Bleacher Report - Articles by Brandon Heshee

Why the Carolina Panthers Have a Chance Next Year

Brandon Heshee — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:39:31 -0400

All right Panther fans, the time has come: Prepare yourself for my Carolina Panthers '08-'09 preview. I have never done this before, so please bear with me.

2007 Season

Last year was a complete disappointment. The Panthers finished with a 7-9 record and went through four quarterbacks. As a Panthers fan, I was embarrassed.

Quarterback

Obviously, this offense has no chance of succeeding without Jake Delhomme. If he goes down again, or his Tommy John surgery hurts his performance, the Carolina Panthers are doomed.

Last year, in the three games that he played in, Jake Delhomme threw for 624 yards and eight touchdowns, with a 64 percent completion rating. He also had a quarterback rating of 111.8.

His touchdown percentage was 9.3 percent, which means that almost 10 percent of his passes were touchdowns. As opposed to 2.9 percent, which was the Panthers' next leader in that statistic, Vinny Testaverde. The Panthers went 2-1 in the games that Delhomme played in.

He also only threw one interception in those games.

Delhomme should probably throw for 20 or more touchdowns and about 17 interceptions this year. It just depends on how that Tommy John surgery affects him.

It is my opinion that the Carolina Panthers will try to incorporate the passing game more this season, as the receiving corps has been improved immensely through free agency.

Running Back

The drafting of Jonathan Stewart could be huge, as he gives the Panthers the power back that they have needed. Losing DeShaun Foster was actually a good thing, in my mind. Last year, DeAngelo Williams averaged five-yards per carry last year, while DeShaun Foster only averaged 3.5 yards per carry.

DeShaun Foster had only 160 more rushing yards than DeAngelo, and he had 103 more carries. I just don't understand why DeAngelo wasn't named the starting back last year. He finished the year with 717 yards and four touchdowns.

He also didn't have a single fumble all season. While Jonathan Stewart has the potential to make an immediate impact, we will always have DeAngelo to fall back on.

I expect DeAngelo Williams to be the primary back for the beginning of the season, but for Stewart to eventually take over. Look for Jonathon Stewart to finish with about 800 to 900 yards, and six or seven touchdowns. DeAngelo will get about 750 yards and four touchdowns.

Wide Receiver

Steve Smith should have a great season this year. I think that he is hungry to have another season like his fifth year in the league. (103 receptions, 1,563 yards, and 12 touchdowns).

While I am not sure that he can produce numbers like that again this year, it is definitely a possibility, with the improved receiving corps. I would expect him to have about 95 receptions, 1,400 yards, and 10 touchdowns.

D.J. Hackett should be a good role player in the Panthers' offense this year. He most definitely showed potential last year, getting over 100 yards in three of the eight games that he played in. He had 136 yards and one touchdown against Chicago, 101 yards and one touchdown against San Francisco, and 101 yards and one touchdown against the Washington Redskins in the playoffs.

Carolina also acquired 35-year old Muhsin Muhamad. This helps by giving us a big, reliable receiver, but doesn't help to solidify our future in any way. Muhsin is definitely on his career's decline. Last year, he had 40 receptions, 570 yards, and only three touchdowns.

They also acquired Travis Taylor, who, in his best season, had 870 yards, 61 receptions, and six touchdowns. Travis Taylor is currently 30-years old.

Tight End

Jeff King is not the most exciting person to talk about. He finished last year with 46 receptions, 406 yards, and two touchdowns. He obviously isn't a top fantasy tight end, but he doesn't have to be. He is a good blocker, and he does the job for the Carolina Panthers. If only they could have snagged Shockey...

Offensive Line

The offensive line, starting at the left and moving towards the right, consists of Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton, Ryan Kalil, Keydrick Vincent, and rookie Jeff Otah. I think that the offensive line will perform well, and they will definitely open up holes for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Defensive Line

This is where the Carolina Panthers took the biggest blow.

They not only lost Kris Jenkins, but Mike Rucker also retired. The Panthers' defense has always been defined through their stellar defensive line. Now that they have lost that, they will have to find a new definition.

Julius Peppers also had a terrible season last season, with only 2.5 sacks, his worst ever total at that statistic. He still has the potential and the skill to turn that around this season, though.

Charles Johnson will be the other defensive end, even though he only played in three games last season, amassing two tackles and no sacks. Ma'ake Kemoeatu will be the left defensive tackle, and he finished last season with 47 tackles, no forced fumbles, and no sacks.

