Bleacher Report - Articles by John Bishop

NFL Draft 2009: "The Best Player Available?"

John Bishop — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:56:18 -0400

Just got finished writing my NFL Draft Guide (now for sale on my website—nudge,nudge) and it still amazes me how some of the people responsible for their team's drafts, such as GMs, owners, coaches, etc., don't seem to have a clue about what to do when it comes to drafting.

All this talk about we'll take the "best player available" always seems like a joke to me, and it's no wonder some of these teams continue to suck while others remain at the top of the heap!

Let's look at the Lions for instance.

With the No. 1 pick in the draft this year, it is speculated by many that QB Matthew Stafford from Georgia or LB Aaron Curry from Wake Forest are looking more and more to be the favorites over T Jason Smith of Baylor.

Why? Ok, Daunte Culpepper isn't what he used to be, but he has slimmed down again and could definitely help improve this team if he can stay healthy and if he has some blocking.

Another factor here is that there will be other QB's still on the board later in the draft that could come in and challenge for a starting role, as well as the fact that they could draft another QB next year if things don't work out for Culpepper this season.

So, sorry folks, but for me, QB Matt Stafford is not the smart choice here.

LB Aaron Curry is the No. 1 rated player in the draft, but again I have some questions about this pick.

LB Ernie Sims is one of the best LB's in the league, and they also acquired Julian Peterson from the Seahawks. Again, there will be linebackers available later in the draft they could select to battle it out with Alex Lewis and Jordan Dizon for the third LB spot, so I can't see the sense in drafting Curry either.

Now look at the offensive line.

Jeff Backus in one of the best tackles in the league, but ex-Titan Daniel Loper or T George Foster at the other tackle could immediately be upgraded, and probably for a lot of years to come, with the addition of Jason Smith.

Ok, so you could make an argument that the T position has some fine prospects as well this year, but Jason Smith and T Eugene Monroe of Virginia seem to be in a class all their own.

Any of these players will help a horrible team, but you need to make your picks count, and hey, it is just my opinion (although I do end up being right a lot of the time when it comes to the NFL), but if they don't select Smith it could haunt them for years to come.

Why do you think teams like the Steelers, Giants, Cowboys, and many of the other consistently good teams in the league don't have more than a couple of down years in a row?

They are experts at looking at their roster, knowing what holes they have to fill, and getting players that will help the team become more solid no matter where they pick in the draft.

Another scenario that I find perplexing is the Saint Louis Rams with the second pick.

There has been much talk about T's Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe, LB Aaron Curry, and even the possibility of Stafford if the Lions don't sign him.

I have to ask; What about WR Michael Crabtreee?

Ok, I understand T Orlando Pace is gone (Ravens), but there are a lot of teams that are worse off than Alex Barron and Adam Goldberg as their starting tackles.

Curry would be a nice fit to go with Will Witherspoon and Pisa Tinoisamoa at LB, but LB's Chris Draft and Quinton Culberson are not horrible, and as I said before, there will be other LB's available later on that can also help.

QB Marc Bulger doesn't look as good as he used to, but this could be more because their inside blocking needs help (especially the guard position now that they have C Jason Brown from the Ravens), and the fact that without Torry Holt (Jaguars), who is the QB going to throw the ball to?

Donnie Avery should only get better, but with their second WR being either the often injured second year WR Keenan Burton, or ex-Falcon Laurent Robinson, how can you pass up on a talent like Crabtree? Again, just my opinion, but looking at the whole picture, it makes more sense to me.

Look what the Lions have done recently as well as teams like the Marvin Lewis led Bengals and the Herm Edwards led Chiefs, and you can see how poor draft choices have taken these teams into the crapper.

"Best player available," how do you know?

These guys haven't even played an NFL game yet!

Tom Brady was a seventh round draft choice for pete's sake, so I guess there were over 200 "best players available" before him huh?

The teams that thrive are the teams that take the "best player available" for their team.

Do you think the Colts, with Peyton Manning, are going to take QBs Mark Sanchez or Josh Freeman because they are the "best player available" when their pick comes up? Of course not.

Do you think the Steelers will take a LB in the first round because it is the "best player available?" Never gonna happen!

Fill in your weaknesses, make your depth stronger, and pick the best player for your team. Those are the teams that thrive and survive in the NFL.

