2. Adam "Dirty" Morris

Trying to be like his little brother, Adam had a blackout moment in the early stages of Friday night.  Complaining of a headache, the Mirt mysteriously wandered off to his room around 8:30 PM after being knocked out in the poker tournament.  He also pulled one of his 3^rd grade temper tantrums on the beach the next afternoon, threatening to throw cans at people and trying to be like Hulk Hogan but didn’t quite have enough strength to rip a t-shirt. 

Draft Recap

1. (4) Steven Jackson 2. (17) Peyton Manning 3. (24) Reggie Bush 4. (37) Ronnie Brown 5. (44) Chad Ochocinco 6. (57) Eli Manning 7. (64) Brandon Marshall 8. (77) Knowshon Moreno 9. (84) Eddie Royal 10. (97) Jeremy Shockey 11. (104) Laveranues Coles 12. (117) Earnest Graham 13. (124) Chicago 14. (137) Mark Sanchez 15. (144) Vernon Davis 16. (157) San Diego 17. (164) Dante Rosario

Roster

QB’s:  Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Mark Sanchez

RB’s:  Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, Ronnie Brown, Knowshon Moreno, Earnest Graham

WR’s:  Chad Ochocinco, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Laveranues Coles

TE’s:  Jeremy Shockey, Vernon Davis

DEF:  Chicago, San Diego

Quarterbacks:

                You can’t go wrong when you go to your team page and see a couple of Manning’s as your quarterbacks.  Peyton should be in for another routine, phenomenal year with the emphasis the Colts put on the passing game.  I’m not the biggest Eli fan, but he does have a lot of talent and while there isn’t a true #1 receiver in New York, he’s got a ton of second tier options that can make plays.  Also, teams should plan on putting an extra man in the box to stop the Giants’ power rushing attack, forcing the young receiving core to beat them.  Behind the Manning brothers is the best rookie quarterback this year in Mark Sanchez.  Sanchez is used to playing in a pro-style offense for USC and while he’s sure to take his lumps, he should have several outstanding games with good numbers. 

Running backs:

                Steven Jackson may just be the best down for down running back in the game.  He is one of very few backs to play over 90% of the snaps and ONLY comes out when he needs a breather, which isn’t very often.  He also has the versatility to be both the power runner in short yardage situations and an excellent receiver out of the backfield in passing downs.  Nobody in the league has a better combination of both.  I thought round 3 was a little high for Reggie Bush, but he’s one of the most feared guys in the league with the ball in his hands.  Although his playing time has decreased, he’s a player that has more potential per touch than any player in the league, considering the way the Saints use him as a flex back in the slot and backfield.  If Ronnie Brown can keep Ricky Williams off the field, he could put up 1^st round numbers, but the closer the timeshare comes to 50/50, the more irrelevant Brown becomes.  Knowshon Moreno could be a huge hit in Denver.  Now that Mike Shanahan is gone, the running back by committee approach could come to an end.  If the Broncos choose to go with a feature back, Moreno is sure to end up being that guy. 

Wide receivers:

                This group is as good as Brandon Marshall will allow them to be.  If he can put the past behind him, both Marshall and Royal should have a superb year in Josh McDaniels’ system.  Marshall will take over the Moss role, stretching the defense and making big plays downfield, while Royal will be the Welker of the offense, eating up the middle of the field on short drag routes to move the chains.  Ochocinco will be glad to see Palmer back under center after a couple of underachieving years.  With a healthy Palmer, Ochocinco’s value is among the leagues best, but between Ochocinco’s antics and Palmer’s health, the risk is definitely there.  Coles is a solid back-up on the bench as the Bengals #2 receiver.  Cincinnati should throw the ball frequently, providing a lot of opportunities for Ochocinco and Coles.

The rest:

                Jeremy Shockey has the athleticism for a tight end to put up monster numbers, especially in a system like the Saints.  Shockey has been slowed by injuries in recent years and has often been the target most-overlooked in the Saints offense.  Historically, Brees loves throwing to the tight end, bringing out the best of Antonio Gates when in San Diego, but hasn‘t seem to develop the same chemistry with Shockey.  He could take on the Gates role at any time, but with all the other weapons the Saints have, there are definitely fewer catches to go around.  I really love the defensive strategy here, as there are 2 above average defenses in Chicago and San Diego to pick from each week.  More times than not, at least one will have a very favorable match-up to be one of the highest scoring defenses each week. 

Ratings:

Quarterbacks:      B+           91

Running backs:    A-            93

Wide receivers:     B             88

Tight end:              B             89

Defense:                A             N/A

Overall:                  B+           91

Season Outlook:

                QB2 will be a big factor in determining the success of this franchise.  Eli’s got the talent but is stuck in a situation where running the ball is the primary option.  He was held under 200 yds passing in 10 games last year and had less than 20 completions in a whopping 12 games.  While the ceiling is pretty low for Eli, the floor is very high.  He has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league the past few years, with 20+TD’s and 3,000 yds being an absolute lock every year.   Between Bush, Knowshon and Ronnie Brown, at least one is almost certain to have a great year along side Steven Jackson.  Ochocinco and Marshall have a ton of potential but carry some baggage as well.  A very balanced team, with solid depth and good options should a player or two falter.