The right defensive tackle will be Damoine Lewis, who only had 29 tackles in 15 games last season.

Linebackers

This is where I see the Panthers' defense excelling.

Jon Beason was a force to be reckoned with last year, finishing with 140 tackles, enough to lead the Panthers, in his rookie year. Now that he is more experienced and has had more time to learn the defense, he should be even better. I see him stepping up and being the leader of these linebackers for years to come.

While they did lose Dan Morgan to the New Orleans Saints, he has only played a combined four games in the last two seasons.

Overall, he has played 59 games out of a possible 128 in his career. While he was a good linebacker, he was only helpful when he wasn't hurt, which wasn't often. He racked up 22 tackles in the three games that he played in.

Thomas Davis will also probably start this season. Last year he had 87 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception. He will be an average linebacker that will get the job done. Landon Johnson will be the other starter, and last year, he had 109 tackles, but no forced fumbles and no interceptions.

Secondary

The No. 1 cornerback next year will probably be Chris Gamble. Here are his interceptions per season, starting in his first season in the NFL: 6, 7, 3, 1. Last year was his worst season yet, which might have been partially because the opposing teams were running so much. I expect him to get seven interceptions this year, however.

The No. 2 corner will probably be Ken Lucas. Last year, he had 62 tackles and two interceptions. So, as you can probably see, the cornerback position definitely needs to step up.

The safety position is also a weakness. Chris Harris will be one of the starters, as he finished with 97 tackles, eight forced fumbles, and one interception last year. The other one will probably be Nate Salley, who played in only seven games last year, with four tackles.

Prediction

The Panthers will go 10-6, finishing second in their division, behind the Saints, but will earn a Wild Card berth. However, they will lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Fantasy Football's Top-Five Players at Each Position

Brandon Heshee — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:10:31 -0400

Well, it's almost that time of year again. My favorite part of the year, Fantasy Football season! So, to help my fellow fantasy footballers out, I am going to give you the top-five players at each position. (I will not be doing any kicker or defense ratings. Sorry!)

Let's get this party started!

Discover Thousand Foot Krutch!

1. Tom Brady

Is there any question on this one? He broke many records last year and he formed an amazing partnership with Randy Moss. I have a feeling that he will be having another amazing season this year, though not quite as good as last year.

2. Peyton Manning

While Marvin Harrison has lost a bit of speed, like any receiver does with age, Peyton Manning still has Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez, who are both developing quite well.

He also has Dallas Clark, and Joseph Addai will take some pressure off of the passing game. Not to mention that Peyton Manning is an amazing quarterback, anyway.

3. Tony Romo

Terrell Owens is getting older, but he is still a great receiving threat, who stretches the field. Patrick Crayton and Terry Glenn aren't too shabby, either. And don't forget about Jason Witten. He is developing into a top-three tight end in the NFL, and Tony Romo has great chemistry with him.

4. Drew Brees

Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, and Devery Henderson. Need I say more? He has been doing great ever since he has been a Saint, and is only getting better, especially fantasy wise, in the Saints' pass-happy offense.

5. Matt Ryan

Just kidding.

5: Ben Roethlisberger

He is coming off what was by far his best season yet. He threw for 3,154 yards, 32 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions last year, in two starts. He also had two rushing touchdowns, just for good measure.

Santonio Holmes had a good season last year, and he's a good match with Big Ben's big arm, as Santonio Holmes is a definite deep threat. Hines Ward will have a decent year, and the drafting of Rashard Mendenhall should help him.

I would have no problem having Ben Roethlisberger as my starting quarterback.

Running Backs

1. LaDanian Tomlinson

As always, LT is on top of all fantasy owners' list of players that they would kill for. (Isn't any feature back?) He will have more opportunities this year, as Philip Rivers is now more experienced, as if he didn't already have enough opportunities.

His uncanny versatility will again have opposing fantasy owners groaning. He can do it all. Throw, receive, and oh yeah, run.

2. Adrian Peterson

This guy was on my team last year, and he gave ME stomach aches. How, you ask? I didn't play him in the two or three games that he scored roughly 60 points, THAT'S HOW!!!

His inconsistency last year was bad, but he should be better this year, as I'm pretty sure that the Vikings coaching staff will figure out that he should be the feature back.

He rushed for over 1,300 yards and had 12 rushing touchdowns. And he's only going to get better. Be careful about his injury problem, though. You might want to consider getting Chester Taylor as well, so if Adrian Peterson gets hurt, you still have the very capable Chester Taylor.

