroit got the best quarterback, tight end, and safety in the draft. Those should be immediate upgrades from 2008.

They still have a long way to go, but you aren’t going to fix a 0-16 team in just one draft. They just tried to get players that were better than those they had on the roster and guys that they think can develop significantly.

If these draft picks work out, the Lions will be more competitive in 2009 and beyond.

4) Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals selected three players that some people thought would be first round picks. Furthermore, they didn’t have to trade up to get any of them.

Their first selection was Andre Smith, the massive tackle out of Alabama. He’s a guy with some off the field concerns, but there is no questioning his talent.

If he dedicates himself in Cincinnati, he could be a Pro Bowl tackle for the next 10 years. It should allow Carson Palmer more time to get rid of the ball.

In the second round, they added Ray Maualuga, whom many thought would be picked in the first round with his USC teammates Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews. He should help upgrade the middle of their defense.

In the third round, they selected Michael Johnson out of Georgia Tech. He is another guy that had first round talent, but didn’t always give first round effort.

Missouri tight end Chase Coffman could help their passing game and Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber won the Ray Guy award. He could help their special teams.

The one negative is that the Bengals went with talent over effort with most of these top picks. That has been a problem in Cincinnati with some of their existing players.

You hope that adding players with work ethic issues to a team that has some other guys like that doesn’t deter the draft picks from working hard.

If these draft picks don’t perform, the Bengals are going to have what they have had the last three seasons. Teams that look good on paper, but not on the field.

5) San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers had to be jumping up and down when Michael Crabtree just fell to them at No. 10. It was partly the result of Oakland making a reach with Darrius Heyward-Bey at the seventh pick and the Jaguars and Packers having more pressing needs than at WR.

Jacksonville could have used Crabtree, but wisely took Eugene Monroe, who some projected going to St Louis with the second pick. Jacksonville needed to get lineman to help Maurice Jones-Drew run the ball.

Green Bay’s deepest position was at wide receiver and they weren’t about to trade down and lose out on B.J. Raji. That left the 49ers with the best receiver in the NFL draft.

They also did well to trade this years' second round pick with Carolina in exchange for Carolina’s first round pick next year.

They were still able to add Glen Coffee in the third round who should be a great spell for Frank Gore. That allowed them to build for now, while nicely helping their future in the 2010 draft.

The 49ers had needs on both sides of the ball, but this is a team that just hasn’t had a lot of firepower on the offensive side of the ball in recent years. A more efficient offense is going to keep their defense off the field and put them in better positions.

Other than Frank Gore, there hasn’t been a lot to be scared of on the 49ers offense. Many people feel Josh Morgan and Vernon Davis are ready to break out. Michael Crabtree is the perfect player to bring in and should help those players have better seasons.

The 49ers have their first potential franchise receiver since Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens left town. The fact that they didn’t have to trade a single draft pick to do that is a big victory.

Furthermore, they came out of this draft with an additional first round pick in the 2010 draft, which helps their future. If Coffee can contribute this year, the 49ers have gone a long way to upgrading their offense, which they need to do if they are going to compete with the Cardinals and the Seahawks in this division.

Ultimately, I like the direction the 49ers are headed in.

Losers

1) Oakland Raiders

The Raiders never cease to amaze me.

They are my undisputed loser of this draft. They have the seventh pick in the NFL draft, yet that doesn’t stop them from taking Darrius Heyward-Bey out of the University of Maryland.

Heyward-Bey was projected by ESPN to be the 25th best player in the NFL draft. He was the fourth ranked receiver in the draft.

Yet the Raiders selected him before both Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports had him going 29th in the draft to the New York Giants. In other words, the Raiders took a guy most people viewed as a late first round pick in the top of the draft.

Then in the second round, the Raiders selected Michael Mitchell out of Ohio University. Many of the ESPN analyst and NFL Network experts had him as a late round pick, although their were rumors reported by USA Today that the Chicago Bears had Mitchell targeted with the 49th pick, two selections after the Raiders. It's hard to say if they reached there.

The last first round pick they hit a home run with was Nnamdi Asomugha in 2003. The JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden picks are still too early to tell.

Year after year, I don’t get what goes on in Oakland. The focus seems to be more on 40-times and athletic ability than it does how well the guy played college football. To me, it appears that the Raiders don’t even pay attention to college players until the combine.

The Raiders probably could have tried to trade down in the first round a couple of times and still got Darrius Hayward-Bey. I believe they really reached with these first two picks.

The Raiders have a record of 24-72 since 2002. If they had a better track record of success in recent years, then maybe you could chalk it up to them knowing something everyone else doesn’t. Instead, it appears the Raiders are clueless once again.

They cannot afford to keep missing on prospect after prospect, something they have done a good job at since 2003. If this is the mistake it appears to be then it will continue to negatively affect the Raiders and put them in position to keep missing with high draft picks in future drafts.

2) Washington Redskins

Maybe Dan Snyder didn’t notice that his offense killed him in 2008. They were 28th in points scored, 19th in yards gained, 17th in first downs gained, 23rd in passing yards, and 26th in passing touchdowns.

I already talked about their neglect of the offense in free agency when they signed Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall to mega contracts. Now they used their 13th pick to select Brian Orakpo, a LB/DE hybrid out of Texas.

I have to be consistent. I usually bash GMs for taking a need position rather than drafting the best available player.

At that point, Orakpo was the best player on the board and I understand the move. Nevertheless, you would think they would have gotten back to offense after that pick.

The Redskins spent their third, fifth, and sixth round picks on a corner back, outside linebacker, and inside linebacker respectively. Kevin Barnes has some good value at cornerback, but Cody Glenn was suspended this year and ranked pretty low at linebacker. That might have been a slight reach.

They didn’t get around to an offensive player until the 227th pick when they selected FB Eddie Williams out of Idaho. They also selected WR Marko Mitchell with the 243rd pick.

I just don’t understand the thinking.

Washington averaged 12.5 points per game over the last eight games of the season. It was a big reason they went 2-6 after starting 6-2.

You would think they would have wanted to add something to the offense, especially with Clinton Portis stating to get a little older and his career carries starting to tally up. Without him, they have very little offensive firepower.

I understand that they selected two wide receivers and a tight end in the second round last year. The problem is that Devin Thomas put up the best numbers of those guys with 15 catches for 120 yards and zero touchdowns.

I don’t see what they saw in those guys last year to make them think the youngsters will step in and contribute right away this year.

Jason Campbell has been inconsistent, but part of the reason he is inconsistent is they don’t surround him with enough talent to throw the ball to. Santana Moss is very inconsistent and Chris Cooley can only do so much at the tight end spot.

We will see if all the trade talk motivates Campbell to have a big year in his final year of the contract and if he is able to make the jump to the elite quarterback level. If he doesn’t, the Redskins will continue to struggle on offense.

I think the attention they paid to the offense this off-season was unacceptable and that puts them in a bad position to compete in a brutal NFC East. In the division, the Giants had a much better team heading into the draft and did very well. The Eagles also made a lot of improvements.

3) New York Jets

I don’t think many people have the Jets here in the losers column, but let me explain.

I am not very high on Mark Sanchez. No one thinks that a quarterback selected in the top-10 is going to bust. If teams thought that, the guy wouldn’t be a top-10 pick.

Here is an example: Bob Jordan of the AP had this to say about a quarterback in the 2002 NFL draft. “Assertive leader with good presence under pressure…Has the mobility to escape when the pocket collapses and shows a fluid lateral movement rolling out. Reminds me of Tom Brady...More elusive than Brady, but despite his youth, he is very cool under pressure and rarely forces the ball into traffic. Just look at his record as a starter (25-3) and you know quality is evident.”

That player Bob Jordan was raving about was Joey Harrington.

The fact is that not every first round pick at quarterback becomes a good player, much less a Hall-of-Famer. To think that the Jets found their quarterback for the next 15 years is assuming a lot.

There are three things that trouble me about Sanchez.

First, he has only 16 starts in college. If you look at the history of NFL draft busts, it is littered with guys that didn’t get many college starts. Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf are examples of that.

The reason is two-fold.

One, good players start games, and if a college quarterback is able to start as a freshman that is a good sign that he has talent. However, the bigger thing is that when a player starts 35 to 40 games there is a lot of tape on them and it is easier for scouts to find weaknesses that will equal NFL futility.

The second issue I have is that he was injured quite a bit at USC. How will he hold up when he starts getting hit by NFL linemen? I could see him being a big injury risk, which you don’t want when you are taking a guy with the fifth overall pick.

The third issue is that everyone is projecting him as a great West Coast quarterback. What that tells me is that people aren’t really sold on his arm strength as a college player, but like his accuracy and think he projects well to play in the NFL offense that requires less arm strength.

Pete Carroll didn’t think Sanchez was ready for the NFL yet, and he has been a head coach in the NFL twice and coached defenses at that level. That concerns me.

Sanchez answered some of those questions with good combine numbers, but we’ll see if he has enough arm strength with 300 pound guys rushing at him in the NFL.

I just haven’t seen enough to be sold. I think this is a guy that became a top-five pick because of 413 yards passing in the Rose Bowl and some great workout numbers.

That makes me nervous.

Even taking all that into account, the first round doesn’t bother me in and of itself. The Jets needed a quarterback and it was going to take a first round pick to get Sanchez.

I get that, but is it worth it to trade DE Kenyon Coleman, DB Abram Elam, QB Brett Ratliff, the No. 17 overall pick, and the No. 52 pick?

Some people think that was a bargain, because it was just a second round pick and some lesser names. Sometimes the lesser names in trades are the ones that comeback to kill you.

Then the Jets didn’t do anything to upgrade their WR position. They selected Doak Walker Award winning RB Shonn Greene, who they also traded up to acquire.

The Jets traded their third-round (No. 76), fourth-round pick (No. 115), and seventh-round (No. 228 overall) picks the Lions in order make that deal happen. As a result, their only other draft pick was G Matthew Slauson in the sixth round.

It just doesn’t seem worth it to me.

They added no receiver help to replace Laveranues Coles who left for the Bengals after being waived. Their starting receivers of Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey are among the weakest starting WR units in the NFL.

They now have a quarterback with seven pro starts and another with 16 college starts trying to make it happen with a weak receiving unit. If Sanchez develops, this draft will be worth it. If he doesn’t, it will be one of the worst in Jets history.

I think this is a team that was so caught up in getting one player at the expense of the overall draft. We will see in three years if that was a good move or if they should have stayed at pick 17 and kept their players and picks.

4) Denver Broncos

The thing the Broncos were supposed to do in this draft was upgrade the front-seven of a defense that allowed the 30th most points in the NFL.

When they traded Jay Cutler to the Bears, it was supposed to give them the picks they needed to upgrade the defense, in particular their front-seven. Therefore, it only makes sense that they drafted a corner back and safety in round two to go along with a tight end. It also makes sense that their two fourth round picks were a safety and tight end.

The only player they drafted to improve the front seven was their first round pick in Robert Ayers. Some people are projecting him as a Justin Tuck type, which if that is the case he is a great value. Still, they chose to add no other player to that front seven.

Don’t get me wrong. I think RB Knowshon Moreno was a fantastic value at No. 12. They need a featured running back and he has the potential to fill that.