For anyone who is interested I have all the free agent and trade activity for every team posted on my website at www.johnnynfl.com, and my 2009 NFL draft guide, complete with my seven round mock draft, is now available for purchase as well, so check it out and hope your team has a draft to be proud of!

JohnnyNFL: Who Might Be the Top Fantasy Special Teams Players of 2008?

John Bishop — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:38:12 -0400

Here are JohnnyNFL's top NFL special teams players for the upcoming season:

Top-15 Kickers

1. Nick Folk, Cowboys

2. Shayne Graham, Bengals

3. Mason Crosby, Packers

4. Rob Bironas, Titans

5. Robbie Gould, Bears

6. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots

7. Adam Vinatieri, Colts

8. Nate Kaeding, Chargers

9. Jason Hanson, Lions

10. Phil Dawson, Browns

11. Josh Brown, Rams

12. David Akers, Eagles

13. Matt Bryant, Bucs

14. Matt Stover, Ravens

15. Kris Brown, Texans

Top-5 Punters

1. Shane Lechler, Raiders

2. Brian Moorman, Bills

3. Mat McBriar, Cowboys

4. Mike Scifres, Chargers

5. Chris Kluwe, Vikings

Honorable mention: Dan Sepulveda, Steelers

Top-5 Returners

1. Devin Hester, Bears

2. Joshua Cribbs, Browns

3. Leon Washington, Jets

4. Darren Sproles, Chargers

5. Yamon Figurs, Ravens

Honorable mentions: Adam Jones, Cowboys; Nate Burleson, Seahawks

That's it for my preseason fantasy rankings. Hope you enjoyed it, and for more player rankings that can help on your way to winning your league in 2008, and to get my winning fantasy tips and UPDATED RANKINGS, go to http ://www.johnnynfl.info ASAP. Only 200 memberships available, so hurry!

Fantasy Football: Top 40 Linebackers

John Bishop — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:40:41 -0400

JOHNNYNFL's TOP 40 FANTASY LINEBACKERS

1. Patrick Willis: SF

2. Ray Lewis: BAL

3. Brian Urlacher: CHI

4. Demeco Ryans: HOU

5. David Harris: NYJ

6. Zach Thomas: DAL

7. London Fletcher: WAS

8. Nick Barnett: GB

9. Ernie Sims: DET

10. Lofa Tatupu: SEA

11. Kirk Morrison: OAK

12. Lance Briggs: CHI

13. Jon Beason: CAR

14. A.J. Hawk: GB

15. Thomas Howard: OAK

16. Angelo Crowell: BUF

17. Keith Bulluck: TEN

18. Keith Brooking: ATL

19. Will Witherspoon: STL

20. Chad Greenway: MIN

21. Demarcus Ware: DAL

22. James Farrior: PIT

23. Mike Peterson: JAC

24. Donnie Edwards: KC

25. Shawne Merriman: SD

26. D.J. Williams: DEN

27. Michael Boley: ATL

28. Jonathan Vilma: NO

29. Derrick Johnson: KC

30. David Thornton: TEN

31. Julian Peterson: SEA

32. Karlos Dansby: ARI

33. Aaron Pierce: NYG

34. Bart Scott: BAL

35. Derrick Brooks: TB

36. Gary Brackett: IND

37. Morlon Greenwood: HOU

38. Barrett Ruud: TB

39. D'Qwell Jackson: CLE

40. James Harrison: Pitt

Just a little something for all you IDP players out there. The top 15 should be vicious, and then it should start to even out after that. Let me know what you think, and don't forget you can get all my rankings at http://www.johnnynfl.info

Top-40 Fantasy Quarterbacks In 2008

John Bishop — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:58:03 -0400

1. Tom Brady, Patriots—I wouldn't expect another record-breaking year, but another 40-TD season is not out of the question.

2. Peyton Manning, Colts—When veteran WR Marvin Harrison can return to action will determine how well Manning will fare this season.

3. Tony Romo, Cowboys—Whether Terry Glenn returns or not, the Cowboys have enough weapons for Romo to be a threat to score every time they have the ball.

4. Drew Brees, Saints—If Devery Henderson or Robert Meachem can finally emerge as even a halfway consistent threat, Brees will be tough to stop.