3. Brian Westbrook

I know that his injury problem has you waiting until 30 seconds before your deadline to submit your lineups, but his consistency and versatility are amazing. He had a game last year where he had over 100 yards rushing and over 100 yards receiving. (Of course, I didn't play him, but that's beside the point.)

He rushed for 1,333 yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, and had 5 receiving touchdowns last year. I'm not exactly sure how much pressure the passing game will take off of him, because Donovan McNabb is always doubtful, and their best receiver is Kevin Curtis. That's trouble.

However, according to McNabb, the Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC. Yeah, right. Sorry Eagle fans, but I'm pretty sure that the Cowboys get that title right now (as much as I hate to admit it).

4. Joseph Addai

Considering that he is playing on the high-powered Colts offense, he should have an awesome season. He is a young running back that is getting better at an amazing rate. He is the Colts' feature back, unless Kenton Keith takes carries away from him, which I don't see being a big problem.

Last year, he rushed for 1,072 yards, 12 touchdowns, and had three receiving touchdowns in 15 games. His stats should be better this year than last year, unless he has another weak ending.

5. Steven Jackson

I don't want to hear your whining about this guy's performance last year. He was on my team. (Surprise you?) Anyways, Marc Bulger should be back this year, and will hopefully stay healthy throughout the entire year.

Expect Al Saunders to do wonders with Steven Jackson, as he did with Priest Holmes, and Marshall Faulk in his 2,200-yard season. I think that the Rams will have one of the top offenses in the league next year.

You should not even hesitate to draft this guy, or even trade up in the draft to get him. He may slip a few picks down, just because of last years performance. Don't be the guy (or girl) who passes him up, and then regrets it later.

Wide Receivers

1. Randy Moss

Tom Brady. Need I say more? Fine, I will. As you all probably know, he broke records last year with good ol' Tom Brady, and I wouldn't expect much of a dropoff this season.

He still has pretty good speed, and he displayed some amazing hands last year.

With Belicheat, I mean Belichick, coaching them, the team should have another high-powered offense, with another show-no-mercy type of year.

2. Reggie Wayne

I was debating between Braylon Edwards and Reggie Wayne for this one, but Reggie has Peyton Manning. Sorry Braylon, it's not your fault. Anyways, Reggie Wayne should post some outstanding numbers next year, as he has turned into Peyton Manning's go-to receiver, despite whatever the depth chart might say.

Last year, he posted 1,510 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. Expect even more out of him this year.

3. Braylon Edwards

I was hesitant to put Braylon Edwards this high, because Derek Anderson had a weak ending last year, but Braylon's talent is uncanny. His unbelievable height and catching ability, as well as his great speed, means that this man has got the full package.

Last year, he had 1,289 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 16 games. I don't really know what to expect from the Browns with their quarterback position, but I think that the added pressure from Brady Quinn will only make Derek Anderson excel.

4. Terrell Owens

I hate to admit it, but yes, he is a straight-up beast. This man played in 15 games last regular season. In those 15 games, he had 1,355 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Tony Romo will get even better this year, and Marion Barber will make a much better starter than Julius Jones did, which should take a little more pressure off of the passing game.

He would make an excellent No. 1 receiver on any team, and should be played every week, without looking at the defensive matchup.

5. Steve Smith

With Jake Delhomme back in the mix, Steve Smith should excel. Last year, with Delhomme under center, Steve Smith exploded with 281 yards and four touchdowns in three games.

Other than that, his stats were pretty weak, which is pretty understandable, considering the quarterback. 1,002 yards receiving and seven touchdowns throughout the entire year. I would expect him to have another great year next season.

Tight Ends

1. Antonio Gates

This guy tears it up out there. 984 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games sounds like decent wide-receiver stats, but for a tight end, they were amazing.

Philip Rivers is more experienced now, and LT should have another great year, opening up the game for Antonio. Getting a top-five tight end really helps, and if you're going to get one, you might as well get Antonio Gates.

2. Jason Witten

Tony Romo to throw to him. Terrell Owens and Marion Barber to take defensive pressure off of him. He definitely has the talent around him, and Lord knows that he has the talent inside of himself.

1,145 yards receiving and seven touchdowns in 16 games. Wow. That's even more yardage than Antonio Gates. I would snag him as soon as Antonio Gates was taken, if you get the chance.

3. Kellen Winslow Jr.

1,106 yards receiving is great. Five touchdowns? Not so much. However, he has developed quite a chemistry with Derek Anderson and has led his team in receptions the last two years.