I like adding Richard Quinn at tight end to help their run blocking. I like that they added a safety to learn under Brian Dawkins.

But on a team that needs a lot of picks to fill holes on defense, was it worth it to go from No. 49 to No. 37 in this years' draft in exchange for sending a 2010 first round pick to Seattle?

I’m not seeing that at all. That completely negates the gain they got by acquiring Chicago’s first round pick in 2010. Alphonso Smith had better be a great player if that trade is going to be a win for Denver.

I just don’t understand how this defense is going to be that improved in 2009.

It is imperative that this team stops the run better in 2009. They are changing to a 3-4 defense, which will help some of their lighter players that got pushed around in the 4-3.

Ayers is a good pass rusher, and you need that in a three-four. But the Broncos don’t seem to have enough beef on the defensive line to keep their linebackers free.

They still seem a year away from fixing this front seven and are now without one of their two first round picks. When you also consider that the offense isn’t going to be as explosive without Jay Cutler, it makes you wonder how Denver will win more than the eight games they did in 2008.

While rookies don’t necessarily bring a lot to the table in year one, it would be nice to start this defensive rebuilding process this year so that they are in a better position to compete in 2009. I’m not sure they accomplished that in this draft.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Same complaint I have with the Jets. You don’t know if Josh Freeman is going to work out or not.

They have Luke McCown, Brian Griese, and Byron Leftwich. I understand why they wanted a first round quarterback.

But they gave up a sixth round pick to move up two spots that they probably didn’t need to move up to get. Definitely not as much as the Jets gave up to get Sanchez, but every pick is valuable.

Most of the teams at the back of the draft didn’t need to pick a first round quarterback and it was going to take a huge package to get to No. 17 or 18 from the second round.

I hold the belief that all picks are to be valued and I think Tampa threw away a sixth round pick in that deal, and as a result will have to pay slightly more guaranteed money to Freeman, because he was selected two slots higher.

The Bucs really needed to add defense. I think by picking Freeman they ignored that.

Atlanta and New Orleans have very scary offenses heading into 2009 and the Panthers have arguably the best one-two punch at running back in the NFL with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. This team needs to improve their defense.

They cut many of their veterans loose, particularly at linebacker. The additions of DT Roy Miller and DE Kyle Moore may help their defensive line, but probably not this year.

The Buccaneers selected no linebackers in the entire draft. For a team that cut Cato June and Derrick Brooks loose, you would think that replacing them would be a higher priority.

This is another draft that will be determined a success or failure based on how Freeman works out. I don’t think he will start much this year, possibly at the end of the year when the Bucs are probably out of the playoff hunt.

To me he is a Jason Campbell or a Trent Edwards type with a slightly stronger arm. He will probably be a serviceable NFL starter, but I am not seeing super star written all over him.

The Bucs may have been better off going with a defensive player that could help them this year and waiting until 2010 when Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy come out of college. I think they may translate to better pro quarterbacks than Freeman will, as they are more accurate and have enough arm strength to succeed on the NFL level.

Now let’s get to my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers.

Let me start by saying that I love the selection of B.J. Raji. ESPN had him ranked as the best defensive tackle in the NFL draft and the fourth best player overall. Not only did they get the best available player, but at a great position of need.

At 6” 2” and 337 lbs., he can step in and play the 3-4 nose tackle spot. He really helps upgrade their defensive line.

I think Ted Thompson hit a home run with that pick and did the smart thing by taking him and not Crabtree. I have been critical of Thompson in the past, but that was a great move.

Then just as I think Ted Thompson is in position to knock the draft out of the park, the Packers did something that I don’t quite understand.

They have A.J. Hawk, who is an outside linebacker that stands at 6” 1” and 245 lbs. He is a muscular, bulky linebacker that plays the outside.

So the Packers decided it would not only be a great idea to draft 6’ 3” 240 lb. Clay Matthews, but it was also be a good idea to trade up to the 26th pick in the first round and give up their 41st, 73rd, and 83rd picks to do so. The Packers also had the 162nd pick in the draft, which was in the fifth round.

So let me get this straight. A third round pick for Randy Moss is too much, because third round picks are to be treated as gold.

But Clay Matthews, who has started one year at USC, is not only worth a third round pick, but two third round picks? Does anyone else see something wrong with that?

Furthermore, New England has a need to get younger at linebacker and also plays three-four. You would think if they were that high on Matthews, who had slipped further than most people had anticipated, that they would have refused to make the trade and would have just picked him.

They had five picks in the top-100 already; so it wasn’t as if they needed to trade down to acquire more picks. What does New England, the best front office in the NFL know about Matthews that made them decide not to pick him?

To me the Packers got the exact same player as A.J. Hawk. When you ignore free agency, you have to do better than that in the draft. They had a lot of holes to fill.

In a year when everyone said it was a top-heavy draft, with picks 20 through 60 probably having the same value, Ted Thompson does a 360 turnaround and trades up, eliminating all their high third round picks in the process.

As a result, they didn’t pick again until the 109th pick, when they selected tackle T.J. Lang. He may be able to start at tackle this year, but is probably going to be a backup.

They also selected FB Quinn Johnson with the 145th pick. They are pretty deep at fullback, so I do not understand that pick considering their other needs.

The only justification I see is that they did struggle at times to score from the goal line and he is supposed to be a very good blocker. We will see if he can help in that area in 2009.

The Packers didn’t add anyone of significance to their aging corner back duo of Harris and Woodson and only got two offensive linemen to take the place of Tauscher, a fourth and fifth round pick no less. You never know if these late picks will work out.

The man Lang may be replacing in Tauscher was a seventh round pick and was not expected to start his rookie year.

He not only started his rookie year, but game one of that season. The Packers may have hit some home runs at the end of the draft.

Rarely do teams get the better end of the deal when trading with New England. I’m really curious why the Patriots decided they didn’t want to take Matthews and were willing to move down in the draft and select a lot of other players, something that seemed like a pretty logical move.

It was a mixed bag for me.

They did too well to be in the loser category. I love the drafting of Raji; however, I don't have them as big winners either.

I am not necessarily sold on Matthews, although I think he is a safe pick. He may not end up being a 10-time Pro Bowler, but I think he is a guy that will play in the league for a long time, assuming he stays healthy. Overall, they were probably slightly above the middle of the pack in terms of how they handled their draft.

I’m not sure how all these pieces are going to fit together in the three-four. Dom Capers is going to have a lot of work to do between now and opening day to implement that scheme change.

I am skeptical at best right now.

What were your thoughts on your team’s draft? Did you like how they did or are you scratching your head? Maybe a little bit of both?

I look forward to reading your comments about how your favorite team did in the draft.

By Derek Lofland, NFL director at Football Maniaxs

Are the Atlanta Falcons a Super Bowl Contender with Tony Gonzalez Aboard?

Football Maniaxs — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:36:54 -0400

By Derek Lofland

This was one of the more surprising trades leading up to the NFL draft. While Tony Gonzalez had been asking for a trade since last October, nothing happened prior to the trading deadline. He had 96 catches for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Chiefs last season.

Then Gonzalez requested another trade despite the acquisition of Matt Cassell. However, it looked like the Chiefs had every intention of going forward with Gonzalez on their roster.

At the NFL winter meetings, Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said the following: "We will certainly not seek a trade for Tony. I think he's excited about the changes we've made here. I think he recognizes that with Todd (Haley) as the head coach, we're going to have an exciting offense and one that will feature the passing game. No matter our starting quarterback, it will be someone who will look his way quite a bit."

Evidently, a lot changed between March 25 and April 23. Today Gonzalez was sent to Atlanta in return for Atlanta’s 2010 second-round pick.

Full analysis >>>

Fantasy Baseball's Week 4 Start/Sit

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:27:35 -0400

Can you believe that it has already been a month into the fantasy baseball season? Do not panic if your team is not where you want it to be.

Best case scenario, it is a free league; worst case scenario, you are still wondering who to start in week four.

Let me take care of that, which leads to Start/Sit for week four.

Starting Pitcher in focus: Chad Billingsley
He is off to a great start and will be scheduled to pitch two games in week four. Both games are against division rivals in San Francisco and at home against the Padres. Dating back to last year and his first three starts of 2009, Billingsley is 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 17 games. A strikeout machine, he is a must-start for week four.

Pitching matchups that I love for week 4 are CC Sabathia, Dan Haren, John Danks, Cliff Lee, Joe Saunders, James Shields, Matt Cain, Gil Meche, Paul Maholm, and Kyle Lohse.

Starter to Avoid for week 4: John Maine
Don't get me wrong, I am not a Mets hater, yet another pitcher on their staff will have a tough week ahead of him. The Mets will face...

Full article >>>

Top 10 Things to Look for in the 2009 NFL Draft

Football Maniaxs — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:18:52 -0400

By Derek Lofland.

The NFL draft always creates a lot of excitement. Here are 10 things that I’m going to be looking at this upcoming weekend.

10) How much did Andre Smith hurt his draft stock by leaving the NFL combine?

It is difficult to say. The kid made a mistake by not telling his group leader that he was leaving the combine early. You can forgive that.

The problem is that not only did he leave the combine early, but also, he was suspended from the Sugar Bowl for hiring an agent, thus forfeiting his college eligibility.

If that weren’t enough, he had a very poor showing at his Alabama Pro Day. There have been questions about his foot speed and his work ethic. Now he has decided to fire his agent a week before the draft. It’s just a really bad mix.

I don’t get to scout every college player, so it’s hard for me to say if I was a NFL GM that I wouldn’t take the guy. But based on everything I’ve read, I wouldn’t invest a top ten pick in Andre Smith, knowing I would have to pay $20 million guaranteed to a guy who might eat his way out of the NFL in two years.

If nothing else, he hasn’t shown that he doesn’t have the maturity to handle guaranteed money like a top ten pick receives.

Imagine his potential for mistakes with $20 million on his ATM card. He seems prone to dumb decisions at a time when he has every incentive to be making good ones.

When Mel Kiper Jr. did his mock draft back on Jan. 22, he had Andre Smith as the second pick in the NFL draft going to the St. Louis Rams.

I would be shocked if he goes there. Kiper now has him going Number 13 to the Washington Redskins. Todd McShay has him going No. 10 to the San Francisco 49ers.

The one team that seems prone to taking questionable players in the top ten is the Cincinnati Bengals. They are selecting No. 6 and could desperately use a left tackle.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up wearing a Cincinnati uniform after draft day is all said and done.

While he deserves to drop more, Cincinnati and Smith may be a perfect fit, especially if Cincinnati hasn’t learned from some of their past draft day mistakes...

Read full article >>>

Fantasy Baseball Week Three Start/Sit 'Em

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:44:27 -0400

By John Arias.

Week three of the fantasy season is right around the corner. Fantasy owners: do not panic if some of your stud players like Jose Reyes or Matt Holliday have not yet produced. The fantasy baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. With that said, here is week threes start/sit planner.

Starting Pitcher in focus: Derek Lowe

After signing the huge contract in the offseason, Lowe has not disappointed. He is 1-0 with a stellar 0.82 ERA, and in 11 innings, he has struck out 10.

Look for him to continue his success in week three, where he will face the Nationals and Reds. Last year in two starts against the Nationals he had a 1.13 ERA and the Nats' only hit .130 as a team against him.