5. Donovan McNabb, Eagles—McNabb should be fully healthy, and he can still run with the ball. He also still has RB Brian Westbrook to carry the load, both rushing and receiving, so expect him to have a big year again, spreading the ball around to his other various targets when Westbrook needs a break.

6. Carson Palmer, Bengals—Palmer will likely always put up decent numbers as long as Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are around. However, third WR Chris Henry is gone, and the offensive line is not as good as it has been, so a small drop could be in order for Palmer's numbers this season.

7. Derek Anderson, Browns—If you would have told me last year that I would have had Anderson ranked as one of the top 10 QBs this season, I would have thought you were nuts!

However, with weapons like WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow, and now ex-Patriot WR Donte Stallworth, if WR Joe Jurevicius can mend his knee, Anderson should have himself a pretty good year.

8. Jay Cutler, Broncos—His ranking here all depends on the status of WR Brandon Marshall. Marshall could be suspended because of multiple arrests and alleged incidents, which could devastate both the Broncos' and Cutler's season, so I'll keep you up to date on this one, because without him, the numbers will fall.

9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks—The offensive line does a great job of protecting Hasselbeck, and he knows how to find the open receiver, no matter who is on the field. Expect another solid year from this veteran.

10. Philip Rivers, Chargers—When you have a back that can catch the ball like LT, a TE like Antonio Gates, and a full season with Chris Chambers at WR, not to mention a pretty good offensive line, you should be able to put up some numbers.

11. Jon Kitna, Lions—The Lions are loaded at WR again, and the offensive line should do a better job of protection this season as well. Kitna still may throw his share of INTs, but he should also throw up some nice yardage and decent TDs once again.

12. Eli Manning, Giants—How well Eli can do again this season could depend on TE Jeremy Shockey. The Giants have a great running game, and without Shockey, if he doesn't feel he's being treated right and gets traded, teams will start to find a way to slow down Burress, and the passing game could be in for a letdown. So keep an eye on Shockey. That will affect where you may want to rank Eli in the future.

13. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers—With WR Santonio Holmes getting better, and veteran WR Hines Ward still around, along with TE Heath Miller, Big Ben should have another solid season.

14. David Garrard, Jaguars—The additions of ex-Raider WR Jerry Porter and ex-Viking Troy Williamson should at least add a little more consistency to the offense, and should make WRs Reggie Williams and Matt Jones better as well. The versatile Garrard should be able to find enough open receivers to have a good year in 2008.

15. Aaron Rodgers, Packers—OK, don't expect Brett Favre, but with the same weapons as Favre had last season, and a good offensive line, Rodgers could have a pretty good year.

16. Matt Leinart, Cardinals—When you have WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, you're going to have a decent year. However, the offensive line is still better at run blocking, and Leinart can also be a health risk, so I wouldn't rank him as high as you may expect.

17. Jake Delhomme, Panthers—Delhomme still has WR Steve Smith, and if the return of Muhsin Muhammad and the addition of ex-Seahawk D.J. Hackett can help, Delhomme should be able to have a good season. I just don't trust the offensive line enough to rank him any higher.

18. Jason Campbell, Redskins—WR Santana Moss should be better this year, and he should be the main receiver over Antwan Randle-El. The addition of rookies Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas should also help, and remember, there's TE Chris Cooley, too. Don't underestimate what Campbell can do if he can stay healthy.

19. Marc Bulger, Rams—The loss of WR Isaac Bruce to the Niners has to hurt a little. Plus, the fact that the offensive line is still getting mended and Bulger has enough trouble staying healthy anyway; he could be a risk as your starting QB this year.

Sure he still has WR Torry Holt and versatile RB Steven Jackson, so he may be able to put up some good numbers at times, but this could be a risky pick if you are going to count on him as your QB for the entire season.

20. Vince Young, Titans—Top four WRs: Justin Gage, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Justin McCareins...need I say more? If not for a decent offensive line, and Young's ability to run the ball, he would not be in the Top 20.

21. Jeff Garcia, Bucs—The only thing preventing Garcia from having a big year is a WR to complement veteran speedster Joey Galloway. This offensive line should be pretty good, and with the lack of WRs, and RBs Ernest Graham and Warrick Dunn now returning, this could be a team that could have two 1,000-yard rushers, so Garcia's passes could be limited.

