Fantasy options abound in AFC East

by | Apr 14, 2010 | Fantasy Football, NFL Random Thoughts

Two big trades have improved the status of several fantasy football players in the AFC East heading into the NFL draft next weekend.

Last week the New York Jets traded a fifth round pick to Pittsburgh for Santonio Holmes. Holmes will miss the first four games via suspension and he’s maddeningly inconsistent at times. But he A) provides Mark Sanchez another weapon at wide receiver, B) takes coverage away from Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller and C) provides yet another option on offense to take pressure off of the run game.

The Jets are my mid off-season pick to win the AFC Championship and they are building an offense to match the suffocating defense that developed last season.

From a fantasy standpoint Sanchez is still a wildcard at quarterback and that uncertainty could still drop Edwards, Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery and Keller in drafts. But I already liked Shonn Greene a lot and the Holmes addition only makes him more appealing as a top-notch running back option.

The price the Miami Dolphins paid for Brandon Marshall was considerably higher – second round picks in 2010 and 2011. But as long as the Dolphins can keep Marshall from getting in trouble on South Beach, his acquisition might be even bigger. The Dolphins were trotting guys like Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo and Brian Hartline out as number one wideouts. Those guys might have roles on good teams but clearly none are number one options.

Marshall is a top five or six wideout in the NFL, however, if not higher. And his addition not only takes the focus away from those guys but provides up-and-coming quarterback Chad Henne with a true ace.

I really, really liked what I saw from Henne in his first chance to play. I think with a number one wideout he becomes a borderline top 10 quarterback – and I definitely would take a chance on Henne before I would pick up Kyle Orton, Marshall’s field general in Denver last season.

Yet with Orton, Marshall still managed 101 catches and 10 touchdowns. I think he’ll approach that many catches, exceed 10 touchdowns and probably surpass his 1,120 yards as well.

Add the new found firepower of the Jets and Dolphins to the long-standing power that is New England and the AFC has made itself one of the first places to look for fantasy football firepower.

Jerry Jones shows true colors

by | Apr 14, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

It’s not unusual for a group of sports fans sitting around a bar to talk trash about wishing they could get the ear of the coach or owner of their favorite teams so they could tell said official how they could do a better job.

A few fans at some unidentified hangout got more than they bargained for with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who appeared tipsy as he slammed Bill Parcells and Tim Tebow in a video posted on Deadspin.com.

During his rant, Jones sounded more than a little tipsy as he told a throng of fans he wouldn’t draft Tim Tebow because “I couldn’t get him on the field” and that gaining leverage to build a new stadium was “the only reason I brought in Bill Parcells.”

By and large the video is of no news value. Jones says Parcells isn’t worth a crap and seems to indicate that Tebow doesn’t have much chance to develop as a quarterback. It’s not like he’s slandering someone’s ethnic heritage or race as Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder or Dodgers executive Al Campaniss did to get themselves in hot water in semi-similar situations.

In fact, one Dallas sportscaster ripped into his news organization for even airing the footage. “Our business now, too many times, is a fat kid in a T-shirt in his mother’s basement, eating Cheetos and writing his blogs – and we make it news,” said Dale Hansen on WFAA-TV, Dallas’ ABC affiliate.

I largely agree with him. But at the same time, the video does sort of indicate that Jones hired Parcells only as a ploy for gaining momentum for building a stadium and for dispelling discussion that Jones would only hire “yes men” for coaches – a stance not weakened by his keeping Wade Phillips around as head coach as long as he has. (more…)

McNabb to Redskins … interesting

by | Apr 4, 2010 | 2010 Trades, NFL Random Thoughts

The trade that sends Donovan McNabb to Washington will certainly be an interesting addition to the transactions sections of newspapers Monday morning. But does the move make Washington substantially better?

McNabb is probably a top 10 or so quarterback in the NFL, sure. But Washington went 4-12 last year not because Jason Campbell played poorly … well, maybe in part because Campbell played poorly.

But there was much more to it. First, Clinton Portis got hurt and missed half the season – and when he was healthy he appeared to be showing his age anyway.

Second, the Redskins offensive line was terrible – and that was before decade-long mainstay Chris Samuels suffered a career-ending neck injury.

Finally, the defense was no top-notch unit for the most part and head coach Jim Zorn was a lame duck from day two or three.

The Redskins did address the coaching situation by bringing in Mike Shanahan. The Portis situation … well, the Redskins have brought in Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, two veterans older than Portis who also looked to be declining in skills over the last season or two. So to say it has been addressed could be arguably accurate but to say it’s been addressed well is a question that won’t be answered for several months.

And to date the Redskins have done nothing of note to address the offensive line situation. So whether the Redskins roll with McNabb, Campbell, Joe Theismann or Sonny Jurgensen, the quarterback at this point will most likely be running for his life. And they’ve traded their second round pick this year in the deal to get McNabb.

I do think Washington will be better in 2010 just due to the better coaching staff. And McNabb likely is an upgrade over Campbell.

But I think it’s going to take more than what has gone on so far during this offseason to put the Redskins in a position to challenge for a playoff spot anytime in the near future.

Why shouldn’t Kelly recommend quarterbacks?

by | Apr 4, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

ProFootballTalk.com was at it again yesterday, this time castigating Jim Kelly for saying he would recommend Florida quarterback Tim Tebow to the Buffalo Bills.

Sure, Kelly isn’t a scout. And that’s Mike Florio’s point. “The fact that he was a quarterback doesn’t make him qualified to determine in which round another quarterback should be drafted,” Florio writes, then adding that Kelly also isn’t qualified to assess overall team needs.

I’ve said on this site before that I respect where Florio has taken his blog. He’s what every blogger shoots for. But since hitting the big time with a partnership with NBC, the success seems to have gone to his head.

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Browns QB situation different but is it better?

by | Mar 15, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

Last year Cleveland went to battle with Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson and Brett Ratliff at quarterback. Anderson, in his fifth year with the Browns, had the most experience of the three. He played pretty well for most of 2007, finishing his “breakout” season with nearly 3800 yards and 29 touchdowns.

It’s largely been downhill for him ever since. And in 2008 he was overtaken by Quinn, who started nine of the 10 games in 2009, giving him 14 games played since being drafted in 2007.

Coach Eric Mangini traded for Ratliff from the Jets. Ratliff hadn’t played a game in the NFL entering 2009. He didn’t get off the bench last year either.

This trio was uninspiring throughout the 2009 season as the Browns sucked for most of the season. The team started 1-11 before winning its last four games – which basically cost it several spots in the draft.

So, it was probably understandable and predictable that Mike Holmgren and crew decided to make some changes heading into 2010. In the span of a few hours the team released Anderson and traded Quinn to Denver for Peyton Hillis and a couple draft picks.

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