Pitching matchups that I love for week three: Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, Armando Galarraga, Chris Young, and Eric Bedard.

Full article >>>

Starter to Avoid for week Three: Oliver Perez

He should be called Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because no one knows which pitcher is going to show up. Dating back to his last six starts of 2008 and including his first in 2009, Perez has a 5.79 ERA. He will face the Padres and Cardinals, yet I would avoid him for week three until he can prove to be consistent.

Other Starters to Avoid for week three are Jonny Cueto, Andy Sonnanstine, and Aaron Cook.

2009 NFL Schedule Winners and Losers

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:56:57 -0400

By Derek Lofland

The NFL released its 2009 schedule on April 14. Therefore, I decided to push my regular Tuesday article back to Wednesday so we could take a look at the schedule as that is the big news in the NFL this week.

Some interesting developments came out of the schedule release: a few teams came away looking like winners, and a few teams looking like they are going to have a tough road.

One thing to remember is that the strength of schedule factor is not always what it is hyped up to be. Any NFL team can beat any other NFL team any week. There are no easy games, except on paper.

For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the toughest schedule in 2008 based on 2007 records. Many thought even that it might be one of the toughest in NFL history. In spite of that, the Steelers managed to go 12-4 and win the Super Bowl.

The Indianapolis Colts had the second toughest schedule in 2008 and they also went 12-4 being the No. 5 seed in the playoffs.

Conversely, the New England Patriots had the easiest schedule and many thought they were primed to go 16-0 again. They only went 11-5 and missed the playoffs.

The San Diego Chargers had the second easiest schedule, managed only an 8-8 record, and had to win their last three games combined with three straight losses by Denver to make the playoffs.

Even though those teams had easy schedules, they were hurt by key injuries to QB Tom Brady (Patriots) and DE Shawn Merriman (Chargers).

Strength of schedule can be overrated, because teams that were bad the year before can suddenly become tough teams and vice versa. In 2007 the Miami Dolphins improved from 1-15 to 11-5 in 2008. The Atlanta Falcons also went from 4-12 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008.

Conversely, the Dallas Cowboys went from 13-3 to 9-7 and the Green Bay Packers went from 13-3 to 6-10. Just because the teams finished a certain way the year before doesn’t mean they will again. We don’t know what injuries and setbacks will affect teams across the NFL.

However, I have also seen a schedule destroy teams. The 2006 Ravens went 13-3 and were the No. 2 seed in the AFC. In 2007, they got off to a slow start and then had to play at San Diego, New England Patriots, and the Indianapolis Colts. That stretch took a 4-6 team and buried them at 4-9 and out of the playoff race.

When I pick the winners and losers, I try to do my best to take a cross section of teams from different divisions. The reason for that is that 12 out of the 16 opponents will be identical for teams in the same division.

The only games that differ are two conference games, which are determined by how the teams finished in their division, and the two division games the opponents play against one another.

If I went straight down the strength of schedule list, most of the teams would be from the same division.

Who are this year's winners and losers? Full article >>>

San Diego Chargers Trade for Braylon Edwards on Draft Day

Football Maniaxs — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:05:45 -0400

This mock draft, unlike my previous four, will project trades. That simultaneously makes it more fun and less likely to be accurate. However, we do know one thing for sure—a mock draft that does not project trades will definitely be inaccurate.

The trade of Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears has a far more profound impact on the draft than simply the players and picks involved. The Bears become one more team out of the first round and the Broncos become one more team with two first-round picks.

You have teams with a history of wheeling and dealing on draft day, holding piicks in what they think are the wrong places, such as Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and New England.

You have teams that would love to trade down and acquire more picks, as both Detroit and St. Louis have made abundantly clear in the last few days, and you have plenty of teams with new philosophies that came along with new coaching regimes, which turns a whole lot of prime talent into trade bait.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated got Mike Moyock to say he’d rather be drafting at 15th or 22nd this year than first. Moyock is right, this draft is deep but by no means top heavy. You are just as likely to get the player you need in the middle of the first round as you are at the top. Players in the fourth round this year might be just as valuable as those players taken in the third or even second rounds.

Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to trade down if you can, and fortunately, the teams that might want to trade up have the ammunition to do it.

The technology, methods, manpower, and time teams use to scout players have all grown dramatically in recent years. With draft preparation so intense and the differences between the prospects in this draft class so thin, there will be some wild-haired imaginations that come to life on draft day. Teams will think they see something no one else sees and act accordingly.

All of this means there will be picks that look like absurd reaches and players who freefall unexpectedly.

I hope you have your calendar cleared for April 25-26, because I believe this will be the wildest and woolliest NFL draft of all.

Round 1

1 Detroit (0-16)—QB Matt Stafford, Georgia

(Last mock’s pick: QB Mark Sanchez)

It is still true that no one wants to trade up this high. The Lions are stuck with this pick and will make the most of it.

The recent buzz out of Detroit’s media says they will go offensive tackle here, but they also report how impressed the team is with Stafford. Enter the first impact of the Cutler trade on the draft.

The fact that a quarter of the Lions’ schedule now stars Cutler and Aaron Rodgers makes their need for a franchise QB even more glaring.

So I’ll change my tune and give the Lions a QB this time for the right reasons. If they intend to let Stafford carry a clipboard for Daunte Culpepper for a year, this will turn out to be a good pick...

Read Full Mock >>>

Fantasy Baseball's Week 2: Start / Sit

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:46:39 -0400

By John Arias.

Week 2 of the Fantasy Baseball season is looming near, and while your Week 1 lineup will continue to produce points, it's a good idea to start looking ahead.

Starting Pitcher in focus: SP Kevin Slowey:
In six spring starts, he only allowed six runs and in Week 2, he will have two starts at home. Last year at home, he was 7-4 with a 3.38 ERA.

More importantly, opposing teams hit a mere .217 against him in the Metrodome. He is a great start for week 2.

Pitching matchups that I love for week 2: A.J. Burnett, Jon Lester, Derek Lowe, Yovani Gallardo, John Danks, Ted Lilly, and Chad Billingsley

Other Favorable Matchups Include Matt Garza, Javier Vazquez, Scott Kazmir, Edinson Volquez, and Rich Harden.

Starters to Avoid for week 2: Chris Carpenter, Chris Volstad, Todd Wellemeyer

Position Players: Infielders
1B Jorge Cantu has started where he left off last year on a tear. The Marlins will be on the road for six games against the Braves and Nationals. Last year on the road against the Braves in 16 games, he hit .309 and fared even better against the Nats. In 16 games, he had three homeruns and 11 RBI. Needless to say, Cantu is a must-start for week 2.

A very underrated, player 2B Jose Lopez ...

Full article >>>

Jay Cutler Finds a New NFL Home

Football Maniaxs — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:15:16 -0400

The trade that has been the talk of the NFL offseason finally went down. The Denver Broncos agreed to trade Jay Cutler and their fifth round pick in the 2009 NFL draft to the Chicago Bears for their first and third round picks in the 2009 NFL draft.

Denver also will receive the Chicago Bears’ 2010 first round pick.

Let's look at how this affects both teams, starting with the Chicago Bears:

Chicago Impact

It was a very high price to pay to get a franchise quarterback, but at the end of the day, it was a move the Chicago Bears had to make. The problem for the Bears was two-fold.

First, the Bear's all-time leading passer is Sid Luckman with 14,686 passing yards. The last NFL season he played in the NFL was 1950. The only franchise that has a quarterback that played that long ago as their all-time leading passer is the Detroit Lions.

Bobby Layne is their all-time leading passer with just 15,710 yards.

To put that in perspective Jay Cutler already has 9,024 yards passing in his three-year NFL career. This is a big deal.

For the first time in recent memory, the Bears have a quarterback that can make any throw. Teams are no longer going to be able to put eight or nine people in the box and just focus on stopping the running game.

Matt Forte's value has to be as high as ever right now...

Full article >>>

2009 Fantasy Football Tight Ends Rankings (Updated)

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:50:21 -0400

When people think about drafting their fantasy teams they think about which back they are going to choose. Is it going to be Adrian Peterson or Michael Turner? Matt Forte or Brian Westbrook? They also think about the "big name" wide receivers and quarterbacks.

However, one position that doesn't get a lot of attention is the tight end spot.

A lot of fantasy games can come down to five points. This year, I lost a championship game by three points.

Picking the right tight end can be huge. It can be the difference between winning and losing a close game.

1) Jason Witten (Cowboys) – Witten is Romo’s favorite target, and this is still an explosive offense without Terrell Owens. Witten was injured last year, and Romo’s injury did not help him either. His 81 catches, for 952 yards and four touchdowns isn’t a bad off-year for a tight end. We look for him to get back to his 2007 form next season.

2) Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs) – The future Hall of Famer probably had his best year since 2003 and 2004. He had 96 catches, for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns. With Matt Cassel now under center, he should still be able to put up better numbers. The only concern is that he turned 33-years old in February, and is seeking a trade out of Kansas City.

3) Antonio Gates (Chargers) – He was really slowed by a toe injury last year. Gates had his fewest catches, yards and touchdowns since bursting onto the NFL scene in 2004. He is going to be 29-years old in August, but age is not the concern.

The concern with the emergence of Philip Rivers is that Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers and Darren Sproles will take away catches. If Gates stays healthy in 2009, we expect a rebound year.

Full rankings >>>

2009 Fantasy Football's Defenses Rankings (Updated)

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:47:30 -0400

Just like tight ends, kickers and defenses can be an afterthought in fantasy football drafts.

While these positions are not going to be early selections, picking the right one in later rounds can be the difference between winning close games and losing close games.

Every point counts.

Below are our 2009 Fantasy Football's Defenses Rankings. Updated as of 04/01/2009.

1. Steelers – The best defense in the NFL in 2008, Pittsburgh, not only stopped teams from scoring, but they were also second in the NFL in sacks with 51 and tied for sixth with 20 interceptions.

2. Giants – They had a respectable 42 sacks, and allowed only 18.4 points per game. After a strong start, they really tailed off at the end of the year. We moved them up to the second spot because we love the signings of DE Chris Canty, DT Rocky Bernard, LB Michael Boley and DE Osi Umenyiora coming back from injury. This great defense is going to get a whole lot better.

3. Cowboys – With this team, it is all about the sacks. They led the NFL with 59 sacks. That is 15 more than the Titans, who were tied for fifth in the NFL. If they could improve on their eight interceptions, and 22.8 points per game allowed, they could be the best fantasy defense in the NFL. Adding Igor Olshansky and Keith Brooking should improve this already solid unit.

Full rankings >>>

2009 Fantasy Football Kickers Rankings (Updated)

Football Maniaxs — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:44:52 -0400

Just like tight ends, kickers and defenses can be an afterthought in fantasy football drafts.

While these positions are not going to be early selections, picking the right one in the later rounds can be the difference between winning close games and losing close games.

Every point counts.

Below are our 2009 Fantasy Football's Kicker Rankings. Updated as of 04/01/2009.

1. Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots) – The Patriots have a very good offense, and he has great range on his kicks. Gostkowski led the NFL in field goals made with 36 last year. He was also 10-for-12 on field goals over 40 yards.

