Young Closer to 2,000 Yard Goal; Broncos Cut Henry

by | Jun 2, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, Fantasy Football, NFL Breaking News

The Denver Broncos released Travis Henry Monday, just over a year after signing him to a five-year, $22.5 million contract.  GM/Coach Mike Shanahan took the somewhat unusual step of throwing Henry under the bus as he was releasing him.

“We did not feel his commitment to the Broncos was enough to warrant a spot on this football team,” he said.

Henry, who pulled a hamstring running sprints last month in minicamp, also missed time last year due to injuries, and was nearly suspended for a year due to marijuana use, although he was able to get the punishment overturned.

He did manage 691 yards and four touchdowns in his one season in Denver.

The Broncos added veteran Michael Pittman to their backfield last week, and also have Selvin Young, Andre Hall and rookie Ryan Torain on the roster.  Since it remains to be seen who (if anyone) will get the majority of the carries in Denver, fantasy owners should still stay away from the Broncos backfield in the early rounds.

Vegas, Baby

by | May 29, 2008 | NFL Gambling, We Forgot

Things have definitely been slow around here, lately–largely due to the offseason doldrums that are going on right now (no matter how we try, we just can’t bring ourselves to write extensively about OTAs and arrest reports.

But today we get to break out the one area we haven’t really talked about much on ZoneBlitz–’cause we’re on our way to Vegas.

It’s a little early to be thinking too much about NFL betting, but we figured we’d throw down at least a couple of futures bets on the Super Bowl.

At 30/1, the hometown Vikings are looking like one interesting bet. And if the Jags and Chargers are still at 10/1, they might be intriguing options, although I’m not convinced of either’s defense.

As for super sleepers, seems like every year I seem to think the Cardinals (45/1) are finally going to figure it out, and without looking up any of their offseason moves, it seems to me like the Panthers (60/1) had a decent offseason.

Here are the current 2009 Super Bowl odds we’ve been working off of (as of May 7, at least)–so, we’ll put this out there for any readers–what do you think are some good bets? Post them below, and we’ll let you know what we decide on.

Vikings Defensive Line–Not As Big As It Seems?

by | May 27, 2008 | NFL Random Thoughts

Not to sound to Perez Hilton-ish, but we were at the local giant retail store tonight, getting a few last things before the trip to Vegas, when we thought we saw a familiar face–and gut.  As I approached checkout, I noticed the Vikings logo on his shirt, and figured “Damn, it is Pat Williams.”

Funny thing, though–the reason that I wasn’t sure if it was him initially was that he appeared much smaller than I expected.  Don’t get me wrong–he’s a big guy–but he didn’t appear nearly as large as announcers always like to claim that he is.  I’d say much closer (if not below) the 317 listed on his profile.  He also didn’t have the neck that he has in his official picture.

So, the question should be raised–if Williams is going to come to camp in better shape, will that affect his ability to so effectively clog holes and devour running backs?  Could it add another dimension to his game, by allowing him to rush the passer more effectively?  Or is he just not up to his playing weight yet?  Is it possible that I’m just a horrible judge of the size of the guy?  I was distracted trying to find a tin of mints for the trip…

By the way, the guy who checked me out said that he’s seen Williams 3-4 times in the last month–and a friend has served him at a local resteraunt (one that is known for it’s salad bar, of all things), and that he’s a really nice guy.  Not that I’ve heard otherwise, but with all the bad you hear about NFL players, it’s nice to hear something good once in a while.  Oh, and for anyone who might be interested, he was buying Mountain Dew and energy drinks.  And driving a really sweet car (which isn’t surprising).

Young’s 2,000 Yard Goal Even More in Doubt

by | May 27, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, Fantasy Football, NFL Breaking News

Last week, Selvin Young claimed he thought he could reach 2,000 yards rushing for the Denver Broncos.  Despite the team also having Travis Henry, Andre Hall, and rookie draft pick Ryan Torain also on the roster.

After Henry tweaked his hamstring last week, you can add Michael Pittman to the list of names standing in Young’s rush to 2,000.

“There’s a lot of ways Michael can help the Broncos,” Rosenhaus said. “He can play fullback, halfback, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, return punts and return kicks. He’s a versatile back.”

He can also make a mean battering ram, and between he and Henry, the Broncos might actually get a full season’s worth of carries.

Jesting aside, this likely has little to no significant fantasy impact for 2008–given the injury concerns, and Mike Shanahan’s penchant for splitting carries, if you take a Broncos RB early in the draft you should be mocked mercilessly by your league mates.