The addition of Donte Stallworth could help him or hurt him, but we'll have to see. I expect him to get seven or eight touchdowns this year. I still am not comfortable about the Browns' quarterback position, though.

4. Tony Gonzalez

While he may not have the best quarterback ever throwing to him, he still manages to produce big-time numbers every year. Last year, he had 1,172 yards receiving and five touchdowns. If Larry Johnson comes back strong, then that could make Tony Gonzalez' season that much better. Expect him to get at least 1,000 yards receiving and four or five touchdowns.

5. Jeremy Shockey

He had a terrible season last year. However, with Drew Brees throwing to him, he should be a much more consistent tight end. I know that the Giants won the Super Bowl, but Eli Manning was not getting the ball to Jeremy enough.

619 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 14 games, but only 57 grabs. A tight end of his skill level should be getting way more passes than that, and I think that Drew Brees will do just that for him.

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave comments.

Gilbert Arenas Gets $127 Million—Is He Worth It?

Brandon Heshee — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:15:52 -0400

Gilbert Arenas was just offered a deal worth $127 million over six years, but is he worth it?

For starters, of the seven years that he has been a player in this league, he has only played one full season. He played just 13 games last season due to bad knees and surgery.

Andre Miller, by comparison, has been in the NBA for nine seasons, and has played at least 80 games in every one of them.

Secondly, Arenas is a point guard. Despite the name, the point guard's job is not to score a lot of points. It is to make your teammates better! And he doesn't do that.

In the 2006-2007 season he averaged 28.4 points a game. That's pretty good, right? Wrong. He is a point guard. He should be passing, but averaged only six assists per game. That is not what a point guard is supposed to do.

Meanwhile, Andre Miller averaged 9.1 assists per game, and he isn't even a great player. He is not getting paid $127 million for that. (I already had Andre Miller's stats pulled up, so what the heck?)

Thirdly, Arenas is very turnover prone. He averaged 3.8 turnovers a game in the 07-08 season, and in the 06-07 season he averaged 3.2.

So, I ask you America...is Gilbert Arenas worth $127 million? I don't think so.

He is getting paid more per year than Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, way more than Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and, oh yeah, Andre Miller.

Mavs' Win Against the Warriors Was Huge

Brandon Heshee — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:17:03 -0400

While the Mavs defeating the Golden State Warriors doen't sound like a whole lot to most people, Mavs fans truly understand. The pure hatred between these two teams is overwhelming. Not only is it the Mavericks losing to the Warriors in the first round in last year's playoffs, but the fact that Nellie (Don Nelson) the former Mavericks coach, knows Dirk's every move, as well as knowing Avery Johnson and many other Mavericks' players very well.

The Mavericks fans often get angered by the Warriors' "small ball" style of play, too. It also seems that the Warriors play their best basketball against the Mavericks. Some fans get so frustrated that they yell at their T.V.'s about how immature it is for Golden State fans to do the wave at a basketball game.

And then there is the obvious reason, which is that they needed that win for the race to the Western Conference Playoffs.

But like I was saying, this game was a HUGE morale booster for the Mavericks. Not only were they 0-10 against winning teams since the Jason Kidd trade going into this game, but beating the Warriors was also big because of the before-mentioned hatred against them.

Dirk playing unexpectedly was also a big morale boost for the players, and probably drained a lot out of the already tired Warriors. While Dirk's stats were below his average, he was a definite factor. His average's this year were 23.5 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, and 1 block per game. His stats for the Warriors game were 18 points, 1 block, and 5 rebounds.

I am currently watching the Mavs @ Lakers game, and it looks like the momentum is carrying over. Mavs fans can only hope that the momentum can carry into the tough Western Conference playoffs.

Suns News: Failure in Phoenix

Brandon Heshee — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:40:49 -0400

I thought that the Suns put themselves into a hole ever since they traded for Shaq. Not only is he on a steep decline in his career, but he doesn't have a lot of Diesel Gas left in the tank. The Suns high-tempo style of play is just too much for Shaq to handle. His career average of 25.4 points a game has dropped to 10.9 for the Suns. In his last year at Los Angeles, he averaged 36.8 minutes a game. This season for the Suns, he is only averaging 27.5 minutes.

The good thing, though is that for the last three seasons, he has averaged 9.2, 7.4, and 7.8 rebounds per game, respectively. This year, however, he is averaging 10.2 for the Suns. That's about all of the good that I found.