2. John Kasay (Panthers) – The Panthers have a great offense that moves up and down the field. Kasay was 12-for-15 on field goals over 40 yards. He figures to score a lot again this year.

3. David Akers (Eagles) – Third in the NFL in field goals made with 33, Akers plays on an offense that moves the ball consistently, but has to settle for field goals in the redzone because of a poor short-yardage running game. Brian Westbrook turns 30, and if he is not up to form, hurt or ineffective, it will be interesting to see if he gets as many attempts next year...

Full rankings >>>

2009 NFL's Free Agency Winners and Losers

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:04:49 -0400

On March 3, I wrote an article recapping the big winners and losers of free agency for the opening weekend.

Now that a month has passed since free agency opened and most of the desirable players were signed, I am ready to hand down my final verdict.

No grades, this is a pass/fail class. Some of the teams are going to be the same and some are going to be different. Let’s start with my five winners.

Winners

1) New York Giants: I love what the New York Giants have done this offseason. Their top priority had to be keeping Brandon Jacobs. He is the heart and soul of their dominant run offense. They were able to lock him up a four-year $25 million contract, which was huge.

That allowed them to part ways with Derrick Ward, who played big for them the last two years, but was replaceable. Having Ahmad Bradshaw gives them good running back depth.

Then they went out and dramatically improved a defense that was already one of the best in the NFL. They signed DT Rocky Bernard, DE Chris Canty, and LB Michael Boley to contracts. They also have Osi Umenyiora coming back from knee injuries.

These additions are going to help DE Justin Tuck stay fresh all season and are going to make one of the premier defenses in the NFL that much better.

The only concern on defense is that Steve Spagnuolo is now with the Rams as their head coach. New defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has been with the team as a linebacker coach since 2005 and has a lot of experience with the system.

He should be a good fit for the Giants and with the talent he has to work with should be able to keep the good times rolling.

Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin have done an excellent job of drafting in recent years. The New York Giants have the 29th, 45th, 60th, 91st, and 100th picks in the NFL draft. They could use some more secondary depth on defense.

They also have to address the wide receiver position, with Plaxico Burress' future in doubt. His court hearing has now been pushed back to the middle of June. Burress playing football in 2009 looks like less of a reality by the day. No one really stepped up in his absence last year. They need more talent there.

They might be able to work out an Anquan Boldin trade with those picks or use them to find some solid young players in the draft. With those picks, they are in great position to improve on a team that was 12-4 in 2008 and dominated the NFC until the last month of the season.

The Giants look to be one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, thanks to a free agency period that saw them really upgrade the defensive side of the ball.

2) Kansas City Chiefs: Last offseason did not have a good feel for Kansas City Chiefs fans. While they arguably had the best draft in the NFL, it came at the expense of trading Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings.

The result was a team that got younger, but not better. The Chiefs got worse in 2008, going from 4-12 in 2007 to 2-14 in 2008. As a result, Scott Pioli replaced Carl Peterson as GM and Pioli replaced head coach Herman Edwards with Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley to mark a new era in Kansas City.

The Chiefs have been busy ever since. They acquired QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel for a second round pick from the New England Patriots. Cassel gives them a quarterback that they can build around, and Vrabel gives them veteran leadership on a young defense.

Some teams would have stopped there, but the Chiefs have made some under-the-radar moves. They signed G Mike Goff away from the Chargers to improve an offensive line that is among the worst in the NFL since Willie Roaf and Will Shields retired. It makes them better and hurts division rival San Diego.

They signed Bobby Engram and Terrance Cooper to improve a wide receiver corps that, with the exception of Dwayne Bowe, was absolutely abysmal in 2008.

The Chiefs still have some issues to resolve. Tony Gonzalez is not happy and is still requesting a trade. Larry Johnson is still with the team, but many are speculating he won’t be back.

Keeping Gonzalez has to be a priority. Without him, Bowe remains their only really dangerous target and that would really hurt Cassel’s ability to move the ball through the air.

The Chiefs have a good draft situation. They have the third, 67th, and 102nd pick in the draft and have resolved their QB situation. They can either trade down from the third pick and acquire additional picks, or they can draft a stud at the top of the draft and maybe find another starter or two with those lower picks.

Few teams can find a player like Matt Cassel in free agency and keep their first round pick. The Chiefs look to be in excellent shape to improve their team in 2009 and possibly compete in an AFC West that was pretty mediocre last year, with San Diego winning the division at 8-8 in the final game of the season.

3) New York Jets: I think they did a great job in free agency. They started by hiring a star defensive coordinator in Rex Ryan as head coach. Then they added a number of quality players to a defense that was in need of an overhaul.

DE Marques Douglas, DT Howard Green, ILB Bart Scott, LB Larry Izzo, FS Jim Leonhard, CB Lito Sheppard, CB Donald Strickland were all acquired during the 2009 offseason.

Helping matters further, Douglas, Scott, and Leonhard all played for Ryan when he was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore.

That gives him an amount of good players who are familiar with his system, which should also help the returning players for the Jets to pick up Ryan’s new system.

The Jets were a mixed bag on defense last year. They had the seventh ranked rush defense, ranked sixth in rushing touchdowns allowed, and seventh in rushing yards per attempt allowed.

They were a respectable 18th in points allowed, and 16th in yards allowed. Not great, but it gives Ryan something to work with. They also recorded 40 sacks.

The problem was that they couldn’t stop the pass. They were 29th in yards allowed and 23rd in touchdown passes allowed. Quarterbacks averaged an 86.2 QB rating against them, which is too high.

Scott and Shepherd figure to step in and be immediate starters. The other players may compete for starting jobs, but if nothing else will add critical depth.

The Jets have a much-improved defense going into the 2009 season. They have the talent in place to be a Top 10 defense.

The problem going forward for the Jets is on offense. Brett Favre is no longer the quarterback. That leaves Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff to fight it out for the starting job.

Ratliff has yet to throw a NFL regular season pass. Clemens has a career rating of 59.3 with five career touchdowns and 11 picks. It is as weak of a quarterback situation as any team in the NFL.

The Jets also lost several offensive weapons. WR Laveranues Coles was released and has since signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. TE Chris Baker was cut and signed by the New England Patriots. TE Bubba Franks has not yet been resigned.

That leaves Jerricho Cotchery as the No. 1 receiver, Chansi Stuckey as the No. 2 receiver, and Dustin Keller as the tight end. That is probably one of the weaker starting units at wide receiver in the NFL.

Those offensive losses offset some of the gains they had on defense. That is going to put a lot of pressure on 31-year old Thomas Jones to repeat his 290 carries for 1,312 yard and 13 rushing touchdowns.

Jones is not happy about his contract and his protesting by skipping voluntary workouts.

While his numbers increased due to the additions on the offensive line in 2008, it also improved because defenses were worried about Brett Favre in the passing game. If they do not add anyone else, teams should be able to put eight in the box to stop Jones.

The Jets aren’t going to be the favorites to win the AFC East. However, they really didn’t have a lot of avenues to improve the offense in free agency, so they did the best that they could and really improved their defense.

With the 17th, 52nd, and 76th picks in the draft, they figure to be able to address the quarterback and receiver positions. The only promising QB on the market was Cassel, and the Patriots were not going to trade him to the Jets.

If the Jets use those draft picks right, they might be able to contend for a wild card spot in 2009. Jets’ fans should be happy about that, considering how their season ended last year.

4) Dallas Cowboys: I think the Cowboys are finally starting to get some things when it comes to building a team. Instead of trying to sign the big free agents at top dollars, they are making the smaller moves that help win championships.

They signed DE Igor Olshansky, who has experience in the 3-4 with Wade Phillips when he was in San Diego.

They signed LB Keith Brooking away from the Falcons. He is a five-time Pro Bowler that is getting up in age. He will turn 34 in October, but he still had 102 tackles for the Falcons in 2008.

Then they traded for veteran QB Jon Kitna, which is huge if Tony Romo gets hurt. They couldn't afford to have Brad Johnson backing up Romo again. That was a disaster that really hurt them for three weeks in 2008.

The next thing they did was start subtracting negative personalities from the locker room. Adam “PacMan” Jones was the first to go. He was released on Feb. 9.

Terrell Owens was the next to go. The Cowboys cut him on March 4.

Finally, they axed SS Roy Williams. Williams is a five-time Pro Bowler, but had become a liability in pass coverage in recent years and was injured much of last season.

He has been unhappy for sometime and granting his release request was probably in the best interest of the club.

It did hurt that they not only lost DE Chris Canty, but also that they lost him to division rival New York. It hurt that they traded their first round pick in 2008 for WR Roy Williams. That leaves them without a first round pick in 2009.

That said, the Cowboys had two first round picks in 2008 that produced promising young players RB Felix Jones and CB Mike Jenkins.

They still have the 51st, 69th, and 101st picks in the draft. Dallas is relatively young at many positions and really didn’t need to obtain a lot of talent in the draft to be competitive in 2009.

Its main goal in 2009 was improving the locker room and signing some solid character veteran players. They get an A-plus for that.

The team still has a lot of talent on the roster and should be able to compete with the New York Giants for a division title. Hopefully for the Cowboys, those additions by subtraction will pay off this year.

5) Denver Broncos: Anyone who has been reading my column knows that I have been pretty critical of the Denver Broncos for the way they have handled the Jay Cutler situation.

While I believe that Cutler deserves some blame for what has transpired in Denver, I think that rookie GM Brian Xanders and rookie head coach Josh McDaniels have done an awful job in the way they handled this since the botched trade.

It makes me wonder if getting rid of Mike Shanahan was really that good of an idea. Had they handled this correctly, I probably would have the Denver Broncos towards the top of my list.

Regardless of what you think about Shanahan no longer being there or the Cutler mess, there is no denying that the Broncos have added a lot of talented players in the offseason.

The Broncos have added a lot of running back talent. J.J. Arrington comes over from Arizona and gives them help as a receiving back and a return specialist. Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan will compete for the starting running back job.

Chris Simms gives them a solid back up in case Cutler goes down with an injury or is traded. WR Jabar Gaffney gives them another weapon in the passing game.

On defense, the big addition was safety Brian Dawkins. He brings a veteran presence to the secondary. They also added DT Ronald Fields, DT Darrell Reid, LB Andra Davis, CB Andre Goodman, and FS Ronaldo Hill. That should help improve a defense that performed terribly in 2008.

They still have some holes to fill. They cut CB Dre Bly, DE John Engelberger, and DT Dewayne Robertson. Those were necessary moves, but they still have to find replacements.

They also have some high draft picks. They have the 12th, 48th, and 79th picks in the draft. They have to concentrate on adding some size on their defensive line. They also need some help at the linebacker spot.

However, so far in free agency, they have added a lot of quality players to both sides of the ball. It should make them a better team in 2009, provided Cutler stays with the club.

If they can resolve their squabble with Jay Cutler or work out a trade that gets them Brady Quinn and another high draft choice, they may be in position to compete in the AFC West in 2009.

You can’t lose in the hype of the Jay Cutler controversy the fact that they added a lot of good veteran players who will help the team improve in 2009.

Now here are my five losers of the NFL Free Agency Period. That doesn't mean they have to pack in their 2009 season. It means they have to hope they have good depth in place and that they have a lot of work to do in the April NFL draft.