22. (R) Joe Flacco, Ravens—Right now, Flacco looks to have a small edge, but either Kyle Boller or Troy Smith could also end up starting on opening day. Any of these three should be counted on for nothing more than a bye-week replacement/weekly play!

23. Matt Schaub, Texans—This offensive line is still being built, and Schaub hasn't been able to stay healthy already. Feel free if you want to take a chance, but I think I would take my chances on nabbing him off the waiver wire instead, if I liked his matchup.

24. Chad Pennington, Jets—If only the Jets could combine Pennington and Kellen Clemens! Pennington is deadly accurate and experienced, but isn't exactly known for his "gun". Clemens is young and inexperienced, but has a much better "rifle". The rest of the team seems to be in place, but I don't think I would use either of these guys for anything other than a bye-week play.

25. Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings—While he should improve, the name of the game in Minnesota is going to be running the ball with AD, Chester Taylor, and a dominant offensive line.

There's a chance for that occasional good game, especially with the addition of ex-Bear Bernard Berrian, but overall, don't expect a lot of pass attempts from any QB here, whether it be Jackson, Frerotte, or Bollinger.

26. (R) Matt Ryan, Falcons—Whether it be Ryan or veteran Chris Redman starting, this offensive line needs to get a lot better for either of them to produce on a consistent basis.

27. J.P. Losman, Bills—Trent Edwards still has a chance to start on opening day, but until rookie WR James Hardy, or someone else besides Lee Evans, can become a receiving threat, either of these two should remain no more than a weekly play.

28. Brodie Croyle, Chiefs—Damon Huard still may be the QB come opening day, but either way, the offensive line still needs to supply better protection. Expect a heavy dose of Larry Johnson, as long as he stays healthy, and with WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Tony Gonzalez as the only real receiving threats, to use either Croyle or Huard as your starting QB could be risky.

29. Alex Smith, 49ers—Smith will battle Shaun Hill to remain the starter. Either way, the offensive line still needs to gel, and their top receiver is still TE Vernon Davis, which means his blocking is still going to be needed enough to limit his looks and effectiveness as a receiving target. I would only use one of these guys in a dire emergency.

30. John Beck, Dolphins—Beck, Josh McCown, or rookie Chad Henne, take your pick; the offensive line is still going to have problems, and their receiving corps is not going to scare to many defenses, not to mention the fact that with RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams around, expect a lot of running. If you draft any of these QBs, they better be buried deep on your bench.

31. JaMarcus Russell, Raiders—Rookie RB Darren McFadden should help the passing game, I just don't know how much you can expect when no one blocks. This offensive line could be the worst in football, and there are no signs that it's going to get better any time soon. WR Javon Walker is an overrated addition and may not be much better than WR Ronald Curry. I would use a wait-and-see approach before relying on Russell to lead your squad.

32. Rex Grossman, Bears—Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton...does it matter? If you draft either of these guys, you can hang your season up as soon as your draft ends!

33. Kurt Warner, Cardinals—If I have room to spare on my roster, I would think about stashing Warner if I could get away with it. He should be the starter to begin with, and if Leinart doesn't perform up to expectations, regardless of if he gets hurt or not, Warner could be a big pickup.

34. Brad Johnson, Cowboys—If Romo gets hurt, the Cowboys have so many weapons that the experienced Johnson should be able to put up some decent numbers.

35. Mark Brunell, Saints—Keep an eye on Brunell should anything happen to Brees, because the Saints like to put the ball in the air.

36. Sage Rosenfels, Texans—Rosenfels may be a better starter than Schaub to begin with, and could be a nice weekly play if Schaub cannot survive the season.

37. Matt Cassell, Patriots—Just in case Brady ever got hurt, Cassell could turn out to be a decent weekly play.

38. Jim Sorgi, Colts—Sorgi with WR Harrison, decent weekly play...without Harrison...he may be shaky.

39. Brady Quinn, Browns—Having to sit the bench again in his second year is not what Quinn was looking forward to. But if Anderson goes down, he could be a good play.

40. Seneca Wallace, Seahawks—Usually a good play if Hasselbeck gets injured.

Let me know what you think. You can get all of my rankings at: johnnynfl.