While they are currently on a 4 game winning streak, it doesn't impress me much. Beating the Spurs by 7 was impressive. He scored 14 points in that game. When they whooped Memphis, though, Shaq only shot once. Beating Golden State by 8 was okay, but Shaq only shot 5 times, and had no offensive rebounds. I am also not stunned by them beating the below .500 Kings. Although Shaq was 6-6 with 8 rebounds, it WAS the Kings.

Since acquiring Shaq, the Suns are 10-8. That is much worse than what they previously had, which was 34-13. The Heat, however, didn't do much to support their future, by getting 29 year-old Shawn Marion, who is only younger than 3 other Heat players. But that's a whole different column.

The Suns average age per player is now about 29.57, whereas Western Conference leader Los Angeles Lakers average age is 25.92. The Suns need to win it all fast, and the Shaq trade may have ruined their chances for that.

Please Comment

--Brandon Heshee

Calm Down Boston: Celtics Are Overrated

Brandon Heshee — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:54:24 -0400

Now don't start cussing me out right away, Bostonites.

The Celtics are a great team, but let's face it, my baby niece could compete in the Eastern Conference. If you stuck the Boston Celtics into the Western Conference, then they MIGHT get the 4th or 5th seed.

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen are no doubt the best Big-3 in the league. However, the rest of the team is a bunch of guys named Joe. Anyone that doesn't live in Boston couldn't name two players on the Boston Celtics other than their Big-3.

Signing Sam Cassell was a great move, but it only put ANOTHER FOSSIL on the team.

If you were to put the Lakers, or another Western Conference contender into the East, they would probably be the #1 seed.

So, once again, I apologize to all Bostoners, but the Boston Celtics are not as good as you think.

It's Time: Kobe Bryant for MVP

Brandon Heshee — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:58:34 -0400

I'm certainly not going to start out this article by promising that Kobe Bryant will win the MVP this season. LeBron James has also had a great season, and is in the running. However, I believe that Kobe is the front-runner.

Not only is he mainly responsible for the Lakers' success this season, but he has finally learned to pass the ball, instead of shooting every play. He is passing whenever another teammate has a better look at the basket, and shooting the ball when his team needs him to.

It is very odd how the best player in the world has yet to win an MVP.

Isn't the MVP voting supposed to go to the,"Best player on the best team?" Is there any doubt that the Lakers are possibly the best team in the NBA? And that Kobe is the best player on the Lakers?

The MVP race right now:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Chris Paul
4. Tracy McGrady
5. Manu Ginobli

Please leave a comment on who YOU think should win the MVP.

Kobe Bryant's Time for MVP Is Now

Brandon Heshee — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:58:31 -0400

I'm certainly not going to start out this article by promising that Kobe Bryant will win the MVP this season. LeBron has also had a great season.

However, I believe that Kobe is the front-runner. Not only is he mainly responsible for the Lakers' success this season, but he has finally learned to pass the ball, instead of shooting every play. He is passing whenever another teammate has a better look at the basket, and shooting the ball when his team needs him to. It is very odd how the best player in the world has yet to win an MVP.

Isn't the MVP voting supposed to go to the,"Best player on the best team?" Is there any doubt that the Lakers are possibly the best team in the NBA? And that Kobe is the best player on the Lakers? Please leave a comment on who YOU think should win the MVP. (Please don't say that the Memphis Grizzlies deserve it because they made others better.)

MVP race:

1. Kobe Bryant

2. LeBron James

3. Chris Paul

4. Tracy McGrady

5. Manu Ginobli

L.A. Lakers are Good?

Brandon Heshee — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:35:40 -0400

Who would have believed two years ago that the Los Angeles Lakers could be good?

I mean, all people could say was "Kobe is too selfish," or "his supporting cast is way too bad," but now, they're are arguably the best team in the NBA.

After trading a Wal-Mart gift card and a Big Mac for Pau Gasol, they are now the team to beat in the West.

Don't get me wrong, Kobe is still the star in this team, but Pau Gasol is much more than your average role player.

Sasha Vujacic emerging as a dominant shooter has also helped tremendously. He went from an "11 o'clock shooter" (someone who shoots good in practice, but struggles in games), to a self-proclaimed—and deserved—"machine."

When the Lakers get Andrew Bynum back from injury, they can only get better. The Spurs, Suns, Mavericks, Hornets, and any other West contender, better watch out—the Lakers just might be the favorite to win it all this year.