Losers

1) Baltimore Ravens: This is a team that has been really depleted by free agency defections and salary-cap related releases.

The offseason started with them losing defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the New York Jets. They signed Ravens Linebackers Coach Mike Pettine to be his defensive coordinator.

Then the Ravens players started defecting. ILB Bart Scott signed with the New York Jets to have FS Jim Leonhard and DE Marques Douglas join him. Then CB Corey Ivy signed with the Cleveland Browns. CB Chris Carr signed with the Titans.

They cut CB Samari Rolle and Chris McAllister to save cap space. Finally, K Mark Stover, who has been their only kicker in franchise history, is not going to be with the team as they have decided to go in a different direction.

Some of these moves were not that surprising. The Ravens knew they had to invest a lot of money in Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. They also made some good moves by signing Matt Birk at center, L.J. Smith at tight end, Domonique and Foxworth at CB. They have added some talent this offseason.

The idea is that a defense with S Ed Reed, MLB Ray Lewis, DE / OLB Terrell Suggs, and DT Haloti Ngata is still going to be a pretty good unit.

McAllister and Rolle missed a lot of time with injuries last season. Ivy only started one game. The defense was fine without them for stretches last year and has players that can step in.

The problem is that even if getting rid of every player was the right move, their solid depth now becomes starters and the margin for error becomes thinner. Injuries that were survivable in 2008 might not be this year, because that depth is not as solid as it was last year.

Yes, the only players they lost who started more than 10 games were Scott and Leonhard, so they have the potential to retool the depth in the draft.

On the other hand, to lose five players from the secondary makes you wonder if they are going to lead the league in turnovers forced in 2009 no matter what they do in the draft.

The Ravens are still developing quarterback Joe Flacco. They are pretty strong on the offensive line and at running back, but need to find more explosive receivers and probably another tight end to complement a declining Todd Heap.

L.J. Smith was signed by the Ravens, but he has been very injury prone the last two years. I'm not very high on that signing as Smith appears to be another tight end in decline.

Instead of using their 26th, 57th, and 88th picks on offensive players to get them over the hump, they are probably going to have to use some of those picks to replace the players they lost in free agency and on players they had to release.

I’m not saying the defense is crashing out of the Top 10. Ozzie Newsome has shown that he is more than capable of replacing players who leave. What I am saying is that this team was one game away from representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

To expect them to take the jump to AFC Super Bowl representative with all the coaches and players they lost doesn’t seem realistic either. They don’t have much time left with Ray Lewis as the leader of this defense. They have no margin for error in the draft if they want to get back to where they were in 2008.

2) Tennessee Titans: The Titans did have some successes in free agency. They were able to resign Kerry Collins at quarterback and added WR Nate Washington from the Steelers. He should help their thin wide receiver core.

They were also able to hang onto FS Vincent Fuller and P Craig Hentrich.

But the elephant in the room is: Where do the Titans go without the services of Albert Haynesworth, who left for Washington and a $100 million contract? The Titans arguably lost the best defensive tackle in all of football.

The Titans were the best regular season team in the NFL last year. They started the season 10-0 and finished with a league-best 13-3 record. They did that behind a defense that ranked second in the NFL in scoring defense.

They got there for two reasons. One was a very strong secondary that featured Pro Bowlers CB Cortland Finnegan and SS Chris Hope. FS Michael Griffin had seven picks. Nick Harper was also very solid.

The other reason they were successful was a defense anchored by Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

The Titans still have talent on the defensive line. In addition to Vanden Bosch, Jerome Kearse is still there and Keith Bullock is a solid contributor from his linebacker spot. Tony Brown is a very solid DT.

They aren’t going to fall apart on defense because one player left, even a player with the talent of Albert Haynesworth. But those guys won’t have Haynesworth taking double teams in 2009, so their job is going to be much tougher.

The problem is that they lost in their first playoff game. They still need to get over that hump, having lost their first playoff game in both 2007 and 2008.

Pittsburgh, New England, Indianapolis, and San Diego all figure to be contenders again in 2009. The Miami Dolphins are getting better. The New York Jets have been busy in free agency.

The Ravens will still be a threat. Even the bottom of the division is improving. The Houston Texans seem to be getting better every year.

In a year where they needed to get better to compete in 2009, they got worse. Even if they slip from second to points allowed to 10th in points allowed, the difference between those two rankings last year was 5.6 points per game.

For an offense that only scored 23.4 points per game, that is a big deal. They are going to need everyone to step up on this team and improve.

They also need to hit a homerun in the draft if they want to contend in the AFC in 2009 without Haynesworth. A lot of things are going to have to go right for them to repeat as division champions in 2009.

3) Washington Redskins: There are two reasons I have the Redskins here. No. 1, they have done nothing to improve an offense that was among the least explosive in the NFL.

Their only signing was spending over $100 million to bring in Albert Haynesworth. Then they overpaid for DeAngelo Hall and resigned him to a six-year, $54 million contract.

Their other problem is that the Giants and Cowboys are both winners in my book, which means that two divisional rivals have gotten better in free agency and will probably continue to improve in the draft.

The Washington Redskins were 28th in points scored in 2008. They were also 23rd in passing yards, 26th in passing touchdowns, 25th in passing yards per attempt, and 22nd in rushing touchdowns.

Had it not been for Clinton Portis rushing for close to 1,000 yards in the first eight games, they probably would have been the worst offense in the NFL.

They averaged 12.5 points per game in the final eight games of the season. The Bengals finished the season scoring 12.8 points per game, which was 32nd in the NFL. Without Portis, this team doesn’t start 6-2 in 2008.

Washington has so many questions on offense. Is Jason Campbell their quarterback of the future? Can they win with Santana Moss as their No. 1 receiver?

Will second-year players Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, and Malcolm Kelly turn into viable NFL targets? Is their offensive line still good enough?

Chris Samuels was hurt to end the season, Pete Kendall is 35 years old and a free agent, and Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen are both 32 years old.

The only certainty they have on offense is that Clinton Portis is a stud running back. The problem is that he turns 28-years old on Sept. 1 and has 2,052 carries for his NFL career.

Shaun Alexander is done as a NFL running back due to no mileage left on his tires. He has 2,187 career carries, or 135 more than Portis does.

Clinton Portis probably has one more good year left in him. He has 325 and 342 carries the last two years. You just can’t keep using a guy that much and not expect him to break down at his age.

If he breaks down, this team may not be able to score more than a touchdown a game. It probably would have made more sense to sign four or five mid-tier offensive players with a hard push towards T.J. Houshmandzadeh rather than going after Haynesworth.

While he definitely improves their defensive line and potentially increase their sack totals and interception totals in 2009, it won’t do much good if the offense doesn’t do better than 12.5 points per game.

4) Green Bay Packers: The division is there for the taking. The Detroit Lions finished 0-16 last year. The Bears were 9-7, but they are still trying to find a quarterback to compete with Kyle Orton for the starting job.

Other than Matt Forte and Greg Olson, they have very few weapons on offense. They seem to be going downhill since their 2006 Super Bowl season.

The Vikings tried to upgrade their quarterback position by trading for Sage Rosenfels. While they have a great front seven on defense, a fantastic offensive line, and Adrian Peterson, they are hardly the most formidable foe in the NFL with one of the weakest passing offenses in the NFL.

The Packers have an emerging star in Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. It is by far the best QB situation in the division.

The negative is that they were 6-10 with two of those wins against 0-16 Detroit. But the good news is that they were competitive in most of their losses.

They aren’t two or three years away from competing. A good offseason should get them right back into NFC North contention.

There is a good offensive foundation here that could be molded into division champions. In addition to Rodgers, Greg Jennings looks to be a stud at wide receiver. Ryan Grant, Donald Lee, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Brandon Jackson give Rodgers some good weapons.

This team needs to improve the offensive line with Mark Tauscher coming off injury and probably not going to be back with the team. They also need to retool a defense that was ravaged by injuries and inconsistent play. The secondary is getting old, with Woodson and Harris both in their 30s.

The good news is that the Packers have lots of cap room. According to the Green Bay Press Gazette, the Packers had roughly $36 million in cap room heading into the March free agency period.

So who did the Packers sign? S Anthony Smith. The same Anthony Smith that was put in his place by Tom Brady back in 2007 for being an idiot and running his mouth about stopping the Patriots offense and Randy Moss. They also retained restricted free agents CB Jarrett Bush, DE Jason Hunter, and DE Mike Montgomery.

I respect Ted Thompson for the value he puts on the NFL draft. The good teams are committed to hitting homeruns in the draft, not overpaying for every free agent out there. That said, the two biggest moves the Packers have made in the last 20 years are trading a first round pick for Brett Favre and signing Reggie White in free agency.

It is doubtful that the Packers would have made those moves with Ted at the helm. The cost of adding those players would have been too great for him.

This is the third straight year the Packers have been substantially under the cap and the youngest team in the NFL. Furthermore, they fired everyone not named Winston Moss on their defensive staff and brought in Dom Capers with the expectation of switching to a 3-4 defense.

Yet as of today, they have the same players on their roster that ran the 4-3 last year. They have not signed anyone that has front-seven experience in a 3-4. It appears the Packers are going to depend solely on the draft to make this transition.

It is a very disappointing turn of developments for Packer fans. You would think a GM with just one winning season in four, entering his fifth year, would be a little more aggressive and have more of a win-now approach.

It’s good that Ted isn’t bankrupting the franchise by overpaying for talent in a last-ditch effort to save his job. But it sure would be nice if he would sign somebody so that the Packers would be in better position to compete in a very winnable NFC North.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This is a team that has gone through some major changes since a 0-4 collapse took them from 9-3 to outside of the NFC playoffs.

First, they fired Jon Gruden and hired 32-year old Raheem Morris, a coach who has one year of coordinator experience at Kansas State. Then they started going on a major youth movement with their players.

Jeff Garcia, Warrick Dunn, Ike Hilliard, and Joey Galloway were released in an attempt to get younger on offense. That makes Luke McCown the starter. McCown has been in the league since 2004 but has only nine career touchdowns and 10 career picks.

They actually did a good job of keeping the offensive competitive. Derrick Ward was signed to help the running game. Kellen Winslow was acquired in an attempt to get stronger at tight end, but they had to give up a second-round pick. They also resigned wide receivers Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton.

Where the changes really happened was on the defensive side of the ball. DT Jovan Hayne, DE Kevin Carter, OLB Derrick Brooks, OLB Patrick Chukwurah, OLB Cato June, and CB Phillip Buchanon were all released. The only players they replaced those guys with were Angelo Crowell from Buffalo and Niko Koutoutvides from Denver.

Some of these players had to be let go, especially on offense. The offense averaged only 22.6 points per game, which ranked 19th in the NFL.

Jeff Garcia is 39 years old and they can’t get to a Super Bowl with him. Warrick Dunn is going to be 34 years old. Signing Derrick Ward makes sense in that regard. Joey Galloway missed a lot of games and had only 13 catches on the season. I like those moves.

What I don’t like is that the defense was 10th in points allowed and ninth in yards allowed. They had one of the best pass defenses in the NFL and were a little light against the run.

Derrick Brooks made the Pro Bowl, but that was probably more of a reputation selection. Regardless, he was the leader of that defense.

Cato June is still 29 years old and could help the team win. I think they started releasing guys for the sake of getting younger without regard for what it did for their defense in 2009.

It seems hard to believe that with all those veteran guys gone that they can just plug in some draft picks and have the same Top 10 production. While players like DE Gaines Adams and LB Barrett Rudd are still young, Ronde Barber is the leader of their secondary at 34 years old. I expect this defense to drop to the middle of the pack in the NFL.

It looks more like a rebuilding effort than a retooling job. When you have a 9-7 team that crashed at the end of the season, it is bad enough. In a division where the Panthers were 12-4, the Falcons were 11-5, and the Saints were 8-8, it’s even worse.

They have a big question mark at quarterback, they still need receiver help, and they have a lot to replace on defense. That is too many questions in that division.

That’s also a lot of upgrades with limited draft picks. Tampa has the 19th, 81st, and 120th picks. Their second-round pick now belongs to Cleveland thanks to the Winslow trade.

They are probably looking at getting one, maybe two starters in the draft. We’ll see if that is going to be enough to compete in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.

That’s my take on the NFL free agency period. There are still some free agents left who may excite some teams. Most of them are veteran guys who have lost a step and will need to take pay cuts to continue their NFL employment. Here are my Top 10 remaining free agents on the market:

Top-10 Free Agents Left

1) Derrick Brooks: He’s an 11-time Pro Bowler that is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. He turns 36 years old this year, but he would be an excellent addition to the Colts or Bears, two teams that play the Cover 2 scheme that Brooks has ran his entire career. I am surprised Indianapolis hasn’t signed him yet.

2) Torry Holt: The seven-time Pro Bowler finished with less than 1,000 yards for the first time since his rookie season. Has a chronic knee problem that is worrying to some teams. Right now, the Titans and Jaguars appear to be the front-runners. He can help those offenses improve their passing attacks in 2009.

3) Jason Taylor: The six-time Pro Bowler had a disaster of a season in Washington. Plagued by injuries, he recorded only 3.5 sacks. He is rumored to be headed either back to the Dolphins or possibly to New England.

He’s probably more of a third-down pass rusher than an every-down player at this point in his career, but he could help a playoff team in the right situation.

4) Roy Williams: The safety ran out of favor in Dallas as he was a coverage liability. According to a March 19 Boston Herald article, he has already turned down an offer and visited the Bengals.

If that is true, it doesn’t speak well for the team he turned down. He was expected to have a couple of more visits and hasn’t signed anything to date. He can still stop the run with the best of them and could really help the right defense.

5) Marvin Harrison: He’s going to have a real tough sell. Not only was he old and ineffective, but also he was old an ineffective with the MVP quarterback of the NFL. Holt can at least say he played on a 2-14 team with Bulger in and out of the lineup and an offensive line that couldn’t block long enough for Holt to get open.

Harrison didn’t succeed in one of the best situations in the NFL. I expect him to end up with a job if he wants one, but he might have to wait until a team has some injury issues at WR.

6) Orlando Pace: The Ravens reportedly offered him a minimum contract, which caused him to visit Chicago. He has been injured the last couple of years, but when healthy he was arguably the most dominant OT in the NFL. He’ll be 34 this year, so he shouldn’t expect a mega deal.

7) Jeff Garcia: ESPN's John Clayton reported that he has received zero interest in free agency. He is probably going to have to wait until training camp if not the season for a starter to go down and get another chance.

He has great value as a backup and is a smart player who needs to be in a West Coast offense due to his lack of arm strength.

8) Chris McAlister: A couple years ago, he was one of the top five cornerbacks in the game. Now he has been cut. So far, I haven’t heard any reports of him going anywhere, but this is the type of player that the Patriots always seem to sign.

He has lost a step and isn’t a shutdown corner at this point, but if he was willing to move to safety, that could really help some of the Patriots’ secondary issues.

9) Dre Bly: He turns 32 this year and Rotoworld thinks it will be hard for him to find a starting job in the NFL in 2009. He is probably going to have to wait and see what comes his way.

10) Warrick Dunn: He will garner some interest as a third-down back, but so far he hasn’t gotten an offer. He may have to wait until some running backs get hurt or wait until after the draft to see what his options are.

I would think he would be a great complement to Tim Hightower in Arizona. They could use a third-down weapon like him out of the backfield to complement their two Pro Bowl receivers; Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

Those are my thoughts on the free agency period.

What is your take on the free agency period?

Are you happy about how your team did or disappointed and looking toward the draft to ease your sorrows? Let me know your thoughts.

Fantasy Baseball's Week One Start/Sit

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:38:54 -0400

That itch that you have been feeling for the last few days, weeks, months is finally here, it’s fantasy baseball time!

Some owners are coming back this season as champions, while others may have only lost by a few points or even worse on the last day.

Nevertheless, it’s a new season and optimism fills the air. Let’s go straight to Week One of the 2009 fantasy baseball Start/Sit.

Starting Pitching

Pitching matchups that I love: Johan Santana on the road against the Reds, Brandon Webb at home against the Rockies, Jake Peavy at home against the Dodgers, Roy Halladay at home against the Tigers, Tim Lincecum at home against the Brewers.

Other Favorable Matchups Include: John Danks against the Royals, Dan Haren at home against the Rockies, Ricky Nolasco at home against the Nationals and Ted Lilly on the road against the Astros.

Starters to Avoid: Aaron Harang, Kevin Millwood, Gil Meche, Aaron Cook, Jarrod Washburn, and Jeremy Guthrie.

Players to Watch: Clayton Kershaw, Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Pelfrey, Scott Olsen, Noah Lowry, Micah Owings, Dallas Braden, Kevin Slowey, and Max Scherzer.

Position Players: Infielders

All eyes should be on the youth movement that is transpiring in Cincinnati. One of their young players on the verge of being an All-Star is 1B Joey Votto. He ended last year with 24 home runs and 84 RBI.

What was impressive was his ability to have a high OBP. He finished with an OBP of .368 and SLG percentage of .505. Look for him to have a great week.

I am drinking all the juice that has been pouring out of 2B Mark DeRosa...

2009 Fantasy Football's Rankings: Running Backs (April Update)

Football Maniaxs — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:39:19 -0400

Welcome to our 2009 edition of Fantasy Football’s Running Back Rankings. UPDATED as of Mar. 30, '09.

Nothing extraordinary happened in the running backs' market this offseason, except for Derrick Ward moving from the New York Giants to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving a RBBC situation with a good OL to another one with a lesser OL.

Fred Taylor went to the Patriots, leaving Maurice Jones-Drew as the new feature back in Jacksonville.

The Denver Broncos monopolized the other available RBs of note by adding J.J. Arrington, Correll Buckhalter, and LaMont Jordan to their already numerous stable of runners.

Even with Mike Shanahan gone, fantasy owners are left wondering who their starting RB will be next season.

The San Diego Chargers, looking to avoid having another one of their backups flourish in greener pastures ala Michael Turner, franchised Darren Sproles and restructured the last two years of LaDainian Tomlinson contract.

Knowing that L.T. will still be a Charger, how does that affect his value? Will he still be a top-10 pick?Which players moved up from our last rankings, and which ones moved down?

Did we rank Larry Johnson? With Deuce McAllister out of New Orleans, is Pierre Thomas finally a top-10 selection? Did we clear the position's logjam in Baltimore?

1) Adrian Peterson (Vikings) – The most talented running back in the NFL that made the "Sophomore Jinx’s believers look like they live in a fantasy world, deserves the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

How much did he improve from a standout first season where he posted 1,341 yards, 12 TDs, six 100-yard games, and an average of 95.8 Ypg?

In his second season, only the TDs total slipped from 12 to 10, but his yards (1,760), 100-yard games (10), and YPG (110) improved considerably playing in all 16 games.

He will still continue to run behind a great offensive line in 2009 that provides him with holes bigger than the "Grand Canyon,” and will count on the front office to provide him with a respectable passing game this offseason.

2) Michael Turner (Falcons) – Turner exceeded expectations in 2008 by amassing 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns. With a young QB in Matt Ryan that is getting better by the minute, he’s the real deal and should dominate fantasy leagues again in 2009.

3) DeAngelo Williams (Panthers) – Jonathan Stewart splitting time with him scares us a little bit, as he had 184 carries for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. That didn’t stop Williams from topping 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns. This guy’s for real.

4) Matt Forte (Bears) – The good news is that he is the only real weapon on his offense and that will warrant him a ton of touches. The bad news is he is the only real weapon on his offense and defenses will stack eight in the box to stop him...

Full rankings >>>

Which Five NFL Teams Should Trade for Jay Cutler?

Football Maniaxs — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:21:52 -0400

By Derek Lofland, NFL director at Fantasy Football Maniaxs

Events have taken a crazy turn in Denver this offseason. Few people thought that Mike Shanahan would be fired; yet that happened on Dec. 30, 2008.

Then, for his replacement, most people thought they would go for someone with a defensive background to fix a defense that was 30th in the NFL in points allowed and near the bottom of the league in almost every major defensive category.

Yet the Broncos went with 32-year old Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Despite not going for the defensive side of the ball in the head coaching search, it was going to be interesting to see what the offensive coordinator of one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL could do coming to a Denver offense that was third in passing yards in 2008 under Jay Cutler.

The Broncos figured to be able to build on their solid 2008 offensive showing.

Then the offseason really took a crazy turn. The Patriots figured to be in the market to trade Matt Cassel, seeing he was not only a franchised free agent, but the Patriots also have Tom Brady on schedule to come back healthy in 2009. Paying over $25 million to two quarterbacks seemed unrealistic. Cassel being traded was hardly a surprise.

The last team anyone expected to get into the sweepstakes was the Denver Broncos. They tried to engineer a three-way trade with Tampa Bay, where Cutler would go to Tampa Bay and Cassel to Denver, but that trade fell through.

When Matt Cassel eventually left for Kansas City, the fallout for Denver was a very upset Jay Cutler. He has been asking for a trade ever since.

It has really overshadowed all the free agents Denver has signed. Denver has signed 13 free agents this offseason, most notably S Brian Dawkins, CB Andre Goodman, RB LaMont Jordan, and WR Jabar Gaffney.

Had this Cutler mess not materialized, they would figure to be one of the big winners of the free-agency period.

Based on where things are right now, I blame GM Brian Xanders and head coach Josh McDaniels for this mess. While Cutler could be handling the situation better, and is not without blame, the fact is had they not shopped him they would not be in this spot.

An experienced GM and head coach would, 1) never have proposed to trade a franchise QB and not closed the deal; 2) never would have lied and told their quarterback that they had not initiated the trade discussions; and 3) would have patched this up by now instead of trying to repair it through text messages and media interviews.

These two have done their best to make a bad situation worse.

Yes, Cutler could be handling this with more maturity, but the whole situation screams amateur hour, and the combination of Xanders and McDaniels are largely responsible for how this situation has evolved from a small problem to one that has the franchise on the brink of turmoil.

Right now there is posturing on both sides. The Broncos have tried to reach Cutler by text messages, on conference calls, and any other form of communication to patch this mess up.

Cutler wants a trade and he hasn’t been doing a lot of mending fences. It appears to be a stalemate with no resolution in sight.

The reality of the situation is that Jay Cutler is under contract. In 2006, he signed a six-year deal worth $48 million. That deal does not expire until after the 2011 season.

If he sits out the season, the Broncos can fine him for missing training camp. Furthermore, Cutler would not be entitled to any of his salary if he sits out the season. He would also lose a year of NFL service. This just isn’t going to happen. If the Broncos wait this out he will be in training camp come July and they will have their quarterback.

What the Broncos have to decide is whether it is worth it to have a franchise quarterback that doesn’t want to be with the franchise. This has the makings of a locker room disaster.

Furthermore, if he has a bad year it is going to hurt his trade value. His value will never be higher than it is now, coming off a 2008 season where he posted 4,526 yards passing and 25 touchdown passes.

If they wait until after the draft, they aren’t going to be able to get much for him and Cutler knows that. That is why he is taking this aggressive stance right now.

Between now and the Draft he needs to do his best to convince Denver that they are better off without this headache. After the draft he has little to no chance of moving to another franchise.

There are a couple of things that need clarification on this issue. I have read both articles by analysts and comments by fans that say Jay Cutler is somehow not a proven NFL quarterback because he hasn’t won a playoff game. Here are three facts about Jay Cutler.

1) The only quarterbacks in NFL history that have had more than 4,526 yards passing in a single season are as follows: Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Daunte Culpepper, Dan Fouts, Rich Gannon, Trent Green, Neil Lomax, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Warren Moon, and Kurt Warner.

2) The only active quarterbacks with consecutive 20-touchdown pass seasons (Jay Cutler had 20 touchdown in 2007 and 25 in 2008) are as follows: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Marc Bulger, Kerry Collins, Jake Delhomme, Jeff Garcia, Matt Hasselbeck, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, and Kurt Warner.

3) The only active quarterbacks with a career quarterback rating higher than Jay Cutler’s 87.1 are as follows: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Daunte Culpepper, Jeff Garcia, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Chad Pennington, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, and Kurt Warner.

Jay Cutler has not established himself as a Hall of Fame quarterback. He hasn’t proven that he can be a winner in the postseason, but he has proven he can put up numbers in the NFL. He has proven he has a NFL arm and belongs in the league as a starter.

Not everyone on those three lists lists is going to be a Hall of Famer, but all the quarterbacks on those three lists have had numerous years of NFL success.

There isn’t a Ryan Leaf or a Joey Harrington in those lists that accomplished those things. Any team would be lucky to have someone of Jay Cutler’s talent on their roster to build a team around. At 25-years old, the sky is the limit for this guy.

Second, I keep reading that the guy has an ego and that this latest incident screams Jeff George behavior and that he would be a bad addition in terms of chemistry. There is a Sports Illustrated article I read by Peter King back in 1995 called, "Countdown." It was an article recapping a week he had spent with Brett Favre in Green Bay.

There is a part of that article that I never forgot. I think it sums up why every great quarterback has an ego.

“The fourth pass play that Holmgren discusses is called Red Right Slot A Right 322 Scat Y Stick. Red means that the basic Packer personnel group is on the field, with two backs, two wide receivers and a tight end. Right means that tight end Chmura is deployed to that side of the line.

"Slot means that Brooks lines up four yards outside the left tackle and a step back from the line. A means that halfback Edgar Bennett lines up to the left of the quarterback (B would have him right behind Favre; C would place him to the right). On this play, fullback Dorsey Levens is in the C spot.

The second Right means that Bennett will go in motion to that side. The designation 322 means that Favre will take a three-step drop, the left tackle and left guard will go one-on-one with their opponents, and no one will remain in the backfield to pick up a blitzer on the left side or help out if one of the defenders gets free to attack Favre.

"Scat means the fullback will be a receiver. Y Stick means the tight end runs a simple six-yard down-and-out.”

King goes on to say, “Next time you want to scream at your local quarterback keep in mind that there's a 40-second clock ticking, and that an offensive coordinator is barking into the quarterback's helmet speaker, and that the quarterback has to shout in the huddle to be heard above the crowd.

"Multiply Red Right Slot A Right 322 Scat Y Stick times 117—that's how many plays Favre and the offense need to memorize for Sunday.”

The mere fact that a person believes they can play NFL quarterback demonstrates that person has a massive ego. What it takes in terms of mental preparation and physical ability to play quarterback at a high level is something that only a handful of people are able to do.

For a person to think they have the capabilities to be one of those very few people immediately screams that they think pretty highly of themselves, probably higher than they should.

You don’t get to be a starting quarterback in the NFL without believing you are better than everyone else. That’s just the nature of the position. What NFL teams are looking for is someone that has an ego his teammates can respect.

They are looking for a person that has a work ethic to match the ego. When those other qualities are not present, you have a Jeff George problem. I don’t believe that is the case with Jay Cutler.

Jay Cutler did not have a negative history with his coaching staff when Mike Shanahan was there. He did not have a history of problems with his teammates. He did not have a history of being lazy. Therefore, I’m not that worried about him being upset that Denver attempted to trade him. That alone does not make him a head case.

People say Jay Cutler should get over Denver trying to trade him, because it’s just business. Jay Cutler wanting out of Denver is also part of the business. Denver signed a contract for him to play there just as much as he signed a contract to play there.

Him wanting out is not different from Denver wanting to trade him. Both are part of the business.

In fact, I would have questions about Cutler’s ability to be a star quarterback if he wasn’t upset about that. Him being complacent about this turn of events would tell me that he really doesn’t care how much the team values his performance from a respect standpoint, so long as the checks kept clearing.

To a certain extent, I can respect Cutler for that, even though I think he is letting his pride get in the way. This distraction really hasn’t helped him. Sure, he’s making Denver look bad, but he’s doing it at the expense of his own image.

I am not sure what he is doing is worth it, but only he and his agent can decide that.

Critics of Cutler say, “But he hasn’t won a playoff game?” Guess what, Neither has Tony Romo. The Cowboys released Terrell Owens to give Romo every opportunity to develop into the player they believe he can become. Carson Palmer also has never won a playoff game and is coming off injury.

The Bengals are making sure they keep him on the roster.

Marc Bulger has one playoff win in seven seasons with the Rams. So far the new Rams' coaching staff is staying committed to him. The Saints are staying committed to Drew Brees. He has one playoff win in eight years.

Cutler is hardly the only quarterback in the NFL with a poor postseason resume or, in his case, no postseason resume. Why are these other teams willing to stay committed to guys that have yet to prove themselves in the postseason? Because guys that can throw the ball effectively are few and far between.

This notion that Jay Cutler is somehow damaged goods, because he hasn’t won a playoff game in just two full years as a starter is ridiculous. He has the talent to be a playoff quarterback. He just hasn’t played on a team with a defense good enough to get him there.

At this point, I believe the Broncos best option is to trade Jay Cutler. When you think of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks you think of great head coach, quarterback relationships such as; Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy, John Elway and Mike Shanahan, and Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren.

Sure, Cutler can still put up good numbers next year, but the goal of every team should be to win the Super Bowl. The Broncos aren’t going to get anywhere if Jay Cutler and Josh McDaniels cannot trust each other. If that’s the case, why keep him?

Whether you side with Cutler or the Broncos the fact is that they probably won’t be able to work together at the level necessary to achieve success in the postseason. Cutler’s value is as high as it will ever be right now.

The draft is coming up and they can get a first round pick for him. If they are going to move him, they will never get better value than right now. A great season won’t do that much to increase his value but a drama-filled season will significantly hurt his value. If they are going to move him, they have nothing to gain by waiting.

I would be ecstatic to get Jay Cutler if I were a NFL General Manager. He has arguably the strongest arm in the NFL and is just 25-years old. Yes, he has an ego and yes, he has done some things that suggest his attitude is immature.

Jay Cutler is also the type of player that could turn a pretender into a contender for the next five to 10 years. There aren’t many guys like that.

Here are the five teams that I think need to close this deal.

1) New York Jets—The Jets have gone through a lot of changes since the 2008 season. They hired Rex Ryan as their head coach, and added a lot of defense including ILB Bart Scott, CB Lito Shepherd, DE Marques Douglas, and S Jim Leonhard.

The problem is they have lost Brett Favre to retirement and Laveranues Coles to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Jerricho Cotchery, and Dustin Keller are fine pieces, but they cannot succeed with Kellen Clemens or Brett Ratliff at quarterback. Cutler immediately upgrades their offense and possibly turns them into a contender in the AFC East.

The Jets have expressed interest in acquiring Cutler, so it seems like a logical fit. The problem is the Jets don’t have a quarterback the Broncos would be interested in. What the Jets do have is the 17th pick in the draft.

They could work with Cleveland to send either Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn to Denver and send their first round pick to Cleveland.

The Broncos could also just take the Jets 17th pick and package it with their 12th pick to trade up and draft either Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez. That could also yield some additional third or fourth round picks for them to add more talent. Whatever it takes the Jets should try to make this happen.

2) Minnesota Vikings—The Vikings have seemingly everything. They have Adrian Peterson, one of the best young backs in the NFL. They have one of the best offensive and defensive lines in the NFL. Bernard Berrian is a good deep threat. Sidney Rice is an emerging receiver. The problem is they have no passing game.

They ranked just 25th in passing yards in 2008.

In the 2008 Wild Card Round, Tarvaris Jackson had 15 completions in 35 attempts for 164 yards, zero touchdowns, one pick, and a 45.4 QB rating. If they are going to contend with the other NFC playoff teams, they need a passing game.

Cutler gives them the one thing their team is missing. It could make them the favorite in the NFC to go to the Super Bowl.

The Vikings hold the 22nd pick in the draft. They also traded a fourth-round pick to the Texans before signing Sage Rosenfels to a two-year deal for $9 million dollars. The Broncos probably will not want Rosenfels and the 22nd pick in the draft.

If that is the case, the Vikings may also need to seek out Cleveland to be the third team in the trade. Short of giving away their entire draft, it would be worth it for Minnesota to bite the bullet and make this deal happen.

3) Detroit Lions—The Detroit Lions haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Bobby Layne and he played back in the 1950s. They need someone to build their franchise around.

With Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith in place, Cutler would have some weapons to work with. While he doesn’t make them a playoff team in 2009, he gives them a solid foundation to build on.

The good thing for the Lions is that they have two first round picks. Not only do they have the first pick, but they also have the 20th pick that they acquired from the Cowboys for Roy Williams. They could swap the first pick for Denver’s 12th pick and Cutler.

That would guarantee Denver gets their quarterback in the first round. They could also trade the 20th pick in the draft.

This could make a lot of sense, because the Lions are probably the one team that won’t need the Browns to get involved in the deal. They have the first round picks to make this happen. Getting Cutler would ensure they don’t finish 0-16 again in 2009. Getting Cutler would go a long way to making them a playoff contender again by 2010.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers—They were the team that was interested in the three-way trade when Matt Cassel would have gone to Denver and Cutler would have gone to Tampa Bay. This is another team that hasn’t had a franchise quarterback in a long time.

Brad Johnson is the best quarterback they have had in recent memory and his physical talents pale to the talents Cutler brings to the table. Luke McCown is their starter at this point, which is about as raw and unproven as it gets.

It isn’t a very good fit for Cutler, because there aren’t many good skill position players. While Derrick Ward, Earnest Graham, and Cadillac Williams give them good backs, their best receiver coming back is Antonio Bryant, who had a career year after uneventful stops in Dallas, Cleveland, and San Francisco.

Michael Clayton and Ike Hilliard are pretty average targets at this point in their careers.

Tampa Bay has the 19th selection. With Luke McCown as their best quarterback on the roster, they will also probably need Cleveland to get involved in the deal. It is a long shot, but in a division with Carolina and Atlanta at the front of the pack, they need to make this deal to keep pace in a very tough NFC South.

If they could add some more depth at skill position's, Cutler in a Tampa Bay uniform would be a scary thought for other teams. It could thrust Tampa Bay back to the front of the NFC South.

5) Buffalo Bills—This is a team that a lot of people haven’t talked about getting into the Jay Cutler mix, but I think it makes perfect sense. The Bills just signed Terrell Owens to a free agent deal. Trent Edwards has decent value at this point. Many people view him as a good upcoming quarterback.

However, he is hardly proven and doesn’t have the arm strength of Cutler. The biggest question on that offense is whether he has the ability to take it to the next level.

The Bills need to win now with T.O. and Lee Evans as the big downfield threats. Cutler would have the arm to run that vertical attack. The Bills could trade Edwards and the 11th pick in the draft to Denver for Cutler and Denver’s 48th pick.

This move could make them a major threat to counter the Patriots and Dolphins and reestablish themselves as a team to be feared in the AFC.

There are other teams that could get in the mix. The Chicago Bears could make sense as they could trade Kyle Orton and their 18th pick in the draft. The Eagles and Donovan McNabb seem to be a big question mark.

Does Denver put something together and make a deal? Gary Kubiak is a former Bronco coordinator and Cutler could make sense in Houston. Matt Schaub is still highly regarded; he just has injury issues. Cutler and Andre Johnson would sure look nice in the same uniform.

If Denver can get multiple teams into the bidding, they may be able to drive the price up. That’s why it makes sense to do this sooner rather than later. Rarely does a quarterback with the youth and track record of Cutler ever make it to the trading block. Teams will try to get into that sweepstakes and that will benefit the Broncos.

The longer they wait, the fewer teams there will be that want to get into the action.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about the Ten Most Pivotal Moments in NFL history. Depending on what Jay Cutler goes on to become and what team gets him this has the makings of a very pivotal move.

This could be a move that shapes the 2009 NFL Draft and future seasons to come. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Cutler is to blame for this mess, or do you think the Broncos dropped the ball?

Where would you like to see him go?

As always, I look forward to your comments.

2009 NFL's Offseason Free Agency & Trades Movement

Football Maniaxs — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:41:02 -0400

By Antonino Buccellato, owner of Fantasy Football Maniaxs

Seeking to please a chorus of unhappy fans and nervous “on the hot seat” coaches, team presidents and general managers around the NFL are taking a cheerier tone to free agency spending millions of dollars in bringing in available, supposed immediate help to their struggling and needy squads.

At the beginning of the free-agency period, when supply is shorter than demand as per No. 1 economic rule, aggressive owners like Dan Snyder of the Redskins had to overpay in the tune of $100 million over seven years to beat the competition from signing marquee FA Albert Haynesworth from Tennessee.

As the days went by, supply overtook demand and signing prices decreased tremendously allowing teams to gain more negotiating power.

To illustrate a good example of that, Laveranues Coles’ situation with the Jets comes to mind. The team had denied him a long-term contract extension, which promptly allowed him to test the FA waters. He was still under contract for two more years that would have paid him $5 and S6 million each respective season.

Coles ended up signing with the Bengals, after his release, for almost the same amount of money he would have earned had he stayed with New York. Coles fulfilled his wish to ink a long-term four-year, $28 million contract but the yearly base pay wasn't as lucrative as he wished for when he opted to go into the open market.

Teams such as the Buffalo Bills took the “one-year experiment” approach by signing freshly released Terrell Owens, formerly of Dallas.

His $ 6.5M salary for 2009 is not very burdening considering the potential fast relief he brings to the team hoping to crack the top of a tough division that includes the defensively retooled Jets, the always competitive Patriots, and the revamped and tricky Dolphins.

Other teams rescinded from hefty financial obligations to priced veterans by releasing them to the FA pool. The St. Louis Rams parting ways with Torry Holt and the Indianapolis Colts releasing Marvin Harrison are two of the latest examples of the yearly money saving moves.

Finally, there are the apparently irrelevant moves involving players like fullback Lorenzo Neal. To put that into perspective, it is essential to crunch some past statistics.

Lorenzo Neal’s “seemingly irrelevant” blocking while a member of the 2007 Chargers, led the team to a seventh ranked rushing offense with 2,039 yards. The Baltimore Ravens ranked 16th in the same category with 1,797 yards.

When Neal switched to a Ravens’ uniform in the 2008 offseason, the NFL's casual fan didn’t see the move as an impacting one. However, the move was instrumental in reversing each involved team’s fortunes in the rushing department.

The previously seventh ranked Chargers rushing attack fell to the 20th spot in the league in 2008 producing 1,726 yards, while the previously 16th ranked Baltimore’s ground offense skyrocketed all the way to fourth place when the trio of Le’Ron McClain, Willis McGahee, and Ray Rice amassed 2,376 yards running the ball.

Other teams will wait until draft day to finalize some transactions. The Arizona Cardinals might just do that and trade malcontent wideout Anquan Boldin for draft choices to acquire more leverage and improve their rising team.

There were also some trades that took place already parallel with the free agency frenzy changing some team's landscape.

Quarterbacks

Kurt Warner remains in Arizona, had surgery to extend his career, and solidifies a passing attack that was in danger of being dismantled when the offseason began.

Matt Cassel was traded to the Chiefs for the ridiculous price of the 34th pick in the draft and supplants Tyler Thigpen (another 2008 wonder) as the starter.

Kerry Collins stays in Tennessee to keep managing the Titans running offense.

He did get some weapons to haul his passes for 2009 in Nate Washington and J.T. O’Sullivan continues his NFL journey and joins the Bengals to spell Carson Palmer should the latter not be ready for the season opener or should he suffer a setback. T.J. Houshmandzadeh won’t be there to help his numbers should he start a few games.

Jon Kitna will back up Tony Romo in Dallas after the Cowboys’ release of Brad Johnson.

Sage Rosenfels will battle Tarvaris Jackson in Minnesota for the starting job after leaving the Houston Texans.

Damon Huard moves to San Francisco in a customary back up role. However, the starting job appears, once again, to be wide open and he could end up starting.

Chris Simms went to Denver to initially relief Jay Cutler, but now appears to have a chance of starting there in light of the imminent departure of Cutler.

Dan Orlovsky will play for the Texans in 2009 backing up Matt Schaub. He replaces Sage Rosenfels as the team’s No. 2 starter.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is now in Buffalo, and should Trent Edwards go down, he will have the luxury of throwing to Terrell Owens.

Running backs

Brandon Jacobs stays with the Giants, but Derrick Ward goes to Tampa Bay. Ahmad Bradshaw climbs up the depth chart at No. 2 for the Giants and Derrick Ward becomes the starter in Tampa.

That move relegates Earnest Graham to a back up role. Cadillac Williams is now buried as an emergency starter or situational back for the Buccaneers while he heals from his knee surgeries.

Fred Taylor is now a Patriot, actually one of the many New England backs. He will provide a shot of experience to the team and can start should Laurence Maroney have to deal with his annual hamstring injury.

Darren Sproles (franchise tagged) and LaDainian Tomlinson (restructured contract) stay put in San Diego to keep defenses guessing with their diverse running styles.

Cedric Benson will remain a Bengal after searching for a new suitor for his services in free agency. Benson played productively toward the end of last season and if he can carry that momentum into 2009, he could become a nice surprise player.

Maurice Morris goes to the Lions from Seattle to split carries with second year RB Kevin Smith.

Kevin Jones stays in Chicago to back up Matt Forte.

The Broncos cannibalized the few available RBs free agents for hire by adding Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, and LaMont Jordan to their already stuffed running back arsenal of Ryan Torain, Selvin Young, Peyton Hillis, Andre Hall, and Andrew Pinnock.

Jason Wright goes to 2009 Super Bowl runner up Arizona from Cleveland in anticipation of the Edgerrin James release.

Noah Herron replaces Wright in Cleveland arriving from Green Bay, a place where he figured he couldn’t find starting room.

Wide receivers

Terrell Owens signs with the Bills and gives the franchise a new face lift for 2009 with Trent Edwards being the biggest beneficiary. Oops, did I speak too fast? Owens missed the first day of "voluntary" mini-camps. Remorse, anyone? (Bills.) Giggles, anyone? (49ers, Eagles, and Cowboys.)

T.J. Houshmandzadeh goes to Seattle to anchor the receiver corps and try to re-launch the team to respectability after a bleak 4-12 season.

Antonio Bryant remains in Tampa Bay and with the departure of Joey Galloway, he will now be the No. 1 receiver.

Laveranues Coles will be in a Bengals uniform this upcoming season and according to his contract until 2012.

Joey Galloway goes to the Patriots to add veteranship and depth. The 36-year old wideout has only reached the 1,000-yard mark three times in his career, and 2009 looks to be no different on a team that features Randy Moss and Wes Welker as their main threats.

Bobby Engram to the Chiefs brings a new dimension to the team. He will be a capable safety blanket for Matt Cassel and will play up to his WR3 standards as he has only reached the 1,000-yard mark once in his career.

His presence on the field, however, will free up Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez more.

Ex-Saint Terrance Copper also goes to the Chiefs for depth purposes. David Patten signed with the Browns.

Bengals’ Glenn Holt signs with the Vikings.

Bryant Johnson continues his journey and makes Detroit his next NFL stop.

Deverey Henderson will remain a Saint and retains his WR3 role.

Nate Washington is now with the Titans and will try to become a solid No. 2 receiver.

Jabar Gaffney moves to Denver and could see an increased workload to start the season with Brandon Marshall likely to be suspended four games to start the season.

Michael Clayton stays with Tampa and hopes that his role will increase, as it should.
Brandon Jones moves to San Francisco from Tennessee.

Obscure David Anderson stays a Texan.

Tight ends

Kellen Winslow II joins the Buccaneers via trade with the Browns who will receive a second round pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Buffalo’s Robert Royal goes to the Browns as Kellen Winslow’s replacement.

L.J. Smith joins Baltimore and will compete and share time with injury-prone fellow TE Todd Heap.

Chris Baker goes to the Patriots from the division rival Jets. He became expandable after a great season by rookie Dustin Keller who collected 48 passes, 535 yards, and three TDs.

The Saints keep adding TEs to their team as they sign Dan Campbell and Darnell Dinkins. The team already has Jeremy Shockey and Bill Miller under contract.

Other TEs transactions include Will Heller from Seattle going to the Lions and John Owens from Detroit to Seattle.

Anthony Becht will move from St. Louis to an Arizona team that rarely uses its tight ends.

Kickers

Not much movement on the kicker’s end except for Mike Nugent going to the Bucs from the Jets. Jay Feely resigned with the Jets and Shaun Suisham stays put in Washington.